From Sunday January 22, 2023 through Saturday January 28, 2023, the Yuma Fire Department responded to 339 emergency calls for service:

                10    General Fire Responses
Including: 1 for a vehicle on fire near an apartment, 1 for a grill fire at a restaurant, 1 for a fire set in a park restroom, 1 for a strong chemical smell in a building, 1 for a house fire, and various alarms 

                  2     Mutual Aid
Including: 2 for assisting Rural Metro with medical emergencies in the County 

                24     Motor Vehicle Crashes 
Including: 3 involving a motorcycle, 1 head-on crash, and 1 involving a bicyclist 

              268     Other Medical Emergencies (both serious and minor)
Including: 26 for difficulty breathing, 18 for chest pain/cardiac issues, 45 for fall related injuries, 17 for unconscious people, 12 seizure cases, 5 for an intoxicated person, 2 for a person under the influence of drugs, 15 for psychiatric problems (12 threatening or attempting suicide), 8 for medical alarms, 3 for a child locked in a vehicle, 1 for allergic reactions, 13 for altered or decreased level of consciousness, 2 for broken bones, 4 for diabetic emergencies, 2 for dog bites, 1 for a man down call, 2 for bad headaches, 1 for an assault, 4 for back pain, 14 for abdominal pain, 1 pregnancy related, 5 for a deceased person, 1 for lacerations, 13 welfare checks, 1 for a person who passed out after smoking marijuana, and other illnesses and injuries (Note: 1 of the week’s total responses were to the USBP holding facility)

                35     Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
Including: 4 for special appearances at schools, 1 for a motorcycle on fire, 2 for small brush fires, 1 for a blown power transformer, 1 for an illegal fire in a yard, 1 for strong smell of gas on 32nd St. at Ave. 3E, and various alarms

This time of year, periods of warmer weather can be followed by high winds and even storms. When storms happen, the Yuma Fire Department will normally respond to a variety of related calls for blown transformers, lines down, poles on fire, traffic crashes, flooding, etc. These are common occurrences during rain/wind storms and Yuma residents are asked to use extra caution during these events.

If power is out to the lights that control an intersection, treat that intersection like you would a 4-way stop. This is not just a good suggestion, it is the law. Use extra caution, plenty of patience, and avoid driving in areas where the power is out. If you must go out, be sure to drive appropriately for conditions. Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you, slow down, and NEVER drive into flooded areas. Be alert for areas of reduced visibility from blowing dust too!

Treat all downed wires as if they were live power lines. Even if they are temporarily not electrified, that may change. These lines can be VERY dangerous and merely stepping on them could cost you your life. When power is out, resist the temptation to go “sightseeing”. You may find the cause of the outage, with tragic results.

For more information about fire and injury prevention classes we offer, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855, you can also “Follow” us at www.twitter.com/YumaFireDept or on Instagram @YumaFireDepartment