Woodbury Jan 3rd, 2025 – The Woodbury Volunteer Fire Dept responded a record 420 times in 2024, announced Chief Janet B. Morgan (photo) this week. She sent a thank-you email on Jan 3rd to every firefighter that said in part, “Your commitment to helping your neighbors and community is priceless.”

The annual average over several years is about 375 responses, well under the 2024 record, Chief Morgan said. Of the 420 total last year the department rolled to 30 fires and 89 rescues. Rescues and emergency incidents were almost entirely motor vehicle accidents. “Fortunately, there were no fatalities and no firefighters were injured,” she added.

In addition, there were 70 responses to hazardous or special situations such as propane leaks, spills of dangerous fluids, downed power lines, and others. Eight responses were specifically related to severe weather conditions such as floods or trees blown across live wires. “The busiest hours and day for callouts are always between seven and nine am on Thursdays,” noted a bemused Chief Morgan. “That’s according to our computer. We have no idea why.”

Ninety calls were service calls or what the department describes as good-intent responses. They included pumping out flooded cellars or ensuring battery-powered fire alarms in public buildings or nursing homes are working properly. False calls, often triggered by sensitive monitors, accounted for 133 runs.

In addition to the 420 total, the volunteers also took fire trucks to what the chief called ‘several dozen” community events. These included rides to school for the children of winners in PTA fund-raising efforts.