Salem Fire Department 2025 Year in Review

For the firefighters of the Salem Fire Department, every day begins the same way: checking equipment, preparing the station, and getting ready for whatever the next 911 call may bring. In 2025, those calls came more often than ever.

Last year, Salem firefighters responded to 36,465 calls for service across the city and surrounding areas. That’s a 9% increase over 2024, underscoring how busy crews have become as Salem continues to grow.

The Salem Fire Department is a full-service, all-hazards emergency response agency that protects the residents, workers, and visitors of Oregon’s capital city. Serving a population of more than 180,000 people, firefighters respond to everything from house fires and medical emergencies to vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues.

While structure fires are often what people picture when they think about firefighters, the reality is that most calls today involve medical emergencies. In 2025 alone, Salem crews responded to 25,910 medical calls. That includes helping people experiencing heart attacks, breathing emergencies, serious injuries, and other urgent health situations.

In many cases, firefighters arrive within minutes and begin care before patients are transported to a hospital. That quick response can make a life-changing difference when someone is facing a medical emergency.

Salem’s firefighters also saw more activity on the roadways last year. Motor vehicle crashes increased from 934 incidents in 2024 to 1,046 in 2025. These calls often require firefighters to stabilize damaged vehicles, assist injured occupants, and make sure the scene is safe for everyone involved.

Fire incidents also ticked upward slightly, rising from 786 in 2024 to 810 in 2025. Although fires account for a smaller share of total calls, they remain among the most challenging situations crews face.

Beyond fires and medical calls, firefighters also assist with a wide variety of situations, responding to hazardous conditions, assisting residents who have fallen, and helping during unusual emergencies. Those call types remained steady last year, with just over 7,000 responses.

One of the biggest changes for the department in 2025 wasn’t just the number of calls — it was how the department delivers medical care.

Last year marked a major milestone when Salem Fire resumed full responsibility for ambulance transport services. Bringing EMS transport back in-house enabled the department to create a more seamless system in which firefighters can care for patients from the moment a 911 call is received through hospital arrival.

To prepare for the change, the department modernized its fleet with new ambulances and medical equipment while issuing new uniforms and gear to firefighters. The transition also strengthened training and clinical oversight to ensure the highest level of patient care.

Community engagement brought firefighters closer to the community through outreach events, safety programs, and public education efforts. Even with the growing number of calls, one thing hasn’t changed: Salem firefighters remain ready to respond at any hour of the day or night.

From early morning medical calls to late-night fires, crews are always prepared for the next emergency. And as the city continues to grow, the Salem Fire Department remains committed to protecting the community and providing reliable service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.