Not every call received by us is of the emergency type. It is not at all unusual to be dispatched to assist an individual who may not know who else to call but needs the manpower, equipment, or skills of the fire department. One of the more common calls of this type is best illustrated by the television ad that uses the phrase, "I've fallen and I can't get up!". These runs are categorized by us as "lift assists". When we arrive on the scene, the situation is usually easily remedied by firefighters transferring the individual from the floor back up to a sitting position. Sometimes, however, there is a medical or stability condition that precipitated the fall, and requires additional assessment by our paramedic crews. Other times, especially if this is a repeat fall situation, there may be a need for social service intervention. This would be an instance where the "risk reduction" component of Worthington Fire & EMS would be consulted to provide direct or indirect service to the individual.
Another type of "service call" to which we respond includes assistance with smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Technically a part of our risk reduction program, it is most often that Operations companies are who travel to a resident's home to investigate their situation. As needed, the firefighters are equipped to do everything from replacing batteries to installing new alarms.
There are numerous other examples such as investigating foreign odors and shutting off leaking hydrants that fall in this "miscellaneous" response category and to which we apply our skills to remedy.