Charlottesville City Manager report: Fire incidents down in 2024 so far

There are expectations in a democracy that people who live in a community can have a reasonable opportunity to know what’s happening. To give a glimpse into what Charlottesville officials do, City Manager Sam Sanders releases a report that gives updates. (read the report)

In the edition that comes out for today’s City Council meeting, Fire Chief Michael Thomas reports that the number of EMS/rescue calls were down slightly in the first two thirds of fiscal year 2024.

“Looking at the period of July-April compared to the same months in FY23, CFD incidents are down about ten percent across all categories,” reads the report. 

The report states that fire incidents are down about 17 percent over the same period in FY23, and EMS calls are down about 7.88, and all other calls are down about 13 percent. 

Another metric is also down.

“Opioid overdoses in the city have declined in 2024,” the report continues. “[Charlottesville Fire Department] and [Charlottesville Area Rescue Squad] are running an average of six overdoses each month compared to 8.4 each month in 2023.”

Other highlights:

• The city will receive $20,000 after being selected by the International City/County Management Association to be a 2024 Economic Mobility and Opportunity Cohort. The funding will be used to “advance a local assessment, planning process, or program aimed at boosting upward mobility of residents.” 
• Charlottesville Area Transit has a new Senior Project Manager. Bruce White began on June 3, 2024. He will be responsible for overseeing key projects and driving the development and success of major transit initiatives” and most recently worked for a construction company. White is a retired Colonel and former Judge Advocate General for U.S. Marine Corps. 
• The Parks and Recreation will hold a silent disco at the Carver Recreation Center on June 22 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. More information here.
• The City Amateur Golf Championships will be held on June 29 and June 30. Registration can be found on the Meadowcreek Golf Course website.
• The Utilities Department continues work on the decarbonization study with three listening sessions this summer. The study began in the spring of 2023 as I wrote about at the time. These sessions will be held on July 9, July 16, and August 22. (respond here)
• Several members of the Charlottesville Public Works department took part in the May 1 “Roadeo” held for the Mid-Atlantic section of the American Public Works Association. Two employees got within the top five for their selected events that “measure skill and speed of operation” in a variety of different vehicles. 
• If you cross the Drewary Brown Bridge on West Main you may notice the nameplates identifying the various “bridge builders” are not there. They’ve been temporarily removed for cleaning and repairs. Other beautification efforts are underway this summer. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the June 17, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.