RAPID CITY, S.D.(KOTA)- Pairing a brutal summer fire season with a lean staff – voices in the Rapid City Fire Department were saying it sure felt like a busy fire season.

Now, with the 2021 RCFD Statistics Report, public information officer Tessa Jaeger said they have numbers to back that feeling up.

While those roughly 16,000 medical calls make up the bulk, there is no denying another major factor in the department’s hectic year.

Jaeger said while the academy class of 18 helped alleviate the strain, there is still a need.

Other notable statistics include nearly 1,500 calls for fires and potential fires, 10,610 patients transported via EMS services, and just a single fire related death over the calendar year.