The calls in Sterling included 108 fires - 59 structure fires, 15 vehicle fires and 34 other fires. The fire department also responded to one call for ruptures, explosions or overheating.
In all, the department saw $626,845 in fire loss - or about $5,804 per fire.
The department also received 177 false calls, including five malicious calls and 172 other false calls.
The calls resulted in two civilian fire-related injuries. Additionally, three fire service members were injured in fire-related incidents.
The Sterling Fire District had an annual budget of $450,007 in 2018.
The Sterling Firefighters Pension Fund, which has 19 active employees and 31 retired or inactive employees, was $332,684 in debt as of April 2017, according to the fund's mandated filings with the Illinois Department of Insurance. That amounts to $3,294 for every fire in 2017.
| 2017 | 2018 | Year-over-year change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Fires | 64 | 59 | -7.8 |
| Vehicle Fires | 19 | 15 | -21.1 |
| Other Fires | 18 | 34 | 88.9 |
| Total Fires | 101 | 108 | 6.9 |
| Total Calls | 269 | 286 | 6.3 |
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