STURGIS, S.D. – Sturgis Fire Department Chief Scott Lensegrav provided the 2021 annual report to the Sturgis City Council Monday night.
Lensegrav says 2021 was a busy year for the fire department as they faced many challenges. Among them, the COVID-19 pandemic, equipment age and availability and finding volunteers.
There are currently 41 active firefighters on the roster – up three over last year – all of which are South Dakota FF1 and FF2 structurally certified and wildland certified.
Due to the age of their equipment, Lensegrav says they will soon need to replace a portion of their fleet to help keep their I-S-O rating. A fire department’s ISO rating is a determination by the Insurance Services Office by how well your department is able to serve the community. You’re assigned a score between 1 and 10, with lower numbers indicating a better score. High ISO scores can increase home insurance rates in the community. With the continued growth being seen in the city, Lensegrav says they are in need of a ladder truck to keep that I-S-O rating low.
He says they may also have to look at adding another fire station on the west side of Sturgis due to the continued growth there.
In the call volume for 2021, firefighters responded to 83 vehicle accidents, 72 grass fires, 22 structure fires, 52 fire alarms, 13 vehicle fires and 28 utility line incidents.
