Capt. David Grunes said the 2,532 calls for service represented a 12 percent increase from 2005 and included increases in the most serious calls, such as fires (up 4 percent), medical responses (up 7 percent), and hazardous conditions (up 18 percent).

While fires were up overall, including two high profile incidents on Liberty and South roads, fires only accounted for 2 percent of all calls for service last year. Nearly half of all service calls in 2006 were for medical responses and ambulance runs.

Grunes said the medical response function has become an increasingly important part of a firefighter’s job as all firefighters are now trained as Emergency Medical Technicians. According to Grunes, the department responded to 792 medical calls during his first year in 1994. The department responded to 1,239 medical calls in 2006.

“There’s more of a reliance on it now. If I broke my foot when I was a kid, my parents would take me to the hospital. Now, if a kid breaks his foot, the ambulance takes him,” Grunes said. “That’s what we’re here for, but it definitely has an effect.”

Lt. David Hansen said he was one of the department’s first EMTs when he joined more than 30 years ago. Ambulance responses have more than tripled since 1976, Hansen’s first year in Bedford. While Hansen agreed that people may have become more reliant on the ambulance, he does not think the service is being abused.

“The calls seem to be legitimate emergencies in most cases. There’s no real abuse of the ambulance just to get into the ER a little easier,” Hansen said.

“The quality of the medical care the citizens of Bedford get has dramatically improved over the last 30 years,” he added.

Grunes said technological advances have made fire fighting more complex and more expensive, but also much more effective. According to Grunes, an air pack and mask, which cost $645 in 1976, cost $4,800 in 2006. The higher price tag reflects technological improvements to the equipment, including an integrated emergency alarm.

Hansen said improved equipment such as the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) has allowed firefighters to safely go further into burning buildings.

“The whole science of extinguishing fires has really improved. When I got in the door, fire fighting was much more of a defensive operation. Now you can get much deeper into the building. You do feel safer and you have more confidence in your ability to get in and out,” Hansen said during a rare quiet lunch break at the fire station.

Midday is the heaviest call period so a firefighter’s lunch seldom passes by uninterrupted, Grunes said.

“It’s not uncommon for us to get multiple calls at the same time,” Grunes said. Before lunch on Feb. 15, Hansen’s coverage group had already responded to four separate incidents in a one hour span between 11 a.m. and noon. But Hansen said a half-eaten lunch is a small price to pay for the thrill and satisfaction he gets from being a firefighter.

“Nobody wants someone to be in trouble, but it always feels good to go on a call. There’s a real adrenaline rush when you go out the door,” Hansen said. “It’s a great feeling to be able to help people.”

To view the Fire Department call statistics for 2006, visit www.bedfordfire.org.