Dispatch left the one line off the hook so they could get their nap in.
Actually to be honest my first fire dept we could go 4months without a fire. EMS was a seperate side.
Our Dept is paid on call with out EMS, but we do get called for Extrications. Most of our calls are wild land related, and so summers tend to be bussy. This year for the most part quiet, late start but still dry and 70 degree weather, so not over yet. I canot say how long we have gone with out a call, but there has been times ya wonder then get 3 or so in a row. We cover around 220 sq miles, with Interstate 84 and many Highways, rural farm land, and BLM in our District. We also contract coverage for the city, so are trained in both structure and wild land fire tactics. So yes we do a lot of training, twice sometimes three times a month to keep our skills up as well as mutual aid calls which dose help. So ya never know you may get slamed with a few in a row, and being as small as ya say, may be a sleeping dragon waiting to surprise ya. Stay safe have fun and dont fall asleep!!
You make a good point Norm! Training becomes a much more important issue when there is a low call volume. You can only learn a certain amount in the classroom. Even with hands-on training there is a limit to how much practical knowledge can be imparted to the trainee. You can train until the cows come home but there is a part of our operational skill set that can only be attained through actual response experience. There is no substitute for experience and a low call volume will make it that much more difficult to attain. I would think about arranging ride along s with a more active nearby department to keep skills sharp between calls.