The Anchorage Fire Department, grappling with how to help those experiencing homelessness as temperatures begin to drop for the year, has begun to implement changes to its tracking system as it works to better address incidents taking place within homeless camps.
For years, the fire department has had a designation to report alcohol-related incidents. However, as of Oct. 1, calls to AFD dispatch can be specifically marked if connected with someone who is unhoused, designated as such in the department’s system. This can include everything from smoke coming out of a homeless camp to someone experiencing homelessness also suffering a medical issue.
In 2022, the fire department received about 38,000 calls to dispatch, according to Boyd. He said that as of Monday, Station No. 1 in Downtown Anchorage had already received about 11,000 calls total, year-to-date. The station is in a higher-density call zone, he added, with a higher population to include a larger number of people experiencing homelessness than in other parts of the city.
Boyd said that, while it’s fair to say fires at homeless camps have cost in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone, a precise price tag is difficult to calculate because of the different types of responses demanded of AFD. For references categorized as “outdoor fires,” the calls may be for smoke sightings in different areas, reports of controlled fires during burn bans, or a campfire that’s gotten out of hand.
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