While delivering the fire report to the council, Dry Ridge volunteer firefighter Jimmy Wells told the council that of the 44 total calls the department received last month, eight of them went unanswered and several others were marred by significant delays.

"To the best of my knowledge, we have never missed a run until this month - and we missed eight," said Wells as he addressed the council. "I can not explain it."

Wells went on to say that the department has endured a gradual decline in volunteer response numbers. While the city once averaged 12 firefighters per call, last month the department averaged only 2.27 firefighters per call.

The fire department currently has 30 volunteers, said Wells. Nine of the 30 work as full-time firefighters outside of city limits, and the majority of others hold down nine to five jobs that keep them occupied during the day.

Councilmember Barbara Stewart fired out a series of questions, among those the issue of salary, but was unable to find a definite answer to the problem.

"I don't know what it's going to come to, but you gotta do something," said councilmember George Hedges Jr., with an air of warning to the rest of the council.

Mayor Bill Cull offered into discussion the possiblity of city maintenance workers pulling down double-duty as volunteer firefighters, but the idea was quickly dismissed by city maintenance manager Bobby Robbins.

"We've got a job that keeps us busy enough without worrying about the Fire Department," said Robbins.

Unfortunately, as last month's Fire Deparment run summary proves, city residents are the ones who should be worried.

A sampling from last month's report shows that on:

Aug. 3: An accident with injuries at the intersection of Taft Highway and Warsaw Road went unanswered due to lack of manpoweer. No units responded.

Aug. 6: A person having difficulty breathing waited 15 minutes for help on Pine Street after Dry Ridge was called three times with no response.

Aug. 10: A person fell an unknown distance. No fire personnel responded.

Aug. 11. No response from Dry Ridge required the Williamstown Fire Department to respond to Pine Street and assist EMS with a person having difficulty breathing, with 22 minutes elapsing before first response arrived.

Aug. 11: Lack of manpower caused an occupant of an overturned vehicle on the interstate to wait 23 minutes before personnel arrived. Williamstown was called for assistance.

Aug. 14: An accident with injuries at the southbound exit ramp of Interstate 75 went unanswered.

Aug. 24: Units waited 10 minutes before responding to a fully involved vehicle fire on the interstate due to lack of manpower.

Aug. 25: An oil spill at Baton Rouge Road and Taft Highway went unanswered. Williamstown Fire Department was called to clean the spill up after Dry Ridge was called three times with no answer.

Aug. 26: A person in diabetic emergency waited 11 minutes before the Williamstown Fire Department arrived on Peaceful Hollow Road. Dry Ridge was called three times with no response.