Superior Fire Department Urges Caution Amid Rise In Falls

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Falls resulting in emergency response are on the rise in Wisconsin.

According to a survey conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, emergency services across the state responded to over 140,000 falls in 2024.

That number equates to over 20% of all 911-related ambulance runs during that calendar year and, over in Superior, these trends are felt locally as well.

“We end up seeing a lot of falls,” said Superior Fire Department’s Lead Fire Inspector Caleb Sorvik.

“The data that we have so last year, 2024, we had 445 calls that were specifically just for falls, that’s 17% of our total call volume is just going to places where someone has fallen down.”

That being said, there are accessible ways in which people at risk of falls can help reduce the odds.

“There’s a myriad of things that we can do to help mitigate the risk of falls happening. The biggest one is to keep moving, so the less we move, the more our muscles atrophy, the worse our balance gets,” said Sorvik. “The number one thing that we can do to keep people in their homes as long as possible is to just keep moving. 21

For those that have a little more difficulty staying active, the state has resources for that too, and it’s better to start now instead of waiting for the last minute.

“The aging and disability resource center, the state has really declared that we are the bridge to resources. And so most of what we do is bridge them to bridge individuals, get them connected. We can make the phone calls to get the connection with the resources that are available in the area. And then another thing that we do is screening for the long term care.” 22

Those resources can be found on Douglas County’s website.