On February 19, the Elmira Heights Fire Department provided standby coverage for the Southport Fire Department as their firefighters responded to a structure fire.

Elmira Heights firefighters remained in situ for several hours to ensure that fire protection coverage was maintained across the Southport district while local units were dispatched to the ongoing incident.

Standby assignments, according to department officials, are a vital component of the regional mutual aid system because they allow neighboring departments to support one another during large crises while still providing emergency response coverage to nearby towns.