Richardson Fire Department saw an increase in calls for fire and emergency medical services in 2025, as well as a slight decrease in structure fires, Fire Chief Curtis Poovey reported to City Council on April 13.

The overview: A little over 75% of the department’s 16,060 calls were for EMS, Poovey said. Richardson saw 60 structure fires across the city, a slight decrease from last year, Poovey said.

The fire department also carried out 43 investigations and made nine arrests last year, Poovey said, including a “serial arsonist” who they found had been responsible for fires in six different cities.

Diving in deeper: Assistant Chief of Operations Gene Senter said the increase in calls could be partially attributed to Richardson’s population growth, although the call volume is growing three times the rate of the population.

A private healthcare college is on track to open in Richardson after the City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval for a special permit on April 7.

The overview: Casa Loma College, a non-profit healthcare college based out of Los Angeles, requested a special permit from the city to open a campus in a multi-tenant office building on 1202 Richardson Drive.

Casa Loma offers accelerated hybrid programs for students to earn a healthcare degree in under two years, according to city documents. The college’s programs include nursing, medical imaging, physical therapy, business administration and healthcare management.

A closer look: The college plans to lease 31,000 square feet of space on the first, second and fourth floors of the building, which will include classrooms, laboratories, nursing simulation suites, administrative offices and common areas. The total enrollment is expected to reach 450 students.

Royal Jordanian Airlines will launch a new year-round stop from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, on May 10.

The details: According to a news release, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will operate four times per week between the airports. Flights start at $475, according to the airline’s website.

Royal Jordanian also flies into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. in the United States. There are other North American flights to Toronto and Montreal in Canada, according to its website.

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