I Want Answers About Response Time to Fire in My District

I am still awaiting a full response from City  management concerning response times by our Fire Department prior to budget cuts. NFPA Standards are very clear about response times. NFPA also indicates that several factors can impact response times:

• increase in number of calls for service
• decrease in number of firefighters on duty
• decrease in equipment available

The budget cuts have taken the number of firefighters down to 117 a day -- the lowest in many, many years.

The budget cuts have taken numerous types of equipment out of service:

• ·        Engine 7 was reduced from a Paramedic Assessment Unit to a BLS fire engine
• ·        Engine 101 eliminated
• ·        5th firefighter cut from Truck 1
• ·        Engine 3 has gone from a Paramedic Assessment Rig (1 FF and 1 Paramedic) to a BLS Engine (with just 2 FF's)
• ·        Rescue 12 eliminated – left with Engine
• ·        Engine 14 eliminated; Truck 14 eliminated – left with Rescue
• ·        Truck 17 and Engine 17 eliminated and turned into a light force.  Extremely inefficient system.
• ·        Engine 18 eliminated – left with Rescue

My district just had a major residential fire. Because the fire engine was removed from Station 18 which was just blocks from the fire, a Paramedic Rescue was sent. It then took 8 minutes for the firefighting equipment of station 22 and then 19 arrived. Do not know why Station 5 wasn't sent.

We need a full assessment of what it happening to our fire department because of budget cuts.

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