Percentage of Time Response to Emergency Events in Five Minutes or Less
|
FY /09/10 |
FY 10/11 |
FY 11/12 |
FY 12/13 |
|
| Target |
90% |
90% |
90% |
90% |
| Actual |
56% |
47% |
54% |
60% |
| Variance |
-34% |
-43% |
-36% |
-30% |
| FY 12/13 | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|
Target |
90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% |
| Actual | 62% | 59% | 58% | 58% | 57% | 63% | 57% | 63% | 63% | 62% | 63% | 60% |
| Variance | -28% | -31% | -32% | -32% | -33% | -27% | -33% | -27% | -27% | -28% | -27% | -30% |
Why This Is Important
Response time is a measure used in National Fire Protection Association standards, which are widely used to evaluate fire department emergency service levels nationwide. Research has shown that medical intervention that begins within five minutes of a traumatic injury or cardiac event gives the patient a greater chance of survival. This measure has been incorporated into our performance measures since their inception.
What It Will Take To Achieve The Targets
The 90 percent target of arrival within five minutes is a difficult goal to achieve. We have been challenged with budget reductions over the years thus affecting our emergency response capability. There are two areas that have helped us improve upon this goal. The first is the implementation of Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology. This system allows dispatchers to select the closest emergency resource regardless of agency jurisdiction. The second improvement towards achieving our goal has been our success in negotiating mutual-aid and automatic-aid agreements with our partner fire agencies. Blurring the lines of jurisdiction for emergency response is advantageous for all communities. Traffic preemption controls were installed on approximately 90 of the 137 signaled intersections in the City. This allows emergency vehicles to obtain a green light more often with resulting improved response times, safer “code 3” response with less wear and tear on vehicle braking systems and greater fuel efficiency.
Original Source: City of Ventura, CA Website
