For the next several columns, we will examine key aspects of the proposed NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, and NFPA 1720, Standard for Volunteer Fire Service. Both of these proposed standards set minimum guidelines or requirements for fire department organizations and deployment for fire, EMS, and special operations.
Section 3-2.3.2 of the proposed 1710 standard deals with first alarm assignments. In my words, the standard calls for the arrival of the entire first alarm complement within eight minutes from the initial receipt of the call. This section requires 13 members on the initial full alarm response, as follows:
- 1 member-incident commander (IC).
- 4 members-one attack line (flowing 100 gpm) and one backup line (flowing 200 gpm); each line staffed by two firefighters.
- 2 members-support for each attack and backup line.
- 2 members-search.
- 2 members-ventilation.
- 2 members-rapid intervention team (RIT).
For volunteer departments, NFPA 1720 simply reinforces the use of the incident command system (one member) and a two-in/two-out policy.
In Toledo, we respond with three engines, one truck, one heavy squad, a battalion chief, and a life squad (advanced life support transport unit) to a reported structure fire, providing a minimum of 23 firefighters. We do not track response time for the full alarm assignment. We do track the individual response times for the first and second engines and the truck. Our average response for these units is seven minutes. [We began tracking response this way in the beginning of 2000 because of the requirements of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Accreditation Process.]
We use “incident specific” assignments-in other words, the initial IC assigns units according to the specific situation, not by procedure. We almost always assign a full crew (a minimum of two firefighters and an officer, leaving the driver for apparatus duties) to specific tasks. Some of the above tasks are accomplished at every fire; others may or may not be done, depending on circumstances. We may not assign a RIT at a room-and-contents fire. We may not search a vacant warehouse with fire blowing from every window and door on arrival. But at our bread-and-butter fires, the vast majority of the above bulleted items are covered.
This section of the standard will have very little impact on our department. In fact, it enhances and justifies our current staffing levels.
John (Skip) Coleman, deputy chief of operations, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue; author of Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer (Fire Engineering, 1997); editorial advisory board member of Fire Engineering; and member of the FDIC Educational Committee.
Questions: How do response times and staffing assignments for your department compare with those in the proposed standards? What impact, if any, would adoption of this section of the proposed standard have on your department’s operations?
Jim Murtagh, deputy chief (ret.)
Fire Department of New York
Response: The minimum staffing for approximately 69 percent of the engine companies in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) consists of four firefighters and an officer. The remaining 31 percent have five firefighters and an officer. All ladder companies, rescue companies, squad companies, and hazardous materials units are staffed with one officer and a minimum of five firefighters.
One of the standards by which FDNY’s service is measured is a response time of less than five minutes for the first unit’s arrival on-scene. This is the time from the initial receipt of the alarm to the time when the unit notifies the dispatcher it is on-scene. All fire apparatus are equipped with computer terminals, and all units are required to enter the 10-84 code (on-scene) when they arrive at the scene of operations. (This requires the pushing of a single dedicated key on the keypad.) If there is a structure fire, the first-arriving officer is required to give a radio report of the particulars of the fire building and some indication of the order or magnitude of the fire (fire showing out of two windows of the third floor of a three-story, wood-frame building).
FDNY has been tracking response times for many years; they are factored into the deployment and response models, and although the five-minute standard is almost always met, a change to a four-minute response time would put a significant strain on resources and may not be achievable.
The response assignments for FDNY are dictated by a set of standardized rules, which are constantly reevaluated. For report of a structure fire from only one source (for example, the dispatcher has been notified of the fire by a fire alarm box or telephone and no additional information or second call has been received), one to three engine companies, one to two ladder companies, and a battalion chief and aide are assigned to respond. The assignment depends on unit availability; however, the minimum of one engine, one ladder, and a battalion chief will be dispatched. If two or more sources of notification for a fire in a structure are received, three engines, two ladders, a squad, and a battalion chief are dispatched. If the original dispatch is based on a single notification source, the response assignment is filled out to meet the higher standard. When the first-arriving unit notifies the dispatcher of a significant structure fire (a potential two-line fire), additional units such as a rescue company, a fast team (RIT), and a second battalion chief are dispatched. As a result of this dispatch protocol, a minimum of nine firefighters, two company officers, and a battalion chief would be dispatched for a single-source alarm.
FDNY does not routinely track the time it takes the full first alarm to get on-scene; however, my 33 years of responding to structure fires in New York City lead me to believe that an “average” eight- or nine-minute time frame for the full first-alarm assignment to be on-scene is reasonable.
The actual and needed time for a full first-alarm assignment to be on-scene is a subject area of “Fire Service Deployment and Management” that should be researched and studied further.
Several questions that need to be answered are the following:
- Is a single number (time frame) appropriate for all types of jurisdictions (metropolitan, urban, and rural), or should there be a standard that varies depending on specific and measurable criteria?
- What is the real-and moral-ability of a community to provide a service level that musters a full first alarm in eight minutes?
- What is the appropriate definition of a “full first alarm,” and should/would this differ from community to community?
- What does a community do if it cannot meet the standard?
Larry Anderson, deputy chief
Dallas (TX) Fire Department
Response: The Dallas Fire Department’s minimum response to a structure fire consists of three engines, one aerial ladder truck, and one battalion chief. Our engines and trucks are each staffed with four firefighters. The battalion chief’s vehicle has a crew of two, a battalion chief and a command technician. This response puts 18 firefighters on the scene of all one-alarm incidents. Response to fires at high-rises and tactically significant locations includes an additional aerial truck and an additional battalion chief, for a total of 24 firefighters.
Our average response time is slightly over four minutes for the first-arriving companies. It would be rare for all the responding companies to take more than eight minutes to arrive. The adoption of NFPA 1710 would not have a great impact on our department.
Garry Morris, assistant chief
Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department
Response: The proposed NFPA 1710 standard will have little impact on the Phoenix Fire Department. Standard dispatch for a reported fire in a residence delivers a total of 19 personnel. A first-alarm assignment to a commercial building delivers 32 personnel. Once a working fire is announced, a single fire company is automatically dispatched to both assignments to serve as a rapid intervention crew (RIC). Large commercial structures and second alarms get two companies to serve as RICs.
NFPA 1710 is a very good standard. It’s based on various studies on staffing (i.e., the Seattle and Dallas study in the 1980s and, more recently, FIREDAP, sponsored by the Urban Fire Forum). All these studies validate the staffing resources and time elements required for initial fire attack operations.
Phoenix Assistant Chief Steve Kreis, who manages the department’s Operations Division (and is a member of the NFPA 1710 committee), believes that the standard will strengthen the American fire service in both staffing and deployment issues. It’s a standard we’ve all needed for many years.
I believe this standard will have an impact on the American fire service similar to that of NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program-1997: We grumbled during its development (17,000 negative “the sky is falling” comments), but there is little disagreement today that it is widely accepted and has benefited the fire service.
Leigh Hollins, battalion chief
Cedar Hammock and Southern
Manatee Fire Districts, Florida
Response: At Cedar Hammock and Southern Manatee Fire Districts, we are always striving to improve our service to the citizens. That is the reason the two districts now operate as one (through an interlocal agreement). Two areas that we have im-proved greatly are covered by NFPA 1710-response times and staffing.
As far as response times go (as defined by NFPA 1710), the initial part (receipt of 911 call until dispatch) of the response time is handled by another agency (Manatee County). Therefore, we have little control over that portion of the response time. I must note, though, that these times are acceptable and that the County ECC and our agencies work together on this issue.
The second part of the response time, the turnout time, which, to my understanding, is the district’s receipt of the alarm until the apparatus are moving, is under one minute in most circumstances, even at night. I see this portion as a constant, meeting all expectations.
The third part of the response time, the travel time, varies somewhat. Just over a year ago, our approximate 60-square-mile district was protected by six stations, and there were some extended response times. However, last summer we opened a seventh station in a storefront of an outlet mall for the specific reason of reducing response times in that area. This summer, we will be opening an eighth station, which will further reduce our response times. All stations are staffed around the clock. Presently, a great majority of our fire responses are five minutes or less.
In addition to reducing response times, adding stations, engines, and personnel also addresses another issue of NFPA 1710, alarm assignment staffing. Even if we do not increase the number of apparatus responding or the number of personnel on apparatus, we have more, closer resources from which to draw; that improves the ability to get the number of personnel required at a fire scene in a timely manner.
Currently, we respond with approximately anywhere from seven to 14 or more personnel to initial structure fire alarms. This depends on many factors such as the location of the incident, the potential of the area, automatic-aid areas, availability of staff personnel, and whether we are at full or minimum staffing.
The battalion chief on duty adjusts the response, as needed, based on additional caller information, multiple calls, visible smoke columns, and so on. It is not uncommon for our on-duty battalion chief to call for additional companies and move-ups prior to any of our companies’ arriving at the scene. Therefore, additional companies are called for those incidents requiring increased personnel resources, and the battalion chief cancels companies for those incidents requiring fewer units.
As with any standard, our department will review NFPA 1710 and use it as another source of information concerning fire responses. It is our belief that the officers of our district can make (and do it very well) the decisions concerning response time management and proper staffing levels at the many diverse fire incidents we encounter each year. We understand that the many fire-related standards that are out there cannot be ignored, but we also know that most departments cannot meet them all 100 percent of the time, nor should they be forced to.
We are already constantly striving to improve our response times and staffing levels and will continue to do so. Therefore, I don’t think NFPA 1710 will have a great impact on our department because we are already making reasonable efforts to improve response times and increase staffing while at the same time not “stripping” our district.
Bob Oliphant, lieutenant
Kalamazoo (MI) Dept. of Public Safety
Response: Our department’s response is generally 21 people and exceeds the NFPA initial alarm assignment capabilities in terms of number of personnel. Arrival time for the first unit is less than four minutes. Data related to the arrival time for all units are not immediately available, but given the size of our community, I believe it would be within the eight-minute response time. However, other calls for service could affect these numbers. For our department, the response numbers and arrival time are more of an ISO issue than one of trying to comply with an NFPA standard.
We do not adhere to the personnel assignments specified in the standard. It’s up to the incident commander how people are assigned, depending on the conditions on arrival. We typically back up the initial 100-gpm attack line with another 100-gpm attack line, not a 200-gpm line specified in the standard. Support personnel for each line would usually consist of one additional person, not two people.
Ronald Hiraki, chief of training
Seattle (WA) Fire Department
Response: Currently, the Seattle Fire Department has the capability to meet the proposed requirements of NFPA 1710. Except for unusual circumstances (disasters, a multiple alarm, adverse weather), a typical alarm assignment to a commercial or residential incident will put the first 16 firefighters at the location within the proposed eight-minute standard.
Although the proposed NFPA 1710 standard does not immediately impact us, we will monitor the development and adoption of the standard carefully. The Seattle Fire Department must consider four issues that will affect response times and adversely affect our ability to meet the proposed standard.
- Urban density. Seattle is surrounded on two sides by water. Therefore, growth and affordable housing require more multifamily residential structures. More people create a higher demand for services and result in more units being out of service over time.
- Traffic. The urban density combined with Seattle’s unusual geography of hills and its “hourglass” shape creates challenges for the traffic engineers and all emergency responders. As traffic gets worse, response times will get longer.
- Light rail. To solve traffic congestion, voters have approved a major light rail and transit project. Construction of tunnels, surface rail lines, and stations over the next five to seven years will affect response times. The Seattle Fire Department is working with the designers of the light rail system to minimize the impact of restricted access because of rail lines on surface streets.
- Long-range facility planning. The Seattle Fire Department is currently developing long-range facility plans. If a fire station cannot be remodeled or rebuilt to meet current needs, the fire station may be relocated. The positive and negative results of relocating a fire station and units, as well as the “domino” effect on surrounding fire units, will be carefully considered.
In 1998, our Resource Allocation Committee began using a sophisticated computer program that plotted the effects of the placement of units on both fire and EMS response times. The Seattle Fire Department will continue to use a computer program to project and monitor the response times. The proposed NFPA 1710 standard has caused us to think critically about the issues that impact our response times.
Frank C. Schaper, chief
St. Charles (MO) Fire Department
Response: The St. Charles Fire Department operates out of five fire stations that run three triple combination pumpers, a 55-foot quint, a 100-foot quint platform, and two medic units. Normally, the fire apparatus run with one officer and two firefighters. The medic units run with two firefighter/paramedics. The first-alarm assignment is the same for all structures or situations-four apparatus and one medic unit on all first-alarm calls. This brings 14 firefighters to the scene.
Presently, the St. Charles Fire Department does not use battalion chiefs. The fire chief, deputy chief, and two assistant chiefs rotate as duty officer for the week. Therefore, the captain on the first-in apparatus assumes command until he passes command or is relieved by the duty officer. However, all our drivers come prepared to fight fires, as do the two medics.
The tasks listed in the question can be handled by the initial 14 firefighters, who also establish the water supply. They do it on a regular basis. In my estimation, we are talking a room-and-contents fire here.
Things get a bit more interesting, however, when we roll up on a fire with an exposure problem or fire on two floors. Then my firefighters do what most firefighters in the United States do-overextend themselves. Take this same fire on a cool April night and move it to an afternoon in August; now, we’re hooking extra alarms.
I believe it is better to ask, “At what point do we stop with 13 firefighters?” instead of “What can we do with 13 firefighters?” We should take a lesson from the large city fire departments that fight fires all the time. They send lots of help. The St. Louis Fire Department sends 26 firefighters and two battalion chiefs on the first alarm. On many of the real workers, the deputy chief is dispatched, because, like most large cities, these cities know that is what it takes to establish a water supply, deploy attack lines, force entry, perform horizontal ventilation, perform search and rescue, protect exposures, vent the roof, supply the sprinkler/ standpipe, and perform salvage and overhaul. Most of these “10 Commandments of Firefighting” must be accomplished within the first 10 minutes of arrival for a successful firefight. At a working fire, it does not take long to use up all the personnel. I’ve had plenty of fires where I went in with 28 firefighters and was wondering where everyone went. I had more tasks to assign but ran out of firefighters. We need to look at the “10 Commandments of Firefighting” to see how many of them our first-alarm assignments can reasonably accomplish. Then we should draw a line in the sand and say this is all we can do and explain that to the city fathers and our customers.
Sure, we can ask for help, but will it get there in eight minutes?
Ken Folisi, battalion chief
Lisle-Woodridge (IL) Fire District
Response: Our response system exceeds the current proposed NFPA Standard 1710 with respect to alarm assignment. As a result, the standard will not have an adverse effect on our department, nor will it affect us in any significant manner in the area of initial full-alarm assignments.
Like most fire departments, we have looked at our jurisdiction from a risk analysis perspective. Over the years, we have reviewed and upgraded our response procedures to meet the ever-changing demands of our fire district.
Fortunately, as our district has grown, so have our resources and the resources of those jurisdictions that border us. This growth, along with the support of our citizens and taxpayers and the commitment of management and labor to continuous improvement, have allowed us to exceed the requirements of such a “standard.”
Following is a brief summary of our personnel and apparatus response procedure. Our first-alarm assignment for a serious event (structure fire, building collapse, explosion, for example) is four engines, one to two trucks, one squad, two medic units, two chiefs, and a safety officer, for a minimum of 26 to 29 personnel. Typically, the first unit on the scene arrives within four minutes; the balance of the assignment is on the scene or staged within the next four minutes.
Additional changes in apparatus and response may be part of the first alarm, based on the risk analysis of the particular location. Likewise, initial alarm assignments may be upgraded to additional alarms. This will provide additional apparatus, equipment, and personnel at the scene, as well as change-of-quarters to cover secondary alarms and responses.
