Title
Fire Department Call Volume, Response Times and Staffing
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee an update on Fire Department call volume, response times, and staffing.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard for acceptable response times to fire emergencies is five minutes and 20 seconds or less, 90 percent of the time; similarly, the standard is five minutes or less, 90 percent of the time, for medical emergencies. The NFPA standard is applicable to career fire departments and provides the minimum requirements for resource deployment for fire suppression, EMS and Special Operations while also addressing firefighter health and safety.
Currently, according to data extracted from the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, Phoenix Fire Department response times are approaching nine minutes, 90 percent of the time, for all response apparatus including fire engines, ladder trucks, and ambulances.
Two key factors in managing response times are fire station locations and call volume. As the City’s population continues to grow, Fire Department activity levels continue to increase. In 2014, the Fire Department responded to approximately 190,000 calls for service. In 2021, calls for service increased to 241,000. In high call volume areas, if a unit is already deployed then the next closest and applicable available unit is dispatched in its place. This type of secondary deployment increases response times.
Additionally, the Fire Department is experiencing an increase in daily staffing and scheduling challenges. In January 2022, in response to these challenges, the Fire Department implemented a new mandatory overtime program. This program is a component of the Fire Department’s continuity of operations plan (COOP) for staffing. Since the program’s implementation, the Fire Department has utilized the plan over 50 times to maintain minimum emergency service delivery staffing requirements.
The Fire Department is pursuing a comprehensive staffing plan in an effort to address ongoing needs. In addition, the Fire Department was recently awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to hire 32 firefighters to help meet staffing needs.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department.