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View Full Version : Call Response Times.... PROBLEMS


FyrKlrCo5
10-13-2007, 09:05 PM
So, here's the deal (just looking for thoughts). Our county wants up to respond no later then 5 minutes MAX. They create a report advising which companies rank on response times. Here's the scenario....

...Box alarm in our second due. The call comes in, they start dispatching first due units and the timer starts. Lets say, that by the time they dispatch the first due engine company and the first due ambulance, 1 minute has gone by processing call information, then dropping their tones. They start dropping second due tones in the order of truck needed @ approx 3-5 seconds per tone and lets say we are 2 on that list. So we've lost one full minute, then approx. 10 more seconds for dropping tones, and we're off. If we respond to the call within 4 minutes, we are actually 5 minutes 10 seconds.

It just seems that in order to be logged correctly, we would have had to view the CAD, watched the call come in and actually responded BEFORE being dispatched in order to get out on time. I'm sure this happens in other places, but just wanted to see if anybody else has the same issues and a possible solution.

:confused:

Forrest
11-24-2007, 12:00 AM
I'll preface this by saying that I know nothing about your area, so my comments are not directed specifically towards your situation.

I think their desire for the FDs to respond within 5 minutes is a good thing and also kind of more time than we (and the public) should demand of ourselves. Minutes do matter!

As for solutions........

Is there a way to adjust the "clock" so that you are "timed" from your dispatch time and not from the first due's time?

A staffed station (not necessarily paid staffing) can easily meet that objective. I don't know if that's truely a reasonable option for your situation, but I know that in my area it is a viable option for many more departments than actually do it, which is very few.