SR 06:209 - Laserfiche WebLink

The location of fire stations determines in large part the time it takes for a fire engine to travel from the station to the location of the fire. The definition of response time is changing in order to more accurately describe actual performance of the LPFD. In years past, departments used the term "average" to describe their response time performance. This figure is misleading as statistically the term average means that 50 percent of the data points measured exceed the mean or mid-point. For fire department purposes, responses worse than average are not desirable. The current trend for response time measures (adopted by the LPFD since consolidation) is to report the fractile measure or said another way, the percent of the whole measure actually completed. Thus instead of stating a response time goal of an "average of five minutes," we would more clearly state, "respond within five minutes 90 percent of the time." Additionally, there is no common definition among American fire agencies as to what comprises response time - some agencies measure it from the time of 911 call answer, others from the time the fire crew is notified, and still others from the time the fire engine is actually rolling. All agree to stop the measure when the unit arrives at the curb at the emergency location. The current best practice, (also adopted by the LPFD) is to measure total reflex time and define it as the time from the answer of the 911 call to the fire vehicle/equipment stopping at the scene. This is the time the customer perceives from the 911 call to help arriving. A seven-minute total reflex time measure is comprised of five-minutes travel time, plus one-minute for dispatch processing and one minute for the crew to get dressed in protective clothing and start the engine rolling. Prior to consolidation, both cities used a "five" minute "average response time" measure that was usually defined as travel minutes, not total reflex. The majority of the city lies within a five-minute travel time from one of the five fire stations. The City requires developments located outside the five-minute travel time or located in Special Fire Protection Areas - as shown on Figure V -6, above - to provide additional fire mitigation measures which include at a minimum automatic fire sprinkler systems. For larger structure and wildland fires, the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department participates in the Alameda County and statewide fire mutual aid agreements which provide for additional fire suppression services, personnel, and support equipment. Another important requirement in fire suppression is adequate fire flow, which is the amount of water, expressed in gallons per minute, available to control a given fire. The total fire flow needed to extinguish a fire is a function of building construction, occupancy, area, and height; fire loading; and distance between buildings. The City's fire and water departments use the Insurance ServicestOffice (ISO) rating system for determining necessary fire flow. Fire flow for a given building is totally dependent on a reliable water supply, standards for which are set nationally and by the City. Pleasanton's fire flow is adequate throughout the city with few exceptions. In the few areas with inadequate water pressure, new construction is required to be equipped with fire sprinklers. Public Safer)' 082906, dean V-17 City Council 8/29/2006