Bluffton Township Fire District Time Study

Transcription

1 2014 Bluffton Township Fire District Time Study

2 Table of Contents Purpose:... 2 Scope:... 2 Overview:... 2 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments... 4 Calendar Year Response Time Charts... 7 Response Stations:... 8 Station 30 Bluffton:... 8 Station 31 Pritchardville: Station 32 Callawassie: Station 33 Moss Creek: Station 34 Sun City: Station 35 Headquarters: Combined Station Response Chart Summary Definitions: Stations: References

3 Bluffton Township Fire District Time Study 2014 Purpose: The purpose of this study is to pinpoint, geographically, longer than average response times within the District s current response areas, and to define possible causes. Scope: This time study is based on data obtained from the Fire District s Record Management System (RMS). The historic data is from years 2004 through 2014 and are emergent calls only. Overview: The Bluffton Township Fire District has grown exponentially since its humble beginning in Since that time, the District has learned to plan where stations would be placed based on projected construction estimates provided by the county and in some instances, where land was donated to the district. Currently, the District has eight (8) stations that are divided into eight (8) Response Areas. Each station has one engine, except for station 35 (Headquarters), which has a truck company, a squad, and service vehicle that complements the engine. Also, as the District has grown over the years, it has adjusted its response areas accordingly to follow the NFPA 1710 standard and to provide excellent customer service to its citizens. In addition, in this time study, there will be linear graphs depicting a historical view of response times for each station in our District for the past ten years. Time is recorded and kept by the Beaufort County Sheriff Dispatch Call Center (911 call center). After an emergent call is complete, the times are compiled by fire department personnel and then entered into our report writing software Fire House to document the event. To interpret the raw data stored in the Fire House program, Bluffton Fire District Battalion Chief Robert Payne was tasked to collate the data into individual station response times. The data entered into his logarithm gives a visual depiction of the district response times over a 10 year period for each of its eight stations. Doing so will help pinpoint the areas that fall outside of the NFPA 1710 standard for response times and help with future planning of new stations, or rezoning some response areas to better serve the community. In addition to the linear graphs shown, a geographical map better known as the Geographical Information System map (GIS), of the District, is used to show visually the progression of response time in each response area by change of color. For example, lower response times will be green in color and as the response time increases the color will start to fade to red. 2

4 Furthermore, to help explain the increase in response time for some response areas, there are a few hypotheses that will be shared and discussed. For example, it is hypothesized that as the economy rebounds, and with the resurgence of residential and commercial construction in Southern Beaufort County, the District is going to experience an increase in extended response time in some response areas. That is, with current station locations, the district has grown outward from those stations creating longer distances to travel; therefore, longer response time. To help conceptualize this, there will be a linear response time chart for each station depicting an increase in time, and a geographical District map that has emergent calls pinned to it with response times color coded to illustrate overall time. As you will see from the data gathered, and depicted in the time charts, there is an obvious upward trend in response time for all stations except for stations 36 (Colleton River) and 37 (Palmetto Bluff). As these stations just came online in April 2013, and because there were so few calls answered in their response areas, as of this report, there is not a sufficient amount of data to identify an accurate trend. Therefore, this report will focus on the following:: Moss Creek station, Burnt Church station, Headquarters station, Pritchardville station, Sun City station, and Callawassie station. It also should be mentioned that drivers of emergency vehicles in South Carolina practice Due Regard when responding to emergent calls. In other words, due regard is the practice of safe controlled driving. GIS Map of Bluffton Township Fire District 2014 Average Response Time 3

5 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments Response time is a measurement of how quickly the District can place personnel and equipment on an emergency scene and deploy those resources to affect a positive result. The measurement of response times has long been a tool used by emergency services as a benchmark to measure service levels. For the purpose of this study, there are three components to Response Times; they are as follows: Call processing time and dispatch Turnout time Travel time The first component is call processing time and dispatch. This time is measured from the time the phone is answered in the call center office until the call is completely dispatched to the emergency responders, which in this case is the fire department. The nationally recognized standard for call processing time is a total of 60 seconds, 95% of the time. (NFPA 1710, 2010 edition) Call processing times for 2014 are not readily available to the Fire District as they are maintained internally by the County s emergency dispatch center located in Beaufort. Therefore, the District currently has little control over this segment of the response time. However, starting January 2015, call processing times will be available through the County s new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software program. Fire personnel will be able to obtain this information via a computer in the District s fire apparatus and then enter it into the District s Record Management System (RMS), Fire House. The second component is what is known as turnout time. This time is measured from the time the tones activate in the fire station until the unit is in-route and rolling toward the emergency incident. During this time period firefighters must react to the tones, don the appropriate gear and equipment, board the apparatus, and start the response. The nationally recognized standard for turnout time is a total of 60 seconds, 90% (90 th percentile) of the time. (NFPA 1710, 2010 edition) Tracking turnout times is again a function of the dispatch center. However, the County s dispatch center does not actively track this time for the fire districts in the county. The District has, however, adopted a policy of personnel having to be on the road and responding within 60 seconds of the station alert for EMS calls and 90 seconds for fire related calls. The Battalion Chiefs are instructed to monitor the calls and make sure personnel are responding in a timely manner. The third component is what is known as travel time. This is the time it takes the fire apparatus to drive to and arrive on the scene of an emergency incident. The nationally recognized standard is four(4) minutes or less, 90% (90 th percentile) of the time for the first fire unit to arrive 4

6 and deploy and eight (8) minutes or less, 90% (90 th percentile) of the time for the entire first due complement of equipment to arrive and deploy (NFPA 1710, 2010 edition). On EMS calls the standard requires a first responder or higher level person to arrive on scene in four minutes or less, 90% (90 th percentile) of the time. An Advanced Life Support unit should arrive within 8 minutes or less, 90% (90 th percentile) of the time. (NFPA 1710, 2010 edition) Response Time 911 Call Center Units Turnout Engine Engine Call Received Dispatched Time Response Arrives Call Processing time and Dispatch: This time is measured from the time the phone is answered in the Dispatch office until the call is completely dispatched to the emergency responders. Turnout Time: This time is measured from the time the tones activate in the fire station until the unit is in-route and rolling toward the emergency incident. Travel Time: This is the time it takes the fire apparatus to drive to and arrive on the scene of an emergency incident. The three components added together make up the response time for an incident. Some services record deployment time as an additional measure. NFPA does not recognize this as a benchmark and includes deployment time in the travel time measurement. This is how it is measured in the BTFD. Another critical factor not considered here is the time it takes for the citizen to access the emergency system. Once an emergency is recognized it takes some time for the call to be made, transmit through the public communications system (phone, cell phone, radio, etc.) and alert the Dispatch center. Therefore, the total time it takes for a response vehicle to arrive on scene can be quite long, especially if one or more of these components is not monitored and managed appropriately. The District s Fire House reporting software tracks times for all incidents to which the fire department responds. The following times are recorded: Call processing time and dispatch(began January 2015) Time in-route to the scene (In-route time) Time of arrival on the scene (Arrival time) Time of arrival at a medical patient (At patient time) Time the unit cleared the scene and is available for another call (Cleared/Available time) Time the unit is secured back in the station. (Secured in Quarters) The time between the tone sound in the station and the arrival time on scene is what the District considers its response time. The average response time (50 th percentile) for calendar year 2014 was 6 minutes, 10 seconds. This figure was computed by taking the total number of minutes spent responding for all units and dividing the total by the number of emergency alarms. 5

7 Although this number sounds relatively low, it can be misleading. As described earlier in this report, the District is witnessing a steady increase in its response time averages each year. The following data taken from the January 27, 2015 Arrival Time Report, which is the final summary of responses for the time period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014 indicates the diversity in response times across the District. Percentile BTFD Percentile Times Calendar Year 2014 Travel Time 10 03: : : : : : : : : :34 How Does the BTFD Measure Up to the Standard? This chart indicates the BTFD s 90 th percentile time is 9.45 minutes. This means a BTFD fire apparatus arrives first due on scene within 9 minutes, 45 seconds or less, 90% of the time which is more than twice the value of 4 minutes, 0 seconds indicated in the NFPA The chart also indicates the BTFD meets the NFPA 1710 standard only 20% or less of the time. 6

8 Calendar Year Response Time Charts Calendar Year 2004 Average Response Times Minutes and seconds Stations SH1 SH2 SH3 All Shifts STA30 5:04.8 5:10.2 4:34.2 4:56.4 STA31 5:55.8 5:08.4 6:19.8 5:48 STA32 5: :46.8 5:29.4 STA33 4:53.4 4:10.2 4:36.6 4:33.6 STA :04.8 4:49.2 5:18 STA35 5:15 5: :32 All stations 5:28.2 4:57.6 5:11.4 5:12 BTFD Calendar Year 2014 Average Response Times Minutes and seconds Stations SH1 SH2 SH3 All Shifts Time change All Shifts(From 2004) STA30 6:10.8 6:34.8 6:20.4 6: :25.8 STA31 5:48.6 6:18.6 6:36.6 6:14.4 +:26.4* STA32 7: :45.6 7: :32.4 STA33 5:0.6 4:54 5:30.6 5:08.4 +:34.8* STA34 6:41.4 7:37.2 6:45.6 7: :43.2 STA35 5:50.4 6:26.4 6:04.8 6: STA36 6:01.2 6:46.2 7:14.4 6:40.8 N/A STA37 5:20.4 7:52.8 5:36.6 6:16.8 N/A All Stations 6:0.6 6:42 6:21.6 6: :10.8 As you can see since 2004, the District s average response time has increased by 1 minute and 10.8 seconds. Accordingly, the average response time for all stations and all shifts is 6 minutes and 21.6 seconds. *See chart for Stations 31 and 33 after stations 36 and 37 opened in April BTFD Calendar Year 2012 Response Times-Minutes and seconds STA 31 and STA 33* Stations SH1 SH2 SH3 All Shifts Time Change All Shifts STA31 7:06 6:42 7:12.6 7:00 +1:12 STA33 5:31.8 5:36.6 6:28.8 5: :19.8 The data above is for comparison purpose only. That is, it shows the time increase for stations 31 and 33 before stations 36 and 37 were manned in April

9 Average Response Time In Seconds Response Stations: Station 30 Bluffton: Burnt Church Rd. As you can see from the linear chart below, the response time has steadily increased over the years. As stated earlier, there have been realignments in the affected response areas to better serve the public, but even with those changes, the response times have still increased. To better illustrate this, please see the geographical map (GIS) with the emergent calls pinned to geographical locations depicting response times. It is hypothesized that with the continued business growth, and with the increase of pedestrian and vehicle traffic on Highway 46, it has adversely affected the response time for the responding engine. For example, the Town Bluffton has promoted events throughout the weekends including, at times, the weekdays which attract large crowds and vehicle traffic. With the attraction to the downtown area of Bluffton, the city designed parking along May River Road to naturally slow traffic in an effort to make it safer for pedestrians. While this creates a safe place for pedestrians, it undesirably reduces our response time. To lessen the frequency of traveling through the affected area, some engine officers have taken alternate routes to emergent calls. That being said, it may be a slightly longer in distance for the engine to travel, but it s faster in time and safer due to less pedestrian and vehicle traffic Station 30 linear chart Months From January,

10 Station 30 GIS Map 9

11 Average Response Time In Seconds Station 31 Pritchardville: Looking at Station 31 s time chart, you can see the beginning of a downward trend in response time. However, this is misleading. The downward trend is a direct result of station 37 (Palmetto Bluff) being manned, and as you can see from the chart below, the response time was increasing until the opening of Station 37. Indeed, as was stated earlier in this study, as the economy rebounds and residential development continues to gain momentum and continues to build out from the station, this will inevitably result in more calls for service; therefore, an increase in response time. For example, response time to Del Web s community The Haven, along with other residential communities along New Riverside Road that continue to grow outward from the station, will naturally take longer to get to homes within those neighborhoods. Thus, as the growth comes to fruition, it is hypothesized there will be an upward trend in response time because of increased population density along New Riverside communities. As the year continues, the data will be reevaluated to see if that hypothesis is valid Station 31 linear chart Months From January, 2004 ^ Station 37 opens 10

12 Station 31 GIS Map 11

13 Average Response Time In Seconds Station 32 Callawassie: Station 32 s response area is the second largest in the District. That being said, it is also one of the stations that will always have longer response time because of the unique geographical area that it serves. There are a few obstacles that are permanent and are directly related to the lengthy response times. To explain, there is only one way access to Spring Island and that s through Callawassie Island- on residential streets. Furthermore, the main road on Spring Island is narrow, very winding and is extremely hard to negotiate at night for the mere fact that there are no street lights to help illuminate the streets. In addition, there are numerous homes that are almost impossible to get to because the driveways are overgrown with low hanging tree limbs, and are too narrow and too winding for the engine to travel on quickly without causing significant damage. In fact, there are some officers that when responding to fire alarms, will exit the engine and walk down the driveway to investigate rather than committing an engine and possibly getting it stuck, or worse causing unnecessary damage to the engine. Lastly, there are portions of Spring Island that fall outside of a five mile distance from station 32, thus increasing response time for those portions of the island. Given that, with all of those obstacles, this response area will always have long response times Station 32 linear chart Months From January,

14 Station 32 GIS Map 13

15 Average Response Time In Seconds Station 33 Moss Creek: Station 33 is located at the very eastern end of the District s response area. It includes Windmill Harbor and Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort and Marina on Hilton Head Island. Looking at the historical data, the linear chart below looks similar to that of Station 31 s time chart. In that, there is a downturn trend in response time. Similarly like Station 31 because of the opening of Station 36 Colleton River, it will take another year of collecting data to see more of an accurate trend emerge. Station 33 linear chart ^ Station 36 opens Months From January,

16 Station 33 GIS Map 15

17 Average Response Time In Seconds Station 34 Sun City: Station 34 is located just outside the back gate of Sun City off of Okatie Center Blvd and Okatie Highway. Station 34 has a couple of obstacles to contend with when responding within its district: distance and road safety features. For distance, there are two (2) areas that have long response times, they are: the West end of Sun City to include Lazy Daisy, Doncaster Ln, Statford Village Way, and Landing Ln. The other problematic area is Old Field Plantation. Similarly to other stations in our District, when Station 34 was built, Sun City developed quickly westward creating greater distance from the station s current location. In conjunction with distance, as stated earlier, Sun City over the years has introduced a great deal of traffic control devices to better manage traffic safety for its citizens. To better explain, Sun City has installed more stop signs and lowered speed limits to 25mph in most areas. It also should be mentioned, where it affects our response time, is overgrown vegetation blocking the view of streets and street signs, resurfaced streets-making them extremely slick when they are wet, and finally, more overall traffic congestion on the streets. All these elements together affect our response time within Sun City. Furthermore, for safety reasons it is the Districts policy not to exceed 10mph of the posted speed limit. Therefore, when there is an emergent call on the far western side of the community it will take time to reach the address. But looking at the linear chart, you can see the response time was unchanged and relatively consistent up until It s theorized that National Health Care Corporation (NHC), when it first opened, had numerous calls for service, and because of its location being so close to the station, it is believed to have lowered the overall response time. However, since the start of construction of Highway 170, about a year ago, it is now indicating a new trend of longer response times Station 34 linear chart Months From January, 2004 ^ NHC Opens March 2010 ^ Hwy 170 Construction begins 16

18 Station 34 GIS Map 17

19 Average Response Time In Seconds Station 35 Headquarters: Station 35, like most of the other stations, shows an upward trend in response time. Moreover, looking at the geographical map (GIS), there are four (4) areas that are experiencing long response times. They are: Northern end of Berkley Hall Plantation; i.e., Good Hope Road, Northern end of Rose Hill; i.e., Rose Hill Dr., Northern end of Belfair Plantation; i.e., Belmont Dr., Sandy Point development in its entirety- which includes Edgefield and the Willows, and Hampton Hall Plantation in its entirety. In like manner to Stations 30, 31, and 34, distance is going to be an ongoing problem for Station 35 which cannot be fixed by realigning response areas to reduce response time. The only solution for this is a new station strategically placed to reduce response time. Station 35 linear chart Months From January,

20 Station 35 GIS Map 19

21 Average Response Time In Seconds Combined Station Response Chart The chart below depicts a combined response time of all stations and all shifts, and as you can see there has been a steady increase in time since All Combined Responses Months From January,

22 Summary Summary: Since 1978 the District has grown from a sleepy town of roughly a thousand people to a population of approximately 50,000. In fact, according to Beaufort County s Regional Plan, in the greater Bluffton area (Bluffton Township Fire District response area) the population is estimated to be 81,513 at build out in In an effort to help explain some reasons for long response times in this study, we repeatedly identified distance as the main cause. Certainly, we identified other causes like lower speed limits, narrow streets, and traffic congestion and expounded on those issues, but we didn t explain in detail why distance is the dilemma. To briefly elaborate, the District was established in 1978, and the population density was comparatively sparse as compared to current time, thus stations were built where the population was already established and where it grew out from there. For example, Station 30 (Burnt Church) was the first station to be established, followed by Station 33 (Moss Creek) because at that time, around the late 80s to earlier 90s, that s where the population growth was. Then around the mid-90s Station 34 (Sun City) was built to provide emergency services to Sun City and the small population outside of Sun City. Calawassie, Station 32 was a volunteer station, and then was manned around 1993 to provide service to Callawassie and the small population around that area. In other words, stations were built where the population was already established, and the methodology for planning for population shifts was not as precise as it is today. To better put into perspective, in the past 16 years there have only been two new stations built; Station 35-Headquarters and 31 - Pritchardville for the future growth of Buckwalter and New Riverside areas respectively. The exceptions are Palmetto Bluff (37) and Colleton River (36) stations. They were manned due to a change in Insurance Service Office (ISO) policy resulting in a significant change in premiums in those areas because they fell outside the five (5) mile travel distance allowed by ISO standard. Another example, in the earlier 2000s Southern Beaufort County- Bluffton Township Fire District exploded and it is continuing to explode despite the temporary down-turn in the economy. In fact, according to the Census The Carolinas were home to four of the nation's 20 fastest-growing metro areas between 2013 and 2014: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.-N.C. (second); Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, S.C. (13th). However, because of the rapid growth and then the collapse of the economy the District has been virtually playing catch up, but without the means to do so. That is, the county s tax revenue is about three years behind the economy s rebound. Because of that and the unscheduled opening of Palmetto Bluff and Colleton River stations, the District has not been financially able to open new stations where extended times have been pointed out in this study. 21

23 Finally, as the population continues to grow in Southern Beaufort County the District, in its continued effort to provide the best service it can to its citizens, has continued to review current population conditions as well as planning for the future by collaborating with Beaufort County and conducting studies like this. And it is within that spirit the District strives to provide firstclass service to its citizens through realignment of response districts where it is possible. And as a result of realigning the response districts, the District has skillfully tried to keep up with the demands of its citizens to improve response time and provide outstanding customer service. Nevertheless, the District can only do so much with realigning response areas before new stations will have to be built. 22

24 Definitions: Due regard: South Carolina law that requires a driver of an emergency vehicle to drive for the safety of all others. Emergent call: Is a call that is dispatched by the Beaufort County Sheriff Dispatch Call Center and that requires an immediate response directly to the scene. However, there are emergent calls that require police action before fire department personnel can arrive on scene. For example, a domestic violence call that requires medical attention would be considered an emergent-delayed response because the scene must be secured by the police so it is safe for fire department personnel to arrive. This type of call is not included in the study. Other types of calls not included in the study that are dispatched by Beaufort County Sheriff Dispatch are: Public service calls, Lift and assist, road debris, fallen trees across roads. Fire House software: Bluffton Township Fire Districts report writing software. GIS: Geographical Information System map. Color coded map that represents response time. ISO: Insurance Service Office. Insurance companies use their data to assign risk for homes and business throughout the country. NFPA: National Fire Protection Association- Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments CAD: Computer Aided Dispatch- This is a computer system that is used in conjunction with software to help manage dispatched emergent services like fire and police. RMS: Record Management System- Is used synonymously with Blufftons report writing software. Special operations: Emergent calls that require special tools and skills. Engine Company: Consists with three to four personnel and is used for fire suppression, medical calls and special operation incidents. Truck Company: Consists of four personnel and is used for fire suppression and special operation incidents. 23

25 Squad: Consists of one person from the Truck Company depending upon the type of incident. For example, a hazardous material incident that requires special equipment and tools. Service: Consists of one person from the Truck Company and is used for structure fires. Battalion: Consists of one person usually the shift Battalion Chief or fill-in. 24

26 Stations: Burnt Church STA 30 Pritchardville STA 31 Callawassie STA 32 Moss Creek STA 33 Sun City STA 34 Headquarters STA35 25

27 References Southern Beaufort County Regional Plan (pdf). Planning Department, Beaufort County South Carolina New Census Bureau Population Estimates Reveal Metro Areas and Counties that Propelled Growth in Florida and the Nation. Newsroom, United States Census Bureau, 26 March Release Number: CB