Reasoning With Response Times....YOUR Response Times!


Reasoning With Response Times....YOUR Response Times! by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O. Firefighterclosecalls.com
Reasoning With Response Times....YOUR Response Times! I'm sure by now most of you have read the accounts of the latest changes that relate to NY firefighters and how they should respond to calls. Yeah-some more eyebrow raising stuff that really can effect us all either directly ...or indirectly. But first, as you also have probably read, in early June of the past summer, FDNY Ladder 27 was involved in a very serious crash that left an off duty police officer in critical, but stable, condition with reported head injuries. The firefighters suffered minor injuries. Who did what was not clear at the time of this writing. But what is clear is this was the first serious FDNY crash since the Mayor has accused the city's fire union leaders of deliberately slowing response times to emergencies as part of a "plot" to reopen closed firehouses and increase staffing. The claims are that the firefighters were deliberately stopping at every red light and stop sign (to make response times look bad) instead of rolling through them. Now when I mention "latest" FDNY changes, I am not talking about where the cops now have command over HazMat incidents, over the FDNY HazMat Unit who is probably the most QUALIFIED hazmat team in the nation... .....no, no, no-not that one silly. This time it's the issue of how FDNY apparatus drivers drive their apparatus when going to emergency calls. At odds are the Mayor and the Commissioner who wants members to get to calls quickly so that response times remain low. Makes sense. On the other side are the members and especially someone who I think is one of the most effective Union Presidents in the USA-Pete Gorman of the UFOA, urging members to drive carefully and to not run red lights or stop signs without stopping and using extreme caution. That protects his members and the public. Before we go any further, I generally think that we-that means all of us at all FD's-volunteer, career or whatever....probably drive too fast going to some calls. And sometimes that's the problem-the calls. Some calls require lights and sirens-for example, when we hear "people trapped" etc-we are going to drive a little quicker. OK-A LOT quicker. On the other hand, there are still FD's responding lights and sirens to carbon monoxide alarms or automatic alarms that have come in 3-4 times in the past 24 hours. Makes no sense. Kinda like a child/person choking (faster response) and a person with a headache (not as fast of a response)....how hard is it to figure out the difference? I mean, it's no secret that I am not what one would call "an EMS person"...although I think our fire-medics at my FD are amongst the BEST I have ever seen-they clearly save lives and provide a level of care that most communities only dream of. But they understand when to go a little quicker and when to go a little slower. Is our Chief concerned about response times? Absolutely. But he is more concerned about our members arriving safely. It's pretty simple since his philosophy is if we GET there-we can do what the folks called us to do from the start. If we don't get there-everyone loses. Not real tough to understand. So now, we read in NYC that those in charge are instructing members to NOT stop at red lights and the Unions are telling members TO stop at red lights and stop signs-make sure it is safe-and then proceed through carefully. Why wouldn't you stop? It's real clear that your FD, and you, the driver, can personally be held responsible (and liable) when there is a crash. Let's look at a few other factors in response times. Factors such as: · 9-1-1 Call taking time. Ya wanna get worked up over response times? Take a look at call taking time...that's from the time the phone call is answered to the time the call taker hangs up. · Call processing time. How long does it take your dispatch center to process the call and get the tones out once the call taker hangs up? In some places it happens simultaneously. In others, there are some serious delays-for whatever reason. But that is part of "response times." · Tone out time? In some places-it takes MINUTES to get all the tones out. Some places have a tone for the pagers, a tone for the lights, a tone for the garage doors, a tone for the fire whistle and a tone for the tones. Intelligent. And here is one of my favorites: · Firefighter "turn out" time-again-all part of "response times." Turn out time is from the time the tones go off at the firehouse and the time it takes the members to get on the apparatus and leave for the call. In some towns it takes several minutes because the members are coming from home or work. That may be acceptable-but can be a major issue for volunteer FD's-after all, if it takes 6-8 minutes or even more minutes to get a rig on the road-there is a problem and ignoring it will only make it worse. If your volunteer FD has a response time problem-fix it before something tragic occurs. And of course, in some towns, the members are in the apparatus and on the road in seconds-safely but quickly. They remember what they are there for. But in some towns it also takes minutes because the on-duty (volunteer or career) in-station firefighters forgot what they are there for. I once stood in front of a firehouse where an engine company was dispatched for an EMS assist-a chest pains call. Chest pains generally suck and someone was having them and wanted the FD to make the chest pains go away. A reasonable request. And so the apparatus driver came out, started his engine, got out of it-LIT A CIGARETTE as he waited for the rest of the crew. He was another M.I.U. (Moron in Uniform). It's 2005 and if you hate going to EMS calls and that's part of your job at the FD-career or volunteer-it's time for a career change. Go hang out somewhere else. Kinda like a baker that hates the smell of flour or the shoe salesman that hates the smell of feet. Wrong business, pal. Yeah, I know, the EMS call abuse, people waiting 4 hours to call, drunken clowns puking and all that other stuff-deal with it....because for every abuse call there is someone who really needs you-with your EMS skills, your comforting skills, your de-fib, your trauma gear and your crappy attitude and all. And one of the most important factors in response times: THE LOCATION of the firehouse. Location-location-location. And of course that has to do with planning to put the firehouses in the best spots and to factor in all the ISO stuff. Folks who live in rural areas get longer response times. That's a part of the "no hydrants, lotsa cows and just a little noise and traffic" package that those folks get when they live "out" there. Long response times are expected. But now back to NYC. The cops run the 9-1-1 system so the call handling time is not in the FD's control. The FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatchers handle the call after the police call takers give it to them-and if you want to see FAST dispatching, visit any one of the 5 FDNY Communications Offices-incredible. They understand WHY time is critical. So that leaves 3 other factors: 1)- The fire company "turn out" time. 2)- The fire apparatus driving time. 3)- The factor of firehouses that have been shut down. Well, my personal observation in NYC is that the companies get out quick-real quick. As in *"Get The @%#$! Out Of The Way YaBastid"* quick. Driving time is next. Should apparatus go fast when someone needs help? Sure-but the Union is correct-use caution and STOP at red lights and stop signs for the safety of all concerned. Will it slow down companies a little? Sure. That's one part of RESPONSE TIMES. But at least they'll arrive. So how does this problem get solved? One well respected veteran FDNY officer suggests a public information campaign be launched to educate civilian motorists about their responsibilities as an emergency response vehicle approaches them. As he wrote to me, "When did simply pulling over and stopping become such a chore?" Another sensible idea toward a solution-from someone who knows. In Bowling Green, KY-following a serious apparatus crash that left a civilian disabled for life-the FD developed a program to RE-educate the public on emergency vehicle awareness. Where there's a will-there's a way. The solution? There are a whole lot of factors that can help decrease *any* FD's response times, but suggesting that firefighters from NY or anywhere run through red lights and stop signs without stopping is WRONG. The solution is for those making the decisions to understand that firefighters using due caution and stopping at red lights and stop signs in responding is the right thing and an accepted part of GOOD response times....one part. A few seconds in alleged reduced response time is nothing compared to the options. Concerned about response times? More firehouses and more staffing helps reduce response times every time. So does duty crews IN the firehouse. So do traffic remote control devices that allow the apparatus to control the traffic lights....and all that costs money-and here we go again-the money issue. As we have all heard before, there is no money for that. As my Dad used to say, "you can't have it all, Billy Boy." And finally, for anyone to even think that most firefighters, drivers or officers would ever purposefully endanger the public by taking their time-has never been a firefighter. Sure, there are a few M.I.U's out there-but they are few and far between and usually get found out quickly. But when non-firefighters are making the decisions for firefighters, be it City Managers, Mayors or related individuals whose strings are controlled by those folks, there is a very critical missing link: understanding the job first hand. Non-firefighters making the tactical decisions for all the wrong reasons. And once again, that may be the real issue. Response time concerns over service to the public is one thing, but response time concerns so the closing of firehouses and reduction of staffing can be somehow justified is quite another...and you don't need a thermal imager to see who the victims are going to be in this smoke.
About the author: Chief Billy Goldfeder has been a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y. both in the mid-70’s. A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Section. In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of the 9/11 Widows, Victims and Families Association. Additionally, he is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions and received the Loveland-Symmes FD Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003, the Dana Hannon Training Award for 2004, the I.S.F.S.I. Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004 and an I.A.F.C. Presidential Award for 2005.Chief Goldfeder recently completed his 6th year as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. He serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIREHOUSE, FIRE RESCUE and several State and regional fire magazines as well as WithTheCommand.Com, Firehouse.Com and is a member of the F.E.T.N. (Fire and Emergency Television Network) Advisory Board. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as combination FD's, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design and deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly column "Close Calls" appears in FIREHOUSE Magazine and his bi-weekly radio show “Through the Smoke” is hosted on Firehouse.com. Chief Goldfeder has served on several N.F.P.A. and I.A.F.C. Committees. He is the Vice Chairman of the I.A.F.C. Safety, Health and Survival Section, is a member of the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force (I.A.F.C.) and has been an Instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (F.D.I.C.) for the past 24 years as well as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board for the past 14 years. He has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a clear focus on firefighter safety and survival. Chief Goldfeder, along with Captain Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, attorney and California Highway Patrol Captain, hosts and sponsors the website, Firefighterclosecalls.com, a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only 1 focus: Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home! He can be contacted at BillyG@FirefighterCloseCalls.com

Reasoning With Response Times....YOUR Response Times!
by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O.
Firefighterclosecalls.com

Reasoning With Response Times....YOUR Response Times!

I'm sure by now most of you have read the accounts of the latest changes that relate to NY firefighters and how they should respond to calls. Yeah-some more eyebrow raising stuff that really can effect us all either directly ...or indirectly.

But first, as you also have probably read, in early June of the past summer, FDNY Ladder 27 was involved in a very serious crash that left an off duty police officer in critical, but stable, condition with reported head injuries. The firefighters suffered minor injuries. Who did what was not clear at the time of this writing. But what is clear is this was the first serious FDNY crash since the Mayor has accused the city's fire union leaders of deliberately slowing response times to emergencies as part of a "plot" to reopen closed firehouses and increase staffing. The claims are that the firefighters were deliberately stopping at every red light and stop sign (to make response times look bad) instead of rolling through them.

Now when I mention "latest" FDNY changes, I am not talking about where the cops now have command over HazMat incidents, over the FDNY HazMat Unit who is probably the most QUALIFIED hazmat team in the nation... .....no, no, no-not that one silly.

This time it's the issue of how FDNY apparatus drivers drive their apparatus when going to emergency calls. At odds are the Mayor and the Commissioner who wants members to get to calls quickly so that response times remain low. Makes sense. On the other side are the members and especially someone who I think is one of the most effective Union Presidents in the USA-Pete Gorman of the UFOA, urging members to drive carefully and to not run red lights or stop signs without stopping and using extreme caution. That protects his members and the public.

Before we go any further, I generally think that we-that means all of us at all FD's-volunteer, career or whatever....probably drive too fast going to some calls. And sometimes that's the problem-the calls. Some calls require lights and sirens-for example, when we hear "people trapped" etc-we are going to drive a little quicker. OK-A LOT quicker. On the other hand, there are still FD's responding lights and sirens to carbon monoxide alarms or automatic alarms that have come in 3-4 times in the past 24 hours. Makes no sense. Kinda like a child/person choking (faster response) and a person with a headache (not as fast of a response)....how hard is it to figure out the difference? I mean, it's no secret that I am not what one would call "an EMS person"...although I think our fire-medics at my FD are amongst the BEST I have ever seen-they clearly save lives and provide a level of care that most communities only dream of. But they understand when to go a little quicker and when to go a little slower. Is our Chief concerned about response times? Absolutely. But he is more concerned about our members arriving safely. It's pretty simple since his philosophy is if we GET there-we can do what the folks called us to do from the start. If we don't get there-everyone loses. Not real tough to understand.

So now, we read in NYC that those in charge are instructing members to NOT stop at red lights and the Unions are telling members TO stop at red lights and stop signs-make sure it is safe-and then proceed through carefully. Why wouldn't you stop? It's real clear that your FD, and you, the driver, can personally be held responsible (and liable) when there is a crash.

Let's look at a few other factors in response times. Factors such as:

· 9-1-1 Call taking time. Ya wanna get worked up over response times? Take a look at call taking time...that's from the time the phone call is answered to the time the call taker hangs up.

· Call processing time. How long does it take your dispatch center to process the call and get the tones out once the call taker hangs up? In some places it happens simultaneously. In others, there are some serious delays-for whatever reason. But that is part of "response times."

· Tone out time? In some places-it takes MINUTES to get all the tones out. Some places have a tone for the pagers, a tone for the lights, a tone for the garage doors, a tone for the fire whistle and a tone for the tones. Intelligent.

And here is one of my favorites:

· Firefighter "turn out" time-again-all part of "response times." Turn out time is from the time the tones go off at the firehouse and the time it takes the members to get on the apparatus and leave for the call. In some towns it takes several minutes because the members are coming from home or work. That may be acceptable-but can be a major issue for volunteer FD's-after all, if it takes 6-8 minutes or even more minutes to get a rig on the road-there is a problem and ignoring it will only make it worse. If your volunteer FD has a response time problem-fix it before something tragic occurs.

And of course, in some towns, the members are in the apparatus and on the road in seconds-safely but quickly. They remember what they are there for.
But in some towns it also takes minutes because the on-duty (volunteer or career) in-station firefighters forgot what they are there for. I once stood in front of a firehouse where an engine company was dispatched for an EMS assist-a chest pains call. Chest pains generally suck and someone was having them and wanted the FD to make the chest pains go away. A reasonable request. And so the apparatus driver came out, started his engine, got out of it-LIT A CIGARETTE as he waited for the rest of the crew. He was another M.I.U. (Moron in Uniform).

It's 2005 and if you hate going to EMS calls and that's part of your job at the FD-career or volunteer-it's time for a career change. Go hang out somewhere else. Kinda like a baker that hates the smell of flour or the shoe salesman that hates the smell of feet. Wrong business, pal. Yeah, I know, the EMS call abuse, people waiting 4 hours to call, drunken clowns puking and all that other stuff-deal with it....because for every abuse call there is someone who really needs you-with your EMS skills, your comforting skills, your de-fib, your trauma gear and your crappy attitude and all.

And one of the most important factors in response times: THE LOCATION of the firehouse. Location-location-location. And of course that has to do with planning to put the firehouses in the best spots and to factor in all the ISO stuff. Folks who live in rural areas get longer response times. That's a part of the "no hydrants, lotsa cows and just a little noise and traffic" package that those folks get when they live "out" there. Long response times are expected.

But now back to NYC. The cops run the 9-1-1 system so the call handling time is not in the FD's control. The FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatchers handle the call after the police call takers give it to them-and if you want to see FAST dispatching, visit any one of the 5 FDNY Communications Offices-incredible. They understand WHY time is critical. So that leaves 3 other factors:

1)- The fire company "turn out" time.
2)- The fire apparatus driving time.
3)- The factor of firehouses that have been shut down.

Well, my personal observation in NYC is that the companies get out quick-real quick. As in "Get The @%#$! Out Of The Way YaBastid" quick. Driving time is next. Should apparatus go fast when someone needs help? Sure-but the Union is correct-use caution and STOP at red lights and stop signs for the safety of all concerned. Will it slow down companies a little? Sure. That's one part of RESPONSE TIMES. But at least they'll arrive.

So how does this problem get solved?

One well respected veteran FDNY officer suggests a public information campaign be launched to educate civilian motorists about their responsibilities as an emergency response vehicle approaches them. As he wrote to me, "When did simply pulling over and stopping become such a chore?" Another sensible idea toward a solution-from someone who knows. In Bowling Green, KY-following a serious apparatus crash that left a civilian disabled for life-the FD developed a program to RE-educate the public on emergency vehicle awareness.

Where there's a will-there's a way.

The solution? There are a whole lot of factors that can help decrease any FD's response times, but suggesting that firefighters from NY or anywhere run through red lights and stop signs without stopping is WRONG. The solution is for those making the decisions to understand that firefighters using due caution and stopping at red lights and stop signs in responding is the right thing and an accepted part of GOOD response times....one part. A few seconds in alleged reduced response time is nothing compared to the options. Concerned about response times? More firehouses and more staffing helps reduce response times every time. So does duty crews IN the firehouse. So do traffic remote control devices that allow the apparatus to control the traffic lights....and all that costs money-and here we go again-the money issue. As we have all heard before, there is no money for that.

As my Dad used to say, "you can't have it all, Billy Boy."

And finally, for anyone to even think that most firefighters, drivers or officers would ever purposefully endanger the public by taking their time-has never been a firefighter. Sure, there are a few M.I.U's out there-but they are few and far between and usually get found out quickly.

But when non-firefighters are making the decisions for firefighters, be it City Managers, Mayors or related individuals whose strings are controlled by those folks, there is a very critical missing link: understanding the job first hand. Non-firefighters making the tactical decisions for all the wrong reasons. And once again, that may be the real issue. Response time concerns over service to the public is one thing, but response time concerns so the closing of firehouses and reduction of staffing can be somehow justified is quite another...and you don't need a thermal imager to see who the victims are going to be in this smoke.

About the author:

Chief Billy Goldfeder has been a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y. both in the mid-70’s.

A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Section. In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of the 9/11 Widows, Victims and Families Association. Additionally, he is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions and received the Loveland-Symmes FD Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003, the Dana Hannon Training Award for 2004, the I.S.F.S.I. Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004 and an I.A.F.C. Presidential Award for 2005.Chief Goldfeder recently completed his 6th year as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. He serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIREHOUSE, FIRE RESCUE and several State and regional fire magazines as well as WithTheCommand.Com, Firehouse.Com and is a member of the F.E.T.N. (Fire and Emergency Television Network) Advisory Board. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as combination FD's, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design and deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly column "Close Calls" appears in FIREHOUSE Magazine and his bi-weekly radio show “Through the Smoke” is hosted on Firehouse.com.

Chief Goldfeder has served on several N.F.P.A. and I.A.F.C. Committees. He is the Vice Chairman of the I.A.F.C. Safety, Health and Survival Section, is a member of the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force (I.A.F.C.) and has been an Instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (F.D.I.C.) for the past 24 years as well as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board for the past 14 years. He has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a clear focus on firefighter safety and survival. Chief Goldfeder, along with Captain Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, attorney and California Highway Patrol Captain, hosts and sponsors the website, Firefighterclosecalls.com, a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only 1 focus: Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home!

He can be contacted at BillyG@FirefighterCloseCalls.com