Introduction

Abstract

A critical factor in the effectiveness of any emergency response agency is the ability to get personnel and equipment to the scene of the emergency in a timely manner. This response time can be roughly divided into two broad components: mobilization time and travel time. The current edition of 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 (NFPA 1710 2009) references three distinct time segments from NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems (NFPA 1221 2009). These segments are alarm transfer time, alarm answering time, and alarm processing time. Collectively those segments comprise alarm handling time. NFPA 1710 further defines a segment referred to as turnout time. For the purposes of this study, these four segments together, measuring the time from call receipt at a public safety answering point (PSAP) until the first assigned ERU is physically en route to the emergency, will be referred to as mobilization time. The other segments identified in NFPA 1710, travel time and initiating action/intervention time, are outside the scope of this study.