This crazy job we do is a time-sensitive one. NFPA 1221 sets the "goal" times for call processing, and they are as follows:
15 seconds to answer a 911 call
30 seconds to transfer to a secondary PSAP (if needed)
15 seconds to answer the call (this is from the time the phone starts ringing)
60 seconds to process and alert
These are "best" times and should account for at least 90% of calls processed through a communications center. The standards are intended to be used for both fire and EMS call processing; law enforcement times should be set by the local jurisdiction.
Total it up. Meeting the goal time means up to two minutes of call processing before the station bells are ringing. From there, NFPA 1710 handles apparatus response times, and indicates that the first company should arrive on scene within five minutes of alert.
A lot can happen in seven minutes.
Conversation around the day-room tables in every fire department I've ever been part of or visited inevitably make a turn to the senior man saying something like, "These fires today aren't like they used to be."
Ofttimes that's blown off... You know, he's an old fart. Should've retired a decade ago. How's he even pass a physical anymore? I can't believe he's still humping hose! They're just keeping him around to bump his retirement.
Thing is, he's right. Fires today aren't like the fires of thirty years ago, when he was literally riding the back step. (Another thing that's changed in his career.) NIST does a lot of test fires in simulated rooms to study fire development and growth. Take a look at what 40 years did to fire development:
Spoiler alert, below the break.
The "Modern Room" reaches flashover just three and a half minutes after ignition.
The "Legacy Room" burns up the cushion, curtain, then smolders for a while, and then flares back up, not flashing over until nearly thirty minutes have elapsed.
Heck of a difference, isn't it? Fuel loads and building construction have made dramatic changes over the last two generations. Lightweight trusses can fail in as little as seven minutes. Fabrics, stuffings, and furniture are made of synthetics and resin-impregnated fiberboard. Long gone are the days of horsehair, muslin, cotton rag, and solid wood.
Beyond the construction, note the smoke layer development. By 1:30, the modern room has a noticeable smoke layer banking down, low enough to affect any adult standing upright - not to mention the temperature of the smoke.
Now - look back up at our call-processing and response times.
Seven minutes.
A lot can happen in seven minutes.
How do you treat an "odor of smoke" complaint? How many times do we run the "burning odor" at the senior home, and how many times is it burned food? I'm as guilty as the next person about not always treating those calls as urgently as they deserve.
Knowing our weak spots is the first step in fixing them.
Call me back right away if anything changes.
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