HomeMy WebLinkAboutFresno Fire Department Standards of Cover 2022FRESNO FIRE DEPARTMENT
STANDARDS OF COVER
Fresno Fire Department
911 H Street
Fresno, Ca 93721 2022
Page 2 of 94
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 4
Organizational History ..................................................................................................... 4
Mission, Vision, and Core Values ................................................................................ 5
Description of Community Served ................................................................................... 6
Community Boundaries ................................................................................................ 6
Governance ................................................................................................................. 7
Budget ......................................................................................................................... 7
Projected Growth ......................................................................................................... 8
Insurance Service Office (ISO) Grading Schedule ........................................................ 10
Nationwide ................................................................................................................. 12
California .................................................................................................................... 12
Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) Risk Assessment .................... 13
Community Risk and Hazard Factors ........................................................................ 14
Community Risk Assessment ........................................................................................ 15
Probability Matrix ....................................................................................................... 16
Probability and Consequence Matrix ......................................................................... 17
Fire Department Services .............................................................................................. 18
Service Demands ....................................................................................................... 19
Review of System Performance .................................................................................... 21
Cascade of Events ..................................................................................................... 22
Fire Suppression Capabilities .................................................................................... 25
The Stages of Fire Growth ......................................................................................... 26
The Origin and Development of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Standard 1710 ............................................................................................................... 29
Fresno Fire Department Service Level Goals ............................................................... 32
Alarm Processing Time .............................................................................................. 33
Turnout Time .............................................................................................................. 33
Travel Time ................................................................................................................ 33
Total Response Time ................................................................................................. 33
Page 3 of 94
Effective Response Force Capabilities .......................................................................... 34
Critical Firefighting Tasks ........................................................................................... 35
Defining Building Risk ................................................................................................... 42
Critical Facilities and Infrastructure ............................................................................ 44
Natural Hazards Risk Assessment ................................................................................ 45
Guidelines for Natural Risk Rankings ........................................................................ 46
EMS Risk Assessment .................................................................................................. 47
Specialized Services ..................................................................................................... 53
Current Deployment ...................................................................................................... 55
Findings and Recommendations ................................................................................... 56
Station Analysis ............................................................................................................. 58
Census Data .............................................................................................................. 80
Projected Population and Employment Growth within SOI ........................................ 82
General Geography Map ........................................................................................... 84
Population Density Map ............................................................................................. 85
Historic Growth Patterns Map .................................................................................... 86
Residential Capacity Allocation Map .......................................................................... 87
First Due Map - 4 Minute Travel ................................................................................. 88
Truck Travel Time Map .............................................................................................. 89
Effective Firefighting Force Map - Residential ............................................................ 90
Effective Firefighting Force Map - Commercial .......................................................... 91
EMS Incidents Map .................................................................................................... 92
Fire Incidents Map ..................................................................................................... 93
Incident Heat Map ...................................................................................................... 94
Page 4 of 94
Executive Summary
One of the most significant issues the fire service struggles with is defining service levels
for the community. As part of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI)
process, a Community Risk Assessment: Standards of Cover (SOC) document must be
developed and adopted by the agency having jurisdiction. The SOC is a comprehensive
study that analyzes the risks facing the City of Fresno (City or COF) and the services
provided by the Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department). This document also
provides stakeholders with information on fire service operations and department
integrated risk management planning. This is not intended to be stand-alone; it is a living
document that will be utilized in conjunction with the FFD Strategic Plan.
The fire service must adequately define the levels of service for the community it protects
based on the unique characteristics of the community and availability of fiscal resources.
As part of the CFAI process, an adopted SOC document sets the foundation for service
level goals. In the development of those goals, FFD utilized industry best practice
standards, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710, Center for Public Safety
Excellence (CPSE) and CFAI accreditation model, and the Insurance Services Office
(ISO) – Fire Suppression Rating Schedule.
Organizational History
Established in 1877, FFD enjoys the distinction of being one of the oldest fire departments
in the nation. The Department’s mission, core values, and vision are reflective of the
desire to create a culture of excellence in fire/emergency medical service delivery. The
Department strives to be an innovative and progressive organization in order to meet the
changing demands of the rapidly expanding City’s population spread out over 116 square
miles.
The FFD is a paid career fire department that serves the City of Fresno and contract
areas, providing all-risk emergency response services which includes fire suppression,
fire prevention, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, urban
search and rescue, water and dive rescue, fire investigation services, Aircraft Rescue and
Firefighting (ARFF), as well as emergency preparedness planning and public education
coordination. The Department has over 300 firefighting members, responding to over
45,000 calls for service annually, utilizing 88 firefighting members each day located in the
City of Fresno and Fig Garden Fire Protection District (FGFPD). There are 20 fire stations
strategically located throughout the City and the FGFPD, as well as an airport station
providing services at Fresno Yosemite International Airport totaling 21 stations. Each of
these stations provide service twenty-four (24) hours a day and 365 days a year.
Page 5 of 94
Mission, Vision, and Core Values
The Fresno Fire Department is comprised of the Operations Division, Prevention &
Support Services Division, Training Division, Personnel & Investigations Division,
Business & Fiscal Services Division, and the Office of the Fire Chief. All divisions of the
organization are critical and essential for the Department to fulfill its Mission daily, utilizing
its Core Values and integrating its Vision of being recognized as a standard of excellence
in the fire service.
Our Mission: To protect and put service above all else.
Our Core Values: Teamwork, Trust, Commitment
Teamwork
• Train for excellence
• Leave it better than you found it
• Everyone goes home safe
Trust
• Treat others the way we want to be treated
• Do the right thing
• Walk the talk
Commitment
• United in our mission
• Everyone plays an important role
• Our work represents us
Our Vision: Fresno Fire – Recognized as a Standard of Excellence in the Fire Service.
Page 6 of 94
Description of Community Served
The City of Fresno is located in the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley and is the
34th most populous city in the nation, fifth most populous in the State of California. The
City of Fresno and its Sphere of Influence (SOI) encompass a 100,400-acre (157 square
miles) area in central Fresno County, of which 28,000 acres (44 square miles) are
unincorporated. Over the past decade, the City has expanded into the northern,
northwestern, and eastern reaches of its Sphere of Influence. Fresno is a Charter City
with a Strong Mayor (Mayor-Council) form of government. The Fresno Fire Department
provides service to not only the City of Fresno (116 square miles and a population of
540,000), but also the Fig Garden Fire Protection District (FGFPD) and maintains service
aid agreements with Fresno County Fire Protection District. Fresno was incorporated in
1885 and continues to be an economic hub predominantly tied to large scale agricultural
production.
Except for the deep channel of the San Joaquin River at the northern boundary of the
City, Fresno’s topography is generally level and slopes gently to the southwest at an
elevation of 308 feet. Fresno has a Mediterranean climate, averaging over 262 sunny
days per year and little or no measurable precipitation from June through September.
Annual rainfall typically totals 12-14 inches in episodic events lasting up to a few days at
most. Fresno’s prevailing winds are typically light and from the northwest. While the
average temperature is relatively mild, summer and winter months can bring extreme
weather patterns to the region.
Community Boundaries
Fresno is located in Fresno County, the 10th largest county in California. Fresno County
covers an area of over 6,000 square miles. The County’s topography is characterized by
broad, flat valley floors that generally slope from southeast to northwest; foothills and
moderately high mountains (Coast Ranges) in the west; and foothills and high mountains
(Sierra Nevada) in the east. Approximately 55% of the County is mountainous and 45%
is valley land. Elevations range from 100 to 400 feet on the valley floor to 4,000 feet in
the Coast Ranges to more than 14,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada. There are two major
rivers in Fresno County, the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers which originate in the Sierra
Nevada. There is little precipitation in the County during the summer and most of the
seasonal precipitation occurs between October and April.
Page 7 of 94
Governance
The City of Fresno blends elements of a council-manager form of government with a
strong mayor system. In this form of municipal government, the City Council serves as
the City’s primary legislative body and the Mayor serves as the City’s chief executive.
The Mayor appoints a city manager to oversee the City’s day to day operations and
implementation of city policies.
The Fresno City Council is the City’s primary legislative body. It is responsible for
approving and adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws,
policies, and ordinances. The Fresno City Council has seven members who are
responsible for representing the seven council districts.
Budget
The Fresno City Council is responsible for approving and adopting the annual budget.
The City Manager is the City’s chief administrative officer and is responsible for planning
and implementing the City’s budget. Through delegation, the Fire Chief has the
responsibility and authority to plan for and budget the necessary funds to provide fire
protection and other emergency services to the City of Fresno and contract service areas.
The financial resources that are used to fund fire department operations come from the
City’s general fund. The current operating budget for the City of Fresno general fund is
$429,593,900. In fiscal year 2021, the Fresno Fire Department was allocated
$74,121,500, accounting for approximately 17.25% of the City’s general fund.
The figures below show the Fire Department’s general fund allocation as well as the
Department’s total operating budget from 2017 to 2021:
Page 8 of 94
Fresno Fire Department Operating Budget
Fresno Fire Fig Garden North Central ARFF Total Budget
Actuals
2017 $59,147,800 $1,229,000 $6,399,500 $1,030,200 $67,806,500
2018 $61,118,200 $1,253,600 $6,986,100 $1,154,500 $70,512,400
2019 $62,935,900 $1,278,700 $7,159,200 $1,172,600 $72,546,400
2020 $68,354,500 $1,304,300 $1,003,000 $1,345,300 $72,007,100
2021 $74,121,500 $1,330,400 $1,033,000 $1,405,200 $77,890,100
2021 General
Fund $429,593,900 - - - -
2021 % of GF
to FFD 17.25% - - - -
Projected Growth
The City of Fresno is projected to experience modest growth. Growth rates from 2020 to
2050, show 5-year increases ranging from 2% - 5% based on the City’s sphere of
influence (SOI). Projected growth through 2050 will occur in the City’s SOI comprised of
all land within the City Limits, as well as County Islands (unincorporated land surrounded
by the city) and land beyond the outer City Limits on all sides, County Islands and
unincorporated areas located beyond the City limits but within the SOI. It is estimated
that by 2050 City of Fresno’s SOI will see an increase of 41,300 new housing units to
meet the population’s market demand. Of the new units 25,300 are expected to be single
family units and 16,000 will be multifamily units. As increases in population density occur
the Department will require a greater concentration and distribution of resources to meet
the demand.
Below is a SOI population table reported by the Fresno County Council of Governments:
Page 9 of 94
Below is a chart depicting the projected changes in City’s SOI:
For historical growth within the City of Fresno’s SOI, refer to the appendix for Historical
Growth Patterns Map located in the appendix
Page 10 of 94
Insurance Service Office (ISO) Grading Schedule
For a broad spectrum of personal and commercial insurance lines, the
Insurance Service Office (ISO) provides a wide array of services. These
services include statistical, actuarial, underwriting, claims analyses,
consulting and technical assistance, policy language, information about
specific locations and communities, fraud identification tools, and data processing.
Worldwide, ISO serves insurers, reinsurers, agents, brokers, self-insurers, risk managers,
insurance regulators, and other government agencies.
The Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating by the ISO is important to a community.
A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire
losses. Insurance companies use PPC information for marketing, underwriting, and to
help establish fair premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance. In general,
the price of fire insurance in a community with a good PPC grade is substantially lower
than in a community with a poor PPC grade, assuming all other factors are equal. ISO
uses a numbering system of 1 – 10 to grade communities. Class 1 (1) represents an
exemplary fire suppression program, and a Class 10 (10) indicates that the area’s fire
suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
The ISO evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria. It incorporates
nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association
and the American Water Works Association. A community’s PPC class rating depends
on the following:
• Needed Fire Flows – consists of representative building locations used to
determine the theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression
purposes.
• Emergency Communications – consists of emergency reporting, dispatching
systems, and telecommunicators.
• Fire Department – consists of equipment, staffing, training, fire companies’
geographic distribution, operational considerations, and community risk
reduction.
• Water Supply – consists of inspection and flow testing of hydrants, alternative
water supply operations, and a careful evaluation of the ration between the
amount of water needed to suppress fires requiring up to 3,500 gallons per minute
(gpm) and the available water.
Page 11 of 94
The City of Fresno was last evaluated in 2018 and was assigned a Class 2 rating. The
COF and FFD continue to make investments in the Department in pursuit of a Class 1
rating. Below is the most recent FFD ISO survey completed October 1, 2018:
ISO Criteria
Earned
Credit
Available
Credit
Emergency Communications 8.58 10
Fire Department 37.59 50
Water Supply 38.74 40
Divergence -4.33 N/A
Community Risk Reduction 4.60 5.50
Total Credit 85.18 105.50
Of a community’s overall score, 50% is based upon the fire department’s structure fire
suppression system. This section reviews fire apparatus, equipment carried, response
to fires, deployment analysis, available staffing, and training. With additional staffing, the
FFD can increase the score in this category and potentially become a Class 1 fire
department. The following table is a detailed breakdown of the classification assigned to
FFD from the October 2018 survey:
Fire Department
Earned
Credit
Available
Credit
Credit for:
Engine Companies 6.00 6.00
Reserve Pumpers 0.50 0.50
Pumper Capacity 3.00 3.00
Ladder Service 2.36 4.00
Reserve Ladder and Service Trucks 0.34 0.50
Deployment Analysis 7.79 10.00
Company Personnel 8.02 15.00
Training 7.58 9.00
Operational Considerations 2.00 2.00
Total Credit 37.59 50.00
Page 12 of 94
Nationwide, out of over 40,000 fire departments, only 5% of all departments obtain an
ISO Class 2 rating or better. Approximately 20% of 895 fire departments in California
achieve an ISO Class 2 rating or better, as displayed below:
Nationwide
California
Page 13 of 94
Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) Risk Assessment
In 1986, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International
City/County Management Association (ICMA) developed a continuous fire and
emergency service improvement framework. By 1996, this led to the Commission on Fire
Accreditation International (CFAI) formation to award accreditation to fire and emergency
service agencies. In 2000, the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation was
established to credential fire and emergency service officers. In 2006, the Commission
on Chief Fire Officer Designation changed its name to the Center for Public Safety
Excellence, with CFAI and the now-titled Commission on Professional Credentialing
became entities under CPSE. The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) helps
high-performing fire departments and emergency services professionals in their efforts to
improve continuously. The CPSE does this in the following three ways:
1. Fire department accreditation, a process in which departments undergo a
thorough self-assessment focused on identifying strengths and areas for
improvement.
2. Credentialing fire and emergency services professionals instills life-long
learning and self-accountability principles while helping them grow and plan for
a successful career.
3. Education programs offering individuals and departments the information they
need to expand their knowledge and capabilities and stay at the forefront of the
profession.
After determining community hazards and calculating the risks, the department can
deploy resources appropriately. Through activities such as providing smoke detectors,
conducting public education, disaster planning, and creating building/fire code
amendments, the department can manage the known risks and respond immediately to
mitigate any adverse risk events. Adverse risk events include fires, medical emergencies,
and natural or other disasters.
Department leaders must provide sufficient information to the elected officials to
determine:
1. What resources to commit to risk management (prevention, pre-planning, and
preparation).
2. What resources to commit to response/mitigation.
3. What level of risk to accept.
These concepts build upon the basic infrastructure that already exists, the response
capability, and the current community preparedness level.
Page 14 of 94
The information gathered is analyzed, and an overall community "vulnerability score" is
calculated. The community risk and hazard factors are found below:
Community Risk and Hazard Factors
Page 15 of 94
Community Risk Assessment
The City of Fresno must assess risks based upon the potential frequency (probability of
occurring) and the potential severity (probability of damage) should an event occur. A
Community Risk Assessment involves the analysis of risk for fire and non-fire
emergencies. The impacts to life safety, assets, and the environment area measured
along with an incident’s relative probability. The City must assess risks by analyzing
probability and consequence. Probability is the likelihood that a particular event will occur
in a given time period. Emergency medical events are an example of high probability
incidents. Consequences measure the impact of an event to an individual, the community
and the agency. There are three areas of concern when evaluating consequences: life
safety (danger to occupants), economic impacts (loss of property, income, historic or
irreplaceable assets) and environmental impacts (irreplaceable or long-term damage to
the environment).
A hazard is broadly defined as a situation or condition that can cause or contribute to
harm. Examples include fire, medical emergency, vehicle collision, earthquake, flood,
etc. Risk is broadly defined as the probability of hazard occurrence in combination with
the likely severity of these impacts to people, property, and the community as a whole.
Organizations must analyze the potential probability and consequences of events
occurring in their community to establish the risk that is associated with each hazardous
event.
Page 16 of 94
The matrix below can be utilized to show the risk associated with each identified hazard:
Probability Matrix
Hazard examples include relatively infrequent structure fires compared to more frequent
emergency medical incidents. However, the subsequent loss of revenue, property,
business, and jobs all make the consequences associated with a fire event high. A
complex hazardous materials incident is also a low probability event but presents a
sizeable potential loss to life and property as consequences. Similarly, a dumpster fire
may have a high probability of occurring but would have minimal impacts outside of the
dumpster container. Understanding the different levels of risk associated with probability
and consequences allows agencies to properly address strategic planning associated
with risk management and address current resource deployment.
Moderate Risk
High Probability/Low
Consequence
Maximum Risk
High Probability/High
Consequence
Low Risk
Low Probability/Low
Consequence
Maximum Risk
Low Probability/High
Consequence
Page 17 of 94
Risk is identified through an analysis of both current and historical data. Additionally, risk
is evaluated by providing the necessary structure to appropriately allocate personnel,
apparatus, and fire stations that afford sufficient distribution and concentration of
resources to mitigate those risks. Allocating enough resources to reach a very large
number of events, regardless of their significance, over most of the jurisdiction being
protected is defined as distribution. Concentration addresses the agency’s ability to place
adequate resources on any specific risk to keep the event from becoming a major
incident.
The relationship between probability, consequence, and the community’s adopted service
level objectives determines the required distribution and concentration of resources. The
optimal balance varies across many factors, including the number of events (calls for
service), the area’s risk factors, the availability, reliability, and the arrival of additional
emergency response units. The City of Fresno leadership continues to invest resources
into supporting the FFD in achieving service level objectives. An example of the overall
probability and consequence matrix with concentration and distribution is provided below:
Probability and Consequence Matrix
Page 18 of 94
This evaluation considers both structural and non-structural risks. Non-structural risks
include emergency medical, hazardous materials, technical rescue, water rescue,
wildland/urban interface, and natural disasters. Structural risks evaluated included all
structures, highways and roadways, water, power, communications, and other critical
infrastructure. In assessing risk, the Department analyzed the demographics in the area
protected, the building stock, historical call volume, and the existing deployment of
resources.
Fire Department Services
The FFD is comprised of twenty-one fire stations strategically located throughout the City
of Fresno. Each fire station is staffed with a minimum of one 3-4 person engine or truck
company and provides all risk emergency response services, including fire suppression,
emergency medical care, hydrant flow maintenance, fire inspections, public education
outreach, and other operations in line with the Department’s service level objectives. FFD
operates 19 front line fire engine companies, five (5) front line ladder truck companies,
and one (1) ARFF unit. There are four Battalion Chiefs assigned to command a
geographical area of the City and provide command and control activities at significant
incidents. Additionally, the Department provides response capabilities and personnel for
wildland fire risks through the California Office of Emergency Services and participates in
the statewide master mutual aid system.
Page 19 of 94
Service Demands
Over the two-year period of 2020-2021, the Department responded to a total of 90,508
calls for service. The number of fire related calls were 12,987, which accounted for 14%
of the dispatched incidents. The number of rescue and emergency medical service-
related incidents were 47,928, which accounted for 53% of the dispatched incidents.
The table below summarizes the Department’s responses:
TOTAL CALLS FOR 2020 AND 2021
INCIDENT TYPE
Number of
Incidents Percentages
Fire 12,987 14%
Overpressure, Rupture, Explosion, Overheat (No Fire) 198 0.2%
Rescue & Emergency Medical Service Incident 47,928 53%
Hazardous Condition (No Fire) 1,913 2%
Service Call 3,377 4%
Good Intent Call 18,811 21%
False Alarm & False Call 5,213 6%
Severe Weather & Natural Disaster 7 0.008%
Special Incident Type 74 0.08%
TOTALS 90,508 100%
The figure below shows the average responses to emergency incidents per day in the
City of Fresno (2020-2021):
Page 20 of 94
The figure below shows the average responses to emergency incidents by hour per day
in the City of Fresno (2020-2021):
Page 21 of 94
Fire departments across the Nation are continuing to deal with increased call volumes as
the service demand for EMS calls continues to increase. Fresno has also seen an
increase in EMS calls, along with significant increases in fire related incidents each year.
In 2020, there was a 53% increase in fire related incidents or an increase of approximately
1,938 fire related incidents. In 2021, FFD experienced a 23% increase from the previous
year after seeing an increase of 1,287 fire related incidents.
The chart below reflects these annual increases:
Review of System Performance
The first step in determining the current state of the Fresno Fire Department’s deployment
model is to establish baseline measures of performance. This analysis is vital in looking
at current practices and identifying opportunities for improvement. System performance
analyzes the elements of response time and the cascade of events that lead to timely
response in mitigating an event. Response time goals should be analyzed in terms of
total response time, which includes dispatch or alarm processing time, turnout time, and
travel time.
Page 22 of 94
Cascade of Events
Each incident consists of a sequence of events that form critical elements of emergency
operations concerning time and evaluation of the response system. The elements of time
that are important to the ultimate outcome of a structure fire or emergency medical
incident begin with the initiation of the event. It is important to consider specific industry
research to target times for the various levels of risk for situations such as fire department
arrival prior to flashover during a fire incident; successfully intervening in a cardiac arrest
during an EMS incident; or providing timely rescue services at the scene of a complex
and technical incident. These elements include call processing time, turnout time, travel
time, and the time spent on-scene. This sequence of events is known as the “cascade of
events” and can be found in the figure below:
Page 23 of 94
The figure below demonstrates the sequence of events for a fire department response to
a Structure Fire:
Fire Department Response to a Structure Fire:
Sequence of Events
The figure below demonstrates the sequence of events for a fire department response
to a Cardiac Arrest Event:
Fire Department Response to a Cardiac Arrest
Hypothetical Sequence of EMS Task Events
Ignition of
Fire
Discovery
Notification
Of
Emergency
Response
System
Fire
Department
Turnout
Fire
Department
Departure
Travel Time Access
Rescue
Ventilate
and
Suppress
Fire Department
Arrival at the
Incident Scene
FLASHOVER
Overhaul
Scene
Onset of
Cardiac
Arrest
Discovery Notification of
Emergency
Response
System
Dispatch of
Emergency
Units
Fire
Department
Turnout
Fire
Department
Departure
Fire
Department
Arrival at the
Incident Scene
Arrival at
the
Patients
Side
Patient
Stabilization
ALS
Transport
Patient
Access
Interval
Assess and
Treat
Patient
Patient
Packaging
and
Removal
from
Incident
Scene
Dispatch of
Emergency
Units
Page 24 of 94
The response performance continuum is composed of the following:
Event Initiation Point - The point at which a human being or technologic sentinel (e.g.,
smoke alarm, infrared heat detector, accelerometer, gyroscope) becomes aware that
conditions require activating the emergency response system. Precipitating factors can
also occur, resulting in the activation of the emergency response system. Precipitating
factors may occur seconds, minutes, hours, or even days before assistance is requested.
An example is a patient who ignores chest discomfort for days until it reaches a critical
point, at which time the individual seeks help.
Alarm Received and Transmitted - The point at which a call is received and answered
at the 9-1-1 public-safety answering point (PSAP). The call is then transmitted to the
communications dispatch center if the center is not co-located with the PSAP.
Alarm Answering Time - The point at which the alarm is transmitted from PSAP and
answered at the Fire/EMS communications dispatch center.
Alarm Processing Time - A process by which an answered alarm at the communications
center is broadcast to emergency response facilities (ERFs) or emergency response units
(ERUs) in the field. This period begins with the initial reception of the alarm. This period
ends with the dispatch of the responding personnel.
Turnout Time - Begins with the responding company's activation. It ends when the
responding company designates en route (wheels moving), as noted by the mobile data
terminal (MDT) or voice notification to dispatch.
Travel Time - Begins when the responding company signals the dispatch center that the
apparatus is en route. It ends when the responding company arrives, as noted by the
mobile data terminal or voice notification to dispatch.
On-Scene Time - Begins when the responding company arrives at a scene, as noted by
the mobile data terminal or voice notification to dispatch. It ends when the responding
company departs the scene, as noted by the mobile data terminal or voice notification to
dispatch.
Initiation of Action - It begins when the responding company arrives at a scene and
starts taking action to mitigate the event. These actions may include but are not limited
to 360-degree size up, water supply, investigation, resource deployment, patient contact,
patient intervention, or any combination of these actions.
Termination of Incident - It begins when the responding company signals the dispatch
center that they have cleared from the incident and are available for another service
request.
Page 25 of 94
Total Response Time – The total time required to arrive on-scene beginning with the
arrival of the alarm at the 9-1-1 PSAP to the time that the first to last units arrive on-scene.
Fire Suppression Capabilities
Conditions vary widely at each fire. Some fires will be at an early (incipient) stage upon
arrival, while others may have spread throughout an entire building. The variation in
conditions complicates attempts to compare fire department capability accurately. A
standard reference point is essential to make meaningful comparisons across similar
conditions. Regarding fire suppression, service level objectives are intended to prevent
the flashover point. Flashover is the point of a fire’s growth when the fire begins to
significantly impact life and property.
Fire suppression tasks required at a typical fire scene can vary significantly. Fire
companies must arrive with adequate resources, in a short period of time, to save lives
and limit property damage. Ensuring the arrival of resources within a specified time frame
is the goal of developing a comprehensive Standards of Cover document. The figure
below shows the temperature over time for fire and emergency medical service calls:
With the addition of 63 firefighters and the implementation of two person squads over the
last year, the City of Fresno has demonstrated their commitment to increasing our fire
suppression capabilities while improving the overall service delivery to the citizens of
Fresno.
Page 26 of 94
The Stages of Fire Growth
Nearly all structure fires progress through a series of identifiable stages if they have the
resources they need to burn.
Stage 1: The Ignition (Incipient) Stage – The incipient stage is when it is crucial to
fight a fire because it is easiest to suppress during this stage, and it will cause the
least amount of damage. The first stage begins when heat, oxygen, and a fuel
source combine and have a chemical reaction that results in a fire.
Stage 2: The Growth Stage – With the initial flame as a heat source, additional fuel
ignites. Convection and radiation ignite more surfaces. The size of the fire
increases, and the plume reaches the ceiling. Hot gases collecting at the ceiling
transfer heat, allowing all fuels in a room to come closer to their ignition
temperature at the same time. Once a fire reaches this stage, it becomes harder
to control. It is during this stage when a deadly “flashover” can occur potentially
trapping, injuring, or killing firefighters or civilians.
• Flashover is defined as the sudden, simultaneous ignition of everything in
a room. When flashover occurs, it significantly impacts responders’ ability
to suppress the fire and likely will require additional resources to control the
fire. Human survival after this point is highly improbable without specialized
protective equipment.
Stage 3: The Fully Developed Stage – During this phase, the fire has spread over
most if not all of the available fuel. Temperatures reach their peak and oxygen is
consumed rapidly. This is the hottest phase of a fire and the most dangerous for
anyone trapped inside.
Stage 4: Decay (Burnout) Stage – This stage occurs after the fully developed
flame starts to run out of fuel or oxygen. After all of the available fuel is
consumed, temperatures will decrease, and the fire gets less intense.
Page 27 of 94
The figure below demonstrates the time in minutes vs. products of combustion leading
to flashover:
The number of times that fires are prevented from flashover is dependent upon the overall
fire protection system and not solely upon emergency responders. Built-in fire protection,
public education, extinguishment by civilians, and the type of fuel involved are all factors
that determine if a fire will reach flashover.
Flashover is a critical stage of fire growth. It creates a tremendous increase in the rate of
combustion, requiring a significant increase in the amount of water needed to reduce the
burning material below its ignition temperature. Unfortunately, a fire that has reached the
flashover stage often indicates that it is too late to save anyone in the room of origin.
These incidents also require a greater number of firefighters to manage the increased
number of hose streams needed for extinguishment. Post flashover fires burn hotter and
move faster. These conditions compound the search and rescue problems in the
remainder of the structure.
Page 28 of 94
The image below demonstrates the significance of an incident both pre and post
flashover:
Fire resistance is also a critical component of the overall fire protection system. Fire
resistance can be defined as the ability of building components and systems to perform
their intended fire separating and/or loadbearing functions under fire exposure. These
components have specified fire resistance ratings based on fire resistance tests. The
image below demonstrates the stages of fire with and without fire resistance:
Page 29 of 94
The Origin and Development of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Standard 1710
NFPA 1710 originated to specify the minimum criteria addressing the effectiveness and
efficiency of the career public fire suppression operations, emergency medical service,
and special operations delivery in protecting the citizens of the jurisdiction and fire
department employees' occupational safety and health. The standard was released in
2001 with four revisions in 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2020. It resulted from a considerable
amount of work over several years by the technical committee members appointed by
NFPA, representing multiple fire departments and other governmental organizations.
This effort was the first organized approach to developing a standard defining level of
service, deployment capabilities, and staffing levels for those "substantially" career fire
departments.
The committee used research work and empirical studies in North America as a basis for
developing response times and resource capabilities for provided services, as identified
by the fire service. NFPA 1710 provides the user with a template for creating an
implementation plan incorporating the standard. The NFPA 1710 standard sets forth the
recommended resource requirements for fires, emergencies, and other incidents in
concise terms. The figure below shows the response time sequence of the first arriving
engine company:
Page 30 of 94
The figure below shows the response time sequence of the initial full alarm assignment:
The figure below shows the response time sequence of the total response:
Page 31 of 94
The figure below shows the organization of an 8-minute initial fire attack:
Page 32 of 94
Fresno Fire Department Service Level Goals
The following service level objectives relate to the travel times of the initial response to
an emergency. The objectives are aspirational and represent the benchmark the
department is trying to achieve in each category. The figure below describes the fire
service level goals:
Fresno Fire Department Travel Time Service Level Benchmarks
First-Arriving Unit
Balance of First-Alarm Assignment or
Specialized Units=
Effective Firefighting Force (EFF)
Suppression 4 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the first unit to an emergency
once notified of the event to arrival at the
incident.
8 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the balance of a first-alarm
assignment (typically 3 engines, 2 trucks, and
1 Battalion Chief) to an emergency once
notified of the event to arrival at the incident.
EMS 4 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the first unit to an emergency
once notified of the event to arrival at the
incident.
8 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the balance of a first-alarm
assignment (typically a truck response in cases
of patient extrication) to an emergency once
notified of the event to arrival at the incident.
Specialized Services
Hazardous
Materials
4 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the first unit to an emergency
once notified of the event to arrival at the
incident. Initial companies provide first-
responder operations and personnel are
Level B qualified.
12 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the HazMat Team, which
includes a fully equipped hazmat response
vehicle and 7 qualified hazmat specialists.
Urban
Search and
Rescue
4 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the first unit to an emergency
once notified of the event to arrival at the
incident. Initial companies provide to USAR
incidents and are qualified to the RS1 level.
12 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the USAR Team to arrive with 6
personnel trained to the technician level in high
angle, structural collapse and search
disciplines with the appropriate equipment and
apparatus.
Water
Rescue
4 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the first unit to an emergency
once notified of the event to arrival at the
incident. Initial response companies provide
response to Water Rescue incidents and are
qualified to the Swift Water First Responder
Operational level.
12 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time of the Water Rescue Team to arrive
with 4 personnel trained to the technician level
for both surface and sub-surface rescue
operations with the appropriate equipment and
apparatus.
Aircraft
Rescue
Firefighting
(ARFF)
3 Minutes/100 Percent
Within 3 minutes from the time of the alarm,
at least 1 required aircraft rescue and
firefighting vehicle must reach the midpoint of
the furthest runway serving air carrier aircraft
from its assigned post or reach any other
specified point of comparable distance on the
movement area that is available to air
carriers and begin application of
extinguishing agent.
4 Minutes/90 Percent
Within 4 minutes from the time of alarm, all
other required vehicles must reach the point
from their assigned posts and begin application
of an extinguishing agent.
8 Minutes/90 Percent
Travel time to an in-flight emergency for off- site
resources is 2 engines, 1 truck, and 1 Battalion
Chief.
Page 33 of 94
Additionally, the Department tracks performance measures identified in both the CFAI
process and NFPA 1710.
Alarm Processing Time
The alarm processing time begins with the first ring of the 9-1-1 telephone at the dispatch
center, and the computer-aided (CAD) operator activates station or company alerting
devices. The process ends with the appropriate dispatch of apparatus and personnel.
The department benchmark is 60 seconds.
Turnout Time
Turnout time begins with the activation of station or company alerting devices and the
point the apparatus is starting to roll toward the call with all personnel. Time stamps from
the mobile data terminal or verbal notification to dispatch that the company responded
document this measure's endpoint. During the reflex interval, measured as the time
between pre-alarm and actual alarm, crews cease all other activities, don the appropriate
protective clothing, determine the call's location, and board to start the fire apparatus in
motion. The benchmark is 60 seconds between 0700-2159 and 90 seconds between
2200-0659.
Travel Time
Travel time begins when the responding apparatus signals verbally or through the mobile
data terminal to the dispatch center that they are responding to the alarm. It ends when
the responding unit notifies either the dispatcher verbally or through the mobile data
terminal that it has arrived on-scene.
Total Response Time
The total time required to arrive on-scene beginning with the arrival of the alarm at the 9-
1-1 PSAP to the time that the first to last units arrive on-scene.
Page 34 of 94
The targeted service level benchmarks are based on industry standards and best
practices. The following charts show the departments turnout, travel, and total response
time over a 6-year period:
Travel Standard -
Fire 240 Seconds
90th Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 369
2018 353
2019 351
2020 342
2021 343
2022 318
Total Response Time
Standard –
Fire 320 Seconds
90th Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 440
2018 420
2019 423
2020 414
2021 412
2022 383
Effective Response Force Capabilities
The definition of an effective response force (ERF) is the minimum amount of staffing and
equipment that must reach a specific emergency zone location within a maximum
prescribed total response time and is capable of initial fire suppression, EMS and/or
mitigation. The capability of an ERF to assemble in a timely manner with the appropriate
personnel, apparatus, and equipment is important to the success of a significant fire
event.
Turnout Standard -
Fire 80 Seconds
90th Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 102
2018 101
2019 105
2020 105
2021 104
2022 95
Page 35 of 94
Several factors affect the capabilities of assembling an ERF such as the number of fire
stations, number of apparatus and number of personnel on each apparatus. While each
jurisdiction experiences different hazards and associated risks, the ERF is the result of
the critical tasking analysis conducted as part of a community risk assessment.
Critical Firefighting Tasks
Critical task time measures what must be done over what time frame to achieve a desired
outcome. The combination of property and life risk determines the tasks that must be
accomplished during an emergency to minimize loss. These interrelated factors can be
factored into two distinct types: fire and life safety. Fire tasks are related to fire
suppression operations while life safety tasks are related to locating injured/ill persons
and providing definitive emergency medical care or finding trapped victims and removing
them from the building. Fire flow is defined as the minimum flow of water required for
fighting a fire at a specific building, development, or within a specific area. Fire flow is
important for emergency response as it is the total capacity of the system that the fire
department has available for use in response to a fire. The required fire flow is based on
the following building components:
• Size
• Structural material
• Distance from other buildings
• Horizontal and vertical openness
• Contents
• Type
• Density
• Potential energy
Life-safety tasks are based upon the number of patients found at an emergency medical
incident or those involved during a fire situation. The key to the fire department’s success
at an emergency incident is coordinated teamwork, regardless of the critical tasks to be
performed. The variety of fireground factors, including the building and occupancy type
as well as the size and intensity of the fire and life hazards, determine the tasks required
to deal with the incident and the level of risk that will be taken in completing those tasks.
The FFD’s risk management policy has established the following guidelines to provide
direction to responding personnel when evaluating on-scene conditions and how to
respond to those conditions. The FFD expects all members to make operational
decisions consistent with the following FFD Risk Management Principles:
• RISK A LOT TO SAVE A LIFE: Firefighters may accept significant risk of injury
or death ONLY when protecting savable human life.
Page 36 of 94
• RISK A LITTLE TO SAVE PROPERTY: Reduced levels of risk to firefighters
are acceptable when protecting savable property, ONLY after a balanced
evaluation of hazards, AND appropriate control measures are established.
• RISK NOTHING WHEN NOTHING CAN BE SAVED: No risk to the safety of
firefighters will be acceptable if no reasonable probability exists to save lives or
property.
Critical tasks are those tasks that must be conducted in a timely manner by firefighters to
effectively manage an emergency incident. NFPA 1710 outlines critical tasks that must
be completed by an initial response to a structure fire. The goal of any fire agency is to
control the fire before it reaches the flashover stage. Critical tasks that must be
accomplished by the ERF at a structure fire can be found on the following pages. While
these tasks may be performed sequentially or concurrently, the key to success is a rapid
response, efficient fire scene deployment, as well as adequate staffing and coordinated
efforts at the event.
When identifying critical tasks, we are assuming interior firefighting operations are
necessary and require the use of protective equipment, which includes personal
protective clothing, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and a minimum of a 1¾”
hose line. There are several other tasks that must be performed prior to termination of
the incident such as salvage, overhaul, and fire investigation. Additional personnel may
be requested to achieve these tasks, thus increasing the number of personnel at scene.
Below are definitions of critical tasks that are to be performed at the scene of a structure
fire:
Fire Attack – A medium sized hose that produces 100+ gpm and is handled by a
minimum of two firefighters or a larger hose that produces 200+ gpm and is handled by
three or more firefighters.
Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) – This task involves the staging of firefighters in a
position of readiness should they need to enter the structure and perform a firefighter
rescue should something go wrong.
Search and Rescue – This task involves assigning personnel to search for living victims
and their removal from danger while the fire attack crew moves between the victims and
the fire to stop the fire spread. Crew size can vary based upon size of the structure, but
more crews are required in multi-story buildings or structures with people who are not
capable of self-evacuation.
Page 37 of 94
Ventilation – This task involves personnel opening a vertical or horizontal channel when
the attack crew is ready to enter the building. Size of the structure and complexity of the
incident will determine how many personnel will be required to complete this task
effectively. Ventilation removes superheated gases and obscuring smoke, preventing
flashover, and increasing visibility for interior fire attack crews.
Back-Up Line – This task involves personnel deploying a back-up hose line to protect
the fire attack crew should there be an increase in fire intensity, or a problem develops
with the initial fire attack hose line.
Safety Officer – This is an officer assigned to ensure that fire department personnel on
scene are following department policies and procedures while ensuring overall fireground
safety.
Pump Operator – One firefighter assigned to deliver water under the right pressure to
the various hose lines in use (attack, backup, and exposure lines) and monitor the
pressure changes caused by the changing flows on each hose line. The pump operator
also completes the hose hookups to the correct discharges and completes the water
supply hookup to the correct intake. If hydrant location allows, the pump operator may
also connect the supply line to the hydrant without assistance. However, more distant
hydrant locations will require the use of additional personnel to complete the supply line
connection.
Aerial Operator – This task involves positioning the aerial ladder for aboveground
rescues, roof access, and elevate master streams for firefighting operations. The aerial
operator is responsible for operating the ladder within its safety parameters to prevent
overloading the device or injuries to firefighters or civilians.
Water Supply – This task requires personnel to extend the large diameter hose line from
a fire apparatus to the nearest fire hydrant.
Command Officer – The successful mitigation of any emergency incident requires the
implementation of an effective command structure. This task is an officer assigned to
remain outside of the structure to coordinate the fire attack, evaluate results, request
additional resources, and monitor fire conditions that might jeopardize firefighter safety.
Page 38 of 94
Evaluating critical tasks that need to be accomplished depending upon the risk involved
determines the appropriate level of resources necessary to simultaneously handle the
tasks of fire attack, search and rescue, backup lines, pump operation, water supply and
command, all within eight minutes after arrival of the first-due unit. If fewer firefighters
and equipment are available, or if they have longer travel distances, then the department
will not be able to accomplish an objective such as confining a fire near or to the area of
origin.
The figure below shows the minimum tasks necessary at a 2,000 square foot residential
structure fire:
Page 39 of 94
Low hazard/risk occupancies are those with a history of low frequency of fires and minimal
potential for loss of life or economic loss. The figure below shows the minimum tasks
necessary at a low hazard occupancy:
Page 40 of 94
Moderate (medium) hazard/risk occupancies are those with a history of moderate
frequency of fires and moderate potential for loss of life or economic loss. The figure
below shows the minimum tasks necessary at a moderate hazard occupancy:
Page 41 of 94
High hazard/risk occupancies are those that have a history of high fire frequency, high
potential for loss of life or economic loss, or that has a low or moderate history of fires or
loss of life, but the occupants have a high dependency on the built-in fire protection
features or staff to assist in evacuation during a fire or other emergency. The figure below
shows the high-hazard occupancies:
Page 42 of 94
Defining Building Risk
The fire service delivery model works as a system of fire stations and units. This system
is broken down into first in areas of responsibility defined by each station district. The
station district is the first-in area of responsibility for each fire station. These districts form
multiple-fire demand zones. Those zones are mapped, with the district being further split
into smaller response zones. When a service request is received through the 9-1-1
system, the Fire Communication Center (FCC) verifies the call location. The computer-
aided dispatch (CAD) system then identifies the required resources to send. The CAD
system takes into consideration special hazards, routine risks, and isolated risks.
Once the call type is determined, the correct type of predetermined response is
dispatched. For example, a residential structure (low-hazard occupancy) will receive
three engines (9-12 personnel), two trucks (6-8 personnel), an investigator (1 personnel),
a safety officer (1 personnel) and one battalion chief (1 personnel). An apartment building
(medium-hazard occupancy) will receive five engines (15-20 personnel), two trucks (6-8
personnel), an investigator (1 personnel), a safety officer (1 personnel) and two battalion
chiefs (2 personnel). The CAD system allows the call taker to dispatch a predetermined
fire alarm assignment quickly to the emergency.
The FFD has identified risk hazards for each occupancy type within Fresno, the Fresno
County contract area, and Fig Garden Fire Protection District. All operations emergency
response units utilize mobile data terminals (MDTs) containing computer-aided dispatch
premise information for all identified occupancies. Each fire company is required to
produce a pre-fire plan for risks that pose a high life hazard, high property loss,
conflagration hazard, contain hazardous materials, or have frequent fire occurrence.
Hard copies of pre-fire plan maps for the first-in district are onboard each emergency
response apparatus. Risks classifications are defined below:
• High-Hazard Occupancies
• Medium-Hazard Occupancies
• Low-Hazard Occupancies
• Rural-Operation Occupancies
Page 43 of 94
High-Hazard Occupancies: Schools, hospitals, nursing homes, explosive plants,
refineries, high-rise buildings, and other high-life hazard or large fire potential
occupancies. They frequently indicate a fire agency's need for multiple alarm capability
and the ability to concentrate adequate resources to control loss when a fire occurs.
Medium-Hazard Occupancies: Apartments, offices, mercantile, and industrial
occupancies not usually requiring extensive rescue or firefighting forces.
Low-Hazard Occupancies: One-, two-, or three-family dwellings, scattered small
businesses, and industrial occupancies.
It should be noted 72% of all fire deaths occur in residential dwellings. Even though
significant property loss is usually low, the potential for life loss is high.
Remote/Isolated Rural Risks: Small commercial structures remote from other buildings,
such as detached residential garages and outbuildings. Areas may be classified as
remote/isolated rural risks if they are separated from any population centers and contain
few buildings—for example, rural land with no occupied structures or recreational areas.
In addition, topographic and geological conditions may increase a rural area to a risk level
that requires more comprehensive management. Those conditions may consist of
wildland cover or exposure to the wildland-urban interface.
Page 44 of 94
Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
A critical facility may be defined as one that is essential in providing utility or direction
either during the response to an emergency or during the recovery operation. The City
works with owners and operators of critical facilities to ensure they can provide alternate
sources of electricity, water, and sewerage in the event that regular utilities are interrupted
in a disaster. An inventory of critical of facilities in the City of Fresno provided through
Fresno County GIS can be found below:
Critical Facility Type Number
Airport 3
Behavioral Health 4
Cal ARP 28
Colleges and Universities 14
Communications 1
County Government 4
Courthouse 1
Daycare 155
Department of Agriculture 2
Department of Public Health 4
Department of Public Works 1
Department of Social Services 9
Detention Center 4
District Attorney 2
Fire Station 21
General Services 3
Health Care 12
Nursing Home 27
Police 10
School 183
Sheriff 3
Supplemental College 4
Urgent Care 4
Total 499
Page 45 of 94
Natural Hazards Risk Assessment
The purpose of the natural hazards risk assessment is to as accurately as possible
describe the impact of priority natural hazards (mentioned below) on the City of Fresno
and it’s SOI. The results of the assessment are intended to be used to identify assets at
risk by the related jurisdiction where possible, to further define populations, buildings, and
infrastructure at risk to natural hazards.
The below table is the City of Fresno’s natural risk profiles:
Hazard
Geographic
Extent
Probability of
Future
Occurrences Magnitude/Severity Significance
Agricultural Hazards Limited Highly Likely Critical Low
Avalanche N/A N/A N/A N/A
Dam Failure Significant Unlikely Limited Medium
Drought Significant Likely Critical High
Earthquake Extensive Occasional Critical Medium
Flood/Levee Failure Significant Occasional Critical High
Hazardous Materials
Incident Significant Likely Critical High
Human Health Hazards
• Epidemic/Pandemic Extensive Occasional Critical Medium
• West Nile Virus Limited Highly Likely Negligible Low
• Landslide Limited Unlikely Negligible Low
Severe Weather:
• Extreme Cold/Freeze Significant Occasional Negligible Low
• Extreme Heat Extensive Highly Likely Limited Medium
• Fog Extensive Likely Limited Medium
• Heavy Rain,
Thunderstorm, Hail,
Lightning Extensive Highly Likely Limited Low
• Tornado Extensive Occasional Negligible Low
• Windstorm Extensive Highly Likely Negligible Medium
• Winter Storm Extensive Highly Likely Negligible Low
Soil Hazards:
• Erosion No Data Likely No Data Low
• Expansive Soils No Data Occasional No Data Low
• Land Subsidence Limited Occasional No Data Low
Volcano Extensive Unlikely Negligible Low
Wildfire Extensive Highly Likely Critical Medium
Page 46 of 94
Guidelines for Natural Risk Rankings
For the purposes of assessing natural risks rankings the Department defines in qualitative
terms the potential impacts of possible natural risks based on the historical occurrences,
geography, damage severity and potential for casualty significance. The table below
describes the implications of each factor:
Geographic Extent: Prob of Occurrence: Magnitude/Severity: Significance:
Limited: Less than
10% of planning area
Highly Likely: Near 100%
chance of occurrence in next
year, happens every year
Catastrophic: More than
50% of property severely
damaged; shutdown of
facilities for more than
30 days; and/or multiple
deaths
Low: Minimal
potential impact
Significant: 10-50%
of planning area
Likely: Between 10 and 100%
chance of occurrence in next
year, has a recurrence interval
of 10 years or less
Critical: 25-50% of
property severely
damaged, shutdown of
facilities for at least two
weeks; and/or
injuries/illnesses result in
permanent disability
Medium:
Moderate
potential impact
Extensive: 50-100%
of planning area
Occasional: Between 1 and
10% chance of occurrence in
next year, has a recurrence
interval of 11 to 100 years
Limited: 10-25% of
property severely
damaged; shutdown of
facilities for more than a
week; and/or
injuries/illnesses
treatable do not result in
permanent disability
High:
Widespread
potential impact
Unlikely: Less than 1% chance
of occurrence in next 100
years, has a recurrence
interval of greater than every
100 years
Negligible: Less than
10% of property severely
damaged; shutdown of
facilities and services for
less than 24 hours;
and/or injuries/illnesses
treatable with first aid
Page 47 of 94
EMS Risk Assessment
NFPA 1710 recognizes three levels of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) delivery within
the standard.
1. First Responder with AED
2. Basic Life Support (BLS)
3. Advanced Life Support (ALS)
The standard also recognizes EMS transport as a service that the fire department may
provide. Therefore, a fire department is not required to deliver other EMS service levels
beyond a first responder with AED. However, the standard establishes operational
requirements for each level provided by a department. For each level, the operational
requirements are:
a) First Responder (AED) — A fire department must appropriately train all response
personnel at the first responder level capable of operating an AED. Personnel
must arrive within a four-minute travel response timeframe to 90 percent of all
emergency medical incidents. The number of personnel must be sufficient to
ensure adequate care capability and member safety.
b) Basic Life Support — A fire department providing BLS beyond the first responder
level shall adhere to the state or provincial licensing agency's staffing and training
requirements. The department must also deploy sufficient mobile resources to
arrive within a four-minute travel response timeframe for 90 percent of all incidents.
c) Advanced Life Support — A fire department that provides ALS beyond the first
responder and BLS levels shall adhere to state or provincial licensing agency's
staffing and training requirements. The department also must deploy sufficient
mobile resources to arrive within an eight-minute travel response timeframe for 90
percent of all incidents.
Page 48 of 94
NFPA 1710 standard states explicitly that staffing and training requirements for both BLS
and ALS transport units are to be determined by the state or provincial agency responsible
for providing EMS licensing.
The figure below shows the response time sequence of an EMS first responder (with an
AED):
The figure below shows the response time sequence for an ALS company:
The FFD provides BLS emergency medical services with automated external defibrillator
(AED) capabilities. All FFD members are Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certified
providing first responder service from 21 fire stations throughout the City of Fresno.
Fresno County Emergency Medical Service Agency provides BLS, Advanced Life
Support (ALS), and ambulance transportation services through an exclusive contract with
American Ambulance. The City’s 9-1-1 primary Public Safety Answering Point obtains
basic medical information and routes the call to Fresno County EMS Communications
Center for fire response and ambulance dispatching. The FFD responds to nearly all
priority one EMS incidents in the City of Fresno.
Page 49 of 94
Over 53% of the FFD’s call volume, over a 2-year period (2020-2021) were generated
from EMS related incidents. Due to the distribution of our fire stations throughout the City
of Fresno, FFD is often the first responder on scene during an EMS incident. FFD’s
service level goal for an EMS incident is to have the first arriving unit on scene within four
minutes of receiving the initial alarm. During a cardiac arrest event, brain damage is
highly likely after six minutes without oxygen. Additionally, survivability dramatically
decreases beyond four minutes without appropriate intervention.
During cardiac arrest, the heart beats chaotically (fibrillation) and cannot pump blood
efficiently. Time is critical. If a normal heart rhythm is not restored within minutes, the
chance for survivability is extremely low. For every minute without defibrillation, the odds
of survival drop by 7 to 10%. Cardiac arrest victims not defibrillated within 8-10 minutes
will have virtually no chance of survival. Some of the most critical links in the chain of
survival for a cardiac arrest patient are early CPR and early defibrillation.
The shortest possible response times create the highest probabilities of successful
resuscitation. Another consideration that is often overlooked is the time that it takes fire
crews to reach the patient. The response time clock will stop when an apparatus arrives
at the scene of the dispatched address, but it often takes a little more time to locate the
patient before medical intervention takes place. In high-risk occupancies or larger
buildings, the amount of time it takes to locate a patient after arriving at scene can be
substantial, further delaying medical intervention.
Page 50 of 94
The figure below defines the critical tasks necessary for a cardiac arrest event with 3
personnel and an ALS ambulance:
Critical Task
Personnel
Required
1 Chest Compressions 1 - 2
2 Ventilate / Oxygen 1 - 2
3 Airway Control 1 - 2
4 Defibrillate 1 - 2
5 Establish I.V. 1 - 2
6 Control Hemorrhage 1 - 2
7 Splint Fractures 2 - 3
8 Interpret ECG 2
9 Administer Medications 2
10 Spinal Immobilization 2 - 5
11 Extricate Patient 3 - 4
12 Patient Charting 1 - 2
13 Hospital Communication 1 - 2
14 Treatment During Transport 2 - 3
Page 51 of 94
The figure below shows the cardiac chain of survival along with the associated events
during a cardiac arrest event:
Page 52 of 94
As previously mentioned, the EMS benchmark for the FFD is for the first arriving unit to
be at scene within four minutes of the initial dispatch, 90% of the time. The targeted
service level benchmarks are based on industry standards and best practices. The
following charts show the departments turnout, travel, and total response time over a 6-
year period:
Travel Standard -
EMS 240 Seconds
90th
Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 337
2018 332
2019 332
2020 351
2021 362
2022 365
Total Response
Time Standard - EMS
300 Seconds
90th
Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 403
2018 394
2019 398
2020 422
2021 430
2022 423
Turnout Standard -
EMS 60 Seconds
90th
Percentile
(In Seconds)
2017 95
2018 94
2019 96
2020 100
2021 102
2022 94
Page 53 of 94
Specialized Services
FFD has defined service level objectives for the following disciplines: Hazardous
Materials Response (HMRT), Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Water/Dive Rescue
(WRT), and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF). The fire department is mandated
to formally define the special operations required or expected in an emergency or other
type of incident. These special operations include but are not limited to hazardous
materials response, technical rescue, and swift water rescue. Regardless of the fire
department’s defined special operations capabilities, all firefighters who provide
emergency response are required to receive operational level training for hazardous
materials response and confined space rescue. Likewise, all fire departments must
define their response capability to natural disasters, terrorism incidents, large-scale
emergencies, and mass casualty incidents.
Fire departments that establish their level of training is beyond the first responder level
for hazardous materials or confined space emergencies, must ensure all members
involved in that level of response are trained to the standard. The department must also
determine resource availability outside of the fire department through federal, state,
provincial, and local assistance or private contractors deployed to emergencies and other
incidents. Operational plans that initiate such an outside response must also be
established. Additionally, the fire department must limit the size of the response to special
operation emergencies to the level for which it has staffed, trained and equipped its
personnel.
NFPA 1710 requires airport fire departments to ensure their response capabilities to non-
aircraft incidents (non-airframe structural fires and EMS emergencies) within the
department's response jurisdiction are identical to non-ARFF fire department capabilities.
The NFPA 1710 standard recognizes many, if not most, fire departments must respond
to either wildland or wildland/urban interface fires. Accordingly, the fire department must
address the service delivery for such occurrences. The standard specifies the minimum
wildland staffing for defined wildland engine and truck companies that respond to wildland
or urban interface/wildland emergencies. Likewise, deployment requirements for a
wildland initial direct attack are specified.
A system is a functionally related group of components. These are areas where a set of
needs or requirements work closely together and are interrelated to achieve a key result—
the NFPA 1710 standard addresses five of these systems.
• Safety and Health — Each organization must have an occupational safety and
health program meeting the requirements of NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire
Department Occupational Safety and Health Program.
• Incident Management — Each organization must have in place an incident
management system designed to handle expected incidents. The system must
Page 54 of 94
be in accordance with NFPA 1561, Standard on Emergency Services Incident
Management System.
• Training — Each organization must ensure members train to execute all
responsibilities consistent with its organizational statement. This training must
use a programmatic approach that includes a policy.
• Communications — Each organization must have a communications system
characterized by:
° Reliability
° Promptness
° Standard operating procedures, terminology, and protocols
Departments must also comply with all the requirements outlined in NFPA
1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency
Services Communications Systems.
• Pre-Incident Planning — Safe and effective operations are grounded in
identifying critical high-hazard targets. The standard requires departments to develop
operational requirements to obtain information regarding these locations.
These five systems cohesively help ensure that emergency responders have the
essential tools, information, procedures, and safeguards to operate effectively and
efficiently.
Page 55 of 94
Current Deployment
The Fresno Fire Department responds to well over 120 emergency incidents per day.
The type of incident will determine the number of resources assigned to that incident and
the number of fire personnel on the initial response. The figure below shows the
apparatus deployment for the different types of incidents:
Types of Calls Responding Units
Structure Fire - Residential
5 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Battalion Chief, 1
Investigator, 1 Safety Officer
Structure Fire -
Commercial/Residential
3 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Battalion Chief, 1
Investigator, 1 Safety Officer or 4 Engines, 1 Truck,
1 Battalion Chief, 1 Investigator, 1 Safety Officer
Box Alarm 2 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief
Automatic Alarm 1 Engine
Fires - Outside, Vehicle, Grass,
Brush, Trash, Dumpster 1 Engine
Hazardous Materials
1 Engine, Hazmat Response Team (1 Engine,
1 Truck, 1 Hazmat Vehicle)
Rescue, Structural Collapse
1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief, USAR Team
(1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Rescue Vehicle)
Medical Aid, Injury or Accident 1 Engine
Water Rescue
1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Water Rescue Team (Dive
Vehicle and Boat), 1 Battalion Chief
Extrication 1 Engine, 1 Truck
Aircraft Emergency 2 ARFF Vehicles, 2 Engines, 1 Truck
Wildland Tack force
2 Engines, 2 Patrol Trucks, 1 Water Tender,
1 Battalion Chief
Page 56 of 94
Findings and Recommendations
The Fresno Fire Department continues to evaluate performance, measure the
effectiveness of the changes that are made in operational response, and has identified
gaps in service. The findings and recommendations that are found below will identify gaps
in service and provide recommendations for ways in which to address these gaps.
Finding #1. The Fresno Fire Department continues to fall short of meeting our
service level benchmarks for both fire and EMS response. This consists of the
following standards – Turnout, Travel, and Total Response Time.
Recommendations:
• Over the last year, the FFD has produced a data analytics dashboard that
can be accessed by all department members. This information shows not
only call volume, but the metrics associated with NFPA 1710. Since the
implementation of this dashboard, crews are now aware of their times and
are continuously working towards improving these times. The Department
will continue to inform and educate line staff on performance measures to
reduce our times.
• Over the last few years, we have experienced a significant increase in call
volume. During this time, we also experienced an increase in travel time.
The Department has already started the implementation of two-person EMS
squads to address this increased call volume and plans to add additional
squads in the high-density areas of the City to address this growing
challenge.
• The Fire Impact Fee Study completed in 2018 and updated again in 2022
identifies several new stations that need to be built in order for the
department to keep up with population and new construction growth.
Finding #2. The Fresno Fire Department fails to meet the Effective Response
Force (ERF) travel time performance of 8:00 minutes or less on the periphery of
the City.
Recommendations:
• As fiscal resources allow, the City should consider adding one additional
staffed aerial apparatus to the northeast portion of the City to provide
expanded first-due and ERF service capacity.
Page 57 of 94
• As fiscal resources allow, the City should consider adding a fourth (4th)
firefighter to all remaining apparatus that are staffed with three (3) personnel
to provide expanded first due and ERF service capacity.
• Prepare architectural plans to complete the re-location of Station 10 (land
already purchased) to meet the increased development and growth in this
portion of the City.
• Identify land for an in-fill station in the downtown area.
Finding #3. Industrial growth has increased in the southern portion of the City
and as this continues the fire department will be challenged at meeting the required
four minute, first due, travel time. Additionally, the Fresno Municipal Code currently
has provisions that would not allow additional growth in certain portions of this area
without an additional fire station.
Recommendations:
• Identify and purchase land for new fire stations in the Southern part of
Fresno to keep pace with development and ensure adequate service
delivery to this part of the City.
• Following the land purchase, we would need to prepare architectural plans
to complete the station build.
Finding #4. Through our research we identified gaps in our data collection
process. Data driven decisions are only effective if the information entered is
accurate.
Recommendations:
• Work with County EMS and American Ambulance to obtain our call
processing data on a regular basis. This will allow us to evaluate, analyze
and improve call processing times as necessary.
• Communicate the importance of the timely completion and accuracy of
incident reports.
Page 58 of 94
Finding #5. The Fresno Fire Department has identified the need to analyze and
review our performance data on a more frequent basis to ensure organizational
success.
Recommendations:
• Establish a Community Risk Assessment / Standards of Cover committee
to review response data and recommend changes as needed.
• Once established, schedule quarterly meetings to ensure frequent reviews.
• Expand the CRA/SOC document to include fire prevention information.
Station Analysis
A critical factor in developing a standard of coverage is examining the overall system to
determine how often the department meets or exceeds established service-level
objectives. It is common for fire and EMS to have distinctive geographic areas built upon
the fire stations' first-response areas throughout the City. This approach allows the fire
department to analyze each station's workloads and measure its performance based on
the identified service level objectives. Doing so helps the department identify any area of
weakness, indicating if additional stations or companies need to be placed in service to
strengthen response capability.
The following section breaks down each station and provides a detailed analysis for the
companies' first-in response area. Performance measures include the service level
objectives and other workload indicators such as the total number of calls, inspected
occupancies, hydrants, and public educational events.
Page 59 of 94
Page 60 of 94
Page 61 of 94
Page 62 of 94
Page 63 of 94
Page 64 of 94
Page 65 of 94
Page 66 of 94
Page 67 of 94
Page 68 of 94
Page 69 of 94
Page 70 of 94
Page 71 of 94
Page 72 of 94
Page 73 of 94
Page 74 of 94
Page 75 of 94
Page 76 of 94
Page 77 of 94
Page 78 of 94
Page 79 of 94
Page 80 of 94
Appendix
Census Data
Page 81 of 94
Page 82 of 94
Projected Population and Employment Growth within SOI
*From the Fresno County Council of Governments: Fresno County 2019-2050 Growth
Projections report
Page 83 of 94
Page 84 of 94
General Geography Map
Page 85 of 94
Population Density Map
Page 86 of 94
Historic Growth Patterns Map
Page 87 of 94
Residential Capacity Allocation Map
Page 88 of 94
First Due Map - 4 Minute Travel
Page 89 of 94
Truck Travel Time Map
Page 90 of 94
Effective Firefighting Force Map - Residential
Page 91 of 94
Effective Firefighting Force Map - Commercial
Page 92 of 94
EMS Incidents Map
Page 93 of 94
Fire Incidents Map
Page 94 of 94
Incident Heat Map