08/16/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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~w I?.r~ To: Planning Commission Members From: Thomas R. Klecan, Fire Chief CC: Safety Director, Planning Director, Mayor, Building Commissioner Dates: December 14, 2004 Re: Consideration on response times and station locations. Commission Members, Response times are the most significant issue for locating a fire station. An acceptable response is between three and five minutes. The packet contains maps indicating three and five minute responses. In approximate terms a fire will double in size for every minute it burns. The earlier we arrive the smaller the event, the easier, and safer, it is to handle, and the less the damage and impact to the owner. Having the fire stations located in their respective locations in 1956 accomplished a quick and equitable response to all areas of the community. This is no less important an issue today. In fact it is an even more important issue. The proliferation of plastics in the home has significantly increased the rate at which fires grow, necessitating an even quicker response from emergency personnel. The delivery of effective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is also vitally contingent upon response times. The present deployment of apparatus in their current locations best serves the citizens of North Olmsted. In 1995 Fire station #1 was relocated from its original location on Lorain Rd., just east of Great Northern Blvd, to its present location on Lorain Rd. just east of Walter. Rd. In 1996 we redistricted our first due response criteria, increasing the response area of Station #2. In many instances, apparatus responding from station #2 can arrive at more distant locations earlier than Station #1. This is especially true of the south eastern section of our city where apparatus from station #1 must utilize a more circuitous route than the units responding from station #2. Additionally, traffic patterns will also affect response, though these situations are more specific to time of day and seasonal activities. Balancing the above concern is the growth potential of the western end of our community, and the most recent additions to the City of North Olmsted. The annexation on the Cinnamon Woods development has increased our response times in south western portion of North Olmsted. Presently, Mutual aid responses from our northern, eastern, and southern neighbors are quite efficient. However, there is concern regarding a timely mutual aid response from our western neighbors. While response times are critical and must be of prime importance the locations must also consider the economic impact of utilizing valuable commercial space and the effect upon residential neighbors, of large and loud apparatus running at all hours.