South County Fire rolled out a new fire and emergency medical service deployment model to improve emergency services for nearly 300,000 residents across the regional fire authority (RFA).
The model was launched in mid-July and adds three additional firefighters each day across 15 fire stations. During the day, 69 firefighters will be on duty and 67 at night.
“The idea is to look at the regional fire authority as a whole,” said Fire Chief Bob Eastman in a press release. “All of our cities and unincorporated areas are sharing fire service to bring efficiencies and ultimately receive better service. That’s the reason two ladder trucks can respond to a commercial fire in Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace. It’s the reason we’re able to send a minimum of nine firefighters to every CPR call. You’re protected by an entire network.”
Fire apparatus, like ambulances and fire engines, will be mostly dedicated and not cross-staffed. The same crew will not be used to staff multiple apparatus, except for times of high need and increased staffing, to ensure engines and ambulances are more reliable, the release said.
A minimum of 22 firefighters will respond to a house fire, and a minimum of 34 firefighters will respond to a commercial building fire.
The new model is based on years of response data and will be monitored monthly.
“If the monitoring does not show improved services within three months, then South County Fire will adjust to follow the data for improved service,” Eastman said.
Response units are positioned based on areas of highest demand, optimal travel times and the ability to reach the greatest number of communities in the shortest time. The data will be watched, so response units and firefighters can be moved if needed, the release said.
An example of the redistribution is at Mill Creek Fire Station 76, where one paramedic unit was moved to Martha Lake Fire Station 21, where emergency call demand is higher, the release said. Other changes at nearby stations mean that Mill Creek went from five to seven paramedics in the surrounding area.
Martha Lake Fire Station 21, central to other communities in the RFA, has a technical rescue engine and the only emergency vehicle carrying whole blood in Snohomish County. The placement of these resources is to ensure that emergency response can respond effectively across the RFA, the release said.
“We have taken a lot of considerations and time to really try to improve service across the RFA,” Eastman said. “It’s important to understand that every community receives service from multiple fire stations. It’s about making the entire system work better for you and to create more ways to respond to your family’s needs. If the system isn’t working to meet those needs, we have the ability to change things based on the data.”
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
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