NFPA's wanted response time....

[fireman_1]

Volunteer depts. either have heard or will hear about the NFPAs new standard on volunteer depts. reponse time. I was told by my luetinant that NFPA says that after dispatch we should be enroute within one minute. That's no different than it is now. But then NFPA said that you mst be onscene within 4 minutes! Now hold on a second!!!!! We cover 100 square miles!!!! How is that possible? Yes I understand the concept of getting a sub station, bt how are you going to divide the dept. because everybody doesn't stay home, people work for the city that will end up living by the twp. land plot, and if we need that third engine we're going to be screwed because everybody will be at the main station!!!! What's up with NFPA???? It'll jst be better if they give us more time!!! Anyways, what do you think? thanks

[WTFD10]

The response times you are talking about are in NFPA 1710 which is intended for full-time fire departments.

NFPA 1720 is the standard for volunteer fire departments and does not contain any response time standards.

Supposedly one of the reasons they created two different standards was small volunteer departments covering large areas out of one station couldn't meet the proposed 4 minute response times.

[savinu4078]

I realize that a vol department is just that. Volunteer. However we do have a responsibility to the comunity that we service. I feel that we should strive to meet or exceed any regulation that paid departments are required to abide by. Thus we as volunteers should do everything possible to provide a quick and safe response to any call for aid.