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FDNY Records Faster Response Times; Lower Fire Deaths
Fire Department City of New York
NEW YORK - The New York City Fire Department is responding to fires faster than at any other time on record, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta announced today, crediting new dispatch protocols and improved technology for helping firefighters get to emergencies more quickly than ever before. The city also has had 44 fire deaths so far this year – fewer than ever before. In 2008, there were 59 fire deaths from January to August; in 2007, there were 64. Fire deaths in the last seven years are the lowest ever recorded in city history.
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Since January, Firefighters have been responding on average to fire calls in 4:03 – the fastest time ever recorded – and 13 seconds faster than the same period (January to August) in 2008; 26 seconds faster than in 2007.
“These record-setting response times are a tremendous accomplishment for the FDNY that has been achieved through hard work from our members and innovation in the way we dispatch our fire companies,” said Commissioner Scoppetta. “Anyone who’s ever lived through a fire knows seconds can mean lost lives. It’s no wonder fewer people have died from fires this year than ever before.”
Under a new dispatch program that began in June 2008, dispatchers immediately assign fire units to an emergency as soon as they obtain and confirm the location and nature of an incident from the caller. Previously they gathered additional details before dispatching units. Further enhancements to the city’s 911 system were implemented when the Unified Call Taker (UCT) process became operational in May 2009.
Response to non-structural fires – such as car and brush fires – also reached a historic low, averaging 4:24 thus far in 2009 as compared to 4:44 in the first eight months of last year (4:56 for the same period in 2007).
There are also fewer fires in New York City. As of August 31, there were 17,176 structural fires in the five boroughs. Comparatively, there were 17,725 fires in the first eight months of last year and 18,604 during the same period in 2007. That represents a 3 percent drop since August 2008 and an 8 percent drop since August 2007.
Commissioner Scoppetta credited the hard work of FDNY’s Fire Safety Education Unit in large part for the reduction.
“Last year, our critical fire safety message reached 660,000 New Yorkers and this year we expect to reach just as many, if not more,” he said. “Working with the FDNY Foundation, so far this year we have distributed more than 100,000 batteries and more than 30,000 smoke alarms. And we’re not done yet.”
The Fire Safety Education Unit gives presentations throughout all five boroughs, including at churches, schools and community centers. Members also distribute fire safety information in neighborhoods that have experienced a fatal fire. This literature is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, Russian, Yiddish and Italian.
NEW YORK - The New York City Fire Department is responding to fires faster than at any other time on record, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta announced today, crediting new dispatch protocols and improved technology for helping firefighters get to emergencies more quickly than ever before. The city also has had 44 fire deaths so far this year – fewer than ever before. In 2008, there were 59 fire deaths from January to August; in 2007, there were 64. Fire deaths in the last seven years are the lowest ever recorded in city history.
Related
“These record-setting response times are a tremendous accomplishment for the FDNY that has been achieved through hard work from our members and innovation in the way we dispatch our fire companies,” said Commissioner Scoppetta. “Anyone who’s ever lived through a fire knows seconds can mean lost lives. It’s no wonder fewer people have died from fires this year than ever before.”
Under a new dispatch program that began in June 2008, dispatchers immediately assign fire units to an emergency as soon as they obtain and confirm the location and nature of an incident from the caller. Previously they gathered additional details before dispatching units. Further enhancements to the city’s 911 system were implemented when the Unified Call Taker (UCT) process became operational in May 2009.
Response to non-structural fires – such as car and brush fires – also reached a historic low, averaging 4:24 thus far in 2009 as compared to 4:44 in the first eight months of last year (4:56 for the same period in 2007).
There are also fewer fires in New York City. As of August 31, there were 17,176 structural fires in the five boroughs. Comparatively, there were 17,725 fires in the first eight months of last year and 18,604 during the same period in 2007. That represents a 3 percent drop since August 2008 and an 8 percent drop since August 2007.
Commissioner Scoppetta credited the hard work of FDNY’s Fire Safety Education Unit in large part for the reduction.
“Last year, our critical fire safety message reached 660,000 New Yorkers and this year we expect to reach just as many, if not more,” he said. “Working with the FDNY Foundation, so far this year we have distributed more than 100,000 batteries and more than 30,000 smoke alarms. And we’re not done yet.”
The Fire Safety Education Unit gives presentations throughout all five boroughs, including at churches, schools and community centers. Members also distribute fire safety information in neighborhoods that have experienced a fatal fire. This literature is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, Russian, Yiddish and Italian.
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Permalink Reply by Norman Eisenberg on
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I would like to congratulate the NY FD on the fantastic job they do to help the civilians, but who is helping them ME, THAT'S WHO. I have developed a Medical Accessibility Tag M.A.T. for short which can save their lives if they get hurt or trapped inside a burning building. This MAT holds all of their medical records and when they arrive at the scene if they enter the building they first hang their MAT tag on the chiefs board so he can tell where they are. if a fireman is injured that MAT tag is taken off the board and hooked onto his gear with the attached caribineer and he is then transported to the medical facility while he is being treated in the ambulance becuase they know all about his meds, allergies,, etc which is on his MAT tag..
For more info contact me at norman@sgmscorp.com
FirefightingTactics.com: Flash drive could be key to saving firefighter lives
FirefightingTactics.com's Notes
Flash drive could be key to saving firefighter lives
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Friday, August 28, 2009 at 2:07pm
FireRescue1
MERRIMACK, N.H. — The Merrimack Fire Department is the first in the nation to use "Key 2 Life," a portable flash drive that stores potentially lifesaving medical information about each firefighter should an emergency arise.
During a Key 2 Life presentation yesterday at the Central Fire Station, Fire Chief Mike Currier said the department purchased 100 of the devices for about 70 full-and-part-time fire personnel to use. Assistant fire chief Dave Parenti said it's mandatory for all staff to keep the device in their possession while on duty.
Key 2 Life, which costs between $29 and $39, has a one-gigabyte capacity and comes in a variety of styles including credit card, dog tag and keychain. Merrimack fire plans to use a small waterproof steel version.
Florida-based Safe Guard Medi-Systems Corp. produces lifesaving Medi-Chips. Medi-Chips have a USB plug and can be inserted into any computer worldwide to access a person's medical history and information. However, Macs and computers using the operating software Linux require Windows emulation.
Ronald Hoy, president of Merrimack-based RD Sales & Marketing, who is partnered with SGMS Corp., said Key 2 Life is an "invaluable" device that provides instantaneous access to data that normally might take more than 30 minutes to acquire by rescue personnel following an emergency.
The Key 2 Life system can store a wide range of information pertaining to medical, dental and family histories including X-rays, medications a person is taking, do not resuscitate orders and consent for emergency treatment of a minor.
Hoy said the only downside to the device is "it's only as good as the information put in (it)."
Richard Dellarciprete, vice president of RD Sales & Marketing, said none of the data is on the Internet and the device features 256 Advanced Encryption Standard, which is the same encryption the U.S. government uses to protect privacy.
He said the information, which is automatically saved upon entering it into the Key 2 Life, can be typed in and X-rays can be scanned and then transferred onto the memory device.
Kevin Chambers, a firefighter and paramedic, said most people don't keep track of their health histories so having fire personnel carry theirs using the Key 2 Life devices would be helpful. - Attachments:
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