Ward 9 Fire and EMS Response Times

Chief Eric West, of the Bloomington Fire Department, provided data regarding fire department response times in Ward 9. From Chief West:

“Our Fire Department measures response time with the goal of responding to most Fire calls in under 5 minutes and 20 seconds and most EMS calls in 5 minutes and under from the time we are notified of the call by 911 dispatch to when the first vehicle arrives on scene. Therefore, our goal is that 90% of our calls meet this standard, which is what the National Fire Protection Association recommends.

“The following data reflect the last three years of responses in Ward 9, from June 1, 2018 thru May 31, 2021. Data indicate that non-EMS calls in Ward 9 come close to meeting our benchmark of 5:20, with 90% of our responses coming in 5:40 or sooner. We meet our benchmark on around 77% of our calls.

“For EMS responses, our response time is not as good to Ward 9. We only arrive at 50% of our calls in Ward 9 in 5 minutes or sooner. It takes up to 7:20 to respond to 90% of our calls.”

Chief West will continue to look at ways to improve response times to Ward 9. I will support reasonable and responsible increased staffing or other means to ensure that families in Ward 9 have outstanding fire and EMS protection.