Tiered Response to Emergency Calls

Learn why our panel believes a tiered response approach is the best approach in the latest episode of Western Fire Chiefs Association’s Fire Headlines Podcast.

Tiered Response to Emergency Calls

Aurora Fire Rescue in Colorado announced the launch of its new Tiered Response approach for emergency calls. This new approach allows the department to dispatch units based on the severity of the incident they’re responding to. Fire Headlines host Samantha Didion is joined by the panel, Chief Jeff Buchanan and Chief Bob Horton, to discuss why they believe every fire agency in the fire service should be utilizing this approach.  

Fire Headlines listeners have also submitted a question asking Chief Horton why he believes response time should not be used to measure a department’s success.

One Size Does Not Fit All

This week, both of our Chiefs applaud Aurora Fire Rescue for deviating from the traditional approach and bringing in a sophisticated element to their department. The typical approach, which Chief Horton refers to as the default, is sending resources to a scene where they may not even be needed, thus taking resources that could be better utilized elsewhere.

The Chiefs express that every agency in the fire service should be assessing their call experience and community risks they face. This shift challenges the old “one-size-fits-all” solution and encourages a more tailored approach. Sophisticated organizations like Aurora are using advanced systems that gather and process information from their 911 centers. This information improves decision-making and helps paint a clearer picture of the situation at hand.

Prioritizing Calls

The panel began discussing the differences between the fire service and law enforcement. While the fire service tends to respond to every call assigned to them, law enforcement has the ability to constantly prioritize and reprioritize based on the urgency of each call.

Chief Buchanan emphasized the importance of measuring risk versus outcome, highlighting the value of availability for limited resources. He suggested that the fire service can learn from law enforcement’s approach and consider evolving to better allocate resources for maximum impact. This mindset change could help ensure that fire service resources are utilized effectively in critical situations.

Listener Question

This week a listener wrote “Bob, in episode 29, ‘Charging for Non-Emergency Services,’ you said that response time should not be a metric for success. If not response time, then what do you believe should be used to measure the success of a fire department?” Chief Horton believes that how fast a fire department arrives on the scene does not always make a difference when it comes to the outcome of the incident. He believes fire departments need to be managing the risk in the community and work towards lowering that risk.

You can email Fire Headlines at [email protected].

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