Every second counts: Fire depts. struggle with slow response times
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PORTLAND, Ore. – When you need help, 9-1-1 is one of those things we just seem to trust. It’s a safety net that reassures us help is just a phone call away if you encounter trouble.
But a KATU analysis of 9-1-1 response time data in Portland and elsewhere shows there are holes in that safety net and things might only be getting worse.
When a house catches fire or when someone suffers a heart attack, time is the enemy. As Salem Fire Department Chief Mike Niblock told us, “seconds really do count.”
For firefighters in Portland, the target response time for emergency calls is five minutes and twenty seconds. That’s similar to the five minutes recommended by the National Fire Protection Agency.
"Response time is a critical factor in fire response,” said Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Erin Janssens.
Janssens said with the types of materials used in modern furnishings, a house fire can double in size every minute. Something called flashover – a spontaneous ignition of super-heated gasses – can occur within 2-4 minutes.
Response time is equally critical for medical emergencies.
“Permanent brain damage begins four to six minutes without oxygen,” explained Janssens. “And when cardiac arrest occurs the outlook to save a life decreases 10 percent for every minute CPR, defibrillation and drug therapy is delayed."
Across the city of Portland, firefighters are right now averaging seven minutes and six seconds to get to a call.
A map from the city shows fire response times in 2010. A few areas in green show where firefighters hit the 5:20 mark, largely close to fire stations. Many areas in red, especially around the edges of the city, represent areas where it takes firefighters an average of eight minutes or more to arrive.
When you compare the 2010 map to data from the next year, you can see how reponse times are getting longer across the city.
When you look at the projected response time data for 2012-2013, there are no neighborhoods where the average meets the 5:20 goal. We plotted that data on an interactive map for the entire city.
Goal – 5:20 or less for 90 percent of calls
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Fire Management Area 1
Zip code: 97204
Serves the Old Town/Chinatown Neighborhood AssociationResponse time 6:11–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 2
Zip code: 97220
Serves the Argay, Maywood Park and Parkrose Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 3
Zip code: 97209
Serves Pearl District, Northwest District, Goose Hollow, Arlington Heights and Hillside Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:11–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 4
Zip code: 97201
Serves the Downtown, Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill and Homestead Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:11–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 5
Zip code: 97239
Serves the Bridlemile, Hillsdale and Hayhurst Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 6
Zip code: 97210
(non-residential - serves Northwest Industrial + waterfront)Response time 6:11–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 7
Zip code: 97233
Serves Mill Park and Hazelwood Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 8
Zip code: 97217
Serves the Arbor Lodge, Kenton, and Piedmont Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:39–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 9
Zip code: 97214
Serves Buckman, Kerns, Sunnyside, Laurelhurst and Richmond Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 10
Zip code: 97219
Serves South Burlingame, Collins View, Arnold Creek Neighborhood Association and the John's Landing areaResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 11
Zip code: 97266
Serves the Lents Neighborhood AssociationResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 12
Zip code: 97220
Serves the Sumner Neighborhood AssociationResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 13
Zip code: 97232
Serves Lloyd District, Sullivan's Gulch, Grant Park, Hollywood, Eliot and Irvington Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:11–7:06 minutes
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Fire Management Area 14
Zip code: 97211
Serves King, Sabin, Vernon, Alameda, Concordia, Sunderland and Woodlawn Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:39–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 15
Zip code: 97201
Serves Southwest Hills and Healy Heights Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 16
Zip code: 97221
Serves the Sylvan-Highlands Neighborhood AssociationResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 17
Zip code: 97217
Serves Hayden Island, East Columbia and Bridgeton Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:34–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 18
Zip code: 97219
Serves Marshall Park, Markham, Far Southwest, West Portland Park, Multnomah, Ash Creek, Crestwood and Maplewood Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 19
Zip code: 97215
Serves Center, Mt. Tabor, Montavilla and Madison South Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 20
Zip code: 97202
Serves Sellwood-Moreland, Ardenwald, and Eastmoreland Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 21
Zip code: 97214
(non-residential Eastbank & Hawthorne)Response time 6:11–7:06 minutes
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Fire Management Area 22
Zip code: 97203
Serves Cathedral Park, St. Johns, and Linnton Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:34–8:28 minutes
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Area 23
(no station – service area subdivided by surrounding FMA units)
Response time 6:11–7:06 minutes
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Fire Management Area 24
Zip code: 97217
Serves Overlook, Boise, and Humboldt Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 25
Zip code: 97206
Serves Reed, Creston-Kenilworth, Woodstock, Brentwood-Darlington, South Tabor, Foster-Powell, and Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 26
Zip code: 97203
Serves University Park and Portsmouth Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:34–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 27
Zip code: 97229
Serves the neighborhoods of Forest Park (also the park proper, w/ search and rescue duties) and Forest HeightsResponse time 8:02–8:28 minutes
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Fire Management Area 28
Zip code: 97213
Serves Beaumont-Wilshire, Rose City Park, and Roseway, and Cully Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 6:39–8:01 minutes
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Fire Management Area 29
Zip code: 97236
Serves Powellhurst-Gilbert, and Pleasant Valley Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 30
Zip code: 97230
Serves Parkrose Heights, Russell, Wilkes, and Woodland Park Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
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Fire Management Area 31
Zip code: 97233
Serves Centennial and Glenfair Neighborhood AssociationsResponse time 7:07–7:33 minutes
After Station 23 in Southeast Portland closed response times in the Brooklyn neighborhood and surrounding areas got worse. Stations in surrounding areas were forced to pick up calls in Station 23’s former territory.
Chief Janssens recently went in front of the Portland City Council to explain the impact of a proposal currently on the table to trim costs – close seven more fire stations around town.
“If we close a station we can expect the area surrounding that station to experience a significant increase in response time,” she said.
More people are moving to Portland, but it’s not getting any easier for firefighters to reach them. Firefighters also face challenges navigating the city.
Consider the Laurelhurst neighborhood with its windy streets and low-hanging trees. The picturesque setting makes it a desirable place to live, but it also means parts of the neighborhood have some of the slowest response times in the city.
The firefighters driving the trucks have to navigate down narrow streets with the tree branches, avoid parked cars and are slowed down by speed bumps.
By 2013, the projected response time map shows no “green” areas in the city, meaning there is nowhere hitting the goal of a 5:20 response time.
Portland firefighters let KATU ride along with them for a day to demonstrate how efficiently they try to get out the door when a call comes in. Despite the difficulties, they train often to shave seconds off their response times and pride themselves on the steps they’ve taken to shorten the aspects of response time that are within their control.
Ride along with Portland firefighters as they navigate traffic and a busy traffic circle while rushing to a motorcycle crash.
The map shows their route starting at Station 9 near SE 39th and Hawthorne. The firefighters took about 4:45 to drive the 2.1 miles. The motorcyclist was not seriously injured.
Closed fire stations slow response times in Salem
Another Oregon community is already questioning its decision last year to shut down fire houses. The fire that killed Vernon and Joan Anderson in their Salem home just last month highlights the importance of response times.
The first engine team to arrive at that fire showed up seven and a half minutes after the 9-1-1 call came in. That's a full three minutes longer than what it would have taken if the nearest station to the Anderson's home - Station 8 - hadn't been closed due to budget cuts.
“I won't say if we got there in four minutes they'd be alive, because that's not the responsible thing to say," said Chief Mike Niblock. "What I would say in general is, the earlier we get there in the fire, the smaller the fire, the more opportunity we have to enter the structure and rescue people.”
Niblock says by the time that first crew got on scene the fire was too hot and too intense for the firefighters to go in. All they could do was mount a defensive attack.
Neighbor Richard Grer can’t help but wonder if the three minutes would have made a difference.
“It sucks I didn’t know that was going on,” he said. “Who knows what would have happened had they been there.”
With two of his stations closed, Nimblock is already seeing a seven percent drop in the calls his firefighters can make it to within his target time of 5:30.
“It’s a shame but that’s the reality,” he said.
Station 11 in West Salem near Nimblock’s own home now sits empty. He doesn’t see it re-opening any time soon.
“We’re still going to come to the call but it’s going to us longer to get there,” Nimblock said. “Time is your enemy.”
What you can do
Firefighters say two things can greatly improve your chances of survival in an emergency: know CPR and have fire extinguishers in your home.
Several organizations offer CPR classes. The American Red Cross has a tool on its website to help you find CPR classes in your town.
The Portland Fire Bureau hasn’t specified which seven fire stations could close. The idea was proposed as part of the bureau’s budget to meet Mayor Charlie Hales’ request that all city bureaus scale back by ten percent.
It’s still early in that budget process.
Resources
I was amazed it took so long for help to arrive at the manufactured home park in Salem.
I remember responding to calls as a Chemeketa Fire Protection student in the mid 70's from the old Middle Grove station. Mutual response with Keizer was common then on calls that close to the borders. Are there students manning the on-campus Chemeketa station? They would get there in about 5 minutes depending on traffic volume. WTH happened?
Portland fire needs to hire a bunch of folks like this guy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/9895948/Jobless-Indiana-teenager-rewarded-for-long-walk-in-the-snow.html
He is happy just to have a job.
Whine whine whine.
Portland fire takes so much of our tax dollars in operation and PERS that we can no longer afford them. They have priced themselves out of the market and soon they will be asking for more money from the taxpayers in a bond issue.
Any bets this will happen?
Their union is very strong and will make it sound like the world will fall apart if these stations close. Government loves to punish the tax payers and make cuts were they think we will suffer.
The majority of calls are medical and in the majority of those the patient is not on fire so why waste the money to send a firefighter. Sure they are medically trained but in reality they are there too late most of the time in a cardiac arrest to do any good even with all the stations they have now.
If they were real "hero's" they would offer to take a 10% cut in pay and not only would the stations stay open they could add a few stations. But to them it isn't about saving lives, it's about money for the overpaid underworked firefighters.
I do love the fact that government is having to cut back big time and can only hope that they are forced to cut back even more. They are too expensive and are not needed for many services. Much of the services could be contracted out to private enterprise for way less money.
Portland firefighters are not members of PERS. Portland has its own pension and disability fund.
@nodoughnuts It is still funded by the taxpayers. Ralph is correct in that fire depts. need to respond to fires. Have a separate service to handle medical. Or, just let structures burn. Ensure no one is inside, contain the spread if needed, and if the structure is not savable (if a single family home), let it burn.
This is a good story. But it misses a pretty big part of the whole emergency response picture.Â
Also, funding is crucial for public safety. It is vastly more important than bike lanes and any number of other silly, costly projects.
The 2nd video of the response to the motorcycle crash is misleading. Engine 9 had to go out of their own service area to cover this call, because engine 28 was out of service for training. This is common, but you can't hold the response time against them. If engine 28 were available, they would have been on scene in 2 minutes, seeing how their station is 10 blocks up Sandy Blvd. Engine 9 crossed districts and still arrived behind the police officer, and ahead of AMR. They ran code-3, but with maximum safety. Had it been a higher priority call, they would have responded to the scene faster. That is something people need to understand. Emergency responders, especially fire fighters, respond to the location based on the severity of the call. A wreck like this, where the motorcycle rider is not reported to be seriously injured, or the patient is not showing signs of being near death, is different than somebody who is having a heart attack or a house on fire. You do not want emergency responders going balls to the walls on every call, no matter the situation. People panic when they hear sirens, and people tend to wreck trying to get out of the way. A fire truck is a very hard thing to stop on a dime, so they do not like to fly down residential streets doing 60mph. The faster they go, and the more they run their sirens, the more likely they are to cause an accident.
@Noah You don't blame the unit for being slower to the incident because they are covering for another station. But covering for other stations is a normal part of the operation. The response time goal is what it is regardless of the circumstances. The point is that if the system is properly staffed and executed then response times are within the acceptable range.
The unit you are referring to did their job well. There are other aspects to the system that lets down the users of the system.
@Jack_Bauer The numbers will blame a station for covering another district. My point is, they really need to look at the numbers differently. When a person calls 911 because they have a headache, or other non-life-threatening complaint, I dont think anybody here would want fire trucks screaming down their streets. I think that the fire department could get their response time down, but it would be at a greater risk of public safety. I think the fire dept is very good determining the level/speed of their response based on the symptoms. I would hate to see any stations closed, or companies cut. I think there would be a higher loss of life count. My main question is, is there a response problem RIGHT NOW. Or is this a story drummed up based on numbers that don't tell the whole story. Some of the stations with the longest response times are also the slowest stations in the department. They cover a bigger area, but respond to less calls overall.Â
The fact is our first responders are some of the best trained on the west coast, these men and women do not care about your ego or politics, they truly "serve", and every agency can improve but to impugn firefighters motives is just a lie, put out by deadbeat liars.
@Social GlimpseÂ
Ah yes, the firefighters log on a post to defend their jobs.
There is no proof that Portland firefighters are the "best trained on the west coast". That comment is unsubstantiated bravado from a cheerleader for the fire department.
If they truly wanted to "serve" the citizens in these rough time and really wanted to save lives they would offer to take a cut in pay but you will NEVER see that happening. Taking a cut in pay would keep all the stations open and they could actually open a few more stations.
@RalphCramden @Social Glimpse You have no class, I had been volunteer for 30 years, retired as made room for younger more able, I have buried friends who were portland firefighters at Mt Scott, obviously, who know zip but a gas vent, so take another swig and hurl your bile elsewhere. Portland has and will continue to be best on west coast. When a fire happens at your home, you might want to rethink your ignorance.
@RalphCramden you are a troll! just admit it and be gone!
@Social Glimpse
I don't need a fire department. I have a sprinkler system.
Firefighting isn't even in the top 10 of the most dangerous jobs. Being a UPS driver is more dangerous.Â
There is no proof that Portland is any better than anywhere else unless you have proof which is doubtful.
This is so misleading. Look at the map in the Oregonian today. The response times for incidents that are right next to the stations are terrible as well. This means that the guys/gals aren't getting themselves in gear to get to their call. My guess would be that the fire union has encouraged fire officers to slow things down to make sure they aren't cut anymore. Look out to some rural stations to your east. I know the one that I live in has response times better than this, and they are 100 percent volunteer.
@Fuelman76Â Fire companies are frequently out of their stations on Emergency Responses, Fire Inspections, Community Education Events, Training, District Familiarization, and a host of other activities. Â Long gone are the days when firefighters just sit around the station waiting for fires. Â So its no wonder that response times next to stations are suffering in addition to those farther from stations. Â
@PDXstump @Fuelman76 Yes. The assertion that there is some kind of union slow down is a special combination of laughable and insulting.
@Fuelman76 This is an asinine assumption.
Community CPR courses, working smoke detectors and residential fire sprinklers can all go a long way to saving lives.
Portland needs to find alternatives with their closed-in communities that don't allow the big trucks to drive down the streets. Of course times are going to be different when you are in different settings. Â Closing fire stations to cut the budget sounds excessive. I'm sure there is another way to cut some costs.
And I bet the police response times are slower than we want as well!
@portlandborn83 Ah, but they don't want to address the fact that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. That would give too much credibility to the fact that normal people need firearms for their own safety. We wouldn't want the brainwashed masses realizing that now, would we?
@Mrs. Jones @portlandborn83 Exactly! Glad to know that there is someone else out there that is awake!
The response time isn't necessarily any better in the suburbs either. I called in a vehicle fire (not my own) in Clackamas County. There is a fire station on the same road not more than half a mile away. Maybe they were busy with something else, but it took around 10 minutes for a response. This was close in, not out in the boonies. Granted, it was an empty vehicle on fire but it was parked close enough to a residence to have been a danger to the residence. By the time they got there, the vehicle was toast and fully engulfed. A few more minutes and the residence would have been affected too.
Maybe someone should look at the streets that are inaccessible to motor vehicles, which are now for bicyclist's. There are numerous streets where a motor vehicle can't turn down.
Where I live we have one of the top 10 fire departments in the nation, they have their own medical response/transport vans at each station, and have saved the tax payers millions in dollars.
But wait Portland is such a progressive city where I don't think anyone on your city council has ever lived outside the Portland Metro area to actually now how a real city runs.
@samsloohouseÂ
Actually, there are multiple members of the council who have lived well outside of the Portland metro area. But living elsewhere doesn't mean a whole lot if you weren't involved in how the city ran where you lived. Most people don't have a clue how their city runs.
From what I gather, here the ambulance service is a private one that is contracted through the county. I'm used to having an ambulance service that is public and works alongside the fire department.
@samsloohouse Didn't you know? They want to put the firefighters on bicycles, with buckets, to fight the fires and cut costs. (*sarcasm)
What? There are Republicans in this town? Move to Texas with the rest of your racist kind
@Steve Steven Nice left wing artifact of an insult. Have any more ancient insults you care to dust off?
@Steve Steven Oregon was solidly Red until about 25 years ago. :-) Even most of the Democrats I know are just frustrated libertarians.
@Mrs. Jones @Steve Steven This is patently false. Not sure if intentional misinformation or....
Portland Fire does have a few rescues/rescue ambulances used for responding to some medical calls just like how TVF&R do but there are not a lot of stations in Portland that have it only stations 5,and station 11 so they have to use fire engines and tiller trucks if not bad of a medical call tiller trucks are equipped with Basic Life Support /first aid where as if the call is pretty bad or requires advanced life support and interventions they send the Engine. Car accidents without fire they may send the tiller truck to because it carry's all the tools like the jaws of life that the engine doesn't carry or they may send a engine just in case car may spark a fire or has chemicals or liquids leaking and it all just depends on nature of the call too.
hope this helps shed some light on why do they always send a fire engine or tillerÂ
Sean Kavanaugh Ex Explorer Cadet Portland Fire
@Sean Kavanaugh They have upped the number of rescue rigs. I know that stations 19 and 7 have them now too. But I think they only staff them during peak hours.
So, 90% of the tax revenue for the fire dept (NW and SW PDX), takes the longest time. Â Socialism at it's best...or worst. Â 8 minutes? Â WTH?
@trolololÂ
What? Â I'm not even sure I know what you're saying, mainly, because it seems like you were drunk when you typed this.
@Suffer247 @trololol I think because they live in the hills and the winding roads could take longer..
@Suffer247 @trololol I'm drunk?  Perhaps you aren't if you cannot comprehend what I wrote.  I'll slow down for you.
1. Â 90% of the fire departments funding comes from NW and SW portland property tax.
2. NW and SW portland get the worst service in response time. Â Over 8 minutes. Â Isn't ironic.
Now you understand?
@trololol @Jenni S. @Suffer247
Exactly. Â You have no clue. Â People in SE and NE pay property tax....a lot of property tax. Â Hush up and let the grown-ups talk.
@Jenni S. @trololol @Suffer247 I'm making it up.
@trololol @Suffer247Â
Where are you getting that 90% of the department's funding comes from taxes on NW and SW Portland?
Perfect timing by a D.C. Minion since the buzz is all about the 'Sequester' cuts that will affect firemen, cops and citizens as a whole. Let us all pay homage to The Kenyan for trying to scare us all - I ain't buyin' it!!
Great timing for KATU being a shill for the Portland Fire & Rescue - budget season. If Portland is interested in improving response times they should look at the Portland Fire and Police Disability Fund, which can levy a tax of $2.48 per thousand of assessed value on every taxable property, and add the portion of the budget for police, fire, and emergency communications. These people are already taking the lion's share of the budget.
@I812Â
Yeah, those retired guys sure are slowing down response times by drawing their pensions.
This is a legitimate safety issue, being proposed by the City Council as a "cost-saving option" and all you can do is grind your "Anti-Union" axe as if that is the real problem. Â
@Suffer247Â @I812Â
In reality the retired guys are causing the slowdown in response times with all the retirement money they are sucking from the system. This is forcing the budget cuts.
I hope that there are more cuts coming. Detroit will more than likely go bankrupt and will get out from under their PERS commitments which will get the city back into being solvent.
@Suffer247 @I812 I guess you can't figure out if you aren't wasting money in one place you can put it in another. How many people use the fire department? I pay in excess of $1000 per year to the fire department year in and year out and I have never used their services once. That is what insurance and private ambulance companies are for. If you look at a risk based approach, we spend way too much for these services.
@Mike_J @I812 Although this is an old thread I will respond. I would gladly pay $75/year. Right now I am paying over $1,000 per year for the fire district alone. And I have been doing that year in and year out for decades. I have never once used their services. I am not opposed to a well trained fire department but there is no restraint when it comes to police and fire. Everything should be evaluated on a risk-based approach with an accompanying cost analysis. Of course government and politicians would know where to begin.
@I812Â at least you're not in Kentucky, (I think that's where it is at) where you have to pay $75 / year or they let your house burn down....think about that
@Suffer247Â @I812Â
The fire department is not needed at my house. We have a sprinkler system and have a neighborhood medical response team.
Portland fire has priced themselves out of the market.
If they really were "hero's" they would take a 10% cut in pay and keep all the stations open. But you won't see that happening cause to them it's all about the excessive salaries they get and the massive retirement benefits.
@boned Sorry boned, sometimes I forget that logic and rational reasoning don't fit well with most on here.
@Suffer247 @I812 First of all I didn't say cut the budget, did I?  I suggested reallocating available existing resources. Maybe you cannot read or cannot comprehend. You certainly don't know the proper terminology you attempted to use in your post. It is short-sighted, not short-sided. Nobody ever got killed because the fire department took longer to show up. The fire departments have been using that "what's a life worth?" argument forever in their attempt to get every piece of chrome-plated ginger bread imaginable. And people like you are always happy to comply.
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid cupcake.
@I812Â
That is, until you need it. Â And what is "way too much?" Â What if it's your mom's house on fire? Â Or you having a heart attack? Â Do you really think a for-profit company like AMR is going to make a difference? Â Guess again. Â
These people train, relentlessly, so that when it's time, they are ready. Â This costs money. Â
But go ahead, cut the budget....see what happens. Â It is exactly this kind of short-sided, irresponsible thinking that is going to get people killed, pure and simple. Â People like you who don't want to pay for emergency service, but expect it when it's their turn.Â
You have no credibility.
@I812Â Damn-it, here you go again clouding the issue with the truth!! I thought we had a talk about that!! You cannot reason with them - it is a genetic thing, Sir!