Preview: How long will it take for help to arrive after you call 9-1-1?
PORTLAND, Ore. – 9-1-1 is one of those essential services we don’t often think about and probably take for granted, but how long will it really take for help to reach you when you need it?
A KATU On Your Side Investigation uncovered holes in our emergency safety net. The data provided exclusively to KATU shows delays in fire and medical emergencies are only getting worse – not only in Portland, but in suburban fire districts, too. That means your crisis is much more likely to become a deadly catastrophe.
For fire and rescue personnel in Portland, target response time for emergency calls is five minutes and 20 seconds – similar to the National Fire Protection Agency’s recommendation of 5 minutes.
"Response time is a critical factor in fire response,” said Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Erin Janssens.
- Interactive: 9-1-1 response times in each Portland neighborhood
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."
But right now, across the city of Portland, Janssens said firefighters are averaging a response time of 7 minutes and six seconds. A map she displayed for the Portland City Council at their budget work session earlier this month showed entire neighborhoods where the response time is actually 8 minutes or more.
And now Portland is considering closing as many as seven fire stations, which Janssens said could have a detrimental impact on her department's lifesaving mission.
"Each closure has a cascading effect on response reliability and response times. Time and proper resources equates to saving lives and property,” she said.
But even if Portland keeps all the current stations open, projections of this year's response times, provided exclusively to On Your Side Investigator Anna Canzano, show no neighborhood is as safe as the fire department says it should be.
Canzano and our team of investigative producers have spent the past month analyzing 9-1-1 response data. Coming up at 6 p.m. on KATU News we’ll show you what’s causing the crisis and equip you with ways to clock response times where you live. We’ll also take a look at another Oregon community questioning the decision to close fire houses after a couple died in a fire at their home.
Watch Anna Canzano’s 9-1-1 response time report tonight at 6 p.m. on KATU News.
8 Minutes?  This is not very comforting if you have an intruder in your house or someone is having a heart attack.  Â
I would think all depends of the nature of the 911 call. Â
"How long will it take for help to arrive after you call 9-1-1?"
When seconds count the police are only minutes away...
The city is asking the FD for proposals to cut their budget by 10% and the Fire Bureau is already having difficulties meeting the demand of nearly 70,000 calls a year for 911 service (this does NOT include police.) Â Since Fire Bureau budgets have already been cut $15M over the last 10+ years, the dept is as lean as it can get....the only thing left is to start closing stations. Â The 911 system is literally OVERRUN with abusers, but with everyone so afraid of litigation, Fire/EMS continue to essentially make house calls on endless non-emergency calls (tummy aches, back pain, breathing difficulties but smokes 4 packs a day, etc.) Â No one wants to fix that problem so 911 and Fire/EMS continue to bear the brunt of this broken system....and then get asked to do more with less. Â Mark my words, someone will wind up getting killed over these cuts; whether it be a delay in responding to a house fire or cardiac arrest...making these cuts will cost lives. Â
The city has plenty of money and can trim the fat is so many other ways. Â Know what the Parks budget is for this next year? Â Think about it.
As a former dispatcher for a portland ambulance company during the 90's I would like to point out a few things that the general public either ignores or wishes that the facts were not true. As an example, during peak hours, I;E. Rush hour in portland, it was not uncommon to basiclly run out of resources, during this sernerio other stations and/or ambulances are staged to obtain the best response time. There are a lot of wasted resourses in this picture. Personally I don't think you need to dispatch three emergency units on most calls, An ambulance and fire rescue are normally enough to handle most medical calls EXCEPT a CH1, BR1,TR1 calls. CH1=Chest Pain/Possible Heart Attack, BR1= Breathing Difficulties and TR1=Severe Trauma.. Freeing up these additional units will in fact reduce response times. Â
This story is relevant only to fire and medical response calls. Primarily, because PFD intends to close several stations, and wants to get some buy-in from voters. Probably will be asking for more money here real shortly.
Dispatch centers use a triage system like all other emergency services. Depending on the info they receive from you, they determine the level of response.
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@Dr. Rawdog Buy a shotgun.
Hippies should buy tracer rounds. "There's a problem!" *KABOOOM KABOOOM*   "Whooaaa...."
@Playanekes @Dr. Rawdog "Learn Karate."
Reminds me of the Raiders of The Lost Ark scene, where our hero is just a smidgen to tired to fight hand to hand (in this case a sword wielding villain), so...
@NotAChance Harrison Ford had the s--ts and couldn't wait to complete the scene. Apparently it's a true story, but, it's the most significant part of the film.
Take care of yourself and those around you when possible. Learn CPR, learn how to defend yourself from crime, get fire extinguishers, think ahead. The less you depend on 911, the safer you are.
@Julie --- Great idea, form your own emergency group for your area. Don't depend on others, depend on yourself and family. Believe me when the poo hits the fan there will be no one to help you. If we ever get the big shake they are predicting, don't expect any help from the authorities, they will be too busy saving themselves.
No mention of police response time? Â Maybe you are still waiting for a response from them. Â HAHAHAHA!!!
Longer fire dept response time = Higher Homeowners Insurance rates
The companies figure it into the risk.
If you're in Hillsboro don't waste your time calling 911. I called them after a hit and run and HPD found the driver who was so drunk he could not stand up. He was not cited or arrested. My car was totaled. That driver was driving his faded red Chevy S10 pickup truck the next day. WTF??????? Then because he was free to drive he killed a woman in another hit and run 30 days later with the same vehicle. I will tell this story until the day I die. Date of accident 1/28/2010. Location 10th Ave and Walnut Ave in Hillsboro. It's a matter of public record. Look it up, you certainly don't need my permission. If HPD had done their duty an innocent woman would be alive today. Why? I would like to know why HPD did nothing? It's 100% inexcusable. There were many witnesses. HPD is worthless and I will tell this story until the day I die.
When you consider how long it would take for help to arrive if you DIDN"T call 911, it simply puts it all in perspective. Â
@Janusfree In rural areas people already KNOW it's going to be a long time for fire services, so they have volunteer firefighters, shotguns and other mechanisms to defend themselves.
Expecting urban- and suburbanite deadbeats and hipsters to drop what they're, do anything dangerous (which isn't a hobby) or to defend themselves is a laughable absurdity. The average able-body city citizen is more likely to hurt himself skiing or white-water rafting than by helping put out a fire at somebody house down the street.Â
In the city, if it's not a UNION firefighter, screw you , Jack. Let your apartment burn down.
@Playanekes @Janusfree So now you rag on firefighters? You really are pathetic, your display here of pathography has served you well, distinguished you with a stain most foul and should you need a firefighter? they will rescue, because your human, not because of your lack of humanity but pledged to help with their very lives. You are some specimen.
@Social Glimpse@Playanekes@Janusfree "You really are pathetic,"
LOL! What are you gonna do, union gimp, call me names and threaten to beat me up?
Apparently, you have a problem with volunteer firefighters. Figures, doesn't?  Too bad, goon.
"You are some specimen."
I bet you know all about specimens.
You could have simply asked for clarification, but instead you came out swinging and completely missed the point, union goon, because you're too mind-numbingly mediocre to do anything but show and attempt to insult me.
That crap doesn't work on me, but it sure proves what ignorant human waste you nasty little union cuckolds can be.
"9-1-1 is one of those essential services we donât often think about and probably take for granted", not really, 911 is a huge benefit in our country. Travel abroad and learn just how primitive much of the world's emergency systems can be. Â
The 911 system should never be taken for granted or lightly. The Telecoms go through extraneous efforts to ensure its functionality and survivability.
@Quaoptician
" The Telecoms go through extraneous efforts to ensure its functionality and survivability."
No they don't but your local 911 center does.Â
It is up to the local 911 center to make sure that your address is routed to the correct address and to the correct 911 PSAP. Telecoms get this wrong sometimes (but to be fair they are correct 99% of the time) and it is up tot he dispatcher to figure out what happened and then the IT department (me) to fix it by calling the telecom and telling them the correct information. Â
@Quaoptician Yea just look at your phone bill ( 9-11 charge ) then X that by350,000 customers.
It's a thankless job driving a rescue vehicle. Â I can't count the times people won't get out of the way even when the vehicle is right on their tail. Â Of course, with so many dumbos on cell phones who are oblivious to everything going on around them, it's no surprise. Â Â
@Shadow And with the headline...How long will it take for help to arrive after you call 9-1-1?
How many dumbos will call 9-1-1 just to see how long it takes?
@GladiOla  Then fine them $10K each, take away their cell phones AND their automobiles and make them work in a crew cleaning up all the blood and guts from bad accidents till it's paid off.
@GladiOla @Shadow ~  Well, there's bound to be 1 or 2.... there always are...  sigh...
We had an apartment fire a few years ago and we lived right on the border of Washington and Multonomah Counties in Garden Home. The fire dept. didn't get to us until 15 minutes after we placed the call to 911. We luckily had alerted our neighbors and we were able to put the flames out with multiple fire extinguishers provided on each apartment patio at the complex. The fire fighters had to finish up the job when they arrived to put out any smoldering wood and they cut a hole in our wall as well. They apologized for the wait and explained to us that it was out of their control that they were the the ones called to help even though there is a fire department 3 minutes from where we lived, they had to come from portland!
@NWnativeÂ
Portland just "gave up" that area to Washington County this month.Â
A 5 minute response time is amazing when you think of the local traffic they have to go through. Good job first responders!
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@TheUglyTruth Soapbox Alert, Soapbox Alert!
@randola @TheUglyTruth Oh, no!! People with opinions speaking their minds!! You might be forced to hear something you disagree with. This simply won't DO!!!
@randola @Playanekes @TheUglyTruth Ah. I misunderstood you. My error.
@Playanekes @randola @TheUglyTruth Not really man. This story had nothing to do with guns, cops, shooting an intruder or anything. Guns can't put out a fire or help an injured person. It was a soapbox maneuver plain and simple. Sadly I guess you cannot see that.
@TheUglyTruth AND their primary response is to arrest the survivor, if any.Â
@TheUglyTruth yes, the only reason that people call 911 is due to an intruder. No medical or fire uses what so ever.
@Ramsesthegreat Let's pretend that 911 doesn't also dispatch police cars to home intrusion attempts.
I invoked this successfully in December when some guy was running around my backyard and looking like he was about to try to crawl into the neighbor's house.
I could have called 911, or I could have gone out there and beaten him with a shovel. If the police can't defend the lady next door, I'll do it.
@Dr. Rawdog @Playanekes @RamsesthegreatÂ
It's funny because last month you were badgering me about telling the story too much.  *sigh*
Yes, fathead, I called 911. Turns out, the new neighbor across from her, though, is a deputy.