As part of a plan to improve emergency services for nearly 300,000 residents across the regional fire authority (RFA), South County Fire has implemented a new fire and emergency medical service deployment model based on response data.
That model adds three additional firefighters each day across 15 fire stations. In total, 69 firefighters will be on duty during the day and 67 at night. Fire apparatus will be mostly dedicated and not cross-staffed, meaning the same crew will not be used to staff multiple apparatus such as an ambulance and fire engine, except in times of high need and increased staffing. This will make those engines and ambulances more reliable.
“The idea is to look at the regional fire authority as a whole,” said Fire Chief Bob Eastman. “All of our cities and unincorporated areas are sharing fire service to bring efficiencies and ultimately receive better service. That’s the reason two ladder trucks can respond to a commercial fire in Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace. It’s the reason we’re able to send a minimum of nine firefighters to every CPR call. You’re protected by an entire network.”
A minimum 22 firefighters respond to a house fire and a minimum 34 firefighters respond to a commercial building fire.
Here’s how response to an emergency call works:
- Resources are dispatched based on information received from the 911 caller.
- Care begins immediately when firefighters arrive, whether in an engine or ambulance. Engines carry sophisticated medical tools and all firefighters are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians to provide basic life support (BLS) or Paramedics to provide advanced life support (ALS). All firefighters can administer medications like Epinephrine for severe allergic reactions or Narcan for overdoses.
- Firefighters assess the situation and cancel or request additional resources as needed.
The new deployment model was constructed by using years of response data. Response units are strategically positioned based on areas of highest demand, optimal travel times, and the ability to reach the greatest number of communities in the shortest time. The data will be watched closely, so response units and firefighters can be moved if needed.
One example of changes is at Mill Creek Fire Station 76, which is surrounded by four other South County Fire stations within a roughly four-mile radius. One paramedic unit was moved from Station 76 to Martha Lake Fire Station 21, where emergency call demand is much higher. Other changes at nearby stations mean that Mill Creek is now surrounded with a total seven paramedics, up from five in the area previously.
Martha Lake Fire Station 21, centrally located to other communities in the RFA, houses a technical rescue engine and the only emergency vehicle carrying whole blood in all of Snohomish County. The strategic placement of these resources is deliberate, ensuring the ability to respond effectively across the entire RFA.
“We have taken a lot of considerations and time to really try to improve service across the RFA,” Eastman said. “It’s important to understand that every community receives service from multiple fire stations. It’s about making the entire system work better for you and to create more ways to respond to your family’s needs. If the system isn’t working to meet those needs, we have the ability to change things based on the data.”
The new deployment model was launched in mid-July and will be monitored monthly. “If the monitoring does not show improved services within three months, then South County Fire will adjust to follow the data for improved service,” Eastman said.
Source: South County Fire
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
