Bond Would Speed Fire, Paramedic Response

Firefighters and paramedics could respond to emergencies in some parts of the city in five minutes, rather than the six to seven minutes it now takes, if voters approve an April bond issue, officials said Monday.

“It would go a long way to save lives,” said Paramedics Capt. William Wells. “Seconds and minutes count, particularly in getting paramedics quickly to a heart attack patient.”

The reduction in response times will be a cornerstone of the Fire Department’s effort to get voters to approve the $744-million bond measure for police and fire stations on the April 13 ballot.

The San Fernando Valley, with its large geographic area and long distances between fire stations, may benefit especially from the proposal to replace small fire stations with facilities large enough to accommodate more ambulances, paramedics and firefighters.

“It’s always been the department’s desire to reduce response times, particularly in the San Fernando Valley, which is where there’s a greater need,” said Fire Commissioner Larry Gonzales.

Some fire stations set for replacement, including those in Sun Valley and Studio City, currently do not have enough room for an ambulance, so medical vehicles have to be sent from neighboring stations, which takes longer, Wells said.

Having adequately sized and properly located fire stations with paramedics and ambulances is important because 80% of the emergency calls to the Fire Department are for medical problems.

The bond proposal is a key part of a Fire Department strategy to improve response times so that 90% of emergency calls are responded to in five minutes. Currently, just 39% of emergency calls citywide get a response within five minutes, according to Capt. Ralph Terrazas.

In the Valley, six stations would be replaced by the bond measure, including Station 87 in Northridge. The response time by paramedics to emergency medical calls in Northridge is six minutes and 18 seconds, while it takes firefighters an average of seven minutes and 42 seconds to respond to structural fires.

With the bond improvements, the response would be cut to within five minutes 90% of the time.

Stations 84 in Woodland Hills and 81 in Arleta also would be replaced with larger, regional stations, where the same five-minute standard would apply. Currently, paramedics from Station 81 reach emergency medical situations in an average of seven minutes, 18 seconds, while the firefighter response is five and a half minutes.

Even standard stations would be made larger. The new stations, including Station 77 in Sun Valley, would be about 15,000 square feet, Terrazas said.

Currently, paramedics from Station 77, who ride on firetrucks rather than ambulances, reach emergency medical situations in seven minutes, while the response by firefighters averages seven minutes and 42 seconds.

Stations 83 in Encino and 78 in Studio City are both targeted for replacement if the bond measure passes, Terrazas said. Both stations currently take an average of more than six and a half minutes to respond to structural fires.

“This will enable us to move resources around so we can respond faster,” Terrazas said.