CAL FIRE - Atwater contract - Average response time - 3 minutes and 44 seconds

"Report showed that over a six-month period Cal Fire's times beat those of the Atwater Fire Department."

Atwater puts to rest Cal Fire concerns

By JONAH OWEN LAMB
jlamb@mercedsun-star.com

The Atwater City Council resolved the concerns of some council members' over Cal Fire's effectiveness in a unanimous vote on Monday night.

The impetus behind these concerns came mainly from council member Gary Frago. In early March, Frago asked Cal Fire for a comparison of the response times of the former Atwater Fire Department and Cal Fire. Frago also asked city staff to explain the steps needed to terminate Atwater's contract with Cal Fire.

Frago voted against the contract with Cal Fire, which started in October 2008.

Ed Banks, Cal Fire's Atwater battalion chief, presented the report on response times to the city. His report showed that over a six-month period Cal Fire's times beat those of the Atwater Fire Department.

For instance, the average response time for the 585 emergency medical calls that Cal Fire responded to was three minutes and 44 seconds. For Atwater Fire the response time for 546 such calls was four minutes.

For fires in the same period Cal Fire's average response time was three minutes and 57 seconds. For Atwater Fire the time was four minutes, although they did respond to almost three times as many calls.

Frago's request for an idea of the cost and feasibility of ending the contract with Cal Fire was not responded to in writing, said Stan Feathers, the assistant city manager, since the staff would need more time.

"What this projection does not include is an estimate of reconstructing a fire department that is run by the city of Atwater," he said.

Such a move, said Feathers, would be challenging and contain some risk. The city would have to shell out for the initial start and he could not project those costs at present. It is estimated that the city will save $1.4 million over the next five years with Cal Fire.

It was Frago who made the motion to accept the report and give staff no further instructions on the issue.

Source: www.mercedsunstar.com - Link