Program to Reduce Emergency Incident Travel Times

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

New Hanover County Fire Rescue identified challenges with emergency incident travel times in portions of the county. The department completed an analysis of the area, referred to as the pilot district. Geographic information system (GIS) time travel models were compared to actual response data and after reviewing historical response data back to 2012, it was apparent that travel times within the pilot area were increasing each year. So New Hanover County initiated a squad pilot program, which ran for 19 weeks beginning on August 1, 2017, with a priority on accurate and consistent data. A quick response vehicle was in service from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and it was stationed at strategic locations within the pilot district. The unit did not have a specific home base located in the pilot district and responded to all incidents within the designated area while in service. After 19 weeks, the data proved that placing a unit in the pilot area will significantly help reduce travel times. This reduction provides more effective service for the emergency needs of citizens. With this evidence, the pilot program has led the county to consider a more permanent solution for efficient emergency service delivery.