Strong growth has fueled Raleigh’s success over the past two decades. But continued growth will require investments in the City’s public safety infrastructure to meet the population demands.
The issue came before the Raleigh City Council on July 1 in the Raleigh Fire Master Plan presented by Raleigh Fire Chief Herbert Griffin as well as consultants from Darkhorse Emergency and NC Fire Chief Consulting. The plan outlines the current capabilities with the future service demands of the Raleigh Fire Department over the next 25 years.
“The Raleigh Fire Department, historically, has been a strong and capable fire department,” said Greg Grayson of NC Fire Chief Consulting. “Today, you are a strong and capable fire department. The recommendations within the study are designed to continue to allow you to be strong and dependable.”
Today, fire insurance ratings for Raleigh rate the city at the top of the range for existing resources, water supply, and communication capabilities. The high rating usually results in lower insurance premiums for customers.
However, the National Fire Protection Association aspirational standard response times hint at areas for future improvements. The aspirational standard response time for municipal fire departments is six minutes for EMS and six minutes, twenty seconds for non-EMS responses, for 90 percent of its calls. Currently, the Raleigh Fire Department’s average response time is nine minutes, three seconds for 90 percent of its calls. Also, the national standard for alarm handling time, or the time it takes to get a call dispatched, is one minute. The City’s time is two minutes, 46 seconds.
The plan outlines the challenges the Raleigh Fire Department faces each day. It identifies actions the City can take to improve response time and serve a growing city.
Key recommendations
Short term – Hire an additional 18 firefighters to reduce overtime costs and burnout, and to reduce alarm-response times.
Medium term – Replace five stations that have exceeded their service time; construct Fire Station 30 near Wilders Grove; and begin developing Fire Station 31 in Neuse Crossroads; add four fire station crews; and optimize ladder truck deployment.
Long term – Construct two additional fire stations and strengthen mutual aid agreements with Cary, Knightdale, and Wake/New Hope. In these areas, partner agencies may be closer and be able to respond more quickly.
Investments through 2050 for the full plan total more than $800M to both maintain and improve the City’s firefighting capability.