ALS Response Time - Performance Measure 1.01

The Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department (TFMR) is an “all hazards” department that responds to all types of calls for service. Advanced Life Support (ALS) is an advanced set of life supporting procedures that go further than Basic Life Support (BLS) to assist the ill or injured with breathing, blood circulation, and other vital functions in emergencies. The response time for providing Advanced Life Support for a life-threatening event is related to patient outcomes (chance of full recovery).

Measure

Achieve a response time of less than or equal to 7 minutes for 90% of advanced life support calls for service as benchmarked by the National Fire Protection Association.

Why this Measure Matter

TFMR is the primary provider of emergency medical services (EMS) in the city. The TFMR staffing model provides ALS medical treatments by paramedics to patients experiencing a medical emergency. In 2023, TFMR was called to 30,772 emergencies, of which, 84% (25,835) were medical in nature. Of these, 14,237 were ALS medical emergencies.

Patient outcomes (chance of full recovery) are greatly improved by faster response times when facing possible life-threatening illness or injury. For example, the American Heart Association recommends in the “Chain of Survival Concept” that ALS efforts by EMS paramedics begin within 8 minutes of onset of symptoms. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a total response time of 8 minutes or less which allows for patient assessment before treatment begins within the 8-minute goal.

Total response time is measured in three components:

1. Alarm processing time, the time from answering the 911 call until crews are dispatched

2. Crew turnout time, the time from when the crew is notified until the crew begins traveling to the incident (not to exceed 60 seconds)

3. Crew travel time, the time from crew beginning their travel until their arrival at the scene of the incident (not to exceed 480 seconds assuming that a first responder, minimally equipped with an automatic external defibrillator (AED) arrives in 240 seconds)

Tempe Fire Medical Rescue influences response time through:

• Alarm processing time:  as a member of the 29-city consortium that is dispatched through the Phoenix Fire Department Regional Dispatch Center

• Crew turn out and travel times:  through station design, traffic light preemption, policy, station and resource location, staffing, and training

Baseline

80.1% (CY 2023) 

Target

90% by CY 2040

Strategies

1. Training

• Disseminate turnout and total response time information to all crews monthly
• Offer opportunities for Shift commanders to follow up with crews that exceed turnout time requirements as needed

2. Technology

• Have field-based crews report issues with the Opticom traffic preemption system using existing Microsoft Form as needed
• Evaluate LYT HAAS Alert NextGen Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) System by June 30, 2025 for expansion from 7 units to 15 units

3. Resources

• Evaluate the feasibility of recommendations detailed in Station Location Study in southeast and northeast areas of the City of Tempe by December 2030.
• Fully occupy and operate out of new fire station 278 by December 2031.
  • Design station in fiscal year 2024/25
  • Start building in fiscal year 2026/27
  • Complete build in fiscal year 2029/30
• Increase operations division staffing levels from 177 members to 195 members by June 30, 2027
  • Increase staffing levels by 6 members (3 captains, 3 firefighters) in fiscal year 2024/25
  • Increase staffing levels by 6 members (3 engineers, 3 firefighters) in fiscal year 2025/26
  • Increase staffing levels by 6 members (3 captains, 3 firefighters) in fiscal year 2026/27

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