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Glynn County Fire Rescue presents community risk assessment, recommends staffing, station and fee changes
Summary
Fire Rescue presented a 2024 community risk assessment and standards-of-cover report that recommends recruitment and retention plans, consideration of additional ambulances and stations, and possible inspection fees to sustain service as call volume rises.
Chief Vinny DeChristopher presented Glynn County Fire Rescue’s community risk assessment and standards-of-cover summary to the board on Jan. 21, saying the documents “provide a roadmap for enhancing emergency preparedness and response capabilities.”
The study, completed with Emergency Services Consulting International, analyzed demographic trends, historical incident data and geographic hazards and projected call volumes to 2050. The department’s service area covers roughly 423 square miles and a population approaching 85,000, with growth concentrated along the Spur Corridor and in western areas, DeChristopher said. He noted the county also receives large numbers of visitors annually and is responsible for about 20 miles of I‑95, both factors that increase call volume.
The report found a multi-year increase in incident counts—historically 5–7% year-over-year growth with a leveling in 02/2024—and projected calls could approach 80,000 annually under continued growth. DeChristopher said higher call volume will raise concurrent calls, extend response times and increase staff and equipment fatigue.
Glynn County Fire Rescue currently operates eight stations with daily staffing of 32 personnel, six engines, two ladder trucks, seven advanced life‑support ambulances, one battalion chief and aircraft rescue/ firefighting apparatus at the Brunswick airport. The department responds initially with 13 firefighters to structure fires and calls for additional resources as needed; the NFPA standard the report references recommends larger effective response forces for many structure-fire scenarios.
DeChristopher summarized performance improvements made after a reporting-quality review: call-handling dropped from over three minutes to about 1:12, turnout time was cut in half to about 1:27, travel time improved from more than eight minutes to about 6:33, and total response time fell from roughly 10:00 to about 8:01 in the 02/2024 comparison cited in the presentation.
Recommended actions in the report include a recruitment-and-retention marketing plan, increased firefighter pay, mentor programs, adding an eighth ambulance (currently handled with overtime when staffing permits), station replacement/rehab planning, research into new station locations in western and northern areas, evaluation of dispatch alpha/bravo criteria, review of apparatus replacement cycles, and consideration of implementing an inspection fee program through the fire marshal’s office.
DeChristopher said mutual- and automatic-aid agreements with Brunswick Fire, Jekyll Fire, McIntosh County and Camden County supplement daily response; Camden was identified as the primary mutual-aid partner. Commissioners asked about mental-health “frequent flyer” calls; DeChristopher said Fire Rescue responds with police to those calls and that efforts to partner with United Way and other agencies to reduce 911 use for behavioral-health needs are ongoing.
Commissioners requested copies of the presentation and reports; Fire Rescue offered electronic copies and invited commissioners to visit stations and discuss station siting and staffing needs.
