Glynn County Fire Rescue: turnout and travel times improving, but travel-time target remains off track

Glynn County Fire Rescue reported measurable improvements in station turnout times and some EMS outcomes at a quarterly execution review, but officials said travel-time targets for first-unit arrivals remain off track and will be a focus of new station placement and staffing plans.

Fire Chief Vinita Cristoforo told commissioners the department aims for outcomes — not just outputs — and described recent operational changes intended to raise the level of care available countywide, especially in lower-call-volume districts.

“Fire rescue is focused on outcomes, not just outputs,” Fire Chief Vinita Cristoforo said as she opened the department’s performance briefing. She reported that the county’s EMS work accounts for roughly 75 percent of the department’s calls and described several recent changes tied to training, medical oversight and equipment.

Key performance measures presented at the meeting included: - Cardiac monitoring: The department reported 95.4 percent of patients with cardiac complaints received cardiac monitoring, a figure officials said reflects new protocols and onboard equipment upgrades. - Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC): For cardiac-arrest patients, staff said they achieved ROSC in 15.6 percent of cases during the reporting period; presenters noted many external factors influence that outcome. - Structure-fire confinement: The county recorded confinement to the object or room of origin in about 41.4 percent of working structure fires, below the department baseline target of 50 percent; staff said delayed awareness, dispatch and travel conditions affect this measure.

Chief Cristoforo highlighted internal improvements tied to turnout time — the interval from notification to units en route. Glynn County adopted a local turnout standard of 90 seconds for daytime calls and two minutes at night, and the department reported meeting the daytime 90-second threshold roughly 86 percent of the time and meeting its nighttime standard at about the 75 percent target. Dispatch changes — including automatic vehicle-location (AVL) software that identifies the closest units — yielded an initial nine-second improvement in call-handling time, officials said.

Travel time — the interval from units en route to arrival on scene — remained the measure most affected by geography, traffic and station placement. The department reported the largest call volume at Station 1 (about 35 percent of calls) and said the planned Station 9, expected to open in the coming months on the mall/spur side of the county, should reduce travel times in that district. Chief Cristoforo said other distant response zones along I-95 and toward the county line show the longest response times and will be considered when planning future stations.

Staff described targeted upgrades to EMS capability at select fire stations. Station 7 on the north end of Saint Simons Island, historically a low-call-volume station, was upgraded from EMT-basic staffing to an advanced-EMT level to provide what the chief described as “paramedic light” interventions until a paramedic ambulance arrives. The airport station (Station 5) also carries upgraded EMS capabilities on many shifts, and the new station by FLETC is planned to include a full-service ambulance.

The department also reported logistics gains tied to regional emergency incidents: a foam trailer program funded by local industrial partners was secured after a large industrial fire, and a second, larger trailer was built for regional use. Officials said concentrated foam availability remains a coordination issue and will require facility-level planning with chemical sites.

On accreditation and certification, Chief Cristoforo said Glynn County Fire Rescue had a state certification review in December and expected state certification. The department is reviewing fire-service accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (a multi-year process) and noted national and state training oversight (Georgia Firefighters Training Council and EMS licensure) continue to shape training schedules and readiness.

No formal votes were taken. Commissioners asked staff to continue using data to guide station placement and to report back on projected travel-time improvements once Station 9 opens.

Ending: Fire command called turnout-time improvements a county success and said travel-time reductions will depend on station siting, staffing and continued dispatcher and AVL improvements; accreditation work is slated to continue as a multi-year project.