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Commission debates fire response metrics; staff to present both alarm-origin and dispatch-to-arrival times in future reports
Summary
Fire Chief and commissioners debated how to present 911 call-to-arrival metrics after staff used early alarm time in a report. The chief will provide both the originally reported times (used in state reporting) and the dispatch-to-arrival intervals in future briefings to clarify where delays occur.
The commission and Fire Chief reviewed emergency response timing data on July 16 after staff presented metrics measuring time from the initial 911 call to vehicle arrival.
One commissioner questioned changing the raw timestamps that had been sent to the state and urged that future public reports include both the state-reported call timestamps and the response-window metrics that show dispatch and arrival intervals. The chief said the total interval residents care about is from when they call 911 to when help arrives, but acknowledged that the town does not control times prior to its dispatch center receiving the call.
Town and fire staff agreed to include two sets of times in future reports: the initial 911-call time as recorded by the regional dispatch center (the timestamp the town reported to the state) and a separate dispatch-to-arrival interval the town can influence. Staff also agreed to provide clearer notes explaining the difference between alarm origin time (when the 911 call first hit the dispatch system) and the time the towns dispatch receives and relays a call to local units.
Commissioners and staff discussed next steps, including continuing public Q&A sessions and the chiefs plan to include more complete dispatch logs and explanation of the common causes of delays in future presentations.
