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Wake County Fire Services uses travel-time data to guide future stations; 90th‑percentile travel time exceeds 7‑minute target
Summary
A county long-range fire service study showed the 90th‑percentile first-unit travel time in unincorporated Wake County averaged 7 minutes 28 seconds over a recent six-month period, short of the 7‑minute target; the analysis is driving station projects in the capital plan including a Highway 42 Public Safety Center (FY28).
Wake County Fire Services presented long-range planning analysis that uses dispatch, incident and GIS data to evaluate response coverage and to prioritize station projects and staffing.
Chris (Wake County Fire Services) said the 2019–2020 assessment created performance metrics based on industry standards: a 90th‑percentile travel time goal of 7 minutes for the first arriving unit and a 12‑minute goal for assembling an effective response force (about 12–16 firefighters) for structure fires. The analysis examines alarm-handling time at the 911 center, turnout time (crews mounting apparatus) and first-unit travel time because remedies differ for each segment.
For the most recent six‑month period analyzed (October 2024–March 2025), the countywide 90th‑percentile first-unit travel time in unincorporated Wake County was 7 minutes, 28 seconds — achieving the 7‑minute goal about 86.6% of the time. Chris said hotspots where the goal is not met are investigated for root causes; one example in the Garner/Fuquay area included a closed intersection and new 540 alignments that require station placement changes. GIS heat maps of calls over the six‑month period informed a new Highway 42 Public Safety Center shown in the capital improvement plan for FY28.
Chris said additional CIP fire station projects over the next seven years were identified through the long‑range planning process. The department is also working on reducing alarm-handling and turnout times through continued coordination with the Raleigh‑Wake 911 center and by providing performance dashboards to crews; he said units use dashboards to track turnout metrics and spur safe, intra‑unit improvement.
Committee members asked about the scope of the analysis and whether it included fire tax districts such as Wendell; Chris confirmed the unincorporated-area analysis includes fire tax districts. Commissioners discussed root‑cause assessment, mutual aid and the standards applied to determine whether additional stations or staffing are the appropriate remedies.
