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Plano fire chief outlines station additions and staffing plan to sustain around-the-clock coverage
Summary
Plano's fire chief told the City Council that accreditation achievements, station additions and new staffing schedules are key to sustaining 24/7 coverage and to trimming response times, citing recent call-volume increases and an average response near five minutes 41 seconds.
Plano City Council heard a detailed presentation from the city's fire department on plans to broaden coverage and maintain response times as call volume grows.
The fire chief told council members the department holds multiple external accreditations and has seen a rise in annual call volume to roughly 35,400 calls in the most recent reporting year. The chief said the department's average response time is about five minutes and 41 seconds and that new station siting, including a planned Station 1 and Station 14, and targeted hiring will preserve quick responses.
The chief described a multi-year staffing and schedule change intended to deliver continuous coverage. He said the department will add personnel and apparatus so shifts can be restructured, including steps to move toward a consolidated 24/7 coverage model that staff labeled '2472' in the presentation. That restructuring, the chief said, already helped boost recruitment and retention in the first year and should make future hiring easier as training capacity expands.
The presentation highlighted the community-paramedic program that intervenes with frequent 911 callers, and a clinical protocol with Medical Center Plano to support ECMO-capable care for select cardiac and respiratory patients. The chief said protocols with the hospital let crews stabilize some high-acuity patients before transfer.
Council members asked about retention and how the new schedule affects hiring and day-to-day operations; the chief said giving recruits and incumbents predictable schedules and additional training capacity were central to recent gains.
The council did not take a vote on the presentation; the briefing provided background for budget and staffing decisions the council will consider in future sessions.
