Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council presses for more data as Orono Fire reports first month of responses
Summary
At the Aug. 12 meeting Orono’s fire chief reported 26 calls in the first month of the department’s operation and shared early in‑service time averages slightly above targets; council members and residents pressed for outlier and comparative data from Long Lake and requested benchmarked reporting at future updates.
Orono’s newly staffed fire department provided an early operational update on Aug. 12 as the council and residents pressed for more detailed data on response times and mutual‑aid arrangements.
Fire Chief Bridal (speaker 12) reported the department responded to 26 calls between July 1 and Aug. 5, arriving on scene for 19 of them and being "in service" for 22. He said average in‑service times were about 99 seconds for medicals and 117 seconds for fire calls — both measures the department is working to improve. The chief compared performance to NFPA suburban benchmarks (10 minutes for arrival on scene 80% of the time) and said early months represent a small dataset.
Council members and members of the public repeatedly asked for comparative data with neighboring Long Lake and for full call‑level information to identify outliers and the longest response times. "I'd like to see statistics maybe or data at the next update about call times," one council member said, requesting outlier and on‑scene time details to better evaluate the new duty‑crew model. Chief Bridal said box alarms and mutual‑aid agreements are set through the Hennepin County Fire Chiefs Association and offered to provide the council with the box‑alarm lists and more granular response data at the next update.
Members of the public voiced concerns about specific long response times on individual calls and urged transparency. Resident Kelly Grady cited two incidents and times she had noted and said she would request records if the department did not provide them. Other council members cautioned that examining single calls can be misleading and recommended benchmarking and comparing percentiles rather than raw averages.
The council asked staff and the chief to prepare comparative benchmarks (including pre‑service data and Long Lake figures if available), outlier analysis and an explanation of any unusually long responses. Several council members said they support providing more detailed metrics but requested that staff prepare data in advance so the chief can respond in the meeting rather than during a public session.
Chief Bridal also updated the council on apparatus and staffing: a rented tanker is nearing paint/assembly and expected to be shipped in coming weeks with training scheduled after delivery; a brush/medical truck is expected later in the year, possibly December–January; and station remodel work is largely complete. He said the department will continue to refine processes to improve in‑service times and reporting.
