Facts and figures in new study point to dangers posed by a fragmented regional structure
St. Louis, MO (September 15, 2015) – Today Better Together released the first of two reports on the provision of fire protection and emergency medical services. The report, written with the guidance and input of members of the St. Louis fire protection and EMS communities, provides straightforward data that points to the issues created by fragmentation.
Twenty-three fire protection districts (FPD) and 20 municipal fire departments provide fire and emergency medical services to the St. Louis region. There are approximately 2,250 individuals working for fire departments in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. The smallest departments operate with as few as a dozen employees. Based on current national standards, many of our departments are understaffed when responding to calls.
“To be certain, firefighters and EMS providers do difficult work, and they serve our region well and admirably,” said Nancy Rice, Executive Director of Better Together. “However, in order to do their job, these professionals must overcome the roadblocks and dangers that are systemic of fragmentation. Once again, we are seeing a case of both too much and not enough.”
Data in the new report reveals too much bureaucracy, and not enough of the standardized equipment and specialized training that first responders need. For example, only St. Louis city operates a full-time, dedicated hazardous materials (hazmat) unit. Within St. Louis County, no department operates a full-time dedicated hazmat response unit, which can pose a significant risk to the region. When a hazmat incident occurs in St. Louis County, for example a train derails while transporting hazardous chemicals, those county departments have to muster a hazmat response team from across the region. Individual officers are specially trained and certified in hazardous material response, and they leave the firehouses they are stationed at to respond to the incident. Because critical time is lost during the “mustering” period, the St. Louis City hazmat team is likely the first to respond. It is important to note that this situation exists because individual St. Louis County departments are not large enough to ensure that a hazmat team is always on duty.
Additionally, the fact that there are 43 different municipal fire departments and fire protection districts within the region presents challenges for interoperability of equipment. The absence of a common equipment standard means that every fire truck could store needed tools and equipment in different places. Our region’s departments operate under “mutual aid,” meaning that they provide overlapping coverage in cases of emergency. However, mutual aid is rendered less effective and efficient when there are no standard operating procedures across departments. This can result in 43 different ways to potentially manage a fire.
Each municipal fire department and fire protection district is also responsible for the repairs of their agencies’ equipment and vehicles. There is no central location to have these vehicles serviced, so a significant amount of time is spent traveling to and from the service location. Lack of coordination on vehicle service may lead to gaps in protection and deployment. This leaves the region under-equipped to handle situations that could be life-threatening.
“Our firefighters do an excellent job considering these impediments,” said Rice. “They are risking their lives – and our current structure adds elements of difficulty and danger.”
To view the full report, please visit www.bettertogetherstl.com/fire-protection .