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33 <br />ORANGE COUNTY, AORTH CAROLINA <br />The time required to complete these procedures must be reduced to the <br />shortest possible span through training, sound standard operating procedures, <br />reasonable response times and other means. Assuming the shortest passible <br />response time for .these processes, in most structure fires, the first -due company has <br />very limited time to travel to the incident location and accomplish interruption of <br />fire growth. Ideally, the locations of stations should ensure that response times can <br />be achieved in most of the response area surrounding the -station, so that the initial <br />response can arrive in. time to prevent flashover. <br />Distribution of Capacity. The basic principle for allocation of fire suppression <br />forces is to distribute units throughout the service area, to allow approximately equal <br />travel distances and response times to all locations. However, fact -ors other than <br />distance will influence response. For instance, weather conditions, the configuration <br />of -the roadway network, and traffic patterns affect response times. Taking into <br />account these factors, therefore, each protection area must set its -own realistic goal, <br />such as reaching -90 percent of the incidents within an identified - number of minutes. <br />EMS Response Considerations. The benchmark for fire interruption is also <br />important for emergency medical response purposes. Survivability for a <br />non - breathing person is a function of application of CPR, defibrillation, and advanced <br />life support. Models exist to predict survivability. One commonly applied model is <br />the Eisenberg Model, which estimates the probability of survival based on a system's <br />ability to deliver the critical links in a timely manner- The functional equation is: <br />Survival rate = 67% minus 2.3% per minute without CPR <br />Minus 1.1 %without necessary defibrillation <br />Minus 2.1 % per minute without necessary Advanced Cardiac Life Support <br />This equation suggests that one -third of all non - breathing and /or cardiac <br />arrest patients may die immediately, and that the remaining individuals' probability <br />of survival decreases by up to 5.5 percent for each subsequent minute; however, the <br />decrease can be slowed by the application of various procedures (CPR, defibrillation, <br />ACLS). <br />American HeartAssociation. The American Heart Association, in its Statement <br />on Chain of Survival, describes a particular sequence of events which must occur <br />rapidly to allow for people to survive sudden cardiac arrest. The chain of survival <br />* ARM CONSULTING GROUP, INC. 29 <br />