Agenda - 11-17-2011 - 1 - Attachment 3

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ORANGE COUNTY AbRTH CAROLINA MONTHLY/QUARTERLY DATA REPORTS More response information should be shared among fire, rescue, and emergency service agencies. Regular reports of activities, response time, type of response, and other data should be routinely shared on a monthly or quarterly basis. Fire departments should participate in the information sharing process. Information should be circulated throughout County government. SAFETY PkACTICES Fire departments have instituted a number of important safety practices. Several departments have established RTT teams. The development of a team of certified safety officers should be considered. WATER SUPPLY The County could improve the reliability and accessibility of water for fire suppression purposes. Land development regulations which include provisions for fire protection water supply (dry hydrants and fire cisterns) may improve access to water. Examples of possible rural water supply regulations are outlined in National Fire Protection Standard 1142, Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting. STRATEGIC PLANNING PkOCESS As noted above, one of the weaknesses in the current system is the lack of a strategic planning process. Developing a strategic plan which encourages participation by all segments of the emergency response community is necessary to strengthen the response of agencies and develop a shared understanding of needs. RESPONSE AREAS Fire department response areas are based on fire district boundaries. An examination of current geographic response districts is needed. The adjustment of some response districts maybe required. A system which requires a response from the closest fire station may be possible in some situations. THREATS TO THE FIRE, RESCUE, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES There are always threats to an emergency response system. Some of those threats are discussed below. f~'} M11~A CbNSULTING GkOUP, INC. 80