Over the course of a lifetime, 44 seconds is but a blink of the eye.
But 44 seconds can seem like a lifetime when homes and lives are at stake.
That's why the city of Port Coquitlam is lauding its fire department for shaving 44 seconds off its average response time to 911 calls.
Fire Chief Nick Delmonico told councillors during the city's recent budget discussions that while the reduction is measured in seconds, it is a significant accomplishment for any fire department.
"You are not going to see many departments do that," he said. "For me, that is about as positive a report as we are going to get."
And he credited the hiring of additional staff and the purchase of a new medical vehicle for helping the department improve its response times.
In 2009, councillors were told, it took PoCo firefighters an average of five minutes, 51 seconds to get from the station to a scene, a time that dropped to 5:34 in 2010, 5:35 in 2011 and 5:38 in 2012. So far in 2013, the average response time has been 4:54 - a drop of 44 seconds.
The purchase of a new medical vehicle has been a big reason for the decrease, Delmonico said.
In the past, he noted, larger engines that do not move and operate as efficiently were often called out for simple medical calls. The new medical apparatus, which went into service in April of this years, means crews can get where they need to go quicker, he said.
"The responses are more appropriate," he said. "If you have a heart attack, you are still going to get an engine but it is a smaller one."
He also credited the city's decision following last year's budget consultations to add more staff. It was the first time PoCo's department had added firefighters in 23 years, a time period that has seen call volume increase from 1,500 to more than 4,000 annually as the city's population has grown.
The first six staffers were hired this year and another four will be added in 2014, Delmonico said.
To reduce costs, most training sessions are conducted while firefighters are on shift, a situation that can slow down response times if a call comes in during a drill. With the addition of new staff, one crew can be ready to respond to calls while another is training.
With PoCo's expected population growth and new neighbourhoods such as Dominion Triangle popping up in the next few years, Delmonico expects his department will continue to be busy. He is also mindful of the increasing population in surrounding municipalities, particularly Burke Mountain in Coquitlam, which he said will lead to an increase in calls in PoCo.
"We have to consider peripheral growth," he said. "It's not just the 58,000 people living in Port Coquitlam, it's the 100,000 people around as well."
Fire and emergency services makes up 12% of the city's overall budget, a figure that works out to approximately $9 million. The department spends $8.2 million on personnel, $366,000 on materials and $306,900 on contracted services.
HALL UPGRADE
Upgrades are needed to extend the life of Port Coquitlam's Fire Hall No. 2 on the city's north side.
In his 2014 budget request presentation, Fire Chief Nick Delmonico told council that while the full replacement of the station will eventually be necessary, revamping the current facility is a short-term option.
His recommendation would buy the city some time while it waits for the new Dominion Triangle neighbourhood to develop. In seven to eight years, the municipality will be able to make a better determination of what type of facility will be required on PoCo's north side.
"I think it's prudent to wait," Delmonico said. "It is not a huge expenditure to update the current structure and then determine what is best for the future."
