The San Gabriel Fire Department presented their annual update at the City Council meeting on May 3,2022. This report provided a sample of the work accomplished by the San Gabriel Fire Department this past year and throughout the pandemic. It highlights their achievements, and efficiency in delivering fire safety and emergency medical services to the residents of San Gabriel, as well as what their goals are for the future.
With a team of 36, the fire department staff work together to provide fire response, emergency medical service, rescue operations, fire investigation, prevention, and emergency management services for San Gabriel’s population of 40,108. The fire department has four key divisions - Administration, Operations, Fire Prevention, and the Arson Bureau.
The San Gabriel Fire Department remains strong and successful in meeting their service goals. Below are a few of their recent accomplishments and highlights:
- Achieved a Class 2 Rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) which alleviates the cost of insurance for homeowners and businesses
- Maintained a high-functioning fire department with the launch of the first-ever 24/7 mental health counseling and crisis intervention program
- Provided state-of-the-art patient care through upgrading fire apparatus such as personal thermal-imaging cameras, body armor, and a new rescue ambulance
- Provided in-depth training with the first ever San Gabriel Fire Academy for new hires as well as a San Gabriel Fire Captains Academy for aspiring company officers
Most notably, the fire department surpassed national standard goals for their fire turnout times - the time from when a firefighting unit is dispatched, and firefighters suit up, load up and leave the station. With over 2800 incidents per year, the fire department’s average turnout time is 57.14 seconds, exceeding the nation’s 60-second standard 98% of the time. Their total response time - the overall travel time it takes for one unit to leave from the station to scene - results at an impressive 4.43 minutes, compared to the 6.60 minute nation standard goal time.
As the fire department strives towards more efficient operations, there are several areas the fire department plans to focus on for the future. In particular, they anticipate holding a COVER study, stabilizing their personnel by maintaining a 4-member apparatus team, and contracting a Nurse Practitioner. They also plan to purchase a new rescue ambulance, and anticipate having an overall review and upgrade to their service delivery model.
For more details on our fire department’s response data, you may view the powerpoint presentation here.
To read the staff report, please click here.