Nine Minutes Too Long
The Town of Fishers is located north of Indianapolis in one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Because of this
explosive growth, its five fire stations could no longer meet the eight-minute response time required of emergency responders.
The question was, where to put the new fire stations?
First, the Fire Department and its vendor collected and updated street information in the Town’s GIS. Then, over a series of runs,
crews timed how long it took to get from one intersection to another. Service areas were devised for the existing fire stations,
based on the response time information that had been gathered. Other variables were included in the system, like potential developments,
planned roads, and routing constraints. The combined data was analyzed to determine whether Fishers needed two or three more stations,
and where to put them.
Results
Fishers used numerous scenarios as part of their decision-making process. It ensured that planners and officials understood
the reasons behind putting the new fire stations in certain locations. This also meant that the information could be more effectively
presented to the community, ensuring its best interests were protected.