NAMPA, Idaho (CBS2) — Compared to three years ago, it now takes Nampa Fire almost a minute longer for a unit to show up to an emergency. That could be the difference between life and death.
As more people make their way to the Treasure Valley, Nampa Fire said this poses an issue for the department.
"Traffic has just gotten worse. Even running code 3 with lights and sirens, when you have this many cars on the road, it takes us longer to get there," said Ron Johnson, the deputy chief for Nampa Fire.
Last year the average was about seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds.
"It's definitely a concern because as soon as you pass the six-minute mark in a cardiac arrest type of situation, you're doing permanent damage," Johnson said.
That time doesn't even include the time it takes for someone to talk to dispatch.
"We add to that to the dispatch time, which is anywhere from one to two minutes, kind of depends on the time of the day that the calls come in," Johnson said.
The last time the department was able to achieve the six-minute mark was around 2011, but it hopes its new fire station will maybe help this issue.
"We're opening Station 6 in August of this year, and we hope that will have a positive impact on our response times, or at least at the bare minimum, keep them from getting longer," Johnson said.
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