Report: Many Ohio Fire Departments Lag in Response Time

A newspaper investigation finds that few fire departments in fast-growing central Ohio are meeting the national standard for response time to fires.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that of 84 departments in the central Ohio region, 49 make it to building fires within six minutes less than half the time. The National Fire Protection Association wants departments to get to a fire within six minutes nine out of every 10 runs.

The Dispatch analysis of more than 14,000 runs to fires between 2003 and 2007 found only two central Ohio departments — Lancaster and Grandview Heights in suburban Columbus — met that standard.

The city of Columbus came close, making it to fires within six minutes 89 percent of the time.

___

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com