EVALUATE YOUR
DEPARTMENT
Question 1 of 6 — quick version
1. Is the nearest fire station more than 3–5 road miles from the community's far edge?
0: under 1 mile · 2: 3–5 miles · 5: over 8–10 miles or extended rural response
2. Is the nearby department primarily volunteer or paid-on-call?
0: fully staffed career · 3: combination · 5: volunteer / paid-on-call, no station staffing
3. Is daytime staffing limited because volunteers work outside the district?
0: reliable daytime staffing · 3: availability varies · 5: known daytime staffing gaps
4. Is the first-arriving apparatus commonly staffed with fewer than 4 personnel?
0: four or more · 3: two or three common · 5: one or two, or uncertain
5. Does the department rely on mutual aid to assemble an effective response force?
0: can staff initial incident · 3: mutual aid commonly needed · 5: required for effective force
6. Does the alarm route to security/monitoring before 911, or is dispatch delay a concern?
0: immediate direct dispatch · 3: verification may occur first · 5: multiple steps / known delay
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS FOR YOUR TIER
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This tool does not replace a formal fire risk assessment, code compliance review, engineering study, insurance assessment, OSHA review, or Authority Having Jurisdiction evaluation. It is a starting point that helps identify whether a professional review or dedicated on-site Fire/EMS services may be needed.
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