BFD System Study 26 March 1982 by John T OHagan Associates TH9505.B703.B6 (?report at Boston Public Library or NFPA Library)

[my notes are on the 11/9/84 sheet]

The study was done in 6 weeks. 80% of the city is less than 1 mile from an Engine and 90% of the city is less than 1.5 miles from a Ladder.

?More mutual aid needed - ?new portable radios need improvement - ?call back procedures [not sure if this is part of the report or just my thoughts that I included with my notes]

Hyde Park - 55% is less than 1 miles from an Engine - 75% is less than 1.5 miles from a Ladder - 85% is less than 2.5 miles from a 2nd due Engine - maximum of 4 miles from 2nd due Ladder or 3rd due Engine

Readville - 80% is less than 1.5 miles from an Engine

West Roxbury - 60% is less than 1 mile from an Engine - 90% is less than 1.5 miles from an Engine - 85% is less than 1.5 miles from a Ladder - 90% is less than 2.5 miles from a 2nd due/closest Engine - maximum of 4 mile runs for 2nd closest Ladder and 3rd closest Engine

[I suspect that the report contains similar info for other areas of the city]

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ISO Requirements and BFD Levels

Downtown - 12,000 GPM Fire Flow - ISO requires closest Engine within 3/4 miles and closest Ladder within 1 mile - BFD has Engines within 1/2 mile and Ladders within 1 mile

5,000 GPM Fire Flows - ISO requires Engine within 1 mile and Ladder within 1.5 miles - BFD has E within 3/4 mil and L within 1.5 miles

2,000 to 4,500 GPM Fire Flows - ISO requires Engine within 1.5 miles and Ladder within 2 miles - BFD has E within 1.5 miles and L within 2 miles

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?mutual aid is not as experienced with highrise fires - ?Computer Aided Dispatch? - ?could activate 10 reserve Engines in 30 minutes

Good fire station locations except for extra companies in Districts 4 and 5 - also high ratio of Engines to Ladders - extra companies in D4 and D5 backup downtown companies, backup Roxbury and South Boston, cover double fires, and cover mutual aid - there are 6 Engines and 4 Ladders within 1 mile of Springfield at Tremont

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First floor fires - 2 men on a hose line is OK - 2nd floor fires - possibly OK with 2 men - 3rd floor fires - 3 men obviously required - 4th floor fires via the stairs - 4 men definetely needed (1 on stairs + 1 in door + 2 on nozzle)

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1981 - 2E + 1L response policy instituted - only 5 of 275 serious fires got an initial response of 2+1

1981 - 50,000 alarms

Real fires - 63% reported by phone - 15% by street box

79% of false alarms came from [telegraph] boxes - 25% of total alarms were false - 1979 saw 55,000 calls with 4,193 building fires - 1981 saw 50,000 calls with 3,062 building fires

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File created - 15Sept00

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