Palo Alto's Fire Chief Geo Blackshire assured residents of a data-driven emergency response strategy at a recent community meeting. However, applause was reserved for retired firefighter Chris Jackson's plea for an engine at every station, particularly since Fire Station #4 has lacked an engine since July 2020 due to budget cuts. With a growing petition, concerns about response times and construction-related fire risks were raised. Blackshire emphasized the importance of a systemic approach, although resource limitations can impact immediate engine availability in emergencies.
Blackshire acknowledged that structures are vulnerable before sprinklers are installed. But he said in any area, there's no guarantee that the local engine will be available.
It's about time that we spend the money and get fire protection full-time in this city," retired fire Capt. Chris Jackson said.
I try to put an emphasis on the system," Blackshire said.
The city aims to respond to 90% of calls in less than eight minutes using a program that predicts where calls come in based on historical data.
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