THIS MAP shows locations and response times for building fires from 1990-2002
Building fires:
1-5 minute response
Fire stations:
6 minute response
7-29 minute response
Southbridge Fire Department
Community served: Southbridge, Mass. Department type: Mostly volunteer firefighters Fire stations (department)1: 1 Fire stations (town): 1 Square miles (town): 20.9 Square miles per station (town): 20.9 [ See rankings ] 1Some communities have more than one fire department.
Deadly delays
An exclusive Globe investigation into fire response times. Read the series
SUMMARY: On-time rate, building fires receiving a response within 6 minutes, 1986-2002: 94.6% [ See rankings ] On-time rate, early years, 1986-1998: 95.4% On-time rate, recent years, 1999-2002: 91.8%
DETAILS:
1986-1998
1999-2002
1986-2002
Fires with on-time response
228
67
295
Fires with slower response
11
6
17
Total building fires studied
239
73
312
Insurance companies use ratings from ISO, a New Jersey company, to help determine fire insurance premiums. ISO rates communities on a scale from 1 (best) to 10 (no protection). The ratings are based on the community's fire department, water supply, and dispatch communications. The ratings are not based at all on response times. The same scale of 1 to 10 is applied to the
effectiveness of building codes. In a split fire rating, such as 4/9, the second number applies to properties more than 1,000 feet from a hydrant.
ISO fire protection rating, Nov. 2004: 4/9
ISO building code rating, residential, Nov. 2004: 4
ISO building code rating, commercial, Nov. 2004: 4
Fire spending FY 2003 (town only): $1,518,583
Fire spending as percent of total budget, FY 2003 (town only): 4.4% [ See rankings ]
Fire spending as percent of total budget, FY 1987 (town only): 5.2%
Fire spending per capita, FY 2003 (town only): $89 [ See rankings ]
Fire spending per capita, FY 1987, in 2003 dollars (town only): $69
Change in fire spending per capita, 1987-2003 (town only): 28.8%
Change in other municipal spending per capita, 1987-2003, adjusted for inflation (town only): 52.6%
Fire spending per housing unit, FY 2003 (town only): $215
Fire spending per square mile, FY 2003 (town only): $72,796
County: Worcester
Population, 2004 (estimate): 16,973
Occupied housing units, 2000: 7,077
Median family income, 1999: $41,863
Population growth, 1990-2000: -3.4%
Population growth, 1980-1990: 7.1%
Tax base (assessed value per capita), FY 2004: $48,986