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On-time rates for larger US fire departments

Here are 203 fire departments in the US with at least 1,000 building fires studied, ranked by The Boston Globe from worst on-time rate to best for the years 1986 through 2002. An on-time response was judged to be one in which the fire department arrived at the fire within 6 minutes of receiving the alarm.

Reporting of fires to the National Fire Incident Reporting System is voluntary, so many of the largest cities in the US are not listed here -- including New York City and Los Angeles, for example. The Globe included only fires meeting certain criteria: only building fires that a fire department reported it extinguished, only those in the department's territory, and only those where the response time was greater than 0 minutes and less than 30 minutes.

Please send any questions to Bill Dedman, at Dedman@Globe.com.

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Rank	State	Fire department	On-time rate, building fires receiving a response in 6 minutes, 1986-2002	No. of fires with on-time responses, 1986-2002	No. of fires with slower response, 1986-2002	Total building fires studied by the Globe, 1986-2002
1	WA	Yakima County Fire Department #5	22.2%	289	1,012	1,301
2	KS	Wichita Station 37	38.3%	589	947	1,536
3	TN	Shelby County Fire Department	42.6%	791	1,066	1,857
4	FL	Volusia County Fire Service	44.8%	491	606	1,097
5	FL	St. Lucie County Fire Distrtict	45.8%	584	691	1,275
6	FL	Pasco County Emergency Services	51.3%	1,104	1,050	2,154
7	FL	Palm Beach County Fire Rescue	52.0%	957	883	1,840
8	FL	Polk County	53.8%	698	599	1,297
9	GA	Hall County Fire Services	60.7%	619	401	1,020
10	AL	Birmingham Fire & Rescue	61.3%	741	468	1,209
11	VA	Chesapeake Fire Department	62.0%	1,441	885	2,326
12	FL	Jacksonville Fire And Rescue	64.3%	7,055	3,912	10,967
13	FL	Brevard County Fire Rescue	65.4%	937	496	1,433
14	GA	Cobb County Fire Department	66.3%	1,258	640	1,898
15	GA	Gwinnett County	66.7%	2,163	1,080	3,243
16	UT	West Valley City Fire Department	67.1%	797	391	1,188
17	VA	Virginia Beach Fire Department	67.8%	780	371	1,151
18	FL	Seminole County Fire Rescue	68.1%	1,116	523	1,639
19	GA	Rome Fire Department	69.3%	1,187	527	1,714
20	IL	East St Louis Fire Department	70.6%	3,380	1,405	4,785
21	GA	Dekalb County	71.2%	2,831	1,143	3,974
22	FL	Tallahassee Fire Department	71.7%	2,664	1,050	3,714
23	SC	Columbia Fire Department	73.6%	2,716	974	3,690
24	UT	Salt Lake County Fire Department	74.2%	1,934	672	2,606
25	LA	Baton Rouge Fire Department	74.3%	1,064	368	1,432
26	FL	Sarasota County Fire Department	78.3%	1,285	356	1,641
27	SC	Orangeburg Department of Public Safety	79.0%	1,059	282	1,341
28	FL	Broward County Fire Department	79.5%	1,134	292	1,426
29	TN	Metro Nashville Fire Department	81.0%	1,757	413	2,170
30	MD	Montgomery County Fire Department	83.0%	1,778	365	2,143
31	WI	Green Bay Fire Department	83.0%	1,277	262	1,539
32	CT	Danbury Fire Department	83.3%	1,035	208	1,243
33	HI	Honolulu Fire Department	83.4%	2,445	487	2,932
34	KS	Olathe Fire Department	84.3%	854	159	1,013
35	MO	St. Louis Fire Department	84.9%	979	174	1,153
36	KS	Overland Park Fire Department	84.9%	1,064	189	1,253
37	KY	Lexington Fire Department	85.0%	1,943	344	2,287
38	AK	Anchorage Fire Department	86.3%	3,511	557	4,068
39	FL	Pompano Beach Fire Rescue	86.3%	1,383	219	1,602
40	OK	Oklahoma City Fire Department	86.4%	8,972	1,418	10,390
41	GA	Atlanta	86.7%	2,546	392	2,938
42	OH	Elyria Fire Department	87.0%	1,272	190	1,462
43	VA	Fairfax County Fire & Rescue	87.6%	2,683	380	3,063
44	UT	Salt Lake City Fire Department	87.9%	3,049	419	3,468
45	AL	Birmingham Fire Department	88.0%	5,095	697	5,792
46	FL	Hollywood Fire Rescue	88.5%	1,213	158	1,371
47	IL	Peoria Fire Department	88.7%	4,049	516	4,565
48	IL	Springfield Fire Department	88.7%	3,137	399	3,536
49	FL	Fort Myers Fire Rescue	89.3%	1,257	151	1,408
50	OR	Portland Fire & Rescue	89.7%	2,035	233	2,268
51	TN	Memphis Division of Fire Services	89.8%	12,482	1,423	13,905
52	KS	Lawrence/Douglas Co Fire & Medical	89.8%	1,089	124	1,213
53	MT	Billings Fire Department	90.0%	1,357	151	1,508
54	TN	Chattanooga Fire Department	90.0%	3,669	407	4,076
55	MA	Worcester Fire Department	90.2%	4,198	455	4,653
56	GA	Atlanta Fire Department	90.5%	2,986	314	3,300
57	NJ	Edison Division of Fire	90.9%	1,019	102	1,121
58	LA	New Orleans Fire Department	91.0%	5,800	573	6,373
59	IA	Cedar Rapids Fire Department	91.1%	1,417	139	1,556
60	OH	Dayton Fire Department	91.6%	5,767	529	6,296
61	IL	Waukegan Fire Department	91.7%	955	87	1,042
62	WA	Tacoma Fire Department	91.7%	943	85	1,028
63	SD	Sioux Falls Fire Rescue	91.9%	1,602	141	1,743
64	NY	Rome Fire Department	92.1%	1,170	101	1,271
65	FL	Clearwater Fire & Rescue	92.1%	1,732	148	1,880
66	VA	Petersburg Fire	92.3%	1,277	107	1,384
67	AR	Little Rock Fire Department	92.3%	6,590	550	7,140
68	NY	Yonkers Fire Department	92.3%	3,421	285	3,706
69	AR	El Dorado Fire Department	92.5%	1,062	86	1,148
70	AR	Jonesboro Fire Department	92.5%	1,507	122	1,629
71	AR	West Memphis Fire Department	92.7%	1,509	118	1,627
72	FL	St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue	92.9%	5,877	451	6,328
73	VA	Newport News Fire Department	92.9%	3,077	234	3,311
74	CT	Meriden Fire Department	92.9%	1,434	109	1,543
75	AR	Blytheville Fire Department	93.0%	1,690	127	1,817
76	KS	Hutchinson Kansas Fire Department	93.0%	932	70	1,002
77	IA	Waterloo Fire Department	93.0%	1,617	121	1,738
78	OH	Columbus Division Of Fire	93.1%	19,572	1,454	21,026
79	IA	Council Bluffs Fire Department	93.1%	1,011	75	1,086
80	ID	Boise Fire Department	93.2%	1,826	134	1,960
81	TN	Jackson Fire Department	93.3%	1,596	114	1,710
82	IL	Aurora Fire Department Central Station	93.4%	2,091	148	2,239
83	GA	Augusta Fire Department	93.6%	1,293	89	1,382
84	OH	Akron Fire Department	93.6%	5,259	359	5,618
85	NE	Omaha Fire Department	93.7%	5,806	393	6,199
86	SC	North Charleston Fire Department	93.7%	1,747	117	1,864
87	IL	Belleville Fire Department	93.7%	1,300	87	1,387
88	KS	Kansas City Kansas Fire Department	93.7%	6,492	434	6,926
89	IA	Sioux City Fire Department	93.8%	1,335	89	1,424
90	WA	Seattle Fire Department	93.9%	5,323	346	5,669
91	IL	Rockford Fire Department	94.0%	3,248	208	3,456
92	FL	Largo, Largo Fire Rescue	94.0%	1,152	73	1,225
93	OH	Youngstown Fire Department	94.3%	5,004	304	5,308
94	MT	Great Falls Fire Rescue	94.4%	957	57	1,014
95	DC	Washington, DC Fire & EMS	94.4%	6,102	363	6,465
96	OH	Springfield Fire Rescue Division	94.4%	2,182	129	2,311
97	OH	Middletown Division of Fire	94.5%	1,534	89	1,623
98	MI	Detroit Fire Department	94.8%	2,916	160	3,076
99	TX	Lubbock Fire Department	94.8%	1,957	107	2,064
100	OK	Tulsa Fire Department	94.9%	6,901	373	7,274
101	OH	Marion City Fire Department	94.9%	1,244	67	1,311
102	KS	Wichita Fire Department	95.1%	6,442	335	6,777
103	OH	Lorain Fire Department	95.1%	1,268	65	1,333
104	VA	Richmond Fire and Emergency Services	95.4%	4,350	212	4,562
105	IL	Evanston Fire & Life Safety Services	95.5%	1,385	66	1,451
106	CT	Bridgeport Fire Department	95.5%	5,264	249	5,513
107	UT	Odgen Fire Department	95.7%	1,327	60	1,387
108	CT	Hartford Fire Department	95.7%	3,134	140	3,274
109	MN	Minneapolis Fire Department	95.7%	6,441	287	6,728
110	KS	Topeka Fire Department	95.7%	3,644	162	3,806
111	OH	Cincinnati Fire Division	95.8%	14,174	624	14,798
112	OH	Toledo Fire Department	95.9%	11,521	494	12,015
113	GA	Savannah Fire & Emergency Services	95.9%	988	42	1,030
114	MN	Duluth Fire Department	95.9%	1,696	72	1,768
115	WV	Huntington Fire Department	95.9%	1,203	51	1,254
116	NJ	Newark Fire Department	96.0%	7,161	299	7,460
117	IL	Joliet Fire Department	96.0%	2,215	92	2,307
118	MA	Fall River Fire Department	96.1%	1,524	62	1,586
119	IL	Decatur Fire Department	96.2%	2,695	106	2,801
120	OH	Canton Fire Department	96.2%	1,842	72	1,914
121	CT	Bristol Fire Department	96.3%	1,030	40	1,070
122	KY	Louisville Fire Department	96.3%	3,119	121	3,240
123	OK	Muskogee	96.3%	1,659	64	1,723
124	MA	Pittsfield Fire Department	96.3%	1,844	70	1,914
125	OH	Mansfield Fire Department	96.4%	1,614	60	1,674
126	IN	Muncie Fire Department	96.5%	1,219	44	1,263
127	SC	Spartanburg City Fire Department	96.5%	1,257	45	1,302
128	IL	Champaign Fire Department	96.6%	1,156	41	1,197
129	IA	Davenport Fire Department	96.6%	2,157	76	2,233
130	AR	Hot Springs Fire Department	96.6%	1,479	52	1,531
131	OH	Newark Fire Department	96.6%	1,066	37	1,103
132	AR	North Little Rock Fire Department	96.7%	1,722	58	1,780
133	CT	Norwalk	96.8%	1,274	42	1,316
134	IA	Des Moines Fire Department	96.8%	5,409	177	5,586
135	IL	Danville Fire Department	97.0%	1,495	46	1,541
136	IL	Bloomington Fire Department	97.1%	998	30	1,028
137	MA	Cambridge Fire Department	97.1%	1,838	55	1,893
138	IA	Dubuque Fire Department	97.2%	1,027	30	1,057
139	MA	Lowell Fire Department	97.3%	1,906	52	1,958
140	NY	Buffalo (city) Fire Department	97.4%	4,531	121	4,652
141	NJ	Jersey City Fire Department	97.4%	8,689	232	8,921
142	CO	Denver Fire Department	97.5%	10,140	263	10,403
143	NJ	Camden Fire Department	97.6%	4,279	106	4,385
144	NY	Albany Fire Department	97.6%	2,714	66	2,780
145	AR	Fort Smith Fire Department	97.6%	2,265	55	2,320
146	MA	Boston Fire Department	97.7%	21,686	520	22,206
147	CT	West Hartford	97.7%	1,073	25	1,098
148	IL	Chicago Fire Department	97.8%	89,375	2,047	91,422
149	CT	Waterbury Fire Department	97.8%	1,935	44	1,979
150	MA	New Bedford Fire Department	97.8%	2,122	48	2,170
151	OH	Hamilton Ohio	97.8%	1,091	24	1,115
151	WA	Spokane Fire Department	97.8%	1,091	24	1,115
153	VA	Norfolk Fire-Rescue	97.9%	5,064	111	5,175
154	NJ	Atlantic City Fire Department	97.9%	2,264	49	2,313
155	MN	Saint Paul Fire Department	97.9%	7,974	168	8,142
156	OH	Lima Fire Department	98.0%	2,066	43	2,109
157	IL	Harvey Fire Department	98.1%	2,064	40	2,104
158	NJ	Trenton Fire Department	98.1%	1,432	27	1,459
159	AR	Pine Bluff Fire Department	98.2%	3,317	62	3,379
160	FL	Pensacola Fire Department	98.3%	1,620	28	1,648
161	SC	Charleston Fire Department	98.4%	2,401	40	2,441
162	MA	Springfield Fire Department	98.4%	2,983	47	3,030
163	NY	Niagara Falls Fire Department	98.5%	3,202	50	3,252
164	OH	Lakewood Fire Department	98.5%	1,104	17	1,121
165	IL	Elgin Fire Department	98.5%	992	15	1,007
166	TN	Johnson City Fire Bureau	98.5%	1,276	19	1,295
167	MA	Brockton Fire Department	98.6%	2,693	39	2,732
168	NY	New Rochelle Fire Department	98.6%	1,036	15	1,051
169	IL	Granite City Fire Department	98.6%	1,259	18	1,277
170	SC	Greenville City Fire Department	98.6%	1,510	21	1,531
171	OK	Lawton Fire Department	98.7%	1,105	15	1,120
172	MA	Lynn Fire Department	98.7%	1,258	17	1,275
173	NJ	Irvington Fire Department	98.7%	1,170	15	1,185
174	NJ	Elizabeth Fire Department	98.8%	2,126	25	2,151
175	MD	Baltimore City Fire Department	98.9%	29,608	342	29,950
176	NY	Troy Fire Department	98.9%	1,489	17	1,506
177	NY	Newburgh Fire Department	98.9%	1,143	13	1,156
178	NJ	Paterson Fire Department	99.0%	3,586	38	3,624
179	IN	Marion Station 1	99.0%	1,077	11	1,088
180	MA	Quincy Fire Department	99.0%	1,103	11	1,114
181	CT	New Britain Fire Department	99.0%	1,337	13	1,350
182	OH	Cleveland Fire Department	99.0%	22,617	217	22,834
183	CT	Marlborough Fire Department	99.1%	1,094	10	1,104
184	CT	New Haven Fire Department	99.1%	3,181	28	3,209
185	IL	Kankakee Fire Department	99.2%	1,298	11	1,309
186	IL	Chicago Heights Fire Department	99.3%	1,068	8	1,076
187	RI	Warwick Fire Department	99.3%	1,145	8	1,153
188	NY	Jamestown Fire Department	99.3%	1,041	7	1,048
189	MA	Revere Fire Department	99.4%	1,072	7	1,079
190	MA	Lawrence Fire Department	99.4%	2,211	14	2,225
191	NY	Schenectady Fire Department	99.4%	1,993	12	2,005
192	IL	Alton Fire Department	99.4%	1,354	8	1,362
193	NY	Utica Fire Department	99.4%	2,122	12	2,134
194	IL	Quincy Fire Department	99.5%	1,070	5	1,075
195	OH	Zanesville Fire Department	99.6%	1,027	4	1,031
196	MA	Chelsea Fire Department	99.6%	1,381	5	1,386
197	NY	Poughkeepsie Fire Department	99.7%	1,013	3	1,016
198	RI	Pawtucket Fire Department	99.7%	1,015	3	1,018
199	IL	Washington Park Fire Department	99.7%	1,492	4	1,496
200	NY	Mount Vernon Fire Department	99.8%	2,131	5	2,136
201	RI	Providence Fire Department	99.8%	4,416	9	4,425
202	DE	Wilmington Fire Department	99.9%	1,335	2	1,337
203	IL	Cicero Fire Department	100.0%	1,128	0	1,128