Last week, Vashon’s fire chief Charlie Krimmert presented a multitude of facts about the district, ranging from the number of calls last year — 1,617 — to the number of islanders who are emergency responders — only .2 percent.
In the latest installment of his state of the district series, he addressed the fundamental questions of who, what, when, where, why and how for the district. In doing so, he provided insight about what keeps Vashon Island Fire &Rescue (VIFR) busy and offered some guideposts for future planning.
Twenty-five years ago, he said, the district responded to 600 calls a year; last year’s call volume reflects a 267 percent increase from then. Since 2012, calls have increased 9 percent, but last year they decreased a small amount from 2015.
This recent leveling off, combined with King County’s population projections for Vashon — a 5 percent increase in the number of households by 2040 — has made Krimmert believe the department’s call volume may be stabilizing. Now, he said, he is planning for a population of about 12,000, with seasonal variations, and about 2,000 calls annually.
“Those numbers are really going to influence our aspirational goals,” he said.
Also important for future planning, he said, is the location of the island’s calls. Sixty percent come from north of SW 204th Street, while 27 percent come from south of that line. Thirteen percent are located on Maury Island
“It’s not an even distribution, but an influential distribution as we start talking about stations and relocating and building or not building in the future,” he added.
Regarding call volume last year, the district responded to 1,331 aid calls and to 286 fire incidents, with aid making up nearly 80 percent of the district’s total call volume.
Given Vashon’s location, aid calls tend to take a long time. While emergency medical technicians typically are on the scene for 20 minutes, the average call time is over two and a half hours.
“That is where you start reflecting on the long hospital transports,” Krimmert said, adding, “We will see those numbers probably go up as we do more transports, and that’s why larger volume of staff on any shift is more important to us.”
For years, those close to the fire district have said that calls frequently occur at the same time. Last year, Krimmert noted that simultaneous calls took place more than 50 times.
“About 10 percent of our calls happen at once, which is a strain for us because we are a small department with small staffing,” he added.
Regarding response times, Krimmert said they average just short of 7.5 minutes, a number that he said could be improved, but “is pretty good considering some of the extreme distances we have to go to.”
Regarding who in the community the fire department serves most, Krimmert indicated that 20 percent of aid calls involve people between 60 and 70 years old. Some 67 percent of the district’s calls are for people over 50, and the busiest time is 4 to 5 p.m. Friday.
The district currently employs 11 full-time firefighters/emergency medical technicians and plans to hire another by fall.
Volunteer numbers are at an all-time low, which is contributing to repeatedly expressed concerns about the department’s limited ability to respond to emergencies. Current plans to address some of the challenges the district is facing include VIFR holding a fire academy this summer to credential more volunteer firefighters and potentially hiring part-time firefighters/emergency medical technicians as part of an enhanced volunteer program.
Krimmert’s next report will focus on district finances. The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, at Station 55 on Bank Road.
