Response times

When is a problem a good problem? When it involves positive factors that lead to new needs. That's the situation in Jackson, where rapid growth has spread the city farther and farther away from its central uptown heart. As a result, fire department response times to emergency calls are taking longer in some areas than the five minutes the city would like.

As a guideline, the National Fire Protection Association sets a six-minute response standard. But in 2004, 39 percent of the Jackson department's responses took longer than five minutes. Nearly two-thirds of all calls to the department were medical emergencies. For both medical and fire calls, time is important in saving lives.

Realizing that there is a problem -- the city's population has grown 70 percent since the existing fire station was built in 1981 -- city officials have sent out surveys seeking input on the idea of increasing the sales tax for expanding fire department facilities.

A fire station location study completed last year by fire chief Brad Golden showed the need for another fire station. The city is temporarily housing a fireruck in an empty retail building to reduce response times from that location. Response times also affect a city's ISO ratings. The lower the rating, the lower premiums are likely to be on homeowner's insurance policies. Jackson currently has a 5 rating on a 10-point scale.

Here is an opportunity for residents to express their views regarding Jackson's needs. As the city continues to attract subdivisions and business development, officials are making an earnest effort to make sure public safety keeps abreast of the growth.