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Markham firefighters reduce life-saving response times by 60 seconds

Joint dispatch service between Markham and Barrie in place for 1 year

Yorkregion.com
March 17, 2023
Irene Wong

Markham Fire and Emergency Services (MFES) has had an average decrease in “call to customer” time of 60 seconds since starting a dispatch service agreement with Barrie.

The time saving is a result of the agreement between the City of Markham and Barrie Fire and Emergency Service (BFES), which sees BFES providing 24-7 emergency call-taking and dispatch service to MFES.

“While it has only been in use for one year, this service agreement has already proven tremendously impactful,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Through it, we have been able to not only keep costs down but, more importantly, improve the customer experience for residents in their time of need.”

“Through this proactive partnership, we have been able to drastically modernize many aspects of fire protection service delivery used at the city,” said Markham fire Chief Adam Grant.

“This is important for many reasons -- one being that we are able to respond faster and more efficiently to any call for assistance we receive, which in some cases can be life-altering. It also has us well positioned for the upcoming mandatory transition to Next Generation 911 expected in 2024,” Grant added.

Preliminary data suggests an average decrease time of 60 seconds since implementation of the service agreement. “Call to customer” is a measure of the time between someone calling 911 and requesting help, to firefighters arriving on location. A reduction means firefighters are on scene earlier during the most critical period of an incident.

In addition to improved responsiveness, MFES has modernized emergency services tools, including upgraded technology on all fire trucks. Each fire truck is equipped with a tablet that allows firefighters to see information in real time. Critical and potentially life-saving information is now received by firefighters as soon as it’s available, allowing for better preparedness by the time they arrive on the scene. Simultaneous notification allows aligned emergency services to be connected and notified at the same time.

Markham’s chief administrative officer Andy Taylor spoke highly of the unique partnership between Barrie and Markham: “This successful partnership serves as an example of how municipalities can work together to streamline processes, align corporate objectives and deliver innovative solutions that save lives.”