- Author
-
Comito, J. M.
|
Frerichs, J.
|
Oster, G.
- Title
- Changes in Emergency Response Patterns Due to the Construction of the Avenue of the Saints in Washington, Henry and Lee Counties in Iowa. A Pilot Project.
- Coporate
- Fire Service Institute, Ames, IA
- Sponsor
- Department of Transportation, IA
- Report
-
Pilot Project
January 1999
50 p.
- Keywords
-
fire departments
|
response time
|
emergencies
|
medical services
|
transportation
|
highways
- Abstract
- Highway safety and response to crashes and other transportation emergencies are important elements of the transportation system in Iowa. While the overall management of the transportation system is at the state level, emergency response is almost entirely the domain of local communities, and is largely volunteer in nature. Emergency response time to highway crashes and other incidents are critical factors that are significantly impacted by new or modified highway patterns. In addition, new highway patterns affect response to non-highway fires, medical calls, law enforcement and other emergency needs. Often, emergency service providers perceive they are not consulted as changes in transportation systems occur. Fire, emergency medical, law enforcement and other emergency service response in the United States is planned, financed and managed primarily at the local level. The United States is one of the few countries that places this burden of fire and emergency service delivery on local communities. While ensuring great local autonomy and control, this fragmented responsibility produces obvious inefficiencies and inequalities while ignoring the advantages of resource and service sharing on a regional, county and state level. In Iowa, the authority and responsibility for fire and EMS services lie with cities and townships.