Cross-staffing eliminated at Fire Station 3 in Mount Vernon

(MOUNT VERNON)– The City of Mount Vernon and the Mount Vernon Fire Department (MVFD) have announced that they have eliminated cross-staffing at Fire Station 3 and improved their 4-minute response time coverage by an estimated 33% citywide, according to a news release from the city.

“We hired six new firefighter/EMTs this year so that we could fully staff all three stations.” says Mount Vernon Fire Chief Bryan Harris, “Improving our response times is a big deal because having enough firefighters arrive quickly is crucial for limiting the rapid spread of fire and increases the chances of survival and property preservation. It's also critical to cardiac arrest survival.”

A 4-minute response time is a benchmark set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It is designed to promote consistency and efficiency, ensuring that fire departments across the nation are adequately prepared to handle emergencies. Achieving the benchmark means that first responders are able to arrive on scene within 240 seconds (4 minutes) for fire suppression and EMS incidents, 90% of the time. The Mount Vernon Fire Department tracks response times to each call and compares them to this benchmark.

Until recently, limited staffing prevented the City from improving emergency response times. With Fire Station 3 now fully staffed, Firefighter/EMTs are able to deploy both the fire engine and the ambulance stationed there at the same time, rather than responding with only one unit. This capability has expanded the City’s 4-minute response time coverage citywide, reducing the need for units to respond from more distant stations.

“When voters approved the Levy for Basic Public Safety, Essential Services and Improvements last November, they asked us to hire six new firefighters, fully staff Station 3, and fix this problem. We’ve done it. And I’m so grateful to our residents for putting their trust in us.” says Mayor Peter Donovan of Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon now has 13 Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics on duty across the city at all times and handles over 8,500 emergency calls each year. Fire Station 3 is located on East Division Street near Harriet Rowley Elementary.