Summary
The 2022 ESO Fire Service Index report serves as a benchmarking guide for fire departments, analyzing performance metrics related to emergency response. It utilizes data from 642 participating agencies, covering 3,248,820 incidents from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. The report emphasizes that while traditional metrics such as turnout time, travel time, and response time are crucial, they do not provide a complete picture of a fire department's performance. The report outlines the most common incident types, revealing that 69% of all incidents were EMS-related, while only 2% were fire-related. It highlights a significant increase in residential fire calls, which accounted for 80% of fire incidents, up from 42% in 2020. The report also discusses the importance of community engagement and risk reduction programs, suggesting that fire departments collaborate with public health organizations to enhance community safety. Overall, the report aims to inform and guide fire leaders in improving operational effectiveness.
