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ResultsThe scene repeats thousandsof times each day.A person needs Fire or EMS assistance and someone dials911. According to U.S. Fire Administration statistics, the totalof all calls (Fire, EMS, Mutual Aid, Haz-mat, and Public Service)equals 25 million each year. That means that at any point intime there are literally thousands of fire and rescue personnelresponding to alarms, not to mention policeand city support services. In virtually everycase, the first responders show up promptlyand mitigate the situation. Hour after hour,day in and day out, no matter the situation,from a minor overheated fluorescent lightballast, to a multiple alarm high rise fire withtrapped victims, the nearly 75,000 Engineand Truck companies and 50,000 EMS units inAmerica answer the call.In today’s society, people want results. When it comes totheir government and the services it provides, they demand it.They expect the trash truck to come by on the same day everyweek and they expect to see emergency crews at the frontdoor within a few short minutes after they call 911. People aretypically more demanding of governmental agencies than theyare their commercial counterparts because as taxpayers theyare paying the bills. People are used to efficiency in the privatesector and want comparable performancefrom public organizations. People wanttheir government responsive, reliableand consistent. In most cases, they getwhat they want. Despite the stereotypicalviews that are usually associatedwith government employees and thebureaucracy, most times, the system worksseamlessly. Turn on the faucet and watercomes out, flip the switch and the lightscome on, call 911 and first respondersshow up promptly. This does not happenwithout practice and a willingness tomake changes along the way. Fire recruitspractice donning bunkers and air packsuntil it becomes second nature. Engineand Truck Companies practice drill fieldevolutions on a regular basis. Preventionofficers take great care to do functionaltests to ensure that sprinkler and alarmsystems work properly. The model fireand building code organizations are ina constant state of refinement. Eachyear these code experts meet to make,usually minor, but sometimes major codechanges to make buildings safer and moresustainable. It is not about reinventingthe government every few years. It is morean attitude of continual improvement bylocal governments, where strategies andprograms are continually evaluated toensure the best result. The key to tacklingthese large issues is to focus in on onemanageable problem, solve it then moveto the next one. This is what an ongoingcontinuous performance improvementor a ‘best practices’ approach looks like.In many instances problems will appearless complex using this approach. For apublic safety organization it means a totalcommitment to providing the highest levelof service while implementing the besttools available to accomplish the task.4
y Larry PiggSmall Steps toEnhance SafetyTake a look at your community. Lookfor vulnerabilities and security risks. Hereare some suggestions that are easy toimplement:• Promote Prevention and PublicEducation. Promoting prevention andeducation not only lessens the negativeeffects of fires, it can also provide asafer working environment for firstresponders.• Pass a local ordinance or amend thefire code to require that all buildingscome up to the same performance level.• Apply for a fire prevention grant.These grants, administered by FEMA,have proven to be a positive and costeffective way to enhance your fireprevention efforts, including retrofitprograms.• Examine the fire sprinklerand standpipe connections in yourcommunity. Are the protective FDC capsmissing? The Knox FDC program is aneffective way to protect water-basedfire protection systems.• Do you havehigh-rise buildingswith passengercar elevators?A Knox-Box mounted near the elevatorcorridor that houses the emergencyoverride key is an effective, secure wayto allow emergency crews to bypass therecall function, get to the desired floor,evacuate the occupants, and attackthe fire.Residential Knox-Box ®with door hanger• Do perimeter• Develop a residential Knoxgates that canprogram geared toward seniors andcreate barrierspeople with limited mobility. A Knoxto fast emergency residential box will allow for promptresponseresponse by EMS and fire crews withoutsurround apartment forcible entry, and will be reassuring tocomplexessenior citizens that live alone.or commercial• Establish a protocol forbuildings?periodically inspecting and servicing theKnox-Box key boxes in your community.The installation of a Knox Key Switch orThis will enhance consistency ofKnox padlock can help lower responseoperation and will help ensure that thetimes and enhance the security.most current access key is in the box.• Install a Knox Cabinet near highprofile target hazards. These couldinclude Haz-mat facilities, airports,schools, or any other occupancy thatoffers unique challenges for emergencyA proactive prevention effort hasalways been important to the total serviceyou provide your citizens. In light ofchanging trends and emerging threats, itresponders. Require that MSDS, is now vital: it is also important that youresponse plans, contact and resourcelists be housed in the cabinet.look for areas of vulnerability and makechanges as they become evident. Knox isalways ready to help.We are totallycommitted to Fireand EMS. Pleasecontact your localKnox ® FDC Plugwith Swivel-GuardKnox representativefor assistance.5
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Page 3: Traer Ambulance ServiceT R A E R ,
Page 8: 1601 W. Deer Valley RoadPhoenix, AZ

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