D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 1115
1115.1 Washington, DC's FEMS provides fire protection and pre-hospital medical care and transportation to residents, workers, and visitors, including those in federal facilities located in the District. FEMS conducts fire inspections in apartment buildings, businesses, hotels, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and residential care facilities to identify and correct potential fire hazards. It is also the primary District agency dealing with hazardous materials (HAZMAT)-related incidents.
1115.2 The 33 fire stations in Washington, DC include 33 engine companies, 16 truck (ladder) companies, three heavy rescue squads, one HAZMAT squad, one marine firefighting/rescue company, and seven Battalion Fire Chiefs. Emergency medical units include 17 advanced life support ambulances and 22 basic life support ambulances, seven EMS supervisor units, and one Battalion EMS Chief. Map 11.3 shows the location of fire stations in the District.
1115.3 Emergency medical service units are supplemented by means of a service contract with American Medical Response (AMR), which provides up to 25 additional basic life support ambulances during peak call load periods. In 2016, FEMS began using National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 (with modifications) response time goals for both fire and EMS calls. The NFPA response time goal for a first responding fire engine to structure fire calls is five minutes 20 seconds or less. During 2016, the Department achieved this goal for 96 percent of calls. The NFPA response time goal for a first responding EMT to higher priority EMS calls is five minutes or less. During 2016, the Department achieved this goal for 62 percent of calls.
1115.4 Map 11.3. Fire Station Locations
(Source: DC OP, 2018)
1115.5 The Department has made significant progress in recent years in modernizing its fire stations and will continue this work. With the exception of a few critical Comprehensive Plan
major capital improvements, according to FEMS, the current number and distribution of facilities is generally adequate for maintaining the minimum standard response times. These projects include a new fleet maintenance facility, fireboat facility, and improvements to its Training Academy. Longer-term facility needs will need to be analyzed during the development of a FEMS facilities master plan.
1115.6 With the highest per capita EMS call volume in the nation, Washington, DC’s emergency response system is overtaxed with non-emergency and low-priority medical calls. To address this issue, in 2016 the District created the Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC), also known as the Integrated Healthcare Task Force. The IHC included government and non-governmental organizations representing medical, human services, finance, and public safety sectors. Topics addressed included nurse triage, alternative transport, connection to care, policy, communications, and marketing. Recommendations were published in the IHC Final Report in 2017, and their implementation began in 2018.
1115.7 Going forward, FEMS resources and physical plans will need to keep pace with the District’s population growth and corresponding infrastructure needs, which will be addressed through efforts such as a facilities master plan.
Continue to provide an adequate number of properly equipped fire stations to ensure the health and safety of Washington, DC residents. FEMS evaluates the level of adequacy of existing facilities based in part on the ability to maintain a response time of five minutes 20 seconds at least 90 percent of the time for emergency fire calls and five minutes at least 90 percent of the time for emergency medical calls. Where response times exceed acceptable limits, equipment and facilities should be relocated or provided to close these gaps.
Explore public-private partnerships to fund the construction of new fire and EMS facilities, including the development of new and remodeled facilities within mixed-use projects on existing sites. In such cases, any redevelopment should conform to the other provisions of this Comprehensive Plan, including the preservation of usable neighborhood open space.
Accommodate the administrative, maintenance, and transportation needs of the District’s fire and EMS, including space for training and fleet maintenance and storage.
Fire and EMS and facility assessments should be responsive to the changing social and economic composition of the population, including workers, visitors, and residents. This includes supporting the development of a Public Facilities Master Plan.
Support the development and implementation of strategies to preserve resources for high-priority emergencies and to reduce non-emergency and low-priority medical calls. Such strategies should include those that can raise awareness and education regarding fire prevention and emergency assistance techniques. Early intervention by bystanders can complement FEMS efforts, save lives, and better triage resources.
Continue to prepare evaluations of the response times for fire and emergency medical calls to evaluate the need for additional facilities, equipment, and personnel and identify specific geographic areas where services require improvement, on an annual basis, or as needed during disaster response efforts. This should include a review of the distribution of fire hydrants and water flow capabilities.
Continue to educate and empower residents on fire safety and prevention measures and on emergency response techniques, such as bystander CPR and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Finalize plans to build a new apparatus maintenance facility, which will be used for maintenance and repair of FEMS vehicles, and a new fireboat facility to replace the existing one, which will provide a new dock for FEMS’ four fireboats.
Continue to contract with third-party providers to supplement the agency’s provision of pre-hospital medical care and transport of basic life support patients to preserve FEMS resources for higher priority emergencies.
Continue to implement strategies from the 2017 IHC Final Report, including those relating to street calls, nurse triage, public education, and third-party providers of pre-hospital medical care and transport. These strategies can improve the population’s health and safety by connecting low-acuity callers to a more appropriate comprehensive source of care and by reducing or eliminating the use of 9-1-1 resources for non-emergency medical issues, enabling greater and more
appropriate use of 9-1-1 resources for rapid response, treatment, and transport for high-acuity, life-threatening medical calls.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).