Statement on the Standard of Cover
July 15, 2021
Evesham Township Fire District No.1 is pleased to announce the adoption of our Standard of Cover document. Following a lengthy development, review and revision process, the Standard of Cover was adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners on July 8th, 2021.
The Standard of Cover can be accessed HERE.
One of the issues historically faced by emergency services is that of defining levels of service for the community it serves. The Center for Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) defines this process, known as “deployment analysis,” as written procedures which determine the distribution and concentration of fixed and mobile resources of an organization. The resultant deployment analysis is documented as a Standard of Cover. The purpose for completing a Standard of Cover is to assist the agency in the deployment of a safe and effective response force for fire suppression, emergency medical services, specialty response situations, and homeland security issues. In summary, the Standard of Cover consists of a rational, systematic way to describe decisions made regarding the deployment of resources in relation to the potential demand placed on them by the type of risk and historical needs of the community.
Knowing that the Standard of Cover was under development, and aware of the performance objectives identified in the document, on May 13th the Board of Fire Commissioners approved a deployment plan to increase fire protection and EMS protection in Evesham Township.
Historically, fire protection was provided by career personnel Monday through Friday from 6AM to 6PM, with dedicated volunteer firefighters providing in-station staffing at our Main Street firehouse from 6PM to 10PM Monday through Friday, and response from home to our three fire stations outside of those hours.
The Board approved an enhanced deployment model utilizing both career and volunteer firefighters and EMTs to increase in-station staffing. The enhanced model places career and volunteer firefighters and EMTs in-station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This model will provide at-least one staffed fire engine and two staffed ambulances available for immediate response 24/7/365. The District also has dedicated volunteers who staff a second fire engine in-house during select hours, and we are looking to expand that volunteer engine coverage 365 days a year. A peak demand force of career firefighters, EMTs, fire inspectors and command staff will provide additional fire and EMS coverage Monday through Friday from 0600-1800.
The Board of Fire Commissioners is committed to providing the best value in emergency services for the taxpayers of Evesham Township. This deployment will advance the District’s mission of providing fire and EMS resources on an emergency scene within 9 minutes, 90% of the time.
The Fire District is always seeking volunteers to serve as firefighters or Emergency Medical Technicians and will provide all training and equipment free of charge. We are also seeking trained firefighters to join our Volunteer Firefighter Stipend Program. Interested candidates can email volunteer@eveshamfire.org or complete an application online at www.eveshamfire.org
Respectfully,
Chief Carl Bittenbender