By Diane Ahern, from information provided by Fire Chief Brian Fennessy, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
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The City of San Diego has signed a lease to locate a two-person fire-rescue Fast Response Squad (FRS) on Governor Drive near Regents Road. Work has begun on moving in with the intention of being in operation in January.
South UC was identified in a 2011 consultant report by Citygate Associates as one of nineteen areas in the City that is currently underserved by fire and emergency medical services.
While Squad 56 will not have the full capability of a fire station and traditional fire engine, it will mean faster responses than are now possible. The vehicle carries a two person fire crew, rather than the traditional four person crew. One member of the crew is a Fire Captain/EMT and the other is a Firefighter/Paramedic.
Squad 56 has a complement of tools, equipment and medical supplies. It carries a small quantity of water and foam, but does not have the capability to hook up to a hydrant. The FRS crew can treat patients and extinguish small fires.
The FRS will be dispatched along with a fire engine from a neighboring fire station and, for medical calls, an ambulance. The Fast Response Squad will be staffed twelve hours a day, every day, from 8 AM to 8 PM.
According to the Fire Department, in the year that there has been an FRS in the Encanto area, there has been a significant improvement in response time.
If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
For a non-emergency, you may call Fire-Rescue Headquarters at (619) 533-4300 or email sdfd@sandiego.gov.
Those who have questions or comments about south University City’s Fast Response Team are urged to attend the next University City Community Association (UCCA) meeting on Wednesday, January 13, at 6 PM at the University Community Library on Governor Drive. A representative of the Fire-Rescue Department is expected to attend.
What do Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, ImproveUC and UCCA have in common? They are all ways neighbors can connect with neighbors and the University City community. Create a post, start a conversation, share the news, organize an event, keep in touch, take a look:
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