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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Aug. 21 ... Family of firefighter who died in crash sues for $5 million ... 'Doc' to all ... Emergency services, Aug. 21 ... Family of firefighter who died in crash sues for $5 million ... 'Doc' to all ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Fire response time was faster than reported Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News A few weeks ago, there was a story about a house fire in the 2900 block of Crater Lake Avenue, and it said the response time for the fire was seven minutes. But the house is only 3/4 of a mile from the nearest fire station. Why so long? — Billy J., Medford Well, Billy, this particular fire — which occurred July 20 — did report a seven-minute response time. However, in this case, that was just a glitch, according to Justin Bates, deputy chief of Medford fire station No. 5, which responded to the call. Bates said response times are recorded in a few stages — from the dispatch 911 call to when the fire station is dispatched, then from the time the bells sound at the station until the engine pulls out of the station, and then the travel time from the station to the scene. In this case, the firefighters en route merely forgot to confirm the time using the computer systems in the engine. Bates tracked all the calls and traced the engine's route, and using GPS, was able to discern the actual response times. The first leg from 911 dispatch to the fire station dispatch was 28 seconds, from the bells sounding to leaving the station was 1:19, and the travel time was 2:16. So the total response time was actually only 4:03, which is a pretty fast time, Bates noted. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501