Nearly half of the local fire departments in the United States can respond to fires in less than five minutes, according to a National Fire Data Center study. When they do arrive on-scene, outside responders rely upon information provided by facility representatives to determine whether or not anyone needs to be rescued.
Facilities that are able to definitively tell the fire chief that everyone has evacuated or that can point out where people are trapped help the first responders target their efforts and perform their duties more safely.