A new study by researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas have found that instances involving fire-related injuries were less likely to occur in communities that were located near fire stations. Proximity to fire services were tied directly to the prevention of fire-related injuries.
About the Study
It has long been believed that when people live closer to a fire station that there is a higher sense of safety. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas sought out examining this theory by assigning a spatial accessibility score to different areas based on their geographic proximity to fire stations. Each census block group that was analyzed received a standardized measure which calculated the number of fire engines within two miles from the block. The spatial accessibility score ranged from 0 to 20.3. A higher number meant that more fire engines were geographically available to respond to a fire in that area. Some of the areas had no fire engines while others had more than 20.
The study analyzed 2,142 incidents that occurred in Dallas between 2012 and 2015, of which 60 involved injuries or death. Researchers did not know if the location related to accessibility of fire stations were risk factors for fire-related injuries in urban areas and studied these areas specifically to determine the answer to this question.
The study was published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Study Findings
Empirical evidence gathered during the theory supported the theory that spatial closeness to a fire station translated to lower rates of fire-related injuries. Downtown and those areas just north of the downtown area had some of the highest accessibility levels and had a spatial accessibility score of 5.0 to 20.3. In contrast, those areas in the northeast and southern sectors of the city had the lowest scores, between 0 and 4.9. These areas had fewer fire stations or fire engines. They were also located further away from populated areas.
Impact of the Study
The lead researcher says that the study can be instrumental to the city in determining where it should place the next fire stations. The study can be used to contribute to guidelines for city management in identifying areas where fire stations will likely be more effective based on their distance from different census blocks, as well as considering other factors, such as housing and population.
