The New York City Fire Department expanded its Modified Response pilot program into Brooklyn and Staten Island, following a successful pilot program in Queens that reduced accidents involving FDNY apparatus by 32%. Under Modified Response, firefighters refrain from using lights and sirens while responding to certain non-fire and non-life-threatening emergencies, which account for nearly 300,000 of the 1 million responses FDNY apparatus make each year. The new protocol will not be used for calls reporting a fire or any other life-threatening emergency and is designed to reduce the number of accidents involving apparatus, said Commissioner Salvatore Cassano.

“It’s much safer to respond that way … for the firefighters and the public in the street,” Cassano said. “It reduces wear and tear on our apparatus as well as reduces the stress on firefighters.”

In the pilot’s geographical area, a single apparatus responding to calls for water leaks, downed trees and pulled alarm boxes in the overnight hours now will respond at a reduced speed and obey all traffic regulations, without the use of lights and sirens, Cassano said. In addition, calls for odors other than smoke, electrical emergencies, manhole emergencies and other fire alarm systems currently bring up three engine companies and two ladder companies in emergency mode. Under Modified Response, those calls still will receive up to five units, but only the first-due units (one engine and one ladder) will respond in emergency mode. The additional units will respond at a reduced speed and obey all traffic regulations, without the use of lights and sirens.

Cassano said data collected during the Queens program illustrates the success of a Modified Response program.

“[In Queens], we went from 77 to 52 accidents,” he said. “That’s a pretty dramatic drop. If we can have that same drop throughout the city, it’s going to be such an improvement in the way we respond.”

In addition to increasing public safety and firefighter safety, Cassano said Modified Response will improve the coverage FDNY provides by keeping companies closer to their first-due response areas and making them more available for priority assignments, such as fires or other life-threatening emergencies.

The program also is designed to reduce fuel and maintenance costs, decrease noise and reduce the bodily stress induced by adrenaline-powered firefighters.

“Every time you respond, adrenaline is running and when you get to the scene and it’s nothing it comes back down,” he said. “That wears and tears on your body over the years.”

Cassano added that any fire officer responding to one of the above-mentioned non-emergency call types can instruct all units to immediately respond in emergency mode based on additional information from dispatchers or by the officer's evaluation on scene.