Five Cities Fire Authority
Standards of Cover &
COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT
PURPOSE & OVERVIEW
Evaluates whether community risks are being met
with appropriate emergency services resources.
Supports long-range planning that will maintain and
enhance the safety of the community.
Identifies current performance, comparative analysis,
service deficiencies, strategic opportunities for
improvement.
Prepare for the Future
Service Demand Increases
Lack of
primary
health care
services
• State Housing Law Impacts –
Multi Family and ADU
Commercial and Mixed - Use Developments
• Capital Improvement Planning – Facilities / Apparatus • Workload Capacity
• Response Performance – Effective Response Force and
Response Time
FCFA Member Agency Development Pipeline
Arroyo Grande
• Creekside Junction
• Frederick’s Property
• West Branch – Kamla Hotel
• Saruwatari Property
Grover Beach
• Encore - 401 West Grand
• Trinity – 197 West Grand
• Peak Wifi - 305 Long Branch
• La Quinta - 1598 El Camino Real
Responses
Arroyo
Grande,
2641, 51%
Grover
Beach, 1509,
29%
Oceano, 751,
14%
Surrounding
Areas, 313,
6%
INCIDENT VOLUME BY CITY
5,214 Responses
INCIDENT HEAT MAP
The NFPA 1710 Standard:
The first defined travel time is
the time it takes for the first
unit, either an engine or a
truck, to operate as an engine
is 4 minutes.
Figure 96: FCFA 4-Minute Predicted Travel
For full credit in an ISO Fire
Suppression Rating Schedule
(FSRS).
Any building within the
jurisdiction should be within 1.5
miles of an engine company and
2.5 miles of a truck company.
In January, the Insurance Services
Office completed our ISO, FCFA
remained an ISO rating of 2 which
will be effective May 01, 2026.
The Measurement include:
- Needed Fire Flow
- Emergency Communications
- Fire Department (deployment)
- Water Supply
Figure 80: 1.5 Mile Travel Distance from Staffed Stations The Insurance Services Office (ISO), which assesses fire protection capabilities for communities, considers aerial apparatus placement a key part of its rating system. ISO recommends that all buildings three stories or taller— or over 35 feet high—be within a 2.5-mile road distance of a ladder truck. This proximity helps ensure a prompt response for critical fireground tasks, including victim rescue, high-angle ventilation, and elevated fire attack.
For departments aiming to improve their ISO rating and provide adequate life safety and property protection, strategic placement and staffing of aerial apparatuses are essential, especially in areas with increasing vertical development.
MULTIPLE INCIDENT RESPONSE (2025)
Single Incident
Response, 3764,
72%
Multi Incident
Response, 1450,
28%
MULTIPLE INCIDENT RESPONSE
INSTANCES WHERE MULTIPLE FCFA UNITS HAVE BEEN SENT TO SAME OR DIFFERENT INCIDENTS AT THE SAME TIME.
Not Utilized,
4,700, 90%
Utilized or
Exceeded, 514,
10%
THIRD OR MORE INCIDENT RESPONSE
INSTANCES WHERE THREE OR MORE COMPANIES HAD BEEN UTILIZED
FOR THE SAME OR DIFFERENT INCIDENTS AT THE SAME TIME, EITHER MEETING OR EXCEEDING CURRENT AVAILABLE UNITS.
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
0:00:53
0:06:07
0:08:54
NFPA Standard: 0:04:59
SLOEMSA Ambulance Response Threshold:
0:10:59
0:00:00
0:01:26
0:02:53
0:04:19
0:05:46
0:07:12
0:08:38
0:10:05
0:11:31
0:12:58
Average Turnout Time Average Response Time 90th Percentile Response Time 2025 Arroyo Grande Response Metrics
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
0:00:57
0:05:09
0:07:50
NFPA Standard: 0:04:59
SLO County Ambulance Response Threshold:
0:10:59
0:00:00
0:01:26
0:02:53
0:04:19
0:05:46
0:07:12
0:08:38
0:10:05
0:11:31
0:12:58
Average Turnout Time Average Response Time 90th Percentile Response Time 2025 Grover Beach Response Metrics
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
2025
5,214
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
NFPA 1710 STANDARDS
Fire Department Organizational Structure
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
Atascadero Five Cities
Fire
Authority
Morro Bay Paso Robles San Luis
Obispo
Calls per Sq. Mile
Local Comparison
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Atascadero Five Cities
Fire Authority
Morro Bay Paso Robles San Luis
Obispo
Calls per Firefighter
Department Population Area (sq. mi) Call Volume Staffing Calls/sq.mi Pop/Calls Calls/FF Atascadero 29,773 26.1 3,449 6 132 8.6 575
Five Cities Fire Authority 38,325 9.7 5,214 8 538 7.4 652 Morro Bay 10,757 5.3 2,041 3 385 5.3 680
Paso Robles 31,490 19.6 4,938 11 252 6.4 449
San Luis Obispo 47,063 13.3 7,344 13 552 6.4 565
Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)
Local Comparison
Department Population Area (sq. mi) Call Volume Staffing Calls/sq.mi Pop/Calls Calls/FF FF/1000 Pop Atascadero 29,773 26.1 3,449 6 132 8.6 575 0.20
Five Cities Fire Authority 38,325 9.7 5,214 8 538 7.4 652 0.21 Morro Bay 10,757 5.3 2,041 3 385 5.3 680 0.28
Paso Robles 31,490 19.6 4,938 11 252 6.4 449 0.35
San Luis Obispo 47,063 13.3 7,344 13 552 6.4 565 0.28
0.00 0.05
0.10 0.15
0.20 0.25
0.30 0.35
Atascadero Five Cities Fire
Authority
Morro Bay Paso Robles San Luis
Obispo
Firefighters per 1,000 Population
Recommendations
Master Fee
Schedule
w/Inflationary
Adjustment
Capital Asset
Replacement
Funding Strategy
Actuarial Update
PERS UAL
Commercial
Occupancy
Inspections
Inspect and Issue
Operational
Permits
Hire a Fire Marshal EMS Quality
Improvement Plan
Feasibility Study on
Providing ALS
Service
Maintain a
Minimum of 3
Companies Staffed
with 3
Support Western &
Southern Response
Areas
Develop Regional
Training Program
Adopt Response
Standards and
Goals
Automatic Aid
Supports Agency
Requirements
A Strategic Approach
to Implementation
• Strategic Plan Timeline
• Completed CRA / SOC
• Completed Internal Survey
• Completed Community Survey
• Fire Board Presentation April 20
• Grover Beach Council Presentation
May 11
• Arroyo Grande Council Presentation
May 26
• Present the Draft Strategic Plan at the
July 20 FCFA Board Meeting / Public
Workshop
• Present Final Strategic Plan October
FCFA Board Meeting
Questions and Recommendations for Staff