Description Definitions

NFORS Performance Durations

In your NFORS dashboards, you may see several different timestamps displayed for a particular incident or aggregated as a larger metric.

Some departments calculate response time, event time, alarm handling or other metrics differently than others. To avoid confusion follows terminology and calculations set forth in NFPA 1710/1720 guidelines unless otherwise noted.

Here is a list of the most commonly used durations, for all calculated durations, see the schemas.

Alarm Answering

The time interval that begins when the alarm is received at the communication center and ends when the alarm is acknowledged at the communication center.

durations.alarm_answering = description.event_opened - description.psap_answer_time

Alarm Processing

The time interval from when the alarm is acknowledged at the communication center until response information begins to be transmitted via voice or electronic means to emergency response facilities (ERFs) or the emergency response units (ERUs).

durations.alarm_processing = description.first_unit_dispatched - description.event_opened

Alarm Handling

The time interval from the receipt of the alarm at the primary PSAP until the beginning of the transmittal of the response information via voice or electronic means to emergency response facilities (ERFs) or the emergency response units (ERUs) in the field.

durations.alarm_handling  = description.first_unit_dispatched - description.psap_answer_time

Turnout (also known as 1st Turnout)

The time interval that begins when the first unit is dispatched to the emergency incident and ends when any unit starts travel to the scene.

durations.turnout = description.first_unit_enroute - description.first_unit_dispatched

Travel (also known as 1st Travel)

The time interval that begins when the first unit is enroute to the emergency incident and ends when any unit arrives at the scene.

durations.travel  = description.first_unit_arrived - description.first_unit_enroute

Response

The time interval that begins when the first unit is dispatched and ends when the first unit arrives on scene.

durations.response = description.first_unit_arrived - description.first_unit_dispatched

Total Response

The time interval that begins from the receipt of the alarm at the primary PSAP and ends when the first unit arrives on scene.

durations.total_response = description.first_unit_arrived - description.psap_answer_time

Effective Response Force Travel

The time interval that begins when the first unit is enroute to the emergency incident and ends when the minimum number of units to achieve effective response force arrives at the scene.

durations.effective_response_force_travel = description.effective_response_force_arrived - description.first_unit_enroute

Effective Response Force Response

The time interval that begins when the first unit is dispatched to the emergency incident and ends when the minimum number of units to achieve effective response force arrives at the scene.

durations.effective_response_force_response = description.effective_response_force_arrived - description.first_unit_dispatched

Effective Response Force Total Resposne

The time interval that begins from the receipt of the alarm at the primary PSAP and ends when the minimum number of units to achieve effective response force arrives at the scene.

durations.effective_response_force_total_response = description.effective_response_force_arrived - description.psap_answer_time

Total Event

The time interval from the incident creation in CAD to when the incident is closed in CAD.

total_event_duration = event_closed - event_opened