What does the term 'turnout time' refer to?

The term 'turnout time' specifically refers to the duration from when a fire department receives a dispatch call to the moment personnel begin their actual response to the incident. This metric is crucial in the fire service as it encompasses the efficiency of how quickly firefighters can gear up, gather equipment, and leave the station to head towards the scene of an emergency.

Understanding turnout time is vital for improving overall response times, which can be crucial in life-threatening situations. By focusing on this time frame, fire departments can implement training and operational procedures aimed at minimizing delays, ensuring they provide timely assistance where it's most needed.

While the arrival time at the scene, the duration to extinguish a fire, and training times are all important aspects of firefighting, they do not accurately define what turnout time is. Instead, they represent different phases of the firefighting process that occur after the turnout time has been completed.