Slow Response Times Reflect Nature Of Volunteer Fire Department Systems

February 23, 2007 New York - Brentwood fire officials say they are conducting an internal investigation in the aftermath of a Feb. 2 house fire where three people died, after releasing records showing the first volunteer engine did not arrive at the scene for almost 13 minutes after 911 was called. Homeowner Matilde Argueta, his tenant and her 11-month-old son died in the fire. The response by Brentwood, Suffolk's busiest fire department, was nearly four minutes slower than the nine-minute national ...