HEADLINES

MICHAEL JACKSON ON TRIAL...ACCUSED WITH MOLESTING A YOUNG BOY.

THERE'S A NEW MASCOT FOR S-U-V DRIVERS, FIND OUT HOW THIS GUY WANTS TO KEEP YOU SAFE FROM ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS.

FIRST TONIGHT...
A NATIONAL INVESTIGATION FINDS FIREFIGHTERS DON'T GET TO FIRES FAST ENOUGH. HOW FAST IS FAST ENOUGH TO SAVE YOUR HOME..OR YOUR LIFE?

LEAD STORY

A REPORT BY THE BOSTON GLOBE BASHES FIRE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR BEING SLOW...PUTTING LIVES AT RISK.
THE NEWSPAPER COMPARED LOCAL RESPONSE TIMES TO A NATIONAL STANDARD FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
OMAHA AND COUNCIL BLUFFS ARE ON THE LIST, AND KM 3'S DEVON PATTON EXPLAINS WHY COUNCIL BLUFFS THINKS IT GETS TO FIRES IN PLENTY OF TIME.

[TAKE PKG]
[Notes:NATS OF COUNCIL BLUFFS SIRENS]
THE LAST TIME SOMEONE DIED IN A COUNCIL BLUFFS HOUSE FIRE WAS IN AUGUST OF 2003...FIRE CHIEF ALAN BYERS SAYS FIREFIGHTERS WERE THERE IN LESS THAN 4 MINUTES.
THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD RESPONSE TIME TO FIRES IS 6 MINUTES.
[CG at 0:20:2 Line Super\Alan Byrers\Council Bluffs Fire Chief]
<"to definitively make a difference whether it's saving some ones life or their property you need to get them in a timely manner.">
SINCE THAT DEADLY FIRE THE COUNCIL BLUFFS AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME TO ALL CALLS, INCLUDING MEDICAL AND ACCIDENTS IS 4 MINUTES AND 19 SECONDS.
TAKE OFF 30 SECONDS..AND THAT'S THEIR AVERAGE TIME TO A FIRE IN A HOME OR BUILDING.
<"the last thing I wanna do is be standing in front of someone saying sorry it took us 20minutes to get to your house it's burnt down.">
CHIEF BYERS SAYS WHAT'S HELPED HIM GET HIS GUYS TO FIRES IN SHORT TIMES IS BEING INVOLVED IN CITY PLANNING WHICH INVOLVES LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE...SO AS THE CITY EXPANDS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL KNOW IF FUTURE STATIONS ARE NEEDED AND WHERE THEY WILL GO.
FOR INSTANCE A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES ARE PLANNING TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHWEST COUNCIL BLUFFS AREA AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALREADY HAS PLANS FOR AN ADDITIONAL STATION...THAT'S IF THE CITY WILL APPROVE IT.
<"each community needs to look at themselves and say what do we want as a response time what's the acceptable level of service for us to provide then the hard part is to provide the resources ..and funding to do that.">
COUNCIL BLUFFS HAS A TOTAL OF FIVE FIRE STATIONS AND IT COST AT LEAST 8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO KEEP THEM IN SERVICE AND ON TIME...DP - 3 NEWS.

HERE'S A LOOK AT HOW SOME OTHER LARGER CITIES IN THE MIDWEST RANK IN THE GLOBE'S INVESTIGATION.
[INSERT: DEKO: ON-TIME RATE]{***gfx***}
[Notes:Council Bluffs 93.1%]
THE COUNCIL BLUFFS FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ON TIME 93 PERCENT OF THE TIME.
[Notes:Sioux City 93.8%]
IN SIOUX CITY... THEY ARE ON TIME ALMOST 94 PERCENT OF THE TIME.
[Notes:Kansas City 93.7%]
ABOUT THE SAME FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN KANSAS CITY...
[Notes:Omaha 93.7%]
AND HERE IN OMAHA AS WELL... ON TIME NEARLY 94 PERCENT OF THE TIME.
THE OMAHA FIRE DEPARTMENTS GOAL IS TO ARRIVE WITHIN 5 MINUTES..THEY DON'T DO IT...A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE AVERAGE RESPONSE IS SIX MINUTES.
[Notes:ON CAM]
A COUPLE FIRE DEPARTMENTS HERE IN NEBRASKA MEET THE NATIONAL STANDARD ON EVERY CALL.
IN THE 16 YEARS THE STUDY COVERS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN FALLS CITY AND MCCOOK NEVER TOOK LONGER THAN SIX MINUTES TO RESPOND TO A FIRE.



AS EXPECTED, OMAHA MAYOR MIKE FAHEY HAS VETOED THE CITY'S PARTIAL SMOKING BAN.
FAHEY HAS SAID ALL ALONG HE WOULD ONLY SUPPORT A TOTAL BAN BECAUSE HE DOESN'T THINK ITS FAIR TO BAN SMOKING IN SOME PLACES AND NOT OTHERS.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL VOTE TOMORROW TO OVERRIDE FAHEY'S VETO BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE COUNCIL HAS ENOUGH VOTES.
THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION SAYS IT WILL KEEP FIGHTING FOR A BAN AND IS CONSIDERING A PETITION DRIVE TO PUT THE SMOKING BAN TO A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.