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Type of Community: These delineations by population density are used in measuring agencies' emergency response times against national guidelines.

Communities Served: The communities covered by a fire agency. Small portions of other communities also may be served because of boundary lines.

Population: As of the 2000 census.

Area in Square Miles: The geographic area covered by a fire agency. The measurement does not include water bodies.

Type of Department: Districts have independent taxing authority and boards of commissioners and determine their own budgets. Incorporated agencies also have taxing authority. Villages frequently operate their own fire departments, and set the tax rates for fire service. Point-O-Woods on Fire Island is a private association that also taxes independently.

Provides EMS: Fire agencies that provide the community's emergency medical service. Others are served by independent volunteer emergency medical service agencies. First responder agencies cannot transport patients to hospitals, but can provide immediate first aid. In Nassau County, the police department is usually the first to respond to a medical emergency, and fire departments give either primary, secondary, third or fourth assistance.

Building Use Policy: This determines which facilities -- meeting and banquet rooms, for instance -- that the public may use. Some do not have these halls, and therefore use the buildings only for firematic uses.

Number of Fire Stations: These house fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency equipment. Long Island has 381 fire houses.

Paid Staff: Full-time and part-time firehouse workers who are listed on county civil service lists. Also includes per-diem workers who fill in for permanent workers, usually dispatchers or EMS drivers. Figures are for 2004. Long Island departments have a total 1,783 paid workers.

Number of Volunteers: The most current count available of volunteer firefighters and emergency service technicians. Long Island has 20,590 volunteers.

Number of Interior Firefighters: Firefighters who are trained, certified and physically able to fight fires inside buildings. Long Island has 10,712 interior firefighters.

Number of Engines: Fire engines, also called pumpers, that each agency owns. These trucks carry hoses, water and tools to fight fires. Long Island departments have a total 693 fire engines.

Number of Ladder Trucks: Also called aerial ladder trucks, they can reach up to 110 feet to upper floors and roofs of buildings. Long Island departments have 189 ladder trucks.

Number of Heavy Rescue Trucks: These are used to extricate victims from car wrecks and other locations where victims are trapped. Many can generate electricity to run lights and electric tools for other trucks at emergency scenes. Long Island departments have 146 heavy rescue trucks.

Number of Ambulances: Medically equipped vehicles used for transport and first aid. Long Island departments have 266 ambulances.

Number of Boats: Used for water rescues. Long Island departments have 129 boats.

Number of Other Vehicles: These include brush fire trucks; tractor-trailers; safety instruction trucks; command post trucks; floodlight trucks; passenger vans; light rescue trucks; antique trucks and flat bed/tow trucks. Long Island departments have 1,326 such vehicles.

Number of Working Fires: Fires in which damage occurred and firefighters needed to use hoses to put out flames. Data is for 2003, the most recent year available, when working fires totaled 957.

Total Alarms: The number of alarms answered by fire agencies in 2004. Calls can stem from building fires and medical emergencies, automatic alarms, car fires and accidents and brush and dumpster fires. These are for the full year of 2004. Oyster Bay, Great Neck and Roslyn each have two departments, but they each report only one set of response data. Alarms totaled 182,640 for 2004.

Fire Alarms: The number of emergency calls reporting fires. Fire alarms for Long Island totaled 82,839 in 2004.