SAN DIEGO -- The Cedar Fire was a wake up call for many San Diegans -- mass devastation, homes destroyed and lives lost.

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Mapping System Helps To Keep Neighborhoods Safe

Out of the tragedy came an intense interest in plans to keep San Diego communities and families safe.

"We've got some gap areas," said Asst. Fire Chief Tracy Jarman about San Diego's emergency safety net.

Neighborhoods, which by the national standard for fire safety, are underserved.

"We want to be even better than we were last year to make sure that we have the resources available for our people to respond, enough stations, units and personnel to meet the needs," Jarman told 10News investigative reporter Thom Jensen.

The San Diego Fire Department is using new mapping technology to find weaknesses in response times to bridge the gaps.

"The software tools we have today give you that perspective. We didn't have that available five years ago," Jarman said.

The department is working with ESRI, a company that specializes in high-tech mapping strategies.

"It's a great way to take complex issues that a lay person can halfway understand what the issues are," said Russ Johnson, an ESRI spokesman and former firefighter who troubleshoots the map systems. "We're all doing the best we can. If we get another dollar, where's the best place to invest it so the taxpayers get the bang for their buck?

It's a problem with many variables.

"How far can our engine travel with the traffic we have today? How far can they get in five minutes to respond to an emergency?" Jarman said.

The national standard for emergency responses is five minutes.

Laura Brenner maps out the fire department's response times. How does the city stack up?

"There's a 50-50 chance of us getting there in the time we're required to," Brenner told 10News.

The maps can show where firefighters can drive in five minutes at 2 a.m. and the places that were not reached before the five-minute standard. It also shows response times and conditions in areas with traffic and growth -- areas that San Diego firefighters estimate they won't be able to get to when they are called.

Trolleys, trains and traffic congestion, along with high-rise developments, make downtown a big concern.

PETCO Park and the growing Gaslamp District add to the demand on fire services.

"The UTC area is experiencing explosive growth. Like downtown, it's got high rises and heavy traffic. It's another red area of concern," said Jensen.

"Peoples' lives are at stake, obviously," said one UTC resident.

What it all adds up to is emergency crews most likely won't get to three out of five neighborhoods in San Diego within five minutes -- times when they are needed most.