Every second is critical to get to the scene of a structure fire like the one in Middle Village on Monday.

“Units responded in approximately four minutes and found heavy fire,” said Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarracco.

In a recent report from the mayor’s office, it found there’s an increase in structure fires.

It also found there’s an increase in FDNY response times.

The response time to Monday’s fire was more than 30 seconds faster when compared to Fiscal Year 2023’s average.

“The fire department had arrived on time and they came to the rescue and they were able to get them down,” neighbor Tiffany Alvarez said.

The Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report shows when Fiscal Year 2023 is compared with Fiscal Year 2021, response time is up by nine seconds, from four minutes and 22 seconds to four minutes and 31 seconds.

The FDNY is aiming to drop that number by 17 seconds this fiscal year.

For responses to serious medical emergencies, FDNY ambulances are also seeing an increase in response times.

“We are chronically short staffed. We are chronically without equipment on any given day. There are numerous vehicles off service because the trucks keep breaking down,” said Anthony Almojera, vice president of Local 3621.

Local 3621 is the Uniformed Emergency Medical Services Officers Union. Almojera said the lack of investment and low staff numbers is leading people to quit.

He estimates about 75% of the EMS workforce has less than five years in the field under their belt. Some of the reasoning: burnout from their predecessors who worked during the pandemic and low morale.

“The EMT’s and medics are capable. They’re just not experienced,” Almojera said.

The report shows response times to serious medical emergencies are up by more than a minute, from six minutes and 46 seconds to seven minutes and 59 seconds, from Fiscal Year 2021 to Fiscal Year 2023.

For fire crews, the FDNY wants to drop response times this fiscal year by about one minute and 15 seconds, and for ambulances by about one minute.