As new development expands the limits of a jurisdiction or is too far from existing fire stations, the issue of new stations and firefighters to staff them comes up. Because sprinklered buildings and homes need about one half or less the number of firefighters and apparatus, distances between stations can be increased. The limit in sprinklered areas is usually set at the maximum desired travel time for EMS calls. This is much farther than desired for unsprinklered areas, so the savings can be significant. One city recently projected 7 stations for a new development if sprinklers are not required, but only 3 if everything is protected with sprinklers. At an average cost of 1 million dollars per year to staff a station with just three firefighters around the clock, the sprinkler requirement will save the city 4 million dollars a year. For a more detailed discussion of the relationship between sprinklers and fire department staffing, see the Section on staffing in Answers to Home Builders.