report to city council

Citizens Review Committee for the Fairbanks Fire Dept

Report to City Council

Friday, March 7th, 11:30 a.m.

City Council Chambers

By

2008 Citizen Review Committee


Contents

• INTRODUCTION

• CONCLUSIONS

• DISCUSSIONS

• RECOMMENDATIONS

• FINDINGS/DISCOVERIES/QUESTIONS

• FFD CITIZENS REVIEW COMMITTEE

• ATTACHMENTS


INTRODUCTION

For the purposes of this report resident and/or tax payer is considered to be the City of Fairbanks residents and/or tax

payers. Sources included city budgets, personal communications, annual reports,

incident reports, internet searches, industry publications, news articles, union contracts, job vacancy announcements and personal

interviews.


CONCLUSIONS

A. Yes, Property owners shoulder more than their shareB. Current fees do not cover full cost of service providedC. Current fees are substantially under-recoveredD. FFD is currently operating efficiently, costs are within Industry NormsE. FFD personnel costs are within industry norms.F. FFD staffing is not excessiveG. Gifts (grants) funded new Fire Station & EquipmentH. The City experiences a daytime population surgeI. Non-emergency needs are met by ambulance callsJ. Volunteer or partial Volunteer FD is not sustainableK. Cost Causer should be the Cost PayerL. Fire Training Center is not a cash drainM. EMS demand has increased, 3% per year for the last 5 yearsN. Life Saving versus Fire SuppressionO. Cost Shifting is forcing bigger burden on FFDP. Further analysis required


DISCUSSIONS

A. Yes, Property owners shoulder more than their share

B. Current fees do not cover full cost of service provided


Fire Service ComparisonBy Community

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Budget

Fairbanks

Junuea

Wasilla

Soldotna

Anchorage

Longview Wa.

Twin Falls Id.

0

50

100

150

200

250

Cost /Resident0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Cost /Mil Rate

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Cost/Call


DISCUSSIONS



C. Current fees are substantially under-recovered


Calls by Incident Type

2007 Calls by Incident Type

81 43 19 25 195

3,056

82 46 155 270 117

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Fir

e L

os

s

Seventy-Five (75%) percent of calls were EMS/Ambulance calls. This number excludes all Rescue & Motor Vehicle Accidents, which may have also involved injuries requiring EMS services.


DISCUSSIONS



C. Current fees are substantially under-recovered

D. FFD is currently efficient, costs are within Industry Norms



0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Budget

Fairbanks

Junuea

Wasilla

Soldotna

Anchorage

Longview Wa.

Twin Falls Id.

0

50

100

150

200

250

Cost /Resident0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Cost /Mil Rate

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Cost/Call


DISCUSSIONS

E. FFD personnel costs are within industry norms.


The 56 Hour Work Week Explained


Wages & Benefit Comparison by Community


DISCUSSIONS


F. FFD staffing is not excessive


DISCUSSIONS



G. Gifts (grants) funded new Fire Station & Equipment


FFD Grant Summary2003-2007


DISCUSSIONS



G. Gifts (grants) funded new Fire Station & Equipment

H. The City experiences a daytime population surge


Calls by Time of Day

2007 Runs by Time of Day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0000-0

059

0100-0

159

0200-0

259

0300-0

359

0400-0

459

0500-0

559

0600-0

659

0700-0

759

0800-0

859

0900-0

959

1000-1

059

1100-1

159

1200-1

259

1300-1

359

1400-1

459

1500-1

559

1600-1

659

1700-1

759

1800-1

859

1900-1

959

2000-2

059

2100-2

159

2200-2

259

2300-2

359

Time of Day

Num

ber

of R

uns


Patients by Residence


1596

872

266

507

113

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

City Resident FNSB Alaska (outsideFNSB)

US Resident ForeignResident

Unknown

Num

ber

of C

alls


DISCUSSIONS

I. Non-emergency needs are met by ambulance calls

J. Volunteer or partial Volunteer FD is not sustainable

K. Cost Causer should be the Cost Payer

L. Fire Training Center is not a cash drain

M. EMS demand has increased, 3% per year


DISCUSSIONS

N. Life Saving versus Fire Suppression

O. Cost Shifting is forcing bigger burden on FFD

P. Further analysis required


RECOMMENDATIONS

A. SHORT TERMi. Raise Ambulance fees to increase cost recovery

ii. Create Ambulance fee discount for City Taxpayers

iii. Add fee for multiple vehicles responding to accident or residential fire

iv. Raise Ambulance mileage fee, to cover costs


RECOMMENDATIONS

B. MID-TERMi. Staff succession planningii. Recurring monitoring of industry cost recovery

practicesiii. Evaluate other fees to recover cost of servicesiv. Non-emergency service providers can reduce

call volumev. Explore collaborations with churches, nonprofits

& agencies for welfare checks and other non-emergency calls

vi. Create staffing plan to address increased demands of growing community


RECOMMENDATIONS

C. LONG-TERM i. Shop Rate charged by Public Works is too low

ii. Encourage private industry to develop service alternatives

iii. Conduct extensive cost-of-service analysis


FINDINGS-DISCOVERIES- QUESTIONS

A. Potential of delayed responseB. Industry cost shifting has resulted increases in the non-recoverable costsC. Why do we pay them to sleep? Payment is for the instant availability, to be on-scene

fully equipped within four minutes. Payment for that standby time is required by federal law.

D. Nationally sold Life-Alert mechanism calls arrive @ dispatch on a non-911 line. This can cause delayed response time, since calls incoming to 911 are served prior to those arriving on the non-emergency line.

E. Of 41 FFD staff, 4 are city residents and taxpayers.F. Firefighting industry often involve paid “volunteer” positionsG. Firefighting industry hires only the best of the best.H. Many outlying Volunteer Fire Departments benefit from FFD trainingI. FNSB gives a $10,000 tax deduction for volunteer firefighters’ home property taxJ. FNSB EMS ‘members’ get discount on ambulance (non-resident rate)

This section of the report is dedicated to things learned during the many hundreds of volunteer hours by the FFD Citizen Review Committee. These items were of interest to individual committee members and/or could be of interest to the general public. These topics might be worthy of further consideration, but deemed to be off-topic to our immediate objectives.


FFD CITIZENS REVIEW COMMITTEE

• Vivian Stiver local business owner and serves on Fairbanks City Council Phone: 347-2102, [email protected]

• Michael Supkis is Chief of Police & Fire at FAI and been in firefighting for 30+ years. Phone: 474-2539, [email protected]

• Michael Dukes local Radio/TV talk show host & political commentator. Phone: 378-8499, [email protected]

• Cathy Persinger has a background in cost accounting and currently works for United Way. Phone: 322-8516, [email protected]

• John Brown Retired Business Agent for Operators local 302 Phone: 590-0614, [email protected]

• Lee DeSpain former City Firefighter and business owner Phone: 388-5182

• Advisors: Chief Warren Cummings, Ernie Misewicz, Firefighters & Union Reps

The committee coming together from diverse perspectives, studied many varied sources, to resolve disputes, clarify rumors and come to a consensus to benefit the citizens of Fairbanks. The volumes of documents collected and studied are not all presented here.


ATTACHMENTS

A. Cost per Transport, from p.2 FFD Ambulance Service Cost Study July 2005

B. 2007 Calls by Incident TypeC. Fire service comparisons by community D. Explain 56 hour weekE. Wages Benefit comparisons by community F. Firefighting, Crtical timeline: Cascade of EventsG. FFD Grant Summary, 2003-2007H. 2007 Runs by Time of DayI. 2007 Patients by ResidenceJ. Comparative Ambulance costs by Community



0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Budget

Fairbanks

Junuea

Wasilla

Soldotna

Anchorage

Longview Wa.

Twin Falls Id.

0

50

100

150

200

250

Cost /Resident0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

Cost /Mil Rate

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Cost/Call


Calls by Incident Type

2007 Calls by Incident Type

81 43 19 25 195

3,056

82 46 155 270 117

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Fir

e L

os

s

Seventy-Five (75%) percent of calls were EMS/Ambulance calls. This number excludes all Rescue & Motor Vehicle Accidents, which may have also involved injuries requiring EMS services.


The 56 Hour Work Week Explained


Wages & Benefit Comparison by Community


Cascade of EventsWhat happens when a 911 call occurs?

End Outcome:Reduce human & property Loss from Fire

If a medical emergency: Did an Advanced Life Support Paramedic arrive on scene within 8 minutes?

Result: 90%

If a fire emergency: Did 15 fire fighters arrive on scene within 8 minutes?

Result: 47%

Objective: Arrive in 4 minutes or less, 90% of the time

Result: 70%

Objective: Respond within 90 seconds, 90% of the time

Result: 72%

Objective: Dispatch call within 90 seconds, 90% of the time

Result: 78% (structure fires and cardiac arrest calls only)

911 transfer from police to fire

Emergency Occurs

911 call received at PD

Dispatch

911 call received at Fire

Dispatch

Emergency units

assigned &dispatchedFirefighters

“turnout” andprepare to respond

Firefighters arrive

on scene andmitigate incident

End Outcome:Improve outcome for sick, injured, trapped and

endangered victims


FFD Grant Summary2003-2007


Calls by Time of Day

2007 Runs by Time of Day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0000-0

059

0100-0

159

0200-0

259

0300-0

359

0400-0

459

0500-0

559

0600-0

659

0700-0

759

0800-0

859

0900-0

959

1000-1

059

1100-1

159

1200-1

259

1300-1

359

1400-1

459

1500-1

559

1600-1

659

1700-1

759

1800-1

859

1900-1

959

2000-2

059

2100-2

159

2200-2

259

2300-2

359

Time of Day

Num

ber

of R

uns




1596

872

266

507

113

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

City Resident FNSB Alaska (outsideFNSB)

US Resident ForeignResident

Unknown

Num

ber

of C

alls


Comparative Ambulance Costs by Community

report to city council

Documents

deptcitizens review

sharecurrent fees

incident reports

city budgets

property owners shoulder

city councilfriday

incident typeseventy

total calls