Transcript Document

Fire Protection Proposal
for the
Town of Menasha
How the story begins…..
• Town of Menasha Fire Department Ad Hock
Committee Report of August 2008.
• Post Crescent article dated, August 22, 2008
“Menasha Town Board discusses firefighters vote
bid”.
• Chief Vander Wyst met with Chief Kiesow and also
with Mayor Scherck and Mayor Merkes to discuss
options.
• Letter from Mayor’s Scherck and Merkes to Town of
Menasha officials.
Town of Menasha Proposal
• Opportunity! However, this is clearly the Town of
Menasha’s choice.
• Break municipal border lines.
• Full-time fire and first responder services for the
entire Town.
• Improves response times and addresses the Ad Hoc
Committee’s concerns.
• Increases the tax base to pay for full-time protection
services.
Overview of NMFR
• To gain a basic understanding of NMFR.
• We provide full-time fire protection and EMS
services for the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.
• We offer quick response for fire suppression,
specialized rescue operations, emergency medical
services, fire education, fire prevention, fire
investigations and hazmat services.
NMFR’s Personnel
• NMFR is a full-time career department with a
current roster of 68 personnel.
• We have 63 full-time fire/rescue personnel and are
divided into 3 shifts consisting of 21 people per
shift. This staffing allows for 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, 365 days a year coverage with
immediate response for calls.
• There are 5 administrative staff. Chief, Deputy
Chief, 2 Assistant Chiefs and an Administrative
Assistant.
NMFR’s Personnel
• Entry-level requirements for NMFR’s personnel
revolve around state certifications, including
Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Apparatus Driver
Operator, Fire Inspection I, First Responder minimum
and a minimum of sixty (60) post high school credits
or equivalent firefighting experience.
• The average experience of the department’s line staff
is 12 years. Retirement is the number one reason for
personnel leaving NMFR.
NMFR’s Station & Equipment
• Station 31 is located at 1080 Breezewood Lane in the City
of Neenah.
– This facility currently houses one engine company
(E31) with four firefighters.
– Our Special Operations Task Force 3 equipment is also
housed at this station. This includes a tow vehicle and
trailer for the necessary equipment for collapse, trench,
rope, confined space and technical rescue needs.
– Fox Valley Technical College also leases space at this
location for it’s Regional Training Center.
NMFR’s Station & Equipment
• Station 32 is located at 125 E. Columbian Avenue in the City
of Neenah.
– Houses two fire companies (E32 & Q32) with four
firefighters on each vehicle.
– One Shift Commander (C32).
– Boat 32 is provided by Winnebago County and is used for
ice and water rescues on Lake Winnebago and Little Lake
Butte Des Morts.
– Station 32 is considered the Administration Building.
– It is currently the main facility for all inspections that are
performed for the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.
NMFR’s Station & Equipment
• Station 35 is located at 430 First Street in the City of
Menasha
– This facility houses one engine company (E35) with
four firefighters.
– Boat 35 assists with rescues on Lake Winnebago and
Little Lake Butte Des Morts.
– Reserve Pumper (P35) which is used as a pumper or a
ladder truck.
– Used as a maintenance facility for all NMFR vehicles.
NMFR’s Station & Equipment
• Station 36 is located at 901 Airport Road in the City of
Menasha
– This facility houses one engine company (E36) with
four firefighters.
– NMFR’s Public Education van is also located here.
NMFR’s Training Division
• NMFR’s training division is led by Assistant Chief Mike Sipin.
• NMFR personnel train for an average of 22,235 hours per year,
which is 335 hours per member.
• The goal of training is to ensure that all personnel will perform
as safely and effectively as possible when faced with an
emergency situation.
• All personnel are committed full-time to their firefighting
profession.
• NMFR has been a partner in the statewide initiative addressing
structural collapse building discipline for the past three years
(Task Force 3).
NMFR’s Maintenance Division
• The Maintenance Division is under direct supervision of
Deputy Chief of Operations, Steve DeLeeuw.
• All three shifts have an individual firefighter/mechanic at
Station #35. This person is assigned vehicle and station
maintenance as their responsibility coupled with their shift
assignment in fire suppression and EMS.
• Vehicles cycle through Station 35 for maintenance needs
and our reserve pumper (P35) is available to use while an
engine has maintenance. This allows us to continue full
response in all districts regardless of maintenance
requirements for our vehicles.
NMFR’s Emergency
Management
• Our Emergency Management Division is led by Assistant Chief
Mike Sipin. This includes:
– Preparing and developing procedures for response for
various types of emergencies.
– Implementation and coordination of NIMS (National
Incident Management System).
– Review and updating the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
– Establishing an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when
needed for emergencies.
NMFR’s Fire Prevention
• Our Fire Prevention Division is led by Assistant Chief Al
Auxier. This includes:
– Fire inspections for all commercial and residential facilities
(that are required by law) within both Cities. There are
currently 1,600 inspectable properties within our
communities.
– Occupancy inspections, including liquor license renewals.
– Building and sprinkler plan review.
– Above and below ground storage tank inspections, including
plan review.
– Site plan review for fire alarm systems.
– Fire cause and investigation.
NMFR’s Public Education
• NMFR’s Public Education Team includes 15
dedicated team members that provide public education
programs. Some examples include:
– Every October our Public Education Team sets
aside the entire month to deliver fire prevention
programs to all children in grades 1 through 3. In
2008, our Public Education team delivered these
programs to 2,495 children.
NMFR’s Public Education
• Preschool and Kindergarten programs discussing fire
safety.
• Juvenile Fire starter program.
• Senior Citizen programs.
• Senior High Program to discuss dorm safety.
• Numerous community activities to provide fire safety
education.
NMFR Services
• NMFR is a career department ensuring availability 24 hours a day, 365
days a year. NMFR’s 24 hour response for fire, emergency medical
and all other dangerous conditions includes, but is not limited to:
– Fire response/suppression
– Emergency medical first responder/defibrillation
– Technical heavy rescue
– Water/ice rescue
– Special event stand by (4th of July events, community marathons,
Street Ball, etc.)
– Hazardous materials first response
– All other special response requests
NMFR’s Call Volume
• In 2008, NMFR had a total of 2,248 calls.
1,537 – EMS
88 – Fire
109- Hazardous Condition (no fire)
199 – Service Calls
45 – Good Intent
261 – False Alarms
3 – Overpressure Rupture (no fire)
6 – Severe Weather/Other
Town of Menasha Delivery
Proposal
• Staff Station #40 (Coldspring Road) 24/7/365 with a
firefighting crew of four personnel on an engine/quint.
• This proposal would require a total of 83 personnel.
Twelve additional full-time firefighters would be hired and
3 people added to the administrative team.
• Current Station #36 (Airport Road) can provide full-time
fire protection to the East side of the Town of Menasha
without additional people/resources.
Assignment of Resources
• All emergency responses will be assigned the same
number of resources as they are currently assigned in the
Cities of Neenah and Menasha.
• By staffing Station #40, we would have five fire stations,
including 3 engines, 1 Quint, 1 Ladder and 1 command
vehicle, which would equal 14-17 firefighters responding
immediately with no delays. (2 engines and 8 additional
firefighters would remain available for other calls)
• Appendix D of the proposal shows a possible apparatus
flow chart for a merged department. This reflects a 26%
reduction of vehicles and lowers future capital and
maintenance costs.
Map of Station Locations
• Let’s review the map.
– TMFD Station #41
– AFD Station #3
– NMFR Station #36
Current NMFR Table of
Organization
Len Vander Wyst
Chief
Tara Theisen
Administrative Assistant
Steve DeLeeuw
Deputy Chief
Al Auxier
Assistant Chief/
Fire Marshal
Mike Sipin
Assistant Chief
Training/
Emergency Management
Dan Scbultz
Shift Commander
Blue Shift
Dan Blakeslee
Shift Commander
Green Shift
Mike Flunker
Shift Commander
Red Shift
Fire Officers
(5)
Fire Officers
(5)
Fire Officers
(5)
Drivers
(5)
Drivers
(5)
Drivers
(5)
Shift Inspectors
(2)
Shift Inspectors
(2)
Shift Inspectors
(2)
Firefighters
(5)
Firefighters
(5)
Firefighters
(5)
Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue
Proposed Administrative Table of
Organization
Fire Chief
Administrative Assistant/
Payroll/Inspection
Administrative Asssitant/
Public Education
Deputy Chief
Operations
Assistant Chief
Emergency
Management/
Accrediation Officer
Assistant Chief
Training
Assistant Chief
Fire Marshall
Fire
Inspector
Proposed Fire Suppression
Table of Organization
Shift Commander
Station #31
Breezwood Ln.
Neenah
Station #32
E. Columbian Ave.
Neenah
Station #35
First St.
Menasha
Station #36
Airport Rd
Menasha
Station #40
Coldspring Rd.
Town of Menasha
Engine 31
Officer
Engine 32
Officer
Ladder 32
Officer
Engine 35
Officer
Engine 36
Officer
Quint 40
Officer
Driver/
Engineer
Driver/
Engineer
Driver/
Engineer
Driver/
Engineer
Driver/
Engineer
Driver/
Engineer
Firefighter/
Shift Inspector
Firefighter/
Shift
Training Officer
Firefighter
Firefighter/
Shift Mechanic
Firefighter/
Shift Inspector
Firefighter/
Shift Inspector
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
First Responder calls
• First Responder engine companies would provide
immediate emergency medical first response as a team
with no delays.
• Personnel would be already on duty and would not be
delayed in assembling a crew.
• Personal vehicle use would not be allowed which would
minimize response liability issues.
• Of the 118 firefighter deaths in 2007, 26 were due to
responding/returning from emergency incidents, 8
involved crashes with private vehicles.
Fire Inspections
• Fire inspections would be completed with a
combined approach, as it currently is within the
Cities of Neenah and Menasha.
• On duty engine companies would be assigned to
complete routine inspections. The goal is to not
only meet the inspection requirements but also for
crews to become more familiar with buildings in a
non-emergency situation.
Fire Inspections
• The Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall, Day Time
Inspector and Shift Inspectors would handle the
bulk of the inspections including places of
assembly and large industrial and commercial
buildings, re-inspections and all other duties
assigned.
• Inspections of above and below ground petroleum
tanks would also be included.
How Do We Make It Work?
• This proposal calls for 83 personnel. 75 line personnel (3
shifts with 25 per shift) and 8 administrative personnel.
• Currently, there are 10 administrative positions between
the two departments. This would be reduced by 2. These 2
positions would be assigned firefighting positions. This
would reduce the number of people we need to hire for
firefighting positions to 10.
• The remaining 8 administrative positions can be achieved
by assigning current staff and would result in no loss of
jobs.
Staff Support
• As part of this proposal, the paid on call staff of the Town
of Menasha Fire Department would be offered the best
opportunity for full-time employment with NMFR.
• Existing staff and paid on call staff would be given the first
opportunity to fill all vacancies within a merged
department.
• It is anticipated that the new hires needed in a merged
department would come from the existing TMFD. An
eligibility list would be established and maintained for two
years.
Budget
NMFR’s Current Budget: $7,170,600.00
TMFD’s Current Budget: $1,076,882.00
Proposed Merged Budget: $8,589,865.00
• The merged budget proposal reflects a total of
$1,419,265.00 increase in NMFR’s overall budget.
• What does this cost mean for the Town of Menasha
taxpayers?
Possible Effects on Tax Rate
Net Cost Increase
1,000,000
Town of Menasha Assessed Value - 1/1/08 1,439,575,900
Increase in 2008 Tax Rate, per $1,000
$0.69
(assessed value)
1,250,000
1,439,575,900
$0.87
1,500,000
1,439,575,900
$1.04
Annual Cost to a $100,000 home
$69.46
Annual Cost to a $150,000 home
$104.20
Annual Cost to a $200,000 home
$138.93
Figures provided by the Town of Menasha Finance Director
$86.83
$130.25
$173.66
$104.20
$156.30
$208.39
1,750,000
2,000,000
1,439,575,900 1,439,575,900
$1.22
$1.39
$121.56
$182.35
$243.13
$138.93
$208.39
$277.86
Proposed Budget Overview
• The current NMFR budget formula is a 5-part formula,
which includes total square miles, total square footage of
buildings, total equalized value, population and fire
department calls for service.
• The proposed new formula for a merged department would
be a three-part formula. We would eliminate the square
miles and square footage from the formula, as this would
be more equitable for the Town of Menasha taxpayers.
Three Part Formula
2009
Bu d g e t
City of Neenah Equalized Value
1/1/2007
$ 1,864,942,000
14.82%
City of Neenah Population
1/1/2007
25,430
14.00%
Du rin g 2 0 0 7
1,328
14.05%
City of Neenah Fire Dept Calls for Service
Co st Sa vin g
42.86%
$ 3,681,616
City of Menasha Equalized Value
1/1/2007
$ 1,024,769,891
8.14%
City of Menasha Population
1/1/2007
17,354
9.55%
City of Menasha Fire Dept Calls for Service Du rin g 2 0 0 7
944
9.99%
$
598,914
$
494,925
27.68%
$ 2,377,675
Town of Menasha Equalized Value
1/1/2007
$ 1,389,484,200
11.04%
Town of Menasha Population
1/1/2007
17,180
9.45%
Town of Menasha Fire Dept Calls for Service Du rin g 2 0 0 7
847
8.96%
29.46%
$ 2,530,574
Snapshot of Current and Merged
Departments
Staffing
TMFD: Combination of career and paid on call. 5 full-time
members and 52 paid on call, per 2007 annual report.
NMFR: Career with 68 total people. 63 full-time line staff
who work 24/7/365 and 5 administrative/support
personnel.
Merged: Career with 83 total people. 75 full-time line staff
who work 24/7/365. and 8 administrative/support
personnel.
Snapshot of Current and Merged
Departments
Respond from what location?
TMFD: Response is from home, place of employment, etc. to the
fire station first. When enough crew members arrive at the
station to staff an engine they then respond to the address of the
emergency call.
NMFR: Response is immediate from the four station(s) as
personnel live/work right at the station 24/7/365. No delays in
waiting for personnel to assemble at the station in order to
respond.
Merged Department: Response is immediate from 5 station(s) as
personnel live/work right at the station 24/7/365.
Fire Power
• Time is of the essence when it comes to
responding to a structure fire.
• A quick response can not only reduce
property loss but also increases civilian and
firefighter safety.
• Let’s look at the power of fire.
Snapshot of Current and Merged
Departments
Response time for structure fires
TMFD: 8-10 minute response time for 1 unit with 4
people. 90% of the time.
NMFR: 4-5 minute response time for first unit with
4 personnel, 90% of the time with less than 6
minutes for full structure fire response.
Merged Department: 4-5 minute response time for
first unit with 4 personnel, 90% of the time with
less than 6 minutes for full structure fire response.
Snapshot of Current and Merged
Departments
Equipment that Responds to Fire Calls
TMFD: As per the TMFD guidelines, as soon as sufficient
staff arrives at the fire stations.
NMFR: Typical full response includes 3 engines, 1 quint
truck and 1 command vehicle with 14-17 people minimum
in less than 4-6 minutes, 90% of the time.
Merged Department: Same as NMFR.
Snapshot of Current and Merged
Departments
Response Time Issues
TMFD: Response times lengthened at times due to not
having a qualified driver available or insufficient staff
during regular business hours. Per the Ad Hoc report.
NMFR: Always have a qualified driver on duty and always
sufficient staff at all times. No delays or lengthened
response times.
Merged Department: Same as current NMFR.
NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720
Comparisons
NFPA 1710
A department whose staff is greater than 80% career falls
under NFPA 1710. A key provision to NFPA 1710 is that
a crew of 4 on one vehicle or multiple vehicles should
arrive on scene within 5 minutes, 90% of the time and
have a full alarm on scene within 9 minutes, 90% of the
time. Both the 5-minute and the 9-minute time frame
allows for one minute to put gear on.
NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720
Comparisons
NFPA 1720
A department whose staff is greater than 80%
volunteer falls under NFPA 1720. A urban area
that has greater than 1,000 people per square miles
should arrive on scene with 15 staff within 9
minutes, 90% of the time.
NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720
Comparisons
• The rationale behind this is the fact that a room
fire will reach a critical stage in fire development
(point of flashover) in about 8 to 10 minutes. The
variables are whether or not the fire room is
ventilated (open doors or windows), size of the
compartment, configuration, fuel load, etc. In the
worst-case scenario, the critical temperature is
reached and the flashover engulfs the room in fire
before firefighters arrive to control the fire.
NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720
Comparisons
• NFPA 1720 applies to volunteers who typically
don’t have personnel on-duty in stations and instead
respond to page-out from home, work, or elsewhere.
It is this fact of volunteer response that introduces a
key variable into the picture. Volunteers cannot
guarantee availability like career; on-duty staff can
do unless the volunteers are in the station when
actually alerted. In this standard response goal
criteria are very different and intended to reflect the
nature of a volunteer response system.
NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720
Comparisons
Why do we need 14 or 15 people for a full alarm?
1 – Incident Commander
1 – Pump Operator
2 – Fire fighters on attack lines
2 – Fire fighters on back up lines
1 – Fire fighter for attack line support
1 – Fire fighter for back up line support
2 – Fire fighters for search & rescue
2 – Fire fighters for ventilation
2 – Fire fighters to serve for IRIC
14 – Total if aerial device not in operation
1 – Aerial device operator
15 – Total if aerial device is operational
Benefits of A Merger
• Erases response district lines based on municipal borders
and improves customer service by using closer
vehicle/station response.
• Equalizes fire service levels for all citizens in our
communities.
• Quick First Responder EMS response to all medical calls
for assistance. A team of 4 firefighters will arrive together
on one engine with the necessary equipment for all first
responder calls. This will eliminate the use of private
vehicles. It is imperative to achieve a goal of a response
time of 4-6 minutes in emergency medical cases, especially
when a pulseless-non-breathing (PNB) patient is in need.
Benefits of A Merger
• Ensures adequate resources responding in a timely
manner at all times.
• Establishes and meets desired response time goals
of less than 5 minutes, 90% of the time with a full
alarm assignment of 14-17 firefighters responding
in less than 8 minutes, 90% of the time.
• Merging resources allows for full-time protection
at the most reasonable cost to all taxpayers.
Benefits of A Merger
• Merging resources eliminates the need to duplicate
fire stations on the East side of Little Lake Butte
Des Morts.
• Merging resources equals a full compliment of 83
full-time positions with 75 full-time firefighters
available 24/7/365.
• Erases the need for the Town of Menasha to add
it’s own full-time complement of firefighters at a
much higher cost in an effort to duplicate the
resources of a merged department.
Benefits of A Merger
• Additional long-term savings in buildings,
apparatus, and equipment would also be realized.
• All communities benefit financially by cost
sharing.
• Opportunities exist for fire departments to be
exempt from tax-levy limit restrictions.
• Limits the need to hire additional personnel, as our
communities grow.
Benefits of A Merger
• Both Common Council’s and the Town Board
remain as the decision making body – no loss of
control. A joint Finance & Personnel Committee
and a joint Fire Commission will help govern the
merged department. Budget approvals and major
expenses exceeding $5,000 would need to be
approved by all 3 governing bodies. This ensures
maintenance of local control.
Benefits of A Merger
• Greater ability to meet NFPA 1710 Standards and COMM 30
requirements.
• Increased ability to expand services in the future.
• One administrative team with a Unified Command Structure.
• Financial Stability with increased efficiency.
• Development of uniform codes and ordinances in our
communities.
• Better use of personnel and equipment resources.
• Impact bargaining will take place with Local 275 should a
merger proceed.
How Do We Proceed?
• To review the entire NMFR proposal for the
Town of Menasha, please visit
www.nmfire.org.
• Questions
• It’s up to the Town Board and the
Community on the next step.