HomeMy WebLinkAboutFS 2014-08-19 Item 2C - Discussion - Fire Department Staffing and OvertimeTO:
City of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Mayor Haggerton
Finance and Safety Committee
FROM: Chris Flores, Interim Fire Chief
DATE: 08/12/14
SUBJECT: Fire Department Overtime and Staffing
ISSUE
This memo is meant to inform Mayor Haggerton, the Finance & Safety Committee, and Tukwila
City Council of the current conditions, and impacts related to overtime usage in the department.
It is also intended to introduce potential future solutions.
BACKGROUND
Overtime usage in the Department spiked dramatically in 2013 and continues to demonstrate a
similar trend in 2014. Both years have produced dramatic increases in long term absences for
disability or for other reasons. Long term vacancies have contributed as well.
In 2011 the Department utilized 11,223 hour of sick leave. There were 8 absences greater than
30 days in length. There were not a significant number of vacancies due to retirement. In 2012
the Department utilized 10,917 hours of sick leave. There were 9 absences greater than 30
days in length. There were two vacancies requiring approximately 1700 hours of back -fill. In
2013 the Department utilized 11,289 hours of sick leave. There were 6 absences greater than
30 days in length. There were 6 vacancies requiring approximately 7,850 hours of back -fill. For
2013 the combination of sick leave and back -fill was in excess of 15,000 hours. In the first 7.5
months of 2014 the Department utilized 8,387 hours of sick leave. There were 9 absences
greater than 30 days in length. There was one vacancy requiring approximately 1,300 hours of
back -fill. This vacancy will continue to exist until mid to late September. The projected total for
the utilization of Department sick leave for 2014 is approximately 14,000 hours.
In 2013 the Department budget for Suppression Division overtime was allotted $408,868.00.
The line item was increased through budget amendment by $200,000.00. With that amendment
in place, the line item was exceeded by $65,878.36, for a total of $ 674,736.36 expended for
suppression overtime.
DISCUSSION
There are three potential solutions to this problem.
The first solution involves the acceptance of overtime as an operational cost, or to put it in
layman's terms, the cost of doing business. Overtime line items could be increased through
budget planning and adoption, or reconciled through amendment.
The second solution involves the addition of staffing. Contractually all line personnel are granted
access to 4 available days per shift for Vacation or Kelly Day leave. With staffing at 18 per shift
any additional absences either create overtime, or force staffing to decrease even further. The
Department has informally reduced minimum staffing from 14 to 13 in order to meet the current
challenges. The result of this reduction is the staffing of Ladder 54 with 3 instead of 4. This is a
significant impact to fireground operations as related to "truck" work. In 2013 the theoretical
addition of 2 FTE's per shift, for a total of 20 FTE's per shift would have resulted in a total
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INFORMATIONAL MEMO
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number of 23 Suppression Division shifts of overtime, a number easily exceeded on a monthly
basis in 2013 and the first half of 2014. The aid car would have been available for service 259
days of that year. This could be achieved at a cost of approximately $600,000.00 per year. The
successful acquisition of the FEMA SAFER Grant could ease the burden of that cost for three
years.
The third solution involves a reduction in the existing, and somewhat slender provision of
service. The Department Administration could not viably recommend this solution. The cost of
reducing service to an area of such significant assessed value, infrastructure, and economic
importance is not advisable.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The financial impact appears to be approximately $600,000.00 as packaged in the two most
viable solutions.
The financial impact of reduced service is the demonstrated by the visible savings in general
fund budget. Potential impacts might include increased risk to public and firefighter safety,
increased fire loss, and economic loss.
RECOMMENDATION
This memo is only intended to provide information, and to generate guidance for potential
further research.
ATTACHMENTS
Chart- Number of Employees on Sick /FMLA Leave in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Chart- Number of Hours of Sick /FMLA Used in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
C:1Userslchristy\AppDatalLocal \Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ Content. Outlook1H94XRZJM \InfoMemoFDOTSTAFFING092014.doc
Number of Employees on Sick /FMLA Leave
2011 2012 2013 2014
0 Sick Leave /FMLA greater
than 30 days
Number of Hours of Sick /FMLA Used.
16,000 -
14,000-
12,000-
10,000-
8,000-
6,000-
4,000-
2,000-
0-I
/—
/-
/—
2011 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014
Combined* Projected*
2012
2 Vacancies from September 1— December 31; 1700 hours backfill
2013
1 Vacancy January 1— December 31 add 1420 hours of leave and 2600 hours of backfill *
1 Vacancy October 1— December 31; Jury Duty 650 hours *
2 Vacancies from January 1 — May 15 ; 2400 hours*
2 Vacancies from March 31— August 31; 2200 hours *
2014
1 Vacancy — January 1 —June 30; 1300 hours of backfill **
Through July 15, 2014 pay period
❑ 2011
❑ 2012
❑ 2013
❑ 2013 Combined*
❑ 2014
❑ 2014 Projected*