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Home My WebLink AboutFIN 2019-08-12 Item 2D - Budget - Fire Department Service LevelCity f Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor KNFOR ATUONAU ME ORANDU Finance Council Committee FROM: Vicky Car|sem.Finance Director Jay Wittwer, Fire Chief CC: Mayor Ekberg [ATE: July 17, 2019 SUBJECT: FineBudgetCimcumoion—SemiceLeve|s Updated aftmrJu|v 23.2019Finance Cornrmittee88emtinq ISSUE Review current and historical Fire Department budget, staffing,and service levels todetermine a sustainable model which meets the City's financial and policy goals. BACKGROUND As mentioned above, the {}dv is reviewing current and historical information on the fine department. This information is being presented to determine policy direction regarding appropriate budget and eon/ioe levels. This nlenlo will focus on fire department nlininnunn and current service ksva|o, excluding the Flna Marshal's Office. Service levels for the Fire Marshal's — will be discussed in a separate DISCUSSION A policy decision on the table for discussion is related to service levels and will help guide the discussion onappropriate budget for the fire department. Minimum Service Levels While Article X3, Section 11 of the Washington State Constitution provides for general police powers for coundea, cities, and toVyns, but there is not a specific statue that provides that cities must provide fire protection services. However, as a practical rnotter, a city should provide some measure of fire protection. There are several ways in which m city could provide fire protection services: - Maintain afire department run bythe cib/a own personnel - Contract with another city, fire protection district, or regional fire authority for fire protection services - Annex directly toa fire protection district or regional fire authority with voter approval - Form a fire district coextensive with the city ortown with voter approval - Establish o regional fire authority with voter approval While nospecific state law requiresacity toprovide fire protectionaervioeo RC\8/does specify that the legislature does intend for cities to set standards for addressing the reporting and accountability of career fire departments and to specify performance measures applicable to response time objectives. 33 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 8ettinq Service Levels and Performance Objectives Washington State law (Revised Code ufWashington) explicitly states that cities any to set their own services levels and that state law does not limit each city's authority to do so. The Revised Code ofWashington (RC\&)acknowledges three entities for the "organization and deployment of resources for fire departmeOts" 1. International City/County Management Association (|CMA) 2. International Association of Fire Chiefs (|/\FC) 3. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) By formally recognizing these organizations within RCW35A.92, the State acknowledges their research and findings as resource for cities to set policy regarding the or8anizetion, number, and expectedresponse times for acareer fire department. However, adopting the service levels recommended by those organizations is vo|untary, eiDoa RCVV35A.S2.O1Oexplicitly states that "this chapter N/ 35A.A3/does not, and /s not intended to, /nanyway modify 0rlimit the authority of Cities and towns to set hnve/o of service." Therm is no relevant case law addressing RCVV 35A.92, but the City could na|y on the language therein to defend itself should it be faced with claims targeting the City's chosen level of service. State law also requires mcity and/or fire department topublish onannual re rtvvhichindUdeo the department's standards, their performance against those standards, and several other metrics (outlined below). Cities are to Set Their Own Performance and Service Level Objectives RCW Section35A.92 states that every city shall maintain a written statement or policy that establishes the following: 1. The existence cfofire department 2. The services that the fire department isrequired toprovide 3. The basic organization structure ofthe fire department 4. The expected number Qffire department employees 5. The functions that the fire department employees are expected toperform This written statement must also include service delivery and response time objectives for each ofthe following —'or service components, if appropriate: 1. Fire suppression 2. Emergency medical services 3. Special operations 4. .Aircraft rescue and firefighting 5. Marine rescue and firefighting O. VVi|d|2Ddfirefighting In 2005. legislation was enacted that requires each city establish their own response time objectives for the following measurements and states that the city shall establish m performance objective for the achievement ofeach of these measurements: 1. Turnout time 2. Response time for the first arriving engine company and for the deployment of a full first e|8nn assignment at afira suppression incident 3. Response time for the arrival of a unit with first responder or higher -level capability at an emergency nnadioa| incident 34 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 The graphic below displays the different segments of the total response time; from the factors that lead to calling 911 to when initial assigned apparatus arrive at the scene. Cascade of Events Factors iliat lead to 911 Event Initiation Point Divpatelt Time NEPA 1221 PSAP notifies etnerTeney responilv-rs IIrt>etastting Interval NETA, 1710 IFAA 'firm 1FA Tini Initial Arriving Company arrives Rponse Tittle Initial cull alarm asiiignment arrive:. State law also states that each city shall issue an annual written report that evaluates the level of service and deployment delivery and response time objectives. The evaluations shall be on data relating to: 1. Level of service 2. Deployment 3. Achievement of each response time objective for each geographic area within the City. The annual report shall also define the geographic area and circumstances whenever the standards were not met and explain the predictable consequences of any deficiencies and address steps necessary for compliance. Full copies of the applicable RCWs have been included in an attachment to this memo. Current Service Levels Provided by Tukwila Fire Department When service levels provide by the fire department are discussed, the discussion is normally centered around fire and EMS calls. However, there are other types of calls the fire department provides services for. The chart below summaries the number of calls, by type over the last few years. City of Tukwila Service Area Severe Rescue & Hazardous Weather/ Emergency Condition Public Natural Medical Svc Fire Good Intent False Alarm (no fire) Assistance Other Disaster Total 2014 3491 380 398 609 101 137 29 1 5146 2015 3747 379 539 605 97 148 37 3 5555 2016 4057 317 475 631 118 123 28 3 5752 2017 4083 299 469 713 106 145 32 4 5851 2018 4045 313 487 606 86 145 35 0 5717 35 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 4 In late 2017. the reporting system was changed for EMS calls from Fine RM8 to EGO for EMS calls. In Fire RN18, response time stopped when the unit arrived on scene. On scene means arriving atthe site, not the patient. With ES{].response time stops when the crew arrives atthe side ofthe patient. Because Ufthe change insystems and the change inwhen the response time is oonlp|eted. EMS oo|| response Urneo are only provided through 3017. A new dotauetfor comparison purposes will start with 2O18. Because EMS and fire calls account for 75% of the call volume, the discussion on response times will be focused on these two calls types. From 2014 through 2018 average response times for fire calls has been 5 minutes and 57 seconds. Average response times for EMS calls, 204-207has been slightly less at5minutes and 40seconds. The following tables show average response times by type of incident, by year. Aenoted inthe table, average response time for fire calls declined in2017and again in2O18. However, response times for EMS calls increased slightly in 2017. Fire EMS 2014 0l05:54 0:05:36 2015 8:05:57 0:05j56 2016 0IK6:06 0:05:29 2017 0:05:55 0:05:40 2018 0:05:51 - Avg. for all years 0:05:57 0:05:40 While the average raaponseUnneforbothfineandEK8SoaUsio|eoathan0rninutesforthe5-vaar period analyzed, not all calls have o response time of less than O minutes. Another way tV look at the data is to look at what percentage of call response time is less than a specific standard. The following charts provide summary information on percentage of response times that are less than orequal toOminutes. Charts are provided for both fire responses and emergency medical responses from 2014 through 2018. As the chart for fire oa||o indicates, the number of fire responses within O minutes has been increasing. HUvveVer, the number of EMS oa||o with response times within the Gminutes has declined ebit. 36 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 5 64.00% 62.00% 60.00% 58.00% 56.00% 54.00% 52.00% 50.00% 70.00% 68.00% 66.00% 64.00% 62.00% 60.00% 58.00% 56.00% 54.00% 52.00% 50.00% 55.97% Fire 2014 65.49% EMS 2014 %<=6 min on Fires 55.41% Fire 2015 55.66% Fire 2016 %<=6 min on EMS 67.01% EMS 2015 59.87% 68.08% EMS 2016 Fire 2017 61.64% Fire 2018 66.14% EMS 2017 37 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 6 By measuring response times within an 8-minute window, significantly more fire and EMS calls are within an 8-minute time frame. The following charts demonstrate that more than 80% of all fire and EMS calls have response times of 8 or less minutes. 90.00% 88.00% 86.00% 84.00% 82.00% 80.00% 78.00% 76.00% 74.00% 72.00% 70.00% 90.00% 88.00% 86.00% 84.00% 82.00% 80.00% 78.00% 76.00% 74.00% 72.00% 70.00% 86.74% Fire 2014 88.20% EMS 2014 %<=8 min on Fires 85.22% Fire 2015 87.11% Fire 2016 88.63% %<=8 min on EMS 89.04% EMS 2015 88.76% EMS 2016 Fire 2017 88.36% Fire 2018 87.88% EMS 2017 At a future meeting, comparison data on response times to other fire jurisdictions will be presented. Public Duty Doctrine 38 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 7 Under the public duty doctrine, when a city'sd ksowed tothe public adlarge (such as general fire suppression and inspection . an individual who is injured by on alleged breach of that duty has novalid claim against the City Vrits 'officer or employees. There are certain exceptions tothe public duty doctrine, such mnincases where a special relationship iacreated (such aawhen enofficer oremployee makes direct assurances toemember ofthe public under circumstances where the person justifiably relies on those assurances); or when an officer or employee, such as a building official, knows about an inherently dangerous condition, has a duty to correct it (i.e. law says that the City "shall" correct the condition), and fails to perform that duty. Taylor v. Stevens County, |ngeneral, however, governmental entity will not be |iah|8 to a private party for failure to perform duties that that are owed solely to the general public (a duty toall is a duty to no one). New and Updated Information for Auqust12,2O19 At the July 22, 2019 Finance Committee meeting, staff was asked to provide service level information qo\nqback aofar ae2OD5. The foUovvngchart show number ofcalls, broken out bY type, from 2OO5throuQh2O1O. The chart iofollowed byqnophica representation cfthe different types ofcalls over the same time period. City of Tukwila Service Area Severe Rescue & Hazardous Weather/ Condition Public � � atural Medical Svc Fire Good Intent False Alarm (no fire) Assistance Other Disaster Tots I 169 767 um 11 4932 2006 3097 wm pm om 2007 301um oso m^ uuou a000 oru ma rno 2009 3111 289 aoo sya 2010 oo*o xou 284 sso 2011 32*5 zos ezo sca 2012 3386 znV cwo 551 2013 3267 270 aos 610 2014 3*91 000 mm *oo 2015 3747 379 53e 000 2016 ^Onr 317 oro e31 2017 4083 299 *ne 713 2018 4045 313 487 Vcm 140 142 te 145 im 79 104 144 113 ma 129 81 oo 1m ss 106 118 56 76 132 m 1m 137 29 97 148 37 118 123 28 106 145 32 86 145 oo The first graph demonstrates that calls for emerqencymedical services has been inc over time. From 2005throUQh 2015. the increase was fairly Ormdu8|. However, 2014thnouqh2016 shows aoiqnifiomntincrease each year, then |evdinq off after 2O10. 39 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 8 4,300 4,100 3,900 3,700 3,500 3,300 3,100 2,900 2,700 2,500 Rescue & Emergency Medical Svc Rescue & Emergency Medical Svc Calls for fire do show o slight trend upwards while oeUo for hazardous conditions are trending o|iqhUy lower over time. Fire and Hazardous Conditions 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 GO O Fire ~---o--- Hazardous Condition ---^Uneor(Fire) ---, (Hazardous Condition The final chart qnaphioa||ydiopdaymthe ch8nqmover time for non-anlmrgenoiea While the number offalse alarms iotrending down oUqht|y,the total number offalse alarm responses still averages around 1396oftotal call volume. Calls classified aegood intent are trending u,pvvardoover time. 8onnmVMe thinks there* is an ennerqency and does the right thing by calling 911 but when unavvs arriVe, there is no ennenJency. An example of this type of call would be a report of smoke but turns out to not be o fire. Public assistance co||o differ from good intent in that a person does not have on ennarqency but calls 911 fOr'meoietmnce. Crews have been dispatched to shut off water and pump out excess water when 8resident experiences mplumbing problem. 40 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 9 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Good Intent, False Alarms, Public Assistance, Other 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Good Intent Severe Weather/ Natural Disaster, Other False Alarm Public Assistance Linear (Good Intent) Linear (False Alarm) In addition to historical data on types of calls, the following table shows changes in average response time over the same time period. Year Fire EMS 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Avg. for all years 0:06:17 0:05:33 0:05:45 0:05:44 0:05:50 0:05:32 0:05:54 0:05:43 0:06:03 0:05:46 0:06:10 0:06:04 0:06:16 0:05:46 0:06:15 0:05:44 0:06:22 0:05:45 0:05:54 0:05:36 0:05:57 0:05:56 0:06:06 0:05:29 0:05:55 0:05:40 0:05:51 0:06:03 0:05:43 While the average response time for both fire and EMS calls is less than 6 minutes for the period analyzed, not all calls have a response time of less than 6 minutes. Another way to look at the data is to look at what percentage of call response time is Tess than a specific standard. The following charts provide summary information on percentage of response times that are Tess than or equal to six minutes and less than or equal to eight minutes for the same time period. Charts are provided for both fire responses and emergency medical responses. In all four charts, 41 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 10 the number of calls within the time period specified is trending up, demonstrating that response times are improving over time. 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% 80% 78% 76% 74% 72% 70% 88.25% 82.38% %<=8 min on Fires 85.71% 85.12% . 8M? .. ...... 87.29% 88.63%88.38% 86.74%85.22% 83.21%87.11 83.68% % ••••••••,....." ............ ..... ..... 80.14% Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% 80% 78% 76% 74% 72% 70% 87.81% 86.55% 89.00% %<=8 min on EMS 89.04% 88.76% 88.20% 87.88% 86.58% 85'71% 85.73% 86.49% 86.47% 87.27% EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 42 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 11 70% 65% 59.89% 60% 55% 50.00% 50% 45% 40% 62.86% 59.93% %<=6 min on Fires 57.09% 56.27% 55.97% 55.41% 55.66% 61.64% 59.87% 43.90% 50.75% Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire Fire 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 65% 64% 63% 62% 61% 60% 63.63% 63.92% 66.61% %<=6 min on EMS 64.00% .W• 61.76% 62.09% 61.23% 61.27% 60.49% 65.49% 68.08% 67.01% 1C 66.14% EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS EMS 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 RECOMMENDATION For information only 43 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 12 ATTACHMENTS Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 35A.92 Fire Departments — Performance Measures: Attachment A: RCW 35A.92.010: Intent Attachment B: RCW 35A.92.020: Definitions Attachment C: RCW 35A.92.030: Policy Statement — Service Delivery Objectives Attachment D: RCW 35A.92.040: Annual Evaluations — Annual Report 44 INFORMATIONAL MEMO PaOef3 Attachment A: RCVV35A.92.010:|nh*nt R[VV 35A.9)2.010 The legislature intends for code cities toset standards for addressing the reporting and accountability ofsubstantially career fire departments, and to specify performance measures applicable 10response time objectives for certain major serxices.Tha|egislatureacknow|edgeS the efforts of the international city/county management association, the international association offire chiefs, and the national fire protection association for the organization and deployment of resources for fire departments. The arrival of first responders with automatic external defibrillator capability before the onset of brain death, and the arrival of adequate fire suppression resources before flash -over is a critical event during the mitigation of an emergency, and isinthe public's best interest` For these reasons, this chapter contains performance measures, comparable to that research, relating to the organization and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations, and special operations by substantially career fire departments. This chapter does not, and is not intended to, in any way modify or limit the authority of code cities to set levels of service. 45 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 14 /\ttaohrMentB: RCVV35/\S2.O2O:Definitions RCVV3SA.92.O2O Definitions. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Advanced life support" means functional provision of advanced airway management, including intubation, advanced cardiac monitoring, manual clefibrillation, establishment and maintenance of intravenous access, and drug therapy. (3) ''Aircraft rescue and firefighting" means the firefighting actions taken to rescue persons and to control or extinguish fire involving or adjacent to aircraft on the ground. (3) "Brain death" as defined by the American heart association means the irreversible death ofbrain cells that begins four tosix minutes after cardiac arrest. (4) "Code city" means a code city that provides fire protection services, which may include firefighting actions, emergency medical services, and other special operations, in a specified geographic area. (5) "Fire departnnent" means a code city fire department responsible for firefighting actions, emergency medical services, and other special operations in a specified geographic area. The department must beasubstantially career fire department, and not asubstantially volunteer fire department. (5) "Fire suppression" means the activities involved in controlling and extinguishing fires. (7) ''First responder" means rnean5 provision of initial assessment and basic first -aid intervention, including cardiac pulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator capability. (8) "Flash -over" as defined by national institute of standards and technology means when all combustibles inaroom burst into flame and the fire spreads rapidly. (9)"Marine rescue and firefighting" means the firefighting actions taken toprevent, control, or extinguish fire involved in or adjacent to a marine vessel and the rescue actions for occupants using |normal and emergency routes for egress. (1O)"Response time" means the time immediately following the turnout time that begins when units are enroute tothe emergency incident and ends when units arrive atthe scene. (11) "Special operations" means those emergency incidents to which the fire department responds that require specific and advanced training and specialized tools and equipment. (12) "Turnout time" means the time beginning when units receive notification of the emergency tothe beginning point ofresponse time. 46 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 15 /\ttachrnerdC: RCW35A.92.O3O: Policy Statement — Service Delivery Objectives R[yV35A.92.D3O Policy statennent--Service delivery objectives, (1) Every code city shall maintain a written statement or policy that establishes the following: (a)The existence ofafire department; (b) Services that the fire department is required to provide; (c)The basic organizational structure ofthe fire department; (d) The expected number offire department employees; and (e)Functions that fire department employees are expected toperform. (2) Every code city shall include service delivery objectives in the written statement or policy required under subsection (1) of this section. These objectives shall include specific response time objectives for the following major service components, if appropriate: (a) Fire suppression; (b) Emergency medical services; (c)Special operations; /d\Aircraft rescue and firefighting; (e) Marine rescue and firefighting; and /8VVj|d|and firefighting. /3A Every code city, in order to measure the ability to arrive and begin mitigation operations before the critical events of brain death orf|ash-over, shall establish time objectives for the following measurements: (a) Turnout time; (b) Response time for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident and response time for the deployment of a full first alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident; (c) Response time for the arrival of a unit with first responder or higher level capability at an emergency medical incident; and (d) Response time for the arrival of an advanced life support unit at an emergency medical incident, where this service is provided by the fire department. (4) Every code city shall also establish a performance objective of not less than ninety percent for the achievement ofeach response time objective established under subsection (3) of this section. 47 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 16 Attachment D: RCW 35A.92.040: Annual Evaluations — Annual Report R[VV35A.92.O4O Annual evaluations —Annual report. (1) Every code city shall evaluate its level of service and deployment delivery and response time objectives on an annual basis. The evaluations shall be based on data relating to level of service, deployment, and the achievement of each response time objective in each geographic area within the code city's'urisdiction. (2) Beginning in3OO7,everycodecitysha||issueanannua|vvrittenreportvvh|chsha||be based onthe annual evaluations required by subsection /1l of this section. (a) The annual report shall define the geographic areas and circumstances in which the requirements ofthis standard are not being met. (b) The annual report shall explain the predictable consequences of any deficiencies and address the steps that are necessary toachieve compliance. 48