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Home My WebLink AboutCOW 2019-09-09 Item 4D - Budget - Fire Department BudgetCOUNCIL AGENDA S YNOPSIS Inifia/c AleetiAg Date Prepared 15, Ifelior's MM ell' Collie/ r?pien, 09/09/19 Vicky ITEM INFORMATION ITEMNO. SI \ H, SpoN sow VICKY CARLSEN °Ric', 1\,'Ll AG I NDA D ‘ I I-,: 9/9/19 AG I,ND \ 11 1 'AI TI 11,1; Discuss Fire Department budget em rim 9/9 El Mo tio n „Iiis Date E Re,aution A fig Date n Ordinance 1, ik Date E Bed ,Iward \ Po e ° D d{ n Pub& I learkg AN Date 0 Other ..\ lig Date CVIIGoRY IN 1)/3 megade SPONSOR 69itlicti jAlajor LJI-IR 'e l'ire jIS Pazte PIE' I— Coll/ DCD F21-Tinan PC:--R SPoNsoR's Council is being asked to discuss the fire department budget and consider a proposed SUM \f \In budget amendment. RI A II AX 1,1) BY E C.O.W. Mtg. I-1 CIDN Comm 0 Trans &infrat4ruciure EArts Comm. DATE: 7/8/19 & 8/26/19 erg Finance COMM. E Public Safety COMM. Comm. E Planning Comm. CH \IR: MCLEOD 111 Parks COMMFFIFE RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR/ADMIN. Comm' Finance and Fire Departments ri 1 I. For Information Only COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE ExpLNDI 1 um., RI ,QUIRJ,D AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $ $ $ Fund Source: Comments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 9/9/19 MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 9/9/19 Informational Memorandum dated 8/7/19 Minutes from the 8/26/19 Finance Committee meeting 63 City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor 2 905 TO: INFOR ATIONAL E ORANDU Finance Council Committee FROM: Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director Jay Wittwer, Fire Chief CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: May 22, 2019 Updated after tJulv 8, 2019 Finance Committee meeting ( ew information begins on page 17 of this memo) SUBJECT: Fire Budget Discussion ISSUE Review current and historical Fire Department budget, staffing, and service levels to determine a sustainable model which meets the City's financial and policy goals. BACKGROUND This section provides historical information on the Fire department as well as narrative discussing several aspects of the budget development process. The final section provides the current budget projection. Current Staffing Levels Total Fire Department Staffing The 2019-2020 Budget authorizes a total of 67.0 Full -Time Equivalents (FTE's) in the Fire Department. The table below summarizes these Budgeted FTE's. Position FTE's Notes Fire Chief 1 Assistant Fire Chief 1 Battalion Chief — EOC & Fire Marshall 2 Captains (Inspectors) — Fire Marshall's Office 2 Captains — Training Consortium 2 Work with the South King County Fire Training Consortium as part of City's financial commitment Senior Project Coordinator — Fire Marshall's Office 1 Plans reviewer Assistant to the Chief 1 Administrative Support Technician 2 1 supports the Fire Chief, 1 supports the Fire Marshall's office Emergency Management Specialist 1 Battalion Chiefs — Suppression 3 One per shift Captains — Suppression 12 4 per shift, 1 per Fire Station Firefighters — Suppression 39 13 per shift Total FTE's 67 65 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 There has not been a change in the number of Budgeted FTE's since 2013. Minimum Staffing Levels - Suppression As noted in the chart above, there are several activities, such as Fire Marshall, Training, and Emergency management which have staff and budgets allocated to these services. The majority of staffing (54 FTE's) and budget is dedicated to suppression with 24/7 coverage for calls for service within the Tukwila community. This memo is focused on the Suppression services within the Fire Department. Shift Coverage - 48/96 In 2009, per the newly adopted labor agreement, the Tukwila Fire Department began operating on a 48-hour, 3 shift model, with 18 personnel assigned to each shift. This translates into a shift being on for 48 hours, then off for 96 hours, also referred to as a "48/96" model. This was a change from what is known as the Modified Detroit schedule of a 24-hour schedule. The chart below shows the shift schedule for both the 48/96 and the Modified Detroit: Example of Modified Detroit and 48/96 Schedule I1 1 ! Day 1 Day 2 i Day 3 i Day 4 i Day 5 i Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 48/96 (Current Schedule) On 10n 1Off 10ff :Off 1Off I Then repeats Modified Detroit On ;Off ; On ;Off I On ;Off ;Off ; Off Then repeats Minimum Staffing Per current policy, the minimum staffing level is for 13.0 FTE. Each station has three firefighters (one Captain and two firefighters) who respond to calls with engines or the ladder, with the battalion chief stationed at Station 51. When staffing level for the shift is at least 15, the aid car can be placed in service, which increases the level of service and can reduce response time by having an additional unit in service. The chart below summarizes daily staffing levels based on the number of FTE's available. Station Apparatus Minimum Staffing 13.0 FTE Additional Staffing 14.0 FTE Aid Car Staffing 15.0 FTE FS 51 Battalion Chief 1 1 1 FS 51 Engine FS 52 Engine 3 3 3 FS 53 Engine 3 3 3 FS 54 Ladder 3 4 FS 54 Aid Car 0 0 2 Total Staffing 13 14 15 When the City added pipeline positions in 2014 (discussed below), an additional 3 to 5 (unbudgeted) FTE were added. Currently, the policy is to fill up to 3 pipeline positions, which effectively increases the staffing to 19 personnel per shift. For each shift of 19 FTE, there are two slots set aside for vacation and two slots set aside for Kelly Days (explained below). That leaves an additional two slots available for education leave 66 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 or sick leave before staffing falls to rDiDiFOu[n staffing of 13. When @dddkzno| aid( legve. Kelly days, training days, or other activities occur that reduce staffing below 13. the current policy is that other staff are called in on overtime to maintain the minimum staffing level. Summary of Current Shift � Shift 15_, Total Staff per Shift 19 19 19 Less: Vacation Slots -2 -2 -2 Less: Kelly Day Slots -2 -2 '2 Staffing Level Prior boUnexpected Leaves 15 15 15 Minimum Staffing 13 13 13 Slots Available for Unplanned Leave 2 2 2 KellvOay A Kelly Day is an additional day provided to meet FLSA and contractual requirements. Due to FLGA ru|eo, each personnel are provided m certain number of "Kelly [)aye^, which is a day off during mnFL8Aperiod, and are scheduled ahead oftime similar toaplanned vacation day. Each FL@Acycle ia24days and only one Kelly Day may b8scheduled each FLSAperiod. Kelly Days do not carry over into a new year. Starting in 2009. the total number of Kelly Days per each position is 14 days. This was an increase from 13 per the prior labor agreement, which was provided iOlieu 0f81%pay increase. Pipeline Positions |nMarch 2O14.the Council approved the use of pipelinepuaitions. The pipeline positions were intended to create potential cost savings and increase operational effectiveness. When a firefighter retires, the individual in the pipeline can Step into the vacated position. When arecruit enters the academy. it can take between six and nine months before m recruit is fully trained. These pipeline positions were approved by Council at the March 3, 2014 meeting. |nJuly 2O16iO expectation of additional retirements and inemeffort tureduce overtime usage, the Council increased this blauthorize anadditional 2Upto5pipeline positions. |naJune 201G mennu, it was stated that through the middle of the year, the department had filled 55 24-hour overtime shifts due tominimum staffing requirements. If the three pipeline positions had not been in eXisteDce, the department would have filled 132 24-houroVerti0e shifts due to 0iDimVDl staffing issues. The memo also stated that because ofthe pipeline positions, the aid car was in service more frequant|y, increasing service levels to the communities. The additional pipeline positions would enhance the department's capability to keep up with pending retirements and is more efficient and cost effective than the utilization of excessive overtime. The chart below shows total authorized positions and pipeline positions. The additional pipeline positions add to the number of firefighters available per shift. 67 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 4 Staffing level considerations There are several factors which come into play when be|mnoiOQ current staffing levels for suppression. Vacation leave Per oonbGct, each personnel are guaranteed a certain level of vacation leave. The table below shows the average usage of total vacation leave per year, by hours. As you can See vacation hours use has slowly increased over the years with mslight reduction in2O18. Per the labor union agneement, personnel may Gocun1U|@ta up to two y8eno of accrued vacation. For example, if firefighter accrues two weeks per year, they can accumulate up to four weeks of accrued vacation. The exception to this rule is if an employee had scheduled as many as two work cycles or less vacation and then was unable to take such vacation due to serious illness/injury, the employee may exceed the two-year maximum bythat amount with the understanding that (1)the employee will bring their vacation b8|@DC8 within the two-year 0aXi0Unl within an agreed UpDD period Of time of return to work. The City does have apolicy regarding vacation accrual, but hiespecific tonon-union employees. The policy states that an employee may accumulate up to a maximum of 384 hours (48 days) of accrued vacation leave. Vacation time earned inexcess nfsaid maximum limit shall beused or forfeited. The policy goes contain a statement that reads: "union employees shall accrue vacation per their labor contract in instances where it may differ from these provisions". Vacation Hours Taken Suppression Only zms - 2010 011 2012 2013 014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Kellv D@y Per the contract and FLSA guidelines, GS described earlier, the number of Kelly Days per personnel has remained constant Et14since 2DOS. The table below shows the average usage of total Kelly Days per year as expressed in hours. As you can see this has remained fairly consistent 8tabout 10thouoaMd per year. Kelly [)ay usage increased in 2010 and 2017a/ong with the increase in pipeline positions. Further analysis is Deeded to determine why Kelly Day usage decreased iO2O18. 68 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 5 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 Kelly Hours Taken Suppression Only 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Tra|ninq/[therUsaqe There is required training and other education which firefighters complete each year. Some of this is done during normal scheduled work hours, while others impact daily staffing levels. The number ofhours for training and education outside ofthe normal work schedule iashown below. As the chart demonstrates, overtime training hours is not consistent from year to year with it ranging from a low ofapproximately 2BGtoa high ofover 1.1OO in 2017. 1,200 1,000 mm 600 400 om o Training OT HOU[I Suppression Only 2017 2010 2011 JUIZ 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Training Hours n/a 296 323 973 510 912 676 1,119 586 Sick Leave and Lonq-TemODisability Sick leave can change bvday and bvshift. Below are two charts depicting sick leave hours from 2O1Othrough 2O19. The first chart compares January through April iMall years and the second one compares January through December from 2010 through 2018 and January through April for 2019. Both charts combine regular sick |o@V8 with long-term disability as our financial system 69 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 6 does not segregate long-term disability from sick leave. Along with long-term disability, sick leave usage appears to be trending upward with the trend beginning in 2015. As the table below shows, the number of hours of sick leave has increased from just over 10,000 hours in 2010 to a peak of 14,000 hours in 2018. Sick leave usage can have a significant staffing and budget impact, especially if covered through overtime staffing. 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 2010 2011 2012 Sick Hours Taken Suppression Only 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sick Hours 8,549 9,668 9,506 9,614 11,356 11,085 12,091 13,141 13,699 Using sick leave usage through April 2019, the projection is for a similar usage of sick leave in 2019 as was experienced in 2018. 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2010 2011 2012 Sick Hours Taken Jan -April Suppression Only 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Sick Hours 2,601 3,551 2,739 3,608 4,125 3,616 4,968 4,887 5,997 5,828 Long -Term Disability Whereas sick leave is intended for a short period of time, there is also the case when a firefighter is out for a longer period of time due to an injury, health issue, or other issue. 70 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 7 48/1D-? 1/7/19'6nM8 3/2M8'7/1/19 5/1019-?(intermi8enV 1/21/19 4/2019 2/5/19 4/1019 3/18/19'5/5/19 1/16;9' 2n9/18 5/15n9'7/1/19 One factor contributing bJthe budget situation this year iathe number offirefighters out onlong- term d|sabi|ib/, which we have defined as at least one consecutive nlo[dh of sick leave. 0e|ovv is aohart that shows how many firefighters are out on long-term disability each month. The chart io an estimate through June and only reflects those currently out onextended leave. Names have been removed for privacy. Data onlong-term disability for prior years will bepresented atalater date one the research has been completed. -As the table shows, in January there is one firefighter at on long-term disability, whereas in March and April there were four to seven firefighters out on long-term disability. Dates ' January' February `��'�May,��June ' v ! ! ! | i i i i i i i FF1 pF2 FF3 FF4 pp5 FFO FF7 FFO FF9 ! � Retirements/Leaves of Service and New Hires for Suppression Each year. individuals leave the department due to ndinanlant, another opportunity or unfortunede/y, due to a death but the Oapmrtnnart also makes new hires. On average, the Department loses one to three firefighters per year and seeks to maintain consistent staffing levels byhiring new employees. When the Department hires anew firefighter, they first have toundergo approximately four months of training before they are deemed qualified as available for service. While the new firefighter is not able to fill a roster spot on o shift during these initial four months. they are paid salary and benefits. The chart ba/oxv compares the Department's departures and hires for the time period 2010 th[oUgh2O18. m o u « z o Departures& Hires All FoSince omz 2010 2011 2012 2013 ,mw 2015 2016 2017 ,mu unp 9nep="re" 2m°" 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Departures o a o o a a o o a a mes 2 1 4 4 3 9 6 3 6 2 71 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 8 Deployments Another factor that affects staffing levels is deployments. When a natural disaster occurs somewhere else, often we will send firefighters to assist with recovery. Some recent examples include responding to the Oso disaster in our own state and the hurricanes that occurred on the east coast last year. When firefighters are deployed to assist with recovery, they are typically gone for several days which affects staffing levels. Most often, the City is reimbursed for the costs associated with these deployments but occasionally, the City is not reimbursed for all costs. Additional information on deployments will be provided at a later date. Summary of Staffing Considerations Overtime Usage Overtime is used to ensure that minimum staffing is met due to any reason, from vacation, Kelly Days, sick leave, long-term disabilities, retirements, or other issues. For example, when a firefighter goes out on long-term disability for an extended length of time (at least one month), the usual two slots available for education and sick leave drops to one. When more than one firefighter on the same shift is on long-term disability, any firefighter calling in sick automatically results in minimum staffing overtime. The overtime usage has fluctuated over time. The table below shows the number of minimum staffing overtime hours used 2011 through 2018 (overtime hours were not tracked per project code until 2011). 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 41 2011 2012 Minimum Staffing OT Hours Suppression Only 2013 4441444411 .441..4444 2014 2015 .1414411144444 2016 2017 41414444411411 2018 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Min Staff OT hours n/a 4,735 5,102 8,337 7,040 6,680 3,709 2,876 6,458 The following chart shows total overtime by category. Minimum staffing overtime can range from around 30% of total overtime to over 60% of total overtime. 72 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 9 � * Minimum Staffing * Misc *cn"ipment Overtime Categories 96nfWhole, byHours 2013 P Training 61%M U No PA Code 211, ie,' Meetings In Disaster Response 0cthc, Nneimbuoable City Events N Fire Investigation 0 Shift Extension wait= Overtime 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Grand Total Minimum Staffing E,167 5'648 9,325 7359 6'968 3,972 3'024 6,678 48,140 Training 599 595 1,333 926 I'855 955 1'453 1'066 8'78I Meetings 1,210 1'205 1,372 803 695 793 907 600 7'584 Disaster Response 239 ]D 4,031 89 26 1'439 416 6'268 K8iso 503 235 777 1'469 I'824 1,165 7I1 318 6'I0I NoPACode 398 188 778 21 432 639 211 80 2'746 Other 198 33 45 127 283 406 940 2'031 Reimbursable 161 142 163 197 221 250 214 488 1'835 Equipment 87 123 284 573 180 131 147 112 1'635 City Events 174 Z]% 260 226 175 125 209 55 1'455 Fire Investigation 164 lZG 73 307 175 206 237 161 1'447 Shift Extension 247 67 155 218 126 174 81 132 I'20I The cost of overtime has increased due to the change in usage and also the increase in average compensation over the past few years. /\ethe table shovvs, the o0St per hour has consistently 73 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 10 $1,000,000 $900,000 $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $0 Total Overtime $ Paid 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Overtime $ $/H r $60.00 $58.00 $56.00 $54.00 $52.00 $50.00 $48.00 $46.00 $44.00 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Overtime $ $407,964 $446,557 $440,553 $754,079 $857,927 $658,738 $495,855 $514,312 $647,876 Overtime Hours 8,221 8,907 8,831 14,592 16,127 12,065 8,717 9,038 11,046 $/Hr $ 49.63 $ 50.13 $ 49.89 $ 51.68 $ 53.20 $ 54.60 $ 56.89 $ 56.90 $ 58.65 A key administrative and policy question is what can be done to reduce the overtime usage and costs going forward. Budget Process The Finance staff budgets for personnel costs as well as liability insurance and fleet costs. Fire staff budget supplies and services. All departments develop their budgets within the parameters set by Administration and Council. When Finance drafts the budget for personnel, all approved positions are fully funded at the existing labor agreement rate schedules plus an estimate for COLA increases. Benefits are adjusted based on known or estimated rate increases. Positions that are not at the top step include an increase in both salary and benefits to account for any step increases due during the biennium. Any vacant position is budgeted at the lowest step plus benefits and medical at the full family rate. Overtime is typically budgeted at previous year levels unless a department can prove the need for additional budget. One change in how overtime was budgeted occurred with the 2017-2018 biennium. Prior to 2017, the overtime budget line item included both overtime and associated benefits. Beginning with the 2017 budget, the overtime line item is strictly overtime pay. Benefits associated with overtime are budgeted in the correct benefit line. There are a few items that are not budgeted and which the City departments are expected to absorb the difference within their original adopted budget. • Pipeline positions are not budgeted. It is expected that these costs will be offset by a reduction in overtime costs and usage. • As a policy, the City also does not budget for pending or possible retirements, specifically the vacation and sick leave payouts. 74 INFORMATIONAL MEMO •The budget does not include funds for possible deployments. Typically,the budget will be amended once costs and reimbursement information can be estimated. Often. reimbursement funds are not received until the following year. ° The City does not usually amend the adopted budget to account for any labor agreements that settle wages higher than what is included in the adopted budget. Departments are expected to absorb the difference. BudQetA0end0oOt The fire department budget has been amended every year since 2O12. The amendments range in amounts from a low mf$85thousand in 2010to @ high Of$1 million in 2014. The average budget amendment for the department iaabout $5OOthousand. The chart below shows the total original adopted budget followed by a breakdown of amendments by year. One item b)note on budget amendments is that inthe first year of the biennial budget,the budget amendment will often be carried forward into the second year of the budget cycle. This can be seen in 2015 and 2018vvhen overtime was increased both years and again in 2017 and 2018 when budget was provided for pipeline positions. Fire B6dgqtA0endmentDe'taiIs, Revenue (ReVe Amended 2010 10,212,773' - 85,00 - ' ' - 85,000 10,297,773 -----`-`-`------------------------------------------- `-`---`-`-`-`---`---`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`--- %M1 9,948,846- ' - ' - - - -9,948,846 ---`-------`-`---------`-`-`-`-`-`-----`-`-`---`-------`---`-`-'-----`-`---`-`---`-`-`-`-`- 2V121 234788 ____�u1�33G0�0n_____�________�________�__.___3%\9G 10,542,961 ________________ 2013 1 - 200,000 ' ' ' - - 200,000 10,447,976 -`-----`--------------------- --`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`---`---`-`---`---`-`-`-`-`-`---`-`-`-`- 20U5 11 - 300�OO - ' ' ' 74O�OU 11 ,796,925 ______________________________________________________________________________ 20161 _______�___��»�___ _37�V 11,710,304 2017 11,862,568_______�______�________�___3n�00 _ ______�______�o�D ____4OU�0O 12,262,568 __ 12,541,640 XM8__1 _______�______�______O�0�____�____2��O_______�______4�0�____3��4 __ 2019 12,473.387 - 12,473387 Additional details OOthe "Other Adjustments" column is as follows: ^2O1O:Increase Of$85K for fleet O&M * 2012: $21.O83for reinstating .25FTE * 2014: $340Kb} fund LEOFF retiree medical and 840Kto odd fire permits to TRAkJT. * 2015: 80K for vacation payouts (not related to service separations), $21 OK for payouts due to aen/ioa separation, and 9UKfor associated benefits. Also includes $6DKfor radio purchases w2O10: $90K for vacation payouts (not related to service separations), $220K for payouts due toservice separation, and 83Kfor associated benefits. r2018: $6BktDbudget for transfer tofiremen's pension fund 75 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 12 2O18PmiectedYear-End Staff is preparing G projected year-end 0Qd8| along with a discussion on the assumptions that will beincluded inthe model. The model will be completed and presented atafuture meeting. New information for JU|y8.2D19 Mutual Aid In addition b]the Citv's fi[8fightO[S responding tVemergency incidents within the bOUOd8heG of the City, the crews also respond to, and receive, mutual aid. Mutual aid provided is when the City's firefighters respond to an emergency incident in another jurisdiction's boundaries. K8UtUa| aid received is when firefighters from other jurisdictions respond into the City's area to respond to an incident. The charts below graphically display mutual aid given and received on a City -Wide basis, by ]uhodiction, and by station. Data provided is from 2014 through 2018. The first chart demonstrates that, in tctm|. the City provides more mutual that what is received. For the period shown, the City responded to a total of 3.304 mutual aid ceUa and received a total of2.O22 received, a net difference of 572. mm 700 600 500 400 sou onu mu 2014 20I4-20I8 Mutual Aid EMutual Aid Given � � 2016 utua|Aid Received Another way to }DOk at mutual aid is to analyze 0UtU8| aid given and received, but by jurisdiction. As the chart below indicates, the City responds into King County Fire District #20 (Sand the Renton RFAmore than the City receives aid. Conversely, Puget Sound RF4provides the City more mutual aid than the City provides the A|FA. 76 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 13 Entities included in the "Other" category include the following: Black Diamond FD #17, Boeing Fire, Enumclaw FD, King County Medic One, KCFD #43, Port of Seattle, Seattle Fire, South King Fire, Valley RFA, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue, and Woodinville. While the number of calls in many of these areas are minimal, it does demonstrate that the City of Tukwila fire department can respond to calls in areas that do not border the City. 2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 610 156 11 1,572 1,806 Mutual Aid by Jurisdiction 2014 - 2018 (summarized) 62 206 KCFD 420 (Skyway) North Highline Puget Sound RFA Given e Received 365 Renton FD 415 289 Other The final mutual aid chart looks at the same data as the chart above but displays the data by station. While, in total, the City gives more mutual aid than is received, both Station 52 and Station 54 receive more mutual aid than provide mutual aid, however, Stations 51 and 53 respond to more mutual aid calls that receive. It is also worth noting that Station 52 gives and receives the least amount of mutual aid than any other station. This could be relevant information since one of the policy choices presented includes reducing staffing levels at this station. 77 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 14 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 SO 0 Given 2014 340 2015 410 2016 286 2017 259 2018 273 MUTUAL AID BY STATION GIVEN AND RECEIVED 51 Mutual Aid 51- Mutual Aid 52 - Mutual Aid 52 - Mutual Aid 53 - Mutual Aid 53 - Mutual Aid 54 - Mutual Aid Received Given Received Given Received Given 122 28 55 122 12 33 110 24 37 115 22 45 137 29 51 54- Mutual Aid Received 105 102 133 287 142 79 153 279 153 91 203 338 169 95 209 284 118 89 223 302 Schedule for Future Meetings Additional topics related to the fire department that will be presented at future meetings. Below is a tentative schedule with meeting dates and topics: July 22, 2019: Existing service levels for Tukwila fire department August 12, 2019: Cost and service level comparison to other fire/EMS service providers August 28, 2019: Options for service levels and how to fund the different service level options A memo on the fire marshal's office will also be presented as a topic for discussion at the July 22, 2019 meeting. DISCUSSION To begin the discussion on next steps to address the fire department's projected overbudget situation, two options regarding policy are being presented below as possible ways to keep the fire department within budget. Additional options could be presented at a later date. Policy Discussion There are some policy choices that relate to both the fire department budget as well as levels of service. As discussed above, there are a few items that, as a policy, the City does not budget for when drafting the biennial budget: • Pipeline positions — salary and benefits for an entry level firefighter is approximately $98 thousand. • Known retirements — based on current information, payouts in June are expected to be approximately $72 thousand total for three firefighters. Additionally, the current policy sets minimum staffing levels at 13 per shift. If staffing falls below 13, minimum staffing overtime is triggered. 78 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 15 Two suggestions that could keep the Fire department within budget follow. 1) Increase budget/revenues to support current level of service and staffing The first method would be to increase the fire department's budget to include funding for the pipeline positions and add budget for retirements that have already occurred in 2019 as well as those that are planned for later in the year. Funds could either come from increasing existing revenue sources, adding new revenue sources, decreasing budgets in other departments, or a combination of all the above. 2) Decrease minimum staffing level to 12 on days when minimum staffing is not met A policy option for the Fire Department would be to change the level of service to 12 rather than 13. When minimum staffing is below 13, rather than calling in one shift of overtime, the Fire Station 52 aid car could be placed in service rather than an engine. The aid car can respond to most calls but the reduction in service would come into play when a fire call comes from Station 52's area. An engine from another station would become the first due in unit, lengthening the response time. Engine 52 is also the second in engine for most fire calls in the City. If this engine is swapped out for the aid car, this will cause a delay in a second engine arriving on scene, putting the first -in unit at risk. The "two in - two out" rule by the State OSHA / L& I, is required for entry into a hazardous environment, such as a fire. Each of Tukwila's fire units are staffed at 3, a second staffed fire unit is needed. Fireground staffing levels (NFPA 1710) will also be affected, which will require an increase of aid from our neighboring fire agencies. From January 1, 2019 through April 30, 2019, there were 60 days when minimum staffing was below 13, resulting in minimum staffing overtime. Each shift of overtime costs approximately $1,400. If, on those 60 days, minimum staffing was reduced to 12 and the aid car placed in service, total savings in overtime costs would have been $84 thousand. Below is a chart showing fire calls by type that Station 52 engine responded to from 2014 through 2018. The chart represents first -in calls only and does not include fire calls were Station 52 was the second in engine. As demonstrated by the second chart, Station 52 responds to the fewest fire calls of all four stations. On average, this station responds as first in on 48 fire calls a year. 79 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 16 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 12 Station 52 Fire Responses by Type 10 12 12 8 8 Structure Vehicle & mobile Cooking property 185 6 114 100 126 53 • 2014 56 25 7 9 10 5 5 5 2 r4:1 3 Natural Rubbish & Vegetation Dumpsters 2015 02016 2017 III 2018 Fire Calls by Station By Year with Average Response Times 4i38 44 62 62 63 I I I I 72 57 101 76 6 7 4 Other types 102 85 0:07:12 0:06:29 0:05:46 0:05:02 0:04:19 86 0:03:36 00253 0:02:10 0:01:26 0:00:43 0:00:00 51 51 51 51 51 52 52 52 52 52 53 53 53 53 53 54 54 54 54 54 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 MEM Fire Calls -Response Time New Option: Fully Fund Current Service Levels Another option available would be to fully fund the current service levels in the following manner: 1) As previously mentioned, the current staffing model includes 19 24-hour personnel per shift. Between 2013 and 2018, the average number of overtime hours worked was 12,000 across all divisions within the fire department. Assuming an hourly rate of $60 per hour, to fully fund overtime at the average number of overtime hours worked annually, the total overtime budget would be $720 thousand. The current overtime budget for 2019 is $531 thousand. If the budget were trued up to reflect the average number of overtime hours worked, the budget should be increased an additional $189 thousand. Adjusting benefits would add an additional $24 thousand for a total increase in budget of $213 thousand. 80 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 17 'ditime, ours Overtime $ 407,964 446,557 440,553 754,079 857,927 658,738 495,855 514,312 647,876 Overtime Hours 8,221 8,907 8,831 14,592 16,127 12,065 8,717 9,038 11,0* Cost per Hour *euo 50.13 49� 89 m.m 53.20 54.60 56.89 56.90 58.65 720,000 12,000 60.00 29 Fund the cost associated with the academy. The length ofthe academy ia approximately 18 weeks and during those vveeka, the fire department carries the full cost of the recruit (salary and benefits of approximately $40 thousand in total) but does not receive a level of service in return. Budget could baprovided tocover the costs mfthe academy. Budget for four recruits would add $18Othousand tothe existing budget. 3) Fund the cost of separations of service (retirements, etc.). Because current policy requires nnininnunn staffing of 13, the fine department must absorb the costs of separations without reducing service levels. To dete, the department is ovvmne of three upcoming retirements with estimated payouts totaling $72 thousand. Adding budget of$1OOthousand would cover not only known separations but provide some funding for possible future separations. Tosummarize, to fully fund current service levels, total budget of $473 thousand would be added to the 2019 budget. Future budget years would include these G@nl8 iOcnaoSeS with COLA adjustments factored in. True upovertime $213.000 Fund academy 180.000 Fund service separations 100.000 Total increase in budget $473,000 New Information for AugUst2O. 2019 Fire Expenditure BudOet The proposal for the items listed ebove, true up of overtime, acadanny, and service oeperations, are needed tofund existing service levels and would be proposed for both 3O19and 2O2O, If the same levels of service are nnointainad, these adjustments would be rolled into future budgets. The final proposed budget amendment would include an estimated COLA adjustment for 2O2O for all three items. In addition tothese qnqoinO annendrnents, staff will be reoornmendinq one-time amendments, specific to2O1S. Two revenue -backed items and one unbudqetmdsiOnificantevent (not revenue - backed) occurred this year. For the propane tank incident. the Fire Department incurred approximately $11.500 in costs that will be reimbursed by the responsible Party. The fine department also incurred approximately $7,800 in costs associated with an unexpected structural code compliance issue that will be reimbursed by the |ooe| business, The snowstorm event resulted in $30.600 in unbudqeted expenditures for the Fire Department that will not be reimbursed tothe Qty. 81 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 18 Total recommended budget amendments are as follows: Proposed Budget Amendments 2019 2020 Ongoing $473,000 $496,650 Propane Incident 11,500 Code Compliance Issue 7,800 Snowstorm 30 600 Total Proposed Amendment $522,900 496,650 Revenue Budget In addition to increasing the expenditure budget for the fire department, staff recommends that that the Fire Department begin billing for revenues previously authorized by Council. • False Alarms • Recovery of hazardous incident response costs Another revenue source available to the City is be an ambulance transport fee similar to what other cities in Zone 3 currently collect. Staff will work with the Fire Department to write a contract with the private ambulance companies to collect the fee, The addition of these revenues could partially offset the additional expenditures being requested by the fire department, thereby lessening the impact to the general fund. Service Levels Another policy decision is related to service levels. Staff will be bringing forward information on existing service levels to the Public Safety committee in the near future. This information will be beneficial in discussing the Fire department budget. To enhance the discussion on service levels, staff is gathering data on call statistics. Some of the information being gathered is call types by year and calls by station. Detailed call statistics will help guide future discussions on how best to address the budget situation with the fire department. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) The NFPA is a non-profit organization that convenes committees comprised of fire service -related professionals for the purpose of developing fire, electrical, and other life -safety standards. These standards are often utilized to make policy decisions regarding staffing and service levels. NFPA 1710 provides minimum standards related to the organization and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations, and special operations by career (paid) fire departments. Standards recommended by NFPA 1710 are summarized below and represent the resources necessary to provide the highest probability of a successful and safe outcome. • Single-family dwellings: minimum 14 members, 15 if aerial is used • Open strip malls and garden -style apartments: minimum 27 members, 28 if aerial is used • High-rise with highest floor greater than 75 ft above lowest level of fire apparatus access: minimum 42 members, 43 if building is equipped with a fire pump. In addition to reviewing NFPA standards on staffing levels, it is important to review incidents and response times. As the chart below indicates, from 2014 through 2017, the number of incidents each year increased. However, in 2018 the total number of incidents decreased. It is too early to know if 2018 was an anomaly or the start of a new trend. 82 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 19 Along with the increase in incidents, response times also increased in apparent correlation with the increase in incidents except for 2017. In 2017 average response time actually decreased. 6000 5800 - 5600 5400 - 5200 5000 4800 0:05:50 2014 0:06: 0062 52 2015 2016 Total Incidents 40 0:(:16:12 2017 2018 0,.Avg Resp Time 0:06:29 0:06:20 0:06:12 0:06:03 0:05:54 0:05:46 0:05:37 0:05:28 Another trend in service levels worth noting is that the average duration of an incident has been declining over time. The shorter duration on calls helps to mitigate the impacts of increased call volume on average response times. 83 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 20 6000 5800 5600 5400 5200 5000 4800 5156 2014 RECOMMENDATION For information only 2015 5752 2016 5840 2017 Total Incidents — -Avg Duration 2018 0:38:53 0:37:26 0:36:00 0:34:34 0:33:07 0:31:41 84 City of Tukwila City Council Finance Committee FINANCE COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes August 26, 2019 - 5:30 p.m. - Hazelnut Conference Room, City Hall Councilmembers: Thomas McLeod, Chair; DeSean Quinn, Kathy Hougardy Staff: David Cline, Vicky Carlsen, Jay Wittwer, Chris Flores, Bruce Linton, Tony Cullerton, Jeff Friend, Laurel Humphrey, Jeremy Brecher-Haimson CALL TO ORDER: Chair McLeod called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. I. PRESENTATIONS II, BUSINESS AGENDA A. Fire Department Budget Committee members and staff continued discussion of the Fire Department budget. If the Council chooses to fund the existing service levels, it will need to authorize a budget amendment totaling $522,900 for 2019 and $496,650 for 2020. These amendments would increase overtime ($213K), funding the Fire Academy ($160K), funding service separations (100K), a COLA adjustment for these items in 2020, and unbudgeted significant events: the propane tank incident (reimbursable), snowstorms (non -reimbursable), and a structural code compliance issue (reimbursable). In addition to increasing the expenditure budget, staff recommends that the Fire Department begin billing for false alarms and recovery of hazardous incident response costs as previously authorized by Council. Another source of revenue is an ambulance transport fee similar to what other Zone 3 cities collect. These revenues will lessen the impact to the general fund. Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about minimum staffing, which is 13.0 FTE per current policy. Currently 18 personnel are funded per shift, which includes vacation and Kelly days. Chair McLeod asked if those on leave due to injuries can do administrative/light duty work. Staff replied that is occurring more frequently this year. Chair McLeod pointed out the policy question of determining what can be done to reduce overtime usage going forward. The bookends provided to Committee in May were to either fund the Department as it currently operates, or consider dropping minimum staffing down to 12 on days when only 12 report to shift. Chair McLeod referenced the potential impact to other departments if budget is added to Fire. He asked where budget would come from to cover the cost of funding the academy, and staff replied either reducing other departments or identifying a new revenue source. Councilmember Seal asked what it means to fund the academy and staff replied that it is the salary and benefits of those in the academy as well as overtime costs associated with being shorthanded. Councilmember Quinn asked about how Police covers academy costs and staff replied that it is 85 Finance Committee Minutes August 26, 2019 absorbed in their budget. He also stated it would be helpful. to have costs broken out in greater detail so the Council can better anticipate the budget. Finance staff is working to update the chart of accounts for greater transparency. Councilmember Quinn asked if service separations are identified separately so they can be appropriately offset. Staff replied that separations can be costly and departments are expected to absorb them by cutting back in other areas. Councilmernber Quinn stated that the Fire Department has requested significant budget amendments each year since 2012 and these proposed amendments reveal the true cost of service. Councilmeniber Seal pointed out that when the Department begins charging for false alarms again, the business community will direct any backlash to the Council. Councilmember Quinn said that the Council needs to give financial direction and structure to Fire and in return will need some guarantees. Chair McLeod stated support for the additional revenue sources proposed by staff as well as a more robust annual report as outlined in the RCW. FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. B. Resolution: Fire Department Fee Schedule Staff is seeking Council approval of a resolution that would update the Fire Department fee schedule by adjusting current fees and adding new fees to more closely align with other jurisdictions in the region. Fees are intended to recover a portion of the City's costs for services such as fire permits, plan review, and inspections. At its August 12,2019 meeting, the Committee requested staff return with a different proposal for short term permits following Councilrnernber Quinn's comments expressing concern about deterring the types of activities the City would in fact like to attract. The revised proposal retains short-term permit at the current fee of $25.00. Staff noted that there is some statewide movement to address permitting of food trucks and the City is monitoring that activity. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. C. Fire Department Special Operations Staff provided an overview of the special operations that the Fire Department has provided in the past as well as in the transition toward Zone 3 regionalization. Tukwila has been a leader in the state to specialize in hazardous materials and rescue efforts, responding to calls including the Oklahoma City bombing, World Trade Center emergency, and the OSO mudslide. The Zone 3 Technical Rescue Response model was formalized in 2004-2005, which organizes and coordinates responding agencies. Tukwila has a responsibility toward training and special operations as its contribution to the region. Chair McLeod asked about budgetary impacts of specialized training, and staff estimates courses cost $50,000 or less each year. Deployments are reimbursed at or nearly 1000/0. Chair McLeod asked about water rescue training on the Columbia River and staff responded that this was done once in 2010 during a flooding threat, Chair McLeod recommended a presentation to the full Council on July activities. DISCUSSION ONLY. 86