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Home My WebLink AboutCOW 2019-10-28 Item 3C - Budget - Fire Department Budget ConsiderationsCOUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS ----- ------------------ -Initials - AlcetinsDate Prepared 4 Maye -'s .eview Council r, ,lea, 09/09/19 Vicky K I 10/28 19 Vicky , ITEM INFORMATION ITEM No, 3.C. STAPP SPONSOR: VICKY CARLSEN ORIGINAL AGF,NDA DATE: 9/9/19 AckNDA ITI1 TIFIM, Discuss Fire Department budget 9/9 El Motion ilitLg Dale 11 Resolution A 11gDate 0 Ordinance AltgDale E Bic/Apar,/ Aug Date E Public Hearing ANDate El Other Aug Dale C \ 1 l',GORY a Discuss/on AliDate SPONSOR ECozincil EMayor FfR EDCD OFInance Fire FiTS • Pe.--R Police PiV ECounl SP oNsoie S Council is being asked to discuss the fire department budget and consider a proposed SummARy budget amendment. Rky Ir \\ID BY [ COAX'. I\Itg. I— CDN Comm E Trans &Infrastructure Arts Comm. DATE: 7/8, 8/26, 10/28 IA Finance Comm. E Public Safety Comm. Comm, E Planning Comm. CHAIR: MCLEOD [ Parks COMMITTEE SPONSOR/ADNIIN. CONIMITIEk Finance and Fire Departments RECOMMENDATIONS: For Information Only COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE EXMNDI CUR' RIQUIRF.1) AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $ $ $ Fund Source: Comments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 9/9/19 Forwarded back to Finance Committee 10/28/19 MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 9/9/19 Informational Memorandum (updated after 7/8/19 Finance Committee) Minutes from the 8/26/19 Finance Committee meeting 10/28/19 Attachments as listed above 23 24 City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor TO: INFOR ATIONAL EMORANDU Finance Council Committee FROM: Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director Jay Wittwer, Fire Chief CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: May 22, 2019 Updated after July 8, 2019 Finance Committee meeting I ew infor ation 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 Assistant Fire Chief 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 25 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 There has not been a change in the number of Budgeted FTE's since 2013. Minimum Staffinq Levels -Suppression As noted in the chart obova, there are several actk/itiea, such as Fine Marshall, Training. and Emergency management which have staff and budgets allocated to these services. The majority of staffing (54 FTE'o) and budget is dedicated to suppression with 24/7 coverage for calls for service within the Tukwila community. This memo iafocused oM'the Suppression services within the Fine Department. Shift Coveraqe-4O/98 |n2OO9, per the newly adopted labor agreement, the Tukwila Fire Department began operating ono4O-hour.3shift model, with 18personnel assigned toeach shift. This translates into ashift being on for4R hOurs, then off for 90houna. also referred to as o ''48/98" 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 48/8Sand the Modified Detroit: Examole of Modified Detroit and 48196 Schedule ! / | | 48/96(Cune«' Schedule) On :On :Off :Off 'O# :Off / | l | | | | Then repeats Modified Detroit On :O� |�� :O� :On |o� |D� :Off Then repeats . . . . . . . MinimumGtaffirq Per current policy, the minimum staffing level h*for 13.OFTE. 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 8teUmn 51. When staffing level for the shift is8tleast 15, the aid car can be placed in 8en/ice, which increases the level of service and can reduce response time by having an additional unit in service. The chart ba|oxv oUnnnlaricos daily staffing levels based on the number ofFTE'savailable. 8fmUon Apparatus Minimum Staffing 13]]FTE Additional Staffing 14.0FTE Aid Car Staffing 15.0FTE FS 51 1 1 1 Battalion Chief FS51 Engine 3 3 3 FS52 Engine 3 3 3 F853 Engine 3 3 3 FS 54 Ladder 3 4 3 FS54 Aid Car O O 2 Total Staffing 13 14 15 When the City added pipeline positions in 2014 (discussed be|mw), an additional 3 to 5 /unbudAeted> FTEvvema added. Currently,the policy is tOfill uphz 3 pipeline posUUonn, which effectively increases the staffing to 19personnel per shift. For each shift of 19 FTE, there are two slots set aside for vacation and two slots set aside for 26 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 or sick, leave before staffing fmUe to noiniDlUrn staffing of 13. When additional sick keave. Kelly daye, training days, orother activities occur that reduce Staffing below 13, the current policy is that other Staff are called in OO overtime to maintain the minimum staffing |8Ve|. Summary ofCurrent Shift Coverag � "A"Ghdt "B"8hUt "C"ShUf Total Staff per Shift 19 19 19 Less: Vacation Slots -2 -2 -2 Less: Kelly Day Slots -2 -2 -2 Staffing Level Prior tnUnexpected Leaves 15 15 15 Minimum Staffing 13 13 13 Slots Available for Unplanned bsava 2 2 2 Ne|Iv Day /\ Kelly Day is an additional day provided to meet FL8Aand contractual requirements. Due to FLSA ru|es, each personnel are provided a certain number of"Kelly Dgye", which is a day off during anFLSAperiod, and are scheduled ahead oftime similar tooplanned vacation day. Each FLSAcycle ia24days and only one Kelly Day may be scheduled each FLGAperiod. Kelly Days do not carry over into a new year. Starting in 2009. the total number of Kelly [}oyS per each position is 14 days. This was an increase from 13 per the prior labor agFeement, which was provided iDlieu ofG1%pay increase. Pipeline Positions |nMarch 2D14.the Council approved the use of3pipeline positions. The pipeline positions were intended to create potential cost savings and increase operational effectiveness. When 8 firefighter retires, the individual in the pipeline can Step into the vacated position. \8/h8O a recruit enters the academy, it can |aha between six and nine months before a recruit is fully trained. These pipeline positions were approved byCouncil atthe March 3,2O14meeting. In July 2018. in expectation of additional retirements and in an effort to reduce overtime usage, the Council increased this to authorize an additional 2 up to 5 pipeline positions. |ReJune 2O10 memo, it was stated that through the middle of the year, the department had filled 55 24'hour overtime shifts due tominimum staffing requirements. |fthe three pipeline positions had not been in axiateOce, the department would have filled 132 24-hourovedime shifts due to minimum staffing issues. The memo also stated that because of the pipeline positions, the aid car was in service more frequently, increasing service levels tnthe 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 pipelinepVoitiODs. Authorized FTEs and Pipeline Positions 2010i 2011| 2012 i 2013| 20141 2015i 2016i 2017! 2010 FTEm 05GG! 87 67 67| 67! 87�/ 67! 67! ' Pipelines 3! 5� 5! 5! The additional pipeline positions add to the number of firefighters available per shift. 27 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 4 Staffing level considerations There are several factors which come into play when balancing current staffing levels for suppression. Vocation|e@ve Per contract, each personnel are guaranteed g certain kaVe| of vacation leave. The table below ahoxvn 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 a slight reduction in 2018. Per the labor union aQrGernGDt. pen;mnOG| may accumulate uptotwo years of accrued vacation. For example, if firefighter accrues two weeks per year, they can accumulate Uptofour weeks ofaccrued vacation. The exception to this rule isifonemployee had scheduled asmany aStwo work cycles nrless vacation and then was unable totake such vacation due toserious illness/injury, the80p|nyea may exceed the two-year maximum bythat amount with the understanding that (1)the employee will bring their vacation balance within the two-year Dl8XirnUrD within an agreed UpDO period Of time of return to work. The City does have apolicy regarding vacation accrual, but itiaspecific 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 of said maximum limit shall be used 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". »6,mm 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 u 2010 Vacation Hours Taken Suppression Only 2012 2010 2011 2012 013 2014 2015 016 2017 018 KellvOay Per the contract and FLSA guida|ineo, as described earlier, the number of Kelly Dnve per personnel has remained constant mL14since 2OOS. 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 at about 18thousand per year. P{e||y Day usage increased in 2016 and 2017 along with the increase in pipeline positions. Further analysis is needed to determine why Kelly (]@y usage decreased in2O1B. 28 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 5 o Kelly Hours Taken Suppression Only 200 2011 2012 2013 204 2015 016 2017 018 lFraininq/OtherUsaqe There is required training and other education which firefighters complete each year. Some ofthis 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 iSshown below. As the chart demonstrates, OV8diD1e training hours isnot consistent from year tVyear with itranging from a low ofapproximately 28Otog high ofover 1.1OO in 2017. o 2011 zno Training OTHOU[s Suppression Only ZOlU 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Training Hours n/a 295 323 973 510 912 676 1,119 586 Sick Leave and Disabi|itv Sick leave can change bvday and bvshift. Below are two charts depicting sick leave hours from 2O1Othrough 2O1S. The first chart compares January through April inall years and the second one compares January through December from 2010 through 2018 and January through April for 2019. Both charts combine regular sick leave with long-term disability as our financial system 29 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 6 does not segregate long-term disability from sick leave. Along with 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 in2O10to8peak Vf14.00Ohours in2O18. Sick leave usage can have @ significant staffing and budget impact, especially ifcovered through overtime staffing. zmo Sick Hours Taken Suppression Only zms 2010 Z011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Using sick leave usage through April 2018. the projection is for similar usage ofsick leave in 2O19aowas experienced in2O18. 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 zpoo o 2011 Sick Hours Taken Jan -April Suppression Only 2013 m!"00 2010 2011 2012 2013 014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Lonq-Term0sabi|ity Whereas sick leave isintended for ashort period of time, there iealso the case when a firefighter is out for mlonger period oftime due tooDinjury, hea|thiaeue.V[otherieSue. 30 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 7 One factor contributing to the budget situation this year iathe number of firefighters out onlong- term disabi|ity, which wehave defined as at least one consecutive month of sick leave. Below is a chart that shows how many firefighters are out on long-term disability each month. The chart in an estimate through June and only reflects those currently out on extended leave. Names have been removed for privacy, Data on long-term disability for prior years will be presented at later 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 on long-term disability Employee . January . February . March April 4MM8-? FFY ! 1/7n9'0MU8 FF2 3/2/19'711/19 FF3 3n0h9~7(intenmiUenV FF4 1/21/19'4/28V19 FF5 215/194U019 3/19M9~5/5/19 1/16/19 -2/18V19 HF0 FF7 FF8 FF9 . ! Retirements/Leaves ofService and New Hires for Suppression Each year, individuals leave the department due to retirement, another opportunity or unfortunata|y, due to a death but the Department 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 mnew firefighter, they first have to undergo approximately four months of training before they are deemed qualified asavailable for service. While the new firefighter is not able tofill aroster spot onashift during these initial four months, they are paid salary and benefits. The chart ba|0vv compares the Department's departures and hires for the time period 2010 thnouQh2O19. m o � ^ x u Departures &Hires All FD Since 2001 0 Departures 9 Hires in 2010 2011 umz 2013 2814 oms 2016 2017 2018 2019 Departures o a s o x u n 3 e o Hires 2 1 4 4 3 9 6 3 6 2 31 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 2011 2012 Minimum Staffing OT Hours Suppression Only 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 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. 32 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 9 400-100 Overtime Categories %ofWhole, byHours =—=^ WINNOW' 0 Minimum Staffing a muc 0sqvipmcnt *4 a I n zcu« zozs Training '.1 Meetings cm Wwo NNW Disaster Response moPACode Nothcr mneiwbuoaule cuv Events 0 Fire Investigation 0Shift Extension B&AVU Overtime 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Grand Total Minimum Staffing 5,I67 5,648 9,325 7,359 6,968 3,972 3,024 6,678 48,140 Training 599 595 1,333 925 1,855 955 1/453 1,066 8,781 Meetings I'JlO 1,205 1,372 803 695 793 907 600 7,584 Disaster Response 239 30 4,031 89 36 1,439 416 6268 K4iso 503 235 777 1,469 1,024 1,I65 711 318 6,201 NoPACode 398 188 778 21 432 639 211 80 2,746 Other 198 32 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 174 232 260 226 175 l%S 209 55 1,455 Fire Investigation 164 126 73 307 175 206 237 161 1,447 Shift Extension 247 67 155 218 126 174 81 132 1,201 The cost ofovertime has increased due to the change iOusage and also the increase inaverage compensation over the past few years. As the table ehovvo` the coat per hour has consistently 33 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 16a..1°,4,4 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Overtime $ 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. 34 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 11 • 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. Budget Amendments The fire department budget has been amended every year since 2012. The amendments range in amounts from a low of $85 thousand in 2010 to a high of $1 million in 2014. The average budget amendment for the department is about $500 thousand. The chart below shows the total original adopted budget followed by a breakdown of amendments by year. One item to note on budget amendments is that in the 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 2016 when overtime was increased both years and again in 2017 and 2018 when budget was provided for pipeline positions. Fire Budget Amendment Details New Contract Revenue Deployments Deployments Final Adopted (Signing Increase Other Backed- Pipeline (Not Revenue (Revenue Total of Amended Budget Bonus) Overtime Adjustments Other Positions Backed) Backed) Amendments Budget 2010 10,212,773-----—----85,000---_--_-_-------------—-- 85,000 10,297,773 2011 9,948,846 - - - - - - - - 9,948,846 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2012 10,226,000 234,768 --- 21,693 60,500 316,961 10,542,961 2013 10,247,976--_---__--- 200,000 - - 200,000 10,447,976 2014— 10,472,254 — _ _ — — — —_— — — — — 390,000355,000 —— —— — — — — 89,600 170,000 1,004,600 11,476,854 2015 11,056,925 _ 300,000 440,000 _ _ _ _ 740,000 11,796,925 2016 10,959,499 - 310,000 403,000 37,805 - - - 750,805 11,710,304 2017 11,862,568 _ _ _ 35,000240,000 —:— 125,000 400,000 12,262,568 2018— 12,192,595-------_------------ 69,045----_----240,00012,541,640 -------------- 40,000 ---- 349,045— 2019 . 12,473,387 - - - 12,473,387 Additional details on the "Other Adjustments" column is as follows: • 2010: Increase of $85K for fleet O&M • 2012: $21,693 for reinstating .25 FTE • 2014: $340K to fund LEOFF retiree medical and $40K to add fire permits to TRAKiT. • 2015: 80K for vacation payouts (not related to service separations), $210K for payouts due to service separation, and 90K for associated benefits. Also includes $60K for radio purchases • 2016: $90K for vacation payouts (not related to service separations), $220K for payouts due to service separation, and 93K for associated benefits. • 2018: $69k to budget for transfer to firemen's pension fund 35 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 12 201SProiectedYear-End Staff is preparing a projected year-end model along with e discussion on the assumptions that will beincluded inthe model. The model will be completed and presented atefuture meeting. New information for JU|y8.2O18 Mutual Aid In addition VJ the Citv`s firefighters responding to emergency incidents within the boundaries of the City, the crews also respond to, and naceive, mutual aid. Mutual aid provided is when the City's firefighters respond to an emergency incident in another jurisdiction's boundaries. Mutual aid received is when firefighters from other jurisdictions respond into the City'S area to respond to an incident. The charts be|Vvv graphically display mutual mid given and received on o basie, by jurisdiction, and by station. Data provided is from 2014 through 2018. The first chart demonstrates that, in total, the City provides more 0utWm| that what is received. For the period shown, the City responded to a total of3.3S4 mutual aid calls and received m total of2.822 received, g net difference of572. 2014 20I4-2010Mutual Aid 2015 m Mutual Aid Given 2016 a IVD utoa|Aid Received Another way b} look at mutual aid is to analyze DlUtUa{ aid given and FeQeived, but by jurisdiction. As the chart below indicates, the City responds into King County Fire District #20 (Skyway)and the Renton RFA more than the City receives aid. Conversely, Puget Sound RFA provides the City more nlUtUa| aid than the City provides the FlFA. 36 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 13 Entities included inthe ^[ther category include the following: Black Diamond FO#17. Booing Fire, Enumclaw FD, King County Medic One, KCFD #43, Port of Seattle, Seattle Fire, South King Fire, Valley RFA. \/nahon Island Fire & Rescue. and Woodinville. Vyhka the number of oaUo in many Ufthese areas are minimal, itdoes demonstrate that the City ufTukwila fire department can respond to ua||e in mnaae that do not border the City. 2,000 z'umo 1,600 1,400 1,200 z'ooO aDO 600 400 200 610 156 Mutual Aid by Jurisdiction xCFVw2D(Skymav) mmrthHigh|ine Puget Sound RFx Given axcceived Renton FD 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 rnUtUo|aid than provide mutual aid. however, Stations 51 and 53 respond to more mutual aid calls that receive. |tisalso worth noting that Station 52gives and receives the least oMnOUMt 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. 37 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 14 MUTUAL AID BY STATION GIVEN AND RECEIVED 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 103 50 0 51- Mutual Aid 51- Mutual Aid 52 - Mutual Aid 52 - Mutual Aid 53 Mutual Aid Given Received Given Received Given 2014 340 122 28 SS 105 2015 410 122 12 2016 286 110 24 2017 259 115 22 2018 273 137 29 33 37 45 51 142 153 169 118 53- Mutual Aid 54- Mutual Aid 54 - Mutual Aid Received Given Received 102 79 91 95 89 133 153 203 209 223 287 279 338 284 302 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 13, minimum staffing overtime is triggered. a s below 38 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 1 5 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. 39 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 16 am zno om ,'m 120 mn 80 w ^» 20 n zz 9 Station 57 Fire Responses by Type zz 12 zO zo. � 8 mructvre Vehicle &mohUe cooWnu pmpprtv us s _ _ N IN o 56 25 worvra| Vegetation � Fire Calls by Station By Year with Average Response Times 38 m 44 62 m m n sz n o u o y sz sz sz o o o o o Fire Calls - Response Time New Option: Fully Fund Current Service Levels Rubbish & oumpters s, m, 76 � � o m 54 zz n Other types xo w m m mzo v:05:46 mn:02 mn.o vxnun 0:o.m v*n:43 54 Another option available would b8b}fully fund the current service levels iOthe following manner: 1) As previously 0endonod, the current staffing model includes 19 24-hourpersonne| per shift. Between 2013 and 2018, the average number of overtime hours worked was 12,000 across all divisions within the fire department. ASSU0iOg an hourly rate of $60 per hoV[, tofully fund overtime at the average number of overtime hours worked annually, the total overtime budget VvoV|d 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 xvorked, the budget should beincreased aOadditional $188thousand. Adjusting benefits would add aOadditional $24thousand for a total increase iObudget [f $213thOVgand. 40 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 17 Fire Overtime Costs Compared to Number of Overtime Hours (Excludes benefits) 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 Cost per Hour 49.63 50.13 49.89 51.68 53.20 54.60 56.89 56.90 58.65 Estimate Based on 2010-2018 2019 720,000 12,000 60.00 2) Fund the cost associated with the academy. The length of the academy is approximately 18 weeks and during those weeks, 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 be provided to cover the costs of the academy. Budget for four recruits would add $160 thousand to the existing budget. 3) Fund the cost of separations of service (retirements, etc.). Because current policy requires minimum staffing of 13, the fire department must absorb the costs of separations without reducing service levels. To date, the department is aware of three upcoming retirements with estimated payouts totaling $72 thousand. Adding budget of $100 thousand would cover not only known separations but provide some funding for possible future separations. To summarize, to fully fund current service levels, total budget of $473 thousand would be added to the 2019 budget. Future budget years would include these same increases with COLA adjustments factored in. True up overtime $213,000 Fund academy 160,000 Fund service separations 100,000 Total increase in budget $473,000 New Information for August 26, 2019 Fire Expenditure Budget The proposal for the items listed above, true up of overtime, academy, and service separations, are needed to fund existing service levels and would be proposed for both 2019 and 2020. If the same levels of service are maintained, these adjustments would be rolled into future budgets. The final proposed budget amendment would include an estimated COLA adjustment for 2020 for all three items. In addition to these ongoing amendments, staff will be recommending one-time amendments, specific to 2019. Two revenue -backed items and one unbudgeted significant event (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 fire department also incurred approximately $7,800 in costs associated with an unexpected structural code compliance issue that will be reimbursed by the local business. The snowstorm event resulted in $30,600 in unbudgeted expenditures for the Fire Department that will not be reimbursed to the City. 41 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 18 Total recommended budget amendments are as follows: Proposed Budget Amendments 2019 2020 Propane Incident 11,500 - Code Compliance Issue 7,800� � Snowstorm 30,600 - Total Proposed 'Amendment $522,900 496.650 Revenue Budget In addition toincreasing the for the fire department, staff recommends that that the Fire Department begin billing for revenuespreviously authorized bY'Council, *False Alarms ~ Recovery ofhazardous incident response costs Another revenue source available to the City is be 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 |eVm|e. Staff will be bringing forward information on existing service levels to the Public Safety committee in the near future. This information will be beneficial indiscussing the Fire department budget. Toenhance the discussion onservice 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 ofdeveloping fire, electrical, and other life -safety standards. These standards are often utilized to make policy decisions regarding staffing and service levels. NFPA 1710 provides nnininnunn 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. mSingle-family dwellings: minimum 14 members, 15 if aerial ioused * Open strip malls and garden -style apartments: minimum 37members, 2Oifaerial iaused w High-rise with highest floor greater than 75 ft above |nvvent level of fire apparatus 000aos: nnininnVnl 42 nnenlbere. 43 if building is equipped with o 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 2O14through 2O17.thenurnberofhlcidents each year increased. However, in 2018 the total number of incidents decreased. It is too early toknow if2D1Owas ananomaly Orthe start Vfanew trend. 42 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 1 9 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 2014 0.06. 2015 2016 Total Incidents 2017 —Avg Resp Time ao" 2018 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. 43 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 20 6000 5800 5600 5400 5200 5000 4800 5156 2014 RECOMMENDATION For information only 2015 5752 2016 Total Incidents 5840 2017 s „ -Avg Duration 2018 0:38:53 0:37:26 0:36:00 0:34:34 0:33:07 0:31:41 - 0:30:14 0:28:48 44 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; De'Sean 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 45 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. Councilmember 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. Councilmember 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 Councilmember 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 100%. 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. 46