The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCSS 2021-03-15 Item 1A - Report - Review Fire Department Report from Center for Public Safety ManagementTO: FROM: City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM Community Services & Safety Committee Jay C. Wittwer, Fire Chief Norm Golden, Deputy Chief BY: Jay C. Wittwer, Fire Chief CC: Allan Ekberg, Mayor, David Cline, City Administrator DATE: 03/09/2021 SUBJECT: Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) Report CURRENT STATUS Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) has completed the analysis according to the contract requirements. The presentation took place on March 8, 2021 before the Council of the Whole (COW). On December 2, 2019 Ordinance #2621 passed, asking that the City hire a third -party consultant to review the Fire Department's budgetary and management practices. This analysis and report completed the last Proviso that the Fire Department was asked to accomplish. The process was forwarded during the COW to the CSS to develop a work plan to accomplish the recommendations from that report. DISCUSSION This CPSM report has led us to develop a work plan with the CCS. This should lead to a new evolution of the Fire Department. While we are proud of the service we currently provide to the Community, we are excited to incorporate many of the suggestions provided by CPSM as the Community Services and Safety Committee as well as the Committee of the Whole may recommend, as identified through this work project that is to be developed through the CSS process. FINANCIAL IMPACT Fire Department processes and enhancements recommendations that are outlined in the CPSM report may lead to reducing costs and may require additional resource allocations to bring about the desired results. Many of the enhancements listed have been explored in the past. Five to seven of the recommendations will require bargaining with Local #2088, the union that represents the firefighters. RECOMMENDATION The assignment of this project to the CSS will lead to a work plan to accomplish the recommendations identified within the report. Part of the work plan will include choosing the recommendations and when they should be addressed. Recommendations from the CSS as to the process the Fire Department will follow in implementing these ideas in the future are requested. ATTACHMENTS • Updated Summary dated March 9, 2021 • CPSM Report located at: http://records.tukwilawa.gov/WebLink/1/edoc/337946/pagel.aspx Page 1 of 1 1 Updated Summary: March 9, 2021 An Operational and Administrative Analysis of the Tukwila Fire Department (TFD) was commissioned by the City of Tukwila. The Center for Public Safety Management, LLC (CPSM), drafted the report using one year of information (2019), interviews of staff, and data from dispatch. This was the last item from the Provisos that the City Council asked the Fire Department to complete. With the presentation held at COW on March 8, 2021, all provisos have now been met. On March 8, 2021, during the Council of the Whole Meeting, Mike locana from CPSM, outlined the report from the Methodology and Initial Observations. He then focused on four main areas of Organization, Deployment, Training, and Prevention. In the report there are statements of best practices, data analysis and review and specific recommendations. He concluded with these five points. 1. It is necessary that TFD re-evaluate its core mission and improve overall efficiencies. 2. Current system financially is not sustainable. 3. Many of the changes being proposed will face strong opposition. 4. A multi-year process is anticipated. 5. Implementation will require a consensus for meaningful change During the Council discussion on March 8, there was a clear direction to better understand and evaluate the second point, "Current system financially is not sustainable" as well as to prioritize the many recommendations in the report, possibly evaluating items which could be done on the short, medium and long-term timeframes. There was also discussion of possible future council workshops depending on the committee review and administration input. Options for these ideas will be discussed during the March 15, 2021 Community and Services and Safety Committee with follow-up as needed. As the Council mentioned, this is a very comprehensive report that provides detailed recommendations and analysis for further review. The report finds the TFD to have highly skilled employees that are truly interested in serving the city to the best of their abilities. TFD offers an excellent range of services delivered in well integrated and excellent service delivery model (p. 1). TFD is well respected in the community and by city leadership. TFD front-line fleet is exceptional, and the fleet division does an exceptional job in maintaining the rigs. (p. 21) The level of oversight and coordination of first responders is exceptional. (p. 45) The Washington Ratings and Survey Board (WSRB) finds the City has a strong Class 3 rating, with only 13 agencies in the State of Washington (out of 635) achieving ratings higher than Tukwila. (p. 78). The main body of 37 general recommendations is easily organized into three categories of Fire Marshal's Office, Labor Issues, and Organizational Issues. Four of the 37 are currently underway and bolstered by the recent hiring of our Emergency Manager. There are also an additional eight recommendations to enhance revenue and nine recommendation to reduce overtime expenditures. As mentioned during the March 8 Council discussion, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement runs through 2022, and so these recommendations may be longer-term issues while work is focused on the Fire Prevention and Organizational recommendations. Fire Prevention and Organizational recommendations will benefit from policy -level attention to help prioritize the recommendations and focus staff attention. 2 This report is thorough, full of suggestions and recommendations, and comprehensive data to help guide our discussions and base our priorities. Our City departments will need to partner with one another to evaluate some of the recommendations. There is also ample opportunity to work with the Labor Union for ideas how to adopt some of the recommendations. This report will challenge us to take the next step as a city in providing premier services. 3 4 Summary Slides from March 8, 2021 Council Presentation by CPSM Project Methodology: • The project began with an analysis of the Fire Department, its organizational structure and deployment practices. • Virtual meetings with key stakeholders were held in September 2020, to obtain insights regarding operations and evaluate resources. • A detailed response and workload analysis was compiled. • Inter -active communication with City staff to obtain clarification and verification of the information and observations. • Presented options for Overtime Reductions and Revenue Enhancements. Initial Observations • Quality Organization, Dedicated Personnel, Effective Leadership. • Exceptional Inter -Agency Cooperation. • Adequately Staffed, Sufficient Resources, Manageable Workload. • Improvements needed in Deployment Practices and Productivity. • Excellent Capital Program. Organization: • Methods for Reducing Employee Lost Time are Required. • Modify the use of Pipeline Positions into Part-Time/On-Call roles. • Conduct periodic audits of the payroll system (TeleStaff). • Expand the number and types of Performance Measures utilized to evaluate service outcomes. • Re -purpose employee performance appraisals. • Institute an Employee Safety and Injury Avoidance Program. Deployment: • Maintain the Daily On -Duty Minimum Staffing at 12 -personnel. • Adjust Response Patterns for minor and non -emergent calls. • Explore efficiencies to provide staffing for a FD -Cares Program. • Evaluate the use of a Three -Station Configuration. • Consider options that utilize roving units and peak -period staffing. Training: • Institute guidelines establishing minimum training requirements. • Expand certification and college education requirements for promotional practices. • Incorporate fire training skills assessments and written testing. • Establish an annual physical fitness evaluation process. 5 • Institute annual medical evaluations and health screening. Prevention: • Conduct pre -fire planning at high risk occupancies and critical infrastructure. • Institute in-service company inspection/familiarization programs. • Consider the Civilianization of Fire Prevention Staff. • Investigate options for outsourcing select inspection functions. • Re -assign fire investigation duties to responding Officers. Conclusions • It is necessary that TFD re-evaluate its core mission and improve overall efficiencies. • Current system financially is not sustainable. • Many of the changes being proposed will face strong opposition. • A multi-year process is anticipated. • Implementation will require a consensus for meaningful change. 6