Fire Protection Proposal for the Town of Menasha.

Fire Protection Proposalfor the

Town of Menasha

How the story begins…..

• Town of Menasha Fire Department Ad Hock Committee Report of August 2008.

• Post Crescent article dated, August 22, 2008 “Menasha Town Board discusses firefighters vote bid”.

• Chief Vander Wyst met with Chief Kiesow and also with Mayor Scherck and Mayor Merkes to discuss options.

• Letter from Mayor’s Scherck and Merkes to Town of Menasha officials.

Town of Menasha Proposal• Opportunity! However, this is clearly the Town of

Menasha’s choice.

• Break municipal border lines.

• Full-time fire and first responder services for the entire Town.

• Improves response times and addresses the Ad Hoc Committee’s concerns.

• Increases the tax base to pay for full-time protection services.

Overview of NMFR

• To gain a basic understanding of NMFR.• We provide full-time fire protection and EMS

services for the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.• We offer quick response for fire suppression,

specialized rescue operations, emergency medical services, fire education, fire prevention, fire investigations and hazmat services.

NMFR’s Personnel

• NMFR is a full-time career department with a current roster of 68 personnel.

• We have 63 full-time fire/rescue personnel and are divided into 3 shifts consisting of 21 people per shift. This staffing allows for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year coverage with immediate response for calls.

• There are 5 administrative staff. Chief, Deputy Chief, 2 Assistant Chiefs and an Administrative Assistant.

NMFR’s Personnel

• Entry-level requirements for NMFR’s personnel revolve around state certifications, including Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Apparatus Driver Operator, Fire Inspection I, First Responder minimum and a minimum of sixty (60) post high school credits or equivalent firefighting experience.

• The average experience of the department’s line staff is 12 years. Retirement is the number one reason for personnel leaving NMFR.

NMFR’s Station & Equipment

• Station 31 is located at 1080 Breezewood Lane in the City of Neenah.

– This facility currently houses one engine company (E31) with four firefighters.

– Our Special Operations Task Force 3 equipment is also housed at this station. This includes a tow vehicle and trailer for the necessary equipment for collapse, trench, rope, confined space and technical rescue needs.

– Fox Valley Technical College also leases space at this location for it’s Regional Training Center.

NMFR’s Station & Equipment• Station 32 is located at 125 E. Columbian Avenue in the City

of Neenah. – Houses two fire companies (E32 & Q32) with four

firefighters on each vehicle.– One Shift Commander (C32).– Boat 32 is provided by Winnebago County and is used for

ice and water rescues on Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte Des Morts.

– Station 32 is considered the Administration Building. – It is currently the main facility for all inspections that are

performed for the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.


• Station 35 is located at 430 First Street in the City of Menasha

– This facility houses one engine company (E35) with four firefighters.

– Boat 35 assists with rescues on Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte Des Morts.

– Reserve Pumper (P35) which is used as a pumper or a ladder truck.

– Used as a maintenance facility for all NMFR vehicles.


• Station 36 is located at 901 Airport Road in the City of Menasha

– This facility houses one engine company (E36) with four firefighters.

– NMFR’s Public Education van is also located here.

NMFR’s Training Division

• NMFR’s training division is led by Assistant Chief Mike Sipin.

• NMFR personnel train for an average of 22,235 hours per year, which is 335 hours per member.

• The goal of training is to ensure that all personnel will perform as safely and effectively as possible when faced with an emergency situation.

• All personnel are committed full-time to their firefighting profession.

• NMFR has been a partner in the statewide initiative addressing structural collapse building discipline for the past three years (Task Force 3).

NMFR’s Maintenance Division

• The Maintenance Division is under direct supervision of Deputy Chief of Operations, Steve DeLeeuw.

• All three shifts have an individual firefighter/mechanic at Station #35. This person is assigned vehicle and station maintenance as their responsibility coupled with their shift assignment in fire suppression and EMS.

• Vehicles cycle through Station 35 for maintenance needs and our reserve pumper (P35) is available to use while an engine has maintenance. This allows us to continue full response in all districts regardless of maintenance requirements for our vehicles.

NMFR’s Emergency Management

• Our Emergency Management Division is led by Assistant Chief Mike Sipin. This includes:

– Preparing and developing procedures for response for various types of emergencies.

– Implementation and coordination of NIMS (National Incident Management System).

– Review and updating the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

– Establishing an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when needed for emergencies.

NMFR’s Fire Prevention• Our Fire Prevention Division is led by Assistant Chief Al

Auxier. This includes:– Fire inspections for all commercial and residential facilities

(that are required by law) within both Cities. There are currently 1,600 inspectable properties within our communities.

– Occupancy inspections, including liquor license renewals.– Building and sprinkler plan review.– Above and below ground storage tank inspections, including

plan review.– Site plan review for fire alarm systems.– Fire cause and investigation.

NMFR’s Public Education

• NMFR’s Public Education Team includes 15 dedicated team members that provide public education programs. Some examples include:

– Every October our Public Education Team sets aside the entire month to deliver fire prevention programs to all children in grades 1 through 3. In 2008, our Public Education team delivered these programs to 2,495 children.

NMFR’s Public Education

• Preschool and Kindergarten programs discussing fire safety.

• Juvenile Fire starter program.

• Senior Citizen programs.

• Senior High Program to discuss dorm safety.

• Numerous community activities to provide fire safety education.

NMFR Services

• NMFR is a career department ensuring availability 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. NMFR’s 24 hour response for fire, emergency medical and all other dangerous conditions includes, but is not limited to:

– Fire response/suppression

– Emergency medical first responder/defibrillation

– Technical heavy rescue

– Water/ice rescue

– Special event stand by (4th of July events, community marathons, Street Ball, etc.)

– Hazardous materials first response

– All other special response requests

NMFR’s Call Volume

• In 2008, NMFR had a total of 2,248 calls.

1,537 – EMS 88 – Fire 109- Hazardous Condition (no fire) 199 – Service Calls 45 – Good Intent 261 – False Alarms 3 – Overpressure Rupture (no fire) 6 – Severe Weather/Other

Town of Menasha Delivery Proposal

• Staff Station #40 (Coldspring Road) 24/7/365 with a firefighting crew of four personnel on an engine/quint.

• This proposal would require a total of 83 personnel. Twelve additional full-time firefighters would be hired and 3 people added to the administrative team.

• Current Station #36 (Airport Road) can provide full-time fire protection to the East side of the Town of Menasha without additional people/resources.

Assignment of Resources

• All emergency responses will be assigned the same number of resources as they are currently assigned in the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.

• By staffing Station #40, we would have five fire stations, including 3 engines, 1 Quint, 1 Ladder and 1 command vehicle, which would equal 14-17 firefighters responding immediately with no delays. (2 engines and 8 additional firefighters would remain available for other calls)

• Appendix D of the proposal shows a possible apparatus flow chart for a merged department. This reflects a 26% reduction of vehicles and lowers future capital and maintenance costs.

Map of Station Locations

• Let’s review the map.– TMFD Station #41

– AFD Station #3

– NMFR Station #36

Current NMFR Table of Organization

T a ra Th e isenA d m in is tra tive A ssis ta n t

A l A u x ie rA ss ista n t Ch ie f/

F ire M a rsh a l

M ike S ip inA ss is tan t C h ie f

T ra in in g /E m erg e ncy M a n ag e m e nt

F ire fig h te rs(5 )

S h ift In sp ec to rs(2 )

D rive rs(5 )

F ire O ffice rs(5 )

D a n S cb u ltzS h ift C o m m an d er

B lu e S h ift



D rive rs(5 )


D a n B la ke s leeS h ift C o m m an d er

G ree n S h ift



D rive rs(5 )


M ike F lu n kerS h ift C o m m an d er

R e d S h ift

S te ve De L ee uwD e p u ty C h ie f

L e n V a nd e r W ystC h ie f

Neenah-Menasha Fire RescueProposed Administrative Table of

Organization

A d m in is tra tive A ss is tan t/P ayro ll/ In sp ec tion

A d m in is tra tive A sss itan t/P u b lic E d u ca tion

D ep u ty C h ie fO p era tion s

A ss is tan t C h ie fE m erg en cy

M an ag em en t/A cc red ia tion O ffice r

A ss is tan t C h ie fTra in in g

F ireIn sp ec to r

A ss is tan t C h ie fF ire M arsh a ll

F ire C h ie f

Proposed Fire SuppressionTable of Organization

Firefighter

Firefighter/Shift Inspector

Driver/Engineer

Engine 31Officer

Station #31Breezw ood Ln.

Neenah

Firefighter

Firefighter/Shift

T raining Officer

Driver/Engineer

Engine 32Officer

Firefighter

Firefighter

Driver/Engineer

Ladder 32Officer

Station #32E. Colum bian Ave.

Neenah

Firefighter

Firefighter/Shift M echanic

Driver/Engineer

Engine 35Officer

Station #35First St.

M enasha

Firefighter


Driver/Engineer

Engine 36Officer

Station #36Airport RdM enasha

Firefighter


Driver/Engineer

Quint 40Officer

Station #40Coldspring Rd.

T ow n of M enasha

Shift Com m ander

First Responder calls

• First Responder engine companies would provide immediate emergency medical first response as a team with no delays.

• Personnel would be already on duty and would not be delayed in assembling a crew.

• Personal vehicle use would not be allowed which would minimize response liability issues.

• Of the 118 firefighter deaths in 2007, 26 were due to responding/returning from emergency incidents, 8 involved crashes with private vehicles.

Fire Inspections

• Fire inspections would be completed with a combined approach, as it currently is within the Cities of Neenah and Menasha.

• On duty engine companies would be assigned to complete routine inspections. The goal is to not only meet the inspection requirements but also for crews to become more familiar with buildings in a non-emergency situation.

Fire Inspections

• The Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall, Day Time Inspector and Shift Inspectors would handle the bulk of the inspections including places of assembly and large industrial and commercial buildings, re-inspections and all other duties assigned.

• Inspections of above and below ground petroleum tanks would also be included.

How Do We Make It Work?

• This proposal calls for 83 personnel. 75 line personnel (3 shifts with 25 per shift) and 8 administrative personnel.

• Currently, there are 10 administrative positions between the two departments. This would be reduced by 2. These 2 positions would be assigned firefighting positions. This would reduce the number of people we need to hire for firefighting positions to 10.

• The remaining 8 administrative positions can be achieved by assigning current staff and would result in no loss of jobs.

Staff Support

• As part of this proposal, the paid on call staff of the Town of Menasha Fire Department would be offered the best opportunity for full-time employment with NMFR.

• Existing staff and paid on call staff would be given the first opportunity to fill all vacancies within a merged department.

• It is anticipated that the new hires needed in a merged department would come from the existing TMFD. An eligibility list would be established and maintained for two years.

Budget

NMFR’s Current Budget: $7,170,600.00

TMFD’s Current Budget: $1,076,882.00

Proposed Merged Budget: $8,589,865.00

• The merged budget proposal reflects a total of $1,419,265.00 increase in NMFR’s overall budget.

• What does this cost mean for the Town of Menasha taxpayers?

Possible Effects on Tax Rate

Net Cost Increase 1,000,000 1,250,000 1,500,000 1,750,000 2,000,000 Town of Menasha Assessed Value - 1/1/08 1,439,575,900 1,439,575,900 1,439,575,900 1,439,575,900 1,439,575,900

$0.69 $0.87 $1.04 $1.22 $1.39

Annual Cost to a $100,000 home $69.46 $86.83 $104.20 $121.56 $138.93Annual Cost to a $150,000 home $104.20 $130.25 $156.30 $182.35 $208.39Annual Cost to a $200,000 home $138.93 $173.66 $208.39 $243.13 $277.86Figures provided by the Town of Menasha Finance Director

Increase in 2008 Tax Rate, per $1,000 (assessed value)

Proposed Budget Overview

• The current NMFR budget formula is a 5-part formula, which includes total square miles, total square footage of buildings, total equalized value, population and fire department calls for service.

• The proposed new formula for a merged department would be a three-part formula. We would eliminate the square miles and square footage from the formula, as this would be more equitable for the Town of Menasha taxpayers.

Three Part Formula

2009

Budget Cost Saving

City of Neenah Equalized Value 1/1/2007 1,864,942,000$ 14.82%

City of Neenah Population 1/1/2007 25,430 14.00%

City of Neenah Fire Dept Calls for Service During 2007 1,328 14.05%

42.86%

3,681,616$ 598,914$

City of Menasha Equalized Value 1/1/2007 1,024,769,891$ 8.14%

City of Menasha Population 1/1/2007 17,354 9.55%

City of Menasha Fire Dept Calls for Service During 2007 944 9.99%

27.68%

2,377,675$ 494,925$

Town of Menasha Equalized Value 1/1/2007 1,389,484,200$ 11.04%

Town of Menasha Population 1/1/2007 17,180 9.45%

Town of Menasha Fire Dept Calls for Service During 2007 847 8.96%

29.46%

2,530,574$

Snapshot of Current and Merged Departments

Staffing

TMFD: Combination of career and paid on call. 5 full-time members and 52 paid on call, per 2007 annual report.

NMFR: Career with 68 total people. 63 full-time line staff who work 24/7/365 and 5 administrative/support personnel.

Merged: Career with 83 total people. 75 full-time line staff who work 24/7/365. and 8 administrative/support personnel.


Respond from what location?

TMFD: Response is from home, place of employment, etc. to the fire station first. When enough crew members arrive at the station to staff an engine they then respond to the address of the emergency call.

NMFR: Response is immediate from the four station(s) as personnel live/work right at the station 24/7/365. No delays in waiting for personnel to assemble at the station in order to respond.

Merged Department: Response is immediate from 5 station(s) as personnel live/work right at the station 24/7/365.

Fire Power

• Time is of the essence when it comes to responding to a structure fire.

• A quick response can not only reduce property loss but also increases civilian and firefighter safety.

• Let’s look at the power of fire.


Response time for structure fires

TMFD: 8-10 minute response time for 1 unit with 4 people. 90% of the time.

NMFR: 4-5 minute response time for first unit with 4 personnel, 90% of the time with less than 6 minutes for full structure fire response.

Merged Department: 4-5 minute response time for first unit with 4 personnel, 90% of the time with less than 6 minutes for full structure fire response.


Equipment that Responds to Fire Calls

TMFD: As per the TMFD guidelines, as soon as sufficient staff arrives at the fire stations.

NMFR: Typical full response includes 3 engines, 1 quint truck and 1 command vehicle with 14-17 people minimum in less than 4-6 minutes, 90% of the time.

Merged Department: Same as NMFR.


Response Time Issues

TMFD: Response times lengthened at times due to not having a qualified driver available or insufficient staff during regular business hours. Per the Ad Hoc report.

NMFR: Always have a qualified driver on duty and always sufficient staff at all times. No delays or lengthened response times.

Merged Department: Same as current NMFR.

NFPA 1710 & NFPA 1720 Comparisons

NFPA 1710

A department whose staff is greater than 80% career falls under NFPA 1710. A key provision to NFPA 1710 is that a crew of 4 on one vehicle or multiple vehicles should arrive on scene within 5 minutes, 90% of the time and have a full alarm on scene within 9 minutes, 90% of the time. Both the 5-minute and the 9-minute time frame allows for one minute to put gear on.


NFPA 1720

A department whose staff is greater than 80% volunteer falls under NFPA 1720. A urban area that has greater than 1,000 people per square miles should arrive on scene with 15 staff within 9 minutes, 90% of the time.


• The rationale behind this is the fact that a room fire will reach a critical stage in fire development (point of flashover) in about 8 to 10 minutes. The variables are whether or not the fire room is ventilated (open doors or windows), size of the compartment, configuration, fuel load, etc. In the worst-case scenario, the critical temperature is reached and the flashover engulfs the room in fire before firefighters arrive to control the fire.


• NFPA 1720 applies to volunteers who typically don’t have personnel on-duty in stations and instead respond to page-out from home, work, or elsewhere. It is this fact of volunteer response that introduces a key variable into the picture. Volunteers cannot guarantee availability like career; on-duty staff can do unless the volunteers are in the station when actually alerted. In this standard response goal criteria are very different and intended to reflect the nature of a volunteer response system.


Why do we need 14 or 15 people for a full alarm?

1 – Incident Commander 1 – Pump Operator

2 – Fire fighters on attack lines 2 – Fire fighters on back up lines

1 – Fire fighter for attack line support

1 – Fire fighter for back up line support

2 – Fire fighters for search & rescue

2 – Fire fighters for ventilation

2 – Fire fighters to serve for IRIC

14 – Total if aerial device not in operation

1 – Aerial device operator

15 – Total if aerial device is operational

Benefits of A Merger• Erases response district lines based on municipal borders

and improves customer service by using closer vehicle/station response.

• Equalizes fire service levels for all citizens in our communities.

• Quick First Responder EMS response to all medical calls for assistance. A team of 4 firefighters will arrive together on one engine with the necessary equipment for all first responder calls. This will eliminate the use of private vehicles. It is imperative to achieve a goal of a response time of 4-6 minutes in emergency medical cases, especially when a pulseless-non-breathing (PNB) patient is in need.

Benefits of A Merger

• Ensures adequate resources responding in a timely manner at all times.

• Establishes and meets desired response time goals of less than 5 minutes, 90% of the time with a full alarm assignment of 14-17 firefighters responding in less than 8 minutes, 90% of the time.

• Merging resources allows for full-time protection at the most reasonable cost to all taxpayers.

Benefits of A Merger• Merging resources eliminates the need to duplicate

fire stations on the East side of Little Lake Butte Des Morts.

• Merging resources equals a full compliment of 83 full-time positions with 75 full-time firefighters available 24/7/365.

• Erases the need for the Town of Menasha to add it’s own full-time complement of firefighters at a much higher cost in an effort to duplicate the resources of a merged department.


• Additional long-term savings in buildings, apparatus, and equipment would also be realized.

• All communities benefit financially by cost sharing.

• Opportunities exist for fire departments to be exempt from tax-levy limit restrictions.

• Limits the need to hire additional personnel, as our communities grow.


• Both Common Council’s and the Town Board remain as the decision making body – no loss of control. A joint Finance & Personnel Committee and a joint Fire Commission will help govern the merged department. Budget approvals and major expenses exceeding $5,000 would need to be approved by all 3 governing bodies. This ensures maintenance of local control.


• Greater ability to meet NFPA 1710 Standards and COMM 30 requirements.

• Increased ability to expand services in the future.

• One administrative team with a Unified Command Structure.

• Financial Stability with increased efficiency.

• Development of uniform codes and ordinances in our communities.

• Better use of personnel and equipment resources.

• Impact bargaining will take place with Local 275 should a merger proceed.

How Do We Proceed?

• To review the entire NMFR proposal for the Town of Menasha, please visit www.nmfire.org.

• Questions

• It’s up to the Town Board and the Community on the next step.

Fire Protection Proposal for the Town of Menasha.

Documents

Transcript of Fire Protection Proposal for the Town of Menasha.