Niagara Falls Fire Department

Emergency Management & Training Inc. Niagara Falls Fire Department | Fire Station and Staffing Review

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Niagara Falls Fire Department

Fire Station and Staffing Service Review

Niagara Falls, Ontario

April 2019

Developed by: Emergency Management & Training Inc.

65 Cedar Pointe Drive, Suite 144 Barrie, ON L4N 9R3


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Executive Summary This report presents the results of a detailed analysis of the Niagara Falls Fire Department (NFFD) station locations, response times, anticipated demand forecasts, and resource deployment. The consulting team of Emergency Management and Training Inc. (EMT), conducted this analysis, and is presenting recommendations based on the following three main themes:

• Risk and Response Capabilities • Determining Resource Needs • Station and Apparatus Deployment

Recommendations will be found in each section, along with a detailed table of the recommendations in Appendix “A” that includes estimated costs and recommended timelines for implementation. The City of Niagara Falls believes that growth in residential housing, tourism and population demographics has precipitated the construction of a seventh fire station in the western portion of the City. This new station is to support the fire department’s continuing efforts to meet the ongoing demands of calls for service. The proposed seventh fire station is to be located in the area of 8530 Lundy’s Lane. The scope of the study is to consider the adequacy of the current station locations and deployment of the Niagara Falls Fire Department to meet existing demand along with implementing changes, as required, to meet future growth. As noted in the City’s Request for Proposal (RFP), the consultant, Emergency Management and Training Inc., is to evaluate nine specific items as requested by the City of Niagara Falls. These nine items include a comprehensive review of staffing numbers, including comparative data on the following:

1. Number of Full-time Professional Firefighters 2. Number of Volunteer Firefighters 3. Number of Fire Stations (Full-time and Volunteer) 4. Number of calls 5. Call distribution by category 6. Response times 7. Tax assessment base (commercial vs. residential) 8. Estimates on “transient” population (i.e. students, visitors, etc.) 9. Geographic area

Information based on the nine items will assist senior management and Council in making an objective and informed decision on staffing and service levels to ensure community health and safety as well as fiscal efficiency and responsibility. Through meetings with City management, the Fire Chief, and other stakeholders, the consulting team was able to complete a thorough review of requirements along with suggested dates for


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implementation.

Data provided by the Fire Department was also reviewed in relation to all of the nine previously noted items contained in the City’s RFP. Based on the facilities, equipment, and data review, EMT is submitting the following recommendations that can be implemented, in whole or in part, by Council and the City as they see fit.

This table is a brief overview of the recommendations presented within this document. More detail can be found in each section, along with an additional chart detailing the recommendations and associated costing of each, located in Appendix “A”.

Rec. # Recommendation

1 Because fire prevention is the least costly way of providing loss control, reducing fire related injuries and death, and reducing fire service demand in the long term, additional focus on fire prevention is encouraged based on the City’s size and forecasted growth. To accomplish this NFFD should:

o Place more emphasis on fire safety/public education through the future creation of a dedicated Public Education Officer.

o Presently, on-duty firefighters do play a role in public education at the fire stations, a residential smoke alarm and CO campaign, along with other community events. Wherever possible, NFFD should enhance the utilization of the on-duty firefighters (for fire prevention/education efforts). This would be accomplished through the development of an annual program that outlines fire prevention and fire safety initiatives to be accomplished within that calendar year.

2 Based on the anticipated growth in population and infrastructure (residential and commercial buildings), the location identified for Station 7 is well situated to meet future needs. Based on growth and related call volumes, the station should be built within the next two years to ensure that NFFD will be able to meet the anticipated challenges.

o During the review of call volumes, it was identified that the new fire station would be responding to approx. 800 calls per year. This amount of call volume would exceed the ability of volunteer firefighter utilization.

o Therefore, with 800 plus calls per year, it is recommended that this new station be staffed by full-time firefighters.

Note: the 800 calls per year are not an anticipated increase of 800 new calls; the number represents the amount of calls that Station 7 would inherit from stations 1 and 2.


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3 It is recommended that Station 7 be staffed with career firefighters to ensure a consistent and reliable response 24/7. Although Option 1 is a basic redeployment of staff and vehicles from Station 1 to Station 7, it would reduce the number of first response vehicles out of Station 1. As such, we recommend Option #2 as this keeps the pumper, rescue and aerial staffed while establishing a pumper at Station 7, without the hiring of more staff.

o Option 1: Replacing the rescue truck with a pumper/rescue truck would permit the deployment of the pumper from Station 1 to Station 7, leaving two trucks (a pumper/rescue and an aerial), at Station 1. There would not be any additional staffing required.

o While this option is cost neutral, it does reduce the response capabilities at Station 1, which covers the most densely built-up area of the City.

o Option 2: keep the same complement of vehicles at Station 1, by assigning 2 staff to the aerial and keeping the pumper and rescue at 5 each, with the Platoon Chief vehicle at the present staffing of 2. This would allow the movement of one full crew of 5 to Station 7 without hiring any additional firefighters.

o Staffing would be increased by two firefighters annually, to bring the number of staff on the aerial back-up to the present complement of four (three firefighters and one officer).

o Option 3: It would be possible to move 2 firefighters from each platoon to Station 7 without impacting normal minimum staffing at the other stations. Fully staffing Station 7 with five career firefighters per platoon would necessitate the hiring of 12 additional firefighters.

o This would result in Station 1 having a fully staffed pumper, rescue and aerial truck (each with a minimum of four firefighters), as well as Station 7 being fully staffed with a minimum of four firefighters.

o This option may see an increase in overtime, due to the lack of having two floater firefighters per platoon. As such, overtime should be monitored to ensure that this amount does not exceed the cost of increasing staffing to ensure the two floater positions per platoon.

o Option 4: To add a new fully staffed pumper to Station 7, without making changes to any other station, would require the hiring of additional firefighters.

o An additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required for this option.

4 The City should maintain a schedule that compiles with the FUS recommendations on the replacement of vehicles from a first line to a reserve/second line unit.

o This recommendation is being made because it was found that one of the reserve vehicles exceeds FUS recommendations.


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 2

Scope of Project .............................................................................................................................. 7

Project Deliverables ........................................................................................................................ 7

Objectives and Area of Study ................................................................................................................ 7

Applicable Standards and Guidelines ............................................................................................... 8

Project Consultants ......................................................................................................................... 8

Community Overview ...................................................................................................................... 8

Economy ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Transportation ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Review of Niagara Falls Fire Department (NFFD) ............................................................................ 10

Planning and Assessment .............................................................................................................. 11

Project Approach .......................................................................................................................... 11

Risk Assessment ............................................................................................................................ 12

Simplified Risk Assessment (SRA) .................................................................................................. 12

Demographic Profile ............................................................................................................................ 13

Building Stock Profile ........................................................................................................................... 17

Municipal Loss Profile .......................................................................................................................... 19

Community Risk Assessment Program ................................................................................................ 20

Recommendation #1: .......................................................................................................................... 20

Response Time Guidelines and Analysis ......................................................................................... 21

Response Data ..................................................................................................................................... 23

Fire Station Location Analysis ........................................................................................................ 28

Present Staffing and Vehicle Deployment ........................................................................................... 28

Changes in Resource Deployment to Meet Future Needs .................................................................. 28

Fire Station Location and Other Considerations ................................................................................. 29

Recommendations #2: ......................................................................................................................... 34

Station 7 Staffing ........................................................................................................................... 34

Utilizing Volunteers for Station 7 ........................................................................................................ 35

Career Staffing Options ....................................................................................................................... 35

Recommendation #3: .......................................................................................................................... 38

Community Comparators .............................................................................................................. 39

Results of Data/Survey Information .................................................................................................... 44


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Fire Department Vehicles .............................................................................................................. 45

Fire Underwriters Survey – Vehicle Replacement Recommendations ............................................... 45

Recommendation #4: .......................................................................................................................... 46

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 47

Appendix “A” – Final Summary of Recommendations and Associated Costs ................................... 48

Appendix “B” – Definitions and References ................................................................................... 52

Automatic Aid Agreements – Fire Prevention and Protection Act, 1997 (FPPA 1997) ....................... 52

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Documents : ................................................................. 52

Municipal responsibilities (FPPA 1997) ............................................................................................... 52

Mutual Aid ........................................................................................................................................... 52

Public Fire Safety Guidelines: .............................................................................................................. 53

Shared Responsibilities (FPPA 1997) ................................................................................................... 53

Appendix “C”- Response Time Data for 2017, 2016 and 2015 ......................................................... 54

2017 Response Data ............................................................................................................................ 54

2016 Response Data ............................................................................................................................ 57

2015 Response Data ............................................................................................................................ 61


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Scope of Project In 2014, the City of Niagara Falls purchased a vacant 3.8-acre piece of property at 8530 Lundy’s Lane (located west of Kalar Road) for the intended purpose of building a new fire station. This purchase was a result of a fire station location study which was conducted in 2012. This development would represent the City’s seventh fire station to ensure effective service to growing residential neighbourhoods to the south and the anticipated new Niagara Falls hospital to be built in 2021. At its meeting of January 24, 2017, City Council asked for a staffing review of the Niagara Falls Fire Department including, but not limited to, a review of required response times and staffing levels of comparable sized municipalities. This review was initiated as part of the operational and capital budget process and the request for the funding of a new fire hall in the City’s south-west corridor. The review of station locations included an assessment of the current allocation and location of resources, forecast of future demands for service and population trends, and recommended changes to the current system. The review will analyze all fire service levels and related activities, including standard service levels which may be ranked as follows:

1. Mandatory – required by legislation 2. Essential – best practices critical to the operation of the City 3. NFPA 1710 and 1720 standards 4. Other/Discretionary - provided to respond to specific community needs

Project Deliverables

Objectives and Area of Study Emergency Management and Training Inc. (EMT), was charged with conducting a review that will comment on the timing of the new station and a comprehensive review of staffing numbers, including comparative data on the following nine items:

1. Number of Full-time Professional Firefighters 2. Number of Volunteer Firefighters 3. Number of Fire Stations (Full-time and Volunteer) 4. Number of calls 5. Call distribution by category 6. Response times 7. Tax assessment base (commercial vs. residential) 8. Estimates on “transient” population (i.e. students, visitors, etc.) 9. Geographic area

The above data will assist Council in making an objective and informed decision on staffing and service levels to ensure community health and safety as well as fiscal efficiency and responsibility.


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This review will also include a review of comparable sized municipalities. The study will provide staffing options and opportunities for the City’s consideration, such as changes to services and service levels, if required. This review will also include a risk assessment and strategies for making any recommended changes. A comprehensive report and presentation shall be made to City Council.

Applicable Standards and Guidelines This report by Emergency Management & Training Inc. (EMT) has been based upon key performance indicators that have been identified in standards and safety regulations such as:

• The Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997

• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

• The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Public Safety Guidelines

• The Commission on Fire Accreditation International

Project Consultants Although several staff at Emergency Management and Training were involved in the collaboration and completion of this report, the overall review was conducted by:

• Darryl Culley, President, Emergency Management and Training Inc.

• Lyle Quan, Senior Fire Consultant

• Richard Hayes, Fire Consultant Together, Darryl, Lyle and Richard have a combined emergency services experience of over 100 years. They have worked on many projects that range from service reviews, creation of strategic and master plans, and development of emergency response programs for clients.

Community Overview The City of Niagara Falls is a vibrant City located in the heart of the Niagara Region. With a population of approximately 88,071 residents (2016 statistics) in a geographic area of 212 square kilometers. The population has grown from 82,997 in 2011 to 88,071 in 2016 which reflects an increase of 6.1%. It is estimated that approximately 12 million tourists come to visit Niagara Falls each year, with the peak tourist season being in the summer months. If each tourist is counted for one visitation per day, that equates to an additional 32,000 people within the City on a daily basis.


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The City is bordered by Niagara-on-the-Lake, St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, and the Niagara River that separates Canada from the USA. Niagara Falls is a community that is approximately 85% land based and 15% water based, which can present some unique challenges for the fire department when responding to calls for help along the Niagara River. Over the years, the City of Niagara Falls has witnessed many changes that equate to quite a few shifts in demographics, such as a growth in residential housing. As such, a thorough review of the City’s and the Fire Service’s future planning documents, goals and related objectives are being evaluated to ensure proper alignment with future needs. With a total land area of approximately 212 square kilometers (81.9 square miles), the total resident population density is 415 people per square kilometer (1,075 people per square mile). Breaking down the population by decades shows that the City has mostly experienced growth, with the exception of the period between 1951 and 1961 when the population dropped by 2.3%. However, Niagara Falls immediately bounced back over the next 11 years (1962-1971), when the population grew by a staggering 200%. Between 2011 and 2016, the population rose 6.1%, showing that the City is going to continue to grow in the coming years and will soon hit a milestone of 100,000 residents. The City of Niagara Falls has a high density of high-rise buildings, including residential apartment buildings, office buildings, and hotels. This, in itself, is a challenge for emergency responders due to what is known as “vertical response.” This is the time it takes from arrival at the location to the time it takes for emergency responders to arrive at the floor of the emergency. Fires on upper floors of high-rise buildings also require additional firefighters to move equipment and supplies to the site of the fire and assist in evacuation/rescue.

Economy The City has a varied and diverse economy that is built upon an economic foundation anchored by tourism, manufacturing, food and beverage production, retail, and knowledge-based sectors. The City is linked to the world by extensive road, rail, water, air and telecommunications networks.

Transportation Niagara Falls is both a key tourist destination for millions of visitors each year and a border City between Canada and the USA. Along with its inter-city road network, there are three main highways - the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Hwy #420 and Hwy #405 - that bisect the City. Coupled with the highways and regular road networks, there is also a railway system that runs through several parts of the City. These rail lines are used for both freight and passenger service.


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There is a private airport (Niagara South Airport) located near the QEW and Sodom Road, and a busy private heliport located at 3731 Victoria Avenue. The City is located within a one-hour drive of three international airports.

FIGURE 1: Niagara Falls – In relation to the Niagara Region

Review of Niagara Falls Fire Department (NFFD) The NFFD provides safe and effective emergency response, fire prevention and public educational services for the residents and visitors of Niagara Falls. The department consists of 132 full-time staff (116 are assigned to the suppression/firefighting division), consisting of a platoon system of four shifts. Fire suppression services respond from six stations that account for a total of 116 full-time and 104 volunteer firefighters. Over the past three years, the department has responded to well over 5,500 calls per year and is now at 6,410 calls in 2017.


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The Fire Department is moving to the 24-hour shift system as of 7 January 2019. The department provides five main services: Fire Suppression/Rescue and Emergency Response (including medical emergencies); Fire Prevention; Inspection; Enforcement and Fire Safety Education; Training, Communications and Emergency Management. The approximate approved operating budget for fire is 20 million dollars. The fire department is presently comprised of six fire stations with a seventh station that is the key focus of this review.

• Station #1 – 5815 Morrison St. (full-time station)

• Station #2 – 7036 McLeod Rd. (full-time station)

• Station #3 – 3401 Dorchester Rd. (full-time station)

• Station #4 – 8696 Banting Ave. (volunteer station)

• Station #5 – 11208 Sodom Rd. (volunteer station)

• Station #6 – 8037 Schisler Rd. (volunteer station)

• Station #7 – 8530 Lundy’s Lane (construction date and staffing are yet to be confirmed) There is a total of 18 fire apparatus distributed amongst the six fire stations. The list of apparatus includes pumper trucks, aerials, tankers and rescue trucks. There are also two marine units available at Station #4 for water rescue incidents.

Planning and Assessment Planning is a key function of any organization and should be done with a focus on the present needs of the community, coupled with its future growth and how this will affect the service demands on the fire service. The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management has identified three lines of defence for communities in relation to fire and life safety. These three lines are:

1. Education – fire safety education is the key to mitigating the fire and life hazards before they start.

2. Inspections and Enforcement – if the public education program does not prove effective, then the next step is for the fire department to enforce fire safety requirements through inspections and possible charges.

3. Emergency Response – if the first two lines of defence fail for whatever reason, the community, through its fire department, should be prepared to respond in an efficient and effective manner to put the fire out and/or mitigate the emergency itself.

By conducting this fire service and station review, the department and the City have demonstrated a genuine investment in the future of the fire service and the community they serve.

Project Approach During the project, EMT developed a series of in-depth reviews of the various functions, that centred


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around station locations and staffing. A series of data analyses were undertaken (with the assistance of NFFD staff) using GIS software to plot response zones along with the response ability/coverage of the present locations and the future seventh station. The four main categories that this document will cover are:

• Risk assessment • Response time analysis • Station locations and apparatus deployment • Community comparators

During this project, EMT reviewed and considered historical data and trends affecting fire and emergency protection including population growth, demographics, risks, and incidents over the past three years. Call demand by call type, including fire, EMS, hazmat, etc. was broken down by percentages and related amounts based on the overall call volume numbers.

Risk Assessment A risk assessment involves the compilation of several variables; the first is a review of the community, its demographics, and areas of vulnerability; the second is a review of call volumes, types of calls, and response capability of the fire department. By understanding what the risks are within the community, along with their location, coupled with the NFFD’s ability to respond in an efficient and effective manner, assumptions can be made in relation to future fire station locations and staffing needs.

Simplified Risk Assessment (SRA) As noted in Public Fire Safety Guideline, PFSG 04-40-12A, a simplified risk assessment must be completed for the community to determine the needs and circumstances of the municipality along with establishing the level of fire prevention and public fire safety education required. Presently, this SRA is completed by fire departments in Ontario based on a standard template that was developed by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management. The present program is focused on fire prevention and education initiatives based on community demographics and infrastructure. Any significant risks identified through the analysis should be addressed. For example, if the risk assessment indicates a significant threat to life or fire loss in multi-unit residential buildings, a program that will adequately improve their fire safety, such as routine inspections, would be appropriate to address the specific need of the community. As an accepted practice, an SRA should be completed every three to five years. However, if there is significant growth or change in the community, an annual update should also be conducted to


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present a more realistic review and set of program upgrades/changes that are required to meet the needs of the community. As a minimum requirement, a community fire safety program must include:

• A simplified risk assessment • A smoke alarm program • Distribution of fire safety education materials • Participating in inspections upon complaint or request to assist with Fire Code compliance

Since each community is different, the simplified risk assessment and ensuing fire concern profile will assist in identifying the degree to which these activities are required in accordance with local needs and circumstances. The simplified risk assessment is made up of the following components:

• Demographic profile • Building stock profile • Local and provincial fire loss profiles • Information analysis and evaluation • Priority setting for compliance • Implementing solutions

The most recent SRA for Niagara Falls was completed in 2018. Excerpts from this risk assessment are noted below.

Demographic Profile

• The City of Niagara Falls overall population in 2016 was 88,071 residents • The overall population has increased 6.1% from the 2011 census • The largest increase was with the senior population (aged 65 and over) which increased by

20.0% • There are approximately 12 million visitors to Niagara Falls each year (averages to

approximately 32,000 visitors per day) All statistical data contained within this section was obtained from the 2016 Statistics Canada census.


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Population by Age and Sex

Families and Households

Vulnerable Individuals and Occupancies The City of Niagara Falls has several facilities that are considered care occupancies, care and treatment occupancies, or retirement homes. All of these facilities provide some level of special care to individuals regarding age, cognitive impairments, or physical limitations. Each of these impairments could limit an individual’s ability to evacuate independently. Many persons receiving special care have a limited capacity for self-preservation and therefore rely on staff for assistance in a fire emergency.

City of Niagara Falls – VULNERABLE OCCUPANCIES

Property Name Property Type Number of Residents

Address

Greater Niagara General Hospital Care and Treatment 187 (Fluctuates)

5546 Portage Road

Bella Senior Care Residence Care Occupancy 161 8720 Willoughby Drive

Salvation Army Eventide Home Care Occupancy 99 5050 Jepson Street

Meadows of Dorchester Care Occupancy 68 6623 Kalar Road

Millennium Trail Manor Care Occupancy 160 6861 Oakwood Drive

Oakwood Park Lodge Care Occupancy 153 6747 Oakwood Drive

Valley Park Lodge Care Occupancy 65 6400 Valley Way

Donald L Reilly Centre Care Occupancy 10 3470 Sinnicks Avenue

Kalar Road Residence Care Occupancy 9 4650 Kalar Road

Bernice Mowatt Centre Care Occupancy 8 6646 Bellevue Street

City of Niagara Falls - POPULATION BY AGE / SEX GROUPINGS

Total Population 2016 % Male % Female 2011 % Change

88,071 82,997 + 6.1

0-14 13,250 51.4 (6,810) 48.6 (6,440) 12,920 + 2.5

15-64 56,970 48.8(27,805) 51.2 (29,165) 55,194 + 3.2

65 and over 17,850 44.3 (7,915) 55.7 (9,935) 14,870 + 20.0

City of Niagara Falls – TYPES OF PRIVATE HOUSEHOLDS

Household Type Number %

Total Private Households 35,915 100.0

Couple – family households with children aged 24 and under at home 9,925 27.6

Couple – family households without children aged 24 and under at home 9,830 27.4

Lone-parent family households 5,345 14.9

One-person households 10,110 28.1

Multiple family households 705 2.0


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Windgate Residence Care Occupancy 8 4846-4848 Windgate Drive

Chelsea Residence Care Occupancy 6 7535 Chelsea Crescent

Maitland Residence Care Occupancy 6 6362 Maitland Street

Palmer Supportive Living Care Occupancy 38 5165 Palmer Avenue

Cavendish Manor Retirement Home 89 5781 Dunn Street

Emerald Retirement Residence Retirement Home 113 5807 Ferry Street

Greycliff Manor Retirement Home 62 8158 Lundy’s Lane

Lundy Manor Retirement Home 106 + 7860 Lundy’s Lane

Nimigon Retirement Residence Retirement Home 16 7715 Beaverdams Road

Queenston Place Retirement Home 80 6440 Valley Way

River Road Retirement Residence Retirement Home 96 + 4067 River Road

Willoughby Manor Retirement Home 52 + 6584 Bridgewater Street

The individuals cared for in these occupancies are defined as vulnerable under the Ontario Fire Code because of their limited capacity for self-preservation. Another vulnerable group that the fire department has identified within the community, that does not fall directly into this category, but are significantly at risk of injury from fire due to cognitive and physical limitations, are the individuals residing at motels. Over a number of years there has been a decline of tourists seeking accommodation at the City’s motels as they opt for the newer hotel complexes. As a result of this decline in business, property owners sought a different clientele in order to sustain their businesses and maintain their properties. Many motel owners began renting guest suites on a monthly basis to residents, which supported a need in the community for affordable housing. This has proven to be an effective way to address some social problems within the community, however, the change in occupancy of these properties, from mere accommodations for the traveling public to long-term residential occupancies, has changed the fire risk of these properties. Another demographic group that should be taken into consideration as a vulnerable group is school-aged children. The following chart indicates the number of schools within the City of Niagara Falls and includes the number of students in attendance at those facilities.

City of Niagara Falls – 2017/18 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

School Grades Enrollment

Elementary Schools

Cherrywood Acres JK-8 223

Forestview Public School JK-8 714

Greendale Public School JK-8 311

Heximer Street Public School JK-8 203

James Morden School JK-8 303

John Marshall JK-8 365

Kate S. Durdan JK-8 430


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Martha Cullimore School JK-6 185

Orchard Park School JK-8 341

Prince Phillip School 4-8 405

Princess Margaret School JK-8 380

River View School JK-8 352

Simcoe Street School JK-8 155

Valley Way Public School JK-8 240

Victoria Public School JK-8 86

Cardinal Newman School JK-8 542

Father Hennepin School JK-8 262

Loretto School JK-8 577

Mary Ward School JK-8 371

Notre Dame School JK-8 274

Our Lady of Mount Carmel JK-8 445

Sacred Heart JK-8 270

St Gabriel Lalemant JK-8 160

St Mary School JK-8 182

St Patrick School JK-8 187

St Vincent De Paul JK-8 260

Secondary Schools

A.N. Myer 9-12 1086

Stamford Collegiate 9-12 600

Westlane Secondary 9-12 700

St Michael Secondary 9-12 927

St Paul Secondary 9-12 799

St Ann Adult Learning Centre N/A 200 (+/-)

Totals 12,535

Population Fluctuations According to the Niagara Falls Community Overview provided by the Business Development Department of the City of Niagara Falls, there are approximately 12 million visitors to the City each year. The resources required to address the fire safety needs of the visitor population and related infrastructure considerably reduce the resources that also need to be directed towards the fire safety requirements of the [permanent] resident population. The incorporation of a seventh fire station will go a long way to assisting the NFFD in meeting the future needs of both the increase in permanent population and the influx of the tourist population. As seen in the coverage map on page 34, the location for Station 7 will offer enhanced service to the noted area.


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Demographic Profile and Concerns

1. Since the NFFD profile indicates that the majority of the population is between 15 and 64 years of age, consideration should be given to providing additional fire safety education to this group, which could be accomplished by using influencers such as employers, workplace health and safety committees, or other direct means.

2. The City of Niagara Falls has had a significant increase to the 65+ demographic since the 2011 census. This group has historically been identified as vulnerable. These individuals include those persons not only living independently, but those in hospital, nursing home facilities, or any other facility where the occupants are dependent upon staff because they are non-ambulatory. Many of these individuals may also have cognitive impairments, which could limit their ability to escape quickly if a fire should occur. Studies confirm that seniors are slower to react to the sound of a fire alarm, slower to wake, slower to get moving, slower to get out of a chair or bed, and therefore slower to escape. By ensuring that the Niagara Falls Fire Department continues to make certain the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code and Fire Protection and Prevention Act are complied with, including annual inspections and evacuation drills of the facilities housing, we can reduce the risk to this specific group.

A gap that should be addressed is the ability to adequately reach the senior population that currently lives in their own home or apartment. The fire department should consider using influencers of this demographic group such as organizations like Meals on Wheels, mobile health/home care organizations, and church groups to deliver important fire safety messaging to this group.

3. The population explosion that occurs as a result of the tourism industry influences the level of service that can be provided to the resident population, as resources required are directed to this sector.

Building Stock Profile Information in the table below is intended to provide an approximate inventory of the properties within the community. The data collected corresponds closely with the Ontario Building Code classification system.

Building Classification (as per the Ontario Building Code)

Group A Assembly 567

Group B Institutional 44

Group C Residential

Single-Family Detached 24,371

Semi-detached 1,870

Duplex 611

Multi-unit Residential (3 to 6 units) 246

Multi-unit residential (7+ units) 106

Town House 421


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Row Housing (7+ units) 13

Residential Condominium 2,310

Co-op Housing – non-equity 6

Residential with commercial or industrial unit 45

Bed & Breakfast 59

Motels / Hotels 149

Rooming / Boarding House 7

Group Home 1

Retirement Home 10

Mobile Home Park 3

Other Residential 288

Residential Total (30,516)

Group D Personal Services 136

Group E Mercantile 466

Group F Industrial

High Hazard Industrial 11

Medium Hazard Industrial 320

Light Hazard Industrial 132

*** Non-Classified Buildings

Amusement Park 3

International Bridge 2

Campground 5

Marina 1

Communication Building 4

OPG Hydraulic Generating Station 1

Transformer Station 18

Pipelines 4

Compressor Station – for Gas Distribution 7

Golf Course 22

TOTAL 32,259

The City has a considerable number of mixed occupancy buildings, residential occupancies above businesses, and personal service occupancies, as well as above mercantile occupancies, mostly concentrated in older core areas. The City has, in relation to its size, a very high number of bed & breakfasts, hotels, and motels. We have also noticed a trend towards strip plazas containing business and personal service occupancies and industrial occupancies now being populated by both assembly and mercantile occupancies.


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Municipal Loss Profile The following chart indicates the data collected over a three-year period (2015-2017) related to fire incidences in the City of Niagara Falls. The data includes the frequency of fires in specific occupancy types and the dollar loss associated with those fires.

Occupancy Classification

2017 2016 2015

# of Fires

$ Loss # of Fires

$ Loss # of Fires

$ Loss

Group A Assembly 1 5,000 8 401,000 7 90,210

Group B Institutional 0 0 0 0 2 6,500

Group C Residential 43 2,067,273 48 2,877,751 36 1,149,100

Group D Personal Services 0 0 0 0 2 4,000

Group E Mercantile 2 1,500,000 3 302,000 0 0

Group F Industrial 4 165,100 3 401,000 2 100,000

Automobiles 17 130,101 18 881,500 21 142,000

Miscellaneous 3 158,000 15 114,000 17 36,252

TOTALS 72 $4,025,474 95 $4,977,251 87 $1,528,062

Within the 2018 SRA, the following areas were identified as concerns:

1. Vulnerable groups such as seniors and those with physical difficulties 2. Certain barriers to public education due to such a high seasonal and transient population 3. Population explosion due to the tourism industry

As noted in Public Fire Safety Guideline – PFSG 04-41-12, municipalities are responsible for the provision of fire protection services within their area of jurisdiction. As a minimum, communities must establish and deliver programs which include public education with respect to fire safety, as well as certain components of fire prevention. The Community Fire Safety Officer/Team is one method of providing a reasonable level of community fire safety for certain circumstances in small communities that may lack traditional fire suppression resources. The primary focus of the Community Fire Safety Officer/Team is on fire safety, rather than on readiness for suppression. Service Delivery Options

• Locally by the municipality • Purchased from another municipality, territory without municipal organization, or person • Jointly managed and operated with another municipality • Any combination of the above


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Community Risk Assessment Program To reinforce this need for the SRA and to create a more encompassing community risk profile, the Provincial government has recently passed three new fire service regulations, one of which is the mandatory development of a Community Risk Assessment. This new CRA program will go beyond what the present program requires, by having each community and its fire department also look at overall risks to a community such as weather, hazardous material incidents, and even road, rail and air concerns that may exist within a community. To assist communities in the development of a CRA, a template is being developed by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management and should be released in late 2018 or early 2019. This new CRA will build on the present SRA to formalize and enhance the assessment process for evaluating community fire safety needs based on such things as population growth, demographics, infrastructure challenges and response time capabilities of a fire department. The development of such a risk assessment lies on the shoulders of the Fire Prevention Division. As such, more emphasis will be placed on this division to not only identify annual fire prevention and education programs, but also create a new CRA every five years including annual reviews and updates.

Recommendation #1:

1. Because fire prevention is the least costly way of providing loss control, reducing fire related injuries and death, and reducing fire service demand in the long-term, additional focus on fire prevention is encouraged based on the City’s size and forecasted growth. To accomplish this NFFD should:

o Place more emphasis on fire safety/public education through the future creation of a dedicated Public Education Officer.

o Presently, on-duty firefighters do play a role in public education at the fire stations, a residential smoke alarm and CO campaign, along with other community events. Wherever possible, NFFD should enhance the utilization of the on-duty firefighters (for fire prevention/education efforts). This would be accomplished through the development of an annual program that outlines fire prevention and fire safety initiatives to be accomplished within that calendar year.

Associated Costs:

• The cost of a Public Education Officer would be approximately $105,000.00 per year.

• Minimal costs that are based on the increased use of on-duty firefighters for public education and fire safety inspections.

o Budget depends on the identified needs/recommendations made by the Fire Chief.


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Response Time Guidelines and Analysis The goal of any fire service is to ensure an efficient and effective response to the community’s needs when called. When considering the response times and related needs for a community, the fire response curve (fig 2) presents the reader with a general understanding of how fire can grow within a room over a short period of time. As noted in the fire propagation diagram, after eight minutes, a small fire can grow beyond the room of origin; hence the need for initiating fire suppression activities as soon as possible. It must also be noted that within the overall response time criteria, other times must be taken into consideration, such as:

• Receiving the call (from the place in need)

• Dispatching the call (sending out the message to the fire station)

• Turnout time (Once the tones are set off, how long does it take for the firefighters to arrive at the station, gear up and get the fire truck rolling out of the fire station? This time varies greatly between full-time and volunteer firefighters.)

• Actual travel time to the scene

• Time to assess the situation, gear up, advance hose lines (if an actual fire)

Keep in mind that NFFD responds to more than just fires. For example, with medical calls, brain death can occur if the body is starved of oxygen for more than four minutes. Hence the reason to be as efficient and effective as possible in responding to calls for assistance. To address this, NFFD has implemented a tiered response program that has two fire vehicles responding to all calls (which is monitored by the Fire Chief).

FIGURE 2: Fire Response/Propagation Curve


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Based on the statistics illustrated in the above fire response/propagation curve, the goal of any fire department is to arrive at the scene of the fire and/or incident as quickly and as effectively as possible. By arriving on scene in eight minutes or less, there is increased potential to contain the fire by reducing further spread of the flames to the rest of the structure. However, if the first arriving fire attack team arrives with only three firefighters on board, it is limited to what operations it can successfully attempt. Based on NFPA and Fire Health and Safety Section 21 Guidelines, no interior attack can be made by the firefighters until more staff arrive on scene. The initial expectation is that a minimum of three firefighters and one officer arrive on scene in the first arriving fire apparatus to make up the initial response team. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests that response times should be used as a primary performance measure in fire departments. Although Niagara Falls Fire Department (NFFD) has adopted the use of response time measurement as a guide to evaluate their capabilities, these times are not clearly identified in any official City document. NFPA standards recommend two levels of response criteria that relate to Niagara Falls’ population densities; these levels are the NFPA 1710 and 1720 standards. These standards are summarized as follows: NFPA 1710 – section 4.1.2.1 Standard for the Organization and Deployment - by Career Fire Departments

• 240 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident

• For structures other than high-rise, 480 seconds or less travel time for the deployment of an initial full alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident

• For high-rise, 610 seconds or less travel time for the deployment of an initial full alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident

• 240 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of a unit with first responder with automatic external defibrillator

NFPA 1720 – section 4.3.2 Standard for the Organization and Deployment - by Volunteer Fire Departments

• Urban Zones with greater than 1000 people per square mile, there should be a minimum response of 15 staff with a response time of 9 minutes, 90 percent of the time

• In Suburban areas with population of 500 – 1000 people per square mile, there should be a minimum response of 10 staff within 10 minutes, 80 percent of the time

• In Rural areas (population of less than 500 people per square mile), there should be a minimum response of 6 staff within 14 minutes, 80 percent of the time.


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In relation to NFPA 1720, the City’s population has a density of over 1000 people per square mile, which means that NFFD should be utilizing 10 staff in 10 minutes, 80 percent of the time. While the NFPA standards have no legal status in Canada, they are based on the collective experience of professional firefighters and technical research. These standards are considered to be the most technically comprehensive and are widely accepted in jurisdictions across the continent. Therefore, the NFPA guidelines have been relied upon as the primary benchmarks for this report.

Response Data The charts illustrated in Figure 3 identify a comparison of response types and the response breakdown among the six fire stations for 2017. This information should not be taken in isolation as it simply reflects response data that, when combined and compared with other factors such as time of year, time of day, etc., can help the NFFD develop a more accurate accounting of response times. These charts (through the use of the supplied data) help to identify the types of calls that are creating the bulk of response demands and which station(s) are called upon the most for these responses. The NFFD responds to a myriad of calls that range from medical assist, to fires and fire prevention related inspections/inquiries. This is what is expected of a full-service fire department. During this response data review, EMT did not identify any areas that would support a recommendation relating to any service level reduction. This finding was supported by the current population, present and future statistics, and the approximate 12 million visitors each year to the City. Any actual change in service level would be at the discretion and approval of Council, as they are the authority having jurisdiction. However, as already noted, EMT is not recommending any changes in service level (and call types) at this time. EMT’s review of response data and population has identified for the past three years that there is a steady increase of approximately eight to nine percent in call volume as the population grows. If this increase continues as data suggests, the NFFD could see themselves responding to over 7,000 calls per year the within the next three to five years. As it currently stands, there is no governing body held accountable for determining the necessary number of firefighters/fire stations required based on call volumes and/or population. However, the NFPA does offer response times (for both career and volunteer firefighters) as a goal for fire departments to strive towards. To ensure optimum efficiency is being maintained with the construction and staffing of Station 7, a review of response times was also conducted. It was found that at present, the 90th percentile travel time (from station to scene) is seven minutes. The actual response time of receiving the call and arriving on scene is nine minutes, 90% of the time (by other stations). With the opening of Station 7,


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this time would be significantly reduced to approximately five minutes anywhere within this new coverage area. A calculation of total number of calls that occur in the Station 7 catchment area is 884 calls. Presently, 52 of these calls were in the Station 2 area, while 132 were in the Station 3 area. The following is a basic breakdown of the types of calls that the Station 7 crew would respond to:

CALL TYPES # OF CALLS Accident or illness related (cuts, fractures, etc.) 38 Alarm System Equipment – Accidental Activation 17 Alarm System Equipment – malfunction 32 Alcohol or drug related 50 Asphyxia, Respiratory Condition 78 Assistance not required by other agency 77 Assistance to other agency 17 Assistance to police 12 Assisting other FD 1 Authorized controlled burning – complaint 4 Burns 4 Call cancelled on route 24 Chest pains or heart attack 79 CO false alarm – equipment malfunction (no CO present) 29 CO false alarm – perceived emergency (no CO present) 13 CO incident, CO present 6 CPR Administered 8 Fire 8 Gas leak-natural gas 8 Human – Accidental alarm 6 Human – Malicious intent, prank 7 Human – perceived emergency 2 Incident not found 9 Medical Aid not required upon arrival 13 Medical/resuscitator call – no action required 24 No loss outdoor fire 5 Open air burning/unauthorized controlled burning 23 Other cooking/toasting/smoke/steam 7 Other false fire call 7 Other medical/resuscitator call 59 Other pre-fire conditions (no fire) 5 Other public service 25 Other rescue 1 Other response 7 Overheat (no fire) 3 Oxygen administered 46


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Pot on stove (no fire) 5 Public hazard 3 Rescue false alarm 1 Rescue no action required 2 Ruptured water/steam pipe 1 Seizure 18 Spill –Miscellaneous 1 Traumatic shock 1 Vehicle Collision 70 Vehicle extrication 1 Vital signs absent, DOA 25

Of these 884 calls, 671 are single vehicle responses that would be handled by the new Station 7 crew alone, with 213 calls requiring more than a one vehicle response. These additional vehicles would most likely come from stations 1 and 2.

FIGURE 3: Yearly Comparisons of Calls for all Stations for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018

Call Comparisons for Three Year Period 2015 2016 2017 2018

Property Fires/Explosions 145 167 121 94

Over pressure rupture/explosion (no fire) 9 6 5 0

Pre-fire conditions/no fire 160 164 156 131

Burning (controlled) 205 228 186 194

CO2 Alarm Calls 217 243 211 216

Fire Alarm Activations 611 564 612 678

Public Hazard 139 167 138 125

Rescue 440 478 529 545

Medical/Resuscitator Call 2510 2570 2771 3084

Other Response 1114 1091 1128 1058

Totals 5550 5678 5857 6125


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General Breakdown of Call Types and Percentages for 2018

More Data for 2017, 2016 and 2015 can be found in Appendix “C”.

Property Fires/Explosions,94,

1.5%

Over pressure rupture/explosion (no

fire), 0, 0%

Pre-fire conditions/no fire, 131, 2.2%

Burning (controlled),194, 3.2%

CO Alarm Calls,216, 4%

Fire Alarm Activations, 678, 11%

Public Hazard, 125, 2%

Rescue 545, 9%

Medical/Resuscitator Call, 3084, 50%

Other Response, 1058, 17%

Call Types 2018

Property Fires/Explosions Over pressure rupture/explosion (no fire)Pre-fire conditions/no fire Burning (controlled)CO Alarm Calls Fire Alarm ActivationsPublic Hazard RescueMedical/Resuscitator Call Other Response


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Response Data Review:

After a review of the three-year response data, it is apparent that:

• Presently, the three full-time stations account for the bulk of NFFD’s calls. Out of the 6,125 calls in 2018, stations, 1, 2 and 3 responded to 5,512 calls or 90% of the total call volume.

• Over the past three years, the overall call volume for the NFFD has increased by approximately 9% per year from 5,550 responses in 2015 up to 6125 responses in 2018.

o This, in itself, is taxing the three full-time stations in meeting response time expectations as noted by the NFPA 1710 standard.

• Stations #1 and #2 are the first response units to the planned Station #7 area. These two stations are the stations that are experiencing the greatest increase on call volume, from 3,973 responses in 2015 to approximately 4,551 responses in 2018

o Having Station #7 built will assist stations 1, 2, and 3 in meeting response expectations of the community (and the fire department).

• It is also noted that Station #4, which is presently a volunteer station, is experiencing a call volume that, if it continues to increase, may necessitate the up-staffing of this station by a full-time component.

Due to an increase in call volume for fire Station #4, the NFFD should keep a constant tracking of response times of the volunteers to this station. There is no doubt that they are a dedicated team of professionals, but some composite departments, such as Clarington Fire, have used a formula of one call per day as a tipping point towards considering the implementation of a full-time component to a volunteer (staffed) station. This full-time component could initially be the up staffing by two full-time personnel, a driver and captain, to be ready to respond to fire/rescue calls as soon as two or more volunteers arrive at the fire station or respond to medical calls as a crew of two without paging the volunteers. This process has the ability to speed up the response times of these stations and also ensures that a driver and officer are always available at the fire station. At this time, EMT is not recommending that station #4 become a composite or full-time station. We are only suggesting that ongoing monitoring of call volumes and turnout times of the volunteer firefighters is warranted to ensure the reliability of this station.

• Ongoing observation of call volumes for Station #4 should be closely monitored for the

following items: o Call volumes and related turnout times of the volunteer firefighters. o Reliability of sufficient resources responding to the fire station, along with:

▪ Time of day that is creating the greatest concerns

• If NFFD identify an increase in turnout/response times along with a possible decrease in numbers of volunteers attending calls (at Station #4), then consideration should be given to


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the following: o An increase in the volunteer complement for Station #4 o Staffing of a small complement of full-time firefighters to ensure the fire vehicle is

ready to respond once sufficient volunteers have arrived o A review and identification of when the greatest number of calls occur and creating a

day-time, full-time complement, with coverage in the evening and weekend hours solely by the volunteers

Fire Station Location Analysis A fire station location analysis begins with an evaluation of the distribution of apparatus and personnel throughout a department’s response/service area relative to population and special risk demands and challenges. A second factor in the review is the department’s ability to meet system performance goals as noted in NFPA standards based on the present fire station locations. The answers to the above noted points are rarely straightforward, because a fire department may be meeting its response goals in one area of the City but not the rest. This is an area where Emergency Management and Training Inc. evaluated response data provided by the fire department, along with collating the overall ability to meet industry standards (through either the NFPA 1710 or NFPA 1720 staffing response requirements).

Present Staffing and Vehicle Deployment As already noted, the NFFD has a complement of 116 full-time fire suppression staff, consisting of a platoon system of four shifts. Fire suppression services respond from six stations that account for a total of 116 full-time and 104 volunteer firefighters. There is a total of 18 fire department vehicles distributed amongst the six fire stations. The full-time station shift vehicle and staffing complement are:

• Station #1 – 3 fire vehicles, plus the Platoon Chief unit for a minimum staffing of 14 staff

• Station #2 – 1 fire vehicle with a minimum of 4 staff

• Station #3 – 1 fire vehicle with a minimum of 4 staff This puts the present minimum suppression staff on duty at 22. However, at any given time, the NFFD has a total shift complement of 29 full-time firefighters. This staffing complement of 29 allows for absences due to vacation or illness.

Changes in Resource Deployment to Meet Future Needs For this review, EMT has been advised that a pre-selected site has been secured for a future seventh fire station. It must now be determined when the station should be built and what type of staffing requirements are needed for this new fire station.


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Based on assessing three years of data, a set of general assumptions can be drawn in relation to population verses call volumes. This by no means is a scientific evaluation but, with no industry standard to base our recommendations on, population verses call volume is one factor that can assist with drawing certain conclusions and recommendations. The goal is to supply the City with the best and most realistically implementable option(s). With a present population of approximately 89,000 and a call volume of 6,400 calls, this equates to 7.2 calls per 1,000 population. With an anticipated growth of population to 100,000 within the next 10 years, this could equate to a total call volume of 7,200 calls for the NFFD. This translates to another 9% increase over the next 10 years, or less. As noted in a past station location report submitted in 2012 by the MMM Group, much of the projected development has occurred within the response area of the proposed new fire station. This projected development will also precipitate the need for the new station.

Fire Station Location and Other Considerations Fire stations should be situated to offer the most efficient and effective response to the community they serve. Centering them within a determined response zone that is simply based on “timed” responses is not always the best option to implement. Fire station location depends on many factors such as key risks within the response zone, future growth of the community, and even whether or not this will be a station that is staffed (in the future) by full-time or volunteer firefighters. Another consideration is the geographical layout of the community that can include natural barriers or divides, such as water, that makes it necessary to have some stations located within close proximity of each other. Public Fire Safety Guideline – PFSG 04-08-13 on Fire Station Location notes fire stations should be situated to achieve the most effective and safe emergency responses. Distance and travel time may be a primary consideration, however, if a basic expectation is set by the community’s decision makers, then a more realistic level of service and fire station location criteria can be identified. As noted in figures 5 to 7 on pages 34, 35 and 36, with the addition of Station 7, the fire stations will be located throughout Niagara Falls in a manner that appears to offer a solid level of coverage for the community. Figure 6 is a map of the fire station locations along with the locations of calls for service. As the reader will note, the bulk of the responses are presently in the northern section of the City. Based on the anticipated population and commercial growth of the new Station 7 catchment area, EMT is recommending that the new station be built within the next few years to allow the NFFD to stay ahead of this anticipated growth. The response time data confirms that call volumes are increasing in the proposed Station 7 location, which is putting greater pressure on stations 1 and 2 for responses. During the review of call volumes, it was identified that the new fire station would be responding to 29pprox.. 800 calls per year in its assigned area, which are presently being covered by


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stations 1 and 2. These 800 responses are not additional calls; they are calls that are occurring currently within this area. However, with future growth forecasted, this amount of call volume will only increase in the Station 7 area. By responding to calls in the Station 7 zone, the present stations will be less able to respond to their own areas efficiently (if Station 7 was in place), which is a concern noted by the Fire Chief and corroborated by data received by EMT. Having Station 7 in place will reduce the number of calls that stations 1, 2 or 3 respond to in that range for calls requiring single apparatus response, such as medical calls. Presently, medical responses account for 43% of the overall call volume.


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FIGURE 5: Niagara Falls Fire Station Locations


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FIGURE 6: Call Cluster Map


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Note: During review of call volumes, it was identified that the new fire station would be responding to 33pprox.. 800 calls per year. This amount of call volume would most likely exceed the ability of volunteer firefighter utilization. As such, EMT will be presenting some options for full-time staffing of the station (later in this report).

FIGURE 7: Response Time Grids In this map, stations 1, 2, 3 & 7 have been plotted with a 4-minute drive/response time. Stations 4, 5 & 6 have been plotted with 7-minute drive/response time. The 7-minute time takes into consideration a minimum of 3-minute response to the fire station by the volunteer firefighters (before they are actually driving to the incident).


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As noted in the response grids, which include the new Station 7 response area, the set-up of the fire stations offers a comprehensive level of coverage within the City. EMT had evaluated the option of closing of a fire station such as Station 2 and relocating it to a more central position, but this resulted in leaving some large gaps in certain response areas. As such, this option of closing and relocating a fire station was not considered as a viable recommendation that would continue to serve the needs of the community with future growth in mind.

Recommendations #2:

2. Based on the anticipated growth in population and infrastructure (residential and commercial buildings), the location identified for Station #7 is well situated to meet future needs. Based on growth and related call volumes, the station should be built within the next two years to ensure that NFFD will be able to meet the anticipated challenges.

o During review of call volumes, it was identified that the new fire station would be responding to approximately 800 calls per year. This amount of call volume would exceed the ability of volunteer firefighter utilization. In our experience, rarely is a station that does more than 400 calls per year staffed with volunteers.

o Therefore, with 800 plus calls per year, it is recommended that this new station be staffed by full-time firefighters.

Associated Costs:

• Construction costs will be determined by the design, size, and timing of Station 7.

Station 7 Staffing There are numerous factors to be considered when determining the appropriate staffing for a fire department and/or individual station. Ultimately, it is the City Council who will set the level of fire protection for a community. There are a number of standards and research programs that assist in setting staffing standards including:

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

• Center for Public Safety Excellence

• Commission on Fire Accreditation International

• Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Other considerations must include:

• Call volume/work load – what is reasonable to expect from volunteers vs. career firefighters

• Response times – what are the acceptable response times for the community or area of the community

• Depth of response – how many firefighters are required to fight a fire based on the risk and


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how long it will take to assemble them

• Call locations – where are the highest densities of calls occurring

• Community risk factors – what are the types of structures (e.g. residential, high rise, industrial, vulnerable occupancies) in the coverage area

The term “volunteer” is really referencing a paid on-call firefighter who is an employee of the City. These firefighters must meet the same minimum training standards that a career firefighter is required to (NFPA 1001 Firefighter 1). These firefighters must also be properly equipped in the same manner as a career firefighter.

Utilizing Volunteers for Station 7 There are a number of factors in considering the use of volunteers to staff Station 7. The community of Chippawa (Station 4) has had a long history of volunteer firefighters while the local population has been slowly growing. Even with this history of volunteerism, the station has, in the past, struggled to keep adequate numbers of volunteers. Identifying this struggle, response guidelines included having career firefighters from Station 2 respond to all calls in that area. This has now been scaled back to only include weekday day shifts, but this still highlights the challenge of getting an adequate number of firefighters out to respond to calls. Recruiting an adequate number of volunteers for the Station 7 area may be a challenge. While some of the volunteers may wish to transfer to Station 7, that may result in a staffing issue for the other volunteer stations. One of the challenges of a volunteer is that they have work, family, personal, and other community commitments limiting their availability to respond to a call. It is estimated that the Station 7 apparatus would respond to approximately 800 calls per year. This high call volume would place an extremely high demand on the volunteer firefighters in addition to their mandatory training. This would require the expectation that firefighters respond to an average of 2 calls per day in addition to their work, family, personal, and other community commitments. In our experience, we have never seen a fire station, staffed solely by volunteers, responding to 400 calls or more. One of the advantages of having a composite fire department (mix of career and volunteer firefighters) is that the volunteers can be activated to assist in major fire incidents. While this does not change our recommendation to staff Station 7 with career firefighters, it does speak to the additional capacity the fire department has in being able to utilize the volunteer firefighters from stations 4, 5 and 6 in the event of a major incident.

Career Staffing Options

Option #1

Currently, Station 1 first response vehicles include a pumper, aerial, and rescue truck (three trucks),


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plus a command vehicle staffed by the Platoon Chief and a Fire Incident Technician. Station 2 and Station 3 each have one first response pumper. Replacing the rescue truck with a pumper/rescue truck could permit the deployment of the pumper from Station 1 to Station 7, leaving two trucks (a pumper/rescue and an aerial), at Station 1. There would not be any additional staffing required.

While this option is cost neutral, it reduces the response capabilities at Station 1, which covers the most densely built-up area of the City. Option #2

Currently there are 29 career firefighters on each platoon, with a minimum platoon staffing of 22 firefighters. The minimum staffing is 4 firefighters on each apparatus (5 apparatus staffed per platoon) plus a Platoon Chief and a Fire Incident Technician staffing a command vehicle.

Many fire services will staff their front-line apparatus with 5 firefighters to allow for vacations, sick time, and other absences to meet the minimum of 4 firefighters. With 5 apparatus, this is equivalent to 25 firefighters. When the Platoon Chief and the Fire Incident Technician are factored into the mix, a staffing of 27 firefighters would be adequate for most situations, where the current staffing is 29.

Option 2 recommends keeping the same complement of vehicles at Station 1, by assigning 2 staff to the aerial and keeping the pumper and rescue at 5 each, with the Platoon Chief vehicle at the present staffing of 2. This would allow the movement of one full crew of 5 to Station 7 without hiring any additional firefighters. Note: The reduction in aerial staffing is being noted because this unit is generally a secondary responding unit to calls in which two or three other pumper trucks are also responding. This amount of vehicle and staffing response does allow for a large number of firefighters on scene. The aerial’s function is to allow for either access to upper floors and/or roof areas of a structure, rescue operations and even as an elevated water tower. Having two firefighters on this unit will allow for immediate set up and operation of the aerial as other firefighters at the scene are utilized for the noted operations. However, this reduction is meant only as a temporary situation. As such, staffing is to be increased by two firefighters annually to bring the number of staff on the aerial back-up to the present complement of four (three firefighters and one officer). Present staffing totals:

• Station 1 = 14 (pumper – 5 firefighters, rescue – 5 firefighters, aerial – 2 firefighters, Platoon Chief and Emergency Incident Technician – 2 firefighters)

• Station 2 = 5 firefighters




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Total staffing for this option = 29

Due to the utilization of the two spare firefighters per platoon who help to cover for shift vacancies, there will likely be an increase of overtime expenditures.

For this option the NFFD has the availability of using one of its spare pumpers, but this would reduce the spare fleet below the recommended FUS level of one spare per eight pumpers. As such, an additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required, in the near future, for this option. Option #3

Currently there are 29 firefighters on each platoon, with a minimum platoon staffing of 22 firefighters. The minimum staffing is 4 firefighters on each apparatus (5 apparatus) plus a Platoon Chief and a Fire Incident Technician staffing a command vehicle.

Many fire services will staff their front-line apparatus with 5 firefighters to allow for vacations, sick time, and other absences. With 5 apparatus, this is equivalent to 25 firefighters. When the Platoon Chief and the Fire Incident Technician are factored into the mix, a staffing of 27 firefighters would be adequate for most situations. It would be possible to move 2 firefighters from each platoon to Station 7 without impacting normal minimum staffing at the other stations.

Fully staffing Station 7 with five career firefighters per platoon would necessitate the hiring of 12 additional firefighters.

This would result in Station 1 having a fully staffed pumper, rescue and aerial truck (each with a minimum of four firefighters), as well as Station 7 being fully staffed with a minimum of four firefighters.

Due to the utilization of the reduction of the firefighters who cover for shift vacancies, there will likely be an increase of overtime expenditures.

For this option, the NFFD has the availability of using one of its spare pumpers, but this would reduce the spare fleet below the recommended FUS level of one spare per eight pumpers. As such, an additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required, in the near future, for this option.

Option #4

To add a new fully staffed pumper to Station 7, without making changes to any other station, would require the hiring of 20 additional firefighters.

An additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required for this option.

Associated Costs:

• Option #1: No additional staffing costs associated with this option, however, the purchase of a


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pumper/rescue truck would have an estimated cost of $650,000 - $800,000.

• Option #2: No permanent firefighters hired, however, there would be an increase in overtime costs. A pumper or pumper/rescue would be required for this station.

o For this option the NFFD has the availability of using one of its spare pumpers, but this would reduce the spare fleet below the recommended FUS level of one spare per eight pumpers. As such, an additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required, in the near future, for this option.

o Cost of a pumper or pumper/rescue would be approximately $650,000 - $800,000 depending on which truck is selected.

• Option #3: The cost of hiring 12 additional firefighters would equate to an ongoing cost of approximately $1.2 million per year. A pumper or pumper/rescue would be required for this station.

o For this option the Department has the availability of using one of its spare pumpers, but this would reduce the spare fleet below the recommended FUS level of one spare per eight pumpers. As such, an additional pumper or pumper/rescue would be required, in the near future, for this option.

o Cost of a pumper or pumper/rescue would be approximately $650,000 - $800,000 depending on which truck is selected.

o This option may see an increase in overtime, due to the lack of having two floater firefighters per platoon. As such, overtime should be monitored to ensure that this amount does not exceed the cost of increasing staffing to ensure the two floater positions per platoon.

• Option #4: The ongoing cost of the 20 firefighters would be approximately $2 million per year. A pumper or pumper/rescue would be required for this station with an approximate cost of $650,000 - $800,000 depending on which truck is selected.

Recommendation #3:

3. It is recommended that Station 7 be staffed with career firefighters to ensure a consistent and reliable response 24/7.

o Due to the continued growth in the community, increasing call volumes, the demands of the transient tourist population, and the challenges of high-rise and rescue responses, Station 1 should be maintained with three apparatus including a pumper, an aerial, and a rescue truck to serve the most urban area of the City.

o Four options have been presented by EMT. It is our recommendation that Option #2 be

the preferred option for implementation.


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Community Comparators During the project review and data analysis, EMT also conducted a survey of other departments to identify what similarities may exist. This review was also to identify how the NFFD is positioned based on the comparable communities. Again, it must be stressed that no two communities are alike, varying in geography and related response challenges, population demographics, infrastructure and planned growth. However, Niagara Falls is a very unique community based on the sheer volume of tourism. As noted previously in this document, it is estimated that 12 million people visit Niagara Falls on an annual basis. If this was factored into the overall population, that would be an increase of approximately more than 32,000 people per day. Although the other comparable communities do see some influx of population based on tourism and students who are attending college and university, no other community has noted this level of population increase. Note: Niagara Falls has been shaded in grey to better identify it against the comparable data.


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Jurisdiction Sudbury Thunder

Bay

Central York Fire Services

St. Catharines

Waterloo Welland Cambridge Brantford Guelph Sarnia Niagara

Population 164,689 110,000 141,000 131,400 120,000 52,293 139,000 97,496 131,800 72,125 88,071

Transient population (i.e. students, tourism)

No data No data 8,000 students 3rd busiest airport in Ontario

19,000 students

60,000 students

No Data No data Student pop of 3,000

No data Day time working and College (est.) 110,000

12 million annual tourists

Number of tourists visiting per year

1.2 million per year

No data No data Approx. 125,000

No data No data No data 46,000 33,350 staff/students U of G. 120,000 approximate tourists

1,833,000 visitors to Sarnia-Lambton

12 million per year (average of 32,000/day)

Population verses fire suppression staffing

1 FF per 1,500 supplemented by 256 volunteers

1 FF per 808

1 FF per 1,137

1 per 966 1FF per 1,000 1 FT/FF per 1,089 supplemented by 62 volunteers

Currently 1 FF/1,241 Sept 2018 – 1 FF/1,053

1 FT/FF per 902

Need more information to answer questions i.e. on duty/off duty, total?

1 FT/ FF per 643

1 FT/ FF per 760 supplemented by 104 volunteers

Career, composite, or volunteer

Composite Career Career Career Career Composite Career Career Full-time Career Composite

Staffing complement distribution

4 FT 1 Composite 19 volunteers

8 FT 4 FT 6 FT 4 FT 3 FT 2 Vol

5 FT 4 FT 6 FT 7 FT Staff Main Station 4 FT staff per station

3 FT 3 Vol

Number of fire suppression

112 Career 265 Volunteers

136 total 34 per platoon



104

26 per platoon

48 career, 12 per platoon 62 vol FF

112 career Sept 2018 – 132 FF

108 27 per platoon

146 Career, 36 per platoon including dispatchers

112 FT FF (28 per platoon) 2 TSO

116


41

Minimum staffing levels

22 FF/Capt + 1 Platoon Chief for Career

No data 21 per platoon (5 trucks @4 + 1PC)

27 per platoon

21 per platoon 8 Currently – 23

19 FF, 4 pumps (4 people per) 1 Aerial (min 2 people) 1 PC

28 including two dispatchers

23 per platoon *Not in collective agreement

22

Minimum staffing on a truck

4 No data 4 No data 4 2 4 4 per pump Min 2 on Aerial

4 4 Engine/ Ladder 2 Heavy Rescue Platoon Chief has own vehicle and drives self

4

Number of fire stations

24 8 4 + 1 in design mode

6 4 5 5 + new one in Sept

4 6 5 6 + 1 in design mode

Number of front run vehicles

73 8 6 7 5 4 7 4 Pumps 1 Aerial 1 PC

7 3 Engines 2 Ladders 1 H/R & 1 Tanker (not staffed)

8

Present shift system

24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours 10/14 hours

Do you have a response time criterion

No No data Yes, master fire plan approved by council

Yes, in the process of going to NFPA 1710 2017 – 6:20 initial apparatus 90% of time

Yes, 5-minute drive time

No Use NFPA NFPA 1710 4 and 8 min initial and full alarm assignment (not council approved)

No No, NFPA 1710 is referenced only. We do not have good data. CAD Link Project to establish data almost complete.

No


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We do have data from FDM however not standardized

If no criterion, do you have a response time goal

No – internal assessment to NFPA 1710/1720 as appropriate

No data NFPA 1710 NFPA 1710 N/A 4 min Travel time 90 %

5 min travel time 90%

N/A Yes No, will establish criteria to reasonable time not sure if we will use 90th percentile

General breakdown of call distribution

Alarms ringing, MVCs, Medical, Fires, Open air burning

Medical, Fire / alarms, MVCs

Medical assist, structure fires, MVCs, remote alarms




Medical, MVCs, Auto alarms, fires, tech rescues

Medical assist, structure fires, MVCs, remote alarms, technical rescues

Medical, fires, rescues, alarm activations and hazardous material

Medical, structural fires

Medical/resuscitator, fire alarms, rescue, property fires

What is your main tax assessment base

Residential No data Residential Residential Combination of residential, commercial, and institutional

Mix of residential, commercial, and industrial

Mix of residential and industrial

Mix of residential, commercial, and industrial

Residential, commercial, and industrial

Mix of residential and commercial

No data

Geographical overview of community

3,630 sq km, 330 bodies of water, vast remote areas, three class 1 railways, trans-Canada highway, heavy industry base

322 sq. km on Lake Superior

88 sq km, 2 rail lines, east Holland river

96.11 sq km, Welland Canal, 12-mile creek, two major highways and bridges

65 sq km, one major highway, inter-City spur rail line

81.09 sq. km, Welland River and 2 Canals Highway 406 & Railway system

112 sq km 102 sq km, Grand River, Hwy 403 and railway system

288.4 sq km, Speed River, Eramosa River, one expressway and highway, rail throughout, University of Guelph, and

165 sq km

located on the lower Lake Huron and the headwaters of the St. Clair River

212 sq km, 85% land-based and 15% water-based, border city, Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Hwy #420 and Hwy


43

Conestoga College

#405, railway system

Response Time Dept. Avg. Time of Call to On Location

8.28 mins Use 90% - 7.21

Not easily accessible

8 min (90th percentile for fires). We do not report averages

Turnout time needs improvement Note: We do not have data broken down from Emergency and Non-emergency call data

9 mins, 90% of the time

Response Time Dept. Avg. Travel time

5.27 mins 90% - 5.32 Not easily accessible

5 min (90th percentile for fires)

7 mins


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Results of Data/Survey Information Based on the feedback received, all of the communities that replied have their own unique challenges. This can range from size of the community to specific geographical challenges such as waterways, highways, and rail networks. This would also include student and/or tourism influx. However, having noted this, the City of Niagara Falls has a more diverse community as opposed to the other comparators, due to such things as being a border community, a much higher transient level of tourism and a greater number of high-rise structures due to the hotel/tourism industry. It would also appear that Niagara Falls will see greater growth than some of the communities surveyed. To factor in the number of tourists for Niagara Falls (on top of the permanent population), the daily population would be approximately 120,000 on average. Other factors also make it difficult to create an across-the-board comparison. For example, there are more than 10,000 residents protected by volunteer firefighters in the Chippawa and rural areas of the City. Not all of the comparators have volunteer firefighters, and those with a volunteer component are not covering as large a population as NFFD. The NFFD does have a higher firefighter per population ratio than the other communities that completed the survey but factoring in the number of tourists that visit Niagara Falls on a daily basis changes the number of career firefighters from 1 full-time firefighter per 760 residents to 1 full-time firefighter per approximately 1,034 people in the City on an average day. With anticipated growth to reach 100,000 within the next 10 years, this will also change these ratios. Another factor to note about NFFD staffing ratio is that the Department has two extra staff on duty (per shift) to cover for overtime (created by illnesses and other issues). This extra staffing benefits NFFD by creating a lower than average overtime budget for a city of its size. During EMT’s review of the NFFD metrics, all topics such as population growth, call volumes, response times and the Department’s overtime budget have been taken into consideration. This wholesome review helps to create a realistic analysis of the Department and community’s present and future emergency response needs. Note: To ensure comparable data, the departments that also have a volunteer component did not factor those numbers into the firefighter per population ratio. To be consistent with this, EMT has done the same.


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Fire Department Vehicles The reallocation of vehicles from one station to another is not a simple matter. When assessing a fire department’s ability to respond and meet the needs of the community, the Fire Underwriters Survey utilizes the age of a fire truck as one of its guidelines. In the following chart, the highlighted areas define what Niagara Falls should be considering when it comes to forecasting its fire truck replacements.

Fire Underwriters Survey – Vehicle Replacement Recommendations (Green areas reflect Niagara Falls vehicle expectations for the community)

Apparatus Age Major Cities 3 Medium Sized Cities 4

or Communities Where Risk is Significant

Small Communities 5 and Rural Centres

0 – 15 Years First Line First Line First Line

16 – 20 Years Reserve Second Line First Line

20 – 25 Years 1 No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading or Reserve 2

No Credit in Grading or Reserve 2

26 – 29 Years 1 No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading or Reserve 2

No Credit in Grading or Reserve 2

30 Years 1 No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading

1. All listed fire apparatus 20 years of age and older are required to be service tested by a

recognized testing agency on an annual basis to be eligible for grading recognition (NFPA 1071)

2. Exceptions to age status may be considered in small to medium sized communities and rural centre conditionally, when apparatus condition is acceptable, and apparatus successfully passes required testing

3. Major cities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has: a. a populated area (or multiple areas) with a density of at least 400 people per square

kilometre; AND b. a total population of 100,000 or greater.

4. Medium Communities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has:

a. a populated area (or multiple areas) with a density of at least 200 people per square kilometre; AND

b. a total population of 1,000 or greater. 5. Small Communities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has:

a. no populated areas with densities that exceed 200 people per square kilometre; AND b. does not have a total population in excess of 1,000.


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The Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) is reviewed by insurance companies. Where the fire department adheres to the recommended replacement timelines through an identified capital replacement schedule, the department will retain its fire rating relative to the individual topic of review. This vehicle replacement cycle is being presented to ensure that if a spare pumper truck is put into service as a first line response vehicle, it may affect the FUS insurance rating for the City. By ensuring that the vehicles are being replaced on a regular schedule, the City is also demonstrating its due diligence towards ensuring a dependable response fleet for the fire department and the community it serves. This in turn will keep the community’s fire rating in good stance, which subsequently reflects on commercial and residential insurance rates. Another standard that supports a regular replacement schedule of fire vehicles is the NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus. This standard includes guidance on retirement criteria for fire apparatus. This standard recommends that all front-run vehicles are replaced on a 15-year cycle. It should be noted that this replacement cycle is an industry recommendation that is not always consistently adhered to throughout the fire service. A brief survey (of other fire departments) noted that some departments are replacing their front-run units as early as 12 years up to a maximum of 20 years. The only vehicles that are kept longer than 20 years are “back-up” units that are put into service on a very sporadic basis. There is no national standard that legally mandates the replacement of emergency vehicles, but it must be kept in mind that it is critical to replace these and other apparatus before they become unreliable. Over the long term, delaying the replacement is inadvisable as it equates to increased costs of the apparatus. More importantly, when these vehicles are needed to perform, they are relied upon for their performance. For the most part, the NFFD is well equipped with pumper trucks, aerial, rescues and tankers. There also appears to be a good level of support vehicles and equipment to meet the general needs of the department. Replacement schedules are identified in the capital forecast for the fire trucks and large cost items.

Recommendation #4:

4. The City should maintain a schedule that compiles with the FUS recommendations on the replacement of vehicles from a first line to a reserve/ second line unit.

o This recommendation is being made because one of the current reserve vehicles was found to exceed FUS recommendations.


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Associated Costs:

• None, other than continued financial forecasting of equipment replacement

Conclusion During the review conducted by Emergency Management and Training Inc., it was noted that the full-time and volunteer firefighters are truly dedicated to the community they serve. It was clear that the Council, CAO and Fire Chief are sincerely committed to ensuring the safety of the community and the firefighters of Niagara Falls.

Based on the present staffing, equipment, and fire station locations, Niagara Falls Fire Department is endeavoring to offer the most efficient and effective service possible. With the addition of the seventh fire station, NFFD will be better positioned to meet the future demands of the community. As detailed in the recommendations throughout this report, there are some potential cost efficiencies through the utilization of present staffing and equipment. However, the Fire Chief will need to monitor response time effectiveness along with any increase in staffing costs, based on the option chosen by the City.

All costs and associated times are approximate estimates that can be implemented through prioritization between the Fire Chief, CAO and Council.


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Appendix “A” – Final Summary of Recommendations and Associated Costs The following chart provides further overview of the recommendations found throughout this report along with any related costs and associated timelines.

Rec. #

Subject Recommendations

Description Solution Estimated Timeline

Estimated Costs

1 Fire Prevention

Additional focus on fire prevention is encouraged based on the City’s size and forecasted growth.

To accomplish this NFFD should:

o Place more emphasis on fire safety/public education through the creation of a dedicated Public Education Officer.

o Wherever possible NFFD should enhance the utilization of the on-duty firefighters (for fire prevention/education efforts). This would be accomplished through the development of an annual program that outlines fire prevention and fire safety initiatives to be accomplished within that calendar year.

Short-term (1-3 years)

and ongoing

Hourly staffing costs

based on length of program

2 New Fire Station Location

Based on the anticipated growth in population and infrastructure (residential and commercial buildings), the location identified for Station #7 is

o The new fire station would be responding to approx. 800 calls per year. This amount of call volume would exceed the ability of volunteer firefighter utilization.

o Therefore, with 800 plus calls per year, it is recommended that this

Short to mid-term

(1-5 years)

Construction costs will be determined

by the design, size,

and timing of Station 7.


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well situated to meet future needs. The station should be built within the next two years to ensure that NFFD will be able to meet the anticipated challenges.

new station be staffed by full-time firefighters.

Note: the 800 calls per year are not an anticipated increase of new calls; the number represents the amount of calls that Station 7 would inherit from stations 1 and 2

3

New Station Staffing and Equipment Placement

Recommend option #2 for the staffing and vehicle placement for Station #7, as follows:

o Option 1: Replace the rescue truck with a pumper/rescue truck permitting the deployment of the pumper from Station 1 to Station 7, leaving two trucks (pumper/rescue and aerial), at Station 1. No additional staffing required. o While this option is

cost neutral, it reduces the response capabilities at Station 1, which covers the most densely built-up area of the City.

o Option 2: recommends keeping the same complement of vehicles at Station 1, by assigning 2 staff to the aerial and keeping the pumper and rescue at 5 each, with the Platoon Chief vehicle at the present staffing of 2. This would allow the movement of one full

To be implemented

at time of station

opening

(costing for option 2 or 3)

Cost of a pumper or pumper/

rescue would be approx. $500,000-$800,000

depending on which truck is

selected, if not using a

spare.


50

crew of 5 to Station 7 without hiring any additional firefighters.

o Option 3: It would be

possible to move 2 firefighters from each platoon to Station 7 without impacting normal minimum staffing at the other stations. Fully staffing Station 7 with five career firefighters per platoon would necessitate the hiring of 12 additional firefighters.

o This would result in

Station 1 having a fully staffed pumper, rescue and aerial truck (each with a minimum of four firefighters), as well as Station 7 being fully staffed with a minimum of four firefighters.

o This option may see an increase in overtime, due to the lack of having two floater firefighters per platoon. As such, overtime should be monitored to ensure that this amount does not exceed the cost of increasing staffing to ensure the two


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floater positions per platoon.

o Option 4: To add a new fully staffed pumper to Station 7, without making changes to any other station, would require the hiring of 20 additional firefighters.

o An additional

pumper or pumper/rescue would be required

4

The City should maintain a schedule that complies with FUS recommendations on the replacement of vehicles from a first line to a reserve/second line unit.

This recommendation is being made because it was found that one of the current reserve vehicles exceeds FUS recommendations.

On-going Costs depend

on unit replacement


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Appendix “B” – Definitions and References

Automatic Aid Agreements – Fire Prevention and Protection Act, 1997 (FPPA 1997)

2. For the purposes of this Act, an automatic aid agreement means any agreement under which,

a) a municipality agrees to ensure the provision of an initial response to fires, rescues and emergencies that may occur in a part of another municipality where a fire department in the municipality is capable of responding more quickly than any fire department situated in the other municipality; or

b) a municipality agrees to ensure the provision of a supplemental response to fires, rescues and emergencies that may occur in part of another municipality where a fire department situated in the municipality is capable of providing the quickest supplemental response to fires, rescues and emergencies occurring in the part of the other municipality. 1997, c. 4, s. 1 (4).

• Automatic aid is generally considered in other jurisdictions as a program designed to provide and/or receive assistance from the closest available resource, irrespective of municipal boundaries, on a day-to-day basis.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Documents :

• NFPA 1710 – Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments

• NFPA 1720 – Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments

Municipal responsibilities (FPPA 1997) 2. (1) Every municipality shall,

a) establish a program in the municipality which must include public education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention; and

b) provide such other fire protection services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its needs and circumstances.

Mutual Aid

a) Mutual aid plans allow a participating fire department to request assistance from a neighbouring fire department authorized to participate in a plan approved by the Fire Marshal.

b) Mutual aid is not immediately available for areas that receive fire protection under an agreement. The municipality purchasing fire protection is responsible for arranging an acceptable response for back-up fire protection services. In those cases where the emergency


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requirements exceed those available through the purchase agreement and the backup service provider, the mutual aid plan can be activated for the agreement area.

Public Fire Safety Guidelines:

• PFSG 04-40A-12, Fire Prevention and Public Safety Education; Simplified Risk Assessment March 2001

• PFSG 04-41-12, Fire Prevention and Public Safety Education; Community Fire Safety Officer/Team, January 1998

• PFSG 04-08-13 on Fire Station Location, September 2004

Shared Responsibilities (FPPA 1997) FPPA notes that:

1. Two or more municipalities may appoint a community fire safety officer or a community fire safety team or establish a fire department for the purpose of providing fire protection services in those municipalities.


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Appendix “C”- Response Time Data for 2017, 2016 and 2015

2017 Response Data

The main call types noted by related percentages for 2017:

1. Medical = 43% 2. Alarm calls = 23% 3. Rescue = 13% 4. Other Response (mutual aid and standby calls) = 8% 5. Fire = 5%

Property Fires/Explosions, 304, 5%

Over pressure rupture/explosion (no

fire), 9, 0%

Pre-fire conditions/no fire, 334, 5%

Burning (controlled), 29, 0%

CO Alarm Calls, 76, 1%



Rescue, 809, 13%



Call Types 2017

Property Fires/Explosions Over pressure rupture/explosion (no fire)Pre-fire conditions/no fire Burning (controlled)CO Alarm Calls Fire Alarm ActivationsPublic Hazard RescueMedical/Resuscitator Call Other Response


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FIGURES SET 4: Comparison of Responses Data between Fire Stations – Based on Response Data Supplied by the Niagara Falls Fire Department

2017 Response Data for ALL Stations

Note: Presently NFFD has been tracking responses to the QEW, Highways 420 and 405 to determine call volumes and response capability.

PropertyFires/

Explosions

Over pressurerupture/

explosion (nofire)

Pre-fireconditions/ no

fire

Burning(controlled)

CO Alarm CallsFire AlarmActivations

Public Hazard RescueMedical/

ResuscitatorCall

OtherResponse

Stn 1 113 3 165 8 9 820 43 302 1041 313

Stn 2 73 0 80 6 17 363 18 156 893 128

Stn 3 50 2 68 4 9 205 21 149 639 72

Stn 4 23 0 19 3 3 57 9 40 171 4

Stn 5 18 0 0 8 0 4 2 13 10 0

Stn 6 19 4 0 0 0 8 0 42 27 8

QEW 6 0 2 0 0 2 6 63 4 8 91

420 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 42 7 2 53

405 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Calls 2017


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Min Max Percentile

Stn 1 - 90th 00:00:35 00:34:33 00:07:07

Stn 2 - 90th 00:00:44 00:25:30 00:08:06

Stn 3 - 90th 00:00:31 00:36:06 00:07:43

Stn 4 - 80th 00:01:58 00:28:01 00:09:56

Stn 5 - 80th 00:03:58 00:24:23 00:13:27

Stn 6 - 80th 00:01:36 00:24:57 00:17:34

QEW - 80th 00:02:27 00:17:28 00:12:16

420 - 80th 00:00:52 00:16:29 00:05:36

405 - 80th 00:07:38 00:14:29 00:12:47

00:00:00

00:07:12

00:14:24

00:21:36

00:28:48

00:36:00

00:43:12

2017 Response Times

2817

1734

1219

329

55 108 91 53 40

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Stn 1 Stn 2 Stn 3 Stn 4 Stn 5 Stn 6 QEW 420 405

2017 Total Calls Per Station


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2016 Response Data

This main call types noted by related percentages for 2016:


Property Fires/Explosions, 374, 6% Over pressure

rupture/explosion (no fire), 16, 0%

Pre-fire conditions/no fire, 294, 5%





Rescue, 687, 11%



Call Types 2016

Property Fires/Explosions Over pressure rupture/explosion (no fire)

Pre-fire conditions/no fire Burning (controlled)

CO Alarm Calls Fire Alarm Activations

Public Hazard Rescue

Medical/Resuscitator Call Other Response


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PropertyFires/

Explosions


explosion (nofire)

Pre-fireconditions/

no fire

Burning(controlled)

CO AlarmCalls

Fire AlarmActivations


ResuscitatorCall

OtherResponse

Stn 1 141 1 125 19 21 710 42 247 990 285

Stn 2 110 1 87 20 24 233 25 180 777 217

Stn 3 55 6 46 9 35 127 25 132 571 91

Stn 4 35 5 17 2 9 41 13 38 200 20

Stn 5 26 3 11 4 0 11 1 12 16 0

Stn 6 1 0 0 7 0 2 5 17 26 5

QEW 6 0 6 0 0 0 2 44 0 9 67

420 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 2 8 21

405 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 9

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Calls 2016


59

2581

1674

1097

380

84 63 6721 9

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Stn 1 Stn 2 Stn 3 Stn 4 Stn 5 Stn 6 QEW 420 405



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Min Max Percentile

Stn 1 - 90th 00:00:34 00:39:35 00:08:19

Stn 2 - 90th 00:01:01 00:27:43 00:09:18

Stn 3 - 90th 00:00:48 00:35:31 00:09:03

Stn 4 - 80th 00:00:31 00:37:24 00:09:37

Stn 5 - 80th 00:03:54 00:39:16 00:16:09

Stn 6 - 80th 00:02:53 00:21:51 00:14:28

QEW - 80th 00:02:10 00:23:25 00:07:15

420 - 80th 00:03:15 00:11:16 00:07:10

405 - 80th 00:05:25 00:10:19 00:09:00

00:00:00

00:07:12

00:14:24

00:21:36

00:28:48

00:36:00

00:43:12

2016 Response Times


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2015 Response Data

This main call types noted by related percentages for 2015:


Property Fires/ Explosions, 294, 3%

Over pressure rupture/ explosion (no fire), 18,

0%

Pre-fire conditions/ no fire, 324, 3%





Rescue, 888, 8%

Medical/ Resuscitator Call, 5086, 46%


Call Types 2015

Property Fires/ Explosions Over pressure rupture/ explosion (no fire)

Pre-fire conditions/ no fire Burning (controlled)

CO Alarm Calls Fire Alarm Activations

Public Hazard Rescue

Medical/ Resuscitator Call Other Response


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Note: In 2015 NFFD did not track the other three categories (QEW, 420 and 405) as noted in the 2016 and 2017 data chart.

PropertyFires/

Explosions


explosion (nofire)

Pre-fireconditions/ no

fire

Burning(controlled)

CO Alarm CallsFire AlarmActivations


ResuscitatorCall

OtherResponse

Stn 1 68 6 72 78 53 337 51 191 1012 460

Stn 2 40 1 40 52 58 151 39 101 794 369

Stn 3 23 2 37 39 85 77 32 100 568 196

Stn 4 7 0 11 22 19 40 15 13 134 33

Stn 5 5 0 2 1 1 3 0 23 20 4

Stn 6 4 0 0 5 1 4 2 16 15 8

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Calls 2015


63

2328

1645

1159

294

59 55

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Stn 1 Stn 2 Stn 3 Stn 4 Stn 5 Stn 6



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Min Max Percentile

Stn 1 - 90th 00:00:30 00:28:39 00:07:51

Stn 2 - 90th 00:00:30 00:31:20 00:09:13

Stn 3 - 90th 00:01:00 00:21:09 00:08:38

Stn 4 - 80th 00:02:28 00:24:17 00:09:00

Stn 5 - 80th 00:02:13 00:16:35 00:12:32

Stn 6 - 80th 00:04:14 00:21:03 00:14:25

00:00:00

00:07:12

00:14:24

00:21:36

00:28:48

00:36:00

2015 Response Times

Niagara Falls Fire Department

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