CC 2016-03-08_06a FCFA Mid Year Status Report (2)Five Cities Fire
Mid-Year Status Report
March 2016
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A Quick Update…
Response, Public Education and Preparedness
2015 activity by the numbers
Goals and Objectives Update – FY 2015/2016
Mid Year Budget Status – FY 2015/2016
Wrap Up
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Response Activity
Describe incident types
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Public Education & Outreach
Describe events including the fist annual Fire Prevention and Life Safety event at Ramona Garden Park
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Awareness/Preparedness
While we are all hopeful for more rain, the past 12 months on meterological forecasting and media attention truly focused on El Nino and the need to be prepared.
FCFA utilized the social media launch, prepared informational flyers, did public outreach with service clubs, appeared on a cable government affairs program, and in a partnership with
the SLOSO, delivered hundreds of bi-lingual flood preparedness flyers to Oceano residents.
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Activity Metrics
3,311 calls for service
8% Increase over 2014
By Community:
Arroyo Grande – 51.6%
Grover Beach – 32.2%
Oceano – 16.2%
By Station:
Station 1 (AG) – 36.6%
Station 2 (GB) – 35.9%
Station 3 (OCE) – 27.5%
FCFA responded to 3,280 calls for service; an 8% increase over calendar year 2015.
While the majority of the calls were Emergency Medical Services (EMS) related, it is important to focus on the 80 actual fires the FCFA responded to last year. These included structure
fires, vehicle fires, and a number of homeless encampment fires.
As I will share later, Automatic Aid requests from CAL FIRE should be substantially reduced effective March 2016.
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Response “Hot Spots”
The intent of this report was to identify with data the most frequently responded to locations within the service area. This study reinforced the concept that certain development types
will have an impact of fire/ems requests for service.
The RED dots indicate the 5 most frequently responded to locations within the service area.
The Golden dots represent the remaining 15 hot spot locations within the service area.
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% of Top 5 % of Top 20
Arroyo Grande 80% 55%
Grover Beach 20% 20%
Oceano n/a 20%
County* n/a 5%
Response “Hot Spots”
These percentages reflect the “dots on the map.”
The majority of the “Top 5” are locations that provide care/housing to the senior population. In Grover Beach, Ramona Garden Park made the list due to the significant number of calls
involving the homeless population.
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Goals & Objectives
Develop Strategic Plan
Framework completed
Outside facilitation scheduled for April 2016
Evaluate/Adjust Existing Automatic Aid Agreement
Anticipated implementation March 2016
Review / Revise current JPA Agreement
Proposed revision “term sheets” adopted by Board February 2016
Board members will present items to councils/ board for discussion/deliberation
The existing/prior automatic aid agreement generated approximately 400 additional calls for service outside of the FCFA service area.
The revised agreement should dramatically reduce this volume; FCFA will be dispatched for fires and major vehicle accidents automatically. Other requests would come via a “mutual aid
request.”
JPA Revision “term sheets” – The FCFA Board directed staff to prepare a packet of information that supported the “A and B” term sheets including potential changes to the existing JPA
document. Term Sheet A could be considered as “clean up language/clarification changes” while Term Sheet B includes consideration of the funding formula and cost allocation. I would
anticipate future council/board agenda items to consider this information (AG scheduled for 4/12/16).
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Goals & Objectives
Research Grant Opportunities
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) replacement - $480,000
Assistance for Firefighters Grant (FEMA) – 10% Match
Structural Firefighting Clothing - $29,000
$4,000 awarded via State grant program
$17,000 submitted via USDA grant application
($8,000 match)
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Goals & Objectives
Update Master Fee Schedule
Currently in process
Capture appropriate fees for costs incurred by FCFA
Inspections
Cost Recovery
Update Web Site , Launch Social Media Program
Provide emergency & preparedness information
Twitter and Facebook - 200+ subscribers
Twitter - @5CitiesFire_PIO
Facebook – 5 Cities Fire Authority PIO
www.fivecitiesfireauthority.org
FCFA will be updated its Master Fee Schedule during the current fiscal year. As part of the exercise, FCFA will be working with member communities with an intent to charge for services
provided. Rather than a member community retaining the fee for a fire inspection, FCFA intent is to charge the fee directly, to offset the related cost.
As part of this year’s work program, FCFA has launched another community outreach tool – via social media. The program provides updates related to calls for service, weather advisories
and emergency preparedness information. As the subscriber base grows, this will allow another communications path to share critical information with the media and the public.
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Goals & Objectives
Release FCFA “Dispatch” Smartphone application
Expected launch March 2016
First Responder and General Public versions
This application was developed by an Arroyo Grande resident, and a similar version of this application was actually featured in a Apple television commercial.
The application has a value of over $30,000.
Incidental expenses will be incurred for future content changes and hosting (estimated to be no more than $3K annually)
This application will launch in the March/April timeframe and be available for Apple iOS devices. In order to launch an android version, additional funding would be required.
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If a member of the community “opts in” for notifications, they will receive notices of added public education topics.
In an emergency, FCFA will broadcast important information using this same platform.
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The public version will also provide a “scaled down” version of the dispatch feed, allowing the public to observe call types and frequency of FCFA resources.
Additionally, the local CHP feed will be included, allowing the public to reroute themselves as needed.
Links to the FCFA social media Twitter and Facebook feeds will also be integrated into the application.
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Mid Year Budget Status
Strike Team Reimbursement
- Anticipated Reimbursement - $144,000
- Direct Overtime Cost - $88,000
- Remaining $56,000 to be set aside for vehicle replacement
Vehicle Maintenance
- Aging fleet has required substantial maintenance and repair
- Budget line item 93% expended as of February 2016
12 months ago, I was told that “we always make money when we deploy on mutual aid assignments.” I wanted to trust but verify this statement. With the assistance of our payroll/accounting
folks, we were able to isolate direct costs incurred for strike team assignments and compare the reimbursement amount to verify the net cost.
FCFA was pleased to confirm that the reimbursement more than offset direct costs. The additional revenue will be applied towards vehicle replacement or potentially vehicle maintenance.
Not wanting to sound like a broken record, the condition of fire suppression apparatus is at a critical point, with 93% of the available maintenance budget being expended by February
2016.
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Efficiencies
Fleet
Board approved surplus of 5 support vehicles
Sale of FCFA Squad to AGPD
Purchase of two AGPD commander vehicles
Net reduction of 3 vehicles
Reduction in fuel, insurance and maintenance expenses
Establishment of vehicle replacement fund with proceeds from sale
Automatic Aid Agreement
Reduction in responses out of service area. Expected implementation date – March 2016
I came to each community a year ago this month and shared some initial observations and a SWOT analysis.
Among the identified tasks that I presented included reviewing the Auto Aid agreement, and taking a hard look at the existing FCFA support fleet of vehicles.
I am happy to tell you that we have made great strides with both of these issues.
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Headwinds
Fleet
Mid Year Budget projection indicates maintenance budget 93% expended (February)
Need for second replacement fire engine
Reserve Firefighter Recruitment / Retention
Boomer retirements - large municipal fire agencies hiring at aggressive levels
Direct impact to FCFA ability to recruit/retain reserve firefighters
Battalion Chief Recruitment
Second attempt at recruitment in process
As you know, when the FCFA was formed in 2010, the vehicles each community had in service were transitioned to the FCFA. Unfortunately, no vehicle replacement funding mechanism was created.
As I shared a year ago, three vehicles are in need of immediate replacement.
I am pleased to share that the first replacement engine was ordered in February 2016. These custom fabricated machines have an estimated 330 day build period.
The inability to order at least the second engine will require additional funding into the vehicle maintenance account.
The Boomer generation continues to enter their retirement years, and this significant exodus from the workforce is creating both opportunity and challenges. For the FCFA, our ability
to recruit/retain Reserve Firefighters (those right out of the fire academy) has consistently been diminished (as in other fire organizations), as large fire departments (LA City, LA
County, etc. ) are hiring replacement employees in large numbers.
FCFA has reflown the BC flyer, effective 3/1/16.
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Wrap-up
FCFA employees continue to provide professional and compassionate service to our communities
Vehicles and Equipment are aging and require replacement
Staffing levels are constrained
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