ICMA: Consultant's report on Ann Arbor Fire Department now available
The city of Ann Arbor hired the International City/County Management Association earlier this year to conduct a thorough analysis of the fire department.
ICMA's long-awaited report is now available, and it includes 24 recommendations for Ann Arbor officials to consider in the coming months.
Ann Arbor Fire Chief Chuck Hubbard at his desk.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"I look forward to working with City Council, city administration and my staff to determine appropriate steps to implement recommendations and continue to move our department forward to best serve the needs of our community."
The report recommends the city conduct a critical tasks analysis — reviewing specific fire response data and considering likely community changes — to determine the most effective and efficient crew size. It also suggests the city consider deploying a "peak load staffing unit" with a quick response vehicle with two firefighters.
It also has suggestions for off-peak hours.
"The problem with staffing on a 24-hour basis is that it does not take into account system demand levels," the report states. "What is the purpose of maintaining a constant staffing level over a 24-hour period when statistics show that off-peak hours require fewer staffed units?"
ICMA observed that "hourly busy minutes" for fire and emergency medical calls in Ann Arbor were lowest between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., averaging fewer than 11.1 minutes per hour.
"Does an opportunity exist for using the information formulated from this demand analysis to develop alternative resource deployment strategies in the future? Absolutely!" the report states.
The report recommends the city adopt a strategic goal of achieving fire department accreditation, as well as develop a department business plan and fire protection master plan.
From a financial perspective, the report suggests the city consider reopening the collective bargaining agreement with the firefighters union to renegotiate articles concerning food allowances, tuition reimbursement and health insurance coverage.
Meanwhile, city officials are encouraged to investigate the causes of false alarms and find a way to reduce total responses.
The following is a list of all 24 recommendations as they appear in the report:
- Reassign dispatch liaison responsibilities from the Assistant Fire Chief for Administration to each on-duty battalion chief. Remove functional area titles to functional table of organization.
- Develop separate functional and position/billet organization charts.
- Conduct a community risk analysis using the VisionTM risk assessment software or other similar product to classify individual properties within the community.
- Adopt a strategic goal of achieving fire department accreditation within a specific time period.
- Revise the strategic plan to develop measurable and time bound goals and objectives based on use of current environmental scan and SWOT analysis.
- Develop department business and action plan for monitoring performance.
- Develop a fire protection master plan for the City of Ann Arbor which is approved by city elected officials.
- Consider reopening the collective bargaining agreement with Local 693 to renegotiate articles concerning food allowances, tuition reimbursement, and health insurance coverage.
- Consider including CAFS in all new fire suppression vehicle specifications and retrofitting specific frontline fire vehicles based on community risk assessment historical call review.
- Consider purchase of fire interruption tools for placement on all fire suppression, rescue and command vehicles.
- Consider acquisition of medium-size pumper for operations deployment within fire districts based on historical fire call requirements and projected community growth trends.
- Consider re-opening of labor agreement to negotiate deployment of QRV with reduced staffing of one less firefighter at station 3.
- Investigate cause of false alarms and employ appropriate method(s) to reduce total responses.
- Conduct critical tasks analysis using an historical review of specific fire response data and consideration of likely community changes to determine effective/efficient crew size.
- Consider deploying peak load staffing unit with quick response vehicle with two firefighters.
- Consider tracking access time and setup time as part of total fire department reflex time.
- Consider upgrading station notification systems and monitor crew turnout performance.
- Develop response time standards for the community based on selected methodology(s) approved by city elected officials.
- Consider hiring civilian employees for fire inspector and public education specialist positions.
- Develop a comprehensive smoke detector program with an emphasis on residential structures.
- Consider acquisition and placement of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) on all police vehicles. Develop a comprehensive city-wide public access defibrillation (PAD) program, partnering with city parks and other departments to improve cardiac arrest outcomes.
- Develop packaged lesson plans or “canned training modules” with a comprehensive training schedule for department personnel using line officers as points of delivery.
- Develop performance measures for Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) contract language.
- Consider establishment of an advisory committee comprised of representatives of area fire departments to serve in an ad hoc capacity to monitor HVA system performance and offer recommendations for improvement.
Mayor John Hieftje and City Administrator Steve Powers told AnnArbor.com Monday night they still hadn't read the report.
How exactly the city responds to the report's findings will be up to council, Powers said, and council members are just now getting copies today.
AnnArbor.com obtained copies of both the 57-page rough draft of the ICMA report, as well as the 63-page final report, and is currently reviewing both.
Matt Schroeder, president of the firefighters union, could not be reached for comment.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
ralph mcgraw
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
Wow!!! I've got to start a consulting firm . . . I could make a fortune charging this city council for ridiculous and ambiguous "studies". I think the council should hire another consulting firm to review the suggestions of this study by ICCMA and then another one to review theirs.
Gamewell
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
Increased availablity of AEDS? An aggressive smoke detector program?One would be foolish to not see the benefit of these programs. In fact, they are proven life-savers. Managerial re-organization? ICMA has experts with a lot of managerial experience. I would give their opinion on restructuring an organization a lot of weight. However, ICMA experience is notoriously lacking in the hands-on, down-and-dirty firefighting arena. Take a look at their "experts": Thomas Wieczorek is a former police officer. Not a firefighter. Sure, he worked as a fire chief, but he's not the guy you'd want running your fire scene. Leonard A. Matarese? Yup; another police officer. Again,someone who has never pulled a hoseline past the front door of a burning home. And these guys get paid to tell cities how to run their fire department? As I mentioned earlier, I do give wieght to their managerial experience. But it stops there. ICMA has no business telling AAFD how to operate on the fire ground. For instance, the CAFS (compressed air foam) recommendation. The authors refer to L.A. County Fire's use of the CAFS system as proof it its magical abilities. What the authors fail to mention is that LACoFD doesn't use CAFS for interior operations anymore. As the author mentions, LACoFD did buy three CAFS engines in the early 1990s. But in 2005 when L.A. County bought 60 new fire engines, only one had a compressed air foam system installed. Why? Because despite what the cubicle dwellers and "management experts" claim, plain old water works better in the real world. Many busy, big city fire agencies gave CAFS a chance, and most of them have stopped using it for interior work. CAFS is nice for overhaul, and does well in controlled tests, but to spend thousands of dollars on retrofitting AAFD engine companies when staffing is perilously low is just plain stupid. A properly trained firefighter is worth more than any fancy piece of equipment.
Gamewell
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 9:50 p.m.
The "Canned" training modules ICMA recommends? On occasion, this method of instruction delivery can work well (like when you're taking the online workplace harassment class that the state requires), but nothing prepares a firefighter for his or her job like hands-on training, preferably with multiple companies. On the fireground, multiple companies work together. Training should be done the same way. 3am on Packard at a a two story apartment fire shouldn't be the first time Engine 1 and Engine 5 pull hoses together. ICMA may think that "canned" training works well, but unlike police officers (who are often understaffed and work alone in single person cars), firefighters work together in large groups, and need to train the same way.
Gamewell
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
And the "Fire Interruption Technology"? In case you are wondering, it's a giant red disk that releases chemicals (like an exploding fire extinguisher). It can be useful (for instance, poorly staffed volunteer departments who lack the personnel to perform interior operations may find it helpful), but it is not the magic pill the manufacturer claims it is. Concern has been raised about the effect of the chemicals being released upon trapped civilians. Yes, smoke is dangerous and kills more people than fire, but I have first-handledly seen unconscious people pulled from house fires who lived. With the chemicals released from the FIT, this may not be the case: even the manufacturer advises against using it in places where people may be present. FIT is an attempt to replace people with technology. Unfortunately, in this instance, the experts failed to remember the core mission of the Fire Service: life safety. The Fire Department's number on priority on the fireground is not to put the fire out, but to save lives. Much of the time, these two goals coincide, but there are times they don't. Throwing a magical hand grenade that puts out the fire, but kills the occupants doesn't do anyone any good. The tried and true method of coordinated efforts of ventilation, search and rescue, and fire containment and extinguishment have worked well for over a hundred years. While a couple of retired police officers may be impressed with this technology, real firefighters (the ones who actually go to fires, instead of being paid to talk about them) aren't going to be replacing their hoselines with a $1000 disk anytime soon.
BornNRaised
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 2:28 p.m.
This document has provided many laughs to the firefighters. There are so many incorrect items in this document it would require an entire article to write about. Let me just highlight some of the 'good ones'... - The report uses 94 FD employees in their comparison charts. The department has 79 employees. 2 Chiefs, 1 secretary, 2 training officers and 4 fire inspectors. That leaves only 70 people that actually respond to emergency calls. Not 94. - They show Tower 1 as making very few calls. Let's also go back to the AA.com article that shows how often that truck was out of service. Tower 1 is the first truck to be taken out when staffing drops and is also out for an indefinite time for mechanical issues. - They left out Rescue 1. The downtown truck and also busiest truck in the city. How could they miss it? If they spent any time downtown doing research they would've ran into it every day. - "During off peak hours FD should have a reduced staff." God help you if you have a fire during 'off peak' hours. Guess that would be your own fault for having an emergency during their 'off peak hours'. Also, most fires occur during those 'off peak' hours. So while there may be fewer calls, the magnitude of those calls is far greater, requiring every truck in the city. But ICMA only looks at that as 1 call. - Station 3 is suggested to have a reduced staff. Did you know that the majority of fatal fires occur in Station 3's area? ICMA does. They suggest having a pickup truck there instead of an engine. That's what they call the 'medium pumper'. - Detroit just had a big news story done on their 'medium pumper' that was sent to a house fire. A 3 yo baby died because they didn't have enough people to ladder the house, run hose, and pump water. Like I said, there are literally DOZENS of inaccurate statements in the report. Then again, does it raise any red flags that their 'draft' is being considered as the final report?
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 11:59 a.m.
Annarbor.com, please delete my previous posts on this as requested, as they make no sense. (a cut and paste problem). But basically what the reports says is that 1pm till 5 pm each day is designated for health and fitness. The report suggests that this time might be better utilized for training. It's in the report, anyone can read it themselves. Just don't try to cut the actual statement out and paste it here because it doesn't work for some strange reason.
Mitch
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 2:35 a.m.
Great another cut and paste report from ICMA!!!! The purpose for maintaining fire staffing for the entire 24 hours of a day is that 51% of fire fatalities occur during this so called short "off peak" period. The answers should not come from consultants at the expense of the tax payers. The answers should come from the public, and what level of service they think they should have. This is another example of wasted tax payer money that can be put into public safety!!!
BenWoodruff
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 1:39 a.m.
It also has suggestions for off-peak hours. "The problem with staffing on a 24-hour basis is that it does not take into account system demand levels," the report states. "What is the purpose of maintaining a constant staffing level over a 24-hour period when statistics show that off-peak hours require fewer staffed units?" ICMA observed that "hourly busy minutes" for fire and emergency medical calls in Ann Arbor were lowest between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., averaging fewer than 11.1 minutes per hour. Fantastic! Let's just schedule the fires and emergencies for "off-peak hours"? How come I didn't think of that? Please Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, Just have your fire between 8:01 am and 1:59 am! What a fantastic idea!
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 12:26 a.m.
One more try. Can't erase the messed up previous post myself. "In a review of training calendars submitted by the department for the months of April, May, and June 2011, it was noted that an inordinate amount of time (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day) is Although the wellness issue among firefighters is of concern, there are many areas requiring refresher training within in the scope of firefighting and emergency medical response. Although training records submitted indicate the coverage of a wide array topics, so much time spent in the area of standpoint. The fact that so much time is given personnel in this area may be due to a lack of additional resources within the administrative staff to serve as training instructors. However, line officers should play a more active role in initiating training opportunities for their subordinates. "
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 12:28 a.m.
I give up. It deletes the middle of the paragraph every time.
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 12:18 a.m.
For me, this paragraph stood out in this report. They suggested more time on firefighter truing and less on this. "In a review of training calendars submitted by the department for the months of April, May, and June 2011, it was noted that an inordinate amount of time (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day) is Although the wellness issue among firefighters is of concern, there are many areas requiring refresher training within in the scope of firefighting and emergency medical response. Although training records submitted indicate the coverage of a wide array topics, so much time spent in the area of standpoint."
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 12:20 a.m.
Should have read "firefighter TRAINING" not truing. Automatic spell check is a problem.
Brian Kuehn
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.
To AnnArbor.com: the link to the "Final Report" is a link to the draft report, not the final.
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.
I have a previous version that is the first rough draft. What's linked to here is, in the city's words, the "final draft." I realize it still has a draft stamp on it.
xmo
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.
Wouldn't it just be cheaper to let any fire burn it self out and pay off the victims with insurance money? No staff, No Consultants, No Unions, No Worry!
leaguebus
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 8:09 p.m.
Especially if we have one in a dorm or high rise building!
djacks24
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 6 p.m.
"The problem with staffing on a 24-hour basis is that it does not take into account system demand levels," the report states. "What is the purpose of maintaining a constant staffing level over a 24-hour period when statistics show that off-peak hours require fewer staffed units?" It took a consulting firm collecting a hefty sum to figure this out? I thought that was just common sense?
Bcar
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 5:53 p.m.
looks like a cut-n-paste report with some name changes...
Martin Church
Tue, Dec 20, 2011 : 5:42 p.m.
I hope the City of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township both look at these recommendations and see if they can be implemented in our communities. Let's use the lessons learned from ann arbor expendatures and implement the same things here. We won't have to hire a consulting firm to get the same results. it's also time to begin discussion of regional support also.