HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-03-2009 - 6a ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 3, 2009
Action Agenda
Item No. Co -(a
SUBJECT: Phase One: Assessment of the Fire/Rescue Services System in Orange
County
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
F. Rojas Montes de Oca, Jr.
Background Memo to the BOCC and Emergency Services, 245-6100
County Manager Gwen Harvey, Assistant County
Manager, 245-2307
Pam Jones, Purchasing/Central
Services, 245-2650
PURPOSE:
To present a strategy for re-engaging a fire/rescue study and request BOCC authorization for
an informal solicitation of competitive proposals from qualified organizations to conduct Phase
One: Assessment of the Fire/Rescue Service System in Orange County.
BACKGROUND:
Since arriving in the spring of 2008, the new Emergency Services Director has been very aware
and actively working with the Fire Chiefs and other County staff to develop a thoughtful and
thorough approach for initiating a new fire/rescue study. Attached is a memo offering an
historical perspective on the last study and the reasons there is sustained interest.
Conceptual outlines and updates on a new study were provided to the BOCC by the Director
during September 2008. In November 2008 the Fire Chief's Council participated in a free and
open discussion of what they felt a new fire/rescue study could encompass as well as related
steps to ensure "history would not repeat itself'. This session was facilitated by the Purchasing
and Central Services Director and attended by the Emergency Services Director and Assistant
County Manager. The Chiefs Council named three primary members (and three alternates) to
serve on the project steering committee who will also serve as evaluators of responses to a new
request for proposals.
Based upon this groundwork and further review with County management and Purchasing on
procedural steps, Emergency Services in conjunction with the steering committee recommend
the BOCC consider a modified strategy and approach for moving a new study forward.
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The suggested strategy divides an overall comprehensive study of the fire/rescue service
system in Orange County into three separate, sequential phases designed to provide
clear and defensible answers to three basic questions: (1) Where are we now? (2) Where
do we want to go? (3) How do we get there? A successful study will adhere to the
principles and priorities articulated by the BOCC and the Fire Chiefs Council. It will:
• Initiate an actionable strategic plan
• Involve critical stakeholders
• Include Northern Chatham and Southern Orange
• Employ recognized industry standards
• Factor six-mile districts
• Address fire insurance ratings
• Critique economies of scale and/or shared use — staffing; facilities, equipment
• Examine efficiencies and services enhancements
• Calculate long term sustainability and fire district financing
• Strengthen support and connections; i.e., fire inspections and prevention.
County staff believes the suggested strategy would enable all stakeholders to coalesce
around the following set of commitments:
• Commitment to a clear purpose
• Commitment to established priorities
• Commitment to a factual study tied to industry norms and professional standards
• Commitment to openness and objectivity in choosing a highly qualified consultant
• Commitment to continuous communication and collaboration between the consultant and
County/Fire Chiefs
• Commitment to instilling and maintaining trust and transparency throughout all phases
and through public participation
Phase One: "Where are we now?"
Phase One is a thorough review of the current status of fire/rescue services in Orange County,
examining organizational structures, staffing, resources, operating and capital budgets, and
current service delivery profiles.
The resulting data would be analyzed compared to Federal and state laws and regulations that
apply to fire and rescue operations, such as:
• Fire Prevention and Protection Act, 1997
• State Public Fire Safety Guidelines
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 and 1720 pertinent to the organization
and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations, and
special operations to the public by career and volunteer fire and EMS departments
Data collected will parallel to the greatest extent practicable that necessary for any fire/rescue
organization choosing to work towards achieving national accreditation. The approved final work
product from Phase One would become the baseline for determining Phases Two and Three.
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County staff further recommends the Phase One final work product be presented to the public
through one or more input and feedback sessions using an external facilitator. Findings from the
feedback sessions would assist the steering committee in developing the formal RFP for Phase
Two. The BOCC would approve the contract award for Phase Two. Phase One should take
approximately 3-6 months from contract execution and cost an estimated $20,000-$25,000. The
expert facilitation of public sessions is estimated at $5000-$7500.
Phase Two: " Where do we want to go?"
Phase Two is an environmental analysis focusing on fire/rescue services delivery in a modern
and increasingly urban community with changes anticipated in population, demographics, urban
development, the transportation network and other factors over the next five to ten years. The
consultant would be directed to return with projections and scenarios for providing the most
appropriate level of services within Orange County, identifying the risk factors, trigger points,
and resource requirements involved in decision making. Phase Two may take approximately 3-
6 months from contract execution and cost an estimated $25,000-$35,000.
Phase Three: "How do we get there?"
Phase Three is the development of a collaborative and detailed action plan built upon
community values, best industry practices, risk management, and fiscal responsibility. The
completed report would provide a strategy and financial roadmap for delivering a defined and
acceptable level of fire/rescue services throughout the County. The ultimate "vision" on level of
service and ability to pay is a decision to be made by the appointed and elected leadership
based on sound information and public participation. The BOCC is responsible for setting the
annual fire district tax rates and authorizing the annual budget for Emergency Services with
related revenue from fire inspection fees. Phase Three may take approximately 6-8 months
from contract execution and cost an estimated $35,000-$45,000.
Initiating Phase One
County staff and Fire Chiefs Council representatives believe an informal solicitation should be
made to receive competitive proposals from a small group of pertinent professional associations
with the demonstrated knowledge and experience to conduct a Phase One assessment.
Four highly specialized and nationally recognized expert organizations with strong skills in
research, publication, training, and technical consultation in the industry have been identified
and expressed an interest in submitting a competitive proposal.
1) International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
2) International City and County Manager's Association (ICMA) Public Safety Services
3) Oklahoma State University (Fire and Emergency Management Administration)
4) Texas A & M University (Emergency Services Training Institute)
Emergency Services and County management will work with Purchasing/Central Services and
Legal to issue a legal and proper informal solicitation letter to the four organizations and
conduct an appropriate interview and evaluative process. The steering committee will consider
the knowledge, resources and reputation of the respondents; quality and depth of
credentials/experience; demonstrated understanding and approach to Orange County interests
and concerns; and availability and overall cost to perform the necessary tasks.
It is stressed that the County does not want a ready-made template. The successful
organization will bring a custom approach in response to a unique environment and local needs.
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The steering committee will recommend a contract award to the BOCC for approval. If the
BOCC authorizes the proposed strategy, the steering committee could be prepared to make a
recommendation by the second meeting in April 2009.
Phase One Phases Two and Three are believed to be better suited to the more traditional
Request for Proposal (RFP) process whereby the County advertises nationally for private, for-
profit vendors with expertise and experience in performing similar government studies. The
technical consultant chosen to conduct the Phase One assessment will also be able to give
advice on the probable costs and magnitude of time required for the next consultant to execute
Phase Two and Phase Three.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funds in the total amount of $50,000 are currently available within the Emergency Services
Department budget to re-engage a study. Funds not expended for Phase One will be carried
forward to support Phase Two and Three as necessary. The total estimated price tag for all
phases is $112,000 over a projected period of 32 months (spring 2009 —fall 2012).
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board
1. Approve the suggested approach for re-engaging in a comprehensive Fire/Rescue study in
three phases — Phase One: Where are we now? Phase Two: Where do we want to go?
Phase Three: How do we get there?
2. Authorize the County to conduct an informal solicitation of the four qualified
technical/research organizations in the fire/rescue profession to submit competitive
proposals to perform Phase One: Assessment of the Fire/Rescue Services System in
Orange County
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Memorandum
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Laura Blackmon, County Manager
FROM: Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager
F. Rojas Montes de Oca, Director, Emergency Services
RE: Re-Engaging "The Sage Report" — Additional Background for
the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)
DATE: February 25, 2009
Fire protection in the unincorporated areas of Orange County_ is provided in
twelve tax supported fire districts. Coordination of these services is provided by
Orange County Emergency Services. In most districts fire services are provided
under contract with various unincorporated volunteer fire departments. In two
cases service is provided to district residents under agreements with municipal
fire departments. In addition to fire protection many of these departments provide
first responder and early defibrillation to medical emergencies within their district.
Due to the passage of time and degree of controversy attached to the most
recent iteration of a fire/rescue study, we thought it helpful to convey additional
background and perhaps greater context as the BOCC considers this item again
on March 3. Our close review of previous BOCC agenda materials and minutes
(dating back to FY04-05) permit us to provide the following chronology of events
and conclusions we hope will assist the BOCC in its decision-making.
May 2005
BOCC received a report from Emergency Management Director on "Emergency
Fire and Rescue Services" — the current structure of fire and rescue services;
challenge and opportunities; areas for exploration regarding enhanced County
support; and opportunities for increased efficiencies. (Attachment A is a copy
of the work session agenda item, attachments, and minutes.)
The report stated: "A strategic plan could be developed to identify how the
increased demand for services will be met in the coming years. Any strategic
plan should be developed through a coordinated effort from the volunteer fire
departments and county representatives, but moderated through an independent
agent that has experience and knowledge in transitions of public safety systems.
The plan should address where we have been, where we are and where we
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want to go, and should complement the county's comprehensive
planning". (p 5)
June 2005
BOCC adopted the FY06-07 budget that included an appropriation of $25,000 to
initiate the fire and rescue service study. At the time, it was difficult to estimate
accurately the true cost, but Emergency Management had experience with a
similar study conducted in New Hanover County in the amount of $25,000, and if
necessary, County management would recommend additional funding in FY06-
07 if the amount were found to be inadequate. (Attachment B is a copy of the
Memorandum to the BOCC re: Suggested Approach to Initiating
Fire/Rescue Service Study from the budget work session.)
November 2005
BOCC reviewed and approved a scope of service for a Fire, Emergency Medical
Services (EMS), and Rescue Assessment Plan for Orange County. The scope of
service included evaluation of existing and planned fire stations, EMS facilities,
rescue squads; location and adequacy of facilities, including volunteers and
equipment,; identification of strategies for improving efficiencies, reducing costs,
and overall operational issues in the volunteer fire departments (i.e., fire
insurance ratings, paperwork, administration), and recommendation of a plan "to
meet the needs of the County and its citizens giving consideration to overall cost
benefits and best practices".
January 2006
BOCC awarded a contract to The Sage Group in the amount of$25,000.
May 2006
The Manager's Recommended Budget for FY06-07 included Reserve Funding in
the amount of$100,000 for a Fire and Rescue Study Outcome.
June 2006
The Sage Group provided an assessment list of preliminary recommendations to
the BOCC in early June 2006. These recommendations were found lacking,
falling short of expectations in depth and timing — a sentiment shared by the
BOCC, County management, Emergency Services, and Fire Chiefs Council. The
adopted budget for FY06-07 included the Reserve Funding in the amount of
$100,000.
August 2006
The Sage Group submitted a revised working draft report to the County in mid-
August 2006.
December 2006—January 2007
The Sage Group submitted a final working draft to the new County Manager in
mid-December 2006. The document was circulated among stakeholders for
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critique and comment. Again, problems were identified in methodology and
findings, typified by the response from Chief Travis Crabtree, Town of Carrboro.
(Attachment C is an e-mail from Chief Crabtree on the Fire Rescue Study.)
April 2007
County management, after much consideration of the revised working draft and
careful consultation with Legal and Emergency Services, elected to end the
engagement of The Sage Group.
September 2007
County management contracted with the UNC School of Government (SOG, Dr.
Maureen Berner) to prepare a primer on fire/rescue service responsibilities for
NC counties and a cross-reference between The Sage Group contract
award/scope of services and the work product actually received by the County.
The SOG technical analysis several items that warranted further work, including
methods of financing recommended improvements and service demand and
current level of response.
November 2007
The SOG technical analysis was circulated among stakeholders. County staff
attended the Fire Chiefs Council November meeting to provide an update and
receive comments and concerns about the work to date. At a work session on
November 19, the SOG made its presentation to the BOCC. Chief Andy Gates,
Caldwell Fire Department, provided their summary response to County staff in an
e-mail in advance of the work session. (Attachment D is a copy of Chief Gate's
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e-mail.)
At the work session the BOCC provided the following guidance and direction for
continuing and/or renewing a study:
• Ensure that the southern part of Orange County serviced by the North
Chatham Fire Department was addressed
• Provide sufficient critical data and analysis for recommendations and
discussion
• Relate how South Orange Fire District fits into overall study; Address
equally with North Chatham
• Correct misinformation and gaps
• Provide recommendations for a comprehensive plan for fire services
• Address how to move forward with Fire Chiefs Council
• Address six-mile service district
• Prioritize goals
• Do a strategic plan
The understanding, supported by the Fire Chief's Council, was the County would
wait until the next Emergency Services Director was in place before proceeding
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with next steps to advance a study. The new Director began work on April 21,
2008.
May 2008
During budget discussions with the new Emergency Services Director for FY08-
09, the BOCC reaffirmed interest and commitment to a study reflective of the
rural fire department needs and staffing requirements for the office of Fire
Marshall. The FY08-09 budget makes available funding in the amount of
$50,000 for a new study.
October 2008
The Emergency Services Director, in response to a request at a work session on
September 9, 2008, provided the BOCC a proposed timeline for re-entering a
Fire Rescue Study.
November 2008
County staff facilitated a Fire Chiefs Council discussion of re-entering a Fire
Rescue Study, tabulated collective concerns, and received appointments to a
"steering committee" for moving ahead. (Attachment E is a summary of the
discussion point from the Council meeting.)
December 2008
BOCC received a report regarding the recommended 2009-19 County CIP on
December 1, 2008. One of the decision points carried forward to December 11,
2008 was "whether to appropriate $1.2 million in Emergency Service Reserve for
Emergency Services needs or to retain monies in reserve pending outcome of
upcoming Fire and Rescue Study." The BOCC has not yet taken action on the
proposed 10 year CIP.
The $1.2 million represents unrestricted E-911 funds that can be used for any
purpose. Emergency Services, undergoing reorganization and modernization
under the new Director, has immediate need for additional capital equipment and
facility improvements as the chief coordinating department in the County,
exclusive of system improvements certain to be identified in a new Fire Rescue
study. (Attachment F is a copy of the proposed plan for utilizing the
Emergency Services Reserve.)
March 2009
BOCC agenda for March 3 includes recommendation to proceed with Phase
One: Assessment of the Fire/Rescue Services System Study in Orange County
under an informal solicitation for professional technical services. The phased
approach proposed and the process for selecting a research-based technical
organization to conduct the assessment has been reviewed and vetted by the
chosen representatives of the Fire Chiefs Council.
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The phased approach encompasses the following directives in response to
concerns expressed by the BOCC and the Fire Chiefs Council.
• Initiate a strategic plan
• Involve critical stakeholders
• Include Northern Chatham and Southern Orange
• Employ recognized industry standards
• Factor six-mile districts
• Address fire insurance ratings
• Examine efficiencies and services enhancements
• Calculate long term sustainability and district financing
• Strengthen support and connections; i.e., fire inspections and prevention.
County management believes the work products resulting from Phases One,
Two, and Three will allow the BOCC to become better informed and enable more
equitable decisions about the future size, scope, and structure of the fire and
rescue service system in Orange County and ramifications for fire district taxes.
Emergency Services sees the conduct and coordination of the Phase One
Assessment as instrumental and important to present efforts at realigning and
modernizing the Department to better serve and secure the public safety.
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etc �" 10
APPROVED 8/1612005°
MINUTES
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
WORK SESSION
May 23, 2005
5:30 p.m.
The Orange County.Board of Commissioners met for a Work Session on Monday, May 23,2005.
at 5:30 p.m. at the Government Services Center in Hillsborough,North Carolina.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey and Commissioners Valerie
P. Foushee,Alice M.Gordon,Stephen H. Halkiotis and Barry Jacobs
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT:
COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT:Geof Gledhill and Sean Borhanian
COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr.,Assistant County
Manager Rod Visser and Clerk to the Board Donna Baker(All other staff members will be
identified appropriately below)
NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT
AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. ALL RECORDINGS OF THE MEETING WILL BE
KEPT FOR 5 YEARS:
The meeting began at 6:10 p.m..
L Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Issues
John Link said that about 10 years ago,Orange County went through an assessment
process looking at the roles and responsibilities of the fire departments, rescue squad, and
EMS: The County has continued to grow and the rescue squads work well with EMS and other
departments. The Board of County Commissioners suggested examining this again since
things have changed with how the departments operate,particularly with regard to the decrease
in volunteers. He said that today,the staff had a productive discussion with one of the volunteer
fire departments regarding the issues that they face. The issues are as follows:
• Not enough volunteers
• Possibility of hiring staff—paid and volunteers to cover 24/7
• If staff is hired,then there must be benefits
• Equity between volunteer fire departments and municipal fire departments
• How to be frugal with district tax revenue when operations side goes up with the cost of
vehicles,
In the long term,his prediction is that there will be equity issues about pay and
equipment.
Rod Visser made reference to the background documents,which include:
• memo from Jack Ball
• PowerPoint slides-hard copy—includes some of the local assistance available to.
volunteer fire department,
• review that staff did on rescue service provisions about 1.0 years ago
John Link said that there are five specific areas that the Board could look at, starting on
page 5.
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Commissioner Halkiotis said that years ago they had discussions about hepatitis B
vaccinations, and the Board of County Commissioners directed staff to make sure that.
departments did not have to pay for vaccinations. He asked if this was still the case and it was
answered yes.
Commissioner Halkiotis asked if there has been any discussion on how the local
assistance could be expanded. For example',volunteer departments could fuel at the County
diesel pump site at Public Works.
EMS Director Jack Ball said that they do not do this at this time. The County vehicles
have a ring that is mounted on them to allow for pumping at this site. Under the State program,
most of the volunteer departments are claiming a tax credit on fuel. Commissioner Halkiotis
said that it would appear that there would be more opportunities for the County to aid and assist
the volunteer departments.
Jack Ball said that in his earlier career he helped set up satellite fueling stations for
volunteer departments. He offered to work on this.if the Board was interested.
Commissioner Jacobs said that he could see a couple of places the County can help
with finances. He said that Guilford County is starting to hire fulltime firefighters and make them
County employees so that they can receive benefits: He would like to see what the fire
departments think of this idea. He suggested hiring one fulltime firefighter per department until
every department had one He thinks there needs to be some discussion to talk through these
ideas and how the County can help. He made reference to the idea of duplication of capital
equipment. He asked about any type of system for setting minimums or maximums or
coordinating heavy equipment. He asked if one entity has the equipment if it precludes others
from buying it. Rod Visser said that they do not have anything firm in this area, but they could
do a Countywide inventory on equipment and use this to guide decisions that all departments
might make.
Commissioner Jacobs said that with the growth with the EDD and Waterstone and in the
800 acres between Efland/Mebane,the needs for some of the departments would change
dramatically. It would be good to be proactive and to have a plan to move forward..
Commissioner Gordon made reference to page three and the eight volunteer fire
departments and if it included North Chatham and it was answered no Jack Ball said that there
is a relationship with North Chatham. Commissioner Gordon asked how North Chatham would
fit into the five points, since they provide service to Orange County. Jack Ball said that they met
with North Chatham recently on the tax rate, and they indicated that they were in the process of
expanding services and hiring additional personnel to man the second station. This will
increase the capabilities of serving,Orange County.
Commissioner Gordon would like to see,with the eight volunteer fire departments,
information on what they have (inventory and capabilities), including North Chatham. She
asked about the tax rate and the capital equipment.
Rod Visser said that this information would be provided in the budget document on
Wednesday. The departments that are asking for increases this year are directly related to
things needed in the next five years.
Valerie Foushee asked how many of the,volunteer departments have paid staff and Jack
Ball said five departments (Orange Grove, Orange Rural, New Hope, Eno and North Chatham
have paid staff). The number of paid staff varies from two to seven at each of those
departments.
Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to page five,point four,the second sentence,
and said that it should read, "A strategic plan must be developed....." He thinks that a third,
neutral party should be brought in to help develop this strategic plan.
Jack Ball said that the federal government has a Safer Grant that just came open. This
allows volunteer fire departments to work towards hiring additional personnel and provides a
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recruitment and retention program that they can apply for. It is a five-year grant. The first year
is 90%funding, and it decreases each year.
John Link said that one of the biggest challenges would be the cost of going to paid
staff. The County's salary is just not competitive with the municipalities'salaries.
Jack Ball said that the rescue squads also need to be competitive regarding salary.
Commissioner Jacobs said that when the County rotates out its computers, they should
be offered to the rescue squads instead of being sold. He would like to talk about fire ratings
and how the fire departments can improve them and explain it to homeowners and to the media.
He said that there are touchy issues around firefighter pensions and he would like to look at
proposed changes in policies or legislative changes that might be useful to EMS,rescue
squads,or fire departments.
Chair Carey asked about the$1.344 million for the bill and where this figure came from.
Jack Ball said that this was a program that was put together with members of the Fire Chief's
Association. Several chiefs got together and looked at some costs and came up with this figure.
This includes costs for a building,a mobile classroom,fixed burn buildings,etc. He thinks this
figure is short of what would be needed for the whole program. He noticed that there were no
facilities for showers or restrooms. This would generate an additional cost.
Chair Carey asked several clarifying questions that were answered by Jack Ball.
Chair Carey suggested updating the chart on page 13 and the inventory of equipment.
Commissioner Gordon asked the staff to look at the various'districts and what the
insurance ratings are.
Commissioner Jacobs asked if the County Commissioners received a formal request
from Orange Rescue Squad for tax revenue and Rod Visser said no. Commissioner Jacobs
said that he would view the rescue squad being similar to the fire departments in terms of public
service. He suggested asking each group what it envisions for itself and develop a level playing
field.
John Link said that this assessment would be valuable to the rescue squads also.
2. Jordan Lake Watershed Nutrient Management Strategy and Rules
Environment and Resource Conservation Director Dave Stencil said that the purpose of
this item is to see if the Board is interested in providing comments to the Division of Water
Quality on the proposed Jordan Lake Nutrient Management Strategy and Total Maximum Daily
Load. He said that it was not a surprise that they have to deal with nutrients in Jordan Lake,
because there were predictions 20 years ago that there would be these issues. The deadline
for the Division of Water Quality is May 31 st for comments. He pointed out some areas of the
watershed on a map. The current proposal is that the DWQ would get recommendations to the
Environmental Management Commission in July and they might adopt it in September. It would
take two years to finalize the rules and put them in place in 2007.
He made reference to page five of the report and the nutrient reduction requirements.
Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to reducing nitrogen and said that a huge golf
community was just approved in Chatham County. Golf courses;are some of the biggest users
of nitrogen. Dave Stencil said that a lot of the nitrogen comes from municipal wastewater
treatment plants and there are three,in this particular basin.
Craig Benedict explained ten total management strategies,as follows:
Jordan Lake, Non-Point Source Nutrient Management Strategy
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NPS Nutrient Who What
Source
1 -Agriculture LAC/ERCD Local advisory, committees implement BMP's
2-Nutrient Management DWQ Training for fertilizer or bio-solids applicators
3-NPDES Phase 11 P&I Apply Phase II to all local municipalities—County
inclusion is uncertain
4—Storm Water Rule: EC New development would require BMP's
Jurisdictions required to build storm water retrofits
5—Trading P& I Ability to develop trading or other nutrient loading
offset options between and among point and
non-point sources
6-Forestry EC Pre-harvest notification.Selective buffer harvesting
7-Adaptive Management P& I Evaluate progress of NMS and adjust.
8 Buffer Protection EC Expand buffer rules from Neuse &Tar-Pamlico
9 Wastewater Land Appl. DWQ Investigate strengthening its permitting program
10-On-Site Wastewater DWQ/EH Work with Environmental Health—reduce N+P from
IWWS
Commissioner Jacobs said that these strategies track a number of goals that the County
Commissioners have and he would suggest the notion that the County should be able to have
the authority to regulate those systems as opposed to the State regulating them. He was
interested in Mayor Dell's letter back to the County about conservation where he mentioned
trading credits. He would like to talk.to Durham about how they are going to compensate
people in the Little River area for protecting their water supply.
Commissioner Jacobs said that the County should not wait another four years to study
this because there could be a different regulatory environment.
Commissioner Halkiotis asked if the agricultural community was aware of all of this and
Dave Stancil said that they are becoming aware of it Commissioner Halkiotis said that this is
going to be horrific.
Commissioner Gordon said that she wonders how hard this will fall on Orange County.
It strikes her that there are massive pollutants going in, but Orange County will bear the burden...
She is not sure what the County can say between now and May 31a.
Dave Stencil said that this is falling into two camps. The Citizens for Clean Water and.
the Haw River Assembly have been very supportive of DWQ's"proposed rules. The impacts, in
terms of new development and existing development, might fall heaviest on the urban areas.
They are very concerned about the impacts on new development. It might require Durham,
Chapel Hill, and Carrboro retrofitting their storm water controls in existing developments.
OWASA,the City of Durham,and other providers are going to want to take it slower because it
might not do what is needed for the water supply.
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Chair Carey pointed out that this process would not move fast.
Commissioner Gordon agreed with drafting a letter to DWQ,but she thinks that the
information in the packet is too supportive and maybe it should be more along the lines of what
OWASA is saying.
Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners should stress its key points
in the letter about forestry;etc..
Chair Carey said to add that the State has to take the lead role in establishing the
authority for local governments to do the things that need to be done;
Dave Stancil said that Triangle J would be coming back with a request for$$33 from
each jurisdiction to follow-up on the adaptive management ideas through the end of 2005.
With no further items to discuss,the work session was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
Moses Carey,Jr., Chair
Donna S. Baker
Clerk to the Board
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 23, 2005
Action Agenda
Item No.
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SUBJECT: Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service Issues
DEPARTMENT: Manager/Emergency PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
Management
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
5/20/05 Staff Memo John Link or Rod Visser, ext 2300
PowerPoint Slides Jack Ball, ext 3030
10/05/94 BOCC Agenda Abstract w/ TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Attachments Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To discuss various issues related to the structure and delivery of volunteer fire
and rescue services and other related emergency services in Orange County.
BACKGROUND: Volunteers continue to play a vital role in the delivery of fire protection, fire
suppression, and rescue services throughout Orange County. This includes response not only
during day-to-day emergency situations, but also during larger events such as manmade or
natural disasters or hazardous weather situations. Stresses on volunteer agencies and
individual volunteer emergency responders continue to grow, as demands on volunteer time
needed for additional training and coverage expand. In recent years, these demands have led
many volunteer departments to hire permanent and/or temporary staff to supplement the
coverage that volunteers have been able to provide, particularly during normal weekday
business hours. This in turn has placed more strain on volunteer departmental budgets, and
has increased the competition for scarce tax dollars to address the increasing personnel,
operating, and capital costs of providing high quality, effective, and timely emergency services.
This work session provides the Board of Commissioners an opportunity to receive a brief
preview of some of the issues for FY 2005-06 related to volunteer emergency service provision
that will be addressed in more depth during June budget work sessions. It also gives the Board
a chance to discuss in broad terms how the County might assist volunteer departments in areas
such as training coordination,joint purchasing of supplies and equipment, cross-leveling to
minimize duplication of resources, and similar issues.
Staff have provided several attachments to this abstract to provide background information for
the BOCC. A staff memo outlines in more detail some of the issues mentioned in this abstract.
A handout comprised of PowerPoint slides describes some of the structure currently in place at
the federal, State, and County level to provide assistance to volunteer departments. Previous
16
2
BOCC agenda materials provide a discussion of the approach to rescue service provision in
Orange County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact directly associated with discussion of
these issues. However, direction the Board may provide to staff could have impacts on how
resources are expended for fire and rescue services, including equipment acquisition,joint
purchasing, etc.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the issues
outlined in the accompanying materials, and other points of interest to the Board, and provide
appropriate direction to staff.
17
MEMORANDUM
TO: Orange County Commissioners
John Link,County Manager
FROM: Jack W.Ball,Emergency Management Director
DATE: May 20,2005
SUBJECT: Emergency Fire and Rescue Services
Introduction
This memo is intended to provide background information for the Board's discussion of
volunteer fire and rescue service issues at your May 23 work session including: the current
structure of fire and rescue services throughout Orange County; some observations about some
of the challenges and opportunities facing the County and its volunteer emergency service
agency partners; and some areas the Board may wish to have staff explore with agency
representatives in more detail regarding enhanced County support to agencies,opportunities for
efficiencies,and the-like.
Structure
Orange County's emergency fire and rescue services consist of two municipal fire departments,
eight volunteer fire departments,and two volunteer rescue departments. The volunteer
organizations are incorporated through the State, and where appropriate and applicable, are
franchised by the County Commissioners to provide certain emergency services. Under the
oversight of their respective Boards of Directors,these agencies act independently of each other
in their operations. Each has a strong reputation in the community and each understandably
takes pride in its own individuality. There is a strong network of mutual aid understandings
between departments that assures Orange County residents that when additional resources are
needed in one jurisdiction,say to fight a major fire,adjacent departments will respond
immediately to assist in the incident or to provide interim coverage to the rest of that one
jurisdiction.
In the early 1990s,County staff and volunteers worked together to conduct an extensive
assessment of and recommendations for the best ways to provide rescue services throughout
Orange County. Generally speaking,the approach involved developing and enhancing in-
County capabilities for high frequency rescue incidents through resources that would be
deployed as necessary on a countywide basis. Low frequency or highly specialized rescue
services would be solicited as needed from resources beyond Orange County. More than a
decade later,we believe that the"rescue service matrix"developed as a part of that analytical
process(and provided for reference elsewhere with your May 23 agenda materials)continues to
provide a solid framework for rescue service provision in Orange County.
18
Challenges
As the demand for service continues to grow,and the availability of volunteers to provide
coverage in the fire districts declines,increased supplemental paid assistance to provide coverage
during peak hours continues to emerge as a solution of choice. This method enables departments
to cope with the growing demands. However,while individual departments provide for the
hiring of personnel, disparities may arise between departments in the benefits and salaries
provided. Many departments face financial constraints that preclude their taking on added
responsibilities such as retirement and workers'compensation associated with employees.
As Orange County continues to grow and face the challenges of tomorrow,it is imperative to
improve on our abilities to provide the best emergency services to our overall community. We
must collectively look beyond"the way we've always done it"and expand our capabilities
across and between service districts to address the demands of a progressive public safety
system. In several meetings I have had with the administrative and operational officers of some
of the fire and rescue departments,some departments have been very receptive to the notion of
an integrated approach to providing the best emergency services to County residents. Others
have expressed understandable concerns about the potential that their agencies may play
diminished roles in providing countywide services.
With multiple agencies providing similar services(such as light vehicle extrication)in some
cases,there are legitimate concerns about balancing the need for adequate amounts of readily
available,widely deployed,specialty tools with the interest of ensuring that scarce tax dollars are
not expended unnecessarily on duplication of services or equipment. I believe there is a clear
need for a cooperative effort among volunteer agencies,the County,and municipal departments
to determine a standard that would identify what tools and equipment should be purchased,by
which departments, so as to ensure compatibility of equipment and training across agencies.
In a recent conversation I had with the president of the Chiefs' Council,he identified the
following as needs for volunteer agencies:
1) Face to face interaction with a representative of the Board of Commissioners;
2) A training facility in the central part of the County(I note here that House Bill 1655,
sponsored by Representatives Faison, Hackney, and Insko has since been introduced and
if approved, would earmark$1,344,000 to acquire land and construct a regional fire
training facility in Orange County;)
3) Input in fire protection needs for future growth and subdivision development;
4) Additional fire marshal staff to assist with fire insurance ratings of the fire departments,
granting, and County fire administrative issues; and
5) Representation from the Chiefs'Council on the communication upgrading project.
Opportunities
I have prepared a group of slides(provided separately as an attachment for this agenda item)that
outlines some of the support that is currently available at the federal,state, and county level to
assist our volunteer agencies stretch their resources. In recent years,County staff have tried to
improve assistance to various fire and rescue agencies in areas of training coordination,incident
reporting,and contracting and purchasing, among others. However,with the full participation
and cooperation of the volunteer departments,there may be other things the County can do to
assist the volunteer fire and rescue agencies to provide the best possible service in the most cost
19
effective manner. While there are different challenges and issues that affect operations in each
department,many common challenges—and opportunities-exist. As part of your discussion at
the May 23 work session,the Board may wish to consider whether some or all of the following
undertakings might prove worthwhile:
1)An effort to build on opportunities to address common challenges by considering the
combined purchase and acquisition of equipment and supplies. Results so far of the ongoing
study by the Robert Segal CPA firm of County and school operations suggest that some of the
cost saving methods applicable to the County and both school systems(particularly through joint
purchases and contracts)may likewise be beneficial to the County and volunteer fire and rescue
agencies. While some departments have already collaborated to purchase some items together,I
believe that greater savings could be gained through a central purchasing point to ensure the best
price is obtained.
2)As discussed previously,the establishment of standards Countywide would ensure that every
emergency responder is provided with the same quality of tools,equipment, and protective
clothing. It would also ensure that the equipment would be compatible and if members from one
department had to use equipment from another department,they would be familiar with the
operations and could easily use it without delays.
3) As our county continues to grow and service demands continue to increase,it would be
prudent to be proactive and plan for changes in our public safety delivery systems. County staff
can assist volunteer departments through use of GIS tools and advice on the applicability of land
use regulations regarding feasible and desirable locations for future fire and rescue stations.
Staff can also work with departments as needed to help answer questions of what to do with
buildings and assets if an organization can no longer meet growing demands and needs to
disband.
4) Staff could undertake a dialogue with the leadership of the fire departments to discuss the
long-term future of the delivery of fire services in the County. A strategic plan could be
developed to identify how the increased demand for services will be met in the upcoming years.
Any strategic plan should be developed through a coordinated effort from the volunteer
departments and county representatives,but moderated through an independent agent that has
experience and knowledge in transitions of public safety systems. The plan should address
where we have been,where we are and where we want to go, and should complement the
county's comprehensive planning.
5) Staff could review with fire and rescue service leaders the viability of the existing rescue
service matrix to determine if it remains a valid framework for service delivery or if updates or
modifications are in order.
Conclusion
All these issues are not unique to Orange County;counties throughout the state and country face
these challenges every day. The way in which they are addressed means the difference in being
proactive or reactive. A proactive approach delivers a better product and provides for a phased
in approach in meeting the needs of the community.
20
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
NU 7
r o: • Volunteer Assistance
0 P ® can be found on
various levels of
, �
r ��,: _1 Government
— Federal Assistance
. -•:: :_:. — State Assistance
rL — Local Assistance
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• Federal Programs
— Rural Community Fire
Protection Programs
• Serve communities 10,000
f or less
te- • Provides cost share for
training,equipment and
help organize rural/local
'� volunteer departments
"— — FIRE ACT GRANT
• Matching grants for
equipment,training,and
safety programs
1
21
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• Federal Programs
— Purchasing GSA Fire
Equipment using
FEDSTRIP
• When fire departments
have cooperative fire
agreements agreements with State. • Forestry have access to
,1' fire equipment sources
' ' ` — Community Facility
Program
• Direct,guaranteed loans
and grants for community
facilities and equipment
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• Federal Programs
— Surplus Personal Property Donation
Program
• Nonfederal organizations to
obtain property no longer needed
by Federal Government
„ • Small service charge for
handling,transportation and
administrative expenses
�-i - Federal Excess Personal Property
• Loan agreement of excess
federal equipment obtained from
military and other federal
sources to state foresters who
sub-loan to local firefighting
organizations
22
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• State Assistance
— Volunteer
RescueBMS Fund
• Matching grants up to
$15,000
N*C — Volunteer Fire
r Departments Fund
• Provide Matching
Grants to Volunteer
Fire Departments
Grants not to exceed
$20,000 00
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• State Assistance
— Purchasing through State
Administration
• Purchase gas,fuel,
equipment,tires,supplies
Reimburse to department
`- - on fuel and gas tax
N*C�
— $enefits
State
Death Benefit
• Worker's Comp
• Funeral expenses
• Pension
• Child Education
• Spouse Education
• Education for volunteer
• Retirement
3
23
Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Programs
• Local Assistance
®0.101t
�'n 6 ; Co ftr1 f� for attending trainin available-
r, - Purchase of Office Supplies
PT I through Purchasing
z` ", j"' ' – Assist in developing RFPs
17 L�'f '� 2 and obtaining services(i.e
�-eko ground ladder testing)
i� tee.
,114,,-=-� – Provide Hepatitis B
/� L� vaccinations
•fi
t. – Assist with training needs
.p d a�p�` — Work to establish fire tax
rates for funding of budgets
– Replace expended medical
supplies
4
24
1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Action Agenda
Item No X-C�
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 5; 1994
SUBJECT: Rescue Service Provision in Orange County
DEPARTMENT Emergency Management/ PUBLIC HEARING YES NO X
County Manager
ATTACHMENTS) INFORMATION CONTACT
9/29/94 Staff Report Nick Waters, ext 3030
Rescue Service Matrix Rod Visser, ext 2300
Draft Agreement Between OCRS & SORS TELEPHONE NUMBER
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Rill 968-4501
Mebane 227-2031
Durham 688-7331
PURPOSE: To receive a report on plans for the provision of rescue
service throughout Orange County.
BACKGROUND: At the April 19, 1994 meeting, the Board of Commissioners
heard a request from the South Orange Rescue Squad to consider
establishing a South Orange Rescue Service District. At that time, the
Board asked staff to prepare a report after reviewing what rescue
service needs exist in Orange County, what options exist for providing
those services, and how might those alternatives be financed.
In a series of meetings over the past several months, County staff and
various emergency response agency personnel discussed historical levels
of rescue service and incidence of rescue calls, desired levels of
service, and options for providing rescue service. The most
significant outcome of these discussions has been agreement by the
South Orange Rescue Squad and the Orange County Rescue Squad that they
will work and train jointly to provide basic and specialized rescue
service throughout Orange County, with assistance on basic services
from other emergency response agencies.
Additional work remains to be done in identifying any pressing
rescue equipment needs and how those needs could be funded.
Following further discussions with rescue squad leaders, staff plan
to present more specific recommendations concerning equipment needs and
funding sometime during the next several months.
RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the
report for information only at this time.
25
MEMORANDUM
TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners
John Link, County Manager
FROM: Rod Visser, Assistant County Manager
Nick Waters, Director of Emergency Management
DATE: September 29, 1994
RE: Rescue Service Options
During the last few months, we have conducted a series of very
productive meetings with various emergency service providers to obtain
information concerning the provision of rescue service in Orange
County. We have examined how rescue service is currently provided,
what options exist for providing that service, and what we think is the
best approach for providing rescue service in Orange County today. Our
analysis included a review of the different categories of rescue
service that are and should be provided; the historical and
anticipated incidence of rescue calls in each of those categories;
and the current, and desirable future, capabilities of agencies to
respond to various categories of rescue calls. The matrix at
Attachment 1 represents our effort to succinctly capture the main
points of our analysis.
During staff and agency discussions, widespread agreement emerged
on a number of points and principles:
* the driving force behind the structure of rescue service must be the
best possible service to Orange County's citizens, regardless of which
agencies provide that service;
* the most economical use of limited resources for rescue, being wary
of unnecessary duplication of service capability;
* the need for extensive coordination and cooperation between the
rescue squads, volunteer fire departments, municipal fire departments,
Orange County Emergency Management, and other emergency responders;
* the focus of rescue service provision should be Countywide, rather
than by individual response area;
* resources should be allocated in priority to meeting the most likely
and frequent categories of rescue calls (primarily light vehicle
extrication) while ensuring that a capability to respond to any of the
categories of rescue calls exists (among agencies either internal or
external to Orange County) .
A strong spirit of cooperation among emergency response agencies has
led to the development of a draft working agreement (Attachment
2) between the South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS) and Orange County
Rescue Squads (OCRS) . OCRS has agreed to provide heavy rescue
throughout Orange County, SORS will provide technical rescue services
throughout Orange County, and the rescue squads and fire
departments will work to provide light vehicle extrication, which is by
far the most frequently required rescue service. County staff will
work with rescue providers to augment their organic rescue capabilities
with centralized resources. Centralizing certain resources should help
26
minimize unnecessary duplication and provide a more economical approach
to providing rescue equipment needed for less common rescue calls. As
an example, staff will explore the possibility of storing and
transporting hydraulic extrication equipment on a County vehicle which
could be carried to an accident scene for use by trained rescuers from
a volunteer fire department.
We need to discuss rescue service financing further with the rescue
squads, but we feel there is general agreement now that we should not
pursue rescue service district taxes, since the planned focus is now on
Countywide rescue service provision. One option we will explore
carefully is that of appropriating funds annually through the operating
budget or CIP of the Department of Emergency Management to address
well-documented equipment or training needs to enhance Countywide
rescue service provision. In the short term, we expect that the rescue
squads will soon present a list of the most pressing rescue equipment
needs. Both squads will be applying to the State for 1995 grant funds
to cover some of those equipment needs. We recommend that the County
review its sales tax revenue picture and at a future Commissioners`
meeting, consider trying to provide matching funds for any State grant
money received for recognized equipment needs. In the longer term, we
expect to work with the rescue squads to develop a multi-year plan for
equipment and training needs that the County would review and consider
during the annual operating and capital budget processes.
We will be happy to respond to your questions and perform any
additional research that you may find helpful.
r-
04
20 YEAR PAST SIX ANTICIPATED PRESENT ' FUTURE ADDITIONAL
RESCUE TYPE •CCURRENCE MON 1 ' U R N ES CAPABILITY CAPABILITY COMMENTS
v4 LIGHT VEHICLE EMS, FIRE, ALL TRAINED IN
EXTRICATION 200 5 24" YEA Y OCRS & SORS OCRS & SORS USE OF EDUIPMENT
-% VERY
C HEAVY VEHICLE MARGINAL CENTRAL ALL FIRE & RESCUE
'Q EXTRICATION 6 0 1 YE' OCRS & SQRS RESOURCES TRAINED
CENTRAL
4 RESOURCE, OCRS FIRE DEPT SHOULD
HIGH/LOW ANGLE 4 0 1 / 3 YEARS OCRS & SORS & SORS ALL BE SUPPORT TRAINEI
AGENCIES-FLAT; SWIFT-SOBS; FLAT-)
SORS -SWIFT W/XIT-ROPE/THROW/
WATER 8 2 YEARLY SORS FLOTATION DEVICES
OUT OF CENTRAL ALL FIRE & RESCUE
CONFINED SPACE 0 I 1 YEARLY COUNTY RESOURCES SHOULD BE TRAINED
OUT OF CENTRAL ALL AGENCIES
TRENCH 2 1 1 / 5 YEARS COUNTY RESOURCES SHOULD BE TRAINED
"' CENTRAL
OUT OF RESOURCES DR TEAM TRAINING, IF
SCUBA 0 0 1 / 3 YEARS COUNTY • OUT OF COUNTY ANY AT ALL
FARM FIRE, OCRS & TRAINING FOR- FIRE
EXTRICATION 3 0 1 / 5 YEARS OCRS & SORS SORS AND RESCUE
SHERIFF COULD
DEVELOP SPECIAL
,SEARCH 0 1 / 3 YEARS SHERIFF SHERIFF TEAM
COMBINATION
FIRE, OCRS & CENTRAL ALL AGENCIES
COLLAPSE 0 0 1 / 5 YEARS SORS RESOURCES SI(OULD BE TRAINED
OUT OF' ALL AGENCIES
RAILWAY 0 + 0 1 / 20 YEARS COUNTY OUT OF OUNTY , SHOULD BE TRAINED
CENTRAL
RESOURCE,FIRE ALL AGENCIES
AIRCRAFT 5 0 1 / 2 YEARS OCRS & SORS 0 S , . • S SHOULD BE TRAINED
CENTRAL
RESOURCE,FIRE ALL AGENCIES
INDUSTRY 3 0 1 / 5 YEARS OCRS & SORS • RS & SOR_ SHOULD BE TRAINED
-.,14,1)1r1
•
Agreement In Principle Between South Orange Rescue Squad and
Orange County Rescue Squad on the Provision of Rescue Services 28
Within Orange County
1. The Squads agree to work together to provide Rescue Services on
a county-wide basis. Both Squads will provide Light Vehicle Rescue
within their respective geographic areas due to the significant and
demonstrated need for this service in both ends of the county.
2. OCRS will be the lead agency for the provision of Heavy Rescue
within the county. They will host the equipment, training and
response team related to this service due to their proximity to
both major interstates within the county. Their large rescue truck
will serve as the platform for this service and will be equipped as
necessary.
3. SORS will be the lead agency for the provision of Technical
Rescue within the county, to include High-Angle, Swiftwater and
Confined-Space Rescue. They will host the equipment, training and
response team associated with these services due to their current
level of training and equipment.
4. A member of either Squad may serve on either the Heavy Rescue
and/or Technical Rescue response team. Any interested member would
be required to be a member in `good standing of their respective
Squad and would not be required to also join the other Squad in
order to participate. All prospective response team members would
have to meet the same minimum entry certifications and training
standards as set forth by each response team.
5. The Squads will present a joint list to the County
Commissioners detailing their immediate equipment needs. They will
also submit joint Rescue Service budget proposals in the future,
detailing their projected equipment and training needs.
6. The Squads will work together to provide a joint initial
training program for all new members of both organizations: In the
future this program would be conducted in conjunction with the
training of new members of OCEMS and would cover both EMS and
Rescue skills.
7. The Squads will, work together to development common operational
policies for Rescue Services, as related to each of the various
services provided.
S. The Squads will work with the Fire Departments of the county to
develop a common standard for training and equipping all Fire
Department units which might respond to a light vehicle accident.
This standard would include specific pieces of equipment and skills
required to perform certain basic automobile extrication
techniques.
DRAFT
A4141.4.4410t4 2 9
MEMORANDUM
TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners
FROM John Link, County Manager
DATE: June 20, 2005
RE: Suggested Approach to Initiating Fire/Rescue Service Study
At the Board's work session on May 23,2005, Commissioners discussed a staff report and
recommendations regarding how the County might assist the volunteer fire and rescue agencies to
provide the best possible service in the most cost effective manner. The Board generally endorsed
the initiation of a study of this subject during FY 2005-06.
My recommended 2005-06 operating budget was on its way to the printer the very evening we had
this discussion, so there was not an opportunity for me to specifically earmark recommended
funding for this undertaking in next year's budget. However,I suggest that the Board consider
using the$25,000 included in my recommended budget for"Manager's Miscellaneous" as a source
for any funding that may be needed to initiate this study effort during the next fiscal year
At this point,I do not believe that we can accurately estimate the cost of such a study,because we
have not recently discussed with the volunteer agencies a realistic and prioritized list of the specific
issues we collectively want to review. The cost of the work could range from a few thousand dollars
to many tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of work that the County asks an
`- outside consultant to undertake. Emergency Management Director Jack Ball has brought to my
attention a volunteer emergency service study in Montgomery County,Virginia that cost
approximately$35,000,but I cannot say at this time whether the scope of work there parallels what
we may ultimately determine should be reviewed in Orange County. A similar study was conducted
in New Hanover County,NC about eight years ago at a cost of$25,000.
Staff did have some informal discussions several years ago with volunteer agency representatives
regarding topics that might be useful in helping to establish a study scope of work. A few of these
1. = are listed below,and might serve as a starting point for shaping the scope of a 2005-06 study:
• : Identify areas where County fire service could be more proficient and effective.
• : Improve County fire protection services by identifying areas with excessive response times and
travel distances based on existing fire district boundaries and station locations.
• Identify future recruitment, staffing and retention needs of the volunteer fire and rescue
departments.
• Identify future equipment needs of the volunteer fire and rescue departments with station
locations in fire and rescue districts based on projected future residential and commercial growth
patterns.
• Identi areas where group purchasing for equipment and personnel benefits costs could be
Identify � pp 30
implemented to reduce expenditures.
• Make recommendations on improvement to district boundaries based on Department of
Insurance and/or Insurance Services Office(ISO)requirements for insurance grading.
On May 23,we talked about the following considerations related to strengthening volunteer fire and
rescue service:
• Combined purchase and acquisition of equipment and supplies where feasible.
• Establishment of standards Countywide that would ensure that every emergency responder is
provided with the same quality of tools, equipment, and protective clothing, compatible between
departments.
• Plan for changes in our public safety delivery systems through use of GIS tools and advice on
the applicability of land use regulations regarding feasible and desirable locations for future fire
and rescue stations.
• Undertake a dialogue with the leadership of the fire departments and rescue squads to discuss
the long-term future of the delivery of volunteer emergency services in the County and develop a
strategic plan to identify how the increased demand for services will be met in the upcoming
years.
• Review with fire and rescue service leaders the viability of the existing rescue service matrix to
determine if it remains a valid framework for service delivery or if updates or modifications are
in order.
I recommend that during the remainder of calendar year 2005, staff proceed to work with the
volunteer and municipal emergency response agencies to perform an inventory of the available
personnel, equipment, and facilities resources throughout the County. Simultaneously,we can
review the 1994 rescue service matrix and update it as necessary. We would use the information
thus gained to develop,with input from volunteer emergency service leaders, a scope of work to be
approved by the BOCC for a study of the best future approaches to providing for the continuation of
high quality emergency services in Orange County.
As the Board has suggested, we will also coordinate with the North Carolina Department of
Insurance to ascertain the degree to which they may be able to provide free or low-cost technical
assistance to the County staff in a study effort. If the$25,000 set aside in Manager's Miscellaneous
proves to be inadequate to carry out the study scope of work desired by the Board,we would
recommend additional funding in the 2006-07 budget, to include Commissioner Jacobs's suggestion
that we consider earmarking a small contribution from the tax proceeds of each fire district to help
complete a study.
31
Gwen Harvey
From: Travis Crabtree[?Crabtree @ctcarrboro.nc.us]
Sent Wednesday,January 10,2007 525 PM
•
To: Kent McKenzie
Cc: Trey Mayo
•
Subject Fire Rescue Study
I understood this to be a fire and rescue study. It appears that they just interviewed a person or two from each
department and inserted their comments into a template. Once the template was complete for the rust
department,they produced a ditto for the other volunteer departments with slight variations. I could have done
this study with a digital camera for about$500($200 of which was.for the camera). The county was robbed!!
Under the:scope of a fire rescue study,I wonder why Chapel Hill,Carrboro,North Chatham and Mebane were not
included. i spent about 3 hours in an interview and about 5 hours maldng copies for this study. I believe that
these 4 fire departments protect a large portion of this county and should be included. The Sage group still has
all of our records,they were never returned as promised.
I didn't see but one sentence relating to the Level and range of future service. Response times were not recorded
for any the department Where were the areas of projected growth? There was no methodology used to
determine new fire and rescue stations and I don't recall any mention of a couirty wide fire education program
except through the Are Marshal's office.
Ideas of improving.efficiency,reducing costs or improving overall services were not mentioned either.
I wonder why specific information that was not received from several departments. I would think that a consulting
• company would have notified the county and asked for assistance. Why was this not gathered and why the
- county did not assist in intervening to obtain this information. It helps us all.
I did not get a single briefing after our 3 hour Interview.
The RFP asks for NFPA standards,OSHA regulations and ADA requirements were not referenced throughout I.
Would expect at least a reference to NFPA 1720. A study immersing into a county wide training facility could have
created a document bigger than this.
•
The RFP also asks for identifying opportunities to assist the volunteer departments with paperwork. We could
use that at a career department also. This is a county wide service and.we mutually help each other,consistency
is key and should be across the board •
•
•
Page 3 of the study discusses a meeting with the chief of Carrboro and Chapel Hill fire departments,even Mewl,
this was not a primary focus of the study. I do not see anywhere that the study is just for the volunteer
departments.
•
Starting with page 11,the quality of the study lacks sufficient grammatical and spelling consideration when
persons with more degrees than a thermometer can not spell the name of one of the 100 counties correctly.
•
The current apparatus fleet for each department is not in the same format
What type of calculation was used to warrant the need of increasing everyone's taxes?
On page 30,(Bland)they mention that the fire department can provide 3,500 gallons of water. I calculate 5,500•
gallons according to their numbers and one is from a 500 gallon tanker. Is it possible to have a 500 gallon tanker
per NFPA 1901? I don't think so.
Page 37,they state that fire hydrants are not an option for Eno. What are those red devices standing all along
Highway 70 in their district? Look like fire hydrants to me. These water producing devices have been installed for
a couple of years. -
•
11113/2007
•
32•
Page 45,where is the picture of the members residences?
Page 48,the area that Carrboro annexed is outside of New Hopes 5-mile district which currently would receive a
class 10. We have an automatic aid contract with Chapel Hill providing Class 3 protection from them and
Carrboro has a Class 4.
Page 51,If there are areas that are 6-9 driving miles from a fire stat ion,it would seem reasonable to change the - -
primary lire department. This is about customer service and getting the quickest protection to the citizen of the
county. Maybe the maps need to be revisited.
Page 52,what needs to be done to get fire hydrants installed along li'ighway 54? White Cross,Orange Grove
and Carrboro can all benefit from this
Page 55.fourth paragraph,grammatical error or sentence structure really distracts the reader. Not professional
- at all.
Page 60,Map shows a fire station near St Mary's and Schley roads. Eno has proposed one for that location but It
appears to be a long ways from coming to fruition.
. Page 65,Dalryland and Highway 54 do not meet
Page 67,different symbols used on different maps,no 1.25 mile circle Included.
Page 70,Carrboro should be included in the last paragraph to make fire districts easier on the departments and
communications
Page 74,where is the map?
• Page 77,Best Idea of the whole study,dissolve the Orange County Rescue Squad. It seems to be a constant
problem that I hope can be resolved soon. -•
Page 79,1 do not believe that the South Orange rescue squad runs out of 261 South Churton Street
Page 89,I need to educated on the IRV program. I don't understand how it can save money sending a
paramedic unit and an ambulance back and forth to Duke hospital 5-10 times a day. EMS seems to going
through a lot of people by burning them out Most of them look tired all of the time and we need about 4 more
ambulances per day to keep up with the volume of calls this county is generating.
Page 90,why do we not have enough ambulances? Line 25
Page 91,it would seem reasonable to place an ambulance at about every fire station,particularly the outlying
districts. Line-24
Page 92,line 26 include UNC campus
Page 95,where are the numbers? #of inspections,#of violations,#of plans reviewed,#of acceptance tests,
budget,revenue,etc...
We should also create a web page snowing who plans to purchase what and when
Page 96,what about the fire department that are planning on building new stations in the next few years? Efiand,
Hillsborough,Chapel Hill,Carrboro,Eno
Page 98,County support staff can help all departments like during the ladder testing.
Page 99,line 15,Hillsborough was left out,Eland also has a large amount of fire hydrants along Highway 70,
The county could assist during the dry hydrant installations with the assistance of a backhoe and buy the pipe in
bulk.
Highway 54 doesn't go Into Chatham County.Line 34 I believe they meant Alamance
Page 100,What is a communications specialist? If we get 4 more,can we get some OPS channels monitored•
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11/13/2007
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during working calls?
All fire stations need computers to help track fire calls with a direct connection for viewing 911 center.
- Page 102,times in seconds are needed on all firs reports to make the 911 center and the responding agency look
better look better on their responses.
Timis..Ou6tce 03315 -
Ore Chief
Con6oro rtnArsase Vepartmest
301'W.MaksStrrct -
Carr6mv, 27510
(91.9)918-7349 offs
• pm.932-3359 fax
(919)8834342 op?
tcrabtree@townofcarrboro.org
"The purest form of Fire Suppression is through Fire Prevention and this aspect is the hardest to
measure"
•
Town of Carrboro Web Site:httpJ/www.townofcarrboro.org •
Pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes,Chapter 132,et.seq.,this
electronic mail message and any attachments hereto,as well as any
electronic mail message(s)that may be sent in response to it*may*be
•
considered public record and as such are subject to requests for review.
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11/13/2007
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Ao Lei-4- -D 34
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Gwen Harvey
From: Andy Gates[cfdchief @mindspring.com]
Sent Wednesday,November 14,2007 10:03 AM
To: Gwen Harvey
Cc: Gwen Snowden;Mike Tapp;Brad Allison;bparkernhfd @hotmail.com;Dan Jones;DAVID ODELL;JEFF
BORLAND;Jeff Cabe;KEVIN BROOKS;PETER HALLENBECK;R.Nathan Huey;TOMMY HOLMES;
Travis Crabtree;Troy Blalock;Andy Gates
Subject New Microsoft Word Document
response to request of recomendation for emergency services study
Ms Harvey,
x We appreciate your attendance and participation in our last meeting (Nov.7). As discussed in
o)C c that meeting the general consensus from those in attendance was that the Sage Report was at
best incomplete and the summary from School of Government was an incorrect interpretation
of the information that was included in the Sage Group report
/ The recommendation being made by the council is that there be a retreat held similar to the
one held approximately 12 years ago in which all of the parties involved in emergency services
���,,,/// were in attendance. At this event we would recommend that there be an outside facilitator to
,nor, orchestrate and address the matters of present and future strategic plans. At the conclusion of
this meeting there would be a summary of the event that would be forwarded to the Managers
1,k,'a office and the BOCC.
At the present time we do not have an EM director to implement any plan that might be
surmised by another "Study." It is our feeling that we are the organizations that are providing
the services and the group is more likely to take ownership of a plan that has been thought
through by the providers.We are not opposed to an outside opinion but considering the present
3u t situation (EM Director) and the amount of time and funds spent on this project to date with
little or no results we believe that this would be the best route at this time.
i Ca bt We appreciate your consideration of this alternate plan.We all want what is best for our citizens
1��b i� and are willing to take those steps to achieve this goal.
r1jo G Sincerely,
c Chief Andy Gates
VP Orange County _
Chief Council.Association
11/14/2007
Aciwerti- 35
l71
�tl _
ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES
FIRE/RESCUE STUDY RFP
DISCUSSION WITH FIRE CHIEFS
November 12, 2008
Discussion Goals:
1. Develop joint understanding of study scope and process.
2. Receive input re: elements considered in the study; Scope of Work
3. Seek two volunteers to serve on study work group.
• Interviews/review of proposals
• Duties as otherwise assigned
Why the report?
• Define future cost
• Fiscal planning
• Inventory
• Capabilities defined
• Do we need it at all?
• Is it used to find a way to do away with the volunteers?
• Confirm the BOCC understanding of the use of the report?
Include these in RFP:
• How to tie services to joint planning: growth management/water supplies
• What is being done well?
• How can we have greater efficiency? Technology use?
o 3 yr
o 5 yr
o longer term horizon
• Establish goals for:
o Standard of coverage
o Response time, effectiveness of mutual aid
o Accountability, including fiscal
• Snapshot of existing
• Planning map of milestones (process map)
• Metrics/benchmarked
36
Elements:
• Make it working document
• Prioritize elements and cost out to be most effective
• Consider alternatives to consultant only re
o Focus group with citizens
o Grad students
Process:
• Check in points during report/periodically to ensure headed in right
direction
• Establish distribution list.
• Trust
• Transparent
• Be sure all participants are aware of activities of BOCC
• Reps from ES/Rescue
History Not to Repeat
• Ensure information is new and • No copies of report distributed
valid • Who owned information?
• Took information out of • Who was it to inform?
stations • Flawed methodology
• Information trivial • Objective selection
• What was, not where we • Not transparent
should go • Quality lousy
• Ill-stated purpose • Not timely
• Why created?
• Use unclear
Good Things about the Sage Report
• Good attempt-bad result
• A comparison for what is bad
Next Steps:
• Formulate draft RFP
• Summary of sheets by next Thursday
• Set standard meeting dates
R view Committee Volunteers•?
• Travis (Municipal) 4 Lynwood (Rural) J Wayne (Rural)
Review Committee Alternates:
• Jeff (Rural) i Kevin (Rural) Dan (Municipal)
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Components
• Where are we now?
o Current station locations
o Current community protection level(s)
o Current capabilities of all system assets
• Facilities
• Equipment
• • Staffing
• Training
• Surge depth
o Current calls for service workload
• Fire/Rescue
• EMS
• Community Outreach and Public Education
• Law Enforcement
• Emergency Management and Disaster Planning
• Telecommunications
• Fire Prevention and Investigation
• Training
o Current funding mechanism(s)
• Where do we want to go?
o Fully Integrated System
o Partially-Integrated System
o Hybrid System
o Status Quo
• How do we get there?
o Phased Action Plan
o Immediate Needs
o Long-Range Plan
o Intermediate Plan
Care • Serve • Survive
Capital Investments
Renovations/Additions
Refurbish EMS Operations Building (1914 New Hope Church Road) 50,000
Add EMS operating space at Efland Fire Station 100,000
Add EMS operating space at Caldwell Fire Station 100,000
Add EMS operating space at New Hope Fire Station 100,000
Add EMS operating space at TBD Fire Station 100,000
Add ambulance overhang at 510 Bldg. or 1914 New Hope Church Rd Station 50,000
Add EMS operating space in Carrboro/Chapel Hill 150,000
510 Meadowland Completion Projects
System Status LCD Panels 20,000
Complete NCDOT Traffic Camera System 50,000
800 MHz system completion 250,000
Fire Marshal Office Construction Plans Review System(s) 15,000
Fire Marshal Office— scanner for construction plans 10,000
w
co
Work Station and required software 911 Administrator 15,000
Ice Maker- large for ES usage - located in warehouse 5,500
Heavy Duty Washers and Dryers: warehouse (BBP & Daily Use) 12,500
Plants/Artwork and Upstairs outside large window area 1,500
Central Filing Furniture 15,000
Filing Cabinets/Ancillary Furniture 10,000
Concept Seating — headrest covers - 39.00 x 35 1,365
Concept Seating — neck/back rolls — 29.00 x 35 1,015
Precision Drafting Table — Base # 706-001 & Top #643-911 1,082
Mobile Plans Review Stand — Safeco - #904-060 567
Hanging Clamps —6 pk (2 pks) Safeco - #141-564 540
Mobile Roll File - #402-481 318
CO
Co
Emergency Management Equipment Upgrade
Companion Animal Mobile Equipment Trailer (CAMET) 20,000
Protective Equipment/Uniforms 50,000
Command/Cool down Vehicle 100,000
Total 1,229,387
0