A Performance Review & Audit Fire and Rescue City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

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A Performance Review & Audit Fire and Rescue City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island A PERFORMANCE REVIEW & AUDIT FIRE AND RESCUE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND Types & Regional Numbers of Cooperation Apparatus Fire & Arson Response Disaster Prevention ResponseTimes Specialized Plan Units Improving Fire Crime & Workload Operations Stations Fire & Rescue Services Training Allocation of Training Financial Programs Resources Safety Emergency Policies Dispatching Submitted by: Public Safety Solutions, Inc. Public Safety Management Consultants Fire/Rescue Division 106 Schooner Way, Suite 110 Chester, MD 21619 (301) 580-1900 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... i TABLE OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ xiv CHAPTER ONE — INTRODUCTION ...............................................1 THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET........................................................................................1 City Government............................................................................................................2 FIRE SERVICES...............................................................................................................2 COMPARATIVE STAFFING – U.S. CITIES ...............................................................5 AUDIT METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................6 Fire Department Accreditation ......................................................................................6 Standards and Accepted Practices .................................................................................7 CHAPTER TWO — ORGANIZATION & ADMINISTRATION ....... 9 OVERVIEW.......................................................................................................................9 ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES—ORGANIZATION.....................10 NFPA 1201 - Standard for Developing Fire Protection Services................................10 CFAI Governance and Administration Criteria...........................................................11 LEGAL AUTHORITY....................................................................................................12 Code of the City of Pawtucket .....................................................................................12 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE .................................................................................13 Ranks and Position Titles.............................................................................................13 Uniformed Workforce ............................................................................................13 Civilian Staff ..........................................................................................................13 Current Organization Structure....................................................................................14 ORGANIZATIONAL OBSERVATIONS.....................................................................15 ORGANIZATIONAL ALTERNATIVES.....................................................................16 Input from Officials and Firefighters...........................................................................16 Organizational Issues ...................................................................................................16 Organization of Fire Prevention...................................................................................17 Administrative Support................................................................................................17 Fire Alarm....................................................................................................................18 i Table of Contents Organization Element Terminology ............................................................................18 Battalion Chief Assignments .......................................................................................18 Station Assignment of Functions .................................................................................19 Facility Maintenance and Furnishings .........................................................................20 Cross-Functional Teams—Committees .......................................................................20 FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCREDITATION.................................................................21 SUMMARY......................................................................................................................23 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................23 CHAPTER THREE — FIRE & EMS APPARATUS STAFFING ..... 25 APPARATUS STAFFING GENERALLY ...................................................................25 Firefighter Utilization.....................................................................................................27 Driver/Operator...........................................................................................................27 Officer.........................................................................................................................27 Third Person................................................................................................................28 Rescue Staffing ..............................................................................................................28 DESIRED APPARATUS STAFFING...........................................................................29 PFD SHIFT STAFFING .................................................................................................31 Current Total Shift Operations Staffing.........................................................................31 CALCULATING STAFFING NEEDS..........................................................................32 Forty-Two Hour Work Week—Current Hours..............................................................32 Current Four-Station Model - 42-Hour Work Week ..................................................33 Forty-Eight Hour Work Week .......................................................................................33 Current Four-Station Model - 48-Hour Work Week ..................................................34 SUMMARY......................................................................................................................35 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 35 CHAPTER FOUR — FIRE SERVICE RISKS AND DEPLOYMENT.................................................. 37 SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTION ................................................................................37 Population and Housing.................................................................................................37 SERVICE DELIVERY RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION .............................................44 Time Segment Responsibility........................................................................................46 Communications Center Responsibility....................................................................46 Fire and EMS Agency Responsibility .......................................................................46 ii Table of Contents Response Area Criteria..................................................................................................46 NFPA Mileage-Based Criteria ..................................................................................46 ISO Criteria................................................................................................................48 Risk Category Criteria...............................................................................................50 Time-Based Criteria ......................................................................................................52 Fire-Related Time Considerations.............................................................................52 EMS-Based Response Time Goal .............................................................................53 NFPA 1710 Standard.................................................................................................54 NPFD Response Time Goal ......................................................................................55 SERVICE DELIVERY DISTRIBUTION.....................................................................55 MUTUAL AID .................................................................................................................58 The Concept...................................................................................................................59 Benefits of Automatic Mutual Aid ................................................................................59 Use of Mutual Aid .........................................................................................................60 SCENARIO A: USE OF WEST SIDE REGIONAL STATION.................................62 FOUR-FIRE STATION MODEL..................................................................................64 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 64 CHAPTER FIVE — FIRE AND EMS APPARATUS......................... 65 CFAI APPARATUS AND VEHICLES........................................................................
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