Holmes County Fire Rescue Program Consists of Eight Volunteer Fire
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City of Gainesville, Florida University of Florida Cost Analysis Memorandum OCTOBER 2016 Presented by: Government Services Group, Inc. 1500 Mahan Drive, Suite 250 Tallahassee, Florida 32308 (850) 681-3717 (Office) (850) 224-7206 Fax Background The City of Gainesville (City) has engaged Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) to assist the City in analyzing the alternative methods that could be used to determine the full cost of fire rescue services provided to the University of Florida properties within the City. GSG specializes in government finance and taxation issues. The objectives of this effort were to: • Determine the full costs of providing fire services to University of Florida properties within the City by analyzing alternative methodologies. • Calculate the fire services charges for the aggregate University of Florida properties within the City based on the alternative methodologies. The City of Gainesville’s Fire Rescue Department is an all hazards emergency and non-emergency service provider. This organization provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS at an advanced life support (ALS) level), hazmat response, technical rescue, state disaster mutual aid response, fire prevention inspections and life safety education. The City of Gainesville has provided high quality services for over 100 years and currently enjoys an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 2/2x rating effective September 1, 2014. The Gainesville Fire Rescue Department was awarded accredited status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) on March 11, 2014. The Fire Rescue Department facilities inventory is comprised of eight fire stations, an administrative office and a training facility that service the entire City. The City of Gainesville has a very high percentage of City property values that are off of the tax roll in comparison to similar sized municipalities in the state. For tax year 2015 the taxable value of property was 42% of total just value compared to a statewide average of 68%. This constrains the City’s property tax revenue and highlights the necessity for additional revenue sources such as the fire assessment. GSG initially identified six methodologies for the analysis of the full costs of providing fire rescue services to University of Florida properties. • Building Square Footage Method • Fire Call Method • Factored Fire Protection Unit Method • Land Mass Method • Assessment Model Method • Response Method All six methods were considered at a high level with two being chosen for further development and four determined to be alternative methods for comparison. Government Services Group, Inc. │ 1 Alternative Methods for Comparison BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE METHOD The Building Square Footage Method calculates the proportionate share of the burden of maintaining the Fire Rescue Department that is attributable to the University of Florida by dividing the campus’s total building square footage by the total square footage of all building’s in the City of Gainesville (including the University buildings). Based on data obtained by GSG from the property appraiser and the client, the University of Florida campus (22,360,629 ft2) comprises 15% of the total square footage of the buildings in the City of Gainesville (147,506,471 ft2). Applying this percentage to the total Fire and EMS budget of the Fire Rescue Department ($16,702,920) is one method used to calculate the costs of providing fire services to the University of Florida and would equal $2,532,010. FIRE CALL METHOD The Fire Call Method calculates the proportionate share of the burden of maintaining the Fire Rescue Department that is attributable to the University of Florida by dividing the number of fire related calls originating from the University of Florida in a year by the total fire related calls generated by the City of Gainesville (including the University) in the same year. Based on data extracted from the Florida Fire Incident Reporting System (FFIRS) the total number of calls for the University of Florida and the City of Gainesville for 2014 were 1,429 and 18,162 respectively with the University comprising 8% of the total. Applying this percentage to the total Fire and EMS budget of the Fire Rescue Department ($16,702,920) is another method used to calculate the costs of providing fire services to the University of Florida and would equal $1,314,198. FACTORED FIRE PROTECTION UNIT METHOD The Factored Fire Protection Unit (FFPU) Method calculates the proportionate share of the burden of maintaining the Fire Rescue Department that is attributable to the University of Florida by dividing the number of FFPUs attributable to the University of Florida by the total FPPUs calculated for the City of Gainesville (including the University) for the same period. For details concerning the calculation of Factored Fire Protection Units please refer to the Assessment Model Method section of this report. Based on data calculated by GSG, the total number of FFPUs for the University of Florida and the City of Gainesville were 4,226 and 67,215 respectively with University comprising 6% of the total. Applying this percentage to the total Fire and EMS budget of the Fire Rescue Department ($16,702,920) is another method used to calculate the costs of providing fire services to the University of Florida and would equal $988,123. Government Services Group, Inc. │ 2 LAND MASS METHOD The Land Mass Method calculates the proportionate share of the burden of maintaining the Fire Rescue Department that is attributable to the University of Florida by dividing the total land mass of the property of the University of Florida by the total land mass of the City of Gainesville (including the University). Based on data extracted from the GIS system by GSG, the University of Florida has a mass of 1,930 acres and the City of Gainesville a mass of 38,745 acres with the University of Florida comprising 5% of the total. Applying this percentage to the total Fire and EMS budget of the Fire Rescue Department ($16,702,920) would equal $792,573 and is yet another method used to calculate the costs of providing fire services to the University of Florida. Government Services Group, Inc. │ 3 Developed Methods Two of the six analysis methodologies were chosen for detailed development. The first of these methods applies the City’s current, approved fire assessment methodology to the University of Florida properties and calculates the fire services charges for the aggregate University of Florida properties within the City based on the City’s approved fire assessment rate per Factored Fire Protection Unit for Fiscal Year 2015- 16; this method is the Assessment Model Method. The second method uses the compensatory amount per unit response provided within the Fire Services Assistance Agreement between Alachua County and the City of Gainesville for Fire Rescue Services approved in October 2006 (Fire Services Assistance Agreement) as well as the costs for excessive false alarms included within the City’s Municipal Code; this method is the Response Method. ASSESSMENT MODEL METHOD The Assessment Model Method applies the City’s current fire assessment methodology to the University of Florida properties. GSG updated the fire assessment methodology for the City in 2014 based on a prior study conducted by GSG in 2010. The fire assessment rate imposed since inception of the assessment program and for Fiscal Year 2015-16 is $78.00 per Net Factored Fire Protection Unit. This rate is based on the City only funding 39% of the Assessable Budget (which itself was 66% of the Total Fire and EMS Budget in 2015) via the fire assessment. For 2015, if the City had collected 100% of the Assessable Budget of $13,456,869, the rate per FFPU would have been $164.76. The assessment methodology is based upon the development of a base-billing unit, called a Fire Protection Unit. A Fire Protection Unit is a measure that serves as a common index to compare the fire flow requirements for each building within the City; each Fire Protection Unit equates to the Fire Rescue Department’s capability to effectively deliver 300 gallons per minute (GPM) of effective fire flow, which equates to the City’s initial full alarm response. The Fire Protection Unit assignments vary for each building within the City based upon each building’s occupancy hazard classification(s) (Hazard Class) and building area calculated in square foot increments of building improvements as described subsequently. Based upon NFPA 1142 standards, a Hazard Class was assigned to each building within the City based upon the building’s assignment of use by the County Property Appraiser or verification of use obtained through field research. According to NFPA 1142, the lowest Hazard Class number is 3, and it is assigned to the highest (most hazardous) hazard group. The highest Hazard Class number is 7, and it is assigned to the lowest (least hazardous) hazard group. For example, Hazard Class 3 properties include plywood and particleboard manufacturing, plastic processing and cereal or flour mills while Hazard Class 7 properties include residential dwellings, apartments and offices. In addition, for all parcels within the City, GSG determined the amount of square footage of the structures using the building files on the ad valorem tax roll or through the use of field research. Using the fire flow calculation from NFPA 1142, a Fire Protection Unit was assigned to each square foot increment by Hazard Class. The number of Fire Protection Units assigned to a building represents that building’s proportionate share of the burden of maintaining the Fire Rescue Department and the availability of these vital public services. The number of Fire Protection Units assigned to a building was determined by the Hazard Class assignment and the amount of building area contained in a building. Government Services Group, Inc. │ 4 Next, the Fire Protection Units assigned to each building were further modified by applying a Combined Factor for each Hazard Class t o determine the Factored Fire Protection Units for each Building.