RegionalRegional FireFire ServicesServices StudyStudy

CitiesCities of:of: ClaytonClayton MaplewoodMaplewood OlivetteOlivette RichmondRichmond HeightsHeights UniversityUniversity CityCity

NovemberNovember 20092009

Regional Fire Services Study

Cities of: Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City

Prepared by Phil Kouwe Kent Greene Martin Goughnour John Best Robert McNally

Emergency Services Consulting International 25200 SW Parkway Ave. Suite 3 Wilsonville, Oregon 97070 800-757-3724 www.ESCI.us

November 2009

Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Table of Contents

Table of Figures ...... v Acknowledgements...... ix Executive Summary ...... 1 Report Conventions ...... 9 Emergency Services Survey ...... 9 RECOMMENDATIONS...... 9 Section 1: Emergency Services Agency Evaluations ...... 11 Objective One: Organizational Overview...... 11 HISTORY, FORMATION, AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION ...... 11 GOVERNANCE AND LINES OF AUTHORITY...... 18 FOUNDATIONAL POLICY ...... 20 ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN...... 26 Financial Overview ...... 31 BUDGET PROCESS ...... 31 AUDITS ...... 33 REVENUE HISTORY AND FUNDING ...... 35 PENSION PLANS ...... 46 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM/PLAN (CIP) ...... 50 Objective Two: Service Delivery and Performance ...... 52 9-1-1 AND DISPATCH/NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS...... 52 DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS...... 57 SERVICE DEMAND ANALYSIS...... 75 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ...... 85 CONCENTRATION ANALYSIS ...... 87 RECORDED SYSTEM RESPONSE PERFORMANCE...... 91 TURNOUT TIME INTERVAL ...... 102 Objective Three: Staffing ...... 107 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ...... 107 ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT STAFF ...... 112 EMERGENCY SERVICES STAFF...... 115 CRITICAL TASK STAFFING ...... 118 INCIDENT STAFFING PERFORMANCE ...... 120 STAFF ALLOCATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES...... 122 APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT ...... 124 Objective Four: Personnel Management ...... 127 DISCIPLINARY AND APPEALS PROCESSES...... 128 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ...... 128 COMPETENCY AND PROMOTIONAL TESTING PROCESSES ...... 129 Objective Five: Management Component ...... 132 MISSION, VISION, STRATEGIC PLANNING, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES...... 132 INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS...... 133 DOCUMENT CONTROL AND SECURITY...... 139 REPORTING AND RECORDS...... 144 FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCREDITATION ...... 146 Objective Six: Training Programs ...... 148 GENERAL TRAINING COMPETENCIES ...... 148 TRAINING STAFF ...... 151 TRAINING FACILITIES ...... 153

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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FACILITIES ...... 155 ENTRY LEVEL TRAINING...... 156 ONGOING SKILLS MAINTENANCE TRAINING ...... 156 PRE-PROMOTION DEVELOPMENT TRAINING ...... 167 TRAINING PROGRAM PLANNING...... 168 COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING ...... 169 TRAINING RECORDS AND REPORTS...... 169 Objective Seven: Fire Prevention Programs...... 171 CODE ADMINISTRATION ...... 171 NEW CONSTRUCTION REVIEW ...... 172 AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLERS ...... 173 FIRE SAFETY INSPECTIONS ...... 173 PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION ...... 174 FIRE INVESTIGATION...... 177 INCIDENT INFORMATION ANALYSIS...... 179 Objective Eight: Major Capital Assets ...... 181 FACILITIES ...... 181 APPARATUS ...... 188 Section 2: System Demand Projections...... 195 Community Growth Potential...... 195 CURRENT POPULATION INFORMATION ...... 195 CENSUS-BASED GROWTH PROJECTIONS ...... 202 DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS ...... 203 SERVICE DEMAND PROJECTIONS ...... 204 COMMUNITY RISK ANALYSIS ...... 205 Section 3: Future Delivery System Models ...... 209 Statement of Current Geographic Coverage ...... 209 Section 4: Concepts for Shared Emergency Service...... 211 Introduction...... 211 PARTNERING STRATEGIES ...... 211 OPERATIONAL CONSOLIDATION...... 213 ANALYSIS OF PARTNERING STRATEGIES...... 214 CREATING A FINANCIAL BASELINE ...... 215 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS...... 221 COMPARABLES...... 222 THE INFLUENCE OF ECONOMIC FACTORS ON FUTURE COST...... 226 Feasibility Options for Shared Fire Protection Services ...... 233 STRATEGY A: CONSOLIDATION OF CLAYTON FD, MAPLEWOOD FD, OLIVETTE FD, RICHMOND HEIGHTS FD, AND UNIVERSITY CITY FD...... 233 STRATEGY B: CONSOLIDATION OF CLAYTON FD, RICHMOND HEIGHTS FD, AND UNIVERSITY CITY FD...... 256 STRATEGY C: CONSOLIDATION OF CLAYTON FD AND RICHMOND HEIGHTS FD...... 261 STRATEGY D: CONSOLIDATION OF MAPLEWOOD FD AND RICHMOND HEIGHTS FD ...... 267 OTHER POSSIBLE STRATEGIES: DISCUSSION...... 272 Cooperative Effort Governance Options...... 273 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT (IGA)...... 273 JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY/AGREEMENT (JPA)...... 277 SPECIAL DISTRICT...... 278 Funding Alternatives...... 280 PRINCIPLES OF COST ALLOCATION...... 282 A: DEVELOP UNIFORM STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES ...... 302 B: DEVELOP REGIONAL SPECIALTY TEAMS ...... 304 C: DEVELOP A JOINT SUPPORT AND LOGISTICS SERVICES DIVISION ...... 306

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D: DEVELOP A REGIONAL FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION COALITION...... 312 E: DEVELOP A REGIONAL JUVENILE FIRE SETTER INTERVENTION NETWORK ...... 314 F: CREATE A UNIFIED OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE PROGRAM ...... 316 G: CREATE A UNIFIED WELLNESS AND FITNESS PROGRAM...... 319 H: IMPLEMENT A COMPUTERIZED TRAINING RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ...... 322 I: DEVELOP AND ADOPT COMMON TRAINING STANDARDS...... 324 J: CREATE A STANDARDIZED REGIONAL TRAINING MANUAL...... 326 K: DEVELOP AN ANNUAL REGIONAL TRAINING PLAN...... 329 L: CONSOLIDATE TRAINING INTO A REGIONAL TRAINING DIVISION ...... 332 M: PURCHASE UNIFORM EMERGENCY APPARATUS ...... 335 N: DEVELOP A MODEL LABOR AGREEMENT FOR ALL FIRE DEPARTMENTS ...... 338 O: DEVELOP UNIFORM PRE-INCIDENT PLANS ...... 341 P: PROVIDE REGIONAL INCIDENT COMMAND AND OPERATIONS SUPERVISION ...... 345 Q: DEVELOP A REGIONAL FIRE AND EMS TRAINING FACILITY...... 348 R: DEVELOP UNIFORM FEES FOR SERVICE ...... 351 S: PROVIDE FOR JOINT STAFFING OF STATIONS AND APPARATUS ...... 353 T: PURCHASE AND IMPLEMENT AN ELECTRONIC STAFFING PROGRAM ...... 357 U: DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT STANDARDIZED REGIONAL MEDICAL PROTOCOLS...... 360 Conclusion ...... 363 Statement of Conditions ...... 363 Findings, Recommendations, and Moving Forward ...... 364 UNIFICATION OPTIONS...... 365 FUNCTIONAL COOPERATION RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 366 SHORT-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS...... 366 MID-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 366 LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATION...... 366 Report Appendices ...... 369 Appendix A: Agency Evaluation Recommendations Index...... 369 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS – APPLICABLE TO ALL FIVE DEPARTMENTS...... 369 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO CLAYTON FD ...... 370 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO MAPLEWOOD FD...... 370 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO OLIVETTE FD ...... 371 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO RICHMOND HEIGHTS FD ...... 371 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO UNIVERSITY CITY FD...... 371 RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO EAST CENTRAL AND UNIVERSITY CITY DISPATCH...... 372 Appendix B: Apparatus Condition Rating Criteria...... 372 Appendix C: Fire & Emergency Medical Event Dynamics...... 373 Appendix D: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, Five Fire Departments ...... 379 Appendix E: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD, RHFD, and UCFD...... 380 Appendix F: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD and RHFD...... 381 Appendix G: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, MFD and RHFD...... 381 Appendix H: Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 70, Section 70.210...... 382 Appendix I: Example Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Fire Authority...... 383

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Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Table of Figures Figure 1: Comparison of Population and Land Area...... 16 Figure 2: Resource and ISO Rating Comparison ...... 16 Figure 3: Full Study Area Facility Deployment and Response Areas...... 17 Figure 4: Typical SOG Topics for Field Operations ...... 21 Figure 5: Typical SOG Topics for Non-Emergency Operations...... 22 Figure 6: Fiscal Management Survey Components...... 32 Figure 7: Historical Total TAV, 1999 – 2008...... 36 Figure 8: Percent of Increase in TAV, 1999 – 2008...... 36 Figure 9: Real Property Tax Rates, 1999 – 2008 ...... 37 Figure 10: Real Property Tax Rates, 2009 ...... 38 Figure 11: Total Property Taxes Levied by Year, 1999 – 2008 ...... 38 Figure 12: Historical Taxable Sales, 2005 – 2009 ...... 39 Figure 13: Sales Tax Rate by City ...... 40 Figure 14: Sales Tax Rates – State and County ...... 40 Figure 15: Summary Table of Fees for Service ...... 41 Figure 16: CFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009...... 42 Figure 17: OFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009...... 42 Figure 18: RHFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009 ...... 43 Figure 19: CFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 ...... 44 Figure 20: MFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009...... 44 Figure 21: OFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009...... 45 Figure 22: RHFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 ...... 45 Figure 23: UCFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 ...... 46 Figure 24: Regional Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 ...... 46 Figure 25: Pension Plan Survey Components...... 47 Figure 26: City of Clayton Retirement Fund Assets and Liabilities, 2003 - 2008 ...... 48 Figure 27: City of Olivette Pension Plan Assets and Liabilities ...... 49 Figure 28: UCFD Pension Plan Assets and Liabilities...... 50 Figure 29: Summary of Capital Improvement Plans ...... 51 Figure 30: Clayton FD Facility Deployment ...... 58 Figure 31: Maplewood FD Facility Deployment ...... 59 Figure 32: Olivette FD Facility Deployment ...... 61 Figure 33: Richmond Heights FD Facility Deployment ...... 62 Figure 34: University City FD Facility Deployment ...... 63 Figure 35: Full Study Area Four-Minute Travel Redundancy and Service Gaps...... 65 Figure 36: ISO Ratings by Department...... 67 Figure 37: Full Study Area ISO 1.5-mile Engine Company Distribution ...... 68 Figure 38: Full Study Area ISO Truck Company Distribution—Multi-Story Buildings...... 70 Figure 39: Full Study Area ISO Truck Company Distribution—Large Area Buildings ...... 72 Figure 40: Needed Fire Flow Concentration...... 74 Figure 41: Clayton FD Workload History by Call Type ...... 76 Figure 42: Maplewood FD Workload History by Call Type ...... 76 Figure 43: Olivette FD Workload by Call Type...... 77 Figure 44: Richmond Heights FD Workload History by Call Type...... 77 Figure 45: University City FD Workload History by Call Type ...... 78 Figure 46: Percentage of EMS Responses to Total Workload ...... 79

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Figure 47: Transport EMS Workload ...... 80 Figure 48: All Departments Monthly Workload ...... 81 Figure 49: All Departments Workload by Day of Week ...... 81 Figure 50: All Departments Hourly Workload...... 82 Figure 51: Full Study Area Service Demand Density ...... 83 Figure 52: Full Study Area Service Demand Density—Structure Fires Only...... 84 Figure 53: Total Workload History Comparison & Mutual Aid Workload ...... 85 Figure 54: Call Concurrency Rates...... 86 Figure 55: Resource Drawdown ...... 87 Figure 56: Effective Firefighting Force Concentration—Apparatus Resources ...... 88 Figure 57: Effective Firefighting Force Concentration—Staffing Resources ...... 90 Figure 58: CFD Overall Response Time Performance ...... 93 Figure 59: MFD Overall Response Time Performance...... 94 Figure 60: OFD Overall Response Time Performance...... 94 Figure 61: RHFD Overall Response Time Performance ...... 95 Figure 62: UCFD Overall Response Time Performance ...... 96 Figure 63: Overall Response Time Performance Summary by Agency ...... 97 Figure 64: CFD 90th Percentile Hourly Response Time Performance...... 98 Figure 65: MFD Hourly Response Time Performance...... 99 Figure 66: OFD Hourly Response Time Performance...... 100 Figure 67: RHFD Hourly Response Time Performance ...... 101 Figure 68: UCFD Hourly Response Time Performance ...... 102 Figure 69: CFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance...... 103 Figure 70: MFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance ...... 104 Figure 71: OFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance...... 105 Figure 72: RHFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance ...... 106 Figure 73: CFD Organizational Structure...... 108 Figure 74: MFD Organizational Structure ...... 109 Figure 75: OFD Organizational Structure ...... 110 Figure 76: RHFD Organizational Structure...... 111 Figure 77: UCFD Organizational Structure...... 112 Figure 78: CFD Administrative and Support Personnel...... 113 Figure 79: MFD Administrative and Support Personnel ...... 113 Figure 80: OFD Administrative and Support Personnel...... 114 Figure 81: RHFD Administrative and Support Personnel ...... 114 Figure 82: UCFD Administrative and Support Personnel ...... 114 Figure 83: Aggregate Administrative and Support Personnel...... 115 Figure 84: Emergency Services Summary Table ...... 116 Figure 85: CFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank ...... 116 Figure 86: MFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank...... 116 Figure 87: OFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank ...... 117 Figure 88: RHFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank...... 117 Figure 89: UCFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank...... 117 Figure 90: Aggregate Emergency Services Staff...... 118 Figure 91: Critical Task Staffing Needs by Risk...... 119 Figure 92: Summary of Tabletop Critical Task Analysis ...... 119 Figure 93: Minimum Staffing Complement...... 122 Figure 94: Maximum Staffing Complement...... 122

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Figure 95: Typical Staffing Complement...... 122 Figure 96: Summary of Employee Benefits ...... 129 Figure 97: CFD Certifications by Number of Members...... 150 Figure 98: Special Programs Participation...... 154 Figure 99: Entry Level Training/Certification Requirements ...... 156 Figure 100: Clayton FD Training Hours, 2007 and 2008 ...... 159 Figure 101: MFD Training Hours, 2008 ...... 161 Figure 102: Olivette FD Training Hours, 2008 ...... 162 Figure 103: Richmond Heights FD Training Hours, 2008...... 164 Figure 104: University City FD Training Hours, 2008 ...... 165 Figure 105: Average Training Hours, 2008...... 167 Figure 106: Adopted Fire Codes by City...... 171 Figure 107: Fire Inspections and Review Summary, 2008 ...... 173 Figure 108: Clayton Fire Station ...... 183 Figure 109: Maplewood Fire Station ...... 184 Figure 110: Olivette Fire Station ...... 185 Figure 111: Richmond Heights Fire Station...... 186 Figure 112: University City Fire Station No. 1...... 187 Figure 113: University City Fire Station No. 2...... 188 Figure 114: Regional Population Growth History...... 195 Figure 115: Regional Population Density...... 196 Figure 116: Regional Estimated Population by Age ...... 197 Figure 117: Pediatric Population Density...... 198 Figure 118: Current Senior Population Density ...... 200 Figure 119: Renter Occupancy Density...... 201 Figure 120: Regional Housing by Occupancy...... 202 Figure 121: Census-based Population Forecast ...... 203 Figure 122: Workload Projection by Type and Year ...... 205 Figure 123: Community Fire Protection Risk Assessment ...... 206 Figure 124: Concepts of Functional Consolidation ...... 212 Figure 125: Modeled Budget by Category ...... 219 Figure 126: FTEs: Field Operations Staffing Summary ...... 219 Figure 127: Administrative/Support Staffing Summary...... 220 Figure 128: Annual Salary by Job Title and City, 2009...... 222 Figure 129: Cost per Capita...... 223 Figure 130: Incidents per 1,000 Population ...... 224 Figure 131: Cost per Incident...... 225 Figure 132: Taxable Assessed Valuation per Capita...... 226 Figure 133: Sales of Existing Homes...... 227 Figure 134: St. Louis, Median Sales Price of Existing Homes, January 2007-March 2009 ...... 227 Figure 135: Historical Unemployment Rate, 1999-2008...... 229 Figure 136: Historical Unemployment Rate, 1999-2008...... 229 Figure 137: Historical CPI-U, 1999-2008...... 230 Figure 138: Historical CPI-U, 1999-2008...... 230 Figure 139: CPI-U Budget Impact Forecast, 2009-2028 ...... 231 Figure 140: CPI-U Budget Impact Forecast, 2009-2028 ...... 231 Figure 141: Closest Station Areas—All Departments...... 234 Figure 142: Strategy A Response Analysis ...... 235

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Figure 143: Composite Risk-Based Response Protocol...... 236 Figure 144: Strategy A: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing...... 238 Figure 145: Current to Proposed Position Comparison – Administrative and Support Staff ...... 238 Figure 146: Strategy A: Concept of Operational Staffing...... 238 Figure 147: Current to Proposed Position Comparison - Emergency Services Staff ...... 239 Figure 148: Proposed Administrative and Support Staff Deployment ...... 239 Figure 149: Proposed Emergency Services Staff Deployment...... 240 Figure 150: Strategy A: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)...... 241 Figure 151: Percentage of Personnel Services Budget for Pension by City ...... 242 Figure 152: Baseline Cost of Strategy A: Fiscal 2009 ...... 243 Figure 153: Forecasted Budget and Model Expenditures, 2010 – 2014 ...... 244 Figure 154: Modeled Operational Cost Avoidance, 2009...... 245 Figure 155: Medical Incident Concurrency - 2008 ...... 248 Figure 156: Medical Incident Concurrency Based on Time of Day – 2008 ...... 249 Figure 157: Option 1 Concept of Operational Staffing...... 250 Figure 158: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 1 ...... 250 Figure 159: Option 2 Concept of Operational Staffing...... 250 Figure 160: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 2 ...... 251 Figure 161: Option 3 Concept of Operational Staffing...... 251 Figure 162: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 3 ...... 251 Figure 163: Strategy B Response Analysis ...... 256 Figure 164: Strategy B: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing...... 257 Figure 165: Strategy B: Concept of Operational Staffing...... 258 Figure 166: Strategy B: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)...... 258 Figure 167: Baseline Cost of Strategy B: Fiscal 2009 ...... 259 Figure 168: Closest Station Areas—Strategy C...... 262 Figure 169: Strategy C Response Analysis ...... 263 Figure 170: Strategy C: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing...... 264 Figure 171: Strategy C: Concept of Operational Staffing ...... 264 Figure 172: Strategy C: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s) ...... 265 Figure 173: Baseline Cost of Strategy C: Fiscal 2009 ...... 266 Figure 174: Closest Station Areas—Strategy D...... 267 Figure 175: Strategy D Response Analysis ...... 268 Figure 176: Strategy D: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing...... 269 Figure 177: Strategy D: Concept of Operational Staffing ...... 269 Figure 178: Strategy D: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s) ...... 270 Figure 179: Baseline Cost of Strategy D: Fiscal 2009 ...... 271 Figure 180: Current to Modeled Millage Rate Comparison ...... 282 Figure 181: Summary of Alternative Funding Models...... 294 Figure 182: Multiple-Variable Funding Scenarios...... 295 Figure 183: Summary of Cooperative Effort Strategies ...... 299 Figure 184: Example Implementation Schedule ...... 362 Figure 185: Fire Growth vs. Reflex Time ...... 374 Figure 186: National Data: Fire Growth to Life and Property Loss...... 375 Figure 187: Cardiac Arrest Event Sequence ...... 376

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Acknowledgements Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) would like to acknowledge that without the assistance and support of the Councils, staff, and personnel of the cities, this project could not have been completed.

City of Clayton Linda Goldstein, Mayor Alex Berger, III, Alderman

Judy Goodman, Alderman Steven Lichtenfeld, Alderman

Adrea Maddox-Dallas, Alderman Craig Owens, City Manager

Michelle Harris, Alderman Mark Thorp, Fire Chief

Cynthia Garnholz, Alderman Staff and Employees of CFD

City of Maplewood James White, Mayor Shawn Faulkingham, Councilman

David Cerven, Councilman Martin Corcoran, City Manager

Timothy Dunn, Councilman Terry Merrell, Fire Chief

Fred Wolf, Councilman Staff and Employees of MFD

Barry Greenberg, Councilman

City of Olivette Missy Waldman, Mayor Jim Baer, Council Member

Ruth Springer, Council Member T. Michael McDowell, City Manager

Jean Antoine, Council Member John Bailot, Fire Chief

Richmond Coburn, Chairman Pro-tem Staff and Employees of OFD

City of Richmond Heights James Beck, Mayor Timothy Gallagher, Councilman

Paul Lore, Councilman Jim Thomson, Councilman

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Michael Jones, Councilman Connie Williams, Councilwoman

Gina Mitten, Councilwoman Amy Hamilton, City Manager

Edward Notter, Councilman Kerry Hogan, Fire Chief

Camille Greenwald, Councilwoman Staff and Employees of RHFD

City of University City Joseph Adams, Mayor Arthur Sharpe, Jr., Council Member

Robert Wagner, Council Member Byron Price, Council Member

Terry Crow, Council Member Julie Feier, City Manager

L. Michael Glickert, Council Member Steve Oshwanger, Fire Chief

Lynn Ricci, Council Member Staff and Employees of UCFD

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Executive Summary This report details a Regional Fire and Emergency Services Master Plan for the cities of Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, and University City, Missouri. The first section of the report provides a thorough and detailed evaluation of each of the agencies, their management, assets, operations, and service delivery. Recommendations for individual, short- term improvement are provided. The second section identifies the anticipated changes in the population, risk factors, and service demand that will be faced by the region as anticipated growth and development or decline take place in the future. The third section of the report provides feasible strategies for changes and improvement to the deployment of facilities, apparatus, and staffing that would be necessary to maintain or achieve the target levels of performance identified without consolidation or further cooperative efforts between the existing agencies. The fourth and final section of the report evaluates potential organizational, governance, or operational changes involving various cooperative efforts among the five fire departments that were identified by ESCI as viable alternatives in an effort to reduce costs or increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout the region.

Staff from each of the fire departments, and their respective cities, have provided a great deal of written and verbal information to the project team. Many staff members have been generous in their effort to provide ESCI with accurate and complete information. ESCI is grateful for their able assistance and cooperation throughout this process.

Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) recognizes that information, by its very nature, is often incomplete as it changes from moment to moment. Every effort has been made to compile data that is as comprehensive and as accurate as possible. The information gathering process included a broad evaluation checklist of each organizational unit, measuring results against acceptable industry standards and best practices. Whenever possible, ESCI made quantifiable comparisons to other fire service organizations. Checklists and documentation were followed up by one-on-one interviews with key staff members from the agencies and every program area.

Section 1

This section provides an in-depth evaluation of each of the agencies involved in this study and describes their governance, management components, staffing systems, current resource deployment, and service delivery performance. In addition, the agencies’ facilities and apparatus were inventoried, reviewed, and evaluated.

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The evaluation found the departments operating with an expected level of effectiveness. One or more facilities were identified as being in only fair condition, and not all were suitable for 24-hour staffing that would be expected from a modern fire department. Front-line apparatus were generally found to be in good condition and well suited to their applicable use.

Current workload analysis identified no unusual or unexpected service demand for a community of this nature. Workload history showed slight but steady decline in overall service demand. Further analysis by geographic information systems software (GIS) indicates that the current facility and resource deployment is capable of achieving response times that correspond to industry standards for this type of area. No gaps in service delivery capability were visually identified or noted. Additionally, some redundancy was found within the current deployment.

As a result of the individual agency evaluations, 42 individual or collective recommendations for short or mid-term improvements were provided. These recommendations range from relatively minor operational issues to more significant governance or policy considerations. The recommendations are compiled in an appendix near the end of the report.

Section 2

This section created population and service demand projections necessary for the creation of future deployment models. The section includes a review of population forecasts indicating continued declining growth from a regional perspective although some of the individual communities have seen recent population increases. As a result of this in-depth analysis, it was determined that overall service demand within the region can be expected to decrease similar to declining growth through the year 2030.

A community risk analysis, based on occupancy types, demographics, and population density, is provided along with a graphical representation of the region wide analysis. As with population forecasts, the community risk analysis is another building block on which the future deployment models are based.

Section 3

This section provides the major components of a multi-year fire and emergency services master plan. It contains recommendations for necessary deployment of facilities, apparatus, and staffing over the course of the master planning period.

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While the Richmond Heights station could be relocated further west to provide coverage to a small gap to the northwest, a resultant gap may then occur on the east side of the city. Although St. Louis FD Station 22 is just east of the city line, it is unlikely that they would be willing to provide primary coverage to the east side of Richmond Heights due to the presumed demand in Station 22’s existing primary district. Given the relatively new condition of the RHFD station and the recent capital outlay for its construction, relocation is also not practical.

An alternate solution would be to build a second Richmond Heights station on the west side of the city. However, the current service demand in the identified gap area accounts for only 2.5 percent of total demand within the city. The capital outlay to provide the coverage, along with the resulting redundancy created in the rest of study area, does not make this a practical option.

Another alternative would be for the Ladue Fire Department to provide automatic aid into this identified service gap area from its station just west of Richmond Heights. This station is within four minutes travel time of the service gap area.

Redundant coverage areas, those areas where multiple fire stations can achieve a four-minute response, are less of a concern since additional workload analysis demonstrated that concurrent calls and multiple-unit responses in many of those areas justify a higher concentration of personnel and equipment. As a result of this analysis, ESCI does not find the need for a reduction of apparatus and front-line personnel. Due to the built-out nature of the communities with no evidence of significant company distribution errors, ESCI does not recommend the closure or relocation of any fire stations within the study area.

ESCI does, however, identify certain changes to operational service delivery that could be accomplished through cooperative service delivery strategies, including merger or consolidation. Those strategies, and their correlating service delivery impacts, are identified in the final section of the report.

Section 4

This section provides a detailed explanation of ESCI’s findings regarding potential Opportunities for Cooperative Effort between the participating agencies. This section details a number of organizational concepts including the consolidation of selected groupings of agencies, as well as the consolidation of all of the region’s fire departments. The concepts examined do not represent all possible arrangements of the participating agencies, only those judged by ESCI’s project team as likely to be successful in gaining acceptance. Considerations include:

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• Functional unification – Defined as the cooperative joining of one or more programs or services through the enactment of contractual agreements between entities. Such intergovernmental agreements are normally used to allow organizations to share resources, improve service, and to save money at the program level. • Operational unification – Represents the creation of a single organization with a unified structure and chain of command from two or more (previously) independent fire departments. Operational consolidations are usually implemented through the execution of an intergovernmental agreement between the governing boards of the entities. • Legal unification – Characterizes the consolidation of two or more fire entities into a single new agency. Legal consolidations are usually enacted under a process established by state law. The action joins not only programs and organizations, but also the units of government.

In identifying potential cooperative opportunities, the project team considered the key issues now challenging each agency. Some issues represent roadblocks to integration, while others provide a unique chance for improvement. As an element of the review, affected staff and other officials provided local and internal perspective on organizational culture, community expectation, and other significant matters.

The section identifies four operational consolidation opportunities and 21 functional cooperative effort opportunities. Each listing includes an alphabetical designation, a title, a summary description, and a discussion that includes guidance and financial considerations. A table is provided that summarizes the opportunities arranged by the affected organizational section.

Of the four options for legal unification or consolidation between two or more departments within the region, we consider three of those options to be conditionally feasible, as summarized below.

Strategy A: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Maplewood FD, Olivette FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD - FEASIBLE

The fire departments within the study area already benefit from some collaborative efforts, particularly in regards to emergency response and suppression activities, and it is natural that continuing the long-term strategy of cooperation should eventually lead to the whole area forming a single fire agency. If the fire departments continue this progression by implementing even some of the partnering strategies found in this study, taking the next logical step seems inevitable. A cost analysis of this strategy at full deployment shows an annual cost avoidance of up to $376,000 (based on current fiscal year dollars).

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Strategy B: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD - FEASIBLE

The departments serving the central core of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification is logical. A cost analysis of that strategy shows a potential saving in the tax supported cost of the service of more than $250.983 during the current fiscal year. As with Strategy A, additional future cost avoidance is likely under this strategy if implementing the deployment recommendations in this master plan.

Strategy C: Consolidation of Clayton FD and Richmond Heights FD - FEASIBLE

The departments serving the central core of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification is logical. A cost analysis of that strategy shows a potential saving in the tax supported cost of the service of more than $128,015 during the current fiscal year. As with Strategies A and B, additional future cost avoidance is likely under this strategy if implementing the deployment recommendations in this master plan.

Strategy D: Consolidation of Maplewood FD and Richmond Heights FD – NOT FEASIBLE

The departments serving the southern portions of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification seems logical. A cost analysis of this strategy shows that a potential increase in overall operating and capital expenditures of approximately $235,868 would result from this unification. Unlike Strategies A, B, and C future cost avoidance is unlikely under this strategy.

The feasibility of these strategies is not unconditional. Its success would hinge upon the following obstacles being adequately addressed and overcome: • The potential cost savings may not offset the significant obstacles in place between the individual agencies at this time. Political will and the overall support of the entire community towards unification is (at this point) questionable at best. Cultural differences and attitudes of animosity have been cultivated in these agencies by individuals intent on avoiding the very possibility of unification; those attitudes and differences will need to be managed to acceptance. • Although some areas would see a possible reduction in cost, some areas could see an increase without necessarily realizing an increased level of service. It would be critical to foster the concept of “the greater good” and focus on potential future service delivery improvements through shared efforts.

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If the viability of any of these unification strategies is considered but is ultimately deemed impractical, the concept of dropped borders or “closest unit response” to all emergency incidents must still be pursued if the system performance that is projected in this master plan is to be achieved. ESCI would further recommend that the strategy to provide joint supervision and incident command be adopted.

Cooperative Efforts/Functional Consolidation Options A through U Historically, while fire departments have been managed and operated quite independent of one another, they have shared certain services or functions. Shared services may include: personnel, apparatus, equipment, and expertise. In this report, 21 additional opportunities for cooperation that do not involve full unification of agencies are provided, ranging from shared training manuals and joint standard operating guidelines to joint logistics programs.

The list below summarizes the potential functional cooperative efforts available to the emergency services agencies serving the region.

A: Develop Uniform Standard Operating Guidelines

B: Develop Regional Specialty Teams

C: Develop a Joint Support and Logistics Services Division

D: Develop a Regional Fire Education Coalition

E: Develop a Regional Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Network

F: Create a Unified Occupational Medicine Program

G: Create a Unified Wellness and Fitness Program

H: Implement a Computerized Records Management System

I: Develop and Adopt Common Training Standards

J: Create a Standardized Regional Training Manual

K: Develop an Annual Regional Training Plan

L: Consolidate Training into a Regional Training Division

M: Purchase Uniform Emergency Apparatus

N: Develop a Model Labor Agreement for All Fire Departments

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O: Develop Uniform Pre-Incident Plans

P: Provide Regional Incident Command and Operations Supervision

Q: Develop a Regional Fire and EMS Training Center

R: Develop Uniform Fees for Service

S: Provide for Joint Staffing of Stations and Apparatus

T: Purchase and Implement a Computerized Regional Staffing Program

U: Develop and Implement Standardized Regional Medical Protocols

The concept of shared services is the most basic level of cooperation that can, to a large extent, improve efficiencies of the region’s fire and EMS providers. Short of creating a single- service provider, ESCI believes that program-level collaboration offers the best prospect for the existing fire departments.

Regardless of the outcome of any agency unification strategy that may be pursued, ESCI recommends that these agencies execute the maximum number of collaborative strategies identified in Options A through U as possible.

Summary

The success of adopting and implementing change, improvement, or cooperative opportunities depends on many things. In ESCI’s experience with dozens of functional, operational, and legal unifications, leadership is the single factor that most frequently determines success. Nearly always, a key staff, councilor, or board member champions the concept, garnering the support of the various affected groups (political, labor, member, and community). In addition, good leadership fosters an organizational culture receptive to planning, calculated risk taking, and flexibility. The manner in which leaders promote a trusting relationship between all groups and aid two-way communication between the groups is essential.

The ESCI project team began collecting information concerning the fire protection systems of this region in April of 2009. The compilation of that information and the preparation of this report have required nearly six months to complete. The team members recognize that the report contains an extremely large quantity of information and ESCI would like to thank the staff of the study departments and their respective cities for their tireless efforts in bringing this project to fruition.

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ESCI would also like to thank the various individuals and external organizations for their input, opinions, and candid conversations throughout this process. We sincerely hope that the information contained in this report is utilized to its fullest extent and that the emergency services provided to the region are improved by its implementation.

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Report Conventions Emergency Services Survey The survey of emergency services includes a detailed audit of each fire department participating in the study. The survey was conducted through interviews with management staff, and by a review of the departments’ policies, programs, and other documentation. ESCI itemizes the organizational audit report in the nine survey objectives shown below. The list is not rank- ordered in terms of importance to the emergency service system. • Organization Governance & Overview • Service Delivery Systems • Organizational Staffing • Personnel Resources Management • Organizational Management • Emergency Services Training Program • Planning for Fire and Emergency Service Delivery • Fire Prevention Program • Capital Assets and Replacement Programs

Each survey objective provides the reader with general information about that element, as well as agency-specific observations and analysis of any significant issues that are considered appropriate. Observation is supported by data that was collected as part of the survey and interview process of the project.

Recommendations Throughout the report, and within each survey objective, ESCI includes recommendations for organizational improvement. A full listing of all recommendations, by agency and type, is included in Appendix A: Agency Evaluation Recommendations Index. Many recommendations would seem intuitive to department personnel but may not be obvious to some elected officials, policy makers, and the general public. Therefore, these seemingly intuitive recommendations are included to bring attention to those deficiencies where necessary.

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Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Section 1: Emergency Services Agency Evaluations Objective One: Organizational Overview The following information provides the community baseline information for the study area fire departments, including general information about governance and structure of the organizations, size and general nature of the communities provided, and a general overview of available resources dedicated to the fire and EMS functions.

History, Formation, and General Description Clayton Fire Department The Clayton Fire Department (CFD) is a direct operating department of the City of Clayton and provides fire protection and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical transport services to the community. The department’s jurisdiction encompasses all of the governmental boundaries of the community, along with the unincorporated Washington University Danforth Campus, which is a contractual service area. The department began providing services in 1897.

CFD provides emergency services to a City population of 16,076.1 This figure does not include the population of the contractual service area since 2007 population estimate data for unincorporated areas is not available from the U.S. Census Bureau. The department serves an area of 2.7 square miles. The area served by the department is experiencing light to moderate growth. The department’s services are provided from one facility. The department maintains a fleet of apparatus, including one fire engine, one aerial truck, and two ambulances, along with several command, staff, and other specialty

units.

There are 36 individuals2 involved in delivering these services to the jurisdiction. The department’s primary management team includes a Chief, Battalion Chiefs, and the Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal. An Administrative Secretary provides additional support services. Staffing

1 U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 estimated population data. 2 Number current at time of field research.

Page 11 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City coverage for emergency response is through the use of career firefighters on 24-hour shifts. For immediate response, at least nine personnel are on duty at all times.

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) reviews the fire protection resources within communities and provides a Community Fire Protection Rating system from which insurance rates are often based. The rating system evaluates three primary areas: the emergency communication and dispatch system, the fire department, and the community’s pressurized hydrant or tanker-based water supply. The overall rating is then expressed as a number between 1 and 10, with 1 being the highest level of protection and 10 being unprotected or nearly so. As of the latest rating (conducted in July 2000), ISO gave the service area a rating of Class 3.

The department provides a variety of services, including fire suppression, ALS level emergency medical transport, vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, initial trench and collapse rescue, swift water rescue, and confined space and hazmat response at the operations level only. The Saint Louis County regional hazardous materials response team, for which the CFD provides six certified personnel, provides technician-level hazmat response to the City of Clayton. The East Central Dispatch Center provides emergency call receipt and dispatch service.

Maplewood Fire Department The City of Maplewood Fire Department (MFD) is a direct operating department of City of Maplewood and provides fire protection and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical first responder services to the community. The department’s jurisdiction duplicates the governmental boundaries of the community. The department began providing services in 1908 as a volunteer fire department.

MFD provides emergency services to a population of 8,6881 in an area of roughly 1.6 square miles. The area served by the department is experiencing very limited growth. The department’s services are provided from one facility located within the jurisdiction. The department maintains a fleet of vehicles including two fire engines and one rescue truck, along with one staff vehicle.

There are 21 individuals2 involved in delivering these services to the jurisdiction. The department’s primary management team includes a Chief, three Captains and four Lieutenants. There is no staff available for additional support services. Staffing coverage for emergency response is through the use of career firefighters on 24-hour shifts. For immediate response, at least five personnel are on duty at all times.

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As of the latest rating, ISO gave the service area a rating of Class 4. This rating was conducted in August 2003.

The department provides a variety of services, including fire suppression, vehicle extrication, basic rescue, and EMS first response. Both the Saint Louis County and the Saint Louis City hazardous materials response teams provide technician-level hazmat response under mutual aid agreements. The East Central Dispatch Center provides emergency call receipt and dispatch service.

Olivette Fire Department The Olivette Fire Department (OFD) is a direct operating department of City of Olivette and provides fire protection and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical first responder services to the community. The department’s jurisdiction encompasses all of the governmental boundaries of the community, along with the unincorporated area of Elmwood Park through a contract with the County. The department was formed in 1951, following a refusal by University City to renew its contract to provide fire service to Olivette. Initial attempts to set the department up as a non-profit corporation separate from the City failed and the City took the reins in 1952.

OFD provides emergency services to a population of 7,470.1 This figure does not include the population of the contractual service area since 2007 population estimate data for unincorporated areas is not available from the U.S. Census Bureau. The department serves an area of roughly 2.9 square miles. The area served by the department is experiencing very limited growth. The department’s services are provided from one facility located within the jurisdiction. The department maintains a fleet of vehicles including two fire engines and one rescue truck, along with staff and command units.

There are 23 individuals2 involved in delivering these services to the jurisdiction. The department’s primary management team includes a Chief, three Battalion Chiefs, and the shift Captains. A secretary (shared with the police department) provides limited support services. Staffing coverage for emergency response is through the use of career firefighters on 24-hour shifts. For immediate response, at least five personnel are on duty at all times.

As of the latest rating, ISO gave the service area a rating of Class 4. This rating was conducted in September 2006.

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The department provides fire suppression, vehicle rescue, and EMS first response, along with operations-level hazmat. The Saint Louis County regional hazardous materials response team provides technician-level hazmat response. The East Central Dispatch Center provides emergency call receipt and dispatch service.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The Richmond Heights Fire Department (RHFD) is a direct operating department of the City of Richmond Heights and provides fire protection and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical transport services to the community. The department’s jurisdiction duplicates the governmental boundaries of the community. The City purchased its first fire truck, a Model T Ford, in 1922, relying on one volunteer firefighter to drive the truck to a fire scene, stopping along the way to pick up any able-bodied citizen willing to help. The paid fire service was established in 1926.

RHFD provides emergency services to a population of 9,1573 in an area of roughly 2.3 square miles. The area served by the department is experiencing moderate growth. The department’s services are provided from one facility. The department operates two fire engines, two ambulances, and command or staff vehicles.

There are 24 individuals4 involved in delivering these services to the jurisdiction. The department’s primary management team includes a Fire Chief, three Battalion Chiefs, and three Captains. An Administrative Assistant provides additional support services. Staffing coverage for emergency response is through the use of career firefighters on 24-hour shifts. For immediate response, at least six personnel are on duty at all times.

As of the latest rating, ISO gave the service area a rating of Class 4. This rating was conducted in August 2004.

The department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, vehicle extrication, and operations-level hazmat. The Saint Louis City or Saint Louis County hazardous materials

3 U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census data. 4 Current number at time of field research.

Page 14 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City response team provides technician-level hazmat response. The East Central Dispatch Center provides emergency call receipt and dispatch service.

University City Fire Department The University City Fire Department (UCFD) is a direct operating department of the City of University City and provides fire protection and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical transport services to the community. The department’s jurisdiction duplicates the governmental boundaries of the community. The department began providing services in 1905, around the time of the World's Fair in Saint Louis.

UCFD provides emergency services to a population of 36,5455 in an area of roughly 5.9 square miles. The area served by the department is experiencing light to moderate growth. The department’s services are provided from two facilities. The department maintains a fleet of vehicles, including two fire engines, one aerial truck, and three ambulances, along with one utility truck and staff and command vehicles.

There are 45 individuals6 involved in delivering these services to the jurisdiction. The department’s primary management team includes a Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, and three Battalion Chiefs. A secretary provides additional support services. Staffing coverage for emergency response is through the use of career firefighters on 24-hour shifts. For immediate response, at least 11 personnel are on duty at all times. As of the latest rating (conducted in August 2004), ISO gave the service area a rating of Class 3.

The department provides a variety of services, including fire suppression, emergency medical transport services, basic rescue, vehicle extrication, and operations-level hazmat response. The Saint Louis County regional hazardous materials response team provides technician-level hazmat response. University City Police Communications provides emergency call receipt and dispatch service.

5 U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census data. 6 Current number at time of field research.

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The following figures summarize the information contained in each of the individual department descriptions above.

Figure 1: Comparison of Population and Land Area

40,000 7

35,000 6

30,000 5 25,000 4 20,000 3 15,000 2 10,000

5,000 1

0 0 Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond U. City Heights

Population Land Area (Sq. Mi.)

Figure 2: Resource and ISO Rating Comparison

Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette U. City Heights Engines 1 2 2 2 2 Aerials 10001 Rescue 0 1 1 0 0 Ambulances 2 0 0 1 2 FD Personnel 36 21 23 24 45 ISO Rating 34443

The five agencies involved in this study are geographically located on the western edge of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The following figure (Figure 3) illustrates the five agencies service areas and fire station locations.

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Figure 3: Full Study Area Facility Deployment and Response Areas

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Governance and Lines of Authority Clayton Fire Department The City of Clayton is a municipal corporation and operates as a charter city that is provided the authority to levy taxes for operating a fire protection system. The City operates under a Council- Manager form of governance, and the Board of Alderman is provided with necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services. The Board of Alderman maintains strictly policy-level involvement, avoiding direct management and hands-on task assignment, an arrangement established within written policy.

The Fire Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not provided with a personal services contract. The City Manager provides an annual formal written evaluation of the Chief’s services as a means of documenting performance and establishing personal objectives.

Extraterritorial services to the unincorporated Washington University Danforth Campus area are provided through a contractual agreement between the University and the City of Clayton. The contract provides Clayton with the appropriate authority to oversee response in this area under the same conditions as if it were in the City of Clayton.

Maplewood Fire Department The City of Maplewood is a municipal corporation and operates as a charter city that is provided the authority to levy taxes for operating a fire protection system. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of governance, and the City Council is provided with necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services. The City Council maintains strictly policy-level involvement, avoiding direct management and hands-on task assignment, an arrangement established within written policy.

The Fire Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not provided with a personal services contract. The City Manager provides an annual formal written evaluation of the Chief’s services as a means of documenting performance and establishing personal objectives.

Olivette Fire Department The City of Olivette is a municipal corporation and operates as a charter city that is provided the authority to levy taxes for operating a fire protection system. The City operates under a Council- Manager form of governance, and the City Council is provided with necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services. The City Council

Page 18 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City maintains strictly policy-level involvement, avoiding direct management and hands-on task assignment, an arrangement established within written policy.

The Fire Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not provided with a personal services contract. The City Manager provides an annual formal written evaluation of the Chief’s services as a means of documenting performance and establishing personal objectives.

Extraterritorial services to the unincorporated Elmwood Park area are provided through a contractual agreement between the County and the City of Olivette. The contract provides Olivette with the appropriate authority to oversee response in this area under the same conditions as if it were in the City of Olivette.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The City of Richmond Heights is a municipal corporation and operates as a charter city that is provided the authority to levy taxes for operating a fire protection system. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of governance, and the City Council is provided with necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services in the designated jurisdiction. The City Council maintains strictly policy-level involvement, avoiding direct management and hands-on task assignment, an arrangement established within written policy.

The Fire Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not provided with a personal services contract. The City Manager provides an annual formal written evaluation of the Chief’s services as a means of documenting performance and establishing personal objectives.

University City Fire Department The University City is a municipal corporation, formed under the laws of the State of Missouri, and operates as a charter city that is provided the authority to levy taxes for operating a fire protection system. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of governance, and the City Council is provided with necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services in the designated jurisdiction. The City Council maintains strictly policy-level involvement, avoiding direct management and hands-on task assignment, an arrangement established within written policy.

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The Fire Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not provided with a personal services contract. The City Manager provides an annual formal written evaluation of the Chief’s services as a means of documenting performance and establishing personal objectives.

Foundational Policy Organizations that operate efficiently are typically governed by clear policies that lay the foundation for effective organizational culture. These policies set the boundaries for both expected and acceptable behavior, while not discouraging creativity and self-motivation.

A comprehensive set of departmental operating rules and guidelines should contain at least two primary sections. The following format is suggested. 1. Administrative Rules – This section would contain all of the rules that personnel in the organization are required to comply with at all times. Administrative Rules, by definition, require certain actions or behaviors in all situations. The governing body should adopt or approve the Administrative Rules since the Chief is also subject to them. However, the Board should then delegate authority to the Chief for their enforcement on department personnel. The Administrative Rules should govern all members of the department: paid, volunteer and civilian. Where rules and policies, by their nature, require different application or provisions for different classifications of members, these differences should be clearly indicated and explained in writing. Specifically the Administrative Rules should contain sections which address:

• Public records access and • Harassment and discrimination retention • Personnel appointment and promotion • Contracting and purchasing • Disciplinary and grievance procedures authority • Uniforms and personal appearance • Safety and loss prevention • Other personnel management issues • Respiratory protection program • Hazard communication program

2. Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) – This section should contain “street-level” operational standards of practice for personnel of the department. SOGs are different from Administrative Rules in that variances are allowed in unique or unusual circumstances where strict application of the SOG would be less effective. The document should provide for a program of regular, systematic updating to assure it remains current, practical and relevant. SOGs should be developed, approved, and enforced under the direction of the Fire Chief.

The following two tables provide a listing of topics that fire departments might wish to consider including in their Standard Operating Guidelines.

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Figure 4: Typical SOG Topics for Field Operations Alarms and Response Procedures Medical Emergencies Alarm Response Procedures Operational Guidelines for Medical Aid Responses Alarm Response Areas Operations with Ambulance Personnel Automatic Aid Emergency Medical Technician - Defibrillator (EMT-D) Mutual Aid Major Medical Incidents Contractual Agreements Triage Fire Company Operations Exposure to Infectious Diseases and Hazardous Materials Standard Company Operations Suspected Drug Overdose First to Arrive Duties Animal Bites Returning Companies to Service Vial of Life and Medic Alert Tags Use of Civilians Attempted Suicide Fire Scene Investigations Suspected Homicide High Volume Smoke Removal System DOA (Dead on Arrival) Personal Alert Safety Devices Suspected Child Abuse On-Scene Equipment Inventory Suspected Sexual Assault Personnel Accountability System Hospital Disaster Notification 2 IN 2OUT EMS Reports Initial Fireground Operations EMS Radio Procedures Fluorescent Safety Vests Drug Box Exchange Policy Highway Incident Safety BLS Rules and Regulations Command Operations ALS Rules and Regulations General Strategic Guidelines Electrical Emergencies Incident Management System Electrical Emergency Operations Command Post Procedures Rescue Operations Welfare Vehicle Rescue and Extrication Helicopter Operations Life Line Operations Public health Considerations Rescue from Machinery Incident Critique Escalator Emergencies Area Evacuation Elevator Emergencies Incident Command Resource Request Cave-in and Manhole Rescues Building Evacuation Building Collapse Firefighting Rescue at Structure Fires Metal Fires Transportation Emergencies Structure Fires (General) Interstate Operations Operations in Sprinklered Buildings Railroad Emergencies On-Site Auxiliary Fire Equipment Aircraft Emergencies High Rise Fires Hazardous Materials Incidents Wildland Fires Hazardous Materials (General) Vehicle Fires Flammable Fuel Spill (Liquid or Gas) Fire Stream Management LPG Emergencies Industrial Dumpster Fires Fumigation Emergencies Fire Watch Detail Explosives and Bombs Fires in US Mailboxes PCB's University of Virginia Reactor Facility Pesticide Procedures High Rise Pack Radioactive Materials Bowstring Truss Roof - Operations Procedures Natural Gas Filled Structures - No Fire Carbon Monoxide Hazards Natural Gas Fed Fire - Inside Structure Thermal Image Camera Broken Natural Gas Main - Fire Broken Natural Gas Main - No Fire

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Figure 5: Typical SOG Topics for Non-Emergency Operations Station Operations Color Coding Equipment Station Operations - General Radio Repair Procedure Station Maintenance Pressure Vessel Maintenance Station Alerting System Hose Maintenance Purchasing Procedures Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) National Flag/National Anthem Preventive Maintenance - SCBA's Equipment Loan Out Respiratory Breathing Air Systems Yard Maintenance Ladder Maintenance Emergency Power Systems Nozzle Maintenance Miscellaneous Station Duties Fire Extinguishers Personal Locker Assignments Hydrant Maintenance Telephone Use Hand Tool Maintenance Station Libraries Power Tool Maintenance Scheduling Use of Media Center Echo Chainsaw Energy Conversation Jonsered Chainsaw Apparatus Operations Public Education Apparatus Maintenance General Policy Vehicle Out of Service Procedure Public Education Scheduling Policy Testing Apparatus Pumps Public Relations Driving Emergency Vehicles Station Tours Warning Devices Fire Extinguisher Demonstrations Apparatus Operational Limits Engine Demonstrations Fueling Procedure Special Activities Engine - Engine One Reserve Apparatus Radio Controlled Education Robots Apparatus Snow Chains Fire Prevention Apparatus Movement to Training Center Fire Company Fire Prevention Inspections - General Driver Operator - Pump Certification Fire Prevention Inspection Guideline Equipment Operations Fire Investigation Equipment Repairs Related Codes Equipment Out of Service Pre-Fire Plans

Clayton Fire Department CFD maintains five primary policy manuals: City Personnel Manual, City Safety Manual, City Finance and Purchasing Procedures, Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines, and Medical Operating Guidelines. The manuals are well organized and written in a professional and clear manner. The documentation includes the appropriate policies either required by law or focused on reducing the risk of civil liability, including a sexual harassment policy, family medical leave policy, and disciplinary policy.

The Standard Operating Guidelines are well organized, easy to understand and apply, and reflect the current industry standards and best practices. The procedures are reported to be reasonably up to date, with a system in place to review and update them on a periodic basis. The procedures do not appear to contain all advisable sections on emergency scene operations and may provide field personnel with insufficient guidance on certain fireground operations. The

Page 22 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Standard Operating Guideline Manual should be expanded to include a greater collection of guidelines for actual incident actions, including special hazard incidents.

Department members indicate that administrative policies or rules and regulations are available in the workplace or distributed individually.

Recommendation 1: Clayton FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies.

Maplewood Fire Department MFD maintains four primary policy manuals: Standard Operating Procedures, City Personnel Code, Rules and Regulations, and the City Safety Manual. The administrative manuals were fairly well organized and written in a professional and clear manner. The documentation includes the appropriate policies either required by law or focused on reducing the risk of civil liability, including a sexual harassment policy, family medical leave policy, and disciplinary policy. Other policies cover routine procedures, complaint handling, orientation of new members, uniform use, etc.

The department is in the process of updating its Standard Operating Guidelines, with the new version only in draft form at this time and not yet approved. The currently adopted SOGs are somewhat disorganized and out of date, with no prescribed system in place to review and update the procedures on a periodic basis. These procedures do not appear to contain adequate sections on emergency scene operations and provide field personnel with very limited guidance on fireground operations such as fire streams, pump operations, search procedures, evacuations, etc. The Standard Operating Guideline Manual should be expanded to include a far greater collection of guidelines for actual incident actions, including special hazard incidents.

Department members indicate that administrative policies or rules and regulations are available in the workplace or distributed individually.

Page 23 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Recommendation 2: Maplewood FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies.

Olivette Fire Department OFD maintains three primary policy manuals: City Rules and Regulations, Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines and Rules and Regulations, Memorandum of Understanding with Local 2665. The manuals were fairly well organized and written in a professional and clear manner. The documentation includes the appropriate policies either required by law or focused on reducing the risk of civil liability, including a sexual harassment policy, family medical leave policy, and disciplinary policy. Other policies cover routine procedures, complaint handling, orientation of new members, uniform use, etc.

The Standard Operating Guidelines are somewhat disorganized, difficult to use on a practical basis, and do not necessarily reflect the current industry standards and best practices. The procedures are reported to be somewhat out of date, with no prescribed system in place to review and update them on a periodic basis. The procedures do not appear to contain adequate sections on emergency scene operations and provide field personnel with very limited guidance on fireground operations such as fire streams, pump operations, search procedures, evacuations, etc. The Standard Operating Guideline Manual should be expanded to include a far greater collection of guidelines for actual incident actions, including special hazard incidents.

Department members indicate that administrative policies or rules and regulations are available in the workplace or distributed individually.

Recommendation 3: Olivette FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies.

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD maintains three primary policy manuals: Standard Operating Guidelines, City Rules and Regulations, Union Memorandum of Understanding. The administrative manuals were fairly well organized, and written in a professional and clear manner. The documentation includes the

Page 24 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City appropriate policies either required by law or focused on reducing the risk of civil liability. These include a sexual harassment policy, family medical leave policy, and disciplinary policy. Other policies cover routine procedures, complaint handling, orientation of new members, uniform use, etc.

The Standard Operating Guidelines are well organized, easy to understand and apply, and reflect the current industry standards and best practices. The procedures are reported to be reasonably up to date, with a system in place for review and update on a periodic basis. The procedures contain several sections on emergency scene operations and can provide field personnel with guidance on many fireground operations. Additional topics on street-level operations could be beneficial.

Department members indicate that administrative policies or rules and regulations are available in the workplace or distributed individually.

University City Fire Department UCFD maintains two primary policy manuals: City Administrative Regulations and the UCFD Operational Bulletins. The manuals were fairly well organized, and written in a professional and clear manner. The documentation includes the appropriate policies either required by law or focused on reducing the risk of civil liability, including a sexual harassment policy, family medical leave policy, and disciplinary policy. Other policies cover routine procedures, complaint handling, orientation of new members, uniform use, etc.

The Operational Bulletins are a collection of both operational and administrative directives. As a result, they are somewhat disorganized, difficult to use on a practical basis, and do not necessarily reflect the current industry standards and best practices. The procedures do not appear to contain adequate sections on emergency scene operations and provide field personnel with very limited guidance on fireground operations such as fire streams, pump operations, search procedures, evacuations, etc.

Following the recommended format discussed earlier, the Operational Bulletins should be expanded to include a far greater collection of guidelines for actual incident actions, including special hazard incidents.

Department members indicate that administrative policies or rules and regulations are available in the workplace or distributed individually.

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Recommendation 4: University City FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies.

Recommendation 5: Given the fact that the fire departments protect similar risks, use similar resources, and have similar objectives, we recommend that all five departments cooperatively develop a regional set of Standard Operating Guidelines, with local variation occurring only if necessary to accommodate unique issues or equipment.

Organizational Design A well-designed organizational structure should reflect the efficient assignment of responsibility and authority, allowing the organization to accomplish effectiveness by maximizing distribution of workload. The lines on an organizational chart simply clarify accountability, coordination and supervision. Thorough job descriptions should provide the details of each position and ensure that each individual’s specific role is clear and centered on the overall mission of the organization.

The organizational structure of the department should demonstrate a clear unity of command, in which each individual member reports to only one supervisor (within the context of any given position) and is aware to whom he or she is responsible for supervision and accountability. This method of organization encourages structured and consistent lines of communication and prevents positions, tasks, and assignments from being overlooked. The overall goals and objectives of the organization can be more effectively passed down through the rank and file members in a consistent fashion.

The organizational structure should be charted with clear, designated operating divisions that permit the core functions of the organization to be the primary focus of specific supervisors and assigned members. While some task-level activities may carry over from division to division, the primary focus of leadership, management, and budgeting within the division should be clarified by the division's key function within the mission statement. Those individuals supervising or operating within a specific division must be positively clear as to the role of the division and its goals and objectives.

The department should have sufficiently analyzed its mission and functions such that a resulting set of specific agency programs have been established. Organized, structured programs permit better assignment of resources, division of workload, development of future planning, and

Page 26 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City analysis of service delivery. Those departments that have clarified their programs with titles, assigned leadership, resources, budget appropriations, performance objectives and accountability are among the most successful.

Clayton Fire Department A review of this agency’s organizational chart demonstrates a clear unity of command and reveals that it is organized in a typical top-down hierarchy. The organizational structure contains designated operating divisions, and specific agency programs have been established.

The Fire Chief directly supervises five other individuals, including the Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal, three Battalion Chiefs, and an Administrative Secretary. The Chief's span of control falls within the range typically considered normal and acceptable.

The Fire Chief has been provided with the authority to initiate discipline that extends to a suspension with pay and/or recommendation of termination.

The department maintains a thorough and up-to-date set of job classifications and descriptions that accurately reflect the typical responsibilities and activities of the positions. These documents were updated within the last four years. The documents adequately describe the primary functions and activities, critical tasks, and levels of supervision and accountability, as well as reasonable qualifications.

The department does not currently maintain collective bargaining agreements (CBA) with any classification of employees within the organization. However, positions of Captain and below are eligible for membership in the union local, which is recognized by the City.

Maplewood Fire Department A review of this agency’s organizational chart demonstrates a clear unity of command and reveals that it is organized in a typical top-down hierarchy. Due primarily to its small size, the organizational structure is not provided with clear, designated operating divisions. Instead, supervisors and staff tend to "float" from function to function, dealing primarily with the immediate issues at hand. The department has not sufficiently analyzed its mission and functions and has not established a resulting set of specific agency programs. Again, this department tends to operate on the basis of day-to-day tasks and issues. Organized structure and planning, down to the program level, should be improved.

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The Fire Chief appears to directly supervise five other individuals, including the three Captains, a Medical Officer, and the Fire Marshal. The Chief's span of control falls within the range typically considered normal and acceptable.

The Fire Chief has been provided with the authority to initiate discipline that extends to a suspension and/or recommendation for demotion or dismissal.

The department currently operates under inadequate or out-of-date job classifications and descriptions that no longer accurately reflect the typical responsibilities and activities of all positions within the agency. Revised job description documents have been prepared but have not yet been fully adopted.

The department does not currently maintain collective bargaining agreements (CBA) with any classification of employees within the organization. However, positions of Lieutenant and below are eligible for membership in the union local, which is recognized by the City.

Recommendation 6: Maplewood FD should consider a process to identify core programs. Specify responsibility for programs on the organizational chart to increase responsibility and accountability for primary department functions.

Recommendation 7: Maplewood FD should review and revise job descriptions and classifications to ensure accuracy and relevancy.

Olivette Fire Department A review of this agency’s organizational chart demonstrates a clear unity of command and reveals that it is organized in a typical top-down hierarchy. Due primarily to its small size, the organizational structure is not provided with clear, designated operating divisions. Instead, supervisors and staff tend to "float" from function to function, dealing primarily with the immediate issues at hand. The department has not sufficiently analyzed its mission and functions and has not established a resulting set of specific agency programs. Again, this department tends to operate on the basis of day to day tasks and issues. Organized structure and planning, down to the program level, should be improved.

The Fire Chief directly supervises four other individuals, including the Battalion Chiefs and Secretary. The Chief's span of control falls within the range typically considered normal and acceptable.

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The Fire Chief has been provided with the authority to initiate discipline that extends to a suspension and/or recommendation for demotion or dismissal.

The department maintains inadequate, incomplete, or out-of-date job classifications and descriptions that no longer accurately reflect the typical responsibilities and activities of all positions within the agency. These documents should be completely revised to adequately describe the primary functions and activities, critical tasks, levels of supervision and accountability, as well as reasonable qualifications of each class or position within the organization.

The department currently maintains collective bargaining agreements (CBA) with all classifications of employees other than the Fire Chief that clarify the salary, benefits, and many of the working conditions under which the employees will operate. The Battalion Chiefs are included in the union and covered by the CBA.

Recommendation 8: Olivette FD should consider a process to identify core programs. Specify responsibility for programs on the organizational chart to increase responsibility and accountability for primary department functions.

Recommendation 9: Maplewood FD should review and revise job descriptions and classifications to ensure accuracy and relevancy.

Richmond Heights Fire Department A review of this agency’s organizational chart demonstrates a clear unity of command and reveals that it is organized in a typical top-down hierarchy. Due primarily to its small size, the organizational structure is not provided with clear, designated operating divisions but has assigned core projects and responsibilities to the three Battalion Chief positions. The department has not sufficiently analyzed its mission and functions and has not established a resulting set of specific agency programs. The department tends to operate on the basis of day- to-day tasks and issues. Organized structure and planning, down to the program level, should be improved.

The Fire Chief supervises four other individuals, including the three Battalion Chiefs and the Administrative Assistant. The Chief's span of control falls within the range typically considered normal and acceptable.

Page 29 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The Fire Chief has been provided with the authority for suspension and/or recommendation for termination.

The department maintains a thorough and up-to-date set of job classifications and descriptions that accurately reflect the typical responsibilities and activities of the positions. The documents adequately describe the primary functions and activities, critical tasks, and levels of supervision and accountability, as well as reasonable qualifications.

The department currently maintains collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with all positions below the rank of Captain. The Memorandum of Understanding clarifies the benefits and many of the working conditions under which the employees in that classification will operate.

University City Fire Department A review of this agency’s organizational chart demonstrates a clear unity of command and reveals that it is organized in a typical top-down hierarchy. Due primarily to its small size, the organizational structure is not provided with clear, designated operating divisions. Instead, supervisors and staff tend to "float" from function to function, dealing primarily with the immediate issues at hand. The department does have a set of specific agency programs established and assigned as responsibilities of the various Battalion Chiefs.

The Fire Chief directly supervises five other individuals, including the Assistant Chief, Battalion Chiefs, and Executive Secretary. The Chief's span of control falls within the range typically considered normal and acceptable.

The Fire Chief has been provided with the authority to forward disciplinary charges to the City’s Human Resource Department.

The department maintains a thorough and up-to-date set of job classifications and descriptions that accurately reflect the typical responsibilities and activities of the positions. The documents adequately describe the primary functions and activities, critical tasks, levels of supervision and accountability, as well as reasonable qualifications.

The department currently maintains collective bargaining agreements (CBA) that clarify the salary, benefits, and many of the working conditions under which the employees in that classification will operate. Currently, the Firefighters and Paramedic-Firefighters are covered by a CBA.

Page 30 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Financial Overview Financial analysis is an important part of the fire services study and any cooperative efforts the cities would consider. To this end, we developed a computer-driven model budget for each of the fire departments. A modeled budget is designed to fairly represent the monetary policies of each agency equally, to neutralize the normal differences usually found in unilateral fiscal practices, and to account for any financial peculiarities (such as budgetary back loading). The modeling technique assures that an “apples to apples” comparison is made of the agencies, which allows an estimation of the public cost of each department’s operation, and provides a means for financial evaluation of the outcome of integration. The modeled budget yields a baseline estimate of the public cost of service; in addition, the methodology also provides the ability to project the outcome of the consolidation into the future. In this case, we established a financial baseline for 2009 and then forecast the financial policies of that baseline through a ten- year planning horizon to year 2018.

Budget Process While there are many similarities among the cities in their budgeting practices, there are just as many variations. Each city in this study, with one exception, uses a one-year cycle to plan operating budgets, based on a fiscal year of July 1 through June 30. The City of Clayton budget year parallels the federal budget year of October 1 through September 30.

The next table (Figure 6) provides a comparison of the fiscal management components of each city.

Page 31 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 6: Fiscal Management Survey Components Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette University City Heights Budgetary Controls A. Designated fiscal year October 1, to July 1 to June July 1 to June 30 July 1 to June 30 July 1 to June 30 September 30 30 i) budget cycle One year One year One year One year One year B. Budget officer Director of Finance Deputy City Director of Finance City Manager Human Resource Finance Director Manager ~ Officer Finance Director C. Budget development process i) governance Mayor and Board City Council City Council City Council City Council of Aldermen ii) administration Deputy City City Manager City Manager City Manager City Manager Manager iii) management Quarterly to the Quarterly to the Quarterly to the council, some council, some board of alderman. Monthly council members council members City departments summary Monthly and City Manager and City Manager can receive daily report receive monthly receive monthly updates. reports reports iv) staff All All department department All department All department All department directors, City directors, City directors, City directors, City directors, City Manager, finance Manager, Manager, finance Manager, finance Manager, finance director, and some finance director, and some director, and director, and some staff director, and staff some staff staff some staff v) community Two public hearings, A internal budget committee Public that is involved with hearing, no Public hearing, the process (City Public hearing, no Public hearing, no budget no budget Manager, deputy budget committee budget committee committee committee that is City Manager, that is involved with that is involved that is involved with the finance director the process with the process involved with process and assistant the process finance director) it is the City Manger’s Budget D. Budget adoption process i) budget approval Board of Aldermen City Council City Council City Council City Council ii) funding approval Board of Aldermen City Council City Council City Council City Council E. Financial control officer

Page 32 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette University City Heights Fire Chief Finance Director City Manager Fire Chief Fire Chief ultimately but staff participates i) financial report Fire department runs a fire Monthly report but no Should be monthly department report. access to financial Fire Chief keeps but finance has FD has an internal records but may have daily account of been able to get detailed report. get records at any fire department them out in a Updated on entry given time from accounts. timely fashion of each bill and finance printed monthly ii) financial review Annual audit, Annual audit Annual audit Annual audit Annual audit contracted

There are only minor differences between how the cities handle financial management; the most notable is the title, position, and reporting structure of the individual responsible for the finances of each city. The use of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) by the cities creates a standard framework for financial accounting and similar guidelines.

Audits Financial audits are most accurately described as an audit of financial statements. In this case, they are a review of the municipal financial statements that result in the publication of an independent opinion on whether they are relevant, accurate, complete, and fairly presented. The financial audits add credibility to the governmental management’s (or other business’s) implied assertion that its financial statements fairly represent the organization's position.

Audits are designed to reduce the possibility of a material misstatement. Misstatements are defined as false, misleading, or missing information, whether caused by fraud (including deliberate misstatement) or error.

Clayton The City of Clayton has a policy requiring an annual audit of financial activities. An audit prepared for fiscal year ending September 30, 2008 was issued on February 19, 2009.7

7 Independent Auditors’ Report, City of Clayton, Missouri, RubinBrown LLP Certified Public Accountants & Business Consultants, February 19, 2009.

Page 33 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The City of Clayton was recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the year 2007. The Certificate Program, which was established in 1945, is designed to recognize and encourage excellence in financial reporting by state and local governments.8

Additionally, the GFOA awarded the City the Distinguished Budget Award for fiscal year 2008; a first-time award for Clayton. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as an operations guide, as a financial plan, and as a communications device.

Maplewood A financial audit of the City of Maplewood was conducted for the fiscal year 2008. The independent auditors’ report issued on December 23, 2008, was used as a source of financial reference.9

The City of Maplewood was recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its comprehensive financial report (CAFR) presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the year 2007.

Olivette A financial audit of the City of Olivette was conducted for the fiscal year 2008. The independent auditors’ report issued on October 29, 2008, was used as a source of financial reference.10

One audit note was issued related to a delivery of fuel made prior to the year's end that was not added to inventory and accounts payable in the general ledger. In response, the City addressed the concern and has addressed the issue to prevent future occurrences.

Richmond Heights City Charter requires that an independent audit of all books of City accounts be conducted at least annually. Audits are made by a certified public accountant or accounting firm. The

8 Government Finance Officers Association, Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (CAFR Program), Award Winners For Fiscal Years Ended In 2007. 9 Independent Auditors’ Report, City of Maplewood, Missouri, Daniel Jones & Associates Certified Public Accountants, December 19, 2008. 10 Independent Auditors’ Report, City of Olivette, Missouri, Botz, Deal & Company, P.C., October 29, 2008.

Page 34 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City auditor’s opinion is included in the CAFR of the City. An independent auditors’ report issued on December 19, 2008, was used as a source of financial reference.11

The City of Richmond Heights was recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its CAFR presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the year 2007.

University City City policy and conformance with state law requires that an independent audit of all books of University City accounts be conducted at least annually. Audits are made by a certified public accountant or accounting firm. The auditor’s opinion is included in the CAFR of the City. An independent auditors’ report issued on January 12, 2009 was used as a source of financial reference.12

The City of University City was recipient of a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its CAFR presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the year 2007.

Revenue History and Funding Revenue for fire and rescue (EMS) for each of the fire departments is received through the general revenue of the cities. Three principal sources of municipal revenue in St. Louis County are sales taxes, property taxes and taxes on utilities. A large segment of the revenue is property tax receipts and, to a lesser degree, sales tax and fees for service. Rates vary among the 91 cities in St. Louis County, but all cities receive a substantial portion of their revenues from these sources.

Taxable Assessed Value (TAV): To determine the amount of property tax due, the tax rate of the municipality is applied to the Taxable Assessed Value (TAV). TAV is determined by the Saint Louis County Assessment Division. According to the official description of the Assessment Division, it: …discovers, identifies, classifies and assesses all real and personal property within Saint Louis County. The assessed value is applied to the tax rates

11 Independent Auditors’ Report, City of Richmond Heights, Missouri, Hochschild, Bloom, & Company LLP, December 19, 2008. 12 Independent Auditors’ Report, City of University City, Missouri, Hochschild, Bloom, & Company LLP, January 12, 2009.

Page 35 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

established by the taxing districts to determine the amount of tax levied against a property.13

The historical TAV of the five cities is below in Figure 7. The table lists the total annual TAV for each city from 1999 to 2008.

Figure 7: Historical Total TAV, 1999 – 2008 City of City of City of City of City of Richmond University Clayton Maplewood Olivette Heights City 1999 487,437,000 80,235,625 144,070,394 210,504,024 327,274,000 2000 558,529,660 80,275,842 148,529,163 224,642,281 349,547,000 2001 566,051,219 87,195,267 170,770,189 230,574,581 355,883,000 2002 669,566,033 89,852,659 174,709,061 254,501,084 438,152,000 2003 670,459,523 100,287,634 185,550,655 253,253,709 435,062,000 2004 710,398,000 105,463,522 182,874,790 270,574,932 457,459,000 2005 712,205,000 103,382,547 204,344,054 269,643,071 456,140,000 2006 758,473,000 132,284,792 204,192,844 310,029,231 539,989,000 2007 764,147,000 139,007,279 257,519,384 314,281,668 546,822,000 2008 893,133,000 177,598,144 252,258,994 360,315,887 634,103,000

Increases in the TAV for the ten-year period have varied widely. Figure 8 shows the percentage of change for each city from 1999 through 2008.

Figure 8: Percent of Increase in TAV, 1999 – 2008 City of City of City of City of City of Richmond University Clayton Maplewood Olivette Heights City 59.9079% 121.3457% 75.0943% 71.1682% 93.7529%

In 2004, the study cities began levying different tax rates for residential, agricultural, commercial, and personal property. Prior to 2004, commercial and residential were reported as one total for real property. None of the cities in this study has real property taxed at the agricultural rate.

13 County of Saint Louis, MO, Assessment Division description.

Page 36 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 9 is a view of the tax rates per $100 of taxable value from 1999 through 2008 for each of the cities.

Figure 9: Real Property Tax Rates, 1999 – 2008 City of Clayton City of Maplewood Residential Commercial Personal Residential Commercial Personal 1999 0.8800 0.8800 0.8800 1999 0.9870 0.9870 0.9870 2000 0.7550 0.7550 0.7550 2000 0.9870 0.9870 0.9870 2001 0.7550 0.7550 0.7550 2001 0.9150 0.9150 0.9150 2002 0.6440 0.6440 0.6440 2002 0.9150 0.9150 0.9150 2003 0.6560 0.6560 0.6560 2003 0.9200 1.0120 1.0800 2004 0.6520 0.6520 0.6520 2004 0.9320 1.0220 1.0300 2005 0.6520 0.6520 0.6520 2005 0.7790 1.0680 1.0300 2006 0.7960 0.7960 0.7960 2006 0.1100 0.1090 0.1110 2007 0.7790 0.7790 0.7790 2007 0.8380 1.0880 1.2300 2008 0.6890 0.7580 0.8290 2008 0.8510 1.3810 1.2300 City of Olivette City of Richmond Heights Residential Commercial Personal Residential Commercial Personal 1999 0.9900 0.9900 0.9900 1999 0.7300 0.7300 0.7300 2000 0.9900 0.9900 0.9900 2000 0.7300 0.7300 0.7300 2001 0.9030 0.9030 0.9030 2001 0.8300 0.8300 0.8300 2002 0.9030 0.9030 0.9030 2002 0.8150 0.8150 0.8150 2003 0.8680 0.8860 0.9410 2003 0.8110 0.8110 0.8110 2004 0.8980 0.9100 0.9270 2004 0.7990 0.8130 0.8170 2005 0.9420 1.0140 1.0290 2005 0.8030 0.8210 0.8170 2006 0.9450 0.9800 1.0210 2006 0.7640 0.9260 0.8220 2007 0.7790 0.7420 1.0210 2007 0.7690 0.8220 0.8220 2008 0.7790 0.8360 1.0210 2008 0.6960 0.8130 0.8220 City of University City Residential Commercial Personal 1999 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 2000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 2001 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 2002 0.9490 0.9490 0.9490 2003 0.9630 0.9630 0.9630 2004 0.9290 0.9440 0.9850 2005 0.9580 1.0290 1.0020 2006 0.8450 0.9500 1.0150 2007 0.9060 1.0140 1.0770 2008 0.9270 1.0330 1.2360

Page 37 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

While the levy rates for 2009 have not been finalized, projections by the Saint Louis County Assessment Division are available. Rates projected for 2009 are:

Figure 10: Real Property Tax Rates, 2009 City Residential Commercial City of Clayton 0.7140 0.7610 City of Maplewood 0.8350 0.9830 City of Olivette 0.7980 0.7410 City of Richmond Heights 0.7270 0.8090 City of University City 0.9560 1.0650

Changes in the tax rates for 2009 from 2008 are not significant. Aggregating the tax rate over the ten-year period (residential, commercial, and personal property), real property tax rates have increased approximately 1 percent.

The amount of revenue generated from property taxes has increased significantly during the same period. Figure 11 shows the dollar amount of taxes levied by the five cities from 1999 through 2008 and the percent of change over the ten-year time period.

Figure 11: Total Property Taxes Levied by Year, 1999 – 2008 City of City of City of City of City of Fiscal Year Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette University City Heights 1999 4,141,897 755,228 Unreported 1,536,679 3,154,000 2000 4,214,517 803,690 1,395,071 1,670,712 3,382,000 2001 4,275,506 830,805 1,407,916 2,111,000 3,449,000 2002 4,320,414 854,576 1,527,258 2,076,680 4,050,000 2003 4,409,624 941,092 1,535,091 2,053,888 4,080,000 2004 4,587,714 958,096 1,576,437 2,194,363 4,190,000 2005 4,044,371 936,286 1,714,500 2,188,061 4,311,000 2006 6,251,869 1,116,645 2,018,123 2,579,417 4,597,000 2007 6,206,413 1,161,557 2,015,689 2,499,383 4,987,000 2008 6,566,784 1,554,164 2,109,216 2,702,372 6,020,000 % Change 58.545% 105.787% 51.191% 75.858% 90.869%

The amount of taxes levied by the cities has increased from 51 percent (51.191) to approximately 105 percent (105.787) during the ten-year period.

Sales Tax The base retail sales tax rate throughout St. Louis County is 6.325 percent. Retail sales in St. Louis County are subject to state sales tax (4.225 percent), a transportation sales tax (0.5

Page 38 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City percent), a mass transit sales tax for Metrolink (0.25 percent), a children's services sales tax (0.25 percent), and a Regional Parks and Trails sales tax (0.1 percent), and a one percent (1 percent) local sales tax. The 1 percent is distributed among the 91 municipalities and St. Louis County. St. Louis County's share is based on the unincorporated population of St. Louis County. Local Sales Tax rates are monitored by the Missouri Department of Revenue, which is responsible for the collection of sales taxes.

Figure 12 lists the historical taxable sales for each city from 2005 through the first half of 2009.14

Figure 12: Historical Taxable Sales, 2005 – 2009 Taxable Sales 2005 2006 2007 2008 200915 Clayton 260,338,158 264,763,438 281,848,097 272,122,016 116,730,843 Maplewood 209,035,825 214,381,012 217,007,913 220,567,140 101,950,106 Maplewood(T1) 22,892,271 23,295,428 23,315,957 22,486,600 11,061,251 Maplewood(T2) 7,042,764 33,951,443 29,820,074 28,191,052 14,502,534 Olivette 99,602,959 89,978,311 96,034,713 96,777,613 42,073,461 Olivette(T1) 1,752 2,833,187 Richmond Heights 443,622,121 456,494,266 424,576,415 370,112,631 162,005,251 Richmond Heights(T1) 94,378 339,246 51,358 134,151 Richmond Heights(T2) 5,859,051 21,956,076 20,486,773 31,589,411 13,869,321 Richmond Heights(T3) 1,153,601 436,289 University City 188,404,450 195,085,164 197,055,503 203,358,956 88,716,790 University City(T1) 17,786,135 18,072,342 18,390,020 4,022,356 8,151,506

Taxable sales in 2008 were flat or declined somewhat from 2007 levels. In 2008, taxable sales in Richmond Heights were approximately 87 percent of 2007.

The cities have similar sales tax rates, with one exception. The City of Clayton has a sales tax rate of 7.575 percent; each of the other four cities in this study has a rate of 7.825 percent (Figure 13).

14 Source: Missouri State Department of Revenue, Taxable Sales (Sales Tax Only), by City Code Report for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. 15 Note: 2009 is through the first six months of the year.

Page 39 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 13: Sales Tax Rate by City City Sales Tax Rate Clayton 7.575% Maplewood 7.825% Olivette 7.825% Richmond Heights 7.825% University City 7.825%

A majority of the sales tax revenue is used at the State and County level. Figure 14 shows a breakdown of the percentage that is used ear marked for uses outside the municipalities.

Figure 14: Sales Tax Rates – State and County Sales Tax Rates Category Rate State of Missouri - General 3.000% State of Missouri - Education 1.000% State of Missouri - Conservation 0.125% State of Missouri – Parks and Soil 0.100% St. Louis County - Transportation 0.500% St. Louis County - Metro Parks/Recreation 0.100% MetroLink 0.250% Total 5.075%

Approximately 64 to 68 percent of the sales tax revenue is directed to the State and County.

Cost Recovery Efforts Often, fire departments will operate from multiple funds in addition to the general fund. These funds are dedicated cost recovery or revenue accounts that receive funding from services such as a dedicated sales tax, ambulance transport, fire and life safety plans review, and fire and life safety inspections. Cost recovery, like other revenue sources, provides another measure of stability.

Some revenue can be gleaned from response to hazardous materials incidents, where spiller pays laws often require that departments are reimbursed for their mitigation efforts. However, this is typically limited to actual documented expenditures and, with the exception of very busy hazardous materials teams, provides little in the way of a predictable revenue stream.

A number of fire departments have initiated billing for fire suppression responses, primarily to insured structures. However, most insurance carriers provide very limited coverage for such

Page 40 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City fees, thus the revenue is rarely worth the political and public relations challenges or administrative efforts to collect it. As a result, many such efforts have failed.

Aside from EMS, code enforcement efforts often provide the most reliable, consistent, and predictable source of revenue. Many communities have established a fee ordinance for their code enforcement division which initiates billing for everything from routine inspections to licenses and plan review. Code enforcement fees such as this can be based on occupancy type (reflecting the relative complexity of the inspection), while plan review fees are often based on the square footage of the structure reviewed.

A list of typical non-tax revenue sources include: • Ambulance service fees • Medicare reimbursement • Contract for services, fire protection • Fire inspection permit fees • Licenses • Fire and life safety plans reviews • Federal forestry and wildlife protection • Fire suppression services • Hazardous materials mitigation • Standby services

Each of the five fire departments has some level of fees for service. A summary fee schedule is shown in the next table.

Figure 15: Summary Table of Fees for Service Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette University City Heights i) EMS transport revenue Yes N/A N/A Yes Yes ii) MED membership program No No No No No iii) Plan and review permits Yes, fire and life No No Code violations No safety iv) Other fees Rental of pumper Contracted services No Contracted services or ambulance, if No available

Page 41 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The three fire departments with EMS transport services bill for services. The other sources of significant revenue are the Clayton FD’s fees for fire and life safety inspections and contracted services.

Clayton Fire Department Figure 16 lists the source and amount of non-tax revenue for Clayton FD from 2004 through 2009. The 2008 amount is estimated and the 2009 amount is identified in the department’s adopted budget.

Figure 16: CFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009 Revenue Source 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Permits 16,103 13,549 10,459 15,841 17,221 27,500 Fire alarms 6,046 29,760 3,950 9,524 12,326 32,042 Report copies 431 198 350 152 121 100 Fontbonne Fire Protection 2,000 12,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 Concordia Fire Protection 12,848 10,928 16,395 65,574 16,395 16,395 Washington University Fire 101,847 107,332 113,027 165,000 170,000 175,100 Protection EMS Revenue 224,974 294,196 282,142 316,676 319,917 300,000 Total $364,249 $467,963 $436,323 $582,767 $545,980 $561,137

Revenue during the five-year period has increased approximately 54 percent and is equal to 15.5 percent of the total fire department budget for fiscal year 2009.

Maplewood Fire Department Maplewood reported that it charges a fee of $5.00 per fire report as a cost recovery effort to reproduce the document. No other fees for service are listed in the financial statements of the department.

Olivette Fire Department Figure 17 lists the source and amount of non-tax revenue for the Olivette FD from 2004 through 2009. The 2008 amount is estimated and the 2009 amount is identified in the department’s adopted budget.

Figure 17: OFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009 Revenue Source 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Elmwood Fire District $38,799 $47,905 $51,897 $60,064 $65,298 $69,962 Total $38,799 $47,905 $51,897 $60,064 $65,298 $69,962

Page 42 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Revenue during the five-year period has increased approximately 80 percent and is equal to 3.5 percent of the total fire department budget for fiscal year 2009.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Figure 18 lists the source and amount of non-tax revenue for the Richmond Heights FD from 2004 through 2009. The 2008 amount is estimated and the 2009 amount is identified in the adopted budget.

Figure 18: RHFD Non-Tax Revenue History, 2004 – 2009 Revenue Source 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Equipment Rental $3,350 $150 $400 $300 $0 $0 Miscellaneous Permits $150 $175 $175 $225 $150 $100 Investment Income $451 $520 $18,623 $27,834 $32,535 $10,000 Miscellaneous $75 $1,840 $10 $3,647 $10 $0 Work Comp $0 $0 $14,128 $7,759 $2,228 $7,766 Ambulance Billing $133,176 $208,680 $235,636 $194,356 $202,859 $213,000 Total $137,202 $211,365 $268,972 $234,121 $237,782 $230,866

Revenue during the five-year period has increased approximately 68 percent and is equal to 8.3 percent of the total fire department budget for fiscal year 2009.

University City Fire Department University City reported that there is no non-tax revenue for the University City FD for the study period of 2004 through 2009.Expenditure History

Clayton Fire Department The next figure (Figure 19) shows the expenditure history between 2004 and 2009 for the Clayton Fire Department. Actual expenditures were used in all years except 2008 and 2009; the estimated amount was used for 2008 and the budgeted amount for 2009. Four major divisions of the budget are shown.

Page 43 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 19: CFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 Personal Contractual Capital Year Commodities Total Services Services Outlay 2004 2,751,606 48,673 91,512 129,351 3,021,142 2005 3,027,250 45,246 62,083 42,291 3,176,870 2006 2,964,565 50,698 62,084 - 3,077,347 2007 3,038,534 64,672 73,951 2,342 3,179,499 2008 3,124,614 74,866 91,304 - 3,290,784 2009 3,199,243 92,990 100,574 64,000 3,456,807

During the five-year period, overall expenses grew at an annual average of 2.88 percent; the personal services average annual increase was 3.25 percent.

Maplewood Fire Department Figure 20 shows the expenditure history between 2004 and 2009 for the Maplewood Fire Department. Actual expenditures were used in all years except 2008 and 2009. The estimated amount was used for 2008, and the budgeted amount was used for 2009. There are four major divisions of the budget with a secondary column for expenses paid with the fire sales tax.

Figure 20: MFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 1/4 Cent Materials Other 1/4 Cent Personal Capital Year Fire Sales Sub-Total and Services Fire Total Services Outlay Tax Supplies Charges Sales Tax 2004 873,932 81,229 955,161 8,815 29,739 1,304 8,648 1,003,667 2005 862,565 119,730 982,295 10,487 36,789 - 131,460 1,161,031 2006 948,267 286,680 1,234,947 12,468 101,769 680 146,648 1,496,512 2007 899,936 459,922 1,359,858 16,999 138,211 - 157,712 1,672,780 2008 1,031,105 523,944 1,555,049 25,000 140,175 - 116,312 1,836,536 2009 1,069,962 561,865 1,631,827 28,430 166,750 - 129,677 1,956,684

During the five-year period, overall expenses grew at an annual average of 19.88 percent and personal services average annual increase was 14.17 percent.

Olivette Fire Department The expenditure history for the Olivette Fire Department between 2004 and 2009 is summarized in Figure 21. Actual expenditures were used in all years except 2008 and 2009. The estimated amount was used for 2008, and the budgeted amount was used for 2009. The four major divisions of the budget are shown.

Page 44 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 21: OFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009

Personal Contractual Capital Year Commodities Total Services Services Outlay

2004 1,286,367 385,032 15,212 4,748 1,691,359 2005 1,033,580 565,487 21,037 762 1,620,866 2006 1,822,365 359,417 29,530 64,829 2,276,141 2007 1,095,896 316,051 24,876 3,132 1,439,955 2008 1,179,243 361,528 30,110 27,950 1,598,831 2009 1,207,202 407,030 38,155 29,762 1,682,149

During the five-year period, overall expenses decreased at an annual average rate of 0.11 percent, and the personal services average annual decrease was 1.23 percent. Fire department budgeted expenditures in 2008 were equal to 80 percent of all property tax revenue received by the City.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Expenditures for the Richmond Heights Fire Department between 2004 and 2009 are shown in Figure 22. Actual expenditures were used in all years except 2008 and 2009. The estimated amount was used for 2008, and the budgeted amount for 2009. The four major divisions of the budget are shown.

Figure 22: RHFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 Materials Personal Contractual Capital Year and Total Services Services Outlay Supplies 2004 2,100,029 112,327 37,655 - 2,250,011 2005 2,086,423 143,323 47,562 56,162 2,333,470 2006 2,269,265 126,413 58,799 29,052 2,483,529 2007 2,267,879 144,721 61,561 39,221 2,513,382 2008 2,373,690 149,775 63,738 10,726 2,597,929 2009 2,492,820 189,127 72,721 11,265 2,765,933

During the five-year period, overall expenses grew at an annual average of 4.59 percent and the average personal services annual increase was 3.74 percent.

University City Fire Department Expenditures for the University City Fire Department between 2006 and 2009 are shown in Figure 23. Actual expenditures were used for 2006 and 2007. The estimated amount was used

Page 45 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City for 2008; the budgeted amount was used for 2009. The four major divisions of the budget are shown.

Figure 23: UCFD Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 Personal Contractual Capital Year Commodities Total Services Services Outlay 2006 3,292,047 278,429 145,070 221,119 3,936,665 2007 3,426,364 284,530 123,918 133,570 3,968,382 2008 3,628,936 253,829 131,230 159,369 4,173,364 2009 3,584,710 316,134 138,930 149,000 4,188,774

During the four-year period, overall expenses grew at an annual average of 2.14 percent and the average personal services annual increase was 2.96 percent.

Figure 24 summarizes the expenditures of the five fire departments. The sum spent on fire and emergency medical services is used in the comparables section and when projecting future costs.

Figure 24: Regional Expenditures by Year and Category, 2004 – 2009 Personal Contractual Capital Year Commodities Total Services Services Outlay 2006 11,583,189 916,726 307,951 286,628 13,094,494 2007 11,188,531 948,185 301,305 139,044 12,577,065 2008 11,861,532 980,173 341,382 187,319 13,370,406 2009 12,115,802 1,172,031 378,810 242,762 13,909,405

For the four-year period, regional fire and EMS expenses grew at an annual rate of 6.22 percent.

Pension Plans A pension fund is established by an employer to facilitate and organize the investment of employees' retirement funds contributed by the employer and employees. Pension funds are a common asset pool meant to generate stable growth over the long term and provide pensions for employees when they reach the end of their working years and commence retirement.16

Each fire department has a firemen’s retirement fund. Each pension plan has unique aspects that include: funding methodology, employee and employer contribution percentage,

16 Source: Definition of pension, Investopedia, A Forbes Digital Company.

Page 46 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City governance, and benefits schedule. While ESCI was not charged with auditing the plans, using available data we will show a comparison of assets versus the actuarial liabilities of each plan. The next table (Figure 25) allows a comparison of the pension plan components of each city.

Figure 25: Pension Plan Survey Components Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City ix) employee pension plan City finance director is Police and fire treasurer for both plans, pension plan, Police and fire Police and fire mayor, two alderman, three Mayor, City approximately 0.32 pension plan, pension plan. City officers (two of one Manager, one property tax, city approximately Manager, one police department and one of the city employee, pension board, one 0.144 residential officer, one firefighter, other department every and three firefighter, one and 0.163 for one business person, other year), and one citizens. police officer, City commercial, and and one citizen. resident appointment. Uniform and Manager, council 0.195 for personal LAGERS, Local Area Non-uniform, (two non-uniform all member, and three tax, city pension Governments alderman, two employees, covered under citizens. LAGERS, board, one Employees Retirement and three citizens). Both are the same plan. Local Area firefighter, one System for non- defined benefit plan for non- Employees Governments police officer, HR uniform. uniform. contribute 5% of Employees director, and five City contributes the Employee contribution is base salary Retirement System citizens. City has employee’s 7% of 5% for the first 30 years. (based on gross for non-uniform. a pension plan for base salary and Uniform and non-uniform do amount). Employees non-uniform educational bonus. not have a contribution for contribute 4% of employees the last three years. base salary.

Clayton The City of Clayton has established a single-employer defined benefit pension plan for uniformed employees of the City. Uniformed employees contribute 5 percent of their salary until they have completed 30 years of service. The City contribution is based on an actuarially determined amount to meet current costs and the amortization of past service liability. The City enacted Ordinance 4343 in 1984. This ordinance, approved by vote of the citizens of Clayton, provided for the annual levy of taxes to fund the fire fighters pension plan at a rate of $0.25 per $100 of assessed value of all taxable real and personal property in the City.

Page 47 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 26 shows the City of Clayton Uniformed Employees’ Retirement Fund value, liability, and funded ratio for 2003 through 2008.

Figure 26: City of Clayton Retirement Fund Assets and Liabilities, 2003 - 2008 Values as of Actuarial Value Actuarial Funded December 31 of Assets Accrued Liability Ratio % 2003 17,284,000 23,705,000 72.9 2004 19,197,000 24,962,000 76.9 2005 21,317,000 26,264,000 81.2 2006 22,515,000 27,183,000 82.8 2007 25,274,000 28,928,000 87.4 2008 27,668,000 30,173,000 91.7

The Retirement Fund increased the funded ratio in each of the last six years.

Maplewood In accordance with City Charter and state statutes, the City of Maplewood has established a single-employer defined benefit pension plan that provides pension, death, and disability for certain City police and firemen (firefighters). The Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement Fund (Pension Trust Fund) eligible participants are the full-time police officers and firefighters of the City. Retirement benefits are payable to employees with 20 years of service at 2 percent of base pay up to a maximum of 60 percent of the employee’s base pay.

The 2008 Maplewood CAFR lists an annual pension cost of $806,015 and a net pension obligation of $463,634 as of June 30, 2008.

The Maplewood Fire Department receives funding from sales tax (point of sale) in the amount of ¼ cent. Revenue in fiscal year 2007 – 2008 was budgeted to be $116,312 and $129,677 in fiscal year 2008 – 2009. The City of Maplewood assesses a property tax at $0.192 per $100 of assessed value for funding its pension fund.

Olivette Salaried employees of the City of Olivette participate in a defined benefit pension plan controlled by the provisions of City Ordinance #686 adopted October 14, 1964. Employees attaining the latter of age 55 or completion of ten years of service are entitled to annual benefits of their highest average monthly compensation for the five consecutive years out of the last ten compensated years prior to retirement date. All benefits vest after five years of credited service. The Plan has provisions for early retirement.

Page 48 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The City of Olivette levies taxes on real estate and personal property to fund its pension plan at the rate of $0.25 per $100 of assessed value.17

Figure 27 shows the City of Olivette Salaried Employees Pension Plan value, liability, and funded ratio for 2004 through 2008.

Figure 27: City of Olivette Pension Plan Assets and Liabilities Values as of Actuarial Value Actuarial Funded December 31 of Assets Accrued Liability Ratio % 2004 16,806,541 16,806,541 100.00 2005 17,999,050 19,375,723 92.9 2006 19,096,646 19,832,944 96.3 2007 21,212,713 20,422,778 103.9 2008 22,624,112 21,736,771 104.1

There is no net pension actuarial liability as of December 31, 2008.

Richmond Heights The City of Richmond Heights maintains a single-employer, defined benefit pension plan, Police and Fire Pension Plan that covers all uniformed public safety employees of the City. The Plan provides retirement and death benefits for plan employees and beneficiaries according to City ordinance. A retirement benefit is provided to employees upon reaching 60 years of age or 30 years of service equal to 70 percent of the average base pay for the final three years prior to retirement.

The funding vehicle for the fire department pension plan is a voter approved tax rate is 0.32 to 0.37 per $100 of taxable value. Anticipated revenue in 2007 was $996,247 on $0.32 per $100 of taxable value.18 A separate financial report is not prepared for the Plan. Financial information about the Plan is provided in a summary plan description.

University City Under City Ordinance, the City has established a single-employer defined benefit pension plan that provides pension, disability, and death benefits for University City uniformed police and firemen (firefighters). While participation is mandatory, employees are not required to contribute to the defined benefit portion of the Plan. Retirement benefits in the form of a life annuity

17 Source: Financial Statements for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2008, City of Olivette, Missouri. 18 City of Richmond Heights Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement Fund, Actuarial Valuation Report as of July 1, 2007.

Page 49 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City payable monthly are provided to employees upon reaching 50 years of age with 20 years of service.

Figure 28 shows the UCFD Pension Plan value, liability and funded ratio for 2001 through 2007.

Figure 28: UCFD Pension Plan Assets and Liabilities Values as of Actuarial Value Actuarial Funded December 31 of Assets Accrued Liability Ratio % 2001 32,687,985 21,539,106 151.8 2002 31,405,211 23,458,736 133.9 2003 31,169,025 22,979,435 135.6 2004 30,959,774 25,847,033 119.8 2005 30,243,209 27,145,396 111.4 2006 29,758,856 28,556,549 104.2 2007 30,236,680 28,645,117 105.6

There is no net pension obligation as of December 31, 2007 for University City.

The University City Fire Department receives funding from sales tax (point of sale) in the amount of ¼ cent. Revenue in 2008 was estimated to be $600,000 and forecast to be $611,000 in 2009. The City of University City has the authority to levy $0.161, however the City is not currently levying using its levy authorization.

Capital Improvement Program/Plan (CIP) A comprehensive capital improvement and replacement program is important to the long-term financial stability of any fire and emergency medical service organization. Such programs provide systematic development and renewal of the physical assets and rolling-stock of the agency. A capital program must link with the planning process to anticipate and time capital expenditures in a manner that does not adversely influence the operation of the agency or otherwise place the agency in a negative financial position. Items usually included in capital improvement and replacement programs are facilities, apparatus, land acquisition, and other major capital projects.

Figure 29 summarizes the CIPs for each of the cities and those purchases specific to the fire departments.

Page 50 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 29: Summary of Capital Improvement Plans Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City B. CIP Capital improvement plan Three-year Five-year projection projection for Not formal, but the City has a Three-year projection for No for capital capital listing of capital needs capital requirements requirements requirements i) plan period Rolling three- year with 20- N/A Through 2011 Rolling three-year Rolling five-year year projection ii) periodic review Annually N/A Varies Annually Annually iii) projects Purchasing an Took delivery of an ambulance this year, ambulance this year New fire station Command vehicle replacement N/A approximately $180,000. and will be in July 2004 in 2009 Look at replacing SCBA purchasing a fire in 2010. pumper in 2010 iv) funding The City of Olivette charges a Funded from the 0.50 capital improvement sales revolving equipment Motor vehicles are tax on all retail sales within the replacement fund that is being added to the Loan N/A city limits that is used for the funded from a .50 capital CIP beginning with maintenance of city owned improvement sales tax the new ambulance streets and capital on retail sales improvements.

Page 51 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Objective Two: Service Delivery and Performance The delivery of fire suppression and rescue services is no more effective than the sum of its parts. It requires efficient notification of an emergency, rapid response from well-located facilities in appropriate apparatus, and with sufficient staffing, following a well-practiced plan of action. This section evaluates these various components and provides observations of the elements that make up the delivery of the most critical core services provided by the fire departments in the Saint Louis County study area.

9-1-1 and Dispatch/Notification Systems East Central Dispatch Center Four agencies involved in this study are provided communications and dispatch services through the East Central Dispatch Center (ECDC), a consolidated operation governed cooperatively by the communities of Clayton, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, Olivette, and Webster Grove. The dispatch center is the primary Public Safety Answering Point for all six of these cities. This center functions as the dispatch point for all police, fire and EMS calls within each.

The Communications Center is managed by a General Manager, along with Shift Supervisors who are on duty with each shift in the center. The ECDC maintains between three and four personnel on duty, depending on the shift. The center uses cross-trained dispatcher/call-taker positions and typically dedicates at least one communications position to the dispatch function for fire and EMS.

There are six incoming 9-1-1 telephone trunk lines and additional lines that handle incoming administrative seven-digit lines for all agencies.

No formal call answering or call processing time standards have been adopted, though the concept has been discussed. Performance measurement was unavailable for this study. Quality assurance is being conducted by the General Manager, who indicated he runs call processing time reports on occasion. Currently, performance measurement provided by the ECDC in its system reports to the governing board focus primarily on workload, which is not necessarily an indicator or quality, efficiency, or effectiveness. Formal performance objectives should be established and measured.

NFPA 1221, Section 6.4.2 and 6.4.3 (Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems) specifies that, “Ninety-five percent of emergency dispatching shall

Page 52 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City be completed within 60 seconds.” These or similar standards should be considered for formal adoption, and performance monitoring should be conducted regularly with reports provided to the governing board and the Fire Chiefs. If these standards are adopted, the center should begin reviewing call processing time at the 90th percentile, in addition to call answering or “pick- up” time.

Computer-aided dispatch software is available to the fire dispatcher. Call processing and dispatch is handled quickly, with automated processes that take place in order to identify the correct unit or stations to dispatch. The CAD system is manufactured by Global Software™ of Oklahoma and is a geo-based system running on a Windows™-based SQL server. The system relies on geographic information maintained by the center staff and is updated when necessary. Indications were that the ability to maintain or improve the geo-based data was a weakness of the center, with no personnel having significant training in the use of GIS software. CAD is currently programmed with up to five layers of back-up full-alarm recommendations, depending on apparatus type.

Notification of companies takes place by specific unit dispatch, with programmed assignment of specific apparatus quantities and types. Apparatus availability for the department is tracked automatically by the CAD system, and back-up assignments are determined with assistance from the CAD software. Computer tracking of dispatch, arrival, and control times is available and tracked by CAD as well.

Dispatch of apparatus within the fire stations takes place by encoded station radios. Direct line in-station printers also provide “rip and run” call sheets to responding units and provide post- incident timestamp data. This provides two redundant methods for transmitting alarms. Field personnel are notified by pocket-sized tone-encoded radio receivers or alphanumeric pagers. The CAD system includes an interface for direct and automated creation of alphanumeric paging, though the system is imperfect and has been challenged by the variation of end-user devices.

The center is currently in the process of transitioning to the use of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) processes. Nine dispatchers are fully certified in the Priority Dispatch™ EMD system, equipping them to provide pre-arrival instructions to bystanders at medical incidents. The EMD system will eventually be integrated into the CAD system, ensuring that the correct resources

Page 53 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City respond in the correct manner to various types of medical emergencies, based on described conditions and symptoms.

ECDC’s radio system operates on a conventional VHF system with two basic channels available to fire department units, one for dispatch and one for fireground communications. County and statewide mutual aid frequencies are also available for special or extended incidents.

The dispatch center has limited contingency plans for system failure. Back-up power is in place with spare transmitters available. A back-up transmitter and a functional dispatch site could be set up using the Saint Louis County programmable mobile command center. Dispatching could also be transferred to the Saint Louis County communications center. However, center personnel indicated no formal plans or procedures had been prepared and tested for this process. Evacuation and transfer drills should be conducted at least annually to train dispatchers for emergency relocation and other system failure procedures.

University City Dispatch Center University City Fire Department is provided communications and dispatch services through the University City Dispatch Center, a division of the University City Police Department. The dispatch center is the primary Public Safety Answering Point for University City residents and businesses only. This center functions as the dispatch point for all police, fire and EMS calls within the city.

The Communications Center is managed by a Police Captain. The center maintains three personnel on duty during all shifts. The center uses cross-trained dispatcher/call-taker positions and typically dedicates at least one communications position to the call-taker function.

There are seven incoming 9-1-1 telephone trunk lines and additional lines that handle incoming administrative seven-digit lines for the police department.

No formal call answering or call processing time standards have been adopted. Performance measurement was unavailable for this study. Quality assurance is being conducted by the Captain or a supervisor from “time to time”. Formal performance objectives should be established and measured.

The current police CAD system is being used to track the response times of the fire department. This awkward process produced data that was extremely challenging for ESCI to work with. For purposes of our study, very detailed and specific timestamps were needed for each responding

Page 54 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City apparatus. The information must be both accurate and easy to retrieve. Beyond our study, fire departments are being increasingly asked to improve their performance measurement capabilities. This will be true with University City Fire Department as well. The current system will make this process difficult.

As noted, NFPA 1221, Section 6.4.2 and 6.4.3 (Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems) specifies that, “Ninety-five percent of emergency dispatching shall be completed within 60 seconds.” These or similar standards should be considered for formal adoption. If these standards are adopted, the center should begin reviewing call processing time at the 90th percentile, in addition to call answering or “pick- up” time.

The University City Dispatch Center does not have computer aided dispatch (CAD) software that is specifically designed to properly accommodate the dispatch of fire and emergency medical resources. The center currently uses a "homemade" spreadsheet designed on Microsoft Excel® that is intended to provide a recommendation for resource assignment based on call type. During ESCI’s field visit, none of the on-duty dispatchers could demonstrate how to make the system work. Instead, paper "run order" cards are used for this purpose, a methodology not commonly seen since the advent of CAD in the early 1970s. The process of manually sorting through alphabetized street cards and then cross-referencing call types manually is extremely time-consuming and subject to frequent mistakes.

The use of manual running order cards means that there is no automated system for recommending alternative units to those on the card when the recommended units are unavailable. Alternate units must be selected manually by the dispatcher or through a request to an on-duty fire department supervisor rather than having these back-up running orders programmed into an automated system. For example, in some fire CAD systems, backup unit recommendations may be programmed as many as 12 layers deep, including distant mutual aid units, so that multiple calls of similar type can occur in the same general area and dispatchers will still receive an immediate recommendation for unit assignment.

The lack of computer-aided fire dispatch means that street data and running orders must be updated manually. Even the police CAD system that is in place is based on tabular data rather than more modern use of geo-mapping data. Updates to street tables and other assignment

Page 55 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City tables must be done manually instead of working with geographic shapes on the map. Changes or corrections in running orders under the current systems are time-consuming.

Again, as a result of the lack of computer-aided fire dispatch, specific fire hazard or water supply information cannot be automatically offered to the dispatcher or the responders. Modern fire CAD systems automate the process of storing and retrieving address-specific hazard information, as well as the locations of nearest water supplies and fire hydrants. This information can then be offered to responders by radio or through the use of mobile data terminals.

Notification of companies takes place by specific unit dispatch, with assignment of specific apparatus quantities and types provided by the run cards. Dispatch of apparatus within the fire stations takes place by encoded station radios. In-station printers are not available. Field personnel are notified by pocket-sized tone-encoded radio receivers or alphanumeric pagers. The police CAD system does not effectively provide automated creation of alphanumeric paging.

The center has not adopted the use of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) processes and no medical assistance instructions are given to callers. There is currently no intent to transition to EMD.

University City’s radio system operates on a conventional VHF system with one basic channel available to fire department units for dispatch and fireground communications. There is some form of local radio to radio fireground communications available to the fire vehicles only, but it is unavailable to dispatchers. The statewide mutual aid frequency is also available for special or extended incidents.

The dispatch center has limited contingency plans for system failure. Back-up power is in place with spare transmitters and a spare console available. Dispatching could also be transferred to the North Central or East Central Dispatch Centers. Center personnel indicated no formal plans or procedures had been prepared and tested for this process. Evacuation and transfer drills should be conducted at least annually to train dispatchers for emergency relocation and other system failure procedures.

Page 56 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Recommendation 10: University City Dispatch should immediately begin the process of obtaining an (efficient and effective) CAD software program that is designed and programmed to accommodate the needs of a modern fire and emergency medical services department.

Recommendation 11: University City Dispatch should develop a system to improve and maintain the geobase data of its current and any future CAD software system.

Recommendation 12: University City Dispatch should consider the use of printers in fire stations to provide “rip and run” incident information to the responding crews.

Recommendation 13: University City Dispatch should make plans to train and certify dispatchers on Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) procedures and call prioritization.

Recommendation 14: East Central Dispatch Center and University City Dispatch should establish formal performance objectives for call answering and call processing times and develop a quality assurance program that monitors performance measures on a regular basis.

Recommendation 15: East Central Dispatch Center and University City Dispatch should establish written procedures for system failures and center evacuation and conduct failure and evacuation drills annually.

Distribution Analysis Each of the fire agencies has one fire station with the exception of University City Fire Department, which has two. The following map series provides a close-up view of each fire department’s jurisdiction, including any contractual service areas.

Clayton Fire Department Located in the center of the study area, the Clayton Fire Department provides services to the City of Clayton and to Washington University, located in an unincorporated area on the northeast side of town. The station is located in the northwest corner of town, as depicted in the following figure.

Page 57 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 30: Clayton FD Facility Deployment

Page 58 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Maplewood Fire Department The southernmost area of service is provided by the Maplewood Fire Department. It has one facility located within the center of its primary response area, with access to major thoroughfares.

Figure 31: Maplewood FD Facility Deployment

Page 59 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Olivette Fire Department Located in the northeast corner of the study area, the Olivette Fire Department provides services to the City of Olivette and (by contract) to a smaller unincorporated area on the north side of town. A centrally located fire station serves this community with quick access to major routes within the city.

Page 60 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 32: Olivette FD Facility Deployment

Page 61 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Richmond Heights Fire Department Located between Clayton to the north and Maplewood to the south, the City of Richmond Heights is at the crossroads of two interstate highways that draw visitors and residents to a major retail mall within the area—the St Louis Galleria.

Figure 33: Richmond Heights FD Facility Deployment

Page 62 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

University City Fire Department Located between Clayton and Olivette on the north side of the study area, University City FD operates two stations within its service area. In terms of square miles, this fire jurisdiction is the largest of all those included in the study.

Figure 34: University City FD Facility Deployment

Page 63 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

In an effort to identify areas of redundancy or gaps in service coverage throughout the entire study area, a travel time model was performed demonstrating the reach of each fire station without consideration for jurisdiction boundaries. For purposes of this analysis, a road travel time model of four minutes was used. The time is calculated by modeling travel time on the actual roadway network. Reduction of speed has been utilized to account for negotiating turns and intersections with a multi-ton apparatus. The following map (Figure 35) demonstrates this modeled four-minute travel time capability from all stations for all departments in this study. It displays areas of overlap and redundancy, where multiple stations can reach the same geographic area within four minutes of travel time.

Page 64 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 35: Full Study Area Four-Minute Travel Redundancy and Service Gaps

While there are some significant areas of redundancy, it is also evident that almost the entire study area is within the four-minute travel time of at least one fire station. Small exceptions are

Page 65 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City seen in the far western portions of Richmond Heights; the analysis did not include stations that were not part of the study, some of which may be able to cover these gaps.

Insurance Credentialing Criteria The next set of maps examines each fire department’s coverage based upon credentialing criteria for the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The ISO reviews the fire protection resources within communities and provides a Public Protection Classification™ (PPC) rating system from which insurance rates are often based. The rating system evaluates three primary areas: the emergency communication and dispatch system, the fire department, and the community’s pressurized hydrant or tanker-based water supply. The overall rating is then expressed as a number between 1 and 10, with 1 being the highest level of protection and 10 being unprotected or nearly so. It is also important to note that, according to the Insurance Services Office website information on the PPC™ minimum criteria, “the ISO generally assigns Class 10 to properties beyond five road miles” from a fire station.19

A community’s PPC™ can affect decisions insurers make regarding the availability and price of property insurance. Many insurance companies make at least some use of the classification to price their policies, determine which types of coverage to offer, or determine deductibles for individual homes and businesses. Notwithstanding the community’s classification, individual insurance companies establish their premiums, not the Insurance Services Office. The particular system that any given company uses when calculating premiums for property insurance may be affected by that company’s fire-loss experience, underwriting guidelines, and marketing strategy. This makes it extremely difficult to generalize how any improvement or decline in the PPC™ rating will affect specific insurance policies or premiums.

Fire station distribution has a rating impact through engine and ladder company distribution credits found in Section 561 of the PPC™ schedule. It must be remembered that this section accounts for a four-point maximum of 50 possible points for fire district credit, and is rarely the most effective means to pursue for PPC™ improvement. As an example, the number of personnel available (Section 570) is worth 15 out of 50 points, and firefighter training (Section 580) is worth nine out of 50 points. In a typical fire department, significant improvements in the quality, quantity, and documentation of training can result in greater improvements at much less cost than the addition of fire stations to improve credit under the distribution section.

19 Information obtained from the Insurance Services Office website, www.isomitigation.com.

Page 66 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following table lists the latest PPC™ scoring for each of the communities in the study, including the scores for water systems and fire departments.

Figure 36: ISO Ratings by Department Possible Points Fire Department – 50 Water System – 40 Clayton 31.59 38.73 Maplewood 26.16 36.04 Olivette 26.52 35.47 Richmond Heights 25.93 36.59 University City 32.18 39.58

While distribution credits in the PPC™ may not be the most important factor in the decision to add facilities, it is acknowledged that this issue does affect the community’s rating classification and should be considered. The next few paragraphs of the report examine the travel coverage based upon the PPC credentialing criteria by the Insurance Services Office.

To receive maximum credit in this section, all “built-upon” portions of a community would need to be within 1.5 road miles of an engine company and 2.5 road miles of a ladder or service company. In order to determine the distribution of engine companies across “built upon” areas, ISO reviews the response area of each existing engine and identifies the number of fire hydrants within those response areas. ISO analyzes whether there are additional geographic areas of the jurisdiction outside of the existing engine company response where at least 50 percent of the number of hydrants served by the largest existing response area could be served by a new engine. For ISO purposes, the response area is measured at 1.5 miles of travel distance from each engine company on existing roadways. In order for a structure to be in a protected rating for insurance purposes, it should be within five miles of a fire station. There are no areas in the study communities that would be affected by this rule.

Page 67 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 37: Full Study Area ISO 1.5-mile Engine Company Distribution

In similar fashion, to achieve optimum credit for the number of truck companies, ISO reviews the response area of each existing truck company and identifies the number of fire hydrants within

Page 68 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City those response areas. ISO analyzes whether there are additional geographic areas of the district outside of the existing truck response areas where at least 50 percent of the number of hydrants served by the largest existing response area could be served by a new truck, were one to be added. For ISO purposes, the response area is measured at 2.5 miles of travel distance from each truck company on existing roadways.

A truck company is not required to have an elevating ladder or aerial device unless there are a sufficient number of buildings that would meet the three-story height and defined square footage limits. Other areas can receive similar credit for a service company without the requirement of an elevated device and can even receive partial credit for a service company if other apparatus, such as an engine, carries a complement of service company equipment. This analysis will focus on the ladder companies in the study area with elevating aerial devices. The first map illustrates the ISO truck distance in comparison to multi-storied buildings20.

20 Only multi-storied buildings currently listed in ISO’s batch data of community survey information are included in this map. Additional multi-story buildings may be present but are not currently included in the rating evaluation.

Page 69 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 38: Full Study Area ISO Truck Company Distribution—Multi-Story Buildings

Page 70 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Most of the tallest buildings are located in Clayton near the fire station equipped with a ladder apparatus. Other ladder-qualifying buildings are distributed throughout University City, Maplewood, and Richmond Heights. The map indicates all structures qualifying for ladder service due to height are within the 2.5-mile roadway distance of an existing ladder company.

The next map illustrates the ISO truck distance in comparison to structures that ISO surveyed to be in excess of 25,000 square feet in the study area21.

21 Only large square-footage buildings currently listed in ISO’s batch data of community survey information are included in this map. Additional large buildings may be present but are not currently included in the rating evaluation.

Page 71 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 39: Full Study Area ISO Truck Company Distribution—Large Area Buildings

Again, this map indicates all structures qualifying for ladder service due to large square-footage are within the 2.5-mile roadway distance of an existing ladder company.

Page 72 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Aside from the larger structures, the ISO surveyed other buildings within the study area and determined a Needed Fire Flow (NFF, the amount of water in gallons per minute (gpm)), that a structure would require in the event of a fire based upon its size, roof type, constructive materials, and other factors. Figure 40 illustrates the concentration of NFFs within the study area when all surveyed buildings are taken into consideration on a per-square-mile basis.

Page 73 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 40: Needed Fire Flow Concentration

Page 74 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Service Demand Analysis Before a full response time analysis is conducted, it is important to first examine the level of workload or service demand, that a fire department experiences. Higher service demands can strain the resources of a department and may result in a negative effect on response time performance.

Each agency’s workload will be evaluated separately, followed by a summary chart for overall comparison. Calls types were combined into three general categories: calls dispatched as a fire, a medical event, and other types of calls for service. To begin, workload is examined on a yearly basis by call type and by agency.

For Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, and Richmond Heights, the data used in the following sections of the report reflects only the calls recorded by the East Central Dispatch Center and included in the data they provided to ESCI.22

For University City, the data used in this section of the report reflects only the calls recorded by the University City Dispatch Center. However, the data provided by that center did not reflect the total call volume as reported by the fire department. There were further complications in the analysis of the University City data, since many of the calls sent by the dispatch center for inclusion in the analysis as “fire department calls” carried incident type codes that would not pertain to a fire or EMS response, such as a “report of vandalism”. ESCI did its best to interpret and sort the data and attempted to cross-reference it to the department’s records management data, including NFIRS records. Unfortunately, the department’s NFIRS records also contained some discrepancies, most notably approximately 182 incident numbers for which there was no NFIRS record entry. For this reason, it should be noted that the accuracy of the University City data may not be as high as the other departments in the study.

Clayton Fire Department CFD experienced a decrease in fire calls contrasted by an increase in medical and other types of calls to net an overall slight increase in service call volume from 2007.

22 It is not unusual to see some slight variation between a department’s incident activity as recorded in their records management system and the incident activity recorded by the CAD system. Any such variations are usually the result of differences in how either entity records and classifies an incident within its data system. CAD records were used in these analyses.

Page 75 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 41: Clayton FD Workload History by Call Type Clayton FD Workload History by Call Type

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Maplewood Fire Department MFD had more calls that were fire-related in 2008 versus 2007. The same is true for other types of calls as well, albeit very slight. Nonetheless, these increases did not offset a reduction in medical requests to yield a year-to-year decrease in overall service demand.

Figure 42: Maplewood FD Workload History by Call Type Maplewood FD Workload History by Call Type

2007 2008 4,000

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Olivette Fire Department Service demand has been stable for the Olivette FD over the last two years in all call categories. A nominal increase in calls over 2007 was recorded in 2008.

Page 76 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 43: Olivette FD Workload by Call Type Olivette FD Workload by Call Type

2007 2008 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 Fire Medical Other

Richmond Heights Fire Department A slight increase in fire calls and other types of calls offset the decline in medical requests to record an overall increase in service demand from 2007 to 2008.

Figure 44: Richmond Heights FD Workload History by Call Type

Richmond Heights FD Workload by Call Type 2007 2008 4,000

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0 Fire Medical Other

University City Fire Department UCFD experienced a decline in all call categories from 2007 to 2008 but remains the agency with the highest service demand volume in the study area.

Page 77 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 45: University City FD Workload History by Call Type University City FD Workload by Call Type 2007 2008 4,000

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0 Fire Medical Other

As can be seen be each department’s Workload by Call Type chart, the majority of workload throughout the region is related to medical responses. Although only three of the five study agencies currently operate EMS transport units, all of the study agencies participate in EMS in some fashion. Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD all provide transport EMS services while Maplewood FD and Olivette FD provide only ALS non-transport (first responder) services. In evaluating the region as a whole, approximately 62 percent of the total workload is due to medical responses, either transport or first response. Individually, the percentage of medical responses to total workload is varied based on the following approximations from calendar year 2008.

Page 78 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 46: Percentage of EMS Responses to Total Workload

Percentage Department Medical Responses Clayton FD 55 % Maplewood FD 55 % Olivette FD 63 % Richmond Heights FD 50 % University City FD 75 % Overall 62 %

As fire codes become stricter and the general population ages, each study agency should expect their total workload to be comprised of primarily medical responses.

As mentioned previously, Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD all provide transport EMS while Maplewood FD and Olivette FD provide only ALS first responder services and contract ALS transport to a private provider. Each of the FD transport units is staffed with a minimum of two personnel at all times on each of the four units routinely in service. These eight personnel constitute 22 percent of the total minimum on duty staffing of the five departments as a whole.

The workload on emergency response units can be a factor in response time performance. The busier a given unit, the less available it is for the next emergency. If a response unit is unavailable, then a unit from a more distant station must respond, increasing overall response time. A cushion of surplus response capacity above average values must be maintained due to less frequent but very critical times, when atypical demand patterns appear in the system. Multiple medical calls, simultaneous fires, multi-casualty events, or multiple alarm fires are all examples of atypical demand patterns. Using the total time on incident, unit hour utilization is calculated for each unit.

Unit hour utilization is an important workload indicator because it describes the amount of time a unit is not available for response since it is already committed to an incident. The larger the number, the greater the unit’s utilization and the less available it is for assignment to an incident. Studies of fire-based medical units indicate that significant employee burnout can occur with 0.30 unit hour utilization. However, third-service EMS providers suggest higher UHU ratios in the range of 0.35-0.40 are acceptable. In private, for-profit ambulance transport companies, a UHU of 0.50 would be acceptable. Fire-based units have suggested lower workload ratios due

Page 79 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City to the dual nature of the firefighter/paramedic positions along with associated training time. Private providers of EMS typically include interfacility transports into the work schedule and are profit-driven with regard to productivity of resources. The following figure illustrates unit hour utilization for each individual unit during 2007 and 2008.

Figure 47: Transport EMS Workload

2007 2008 Unit Total Calls Total Time UHU Total Calls Total Time UHU CFD Ambulance 1468 1154:32:22 0.13 1443 1060:58:29 0.12 RHFD Ambulance 1389 1000:51:28 0.11 1416 941:32:42 0.11 UCFD Ambulance 1 1306 879:21:55 0.10 2162 1545:51:19 0.18 UCFD Ambulance 2 1346 1024:49:38 0.12 2122 1644:13:19 0.19 *UHU = Unit Hour Utilization – an indicator of how busy a given unit is based on the amount of time the unit is involved with incidents compared to total available time.

As can be seen from the figure above, current levels of unit hour utilization are well below the 0.30 threshold mentioned previously. Based on UHU, RHFD is the least busy of the four ambulances with CFD very close to the same utilization rate. UCFD, however, has substantially higher rates of utilization for both if their units as is expected based on the large population and overall demographics of that response area

A review of incidents by time of occurrence also reveals when the greatest response demand is occurring. The following charts show how activity and demand changes for the fire agencies within the study area based on various measures of time. ESCI began by breaking down yearly workload into monthly increments for 2008.

Page 80 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 48: All Departments Monthly Workload Workload by Month Of Year-2008

Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City Average 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Workload for all agencies has historically been relatively stable throughout the year with spikes in activity noted in September for several agencies. One possible explanation is the influx of student population to Washington University in the fall. Next, the workload is examined by the day of the week to determine when workload is highest on a daily basis.

Figure 49: All Departments Workload by Day of Week Workload by Day of Week-2008

Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City Average 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

Page 81 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Daily workload varies by department, but service demand is higher during the week and lower on the weekends. For UCFD, the busiest day was calculated to be Tuesdays, while calls in Richmond Heights are highest on Fridays.

The final analysis of historical workload concludes with examination of call types by hour of day. Understanding when peak activity occurs begins the process of developing deployment strategies and needs assessment.

Figure 50: All Departments Hourly Workload Workload by Hour of Day-2008

Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City Average 300

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0 01234567891011121314151617181920212223

A similar pattern of higher daytime workload is exhibited by the hourly workload analysis for all the fire agencies and is reflective of the level of human activity during these times. Fire department activity begins to increase by 6:00 am and increases for most departments until mid afternoon when a gradual decline into the evening is noted. Notably, the University City Fire Department experiences a higher spike in activity in the morning and stays busier in the evening hours. This is a normal trend for departments with very heavy demand for emergency medical services.

In addition to the temporal analysis of the current service demand, it is useful to examine geographic distribution of service demand. Later in this study, this will allow for assessing the location of stations in comparison to the actual service demand within the area. The following

Page 82 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City map series indicates the distribution of emergency incidents in the study area during the last full year’s worth of data.23

Figure 51: Full Study Area Service Demand Density

23 90 percent or greater of incidents were plotted geographically.

Page 83 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

While the above map reflects all calls for service in the study area, it can be influenced by the prevalence of medical requests. The following map illustrates the location of structure fires that were handled by the departments within the study area over the same time period. It illustrates that actual structure fire incidents are more evenly scattered throughout the area.

Figure 52: Full Study Area Service Demand Density—Structure Fires Only

Page 84 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Reliability Analysis Unit Workload and Reliability Rates The workload on emergency response units can also be a factor in response time performance. The busier a given unit, the less available it is for the next emergency. If a response unit is unavailable, then a unit from a more distant station must respond, increasing overall response time. A cushion of surplus response capacity above average values must be maintained due to less frequent but very critical times when atypical demand patterns appear in the system. Multiple medical calls, simultaneous fires, multi-casualty events, or multiple alarm fires are all examples.

Many times, multiple agencies are dispatched to a single alarm and this is reflected in the preceding analysis as it is part of each department’s total workload. This total workload for each department is summarized for the last year in the following chart as well, but in this case those calls that were located outside of a department’s district were calculated for comparison with the calls that occurred within a department’s own district.

Figure 53: Total Workload History Comparison & Mutual Aid Workload

Total Workload Comparison with Mutual Aid In-district Mutual Aid 6,000

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0 Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond University Heights City

The fire agencies have differing levels of workload both within their own districts and in the provision of mutual aid to their neighbors. An extensive network of automatic aid agreements

Page 85 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City does increase the workload for many of these departments but also permits the department to access and share resources in high-risk areas or target occupancies.

Call Concurrency and Resource Drawdown One way to look at resource workload is to examine the amount of time multiple calls happen within the same time frame on the same day. ESCI examined the calls during 2008 to find the frequency with which a fire agency is handling multiple calls at one time. More calls occurring simultaneously can stretch available resources and extend response times by causing the community to rely on more distant responding apparatus.

Figure 54: Call Concurrency Rates Clayton Maplewood Olivette Richmond Heights University City Single 2616 84.44% 1740 94.57% 1228 94.83% 2174 90.81% 3346 64.90% 2 388 12.52% 91 4.95% 62 4.79% 200 8.35% 1207 23.41% 3 65 2.10% 5 0.27% 5 0.39% 18 0.75% 399 7.74% 4 17 0.55% 1 0.05% 1 0.04% 130 2.52% 5 3 0.10% 2 0.11% 1 0.04% 32 0.62% 6 30.10%00.00% 200.39% 7 4 0.13% 0 0.00% 6 0.12% 8 1 0.03% 0 0.00% 3 0.06% 9 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 5 0.10% 10 1 0.03% 1 0.05% 5 0.10% 11 10.02% 12 00.00% 13 00.00% 14 10.02% 15 10.02%

For most departments, the majority of calls happen one at a time. However, as communities grow the propensity for concurrent calls increase. When the concurrency reaches a level to which it stretches resources to near capacity, response times begin to extend. Although multiple medical calls will cause drawdown, especially as concurrency increases, they usually occupy only one or two units at a time. Concurrent fire calls, however, are of more concern as they may require multiple unit responses and a larger contingent of manpower for each call, depending upon the dispatch criteria. To measure the extent of resource drawdown, calls were examined for the amount of apparatus that responded. The following table details the instances and the depth of multiple apparatus responding to calls for each fire agency within the study.

Page 86 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 55: Resource Drawdown University Richmond Olivette Maplewood Clayton Apparatus Count City Heights 1 75.64% 43.73% 68.92% 77.07% 57.07% 2 17.69% 39.02% 6.84% 22.07% 25.14% 3 2.15% 16.72% 23.08% 0.65% 14.41% 4 1.95% 0.54% 1.01% 0.22% 2.44% 5 2.13% 0.16% 0.68% 6 0.12% 0.18% 7 0.00% 0.06% 8 0.26% 0.02% 9 0.02% 10 0.04%

It is also important to note that areas with the highest workload typically have the highest rate of concurrent calls and resource drawdown. This may require response units from other stations to respond into this area more frequently. The impact on station area reliability can be affected by several factors such as: • Out of service for mechanical reasons • Out of service for training exercises • Out of area on move-up deployment • Lack of staffing • Concurrent calls

When these factors impact the reliability of a station to respond within its prescribed territory, response time performance measures for the back-up station/apparatus can be negatively affected.

Concentration Analysis In addition to analysis of the response time of the first-arriving unit to a call, industry best practices call for the arrival of an initial alarm assignment consisting of sufficient apparatus and personnel to safely initiate fire attack for a given incident risk within a period of time that would be considered effective. This is to ensure that enough people and equipment arrive fast enough to be truly effective in controlling a fire before that fire grows to a point where total structure destruction is likely or rescue is no longer an option.24

24 See supplemental discussion about time/temperature curve and the effects of flashover.

Page 87 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

For the agencies within this study area, the following map illustrates the potential depth and geographic concentration of fire apparatus resources within a seven-minute travel time, including the nearest mutual aid station’s apparatus.

Figure 56: Effective Firefighting Force Concentration—Apparatus Resources

Page 88 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The previous figure illustrates that the study area is quite well resourced with fire apparatus in the event of a structure fire. Equally important is the number of firefighters that can arrive on the fireground to make rapid use of this equipment. The following map illustrates the potential concentration of firefighters that could be achieved with the arrival of this apparatus, based upon minimum staffing levels assigned to each unit.

Page 89 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 57: Effective Firefighting Force Concentration—Staffing Resources

Page 90 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The previous figure shows that an adequate firefighting force of on-duty firefighters can be mustered within a reasonable timeframe in this study region in the event of a fire in most low, moderate, or high-risk incidents. The analysis in the previous two figures assumes all apparatus are in service and available for dispatch. During periods of concurrent calls where some apparatus is already committed to other incidents, the ability to achieve this concentration of apparatus and firefighters would be affected.

Recorded System Response Performance Total system reaction time is the amount of time a resident or business waited until an apparatus arrived at the scene of emergency beginning when they first called a designated emergency number and reported their emergency. Total system reaction time is made up of multiple elements; call processing time. Since the fire department has limited influence on call processing time, fire departments themselves are typically measured on response time from the point of dispatch (when the firefighters are notified of the incident by radio) to the arrival of the emergency apparatus and crew at the incident scene.

Fire department response time contains two primary elements: turnout time and travel time. Turnout time, sometimes referred to as “chute time”, is the time it takes firefighters to assemble and board the apparatus, don required safety gear, determine travel routing, and leave the fire station. Travel time consists of the drive time to the actual incident. The following sections of this report examine the response time performance for the fire agencies within the study area over the incident data provided from 2008.25 Overall response time will be considered, along with the turnout time component separately.

Throughout this document, certain descriptive statistical measures are utilized which may not be familiar to all readers. In an effort to reduce confusion or the drawing of inaccurate conclusions, this section seeks to provide a brief explanation of these measures. The measures most often used which require clarification are the use of “average” and “percentile” measures.

25 Data for this analysis was taken from the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) timestamp date for fire and EMS units. Mutual aid calls and non-emergent calls were removed from response time analyses where they could be identified.

Page 91 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Average The ‘average’ measure is a commonly used descriptive statistic also called the mean of a data set. It is a measure which is a way to describe the central tendency, or the center of a data set. The average is the sum of all the points of data in a set divided by the total number of data points. In this measurement, each data point is counted and the value of each data point has an impact on the overall performance. Averages should be viewed with a certain amount of caution because the average measure can be skewed if an unusual data point, known as an outlier, is present within the data set. Depending on the sample size of the data set, the level to which the measure is skewed can be either very large or very small.

As an example, assume that a particular fire station with a response time objective of six minutes or less had five calls on a particular day. If four of the calls had a response time of 8 minutes while the other call was across the street and only a few seconds away, the average would indicate the station was achieving its performance goal. However, four of the five calls, or 80 percent, were beyond the stated response time performance objective.

The opposite can also be true where one call with an unusually long response time can make otherwise satisfactory performance appear unacceptable. These calls with unusually short or long response time have a direct impact on the total performance measurements and the farther they are from the desired performance, the greater the impact.

The reason we do compute the average is because of its common use and ease of understanding that is associated with it. The most important reason for not using averages for performance standards is that it does not accurately reflect the performance for the entire data set. As illustrated above, one extremely good or bad call skewed the entire average. While it does reflect all values, it does not really speak to the level of accomplishment in a strong manner.

Percentile With the average measure, it is recognized that some data points are below the average and some are above the average. The same is true for a median measure which simply arranges the data set in order and finds the value in which 50 percent of the data points are below the median and the other half are above the median value. This is also called the 50th percentile.

When you deal with fractile or percentages, the actual value of the individual data does not have the same impact as it did in the average. The reason for this is that the fractile is nothing more

Page 92 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City than the ranking of the data set. The 90th percentile means that 10 percent of the data is greater than the value stated and all other data is at or below this level.

Higher fractile measurements are normally used for performance objectives and performance measurement because they show that the large majority of the data set has achieved a particular level of performance. This can then be compared to the desired performance objective to determine the degree of success in achieving the goal.

Clayton Fire Department The most frequently recorded response time for the Clayton Fire Department was between three and five minutes. On the average, all emergent and in-district calls were answered in an average of 4 minutes 4 seconds. Ninety percent of all of these calls were answered in less than 6 minutes 32 seconds from time of dispatch.

Figure 58: CFD Overall Response Time Performance

Frequency Cumulative % 600 120%

500 100%

400 80% 90th Percentile 300 6:32 60%

200 40% Average 100 4:04 20%

0 0%

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Maplewood Fire Department As illustrated in the chart that follows, a four to five-minute response time interval was the most frequently recorded timeframe in the MFD incident data set. The overall average was less, measuring at 3 minutes 33 seconds. Ninety percent of the calls were answered in less than 5 minutes 6 seconds from sound of the alarm in the station.

Page 93 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 59: MFD Overall Response Time Performance

Frequency Cumulative % 500 120% 450 400 100% 350 90th Percentile 80% 300 5:06 250 60% 200 40% 150 Average 100 3:33 20% 50 0 0%

Minutes:seconds

Olivette Fire Department The Olivette Fire Department most frequently responded to calls within a five to six-minute time frame. However, a number of calls were answered in less time, causing the average of calls within the database to measure at the 3 minutes 33 seconds. The 90th percentile response time performance measured just over six minutes, as seen in Figure 60.

Figure 60: OFD Overall Response Time Performance

Frequency Cumulative % 300 120%

250 100%

200 90th 80% Percentile 6:13 150 60%

100 Average 40% 4:15

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0 0%

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Page 94 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Richmond Heights Fire Department The average response time performance measured squarely within the most frequently reported response time interval of four to five minutes. Ninety percent of all calls were answered in less than seven minutes.

Figure 61: RHFD Overall Response Time Performance

Frequency Cumulative % 300 120%

250 100%

200 80% 90th Percentile 6:44 150 60%

100 Average 40% 4:26 50 20%

0 0%

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University City Fire Department While the most frequently recorded response time was within the five-minute timeframe for the University City Fire Department, the average was slightly less at 4 minutes 52 seconds. Ninety percent of all calls were answered in less than 7 minutes 21 seconds.

Page 95 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 62: UCFD Overall Response Time Performance

Frequency Cumulative % 900 120% 800 100% 700 600 90th Percentile 80% 500 7:21 60% 400 300 Average 40% 4:52 200 20% 100 0 0%

Minutes:Seconds

All Agency Summary The following figure summarizes the average and 90th percentile response time performance for each agency. Maplewood Fire Department has the best overall response time performance, just missing the NFPA 1710 guideline of five minutes (90th percentile) by six seconds.

Page 96 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 63: Overall Response Time Performance Summary by Agency Agency Response Time Summary Average 90th Percentile

04:04 Clayton 06:32

03:33 Maplewood 05:06

04:15 Olivette 06:13

04:26 Richmond Heights 06:44

04:52 University City 07:21

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00

Response time performance can vary by time of day due to traffic patterns, weather, and distance to the calls that are most frequent during that time period, among other factors. Therefore, it is useful to examine response time performance by the time of day in order to identify any potential strategies that may reduce response times during hours when performance does not meet adopted objectives set by the fire agencies. The following subsections examine each agency’s 90th percentile response time performance by hour of day for 2008.

Page 97 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Clayton Fire Department CFD experiences its longest 90th percentile response time between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., measured at 7 minutes 22 seconds. CFD experiences its shortest 90th percentile response time between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., measured at 5 minutes 39 seconds.

Figure 64: CFD 90th Percentile Hourly Response Time Performance

0 2308:00 1 22 2 21 06:00 3

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Maplewood Fire Department MFD experiences its longest 90th percentile response time between the hours of midnight and 1:00 a.m., measured at 7 minutes 34 seconds. MFD experiences its shortest 90th percentile response time between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., measured at 4 minutes 11 seconds.

Figure 65: MFD Hourly Response Time Performance

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Page 99 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Olivette Fire Department OFD experiences its longest 90th percentile response time between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., measured at 7 minutes 27 seconds. OFD experiences its shortest 90th percentile response time between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., as well as 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., measured at 4 minutes 11 seconds.

Figure 66: OFD Hourly Response Time Performance

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Page 100 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD experiences its longest 90th percentile response time between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., measured at 8 minutes 32 seconds. RHFD experiences its shortest 90th percentile response time between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., measured at 5 minutes 34 seconds.

Figure 67: RHFD Hourly Response Time Performance

0 23 10:00 1 22 2 08:00 21 3 06:00 20 4 04:00 19 5 02:00

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Page 101 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

University City Fire Department UCFD experiences its longest 90th percentile response time between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., measured in excess of ten minutes. UCFD experiences its shortest 90th percentile response time between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., measured at 6 minutes 16 seconds.

Figure 68: UCFD Hourly Response Time Performance 0 23 12:00 1 22 2 10:00 21 3 08:00

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Turnout Time Interval Elements such as traffic, weather, construction, and travel distance are not within the control of firefighters in their efforts to reduce response time performance. However, turnout time is one element that can be impacted by the actions of emergency personnel. Turnout time is the amount of time from the point when the firefighters are notified of an alarm to when they are assembled on an apparatus and leaving for the scene. Turnout time can be affected by the time of day when firefighters engaged in other activities such as training, drills or building maintenance during the day or perhaps deep sleep during the night.

Prior to reviewing turnout time performance, ESCI believes that it is worth noting that while the NFPA 1710 standard identifies a one-minute performance objective for firefighter turnout, the practicality of this objective has been strongly debated. In the past three years, ESCI has not

Page 102 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City completed a single study of a career fire department that was fully meeting this turnout time objective. Departments typically site the need for safety in the fire station as a reason, and most discourage firefighters from running or “cutting corners” in donning gear and seatbelts in order to meet the objective. There has been discussion within the industry regarding the need to complete validated time-studies, along with analysis of safe procedures for varying types of calls and different classifications of emergency responders, in order to identify turnout time objectives. Still, all fire departments should continually measure and benchmark their turnout time performance to identify areas for improvement.

The following subsections portray the analysis of the average turnout time by hour of day for each agency in the 2008 emergent incident database.

Clayton Fire Department The overall average turnout time for CFD is 1 minute 39 seconds. Longer turnout times start occurring at the 9:00 p.m. hour and begin to improve at 6:00 a.m.

Figure 69: CFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance

0 23 03:00 1 22 2 21 3 02:00 20 4

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Page 103 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Maplewood Fire Department The overall average turnout time for MFD is 1 minute 28 seconds. Longer turnout times start occurring at the 11:00 p.m. hour.

Figure 70: MFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance

0 2303:00 1 22 2 21 3 02:00 20 4

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Page 104 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Olivette Fire Department The overall average turnout time for OFD is 1 minute 44 seconds. Longer turnout times start occurring at the 11:00 p.m. hour and begin to improve at 6:00 a.m.

Figure 71: OFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance 0 23 03:00 1 22 2 21 3 02:00 20 4

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Richmond Heights Fire Department The overall average turnout time for RHFD is 1 minute 45 seconds. Longer turnout times start occurring at the 11:00 p.m. hour and begin to improve at 5:00 a.m.

Figure 72: RHFD Hourly Turnout Time Performance

0 23 03:00 1 22 2 21 3 02:00 20 4

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University City Fire Department With the University City incident data base provided by its dispatch center, there was no information that indicated when the apparatus called en route to the call after being dispatched. Statistical analysis of the turnout time interval could not be performed.

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Objective Three: Staffing Fire and EMS (emergency medical service) organizations must provide adequate staffing in three key areas: Emergency services, Administration, and Support. ESCI surveyed each of the fire departments to assure that a reasonable balance between the three areas is maintained.

Several standards address staffing issues; specifically, OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910. 134; NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, to the Public by Career Fire Departments; and NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments are frequently cited as authoritative documents. In addition, the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) publishes benchmarks for the number of personnel required on the emergency scene for various levels of risk.26

Organizational Structure Span of control, also known as span of management, is a human resources management term that refers to the number of subordinates a supervisor can effectively manage. Developed in the United Kingdom in 1922 by Sir Ian Hamilton, the concept of span of control evolved from the assumption that managers have finite amounts of time, energy, and attention to devote to their jobs. In his research of British military leaders, Hamilton found that leaders could not effectively control more than three to six people directly.

This generally accepted rule of thumb for span of control is still considered relevant today and applies not only to the military, but correspondingly to the fire service. It is important to note that all managers experience a decrease in effectiveness as their span of control exceeds the optimal level. In other words, the limitations implied by span of control are not short-comings of certain individual managers, but rather of managers in general. In addition, it is important to understand that span of control refers only to direct reports, rather than to an entire corporate hierarchy (all personnel in the fire department). Extending span of control beyond the recommended limits engenders poor morale, hinders effective decision making, and may cause loss of the agility and flexibility that give many entrepreneurial firms their edge.27

26 Formerly the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). 27 Hendricks, Mark. Span Control Entrepreneur, January 2001.

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Clayton Fire Department CFD is organized in the typical top-down hierarchy. The chain of command is identified with common roles for a department of this size. CFD has one station that serves as both the main facility to house suppression resources and as the department’s administrative headquarters. The department’s organizational chart appears to be functional and primary roles are well identified.

The chart below indicates the chain of command for CFD. Primarily vertical, this chart may not be truly reflective of an effective span of control, which would allow for maximum opportunities within the organization for promotion. The use of company level officers with specific responsibilities and job functions could provide benefit to the officers’ spans of control and delegation of responsibility. Assigning additional responsibilities to command level officers, such as training or logistics, may limit the organization’s ability to effectively carry out its mission under certain circumstances.

Figure 73: CFD Organizational Structure

Fire Chief

Administrative Secretary Assistant Fire Chief Fire Marshal

Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Communications Training/Safety Logistics

Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

Maplewood Fire Department MFD is organized in the typical top-down hierarchy. The chain of command is identified with without common roles for a municipal department of this size. MFD has one station that serves as both the main facility to house suppression resources and as the department’s administrative headquarters. The department’s organizational chart appears to be functional but primary roles are not well identified.

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The chart below indicates the chain of command for MFD. Primarily vertical, this chart may not be truly reflective of an effective span of control, which would allow for maximum opportunities within the organization for promotion. The use of company level officers with specific responsibilities and job functions could provide benefit to the officers’ spans of control and delegation of responsibility. The absence of command-level officers makes assigning additional responsibilities to personnel other than the Chief, such as training or logistics, difficult and, under certain circumstances, could limit the organization’s ability to accomplish all of its goals and objectives while maintaining a focus on its core mission.

Figure 74: MFD Organizational Structure

Fire Chief

Captain Captain Captain

Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Swing Lieutenant Medical Officer

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

Olivette Fire Department OFD is organized in the typical top-down hierarchy; like Maplewood, it is limited in its ability to delegate authority for additional responsibilities. The chain of command is identified with common roles for a department of this size. OFD has one station that serves as both the main facility to house suppression resources and as the department’s administrative headquarters. The department’s organizational chart appears to be functional but primary roles are not well identified and, based on the inclusion of command-level officers in the collective bargaining agreement, additional delegation of authority may prove difficult.

Figure 75 indicates the chain of command for OFD. Primarily flat, this chart may not be truly reflective of an effective span of control, which would allow for maximum opportunities within the organization for promotion. The use of company level officers with specific responsibilities and job functions could provide benefit to the officers’ spans of control and delegation of responsibility, particularly for the Chief. Having the Chief as the sole point of responsibility is

Page 109 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City severely limiting the department’s ability to effectively carry out its mission. The following figure is an illustration of the department’s current organizational chart.

Figure 75: OFD Organizational Structure

Fire Chief

Secretary

Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Battalion Chief

Captain Captain Captain

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD is organized in the typical top-down hierarchy. The chain of command is identified with common roles for a department of this size. RHFD has one station that serves as both the main facility to house suppression resources and as the department’s administrative headquarters. The department’s organizational chart appears to be functional and primary roles are well identified.

The following chart indicates the chain of command for RHFD. Primarily vertical, this chart may not be truly reflective of an effective span of control, which would allow for maximum opportunities within the organization for promotion. Assigning additional responsibilities to command level officers, such as training or logistics, may limit the organization’s ability to effectively carry out its mission under certain circumstances.

Page 110 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 76: RHFD Organizational Structure

Fire Chief

Administrative Assistant

Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Training EMS Coordinator Vehicles/Equipment Public Relations Wellness Communications Safety and SCBA IT and Scheduling Purchases and Grants

Captain Captain Captain Medical Officer Hydrants Fire Prevention Training Calendar Hose Testing Inpspections Vehicle Maintenance Knox Boxes Hazardous Materials Medical Team Assistants

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

University City Fire Department UCFD is organized in the typical top-down hierarchy. The chain of command is identified with common roles for a department of this size. UCFD has two stations; one station serves as the main facility to house suppression resources and the department’s administrative headquarters, and a second station that serves as the primary response unit to incidents in the western half of the city. The department’s organizational chart appears to be functional and primary roles are well identified.

Figure 77 indicates the chain of command for UCFD. Primarily well distributed, this chart reflects a relatively effective span of control, which allows for maximum opportunities within the organization for promotion and assumption of additional responsibility. The use of company level officers with specific responsibilities and job functions provides benefit to the officers’ spans of control and delegation of responsibility. Assigning additional responsibilities to command level officers may limit the organization’s ability to effectively carry out its mission under certain circumstances. The following figure is an illustration of the department’s current organizational chart.

Page 111 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 77: UCFD Organizational Structure

Fire Chief

Executive Secretary Assistant Chief

Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Battalion Chief Training Training Records SCBA and Air ISO Liaison Apparatus and Recordkeeping Safety Equipment

Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

Administration and Support Staff One of the primary responsibilities of a department’s administration and support staff is to ensure that the operational entities of the organization have the ability and means to accomplish their responsibilities on the emergency incident. Efficient and effective administration and support are critical to the success of a department. Without sufficient oversight, planning, documentation, training, and maintenance, the operational entities of a department will fail any operational test. Additionally, like any other part of a fire department, administration and support require appropriate resources to function properly.

Analyzing the ratio of administrative and support positions to the total positions of a department facilitates an understanding of the relative number of resources committed to this important function. The appropriate balance of the administration and support component to the operational component is critical to the success of the department’s mission and responsibilities.

ESCI examined the administration and support complement of each organization separately and then collectively. Based on experience with similar organizations, ESCI has determined emergency services departments usually enjoy a 10 to 15 percent ratio of administration and support staff of total personnel.

Clayton Fire Department The administrative and support component of CFD is comprised primarily of the Chief, one Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal, and one administrative secretary. All administrative functions appear to be handled by these positions, with some delegation to the department’s battalion Chiefs. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions for the department.

Page 112 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 78: CFD Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 1 Assistant Fire Chief 1 Administrative Secretary 1 Total 3

Statistically, the department maintains a ratio of 8.3 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The department’s administrative and support staffing level is below the comparison range.

Maplewood Fire Department The administrative and support component of MFD is comprised solely of the Chief. All administrative functions appear to be handled by this position, with delegation of additional responsibility such as training and logistics to the department’s Captains or those currently on light duty assignments. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions for the department.

Figure 79: MFD Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 1 Total 1

Statistically, the department maintains a ratio of 5.0 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The department’s administrative and support staffing level is well below the comparison range. It should be noted that the City of Maplewood also employs an inspector within the Building Department that is funded by the fire department’s budget but is not counted as an FTE for the fire department.

Olivette Fire Department The administrative and support component of OFD is comprised primarily of the Chief and an administrative secretary who is shared with the Olivette Police Department. All administrative functions appear to be handled by these positions, with limited delegation to the department’s battalion Chiefs. The following figure illustrates the administrative and support functions for the department.

Page 113 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 80: OFD Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 1 Administrative Secretary 0.5 Total 1.5

Statistically, the department maintains a ratio of 6.7 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The department’s administrative and support staffing level is well below the comparison range.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The administrative and support component of RHFD is comprised primarily of the Chief and an administrative assistant. All administrative functions appear to be handled by these positions, with delegation of additional responsibilities to the department’s battalion Chiefs. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions for the department.

Figure 81: RHFD Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 1 Administrative Secretary 1 Total 2

Statistically, the department maintains a ratio of 7.7 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The department’s administrative and support staffing level is well below the comparison range.

University City Fire Department The administrative and support component of UCFD is comprised primarily of the Chief, one Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal, and one administrative secretary. All administrative functions appear to be handled by these positions, with significant delegation to the department’s battalion Chiefs. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions for the department.

Figure 82: UCFD Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 1 Assistant Fire Chief 1 Administrative Secretary 1 Total 3

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Statistically, the department maintains a ratio of 6.7 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The department’s administrative and support staffing level is well below the comparison range.

Aggregate Administrative and Support Personnel Understanding that each of the departments included in this study now operate independently, it is also useful to evaluate them as a region to determine how they would compare against other communities if they were to begin functioning as one organization, whether operationally or functionally. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions as an aggregate.

Figure 83: Aggregate Administrative and Support Personnel Position Title Number of Positions Fire Chief 5 Assistant Fire Chief 2 Administrative Secretary 3.5 Total 10.5

Based on the aggregate, the region maintains a ration of 6.8 percent of administration and support staff to total personnel. The region’s administrative and support staffing level as an aggregate is well below the comparison range.

Emergency Services Staff It takes an adequate and well trained staff of emergency responders to put the appropriate emergency apparatus and equipment to its best use in mitigating incidents. Insufficient staffing at an operational scene decreases the effectiveness of the response and increases the risk of injury to all individuals involved. The following figure summarizes the services that are provided by all the organizations involved in this study.

Page 115 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 84: Emergency Services Summary Table Activity CFD MFD OFD RHFD UCFD Fire Suppression ••••• EMS Advanced Life Support Response ••••• EMS Advanced Life Support Transport ••• Vehicle Extrication ••••• High Angle Rescue • Stuctural Collapse Rescue • Trench Rescue • Swiftwater Rescue Ops Confined Space Rescue Ops Fire Prevention Inspections ••••• Public Education ••••• Ops Ops Ops* Ops Ops Hazardous Materials Response

Clayton Fire Department CFD uses career staffing to carry out its functions. All administrative, support, and response staff are career personnel. The following figure shows the distribution of emergency personnel by rank.

Figure 85: CFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank Position Title Number of Positions Battalion Chief 3 Captain 6 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic 24 Total 33

Maplewood Fire Department MFD uses career staffing to carry out its functions. All administrative, support, and response staff are career personnel. The following figure shows the distribution of emergency personnel by rank.

Figure 86: MFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank Position Title Number of Positions Captain 3 Lieutenant 4 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic/EMT 12 Total 19

Page 116 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Olivette Fire Department OFD uses career staffing to carry out its functions. All administrative, support, and response staff are career personnel. The following figure shows the distribution of emergency personnel by rank.

Figure 87: OFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank Position Title Number of Positions Battalion Chief 3 Captain 3 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic 15 Total 21

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD uses career staffing to carry out its functions. All administrative, support, and response staff are career personnel. The following figure shows the distribution of emergency personnel by rank.

Figure 88: RHFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank Position Title Number of Positions Battalion Chief 3 Captain 3 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic 16 Total 22

University City Fire Department UCFD uses career staffing to carry out its functions. All administrative, support, and response staff are career personnel. The following figure shows the distribution of emergency personnel by rank.

Figure 89: UCFD Emergency Response Personnel by Rank Position Title Number of Positions Battalion Chief 3 Captain 9 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic 30 Total 42

Aggregate Emergency Services Staff Understanding that each of the departments included in this study now operate independently, it is also useful to evaluate them as a region to determine how they would compare against other communities if they were to begin functioning as one organization, whether operationally or

Page 117 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City functionally. The figure below illustrates the administrative and support functions as an aggregate.

Figure 90: Aggregate Emergency Services Staff Position Title Number of Positions Battalion Chief 12 Captain 30 Lieutenant 4 Firefighter - FF/Paramedic 99 Total 145

Critical Task Staffing Tasks that must be performed at a fire can be broken down into two key components - life safety and fire flow. Life safety tasks are based on the number of building occupants, and their location, status, and ability to take self-preservation action. Life related tasks involve the search, rescue, and evacuation of victims. The fire flow component involves delivering sufficient water to extinguish the fire and create an environment within the building that allows entry by firefighters.

The number and types of tasks needing simultaneous action will dictate the minimum number of firefighters required to combat different types of fires. In the absence of adequate personnel to perform concurrent action, the command officer must prioritize the tasks and complete some in chronological order, rather than concurrently. These tasks include: • Command • Water supply • Scene safety • Pump operation • Search and rescue • Ventilation • Fire attack • Back-up/rapid intervention

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), formerly the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), has a sample critical tasking analysis for the number of personnel required on scene for various levels of risk. This information is provided in the following chart.

Page 118 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 91: Critical Task Staffing Needs by Risk Sample Critical Tasking Analysis Firefighting Personnel Needed Based On Level of Risk

Structure Structure Structure Non- Maximum Significant Moderate Structure Critical Tasks Risk Risk Risk Low Risk Attack line 4422 Back-up line 4 2 2 (2) Support for hose lines 4 3 2 Search and rescue 4 4 2 Ventilation 4 2 2 Rapid intervention team 4 4 2 Pump Operator 2111 2nd apparatus/ladder operator 1 1 (1) Command 2 1 1 1# Safety 2 1 1# Salvage 4 Rehabilitation 2 Division/group supervisors (2) Total 37-39 23 14-16 3-6 () indicate tasks may not be required at all such incidents # indicates task may, at times, be completed concurrently with another position Note: Based on examples provided in the publication "Creating and Evaluating Standards of Response Coverage for Fire Departments", 4th edition; Commission on Fire Accreditation International, Inc. (now Center for Public Safety Excellence)

At the request of ESCI, each department either completed a tabletop critical task analysis or presented an internal minimum deployment document to compare against the sample provided by CPSE. The results of that analysis are illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 92: Summary of Tabletop Critical Task Analysis Number of Personnel Incident Type CPSE CFD* MFD OFD RHFD UCFD Sample Low Rise Residential Structure Fire 14-16 24 15 18 23 19 Moderate Risk Commercial Structure Fire 23 24 16 18 24 29 High Risk Commercial Structure Fire 37-39 24 20 18 35 29 Grass/Brush Fire 4-635579 Car Fire 4-635573 Emergency Medical Incident 3-6 2-5 4 2 6 2 Motor Vehicle Crash 3-6 5-9 5 8 7-11 12 Hazardous Materials Incident 3-6 7 20 42 21 14 * Based on minimum staffing of apparatus assigned according to the department's standard deployment provided.

Page 119 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

As noted in Figure 92, there are wide variances between the departments in what is believed to be an appropriate number of personnel for each specific incident type. Regardless of the outcome of the cooperative efforts section of this study, the departments should begin to work together to standardize their response protocols region-wide.

Recommendation 16: The departments should standardize response protocols region-wide.

Incident Staffing Performance In most communities around the country, the number of fire calls has declined over the past decade. Yet as the frequency of fires diminishes, in part due to stricter fire codes and safety education, the workload of fire departments has increased sharply — medical calls, hazardous materials calls, and every sort of household emergency are now addressed by fire departments. Therefore, although the frequency of fires has diminished, the need for a ready group of firefighters has increased.

Although modern codes tend to make fires in newer structures more infrequent, today’s energy- efficient construction (designed to hold heat during the winter) also tends to confine the heat of a hostile fire. In addition, research has shown that modern furnishings generally burn hotter (due to synthetics), and roofs collapse sooner because prefabricated roof trusses separate easily after a very short exposure to flame. In the 1970s, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that after a fire broke out, building occupants had about 17 minutes to escape before being overcome by heat and smoke. Today, that estimate is three minutes.28 The necessity of firefighters arriving on the scene of a fire in the shortest span of time is more critical now than ever.

Methodology for Incident Staffing Performance Analysis ESCI is providing analysis of incident staffing performance in two ways. Initially, the report will provide a glimpse of how well each individual department is doing at producing its own manpower for incidents within its primary service area. ESCI believes this data is important and can be an indicator for the individual department as to the effectiveness of its staffing efforts.

28 National Institute of Standards and Technology, Performance of Home Smoke Alarms, Analysis of the Response of Several Available Technologies in Residential Fire Settings, Bukowski, Richard, et al.

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ESCI also recognizes that for all but the smallest, low-risk incidents, these fire departments are typically acting together in providing fire protection through a coordinated regional response. This is particularly true for structure fires and other high-risk incidents where staffing needs are high. Therefore, the report will go on to provide an overall view of aggregate staffing. ESCI believes that this data is equally important and can be an indicator of the level of success these departments are achieving in providing adequate staffing to meet the needs of the higher-risk incidents.

Of significance to the staffing objective of this study is that NFPA 1710 establishes that a response company consists of four personnel. The standard does not require that all four be on the same vehicle but does expect that the four will operate as a single functioning unit once on scene. The NFPA 1710 response time standard also requires that all four personnel be on scene within the recommended response time guidelines.

There is another reason the arrival of four personnel is critical for structure fires. OSHA regulations require that before personnel can enter a building to extinguish a fire, at least two personnel must be on scene and assigned to conduct search and rescue in case the fire attack crew becomes trapped. This is referred to as the two-in, two-out rule.29 There are, however, some exceptions to this regulation. If it is known that victims are trapped inside the building, a rescue attempt can be performed without additional personnel ready to intervene outside the structure.

Given that some of the departments in this study allow apparatus to leave on a response with less than four firefighters on board (as do many fire departments across the country), the time it takes for the second unit to arrive becomes very important to achieve the four-person company standard. If additional help is a considerable time away, the fire will continue to grow rapidly, contributing to significantly more damage to the property and a higher potential for injury to occupants and responders. The ability of the departments to assemble an effective response force within the specific period of time, also known as resource concentration, will be analyzed in a later section of this report.

In departments that rely on volunteers to staff units or to supplement career personnel, analysis by hour of day and by day of week is useful in determining staffing performance. This is not the case in the study area. Each department involved in this study relies solely on career staffing.

29 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4).

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None of the departments vary their staffing during peak hours therefore; it can be assumed that a minimal level of staffing is maintained at all times. The following figures represent the minimum, maximum, and typical staffing totals for each of the departments evaluated.

Figure 93: Minimum Staffing Complement Minimum Staffing Maplewood Richmond University Unit Type Clayton FD Olivette FD Total FD Heights FD City FD Engine 3323314 Second Engine 2 2 Ladder 336 Rescue 2 2 Ambulance 2226 Second Ambulance 2 2 Battalion Chief 11114 Total 95561136

Figure 94: Maximum Staffing Complement Maximum Staffing Maplewood Richmond University Unit Type Clayton FD Olivette FD Total FD Heights FD City FD Engine 4535320 Second Engine 336 Ladder 437 Rescue 2 2 Ambulance 2226 Second Ambulance 2 2 Battalion Chief 11114 Total 117781447

Figure 95: Typical Staffing Complement Typical Staffing Maplewood Richmond University Unit Type Clayton FD Olivette FD Total FD Heights FD City FD Engine 3424417 Second Engine 2 2 Ladder 448 Rescue 2 2 Ambulance 2226 Second Ambulance 2 2 Battalion Chief 11114 Total 10 6 5 7 13 41

Staff Allocation and Assignment of Responsibilities In previous and subsequent sections of the report, the need for adequate levels of management and administrative support are discussed. In volunteer departments most of the administrative and operational responsibilities are typically distributed among the officers and members of the department. The distribution of these responsibilities could be based on the officers’ titles or positions, areas of personal interest, and or the members’ expertise.

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Without a good distribution of these responsibilities, members could suffer from premature burnout and inevitably withdraw from participation with the organization. Without a good succession plan in place, many organizations suffer from the loss of continuity.

Clayton Fire Department During ESCI’s field visit, CFD indicated that routine responsibilities were distributed based on appointed position. Each of the department’s battalion Chiefs was assigned various additional responsibilities such as training, communications, and logistics. These additional assignments are illustrated in the organizational chart provided in Figure 73

A comprehensive list of active committees was provided to the ESCI project team during the field visit. Personnel are encouraged to engage in at least one committee based on personal interest or area of particular expertise.

Maplewood Fire Department MFD, due to its lack of upper management personnel other than the Chief, is unable to delegate additional responsibilities to command level staff. Additional duties are currently assigned to Captains, Lieutenants, and personnel on light duty assignments.

The use of committees within MFD is limited to those formed on an as needed basis. No formal standing committees are maintained.

Olivette Fire Department OFD lacks sufficient upper management personnel other than the Chief and is unable to delegate additional responsibilities to command level staff. The three battalion Chiefs assume some responsibility, but their inclusion in the bargaining unit makes it difficult for the Chief to assign and oversee further duties.

The use of committees within OFD is limited to those formed on an as needed basis. No formal standing committees are maintained.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The Chief of RHFD has delegated a significant amount of operational responsibility to the three battalion Chiefs within the department. Each position has been assigned specific responsibilities such as training, communications, safety, etc. and these responsibilities are position specific.

Page 123 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The department maintains several standing committees that are generally overseen by either the Chief or a battalion Chief. Participation of at least one of the committees by all personnel is encouraged.

University City Fire Department UCFD, as illustrated in the organizational chart in Figure 77, delegates certain responsibilities to the Assistant Chief, battalion Chiefs, and Captains. Each position has specific additional duties and responsibilities assigned. Although assignments are based on position, officers report that they tend to share some duties as time allows.

Several standing committees are maintained by UCFD, including: apparatus and equipment, training, and safety. These committees are overseen by one of the officers and other committees are formed as needed. Participation by all department staff in at least one committee is encouraged.

Application and Recruitment Recruitment of personnel is a critically important function for emergency service agencies. The community places a tremendous amount of trust in fire department personnel. The process used to select personnel should be quite comprehensive.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with physical disabilities but permits employers to establish the physical standards that are required to perform the primary functions of any job safely and effectively. History has shown that the most effective method of avoiding a litigation suit involving ADA is through reasonable and consistent application of job-relevant pre-employment physical ability testing.

Clayton Fire Department In regards to recruitment, CFD advertises open positions through the City’s Human Resources Department. Applicants must be 21 years of age, be certified by St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission as meeting the requirements of a firefighter, and must be able to pass a NFPA 1582 compliant medical exam prior to employment. CFD also requires new applicants to hold a license as a Missouri EMT-Paramedic or equivalent. Prior to hire, each applicant must pass an International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) aptitude and knowledge test administered by the human resources department.

Page 124 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Maplewood Fire Department MFD accepts applications that are valid for one year regardless of current vacancies. The department currently does not have a minimum standard of requirements but prefers to hire personnel that have previously been certified by the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission as meeting the requirements of a firefighter. It will hire non-certified individuals if necessary and send them to the fire academy for initial training. MFD also requires new personnel to be a licensed Missouri EMT-Paramedic.

Olivette Fire Department OFD advertises position vacancies through the City’s Human Resources Department and other recruitment resources. Once applications are received and reviewed, selected applicants sit for a written exam, including fire and EMT-Paramedic knowledge. An oral interview is also conducted as part of the process and includes a panel of all battalion Chiefs, Captains, the paramedic coordinator, and the department’s newest member. The Chief does not participate in the early stages of the process. The panel submits recommendations to the Chief who then conducts the final interview and makes the final selections. Applicants are required to undergo a medical and psychological examination prior to hire, as well as a physical ability test. Applicants are expected to be certified by the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission as meeting the requirements of a firefighter.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The City of Richmond Heights advertises position vacancies through the Department of Human Resources. Applicants are required to be certified by the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission as a Firefighter II and also possess a license as an EMT-Paramedic. Applicants offered employment are required to undergo a non-NFPA 1582 compliant medical exam as well as a physical ability test, psychological examination, and a thorough background investigation. An oral interview is conducted as part of the process and includes a panel of Battalion Chiefs and the City’s Human Resources Coordinator. The panel then submits recommendations to the Fire Chief who then conducts a final interview with the Assistant City Manager and together make a final decision.

University City Fire Department (UCFD) UCFD, like other departments in the region, advertises position vacancies through the City’s Human Resources Department. No internal physical ability test is required, but applicants are required to complete the fire academy within six months of hire. A NFPA 1582 medical exam is

Page 125 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City administered at department expense, as well as a ‘work center test’ in lieu of an actual physical ability examination. UCFD requires new personnel to be a licensed Missouri EMT-Paramedic or equivalent.

Page 126 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Objective Four: Personnel Management An organization’s people are its most valuable resource. Careful attention must be paid to managing that resource to achieve maximum productivity for the organization and maximum satisfaction for the individual. A safe working environment, fair treatment, and recognition for a job well done are key components of employment, membership, and job satisfaction.

Policies and procedures, guidelines, general orders, in regards to maintenance of personnel records, promotional process, and disciplinary policies based on firm enabling documents are key to efficient and effective personnel management of a fire department.

The maintenance of adequate and up-to-date personnel records is critical in every organization that depends on the effective performance of its people. Original application materials should be retained in an attempt to create a full historical record of the employee/member’s participation in the organization from initial appointment to separation. Documents and records referring to assignments, promotions, commendations, discipline, and other personnel actions should be maintained as well.

A formal progressive disciplinary process for members and employees should be clearly identified and available. The process should provide for various levels of discipline focused on correcting unacceptable behaviors with the most reasonable actions considered appropriate and effective. The process under which discipline is applied should be clear and unambiguous. A multi-level appeals process should be documented to afford the member who feels aggrieved by an unreasonable disciplinary action the opportunity to have his/her issues reviewed by an impartial party.

Critical incident stress is a very real condition that affects all emergency service workers to some degree or another. It is how emergency workers deal with that stress that makes the difference. The trigger for significant psychological trauma may be a single event, or a series of compounding events. Emergency services bring otherwise ordinary people into life and death situations that sometimes end very tragically. Even though fire/rescue personnel are trained firefighters, they do not have an impregnable shield that prevents them from being affected by traumatic events.

St. Louis County has recognized the need to provide a support system for the emergency personnel throughout the county who are exposed to traumatic incidents and provide Critical Incident Stress Debriefing/Management (CISD/M) through a county team. Critical incident stress

Page 127 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City management services are a vital component of an overall employee health and welfare program. These programs use counselors trained in the unique emergency services environment to provide immediate services to those affected by traumatic incidents.

Critical incident stress interventions by these groups are only short-term processes. Though normally sufficient to help emergency personnel cope with the event, on occasion long-term support is needed. Failure to provide that support can ultimately lead to the temporary or permanent loss of a valuable member.

Disciplinary and Appeals Processes Each of the cities participating in this study has personnel policies and/or guideline manuals that each city employee is oriented to during the hiring process. Each manual has detailed disciplinary procedures outlined as well as a defined appeals process. Additional disciplinary and appeals processes are contained in each agency memorandum of agreement, if applicable.

Employee Benefits Each of the departments participating in this study have their own human resources departments and some are operating under memoranda of understanding that dictate certain benefits that are to be provided to fire department personnel. Figure 96 is a summary of the benefits offered by the individual municipalities.

Page 128 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 96: Summary of Employee Benefits Richmond University Employee Benefit Clayton Maplewood Olivette Heights City Social Security X X X Medicare X X X X X Workers Compensation X X X X X Long Term Disability Insurance X X X X Clothing Allowance X X X X Education Incentive Pay X X X Longevity Pay X X Tuition Reimbursement X X X X X Fitness/Rec Center Membership X X X X Paid Vacation X X X X X Paid Sick Leave X X X X X Funeral Leave X X X X X 457 Deferred Compensation X X X X Retirement X X X X X Medical Insurance X X X X X Dental Insurance X X X X X Life Insurance X X X X X Vision Insurance X X X Employee Assistance Program X X X X X By Position Officers Officers Officers Association Memberships and Rank Only Only Only

Employee benefits are fairly consistent between departments. Two fire departments do not participate in social security: Maplewood and University City.

Competency and Promotional Testing Processes Once achieving active employment, individuals should be evaluated periodically to ensure their continued ability to perform their duties safely and efficiently. Technical and manipulative skills should be evaluated on a regular basis. This provides documentation about a person’s ability to perform their responsibilities and provides valuable input into the training and education development process.

Promotions of individuals within the department should follow a structured and consistent process that ensures that the most qualified candidates are offered promotional opportunities.

Clayton Fire Department CFD reports that all personnel undergo annual competency evaluations during regular training. Annual performance evaluations are also conducted as part of the city’s human resources guidelines. Promotions and appointments within CFD for the positions of Captain through battalion Chief are based on results of tests administered by city human resources personnel.

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The Chief is appointed by the City Manager and is not subject to external testing. No collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding or agreement exists.

Maplewood Fire Department MFD reports that no periodic competency testing is completed for current personnel except for visual but undocumented evaluation during normal training evolutions. Annual performance evaluations are conducted as part of the city’s human resources guidelines. Pay increases (non- promotion based) are determined by comparables to nine other similar municipalities. Promotions are determined based on a point system consisting of a IPMA-HR test or equivalent, oral interviews, education, and certifications. All positions below the Chief undergo the point system for promotion. The Chief is appointed by the City Manager and is not subject to testing. No collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding or agreements exists.

Olivette Fire Department OFD is currently not administering any type of periodic competency or annual performance evaluations, per an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The battalion Chief position is currently appointed and not subject to promotional testing. Promotion to the position of Captain is subject to State of Missouri testing administered by the city. The Chief is an appointed at-will employee and is not subject to testing. OFD personnel below the Chief are covered by a MOU in lieu of a collective bargaining agreement. The MOU between the city and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2665 is set to expire July 1, 2009.

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD is currently administering periodic competency testing during routine training and classes and is conducting annual performance evaluations in accordance with city human resources policies. The Chief is appointed by the City Manager and is not subject to testing. The battalion Chief positions are currently promoted without testing based on levels of training and experience. All promotions to Captain positions are accomplished by a testing process consisting of an IPMA-HR written examination administered by city human resources, an oral interview, and a letter indicating why the individual is seeking promotion. All testing is scored by human resources representatives. A MOU current covers all employees below the rank of Captain.

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University City Fire Department UCFD is not currently administering any type of periodic competency testing but is conducting annual performance evaluations in accordance with city human resources policies. The Chief is appointed by the City Council and is not subject to testing. Promotion to all positions below Assistant Chief is accomplished by civil service examination administered by city human resources. UCFD personnel below the rank of battalion Chief are covered by a MOU in lieu of a collective bargaining agreement. The MOU between the city and the IAFF Local 2665 has expired and is in renegotiation at the writing of this report.

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Objective Five: Management Component As with most emergency service agencies, the study area fire departments face challenges to organizational growth and management. In addition to the continuing growth of workload, the management of resources always presents unique issues involving the consistency and adequacy of response, maintenance of competencies, and recruitment of future workforce. This section of the report examines these departments’ efforts in this area and preparation for the future health of the organization.

Mission, Vision, Strategic Planning, Goals and Objectives The process of strategic planning involves clarifying an organization’s mission, articulating its vision for the future, and specifying the values within which it will conduct itself. A departmental strategic plan, when developed, should include an organizational mission statement, vision, and values. Service delivery goals should be developed and objectives defined for accomplishment of the goals. Critical tasks and timelines for accomplishment should also be produced. This effort is clearly important to the future of any fire and emergency services system.

Clayton Fire Department This agency has not fully conducted formal strategic planning processes. CFD has a mission statement. A strategic plan and standard of cover are under development. Member value statements do not exist, nor are goals and objectives formally established to direct organizational effort.

Maplewood Fire Department This agency has not fully conducted formal strategic planning processes. MFD does have an adopted mission statement, but no clear organizational vision for the future has been developed. Member value statements do not exist, nor are goals and objectives formally established to direct organizational effort.

Olivette Fire Department This agency has not fully conducted formal strategic planning processes. OFD does not have an adopted mission statement, and no clear organizational vision for the future has been developed. Member value statements do not exist, nor are goals and objectives formally established to direct organizational effort.

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Richmond Heights Fire Department This agency has not fully conducted formal strategic planning processes. RHFD does have an adopted mission statement, but no clear organizational vision for the future has been developed. Member value statements do not exist, nor are goals and objectives formally established to direct organizational effort.

University City Fire Department This agency has not fully conducted formal strategic planning processes. UCFD does have an adopted mission statement, but no clear organizational vision for the future has been developed. Member value statements do not exist, nor are goals and objectives formally established to direct organizational effort.

Recommendation 17: All five departments should consider conduct internal strategic planning processes with their department and community stakeholders. Review and revise mission statements, establish organizational vision, set goals and objectives to steer the organizations forward.

Internal and External Communications Quality communications is an achievable goal for any organization, but one that always seems to be most elusive. However, it is extremely important. Regularly scheduled meetings permit management personnel to openly exchange ideas on a regular basis, share issues and concerns, apply creative teambuilding and problem-solving, and improve the overall flow of communications. Distributed minutes or summaries of regular staff meetings encourages internal communications and permits members to share ideas on issues involving departmental issues, enhancing a feeling of empowerment among personnel. Written, formal memorandums ensure that all members receive critical data in an organized and consistent fashion. This process also provides a critical written record of internal communications that are important to organizational efficiency. Employee and community newsletters can foster improved relations with internal and external stakeholders.

To their credit, there are established communication processes within each of these departments that provide opportunities for department personnel to be heard and be involved and for information to be exchanged with the public.

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Clayton Fire Department Quarterly officers’ meetings have been initiated in this agency and include all primary staff and officers. Minutes or summaries of regular staff meetings are made available or distributed for review by all members of the organization unless appropriate privacy is necessary.

Written, formal memorandums are regularly utilized for distribution of information. A systematic method for distribution of written communications is in place and is followed regularly in order to make certain that no members are left out of the information loop. When certain types of critical memos or policies are released, a system has been established for verification of the distribution to all personnel.

Occasional open forum crew meetings are conducted with the Fire Chief and/or City Manager in a manner that provides personnel with an opportunity for exchanging and discussing concerns, ideas, or issues directly with management personnel. A bi-weekly city employee newsletter has been initiated and provides an excellent opportunity for distribution of agency news and information, as well as less formal information about members such as birthdays, marriages, or personal off-duty accomplishments.

Departmental bulletin boards are adequately controlled and organized, with information being sorted and updated on a regular basis.

Departmental business email addresses have been issued to all personnel, offering an efficient and verifiable method of information distribution. Individual member mailboxes or station/shift mailboxes are used to exchange important hard-copy documents and prevent missing or misplaced documents. Voicemail has been put in place for all department personnel, permitting other members and external customers to efficiently and quickly leave personal contact messages.

The City publishes a community newsletter for distribution to the public on an occasional basis. In addition, the CFD publishes a department newsletter called “Hotsheet” to businesses in the community and other interested persons three times per year. The newsletter permits the release of specific and detailed information, authored directly by the agency, to those served by its programs and is an excellent tool for improved public relations. An active and useful website is currently maintained and provides an additional means of distributing information and communicating with the public. The site is kept up to date and provides contact information for major programs operated by the department.

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A formal procedure has been established for handling complaints from the public and is intended to make certain such complaints are handled consistently, quickly, and with due process.

The City has recently performed an extensive public survey process intended to provide customer feedback on service priorities, quality issues, or performance efforts. The fire department was rated very high by respondents in most categories.

Maplewood Fire Department Staff meetings involving primary officers are conducted monthly and staff meetings with duty crews and officers are conducted each morning as part of the normal shift exchange briefing. Though meetings are called as necessary, this approach encourages a crisis-mentality that does not build daily teamwork and problem-solving.

Written, formal memorandums are regularly utilized for distribution of information. A systematic method for distribution of written communications is in place and is followed regularly. When certain types of critical memos or policies are released, a system has been established for verification of the distribution to all personnel.

Occasional member meetings are conducted in a manner that provides personnel with an opportunity or forum for exchanging and discussing concerns, ideas, or issues directly with management personnel. An employee newsletter has been initiated by the City and provides an excellent opportunity for distribution of agency news and information, as well as less formal information about members such as birthdays, marriages, or personal off-duty accomplishments.

Departmental bulletin boards are adequately controlled and organized, with information being sorted and updated on a regular basis.

Departmental business email addresses have been issued to appropriate personnel. Individual member mailboxes or station/shift mailboxes are used to exchange important hard-copy documents and prevent missing or misplaced documents. Voicemail has been put in place for primary staff and officers. The department publishes a community newsletter for distribution to the public on an occasional basis. An active and useful website is currently maintained. The site is kept up to date and provides contact information for major programs operated by the department.

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A formal procedure has been established for handling complaints from the public and is intended to make certain such complaints are handled consistently, quickly, and with due process.

The department has not yet performed a public survey or questionnaire intended to provide customer feedback on service priorities, quality issues, or performance efforts.

Recommendation 18: Maplewood FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives.

Olivette Fire Department In past practice, staff meetings were not consistently conducted in the agency. The Fire Chief intends to conduct such meetings at least quarterly and has held one meeting thus far. Such an effort is recommended.

Written, formal memorandums are regularly utilized for distribution of information. A systematic method for distribution of written communications is in place and is followed regularly in order to make certain that no members are left out of the information loop. When certain types of critical memos or policies are released, a system has been established for verification of distribution to all personnel.

Occasional member meetings are conducted in a manner that provides personnel with an opportunity or forum for exchanging and discussing concerns, ideas, or issues directly with management personnel. No employee/member newsletter has been initiated. Though such newsletters require significant effort, they have proven very beneficial in organizations that utilize them.

Departmental bulletin boards are adequately controlled and organized, with information being sorted and updated on a regular basis.

Departmental business email addresses have been issued to all personnel, offering an efficient and verifiable method of information distribution. Individual member mailboxes or station/shift mailboxes are used to exchange important hard-copy documents and prevent missing or misplaced documents. Voicemail has been put in place for the Fire Chief and secretary,

Page 136 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City permitting other members and external customers to efficiently and quickly leave personal contact messages.

The City publishes a community newsletter for distribution to the public on an occasional basis. The newsletter permits the release of specific and detailed information, authored directly by the fire department, to those served by its programs and is an excellent tool for improved public relations. A city website is currently maintained and provides an additional means of distributing information and communicating with the public. The site is kept up to date and provides contact information for major programs operated by the department.

No formal procedure has been established for handling complaints from the public. Such a policy should be established and all members should be made familiar with its contents in order to make certain such complaints are handled consistently, quickly, and with due process.

The department has not yet performed a public survey or questionnaire intended to provide customer feedback on service priorities, quality issues, or performance efforts.

Recommendation 19: Olivette FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives.

Recommendation 20: Olivette FD should consider the use of an employee newsletter to improve formal and informal department communication.

Recommendation 21: Olivette FD should establish a formal, written process for documenting and handling complaints from the public.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Past practice has been that staff meetings involving primary officers are not consistently held in the agency, though meetings were called as necessary. The current Chief has indicated intent to improve this process and initiate regular officers’ meetings.

Written, formal memorandums are regularly utilized for distribution of information. A systematic method for distribution of written communications is in place. A system has been established for verification of the distribution of critical items to all personnel.

Occasional open forum employee meetings are conducted by the City Manager in a manner that provides personnel with an opportunity for exchanging and discussing concerns, ideas, or

Page 137 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City issues directly with City management personnel. An employee newsletter has been initiated by the City, providing opportunity for distribution of agency news and information, as well as less formal information.

Departmental bulletin boards are adequately controlled and organized, with information being sorted and updated on a regular basis.

Departmental business email addresses have been issued to all personnel, offering an efficient and verifiable method of information distribution. Individual member mailboxes or station/shift mailboxes are used to exchange important hard-copy documents and prevent missing or misplaced documents. Voicemail has been put in place for the officers and other staff.

The City publishes a community newsletter for distribution to the public on an occasional basis. The newsletter permits the release of specific and detailed information, authored directly by the fire department, to those served by its programs and is an excellent tool for improved public relations. A city website is currently maintained and provides an additional means of distributing information and communicating with the public. The site is kept up to date and provides contact information for major programs operated by the department.

A formal procedure has been established for handling complaints from the public and is intended to make certain such complaints are handled consistently, quickly, and with due process.

The City recently performed a public survey to provide customer feedback on service priorities, quality issues, or performance efforts. The fire department scored very high in community satisfaction with service delivery.

Recommendation 22: Richmond Heights FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives.

University City Fire Department Regular staff meetings have been initiated in this agency every three to four months, and include all primary officers. Minutes or summaries of regular staff meetings are made available or distributed for review by all members of the organization, unless appropriate privacy is necessary. Written, formal memorandums are regularly utilized for distribution of information. A

Page 138 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City systematic method for distribution of written communications is in place and is followed regularly. When certain types of critical memos or policies are released, a system has been established for verification of the distribution to all personnel.

Occasional crew meetings are conducted in a manner that provides personnel with an opportunity or forum for exchanging and discussing concerns, ideas, or issues directly with management personnel. An employee/member newsletter has been initiated.

Departmental bulletin boards are adequately controlled and organized, with information being sorted and updated on a regular basis.

Departmental business email addresses have been issued to appropriate personnel. Individual member mailboxes or station/shift mailboxes are used to exchange important hard-copy documents and prevent missing or misplaced documents. Voicemail has been put in place for primary officers.

The City publishes a web-based community newsletter for distribution to the public on an occasional basis. The newsletter permits the release of specific and detailed information, authored directly by the City and its fire department to those served by its programs and is an excellent tool for improved public relations. An active and useful website is currently maintained and provides an additional means of distributing information and communicating with the public. The site is kept up to date and provides contact information for major programs operated by the department.

No formal procedure has been established for handling complaints from the public. Such a policy should be established and all members should be made familiar with its contents

On occasion, the City has performed a public survey or questionnaire intended to provide customer feedback on service priorities, quality issues, or performance efforts.

Recommendation 23: University City FD should establish a formal, written process for documenting and handling complaints from the public.

Document Control and Security A variety of uses are made of written records and their integrity must be protected. For ambulance service providers, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Page 139 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City includes regulations that require all individually identifiable health care information be protected to ensure privacy and confidentiality when stored, maintained, or transmitted. These fire departments also have a significant investment in facilities, apparatus, equipment and other items, along with its financial assets. Protecting these records and assets is very important.

Clayton Fire Department Clear written procedures are in place to provide for public records access through the department staff. Paper records (hard copy files) are adequately secured with passage and/or container locks with limited access. Important computer files are backed-up to a secure data location on a regular and consistent basis.

The station is reported to be consistently locked and secure from unauthorized entry. Public access to the buildings is limited to business areas or when accompanied by an employee. Locks are changed, at least occasionally, to prevent orphan keys and unauthorized entry. No security alarm systems are used to provide for automatic notification of unauthorized entry or break-in. Monitored fire alarm systems are in place and provide early smoke and fire detection for the station, as well as an additional life-safety measure for occupants in the event of a fire.

Department computers are programmed with password security on sensitive file access and software. Firewall protection is in place for computers accessing the internet and other outside servers. The protection is adequately up to date and capable of preventing most unauthorized network intrusions. Up-to-date virus protection software is utilized on all incoming email, and files or operating systems are regularly scanned for undetected virus infection.

The agency maintains a current inventory of capital assets and a process is in place to maintain this inventory, and new assets are logged and recorded at purchase. Little or no business- related cash is routinely kept on the premises of the department, decreasing any risk associated with burglary and theft. A small amount of petty cash is available for use by key managers. General-use credit cards, such as VISA™ or MASTERCARD™, are issued to key managers, but strict account controls, low credit limits, and zero liability fraud protection are in place. Written, formal purchasing policies and procedures are in place and are strictly enforced. Virtually all purchases require specific purchase orders (POs) with appropriate approval signatures and appropriation verifications.

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The CFD has a HIPAA compliance officer in place and strict policies to guide compliance. Efforts to access response records containing protected medical information are strictly controlled and require appropriate identification of the purposes involved in such access.

Maplewood Fire Department Clear written procedures are in place to provide for public records access through the department staff. Paper records (hard copy files) are adequately secured with passage and/or container locks with limited access. Important computer files are backed-up to a secure data location on a regular and consistent basis.

The station is reported to be consistently locked and secure from unauthorized entry. Public access to the buildings is limited to business areas or when accompanied by an employee. Locks are changed, at least occasionally, to prevent orphan keys and unauthorized entry. No security alarm systems are used to provide for automatic notification of unauthorized entry or break-in. Monitored fire alarm systems throughout the city building and fire station provide early smoke and fire detection for the station, as well as an additional life-safety measure for occupants in the event of a fire.

Department computers are programmed with password security on sensitive file access and software to provide an additional level of security and data integrity. Firewall protection is in place for computers accessing the internet and other outside servers. The protection is adequately up to date and capable of preventing most unauthorized network intrusions. Up-to- date virus protection software is utilized on all incoming email, and files or operating systems are regularly scanned for undetected virus infection.

The agency maintains a current inventory of capital assets and a process is in place to maintain this inventory. New assets are logged and recorded at purchase. No significant business-related cash is routinely kept on the premises of the department, though less than $200 in petty cash is available for use by key managers. General-use credit cards, such as VISA™ or MASTERCARD™, are issued to key managers, but strict account controls, low credit limits, and zero liability fraud protection are in place. Written, formal purchasing policies and procedures are in place and are strictly enforced. Virtually all purchases require specific purchase orders with appropriate approval signatures and appropriation verifications.

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Olivette Fire Department Clear written procedures are in place to provide for public records access through the department staff. Paper records (hard copy files) are adequately secured with passage and/or container locks with limited access. Important computer files are backed-up to a secure data location on a regular and consistent basis.

The station is reported to be inconsistently locked and inadequately secured from unauthorized entry. Public access to the buildings is typically limited to business areas or when accompanied by an employee. Locks are rarely changed to prevent use of orphan keys and unauthorized entry. No security alarm systems are used to provide for automatic notification of unauthorized entry or break-in. Premises are not equipped with fire alarm systems.

Department computers are programmed with password security on sensitive file access and software to provide an additional level of security and data integrity. Firewall protection is in place for computers accessing the internet and other outside servers. The protection is adequately up to date and capable of preventing most unauthorized network intrusions. Up-to- date virus protection software is utilized on all incoming email, and files or operating systems are regularly scanned for undetected virus infection.

The agency maintains a current inventory of capital assets whose value is in excess of a specified dollar value. A process is in place to maintain this inventory and new assets are logged and recorded at purchase. No business-related cash is routinely kept on the premises of the department, reducing or eliminating risks associated with burglary and theft. The use of petty cash has been eliminated. General-use credit cards, such as VISA™ or MASTERCARD™, are issued to key managers, but strict account controls, low credit limits, and zero liability fraud protection are in place. Written, formal purchasing policies and procedures are in place and are strictly enforced. Virtually all purchases require specific purchase orders with appropriate approval signatures and appropriation verifications.

Recommendation 24: Olivette FD should enforce policies and procedures on fire station security. Improve consistency in the locking and securing the building and protect city assets.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Clear written procedures are in place to provide for public records access through the department staff. Paper records (hard copy files) are adequately secured with passage and/or

Page 142 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City container locks with limited access. Important computer files are backed-up to a secure data location on a regular and consistent basis.

The station is reported to be consistently locked and secure from unauthorized entry. Public access to the buildings is limited to business areas or when accompanied by an employee. Lock codes are changed, at least occasionally, to prevent unauthorized entry. No security alarm systems are used to provide for automatic notification of unauthorized entry or break-in; however, the fire station is attached to the police department. Monitored fire alarm systems throughout the building provide early smoke and fire detection for the station, as well as an additional life-safety measure for occupants in the event of a fire.

Department computers are programmed with password security on sensitive file access and software to provide an additional level of security and data integrity. Firewall protection is in place for computers accessing the internet and other outside servers. The protection is adequately up to date and capable of preventing most unauthorized network intrusions. Up-to- date virus protection software is utilized on all incoming email, and files or operating systems are regularly scanned for undetected virus infection.

The agency maintains a current inventory of capital assets and a process is in place to maintain this inventory. New assets are logged and recorded at purchase. No significant business-related cash is routinely kept on the premises of the department, though a small amount of petty cash is available for use by key managers. General-use credit cards, such as VISA™ or MASTERCARD™, are issued to key managers, but strict account controls, low credit limits, and zero liability fraud protection are in place. Written, formal purchasing policies and procedures are in place and are strictly enforced. Virtually all purchases require specific purchase orders with appropriate approval signatures and appropriation verifications.

The RHFD has a HIPAA compliance officer in place and strict policies to guide compliance. Efforts to access response records containing protected medical information are strictly controlled and require appropriate identification of the purposes involved in such access.

University City Fire Department Clear written procedures are in place to provide for public records access through the department staff. Paper records (hard copy files) are adequately secured with passage and/or container locks with limited access. Important computer files are backed-up to a secure data location on a regular and consistent basis.

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Stations are reported to be consistently locked and secure from unauthorized entry. Public access to the buildings is limited to business areas or when accompanied by an employee. Locks are changed, at least occasionally, to prevent orphan keys and unauthorized entry. No security alarm systems are used to provide for automatic notification of unauthorized entry or break-in. Monitored fire alarm systems at Station 2 provide early smoke and fire detection for buildings, as well as an additional life-safety measure for occupants in the event of a fire.

Department computers are programmed with password security on sensitive file access and software to provide an additional level of security and data integrity. Firewall protection is in place for computers accessing the internet and other outside servers. The protection is adequately up to date and capable of preventing most unauthorized network intrusions. Up-to- date virus protection software is utilized on all incoming email, and files or operating systems are regularly scanned for undetected virus infection.

The agency maintains a current inventory of capital assets. A process is in place to maintain this inventory and new assets are logged and recorded at purchase. No business-related cash is routinely kept on the premises of the department, reducing or eliminating risks associated with burglary and theft. Petty cash is available for use by key managers. General-use credit cards, such as VISA™ or MASTERCARD™, are issued to key managers, but strict account controls, low credit limits, and zero liability fraud protection are in place. Written, formal purchasing policies and procedures are in place and are strictly enforced. Virtually all purchases require specific purchase orders with appropriate approval signatures and appropriation verifications.

The UCFD has a HIPAA compliance officer in place and strict policies to guide compliance. Efforts to access response records containing protected medical information are strictly controlled and require appropriate identification of the purposes involved in such access.

Reporting and Records Records management is a critical function to any organization. Effective performance measurement can only be accomplished when records are effectively collected, stored and analyzed. This section provides an overview of the agency’s records management systems.

Clayton Fire Department The department utilizes up-to-date records management software to enter and store incident information. The software is compliant with NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System) standards, and incidents are entered quickly and accurately. Training records are maintained

Page 144 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City electronically. Code enforcement activities and occupancy records are maintained in an effective database to permit analysis of prevention activities, community risks, and trends. Maintenance records for apparatus and equipment are also computerized.

Personnel records are complete, up to date, and maintained in a manner that protects private medical information. Records are maintained on employment history, discipline, commendations, work assignments, injuries, exposures, and leave time. Financial activities, including budgets, expenditures, revenues, purchase orders, and other encumbrances are kept in a financial records management software system permitting consistent and up-to-date monitoring of all financial activities and accounts.

Maplewood Fire Department The department utilizes up-to-date records management software to enter and store incident information. The software is compliant with NFIRS standards, and incidents are entered quickly and accurately. Training records are maintained electronically. Code enforcement activities and occupancy records are maintained in an effective database. Maintenance records for apparatus and equipment are computerized.

Personnel records are complete, up to date, and maintained in a manner that protects private medical information. Records are maintained on employment history, discipline, commendations, work assignments, injuries, exposures, and leave time. Financial activities, including budgets, expenditures, revenues, purchase orders, and other encumbrances are kept in a financial records management software system.

Olivette Fire Department The department utilizes up-to-date records management software to enter and store incident information. The software is compliant with NFIRS standards, and incidents are entered quickly and accurately. Training records are maintained electronically. Code enforcement activities and occupancy records are maintained in an effective database. Maintenance records for apparatus and equipment are computerized.

Personnel records are complete, up to date, and maintained in a manner that protects private medical information. Records are maintained on employment history, discipline, commendations, work assignments, injuries, exposures, and leave time. Financial activities, including budgets, expenditures, revenues, purchase orders, and other encumbrances are kept in a financial records management software system.

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Richmond Heights Fire Department The department utilizes up-to-date records management software to enter and store incident information. The software is compliant with NFIRS standards, and incidents are entered quickly and accurately. Training records are currently on paper, but the department is in the process of converting them to electronic files. Code enforcement activities and occupancy records are maintained in an effective database. Maintenance records for apparatus and equipment are computerized.

Personnel records are complete, up to date, and maintained in a manner that protects private medical information. Records are maintained on employment history, discipline, commendations, work assignments, injuries, exposures, and leave time. Financial activities, including budgets, expenditures, revenues, purchase orders, and other encumbrances are kept in a financial records management software system.

University City Fire Department The department utilizes up-to-date records management software to enter and store incident information. The software is compliant with NFIRS standards, and incidents are entered quickly and accurately. Training records are computerized. Code enforcement activities and occupancy records are maintained in an effective database. Maintenance records for apparatus and equipment are computerized.

Personnel records are complete, up to date, and maintained in a manner that protects private medical information. Records are maintained on employment history, discipline, commendations, work assignments, injuries, exposures, and leave time. Financial activities, including budgets, expenditures, revenues, purchase orders, and other encumbrances are kept in a financial records management software system.

Fire Department Accreditation Institutions have long used professional member associations and accreditation to establish a level of professionalism. Groups like the JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) for hospitals, WASC (Western Association of Schools & Colleges) for higher education, and CALEA (Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies) for police agencies are but a few. Accreditation is also seen as a way for member groups to provide a standard of excellence and a forum for collaborative industry efforts.

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Likewise, the IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs) functions as the key professional organization of the fire service. The IAFC was founded in 1873 on the recognized need to provide standards across the fire protection industry for equipment and practices (such as standard hose and hydrant threads). That pursuit continues today, represented by the IAFC’s active partnership with other organizations to form the CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International).30 The CFAI accreditation program grants accreditation to fire and emergency service agencies upon the successful completion of a comprehensive self-assessment and on- site evaluation. The Commission on Fire Accreditation International is: “…[D]edicated to assisting the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self assessment and accreditation in order to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities. The CFAI process is voluntary, and provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally and then work with a team of peers from other agencies to evaluate the self-assessment completed.”31

Fire departments have used the accreditation course of action as a tool for continuous improvement. Accreditation is also a public way of demonstrating professionalism in emergency services to the community served by a department.

Recommendation 25: Each of the five fire departments should consider taking the steps necessary to become accredited fire agencies.

30 The name of the CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International) was changed to the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc., in March 2006. 31 http://www.cfainet.org/home/aboutus.asp, Who are We? – Commission on Fire Accreditation International website, April 2006.

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Objective Six: Training Programs Providing quality and safe fire and emergency services requires a well-trained force. Training and education of fire department personnel are critical functions for the Saint Louis County fire departments participating in this study. Without quality, comprehensive training programs, emergency outcomes are compromised and departmental personnel are at risk. Communities choose to provide emergency response services for protection of the entire community. Communities then have expectations that the services will be available and effective when they are needed. In turn, fire and emergency service personnel have an obligation to develop and maintain appropriate skills. When a citizen’s life, family, or property is threatened, firefighters who perform well under these difficult conditions will earn the highest respect and admiration for the fire department, and community support of the department will be strengthened. But when firefighters are not trained well enough to perform as expected, community respect and support can disappear. Many times the difference is in the training that the responders have received.32

General Training Competencies In order to ensure quality training is provided it should be based on established standards of good practice. One of the most important jobs in any department is the thorough training of personnel. The personnel have the right to demand good training and the department has the obligation to provide it.33

There are a variety of sources available for training standards. In concert with the State of Missouri, the IFSTA Essentials training manual has been selected as the primary firematic reference. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) professional qualifications, codes, and standards are referenced by the participating departments, commensurate with the State of Missouri.

Clayton Fire Department CFD is a subscription member of the Greater St. Louis Area Fire Chief’s Association Special Programs. The department is also a member of both the Greater St. Louis Area Training Officers Association and a group referred to as “The Central Core” consisting of 14 separate fire departments within the area. CFD’s shift training schedule is administered on a monthly basis. Consistent, formal training for officers is not provided at the shift level, although the Greater

32 Laughlin, Jerry W. “Fire Protection Handbook,” 20th Edition, 2008. NFPA, Quincy, MA. 33 Klinoff, Robert W. Introduction to Fire Protection,” 2nd Edition, 2003. Thomson/Delmar, Clifton Park, NY.

Page 148 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association does sponsor certain officer and leadership training on occasion through Special Programs. In addition, officer training is also offered through the IAFC Company Officer Program, UM-FRTI Company Officer Program, the Tri-County Training Consortium, and NFA remote location offerings, although attendance is not mandatory. All officers are required to attend NFA courses every five years and human resources training is provided as part of the City’s formal program for supervisors.

Emergency medical personnel are allowed to achieve their continuing education units while on duty or off, including Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training. Medical protocols come under the auspices of the State of Missouri through the department’s medical director.

Sexual harassment, OSHA, and other mandatory municipal training is provided at the citywide level.

Multi-agency training is completed with many of the department’s automatic mutual aid fire companies and outside agencies. Regional training was accomplished in preparation for the presidential debates held at the Washington University and the Central Core Training Officers meet monthly to schedule and complete mutual aid training. CFD is an active member of the Heavy Rescue Taskforce and takes part in regional training events. CFD has also hosted several training events on high-rise firefighting and standpipe operations for all 1st and 2nd alarm companies within the area.

The following figure outlines the number of individual professional certifications held by members of the CFD:

Page 149 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 97: CFD Certifications by Number of Members34 Certification Number Firefighter I* 27 Firefighter II* 27 Hazardous Materials Awareness* 21 Hazardous Materials Operations* 21 Fire Service Instructor I 13 Fire Service Instructor II 4 Fire Officer I* 11 Fire Officer II* 10 Fire Investigator 3 Fire Inspector 12 Evaluator 5 Driver/Operator 20 *Multiple Certifications for the Same Individual

Maplewood Fire Department MFD is a subscription member of Special Programs. The MFD’s shift training schedule is administered on a monthly basis. Consistent, formal training for officers is not provided at the shift level, although the Greater Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association does sponsor certain officer and leadership training on occasion through Special Programs.

Multi-agency training is completed monthly with automatic/mutual aid fire companies and outside agencies through Emergency Service Assistance and at Brentwood Fire Department.

Sexual harassment, OSHA, and other mandatory municipal training is provided at the citywide level.

Olivette Fire Department OFD is a subscription member of Special Programs. The OFD’s shift training schedule is provided by shift officers on a cooperative basis. Consistent, formal training for officers is not provided at the shift level, although the Greater Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association does sponsor certain officer and leadership training on occasion through the Special Programs.

OFD currently has six members certified as Fire Instructor I and two as Fire Instructor II. Seven members are certified to the Hazardous Materials Operation Level. With the exception of the West Overland Fire Department, OFD does not regularly train with its automatic aid fire

34 Source: Data provided by Clayton FD.

Page 150 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City departments or other outside agencies. Sexual harassment, OSHA, and other mandatory municipal training is provided at the citywide level. Continuing education for EMS personnel is conducted each month.

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD is a subscription member of the Special Programs. The RHFD’s shift training schedule is administered on a monthly basis. Consistent, formal training for officers is not provided at the shift level, although the Greater Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association does sponsor certain officer and leadership training on occasion through the Special Programs.

RHFD has five certified fire instructors and 12 certified EMS instructors. Multi-agency training is rarely completed with automatic mutual aid companies and outside agencies. Sexual harassment, OSHA, and other mandatory municipal training is provided at the citywide level.

University City Fire Department (UCFD) UCFD is a subscription member of the Special Programs. The UCFD’s shift training plan and schedule is administered on an informal basis. Consistent, formal training for officers is not provided at the shift level, although the Greater Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association does sponsor certain officer and leadership training on occasion through the Special Programs.

Emergency medical personnel are required to achieve at least 27 hours of continuing education units while on duty, including ACLS training every other August. Medical protocols come under the auspices of the State of Missouri through the department’s medical director.

Sexual harassment, OSHA, and other mandatory municipal training is provided at the citywide level. Individual State of Missouri fire and EMS certifications and/or licenses held by department personnel were not available at this writing, although the department’s Assistant Chief and one Battalion Chief are certified safety officers.

Training Staff “The quality of any educational program is only as good as its instructional staff.35” While it is possible for a fire service instructor to be competent without formal certification, formal certification does ensure that the individual’s competence has been evaluated.

35 Laughlin, Jerry W. “Fire Protection Handbook,” 20th Edition, 2008. NFPA, Quincy, MA.

Page 151 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Clayton Fire Department Battalion Chief Matthew Jurotich serves as the CFD training officer and safety officer as ancillary duties. Battalion Chief Jurotich has earned two Bachelor’s degrees and has been a battalion Chief for more than 20 years. He has been the department’s training officer for 15 years and a paramedic for 16 years.

Crew Captains are responsible to provide fire-related training at the shift level. The Department EMS Officer oversees the department’s general EMS training program and an EMS Medical Officer on each shift oversees their respective shift’s EMS training.

Maplewood Fire Department Captain O’Laughlin serves as the MFD training officer as an ancillary duty. The Assistant Training Officer is Captain Koppel.

Dr. John Oldham of Saint Mary’s Hospital is retained as the MFD Medical Director. Dr. Oldham facilitates the department’s medical protocols and provides the medical oversight for the EMS program.

Olivette Fire Department Fire Chief John Bailot administers the OFD training and EMS oversight programs without an assigned training officer or EMS officer. Chief Bailot should designate a department training officer as soon as it is practical.

Dr. Kiethly of Saint John’s Hospital is retained as the OFD Medical Director. Dr. Kiethly facilitates the department’s medical protocols and provides the medical oversight for the EMS program.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Battalion Chief Wil Stephen serves as the RHFD training officer as an ancillary duty. Greg Steffen is the Department’s Assistant Training Officer.

Under the auspices of the Department’s Medical Director Dr. John Oldham of St. Mary’s Hospital, the Department’s Medical Officer attends to the day-to-day oversight of the EMS program, including quality assurance and report review. The Medical Coordinator (Battalion Chief) oversees policies.

Page 152 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

University City Fire Department Battalion Chief Bill Hinson serves as the UCFD training officer as an ancillary duty. Battalion Chief Hinson is a certified Firefighter II and has served as the department’s training officer for 18 years.

Battalion Chief Hinson is assisted by Captain Dave Larkin as the department’s medical officer, coordinating quality assurance and the department’s EMS program. Captain Kevin Wallace oversees the department’s training Standard Operating Guidelines.

Dr. Winer of Missouri Baptist Medical Center served as the UCFD Medical Director. Dr. Winer facilitates the department’s medical protocols and provides the medical oversight for the EMS program.

Training Facilities Quality “hands-on” training occurs when simulations are available that closely mimics real life emergencies. The distractions of unrelated activities and noises can draw the attention of those receiving instruction however. Telephones, fire department radios and other elements associated with the fire station environment can capture the attention of the student.

Missouri Division of Fire Safety The Missouri Division of Fire Safety Training develops and oversees the training curriculum provided regionally for state certified firefighters, fire investigators, fire inspectors, fire officers, fire service instructors and emergency responders dealing with hazardous materials.

The Division received accreditation for its certification programs from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). This accreditation provides for sharing certification reciprocity with many states, countries, and the United States Department of Defense.

The Division is currently accredited at the Firefighter I and II, Fire Officer I and II, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Fire Service Instructor I and II and Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations levels. Driver Operator, Exam Evaluator and a 36-hour Basic Firefighter training course are also provided. Based on available funding, the Division contracts with several agencies annually to provide approximately 300 cost-free training courses to more than 5,000 emergency service personnel across the state.

In addition to firefighter training and certification, the Division is responsible for Fire Safety Inspections, Fire Investigations, Firework Licensing, National Fire Incident Reporting, Boiler and

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Pressure Vessel Inspections, Elevator Safety, Amusement Ride Safety, Private Fire Investigator Licensing, and the Fire Mutual Aid System.

Greater Saint Louis County Fire Academy The Greater Saint Louis County Fire Academy is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational corporation, which contracts with the Saint Louis County Fire Standards Commission to provide firefighter training for Saint Louis County. The Saint Louis County Fire Standards Commission maintains the waiting list, determines when applications are released, and sets the minimum standards.

The Greater Saint Louis County Fire Academy currently conducts three recruit classes per year, graduating an average of 72 recruits annually. The Greater Saint Louis County Fire Academy recruit training program is an 11-week program. Tuition is currently $3,400.00.

The Greater Saint Louis County Training Academy provides an extensive library, a training tower, and a live burn facility. The majority of training props used by the Saint Louis County Fire Departments and Districts are provided by the Greater Saint Louis County Training Academy and/or the Special Programs.

The Special Programs operates in cooperation with the Greater Saint Louis Fire Chiefs Association and plans a training event every couple of months based on information obtained during on-site visits. Topics are determined at the Coordinate’s monthly meeting attended by representatives of the Saint Louis County fire departments.

Greater Saint Louis Area Fire Chiefs Association The departments involved in this study subscribe to Special Programs sponsored by the Greater Saint Louis Area Fire Chiefs Association. Special Programs sponsors fire service training on various topics throughout the year. The following chart, produced by Special Programs to track departmental spending on training activities, outlines the participation of the various departments in the Coordinate program.

Figure 98: Special Programs Participation36 Department Hours $ Spent on Training $ Subscription Clayton 188 $3,525.00 $2,625.00 Maplewood 362 $6,787.00 $1,500.00

36 Source: GSLAFCA Special Programs Committee.

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Olivette 102 $1,912.50 $1,650.00 Richmond Heights 92 $1,725.00 $1,875.00 University City 674 $12,637.50 $3,525.00

Emergency Medical Services Facilities Under the auspices of the State of Missouri, Emergency Medical Technician, and Paramedic licensing are generally obtained locally through the Saint Louis Community College, local hospitals, and the RespondRight EMS Academy.

Clayton Fire Department The CFD has three formal classrooms equipped with sufficient audio/visual aid equipment, computer projection capability, and an ample library. A training tower was incorporated into its last station renovation, providing an excellent location for manipulative training.

Maplewood Fire Department Formal classroom space is not available at the station. A small room with minimal audio/visual aid equipment is available at City Hall. Storage challenges prohibit having a library in the station. No dedicated local drill ground is provided, although a number of open areas in the response district are appropriate for manipulative training.

Olivette Fire Department Formal classroom space is not available at the station. The municipal community center may be used when available. Storage challenges prohibit having a library in the station. No dedicated local drill ground is provided, although a number of open areas in the response district are appropriate for manipulative training. Shift personnel rarely leave the station for non-emergency activities.

Richmond Heights Fire Department Formal classroom space is provided at the station with sufficient audio/visual aid equipment, computer projection capability and a minimal library. No dedicated local drill ground provided, although a number of open areas in the response district are appropriate for manipulative training.

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University City Fire Department UCFD’s Fire Station 2 has two formal classrooms equipped with sufficient audio/visual aid equipment, computer projection capability and a minimal library. No dedicated local drill ground provided although a number of open areas in the response district are appropriate for manipulative training.

Entry Level Training Recruit training is the basic level of fire service training. The certification reference generally associated with the entry level firefighter is the NFPA 1001, Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications, Firefighter I and Firefighter II. This standard describes the minimum job performance requirements for basic firefighters in the areas of communications, fire ground operations, rescue operations, fire prevention, preparedness and maintenance. The standard prescribes 19 job performance requirements for fire ground operations and the requisite knowledge and skills. The following figure outlines the minimum required fire/EMS training and certification requirements for the fire departments involved in the study:

Figure 99: Entry Level Training/Certification Requirements37 Applicant EMS Applicant Fire Department Training Comments Training Requirement Requirement Paramedic License Desirable But Not Firefighter I Paramedic License Clayton Required. Firefighter II or eligible NFPA Compliant Medical Required Paramedic License Desirable But Not Firefighter I Maplewood EMT License Required. Firefighter II NFPA Compliant Medical Required Firefighter I Olivette Paramedic License NFPA Compliant Medical Required Firefighter II Richmond Firefighter I Paramedic License NFPA Compliant Medical Required Heights Firefighter II Candidates May Obtain Firefighter I and Firefighter II Within Six Months of University None Paramedic License Employment. City Candidate Must Pay $3,400 Tuition. NFPA Compliant Medical Required

Ongoing Skills Maintenance Training Once assigned to emergency response, members must routinely be provided with refresher training and continuing education to avoid degradation of skills learned during entry-level

37 Source: Data Packages Submitted.

Page 156 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City training and certification. Additionally, training and education must be provided to deal with emerging risks and changing service demands. The fire department shall develop a recurring proficiency cycle with the goal of preventing skill degradation and potential for injury and death of members. Members shall practice assigned skill sets on a regular basis but not less than annually.38

While economical, it is generally understood that ongoing skills maintenance training or “in- service” training may be interrupted for emergency response or a higher priority assignment. This phenomenon can reduce the effectiveness of the training and may increase response times.

Clayton Fire Department The Battalion Chief assigned to training schedules and disseminates the monthly departmental fire-related training activities. Crew Captains are responsible to accomplish the training schedule. The Department EMS training officer communicates the EMS training activities to the crew medical officers.

The training Battalion Chief and the EMS training officer ensure the required resources and rosters are provided and training documentation is completed. Out-of-Department training must be approved by the Fire Chief, the Training Battalion Chief, and the Medical Officer.

Annual mandated training includes infection control, driver training, HazMat, CPR/AED/first responder, and SCBA. Tools and appliances training are required quarterly with high angle and a selected EMS topic(s) on a monthly basis. Physical fitness training is mandatory from 1000 hours to 1,130 hours each shift.

Each month three to four fire-related topics identified on the following list are chosen so that at the end of a 12 to 18-month cycle all topics are covered at least once:

38 “Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program,” 2007 Edition. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA.

Page 157 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

• Fire streams, pumps, Friction Loss • Preconnected hand lines • Hydrant connection • Hose loads • Deluge gun • Seating assignments/responsibilities • Augustus Fire Tool • Blitz Attack • Operational scenarios • SOGs • PPE • RIT/S&R • Streets • Ambulance Familiarization • Foam Procedures • Cascade breathing air refill operations • IMS/ICS • Ground ladders • Salvage and Overhaul • Videos (building collapse, floors, walls, peaked roofs) • HazMat Video Course • Fire Attack Video Course • Chimney Fires • Radiation Monitors • Building Construction • Inspection/Codes and Ordinances • Forcible Entry • Portable Fire Extinguishers • Ventilation • Water Supply • Accountability • Fire Attack • Fire Ground Ops • Vehicle Extrication (twice per year) • Terrorism Awareness • Fire Prevention/Public Education/PR • Fire Detection, Protection, and Suppression Systems • Fire Cause Determination • Hose Testing • Hurst Tool • Air Bags • Target Building familiarization • Elevator Rescue

Page 158 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

CFD documents all training activity on a Firehouse database. The following figure (Figure 100) outlines the Department’s training hours by member for calendar years 2007 and 2008:

Figure 100: Clayton FD Training Hours, 2007 and 200839 Name 2007 2008 Name 2007 2008 Becker, Kurt 211.83 42.42 Jurotich, Matthew 95.50 55.00 Brielmaier, James 53.00 68.50 Lauter, Michael 241.50 93.50 Brooks-Maness, Kathy 1.00 -- Lopez, Phillip 231.50 94.00 Buehre, Norman 82.08 21.25 Marshall, Gary 113.00 56.00 Cady, Gregory 226.33 73.92 Myers, Douglas 142.58 63.17 Casey, David 98.50 47.00 Neukirch, Brian 151.00 187.50 Counts, Jeffrey 234.83 115.17 Nobe, Paul 119.75 67.50 Dedert, Michael 62.75 61.00 Pellegrini, Daniel 202.58 92.17 Destatte, Theodore 165.50 41.00 Powers, Timothy 97.50 96.50 Dorn, Timothy 111.75 174.00 Starr, Jedadiah 190.40 73.92 Echele, Andrew 84.75 71.50 Straatmann, Diann 128.00 212.00 Gieseler, Timothy -- 10.50 Thorp, George 27.50 7.50 Harrell, Ryan 116.58 77.50 Walsh, Bret 154.08 61.67 Hasheider, Aaron 109.00 66.00 Watkins, Robert 102.25 61.50 Heggemeyer, Carl 82.00 45.75 Winter, Richard 73.58 36.00 Hildebrandt, Jason 172.00 55.00 Wood, Steve 117.00 87.42 James, Michael 150.00 138.00 Zinanni, Brian 137.75 81.00 Juenger, Erin 219.83 116.92 Total Hours 4,507.20 2,651.78

CFD personnel completed 4,507.20 hours of training during 2007, representing an average of 128.78 hours per member. Personnel completed 2,651.78 hours during 2008 for an average of 75.77 hours per member. Clayton FD members recorded approximately 40 percent fewer training hours in calendar year 2007 than in 2008.

While averaging training hours may not be the best method to determine a fire company’s quantifiable training hour resource, the range of in-house training hours for individual members was 0 to 241.5 hours. One of the only fire service training hour benchmarks available is the Insurance Services Office (ISO) recommendation of 240 hours per year per member. The National Fire Protection Association recommends each member practice “assigned skill sets” at least annually. An analysis of the CFD’s annual training reports reveals the department should enhance its training program, considering both the annual 240 hours of training recommended by ISO and practicing “assigned skill sets” annually by NFPA.

39 Source: Data provided by CFD.

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CFD reportedly documents, based on frequencies and timing recorded, “Apparatus/Equipment/Tools Familiarization” training credit for routine shift change apparatus, tools, and appliances inspections. While there is merit to the “present and accounted for” approach to apparatus, tools, and appliances, their use, member competency and associated safety requirements could be better served. All tools and equipment are checked at the beginning of each shift and more extensive hands-on training on that equipment is conducted every three months.

Based upon a review of the department’s training documentation, CFD should consider increasing accountability to the 12 to 18-month training topic cycle mandate prescribed in the Training SOG. The current process is vague with the use of lesson plans not being required and the lack of follow-up promotes an inconsistent approach from Captain to Captain and shift to shift. Members may use a different database code for the same training topic or a “Not Otherwise Specified” code when a definitive code is more appropriate. This type of non-specific category is of little use in management reports and planning efforts. This inconsistent documentation makes training program planning and analysis difficult at best.

CFD provides for its officers to attend the National Fire Academy at least once every five years and encourages them to apply. Six members attended the Fire Department Instructors Conference this year.

Safety officers are designated for all manipulative training, and post-incident analysis sessions are conducted for all major incidents.

Maplewood Fire Department Captain O’Laughlin, assigned as Training Officer, and Captain Koppel, assigned as Assistant Training Officer, oversee the Department’s training program as an ancillary duty. The Medical Officer monitors EMS training.

The Training Officer promulgates a monthly training schedule for the Department. Members monitor their individual EMS continuing education hours and are responsible to keep current.

Page 160 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following figure (Figure 101) outlines the Maplewood FD training hours by member for calendar year 2008:

Figure 101: MFD Training Hours, 200840 Name Hours Name Hours Ahl, Peter 127.98 Marhanka, Timothy 401.88 Anderson, John 183.50 Marsac, Peter 286.38 Appel, William 433. 50 McCracken, Christopher 397.23 Brown, Michael 88.33 Merrell, Terry 14.00 Chellis, Michael 365.05 Neff, Andrew 372.50 Giles, Spencer 298.23 O’Laughlin, Patrick 305.25 Holthausen, Raymond 407.83 Patterson, John 326.73 Hummert, Ryan 530.50 Swyers, Paul 269.00 Juergans, William 528.78 Szydlowski, Paul 318.33 Kestler, Brian 289.88 Wilcox, Matthew 112.05 Koppel, Stephen 671.83 Wisely, Timothy 369.50 LaTorre, Roderick 435.33 Total Hours 7,109.09

MFD personnel completed 7,109.09 hours of training during 2008, representing an average of 295.84 hours per member.

The range of in-house training hours for individual members was 14.00 to 671.83 hours. One of the only formal fire service training hour benchmarks available is the Insurance Services Office recommendation of 240 hours per year per member. The National Fire Protection Association recommends each member practice “assigned skill sets” at least annually.

An analysis of the MFD’s annual training reports reveals the department should enhance its training program considering the practicing “assigned skill sets” annually recommendation by NFPA. A significant number of training hours by individual during CY2008 were attributed to physical fitness (1,475 hours), driver training (538 hours), weekly safety training (491 hours), and equipment – pumper/rescue (243 hours). These topics comprised approximately 36 percent of all training. MFD should formalize its training program commensurate with industry practices in lieu of the “when time permits” approach.

MFD does not participate in the National Fire Academy program or the Fire Department Instructors Conference. Consistent officer training is not provided.

40 Source: Data provided by MFD.

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Safety officers are designated for manipulative training on an informal basis, and post-incident analysis sessions are conducted for major incidents as determined by shift members.

Olivette Fire Department The OFD training program is administered by the Fire Chief. Shift officers do daily training and enter time, topic, and attendance into the Department’s daily log on an informal, cooperative basis. The Department secretary enters the data into the FireHouse database.

EMS continuing education training is conducted each month through the Department’s EMS coordinator (Nurse) under the OFD Medical Director

The following figure outlines the Department’s training hours by member for CY2008:

Figure 102: Olivette FD Training Hours, 200841 Name Hours Name Hours Aitch, Aaron 201.00 Janes, Larry 149.50 Allen, Brian 301.50 Jobe, Robin 65.25 Bailot, John42 20.50 Johnson, Ronald 253.50 Baker, Charles 251.00 Mooney, Julie 22.00 Cash, Harold 170.00 Rogers, John 197.00 Ebeler, Bill 245.00 Rueschhoff, Mark 215.50 Ebeler, Dave 224.50 Rujawitz, James 222.50 Fain, Tim 206.50 Sabinson, Kelley 181.00 Garrett, Richard 238.50 Silver, Darrell 118.50 Hansel, Adam 339.50 Stevens, Dwight 152.00 Herin, Daniel 169.50 Walters, Todd 163.50 Hinson, Richard 265.50 Wyatt, Robert 178.00 Total Hours 4,551.25

OFD personnel completed 4,551.25 hours of training during 2008, representing an average of 189.63 hours per member. The Department made 1,251.75 hours of training available for the year.

The range of in-house training hours for individual members was 20.50 to 339.50 hours. One of the only formal fire service training hour benchmarks available is the Insurance Services Office recommendation of 240 hours per year per member. The National Fire Protection Association recommends each member practice “assigned skill sets” at least annually.

41 Source: Data Provided by OFD 42 Note: Employee was with the fire department for only 2 ½ months in 2008.

Page 162 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

An analysis of the OFD’s annual training reports reveals the department should enhance its training program considering the annual 240 hours of training per member recommended by ISO and practicing “assigned skill sets” annually by NFPA. A significant number of training hours during CY2008 were attributed to inspections (147 hours), administrative procedures (131 hours), and firefighter safety (96.50 hours) representing a total of 29.92 percent of all training. OFD should formalize its training program commensurate with industry standards of practicing “assigned skill sets” annually in lieu of the “when time permits” approach.

OFD does not participate in the National Fire Academy program or the Fire Department Instructors Conference. With the exception of a monthly joint training session with the West Overland Fire Department, conducted through Emergency Service Assistance Training & Consulting, Inc., OFD does not participate in training outside of the Department. Consistent officer training is not provided. The City does provide college tuition reimbursement.

Safety officers are not designated for manipulative training. Post-incident analysis sessions are conducted for major responses, as determined by shift members, immediately after the incident. Lesson plans are not used for training sessions.

Recommendation 26: Olivette FD should assign a departmental training officer.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The RHFD training program is administered by its Training Officer, Battalion Chief Wil Stephens, and Assistant Training Officer Greg Steffen. The Department’s Medical Officer monitors EMS continuing education, protocol review and report review. The Medical Coordinator (Battalion Chief) oversees Department policies. The RHFD Medical Officer meets with the Department’s Medical Director on a monthly basis.

RHFD uses Continuing Education Solutions’ online, asynchronous program to accomplish the state’s 96 hours CEU mandate every five years. A majority of personnel have Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification; and ACLS is accomplished on a two-year renewal basis.

Page 163 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following figure (Figure 103) lists the department’s training hours by member for calendar year 2008:

Figure 103: Richmond Heights FD Training Hours, 200843 Name Hours Name Hours Allen, Doug 481.50 Kulik, John 562.70 Buckley, John 39.00 McKee, Gary 498.50 Carman, Steve 458.00 Miner, Don 658.60 Craig, Joel 623.50 Nazzoli, Joe 193.70 Dickens, Pat 636.50 Noland, Kevin 271.50 Drexler, Larry 2.00 Nuernberger, Tom 473.50 Fox, Michael 350.20 Owen, James 19.00 Fowler, Courtney 343.00 Soltysiak, John 357.00 Gerding, Rich 12.00 Steffen Greg, 479.80 Hale, Paul 298.10 Stephens, Wil 267.00 Hogan, Kerry 65.80 Thomas, Jason 424.60 Howe, Patrick 459.50 Wideman, Brian 635.50 Jennemann, Cody 189.20 Pat Wieland 272.20 Kimker, Steve 399.40 Eric Young 333.90 Total Hours 9,805.20

RHFD personnel completed 9,561.20 hours of training during 2008, representing an average of 350.19 hours per member. The range of in-house training hours for individual members was 2.00 to 658.60 hours.

While RHFD records a significant number of fire training hours, it appears the documented hours for the department are generally focused on the following categories: • Apparatus Familiarization • Fire Equipment Familiarization • Driver Training • Emergency Preparedness

A review of the training records indicates the majority of the training hours are associated with routine apparatus and equipment check at shift change and do not represent an annual member practice of “assigned skill sets.”

RHFD sponsors two or three members to attend the Fire Department Instructors Conference each year. The Department has not participated in the National Fire Academy program due to recent budget constraints.

43 Source: Data Provided by RHFD

Page 164 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Consistent officer training is not provided but lesson plans for in-service training session are provided on a consistent basis.

Safety officers are designated for all manipulative training, and post-incident analysis sessions are conducted for all major incidents. Training sessions with mutual aid fire companies are conducted every two to three months.

University City Fire Department The Battalion Chief assigned to training oversees the Department’s in-service training program assisted by the Department’s Medical Officer (Captain).

With the exception of mandated EMS continuing education, in-service training is very informal. EMS personnel receive 27 continuing education credits on duty, with ACLS provided every other August. Program Emergency Training Incorporated (PETI) is used.

The following figure outlines the Department’s training hours by member for calendar year 2008:

Figure 104: University City FD Training Hours, 200844 Name Hours Name Hours Baker, Richard 22.00 Holmes, Stephen 12.00 Barlage, Jeffery 310.00 Janes, Branden 356.83 Bolte, Theresa 59.00 James, David 345.75 Bremer, Brian 333.50 Kampwerth, Jeff 12.58 Brockman, Steve 356.00 Kramer, Frederick 46.08 Calhoun, Keith 50.08 Larkin, David 41.00 Chambers, Blake 318.50 Lewis, Steven 48.25 Chaves, Darren 68.33 Louder, Jessica 55.00 Clausen, Bradley 7.33 Miner, Donald 3.00 Crismon, David 340.00 Moore, Brian 72.00 Culleton, Sean 36.41 Myers, Joel 345.00 Davis, Chad 61.33 Olshwanger, Steve 4.00 Gaston, Neal 6.00 Pagano, William 327.50 Gavwiner, David 20.00 Rump, Eugene 22.00 Gratza, Eric 20.33 Schmitt, Steve 27.58 Gruendler, William 334.50 Stuhlman, Jennifer 342.83 Guittar, Kristopher 342.00 Tobin, Jeff 6.00 Heppermann, Brian 50.50 Wallace, Kevin 60.58 Herman, David 52.58 Watts, Blair 22.50 Herrick, Robert 43.50 Wilmoth, Gary 40.08 Hinson, William 44.58 Total Hours 5,067.03

44 Source: Data Provided by UCFD.

Page 165 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

UCFD personnel completed 5,067.03 hours of training during 2008, representing an average of 123.59 hours per member.

The range of in-house training hours for individual members was 3 to 356.83 hours. One of the only formal fire service training hour benchmarks available is the Insurance Services Office (ISO) recommendation of 240 hours per year per member. The National Fire Protection Association recommends each member practice “assigned skill sets” at least annually.

A brief analysis of the UCFD’s annual training reports reveals the department should enhance its training program, considering the annual 240 hours of training per member recommended by ISO and practicing “assigned skill sets” annually as recommended by NFPA. The majority of training hours by individuals during CY2008 were attributed to apparatus familiarization (256 hours) and ACLS (3,693 hours), representing approximately 78 percent of all training. UCFD should formalize its training program commensurate with industry practices in lieu of the “when time permits” approach.

UCFD sponsors two or three members to attend the Fire Department Instructors Conference each year. The Department does not participate in the National Fire Academy program. Consistent officer training is not provided.

Safety officers are designated for all manipulative training, and post-incident analysis sessions are conducted for all major incidents.

Figure 105 shows the average training hours by department and overall of firefighters for the fire departments for 2008.

Page 166 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 105: Average Training Hours, 2008

For 2008, the average per employee training was 207 hours for the five fire departments. Clayton FD with 75.77 (37 percent of average) reported the lowest and at 350.19 hours (169 percent of average), Richmond Heights FD the highest per employee average.

Pre-Promotion Development Training National standards recommend that members demonstrate the skills and knowledge required of a more responsible position prior to being promoted within the organization. Pre-promotional training is often provided to ensure candidates for promotion meet the minimum experience, educational and certification requirements for the position.

Promotional processes utilized by the fire departments involved in this study provide an assessment process to establish an eligibility list by rank for current and future promotions. Formal pre-promotion development is not provided other than the required references for examination preparation.

This process does not formally provide organized pre-promotional development to potential or aspiring officers using a standardized curriculum or evaluation system.

Pre-promotion training programs should be developed and completion required of personnel prior to being eligible for promotion. Minimum officer requirement should be enhanced and promotional eligibility lists established to identify a cadre of individuals available for promotion.

The National Fire Protection Association has standards for fire rescue service officer positions and specialty skills. The fire officer standard is NFPA 1021. This serves the fire company with

Page 167 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City an individual with proven skills and abilities and provides opportunities for candidates to gain experience.

Training Program Planning Like any other activity, training and education of members should be conducted under a comprehensive plan. The plan should include a clear definition of the goals and objectives of the training program department-wide and a schedule and process to achieve them.

The departments involved in this study assign a senior fire officer as their training officer. This assignment is an ancillary duty representing all ranks, disciplines and programs. The recommended training committee, not necessarily comprised of officers, would serve as an advisory group to the training officer and ensure all aspects of the fire department were considered in the organization’s ongoing training plan. The training officer would serve as the chairperson for this committee.

A comprehensive training plan should include but not be limited to: • Identification of performance standards for all members at the firefighter and officer level to ensure competency in: o Community Risk Reduction o Health and Safety o Fire Suppression o Emergency Medical o Human Resources (leadership, supervision, etc) o Incident Management System o Hazardous Materials o Technical Rescue o Information systems o Position-specific Development • Enhanced, progressive minimum training certifications • Provisions for periodic review of individual and company level performance • Scheduled training to prevent skills degradation • Scheduled remedial skills improvement training • Comprehensive training objectives for each training session planned • Processes for evaluating the amount of learning that occurred • Determining outside training opportunities

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• Monitoring member training certifications • Identification and utilization of training resources • Training records

Competency-based Training Ongoing training should follow an identified plan based on demonstrated training needs. Such a plan is best developed as a result of periodic evaluation of the current skill levels of members (competency-based training). According to NFPA 1500, “The fire department shall provide an annual skills check to verify minimum professional qualifications of its members.”45

Under a competency-based system, an evaluation of skill performance is conducted at scheduled intervals to determine if the person being evaluated can perform the task in accordance with pre-determined standards. Those skills that are performed well require no additional training. Those skills not performed well are practiced until the standard is met.

This approach maximizes the time used for training. Further it ensures that members are performing at an established level. Specialty skills can be evaluated in the same manner with further training provided as needed. Ideally, the competency based training approach is used on an ongoing basis. For example, each quarter different skills are evaluated on an individual- by-individual basis.

To institute a competency-based approach to training, all of the needed skills must be documented to describe the standard of performance expected. This would include all skills such as hose handling, apparatus operation, EMS procedures and protocols, use of equipment and tools, forcible entry, ventilation, tactics and strategy and others.

To operate an effective ongoing training program, even under the competency-based approach, sufficient resources must be available to conduct skill evaluations and to assist with performance improvement training.

Training Records and Reports With the exception of Richmond Heights Fire Department, all of the departments involved in this study utilize the training module of FireHouse software. The training module of FireHouse

45 Standard 1500, “Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program,” 2007 Edition. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

Page 169 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City software is available to Richmond Heights. Other automated recording keeping, “off the shelf,” and proprietary software programs are utilized by the participating departments as well. Software programs such as those contracted through “CE Solutions” and “RETI” are used in providing on-line EMS continuing education.

The need for additional and on-going training for those individuals inputting data into the training databases is evident. In addition to the practice needed to master the intuitive process of the software, policies and training are needed to accomplish consistent, accurate data input. This is imperative to providing dependable, meaningful data for planning and analysis.

Recommendation 27: The five departments should ensure that a safety officer is being provided for all manipulative training sessions.

Recommendation 28: The five departments should appoint and implement a formal department training committee to advise the training officer.

Recommendation 29: The five departments should develop and implement a comprehensive department training plan.

Recommendation 30: The five departments should enhance the minimum training requirements for firefighters and officers to include annual practicing of “assigned skill sets.”

Recommendation 31: The five departments should provide ongoing skills maintenance and supervisory training for all officers.

Recommendation 32: The five departments should develop a pre-promotional officer development program based on minimum qualifications for each department rank.

Recommendation 33: The five departments should consider developing and implementing a competency based training program.

Recommendation 34: The five departments should require lesson plans for all training.

Recommendation 35: The five departments should train all personnel in the use of the training records management system and the input of data. Consistency of data entry will insure accurate information is available for planning and analysis.

Recommendation 36: The five departments should develop and implement a training schedule with automatic aid fire departments.

Recommendation 37: The five departments should explore those areas where cooperative functional activities may be shared among the departments involved in this study.

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Objective Seven: Fire Prevention Programs An aggressive risk management program, through active life safety services, is a fire company’s best opportunity to minimize the losses and human trauma associated with fire and other community risks. The National Fire Protection Association recommends a multifaceted, coordinated risk reduction process at the community level to address local risks. This requires engaging all segments of the community, identifying the highest priority risks, and then developing and implementing strategies designed to mitigate the risks.46

A fire department should actively promote fire resistive construction, built-in warning and fire suppression systems, and an educated public trained to minimize their exposure to fire and health challenges and to respond effectively when faced with an emergency.

Code Administration The communities served by the fire departments involved in this study have adopted the model International Code Council Fire Code through their appropriate legislative process as indicated in the following figure.

Figure 106: Adopted Fire Codes by City47 Department Fire Code Adopted Enabling Legislation ICC International Fire Code, 2006 Section 205.070 of the Municipal Code of Clayton Edition with Local Amendments Ordinances of Clayton, Missouri. ICC International Fire Code, 2006 Municipal Code of the City of Maplewood, Maplewood Edition. No Local Amendments Missouri ICC International Fire Code, 2006 Section 90.110 of the Municipal Code of Olivette Edition with Local Amendments Ordinances of the City of Olivette, Missouri Richmond ICC International Fire Code, 2006 Section 205.010 of the Municipal Code of the Heights Edition with Local Amendments City of Richmond Heights, Missouri. ICC International Fire Code, 2003 Section 8.08.010 of the Municipal Code of the University City Edition with Local Amendments. City of University City, Missouri

Clayton Fire Department The Clayton Fire Marshal, under the direction of the Fire Chief, administers and enforces the adopted Fire Code. Annual inspections are completed by the Fire Marshal and the in-service fire company members. The Fire Marshal completes annual inspections for Washington University by contract.

46 Kirtley, Edward. “Fire Protection Handbook,” 20th Edition, 2008. NFPA, Quincy, MA. 47 Source: Municipal Codes.

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Maplewood Fire Department Maplewood FD and the City of Maplewood Building Department split the salary of a civilian Fire Marshal to administer and enforce the adopted Fire Code. The fire department pays 25 percent of the salary while the Building Department pays the remaining 75 percent.

Olivette Fire Department The Fire Code is administered and enforced by the City of Olivette Building Department. The Fire Chief is the municipal Fire Marshal. The Fire Chief is a certified building official and State Fire Inspector. Commercial property inspections are conducted by fire company members. The Fire Chief witnesses water flow and system tests.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The Fire Code is administered and enforced through a joint effort by RHFD and the Richmond Heights Building Department. Both agencies review plans and test fire suppression equipment together. RHFD Battalion Chiefs and on-duty crews do commercial building and hood & duct inspections and tests on an annual basis.

University City Fire Department The Fire Code is administered and enforced by the University City Building Department. The UCFD completes “fire safety inspections” annually under the auspices of the building official.

New Construction Review The development authorization review process is administered by the Building Officials of the communities served by the fire departments involved in this study. This includes but is not limited to plan review, inspections, tests, and the issuance of permits commensurate with applicable codes.

With the exception of the Clayton Fire Department, the fire departments have no formal role in the development authorization review process in that they do not have approval signature authority for building or occupancy permits. The fire departments do, however, have a commercial building inspection and fire protection system test and inspection role.

Building permits and occupancy permits may be issued by the local building officials without the approval of the Fire Chief. As a courtesy, however, the respective building officials afford the involved fire departments input into the process. Typically the relationship between the building officials and the Fire Chiefs is positive and cooperative.

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Automatic Fire Sprinklers While excellent response time performance by the fire company is vitally important, the most effective method to protect lives and property from fire is the automatic fire sprinkler system. Fire service resources cannot be provided to match the level of protection provided by this technology. The best opportunity to apply water to a fire prior to flashover is through the use of built-in fire sprinkler systems in homes, businesses, and other buildings. Innovations in residential fire sprinkler design have dramatically reduced their cost. The fire departments involved in this study should consider supporting legislation to require the installation of approved fire sprinkler systems in all new structures including residential properties.

Fire Safety Inspections The primary purpose of any code enforcement effort is to decrease community risk. This means eliminating potential sources of ignition or fire spread, as well as assuring proper and safe egress for occupants in the event of an emergency. Property inspections, to find and eliminate potential fire hazards, are an important part of the overall fire protection system. These efforts can only be effective when completed by individuals having the proper combination of training, experience and motivation and when completed in an appropriate frequency.

The following figure (Figure 107) outlines the fire safety inspections and reviews completed during 2008 by the fire departments involved in this study:

Figure 107: Fire Inspections and Review Summary, 200848 Richmond University CY2008 Clayton Maplewood Olivette Heights City Number of Inspectable 450 Comercl 700+ 314 359 664 Properties 202 MultFam Target Inspection Two Times Two Times Annual Annual Annual Frequency Annually Annually Commercial Inspections 601 450 628 631 580 Completed Residential Inspections 75 202 - - - Completed Plans Reviewed 151 - - - - Occupancy Inspections 101 - - - - Completed Operational Permits Issued 81 - - - -

48 Source: Fire Department Submitted Data.

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Clayton Fire Department The Fire Marshal reviews operational plans, construction plans, and fire protection system plans/tests, as well as completes new construction inspections, occupancy inspections and inspections of 48 dormitories on Washington University, Concordia, and Fontbonne properties. Fire company members complete commercial inspections.

Maplewood Fire Department The Fire Marshal paid by the Building Department and the Fire Department reviews fire, building and fire alarm plans. He also completes system tests, construction site inspections and commercial property inspections. The MFD completes commercial property inspections. Saint Louis County reviews automatic fire sprinkler plans.

Olivette Fire Department The Fire Chief witnesses fire flow and system tests. Fire company members complete commercial property inspections

Richmond Heights Fire Department The Building Department does fire alarm system reviews and tests. RHFD conducts hood & duct reviews and tests. The RHFD Battalion Chiefs complete the commercial property inspections assisted by the fire company members. Fire company members update property information and preplans during inspections while familiarizing themselves with the properties.

University City Fire Department Fire company members conduct fire safety inspections, referring challenges to the Building Department through the Assistant Fire Chief. Preplans and property information is also updated.

Public Safety Education Providing fire safety education to the public to minimize the occurrence of fire and train the community in appropriate actions to take when faced with an emergency is a particularly important fire protection strategy. Life safety education provides the best chance for minimizing the effects of hostile fire.

All segments of the population should receive education appropriate to their age and issues they face. There are a number of excellent programs that can be incorporated into an overall public education strategy that should be explored for implementation. Examples would by NFPA’s “Learn Not to Burn” and “Risk Watch” programs.

Page 174 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The fire departments involved in this study provide a variety of life and public safety programs.

Clayton Fire Department During CY2008 CFD provided 271.25 public education activity hours in the following categories: • CPR/AED • EDITH • Emergency Operations Plans (48) • College Dorm/Fire Drills (two times annually for 48 dorms/3,000 students) • Fire Extinguisher Demonstrations • Fire Safety and First Aid Presentations • Disaster Preparedness Training • Station Tours • Safe Kids • Help Us Help You • Ceremonies • Block/Birthday Parties o 4th Grade School Safety Classes (810 attendees) o Meramec Elementary o Glenridge Elementary o Captain School Elementary

Maplewood Fire Department MFD annually provides Fire Prevention Week fire safety programs at local schools, in addition to: • Station Tours • Car Seat Program • CPR as requested • Blood Pressure Check as requested • Residential Smoke Detector Program • Fire Extinguisher Demonstrations • Community Block Parties • City Celebrations • MSD and Burn Center Fund Drives

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• Bicycle Helmet Safety Program • Safe House Program • Make-a-Wish Foundation Participant

Olivette Fire Department OFD has a limited Life and Fire Safety Education Program. The sufficiency of this program is hindered by limitation set forth in the current memorandum of understanding where there will be no non emergency activities after noon. OFD has provided limited visits to the local schools but little is offered in the way of formal educational programs.

Richmond Heights Fire Department RHFD provided the following life and fire safety activities during CY2008:

• Station Tours • CPR/AED • Residential Safety Inspections • Fire Prevention Week School Visits • Community Block Parties • City Celebrations • Health Fair Participation • Blood Pressure Checks • Free Smoke Detectors • Missouri Burn Camp Fund Drive • Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Fund Drive • Annual Citywide CPR and Fire Extinguisher Courses • Provide Carbon Monoxide Detectors Based on Incident Response

University City Fire Department UCFD provided the following life and fire safety activities during CY2008: • Annual School Fire Safety Program • Station Tours • Block Parties • Career Days • Prom Promising

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• Blood Pressure Checks • Fire Brigade Training • Fire Extinguisher Training • Senior Citizen Fire Safety

Finally, there should be some way to measure results of the effort. This would include expanding information tracked on each emergency incident to record whether human behavior was a contributing factor to the emergency and if citizens who were present took appropriate action when faced with the emergency.

Fire Investigation The investigation of fires, explosions, and related emergencies is an integral part of providing life and fire safety to a community.

The “fire problem” in a community is addressed by a “cycle” of resources provided by the authority having jurisdiction. These resources include public education so the citizen is aware of hazards, how to prevent them, and what to do should they occur; engineering/code enforcement so fire and life safety is an inherent part of the community infrastructure and where there is a violation compliance is achieved; fire suppression so that when there is a failure in the education or engineering/code enforcement part of the cycle the emergency can be resolved; and fire investigation where the incident is documented, the cause determined accidental or intentional, and steps taken to reduce the likelihood of it happening again.

The results of fire investigations suggest public education needs and results, the need for code modifications and changes, fire department training, resources and deployment, and identification of the community’s “fire problem.”

Missouri State Fire Marshal The Missouri State Fire Marshal Investigation Unit provides fire and explosive services to Missouri’s fire services and law enforcement agencies. Sixteen field fire investigators and two supervisors are located across the state and are on call 24 hours per day.

The State Fire Marshal is responsible for investigate incidents involving the possibility of arson, explosion, or related offenses as requested by the fire service. The State Fire Marshal processes an average of 1,300 cases annually.

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The fire departments involved in this study provide a variety of fire, explosion, and related incident investigation resources.

Clayton Fire Department CFD has 12 members with State Fire Investigator certification. Company officers make an initial origin and cause determination at fire incidents. If a suspicious, intentional, or unknown origin and cause determination is made, one of the CFD’s certified fire investigators is called to the scene. Should a crime be determined, local law enforcement is called. The Saint Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is available for major incidents and assistance.

Maplewood Fire Department MFD has two members with State Fire Investigator certification. Company officers make an initial origin and cause determination at fire incidents. If a suspicious, intentional, or unknown origin and cause determination is made, one of the MFD’s certified fire investigators is called to the scene. Should a crime be determined, local law enforcement is called. The Saint Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office are available for major incidents and assistance.

Olivette Fire Department The OFD Fire Chief is a certified Fire Investigator. Company officers make an initial origin and cause determination at fire incidents. If a suspicious, intentional, or unknown origin and cause determination is made, the Fire Chief is called. The Saint Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office are available for major incidents and assistance.

Richmond Heights Fire Department The RHFD Battalion Chiefs and the Fire Chief have State Fire Investigator certification. Company officers make an initial origin and cause determination at fire incidents. If a suspicious, intentional, or unknown origin and cause determination is made, one of the RHFD’s certified fire investigators is called to the scene. Should a crime be determined, local law enforcement is called. The Saint Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office are available for major incidents and assistance.

University City Fire Department The UCFD Battalion Chiefs have State Fire Investigator certification. Company officers or Battalion Chiefs make an initial origin and cause determination at fire incidents. If a suspicious,

Page 178 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City intentional, or unknown origin and cause determination is made, the on-duty Battalion Chief is called to the scene. Should a crime be determined, local law enforcement is called. The Saint Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office are available for major incidents and assistance.

The fire departments involved in this study, within their available resources and in concert with involved agencies, should consider enhancing the analysis of their community “fire problem cycle” to influence organizational and community adjustments to improve aspects of their “fire problem.”

Incident Information Analysis The primary purpose for maintaining a record of emergency responses is to evaluate the effectiveness of fire service effort. This effort includes deployment strategies, personnel training, and the effectiveness of fire prevention and public safety education programs. Information technology can enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency by providing rapid access to high-quality information and empower fire department personnel to offer a higher level of service.49

Once this data is routinely collected, the Fire Chief and other operations members should use the incident records to determine what types of fires are occurring most frequently, the types of properties most often involved in fire, and causes of ignition, to develop targeted fire prevention efforts.

49 Duggan, Brian P. “Fire Protection Handbook,” 20th Edition, 2008. NFPA, Quincy, MA.

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Recommendation 38: The five departments should enhance the use of emergency incident records to evaluate program effectiveness and develop strategies targeting frequently occurring emergencies.

Recommendation 39: Each city should consider pursuing the formal involvement of the fire departments in the development authorization review process such that building and occupancy permits must have an approval signature from the fire department prior to issuance.

Recommendation 40: The five departments should expand the scope and audience for the delivery of public safety education.

Recommendation 41: The five departments should enhance the use of fire station members and community volunteers to deliver public safety education programs.

Recommendation 42: The five departments should increase their current level of involvement in legislation to requiring the installation of approved fire sprinkler systems in all new structures including residential properties.

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Objective Eight: Major Capital Assets Emergency service agencies need a balance of three basic resources to successfully carry out their emergency mission - people, equipment, and facilities. Because firefighting is an extremely physical pursuit, the adequacy of personnel resources is a primary concern; but no matter how competent or numerous the firefighters are, the department will fail to execute its mission if it lacks effective fire apparatus distributed in efficient and appropriate facilities.

These departments use millions of dollars worth of capital assets in the provision of fire protection services to the communities they serve. These assets are necessary to provide service and must be maintained and replaced as needed. This section of the report will provide an overview of the major capital assets within the study area.

Facilities While volunteer, career, and combination departments have different facility requirements, there are basic needs each fire station has to address - quick response time and efficient housing of apparatus and equipment. Everything else depends on a particular department's budget and needs. Fire station designs are unlike any other type of project; there are many subtle elements and specialized systems that go into a fire station.

Inadequate facilities for housing firefighters and apparatus detract from a department’s mission. Limited space can significantly impact the available options for resource assignment, hinder the ability to maintain a well-trained and fit workforce, and may affect member and employee morale.

The primary functions that take place within the fire station environment should be closely examined and adequate, efficient space for all functions should be provided. Some examples include: • Housing and cleaning of apparatus and equipment • Administrative office duties where necessary • Firefighter training • Firefighter fitness • Residential living that is gender compatible for on-duty members • Operations that include enough room for community groups and parking

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While this list may seem elementary, the lack of dedicated space compromises the ability of the facility to support these functions, and can detract from its primary purpose. ESCI reviewed the six stations in the study area. The older fire stations have been given some updating; but due to their original size and design, some are marginally efficient and in some areas provide for only the basic needs of the organization.

The following evaluation and general condition assessment was conducted at the departments’ facilities. However, it should be noted that this study is not a full facilities assessment as would be conducted by an engineer or architect. Such a study would be far more detailed than an evaluation conducted for this report, and each agency should consider the recommendations of an architect or engineering study as final authority in issues of condition and need. This focus is on operational conditions, efficiency, safety, and staff and apparatus space needs.

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Clayton Fire Department

Figure 108: Clayton Fire Station 7755 Forsythe Avenue

Built in 2005, this two-story, 17,450 s-square foot headquarters facility consists of two drive-through and three back-in apparatus bays. This facility is a newer building in a mixed use commercial setting and is attached to City Hall.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories.

Modern fire station with above average amenities for staff and Design operations. Masonry construction with slate pitched roof reported to be in good condition. Facility has incorporated into it a five-story non- Construction burn training tower on adjacent parking garage that doubles for a hose tower and emergency exit from station. Building is 100% sprinklered but is not externally monitored for Safety heat, smoke, and security (monitored locally). Environment No issues noted. Code Compliance No issues noted. Adequate space for working on or around apparatus and Staff Facilities adequate space provided for living, eating, and hygiene. Efficiency No issues noted.

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Maplewood Fire Department

Figure 109: Maplewood Fire Station 7601 Manchester Road

Built in 1962, this older, 4,000-square foot community facility consists of three back-in apparatus bays (two doors). Facility is older, very small, and has not been significantly modernized or renovated.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories.

Facility is not adequate for current use and does not provide Design for a safe exit into traffic. Inadequate space for staff, visitors, parking, or other activities. Masonry construction with flat membrane roof reported to be Construction in fair condition. Building is not sprinklered and has local smoke and heat detection but no external monitoring. Lack of adequate fire Safety extinguishers throughout facility. No central shut off for cooking equipment. Environment No apparatus floor drain oil separator in use. Lack of appropriate handicap accessible door hardware, Code Compliance access, and restrooms. Some issues are being remedied during current city hall renovations. Limited space for working on or around apparatus. Small bunkroom with beds shared by multiple shift personnel. Staff Facilities Close quarters with no two-gender access. Single cramped bathroom/shower area. No visitors facilities available. Extremely small facility with lack of adequate storage and operational areas. All areas of the facility have been Efficiency adapted for multiple uses and privacy is minimal or nonexistent.

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Olivette Fire Department

Figure 110: Olivette Fire Station 9473 Olive Street

Built in 1950 and renovated in 1973, this 5,200-square foot facility consists of two back-in apparatus bays. This station is a small, older building that is incorporated into City Hall.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories.

Station is plagued by poor space planning and inadequate Design design for current use as a fully career station. Masonry construction with pitched, asphalt shingle and flat Construction composition roof that is reported to be in poor condition. Roof leaks throughout second floor. Building is not sprinklered and has smoke and heat detection that is not monitored externally. No central shut-off for commercial cooking equipment. Inadequate fixed fire Safety extinguishing system present. Single egress point from dormitory with lack of interconnected smoke alarm systems. Inadequate separation of bays and living areas. Environment No apparatus floor drain oil separator in use. Lack of appropriate handicap accessible door hardware, access, and restrooms. Combustible construction under Code Compliance stairwell. Single egress point from dormitory. Lack of two- hour separations between bays and living areas and offices. Limited space for working on or around apparatus. Limited space for training and/or company drills. Limited space for Staff Facilities sleeping, eating, and hygiene. Crews have converted extra bay space as a shift lounge area where smoking is permitted. No capability for two-gender staffing. Building is extremely small for the size of crew that is on duty. Inadequate living/office areas. Inefficient use lack of Efficiency zoning in HVAC system to prevent heat/air draw from office/living quarters into bay areas.

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Richmond Heights Fire Department

Figure 111: Richmond Heights Fire Station 7447 Dale Avenue

Built in 2002, this newer combined public safety building houses police on one side and fire on the other. The 12,800-square foot facility consists of one drive-through and two back-in apparatus bays. This station is attractive and blends well with the surrounding community.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories.

The location offers some disadvantages to exiting the station into traffic due to limited visibility but signal is in Design place. Space utilization is maximized but little additional space remains for future expansion if necessary. Masonry construction with a flat membrane roof over steel trusses with decorative mansards. Roof is reported to be in Construction good condition. HVAC is reported to be problematic since station opened. Building is 100% sprinklered and is externally monitored for Safety heat, smoke, and security. Fire pole has gate but no safety clamshell. Environment No issues noted. Code Compliance No issues noted. Adequate space for working on or around apparatus and Staff Facilities adequate space provided for living, eating, and hygiene. Efficiency No issues noted.

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University City Fire Department

Figure 112: University City Fire Station No. 1 6801 Delmar Blvd Built in 1906, this, 8,800-square foot headquarters facility consists of three back-in apparatus bays. This station is an older structure that is reasonably well kept and situated in an area of historic community buildings in a mixed-use neighborhood. The facility is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories. Building was constructed in 1906 as a publishing company and purchased by the city in 1930. Renovation followed a Design major fire in 1938. Several additional renovations have occurred since, including reinforcing the apparatus bay floor. Masonry construction with a flat composition roof reported to be in fair condition. There is a basement under the Construction apparatus bay area that is currently used for police evidence storage. Automatic door stops present and operating properly. Local smoke detection monitoring only without external Safety monitoring. No central cooking equipment shut-off point. Generator only operates a portion of station and critical circuits. Two apparatus share a single bay door. Environment No apparatus floor drain oil separator in use. Lack of appropriate handicap accessible door hardware, Code Compliance access, and restrooms. Limited space for working on or around apparatus. Limited Staff Facilities space for training and/or company drills. Layout and movement/flow around building is inefficient due Efficiency to being initially designed as a fire station. Overall lack of significant modernization.

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Figure 113: University City Fire Station No. 2 1045 North and South Road

Built in 1939 and later renovated, this 14,000-square foot facility consists of two back-in apparatus bays. This station is an older structure that was renovated in 2007 with tasteful additions. The station blends well with the neighborhood.

Any specific issues or observations with this facility were classified into the following seven categories.

Design Significant renovations added functionality to the station. Masonry construction with a flat composition roof reported to Construction be in good condition. Automatic door stops present and operating properly. Smoke and head detection system monitored externally but no Safety security monitoring. No commercial cooking equipment present. Environment On-vehicle exhaust filtration system in use. Code Compliance Second floor not accessible to handicapped persons. Adequate space for working on or around apparatus and Staff Facilities adequate space provided for living, eating, and hygiene. Efficiency No issues noted.

Apparatus The five departments in this study area have a fleet of response vehicles that range in age from new to 17 years old. Average age of primary response apparatus is 7.6 years. Average condition is considered good to very good.

The apparatus were reviewed and a basic inspection performed to assess the condition and the life expectancy. Definitions used to describe the condition and safety status of the fire apparatus can be found in the Appendix B: Apparatus Condition Rating Criteria.

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Clayton Fire Department Clayton Engine 3214 2006 KME Predator Engine

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM (gallons per minute) Tank Capacity: 300 gallons Condition: Excellent Mileage: 17,763

Clayton Ladder 3212 1995 Sutphen Custom Ladder/Quint

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 300 gallons Condition: Fair Mileage: 79,326

Clayton Ambulance 3217 2009 Ford MedTec Ambulance

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Excellent Mileage: 1,000

Clayton Ambulance 3297 2006 Ford MedTec Ambulance

Photo Seating Capacity: 2 Not Pump Capacity: N/A Available Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 31,000

Clayton Command 3203 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Command

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 18,786

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Maplewood Fire Department Maplewood Engine 3190 1992 Pierce Dash Engine

Seating Capacity: 5 Pump Capacity: 1,250 GPM Tank Capacity: 500 gallons Condition: Fair Mileage: 67,362

Maplewood Engine 3114 2005 Pierce Dash Engine

Seating Capacity: 6 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 500 gallons Condition: Very Good

Maplewood Rescue 3119 1997 Ford F350 Marque Service/Utility

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Fair

Olivette Fire Department Olivette Engine 2714 2005 Spartan Crimson Engine

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,750 GPM Tank Capacity: 750 gallons Condition: Very Good Mileage: 14,783

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Olivette Engine 2710 2005 Spartan Crimson Engine

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,750 GPM Tank Capacity: 750 gallons Condition: Very Good Mileage: 14,544

Olivette Command 2702 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe Command

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Excellent Mileage: 336

Richmond Heights Fire Department Richmond Heights Engine 2114 2005 Pierce Quantum Engine

Seating Capacity: 6 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 750 gallons Condition: Very Good Mileage: 32,083

Richmond Heights Engine 2190 1996 Pierce Quantum Engine

Seating Capacity: 6 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 750 gallons Condition: Good Mileage: 74,851

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Richmond Heights Ambulance 2117 2009 AEV TraumaHawk Type 3 Ambulance

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Excellent (New) Mileage: 1,011 on Delivery

Richmond Heights Command 2102 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Command

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 29,040

Richmond Heights Chief 2100 2001 Ford Explorer

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 85,000

University City Fire Department University City Engine 2611 1996 Saulsbury Engine

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 500 gallons Condition: Fair Mileage: 47,305

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University City Engine 2614 1999 Saulsbury Engine

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 500 gallons Condition: Good

University City Ladder 2625 2004 Saulsbury Ladder/Quint

Seating Capacity: 6 Pump Capacity: 1,500 GPM Tank Capacity: 300 gallons Condition: Very Good Mileage: 2,660

University City Ambulance 2617 2008 Chevrolet MedTec Ambulance

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Excellent Mileage: 4,120

University City Ambulance 2627 2005 Ford MedTec Ambulance

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 52,730

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University City Ambulance 2697 1998 Freightliner MedTec Ambulance

Seating Capacity: 2 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Fair Mileage: 134,890

Command 2603 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe Command

Seating Capacity: 4 Pump Capacity: N/A Tank Capacity: N/A Condition: Good Mileage: 24,370

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Section 2: System Demand Projections Community Growth Potential Current Population Information While current population estimates and square miles for each individual fire agency area have been detailed previously, this section examines their population and demographics collectively. The estimated population for the study region is 77,936 persons, according to the US Census Bureau50. This is a decrease from the official decennial census that measured 79,894 persons, a 2.5 percent reduction. The region did grow from 81,944 persons in 1980 to a high of 87,472 in 1990, before retreating in population levels most dramatically in that decade. The following figure details the population growth since 2000. It shows a slight increase in the first two years, followed by a series of small population declines.

Figure 114: Regional Population Growth History

Regional Population Estimates

Population Annualized Rate

80,500 0.4% 80,000 0.2% 79,500 0.0% 79,000 -0.2% 78,500 -0.4% 78,000 77,500 -0.6% 77,000 -0.8% 76,500 -1.0% 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

It is also useful to assess the distribution of the population within the region, since there is a direct correlation between population density and service demand. The following map displays the population density of the study area, based on estimated 2007 population per square mile within individual census block groups.

50 Population estimate for 2007 is from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Figure 115: Regional Population Density

Higher concentrations of population are within the City of Clayton and University City, as expected. Washington University’s population influences the community, particularly when students are in session at the school.

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As one of the factors that influences emergency service demand, the population and its composition with regards to age and socioeconomic characteristics will need to be examined. The following chart examines St. Louis County’s estimated 2007 population segmented by age groups.51

Figure 116: Regional Estimated Population by Age County Age Composition Estimates, 2007

65+, 0 to 17, 14.20% 23.40%

18 to 24, 9.30%

45 to 64, 25 to 44, 29.20% 23.90%

It should be noted that 14.2 percent of the population is 65 years of age or older and 7.4 percent of the population is under five years of age, placing a total of 21.6 percent of the area’s population within the significant target age groups that pose the highest risk in residential fire incidents and account for some of the highest use of emergency medical services. Senior citizens can have difficulty escaping from fire due to physical limitations and are also prone to medical incidents that can be expected to create a significant increase in service demand for emergency medical incidents. As previously stated, the very young are also a vulnerable population, both in regard to their ability to escape a structure fire as well as their susceptibility to serious medical ailments such as asthma, traumatic events, choking, or vehicular accidents. Determining where the higher amounts of these target risk populations tend to live within the region can help in the deployment of apparatus, especially rescue units.

51 The Missouri State Data Center only had estimated population composition by county and not by municipality. Municipal Population Age Composition at the MSDC were decennial figures.

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Figure 117: Pediatric Population Density

The highest concentrations of pediatric populations reside primarily within University City. A high pediatric population is clustered around UCFD and CFD fire stations.

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In an effort to investigate the impact of the elderly population on emergency services, reviews of available academic literature yielded many related studies. The majority of this type of research can be found in medical journals. Several studies that focus on other facets of emergency services such as hospitals and police services are reflective of the current strain on the use of emergency services. The high utilization rate of the emergency department by the elderly has been researched, and it has been found that challenges in the access to primary care physicians by the elderly at home and in nursing homes are the cause of an unusually high reliance on emergency rooms and the emergency transportation services (Wofford, Schwartz, and Byrum 1993)52. Clark and Fitzgerald (1999)53 found that although the elderly comprise 12 percent of the population, they account for approximately one-third of emergency ambulance use and two-thirds of non-urgent use. Cadigan and Burgarin (1989)54 studied a larger population and found a correlation between the use of emergency services and age and income. The elderly and the poor are more likely to use emergency services. Both Svenson (2000)55 and Rucker et al. (1997)56 find elderly use of emergency services higher than the general population. Rucker et al. (1997) and Dickinson et al. (1996)57 correlated the type of insurance as a factor in emergency services use and the time of day those services are used.

The “Baby-Boom” generation includes those individuals born between 1946 and 1964. In 2007, the oldest member was 60 years of age and the youngest was 44 years of age. This is the largest segment of the population in the United States. The growth of the elderly population (65 years and older) is expected to increase dramatically over the next 30 years across the country. As this cohort ages, medical conditions such as heart disease, cancer, neurological conditions and cognitive maladies are likely to be present within this group. Potentially, this will increase the call volume for emergency services significantly.

52 Wofford, James L., Earl Schwartz, and JE Byrum. 1993. “The Role of Emergency Services in Health Care for the Elderly: A Review” Journal of Emergency Medicine, 11(3): 317-26. 53 Clark, MJ and G. Fitzgerald. 1999. “Older People’s Use of Ambulance Services: A Population Based Study” Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine, 16(2): 108-11. 54 Cadigan, RT and CE Burgarin. 1989. “Predicting Demand in Emergency Ambulance Service” Annals of Emergency Medicine, 18(6): 618-21. 55 Svenson, James E. 2000. “Patterns of Use of Emergency Medical Transport: A Population-Based Study” American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 18(2): 130-4. 56 Rucker, Donald, Roger Edwards, Helen Burstin, Anne O’Neil, and Troyen Breenan. 1997. “Patient- Specific Predictors of Ambulance Use” Annals of Emergency Medicine. 29(4): 484-491. 57 Dickinson, Edward, Vincent Verdile, Christopher Kostyun, and Richard Salluzzo. 1996. “Geriatric Use of Emergency Medical Services” Annals of Emergency Medicine, 27(2): 199-203.

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In visualizing the current distribution of elderly population within the area, census data by block group was utilized to determine the per mile density of this population. This is displayed in the following figure.

Figure 118: Current Senior Population Density

The higher concentrations of elderly populations reside in University City and Clayton, with moderate concentrations in Richmond Heights and Maplewood.

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Socioeconomic factors also influence emergency service demand, according to the research. One measure of lower socioeconomic means is the density of rental housing in the area. This is just one measure which must be viewed cautiously, since resort areas or areas with significant student housing, such as Washington University, will naturally show a higher level of rental housing while not necessarily reflecting a lower income level. The following figure illustrates areas of concentrated rental housing by census block group for 2000.

Figure 119: Renter Occupancy Density

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As expected, there is a concentration of renter occupied housing around the University, but areas further west and south also exhibit higher concentrations of this socioeconomic measure. These areas can be expected to have higher service demand.

Figure 120 details the overall housing occupancy for the region in 2000 from the US Census Bureau.

Figure 120: Regional Housing by Occupancy

Demographics-Regional Housing By Occupancy, 2000

Renter Vacant Occupied 7% 40% Owner Occupied 53%

The breakdown of occupancy indicates a significantly higher rental and vacancy than state or national averages, which often correlates with an expected higher service demand for emergency services. These figures again may be influenced by rental housing for University students.

In order to develop service demand projections, growth in terms of population based upon census and development are examined.

Census-based Growth Projections As indicated earlier in this section, the population of the region studied has decreased modestly in the last decade. Because of the built-out nature of the communities involved in this study, it is anticipated that additional population loss will be experienced into the future. In developing forecasts for population growth, we typically develop a forecast based on several decades of

Page 202 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City census experience. Using census figures from 1980 through 2007, a mathematical forecast is created through the year 2030. The resulting population forecast appears as follows.

Figure 121: Census-based Population Forecast Population Projection By Census Experience 78,000 76,000 74,000 72,000 70,000 68,000 66,000 64,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Development Considerations Clayton Fire Department The City of Clayton has planned redevelopment of two transit-oriented developments near the fire station. This development will include high-density housing, commercial, and retail spaces.

Maplewood Fire Department Residential permits have fallen off by at least half since 2004, and commercial permits are off by a third in 2008 when compared to 2004. Once again, the built-out nature of the city prohibits large scale development that would increase population significantly. However, planned development near the metro rail station on the north side of town includes a mixed use of high- density housing, office, and retail space.

Olivette Fire Department Building permit history reveals a light history due to the built-out nature of the community, with decreasing numbers of permits issued in recent years. An area of redevelopment is expected by the interstate highway interchange and secondarily in the town center by the fire station.

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Richmond Heights Fire Department The St. Louis Galleria area and Dale Avenue near the I-170/I-64 interchange is the area of focused development within Richmond Heights. High-rise apartments, hotels, and office buildings are all planned for this area that will also include an increased retail presence.

University City Fire Department University City has plans for redevelopment in several small areas around the town, but does not expect a significant increase in population.

When supplied, the individual city comprehensive plans point to declining population levels with redevelopment in commercial/office areas as the need for owner-occupied housing continues to dwindle. It should be noted that the suburban sprawl outside the study area has been spurred, in part, by the availability of inexpensive fuel for daily commuters. World events and supply may alter these factors, requiring a return to more centralized population centers. Currently, among younger demographic cohorts, urban living is considered attractive and may become a lasting lifestyle within the St. Louis area.

It is not the intent of this study to be a definitive authority for the projection of future population in the service area, but rather to base our recommendations for future fire protection needs on a reasonable association with projected service demand. Since we know that the service demand for emergency agencies is based almost entirely on human activity, it is important to have a population-based projection of the future size of the community. While there may be variation in the population projections discussed here, one thing that can be certain is that the area fire services will continue to be an emergency service provider to a large population. Planning should begin now to maintain the resources needed to meet the continuing demand for services.

Service Demand Projections In evaluating the deployment of facilities, resources, and staffing, it is imperative that consideration be given to potential changes in workload that could directly affect such deployment. Any changes in service demand can require changes and adjustments in the deployment of staff and resources in order to maintain acceptable levels of performance.

For purposes of this study, we utilized the population projections presented earlier and multiplied these by a forecasted incident rate derived from incident per capita rates to identify

Page 204 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City workload potential through the year 2030. The results of the analysis are shown, by year and type of call, in the following chart and table.

Figure 122: Workload Projection by Type and Year

Fire Medical Other 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2015 2020 2025 2030

While all call types are projected to decrease slightly in relation to population changes, requests for emergency medical aid are expected to remain higher than other types due to an increased amount of older adults in the future.

Community Risk Analysis The fire service assesses the relative risk of properties based on a number of factors. Properties with high fire and life risk often require greater numbers of personnel and apparatus to effectively mitigate a fire emergency. Staffing and deployment decisions should be made with consideration of the level of risk within geographic sub-areas of a community.

The community’s risk assessment has been developed based on current land use within the fire district boundaries. These uses are found in the area’s geographic parcel data. The following map translates land use to categories of relative fire and life risk.

• Low risk: Areas zoned and used for agricultural purposes, open space, low-density residential, and other low intensity uses. • Moderate risk: Areas zoned for medium-density single-family properties, small commercial and office uses, low-intensity retail sales, and equivalently sized business activities.

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• High risk: Higher-intensity business districts, mixed-use areas, high-density residential, industrial, warehousing, and large mercantile centers.

Figure 123: Community Fire Protection Risk Assessment

The study area contains mostly low-risk properties. The highest risks are located in Clayton’s central downtown core, and in certain non-residential developments along Interstate 170,

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Interstate 64, and along major arterial routes within each municipality. These properties include industrial, heavy commercial, mid-rise, mixed-use, institutional, and multi-family occupancies.

In many large study areas, low- and high-risk land uses are so significantly concentrated in different geography that it is appropriate to adjust resources and capabilities based on those variations. For instance, in a given region, it may be possible to plan rural levels of service with limited manpower and longer response times in agricultural and low-density residential areas; while the more urbanized areas of retail, industrial and community service uses require higher concentrations of resources and staffing. In this particular study area of St. Louis County, the distribution of moderate- and high-risk occupancies and property uses demonstrates a fairly even spread of risk categories across the entire study area, with no specific concentration in any one geographic area. This is an important fire protection planning factor, as it indicates that this area is not appropriate for the implementation of defined risk zones with substantially varying levels of staffing and response time objectives.

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Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Section 3: Future Delivery System Models The information contained in this study provides an in-depth analysis of the five fire departments and their delivery of services. In the evaluation section, ESCI described our findings and provided a review of conditions or issues that require the attention of the department. In many cases, these issues require relatively short-term effort or corrective action.

However, a main objective of this study is intended to provide strategies that are long-term in nature. This is intended to identify the most critical issues the agencies will face over the long haul, out as much as 20 years in the future. ESCI initiated that process in the previous section of this report where we reviewed community growth, identified risks, and evaluated service demands. Now, ESCI will compile the information learned in that section to provide a recommended long-term strategy for the growth and development of effective and efficient fire organizations, capable of providing the services that are valued most by their customers.

Statement of Current Geographic Coverage As seen in the current travel time capability map, nearly the entire study area is within four minutes of travel time from at least one fire station. In evaluating geographic coverage, ESCI’s analysis seeks to identify any gaps in consistent coverage where, within the primary jurisdiction, an apparatus cannot reach within a time objective that is used as a performance benchmark for the rest of the community. In this study area, the only area of note is the northwest section of Richmond Heights.

While the Richmond Heights station could be relocated further west to provide coverage to this gap, a resultant gap may then occur on the east side of the city. Although St. Louis FD Station 22 is just east of the city line, it is unlikely that they would be willing to provide primary coverage to the east side of Richmond Heights due to the presumed demand in Station 22’s existing primary district. Given the relatively new condition of the RHFD station and the recent capital outlay for its construction, relocation is also not practical.

An alternate solution would be to build a second Richmond Heights station on the west side of the city. However, the current service demand in the identified gap area accounts for only 2.5 percent of total demand within the city. The capital outlay to provide the coverage, along with the resulting redundancy created in the rest of study area, does not make this a practical option.

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Another alternative would be for the Ladue Fire Department to provide automatic aid into this identified service gap area from its station just west of Richmond Heights. This station is within four minutes travel time of the service gap area.

Redundant coverage areas, those areas where multiple fire stations can achieve a four-minute response, are less of a concern since additional workload analysis demonstrated that concurrent calls and multiple-unit responses in many of those areas justify a higher concentration of personnel and equipment. As a result of this analysis, ESCI does not find the need for a reduction of apparatus and front-line personnel. Due to the built-out nature of the communities with no evidence of significant company distribution errors, ESCI does not recommend the closure or relocation of any fire stations within the study area.

ESCI does identify certain changes to operational service delivery that could be accomplished through cooperative service delivery strategies, including merger or consolidation. Those strategies, and their correlating service delivery impacts, are identified in the following sections of the report.

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Section 4: Concepts for Shared Emergency Service Introduction The previous sections surveyed the fire protection and emergency service systems of the Saint Louis County study area’s fire departments. ESCI addressed each agency individually, making unilateral and bilateral observations and recommendations based on an analysis of service, personnel, and equipment. This section will investigate the potential for emergency service improvements in the area based on the potential unification of these fire protection components.

Partnering Strategies Four basic strategies are available, beginning with a do-nothing approach and ending with complete unification of the fire departments into what is, essentially, a new emergency service provider. A description of the four methodologies is found below:

Autonomy The departments can decide to continue as separate organizations by not taking advantage of any further partnering opportunities. Autonomy provides each governing board with the most organizational control because, under this strategy, the agencies continue to make fire protection decisions considering only unilateral issues. The strategy represents a perpetuation of the status quo. It is useful as a means by which to measure the other strategies.

Functional Consolidation Public entities usually have broad authority under law to enter intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) for the purpose of cost and service efficiency. Missouri is no different in this regard. The laws of the State of Missouri address the issue, allowing intergovernmental contracts for any lawfully authorized function, service, or facility.

Under the applicable statutes, governmental entities may elect to cooperate or contract for any lawful purpose. IGAs allow individual organizations to share resources, improve service, and to save money at the program level. Most commonly, fire departments enter partnering agreements for programs such as firefighter training, fire prevention, closest force response, and administrative/support services.

In many cases, functional unification is sufficient to accomplish the cooperative goals of the agencies without considering operational agreements or mergers. It is common in the industry to functionally join such activities as purchasing, firefighter training, fire prevention, public

Page 211 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City education, apparatus maintenance, and command standby. The keys to success of a functional unification strategy lie in a trusting relationship between partner agencies, the completeness of the agreement that sets up the program, and a cooperative approach to the management of the program.

In the course of the analysis, ESCI identified and discussed a number of possible regional partnerships. Each of the regional recommendations represents an opportunity for functional unification. Such programs usually carry the advantage of being low-cost and low-risk improvement strategies. Often, the programs serve as a foundation on which agencies build the experience and trust necessary to implement more complete unification strategies. ESCI has listed the more common types of partnering strategies below with a short explanation of each.

Figure 124: Concepts of Functional Consolidation Functional Consolidation Concepts

Program Strategy Seamless administrative and support services provided area- Administrative & wide through IGA. Operational functions of departments remain Support Services separate. Often used as an interim program before implementation of operational or legal unification. Universal operational standards developed and adopted across Operating Standards the region. Promotes the efficiency of mutual aid operations. Closest Force Seamless response of the closest emergency equipment Response regardless of jurisdiction. Provides quickest aid to community. Responsibility for response to structural and multi-company Duty Officer emergencies shared by chief officers on a rotating schedule. Increases the overall efficiency of existing staff. Regional training program for career and volunteer personnel. Firefighter Training Provides consistent training standards across the area. Regional or county operated fire prevention program pooling all Fire Prevention existing fire prevention resources. Provides consistent effort and message across wider area. Specifications & Assures apparatus and equipment compatibility between the Purchasing partner agencies. Increases fireground efficiency. Fire station locations founded on response efficiency. Spreads Joint Fire Stations the cost of capital construction across a greater base. Provides a more efficient emergency response system. Specialty Apparatus Spreads the cost of expensive and/or seldom used tools across & Equipment a greater base. Lowers overall cost to community. Provides greater marginal use of existing resources. Increases EMS Services the efficiency of the EMS system.

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Operational Consolidation This strategy joins two or more entities, in their entirety, through the execution of an IGA. The resulting fire department features a single organizational structure and chain of command. Depending on the form of the agreement(s) establishing the organization, employees may remain with the original employer, transfer to one of the other employers, or transfer to an entirely new entity (such as a service authority).

The unique feature of an operational consolidation is that existing governing boards are preserved. The management team of an operational unified program reports to each political body, usually through a joint oversight board established expressly for the purpose. The political entities prepare and adopt separate budgets, and retain responsibility for overall policy and taxation. The unified department is funded by IGA, usually through the melding of individual budgets or by the apportionment of cost in accordance with a predetermined formula.

Operational consolidations are sometimes considered as an intermediate step leading to a full merger. The main advantage of the strategy offers governing boards the ability to negotiate and monitor desirable outcomes for the management of a particular service. This gives a higher level of comfort in going forward with the decision to unify fire service across a geographical region.

A disadvantage of operational consolidation is inherent administrative inflexibility due to the political complexity of the arrangement. An administrative team, who must answer to two or more political bodies, might become whip sawn by critical issues and limited in an ability to respond to change due to contractual requirements. Consequently, conflicting policy directives may sometimes be troublesome in an operationally consolidated agency.

Much depends on the founding political relationship, the contractual agreement, and the skills of management to assure the success of a long-term functional consolidation. Even so, many IGAs are in effect throughout the nation, successfully centralizing the administrative, support, and operational services of fire departments. A particularly complex (but very successful) one is located in Orange County, California, where the Orange County Fire Protection Authority provides fire and emergency medical services to more than 20 cities and the unincorporated areas of the county. A joint board made up of one elected representative from each municipality and one from the county at-large provides governance for the Orange County Fire Authority.

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Legal Unification Under certain circumstances in law, fire departments can join into a single entity. This formal approach unites not only programs, but fire department organizations themselves. State laws addressing political subdivisions usually detail a process for legal unification.

Typically, state laws draw a distinction between words like annexation, merger, and consolidation when speaking of legal unification. Organizationally, however, the outcome of any such legal process results in one unified fire district. The major differences between the legal strategies relate to governance and taxation issues. In many states, some process of inclusion exists that essentially involves the annexation of one entity to another, preserving the governing board and taxing authority of the surviving district. A legal merger, on the other hand, usually entails the complete dissolution of two or more districts with the concurrent formation of a single new entity (and board) in place of the former. The key feature of both forms of legal unification (merger and inclusion) is a single rate applied to the whole of the resulting fire district. Both processes typically require an affirmative vote of the residents of the districts.

Analysis of Partnering Strategies ESCI usually makes no distinction between unification, consolidation, or merger, tending to use each term interchangeably. The reader should note that when referring to the union of programs or agencies, the operative words are functional and legal.

Governing boards should pursue the process of joining two or more fire departments only after concluding that unification is cost-effective and is likely to provide better and/or more efficient service to the public. Each agency’s legal counsel should research the particular statutory steps necessary to implement a particular unification strategy. The different processes are not commonly difficult to accomplish, but because the transfer of public assets and liabilities may be involved, the procedure itself can be relatively precise. It is important, therefore, that the agencies have the benefit of competent legal advice throughout the process.

The decision to choose one unification strategy over another is a matter of local policy. Most often, officials choose a preferred course for analytical reasons; however, in certain cases politics or law may rule. For example, many states provide no basis in law for the legal unification of the fire departments of two cities, unless the jurisdictions act to merge the entire city governments. The common recourse in that case is to join the fire departments in accordance with intergovernmental contract law.

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Most states actively support cooperation between governments as a matter of policy in the interest of furthering the economy and efficiencies of local government. Generally, functional and operational strategies are always available as options, whereas the legal unification of fire departments is dependent on circumstance.

Creating a Financial Baseline The process to convert the financial records of each agency to a model budget requires certain conventions and assumptions. First, the annual budgets of five fire departments are reformatted. We categorize the line item accounts of each into three major classifications: personal services, materials and services, and capital outlay. The classifications are further sub-divided to permit the tracking of program cost (such as fringe benefits, maintenance, and grants). All jobs are identified and indexed to compensation paid during the baseline year (2009). Each position is extrapolated to the model budget based on the costs associated with the job (salary and benefits) for a full year and expressed in FTEs.

We identify all non-tax revenues and subtract them from agency expenditures to produce the estimated general operating tax requirements of each jurisdiction. We consider that the resultant sum fairly estimates the amount of public tax support that each agency requires to sustain the current level of fire and emergency medical services, regardless of the source of the jurisdiction’s tax revenues. A corresponding modeled property tax rate is generated for the fire departments by applying the calculated general operating requirements of the organization against the assessed value of the current year.

Note that the model tax rate is calculated to permit the comparison of the effects of the proposed action only. The model tax rate may not match the actual tax rate of the agency for a number of reasons. For example, any back-loaded program or position will increase the model budget and resultant tax rate because each is calculated on a full year of services. On the other hand, the accumulation of fund balances tends to drive down the modeled tax rate in comparison to the actual rate. We do not intend that the ESCI model budget exactly mimic each agency’s current or future budget. Instead, the modeling process provides a stable base by which to measure and compare the effects of the proposed change.

Generally, we use a set of standard conventions when combining the modeled budgets of the individual agencies for analysis. Depending on local situations, we may apply other special

Page 215 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City protocols to our calculation of the financial impact of restructuring. Regular and special conventions observed in this study are:

• Jobs: To facilitate the analysis, we assume that in combining any or all of the agencies an agreement is reached in which all full-time, dispatch, and part-time positions are preserved but not necessarily converted to exactly the same jobs in the new organization. • Job Classifications: Differences exist between the job classifications and structure of the departments. Although we combine the five departments and carry out financial analysis of a consolidation based on the existing organizations, we note that in the long term the departments may need to restructure their administrative and support sections to better suit the new character of any consolidated department. • Staffing: The model assumes that the existing staffing of all fire stations continues with an equivalent number of FTE positions. • Compensation: Some job classifications within a separate agency may have more than one level of compensation assigned. If we are not able to identify the actual salary that is paid in such cases, we usually weight our compensation estimate to about 80 percent of the high end of the salary scale to allow for a tendency (over time) for a group of workers to reach maximum wage. In this case, for many departments, we were able to use the payroll report to identify existing salaries; consequently, the model makes compensation assumptions that are very close to the actual amounts paid by that agency. When merging organizations, we assume that the highest salary paid to similar classifications prevails.58 • Created Positions: In most circumstances, the salary costs for the jobs of any unified agency are calculated on the highest compensation level of current (or similar) positions. We may assign an assumed compensation to new positions created for the purposes of analysis. Occasionally, some employees or groups are compensated at a rate much higher than comparable positions in the other agencies. In these cases, we usually assume that pay for the higher position is “red circled”; essentially holding the current employee at that level until normal increases in other classifications close the gap. When compensation levels appear to be very much higher than comparable positions, we may assign (what we consider to be) a normally expected rate of compensation to avoid adversely weighting the model. • Budgetary line items: We use the model budget as a template in the process of generating a merged budget for the partnering strategies. Budgetary modifiers are assigned to line items depending on the factors that are likely to change that allocation in a consolidation. Each modifier adjusts the corresponding line item in proportion to the overall impact on the departments. For example, the allocations of certain line items are largely dependent on the number of employees of the department; consequently, a modifier for those line items will adjust the corresponding line items of the merged budget in proportion to the change in the number of employees. The ESCI budget model includes modifiers for career administrative staff, career operational staff, total personnel, stations, offices, engines, medic units, ladder trucks, vehicles, emergencies, assessed value, and population.

58 Specifically, if each agency has the same job classification (e.g., captain) but those positions are paid different salaries, we assume that the compensation of that job in the merged department will be paid at the highest former rate.

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• Capital equipment and facilities: Financial analysis assumes the existing facilities and apparatus are maintained after any consolidation but may be altered in accordance with the budget modifiers relating to equipment and facilities. • Revenue: When a partnering strategy involves unification of departments through a merger, consolidation, or a new organization (such as joining two or all agencies), the non-tax revenues of the departments are combined. In some instances, however, agreed-upon terms (contract) dictate how revenue is collected and distributed.

Forecasting Financial Results The process described above provides a kind of “snapshot” of the fiscal effects of collaborative efforts and a consolidation as if the action takes place during the current budgetary year. The baseline permits a comparison of the existing fiscal policies of the agencies with the budgetary and taxation changes relating to the cooperative model. This methodology yields a comparison of the “what if” of a merger against the baseline of current taxation.

While comparing the cost of emergency service in to the outcome of merger in the current year is helpful, it begs the invariable question: What might an integration cost in the future? If the merger is financially feasible now, might it remain that way in the future, or will changes in labor, materials, capital, and demographics change the outcome?

To assist in answering this question, we project the financial result of any proposed consolidation through a 10-year planning horizon. The forecast does not attempt to predict the finances of the departments because changes in law and politics are certain to make such forecasting wrong. Rather, ESCI’s analysis shows how trends in the CPI-U59 (Consumer Price Index), the cost of labor, the assessed value of the cities, and demographics may act on the outcome of a consolidation based on 2009 policy and law. A projection of escalating cost merely shows that the departments may be under increasing financial pressure over time, not that tax rates will actually increase. On the other hand, a prediction of declining cost suggests smoother financial sailing for the departments.

The assumptions made in forecasting a consolidation are listed below: • Administrative Staffing: The number of administrative and support jobs are maintained at the ratio of administrative and support jobs now existing. Otherwise, nonspecific staff positions are added to the models as warranted by an increase in the forecast population and a corresponding increase in the number of operational personnel (see discussion of operational staffing below).

59 CPI for All Urban Consumers.

Page 217 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

• Operational Staffing: Firefighting positions are maintained in the consolidated models in accordance with the median of north-central fire departments serving similar populations.60 As the forecast population of the region increases, additional nonspecific operational staff positions could be added to the model as the benchmark exceeds baseline positions. In the case of four of the cities, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and NFPA do not report career positions for departments serving a similar population base; consequently, we maintain the existing proportion of career jobs to population at or near current levels. • Compensation: The costs associated with salaries, overtime, and benefits are assumed to increase by the ten-year average CPI-U compounded each year. • Budgetary Line Items: All materials, services, and capital budget line items are assumed to increase by the historical ten-year CPI-U for St. Louis, MO-IL Regional CPI- U each year (2.55 percent) through year 2018. In addition, budget line items are adjusted in accordance with the aforementioned modifiers to account for changes in staffing, stations, offices, vehicles, emergencies, assessed value, and population. • Capital Lease: Some fire departments have purchased fire apparatus and other capital equipment through a lease purchase agreement. The consolidated budget model and the budget model assume the lease to be fully paid in the current fiscal year, or as specified by the leasing contract. • General Fund Capital Purchase: The purchase of capital equipment from the general fund of the city budgets and the consolidated budget is assumed to continue but compounded by the CPI-U, and as adjusted by modification factors. • Stations and Apparatus: No additional fire stations or apparatus for a consolidated agency would be required. • Non-tax Revenue: All non-tax revenue of the departments is assumed to increase in accordance with the average change in the CPI-U. Additionally, revenue associated with any new services is modified in accordance with the expected change in the population being served. • General Obligation Debt: We do not include a calculation of general obligation debt associated with the construction of new fire stations or the purchase/equipping of emergency apparatus in any of the general fund models. Such expenditures usually fall outside of general fund budgeting and must be independently authorized by voters in an election for that purpose. • Assessed Value: The taxable assessed value (AV) of the cities is assumed to increase in accordance with the trend over the last ten years. In addition, we assume that during the next decade, new construction in the region will equal the trend. • Population: Population generally increases in relation to the change in new construction. We use the forecast for the cities as stated in this report.

60 FEMA/NFPA, “Four Years Later—A Second Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service, A Cooperative Study Authorized by U.S. Public Law, 108-767, Title XXXVI, FA-303/October 2006”. The study divides the U.S. into Northeast, North Central, South, and Western regions. Fire departments within each of the four regions are categorized by service area population.

Page 218 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The figure below details the modeled baseline budget of the five departments for 2009. Total costs for personal services are $16,000,000, with benefits accounting for 27 percent, and overtime 5 percent of total expenditures. Materials and services and capital outlay are approximately 9 percent of the total budget.

Figure 125: Modeled Budget by Category Personal Services Administrative 910,424 Operational 9,791,361 Overtime 811,079 Benefits 4,487,700 PS Total 16,000,564 Materials & Services Materials 386,430 Services 534,665 Reserve Services 0 Maintenance 291,143 Municipal Overhead 0 MS Total 1,212,238 Capital Outlay 383,704 Total Requirements 17,596,506

Operational Personnel FTEs The figure below lists each department’s (operational) personnel resources and includes only those who are assigned to emergency field operations. All positions are expressed in terms of full-time equivalency units (FTEs), where one unit is equal to one full-time worker for one year.

Figure 126: FTEs: Field Operations Staffing Summary Richmond University Clayton Maplewood Olivette Total Heights City Battalion Chief 3.00 0.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 12.00 Captain/Paramedic 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 9.00 10.00 Captain 6.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 14.00 Lieutenant 0.00 3.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 20.00 4.00 14.00 16.00 29.00 83.00 Firefighter 4.00 10.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 18.00 Lieutenant/ Medical Officer 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 Subtotal 33.00 21.00 21.00 24.00 42.00 141.00

Page 219 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

A total of 141 FTEs of operational personnel are assigned to service delivery in the five cities.

Administrative Personnel FTEs One of the primary responsibilities of every fire department’s administrative and support staff is to ensure that the operational elements of the organization have the ability and means to achieve the emergency mission. Efficient, effective administration and support are fundamental to the success of the department. Without sufficient oversight, planning, documentation, training, and maintenance, the operational parts of the department will fail any operational test.

While it is common for certain administrative personnel to be assigned responsibilities on the emergency scene, such duty typically constitutes only a minor part of the overall time spent on the job. Consequently, we take into account only the administrative and support functions of these positions when evaluating the management of a fire department.

A summary of the administration and support complement of the five fire departments is shown in the figure below.

Figure 127: Administrative/Support Staffing Summary Richmond University Clayton Maplewood Olivette Total Heights City Fire Chief 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 5.00 Assistant Fire Chief 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 Executive/Administrative 1.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 4.00 Secretary Fire Inspector 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 Subtotal 3.00 1.25 2.00 2.00 3.00 11.25

A total of 11.25 FTEs are involved in the administrative and support functions of the five fire departments. Statistically, the departments maintain a ratio of 7.98 percent of administrative personnel to operational personnel. Based on experience with similar organizations, ESCI has determined that municipal emergency service agencies require a ratio of 10 to 15 percent administration and support to operational personnel.61 However, in this instance many functions normally provided internally by the fire departments are provided by city services.

61 ESCI recognizes that organizational goals, regulatory environment, and workload are the actual drivers that determine the number of administrative personnel required to deliver support services. The 10 to 15 percent ratio is used for comparison purposes.

Page 220 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Compensation and Benefits Each of the five fire departments uses career staffing to carry out its functions. Career fire department personnel receive pay and benefits in accordance with the terms specified in the MOUs (Memos of Understanding) made between each city and the IAFF Local 2665, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC (the union). Typical forms of compensation are provided to the full-time staff members of the departments, including salary, comprehensive medical/dental insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, deferred compensation, and retirement pension.

Wage and benefit packages for members appear to be competitive when compared to other organizations in this study. Furthermore, it appears that the wage and benefit packages provided by the cities do not generally present a significant threat to the welfare of the organizations. There is, however, a need for continued monitoring of the regional cost of living and employment picture. Saint Louis County has a number of agencies that have wage and benefit packages that provide a slightly higher rate of compensation. These issues may play into a department’s ability to recruit and retain career personnel.

The type, amount, and variety of pay classification and benefits vary from department to department. The figure below summarizes the wage by job title and fire department.

Page 221 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 128: Annual Salary by Job Title and City, 2009

62 Richmond Clayton Maplewood Olivette University City Heights Min 67,725 Fire Chief Mid 92,069 91,604 83,000 89,490 73,477 to 100,721 Max 111,746 Min 56,054 Assistant Fire Chief Mid 74,838 N/A N/A N/A 67,453 to 92,464 Max 89,830 Min 30,180 Executive/Administrative Mid 36,970 N/A 36,706 32,251 36,529 to 50,074 Secretary Max 43,762 Fire Inspector N/A 62,092 N/A N/A N/A Min 53,218 Battalion Chief Mid 69,617 N/A 68,718 81,471 67,453 to 92,464 Max 82,488 59,438 to 81,478 Captain/Paramedic N/A N/A 66,502 N/A + 2,500 PM Min 50,210 Captain Mid 65,076 76,654 65,486 67,915 N/A Max 76,644 Lieutenant N/A 72,870 N/A N/A N/A Min 47,202 Firefighter/Paramedic63 Mid 60,536 65,737 62,208 63,145 2,500 Max 70,802 Min 42,112 Firefighter Mid 52,640 62,737 61,151 61,305 46,986 to 63,145 Max 63,168 Lieutenant/ Medical N/A 74,850 N/A N/A N/A Officer

Comparables The following figures provide a look at how the fire departments compare to each other using per capita, per incident, and per capita to taxable assessed valuation and the average. While each figure provides factual information, they should be taken as intended: a snippet of data, and an interesting fact. Much of the financial information is background and can be applied to an option that yields an outcome for comparison.

62 Midpoint: Employees whose pay is under the midpoint for his/her position classification receive a midpoint increase on his/her position classification anniversary date. Increase is a predetermined percentage evaluated each fiscal year. 63 Annual salary for starting firefighter/paramedic-in-training for Clayton FD is $45,168.

Page 222 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The next figure shows the cost per capita using the annual operating budget for each fire department and an average of the five. The operational cost is based on the 2009 fiscal year but excludes any monies budgeted for capital purchases, contingency, and transfers to reserves.

Figure 129: Cost per Capita

The average per capita cost to operate the fire departments is approximately $213. University City at $111 is the lowest, and Richmond Heights is the highest at $287 per capita.

Page 223 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Human activity is the impetus for the number of incidents an emergency agency will have. Demographics are also a factor. For example, as the population in an area ages, the number of calls for EMS will generally increase. The figure below compares the number of incidents per 1,000 population and shows the average for the five cities.

Figure 130: Incidents per 1,000 Population

In 2008, Maplewood FD had 263 responses and Olivette FD 155 per 1,000 population. The average of the five cities was 203 responses per 1,000 population.

Page 224 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following figure illustrates the cost per incident using the operating budget for each fire department and the average cost per incident for the five fire departments. The operational cost is based on the 2009 fiscal year but excludes any monies budgeted for capital purchases, contingency, and transfers to reserves.

Figure 131: Cost per Incident

The average cost per incident is approximately $1,069. University City FD at $641 has the lowest cost per incident and Olivette FD at $1,573 the highest.

The next figure shows the TAV per capita. This information can be used to determine if a correlation exists between the TAV, cost, and number of incidents per capita.

Page 225 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 132: Taxable Assessed Valuation per Capita

The average TAV per capita is $42,229. The City of University City at $66,452 has the highest and the City of Maplewood at $20,442 the lowest TAV per capita. Maplewood’s TAV is 31 percent of University City and 48 percent of average.

The Influence of Economic Factors on Future Cost Many factors influence the amount of revenue (and thus the dollars available for expenditures) associated with the operation of the cities, and thus the fire departments. Some of the factors include unemployment, the fluctuating cost of petroleum products, the potential for decreased revenue from property taxes based on the current housing crisis, inflation (CPI-U), and the impact of development in the cities. While many causes have a detrimental impact, new development is generally positive. As a caveat, actually achieving a benefit from new development requires planning.

Fluctuation of Regional Housing Sales The data used in the illustration below is the national, state of Missouri, and St. Louis region information for sales of existing homes. Local data for the cities may vary, but it provides a reflection of the trend in the region. Existing home sales trend between 2006 and 2008 are illustrated in the following figure.64

64 Sales of Existing Homes—Midwest, National Association of Realtors.

Page 226 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 133: Sales of Existing Homes

During the two-year period, sales of existing homes nationally have decreased 23.87 percent, 19.66 percent in Missouri, and 10.24 percent in the St. Louis area.

While the number of existing homes sold has declined, for further evidence of the how the housing market and the economy are responding, ESCI looked to the median sales price of the sold homes. The following figure captures the median sale price from January 2007 through the first quarter of 2009.65

Figure 134: St. Louis, Median Sales Price of Existing Homes, January 2007-March 2009

65 Ibid.

Page 227 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

From January 2007 until March 2009, the median sales price of homes in the St. Louis area has decreased 19.8 percent: from $167,800 to $134,625.

The median selling price of a single-family home in the St. Louis area has decreased 19.8 percent between January 2007 and March 2009. Figure 121 indicates that the real estate market has not stabilized. However, more recent events (including the loan industry bailout and economic stimulus initiative) indicate that it is still too soon to make a call on the future direction of the housing industry. It is likely the industry will be a buyer’s market for several years, which will keep the sales prices down. While the long-term impact of this trend on the Taxable Assessed Value (TAV) of homes is unknown; it could be argued that TAV will decrease.

Annual Unemployment Rate The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics produces an assortment of data sets and reports that are useful for economic analysis and trending. One such data set (the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program) produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor force data for census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities by place of residence. Estimates in these reports are considered key indicators of local economic conditions. Unemployment is one gauge of economic health and is a statistic that is familiar to almost everyone.

Unemployment statistics are based on persons aged 16 years and older who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work (except for temporary illness), and had made specific efforts to find employment during the four-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classed as unemployed.

Figures 122 and 123 show the ten-year historical review and annual average of the rate of unemployment for the St. Louis, MO–IL Metropolitan Statistical area.66

66 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics Series, LAUS Unit, LAUS system output file, St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical area.

Page 228 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 135: Historical Unemployment Rate, 1999-2008

Figure 136: Historical Unemployment Rate, 1999-2008 Annual Year Average Unemployment 1999 4.20% 5.45% 2000 4.80% 5.45% 2001 5.70% 5.45% 2002 5.40% 5.45% 2003 5.80% 5.45% 2004 6.00% 5.45% 2005 5.60% 5.45% 2006 5.10% 5.45% 2007 5.30% 5.45% 2008 6.60% 5.45% Average 5.45%

Unemployment has averaged 5.45 percent over the ten-year period 1999-2008. Preliminary unemployment data for May 2009 in the St. Louis metro area is 9.00 percent.67

Annual Inflation Rate Inflation is also an important consideration when forecasting cost. For the purpose of this analysis, we use the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) during the period

67 Ibid.

Page 229 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

1999 through 2008 for the St. Louis, MO–IL Metropolitan Statistical area as compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor.68

Figure 137: Historical CPI-U, 1999-2008

The historical ten-year CPI-U for St. Louis, MO–IL average between 1998 and 2008 was 2.55 percent.

Figure 138: Historical CPI-U, 1999-2008 Year CPI-U Average 1999 2.01% 2.55% 2000 3.49% 2.55% 2001 2.58% 2.55% 2002 1.08% 2.55% 2003 2.54% 2.55% 2004 3.98% 2.55% 2005 3.27% 2.55% 2006 1.77% 2.55% 2007 1.97% 2.55% 2008 2.83% 2.55% Average 2.55%

68 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index—All Urban Consumers, Series Id: CUURA209SA0,CUUSA209SA0 Not Seasonally Adjusted, Area: St. Louis, MO-IL.

Page 230 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following figure uses the historical CPI-U data to forecast the impact on the fire department budgets through 2028. This rate is used for analysis purposes during the feasibility study (the actual CPI-U for any given year could be higher or lower).

Figure 139: CPI-U Budget Impact Forecast, 2009-2028

The annual average CPI-U increase is applied to each category of the approved 2009 budget to forecast the impact on the future financial stability of the departments.

The following table depicts the budget impact in each year through 2028.

Figure 140: CPI-U Budget Impact Forecast, 2009-2028 Cumulative Cumulative Forecast Forecast Year Impact on Year Impact on CPI-U CPI-U Budget Budget 2009 0.00% 1.000 2019 2.55% 1.287 2010 2.55% 1.026 2020 2.55% 1.319 2011 2.55% 1.052 2021 2.55% 1.353 2012 2.55% 1.079 2022 2.55% 1.388 2013 2.55% 1.106 2023 2.55% 1.423 2014 2.55% 1.134 2024 2.55% 1.459 2015 2.55% 1.163 2025 2.55% 1.496 2016 2.55% 1.193 2026 2.55% 1.535 2017 2.55% 1.223 2027 2.55% 1.574 2018 2.55% 1.255 2028 2.55% 1.614

Page 231 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Inflation will increase the cost of operations approximately 61 percent in 2028. This amount is exclusive of any additional positions or wage and benefit increases.

Page 232 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Feasibility Options for Shared Fire Protection Services Although there are a number of options available to the departments serving the study region, ESCI has determined that three operational consolidations are feasible. Those feasible strategies are provided below, along with detailed information regarding implementation and potential critical issues that must be addressed for each strategy.

Strategy A: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Maplewood FD, Olivette FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD Given that there are no recommended changes in the locations of stations or apparatus, the departments within this study, as one operational entity, can benefit from abandoning the adherence to political boundaries and instead institute a closest response area based upon current station locations. The primary service improvement from this strategy is realized from faster response times (effectiveness) and potentially lower apparatus maintenance costs (efficiency) for the consolidated organization. The following figure illustrates the optimal response areas for each station within the study area. The former political boundaries are overlaid atop these areas for visual comparison purposes only.

Page 233 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 141: Closest Station Areas—All Departments

In a consolidated primary response area, each fire station’s primary first-due response zone changes to encroach into other municipalities. Olivette FD ventures further east into University

Page 234 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

City, while Washington University is served faster by UCFD Station 1 than Clayton. Clayton FD gains areas north into University City and south into Richmond Heights, but the east side of the city can be reached faster by RHFD. RHFD also picks up more response area into the City of Maplewood. These changes would alter the level of workload within each department, but the net effect is an improvement in response travel time, as detailled in the chart that follows.

Figure 142: Strategy A Response Analysis69

Incidents in Incidents Difference Difference Travel Travel Fire Department Current in New in Incident in Travel Time (hrs) Time (hrs) District District Count Time (hrs)

Clayton 2,265 85.45 1,916 52.79 (349) (32.65) Maplewood 1,301 37.68 1,206 32.95 (95) (4.73) Olivette 1,044 35.94 1,817 76.72 773 40.78 Richmond Heights 1,403 46.17 1,602 51.92 199 5.75 University City 4,572 182.73 4,044 145.10 (528) (37.64) Totals 10,585 387.98 10,585 359.49 0 (28.49)

While two departments increase their individual workload, the remainder see a decrease. Overall, nearly 28.5 hours of response time annually would be saved. In addition, the operation would see an associated reduction in fuel, apparatus wear and tear, and firefighter effort.

Based upon the critical tasking each department completed prior to ESCI’s field visit, the following composite response protocol is offered as a standard response performance and critical tasking model. All response performance targets are measured at the 90th percentile in accordance with NFPA 1710.

69 “Incident in Current District” represents the total of all incidents that were able to be geocoded in ESCI’s Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Geocoding of incidents is necessary to develop travel time models. Mutual aid incidents were also removed from the dataset to ensure that an accurate accounting of ‘in district’ incidents was recorded. The resulting total incidents for each department is, therefore, conservative and the “Difference in Travel Time” would only increase with the addition of more geocodable incidents.

Page 235 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 143: Composite Risk-Based Response Protocol Critical Needed Fire First Unit Full Alarm General Incident Type Risk Engines Trucks Rescues Tasking Flow Arrival Arrival Structure Fire - Downtown District Mod 24 2,000 to 3,500 4 1 1 7:00 10:00 Structure Fire - Downtown District High 35 3,000 to 7,000 5 2 2 7:00 10:00 Structure Fire - Urban Mod 14 500 to 1,500 2 1 1 7:00 10:00 Structure Fire - Urban High 24 1,000 to 3,500 4 1 2 7:00 10:00 Structure Fire - Suburban Mod 14 500 to 1,500 2 1 1 7:00 10:00 Structure Fire - Suburban High 21 1,000 to 3,500 3 1 2 7:00 10:00 Non-Structure Fire Incident Low 4 100 to 500 1 9:00 12:00 Hazardous Materials Low 6 0 to 500 1 1 9:00 12:00 Hazardous Materials Mod 18 0 to 1,500 2 1 2 7:00 12:00 Hazardous Materials High Incident Specific 7:00 12:00 Medical Assist/EMS Low 4 NA 1** 1 9:00 12:00 Medical Assist/EMS High Incident Specific 7:00 12:00 Rescue - Motor Vehicle Accident Low 4 0 to 150 1** 1 9:00 12:00 Rescue - Motor Vehicle Accident Mod 8 0 to 300 2 2 7:00 12:00

** Engine may be used in substitution for rescue Note: some staff needed to meet critical tasking in a working fire may come from a 2nd alarm assignment

Page 236 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Level of Cooperation • Operational Timeline for Completion • Long-term Section • Administration and Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective

• Consolidate fire and EMS entities into a single operational unit, either through Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), Joint Powers Authority (JPA), or the establishment of a new special fire district. • Provide increased fire and emergency service efficiency in the areas served by the current fire departments.

Summary The fire departments within the study area already benefit from some collaborative efforts, particularly in regards to emergency response and suppression activities, and it is natural that continuing the long-term strategy of cooperation should eventually lead to the whole area forming a single fire agency. If the fire departments continue this progression by implementing even some of the partnering strategies found in this study, taking the next logical step seems inevitable. A cost analysis of this strategy at full deployment shows an annual cost avoidance of over $376,000 (based on current fiscal year dollars).

Discussion and Financial Analysis A concept for staffing of administration and support services of a combined fire and EMS department lists position/title and the number of FTEs. Keep in mind that an FTE is not equivalent to a position in that an FTE accounts for benefit leave time and other absences that must be filled with reserve or off-duty personnel.

Page 237 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 144: Strategy A: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing Position FTEs Fire Chief 1.00 Assistant Fire Chief 3.00 Executive / Administrative Assistant 4.00 Fire Inspector 1.00 Training Officer 1.00 Total FTEs 10.00

Short-term, it may be feasible to exploit real vacancies (those that currently exist) and anticipated attrition in administrative and support positions. The conceptual staffing results in a net decrease of 1.25 FTEs (from 11.25 to 10.00). Reductions are at the fire chief position, with increases in the number of assistant fire chiefs; a partial fire inspector position is increased to full-time, and a training officer is added to coordinate training throughout the new consolidated system with assistance from other training personnel in the existing stations. Modifications to specific positions are illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 145: Current to Proposed Position Comparison – Administrative and Support Staff Position Current Proposed Change Fire Chief 5.00 1.00 4.00 Assistant Fire Chief 2.00 3.00 1.00 Executive / Administrative Assistant 4.00 4.00 0.00 Fire Inspector 0.25 1.00 0.75 Training Officer 0.00 1.00 1.00 Total FTEs 11.25 10.00 1.25

Figure 146 shows a concept of the number of FTEs for staffing operations of a single consolidated fire department.

Figure 146: Strategy A: Concept of Operational Staffing Position FTEs Battalion Chief 8.00 Captain/Paramedic 11.00 Captain 17.00 Lieutenant 0.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 83.00 Firefighter 18.00 Total FTEs 137.00

Page 238 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The number of FTEs assigned to emergency operations is reduced 5.25 FTEs from the combined authorized staffing of the five fire departments in fiscal year 2009. Modifications to specific positions are illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 147: Current to Proposed Position Comparison - Emergency Services Staff Position Current Proposed Change Battalion Chief 12.00 8.00 4.00 Captain/Paramedic 10.00 11.00 1.00 Captain 14.00 17.00 3.00 Lieutenant/Medical Officer 1.00 0.00 1.00 Lieutenant 3.00 0.00 3.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 83.00 83.00 0.00 Firefighter 18.00 18.00 0.00 Total 141.00 137.00 4.00

An organization chart of the proposed organizational structure is provided in Figure 150 but this chart does not detail how personnel would be deployed throughout the consolidated system. The following figure illustrates where and how the proposed personnel would be deployed.

Figure 148: Proposed Administrative and Support Staff Deployment Position FTEs Location Schedule Fire Chief 1.00 Clayton 40-Hour Clayton (2) Assistant Fire Chief 3.00 U. City #2 (1) 40-Hour Clayton (2) Executive / Administrative Assistant 4.00 Richmond Heights U. City #2 40-Hour Fire Inspector 1.00 U. City #2 40-Hour Training Officer 1.00 U. City #2 40-Hour Captain/Medical Officer 1.00 U. City #1 40-Hour Total FTEs 11.00

Page 239 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The following figure (Figure 149) illustrates the recommended deployment of emergency response personnel.

Figure 149: Proposed Emergency Services Staff Deployment Apparatus CFD MFD OFD RHFD UCFD1 UCFD2 Total Battalion Chief 1 1 1 Engine Captain1111116 FF/FF-P 3 3 3 3 3 3 18 Aerial Captain 1 1 2 FF/FF-P 3 2 5 Rescue Captain 1 1 FF/FF-P 1 1 Ambulance FF-P 2 2 2 2 8 Total106479743

The above deployment is based on positions rather than FTEs as presented earlier and would basically divide the consolidated department into two battalions, each with a primary area of responsibility. Battalion 1, or the designation chosen, would oversee the northern portion of the response area including all of University City and Olivette. Battalion 2 would oversee the southern response area including Clayton, Richmond Heights, and Maplewood. Each area would consist of three engines, one aerial, and two ambulances with the rescue unit in Maplewood remaining.

Based on the facilities evaluation conducted during the initial phases of this project, it was determined that space limitations are a major concern at Maplewood, Olivette, and University City Station 1. Therefore, a majority of administrative responsibilities have been removed from those locations and repositioned in Richmond Heights, Clayton, and University City Station 2.

The following figure (Figure 150) combines the restructured administrative and support with operations and presents a concept of an integrated organizational structure for Strategy A.

Page 240 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Figure 150: Strategy A: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)

(1) Fire Chief

Administrative (4) Assistants

Assistant Fire Chief Assistant Chief Assistant Chief (1) (1) (1) Administration Operations Support Services

Deputy Chief (1) Training Officer

Captain (8) Battalion Chief Battaltion Chief Fire Inspector (1) Medical Officer

(27) Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain

(101) Firefighter/Paramedic - Firefighter

Page 241 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

The organizational structure as shown above is one concept for the organizational structure of the consolidation of the five departments. It is seen as a starting point for formalizing a structure that includes departments and functions agreed upon by the collaborating agencies. Detailed discussions should follow any decision to proceed with integrating the fire departments.

The same service at reduced cost is always desirable. Increased cost accompanied by better or more service is frequently acceptable, but sometimes increased cost becomes a political lightning rod if accompanying benefits are perceived as few. Whether that happens or not in this case depends greatly on how the citizens of the area see the change, and how politics drive the issue. Certainly, a frequently mentioned “killer” issue conveyed during the stakeholder interviews for this work was increased cost.

A major portion on the fire department budgets that may impact cooperative efforts is the cost of individual pension plans. Actuarial liability, employee contributions, group demographics, years of service, benefits, and plan assumptions are dynamics that will affect the contribution amount of the employer. A wide variation in the employer contribution as a percentage of personnel costs exists between the cities. Figure 151 lists the percentage of the personnel services budget that is dedicated to the employer pension contribution made by each department.

Figure 151: Percentage of Personnel Services Budget for Pension by City

The percentage varies from a low of 6.97 percent to a high of 16.49 percent of the personnel services budget. Selecting a single pension plan under any of the strategies may produce a

Page 242 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City cost savings. A single plan with a larger group would likely have a lower pension management fee, reduced actuarial swings, and higher returns than for one with a smaller pool of participants. Collectively, the five agencies contribute $9.75 per $100.00 of personnel costs for pensions.

Figure 152 shows the baseline cost of an integration of the five fire departments. The modeling uses the staffing model with 147.00 FTE. Debt payments were included; employer pension contributions were not included in the calculation. If the fire departments do pursue a consolidation, the liabilities could be transferred to the new organization. For this example the assumption is that the debt remains where it was incurred.

Figure 152: Baseline Cost of Strategy A: Fiscal 2009 Personnel Services Baseline Modeled Difference Administration 604,038 643,586 39,548 Operations 9,020,966 8,730,118 (-290,848) Overtime 477,255 433,902 (-43,353) Benefits 1,995,479 1,945,592 (-49,887) PS Total 12,097,738 11,753,198 (-344,540)

Materials 386,430 376,769 (-9,661) Services 594,072 579,220 (-14,852) Reserve Services 0 0 0 Maintenance 291,143 283,864 (-7,279) Municipal Overhead 0 0 0 MS Total 1,271,645 1,239,854 (-31,791) Capital Outlay 383,704 383,704 0 Total Requirements $13,753,087 $13,376,755 (-$376,332)

Based on fiscal year 2009 costs modeling shows that an integrated fire department would result in a lower total cost to operate. This could be achieved over several years of attrition. The total cost avoidance would be $376,332. As stated in the baseline assumptions, some job classifications in the separate departments may have more than one level of compensation assigned. If ESCI is not able to identify the actual salary that is paid in such cases, ESCI usually weights compensation estimates to about 80 percent of the high end of the salary scale to allow for a tendency (over time) for a group of workers to reach maximum wage. In this case, for the departments, ESCI was able to use the payroll report to identify existing salaries; consequently, the model makes compensation assumptions that are very close to the actual amounts paid by that agency. When merging organizations, ESCI assumes that the highest salary paid to similar classifications prevails.

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Overtime is reduced by approximately $43,353 from the combined use by the five fire departments of $477,255. The overtime shown in the baseline rate is equivalent to the current annual expenditure. Strategies to further reduce this are dependent on the policies established by the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) and provisions of the working agreements with labor.

An element of discussion must involve the merging of pension plans. A plan to combine the pension funds is one element of discussion between the bargaining unit membership and the jurisdictions that will need to be addressed.

To gauge future costs, the historical ten-year average CPI-U was applied to the budgeted expenditures fiscal year 2009 and the modeled rate. In Figure 153 expenses, less capital outlay, are forecast forward five years.

Figure 153: Forecasted Budget and Model Expenditures, 2010 – 2014

In fiscal year 2014, based on the CPI-U, expenditures are forecast to be $15,599,350 based on the 2009 budgets of the five fire departments. The model expenditures are forecast to be $15,172,498, a difference of $426,853. For the five-year period, the projected cost avoidance is $2,407,010.

Cost avoidance in operations is related to the decrease in the number of battalion chiefs assigned to supervision of operations. Figure 154 shows the modeled cost avoidance in operations for the baseline year (2009).

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Figure 154: Modeled Operational Cost Avoidance, 2009 Category Amount Wages 290,849 Benefits 43,353 Total $334,202

A portion of the operations cost avoidance listed in the table above is off-set by marginal increases in the wage and benefits of the other positions.

IAFF MOU with Employees A labor agreement is a contract between the management representatives of a city or other political unit and the designated representatives of a labor group. The purpose of a labor agreement is to memorialize in written form the wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment afforded to covered employees. Labor agreements (also referred to as Memorandum of Understanding or MOU) also outline an orderly and equitable means of resolving any misunderstanding or conflict between the parties. While each of the cities in this study has an MOU with IAFF local 2665 (Maplewood FD is the only current and signed MOU), the binding agreements have nuances that are diverse.

For the fire departments participating in this study to work more closely together, labor and management groups need to address the differences between labor agreements. One way to move forward is to begin the process of aligning the labor agreements of the five fire departments during future collective bargaining processes.

While the labor agreements specify the wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment, the documents detail other items of importance to employees and management – matters that may prove difficult to modify without a high level of trust, cooperation, and harmony in the labor and management relationship. The significance of any article in an agreement should never be trivialized. What may seem insignificant to many may be the one item that is essential to others and can disrupt advancement. To illustrate this point, the following example if offered regarding attitudes toward the use of tobacco.

What a group of people believes, values, and feels is not static but continually in flux. Like society, demographic shifts, changing roles in the workplace, and education levels alters perception. For instance, in the not so distant past, smoking was socially acceptable, now, in

Page 245 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City many situations it is not. Sample language from an MOU article concerning tobacco use reads as follows:70 “Current fire department uniformed personnel shall not use tobacco products inside the work-site, within or on fire department apparatus, or inside training facilities.

All new fire department candidates shall be tobacco free upon appointment and throughout their length of service to the department.”

The MOU above was crafted to address a change of belief. While some would see this as a relatively simple issue, it may prove otherwise when applied across the wider spectrum of regional fire protection. It would be unfortunate for the fire departments to be successful in many of the strategic partnerships, only to be blocked by unilateral issues. Each MOU article is important and was included for a reason; however, there are numerous instances in the fire department labor agreements where collaboration can aid in aligning the MOUs.

The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) provides a second example. By now, FLSA is a familiar component of MOUs; however, the way that fire departments establish and administer the special rules for firefighters may be different. Public sector fire departments may establish special work cycles for sworn firefighters, which can increase the FLSA overtime beyond the normal 40-hour workweek. Firefighters covered by these special rules are entitled to FLSA overtime only for hours worked in excess of a threshold set by the Department of Labor. For example, in a 28-day cycle fire fighters are entitled to FLSA overtime only for the time actually worked over 212 hours during that 28-day period. On the other hand, a work cycle of 27-days entitles employees to overtime after 204 hours of work.

The FLSA regulations also permit employers to exclude up to eight hours of sleep time from work when shifts exceed 24 hours in length.71 For FLSA purposes, hours worked means time when the employee is actually performing services for the employer. These are the only hours that must be included when determining if FLSA overtime is due. Thus, sleep time, "Kelly days," or other paid leave days may not count as hours worked for FLSA purposes. Because of the potential overtime liability when FLSA work cycles are changed, these are important issues to have a clear understanding between all parties to an MOU.

70 Memorandum of Understanding, the City of Carlsbad, and the Carlsbad Firefighters’ Association, Inc., January 2002. 71 The law requires that there be an agreement with the employees to exclude sleep time.

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Emergency Medical Services As indicated in Figure 46, the percentage of overall workload contributable to EMS ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent. Even for MFD and OFD that do not operate transport ambulances, EMS accounts for 55 percent and 63 percent respectively. With such a high percentage of workload contributable to EMS, the evaluation of how these services would be delivered in a consolidated system is critical.

Understanding that three of the five study agencies operate transport ambulances while the two remaining agencies contract these services to private providers, the evaluation of future delivery of EMS in a consolidated system is complicated. ESCI does not believe that it would be in the best interest of the consolidated system to continue to provide fire-based EMS in some portions of the area while continuing to contract with private providers in others. This tends to fragment the overall system and increases the difficulty in maintaining a consistent level of oversight and standard of care.

Figure 47 illustrates how busy each of the current transport units are within the cities currently providing fire-based EMS based on a total unit hour utilization (UHU) rate that does not differentiate between total workload and transport workload. For example, although a unit may be dispatched, this does not necessarily equate to a transport. False calls, refusals, and other cancelations would still generate workload but not a transport. These incidents are included in the calculation of overall workload.

Based on pure capacity without regard for temporal variations, it appears as though the current four transport units in the system would not be negatively affected by the additional workload generated within Maplewood and Olivette. The current overall unit hour utilization average across the four current units equates to 0.15 (CFD – 0.12; RHFD – 0.11; UCFD1 – 0.18; UCFD2 – 0.19) Based on an estimate of approximately 1,750 additional calls (calculated from 2008 responses within Maplewood and Olivette for medically coded incidents) the overall UHU would increase to 0.18 averaged across all four units. It should be noted that this estimation assumes that calls would be distributed equally among the four on-duty units, unlike the current method of call distribution.

In other words, the workload on the existing four transport units gained from the additional incidents within Maplewood and Olivette would not increase the overall workload to the 0.30 threshold recognized as the burn-out point for fire-based EMS units. Further, with the projected

Page 247 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City decline in overall call volume, including medical responses, the UHU is expected to decline slightly throughout the remainder of the study projection period.

Another aspect to consider in determining the ability of the existing units to handle the additional workload is to evaluate concurrency of medical responses. The figure below illustrates concurrency of medical responses over the last calendar year.

Figure 155: Medical Incident Concurrency - 2008 Regional Medical Calls Level Calls % Single 4223 54% 2 2072 27% 3 808 10% 4 402 5% 5 179 2% 6721% 7270% 8140% 970% 10 3 0% 11 1 0%

As can be seen from the figure above, a majority of medical incidents occur singularly while multiple incidents of five or more (requiring an additional unit) only account for 3 percent of the total workload.

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From a temporal perspective in relation to concurrency, the time period with the highest rate of concurrency ranges from between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. as illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 156: Medical Incident Concurrency Based on Time of Day – 2008

Medical Calls over 5 Concurrently by Hour of Day-2008 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0% 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223

In light of this, ESCI has created several options for the delivery of EMS under a consolidated system. Each option considers the workload of the three current transport providers and estimates how additional workload in the cities of Maplewood and Olivette would impact the system as a whole. Options include cost roll ups for overtime, benefits, and administrative and support services.

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Option 1 - Amend deployment strategy to maintain the current number of units on 24-hour shift and add one unit per day on 12-hour shifts. This option requires an additional four FTEs. The example uses all firefighter/paramedics for staffing.

Figure 157: Option 1 Concept of Operational Staffing Position FTEs Battalion Chief 8.00 Captain/Paramedic 11.00 Captain 17.00 Lieutenant 0.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 87.00 Firefighter 18.00 Total FTEs 141.00

Figure 158: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 1 Personnel Services Added Cost Administration 17,931 Operations 243,227 Overtime 12,089 Benefits 54,205 PS Total $327,452

Option 2 – Amend deployment to add one additional EMS transport unit per 24-hour shift. This option requires an additional six FTEs. The example uses all firefighter/paramedics for staffing.

Figure 159: Option 2 Concept of Operational Staffing Position FTEs Battalion Chief 8.00 Captain/Paramedic 11.00 Captain 17.00 Lieutenant 0.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 89.00 Firefighter 18.00 Total FTEs 143.00

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Figure 160: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 2 Personnel Services Added Cost Administration 26,896 Operations 364,840 Overtime 18,133 Benefits 81,308 PS Total $491,178

Option 3 – Amend deployment to have all EMS transport units on 12-hour shifts. This option requires an additional eight FTEs. The example uses all firefighter/paramedics for staffing.

Figure 161: Option 3 Concept of Operational Staffing Position FTEs Battalion Chief 8.00 Captain/Paramedic 11.00 Captain 17.00 Lieutenant 0.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 91.00 Firefighter 18.00 Total FTEs 145.00

Figure 162: Estimated Additional Costs of Option 3 Personnel Services Added Cost Administration 35,861 Operations 486,454 Overtime 24,178 Benefits 108,411 PS Total $654,904

This option would allow for multiple alternatives. During peak activity during the day the number of units on the street could be increased. As demand decreases in the evening hours, fewer units would be needed.

EMS transport services for the cities of Maplewood and Olivette are provided by a non- municipal company. The amount of revenue that would be generated through the provision of EMS transport services by the Olivette and Maplewood fire departments is unknown. To provide a reasonable estimate of the potential income from EMS transport, the number of EMS responses and revenue received in 2008 for Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City was examined. Based on this analysis, the average income per EMS response, not transport

Page 251 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City was $169.05 in 2008. Using a total of 1,700 EMS calls for Maplewood and Olivette 2008 would have generated $287,384 in revenue.

Given the current and project workload system wide, the consolidated department could maintain the current deployment of four transport ambulances 24 hours per day and contract with the existing private providers to provide mutual aid during periods of high concurrency.

Training Each of the study agencies currently plans, develops, and delivers training internally with staff that has assumed these additional responsibilities over and above their daily duties. Under this strategy, ESCI suggests the addition of one Training Officer to coordinate training for the new organization while still relying on individuals within each of the current stations to assist in delivery of the training program. Support staff in the form of existing administrative assistants could be used to assist in the entry of training data and distribution of training schedules throughout the system.

Fire Prevention Currently, only the City of Clayton uses a dedicated Fire Marshal to administer and enforce fire codes. Maplewood FD, Olivette FD, and University City FD each use their respective city building departments to perform this function. Richmond Heights FD works jointly with their city building department to review plans and test fire suppression equipment while on-duty Battalion Chiefs and crews conduct commercial building inspections.

Under this strategy, the consolidated organization would still rely on one Fire Marshal (Assistant Chief of Support Services) to coordinate and oversee the overall fire prevention program within the new agency and would continue to rely on the building departments in each city to conduct plan reviews and test fire suppression systems. One additional fire inspector is added to this strategy to assist the Fire Marshal in the execution of the overall fire prevention program and on-duty personnel would continue to conduct company-level inspections throughout the five cities based on an assignment schedule developed by the Fire Marshal.

Note One important point to understand here is that it is not the intent of ESCI to develop a ‘perfect’ fire department. In a ‘perfect’ fire department, training would be a separate division staffed with a Training Officer, two to three Assistant Training Officers that oversee and conduct shift training (including EMS training), administrative or secretarial assistance, and an independent

Page 252 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City training facility. Likewise, the ‘perfect’ fire department would also contain a fire prevention division staffed with a dedicated Fire Marshal, sufficient inspectors to be able to handle the annual inspections of commercial properties within the district as well as to accommodate plan reviews, at least one individual to serve as a Public Education Officer, and administrative or secretarial support. Understanding the limitations of the current organizations and the fiscal constraints of the study cities, the intent of ESCI’s recommendation is to improve efficiencies within the existing agencies’ available resources while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Facilities and Apparatus A prior discussion of facilities and apparatus offers an idea of general costs. Definitive capital expenses for the options can only be determined after establishment of terms of an agreement on the desired level of service. In an effort to give an approximate cost to replace capital apparatus, each strategy includes a table with a summary of apparatus and replacement costs.

Fire service apparatus is expensive, albeit vital to an effective and reliable emergency service delivery system. Appendix D: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, Five Fire Departments provides an estimation of the total, annual contributions, and current requirement to fully fund apparatus replacement for the five fire departments. Calculations are based on emergency frontline apparatus and command vehicles. The value of all apparatus is estimated at $8,620,000. Annual contributions to a reserve account to fund replacement are $670,405, with an estimated liability as of January 1, 2009, of $4,725,845.

Policy Action A number of policy options exist for integrating the fire and emergency services of the fire departments in the study area. Some of the following options might be deemed inappropriate in this situation by the local elected officials, who are much more in touch with local political will and culture, but these options are worthy of discussing for future opportunities. The options include the following:

• Form a consolidated fire department through intergovernmental agreements (IGA), and the establishment of a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA). This would leave all existing funding and governance mechanisms in place and require extensive negotiation of interlocal agreements for the formation, governance, and operation of a single fire and EMS department. Equitable funding would be negotiated through the JPA. This policy option would only operationally merge the fire protection system of the study area, requiring local action and proper notification for reversal. • Gain consensus for the inclusion of each department in both the funding and operations of a single fire department. Petition the Missouri State Legislature for the creation of a new

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independent special fire protection district, inclusive of each municipal area, governed by an appointed Board of Fire Commissioners with equitable representation of all areas served. The special fire protection district could fund fire protection and EMS through the establishment of an ad valorem tax, the use of fire protection assessment fees, or a combination of both. This policy option would legally merge the fire protection system of the area, requiring legislative action for reversal.

Critical Issues Organizational consolidations and mergers fail for many reasons. Sometimes law prohibits the idea at the outset. Other times the proposal may be doomed by the unfavorable outcome of a public election, or the reality of finance. These issues aside, however, four major pitfalls can cause even the most feasible consolidation to go wrong. We think of these pitfalls as the “Four Horsemen” of failed partnerships. Specifically, the four are command, communication, control, and culture.

• Command: Undertaking any partnership as complex as a consolidation absolutely requires effective leadership be demonstrated consistently at all levels. Policymakers and administrators must guide their respective agencies, yet (at the same time) they must cooperate with partner organizations. Differing leadership styles may cause repressed friction at best and open conflict at worst. Problems with sharing control and making decisions sends the wrong message to the members of the organization, which can lead to an unraveling of even the best proposal. • Communication: Silence or limited information from leaders about potential or upcoming partnerships breeds fear, mistrust, and misinformation among affected persons. The leadership of collaborating organizations must agree to communicate actively with all affected groups. Everyone must be provided the same information at the same time. Most importantly, leaders must demonstrate two-way communication skills by carefully listening to (and acting on) the concerns of all constituents. • Control: Consolidation often fails because of organizational or personal ego issues. The tenets of leadership require that someone be in charge; but in the interest of greater good, some of those in leadership positions must agree to yield power. Some who are used to operating in a position of control may have trouble adjusting to new roles that require more collaboration. Personal sacrifice in the interest of community good may not always win out. • Culture: Two schools of thought exist regarding organizational culture. The first camp views culture as implicit in social life, naturally emerging as individuals transform themselves into social groups (tribes, organizations, communities, and nations). The second camp offers that culture is comprised of distinct observable forms (language, use of symbols, customs, methods of problem solving, and design of work settings) that people create and use to confront the broader social environment. This second view is most widely used in the evaluation and management of organizational culture, but the first is no less important when considering bringing two discrete organizations into a closer relationship.

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The general characteristics of a fire department encourage the creation of a culture unique to that organization. The paramilitary structure, the reliance on teamwork, and the hazards of the work builds strong bonds between the members, who tend to share group behaviors, assumptions, beliefs, and values. Bringing multiple groups together with cultures formed through different experiences always results in a change to both organizational cultures. If the partnership is successful, no one culture will overcome the other—instead, a new culture will evolve from the two. If the organizational cultures are incompatible—well, frankly, the partnership will often fail. Leaders must be aware of organizational culture and its role in the wellness of the agency’s heart and soul. Early recognition by leadership of the importance of culture to the success of a partnership can help to overcome differences and build on strengths.

Guidance

• Consult with service partners. The City Councils should begin a dialog with each other and with service partners and neighboring fire agencies regarding the proposed consolidation. Establish which agencies are likely to actively participate in reaching the goal. • Consult with legal counsel. The councilors should consult with legal counsel regarding the statutory options and requirements for consolidation. • Joint adoption of a regional fire and EMS Vision. The City Councils of Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, and University City should formally adopt a Regional Fire and EMS Vision. • Organize the Steering Committee. The City Councils instruct the committee to formulate and report on all elements of a consolidation plan. Establish leadership roles of the chair and other committee members. Create meeting guidelines and elect leadership. Set meeting dates and times. Review and adopt the work plan. Meetings are ongoing, as is the review and revision of the work plan. Committee performs as a clearinghouse for all information concerning the effort so that service partners speak with a unified voice. • Name the consolidated department. As an element of the work plan, the Steering Committee should establish a suitable name for the consolidated fire department. The name should reflect the identity of the whole protected area.

The next several strategies examine partial consolidation strategies in the event that all five departments are unable to agree to one functional operation.

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Strategy B: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD This strategy examines the response performance effect if only Clayton FD, University City FD, and the Richmond Heights FD became a consolidated response area. The closest station areas that interface each other would not change from that shown in the preceding strategy in Figure 128, with the exception that University City would maintain coverage west to the Olivette City border and Richmond Heights would not provide serves within Maplewood. The following table details the resulting workload changes from current primary response areas and can be compared to the preceding analysis for Strategy A for comparison to a full consolidation with all departments.

Figure 163: Strategy B Response Analysis72

Incidents in Incidents Difference Difference Travel Travel Fire Department Current in New in Incident in Travel Time Time District District Count Time

Clayton 2,265 85.45 2,422 83.78 157 (1.67) Richmond Heights 1,403 46.17 1,511 48.74 108 2.58 University City 4,572 182.73 4,307 162.30 (265) (20.43) Totals 8,240 314.35 8,240 294.83 0 (19.52)

Response by the closest station in this strategy still offers a response time performance savings of nearly 20 hours annually. While University City’s workload is reduced, Clayton and Richmond Heights would pick up modest increases. Again, University City Station 1 would provide primary services to Washington University.

Level of Cooperation • Operational Timeline for Completion • Long-term Section • Administration and Operations Affected Stakeholders • Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD

72 Ibid.

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Objective

• Consolidate Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City fire and EMS entities into a single operational unit, either through IGA or JPA. • Provide increased fire and emergency service efficiency in the areas served by the current fire departments.

Summary The departments serving the central core of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification is logical. A cost analysis of that strategy shows a potential saving in the tax supported cost of the service of more than $250,983 during the current fiscal year. As with Strategy A, additional future cost avoidance is likely under this strategy if implementing the deployment recommendations in this master plan.

Discussion and Financial Analysis A concept for staffing of administration and support services of a combined Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City fire and EMS departments (Figure 164) lists position/title and the number of FTEs.

Figure 164: Strategy B: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing Position – Title Administration and Support Staff FTEs Fire Chief 1.00 Assistant Fire Chief 2.00 Executive/Administrative Secretary 3.00 Training Officer 1.00 Total FTEs 7.00

Short-term, it may be feasible to exploit real vacancies (those that currently exist) and anticipated attrition in administrative and support positions. The conceptual staffing results in a net decrease of 1.00 FTEs (from 8.00 to 7.00). Reductions are at the fire chief position, while maintaining the same FTEs of two assistant fire chiefs, and the addition of a training officer.

Figure 165 shows a concept of the number of FTEs for staffing operations of a consolidation of the three fire departments.

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Figure 165: Strategy B: Concept of Operational Staffing Position – Title Operations/Field Personnel FTEs Battalion Chief 8.00 Captain/Paramedic 9.00 Captain 9.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 65.00 Firefighter 7.00 Total FTEs 98.00

The number of FTEs assigned to emergency operations is reduced 1.00 FTE from the total combined authorized staffing of the three fire departments in fiscal year 2009.

The following figure combines the restructured administrative and support with the operations and presents a concept of an integrated organizational structure for Strategy B.

Figure 166: Strategy B: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)

(1) Fire Chief

Administrative (3) Assistants

Assistant Fire Chief Assistant Chief (1) (1) (1) Training Officer Administration Operations

(8) Battalion Chief Battaltion Chief

(9) Captain Captain Captain

(72) Firefighter/Paramedic - Firefighter

The organizational structure as shown above is one concept for the organizational structure of the consolidation of the three departments. It is seen as a starting point for formalizing a structure that includes departments and functions agreed upon by the collaborating agencies. Detailed discussions should follow any decision to proceed with integrating the fire departments.

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Figure 167 shows the baseline cost of an integration of Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City fire and EMS departments. The modeling uses the staffing model with 105.00 FTEs. Debt payments were included; employer pension contributions were not included in the calculation. If the fire departments do pursue a consolidation, the liabilities could be transferred to the new organization. For this example, the assumption is that the debt remains where it was incurred.

Figure 167: Baseline Cost of Strategy B: Fiscal 2009 Personnel Services Baseline Modeled Difference Administration 376,191 507,429 131,238 Operations 6,604,837 6,260,232 (-344,605) Overtime 338,385 334,079 (-4,307) Benefits 1,602,717 1,587,617 (-15,100) PS Total 8,922,130 8,689,356 (-232,774)

Materials 311,025 304,805 (-6,221) Services 362,888 355,630 (-7,258) Reserve Services 0 0 0 Maintenance 236,563 231,832 (-4,731) Municipal Overhead 0 0 0 MS Total 910,476 892,266 (-18,210) Capital Outlay 224,265 224,265 0 Total Requirements $10,056,871 $9,805,888 (-$250,983)

Based on fiscal year 2009 costs modeling shows that an integrated Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City fire department would result in a lower total cost to operate. This could be achieved over several years of attrition. The total cost avoidance would be $250,983.

A table in the appendices (Appendix E: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD, RHFD, and UCFD) provides an estimation of the total, annual contributions, and current requirement to fully fund apparatus replacement for CFD, RHFD, and UCFD. Calculations are based on emergency frontline apparatus and command vehicles. The value of all apparatus is estimated at $6,140,000. Annual contributions to a reserve account to fund replacement are $502,242, with an estimated liability as of January 1, 2009, of $3,541,847.

Policy Action • Similar to those noted in Strategy A.

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Critical Issues • Similar to those noted in Strategy A.

Guidance • Similar to those noted in Strategy A.

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Strategy C: Consolidation of Clayton FD and Richmond Heights FD This strategy examines a consolidation between only the two neighboring departments of Clayton and Richmond Heights. Without considering University City FD, as in Strategy B, the closest station area bisects the City of Clayton into east and west sides, as shown in the following figure.

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Figure 168: Closest Station Areas—Strategy C

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The travel model indicates that the Clayton FD can reach Washington University’s north and east sides faster via the Forest Park Parkway than Richmond Heights FD, who can reach the south side of campus off of Forsyth Street faster. The following table examines the response time performance for this strategy.

Figure 169: Strategy C Response Analysis73

Incidents in Incidents Difference Difference Travel Travel Fire Department Current in New in Incident in Travel Time Time District District Count Time

Clayton 2,265 85.45 2,152 73.50 (113) (11.94) Richmond Heights 1,403 46.17 1,516 49.10 113 2.93 Totals 3,668 131.62 3,668 122.61 0 (9.01)

The changes in workload are modest for both departments, but the savings in response time is over nine hours annually.

Level of Cooperation • Operational Timeline for Completion • Long-term Section • Administration and Operations Affected Stakeholders • Clayton FD and Richmond Heights FD Objective

• Consolidate Clayton and Richmond Heights fire and EMS entities into a single operational unit, either through IGA or JPA. • Provide increased fire and emergency service efficiency in the areas served by the current fire departments.

Summary The departments serving the central core of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification is logical. A cost analysis of that strategy shows a potential saving in the tax supported cost of the service of more than $128,000 during the current fiscal year. As with

73 Ibid.

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Strategies A and B, additional future cost avoidance is likely under this strategy if implementing the deployment recommendations in this master plan.

Discussion and Financial Analysis A concept for staffing of administration and support services of a combined Clayton and Richmond Heights fire and EMS departments (Figure 170) lists position/title and the number of FTEs.

Figure 170: Strategy C: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing Position – Title Administration and Support Staff FTEs Fire Chief 1.00 Assistant Fire Chief 1.00 Executive/Administrative Secretary 2.00 Training Officer 1.00 Total FTEs 5.00

The conceptual staffing results in no change in the number of FTEs (from 5.00 to 5.00). However, there is a reduction of one fire chief position, and the addition of 1.00 FTE for the addition of a training officer.

Figure 171 shows a concept of the number of FTEs for staffing operations of a combined CFD and RHFD.

Figure 171: Strategy C: Concept of Operational Staffing Position – Title Administration and Support Staff FTEs Battalion Chief 4.00 Captain 9.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 36.00 Firefighter 6.00 Total FTEs 55.00

The number of FTEs assigned to emergency operations is reduced 2.00 FTEs from the combined authorized staffing of the two fire departments in fiscal year 2009.

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The following figure combines the restructured administrative and support with the operations and presents a concept of an integrated organizational structure for Strategy C.

Figure 172: Strategy C: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)

(1) Fire Chief

Administrative (2) Assistants

Assistant Chief (1) (1) Training Officer Operations

(4) Battalion Chief Battaltion Chief

(9) Captain Captain Captain

(42) Firefighter/Paramedic - Firefighter

The organizational structure as shown above is one concept for the organizational structure of the consolidation of the two departments. It is seen as a starting point for formalizing a structure that includes departments and functions agreed upon by the collaborating agencies. Detailed discussions should follow any decision to proceed with integrating the fire departments.

Figure 173 shows the baseline cost of an integration of Clayton and Richmond Heights fire and EMS departments. The modeling uses the staffing model with 60.00 FTEs. Debt payments were included; employer pension contributions were not included in the calculation. If the fire departments do pursue a consolidation, the liabilities could be transferred to the new organization. For this example, the assumption is that the debt remains where it was incurred.

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Figure 173: Baseline Cost of Strategy C: Fiscal 2009 Personnel Services Baseline Modeled Difference Administration 132,932 341,818 208,886 Operations 3,873,438 3,642,591 (-230,848) Overtime 258,385 219,627 (-38,758) Benefits 1,072,665 1,019,032 (-53,633) PS Total 5,337,420 5,223,067 (-114,353)

Materials 172,095 166,932 (-5,163) Services 245,317 237,957 (-7,360) Reserve Services 0 0 0 Maintenance 38,000 36,860 (-1,140) Municipal Overhead 0 0 0 MS Total 455,412 441,750 (-13,662) Capital Outlay 75,265 75,265 0 Total Requirements $5,868,097 $5,740,082 (-$128,015)

Based on fiscal year 2009, modeling shows that an integrated Clayton, Richmond Heights, and University City fire department would result in a lower total cost to operate. This could be achieved over several years of attrition. The total cost avoidance would be $128,015.

Appendix F: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD and RHFD provides an estimation of the total, annual contributions, and current requirement to fully fund apparatus replacement for CFD and RHFD. Calculations are based on emergency frontline apparatus and command vehicles. The value of all apparatus is estimated at $3,255,000. Annual contributions to a reserve account to fund replacement are $264,871, with an estimated liability as of January 1, 2009, of $2,017,620.

Policy Action • Similar to those noted in Strategies A and B.

Critical Issues • Similar to those noted in Strategies A and B.

Guidance • Similar to those noted in Strategies A and B.

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Strategy D: Consolidation of Maplewood FD and Richmond Heights FD This strategy examines a consolidation between only the two neighboring departments of Maplewood and Richmond Heights.

Figure 174: Closest Station Areas—Strategy D

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The following table examines the response time performance for this strategy.

Figure 175: Strategy D Response Analysis74

Incidents in Incidents Difference Difference Travel Travel Fire Department Current in New in Incident in Travel Time Time District District Count Time

Maplewood 1,301 37.68 1,206 32.95 (95) (4.73) Richmond Heights 1,403 46.17 1,498 50.90 95 4.73 Totals 2,704 83.85 2,704 83.85 0 0.00

As can be seen from the figure above, based on current deployment of resources, no travel time advantage would be gained from a consolidation of MFD and RHFD

Level of Cooperation • Operational Timeline for Completion • Long-term Section • Administration and Operations Affected Stakeholders • Maplewood FD and Richmond Heights FD Objective

• Consolidate Maplewood and Richmond Heights fire and EMS entities into a single operational unit, either through IGA or JPA. • Provide increased fire and emergency service efficiency in the areas served by the current fire departments.

Summary The departments serving the southern portions of the study area already benefit from automatic and mutual aid agreements and continue to work together on emergency scenes. Taking the next step of unification seems logical. A cost analysis of this strategy shows that a potential increase in overall operating and capital expenditures of approximately $235,868 would result from this unification. Unlike Strategies A, B, and C, future cost avoidance is unlikely under this strategy.

74 Ibid.

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Discussion and Financial Analysis A concept for staffing of administration and support services of a combined Maplewood and Richmond Heights fire and EMS departments (Figure 176) lists position/title and the number of FTEs.

Figure 176: Strategy D: Concept of Administration and Support Services Staffing Position – Title Administration and Support Staff FTEs Fire Chief 1.00 Executive/Administrative Secretary 1.00 Fire Inspector 0.25 Training Officer 1.00 Total FTEs 3.25

This conceptual staffing results in no net change in the number of FTEs (from 3.25 to 3.25). However, there is a reduction of one fire chief position, and the addition of 1.00 FTE for the addition of a training officer.

The number of FTEs assigned to emergency operations is maintained at the combined authorized staffing of the two fire departments in fiscal year 2009.

Figure 177: Strategy D: Concept of Operational Staffing Position – Title Administration and Support Staff FTEs Battalion Chief 3.00 Captain 9.00 Firefighter/Paramedic 20.00 Firefighter 12.00 Lieutenant/Medical Officer 1.00 Total FTEs 45.00

A change in the number of captain positions from six to nine is made using the assumption of the three lieutenant FTEs at Maplewood would move to captain.

The following figure combines the restructured administrative and support with operations and presents a concept of an integrated organizational structure for Strategy D.

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Figure 178: Strategy D: Concept Organizational Chart (FTE’s)

(1) Fire Chief

Administrative (1) Assistants

(1) Medical Officer Training Officer (1)

Fire Inspector (.25)

(3) Battalion Chief Battaltion Chief Battaltion Chief

(9) Captain Captain Captain

(32) Firefighter/Paramedic - Firefighter

The organizational structure as shown above is one concept for the organizational structure of the consolidation of the two departments. It is seen as a starting point for formalizing a structure that includes departments and functions agreed upon by the collaborating agencies. Detailed discussions should follow any decision to proceed with integrating the fire departments.

Figure 178 shows the baseline cost of an integration of Maplewood and Richmond Heights fire and EMS departments. The modeling uses the staffing model with 48.25 FTEs. Debt payments were included in the calculation; employer pension contributions were not included. If the fire departments do pursue a consolidation, the liabilities could be transferred to the new organization. For this example, the assumption is that the debt remains where it was incurred.

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Figure 179: Baseline Cost of Strategy D: Fiscal 2009 Personnel Services Modeled Baseline Difference Administration 240,059 213,981 (26,078) Operations 2,896,078 3,158,024 261,946 Overtime 133,163 133,163 0 Benefits 505,444 505,444 0 PS Total 3,774,744 4,010,612 235,868

Materials 108,771 108,771 0 Services 292,177 292,177 0 Reserve Services 0 0 0 Maintenance 59,580 59,580 0 Municipal Overhead 0 0 0 MS Total 460,528 460,528 0 Capital Outlay 140,942 140,942 0 Total Requirements $4,376,214 $4,612,082 $235,868

Based on fiscal year 2009, modeling shows that an integrated Maplewood and Richmond Heights fire department would result in a higher total cost to operate. A change in the number of captain positions from six to nine is made using the assumption of the three lieutenant FTEs at Maplewood would move to captain. Any potential savings of a single fire chief is eliminated by an anticipated increase in the cost of employee benefits. Additional cost would be $235,868.

Appendix G: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, MFD and RHFD an estimation of the total, annual contributions, and current requirement to fully fund apparatus replacement for MFD and RHFD. Calculations are based on emergency frontline apparatus and command vehicles. The value of all apparatus is estimated at $2,735,000. Annual contributions to a reserve account to fund replacement are $204,595, with an estimated liability as of January 1, 2009, of $1,785,500.

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Other Possible Strategies: Discussion The presentation of only four specific organizational consolidation strategies here should not be taken to suggest that no additional combinations are possible. With five agencies in the study, and given the geographic layout of the cities, there would be nine possible combinations, assuming contiguity was necessary to achieve best efficiency in an operational consolidation. Even then, while contiguous borders are a typical factor in operational consolidations, they are not absolutely necessary. Even more possible combinations open up if contiguity is not an absolute.

However, ESCI chose to analyze what it considered to be the most likely strategies after reviewing our understanding of the political, cultural, and financial issues in the region. Rather than take up additional space with countless other combinations, ESCI believes that the four strategies shown adequately indicate that such combinations are likely to have similar outcomes, both in terms of gained efficiencies and cost of overall services.

As the process of discussion moves forward among elected officials, if it appears that there is sufficient political, operational, and community interest in a combination of agencies not demonstrated in this report, additional forecasting of operational efficiencies, operating costs, and capital costs could be performed relatively quickly.

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Cooperative Effort Governance Options When one or more municipalities in the State of Missouri consider cooperating with other municipalities, several options are available to those local government organizations with regard to governance of the cooperative effort. This section of the report provides a brief description of each of those governance options, along with a short list of advantages and disadvantages of each.

Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) are, by far, the most common methodology used for municipalities to cooperate or share services with other units of government. IGAs are, basically, written descriptions of mutually agreed-upon tenets of shared services between two or more units of local government.

The State of Missouri Constitution has provisions for governmental units to collaborate, combine forces (contract and cooperate) with each other. Authority is granted in Section 16: Any municipality or political subdivision of this state may contract and cooperate with other municipalities or political subdivisions thereof, or with other states or their municipalities or political subdivisions, or with the United States, for the planning, development, construction, acquisition or operation of any public improvement or facility, or for a common service, in the manner provided by law.

Details of how an IGA is structured are found in Missouri Revised Statutes. Specifically, Chapter 70 of the Statutes allows for this type of cooperation.75 The text reads, in part, 70.220:

1. Any municipality or political subdivision of this state, as herein defined, may contract and cooperate with any other municipality or political subdivision...for the planning, development, construction, acquisition or operation of any public improvement or facility, or for a common service [such as fire protection]; provided, that the subject and purposes of any such contract or cooperative action made and entered into by such municipality or political subdivision shall be within the scope of the powers of such municipality or political subdivision.

2. Any municipality or political subdivision of this state may contract with one or more adjacent municipalities or political subdivisions to share the tax revenues of such cooperating entities that are generated from real property and the improvements constructed thereon, if such real property is located within the boundaries of either or both municipalities or subdivisions and within three thousand feet of a common border of the contracting municipalities or political subdivisions. The purpose of such contract shall be within the scope of powers of each municipality or political subdivision.

75 Missouri Constitution, Article VI, Local Government, Section 16, August 28, 2008, Cooperation by local governments with other governmental units.

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3. "Political subdivision", counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, school, county library, city library, city-county library, road, drainage, sewer, levee and fire districts, soil and water conservation districts, watershed subdistricts, county hospitals, and any board of control of an art museum, and any other public subdivision or public corporation having the power to tax.

Full body of the text of IGAs is found in Missouri Revised Statutes sections 70.210 to 70.320 and following. As a reference to the reader, the definitions of governmental cooperation are located in Appendix H: Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 70, Section 70.210. The cities within the study area currently have multiple IGAs in regards to fire protection by way of mutual and automatic aid pacts between and among the municipalities.

Most public officials can readily list examples of how political jurisdictions are able to achieve savings (cost avoidance) through intergovernmental cooperation. Combining resources, eliminating duplication, and increasing efficiency by providing emergency services to several municipalities in a common geographic area; all are benefits that add up to cost avoidance. Some noteworthy examples of intergovernmental cooperation include joint municipal authorities, regional police services and multi-municipal purchasing and service contracts. Sometimes the benefits are not monetary, but are still easily recognized.

Regional emergency services can reduce the number of personnel on the typical 24 hour duty shift and increase the number available for peak demand and special events. The benefits of regional planning include eliminating the burden of requiring each municipality to provide for all municipalities to provide infrastructure that is best suited in the region. Local governments can take full advantage of economies of scale when joining forces to purchase goods or together seeking bids for fire apparatus. In these examples, intergovernmental cooperation typically helps to reduce transaction fees and eliminate duplication of consultants.

With so many prospective benefits, it is straightforward in understanding why we are seeing more intergovernmental cooperation and why we can expect the movement to continue. While the payback of intergovernmental cooperation may be obvious and easy to gauge, potential drawbacks are far less expected and a great deal more difficult to evaluate. For this reason, elected officials must carefully evaluate opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation before joining forces with their neighboring municipalities. A careful, vigilant, cautious, and thorough evaluation of each cooperative opportunity is necessary to help avoid litigation and other

Page 274 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City disputes. When considering opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation, officials should consider several questions: • What does the city hope to gain? • Is intergovernmental cooperation necessary or can the desired result be achieved independent of each other? • Is the benefit of intergovernmental cooperation the same for all the participating municipalities or is it slanted in a manner that benefits one or some municipalities more than others? • Is there a loss of local control and, if so, to what extent is local control lost? • What are the city’s financial obligations, legacy debts, and legal liabilities? • How long is the city committed? • What procedures are available for extraction from the agreement? • How are jointly acquired assets distributed? • Are there any foreseeable problems? • What is the dispute resolution process?

Each of the questions should receive due consideration and elected officials should seek the advice of qualified professionals when deciding whether intergovernmental cooperation would be a benefit.

Frequently, intergovernmental agreements fall short in adequately anticipating disputes or provisions for dispute resolution. As a result, legal action is often the only recourse. Such action is typically damaging to the municipalities involved. Relations between municipal officials can be damaged, reputations tarnished, and governing bodies frustrated. To avoid these ill effects, elected officials should include provisions in agreements for dispute resolution with mediation and arbitration processes. Often disputes can be resolved by mediation or binding arbitration; particularly if the parties are motivated to keep officials and local governments in a favorable light. Alternatives to litigation are typically more expeditious, less expensive and provide the better forum than a judicial resolution of disputes for maintaining relationships.

Participating cities entering into an intergovernmental agreement should determine beforehand whether the benefits of intergovernmental cooperation are skewed in favor of one or more of the participating municipalities. While there may be a benefit to the region as a whole in that less administration staff will be required in the region, the municipality with the greatest number of staff will often perceive its participation benefits to be less than the city with fewer staff. In an effort to help achieve parity, the cities should use a cost allocation basis for the savings.

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The following are brief lists of the advantages and disadvantages of Intergovernmental Agreements for fire protection services. Efficiency and cost avoidance are the common responses for why governments enter into an IGA.

Advantages of intergovernmental cooperation include: • Combination of resources • Increased efficiency by providing various services to several municipalities in a common geographic area, thereby reducing costs • Regional planning efforts in regards to fire protection • Economies of scale • Increased purchasing power • Efficiency and reduction of costs through cooperation on the provision of emergency services in some instances can mean lower costs per capita. Although by no means the only reasons, effectiveness, efficiency and reducing costs are the most common reasons government agencies inquire about cooperating. • Limited need for government reorganization with cooperation of neighboring governments frequently avoids the politically sensitive, time-consuming, expensive, and cumbersome issues of government restructuring. If city leadership can cooperate, the city may avoid efforts which may hinder development. Collaboration also helps avoid the creation of special districts that may take power and resources away from existing governments. • Coordination and planning in the course of cooperation, governments can develop policies for the region and work on universal problems. Harmonious synchronization helps communities curtail costs that can follow when levels of services are different among adjoining communities. For example, training and operating guidelines, and management policies can help avoid the situation in which one area's fire department has problems operating with a neighboring jurisdiction with lax or limited procedures. Joint planning for future services and the resources needed to provide them will often follow cooperation. • Expanded services through an IGA may allow a fire department to provide the city services it would otherwise be without or is currently outsourced. Cooperation can make those services financially and logistically possible. • Provides flexibility to meet the goals of the member agencies • Protection of local authority over that of a district • Respect for local community identities and values

Disadvantages of an intergovernmental cooperation may involve: • The ability of attaining and reaching consensus then maintaining an agreement in which politics and community sentiments differ can be difficult. For example, all parties may not agree that EMS transportation should be a service of the fire department. However, they may disagree widely on how much protection is needed.

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• An agreement may fall apart if one city wants basic fire protection and the other wants an active and visible fire prevention program. Since intergovernmental agreements are voluntary, a government may pull out before an agreement is reached. Or, if one party dislikes how the contract was implemented, it may, under the agreement's escape (early termination) clause, extract itself. • Unequal partners are when one party to an agreement has more power than other parties; it may influence the agreement's conditions. With service agreements, the more powerful party, or the party providing the service, may have little at stake, or to lose if the agreement breaks down; it may already be providing service internally at a reasonable rate. The weaker participant may have few other options and is vulnerable to exploitation. • The loss of perceived loss of local self-preservation and control is possible. Some cities may feel their identity and autonomy will be threatened by intergovernmental cooperation. The pride of city residents, fire, city and elected officials may be bruised if, after providing their own fire protection, they must contract with a neighboring city (and possible old adversary) for the service. Additionally, a city may lose some control over what takes place in their boundary; although officials may lose control, they are still held responsible and accountable for the delivery of services to their electorate.

Joint Powers Authority/Agreement (JPA) A Joint Powers Authority/Agreement (JPA) is a cooperation methodology permitted under the laws of some states, including Missouri, whereby two or more public authorities, such as local governments, can operate collectively. A JPA is distinct from its member units of government. A JPA will have a separate operating board of directors, which can be given the powers inherent in all of the participating agencies.

The organization of a JPA is determined by the member agencies, as are the authorities, controls, and powers. Most JPAs have a governing board made up of representatives from each of the member organizations.

Advantages • Provides flexibility to meet the goals of the member agencies • Protection of local authority over that of a district • Respect for local community identities and values

Disadvantages • Minimal: Powers and authorities are determined by the forming entities

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Special District Missouri ranks sixth among the states in the total number of local governments, with 3,723 as of October 2007.76 Of the total units of local government, there are 1,809 special district governments. A special district is usually a one-service local government, but can overlay other local government entities. The most common special districts in Missouri provide fire protection, road maintenance, and water supply. In this case, of course, the special district of specific interest is a fire protection district.

Fire Protection Districts are established by the circuit court on petition of voters and after public hearing and local referendum. They also provide, in some cases, ambulance services with voter approval. An elected board of directors governs each district. The district may levy property taxes and issue bonds with voter approval.77, 78 Within St. Louis County, there are currently 23 fire protection districts, as listed below.

• Affton • Mid-County • Community • Moline • Eureka • Monarch • Florissant Valley • Northeast • Lemay • Pattonville • Mehlville • Riverview • Black Jack • Robertson • Creve Coeur • Spanish Lake • Fenton • Valley Park • Kinloch • West County EMS • Maryland Heights • West Overland • Metro West

Chapter 321 of the Missouri Revised Statutes governs the creation and operation of Fire Protection Districts. As with any modification in service delivery model, there are both advantages and disadvantages. Each are listed below, but should not be considered all- inclusive.

76 http://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/2007/mo.pdf. 77 Ibid. 78 Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 321. Fire Protection Districts. Section 321.020.

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Advantages • Municipality would no longer be responsible for personnel and operational costs associated with providing fire protection • Municipalities would enjoy a decreased liability • Avoidance of annual contract negotiations • Municipal residents would be able to participate in fire district elections and may serve as commissioners

Disadvantages • Loss of Control o Service Levels and Performance o Financial o Accountability to the municipal legislative authority • Increase in tax rates • Loss of community fire department identity

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Funding Alternatives Prior to discussing alternative assessments, fees, or other increases to the current revenue stream, the governing boards of the study agencies should clearly define the level of community emergency service in measurable terms (commonly referred to as standards of cover). For example, standards of cover specify the service (fire protection), the quantity (a fire engine and four firefighters), the quality (within six minutes of dispatch), and the accuracy (85 percent of the time). Once service is defined in specific and measurable terms, the tasks of determining cost and the consideration of funding alternatives become more focused.

Potential funding alternatives can be grouped into two general categories: untapped revenues and redirected funds. Untapped revenue is represented by existing funding alternatives that are not fully used, like a tax increase or the implementation of a new tax, and by the identification of fees that do not fully recoup service cost. Redirected funds are existing revenue identified as not contributing toward the essential goals of the organization and, therefore, may be more efficiently allocated to other programs or functions.

Redirected Funds There are essentially three methods that can be used to redirect public funding: 1) proving that money could be spent more effectively, 2) showing that a population or area is not receiving its fair share of service, and 3) changing a policy so that a program can access a funding stream that currently exists.79 In order to redirect funding, leadership researches what funding is there, who controls the funding, what the policies are, and whether or not allocation patterns can be changed.

For the study region, this would involve altering the methodology for calculating the cost of serving the region. A formula for apportioning service cost may factor in assessed valuation, population, service demand, level of service, and area size. One option for leveling cost fluctuations is to employ a formula using multiple factors (population and assessed valuation, for instance). A more complete discussion of the principles of cost allocation is included later in this section.

79 Sustainable Funding for Program Strategies, Lessons Learned from an Ambitious Community Change Effort, June 2005, Urban Health Initiative, Seattle, WA.

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Charitable Foundation Forming a charitable foundation can provide a method for individual community members and business owners to make tax-deductible contributions to the fire department. Fire department foundations have been established in various other cities and districts for an assortment of purposes.80 Some of the functions have been to provide:

• Humanitarian assistance to those who have been adversely affected by disaster, tragedy, injury, or other misfortune, and to work actively toward preventing or minimizing the impact of such misfortunes. • Additional equipment and necessary upgrades to enhance emergency medical services, such as a bike medic program and the purchase of cardiac monitors and automated external defibrillators. • Financial resources to upgrade aging fire stations and facilities. • Personal protective gear for firefighters and paramedics, self-contained breathing apparatus, and specialized training. • Creation of an arson task force to improve investigation and prosecution of arson fires, and increase collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies.

80 Fire departments with established charitable foundations include the City of Baltimore, MD, and Clackamas County Fire District No. 1, Milwaukie, OR.

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Mill Levy A mill equals a tenth of one cent; consequently, an ad valorem tax rate expressed in mills means that one dollar of tax revenue is generated for every $1,000 of assessed value. The total Taxable Assessed Value (TAV) of the study region is calculated to be slightly more than $2.3 billion. Given that assessed value, ESCI estimates that a universal levy of about 7.25 mills is necessary to fund the consolidated department should the region proceed with a plan to completely fund the department through ad valorem taxes. The following figure (Figure 180) illustrates how this would compare to the residential and commercial rates currently applied in each of the study municipalities.

Figure 180: Current to Modeled Millage Rate Comparison

The modeled rate of $7.593 is lower than all of the commercial levy rates and three of the residential rates.

Principles of Cost Allocation Local governments provide services (such as fire protection) based on an assumption of public interest rather than the need for profitability, as in the private sector. Consequently, the limiting market forces of supply, demand, and price are not typically found at the forefront of policy decisions concerning fire protection. While elected officials may spend significant time and effort debating the overall cost of fire protection, it is very unusual that the point of service price is

Page 282 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City considered. In this light, it is not surprising that local governments find it difficult to establish a fair market price for essential services when entering into partnerships.

Usually, when a single local government provides fire protection to its residents, that community bears the entire financial burden because of the presumption that everyone benefits from the service. In the case of municipalities, the full cost of the service may not be easily determined because administrative and support expenses are frequently borne by other municipal departments and not documented in the fire department’s budget. It all works because individual users of the service are not charged; therefore, the real price of that service is never an issue. On the other hand, when two or more communities share in providing fire protection, elected officials must assure that each community assumes only its fair pro rata share of the cost, thereby fulfilling an obligation to act as stewards to the best interest of their respective constituencies.

However, while purely economic considerations may suggest that those who benefit from a service should pay in direct proportion to the level of benefit (the “benefits received” principle), social and political concerns may also enter into the price-setting process. For example, ESCI recently completed an evaluation of the fire protection system comprised of the City of John Day and the John Day Rural Fire Protection District located in eastern Oregon. There, the fire district provides no emergency service of its own, contracting instead with the city fire department for all operations within the district’s territory. The fire district compensates the city for a percentage of the fire department budget (minus certain budgetary transfers and any funds not spent during the previous year) equivalent to a rolling fire-year average of district alarms compared to city alarms.

A close examination of the John Day fire protection system shows that if emergency response was no longer required by the fire district, the city’s fire protection budget would not change appreciably. Said another way, city fire response to the district adds virtually no marginal cost to the city. Consequently, any money that the district can afford to pay for city fire protection is money that the city does not have to raise through other taxes or fees. Here, the benefits received principle is less a factor than is the principle of greatest public good. District residents pay what is essentially a discounted rate for fire protection, but without the district’s contract, the

Page 283 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City city would be forced to cut services.81 In this case, the John Day City Council finds it in the best interest of city taxpayers to provide fire protection outside of city boundaries at a rate that can be viewed as discounted to less than full cost.

It also happens that the John Day contract calls for fire response in the district to be equivalent to that in the city. While it is true that alarms in the district receive the same dispatch assignment of personnel and equipment, the realities of geography make it impossible for service in the district to be equal to that in the city. Response to district emergencies requires greater travel distances, which equate to longer response times, which lowers the presumed level of service. Given the deployment of resources in the system (one station, equipment, and personnel located in the center of the city), it is physically impossible to provide equivalent fire response to district residents.

It can be concluded, therefore, that the task of apportioning the cost of an allied fire protection system among partner agencies will likely require a fair amount of analysis and negotiation. The process should be approached with the recognition that any agreed-on allocation formula must fit the local situation, it should serve the best interests of the partners over the long-term, and everyone (especially the public) should easily understand it. It is also essential that the process be maintained completely transparent at the governance level. We generally advise clients to keep cost apportionment formulas fair, simple, and intuitively logical to assure that the public accepts and supports the endeavor.

Allocation Options What follows is an alphabetical listing of system variables that can be used (singly or in combination) to allocate cost between allied fire departments. Each option is summarized by the concept, its advantages and disadvantages, and other factors that should be considered. Regardless of the option(s) chosen to share the cost of fire protection, the resulting interlocal agreement needs to address the issues of full cost versus marginal cost and should be clear about the inclusion of administrative or overhead cost. In addition, service contracts often must reconcile the exchange of in-kind services between the participating agencies.

Area Concept:

81City taxpayers pay a property tax equivalent of $1.072 per $1,000 of assessed value for fire protection. District taxpayers pay the equivalent of $0.843 per $1,000. Without contract income, city taxes would have to jump to $1.539 to maintain protection.

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The cost of emergency service can be apportioned based on the geographic area served relative to the whole. For instance, the jurisdictional boundaries of the study municipalities represent about 15.4 square miles. Allocation based on area would apportion 17.6 percent of cost to the Clayton (2.7 square miles); 10.4 percent to Maplewood (1.6 square miles); 18.8 percent to Olivette (2.9 square miles); 14.9 percent to Richmond Heights (2.3 square miles); and 38.3 percent to University City (5.9 square miles). Apportionment founded on service area alone may work best in areas that are geographically and developmentally homogeneous.

Pro:

Service area is easily calculable from a variety of sources.

Con:

Service area does not necessarily equate to greater risk or to greater workload.

Consider:

Service area may be combined with other variables (such as assessed value and number of emergencies) to express a compound variable (such as assessed value per square mile and emergencies per square mile).

Assessed Value Concept:

The taxable assessed value (TAV) of municipalities is established by the local tax assessor under laws of the state. Usually, higher-valued structures and complexes carry a greater risk to the community from loss by fire; consequently, assessed value also tends to approximate the property at risk within a municipality. Fire departments are charged with being sufficiently prepared to prevent property loss by fire. Therefore, the cost of contracted fire protection may be apportioned relative to the assessed value of the allied jurisdictions. Typically, TAV is used to apportion cost of shared service by applying the percentage of each partner’s TAV to the whole. For example, the 2008 TAV of Clayton is listed as $893,133,000; Maplewood is listed as $177,598,144; Olivette is listed at $252,258,994; Richmond Heights is listed at $360,315,887; and University City is listed at $634,103,000. Under a system apportioned by TAV, Clayton would pay 38.5 percent, Maplewood would pay 7.7 percent,

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Olivette would pay 10.9 percent, Richmond Heights would pay 15.5 percent, and University City would pay 27.4 percent.

Pro:

TAV is updated regularly helping to assure that adjustments for changes relative to new construction, annexation, and inflation are included. Because a third party (the assessor) establishes TAV in accordance with state law, it is generally viewed as an impartial and fair measurement for cost apportionment. Fire protection is typically considered a property- related service and, thus, apportionment tied directly to property value has merit.

Con:

TAV may not reflect the property risk associated with certain exempt property, such as schools, universities, government facilities, churches, and institutions. TAV may not always represent the life risk of certain properties, such as nursing homes or places of assembly, which might dictate more significant use of resources. In addition, some large facilities may seek economic development incentives through TAV exemptions or reductions. Adjustments may need to be made to TAV if such large tracts of exempt property in one jurisdiction cause an imbalance in the calculation. Last, TAV typically includes the value of land, which is not usually at risk of loss by fire. Depending on the local circumstance, however, this may not be a significant factor if the relative proportion of land value to structure value is reasonably uniform over the whole of the territory.

Consider:

Some states discount AV depending on the class of property (commercial or residential), which may skew the overall proportion of those properties compared to risk. This does not appear to be the case in Central Cumberland County. As an additional consideration, county assessors usually establish the AV in accord with the property tax cycle, which can lag somewhat behind the budget cycle of local agencies and the time when service contracts are reviewed or negotiated.

Deployment Concept:

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Payment for service based on the cost of meeting specific deployment goals. Deployment goals may be tied to the physical location of stations, equipment, and personnel (strategic deployment) or by stating the desired outcome of deployment (standards of cover). For example, a strategic goal could specify the location of two stations, two engines, and ten on- duty firefighters. A standard of cover might state the desired outcome of the same deployed resources as — two engine companies and ten emergency workers on the scene of all structure fire emergencies within eight minutes 85 percent of the time. While both strategic and outcome goals can be used effectively to assist in allocating cost, ESCI views outcome goals to be more dynamically linked to the quality of service and therefore preferable over strategic goals. This alternative is highly variable due to the independent desires of each community in regard to outcome goals.

In order to present an example of how this type of funding alternative may be applied, ESCI developed a weighted scoring system that uses the region’s critical task analysis discussed earlier in this report. This type of scoring system for each municipality allowed the ranking of each area based on the assigned risk as well as the apparatus, manpower, and Needed Fire Flow. Using this methodology, Clayton would pay about 18.5 percent; Maplewood would pay 16.8 percent; Olivette would pay 17.8 percent; Richmond Heights would pay 25.0 percent; and University City would pay 21.9 percent.

Pro:

Deployment is intuitively linked to the level of service. The outcome of deployment based on a standard of cover can be monitored continuously to assure compliance. Such deployment can be adjusted if standards are not met. This assures the continuous quality of emergency response throughout the life of a service contract.

Con:

Strategic deployment may not equate to better service because such goals are prone to manipulation wherein resources may be sited more for political reasons and less for quality of service reasons. Outcome goals require the automatic time capture of dispatch and response activities to assure accuracy. Record-keeping needs to be meticulous to assure the accurate interpretation of emergency response outcomes.

Consider:

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Contracts for deployment-based fire protection should address the inclusion of administrative or overhead cost, as well as capital asset cost, depreciation, rent, and liability insurance.

Service Demand Concept:

Service demand may be used as an expression of the workload of a fire department or geographical area. Cost allocation based on emergencies would consider the total emergency response of the service area, and apportion system cost relative to the percentage of emergencies occurring in the jurisdictions. ESCI was able to filter existing computer-aided dispatch data to determine the percentage of service demand within each municipality. Under a system apportioned by service demand, Clayton would pay about 23.1 percent; Maplewood would pay about 14.1 percent; Olivette would pay about 8.9 percent; Richmond Heights would pay about 17.8 percent; and University City would pay about 36.1 percent.

Pro:

Easily expressed and understood. Changes in the workload over the long-term tend to mirror the amount of human activity (such as commerce, transportation, and recreation) in the corresponding area.

Con:

Emergency response fluctuates from year to year depending on environmental and other factors not directly related to risk, which can cause dependent allocation to fluctuate as well. Further, the number of alarms may not be representative of actual workload; for example, one large emergency event requiring many emergency workers and lasting many hours or days versus another response lasting only minutes and resulting in no actual work. Last, emergency response is open to (intentional and/or unintentional) manipulation by selectively downgrading minor responses, by responding off the air, or by the use of mutual aid. Unintentional skewing of response is most often found in volunteer fire systems, where dispatch and radio procedures may be imprecisely followed. Further, service demand does not follow a predetermined ratio to land area. As such, the service demand per square mile ratios may produce large variations. In the study area, these ratio differences proved to be

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substantial – Clayton: 1,148 per square mile; Maplewood: 1,187 per square mile; Olivette: 414 per square mile; Richmond Heights: 1,044 per square mile; and University City: 822 per square mile. This should be taken into consideration if this methodology is used.

Consider:

Using a rolling average of alarms over several years can help to suppress the normal tendency for the year-to-year fluctuation of emergencies. Combining the number of emergencies with the number of emergency units and/or personnel required may help to align alarms with actual workload more closely; however, doing so adds to the complexity of documentation. In a similar manner (and if accurate documentation is maintained), the agencies could consider using the total time required on emergencies as an aid to establish the comparative workload represented by each jurisdictional area

Fixed Rate Concept:

The use of fixed fees or rates (such as a percentage) to calculate allocation of shared cost is more common between municipalities and independent fire districts. Occasionally, fixed-rate contracts involve the exchange of in-kind services.

Pro:

The concept is simple and straightforward. A menu of service options and the fees corresponding to those alternatives can be developed by the contractor agency. The contracting agencies can tailor a desired level of service based on risk and community expectation by choosing from the various menu items.

Con:

Partnering communities may change (i.e. population, jobs, commerce, structures, and risk) at divergent rates causing disconnection between the rationale used to establish the fee and the benefit received. A fixed-rate contract may be difficult to coherently link to the services provided and/or received, which can lead to a lack of support by officials and the community.

Consider:

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Partnering agencies need to assure that provision for rate adjustment is included in the agreement, including inflation. The agreement should address the issue of full cost versus marginal cost. The inclusion or non-inclusion of administrative and/or overhead cost also requires statement, as does the reconciliation of in-kind service exchange. The ownership and/or depreciation of capital assets should be addressed, as should rent, utilities, and liability insurance. In the case of a fixed fee, the agreement should establish how the participation of other public agencies in the partnership would affect cost.

Population Concept:

Payment for service can be based on the proportion of residential population to a given service area. The 2007 Census population estimate of Clayton is listed as 16,076; Maplewood – 8,688; Olivette – 7,470; Richmond Heights – 9,157; and University City – 36,545. The population of the entire region’s service area is estimated at about 77,927. Apportionment based on the estimated population of the service area would allocate about 20.6 percent of cost to Clayton; 11.1 percent to Maplewood; 9.6 percent to Olivette; 11.8 percent to Richmond Heights; and 46.9 percent to University City.

Pro:

Residential population is frequently used by governmental agencies to measure and evaluate programs. The U.S. Bureau of Census maintains an easily accessible database of the population and demographics of cities, counties, and states. Estimates of population are updated regularly. Laypersons intuitively equate residential population to the workload of fire departments.82

Con:

Census tract boundaries and fire district boundaries infrequently match, forcing extrapolated estimates, which can fail to take into account pockets of concentrated population inside or outside of the fire district boundaries. Residential population does not include the daily and seasonal movement of a transient population caused by commerce, industry, transport, and recreation. Depending on the local situation, the transients coming in (or going out) of an

82 The average citizen may easily associate population to emergency workload; but no statistical link can be made between the two.

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area can be very significant, which can tend to skew community risk. Residential population does not statistically link with emergency workload; rather, human activities tend to be the linchpin that connects people to requests for emergency assistance.

For example, if residential population actually determined emergency workload, emergencies would peak when population was highest within a geographic area. However, in many communities where the residential population is highest from about midnight to about 6:00 a.m. (bedroom communities), that time is exactly when the demand for emergency response is lowest. It turns out that emergency demand is highest when people are involved in the activities of daily life — traveling, working, shopping, and recreating. Often, the persons involved in such activities do not reside in the same area.

Consider:

The residential population of unincorporated areas can sometimes be estimated by using the GIS mapping capability now maintained by most counties and municipalities. By counting the residential households within the area in question, then applying demographic estimates of persons per household, it may be possible to reach a relatively accurate estimate of population within the area in question. Alternately, residential population can be estimated by using information obtainable from some public utility districts by tallying residential electrical meters within a geographic area and then multiplying by the persons per household.

Some areas experience a daily or seasonal influx of people who are not counted as residential population. This transient population can be estimated by referring to traffic counts, jobs data, hotel/motel occupancy rates, and, in some cases, state or national park administrators. Residential population plus transient population is referred to as functional population. Where functional population is significantly different from residential population, service agreements based on population should be adjusted to account for it.

The study area is unique in that considerable transient population may be present depending on the season or special events taking place. Basing cost allocation only on residential population may seem to disregard the effect of these transient populations on the regional emergency services system, but ESCI believes that the nature of transient populations and the character of the region result in a nearly equal impact on each of the jurisdictions. Visitors to the region tend to move in and through all study agencies. ESCI

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believes that the fact that transient populations shift in this manner negates any disproportionate impact on the fire departments, creating instead a background effect that need not be considered for the purpose of apportionment.

Multiple-Variable Allocation Frequently, even though everyone may agree on the benefit of allied fire protection, officials find it difficult to reach an accord on the cost. The differences between community demographics and/or development, along with changes that occur within the system over the long term, can cause the perception of winners and losers. This can be especially prevalent when a single variable is used to apportion cost. A service contract based on more than one allocation determinate may help solve these problems.

For example, ESCI is familiar with a 9-1-1 dispatch center in Oregon that serves more than 20 fire agencies of all sizes and types—large, small, metropolitan, and rural; on-duty career, and on-call volunteer. Here, the service contract includes three determinates applied to each agency.

1. Base charge — Ten percent of the dispatch center’s budget is divided equally between all agencies. This charge is based on the acknowledgement that each agency is equally responsible to maintain the dispatch center on continuous stand-by, irrespective of size of the agency or its use of the dispatch services. 2. Usage charge — 45 percent of the dispatch center’s budget is divided between the agencies in accordance with the number of emergency dispatches made for each during the preceding year. The member agencies determined that this charge fairly assesses the overall use of the 9-1-1 dispatch system by each. 3. Risk charge — 45 percent of the dispatch center’s budget is divided between the agencies in accordance with the relative percentage of each department’s AV. The member agencies determined that this charge is relational to each department’s community risk and that it is closely associated with the overall ability to pay.

By apportioning the dispatch center cost over three variables, the members of this alliance have been able to reach a long-term agreement that fits the diversity of the partnering agencies. Other partnerships in other geographical areas may require a different solution involving different combinations of variables. In summary, we restate something said earlier — when choosing a cost-sharing strategy for partnered fire protection, it is important to keep any apportionment formula fair, simple, and intuitively logical to assure that the public accepts and supports the endeavor.

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Allocation Summary The information provided above serves as a detail of each funding alternative presented. Given the lengthy discussion provided with each alternative, ESCI has compiled the information into a summary table illustrating how each funding alternative would be distributed among the study municipalities. In addition to the individual funding alternatives, several multiple-variable scenarios are also provided as an example of how this type of methodology can be applied and modified.

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Figure 181: Summary of Alternative Funding Models Assessed Service Multiple Multiple Multiple Municipality Area Deployment Population Value Demand Variable #1 Variable #2 Variable #3 City of Clayton 17.6% 38.5% 18.5% 23.1% 20.6% 29.7% 33.9% 24.6%

City of Maplewood 10.4% 7.7% 16.8% 14.1% 11.1% 10.9% 9.0% 12.1%

City of Olivette 18.8% 10.9% 17.8% 8.9% 9.6% 11.3% 11.4% 12.8%

City of Richmond Heights 14.9% 15.5% 25.0% 17.8% 11.8% 16.8% 15.7% 17.2%

City of University City 38.3% 27.4% 21.9% 36.1% 46.9% 31.2% 30.1% 33.3%

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Figure 182: Multiple-Variable Funding Scenarios Multiple Variable Weights Multiple Variable #1 Area 0% Assessed Value 50% Deployment 15% Service Demand 20% Population 15% 100% Multiple Variable #2 Area 5% Assessed Value 75% Deployment 5% Service Demand 5% Population 10% 100% Multiple Variable #3 Area 10% Assessed Value 25% Deployment 25% Service Demand 15% Population 25% 100%

Guidance The formation of regional authorities or other cooperative efforts fail for many of the same reasons as a legal merger. As with a merger, sometimes law prohibits the idea at the outset and other times the proposal may be doomed by the unfavorable outcome of a public election or the reality of finance. These issues aside, however, the same four major pitfalls of cooperative effort that were discussed in the previous strategy presented in this report can also cause even the most feasible regional oversight strategy to go wrong.

Again, leaders must be aware of organizational culture and its role in the wellness of the agency’s soul. Early recognition by leadership of the importance of culture to the success of a regional partnership can help to overcome differences and build on strengths. • Consult with all system partners. The elected officials of the municipalities and the directors of the individual fire companies should begin a dialog with each other regarding the proposed regional fire authority. Establish which municipalities are likely to participate if the system moved forward. • Consult with legal counsel. The elected and appointed officials should consult with legal counsel regarding the statutory options and requirements for establishment of a regional fire authority.

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• Joint adoption of a Regional Fire and EMS Vision. The city councils should formally adopt a Regional Fire and EMS Vision. • Organize the steering committee. The city councils should appoint members to the steering committee and then instruct the committee to formulate and report on all elements of a regional restructuring plan and the establishment of a fire authority. Invite the volunteer fire companies to participate as stakeholders. Establish leadership roles of the chair and other committee members. Create meeting guidelines and elect leadership. Set meeting dates and times. Review and adopt the work plan. Meetings are ongoing, as is the review and revision of the work plan. The committee should perform as a clearinghouse for all information concerning the effort so that service partners speak with a unified voice. • Name the authority. As an element of the work plan, the steering committee should establish a suitable name for the regional fire authority. The name should reflect the identity of the entire protected area. In this case, an example would be the West Forest Park Fire Authority. Other considerations for guidance in establishing the fire authority and developing an implementation plan and timeline include: • Develop a system-wide, cross-functional committee to explore the needs of regional administration. • Work with elected officials to adopt personnel requirements that help the system meet goals and guidelines. • Develop job descriptions for those positions implemented. • Inventory and evaluate current physical assets, apparatus, equipment, and operational/facility supplies. • Contract for or align vendors to provide logistics and supply services. • Evaluate other cooperative support service programs throughout the state. • Determine support components that would best benefit all departments immediately and long-term for program expansion. • Evaluate current levels of administrative and support functions and identify successful elements to incorporate into the joint program. • Ensure that all aspects of a joint administration and support authority are based on recognized local, state, and national standards for command and control. • Determine the most efficient and effective location for administrative functions. • Involve the current fire companies and municipalities, but consider the benefits of expanding the program to other local government entities outside the current region. • Evaluate value in outsourcing of certain support services, such as maintenance, to a qualified outside vendor.

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Policy Action The municipalities within the study area can initiate action through inter-local governmental agreements that would lead to a regional Joint Powers Authority assuming administration and oversight of the fire protection responsibilities of the participating municipalities. Reorganization would include terms and conditions to substantiate the authority’s obligation to provide for emergency services within the region. The authority’s service area should include all participating municipalities.

The methods for the formation of a regional cooperative service program are adequately identified in Chapter 70.220 of Missouri Revised Statutes, and examples of such programs and their initiating contracts and agreements are reasonably abundant throughout the country. One such example is the Fire Protection Program of the Centre Region Council of Governments in State College, Pennsylvania. The inter-local agreement establishing that regional program includes the following sections: • Background and History • Establishment of the Program • Purpose of the Agreement • Duties and Responsibilities • Finances • Vehicles and Equipment • Facilities • Disposition of Property • Changes in Member Municipalities • Amendment Procedures • Signatory Page

Although the actual promulgation of an inter-local agreement establishing the regional fire authority is one of the final steps of the process, a sample document is provided in the appendix of this report. This sample document, based on the content and format of the Centre Region program agreement, is not offered as a legal document and is intended only as an example to provide a point from which to begin discussion, consideration, and continuing dialogue on any actual agreement that might be created to establish the regional fire authority between the study municipalities.

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Functional Cooperative Effort Strategies

The following table is a summary of the functional cooperative effort strategies that are presented in more detail within this section. Each strategy is provided with:

9 Level of cooperation 9 General timeline 9 Section or Division affected 9 Agency or agencies involved

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Figure 183: Summary of Cooperative Effort Strategies Timeline Level of Affected Partnering Strategy Objective(s) Short, Mid, Section Cooperation Agencies Long A: Develop Uniform Provide guidelines for operation during Emergency Standard Operating emergencies, emergent, and non-emergent Functional Short All agencies Operations Guidelines incidents. Provide specialty teams in the region by B: Develop Regional allocating and distributing resources to Emergency Functional Middle All Agencies Specialty Teams achieve minimum cost and maximum Operations operational benefit Develop a joint Support Services Division that promotes improved operational readiness and that achieves procurement efficiencies by eliminating duplication in the acquisition and distribution of supplies.

C: Develop a Joint Create a uniform set of standards for Support Support and Logistics apparatus, small equipment, PPE (personal Functional Long All Agencies Services Services Division protective equipment), emergency supplies, and IS/IT services.

Develop a joint preventive maintenance and repair service program for physical assets, apparatus, small equipment, and IS/IT systems. D: Develop a Regional Provide for the cost-effective, regional Functional Middle Fire Prevention All Agencies Fire Education Coalition dissemination of public fire safety education E: Develop a Regional Provide an effective means for intervening in Juvenile Fire Setter Functional Short Fire Prevention All Agencies juvenile-set/caused fires Intervention Network F: Create a Unified Provide a fire-service-related occupational Occupational Medicine Functional Middle Administration All Agencies and health program Program G: Create a Unified Provide a wellness and fitness program that Wellness and Fitness promotes the improved health and well-being Functional Short Administration All Agencies Program of personnel in all divisions, at all ranks

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Timeline Level of Affected Partnering Strategy Objective(s) Short, Mid, Section Cooperation Agencies Long H: Implement a Provide a fully integrated comprehensive Computerized Records training records management system (RMS). Functional Middle Training All Agencies Management System I: Develop and Adopt Adopt uniform training guidelines. Common Training Functional Short Training All Agencies Adopt uniform certification standards. Standards J: Create a Provide consistent, standardized training Standardized Regional Functional Short Training All Agencies procedures. Training Manual Provide standardized and consistent training. K: Develop an Annual Provide a well trained emergency workforce. Functional Short Training All Agencies Regional Training Plan Provide long-term vision and direction for training delivery. L: Consolidate Training Eliminate duplicated efforts in training fire into a Regional Training Functional Middle Training All Agencies department emergency responders Division Create a single set of emergency apparatus M: Purchase Uniform Support specifications and provide single-source Functional Short All Agencies Emergency Apparatus Services uniform emergency apparatus for all agencies N: Develop a Model Demonstrate continued partnership between Labor Agreement for All labor and management groups by providing a Functional Short Administration All Agencies Fire Departments model labor agreement. Provide a system of shared operational plans O: Develop Uniform Emergency for use during emergencies and non- Functional Short All Agencies Pre-Incident Plans Operations emergent incidents Provide for IC (Incident Command) P: Provide Regional supervision of emergency operations. Provide Emergency Incident Command and Functional Short All Agencies for supervision of on-duty personnel during Operations Operations Supervision routine operations Provide training facilities readily available to Q: Develop a Regional all fire departments. To develop and maintain Fire and EMS Training Functional Middle Training All Agencies the knowledge and skills of emergency Center services personnel R: Develop Uniform Provide fire departments with a uniform Functional Short Administration All Agencies Fees for Service schedule of fees for service

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Timeline Level of Affected Partnering Strategy Objective(s) Short, Mid, Section Cooperation Agencies Long S: Provide for Joint Provide for distribution of facilities and Emergency Staffing of Stations and deployment of personnel consistent with a Functional Middle All Agencies Operations Apparatus regional standard of cover. T: Purchase and Provide a uniform electronic system that Implement a combines telephone callback, personnel Functional Short Administration All Agencies Computerized Regional scheduling, and includes payroll and Staffing Program administrative features U: Develop and Provide for consistency in the delivery of Implement emergency medical services by developing Emergency Functional Short All Agencies Standardized Regional standardized medical protocols covering each Operations Medical Protocols agency regardless of services provided.

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A: Develop Uniform Standard Operating Guidelines Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-term Section • Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide guidelines for operations during emergencies, emergent, and non-emergent incidents.

Summary Standard operating guidelines are used at the operations level of the fire departments. They are analogous to a playbook, providing direction yet allowing for individualized company officer adjustments to situations. Currently each fire department in this study is responsible for developing a unique set of standard operating guidelines for their organization.

Discussion Uniform standard operating guidelines will improve on-scene safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of personnel. With personnel from all agencies trained in using the same procedures, they can approach an incident with an understanding that everyone will proceed in a similar fashion. This will greatly reduce or eliminate the confusion that can lead to delays in the delivery of service.

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Guidance • Keep guidelines in electronic format for ease of updating • Give initial and recurring education to personnel in their use • Provide for continual use of the standard operating guidelines during routine incidents and at each training session • Provide for a periodic appraisal of the guidelines to maintain currency with changes in tactics, strategy, and equipment • Consciously keep guidelines non-specific to allow for adaptation to particular incidents by the supervisor

Fiscal Considerations • The elimination of duplicated staff effort in the creation and updating of standard operating guidelines will reduce soft costs • Instructional time optimized during multi-agency training sessions by excluding time devoted to adapting to differing procedures

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B: Develop Regional Specialty Teams Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide specialty teams in the region by allocating and distributing resources to achieve minimum cost and maximum operational benefit Summary Specialty teams are group(s) consisting of individuals having areas of expertise in roles outside the level of training considered as normal for fire suppression and emergency medical personnel. Public expectation has increasingly focused on fire departments as the logical source to staff, equip, train, certify, and maintain specialty teams. A specialty team may concentrate on one or more disciplines. Examples of specialty teams include:

• Hazardous materials • Technical rescue • Dive team • ICS overhead • Rehabilitation • Ladder company83 • Honor guard • Chaplaincy • Tactical EMS (SWAT Integration)

A determination as to the type, level, and number of specialty teams should be based on a strategic plan for the entire region.

83 The deployment of ladder companies is considered an essential component of a suppression response; in this instance we consider the sharing of this resource to be a fiscally prudent use of resources.

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Discussion The ability of every fire department to be fully equipped for every conceivable incident with all personnel trained and certified to the highest level is impractical, but the reality is that any fire department will occasionally encounter unique incidents that require specialized equipment and personnel. Specialty teams based only in one fire department commonly respond to fewer requests for service, which results in greater cost per incident.

While the cost effectiveness of shared specialty teams is important, keeping skill and interest levels of personnel high is essential. Personnel who train less and who use skills infrequently are arguably at greater risk when working under dangerous conditions. Shared specialty teams are more effectively able to maintain high skill, knowledge, and ability because such teams typically train and respond to emergencies more frequently.

For example, under a shared specialty team strategy, a decision could be made to train and certify all firefighting personnel to hazardous materials operations level and to subsequently contract for technician level services from a shared source. Similarly, a decision could be made to provide aerial apparatus through a regional partnership, as is already accomplished in some areas.

Guidance • Determine the need for specialized teams for the entire region

• Establish a single set of standard operating guidelines for each specialty type of incident. Fiscal Considerations • The elimination of duplicated effort in equipping, training, and staffing may reduce overall program costs

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C: Develop a Joint Support and Logistics Services Division Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Long-Term Section • Support Services Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Develop a joint Support Services and Logistics Division that promotes improved operational readiness and achieves procurement efficiencies by eliminating duplication in the acquisition and distribution of supplies • Create a uniform set of standards for apparatus, small equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency supplies, and IS/IT services • Develop a joint preventive maintenance and repair service program for physical assets, apparatus, small equipment, and IS/IT systems Summary Throughout nearly every public or private emergency preparedness institution, the state of readiness and effectiveness is highly dependent upon support services. Support services assure that the materials necessary to keep an agency operational and functioning are available. Every fire department (whether large, small, paid, volunteer, city, or district) provides some form of support services within their organization. Support services offered under a joint support and logistics division can be modular and may include:

• Standardization of apparatus, equipment, and PPE • Standardization of fire/EMS/rescue supplies • Centralized purchasing and distribution • Centralized fleet and equipment maintenance • Mobile maintenance services • Preventive and safety maintenance program for facilities, apparatus, equipment, and other physical assets The purchasing program can create joint bids for supplies and equipment and can achieve additional benefits such as integrated inventory of supplies that can accommodate lag times in deliveries from manufacturers and suppliers.

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Discussion Support Services Division: At the heart of any fire department are the activities and functions that support the delivery of emergency services. Support services keep agency assets in operational readiness and ensure that enough supplies, tools, and equipment are available for emergency workers to mitigate the emergency. Every agency in this study dedicates a certain level of daily effort in maintaining emergency apparatus and equipment.

Although fire departments are emergency services providers, they are also businesses that spend tens of thousands of dollars each year to ensure emergency mission readiness. Like all businesses, fire departments need to be receptive to new practices to maximize the effectiveness of budget dollars. Such practices may take the form of economies of scale, administrative efficiencies, paperwork reduction, technological advances, and innovative cost saving concepts.

The fire service has been slow to capitalize on the benefits of joint purchasing. Most private organizations and many public agencies have been realizing the benefits for years. In Florida, a large scale joint purchasing consortium was developed by the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA). It was formed in 1978 for the purpose of providing a means for its members to benefit from joint purchasing of services, materials, supplies, and equipment used in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

Acquiring and maintaining physical assets, IS/IT systems, vehicles, and equipment is a labor- intensive process requiring good policies and attention to detail. The procurement and distribution of routine supplies is also an important behind-the-scenes process that needs hands-on work and meticulous record keeping. Because of the variety and size of the participating fire departments, these support services are currently provided by a variety of full- time, part-time, and/or suppression employees. In all cases, filling the demand for support services is a constant necessity in any organization, vital to ensure the operational readiness of the agency.

Key elements of a joint support and logistics services division are: • Assessment of current assets • Assessment of current levels of support service activities • Standardization of apparatus, equipment, and supplies • Standardization of preventive maintenance programs and recordkeeping

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• Centralization of apparatus and equipment repair and maintenance • Provisions for mobile repair and maintenance services during emergency incidents • Centralization of supply and equipment acquisition and distribution • Development of a facilities and grounds maintenance program • Standardization of IS/IT services

As listed above, a key to realizing the benefits of shared support services is standardization of apparatus, equipment, and supplies. In this exercise alone, standardization assures greater financial and operational efficiency and effectiveness. Fundamentally, this is the most important aspect of forming a joint support division.

Standardizing specifications for the purchase, repair, and maintenance of apparatus, self- contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), communication devices, and miscellaneous equipment often equates to less out-of-service time. Support personnel will need to be certified for repairing and maintaining fewer apparatus and equipment types. Fewer parts need to be stocked for repair and maintenance. Such practices are described as “economies of scale.”

NFPA 1915 points out that repairs by qualified technicians may provide longer apparatus life, safer operations, and the early detection of maintenance and repair problems.84 The result is often a short- and long-term saving on rolling stock and small equipment. A centralized repair and maintenance facility cooperatively organized as a support services division ensures that routine maintenance and repairs of physical assets are completed in a timely manner. Maintaining public assets in this way is a demonstration of stewardship.

The standardization of apparatus, equipment, and supplies plays strongly into the overall effectiveness and efficiency of daily emergency operations. Standardized support functions are a key part of unified emergency operations and response—especially when equipment from multiple fire departments work together at large-scale emergencies.

Logistics Services: A multi-agency purchasing program could improve management of the agencies’ supply chains. In theory, the agencies would collectively create or contract for a logistics center to manage procurement and distribution. The logistics center would work with each of the agencies to standardize supplies and equipment. The program would follow state

84 National Fire Protection Association, Standard 1915: Standard for Fire Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program, 2000 Edition.

Page 308 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City and organizational purchasing guidelines and make supplies and equipment available to all of the member agencies.

Distribution can be managed internally or through agreements with suppliers to gain the advantages of collective purchasing and supply: 1) a larger, collective bid process for supplies can achieve lower prices and attract additional competitors; 2) the logistics center can negotiate terms of the conditions of the sale that might not be available to smaller purchasing centers; and 3) it can conduct collective bidding processes that are applicable to all of the agencies.

Coordination is important to the success of a joint purchasing program. Each of the agencies currently conducts purchasing of virtually all supplies and equipment independently. As such, a joint effort will reduce the work required by any single agency to purchase and provide supplies.

Critical Issues • Coordination issues: o A cross-functional committee of system purchasing agents and participants can work together to design purchasing rules for each agency o The committee can provide a standardized equipment list for the agencies. The agencies can share bidding processes, so that the bidding procedure used by the purchasing agent can be used by all agencies. o Agencies must work closely with the cross-functional committee to ensure that the goods are received and distributed to the appropriate location o Fire agencies should have agreements in place to specify inventory and purchasing plans • Receiving and distribution considerations: o Fire agency partners should design distribution plans to deliver goods directly to the appropriate location. Using a joint purchasing system, the agencies will no longer have to receive goods at the agency; instead, they can receive goods at the appropriate station or ambulance location. o The agencies can jointly determine the proper level of inventory to maintain within the system. The use of system-wide inventory planning ensures that the most cost-effective inventory management can be established for the system participants. • Financial and fiscal considerations: o Marginal costs of creating system-wide purchasing infrastructure should be compared against the reduced level of effort of individual agencies. o Cost savings can be achieved through reducing inventory carrying costs, reducing transaction costs, and achieving economies of scale through larger volume purchasing.

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o The participating agencies should agree on contributions to account for more difficult to discern costs such as freight charges and unit costs for warehousing space.

Guidance • Develop a system-wide, cross functional committee to explore a joint purchasing process • Work with elected officials to adopt purchasing requirements that help the agencies meet purchasing goals and guidelines • Establish standards for fire and EMS system equipment and supplies • Establish inventory standards and methods for distributing equipment and supplies • Develop specific standards for apparatus, equipment, PPE, SCBA, communication equipment, and supplies • Inventory and evaluate current physical assets, apparatus, equipment, and operational/facility supplies • Contract for or align agencies to provide logistics and supply services • Evaluate other cooperative support service programs throughout the area • Determine support components that would best benefit all departments immediately and long-term for program expansion • Evaluate current levels of support functions and identify successful elements to incorporate into the joint program • Create prescribed load lists (PLL) for apparatus (sometimes referred to as an authorized stockage list (ASL) • Ensure that all aspects of a joint support division are based upon recognized local, state, and national standards as well as manufacturers’ recommendations for repair and maintenance • Determine the most efficient and effective location for support functions. This may include multiple facilities that are strategically located • Develop a mobile maintenance/repair program • Involve all regional agencies, but consider the benefits of expanding program to other local government entities • Evaluate value in outsourcing of support services

Fiscal Considerations • Financial support may be necessary, as agencies will be required to meet the costs of creating or modifying existing logistic systems • The soft costs generated by cross functional committee meetings necessary to accomplish objectives of the program • New or additional FTEs to operate support service functions

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• Incremental costs of transitioning to standard apparatus, PPE, SCBA, and small equipment • Conversion of existing facility or acquisition of real property for a logistics, support services, and maintenance center • Expected cost savings and operational benefits will result from: o Elimination of duplication of services, administration, training, supplies, parts, and equipment o Standardization of equipment, parts and operational/facility supplies o Effective acquisition, accountability, and distribution of supplies and equipment o Bulk purchasing o Preventive maintenance of physical assets, apparatus, and equipment for optimum safety and readiness o The elimination or reduction of “outside” costs for repair, maintenance, and servicing of physical assets and equipment

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D: Develop a Regional Fire Safety Education Coalition Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Fire Prevention Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide for the cost-effective, regional dissemination of public fire safety education Summary Preventing fires is known to be far more cost effective than extinguishing them. One widely recognized and very successful method of preventing fires is through a multi-faceted public fire safety education program. The public fire safety education programs currently offered by the fire departments vary from well planned to nearly nonexistent.

Discussion Successful public education programs use a range of communication methods, many of which cannot be limited to a specific geopolitical boundary. Television and radio, for instance, are regional media that over-arch jurisdictional limits, delivering information to citizens in a wide variety of communities. For fire safety campaigns to be most effective, each must be designed to target a specific audience and each must be crafted for the means of delivery.

Creation of a regional public education coalition will help to standardize fire safety messages across the area and work to reach more of the target audience. This, in turn, will allow for reduced cost to each agency through sharing, while improving the quality of programs in those communities with few or no public education resources. Costs can also be reduced through quantity purchasing of handouts and other public education materials. Increased training can be made available to the public education staff, engine company crews, and others to enhance the quality of the fire prevention effort in those communities now lacking such programs.

Guidance • Formalize the creation of the coalition through a written agreement

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• Involve others from outside the area and from non-traditional groups (insurance industry, educators, Missouri Office of the State Fire Marshal, media, school boards, etc) • Create standardized messages that can be used across the region • Learn from others. Model the coalition after other successful regional public fire safety education programs

Fiscal Considerations • The elimination of duplicated staff effort in the creation and distribution of public fire safety education messages reduces soft costs • Cost savings can be achieved through group purchasing of materials and other media • Departments currently without a presence in public education efforts would see a cost increase

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E: Develop a Regional Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Network Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Fire Prevention Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide an effective means for intervening in juvenile-set/caused fires

Summary Statistical analysis nationwide clearly demonstrates the growing problem of juvenile fire setting. While fires set by juveniles have always been a problem, fire cause determination and fire data reporting systems have not always been adequate to identify the extent of the phenomenon. Many jurisdictions simply do not realize the extent of juvenile-set fires in their community. None of the departments currently have a formal juvenile intervention program

Discussion Juvenile fire setting occurs in virtually all communities within the region. The establishment of an effective, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention (JFSI) Network will allow shared expertise, services, knowledge, and (most importantly) information to the benefit of all agencies and communities. A network of trained professionals from all the needed disciplines, working together, allows for more accurate assessment of individual fire setters to determine the nature and depth of intervention required. A regional program also:

• Allows for sharing the workload between agencies • Facilitates appropriate referral to professional services when needed • Makes possible effective prosecution on those few occasions when juvenile-set fires are verified as arson

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Guidance • Develop a regional program modeled on already established and successful JFSI networks (information available from the Missouri Department of Public Safety—Missouri Youth Fire Safety Coalition) • Include all the needed professional disciplines • Provide important, on-going training • Involve only those fire agency personnel who desire to participate • Formally organize the structure of the network for long-term sustainability

Fiscal Considerations • Reduced fire loss to the community through reduction in juvenile-caused fires • Potential increased training requirement and cost • Potential overtime for training and for intervention

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F: Create a Unified Occupational Medicine Program Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Administration Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide a unified fire-service related occupational and health program

Summary A single method and source for providing occupational and health services may provide savings through economies of scale. NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Programs, provides the minimum requirements for a fire-service related occupational safety and health program. Along with NFPA 1500, NFPA 1582, the Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medicine Programs for Fire Departments, and related documents, provide guidance for the creation of occupational health programs and for establishing medical requirements for current and future firefighters.

Discussion There is a need for all fire departments to have access to a group of professionals with expertise in the occupational medicine field. Occupational medicine is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of workers through preventive services, clinical care, research, and educational programs. One aspect of a program is keeping up to date with health and safety regulations, standards, and current practices. Occupational medicine specialists review current practices to see if the agencies meet new regulations, make modifications if needed, and assist the departments in adopting any changes.

The importance of employee health and welfare, and the potential liability associated with the lack of such programs, necessitates that fire departments establish close professional relationships with occupational medicine specialists to assure that emergency workers are protected by the most up-to-date occupational health and safety programs possible.

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Occupational safety and health programs (sometimes referred to as Industrial Medicine) vary in depth, form, and delivery. A fire department may employ a physician full-time, contract with a provider organization, or conduct part of a program in-house while contracting for the remaining services. A number of hospitals or medical centers in the area have programs that may meet the needs of the study fire departments.

One such occupational medicine program that ESCI is familiar with uses the fire department wellness coordinator to conduct audiometric, spirometric, and vision screenings before personnel complete their annual physical evaluation. The occupational medicine provider then conducts blood draws at individual fire stations. Consequently, at the time of the medical physical, the physician has at his/her disposal not only the firefighter’s historical but also current medical screening records.

The medical physical, stress test, and all other components of the evaluation are done as part of the fire department’s regular training rotation at a regional training center. Through a professional relationship developed with a medical service provider over several years, the fire department in this example was able to receive this level of service at a very competitive price.

The legal requirements for a fire department occupational safety and health program have been established. How a fire department administers and supports the program determines the success and the resultant benefit. In the example, the department previously had to hire extra staff or pay employees overtime to take annual medical physicals. The occupational medical program resulted in the saving of more than $15,000 through reduced overtime cost; however, some funding is still required for medical follow-ups and for employees not able to meet the schedule.

An additional advantage of using a local occupational safety and health provider is the ability to quickly evaluate and treat non-threatening injuries suffered by employees.

Guidance • Determine required and desired specifications for an occupational safety and health program • Create a single regional policy for occupational safety and health • Develop an RFP for soliciting vendors to supply occupational safety and health services • Investigate the purchase of audiometric, spirometric, and vision testing equipment for use in conducting in-house medical evaluations. This should include the certification of personnel to conduct the testing.

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• Conduct baseline testing for firefighters without previous audio and lung function baseline records

Fiscal Considerations • The purchase of a single set of testing equipment for audiometric, spirometric, and vision screening requires a capital outlay of approximately $15,000. Classes for training and certification in audiometry and spirometry average $1,000 per class, exclusive of salary. • Occupational medicine programs are often menu-driven. Items selected for inclusion in the program determine the final cost. Additional financial factors involve whether the fire departments elect to exceed mandated requirements, perform some of the occupational medicine functions internally, or consolidate the occupational medicine program with interrelated programs. Interrelating programs that share functions include wellness, infectious disease, FIT testing, EMS, and hazardous materials.

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G: Create a Unified Wellness and Fitness Program Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Administration Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide a wellness and fitness program that promotes the improved health and well-being of personnel in all departments, in all divisions, at all ranks • Increase fitness levels and decrease injuries • Reduce frequency and number of sick/sick injury incidents • Reduce the number of days used for sick/sick injury leave

Summary Wellness and fitness programs have proven beneficial to employers and employees alike. Onsite visits by licensed wellness experts are part of an all-inclusive program. Services offered under a comprehensive wellness program may include: • Wellness screening • Health coaching • Wellness and fitness educational materials • Support groups • Presentations • Fitness evaluations • Newsletters • Nutritional information • Health risk assessment • Fitness training

Discussion The benefits of wellness and fitness programs have, in some instances, been quantified anecdotally without specific documentation. Documented individual incidents and case studies

Page 319 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City over a longer period of time have now yielded conclusive data as to their benefits. Two case studies are used here to illustrate this point.

First, during an annual visit for his medical and fitness evaluation, a battalion chief with the Indianapolis, Indiana fire department was found to have an abnormal heart rhythm. He had considered himself to be in excellent condition, competing in track and field events since 1996. He was immediately removed from duty and sent to a cardiologist for a heart catheterization. He was diagnosed with severe blockages in four coronary arteries. Within two days of his medical evaluation, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. His cardiologist told him he wouldn’t have lived another two weeks without intervention.

Remarkably, the battalion chief returned to work and was back exercising within six weeks of surgery. The father of four and grandfather of two is thankful to be alive, attributing his good fortune to the IAFF/IAFC Wellness and Fitness Initiative.

The second example involves a mid-sized fire department employing both career and volunteer personnel. The department was in need of a fitness/wellness program and subsequently contracted with Oregon Health Sciences University to provide an evidence-based program custom tailored for its diverse group of firefighters. The primary goals of the program were to “increase fitness levels and decrease injuries.”

Results of the study spanning seven years conducted by OHSU Health Management Services included these findings: • Greater than 30 percent increase in the number of participants • A decrease in average total cholesterol • A decrease in average LDL cholesterol from 130 to 120 • Participants with BP in the high normal range or above dropped from 18.3 percent to 8.5 percent • Participants with moderate or high coronary risk dropped from 61.7 percent to 35.4 percent • Participants with an overall wellness score of good or excellent increased from 41.7 percent to 58.5 percent • Annual number of days lost (workers compensation days) dropped from a high of nearly 300 days to below 50 days. During the study period, the fire department increased the number of career personnel two-fold

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Guidance • Determine the components of a wellness and fitness program that would best benefit all departments • Involve a broad cross-section of employees in the development process • Investigate multiple programs and providers for best fit • Coordinate activities with established fitness and safety committees • Train in-house peer fitness trainer/coaches • Incorporate wellness and fitness services as an element of recruit academies • Include volunteers, staff, and support personnel in wellness and fitness services • Provide initial and recurring wellness education to personnel • Provide a newsletter (paper or virtual) for all personnel • Incorporate wellness in training sessions • Provide for a periodic appraisal of the wellness and fitness program

Fiscal Considerations The cost per employee of a wellness and fitness program can vary widely. An annual per- employee cost may range from as low as $25 to as high as $100 depending on many factors, such as:

• Frequency of employee contact • Range of services desired • Equipment need • Inclusion of ancillary offerings (newsletter, peer fitness coach training)

The soft costs associated with on-duty time required for wellness and fitness instruction need to be addressed before carrying out a plan. Potential cost savings may result from:

• Reduced work-related injury leave days • Reduced sick leave usage • Reduction in medical benefits used • Improvement in employee fitness and morale

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H: Implement a Computerized Training Records Management System Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide a fully integrated comprehensive training records management system (RMS).

Summary Computerized RMS provides for ease of data entry, retention, and accessibility. RMS are designed to provide comprehensive information regarding an individual, company, station, shift, and department training status. All RMS are designed to query records and generate a variety of user-defined reports.

Each of the study fire departments unilaterally selected RMS for their departments, resulting in a diversity of products. All of the departments maintain training records in hard copy format to one degree or another. Although departments attempt to make good use of their systems’ capabilities, no agency takes full advantage of RMS capabilities. NFPA 1401, Recommended Practice for Fire Service Training Reports and Records, provides standards for record keeping systems.

Discussion An assortment of factors, including a lack of support, the time to become proficient with the software, and software limitations frustrate and prevent users from fully using RMS. The use of a standard RMS in the region would rectify the ineffectiveness that presently exists.

With a regional RMS, one administrative staff person would work collectively with all users to instruct, maintain, and troubleshoot the system. The ability to use the system to its maximum potential and to retain and generate meaningful reports is improved. An environment is created for system users to share knowledge, experience, and assist one another in problem resolution.

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Vacations, overtime work, rotating shift schedules and normal absenteeism make training schedules very difficult to manage. The ability to cooperatively track and assess training information would foster the development of a unified training manual, and an annual training plan. Future enterprises may benefit from a single RMS including recruit training, career development, in-service, officer, and specialized training programs. An RMS for training will aid department/division heads in budget planning, training delivery, and with resource and risk management.

Guidance • Establish a work group including at least one training representative from each department • Identify system requirements and needs of involved departments • Evaluate the current RMS used by each department, including justification for their use • Evaluate other available RMS systems • Select an RMS that most adequately satisfies mutual requirements, needs, and budget • Each department should share in the cost of an individual to administer and manage the training RMS, including: o Training RMS management o Oversight of hardware and software installation o Providing for the initial and ongoing RMS training for end users • Determine server requirements for training RMS • Use existing or establish an Intranet or Internet network • Provide for RMS maintenance and troubleshooting services • Acquire technical assistance for RMS programming • Provide for a periodic appraisal of the RMS

Fiscal Considerations • A reduction in duplicated effort (reduces soft costs) in acquiring, learning, and maintaining individual systems • Economies of scale in the collective purchase, use, and maintenance of a single RMS • Cost to purchase, administer, maintain, or modify existing network • Personnel costs associated with RMS committee, training, and implementation

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I: Develop and Adopt Common Training Standards Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Adopt uniform training guidelines and certification standards

Summary Training standards provide the benchmark for training. They define and specify the quantity and quality of training for achieving levels of competency and certification. Certain standards are mandated by governing or regulating agencies such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Others are considered industry standards developed by organizations like the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, Training Unit. Occasionally, locally developed standards are adopted to address circumstances unique to that area. Private vendor standards and certifications are often applicable to specialized training.

Training records should consist of: • Daily training records • Company training records • Individual training records • An inventory of equipment assigned to the training department • A complete reference library

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Discussion By collectively adopting a common set of training standards (IFSTA, for example), the study fire departments are foundationally prepared to move forward with an RMS. The adoption of standards would provide uniformity throughout the training delivery system and would improve interagency compatibility. It would further simplify development of a regional training manual (discussed separately), annual training plan (discussed separately), and data entry and retrieval of computerized training records. Adoption will provide for uniformly trained and certified responders and will assure increased emergency scene compatibility, efficiency, effectiveness, personnel confidence, and safety.

Guidance • Establish a work group including at least one training representative from each fire department. o Identify mandated training standards affecting all departments o Assess all other standards used by each fire department, including rationale for their use o Consider any unique local issues o Develop a process for the adoption of regional training standards o Adopt training standards to which all departments will adhere o Provide for continuous review and updating of training standard • Educate personnel on the purpose and application of the standards • Provide for continual use of training standards throughout the training delivery system • Maintain standards in a readily available format • Provide for frequent evaluation and updating of training standards • Address and resolve personnel certification issues (address through reciprocity) created by new standards and certifications

Fiscal Considerations • A reduction in duplicated staff effort (reduces soft costs) and training staff to develop similar but separate programs based on the same or differing standards • A potential for reduced specialized training costs through a larger pool of personnel • Responders trained to the same standard provide a more cohesive workforce, increasing efficiencies

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J: Create a Standardized Regional Training Manual Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide consistent, standardized training procedures.

Summary Fire department instructors use manuals based on national, state, and local standards as a resource to develop lesson plans for classroom and field training. Training sessions provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in emergency and non-emergency situations.

Discussion Until now, each fire department unilaterally selected training materials from a variety of options. Not surprisingly, training and performance varies across the region. The creation and use of a standard training manual will provide for more consistent training, better on-scene coordination, and improved firefighter safety.

As the firefighters are trained in the same procedures, each can respond to an emergency with the confidence that all responders are prepared to work effectively as a team. This will improve the willingness of firefighters from different departments to work together as a coordinated emergency workforce. Standardized training procedures improve on-scene safety, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Care should be exercised to prevent the development process from taking too long. To expedite progress, we recommend adopting material from existing model training manuals, hose evolutions, and standard operating guidelines.

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Model fire department training material is readily available through non-profit organizations and private companies. Sources for commercially available training material include the Fire Department Training Network (FDTN), Thomson DelMar, and Oklahoma State University. The International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) through Oklahoma State University and Fire Protection Publications (FPP) have been longstanding producers of training manuals, course curricula, and audiovisual aids for fire departments.

NFPA recommended practices and standards can also assist with the development of the training manual. Relevant standards include: • NFPA 1401, Recommended Practice for Fire Service Training Reports and Records • NFPA 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions • NFPA 1404, Standard for Fire Service Respiratory Protection Training • NFPA 1410, Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations • NFPA 1451, Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program

The need for training of personnel with specialized duties should be included in the regional training manual. Assistance is available through the Missouri Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Guidance • Establish and maintain a user group that meets regularly o Include at least one training representative from each department • Develop and adopt a single training manual • Place the training manual in electronic format for easier updating and to allow access by firefighters • Provide for coordinated training of all agencies • Provide for regularly scheduled multi-agency drills • Provide for a regular evaluation and review of the training manual for applicability to pertinent laws, industry standards, and regional standard operating guidelines • Seek out existing procedures for use in development of the regional training manual

Fiscal Considerations • The elimination of duplicated staff effort (reduces soft costs) in the selection, development, and updating of separate training manuals • Instructional time is likely impacted during multi-agency training sessions by reducing or eliminating the time devoted to adaptive or remedial training

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• An emergency workforce trained under a cooperative system is more efficient and effective in reducing property damage and loss during emergency incidents • A workforce trained to operate under universal standards will experience fewer emergency scene injuries

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K: Develop an Annual Regional Training Plan Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objectives • Provide standardized and consistent training • Provide a well-trained emergency workforce • Provide long-term vision and direction for training delivery

Summary The 2007 version of NFPA 1500 states, "The fire department shall provide training and education for all department members commensurate with the duties and functions that they are expected to perform.”85

A formalized training plan provides the guidance for meeting training requirements. The plan and subsequent training is used to ensure that firefighters are competent, certified, and possess the ability to safely deal with emergencies. Training priorities are established by evaluating responder competencies to training mandates, requirements, desired training, and the emergency services being delivered. Contemporary training delivery often revolves around performance or outcome-based training.

An annual training plan should reflect priorities by identifying the training that will occur. Training topics, general subject matter, required resources, responsible party, tentative schedule, and instructors are all covered in the plan. Rationale for why certain topics were chosen (or not chosen) is also included in the plan.

85 National Fire Protection Association Standard 1500 Standard for Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Programs, Training and Education, 2007 Edition.

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Discussion Planning is essential to a successful training division. To efficiently plan the direction of a training program, complex factors must be considered, including: training mandates, department type, personnel career development, unanticipated need, priorities, and finite training time. Successfully charting a course through such issues can be a daunting and overwhelming task for a single training officer.

Currently, each fire department individually deals with the same or similar fire training responsibilities and issues; inefficiencies exist as a result. A single regional training plan is an opportunity to combine intellectual resources to exploit the strengths and assets of each department for mutual benefit. “Efficient training systems are those that identify what they do well and take advantage of the opportunities provided by other systems to supplement their efforts. Inefficient systems are those that try to be all things to all people, and in doing so, squander resources.”86

Determining the level of training that will be supported is crucial. Develop the annual training plan accordingly and deliver the training that directly supports those levels. For example, training could be directed at supporting certifications of Firefighter I, Fire Officer I, and Apparatus and Pump Operator. A pool of instructors who are experts in that subject can be developed from those with the interest, qualifications, and expertise.

Developing and carrying through with a well conceived and coordinated training plan can improve on-scene safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of personnel. With personnel from all agencies trained from the same plan, an emergency incident may be attacked with an expectation as to the level of training and skill set of the responders. The training plan will also assist in the planning and tracking of employee development and certifications.

Guidance • Provide a coordinated training plan including: o All regional agencies regardless of other cooperative efforts o Plan regular use of training facilities by all departments o Schedule regular single-agency manipulative single and multi-company drills o Schedule regular multi-agency, multi-company manipulative drills

86 Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, U.S. Fire Administration, The Future of Fire Service Training and Education Professional Status: Part Two--Training and Education, page 1.

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• Establish and maintain a training committee that meets regularly. Include at least one training representative from each department to: o Develop an annual training plan o Publish, distribute, and implement the plan o Provide an orientation for personnel of each department regarding the plan's purpose and contents o Publish monthly training schedules based on the plan • Place the annual plan and monthly schedules in electronic format for distribution and ease of updating • Provide for periodic reviews and adjustments to the plan • Direct all curricula towards risk management • Include all hazards in the training plan rather than solely fire-related incidents. The fire service's response and mitigation missions have expanded greatly over the years and now include all disasters, natural and manmade

Fiscal Considerations • An elimination or reduction in duplicated staff effort (reduces soft costs) in the creation and updating of multiple training plans • Instructional time is increased during multi-agency training sessions with personnel trained to selected certification levels • A reduction in costs through coordination of shared training resources and equipment

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L: Consolidate Training into a Regional Training Division Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objectives • Eliminate duplicated efforts in training emergency responders • Create a single regional training division

Summary Responsibility for fire department training programs is designated either to one person or to a group of people. Two classic forms of providing training are: 1) a training division with assigned personnel, or 2) a company officer who is assigned training responsibilities in combination with regular duties.

Multiple assignments also tend to underscore the difficulty faced by many officers in trying to balance staff responsibilities. One such company officer wears three hats: daily duties as a company officer, department’s training officer, and chairman of the safety committee.

With the creation of a single regional training division, ESCI believes that the FTEs used to perform collateral duties will be positively affected. As specialists, it will take fewer individuals to conduct training than is currently required by the fire departments individually.

Historically, training programs have been managed and operated quite independent of one another.

Discussion To varying degrees, all fire department training programs display strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses largely are a result of two basic problems influencing all the current department training officers: multiple responsibilities and a lack of time to "do it all” appear to create a workload which at times seems overwhelming.

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Individual department trainers are perceived as capable, conscientious, and dedicated in attempts to fulfill their assigned training responsibilities; however, those who are assigned training duties have inadequate time to comprehensively administer their training programs. Consequently, planning, curriculum development, program review, and evaluation of training activities are very limited.

Skills and recertification training for paramedics and emergency medical technicians appear to receive adequate consideration. Mandatory special operations and specialized rescue training is conducted, at least to some level, by each department. The focus of other efforts by most training programs centers on EMS and periodic training of basic firefighter skills.

Within individual departments, training is frequently assigned to personnel with knowledge, a skill set, and expertise in the subject area. Course content, quality, and the level to which scheduled classes are delivered are predicated on several factors; generally dependent on the commitment and interest of the person delivering training, department priorities, and chief officer support.

Given the resources and expertise within the departments, there exists an opportunity to eliminate duplicated efforts of individual departments through consolidation of the training into a single training division. The training division's mission would be to coordinate the administration, management, and delivery of a regional training program. The division, established by combining existing fiscal, material, and personnel resources, would be more efficient. Focused attention on the training requirements by training division members will produce a more efficient training delivery system.

Multiple methods of creating a cost sharing for operation of a regional training division exist. They include: 1) cost sharing based on the total training division budget divided equally by the number of operational FTEs, 2) a base fee per FTE plus a rate based on contact hours, 3) a fee per operational FTE based on rank and certification level, and 4) offer classes as required for specialized training by local fire departments on a cost-recovery basis. Solicit individuals from outside agencies to fill unused capacity based on cost plus.

Guidance • Of all of the recommended opportunities, this one will need almost universal participation by the current fire departments to be successful. If one or more agencies elect not to participate, the geographical and logistical complexities multiply exponentially.

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• Establish a single regional unified training division o Provide for the administration of training delivery services o Provide opportunities with regular meetings for stakeholder agency representatives to coordinate training activities o Provide for adequate training facilities and office space for training staff • Provide for a single training staff, with an administrator (division head) at the chief level o Chief training officer should report to one supervisor o Chief training officer should have overall training program administration, supervision, and management responsibilities • Adequate personnel to administer and provide training for: o Recurrence training for Firefighter I and II and Fire Officers o Officer level training and career development o Apparatus operator/engineer skills and engineer development o Administration and coordination of the emergency medical services training and recertification program o An RMS for tracking individual, company, and department training o Adequate clerical support staff

Fiscal Considerations • Increased efficiencies by eliminating duplicated administrative staff of existing individual department training programs • Potential for increased instructional capacity through pooled instructors • Cost to develop and or modify existing training facilities • Cost of purchasing any additional training aids • Personnel costs to staff the training division • Maintenance and capital replacement costs

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M: Purchase Uniform Emergency Apparatus Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Long-Term Section • Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Create a single set of emergency apparatus specifications • Provide single-source uniform emergency apparatus for all fire agencies

Summary The current fire departments use and maintain a variety of emergency apparatus types. Among the common types of apparatus (such as pumpers), each department uses equipment of different makes, models, and configurations. A standard specification and procurement process for each apparatus type would result in lower cost, faster production, and training efficiencies.

Procurement of uniform fire apparatus can translate into lower purchase prices; reduction in parts warehousing; and less money, time, and effort spent training drivers and maintenance personnel. Other benefits include greater interoperability, a potential for reducing driver training, and greater confidence and skill level among operators.

Discussion The apparatus fleet of the departments is diverse. Fire apparatus are categorized by function, including pumpers, aerial devices, rescue units, and ambulances. While there is an identifiable need for vehicles from each category in more than one configuration, acquiring and maintaining standard apparatus creates desirable efficiencies. Dissimilar apparatus tends to increase purchase cost, requires additional initial and recurrent training, and results in the need to warehouse a larger parts supply.

The cash price of a pumper frequently exceeds $400,000; the cost of an aerial unit may easily exceed twice that amount. The reasons for such prices are due to the specialized nature of fire apparatus. However, customization, add-ons, and options tend to make each fire apparatus a

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“one of a kind” vehicle. The costs to equip, maintain, repair, train operators and mechanics, and to warehouse parts only adds to the overall expenditure.

Fire apparatus’ useful service life varies, generally depending on the rate of use, the environment, operating conditions, and the frequency and level of preventive maintenance. A fire pumper with average to heavy use can reasonably be expected to have a ten- to 15-year total service life. With light to very light use, total service life can reach 20 years; very heavy use may reduce total service life to as few as ten years. Aerial devices are often operated less frequently and have a total useful service life of between 15 and 20 years.

Factors influencing fire apparatus service life include technology and economics. At a given time, the cost to operate and maintain a fire apparatus passes the economics of rehabilitation, refurbishment, or replacement.

A trend is developing within the fire apparatus manufacturing industry. Several manufacturers now offer a line of stock fire apparatus built on custom chassis in addition to a more traditional line of fully custom units. The cost savings of purchasing a stock unit is often 20 percent or more when compared to a custom unit.

Some fire departments use the option of lease purchasing to fill emergency apparatus needs. Some of the benefits associated with leasing are: • Leasing may provide a cost advantage over conventional financing by transferring tax incentives (accelerated depreciation) associated with the equipment ownership from the leaser (the owner) to the lessee (the user) in the form of lower lease payments • Leasing can provide 100 percent financing, conserving cash • Leasing can provide a close matching of the lease term and payments to the revenue available to the fire department

Safety should always be the main consideration when purchasing and operating emergency fire apparatus. When developing emergency fire apparatus specifications and operational procedures, NFPA and other industry standards should be used. Additional guidance on fire apparatus safety devices, response, and training can be found in the Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative.87

87 Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, U.S. Fire Administration, Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative.FA-272, August 2004, pages iii, iv.

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Guidance • Assemble data on all department apparatus, including: age, mileage, operating hours, maintenance costs, cumulative down time, and annual test results. Use the information to create an apparatus replacement schedule. • Determine the replacement interval and projected life expectancy of each apparatus • Examine the merits of extending the useful service life of apparatus through rehabilitation and refurbishment • Consider the option of purchasing all categories of fire apparatus from a sole source • Develop an emergency apparatus prescribed load list for use by all agencies • Mark apparatus in a standard format with striping, decals, and department name following NFPA standards and recommendations from the Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative88 • Develop mobile apparatus repair and service response unit(s) • Develop central facilities(s) for maintenance and repairs for all emergency apparatus • Create Standard Operating Guidelines for the operation, maintenance, and recordkeeping of apparatus. A resource for obtaining sample documents may be found at the National Fire Service Library website • Outfit reserve apparatus with the same complement of equipment as frontline units

Fiscal Considerations • Time and effort savings by preparing fewer bid specifications • The prospect for conducting fewer bid processes • Investigate the letting of apparatus bids for periods longer than one year • Cost savings in acquiring emergency fire apparatus • Consider the purchase of stock versus custom apparatus • Consider leasing versus outright purchase of emergency apparatus

88 Western Fire Chiefs Association, National Fire Service Library, www.wfca.com.

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N: Develop a Model Labor Agreement for all Fire Departments Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Mid-Term Section • Administration Affected Stakeholders • All agencies Objective • Demonstrate continued partnership between labor and management groups by providing a model labor agreement • Align the effective dates and provisions of labor agreements to smooth the unification process between agencies • Eliminate duplicated effort in developing labor agreements

Summary A labor agreement is a contract between the management representatives of a county, city, or other political unit and the designated representatives of a labor group. The purpose of a labor agreement is to memorialize in written form the wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment afforded to covered employees. Labor agreements, also referred to as contracts, Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), or Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) also outline an orderly and equitable means of resolving any misunderstanding or conflict between the parties.

For any of the regional agencies to work more closely together, labor and management groups need to address the differences between labor agreements. One way to move forward is to begin the process of aligning the labor agreements of the study fire departments during future collective bargaining processes.

Discussion Labor agreements specify the wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The documents detail other items of importance to employees and management—matters that may prove difficult to modify without a high level of trust, cooperation, and harmony in the labor and management relationship. The significance of any

Page 338 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City article in an agreement should never be trivialized. What may seem insignificant to many may be the one item that is essential to others and can disrupt advancement.

The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) provides an example. By now, FLSA is a familiar component of labor agreements; however, the way that fire departments establish and administer the special rules for firefighters may be different. Public sector fire departments may establish special work cycles for sworn firefighters, which can increase the FLSA overtime beyond the normal 40-hour workweek. Firefighters covered by these special rules are entitled to FLSA overtime only for hours worked in excess of a threshold set by the Department of Labor. For example, in a 28-day cycle fire fighters are entitled to FLSA overtime only for the time actually worked over 212 hours during that 28-day period. On the other hand, a work cycle of 27 days entitles employees to overtime after 204 hours of work.

The FLSA regulations also permit employers to exclude up to eight hours of sleep time from work when shifts exceed 24 hours in length.89 For FLSA purposes, hours worked means time when the employee is actually performing services for the employer. These are the only hours that must be included when determining if FLSA overtime is due. Thus, sleep time, “Kelly Day,” or other paid leave may not count as hours worked for FLSA purposes. Because of the potential overtime liability when FLSA work cycles are changed, these are important issues to have a clear understanding between all parties to an agreement.

This is only one example of matters to address in the process of developing a model labor agreement. It is important to first determine how changes to each article will affect individuals, organizations, and the mission of the fire departments. With five separate fire departments, the number of potential labor agreement conflicts is potentially large, but the reward of resolving them could be equally large. Experience shows that success in aligning labor agreements between collaborating fire departments is the one partnering opportunity that can easily make or break future functional consolidation initiatives.

Critical Issues • It is best to strategically involve as many people as practical without burdening the process • Determine one individual to be the spokesperson for matters related to partnering strategies • Open communication between stakeholders

89 The law requires that there be an agreement with the employees to exclude sleep time.

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• Ensure that a process is in place to respond to rumors linked to discussions with labor negotiations. Joint release of information from management and labor is more effective

Guidance • Align policies, procedures, and operating guidelines prior to changes in labor agreements. This should include required and desired qualifications for job descriptions, titles, and ranks associated with each position • Determine how any changes to a contract would impact promotional opportunities, including existing promotional lists • Determine the hiring and promotional date of employees. This basic information will be needed when establishing and merging various employee rosters • Align trade time and rules governing use of it • If the fire departments in the region determine to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), a point of good faith negotiations could design a tiered scale over a period to reach parity in pay • The services of legal counsel and an accountant are advise

Fiscal Considerations • Determine existing liabilities for pensions, disability, compensation time, and accrued leaves before making changes to labor agreements. In addition, this exercise is important before functionally consolidating operations involving the transfer of employees • Project future liabilities and fiscal impacts of changes to labor agreements

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O: Develop Uniform Pre-Incident Plans Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide a system of shared operational plans for use during emergencies and non- emergent incidents

Summary Pre-incident plans are an important part of the emergency response system to provide essential information on specific structures and processes. Through timely planning, strategy and tactics can be developed before an emergency occurs. Pre-incident planning involves evaluating protection systems, building construction, contents, and operating procedures that may impact emergency operations.

Pre-incident plans should be kept up to date. The plans should be used in company training, and should be distributed to all mutual/automatic aid partners. The standards set forth in NFPA 1620, Recommended Practices for Pre-Incident Planning, should be followed to guide in the development of a regional pre-incident planning system.

Discussion A firefighter typically works in an alien environment of heat, darkness, confusion, and extreme danger. Often, a firefighter’s first visit to a building is when he or she is summoned to an emergency at the facility; the very time that the internal environment of the structure may be at its worst. Contrary to Hollywood’s portrayal of the inside of a building on fire, visibility is likely to be nearly zero due to smoke. A lack of familiarity with the layout of a structure can easily cause a firefighter to become disoriented and subsequently suffer injury.

It is important that firefighters and command staff have accurate information readily at hand to identify hazards, direct tactical operations, and understand the proper use of built-in fire resistive

Page 341 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City features of some structures. This can be accomplished by touring structures, developing pre- incident plans, and conducting tactical exercises—either on-site or tabletop.

An ideal pre-incident planning system uses standard forms and protocols. Data are collected in a consistent format. Information is presented in a manner that permits commanders and emergency workers to retrieve it quickly and easily. All require the use of consistent methods for collection, verification, storage, presentation, and update of emergency plans.

The most successful programs use pre-incident planning software to assemble the data, create plan documents and “quick data” forms, and store the information for easy retrieval. Above all, no program is successful without thorough incorporation of the pre-incident plans in frequent classroom and on-site training exercises.

The evaluation phase of this process identified that completion of pre-incident plans should given high priority. For the most part, the study fire departments have not embraced pre- incident planning. Pre-incident planning is limited to only a number of target hazards within individual response areas. Process and plan consistency is essentially nonexistent. The plans that are completed are not typically distributed to mutual aid departments.

Operational, management, and IS/IT staff should assist in making software and formatting decisions. Goals for the identification and development of target hazard pre-incident plans should be established. The uniform pre-incident planning program should be reviewed at least annually to assure the accomplishment of goals, the improvement of the program, and the appropriate entry of new target hazards.

Properties that should have pre-incident plans include those having: • A potential for large occupant load • Occupants that are incapable of self rescue • Structure size larger than 12,000 square feet • Facilities that process or store hazardous materials and/or equipment • Buildings with built-in fire protection systems

Pre-incident plans should be a quick and easy reference tool, for company officers and command staff. The plans should be formatted for easy adaptation to electronic media. At a minimum, a pre-incident plan should include information on, but not be limited to: • Building construction type

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• Occupant load • Fire protection systems • Water supply • Exposure hazards • Firefighter hazards • Utility location and shutoffs • Emergency contact information

NFPA 1620 provides excellent information on the development and use of pre-incident plans and should be used as a reference. NFPA 1620 addresses the protection, construction, and operational features of specific occupancies to develop pre-incident plans.

Personnel should receive regular familiarization training using the completed pre-incident plans. The plans must be made available on all emergency apparatus, regardless of jurisdiction. Routine use of pre-incident plans by all responders will assure that the plans are correctly used at major emergencies.

Guidance • Inventory current pre-incident plan hardware, software, format, and level of development of each fire department • Evaluate commonality between current systems of pre-incident planning • Consider the establishment of a steering committee to develop building criteria and data for inclusion in pre-incident plans • Develop a timeline for the implementation, completion, and review of pre-incident plans

Fiscal Considerations The cost to each fire department for developing uniform pre-incident plans will be predicated on: • Current hardware and software assets • Cost to upgrade or purchase hardware and software • Number of facilities/buildings with existing pre-incident plans versus those to develop • The pace of new development requiring pre-incident plans • Personnel costs to gather and assemble plans • Personnel soft costs of on-duty staff assigned pre-incident planning tasks • Unquantifiable potential for prevention of injury or death to emergency responders and the public

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Diagramming software programs designed specifically for drawing pre-fire plans starts around $400. More advanced versions with 3-D capability increase the initial software cost to $700. Versions that integrate with a pocket PC would add an additional $300. These and other diagramming software programs are made to be added onto existing fire prevention/inspection programs.

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P: Provide Regional Incident Command and Operations Supervision Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short-Term Section • Operations Affected Stakeholders • All agencies Objective • Provide for consistent Incident Command (IC) at emergency operations • Provide for supervision of on-duty personnel during routine operations

Summary Battalion Chiefs (BCs), also referred to as incident commanders or shift supervisors, routinely have authority and responsibility for all aspects of day-to-day operations and personnel management of the fire department. BCs assume command of emergency incidents and may also be assigned for the management of various fire department programs. Each fire department within the study area utilizes some system of Incident Command consistent with the National Incident Management System, and each department employs some level of shift supervision such as a BC.

Discussion Deputy Chiefs (DCs), or Assistant Chiefs (ACs), typically provide administrative oversight, supervision, and leadership to the operations personnel of the fire department. The work of the DC is performed under the direction of the Fire Chief, AC, or Division Chief; but considerable latitude is usually granted to DCs to initiate action and exercise independent judgment. Deputy Chiefs assigned to shift work are usually responsible for management of emergencies, personnel, stations, apparatus, equipment, training functions, and related activities. Other programs commonly administered by deputy chiefs include oversight of training, fire prevention, or administrative divisions.

Most fire departments maintain a span of control of five or six stations per Battallion chief. Occasionally, BCs may oversee as many as eight fire stations. The total number of units, personnel, and emergency responses usually determines the reasonableness of the span of

Page 345 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City control. The more stations, units, and personnel under the BC’s supervision, usually reduces their ability to conduct activities outside of incident command, and may negatively impact response times to emergencies. A point is reached where proper supervision cannot be accomplished with large spans of control. In that case, some tasks will be overlooked or work will not be completed.

A BC usually responds as incident commander to emergencies requiring multiple fire department units, hazardous materials incidents, or emergencies involving special circumstances. The incident commander is responsible for all aspects of the response, including the development of incident objectives and management of all incident operations.

The role of the safety officer is to develop and recommend actions to assure the health and safety of emergency workers. The role of the information officer is to develop and release incident information to the media, incident personnel, and appropriate agencies and organizations. The role of the liaison officer is to serve as the point of contact for coordinating activities between the various agencies and groups that may be involved in an incident.

The general staff under the incident commander includes operations, planning, logistics, and finance. These responsibilities (as with those of the command staff) remain with the incident commander until such time as they may be assigned to another qualified individual.

In addition to the command function, assembling an effective response force (ERF) on the scene of an emergency incident in a timely manner will often lead to a successful outcome. To assemble enough personnel to complete the tasks of extinguishing a moderate-risk structural fire may require 12 to 15 fire suppression personnel. One of those tasks is command. A BC in the command role is the officer assigned to remain outside of the structure to coordinate the attack, evaluate results and redirect the attack, arrange for more resources, and monitor conditions that might jeopardize crew safety.

In lieu of complete unification between all study area fire departments, an agreement to share incident command staff across the region could result in efficiencies not possible individually.

Guidance • Use standards of coverage and deployment documents to determine an appropriate level and number of incident commanders for the region

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• Create a formula for allocating the cost of a regional incident command program. Examples of factors for costing include; population, incidents, valuation, and coverage desired • Develop a job description for the position of shift commander/Battalion Chief that includes duties and responsibilities

Fiscal Considerations • No significant financial considerations unless considered as part of a cooperative effort between agencies that results in a decrease in the total number of Battalion Chief positions

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Q: Develop a Regional Fire and EMS Training Facility Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Middle term Section • Training Affected Stakeholders • All agencies Objective • Provide training facilities readily available to all study fire departments. • To develop and maintain the knowledge and skills of emergency services personnel. Summary Classroom instruction is an essential component of preparing emergency responders with knowledge and skills. A training facility or drill ground is a second indispensable element. Training facilities provide the controlled and safe environment used to simulate emergencies to develop and test the skill sets of emergency workers. Training involves both individual and group manipulative skills development in the operation of firefighting equipment, and fire apparatus.

NFPA 1402: Guide to Building Fire Service Training Centers, is a standard that addresses the design and construction of facilities for fire training.90 The document covers the features that should be considered when planning a fire training facility.

None of the agencies involved in this study maintains a training facility. Several do have limited props, but none with the features that meet current needs. ESCI finds that absent the availability of suitable training facilities, some fire departments may forego essential training.

Discussion Proficient emergency responders have confidence in their own abilities in handling the emergencies they encounter. Best practices suggest that emergency workers have regular access to training grounds for repetitive drills and to develop new skills. Training is identified as

90 National Fire Protection Association, Standard 1402 Guide to Building Fire Service Training Centers, 2002 Edition

Page 348 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City a vital part of a fire department’s safety and accident prevention program. An effective and continuous training program results in safer, more efficient, and effective emergency operations.

It is financially unrealistic to expect that every fire department will build and maintain an independent training facility. Constructing a regional training facility to comply with industry standards concerning classrooms, practice grounds, training tower, live-fire building, and training props is fiscally prudent. In addition, the on-going cost of operating and maintaining a training facility further advances the case for joint ownership.

Critical Issues • Any property that is a potential site for a training center should have an environment assessment performed. • Conduct a needs assessment before design and construction of a training center. • Consider community and environmental impact of training grounds and training props when determining locations. Pay particular attention to access and egress routes. • Select an architect, engineer, and vendor familiar with fire department training centers for oversight of the project. A number of companies have extensive knowledge and expertise in developing complete fire training facilities. Manufacturers of fire training facilities also offer lease packages for financing. Guidance • Establish a user group that meets regularly to include at least one training representative from each fire department. • Develop a training facility proximate to the center of the region. • ESCI stresses the importance that any site selected be spacious enough to provide adequate classroom and training props to simulate different emergency scenarios. • ESCI recommends that any new fire training center be constructed in a manner sensitive to the environment. Provide an adequate buffer between the training grounds and neighborhoods or businesses. • Assure easy/safe access and egress routes. • If possible, select a site easily served by existing utilities including electric, water, gas, and sewer. • Provide a borderless plan for maintaining adequate emergency response coverage for crews attending training. • Provide for regular scheduled use of the facilities. • Secure adequate support for facility and grounds maintenance, and improvements. • Provide adequate training resources and equipment beyond those carried by on-duty apparatus. • Live fire training is a crucial element when developing plans for fire training facilities.

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• Examine gas-fired burn props already in use for applicability to the region. • In addition to a gas-fired live training prop, we recommend the purchase of a flashover training prop be given strong consideration. • Establish policies and procedures for safe and effective use of the facilities. • Consider jointing insuring against accident and liability. Fiscal Considerations • Visit other regional training centers for ideas. • Anticipate an increase in fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance caused by travel to and from the training facilities. Any increase would likely be offset by a comparative reduction in travel after the completion of the video conferencing system. • The cost of new construction of facilities. These capital expenditures could be funded through the potential use of private and/or public grants, bonds, or other sources of revenue. • The shared costs for the use, support, and maintenance of facilities. Revenue to cover these ongoing expenses could be generated through user fees paid by the included departments or from outside users.

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R: Develop Uniform Fees for Service Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Middle Term Section • Administration Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide all fire departments with a uniform schedule of fees for service. Summary Several of the study area fire departments charge fees for a variety of services. Fees for service include ambulance transport, contract for services, fire safety inspections, enforcement of the building code, etc.

The departments differ on which services are (or are not) billed, and the agencies differ on the rates charged. If the fire departments follow a policy of greater interagency cooperation, some of those partnership initiatives will necessitate that the departments also align fee schedules.

Discussion The cities have adopted service fee schedules that are applied to various functions and services of the departments. Types of service provided and the rates set for providing services is inconsistent. Presently, the cities’ and departments’ fee schedules are prepared, administered, billed, and collected independently.

Fees for service include ALS/BLS ambulance transport, contract for services, fire safety inspections, enforcement of the building code, etc. Below is a description of representative fee types: • Stand-by Charges – A fee charged for cost necessitated by a one-time or on-going need for general public safety. For example, a fire department may charge a stand-by fee to post an ambulance at a local sports event. • User Fee – A fee based on actual cost incurred for any service performed by a fire department where these costs require a recall of fire personnel above normal staffing. • Ambulance Transport Fee – A fee for emergency ambulance transport, usually based on level of service (ALS – BLS) and supplies, services, and mileage.

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• Permit Fee – A charge for a fire department permit for special or short-term events.

Other fees for service include agreements where one emergency service provider either wholly or partially supplies services to another. This can be done under a contract for service or an interlocal agreement such as the services provided to Washington University.

There are good reasons for developing uniform fees for services; foremost of which is the reduced time, effort, and cost of developing independent fee schedules. Beyond duplicated effort and expense however, a consistent fee schedule across the region creates a more coherent public service image to the business and taxpaying communities.

Critical Issues • Fire agency partners should design a standardized procedure for billing. For example, the process may establish a collection policy for non-payment, billing cycle, recordkeeping, billing service allowance, and oversight rules for the program. • The agencies should constantly review fees for service for improvements and to capture potential sources of new revenue that may become available. Guidance • Evaluate the existing fee for service schedules. If possible, use one as the basis for developing uniform fees for service. • Determine that all potential sources of revenue are included in the fees for service schedule. While all departments are now providing the service, this will allow another fire department to provide the service and collection services if applicable. • Format the fees for service schedule for adoption by each organization. • Investigate using a single source for billing for services. This is a service that may be provided by one of the cities with the expertise and internal capacity. If no suitable department is available, develop an RFP. • It is common to charge a fee for fire inspections. The Benicia (California) Fire Department also uses inspection fees, but with a positive reinforcement twist. Benicia charges $35 per company inspection. However, if the inspected property is found to be in compliance or complies with fire department instructions before a follow-up visit, the fee is waived. If the occupancy fails to comply, the fee is applied for each fire department visit (usually $105 for three inspections). Fiscal Considerations • No significant financial considerations.

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S: Provide for Joint Staffing of Stations and Apparatus Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short Term Section • Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objectives • Provide for distribution of facilities and deployment of personnel consistent with a regional standard of cover. Summary Practicality and external influences seldom allow fire station placement to match perfectly with a fire department’s deployment strategy. Reasons include the availability of property, land use laws, roadway infrastructure, construction cost, traffic patterns, geography, and projected station workload. Given that the area protected by a fire department may change through annexation, merger, and contracted protection (interlocal agreement), a perfect station location today may be a poor location in the future. Because of these and other factors, it is virtually impossible to place fire stations in an ideal location and not overlap the response areas of other fire stations or departments. Jointly staffed stations and/or response units create more alternatives for fire departments studying the deployment of emergency resources.

Fire departments often know how many firefighters are needed for the best possible protection; however, departments are infrequently able to afford to staff at such levels. Sharing personnel from different agencies can help to bring staffing levels closer to the optimum.

If the fire departments create a single training division, some provision is needed to offer response area coverage while other emergency units travel to a training center. Jointly staffing a PAU (Peak Activity Unit) with multi-agency personnel could protect vacant response areas during those times. Jointly staffing fire apparatus can also be a very practical option for providing resources from a fire station located in an area able to serve more than one jurisdiction. Last, cooperatively providing specialty apparatus used for infrequent (but often high-risk) emergencies is an effective means to distribute the cost of such apparatus over a wider financing base.

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Discussion The NFPA recently published an updated state-by-state study of the needs of the U.S. fire service. The Florida version of the June 2004 report, A Needs Assessment of the Fire Service – Florida, states that while statistics specific to Florida have not been developed:

“Using maximum response distance guidelines from the Insurance Services Office and simple models of response distance as a function of community area and number of fire stations, developed by the Rand Corporation, it is estimated that three-fifths to three-fourths of fire departments nationally have too few fire stations to meet the guidelines.”

The fire departments now rely on each other for resources during routine and non-routine emergencies. Without question, if facilities are distributed and personnel deployed regardless of jurisdictional boundaries (and consistent with a regional standard of cover) the likelihood of those resources being located where needed most increases. The crucial question is how to pay for shared resources in a manner that assures equity for all taxpayers.

The funding of jointly staffed fire stations and apparatus should be based on local law, authority, and policy. There are many examples of innovative cooperative agreements between jurisdictions that maximize the value of emergency resources. For instance, the cities of Portland and Gresham, Oregon, jointly staff a fire station that is located to respond efficiently to emergencies in both cities. For the first five months of each year, a three-person ALS fire company is housed and supported in the station by the city of Gresham. During the remaining seven months of the year, a Portland Fire and Rescue four-person ALS engine responds from the station. As change occurs in the protected area, the two cities can easily adjust liability by altering the time each operates the station. The agreement assures timely and effective emergency response while a financial balance is maintained that benefits the taxpayers of both cities.

Examples of methods used to jointly staff stations and apparatus include: • Combined personnel from different fire departments staff a station. o Such as – One fire department supplies a firefighter for each shift and another fire department contributes an apparatus operator/engineer and an officer. The workforce is made up each day of personnel from both fire departments. • Personnel from different fire departments staff a station on a set schedule. o Such as – One fire department staffs the station on two of three shifts. The other department staffs the station on the third shift.

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• Fire departments apportion responsibility for staffing and support of a station for a given number of months. o Such as – One fire department staffs and supports the station for a given number of months each year. During the remaining months, the other fire department provides staff and support. • Two fire departments jointly staff a fire station with personnel from both fire departments, and operate more than one piece of emergency apparatus. o Such as – One fire department staffs a fire engine and the other department staffs a medic unit in the same station. • One fire department staffs a fire station but extends first alarm response from that station to another jurisdiction. The second fire department compensates the first based on an agreed cost/benefit formula. • Two fire departments exchange in-kind first alarm response. o Such as – One fire department provides first alarm response into another fire department’s area in exchange for like service from that agency. Guidance • Training issues o The personnel used for joint staffing of fire stations and apparatus should be trained to provide a service level (including EMS) equal to or greater than that of the cooperating fire departments. o While it is preferable to use a single dispatch center when joint staffing, it is not considered essential to the success of the partnership. • Deployment considerations o Deployment standards for the partnering agencies should be developed and adopted. o The fire departments should execute deployment plans between the agencies prior to entering joint staffing agreements. o Several of the joint staffing examples involve personnel from different fire departments staffing stations and apparatus together. Developing a single labor agreement will help to alleviate real or perceived issues of equity between personnel. o Provide a regional IC (Incident Command) for supervision of emergency operations and for oversight of on-duty personnel during routine operations. • Financial considerations o Marginal costs of deploying personnel in joint staffing ventures will be determined based on the agency, and on personnel costs. o Startup costs may include additional training as well as the supplies and equipment needed to support the stations and fire response units. A portion of the cost for additional training and equipment could be immaterial, if as part of the cooperative initiatives the fire departments also adopt deployment standards, training standards, and a joint purchasing program.

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Fiscal Considerations • Joint staffing of stations and apparatus is foreseen only as an interim step towards a unified regional fire department. • Joint staffing provides fire departments with a way to meet deployment standards when: o It is not economically feasible for a fire department to staff a station or fire apparatus independently. o Fire departments have common borders and underserved territories. • Joint staffing provides the political entities with an emergency service exit strategy where future annexation may remove or transfer territorial responsibility.

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T: Purchase and Implement an Electronic Staffing Program Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short Term Section • Administration and Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide a uniform electronic system that combines telephone callback, personnel scheduling, and includes payroll and administrative features. Summary Each of the fire departments contacts personnel for regular staffing and initiating callbacks in a variety of ways. The task of notification and filling vacancies has traditionally been done via telephone, with someone having to make personal contact to fill each opening. Many departments across the country have purchased software programs for handling this function.

A key feature of these systems is that through the use of a touch-tone phone or computer, employees and volunteers can access the system using a secure ID and password. Supervisors have the advantage of an automated system for personnel management.

Discussion In 1998, the Long Beach Fire Department (California) made the decision to purchase an electronic staffing program with automated telephone callback system that combines scheduling at the fire station level, payroll, and administrative functions.91 Evidence of the benefits described by Long Beach and other fire departments provide testimony to the rapid recovery of the initial cost of acquiring this type of software. Some of those benefits of a staffing program include: • Automatically identify and contact replacement personnel. • Notify personnel of an emergency recall. • Automatically notify personnel of training, meetings, or organizational events. • An accurate system for compiling and tracking a daily roster. • Ensure equality in overtime distribution following labor rules and FLSA guidelines.

91 JEMS, Innovation in Action, Workforce Wonder, December 1999, Vol.24, No.12.

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• Eliminate dependency on a single person(s) for staffing. • Individual is personally responsible for their own calendar. • Automatically populate data fields in other RMS programs.

Selecting a single electronic staffing program is one aspect in efficient coordination of the staffing resources of the region. The scheduling of training, personnel notification, unit staffing, and administrative assignments, along with the development of many other initiatives in this report will benefit from the use of one electronic staffing program.

One staffing software program was designed to be accessible with or without a computer network, and will accept requests and make contact with staff members by telephone.92 The program is capable of placing outbound phone calls, or delivering messages by pager, fax, or e- mail. The software can make multiple phone calls simultaneously, and is considered a solution for emergency and other staffing recalls.

Guidance • Involve human resources personnel, payroll, training, and labor in the development of specifications and the purchase of an electronic staffing program. • Train key personnel in the use and maintenance of the software program. • Network with other fire departments that have been successful in deploying an electronic staffing program. • Create a staffing policy to accommodate management, labor, and legal requirements. • Provide personnel with initial instruction and ongoing support. For example, one larger fire department has assigned the task of providing the instruction, support, and maintenance of the staffing program to the personnel at one station with a lower call volume. • Make available pocket size how-to-use cards for personnel. • Work to implement the entire staffing program at the same time. Experience has shown that fire departments implementing the system all at once realize the full potential of the system more quickly and experience fewer administrative problems overall. • Explore options for integrating the electronic staffing program with other software programs including fire and EMS RMS, payroll, electronic logbook, and CAD. Fiscal Considerations • The cost of the system depends on the type of hardware requirements and software purchased. • Annual maintenance agreement cost.

92 TeleStaff, PDSI, (Principal Decision Systems International).

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• Personnel costs for deployment of software and training. • Reduction in management time spent on staffing. • Potential savings in overtime costs from staffing errors. • Accurate payroll records.

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U: Develop and Implement Standardized Regional Medical Protocols Level of Cooperation • Functional Timeline for Completion • Short Term Section • Emergency Operations Affected Stakeholders • All Agencies Objective • Provide for standardized medical protocols covering emergencies, emergent, and non- emergent skills and procedures.

Summary Medical protocols are required of departments providing emergency medical services, regardless of level. These protocols are sets of instructions or guidelines in the handling of various medical incidents from basic first aid to advanced life saving skills and procedures. Currently, each fire agency in this study is responsible for developing a unique set of medical protocols for their organization.

Discussion Standardized medical protocols will improve the deliver of emergency medical services and provide for a more consistent delivery of those services throughout the region. Currently, three of the five study agencies provided transport EMS services while the remaining two agencies provide non-transport ALS services. Regardless of the level of service or transport capability, standardized medical protocols will ensure that each department is providing a standardized level of care. This will also allow for a consistent level of care when the agencies are working together on large incident scenes or through future cooperative efforts.

Guidance • Keep the protocols in electronic format for ease of updating. • Give initial and recurring education to personnel in their use. • Provide for regular quality assurance and improvement to ensure protocols are being used and followed appropriately. • Provide for a periodic appraisal of the protocols to maintain currency with changes in standards, science, and equipment.

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• Ensure that protocols are maintained specific to the various types of incidents that could be encountered throughout the region. • Ensure that medical direction is consulted and involved in the process of developing protocols. Fiscal Considerations • The elimination of duplicated staff effort in the creation and updating of standard medical protocols will reduce soft costs. • Instructional time optimized during multi-agency training sessions by excluding time devoted to adapting to differing procedures.

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Figure 184: Example Implementation Schedule

All implantation schedules

and durations are estimates and will be determined by policy-makers within each Buy SmartDraw!- purchased copies print this participatingdocument withoutmunicipalities a watermark . Visit www.smartdraw.com or call 1-800-768-3729.

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Conclusion Statement of Conditions The word feasibility is defined as, “capable of being done.” Largely, the feasibility of a proposed legal unification of fire departments depends on the outcome of a public decision by elected officials or the population at large. A proposal for legal merger or unification will probably fail at the polls if the public perceives that the consolidated system will cost more or serve less effectively than an independent system. Therefore, more than anything else, ESCI must base its judgment of the feasibility of legal merger or unification on the ability of the consolidated system to maintain current levels of service at a reduced cost or to provide enhanced services for a similar cost.

Based on all of the preceding work of project phases combined with ESCI’s professional experience with other projects of similar character and scope, certain conclusions are drawn regarding the study area fire departments, the region, and the opportunities for collaboration. A summary of those findings follows.

• The Fire Departments serving the study area are interdependent. The fire departments of the study area have historically planned and functioned in an autonomous fashion. Now, internal and external forces encourage a more widespread policy of mutual interdependence. The trend is likely to continue as the cost of providing emergency service escalates, and as uncertain funding system persists. • The Fire Departments serving the study area value customer service. During the work leading to this report, all of the study area fire departments consistently demonstrated a focus toward serving those who live, work, and play in their service area while maintaining a certain level of loyalty to the department personnel. • The Fire Departments serving the study area meet the public’s service expectation. While not empirically verifiable, there is a general impression across the region that the fire departments generally do a good job of satisfying the service expectations of the public within the limits of geography, transportation, and funding. • Existing Partnerships among the Fire Departments reduce duplicated effort. The study area fire departments have had some limited success in eliminating regional duplication through active interagency cooperation. Examples include: Emergency Dispatch and mutual aid agreements. These successful programs hint at the high potential value of a strong regional policy encouraging intergovernmental collaboration. • Other organizations should be considered in any partnership initiatives. Organizations outside of the five fire departments participating in this work should be included when developing a partnership plan. In addition, all of the fire departments should maintain and use automatic aid protocols among themselves in daily operations. Such practices reduce the reflex time required to react to serious emergencies and maximize the value of available resources. Automatic aid agreements should extend to areas outside of the study area.

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• The study area is geographically and demographically diverse and unique. The geography and demographics of the study area includes a variety of high-density residential, light commercial, heavy industrial, and institutional areas. All add to the allure of the region as a desirable place to live or visit; however, such features also include the expectation of the hazards of flooding, conflagration, hazardous materials incidents, and specialty rescues. Individually, none of the study area fire departments has the resources to mitigate such disastrous events alone. • The study area is politically diverse. The highly varied demography of the study area influences where and how people choose to live. Consequently, the individual cities gain their political identities from the people who live within them and who participate in the governance of that area. It is no surprise, therefore, that the culture and politics within individual communities of the region are as different as the population densities and land use. • External forces act on the study area fire departments. External pressure from community groups, elected officials, and uncertain funding mechanisms combined with local competition for personnel resources tend to create a sense of urgency among the study area fire departments, leading to a general inclination to “do something.” While a single regional consolidation could ultimately provide increased efficiency and cost savings, the initial complexity of combining all organizations would prove to be a major effort and challenge. A proposal to combine the fire departments of the region into one fire protection agency is commendable. Nonetheless, without the development of an implementation plan that includes ample and sustainable funding, such an effort would likely result in only marginal success. • Municipal policymakers should develop a plan to implement partnership opportunities. Fire department administrators, staff, and labor representatives should create a foundation for regional partnership programs; but, without a strong message of commitment from policymakers, progress on valuable initiatives will eventually falter. Policymakers within each municipality need to adopt a plan to move ahead with aligning the processes, services, and operations of the study area fire departments wherever possible. • Many opportunities exist to save cost. The ability to reduce duplication and/or increase efficiency exists for all study area fire departments. Such opportunities include savings as a result of standardized specifications for fire equipment, the creation of a regional fire training division, sharing of unique recourses (like specialty teams), and other unified programs.

Findings, Recommendations, and Moving Forward It is common for those in the fire service to tout themselves, or their department, in terms such as “a pride-driven organization that is at their best every day,” or more simply, “the best.” The true mark of quality of the best fire departments, however, is one that works continuously for measurable improvement in organizational performance. By undertaking this study of collaborative opportunities, the leadership of the study area fire departments have begun the

Page 364 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City task of organizational and system evaluation that is necessary to plan for and reach the goal of truly being the best.

This is not to say that the fire departments are not already operating at a high level. In fact, we are pleased to report all available evidence shows that the fire departments consistently provide excellent service to the citizens of the protected communities. However, in keeping with the notion of continuous improvement wherein an unending loop of performance, measurement, and evaluation leads to system enhancements that would otherwise be impossible, we offer recommendations to assist the region in implementing the collaborative strategies that will best benefit the public.

The success of adopting and implementing change, improvement, or cooperative opportunities depends on many things. In our experience with dozens of functional, operational, and legal unifications, leadership is the single factor that most frequently determines success. Nearly always, a key staff, councilor, or board member champions the concept garnering the support of the various affected groups (political, labor, member, and community). In addition, good leadership fosters an organizational culture receptive to planning, calculated risk taking, and flexibility. The manner in which leaders promote a trusting relationship between all groups and aid two-way communication between them is essential.

Unification Options Of the three options for legal unification or consolidation between two or more departments within the study area, ESCI considers all of those options to be conditionally feasible.

Strategy A: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Maplewood FD, Olivette FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD Strategy B: Consolidation of Clayton FD, Richmond Heights FD, and University City FD

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Strategy C: Consolidation of Clayton FD and Richmond Heights FD Strategy D: Consolidation of Maplewood FD and Richmond Heights FD

Functional Cooperation Recommendations The following recommendations are judged as being feasible and most likely to result in significant improvement to systems and/or programs. These initiatives should be acted on regardless of action on the feasible unification opportunities discussed in the preceding section.

Short-term Recommendations A: Develop Uniform Standard Operating Guidelines E: Develop a Regional Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Network I: Develop and Adopt Common Training Standards J: Create a Standardized Regional Training Manual K: Develop an Annual Regional Training Plan O: Develop Uniform Pre-Incident Plans P: Provide Regional Incident Command and Operations Supervision

Mid-term Recommendations B: Develop Regional Specialty Teams D: Develop a Regional Fire Safety Education Coalition F: Create a Unified Occupational Medicine Program G: Create a Unified Wellness and Fitness Program H: Implement a Computerized Training Records Management System L: Consolidate Training into a Regional Training Division M: Purchase Uniform Emergency Apparatus N: Develop a Model Labor Agreement for all Fire Departments

Long-term Recommendation C: Develop a Joint Support and Logistics Services Division

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With this in mind, the municipalities and departments of the region should promptly and systematically implement as many of the feasible cooperative opportunities as are possible. It is important that the group exercise proper management of the process, but at the same time it is also important not to get bogged down by bureaucracy. Long-term success of many of the initiatives may depend on short-term evidence of improvement and benefit. Consequently, the establishment of a steering committee is recommended to assure that the process moves forward without delay.

• Establish an oversight board to plan and manage the implementation of feasible collaborative opportunities. ESCI recommends that the five municipalities empanel an oversight board comprised of elected officials, fire agency representatives, and other affected parties from each city. The group should assume responsibility for prioritizing and determining the sequential order for implementation of all feasible collaborative opportunities. The oversight board should have the authority and accountability to initiate all opportunities within established budgetary and governance limitations.

The ESCI project team began collecting information concerning the fire protection systems of the study area in April 2009. The compilation of that information and the preparation of this report have required nearly four months to complete. The team members recognize that the report contains an extremely large quantity of information, and ESCI would like to thank the staff of the study municipalities and their respective departments for their tireless efforts in bringing this project to fruition. ESCI would also like to thank the various individuals and external organizations for their input, opinions, and candid conversations throughout this process. We sincerely hope that the information contained in this extensive report is utilized to its fullest extent and that the emergency services provided to the citizens of the Cities of Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, and University City are improved by its implementation.

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Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City

Report Appendices The following index summarizes all recommendations from this report and identifies where additional information can be found. For convenience, we have divided the summary index into four primary sections: Agency Evaluation Recommendations, Regional Master Plan Recommendations, Unification Options, and Functional Cooperation Recommendations.

Appendix A: Agency Evaluation Recommendations Index General Recommendations – Applicable to all five departments • Recommendation 5: Given the fact that the fire departments protect similar risks, use similar resources, and have similar objectives, we recommend that all five departments cooperatively develop a regional set of Standard Operating Guidelines, with local variation occurring only if necessary to accommodate unique issues or equipment. • Recommendation 16: The departments should standardize response protocols region- wide. • Recommendation 17: All five departments should consider conduct internal strategic planning processes with their department and community stakeholders. Review and revise mission statements, establish organizational vision, set goals and objectives to steer the organizations forward. • Recommendation 25: Each of the five fire departments should consider taking the steps necessary to become accredited fire agencies. • Recommendation 27: The five departments should ensure that a safety officer is being provided for all manipulative training sessions. • Recommendation 28: The five departments should appoint and implement a formal department training committee to advise the training officer. • Recommendation 29: The five departments should develop and implement a comprehensive department training plan. • Recommendation 30: The five departments should enhance the minimum training requirements for firefighters and officers to include annual practicing of “assigned skill sets.” • Recommendation 31: The five departments should provide ongoing skills maintenance and supervisory training for all officers. • Recommendation 32: The five departments should develop a pre-promotional officer development program based on minimum qualifications for each department rank. • Recommendation 33: The five departments should consider developing and implementing a competency based training program. • Recommendation 34: The five departments should require lesson plans for all training. • Recommendation 35: The five departments should train all personnel in the use of the training records management system and the input of data. Consistency of data entry will insure accurate information is available for planning and analysis.

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• Recommendation 36: The five departments should develop and implement a training schedule with automatic aid fire departments. • Recommendation 37: The five departments should explore those areas where cooperative functional activities may be shared among the departments involved in this study. • Recommendation 38: The five departments should enhance the use of emergency incident records to evaluate program effectiveness and develop strategies targeting frequently occurring emergencies. • Recommendation 39: Each city should consider pursuing the formal involvement of the fire departments in the development authorization review process such that building and occupancy permits must have an approval signature from the fire department prior to issuance. • Recommendation 40: The five departments should expand the scope and audience for the delivery of public safety education. • Recommendation 41: The five departments should enhance the use of fire station members and community volunteers to deliver public safety education programs. • Recommendation 42: The five departments should increase their current level of involvement in legislation to requiring the installation of approved fire sprinkler systems in all new structures including residential properties.

Recommendations Specific to Clayton FD • Recommendation 1: Clayton FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies.

Recommendations Specific to Maplewood FD • Recommendation 2: Maplewood FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies. • Recommendation 6: Maplewood FD should consider a process to identify core programs. Specify responsibility for programs on the organizational chart to increase responsibility and accountability for primary department functions. • Recommendation 7: Maplewood FD should review and revise job descriptions and classifications to ensure accuracy and relevancy. • Recommendation 9: Maplewood FD should review and revise job descriptions and classifications to ensure accuracy and relevancy. • Recommendation 18: Maplewood FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives.

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Recommendations Specific to Olivette FD • Recommendation 3: Olivette FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies. • Recommendation 8: Olivette FD should consider a process to identify core programs. Specify responsibility for programs on the organizational chart to increase responsibility and accountability for primary department functions. • Recommendation 19: Olivette FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives. • Recommendation 20: Olivette FD should consider the use of an employee newsletter to improve formal and informal department communication. • Recommendation 21: Olivette FD should establish a formal, written process for documenting and handling complaints from the public. • Recommendation 24: Olivette FD should enforce policies and procedures on fire station security. Improve consistency in the locking and securing the building and protect city assets. • Recommendation 26: Olivette FD should assign a departmental training officer.

Recommendations Specific to Richmond Heights FD • Recommendation 22: Richmond Heights FD should establish a schedule for regular staff or officers’ meetings. Meeting agendas that include a review of current issues, perform team problem-solving, and review progress on department goals and objectives.

Recommendations Specific to University City FD • Recommendation 4: University City FD should complete a full revision of their Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure adequate, up-to-date procedures are in place to guide field operations at fire, rescue, EMS, and other emergency incidents. A system should be established to schedule regular review and updating of all policies. • Recommendation 10: University City Dispatch should immediately begin the process of obtaining an (efficient and effective) CAD software program that is designed and programmed to accommodate the needs of a modern fire and emergency medical services department. • Recommendation 11: University City Dispatch should develop a system to improve and maintain the geobase data of its current and any future CAD software system. • Recommendation 12: University City Dispatch should consider the use of printers in fire stations to provide “rip and run” incident information to the responding crews. • Recommendation 13: University City Dispatch should make plans to train and certify dispatchers on Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) procedures and call prioritization.

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Recommendations Specific to East Central and University City Dispatch • Recommendation 14: East Central Dispatch Center and University City Dispatch should establish formal performance objectives for call answering and call processing times and develop a quality assurance program that monitors performance measures on a regular basis. • Recommendation 15: East Central Dispatch Center and University City Dispatch should establish written procedures for system failures and center evacuation and conduct failure and evacuation drills annually.

Appendix B: Apparatus Condition Rating Criteria

Like new condition. No body or paint defects. Clean compartmentation. Interior cab Excellent complete, in full working order with no modifications. No significant defect history. Age is less than 25 percent of life expectancy. Body and cab have good appearance with no rust and only minor cosmetic defects or dents. Clean compartmentation with no visible rust or corrosion. Interior cab is in full Good working order and good appearance. Normal maintenance history with no significant defects or high downtime. Age is less than 75 percent of life expectancy. Body and cab have weathered appearance with minor surface rust and some cosmetic defects or dents. Unimpeded compartmentation with only surface rust or corrosion. Interior Fair cab is in reasonable working order and appearance. Only repairable tank or plumbing leakage. Showing increasing age-related maintenance, but with no major defects or unreasonable downtime. Age is less than 100 percent of life expectancy. Body and cab have weathered appearance with surface corrosion, cosmetic defects or dents, and minor rust-through of non-structural metals (body panels). Unimpeded compartmentation with significant surface rust or corrosion and/or minor rust-through (not affecting use). Interior cab is in rough, but working order, often with local repairs or Serviceable modifications to compensate for problems. Occasional or intermittent tank or plumbing leakage. Showing increasing age-related maintenance, but with no major defects or unreasonable downtime. Most service parts still available. Age is greater than 100 percent of life expectancy. Body and cab have weathered appearance with surface corrosion, cosmetic defects or dents, and visible rust-through of non-structural metals (body panels). Significant rust or corrosion is present in structural or support members. Use of compartmentation is impeded with significant corrosion and rust-through. Interior cab is in rough condition with Poor defects impeding safe and proper use. Unrepairable tank or plumbing leakage. Problematic age-related maintenance, major defects, or unreasonable downtime are evident. Service parts difficult or impossible to obtain. Age is greater than 100 percent of life expectancy. Vehicle exceeds its GVWR.

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Appendix C: Fire & Emergency Medical Event Dynamics Dynamics of Fire in Buildings Most fires within buildings develop in a predictable fashion, unless influenced by highly flammable material. Ignition, or the beginning of a fire, starts the sequence of events. It may take some minutes or even hours from the time of ignition until flame is visible. This smoldering stage is very dangerous, especially during times when people are sleeping, since large amounts of highly toxic smoke may be generated during early phases.

Once flames do appear, the sequence continues rapidly. Combustible material adjacent to the flame heats and ignites, which in turn heats and ignites other adjacent materials if sufficient oxygen is present. As the objects burn, heated gases accumulate at the ceiling of the room. Some of the gases are flammable and highly toxic.

The spread of the fire continues quickly. Soon the flammable gases at the ceiling reach ignition temperature. At that point, an event termed flashover takes place; the gases ignite, which in turn ignites everything in the room. Once flashover occurs, damage caused by the fire is significant and the environment within the room can no longer support human life.

Flashover usually happens about five to eight minutes from the appearance of flame in typically furnished and ventilated buildings. Since flashover has such a dramatic influence on the outcome of a fire event, the goal of any fire agency is to apply water to a fire before flashover takes place.

Perhaps as important as preventing flashover is the need to control a fire before it does damage to the structural framing of a building. Materials used to construct buildings today are often less fire resistive than the heavy structural skeletons of older frame buildings. Roof trusses and floor joists are commonly made with lighter materials more easily weakened by the effects of fire. Light-weight roof trusses fail after five to seven minutes of direct flame impingement. Plywood I- beam joists can fail after as little as three minutes of flame contact. This creates a very dangerous environment for firefighters.

In addition, the contents of buildings today have a much greater potential for heat production than in the past. The widespread use of plastics in furnishings and other building contents rapidly accelerate fire spread and increase the amount of water needed to effectively control a fire. All of these factors make the need for early application of water essential to a successful fire outcome.

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A number of things must happen quickly to make it possible to achieve fire suppression prior to flashover. The figure below illustrates the sequence of events.

Figure 185: Fire Growth vs. Reflex Time

The reflex time continuum consists of six steps, beginning with ignition and concluding with the application of (usually) water. The time required for each of the six components varies. The policies and practices of the fire department directly influence four of the steps, but two are only indirectly manageable. The six parts of the continuum are:

1. Detection: The detection of a fire may occur immediately if someone happens to be present or if an automatic system is functioning. Otherwise, detection may be delayed, sometimes for a considerable period. 2. Report: Today most fires are reported by telephone to the 9-1-1 center. Call takers must quickly elicit accurate information about the nature and location of the fire from persons who are apt to be excited. A citizen well trained in how to report emergencies can reduce the time required for this phase. 3. Dispatch: The dispatcher must identify the correct fire units, subsequently dispatch them to the emergency, and continue to update information about the emergency while the units respond. This step offers a number of technological opportunities to speed the process, including computer aided dispatch and global positioning systems.

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4. Turnout: Firefighters must don firefighting equipment, assemble on the response vehicle, and begin travel to the fire. Good training and proper fire station design can minimize the time required for this step. 5. Response: This is potentially the longest phase of the continuum. The distance between the fire station and the location of the emergency influences reflex time the most. The quality and connectivity of streets, traffic, driver training, geography, and environmental conditions are also a factor. 6. Set up: Last, once firefighters arrive on the scene of a fire emergency, fire apparatus are positioned, hose lines stretched out, additional equipment assembled, and certain preliminary tasks performed (such as rescue) before entry is made to the structure and water is applied to the fire.

As is apparent by this description of the sequence of events, application of water in time to prevent flashover is a serious challenge for any fire department. It is critical, though, as studies of historical fire loss data can demonstrate.

The National Fire Protection Association studied data from residential structures occurring between 1994 and 1998 in order to analytically quantify the relationship between the growth of a fire beyond the room of origin and losses in life and property. As the figure below clearly indicates, fires contained to the room of origin (typically extinguished prior to or immediately following flashover) had significantly lower rates of death, injury, and property loss when compared to fires that had an opportunity to spread beyond the room of origin (typically extinguished post-flashover). Incidents in which a fire spreads beyond the room where it originates are likely to experience six times the amount of property loss and have almost nine times greater chance of resulting in a fatality.

Figure 186: National Data: Fire Growth to Life and Property Loss Fire Extension in Residential Structure Fires 1994 - 1998 Rates per 1,000 Fires Civilian Civilian Dollar Loss Extension Deaths Injuries Per Fire Confined to room of origin 2.32 35.19 $3,385 Beyond room of origin; 19.68 96.86 $22,720 confined to floor of origin Beyond floor of origin 26.54 63.48 $31,912

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Emergency Medical Event Sequence Cardiac arrest is the most significant life threatening medical event. A victim of cardiac arrest has mere minutes in which to receive definitive lifesaving care if there is to be any hope for resuscitation.

Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a new set of cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines designed to streamline emergency procedures for heart attack victims, and to increase the likelihood of survival. The AHA guidelines included new goals for the application of cardiac defibrillation to cardiac arrest victims.

Heart attack survival chances fall by seven to ten percent for every minute between collapse and defibrillation. Consequently, the AHA now recommends cardiac defibrillation within five minutes of cardiac arrest. As with fires, the sequence of events that lead to emergency cardiac care can be visually shown, as in the following figure.

Figure 187: Cardiac Arrest Event Sequence

The percentage of opportunity for recovery from cardiac arrest drops quickly as time progresses. The stages of medical response are very similar to the components described for a fire response. Recent research stresses the importance of rapid cardiac defibrillation and administration of certain drugs as a means of improving the opportunity for successful

Page 376 Regional Fire Services Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City resuscitation and survival. An Oregon fire department recently studied the effect of time on cardiac arrest resuscitation and found that nearly all of their saves were within one and one-half miles of a fire station, underscoring the importance of quick response.

People, Tools, and Time Time matters a great deal in the achievement of an effective outcome to an emergency event. Time, however, isn’t the only factor. Delivering sufficient numbers of properly trained, appropriately equipped personnel within the critical time period completes the equation.

For medical emergencies, this can vary based on the nature of the emergency. Many medical emergencies are not time-critical. However, for serious trauma, cardiac arrest, or conditions that may lead to cardiac arrest, response time is very critical.

Equally critical is delivering enough personnel to the scene to perform all of the concurrent tasks required to deliver quality emergency care. For a cardiac arrest, this can be up to six personnel: two to perform CPR, two to set up and operate advanced medical equipment, one to record the actions taken by emergency care workers, and one to direct patient care. Thus, for a medical emergency, the real test of performance is the time it takes to provide the personnel and equipment needed to deal effectively with the patient’s condition, not necessarily the time it takes for the first person to arrive.

Fire emergencies are even more resource-critical. Again, the true test of performance is the time it takes to deliver sufficient personnel to initiate application of water on the fire. This is the only practical method to reverse the continuing internal temperature increases and ultimately prevent flashover. The arrival of one person with a portable radio does not provide fire intervention capability and should not be counted as arrival by the fire department.

In order to legally enter a building to conduct interior firefighting operations, at least four personnel must be on scene. The initial arrival of effective resources should be measured at the point in time when at least four personnel, properly trained and equipped, have assembled at the fire.

Emergency service agencies should have clearly defined response performance objectives established to allow evaluation of capability and service delivery. An organization’s performance objectives should clearly state both the current and desired emergency service

Page 377 Regional Fire Protection Study Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City capabilities in very measurable terms. For emergency response, performance objectives should define response performance using both time and resource criteria. For example: • Provide for the arrival of adequate resources to initiate basic emergency medical services at the scene of any medical emergency within “X” minutes following dispatch, 90 percent of the time. • Provide for the arrival of adequate resources to initiate interior fire suppression operations at the scene of any fire within “X” minutes following dispatch, 90 percent of the time.

With specific performance criteria, a fire department can develop deployment methodologies to achieve desired levels of performance, and can quickly identify when conditions in the environment degrade performance.

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Appendix D: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, Five Fire Departments

Useful Life Reserve Annual Purchase Useful Replacement Vehicle No. Make and Model Remaining as Required as Reserve Date Life Cost of 1/1/2009 of 1/1/2009 Requirement Ambulance 2117 2002 International MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Ambulance 2617 2008 Chevrolet MedTec Ambulance 7 6 255,000 36,429 36,429 Ambulance 2627 2005 Ford MedTec Ambulance 7 3 255,000 145,714 36,429 Ambulance 2697 1998 Freightliner MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Ambulance 3217 2009 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 8 255,000 0 31,875 Ambulance 3297 2006 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 5 255,000 95,625 31,875 Command 2102 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Command 2603 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Command 2702 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 10 85,000 0 8,500 Command 3203 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 6 85,000 34,000 8,500 Engine 2114 2005 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 2190 1996 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 2611 1996 Saulsbury Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 2614 1999 Saulsbury Engine 15 5 535,000 356,667 35,667 Engine 2710 2005 Spartan Crimson Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 2714 2005 Spartan Crimson Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 3114 2005 Pierce Dash Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 3190 1992 Pierce Dash Engine 15 0 535,000 535,000 35,667 Engine 3214 2006 KME Predator Engine 10 7 285,000 85,500 28,500 Ladder 2625 2004 Saulsbury Ladder/Quint 20 15 965,000 241,250 48,250 Ladder 3212 1995 Sutphen Custom Ladder/Quint 15 1 965,000 900,667 64,333 Rescue 3119 1997 Ford F350 Marque Service/Utility 15 2 255,000 221,000 17,000 Total Annual Funding Requirement $8,620,000 $4,710,854 $686,885

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Appendix E: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD, RHFD, and UCFD Useful Life Reserve Annual Purchase Useful Replacement Vehicle No. Make and Model Remaining as Required as Reserve Date Life Cost of 1/1/2009 of 1/1/2009 Requirement Ambulance 2117 2002 International MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Ambulance 2617 2008 Chevrolet MedTec Ambulance 7 6 255,000 36,429 36,429 Ambulance 2627 2005 Ford MedTec Ambulance 7 3 255,000 145,714 36,429 Ambulance 2697 1998 Freightliner MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Ambulance 3217 2009 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 8 255,000 0 31,875 Ambulance 3297 2006 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 5 255,000 95,625 31,875 Command 2102 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Command 2603 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Command 3203 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 6 85,000 34,000 8,500 Engine 2114 2005 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 2190 1996 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 2611 1996 Saulsbury Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 2614 1999 Saulsbury Engine 15 5 535,000 356,667 35,667 Engine 3214 2006 KME Predator Engine 10 7 285,000 85,500 28,500 Ladder 2625 2004 Saulsbury Ladder/Quint 20 15 965,000 241,250 48,250 Ladder 3212 1995 Sutphen Custom Ladder/Quint 15 1 965,000 900,667 64,333 Total Annual Funding Requirement $6,140,000 $3,526,853 $518,717

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Appendix F: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, CFD and RHFD Useful Life Reserve Annual Purchase Useful Replacement Vehicle No. Make and Model Remaining as Required as Reserve Date Life Cost of 1/1/2009 of 1/1/2009 Requirement Ambulance 2117 2002 International MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Ambulance 3217 2009 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 8 255,000 0 31,875 Ambulance 3297 2006 Ford MedTec Ambulance 8 5 255,000 96,625 31,875 Command 2102 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Command 3203 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 6 85,000 34,000 8,500 Engine 2114 2005 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 2190 1996 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 3214 2006 KME Predator Engine 10 7 285,000 85,500 28,500 Ladder 3212 1995 Sutphen Custom Ladder/Quint 15 1 965,000 900,667 64,333 Total Annual Funding Requirement $3,255,000 $2,002,625 $281,346

Appendix G: Apparatus Replacement Cost Analysis, MFD and RHFD Useful Life Reserve Annual Purchase Useful Replacement Vehicle No. Make and Model Remaining as Required as Reserve Date Life Cost of 1/1/2009 of 1/1/2009 Requirement Ambulance 2117 2002 International MedTec Ambulance 7 0 255,000 255,000 36,429 Command 2102 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe Command 10 7 85,000 25,500 8,500 Engine 2114 2005 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 2190 1996 Pierce Quantum Engine 15 2 535,000 463,667 35,667 Engine 3114 2005 Pierce Dash Engine 15 11 535,000 142,667 35,667 Engine 3190 1992 Pierce Dash Engine 15 0 535,000 535,000 35,667 Rescue 3119 1997 Ford F350 Marque Service/Utility 15 2 255,000 221,000 17,000 Total Annual Funding Requirement $2,735,000 $1,785,501 $204,597

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Appendix H: Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 70, Section 70.210 Definitions.

70.210. As used in sections 70.210 to 70.320, the following terms mean:

(1) "Governing body", the board, body or persons in which the powers of a municipality or political subdivision are vested;

(2) "Municipality", municipal corporations, political corporations, and other public corporations and agencies authorized to exercise governmental functions;

(3) "Political subdivision", counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, school, county library, city library, city-county library, road, drainage, sewer, levee and fire districts, soil and water conservation districts, watershed subdistricts, county hospitals, and any board of control of an art museum, and any other public subdivision or public corporation having the power to tax.

(L. 1945 p. 1289 § 7403a, A.L. 1947 V. I p. 401, A.L. 1955 p. 302, A.L. 1961 p. 187, A.L. 1963 p. 123, A.L. 1967 p. 141, A.L. 1989 H.B. 487 merged with S.B. 98) Effective 7-14-89

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Appendix I: Example Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Fire Authority This sample document, based on the content and format of the Centre Region Council of Government’s Fire Protection Program in State College, Pennsylvania, is not offered as a legal document and is intended only as an example to provide a point from which to begin discussion, consideration, and continuing dialogue on any actual agreement that might be created to establish the Regional Fire Authority between the Cities of Clayton, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights, and University City, Missouri.

EXHIBIT A

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN AND AMONG

THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE TOWNSHIPS OF DICKINSON AND SOUTH MIDDLETON AND THE BOROUGHS OF CARLISLE AND MOUNT HOLLY SPRINGS

PREAMBLE

We, the elected representatives of the municipalities comprising the RESTF, recognize that the fire services’ problems and needs confronting this region are independent of political boundaries; that any solutions to our problems and the programs that we formulate to meet our common needs will have a greater chance of success if they are undertaken jointly and in a cooperative manner.

Therefore, the representatives of the Townships of Dickinson and South Middleton and the Boroughs of Carlisle and Mount Holly Springs hereby join together to form the Central Cumberland Regional Fire Authority (CCRFA).

The overriding goal of the CCRFA is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Central Cumberland County in the face of increasing pressures due to economic and population growth. We believe that this goal can best be achieved through cooperative efforts by the regional municipalities. This involves combining our various resources to meet regional challenges which may be beyond our individual capabilities.

The key to the success of the CCRFA is for all municipal officials to exhibit a strong commitment to seek the solution of common problems within the context of the region. We recognize that cooperation which is truly regional will sometimes entail some trade-offs, but we believe it will result in better regional qualities than could be achieved by individual municipal actions.

This agreement is to establish a Regional Fire Authority in Central Cumberland County. It does not create a new layer of government, or a super-government. It does provide a means of communication, cooperation, and joint action in the interest of the municipalities individually and collectively in regard to fire protection.

ARTICLE l – NAME

The name of this organization shall be the "Central Cumberland County Regional Fire Authority" and henceforth may be referred to as the "CCRFA.”

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ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The intention of the founders of the CCRFA is to meet at regular intervals to foster a cooperative effort to resolve regional problems in regard to provision of fire services, to determine policies, and to formulate plans and programs to meet regional needs. The CCRFA will embrace a number of purposes, all related to the original design of the founders. These are:

A. Forum: To serve as a mutual forum to identify, discuss, study, and bring into focus regional fire services’ issues and needs.

B. Communication & Coordination: To provide the organizational structure necessary to ensure effective communication and coordination among municipalities.

C. Regional Spokesman: To maintain liaison with members, governmental units, and groups or organizations; and to serve as regional spokesman for local governments to governmental units and organizations at the county, state, and federal levels in regard to fire services.

D. Staff Support: To furnish general and technical staff support to member municipalities as they direct or request, and to promote and implement approved agreements, policies, projects, and programs.

E. Regional Review: To review and coordinate federal, state, and local fire programs of regional importance.

ARTICLES Ill – POWERS and SCOPE OF AUTHORITY

As specified in the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Law (Act 180 of 1972, as amended in 1986), municipalities may cooperate in the exercise or performance of their respective governmental functions, powers, or responsibilities. It is the intention of the municipalities subscribing to these Articles of Agreement that the CCRFA may establish any fire services-related program and perform any function permitted in the enabling legislation and subsequently agreed to by the participating municipalities. In order to carry out these activities, it is hereby agreed that unless otherwise specified below, upon approval of a majority vote of the CCRFA, the CCRFA may:

A. Employ staff in permanent or temporary, part-time or full-time positions as necessary, according to adopted policies;

B. Establish employee benefit programs and enter into contracts for social security, group insurance or other benefits;

C. Receive, administer and dispense funds from municipal, state, federal or other sources;

D. Borrow and/or contract for the repayment of funds, and when the amount of the proposed borrowing exceeds 1-½% of the total budget figure for the CCRFA, including fund balances, or when the instrument for repayment of that debt has a term of five years or more, unanimous approval of all municipalities is required.

E. With unanimous approval of all member municipalities, acquire, manage, license, lease, or dispose of real property, as specified in these Articles of Agreement and in accordance with executed contracts;

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F. Establish in these Articles of Agreement such organizational structure as deemed necessary;

G. Contract for services;

H. Initiate, advise, aid in the establishment of, or amend cooperative agreements among local governments in the region;

I. Propose, initiate, implement, or revise studies, policy discussions, and plans for the CCRFA;

J. Make recommendations to any local governments or other appropriate agencies or entities; and

K. Take other actions consistent with the enabling legislation and the terms of these

Articles of Agreement.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

A. Eligibility: Voting membership shall be open initially to the Townships of Dickinson and South Middleton and to the Boroughs of Carlisle and Mount Holly Springs. Non-voting membership shall be open to any organization designated by the voting membership.

B. Representation: Each member municipality shall be officially represented by its elected governing officials. A municipality may also include its mayor as a representative.

C. Admission: Each member municipality must subscribe by ordinance to these

Articles of Agreement and agree to be bound to the extent provided in these Articles and other agreements adopted by the CCRFA. Additional municipalities may become members of the CCRFA in accordance with the following procedures:

1. The municipality wishing to be considered for membership shall submit a letter of interest to the CCRFA.

2. Upon receipt of a request for admission to membership, the CCRFA shall consider how the expanded membership will affect the CCRFA common interests and its ability to accomplish its stated purposes.

3. The CCRFA will approve or disapprove the membership request within 90 days of its receipt. All membership actions shall require approval by all the current member municipalities.

4. In approving a membership request, the CCRFA shall state the terms and conditions for membership, which may include, but not be limited to, proportionate reimbursements for past capital expenditures.

5. If the CCRFA approves a request, a municipality shall signify its acceptance of the terms of membership by enacting within 60 days an ordinance approving the Articles of Agreement and other terms and conditions.

6. The CCRFA may approve contracts to provide services to non-member municipalities and other agencies without requiring membership as a condition of participation.

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D. Withdrawal: A member municipality shall have the right to withdraw from the CCRFA at the end of any calendar year by giving 12 months prior written notice to the CCRFA Chair and the Executive Director. This notice shall be in the form of an ordinance approved by the elected Board/Council. A municipality's withdrawal will in no way serve to void or lessen any previous financial obligation incurred by that municipality as a member of the CCRFA.

ARTICLE V – ORGANIZATION

A. Officers: The officers of the CCRFA shall be a chair and vice-chair/chair elect, and such other officers as from time to time shall be provided for by the CCRFA. Officers shall be elected at the CCRFA organizational meeting from the membership of the CCRFA, and shall hold office for one year from the organizational meeting until their respective successors have been duly elected. No person shall hold more than one office, except that the chair and vice-chair/chair elect shall simultaneously serve as the chair and vice-chair/chair elect of the Executive Committee. If both the chair and vice-chair/chair elect refuse or are unable to serve, the CCRFA shall appoint an acting chair.

1. Office of the Chair - The chair shall succeed to the office from the office of the vice- chair/chair elect. The chair shall preside at all meetings of the CCRFA. The chair shall: appoint special committees, which the CCRFA may from time to time deem necessary; decide all questions of order; and have other powers and perform such other duties as are incumbent upon the office.

2. Office of the Vice-Chair/Chair Elect - The vice-chair/chair elect shall be nominated by the Executive Committee, considering the established rotation of the municipalities. The vice-chair/chair elect shall perform and have powers of the chair when the chair is absent, is unable to, or refuses to serve. If the office of chair becomes vacant, the vice- chair/chair elect shall become acting chair for the unexpired term and a new acting vice- chair/chair elect shall be elected at the next CCRFA meeting. At the next CCRFA organizational meeting these positions will become chair and vice-chair/chair elect, respectively. At the conclusion of a normal term of the chair, the vice-chair/chair elect shall automatically succeed to the office of chair at the next CCRFA organizational meeting. In the event the vice-chair/chair elect is not re-elected, is unable to serve, or is removed for any reason at the municipal elections, that individual’s Board/Council shall appoint a replacement who will assume all the responsibilities of the position.

B. Executive Director: The CCRFA may, if desired, appoint an executive director to manage the affairs of the CCRFA, subject to the provisions of these Articles of Agreement and such policies as may be adopted by the CCRFA. The executive director shall:

1. Be, ex officio, the secretary of the CCRFA and shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the CCRFA;

2. Prepare the budget for review by the Finance Committee, and upon its approval by the CCRFA, have authority to disburse the sums as appropriated;

3. Be, ex officio, the treasurer of the CCRFA, and shall be responsible for the accounting records and financial statements for the CCRFA;

4. Have the responsibility of proposing policies, programs, and services for consideration by the CCRFA, and shall have responsibility for implementing such policies;

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5. appoint and discharge all CCRFA employees, consistent with the guidelines set forth in the Personnel Policy and the program agreements, except agency directors whose appointment or dismissal shall require the prior concurrence of the Executive Committee; and

6. Propose and coordinate revisions to the CCRFA Personnel Policy, Position Classification Plan, and Employee Performance Evaluation Program.

C. Solicitor: The CCRFA shall appoint a solicitor, who shall be the chief consultant of the CCRFA in all legal matters.

D. CCRFA:

1. General Policy Body - The CCRFA shall be the general policy body of the CCRFA.

2. Meetings - The CCRFA shall meet at least six times a year. Additional meetings may take place upon call of its chair or Executive Committee or by petition of two or more of the member municipalities. During the month of January, the CCRFA shall conduct an organizational meeting to select officers and designate regular meeting dates. Except in extreme emergency, a special meeting shall require that a minimum notice of one week be provided to the chair/president or manager of each municipality.

3. Responsibilities - As the general policy body of the CCRFA, the CCRFA is responsible both for considering and for carrying out the programs and functions agreed to by the participating municipalities. The CCRFA, in accordance with all provisions of these Articles, shall:

a. annually install the vice-chair/chair elect as the current year's chair, and elect a vice- chair/chair elect and other officers as required;

b. adopt a budget for the next fiscal year;

c. resolve membership and participation questions;

d. act on amendments to the Articles of Agreement;

e. act on all proposals to initiate, continue, modify or discontinue any programs or functions of the COG;

f. appoint and dismiss the executive director;

g. appoint a solicitor; and

h. adopt a Personnel Policy, Position Classification Plan, and Employee Evaluation Program.

E. Committees:

The CCRFA may establish such standing, special, or ad hoc committees as deemed appropriate to conduct its business. Standing committees may include, but not be limited to, Executive, Finance, and Personnel Committees. The following policies shall apply:

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1. Membership - Standing committees shall consist of one representative appointed by each CCRFA municipality. The chair and vice-chair/chair elect of COG shall serve on the Executive Committee as the representatives of their respective municipalities.

2. Meetings - Standing committees usually meet monthly or upon call of the chair, at the direction of the CCRFA, or upon call of two or more of the voting membership of the Committee. All standing committees shall meet and hold a re-organizational meeting to elect a chair before the organizational CCRFA meeting scheduled in January each year.

3. Representatives - It is the intent of the CCRFA that municipal representatives to CCRFA standing committees shall be elected board/council members. From time to time, however, scheduling conflicts may arise that reasonably preclude an elected official from attending an assigned committee meeting. In those cases, the municipality's elected representative may authorize an appropriate elected or appointed official to attend the meeting. The voting powers of any alternate representative shall be determined in advance by the municipal board/council, and shall be communicated to the CCRFA executive director each January.

4. Responsibilities - Standing committees established by the CCRFA shall have the following responsibilities:

a. Executive Committee:

1. To nominate officers to the CCRFA for approval and election.

2. To set the meeting agenda for the CCRFA.

3. To annually evaluate the work performance of the executive director.

4. To refer questions to the appropriate CCRFA committee for response.

b. Finance Committee:

1. To recommend an annual budget to the CCRFA.

2. To recommend revisions of the annual budget to the CCRFA as necessitated by changing conditions.

3. To conduct or initiate studies and make recommendations concerning CCRFA financial matters as directed by the CCRFA.

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c. Personnel Committee:

1. To study, define, and make recommendations for RESTF personnel policies and procedures through the CCRFA.

2. To periodically review the CCRFA Personnel Policy, Position Classification Plan, and Employee Evaluation Procedures to keep them current and operating effectively.

3. To act as the RESTF personnel grievance resolution committee

F. Rules of Order:

Any matter pertaining to the conduct of any meeting and the procedure thereof shall be governed by the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order.

ARTICLE VI – QUORUM & VOTING

A. Voting: Each municipality shall have one “unit vote”; however, to facilitate conducting ordinary business at the CCRFA, the chair may use a majority vote of those present as a procedure to be followed in passage of motions and resolutions. Any member of the CCRFA shall have the right to call for a "unit vote" on an issue being voted upon, at any time. A call for a unit vote shall void any action on the motion or resolution ruled upon by the majority vote procedure.

B. Quorum: A quorum of the CCRFA shall be declared if:

1. A majority of municipalities (3 of 4 currently) is represented by at least one elected official each and a majority of the total number of elected officials of member municipalities is present. Should the preceding standard not be met, a quorum shall be declared if:

2. A majority of municipalities is each represented by a majority of the elected officials from each municipality (currently 3 of 4 municipalities). A quorum of a standing committee shall consist of a simple majority of its total voting membership.

ARTICLE VII – FINANCING

A municipality participating in the CCRFA is responsible for contributing to the cost of operating the CCRFA and its agencies. These costs shall be established by the CCRFA in the annual budget. The two municipal financial obligations are: funding the budget for the Office of Administration, and contributing toward the continued funding of individual fire companies.

A. Financial Obligations:

Administrative Financing - To recognize the shared commitment to the CCRFA, all member municipalities shall fund the budget for the Office of Administration according to the CCRFA Formula, as defined below.

1. CCRFA Formula: Costs based on the CCRFA Formula shall be prorated among the member governments, giving equal weight to population, assessed valuation of taxable real property, and gross earned income. The population factors will be annually updated

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based on the latest census data provided by the Carlisle Area School District and the South Middleton School District. The annual assessed valuation figure will be determined by the Cumberland County Assessment Office. The gross earned income or local personal income factor (whichever is in effect) will be annually updated based on the latest Department of Community Affairs annual Financial Report, filed by each member municipality. The CCRFA may adjust census information reflecting special population characteristics. Any change in the CCRFA formula must be submitted to the Executive Director prior to July 1 and approved by the CCRFA prior to October 1 to take effect in the following fiscal year.

B. Program Financing:

1. CCRFA member - A member municipality is obligated to contribute to the fire services programs in which it participates. The municipal shares of these programs shall be supported as established in Article IX.

2. Non-member Organizations: Non-member organizations may participate in CCRFA programs with the approval of the CCRFA. Program costs for these organizations shall be set by the CCRFA, using any method it deems appropriate.

C. Financial Procedures:

1. CCRFA members shall pay their share of administrative expenses and program costs within 35 days of the date of billing.

2. Payments must be received or postmarked by the due date, or penalty will be assessed at a rate established by the CCRFA.

ARTICLE VIII – ACQUISITION & DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY

A. Acquisition: In order to implement this Agreement, the CCRFA may purchase or lease real estate, vehicles, equipment, furnishings, or other items. All purchases and/or leases of real property and/or buildings shall be authorized upon approval of all member municipalities.

1. Purchases shall be made in accordance with the requirements of Section 7.1 of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Law.

2. Purchases shall be made within the amounts appropriated in the annual CCRFA budget unless otherwise approved by the CCRFA.

B. Sale or Disposal: The following procedures will apply to transfer, sale, or disposal of CCRFA property:

1. Transfers among CCRFA Agencies - Upon approval of the Executive Director, personal property used by one CCRFA agency may be transferred or sold to another CCRFA agency, provided the Executive Director determines that the cost reasonably reflects the value of the personal property.

2. Sale or Disposal - The sale or disposal of any CCRFA property, vehicles, office furniture, supplies, or equipment shall take place in the following manner:

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a. It may be offered for sale at fair market value to a municipal government or school district. If none are interested, the CCRFA shall authorize sale to the general public at a publicly advertised, sealed bid or auction. The CCRFA may reserve the right to set a minimum price and to reject any or all bids.

b. Proceeds from the sale of personal property shall be accredited to the program or agency offering the item for sale.

c. Proceeds from the sale of real property shall be accredited to the participating municipalities in accordance with the CCRFA formula in effect at the time of purchase.

C. Sale or Disposal Upon Termination: The following procedures shall apply to the sale or disposal of CCRFA property in the event one or more programs is terminated:

1. It may be offered for sale at fair market value to a municipal government or school district. If none are interested, the CCRFA shall authorize sale to the general public by publicly advertised, sealed bid or auction. The CCRFA may reserve the right to set a minimum price and to reject any or all bids.

2. Proceeds from the sale shall be distributed to each participating municipality in accordance with the current CCRFA formula in effect for that program at the time of termination, unless one or more municipalities have withdrawn from the program(s) within the previous two years; in which case proceeds shall be distributed to all current and previously participating municipalities on a pro-rata basis in accordance with estimated program funding from each municipality.

ARTICLE IX – PROGRAM PARTICIPATION

Upon admission to membership in the CCRFA, a municipality has the right to participate in any program offered. Programs are activities performed by agencies of the CCRFA on behalf of the member municipalities which relate to production and provision of fire services to the public. Programs have the following characteristics:

1 They produce a service or other clearly definable outputs; and

2 They are expected to have an ongoing commitment of personnel, capital and financial resources.

A. Admission:

Municipal and non-municipal organizations may participate in a program in one of three ways:

1. Those belonging to the CCRFA have a voice in all aspects of the program, beginning with the design and adoption of the program Articles of Agreement.

a. To participate in a program, a CCRFA member must agree to the articles of agreement for that program and file a signed copy with the Executive Director. These articles shall establish the specific terms and conditions for membership, as well as the scope of services that will be provided, and shall indicate under what circumstances those services may be expanded or reduced.

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2. At the discretion of the CCRFA, those not belonging to the CCRFA may obtain a program service as a participant and receive representation and one vote on that program committee, commission, or board.

a. Program costs for non-member municipal and non-municipal organizations shall be set by the CCRFA.

3. At the discretion of the CCRFA, those not belonging to the CCRFA may obtain a program service by contract. They do not receive representation or vote on any program committee, commission, or board.

a. Program costs for non-member municipal and non-municipal organizations shall be set by the CCRFA.

B. Powers and Responsibility:

1. Voting –

a. A participant who is a member of the CCRFA shall have the right to vote both in the program committee and in the CCRFA on issues regarding the program. Member municipalities who are not participants in an established program shall abstain where the vote is related solely to the program.

b. A participant who is not a member of the CCRFA may have the right to vote on issues coming before the program committee if such right has been granted by the CCRFA.

2. Withdrawal –

a. CCRFA members shall have the right to withdraw from a program at the end of any calendar year by giving 12 months prior written notice to the CCRFA chair and the executive director. This notice shall be in the form of an ordinance approved by the governing body of the organization. Withdrawal will in no way serve to void or lessen any previous financial obligation incurred by that participant, and will not affect membership in the CCRFA.

b. Those not belonging to the CCRFA may withdraw from a program as provided in the articles of agreement for that program. Withdrawal will in no way serve to void or lessen any previous financial obligation incurred by that participant.

C. Program Cost:

1. A participant who is a member of the CCRFA is responsible for contributing to the costs of that program. These costs shall be established by the CCRFA in the annual CCRFA Budget. Contributions may be calculated on the basis of the CCRFA formula, user fees, or another formula as subsequently determined by the CCRFA.

2. A participant who is not a member of the CCRFA is responsible for contributing to the costs of that program in accordance with the terms and conditions established for participation.

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3. A non-CCRFA member receiving program services by contract shall be responsible for contributing to the costs of that program. Program costs for these organizations shall be set by the CCRFA.

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ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Articles of Agreement must be initially approved by a majority vote of the CCRFA. In order to be adopted, the amendment must be approved by a unanimous vote at a second CCRFA meeting. Amendments shall not be effective until approved by each member municipality in the same manner as this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the elected representatives of the municipalities comprising Central Cumberland County hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their proper officers pursuant to the authority vested in them by the governing bodies, this _____ day of ______, ______.

DICKINSON TOWNSHIP

Attest: ______By:______

Chair, Board of Supervisors

SOUTH MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP

Attest: ______By:______

Chair, Board of Supervisors

BOROUGH OF CARLISLE

Attest: ______By:______

Chair, Borough Council

BOROUGH OF MOUNT HOLLY SPRINGS

Attest: ______By:______

Chair, Borough Council

Municipality Date Ordinance #

Dickinson Township

South Middleton Township

Borough of Carlisle

Borough of Mount Holly Springs

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