Virginia Fire Services 2016 Needs Assessment
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Virginia Fire Service Needs Assessment An annual profile of critical needs as identified by Virginia’s Fire Service Volume XIII – January 2017 Preface Background At the request of the Virginia General Assembly (VGA), the Secretary of Public Safety directed the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of Virginia’s fire service in 2003. The intent of the needs assessment is to provide members of the VGA with adequate information to make informed decisions with regard to fire service funding issues. The first needs assessment supplement was published in 2004 and laid the ground work to assist in the legislative decision-making process. This report, Volume XIII, published in January, 2017 was produced from survey results collected from fire departments in 2016. The 2016 Needs Assessment continued to focus on the efforts of Virginia’s Fire Service to identify specific needs in the areas of apparatus, equipment, facilities, personnel and training and also analyzed the ability of fire departments to adequately perform the duties of the Emergency First Responder. Survey Team The 2016 Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey team consisted of the following VDFP staff: Rob Magnotti, Information and Statistics Manager, and Bailey Martin, Program Support Technician. Acknowledgements The survey team gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following management within the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) for assistance with survey development and report assistance during the 2016 Fiscal Period. • Melvin Carter, Executive Director • Brook Pittinger, Deputy Executive Director and Acting Branch Chief - Technical Services • Brenda Scaife, Director of Administration and Finance • Tim Hansbrough, Branch Chief - Training and Operations • Brian McGraw, State Fire Marshal • David Jolly, Program Chief - Curriculum, Quality Assurance and Logistical Services • Mark Buff, Marketing and Communications Manager ii The following VDFP Division Chiefs greatly helped to encourage completion of the needs assessment survey with fire departments and publicized the importance of the needs assessment in their areas. • John Fugman, Division Chief - Division 2 Office - Orange • Tom Berry, Interim Division Chief - Division 3 Office - Farmville • Michael Parris, Division Chief - Division 4 Office - Chilhowie • Dennis Price, Division Chief - Division 6 Office - Roanoke • Dereck Baker, Division Chief - Division 7 Office - Fairfax We also want to thank all the members of the Virginia Fire Services Board for their continued support, as well as, all County Administrators, and City and Town Managers in Virginia for their promotion of the survey. Finally, we would like to thank all the fire departments in Virginia for their efforts in responding to the 2016 Needs Assessment Survey. The assessment could not be successful without their valuable support and contribution. iii Table of Contents Preface ..............................................................................................................................................ii Background ............................................................................................................................................... ii Survey Team .............................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... ii Index of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Index of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................1 Top Needs ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Current Funding ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Additional Funding Needed ...................................................................................................................... 2 Apparatus .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Equipment ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Facilities .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Personnel .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Training ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Communications ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2016 Fire Service Needs Assessment Quick Facts.................................................................................6 Chapter 1 - Introduction .....................................................................................................................9 Survey Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 9 Sample ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Survey Design ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Data Collection .................................................................................................................................... 11 Survey Procedures/Mailouts ............................................................................................................... 11 Final Survey Response ......................................................................................................................... 11 Collaborative Effort ................................................................................................................................. 11 Other Data Sources ................................................................................................................................. 12 Limitations .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Survey Response Rate ......................................................................................................................... 12 Organizational Structure of Virginia’s Fire Service ............................................................................. 12 VFIRS Response Rate ........................................................................................................................... 16 Local Use ................................................................................................................................................. 16 iv Average ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2 - Survey Results ................................................................................................................ 19 Survey Section II - Department Personnel .............................................................................................. 19 Firefighters By Status .......................................................................................................................... 19 Average Firefighters on Duty .............................................................................................................. 19 Civilian Personnel By Type .................................................................................................................. 20 Fitness Program .................................................................................................................................. 23 Personnel Programs ............................................................................................................................ 23 Survey Section III - Facilities & Apparatus ............................................................................................... 26 Age of Fire Stations ............................................................................................................................. 26 Fire Stations with Backup Power ........................................................................................................ 27 Apparatus Currently Owned ............................................................................................................... 27 Equipment Currently Owned .............................................................................................................. 29 Survey Section IV - Operating Budget Information ................................................................................