2011 Needs Assessment

Training FaciliTies equipmenT apparaTus personnel Virginia Fire Service Needs Assessment: An annual profile of critical needs as identified by Virginia’s Fire Service Volume VIII - January 2012 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 VIII, published in January, 2012 was produced from survey results collected from fire departments in 2011. The 2011 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 2011 Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey team consisted of the following VDFP staff: Dwight E. Crews, Information and Statistics Manager. 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 2012 Fiscal Period. • Willie G. Shelton, Jr., C.E.M., Executive Director • Donald E. Hansen, Branch Chief ‐ Training and Operations • Russell Chandler, Branch Chief ‐ Training and Technical Services • Brook Pittinger, Director of Administration • Christine Lopilato, Director of Finance • Ed Altizer, State Fire Marshal • David Jolly, Program Chief ‐ Curriculum, Quality Assurance, and IT Services • Mark Buff, Marketing and Communications Manager 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. • Tom Berry, Division Chief ‐ Division 1 Office ‐ Richmond Volume VIII - January 2012 - i • John Fugman, Division Chief ‐ Division 2 Office ‐ Orange • Don Brown, Division Chief ‐ Division 3 Office ‐ Farmville • Timothy Estes, Division Chief ‐ Division 4 Office ‐ Marion • Ken Muhleman, Division Chief ‐ Division 5 Office ‐ Hampton • Dennis Price, Division Chief ‐ Division 6 Office ‐ Roanoke • Melvin Byrne, 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 2011 Needs Assessment Survey. The assessment could not be successful without their valuable support and contribution. Volume VIII - January 2012 - ii Table of Contents Preface i Background i Survey Team i Acknowledgements i Table of Contents iii Index of Figures viii Index of Tables x Executive Summary 1 Top Needs 1 Current Funding 1 Additional Funding Needed 1 Apparatus 2 Equipment 3 Facilities 3 Personnel 3 Training 4 Communications 4 2011 Fire Service Needs Assessment Quick Facts 5 Chapter 1 ‐ Introduction 9 Survey Methodology 9 Sample 9 Survey Design 10 Data Collection 11 Survey Procedures/Mailouts 11 Final Survey Response 12 Collaborative Effort 12 Other Data Sources 12 Limitations 13 Volume VIII - January 2012 - iii Survey Response Rate 13 Organizational Structure of Virginia’s Fire Service 13 VFIRS Response Rate 15 Local Use 15 Average 15 Chapter 2 ‐ Survey Results 19 Survey Section I ‐ General Department Information 19 Type of Area Protected 19 Department Population Protected 19 Department Coverage Area 21 Survey Section II ‐ Department Personnel 23 Firefighters By Status 23 Average Firefighters On Duty 23 Civilian Personnel By Type 24 Fitness Program 26 Personnel Programs 27 Survey Section III ‐ Facilities & Apparatus 30 Age of Fire Stations 30 Fire Stations with Backup Power 30 Apparatus Currently Owned 31 Equipment Currently Owned 33 Shared Organizations 35 Survey Section IV ‐ Operation Budget Information 36 Anticipated Funding 36 Funding Reduction 36 Grant Funding 37 Budget Funding 38 Survey Section V ‐ Communications 40 Frequency Spectrum 40 Assigned Radios 41 Emergency Alert Button 41 Dispatch Operations 41 GPS Map Coordinate System 42 Volume VIII - January 2012 - iv Mobile Data Terminals 42 Computers/Internet Access 43 Survey Section VI ‐ Fire Department Roles / Training 45 Personnel Designated 45 Minimum Level of Training 45 Training 46 NFPA Standards 46 Technical Rescue 49 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 51 Survey Section VII ‐ Fire Prevention & Code Enforcement 53 Programs / Activities 53 Fire Code Inspections 53 Fire Investigation 54 Survey Section VIII ‐ Your Fire Department’s Top Needs 56 Top Needs 56 Additional Funding 57 Apparatus Needed 58 Equipment Needed 58 Facilities Needed 61 Personnel Needed 61 Training Needed 63 NFPA Standards 63 Technical Rescue 63 Supplemental Table 1. Fire Department Personnel Data Reported By Locality 65 Supplemental Table 2. Number of Apparatus Owned Reported By Locality 71 Supplemental Table 3. Number of Equipment Owned Reported By Locality 77 Supplemental Table 4. #1 Top Need / Total Additional Funding Needed Reported By Locality 83 Supplemental Table 5. Number of Apparatus Needed Reported By Locality 87 Supplemental Table 6. Number of Equipment Needed Reported By Locality 93 Volume VIII - January 2012 - v Supplemental Table 7. Number of Personnel Needed Reported By Locality 99 Chapter 3 ‐ Reported Incidents 105 Description 105 VFIRS Participation 105 Incident Types 105 Total Fire Dollar Loss 106 Civilian and Fire Service Casualties 106 Fires 107 Supplemental Table 8. VFIRS Participation By Locality, Virginia, 2010 111 Supplemental Table 9. Incident Type Summary By Locality, Virginia, 2010 115 Supplemental Table 10. VFIRS Summary Data By Locality, Virginia, 2010 119 Supplemental Table 11. VFIRS Rate Summary By Locality, Virginia, 2010 123 Supplemental Table 12. VFIRS Incident Summary By Month By Locality, Virginia, 2010 127 Chapter 4 ‐ Training 133 Description of Schools 133 Type of Schools 133 Active Students 135 Personnel Type 136 Student Demographics 136 Education Level 137 Title 138 Supplemental Table 13. Number of Active Students By Personnel Type By Locality 141 Chapter 5 ‐ Funding 147 Introduction 147 Fire Programs Fund 147 Description of Fund 147 Aid to Localities (ATL) Program 147 Federal Funding Programs 152 Volume VIII - January 2012 - vi Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program 152 Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) 153 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) 153 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants 154 State Homeland Security Grants 154 Other State Funding Programs 154 Rescue Squad Assistance Fund 155 Fire Services Grant Program 155 VFIRS Hardware Technology Grants 155 Virginia Dry Hydrant Grant Program 156 Supplemental Table 14. Aid to Localities (ATL) Program Allocations By Locality, FY 2008‐2012 157 Appendix I ‐ VDFP Division Areas 169 Appendix II ‐ Survey Questionnaire 171 Appendix III ‐ Survey Response By Locality 203 Appendix IV ‐ Completed Surveys By Date Completed 207 Appendix V ‐ Fire Department Participation By Locality 215 Appendix VI ‐ Survey Non‐Respondents By Locality 223 Volume VIII - January 2012 - vii Index of Figures Figure 1. Additional Funding Needed for FY2012 2 Figure 2. Fire Service Needs Assessment Sample By Fire Department, Virginia, 2011 10 Figure 3. Type of Area Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 19 Figure 4. Number of Permanent Residents Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 20 Figure 5. Number of Permanent Residents Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect By VDFP Division 20 Figure 6. Number of Square Miles Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 21 Figure 7. Number of Square Miles Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect By VDFP Division 22 Figure 8. Active Firefighters By Status 23 Figure 9. Civilian Personnel By Type 24 Figure 10. Does Your Department Have a Program to Maintain Basic Firefighter Fitness and Health as Required by NFPA 1500? 26 Figure 11. Does Your Fire Department Currently Have a Personnel Recruitment Program? 27 Figure 12. Does Your Fire Department Currently Have a Personnel Recruitment Program? 27 Figure 13. Promotion of the Recruitment of New Personnel with Department 28 Figure 14. Incentives or Rewards Offered to Members of Department 29 Figure 15. Age of Fire Stations 30 Figure 16. Is Your Facility Shared with Any Other Organizations? 35 Figure 17. Grant Funding Planned to Apply for FY2012 37 Figure 18. Fire Department Budget Funding 38 Figure 19. Communication By Radio with Other Agencies 40 Figure 20. What Radio Frequency Does Your Department Operate On? 41 Figure 21. Apparatus Equipped with a GPS Map Coordinate System 42 Figure 22. Apparatus Equipment with a Mobile Data Terminal 43 Figure 23. Stations with a Computer for Incident Reporting 44 Figure 24. Departments with Internet Service 44 Figure 25. Personnel Designated and Responsible for Specific Duties 45 Figure 26. Does Your Department Have a Minimum Level of Training Required to be an Active Member? 46 Figure 27.

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