Facility Assessment, Fire Station Location and Staffing

Analysis

for the Shawnee Township Fire Department

Prepared by

The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association

Consulting Services

April 2020 Executive Summary

The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association (OFCA) was contracted to perform a facility assessment, fire station location analysis and staffing analysis for the Shawnee Township Fire Department (STFD). The analysis included a community risk assessment, review of STFD’s service delivery and demands for service. A fire station facility assessment was performed to determine the facility’s current condition, functionality, limitations, compliance with codes and standards, and fire service best practices. A fire station location analysis was performed which included development of Geographic Information System (GIS) travel time maps to assist in determining the best location for a future fire station. A written report was provided to the Township that provided a detailed facility assessment, staffing recommendations and locations for a future fire station.

Shawnee Township is located in Allen County just south of the City of Lima. It encompasses an area of 29.3 square miles with a population of approximately 12,300 residents. The Township is known for its heavy industrial presence and middle- and high-income residential development. Companies such as Husky Refinery, Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, Ft. Amanda Specialties, INEOS and Nutrien Lima Nitrogen are some of the Township’s largest employers. STFD is primarily a full-time career department with a small volunteer contingent. The department has 23 full-time personnel which include the fire chief, fire prevention officer, three platoon chiefs, three captains and 15 firefighters. There are also five volunteer firefighters. The department operates from one fire station located at 2526 Ft. Amanda Road and provides fire suppression, advanced life support level emergency medical service and hazardous materials response. In 2018, the department responded to 1,625 calls for service which was a 56% increase in demand over the past 10 years.

A site visit was conducted to examine the department’s current fleet of apparatus and equipment, perform an inspection of the fire station and review the community’s risk. The facility assessment revealed the fire station lacked sufficient storage and office space as well as locker and shower facilities for personnel. The building did not have the proper infrastructure and systems to maintain proper ventilation and separation of apparatus bay and administrative environments. Options were developed for locating a new fire station(s) to serve the community. Staffing recommendations included increasing the department’s minimum staffing levels from the current six to eight personnel.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...... i Table of Contents ...... ii Introduction ...... 1 Overview ...... 1 Mission and Vision ...... 3 Fire & Emergency Services ...... 3 Insurance Services Office ...... 7 Staffing ...... 8 Training ...... 9 Funding ...... 10 Risk Assessment ...... 11 Fire Station Facility...... 17 Facility Assessment ...... 27 Apparatus and Equipment ...... 30 Response Considerations ...... 33 The Science of Fire and the Need for Rapid Response to Affect Positive Change ...... 37 Structural Firefighting Operations ...... 40 Critical Task Capabilities ...... 41 Response Performance ...... 46 Station Location Analysis ...... 52 Recommendations ...... 56 Appendix A ...... 60 References ...... 61

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Introduction

At the request of the Shawnee Township Board of Trustees, the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association (OFCA) was contracted to perform a facility assessment and fire station location analysis to determine optimum locations for future fire station facility construction. This analysis included a risk analysis of the community as well as review of the service delivery and response performance of the Shawnee Township Fire Department (STFD). The project was limited to these specific areas of study.

A site visit was conducted on October 9, 2019. The OFCA assessment team met with Fire Chief Todd Truesdale, Fire Prevention Officer Matt Myers, and Platoon Chiefs John Norris and Jim Painter to review policies, procedures and department data. During the site visit, the station facility and equipment were inspected. All information requested by the OFCA for review was made available via hard copy or electronically.

Overview

Shawnee Township is a progressive, semi-rural community of approximately 12,300 residents. The Township encompasses an area of 29.3 square miles and is located south of the City of Lima in Allen County. It is bordered by Amanda Township to the west, American Township to the north, the City of Lima to the north and northeast, and Perry Township to the east. Duchouquet Township and the Village of Cridersville, Auglaize County, border on the south. Logan Township, Auglaize County, borders on the south and southwestern corner of the Township. Shawnee Township is known for its industrial presence, residential development and local school system. Companies such as Husky Refinery, Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, Ft. Amanda Specialties, INEOS and Nutrien Lima Nitrogen are some of the Township’s largest employers.

The service area includes a mix of heavy industrial complexes, commercial development, middle-and high-income residential development, farm land, and green spaces. Shawnee Township is also known for its park lands and biking and hiking trails. Heritage Park is a 162- acre property that is part of the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District. The Township is part of the Shawnee Local School District and the Apollo Career Center which serves a five county area. Figure 1 is a map of Shawnee Township.

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Figure 1

Main roadways in the area include State Route 501, State Route 117, Breese Road, Shawnee Road, Ft. Amanda Road, and Buckeye Road. Interstate 75 runs in a general north-south direction in the eastern and southeastern area of the Township. CSX has a primary rail line that traverses the Township in a general north-south direction in the eastern and southeastern area of the Township. The rail line runs mostly parallel to Interstate 75 and handles 22 trains daily. These trains carry regular commercial freight and hazardous materials. Norfolk Southern Railway has a rail line that runs from the northeast to the southwest through the Township and handles two trains daily. This line also carries regular commercial freight and hazardous materials. R. J. Corman has a rail line in the northern area of the Township that runs east to west. This is normally used seasonally and averages two trains per week during and immediately after harvest season.

There are two rail yards and numerous spur lines servicing the industrial complexes. Crossings at Breese Road and Buckeye Road are particularly vulnerable to blocked crossings that could delay an emergency response.

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Mission and Vision

All organizations should have a mission statement. A carefully crafted mission statement describes an organization’s purpose, function and services provided. STFD has a clearly developed mission statement.

The members of the Shawnee Township Fire Department dedicate our efforts to deliver a highly trained staff to provide professional and compassionate service at all times.

Fire & Emergency Services

The fire department began service to the community in 1958 when a department was organized to service Shawnee Township. Prior to this time, fire departments from adjoining communities provided service to the area. The current station was constructed in 1958 and opened in 1959. STFD started operations in 1960 with 10 full-time personnel plus a strong volunteer contingent. In 1974, emergency ambulance service was started and the department expanded to 22 full-time personnel including the Fire Chief. This allowed a daily staffing level of seven personnel for each of three shifts. This seven-person staffing on each shift continues today in 2020. There were 268 calls for service in 1974. A full-time inspector was added in 1978.

On Christmas Day in 1983, the department responded to a fire involving five above ground petroleum storage tanks at the Mid-Valley Tank Farm. One of the tanks suffered a catastrophic failure, which resulted in 4.03 million gallons (96,000 barrels) of product released.

STFD has evolved into a modern, progressive organization and enjoys strong community support. The department operates from the original fire station located at 2526 Ft. Amanda Road. The department’s administrative offices are located at the station, which is located adjacent to the Township’s administrative offices.

STFD provides fire suppression response and emergency medical services (EMS). The EMS is an advanced life support level (paramedic level) and transport model. The department has experienced a significant increase in emergency calls for service over the past 10 years. In 2009, the department responded to 1,042 calls for service. By 2018, this number had increased to 1,625, which reflects a 56% increase. This is driven primarily by a 69% increase in EMS responses. Fire calls have fluctuated some, but also have increased 30% over the same 10-year period. In addition to building and auto fires, this number includes fire alarms, rescues, carbon monoxide calls, service calls, and other non-EMS responses. The number of working fires has remained relatively steady, but the number of service calls has increased 46%. The number of good intent calls and false alarms has remained steady at 26% combined. Note that a call for service is actually an incident count. If multiple companies respond to a fire, it counts as one

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 3 incident or call for service. Shawnee Township’s calls for service over the past 10 years are displayed graphically in Figure 2.

Call for Service 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 Fire 800 EMS 600 Total 400 200 0 2009 2011 2013 2014 2016 2017 2018

Figure 2 The recorded fire loss has fluctuated over the past five years. Fire loss is difficult to predict and one large-loss event can skew any statistical analysis. This is the case with STFD. There was an exceptionally high dollar loss year in 2015 with two significant industrial fires that totaled an estimated loss of $101 million combined. The largest loss of $100 million in 2015 occurred at the Husky Refinery. It is important to point out however, that an outstanding effort by STFD personnel and Husky emergency response team members saved $400 million in property and allowed the refinery to remain in production. The chart in Figure 3 shows the fire loss over the past five years without the $100 million loss incident. Fire loss categorized as commercial includes industrial, office, storage and warehousing occupancies.

Fire Loss $1,400,000 $1,200,000 $1,000,000 Residential $800,000 Commercial $600,000 Other $400,000 Total $200,000 $0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 3

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Technical rescue is a term used to describe special response situations including confined space rescue, high-angle rope rescue, trench rescue, fast-water rescue, static-water and ice rescue, and hazardous materials response. Technical rescue incidents are referred to as high-risk, low- frequency events which are dangerous to mitigate and involve a special set of skills, procedures and equipment for each particular rescue situation. It is often very costly to implement and maintain proficiency in each technical response capability. While a formal technical rescue assessment of the Township was not performed, the department’s response capability in each technical rescue response area was reviewed.

Fast-Water Rescue – these incidents involve the rescue of a victim(s) from fast moving water such as a river or other large stream. Of special concern are low-head dams, which can create dangerous currents, especially when river water levels are elevated or during flood stage. The Ottawa River and other creeks run through the Township and there is one low-head dam within the response area. Mutual-aid departments will be needed for assistance during a fast-water rescue incident.

Static-Water and Ice Rescue – these incidents involve the rescue of a victim(s) from a non- moving body of water such as ponds, quarries or lakes. During winter, these types of incidents could involve surface ice. Each rescue involves a specific set of equipment and operating procedures. STFD has static-water rescue capability.

Confined Space Rescue – includes incidents in which a victim(s) are trapped within an area that qualifies as a confined space. A confined space may be found in agricultural, industrial and other settings as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). STFD has confined space rescue capability. The department has a heavy rescue truck that carries confined space equipment along with a detailed operating procedure. Department members are trained to the operations and technician level.

Rope Rescue – includes incidents that are high-angle (elevated) or below grade and require the use of rope rescue systems to reach and rescue victims. A rope rescue incident could be part of a confined space incident due to the location of the victim. The department has rope rescue equipment and a written procedure regarding response to these types of incidents. Some of the department’s personnel are trained to the technician level.

Trench Rescue – these incidents are also referred to as trench “cave-in” incidents and involve an excavation trench or underground cave-in that traps a victim. The department has no equipment or training in this specific area. According to Chief Truesdale, there are no county assets for this type of incident.

Hazardous Materials – Due to the industrial presence in the Township, the department maintains

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 5 a high level of hazardous materials response capability. All STFD personnel are trained in hazardous materials response at the WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)-Technician level. Technician level means that personnel have the training and equipment to undertake defensive type of actions and low-risk offensive operations such as placement of booms and absorbent pads, plugging, patching, diking, and other containment actions that help control or mitigate the incident. They also can perform more advanced offensive operations that require the use of level “A” (completely encapsulated protective equipment) or acid splash suits.

The department provides initial and continuing in-service hazardous materials training. The department receives specialty training through available sources both locally (industry) and around the country. The department has a heavy rescue vehicle that carries confined space rescue and hazardous materials response equipment. The department also houses and responds a response trailer for use during a release. This trailer carries containment and directional booming, absorbent pads and decontamination equipment. Additionally, there are two other trailers locally; one at American Township Fire Department and one at Husky Refinery. The primary purpose of the trailers is to assist the local departments with protecting waterways. All of the trailers are funded and provided by Husky Refinery.

Allen County also has a Hazardous Materials Response Team with 45 members from 13 different agencies. There are several county vehicles which are housed at the Allen County Emergency Management Agency garage: a communications vehicle, decontamination vehicle and equipment vehicle. The team also has robots that are shared with the Allen County Regional Bomb Squad. All team members are trained to the technician or specialist level, with several members possessing expertise in a specific area. The team is a recognized Haz Mat Type 1 Team and is part of the OFCA Emergency Response Plan as a hazardous materials response asset.

STFD carries modern hazardous materials monitoring equipment. Some examples of the equipment are listed below:  Hazmat ID – this is a laser hand-held device that allows identification of a chemical material in a container;  Raman Spectrometer – this is a hand-held device that can identify solid and liquid chemical materials;  RAD – this is a modern hand-held radiation detection device.

Additional information on the hazardous materials response capability of STFD can be found in the Risk Assessment section on pages 15 and 16.

Fire Prevention and Public Education STFD has made a concerted effort to reestablish a strong fire prevention effort in the community. The fire prevention officer position was left vacant by attrition in 2004 due to the economic

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 6 downturn. With the vacancy, fire safety inspections were limited to a request or complaint basis only. A fire prevention officer was appointed in the fall of 2018. As a result, 250 fire safety inspections were conducted in the first three quarters of 2019.

The department has maintained quarterly visits to the large industrial complexes. This allows STFD personnel to meet with company safety personnel to consult on areas of concern and to inspect one of the facility’s specific areas, plus a re-inspection from the previous visit. Public assembly occupancies are inspected annually. The department inspects the schools and performs foster home inspections upon request. There are three personnel certified as fire safety inspectors.

STFD provides a variety of public education programs to the community. Some of the programs include CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), home fire safety, fire extinguisher training, and fire brigade training for business and industry. Residential smoke alarms are available from the local American Red Cross chapter.

Special events include a pancake breakfast and Fire Prevention Week activities. The department also participates in the 1st Responder Day at the Allen County Fair. The department has an active public relations presence that uses Facebook, email and a web page to keep citizens informed on safety concerns, means to contact the department, seek forms for permits, safety notices and services offered.

STFD conducts fire investigations of all fires that occur in the Township. This includes determining cause and origin as well as more involved investigations. The department enjoys good working relationships with the Shawnee Township Police Department’s and State Fire Marshal’s investigators. The department has four personnel who conduct investigations who are International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) certified. The department’s lead investigator is also a member of the IAAI.

Insurance Services Office

The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) is the leading supplier of statistical, underwriting and actuarial information for the property and casualty insurance industry. ISO conducts field evaluations in an effort to rate communities and their relative ability to provide fire protection and mitigate fire risk. This evaluation allows ISO to determine and publish the Public Protection Classification (PPC). The published classification is based on a scale of 1 through 10, with 1 being the highest rating and 10 indicating that the community’s fire suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

STFD currently has a PPC rating of 4/8B, which was published in May 2010. The lower score

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 7 indicates a more favorable rating which translates into lower insurance premiums for the business owner and homeowner. This lower classification makes the community more attractive from an insurance risk perspective.

How the PPC for each community affects business and homeowners can be somewhat complicated because each insurance underwriter is free to utilize the information as they deem appropriate. Most underwriters in Ohio utilize what’s called in the industry, the “suburban rule.” In this case, the split rating identified for STFD is a 4/8B. What this means is that most businesses and residents in the Township who are located within 1,000 ft. of a fire hydrant and not over five road miles from the fire station receive a rating of 4. Those businesses and residents who are located more than 1,000 ft. from a fire hydrant but not over five road miles from the fire station receive a rating of 8B. The reason that the latter rating is generally not more favorable is due to the lack of a dependable water supply in the areas previously identified. When the ISO field evaluation is conducted on communities, the overall water system carries a weight of 40% of the total evaluation. Most underwriters consider properties over five miles from a recognized fire station to receive a 10 PPC and would be subject to higher premium rates for coverage.

Staffing

STFD is primarily a full-time department with a small volunteer contingent. The department roster currently has 23 full-time personnel. This includes the fire chief, fire prevention officer, three platoon chiefs, three captains and 15 firefighters. There are also five volunteer firefighters. Full-time personnel work a three-platoon system with a “California Shift Schedule.” With this type of schedule, personnel work 24 hours on duty followed by 24 hours off duty; 24 hours on duty followed by 24 hours off duty; a third 24-hour shift which is then followed by 96 hours off duty. The full-time firefighters are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

There are seven personnel assigned to each of three shifts. Each shift has a platoon chief, captain and five firefighters. The minimum daily staffing is six. If a short-shift occurs due to an injury or illness, the vacancy is filled with off-duty personnel who receive overtime pay. The department was at the minimum staffing level of six personnel 93% of the time in 2018. In 2019, the department was at minimum staffing 89% of the time.

Volunteer personnel respond when notified for structure fires and other larger incidents. The fire chief and fire prevention officer work a standard 40-hour work week but are available for recall to emergency incidents after hours. The department also has a full-time administrative assistant. Figure 4 depicts the department’s organizational chart.

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Fire Chief

Admin. Assistant

Assistant Chief (Vacant)

Platoon Chief Platoon Chief Platoon Chief Fire Prevention A B C Officer

Captain Captain Captain

Firefighters Firefighters Firefighters

Figure 4

Training

The goal of the department is to train one to three hours each day Monday through Friday. The training sessions are conducted by one of the shift officers or by one of the firefighters with expertise in a specific area. Examples would be training sessions on gas monitor use, mass casualty incidents, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and hazardous materials topics. However, the department has no specific lesson plans. Special training sessions are also scheduled from time to time during the year.

All personnel have completed the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC). One of the department’s members will be obtaining certification as an instructor in this area so regular refresher training can be provided as well as the training of new personnel.

All full-time personnel are cross-trained as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic. The collective bargaining agreement requires all new personnel hired to acquire and maintain paramedic certification.

The department conducts regular in-service EMS training and conducts a paramedic refresher class biennially. Two local hospitals and Rhodes State College also offer specialty training classes for the region’s EMS responders. EMS protocol testing and EMS skill check-offs are

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 9 conducted regularly on each shift. A quality assurance program is conducted in-house in a cooperative effort with the department’s medical director and EMS coordinator affiliated with Mercy Health St. Rita’s in Lima. STFD has four state certified fire instructors and three EMS instructors. The department also is an approved site for EMS continuing education by the Ohio Division of EMS.

The department’s dormitory room doubles as the training room with folding wall beds. Tables and chairs are set up to provide a traditional classroom-style setting for each training session. Audio visual equipment is available. The training room will comfortably accommodate one shift, but room size would make training sessions for the entire department very difficult. The department has a training tower located in an area located at the rear of the fire station. It was designed and built by department members and provides a three-floor open design that permits ladder, hose deployment and other rescue training. The tower also includes a confined space training area. The rear paved parking lot near the training tower can be used for hose and pumper drills.

Training records for 2017 and 2018 were reviewed and found to be well-maintained and in order. Full-time personnel easily exceed the minimum training hours required for recertification. The training program is solid with an emphasis on hazardous materials response capability and quality EMS care. However, the department struggles with completing some training topics due to call interruption. This is a common problem encountered by busy departments, especially when the interruptions are unpredictable. The department would benefit from a more defined training schedule. The training program is managed by Platoon Chief Painter. Please see Appendix A for further information on the certification requirements of the State of Ohio.

Funding

The STFD is funded primarily with levies of millage against real property. There are currently five levies: a 2.25 mill continuous fire levy passed by voters in 1984; a 1.0 mill levy passed in 1985; a 1.0 mill continuous levy passed in 1987; a 2.5 mill continuous levy passed in 1989; and a 1.5 renewable levy passed in 2006. Together, the voted millage totals 8.25 mills with an effective rate of 4.78 mills.

The department also bills for EMS patients transported to the hospital. Revenue generated has averaged $280,000 annually over the past three years. The department’s operating budget for 2018 was $3.02 million, excluding any capital purchases. The Township’s goal is to begin the fire fund with a $950,000 carryover to cover fire department expenses during the first quarter of the next year.

The department has struggled at times financially due to a loss of tax revenue. In 2005, Ohio ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 10

House Bill 66 (HB 66) was passed into law which resulted in a significant reduction of the commercial activity tax (CAT). This resulted in the department losing $734,000 in annual revenue, which was 34% of the total budget. This has made any planned personnel additions and some capital replacements more difficult. The department has received some grant awards for specific capital or equipment purchases, but nothing near the level of the lost revenue. EMS billing revenue is used to purchase EMS equipment and other capital equipment. However, the Township does not carry a dedicated capital improvement fund.

Chief Truesdale explained that the department has experienced strong support from the business community. STFD has created an Internal Revenue Service approved 501(C)(3) non-profit foundation with community members to allow companies or anyone interested to donate funds to augment specific areas of fire department operations such as equipment and training.

Risk Assessment

For a community to appropriately provide for and understand the need for emergency services, a coordinated and comprehensive assessment must be performed. The risk assessment involved performing a coordinated survey of every “target hazard” property in the response area. Target hazards are locally identified occupancies or properties that pose specifics risks to occupants, fire service responders, or the community. This includes any large manufacturing or commercial property that typically requires a larger number of resources than is normally deployed for residential and other common types of occupancies. Target hazards also would include buildings of public assembly, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and apartment buildings of 12 units or more.

The community risk assessment (CRA) tool was used to perform a coordinated survey of every identified target hazard. Each property was assessed for the risk posed for each of the following elements:  Life hazard  Community impact  Hazard index  Water supply  Building usage  Building construction  Number of stories  Square footage

Each of the areas described received a rating score from 1 to 3 with 1 equating to low risk or impact and 3 representing high risk or high impact. There were 78 properties evaluated and each was provided with a final CRA rating from 8 for the lowest risk to 24 for the highest (based on

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 11 the eight rated categories). The following levels of identified risk were classified:

Risk CRA Score Maximum ……....21-24 Significant ……...16-20 Moderate …….....10-15 Low …………...... 0-9

Each property identified as a significant risk or maximum risk property was plotted on a map which allows for visualization of where the “at risk” properties are located within the Township. There were four maximum risk and 39 significant risk properties identified. The maximum risk properties identified were:

 Husky Refinery; 1150 S. Metcalf Street  Nutrien; 2200 Ft. Amanda Road  INEOS; 1900 Ft. Amanda Road  Ft. Amanda Specialties (FAS); 1747 Ft. Amanda Road

The location of the maximum and significant risk properties are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

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The maximum risk properties all present special identified risk for the department. The petro- chemical industry is safety oriented and has an excellent overall safety record. However, a small release of product, depending on its characteristics and state, could result in a significant incident. A catastrophic failure could also result in an explosion and release of chemicals that could pose safety and health risks to a large area of the community.

Husky Refinery This large 1,100-acre petroleum production complex is located at 1150 S. Metcalf Street. There are over 40 buildings, a tank farm, and several underground propane and propylene storage caverns. This facility refines various types of crude oil into a variety of products that are used by consumers or in the manufacture of other petroleum-based products. Some of those products include gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, water white, propylene, propane, benzene and butane. All of these products are stored locally and distributed by underground pipeline, truck or rail. Other industrial companies also use some of the byproducts of the refining process.

This facility receives crude oil from all over the country via underground pipeline, which is stored in four large above-ground storage tanks located on the south side of Buckeye Road near Ft. Amanda Road. The storage tanks have a capacity of 278,000 barrels of oil (11.5 million gallons).

Nutrien This is a petro-chemical manufacturing complex that produces liquid fertilizer and granular products for the agriculture industry as well as diesel exhaust fluid. The complex is located at 2200 Ft. Amanda Road and has multiple buildings as part of the production process as well as storage tanks. Final products are shipped by truck and rail.

INEOS This is a petro-chemical manufacturing complex that produces hydrogen cyanide, acrylonitrile and acetonitrile. The complex is located at 1900 Ft. Amanda Road and has multiple buildings as part of the production process and some storage tanks. Much of the raw product used is propylene, which is received via underground pipeline from Husky Refinery.

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Ft. Amanda Specialties (FAS) This is a petro-chemical manufacturing complex that produces food additives, cosmetics, and some consumer and manufacturing plastic material. The complex is located at 1747 Ft. Amanda Road and has multiple buildings as part of the production process and some storage tanks. Hydrogen cyanide is one of the primary raw products used in the production process, which is furnished by INEOS.

As a result of the heavy petro-chemical presence in the Township, there are numerous underground pipelines crisscrossing throughout the area. These pipelines provide raw and finished product to storage tanks in and out of the area. Some of the products transported via pipeline include: crude oil, butane, jet fuel and gasoline. Each type of material identified could have various grades, such as a light crude oil versus a heavy crude oil.

Large quantities of finished and some raw product are transported by rail. To meet those needs, the production facilities previously described have multiple rail sidings and there are several large “marshaling yards.” Rail traffic can at times block roads affecting response by the fire department. Product is also transported by truck. There is a risk of a hazardous materials release as a result of a transportation accident or leak from a transportation vessel.

There are four tank farms located in the Township: Marathon Oil (multiple locations), Buckeye Partners, Energy Transfer Partners and Wood River. These tank farms have a variety of sizes to meet their storage and production needs ranging from four to six-million-gallon capacity. The Shelley Company is a petro-chemical waste storage company and also has multiple storage tank capacity.

Marathon is adding butane to their distribution capability at one of their tank farms. At the time of the site visit, two spherical high-pressure storage vessels (70 ft. and 90 ft.) were under construction. The butane will be distributed to other distribution centers via pipeline and rail.

Wood River has a fuel distribution terminal on

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Buckeye Road. The distribution terminal is where consumer product fuel (gasoline, diesel fuel, etc.) is loaded onto tractor-trailer trucks for delivery to service stations in the region. Consumers then can fill up their motor vehicles with fuel at their local service station. Marathon also has a fuel distribution terminal on S. Dixie Highway.

There are several other facilities that present special challenges for STFD. Ashland Chemical is a petro-chemical manufacturing company that produces spandex and polyester-based materials. This multiple building complex uses hydrogen as one of its primary raw products and is located at 1220 S. Metcalf Street.

Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, also known as the Lima Tank Plant, is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility that produces the MI A2 Abrams tank and other armored vehicles for the US military. This high-security installation is located at 1155 Buckeye Road and includes 370 acres and 47 buildings. The manufacturing center also refurbishes damaged vehicles and tanks.

The PPG Warehouse is located at 2599 Ft. Shawnee Industrial Drive. This 960,000 sq. ft. facility warehouses and distributes paint in a variety of containers. This facility is also renovating space to begin paint blending production.

To meet the challenges posed by a commodity release A hydrocarbon is a byproduct of or fire at one of these facilities or a surface crude oil or has been extracted from vegetable fiber. Examples transportation accident, STFD has a large cache of include gasoline, diesel, kerosene, firefighting foam concentrate. The department has a jet fuel and naphtha. These tractor-trailer foam truck which carries 12 “totes” of products have a specific gravity Williams Thunderstorm™ 1 x 3 Class B foam less than 1.0 and float on water. concentrate. The foam concentrate is mixed with Polar solvents are products of water in a mixing device to create a foam product that distillation or have been is applied through a foam or regular water nozzle. The synthetically produced. Polar foam product is then applied on top of the combustible solvent fuels mix well with water or flammable liquid to prevent the collection of and have a varying affinity for water. Polar solvent fuels can be ignitable vapors or to suppress a fire. The concentrate destructive to foams designed for is mixed at a 1% ratio for incidents involving use on hydrocarbons. Examples hydrocarbon liquids and a 3% ratio for incidents include ketones, esters, alcohol, involving polar solvent liquids. Each tote contains 265 ethanol and acetones. gallons of foam concentrate.

The department also has a storage building at the rear of the fire station with foam concentrate storage.

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There are two totes of Williams Thunderstorm™ 1 x 3 foam concentrate and 22 totes of DuPont™ 3 x 6 foam concentrate. Each DuPont™ tote contains 305 gallons of foam concentrate. The department’s apparatus have special foam pumps and carry foam concentrate. Several of the chemical manufacturing and processing facilities have foam concentrate on premises. For example, Husky Refinery has 2,800 gallons of Williams Thunderstorm™ 1 x 3 foam concentrate carried on two vehicles. They also have 5,200 gallons of 3M™ 3 x 6 foam concentrate; 2,000 gallons on vehicles and 3,200 gallons in totes. They also have an unknown quantity of fluoroprotein foam concentrate.

INEOS has 1,000 gallons of foam concentrate carried on a vehicle. The PPG facility has two totes of foam concentrate plus a 1,000-gallon foam tank attached to a fire pump.

In addition to the petro-chemical risk, the department also faces several other fire and life safety challenges in the community. The Carlton House is a seven-story apartment building located at 1755 Shawnee Road. While there is a fire standpipe system in the stairwells that allow for fire hose connections on each floor, there is no sprinkler system in the living spaces. The logistics of rescue operations above grade level and lack of a sprinkler system makes the potential for high loss of life in a residential setting a significant risk for the department.

Cam Court Apartments is located on Cam Court. This complex has seven buildings with four to seven units in each building. There are no suppression systems, restricted apparatus access as a result of the building configuration on the property, and limited water availability.

The Township also has five school facilities. The Shawnee Local School System has two elementary school buildings, a middle school and a high school building. The elementary schools have 400 and 600 students respectively, and the middle school and high school have 800 students each. The Apollo Career Center has 750 students plus adult learners in the evening.

Shawnee Manor is a 150-bed skilled nursing facility. It is located at 2535 Ft. Amanda Road. Burton’s Ridge is located next to Shawnee Manor at 2561 Ft. Amanda Road. This one-story assisted living facility has 48 apartment units in just over 33,000 sq. ft. of space. Both facilities are located within one-half mile of the refinery and other petro-chemical production facilities.

One critical resource that must be assessed as part of the community’s ability to fight fire is its water supply. Approximately 70% of the Township is served by a water distribution system, including fire hydrants. Two specific areas that do not have hydrants are the rural area in the northwestern portion of the Township and the area east of I-75. There are two systems that serve the Township. One is owned and operated by the City of Lima and the other is owned and operated by the Allen County Water District. STFD performs regular hydrant inspections, which includes flushing and pumping each hydrant twice each year. Repairs and larger maintenance items are performed by the entity that owns the hydrants. All hydrants are marked for water flow

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 16 capacity following National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and noted in the Active 9-1-1 program and the department’s pre-fire plans. ISO evaluates the Township water supply system’s adequacy for fire suppression. Adequacy is considered the ability of a water system to supply needed fire flows (NFF) at identified locations throughout the response area. In other words, available fire flow should equal or exceed NFF for an area of selected commercial, industrial, and residential risks. A water supply evaluation considers three primary components of the water system: a) the supply works capacity, b) the water main capacity, and c) distribution of fire hydrants. Overall, the Township has good water distribution coverage, with good water flows reported.

Non-fire risk assessment process

This section normally contains an analysis of the various non-fire related risks considered within the Township. This would include non-fire risks such as flood, tornado, earthquake, drought, etc. Due to the limited scope of the project, this area was not included in the risk assessment analysis.

Fire Station Facility

The fire station is located at 2526 Ft. Amanda Road. It is situated on an 18-acre triangular shaped track of land that was initially owned by Allen County. Shawnee Township acquired the land in 1990. The Township’s administration building is located adjacent to the fire station on the parcel. The administration building houses the Township’s police department and zoning office. The Township road department’s storage buildings also occupy sections of the parcel. The fire station faces southeast towards Ft. Amanda Road, but for ease in identification, reference will either indicate a specific location in the station or the four cardinal directions.

Shawnee Township Complex

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The fire station facility was constructed in 1958 and 1959. It is approximately 9,300 sq. ft. and constructed of concrete block and brick with a composition roof. The structure is secured at all times and personnel are issued electronic “key” fobs for access to the facility. The front door entrance to the administrative portion of the fire station is readily visible with signage directing anyone needing assistance to push a red button and speak into an intercom that connects them directly to their dispatch center for assistance.

A 32 ft. tall hose tower is located at the south corner of the west bay wall. It is approximately 10 ft. by 8 ft. and accessible through a service door in the west bay wall. A mechanical siren is located on top of the hose tower and used for county notifications regarding weather.

Fire Station

The ramp area in front of the apparatus bays is a concrete pad approximately 90 ft. wide by 50 ft. long. A blacktop driveway extends from the north side of the station to the rear of the faciltiy then extends south into the service areas for the Township administration building and highway department. In addition, the blacktop is extended along the south side of the station creating a parking area and access driveway that interconnects with Ft. Amanda Road. The concrete pad is in poor condition and needs replaced. It shows signs of chipping and significant cracking with the development of large potholes. This allows water intrusion into the concrete and gravel base which results in movement when the water freezes and thaws. The blacktop area is considered in fair condition.

The ramp empties onto Ft. Amanda Road and offers clear line of sight, both north and south of the station, giving ample opportunities for apparatus operators to observe approaching vehicles while enabling the motoring public to observe an emergency vehicle preparing to exit the station without creating undue safety concerns. There are no traffic control devices present for the department’s use in accessing the roadway.

The facility has a permanently installed 67 kW natural gas-fired external standby generator

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 18 located at the north side of the building in a fenced area with protective bollards. It is sized to fully support the electrical needs of the fire station and storage building. It is equipped with an automatic transfer switch that enables the generator to start and transfer building circruits to the generator anytime the system senses the loss of normal electrical service. It is programmed to automatically cycle weekly to exercise the unit and it is routinely checked by department personnel. The unit is professionally serviced twice a year with records retained by the department.

Cracks in concrete front ramp Emergency generator

The entire facility is fully protected by a sprinkler system. There are smoke detectors located throughout the facility that are tied into the central monitoring panel. There are also two single- station carbon dioxide detectors in the kitchen and dining room areas. The department also monitors the temperature in the storage building to assure temperatures remain above freezing due to the large quantity of foam concentrate storage.

Apparatus Bays The apparatus bay area of the building has concrete block construction with exposed open bar- joist ceiling trusses with metal decking. It has tapered concrete floors utilizing minimal circular drains and sealed with an anti-skid floor finish. The floor is in need of repair as cracks are lifting the floor finish, which has led to standing water on the apparatus floor. The apparatus bay area is 60 ft. wide by 80 ft. deep and the department has two vehicles positioned in each bay. There are four back-in front bays and two bays at the rear of the station that may be utilized as drive- through bays. However, the department has elected to make the rear bays forward facing for two apparatus.

All bay doors have electrically operated 14 ft. overhead limited insulated aluminum doors with a single row of “light” windows. They are equipped with emergency release levers at the top of the doors that will permit manual door operation in the event of a power failure. However, only a few of the doors have a release rope or cable routed from these release levers to the front floor level designed to permit rapid operation of the door manually. None of the doors are equipped with electronic door sensors for emergency stopping or reversing direction nor is there a warning

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 19 system designed to provide a visual or audible warning that a door has not fully opened. There are no external bollards installed to protect the building at bay door openings.

There are four people exits from the bay area but none permit direct egress to the exterior of the building. One exit at the front of the bay area is located in the wall to the administration section of the station that empties into the vestibule of the administrative hallway before permitting egress to the exterior of the building. In addition, there are two doors in this same wall to the administrative portion of the building. One empties into the hallway to the kitchen and the second door empties into the dormitory. The last door from the bay area empties into the air compressor room which contains an exit door to the rear parking lot. Only the rear door leading from the bay area to the air compressor room is marked as an exit.

The department has installed a ceiling-mounted track exhaust capture system. When the exhaust system hoses are properly attached, the system is designed to permit the starting and running of apparatus engines within the station while exhausting the engine’s hazardous exhaust emissions directly to the exterior of the station. The system is designed to prevent the exposure of equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and personnel to the dangerous byproducts of diesel exhaust and helps to ensure the safety and welfare of those personnel working within this environment. The vehicle exhaust is vented out the rear of the station and approximately three ft. above the station roof line.

West bay wall Diesel exhaust capture system

The bay areas were clean and the equipment organized with safety in mind as well as ease of use. The bay floor drains for all apparatus locations were interconnected and reported tied into an oil interceptor, functioning as expected. A CORAYVAC™ infrared radiant heating system is utilized in the bays and performs well.

The apparatus bays have four sets of three double-hung windows on the outside (north wall) and four sets of three smaller double-hung windows on the administrative (south wall) just above the administrative roof line that that permit the admission of natural lighting. Artificial lighting is

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 20 furnished by overhead-mounted electrical fluorescent fixtures.

Electrical outlets in the bay area are not marked as ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) or explosion-proof in design, but were installed at least 32 in. above the floor. The department’s PPE extractor appears to be installed in accordance with building code requirements; however, the installation of the residential-grade washing machine and dryer in the utility sink closet may be considered as part of the apparatus bay floor. Assurance should be obtained that installation is in compliance with the Ohio Building Code as it relates to the code classification established for the facility by the building department having jurisdiction.

Doorways to the lobby, basement stairs, washer/dryer room, kitchen, and dormitory are located in bay wall (south wall) to the administrative portion of facility. The bay side of the wall contains shelving for radio equipment, Township road map, electrical panels and conduits, PPE extractor, drinking fountain, garden-style water hose and storage cabinets. There also is exercise equipment which is overflow from the basement exercise area.

North bay wall West (rear) bay wall

Breathing air compressor Open wire steel PPE lockers

The rear bay wall (west wall) has the entrance to the hose tower and two bay doors for apparatus. There is a small 8 ft. by 18 ft. room off the center west wall. This area contains the department’s new breathing air compressor and cascade system, and oxygen cylinder storage. It also has

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 21 individual wire cage storage lockers for personnel’s PPE (sometimes referred to as turnout gear). There also is a small work area with tools, storage cabinets and cleaning equipment along the west wall.

Detailed maintenance records are maintained on the breathing air compressor and air quality is checked quarterly. It was noted the make-up air for the breathing air compressor may be drawn from the bay floor area. This could potentially allow contaminates of toxic fumes or chemical byproducts as well as combustion byproducts that could be on PPE stored in the area into the breathing air. Considerations should be given on obtaining make-up air from an exterior source and away from the existing apparatus bay ventilation system discharged at the exterior roof line. Current procedure requires closing the door from the bay to the compressor room and opening the exterior people door for this room to obtain fresh air. The department fills county dive team air cylinders as well as SCBA cylinders for area fire departments as needed.

Decontamination Area The station has a hand wash area for removal of EMS contaminants. There is no dedicated and confined area to decontaminate and clean EMS or firefighting equipment. If the department requires full decontamination of personnel, equipment or tools, the county hazmat team would respond to the station, set up their equipment and conduct the decontamination task. Biohazard waste is routinely dropped off at area hospitals.

Administrative Office and Living Areas The administrative area of the fire station is immediately south of the apparatus bay and accessible from a front entrance to a lobby/work area, from the south bay at the lobby/work area, a central hallway door from the south bay wall or into the dormitory area through an entrance door located in the south bay wall near the back of the station bay.

The main entrance to the fire station is through a dedicated entrance door into the lobby. The work station for the department’s administrative assistant is located in the immediate lobby area.

Lobby and work station Administrative work area

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This allows the administrative assistant to serve as a receptionist to the general public during normal fire department business hours. In addition, the space can also serve as a work area for shift officers to complete required paperwork, reports or meet with the general public. Immediately adjacent to the work area is office space for the fire prevention officer.

Fire prevention office Fire Chief’s office

The Fire Chief’s office is accessible through the fire prevention officer’s office or from the general hallway leading from the lobby area to the kitchen. The Chief’s office has an L-shaped work desk and chair, book case, file cabinet and visitor chair. The office has very limited space that negatively impacts normal administrative duties including access to files, records and other business efficiencies. There is minimal privacy for discussions or dealing with personnel issues.

The kitchen is accessed from the general hallway from the lobby area or apparatus bay area. It consist of three refrigerators, gas range and grill, two wall ovens, microwave, dishwasher, numerous cabinets, and counter top space. The range and grill is protected with a hood suppression system. The overall kitchen area has a dining section consisting of a table that seats eight with wood chairs. There is a wall-mounted television, a limited training resouce library and an electronic workshelf against the wall.

Kitchen dining room Kitchen cabinets and counter space

There is a dayroom located off of the general hallway. This room has reclining chairs for down time and a television. Both the kitchen and dayroom areas were well-maintained, organized and

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 23 items stored in the expected fashion.

The dormitory area is located immediately behind the kitchen on the backside of the station. It has eight fold-up wall beds with adjacent lockers. Due to the limited sapce, personnel are required to “clear their bed” at the end of each shift so the on-coming personnel can “make” their bed for the shift. Adjacent to each bed is limited cabinet space for personnel to store their personal belongings necessary for their shift. The cabinets furnished do not permit personnel to “lock” their belongings in a safe place. Many times on-duty personnel will elect to put their wallet, car keys, jewelry and possible medications in a safe and secure location while working their shift. As noted previously, the dormitory room doubles as the training room. With the wall beds folded into their storage space, tables and chairs are set up to provide a traditional classroom-style setting for each training session. Immediately off the dormitory room is a small storage area for department uniforms.

There are only two restrooms available for personnel or the general public. Male and female restrooms are located across the hallway from the kitchen. Included in the male restroom is a double sink lavatory, single shower space, two toilets and one urinal. There is a sink and toilet in the female restroom; however, there is no shower.

Dormitory – wall beds Uniform storage area

An exercise area is located in the basement and is accessible through the south bay wall door. It is approximatley 2,200 sq. feet and is used primarly for the department’s physical fitness program. The exercise area contains numerous weight sets, treadmill and stationary bike station. It was noted that some fitness equipment could not function effectively due to the limited height of the basement and these additional pieces of equipment have been located in the back area of the squad bay adjacent to the administrative section of the fire station. The physical fitness program is designed to assist personnel in maintaining a resonable physical fitness condition commensurate with the physical duties expected of today’s firefighter.

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Basement exercise area Exercise equipment in bay area

The basement also serves as a storage area of department records, fire prevention blueprints and drawings, and EMS supplies. There’s also a sprinkler control room and a room with the building’s old boiler that has been decommissioned. A double door exits to an external stair that serves as a second means of egress. The stairwell is showing signs of deterioration with crumbling concrete at the walls and stairs. It was reported that the basement has an exterior water problem and during heavy rains the floor could flood with more than two inches of water in the back-stairs area. Two sump pumps have been installed as a means to alleviate the situation without success. It was noted some water is now leaking in the wall areas of the basement and the entry points seem to be expanding.

Rear basement egress stairwell Fire prevention records and EMS supply room

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing The electrical, plumbing, and existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for the administrative and living quarters of the station are routinely maintained and have been dependable. However, the current HVAC does not provide positive pressure atmospheric conditions with supplemental make-up air. The accepted operating concept for most light commercial structures is a positive pressure of +02 inches to +03 inches water column. Maintaining these slight pressures can make a huge difference in building comfort, efficiency and safety. Positive pressure controls ventilation into a building keeping air from being pulled in

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 25 from undesirable locations such as the apparatus bays.

Finishes The exterior finish of the building is a brick veneer and is in deteriorating condition. There were cracks in the mortar, crumbling and cracking window ledges. The bricks need sealed and in some cases brick pointing. The interior finishes appear to be in good condition. Normal wear was observed on floor materials but was well-maintained. Drywall was generally in good condition and the ceiling tiles were in fair condition.

Cracks in brick Cracks in window ledges

Storage Facility

STFD has a 2,500 sq. ft. storage building located behind the fire station. The building has three- bays all with overhead doors. The building houses the department’s hazardous materials response vehicle (Rescue 4), a grass truck (Engine 5), a semi-trailer loaded with foam totes, and a semi-tractor used to pull the trailer. There is also a 2,000 GPM foam nozzle mounted on a trailer and an LP gas-fueled forklift for moving and loading the required foam containers. Hand tools and brass goods that have been removed from active service are stored on shelving on the sidewalls. The building is secured at all times and accessible using an electronic combination lock.

The building has reached it useful capacity in storing the department’s foam, equipment, and apparatus. The building is heated in order to maintain the stored foam at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure it is not exposed to freezing temperature. The department has more than 2,000 gallons of foam concentrate and is available to any agency in the region. The foam and tractor- trailer tractor were donated from the different industries in the area with the understanding it would be available to agencies requiring large qualities of foam concentrate.

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Storage Facility

Training Tower

The department has a four-story wood-frame training tower located across the back driveway at the rear of the fire station. It is designed to enable multiple types of firefighting exercises, rescue operations and special procedures. In addition, space is available for auto extrication, technical rescue and a foam application area. This enables the department to keep training activity away from the general operations of the department as well as an area for the orderly accumulation of debris. The department permits other agencies to utilize the tower as well as multiple department operational drills.

Training Tower

Facility Assessment

Overall, the building is clean and well-maintained. However, the department has clearly outgrown the facility. Storage space throughout the structure is at a premium. Chemicals, solvents, lubricants and other materials should be stored in a designated enclosed area to prevent fumes and vapors from contaminating and damaging equipment such as fire hose, PPE, rope, etc.

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A designated storage area with adequate space would also permit the agency to uniformly store supplies and other fire and EMS items in one location, permitting quick and easy access to the items and review of inventories.

The facility also lacks sufficient office space. The officers should have one or two offices that can be shared with separate desks and record storage to handle their respective assignments. The Fire Chief should have an office with sufficient space and privacy to handle personnel issues, planning, and administrative tasks.

The storage of firefighter PPE is less than ideal. This gear should be stored away from diesel exhaust, even where exhaust systems are installed, chemicals and solvents, and provided with adequate ventilation to avoid garment deterioration or contamination of the equipment with carcinogenetic fumes or chemicals. Exposure to ultraviolet light and direct sunlight should also be avoided; studies have shown that this exposure also leads to material degradation and shortens the life span of the garments.

No decontamination area is established. NFPA 1581 Standard for Fire Department Infection Control Program outlines requirements for providing proper facilities for handling infectious equipment and soiled or contaminated items. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) also outlines similar requirements in their published Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1920.1030. This is a critical component in a system to prevent the transmission of harmful and deadly diseases and pathogens.

The current HVAC system for the administrative area of the facility does not provide a positive pressure atmospheric condition with supplemented make-up air. This affects air circulation and heating and cooling efficiency. It also can allow vapors and fumes from a variety of sources to seep throughout the building and potentially affect personnel as well as wall surfaces and electric and electronic components. This is especially important with the recent emphasis on firefighter cancer prevention.

The dormitory area doubles as the training room. There is adequate space for shift level training but insufficient for training that involves the entire department. The common dormitory area also presents challenges. Modern facilities provide individual bunk rooms that help reduce the transmission of germs from coughing and sneezing. Combined with a properly designed HVAC system with outside make-up air, newly designed dormitory areas would provide a more healthy work environment which results in a more rested employee and less lost time from illness.

There are no locker and shower rooms for male and future female employees. The male restroom is small and has a single shower stall.

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The basement area is the primary exercise area and record storage. There is water intrusion in the basement which provides an environment for the potential growth of mold and mildew. There is asbestos insulation in the basement with some breaks that allows friable asbestos particles to be released into the atmosphere. The decommissioned boiler also has an asbestos liner that needs to be removed in the approved and appropriate manner. Asbestos abatement in general needs to be completed. This is a situation that could potentially affect the welfare of personnel.

The building is not fully compliant with requirements set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Ohio Building Code. The facility is wheelchair accessible but does not have a number of the required items for a fully compliant building.

Asbestos wrapped pipes Decommissioned boiler – asbestos lined

Apparatus floor –cracks in concrete Deteriorating concrete basement steps

The facility also does not meet current standards of the Ohio Building Code for fire stations that include the more stringent requirements now known as an “Essential Facility.” This means the structure must be designed to remain operational in the event of extreme environmental loading from wind, flood, snow, and earthquake.

STFD and Township residents have been well served by this facility. For a facility that is 60

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 29 plus years old, traffic flow within the building is good and the overall functionality of the building has been good. This indicates there was planning and forethought into the design of the building. However, firefighting operations have changed drastically during that time. This change includes the size, type, and amount of equipment, as well as national and state standards and laws that drive standard procedures, testing, care and maintenance of the equipment.

EMS also has been added since the station was constructed and brings with it its own set of standards, guidelines and laws. Some of these were previously discussed, i.e., infection control. A new facility should be considered to meet the requirements of a modern fire and EMS response agency including the health, safety and welfare of STFD personnel.

Apparatus and Equipment

Overall, the impression of the department’s fleet and equipment is that it is in good condition and well-maintained. The corresponding maintenance records and equipment inventory were reviewed by the assessment team during the site visit. The department operates two engines, one ladder, one heavy rescue, one tanker (tender), two medic units, one grass trucks, one special operations vehicle, one semi-tractor trailer foam vehicle and three staff vehicles. The following is a summary description of each apparatus and condition.

Engine 1 is a 2010 Smeal pumper on a Spartan chassis with a 1,500 gallons-per-minute (GPM) top-mount pump and carries 800 gallons of water. The unit is equipped with the necessary hose and equipment as required by NFPA 1901 Standard on Automotive Fire Apparatus. The unit has a 30-gallon Class A foam tank and a 200-gallon Class B built-in proportioner foam system. Class A foam increases the efficiency of water when extinguishing Class A materials, which is wood, paper, brush and all common combustibles. Class B foam is for petro-chemical fires. The unit also has a portable deluge monitor. It has 34,800 road miles, 3,178 engine hours and is in good condition.

Engine 2 is a 1994 Boardman pumper on a Freightliner chassis with a 1,500 GPM pump and carries 826 gallons of water. This vehicle is equipped with the necessary hose and equipment as required by NFPA 1901. The unit has a 50-gallon Class A foam tank, 100-gallon Class B foam tank, vehicle-mounted telescoping

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 30 scene flood lights and a portable deluge monitor. The vehicle has 36,200 miles, 3,965 engine hours and is in fair condition. Ladder 5 is a 2008 Smeal 100 ft. aerial platform with a 2,000 GPM and carries 300 gallons of water. This unit carries the necessary hose, ground ladders and equipment required by NFPA 1901. It also features a 4,500 psi breathing air system that supplies the platform and dual master stream nozzles mounted on the platform. The vehicle has 9,846 miles, 1,170 engine hours and is considered in excellent condition.

Rescue 1 is a 2007 Smeal heavy rescue vehicle on a Spartan chassis. It carries a variety of rescue equipment including hydraulic-powered extrication equipment, rescue air bags and cribbing. The unit carries equipment and supplies for confined space rescue operations and hazardous materials response gear. This unit has 28,400 miles and is in good condition.

Rescue 4 is a 1993 Rescuemaster heavy rescue vehicle on a Freightliner chassis. It is configured primarily for hazardous materials incidents and carries a variety of specialized response equipment. It also carries a breathing air cascade system that is used to refill SCBA cylinders at emergency scenes. The vehicle has 35,050 miles, 7,767 engine hours and is in fair condition.

Tanker 8 is a 2004 Smeal tanker on a Freightliner chassis with a 1,500 GPM pump and carries 2,500 gallons of water. The unit carries a 2,500-gallon portable “drop tank”. The drop tank provides a temporary water reservoir with sufficient capacity to sustain water application in lieu of hydrants in rural areas. This unit also has a 30-gallon Class B foam tank. The vehicle has

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18,400 miles, 996 engine hours and is in good condition.

Engine 5 is a 1998 Ford 350 pickup used as a grass and brush truck. It is equipped with a 250 GPM portable pump and carries 300 gallons of water and other firefighting equipment. During the winter months the truck is modified with a snow blade for general snow removal. The vehicle has 22,400 miles and is in fair condition. This unit is housed in the storage building.

Medic 11 is a 2012 Braun Type III modular ambulance on an International chassis. This unit is configured and equipped to deliver ALS level care and transport service, including a cardiac monitor/defibrillator and patient power-load system. The unit has 48,900 miles and is in good condition.

Medic 10 is a 2008 Braun Type III modular ambulance on a Chevrolet C-4500 chassis. This unit is configured and equipped to deliver ALS level care and transport service, including a cardiac monitor/defibrillator and patient power- load system. The vehicle has 73,500 miles and is in good condition.

Command 2 (C-2) is a 2014 Ford 250 4-door pickup truck utilized as a command vehicle and carries a thermal imaging camera. It has 30,800 miles and is in good condition.

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Fire Prevention 7 is a 2017 Dodge Ram 4-door pickup truck used by fire prevention personnel. It has 38,200 miles and is in excellent condition.

Command 1 is a 2014 Ford Explorer 4-door SUV utilized as the chief’s vehicle. It has 41,389 miles and is in fair condition.

The department also has a 1991 Kenworth semi-tractor with 376,000 miles and an enclosed 45 ft. semi-trailer for the storage and transportation of foam totes where a need would arise within their response area. The semi-tractor and trailer were donated to the department. In addition, they possess a 2,000 GPM trailer-mounted foam nozzle for large petro-chemical fires. All of their equipment is available to any agency requesting assistance.

Response Considerations

In fire suppression as well as EMS, there are a number of recognized safety and response standards and guidelines that are considered when analyzing fire protection services. NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health is the safety standard for the fire service and deals with all aspects of fire department operational safety. Major components of the standard include personnel, apparatus, equipment, and incident management. The topics have general performance objectives, but the specific topic is generally more formally addressed in its own specific standard. Appendix B in NFPA 1500 contains a checklist that can be useful for departments to evaluate their overall safety and health program. While NFPA 1500 is non- binding, the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) specifically addresses many aspects of firefighting and firefighting equipment. Each of those will be reviewed in their respective section.

OSHA in recent years established a national standard for fire ground staffing. Although the

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 33 directive is very detailed, it essentially states that before two properly trained and equipped firefighters can enter a structural fire there must be at least two or more properly trained and equipped firefighters ready to replace, rescue or assist the initial entry firefighters. This standard is often referred to as the “2-in, 2-out” rule. This rule also is listed in §4123:1-2 OAC, which applies to firefighting operations in Ohio.

NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Departments, states that fire suppression companies should be staffed with four personnel, with one of them being a supervisor. This staffing standard is based on fireground evolution studies and task analyses for a response to a 2,000 sq. ft. two-story single-family dwelling fire, commonly found in communities across America. NFPA 1710 is non-binding, but the staffing recommendation is considered an ideal or optimal staffing goal for communities. However, few communities across Ohio are able to achieve this staffing goal due to financial limitations.

NFPA 1561 Standard on Emergency Service Incident Management System also has some relevance. It states that an effective span of control shall be determined by the ability of each supervisory position to monitor the activities of assigned subordinates. Span of control is a term to describe the number of workers that a supervisor can effectively manage. The range of span of control is considered to be three to seven, with an optimum of five. However, span of control is determined by the degree of complexity or danger of the task or activity. For example, a serious auto accident involving a difficult extrication procedure may require a span of control of three, while an officer may be able to effectively manage 10 water tenders (tankers) operating in a water shuttle at a rural fire.

Another critical factor in meeting service expectations is assuring that response crews are capable of performing the required tasks on arrival. The dispatching of a specific response with a minimum crew assignment is a concept that is widely supported by fire service literature and industry best practices. The NFPA’s Fire Protection Handbook provides recommendations for a minimum response to various structures. Figure 6 depicts those recommendations.

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High-hazard occupancies At least 4 pumpers, 2 ladder trucks (or combination Schools, hospitals, nursing homes, explosives plants, apparatus with equivalent capabilities), 2 chief officers, refineries, high-rise buildings, and other high life and other specialized apparatus as may be needed to hazard or large fire potential occupancies. cope with the combustible involved, not fewer than 24 fire fighters and 2 chief officers. One or more safety officers and a rapid intervention team(s) are also necessary.

Medium-hazard occupancies At least 3 pumpers, 1 ladder truck (or combination Apartments, offices, mercantile and industrial apparatus with equivalent capabilities), 1 chief officer, occupancies not normally requiring extensive rescue or and other specialized apparatus as may be needed or fire-fighting forces. available; not fewer than 15 fire fighters and 1 chief officer, plus a safety officer and a rapid intervention team.

Low-hazard occupancies At least 2 pumpers, 1 ladder truck (or combination One-, two-, or three-family dwellings and scattered apparatus with equivalent capabilities), 1 chief officer, small businesses and industrial occupancies. and other specialized apparatus as may be needed or available; not fewer than 14 fire fighters and 1 chief officer, plus a safety officer and a rapid intervention team.

Rural operations At least 1 pumper with a large water tank (500 gal or Scattered dwellings, small businesses, and farm more), one mobile water supply apparatus (1,000 gal or buildings. larger), and such other specialized apparatus as may be necessary to perform effective initial fire-fighting operations; at least 12 fire fighters and 1 chief officer, plus a safety officer and a rapid intervention team.

Additional alarms At least the equivalent of that required for rural operations for second alarms. This may involve the immediate use of mutual-aid companies until local forces can be supplemented with additional off-duty personnel.

Figure 6

STFD has developed response guidelines which identifies apparatus response sequence. The response guidelines outlined in the operating procedures are listed below. Note: all full-time personnel are cross-trained and certified as a firefighter and paramedic.

Residential Structure Fire

Hydranted Area  Engine: 4 firefighters  Rescue: 1-2 firefighters  C-2: 1 officer-in-charge (OIC)

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Non-hydranted Area  Engine: 3-4 firefighters  Rescue: 1 firefighter  Tanker: 1 firefighter  C-2: 1 OIC Commercial and Industrial Fire

 Engine: 4 firefighters  Ladder: 2 firefighters  Rescue: 1-2 firefighters  C-2: 1 OIC

Motor Vehicle Accident

 Medic Unit: 2 paramedics  Rescue: 1-2 firefighters  Engine: 2 firefighters  C-2: 1 OIC Emergency Medical Incident

 BLS Acuity Call; Medic Unit: 2 paramedics  ALS Acuity Call; Medic Unit: 2 paramedics and C-2: 1 OIC and 1 paramedic The number of personnel responding in a specific apparatus may vary depending on the number of personnel on duty. There are seven personnel assigned to each shift with a six-person minimum. Personnel may also be unavailable to respond if they are committed to an emergency incident. For example, with six personnel on duty, two personnel could be on an EMS call and transporting the patient to the hospital. If a fire call is received, there would only be four personnel available to respond. In these incidences, the OIC will determine which units would respond to the call.

The department has established response sectors for mutual aid. These predetermined responses are based on geographic location and allows assistance to be received more quickly. American Township Fire Department is called for incidents in the northwestern area of the Township in an area west of Shawnee Road and north of Breese Road. Lima Fire Department is called to incidents in the northeastern area of the Township in an area east of Shawnee Road and north of Breese Road. The Cridersville Fire Department is called to incidents across the southern area of the Township in the area south of Breese Road. However, the mutual-aid responses are by request of the OIC. STFD is part of the Allen County Mutual Aid agreement.

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 36

The Science of Fire and the Need for Rapid Response to Affect Positive Change

Because there is such a wide variation in the fire dynamics of each particular fire, it is imperative to find a common reference point, something that is common to all fires regardless of the risk- level of the structure, the material involved or length of time the fire has burned. Such a reference point exists. Regardless of the speed of growth or length of burn time, all fires go through the same stages of growth. One stage in particular emerges as a very significant one because it marks a critical change in conditions; it is called flashover.

The flashover stage of a fire event marks a major turning point in fire conditions that increases the challenge to a fire department’s resources. How and why this occurs is explained in the following descriptions of each stage of fire growth in a structural fire.

Incipient stage

The smoldering stage is the first stage of any fire. When heat is applied to a combustible material, the heat oxidizes the material’s surface into combustible gases. The oxidation process is exothermic, meaning that the oxidation process itself produces heat. The heat from the oxidation raises the temperature of other materials, which increases the rate of oxidation and begins a chemical chain reaction of heat-release and burning.

A fire progresses from the smoldering phase immediately or slowly depending upon the fuel, nearby combustibles, and the surrounding air. For example, a bundle or stack of newspapers will smolder only a few seconds before progressing to the next stage, but a couch with a burning cigarette may continue smoldering for an hour or more.

Growth stage

When the temperature gets high enough visible flames can be seen. This stage is called the growth stage or open burning. The visible burning at this stage is still limited to the immediate area of origin. The combustion process continues to release more heat which heats nearby objects to their ignition temperature and they begin burning.

Flashover/fully developed stage

Not all of the combustible gases are consumed in the growth stage. They rise and form a superheated gas layer on the ceiling that can quickly reach 1,500°Fahrenheit (F). As the volume of this gas layer increases, it begins to bank down to the floor, heating all combustibles regardless of their proximity to the burning object. The gas layer is mostly carbon monoxide so the absence of oxygen prevents the heated objects from bursting into flame.

Oxygen gets introduced into the space in two ways. There is often enough available oxygen near floor level to start the open burning process when the gas layer reaches that level. Or, the high

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 37 heat breaks a window and the incoming oxygen allows the burning to begin. It should be noted that the room becomes untenable long before flashover. Even though open flaming may not be present until everything reaches 500°F and oxygen is introduced, the room becomes untenable for human survival at 212°F.

When flashover occurs, everything in the room ignites into open flame at once. This instantaneous eruption into flame generates a tremendous amount of heat, smoke, and pressure with enough force to push beyond the room of origin through doors and windows. The combustion process then speeds up because it has an even greater amount of heat to move to unburned objects.

Flashover is a critical stage of fire growth for two reasons. First, no living thing in the room of origin will survive, so the chance of saving lives drops dramatically. Second, flashover creates a quantum jump in the rate of combustion and a significantly greater amount of water is needed to reduce the burning material below its ignition temperature. A fire that has reached flashover means that it is too late to save anyone in the room of origin, and a significant increase in staffing is required to handle the larger hose streams necessary to extinguish the fire. A post-flashover fire burns hotter and moves faster, compounding the search and rescue problems in the remainder of the structure at the same time that more firefighters are needed for fire attack. See the chart in Figure 7.

PRE-FLASHOVER POST-FLASHOVER Fire limited to room or area of origin Fire spreads beyond room or origin Requires small attack lines Requires more or larger attack lines

Search and rescue efforts easier Compounds search and rescue efforts

Requires fewer resources and can be Requires additional resources handled by initial effective response force (companies)

Figure 7

It has long been known that the real killer in a structural fire is smoke, not the flame or heat. Smoke contains many toxic gases released as byproducts of the combustion process. Carbon monoxide is one of these gases and the most prevalent. Test fires in residential structures have demonstrated the production of carbon monoxide in measurable amounts after 3½ minutes from the ignition of the fire.

The primary objective of fire operations is to provide enough firefighters and equipment in a strategic location so that an effective response force can respond to and reach fire scenes to mitigate the problem before flashover occurs. The “time-temperature curve” standard is based on data from NFPA and ISO that establishes that a typical point source of ignition in a residential house will flashover at some time between 5 and 30 minutes after ignition, turning a typical ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 38 room and contents fire into a structural fire of some magnitude. This is illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 8

Time requirements for EMS calls are comparable to fire incidents. The purpose of a quick response, especially in the most critical situation (cardiac arrest), is that the brain, deprived of oxygen and circulation begins to die within four to six minutes. Brain damage is normally irreversible after 10 minutes. Interventions include early CPR and electrical defibrillation. Previous studies show the time to deliver a shock (called defibrillation) to the patient in cardiac arrest to be three to six minutes. Current guidelines from the American Heart Association plus additional guidelines from the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests a response time interval of not more than five minutes from alarm notification to scene arrival for responders capable of performing CPR and utilizing an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

An AED is a portable device that the first responder or trained civilian can use on a patient who is pulseless and not breathing. When the device is connected to the patient, it analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm and automatically delivers electric shocks to the patient if needed. Furthermore, guidelines provide for no more than a 10-minute response interval for providers capable of performing ALS level interventions, if that level of service is available. This is displayed graphically in Figure 9.

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 39

Figure 9

Structural Firefighting Operations

Understanding the structural fire dynamic is the key in any discussion of fireground evolutions or actions. Variables of fire growth dynamics and property and life risk combine to determine the fireground task that must be accomplished to mitigate loss. These tasks are interrelated, but can be separated into two basic types: fire flow and life safety. Fire flow tasks are those related to getting water on the fire. Life safety tasks are those related to finding trapped victims and safely removing them from the building.

Fire flow tasks can be accomplished with handheld hoses or master streams (i.e., nozzles usually attached to the engine or ladder). Master streams take relatively fewer firefighters to operate because they are most often fixed to the apparatus or an appliance anchored to the ground. The decision to use hand lines or master streams depends upon the stage of the fire and the threat to life safety. If the fire is in a pre-flashover stage, firefighters can make an offensive fire attack into the building by using smaller, more mobile handheld hose lines to attack the fire and shield trapped victims until they can be removed from the building. If the fire is in its post-flashover stage and has extended beyond the capacity or mobility of handheld hoses, or if structural damage is a threat to firefighters’ safety, the structure is declared lost and master streams are deployed to extinguish the fire and keep it from advancing to surrounding exposures (i.e., other buildings or objects in close proximity). Initial arriving firefighters may use a transitional “defensive to offensive” strategy to limit or remove an immediate danger to life or health (IDLH) threat while awaiting the arrival of additional resources. IDLH is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) term used to describe an environment or atmosphere that because of contaminants, heat, or oxygen deficiency can cause death or serious injury to a

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 40 worker if they are exposed to those conditions for even a short period without the proper level of protective equipment.

Life safety tasks are based upon the number of occupants, their location, their status (e.g. awake vs. sleeping), and their ability to take self-preserving action. For example, ambulatory adults need less assistance than non-ambulatory adults require; the elderly and small children always require more assistance. The key to a fire department’s success at a fire is adequate staffing and coordinated team work, regardless of whether the fireground tasks are all fire flow related or a combination of fire flow and life safety.

Before on-scene procedures can be established, the initial Incident Commander (IC) must select an appropriate initial strategy; offensive or defensive. An offensive strategy is an aggressive interior fire attack and is used whenever possible. The top priority is rescue of trapped victims. The department’s goals are to eliminate any or all fire-related deaths or injuries and contain fires to their room of origin. The first objective is to put a hose line between the victims and the fire and to rescue those victims by removing them from proximity to the hazard. The second objective is to contain the fire to the room or area of origin.

A defensive strategy is one that does not allow interior fire attack except as needed to rescue trapped firefighters. When opting for a defensive attack all victims are considered to have already expired because there are no tenable spaces. No attempts are made to retrieve bodies because fire and structural conditions do not warrant the risk to firefighters.

Critical Task Capabilities

In order to effect positive change, agency personnel must be properly assigned, resources must be properly placed and equipped, and each individual must be assigned a critical task to complete. Consequently, those individuals must arrive within a time frame which allows them a chance to use their skills to stop the loss or convert a potentially fatal medical condition. The following section will establish critical task assignments for fire and EMS responses and duties.

Structural Firefighting Critical Tasking

Single-family and two-family dwelling fires have been identified by the NFPA as the most frequent type of fire incident facing fire departments. These types of buildings are where the majority of fire fatalities occur. In 2018, 74% of the 3,655 lives lost in fires occurred in a residential setting including one- and two-family dwellings and apartment units.1 During the reporting period of 2017-2018, 34% of STFD’s fire responses were to one- and two-family dwellings and apartments. It is worth noting that a response to a structure fire in a residential

1 NFPA- Fire Loss in U.S. 2018 ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 41 setting is used by the NFPA as the basis for developing task and performance objectives in relative codes and standards.

Since the single-family and two-family dwelling fire is the most prevalent, critical tasks are outlined for this type of response. These tasks must be completed in a timely manner by firefighters in order to control the fire prior to flashover or to extinguish the fire in an effective manner. The fire department is responsible for assuring that responding companies are capable of performing all of the described tasks in a prompt and proficient manner.

Attack line: a minimum of two firefighters are required to advance a 1¾ in. hose line that produces a fire stream of 150-200 GPM or a 2½ in. hose line that produces up to 250 GPM. Each engine carries a set of attack lines that are either pre-connected to the apparatus, folded in the hose bed, or in a special pack for carrying into high-rise buildings. The selection of which attack line to use depends on the type of structure, the distance to the seat of the fire and the size of the fire. The pre-connected lines are the fastest to use but are generally limited to fires within 200-250 ft. of the engine. When attack lines are needed beyond 250 ft., the line must be physically extended to a longer length. A 2½ in. attack line may be used when the fire is already beyond the flashover stage and threatens an unburned portion of a structure.

Search and Rescue: a minimum of two firefighters are assigned to search for living victims and remove them from danger while the attack crew move between the victims and the fire to stop the fire from advancing. A two-person crew is normally sufficient for most moderate risk structures, but more crews are required in multi-story buildings like the Carlton House apartment building or structures with people who are not capable of self-preservation (i.e. nursing homes and hospitals).

Ventilation Crew: a minimum of two firefighters may be required to open a horizontal or vertical ventilation channel when the attack crew is ready to enter the building. Vertical ventilation or ventilation of a multi-story building can require more than two firefighters. Ventilation removes super-heated gases and obscuring smoke, preventing flashover, and allowing attack crews to see and work closer to the seat of the fire. It also gives the fire an exit route so that the attack crew can “guide” the fire out the opening they choose and keep it away from endangered people or unburned property.

Ventilation must be closely timed with the fire attack. If it is performed too soon, the fire will get additional oxygen and grow. If performed too late, the attack crew cannot control the fire in the direction they want. Instead, the gases and smoke will be forced back toward the firefighters and their entry point, which endangers them, any victims they are protecting, and unburned property. The latest technical information is from Underwriter’s Laboratories and other technical sources. That information recommends and outlines the actions necessary to control “flow-paths” within a structure during firefighting operations, especially as it relates to ventilation.

Back-up line: a minimum of two firefighters are required to advance a 1¾ in. line that is taken in

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 42 behind the attack crew to cover the attack crew in case the fire overwhelms them or a problem develops with the attack line. This back-up team could also be assigned to temporarily assist the search and rescue team if needed. If 2½ in. lines are used, it doubles the staffing requirement.

Rapid Intervention Team (RIT): a minimum of two firefighters equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and select tools must be available near the entry point to enter the structure, perform search and rescue, or back-up a suppression crew if something goes wrong. The RIT is an outcome of the “two-in and two-out” rule. This particular requirement is an OSHA rule that requires two firefighters to be suited up and ready to rescue firefighters who are assigned to interior firefighting operations and are in an IDLH environment should one of those firefighters become disabled. See more detailed information on pages 33-34.

Exposure line: a minimum of 1¾ in. attack line may be taken above the fire in multi-story buildings to prevent fire extension, or used externally to protect nearby structures or objects from igniting from the radiant heat. In situations where the heat release is great such as a flammable or combustible liquid, a 2½ in. line or deluge gun could be used. If 2½ in. lines are used, it doubles the staffing requirement.

Pump operator: one firefighter must be assigned to operate the fire apparatus to establish and maintain the correct pump discharge pressures to the attack, backup, and exposure lines, monitor the pressure changes caused by changing flows on each line, and ensure that water hammer does not endanger any of the hose line crews. This firefighter also completes the hose connections to the correct discharges and completes the water supply connection to the correct intake. The pump operator can sometimes make the hydrant hookup alone if the engine is near a hydrant, but the hydrant spacing for moderate risk fires normally precludes this.

Water supply: either the first-due or second-due engine must establish a reliable water supply by connecting a larger diameter (4 in. or 5 in. fire hose) “supply line” to a fire hydrant. Once the connection is made, the fire hydrant is then turned on allowing water to flow from the water distribution system into the intake side of the pump on the engine. Timing is a critical factor in establishing a continuous water supply for the fire. The agency’s front-line engines carry 800 gallons of water. Eight hundred gallons provides about five minutes of water for the attack crew if one 1¾ in. hose line (150 GPM) is flowing.

Responding to an area without hydrants, a water shuttle with tankers is used to establish a reliable water supply. This involves two or more tankers unloading water into portable reservoirs called “drop tanks.” This initially would take several firefighters to set up the drop tanks and assist the pump operator in placing the necessary hoses and connections.

Patient/Victim Care and Firefighter Rehabilitation: two firefighter/EMTs must be assigned to treat any victims of the fire who may be exposed to smoke or fire or who may become injured escaping the fire environment. This assignment is also responsible for treatment of firefighters who suffer injuries during fire attack. Once this task is completed the assignment shifts to

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 43 monitoring the conditions of firefighters during rehabilitation periods which includes monitoring of vital signs, body cooling and fluid replacement.

Safety Officer: one firefighter or officer is assigned to continuously monitor the scene for situations that could injure or kill firefighters. The Safety Officer monitors and evaluates changing fire conditions. The structural integrity of the building including roof, floor, and wall assemblies, are some of the areas evaluated. The Safety Officer works in concert with the IC to maintain a safety plan during the incident.

Incident Command: one officer is assigned to remain outside the structure to manage the overall incident by coordinate the attack, maintain a constant evaluation of the scene and making changes as necessary, planning for additional resources, and monitoring conditions that can jeopardize crew safety. The structural firefighting critical tasking is outlined in Figure 10.

TASKS PERSONNEL Attack Hose line 2 Backup Hose line 2 Water supply support 2 Search & rescue 2 Ventilation/Utility control 2 RIT Team 2 Victim care/Rehabilitation 2 Pump operator 1 Safety Officer-aid to IC 1 Command 1 TOTAL: 17

Figure 10

The number of personnel identified in the critical tasking is a practical and common sense approach to structural firefighting. In managing many of the typical residential fires, departments are able to assign multiple tasks to some of the responding personnel. For example, after establishing a water supply, which is typically connecting a large diameter hose line from a hydrant to the on-scene pumper, personnel completing that task (2-3 personnel on the second engine) can be given another task, such as utility control, search & rescue, or assistance with tasks such as ventilation. Additional personnel also are needed to rotate and rest crews during active fireground operations, especially in extreme weather conditions.

When STFD responds to a residential structure fire, the response is short of the number of

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 44 personnel needed for an organized and effective response force. If a structure fire incident occurs when one or more medic units are committed on other calls, the department responds with minimal personnel. Both scenarios make it difficult to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously, which is a key to an effective fire suppression effort. Responding short-handed makes successful rescue operations for any victims trapped very dangerous with minimal chance of success. It also increases the injury risk to personnel.

Response to incidents in large commercial or industrial complexes requires significantly more personnel as noted in Figure 6 on page 35. Mutual aid resources are required to have sufficient numbers of personnel to meet the demands of the incident. However, mutual aid companies will arrive later into the incident.

Emergency Medical Critical Tasking

Critical tasking analysis of EMS response is dependent on the type of call encountered. The standard response for the majority of EMS calls is one medic unit. One medic unit describes an ambulance that is equipped to provide ALS support services and staffed with a minimum of two personnel with at least one of them being a paramedic. The tasking involved with emergency medical responses includes diagnosis and treatment of the patient, patient information collection, and patient transport to a medical facility. However, it should be noted that many ALS level calls require three or more personnel to manage the patient properly. Examples include cardiac arrest, gunshot or knife wound victims, falls greater than 10 ft., severe trauma, and some overdose patients.

When at full staffing of seven on duty, STFD’s standard response for a motor vehicle accident with injury and entrapment is a medic unit with two personnel, a heavy rescue with two personnel, an engine with two personnel and the shift OIC. The purpose of the rescue unit is to provide trained personnel and specialized rescue tools such as the “Jaws of Life” or high- pressure air bags, cribbing, etc., which are used to disentangle and remove entrapped victims. The medic unit will treat the injured and the engine company will handle any fire suppression issues or assist the other two units. If the department is at the minimum staffing level of six, only one firefighter responds with the heavy rescue. If the department is at full staffing, they would have sufficient personnel in most situations. The minimum critical tasking for motor vehicle accidents with injured victims is described in Figure 11.

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 45

TASK PERSONNEL Incident Command/Safety 1 Patient Treatment 2 Extrication 2 Hazard suppression 2 TOTAL: 7

Figure 11

Understanding critical tasking is important because it describes in a basic way why certain numbers of personnel are required for certain types of responses. It goes beyond standards and recommendations. Regarding responses to structural fires, STFD does not have sufficient personnel on the initial alarm and must rely on mutual aid companies to obtain sufficient number of personnel on the scene. However, this results in a delay in accomplishing some of the key tasks during fire attack operations and increases the chances of firefighter injury.

Data analyzed from 2018 indicated that STFD had 297 incidences of overlapping calls. In 2019, there were 496 incidences of overlapping calls. Overlapping calls occur when a unit has responded to and is committed to an incident. An example would be an EMS call, which would result in a medic response with two personnel. If STFD has six personnel on duty that would leave four personnel in the station available for another emergency response until that medic unit has cleared the call and becomes available. If a structure fire call was received, the department would respond with the available four personnel instead of six.

Overlapping can seriously impact the department’s response capability. In 2018, 12 of the 33 structure fire responses (36%) had four personnel or less. Responses to motor vehicle accidents with injuries were also impacted. Of the 71 responses, there were six incidences where only three personnel were able to respond and three incidences where only two personnel responded. As noted previously, the department was at minimum staffing level of six personnel on duty 93% of the time during 2018.

Response Performance

Response goals are a local decision and are based on a variety of factors. Some of those factors include demographics and size of the response area, risk, demand volume, and public expectation. In reviewing the department’s current policy and procedures, there has been no formal policy adopted that identifies response performance goals or targets for the community. Since there is no local response performance goal established, the assessment team reviewed other nationally developed criteria. A number of efforts have been made to develop a consensus ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 46 standard for response time, unit staffing and deployment of resources. While there is no one consensus standard, there are several that provide guidance.

ISO provides some guidelines, but those are singularly focused on travel distance. There are two national publications that address response performance. One publication is NFPA 1710, the Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. The standard outlines criteria that address functions and objectives of fire department emergency service delivery, response capabilities, and resources.

Based on NFPA 1710 criteria, STFD should meet the following response time objective: for 90% of all fire incidents, the first-due unit shall arrive within 7 minutes, 06 seconds total response time. This response objective includes 106 seconds (1:46) for call processing, 80 seconds (1:20) for turnout, and 240 (four minutes) for travel time. This response objective begins when the 9-1- 1 call is received at the communications center.

The second published criterion is found in the Standards of Cover, published by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), which is part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence. CFAI criterion refers to the NFPA 1710 standard for communities that have personnel on-station, regardless if the personnel are full-time or part-time, or the community is suburban or urban in nature. It is important to note however, that communities should establish their own response objectives that meet the expectations of its citizens within the context of available resources.

The published response criteria are based on national fire behavior research and data collected on past EMS response in relationship to patient outcomes. This research and other information were discussed in detail on pages 37-38.

Total Response Time Measurement

The concept of a response time continuum (sometimes referred to as cascade of events) has evolved from the standards established by NFPA and CFAI. The department compiles response data but a total response time continuum and its effect on the services STFD provides had not been previously evaluated or analyzed. Each component of the total fire response time continuum was reviewed.

Call Processing Time

Call processing time is a component of the communication system. STFD is dispatched by the Shawnee Township Dispatch Center, which is operated by and under the direct supervision of the Shawnee Township Police Department. The dispatch center is located next door to the fire station in the Township police and administration building. The dispatch center utilizes an Emergitech INTERcad™ computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software system. A CAD system

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 47 provides displays and tools that enable the dispatcher to handle calls for service as efficiently as possible. However, INTERcad is an internet-based system, but due to its age lacks many of the modern technological features that could improve radio communication effectiveness.

Currently, there are two primary public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Allen County: the City of Lima operated by the Lima Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office. A primary PSAP is a call center responsible for answering calls to an emergency telephone number (9-1-1) for police, fire, and ambulance services. If a fire occurs in Shawnee Township and a 9-1- 1 call is placed, the call is routed to the Allen County Sheriff’s PSAP. Once the caller’s information is received and the location and type of emergency is determined, the call is transferred to the Shawnee Township Dispatch Center. The caller and location information is verified and entered in to the CAD by the Shawnee Township dispatcher and the response information is displayed on the CAD screen. STFD is then notified of the emergency by a tone alert over the intercom.

In addition to the standard notification over the intercom, STFD utilizes Active 911™, a digital messaging system. When the department is dispatched, the incident information is entered manually in Active 911 to send out to STFD personnel’s cellular phones and mobile data terminals in apparatus. The information sent to the cellular phones includes the location and type of emergency. The cellular phone application (app) has several options for the user. One option allows the firefighter to see a map and directions to the incident location, if the GPS locator is active on the phone.

Personnel also use the I am Responding™ app. If off-duty or volunteer personnel are needed to respond, the app has response buttons which allow the firefighter to notify other personnel in real time of their response status, such as responding to the station, responding directly to the incident scene, or unavailable. This allows all personnel to know how many personnel are responding to the incident, which improves efficiency and significantly reduces radio traffic.

Determining an acceptable amount of time to process an emergency call can be difficult because communication center systems vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. NFPA 1221 Standard on Emergency Services Communications Systems establishes various benchmarks for call handling depending on the system, type of call and level of caller assistance provided. For example, Shawnee Township dispatchers are trained in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), which is an enhanced service to the public. EMD is where a properly trained dispatcher can provide medical assistance instructions to a 9-1-1 caller who is requesting emergency help. Examples would be bleeding control, emergency breathing and CPR instructions. With this enhanced level of service, EMS call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 120 seconds (2:00 minutes) 99% of the time. For fire calls, emergency call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 106 seconds (1:46) for at least 95% of the alarms. This call processing criteria is adopted by CFAI and included in the criteria listed in NFPA 1710.

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 48

This time segment was not analyzed because the specific data was not available. The total time to receive the initial 9-1-1 call and transfer the call to the Shawnee Township Dispatch Center is not tracked. The time for the Shawnee Township Dispatcher to process the call is also not tracked. All times recorded are entered manually by the dispatchers. The CAD system does not time stamp time events such as time dispatched, time the units go en route to the call and the time a unit arrives on the scene.

Turnout Time

Turnout time is measured from the time personnel are “toned out” or notified for an emergency response to the time the first unit is en route to the call. Turnout time is a measurement used for personnel who are “in-station”. The turnout time benchmark is 60 seconds (1:00) for EMS calls and 80 seconds (1:20) for fire responses.

Travel time

Travel time is the time it takes for dispatched response units to arrive on scene at the emergency. Travel time is generally considered to encompass the distance and time traveled from the fire station housing the apparatus until it arrives on scene at the location of the emergency. However, several factors can affect travel time. Winter weather conditions as well as localized flooding can affect travel time during certain times of the year. Traffic patterns on heavily traveled roadways, especially during peak travel hours can affect the emergency response. Another problem that can increase travel time and ultimately responder response time is receiving multiple calls for services. When simultaneous emergencies occur and adequate resources are not available to respond, a condition occurs that is referred to as a “stacking effect.” A component to the stacking effect is that at times units may need to respond from mutual aid departments in an effort to provide the quickest and most reliable response to the incident. . Clearly, this would lengthen the travel time of the response unit because of the unavailability of the STFD units. The travel time benchmark is 240 seconds (4:00).

Total Response Time

Total response time (sometimes referred to as total reflex time) is that time which totally encompasses the response event, from the time the call for service is initially received through the time dispatched units arrive on location. The department receives response time data from the communications center. This information is then copied and entered manually into the STFD database when incident reports or patient care reports are completed. If the call handling time previously identified is taken into consideration, the total reflex time for fire emergencies should be 7 minutes, 06 seconds for 90% of the incidents.

EMS Response Time

Time requirements for EMS calls are comparable to fire incidents and are based on research

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 49 conducted on pre-hospital delivery of medical care and patient outcome and survivability. The purpose of a quick response, especially in the most critical situation (cardiac arrest) is that the brain, devoid of oxygen and circulation, begins to die within four to six minutes. Interventions include early CPR and electrical defibrillation.

For medical emergencies a prompt response is needed to relieve suffering and save lives, but few calls for service are true life or death emergencies. Again, a reasonable service goal is to be on scene soon enough to: 1) assess patients and prioritize to prevent death and disability; 2) intervene successfully in life-threatening emergencies; and 3) stabilize patients to prevent additional suffering. The travel time benchmark is 4 minutes and the total response time is 7 minutes, 0 seconds for 90% of the incidents.

Data Analysis

Data generated during the reporting period of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 was utilized for the purpose of examining actual response performance. The data set included fire responses and EMS responses coded as an emergency response. Responses that were coded as non-emergency responses (no lights and sirens) were not included in the analysis. False alarm responses where the responding units were cancelled before arrival were also excluded from the data set.

It is common for many organizations to use average response times in determining response performance. However, the use of averages and median measurements does not provide a true indication of performance. One or two “outliers” may adversely affect the response analysis, leading management and citizens to an inaccurate and at times, unfair service expectation. It is understood that no agency can meet a stated performance 100% of the time. Many factors can influence an agency’s response including multiple calls, apparatus deployment, training assignments, traffic patterns, weather, human performance and travel distance. Therefore, the NFPA and CFAI have recognized the use of percentiles as the most accurate method to analyze and evaluate response performance. Figure 12 and 13 displays graphically the department’s response performance for all fire and EMS responses in the Township within the time period analyzed. The percentage column identifies the frequency the department met the target-time benchmark. The 90th percentile column identifies the department’s actual segment or response time for 90% of the responses. Meeting the benchmark for at least 70% of the responses is often considered the baseline or threshold measurement.

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Fire Responses

ELEMENT TARGET PERCENTAGE 90th PERCENTILE Call processing time 1:46 undetermined undetermined Turnout time 1:20 47% 5:00 Travel time 4:00 62% 7:00 Total response time 7:06 69% 11:00

Figure 12

EMS Responses

ELEMENT TARGET PERCENTAGE 90th PERCENTILE Call processing time 2:00 undetermined undetermined Turnout time 1:00 36% 4:00 Travel time 4:00 66% 7:00 Total response time 7:00 77% 9:00

Figure 13

The travel times for both fire and EMS responses are just below the 70% threshold. The total response times for fire are at 69% and the EMS total response times are at 77%. While the response performance overall is significantly less than the 90% benchmark, it is not unexpected. Given the lengthy travel distances, the response performance is consistent with the size and rural nature of the service area. This is common among growing townships that started out as a rural area. When an area such as Shawnee Township experiences significant development, response performance will be less than published standards.

Many factors can affect response time, but it appears the primary contributing factor in this case is the travel time within a large geographical service area. The location of the fire station and the road structure within the response area also impact the travel time. These same factors could negatively impact the response data if a preponderance of the calls for service were to the farthest points within the service area. That type of statistical analysis is outside the scope of this report, but additional analysis should be considered by the department.

There is also a performance gap in the turnout time. However, as previously discussed, a one minute and one minute, 20 second turnout time is quite restrictive. From a practical standpoint, a two-minute turnout goal is more realistic. STFD and the Board of Trustees are encouraged to

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 51 consider developing organizational performance goals. These goals would provide the foundation, along with other factors, from which to determine the appropriate level of resources to meet the goal(s). Additionally, when future upgrades are made to the dispatch CAD, the Township should seek a system that time stamps all key events and has the capability to track call handling and call transfer times.

Station Location Analysis

Determining the location to build a fire station involves evaluating several factors including: travel times, roadway accessibility, first due-area impact, neighborhood type, and land availability. The factors examined for this study were limited to travel times and first due-area impact, particularly as it relates to the identified risk in the community. It is understood that in the scenarios presented, land may not be available at the exact location identified. The best option for the Township would be the closest site to the identified location that has sufficient land area, topography, drainage, etc., and is within fair market values.

In conducting the fire station location analysis, two scenarios were used: a one-station configuration and a two-station configuration. Utilizing GIS technology and the ArcGIS9 Fire Analysis Tool Software, the assessment team was able to determine the most advantageous locations for fire stations in the community. Planning maps were developed to visually explain the emergency travel times within the Township.

Travel times are used to provide quantifiable and reliable data for analysis and discussion. Travel time is a constant that can be measured accurately and is dependent on the location and deployment of resources. Turnout time can fluctuate based on personnel availability, activity at the time of call and time of day. In addition, call handling times were not available for analysis. Thus, the use of travel time provides the foundation from which to determine how fire station location can impact the department’s total response performance.

The following maps will show the travel times from the current fire station and potential fire station locations in 4-, 6-, and 8-minute intervals. These time intervals were used based on current NFPA response performance criteria and fire growth dynamics and EMS patient outcomes.

The map in Figure 14 shows the 4-, 6-, and 8-minute travel times throughout the Township from the current fire station location. The coverage of the Township was as expected, with significant areas beyond an 8-minute travel time. The northwest, southwest and southeastern areas are all beyond 8-minute travel times. This is not unusual because of the large area covered and road structure. The north-south connectivity in the Township is less than ideal, which impacts travel times.

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Figure 14

Several locations were analyzed to determine the best location to construct a new fire station. The map in Figure 15 shows a one-station configuration with a proposed station located at the intersection of Shawnee Road and Reed Road. This location provides the most improvement

©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 53 with travel times. The maximum risk properties are within 4- and 6-minutes travel times and the areas beyond 8-minutes travel time are reduced. Shawnee Road is a major thoroughfare and provides good north-south access. This location positions the station away from the petro- chemical facilities and is not close to any designated flood plain.

Figure 15

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A two-station configuration was analyzed to determine if the response performance in the Township could be further improved. Figure 16 shows a two-station configuration with one station at the intersection of Shawnee Road and Reed Road and the second station located at the intersection of State Route 501 and Ft. Amanda Road. This configuration improves travel times to almost all areas of the Township and significantly expands the areas within a 4-minute travel time. It also allows an 8-minue travel time to the entire Township except for a small section of West Hume Road in the southeastern portion of the Township. However, it is understood that this will be a long-term consideration based on future demand for services and would be a significant capital expense.

Figure 16

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Recommendations

As a result of the facility assessment and staffing analysis, the following recommendations have been developed for consideration by the Board of Trustees.

Recommendation #1: Planning should be undertaken to develop a facility replacement plan. The fire department and Township have been served well by the existing fire station, but the department has clearly outgrown the facility. After examining the facility, it was determined that many of the basic services and systems such as mechanical, electrical, and environmental have reached the end of their expected life, or are deficient in providing suitable up-to-date services for a facility of this type. The building is not fully compliant with ADA requirements and does not meet the current Ohio Building Code requirements for an “Essential Facility.”

There are minimal shower or locker room facilities and no female facilities. Due to age and design, the building lacks energy efficiency and therefore is costly to heat and maintain. The brick veneer is deteriorating and the exterior and interior concrete pads need extensive repairs.

The basement needs asbestos abatement and there is water intrusion into the space. The facility lacks the proper decontamination area needed for control of bloodborne pathogens. The current HVAC system does not provide a positive pressure atmospheric condition with supplemented make-up air. These items can affect the health, safety, and welfare of personnel.

The department has grown and so have the regulatory demands on the operation of the department. Training, EMS and firefighting supplies, equipment storage needs, SCBA and PPE care and storage have all dramatically changed over the past 30 years. This places increased demands on fire department personnel and the facilities. All of these items add up to a need for increased work and storage space within the station facility, as well as proper building systems to enable the department to operate efficiently and safely.

Recommendation #2: The daily minimum staffing level for the fire department should be eight personnel. Currently, the department has seven personnel on each shift with a minimum staffing level of six. This staffing plan has been in place since 1974; however, the demand for services have increased significantly, including the addition of EMS delivery. In 1974, the department responded to 268 calls for service. In 2018, the department responded to 1,625 calls for service. Over the past 10 years, the department’s calls for service have increased 56%. While the service demand has significantly increased, how this increase impacts the department and the community is the key underlying issue. The department had 297 incidences of overlapping calls in 2018. This number had increased to 496 in 2019. When an overlapping call occurs, the department

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may be responding with less than the desired level of personnel needed on a particular type of incident.

At minimum staffing, the department responds to a residential structure fire with six personnel; four personnel on an engine, one personnel on the rescue truck and a command officer. While significantly short of the 17 personnel identified in the critical tasking, this response allows the responding crews to take some important initial actions. For example, after the initial size-up and establishment of a water supply, the response force can deploy a hose-line into the fire and have two personnel set up outside “on- deck”, which meets the two-in, two-out rule. If a search and rescue of the building is needed, those two outside personnel can be assigned to that action. One person will operate the pumper and the command officer will serve as the incident commander, guiding and directing operations, communicating by radio with personnel and dispatch as needed, and serving as the incident’s safety officer. However, there are no personnel to set up outside “on deck,” which means the department does not meet the two-in, two-out rule. In addition, if the occupants or a firefighter suffers an injury, there will be no personnel to render immediate aid unless they are pulled from one of the assignments described above.

However, as identified in the analyses, over one-third of the department’s structural fire responses were with four personnel or less, which creates a very dangerous situation for STFD personnel and the citizens they serve. With only three or four personnel responding, the commanding officer is forced to prioritize which tasks to accomplish first. Often times, this results in placing personnel in situations far more dangerous than normal, and ventilation and other key support tactical tasks are delayed or left uncompleted. In addition, the chance of rescuing a victim trapped in a house fire is minimal. These types of situations are amplified even greater when the response is to a structural fire in an apartment building like the Carlton House or a nursing facility with occupants who have limited mobility.

Unique to Shawnee Township is the extremely high level and amount of risk faced by the department. There is a heavy petro-chemical presence in the Township with the Husky Refinery serving as the anchor. All of these industries are safety oriented; however, a small incident can quickly become a major incident if not brought under control quickly and appropriately. Because of the industrial risk, along with the other risks in the community, the staffing goal of the department should be to have an engine company fully staffed at all times. Increasing the minimum staffing level to eight will help meet that goal. With eight or more on duty, the department can respond to two medic calls (overlapping calls) and still have an engine company staffed and ready to respond to an emergency. This is a common sense approach to the service demands and risk faced by the department and is supported by the response data. This will also position the

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department to meet an increased work demand from future growth, particularly the petro- chemical related businesses.

The department currently has seven full-time personnel assigned to each shift. To reach a minimum staffing level of eight on each shift will require the department to have 10 personnel on each shift. This allows two personnel to be off on approved leave such as vacation, personal leave, or sick leave. Based on the age of the department members and contract obligations, 10 is necessary to meet the eight-person minimum. This requires adding three personnel to each shift which totals nine personnel.

Optimally, the daily staffing levels should be 10 personnel and should be part of the Township’s long-range goals to improve and maintain service delivery. This would allow the department to staff two or three ambulances for overlapping or simultaneous calls and still have personnel to staff fire companies and respond to fires.

There is also an option to add part-time personnel to meet the minimum staffing recommendation of eight per shift; full-time and part-time personnel. Both will be reviewed to allow for an informed discussion.

Full-time Staffing The initial direct cost for STFD to hire one full-time firefighter/paramedic is $84,716. This includes wages and benefits $79,1102; uniforms $800; and turnout gear (PPE) $4,806. There may be other indirect and direct costs, but this figure will be consistent for each person hired. This totals $762,444 for nine positions. The wage and benefit cost is $711,990 for nine positions; this figure would be added to the department’s operational budget each year plus additional funds to cover previously negotiated step and inflationary pay increases in the labor agreement. An appropriate span of control or command structure already exists, so there would be no need to create additional supervisory positions.

Part-time Staffing If part-time staffing is utilized, two positions on each shift would be needed around-the- clock for each shift. There are numerous part-time staffing models that could be considered. Due to its popularity, a 12-hour shift model is used for the analysis. This means that four part-time firefighters would each work 12 hours during a 24-hour shift. An example would be 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. Each position requires a total of eight part-time personnel. This totals 16 personnel. However, with work hour restrictions of the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA), Ohio work hour restrictions and call-offs, 20 personnel are recommended.

2 This includes wages, insurance and pension obligations ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 58

The annual total for wages is $301,764. This is using a $16.00 per hour pay scale, which was used based on several factors. Telephone interviews with fire chiefs in the region that utilize part-time firefighters found an average pay scale of $11.50 per hour. However, the part-time wages in northwest Ohio and other areas are closer to $18.00 and $20.00. So $16.00 was used to reflect the pay scale the assessment team felt was needed to attract interested candidates. Additional initial cost for the part-time firefighters is $112,120 for uniforms and PPE. This would total $413,884 initial direct cost.

However, it is important to note that departments in the area and all over Ohio are struggling to fill part-time positions, regardless of the pay scale. Departments are forced to work short-handed or fill part-time vacant slots with full-time personnel on overtime. In fact, several departments have abandoned their part-time program and converted the positions to full-time positions. Experience has also shown that scheduling of part-time personnel is labor intensive, even with the use of scheduling software. Because of the amount of time and effort to manage part-time personnel and scheduling, it is estimated that an additional supervisory position would be needed. For example, the vacant assistant fire chief’s position can be filled to handle the expanding administrative duties experienced by emergency service agencies as well as part-time scheduling.

Departments with part-time personnel also deal with frequent turnover. This adds additional direct and indirect costs in recruiting, screening, orienting, training and equipping new personnel. Another aspect to a part-time program is establishing certification levels for the part-time staff. Should STFD require all part-time personnel to have Firefighter II and paramedic certification? Or would you permit personnel to work with Firefighter II and EMT certification? If so, this can then affect the department’s delivery of service and how personnel are assigned.

It is the opinion of the OFCA that Shawnee Township will be best served by adding full- time positions to meet their staffing needs. It is recognized that this is a significant expense, but provides the best short-term and long-term solution if funding is available.

The planning of a fire station facility replacement and increasing staffing are major areas of concern. Overall, the fire department and the Township are to be commended for their efforts in providing quality service to the community. The OFCA hopes this study will help continue that effort.

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Appendix A

In the State of Ohio, the Ohio Division of EMS is responsible for all the laws governing EMS. These laws are listed in §4765 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC)[http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4765]. Each level of certification is based on the National EMS Scope of Practice, which has been incorporated into the ORC. This outlines exactly what procedures can be performed by each certification level. A basic EMT requires a minimum of 150 hours of initial training and at least 40 hours of continuing education every three years. An advanced EMT requires an additional 200 hours of training above that of an EMT-Basic and at least 60 hours of continuing education every three years. Advanced EMTs are able to perform many advanced life support (ALS) procedures and administer certain medications to patients. To advance to the paramedic level, a person must possess EMT certification and is required to attend nearly 900 additional hours of clinical and didactic training, which allows them to perform even more life-saving procedures and administer additional medications. Examples of these procedures would be performing cardio-version, heart pacing, heart defibrillation (shocks to the heart) and advanced invasive procedures such as chest decompression and needle cricothyroidotomy. The paramedic must obtain 86 hours of continuing education every three years, which includes maintaining advanced cardiac life support certification offered through the American Heart Association.

In firefighting, training and certification has three distinct levels. Volunteer firefighting is the basic level and is limited by law to 36 hours of initial training. It is the minimum level required to perform the duties of a volunteer firefighter. This level of training is also the minimum required by law to serve as a part-time firefighter unless additional training is required by the local fire agency.

The next level of firefighter training is Firefighter I (FF I). This level requires an additional 104 hours of training beyond the volunteer course level. This level of training also requires the demonstration of competency in several specific areas such as proper use of SCBA. The highest level of training is Firefighter II (FF II). This includes 240 - 260 hours of training in a variety of subject matter and the ability to demonstrate competency in several required areas. Full-time firefighters in Ohio are required by law to achieve certification at this level to work in their position. All certification levels require personnel to obtain 54 hours of continuing education every three years for certification renewal.

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Ohio Revised Code §4167.01. (2001). Public Employee Risk Reduction Program.

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