Personnel Facilities Apparatus Training Equipment Virginia Fire Service Needs Assessment: An annual profile of critical needs as identified by Virginia’s Fire Service Volume VII - January 2011 Preface Background At the request of the Virginia General Assembly (VGA), the Secretary of Public Safety directed the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of Virginia’s fire service in 2003. The intent of the needs assessment is to provide members of the VGA with adequate information to make informed decisions with regard to fire service funding issues. The first needs assessment supplement was published in 2004 and laid the ground work to assist in the legislative decision-making process. This report, Volume VII, published in January, 2011 was produced from survey results collected from fire departments in 2010. The 2010 Needs Assessment continued to focus on the efforts of Virginia’s Fire Service to identify specific needs in the areas of apparatus, equipment, facilities, personnel and training and also analyzed the ability of fire departments to adequately perform the duties of the Emergency First Responder. Survey Team The 2010 Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey team consisted of the following VDFP staff: Dwight E. Crews, Information and Statistics Manager. Acknowledgements The survey team gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following management within the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) for assistance with survey development and report assistance during the 2011 Fiscal Period. • Willie G. Shelton, Jr., C.E.M., Executive Director • Donald E. Hansen, Branch Chief - Training and Operations • Russell Chandler, Branch Chief - Training and Technical Services • Brook Pittinger, Director of Administration • Christine Lopilato, Director of Finance • Ed Altizer, State Fire Marshal • David Jolly, Program Chief - Curriculum, Quality Assurance, and IT Services • Mark Buff, Marketing and Communications Manager • Samuel W. Burnette, Jr., Chief - Technical Rescue Division Volume VII - January 2011 - i The following VDFP Division Chiefs greatly helped to encourage completion of the needs assessment survey with fire departments and publicized the importance of the needs assessment in their areas. • Tom Berry, Division Chief - Division 1 Office - Richmond • John Fugman, Division Chief - Division 2 Office - Orange • Don Brown, Division Chief - Division 3 Office - Farmville • Timothy Estes, Division Chief - Division 4 Office - Marion • Ken Muhleman, Division Chief - Division 5 Office - Hampton • Dennis Price, Division Chief - Division 6 Office - Roanoke • Melvin Byrne, Division Chief - Division 7 Office - Loudoun We also want to thank all the members of the Virginia Fire Services Board for their continued support, as well as, all County Administrators, and City and Town Managers in Virginia for their promotion of the survey. Finally, we would like to thank all the fire departments in Virginia for their efforts in responding to the 2010 Needs Assessment Survey. The assessment could not be successful without their valuable support and contribution. Volume VII - January 2011 - ii Table of Contents Preface i Background i Survey Team i Acknowledgements i Table of Contents iii Index of Figures viii Index of Tables x Executive Summary 1 Top Needs 1 Current Funding 1 Additional Funding 2 Apparatus 3 Equipment 3 Facilities 3 Personnel 3 Training 4 Communications 4 2010 Fire Service Needs Assessment Quick Facts 5 Chapter 1 - Introduction 9 Survey Methodology 9 Sample 9 Survey Design 10 Data Collection 11 Survey Procedures/Mailouts 11 Final Survey Response 12 Collaborative Effort 12 Other Data Sources 13 Volume VII - January 2011 - iii Limitations 13 Survey Response Rate 13 Organizational Structure of Virginia’s Fire Service 13 VFIRS Response Rate 15 Local Use 15 Average 15 Chapter 2 - Survey Results 19 Survey Section I - General Department Information 19 Type of Area Protected 19 Department Population Protected 19 Department Coverage Area 21 Survey Section II - Department Personnel 23 Firefighters By Status 23 Average Firefighters On Duty 23 Civilian Personnel By Type 24 Fitness Program 26 Personnel Programs 27 Survey Section III - Facilities & Apparatus 29 Age of Fire Stations 29 Fire Stations with Backup Power 29 Apparatus Currently Owned 30 Equipment Currently Owned 32 Shared Organizations 34 Survey Section IV - Operation Budget Information 35 Anticipated Funding 35 Funding Reduction 35 Grant Funding 36 Budget Funding 37 Survey Section V - Communications 39 Frequency Spectrum 39 Assigned Radios 40 Volume VII - January 2011 - iv Emergency Alert Button 40 Dispatch Operations 41 GPS Map Coordinate System 41 Mobile Data Terminals 42 Computers/Internet Access 43 Survey Section VI - Fire Department Roles / Training 45 Personnel Designated 45 Training 46 NFPA Standards 46 Technical Rescue 48 National Incident Management System (NIMS) 50 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 51 Survey Section VII - Fire Prevention & Code Enforcement 53 Programs / Activities 53 Fire Code Inspections 53 Fire Investigation 54 Survey Section VIII - Your Fire Department’s Top Needs 56 Top Needs 56 Additional Funding 57 Apparatus Needed 58 Equipment Needed 59 Facilities Needed 61 Personnel Needed 61 Training Needed 63 Supplemental Table 1. Fire Department Personnel Data Reported By Locality 69 Supplemental Table 2. Number of Apparatus Owned Reported By Locality 73 Supplemental Table 3. Number of Equipment Owned Reported By Locality 77 Supplemental Table 4. #1 Top Need / Total Estimated Additional Funding Needed Reported By Locality 81 Supplemental Table 5. Number of Apparatus Needed Reported By Locality 85 Supplemental Table 6. Number of Equipment Needed Reported By Locality 89 Volume VII - January 2011 - v Supplemental Table 7. Number of Personnel Needed Reported By Locality 93 Chapter 3 - Reported Incidents 99 Description 99 VFIRS Participation 99 Incident Types 99 Total Fire Dollar Loss 100 Civilian and Fire Service Casualties 100 Fires 102 Supplemental Table 8. VFIRS Participation 2009 105 Supplemental Table 9. Incident Type Summary By Locality, Virginia, 2009 109 Supplemental Table 10. VFIRS Summary Data By Locality, Virginia, 2009 113 Supplemental Table 11. VFIRS Rate Summary By Locality, Virginia, 2008 117 Chapter 4 - Training 123 Description of Schools 123 Type of Schools 123 Active Students 125 Personnel Type 126 Student Demographics 127 Education Level 128 Title 128 Supplemental Table 12. Number of Active Students By Personnel Type By Locality 131 Chapter 5 - Funding 137 Introduction 137 Fire Programs Fund 137 Description of Fund 137 Aid to Localities (ATL) Program 137 Federal Funding Programs 140 Volume VII - January 2011 - vi Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program 140 Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grants (SCG) 141 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) 141 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants 142 State Homeland Security Grants 142 Other State Funding Programs 142 Rescue Squad Assistance Fund 142 Fire Services Grant Program 143 VFIRS Hardware Technology Grants 143 Virginia Dry Hydrant Grant Program 143 Supplemental Table 13. Aid to Localities (ATL) Program Allocations By Locality, FY 2007-2011 145 Appendix I - VDFP Division Areas 155 Appendix II - Survey Questionnaire 159 Appendix III - Survey Response By Locality 207 Appendix IV - Completed Surveys By Date Completed 211 Appendix V - Fire Department Participation By Locality 221 Volume VII - January 2011 - vii Index of Figures Figure 1. Estimated Additional Funding Needed for FY2011 2 Figure 2. Fire Service Needs Assessment Sample By Fire Department, Virginia, 2010 10 Figure 3. Type of Area Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 19 Figure 4. Number of Permanent Residents Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 20 Figure 5. Number of Permanent Residents Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect By VDFP Division 20 Figure 6. Number of Square Miles Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect 21 Figure 7. Number of Square Miles Department Has Primary Responsibility to Protect By VDFP Division 22 Figure 8. Active Firefighters By Status 23 Figure 9. Civilian Personnel By Type 24 Figure 10. Does Your Department Have a Program to Maintain Basic Firefighter Fitness and Health as Required by NFPA 1500? 26 Figure 11. Does Your Fire Department Currently Have Personnel Programs? 27 Figure 12. Promotion of the Recruitment of New Personnel with Department 28 Figure 13. Incentives or Rewards Offered to Members of Department 28 Figure 14. Age of Fire Stations 29 Figure 15. Is Your Facility Shared with Any Other Organizations? 34 Figure 16. Grant Funding Planned to Apply for FY2011 36 Figure 17. Fire Department Budget Funding 37 Figure 18. Communication By Radio with Other Agencies 39 Figure 19. What Radio Frequency Does Your Department Operate On? 40 Figure 20. Department / Agency Primary Responsibility for Dispatch Operations 41 Figure 21. Apparatus Equipped with a GPS Map Coordinate System 42 Figure 22. Apparatus Equipment with a Mobile Data Terminal 43 Figure 23. Departments with a Computer for Incident Reporting 44 Figure 24. Departments with Internet Service 44 Figure 25. Personnel Designated and Responsible for Specific Duties 45 Figure 26. Fire Department Reported Training Based on NFPA Standards 47 Figure 27. Fire Department Reported Training with Technical Rescue 49 Figure 28. Do You Have Adequate Equipment to Respond to Technical Rescue Areas? 50 Figure 29. Fire Department