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. ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page i 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 ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page ii 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. ©The Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association 2020 Page 1 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