Attachment A Report MESACHIE LAKE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT THIRD-PARTY REVIEW May 9, 2018 Presented to: Attention: Cowichan Valley Regional District Jason deJong, CFO 175 Ingram Street Fire Rescue Services Coordinator Duncan BC Public Safety Division, Community Services Department Submitted by: Behr Integrated Solutions Inc. 750, 600 – 6 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 0S5 403-444-6940 www.behrintegrated.com Cowichan Valley Regional District Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Third-Party Review PREFACE The following serves as the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s (CVRD) third party review of the Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department (MLVFD). The primary motivation for this review was to assess the long term economic and operational sustainability of the MLVFD. Factors prompting this review include: aging infrastructure and apparatus replacement, low firefighter recruitment and retention, increasing training costs, unattainable asset management plan objectives and a very low annual call volume. The overarching goal of this review is to provide the CVRD with observations, recommendations and options to be considered towards the development of a long term sustainable fire protection strategy that optimizes efficient, safe and effective service delivery for the Community of Mesachie Lake. To the largest extent possible, this review utilized evidence based data, references, response statistics, industry leading practices and recommended standards, comparative communities and the fiscal/economic realities to develop potential options. Quantifying community risk factors for Mesachie Lake are somewhat subjective. However Behr has the experience and expertise to make a highly competent assessment. In our opinion, there are overlapping and duplications to service coverage between Mesachie Lake and Honeymoon Bay. We strongly recommend that this review be released to the Community of Mesachie Lake as part of an extensive community engagement process to determine which option the majority of Community members prefer. It is important for the senior administrative and political levels within the CVRD are supportive and receptive to feedback and concerns raised by the Mesachie Lake Community. Report May 9, 2018 Cowichan Valley Regional District Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Third-Party Review ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to acknowledge the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) in taking this step to guide their interim and long term planning and decision making for the community of Mesachie Lake emergency response services. The process in writing this Third-Party Review was a collaborative effort working with CVRD Project Lead and Fire Services Coordinator, Jason de Jong, and from the following individuals: Ian Morrison, Area F Director Brian Carruthers, CAO John Elzinga, GM Community Services Department Mark Kueber, GM Corporate Services Department Conrad Cowan, Manager Public Safety Kevin Smith, Fire Chief MLVFD Rob Grant, GIS Supervisor Gail Erickson, Administrative Support Report May 9, 2018 Cowichan Valley Regional District Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Third-Party Review TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ I SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Significance ........................................................................................... 1 1.3 Project Scope ................................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Project Goals ........................................................................................................... 2 1.3.2 Standards and References ...................................................................................... 2 1.3.3 Review Considerations ............................................................................................ 3 1.4 Project Outcomes ............................................................................................................ 3 1.5 Study Methodology.......................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 2 COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND RISK ....................................................................... 7 2.1 Community Profile ........................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Geography ............................................................................................................... 7 2.1.2 Economy .................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.3 Population, Growth and Community Demographics .............................................. 8 2.2 Community Infrastructure Overview ............................................................................... 9 2.3 Community Risk Assessment ........................................................................................... 9 2.3.1 Challenges ............................................................................................................. 10 2.3.2 Risk Management ................................................................................................. 10 2.4 Risk Evaluation Matrix ................................................................................................... 10 2.5 Structural Risk Analysis .................................................................................................. 11 2.6 Risk Evaluation Matrix ................................................................................................... 12 2.6.1 Community Risk Analysis Overview ...................................................................... 14 SECTION 3 SERVICE DESCRIPTION AND SUSTAINABLITY ........................................................ 16 3.1 Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Overview .................................................. 16 3.1.1 Firehall................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 Fire Apparatus and Major Equipment .................................................................. 21 3.2 Response Statistics ......................................................................................................... 24 3.2.1 First Medical Response Program .......................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Service Effectiveness and Effective Response Force (ERF) ................................... 25 3.3 Industry Standards ......................................................................................................... 26 3.4 Intervention Time .......................................................................................................... 27 3.5 Effective Response Force ............................................................................................... 28 3.6 Critical Task Analysis ...................................................................................................... 30 3.7 Theoretical Response Time ............................................................................................ 34 Report TOC May 9, 2018 Cowichan Valley Regional District Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Third-Party Review 3.7.1 Theoretical Response Maps .................................................................................. 34 3.7.2 Honeymoon Bay Volunteer Fire Department ....................................................... 40 3.8 Community Comparable ................................................................................................ 42 3.9 Levels of Service ............................................................................................................. 44 3.10 Sustainable Service Options & Recommendations ........................................................ 45 3.11 Preferred Option(s) and Recommendation ................................................................... 48 SECTION 4 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 50 APPENDIX ‘A’ ACRONYMS.................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX ‘B’ THEORETICAL RESPONSE MAPPING METHODOLOGY ...................................... 52 B.1 Base Data Layers Requested .......................................................................................... 52 B.2 Data formats .................................................................................................................. 52 B.3 Purpose of Files .............................................................................................................. 52 B.4 Theoretical Response Zone ............................................................................................ 53 APPENDIX ‘C’ LIST OF FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES ............................................................. 55 APPENDIX ‘D’ PRESENTATION .............................................................................................. 56 Report TOC May 9, 2018 Cowichan Valley Regional District Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department Third-Party Review EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction