Dinuba City Council
April 14, 2026

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 / 5:30 PM / City Hall / 405 East El Monte Way, Dinuba District 1
Rachel Nerio- Guerrero
Mayor
District 2
Maribel Reynosa
Council Member
District 3
Benjamin Prado
Vice Mayor
District 4
Kuldip Thusu
Council Member
District 5
Linda Launer
Council Member
All attendees are advised that electronic devices should be placed on silent upon entering the Council Chambers.

The City Council will take action on all items listed on the agenda.

1. CLOSED SESSION - 5:30 P.M.

1.1. Conference with Labor Negotiators (MA)
Pursuant to GC Subdivision 54957.6: Agency designated representatives: Maria Alaniz, Karina Solis, Daniel James, Luis Patlan
Employee Organization: Dinuba Police Officers' Association

2. WORK SESSION - 6:00 PM

2.1. Presentation of the Fire Department Master Plan and Fire Station Location Analysis (GC)

3. OPENING CEREMONIES - 6:30 P.M.

3.1. Welcome and Call to Order

3.2. Invocation

3.3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. AGENDA CHANGES OR DELETIONS
To better accommodate members of the public or convenience in the order of presentation, items on the agenda may not be presented or acted upon in the order listed. Additions to Agenda may be added only pursuant to California Government Code section 54954.2(b).

5. PRESENTATIONS

5.1. Introduction of the 2026 Cinco de Mayo Pageant Contestants (MA)

6. REQUEST TO ADDRESS COUNCIL
This portion of the meeting is reserved for any person who would like to address the Council on any item that is not on the agenda. Please be advised that State law does not allow the City Council to discuss or take any action on any issue not on the agenda. The City Council may direct staff to follow up on such item(s). Speakers are limited to three (3) minutes. If there is any person wishing to address the City Council at this time please approach the podium and state your name and nature of the request.

7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion and one vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, a member of the audience or a Council Member may request an item be removed from the Consent Calendar and it will be considered separately.

7.1. SUBJECT
Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes (MA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to review and approve the City Council meeting of March 24, 2026, as presented.

7.2. SUBJECT
Resolution No. 2026-15 Road Repair and Accountability Act (SB1) Proposed Project List (JW)

RECOMMENDATION
Council adopt Resolution No. 2026-15 approving the SB1 proposed project list to be included in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), as prescribed, to satisfy the program objectives and statutory requirements of the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1).

7.3. SUBJECT
Request for Excused Absences Council Member Linda Launer (MA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to excuse the absence of Council Member Linda Launer from the City Council meetings of March 10, 2026 and March 24, 2026.

7.4. SUBJECT
Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 2026-04, Adding Chapter 14.70 to Title 14 of the Dinuba Municipal Code to establish an expedited permitting process for residential rooftop solar systems pursuant to California Government Code § 65850.5 (SB 379) (GA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council conduct the second reading, waive reading in full, and adopt Ordinance 2026- 04, adding Chapter 14.70 to Title 14 of the Dinuba Municipal Code to establish an expedited permitting process for residential rooftop solar systems pursuant to California Government Code § 65850.5 (SB 379)

7.5. SUBJECT
Pyrotechnics Contract for the 2026 Dinuba Independence Day Celebration (SH)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to approve the Pyrotechnics Contract with Fireworks America in the amount of $21,000 for pyrotechnics services for the July 2, 2026 Independence Day Celebration and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the agreement.

7.6. SUBJECT
Approval of Contract Right of Entry License Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Emergency Utility Repairs Within Railroad Right-of-Way (JW)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to approve the Contract for Right of Entery License Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad to allow the City to perform emergency utility repairs within the railroad right-of-way, and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and agreements required to facilitate the work.

7.7. SUBJECT
Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-05, Adding Chapter 14.72 to Title 14 of the Dinuba Municipal Code to establish an expedited permitting process for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and Hydrogen-Fueling Stations pursuant to California Government Code §§ 65850.7 and 65850.71 (GA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council conduct the second reading, waive reading in full, and adopt Ordinance 2026- 05, adding Chapter 14.72 to Title 14 of the Dinuba Municipal Code to establish an expedited permitting process for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and Hydrogen-Fueling Stations pursuant to California Government Code §§ 65850.7 and 65850.71.

7.8. SUBJECT
Authorization to award the purchase of a new aerator motor for the Waste Water Treatment Plant (GA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to approve the purchase of a 100 HP replacement aerator motor for the ABasin at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the amount of $66,728.

7.9. SUBJECT
Resolution No. 2026-14 Approval of a Lot Line Adjustment and Interagency Property Exchange with Tulare County and Approval of a Consolidation Deed to Perfect Title related to Dinuba Library Property (JW)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to approve by a single motion the following:
• Adopt Resolution No. 2026-14 approving a Lot Line Adjustment between the City of Dinuba and Tulare County; and,
• Approve and authorize the City Manager to accept real property from Tulare County and convey City-owned property to Tulare County as part of the Interagency property exchange; and,
• Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Consolidation Deed and all other necessary documents to perfect the title and implement the adjustment.

7.10. SUBJECT
Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-03, Amending Chapters

6.28, 6.32, 6.50, 6.76, TITLE 6 (“ANIMALS”), Concerning the Regulation of

Animals, Licensing and Permitting of Animals and Commercial Animal Establishments, Impounding of Animals, and the Sale or Transfer of Dogs (CML)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to conduct the second reading, by title only and waiving further reading thereof, and to adopt Ordinance No. 2026-03, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Dinuba Amending Chapters 6.28, 6.32, 6.50, 6.76 of Title 6 (“Animals”), Concerning the Regulation of Animals, Licensing and Permitting of Animals and Commercial Animal Establishments, Impounding of Animals, and the Sale or Transfer of Dogs.

7.11. SUBJECT
Request for co-sponsorship of Ridge Creek Tejano Concert Event to be held on May 23rd, 2026 (DJ)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to consider a request by the Ridge Greek Dinuba Golf Club (Kemper Sports) to co-sponsors the Ridge Creek Tejano Concert Event to be held on May 23rd, 2026.

8. WARRANT REGISTER

8.1. SUBJECT
Warrant Register March 27 & April 3 & 10, 2026 (KS)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to review and approve the Warrant Register as presented.

9. PUBLIC HEARING

9.1. SUBJECT
Ordinance No. 2026-06 Amending Chapter 5.34 and Chapter 1.18 of the Municipal Code Regarding Fireworks and Fireworks Citations (GC)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to introduce the ordinance, read by title only, and waive further reading; conduct a public hearing and take the following action by one motion:

1. Approve Ordinance No. 2026-06 amending Chapter 5.34 and Chapter 1.18 of the Municipal Code.

2. Schedule second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-06 on April 28, 2026.

9.2. SUBJECT
Approve Annexation, Zone Change, General Plan Amendment and Tentative Subdivision Map for the Los Prado's East Subdivision (KSch)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to conduct a hearing to receive testimony concerning Application No. 2026- 01, close the hearing and take the following action by one motion:

1. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-16 (Attachment “A”) approving the environmental

findings for the project; and,

2. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-17 (Attachment “B”) initiating a reorganization (annexation) to annex the subject 46.5-acre site into the City of Dinuba and detach the territory from County Service Area No. 1 and the Kings River Conservation District; and,

3. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-18 (Attachment “C”) approving a General Plan amendment for the site; and,

4. Introduce and conduct the first reading, waive reading in full, of Ordinance No. 2026-08 (Attachment “D”) pre-zoning the area proposed for the Los Prados East subdivision to the City of Dinuba’s zones, including “R-1-6” and “RCO”; and,

5. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-19 (Attachment “E”) approving a Tentative Subdivision Map to create 177 single family residential lots, a 2.3-acre park, 3- acre stormwater basin and an outlot for future commercial development.

10. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

10.1. SUBJECT
Appointment to Public Safety Commission (MA)

RECOMMENDATION
Council appoint two individuals to the Public Safety Commission.

10.2. SUBJECT
Approval of Reimbursement Agreement for Preliminary Engineering Services with Union Pacific Railroad for the proposed Saginaw Avenue At-Grade Crossing (JW)

RECOMMENDATION
Council to approve an Reimbursement Agreement for Preliminary Engineering Services with Union Pacific Railroad, and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the agreement and any other related documents.

11. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORTS

12. CITY MANAGER COMMUNICAT IONS

13. CITY STAFF COMMUNICATIONS

14. ADJOURNMENT
This agenda was posted at least 72 hours prior to the regular meeting per GC Section 54954.2(a). A Citizens' Packet regarding this meeting is available at the City Clerk's Office located at City Hall, 405 East El Monte Way, Dinuba CA 93618.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if special assistance is needed to participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 559-591-5900. Please provide at least 48 hours notification prior to the meeting to allow staff to make reasonable arrangements. (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II)

559.591.5900 / FAX 559.591.5902 . e-mail address: [email protected]. www.dinuba.org

MASTER PLAN
 Community Risk Assessment
 Standards of Cover
 Fire Station Location Analysis
City of Dinuba

FIRE DEPARTMENT
Dinuba, CA
December 2025

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
i
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... v Key Findings ............................................................................................................................ v Recommendations.................................................................................................................vi SECTION I: EVALUATION OF CURRENT CONDITIONS........................................................ 1 Organization Overview.............................................................................................................. 2 Overview of the Dinuba Fire Department................................................................................. 3 History of the Dinuba Fire Department ................................................................................. 3 Operations & Deployment..................................................................................................... 6 Emergency Medical Services & Transport............................................................................ 6 Other Public Safety Resources ............................................................................................ 14 Management & Planning......................................................................................................... 17 Management & Administration........................................................................................... 17 Planning for Fire Protection & EMS ...................................................................................... 21 Financial Overview .................................................................................................................. 22 City of Dinuba General Fund Overview ............................................................................. 22 Dinuba Fire Department Funding Sources & Expenditures............................................... 24 Staffing & Personnel.................................................................................................................. 31 Administrative & Support Staffing........................................................................................ 31 Emergency Response Staffing............................................................................................. 32 Firefighter Staff Distribution................................................................................................... 33 Personnel Management...................................................................................................... 37 Capital Facilities & Equipment ................................................................................................ 41 DFD Fire Station..................................................................................................................... 43 Administrative Building......................................................................................................... 47 Training Grounds................................................................................................................... 47 Apparatus & Medic Units Inventory .................................................................................... 49 Other Capital Equipment .................................................................................................... 53 SECTION II: SUPPORT PROGRAMS.................................................................................... 54 Dispatch & Emergency Communications .............................................................................. 55 Training & Continuing Medical Education.............................................................................. 56 Training Administration & Resources................................................................................... 56 General Training Competencies......................................................................................... 58

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
ii
Life Safety Services & Public Education.................................................................................. 63 Life Safety Services Summary .............................................................................................. 63 Public Education Efforts Summary....................................................................................... 67 Special Operations & Other Programs.................................................................................... 70 SECTION III: COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT .................................................................. 74 Community Profile.................................................................................................................... 75 Demographics...................................................................................................................... 75 Additional Demographics ................................................................................................... 81 Environmental & Physical Hazards.......................................................................................... 90 Weather Conditions ............................................................................................................. 90 Critical Infrastructure.............................................................................................................. 105 Land Use.................................................................................................................................. 122 Physical Assets Protected...................................................................................................... 126 Structural Risks..................................................................................................................... 126 Risk Classification................................................................................................................... 138 Risk Assessment Methodology........................................................................................... 138 Comparison of Fire Risks in Other Communities .................................................................. 146 SECTION IV: STANDARDS OF COVER & DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS................................. 148 Service Delivery & Performance ........................................................................................... 149 Volume Analysis.................................................................................................................. 152 Geographic Analysis.......................................................................................................... 153 Temporal Analysis............................................................................................................... 154 Resource Distribution.......................................................................................................... 159 Unit Workload Analysis ....................................................................................................... 164 Performance Review.......................................................................................................... 168 Population Growth & Service Demand Projections ............................................................. 179 Service Delivery & Performance Objectives........................................................................ 181 Review of Response Standards & Targets............................................................................. 189 SECTION V: FIRE STATION LOCATION ANALYSIS........................................................... 191 Fire Station 2 Location Analysis ............................................................................................. 192 SECTION VI: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................... 198 Findings & Observations ........................................................................................................ 199 General Observations........................................................................................................ 199 Findings Leading to Recommendations........................................................................... 201

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
iii
Strategies & Recommendations............................................................................................ 203 Financial Recommendations ............................................................................................ 203 SECTION VII: APPENDICES.............................................................................................. 212 Appendix A: Stakeholder Interviews .................................................................................... 213 Introduction to the Stakeholder Interviews ...................................................................... 213 Elected Leaders, Department Heads, Labor Leaders, Rank and File, Chief Officers, and Administration..................................................................................................................... 213 Appendix B: Table of Figures................................................................................................. 217

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
iv
Acknowledgments
AP Triton Consulting wishes to extend its sincere appreciation to each of those individuals whose contributions and assistance made this project possible.

Dinuba Fire Department
Greg Chastain
Fire Chief
Michelle Pattillo
Administrative Analyst
Dustin Espino
Battalion Chief
Joanne Bear
Battalion Chief
City of Dinuba
Rachel Nerio-Guerrero
Mayor
Benjamin Prado
Vice Mayor
Kuldip Thusu
City Council Member
Maribel Reynosa
City Council Member
Linda Launer
City Council Member
Luis Patlan
City Manager
We also recognize and appreciate the Firefighters and Support Staff whose dedication and service protect and support the citizens and visitors of Dinuba every day.

Our sincere appreciation is extended to each of you.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
v
Executive Summary
AP Triton was retained by the City of Dinuba Fire Department to conduct a comprehensive Community Risk Assessment, Standards of Cover (CRA-SOC) Deployment Analysis, and Fire Station Location Study. This study evaluates the current state of the Dinuba Fire Department (DFD), identifies operational challenges and community risks, and provides data-driven recommendations to support long-term planning and service improvements. The analysis adheres to the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s (CPSE) 6th Edition Standards of Cover methodology and incorporates national best practices, industry research, and subject matter expertise.

Key Findings
• Ongoing Need for a Second Fire Station:

Previous studies in 1992, 2004, and 2014 identified the need for a second station to meet growing service demands and response time goals. This study reaffirms that need and supports the previously recommended location near Avenue 416 and Road 72.
• Population Growth and Service Demand:

Dinuba’s population has nearly doubled since 1992, now serving over 25,000 residents within the City and 20,000 in the EMS service area. Correspondingly, annual calls have increased to more than 5,600, with approximately 76% being EMS-related. • Staffing Challenges:

The department operates with a minimum of six daily personnel and faces recurring vacancies and limitations in its Paid Call Firefighter (PCF) program. Current minimum staffing barely supports one engine company and two ambulances. Ambulance unit hour utilization (UHU) exceeds 56%, indicating a need to staff a third ambulance daily.
• Evolving Risk Profile:

Dinuba’s risk environment includes moderate-risk occupancies such as single-family homes, and high-risk structures like schools and aging downtown buildings. These require robust response capabilities and increased staffing to mitigate life safety threats effectively.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
vi
• Industry and Community Trends:

Fire and EMS agencies nationwide face unprecedented challenges, including inflation in apparatus and equipment costs, workforce shortages, technological disruption, and evolving community design that affects emergency access and response. The rise of alternative fuels, new construction materials, and increased wildland-urban interface risks further complicate response planning. • EMS System Evolution:

The future of EMS envisions highly integrated, patient-centered care, with clinicians leveraging remote diagnostics, AI-enhanced triage, and advanced field technologies. Dinuba must consider how emerging models of care delivery will affect future staffing, training, and equipment needs.

Recommendations

1. Develop and staff a second fire station in the northwest area of the City to meet response time standards and expand geographic coverage.

2. Increase staffing and recruitment efforts to address current vacancies, expand ambulance capacity, and support concurrent incident response.

3. Invest in advanced technologies and data systems to improve situational awareness, response efficiency, and resource deployment.

4. Monitor industry trends and community development to proactively adapt apparatus, training, and facility planning in response to changing risks.

5. Enhance PCF Program and retention strategies to bolster operational surge capacity.

By implementing these recommendations, Dinuba can maintain a high standard of fire and emergency services while preparing for the dynamic needs of its growing community.

Proactive planning, investment, and adaptability will be critical to safeguarding public safety and operational resilience in the years ahead.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
1 Section I:

EVALUATION OF CURRENT CONDITIONS

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
2 Organization Overview
The Dinuba Fire Department (DFD) is organized as a city department and is responsible for emergency services within the city boundaries and emergency medical service and transport to over 400 square miles within the County of Tulare.

Dinuba, California, is a city located in northwestern Tulare County, within the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley. The City has a population of approximately 26,000 people. The City was founded in 1888 and incorporated on January 6, 1906. It became a charter city in June 1994 and operates under a council-manager form of government.

It's known for its agricultural heritage, particularly in citrus fruits and grapes. The City has a strong community focus with various parks, schools, and community centers supporting local activities. Dinuba's economy is largely driven by agriculture and related industries, contributing significantly to the region's economic vitality.

The origin of the name "Dinuba" is uncertain. One theory suggests it is a misspelled reference to the Danubian people, who resisted the Romans in antiquity. Another theory suggests the name was coined by railroad construction engineers during the building of a local branch line. The City's original name was Sibleyville, named after James Sibley, who deeded 240 acres to the Pacific Improvement Company (Southern Pacific Company).

In the early 20th century, Dinuba had a significant Korean-American population. Notably, in 1920, the community organized a parade supporting Korean independence from Japan on the second anniversary of the March 1st Movement, highlighting the City's diverse cultural heritage.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
3 Overview of the Dinuba Fire Department
The following section entails a general overview of the services and components of the Dinuba Fire Department .

History of the Dinuba Fire Department
The Dinuba Fire Department (DFD) has its roots in the early 20th century, coinciding with the City's growth and incorporation in 1906. Initially, fire protection services were provided by volunteers, reflecting the community-driven spirit of the era. By the 1930s, the department was predominantly volunteer-based, with a small number of paid staff. In 1934, the department had four full-time, paid staff members: S. B. Smith, Raleigh Green, Guy Ward, and Paul Nesgis.

In 1922, a new fire station was constructed at the corner of East Tulare and North I Streets.

This facility not only served as the fire department's headquarters but also housed the city hall during the 1960s. The department's apparatus evolved over time, with notable equipment including a 1922 Stutz Bearcat fire truck acquired by the volunteer fire department.

Over the decades, the DFD expanded its services to meet the growing needs of the community. Transitioning from a primarily volunteer force, the department now operates as an "all-risk" fire department, providing fire/rescue, emergency medical treatment and transport, fire prevention, hazardous materials response, Service Area
DFD’s primary response area comprises the 6.5 square miles comprising the Dinuba city limits. Its Ambulance Operating Area (AOA) encompasses approximately 400 square miles.

The following figure shows the study area/service area of the Dinuba Fire Department.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
4 Figure 1: Dinuba Fire Department Service Area

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
5 DFD Governance & Lines of Authority
An elected five-member City Council governs the City of Dinuba. The City Manager serves at the pleasure of the City Council and is responsible for supervising each of the City’s department heads, including the DFD Fire Chief. The following figure illustrates the current organizational structure of the Dinuba Fire Department.

Figure 2: DFD Organization Chart (2024)
As shown in the preceding figure, the Fire Chief oversees two Battalion Chiefs who are responsible for three shifts of personnel assigned to operations. A Captain manages each shift with an Engineer, Firefighter-Paramedics, Firefighter-Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), and single-role EMTs and Paramedics (yellow).

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
6 Operations & Deployment
The Dinuba Fire Department is an all-risks public safety agency providing traditional fire protection, wildland firefighting, medical first-response (MFR), and ground emergency medical transport at the Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) levels. In addition, DFD provides Confined Space Rescue services and hazardous materials response at the First Responder Operations (FRO) level.

DFD conducts fire inspections, code enforcement, plan reviews, and fire-cause determination. The fire department also provides public education and prevention programs throughout the community.

The Dinuba Fire Department deploys its apparatus and personnel from a single fire station staffed 24 hours daily and situated on East Tulare Street. In 2022, DFD was assigned a Public Protection Classification (PPC) grade of Class 2 by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The PPC grade primarily impacts the insurance costs of businesses. Class 1 represents the highest grade and 10 the lowest.

For moderate fire risks, such as a single-family residence with a 2,000-square-foot residence, industry standards recommend a minimum of 16 firefighters to complete the necessary critical firefighting tasks. The Dinuba Fire Department has a daily minimum of six personnel with five being trained in firefighting. This is considerably less personnel than National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommended staffing for a structure fire.

DFD is capable of handling low-risk hazardous materials and technical rescue incidents but must rely on the city of Visalia for moderate or high-risk hazardous material incidents. DFD has automatic and mutual aid agreements with other departments in the region to provide additional fire resources, hazardous materials response, and urban search and rescue response personnel when requested. Unfortunately, these resources are responding from several miles away and the fact that not all units are dispatched through a regional dispatch center adds further delay to the response.

Emergency Medical Services & Transport
The Dinuba Fire Department is considered an “All-Risk” Department that provides residents and visitors of Dinuba with both emergency BLS and ALS levels of ambulance transport service. The Department also provides emergency medical treatment, ambulance response, and transport services for affected individuals residing in unincorporated areas of Northern Tulare and Fresno Counties, expanding the EMS response area well beyond the

6.5 square miles occupied by the city proper.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
7 Figure 3: Dinuba Fire Department Ambulance Service Area The Dinuba Fire Department has a minimum of two ALS ambulance units staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, however, most of the time the Department staffs three ALS ambulance units.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
8 First Responder ALS System
The DFD operates an ALS first responder fire engine which is another integral part to its mission of protecting life, property, and the environment. This system is staffed by highly trained paramedics who provide critical care in emergency situations. The ALS service uses life-saving procedures such as cardiac monitoring, advanced airways, intravenous therapy, and medication administration, to ensure patients receive the best possible prehospital care. The ALS system is one part of a broader EMS plan encompassing training, communications, and coordination with other agencies to provide a cohesive and effective response to emergencies.

EMS Response Call Data
Over the course of six years, from 2019 to 2024, EMS responses handled by the Dinuba Fire Department increased over 16%.
• In 2019, 3,886 EMS calls were handled.
• In 2020, 4,129 EMS calls were handled.
• In 2021, 4,635 EMS calls were handled.
• In 2022, 4,208 EMS calls were handled.
• In 2023, 4,204 EMS calls were handled.
• In 2024, 4,523 EMS calls were handled
The six-year average (2019–2024) number of EMS calls handled by the Dinuba Fire Department was 4,263.

To evaluate EMS ambulance responses handled by the Dinuba Fire Department, calls have been divided into two categories: motor vehicle-related calls and general medical and health-related calls.

In 2019, approximately four percent or 155 of the 3,886 EMS responses were motor vehicle related. In 2020, nearly four percent, or 155 of the 4,124 EMS calls received, fell into the motor vehicle-related category. In 2021, four percent or 186 of the 4,635 EMS calls handled were motor vehicle related. In 2022, 3.8 percent or 159 of the 4,208 EMS calls received were motor vehicle related. In 2023, 2.8 percent or 118 of the 4,204 EMS calls worked were related to motor vehicles. In 2024, 1.9 percent or 88 of the 4,523 EMS calls were related to motor vehicles.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
9 This data demonstrates that EMS personnel are now responding far more often to health and medical calls unrelated to vehicle accidents than in previous years. The fact that the fire department’s ambulance services-related responsibilities are changing in this manner must be considered and integrated into future planning efforts.

Figure 4: EMS & Other Call Percentages (2019–2024)
Figure 5: Dinuba Fire Department EMS Responses (2019–2024) EMS
76%
Others
24%
3,400
3,600
3,800
4,000
4,200
4,400
4,600
4,800
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 3,8864,129 4,635 4,208 4,2044,523 EMS Incidents

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
10 EMS Response Time Data
Using the same reporting period as used for response call data, 2019 through 2024, the sixyear 90th percentile for ambulance total response time is 14 minutes, 50 seconds. The chart below indicates total response time peaked in 2020 at 15:19. The most recent year, 2024, was only slightly better at 15:14. The best performance was in 2022 at 13:59.

Figure 6: Dinuba Fire Department EMS 90th Percentile Total Response Times (2019–2024) EMS Transport Data
The Dinuba Fire Department Ambulance Service Units generally transport injured and/or ill individuals to one of ten facilities (see below) within a 50-mile radius. The destination the Dinuba Fire Department transports most individuals to is Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, approximately 20 miles away.

Healthcare & Tertiary Care Facilities
The mix of hospitals includes three trauma centers: one level 1, Community Regional in Fresno, one level 3, Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, and a pediatric level 2 trauma center, Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera.

Six stroke centers receive patients via Dinuba Fire Department’s ambulance service.

Affected patients are taken to the closest designated facility unless the patient or their representative requests an alternate destination. 14:34 15:19 14:30 13:59
15:05
15:14
12:00
14:00
16:00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
90th Percentile Total Response Time
(mm:ss)

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
11 Three medical centers, Community Regional in Fresno, Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, and Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, are designated STEMI Receiving Centers and are prepared to accept and treat heart attack patients who require expedient cardiac catheterization procedures.

Community Regional in Fresno also serves as a designated Burn Center for the Region, offering peace of mind for first responders and residents alike.

The following figure lists the regional facilities available to DFD.

Figure 7: Local Clinical Facilities
Facility Trauma
Designated
Stroke
Center
PCI/Cath
Lab
Approximate
Distance
Adventist Health–Hanford — Yes No 30 miles
Adventist Health–Reedley — No No 7 miles
Adventist Health–Selma — No No 14 miles
Clovis Community Medical Center — Yes No 38 miles
Community Regional–Fresno 1 Yes Yes 30 miles
Kaiser Permanente — Yes No 30 miles
Kaweah Health Medical Center 3 Yes Yes 20 miles
St. Agnes Medical Center — Yes Yes 30 miles
Valley Children’s Hospital 2 No No 51 miles
Veteran’s Administration Hospital — No No 30 miles
As shown in the preceding figure, three facilities have been designated Trauma Centers by the Central California EMS Agency. Online Medical Control is available from Community Regional Medical Center–Fresno, Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, and St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno.

Within the CCEMSA region, there exists an Alternate Destination Policy. This procedure offers an option for transport agencies to move individuals assigned to a 5150 hold to the Crisis Stabilization Center (CSC) in Fresno, as opposed to a hospital Emergency Department. This option benefits the hospital, the ambulance provider, and patients requiring emergent care in the emergency department. These mental health patients contribute significantly to emergency department overcrowding, resulting in increased wall time for ambulance providers.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
12 At present, regulatory guidelines require affected individuals to remain in the county where the hold order is issued. Thus, this event occurs only occasionally for the Dinuba Fire Department and is much more common for transport agencies headquartered in and servicing primarily Fresno County, as this is the locale of the only CSC in the region.

EMS Licensure, Certification, & Accreditation Data
In accordance with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority’s Certification and Licensure standards, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are required to be certified by the State through the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA), and Paramedics are required to be licensed by the State of California. Additionally, LEMSAs establish accreditation programs for Paramedics at the local level.

The Dinuba Fire Department employs nine personnel who hold EMT credentials but are not licensed as Paramedics, as well as 18 licensed Paramedics. Furthermore, at the time of this report, there are eight vacant positions that require paramedic licensure, which would bring the total number of employed paramedics to 26 at full staffing level.

The Dinuba Fire Department and its employees adhere to all state and local requirements.

The Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency (CCEMSA) is the regulatory authority for Tulare County, the jurisdiction in which the City of Dinuba is located. The information in this section has been confirmed with CCEMSA to ensure accuracy.

Medical Priority Dispatch System
The primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is a call center where emergency (911) and non-emergency calls are routed. Dinuba Police Department (DPD) is the PSAP for DFD.

If the call is determined to be EMS-related, DPD (PSAP) transfers it to Tulare County Consolidated Ambulance Dispatch (TCCAD). TCCAD handles all EMS calls for emergency and non-emergency services for DFD. Additionally, TCCAD dispatchers are trained and certified in emergency medical dispatching (EMD) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

While DPD does not use EMD and the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), it plays crucial roles in patient pre-hospital care, involving coordinating resources and appropriately allocating EMS during an emergency. EMD is the initial point of contact between patients requiring emergency medical assistance and the EMS system. In addition, the system allows dispatch personnel to provide pre-arrival directions to the caller and bystanders during incidents.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
13 Figure 8: Response Determinant Levels
DPD does not currently use EMD or MPDS services. As a result, dispatchers do not determine the type of response, nor do they differentiate between response level, capability, clinically indicated response resource, priorities, or rationale.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
14 TCCAD uses ProQA software for the EMD process while receiving emergency calls, assessing the nature and severity, and dispatching the appropriate resources to the scene.

Pre-arrival instructions are provided to the caller to begin treating the patient while emergency units are en route. The speed and accuracy of EMD can significantly impact the outcome of a medical emergency, making it a critical component of the EMS system.

MPDS takes call assessment to the next level by thoroughly evaluating the caller’s complaint and disposition. Once sufficient information is quickly gathered, the appropriate resources are dispatched. MPDS uses determinant codes, as outlined in the following figure.

Other Public Safety Resources
Mutual Aid Providers
The Dinuba Fire Department has access to many regional fire departments that can provide mutual and/or automatic aid.

The following figure lists the names and mutual stations, apparatus, and staff available to the Dinuba Fire Department when needed.

Figure 9: Mutual Aid Providers Available to DFD
Fire Department Station
No.

No.

Engines
No.

Aerials Staff
Tulare County Fire Department
#2 1 0 2
#3 1 0 2
#4 1 0 2
Orange Cove FPD #1 1 0 PCF
Reedley Fire Department #1 1 1 PCF
Kingsburg Fire Department #1 1 0 2
Fresno County Fire Department #83 1 0 2
Visalia Fire Department #55 2 1 3
PCF = Paid-Call Firefighters
In addition to the apparatus listed in the preceding figure, a water tender, hazardous materials unit, Swift Water Rescue unit, and light/air trailer are available.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
15 Ambulance Mutual Aid Providers
When necessary, mutual aid from other agencies is available for ambulance transport.

These include:
• Sequoia Safety Council (with stations in Reedley, Parlier, and Orange Cove) • American Ambulance in Visalia
• Kingsburg Fire Department in Kingsburg
Air Medical Service
SkyLife Air Ambulance provides advanced-level helicopter scene response. The two closest bases are in Fresno and Visalia. In addition, Reach Air Medical Services, with a base near Fresno, provides helicopter scene response.

The following image shows the locations of various adjacent mutual aid stations.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
16 Figure 10: Locations of Mutual Aid Fire Stations Adjacent to DFD

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
17 Management & Planning
Management & Administration
Managing a fire department effectively is complex, often impacted by financial constraints, political pressures, and demanding community expectations. Today’s fire department must address these complexities by ensuring an efficient and flexible organizational structure, adequacy of response, maintenance of competencies and a qualified workforce, and financial sustainability.

A well-organized and efficiently administered organization has appropriate documentation, policies, and procedures. It clearly understands, acknowledges, and addresses internal and external organizational issues. Processes must also be established to address the flow of information and communications within DFD and with the citizens served by the department. AP Triton analyzed DFD’s current fire department management efforts in the following section.

Strategic Planning
To be effective, the management of a fire department needs to be grounded in the acceptance and adoption of solid mission, vision, and values statements as a key part of creating a relevant and contemporary strategic plan.

Fire service organizations should create and maintain a strategic plan, complete with goals and objectives established and communicated, and metrics in order to measure effectiveness or achievement.

Mission, Vision, Values, Goals, and Objective statements are typically created during a formal strategic planning process, which results in the creation and formal adoption of a written strategic plan. This process typically includes the following components:
• Internal and external environmental scan (SWOT Analysis) • Mission, vision, and values statements
• Initiatives, goals, and subordinate objectives with performance metrics or outcomes • Timelines are assigned to each objective
• The initiative manager is assigned to each initiative • Responsible people are assigned to coordinate the achievement of objectives

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
18 The Strategic Plan establishes timelines for the goals and objectives to be accomplished and assigns them to appropriate personnel to complete. In creating a strategic plan, the goals and objectives are prioritized, and timelines are created to establish a realistic and achievable workflow.

Personnel are then assigned to manage progress to achieve each objective and be accountable for their progress. All work and department activities should support the mission, propel the agency toward its vision, and reinforce the organization’s values.

Dinuba Fire Department Vision & Goals
DFD has adopted a mission statement and values statement. On the website home page is a statement included within some introductory text: “We strive to serve our community with compassion, professionalism, and honor.” A formal vision statement has not been adopted.

In February 2023, the Dinuba Fire Department established agency goals and objectives, which are reviewed periodically. DFD has also adopted a code of ethics and conduct.

Separate from the fire department, Dinuba has formally adopted mission, vision, and values statements, which are published and accessible on its website.1 Management Documents & Processes
Documentation of activities is required to meet and validate the fire department is meeting its core mission and is also a legal requirement in many aspects of fire department operations. Detailed and consistent documentation provides a mechanism for measuring performance. Policy and procedure development and maintenance are critical to ensuring a stable, effective, and cohesive organization.

DFD has a web-based set of policies and procedures that are reviewed and maintained through Lexipol, a third-party policy management service. These policies cover a wide range of administrative and operational topics related to managing the fire department and emergency operations.

Dinuba Fire Department policies are regularly updated, personnel are notified of pending revisions before they take effect, and they receive training on these policies. 1 www.dinuba.org.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
19 Internal Assessment of Critical Issues
The following describes critical issues facing DFD from the Fire Chief’s perspective:
• Critical Issue 1: Recruitment and retention
The department has been unable to attain full staffing levels for the last several years. The overtime required to maintain minimum staffing is causing fatigue. • Critical Issue 2: Engine company staffing
Although DFD recently mandated a minimum of two-person staffing, this is still unsafe for fire responses.
• Critical Issue 3: Fire dispatch by the Dinuba Police Department The current police-based fire dispatch creates firefighter safety concerns • Critical Issue 4: Response-time performance
A second fire station is needed to meet response-time goals on the west and northwest sides of Dinuba.
• Critical Issue 5: Data collection and recovery
Extracting useful data from the DFD records management system is difficult and time-consuming.

Internal & External Communications
In today’s “hyper speed” world of communication, the public expects strategic, frequent, responsive, and caring communication from its government agencies. Likewise, employees expect the same when disseminating internal messages. Without it, public and employee confidence in the fire department can be severely damaged, and informal communication channels may be created to spread false and misleading information throughout the community and organization.

DFD maintains a website that provides basic information on services and information concerning:
• The FireMed Program
• Information on how to become a Paid Call Firefighter
• Description of the Fire Explorer Program
• Weed and Fire Hazard abatement
• Disaster Preparedness
• Downloadable copies of the 2014 DFD Master Plan, 2018 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and Downtown Dinuba Fire Safety Grant Application.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
20 The fire department’s website also includes public safety and prevention information and contact information for the Fire Chief and other staff.

The Dinuba Fire Department does not publish any regular community newsletter regarding their activities, available prevention training, or other information.

Specific to internal communications, department administration conducts regular staff meetings and occasional “all-hands” meetings. All members have Dinuba e-mail addresses and access to the City’s Intranet website. Management has an open-door policy, and the chain of command has been clearly communicated to the members.

Record Keeping, Document Control, & Facility Security
Diligent documentation and analysis of fire department activities are critical in making sound management decisions and maintaining public transparency. When voting for issues or approving expenditures, taxpayers and elected officials expect current and accurate data and information to make decisions. DFD uses the following records management systems (RMS) to document various department activities:
• Crew scheduling and tracking: CrewSense
• Fire and other incident types reporting: Image Trend Software • EMS incident types: ImageTrend is the current ePCR software, but records for the previous five years can be located in the RescueNet ePCR (stored within the ZOLL system)
• Occupancy Inspections & Permits: ZOLL Fire Reports (FireRMS) • Training: TargetSolutions and internal file storage
DFD utilizes the ImageTrend records management system to document fire and other incidents. Emergency medical incidents are recorded in ImageTrend. Sensitive ePCR information is encrypted and secured to comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Fire origins and causes are documented in the RMS, while inspections are not tracked in a formal software application. An annual fire prevention report is presented to the Dinuba City Council annually through the budget process.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
21 Planning for Fire Protection & EMS
Contemporary fire service organizations spend considerable time and effort analyzing data to evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency in delivering high-quality emergency services. Two main areas of fire department planning are emergency preparedness and response planning and administrative and organizational planning.

Emergency Preparedness & Response Planning
The fire department does not have a contemporary Community Risk Assessment/Standards of Cover document. However, this study addresses this issue. The department has interlocal agreements with adjacent fire districts and departments to provide mutual aid resources.

Administrative Planning
Administrative planning is critical to ensuring effective and efficient public safety service delivery to a community, often overshadowed by emergency response planning efforts.

However, DFD has taken a proactive approach to administrative planning by proactively engaging in this study to evaluate and strengthen its administrative planning efforts.

Administrative planning can take many different forms, including:
• Master Planning (DFD completed in 2014)
• Strategic Planning
• Community Risk Assessment/Standards of Cover (CRA/SOC) • Succession Planning
• Community Development Planning
• Capital Equipment/Facilities/Apparatus Planning
DFD’s previous Master Plan was 11 years old.

As previously noted, DFD does not have a contemporary strategic plan. A collaborative strategic planning process involving all levels within the organization and community stakeholders can result in formulating and adopting realistic and achievable goals.

A successful strategic planning process and outcomes should result in organizational improvements in policies and procedures, internal and external communications practices, operational deployment, recordkeeping, and sustainable financial practices, to name a few. For mission statements, visions and values, and strategic planning to be effective, they must be part of a “living” process, consciously evolving as DFD grows and changes.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
22 Financial Overview
Agriculture is Dinuba’s predominant economic activity. In addition, the City has an active commercial and industrial base and continues to see steady economic growth. Looking ahead, the City’s biggest financial challenge is the ongoing California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) audit of sales tax revenues. Maintaining fiscal health is one of the City’s strategic goals. The primary objectives are to preserve sales tax revenues and achieve a balanced General Fund budget. Therefore, the City’s long-term fiscal sustainability is essential to the successful operation of DFD.

City of Dinuba General Fund Overview
The City’s largest revenue source for the General Fund is sales tax, in-particularly internet sales tax, which accounts for approximately 40% of total General Fund revenues. Sales Tax for Fiscal Year 2024–25 is projected to be 50% of the Fiscal Year 2021–22 level, a significant decrease. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration conducted an audit and determined that the City had been incorrectly receiving a portion of sales tax revenues during the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year. As a result of this audit, the City’s General Fund revenue was significantly reduced. The audit resulted in an ongoing loss of approximately $4 million in General Fund revenue each year. Due to this reduction, the City’s General Fund is projected to operate at a deficit for several upcoming fiscal years.

To address this shortfall, the City may need to explore alternative revenue-generating measures to offset the loss of sales tax revenue and restore long-term fiscal stability.

Despite the year-over-year reduction, sales tax remains the City’s largest general fund revenue source. While the City is projecting a softening of General Fund revenue growth, expenditures continue to increase. As a result, the City’s General Fund balance is projected to decrease by approximately 16%, with a balance of $7.56 million, representing 43% of the General Fund operating budget.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
23 The following figure summarizes the City’s General Fund revenues and expenditures. DFD accounts for 11.6% of the City’s General Fund operating budget.

Figure 11: City of Dinuba General Fund Activity (FY 2022–FY 2025) 2 Revenue Source FY 21–22
Actual
FY 22–23
Actual
FY 23–24
Projected
FY 24–25
Adopted
Sales Tax $13,842,036 $7,358,939 $6,845,000 $6,925,000
Motor Vehicle License Fees 2,332,959 2,510,424 2,651,112 2,725,000 Utility Users Tax 1,804,454 2,277,276 2,140,000 2,200,000 Property Tax 1,742,568 1,922,936 1,946,000 1,947,400
Service Charges 945,225 1,496,988 1,739,016 1,218,912
Franchise Tax 303,727 340,382 337,202 345,000
Business License/Permits 579,928 604,760 715,000 625,000 Transient Occupancy Tax 372,343 363,795 350,000 370,000 Use of Money & Prop (547,085) 1,331,685 1,092,325 721,600 Other Revenues 268,839 315,756 95,626 100,100
TOTAL REVENUES: $21,644,994 $18,522,941 $17,911,281 $17,178,012 Expenditures by Department
Police $7,428,306 $7,460,868 $6,339,112 $7,278,410
Fire 2,826,929 2,943,927 2,452,538 2,315,728
Finance 945,055 1,116,598 974,102 1,134,348
Community Services 2,345,371 2,729,417 2,652,523 2,970,299 Community Development 1,662,578 2,173,801 1,317,389 1,743,566 General Services 2,406,833 8,780,129 2,133,759 3,856,060 City Manager 285,782 325,833 258,295 297,033
City Council 144,754 135,345 117,046 120,455
City Attorney 261,408 515,000 132,760 220,000
Reimbursements (1,191,159) (1,301,791) (1,012,948) (1,199,292) TOTAL EXPENDITURES: $17,115,857 $24,879,127 $15,364,576 $18,736,607 2 City of Dinuba 2024–2025 Adopted Budget, pages 38–39.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
24 The City prepares five-year General Fund projections as part of the budgeting process. The following figure illustrates the forecast of an operating surplus of roughly $300,000 to $350,000; however, the revenue growth is projected to slow while expenditures increase.

Figure 12: City of Dinuba General Fund Five-Year Forecast The following section of the report summarizes DFD’s funding sources and expenditures.

Dinuba Fire Department Funding Sources & Expenditures
As an operating department of the City, DFD utilizes the City’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. The General Fund is the primary funding source for the DFD operating budget. DFD also receives appropriations from the Public Safety Sales Tax (Measure F), Ambulances Services Fund, and the Fire Impact Fee Fund, which provides revenue for facility improvements.
• General Fund: Fees generated by services, such as plan checks, are collected and deposited to the General Fund, and DFD receives a General Fund allocation to cover most of its operating expenses for fire operations. Starting in Fiscal Year 2023– 2024, two captains and 50% of the fire chief and a battalion chief were allocated to the Ambulance Fund from the General Fund.
16,000,000
17,000,000
18,000,000
19,000,000
20,000,000
21,000,000
22,000,000
FY 24-25 FY 25-26 FY 26-27 FY27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30
Revenues Expenditures

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
25 • Public Safety Sales Tax (Measure F): This fund accounts for the City’s sales tax revenue and expenditures resulting from Measure F, which the voters approved in November 2005. The revenue from the Public Safety Sales Tax measure is anticipated to be $3.37 million in Fiscal Year 2024–25.

The ¾% sales tax is specifically designated for Public Safety, which, in the City’s case, are Police and Fire Services. The fund has been utilized to fund a portion of DFD’s personnel costs, and $713,479 is appropriated to purchase a ladder truck in Fiscal Year 22–23. A fund balance of $2.56 million is projected at the end of Fiscal Year 2024–25.
• Ambulances Services Fund: Service fees for ambulance use come from various sources, and, in addition to service fees, the City collects intergovernmental transfers for Calviva and Anthem Blue Cross. However, the fund is anticipated to flatten out in Fiscal Year 2024–25 after receiving one-time revenues in Fiscal Year 2023–24. A fund balance of $11.60 million is projected at the end of Fiscal Year 2024–25. This funding source provides for 20.98 full-time equivalent positions. • Fire Impact Fee Fund: This fund accounts for the revenue from developer impact fees and is designated for fire facility improvements. Over half a million was spent on the development of a formal training site for the department in Fiscal Year 2023–24.

The fund balance is projected to be $0.5 million at the end of Fiscal Year 2024–25.

On the expenditure side, DFD’s primary costs are employee salaries and benefits, which account for approximately 69% of the operating budget. This is typical for most municipal services. For Fiscal Year 2024–25, a part-time Fire Inspector was added to assist with annual business inspections, and three single role EMT positions were added to increase ambulance staffing levels. The single role EMT positions were funded by a grant from the Alta Health Care District.

The following figures summarize DFD’s expenditures, funding sources, and operating expenditures by type for the most recent five fiscal years.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
26 Figure 13: DFD Expenditures/Funding Source Summary
Expenditures FY20–21
Actual
FY 21–22
Actual
FY 22–23
Actual
FY 23–24
Actual
FY 24–25
Adopted
Employee Services $3,444,983 $3,115,957 $4,457,048 $5,192,665 $5,824,243 Maintenance & Operations 525,010 544,079 386,498 1,270,275 1,435,323 Allocated Costs 480,164 593,319 723,745 710,254 880,950 Capital Outlay 245,680 305,953 2,429,866 313,133 173,521 Principal Payments 3,606 4,146 4,416 4,538 6,613
Transfer Out 107,070 70,027 88,952 722,758 75,205
TOTAL EXPENDITURES: $4,806,513 $4,633,481 $8,090,525 $8,213,623 $8,395,855 Funding Sources
101–General Fund 2,847,038 2,826,929 2,808,195 2,397,829 2,315,728 256–Fire Impact Fees 582,894
301–Public Safety Sales Tax 464,282 433,029 1,219,537 908,797 986,434 320–Ambulance 1,480,001 1,065,825 2,518,069 3,950,756 4,981,693 322–Fire Suppression Reimb. 15,192 307,698 1,544,723 373,345 112,000 TOTAL FUNDING SOURCES: $4,806,513 $4,633,481 $8,090,524 $8,213,621 $8,395,855 Figure 14: DFD Operating Expenditures by Type
$0
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
FY20-21 FY 21-22 FY 22-23 FY 23-24 FY 24-25
Employee Services Maintenance & Operations Allocated Costs Capital Outlay

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
27 Ambulance Services
Ambulance services generate revenue for the City through EMS/Paramedic billing. As part of its EMS billing system, the Dinuba Fire Department offers a Paramedic Subscription Program called FireMed. Available to residents within the Dinuba Ambulance response area, the program provides annual membership for $75. In return, members are not billed for out-of-pocket expenses related to emergency ambulance transportation, helping to reduce the financial burden of emergency medical services.

EMS/paramedic revenue is generated from per-call service fees, with charges varying based on the level and type of services provided. Fees are based on whether the call is an emergency or non-emergency call, ALS or BLS, or if other specialty services are provided.

The following figure shows DFD’s activity summary, highlighting the number of annual billable transports over the most recent five calendar years.

Figure 15: Ambulance Billable Transports
Ambulance Service Billing & Collection
One of the most important issues for fire agencies providing EMS transport is ensuring their billing operations efficiently and effectively maximize revenue while maintaining compliance with state and federal standards. Public agencies providing fee-for-service patient transport must have accurate billing and collection data readily available.

Ambulance service billing and collections are performed by internal city staff. 4,463
4,329
5,125
4,912
4,811
3,800
4,000
4,200
4,400
4,600
4,800
5,000
5,200
CY 2019 CY 2020 CY 2021 CY 2022 CY 2023

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
28 While all service recipients are billed the applicable service fee, collection rates vary.

Therefore, the transport fee cannot simply be multiplied by the number of calls to determine actual revenue.

The fees collected from multiple sources are collectively known as the agency’s payor mix.

The graph below indicates DFD’s most recent ambulance services collection payor mix.

Figure 16: DFD's Ambulance Service Fee Payor Mix (FY 2022–23) The payor mix is essential because it indicates the likelihood of fee collection. Over the most recent five-year period, the payor mix has remained relatively consistent. During that time, Medicaid had a high of 47% and a low of 40%; Medicare a high of 36% and a low of 32%; Insurance with an average of 12%; both Private Pay and Others averaging 5%.

As of October 2024, DFD has outstanding invoices for $1.9 million. Of that amount, 30%, or approximately $580,000, is over 90 days past due. Of the patients who are more than 90 days past due, the individual patient billing category accounts for 54%, followed by Medicaid at 19%.

Medicare, 32%
Medicaid, 47%
Private Pay,
4%
Insurance, 12%
Other, 5%

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
29 The following figure illustrates a summary of EMS transport fiscal activity for the most recent five calendar years. This includes the number of transports, charges, allowances, payments, and bad debt/write-offs.

Figure 17: Summary of Transport Fees
Description CY 2019
Actual
CY 2020
Actual
CY 2021
Actual
CY 2022
Actual
CY 2023
Actual
Number of Trips 4,463 4,329 5,125 4,912 4,811
Gross Charges $4,779,076 $4,353,941 $4,842,825 $4,428,795 $4,662,778 Contract Allowances ($3,022,498) ($2,644,908) ($2,671,379) ($2,508,833) ($2,537,034) Net Charges $1,756,578 $1,709,033 $2,171,446 $1,919,962 $2,125,744 Adjustments/Balance ($303) ($604) $3,265 ($2,245) ($68,907) Write-Offs/Bad Debt ($271,470) ($262,236) ($390,236) ($211,602) ($153,742) Payments Recorded $1,484,805 $1,446,193 $1,784,475 $1,706,115 $1,903,095 Capital Replacement Plan
The City does not set aside funds each year for capital asset replacement. DFD has four frontline apparatus, two of which are currently considered in poor condition. The City has established life cycles for fire apparatus and staff vehicles. Trucks have a life expectancy of 20 years, engines for 15 years, and 10 years for command vehicles. It is important for the City to adhere to the fire apparatus and equipment replacement schedule. In order to follow this program, it requires annual funding to be allocated for capital replacement.

The Fire Impact fee is designated for fire facility improvements. Funds were distributed in FY 23–24 for the construction of a dedicated fire training facility.

The Fire Impact Fee fund balance is projected at $0.5 million at the end of FY 24–25. There are insufficient funds available for any major repair or renovation. Given that the City’s only fire station is 102 years old and in poor condition, a major repair in the near future is likely. In addition, a seismic retrofit is warranted.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
30 Measure F has been utilized to fund the purchase of DFD capital assets. The City allocated over $700,000 in FY 22–23 to purchase a fire engine. DFD also relies on grants to fund capital assets, $2.0 million in State grants is earmarked for the purchase of an aerial ladder truck, Alta Healthcare District provides $490,000 each year to fund three EMTs and an ambulance every 18 months. The City has also secured a $40,000 State Homeland Security Grant Program for new radios.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
31 Staffing & Personnel
Departments must consider their employees as their most valuable asset in today's fire service. Managing personnel to achieve maximum efficiency, professionalism, and personal satisfaction is an art as much as a science. Consistency, fairness, safety, and opportunities for individual and professional growth are critical values for a healthy management culture. This is especially true in departments evolving and progressing to meet today's emergency response challenges.

A fire department’s staffing size and structure depend on its specific needs and requirements. These needs must directly correlate with the community's expectations and funding capacity; a structure that works for one department may not necessarily work for another. This section provides an overview of the DFD staffing configuration and management practices.

Fire department staffing is typically divided into two distinctly different groups: 1) Administration and Support, and 2) Operations. The administration and support group usually provide oversight and support to the operations group. This support provides emergency response personnel with the necessary tools to deliver effective services to the community they serve. The second group, Operations, provides the resources required to provide emergency and non-emergency services to the community.

Administrative & Support Staffing
As with every other division within a fire department, administration and support must have the necessary resources to function effectively. A balance of administration and support personnel compared to operational personnel is critical to the organization's success in accomplishing its mission.

The administration and support personnel typically have responsibilities for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating each of the various programs within a fire department. This list is not exhaustive and may include other elements as needed. It is essential to understand that tasks associated with these functions often overlap, requiring the Fire Chief and administrative support staff to focus on multiple areas simultaneously.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
32 DFD operates with civilian administrative support staff responsible for critical tasks and providing clerical, financial, records management, budgetary, and customer service support. In addition to the administrative assistant position, two Battalion Chiefs serve as administrative support, as well as providing oversight of the operational and training divisions, and investigation and prevention divisions, respectively. In addition, two fire inspectors provide support, in addition to their daily prevention roles.

The following figure lists the administrative and support staffing for the DFD.

Figure 18: DFD Administrative & Support Staffing
Position Number
Fire Chief 1
Administrative Assistant 1
Battalion Chief (Ops/Training)* 1
Battalion Chief (Investigation/Prevention)* 1
Fire Inspector (Full-time) 1
Fire Inspector (Part-time) 1
*The two DFD Battalion Chiefs work a standard 40-hour schedule providing operational and program management support. When available, the Battalion Chiefs can provide additional operational oversight during their off hours.

Emergency Response Staffing
DFD’s emergency response staffing level is based on the risks associated with the community, the City's financial ability to fund the department, and the expectations of those within the jurisdiction.

The DFD uses a three-platoon system (A, B, and C shifts), with each platoon scheduled for 48 hours on duty per shift. This achieves a minimum staffing level of six personnel. The following figure lists the DFD’s emergency response staffing.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
33 Figure 19: DFD Emergency Response Staffing
Position Number
Battalion Chief* 2
Captain 3
Engineer 3
Firefighter-Paramedic 6
Firefighter-EMT 9
Single-Source Paramedic 9
Single-Source EMT 3
* The Battalion Chiefs are not on shift and have administrative functions as their primary responsibilities.

An adequately staffed and professionally trained team of emergency responders is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of emergency apparatus and equipment during incident responses. Insufficient staffing at an operational scene reduces the effectiveness of the response and increases the risk of injury to everyone involved.

Additional personnel are essential for initial fire assignments due to the City's reliance on a single fire engine. Other scenarios such as mass casualty incidents and explosions also require additional resources. This underscores the importance of a robust mutual aid and automatic aid plan to ensure adequate assistance.

Operations personnel are assigned various duties consistent with fulfilling emergency response objectives, and they also take on additional collateral responsibilities to support the response mission.

Firefighter Staff Distribution
On-duty fire suppression personnel employ one first-out Type 1 ALS staffed fire engine, and three primary ALS rescue ambulances, all responding from the City’s only fire station.

Additional units can be cross-staffed depending on the type of incident and apparatus needed. The engine company is staffed with a minimum of a captain and an engineer.

The ambulances are staffed with a firefighter paramedic and firefighter EMT or a single role paramedic and EMT. The following figure lists the primary and cross-staffed apparatus.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
34 Figure 20: Station Units and Staffing Levels
Station Apparatus Minimum
On-Duty Staffing
Station 31 Engine 31 2
Engine 32 CS*
Truck 31 CS*
Ambulance 731 2
Ambulance 732 2
Total Daily Staffing 6
*CS = cross-staffed
Determining apparatus staffing levels is challenging. Leaders must decide the risks their crews are likely to face and the level of risk the community is willing to accept. Several key publications can guide agencies in determining adequate staffing, including NFPA 1710:

Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. This NFPA standard recommends staffing and deployment of career organizations.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology field studies on fire-ground and EMS incidents may also provide direction. Occupational health standards typically consider crew entry into a hazardous environment unsafe unless an equal number of equipped and capable personnel are stationed outside the hazard zone, ensuring no one person enters alone. However, this rule may be suspended if an emergency rescue is required.

The first 15 minutes is the most crucial period in suppressing a fire. The effectiveness and efficiency of firefighters during this period significantly impacts the overall outcome of the event. This concept applies to fire, rescue, and medical situations. Critical tasks performed at a fire can be broken down into two key components—life safety and fire flow.

Life safety tasks depend on the number of building occupants, their location, status, and ability to take self-preservation actions. These tasks involve search, rescue, and evacuation of victims.

The fire-flow component involves delivering sufficient water to extinguish the fire and creating an environment within the building to allow firefighters to enter safely.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
35 The number and types of tasks requiring simultaneous action will dictate the minimum number of firefighters needed to combat different fires. Without adequate personnel to perform concurrent tasks, the incident commander must prioritize them and complete some in sequence rather than concurrently. These tasks include:
• Command
• Scene safety
• Search and rescue
• Fire attack
• Water supply
• Pump operation
• Ventilation
• Back-up/rapid intervention
Effectively controlling an emergency requires the completion of numerous simultaneous tasks. The department’s ability to respond to rapidly deploy a sufficient number of trained personnel is critical to achieving successful incident outcomes.

Emergency staffing is determined at the community level, based on factors such as risk, capability, and resident expectations. These decisions are informed by additional recommendations, including those outlined in the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710. The following figure breaks down the staffing tasks for specific incidents.

Figure 21: Example of Tasks & Staff Required as Defined in NFPA 17103 Task Single-Family
Dwelling Apartments
Command 1 1
Apparatus Operator 1 2
Handlines (2 members on each) 4 6
Support Members 2 3
Victim Search & Rescue Team 2 4
Ground Ladders/Ventilation 2 4
Aerial Operator (if ladder used) (1)
Initial Rapid Intervention Team 4 4
Initial Medical Care Component 2
Total Required 16 26 (27)
3 NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization & Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, & Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments (2020).

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
36 DFD currently has a minimum of six personnel per shift with only five being certified firefighters. The DFD assigns two personnel to the fire engine and four are assigned to the two ambulances. To meet the staffing levels recommended by NFPA 1710, the department requires at least 10 additional firefighters from other agencies. DFD relies heavily on the regional auto-aid and mutual-aid systems to ensure adequate minimum staffing for a lowrisk structure fire, such as a single-family residence under 2,000 sq. ft.

Comparison of Regional & National Operational Staffing
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issues the United States Fire Department Profile (2020)4 This report presents valuable regional and national statistics for comparing fire department organizations based on the populations they serve. While other factors are considered, this information is critical when determining the number of firefighters needed to serve a community based on current population counts.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations is frequently cited as an authoritative document addressing fire department staffing. In addition, the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) publishes benchmarks for the number of personnel recommended on the emergency scene for various levels of risk.5
The following figure illustrates the current comparison of the number of firefighters on staff per 1,000 population in the service region, compared to the regional and national medians. According to the U.S. Census website (2023), a population of approximately 26,000 residents within the City was used for this analysis. DFD is authorized to provide fire suppression, rescue, and EMS services with 21 emergency personnel. This reflects 39% fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) operational positions than regional and national organizations. 4 United States Fire Department Profile (2020): publication. 5 NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations; publication.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
37 Figure 22: Firefighters per 1,000 Population
It should be noted that the rates illustrated in the preceding figure are based on data reported to the NFPA and do not reflect recommended rates or a defined fire protection standard. This figure is presented as a reference and a tool to be used in conjunction with other data points. Most fire departments on the West Coast do not meet this NFPA standard and are not required under any federal or state law.

DFD can also request resources from neighboring departments to assist during significant incidents via automatic or mutual aid.

Personnel Management
Personnel who deliver emergency services to a community's residents, businesses, and visitors are critical to any fire department. Effective and efficient management of an organization is crucial for the department's success. Fulfilling the department's mission may become compromised without adequate administrative and support personnel, an essential function for the Department's success in managing human resources and providing for its greatest assets.

Policies, Rules & Regulations, & Guidelines
Department policies, procedures, and standard operating guidelines (SOGs) are developed and maintained in conjunction with a stand-alone platform (Lexipol). In addition, Dinuba develops and maintains HR-specific rules and regulations for all city personnel.

0.58 0.97

1.2 0

0.2 0.4

0.6 0.8
1 1.2

1.4 DFD Regional National

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
38 Job Descriptions
The Dinuba Human Resources (HR) department maintains job descriptions for each position within the City. The job descriptions were not viewable on the City’s website. The Fire Chief also maintains job descriptions for each position within the fire department.

Compensation
An annual salary schedule listing full-time employee salary steps for all city employees is available electronically on the City’s website under the Human Resources tab.6 The schedule or City budget contains the number of allotted positions, salary range (minimum and maximum), and position steps. Each class within the DFD has five steps available for placement. The schedule was last updated on January 1, 2025, and is valid through June 30, 2025.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Dinuba and the Dinuba Firefighters Association (2024–2025) is also available on the City’s website. 7 Disciplinary Process
Personnel-related decisions can be made at various departmental levels, with the Fire Chief having authorization to hire, discharge, and promote. Levels of discipline and associated procedures are listed within the department’s policy manual. Dinuba policies provide all personnel with an appeal process through the established grievance procedure.

Personnel-related decisions can, and often do, subject an organization to potentially expensive liability exposure. There is a risk that can result from hiring mistakes, improperly processed disciplinary actions, wrongful termination claims, and other similar issues. Access to legal counsel can reduce this liability. The DFD consults with the City’s HR department on personnel-related matters and with the City Attorney as necessary. 6 City of Dinuba Positions & Compensation Schedule: website. Adopted_Salary_Schedule 24- 25_1.pdf.
7 MOU (2024-2025). City of Dinuba & Dinuba Firefighters Association: website.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
39 Counseling Services
Changing the fire service culture is a tremendous task, especially as it relates to the mental health of our first responders. “Toughing it out” should no longer be considered the usual way to conduct business. Believing that acknowledging mental health challenges—or assuming you're immune to them—is a sign of weakness must be actively addressed at all levels of the department.

Currently, DFD does not have a structured Peer Support/Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program in place. However, Dinuba provides an employee assistance program (EAP) at no cost to employees or family members experiencing emotional, family, financial, substance abuse, or related problems.

Application, Recruitment, & Retention Process
Dinuba’s Human Resources Department posts openings on its website and through the NEOGOV platform. The hiring process for DFD includes a background check, reference and qualifications checks, a structured interview, and a medical evaluation, which is required following a conditional job offer.

Performance Reviews, Testing, Measurement, & Promotion Process DFD provides performance evaluations for probationary personnel twice during the first 12 months of employment. All employees receive annual evaluations as required by the Human Resource Division. Manipulative skills are constantly being exercised, primarily due to the frequency of personnel turnover. The frequency and subject matter of manipulative skills training and assessment are determined by each shift captain. Annual fitness evaluations are not conducted for sworn personnel. Funds have been allocated to begin the process of performing annual physical exams. Promotional assessments are conducted to fill open positions as they become available, in accordance with Dinuba’s promotional guidelines.

Health and Safety
DFD did not have a formalized safety committee in place, although the City has recently reinitiated its safety committee. A DFD representative attends the joint city personnel meeting when scheduled.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
40 DFD should consider establishing a committee utilizing NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, Chapter 4 (Section 4.5), as it is the industry standard for developing and administering a fire department safety program.8 Establishing a safety committee can significantly increase firefighters' safety. For safety committees to be truly effective, they should include diverse representation from all ranks, roles, and divisions within the department.

The primary focus of the safety committee should be to 1) help create a safe working environment for all employees, 2) identify safety concerns and considerations for improvement, 3) work collectively to establish safety education programs, and 4) bring labor and management together in a cooperative way to solve problems. The committee should be tasked to review accidents, injuries, near-miss incidents, and workplace safety suggestions. The committee should analyze the information presented and report its findings to the Fire Chief.
8 NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program (2021), Chapter 4, Fire Department Administration, Section 4.5 Occupational Safety and Health Committee; publication.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
41 Capital Facilities & Equipment
Apparatus and other vehicles, firefighting and emergency medical equipment, and fire stations are the essential capital resources necessary for fire departments to carry out their missions. No matter how competent or numerous the firefighters are, if appropriate capital equipment is unavailable for operations personnel, it would be impossible for the Dinuba Fire Department to perform its responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

Because facilities, apparatus, and other emergency response vehicles are the core capital assets essential to emergency operations, this section of the report will address each of these components in the pages that follow.

Fire Station Features
Fire stations are critical to effective emergency service delivery, primarily because their location directly influences response times. A poorly placed station can mean the difference between containing a fire to one room or losing an entire structure—or between life and death in cases like sudden cardiac arrest.

Fire stations also need to be designed to adequately house equipment and apparatus and meet the needs of the organization and its personnel.

Fire station activities should be closely examined to ensure the structure is adequate in size and function. Examples of these functions can include the following:
• Residential living space and sleeping quarters for on-duty personnel (all genders) • Bathrooms and showers (all genders)
• Training, classroom, and library areas
• Kitchen facilities, appliances, and storage
• The housing and cleaning of apparatus and equipment, including decontamination and disposal of biohazards
• Administrative and management offices, computer stations, and office facilities • Firefighter fitness area
• Public meeting space

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
42 In gathering information from the fire department, AP Triton asked DFD to rate the condition of its fire station using the criteria from the following figure. The results are shown in the figure that follows the criteria description.

Figure 23: Criteria Utilized to Determine Fire Station Condition Excellent
Like new condition. No visible structural defects. The facility is clean and well-maintained. The interior layout is conducive to function with no unnecessary impediments to the apparatus bays or offices. No significant defect history. Building design and construction match the building’s purposes. Age is typically less than ten years.

Good
The exterior has a good appearance with minor or no defects. Clean lines, good workflow design, and only minor wear on the building interior.

The roof and apparatus apron are in good working order, absent any significant full-thickness cracks, crumbling of the apron surface, or visible roof patches or leaks. Building design and construction match the building’s purposes. Age is typically less than 20 years.

Fair
The building appears structurally sound with a weathered appearance and minor to moderate non-structural defects. The interior condition shows normal wear and tear but flows effectively to the apparatus bay or offices. Mechanical systems are in working order. Building design and construction may not match the building’s purposes well. Shows increasing age-related maintenance but with no critical defects. Age is typically 30 years or more.

Poor
The building appears cosmetically weathered and worn with potential structural defects, although not imminently dangerous or unsafe. Large, multiple full-thickness cracks and crumbling concrete on the apron may exist. The roof has evidence of leaking and has been repaired multiple times. The interior is poorly maintained or shows signs of advanced deterioration with moderate to significant non-structural defects.

Problematic age-related maintenance and major defects are evident. It may not be well suited to its intended purpose. Age is typically greater than 40 years.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
43 DFD Fire Station
The following section lists the current features of the DFD fire station.

Figure 24: Dinuba Fire Station
Address/Physical Location: 496 E Tulare St, Dinuba, CA 93618 General Description:

Station 31 is a 103-year-old structure that has been
renovated several times to accommodate the
increase in the number of fire personnel. Last
remodel was completed in 2005. The current
station does not meet industry best practices and
is too small to house the current staffing of 11
personnel daily.

Structure
Date of Original Construction 1922
General Condition Poor
Seismic Protection None
Auxiliary Power Generator
ADA Compliant No
Number of Apparatus Bays Drive-Through: 4 Back-In: 0 Total Bays: 4 Total Square Footage 9,701 square feet
Facilities Available
Sleeping Quarters Bedrooms: 3 Beds: 1 Dorm Beds: 9
Maximum Staffing Capability 10 (total no. of staff that can be housed at the station) Bathroom/Shower Facilities No. of Bathrooms: 3 No. of Showers: 2 Gender Segregation (Y/N) Bathrooms? N Showers? N Bedrooms? N Exercise/Workout Facilities The gym is located in the Administration building basement
Kitchen Facilities Yes
Individual Lockers Assigned Yes
Training/Meeting Rooms Training room
Washer/Dryer/Extractor Yes
Safety & Security
Station Sprinklered Yes
Smoke & CO Detection Yes
Decon & Biological Disposal Yes
Security System No
Apparatus Exhaust System No

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
44 Fire Station Discussion
Dinuba Fire Station 31 is a 103-year-old, two-story station with four drive-through bays in a tandem configuration. The apparatus bays house two Type-1 Engines (E31 & E32), a 105- foot quint (T32), a 55-foot quint (T31), and three in-service ambulances. Open (grid-style) personal protective equipment (PPE) lockers, an equipment storage and maintenance area, a washer and dryer, a non-ADA compliant restroom, an equipment decontamination room, and an ice machine are also located within the apparatus bay. A diesel exhaust system (Plymovent) is in use for all apparatus within the bays. The fire station is fully sprinklered, and a back-up generator, supplied by an external propane tank, is located adjacent to the station.

The captain's office and bedroom are located on the first floor, with a non-ADA-compliant half-bath restroom adjacent to this area. There are two workstations situated in an office area next to the captain’s office for crew use.

Crew quarters, a residential-style kitchen, and a dayroom are located on the second floor of the station. The crew’s bunk area is configured in two separate areas, with six single bunks situated in one area and three single bunks situated in a second area. Each bunk is separated by hanging curtains. There are two single-stall, non-ADA-compliant restrooms, each with a shower located adjacent to the crew quarters.

Access to the second floor is via an internal staircase, with egress to the first floor available via the same staircase, as well as by a fire pole that terminates within the training room, adjacent to the apparatus bay.

The station is fully sprinklered and has an emergency standby generator, fueled by an external propane tank.

The crews take pride in their fire station, and although it is maintained, the station does not meet the needs of a modern fire department. The crew quarters and restroom/shower facilities do not meet ADA accessibility standards, and the current crew quarters do not accommodate gender segregation.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
45 Training Room (First floor) Dayroom (Second floor)
Kitchen (Second floor) Dayroom (Second floor)
Crew Quarters (Dorm 1) Crew Quarters (Dorm 2)

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
46 Crew Restroom (1) (Second Floor) Crew Restroom (2) (Second Floor) Decontamination Room (Apparatus Bay)

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
47 Administrative Building
The DFD’s administrative headquarters houses the Fire Chief, two battalion chiefs, administrative support, and the Fire Prevention division. This building was remodeled in 2007 and is equipped with a small kitchen, two gender-specific restrooms, one gender-neutral restroom (each meeting ADA accommodations), multiple storage areas, and a PPE storage room.

An extractor is located inside the administrative building, used by suppression personnel for decontaminating their PPE. Additionally, a workout area has been designated in the basement for use by all personnel. The fire administrative building is fully sprinklered.

Training Grounds
The DFD has developed a stand-alone training site located at 1320 W. Sierra Way. The property encompassing the training center is owned by the City. It is securely fenced, with access via a keypad or remote openers for the main gate. The training center has a threestory, steel Conex-box style training tower which allows hose evolutions, rescue scenarios, ladder drills, and forcible entry evolutions to be conducted. The tower cannot be used for live-fire training activities.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
48 The Dinuba Fire Department and Valley Regional Occupational Program (VROP) have a long-standing partnership in the education of future firefighters enrolled in the Urban and Rural Fire Fighting Pathway. In 2023, the DFD and VROP entered into a joint use agreement for improvements to the existing DFD training grounds. VROP funded the purchase of a three-story training structure, and the City installed all of the necessary site improvements.

The DFD and VROP have an Education and Training Affiliation Agreement which runs through 2043.

The training center also has two steel Conex box trailers used for similar evolutions with the newer three-story tower. In addition, there is a dedicated draft-pit area for pump-testing, and ample space for conducting multiple-engine evolutions. Infrastructure is in place including fire hydrants and ADA accommodated restroom facilities.

The department thought ahead for this center by constructing the foundation for a future, state-of-the-art permanent classroom.

DFD Training Center DFD Training Tower
DFD Training Trailers (2) DFD Training Center Restrooms & Future Classroom Site

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
49 Apparatus & Medic Units Inventory
Fire department apparatus, ambulances, and other vehicles must be sufficiently reliable to transport Firefighters and equipment rapidly and safely to an incident scene. In addition, such vehicles must be properly equipped and function appropriately to ensure that the delivery of emergency services is not compromised. For this reason, they are expensive and offer minimal flexibility in use and reassignment to other emergency services missions.

As a part of this study, AP Triton requested the Dinuba Fire Department provide a complete fleet inventory (apparatus, ambulances, command vehicles, and support and specialty units, etc.) and to rate the condition of each utilizing the following criteria.

Figure 25: Criteria Used to Determine Apparatus & Vehicle Condition Evaluation Components Points Assignment Criteria
Age: One point for every year of age, based on the in-service date.

Miles/Hours: One point for every 10,000 miles or 1,000 hours Service:
1, 3, or 5 points are assigned based on the service type received (e.g., the engine would be given a 5 as it is classified as severe duty service).

Condition:

This category considers body condition, rust interior condition, accident history, anticipated repairs, etc. The better the condition, the lower the assignment of points.

Reliability:

Points are assigned as 1, 3, or 5, depending on the frequency a vehicle is in for repair (e.g., a 5 would be assigned to a vehicle in the shop two or more times per month on average, while a 1 would be assigned if in the shop on average of once every three months or less.

Point Ranges Condition Rating Condition Description
Under 18 points Condition I Excellent
18–22 points Condition II Good
23–27 points Condition III Fair (consider replacement)
28 points or higher Condition IV Poor (immediate replacement)

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
50 Dinuba Fire Department Fleet
The following figure lists the inventory of the current frontline DFD vehicles.

Figure 26: DFD Frontline Fleet Inventory (2024)
Unit Type Manufacturer Year Condition Features
Engines & Aerials
Engine 31 Type 1 Spartan/Smeal 2015 Good 1500 gpm/500 gal.

Engine 32 Type 1 Spartan/Smeal 2006 Poor 1500 gpm/500 gal.

Truck 31 Quint 55’ Spartan/Smeal 2007 Fair 1500 gpm/400 gal.

Truck 32 Quint 105’ Spartan/Smeal 2004 Poor 1500 gpm/250 gal.

Medic Units & Other Apparatus
Medic 731 Ambulance Wheeled Coach 2016 Poor
Medic 732 Ambulance Ford/Medix 2024 Excellent
Medic 733 Ambulance Ford/Medix 2021 Excellent
Medic 734 Ambulance Ford/Medix 2019 Fair
Medic 735 Ambulance Wheeled Coach 2014 Poor
Medic 736 Ambulance Ford/Medix 2021 Excellent
Medic 737 Ambulance Ford/Medix 2022 Excellent
Rescue 31 Rescue Ford F-350 1997 Poor

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
51 The next figure lists the command and staff vehicles.

Figure 27: DFD Command & Staff Units (2024)
Unit Manufacturer Year Condition Assigned To
C-30 Dodge Ram 2500 2021 Excellent Chief
Battalion 31 Chevrolet 1500 2024 Excellent BC 31
Battalion 32 Ram 1500 2021 Excellent BC 32
P-31 Ford F-250 CNG 2012 Good Prevention
P-32 Ram 1500 2016 Good Prevention
U-31 Chevrolet 1500 2006 Poor Utility
U-32 Chevrolet 2500 2008 Fair Utility
Cobalt Chevrolet 2005 Fair Staff
As shown in the fleet inventory, one of DFD’s engines and one of its aerial apparatus are considered in “Poor” condition. Truck 32 is in “Poor” condition, but a new replacement is was delivered in June 2025. The condition of four of its Medic Units were each rated in “Excellent” condition.

The command and staff units inventory show that the Chief and Battalion Chief vehicles are each rated in “Excellent” condition, the two vehicles assigned to Prevention are in “Good” condition, and the remaining vehicles are either “Fair” or “Poor.” Fleet Maintenance
No piece of mechanical equipment or vehicle can be expected to last indefinitely. Repairs tend to become more frequent and complex as apparatus and vehicles age. Parts may become more difficult to obtain, and downtime for repair and maintenance increases.

Since fire protection, EMS, and other emergencies prove critical to a community, downtime is one of the most frequently identified reasons for apparatus replacement.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
52 Most communities develop replacement plans because of the expense of fire apparatus and other vehicles. To enable such planning, fire departments often turn to the accepted practice of establishing a life cycle for apparatus that results in an anticipated replacement date for each vehicle. The reality is that it may be best to establish a life cycle for planning purposes, such as the development of replacement funding for various types of apparatus, but apply a different method (such as a maintenance and performance review) for determining the actual replacement date, thereby achieving greater costeffectiveness when possible.

Future Apparatus Serviceability
An important consideration for the fire departments is the cost associated with the future replacement of major equipment. Apparatus service life can readily be predicted based on factors including vehicle type, call volume, age, and maintenance considerations.

NFPA 1901: Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus recommends that fire apparatus 15 years or older be placed into reserve status and removed from service for apparatus 25 years or older.

The preceding is a general guideline, and the standard recommends using the following objective criteria in evaluating fire apparatus lifespan:
• Vehicle road mileage
• Engine operating hours
• Quality of preventative maintenance and availability of replacement parts • Quality of the driver-training program
• Whether the fire apparatus was used within its design parameters • Whether the fire apparatus was manufactured on a custom or commercial chassis • Quality of workmanship by the original manufacturer
• Quality of the components used in the manufacturing process It is important to note that age is not the only factor for evaluating serviceability and replacement. Vehicle mileage and pump hours on engines must also be considered. A two-year-old engine with 250,000 miles may need replacement sooner than a 10-year-old apparatus with 2,500 miles.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
53 Maintenance of the DFD Fleet
DFD vehicle maintenance is done by the Dinuba Fleets & Facilities Department and outsourced when necessary. The City’s mechanics are not certified as Emergency Vehicle Technicians (EVT) in accordance with NFPA 1071. Pump tests are conducted annually in accordance with NFPA 1910, and preventative maintenance is conducted regularly.9 Other Capital Equipment
Emergency Medical Equipment
The Dinuba Fire Department utilizes six Stryker (previously Physio-Control) LIFEPAK 15 cardiac monitor/defibrillators capable of 12-lead ECG, oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal carbon dioxide (etCO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and blood pressure monitoring.

DFD maintains the Stryker-brand Power-PRO and Power-PRO XT powered ambulance cots with the Power-LOAD system in most medic units.

Other Capital Equipment
The Dinuba Fire Department maintains 30 MSA self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) manufactured in 2018. There are 26 MSA G1 models, two RescueAire II Rapid Intervention Team packs, and two G1 PremAire Cadet Escape Respirators. The department utilizes a Bauer SCBA compressor and a Novair Oxygen Generator compressor. DFD also carries a Holmatro™ SR 20 PC 2 hydraulic extrication tool.
9 NFPA 1910: Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Refurbishment, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles and Marine Firefighting Vessels.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
54 Section II:

SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
55 Dispatch & Emergency Communications
The Dinuba Police Department (DPD) Communications Center serves as the community’s primary 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). DPD communications staff function as a combination of call-takers and dispatchers. DFD incidents involving fires and other non-EMS incidents are dispatched through the DPD Communications Center. One of the critical issues identified by the Fire Chief is that the current police-based fire dispatch system creates firefighter safety concerns. This concern comes from dispatchers not being familiar with fire department operations, resources, or incident command.

When a call comes into the Dinuba Police Department and is identified as a medical call, the call is transferred to Tulare County Consolidated Ambulance Dispatch (TCCAD), which subsequently dispatches DFD ambulances. TCCAD provides Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) services and pre-arrival instructions to callers by utilizing ProQA Software to meet the standards developed by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

Computer-Aided Dispatch & Communications System
The DPD Communications Center utilizes the 1992 version of TracNet™ Public Safety Software for its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) System. The Dinuba Police Department’s CAD is unable to directly download data to the Fire Department’s record management system (Image Trend) While the system records specific time stamps for fire-related calls, the DPD Communications Center does not document ambulance response time data and operations information. Dispatch times for DFD ambulance response start when TCCAD receives the call and this information is automatically downloaded to the ePCR and RMS software. This limited data capturing from the primary PSAP (Dinuba Police Department)limits the full analysis of response time to priority calls.

The Dinuba Fire Department uses an encrypted UHF radio system. Dispatch information is pushed through the ActiveAlert Emergency Response Coordination Software application.

Ambulances and fire apparatus are equipped with mobile data computers (MDCs), and the ambulances have automatic vehicle location (AVL) technology. TCCAD utilizes the EMS Anyware application for call information and geographic information system (GIS) mapping features.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
56 Training & Continuing Medical Education
Training is the foundation of all aspects of emergency services. A firefighter’s ability to effectively utilize resources and equipment depends on the level and quality of training received and provided by the organization. The following section provides an overview of Dinuba Fire Department’s current training and continuing medical education (CME) programs, classes, and resources.

Training Administration & Resources
Administration & Management
Training is a significant component of an efficient and capable fire department. A battalion chief oversees fire and EMS training. No administrative support staff are specifically assigned to training. DFD utilizes its own certified instructors to conduct various California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) State Fire Training (SFT) courses when needed.

DFD utilizes TargetSolutions™ online training software, with classes scheduled a year in advance. Occasionally, personnel are sent to outside classes deemed valuable to the department or for succession planning.

The well-known and well-respected research consultant Gordan Graham described the necessity of focusing on “high-risk/low frequency” events. 10 This concept is evident in the
amount of training required for structure fires compared to actual call volume. While there are indications that management prioritizes training, DFD does not prepare or publish an annual training report or develop annual training goals and objectives.

Training Records
DFD utilizes its records management system to log training records. Required EMS and other certifications are recorded and tracked in the TargetSolutions™ software application.

Individual training records are available to the firefighters, officers, and other personnel.

Shift captains are responsible for ensuring the documentation of individual and companylevel training. In addition to the captains, the battalion chief who oversees training can also enter records.
10 Gordon Graham, http://www.gordongraham.com/about.html.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
57 Funding
The 2024 budget allocated to training was $30,341 from the General Fund and $47,628 from the Ambulance Fund.

Training Facilities & Resources
An organization must have adequate training facilities to prepare for the infrequency and inherent danger of structure fires. Substantial resources are necessary for the modern fire service to arm the trainer with the tools to provide realistic, practical, and verifiable training.

In early 2025, DFD completed another phase of its new standalone training center. The site has a Conex training tower and a future classroom under construction, which will have sufficient space for training, office space, and instructional material.

The following is a summary of the current training resources, facilities, and those anticipated to be available in the new training center.

Figure 28: Training Facilities & Resources
Facilities & Resources Dinuba Fire Department
Standalone training center Under construction: a 3-story container style Training tower Future tower with forcible entry & rappelling Adequate training ground space Under construction
Burn room at training building Fireblast mobile Class A burn room Live fire props Confined space, ventilation prop, etc. (Fireblast) Driver’s course/rodeo Under construction
SCBA obstacle course Yes (Fireblast)
Adequate classroom facility 1 current classroom, but small (2 in the future) Video, computers & simulations SimsUshare™ fire simulation & training software EMS equipment CPR & ETI manikins, cardiac rhythm simulators The maintenance of the Fireblast props and the surrounding area is poor and ineffective.

The props are stored in the Dinuba Public Works yard. It is hoped that when the construction of the training center is completed, this issue will be resolved.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
58 General Training Competencies
The following figure summarizes the general training topics and certification levels provided by the Dinuba Fire Department.

Figure 29: General Training Competencies by DFD
Training Competencies Dinuba Fire Department
Incident Command System ICS-100, 200, 700, & 800
Accountability Procedures Fire Ground Accountability Policy 304 & 306-RIC 2i–2o Training SOGs Lexipol™ policies
Training Safety Procedures No formal policies
Recruit Academy Yes. 2–4 weeks, depending on class size Special Rescue Training Confined space, rope rescue
HazMat Certifications First Responder Operations, decontamination Wildland Certifications Annual S-190 and RT-130 refresher training Vehicle Extrication Training Yes. Some have advanced training Driving Program Manipulative for recruits. All receive annual training Small Tools & Power Equip. Small tools, no. Yes, on power equipment Communications & Dispatch Policies 713 & 714 address these topics EMS CME Obtained through Target Solutions™
BLS & ALS Skills Practice Done on duty by single-role medics or ACLS instructor Initial EMT-Paramedic training courses are obtained through outside organizations. AP Triton encourages utilizing the California State Fire Training Driver Operator, Company Officer and Chief Officer development programs.

Training Methodologies & Delivery
AP Triton recommends that DFD consider a balanced EMS/Fire training program, which includes focused training, required recertification training, immersion training, and repetitive training.

The following figure is a graphic illustration of the components of a balanced training program.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
59 Figure 30: Balanced Training Program
Immersion Training
A common challenge for any training program is developing training that translates to improved efficacy. Current research supports the effectiveness of immersion training in creating the illusion of an actual event. Individuals face evolutions with a high level of realism, resulting in a metaphorical immunization of some of the event’s stress and challenges. An example would be an active shooter exercise that involves volunteer victims wearing “cut suits,” which allows a paramedic to perform advanced procedures while law enforcement stabilizes the scene11.

There are difficulties associated with these types of events. They tend to be labor-intensive and can be cost-prohibitive due to the overtime required. A solution to the problem is to create immersion training on a smaller scale and design the training to be mobile.

Training Repetition
Another perspective relates to the success found over the past ten years in King County, Washington. Efficacy has been shown based on the use of repetitive skills training to master specific skills. King County has demonstrated one of the highest advanced airway successes in the country based on redundant skills training. 12 Numerous organizations have
pursued and purchased high-fidelity simulators for enhanced EMS training. The simulators provide excellent real-time feedback during a training scenario. 11 American Journal of Disaster Medicine, Active Shooter Training. 12 FireEMS, Training for Success.

Training
Program
Mobility
Re-Certification
Training
Focused
Training
Immersion
Training
Repetitive
Training

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
60 The devices cost between $60,000 and $110,000, and limitations include extensive maintenance needs and a lack of mobility. However, they have proven effective in a hospital setting or training facility where the end-users are in one location.

A more cost-effective and proficient solution is the use of mid-fidelity manikins. Multiple manikins can be purchased and deployed throughout the organization for the same amount of funding. This option can provide training without significant drive times to central training facilities, allowing paramedics to have repetitive skill practice sessions.

Another benefit of mid-fidelity training manikins is the opportunity to develop proper sequencing. Identifying the order of critical interventions is critical to successful patient outcomes.

The previous concepts also apply to fireground training and the need for repetitive evolutions. Individuals can perform multiple evolutions and develop proper sequencing for critical tasks and objectives by decentralizing fire or special teams training.

Focused Training
Another component of a balanced training program is focused training. An organization’s training schedule should include a percentage of training reflecting retrospective statistical data from actual incidents. DFD should consider looking for areas of improvement relating to actual emergency responses.

Organizations must allocate disproportionate training to high-risk/low-frequency incidents to maintain fire-ground safety. AP Triton recognizes these limitations. Still, when possible, training should focus on service demand. The training program should look for additional patient care or service-level opportunities.

EMS Licensure, Certification, & Accreditation Data
In accordance with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority’s Certification and Licensure standards, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are required to be certified by the State through the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA), and paramedics are required to be licensed by the State of California. Additionally, LEMSAs establish accreditation programs for paramedics at the local level. The Dinuba Fire Department employs nine personnel who hold EMT credentials, but are not licensed as paramedics, and 18 licensed paramedics. At the time of this report, there are eight vacant positions requiring paramedic licensure, which would bring the total of employed paramedics to 26 at full staffing levels.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
61 The DFD and its employees adhere to all state and local requirements. The Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency (CCEMSA) is the regulatory authority for Tulare County, the jurisdiction in which Dinuba is located. The information in this section has been confirmed with CCEMSA to ensure accuracy.

EMS Education & Training
Becoming an EMT requires completing a locally approved training program, consisting of a minimum of 146 hours of didactic and skills training and 24 hours of clinical training. Many agencies and organizations also require completion of a field internship. Individuals in this field are required to certify through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), a nationwide system that tracks the status of certification, and successfully pass the NREMT Cognitive and Psychomotor exams. Within the State of California, EMTs are also required to be certified by a local EMS agency or authorized certifying entity. Paramedics must possess EMT certification and complete a paramedic training course, pass a written examination, and pass a practical examination. Paramedic accreditation with the CCEMSA is also required.

At present, three local paramedic programs are offered in the Dinuba area. The County of Fresno, College of the Sequoias, and Lemoore College all offer programs to EMTs interested in furthering their careers and attaining paramedic licensure.

EMTs and paramedics must participate in continuing education (CE) and complete a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) each licensing or certification period to maintain their active status. The DFD is authorized by the local EMS Authority to be a CE provider. The Fire Chief is currently the program supervisor.

EMTs are recertified every two years, which requires proof of 24 hours of EMS-approved CEUs and documented competency in ten skills. Paramedics renew their licenses every two years, which requires completion of a minimum of 48 CEUs.

The DFD adheres to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority’s established scopes of practice for EMTs and paramedics and does not currently provide any local optional scopes of practice, thereby eliminating the need for specialized training in this area.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
62 Training Delivery & Scheduling
The following figure summarizes the training methodologies utilized by DFD.

Figure 31: Methodologies Utilized in Training
Training Methodologies DFD
Manipulative skills & tasks High staff turnover requires this frequently Skills performance evaluations Only during probation
Fire training hours requirements 20 hours per month
EMS training hours requirements 24 hours annually
Annual training hours tracked Yes (including annual call volume) Use of lesson plans On occasion
Night drills Determined by duty Captains
Multi-agency drills Average once per month
Disaster drills Regional once or twice annually
Pre-fire planning included Provided during acting Captain training An organizational challenge identified in the analysis relates to a high turnover rate and the need for initial firefighter training. Future staffing challenges will require a balanced training program based on experience levels.

Personnel Trained
In 2024, records showed 35 DFD personnel attended trainings. The total combined training hours delivered that year were 7,412. Combined fire-related training hours comprised just over 6,977 hours, while emergency medical training represented 435 hours.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
63 Life Safety Services & Public Education
Life Safety Services Summary
Over the past few years, the DFD has made several improvements to their life safety community risk reduction program. Fire prevention, public education, and life safety code enforcement are crucial for ensuring community safety. Providing fire and life safety education to the public to reduce emergencies and train community members to respond appropriately during crises is fundamental to a comprehensive fire and life safety program.

This approach aligns with a fire department's core mission and demonstrates fiscal responsibility by preventing fires and minimizing human suffering.

A fire department must recognize the importance of fire prevention and public education.

Understanding their role in community planning is essential, especially in areas with diverse zoning, such as residential and commercial properties. The effectiveness of a life safety program relies on a comprehensive review and understanding of these aspects.

The following figure outlines the fundamental components of an effective life safety program, along with the necessary elements needed to address and enhance its effectiveness.

Figure 32: Life Safety Program Components
Program
Components Elements Needed
Fire Code
Enforcement
• Proposed construction and plans review
• New construction inspections
• Existing structure/occupancy inspections
• Fire protection systems design review and inspection
• Defensible space inspections
Public Education
• Public Education
• Specialized education
• Juvenile fire-setter intervention
• Prevention information dissemination
Fire Cause
Investigation
• Fire cause and origin determination
• Fire death investigation
• Arson investigation and prosecution
This structured approach ensures that the fire department is well-equipped to address the diverse challenges posed with different property types and zoning, thereby contributing to the overall safety and well-being of the community.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
64 Code Enforcement & Fire Prevention
Fire prevention is the most efficient strategy in fire management. A robust community risk reduction program, tailored to locally identified risks and by pertinent codes and ordinances, is a proactive measure to curtail property loss, save lives, and mitigate the potentially devastating impact on a community's economy.

This strategic approach minimizes fires and fosters a resilient and secure community environment by addressing potential risks and adhering to established safety measures and guidelines. The following figure lists the various code enforcement activities DFD provides.

Figure 33: DFD Code Enforcement Activities
Code Enforcement Activity DFD
Consulted on new construction Yes
Fees for new business inspections or reviews Yes
Hydrant flow records when completed Limited
Key-box entry program Yes
Perform plan reviews Yes
Sign-off on new construction Yes
Special risk inspections No
Storage tank inspections No
Company Inspections (pre-plan) Yes
The City has officially adopted the 2022 California Fire Code with local amendments and a local sprinkler ordinance. The fire department participates in weekly development review meetings with planning, building, public works, and parks departments to review construction, occupancy changes, and tenant improvements.

The department performs fire and life safety plan reviews, provides sign-off on new construction, and charges fees for business inspections, plan reviews, and inspections related to fire alarms and kitchen hoods. Inspections of commercial buildings and properties enable DFD to educate the public and business owners about fire safety and the importance of complying with the fire code. Fire and life safety inspections incorporate three of the five E’s: education, engineering, and enforcement. Each of these methods plays a role in reducing risks through mitigation or prevention.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
65 Although California does not require inspections of all commercial buildings, the following figure provides examples of occupancy types based on the International Building Code (IBC) and the associated risks for determining when commercial buildings should be inspected.

Figure 34: Occupancy Classifications
Risk IBC Group Examples
High
A-1, A-2
Nightclubs, restaurants, theaters, airport/cruise ship
terminals.

A-3, A-4, A-5 Arenas, museums, religious.

H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4, H-5 Hazardous materials sites (Tier II).

B
All government & public buildings, other office
buildings over two stories.

E Schools, daycare centers.

I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4 Hospitals, assisted living centers, correctional.

M Strip malls, closed-air shopping malls, big box stores.

R-1, R-3
Hotels, motels, dormitories, apartments, board &
care facilities.

Special Risk Railroads, interstate highways, airports.
(Target hazard) Any building with life safety risk beyond the reach of preconnected hose lines > 200 feet.

Moderate
B
Outpatient clinics, general business, offices < 3
stories.

F-1
Fabrication or manufacturing of combustible
materials.

M Mercantile, free-standing.

I-2, R-4 Foster group homes, assisted living homes.

S-1
Storage of combustible materials, car repair
facilities, hangars.

Low
F-2 Fabrication or manufacturing of non-combustibles.

R-1, R-2 1- and 2-family dwellings, foster homes.

S-2 Storage of combustible materials.

U Barns, silos, and other unclassified buildings.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
66 Most fire departments inspect publicly assessable occupancies annually or biannually. This allows department personnel to preplan for emergencies, confirm compliance with the fire code, and ensure the business has proper permits or licenses. NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public Education, provides guidelines for minimum inspection frequency, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 35: NFPA Minimum Inspection Frequency
Occupancy Risk Classification Frequency
High Annually
Moderate Bi-annually
Low Tri-annually
Critical Infrastructure Per AHJ*
*Authority Having Jurisdiction
Annual inspections cover a wide range of occupancies, including Assembly, Business, Educational, Institutional, Residential, Mercantile, Industrial, and Storage. Two full-time and one part-time staff members manage or perform the fire prevention inspection program. Its inspection records are not stored in a computerized records management system. Everything is still completed on paper and in files.

Administrative citations are issued for unresolved violations, with appeals managed through a hearing officer. The department uses Knox Boxes for key entries and maintains partial hydrant flow records in FireRMS.

Fire Investigation
DFD conducts origin and cause investigations through trained personnel, including the battalion chief, captains, and inspectors. Investigators are certified at a minimum of Investigator I level and participate in the local Fire Investigation Taskforce (FIT) with partner agencies.

DFD collaborates with law enforcement for arson investigations and juvenile fire-setter cases, the latter handled through the Tulare-Kings Youth Fire-Setter Program. Evidence is secured in lockers at the police department, and fire investigators photograph it.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
67 Data & Planning
DFD uses FireRMS to track fire incidents by cause, location, time of day, dispatch, and response times. These records are used for operational analysis, such as response time mapping. The department does not currently collect alarm method data or produce formal reports for distribution.

No current Community Risk Assessment (CRA) or Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Plan exists. The most recent planning document is the 2014 Master Plan.

Public Education Efforts Summary
Personnel & Oversight
The Battalion Chief of Prevention and Investigations manages public education efforts. At this time, no full-time public educators are assigned to the department.

Education Topics and Delivery
School programs and station tours include education on how to call 9-1-1 and Exit Drills in the Home (EDITH) and information on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The department's social media platforms deliver fire safety messages related to cooking, electrical hazards, and chimney maintenance.

Fire extinguisher use is taught upon request, especially to local businesses. The department offers CPR courses and blood pressure checks. However, no current programs address injury prevention, elderly safety, babysitting classes, or fire brigade training.

The department distributes fire prevention pamphlets at public events, including bilingual materials. There is no standardized curriculum for school outreach, and wildland interface education is not provided. The department takes part in a juvenile fire-setter program and presents an annual fire prevention report to the City Council.

Weed Abatement Program
Dinuba is located in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley, an area characterized by dry, hot summers, dense residential areas, and seasonal vegetation growth. These factors contribute to a significant risk of vegetation fires, particularly on vacant parcels and undermaintained properties within city limits. In response, the Dinuba Fire Department administers a robust Weed Abatement and Vegetation Management Program rooted in Chapter 9.18 of the Dinuba Municipal Code.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
68 Program Administration
The Fire Chief is the designated enforcement officer for this program. Fire inspectors and designated deputies are empowered to conduct inspections, issue notices, and oversee abatement efforts.

DFD collaborates with the City’s public works, code enforcement, and communications departments to ensure timely messaging, efficient resource deployment, and community engagement.

Outreach and Education
DFD conducts a three-pronged outreach effort annually to promote voluntary compliance and raise community awareness. Postcards are sent to all parcels that received abatement notices the previous year. Social media reminders are posted on the department’s platforms. Utility bill inserts include seasonal weed abatement messaging for all residents.

These efforts are launched in early spring to align with the growing season and fire weather risk profile.

Inspection & Enforcement Protocol
Approximately two weeks after the initial outreach campaign, fire inspectors conduct citywide visual inspections of all properties. Any non-compliant parcel is issued a 30-day Notice to Abate Weeds and Rubbish. Notices are mailed and may also be posted on-site, per Municipal Code §9.18.060. 15-day extensions may be granted upon request if the property owner demonstrates good faith progress or submits an abatement plan.

If no action is taken, administrative citations are issued. In extreme cases, the City performs abatement, with costs recorded as a special assessment lien on the property (§9.18.140).

Seasonal & Emergency Abatement
For properties with a history of violations, a seasonal nuisance designation allows direct action in future years without needing a new hearing (§9.18.080). In cases posing imminent fire danger, the fire department may conduct emergency abatement without prior notice (§9.18.090).

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
69 Defensible Space & Vegetation Management Gaps
Although the City prioritizes weed abatement on vacant lots and visible properties, defensible space enforcement around structures remains challenging due to limited staffing and statutory focus. DFD encourages voluntary compliance with defensible space best practices (e.g., 100 ft clearance) and performs inspections on request.

An opportunity exists to enhance this effort by integrating defensible space inspections into annual workflows, partnerships with code enforcement and civic groups, and consideration of municipal code amendments to include mandatory defensible space requirements in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Public Right-of-Way & Adjacent Parcels
Per §9.18.100, property owners are responsible for maintaining their own parcels and the adjacent public right-of-way. The City may abate these areas and bill the owner for both the parcel and adjoining areas.

Cost Recovery & Lien Process
All abatement costs, including labor, administration, and materials, are recovered via special assessment liens added to property tax rolls (§§9.18.130–9.18.160). The Fire Chief prepares expense statements and confirms them via City Council resolution.

Program Enhancements Under Consideration
• Development of a risk-based prioritization system using GIS data and historical fire incidents
• Creation of an online abatement reporting tool for residents • Partnership with school groups or conservation corps for low-cost vegetation removal
• Integration with the City’s broader CRR strategies and public safety campaigns

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
70 Special Operations & Other Programs
Over the years, the fire service has expanded its scope to include special operational responses, such as hazardous materials (HazMat) and technical rescue responses. These capabilities were integrated in response due to increasing needs, associated risks to responders, and limited similarities to fire incident mitigation. This section describes DFD’s limited HazMat and technical rescue capabilities.

Technical Rescue Operations
An area of specialized response is rescuing people from dangerous situations. Traditionally, the fire service was only responsible for rescuing individuals from fires. Over time, this role expanded to include removing victims from a variety of hazardous situations, some of which required specialized equipment and training. Collectively, this specialty became known as Technical Rescue.

General Risk
Like other suburban areas in California, DFD's general risk is its roadways, light industrial, and post-earthquake situations. A significant risk involves patients requiring vehicle extrication after motor vehicle accidents. In the hillside areas, rescues may require a high or low-angle approach. Additionally, built-up areas are at risk of building collapse, confined spaces, or below-grade rescues, especially after an earthquake.

High & Low Angle Rescue
Removing a victim from an elevated or below-grade situation may require a high or lowangle rescue approach. The high-angle rescue typically has the entire weight of the rescuer and/or victim suspended perpendicular to the ground. When rescuers use a lowangle rescue technique, the victim and responders are hoisted out of a situation with the assistance of ropes. In a low-angle rescue, weight-bearing is accomplished by direct or indirect ground contact. DFD personnel are trained at the operations level or incident support level for high- and low-angle rescues.

Collapse, Confined Space, Trench, & Below-Grade Rescue
Building collapses, extrications in confined or hazardous environments, trench collapses, and below-grade rescues all require specialized equipment and additional training.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
71 Understanding the physics and balance of rubble or earth during the collapse of buildings or trenches requires special training. Collapse scenario hazards, equipment, and human limitations of confined and below-grade responses also require additional equipment. DFD personnel are minimally trained for building and trench collapses and confined space rescues.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal of California does not list technical rescue among the standardized and recognized certifications. This leaves the level of hazard and certification up to the responding agency. The NFPA Standard 1006: Technical Rescue Personnel Professional Qualifications does specify 20 rescue specialties. Each rescue specialty is broken into the awareness, operations, and technician levels.

The department’s training program follows national requirements and guidelines to meet the minimum qualifications for first responders. Due to the limited on-duty personnel, technical rescue will require outside assistance, even if the department has members trained at the appropriate level. The following figure illustrates the incidents that DFD fire suppression personnel are trained and equipped to handle.

Figure 36: Technical Rescue Response
Technical Rescue Capabilities DFD
Confined space rescue Yes
High and low angle rescue Yes
Trench collapse rescue No
Structural collapse rescue No
Vehicle/machinery rescue Yes
Surface water and swiftwater rescue No
Partnership with regional agency/Auto-Aid No
DFD relies on assistance from the region's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams for confined space, structural collapse, and swift water. The department must request additional staffing, units, and specialized rescue equipment through the operational area or OES Region 5.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
72 Hazardous Materials Response
Hazardous materials are common in most, if not all, communities across the United States.

Since the 1970s, it has become standard for fire departments and districts to respond to and mitigate hazardous materials events. However, each agency must align its level of service to the risk associated with its areas of responsibility, using sound fiscal and risk management policies. While no agency should ignore this risk, there are several approaches available for a response.

First, agencies may take a non-active role by training their first responders to be aware of the hazard and to contact the appropriate agencies to deal with the incident.

They may take a response and defense stance, whereby responders are moderately equipped and trained at the operational level to defend people and property without entering the hazardous zones.

Finally, some agencies may choose to equip and train their responders to enter the highhazard and dangerous zones directly, using specialized equipment and technician-level training.

Agencies also have the option to take any combination of these three approaches.

General Risk
Like most communities nationwide, DFD communities have a low to moderate hazardous materials risk. They face small quantities of hazardous materials, generally in private dwellings, mercantile businesses, and more significant amounts, primarily through the road and highway system.

Hazardous Materials Response
DFD trains and equips its responders with defensive tactics in mind. All responders receive HazMat training and are certified at the HazMat first responder operations level. The apparatus's equipment includes limited absorbent materials and gas monitoring, but extended or specialized response requires outside assistance from the city of Visalia, which staffs a Type 1 Hazardous Materials Team. This unit is available via a regional hazardous material emergency response agreement.

The department’s training program meets the minimum qualifications for first responders, following national requirements and guidelines. The Dinuba Fire Department has fire suppression personnel trained to the following levels.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
73 Figure 37: Hazardous Materials Response
Hazardous Materials Capabilities DFD
Annual HazMat training hours 8 hours/year
Staff certified at the Awareness level 9
Staff certified at the Operations level 20
Staff certified at the Technician/Specialist level 0
Staff certified as HazMat Safety Officer 0
Staff certified as HazMat Incident Commander 4
Partnership with regional agency/Auto-Aid Yes
Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness
The Tulare Operational Area (OA) consists of Dinuba, Tulare County, and other cities and special districts within the county boundaries. Dinuba, in conjunction with Tulare County, is engaged in emergency management and disaster preparedness at various levels. The City has developed an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), last updated in 2018, which addresses the City’s overall response to situations, including, but not limited to, natural disasters, technological emergencies, and national security-related incidents or events.7 Dinuba’s City Manager serves as the Emergency Manager and Director of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Department heads, including the Fire Chief and Police Chief, serve as incident advisors. DFD staff play a limited role in the emergency management process beyond day-to-day response operations.

Tulare County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) provides multi-jurisdictional and interagency coordination should an event within Dinuba become more significant or need additional support.

In addition, Dinuba is a signatory, along with seven other incorporated cities, nine special districts, and Tulare County, to the County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan8 (LHMP), last updated in March 2023. This revised plan was last approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2023.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
74 Section III:

COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
75 Community Profile
Demographics
Population
The population and demographics can influence the type of services provided in a community. Social conditions such as poverty, the locations of high-risk areas, and housing types can impact the service delivery provided by DFD.

The City's population directly affects the service delivered by DFD. Data from the United States Census shows a population of 21,453 in 2010, increasing to 25,573 in 2024, a growth rate of 19.2%. The City’s population has seen steady growth, in contrast to the state, which has experienced a decline of more than half a million people since 2021, with a marginal improvement in 2024.13
The figure below shows the population estimates from 2010 to 2024, provided by the California Department of Finance.
14 Figure 38: Population Estimates (2010–2024)
The following figure shows the population density of Dinuba. 13 California’s population keeps shrinking, https://ktla.com/news/california/californias-populationkeeps-shrinking. 14 California Department of Finance Website, https://dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Demographics/ Estimates/.
21,453
21,764
22,359
22,825
23,209
23,428
23,672
23,724
23,896
24,166
24,586
25,008
25,237
25,458
25,573
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
76 Figure 39: Population Density

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
77 At-Risk Populations
At-risk populations require additional support and resources, increasing service demands for emergency responders. The National Fire Data Center identifies certain groups as more vulnerable to injury or fatality in fires and other emergencies due to physical, cognitive, or socioeconomic factors.
15 These groups include:
• Children under 5 years of age: Young children have limited mobility, underdeveloped cognitive abilities, and a reduced capacity to react quickly in emergency situations. They are highly dependent on caregivers for evacuation and are at increased risk of smoke inhalation and burns due to their smaller lung capacity and thinner skin.
• Older adults (55 and above, with the greatest risk at 85+): Aging populations face challenges such as reduced mobility, slower reaction times, and pre-existing medical conditions that increase their risk in fires, medical emergencies, and disasters. Those over 85 often require assistance with daily living activities, making them particularly vulnerable in emergencies.
• Gender disparities in fire risk: Studies indicate that men are more likely to suffer firerelated fatalities and injuries due to risk-taking behaviors, occupational exposures, and higher rates of impairment from alcohol or substance use in fire incidents.

Meanwhile, women, particularly elderly women living alone, may experience increased vulnerability due to reduced physical strength and mobility. • People with disabilities: Individuals with physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments may have difficulty evacuating, detecting hazards, or communicating their needs during emergencies. This group includes those with mobility impairments, vision or hearing loss, and intellectual or developmental disabilities, all of which require tailored emergency response strategies.

Data from the 2022 U.S. Census American Community Survey five-year estimates identified several groups in these categories that are more likely to need emergency services, specifically EMS, than other populations.16 According to the 2022 U.S. Census American Community Survey, Dinuba's demographic profile includes several at-risk groups:
15 United States Fire Administration, National Fire Data Center, Fire Risk in 2019. 16 U.S. Census Bureau.

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
78 Age
A person's age in a high-risk population directly relates to an increase in unintentional injuries and death or injury from a fire. Older adults are 2.6 times more likely to die in a fire than the overall United States population. These age-related risks increase service demand, specifically for older adults who require additional medical care. 17 Children under the age of five are at more risk because of their inability to care for themselves and their need for additional assistance during an emergency. Recent trend data (2018) from the U.S. Fire Administration indicate that the relative risk of dying in a fire for this age group has decreased by 30% over the last ten years, which is attributed to increased fire prevention and education efforts. The percentage of children under five in Dinuba is 7.3%, compared to the state of California at 5.4%. This segment may require specialized fire and injury prevention programs, such as childproofing education and pediatric emergency response training.

Just over 34% of residents are under 18. While adolescents are generally at lower risk for firerelated fatalities, their inexperience in handling emergencies and potential for risk-taking behavior warrant targeted public education initiatives.

Adults over 65 make up 9.1% of the population, which is less than the state average of

16.2%. Those aged 85 and older comprise 1.9% of the population, compared to the state average of 0.9%. With an aging population, DFD must anticipate an increased demand for EMS services, fall-related injuries, chronic health condition management, and assisted evacuation planning.

The following figure shows the percentage of children under five years, 65 years and older, and those aged 85 and older.
17 U.S. Fire Administration website

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
79 Figure 40: Age Risks
Gender
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, females make up 51% of the population. However, between 2015 and 2019, males accounted for 57% of fire-related deaths and 55% of firerelated injuries—making them approximately 1.3 times more likely than females to be affected. Based on fire department reports, 12% of males were impaired by alcohol, compared to 6% of females. Twenty percent of females with a disability died in home fires compared to males at 16%. Middle-aged males had a higher rate of deaths from intentionally set fires, while females 75 and older were more likely to be injured in a cooking fire than males.
18 49.8% of Dinuba's population is female. Older women, particularly those living alone, may have reduced access to emergency assistance and face higher risks of fire-related injuries and medical emergencies due to mobility limitations and chronic conditions. 18 National Fire Protection Association, Home Fire Victims by Age and Gender, December 2021.

7.3% 9.1%

1.9%

5.4%

16.2%

0.9%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%
< 5 years > 65 years > 85 years
Dinuba California

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
80 The following figure shows gender percentages by age in Dinuba.

Figure 41: Gender by Age
Age Groups Male Female
Under 5 years 8.3% 6.3%
5 to 9 years 9.8% 9.4%
10 to 14 years 14.8% 7.4%
15 to 19 years 9.6% 10.7%
20 to 24 years 6.5% 6.7%
25 to 29 years 4.4% 6.6%
30 to 34 years 7.1% 8%
35 to 39 years 7.9% 6.4%
40 to 44 years 7% 9.5%
45 to 49 years 3.9% 4.7%
50 to 54 years 4.4% 4.3%
55 to 59 years 5.2% 5.6%
60 to 64 years 2.7% 4.4%
65 to 69 years 2.6% 4.1%
70 to 74 years 2.8% 1.9%
75 to 79 years 1.6% 1.4%
80 to 84 years 0.9% 1.1%
85 years and over 0.6% 1.3%

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
81 Additional Demographics
Disabilities
The residential population with disabilities is 6.6% in Dinuba compared to the state at 7.3%.

This population group may be unable to self-evacuate from a building during an emergency or need additional medical services because of their disability. This may create demand for medical services, specifically as they age. The following figure depicts the percentage of people with a disability.

Figure 42: Population with a Disability

6.6%

7.3%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%
Dinuba California

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
82 Language Barriers
DFD may encounter someone who requires a different type of communication. The number of people over five who speak a language other than English is approximately 63%, which is higher than the state at 44.1%. This population may not understand smoke alarm technology which is intended to provide early warning during a fire, thereby increasing the risk of injuries or death in their home. The following figure illustrates the percentage of people who face a language barrier.

Figure 43: Language Barriers

63.0%

44.1%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%
Dinuba California

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
83 Poverty & Income
Low wages or income create challenges in a community that can lead to poverty.

Meeting a person’s basic needs can reduce the risk of fires or medical incidents. People living below the poverty level are considered at the highest risk when combined with other factors such as education levels, disabilities, or being unable to work. Low incomes impact families with children, lead to lower educational scores, and create mental health issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted these families, as schools were closed and childcare was unavailable. Low income can lead to higher mental health impacts in the community. A report from the World Economic Forum states that depression and anxiety are nearly three times as likely in people with low incomes.

In Dinuba, 28.2% of the population lives in poverty, which is higher than the state rate of 12%. The higher poverty levels correspond to lower incomes, and the City's median household income of $59,048 is lower than the state's median household income of $96,334. The following figure shows the poverty rate.

Figure 44: Population in Poverty

28.2%

12.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%
Dinuba California

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
84 Persons without Health Insurance
Populations without adequate health care can burden service delivery and increase the rate of medical incidents. Lack of health insurance may affect lower-income populations at a higher rate, as they often cannot afford medical visits. In Dinuba, 10.3% of the population is without health insurance, which is higher than the state average of 7.4%. The following figure provides the percentage of people without health insurance.

Figure 45: Population without Health Insurance

10.3%

7.4%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%
Dinuba California

Master Plan/CRA-SOC Study Dinuba Fire Department
85 Education Levels
Educational attainment is not considered one of the at-risk populations, but is recognized as another risk group when developing fire and life safety education programs. In Dinuba, 77% of the population has an average educational attainment level below the degree level, which is lower than the state average. At the same time, 18% of the population has less than a 9th-grade education. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher comprise only

13.6%, which is significantly lower than the state's rate of 36.5%. The following figure provides information on the levels of education in Dinuba.

Figure 46: Education Levels

8.6%

27.3%

23.3%

9.1%

13.6%

6.7%

20.4%

19.8%

7.9%

36.5%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%
9th to 12th grade,
no diploma
High school
graduate
Some college, no
degree
Associate's
degree
Bachelor's
degree or higher
Dinuba California

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86 Race & Ethnicity
Race is considered a person's identification with a social group, such as White, Black, African American, and Asian, while ethnicity identifies someone based on nationality, religion, language, or culture. The following figure illustrates the representation of race and ethnicity in Dinuba compared to the state.

Figure 47: Race and Ethnicity
Race and Ethnicity Dinuba California
White alone 38.7% 70.4%
Black alone 0.3% 6.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 1.1% 1.7%
Asian alone 0.9% 16.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0.0% 0.5% Two or More Races 22.0% 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 88.4% 40.4%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino 8.3% 34.3%
Notes: (a) Alone includes persons reporting only one race. (b)Hispanics may be of any race, so they are also included in applicable race categories. Data was sourced directly from the U.S. Census QuickFacts page.

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87 Housing Characteristics
Housing types can vary within a community, providing insight into ownership, the age of the homes, and the number of units in the building. Dinuba has many vacant housing units.

Vacant structures can pose a risk for the fire department and community if the building is not secured to prevent entry. If the building is not maintained, the structural integrity can degrade and present problems during a fire. Vandalism may create additional problems for the fire department and law enforcement.

Data from the NFPA states that from 2015 to 2019, 75% of fire deaths occurred in homes, and 57% were male.

Housing Ownership
Homeownership in Dinuba is 61.6%, more than the California state at 55.8%. The following figure shows the percentage of owner and renter-occupied housing in Dinuba and the state.

Figure 48: Owner and Renter Occupied Housing

61.6%

38.4%

55.8%

44.2%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%
Owner-occupied Renter-occupied
Dinuba California

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88 Age of Housing
As buildings age, the cost of maintaining the structure increases over time. Homes built before smoke alarm installation requirements create a higher risk if none are present. In Dinuba, 47% of homes were built before 1980—prior to the implementation of most building code requirements for smoke alarm installations. Working smoke alarms have reduced fire deaths and provided an early warning during the event of a fire. New codes now require smoke alarms for new residential properties in each bedroom, hall, and floor. The following figure provides the housing age by decade.

Figure 49: Age of Housing

1.3%

14.4%

11.5%

16.0%

9.9%

16.8%

13.0%

6.3%

4.0%

6.9%

0.8%

6.2%

11.1%

10.3%

14.9%

17.0%

12.7%12.7%

5.5%

8.9%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%
2020 or
later
2010-2019 2000-2009 1990-1999 1980-1989 1970-1979 1960-1969 1950-1959 1940-1949 1939 or earlier
Dinuba California

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89 Housing Units
In Dinuba, 80.9% of residents live in one- or two-family dwellings, compared to 66.9% statewide. This higher percentage reflects homeownership. The number of buildings with 20 or more units is 4.4%, much lower than the state's 13.4%. The following figure lists the percentage of housing units by building.

Figure 50: Housing Units per Building

80.9%

3.3% 4.6% 4.5% 4.4% 2.4%

66.9%

5.4% 5.7% 4.9%

13.4%

3.6%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%
1-2 3-4 5-9 10-19 >20 Mobile, other
Dinuba California

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90 Environmental & Physical Hazards
All communities are continually threatened by physical hazards daily. Hazards can range from wildfires, earthquakes, flooding from heavy rains, or droughts. Mitigation plans provide the public and emergency responders with information to understand the risks and prepare for an event.

Weather Conditions
The climate can affect Dinuba year-round and may impact DFD's emergency response.

Whether it's a thunderstorm or another severe weather event, the fire department is expected to respond whenever called—regardless of the conditions.

Temperature
The weather conditions in an area can impact the fire department and the entire community throughout the year.19 When temperatures are high, they can significantly impact firefighters during extended incident operations, requiring rehabilitation to prevent heat exhaustion. The average high temperatures range from a low of 58°F in December to a high of 98°F in July. In July 2024, the average high temperature exceeded 98°F, well above the monthly average. The following figure provides the average monthly high temperature.
19 Iowa Environmental Menoset website, Napa County Airport.

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91 Figure 51: Average Monthly High Temperatures (2011–2024) The average monthly low temperature is 37°F in December while the warmest occurs in July at 66°F. The following figure shows the average monthly low temperatures. 58 63 68
76 84
93 98 97 91
81 67
58 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
110
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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92 Figure 52: Average Monthly Low Temperature (2011–2024) Heat can affect fireground operations. When combined with high humidity, the temperature may feel much higher and require firefighters' rehabilitation. The figure below shows the National Weather Services Heat Index chart.20 20 National Weather Service website.
39 40
45 49
55 61
66 64
60 51
41 37
30 40
50 60
70 80
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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93 Figure 53: National Weather Service Heat Index Chart

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94 Winds
Wind speed and direction influence how DFD manages events like wildfires or hazardous materials incidents. The highest average winds occur between April and June of each year.21 The following figure shows the average monthly wind speeds in miles per hour.

Figure 54: Average Monthly Wind Speeds (2011–2024)
21 Ibid.
3 4
5 6
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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95 The prevalent winds are from the Northwest, as shown in the following figure of the wind rose from the Visalia Muni reporting station.

Figure 55: Wind Rose

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96 Precipitation
The lack of precipitation for an extended period creates problems in a community.

Drought increases the hazards of wildland fires as the vegetative moisture content decreases and generates higher combustible fuels. Insufficient rainfall affects the ability to grow crops and maintain landscaping. The months with the highest precipitation in inches in Dinuba occur between December and March, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 56: Average Monthly Precipitation (2011–2024)

1.3 0.9

1.6 0.7

0.2 0.1 0.03 0.0

0.1 0.4

0.7 1.4

0.0 0.5

1.0 1.5

2.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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97 Drought Conditions
Dinuba has a relatively flat landscape and an elevation of approximately 330 feet above sea level. Its climate can be described as dry Mediterranean. The summers are hot and dry, and the winters are characterized by moderate temperatures and light precipitation.

Drought conditions affect Dinuba, as the City's economy is largely based on agriculture and food production.

Dinuba has frequently faced drought conditions. There have been several intense drought periods over the last decade, classified by the US Drought Monitor (USDM) as category D4—Exceptional Drought (0-2 percentile) and D3—Extreme Drought (2-5 percentile). The following figure shows the drought conditions of Dinuba, Tulare County, during the past.

Figure 57: Drought Conditions (2011–2024)22
22 https://www.drought.gov/location/Dinuba,%20CA,%20USA

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98 Physical Hazards
A physical hazard is generally described as a natural disaster or weather event that affects the community. The event may last a few hours or extend for a lengthy period, such as a heatwave or drought. The National Weather Service (NWS) issues advisories, watches, or warnings for these hazards when conditions exist or are in the immediate forecast. Based upon previously occurring incidents and the risk assessment, various hazards will likely affect Dinuba, including fire, extreme heat, drought, and flood. Other hazards present vulnerabilities, but to a lesser extent.

Wildland Fires
Dinuba is a Local Responsibility Area (LRA). The surrounding areas frequently experience numerous fire incidents, some of which are highly hazardous. There are High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (HFHZs) well outside Dinuba. Dinuba—particularly its Fire Department — takes a proactive approach to managing and controlling both wildland and residential fires. DFD maintains and updates the emergency operations plan and coordinates local response and relief activities within the emergency operations center. DFD works closely with county, state, and federal partners to support planning and training, provide information, and coordinate assistance.

DFD provides both hazard awareness and mitigating actions that address the causes of fire, containment, and fire protection. DFD plans are based on the proper regulations and advance preparations for safeguarding public health, conservation, and safety to life and property from fire and related hazards.

Wildland fire-prone areas classified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) are located east of Dinuba’s city limits. These areas must be considered in hazard analysis, emergency response planning, and the development of future mitigation strategies. The following figure illustrates the locations of fire hazard severity zones and the intensity of wildland fires.

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99 Figure 58: Fire Severity

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Figure 59: Wildland Urban Interface

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Flooding
Based on previously occurring incidents and the risk assessment, flooding is one of the most likely hazards to affect Dinuba. Flood incidents result in structural damage and lost economic activity. Flooding occurs in the City during periods of heavy rain due to inadequate drainage. The flat geography also contributes to ponding. The Dinuba Town Ditch has flooded the City's downtown area in the past.

Flooding may significantly impact agriculture, the City's primary economic driver, and represents a critical vulnerability. Additionally, it exposes vulnerabilities in infrastructure.

Specifically, flooding from the Dinuba Town Ditch represents a hazard to downtown Dinuba. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has classified areas in Dinuba as regulated waterways.23
23 FEMA Flood Map Service Center website.

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Figure 60: Flood Zones

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Earthquakes
Depending on the severity and location, an earthquake may damage infrastructure. If roads or highways are damaged, assistance from outside agencies may be delayed, impacting the community. Other impacts include loss of utilities, damage to buildings, injuries, and loss of life.

There are no major faults in Dinuba. However, there are faults to the east of the City, including the Quaternary Fault. The City is distant from known active faults and will experience lower levels of shaking less frequently. In most earthquakes, only weaker, masonry buildings would be damaged.

The probability of an earthquake is considered likely, even though to a small degree, in the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The following figure shows the earthquake proneness and earth shaking potential.

Figure 20: Earthquakes and Earth Shaking Potential24
24 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/scenarios/eventpage/sclegacyardentsentry2015_se/map

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The earthquake prone region, near major, active faults, will on average experience stronger earthquake shaking more frequently. The intense shaking can damage even strong, modern buildings.

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Critical Infrastructure
Critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) explain what is crucial for a community to function in a modern economy. Critical infrastructure is defined as a sector “whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.” There are sixteen defined Critical Infrastructure Sectors (CIS):25 • Chemical Sector
• Commercial Facilities Sector
• Communications Sector
• Critical Manufacturing Sector
• Dams Sector
• Defense Industrial Base Sector
• Emergency Services Sector
• Energy Sector
• Financial Services Sector
• Food and Agriculture Sector
• Government Facilities Sector
• Healthcare and Public Health Sector
• Information Technology Sector
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
• Transportation Systems Sector
• Water and Wastewater Systems Sector
All these sectors may not be in Dinuba; each community must determine critical infrastructure locations and develop pre-incident plans for responding personnel.

Other buildings to consider as target hazards could include occupancies with a potential for a significant loss of life, such as places of public assembly, schools, childcare centers, medical and residential care facilities, and multi-family dwellings. Other considerations include buildings with substantial value to the community—economic loss, replacement cost, or historical significance—that, if damaged or destroyed, would have a significant negative impact.
25 Infrastructure Security, Department of Homeland Security.

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Target Hazards
A target hazard is a location or facility that poses a risk to the community. The CIKR provides a list of sectors that are critical to a community. Target hazards also include highvalue buildings and historic or cultural sites. Identifying these locations allows a fire department to prepare for potential emergencies and ensure they have the appropriate resources and strategies to prevent, respond, and mitigate risks.

Hazardous Materials
Events that occur without warning or that are unknown and suddenly appear are considered technological hazards. Examples include industrial accidents or hazardous chemical releases. Each community should develop contingency plans tailored to the specific risks within its jurisdiction. This may include permitting, periodic fire and life safety inspections, and pre-incident planning. These activities are designed to reduce risks and provide on-site visits for fire department personnel.

If a building or facility that stores or produces hazardous materials has been identified, it may require special personal protective clothing and equipment to control or mitigate the event. Locations with hazardous materials on-site for any time during the year exceeding the limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are required to file Tier II reports. These reports are provided to local jurisdictions, local emergency planning committees, and the State’s Emergency Response Commission as required by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, also known as SARA Title III. These thresholds require submission:
• Ten thousand pounds for hazardous chemicals
• Lesser of 500 pounds or the threshold planning quantity for highly hazardous chemicals
• California requires additional reporting quantities through a five-tier system that authorizes the treatment and storage of hazardous waste DFD personnel are trained in hazardous materials response, ranging from awareness, operational, and technicians.

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The frequency of occurrence of a hazard related to hazardous materials is categorized as likely, i.e., between 10 and 100% probability in the next year or at least one chance in ten years, per the Tulare County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJLHMP) March 2023. The extent and magnitude of the hazard of hazardous materials are classified as limited, with significance classified as low. But the potential locations are widespread as the entire City comes under the range of the hazardous materials. There are no storage locations of Tier II hazardous materials in Dinuba. However, the hazardous materials are available in various locations in the City in varied quantities. Hazardous materials are available in commercial and industrial locations in higher quantities as compared to other areas.

The following figure shows the possible storage locations of hazardous materials in high quantities in the commercial and industrial areas depicted in red shades.

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Figure 61: Hazardous Materials Locations

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Highways & Roads
Emergency personnel need a transportation network to respond efficiently to an incident.

A delayed response can occur without a system of interconnected roads and streets.

Interconnectivity provides multiple access points to a location if another approach is unavailable. Many of the streets in Dinuba are on a grid system, while others are winding and interspersed with cul-de-sacs with only one access point.

There are no state highways that traverse Dinuba. Dinuba is located 12 miles east of State Highway 99 (SR 99) from the Mountain View exit. City streets and county roads are designated for truck routes to serve local shops and regional industries. However, some of these truck routes are accommodated for heavy-duty trucks. SR 99 is the transportation backbone of Tulare County and the San Joaquin Valley. It runs 275 miles (54 miles in Tulare County) through the Valley from I-5 in southern Kern County north to the San Joaquin/Sacramento County border. SR 99 has an estimated truck traffic of 11 to 16 thousand per day.

The following figure shows the location of major roadways in Dinuba.

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Figure 62: Major Roads of Dinuba
Dinuba's main arterial roads are Alta Avenue (Road 80), which runs north to south, and El Monte Way (Ave 416), which runs east to west. Regional travel in Dinuba is provided primarily by El Monte Way and Alta Avenue. Key commercial/mixed-use streets in Dinuba’s historic downtown core include Tulare Street and portions of H, I, J, K, L, and M Streets. The following figure shows the main transit routes of Dinuba.

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Figure 63: Dinuba Area Regional Transit System26
26 https://www.dinuba.org/images/docs/forms/Dinuba_Tranit%20Guide.pdf

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Energy
The ability to provide energy is a necessary component of a thriving community. The community relies on various energy sources, including electricity generation and transmission systems, fuel distribution and storage tanks, as well as natural gas pipelines and regulator stations.

Electricity
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) provides electricity to Dinuba through its electric distribution network of lines, backbone, and local transmission pipelines, and various other facilities.

Several high-voltage electrical transmission lines, operated by PG&E, pass through or terminate in Dinuba. PG&E operates Reedley-Dinuba #1, Reedley-Dinuba #2, and DinubaOrosi 70 kV lines in the Dinuba area. In both near-term and long-term summer peak scenarios, the P1 contingencies, meaning a single point of failure which are usual in the season, of the Reedley-Dinuba #1 lines result in thermal overloads.

The reconductoring of the Reedley-Dinuba #1 70 kV line is planned to meet minimum required ratings of 800 amps under normal summer conditions and 1,000 amps under summer emergency conditions, including the replacement of any limiting components as necessary. Additionally, a new double-circuit Reedley-Dinuba #2 70 kV line will be added to achieve the same capacity standards, with upgrades to any limiting elements as needed.

PG&E publishes a catalog of residential rebates each year. When customers upgrade or replace non-energy-efficient appliances with a listed, more energy-efficient product, they can receive a rebate from PG&E. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that provides assistance to eligible low-income households to meet their homes' heating or cooling needs.

An electrical substation lowers the voltage in the distribution system for residential and commercial users. Emergency responders must exercise extreme caution if an incident occurs at one of these locations. DFD personnel cannot enter a substation until representatives of PG&E arrive on the scene and provide clearance.

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Figure 64: Energy Hazards
Natural Gas
Natural gas is provided to Dinuba by SoCalGas through its network of distribution pipelines, local transmission pipelines, and various storage facilities. SoCalGas provides natural gas in the City through transmission and high-pressure distribution lines that supply service lines for commercial and residential use. These lines travel through and terminate in the City. The natural gas consumption attributable to Dinuba has increased over the years.

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Gasoline is the most used transportation fuel in Dinuba. Light-duty cars, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles consume the majority of gasoline. The gasoline network comprises numerous stations, tankers, and pipelines.

Airport
Dinuba does not have an airport; however, four public and three private/public-use airports in Tulare County serve the citizens of Dinuba. • Sequoia Field – 3,012 ft. runway (County operated)
• Porterville Municipal – 6,000 ft. runway
• Mefford Field (Tulare Municipal) – 3,914 ft. runway
• Visalia Municipal – 6,559 ft. runway
• Eckert Field (private/public use)
• Thunderhawk Field (private/public use)
• Woodlake Airport (private/public use)
Railways
Dinuba was established in 1888 with the coming of the railroad. Due to Dinuba’s rich agricultural area, it quickly grew into a thriving community as people from outlying areas moved closer to the railroad shipping area. Tulare County uses three major rail lines for goods movement: Union Pacific Railroad, San Joaquin Valley Railroad (Short Line-Owned by Genessee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI)), and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company.

There is currently no commuter rail transportation (Amtrak) available in Dinuba. The nearest two Amtrak stations are Fresno (located in the downtown area) and Hanford. Freight rail service is provided by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR). SJVR is a short-line railroad that operates in California’s Central Valley and San Joaquin Valley, operating about 297 miles of track. There is no freight service hub within the city limits of Dinuba. The SJVR line bisects Dinuba at a diagonal that is parallel to M Street in the downtown area.

The following figure shows the location of the railroad.

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Figure 65: Railway Location

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Dams
When a dam fails, it can cause devastating damage to property, injuries, and loss of life to people downstream. There is no dam in Dinuba. However, there are two major reservoirs (Terminus Dam on the Kaweah and Success Dam on the Tule) and several small private dams in the county. Dinuba may face flood control concerns due to controlled or uncontrolled releases from the Pine Flat Dam via the Kings River, and the Terminus Dam via the Kaweah River in Tulare County.

Water & Sewer Utilities
Dinuba’s Public Utilities Department provides water, wastewater, sewer, and solid waste disposal services to residents.

Water
Water services are provided by Dinuba’s Public Utilities Department. It manages operations and maintains the City’s water supply and distribution system, providing highquality water. The primary supply source for the public water system is groundwater from city-owned wells. City Ordinance prohibits the drilling of private wells within city limits; however, a small number of households within the city limits lie outside the water service area and are currently served by existing private wells. In 2020, the City’s public water system service area comprised 6,311 municipal connections and supplied 1,553 million gallons (MG) of water to its service area. The actual 2020 water usage of 165 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) within the public water system service area complied with its confirmed 2020 water use target of 179 gpcd.

Controlling a fire becomes challenging without an adequate water supply and distribution system consisting of water storage, mains, and a fire hydrant system. A system of welldistributed hydrants and appropriately sized water mains is necessary to provide the required water for fire operations.

Dinuba has a well-designed fire hydrant system that allows for a hydrant to be easily accessible to most structures. The City is generally well-covered by hydrants. The following figure shows the hydrants in Dinuba.

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Figure 66: Fire Hydrant Locations
Wastewater/Sanitary Sewer Management
Dinuba’s Public Utilities Department also provides sanitary sewer services to the citizens of Dinuba. The City’s collection system drains by gravity through various-sized lines and nine sewer pump stations to deliver waste to the Waste Water Reclamation Facility (WWRF), located west of the urbanized areas of the City. The WWRF was designed for a capacity of approximately 3.14 million gallons per day (MGD), average daily maximum month flow, and is permitted for such use. The Public Works Department maintains, operates, and repairs the sewer and storm drainage systems to provide a safe and clean environment.

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Communications
When an incident occurs, essential facilities to receive and transmit alarm information require a communication center to communicate with emergency responders properly.

Other communications are critical to the community, such as cellular phones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems, or transmission lines from the local telephone company. These systems allow the public to notify emergency services of an incident.

Internet services are essential for the public, commercial establishments, and emergency services to conduct daily business. Whether the internet services are through cellular access or an internet service provider, the failure of these communication systems can significantly impact emergency services and the public.

DFD provides fire/rescue, emergency medical treatment and transport, fire prevention, and hazardous material response. It also provides emergency medical treatment and transport to the residents of the unincorporated areas in Northern Tulare County. DFD uses 911 for communication in an emergency and residents can call 911 for the various fire and emergency services, or providing information through cellular phones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and telephone systems. DFD also utilizes the 2-1-1 service to provide residents with information about additional available resources.

DFD plans and coordinates the Emergency Operation Center's local response and relief activities. It communicates and works closely with county, state, and federal partners to support planning and training and to provide information and coordinate assistance. In order to improve on administrative and technical capabilities, DFD intends to enhance data collection and extraction technology. Its goal is to utilize cloud-based reporting software that will optimize GIS data collection and advanced communication facilities.

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Figure 67: Communications Infrastructure

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Governmental Buildings
Governmental buildings are typically located close to their customers to manage proper public services. They are considered part of the critical infrastructure needed to operate services provided by the local, state, or federal government.

Figure 68: Government Buildings

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Critical Facilities & Infrastructure
Critical facilities and infrastructure are defined as those essential for providing services or coordination during emergency response and recovery operations. FEMA classifies critical facilities into seven lifeline categories. The following figure shows a summary of the critical facilities and other community assets in Dinuba as important to protect in the event of a disaster.

Figure 69: Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
Class Description No.
1 Department Operations Center N/A (Location is determined upon emergency and closest city facility)
Emergency Operations Center 2
Dispatch Center 1
Major Transportation Corridor 5
2 Police Station 1
Fire Station 1
3 School 9
Hospital 11 (11 medical clinics)
Wastewater Treatment Plan 1
Power Generation 2 (Ruiz Foods – Solar and Wastewater
Treatment Plant – Solar)
Sewage Infrastructure 12
Hall 2
Park Facility 15 (3 indoor recreation centers, 12
outdoor parks)
Dinuba Total 64

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Land Use
The purpose of land use regulation is to provide attractive social and environmental outcomes while supporting the efficient management of development. Land use for a community assigns a classification for properties within a geographical area, generally under governmental control. Zoning areas may vary from one portion of the service area with a mixture of low-, moderate-, and high-risk properties. • Low Risk: Areas zoned for agricultural purposes, open spaces, low-density residential, and other low-intensity use.
• Moderate Risk: Areas zoned for medium-density single-family properties, small commercial and office uses, low-intensity retail sales, and similarly sized business activities.
• High Risk: High-intensity business districts, mixed-use areas, high-density residential, industrial, storage facilities, and large mercantile centers.

Dinuba is located in the northern part of Tulare County, near the Fresno County Line. It is situated roughly 180 miles north of Los Angeles and 200 miles south of San Francisco.

Dinuba lies in the heart of California's agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, near the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

The City plans for future growth through the implementation of policies and standards set forth in its General Plan. The General Plan is a long-term, comprehensive framework to guide physical, social, and economic development within the community’s planning area.

Dinuba’s General Plan is a long-range guide for attaining the City’s goals within its ultimate service area and accommodating its population growth to the year 2026. The City adopted a 10-year urban development boundary (UDB) as part of its General Plan Update, based upon the capabilities of the City to accommodate new growth. The adoption of tiered UDBs also promotes orderly development by discouraging “leap frog” development.

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Development in hazard prone areas: Because population growth was less than one percent per year since approval of the 2011 Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJLHMP), there has been no development in hazard prone areas that has affected overall vulnerability of the City. Development that did occur was primarily in urban areas where vulnerabilities are well understood and described. The new MJLHMP addresses the new hazard of climate change. Development in the City and globally with increased carbon emissions will result in increasing overall vulnerabilities to its impacts.

Major industries in Dinuba are concentrated in warehousing and distribution, food processing and agriculture production. Key economic growth opportunities identified in the General Plan include a combination of large scale and small scale industrial developments. Large scale, heavy industry development could occur in agricultural chemicals and fertilizers, and in some of the food processing and packaging material production industries, subject to industrial pretreatment. Wholesale and distribution centers may also be a large-scale development opportunity. Other growing business sectors represent smaller scale light industrial opportunities.

Dinuba continues to see steady economic growth with new residential and commercial developments leading the way. Dinuba City Adopted Budget 2024–2025 mentions that a total of 383 new housing units are currently under construction or approved. 27 On the commercial side, Dutch Bros. and Habit Burger recently opened, with Starbucks expected to open a second store later this summer, per Dinuba City Adopted Budget 2024–2025. A major development for the City is the revitalization of the Mercantile Row Shopping Center on the east side. The center was one of the first major retail centers to develop and was home to several anchor tenants, such as Kmart, Save Mart and Rite Aid amongst others. However, due to changing market conditions over the past two decades, many of these marque tenants shuttered, leaving large vacancies in the center. Over the past few years, the center has slowly revived with several new tenants occupying many of the larger empty spaces. Sequoia Foods and Dinuba Tulare Works are occupying the former Kmart space, Superior Grocers opened in the former Save Mart space, and Ross Dress for Less and Five Below are occupying the former Rite Aid space. The revitalization of this commercial center has been a top priority for the City Council and a welcome positive change for the community.
27 City of Dinuba Adopted Budget 2024–2025.

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In addition, various parcels of land have been annexed for an expanding industrial park.

Currently, the industrial park boasts the largest nationwide Hispanic-owned enterprise, a major retail distribution center, and other noteworthy industries.

The new Dinuba High School is expected to be completed this summer and students will be able to occupy the facility in 2025. The City expects the new high school to spur residential development in the southwest part of the community. Per a financial impact analysis prepared by the Tulare County Economic Development Commission, they project that the new high school will have an overall economic impact of $230 million on the local economy. In anticipation of the new high school, the City was proactive and prepared an update to its General Plan focused on land uses and future growth around the new high school. The goal of the update is to ensure orderly growth around the new high school.

Several projects are under construction to meet these requirements, as shown in the following figure28.

Figure 70: Projects Under Development
Project Number of Units
New housing units 383
High School 1
Apartments on the second floor of the former Don’s Shoe Store 9 Viscaya Neighborhood Park under construction 1
New restrooms at Entertainment Plaza NA
New basketball courts with solar lights at K/C Vista Park 2 Nature Trail at K/C Vista Park 1
The following figure provides the zoning in the City.
28 City of Dinuba Adopted Budget 2024–2025.

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Figure 71: Dinuba City Zoning
The continued development in Dinuba will impact the fire department with an increasing population and demand for service. This increased growth and density will affect how the fire department delivers service to the community. DFD needs to prepare itself for tackling the higher demand for its services.

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Physical Assets Protected
Commercial occupancies or properties are considered target hazards in every community because of the special or unique risks to emergency responders and the occupants during an incident or event. During an incident, these occupancies and facilities should have a current pre-incident plan for DFD operations personnel. The pre-incident plan informs emergency responders about potential hazards and can help them develop strategies and tactics during an incident. DFD can utilize a variety of methods to accomplish this from a simple drawing accessible in folders on response apparatus to much more efficient and advanced software platforms. Currently, the DFD uses FireScene software to develop preplans for all target hazards. These plans are then loaded to Active 911, which enables them to be viewed from the fire apparatus tablets or personal electronic devices.

Structural Risks
The risks to occupants and emergency responders vary and often increase depending on the type of residential or commercial occupancy.

Educational and Childcare Facilities
Public and private schools, as well as childcare facilities, present increased risks within a community and require substantial assistance during a significant event, such as mass casualty events or fire emergencies. In Dinuba, schools and childcare facilities require inspections and pre-incident plans to ensure the property is safe and that emergency responders are familiar with the location and site-specific hazards.

Dinuba Unified School District (DUSD) comprises of 11 schools that are spread across 9 campuses throughout Dinuba. The DUSD serves over 6,600 students and has a wide range of educational programs/facilities. The following figure provides the location of schools in Dinuba.

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Figure 72: School Locations

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Assembly
Gathering large groups of people in a single location or building increases risks in places such as worship, entertainment venues, and eating establishments. Outdoor special events such as street fairs or mass gatherings may require a public safety plan per the California Fire Code. This plan should include emergency vehicle access and egress, fire protection, emergency medical services, public assembly areas, directing of vehicular traffic and attendees, vendor and food concessions, need for law enforcement, fire or EMS personnel, and weather monitoring. The following figure provides the location of the places of worship, which is the largest group of assembly locations in the DFD response area.

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Figure 73: Places of Worship

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Health Care Facilities
These types of buildings may contain medical gases that can create additional risks for emergency responders during a fire, and occupants may be unable to leave without assistance from the staff. Completing up-to-date pre-incident plans is necessary.

Dinuba does not have a hospital within its jurisdiction, but there are multiple clinics and senior living facilities. These areas should be visited and preplanned for possible future responses. Particular attention should be paid to any areas where occupants have mobility issues, life-sustaining measures, and compressed gas storage and use. These areas should be labeled for responders’ knowledge prior to the arrival of an incident.

As people age, additional care may require them to seek a facility to meet their needs.

Depending on their mobility or cognitive conditions, they may need more assistance evacuating the building. Staff should have developed plans to remove occupants or patients during an emergency. These locations require additional fire protection systems to protect the occupants. Special locking arrangements for areas where patients with dementia or Alzheimer's are living are allowed to prevent them from leaving the facility, but proper notification and planning with the DFD is imperative.

The following figure provides the location of healthcare facilities.

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Figure 74: Clinical Facilities and Medical Clinics

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The following figure shows the location of congregate care and nursing home facilities.

Figure 75: Congregate Care/Nursing Homes

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Multi-family Occupancies
Although multi-family housing has fewer fires caused by electrical or heating malfunctions in comparison to the traditional old housing structures, the risk of cooking fires is twice the rate of other types of building fires.29 Updated building and fire codes now require these buildings to have a residential fire sprinkler system installed and interconnected smoke alarms in all bedrooms, hallways, and floors. These fire protection systems are designed to provide enough time for the occupants to evacuate the building. The following figure shows the location of multi-family housing units in Dinuba. 29 Topical Fire Report Series, Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2013–2015), June 2017.

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Figure 76: Multi-Family Housing Units
Buildings Three or More Stories in Height
Structures three or more stories in height require a response of an aerial apparatus with elevated master stream capabilities. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) reviews the coverage area for a ladder truck for all buildings within 2.5 miles. A ladder truck may be necessary to access these higher buildings' upper floors or roofs since most ground ladders cannot reach these heights. The following figures display the location of these buildings.

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Figure 77: Buildings Three Stories or More

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Large Square Footage Buildings
Large buildings, such as warehouses, strip malls, and large “box” stores, need greater volumes of water for firefighting and require more firefighters to advance hose lines long distances into the buildings. Although the number of large square footage buildings is low, the fire flow may be greater for smaller buildings because of construction type, distance to exposures, and lack of built-in fire protection systems such as fire sprinklers. The following figure is based on data from ISO and shows the locations of buildings 50,000 square feet and larger.

Figure 78: Buildings 50,000 Square Feet and Greater

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High Fire-Flow Occupancies
Other buildings may require a higher amount of water to extinguish a fire. These occupancies can present a problem if the needed water is less than what is available from the water supply from hydrants or other water sources. The following figure shows the occupancies with a needed fire flow greater than 2,000 gallons per minute.

Figure 79: Buildings which require Large Fire Flows (> 2,000 gallons per minute)

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Risk Classification
Risk Assessment Methodology
Developing a risk score to determine risks in a community is necessary to provide an organization with a method for creating response protocols for an incident. The Three-Axis Heron model establishes a score by reviewing probability, consequence, and impact factors and assigning a score between 2 and10 in each category.30 A description of the incident types for each risk is located in Appendix C.

The following formula is used in the calculation of the Three-Axis Heron model.

The risk is graphically illustrated through a three-axis model as follows:
▪ P = Probability (Y-Axis)
▪ C = Consequences (X-Axis)
▪ I = Impact (Z-Axis)
The following figure summarizes the three-axis risk classification process and how a score is developed.
30 Quality Improvement for the Fire and Emergency Services.

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Figure 80: Three-Axis Risk Classification Process
When developing the score, each of the three scoring components is based on DFD incident data. An example of a low-risk fire response scoring is based on the probability of that type of incident occurring. Most low-risk incident types are frequent (occurring multiple times a day), but the consequences to the community and impact on the city are low. The probability of a low-risk incident in the city is 8 (high), while the consequences and impact are 2 (low). These numbers are placed into the above formula to create a score of

16.2. The score will increase dramatically for a maximum risk, although the probability is low (2), because the consequence to the community is an 8, and the impact is the highest at 10, which gives a score of 59.4.

These scores are designed to provide information to DFD to determine the level of service required for the community. The probability of an incident may affect response times if multiple events occur simultaneously. Even if the risk is low, it will place an apparatus out of service for the response. The higher the score, the greater the risk to the community.

Although the highest risk score available is 122.5, the probability of this type of event occurring is low. The following information provides additional information on probability, consequence, and impact.

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Probability
Probability is the likelihood of an incident occurring in the community over time. This axis reflects the probability of a particular type of incident occurring (contributing to the risk level). Many factors are considered, including the time of day, location, hazard present, season of the year, building construction and maintenance, demographic factors, and more. It can range from a rare event to one that occurs often. The following figure defines probability categories.

Figure 81: Probability or Likelihood of Occurrence
Score Category Probability or Likelihood
2 Minor Unlikely: < 0.02% of total call volume. Expected to occur very rarely. 4 Low Possible: 0.02%–0.07% of total call volume. Expected to occur rarely.
6 Moderate Probable: 0.07%–0.3% of total call volume. Expected to occur monthly.
8 High Likely: 0.3%–2% of total call volume. Expected to occur multiple times per week.
10 Extreme Frequent: > 2% of total call volume. Expected to occur one or more times per day.

Consequence
The consequences of an incident can vary from minor casualties to severe impacts that may destroy historical or major community facilities and cause a large loss of employment or life. The following figure defines consequence categories.

Figure 82: Consequences to the Community
Score Category Consequences to the Community
2 Minor 1–2 people affected (injuries/deaths). < $10,000 loss 4 Low < 5 people affected (injuries/deaths). < $500,000 loss 6 Moderate 5–50 people affected (injuries/deaths). $500,000–$1,000,000 loss 8 High 51–100 people affected (injuries/deaths). $1,000,000–$5,000,000 loss 10 Extreme >100 people affected (injuries/deaths). > $5,000,000 loss

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Impact
The third factor in determining the risk is the fire department’s impact and the critical tasking needed to control or mitigate an incident. This includes the number of emergency responders and apparatus available, whether available internally or from external agencies. It measures the department’s ability to respond to a given risk or incident while providing service to the remaining parts of the city. The following figure defines impact categories.

Figure 83: Impact on Operational Forces
Score Category Impact on Operational Forces
2 Minor ≥ 90% Remaining Apparatus/Crews
4 Low ≥ 75% Remaining Apparatus/Crews
6 Moderate ≥ 50% Remaining Apparatus/Crews
8 High ≥ 25% Remaining Apparatus/Crews
10 Extreme < 25% Remaining Apparatus/Crews

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Fire Response
DFD is the primary provider for mitigating fire-related incidents. These range from low-risk incidents, such as a vehicle fire, to a maximum-risk incident involving a school fire. Fire risks for a vehicle fire are considered low compared to a maximum risk for a school that houses students. This scoring is applied to four different categories of fire incidents in DFD’s response area to provide staffing needs to meet critical tasks on the fire ground. The following figures provide the fire response risk assessment score and three-axis risk classifications.

Figure 84: Fire Response Risk Assessment
Description Low Moderate High Maximum
Risk Score

P C I P C I P C I P C I
8 2 8 6 4 10 4 8 10 4 10 10
Score Assigned 48.0 53.7 67.2 81.2
Figure 85: Fire Three-Axis Risk Classifications
0 2
4 6
8 10
Low
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Moderate
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
High
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Maximum
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability

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Emergency Medical Services Response
DFD provides advanced life support and emergency medical care in the City. Low-risk incidents range from a medical assist to a maximum-risk incident for a multi-victim event.

The following figures provide the risk score and classifications assigned to each type of EMS risk.

Figure 86: EMS Response Risk Assessment
Description Low Moderate High Maximum
Risk Score

P C I P C I P C I P C I
10 2 6 8 4 8 4 8 10 2 10 10
Score Assigned 45.5 55.4 67.2 73.48
Figure 87: EMS Three-Axis Risk Classifications
0 2
4 6
8 10
Low
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Moderate
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
High
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Maximum
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability

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Technical Rescue Response
Rescue services can vary from a low-risk incident, such as accessing a locked vehicle with a child inside, to a confined space incident (maximum risk) that potentially requires many personnel to mitigate the incident. The following figures provide the risk score and classifications assigned to each type of technical rescue risk in DFD’s response area.

Figure 88: Technical Rescue Response Risk Assessment
Description Low Moderate High Maximum
Risk Score

P C I P C I P C I P C I
6 2 6 4 4 10 2 6 10 2 8 10
Score Assigned 28.1 41.6 45.5 59.4
Figure 89: Technical Rescue Three-Axis Risk Classifications 0 2
4 6
8 10
Low
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Moderate
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
High
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Maximum
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability

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Hazardous Materials Response
Hazardous materials responses can vary from low-risk odor investigations to the maximum risk for a fuel tanker fire in higher populated areas. Most of these incidents can be managed by DFD, but higher risks may need assistance from outside resources. The following figures provide the scoring of hazardous materials response risk assessment and three-axis risk classifications.

Figure 90: Hazardous Materials Response Risk Assessment Description Low Moderate High Maximum
Risk Score

P C I P C I P C I P C I
6 2 6 4 4 10 2 6 10 2 10 10
Score Assigned 28.1 41.6 45.5 73.5
Figure 91: Hazardous Materials Three-Axis Risk Classifications 0 2
4 6
8 10
Low
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Moderate
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
High
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability
0 2
4 6
8 10
Maximum
Risk
Impact Consequence
Probability

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Comparison of Fire Risks in Other Communities
Fire Loss
In 2023, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.39 million fires in the United States. These fires caused an estimated 3,670 civilian fire deaths and 13,350 reported civilian fire injuries. The property damage caused by these fires was estimated at $23 billion.

The following figure shows fire loss in Dinuba and the U.S. per capita. These figures can fluctuate greatly, especially in a smaller local community. 2023 is the highest for Dinuba at $1,051.65 per capita. That year is markedly higher than the U.S. loss at $69.46, but Dinuba was considerably less than the U.S. loss for 2020–2022. A single fire loss in 2023 of over $26,000,000 skewed these numbers. It is noted that both 2023 and 2024 are considerably higher than the preceding three years. DFD should continue monitoring these figures and analyze trends to identify contributing factors, with the goal of restoring values to the normal range.

Figure 92: DFD Property Loss Per Capita
Year DFD Property Loss U.S. Property Loss31
2020 $9.28 $77.65
2021 $37.04 $53.91
2022 $9.61 $56.46
2023 $1,051.65 $69.46
2024 $151.68 Not Available for U.S.

The number of fires per 1,000 population in the DFD response area is higher than the national average, as shown in the following figure, which may be a correlation to the higher dollar loss in the last two years. This represents an opportunity for community engagement and education.
31 Fire Loss in the United States, NFPA, 2018, 2019, 2020.

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Figure 93: Fires per 1,000 Population
Year DFD Fires per 1,000
Population
U.S. Fires per 1,000
Population32
2020 5.1 4.2
2021 5.8 4.1
2022 5.5 4.5
2023 9.0 4.2
2024 7.7 Not Available for U.S.
32 Ibid.

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Section IV:

STANDARDS OF COVER
& DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS

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Service Delivery & Performance
This section provides DFD with a general understanding of service demand and response performance. It is developed to assist the department with quantifying its recent performance and creating baseline performance expectations. The DFD and political leaders can then use this information to understand how their decisions, policies, and changing external pressures affect performance.

Research Information
The information within this section was developed from a single source provided by DFD. As there is no common incident identifier between the record management system (RMS) and CAD, the records could not be combined for a comprehensive dataset. The CAD records were limited to ambulance dispatches and were not assessed in the report. The RMS data was used to capture the distribution of work across the various incident categories (NFIRS types), demand for service trends, and response performance. The analysis spanned January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2024.

Statistics Discussion
Mathematical and technological methodologies must be used judicially to evaluate something as complex as an emergency incident response. This analysis is designed to quantify and analyze available information. It is intended to be a starting place for the agency as it seeks to improve performance. However, there are limitations on making decisions based solely on statistical studies, and leaders should incorporate sound judgment with proven analytics.

Statistical Tools
Various statistical analytical tools were employed to create this section. The fundamental tools were categorization, percentile, and regression analysis. This helps paint a picture of historical performance, with some inferences that may help leaders identify positive and negative performance trends.

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90th Percentile
The time performance measures for this report are conveyed using the 90th percentile measure. The most common reason to use this measure is that the industry has adopted it.

If a fire agency wishes to judge its performance against standards or other agencies, it must use the 90th percentile. For example, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) utilizes the 90th percentile measure in most of its standards. In addition, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) requires reporting performance measures at the 90th percentile.

The statistical reason to use this measure is that it fully captures performance and will identify trends in performance without the impact of data skew. As with most emergency services systems, the time performance data used in this study has a skew. When the data is skewed, it makes using other statistical measures less sensitive and representative. The following figure is a general example of data skew.

Figure 94: Data Skew33
In a symmetric distribution, the mean (average), median (middle of the data), and mode (the most frequent) are all equal. When the distribution skews, these three measures of the middle shift. Using the average, or mean, in data skewed left would underrepresent the bulk of the performance, while the opposite is true when skewed right. In DFD's case, most of the time-performance data is skewed right. In this case, using the average would overrepresent the performance. This skew is typical and in a similar direction to other emergency services agencies. It is presented here as information only and not as a performance definition or an area of concern. The following figure shows the travel times in seconds for DFD to visualize the skew in the data.
33 Pipis, G. (2020, November 9). Skewness and Kurtosis in Statistics. R-Bloggers. https://www.rbloggers.com/2020/11/skewness-and-kurtosis-in-statistics/.

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Figure 95: DFD Data Skew
Data Discussion
Data Engineering Findings
There were 33,602 individual incidents in the RMS. The total number of incidents in the jurisdiction is 19,416 and form the basis for much of the analysis.

Data Error Handling
Data collection within the data set has the potential for significant errors. Although there can be many reasons for incorrect information, these errors are typically a combination of human input and collection errors. Various methods exist to manage these errors, including statistical exclusion, real-time exclusion, formula manipulation, and logic testing.

For DFD, the information in the RMS data fields had an average volume of error-prone data, as well as complications arising from the system itself. The most significant issue is the lack of unique incident numbering from year to year. Further complications sometimes occurred in incidents on December 31 that were assigned an incident number corresponding to the next calendar year. This required assigning a unique incident identifier to all incidents, combining the system incident number, alarm year, and alarm month. Additionally, to mitigate extremes that were likely inaccurate information, some data was excluded by formula or logic tests. The time segment math utilized a logic tree to eliminate negative and null sets. The steps taken for each time segment are identified within those analyses.
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
0 180 360 540 720 900 1080 1260 1440
Incidents
Travel Time (sec)

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The first dimension of the analysis is the overall system call load. Because this is a simple count of the incidents by type, location, and time of occurrence, no data was excluded after the previously described data engineering steps.

Volume Analysis
A simple volume analysis can indicate how often the department is called upon to respond to an incident. The first look is at the overall RMS call counts grouped by primary categories in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The following figure is the total number of responses recorded by the agency for the entire data set and the percentage of the categorized responses.

Figure 96: Total Incident Count (2019–2024)
Incident (NIFRS Group) Count Percentage of Total Responses DFD Responses
Fire (100) 931 2.8%
Overpressure (200) 48 0.1%
EMS (300) 25,570 76.1%
Hazardous condition (400) 344 1.0%
Service (500) 755 2.2%
Good Intent (600) 5,413 16.1%
False Alarm (700) 532 1.6%
Natural Disaster (800) 2 0.01%
Special (900) 7 0.02%
Total DFD 33,602
Mutual Aid*
Aid Received EMS/All Other 120/959
Aid Given EMS/All Other 3,667/2,675
*Received = incidents geographically within Dinuba for units outside the agency.

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Geographic Analysis
A call distribution analysis is helpful when reviewing the best location for apparatus placement. It is also useful when evaluating where prevention programs may have the most impact. The following figure geographically represents the incident distribution for the study period.

Figure 97: Incident Density (2019–2024)

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As indicated in the previous figure, incidents are heavily distributed around the populated areas of Dinuba. Overall, incident distribution is driven primarily by medical responses. EMS incidents account for 76% of the response volume. The distribution of EMS incidents is strongly correlated with the overall distribution.

Temporal Analysis
The annual incident count in the Dinuba Fire Department RMS has fluctuated slightly but seems to remain centered around 5,600 yearly incidents. Calls within the jurisdiction specifically average 3,200 annually. The following figure shows the annual incident volume in the jurisdiction compared to volume for aid given from 2019–2024.

Figure 98: Annual Incident Volume (2019–2024)
Analyzing the incident volume within the jurisdiction by month, day of the week, and hour is valuable when attempting to schedule events or add staffing. Additionally, months may reveal seasonality for the service needs. At the same time, days and hours may indicate population movement and activities throughout the week. The following figure analyzes incident percentages by month for January 2019 through December 2024. 4,042 4,234 4,565 4,285 4,476 4,892
1,338
1,062
1,037
1,010
963
932
0 1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Incidents
In Response Areas Mutual Aid Given

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Figure 99: Incident Volume Percentage by Month (2019–2024) There appears to be a minor deviation from the expected norm throughout the months.

July is slightly higher than expected, while April and November are somewhat lower. There seems to be minor seasonality, as incident volume peaks in the summer. It should be noted that the variation in July and April deviates less than ±1.1% of expected volumes.

Another dimension for evaluation is the percentage of incidents that occur by day of the week. The following figure is the percentage of incidents that occurred, by day of the week.
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
% of Total Incidents
Monthly Volume Expected

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Figure 100: Incident Volume Percentage by Day of the Week (2019–2024) In Dinuba, there is typically little deviation from the normal distribution of 14.3% per day.

Demand on Monday and Friday is higher than expected, while it is lower on Saturday and particularly on Sunday.

Another analytic dimension is to evaluate call volume throughout the hours of the day. For example, fire and EMS incidents are distributed unequally in most systems throughout the day. The daytime is typically more active than the evening, night, and early morning. The driving force behind this phenomenon is likely that people are awake and moving. The following figure indicates that DFD closely follows this daytime pattern, with approximately 65% of incidents occurring between 9 am and 9 pm, peaking between 5 and 6 pm. 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%

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Figure 101: Percentage of Incidents by Hour (2021–2023) By evaluating the combination of hour and day of the week, significant patterns can be identified. The following figure highlights the unique fluctuations in demand that occur throughout the day and week in DFD.
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 % of Incidents
Hour of the Day

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Figure 102: Hour and Weekday Heat Map (2019–2024)
Hour Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
0 Color Incidents
1 173–190
2 150–173
3 134–150
4 108–134
5 76–108
6 51–76
7 39–51
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23
This view of the data illustrates peak demand on weekdays, especially late afternoons on Mondays and early afternoons on Fridays. Weekdays during daylight hours generally have the highest demand. Peak demand on the weekends is concentrated in the evenings, but the weekend effect is not as significant here as in areas with a very active social scene.

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Resource Distribution
Several key performance metrics help identify the effectiveness of resource distribution. A broad allocation of resources allows for a more rapid first response to any given area.

However, the first unit is only a portion of the deployment question. It is critical to have enough units to respond to incident volume, type, and severity. It is also essential to attempt to equalize the unit responses.

Geographic Distribution Analysis
Units and stations should be distributed to allow the best chance of reaching an incident in its earliest stages. There are two primary sources for performance standards that address this geographic distribution. The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) defines distance, while the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) utilizes time as a criterion.

The ISO uses 5 miles from a fire station as its standard for minimal coverage. The DFD has one staffed station within the jurisdiction. Fortunately, the 5-mile travel area for the DFD station encompasses the entire city of Dinuba. The following figure shows the 5-mile travel distance from the fire station.

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Figure 103: ISO 5 Mile Distance

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For full credit in an ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), any building within the jurisdiction should be within 1.5 miles of an engine company and 2.5 miles of a truck company.34 Dinuba has an engine at the station. This provides coverage for most of the more populated areas of Dinuba, but the northwest and extreme northern end of Dinuba are beyond the immediate reach of an engine. Unfortunately, these gaps coincide with some of the more densely populated areas. The following figure shows the 1.5-mile travel distance from the station with an engine company.
34 Verisk. (2024). Criteria for Deployment Analysis of Companies. https://www.isomitigation.com/ppc/technical/criteria-for-deployment-analysis-of-companies.

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Figure 104: ISO 1.5 Mile Engine Company Distance

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The ISO judges specialized equipment, such as a truck company, separately from an engine company. While engine companies are typically found at most fire stations, truck companies are only located at specific locations. ISO requires these truck companies to be within 2.5 miles of any building.

Figure 105: ISO 2.5 Mile Truck Company Distance

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Unit Workload Analysis
Unit workload should be balanced to maintain readiness, resiliency, and service availability. While it is common for one unit to be busier than others, no crew should carry a load that is too heavy, making them less effective.

Incidents by Unit
DFD RMS listed 28,212 unique DFD unit responses to incidents within the jurisdiction. Over 95% of all incidents involved the medic units and engines. The following figure shows the responding unit types within DFD for 2019 through 2024 by the most frequently occurring NFIRS types.

Figure 106: Workload by Apparatus Type (2019–2024)
The engines at the Dinuba station are cross-staffed and may be utilized irregularly. The medic units are similarly rotated into and out of service based on staffing availability and other factors. Medic 737 was acquired in 2022 and Medic 732 was replaced in 2024. The charts below show the use of each apparatus over the study period. 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000
700 (False Alarm)
600 (Good Intent Call)
500 (Service Call)
300 (EMS)
100 (Fire)
Incidents
Medic Engine

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Figure 107: Annual Incident Volume by Engine Unit and Year (2019–2024) Figure 108: Annual Incident Volume by Medic Unit and Year (2019–2024) Each incident requires a unit to remain on scene to handle the situation. Therefore, a general idea of how long a specific crew will stay on the incident can assist operational planning. DFD has two primary types of units that respond to emergencies. First, engines are the most flexible type of apparatus for general work. Second are the ambulances, intended for EMS response and transport. The following figure shows the average minutes each apparatus type was committed (from dispatch to clear in RMS) to a given incident category for the entire study period. 1,531 1,341
1,537
1,264
1,555
1,498
275
327301458
243
424
0 200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Incidents
E-31 E-32
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Incidents
M-731 M-732 M-733 M-734 M-735 M-736 M-737

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Figure 109: Unit Type Average Commit Time by NFIRS Category (2019–2024) On average, engines remain on an incident for over 34 minutes and medics for approximately 27 minutes. DFD apparatus are committed to fire incidents the longest on average, at 55 minutes. EMS calls have average commit times of nearly 40 minutes.

One final dimension of unit workload is how much time each unit is committed to incidents throughout the year. The unit hour utilization (UHU) calculation evaluates how much time a crew is committed to an incident versus the total time on duty during a specific time frame.

The formula for this calculation is the total time committed to an incident divided by the sum of all time the unit is staffed.

𝑈𝐻𝑈 =
∑ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑆𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒
∑ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑛 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒
The desire is for the primary unit at a station, typically an engine or quint company, the most flexible response unit, to be under 10% UHU. Maintaining 10% UHU should indicate the area has 90% availability from unscheduled events. In Dinuba’s case, the commit time of each apparatus type was considered separately and assessed against presumed constant staffing (24 hours a day, 365 days a year). This analysis essentially examines how well-utilized the two primary types of apparatus at Dinuba have been across the study period. 0:00 0:10 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:50 1:00 1:10
100 (Fire)
300 (EMS)
400 (Hazardous Condition)
500 (Service Call)
600 (Good Intent Call)
700 (False Alarm)
Commit Time (h:mm)
NFIR Category
Ambulance Engine

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The engine company has been utilized approximately 8% of the time over the last 6 years, with a low of 6.9% in 2022. The medic units have been utilized over 55% of the time. Even dividing that utilization evenly across two staffed units would result in a UHU over 28%. The following figure shows the UHU for each apparatus type.

Figure 110: UHU By Apparatus Type (2019–2024)
Unit 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Overall
Engines 8.3% 8.0% 7.6% 6.9% 8.5% 8.0% 7.9%
Medics 53.6% 55.5% 64.5% 53.1% 53.8% 58.9% 56.6%
While the UHU information helps identify if the unit is overly burdened with response, not all the time committed is apparent in the data. The crew may be out of service for maintenance, training, or other events that do not appear in this analysis.

Approximately half of a 24-hour crew's day is spent in administrative work, training, or recovery activities. For example, assuming the crews are allowed 8 hours of rest and recovery daily, 2 hours for meals, and 2 hours for station, equipment, and vehicle maintenance, that totals 12 hours. Additional time is usually given to physical fitness, training, and public education.

Concurrency Analysis
Incidents that occur simultaneously can impact an agency's ability to respond. There may be times when all crews are engaged, leaving the jurisdiction reliant on outside aid.

The first dimension of the concurrency evaluation is how often, within DFD's primary jurisdiction, there is more than one incident at any given time. For example, the following figure shows how frequently multiple incidents occur simultaneously within Dinuba’s jurisdiction.

Figure 111: Concurrent in the Jurisdiction (2019–2024)
Incidents Operating Percentage of All
Incidents
Percentage of EMS
Incidents
Percentage of Fire
& Other Incidents
2 32.4% 28.1% 12.3%
3 10.7% 6.1% 2.8%
4 3.7% 1.3% 1.2%
5 or More 2.4% 2.1% 0.7%

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As is evident, it is not uncommon for DFD to run simultaneous incidents within the jurisdiction. There is a 51% chance that another incident will start before the first incident is completed. Among EMS calls, the likelihood of concurrent incidents is much higher than fire and other incident types (37.6% vs 17%). However, demand for more than three incidents of any type simultaneously is rare.

Another factor in unit workload is the number of units assigned to a specific incident. The majority of DFD incidents, over 50%, are accomplished by one company. Over 95% are handled by one or two companies. EMS incidents are more likely to follow this trend, while other incident types are more likely to either handle the call with one unit or add three or more units. The following figure shows the percentage of incidents receiving the specified number of response units.

Figure 112: Apparatus per Incident (2019–2024)
Apparatus per
Incident
Percentage of
Incidents
Percentage of EMS
Incidents
Percentage of Fire &
Other Incidents
1 53.6% 52.4% 57.3%
2 42.5% 46.7% 29.2%
3 2.2% 0.6% 7.1%
4 1.0% 0.1% 3.6%
5 0.4% 0.02% 1.8%
6 or More 0.3% 0.18% 1.0%
Performance Review
When evaluating a system, having a set of objectives or standards against which to judge performance is helpful. While national and state standards may be recommended, it may be up to the authority having jurisdiction to adopt specific ones. In this case, DFD has adopted performance goals for turnout and fire department response time (dispatch to arrival). The performance in these categories will also be referenced against the NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments (NFPA 1710).

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Evaluating overall performance requires an understanding of the lifecycle of an incident. It starts with a normal state and should end with a new normal state, but there are many measurable time segments in between. Some elements, such as call processing and turnout time, can be improved by tactical management techniques such as training and policy. However, other time segment performances, such as travel time, are typically managed by a strategic methodology such as station location. The following figure identifies each time segment in the incident lifecycle.

Figure 113: Incident Lifecycle
The RMS data provided allowed an evaluation of call processing, turnout and travel to some extent, fire department response, and total response time. The following figure indicates each time segment, standard referenced, and the most influential organizational actions.

Soft
Data
Hard Data

Alarm
Handling FPA
1225
Response Times
FPA 1 10
Fire
Department
Impact one

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Figure 114: Incident Segment KPIs
Incident Segment Primary Agency
Influence Standard Benchmark
Normalcy Prevention
Local
Codes &
Ordinances
Community Risk Assessment
Discovery Public Education TBD
Notification Public Education TBD
Call Answer1
Dispatch Staffing,
Systems, Policy, &
Training
NFPA 1225
15 Sec 90th Percentile
20 Sec 95th Percentile
Call Transfer 30 Sec 90th Percentile
Call Processing 60 Sec 90th Percentile (priority)2
Turnout Time Station Design,
Policy & Training
DFD and
NFPA 1710
60 Sec 90th Percentile (EMS)
80 Sec 90th Percentile (Other)
Travel Time (1st Due)
Station Location,
Systems, & Training NFPA 1710
4 Min 90th Percentile
Travel Time (2nd Due) 6 Min 90th Percentile
Travel Time (ERF)
8 Min 90th Percentile
(Low or Moderate Risk)
10 Min 10 Sec 90th percentile
(High Risk)
Action Initiation or
Patient Contact Station Location,
Systems, Staffing,
& Training
TBD
Control/Mitigation TBD
Recovery Prevention &
Public Education
Updated
Codes &
Ordinances
Community Risk Assessment
New Normal Prevention
Local
Codes &
Ordinances
Community Risk Assessment
1 Applies to both PSAP and Secondary Answering (Agency) Dispatch Centers 2 Non-Priority Incidents are exempt from NFPA 1225. Agencies are expected to set standards.

The time segment performance standards are evaluated at the 90th percentile. This will allow DFD to compare its performance against other agencies and the standard with a similar statistical technique.

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Call Processing Analysis
There are several time measures of a dispatch center. The metrics identified in NFPA 1225 and NFPA 1710 are ring time and call processing. Ring time measures when the phone in dispatch begins to ring until someone answers. NFPA 1225 requires the ring time to be less than 15 seconds, 90% of the time and less than 20 seconds, 95% of the time. Call processing indicates the time it takes from when a person answers the call for help until the first unit is notified of an incident. Ring time is typically captured in a separate system, and the raw data was unavailable for this report; however, sufficient data were available to evaluate call processing.

Call processing should start from when the phone is answered until the first, preferably correct, unit has been notified an incident is in progress. There is typically a short period, usually seconds, from when the phone is answered, and the incident starts in the computer-aided dispatch system. For this analysis, it is assumed this short period, while not captured, is inconsequential. The NFPA 1710 standard indicates that a high-priority incident should be processed within 60 seconds, 90% of the time. NFPA further defines specific call types to be processed within 90 seconds, 90% of the time and 120 seconds, 99% of the time. These incident types include those requiring emergency medical questioning, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescue incidents. This additional time is available for persons needing translation, calls from devices used by hard-of-hearing individuals, text messages, and calls requiring location determination.

The CAD dataset has valid timestamps for EMS calls only (based on the units dispatched), but incident type is not available in that dataset. The RMS timestamps are not utilized in the same way CAD timestamps are, so they could not be assessed in this section of the report.

The CAD incident records were assessed for validity and incidents outside the jurisdiction and of lower priority were excluded. The CAD dataset yielded 4,035 incidents.

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Overall, calls from the CAD were handled in 175 seconds or less, 90% of the time. The following figure shows the call processing times at the 90th percentile for 2019–2024.

Figure 115: Call Processing (2019–2024)
Turnout Time Analysis
Turnout time is the difference between when the unit is notified of an incident and when they begin to respond. NFPA 1710 indicates the performance measure for this time segment is 60 seconds for medical incidents and 80 seconds for fire incidents. Dinuba has established a performance goal of 60 seconds for turnout time.

Only the CAD data was available to assess the turnout time. Some incident data needed to be limited to create the most realistic turnout time evaluation. First, data missing the dispatch time, the en route time, or having a dispatch time later than the en route time was eliminated as erroneous. In addition, incidents that were not Priority 1 or that occurred outside the jurisdiction were removed. Finally, the turnout time was limited to a 12-minute maximum as it was a natural break between the meaningful data and the extremes outside the maximum limit.

The data was analyzed for statistical reliability, and over 4,100 unit records could be measured. This represents approximately 13% of the recorded information. Overall, DFD staffed apparatus has a turnout time of 3 minutes, 7 seconds or less, 90% of the time. The following figure shows the 90th percentile turnout times by year. 178
154.1
155.7
181.1
198.6
173.9
0 50 100 150 200 250
2021
2022
2023
2019
2020
2024
Call Processing (sec)

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An annual evaluation of turnout time shows that DFD units have responded slightly slower in the past two years after reaching a minimum time in 2022. However, this variation does not necessarily identify a trend.

Figure 116: Turnout Time (2019–2024)
It is interesting to note the inverse pattern of turnout times and workload. This phenomenon is common in agencies with lower call volume at night. This can be explained as a combination of crews resting and fewer incidents to analyze. A limited data set is typically much more susceptible to higher times and more obvious data swings.

Figure 117: Turnout Time and Workload by Hour (2019–2024) 03:07 03:13 02:43 02:3903:02 03:45
00:00
02:00
04:00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Turnout Time (min)
00:00.0
01:00.0
02:00.0
03:00.0
04:00.0
05:00.0
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223
Turnout Time (min)
% of Workload
Hour
Turnout (min) Workload

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Travel Time Analysis
NFPA 1710 lists several travel time requirements for apparatus. The first defined travel time is the first unit, either an engine or a truck that can operate as an engine, should be 4 minutes. The second-due engine should arrive within 6 minutes, and the first alarm should arrive within 8 minutes for a moderate-risk structure fire.35 Travel time is the difference between when the apparatus goes en route and when it arrives on the scene. The following figure illustrates the 4- and 8-minute travel times from DFD's fire station. Theoretically, the distribution and concentration are appropriate for the City's core.
35 National Fire Protection Association. Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Departmentss.2020) [Appendix D].

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Figure 118: 4- and 8-Minute Travel Time Model
Theoretical models are beneficial when evaluating what can happen. Considering the actual performance may give a better understanding of what DFD can provide.

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First Arriving Apparatus
This segment measures time from en route to arrival, limited to the first arriving unit. Travel times for the first arriving analysis were limited to those incidents listed as an emergent response where the en route and arrival times were not "null" and where en route times were prior to the arrival time. In addition, the maximum travel time was limited to 25 minutes, based on the distribution of the results.

The 90th percentile first arriving travel performance for DFD fire apparatus is 6 minutes, 9 seconds for all incidents within the City. The following figure shows the first arriving travel time for emergency responses by year.

Figure 119: First Arriving Travel Time Fire Apparatus (2019–2024) The first arriving performance for DFD is 12 minutes, 18 seconds for all incidents within the ambulance response area. The following figure shows the first arriving travel time for emergency responses by year. 05:49
07:40
05:58
06:06
05:35
06:04
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
10:00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Travel Time (mm:ss)

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Figure 120: First Arriving Travel Time Ambulance (2019–2024) Total Response Time Analysis
The reason each time segment is analyzed is to get an understanding of where performance can be measured and improved, but the primary performance measurement is the total response time. The person in need sees this as the fire department's performance. The total response time is 9 minutes, 57 seconds or less 90% of the time. The following figure shows the 90th percentile total response time for the study period.

Figure 121: Annual Total Response Time (2019–2024) 12:1112:38 12:49 11:47 11:50 12:25
10:00.0
12:00.0
14:00.0
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Travel Time (mm:ss)
09:45
11:24
09:49
09:35
08:59
10:13
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
10:00
12:00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Total Time (mm:ss)

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It may seem that the 90th percentile call processing plus the 90th percentile turnout and travel times would equal the 90th percentile total time. However, this is not usually the case.

Each time segment is analyzed independently, including the total response time. The total response time does not sum the segments' percentiles due to the variability of the time segments within each incident.

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Population Growth & Service Demand Projections
In evaluating the deployment of facilities, resources, and staffing, consideration must be given to potential changes in workload that could directly affect such deployment. Any changes in service demand can require changes and adjustments in the deployment of staff and resources to maintain acceptable performance levels.

For this study, AP Triton created population projections for the response area derived from historic population trends.36 These forecasted populations were multiplied by the incident rate drawn from a five-year history of incident volume to identify workload potential through 2034. The results of the analysis are shown in the following figure. 36 State of California Department of Finance. (2025). Estimates, January Population and Housing Estimates. https://dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates/.

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Figure 122: Future Service Demand Projection
Based on population projections, service demand for Dinuba Fire Department will potentially increase by 9.5% from 2024 through 2034 if population trends continue.

Policymakers should keep an eye on annual service demand and how it is impacted by development.
0 1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025202620272028202920302031203220332034 Incidents
Population
Population Estimate Population Forecast
Incident History Incident Forecast

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Service Delivery & Performance Objectives
DFD provides fire protection, first responder EMS, EMS transport, and other emergency services to the City. It also responds to the surrounding area through mutual and automatic aid agreements. DFD has one engine and two ambulances, and it relies heavily on aid from surrounding fire departments for incidents requiring more than these units. Therefore, enough apparatus must be dispatched to complete the critical tasks associated with each type of incident and corresponding risk.

The critical tasks that must be performed during a fire can be divided into two key components: life safety and fire flow.

Life safety tasks are based on the number of building occupants and their location, status, and ability to take self-preservation action. Life safety-related tasks involve the search, rescue, and evacuation of victims.

The fire-flow component involves delivering sufficient water to extinguish the fire and creating an environment within the building that allows firefighters to enter.

The number and types of tasks requiring simultaneous action will dictate the minimum number of firefighters needed to combat various fires. Without adequate personnel to perform these actions, the commanding officer must prioritize the tasks and complete some in chronological order rather than concurrently. These tasks include:
• Command
• Scene safety
• Search and rescue
• Fire attack
• Water supply
• Pump operation
• Ventilation
• Backup/rapid intervention
Critical task analyses also apply to all agency program categories. Numerous simultaneous tasks must be completed to control an emergency effectively. DFD’s ability to quickly muster the needed number of trained personnel is critical to successful incident outcomes.

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Risk levels for each response type have been identified throughout this document. They are generally classified into low, moderate, high, and maximum risks. These classifications apply across the five department programs of fire response, EMS, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and wildland firefighting. Risk levels and classifications are found in the community risk section of this report.

DFD completed a critical tasking overview as part of this study. Each hazard type was identified, and the expected number of personnel was determined based on critical tasking and operational procedures. The following summarizes the total personnel required by incident type and risk category.

Figure 123: Staffing Determinations Based on Risk
Incident Type High Risk Moderate
Risk Low Risk
Fire 27 16 2
Emergency Medical 16 6 2
Technical Rescue 16 9 4
Hazardous Materials 16 13 4
Establishing resource levels needed for various emergencies is a uniquely local decision.

Factors influencing incident staffing include the type of equipment operated, the training levels of responders, operating procedures, geography, traffic, the nature of buildings, and other risks.

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Critical Tasking Analysis
DFD has developed the Critical Task Analysis in Figure 124 through Figure 127 using risk matrices for various incident types. Critical tasks are those activities that must be conducted promptly by firefighters early in emergency incidents. This intervention is essential to control the situation, stop loss, and perform the necessary tasks required for a medical emergency. DFD is responsible for ensuring that the responding companies can promptly, efficiently, and safely perform all the described tasks. The following figures are DFD’s minimum number of personnel needed, referred to the effective response force (ERF), by incident type and risk severity by function.

Figure 124: Fire Response Critical Tasking
Function High Risk Moderate
Risk Low Risk
Command/Support 2 1
Safety 1 1
Size up (360°) 1 1
Driver/Engine or Pump Operator 4 2 1
Water Supply *
Standpipe/Sprinkler Control *
Fire Attack 5 2 1
Search & Rescue 2 2
Ventilation/Utilities 4 2
Backup Line 2 1
Rapid Intervention Team 4 2
EMS Unit - ALS 2 2
Total Effective Response Force 27 16 2
* Temporary Assignment

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Figure 125: Emergency Medical Services Critical Tasking Function High Risk Moderate
Risk Low Risk
Command 1 2
Operations
Triage Group 2
Advanced Life Support Treatment 3 2 2
Extrication/Hazard Mitigation 2
Transport Group 10
Staging
Total Effective Response Force 16 6 2
Figure 126: Technical Rescue Critical Tasking
Function High Risk Moderate
Risk Low Risk
Command/Support 2 1 1
Safety 1 1
Extrication/Hazard Mitigation 5 2
Operations 1
Rescue Teams 6
Rescue Support Group 2
Advanced Life Support Treatment 4 2 1
Total Effective Response Force 16 9 4

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Figure 127: HazMat Critical Tasking
Function High Risk Moderate
Risk Low Risk
Command/Support 1 1 1
Safety 1 1
HazMat Group Supervisor
Hazard Mitigation 3
Operations 1 1
Entry Team Officer and Team 2 2
Backup Entry Team 2 2
HazMat Support Group 3 2
Decon Group 2 2
Medical Group 4 2
Total Effective Response Force 16 13 4
Alarm Assignments
As a smaller department, DFD encounters certain complexities organically built into the system. For example, the department relies on outside agencies for any incident of moderate or high risk, which are considered more complex incidents. The following figure shows staffed apparatus and unit levels, including the three closest automatic aid departments.

Figure 128: Aid Units & Staffing Levels
Apparatus Units Staffing Total Staff
Engine 31 1 2 2
Ambulance 731 or Cross staff E32 1 2 2
Ambulance 732 1 2 2
Total DFD Units/Staff 3 6
Tulare County Fire 2 2 4
Reedley Fire Ladder Truck 1 3 3
Battalion Chiefs 1 1 1
Total Units/Staff including
Automatic Aid 7 14

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The preceding figure identifies the difficulty of relying on a specific apparatus to fill any alarm assignment. DFD-staffed units have enough on-duty personnel for low-risk alarm assignments. The mutual aid system provides DFD access to enough resources to handle most of the moderate incidents; however, that is only part of the story. Having enough units available is essential but positioning them close enough to intervene effectively is just as important.

The intent is to staff and build a dispatch model that most effectively fulfills the tasking requirement for the various levels of risk. It is essential for both the agency and dispatch center to ensure the necessary staffing levels are met with the initial dispatch. The following figure compares the agency's reported dispatch complement of units and personnel to the identified staffing requirements for the associated risk levels.

Figure 129: Fire Alarm Assignments by Risk
Dispatched Apparatus DFD
Units
DFD
Staff
Aid
Units
Aid
Staff Staffing
Low Risk (ERF staffing = 2)
Engine 1 2 2
Totals: 1 2 0 0 2
Over/(Under) ERF 0
Moderate Risk (ERF staffing = 17)
Engine 1 2 2 4 6
Cross staffed engine 1 2 2
Ladder 1 3 3
Battalion Chief 1 1 2
EMS - Ambulance 1 2 2
Totals: 4 7 3 7 15
Over/(Under) ERF (2)

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Figure 130: Emergency Medical Assignments by Risk
Dispatched Apparatus DFD
Units
DFD
Staff
Aid
Units
Aid
Staff Staffing
Low Risk (ERF staffing = 2)
EMS Units 1 2 2
Fire Units
Totals: 1 2 2
Over/(Under) ERF 0
Moderate Risk (ERF staffing = 7)
EMS Units 2 4 4
Fire Units 1 2 2
Battalion Chief 1 1 1
Totals: 4 7 7
Over/(Under) ERF 0
Figure 131: Technical Rescue Assignments by Risk
Dispatched Apparatus DFD
Units
DFD
Staff
Aid
Units
Aid
Staff Staffing
Low Risk (ERF staffing = 4)
Fire Units 1 2 2
EMS Units 1 2 2
Totals: Over/(Under) ERF 2 4 4
Over/(Under) ERF 0
Moderate Risk (ERF staffing = 9)
Fire Units 1 2 2 4 6
EMS Units 2 4 4
Totals: 3 6 2 4 10
Over/(Under) ERF 1

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Figure 132: Hazardous Materials Assignments by Risk
Dispatched Apparatus DFD
Units
DFD
Staff
Aid
Units
Aid
Staff Staffing
Low Risk (ERF staffing = 4)
Fire Units 1 2 2
EMS Units 1 2 2
Totals: 2 4 0 0 4
Over/(Under) ERF 0
Moderate Risk (ERF staffing = 13)
Fire Units 1 2 3 6 8
EMS Units 2 4 1 2 6
Totals: 3 6 4 8 14
Over/(Under) ERF 1

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Review of Response Standards & Targets
Response Time Performance Objectives
There are two primary goals for establishing an effective response force (ERF) total based on critical staffing. The first is to align the incident need with available resources, creating an efficient methodology for responding to incidents. As is evident in the previous section, some areas require attention if DFD is to improve deployment efficiency. The other goal is to assess whether the deployment methodology effectively meets the needs of various incident types.

The deployment analysis based on an effective response force requires two components:
an effective response force and performance objectives. The most common methodology for a fire department to evaluate itself is through time analysis. At a minimum, the arrival times of the first due unit and the ERF should be analyzed from the customer's perspective.

This total time starts when the customer calls for service and includes meeting the benchmarks for first due and ERF arrival.

NFPA 1710 can be applied to DFD; the department indicated this was its benchmark time.

This standard is described earlier in the report and does not need to be repeated. In addition, the ambulance service contract may indicate a different level of response. The NFPA standard is likely to be more aggressive and will naturally meet any other standards.

The following figure is a recreation of the response time stamps indicated by NFPA for career departments.37
Figure 133: NFPA Response Time Compliance Requirements
Time Segment Compliance
Percentile Benchmark DFD 5-Year Performance
PSAP Answer 90% 15 Seconds Unknown
DPD and TCCAD Call
Processing (priority calls) 90% 60 Seconds 2:55
Turnout Time 90% 60 Seconds 3:07
Travel Time (First Due) 90% 4 Minutes 6:09
37 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 (2020) Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments & NFPA 1225 (2022) Standard for Emergency Services Communication.

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The preceding time segments may be helpful for DFD to adopt. DFD's most significant single improvement will be in turnout time, which can be improved through policy enforcement, crew evaluation, and improved station layout and technology. While DPD Dispatch and TCCAD are not directly within the fire department's management purview, they can influence it using data requests and contractual performance language. The PSAP times will typically originate from the Dinuba Police Department communications center. With the cooperation of City leadership, this can be a manageable time segment.

Finally, travel time will be predominantly affected by the location of the fire station.

Establishing time-centric response goals is the most common and typically easiest to produce. However, the city culture may be more accepting if DFD evaluates different metrics, such as outcomes, customer satisfaction, or other less time-driven concepts.

Therefore, it will be incumbent on DFD to explore appropriate and attainable measures.

While defined goals are necessary, it is common for departments to develop performance zones to match services with demographic densities.

Fire agencies throughout the United States establish risk zones based on risk and population density. Risk or “demand” zones provide a more accurate picture of service delivery performance. This may be especially relevant for fire departments as extensive and diverse as DFD.

The preceding response discussion is intended to serve as an example to help DFD establish appropriate response standards and performance targets. Setting response standards and performance goals should be viewed as a strategic planning tool for community loss control. For DFD, it should help determine whether the current department performance is satisfactory and what steps are necessary to improve that performance.

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Section V:

FIRE STATION LOCATION ANALYSIS

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Fire Station 2 Location Analysis
Most jurisdictions that were established many years ago, began with a local fire department to fight fires in their small downtown areas. These departments were staffed by volunteer firefighters, and the station was typically located in the downtown center. This is the exact history of the DFD. Station 31 is situated downtown in a 103-year-old building. DFD serves the entire 6.5 square miles of the City from this single fire station. The industry standard is a four-minute travel time in urban and suburban areas. The following figure shows 4-minute travel time estimates based on posted speed limits and recorded travel times.

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Figure 134: NFPA Response Time 4 Minute Travel Time
As noted previously, the areas where the fire department cannot reach within 4 minutes of travel are to the north and west of the City. A fire department typically considers the need for an additional fire station when the population reaches between 20,000 and 25,000.

There are two main reasons for this: the distance or travel time to reach an emergency incident and the number of calls for service. The DFD is at this point. Current Station 31 cannot adequately accommodate all the fire apparatus, nor can it support the maximum daily staffing of 11 personnel.

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When determining the need and location for another fire station, it is always best to consider future growth areas and planned projects. There has been increased interest in the southwest portion of the City after the recent construction of a second high school. The following figure shows current and future construction projects and tract maps.

Figure 135: City of Dinuba Future Tract and Development Locations38 AP Triton examined the two underserved areas to the north and west of the City. The first figure shows a proposed second fire station to the north, and the second figure shows the location to the west.
38 City of Dinuba Planning Department, Map of Future Projects – City of Dinuba, from 4Creeks, provided during meeting with project manager.

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Figure 136: Proposed Second Fire Station Located to the North This fire station location offers notable improvements to the north, but unfortunately, a large part of its future primary response area would include coverage in Fresno County. Due to various laws in California, it is very difficult for city limits to cross county lines. Therefore, it is unlikely the City will expand beyond the county boundary. Another concern with this location is the absence of a railroad crossing at Saginaw, which limits the northern fire station's ability to effectively reach the western underserved area.

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Figure 137: Proposed Second Fire Station Located to the West The second fire station location to the west expands the City coverage area and includes areas more likely to be developed in the future. The 4-minute coverage map should be updated as the street network in the area is developed.

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Figure 138: Proposed Second Fire Station Located to the West on City-Owned Property The best location for a second fire station is on the city-owned property at the southeast corner of Road 72 and Avenue 412, or Sierra Way. This site was identified in the 2014 Master Plan and remains the best choice in 2025. Another reason for recommending this location is that the City already owns the property, which would significantly reduce costs compared to acquiring land along El Monte Way. Additionally, it would enable responding fire units to avoid immediately crossing four lanes of traffic upon exiting the station.

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Section VI:

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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Findings & Observations
This section is divided into two parts. The general observations reflect information the team deemed noteworthy; however, they do not necessarily warrant action or result in specific recommendations. The findings are topics that prompted the team to create a recommendation. Leadership should recognize that implementing the recommendations in this document is optional.

General Observations
• DFD is an all-hazards response agency but only provides technical rescue and hazardous materials response at the basic awareness level. • DFD relies heavily on the surrounding fire departments via mutual aid for any risk category above low.
• DFD call processing and turnout times are far exceeding industry best practices. • All front-line apparatus were rated as good or excellent. The reserve engine and ladder truck were rated in poor condition.
• The DFD has a significant number of simultaneous calls for service. 56% of the time, the department has two ambulances committed to calls for service. • The DPD CAD data timestamping has many omissions when compared to EMS calls transferred to TCCAD.
• The DPD dispatch does not utilize priority dispatch or EMD/EFD protocols. • The DPD CAD does not allow for prebuilt dispatching of appropriate resources based on risk and call type.
• The records management system that DPD uses as a CAD system does not interface with other area CAD systems. This may increase the time required to start and dispatch an incident.
• The City’s land use is predominantly residential, with commercial areas primarily in the town center and along El Monte Way.
• As the City grows and includes more multistory and multifamily structures, the department must ensure adequate first-response resources are available. • Succession planning and firefighter retention are significant issues for DFD.

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• The DFD ambulance fund reserve account has a balance of over $11 million. This is more than enough to cover a full year of ambulance fund expenditures. The City stated that a majority of these funds will be used for a future fire station. • DFD’s personnel-related expenses increased by 69% between Fiscal Year 2020–21 and Fiscal Year 2024–25. Several factors contributed to the significant increase, with the highest being the additional personnel. DFD FTEs also increased from 31 to 38. • Salaries and benefit costs continue to increase, especially retirement costs. The City also started to allocate PERS unfunded liability to city departments in Fiscal Year 2021–22.
• The City’s unassigned General Fund Reserve balance is projected to decrease, and it is forecasted to continue the downward trend to $7.56 million at the end of Fiscal Year 2024–25. The decrease is primarily due to a significant reduction in sales tax revenues. The City’s projected sales tax revenue is only 60% of the Fiscal Year 2021– 22 level.
• Developer Impact Fees (DIF) only had $.5 million, indicating the City is not collecting enough revenue for the impact new development has on public safety capital resources.
• The City has established financial and purchasing policies to protect the taxpayers' resources.
• The DFD website could be improved by adding additional information and photos.

This may include incident data, annual reports, apparatus and vehicle photos, etc.. • While many emergency response agencies use Facebook to interact with the public, additional social media tools such as Threads, BlueSky, and CounterSocial are just a few of the newer social media channels in use today. The department should explore expanding its reach using additional social media tools, as they are now commonly in society.

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Findings Leading to Recommendations
The following list of findings led to a recommendation. DFD relies heavily on mutual aid, but these resources are not simultaneously dispatched, leading to extended response times.

DFD has no formal automatic aid agreements with surrounding fire departments.

Recommendation 1
• The current fire department response personnel are inadequate for a city of this size.

A minimum staffing of only five personnel trained in fire suppression is insufficient.

Recommendation 2
• DFD Call Processing and Turnout time exceed norms for the fire service. Call Processing at the primary PSAP is 2:55 and Turnout Time is 3:07. Recommendation 3 • The current Fire Station 31 is undersized and poorly designed for modern firefighting operations and has exceeded the capacity to accommodate existing and future operational needs. Recommendation 4
• In some years of the study, the DFD response times are increasing. Future city growth is occurring primarily to the west and south. To improve and maintain response times, a second fire station needs to be constructed in the City’s southwest area.

Recommendation 5
• DFD units are approaching cautionary usage statistics, especially if only staffing a minimum of two ambulances daily. Ambulance usage is steadily increasing, with the most significant growth outside city limits, at 56% UHU. Recommendation 6 • Like other city-owned properties, station maintenance is completed on an asreported and priority-based system. There was no indication of a robust preventative maintenance system. Recommendation 7
• AP Triton found no evidence of a funded or comprehensive capital improvement or station replacement plan. Recommendation 8
• The DPD does not have an adequate CAD for dispatching DFD resources.

Dispatchers are not trained in EFD or EMD. There are no CAD to CAD connections with surrounding dispatch centers to improve the dispatching other fire department units. Recommendation 9
• The DFD does not have an established Safety Committee. Recommendation 10

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• Incident and Patient Care Reports (PCR) are not reviewed annually for completeness and accuracy. Evaluating demand, service types, and other information annually to identify trends, future needs, areas for improvement, and to ensure proper report information. Recommendation 11
• DFD needs to look at ways to provide performance and outcome measurements to share with the community and the elected officials. Recommendation 12 • DFD does not have an adopted response standard and performance policy for each element of response time. Recommendation 13
• The Dinuba Fire Department does not have a formal Community Risk Reduction (CRR) plan that identifies and prioritizes the community’s risk. Recommendation 14 • DFD provides educational programs that are based on traditional and generalized fire safety topics. While effective in conveying basic safety knowledge, these programs are less effective than programs targeting risks identified by incident data in specific populations and geographic regions. Recommendation 15 • DFD does not have an annual wellness program or require periodic medical examinations for its firefighters. Recommendation 16
• DFD is experiencing a recruitment and retention issue, and this is leading to the need for mentoring and coaching new employees and recently promoted personnel. The fire service has experienced ongoing recruitment and retention challenges for several years, with these issues intensifying during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, paramedic training programs were significantly disrupted. Many programs were unable to conduct required clinical rotations, and much of the didactic instruction was shifted to online formats, limiting the pipeline of newly certified paramedics. In response, the Dinuba Fire Department has implemented several initiatives to strengthen recruitment and retention. The department has partnered with the Dinuba High School Regional Occupational Program to introduce high school students to the fire service and encourage early interest in firefighting careers. In addition, the department has sponsored both current and prospective employees to attend emergency medical technician and paramedic training programs, helping to develop a sustainable workforce. Recommendation 17

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Strategies & Recommendations
Financial Recommendations
The following recommendations are grounded in industry best practices and the expertise of AP Triton’s subject matter specialists. Each recommendation corresponds to specific findings identified during the assessment. While adoption is at the discretion of City and department leadership, prioritization for implementation and funding will need to be determined. Recommendations are organized into four categories: program and policy, staffing, equipment and resources, and financial and planning.

Recommendation 1: Negotiate and enter into automatic aid agreements with surrounding fire departments.

Description: DFD does not have any formal automatic aid agreements with surrounding fire departments. When additional fire resources are needed, they must make individual requests to each department and get approval for the department to send fire units. This leads to delayed response, and there is no guarantee that units will be sent when DFD is in need.

Outcomes: Developing a policy that automatically and simultaneously dispatches automatic aid units with amounts tied to risk levels will improve the department’s effective firefighting response performance.

Estimated Financial Cost: Staff time to develop an updated Automatic Aid policy.

Recommendation 2: Increase minimum staffing by two firefighters per shift, resulting in a minimum staffing of eight personnel per shift.

Description: DFD cannot assemble an effective response force without mutual aid for any community risk above low. The ambulances have a total of 56% unit hour utilization, which means the likelihood of the personnel assigned to the ambulances being available when needed for a fire call is significantly diminished. Raising the minimum staffing from six to eight would increase the likelihood of a minimum of four trained fire suppression personnel to respond to a fire call.

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Outcomes: Adding two firefighters to the minimum staffing standard will enable the department to respond with four possible personnel. While this number is significantly lower than the ERF recommended by the 2020 version NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, it will provide the department with an improved initial attack capability until mutual aid resources can be dispatched and arrive. Of note, the minimum ERF recommended by NFPA 1710 for a low to moderate risk structure fire is 16.

Estimated Financial Cost: The department has a staffing allocation of 11 personnel per shift.

Increasing the minimum staffing to eight is feasible, as the department currently has eight vacancies. The overall cost for this staffing change would be minimal. Overtime costs would be offset by the vacancies. Each shift could reduce overall daily staffing from 11 to 10, and the savings could be used to support the increase in minimum staffing.

Recommendation 3: Reduce call processing and turnout time intervals.

Description: DFD does not have formally adopted response time standards. The department does have some established response time benchmarks, but these need to be validated and presented to the jurisdiction having authority. Call processing is the time between when an emergency call is answered at the PSAP and an appropriate emergency response unit is alerted. Turnout time is the period between when dispatchers notify response personnel of the incident and when response crews begin to travel towards the incident location. It was noted that the lack of a formal Computer Aided Dispatch system could be contributing to the longer turnout times. DFD exceeds most industry recommendations for these time intervals. Turnout time is the one area of the total response time that fire departments have the most control over. A review of fire station design should also be conducted to identify and remove impediments to a quick response. This can include station alerting systems and pathways from quarters to apparatus. A countdown clock in the apparatus bay can help responders identify the true time they are experiencing getting into responding units.

Outcomes: Department management should regularly prepare information that describes current turnout time performance by individual response crews (by shift and by unit).

Performance expectations should be reinforced and periodic monitoring conducted to determine if improvements are being made and sustained. Response personnel should avoid activities that extend turnout times. Response personnel must make serious efforts to improve their turnout time performance for the benefit of the community.

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Estimated Financial Cost: Staff time to develop a turnout response time policy and policy and the cost of improvements to, or modifications of, internal pathways for rapid egress.

Recommendation 4: Identify a funding source to construct needed improvements to existing Fire Station 31 to maintain a high degree of safety, efficiency, long-term sustainability, and effectiveness and build Fire Station 32.

Description: DFD should work to secure funding for a redesign and reengineering of the current Fire Station 31 so it will accommodate the current and future needs of the department. Fire Station 31 was originally designed for an all-volunteer fire department, but the facility is now inadequate for the needs of 11 personnel per day. It lacks genderspecific living quarters, sufficient bathrooms, multiple refrigerators, storage, office space, and bedrooms. The station does not have enough space to meet the demands of current firefighting activities, emphasizing the urgent need for upgrades and the construction of a second fire station. The design and construction should take into consideration compliance with NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness, NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments as well as NFPA 1851 as it relates to planning for space to accommodate storage, care, and maintenance of structural firefighting gear.

The department has budgeted $750,000 in FY 26–27 to make improvements to the existing Fire Station 31. While these upgrades will address some facility needs, they will not significantly resolve the underlying issue of having too many personnel assigned to a station with limited square footage.

Outcomes: A facility that meets all health and safety requirements and will accommodate the current and future needs of the community.

Estimated Financial Cost: Construction costs are estimated to be approximately $1,000 to $1,750 per square foot. These estimates were based on actual bid awards for fire station architectural and engineering design, construction management, and actual construction.

These fire stations were built in the cities of Fresno, Clovis, and Visalia between 2022 and 2024.

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Recommendation 5: Secure funding for a second fire station located at Ave 412 and Road 72.

Description: There are areas to the west and north that the fire department cannot reach within 4 minutes of travel time. A fire department typically considers the need for an additional fire station when the population reaches between 20,000 and 25,000. There are two main reasons for this: the distance or travel time to reach an emergency incident and the number of calls for service. Currently, the DFD’s only fire station cannot properly house 11 personnel per day and cannot efficiently reach a large section of the population to the west of the City.

Outcomes: By securing property and building a second fire station, the DFD will experience reduced response times and improved service delivery.

Recommendation 6: Evaluate the workload for the Ambulance Transport program to determine if the demand validates the need for a minimum of three 24-hour units and possibly a fourth peak demand unit.

Description: Currently, the DFD's overall Unit Hour Utilization for its ambulances is at 56%. A heavy workload per unit typically falls between 20 and 25%. With a minimum staffing of just six personnel, the department can only staff two ambulances. This puts significant strain on those two resources and affects the reliability of ambulance services. Additionally, the DFD experiences many calls where one ambulance is already committed to another emergency. Continuously staffing a third ambulance with fire suppression-trained personnel would increase the minimum number of fire suppression personnel on duty each day.

Outcomes: The increase in minimum staffing from six to eight would result in an addition of one additional ambulance being staffed per day. This increase should enable a DFD ambulance to be available for an EMS call if fire suppression personnel are assigned to a fire call.

Estimated Financial Savings: Reducing the overall staffing from 11 to 10 would generate enough funds to cover the required overtime to increase the minimum staffing from six to eight personnel.

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Financial Implication: Recent construction costs for fire stations in California have varied widely. Two recent two-story fire station constructions include the Coastside Fire Protection District, which budgeted $1,380 per square foot in 2023, and Sunnyvale, which ended up at $2,058 per square foot in 2024.

Recommendation 7: Establish a Fire Station Maintenance, Needed Repairs, and Life Safety Inspection Program.

Description: DFD should establish an annual maintenance, repair, and life safety inspection program for its facilities. Systems that enhance the safety and health of employees are crucial for reducing the number and severity of injuries and health concerns. Essential systems require regular maintenance and evaluation, including HVAC, emergency power, fire sprinklers, plumbing, electrical, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Implementing this program will ensure these systems function correctly and provide a safe working environment for all personnel.

Outcomes: Systematically evaluate, repair, and potentially improve the DFD fire station's emergency and life safety systems.

Financial Implications: Initial costs will include staff time developing, adopting, and completing a custom or currently available inspection system. Once created, the address should be added to the mandated annual inspection list. Ongoing costs will include maintenance requirements such as system repair and replacement of consumable goods.

Recommendation 8: Formalize, Adopt, and Fund a Capital Replacement Plan.

Description: The Department does not have a formal capital asset replacement plan.

Outcomes: Fiscal constraints, including financial capacity and an inability to contemplate all capital expenditures that may arise in a budget cycle, introduce uncertainty and a failure to budget and plan for every contingency. Government Finance Officer Association recommends that governments establish capital planning policies that undertake a multiyear planning and budgeting process to accumulate funding for anticipated capital needs. The plan should be specific to DFD and consider facilities, apparatus, and other major capital projects. Adopting a formal multi-year plan can provide the City and the department with a tool to anticipate and financially prepare for capital needs correctly.

Though maintenance and replacement of capital projects should be funded yearly through the budgeting process, establishing a capital asset replacement plan provides additional flexibility in a strong capital asset management program.