Figure 104: Fire Hydrant Distribution in the Study Area The next figure shows the commercial building and hydrant locations in Pinole. Represented on the map is the Needed Fire Flow (NFF) for each of the commercial buildings. Fire flow is the amount of water that would need to be supplied and pumped from an apparatus to control a building fire. Pinole’s fire engine can pump 1,500 gallons per minute. Many buildings in Pinole could require a much higher fire flow to control an established fire.
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Figure 105: Fire Hydrant Distribution, Commercial Building with Needed Fire Flow (NFF) Emergency communication centers and the associated transmitting and receiving equipment are essential facilities for emergency response. The Contra Costa Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center (CCRFCC) provides call receipt and dispatch service to the Pinole Fire Department and many of the neighboring jurisdictions. This center answers 911 calls, dispatches fire and other emergency responders, and provides important support to the on-scene incident management function. This center is the secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). All 911 calls made from landlines in the city limits are automatically routed to the City of Pinole Police Department, which is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Calls from landlines in the unincorporated areas within the City’s fire service area are automatically routed to the Contra Costa County Sheriff. Once one of these PSAP’s dispatchers determines a call requires fire department response, the call is relayed to CCRFCC.
There are other communication facilities and equipment that are equally important to the community and government operations within the study area. These are the telephone company central offices and the transmission lines of local telephone service providers. Internet service providers, along with wireless cellular communication providers, provide essential communication capabilities for the community as well as emergency personnel through their facilities and equipment. Failures in any of these systems can influence emergency services.
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Energy
The loss of electrical power is also a risk to the community. Community services, from communications to traffic signals to normal operation of supermarkets, require the use of energy. Whether it is electricity generation and transmission systems, fuel distribution and storage tanks, or natural gas pipelines and regulator stations, the community is dependent upon energy sources. The loss of energy is a planning consideration for response and readiness.
Structural Risks
Certain buildings, contents, functions, and size present a greater firefighting challenge and require special equipment, operations, and training.
The Insurance Services Office calls for a ladder truck within 2.5 miles of developed areas containing buildings three or more stories in height. Accessing the upper floors and roofs of buildings this tall, typically requires ladder truck capability as ground ladders may not provide access. The next figure documents current commercial facilities and the number of stories each building possesses.
Figure 106: Commercial Buildings, One to Four Stories in Height 237 of 801 391 of 955
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Large buildings such as warehouses, malls, and large “box” stores require greater volumes of water for firefighting and require more firefighters to advance hose lines long distances into the building. The following figure demonstrates building locations and their relative total floor space in relationship to Pinole’s Station 73.
Figure 107: Commercial Buildings, Total Floor Area
Terrorism
Pinole is, as is anywhere, a potential target for terrorism. Most of the previously categorized risks in the community are targets for such activity. These include schools, commercial buildings, public infrastructure, and public assembly areas that are located within the study area. In addition, the outdoor public gathering events during the year can also be targets. All fire-rescue departments need to be vigilant in their training and preparedness in the event one or more coordinated acts of terror occur in the region, Pinole is no different. Despite the small likelihood of a terrorist attack, training to ensure coordination and unified command with law enforcement partners is critical.
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Demographics
Current Population Information
The next figure is a summary of the service area and population, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Figure 108: Study Area Size and Population Estimates
Fire Department/District 2017 Population
Estimate Area in Sq. Miles Population Density
Pinole City 19,364 5.32 3,455/sq. mi.
An NFPA report has identified the groups that face a higher risk of being injured or killed in a fire as:25 • Children under 5 years of age;
• Older adults over 65 years of age;
• People with disabilities;
• Those with a language barrier; and
• People in low-income communities.
The following figures were created to provide an overview of the demographics related to these identified groups. Select demographics are provided in the following figure to the extent that the data was available.
Figure 109: Select Population Demographics
Persons under 5
years
Persons under
18 years
Persons 65
years and over
Persons with
Disabilities
Under the Age
of 65
Language other
than English
Spoken at
Home
Pinole26 3.7% 17.1% 18.8% 9.1% 36.3%
Based on the preceding figure, 18.8 percent of the population is over 65 years of age, and an additional 3.7 percent of the population is under five years of age. This places a total of approximately 22.5 percent of the populations within the age groups that are at the highest risk in residential fire incidents and account for some of the highest use of emergency medical services.27 Senior citizens can have difficulty escaping from fire due to physical limitations. Seniors also tend to use emergency medical services more frequently than younger persons. As the population ages, this will create an increase in service demand for emergency medical services. In addition, just over 36 percent of the population may have language barriers that make communication with first responders during an emergency difficult.28 25 National Fire Protection Association, 2007; Urban Fire Safety Project, Emmitsburg, MD; retrieved from http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/people-at-risk/urban-fire-safety/reports-and-presentations. 26 Information retrieved from the United States Census Bureau. 27 This is very close to the national average of 21.7 percent. 28 The national average is 21.8 percent.
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As noted, the very young also represent a vulnerable population, both regarding their ability to escape a structure fire as well as their susceptibility to serious medical ailments such as asthma, traumatic events, choking, or injury from vehicular accidents.
The demographics displayed in Figure 110 are factors that indicate that a population is more likely to use fire department services than other populations. Individuals in poverty or with no health insurance are more likely to use local EMS resources compared to individuals with health insurance and a personal physician. A high percentage of owner-occupied homes may indicate a more stable community and residents willing to invest in their community and community services; Pinole with an owner-occupied housing rate of 70 percent is approximately 7 percent higher than the national average.
Figure 110: Other Demographic Comparisons
Subject Pinole
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years 4.7% Owner Occupied Housing Rate, 2012–2016 70.2%
Median household income (in 2017 dollars), 2012–2017 $84,255 Residents at the poverty level 5.4%
Population Density
Most communities contain areas with different population densities and property risks allowing the community’s policymakers to specify different response performance objectives by geographic area. The classifications that are identified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in Standard 1720 and the percentage of the city in the classification is provided in the following figure.29 Figure 111: Population Classifications
Classification Criteria
Urban > 1,000 people/square mile
Suburban 500–1,000 people/square mile
Rural < 500 people/square mile
Remote Area Travel Distance ≥ 8 miles
29 NFPA 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments, 2014 Edition. 240 of 801 394 of 955
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The next figure illustrates the population density.
Figure 112: Study Area Population Density
Population Growth Projections
The population in Pinole has grown slowly over the last decades. The population in 1980 was 14,253—in 2019, the population has been estimated to have grown to 19,364. 30 This is an overall increase of .077 percent per
year. Pinole, in 2010 (during the last national census) had a population was 18,390. The 2019 estimated total is 19,364—an increase of just over 5 percent.
With population growth,there come increases in service demand. More people mean not only more incidents generated, but it also means a need for expanded geographical coverage. Resource additions will need to be planned to provide service delivery and performance at acceptable levels if higher density growth occurs within the service area.
Expansion and growth will affect not only the delivery of fire-rescue services but also other fire department functions, such as code enforcement and community risk reduction. The department must maintain awareness and be involved in monitoring the relationship between population and demand. 30 Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/pinolecitycalifornia and https://datausa.io/profile/geo/pinole-ca. 241 of 801 395 of 955
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Section II:
PUBLIC WORKSHOP & STAKEHOLDER INPUT
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PUBLIC INPUT
During the development of the community expectations portion of the Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Scope of Work, the City made it very clear they desired a number of opportunities for public input. The final scope of work included a Community Fire Study Workshop, several days of stakeholder interviews, and no less than two presentations to the City Council that would be conducted with opportunities for public input.
This section of the study reflects the results of the Community Fire Study Workshop and the stakeholder interviews.
On May 29, 2019, at 6 p.m., ESCI facilitated the Community Fire Study Workshop, which was attended by approximately 45 people. The format for the workshop was an interactive presentation utilizing Swift Polling on-line platform. This program allowed for a series of questions and input opportunities that could be instantly responded to by the audience with the results displayed in real-time. Responses were collected via text message, internet polling website, or paper polling form as displayed in applicable figures that follow as “SMS, “Web,” or “Paper Vote.” All polls and inputs were captured and are as follows.
For ESCI to gauge the community’s awareness of, access to, and experience with the services provided by the Pinole Fire Department, four questions were presented:
• What services, emergency, and other, are provided by the Pinole Fire Department? • How many firefighters are on duty daily in Pinole to provide services? • Have you received any services, emergency, or other, from the Pinole Fire Department? • If you received services, how satisfied were you with the service? Responses to the question regarding services provided by the department are summarized in Figure 113. The participants understood the department’s primary mission and the services that are or should be available to fulfill that mission.
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Figure 113: Services Provided by the Pinole Fire Department Figure 114 indicates that the participants were aware of the department’s on-duty force. In addition to daily staffing, the department enjoys effective automatic and mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions. However, increasing service demands across the spectrum of partnering agencies often leaves Pinole resources stretched thinly.
Figure 114: Number of Firefighters on Duty Daily in Pinole Comm. Training
Inspections
Fire Prevention
EMS
Fire Suppression
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 Three Four Nine or Ten
SMS Web Paper Vote
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In the following two figures (Figure 115 and Figure 116), several participants reported having received services from the department, emergency, or other. Of those residents who received services, the majority indicated that they were satisfied with the outcome of those services. This is a very good sign given the minimal resources the department is able to provide at this point in time and is demonstrative of the department’s commitment to its service mission.
Figure 115: Have You Received Any Services from PFD?
Figure 116: How Satisfied Were You with the Service?
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
Yes No
SMS Web Paper Vote
94%
6%
Very Satisfied Not Satisfied
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The next set of four questions were designed for ESCI to gain a sense of the community’s awareness of the adequacy of the fire protection system in Pinole to meet service demands:
• Is the existing system adequate?
• If not, what is lacking?
• Is the current staffing of the PFD adequate or not?
• How long should it take for resources to arrive from the time that you call? As displayed in Figure 117, a majority of respondents believe that the existing service delivery system in Pinole is inadequate. Responses to what is lacking regarding the system are summarized in Figure 118 Figure 117: Response to, “Is the Existing System Adequate?” Figure 118: Response to, “What is the Current System Lacking?” 0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
20 Yes No Don't know
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 Insuf. Personnel St. 74 Closure Too Reliant on
Partners
Insuf. Budget Other
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Insufficient personnel and resources were expressed as being the biggest challenges in the current system.
Although responses under the category “Other” did not fall under the other four categories, they are important to note here: response time objectives not being met and a lack of preparedness for infrastructure development were noteworthy concerns of some participants.
Responses to current Department staffing in Figure 119 are synonymous with the responses to whether or not the overall existing system is adequate. The respondents believe that their fire department is not adequately staffed at present. This further correlates to the responses in Figure 120 regarding response time expectations. The respondents had a realistic view of how long it should take for resources to arrive when they call, given current staffing of the PFD and automatic/mutual aid agreements.
Figure 119: Response to, “Is Current PFD Staffing Adequate?” Figure 120: Response to, “How Long Should It Take a Fire Engine to Arrive?” 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Understaffed
Adequately staffed
Don't know
SMS Web Paper Vote
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 4 minutes 6 minutes 8 minutes
SMS Web Paper Vote
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The final six questions presented were designed to determine the community’s awareness and understanding of prospective partnering options, the desirability of those options, and positive or negative impacts that may arise with each option:
• How important is it that the City of Pinole has its own fire department? • Would there be advantages in contracting with Contra Costa County FPD for fire-based services? • Would there be advantages in the Rodeo-Hercules FPD annexing the city area to provide fire-based services?
• What advantages would there be in partnering with either agency for services? • What disadvantages would there be in partnering with either agency for services? • Would you support a parcel tax measure if the revenue it generated improved services and financial stability either as a sole agency or in a partnering option? Figure 121: Response to, “How Important is it to the City of Pinole To Have Its Own Fire Department?” 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Not important
Somewhat important
Very important
SMS Web Paper Vote
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Figure 122: Response to, “Are There Advantages with Contracting With CCCFD?” Figure 123: Response to, “Are There Advantages in Rodeo-Hercules Annexing the Pinole Area into the RH Fire Protection District?”
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
Don't know
*Some responded not enough info to decide.
SMS Web Paper Vote
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 Yes No Don't know *Some responded not
enough info to decide.
SMS Web Paper Vote
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Figure 124: Response to, “What Advantages Would There Be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”
Figure 125: Response to, “What Disadvantages Would There be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”
The participants recognized that there are advantages to partnering with one of the surrounding agencies because of the increased staffing and resource depth it would bring. However, several residents expressed that it is important for Pinole to have its own fire department irrespective of whether a partnering option is pursued. Several residents clearly articulated that it is very important that Station 74 be re-opened and staffed full-time. Also expressed was a need for more information regarding partnering options so that the community can make the best-informed decision for service delivery going forward. Increased costs and loss of local control are primary concerns with agency partnering. 0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 Increased Staffing Depth of Service Imp. Response Times Imp. Safety and Oversight
Better Value for
Service
Some responded more information needed to make educated decision. 0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 Loss of Local Control Increased Costs More Tax Assessments 250 of 801 404 of 955
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Figure 126: Response to, “Would You Support a Parcel Tax Measure if the Revenue it Generated Improved Services and Financial Stability Either as a Sole Agency or in a Partnering Option?” Support for a parcel tax measure exists among the participants, as indicated in Figure 126. However, consideration of a senior citizen exemption and some idea of a dollar amount per resident are important factors for residents in their deciding whether to support a tax measure.
The second phase of soliciting opinions and expectations about the Pinole Fire Department and the services it delivers were gathered by direct interviews of stakeholders. Eighteen stakeholders were scheduled for interviews that were completed over a two-day period. Of the 18 interviewees, these stakeholders represented the City Council, City Administration, Community Members, Business Community, PFD Labor, Administrative Staff Members, Chief Officers, and surrounding Fire Chiefs.
It is important to note that the information solicited and provided during this process was provided in the form of “individual inputs,” some of which are perceptions as reported by stakeholders. All information was accepted at face value without an in-depth investigation of its origination or reliability. The project team reviewed the information for consistency and frequency of comment to identify specific patterns and/or trends. The stakeholder responses are summarized next.
Elected Officials, Business Community, & Citizens
Are you aware of why we are here and the purpose of this project? • The majority of those interviewed were aware of why ESCI’s representatives were present. • Several of those interviewed stated that issues such as the closure of Station 74 and the on-going discussion of merging/consolidating/contracting, etc., with a neighboring fire department or district have been going on for several years.
• Others interviewed indicated that the purpose is to find out where the needs are and where to go from there.
• For those individuals who were not aware of the “why” and “purpose” an update was provided. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
*Some need to know $$ before supporting.
*Senior exemption is important to consider.
SMS Web Paper Vote
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In your opinion, what are the advantages/positives/strengths of the existing emergency service delivery system?
• The City Fire Department is providing a service and doing it well. • Benefits were different between the bargaining groups; now, they are the same which has created harmony amongst the employees.
• The fire department has been serving the City for a long time; and people like the idea of having their own full-service fire department; one station staffed with three firefighters. • Quick and efficient response by the fire department; impressed with the fire department. • Responding firefighters are competent, and we have local control. • Motivated, committed, responsive, well trained, and organized.
What are the disadvantages/negatives/weaknesses of the existing system? • Understaffed due to disabilities, budgeting for equipment, and excessive repairs. • The relationship between the fire department and the City could be improved. • Closure of Station 74, due to the City having zero reserve(s) when the recession occurred in December of 2007. Financial recovery for the City has been slow resulting in not having enough funding to reopen Station 74.
• Adversarial situation due to personnel now paying for a portion of the employer’s contribution to the Public Employees Retirement System.
• Strained relationship between elected officials and the fire department. • Assuming there are services that are not currently provided. • Pinole Fire Department is understaffed, lacks resources, equipment, and money. • There are potential disadvantages when reflecting on the wildland fires in California last year and the close proximity of homes, schools, etc., to hills and undeveloped land within the City. • Strong leadership, need to increase training, develop succession planning, implement performance evaluations.
Does the existing system provide the residents and community with acceptable protection? • No, due to traffic congestion during commute hours.
• There is a perception that there is a negative impact on surrounding agencies due to Pinole Fire Department having only one fire station.
• Three firefighters is not very many; need to bring in other firefighters from neighboring agencies. • Yes, the existing system provides acceptable protection. • No, if the Engine has a mechanical issue; response time is negatively affected and is not an adequate response due to having to depend on our neighboring fire agencies. • Not sure and want to have resources to respond appropriately to any requests for fire services. 252 of 801 406 of 955
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How important do you think it is for the City to have its own fire department? • The fire department is providing services now.
• Recognizes that there are efficiencies with everyone under the same roof. • Very important.
• There appears to be a struggle now due to the need for additional resources. • It is not that important; Stations 73 and 74 are in Pinole; who controls it does not really matter. • If having our own fire department enables the fire department enhanced ability to respond to emergencies, then it is very important.
Do you believe there would be advantages to the City and level of service if the City were to contract with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services? • Yes. Preference is partnering with Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District rather than Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
• Yes, with the assumption that there are services that are not currently provided. • There definitely would be an advantage.
• Yes, there would be additional training and resources as well as access to services Pinole does not have but the other agencies do.
• Would want this to go to the voters.
• It could be detrimental if the department could not provide—at a minimum—the current level of service.
Do you believe the community would support a parcel tax if the additional funding would improve operations and enhance the financial stability of the department either as a standalone or to fund one of the options mentioned?
• It depends on the dynamics; fixed income recipients are less likely to support an increase in taxes. • There are competing priorities due to existing conditions of our roadways; should they be addressed at the same time?
• If they understood what improvements were and what the costs are to them; then yes. • Folks who have wanted the improvements for a while will support it. • Yes, however, the funds must be allocated specifically for fire service(s). • The interviewee believes the community will support a parcel tax. • Possibly; cannot say yes or no. Some communities will support it and other will not. 253 of 801 407 of 955
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In the event the City were to contract with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services, what is the one issue that—if not addressed properly—would be a deal-breaker.
• Financial/cost.
• Identify how services that are provided now will improve and identify the cost. • Must be able to prove that response times will improve. • If there is presence in the City.
• Amount of safety personnel provided to the area.
• Taking the time, obtaining appropriate information, making sure that all the agencies coming together are on the same page.
Who do you think would be opposed to the change?
• No—not an organized group.
• There are citizens out there that take pride in having their own fire department. • Those who do not understand the advantages.
• None; hold on to Pinole’s identity.
• People who cannot afford it.
• Those who live in Pinole and only are familiar with Station 73. • Possibly those who believe they will be stimulating the economy; not supporting the fire department. • Those who opposed the construction of Station 74.
• Those who oppose spending funds from the City’s General Fund. • Employees affected by combining agencies into one.
Is there anything you would like to add that we have not discussed? • Hoping for a viable solution that is within the City’s financial means. • What does it take to provide services? A cross section of input is what is anticipated as a result of the current “report.”
• Possibly the “study” will put this issue to bed so they can move forward. • The Pinole Fire Department has always been “spot on.” • 10 years ago, it was appropriate to close Station 74; it should go to a ballot question. • Residents in this town want more fire coverage; this report is offering the benchmark. What happens when the benchmark is met?
• It is important to come up with a viable solution that the City can afford. If community supports staffing #74—let’s do it with a parcel tax. We have options. 254 of 801 408 of 955
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Chief Officers, Labor Leaders, & Firefighters Representatives What are some areas in which you think the department could make improvements? • Infrastructure
• Improve labor relations with the City Council
• Administrative support
• Succession Planning
• Leadership stability; in the past 9 years, Pinole Fire Department has had 13 Fire Chiefs • Battalion Chief training
• Consistent training for all safety personnel
• Open Station 74
• Policies are lacking in various yet needed areas
• Lack of a formal hiring process; at this point in time, there has been no consistency.
What do you see as the top critical issues faced by the City fire department today? • Lack of supervision on A and C shifts
• Staffing
• Policies; there are none
• Adequate Administration—a good service model
• Morale
• Communication
What opportunities, in your view, are available to improve the service and capabilities? • Collaboration with others
• On-line training
• Policy Development
• Contra Costa Fire Protection District
• Opportunities prevail with a reorganization
What challenges do you see to the change?
• The will of the Fire Chiefs and Elected Officials
• Going to the Union first before going to the Fire Chief • Finances
• Public perception(s)
• Collectively reviewing the existing Budget in detail
• Local control
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What drawbacks do you see to the City contracting with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services? • Price of contracting with Contra Costa Fire Protection District • Cultural differences between the three entities
• Concerned that Rodeo-Hercules Fire financial status and would not add any depth to existing services currently provided
• Health insurance and retirement benefits differ between agencies What are the critical issues that you believe will need to be addressed prior to moving forward? • Feasibility
• Viability
• Identify improvements
• How functioning as one will benefit the safety of personnel • Retirement (PERS vs County Retirement)
• The type of method that will bring us together, i.e., consolidation/annexation/merger/administrative 5-year agreement
Who or what groups do you believe would oppose the change? • Some City Council members
• Public opposition
Is there anything that you would like to add that we have not discussed? • Battalion 7 service model should have a temporary fix; there are multiple safety issues. • Bringing these three agencies together.
• Trying to train together.
• Salary differences
• Open to hearing the options; Pinole Fire has a stressed response number, no training, etc.
Surrounding Area Fire Chiefs
What are some areas in which you think the department (Pinole) could make improvements? • Pinole Fire is a “taker” due to having one fire station and the need to depend on neighboring agencies.
• Open and staff Station 74.
• Increase staffing levels.
• If Pinole cannot stand alone, opportunities exist operationally when working as the same agency. • The Battalion 7 agreement is being redesigned; however, it is not as good as being one agency.
What opportunities, in your view, are available to improve the service and capabilities within the region? • Increase the staffing levels and validate why the levels should be increased; i.e., one or two more firefighters per shift.
• Opportunities exist operationally when working as the same agency. 256 of 801 410 of 955
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What in your opinion are the top critical issues you believe Pinole Fire is facing over the next 5 years? • Aging fleet.
• A station in the wrong location based on the population density at the waterfront. • The constant struggle with funding.
• Expansion of services.
• Having the capability to sustain what they have developed into the future; Pinole Fire has not been able to re-gain staffing levels prior to the Recession.
What are the critical issues that you believe will need to be addressed in the Battalion 7 area in the next 5 years?
• Personnel safety
• Capacity
• Common communications
• Ensuring that each cooperating partner lives up to what they have agreed to How would you propose to address the coverage challenges in the area around the closed Station 74? • It is important to review existing numbers, i.e., requests for services/assistance from surrounding agencies, etc.—if the numbers aren’t working today how will they work in the future? • There exists a concern that if Rodeo-Hercules annexes the Pinole Fire Department’s response area, how will Rodeo-Hercules Fire be able to maintain an acceptable level of service and staff Station(s) 73 and 74?
In your opinion does the area in and around Pinole need a staffed truck company to compliment the required effective response force?
• If there is an effective training plan, the will of the Firefighters to train, etc., then staff the truck. • Most likely would not staff it as the Truck Company response responsibilities are contained within the Battalion 7 Agreement.
• Currently, Rodeo-Hercules’ Truck Company is the only Truck Company in the area and; is currently first-out for Rodeo-Hercules Fire.
What other information would you like to add?
• This is the third request for a proposal from the City of Pinole. • Pinole needs to do something; the current situation is not sustainable. • The City of Pinole has placed “Fire” in the background. 257 of 801 411 of 955
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Section III:
OPTIONS FOR SHARED SERVICES
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SHARED SERVICES OPTIONS
The following discussion identifies and explains multiple approaches that may be accessed in the State of California for sharing services or partnering in the delivery of services with neighboring agencies.
It is ESCI’s understanding based on data review, on-site interviews, and stakeholder input, that since 1971, discussions, studies and proposals, to annex, merge, and/or contract for services between one or more neighboring agencies, have taken place. To date, none of these options have had the administrative, operational, political, or community support necessary to pursue any of the options. While other fire service delivery models are reviewed in this report, an overview of available delivery systems is included to ensure a basic understanding of available partnering strategies.
To adequately discuss the partnering continuum, the terminology and statutory provisions that are available to decision-makers must be understood. The following partner strategies, while not necessarily described by statute, differentiate between various approaches to partnering:
Status Quo
This option continues the current status of PFD without change. PFD continues to do business as they are today. There is no change to governance, staffing, or deployment of resources beyond the level of that is already in place. The current collaborative practices, through the existing cooperative service arrangements and agreements, would remain in effect.
Advanced Auto Aid Systems
When two or more agencies participate in a full boundary drop approach to dispatching the closest resource first regardless of jurisdiction. This process can be greatly enhanced with the utilization of automatic vehicle location technology.
This approach is already in place between PFD, RHFPD, and CCFPD and is memorialized via the “Battalion 7 Agreement.”
Functional Consolidation
When two or more agencies enter a collaborative relationship, typically through a contract for service, no permanent organizational commitment is made, and all decision-making power remains with each organization. Interagency collaboration can take many forms and may include shared administrative and support functions, combined operational practices, the participation of fire agencies in activities such as local fire management bodies (such as fire defense boards), mutual aid agreements, and interagency disaster planning exercises. It can also provide for complete service delivery as an integrated/consolidated fire agency from one local agency to another.
One form of functional consolidation is through Contract for Service or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), described in greater detail as follows.
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Contract for Service—Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA)31 In the State of California, authorization for an intergovernmental agreement (contract for service) for the provision of fire services between agencies as provided for by California Statute and Government Code (CGC) Section 55613-55614, and the California Public Contracting Code (CPCC) Section 20811 are commonly referred to as a “Contract for Service.”
The California Government Code and Public Contracting Code is written with the intent of being liberally construed relating to contracting for public safety services by cities and fire districts, and states, in part, that:
CPCC 20811. When a district board determines that it is in the public interest, a district may contract with any other public agency for fire protection services, rescue services, emergency medical services, hazardous material emergency response services, ambulance services, and any other emergency services for the protection of lives and property.
This permissive statute allows for a local agency, which includes cities and districts to enter into a written agreement with any other unit or units of a local agency for the performance of any or all fire services and activities that a party to the agreement, its officers or agencies, have authority to perform. The agreement may provide for the performance of a function or activity:
(1) By a consolidated and fully integrated department;
(2) By jointly providing for administrative officers and services; (3) By means of facilities or equipment jointly constructed, owned, leased, or operated; (4) By services and/or functions provided by one of the parties for any other party; Collaborative approaches under the CGC can include shared or contracted programmatic services, often referred to as functional unification or functional consolidation. Approaches may include shared administrative service, training programs, fire prevention outreach, or numerous other functional collaborative strategies. This approach can also include a fully integrated/consolidated fire district with services contracted to another local agency.
California law, regulations, and policy directives declare intergovernmental cooperation as a matter of statewide concern and grants special districts broad power to contract with other governmental entities for any function or activity the agencies have authority to perform.
An example of an IGA is the May 29th Fire Services Contract proposal from Contra Costa Fire Protection District to the City of Pinole (Appendix A).
Operational Consolidation
Operational consolidation occurs when two or more separate departments join operationally or administratively to form one organization. The entities remain largely separate; however, they deliver service as if they were one agency.
31 California Government Code and California Public Contracting Code, Sections 55513–55614, 55631, 55632, 20811. 260 of 801 414 of 955
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Joint Powers Authority
(CGC Section 6500, et seq.)
Joint powers are exercised when the public officials of two or more agencies agree to create another legal entity or establish a joint approach to work on a common problem, fund a project, or act as a representative body for a specific activity.
Before 2016, LAFCOs did not have authority over contracts between government agencies such as Joint Powers Agreements/Agencies (JPA). However, changes in the law require cities and districts to apply to LAFCO for approval of a JPA in certain circumstances.
Many of the changes in the laws governing LAFCO are in response to confusion among citizens regarding who and how their local government services are provided. Also, constituents are requesting increased transparency in government. LAFCOs are expected to provide resources to sort out government service providers, as well as assist in the coordination and long-range planning of those services. LAFCO’s role has expanded from oversight of boundary changes to conducting studies that analyze the efficient and economical provision of local government services.
Legal Unification
The concept of legal unification means combining two or more existing organizations into a single, unified, agency. Doing so includes all aspects of the organization’s policies, administration, governance, financing, functions, and operations. Legal integration of fire services in California can be achieved in a number of ways, the most common forms for fire districts are district formation, consolidation, reorganization, annexation, or formation of a Joint Powers Agency. District formation, consolidation, reorganization, and annexation are changes of organization which require approval by LAFCO. In some cases, the formation or expansion of a JPA also requires LAFCO approval.
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Section IV:
OPTIONS FOR DELIVERY OF
FIRE-BASED SERVICES
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OPTIONS
Per the Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Scope of Work, ESCI was to research possible options for providing fire protection to the community. The alternatives available to accomplish providing these services were limited due to the lack of availability of agencies with capacity and capability in general proximity to Pinole.
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District
During preliminary discussions with the City of Pinole and the Chief of the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (RHFPD), ESCI was led to believe that the District was interested in offering a proposal to provide fire protection services under contractto territory within the City of Pinole or annex the area within the City limits into the District so it would receive services comparable to other territories within the District.
Several weeks into developing the baseline analysis of options, the RHFPD Fire Chief transmitted a note via email that RHFPD would not be interested in submitting proposals until the study is completed. Prior to receiving the communication from RHFPD, ESCI had initiated a preliminary analysis of the District’s organizational structure and financial condition based on information available via the internet.
RHFPD is similar in operational make up to PFD with the exception being RHFPD operates two staffed stations versus PFD’s one. RHFPD, like PFD, has minimal administrative staff to carry out critical administrative tasks. In the event RHFPD were to submit any proposal to provide service, the proposal should include a provision for opening PFD Station 74 as well as staffing key administrative functions.
Should RHFPD express an interest in annexing the area within the Pinole City Limits, the following will need to be considered:
• Expand the boundaries of the Rodeo-Hercules FPD to include territory within the City of Pinole by submitting an annexation proposal to LAFCO.
• Transfer (or lease) City-owned fire service facilities and equipment (i.e., stations, rolling stock, hoses, ladders, etc.) to the Rodeo-Hercules FPD.
• Have the RHFPD hire City of Pinole employees who provide fire protection and wish to become employees of the RHFPD and devise a process to determine relative employee seniority. • Determine how to fund the additional service responsibilities incurred by the RHFPD such as reallocate a percentage of the City’s property tax allocation to RHFPD effective the year the annexation becomes effective. This percentage amount would be negotiated and approved by the City, the District, and the Board of Supervisors and consider extending an existing Special Tax already imposed by Rodeo-Hercules FPD within its current boundaries to the parcels being annexed. It is assumed this would be a condition of LAFCO’s approval of the annexation. 263 of 801 417 of 955
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• As a result of these changes, (1) the territory within the City would be within the boundaries and service area of the RHFPD, (2) the City would receive a smaller portion of the 1 percent property tax levied within its boundaries but would have fewer municipal expenses since it would no longer provide fire protection services, and (3) property owners within the City would begin paying the special tax which is already being paid by property owners within the Rodeo-Hercules FPD. • Any proposal from RHFPD should include a plan to staff Pinole Station 74 and provide the administrative functions currently missing within PFD.
Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
The City of Pinole requested a proposal from Contra Costa County Fire Protection District(CCFPD)to provide services within the Pinole City Limits.
The proposal received from CCFPD is analyzed below. It must be noted that as stated in the document from CCFPD, this is a proposal, not an offer to provide service, and all terms of the proposal would require negotiation.
CCFPD provides fire and emergency medical services to nearly a million people across its 304-square-mile District area, and through mutual aid, in and around the 19 cities and unincorporated communities of Contra Costa County, California. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by CCFPD through its unique sub-contractor Alliance model. In 2018, the District responded to nearly 75,000 fire and EMS emergencies and dispatched some 95,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 74,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 26 fire stations and more than 400 employees, appears to be well funded, well equipped, and is capable of expanding services to include the City of Pinole.
The terms of the proposal include staffing each station with a crew of three personnel on a 24-hour per day, seven days per week basis, and one Battalion Chief-level position on a 56-hour per shift basis with an annual 5 percent escalation for all labor costs. The proposal includes providing components of administration currently understaffed by PFD, such as training, EMS program oversight, duty chief coverage, IT support, and others. The proposal does not include Fire Prevention/Fire Investigation Services or code enforcement that is not cost neutral. The proposal also does not include annual charges for dispatch services. Should Pinole elect to purchase or retain its own equipment, the District would provide maintenance services on those vehicles at an hourly rate of $100 per hour. The proposal does not include a cost for mobile or hand-held radio equipment. Should Pinole elect to allow the CCFPD to purchase fire trucks for use in the City, the proposal contains a provision for the City to contribute funds to the District’s apparatus replacement fund, based on a 10-year replacement cycle for the apparatus.
The City of Pinole may negotiate a contract with CCFPD that would not include acquiring fire apparatus through the service contract; however, it would still be necessary for the City to acquire apparatus to provide the services contemplated under the contract. Operating costs proposed under the contract are indicated in the following figure. Capital costs included in the proposal from CCFPD are separately indicated below the operating costs. The City is in the process of acquiring a new Type I engine. The engine, while capable of comparably performing all the required tasks, does not meet the current specifications of CCFPD. 264 of 801 418 of 955
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Figure 127: Contra Costa Fire Protection District Proposal for Fire Protection Services Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Proposal
Projected
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Staffing Costs, Including Benefits, Escalates at 5% per Year Station 73 3,274,629 3,438,360 3,610,278 3,790,792 3,980,332 Station 74 3,274,629 3,438,360 3,610,278 3,790,792 3,980,332 Shift Battalion Chief 467,880 491,274 515,838 541,630 568,711 Staffing Sub-Total 7,017,138 7,367,995 7,736,395 8,123,214 8,529,375 Administrative Overhead (10%) 701,714 736,799 773,639 812,321 852,938 Total Operating Costs Per the Proposal 7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,535 9,382,313 Optional Capital Replacement Costs and Staff Vehicle Rental Battalion Chief Vehicle 8,700 8,700 8,700 8,700 8,700
Type I Engine—Station 73 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 Type I Engine—Station 74 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 Type III Engine—Station 73 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 Type III Engine—Station 74 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 Capital Replacement Reserve 310,000 310,000 310,000 310,000 310,000 Type I Engine Loose Equipment—73 45,000 - - - -
Type I Engine Loose Equipment—74 45,000 - - - -
Type III Engine Loose Equipment—73 25,000 - - - -
Type III Engine Loose Equipment—74 25,000 - - - -
Battalion Chief Loose Equipment 25,000 - - - -
Equipment Replacement Reserve 22,500 22,500 22,500 22,500 22,500 Totals $8,499,322 $8,720,264 $9,125,504 $9,551,006 $9,997,783 265 of 801 419 of 955
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The following figure shows the impact on the City of Pinole's projected budgets through the fifth year. This proposal uses the total operating costs from the CCFPD proposal from Figure 127 as the starting point. These costs would include a minimum of three crew members per shift staffing at both stations, the cost of a Battalion Chief’s position, and administrative costs of 10 percent of the total salary and benefits costs. The proposal has an automatic five percent annual escalator included for anticipated cost increases. All current costs associated with the fire department are removed, and the contract fire prevention officer costs added back to determine the impact on the City’s General Fund Budget for the five years. These calculations freeze the City’s General Fund and Measure S contributions at current levels. To re-open Station 74, an apparatus will be required and, to ensure funds are available to purchase replacement apparatus, an apparatus replacement fund is indicated as being created. While the City would no longer pay for current, normal costs for pensions, the City’s unfunded actuarial liabilities would not be extinguished, and payments would be required to pay off that liability. The costs associated with accepting the Contra Costa FPD proposal assume that the City of Pinole will, rather than purchase apparatus through the proposal, purchase its own apparatus and create a fleet replacement fund to provide cash to replace the vehicles at the end its useful life.
Accordingly, some amount should be considered for annual maintenance costs related to the apparatus.
Similar to the projected amounts contained in prior figures, the information contained in the following figures represents amounts available on October 8, 2019. These amounts will be modified as amended amounts are provided and will be included in the addendum to this report. The additional funding required for this alternative is in addition to the funds required under the five-year operating costs of the PFD. 266 of 801 420 of 955
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Figure 128: Impact on Future City of Pinole Operating Budgets of Accepting the Contra Costa FPD Proposal Costs
Year
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Contra Costa Proposed Operating Costs
(Figure 127)
7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,536 9,382,313
Add Fire Prevention Costs 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 UAL Pension Liability Payment 386,129 441,171 506,390 559,659 591,073 Total Operating Costs 8,264,981 8,705,965 9,176,424 9,655,195 10,133,386 Additional Type I Engine Lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Capital Expenditures 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 Total Expenditures 8,599,383 9,040,367 9,510,826 9,989,597 10,467,788 Deduct GF Funding Cap (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Projected Funding from Measure S Initiatives (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) Revised Net Funding from the Parcel Tax 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 886 981 1,083 1,186 1,290
Costs Allocated 508,515 563,207 621,555 680,934 740,240 Multi-Family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 738 818 902 989 1,075
Costs Allocated 77,518 85,855 94,749 103,801 112,842
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
Parcel Tax Per Tract 591 654 722 791 860
Costs Allocated 3,514,127 3,892,082 4,295,299 4,705,639 5,115,483 Total Tracts 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
Parcel Tax Per Tract 618.52 685.04 756.01 828.24 900.37 Total Costs Allocated 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Escalation 10.76% 10.36% 9.55% 8.71%
The decrease in the annual escalation results from the reduction in the percentage growth rate of the funding for the UAL pension costs.
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Option C: Expansion of the Pinole Fire Department System A third alternative to be considered is the restoration of the service model using the currently closed Station 74 and staffing of key administrative positions. This alternative maintains minimum staffing of three personnel for each of the three shifts at this station and enhances service to the area around Station 74 to include initial attack for fire incidents and the provision of advanced life support (Paramedics). It is contemplated that the officers and engineers for Station 74 will be promoted from the current employees at Station 73 and all new hires will be at the firefighter level and placed under the PEPRA pension system.
Salaries for each of the three positions are projected using Step B from the City of Pinole Salary Ranking schedule dated May 31, 2019. Since May 31, 2019, employees have received a 3 percent cost of living adjustment. Overtime costs are projected to be approximately $100,000 per year higher than those projected at Station 73 or approximately $400,000 per year, or $133,333 per shift. Pension and benefit costs are projected by interpolating costs from the FY 19/20 Budget. Medicare costs are calculated at 1.045 percent of gross salaries. Education and certification pay is calculated at $50 per month per position. Salary costs are escalated at the previously established 3 percent annually. Benefits other than pension costs increase at a 5 percent annual rate. Pension costs are estimated to remain at 13.1 percent per the CalPERS August 2018 PEPRA Safety Fire Plan Annual Valuation report as of June 30, 2017, for the new employees.
There will be other miscellaneous but minimal station operating expenses resulting from the occupancy of the station on a full-time basis. There will be additional supplies, including the annual employee clothing allowances and start-up costs for turnout gear for new employees.
Additionally, capital expenditures may include the acquisition of a new Type I engine to be used by the expanded crews at Station 74.
The following figure indicates the costs associated with adding Station 74 back into the deployment model. 268 of 801 422 of 955
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Figure 129: Projected Costs to Re-Open Station 74, Years 1–5 Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Station 74 Staffing Costs
Captain 95,539 98,405 101,357 104,398 107,530
Engineer 86,337 88,927 91,595 94,343 97,173
Firefighter/Paramedic 82,724 85,206 87,762 90,395 93,107 Overtime Costs 133,333 133,333 133,333 133,333 133,333
Per Shift 397,933 405,871 414,047 422,469 431,143
Number of Shifts 3 3 3 3 3
Compensation 1,193,800 1,217,614 1,242,140 1,267,407 1,293,429 Pension Costs 157,009 160,141 163,366 166,689 170,112
Estimated Health Insurance 248,462 260,885 273,929 287,625 302,007 Life And AD&D Insurance 3,445 3,617 3,798 3,988 4,187
Medicare 17,310 17,655 18,011 18,377 18,755
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 Benefits 431,625 447,698 464,504 482,080 500,460
Compensation and Benefits—Station 74 1,625,425 1,665,312 1,706,643 1,749,487 1,793,889 Clothing Allowance 9,000 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Turnout Gear 31,500 — — — —
Total Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total Operating Costs 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Type I Engine Lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Apparatus Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Capital Expenditures 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 Total Costs $2,000,327 $2,006,914 $2,048,245 $2,091,089 $2,135,491 Based on ESCI’s review of critical administrative functions, PFD will need additional full-time staffing to manage programs and other administrative tasks. ESCI is recommending the creation of three 40-hour per week positions to assist in managing the organization. The first position would be an Administrative Battalion Chief, responsible for the EMS program, training program oversight, policies and procedures, and provide an additional chief officer for supervision. The second position would be a Training Captain responsible for the training program with oversight from the Administrative Battalion Chief. A third recommended position would be a Fire Prevention Officer responsible for all fire prevention duties, including those carried out by the current contract inspector. The following figure provides an estimated cost for each position and in total. 269 of 801 423 of 955
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Figure 130: Projected Costs of Additional Administrative Positions, FY 19/20–FY 23/24 Projected Administrative
Position Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Battalion Chief—Administration 152,894 157,481 162,205 167,072 172,084 Pension Costs 20,029 20,630 21,249 21,886 22,543
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 420 441 463 486 511
Medicare 2,217 2,328 2,444 2,566 2,695
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 49,558 51,636 53,805 56,070 58,436
Salary & Benefits—Admin BC 202,452 209,117 216,010 223,142 230,520 Captain—Training 88,339 90,989 93,719 96,530 99,426
Pension Costs 11,572 11,920 12,277 12,645 13,025
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 243 255 268 281 295
Medicare 1,281 1,345 1,412 1,483 1,557
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 39,988 41,757 43,606 45,541 47,564
Salary & Benefits—Training Capt. 128,327 132,746 137,325 142,071 146,990 Fire Prevention Officer (Building Inspector pay) 67,601 69,629 71,718 73,870 76,086 Pension Costs 8,856 9,121 9,395 9,677 9,967
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 186 195 205 215 226
Medicare 980 1,029 1,081 1,135 1,191
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 36,914 38,582 40,330 42,159 44,071
Salary & Benefits—Prevention Capt. 104,515 108,211 112,048 116,029 120,157 Total Administrative Personnel Costs $435,295 $450,074 $465,382 $481,240 $497,669 The following figure combines the current projections, projected costs associated with re-opening Station 74, and the costs to increase administrative positions for the fire department. This alternative includes setting a fixed amount to be funded from the City’s General Fund Budget that is limited to the funding amount in the adopted FY 19/20 budget. The Measure S initiatives from both 2014 and 2006 are frozen in a similar manner.
The funds to provide for these costs are proposed to be derived from the implementation of a parcel tax.
Current fire department operating costs, as identified in Figure 27 and the following figure, includes payments under the legacy CalPERS pension system, which is anticipated to increase dramatically over the next several years. Pension costs on salaries included in the proposed Station 74 and Administrative positions are calculated under the less expensive PEPRA system.
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Figure 131: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25
Projected Fire Department
Operating Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating Projections
(Figure 27)
5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198
Less Contract Fire Prevention Costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 Operating Costs (Figure 129) 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Administrative Positions (Figure 130) 435,295 450,074 465,382 481,240 497,669 Type I Engine 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948
Apparatus Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Costs 7,548,248 8,126,208 8,788,605 9,508,313 10,327,358 Measure S Initiatives (Figure 27)
Measure S 2006 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698
Measure S 2014 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189
Total Other Revenues 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 General Fund Maximum Amount 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 Total Projected Funding 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 Balance to Fund from Proposed Parcel Tax 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Commercial Parcels 574 574 574 574 574
Per Parcel 658.80 783.68 926.80 1,082.31 1,259.28
Total Allocation 378,150 449,830 531,983 621,243 722,824 Multi-Family Parcels 105 105 105 105 105
Per Parcel 549.00 653.06 772.33 901.92 1,049.40
Total Allocation 57,645 68,572 81,095 94,702 110,187
Single-Family Parcels 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
Per Parcel 439.20 522.45 617.87 721.54 839.52
Total Allocation 2,613,231 3,108,584 3,676,305 4,293,146 4,995,125 Total Costs Allocated 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 All Tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 Parcel Tax Per Tract 459.95 547.14 647.06 755.63 879.19 Percentage Increase in Parcel Tax, Annual 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35% 271 of 801 425 of 955
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Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit A fourth alternative to consider is the implementation of a service model using the currently closed Station 74 and utilizing a quick response/attack unit staffed with two qualified personnel. This option enhances service to the area around Station 74 to include limited initial attack for fire incidents and improved provision of advanced life support (Paramedics). Salaries for the two positions are projected using Step B from the City of Pinole Salary Ranking schedule dated May 31, 2019. Pension costs are calculated at the PEPRA rate of 13.1 percent, and benefit costs are projected by interpolating costs from the FY 19/20 Budget. Medicare costs are calculated at 1.045 percent of gross salaries. Education and certification pay is calculated at $50 per month per position. Salary costs are escalated at the previously established 3 percent annually. Benefits other than pension costs increase at a 5 percent annual rate. Pension costs are estimated to remain at 13.1 percent per the CalPERS August 2018 PEPRA Safety Fire Plan Annual Valuation report as of June 30, 2017, for the new employees. This alternative, while not recommended, restores the minimum staffing of two personnel for each of the three shifts at this station.
Figure 132: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Engineer 86,337 88,927 91,595 94,343 97,173
Firefighter/Paramedic 82,724 85,206 87,762 90,395 93,107 Overtime Costs 66,667 66,667 66,667 66,667 66,667
Per Shift 235,727 240,799 246,023 251,404 256,946
Number of Shifts 3 3 3 3 3
Compensation 707,182 722,398 738,070 754,212 770,838
Pension Costs 92,641 94,634 96,687 98,802 100,980
Estimated Health Insurance 165,641 173,923 182,619 191,750 201,338 Life and AD&D Insurance 2,041 2,143 2,250 2,362 2,480
Medicare 10,254 10,475 10,702 10,936 11,177
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 Benefits 275,977 286,575 297,658 309,250 321,375
Compensation and Benefits—Station 74 983,159 1,008,973 1,035,728 1,063,462 1,092,213 Station 74 Supplies
Clothing Allowance 9,000 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Turnout Gear 31,500 – – – –
Total Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total Station 74 Costs 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 PFD Projected Operating Costs 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Quick Attack Pumper Lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 Projected Costs 6,320,333 6,869,441 7,501,954 8,190,694 8,977,659 General Fund Maximum Contributions (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Measure S Initiatives—Maximum (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) 272 of 801 426 of 955
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Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Amount to Fund from Parcel Tax 1,821,110 2,370,217 3,002,731 3,691,471 4,478,436 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 393.48 512.13 648.79 797.61 967.65 Costs Allocated 225,860 293,962 372,408 457,828 555,430 Multi-Family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 327.90 426.77 540.66 664.67 806.37 Costs Allocated 34,430 44,811 56,770 69,791 84,669
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
Parcel Tax Per Tract 262.32 341.42 432.53 531.74 645.10 Costs Allocated 1,560,820 2,031,444 2,573,553 3,163,852 3,838,337 Total Costs Allocated 1,821,110 2,370,217 3,002,731 3,691,471 4,478,436 All Tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 Parcel Tax Per Tract 274.72 357.55 452.97 556.87 675.58 Escalation 30.15% 26.69% 22.94% 21.32%
Capital Costs to Implement the Expansion of Services
To accomplish the reopening of Station 74 as a firefighting unit with medical first response capabilities and to fill the administrative and prevention positions recommended above, it will be necessary to invest in capital resources. The following figure estimates the amounts necessary to acquire the vehicles identified in the preceding recommendations.
Figure 133: Costs of Capital Resources to Reopen Station 74 and Add Administrative and Prevention Staff Description Vehicle
Cost
Equipment
Cost Total Cost
Quick attack $150,000 $50,000 $200,000
Or Type I Engine $850,000 $50,000 $900,000
Battalion Chief SUV $45,000 $30,000 $75,000
Training Captain Pickup $35,000 $20,000 $55,000
Fire Prevention Officer $35,000 $5,000 $40,000
In comparing the costs between a Type I engine with a crew of three and a Type VI quick attack pumper with a crew of two, several issues need to be considered in the decision. The first issue is the expectation of the community as to the effectiveness of the smaller crew of the Type VI in arriving on a structure fire and being expected to safely perform the tasks of the larger crew of the Type I engine. Placing a Type I engine in Station 74 would improve response times to the area served by the station and would increase firefighter safety as well as effectiveness throughout the system. Personnel costs would increase approximately $400,000 per year to add the third firefighter position per shift at Station 74. 273 of 801 427 of 955
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Potential Revenue Source to Provide Funding for Restoration of Services from Station 74 Costs required to improve the performance of the Pinole Fire Department by restoring fire and EMS response services from Station 74 are significant and include operations as well as capital costs. As the City of Pinole continues to experience fiscal issues associated with, among other demands, increased pension funding requirements, an additional source of revenue is necessary to provide funding for the increased costs associated with Station 74. Figure 129 indicates the projected first five-years of costs associated with PFD providing service from Station 74.
ESCI evaluated various service fee lists provided by the City of Pinole to determine if any were a suitable model for an allocation schedule that fairly distributes the costs among the types of parcels. ESCI determined that none of the provided fee allocation schedules were appropriate and elected to develop a model based on differences in assumed risk between the three categories; commercial, multi-family residential, and single-family residential. The methodology assumes that single-family residential would be the base risk upon which the other categories would be viewed and would assign it a 1.0 risk factor. Multi-family residential would be assigned a risk factor of 1.25 or 25 percent higher risk than that of a single-family residence, the thought is that the impact to multiple residents is greater due to the proximity of a neighboring residence (two layers of sheetrock versus a required separation between single-family homes). Commercial parcels are assigned a risk factor of 1.5 or 50 percent higher than single-family residential units due to, typically, larger floor space, more flammable contents and the risk extending beyond the typical life hazards found in residential structures to the potential economic impact of the loss of an employer and sales tax generator in the city. This methodology creates a higher parcel assessment for multi-family residential and commercial parcels than single-family residential parcels. The same methodology was utilized to evaluate the various alternatives to provide fire protection services. An additional per parcel calculation is included that spreads the increased costs over the total number of parcels.
The above calculation does not recognize any discounts for senior citizens. Proposed discounts may be calculated and totaled to determine the impact on the total assessment and, to offset that impact, a formula may be developed using the revenue generated by each $0.01 to compensate for the discounts. 274 of 801 428 of 955
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Section V:
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
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KEY FINDINGS
This section of the report contains findings as well as recommendations that have been noted and or developed during the course of this study. The following lists ESCI’s key findings:
• Due to the lack of sufficient command and administrative staff, the department struggles to maintain compliance with performance goals, industry standards, and workload. • Data collection and records management analysis was challenging due to inconsistencies. • The department needs additional staffing to fulfill all fire prevention related functions satisfactorily. • PFD does not have a designated individual committed to the training function for the department.
The responsibility for conducting all needs assessments relative to training, as well as program design, coordination, and records keeping.
• The department does not have adequate training props, although funding has been included in the FY 19/20 budget to purchase some.
• The minimum staffing level for PFD does not provide for the two-in/two-out structure firefighting per OSHA mandates.32
• PFD is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid for any call requiring more than one unit. • In the event of concurrent incidents requiring more than the one staffed Pinole Engine, service to the residents of Pinole for the additional incidents must be provided by other agencies. • In 2018, none of the reported fire incidents achieved the stated performance objective of 21 firefighters on-scene, nor did the travel time for all apparatus on-scene approach 8 minutes. • Projected General Fund revenues are not sufficient to provide for Fire Department General Fund expenditures on an annual basis and will require a continued drawdown of General Fund reserve balances.
• Station 73’s crew quarters need remodeling and updating, which may include ADA accommodation. • PFD apparatus specifications have not been standardized with the Battalion 7 apparatus. • Absent automatic and mutual aid from surrounding agencies, standalone PFD is not capable of handling an incident, such as a trash fire, car fire, or medical incident requiring more than one apparatus, much less a more complex incident.
• At 110 calls per 1,000 population, PFD has a higher median number of calls per 1,000 population than the region but slightly lower than the urban high range. • Much of the developed residential area in the eastern part of the city is beyond 1.5 miles of Station
73. • Due to Station 74 being closed, a portion of the developed residential area in the southeast part of the city is beyond the 4-minute travel time footprint.
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• Funding does not appear to be available to cash purchase the required Type I apparatus for Station 74, should that station be reopened.
• The contact proposal from Contra Costa Fire Protection District would result in increased services and depth of support; however, the proposed contract costs exceed the costs of providing those services if the City were to remain a standalone department, open Station 74, and add staff as recommended in Option C.
Short-Term Recommendations
Recommendation A: Adopt Response Performance Goals that are Achievable A community’s desired level of service is a uniquely individual decision.No two communities are exactly alike.
Performance goals must be tailored to match community expectations, community conditions, and the ability to pay for the resources necessary to attain the desired level of service.
Levels of service and resource allocation decisions are the responsibility of the community’s elected officials, in this case, the Pinole City Council. The policymaking body must carefully balance the needs and expectations of its citizenry when deciding how to allocate money to all the services it provides.
ESCI recommends the following as PFD fire and life safety response performance goals. Formal adoption of goals allows PFD management to report progress on the achievement of these goals, conditions that are impeding progress, and resources needed to improve service regularly.
Call-Processing Performance Goal
The first phase of overall response time is call processing time. This phase begins when the call is received at the PSAP center and ends when response resources are notified of an emergency. There are two components: answer time and dispatch time.
Recommended Call-Processing Goal:
• 911 calls will be answered at the primary PSAP within 15 seconds, 95 percent of the time. • Response resources shall be notified of a priority incident within 64 seconds from receipt of the call at the dispatch center, 90 percent of the time.
Turnout Time Performance Goal
Turnout time is one area over which the fire department has total control and is not affected by outside influences. Turnout time, or the time between when the call is received by the response units (dispatched) and when the unit is en route to the incident location (responding), affects overall response times. Reducing this time component reduces total response time.
NFPA 1710 recommends turnout time performance of 80 seconds or less for fire and special operations responses, and 60 seconds or less for all other priority responses. 277 of 801 431 of 955
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Recommended Turnout Goal:
• Response personnel shall initiate the response of a unit capable of mitigating an incident to a priority fire and special operations incident 80 seconds from notification, 90 percent of the time. • Response personnel shall initiate a response to all other priority incidents within 60 seconds from notification, 90 percent of the time.
Response Time for the First-Due Unit Goal
The time required to deliver the first response unit capable of intervening in the emergency includes both turnout time and travel time but not call processing time. Based on current performance and implementation of operational improvements, the following are recommended.
Recommended First-Due Response Time Goal:
• The first response unit capable of initiating effective incident intervention shall arrive at a priority fire or special operations incident within 5 minutes, 20 seconds from notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
• The first response unit capable of initiating effective incident intervention shall arrive at all other priority incidents within 5 minutes from notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
Effective Response Force Performance Goal
A fire department’s resource concentration is the spacing of multiple resources close enough together so that an initial “Effective Response Force” (ERF) for a given risk can be assembled on the scene of an emergency within the specific time frame identified in the community’s performance goals for that risk type. An initial effective response force is defined as that which will be most likely to stop the escalation of the emergency.
The minimum ERF for a low-rise structure fire is identified as the arrival of at least four fire engines, one ladder truck, and one Battalion Chief (17 personnel total). This initial ERF does not necessarily represent the entire alarm assignment, as additional units may be assigned based on long-term incident needs and risks.
Additional engines, ladders, or other specialty companies are assigned to higher risk responses to accomplish additional critical tasks that are necessary beyond the initial attack and containment.
Recommended Effective Response Force Goal:
• The full effective response force shall arrive at a moderate risk structure fire within 9 minutes, 20 seconds of notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
Estimated Cost: None
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Recommendation B: The City should consider moving forward with the necessary steps to improve service via reopening Station 74, and staffing and administrative support, as funding becomes available.
Based on ESCI’s review of all options and associated costs to implement, the recommendation is for the City to consider moving forward with Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System as discussed and portrayed in Figure 129, Figure 130, and Figure 131 and summarized in the following.
To create a safer environment for the firefighters and citizens and provide an appropriate administrative workforce, the restoration of the service model using the currently closed Station 74 and staffing of key administrative positions is essential.
Moving forward with this option will restore all-risk services to the area around the currently closed Station 74, increase the safety of the firefighters by allowing for compliance with the OSHA two-in/two-out rule for structure fires, provide for enhanced Advanced Life Support (Paramedic) response to requests for emergency medical services, make available a second unit in the city for concurrent incidents, and provide staffing of key administrative positions.
Consider a lease-purchase of the new apparatus for Station 74, which will minimize the fluctuations in the amounts of the parcel tax assessments.
Recommendation C: Consider initiating the process of securing additional funding.
ESCI recommends that the City consider moving forward with the process of pursuing an additional funding source such as a parcel tax as shown in Figure 131 and restated below:
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Figure 134: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25
Projected Fire Department
Operating Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating Projections
(Figure 27)
5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198
Less Contract Fire Prevention Costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 Operating Costs (Figure 129) 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Administrative Positions (Figure 130) 435,295 450,074 465,382 481,240 497,669 Type I Engine 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948
Apparatus Replacement Fund
Total Costs 7,548,248 8,126,208 8,788,605 9,508,313 10,327,358 Measure S Initiatives (Figure 27)
Measure S 2006 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698
Measure S 2014 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189
Total Other Revenues 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 General Fund Maximum Amount 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 Total projected funding 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 Balance to Fund from Proposed Parcel Tax 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Commercial Parcels 574 574 574 574 574
Per Parcel 658.80 783.68 926.80 1,082.31 1,259.28
Total Allocation 378,150 449,830 531,983 621,243 722,824 Multi-Family Parcels 105 105 105 105 105
Per Parcel 549.00 653.06 772.33 901.92 1,049.40
Total Allocation 57,645 68,572 81,095 94,702 110,187
Single-Family Parcels 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
Per Parcel 439.20 522.45 617.87 721.54 839.52
Total Allocation 2,613,231 3,108,584 3,676,305 4,293,146 4,995,125 Total Costs Allocated 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 All Tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 Parcel Tax Per Tract 459.95 547.14 647.06 755.63 879.19 Percentage Increase in Parcel Tax, Annual 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35% ESCI, in conjunction with the recommendation to adopt a parcel tax, recommends that the City consider the use of a lease/purchase facility to acquire the Type I engine required in Recommendation A.
Regardless of the option chosen, additional funding must be developed to fill the gap between existing financing of the current fire service deployment model and the proposed expanded deployment model.
Available options for California jurisdictions include special sales tax assessments and parcel tax assessments. ESCI recommends that consideration be given that the selected alternative be restricted to funding only costs associated with funding the expanded deployment model. 280 of 801 434 of 955
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Recommendation D: Standardize apparatus specifications.
Consideration should be given to the standardization of apparatus specifications throughout Battalion 7.
Standardization of specifications will enhance operational efficiency and could result in cost savings via group purchasing.
Recommendation E: Review all current fire department alarm assignments.
Consideration should be given to reviewing the department’s alarm assignments and determine the number of resources required for an effective response force based on risk.
Recommendation F: Improve the collection and analysis of incident data.
Much can be revealed by collecting and evaluating incident data accurately and regularly. Challenges to quick response can be identified and solutions proposed. Trends can be discovered, allowing the fire department to prepare for changes and or increases in response workload. Frequent incident types can be identified, and steps can be taken to reduce their occurrences, such as public safety education or building engineering.
Mid- to Long-Term Recommendations
Recommendation G: Initiate recruitment of additional staff.
As soon as funding is available, ESCI recommends that the City recruit the positions identified in Option C:
“Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System.” This would include:
• 3 Captains
• 3 Fire Apparatus Operators
• 3 Firefighters
• 1 Administrative Battalion Chief
• 1 Training Captain
• 1 Fire Prevention Officer
Recommendation H: Remodel Station 73
Fire Station 73’s crew quarters require remodeling to accommodate the relocation of the shared shift Battalion Chief and additional administrative staff.
Recommendation G: Capital Equipment and Facilities Fund Establish a capital equipment and facilities replacement fund. A portion of the proposed parcel tax could be used to fund this recommendation.
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
This section cannot be completed until the City Council determines which, if any, of the options they wish to pursue.
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Section VI:
APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A: PROPOSAL FROM CONTRA COSTA FPD
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APPENDIX B: TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Study Service Area.......................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Pinole Fire Department Organizational Chart (2019) ......................................................................................4 Figure 3: Service Area & Apparatus Resources ..............................................................................................................5 Figure 4: PFD Administrative and Support Staffing ....................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5: Fire Prevention Program Components............................................................................................................8 Figure 6: New Construction Inspections & Involvement.................................................................................................9 Figure 7: Six Steps of CRR Planning............................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 8: Life Safety & Public Education Services ........................................................................................................ 11 Figure 9: Training Facilities & Resources Findings ....................................................................................................... 15 Figure 10: Training Records Maintenance.................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 11: General Training Competencies .................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 12: Training Methodologies & Operations ........................................................................................................ 17 Figure 13: PFD Emergency Response Staffing .............................................................................................................20 Figure 14: Station Units & Staffing Levels ...................................................................................................................20 Figure 15: Property Tax Value & Property Tax Revenues for City of Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual).........................24 Figure 16: Taxable Value & Property Tax Revenue (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)........................................................................24 Figure 17: Pinole Historical Collections of Property Taxes Related to Redevelopment Properties (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual)................................................................................................................................................................25 Figure 18: Sales Tax Collections Including Measure S (2006 & 2014 Initiatives) FY 13/14–FY 17/18 ...............................25 Figure 19: Recurring & Non-Recurring Revenues for Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual) ...............................................26 Figure 20: Pinole Actual General Fund & Measure S Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)..... 27 Figure 21: Analysis of Fund Balance of the General Fund (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)..............................................................28 Figure 22: PFD Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) .............................................................29 Figure 23: Other Sources of Funding for the Pinole Fire Department (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)............................................29 Figure 24: Pinole Recurring vs. Non-recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Revenues (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 24/25).................................................................................................................................................. 31 Figure 25: City of Pinole Projected Recurring vs. Non-Recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Expenditures (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 24/25) ............................................................................................................... 32 Figure 26: Projected General Fund Balance for Pinole (Amended FY 18/19 Budget–FY 24/25)..................................... 33 Figure 27: PFD Projected Status Quo Expenditures & Funding Sources (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 24/25)........... 34 Figure 28: Fire Station Condition Definitions............................................................................................................... 36 Figure 29: Pinole Fire Department Station 73 & Administrative Headquarters ............................................................. 37 Figure 30: Pinole Fire Department Station 74 .............................................................................................................. 38 Figure 31: PFD Station 73 Apparatus & Vehicle Inventory ............................................................................................40 Figure 32: Critical Tasking ...........................................................................................................................................42 Figure 33: Alarm Assignments .....................................................................................................................................49 Figure 34: PFD Service Demand by Year & Type, 2009–2017, City of Pinole & Contract 2 ............................................ 55 Figure 35: Service Demand by Type, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas, 2018 .........................................................56 287 of 801 441 of 955
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Figure 36: Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ................................................ 57 Figure 37: Fire Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..........................................58 Figure 38: Fire Loss per Capita, 2018 ...........................................................................................................................59 Figure 39: Comparison Chart, Fire Loss per Capita ......................................................................................................59 Figure 40: Service Demand by Month, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ......................................................60 Figure 41: Service Demand by Weekday, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..................................................60 Figure 42: Service Demand by Hour, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas......................................................... 61 Figure 43: Service-Demand Density, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..................................................................62 Figure 44: All Fire Types, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas .......................................................................... 63 Figure 45: Structure Fires, Commercial & Residential, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..............................64 Figure 46: Structure Fires by Hour of Day, 2009–2018.................................................................................................64 Figure 47: Emergency Medical Incidents, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..................................................65 Figure 48: Emergency Medical Incidents per Square Mile, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ........................66 Figure 49: EMS Responses by Hour of Day, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...............................................66 Figure 50: PFD Response Unit Workload, 2018............................................................................................................ 67 Figure 51: PFD Incident Locations by Apparatus, 2018 ................................................................................................68 Figure 52: Average Time Committed to an Incident by Unit, 2018 ...............................................................................68 Figure 53: Unit Hour Utilization ...................................................................................................................................69 Figure 54: PFD Service Area ........................................................................................................................................ 70 Figure 55: Population per Square Mile, 2012................................................................................................................ 71 Figure 56: Pinole Fire Station73, 5-Mile ISO Coverage ................................................................................................. 73 Figure 57: Fire Station 73, 1.5-Mile ISO Coverage......................................................................................................... 74 Figure 58: Fire Station Distribution, 2.5-Mile Ladder Company ISO Criteria ................................................................ 75 Figure 59: Detail of Station 76, 2.5 mi. ISO coverage for Pinole Three- & Four-Story Buildings .................................... 76 Figure 60: Station 73 Four-Minute Model Travel Time (Entire Response District)......................................................... 77 Figure 61: Station 73 & 74 Four-Minute Model Travel Time.......................................................................................... 78 Figure 62: Effective Response Force, Structure Fires, 90th Percentile, in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ...... 79 Figure 63: Structure Fire Aid to PFD, 2018...................................................................................................................80 Figure 64: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Time of Day).............................................................................................. 81 Figure 65: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Number of Concurrent Incidents) .............................................................. 81 Figure 66: PFD Overall Incidents by Hour, 2018, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ...............................82 Figure 67: Summary of NFPA Performance Standards ................................................................................................84 Figure 68: CCRFCC Dispatch Time Performance, ........................................................................................................85 Figure 69: PFD Turnout Time Performance, ................................................................................................................85 Figure 70: Travel Time Performance, First Arriving Unit, .............................................................................................86 Figure 71: Actual Travel Time Performance by Region, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas..................... 87 Figure 72: Response Time Performance, First Arriving Unit, ........................................................................................88 Figure 73: PFD Number of Calls Over a Four-Minute Travel Time by the Incident Hour,...............................................88 Figure 74: Received to Arrival Time, First Arriving Unit................................................................................................89 Figure 75: CCRFCC Priority Codes ...............................................................................................................................89 288 of 801 442 of 955
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Figure 76: Dispatched Aid for PFD, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...................................................90 Figure 77: Adjacent Fire Agency Assistance, PFD available .......................................................................................... 91 Figure 78: Adjacent Fire Agency Engine Assistance, PFD not available ........................................................................ 91 Figure 79: Incident Types; PFD not available................................................................................................................92 Figure 80: List of Common Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Codes Used by Most Dispatch Agencies in the United States.................................................................................................................................................................92 Figure 81: Response Forecast, 2018–2038 ................................................................................................................... 93 Figure 82: Risk Identification and Analysis Process¹.....................................................................................................94 Figure 83: Translation of Zoning to Relative Risk Categories .......................................................................................95 Figure 84: Pinole Zoning Percentages .........................................................................................................................95 Figure 85: Pinole & Contract Area’s Current Zoning ....................................................................................................96 Figure 86: Summary of Federal Disaster Declarations in Pinole by Type, 1965–2017 ................................................... 97 Figure 87: Sources of Flooding in Contra Costa County ...............................................................................................98 Figure 88: Watersheds in the Study Area.....................................................................................................................99 Figure 89: Flood Zones in the Study Area.................................................................................................................. 100 Figure 90: Flood Hazard Areas .................................................................................................................................. 101 Figure 91: Tornado Intensity, Enhanced Fujita Scale ................................................................................................. 101 Figure 92: Other Weather-Related Hazards in Contra Costa County.......................................................................... 103 Figure 93: Earthquake Fault Lines In and Around Pinole ............................................................................................ 104 Figure 94: Effects of Earthquakes.............................................................................................................................. 105 Figure 95: Study Area Historical Wildfire Occurrences and Impacts, 2009–2018........................................................ 106 Figure 96: Historical Wildfires in and Near Pinole through 2018 ................................................................................ 107 Figure 97: Degree of Wildfire Threat ......................................................................................................................... 108 Figure 98: Study Area Current Estimates as Related to the Urban Interface, 2015 ..................................................... 109 Figure 99: Galbreath Road Neighborhood................................................................................................................. 109 Figure 100: Major Transportation Infrastructure in the Study Area.............................................................................111 Figure 101: Hazard Descriptions Faced by the Pinole Fire Department ...................................................................... 112 Figure 102: Colleges and Schools in the Study Area....................................................................................................113 Figure 103: Assisted Living Facilities.......................................................................................................................... 114 Figure 104: Fire Hydrant Distribution in the Study Area............................................................................................. 115 Figure 105: Fire Hydrant Distribution, Commercial Building with Needed Fire Flow (NFF)......................................... 116 Figure 106: Commercial Buildings, One to Four Stories in Height...............................................................................117 Figure 107: Commercial Buildings, Total Floor Area .................................................................................................. 118 Figure 108: Study Area Size and Population Estimates.............................................................................................. 119 Figure 109: Select Population Demographics ............................................................................................................ 119 Figure 110: Other Demographic Comparisons ........................................................................................................... 120 Figure 111: Population Classifications........................................................................................................................ 120 Figure 112: Study Area Population Density................................................................................................................ 121 Figure 113: Services Provided by the Pinole Fire Department .................................................................................... 124 Figure 114: Number of Firefighters on Duty Daily in Pinole........................................................................................ 124 289 of 801 443 of 955
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Figure 115: Have You Received Any Services from PFD?............................................................................................ 125 Figure 116: How Satisfied Were You with the Service? .............................................................................................. 125 Figure 117: Response to, “Is the Existing System Adequate?”.................................................................................... 126 Figure 118: Response to, “What is the Current System Lacking?”.............................................................................. 126 Figure 119: Response to, “Is Current PFD Staffing Adequate?”.................................................................................. 127 Figure 120: Response to, “How Long Should It Take a Fire Engine to Arrive?” ........................................................... 127 Figure 121: Response to, “How Important is it to the City of Pinole To Have Its Own Fire Department?” ................... 128 Figure 122: Response to, “Are There Advantages with Contracting With CCCFD?”.................................................... 129 Figure 123: Response to, “Are There Advantages in Rodeo-Hercules Annexing the Pinole Area into the RH Fire Protection District?”......................................................................................................................................... 129 Figure 124: Response to, “What Advantages Would There Be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”......... 130 Figure 125: Response to, “What Disadvantages Would There be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”..... 130 Figure 126: Response to, “Would You Support a Parcel Tax Measure if the Revenue it Generated Improved Services and Financial Stability Either as a Sole Agency or in a Partnering Option?” ..............................................................131 Figure 127: Contra Costa Fire Protection District Proposal for Fire Protection Services.............................................. 145 Figure 128: Impact on Future City of Pinole Operating Budgets of Accepting the Contra Costa FPD Proposal ........... 147 Figure 129: Projected Costs to Re-Open Station 74, Years 1–5................................................................................... 149 Figure 130: Projected Costs of Additional Administrative Positions, FY 19/20–FY 23/24 ............................................ 150 Figure 131: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25.. 151 Figure 132: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 ................................ 152 Figure 133: Costs of Capital Resources to Reopen Station 74 and Add Administrative and Prevention Staff .............. 153 Figure 134: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25 . 160 290 of 801 444 of 955
Draft Regional Fire Service Delivery Study
City of Pinole Fire Department
October 8 , 2019
ATTACHMENT D
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Study Options Per The RFP
The City of Pinole has a specific interest in studying the following options:
1. Stay as we currently operate (independent
department) with one fire station and one engine
company.
2. Open the currently closed station (74) to provided
additional services within the area (remain
independent) for a total of two engine companies.
3. Based on data review, determine if a medical
response unit is needed in lieu of an engine company.
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Study Options Per The RFP Cont.
4. Identify what Pinole Fire Department would need to
function at an optimal service delivery model (all
aspects, including responding to calls for service, Fire Prevention, Community Programs, etc).
5. Determine the feasibility of consolidation or a contract for services with Rodeo/ Hercules Fire Protection
District.
6. Determine the feasibility of contract for service with Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
7. Look into other alternative staffing models.
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Regional Fire Service Delivery Study
Prepared for the City of Pinole in accordance with the
guidelines contained within ESCI’s Scope of Work as
proposed and accepted in response to the City’s Request For Proposals.
• Evaluation of Current Conditions
• Stakeholder Input
• Options for Shared Services
• Options for Delivery of Fire Based Services
• Overall Evaluation, Conclusions, and Recommendations
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Community Expectations
During the development of the community expectations
portion of the Regional Fire Service Delivery Study
Scope of Work, the City made it very clear they desired a number of opportunities for public input. The final
scope of work included a Community Fire Study
Workshop, several days of stakeholder interviews, and
no less than two presentations to the City Council that would be conducted with opportunities for public input.
The study reflects the results of the Community Fire
Study Workshop and the stakeholder interviews.
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Regional Fire Service Delivery Study
This document is:
• A thorough review and assessment of community risk,
emergency response capability, apparatus, and facilities • An analysis of the level of service currently provided to the community
• Recommendations for service delivery options
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The Community
• Urban community
• City Population 19,498
• Service Area Population – 24,624
PFD
• Full-service fire department
• 1 staffed fire station and 14 full-time employees
• Minimum 3 firefighters on duty each day
Description of Community Served
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• Fire Suppression (structural, wildland, other)
• Emergency Medical Services (basic and advanced life
support)
• Technical Rescue
• Auto Extrication
•Confined space rescue
•Low Angle
•Trench Rescue Support
•Shoreline Water
• Hazardous Materials Emergency Response
• Fire Prevention and Public Safety Education
Services Provided
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PFD Service Area
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Response Workload
2,020 incidents in City of
Pinole during 2018
78.4% EMS
20.3% increase
over past 9 years
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Response Workload Break Down
Incident Count by Month
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Response Workload Break Down
Incident Count by Day
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Response Workload Break Down
Incident Count by Hour
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Response Concentration All Priority Calls
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EMS Response Concentration
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2018 Structure Fires
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Response Workload
Unit Hour Utilization is the total time a unit
is committed to all incidents during a year
divided by the total time in a year
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Response Workload Forecast
Response Forecast: 2019-2038
Estimated 4,700 incidents/year by 2038 (3% Increase)
PFD data Calls In City Calls In Svc Area
Year
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038 Number of Incidents 4,800
4,600
4,400
4,200
4,000
3,800
3,600
3,400
3,200
3,000
2,800
2,600
2,400
2,200
2,000
2,628
2,707
2,788
2,872
2,958
3,047
3,138
3,232
3,329
3,429
3,532
3,638
3,747
3,859
3,975
4,094
4,217
4,344
4,474
4,608
4,746
2,020 2,081 2,143 2,207
2,274 2,342
2,412
2,484
2,559
2,636
2,715
2,796
2,880
2,966
3,055
3,147
3,242
3,339
3,439
3,542
3,648
2,401
2,473
2,547
2,624
2,702
2,783
2,867
2,953
3,042
3,133
3,227
3,324
3,423
3,526
3,632
3,741
3,853
3,968
4,088
4,210
4,336
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System Performance
People + Tools + Time = Effectiveness
• People – Trained emergency responders
• Tools – Apparatus, equipment
• Time – Duration between event start and intervention
• Effectiveness – Degree to which harm caused by the
event is limited
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Critical Tasking and Alarm Assignments
People
Tools
Low-rise structure fire
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Search and Rescue 0
Ventilation 0
RIC 0
Other (Hydrant, backup line) 0
Total 4
Unit Type Number of
Units Total Personnel
Engine 4 12
Truck 1 4
Air Supply 1 3
Battalion Chief 2 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 21
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Phases of an Emergency Event
1. Detection
2. Contact with emergency dispatch center
3. Dispatch incident processing
4. Response crew notification
5. Turnout time
6. Travel time
7. Set-up time
8. Incident control time
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Phases of an Emergency Event
1. Detection
2. Contact with emergency dispatch center
3. Dispatch incident processing
4. Response crew notification
5. Turnout time
6. Travel time
7. Set-up time
8. Incident control time
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Influence of Time
Consequence of Fire Extension in Residential Structures 2011–2015 Extension
Rates per 1,000 Fires
Civilian Deaths Civilian Injuries
Average Dollar
Loss Per Fire
Confined to room of origin or smaller 1.8 24.8 $4,200
Confined to floor of origin 15.8 81.4 $36,300
Confined to building of origin or larger 24.0 57.6 313 of 801 467 $67,600
of 955
Influence of Time
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Influence of Time
• Trauma – “Golden hour”
• STEMI – Onset to recognition to treatment in cath lab • Respiratory compromise during entrapment
• Physical and environmental harm from hazardous
materials release
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Response Performance Goals Used for Evaluation
Performance Goal
9-1-1 call answer time
(time from first ring to answer)
Within 1 seconds
95% of the time
Call process time
(time from acceptance at the
dispatch center until notification of
response units)
Within 64 seconds
90% of the time
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CCC Dispatch Call Processing Time, 2018, In City Calls
2.25 EMS
1.57 Fire
1.47 Other
2.15 Overall
Historic System Performance – Call Processing Time
CCC Dispatch Call Processing Time, 2018, In City Calls
Processing
Time:
The time
interval
from:
“911 Call
received”
until
“Emergency
resource
notified.”
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Response Performance Goals Used for Evaluation
Incident Interval Performance Goal
Turnout time
(time from notification of response personnel until
the initiation of movement towards the incident)
Fire and special operations incidents –
Within 80 seconds 90% of the time
All other incidents – Within 60
seconds 90 % of the time
First unit travel time
(time from notification of response personnel until
arrival at the incident)
Within 4 minutes 90% of the time
First unit total response time
(time from received at dispatch until arrival of the
first response unit)
Fire and special operations
EMS
Within 5 minutes 20 seconds 90% of
the time
Within 5 minutes 90% of the time
Full effective response force response time
(Time from notification of response personnel until
all units dispatched arrive at the incident)
Within 9 minutes 20 seconds 90% of
the time
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Historic System Performance – Turnout Time
EMS 1.27
Fire 1.28
Other 1.28
Overall 1.28
PFD Turnout Time by Type of Incident
Turnout
Time:
The time
interval
from:
“Emergency
resource
notification”
until
“Emergency
resource
enroute.”
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Historic System Performance – Travel Time
Travel Time Priority Calls
7.45 EMS
8.01 Fire
7.55 Other 7.45 Overall
Travel Time Priority Calls
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Historic System Performance – Travel Time
Of the 2,020 incidents in the City of Pinole in 2018,
1,716 were within 4-minute travel model of Station 73
(85%)
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Historic System Performance – Response Time
Response Time 1st Arriving, 2018, In City
8.11 EMS 9.32 Fire
8.37 Other
8.17 Overall
Station Response Time, 1st Arriving Unit, 2018, Calls In City.
Station
Response
Time
The time
interval from:
“Emergency
resources
notification”
until
“Emergency
resources
arrive on
scene”
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Historic System Performance – Received to Arrival Time
10 EMS 10.3 Fire
9.33 Other 9.55 Overall
Total
Response
Time:
The time
interval from:
“911 Call
received at
CCC Dispatch”
until
“Emergency
resources
arrive on
scene.”
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Historic System Performance - Effective Response Force
The NFPA response time goal for the delivery of the
full ERF to a moderate risk building fire is within 8
minutes, 90 percent of the time.
PFD has defined the minimum full effective
response force for moderate risk building fires as
four fire engines, one ladder truck, and two
Battalion Chiefs for a total of 21 firefighters.
Eight minutes of travel time is allowed to assemble
the defined, fully effective response force on the
scene. This figure includes the resources of five
adjacent automatic aid stations.
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Historic System Performance - Effective Response Force
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Historic System Performance - Effective Response Force
Commercial Buildings & Needed Fire Flow (gallons/minute) 326 of 801 480 of 955
Historic System Performance - Effective Response Force
ISO Limits of
Apparatus
available for
High-risk
Commercial
Fire:
El Cerrito 71
&
R/H 76
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Historic System Performance - Effective Response Force
ISO Limits
of
RH 76
for
High-risk
commercial
Fire
(detail view)
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Concurrency of Calls
Concurrent Incidents Count
1 1,767
2 568
3 77
4 7
5 1
6 1
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Incidents Responded to by PFD
In 2018,
there were
2,020
incidents
within the
Service
Area
&
401 calls
outside
the
Service
Area.
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Aid from Adjacent Fire Depts/Districts.
Incidents within City of Pinole (PFD not available)
Number of Incidents
50 1510 2520 3530 40
Veh Accident Motorcycle
Single Engine C3
Single Engine C2
On View
Fire Exterior
Fire Alarm—Residential
Fire Alarm—Commercial
Fire—Veh Large
EMS—Richmond
EMS—Medical Emergency
EMS—Echo
EMS—Delta
EMS—Charlie
EMS—Bravo
EMS—B Ltd
EMS—Alpha Code 2 With Engine
EMS—Alpha (Fall)
EMS—Alpha *Code 2
5150 PD Request
4 5
2 4
2 7
6 3
2 1
1 39
31 12
2 2
1 4
2 In 2018,
there were
130
incidents
within
Service
Area where
PFD was
not
available.
Number of Incidents w/in City of Pinole (PFD not available) 331 of 801 485 of 955
Overview of Findings
• Due to the lack of sufficient command and
administrative staff, the department struggles to
maintain compliance with performance goals,
industry standards, and workload.
• The department needs additional staffing to
satisfactorily fulfill all fire prevention related
functions.
• The minimum staffing level for PFD does not
provide for the two-in/two-out structure firefighting
per OSHA mandates.
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Overview of Findings
• PFD is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid
for any call requiring more than one unit.
• In the event of concurrent incidents requiring more
than the one staffed Pinole Engine, service to the
residents of Pinole for the additional incidents must
be provided by other agencies.
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Overview of Findings
• PFD is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid
for any call requiring more than one unit.
• In the event of concurrent incidents requiring more
than the one staffed Pinole Engine, service to the
residents of Pinole for the additional incidents must
be provided by other agencies.
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Options
.
ESCI Offers the Following Options for Consideration
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Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (Cont.) Should RHFPD express an interest in annexing the
area within the Pinole City Limits, the following will
need to be considered:
Expand the boundaries of the Rodeo-Hercules FPD to
include territory within the City of Pinole by submitting an annexation proposal to LAFCO.
Transfer (or lease) City-owned fire service facilities
and equipment (i.e., stations, rolling stock, hoses,
ladders, etc.) to the Rodeo-Hercules FPD.
Have the RHFPD hire City of Pinole employees who
provide fire protection and wish to become employees
of the RHFPD and devise a process to determine
relative employee seniority.
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Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (Cont.) Determine how to fund the additional service
responsibilities incurred by the RHFPD such as
reallocate a percentage of the City’s property tax
allocation to RHFPD effective the year the annexation
becomes effective. This percentage amount would be
negotiated and approved by the City, the District, and
the Board of Supervisors and consider extending an
existing Special Tax already imposed by RodeoHercules FPD within its current boundaries to the parcels being annexed. It is assumed this would be a
condition of LAFCO’s approval of the annexation.
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Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (Cont.) As a result of these changes, (1) the territory within the City would be within the boundaries and service area
of the RHFPD, (2) the City would receive a smaller
portion of the 1 percent property tax levied within its boundaries but would have fewer municipal expenses
since it would no longer provide fire protection
services, and (3) property owners within the City would begin paying the special tax which is already being
paid by property owners within the Rodeo-Hercules
FPD.
Any proposal from RHFPD should include a plan to
staff Pinole Station 74 and provide the administrative
functions currently missing within PFD.
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
The City of Pinole requested a proposal from Contra
Costa County Fire Protection District (CCFPD) to
provide services within the Pinole City Limits. The
terms of the proposal include staffing each station with a crew of three personnel on a 24-hour per day, seven
days per week basis, and one Battalion Chief-level
position on a 56-hour per shift basis with a 10 percent administrative fee and a 5 percent annual escalation for all labor costs. It also includes administrative positions currently lacking in PFD.
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) The county proposal assumes the current general
fund contribution to the PFD will remain constant at
$3,395,335 and the Measure S funding will remain
constant at $1,103,888 throughout the five-year
projection period. Additional funds will be required to fulfill the financial requirement of the proposed
contract.
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) Total operating costs 7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,536 9,382,313 Fire Prevention 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 Deduct projected GF funding cap (3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335) UAL Pension liability 386,129 441,171 506,390 559,659 591,073 Deduct Measure S Initiatives cap (1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888) Net impact to Operating Budget 3,765,758 4,206,742 4,677,201 5,155,972 5,634,163 Additional Type I Engine lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Additional funding required 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 341 of 801 495 of 955
Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) Additional funding required 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Total tracts 6,198 6,198 6,198 6,198 6,198
Parcel tax per tract 661.53 732.68 808.58 885.83 962.98 Total costs allocated 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Escalation 10.76% 10.36% 9.55% 8.71%
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Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System
A third alternative to be considered is the restoration of the service model using the currently closed
Station 74 and staffing of key administrative
positions. This alternative maintains a minimum
staffing of three personnel for each of the three
shifts at this station. This combines Figure 130 and
Figure 131 from the report.
The costs of this proposed expansion require
additional funding which may be generated by a
parcel tax, but similarly freeze current funding levels and Measure S allocations.
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Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department (Cont.)
Based on ESCI’s review of critical administrative
functions, PFD will need additional full-time staffing
to manage programs and other administrative tasks.
ESCI is recommending the creation of three 40-hour
per week positions to assist in managing the
organization, each position and in total.
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Battalion Chief 202,452 209,116 216,010 223,141 230,519 Training Captain 128,327 132,745 137,325 142,071 146,991 Fire Prevention Officer 104,515 108,212 112,047 116,027 120,158 Total personnel costs 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668 344 of 801 498 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System Cont.
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Station 74
Compensation 1,193,799 1,217,613 1,242,141 1,267,407 1,293,429 Benefits 431,625 447,698 464,505 482,080 500,461
Administrative
positions 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668
Compensation &
benefits 2,060,719 2,115,384 2,172,028 2,230,726 2,291,557 Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total operating costs 2,101,219 2,122,584 2,179,228 2,237,926 2,298,757 Apparatus lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Apparatus replacement
fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454
Total additional
expenditures 2,435,621 2,456,986 2,513,630 2,572,328 2,633,159 345 of 801 499 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System Cont Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station
74 and Administrative Staffing
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating
Projections (Figure 28) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Less Contract Fire Prevention
costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 operating costs 1,665,924 1,672,511 1,713,846 1,756,687 1,801,090 Administrative positions 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668 Total costs 7,213,845 7,791,804 8,454,206 9,173,910 9,992,955 346 of 801 500 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System (Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total costs from previous
slide 7,213,845 7,791,804 8,454,206 9,173,910 9,992,955 Measure S Initiatives (Fig
28)
Measure S 2006 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698
Measure S 2014 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189
Total other revenues 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 Revised Net funding from
General Fund 6,109,958 6,687,917 7,350,319 8,070,023 8,889,068 347 of 801 501 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System (Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Revised Net funding from
General Fund – previous
slide 6,109,958 6,687,917 7,350,319 8,070,023 8,889,068 Original Funding from the
General Fund (Figure 28) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Type I Engine 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948
Apparatus Replacement
Fund Contribution 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Balance to fund from
proposed parcel tax 3,049,025 3,626,984 4,289,386 5,009,090 5,828,135 Total parcels 6,198 6,198 6,198 6,198 6,198
Per parcel cost 491.94 585.19 692.06 808.18 940.33
Escalation 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35%
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Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit A fourth alternative to be considered is implementation of a service model using the currently closed Station 74 and utilizing a quick response/attack unit staffed with two qualified personnel. This alternative, while not
recommended, restores minimum staffing of two
personnel for each of the three shifts at this station. 349 of 801 503 of 955
Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Compensation 707,182 722,398 738,070 754,212 770,838
Benefits 275,977 286,575 297,658 309,250 321,375
Compensation &
benefits 983,159 1,008,973 1,035,728 1,063,462 1,092,213 Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Operating costs 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 Quick attack pumper
lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048
Apparatus replacement
fund 115,727 115,727 115,727 115,727 115,727
Total expenditures 1,163,434 1,155,948 1,182,703 1,210,437 1,239,188 350 of 801 504 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
The following schedule presents projected costs to
maintain the existing service levels for the Pinole Fire Department
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Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Salaries 2,167,818 2,232,853 2,299,838 2,368,834 2,439,899 Benefits 2,113,226 2,577,021 3,087,252 3,649,922 4,306,908 Salaries & benefits 4,281,044 4,809,873 5,387,090 6,018,755 6,746,807 Services 830,906 854,171 878,088 902,674 927,949
Supplies 160,676 165,175 169,800 174,555 179,442
Recurring costs 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Total expenditures 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 352 of 801 506 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total expenditures – prior
slide 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Sources of funding
Measure S 2006 794,698 802,645 810,671 818,778 826,966
Measure S 2014 309,189 312,281 315,404 318,558 321,743
Total sources of funding 1,103,887 1,114,926 1,126,075 1,137,336 1,148,709 Net amount to fund 4,168,739 4,714,294 5,308,903 5,958,648 6,705,488 353 of 801 507 of 955
Questions/Discussion
354 of 801 508 of 955
REGIONAL FIRE SERVICE
DELIVERY STUDY
ADDENDUM
March 2020
Pinole Fire Department
Pinole, California
ATTACHMENT E
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Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Addendum City of Pinole Fire Department PAGE i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................................iv SECTION I: EVALUATION OF CURRENT CONDITIONS ...................................................................... 1 Current Conditions............................................................................................................................ 2 Organizational Overview............................................................................................................................ 2 Service Area & Infrastructure...................................................................................................................... 5 Staffing Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 6 Emergency Management........................................................................................................................... 7 Fire Prevention........................................................................................................................................... 8 Training.....................................................................................................................................................13 Emergency Response Staffing.................................................................................................................. 18 Current Financial Analysis ................................................................................................................21 Economic Conditions................................................................................................................................ 21 Historical Revenue & Expense .................................................................................................................. 22 City of Pinole Fire Department................................................................................................................. 28 Capital Assets & Improvements.................................................................................................................35 Apparatus/Vehicles................................................................................................................................... 39 Critical Tasking......................................................................................................................................... 42 Service Demand & Incident Staffing Performance .............................................................................55 Service-Demand Study............................................................................................................................. 55 Distribution Study .....................................................................................................................................70 PFD Goals Distribution ..............................................................................................................................77 Concentration & Effective Response Force Capability Analysis ................................................................ 79 Concurrency ............................................................................................................................................. 81 Performance Summary ............................................................................................................................ 83 Future System Demand Projections..................................................................................................93 Incident Workload Projection ................................................................................................................... 93 Community Risk Factors........................................................................................................................... 94 Overall Geospatial Characteristics............................................................................................................ 95 Geographic & Weather-Related Risks....................................................................................................... 97 Wildfire Risk ............................................................................................................................................105 Transportation Risks................................................................................................................................110 Demographics .........................................................................................................................................119 SECTION II: PUBLIC WORKSHOP & STAKEHOLDER INPUT............................................................122 Public Input ...................................................................................................................................123 356 of 801 510 of 955
Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Addendum City of Pinole Fire Department PAGE ii
SECTION III: OPTIONS FOR SHARED SERVICES .............................................................................138 Shared Services Options.................................................................................................................139 SECTION IV: OPTIONS FOR DELIVERY OF FIRE-BASED SERVICES .................................................142 Options .........................................................................................................................................143 Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District ..................................................................................143 Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.......................................................................... 144 Option C: Expansion of the Pinole Fire Department System................................................................... 148 Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit.................................................152 Option E: Staffing Station 74 with a Two-Person Unit and Add a Training Captain..................................154 Option F: Develop and Implement a Reserve Firefighter Program...........................................................156 Option G: Contract with Contra Costa Fire Protection District to Station a Single Role Advanced Life Support Ambulance within Pinole ...........................................................................................................158 SECTION V: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................161 Key Findings ..................................................................................................................................162 Short-Term Recommendations ...............................................................................................................163 Mid- to Long-Term Recommendations ...................................................................................................167 Implementation Plan .....................................................................................................................168 SECTION VI: APPENDICES.............................................................................................................169 Appendix A: Proposal from Contra Costa County FPD .....................................................................170 Appendix B: Ambulance Proposal from CCCFPD ............................................................................. 173 Appendix C: Table of Figures ..........................................................................................................174 357 of 801 511 of 955
Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Addendum City of Pinole Fire Department PAGE iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) would like to acknowledge that without the assistance and support of the City of Pinole Fire Department executive and administrative staff, Labor leadership, City Manager, City officials, and others, we could not have completed this project.
Roy Swearingen
Mayor
Norma Martinez-Rubin
Mayor Pro Tem
Pete Murray
Council Member
Vincent Salimi
Council Member
Anthony l. Tave
Council Member
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Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Addendum City of Pinole Fire Department PAGE iv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In April 2019, Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) was retained by the City of Pinole to evaluate the following opportunities; 1) Regional cooperation, to include consideration of consolidation or contract for Fire and Rescue Services; 2) Cost estimate to re-open and operate Station 74; and 3) applicable cost to residents through a parcel tax. During a presentation of the initial draft of the study to Pinole City Council on October 8, 2019, the City Council requested an addendum with additional research. The analysis within this addendum reflects the work completed consistent with the original contract and the additional research requested by the City Council. The additional updates/research items are as follows: Updated original financial calculations utilizing the most current budget to actuals; Development of additional parcel tax options; Development of a Reserve Firefighter Program; Analysis of placing a single-role advanced life support ambulance in the City in lieu of staffing an additional all-risk response unit. Highlighted and/or asterisked tables or narrative indicates changes and additions resulting from the supplementary research and related changes.
The analysis completed during the original study revealed a number of important findings. These include:
• Due to the lack of sufficient command and administrative staff, the department struggles to maintain compliance with performance goals, industry standards, and workload. • Data collection and records management analysis was challenging due to inconsistencies. • The department needs additional staffing to fulfill all fire prevention related functions satisfactorily. • PFD does not have a designated individual committed to the training function for the department.
The responsibility for conducting all needs assessments relative to training, as well as program design, coordination, and records keeping.
• The department does not have adequate training props, although funding has been included in the FY 19/20 budget to purchase some.
• The minimum staffing level for PFD does not provide for the two-in/two-out structure firefighting per OSHA mandates.
• PFD is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid for any call requiring more than one unit. • In the event of concurrent incidents requiring more than the one staffed Pinole Engine, service to the residents of Pinole for the additional incidents must be provided by other agencies. • In 2018, none of the reported fire incidents achieved the stated performance objective of 21 firefighters on-scene, nor did the travel time for all apparatus on-scene approach 8 minutes. • Projected General Fund revenues are not sufficient to provide for Fire Department General Fund expenditures on an annual basis and will require a continued drawdown of General Fund reserve balances.
• Station 73’s crew quarters need remodeling and updating, which may include ADA accommodation. • PFD apparatus specifications have not been standardized with the Battalion 7 apparatus. • Absent automatic and mutual aid from surrounding agencies, standalone PFD is not capable of handling an incident, such as a trash fire, car fire, or medical incident requiring more than one apparatus, much less a more complex incident.
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Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Addendum City of Pinole Fire Department PAGE v
• At 110 calls per 1,000 population, PFD has a higher median number of calls per 1,000 population than the region but slightly lower than the urban lower range. • Much of the developed residential area in the eastern part of the city is beyond 1.5 miles of Station
73. • Due to Station 74 being closed, a portion of the developed residential area in the southeast part of the city is beyond the 4-minute travel time footprint.
• Funding does not appear to be available to cash purchase the required Type I apparatus for Station 74, should that station be reopened.
The analysis conducted during the evaluation phase of this process identified several opportunities to improve service (improvement goals). ESCI offers the following improvement goals for consideration. These goals and specific recommendations for each are described in more detail at the end of this report in the Conclusions section.
Short-Term Recommendations
Recommendation A: Adopt response performance goals that are achievable.
A community’s desired level of service is a uniquely individual decision. No two communities are exactly alike.
Performance goals must be tailored to match community expectations, community conditions, and the ability to pay for the resources necessary to attain the desired level of service.
Recommendation B: The City should consider moving forward with the necessary steps to improve service via reopening Station 74, and staffing and administrative support, as funding becomes available.
Recommendation B-1: As a temporary measure until sufficient funding is developed to implement Recommendation B, to improve cost-effective response performance to both medical as well as fire and other emergency incidents, the City should consider acquiring and staffing a two-person, advanced life support equipped, quick response apparatus (Type VI) appropriately. Included in this recommendation is the hiring of an Administrative Captain to manage, among other administrative tasks, a continuing education program for fire and medical personnel.
Recommendation C: Consider initiating the process of securing additional funding.
ESCI recommends that the City consider moving forward with the process of pursuing an additional funding source such as a parcel tax.
Recommendation D: Standardize apparatus specifications.
Consideration should be given to the standardization of apparatus specifications throughout Battalion 7.
Standardization of specifications will enhance operational efficiency and could result in cost savings via group purchasing.
Recommendation E: Review all current fire department alarm assignments.
Consideration should be given to reviewing the department’s alarm assignments and determine the number of resources required for an effective response force based on risk. 360 of 801 514 of 955
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Recommendation F: Improve the collection and analysis of incident data.
Much can be revealed by collecting and evaluating incident data accurately and regularly. Challenges to quick response can be identified and solutions proposed.
Mid- to Long-Term Recommendations
Recommendation G: Initiate recruitment of additional staff.
As soon as funding is available, ESCI recommends that the City recruit the positions identified in Option C:
“Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System.”
Recommendation H: Remodel Station 73
Fire Station 73’s crew quarters require remodeling to accommodate the relocation of the shared shift Battalion Chief and additional administrative staff.
Recommendation I: Capital Equipment and Facilities Fund Establish a Capital Equipment and Facilities Replacement Fund. A portion of the proposed parcel tax could be used to fund this recommendation.
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Section I:
EVALUATION OF CURRENT CONDITIONS
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CURRENT CONDITIONS
Organizational Overview
ESCI combined data provided by the participating fire agencies with information collected in the course of our fieldwork and used to develop an overview of the organizations. The purpose of the following organizational overview is two-fold. First, it verifies the accuracy of the baseline information and ESCI’s understanding of each agency’s composition—the foundation from which the study is developed. Second, the overview serves as a reference for the reader, who may not be familiar with the details of each agency’s operations.
City of Pinole Fire Department
Governance & Lines of Authority
The City of Pinole was incorporated in 1903 and commenced providing fire protection the same year. Policy direction for the Pinole Fire Department (PFD) is provided by five elected City Council members (Council).
The Council is provided the necessary power and authority to govern the provision of fire protection and emergency services. The Council appoints a City Manager who is responsible for implementing Council policy and overseeing the operation of the Organization. The City Manager appoints the Fire Chief to oversee the Fire Department operations.
The Pinole Fire Department (PFD) service area is comprised of the City of Pinole and two informally contracted areas of Contra Costa County, as depicted in the following figure. The Rodeo-Hercules service area is to the north and the southern boundary alternates between the City of Richmond and unincorporated Contra Costa County.
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Figure 1: Study Service Area
Design
The organizational design of PFD mimics a paramilitary organization, which is a common design among first responders and emergency services agencies. PFD is an all career agency, meaning all staff are full-time regular employees of the City of Pinole.
Organizational Structure
To operate effectively, a fire department needs an organizational chart that clearly defines its structure. The chart institutionalizes the agency’s hierarchy, identifies roles, and, most importantly, clarifies reporting authority. It also helps to ensure that communication flows appropriately and limits opportunities to circumvent the reporting structure.
PFD has a well-defined organizational chart that achieves this purpose and operates under a traditional topdown approach. Lines of authority are clear and depicted; however,the department is minimally staffed. The following figure illustrates the organizational chart for PFD. 364 of 801 518 of 955
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Governance & Decision-Making
From a governance and decision-making standpoint, the organization appears to have a clear direction and ability to operate. Lines of authority and the ability to carry out decisions appear to flow appropriately. The administrative staff understands the process to accomplish its mission. The chain of command is identified and clear on responsibilities. The span of control is adequate related to operations; however, as noted later in this report, the organization is lacking key positions necessary for an all-risk fire department.
Figure 2: Pinole Fire Department Organizational Chart (2019) 365 of 801 519 of 955
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Service Area & Infrastructure
The size and composition of a fire department’s service area affect the type and number of personnel, fire stations, and vehicles that are needed to provide services efficiently. Sometimes complex decisions need to be made regarding deployment strategies to properly position resources based on land area, geography, risk, and similar factors. The following offers a summary of PFD’s service area and service infrastructure resources:
Figure 3: Service Area & Apparatus Resources
Agency Description PFD Observations
Agency type (district, municipality, etc.) City
Land Area in square miles 5.2/2.4 contract areas1
Headquarters location (physical address) 880 Tennent Ave Number of fire stations 2 (one currently closed)
Engine 1
Engine, reserve 1
Wildland Engine Type 3 1
Wildland Engine Type 6 1
Ladder truck 0
Ladder, reserve 0
Duty BC Command Response Vehicle 1
From 2005 to 2011, PFD was able to deploy personnel and apparatus from two strategically located facilities.
During the economic downturn, the second PFD station (74) was browned out and eventually closed. This closure has resulted in an increase in response times to the area in the eastern portion of the City.
Decisions on deployment define the Department’s response capability. These decisions need to weigh multiple considerations, including risk exposure, response times, access challenges, deployment, community expectations, personnel safety, and fire department capacity. Furthermore, these decisions not only need to balance the financial considerations but also need to be strategic and in the purview of the elected officials and City Manager, in consultation with the Fire Chief. Ultimately, these individuals are responsible to the public to provide the level of service that the citizens desire and for which they are willing to pay. 1 The City of Pinole encompasses approximately 11.6 square miles. Of that, 5.2 square miles are land, with the remaining 6.4 sq. miles comprised of the bay.
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Staffing Analysis
An organization’s greatest asset lies in its people, yet its people also typically comprise its greatest financial cost. Thus, organizations must pay special attention to managing human resources in a way that achieves maximum productivity while ensuring a high level of employee job satisfaction. Consistent management practices combined with a safe working environment, equitable treatment, the opportunity for input, and awards and recognition all comprise key components impacting job satisfaction.
The size and structure of an organization’s staffing remain dependent upon the organization’s specific needs.
These needs must directly correlate with the needs of the community and the available revenue stream. A structure that works for one entity may not necessarily work for another agency. This section provides an overview of the PFD’s staffing configuration and management practices.
One can divide Department staffing into two distinctly different groups:the first is what the citizens typically recognize and is commonly known as the operations unit, generally classified as the emergency response personnel; the second group, commonly known as the administrative section, typically works behind the scenes to provide the support that the operation’s personnel need to deliver effective emergency response.
In addition to providing fire suppression services, PFD is tasked with providing emergency medical response, fire investigation, fire prevention, life safety education, community risk reduction, disaster/emergency operations planning, and hazardous materials response.
Personnel Responsibilities & Activity Levels
The leadership of PFD has established work responsibilities beyond the emergency response requirements.
For example, these additional duties include fleet management, respiratory protection compliance, and training. Due to the lack of sufficient management staff, the department struggles to maintain compliance with performance goals, industry standards, and workload.
Administrative & Support Staffing
One of the primary responsibilities of a response team’s administration is to ensure that the operations segment of the organization has the ability and means to respond to and mitigate emergencies safely and efficiently. An effective administration and support services system proves critical to the success of a response agency.
Typical responsibilities of the administration and support staff include planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating the various programs within the Department. This list of functions is not exhaustive, and other functions may be added. It is also important to understand that these functions do not occur linearly and can more often coincide. This requires the Fire Chief and the one shift Battalion Chief to focus on many different areas at the same time.
The following figure reviews the administration and the organizational support structure of PFD:
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Figure 4: PFD Administrative and Support Staffing
Position Number
Fire Chief 1
Management Analyst 1
Battalion Chief (Shift) 1
TOTAL 3
Like any other part of a municipal fire department, administration and support need appropriate resources to function properly. By analyzing the administrative and support positions within an organization, we can create a common understanding of the relative resources committed to this function compared to industry best practices and similar organizations. The appropriate balance of administration and support compared to operational resources and service levels is a crucial factor in ensuring the department can accomplish its mission.
Administration
The positions of the Fire Chief, one shift Battalion Chief, and one Management Analyst currently establish the administrative function of the department. Some of the typical responsibilities of the Fire Chief include planning, organizing, directing, and budgeting for all aspects of the department’s operations. The current number of positions assigned to this activity is insufficient to meet supervisory expectations; in addition, the daily operational needs can detract from the ability to focus on administrative requirements.
PFD currently operates with a limited number of administrative support staff. The position assigned to administration is one Management Analyst. This one Management Analyst provides critical support to all of the department’s administrative functions. In addition, during extreme emergencies, administrative staff are typically called upon to staff numerous duties in support of operations and logistics. One cannot overstate the value of administrative support as these staff members free up fire management staff to concentrate on other areas of operation. The level of administrative support appears to be inadequate for PFD.
Emergency Management
The responsibility for the City’s emergency management planning and preparedness is assigned to the Fire Chief and the Police Chief. This shared responsibility is expected to provide for overall management and delivery of emergency management activities for the City of Pinole.Given the current duties of the Fire Chief, there is little time available to devote to this responsibility. 368 of 801 522 of 955
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Fire Prevention
Typical fire prevention functions include building plan reviews, building inspections, weed abatement, community outreach, and vegetation management. The department currently outsources some of these functions through contracts; additional staffing would be required to satisfactorily fulfill these functions internally. Currently, the Fire Inspector duties are carried out via a contracted position. This includes the review and approval of building plans and providing building and construction inspections.
Fire Prevention Programs
An aggressive risk management program, through proactive fire and life safety services, is a fire department’s best opportunity to minimize the losses and human trauma associated with fires and other community risks.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends a multifaceted, coordinated risk reduction process at the community level to address local risks. This requires engaging all segments of the community, identifying the highest priority risks, and then developing and implementing strategies designed to mitigate the risks.2 A fire department needs to review and understand the importance of fire prevention and public education, appreciating its role in the planning process of a community with diversified zoning, including residential, commercial, and industrial properties. The fundamental components of an effective fire prevention program are listed in the following figure, accompanied by the elements needed to address each component.
Figure 5: Fire Prevention Program Components
Program Components Elements Needed
Fire Code Enforcement
• Proposed construction and plans review
• New construction inspections
• Existing structure/occupancy inspections
• Internal protection systems design review
• Storage and handling of hazardous materials
Public Fire & Life Safety 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
2 NFPA Standard 1730: Organizing and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public Education Operations, 2019 Edition.
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Fire & Life-Safety Code Enforcement
The most effective way to combat fires is to prevent them. A strong fire prevention program, based on locally identified risks and relevant codes and ordinances, reduces the loss of property, life, and the often-crippling impact on a community’s economy. The following figure summarizes the new construction and fire protection system plan review programs, and ancillary programs typically found in fire prevention programs.
Figure 6: New Construction Inspections & Involvement
Program Elements Pinole Fire Department
FD consulted on proposed new construction? Yes, by utilizing contractors FD consulted on proposed occupancy
changes/tenant improvements? Yes, via contractor
Perform fire & life-safety plan reviews? Yes, by utilizing contractors Charges for inspections or reviews? Yes
Special risk inspections? Yes, via contractor
Storage tank inspections? No, this is a function of the Contra Costa CUPA Key-box entry program in place? Yes
Hydrant flow records maintained? No3
The following sections provide detail on the qualifications and resources dedicated to fire and life safety code enforcement provided by the Pinole Fire Department.
Pinole Fire Prevention
The Fire Chief has the primary responsibility of ensuring fire prevention activities are conducted to state and local regulations. This is supported by one contract Inspector and the on-duty engine company personnel when they are available. Current services offered include:
• Inspect new or repaired fire protection systems requiring a fire construction permit; • Inspect existing occupancies required to have an operational permit and those required by the California Health and Safety Code to be inspected on an annual basis; • Respond to complaints regarding fire and life safety code violations; and • Investigate major fires and work with law enforcement to make arrests of persons responsible for unlawful actions related to fire.
3 The water and hydrant system are maintained by East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD). At the time of this report, the hydrant maintenance schedule and flow records could not be acquired from EBMUD. 370 of 801 524 of 955
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Community Risk Reduction Program
Lately, U.S. fire departments have begun to recognize the value of Community Risk Reduction (CRR) programs that go beyond traditional fire prevention activities. Some have gone so far as to re-name their “fire prevention” divisions to “Community Risk Reduction Divisions.” Regardless of the name, fire departments should be able to accurately identify the various potential community risks before developing prevention programs. This is not meant to imply diminishing the focus and importance of addressing the fire problem in a community, rather it affords an opportunity to identify and mitigate additional community risks through
targeted prevention activities.
The first step in developing an effective CRR plan is
identifying risks unique to a specific community by
conducting a community risk assessment. A key
component of the assessment process is the collection
and analysis of incident data. However, firefighters,
officers, and inspectors can also provide substantial
anecdotal information on the various risks found within their respective response-areas.
Fire & Life-Safety Public Education Program
Providing fire and life safety education to the public to minimize the number of emergencies while training the community to take appropriate actions when an emergency occurs is essential to a fire and life safety program. Life and fire safety education provides the best chance for minimizing the effects of fire, injury, and illness to the community.
Public education and outreach are conducted in various ways in each department. The following is a summary of the programs commonly offered by area fire departments.
Figure 7: Six Steps of CRR Planning
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Figure 8: Life Safety & Public Education Services
Life Safety &
Public Education Description Pinole Fire Department
PIO/Public Educator This position often works with the community to identify and eliminate fire and life safety risks.
Not a filled position, delegated
as needed if available.
911 Education Program
This program works to reduce the number of
unnecessary 911 calls and provide education to the
public on available services.
Website
Exit Drills In The Home
(EDITH)
This program is typically offered to elementary
school-age children through annual school visits. Engine company upon request Smoke Alarm
Installation
Often, residents are encouraged to notify their fire
departments when they need assistance replacing
alarm or alarm batteries.
Engine company upon request.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Installation Carbon monoxide alarm installation assistance. Not available Bike Helmet Program Provides information on bicycle helmet use to school-aged children.
Not available
Elder Safety/Fall
prevention
Provides information and inspections to seniors to
reduce accidents and falls.
Not available
Home Safety
Inspections
A home safety program that aims to reduce fire and
safety hazards in the household.
Upon request; crews not
formally trained.
CPR/First Aid Classes Classes that offer training in CPR and first aid to citizen groups, city employees, and individuals. Not available BP Checks Often offered at the fire station for any resident on a walk-in basis. Not available
Car Seat Safety
Inspections
Classes, inspection, or training to ensure citizens are properly installing car seats into vehicles.
Not available
Fire Extinguisher Classes
Hands-on training to business employees and
citizens on the proper selection and use of fire
extinguishers.
Not available
K, 12 Fire Prevention
curriculum delivery in
schools
Fire Prevention classes designed for school-aged
children to reduce burns and fires in the home.
Not available; demos upon
request.
Wildfire Defensible
Space Education
Education offered to neighborhood associations or
individuals on the proper wildfire mitigation efforts
around residential and commercial structures.
Website
Water Safety Program Pool safety, swimming classes, and information on how to safely rescue an individual in the water.
Not available
Safety Fairs
Fairs offered to large groups of individuals with the
intention of offering numerous public safety classes
at one location.
Not available
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Fire Prevention Discussion
In today’s fire service, public fire and injury prevention education is much more important than in the past.
This is likely the result of evolving community expectations, coupled with the realization by fire departments that community engagement and safety education outreach can build tremendous community support.
Consideration should be given to conducting a formal Community Risk Assessment. The U.S. Fire Administration identified a five-step assessment process for improving public safety education:4
1. Conduct a Community Analysis.
2. Develop Community Partnerships.
3. Create an Implementation Strategy.
4. Implement the Strategy.
5. Evaluate the Results.
Fire Cause & Origin Investigation
Accurately determining the cause of a fire is an essential element of a fire prevention program. When fires are intentionally set, identification and/or prosecution of the responsible offender is critical in preventing additional fires, injuries and fatalities, and catastrophic economic impact. Further, identifying the cause and potential trends enables the department to provide specific public information and fire prevention education to prevent reoccurrence.
Pinole receives fire investigation services through mutual aid from Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
The results of professional and thorough fire investigations can be extremely powerful in:
• Prosecuting arsonists.
• Identifying product safety issues.
• Educating the public about the outcomes of unsafe behaviors and conditions. • Assisting insurance companies and property owners with insurance claims. • Providing solid evidence in criminal and civil court proceedings. • Identifying necessary life safety code changes.
4 https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-219.pdf 373 of 801 527 of 955
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Training
PFD does not have a designated individual committed to the training function for the department. The responsibility for conducting all needs assessments relative to training, as well as program design, coordination, and evaluation falls to the Fire Chief. The result of this arrangement is that the training of all personnel is delivered inconsistently due to the other duties assigned to the Fire Chief.
While the design and staffing of a fire department are dependent upon the specific needs of the community, the reality is that most of the needed training is common among California fire departments. In addition to maximizing resources through sharing training resources and opportunities, fire departments that train together tend to work better together during mutual aid incidents. This also lends itself to making the firefighters more well-rounded, as they are exposed to other lines of thinking. Finally, a coordinated regionalized, collaborative approach to training delivery, in addition to the benefits noted, can substantially reduce costs, and increase the efficiency of educational efforts. To capitalize on local and regional training opportunities, the department needs an individual whose primary duties include this important function.
Training officers are often assigned to act as the department Safety Officer, reviewing standard operating procedures, adherence to proper personal protective equipment, inspecting facilities for safety hazards, and examining work practices to ensure they meet OSHA and Cal OSHA requirements. Safety Officers review accidents and design training classes to reduce accidents in the workplace.
Training Overview
Providing safe and effective fire protection, EMS, and other emergency services requires a well-trained workforce. Initial, ongoing, and high-quality training and education are critical for fire department effectiveness and the safety of its personnel. A comprehensive training program is necessary to achieve this goal; this is true in all-career or combination fire departments that provide a broad range of services throughout the community. Pinole Fire Department allocated $25,000 in the fiscal year 2019/2020 budget to provide for this training.
To ensure maximum effectiveness and safety in complex environments, firefighters and officers must acquire and maintain initial training, ongoing training, and EMS Continuing Education (CE). Failure to provide necessary training endangers firefighters and citizens and exposes fire departments to liability. In addition, a well-trained workforce substantially contributes to better emergency incident outcomes and community services.
Newly hired firefighters must participate in a structured recruit training and testing process. The California State Fire Training utilizes NFPA 1001: Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications (2013), NFPA 1051:
Standard for Wildland Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications (2016), and NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents to provide the qualifications for State Fire Training’s Fire Fighter I certification. These standards identify the minimum training requirements that serve as the basis for entry-level firefighters. The NFPA recommends other standards that address initial and ongoing training for firefighters and officers in a variety of specific topics. In addition, new recruits must complete or have previously completed basic emergency medical training. 374 of 801 528 of 955
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Following initial training, firefighters (i.e., all emergency services personnel) must actively participate in ongoing training that includes testing as well as ensuring practical skills and knowledge are maintained. In its Fire & Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual (9th edition), the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) addresses “Training and Competency,” and lists numerous performance indicators under the headings of training and education program requirements, performance, and resources.
To accomplish this, fire departments must have access to qualified instructors and training resources—either within the organization, externally with regional partners, or both.
Training programs must go beyond simply fulfilling mandatory hours. Emergency services training administrators and instructors must ensure that firefighters, EMS personnel, and officers are not only competent but also self-confident in the variety of skills necessary to perform effectively in high-stress situations. Industry standards outline specific areas that are considered integral to effective training programs. The program should include the following:
• Training administration
• Recordkeeping (records management systems)
• Training facilities and resources
• General training competencies
• Training methodologies
Training Administration
Typically, even smaller fire departments have a dedicated individual assigned to the training division who oversees the training program, sets program goals and objectives, develops training manuals, produces annual reports, and ensures state and local mandatory training is completed. Pinole Fire does not have a dedicated Training Officer.
Contra Costa County Training Officers Association
Under the auspices of the Contra Costa Fire Chiefs Association, training officers from the fire departments meet regularly to develop and share resources, as well as promote fire training locally. Pinole participates regularly in the Training Officers’ Association.
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Training Facilities & Resources
Pinole does not possess a fire training facility and has limited access to shared resources due to daily staffing arrangements and the need to be available to respond to incidents. The following figure contains common considerations for fire service training and indicates if these training services are available within the PFD service area.
Figure 9: Training Facilities & Resources Findings
Description Pinole Fire Department
Adequate training ground space/equipment No
Live fire props No
Fire & driving grounds No
Training facility maintenance adequate Not applicable
Classroom facilities adequate Shared classroom facilities are available Video & computer simulations available No
Instructional materials available Yes
Training Facilities in Contra Costa County
The Rodeo Hercules Fire Protection District training center is equipped with a wide variety of equipment, props, and other facilities. This facility is available for use by PFD; however, utilizing it requires moving the on-duty fire crew out of the City of Pinole and placing them out-of-service or causing a delay in response.
General Training Records
Fire departments must maintain records to demonstrate competencies and completion of annual mandated (local, state, and federal) training. These records are important to internal processes such as promotions and qualifications for special operations. Externally, training records are often used in defense of litigation, for investigations, and to prove competencies in the Master Mutual Aid System. 376 of 801 530 of 955
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Figure 10: Training Records Maintenance
Description Pinole Fire Department
Individual training files maintained No5
Records & files computerized Limited
Daily training records kept Yes, via hard copy journal
Annual training hours tracked No
Company training records kept No
Responsibility for records Fire Chief
Training equipment inventoried Props are limited & in need of refurbishment6 General Training Competencies
For training to be fully effective, it should be based on established standards. The next figure lists the general training competencies regularly delivered to the members of the Pinole Fire Department.
Figure 11: General Training Competencies
Description Pinole Fire Department
Incident command system No, “Blue Card” is being implemented.
Accountability procedures in place No, Lexipol policy & procedure system has been purchased and will soon be implemented.
Policy & procedures for training No, Lexipol policy & procedures purchased and soon to be implemented.
Safety procedures in place No, Lexipol policy & procedures purchased and soon to be implemented.
Recruit academy Two recruits will start at the Berkeley Fire Dept Academy in October 2019. Two went through in October 2017.
Special rescue No
Hazmat certification No
Wildland firefighter Yes
Vehicle extrication Yes
Defensive driving Yes
Use, safety, & care of small tools Yes
Use & care of power equipment Yes
Radio communications & dispatch Yes
EMS skills & protocols Yes
5 PFD is in the process of configuring Target Solutions to maintain training records and reports. 6 In fiscal year 2019/2020, $2,500 has been allocated for this purpose. This amount is generally enough to maintain one training prop, but as PFD expands its training capabilities, additional funding should be added to the budget for prop maintenance. 377 of 801 531 of 955
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EMS Training & Continuing Medical Education
Pinole Fire Department relies on in-house (PFD developed) and other regional sources for training for basic and advanced life support continuing medical education. Pinole personnel are preparing to use Target Solutions to deliver ongoing continuing education for paramedics and emergency medical technicians at a fixed annual cost. The use of online training reduces the need to hire instructors and pay employees overtime as they attend mandated training as well as ensuring annual training mandate records are well kept.
Training Methodologies
Certain resources are necessary to arm the instructor with the tools necessary to deliver adequate educational content to provide effective training to fire and EMS personnel. In addition to such tools, effective methodologies must be employed if training delivery is to be enough to meet the needs.
The following figure lists the various training methodologies and training operations utilized by PFD.
Figure 12: Training Methodologies & Operations
Description Pinole Fire Department
Manipulative skills Manipulative training drills for individual and company are conducted weekly.
Task performances/frequency Manipulative training drills for individual and company are conducted weekly.
Annual training hour requirements 24 hours of EMS “Continuous Education” is accomplished annually.
Use of lesson plans
Each firefighter employee has a task book
containing lesson plans. Fire Engineer and
Captain task books are being developed.
Produced in-house or commercially Training plans are produced by PFD members.
Night drills Annual structure fire drills are held at night.
Multi-agency drills Annual multi-agency structure fire, wildland, & EMS are held.
Disaster drills conducted No
Pre-fire planning included in training Yes
Safety incorporated in training On large drills, a safety plan is developed as part of a training Incident Action Plan.
Post-incident analysis conducted On large drills and incidents, an incident or training analysis is completed.
Training Discussion
Ongoing training reduces injuries and other risks associated with firefighting. Mandatory training is required by OSHA, Cal OSHA, and the State of California that must be undertaken and completed on an annual basis by firefighters. In addition, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) reviews training hours to ensure the adequate training of fire service responders.
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Emergency Response Staffing
It takes an adequate and properly trained staff of emergency responders to put the appropriate emergency apparatus and equipment to its best use in mitigating incidents. Insufficient staffing at an operational scene decreases the effectiveness of the response and increases the risk of injury to all individuals involved.
One can break down critical tasks performed at a fire 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 selfpreservation action. Life safety-related tasks involve search, rescue, and evacuation of victims. The fire-flow component involves delivering enough water to extinguish the fire and to create an environment within the building that allows firefighters’ entry.
The number and types of tasks needing simultaneous action will dictate the minimum number of firefighters required to combat different types of fires. In the absence of adequate personnel to perform concurrent action, the Command 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
• Back-up/rapid intervention
The first 10 minutes are the most crucial period in the suppression of a fire. The timing of these 10 minutes does not start when the firefighters arrive at the scene but begin when the fire initially starts. How effectively and efficiently firefighters perform during this period has a significant impact on the overall outcome of the event. This general concept is applicable to fire, rescue, and medical situations. Critical tasks must be conducted promptly to control a fire or to treat a patient. PFD is responsible for ensuring those responding companies can perform all the described tasks in a prompt, efficient, and safe manner.
Setting the staffing levels is a determination made at the community level based on risk, capability, and citizen expectations and is guided by national recommendations such as those found in the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710.
When a fire escalates beyond what the initial assignment can handle, or if the fire has unusual characteristics such as a wind-driven fire or has been accelerated with a highly flammable compound, additional personnel are needed. Other types of scenarios may not include fires but rather mass casualty incidents, explosions, etc., that may need additional staffing. It proves difficult or impossible to staff for these worst-case incidents; they require a robust mutual aid or automatic aid plan for assistance. 379 of 801 533 of 955
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The staffing level that PFD is expected to provide is a decision based on a risk assessment and community expectations. A funding level must be established that matches the fire department’s deployment capability to mitigate the risk to a level that meets the community’s expectations. This funding level is developed through the political process of citizens meeting with local legislators and expressing approval of the level of service being received or indicating improvements that need to be made and the level of additional financial support they are willing to bear to obtain satisfaction with the services. This additional financial support is usually in the form of assessing property through ad valorem taxes or other taxes to generate the necessary revenue. No mandated requirement fits all possible situations, although NFPA 1710 guides the number of personnel and apparatus required for typical scenarios. Incidents may escalate beyond the capability of the initial assignment of units and staff, resulting in additional apparatus and personnel required. It may prove difficult or financially impossible to staff for those worst-case incidents. In those instances, a robust mutual or automatic aid system is required.
On a typical day in Pinole, as in most jurisdictions, the full staffing required by response needs are not available due to budget constraints.
7 Currently, Pinole has determined that the minimum acceptable department staffing is three operations personnel and a shared Battalion Chief on each shift. This staffing level is generally only adequate for basic calls for service such as low acuity medical aids, small incipient fires, or motor-vehicle accidents with minor injuries. This staffing arrangement results in reliance on other jurisdictions assistance through automatic and mutual aid agreements for calls requiring two or more units, as identified in critical tasking Figure 32.
Battalion 7 designates the geographical area in western Contra Costa County comprised of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCFPD), City of Pinole Fire Department (PFD), and the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (RHFPD). Per an agreement with CCFPD, RHFPD, and PFD, each agency provides and shares shift Battalion Chiefs. These chief officers are assigned to Duty Chief coverage for each shift for the area described as “Battalion 7.”
While this agreement provides for operational duties at the shift Battalion Chief level, it does not enhance critical administrative support needs for PFD.
The following figure depicts PFD’s emergency staffing—with all authorized positions filled for the combined three shifts that PFD employs.
7 As an example, a residential structure fire generally requires multiple fire engine crews to accomplish the tasks required to extinguish the fire, located victims, and provide any necessary medical interventions. Another example occurs when two or more calls for service occur within a short time frame. In Pinole, only one fire engine is staffed per day. The capability to respond to complex calls requiring additional personnel or to respond to multiple incidents occurring simultaneously is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid. See Figure 32 for additional details.
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Figure 13: PFD Emergency Response Staffing
Position Total Authorized
Positions
Daily
Staffing
Battalion Chief (shared) 1 0 to 18
Fire Captain 3 1
Engineer 3 1
Firefighter 6 1
Totals: 13 3 or 4
PFD is authorized at 14 emergency response personnel for EMS, rescue, and fire suppression activities, including the Battalion Chief and Fire Chief. At the end of FY 2018, three of the authorized 12 firefighters in the Fire Operations Division were vacant. This means 25 percent of the response force positions, primarily in the firefighter rank, are vacant.
The resident population of the PFD service area inclusive of contact areas is estimated to be approximately 24,624 (this includes the City of Pinole population of 19,498 and two nearby unincorporated areas located within the service area). PFD provides its community with .69 career firefighters per 1,000 population. This compares to a national average of .99 firefighters per 1,000 population for cities of comparable size in Western states or almost a third less than the average. 9 The suppression personnel are assigned to one of three shifts, each working 48-hours on/96-hours off and working a total of 2,912 hours each year.
PFD operates from one station, staffed with full-time personnel. The following figure shows the staffing configuration at full utilization of authorized personnel. ESCI notes that the minimum staffing level for PFD absent automatic aid does provide for the two-in/two-out structure firefighting per OSHA mandates. 10 Figure 14: Station Units & Staffing Levels
Station Apparatus Minimum
On-Duty Staffing
Station 73
Engine 73 3
Reserve Engine 73A 0
Type III Engine E273 Cross Staffed
Wildland Type VI E473 Cross Staffed
Utility Vehicle U73 As needed
Station 74 Battalion Chief (B shift) 1
Totals: 4
8 Chief Officer coverage is not provided for all three shifts by PFD. 9 NFPA Research—Career Firefighters per 1,000 population for All Career Fire Departments, 2013–2015. Retrieved from:
https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/Emergencyresponders/osCareerFF1000Population.ashx?la=en 10 Two-in/two-out refers to section (g)(4) of OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. 381 of 801 535 of 955
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CURRENT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Economic Conditions
The state and local economies have followed the trend of modest growth that the national economy has experienced since the economic downturn of 2008/2009. Though current national and international policies have created concerns that have harmed certain sections of the stock market and the economy, the consensus is that the current growth trends are expected to continue at least through the end of 2019.
California’s economy has outpaced that of the United States since the third quarter of 2012. Retail sales in the state have increased by 20 percent between 2013 and 2017. While the California unemployment rate continues to be higher than that of the U.S. in general, the gap has been reduced to .4 percent.
California's personal income grew 4.7 percent in 2018 versus a 4.5 percent U.S. personal income growth for the same period. A similar gap was experienced in 2017 with personal income growth at 4.6 percent and 4.4 percent for California and the U.S., respectively.
Contra Costa County is one of the original 27 counties established in California in 1850 and is home to more than a million residents. The county is located in the northern portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county is included in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county has a total area of 804 square miles with 716 square miles of land and 88 square miles of water area. There are 19 cities, including Pinole, and numerous established communities in the county.
Due to Contra Costa County’s extensive waterfront along the bays in the San Francisco area, significant heavy industry development has occurred, including oil refineries and chemical plants. Agriculture contributes to employment opportunities in the county.
Information from the 2018 Census Bureau indicates that Pinole boasts the second-highest median earnings per worker of $57,784 of all places in the area. The “area” against which the comparisons were made includes the communities of Montalvin Manor, Bayview-Contra Costa County, West Contra Costa, El Sobrante-Contra Costa County, Tara Hills, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, and Hercules.11 This compares with the median earnings of $46,022 throughout the U.S. Household median income of $84,255, also places it as the secondhighest in the area, and compares favorably against the U.S median household income of $57,652. Pinole’s unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. A significant number of Pinole’s residents work outside the city, elsewhere in the Bay Area. This would indicate Pinole serves more like a “bedroom community” than a commerce center.
The area continues to grow but at a very modest rate, gaining 40 new residents in 2018. Significant growth is not expected as Pinole is primarily built-out and bordered by other municipalities, creating little to no opportunity for expansion.
11 TownCharts, http://www.townchardts.com/California/Economy/Pinole-city-CA-Economy Data. 382 of 801 536 of 955
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Historical Revenue & Expense
The City of Pinole is primarily a residential community located in West Contra Costa County, approximately 30 miles northeast of San Francisco and 20 miles north of Oakland. The city covers a land area of roughly five square miles and is home to approximately 19,200 residents.
The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government. The Council is comprised of a Mayor and four Council members serving four-year terms. The Council is elected in staggered two-year periods with three members standing for election in one cycle and the remaining two positions following in the next cycle two years subsequent. The Mayor is selected by the Council on a rotating annual basis. The Council appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk. As is the case with most municipal governments, the Council is responsible for policymaking decisions and legislative responsibilities, which include, among other items, adopting ordinances, appointing committees, and adopting the budget. The City Manager is responsible for implementing the policies, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the City, and appointing department directors.
Pinole provides all public services including fire, police, road and street maintenance, community development, recreation programs, parks, wastewater, and fiscal services through a staff of 100 full-time and 39 part-time positions.
The local economy has continued to improve following the economic downturn. Sales tax revenues continue to increase, property values have improved, and the local unemployment rate decreased from 4.9 percent in 2017 to 3.1 percent in 2018. A new shopping center has been developed with a portion opening in 2018 and the balance to open in the second half of 2019. Three significant retailers closed their doors during FY 2018.
A 15,000 square foot CVS Pharmacy was completed in early 2019.
The City of Pinole employs an accounting and budgeting system that is like most municipal forms of government. This system utilizes multiple “funds,” more easily described as separate operating companies, to track expenditures made by and revenues attributable to the operation of each fund. The General Fund typically reflects the operations of the performance of the core services provided by the City, such as law enforcement, fire protection, human resources, legal, debt service, finance, and the administrative side of the City’s operations. Within the General Fund, separate budgets for each of the departments are prepared.
The City operates on a fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending on June 30.
Additional funds may be created to manage specific projects, programs, special or specific income streams, or to account for allocation of revenue from an assessment of taxes. Pinole employs the use of multiple funds to manage specialized activities such as Housing Programs, Community Development, Wastewater, road maintenance, debt service, and capital projects. Additional funds track police and fire department pension activities. These multiple funds require a detailed review to determine the total activity of any department that has activity in more than one fund to gain a complete picture of the revenues and costs pertaining to the department.
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A significant amount of financial information and supporting data was provided to ESCI by the staff of the City of Pinole. ESCI has analyzed the historical actual revenues and expenses from FY 13/14 through FY 17/18 for the City to develop relevant financial trends, strengths, and weaknesses which, in conjunction with the annual budget information for FY 18/19, will assist in the completion of the financial forecasts presented later in this report.
Revenue
A critical component of the success and operation of any business, private or public, is a consistent and reliable funding stream. In the instance of public agencies, this funding is usually provided by the assessment and collection of various forms of taxation such as ad valorem (real estate) taxes, sales taxes, special assessments, and fees for services. Recognizing the limits of public funding, public safety agencies are limited in the level of service they may provide to their communities by the types and levels of revenues that the authority having jurisdiction is willing, or limited by the legislative process, to assess. California’s legislative process created Proposition 13 in 1978, restricting the growth of tax revenues to municipal and other government agencies. Public agencies also may charge fees for services under contractual arrangements or interagency agreements to other agencies or areas outside of their political boundaries.
General Fund revenues are classified as recurring or non-recurring. Recurring revenues are those expected to continue annually, such as property taxes, sales taxes, and contracts for service. Non-recurring revenues are those sources that are expected to not continue, such as sales of assets, grant revenues, loan proceeds, and insurance proceeds. Loan proceeds may be received in one fiscal year but not be utilized until a future fiscal year, which may significantly distort the cash flows in both years. The City has sold surplus properties during four of the past five years, supplementing its cash flow for those years, but this source should not be expected on an annual basis.
The City of Pinole is allowed by statute to assess and collect a variety of taxes. The City assesses a property tax as well as a general sales tax. Revenues included in the General Fund to provide for various operations, including fire and police activities, are provided through two Measure “S” sales tax initiatives. The 2006 Measure created a 0.5 percent sales tax, which has been allocated by budget appropriations to fund fire and police department operations. The Measure S 2014 added a .5 percent sales tax to fund City operations, a portion of which has also been allocated to public safety activities. Neither of the Measure S initiatives has an expiration date.
Additionally, a utility use tax (UUT) initiative was originally enacted in 1998 and went into effect on December 1 of that year. The UUT assesses an 8 percent tax on telephone, electric, and gas services. Voters in Pinole have approved extensions of the UUT in 2004 and 2012. In 2018,the tax was extended without a sunset date, so it will now remain in effect until repealed by voters. The tax presently raises approximately $2,000,000 for the General Fund, equivalent to approximately 14 percent of the General Fund Budget. 384 of 801 538 of 955
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Recurring Revenues
Property tax revenue is based on the assessed value of the property within the boundaries of the jurisdiction applied against the tax rate. The following figure shows the growth of the property valuation and the related property tax revenue.
Figure 15: Property Tax Value & Property Tax Revenues for City of Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual) Description FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 Value Subject to City Tax 868,918,982 990,967,092 1,048,130,045 1,105,435,408 1,170,940,384 Effective Tax Rate 0.19% 0.19% 0.19% 0.19% 0.19%
City Property Tax Collected 1,622,419 1,856,378 1,967,011 2,059,786 2,185,033 The following figure provides a graphical presentation of the relationship between the property valuations and the tax assessed against those values.
Figure 16: Taxable Value & Property Tax Revenue (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) The City of Pinole serves as the Successor Agency to the Pinole Redevelopment Agency. This agency was dissolved on February 1, 2012, pursuant to State Law ABx1-26. Under the State Law, the City receives Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund payments equal to a 19 percent share of the 1 percent property tax from the sale of properties formerly owned by the Redevelopment Agency. Large spikes in these collections result from sales of properties with higher values. The following figure provides a historical perspective of taxes collected on redevelopment property sales. The property tax collections related to the Redevelopment Properties are not included in the previous graphical presentation of City property taxes assessed. $868,918,982
$990,967,092
$1,048,130,045
$1,105,435,408
$1,170,940,384
$1,622,419
$1,856,378
$1,967,011
$2,059,786
$2,185,033
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$0
$200,000,000
$400,000,000
$600,000,000
$800,000,000
$1,000,000,000
$1,200,000,000
$1,400,000,000
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Value Subject to City Tax City Property Tax Collected
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Figure 17: Pinole Historical Collections of Property Taxes Related to Redevelopment Properties (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual)
Description FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18 Tax collected on redevelopment 105,121 105,121 105,121 104,251 104,295 Redevelopment property sales 973,697 3,138,877 1,309,520 1,289,035 2,325,870 Total Redevelopment Properties: $1,078,818 $3,243,998 $1,414,641 $1,393,286 $2,430,165 Sales tax revenue is the most significant source of tax revenue for the City of Pinole. This amount has steadily increased except for an anomaly in FY 16/17. Sales tax has risen an average of 14.5 percent annually from FY 13/14 to FY 17/18. Franchise tax, typically assessments collected for the use of a city’s right-of-way, has experienced annual growth of 3 percent over the five-year history period. Utility and occupancy taxes have increased as real estate development activities have increased. Intergovernmental receipts grew between FY 13/14 and FY 15/16 before most of those revenues were classified as charges for services in FY 16/17 and FY 17/18.
$5,164,841
$6,120,156
$7,859,195
$7,411,905
$8,162,816
$0
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
$8,000,000
$9,000,000
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Sales Tax Measure S 2006 Measure S 2014 Total Sales Tax Figure 18: Sales Tax Collections Including Measure S (2006 & 2014 Initiatives) FY 13/14–FY 17/18
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Non-Recurring Revenues
Non-recurring revenues consist of proceeds from a capital lease and the sale of surplus properties.
Additionally, Net Transfers In (Out) are included in non-recurring revenues.
The following figure shows the recurring and non-recurring revenues for the City of Pinole from FY 13/14 through FY 17/18.
Figure 19: Recurring & Non-Recurring Revenues for Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual) Revenue FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Property Taxes $1,622,419 $1,856,378 $1,967,011 $2,059,786 $2,185,033 Redevelopment PTTF 105,121 105,121 105,121 104,251 104,295 Sales Tax 5,164,841 6,120,156 7,859,195 7,411,905 8,162,816 Franchise Tax 667,030 656,564 687,737 717,013 747,625
Utility Tax 1,880,224 1,843,618 1,876,318 2,066,623 1,926,796 Other Tax Receipts 574,582 708,456 763,252 812,417 880,271 Intergovernmental 1,462,286 1,799,252 1,925,491 1,647,297 1,732,370 Investment Earnings 811 773 8,251 3,568 62,567
Charges For Service 407,651 373,161 395,363 84,107 1,085,883 Permits 36,572 47,115 94,698 61,096 98,312
Grants — — — 83,902 79,426
Rents & Ground Leases 91,228 93,550 159,275 81,510 97,027 Reimbursements — 510 — 4,171 113,071
Abatement Fees — — — 4,242 720
Fines, Forfeitures, Penalties 54,273 55,734 38,161 38,876 41,279 Recurring Revenues: $12,067,038 $13,660,388 $15,879,873 $15,180,764 $17,317,491 Capital Lease 458,000 — — — —
Other Receipts 33,184 75,836 165,694 17,355 148,062
Redevelopment Property sale 973,697 3,138,877 1,309,520 1,289,035 2,325,870 Sale of Property — — — 16,099 10,017,210
Net Transfers In (Out) 116,757 235,698 (396,602) (30,000) (34,095) Non-Recurring: $1,581,638 $3,450,411 $1,078,612 $1,292,489 $12,457,047 Total Revenues: $13,648,676 $17,110,799 $16,958,485 $16,473,253 $29,774,538 General Fund expenditures are classified as recurring and non-recurring with similar definitions to those of revenues. The General Fund includes funds for public safety, general administration, public services, recreation, and community development. In most instances, debt service is classified with non-recurring expenditures; however, the City of Pinole has long-term liabilities that extend for several years and will be included with the recurring expenditures.
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Included in the General Fund debt service amounts is the annual payment necessary for the retirement of the $6,214,630 of bonds that were issued in 2006 to finance the City’s unfunded accrued actuarial liability with CalPERS. These bonds require an annual payment plus interest for thirty years until the debt is extinguished in 2036.
Public Safety expenditures comprise between 65 percent and 70 percent of recurring expenditures and have grown annually. The significant portion of this growth is a result of increased costs associated with the Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). Due primarily to a change in the expected investment returns by the plan, the City has incurred additional unfunded accrued actuarial liability with CalPERS that require amortization. These amounts are expected to increase over the next several years before the annual payment amounts decrease. This issue will be discussed further in the projections section of this report.
Capital expenditures paid from the Measure S (2014) are intermingled within the individual department expenditures.
Figure 20: Pinole Actual General Fund & Measure S Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)
Expenditures
Actual June 30,
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
General Administration 2,218,379 2,179,503 2,764,265 3,452,526 3,708,784 Public Safety 8,899,703 8,515,958 8,896,628 9,718,068 10,300,507 Public Services 609,150 677,310 1,274,402 789,966 947,950 Recreation 47 — 2,964 12,783 8,458
Community Development (2,964) — 4,785 7,959 8,206
Cable Access TV — — 30,616 — —
Debt Service 590,884 543,605 554,467 581,443 572,923
Recurring Expenditures $12,315,199 $11,916,376 $13,528,127 $14,562,745 $15,546,828 Capital Outlay — — — — —
Non-Recurring Expenditures — — — — —
Total Expenditures: $12,315,199 $11,916,376 $13,528,127 $14,562,745 $15,546,828 The City established a General Fund reserve in FY 14/15 with a beginning balance of $3 million. The Council’s goal is to provide a reserve balance equal to six months of General Fund operating expenses or approximately $5.5 million.
The fund balance of the General Fund has improved significantly over the past five years, and the City has achieved its target reserve balance.
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Figure 21: Analysis of Fund Balance of the General Fund (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) Description
Actual June 30,
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Total Revenues 13,648,676 17,110,799 16,958,485 16,473,253 29,774,538 Total Expenditures 12,315,199 11,916,376 13,528,127 14,562,745 15,546,828 Increase (Decrease) in Fund Balance 1,333,477 5,194,423 3,430,358 1,910,508 14,227,710 Beginning Fund Balance (1,358,853) (25,376) 5,169,047 8,599,405 11,135,715 Prior Year Adjustment — — — 625,802 —
Ending Fund Balance: $(25,376) $5,169,047 $8,599,405 $11,135,715 $25,363,425 The large increase in the Fund Balance in FY 17/18 results from the repayment of a loan due to the City in an amount slightly greater than $10 million. All of these funds were transferred from the General Fund to an IRS Section 115 Pension Trust in FY 18/19. An adjustment has been made to the prior year Fund Balance in FY 16/17 to compensate for differences in balances between the annual reports.
City of Pinole Fire Department
The department is presently staffed by 14 career employees and a Management Analyst. PFD serves a community approximately 12 square miles in area with a population within the city limits of approximately 19,364 residents. Services, including fire protection, emergency medical services, fire investigation, fire prevention, life safety education, community risk reduction, disaster/emergency operations planning, and hazardous materials response are presently provided from a single fire station utilizing a single engine staffed with a minimum of three personnel. A Battalion Chief responds on incidents requiring a senior level command presence.
The PFD is a department of the City of Pinole and has no funding source other than that supplied by the City through the revenues generated by its General Fund and other measures enacted to generate revenue at the City level. Two general sales tax measures have been enacted since 2006, which have been allocated by budget appropriation, in whole or in part, to the Public Safety departments of the City.
The Pinole Fire Department participates in an Automatic Aid Agreement with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District. This agreement provides the framework under which the three agencies will jointly provide fire and emergency medical services through the integration of operations.
In some of the years prior to those evaluated for this project, the PFD operated from two stations. The economic downturn in 2008/2009 reduced the City’s revenue to the level that the second station (Station 74) was initially closed during certain operational periods through a brownout program, but as finances continued to worsen, it was ultimately closed. This closure has resulted in an increase in response times to a portion of the City.
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The budget and accounting practices employed by the City of Pinole do not allocate General Fund overhead expenses to the various departments. This makes comparisons with other agencies, such as fire districts difficult. While it may be possible to estimate the executive management costs of the City that would be attributable to the fire department, a portion of those costs may not be applicable to a fire district.
The budget of the Pinole Fire Department has expanded and contracted during the previous five years.
However, the overall budget has remained within $250,000 between FY 13/14 and FY 17/18 except for an anomaly in Services in FY 16/17 for an allocation of administrative costs.
Figure 22: PFD Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) Description
Actuals for the Year Ending June 30,
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Salaries (includes overtime) $1,650,376 $1,645,448 $1,686,694 $1,575,190 $1,832,417 Benefits 605,918 660,257 817,636 597,058 604,578
Total Salaries and Benefits 2,256,294 2,305,705 2,504,330 2,172,248 2,436,995 Services 541,751 517,087 451,514 1,531,829 681,611
Supplies 142,128 144,244 138,641 152,413 153,338
Total Recurring Costs 2,940,173 2,967,036 3,094,485 3,856,490 3,271,944 Debt Service 70,433 70,433 70,497 70,433 70,433
Capital Acquisitions 465,919 51,514 9,208 7,197 —
Total Non-Recurring Expenditures 536,352 121,947 79,705 77,630 70,433 Total Expenditures: $3,476,525 $3,088,983 $3,174,190 $3,934,120 $3,342,377 Of these total expenditures, a portion has been funded through the Measure S (2006) and the Measure S (2014) initiatives.
Figure 23: Other Sources of Funding for the Pinole Fire Department (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) Source
Actuals for the Year Ending June 30,
FY 13/14 FY 14/15 FY 15/16 FY 16/17 FY 17/18
Total Expenditures $3,476,525 $3,088,983 $3,174,190 $3,934,120 $3,342,377 Measure S (2006) 1,150,524 777,004 555,295 655,666 714,030 Measure S (2014) — — 18,683 11,589 199,863
Total Other Sources 1,150,524 777,004 573,978 667,255 913,893 Balance to fund from General Fund $2,326,001 $2,311,979 $2,600,212 $3,266,865 $2,428,484 390 of 801 544 of 955
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Financial Projections
The Amended City of Pinole General Fund Budget for FY 18/19 projects a negative cash flow of approximately $950,000 before considering Transfers In and Transfers Out activity. This is due to a $1 million allocation from the General Fund balance for the purchase of a new fire engine. Approximately $16,000,000 of the amounts included in the Transfer Out category was utilized to create an Irrevocable Pension Trust to assist the City with funding the CalPERS future retirement expenses of the City’s employees. Property tax revenues in FY 18/19 are projected to be approximately $825,000 less than the amounts received in FY 17/18, decreasing from $4,615,000 to $3,787,000.
12 Sales tax revenues from the General Fund, Measure S (2006), and Measure S (2014) are also projected to be approximately $12,000 less than the previous year. Charges for services are projected to be approximately $153,000 more in FY 18/19 than the amounts received in FY 17/18.
Revenues are identified as recurring or non-recurring with recurring revenues consisting of those receipts that can be expected to continue annually and that have a reasonably expected amount. Non-recurring receipts are items that may occur sporadically or are difficult to project an amount.
The following figure uses the projected FY 19/20 as a base year on which to create the five-year projections.
Property values, as well as property and sales tax revenues, are projected to increase at a 2 percent annual rate. The Utility Users Tax and Franchise Tax increases are forecast to increase at a 1 percent annual rate.
Other tax revenues and other revenue sources are both forecast to increase at an annual rate of 2 percent.
Beginning in FY 20/21, a significant portion of the annual pension cost increases will be offset by the withdrawals from the Pension Trust with those funds included in the Transfer In category in Recurring Revenues. Non-recurring revenues include miscellaneous proceeds and proceeds from the sale of surplus assets. The following figure uses the updated five-year projection information provided by City staff on approximately December 15, 2019.
12 FY 2019/20 Proposed Budget for the City of Pinole, Pg. B-1. 391 of 801 545 of 955
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Figure 24: Pinole Recurring vs. Non-recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Revenues (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24)
Revenue
Amended
Budget
FY 18/19
Proposed
Budget
FY 19/20
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Property Taxes 3,787,392 4,033,892 4,114,570 4,196,861 4,280,798 4,366,414 Sales Tax 8,150,900 7,550,886 7,701,904 7,855,943 8,013,062 8,173,323 Franchise Tax 744,128 744,000 751,440 758,954 766,544 774,209 Utility Tax 1,930,000 1,898,000 1,916,980 1,936,150 1,955,511 1,975,066 Other Tax Receipts 884,200 858,900 876,078 893,600 911,472 929,701 Dispatch Agreement 1,736,706 1,197,373 1,356,944 1,422,209 1,488,414 1,550,163 Investment Earnings 233,300 250,000 255,000 260,100 265,302 270,608 Other Revenues 1,711,591 2,220,360 2,263,767 2,308,040 2,353,203 2,399,267 Transfers In 6,290,688 900,938 1,463,373 1,863,850 2,256,174 2,524,759 Recurring Revenue: 25,468,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,707 22,290,480 22,963,511 Capital Lease — — — — — —
Other Receipts 14,000 — — — — —
Property Sales 11,000 — — — — —
Non-Recurring: 25,000 — — — — —
Total Revenues: 25,493,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,707 22,290,480 22,963,511 Expenses are classified in a manner much like revenues, recurring or non-recurring. Salaries, benefits, and typical operating expenses are identified as recurring in nature. In the instance of Pinole, annual debt service payments are expected for a significant number of years in the future and are also included as recurring expenditures. Capital outlays are projected annually from the Measure S (2014) initiative and are classified as non-recurring expenditures. Transfers to other funds are also classified as non-recurring expenditures.
The projection methodology incorporates expenditure type rather than function type in order to use generalized growth factors. Salary expense across the City is projected to increase at a 3 percent annual rate through the FY 23/24 fiscal year. Benefit increases primarily result from the increase in pension costs to compensate for the reduced returns experienced by CalPERS, the state pension system. Other operating expenses are projected to increase at a 2.8 percent annual rate, beginning with the FY 20/21 period. Debt service is projected based on repayment terms for each liability.
Non-recurring expenditures include scheduled transfers from the General Fund and other funds included in the General Fund to other funds such as internal service funds or equipment reserves.
The following figure uses updated five-year projected amounts provided by City staff as of December 15, 2019.
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Figure 25: City of Pinole Projected Recurring vs. Non-Recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Expenditures (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24) Expenses
Amended
Budget
Projected
Budget Projected
FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Salaries 8,585,194 9,138,860 9,413,026 9,695,417 9,986,280 10,285,867 Pension Costs 1,794,443 2,695,381 3,257,816 3,658,293 4,050,617 4,319,202 Other Benefits 2,944,512 3,092,049 3,215,730 3,344,360 3,478,135 3,617,259 Other Operating Expenses 4,324,315 4,009,429 2,542,572 2,642,914 2,681,578 2,770,630 Debt Service 590,433 605,433 555,000 575,000 595,000 610,000 Recurring Expenditures 18,238,897 19,541,152 18,984,144 19,915,984 20,791,610 21,602,958 Capital Outlay 929,814 1,627,799 517,000 315,000 150,000 150,000 Transfers Out 22,094,954 1,328,948 1,249,000 1,250,500 1,251,000 1,251,500 Non-Recurring Expenditures 23,024,768 2,956,747 1,766,000 1,565,500 1,401,000 1,401,500 Total Expenditures: 41,263,665 22,497,899 20,750,144 21,481,484 22,192,610 23,004,458 Maintaining an adequate reserve or fund balance is good business practice for private businesses but is especially critical for municipalities as new revenue streams are typically enacted through a legislative process. Comparing the projected revenues and expenditures of the City of Pinole provides insight into the future financial health of the City. The significant anomaly occurring in FY 18/19 is a result of the one-time $16 million transfer to the IRS 115 Pension Trust. City Council had initiated a plan to accumulate a $5.5 million emergency reserve and had been able to accomplish this goal in FY 18/19. The goal has been projected to be achieved in each of the following fiscal years through FY 23/24 and beyond.
The following figure uses updated five-year projected amounts provided by City staff as of December 15, 2019.
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Figure 26: Projected General Fund Balance for Pinole (Amended FY 18/19 Budget–FY 23/24) Revenues &
Expenditures
Amended
Budget
Adopted
Budget Projected
FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Revenues 25,493,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,708 22,290,479 22,963,511 Expenditures 41,263,665 22,497,899 20,750,144 21,481,484 22,192,610 23,004,458 Net Cash Flow (Deficit) (15,769,760) (2,843,550) (50,088) 14,224 97,869 (40,947) Beginning Fund Balance 25,363,425 9,593,665 6,750,115 6,700,027 6,714,251 6,812,120 Ending Fund Balance 9,593,665 6,750,115 6,700,027 6,714,251 6,812,120 6,771,173 The Pinole Fire Department is a City department, and there is no direct connection between the City’s various revenue streams and the fire department’s services. Two separate Measure S initiatives have provided sales tax revenues that have been allocated to address various needs of the City, including public safety operations and capital expenditures.
The Pinole Fire Department’s FY 18/19 Budget is $5,188,930, including $1,280,560 for capital acquisitions.
This is an increase of $1,846,533 over actual expenditures in FY 17/18. Benefit costs increased approximately $290,000 over FY 17/18 actual costs and are primarily related to the increase in required pension costs. The budget is divided between General Fund expenditures and Measure S (2006) and Measure S (2014) funded expenditures.
The City of Pinole staff developed the adopted fire department FY 19/20 budget with the goal of providing quality services within the City’s available resources. This budget forms the basis for the remaining projections.
Like the City’s growth factors for expenses, salaries are anticipated to increase 3 percent annually. The increase in employee benefits is driven by the significant increases in the required CalPERS plus a 5 percent increase in other benefits. Service and supplies costs are projected to increase at 2.8 percent annually.
Measure S (2006) and Measure S (2014) initiatives are projected to grow at an annual rate of 1 percent during the next five years and will continue to provide funding for a portion of fire department salaries, benefits, operating expenses, and capital acquisitions. The following figure demonstrates what is considered as a status quo option, which shows the projected costs if the City took no action other than to leave the service delivery system as is.
The following figure uses projected amounts provided by City staff as of December 15, 2019. 394 of 801 548 of 955
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Figure 27: PFD Projected Status Quo Expenditures & Funding Sources (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24)
Description
Amended Adopted Projected
FY 18/19 FY 19/20 FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Salaries 1,900,133 2,104,678 2,167,818 2,232,853 2,299,838 2,368,834 Benefits 894,321 1,284,608 2,113,226 2,577,021 3,087,252 3,649,922 Total Salaries & Benefits 2,794,454 3,389,286 4,281,044 4,809,873 5,387,090 6,018,755 Services 917,898 808,274 830,906 854,171 878,088 902,674 Supplies 125,585 156,300 160,676 165,175 169,800 174,555 Total Recurring Costs 3,837,937 4,353,860 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 Debt Service 70,433 70,433 - - - -
Capital Acquisitions 280,560 1,064,000 - - - -
Total Non-Recurring Expenditures 350,993 1,134,433 - - - - Total Expenditures 4,188,930 5,488,293 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 Measure S (2006) 951,046 786,830 794,698 802,645 810,672 818,778 Measure S (2014) 314,663 306,128 309,189 312,281 315,404 318,558 Total Other Sources 1,265,709 1,092,958 1,103,888 1,114,926 1,126,076 1,137,336 Balance To Fund From General Fund 2,923,221 4,395,335 4,168,739 4,714,293 5,308,903 5,958,648 395 of 801 549 of 955
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Capital Assets & Improvements
Three basic resources are required to successfully carry out the mission of a fire department―trained personnel, firefighting equipment, and fire stations. No matter how competent or numerous the firefighters, if appropriate capital equipment is not available for use by responders, it is impossible for a fire department to deliver services effectively. The capital assets that are most essential to the provision of emergency response are facilities and apparatus (response vehicles).
Fixed Facilities
Fire stations play an integral role in the delivery of emergency services for several reasons. A station’s location will dictate, to a large degree, response times to emergencies. A poorly located station can mean the difference between confining a fire to a single room and losing the structure. Fire stations also need to be designed to adequately house equipment and apparatus, as well as meet the needs of the organization and its firefighters.
Consideration should be given to a fire station’s ability to support the jurisdiction’s mission as it exists today and into the future. The activities that take place within the fire station should be carefully examined to ensure the structure is adequate in both size and function.
ESCI Associates conducted walk-through inspections of the two Pinole Fire Stations. ESCI utilized a standard check-off list for each facility inspection.
Special attention was made to the building’s location, future use viability in terms of serving the community, and the capability of accommodating an increase in staffing levels and emergency response apparatuses in the future.
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Figure 28: Fire Station Condition Definitions
EXCELLENT
Like new condition. No visible structural defects. The facility is clean and well maintained. 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.
GOOD
The exterior has a good appearance with minor or no defects. Clean lines, good workflow design, and only minor wear of the building interior. Roof and apparatus apron are in good working order, absent any significant full-thickness cracks or crumbling of apron surface or visible roof patches or leaks. Building design and construction match the building’s purposes.
FAIR
The building appears to be structurally sound with 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.
Showing increasing age-related maintenance, but with no critical defects.
POOR
The building appears to be cosmetically weathered and worn with potentially structural defects, although not imminently dangerous or unsafe. Large, multiple full-thickness cracks and crumbling of concrete on apron may exist. The roof has evidence of leaking and/or multiple repairs. The interior is poorly maintained or showing signs of advanced deterioration with moderate to significant non-structural defects. Problematic agerelated maintenance and/or major defects are evident. May not be well suited to its intended purpose.
The following figures depict the results of ESCI’s inspections of the City of Pinole’s fire stations. 397 of 801 551 of 955
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Figure 29: Pinole Fire Department Station 73 & Administrative Headquarters Station Name/Number: 73
Address/Physical Location: 880 Tennent Ave., Pinole, CA 94564 General Description:
This two-story station houses the on-duty crew, Fire Chief, and Management Analyst.
Structure
Construction Type Type 3 Ordinary
Date of Construction 1985
Seismic Protection Unknown
Auxiliary Power Diesel Generator with 1,000 Gallons
General Condition Fair
Number of Apparatus Bays 3 Drive-through bays 3 Back-in bays Considerations (ADA, etc.) No
Square Footage Two-story, approximately 3,500 square feet Facilities Available
Separate Rooms/Dormitory 2 Bedrooms 3 Beds 12 Beds in dormitory Maximum Station Staffing Capability 6 (the Captains’ room has 3 murphy beds) Exercise/Workout Facilities Yes
Kitchen Facilities Yes
Individual Lockers/Storage Assigned Yes
Shower Facilities Yes
Training/Meeting Rooms Yes
Washer/Dryer Yes
Safety & Security
Sprinklers Yes
Smoke Detection Yes
Decontamination/Biohazard Disposal Yes
Security Yes
Apparatus Exhaust System Yes
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Figure 30: Pinole Fire Department Station 74
Station Name/Number: 74 (open only to a BC)
Address 3700 Pinole Valley Rd., Pinole, CA 94564
General Description:
This single-story station has been closed since 2011.
Structure
Construction Type Type 3 Ordinary
Date of Construction 2003
Seismic Protection None
Auxiliary Power Yes
General Condition Good
Number of Apparatus Bays 2 Drive-through bays 0 Back-in bays Special Considerations (ADA, etc.) Yes
Square Footage 2,500
Facilities Available
Separate Rooms/Dormitory/Other 3 Bedrooms 3 Beds each Beds in dormitory Station Staffing Capability 3
Exercise/Workout Facilities No
Kitchen Facilities Yes
Individual Lockers/Storage Assigned Yes
Shower Facilities Yes
Training/Meeting Rooms No, front office only
Washer/Dryer Yes
Safety & Security
Sprinklers Yes
Smoke Detection Yes
Decontamination/Biohazard Disposal No
Security Yes
Apparatus Exhaust System Yes
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Facilities Summary
The two facilities range in age from 16 to 34 years old.
Fire Station 73
The exterior is in good shape. Office space is upstairs adjacent to the central living area/kitchen. The upstairs living/dorm space is non-partitioned and cramped with furniture/gym equipment. Very little workstation or training space is available for personnel. Interior modifications would be useful. An SCBA filling station/storage and bunker room are adjacent to the apparatus bay, separated by a single door, which, if open, exposes both rooms to diesel exhaust. Station 73’s office was recently remodeled; however, the crew quarters need remodeling and updating, which may include ADA accommodation. Remodeling should take into account the obligation to provide additional office, workspace, gender segregation of crews, and a shift Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 74
The exterior and grounds are well kept. The interior is in good shape with some carpet wear and tear. The FY 19/20 budget includes $20,000 for these repairs. Individual dorm rooms and bathrooms allow for gender separation. There is some workstation/training space but little room for expansion. The apparatus bays are in good working order with a bunker room directly adjacent. While small, the station is adequate to house a three-person Engine Company and crossed-staffed Type III wildland engine.
Apparatus/Vehicles
Other than firefighters assigned to stations, response vehicles are undoubtedly the next most important resource of the emergency response system. The delivery of emergency services will be compromised if emergency personnel cannot arrive quickly due to unreliable transportation or if the equipment does not function properly.
Fire apparatus are unique and expensive pieces of equipment, customized to operate efficiently for a narrowly defined mission. An engine may be built in such a way that the compartments fit specific equipment and tools. Virtually every space on a fire vehicle is designed for function. This same vehicle, with its specialized design, does not lend itself well to operate in a completely different capacity, such as a hazardous materials unit or a rescue squad. For this reason, fire apparatus offers little flexibility in use or reassigned purpose. As a result, communities across the country have sought to achieve the longest life span possible for these vehicles. Unfortunately, no piece of mechanical equipment can be expected to last forever. As vehicles age, repairs tend to become more frequent and more complex. 400 of 801 554 of 955
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Parts may become more difficult to obtain, and downtime for repairs increases. Given the emergency mission that is so critical to the community, downtime is one of the most frequently identified reasons for apparatus replacement. Because of the expense of fire apparatus, most communities develop replacement plans. To enable such planning, communities 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; yet, apply a different method (such as a maintenance and performance review) for determining the actual replacement date, thereby achieving greater cost-effectiveness when possible.
Fire administrators should be concerned about the aging of the fleet and have a funded replacement schedule. As frontline apparatus age, fleet costs will naturally be higher, and more downtime will be associated with necessary repairs and routine maintenance.
It is beyond the scope of work and the expertise of ESCI to provide a mechanical assessment of the apparatus.
For a mechanical evaluation of the apparatus, ESCI recommends seeking the services of a certified Emergency Vehicle Technician.
The following figure displays the City of Pinole’s Apparatus/Vehicle Inventory as submitted by PFD staff.
Figure 31: PFD Station 73 Apparatus & Vehicle Inventory Apparatus Type Year Make/Model Condition Seating
Capacity
Pump
Capacity
Tank
Capacity
Battalion 7, 7301 SUV 2008 Ford/Expedition Fair 5 N/A N/A Engine E73 Type 1 2015 Spartan Good 5 1500 500
Reserve E73A Type 1 2005 HME/Rosenbauer Fair/Poor 5 1500 1200 Wildland E273 Type 3 2008 Rosenbauer Good/fair 4 1000 500 Wildland E673 Type 6 2001 Ford F550 Fair/Poor 2 160 200 Fire Chief 7300 SUV 2015 Ford/Intercept Good 5 N/A N/A
Utility 73 Pickup 2007 Ford F250 Fair 4 N/A N/A
New Battalion 7 SUV 2019 Ford Expedition New 5 N/A N/A
Apparatus Summary
Generally, fire agencies utilize a guideline as follows to establish capital equipment replacement programs:
• Engines: 10 years frontline and 5 years in reserve.
• Wildland Engines: 15 years frontline 5 years in reserve. • Truck Companies: 15 years frontline and 5 to 10 years in reserve. • Ambulance: 5 years frontline and 5 years in reserve.
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The level of activity, topography, and other factors may influence these guidelines. • PFD apparatus specifications have not been standardized with the Battalion 7 apparatus. • The age of PFD’s frontline engine is 4 years. It is scheduled to become the reserve engine when the engine currently on order arrives in FY 19/20.
• Reserve Engine 73A is 14 years old and will be replaced by current E73 when the engine on order arrives.
• Wildland Engine 273 is 11 years old, and 673 is 18 years old and should be scheduled for replacement.
Capital Replacement Planning
Long-range capital replacement planning is always a challenge for any municipality. Pinole has done a commendable job of purchasing and maintaining its fleet of fire apparatus using General Fund Reserves. This practice—while not uncommon—has resulted in a significant number of replacements being deferred. Fire vehicles have a readily predictable service life and an easily forecast future replacement cost, which should be preplanned. If future needs are identified and funding is set aside to accommodate the need, the agency will not be dependent on reserves in the future to meet its long-term financial demands. ESCI recommends to clients that, as soon as a new piece of fire apparatus is purchased, funding should start to be set aside for its replacement.
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Critical Tasking
Critical tasks are those activities that must be conducted promptly by firefighters at emergency incidents to control the situation, stop loss, and to perform necessary tasks required for a medical emergency. The Pinole Fire Department is responsible for assuring that responding PFD personnel are capable of performing all of the described tasks in a prompt, efficient, and safe manner.
Fires: Critical tasking for fire operations is the minimum number of personnel to perform the tasks required to control a fire in the listed risk category effectively. Major fires (beyond first alarm) will require additional personnel and apparatus.
Emergency Medical: Critical tasking for emergency medical incidents is the minimum number of personnel to perform the tasks required and support the identified strategy based on the department’s adopted medical protocol.
The following figure details PFD’s available response staffing by type of incident Figure 32: Critical Tasking
Low Rise Structure Fire
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Search and Rescue 0
Ventilation 0
RIC 0
Other (Hydrant, backup line) 0
Total 4
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High Rise Structure Fire (75+ feet in height)
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Search and Rescue 0
Ventilation 0
RIC 0
Other (Hydrant, backup line) 0
Total 4
Moderate Risk Commercial Structure Fire
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Search and Rescue 0
Ventilation 0
RIC 0
Other (Hydrant, backup line) 0
Total 4
High Risk Commercial Structure Fire
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Search and Rescue 0
Ventilation 0
RIC 0
Other (Hydrant, backup line) 0
Total 4
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Wildland Fire—Low Risk
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Attack Line
Pump Operations
2 1
Total 4
Wildland Fire—High Risk
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Pump Operations/Lookout 1
Attack Line 2
Structure Protection 0
Water Supply 0
Total 4
Aircraft Emergency
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Aircraft Fire Suppression 0
Pump Operations 1
Attack Line 2
Back-up Line 0
Rescue 0
Emergency Medical Care 0
Water Supply 0
Total 4
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Hazardous Materials—Low Risk
Task Number of
Personnel
Command 1 (B-Shift)
Liaison 0
Decontamination 0
Research/Support 3
Entry team, and Backup Team 0
Total 4
Hazardous Materials—High Risk
Task Number of
Personnel
Command 1 (B-Shift)
Liaison 0
Decontamination 0
Research Support 3
Team Leader, Safety, Entry Team, and Backup Team 0
Total 4
Emergency Medical Aid (Life-threatening)
Task Number of
Personnel
Patient Management 1
Patient Care 1
Documentation 1
Total 3
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Major Medical Response (10+ Patients)
Task Number of
Personnel
Incident Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Triage 1
Treatment Manager 0
Patient Care 2
Transportation Manager 0
Total 4
Motor Vehicle Accident (Non-Trapped)
Task Number of
Personnel
Scene Management/Documentation 1
Patient Care/Extrication 2
Total 3
Motor Vehicle Accident (Trapped)
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Scene Management 0
Patient Care 1
Extrication 2
Pump Operator/Suppression Line 0
Extrication/Vehicle Stabilization 0
Total 4
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Technical Rescue—Water
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Rescue Team 0
Backup Team 0
Patient Care 3
Rope Tender 0
Upstream Spotter 0
Downstream Safety 0
Total 4
Technical Rescue—Rope
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Rescue Team 2
Backup/Support Team 0
Patient Care 0
Rigger 1
Attendant 0
Ground Support 0
Edge Person 0
Total 4
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Technical Rescue—Confined Space
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Rescue Team 0
Backup/Support Team 0
Patient Care 2
Attendant 0
Rigger 1
Ground Support 0
Total 4
Technical Rescue—Trench
Task Number of
Personnel
Command/Safety 1 (B-Shift)
Rescue Team 0
Backup/Support Team 2
Patient Care 1
Shoring 0
Total 4
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Alarm Assignments
To ensure adequate personnel and apparatus are dispatched to an emergency event,the following first alarm response assignments have been established. “Total PFD Staffing available” is the number identified in the Critical Tasking analysis above. The number of personnel and apparatus required to mitigate an active and complex working incident will require additional resources above and beyond the numbers listed as available.
The “Alarm Assignments” are what has been identified as the number of resources and personnel necessary to address the challenges of each identified event.
Figure 33: Alarm Assignments
Low Rise Structure Fire
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 4 12
Truck 1 4
Air Supply 1 3
Battalion Chief 2 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 21
High Rise Structure Fire (75+ feet)
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 8 24
Truck 3 12
Air Supply 1 3
Battalion Chief 3 3
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 42
Moderate Risk Commercial Structure Fire
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 6 18
Truck 2 8
Air Supply 1 3
Battalion Chief 3 3
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 32
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High Risk Commercial Structure Fire
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 8 24
Truck 3 12
Air Supply 1 3
Battalion Chief 3 3
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 42
Wildland Fire—Low Risk
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine
Brush Engine
1 1
3 3
Battalion Chief 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 7
Wildland Fire—High Risk
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Brush Engine 3 9
Battalion Chief 2 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 14
Aircraft Emergency
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 3 9
Truck 1 4
ARRF 1 4
Rescue 2 6
Paramedic Ambulance 2 4
Battalion Chief 2 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 29
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Hazardous Materials—High Risk
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 3 9
Truck 1 4
Rescue 1 3
Battalion Chief 2 2
Hazardous Materials Unit 2 6
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 24
Hazardous Materials—Low Risk
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 2 6
Truck 1 4
Battalion Chief 1 1
Hazardous Materials Unit 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 12
Emergency Medical Service (Life-threatening)
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Paramedic Ambulance13 1 2
Total Staffing Provided 3
Total Staffing Needed 5
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Major Medical Response (10+ Patients)
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 2 6
Truck
Rescue
1 1
4 3
Paramedic Ambulance
Battalion Chief
5 2
10 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 25
Motor Vehicle Accident (Non-Trapped)
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine or Truck 2 6
Total Staffing Provided 3
Total Staffing Needed 6
Motor Vehicle Accident (Trapped)
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Truck 1 4
Paramedic Ambulance 1 2
Rescue 1 3
Battalion Chief 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 13
Technical Rescue—Water
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 2 6
Water Rescue Unit 1 4
Tech Rescue Unit 1 3
Rescue 1 3
Battalion Chief 2 2
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 18
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Technical Rescue—Rope
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Truck 1 4
Rescue 1 3
Tech Rescue Unit 1 3
Battalion Chief 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 14
Technical Rescue—Confined Space
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Truck 1 4
Rescue 1 3
Tech Rescue Unit 1 3
Battalion Chief 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 14
Technical Rescue—Trench
Unit Type Number of Units Total Personnel
Engine 1 3
Truck 1 4
Rescue 1 3
Tech Rescue Unit 1 3
Battalion Chief 1 1
Total Staffing Provided 4
Total Staffing Needed 14
Absent automatic and mutual aid from surrounding agencies, standalone, PFD is not capable of filling the alarm assignments noted above. In the event PFD Station 74 is reopened, the department will be able to initiate an initial attack and comply with the OSHA two-in/two-out rule. 414 of 801 568 of 955
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Staff Scheduling Methodology
PFD utilizes a traditional three platoon system operating on a 48-hour shift rotation to achieve this minimum staffing of three FTEs per day as required. The total number of positions required per jurisdiction becomes a policy decision based on the jurisdiction’s needs. The jurisdiction also then establishes the number of employees needed above the minimum to allow for vacancies due to vacation, sick, and other types of leave, yielding an overall number of full-time employees required to ensure that necessary staffing, according to policy, is available daily. This staffing methodology is prevalent across the Western United States for firefighters to work a 24- or 48-hour shift cycle. Studies have been undertaken and remain ongoing in an attempt to better understand the impact of this work cycle on the physiological process.14 The science indicates that sleep is important and that going without sleep for too long or interrupting the sleep rhythm leads to physical and cognitive problems. That said, no easy answer to the problem exists. Intuitively, the problems would be exacerbated in a busy station and lessened in a less busy station.
All personnel are trained as firefighters, with most trained at a minimum of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level. Six have been trained to the Paramedic level. The department provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) services utilizing its one Engine Company. Ambulance response and patient transport are currently assigned to CCFPD.
14 Is the firefighter 48/96 shift a health hazard? Sara Jahnke, FireRescue1, https://www.firerescue1/fire-rehab/articles/223601018-Isthe-firefighter-48-96-shift-a-health-hazard/. 415 of 801 569 of 955
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SERVICE DEMAND & INCIDENT STAFFING PERFORMANCE
Service delivery is the foundation of any service-oriented organization. Without an understanding of how services are organized, deployed, and managed, one cannot quantify efficiency and effectiveness. This section of the report will analyze multiple facets of the current delivery of fire services for the City of Pinole, including the identification of incidents by type and frequency, deployment analysis, system reliability, and a summary of performance. By understanding current performance and how the system functions, goals and objectives for future performance improvements can be established and implemented.
Service-Demand Study
Incidents by Type & Frequency
When and how demands for services occur can follow predictable patterns over time. To identify those patterns occurring in Pinole, ESCI conducted an analysis and geographic display of current service demand by incident type and temporal variation using dispatch data obtained from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. Incident types were selected based on the classification system established by the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS); temporal variation, or the way service demand changes over time, was analyzed by the month, by the day, and by the hour.
The following figure provides a historical view of service types and frequency of incidents over the past nine years (2009–2017) only within the City of Pinole and Contract 2/Upper Pinole Valley Road, as the Contract/Tara Hills Area incident data were not provided. This figure shows the incidents in which Station 73 and BC7 responded. Incidents that did not indicate that they were a fire or an EMS incident, such as HazMat or Good Intent, were placed in the “Other” category.
Figure 34: PFD Service Demand by Year and Type, 2009–2017, City of Pinole & Contract 2 416 of 801 570 of 955
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Over the nine years, the total number of incidents increased from 976 in 2009 to 1,805 in 2017, an average increase of 8 percent per year, with noticeable increases in 2010 and 2013 (22% and 17%, respectively).
Without those outliers, the average increase per year is 4%.
Additional incident data for the calendar year 2018 was received from CCRFCC that did include incident data for the Contract/Tara Hills area, resulting in a separate detailed analysis. The calendar year 2018 data showed 2,020 incidents, including 399 in Contract/Tara Hills. The incidents by type for the calendar year 2018 are shown in the following figure.
Figure 35: Service Demand by Type, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas, 2018 As illustrated in Figure 35, EMS represents the greatest impact on service demand at 78.42 percent, followed by accident calls, which accounted for 6.58 percent of incidents. Accident data includes motorcycle, vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian incidents.
The following figure displays a comparison of the total number of incidents (2,020) in 2018 within the City of Pinole and the two contract areas, as compared to other similar-sized urban fire departments around the country.
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Figure 36: Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas Dept. Size Number of
Incidents/1,000
Rural Low Range 56
Regional Median 93
Pinole FD 104
Urban Low Range 111
Rural High Range 117
Urban High Range 179
At 104 calls per 1,000 population, PFD has a higher than the regional median number of calls per 1,000 population but slightly lower than the urban low range. 418 of 801 572 of 955
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The following figure displays a comparison of the total number of fire incidents in Pinole as compared to other similar-sized urban fire departments around the country. This figure uses incidents within the City of Pinole and the two contract areas (65 fires in 2018).
Figure 37: Fire Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas Dept. Size Fires/1,000
Pinole FD 3.5
Regional Median 2.5
Rural High Range 17.2
Rural Low Range 4
Urban High Range 4.7
Urban Low Range 2.9
PFD’s 3.4 fires per 1,000 population are just above the regional median of 2.5 fires per 1,000 population. It is comparable to most other Urban Low Range and Rural Low Range fire departments.
The next figure is fire loss per capita compared with other national and regional departments. In 2018, at $22.90 per capita, PFD’s fire loss was much lower compared to the national average and very comparable to the regional average.
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Figure 38: Fire Loss per Capita, 2018
Figure 39: Comparison Chart, Fire Loss per Capita
Depts.
Fire Loss per Capita
(in dollars)
Regional Average $24.70
National Average $36.10
Pinole $22.90
Temporal Analysis
In addition to understanding the types and frequency of service demand, an understanding of when these events occur is critical to the understanding of when system demand will most likely reach its peak. Knowing the high demand periods will assist administrators in determining whether staffing levels are adequate for the demand and also in scheduling additional duties such as training, fire safety inspections, and vehicle maintenance.
The following figure shows the temporal variation of PFD’s service area demand by month during 2018. There is only minor variation in workload by month. The winter months of January and December are the busiest months with August following closely.
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Figure 40: Service Demand by Month, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The next figure illustrates service demand by day of the week. Again, only minor variations in workload exist by day of the week, although Monday is the busiest.
Figure 41: Service Demand by Weekday, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas Finally, the following figure shows service demand by the hour. Workload increases significantly during daytime hours as compared to nighttime hours.
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Figure 42: Service Demand by Hour, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas Peak workload is between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and it is most heavily concentrated during the commute hours.
Spatial Analysis
In addition to the temporal analysis, it is useful to examine the geographic distribution of service demand.
The following figures indicate the distribution of emergency incidents in PFD during 2018. The incident data received from Contra Costa County Dispatch uses a “road address range” system rather than a “site address” system. This always places a data point on a roadway rather than on the adjacent structure or actual site of the incident
The first figure displays the number of incidents per square mile within various parts of the city. The area of greatest service demand is the northwest and central portions of the city. 422 of 801 576 of 955
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Figure 43: Service-Demand Density, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The two densest concentrations of incidents are at Appian Way/Michael Drive, which is adjacent to a large commercial/retail development; the second densest concentration of incidents is Estates Ave/Paloma— which is adjacent to a senior retirement center. The third densest concentration is at the Tara Hills Mobile Home Park, a “55 years and over” community. Again, the use of street address ranges to place a data point might lead to an interpretation of “dangerous intersections,” where the reality is the incident is related to proximal activities or populations.
While the service demand density reflects all calls served within the PFD service area, service demand can vary based on incident type. The following figure displays the location of all fire types occurring within the PFD’s service area during 2018.
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Figure 44: All Fire Types, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The fire incidents are distributed widely but predominantly in the PFD’s northwestern half. Again, it appears as though all the fires are in roadways, but only 21 percent (14 of the 65 fires) involved a vehicle. The remaining 79 percent were structural, electrical, or vegetation fires in areas adjacent to roadways. 424 of 801 578 of 955
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The following figure depicts the locations of the 20 commercial and residential structure fires in 2018.
Figure 45: Structure Fires, Commercial & Residential, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas These structure fires were distributed equally throughout the PFD’s service area.
The following figure compares structure fires over the last decade by the hour of the day. Other than no structure fires reported at the 5 a.m. hour within the entire decade, structure fires do occur throughout the day and night, with greater incident reporting in the latter part of the day and into the evening.
Figure 46: Structure Fires by Hour of Day, 2009–2018
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Again, the 2009–2017 incident data did not include any incidents for the Tara Hills contract area, whereas the 2018 incident data did include incident data for that contract area. In 2018,there were three structure fires in the Tara Hills contract area; one reported at noon, one at 8 p.m., and one at 9 p.m.
Similarly, emergency medical incidents also occur in greater concentration in areas of higher population density. The next figure depicts the EMS incidents in the PFD service area in 2018.
Figure 47: Emergency Medical Incidents, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The incidents are widely scattered but primarily located in the northwestern portion of the PFD service area.
As shown previously, EMS calls are the primary incident type. The following figure displays emergency medical incidents per square mile during 2018.
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Figure 48: Emergency Medical Incidents per Square Mile, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The previously identified areas of incident density re-appear, the commercial/retail area, the senior retirement home, and the senior mobile home park.
EMS response workload also varies by the hour of the day, as shown in the following figure. As it is the predominant type of incident, it closely follows the total workload by the hour of the day.
Figure 49: EMS Responses by Hour of Day, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas 427 of 801 581 of 955
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Unit Workload Analysis
A review of workload by response unit can reveal much about response time performance. Although fire stations and response units may be distributed in a manner to provide quick response, that level of performance can only be obtained when the response unit is available in its primary service area. If a response unit is already on an incident and a concurrent request for service is received, a more distant response unit will need to be dispatched. This will increase response times.
Response Unit Workload
The workload of individual response units during the study period is shown in the following figure. The individual response unit workload can be greater than the workload in its home station area. Many incidents, such as structure fires, require more than one response unit. The next figure depicts the total number of calls (2,272) received by PFD in 2018, regardless of jurisdiction.
As the only fully staffed apparatus, Engine 73 is naturally the busiest in the PFD. Not shown in the figure are Reserve Engines E73A and E473, which had limited use, with one and two calls, respectively.
PFD 2018 Response Unit Workload
Apparatus ID
BC7 E73 E273 Number of Calls 2,200
2,000
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0 355
2,059
210
Figure 50: PFD Response Unit Workload, 2018
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The following figure shows the extent of these calls, reaching from the Carquinez Bridge to San Pablo. In 2018, there were 2,020 incidents within the city and 401 calls outside of the City of Pinole.
Figure 51: PFD Incident Locations by Apparatus, 2018
The amount of time a given unit is committed to an incident is also an important workload factor. The following figure illustrates the average time each unit was committed to an incident, from initial dispatch until it was available for another incident. Multiple units responded to the same incident, such as the Battalion Chief and the Engine Crew. The more complex an incident, the greater the number of resources are required.
Figure 52: Average Time Committed to an Incident by Unit, 2018 Unit Responses Average per
Response
Battalion 7 355 0:29:59 minutes
Engine 73 2,060 0:20:49 minutes
Engine 273 210 0:21:55 minutes
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Unit Hour Utilization
Unit hour utilization (UHU) is an important workload indicator. It is calculated by dividing the total time a unit is committed to all incidents during a year divided by the total time in a year. UHU describes the amount of time expressed as a percentage that a unit is not available for a response since it is already committed to an incident. The larger the percentage, the greater a unit’s utilization, and the less available it is for assignment to an incident. Unit hour utilization is an important statistic to monitor for those fire agencies using percentile-based performance standards, as does PFD. In PFD’s case, where performance is measured at the 90th percentile, unit hour utilization greater than 10 percent means that the response unit will not be able to provide on-time responses to its 90 percent target, even if response is its only activity. While Pinole Engine 73 is not at 10 percent UHU at this time, absent the addition of a second engine in Pinole, it will most likely be at and exceed the threshold in a few years.
Figure 53: Unit Hour Utilization
Based on the historical incident data from 2009 to 2017, call volume is projected to increase by 3 percent per year, which, as mentioned above,did not include the Contract/Tara Hills incidents. Approximately 20 percent of the PFD incidents came from this area in 2018 incident data. 430 of 801 584 of 955
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Distribution Study
Next, an overview of the current deployment strategy, which includes facility and apparatus locations, was analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to identify potential service gaps and redundancies of resources. The following figure is an overview of the PFD service area. PFD stations and nearby adjacent agency stations are displayed.
Figure 54: PFD Service Area
The City of Pinole encompasses approximately 11.6 square miles. Of that, 5.2 square miles are land, with the
6.4 sq. miles remainder comprised of the bay. The PFD provides service to the city as well as to the two contract areas depicted. PFD staffs one fire station located within the city.
An important consideration for fire departments and other service delivery organizations is to understand the location of population concentrations. If the majority of people live in a concentrated area, it is intuitive to anticipate that that area will also request the highest levels of service demand as calls for service are generally initiated by people.
The definitions per the Center for Public Safety Excellence Standards of Cover 6th edition:
• Urban: population of over 30,000 and or a population density of 2,000 per sq. mile • Suburban: population of 10,000 to 29,000 and or a density of 1,000 to 2,000 per sq. mile • Rural: population of less than 10,000 or 1,000 per sq. mile 431 of 801 585 of 955
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The following figure presents Pinole’s population by census block, based on the 2010 census. Census data divides a census defined place, such as a city or county, into small areas known as census blocks. The boundaries follow natural or manmade features such as rivers, ridgelines, or roads. The area of a census block can be calculated in fractions of a square mile. The total counted population for each census block is divided by the area, resulting in an estimate of relative population density. The densest population area of the City of Pinole is in the northwest.
Figure 55: Population per Square Mile, 2012
The total population used in this study was 19,364, which is classified as Suburban. However, the density of various areas of Pinole shifts it into an Urban classification. The majority of Pinole has 2,000 to 5,000 people per square mile. However, much of the northwest area of the City of Pinole and the western contract area have population densities of greater than 5,000 people per square mile, which is classified as Urban. Pinole has a small but densely concentrated population.
Next, the distribution of PFD resources will be examined and compared to the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) criteria. These standards provide baseline criteria for comparison of PFD’s deployment strategy. These are important standards for comparison because, while ISO criteria focus on fire suppression capabilities for insurance purposes, NFPA standards establish a foundation for overall system benchmarking for fire suppression, rescue, and other activities fire departments may be required to perform.
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ISO Distribution
The ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC®) score was developed for communities to provide recommendations for key areas of improvement. The PPC system is a national system used by the New Jersey-based advisory organization ISO to provide insurance providers with a classification rating of a local community’s fire protection. The PPC score classifies communities based upon a rating scale of 1 (best protection) to 10 (no protection) and assesses all areas related to fire protection broken into four major categories, which include: emergency dispatch and communications (10 points), water system supply and distribution capabilities (40 points), the fire department (50 points), and Community Risk Reduction (5.5 points).
15 The PPC score is developed using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), which outlines subcategories and the detailed requirements for each area of the evaluation.
The first component of ISO distribution is the ability of a fire department to arrive on-scene equipped with personnel, equipment, and sufficient water to effectively mitigate a fire. To determine whether a structure is eligible to receive a PPC rating better than 10, indicating that the fire department does not meet minimum ISO criteria for the structure to receive a rating, a service area of five road miles from the fire station is generally used. The only area of Pinole beyond five miles of a fire station is in the roadless southeast portion, as depicted in the following figure.
15 ISO uses a 100-point grading scale, yet 105.5 total points area available to each agency. The Fire Service Rating Scale lists a large number of items (facilities and practices) that a community should have to fight fires effectively. The schedule is performance based and assigns credit points for each item. Using the credit points and various formulas, ISO then calculates a total score on a scale of 0 to 100 with 5.5 points being available as extra-credit. 433 of 801 587 of 955
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Figure 56: Pinole Fire Station 73, 5-Mile ISO Coverage
The next figure illustrates 1.5-mile coverage from PFD Station 73. ISO is concerned with the provision of fire suppression services to the built-upon areas, meaning that ISO is less concerned with the protection of unpopulated regions of a service area that lack permanent structures. 434 of 801 588 of 955
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Figure 57: Fire Station 73, 1.5-Mile ISO Coverage
Much of the developed residential area in the eastern part of the city is beyond 1.5 miles of Station 73.
Like the maximum service area of engine companies shown in Figure 57, there is a maximum service area for ladder companies. The next figure illustrates the 2.5-mile maximum service area for the closest ladder company, Rodeo-Hercules FPD Station 76 for 1st Alarm and El Cerrito Station 71 for Mutual Aid. 435 of 801 589 of 955
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Figure 58: Fire Station Distribution, 2.5-Mile Ladder Company ISO Criteria Neither ladder company can fully cover the PFD. RHFPD Ladder 76 extends approximately 0.5-mile into PFD, while the El Cerrito ladder would still be 4 to 5 miles away. 436 of 801 590 of 955
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The following figure shows the 2.5-mile ISO coverage of three- and four-story buildings within the City of Pinole.
Figure 59: Detail of Station 76, 2.5 mi. ISO coverage for Pinole Three- & Four-Story Buildings None of these taller structures are within this 2.5-mile coverage, although the Pinole Vista Apartments are a mere 300 feet further.
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PFD Goals Distribution
While ISO criteria are focused on fire suppression activities exclusively, PFD’s goals define expected performance for all response services. PFD advised ESCI to utilize NFPA standards. These standards establish a four-minute travel time objective for the arrival of the first capable response unit. This, and PFD’s other response performance goals are measured using that same standard.
The following figure models four-minute travel time coverage using posted street speeds from PFD Station 73. The model travel time does not account for traffic congestion.
Figure 60: Station 73 Four-Minute Model Travel Time (Entire Response District) A portion of the developed residential area in the southeast portion of the city is beyond the four-minute travel time footprint. The next figure shows the four-minute travel time footprint allocated to the closest station, should Station 74 be re-opened.
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Figure 61: Station 73 & 74 Four-Minute Model Travel Time 439 of 801 593 of 955
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Concentration & Effective Response Force Capability Analysis Effective Response Force (ERF) is the number of personnel and apparatus required to be present on the scene of an emergency to perform the critical tasks in a manner to effectively mitigate the incident without unnecessary loss of life or property. The ERF is specific to each type of incident and is based on the critical tasks that must be performed. Per NFPA 1710, a moderate risk building fire is modeled for this analysis.
The NFPA response time goal for the delivery of the full ERF to a moderate risk building fire is within 8 minutes, 90 percent of the time. PFD has defined the minimum full effective response force for moderate risk building fires as four fire engines, one ladder truck, and two Battalion Chiefs for a total of 21 firefighters.
Eight minutes of travel time is allowed to assemble the defined, fully effective response force on the scene.
The next figure shows the ERF for the 20 structure fires that occurred in 2018, showing the 90th percentile travel time for the on-scene resources. The travel time is not cumulative, as the various resources could be traveling simultaneously. This figure includes the resources of five adjacent automatic aid stations.
Of the 20 structure fires, E73 was the first on-scene at 12 incidents (60%). E169 and E170 were the first onscene at three incidents (15%); BC7 was the first on-scene at three incidents (15%), while E273 was first onscene twice (10%).
Figure 62: Effective Response Force, Structure Fires, 90th Percentile, in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Engine 73 or BC7 was second on-scene at nine incidents (45%). None of the structure fire incidents achieved the 8-minute travel time standard for all apparatus arriving on-scene. 440 of 801 594 of 955
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In 2018, PFD responded to 20 fires—10 commercial and 10 residential. The following figure shows the incident type and the total number of apparatus that were assigned for the year. Much of the incident data did not have timestamps for all the units assigned, possibly due to being canceled en route.
Figure 63: Structure Fire Aid to PFD, 2018
Using the data with complete arrival timestamps, there were two incidents, both residential fires, where a maximum number of firefighters on-scene were 14 or 15 firefighters, depending on how many firefighters were on the adjacent station’s ladder trucks. None of the incidents achieved 21 firefighters on-scene. 441 of 801 595 of 955
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Concurrency
One way to look at resource workload is to examine the number of times multiple incidents happen within the same timeframe in each station area. ESCI examined incidents during the study period to determine the frequency of concurrent events. This is important because concurrent incidents can stretch available resources and extend response times.
The following figure shows the number of times during the study period that one or more incidents occurred concurrently. This shows that in most cases (1,767), only one incident was in progress at a time. However, 568 times, there were two incidents in progress at the same time; 86 times, there were three or more incidents in progress at the same time, and once there were six incidents in progress at the same time.
Figure 64: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Time of Day)
Station
Incidents
9:00 a.m.–8:59
p.m.
Incidents
9:00 p.m.–8:59
a.m.
Incidents per hour
9:00 a.m.–8:59
p.m.
Incidents per hour
9:00 p.m.–8:59
a.m.
73 1,697 930 141 77
Figure 65: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Number of Concurrent Incidents) City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Concurrent
Incidents Count
1 1,767
2 568
3 77
4 7
5 1
6 1
It is important to note that Pinole only staffs one response unit. As a result, anytime there is more than one incident, the City is dependent on outside aid.
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Peak workload periods occur every day of the week. The following figure illustrates the Station 73 workload by the time of day during the study period.
Figure 66: PFD Overall Incidents by Hour, 2018, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas 443 of 801 597 of 955
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Performance Summary
Incident data for the period between January 1 and December 31, 2018, was evaluated in detail to determine PFD’s current performance. Data was obtained from PFD incident reports and the dispatch center’s computer-aided dispatch system.
Only incidents occurring within the PFD service area that were dispatched as a “priority” are included in the analysis. Priority incidents involve emergencies to which the fire department initiated a “code 3” (using warning lights and sirens) response (1,706 incidents during 2018). Incidents initially dispatched as nonemergency responses were excluded. Performance is reported based on the final determination of the incident type, which may be different than how it was initially dispatched. For example, a person may report smoke coming from a building that turns out to only be steam. It may have been dispatched as a structure fire, but its final type would be reported as “good intent.” Each phase of the incident response sequence was evaluated to determine the current performance. This allows an analysis of each phase to determine where opportunities might exist for improvement.
The total incident response time continuum consists of several steps, beginning with the initiation of the incident and concluding with the appropriate mitigation of the incident. The time required for each of the components varies. The policies and practices of the Department directly influence some of the steps.
ESCI compared PFD’s response performance to the national consensus standard for response performance found in the NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operationsto the Public by Career Fire Departments, 2010 Edition.
ESCI compared the various primary answer points and CCRFCC performance to the PFD’s goals as well as standards found in NFPA 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems, 2013 Edition.
The following figure summarizes the performance standards found in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) documents.
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Figure 67: Summary of NFPA Performance Standards
Incident Interval Performance Goal
911 call answer time (time from the first ring to answer) Within 15 seconds, 95% of the time Within 40 seconds, 99% of the time
Call transfer time (time from the answer to acceptance at the secondary dispatch center)
Within 30 seconds, 95% of the time
Call process time (time from acceptance at the dispatch center until notification of response units)
Within 70 seconds, 90% of the time
Turnout time (time from notification of response personnel until the initiation of movement towards the incident)
Within 60 seconds, 90% of the time
First unit travel time (time from initiation of response until the arrival of the first unit at the incident)
Within 4 minutes, 90% of the time
First unit response time (time from dispatch until the arrival of the first unit at the incident)
Within 5 minutes, 90% of the time
Full effective response force travel time (time from dispatch until all units initially dispatched arrive at the incident. Response resources needed for a moderate risk building fire are used for the evaluation.) Within 8 minutes, 90% of the time
In keeping with NFPA 1710 and 1221, all response time elements are reported at a given percentile. Percentile reporting is a methodology by which response times are sorted from least to greatest, and a “line” is drawn at a certain percentage of the calls to determine the percentile. The point at which the “line” crosses the 90th percentile, for example, is the percentile time performance. Thus, 90 percent of times were at or less than the result. Only 10 percent were longer.
Percentiles differ greatly from averages. Averaging calculates response times by adding all response times together and then dividing the total number of minutes by the total number of responses (mean average).
Measuring and reporting average response times is not recommended. Using averages does not give a clear picture of response performance because it does not clearly identify the number and extent of events with times beyond the stated performance goal.
What follows is a detailed description and review of each phase of the response time continuum. All phases will be compared to the NFPA performance goals.
Call Processing
Most emergency incidents are reported by telephone to the 911 center. Call takers must quickly elicit accurate information about the nature and location of the incident from persons who are apt to be excited.
A citizen well-trained in how to report emergencies can reduce the time required for this phase. The dispatcher must identify the correct units based on incident type and location, dispatch them to the emergency, and continue to update information about the emergency while the units respond. This phase begins when the 911 call is answered at the primary Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) and ends when response personnel are notified of the emergency. This phase, which has two parts, is labeled “call processing time.”
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NFPA 1221 recommends that 911 calls be answered within 15 seconds, 95 percent of the time (within 40 seconds, 99 percent of the time) and then be transferred to the dispatch center within 30 seconds, 95 percent of the time (within 40 seconds, 99 percent of the time). None of the primary PSAPs provided information necessary to quantify current performance at this time.
The second part of call processing time, dispatch time, begins when the call is received at the dispatch center (CCRFCC) and ends when response units are notified of the incident. PFD’s goal prescribes that this phase should occur within 70 seconds, 90 percent of the time.
The following figure illustrates performance by CCRFCC from the time it receives the call until it notifies response units. Overall performance was 2 minutes, 15 seconds, 90 percent of the time.
Figure 68: CCRFCC Dispatch Time Performance,
Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Incident Type Processing Time
EMS 0:02:25
Fire 0:01:57
Other 0:01:47
All Types 0:02:15
Turnout Time
Turnout time is a response phase controllable by the fire department. This phase begins at the notification of an emergency in progress by the dispatch center and ends when personnel and apparatus begin to move towards the incident location. Personnel must don appropriate equipment, assemble on the response vehicle, and begin travel to the incident. Good training and proper fire station design can minimize the time required for this step.
The NFPA performance goal for turnout time is within 90 seconds, 90 percent of the time. The following figure lists turnout time for all incidents as well as specific incident types.
Figure 69: PFD Turnout Time Performance,
Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Incident Type Turnout Time
EMS 0:00:53
Fire 0:02:15
Other 0:01:36
All Types 0:01:28
Turnout time for all incidents is within 1 minute, 28 seconds, 90 percent of the time, meeting their performance goal. The turnout time for fire incidents is above the performance goal. 446 of 801 600 of 955
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Distribution and Initial Arriving Unit Travel Time
Travel time is potentially the longest of the response phases. The distance between the fire station and the location of the emergency influences response time the most. The quality and connectivity of streets, traffic, driver training, geography, and environmental conditions are also factors. This phase begins with the initial apparatus movement towards the incident location and ends when response personnel and apparatus arrive at the emergency’s location. Within the NFPA goal, 4 minutes is allowed for the first response unit to arrive at an incident.
PFD and automatic aid units are selected for the response to an incident based on a calculation by the dispatch computer system to determine the unit that will have the shortest travel time. This method ensures the shortest possible travel times.
The following figure lists travel time for all priority incidents, as well as specific incident types, for all units responding to the City of Pinole and the two contract areas.
Figure 70: Travel Time Performance, First Arriving Unit, Incidents in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Incident Type 90% Percentile Travel Time
EMS 0:07:45
Fire 0:08:01
Other 0:07:55
All Types 0:07:45
Overall, travel time for all incidents within the city for all responding units is within 7 minutes, 45 seconds, 90 percent of the time. This does not meet the performance objectives. It is unknown what causes the lengthy travel time, whether it is congested traffic, traffic signal timing, or steep terrain issues.
Travel Time Performance by Region
Travel time performance by region is variable and influenced by a number of factors, including individual station area workload and the number of times a station must cover another station’s area. Additional factors include the size of the station area and the street system serving it. More highly connected, grid-patterned street systems contribute to faster response times than do areas with meandering streets with numerous dead-ends.
The following figure evaluates travel time performance by sub-area using Inverse Distance Weighting analysis (IDW). This process uses travel time for known points (actual incidents) to predict travel time for the area surrounding the actual incident. Better performance is generally noted near fire stations, with progressively longer response times for those incidents more distant from the stations. 447 of 801 601 of 955
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Figure 71: Actual Travel Time Performance by Region, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas The four-minute travel time objective is generally met near the fire station, with progressively longer travel times at further distances. The pockets of 10 to 12-minute travel times near the station do correspond to hilly locations with many turns to reach the interior of a neighborhood.
First Arriving Unit Response Time
Response time is defined as that period between the notification of response personnel by the dispatch center that an emergency is in progress until the arrival of the first fire department response unit at the emergency. When turnout time and travel time are combined, the NFPA performance goal for response time is within 5 minutes, 90 percent of the time.
The following figure illustrates the response time for all priority incidents as well as specific incident types during 2018.
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Figure 72: Response Time Performance, First Arriving Unit, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Incident Type Time
EMS 00:08:11
Fire 00:09:32
Other 00:08:37
All Types 00:08:17
Overall, response time for all priority incidents was within 8 minutes, 17 seconds, 90 percent of the time.
The following figure represents the number of calls in 2018,where the travel time was greater than 4 minutes.
There are notable spikes at the commute hours, 7 to 9 a.m. and again from 5 to 8 p.m.
Figure 73: PFD Number of Calls Over a Four-Minute Travel Time by the Incident Hour, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
First Arriving Unit Received to Arrival Time
From the customer’s standpoint, response time begins when the emergency occurs. Their first contact with emergency services is when they call for help, usually by dialing 911. Received to arrival time combines answer/transfer, call processing, turnout, and travel time. As described in the “Call Processing” discussion in this section, data for call answer and transfer time is not available. The time the call was “received” will either be the actual answer time for calls created by PSAPs other than CCRFCC or the time CCRFCC received the call transferred by another agency. When the PFD performance goals are combined, received to arrival time should be within 6 minutes, 90 percent of the time.
The next figure shows received to arrival performance during 2018 at the 90th percentile for priority incidents within the PFD service area. Overall, received time to arrival time is within 9 minutes, 55 seconds, 90 percent of the time.
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Figure 74: Received to Arrival Time, First Arriving Unit Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas
Incident Type Time
EMS 00:10:00
Fire 00:10:30
Other 00:09:33
All Types 00:09:55
Second Unit Arrival Time
The PFD fire engine is staffed with three personnel. Safety regulations require that at least four firefighters be on scene before firefighters can enter a burning building. The only exception is if it is known that a person is inside the building and needs to be rescued. Current staffing levels at PFD require the arrival of a second response unit before non-rescue interior firefighting activities can be initiated.
Incident data for building fires during the study period were analyzed to determine the time the second response unit arrived on the scene. The data indicated thatthe second unit arrived on the scene of a structure fire within 6 minutes, 45 seconds, 90 percent of the time.
The dispatch data uses a priority coding system for incidents, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 75: CCRFCC Priority Codes
Priority Description
1 P1 Emergency
2 P2 Emergency
3 P3 Urgent
4 P4 Routine
5 P5 Non-Emergency
6 P6 Non-Emergency
7 P7 Triage status that should be updated to another priority during call taking. 8 P8 No Response
9 P9 Test
Priority 1–4 are Code 3,“lights/sirens.” All other priorities are Code 2, no lights/sirens.
The following figure shows the 2018 incidents within the City of Pinole and the two contract areas where adjacent fire agencies were dispatched. There were 3,860 dispatch requests for aid from adjacent fire agencies. This number reflects the dispatch of multiple units not the total number of calls. 450 of 801 604 of 955
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Figure 76: Dispatched Aid for PFD, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas Of those 3,860 requests, 940 incidents did not have a timestamp for “Arrived on Scene”—perhaps these units were canceled en route. The adjacent fire agency units that responded to the remaining 2,920 incidents are shown in the following figure.
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Figure 77: Adjacent Fire Agency Assistance, PFD available Unit # of Requests Unit # of Requests Unit Name # of Requests E169 124 E163 2 E1676 1
Q176 82 E168 2 E369 1
E175 52 E178 2 E372 1
E176 20 E375 2 E376 1
E170 12 E378 2 E379 1
R369 8 1122 1 HM21 1
SQ70 7 BC4 1 HM4 1
BC71 5 E107 1 T114 1
BC64 2 E142 1 USCG 1
In 2018, 27 different fire agency units responded to PFD, while PFD was available. CCFPD Station 69’s engine was the most frequent responding engine at 124 requests.
On occasion, the engine from Station 73 was not available to respond to an incident as it had not been cleared from a previous incident. Available engines from the adjacent agencies were dispatched to the City of Pinole and the two contract areas in their stead. The following figure shows the frequency of adjacent agencies’ assistance.
Figure 78: Adjacent Fire Agency Engine Assistance, PFD not available Again, the engine from CCFPD Station 69 was the most frequent responder when E73 was not available, followed by the engine from Rodeo-Hercules Station 75.
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The adjacent agencies’ engines were dispatched to a variety of incident types, as the next figure shows.
Figure 79: Incident Types; PFD not available
Incident Type Number of Incidents
5150 PD Request 2
EMS—Alpha (Fall) 1
EMS—Alpha *Code 2 4
EMS—B Ltd 2
EMS—Bravo 12
EMS—Charlie 31
EMS—Delta 39
EMS—Echo 1
EMS—Richmond 2
EMS—Alpha Code 2 With Engine 2
EMS—Medical Emergency 1
Fire—Veh Large 3
Fire Alarm—Commercial 6
Fire Alarm—Residential 7
Fire Exterior 2
On View 4
Single Engine C2 2
Single Engine C3 5
Veh Accident Motorcycle 4
The most frequent type of incident of the adjacent fire agencies’ response was a variety of EMS incidents.
The following information relates to codes utilized for EMS calls shown in Figure 79.
Figure 80: List of Common Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Codes Used by Most Dispatch Agencies in the United States
Code Type BLS/ALS Emergency Status
Alpha Non-Life-Threatening Basic Life Support Non-Emergency Bravo Possibly Life-Threatening Basic Life Support Emergency Charlie Life-Threatening Advanced Life Support Emergency Delta Serious Life Threat Advanced Life Support Emergency Echo Life Status Questionable Closest Available
(Multiple Resources Sent) Emergency
Omega “Ω” Public Assist Only Basic Life Support Non-Emergency 453 of 801 607 of 955
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FUTURE SYSTEM DEMAND PROJECTIONS
The City provided a population forecast. Future population growth for Pinole is forecast to average 0.79 percent per year through 2050. Using this estimate, the city’s population could reach 22,228 by 2050. This projection is based on historical growth. Future growth projections have not been available from other sources. It is unlikely that actual projections will differ much unless city zoning density increases occur.
Incident Workload Projection
The most significant predictor of future incident workload is population and historical call volume; 100 percent of requests for emergency medical service is people driven. The National Fire Protection Association reports that approximately 70 percent of all fires are the result of people either doing something they should not have (i.e., misuse of an ignition source) or not doing something they should have (i.e., failure to maintain equipment). It is reasonable to use forecast population growth to predict future fire department response workload.
The current department services utilization rate is 110 incidents per 1,000 population; the PFD has a higher than the regional median number of calls per 1,000 population but slightly lower than the urban high range.
The utilization of fire department services is expected to grow modestly overtime at a rate of about 3 percent per year based on the nine years of historical incident data. This, plus expected population growth, will increase the PFD’s workload, as shown in the following figure. Response workload could reach approximately 4,300 responses per year by 2038, driven primarily by requests for emergency medical care. Figure 81 utilizes three data sets to provide response forecasts. PFD data is based on the fire department's fire records management system. “Calls in the City” used call history within the city limits, and “Calls in the Service Area,” used data from within the city limits and the contract areas.
Figure 81: Response Forecast, 2018–2038
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Community Risk Factors
This section analyzes risks that are present within the study area that potentially threaten people and property. These risks are identified to assist the study area agency in planning where to locate response resources in the types and numbers necessary to effectively respond to likely emergencies. While not all hazards of individual occupancies can be considered—that is beyond the scope of the study—there are risks that seem to be relevant to the area. ESCI recommends that the department be aware of and rate the hazard and risks in terms of frequency and severity within the jurisdiction.
The City of Pinole fire service area has many risks, including the shoreline, a significant wildland interface, underground pipelines, a freeway, and a railroad. The arrangement of the service area is constrained by topography such that few areas have grid coverage from the Pinole Fire Station and neighboring automatic aid from other fire departments. Due to this configuration, the response is funneled through gateways at the foot of each valley. Significant challenges and risks exist in the City of Pinole.
The following figure represents a method of identifying and analyzing risks within Pinole. This figure should be reviewed annually by department leadership with the goal of improvement through the continuous reevaluation of the risks facing the city.
Figure 82: Risk Identification and Analysis Process¹
Step Action
Hazard Identification Identify hazards.
What is the probability this hazard will occur?
Is this hazard a significant threat to your jurisdiction? Approximately how often does this hazard occur in your jurisdiction? Vulnerability Assessment For each hazard identified in the hazard identification process, consider each of the five factors.
Factor 1: Danger/Destruction/Personal harm
Factor 2: Economic Impacts
Factor 3: Environmental Impacts
Factor 4: Social Impacts
Factor 5: Political Considerations
Score the vulnerability of this hazard.
Reconsider the priority of each hazard based on vulnerability.
Risk Rating Score Risk Rating = Probability2 X Vulnerability2 1 Adapted from the Community Risk Reduction Model, United States Fire Administration, National Fire Academy 2 Probability and Vulnerability are rated as 3 = High, 2 = Moderate, 1 = Low The fire service assesses the relative risk of properties based on several factors: the service area population and population density, the demographics of the population, local land use and development, and the geography and natural risks present within the community. These factors affect the number and type of resources (both personnel and apparatus) necessary to mitigate an emergency. Properties with high fire and life risk often require greater numbers of personnel and apparatus. Therefore, staffing and deployment decisions should be made with consideration to the level of risk within the geographic sub-areas of a community.
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Overall Geospatial Characteristics
The following community risk assessment has been developed based on intended land uses as described in the zoning designations of the study area. The following figure translates zoning to categories of relative fire and life risk.
Figure 83: Translation of Zoning to Relative Risk Categories Relative Risk Category Zoning
Low Risk Areas zoned and used for agricultural purposes, open space, and very-low-density residential use.
Moderate Risk
Areas zoned for medium-density single-family properties, small commercial and office uses, low-intensity retail
sales, and equivalently sized business activities.
High Risk
Areas zoned for Higher-intensity business districts, mixeduse areas, high-density residential, industrial, warehousing, and large mercantile centers.
The following shows the relative percentages of zoning in the City of Pinole.
Figure 84: Pinole Zoning Percentages
The following figure illustrates the distribution of the current zoning classifications in the City of Pinole.
By acreage, nearly half of the City of Pinole is residential, and 1/3 is zoned commercial. The current zoning data was undergoing review as some of the parcels were without a zoning code, i.e.,the white areas within the city. Some of these are likely “Commercial” due to their proximity to existing commercial zoning. 456 of 801 610 of 955
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Figure 85: Pinole & Contract Area’s Current Zoning
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Geographic & Weather-Related Risks
The number and frequency of federal disaster declarations affecting Pinole paint a picture of the risks that natural hazards pose to the region. The next figure is a summary of federal disaster declarations that have occurred in Contra Costa County:
16 • Between 1969 and 2017, Contra Costa County has received 14 presidential disaster declarations and two emergency declarations.
• These events are important to consider in establishing recurrence intervals for hazards of concern.
Figure 86: Summary of Federal Disaster Declarations in Pinole by Type, 1965–2017 Type of Event Declaration
Date
FEMA
Disaster #
Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Mudslides 4/1/2017 DR-4308 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides 3/16/2017 DR-4305 Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides 2/14/2017 DR-4301 Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides 2/3/2006 DR-1628 Severe Winter Storms and Flooding 2/9/1998 DR-1203
Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Landslides 1/4/1997 DR-1155 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow 3/12/1995 DR-1046 Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows 1/10/1995 DR-1044 Severe Winter Storm, Mud and Land Slides, and Flooding 2/3/1993 DR-979 Loma Prieta Earthquake 10/18/1989 DR-845
Severe Storms and Flooding 2/21/1983 DR-758
Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides, and Tornadoes 2/9/1983 DR-677 Severe Storms, Flood, Mudslides, and High Tide 1/7/1982 DR-651 Torrential Rain, High Tide, and Winds 2/1/1980 EM-3078
Drought 1/20/1977 EM-3023
Severe Storms and Flooding 1/26/1969 DR-253
EM = Emergency Declaration; DR = Disaster Declaration
From a planning perspective, there are several weather-related risks of concern to the study area, as noted in the previous figure. Severe storms can include lightning strikes and significant wind events. 16 Retrieved from http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/48893/Contra-Costa-County-Draft-Local-HazardMitigation-Plan-Volume-1-January-31-2018?bidId=. 458 of 801 612 of 955
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Weather Risks
The climate for Pinole is moderate. Pinole receives 27 inches of rain, on average, per year, the U.S. average is 38 inches of rain per year. The average annual temperatures range from a high of 80°F in July to a low of 40°F in January—with the average temperature being 71°F. Pinole receives 255 sunny days on average, this is 50 more days than the national average.
17 Flood Risk
There are various risks associated with flooding. It is essential, therefore, that the community in the area of flood zones and areas prone should be informed of the risks, before the flood and as part of the planning process. Further, this should be a part of the public education process to ensure that residents are aware of the risks associated with flooding and the actions they should take to ensure readiness.
During a flooding event, the fire department will be called upon to assist in evacuations and rescues. These evacuations may include facilities with large numbers of people requiring EMS resources. Rescue and emergency evacuations may involve moving water requiring the specialty-trained technical rescue team to intervene.
After a flood as the residents begin recovery, EMS-related incidents will increase as injuries and medical conditions occur. Public education can help the community prepare for the recovery process.
The Contra Costa Hazards Mitigation Plan addresses two principal sources of floods. These two sources are summarized and defined in the next figure.
Figure 87: Sources of Flooding in Contra Costa County18 Source of Flood Description
Riverine (river and stream)
Riverine floods described in terms of their extent (including the horizontal area affected and the vertical depth of
floodwater) and the related probability of occurrence
(expressed as the percentage chance that a flood of a specific extent will occur in any given year).
Flash Flooding
Flash floods occur suddenly after a brief but intense
downpour. They move rapidly, end suddenly, and can occur in areas not generally associated with flooding (such as
subdivisions not adjacent to a water body and areas serviced by underground drainage systems). Although the duration of these events is usually brief, the damage they cause can be severe. Flash floods cannot be predicted accurately and happen whenever there are heavy storms.
17 Retrieved from https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/california/pinole. 18 Retrieved from http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/48893/Contra-Costa-County-Draft-Local-HazardMitigation-Plan-Volume-1-January-31-2018?bidId=. 459 of 801 613 of 955
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Garrity Creek Watershed
This 1,790-acre area in western Contra Costa County includes the watershed of Garrity Creek (3.67 miles).
This watershed includes sections of the City of Pinole.
Pinole Creek Watershed
Pinole Creek is a perennial creek that runs through the center of the city.
The next figure illustrates the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) as designated by FEMA. There are areas with the risk of flooding throughout the city. For the most part, the areas that are flood-prone have a onepercent increase in annual flooding. There are small portions of the study area that include a 0.2 percent annual chance of flooding. Station 73 and 74 are located very close to Pinole Creek drainage and potential flood areas, as seen in the following figures.
Figure 88: Watersheds in the Study Area
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Figure 89: Flood Zones in the Study Area
Flood hazard areas identified on the Flood Insurance Rate Map are identified as an SFHA. SFHA are defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent annual chance of flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood.
Moderate flood hazard areas are the areas between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annualchance (or 500-year) flood. The Coastal High Hazard area is that part of the coastal floodplain where the wave heights during the base flood will be three feet or more.
There are 145 parcels that intersect various FEMA flood zones. Ten of these parcels are zoned “agricultural/open space,” and 25 additional parcels are zoned “commercial,”including one corner of a school parcel. The remaining 110 parcels are zoned “residential,” including 109 single family parcels and one multifamily parcel with 12 units. Using the 2010 census data, the Pinole average household size is 2.7 persons; this gives an estimated total population of flood risk of 327 persons. The following figure shows the population within the various flood zones.
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Figure 90: Flood Hazard Areas
Population Within the 10%, 1%, and 0.2% Annual Chance Flood Hazard Areas 10% Annual Chance
Flood Hazard Area
1% Annual Chance
Flood Hazard Area
0.2% Annual Chance
Flood Hazard Area
Population
Exposed
% of Total
Population
Population
Exposed
% of Total
Population
Population
Exposed
% of Total
Population
0 0 0 0 327 1.7%
The commercial and agricultural/open space parcels were located in the 10 percent and 1 percent SFHAs.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes can have winds of over 300 mph, which—at the higher ranges—will cause a significant threat to life and damage to property. The intensity of tornadoes is measured on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale. This scale has an intensity range for tornadoes from EF-0 to EF-5, including wind estimates.
The next figure is a summary of the damage associated at the various levels. Pinole has not experienced a tornado within written history.
Figure 91: Tornado Intensity, Enhanced Fujita Scale
Designation Wind Speed, mph Typical Damage
EF-0 65–85
Minor or no damage. Peels surface off some roofs; some damage to gutters or siding; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over. Confirmed tornadoes with no reported damage are always rated EF-0.
EF-1 86–110
Moderate damage. Roofs severely stripped; mobile homes overturned or badly damaged; loss of exterior doors; windows and other glass broken.
EF-2 111–135
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-constructed houses; foundations of frame homes shifted; mobile homes completely destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground.
EF-3 136–165
Severe damage. Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations are badly damaged.
EF-4 166–200
Devastating damage. Well-constructed and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars and other large objects thrown, and small missiles generated.
EF-5 > 200
Extreme damage. Strong-framed, well-built houses leveled off foundations are swept away; steel-reinforced concrete structures are critically damaged; tall buildings collapse or have severe structural deformations; some cars, trucks, and train cars can be thrown approximately 1 mile (1.6 km).
While ranges of winds are listed on the scale, the wind estimate is not exact—nor have they been verified in science or engineering. Different wind speeds may cause similar-looking damage from place to place—even from building to building.
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While preventing tornadoes is not possible, the preparation for the potential of a tornado should be considered as a high priority. Tornadoes can occur with little or no warning and can result in devastating damage; departments must consider that as part of their planning for disaster readiness, the likelihood of a tornado occurring is minimal in Pinole.
Tsunamis
A tsunami is a series of high-energy waves radiating outward from an area where a generating event occurs.
Earthquakes may produce displacements of the seafloor that can set the overlying column of water in motion, initiating a tsunami, depending on the magnitude of the earthquake and the type of faulting.
The San Pablo Bay area is a likely site of tsunami impacts in Contra Costa County that would rise with floodwaters from a San Francisco Bay tsunami caused by a local earthquake. According to the Contra Costa Hazard Mitigation Plan, Pinole only has a small threat of tsunamis immediately along its coastline vicinity. 19 Additional Weather-Related Hazards
Severe weather hazards also pose a threat to Pinole. Aside from the weather-related hazards described in the preceding section, several other weather-related events have been analyzed as part of the hazard mitigation plan. The next figure—while applicable to the whole County—is a summary of these events, including the definitions, severities, and impacts.
19 https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/48893/Contra-Costa-County-Draft-Local-Hazard-Mitigation-PlanVolume-1-January-31-2018?bidId=. 463 of 801 617 of 955
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Figure 92: Other Weather-Related Hazards in Contra Costa County20 High Winds Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms
Definition
The National Weather Service defines
high winds as,“sustained wind speeds of
40 mph or greater lasting for one hour or
longer, or winds of 58 mph or greater for
any duration.”
Heavy rainfall is any amount of rain
produced in a relatively short time period
that exceeds the capacity of natural systems’
or stormwater infrastructures’ ability to
effectively and safely convey the flow of
stormwater.
Severity
The entire county is directly or indirectly
susceptible to the effects of high-speed
winds. Trees are susceptible to blowing
over and causing damage to surrounding
property. All communities can suffer
extended power outages.
The entire county is directly or indirectly
susceptible to the effects of heavy rains or
thunderstorms. All communities can suffer
the impacts of heavy rains or thunderstorms.
Impacts
Widespread power outages.
Mass of downed debris on the
transportation network impedes the
response of emergency personnel and
utility crews.
Electrical blackouts force the closure of
government offices, businesses, and
schools.
Power outages can disrupt transportation,
generating traffic snarls resulting in
thousands of motorists seeking few
available alternate routes on local
arterials and collectors, complicated by
blocked roads.
Heavy rain can have significant impacts,
including rising rivers, flash flooding,
mudslides, and landslides. Stormwater
runoff from heavy rains can also impair
water quality by washing pollutants into
water bodies.
When power outages coincide with heavy
stormwater flows, public works crews may
struggle to provide auxiliary power to sewer
lift stations to prevent backups or flooding in
suburban and urbanized areas.
Thunderstorms carry the same risks as heavy
rain events, and depending on the type of
storm, they can also include tornadoes,
lightning, and heavy winds, increasing risk of
injury and property damage.
20 Retrieved from https://www.trpc.org/DocumentCenter/View/4172/HazMit_Ch4-2_Storm?bidId=. 464 of 801 618 of 955
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Earthquakes
The Contra Costa Hazard Mitigation Plan rates the hazard profile of earthquakes as a high probability.
Earthquakes can cause widespread damage and disrupt many services across the area.
Figure 93: Earthquake Fault Lines in and Around Pinole
The Pinole Fault and the Moraga Fault, both undifferentiated quaternary faults, pass through the study area.
The historic Hayward Fault, with a slip rate of 5 mm/year, moves to the southwest of the study area. 465 of 801 619 of 955
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The effects of earthquakes are described in the following figure.
Figure 94: Effects of Earthquakes
Effect Description
Ground Motion
When a fault ruptures, seismic waves radiate, causing the ground to vibrate. This wave movement causes the ground to shake during an earthquake.
Ground Failures
Earthquakes can cause surface faulting, landslides,
subsidence, and uplifting. Surface faulting is the differential movement of two sides of a fracture.
Liquefaction
Liquefaction is the phenomenon that occurs when ground
shaking causes loose soils to lose strength and act as a viscous fluid. Liquefaction causes two types of ground
failure: lateral spread and loss of bearing strength.
Tsunamis
Tsunamis are large ocean waves generated by sudden
changes in the seafloor elevation, which displace a
significant volume of water.
Wildfire Risk
Like many areas of California, there is a wildfire risk in the Pinole area. The level of risk associated with wildfires in any given area of a community is dependent upon several factors, including climate, vegetation, and topography. Another factor is the number of homes that are built within the Wildland Urban Interface.
Pinole has 30 buildings within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ).
According to the Contra Costa Hazards Mitigation Plan, the summary assessment on wildfire reads:
The geography, weather patterns, and vegetation in the East Bay area provide ideal conditions for recurring wildfires. Especially vulnerable are the East Bay Hills in Lamorinda, which includes Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda. Parts of Walnut Creek, including the area surrounding Rossmoor, are vulnerable to wildfires, as are Clayton, the Danville/San Ramon area, and the San Pablo-El Cerrito, El Sobrante area. Because the natural vegetation and dry-farmed grain areas of the county are extremely flammable during late summer and fall, wildfire is a serious hazard in undeveloped areas and on large lot home sites with extensive areas of un-irrigated vegetation. 21 The next figure illustrates a summary of the historical wildfire occurrences and impacts. The Castro and the Carson Fires of 2011 were the most significant incidents, with numerous small incidents in the succeeding years.
21 Retrieved from https://www.trpc.org/DocumentCenter/View/4172/HazMit_Ch4-2_Storm?bidId= County-Draft-Local-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan-Volume-1-January-31-2018?bidId=. 466 of 801 620 of 955
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Figure 95: Study Area Historical Wildfire Occurrences and Impacts, 2009–201822 Fire Name Year Acres Month
Carson 2011 20 September
Turquoise 2011 1 July
Franklin 2011 1 August
Savage Av Pinole 2011 1 July
Castro 2011 83 September
Refugio Valley Rd 2011 4 June
Unnamed 2011 0.01 August
Unnamed 2011 0.01 June
Unnamed 2011 0.01 June
Brick Yard 2011 17 September
Franklin 2012 1 October
Unnamed 2012 0.01 July
Unnamed 2012 0.1 August
Unnamed 2012 0.4 August
Unnamed 2012 0.01 September
Unnamed 2012 0.5 September
Unnamed 2013 2 May
Unnamed 2013 0.1 November
Unnamed 2013 0.5 November
Unnamed 2014 0.25 June
Toll 2017 43 June
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The next figure shows the historical wildfires listed in the previous figure in and near Pinole. There have been many small wildfires (< 10 acres) in the more remote portions of the county.
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The next figure shows the wildfire threat in and near Pinole.
Figure 97: Degree of Wildfire Threat
The fire threat is a combination of two factors: 1) fire frequency, or the likelihood of a given area burning, and 2) potential fire behavior (hazard). These two factors are combined to create fourthreat classes ranging from moderate to extreme (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Fire and Resource Assessment Program [FRAP]).
The next figure shows the estimated land area, population, and dwellings that are in the Wildland Urban Interface areas.
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Figure 98: Study Area Current Estimates as Related to the Urban Interface, 2015 Fire Department/District
Population Residential Dwellings
Total Percent in the
Hazard Area Total Value in the Hazard Area
Pinole Fire Department 94 .5%23 30 $16,007,875
Of concern is the Galbreath Road neighborhood to the southwest of Station 74. This area is characterized by a single road in, as well as being surrounded by dense vegetation. This is a large concern for the ingress of fire equipment during an emergency (such as a wildfire event) and egress of residents who may be evacuating the Galbreath Road area. Future development should evaluate hazards to the development area and ensure adequate traffic routes are designed and implemented.
Figure 99: Galbreath Road Neighborhood
23 Retrieved from: http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/48893/Contra-Costa-County-Draft-Local-HazardMitigation-Plan-Volume-1-January-31-2018?bidId=. 470 of 801 624 of 955
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Transportation Risks
Highways
There are several transportation corridors and various modes of transportation that fall within the study area for which the department is responsible. Beginning with major roadways, Interstate 80 goes through the middle of Pinole.Additionally, there are several major local roads within the City, including San Pablo, Appian Way, and Pinole Valley Road. Regardless of the size of the roadway or the speed limit, any roadway has the potential for motor vehicle crashes, vehicle fires, medical emergencies, brush fires, or hazardous material spills/leaks. Each of these is not only a risk to the community, but the responders are also at risk of being struck by vehicles while operating near moving traffic.
Last year, the town of Paradise faced a devastating fire. Evacuations from the town on narrow two-lane roads became problematic to those leaving the fire area. In 2019, Streetlight Data, Inc. listed Pinole as three times the national average in difficulty in evacuating the city in case of emergency due to limited evacuation routes and narrow streets.
24 Due to the general geography of Pinole, this road arrangement is nearly unavoidable.
The Pinole Police Department has a plan to use all lanes to travel in one direction to evacuate residents from the fire area in an expedient manner.
24 It should be noted that Streetlight Data only studied cities of under 40k in population. The study also made the assumption that people would choose familiar and preferred routes even though other exists exist. 471 of 801 625 of 955
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Figure 100: Major Transportation Infrastructure in the Study Area Airports
The City of Pinole does not have an airport. Two international airports are located nearby, the Oakland International Airport (27 miles) and the San Francisco International Airport (34 miles). There is a heliport in San Pablo.
Railroads
Figure 100 shows the rail line through Pinole. Amtrak provides regular service through the city with over 16 rail stations within a 30-mile radius. In addition, Union Pacific’s Martinez Subdivision and BNSF Stockton Subdivision transport freight through the area. Although a comparatively safe mode of transport, railway operations do come with hazards, including accidents involving pedestrians, other vehicles, derailments, and accidental hazardous material releases. The next figure discusses some of these incidents. 472 of 801 626 of 955
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Figure 101: Hazard Descriptions Faced by the Pinole Fire Department Type of Incident Description/Hazard
Train Collisions Collisions can be between two or more trains or between trains and infrastructure.
Derailments Derailments occur when one or more cars of a train leave the tracks; generally, it involves just one train.
Grade Crossings Crashes There are various scenarios in which accidents occur at railroad crossings.
Railroad Staff Injuries Railroad staff may get injured while working on or near the tracks. In some cases, accessibility will be a problem.
Dangerous Goods Release As the railroads carry hazardous goods, there is always the potential for product release.
The effects of these incidents can require large numbers of fire and EMS resources. In review of the previous figure, several of these incidents could require the response of a Haz-Mat team, Technical Rescue, and EMS.
Many times, the complexity of the incidents will require multiple operational periods. Risk analysis and planning for these types of incidents must consider the need for higher than usual personnel, equipment, and Automatic or Mutual Aid resources. When incidents occur at a grade crossing, fire and EMS personnel will have to operate near the tracks. Training in proper precautions is essential.
Buildings
Many buildings in the city are used for purposes that create more significant risks than others during an emergency. High occupancy buildings, facilities providing care to vulnerable populations, and others may require greater numbers of emergency response and resources during an emergency.
Numerous buildings lie within the study area in which large numbers of people gather for entertainment, worship, and other similar events. A variety of small businesses and entertainment venues also exist.
Colleges and Schools
The next figure shows the locations of the educational facilities within the study area. These facilities present additional risk, primarily for mass casualty incidents. Fire, criminal mischief, and potentially terrorism could cause a major medical emergency requiring significant emergency service resources. 473 of 801 627 of 955
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Figure 102: Colleges and Schools in the Study Area
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Medical and Congregate Care Facilities
Medical and congregate-care facilities, particularly hospitals and nursing homes. Although these facilities have regular fire safety inspections and are generally built of fire-resistive construction with built-in fire suppression, emergencies still can occur that require the quick movement of patients away from the hazard.
Incidents at these facilities will require high resource levels.
Pinole does not have a hospital, but has 11 assisted living facilities, as the next figure depicts.
Figure 103: Assisted Living Facilities
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Other Critical Infrastructure
One concern to fire departments is the water and fire hydrant system. Providing enough storage, distribution, and access to this valuable firefighting resource is very important. The next figure illustrates the hydrant system in the study area. As expected, in the more populated urbanized areas,fire hydrants coverage is very good. Some rural areas of the city depend on water delivered by tenders, but generally good hydrant coverage exists throughout the service area. From a risk assessment standpoint, planning consideration must be given to situations when the water system could fail.
Figure 104: Fire Hydrant Distribution in the Study Area The next figure shows the commercial building and hydrant locations in Pinole. Represented on the map is the Needed Fire Flow (NFF) for each of the commercial buildings. Fire flow is the amount of water that would need to be supplied and pumped from an apparatus to control a building fire. Pinole’s fire engine can pump 1,500 gallons per minute. Many buildings in Pinole could require a much higher fire flow to control an established fire.
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Figure 105: Fire Hydrant Distribution, Commercial Building with Needed Fire Flow (NFF) Emergency communication centers and the associated transmitting and receiving equipment are essential facilities for emergency response. The Contra Costa Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center (CCRFCC) provides call receipt and dispatch service to the Pinole Fire Department and many of the neighboring jurisdictions. This center answers 911 calls, dispatches fire and other emergency responders, and provides important support to the on-scene incident management function. This center is the secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). All 911 calls made from landlines in the city limits are automatically routed to the City of Pinole Police Department, which is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Calls from landlines in the unincorporated areas within the City’s fire service area are automatically routed to the Contra Costa County Sheriff. Once one of these PSAP’s dispatchers determines a call requires fire department response, the call is relayed to CCRFCC.
There are other communication facilities and equipment that are equally important to the community and government operations within the study area. These are the telephone company central offices and the transmission lines of local telephone service providers. Internet service providers, along with wireless cellular communication providers, provide essential communication capabilities for the community as well as emergency personnel through their facilities and equipment. Failures in any of these systems can influence emergency services.
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Energy
The loss of electrical power is also a risk to the community. Community services, from communications to traffic signals to normal operation of supermarkets, require the use of energy. Whether it is electricity generation and transmission systems, fuel distribution and storage tanks, or natural gas pipelines and regulator stations, the community is dependent upon energy sources. The loss of energy is a planning consideration for response and readiness.
Structural Risks
Certain buildings, contents, functions, and size present a greater firefighting challenge and require special equipment, operations, and training.
The Insurance Services Office calls for a ladder truck within 2.5 miles of developed areas containing buildings three or more stories in height. Accessing the upper floors and roofs of buildings this tall, typically requires ladder truck capability as ground ladders may not provide access. The next figure documents current commercial facilities and the number of stories each building possesses.
Figure 106: Commercial Buildings, One to Four Stories in Height 478 of 801 632 of 955
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Large buildings such as warehouses, malls, and large “box” stores require greater volumes of water for firefighting and require more firefighters to advance hose lines long distances into the building. The following figure demonstrates building locations and their relative total floor space in relationship to Pinole’s Station 73.
Figure 107: Commercial Buildings, Total Floor Area
Terrorism
Pinole is, as is anywhere, a potential target for terrorism. Most of the previously categorized risks in the community are targets for such activity. These include schools, commercial buildings, public infrastructure, and public assembly areas that are located within the study area. In addition, the outdoor public gathering events during the year can also be targets. All fire-rescue departments need to be vigilant in their training and preparedness in the event one or more coordinated acts of terror occur in the region, Pinole is no different. Despite the small likelihood of a terrorist attack, training to ensure coordination and unified command with law enforcement partners is critical.
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Demographics
Current Population Information
The next figure is a summary of the service area and population, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Figure 108: Study Area Size and Population Estimates
Fire Department/District 2017 Population
Estimate Area in Sq. Miles Population Density
Pinole City 19,364 5.32 3,455/sq. mi.
An NFPA report has identified the groups that face a higher risk of being injured or killed in a fire as:25 • Children under 5 years of age;
• Older adults over 65 years of age;
• People with disabilities;
• Those with a language barrier; and
• People in low-income communities.
The following figures were created to provide an overview of the demographics related to these identified groups. Select demographics are provided in the following figure to the extent that the data was available.
Figure 109: Select Population Demographics
Persons under 5
years
Persons under
18 years
Persons 65
years and over
Persons with
Disabilities
Under the Age
of 65
Language other
than English
Spoken at
Home
Pinole26 3.7% 17.1% 18.8% 9.1% 36.3%
Based on the preceding figure, 18.8 percent of the population is over 65 years of age, and an additional 3.7 percent of the population is under five years of age. This places a total of approximately 22.5 percent of the populations within the age groups that are at the highest risk in residential fire incidents and account for some of the highest use of emergency medical services.27 Senior citizens can have difficulty escaping from fire due to physical limitations. Seniors also tend to use emergency medical services more frequently than younger persons. As the population ages, this will create an increase in service demand for emergency medical services. In addition, just over 36 percent of the population may have language barriers that make communication with first responders during an emergency difficult.28 25 National Fire Protection Association, 2007; Urban Fire Safety Project, Emmitsburg, MD; retrieved from http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/people-at-risk/urban-fire-safety/reports-and-presentations. 26 Information retrieved from the United States Census Bureau. 27 This is very close to the national average of 21.7 percent. 28 The national average is 21.8 percent.
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As noted, the very young also represent a vulnerable population, both regarding their ability to escape a structure fire as well as their susceptibility to serious medical ailments such as asthma, traumatic events, choking, or injury from vehicular accidents.
The demographics displayed in Figure 110 are factors that indicate that a population is more likely to use fire department services than other populations. Individuals in poverty or with no health insurance are more likely to use local EMS resources compared to individuals with health insurance and a personal physician. A high percentage of owner-occupied homes may indicate a more stable community and residents willing to invest in their community and community services; Pinole with an owner-occupied housing rate of 70 percent is approximately 7 percent higher than the national average.
Figure 110: Other Demographic Comparisons
Subject Pinole
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years 4.7% Owner Occupied Housing Rate, 2012–2016 70.2%
Median household income (in 2017 dollars), 2012–2017 $84,255 Residents at the poverty level 5.4%
Population Density
Most communities contain areas with different population densities and property risks allowing the community’s policymakers to specify different response performance objectives by geographic area. The classifications that are identified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in Standard 1720 and the percentage of the city in the classification is provided in the following figure.29 Figure 111: Population Classifications
Classification Criteria
Urban > 1,000 people/square mile
Suburban 500–1,000 people/square mile
Rural < 500 people/square mile
Remote Area Travel Distance ≥ 8 miles
29 NFPA 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments, 2014 Edition. 481 of 801 635 of 955
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The next figure illustrates the population density.
Figure 112: Study Area Population Density
Population Growth Projections
The population in Pinole has grown slowly over the last decades. The population in 1980 was 14,253—in 2019, the population has been estimated to have grown to 19,364. 30 This is an overall increase of .077 percent per
year. Pinole, in 2010 (during the last national census) had a population was 18,390. The 2019 estimated total is 19,364—an increase of just over 5 percent.
With population growth,there come increases in service demand. More people mean not only more incidents generated, but it also means a need for expanded geographical coverage. Resource additions will need to be planned to provide service delivery and performance at acceptable levels if higher density growth occurs within the service area.
Expansion and growth will affect not only the delivery of fire-rescue services but also other fire department functions, such as code enforcement and community risk reduction. The department must maintain awareness and be involved in monitoring the relationship between population and demand. 30 Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/pinolecitycalifornia and https://datausa.io/profile/geo/pinole-ca. 482 of 801 636 of 955
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Section II:
PUBLIC WORKSHOP & STAKEHOLDER INPUT
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PUBLIC INPUT
During the development of the community expectations portion of the Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Scope of Work, the City made it very clear they desired a number of opportunities for public input. The final scope of work included a Community Fire Study Workshop, several days of stakeholder interviews, and no less than two presentations to the City Council that would be conducted with opportunities for public input.
This section of the study reflects the results of the Community Fire Study Workshop and the stakeholder interviews.
On May 29, 2019, at 6 p.m., ESCI facilitated the Community Fire Study Workshop, which was attended by approximately 45 people. The format for the workshop was an interactive presentation utilizing Swift Polling on-line platform. This program allowed for a series of questions and input opportunities that could be instantly responded to by the audience with the results displayed in real-time. Responses were collected via text message, internet polling website, or paper polling form as displayed in applicable figures that follow as “SMS, “Web,” or “Paper Vote.” All polls and inputs were captured and are as follows.
For ESCI to gauge the community’s awareness of, access to, and experience with the services provided by the Pinole Fire Department, four questions were presented:
• What services, emergency, and other, are provided by the Pinole Fire Department? • How many firefighters are on duty daily in Pinole to provide services? • Have you received any services, emergency, or other, from the Pinole Fire Department? • If you received services, how satisfied were you with the service? Responses to the question regarding services provided by the department are summarized in Figure 113. The participants understood the department’s primary mission and the services that are or should be available to fulfill that mission.
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Figure 113: Services Provided by the Pinole Fire Department Figure 114 indicates that the participants were aware of the department’s on-duty force. In addition to daily staffing, the department enjoys effective automatic and mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions. However, increasing service demands across the spectrum of partnering agencies often leaves Pinole resources stretched thinly.
Figure 114: Number of Firefighters on Duty Daily in Pinole Comm. Training
Inspections
Fire Prevention
EMS
Fire Suppression
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 Three Four Nine or Ten
SMS Web Paper Vote
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In the following two figures (Figure 115 and Figure 116), several participants reported having received services from the department, emergency, or other. Of those residents who received services, the majority indicated that they were satisfied with the outcome of those services. This is a very good sign given the minimal resources the department is able to provide at this point in time and is demonstrative of the department’s commitment to its service mission.
Figure 115: Have You Received Any Services from PFD?
Figure 116: How Satisfied Were You with the Service?
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
Yes No
SMS Web Paper Vote
94%
6%
Very Satisfied Not Satisfied
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The next set of four questions were designed for ESCI to gain a sense of the community’s awareness of the adequacy of the fire protection system in Pinole to meet service demands:
• Is the existing system adequate?
• If not, what is lacking?
• Is the current staffing of the PFD adequate or not?
• How long should it take for resources to arrive from the time that you call? As displayed in Figure 117, a majority of respondents believe that the existing service delivery system in Pinole is inadequate. Responses to what is lacking regarding the system are summarized in Figure 118 Figure 117: Response to, “Is the Existing System Adequate?” Figure 118: Response to, “What is the Current System Lacking?” 0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
20 Yes No Don't know
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 Insuf. Personnel St. 74 Closure Too Reliant on
Partners
Insuf. Budget Other
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Insufficient personnel and resources were expressed as being the biggest challenges in the current system.
Although responses under the category “Other” did not fall under the other four categories, they are important to note here: response time objectives not being met and a lack of preparedness for infrastructure development were noteworthy concerns of some participants.
Responses to current Department staffing in Figure 119 are synonymous with the responses to whether or not the overall existing system is adequate. The respondents believe that their fire department is not adequately staffed at present. This further correlates to the responses in Figure 120 regarding response time expectations. The respondents had a realistic view of how long it should take for resources to arrive when they call, given current staffing of the PFD and automatic/mutual aid agreements.
Figure 119: Response to, “Is Current PFD Staffing Adequate?” Figure 120: Response to, “How Long Should It Take a Fire Engine to Arrive?” 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Understaffed
Adequately staffed
Don't know
SMS Web Paper Vote
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 4 minutes 6 minutes 8 minutes
SMS Web Paper Vote
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The final six questions presented were designed to determine the community’s awareness and understanding of prospective partnering options, the desirability of those options, and positive or negative impacts that may arise with each option:
• How important is it that the City of Pinole has its own fire department? • Would there be advantages in contracting with Contra Costa County FPD for fire-based services? • Would there be advantages in the Rodeo-Hercules FPD annexing the city area to provide fire-based services?
• What advantages would there be in partnering with either agency for services? • What disadvantages would there be in partnering with either agency for services? • Would you support a parcel tax measure if the revenue it generated improved services and financial stability either as a sole agency or in a partnering option? Figure 121: Response to, “How Important is it to the City of Pinole To Have Its Own Fire Department?” 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Not important
Somewhat important
Very important
SMS Web Paper Vote
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Figure 122: Response to, “Are There Advantages with Contracting With CCCFD?” Figure 123: Response to, “Are There Advantages in Rodeo-Hercules Annexing the Pinole Area into the RH Fire Protection District?”
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
Don't know
*Some responded not enough info to decide.
SMS Web Paper Vote
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 Yes No Don't know *Some responded not
enough info to decide.
SMS Web Paper Vote
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Figure 124: Response to, “What Advantages Would There Be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”
Figure 125: Response to, “What Disadvantages Would There be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”
The participants recognized that there are advantages to partnering with one of the surrounding agencies because of the increased staffing and resource depth it would bring. However, several residents expressed that it is important for Pinole to have its own fire department irrespective of whether a partnering option is pursued. Several residents clearly articulated that it is very important that Station 74 be re-opened and staffed full-time. Also expressed was a need for more information regarding partnering options so that the community can make the best-informed decision for service delivery going forward. Increased costs and loss of local control are primary concerns with agency partnering. 0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 Increased Staffing Depth of Service Imp. Response Times Imp. Safety and Oversight
Better Value for
Service
Some responded more information needed to make educated decision. 0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 Loss of Local Control Increased Costs More Tax Assessments 491 of 801 645 of 955
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Figure 126: Response to, “Would You Support a Parcel Tax Measure if the Revenue it Generated Improved Services and Financial Stability Either as a Sole Agency or in a Partnering Option?” Support for a parcel tax measure exists among the participants, as indicated in Figure 126. However, consideration of a senior citizen exemption and some idea of a dollar amount per resident are important factors for residents in their deciding whether to support a tax measure.
The second phase of soliciting opinions and expectations about the Pinole Fire Department and the services it delivers were gathered by direct interviews of stakeholders. Eighteen stakeholders were scheduled for interviews that were completed over a two-day period. Of the 18 interviewees, these stakeholders represented the City Council, City Administration, Community Members, Business Community, PFD Labor, Administrative Staff Members, Chief Officers, and surrounding Fire Chiefs.
It is important to note that the information solicited and provided during this process was provided in the form of “individual inputs,” some of which are perceptions as reported by stakeholders. All information was accepted at face value without an in-depth investigation of its origination or reliability. The project team reviewed the information for consistency and frequency of comment to identify specific patterns and/or trends. The stakeholder responses are summarized next.
Elected Officials, Business Community, & Citizens
Are you aware of why we are here and the purpose of this project? • The majority of those interviewed were aware of why ESCI’s representatives were present. • Several of those interviewed stated that issues such as the closure of Station 74 and the on-going discussion of merging/consolidating/contracting, etc., with a neighboring fire department or district have been going on for several years.
• Others interviewed indicated that the purpose is to find out where the needs are and where to go from there.
• For those individuals who were not aware of the “why” and “purpose” an update was provided. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
*Some need to know $$ before supporting.
*Senior exemption is important to consider.
SMS Web Paper Vote
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In your opinion, what are the advantages/positives/strengths of the existing emergency service delivery system?
• The City Fire Department is providing a service and doing it well. • Benefits were different between the bargaining groups; now, they are the same which has created harmony amongst the employees.
• The fire department has been serving the City for a long time; and people like the idea of having their own full-service fire department; one station staffed with three firefighters. • Quick and efficient response by the fire department; impressed with the fire department. • Responding firefighters are competent, and we have local control. • Motivated, committed, responsive, well trained, and organized.
What are the disadvantages/negatives/weaknesses of the existing system? • Understaffed due to disabilities, budgeting for equipment, and excessive repairs. • The relationship between the fire department and the City could be improved. • Closure of Station 74, due to the City having zero reserve(s) when the recession occurred in December of 2007. Financial recovery for the City has been slow resulting in not having enough funding to reopen Station 74.
• Adversarial situation due to personnel now paying for a portion of the employer’s contribution to the Public Employees Retirement System.
• Strained relationship between elected officials and the fire department. • Assuming there are services that are not currently provided. • Pinole Fire Department is understaffed, lacks resources, equipment, and money. • There are potential disadvantages when reflecting on the wildland fires in California last year and the close proximity of homes, schools, etc., to hills and undeveloped land within the City. • Strong leadership, need to increase training, develop succession planning, implement performance evaluations.
Does the existing system provide the residents and community with acceptable protection? • No, due to traffic congestion during commute hours.
• There is a perception that there is a negative impact on surrounding agencies due to Pinole Fire Department having only one fire station.
• Three firefighters is not very many; need to bring in other firefighters from neighboring agencies. • Yes, the existing system provides acceptable protection. • No, if the Engine has a mechanical issue; response time is negatively affected and is not an adequate response due to having to depend on our neighboring fire agencies. • Not sure and want to have resources to respond appropriately to any requests for fire services. 493 of 801 647 of 955
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How important do you think it is for the City to have its own fire department? • The fire department is providing services now.
• Recognizes that there are efficiencies with everyone under the same roof. • Very important.
• There appears to be a struggle now due to the need for additional resources. • It is not that important; Stations 73 and 74 are in Pinole; who controls it does not really matter. • If having our own fire department enables the fire department enhanced ability to respond to emergencies, then it is very important.
Do you believe there would be advantages to the City and level of service if the City were to contract with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services? • Yes. Preference is partnering with Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District rather than Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
• Yes, with the assumption that there are services that are not currently provided. • There definitely would be an advantage.
• Yes, there would be additional training and resources as well as access to services Pinole does not have but the other agencies do.
• Would want this to go to the voters.
• It could be detrimental if the department could not provide—at a minimum—the current level of service.
Do you believe the community would support a parcel tax if the additional funding would improve operations and enhance the financial stability of the department either as a standalone or to fund one of the options mentioned?
• It depends on the dynamics; fixed income recipients are less likely to support an increase in taxes. • There are competing priorities due to existing conditions of our roadways; should they be addressed at the same time?
• If they understood what improvements were and what the costs are to them; then yes. • Folks who have wanted the improvements for a while will support it. • Yes, however, the funds must be allocated specifically for fire service(s). • The interviewee believes the community will support a parcel tax. • Possibly; cannot say yes or no. Some communities will support it and other will not. 494 of 801 648 of 955
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In the event the City were to contract with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services, what is the one issue that—if not addressed properly—would be a deal-breaker.
• Financial/cost.
• Identify how services that are provided now will improve and identify the cost. • Must be able to prove that response times will improve. • If there is presence in the City.
• Amount of safety personnel provided to the area.
• Taking the time, obtaining appropriate information, making sure that all the agencies coming together are on the same page.
Who do you think would be opposed to the change?
• No—not an organized group.
• There are citizens out there that take pride in having their own fire department. • Those who do not understand the advantages.
• None; hold on to Pinole’s identity.
• People who cannot afford it.
• Those who live in Pinole and only are familiar with Station 73. • Possibly those who believe they will be stimulating the economy; not supporting the fire department. • Those who opposed the construction of Station 74.
• Those who oppose spending funds from the City’s General Fund. • Employees affected by combining agencies into one.
Is there anything you would like to add that we have not discussed? • Hoping for a viable solution that is within the City’s financial means. • What does it take to provide services? A cross section of input is what is anticipated as a result of the current “report.”
• Possibly the “study” will put this issue to bed so they can move forward. • The Pinole Fire Department has always been “spot on.” • 10 years ago, it was appropriate to close Station 74; it should go to a ballot question. • Residents in this town want more fire coverage; this report is offering the benchmark. What happens when the benchmark is met?
• It is important to come up with a viable solution that the City can afford. If community supports staffing #74—let’s do it with a parcel tax. We have options. 495 of 801 649 of 955
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Chief Officers, Labor Leaders, & Firefighters Representatives What are some areas in which you think the department could make improvements? • Infrastructure
• Improve labor relations with the City Council
• Administrative support
• Succession Planning
• Leadership stability; in the past 9 years, Pinole Fire Department has had 13 Fire Chiefs • Battalion Chief training
• Consistent training for all safety personnel
• Open Station 74
• Policies are lacking in various yet needed areas
• Lack of a formal hiring process; at this point in time, there has been no consistency.
What do you see as the top critical issues faced by the City fire department today? • Lack of supervision on A and C shifts
• Staffing
• Policies; there are none
• Adequate Administration—a good service model
• Morale
• Communication
What opportunities, in your view, are available to improve the service and capabilities? • Collaboration with others
• On-line training
• Policy Development
• Contra Costa Fire Protection District
• Opportunities prevail with a reorganization
What challenges do you see to the change?
• The will of the Fire Chiefs and Elected Officials
• Going to the Union first before going to the Fire Chief • Finances
• Public perception(s)
• Collectively reviewing the existing Budget in detail
• Local control
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What drawbacks do you see to the City contracting with Contra Costa County FPD or have Rodeo-Hercules annex the area for the provision of fire-based services? • Price of contracting with Contra Costa Fire Protection District • Cultural differences between the three entities
• Concerned that Rodeo-Hercules Fire financial status and would not add any depth to existing services currently provided
• Health insurance and retirement benefits differ between agencies What are the critical issues that you believe will need to be addressed prior to moving forward? • Feasibility
• Viability
• Identify improvements
• How functioning as one will benefit the safety of personnel • Retirement (PERS vs County Retirement)
• The type of method that will bring us together, i.e., consolidation/annexation/merger/administrative 5-year agreement
Who or what groups do you believe would oppose the change? • Some City Council members
• Public opposition
Is there anything that you would like to add that we have not discussed? • Battalion 7 service model should have a temporary fix; there are multiple safety issues. • Bringing these three agencies together.
• Trying to train together.
• Salary differences
• Open to hearing the options; Pinole Fire has a stressed response number, no training, etc.
Surrounding Area Fire Chiefs
What are some areas in which you think the department (Pinole) could make improvements? • Pinole Fire is a “taker” due to having one fire station and the need to depend on neighboring agencies.
• Open and staff Station 74.
• Increase staffing levels.
• If Pinole cannot stand alone, opportunities exist operationally when working as the same agency. • The Battalion 7 agreement is being redesigned; however, it is not as good as being one agency.
What opportunities, in your view, are available to improve the service and capabilities within the region? • Increase the staffing levels and validate why the levels should be increased; i.e., one or two more firefighters per shift.
• Opportunities exist operationally when working as the same agency. 497 of 801 651 of 955
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What in your opinion are the top critical issues you believe Pinole Fire is facing over the next 5 years? • Aging fleet.
• A station in the wrong location based on the population density at the waterfront. • The constant struggle with funding.
• Expansion of services.
• Having the capability to sustain what they have developed into the future; Pinole Fire has not been able to re-gain staffing levels prior to the Recession.
What are the critical issues that you believe will need to be addressed in the Battalion 7 area in the next 5 years?
• Personnel safety
• Capacity
• Common communications
• Ensuring that each cooperating partner lives up to what they have agreed to How would you propose to address the coverage challenges in the area around the closed Station 74? • It is important to review existing numbers, i.e., requests for services/assistance from surrounding agencies, etc.—if the numbers aren’t working today how will they work in the future? • There exists a concern that if Rodeo-Hercules annexes the Pinole Fire Department’s response area, how will Rodeo-Hercules Fire be able to maintain an acceptable level of service and staff Station(s) 73 and 74?
In your opinion does the area in and around Pinole need a staffed truck company to compliment the required effective response force?
• If there is an effective training plan, the will of the Firefighters to train, etc., then staff the truck. • Most likely would not staff it as the Truck Company response responsibilities are contained within the Battalion 7 Agreement.
• Currently, Rodeo-Hercules’ Truck Company is the only Truck Company in the area and; is currently first-out for Rodeo-Hercules Fire.
What other information would you like to add?
• This is the third request for a proposal from the City of Pinole. • Pinole needs to do something; the current situation is not sustainable. • The City of Pinole has placed “Fire” in the background. 498 of 801 652 of 955
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Section III:
OPTIONS FOR SHARED SERVICES
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SHARED SERVICES OPTIONS
The following discussion identifies and explains multiple approaches that may be accessed in the State of California for sharing services or partnering in the delivery of services with neighboring agencies.
It is ESCI’s understanding based on data review, on-site interviews, and stakeholder input, that since 1971, discussions, studies and proposals, to annex, merge, and/or contract for services between one or more neighboring agencies, have taken place. To date, none of these options have had the administrative, operational, political, or community support necessary to pursue any of the options. While other fire service delivery models are reviewed in this report, an overview of available delivery systems is included to ensure a basic understanding of available partnering strategies.
To adequately discuss the partnering continuum, the terminology and statutory provisions that are available to decision-makers must be understood. The following partner strategies, while not necessarily described by statute, differentiate between various approaches to partnering:
Status Quo
This option continues the current status of PFD without change. PFD continues to provide services as they are today. There is no change to governance, staffing, or deployment of resources beyond the level of that already in place. The current collaborative practices, through the existing cooperative service arrangements and agreements, would remain in effect.
Advanced Auto Aid Systems
When two or more agencies participate in a full boundary drop approach to dispatching the closest resource first regardless of jurisdiction. This process can be greatly enhanced with the utilization of automatic vehicle location technology.
This approach is already in place between PFD, RHFPD, and CCFPD and is memorialized via the “Battalion 7 Agreement.”
Functional Consolidation
When two or more agencies enter a collaborative relationship, typically through a contract for service, no permanent organizational commitment is made, and all decision-making power remains with each organization. Interagency collaboration can take many forms and may include shared administrative and support functions, combined operational practices, the participation of fire agencies in activities such as local fire management bodies (such as fire defense boards), mutual aid agreements, and interagency disaster planning exercises. It can also provide for complete service delivery as an integrated/consolidated fire agency from one local agency to another.
One form of functional consolidation is through Contract for Service or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), described in greater detail as follows.
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Contract for Service—Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA)31 In the State of California, authorization for an intergovernmental agreement (contract for service) for the provision of fire services between agencies as provided for by California Statute and Government Code (CGC) Section 55613-55614, and the California Public Contracting Code (CPCC) Section 20811 are commonly referred to as a “Contract for Service.”
The California Government Code and Public Contracting Code is written with the intent of being liberally construed relating to contracting for public safety services by cities and fire districts, and states, in part, that:
CPCC 20811. When a district board determines that it is in the public interest, a district may contract with any other public agency for fire protection services, rescue services, emergency medical services, hazardous material emergency response services, ambulance services, and any other emergency services for the protection of lives and property.
This permissive statute allows for a local agency, which includes cities and districts to enter into a written agreement with any other unit or units of a local agency for the performance of any or all fire services and activities that a party to the agreement, its officers or agencies, have authority to perform. The agreement may provide for the performance of a function or activity:
(1) By a consolidated and fully integrated department;
(2) By jointly providing for administrative officers and services; (3) By means of facilities or equipment jointly constructed, owned, leased, or operated; (4) By services and/or functions provided by one of the parties for any other party; Collaborative approaches under the CGC can include shared or contracted programmatic services, often referred to as functional unification or functional consolidation. Approaches may include shared administrative service, training programs, fire prevention outreach, or numerous other functional collaborative strategies. This approach can also include a fully integrated/consolidated fire district with services contracted to another local agency.
California law, regulations, and policy directives declare intergovernmental cooperation as a matter of statewide concern and grants special districts broad power to contract with other governmental entities for any function or activity the agencies have authority to perform.
An example of an IGA is the May 29th Fire Services Contract proposal from Contra Costa Fire Protection District to the City of Pinole (Appendix A).
Operational Consolidation
Operational consolidation occurs when two or more separate departments join operationally or administratively to form one organization. The entities remain largely separate; however, they deliver service as if they were one agency.
31 California Government Code and California Public Contracting Code, Sections 55513–55614, 55631, 55632, 20811. 501 of 801 655 of 955
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Joint Powers Authority
(CGC Section 6500, et seq.)
Joint powers are exercised when the public officials of two or more agencies agree to create another legal entity or establish a joint approach to work on a common problem, fund a project, or act as a representative body for a specific activity.
Before 2016, LAFCOs did not have authority over contracts between government agencies such as Joint Powers Agreements/Agencies (JPA). However, changes in the law require cities and districts to apply to LAFCO for approval of a JPA in certain circumstances.
Many of the changes in the laws governing LAFCO are in response to confusion among citizens regarding who and how their local government services are provided. Also, constituents are requesting increased transparency in government. LAFCOs are expected to provide resources to sort out government service providers, as well as assist in the coordination and long-range planning of those services. LAFCO’s role has expanded from oversight of boundary changes to conducting studies that analyze the efficient and economical provision of local government services.
Legal Unification
The concept of legal unification means combining two or more existing organizations into a single, unified, agency. Doing so includes all aspects of the organization’s policies, administration, governance, financing, functions, and operations. Legal integration of fire services in California can be achieved in a number of ways, the most common forms for fire districts are district formation, consolidation, reorganization, annexation, or formation of a Joint Powers Agency. District formation, consolidation, reorganization, and annexation are changes of organization which require approval by LAFCO. In some cases, the formation or expansion of a JPA also requires LAFCO approval.
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Section IV:
OPTIONS FOR DELIVERY OF
FIRE-BASED SERVICES
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OPTIONS
Per the Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Scope of Work, ESCI was to research possible options for providing fire protection to the community. The alternatives available to accomplish providing these services were limited due to the lack of availability of agencies with capacity and capability in general proximity to Pinole.
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District
During preliminary discussions with the City of Pinole and the Chief of the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District (RHFPD), ESCI was led to believe that the District was interested in offering a proposal to provide fire protection services under contractto territory within the City of Pinole or annex the area within the City limits into the District so it would receive services comparable to other territories within the District.
Several weeks into developing the baseline analysis of options, the RHFPD Fire Chief transmitted a note via email that RHFPD would not be interested in submitting proposals until the study is completed. Prior to receiving the communication from RHFPD, ESCI had initiated a preliminary analysis of the District’s organizational structure and financial condition based on information available via the internet.
RHFPD is similar in operational make up to PFD with the exception being RHFPD operates two staffed stations versus PFD’s one. RHFPD, like PFD, has minimal administrative staff to carry out critical administrative tasks. In the event RHFPD were to submit any proposal to provide service, the proposal should include a provision for opening PFD Station 74 as well as staffing key administrative functions.
Should RHFPD express an interest in annexing the area within the Pinole City Limits, the following will need to be considered:
• Expand the boundaries of the Rodeo-Hercules FPD to include territory within the City of Pinole by submitting an annexation proposal to LAFCO.
• Transfer (or lease) City-owned fire service facilities and equipment (i.e., stations, rolling stock, hoses, ladders, etc.) to the Rodeo-Hercules FPD.
• Have the RHFPD hire City of Pinole employees who provide fire protection and wish to become employees of the RHFPD and devise a process to determine relative employee seniority. • Determine how to fund the additional service responsibilities incurred by the RHFPD such as reallocate a percentage of the City’s property tax allocation to RHFPD effective the year the annexation becomes effective. This percentage amount would be negotiated and approved by the City, the District, and the Board of Supervisors and consider extending an existing Special Tax already imposed by Rodeo-Hercules FPD within its current boundaries to the parcels being annexed. It is assumed this would be a condition of LAFCO’s approval of the annexation. 504 of 801 658 of 955
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• As a result of these changes, (1) the territory within the City would be within the boundaries and service area of the RHFPD, (2) the City would receive a smaller portion of the 1 percent property tax levied within its boundaries but would have fewer municipal expenses since it would no longer provide fire protection services, and (3) property owners within the City would begin paying the special tax which is already being paid by property owners within the Rodeo-Hercules FPD. • Any proposal from RHFPD should include a plan to staff Pinole Station 74 and provide the administrative functions currently missing within PFD.
Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
The City of Pinole requested a proposal from Contra Costa County Fire Protection District(CCFPD)to provide services within the Pinole City Limits.
The proposal received from CCFPD is analyzed below. It must be noted that as stated in the document from CCFPD, this is a proposal, not an offer to provide service, and all terms of the proposal would require negotiation.
CCFPD provides fire and emergency medical services to nearly a million people across its 304-square-mile District area, and through mutual aid, in and around the 19 cities and unincorporated communities of Contra Costa County, California. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by CCFPD through its unique sub-contractor Alliance model. In 2018, the District responded to nearly 75,000 fire and EMS emergencies and dispatched some 95,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 74,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 26 fire stations and more than 400 employees, appears to be well funded, well equipped, and is capable of expanding services to include the City of Pinole.
The terms of the proposal include staffing each station with a crew of three personnel on a 24-hour per day, seven days per week basis, and one Battalion Chief-level position on a 56-hour per shift basis with an annual 5 percent escalation for all labor costs. The proposal includes providing components of administration currently understaffed by PFD, such as training, EMS program oversight, duty chief coverage, IT support, and others. The proposal does not include Fire Prevention/Fire Investigation Services or code enforcement that is not cost neutral. The proposal also does not include annual charges for dispatch services. Should Pinole elect to purchase or retain its own equipment, the District would provide maintenance services on those vehicles at an hourly rate of $100 per hour. The proposal does not include a cost for mobile or hand-held radio equipment. Should Pinole elect to allow the CCFPD to purchase fire trucks for use in the City, the proposal contains a provision for the City to contribute funds to the District’s apparatus replacement fund, based on a 10-year replacement cycle for the apparatus.
The City of Pinole may negotiate a contract with CCFPD that would not include acquiring fire apparatus through the service contract; however, it would still be necessary for the City to acquire apparatus to provide the services contemplated under the contract. Operating costs proposed under the contract are indicated in the following figure. Capital costs included in the proposal from CCFPD are separately indicated below the operating costs. The City is in the process of acquiring a new Type I engine. The engine, while capable of comparably performing all the required tasks, does not meet the current specifications of CCFPD. 505 of 801 659 of 955
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Figure 127: Contra Costa Fire Protection District Proposal for Fire Protection Services Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Proposal
Projected
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Staffing Costs, Including Benefits, Escalates at 5% per Year Station 73 3,274,629 3,438,360 3,610,278 3,790,792 3,980,332 Station 74 3,274,629 3,438,360 3,610,278 3,790,792 3,980,332 Shift Battalion Chief 467,880 491,274 515,838 541,630 568,711 Staffing Sub-Total 7,017,138 7,367,995 7,736,395 8,123,214 8,529,375 Administrative Overhead (10%) 701,714 736,799 773,639 812,321 852,938 Total Operating Costs Per the Proposal 7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,535 9,382,313 Optional Capital Replacement Costs and Staff Vehicle Rental Battalion Chief Vehicle 8,700 8,700 8,700 8,700 8,700
Type I Engine—Station 73 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 Type I Engine—Station 74 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 94,985 Type III Engine—Station 73 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 Type III Engine—Station 74 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 42,150 Capital Replacement Reserve 310,000 310,000 310,000 310,000 310,000 Type I Engine Loose Equipment—73 45,000 - - - -
Type I Engine Loose Equipment—74 45,000 - - - -
Type III Engine Loose Equipment—73 25,000 - - - -
Type III Engine Loose Equipment—74 25,000 - - - -
Battalion Chief Loose Equipment 25,000 - - - -
Equipment Replacement Reserve 22,500 22,500 22,500 22,500 22,500 Totals $8,499,322 $8,720,264 $9,125,504 $9,551,006 $9,997,783 506 of 801 660 of 955
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The following figure shows the impact on the City of Pinole's projected budgets through the fifth year. This proposal uses the total operating costs from the CCFPD proposal from Figure 127 as the starting point. These costs would include a minimum of three crew members per shift staffing at both stations, the cost of a Battalion Chief’s position, and administrative costs of 10 percent of the total salary and benefits costs. The proposal has an automatic five percent annual escalator included for anticipated cost increases. All current costs associated with the fire department are removed, and the contract fire prevention officer costs added back to determine the impact on the City’s General Fund Budget for the five years. These calculations freeze the City’s General Fund and Measure S contributions at current levels. To re-open Station 74, an apparatus will be required and, to ensure funds are available to purchase replacement apparatus, an apparatus replacement fund is indicated as being created. While the City would no longer pay for current, normal costs for pensions, the City’s unfunded actuarial liabilities would not be extinguished, and payments would be required to pay off that liability. The costs associated with accepting the Contra Costa FPD proposal assume that the City of Pinole will, rather than purchase apparatus through the proposal, purchase its own apparatus and create a fleet replacement fund to provide cash to replace the vehicles at the end its useful life.
Accordingly, some amount should be considered for annual maintenance costs related to the apparatus.
Similar to the projected amounts contained in prior figures, the information contained in the following figures utilizes revised amounts provided represents amounts available on December 15, 2019.
The parcel tax calculations include allocating the costs of this Option first, between the three types of parcels, with 10 percent of the single-family parcels being excluded as occupied by at least one person aged 65 or older, and second, allocating the costs using the total number of parcels, again reduced by 10 percent of the single-family units for the senior’s discount. The 10 percent figure is based on information from the 2010 U.S.
Census.
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Figure 128: Impact on Future City of Pinole Operating Budgets of Accepting the Contra Costa FPD Proposal
Costs
Year
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Contra Costa Proposed Operating Costs
(Figure 127)
7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,536 9,382,313
Add Fire Prevention Costs 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 UAL Pension Liability Payment 386,129 441,171 506,390 559,659 591,073 Total Operating Costs 8,264,981 8,705,965 9,176,424 9,655,195 10,133,386 Additional Type I Engine Lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Capital Expenditures 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 Total Expenditures 8,599,383 9,040,367 9,510,826 9,989,597 10,467,788 Deduct GF Funding Cap (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Projected Funding from Measure S Initiatives (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) Revised Net Funding from the Parcel Tax 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 968.96 1,073.18 1,184.36 1,297.50 1,410.51 Costs Allocated 556,184 616,003 679,820 744,765 809,632 Multi-Family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 807.47 894.31 986.96 1,081.25 1,175.42 Costs Allocated 84,784 93,903 103,631 113,531 123,419
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Single-Family Tracts 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355
Parcel Tax Per Tract 645.97 715.45 789.57 865.00 940.34 Costs Allocated 3,459,192 3,831,238 4,228,152 4,632,077 5,035,514 Total Costs Allocated 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Total Tracts 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel Tax Per Tract 679.51 752.59 830.56 909.91 989.16 Total Costs Allocated 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Escalation 10.76% 10.36% 9.55% 8.71%
The decrease in the annual escalation results from the decrease in the growth rate of the funding for the UAL pension costs.
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Option C: Expansion of the Pinole Fire Department System A third alternative to be considered is the restoration of the service model using the currently closed Station 74 and staffing of key administrative positions. This alternative maintains minimum staffing of three personnel for each of the three shifts at this station and enhances service to the area around Station 74 to include initial attack for fire incidents and the provision of advanced life support (Paramedics). It is contemplated that the officers and engineers for Station 74 will be promoted from the current employees at Station 73 and all new hires will be at the firefighter level and placed under the PEPRA pension system.
Salaries for each of the three positions are projected using Step B from the City of Pinole Salary Ranking schedule dated May 31, 2019. Since May 31, 2019, employees have received a 3 percent cost of living adjustment. Overtime costs are projected to be approximately $100,000 per year higher than those projected at Station 73 or approximately $400,000 per year, or $133,333 per shift. Pension and benefit costs are projected by interpolating costs from the FY 19/20 Budget. Medicare costs are calculated at 1.045 percent of gross salaries. Education and certification pay are calculated at $50 per month per position. Salary costs are escalated at the previously established 3 percent annually. Benefits other than pension costs increase at a 5 percent annual rate. Pension costs are estimated to remain at 13.1 percent per the CalPERS August 2018 PEPRA Safety Fire Plan Annual Valuation report as ofJune 30, 2017, for the new employees.
There will be other miscellaneous but minimal station operating expenses resulting from the occupancy of the station on a full-time basis. There will be additional supplies, including the annual employee clothing allowances and start-up costs for turnout gear for new employees.
Additionally, capital expenditures may include the acquisition of a new Type I engine to be used by the expanded crews at Station 74.
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Figure 129: Projected Costs to Re-Open Station 74, Years 1–5 Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Station 74 Staffing Costs
Captain 95,539 98,405 101,357 104,398 107,530
Engineer 86,337 88,927 91,595 94,343 97,173
Firefighter/Paramedic 82,724 85,206 87,762 90,395 93,107 Overtime Costs 133,333 133,333 133,333 133,333 133,333
Per Shift 397,933 405,871 414,047 422,469 431,143
Number of Shifts 3 3 3 3 3
Compensation 1,193,800 1,217,614 1,242,140 1,267,407 1,293,429 Pension Costs 157,009 160,141 163,366 166,689 170,112
Estimated Health Insurance 248,462 260,885 273,929 287,625 302,007 Life And AD&D Insurance 3,445 3,617 3,798 3,988 4,187
Medicare 17,310 17,655 18,011 18,377 18,755
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 Benefits 431,625 447,698 464,504 482,080 500,460
Compensation and Benefits—Station 74 1,625,425 1,665,312 1,706,643 1,749,487 1,793,889 Clothing Allowance 9,000 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Turnout Gear 31,500 — — — —
Total Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total Operating Costs 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Type I Engine Lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Apparatus Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Capital Expenditures 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 Total Costs $2,000,327 $2,006,914 $2,048,245 $2,091,089 $2,135,491 Based on ESCI’s review of critical administrative functions, PFD will need additional full-time staffing to manage programs and other administrative tasks. ESCI is recommending the creation of three 40-hour per week positions to assist in managing the organization. The first position would be an Administrative Battalion Chief, responsible for the EMS program, training program oversight, policies and procedures, and provide an additional chief officer for supervision. The second position would be a Training Captain responsible for the training program with oversight from the Administrative Battalion Chief. A third recommended position would be a Fire Prevention Officer responsible for all fire prevention duties, including those carried out by the current contract inspector. The following figure provides an estimated cost for each position and in total. 510 of 801 664 of 955
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Figure 130: Projected Costs of Additional Administrative Positions, FY 19/20–FY 23/24 Projected Administrative
Position Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Battalion Chief—Administration 152,894 157,481 162,205 167,072 172,084 Pension Costs 20,029 20,630 21,249 21,886 22,543
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 420 441 463 486 511
Medicare 2,217 2,328 2,444 2,566 2,695
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 49,558 51,636 53,805 56,070 58,436
Salary & Benefits—Admin BC 202,452 209,117 216,010 223,142 230,520 Captain—Training 88,339 90,989 93,719 96,530 99,426
Pension Costs 11,572 11,920 12,277 12,645 13,025
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 243 255 268 281 295
Medicare 1,281 1,345 1,412 1,483 1,557
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 39,988 41,757 43,606 45,541 47,564
Salary & Benefits—Training Capt. 128,327 132,746 137,325 142,071 146,990 Fire Prevention Officer (Building Inspector pay) 67,601 69,629 71,718 73,870 76,086 Pension Costs 8,856 9,121 9,395 9,677 9,967
Estimated Health Insurance 26,292 27,607 28,987 30,437 31,958 Life and AD&D Insurance 186 195 205 215 226
Medicare 980 1,029 1,081 1,135 1,191
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 600 630 662 695 729 Benefits 36,914 38,582 40,330 42,159 44,071
Salary & Benefits—Prevention Capt. 104,515 108,211 112,048 116,029 120,157 Total Administrative Personnel Costs $435,295 $450,074 $465,382 $481,240 $497,669 The following figure combines the current projections, projected costs associated with re-opening Station 74, and the costs to increase administrative positions for the fire department.This alternative includes setting a fixed amount to be funded from the City’s General Fund Budget that is limited to the funding amount in the adopted FY 19/20 budget. The Measure S initiatives from both 2014 and 2006 are frozen in a similar manner.
The funds to provide for these costs are proposed to be derived from the implementation of a parcel tax.
Current fire department operating costs, as identified in Figure 27 and the following figure, includes payments under the legacy CalPERS pension system, which is anticipated to increase dramatically over the next several years. Pension costs on salaries included in the proposed Station 74 and Administrative positions are calculated under the less expensive PEPRA system.
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This option provides for the re-opening of Station 74, with employee costs of three full-time positions per shift; the creation of an Administrative Battalion Chief, a Training Captain position, and a Fire Prevention Officer included in the projections. Included in this option are the addition of the cost of the lease of a Type I engine and the establishment of an apparatus replacement fund to provide for the replacement of fire apparatus in the future. This option is the most flexible alternative as it provides medical response capability with increased fire response capacity.
Figure 131: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25
Projected Fire Department
Operating Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total Operating Costs (Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Fire Prevention (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 Operating Costs (Figure 129) 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Administrative Positions 435,295 450,074 465,382 481,240 497,669 Total Operating Costs 7,213,846 7,791,806 8,454,203 9,173,911 9,992,956 Additional Type I Engine Lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Capital Expenditures
Total Expenditures 7,548,248 8,126,208 8,788,605 9,508,313 10,327,358 Deduct General Fund Funding Cap (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Deduct Measure S Initiatives Cap (Figure 27) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) Revised Net Funding from the Parcel Tax 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 720.55 857.14 1,013.68 1,183.76 1,377.32 Costs Allocated 413,598 491,998 581,852 679,480 790,583 Multi-family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 600.46 714.28 844.73 986.47 1,147.77 Costs Allocated 63,049 75,000 88,697 103,579 120,516
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Single-Family Tracts 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355
Parcel Tax Per Tract 480.37 571.43 675.79 789.17 918.21 Costs Allocated 2,572,379 3,059,988 3,618,834 4,226,032 4,917,038 Total Costs Allocated 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel Tax Per Tract 505.31 601.09 710.87 830.14 965.88 Costs Allocated 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Escalation 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35%
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Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit A fourth alternative to consider is the implementation of a service model using the currently closed Station 74 and utilizing a quick response/attack unit staffed with two qualified personnel. This option enhances service to the area around Station 74 to include limited initial attack for fire incidents and improved provision of advanced life support (Paramedics). Salaries for the two positions are projected using Step B from the City of Pinole Salary Ranking schedule dated May 31, 2019. Pension costs are calculated at the PEPRA rate of 13.1 percent, and benefit costs are projected by interpolating costs from the FY 19/20 Budget. Medicare costs are calculated at 1.045 percent of gross salaries. Education and certification pay are calculated at $50 per month per position. Salary costs are escalated at the previously established 3 percent annually. Benefits other than pension costs increase at a 5 percent annual rate. Pension costs are estimated to remain at 13.1 percent per the CalPERS August 2018 PEPRA Safety Fire Plan Annual Valuation report as of June 30, 2017, for the new employees.
This alternative, while not recommended, restores the minimum staffing of two personnel for each of the three shifts at this station. This option will provide an apparatus with medical response capability and minimal fire response capacity. The effect on fire operations would be to allow safer operations for firefighters and the ability to conduct interior operations on structure fires without awaiting the arrival of mutual or automatic aid companies.
Figure 132: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Engineer 86,337 88,927 91,595 94,343 97,173
Firefighter/Paramedic 82,724 85,206 87,762 90,395 93,107 Overtime Costs 66,667 66,667 66,667 66,667 66,667
Per Shift 235,727 240,799 246,023 251,404 256,946
Number of Shifts 3 3 3 3 3
Compensation 707,182 722,398 738,070 754,212 770,838
Pension Costs 92,641 94,634 96,687 98,802 100,980
Estimated Health Insurance 165,641 173,923 182,619 191,750 201,338 Life and AD&D Insurance 2,041 2,143 2,250 2,362 2,480
Medicare 10,254 10,475 10,702 10,936 11,177
Estimated Education/Certification Pay 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 5,400 Benefits 275,977 286,575 297,658 309,250 321,375
Compensation and Benefits—Station 74 983,159 1,008,973 1,035,728 1,063,462 1,092,213 Station 74 Supplies
Clothing Allowance 9,000 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Turnout Gear 31,500 – – – –
Total Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total Station 74 Costs 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 513 of 801 667 of 955
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Station 74 Staffing Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
PFD Projected Operating Costs 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Quick Attack Pumper Lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 Projected Costs 6,320,333 6,869,441 7,501,954 8,190,694 8,977,659 Deduct General Fund Funding Cap (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Deduct Measure S Initiatives Cap (Figure 27) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) Amount to Fund from Parcel Tax 1,821,110 2,370,217 3,002,731 3,691,471 4,478,436 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 393.48 512.13 648.79 797.61 967.65 Costs Allocated 225,860 293,962 372,408 457,828 555,430 Multi-Family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 327.90 426.77 540.66 664.67 806.37 Costs Allocated 34,430 44,811 56,770 69,791 84,669
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Single-Family Tracts 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355
Parcel Tax Per Tract 291.47 379.35 480.59 590.82 716.78 Costs Allocated 1,560,820 2,031,444 2,573,553 3,163,852 3,838,337 Total Costs Allocated 1,821,110 2,370,217 3,002,731 3,691,471 4,478,436 All Tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel Tax Per Tract 296.59 392.81 497.64 611.78 742.20 Total Costs Allocated 1,789,610 2,370,217 3,002,731 3,691,471 4,478,436 Escalation 32.44% 26.69% 22.94% 21.32%
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Option E: Staffing Station 74 with a Two-Person Unit and Add a Training Captain32 The following figure includes costs associated with adding a two-person quick response unit noted in Figure 132 and the addition of a recommended Training Captain’s position to assist in the continuing training of the Department’s firefighters and the administrative tasks of the Department. The addition of the Training Captain position will remove these day-to-day responsibilities from the Fire Chief, allowing him to focus on the more strategic needs of the agency.
Figure 133: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 and a Training Captain
Station 74 Staffing Costs and
Training Captain
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Projected Operating Costs (Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Total Station 74 Costs 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 Training Captain Costs 128,327 132,745 137,325 142,071 146,991 Total Projected Operating Costs 6,424,612 6,978,138 7,615,231 8,308,717 9,100,602 Quick Attack Pumper Lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 Total Projected Costs 6,448,660 7,002,186 7,639,279 8,332,765 9,124,650 General Fund Maximum Contributions (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Measure S Initiatives—Maximum (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) Amount to Fund from Parcel Tax 1,949,438 2,502,963 3,140,056 3,833,542 4,625,427 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 460.70 591.51 742.07 905.95 1,093.09 Costs Allocated 264,440 339,525 425,946 520,017 627,436 Multi-Family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 383.91 492.92 618.39 754.96 910.91 Costs Allocated 40,311 51,757 64,931 79,271 95,646
Single Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Single-Family Tracts 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355
Parcel Tax Per Tract 307.13 394.34 494.71 603.97 728.73 Costs Allocated 1,644,687 2,111,681 2,649,179 3,234,254 3,902,345 Total Costs Allocated 1,949,438 2,502,963 3,140,056 3,833,542 4,625,427 All tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel Tax Per Tract 323.08 414.81 520.39 635.32 766.56 Total Costs Allocated 1,949,438 2,502,963 3,140,056 3,833,542 4,625,427 Escalation 28.39% 25.45% 22.09% 20.66%
32 Option is an addition to this Addendum.
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Capital Costs to Implement the Expansion of Services
To accomplish the reopening of Station 74 as a firefighting unit with medical first response capabilities and to fill the administrative and prevention positions recommended above, it will be necessary to invest in capital resources. The following figure estimates the amounts necessary to acquire the vehicles identified in the preceding recommendations.
Figure 134: Costs of Capital Resources to Reopen Station 74 and Add Administrative and Prevention Staff Description Vehicle Cost Equipment Cost Total Cost
Quick attack $150,000 $50,000 $200,000
Or Type I Engine $850,000 $50,000 $900,000
Battalion Chief SUV $45,000 $30,000 $75,000
Training Captain Pickup $35,000 $20,000 $55,000
Fire Prevention Officer $35,000 $5,000 $40,000
In comparing the costs between a Type I engine with a crew of three and a Type VI quick attack pumper with a crew of two, several issues need to be considered in the decision. The first issue is the community's expectation regarding the effectiveness of the smaller crew of the Type VI arriving on a medical response and being able to efficiently provide continuous Advanced Life Support (ALS) intervention pending the arrival of an ambulance unit. The second consideration is the effectiveness of the smaller crew and minimum capabilities of a Type VI engine arriving at a structure fire and being expected to safely perform the tasks of the larger crew of the Type I engine. Placing a Type I engine in Station 74 would improve response times to the area served by the station and would increase firefighter safety as well as effectiveness throughout the system. Personnel costs would increase approximately $400,000 per year to add the third firefighter position per shift at Station 74.
Potential Revenue Source to Provide Funding for Restoration of Services from Station 74 Costs required to improve the performance of the Pinole Fire Department by restoring fire and EMS response services from Station 74 are significant and include operations as well as capital costs. As the City of Pinole continues to experience fiscal issues associated with, among other demands, increased pension funding requirements, an additional source of revenue is necessary to provide funding for the increased costs associated with Station 74.
The State of California allows for community-approved special assessments to provide funding for specific government programs such as fire protection. One such alternative would be that of a parcel tax. As indicated in the projections of Figure 133, the proposed parcel tax has, for your consideration, been calculated with and without an exemption for senior citizens and with being allocated by property type versus a total parcel count.
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ESCI evaluated various service fee lists provided by the City of Pinole to determine if any were a suitable model for an allocation schedule that fairly distributes the costs among the types of parcels. ESCI determined that none of the provided fee allocation schedules were appropriate and elected to develop a model based on differences in assumed risk between the three categories; commercial, multi-family residential, and single-family residential. The methodology assumes that single-family residential would be the base risk upon which the other categories would be viewed and would assign it a 1.0 risk factor. Multi-family residential would be assigned a risk factor of 1.25 or 25 percent higher risk than that of a single-family residence; the thought is that the impact to multiple residents is greater due to the proximity of a neighboring residence (two layers of sheetrock versus a required separation between single-family homes). Commercial parcels are assigned a risk factor of 1.5 or 50 percent higher than single-family residential units due to, typically, larger floor space, more flammable contents and the risk extending beyond the typical life hazards found in residential structures to the potential economic impact of the loss of an employer and sales tax generator in the city. This methodology creates a higher parcel assessment for multi-family residential and commercial parcels than single-family residential parcels. The same methodology was utilized to evaluate the various alternatives to provide fire protection services. An additional per parcel calculation is included that spreads the increased costs over the total number of parcels. The above calculations include discounts for senior citizens.
Option F: Develop and Implement a Reserve Firefighter Program33 Reserve and volunteer firefighter programs are not new in California, and there are several examples of these types of programs.
The first volunteer fire departments consisted of neighbors banding together at the sound of a bell or other alarm signal when a fire occurred. These volunteers would respond from home, with little to no training and little to no protective equipment, and assist in saving as much property as possible. As society and equipment progressed, motorized fire apparatus were developed, and personal protective equipment evolved. The volunteer fire service progressed and emergency notification sirens were added, signaling members to respond to the fire station to obtain the apparatus and respond. This system provided some level of emergency response to fire incidents and due to legacy construction materials and furniture coverings, was moderately successful in saving lives and property. As municipalities formed, career-based service delivery began to replace these volunteer fire companies; however, smaller communities and rural areas typically could not afford to move in that direction. Volunteer participation has dwindled due to increasing time commitments and required training and certification, volunteer systems began to employ part-time firefighters to respond during day-time hours, maintain volunteer systems during evening and weekend hours.
33 Option is an addition to this Addendum.
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As construction techniques and building materials “improved” to allow for greater open spans in residential construction and the legacy cotton and wood furnishings were replaced with synthetic materials and laminates, all created from hydrocarbons, fire dynamics changed dramatically. These new materials burn much faster and give off toxic gases as byproducts. In legacy construction, flashover or the rapid full involvement of a room and contents could take up to 25 minutes to occur, minimizing fire growth and providing for extra time to evacuate a building. In the current environment, flashover is occurring in less than five minutes,reducing the chance of survivability and significantly increasing property damage in an incident.
The City administration, fire department, and the bargaining group would have to determine how volunteers or reserves would serve the organization as an augmentation of the current system, a staffing addition to reopen Station 74, staff a second apparatus during incidents requiring the first-out apparatus, or something inbetween.
Volunteer or reserve members—to create or maintain an effective response system—should be expected to work a predetermined number of hours on a weekly or monthly basis, working an assigned shift to develop familiarity with crew members and their methods of operation. To safely and effectively perform the duties of a firefighter requires a commitment to physical fitness and continuous training. It takes a time commitment as well as a commitment to serve.
There will be a cost involved in creating a volunteer or reserve firefighter program. California volunteer or reserve firefighters are required to be certified to the same standards as career firefighters in the State.
Volunteer firefighters are also required, under State statutes, to be covered under a workers’ compensation insurance program and are required to be furnished with the personal protective equipment necessary to perform their duties.
To provide an alternative to additional full-time firefighters and achieve operational goals and objectives, it would require 18 volunteer/reserve firefighters; nine assigned to daytime 12-hour shifts and nine to nighttime 12-hour shifts. Three each of the daytime and three each of the nighttime volunteers would be assigned to one of the current platoons. This would allow one full-time firefighter/paramedic to be assigned to Station 74 with one volunteer/reserve firefighter/EMT for each of the 12-hour shifts. The remaining two volunteer/reserve firefighters would remain at Station 73 to become the firefighters assigned to the engine, increasing the crew on the first out engine to four personnel.
Figure 135: Projected Cost of Implementing a Volunteer/Reserve Firefighter Program Volunteer/Reserve Firefighter
Program Components
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Workers’ Compensation Insurance 18,000 18,360 18,727 19,102 19,484 Training/Certifications @$50 each 900 900 900 900 900
Stipends @ $40 per shift 29,200 29,200 29,200 29,200 29,200 Total Recurring Costs 48,100 48,460 48,827 49,202 49,584 Turnout Gear (18 sets) 54,000 – – – –
Total Non-recurring Costs 54,000 – – – –
Total Costs 102,100 48,460 48,827 49,202 49,584
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Option G: Contract with Contra Costa Fire Protection District to Station a Single Role Advanced Life Support Ambulance within Pinole34
Per the direction of the City Council, the City of Pinole requested and received a proposal from Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCFPD) to station a single role Advanced Life Support ambulance within the Pinole city limits (Appendix B). The proposal received from CCFPD is analyzed below. Note that, as stated in the document from CCFPD, this is a proposal, not an offer to provide service, and all terms of the proposal would require negotiation.
The terms of the proposal include staffing Station 74 with an ambulance contracted through CCFPD. The proposal provides an ambulance on a 24/7 basis, staffed with one paramedic and one EMT. The supervision, training, and administrative costs are included in the $1,445,400 annual payment. There is no stated escalation clause, but the pricing is subject to change based on “increased costs of providing ambulance services, increased equipment and apparatus costs, or other unanticipated cost issues not contemplated.” For this projection, ESCI has estimated a five percent annual escalation in the operating costs of the ambulance unit. The proposal requires the acquisition of an ambulance unit and related equipment, totaling $170,000 first-year cost.
Figure 136: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Contract Ambulance at Station 74 Cost of Reopening and Staffing a
Contract Ambulance at Station 74
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total Operating Costs (Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Contra Costa Ambulance Costs 1,445,400 1,517,670 1,593,554 1,673,231 1,756,893 Less Contract Fire Prevention Costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Administrative Positions (Figure 130) 435,295 450,074 465,382 481,240 497,669 Total Operating Costs 6,993,321 7,636,964 8,333,914 9,090,455 9,948,760 Ambulance Capital Costs 170,000 – – – –
Total Expenditures 7,163,321 7,636,964 8,333,914 9,090,455 9,948,760 Deduct Measure S 2006 (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) Deduct Measure S 2014 (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) Total Measure S Initiatives Deductions (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) Deduct Projected GF Funding Cap (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Amount to Fund from Parcel Tax 2,664,099 3,137,742 3,834,692 4,591,233 5,449,538 Commercial Tracts 574 574 574 574 574
Parcel Tax Per Tract 575.63 677.97 828.56 992.02 1,177.47 Costs Allocated 330,410 389,153 475,591 569,419 675,869 Multi-family Tracts 105 105 105 105 105
Parcel Tax Per Tract 479.69 564.97 690.46 826.68 981.23 Costs Allocated 50,367 59,322 72,499 86,802 103,029
34 Option is an addition to this Addendum.
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Cost of Reopening and Staffing a
Contract Ambulance at Station 74
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Single-Family Tracts 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Single-Family Tracts 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,355
Parcel Tax Per Tract 426.39 502.20 613.74 734.83 872.20 Costs Allocated 2,283,322 2,689,267 3,286,602 3,935,012 4,670,640 Total Costs Allocated 2,664,099 3,137,742 3,834,692 4,591,233 5,449,538 All tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 10% Tracts Eligible for Senior Exemptions (595) (595) (595) (595) (595) Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel Tax Per Tract 441.51 473.34 578.47 692.60 822.08 Total Costs Allocated 2,664,099 3,137,742 3,834,692 4,591,233 5,449,538 Escalation 7.21% 22.21% 19.73% 18.69%
In comparing the costs between a Type I engine with a crew of three, a Type VI quick attack pumper with a crew of two, and a contract ambulance, several issues need to be considered in the decision. The first issue is the expectation of the community as to the effectiveness of the smaller crew of the Type VI arriving on a medical incident and providing continuous advanced life support intervention until the arrival of an ambulance. The second consideration is the smaller crew on a Type VI engine arriving at a structure fire and being expected to safely perform the tasks of the larger crew of the Type I engine. Placing a Type I engine in Station 74 would improve response times to the area served by the station and would increase firefighter safety as well as effectiveness throughout the system. Personnel costs would increase approximately $400,000 per year to add the third firefighter position per shift at Station 74. The contract ambulance would improve medical response times but would have no positive impact of any type on fire response. Costs to utilize the contract ambulance from Contra Costa Fire Protection District are approximately $800,000 per year above the costs of staffing a two-person quick attack pumper that would be equipped with medical response equipment.
The following figure compares the “gross” costs of all the options. As anticipated, the proposals from the CCFPD are the most expensive and would require the most contribution of additional Pinole tax dollars to implement.
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Figure 137: Comparison of Gross Costs of All Options
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules FPD No proposal
Option B: Contra Costa FPD
(Figure 128)
$8,599,383 $9,040,367 $9,510,826 $9,989,597 $10,467,788 Option C: Expansion of PFD
(Figure 131)
$7,548,248 $8,126,208 $8,788,605 $9,508,313 $10,327,358 Option D: Two Person Type VI
(Figure 132)
$6,320,333 $6,869,441 $7,501,954 $8,190,694 $8,977,659
Option E: Type VI & Training Capt.
(Figure 133)
$6,448,660 $7,002,186 $7,639,279 $8,332,765 $9,124,650
Option F: Volunteer/Reserves
(Figure 135) $102,100 $48,460 $48,827 $49,202 $49,584
Option G: Contra Costa Ambulance
(Figure 136)
$7,163,321 $7,636,964 $8,333,914 $9,090,455 $9,948,760
Status Quo: Operations Continue at
The Current Level (Figure 27)
$4,188,930 $5,488,293 $5,272,626 $5,829,219 $6,434,978
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Section V:
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
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KEY FINDINGS
This section of the report contains findings as well as recommendations that have been noted and or developed during the course of this study. The following lists ESCI’s key findings:
• Due to the lack of sufficient command and administrative staff, the department struggles to maintain compliance with performance goals, industry standards, and workload. • Data collection and records management analysis was challenging due to inconsistencies. • The department needs additional staffing to fulfill all fire prevention related functions satisfactorily. • PFD does not have a designated individual committed to the training function for the department.
The responsibility for conducting all needs assessments relative to training, as well as program design, coordination, and records keeping.
• The department does not have adequate training props, although funding has been included in the FY 19/20 budget to purchase some.
• The minimum staffing level for PFD does not provide for the two-in/two-out structure firefighting per OSHA mandates.35
• PFD is fully dependent on automatic and mutual aid for any call requiring more than one unit. • In the event of concurrent incidents requiring more than the one staffed Pinole Engine, service to the residents of Pinole for the additional incidents must be provided by other agencies. • In 2018, none of the reported fire incidents achieved the stated performance objective of 21 firefighters on-scene, nor did the travel time for all apparatus on-scene approach 8 minutes. • Projected General Fund revenues are not sufficient to provide for Fire Department General Fund expenditures on an annual basis and will require a continued drawdown of General Fund reserve balances.
• Station 73’s crew quarters need remodeling and updating, which may include ADA accommodation. • PFD apparatus specifications have not been standardized with the Battalion 7 apparatus. • Absent automatic and mutual aid from surrounding agencies, standalone PFD is not capable of handling an incident, such as a trash fire, car fire, or medical incident requiring more than one apparatus, much less a more complex incident.
• At 110 calls per 1,000 population, PFD has a higher median number of calls per 1,000 population than the region but slightly lower than the urban high range. • Much of the developed residential area in the eastern part of the city is beyond 1.5 miles of Station
73. • Due to Station 74 being closed, a portion of the developed residential area in the southeast part of the city is beyond the 4-minute travel time footprint.
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• Funding does not appear to be available to cash purchase the required Type I apparatus for Station 74, should that station be reopened.
• The contact proposal from Contra Costa Fire Protection District would result in increased services and depth of support; however, the proposed contract costs exceed the costs of providing those services if the City were to remain a standalone department, open Station 74, and add staff as recommended in Option C.
Short-Term Recommendations
Recommendation A: Adopt Response Performance Goals that are Achievable A community’s desired level of service is a uniquely individual decision. No two communities are exactly alike.
Performance goals must be tailored to match community expectations, community conditions, and the ability to pay for the resources necessary to attain the desired level of service.
Levels of service and resource allocation decisions are the responsibility of the community’s elected officials, in this case, the Pinole City Council. The policymaking body must carefully balance the needs and expectations of its citizenry when deciding how to allocate money to all the services it provides.
ESCI recommends the following as PFD fire and life safety response performance goals. Formal adoption of goals allows PFD management to report progress on the achievement of these goals, conditions that are impeding progress, and resources needed to improve service regularly.
Call-Processing Performance Goal
The first phase of overall response time is call processing time. This phase begins when the call is received at the PSAP center and ends when response resources are notified of an emergency. There are two components: answer time and dispatch time.
Recommended Call-Processing Goal:
• 911 calls will be answered at the primary PSAP within 15 seconds, 95 percent of the time. • Response resources shall be notified of a priority incident within 64 seconds from receipt of the call at the dispatch center, 90 percent of the time.
Turnout Time Performance Goal
Turnout time is one area over which the fire department has total control and is not affected by outside influences. Turnout time, or the time between when the call is received by the response units (dispatched) and when the unit is en route to the incident location (responding), affects overall response times. Reducing this time component reduces total response time.
NFPA 1710 recommends turnout time performance of 80 seconds or less for fire and special operations responses, and 60 seconds or less for all other priority responses. 524 of 801 678 of 955
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Recommended Turnout Goal:
• Response personnel shall initiate the response of a unit capable of mitigating an incident to a priority fire and special operations incident 80 seconds from notification, 90 percent of the time. • Response personnel shall initiate a response to all other priority incidents within 60 seconds from notification, 90 percent of the time.
Response Time for the First-Due Unit Goal
The time required to deliver the first response unit capable of intervening in the emergency includes both turnout time and travel time but not call processing time. Based on current performance and implementation of operational improvements, the following are recommended.
Recommended First-Due Response Time Goal:
• The first response unit capable of initiating effective incident intervention shall arrive at a priority fire or special operations incident within 5 minutes, 20 seconds from notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
• The first response unit capable of initiating effective incident intervention shall arrive at all other priority incidents within 5 minutes from notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
Effective Response Force Performance Goal
A fire department’s resource concentration is the spacing of multiple resources close enough together so that an initial “Effective Response Force” (ERF) for a given risk can be assembled on the scene of an emergency within the specific time frame identified in the community’s performance goals for that risk type. An initial effective response force is defined as that which will be most likely to stop the escalation of the emergency.
The minimum ERF for a low-rise structure fire is identified as the arrival of at least four fire engines, one ladder truck, and one Battalion Chief (17 personnel total). This initial ERF does not necessarily represent the entire alarm assignment, as additional units may be assigned based on long-term incident needs and risks.
Additional engines, ladders, or other specialty companies are assigned to higher risk responses to accomplish additional critical tasks that are necessary beyond the initial attack and containment.
Recommended Effective Response Force Goal:
• The full effective response force shall arrive at a moderate risk structure fire within 9 minutes, 20 seconds of notification of response personnel, 90 percent of the time.
Estimated Cost: None
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Recommendation B: The City should consider moving forward with the necessary steps to improve service via reopening Station 74, and staffing and administrative support, as funding becomes available.
Based on ESCI’s review of all options and associated costs to implement, the recommendation is for the City to consider moving forward with Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System as discussed and portrayed in Figure 129, Figure 130, and Figure 131 and summarized in the following.
To create a safer environment for the firefighters and citizens and provide an appropriate administrative workforce, the restoration of the service model using the currently closed Station 74 and staffing of key administrative positions is essential.
Moving forward with this option will restore all-risk services to the area around the currently closed Station 74, increase the safety of the firefighters by allowing for compliance with the OSHA two-in/two-out rule for structure fires, provide for enhanced Advanced Life Support (Paramedic) response to requests for emergency medical services, make available a second unit in the city for concurrent incidents, and provide staffing of key administrative positions.
Consider a lease-purchase of the new apparatus for Station 74, which will minimize the fluctuations in the amounts of the parcel tax assessments.
Recommendation B-1: As a temporary measure until sufficient funding is developed to implement Recommendation B, to improve cost-effective response performance to both medical as well as fire and other emergency incidents, the City should consider acquiring and staffing a two-person, advanced life support equipped, quick response apparatus (Type VI) appropriately. Included in this recommendation is the hiring of an Administrative Captain to manage, among other administrative tasks, a continuing education program for fire and medical personnel.
This recommendation would allow for the re-opening of Station 74 and provide for a more rapid response to current and anticipated increases in medical incidents. The unit would have minimal first-due firefighting capability but could implement exterior attacks on expanding fire incidents. Firefighters from this unit could not perform interior structural firefighting operations until the arrival of the next fire apparatus. This recommendation could provide a temporary solution to providing cost-effective service to the underserved portion of Pinole until additional funding became available. This proposal would assist the Fire Chief in the completion of administrative tasks related to training and other tasks.
Recommendation C: Consider initiating the process of securing additional funding.
ESCI recommends that the City consider moving forward with the process of pursuing an additional funding source such as a parcel tax as shown in Figure 131 and restated below:
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Figure 138: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25
Projected Fire Department
Operating Costs
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating Projections
(Figure 27)
5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198
Less Contract Fire Prevention Costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 Operating Costs (Figure 129) 1,665,925 1,672,512 1,713,843 1,756,687 1,801,089 Administrative Positions (Figure 130) 435,295 450,074 465,382 481,240 497,669 Type I Engine 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948
Apparatus Replacement Fund
Total Costs 7,548,248 8,126,208 8,788,605 9,508,313 10,327,358 Measure S Initiatives (Figure 27)
Measure S 2006 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698 794,698
Measure S 2014 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189 309,189
Total Other Revenues 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 1,103,887 General Fund Maximum Amount 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 3,395,335 Total projected funding 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 4,499,222 Balance to Fund from Proposed Parcel Tax 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 Commercial Parcels 574 574 574 574 574
Per Parcel 658.80 783.68 926.80 1,082.31 1,259.28
Total Allocation 378,150 449,830 531,983 621,243 722,824 Multi-Family Parcels 105 105 105 105 105
Per Parcel 549.00 653.06 772.33 901.92 1,049.40
Total Allocation 57,645 68,572 81,095 94,702 110,187
Single-Family Parcels 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950 5,950
Per Parcel 439.20 522.45 617.87 721.54 839.52
Total Allocation 2,613,231 3,108,584 3,676,305 4,293,146 4,995,125 Total Costs Allocated 3,049,026 3,626,986 4,289,383 5,009,091 5,828,136 All Tracts w/o Regard to Classification 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 Parcel Tax Per Tract 459.95 547.14 647.06 755.63 879.19 Percentage Increase in Parcel Tax, Annual 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35% ESCI, in conjunction with the recommendation to adopt a parcel tax, recommends that the City consider the use of a lease/purchase facility to acquire the Type I engine required in Recommendation A.
Regardless of the option chosen, additional funding must be developed to fill the gap between existing financing of the current fire service deployment model and the proposed expanded deployment model.
Available options for California jurisdictions include special sales tax assessments and parcel tax assessments. ESCI recommends that consideration be given that the selected alternative be restricted to funding only costs associated with funding the expanded deployment model. 527 of 801 681 of 955
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Recommendation D: Standardize apparatus specifications.
Consideration should be given to the standardization of apparatus specifications throughout Battalion 7.
Standardization of specifications will enhance operational efficiency and could result in cost savings via group purchasing.
Recommendation E: Review all current fire department alarm assignments.
Consideration should be given to reviewing the department’s alarm assignments and determine the number of resources required for an effective response force based on risk.
Recommendation F: Improve the collection and analysis of incident data.
Much can be revealed by collecting and evaluating incident data accurately and regularly. Challenges to quick response can be identified and solutions proposed. Trends can be discovered, allowing the fire department to prepare for changes and or increases in response workload. Frequent incident types can be identified, and steps can be taken to reduce their occurrences, such as public safety education or building engineering.
Mid- to Long-Term Recommendations
Recommendation G: Initiate recruitment of additional staff.
As soon as funding is available, ESCI recommends that the City recruit the positions identified in Option C:
“Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System.” This would include:
• 3 Captains
• 3 Fire Apparatus Operators
• 3 Firefighters
• 1 Administrative Battalion Chief
• 1 Training Captain
• 1 Fire Prevention Officer
Recommendation H: Remodel Station 73
Fire Station 73’s crew quarters require remodeling to accommodate the relocation of the shared shift Battalion Chief and additional administrative staff.
Recommendation G: Capital Equipment and Facilities Fund Establish a capital equipment and facilities replacement fund. A portion of the proposed parcel tax could be used to fund this recommendation.
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
This section cannot be completed until the City Council determines which, if any, of the options they wish to pursue.
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Section VI:
APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A: PROPOSAL FROM CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FPD
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APPENDIX B: AMBULANCE PROPOSAL FROM CCCFPD
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APPENDIX C: TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Study Service Area.......................................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Pinole Fire Department Organizational Chart (2019) ......................................................................................4 Figure 3: Service Area & Apparatus Resources...............................................................................................................5 Figure 4: PFD Administrative and Support Staffing....................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5: Fire Prevention Program Components............................................................................................................8 Figure 6: New Construction Inspections & Involvement.................................................................................................9 Figure 7: Six Steps of CRR Planning............................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 8: Life Safety & Public Education Services ........................................................................................................ 11 Figure 9: Training Facilities & Resources Findings ....................................................................................................... 15 Figure 10: Training Records Maintenance.................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 11: General Training Competencies .................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 12: Training Methodologies & Operations ........................................................................................................ 17 Figure 13: PFD Emergency Response Staffing .............................................................................................................20 Figure 14: Station Units & Staffing Levels ...................................................................................................................20 Figure 15: Property Tax Value & Property Tax Revenues for City of Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual).........................24 Figure 16: Taxable Value & Property Tax Revenue (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)........................................................................24 Figure 17: Pinole Historical Collections of Property Taxes Related to Redevelopment Properties (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual)................................................................................................................................................................25 Figure 18: Sales Tax Collections Including Measure S (2006 & 2014 Initiatives) FY 13/14–FY 17/18 ...............................25 Figure 19: Recurring & Non-Recurring Revenues for Pinole (FY 13/14–FY 17/18 Actual)................................................26 Figure 20: Pinole Actual General Fund & Measure S Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)..... 27 Figure 21: Analysis of Fund Balance of the General Fund (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)..............................................................28 Figure 22: PFD Recurring & Non-Recurring Expenditures (FY 13/14–FY 17/18) .............................................................29 Figure 23: Other Sources of Funding for the Pinole Fire Department (FY 13/14–FY 17/18)............................................29 Figure 24: Pinole Recurring vs. Non-recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Revenues (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24).................................................................................................................................................. 31 Figure 25: City of Pinole Projected Recurring vs. Non-Recurring General Fund and Measure S Initiatives Expenditures (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24)................................................................................................................ 32 Figure 26: Projected General Fund Balance for Pinole (Amended FY 18/19 Budget–FY 23/24) ..................................... 33 Figure 27: PFD Projected Status Quo Expenditures & Funding Sources (Amended Budget FY 18/19–FY 23/24)........... 34 Figure 28: Fire Station Condition Definitions............................................................................................................... 36 Figure 29: Pinole Fire Department Station 73 & Administrative Headquarters............................................................. 37 Figure 30: Pinole Fire Department Station 74 .............................................................................................................. 38 Figure 31: PFD Station 73 Apparatus & Vehicle Inventory ............................................................................................40 Figure 32: Critical Tasking ...........................................................................................................................................42 Figure 33: Alarm Assignments.....................................................................................................................................49 Figure 34: PFD Service Demand by Year and Type, 2009–2017, City of Pinole & Contract 2......................................... 55 Figure 35: Service Demand by Type, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas, 2018.........................................................56 535 of 801 689 of 955
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Figure 36: Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ................................................ 57 Figure 37: Fire Incidents per 1,000 Population, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..........................................58 Figure 38: Fire Loss per Capita, 2018 ...........................................................................................................................59 Figure 39: Comparison Chart, Fire Loss per Capita ......................................................................................................59 Figure 40: Service Demand by Month, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ......................................................60 Figure 41: Service Demand by Weekday, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas..................................................60 Figure 42: Service Demand by Hour, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas.........................................................61 Figure 43: Service-Demand Density, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..................................................................62 Figure 44: All Fire Types, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..........................................................................63 Figure 45: Structure Fires, Commercial & Residential, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..............................64 Figure 46: Structure Fires by Hour of Day, 2009–2018.................................................................................................64 Figure 47: Emergency Medical Incidents, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ..................................................65 Figure 48: Emergency Medical Incidents per Square Mile, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas ........................66 Figure 49: EMS Responses by Hour of Day, 2018, City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...............................................66 Figure 50: PFD Response Unit Workload, 2018............................................................................................................ 67 Figure 51: PFD Incident Locations by Apparatus, 2018 ................................................................................................68 Figure 52: Average Time Committed to an Incident by Unit, 2018 ...............................................................................68 Figure 53: Unit Hour Utilization...................................................................................................................................69 Figure 54: PFD Service Area ........................................................................................................................................ 70 Figure 55: Population per Square Mile, 2012................................................................................................................ 71 Figure 56: Pinole Fire Station 73, 5-Mile ISO Coverage ................................................................................................ 73 Figure 57: Fire Station 73, 1.5-Mile ISO Coverage......................................................................................................... 74 Figure 58: Fire Station Distribution, 2.5-Mile Ladder Company ISO Criteria ................................................................ 75 Figure 59: Detail of Station 76, 2.5 mi. ISO coverage for Pinole Three- & Four-Story Buildings .................................... 76 Figure 60: Station 73 Four-Minute Model Travel Time (Entire Response District)......................................................... 77 Figure 61: Station 73 & 74 Four-Minute Model Travel Time.......................................................................................... 78 Figure 62: Effective Response Force, Structure Fires, 90th Percentile, in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...... 79 Figure 63: Structure Fire Aid to PFD, 2018...................................................................................................................80 Figure 64: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Time of Day).............................................................................................. 81 Figure 65: Incident Concurrency, 2018 (By Number of Concurrent Incidents) .............................................................. 81 Figure 66: PFD Overall Incidents by Hour, 2018, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...............................82 Figure 67: Summary of NFPA Performance Standards ................................................................................................84 Figure 68: CCRFCC Dispatch Time Performance, ........................................................................................................85 Figure 69: PFD Turnout Time Performance,................................................................................................................85 Figure 70: Travel Time Performance, First Arriving Unit, .............................................................................................86 Figure 71: Actual Travel Time Performance by Region, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas..................... 87 Figure 72: Response Time Performance, First Arriving Unit,........................................................................................88 Figure 73: PFD Number of Calls Over a Four-Minute Travel Time by the Incident Hour,...............................................88 Figure 74: Received to Arrival Time, First Arriving Unit................................................................................................89 Figure 75: CCRFCC Priority Codes................................................................................................................................89 536 of 801 690 of 955
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Figure 76: Dispatched Aid for PFD, Calls in the City of Pinole & Both Contract Areas...................................................90 Figure 77: Adjacent Fire Agency Assistance, PFD available ..........................................................................................91 Figure 78: Adjacent Fire Agency Engine Assistance, PFD not available.........................................................................91 Figure 79: Incident Types; PFD not available................................................................................................................92 Figure 80: List of Common Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Codes Used by Most Dispatch Agencies in the United States.................................................................................................................................................................92 Figure 81: Response Forecast, 2018–2038 ...................................................................................................................93 Figure 82: Risk Identification and Analysis Process¹.....................................................................................................94 Figure 83: Translation of Zoning to Relative Risk Categories .......................................................................................95 Figure 84: Pinole Zoning Percentages .........................................................................................................................95 Figure 85: Pinole & Contract Area’s Current Zoning ....................................................................................................96 Figure 86: Summary of Federal Disaster Declarations in Pinole by Type, 1965–2017 ................................................... 97 Figure 87: Sources of Flooding in Contra Costa County ...............................................................................................98 Figure 88: Watersheds in the Study Area.....................................................................................................................99 Figure 89: Flood Zones in the Study Area.................................................................................................................. 100 Figure 90: Flood Hazard Areas .................................................................................................................................. 101 Figure 91: Tornado Intensity, Enhanced Fujita Scale ................................................................................................. 101 Figure 92: Other Weather-Related Hazards in Contra Costa County.......................................................................... 103 Figure 93: Earthquake Fault Lines in and Around Pinole ............................................................................................ 104 Figure 94: Effects of Earthquakes.............................................................................................................................. 105 Figure 95: Study Area Historical Wildfire Occurrences and Impacts, 2009–2018........................................................ 106 Figure 96: Historical Wildfires in and Near Pinole through 2018 ................................................................................ 107 Figure 97: Degree of Wildfire Threat ......................................................................................................................... 108 Figure 98: Study Area Current Estimates as Related to the Urban Interface, 2015 ..................................................... 109 Figure 99: Galbreath Road Neighborhood................................................................................................................. 109 Figure 100: Major Transportation Infrastructure in the Study Area .............................................................................111 Figure 101: Hazard Descriptions Faced by the Pinole Fire Department...................................................................... 112 Figure 102: Colleges and Schools in the Study Area....................................................................................................113 Figure 103: Assisted Living Facilities.......................................................................................................................... 114 Figure 104: Fire Hydrant Distribution in the Study Area..............................................................................................115 Figure 105: Fire Hydrant Distribution, Commercial Building with Needed Fire Flow (NFF)......................................... 116 Figure 106: Commercial Buildings, One to Four Stories in Height...............................................................................117 Figure 107: Commercial Buildings, Total Floor Area................................................................................................... 118 Figure 108: Study Area Size and Population Estimates.............................................................................................. 119 Figure 109: Select Population Demographics ............................................................................................................ 119 Figure 110: Other Demographic Comparisons ........................................................................................................... 120 Figure 111: Population Classifications........................................................................................................................ 120 Figure 112: Study Area Population Density................................................................................................................ 121 Figure 113: Services Provided by the Pinole Fire Department .................................................................................... 124 Figure 114: Number of Firefighters on Duty Daily in Pinole........................................................................................ 124 537 of 801 691 of 955
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Figure 115: Have You Received Any Services from PFD?............................................................................................ 125 Figure 116: How Satisfied Were You with the Service? .............................................................................................. 125 Figure 117: Response to, “Is the Existing System Adequate?”.................................................................................... 126 Figure 118: Response to, “What is the Current System Lacking?”.............................................................................. 126 Figure 119: Response to, “Is Current PFD Staffing Adequate?”.................................................................................. 127 Figure 120: Response to, “How Long Should It Take a Fire Engine to Arrive?” ........................................................... 127 Figure 121: Response to, “How Important is it to the City of Pinole To Have Its Own Fire Department?” ................... 128 Figure 122: Response to, “Are There Advantages with Contracting With CCCFD?”.................................................... 129 Figure 123: Response to, “Are There Advantages in Rodeo-Hercules Annexing the Pinole Area into the RH Fire Protection District?”......................................................................................................................................... 129 Figure 124: Response to, “What Advantages Would There Be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”......... 130 Figure 125: Response to, “What Disadvantages Would There be in Partnering with Either Agency for Services?”..... 130 Figure 126: Response to, “Would You Support a Parcel Tax Measure if the Revenue it Generated Improved Services and Financial Stability Either as a Sole Agency or in a Partnering Option?” ..............................................................131 Figure 127: Contra Costa Fire Protection District Proposal for Fire Protection Services.............................................. 145 Figure 128: Impact on Future City of Pinole Operating Budgets of Accepting the Contra Costa FPD Proposal .......... 147 Figure 129: Projected Costs to Re-Open Station 74, Years 1–5................................................................................... 149 Figure 130: Projected Costs of Additional Administrative Positions, FY 19/20–FY 23/24 ............................................ 150 Figure 131: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25...151 Figure 132: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 ................................ 152 Figure 133: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Quick Response Pumper at Station 74 and a Training Captain ......................................................................................................................................................................... 154 Figure 134: Costs of Capital Resources to Reopen Station 74 and Add Administrative and Prevention Staff .............. 155 Figure 135: Projected Cost of Implementing a Volunteer/Reserve Firefighter Program...............................................157 Figure 136: Estimated Cost of Reopening and Staffing a Contract Ambulance at Station 74...................................... 158 Figure 137: Comparison of Gross Costs of All Options................................................................................................ 160 Figure 138: Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station 74 and Administrative Staffing, FY 20/21–FY 24/25 . 166 538 of 801 692 of 955
Regional Fire Service Delivery Study
Addendum
City of Pinole Fire Department
March 2, 2021
ATTACHMENT F
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Project History
• April 17,2019 contract to conduct a Regional Fire
Service Study on behalf of the City of Pinole Signed.
• October 8, 2019 Results of the original Scope of Work presented to the Pinole City Council.
• November 6th 2019 addendum to the original contract
signed to add additional analysis as requested by the
City Council.
• Final Document with addendum items submitted March
2020.
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Study Options Per The Original RFP
The City of Pinole has a specific interest in studying the following options:
1. Stay as we currently operate (independent
department) with one fire station and one engine
company.
2. Open the currently closed station (74) to provided
additional services within the area (remain
independent) for a total of two engine companies.
3. Based on data review, determine if a medical
response unit is needed in lieu of an engine company.
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Study Options Per The Original RFP Cont.
4. Identify what Pinole Fire Department would need to
function at an optimal service delivery model (all
aspects, including responding to calls for service, Fire Prevention, Community Programs, etc).
5. Determine the feasibility of consolidation or a contract for services with Rodeo/ Hercules Fire Protection
District.
6. Determine the feasibility of contract for service with Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
7. Look into other alternative staffing models.
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Study Options Added Per The City Council
Following ESCI’s Presentation of the completed Regional Fire Service Delivery Study on October 8 2019, the City Council requested additional analysis/update in the
following areas:
1. Updated financial calculations using budget to actuals
2. Development of additional parcel tax options
3. Development of a reserve firefighter program
4. Placing a single role advanced life support ambulance in the City in Lieu of an additional all risk fire
department response unit.
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Options
.
ESCI Offers the Following Options with updates for
Consideration
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Updated City of Pinole Five Year Projections (Report Figure 24) City of Pinole financial staff provided ESCI with updated budget figures that have been used to provide the
following projections.
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Updated City of Pinole Five Year Projections (Report Figure 24) Revenue
Amended
Budget FY
18/19
Proposed
Budget FY
19/20
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Property Taxes 3,787,392 4,033,892 4,114,570 4,196,861 4,280,798 4,366,414 Sales Tax 8,150,900 7,550,886 7,701,904 7,855,943 8,013,062 8,173,323 Franchise Tax 744,128 744,000 751,440 758,954 766,544 774,209 Utility Tax 1,930,000 1,898,000 1,916,980 1,936,150 1,955,511 1,975,066 Other Receipts 884,200 858,900 876,078 893,600 911,472 929,701 Dispatch
Agreement 1,736,706 1,197,373 1,356,944 1,422,209 1,488,414 1,550,163 Investment
Earnings 233,300 250,000 255,000 260,100 265,302 270,608 Other Revenues 1,711,591 2,220,360 2,263,767 2,308,040 2,353,203 2,399,267 Transfers In 6,290,688 900,938 1,463,373 1,863,850 2,256,174 2,524,759 Recurring Revenue 25,468,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,707 22,290,480 22,963,511 546 of 801 700 of 955
Updated City of Pinole Five Year Projections (Report Figure 25) Expenses & Other
Expenditures
Amended
Budget FY
18/19
Proposed
Budget FY
19/20
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Salaries 8,585,194 9,138,860 9,413,026 9,695,417 9,986,280 10,285,867 Pension Costs 1,794,443 2,695,381 3,257,816 3,658,293 4,050,617 4,319,202 Other Benefits 2,944,512 3,092,049 3,215,730 3,344,360 3,478,135 3,617,259 Other Operating
Expenses 4,324,315 4,009,429 2,542,572 2,694,914 2,681,578 2,770,630 Debt Service 590,433 605,433 555,000 575,000 595,000 610,000 Recurring
Expenditures 18,238,897 19,541,152 18,984,144 19,915,984 20,791,610 21,602,958 Capital Outlay 929,814 1,627,799 517,000 315,000 150,000 150,000 Transfers Out 22,094,954 1,328,948 1,249,000 1,250,000 1,251,000 1,251,500 Non-Recurring
Expenditures 23,024,768 2,956,747 1,766,000 1,565,000 1,401,000 1,401,500 Total Expenditures 41,263,665 22,497,899 20,750,144 21,481,484 22,192,610 23,004,458 547 of 801 701 of 955
Updated City of Pinole Five Year Projections (Report Figure 26) Revenues &
Expenditures
Amended
Budget FY
18/19
Proposed
Budget FY
19/20
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24
Recurring
Revenues 25,468,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,708 22,290,479 22,963,511 Non-Recurring
Revenues 25,000 - - - - -
Total Revenues 25,493,905 19,654,349 20,700,056 21,495,708 22,290,479 22,963,511 Expenses &
Expenditures 41,263,665 22,497,899 20,750,144 21,481,484 22,192,610 23,004,458 Net Cash Flow
(Deficit) (15,769,760) (2,843,550) (50,088) 14,224 97,869 (40,947) Beginning Fund
Balance 25,363,425 9,593,665 6,750,115 6,700,027 6,714,251 6,812,120 Ending Fund
Balance 9,593,665 6,750,115 6,700,027 6,714,251 6,812,120 6,771,173 548 of 801 702 of 955
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District
Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District has
recently entered into a study for the purpose of
annexing into the Contra Costa County Fire
Protection District.
As a result, this is no longer an option
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
The City of Pinole requested a proposal from Contra
Costa County Fire Protection District (CCFPD) to
provide services within the Pinole City Limits. The
terms of the proposal include staffing each station with a crew of three personnel on a 24-hour per day, seven
days per week basis, and one Battalion Chief-level
position on a 56-hour per shift basis with a 10 percent administrative fee and a 5 percent annual escalation for all labor costs. It also includes administrative positions currently lacking in PFD.
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) The county proposal assumes the current general
fund contribution to the PFD will remain constant at
$3,395,335 and the Measure S funding will remain
constant at $1,103,888 throughout the five-year
projection period. Additional funds will be required to fulfill the financial requirement of the proposed
contract. The revised Option B corrects the singlefamily parcel calculation by 10% of the 5,950 estimated to be owned by Seniors.
This Option is shown as Figure 128 in the Report.
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Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) Total operating costs 7,718,852 8,104,794 8,510,034 8,935,536 9,382,313 Fire Prevention 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 UAL Pension liability 386,129 441,171 506,390 559,659 591,073 Additional Type I Engine lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Replacement Fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total Expenditures 8,599,383 9,040,367 9,510,826 9,989,597 10,467,788 Deduct projected GF funding cap (3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335)(3,395,335) Deduct Measure S Initiatives cap (1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888)(1,103,888) Additional funding required 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 552 of 801 706 of 955
Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) Additional funding required 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Total tracts 6.629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption Single
Family Tracts
(595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Parcel tax per tract 679.51 752.59 830.56 909.91 989.16 Total costs allocated 4,100,160 4,541,144 5,011,603 5,490,374 5,968,565 Escalation 10.76% 10.36% 9.55% 8.71%
553 of 801 707 of 955
Option B: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Cont.) Based on the information provided, the county
proposal provides a level and depth of service that
cannot be matched by any of options studied.
554 of 801 708 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System
A third alternative to be considered is the restoration of the service model using the currently closed
Station 74 and staffing of key administrative
positions. This alternative maintains a minimum
staffing of three personnel for each of the three
shifts at this station. This combines Figure 130 and
Figure 131 from the report. The costs of this
proposed expansion requires additional funding
which may be generated by a parcel tax, but
similarly freezes current funding levels and Measure
S allocations. The revised Option C corrects the
tract count and includes a 10% reduction in singlefamily units to consider the number of tracts owned by senior citizens.
555 of 801 709 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department (Cont.)
Based on ESCI’s review of critical administrative
functions, PFD will need additional full-time staffing
to manage programs and other administrative tasks.
ESCI is recommending the creation of three 40-hour
per week positions to assist in managing the
organization, each position and in total.
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Battalion Chief 202,452 209,116 216,010 223,141 230,519 Training Captain 128,327 132,745 137,325 142,071 146,991 Fire Prevention Officer 104,515 108,212 112,047 116,027 120,158 Total personnel costs 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668 556 of 801 710 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System Cont.
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Station 74
Compensation 1,193,799 1,217,613 1,242,141 1,267,407 1,293,429 Benefits 431,625 447,698 464,505 482,080 500,461
Administrative
positions 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668
Compensation &
benefits 2,060,718 2,115,384 2,172,028 2,230,726 2,291,558 Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Total operating costs 2,101,218 2,122,584 2,179,228 2,237,926 2,298,758 Apparatus lease 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 Apparatus replacement
fund 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454
Total additional
expenditures 2,435,620 2,456,986 2,513,630 2,572,328 2,633,160 557 of 801 711 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System Cont Projected Fire Department Costs Including Station
74 and Administrative Staffing
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating
Projections (Figure 28) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Less Contract Fire Prevention
costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Station 74 operating costs 1,665,924 1,672,511 1,713,846 1,756,687 1,801,090 Administrative positions 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668 Total additional operating costs 2,101,218 2,122,584 2,179,228 2,237,926 2,298,758 Total operating costs 7,213,844 7,791,804 8,454,206 9,173,910 9,992,956 558 of 801 712 of 955
Option C: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System (Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total operating costs from
previous slide 7,213,844 7,791,804 8,454,206 9,173,910 9,992,956 Measure S 2006 funding (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) Measure S 2014 funding (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) Total Measure S funding (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) Original Funding from the
General Fund (Figure 28) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Revised General Funding
for operations (Net) 2,714,622 3,292,582 3,954,984 4,674,688 5,453,734 559 of 801 713 of 955
Option Cc: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System (Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Revised Net funding from
General Fund – previous
slide (Slide 19) 2,714,622 3,292,582 3,954,984 4,674,688 5,453,734 Type I Engine 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948 102,948
Apparatus Replacement
Fund Contribution 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 231,454 Total capital expenditures 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 334,402 Balance to fund from
proposed parcel tax 3,049,024 3,626,984 4,289,386 5,009,090 5,828,136 Total parcels 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption
Single Family Tracts (595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Per parcel cost 505.31 601.09 710.87 830.14 965.88
Escalation 18.96% 18.26% 16.78% 16.35%
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Option D: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System
This alternative is a projection of the costs
necessary to staff a two-person quick response unit.
The Revised Option D corrects the tract count and
includes a 10% reduction in single-family units to
consider the number of tracts owned by senior
citizens.
The following schedule is shown in Report Figure
132.
561 of 801 715 of 955
Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Compensation 707,182 722,398 738,070 754,212 770,838
Benefits 275,977 286,575 297,658 309,250 321,375
Compensation &
benefits 983,159 1,008,973 1,035,728 1,063,462 1,092,213 Supplies 40,500 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200
Operating costs 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 Quick attack pumper
lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048
Apparatus replacement
fund 115,727 115,727 115,727 115,727 115,727
Total expenditures 1,163,434 1,155,948 1,182,703 1,210,437 1,239,188 562 of 801 716 of 955
Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating
Projections (Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Station 74 operating costs
(Figure 132) 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 Total operating costs 6,296,285 6,845,393 7,477,906 8,166,646 8,953,611 Quick attack apparatus lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 Total costs 6,320,333 6,869,441 7,501,954 8,190,694 8,977,659 Measure S 2006 funding (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) Measure S 2014 funding (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) Total Measure S funding (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) Original Funding from the
General Fund (Figure 28) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Revised General Fund Funding
(Net) 1,821,111 2,370,219 3,002,732 3,691,472 4,478,437 563 of 801 717 of 955
Option D: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Revised General Fund
Funding (Net) 1,821,111 2,370,219 3,002,732 3,691,472 4,478,437 Total parcels 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption
Single Family Tracts (595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Per parcel cost 301.81 392.81 497.64 611.78 742.20
Escalation 30.15% 26.69% 22.94% 21.32%
564 of 801 718 of 955
Option E: Expansion of Pinole Fire Department System
This alternative is a projection of the costs
necessary to staff a two-person quick response unit
and add an Administrative Captain. This version
corrects the tract count and includes a 10%
reduction in single-family units to consider the
number of tracts owned by senior citizens.
The following schedule is shown in Report Figure
133.
565 of 801 719 of 955
Option E: Staffing of Station 74 Utilizing Two-Person Unit and Adding Captain FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Current Fire Dept Operating
Projections (Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,220 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Station 74 operating costs
(Figure 132) 1,023,659 1,016,173 1,042,928 1,070,662 1,099,413 Administrative Captain 128,327 132,745 137,325 142,071 146,991 Total operating costs 6,424,612 6,978,138 7,615,231 8,308,717 9,100,602 Quick attack apparatus lease 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 24,048 Total costs 6,448,660 7,002,186 7,639,279 8,332,765 9,124,650 Total Measure S funding (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (1,103,888) (8,103,887) (1,103,888) Original Funding from the
General Fund (Figure 28) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Parcel Tax Funding 1,949,437 2,502,963 3,140,056 3,833,542 4,625,427 566 of 801 720 of 955
Option E: Staffing of Station 74 Service Area Utilizing Two-Person Unit(Cont.) FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Revised General Fund
Funding (Net) 1,949,437 2,502,963 3,140,056 3,833,542 4,625,427 Total parcels 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption
Single Family Tracts (595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Per parcel cost 323.08 414.81 520.39 635.32 766.56
Escalation 28.39% 25.45% 22.09% 20.66%
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Option F: Development of a Reserve Firefighter Program
A reserve program to augment the career firefighters
providing service to the community would, based on
the ESCI projections, require 18 personnel. There
would be costs associated with a reserve program
including Workmen’s’ Compensation Insurance,
Training and Certification costs, Stipends and
Turnout Gear.
The following schedule is shown in Report Figure
135.
568 of 801 722 of 955
Option F: Develop a Reserve Firefighter Program
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Workers’ Compensation
Insurance 18,000 18,360 18,727 19,102 19,484
Training/Certifications 900 900 900 900 900
Stipends 29,200 29,200 29,200 29,200 29,200
Total Recurring Costs 48,100 48,460 48,827 49,202 49,584 Turnout Gear 54,000 - - - -
Non-Recurring Costs 54,000 - - - -
Total Costs 102,100 48,460 48,827 49,202 49,584
569 of 801 723 of 955
Option G: Contact with CCFPD to station an ALS Ambulance in the City Per the direction of the City Council, the City of
Pinole requested and received a proposal from
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
(CCFPD) to station a single role Advanced Life
Support ambulance within the Pinole city limits
(Appendix B). An escalation factor of 5% per year is
applied to the operating costs. The proposal
received from CCFPD is analyzed below. Note that,
as stated in the document from CCFPD, this is a
proposal, not an offer to provide service, and all
terms of the proposal would require negotiation.
570 of 801 724 of 955
Option G: Projected Cost of Contacting for an ALS Ambulance FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total Ambulance
expenditures 1,615,400 1,517,670 1,593,554 1,673,231 1,756,893 Total Operating Costs
(Figure 27) 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Administrative positions 435,294 450,073 465,382 481,239 497,668 Less Contract Fire
Prevention costs (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) (160,000) Total Expenditures 7,163,320 7,636,962 8,333,914 9,090,454 9,948,759 Measure S 2006 funding (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) (794,698) Measure S 2014 funding (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) (309,189) Total Measure S funding (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) (1,103,887) Original Funding from the
General Fund (Figure 28) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) (3,395,335) Amount to Fund From
Parcel Tax 2,664,099 3,137,742 3,834,692 4,591,233 5,449,538 571 of 801 725 of 955
Option G: Projected Cost of Contacting for an ALS Ambulance FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Amount to Fund From
Parcel Tax 2,664,099 3,137,742 3,834,692 4,591,233 5,449,538 Total parcels 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption
Single Family Tracts (595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Per parcel cost 441.51 520.01 635.51 760.89 903.14
Escalation 17.78% 22.21% 19.73% 18.70%
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Comparison Cost of All Options
Projected
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules FPD No proposal
Option B: Contra Costa FPD
(*Figure 128) $8,599,383 $9,040,367 $9,510,826 $9,989,597 $10,467,788 Option C: Expansion of PFD
(*Figure 131) $7,548,248 $8,126,208 $8,788,605 $9,508,313 $10,327,358 Option D: Two Person Type VI
(*Figure 132) $6,320,333 $6,869,441 $7,501,954 $8,190,694 $8,977,659 Option E/Recommendation B-1:
Type VI & Training Capt.
(*Figure 133)
$6,448,660 $7,002,186 $7,639,279 $8,332,765 $9,124,650
Option F: Volunteer/Reserves
(*Figure 135) $102,100 $48,460 $48,827 $49,202 $49,584
Option G: Contra Costa Ambulance
(*Figure 136) $7,163,321 $7,636,964 $8,333,914 $9,090,455 $9,948,760 Status Quo: Operations Continue at
The Current Level (*Figure 27) $4,188,930 $5,488,293 $5,272,626 $5,829,219 $6,434,978 573 of 801 727 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
The following schedule presents projected costs to
maintain the existing service levels for the Pinole Fire Department. In this scenario, Measure S Initiative
revenues continue to increase to minimize the burden
to the General Fund. A parcel tax is calculated on the
revised number of parcels and considering a 10%
reduction in single-family parcels for senior ownership. 574 of 801 728 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Salaries 2,167,818 2,232,853 2,299,838 2,368,834 2,439,899 Benefits 2,113,226 2,577,021 3,087,252 3,649,922 4,306,908 Salaries & benefits 4,281,044 4,809,873 5,387,090 6,018,755 6,746,807 Services 830,906 854,171 878,088 902,674 927,949
Supplies 160,676 165,175 169,800 174,555 179,442
Recurring costs 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Total expenditures 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 575 of 801 729 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Total expenditures – prior
slide 5,272,626 5,829,219 6,434,978 7,095,984 7,854,198 Sources of funding
Measure S 2006 (794,698) (802,645) (810,671) (818,778) (826,966) Measure S 2014 (309,189) (312,281) (315,404) (318,558) (321,743) Total sources of funding (1,103,887) (1,114,926) (1,126,075) (1,137,336) (1,148,709) Net amount to fund 4,168,739 4,714,293 5,308,903 5,958,648 6,705,489 576 of 801 730 of 955
Status Quo for the Pinole Fire Department
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Net amount to fund 4,168,739 4,714,293 5,308,903 5,958,648 6,705,489 Total parcels 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629 6,629
10% Senior Exemption
Single Family Tracts
(595) (595) (595) (595) (595)
Net Total Tracts 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034 6,034
Per parcel cost 690.87 783.12 883.51 993.06 1,118.71
Escalation 13.35% 12.82% 12.40% 12.65%
577 of 801 731 of 955
Additional Costs To Implement Recommendations
FY 20/21 FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25
Option A: Rodeo-Hercules
FPD
- - - - -
Option B: Contra Costa FPD
(*Figure 128) 3,326,757 3,211,148 3,075,848 2,893,613 2,640,918 Option C: Expansion of PFD
(*Figure 131) 2,435,622 2,456,988 2,513,627 2,572,329 2,633,160 Option D: Two Person Type VI
(*Figure 132) 1,047,707 1,040,221 1,066,976 1,094,710 1,123,461 Option E/Short-Term
Recommendation B-1: Type VI
& Training Capt.
(*Figure 133)
1,176,044 1,172,966 1,204,301 1,236,781 1,270,452
Option F: Volunteer/Reserves
(*Figure 135) 102,100 48,460 48,827 49,202 49,584
Option G: Contra Costa
Ambulance
(*Figure 136)
2,050,695 1,967,744 2,058,936 2,154,471 2,254,562
Status Quo: Operations
Continue at The Current Level
(*Figure 27)
- - - - -
578 of 801 732 of 955
Recommendation B-1: Recommendation B1 is a
temporary option, to improve effective response
performance to both medical as well as fire and other
emergency incidents, the City should consider acquiring and staffing a two-person, advanced life support equipped, quick response apparatus (Type VI) appropriately. Included in this recommendation is the hiring of an Administrative Captain to manage, among other administrative tasks, a
continuing education program for fire and medical
personnel.
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Questions/Discussion
580 of 801 734 of 955
Final Report
2nd Round EMS/Fire Services
Municipal Service Review/Sphere of
Influence Updates
Approved August 10, 2016
Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission
Prepared by:
Municipal Resource Group, LLC
Berkson Associates
ATTACHMENT G
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MRG and Berkson Associates MSR/SOI Updates –2nd Round EMS/Fire Services Final Draft Report 8/3/16
Table of Contents; List of Tables and Figures i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................1 Financing .............................................................................................1 Growth and Service Demand...................................................................4 Service Levels .......................................................................................4 Disadvantaged Communities ...................................................................6 Infrastructure Needs..............................................................................7 Accountability .......................................................................................7 Governance Options ..............................................................................8 MSR Recommendations ........................................................................10 SOI Recommendations .........................................................................13
2. LAFCO AND MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEWS .........................................................15 Service Areas and Spheres of Influence..................................................16 Disadvantaged Communities .................................................................16
3. OVERVIEW OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) ............................................18 EMS Dispatch......................................................................................22 EMS Staffing .......................................................................................23 EMS Response Times and Standards ......................................................24 Measure H EMS Funding .......................................................................26 County Ambulance Contract..................................................................27
4. OVERVIEW OF FIRE SERVICES .........................................................................28 Fire Service Providers ..........................................................................28 Fire Agency Service Areas and Spheres of Influence ................................30 Fire Agency Service Agreements ...........................................................31 Wildland Fire Response ........................................................................31 Financing ...........................................................................................32 Operating Expenditures........................................................................34 Growth and Population Projections.........................................................36 Service Demand ..................................................................................37 Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies ......................................................39 Service Adequacy ................................................................................40
5. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.............................................45 ConFire Governance Options .................................................................47 ConFire Recommendations ...................................................................47 ConFire SOI Update .............................................................................48
6. EAST CONTRA COSTA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ................................................50 ECCFPD Local Accountability and Governance .........................................52 ECCFPD Service Area and Sphere of Influence ........................................54 ECCFPD Disadvantaged Communities.....................................................54 582 of 801 736 of 955
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ECCFPD Financing ...............................................................................55 ECCFPD Funding Sources......................................................................56 ECCFPD Operating Expenditures............................................................58 ECCFPD Capital Assets, Capital Funding Sources and Expenditures ............60 ECCFPD Reserves and Other Funds ........................................................61 ECCFPD Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force...................................................62 ECCFPD Growth and Population Projections ............................................64 ECCFPD Service Demand ......................................................................65 ECCFPD Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies ..........................................65 ECCFPD Service Adequacy ....................................................................66 ECCFPD MSR Determinations ................................................................67 ECCFPD MSR Recommendations ............................................................72 ECCFPD SOI Update.............................................................................74
7. RODEO-HERCULES FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT....................................................78 RHFPD Local Accountability and Governance ...........................................81 RHFPD Service Area and Sphere of Influence ..........................................82 RHFPD Disadvantaged Communities ......................................................83 RHFPD Financing .................................................................................83 RHFPD Operating Expenditures .............................................................86 RHFPD Capital Assets, Capital Funding Sources and Expenditures..............88 RHFPD Reserves and Other Funds .........................................................88 RHFPD Growth and Population Projections ..............................................89 RHFPD Service Demand .......................................................................91 RHFPD Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies ............................................91 RHFPD Service Adequacy......................................................................92 RHFPD MSR Determinations ..................................................................92 RHFPD MSR Recommendations .............................................................96 RHFPD SOI Update ..............................................................................97
8. REVIEW OF AID AGREEMENTS ....................................................................... 100 Mutual Aid Plan ................................................................................. 100 Automatic Aid ................................................................................... 100 Refinery Fire Brigades ........................................................................ 102 West County Agreements ................................................................... 104 Central County Agreements ................................................................ 106 East County Agreements .................................................................... 106
APPENDICES
Appendix A Fire Service Response Adequacy
Appendix B Disadvantaged Communities
Appendix C EMS/Fire MSR – Status of SOI Updates
Appendix D Fire Stations and Staffing Changes Relative to the 2009 MSR Appendix E Private Fire Brigades
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Table of Contents; List of Tables and Figures iii
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 3. OVERVIEW OF EMS SERVICES
Table 1a Ambulance Response Time Standards (Priority 1) – 2014.............24 Table 1b Ambulance Response Time Standards – 2016 .............................25 Table 2 Ambulance Response Performance by Zone and Service Provider ..25 CHAPTER 4. OVERVIEW OF FIRE SERVICES
Table 3 Summary of Service Provider Stations, 2009 MSR vs. 2015..........30 Table 4 Financing of Fire and EMS Expenditures (FY 2014-15) .................32 Table 5 Projected City and County Population Growth 2015-2020.............36 Table 6 Summary of Fire Agency Incidents by Service Providers– 2014.....38 Table 7 Facility Condition – 2015 MSR Survey........................................40 Table 8 Response Times (Code 3) and ISO Ratings (2014) ......................42 Table 9 Station Service Measures – Population and Area per Station.........44 CHAPTER 5. EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT Table 10 East Contra Costa FPD (ECCFPD) Board of Directors ....................53 Table 11 Summary of ECCFPD Budget ....................................................56 Table 12 ECCFPD Monthly Salaries (effective Jan. 1, 2016) .......................59 Table 13 ECCFPD Non-General Funds FY 2015-16 ...................................62 Table 14 Projected Population Growth, ECCFPD 2015-2025 .......................64 Table 15 Summary of ECCFPD Fire & EMS Calls and Response Times, by Subarea.................................................................................65 Table 16 ECCFPD Response Times, 2015.................................................66 CHAPTER 7. RODEO-HERCULES FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
Table 17 Rodeo Hercules FPD (RHFPD) Board of Directors .........................81 Table 18 Summary of RHFPD Budget ......................................................84 Table 19 RHFPD Monthly Salaries...........................................................86 Table 20 RHFPD Fund Balances FY 2015-16.............................................89 Table 21 Projected Population Growth, RHFPD 2015-2025.........................90 Table 22 RHFPD Calls for Service, 2014 ..................................................91 CHAPTER 8. REVIEW OF AID AGREEMENTS
Table 23 Summary of Incidents where Aid was Provided
vs. Aid Received, 2014 .......................................................... 101 Table 24 Overview of Aid Agreements .................................................. 103
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Fire Protection Districts in Contra Costa County ...........................2 Figure 2a Contra Costa County Ambulance Zones – 2014..........................18 Figure 2b Contra Costa County Ambulance Zones – Current ......................19 Figure 3 ConFire District Boundary and Sphere of Influence .....................49 Figure 4 ECCFPD District Boundary and Sphere of Influence ....................54 Figure 5 RHFPD District Coterminous Boundary and Sphere of Influence ...82 584 of 801 738 of 955
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Chapter 1 – Executive Summary 1
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Second Round Municipal Service Review (MSR) update of emergency medical services (EMS) and fire services in Contra Costa County provides: (1) selected data updates for the 11 EMS/fire service providers (three cities: El Cerrito, Richmond and Pinole) and eight special districts (Contra Costa County FPD, County Service Area (CSA) EM-1, East Contra Costa FPD, Kensington FPD, Moraga-Orinda FPD, Crockett-Carquinez FPD, Rodeo-Hercules FPD and San Ramon Valley FPD), (2) review of automatic and mutual aid agreements, and (3) focus on East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) and Rodeo Hercules Fire Protection District (RHFPD), and the relationship of those focus agencies with Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire). The MSR update also provides a basis for consideration of agency Sphere of Influence (SOI) updates to be made by the Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). Figure 1, below, depicts fire protection districts in Contra Costa County.
The 2009 MSR identified a number of significant issues affecting the provision of fire and EMS services. Although progress and action by public agencies has begun to address these issues, continued cost growth and constrained resources have worsened many of these problems, particularly for ECCFPD and RHFPD, which face significant financial and service deficiencies. The current status of MSR issues is summarized below.
Financing
For the most part, Contra Costa County fire service providers have the financial ability to deliver appropriate service levels, with the exception of ECCFPD and RHFPD.
Since the 2009 MSR and the recession, financial conditions at ConFire have stabilized and begun to improve, and other agencies continue to have the financial ability to provide adequate service levels, with the exception of the ECCFPD and RHFPD. Of all Contra Costa fire agencies, these two agencies receive the smallest share of the 1% property tax rate. Except in the event of a district dissolution or other boundary reorganization involving a transfer of service responsibilities, shifting of property taxes to a fire service agency from another existing taxing entity will face significant hurdles.
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Figure 1
Fire Protection Districts in Contra Costa County
The lack of requirements for special taxes from new development increases the burden on fire agencies to obtain a two-thirds special tax voter approval once an area is populated. In addition to the difficulty of obtaining 2/3’s voter approval of special taxes, fire districts also face limited sources of revenue, including inability to charge for most services, low property tax shares as many agencies evolved from volunteer agencies, high insurance costs due to the risky nature of the profession, and significant pension liabilities from past underfunding.
Notwithstanding the continuing financial problems of the ECCFPD and RHFPD as summarized below, certain actions since the 2009 MSR have begun to address financial issues. For example, the new partnerships among the County, ConFire and AMR for ambulance services. Also, pension reform allows for a new, reduced tier of pension benefits for new hires. CalPERS and the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association (CCCERA) have taken steps to reduce unfunded liabilities by accelerating amortization periods for funding liabilities. However, in some cases these actions result in higher annual payments for agencies, worsening financial conditions for all agencies, including ECCFPD and RHFPD.1 Significant pension and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities, and related costs, 1 In addition to its recent reduction in anticipated investment returns, CCCERA is considering additional changes that will further affect pension costs; these changes may become known by CCCERA’s August 10, 2016 meeting, although additional time may be required to fully assess the impacts on fire agencies.
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burden all fire service agencies, and are particularly acute for agencies with insufficient resources, including RHFPD and ECCFPD as discussed below.
ECCFPD serves most of the far eastern portion of Contra Costa County, beyond Pittsburg and Antioch, with a service area of 249 square miles, the second largest service area in the County. The District continues to suffer from inadequate financial resources, and was forced to close five fire stations since 2009. ECCFPD is heavily dependent on property tax, which is significantly lower than most other fire districts in the County; has been unsuccessful in passing special taxes due to lack of voter support; and carries significant pension and OPEB liabilities. A recently formed Task Force comprised of County, Brentwood and Oakley representatives has provided ECCFPD interim financing to re-open one station, and is investigating longer-term solutions in partnership with affected agencies.
ECCFPD continues to look for financial enhancements and governance options, through a Standards of Cover (SOC) Study, pursuit of independence through a directly elected board, and an ongoing quest for new funding sources.
RHFPD serves the City of Hercules and unincorporated Rodeo, a portion of which is a Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community (DUC). RHFPD relies on property tax for a majority of its revenue, and receives the lowest allocation of property tax of all fire districts in the County. Other fiscal constraints include reduced property tax in the City of Hercules due to extensive redevelopment (RHFPD lost 29 percent to redevelopment in Fiscal Year 2015-16); limited property tax from the Phillips refinery property;2significant pension and OPEB liabilities; and a recent court decision that terminated the District’s 2014 benefit assessment at the end of FY 2016-17. At issue in the lawsuit was the constitutionality of a special assessment levied upon parcels to fund general fire department services. In an effort to maintain current service levels, RHFPD will continue to pursue new revenue sources including tax measures, grant and bond opportunities; additional Measure H funding (a Countywide assessment to improve EMS); and possible Proposition 172 funds through the County. Without additional revenues, the RHFPD faces the potential closure of one of its two stations following the elimination of its benefit assessment at the end of FY 2016-17, and expiration of its Federal SAFER3 grant. 2 When Phillips was annexed to RHFPD in 1996, the tax sharing agreement only allocated a share of future incremental tax growth to the District at a rate lower than nearby areas; the District did not receive any of the base taxes paid by the refinery prior to annexation, therefore the District does not receive its typical share of full value, just the growth since 1996. 3 “SAFER” is an acronym for “Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response.” 587 of 801 741 of 955
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Growth and Service Demand
Continued population growth, job creation, and changes in health care services affect the volume and location of service calls, creating needs for new facilities and staff resources in order to sustain services.
The recession, which began in December 2007 and extended for at least 18 months, created a pause in real estate development. However, with recovery in real estate markets, development planning and construction has resumed. The ability to restore services to pre-recession levels and fund increased services required by new development are especially challenging financially for the RHFPD and ECCFPD, which are the primary focus of this MSR. New development creates increased service responsibilities and costs to all fire service agencies, but does not provide sufficient revenues for adequate levels of increased service, particularly to RHFPD and ECCFPD. ConFire, as well as other agencies, was forced to make difficult choices – overall, the number of its fire apparatus was reduced by as much as 30%, although ConFire has begun to reestablish services with improved funding availability.
This update to the 2009 MSR proposes options for addressing the fiscal sustainability of the two focus districts.
Service Levels
Many Contra Costa fire agencies are unable to meet “Best Practices” for response times and staffing.
The 2009 MSR indicated that fire agencies were unable to meet national and state guidelines for fire response times 90% of the time. This finding has not changed, and in fact, response times have worsened for the RHFPD and the ECCFPD due to financial problems, station closures, and staff reductions.
Typical fire service provider services are based on two fundamentally different activities: fire suppression and emergency medical response. Each of these activities requires distinct training and equipment in order to be performed adequately. Depending on the nature of the incident, emergency medical response can often be provided adequately by two fully trained personnel equipped with specialized support equipment.4Fire suppression service requires a much more complex and coordinated personnel- and equipment-intensive response. While additional or improved ambulance service can augment or supplant medical emergency services provided by fire service agencies, that is not the case for fire 4 A first responding fire company can generally be successful providing EMT or basic life support, with a paramedic staffed ambulance following, as is the case in Richmond and ECCFPD. 588 of 801 742 of 955
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suppression activities. Those activities remain dependent on adequate personnel and equipment responding within reasonable timeframes to be effective.
This point is particularly applicable to the ECCFPD and the RHFPD due to their current and possible future lack of personnel and equipment resources. As outlined below, the impact of RHFPD returning to a one-station configuration will have significant impacts on its services, particularly fire suppression activities. Any working fire in the RHFPD will require cooperative service from adjacent districts to perform fundamental fire suppression activities to achieve minimum levels of effectiveness. Travel times from adjacent jurisdictions will compound the difficulties in conducting effective fire suppression activities, given the lack of indistrict personnel and equipment. Inadequate service levels will result in increased fire damage, potential failure of fire rescue activities, and injuries to fire personnel.
The current three-station configuration of ECCFPD clearly demonstrates the impacts of inadequate staffing and personnel to provide adequate fire suppression services. Longer response times for fire service and reduced emergency medical response are all outcomes of the reductions in personnel that have occurred in recent years.
Adequate fire suppression response is an essential function of the County’s fire service providers, and important to support the capability to respond to multicasualty and disaster events. As outlined in subsequent sections and discussed in Appendix A, the National Fire Protection Association and other agencies have developed standards for performance, staffing and service adequacy. While those standards are not absolute, significant deviations from those standards have definite and significant impacts on the communities served.
Multi-jurisdictional efforts have been approved to provide interim funding to reopen an ECCFPD station in July 2016, while a plan is developed and implemented to provide for sustainable longer-term funding. If the re-opened station cannot be maintained and additional stations opened in the long-term, service levels will continue to be inadequate and threaten the safety of life and property.
RHFPD is working on improving revenues in order to avoid closing one of its two stations. Closure of its second station will have a significant adverse impact on services within the RHFPD as well as the West County service area.
Response times for ambulances dispatched by ConFire are anticipated to improve as a result of the new contract between ConFire and American Medical Response (AMR). This system may also help to reduce the number of medical calls that require fire engine response. ConFire could realize increased federal or state revenues from the arrangement, which could be reinvested in improved and reduced-cost ambulance services to the community.
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Disadvantaged Communities
A “Disadvantaged Community” is defined as “a territory that constitutes all or a portion of a ‘disadvantaged community’ including 12 or more registered voters”5 … with an annual median household income that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income.6 After preparation of the 2009 MSR, State legislation was enacted requiring that an MSR consider disadvantaged communities in its findings.7
Contra Costa County has documented disadvantaged communities, and identified the applicable fire service provider for each, as detailed in Appendix B.
Disadvantaged communities within the two focus MSR agencies are described below. There are several disadvantaged communities in other areas of the County as well, as noted in the Appendix.
ECCFPD
Several disadvantaged communities fall entirely within the current SOI of the ECCFPD. Areas include Bethel Island, and an area to the east of Brentwood that includes the community of Knightsen.8 Those two areas experience among the worst response times in the ECCFPD of 13:37 minutes and 18:18 minutes respectively (90% of responses fall within those times), which fall significantly below overall District times, and well-below national standards for “Best Practices.” RHFPD
One community in Rodeo has been identified as a disadvantaged community. The area is within one mile of RHFPD Station 75, and therefore response times for the first-arriving engine company should meet or exceed Best Practice norms.
However, if Station 75 closes as a result of revenue shortfalls, the next closest station would be Station 76, over two miles away. Times required for arrival of additional engine companies in the event of a structure fire would increase as well. 5 Senate Bill 244: Land Use, General Plans, and Disadvantaged Communities, Technical Advisory, State of California Office of Planning and Research (OPR). 6 Cal. Water Code § 79505.5. Qualifying MHI is 80% or less of Statewide MHI. California MHI is $61,400 and qualifying MHI is $49,120.
7 Cal. Gov. Code § 56430, as amended by SB 244.
8 “Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Determination”, American Community Survey 5-year Estimates (2009 - 2013), County of Contra Costa.
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Infrastructure Needs
Nearly half of the fire stations in the County are over 40 years old and a significant number are in poor condition, needing repair or replacement.
In some cases, for example the ECCFPD, many of the stations in need of repair or replacement currently are not staffed; however, with increased operating revenues and re-opened stations, planning for capital repair and replacement will become essential. Standards of Cover (SOC) studies, in East County and in West County, are necessary to identify priorities for station locations, staffing, equipment and other infrastructure decisions. ECCFPD commissioned an SOC, to be prepared by Citygate Associates, that will be completed in July 2016.
Accountability
In the 2009 MSR, agencies demonstrated accountability based on standard measures, which generally remains true. The ECCFPD, however, suffers from a number of accountability issues.
Most of the agencies reviewed follow Best Practices in terms of contested elections, constituent outreach efforts, transparency, and disclosure practices. The ECCFPD Board members are not directly elected, and are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) and the cities of Brentwood and Oakley. ECCFPD’s limited financial resources constrain the District’s ability to prepare and update financial plans and audits and reports for public review, and limit the agencies’ ability to maintain and update their websites with comprehensive information in a timely manner. Efforts are underway to stabilize ECCFPD’s funding and to create a more representative elected Board.
While agencies adhere to generally accepted accounting practices for public entities, recent changes in standards issued by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) allow for the reporting of “net liabilities” for pension and OPEB plans.9 While the “net” reporting helps to simplify the reporting process, it also reduces the availability of important information available to the public regarding total pension and OPEB assets and liabilities, and actual vs. total required payments. Agencies should include both the total and the net liabilities to provide maximum transparency and public information.10
9 Statement No. 68, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Pension—an Amendment of GASB Statement No. 27 (issued 6/12), Government Accounting Standards Board. 10 Additional OPEB clarity can also be provided by compliance with recent GASB draft guidelines proposing that governments report OPEB liabilities on the face of the financial statement; GASB also recommends reporting of actual annual payments made for the prior two years, and the net OPEB obligation at the end of each year.
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Current Task Force planning efforts to stabilize ECCFPD funding include requirements by the County to initiate action to change the existing Board of Directors from an appointed Board to an elected Board.
Governance Options
ConFire
The 2009 MSR presented a wide-ranging set of potential governance changes for the East and West County cities and districts; some were boundary cleanups, others were governance/reorganizations, and many involved ConFire’s active participation.
Due to ConFire’s continuing recovery from recent adverse financial conditions, its ability to undertake additional service areas or service responsibilities depends on receiving additional revenues sufficient to offset its additional costs. This means that any significant governance changes related to the RHFPD or the ECCFPD, the primary focus of this MSR, are likely to require that those agencies adopt special taxes or other new revenues that will enable a “revenue neutral” service arrangement with ConFire so that ConFire’s existing services are not diminished.
ECCFPD
The 2009 MSR proposed a number of potential governance options; however, no agency action has occurred since 2009 related to changes in governance. As summarized below and described in Chapter 4, significant changes in governance are not likely in the near-term; however, one viable option is the creation of an independent district (Option “d,” below), currently an objective of the Task Force pursuing sustainable solutions for ECCFPD.
a. Detachment from ECCFPD of either the City of Brentwood or the City of Oakley, or both – If either or both cities detach, the remaining unincorporated area would essentially be a remnant district and would be financially unsustainable.
In the event of detachment, the detaching city would be responsible for providing fire service within city boundaries either directly by forming a fire department or indirectly through a contract.
A detailed analysis of the impact of detachments has not been prepared; however, because Brentwood accounts for over 50 percent of the property taxes of the ECCFPD, the loss of revenues from detachment of Brentwood would not be offset by cost savings from detaching one fire station, or one-third of the total stations.
In addition, it is unlikely there would be a reduction in overhead, thus the average cost per remaining ECCFPD station would increase. Because Oakley represents about 20% of assessed value, its detachment would present less of an impact on the remaining ECCFPD; however, the latter scenario is unlikely since Oakley’s gain 592 of 801 746 of 955
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in tax revenue would be insufficient to fund its station, and likely additional mitigation payments to ECCFPD would worsen Oakley’s funding problem.
It is likely that LAFCO would allocate existing liabilities between the detaching entity and the remaining district; thus the detaching entities would not only assume the burden of annual operations, but would also be responsible for a share of current and long-term ECCFPD liabilities. LAFCO would determine this allocation, as well as any required mitigation payments, at the time of detachment. b. Consolidation of ECCFPD with ConFire – This change of governance would require the cooperation of the ConFire governing board, which is the Contra Costa County BOS; however, the consolidation could effectively degrade the service levels to the ConFire service area, which would likely be unacceptable to the BOS.
Without significant additional new taxes from ECCFPD residents, a financial drain on ConFire is likely due to outstanding pension and OPEB liabilities, and due to differentials in pay and benefits that would need to be reconciled. c. ECCFPD contract for service with CAL FIRE – Financial savings are unlikely to result from this option given that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) costs are similar to ECCFPD’s.11 ECCFPD would also need to resolve costs associated with its unfunded pension and OPEB liabilities. Some efficiencies in administration are likely, considering CAL FIRE’s administrative operations. Actual costs and benefits would require a detailed analysis of contract services and charges.
d. Establish ECCFPD as an independent district – This option is consistent with the original ECCFPD formation goals, and recognizes the current de facto organization that functions independently of the County. 12 However, this option
alone does not alter the District’s ability to increase revenues. This option, in conjunction with other revenue-related actions, is discussed below under “ECCFPD MSR Recommendations.”
RHFPD
The 2009 MSR considered a number of governance options; however, no agency action has occurred since 2009 related to changes in governance. Following is a review and update of potential options.
a. Annexation of area served by Crockett-Carquinez FPD – While there would be benefits to a unified command structure and some shared internal support services, the cost reductions (net of revenues) to the RHFPD would not be significant enough to overcome RHFPD’s financial shortfalls. Increased financial 11 MRG/BA interview with Chief Henderson, ECCFPD, November 24, 2015. 12 LAFCO law defines an independent district as having a board elected by voters within its boundaries.
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and operational efficiencies, in conjunction with other actions, could improve the long-term financial sustainability of RHFPD; however, there has been no activity in this area and neither of the agencies has expressed interest in pursuing it. b. Consolidation among West County fire providers – Historically, major impediments to implementing this recommendation have included political, financial, operational, employee compensation and training differences, as well as an expressed lack of interest. Although the City of Pinole allowed its contract with the RHFPD for Fire Chief services to expire in 2013, and has been recruiting for a replacement Chief, they recently placed the recruitment on hold. The ConFire District Chief has approached both the City of Pinole and the RHFPD (who will have a Chief vacancy on May 1, 2016) and proposed a ”shared Chief” opportunity for the RHFPD, the City of Pinole and ConFire. The “shared Chief” position would be a ConFire employee who would provide fire and EMS leadership to the three agencies. The agencies would share the costs of the position equally and receive ongoing service from the Chief in the position. This is a practical, easily implementable and cost-effective method of providing Chief-level leadership for these three agencies. Although significant long-term issues, including pay and benefit differentials, varying pension costs and unfunded OPEB obligations exist between RHFPD, ConFire and the City of Pinole, the “shared Chief” position will, if implemented, make a significant step in integrating the agencies in a functional manner.
Although a “grand solution” that includes a consolidation or annexation is highly unlikely to occur in the near-term, increased “functional” consolidation, which does not require governance changes, will provide a more efficient application of resources available in the West County area. Functional consolidation does not offset the inherent deficiencies of service that are created in RHFPD as a result of unfunded service demands and closed fire stations, but in conjunction with other actions, could improve the long-term financial sustainability of RHFPD.
MSR Recommendations
ConFire
Opportunities may exist whereby ConFire, by virtue of economies of scale, can provide a variety of services to smaller agencies in a cost-effective manner, as described below. ConFire’s assistance can help to reduce costs and improve the operating and administrative effectiveness of RHFPD and ECCFPD in particular, as one element of achieving long-term sustainability of those agencies.
1. Services to RHFPD – In the West County area there are opportunities for ConFire to assist RHFPD with organizational management, chief services, training, and facilities and equipment resourcing.
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2. City of Pinole – Opportunities should be explored for potential utilization of a vacant station, organizational management, chief services, training, and facilities and equipment resourcing.
3. Battalion 7 service area – ConFire’s presence in the unincorporated areas of San Pablo provides opportunities for fire response coordination in the area.
4. ECCFPD – In East County, the significant impacts of automatic aid on ConFire when responding to requests for service from ECCFPD have taxed the resources available to the ConFire service area. As ECCFPD develops fiscal and operational resources, ConFire will be able to play a more complete role. ConFire already provides a number of technical and support activities for ECCFPD at the present time.
ECCFPD
Current ECCFPD service levels are inadequate, and risk loss of life and property, and injury to firefighters if the District does not increase resources to reopen and staff fire stations. The ECCFPD, in collaboration with a Task Force of participating agencies, are working to address these issues. This MSR recommends the following as minimum steps to restore adequate service levels.
1. Educate the community on the need for professional fire and emergency medical services – Informed community participation is essential to the creation of a service plan, and to the review and development of funding sources as part of a long-term service and cost plan (see #4, below), improving the likelihood of support for a tax measure.
2. Establish an independent ECCFPD governing board – While an independent board does not guarantee increased revenues, the community will have a greater opportunity and ability to engage in District governance and support needed financial measures if the Board is elected locally and accountable to the community.
3. Develop a long-range service and cost plan that ensures adequate service levels – The ECCFPD has engaged a consulting firm to conduct a Standards of Cover (SOC) Study that will establish the basis for projecting service costs associated with the District’s service area over the long term. The costs for capital and operational needs identified in the SOC Study can provide a basis for constructing a financially viable long-range service plan for the ECCFPD, as well as provide support to the District in its efforts to justify and efficiently utilize increased revenues.
4. Develop a funding plan for services that integrates the three governmental agencies’ powers to generate development-related revenues for ECCFPD and, to the extent possible, justifies the use of 595 of 801 749 of 955
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additional tax revenues – The funding plan, involving the County and the Cities of Brentwood and Oakley, will be based on the outcome of the SOC Study.
Community education and involvement, described above, are essential to ensure community support for needed revenues, including tax measures. The ECCFPD does not have the ability to impose development impact fees, but can create a special tax with two-thirds voter approval. In any case, active engagement and support of the County and the Cities is essential to implementation of any new tax.
RHFPD
The RHFPD budget will lose over $2 million of annual grant and assessment revenues over the next one to two years, which will require closing of one of its two stations, resulting in significant reductions in service levels, increased response times, and additional risk of loss of property and life, as well as risks to firefighters. The following steps represent the minimum actions needed to address this situation.
1. Pursue new RHFPD funding sources – The RHFPD should pursue voter approval of a special tax measure, which would require a two-thirds voter approval. The tax revenues, in addition to potential cost savings from operational efficiencies, could significantly improve the RHFPD’s ability to sustain adequate levels of service.
As part of the planning efforts for a tax measure, RHFPD should participate in a SOC Study for the West County area to identify operational improvements and other measures to ensure efficient and cost-effective use of existing and new financial resources.
2. Create a Battalion 7/West County Fire and Emergency Services Task Force – Establish a Battalion 7/West County Fire and Emergency Services Task Force with representatives from all of the involved jurisdictions. The Task Force would be requested to meet regularly to develop, review and implement a regional SOC Study, apply for grants, refine operational practices and develop cooperative agreements to improve services through collaborative efforts described further in the MSR Determinations in Chapter 7.
3. Undertake a West County SOC Study – The study would objectively review the current level of fire and rescue services in the studied communities. The SOC analysis will identify the service area’s strengths, deficiencies and areas of overlap.
The results of the SOC Study could be used to improve the coordinated services in West County and form the basis for implementation of further service efficiencies, as well as to document service standards and improvements that support the RHFPD request for special tax revenue from voters.
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SOI Recommendations
ConFire
ConFire should further investigate the feasibility of annexing several unserved areas in the County that currently are not within the bounds of a fire service agency, including refineries (e.g., Tesoro). These annexations will be contingent on ConFire receiving adequate revenues, through a combination of property tax and service agreements, to offset increased costs.
ECCFPD
This MSR recommends that the current ECCFPD SOI be designated as “provisional,” requiring that the ECCFPD report back to LAFCO on at least an annual basis to inform LAFCO as to the ECCFPD’s progress in implementing the recommendations of this MSR, and in meeting the objectives of independent governance, adequacy of services, and long-term financial sustainability.
As described above in “ECCFPD MSR Recommendations,” this MSR recommends that the ECCFPD address its financial and service deficiencies by becoming an independent district with a directly elected board and a revenue stream adequate to support an acceptable level of fire and emergency medical services. The success of this strategy depends on increased support from the cities in the District, as well as public support for special tax increases. Reductions in its current service boundary, as discussed in the “Governance Options” section, above, would adversely affect the District’s financial position and ability to achieve independent status.
Current facility and service deficiencies indicate an inability of the District to provide adequate services, as stated in the determinations; affirmation of the current SOI would be inconsistent with these determinations.
RHFPD
This MSR recommends that the current RHFPD SOI be designated as “provisional,” requiring that the RHFPD report back to LAFCO on at least an annual basis to inform LAFCO as to the RHFPD’s progress in implementing the recommendations of this MSR, and in meeting the objectives of adequacy of services and long-term financial sustainability.
As indicated in the “RHFPD Governance Options” discussion, significant annexations or consolidations among West County agencies are unlikely due to the perpetuation of current financial shortfalls, as well as a lack of interest among agencies. However, full consolidation is not required for the involved agencies to implement cooperative staff sharing, contracts for service, expanded automatic aid 597 of 801 751 of 955
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and coordinated response agreements to improve the services provided to the communities they serve.
While the RHFPD currently is providing adequate services, increased demands as well as the impending loss of over $2 million in grant and assessment revenues will force the closure of one of its two stations, significantly lengthening response times, reducing the ability to respond to multiple simultaneous incidents, and reducing the District’s ability to provide needed aid to nearby agencies.
Affirmation of the current RHFPD SOI would be inconsistent with the near-term risk of significant service inadequacies if only one station is staffed.
Alternatively, LAFCO could consider a “zero SOI” designation, signaling that the District’s services will ultimately be provided by another agency. However, there are no current prospects for service by another agency given RHFPD’s service deficiencies, financial obligations and impending reductions in funding. Through a successful combination of actions as recommended in this MSR, including support for new taxes and increased collaboration among West County agencies, the District will be in a much better position of financial sustainability, and potential service area changes will be more viable at that point in time. 598 of 801 752 of 955
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2. LAFCO AND MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEWS
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (“CKH Act” - Gov. Code § 56000, et seq.) requires that every five years, as necessary, LAFCO review and update the SOI of each local agency. An SOI is a planning boundary outside of an agency’s legal boundary (such as the city limit line or district boundary) that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area. Factors considered in an SOI review focus on the current and future land uses, the current and future need and capacity for service, and any relevant communities of interest.
As part of the SOI update, LAFCO must prepare a corresponding MSR. An MSR is a comprehensive study designed to better inform LAFCO, local agencies, and the community about the provision of municipal services. Service reviews attempt to capture and analyze information about the governance structures and efficiencies of service providers, and to identify opportunities for greater coordination and cooperation among providers. The service review is a prerequisite to an SOI determination and may also lead LAFCO to take other actions under its authority.13 In 2009, Contra Costa LAFCO completed a comprehensive, Countywide MSR covering EMS and fire services in Contra Costa County.14 The current “2nd Round MSR” is focused on: (1) data updates for the 11 fire service providers (three cities and eight special districts), (2) review of automatic and mutual aid agreements, and (3) focus on ECCFPD and RHFPD, and the interface of those agencies with ConFire.
The authors of the current MSR established a base of data covering all municipal fire service/EMS providers in Contra Costa County, drawing upon responses and follow-up to a LAFCO Request for Information distributed in the Fall of 2015.
Additional research was conducted for the two MSR focus agencies to obtain more detailed data. Interviews and meetings were held with the focus agencies, as well as ConFire and other fire/EMS agencies in the County, and officials of affected cities served by the focus agencies (including the Cities of Brentwood, Oakley, Hercules and Pinole). EMS and fire service providers also had the opportunity to review and comment on working drafts of the current MSR. 13 “What is LAFCo?,” CALAFCO website, http://www.calafco.org/about.htm. 14 See “Fire and Emergency Service Providers,”
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SERVICE AREAS AND SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
The 2009 MSR proposed a number of governance and SOI changes to fire services and EMS in the County. A Fire Committee, formed following the presentation of the MSR to Contra Costa County LAFCO in April 2009, met five times in 2009 to review governance and SOI options, and other sub-regional and regional issues.15 The Fire Committee provided a number of policy and SOI recommendations, including a recommendation that a West County Ad Hoc Committee be formed to develop a work plan to address issues identified in the MSR. A number of SOI changes, which were largely “clean up” to reflect actual areas of service delivery, were subsequently adopted by LAFCO (see Appendix C).
The Fire Committee’s recommendations and LAFCO’s SOI actions specifically excluded from ConFire’s SOI the western boundary areas (i.e., City of San Pablo, and unincorporated areas including Bayview, East Richmond Heights, El Sobrante, Montalvin Manor, North Richmond, and Tara Hills) in anticipation of a future West County consolidation. LAFCO deferred SOI updates for the Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District (CCFPD), Kensington Fire Protection District (KFPD), and RHFPD pending the formation of a West County Ad Hoc Committee to address issues raised in the 2009 MSR; no committee was formed. No consolidation study or other efforts occurred subsequent to the 2009 MSR due to lack of interest on the part of the service providers.
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES
Since the preparation of the 2009 MSR, State law has added a requirement that MSRs consider disadvantaged communities. The requirement resulted from Senate Bill 244 (Wolk, 2011) (SB 244), a law addressing disadvantaged communities. A “disadvantaged community” is defined as a community with an annual median household income that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income (Water Code Section 79505.5). A disadvantaged community is also defined as “a territory that constitutes all or a portion of a “disadvantaged community” including 12 or more registered voters or some other standard as determined by the commission.16
California Government Code Section 56430, as amended by SB 244, now requires LAFCOs to include in the MSR a description of the “location and characteristics of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere 15 “Supplemental Report – Fire & Emergency Medical Services Sphere of Influence Updates,” letter from Lou Ann Texeira, Executive Officer to the LAFCO Commission, October 14, 2009 (agenda item). 16 Senate Bill 244: Land Use, General Plans, and Disadvantaged Communities, Technical Advisory, State of California Office of Planning and Research (OPR). 600 of 801 754 of 955
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Chapter 2 – LAFCO and Municipal Service Reviews 17
of influence.”17 The MSR must also contain specific written determinations on infrastructure needs or deficiencies related to public facilities and services, including but not limited to sewer, water, and fire protection services in any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere of influence of a city or special district that provides those services.
The County of Contra Costa has catalogued and mapped disadvantaged communities. Disadvantaged communities within the MSR areas of focus, namely the ECCFPD and the RHFPD, are discussed in the respective chapters for each of those agencies. Appendix B includes a list of disadvantaged communities in the County, and the fire service agency responsible for each one. 17 Cal. Gov. Code, § 56430(a)(2).
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 18
3. OVERVIEW OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS)
Designated by the County BOS, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) serves as the local emergency medical services agency (the “EMS Agency,” or “LEMSA”). The County awards exclusive ambulance operating contracts through a competitive process for all Emergency Response Zones (ERZs). Figure 2a, below, shows 2014 zones that were the basis for the response time data contained in this report.
Figure 2a
Contra Costa County Ambulance Zones – 2014
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 19 Figure 2b shows consolidated zones as currently configured. The ERZ served by the Moraga Orinda Fire District (MOFD), a non-competitive ERZ, is not subject to the EMS Agency bidding process. The ERZs were re-configured to reflect population growth and current EMS ambulance utilization; the revised ERZs and applicable response time requirements provide expanded urban response to growing areas previously deemed rural. The ERZs and related response time requirements were also designed to provide cost savings to EMS ambulance providers to preserve an emergency ambulance service model that could sustain itself on insurance reimbursement alone.18
Figure 2b
Contra Costa County Ambulance Zones – Current
18 Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa County Health Services Dept., email correspondence 2016-05-13 and 2016-06-24.
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 20 Emergency ambulance service delivery contracts require compliance with standards for response time, staffing, training and equipment. These competitively awarded ambulance contracts are performance based; that is, the ambulance service provider must put in whatever resources are necessary to comply with response time and contract requirements, including appropriate resources for training, clinical care, equipment, and vehicles.19 The EMS Agency (CCHS) is the BOS’s designated contract manager for ambulance services and reviews ConFire and all EMS System emergency performance and ambulance service performance.
Performance monitoring for independent fire districts providing EMS ambulance services is a responsibility shared by those fire districts and the EMS Agency.
As described in the 2009 MSR,20 all areas in the County continue to be served by ambulances staffed with two full-time personnel, including at least one paramedic qualified to deliver Advanced Life Support (ALS) services.21 The ambulances provide transport, as needed, to local emergency hospitals. Effective January 2016, a new contract went into effect between ConFire and AMR which provides that ConFire can directly dispatch individual AMR ambulances.
Fire departments in nearly all areas of the County, with three exceptions, staff their engines with at least one firefighter licensed as a paramedic who can provide ALS services directly upon arrival of the first fire unit, in advance of arrival of an ambulance, if needed.
Three fire departments provide Basic Life Support (BLS) services only;22 these departments include the City of Richmond, ECCFPD, and Crockett-Carquinez FPD.
In Richmond, the County has set higher ambulance response standards to assure ALS response to immediately follow the initial BLS aid provided by the Richmond Fire Department, because the Richmond Fire Department does not provide ALS.
However, the Richmond Fire Department is on a path to become Advanced EMT within the next 24 months. ECCFPD is also adding advanced skills to its EMT level staff to provide enhanced services.23
19 Correspondence with Pat Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa Health Services, April 15, 2016. 20 “Municipal Service Review: Fire and Emergency Medical Service Providers,” Accepted by LAFCO August 12, 2009.
21 ALS services are provided at the EMT-Paramedic level of care and involve the provision of advanced airway control, select pharmacologic interventions, and select invasive procedures, as well as cardiac monitoring and defibrillation (source: “EMS Modernization Report,” Fitch & Associates, June 2014).
22 BLS services are defined as the level of care that can be provided by an Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B). BLS services are limited to a basic level of patient intervention to include oxygen administration, splinting, bandaging, CPR, airway control, etc. Few (if any) pharmacological agents are allowed. Automated External Defibrillation (AED) may be provided at the EMT-B level; cardiac monitoring and advanced cardiac interventions are not. 23 Correspondence with Pat Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa Health Services, April 15, 2016. 604 of 801 758 of 955
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 21 Two of the first responders—San Ramon Valley FPD (SRVFPD) and MOFD – staff their own ambulance companies directly with licensed paramedics, and all others rely on Alliance ambulances (CCFPD ambulance services provided by AMR).
In 2014, the County commissioned a study by Fitch & Associates24 to understand the current EMS System functions and performance levels and to identify trends to guide recommendations for optimizing future EMS System operations.
Measures recommended in the Fitch Report to reduce EMS System costs included the following:
consolidating the ERZs into three zones to create cost savings and efficiencies, by merging response zones A and B and response zones D and E;25
establishing consistent response times and staffing requirements for the entire County;26
lengthening response times requirements by 60 seconds;27 eliminating Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) units; 28
allowing first response to be provided at the BLS level, which has been shown to be effective when followed by a paramedic ambulance;29 and dispatching first responders only on calls where they are likely to be beneficial to the patients.30
24 “EMS Modernization Report,” Fitch & Associates, June 2014. 25 Merging of response zones to D and E occurred effective January 2016 (P. Frost, April 15, 2016).
Under the new agreement the County may elect to merge response zones A and B during the term of the contract if desired.
26 A 1:1 ratio, or 1 EMT and 1 paramedic staffing, was made countywide with the new Alliance agreement (P. Frost, Director of EMS, April 15, 2016).
27 This was elected NOT to be done at this time, but can be phased in over time if sustainability of ambulance services is at risk. The evidence and use of EMS in the County demonstrates this would be safe when paired with fire first medical response. It is also very important to note that ambulance response times were modified based on population growth; in East County the urban ambulance requirements added more ambulances (P. Frost, Director of EMS, April 15, 2016). 28 Quick response vehicles were eliminated and replaced with ambulance services along with expanded urban response zones, especially in East County (P. Frost, Director of EMS, April 15, 2016). 29 Correspondence with Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa Health Services, April 15, 2016. 30 Alliance model allows for that efficiency to occur. Co-location of fire and ambulance dispatch began in January 2016 to facilitate ambulance dispatch (P. Frost, Director of EMS, April 15, 2016). 605 of 801 759 of 955
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 22
EMS DISPATCH
As described in a 2012 report by the County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) to LAFCO:
When a medically‐related 9‐1‐1 call occurs in Contra Costa County, the call is routed to one of three designated fire/medical dispatch centers located at Contra Costa County Fire, San Ramon Valley Fire, and Richmond Police. There, specially‐trained dispatchers systematically assess the medical needs based on information the caller provides, assigns a dispatch priority to the call, dispatches the appropriate EMS resources and may provide emergency first aid directions to the caller. A typical emergency call receives a fire engine first response and an ambulance, both dispatched immediately with lights and siren (Code 3). In some cases, where the dispatcher determines the call is less urgent and less complex, an ambulance alone may be dispatched without lights and siren.31
The new contract between ConFire and its private ambulance provider AMR under the Alliance ambulance model provides that ConFire can directly dispatch individual AMR ambulances, depending on the incident’s need and location. Previously, the County contracted with AMR, which dispatched the ambulance. Under the new system, ConFire anticipates improved response times, and reduced needs, and in some cases, expects to dispatch an engine company, since ConFire dispatch will have better information about ambulance locations and the ability to respond in a timely manner when making initial response decisions. This model also gives the opportunity for ConFire to deploy ambulance-only for low acuity calls. Currently the vast majority of 9-1-1 calls are Code 3 when many times they can be Code 2 ambulance only.32 This improved fire/EMS dispatch arrangement only applies in areas where ConFire provides fire and ambulance dispatch; it does not apply in Richmond, where the City of Richmond dispatches fire and then ConFire dispatches the ambulance.33
LEMSA contract data on the effects of the new ConFire/AMR contract will be finalized for the first six months of the contract by August, so the impact on response times is not yet known. Because the new dispatch arrangement has only been in effect for less than one year, full realization of potential benefits may 31 “The Relationship of Fire First Response to Emergency Medical Services,” Report to the Local Agency Formation Commission, Contra Costa Health Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, August 8, 2012.
32 Correspondence with Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa Health Services, April 15, 2016. 33 Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa County Health Services Dept., email correspondence 2016-05-13 and 2016-06-24.
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 23 require more time. Regardless of changes in response times, the EMS Agency anticipates that the new ConFire/AMR arrangement will result in a level of service at least equal to the level of service prior to the changes as a result of expanded urban response, and co-location of ConFire/AMR dispatch.
Although AMR does not provide ambulance service within MOFD territory (MOFD provides its own ambulance service), the new ConFire/AMR arrangement offers the potential to improve mutual aid response to medical emergencies, between areas of ConFire and MOFD. A new ambulance mutual aid agreement between ConFire, MOFD and San Ramon Fire was a requirement of the County’s RFP for ambulance service, to help assure improved coordination of ambulance services.
Release of emergency ambulance mutual aid is controlled through “resource requesting” using the Medical Health Operating Area Coordinator for out of County requests.
EMS STAFFING
At least one paramedic-trained crewmember staffs all emergency ambulances and most fire first responder units. All responders, whether paramedic or EMT I, are trained and equipped to perform most immediately needed lifesaving first aid measures such as controlling bleeding, opening and maintaining an airway, providing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and performing cardiac defibrillation. Only advanced EMT and paramedics can administer drugs and perform certain other Advanced Life Support procedures.34 The Advanced EMT (AEMT) position has been identified by Contra Costa EMS as an option for fire first responder agencies who wish to provide a level of advanced life support (can give medications and do some paramedic functions but not all) as a more efficient staffing model.35 Richmond Fire is exploring this option. About 5-10% of an urban EMS system’s calls actually require interventions at an ALS level.36 34 “The Relationship of Fire First Response to Emergency Medical Services.” 35 Correspondence with Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa Health Services, April 15, 2016. 36 2014 Contra Costa EMS System Performance Report.
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 24
EMS RESPONSE TIMES AND STANDARDS
Response times can have a critical impact on mortality rates. For example, the following graphic illustrates survival rates to a cardiac event.
Table 1a, below, displays ambulance response time standards applicable to each zone in 2014, the percentage of responses that should meet the standard, and the actual compliance with the standard. The urban standards exceed national standards of 12 minutes for urban areas. As noted previously, the standards that emergency ambulances are required to achieve are higher in the City of Richmond because the City does not provide paramedics on its first response fire engine.
Table 1a
Ambulance Response Time Standards (Priority 1) – 2014
The new ambulance contract with ConFire/AMR, effective January 2016, required new standards applicable to the current ambulance zones shown in Figure 2b.
The standards and response zones reflect adjusted urban response zones based on population growth and community utilization of emergency ambulance services for ERZ Provider Geographic Area Urban Rural
Response
%
2014 Actual
Compliance %
ERZ A (AMR) City of Richmond 10:00 20:00 95% 96%
ERZ B (AMR) West County (non-Richmond) 11:45 20:00 90% 96% ERZ C (AMR) Central County 11:45 20:00 90% 94%
ERZ D (AMR) Antioch, Bay Point, Pittsburg area 11:45 20:00 90% 93% ERZ E (AMR) East Contra Costa County 11:45 16:45
2 Suburban
20:00 Rural
90% 92%
ERZ Moraga Orinda Moraga Orinda
3 11:59 20:00 90% 92%
ERZ San Ramon San Ramon Valley310:00 20:00 95% 97%
Source: 2014 Contra Costa EMS System Performance Report 1) Current ambulance response performance requirements for the contracted ambulance provider 2) Includes Bethel Island and Discovery Bay
3) A fire protection district provides emergency ambulance service in this zone, rather than CSA-EM1. 608 of 801 762 of 955
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 25 the communities served.37 Table 1b shows the ambulance response times as required by the County in the new contract.
Table 1b
Ambulance Response Time Standards – 2016
Table 2, below, shows average response times for ambulance service providers, as reported in the Contra Costa EMS Performance Report for 2014. The times shown represent averages. The Report did not indicate the 90th percentile and 95th percentile response times, which are the basis for the standards shown in the prior table; however, in all cases, the actual compliance met or exceeded the required standard. The County is in the process of evaluating response times under the new contract, but the results are not available at the time this report was prepared.
Table 2
Ambulance Response Performance by Zone and Service Provider 37 Patricia Frost, Director of EMS, Contra Costa County Health Services Dept., email correspondence 2016-05-13 and 2016-06-24.
ERZ Provider Geographic Area
Avg. Code 3
Response Time
ERZ A (AMR) City of Richmond 4:58
ERZ B (AMR) West County (non-Richmond) 4:46
ERZ C (AMR) Central County 5:23
ERZ D (AMR) Antioch, Bay Point, Pittsburg area 5:06
ERZ E (AMR) East Contra Costa County 6:24
ERZ Moraga Orinda Moraga Orinda Fire Protection District35:33 ERZ San Ramon San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District34:20 Source: 2014 Contra Costa EMS System Performance Report 609 of 801 763 of 955
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 26
MEASURE H EMS FUNDING
Measure H, adopted by Countywide vote in 1988, established an annual parcel charge to provide for “…improvements in emergency medical and trauma care system including expanded countywide paramedic coverage; improved medical communications and medical dispatcher training; and medical equipment and supplies and training for firefighter first responders, including training and equipment for fire services electing to undertake a specialized program of advanced cardiac care (defibrillation).”
CSA EM-1 was formed with two zones, Zone A, which is all of San Ramon Valley Fire and Zone B, which is the remainder of the County. The basic assessment rate for Zone B is $10.00 per single-family residence, and $3.94 per single-family residence in Zone A. The lower rate in Zone A reflects that level of EMS enhancement funding approved by the San Ramon voters and governing boards in 1988. The primary purpose of Measure H was to provide funding for “paramedic ambulance services” countywide. The majority of Measure H funding between 1988 and 2004 funded paramedic ambulance services provided by the private contractor AMR.
In 2004, the Measure H funding that subsidized the private ambulance service provider was shifted to support fire first responder paramedic services as part of the new County ambulance contract. Until 2013, Measure H provided an annual subsidy of $30,000 per paramedic-staffed fire engine for all Zone B fire agencies.
In May 2013, the County Board of Supervisors approved a population-based formula that provides funding to all Zone B fire first responder agencies regardless of engine staffing.38 The new formula was a response to engine reductions that many agencies suffered during the downturn, and helped to preserve funding levels.
As reported by the Contra Costa EMS, “In 2014, Measure H assessments generated approximately $4.7 million. Currently, fire districts receive 60% of that revenue for first-responder EMS programs. The remaining funds support EMS system programs (17%), which include Trauma, Stroke, STEMI,39 EMS for Children, Quality, Disaster Preparedness, Patient Safety programs; and multi-casualty and medical mutual aid dispatch from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office (5%), with the remainder allocated for other services.”40
38 “Guidelines for Fire First Medical Response Population Based Allocation County Service Area EM1 (Measure H) Funds,” July 5, 2013.
39 “STEMI” is an acronym for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, the most severe type of heart attack.
40 2014 Contra Costa EMS System Performance Report.
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Chapter 3 – Overview of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 27
COUNTY AMBULANCE CONTRACT
The County of Contra Costa recently entered into an exclusive agreement for ambulance services with ConFire, pursuant to a Request for Proposals process.
The agreement is a “performance-based agreement (Agreement) for the provision of (1) a ground emergency medical transportation system at a “paramedic Advanced Life Support” (ALS) level of service; and (2) non-emergency inter-facility paramedic ALS ambulance transports originating in Contra Costa County ....”41 ConFire and its private subcontractor AMR provide ambulance service to County areas not served by the MOFD and the SRVFPD, which provide their own ambulance service. The five-year agreement assigns responsibility for billing and insurance reimbursements to ConFire, while AMR provides ambulance and paramedics for a fixed unit hour fee. The partnership includes a combined dispatch center that is “forecast to reduce response times by 30 seconds and lessen the need to dispatch firefighters to non-emergency medical calls.” Additionally, with the County now running its ambulance program, it could qualify for a State program that offers partial reimbursements for the medical transport of certain Medi-Cal recipients”.42 These Federal matching funds are also available only to public entities.43
Under the new system, ConFire dispatches the ambulance, rather than the prior system that required 9-1-1 calls to be transferred to ConFire, followed by ConFire notification of AMR. It is expected that this system will enable ConFire to avoid dispatching firefighters to incidents where they are not required, thus freeing up the firefighters and equipment for fires and other emergencies. 41 “Request for Proposals, Exclusive Operator for Emergency Ambulance Service, Contra Costa County, California,” February 27, 2015.
42 http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2015/11/contra-costa-approves-ambulance-contract.html, November 26, 2015. Note: this funding is limited to regular MediCal. Managed MediCal is not eligible to qualify for federal funds at this time (P. Frost, April 15, 2016). 43 Private ambulance companies are not eligible for the government Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) reimbursement program – a federal match, up to costs incurred, for providing approved services.
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Chapter 4 – Overview of Fire Services 28
4. OVERVIEW OF FIRE SERVICES
FIRE SERVICE PROVIDERS
As shown in Table 3, below, the total number of special district and city fire stations serving Contra Costa County has remained relatively constant since the 2009 MSR, excluding ECCFPD and ConFire. Appendix D provides information about individual stations, and changes since 2009.
By the time the 2009 MSR was finalized in April 2009, station closures had begun.
Recent growth in revenues and property taxes has provided for the re-opening of some stations; however, certain districts continue to face financial difficulties, including the ECCFPD and the RHFPD. ECCFPD plans to re-open one station for one year as a result of an inter-agency Task Force funding plan. RHFPD anticipates possible closure of one of its two stations when current grant funding terminates near the end of FY 2015-16 and SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant funds have been depleted.
In addition to special districts and city fire departments, there are a number of other service providers that contribute to related emergency services in the County, and cooperate with the special districts and cities.44 These agencies include:
CAL FIRE, which has primary responsibility for wildland fires in State Responsibility Areas (SRAs). CAL FIRE’s role and responsibility, and relationship to local agencies, is further described in this chapter below, under the heading “Wildland Fire Response.”
East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), which provides fire suppression, prevention, BLS for medical emergencies, rescue, and initial hazardous materials response to the regional parks within Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, and serves as the first-in responder to designated non-park SRA lands by contract with CAL FIRE. ConFire remains the “Authority Having Jurisdiction” (AHJ), and is responsible, along with other local agencies, for responding to the majority of fire, EMS, and rescue services to EBRPD lands, particularly given EBRPD’s limited equipment and response capacity.45
Federal Fire Department, Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO), which provides fire protection to the MOTCO facility with two engine companies operating 44 The 2009 MSR provides additional information about these emergency service providers. 45 Correspondence with Lewis Broschard III, Deputy Fire Chief, ConFire, April 18, 2016. 612 of 801 766 of 955
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Chapter 4 – Overview of Fire Services 29
out of two fire stations. The MOTCO facility consists of an approximately 7,600- acre area, formerly known as the “Naval Weapon Station Concord Tidal Area.” Private Fire Brigades – Within Contra Costa County, there are four fuel refineries (Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, and Tesoro), one large chemical plant complex (Dow Chemical), and one large sugar processing plant (C&H Sugar). C&H Sugar and Tesoro lie outside any fire district boundary in unincorporated areas of the County. One refinery, Chevron, has a full-time, paid fire department. The others operate fire brigades, with a manager functioning as the Fire Chief in addition to other duties. Appendix E provides additional information about refinery brigades and services.
Presently, local government fire service agencies are expected to respond to both routine and major emergencies at all these facilities to provide personnel, equipment, ALS first-responder medical care, ALS ambulance transport, and fire investigation. These responses are provided either through automatic-aid, mutualaid, or as the AHJ.
Mutual Aid from the refineries is infrequent and only Chevron could provide services other than petro-chemical emergency response off-site. These facilities have the operational and overhead capacity to handle small incidents without mutual aid from local government agencies. Medium and large incidents require support and management from local agencies. Large incidents, particularly those involving off-site releases, require the use of an incident management team (IMT), the activation of emergency operations center(s) (EOCs), and public information functions. These are not presently well defined or exercised.46 The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), which serves as a first responder for incidents involving injuries, loss of life or damage to vessels on the waterways and off of the coast of Contra Costa County.
The Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (Camp Parks), which is also a provider of fire services at the U.S. Army facility located within the service area of SRVFPD and near the City of Dublin.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff Marine Unit, which serves as law enforcement for abandoned vessels and crimes committed on Contra Costa waterways, but which is also the primary first responder for incidents involving injuries and boating accidents in the waterways.
The Contra Costa County Health Services Department, which provides specialized hazardous materials response.
46 Source: Fire Chief Stephen Healy, MOFD, Contra Costa County Operational Area Mutual Aid Coordinator; Lewis Broschard III, Deputy Chief, ConFire. See attached Appendix for additional information about initial attack responsibilities.
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Chapter 4 – Overview of Fire Services 30
Table 3
Summary of Service Provider Stations, 2009 MSR vs. 2015
FIRE AGENCY SERVICE AREAS AND SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
The 2009 MSR recommended changes to SOIs; LAFCO adopted SOI updates for CSA EM-1, ConFire, ECCFPD, MOFD, and SRVFPD, as summarized in Appendix C.
The changes sought to align boundaries with land use development and service responsibilities of the primary service provider; the changes were not associated with major organizational changes (consolidations, etc.). LAFCO deferred SOI updates for the West County agencies (i.e., CCFPD, KFPD, and RHFPD) in anticipation of the West County agencies forming an Ad Hoc Committee to pursue issues raised in the 2009 MSR. Also, LAFCO updated the SOIs for the Cities of El Cerrito, Pinole and Richmond in conjunction with the 2009 West County Subregional MSR covering city services.
AREA
Agency
Total
2009 2015 Stations
Staffed Stations
WEST COUNTY
City of Richmond
City of El Cerrito
City of Pinole
Kensington FPD
Rodeo-Hercules FPD
Crockett-Carquinez FPD (2)
Subtotal
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon Valley FPD (1)
Moraga-Orinda FD
Subtotal
EAST COUNTY
East Contra Costa FPD
OTHER
Contra Costa County FPD (ConFire) (1)
TOTAL (3)
(1) Includes stations staffed with reserves (Con
ConFire Station #18 is being sold (as of 4/18
(2) CCFPD 2015 total includes1 staffed, 1 unsta
(3) The Sunshine Station, staffed by CAL FIRE, s
7 7 7
2 2 2
2 1 2
1 1 1
2 2 2
1 1 3
15 14 17
9 9 11
5 5 5
14 14 16
8 3 8
28 24 29
65 55 70
nFire Stations 19, and SRVFPD Stations 37, 40) .
8/16), and is excluded.
affed, and one utilized by AMR (#79) pre-2016.
serves the Morgan Territory from May-Nov.
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Chapter 4 – Overview of Fire Services 31
FIRE AGENCY SERVICE AGREEMENTS
Local fire agencies have entered into a number of agreements, both formal and informal, to augment existing services and help to jointly handle hazards that may be beyond the capability of any single agency. These agreements, in some cases, also provide for the sharing of various functions such as training, dispatch, and administrative services. These agreements are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 8.
WILDLAND FIRE RESPONSE
The 10 fire station closures since the 2009 MSR had a significant impact on responses to all call types within the entire fire service emergency response network in Contra Costa County.
All wildland resources are cross-staffed by fire personnel who also staff structural firefighting apparatus, including engines and trucks. The closure of fire stations and lack of funding to reopen those stations increases the workload on the remaining companies, creating a very busy response network. Because the resources are cross-staffed, when a fire engine is on an EMS call it is unavailable as a wildland engine resource.
A high call volume caused by station closures affects the entire system. Increased resources are necessary to respond to wildland fires, as well as all other call types, because of the inter-related staffing.
In addition to a reduced number of stations, environmental factors have had a detrimental effect on wildland fire response. The increase in temperatures, longer wildland fire seasons, and the drought have all increased the number and complexity of wildland incidents. These increases, in turn, negatively affect responses to all other call types.
CAL FIRE’s response varies based on the time of the year, level of response and the drawdown of CAL FIRE resources. During the regular fire season, CAL FIRE has one engine in the County; during peak seasons it has two. CAL FIRE dispatches at three different levels: “low” dispatches two engines, “medium” dispatches six engines, and “high” dispatches eight engines. CAL FIRE uses many factors to determine these levels. It should be noted that CAL FIRE could take as long as one hour for its resources to arrive in the County for a State Responsibility Area (SRA) fire. During this time, local agencies handle all mitigation operations.47 47 Chief Lance Maples, President of the Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs Association, (7/20/16).
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Chapter 4 – Overview of Fire Services 32
FINANCING
As shown in Table 4, below, the primary revenue source for the fire districts is property taxes, which depend on the district’s share of taxes generated by assessed value within district boundaries. A low share of property taxes, combined with relatively low assessed values, contributes to the significant financial problems of the ECCFPD and RHFPD, which receive on average 6% to 7% of each property tax dollar paid within their districts, compared to other districts that receive two to three times that tax share. Except in rare cases of district dissolutions or certain reorganizations, shifting property taxes from one entity to a fire service agency is highly unlikely to occur, either at the State or the local level.
Table 4
Financing of Fire and EMS Expenditures (FY 2014-15
In limited circumstances, new developments have been required to fund public safety operations through creation of a special tax by a city or the County, with concurrence of the developer. If the County or a city does not take advantage of the opportunity to require and create a special tax for fire services before residents move into a community, the tax will require two-thirds voter approval, which has proven difficult in areas already burdened by special taxes for infrastructure and by lack of voter support.
AREA
Agency Fire & EMS
per
Resident
Property
Taxes (1)
% of
1% Tax
Assessments
& Spec. Taxes
Other
Sources TOTAL
WEST COUNTY
City of Richmond $29,388,000 $274 $6,346,000 28% $23,042,000 $29,388,000 City of El Cerrito 5,742,000 $239 1,268,000 18% 4,474,000 5,742,000 City of Pinole (2) 3,469,000 $184 530,000 12% $1,006,600 1,932,400 3,469,000 Kensington FPD 3,009,000 $593 3,264,000 30% $200,000 3,464,000 Rodeo-Hercules FPD 6,637,000 $201 2,743,000 6% $2,277,000 1,617,000 6,637,000 Crockett-Carquinez FPD 436,000 $132 444,000 12% 444,000 Subtotal $48,681,000 $254
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon Valley FPD $55,703,000 $370 $56,838,000 14% $4,479,270 $61,317,270 Moraga-Orinda FD 18,842,000 $449 16,150,000 17% 2,692,000 18,842,000 Subtotal $74,545,000 $387
EAST COUNTY
East Contra Costa FPD $10,791,000 $94 $10,363,000 7% $428,000 $10,791,000 OTHER
ConFire $89,200,000 $149 $96,600,000 12% $96,600,000
(1) City property taxes allocated to fire/EMS estimated based on property taxes as % of GF revenues. (2) City of Pinole Fund 105 FY14-15 Revised Measure "S-2006" for fire expenditures. (3) El Cerrito excludes approx. $2.4 million of reimbursement for KFPD contract.
Expenditures Revenues
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Redevelopment helped to support new development that will generate growth in property taxes in the future, particularly with an improving real estate market, but at the near-term cost of diverting a share of districts’ property taxes otherwise needed to respond with increased fire protection services. Although redevelopment financing has been eliminated in California, property taxes will continue to be diverted to pay off remaining redevelopment obligations, affecting both RHFPD in Hercules, and ConFire in San Pablo and Pittsburg. According to the County Auditor, approximately 10 percent of fire district revenues were diverted to redevelopment in Fiscal Year 2015-16. RHFPD lost nearly 30 percent, and ECCFPD about 5 percent.48
Federal grants, such as SAFER grants, helped many agencies maintain service levels, however, these grants expire after a fixed period. Assessments are another source of funding, although the recent assessment increase adopted by the RHFPD was prematurely eliminated by settlement of a lawsuit against the District.
Cities have a range of revenue sources available to fund fire service, although they are typically responsible for funding a broad range of public services. Fire districts have funding limitations relating to the ability to charge fees for service and imposing special taxes and assessments. As with districts, a low share of property taxes and low assessed values generally translate into lower fire service expenditures per resident.
The average expenditure per resident for fire and EMS services provided by fire agencies was approximately $200 per resident in 2014, which is slightly below typical expenditures listed in the 2009 MSR of $209 per resident.49 This result reflects the significant impact of the recession, station closures, and service reductions, combined with increased populations. Factors influencing expenditures, in addition to property taxes, include the availability of other revenues, geography and service demands, and policy decisions by residents and local leaders related to service and expenditure priorities.
Assessed Value and Property Taxes
According to the County Assessor, assessed values and property taxes have recovered and now exceed pre-recession levels. The increase in the Countywide local tax base for FY 2015-16 represents a 7.53% increase in assessed value.
Cities with the largest increases in assessed value from the prior year include Brentwood at 12.29% and El Cerrito at 9.96%. Moraga, Hercules, and Pittsburg 48 Correspondence from Bob Campbell to LAFCO, May 20, 2016. 49 2009 MSR, p. 4.
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had the lowest assessed value increases. Moraga and Hercules each had a 5.87% assessed value increase and Pittsburg had an assessed value increase of 5.48%.50 Over the three-year period between FY 2009-10 and FY 2011-12, Countywide property taxes declined by 11.08%. Over the last three years, FY 2012-13 to FY 2014-15, the increase was 13.4%. This means that property taxes over the past six years only grew by a net of 2.32% over the entire period. This fact is a significant reason for the slow economic recovery in Contra Costa County, according to the County’s FY 2015-16 budget.
OPERATING EXPENDITURES
Recent State legislation has enabled local agencies to limit benefits received by new hires, helping to constrain cost growth. Although inflation has generally been low (around 2% annually), health costs continue to grow; some agencies conservatively forecast 10% annual growth in health related costs.
Salaries and Wages
Salaries and wages represent 75% to 90% of operating budgets for Contra Costa fire agencies; the share of the total budget varies depending on costs of outside services and contracts, and revenues available for non-labor costs such as equipment repair and replacement, facility improvements, and debt service.
Pension Costs and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) In general, long-term liabilities for employee benefits are likely to decline as a result of State legislation and reduced benefits for new hires. The California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), that covers all State and local public retirement systems, mandated retirement formulas for new safety hires.
The formulas range from 1.836% at 55 to 2.5% at 55;51 the new hires must be offered the option that is lower than, but closest to, the formula provided to members in the same safety retirement plan on December 12, 2012.52 These new rates are generally lower than prior rates. PEPRA also defined “pensionable compensation” for new members to eliminate prior abuses stemming from “salary spiking.”
50 Contra Costa County Office of Assessor, letter to the Board of Supervisors, July 1, 2015. 51 In other words, “2.5% at 55” means a retiring employee can retire at 55, accruing an annual pension of 2.5% of pensionable salary for each year of service, up to a maximum percentage of pensionable salary (e.g., 90%).
52 “Brief FAQs Regarding the Proposed California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013,” by Janae H. Novotny, Esq., Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP. 618 of 801 772 of 955
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In the near term, however, actions by CalPERS and CCCERA to reduce unfunded liabilities have resulted in increased annual payments to some agencies; this occurs as a result of shortened amortization periods for unfunded liabilities, which increases annual payments. For example, CCCERA reduced its assumed interest earnings on assets to 7.25%, which is slightly lower than CalPERS’ assumptions of
7.5%; and CCCERA also reduced its amortization periods required for payment of unfunded liabilities; CCCERA’s amortization periods are also generally faster than those of CalPERS, which effectively increases annual required payments.53 In April, 2016, CCCERA further reduced its assumed interest earnings rate, which will increase agency payments; ConFire estimates an annual impact of $4.5 million to $5 million.54 In addition to its recent reduction in anticipated investment returns, CCCERA is considering additional changes that will further affect pension costs; these changes may become known by CCCERA’s August 10, 2016 meeting.
Recent actions by CCCERA “de-pooled” certain liabilities, which effectively placed burdens for future obligations of an agency entirely on that agency, rather than spreading the burden among multiple, potentially larger agencies. The effect, for example, in the case of the RHFPD, was to increase the district’s unfunded liabilities and annual costs. Spread among a reduced staff, the burden relative to payroll increased.
While unfunded liabilities have generally been declining, economic conditions and investment returns have a significant effect on changes in those liabilities. For example, if CalPERS and CCCERA investments do not achieve or exceed the returns assumed in the calculation of pension liabilities, the unfunded portion will grow and require increased payments (the annual changes are amortized over several years to smooth annual variations).
Payments by agencies against unfunded liabilities, e.g., through the use of Pension Obligation Bonds, can help reduce interest charges accrued by those liabilities.
However, the agency is still obligated to provide additional resources if future investment earnings decline and assets are insufficient to fund obligations. This scenario constrains the ability to fully pre-pay future obligations, for example, in order for an agency to consolidate with another organization without the baggage of excessive unfunded liabilities.
53 MRG/BA interview with Wrally Dutkiewicz, Compliance Officer, CCCERA, February 26, 2016. 54 Lewis Broschard, Deputy Chief, ConFire, testimony at LAFCO Hearing May 11, 2016. 619 of 801 773 of 955
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GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS
As shown in Table 5, below, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) projects that Countywide population growth from 2015 through 2020 will average
0.7% annually. This is approximately the same rate of growth as the County realized from 2010 through 2015. East and West County growth is above the Countywide average, and Central County exhibits slightly below-average rates.
Table 5
Projected City and County Population Growth 2015-2020
Annual
Jurisdiction 2015 2020 Growth
WEST COUNTY
Richmond 109,100 114,600 1.0%
El Cerrito 24,100 24,700 0.5%
Pinole 18,900 19,500 0.6%
Hercules 26,500 28,900 1.7%
San Pablo 30,300 31,500 0.8%
Subtotal 208,900 219,200 1.0%
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon 74,400 76,800 0.6%
Moraga 16,400 16,900 0.6%
Clayton 10,900 11,100 0.4%
Concord 125,300 128,500 0.5%
Danville 42,700 43,500 0.4%
Lafayette 24,500 25,100 0.5%
Martinez 36,500 37,100 0.3%
Orinda 18,000 18,400 0.4%
Pittsburg 67,600 72,000 1.3%
Pleasant Hill 33,800 34,400 0.4%
Walnut Creek 67,000 69,900 0.9%
Subtotal 517,100 533,700 0.6%
EAST COUNTY
Antioch 105,600 108,900 0.6%
Brentwood 52,700 54,000 0.5%
Oakley 38,500 41,600 1.6%
Subtotal 196,800 204,500 0.8%
UNINCORPORATED
Subtotal 162,900 166,100 0.4%
TOTAL 1,085,700 1,123,500 0.7%
Source: ABAG Projections 2013
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As noted by ConFire, many areas in the County will continue to see growth of residential communities, which will require additional funding mechanisms and development agreements for capital, equipment, and staffing of new fire stations needed to cover these areas.
Certain communities, such as the City of Walnut Creek, have experienced significant infill growth with the development of multiple mid-rise residential and mixed-use occupancies. Despite the economic recession, single-family dwelling development continues to occur and is increasing in the Cities of Pittsburg and Antioch. The transfer of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station land to the City of Concord will result in significant residential and commercial development in that area. The communities of Pittsburg and Antioch will continue to see aboveaverage growth of residential communities.55
SERVICE DEMAND
Table 6, below, compares total fire and EMS incidents to the population in each jurisdiction. Overall, the incidents per population of 1,000 equal 83/1,000 residents, which are slightly higher than indicated by the 79/1,000 residents in the 2009 MSR; however, the difference likely is not statistically significant. The incidents/1,000 residents is shown for general comparison purposes only; standards and national norms are not readily available, as the ratios can vary significantly based on numerous factors, such as daytime vs. nighttime populations, and incidents should be further stratified to provide more direct comparisons.56
55 ConFire Response to LAFCO Request for Information.
56 “Fire Service Performance Measures,” Jennifer D. Flynn, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Fire Analysis and Research Division, November 2009 (see p. 14). 621 of 801 775 of 955
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Table 6
Summary of Fire Agency Incidents by Service Providers – 2014 AREA,
Agency Population Total
Incidents per
1,000 pop.
Incidents
WEST COUNTY
City of Richmond 107,300 10,774 100
City of El Cerrito 24,000 3,018 126
City of Pinole 18,900 2,205 117
Kensington FPD (1) 5,100 608 119
Rodeo-Hercules FPD 33,000 2,159 65
Crockett-Carquinez FPD 3,300 524 159
Subtotal 191,600 19,288 101
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon Valley FPD 150,480 8,618 57
Moraga-Orinda FD 38,500 3,162 82
Subtotal 188,980 11,780 62
EAST COUNTY
East Contra Costa FPD 119,125 5,423 46
OTHER
Contra Costa County FPD (ConFire) 597,887 54,547 91
TOTAL 1,097,592 91,038 83
(1) KFPD calls include 302 calls outside Kensington; 306 calls/5,100 population is equals about 60 calls per 1,000 population.
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INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OR DEFICIENCIES
As previously shown in Table 3, the number of open stations declined by nearly 15% since the 2009 MSR, a net reduction of about 10 stations. Meanwhile, the population of Contra Costa County increased by about 3.5% over the same period.57
The closure of five ECCFPD stations accounts for the majority of the station reductions. ECCFPD currently has plans to re-open its Knightsen station for the period July 2016 through June 2017, contingent on a funding plan developed in conjunction with Contra Costa County and the Cities of Brentwood and Oakley.
ConFire currently has six closed stations (two of those stations are unstaffed, but serve as reserve stations with 10 on-call firefighters). The District has plans to begin re-opening certain stations depending on improved revenues and future needs.
RHFPD is at risk of closing one of its two stations when its SAFER current grant funding expires in the Spring of 2016, and 2014 assessment revenue is significantly reduced the following year, due to insufficient revenues to fund two stations.
Pinole continues with a one-station configuration—a 50% decrease from prior levels, which adversely affects response times.
The structural condition of stations has declined since the 2009 MSR; the total number of stations Countywide rated by the agencies as in “poor” condition increased from six stations in 2009 to 17 stations, according to the 2015 survey of agencies, as summarized in Table 7.
57 “ABAG Projections 2013” estimated growth of 36,675 from 2010 through 2015, from a total population of 1,049,025 (2010) to 1,085,700.
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Table 7
Facility Condition – 2015 MSR Survey
SERVICE ADEQUACY
The ultimate goal of any emergency service delivery system is to provide sufficient resources (personnel, apparatus and equipment) to the scene of a reported emergency in time to take effective action to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the emergency situation. All fire agencies should strive to meet generally recognized response performance measures based upon their current capabilities and resources. Each agency should have established benchmark response goals AREA
Agency
WEST COUNTY
City of Richmond
City of El Cerrito
City of Pinole
Kensington FPD
Rodeo-Hercules FPD
Crockett-Carquinez FPD
Subtotal
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon Valley FPD (1)
Moraga-Orinda FD
Subtotal
EAST COUNTY
East Contra Costa FPD (3)
OTHER
Contra Costa County FPD (ConFire) (1,2)
TOTAL
Sources: Responses to 2015 LAFCO Request for Infor
(1) Includes stations staffed with reserves (ConFire S
ConFire Station #18 is being sold (as of 4/18/16),
(2) In 2015, 3 of 10 ConFire stations in "poor" condit
Total
Stations 2009 2015
7 0 1
2 0 0
2 0 1
1 0 0
2 0 0
3 0 0
17 0 2
11 0 0
5 2 2
16 2 2
8 3 3
29 1 10
70 6 17
rmation; 2009 MSR.
Stations 19, and SRVFPD Stations 37, 40
and is excluded.
tion were not open.
Poor Condition
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that can be analyzed annually to measure how well the organization is performing in relation to the response time goals.58
The components of benchmark response goals have been established and or recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Center for Public Safety Excellence/Commission on Fire Accreditation, and the Insurance Service Office (ISO). The American Heart Association (AHA) has shown that bystander CPR and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are the most critical factors to cardiac arrest survival, not fire EMS response times.
This MSR describes response times as one common benchmark against which to measure fire agency performance. It is important to note that the typical response times measure the arrival time of the first engine to the scene of the incident.
Other critical measures consider the time required for additional engines and firefighters to arrive, depending on the type of incident.
Response Times
For effective outcomes on serious medical emergencies and to keep serious but still-emerging fires controllable, industry Best Practices recommend the establishment of response time goals to measure adequacy of a response. NFPA Standard 1710, applicable to fire companies staffed by career firefighters, recommends 80 seconds (1 minute and 20 seconds) for “turnout time,” or the time between receiving a dispatch call and leaving the station, for fire and special operations responses. The subsequent travel time standard requires no more than a 240-second travel time (4 minutes) to 90% of the incidents.59 The combined time, from dispatch to arrival of the first responding engine company, equals 5 minutes and 20 seconds (not including time from receipt of 9-1-1 call to dispatch).
The Crockett-Carquinez FPD and the East Bay Regional Parks Fire Department are covered under NFPA Standard 1720 due to the manner in which those fire departments are organized.
Medical response standards, as described further in Chapter 3, depend on the nature of the medical emergency. The response time goal for BLS and defibrillation first response to potential cardiac arrest patients, as recommended by the County’s Fitch Study, should be less than 10 minutes, 90 percent of the time.
The system response time goal for ALS response and transport should be established between 12 and 13 minutes, 90 percent of the time.60 58 Appendix A discusses response times and adequacy in greater detail. 59 NFPA 1710.
60 EMS Modernization Project Report, Fitch & Associates, June 2014 (p. 56). 625 of 801 779 of 955
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As shown in Table 8, below, none of the fire service providers reported response times that achieve NFPA Standard 1710 standards of 5 minutes and 20 seconds 90% of the time. Crockett-Carquinez FPD does meet the NFPA Standard 1720, responding within 14 minutes to 80 percent of calls.61 Knightsen and Bethel Island, within the ECCFPD, are also “rural” and subject to the longer response time per NFPA 1720.
Table 8
Response Times (Code 3) and ISO Ratings (2014)
61 CCFPD has a population of less than 500 people/square mile, which meets the “rural” definition and the longer response standard.
AREA
Agency
WEST COUNTY
City of Richmond
City of El Cerrito
City of Pinole
Kensington FPD
Rodeo-Hercules FPD (1)
Crockett-Carquinez FPD
Subtotal
CENTRAL COUNTY
San Ramon Valley FPD
Moraga-Orinda FD
Subtotal
EAST COUNTY
East Contra Costa FPD (3)
OTHER
Contra Costa County FPD (ConFire)
TOTAL
Source: Agency responses to LAFCO Request for Inform
(1) RHFPD response information from corresp
(2) SRVFPD 4/14/16
(3) ECCFPD response time shown is for 2015.
90 Percent
of Responses ISO
8:20 2
6:51 2
8:38 3
7:37 2
9:43 2/2X
9:40 3/10
7:01 02/2Y
8:20 3/9
11:58 4/10
9:33 3/8
mation, except as noted.
pondence 2/24/16.
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By comparison to the 2009 MSR, response times have generally been maintained or improved; one exception is the ECCFPD that significantly reduced its number of stations, and thereby increased travel times from the remaining, more distant stations. The likely closure of an RHFPD station will have a significant effect on response times in that area.
ISO Ratings
Table 8 also shows Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings for each service provider. The ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) system is intended to reflect a community's local fire protection capacity for property insurance rating purposes and provides a basis for the ISO rating. Although many insurance companies no longer utilize PPC ratings in determining insurance costs, it is a factor in many cases, and provides an indicator of levels of fire protection and fire risk.
ISO classifies communities from 1 (the best) to 10 (the worst) based on how well the community scores on the ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, which grades such features as water distribution, fire department equipment, manpower and fire alarm facilities.62 Any building more than five road miles from a fire station is rated 10, unless the area has an "automatic aid agreement" with another fire agency. Buildings within five miles of a station, but further than 1,000 feet from a hydrant, may receive a 9 (or a new, lower rating under a revised “split” rating system). Insurance rates typically may be higher for ISO ratings of 9 or 10;63 however, insurance companies may use a number of other factors to determine rates. The areas with an ISO rating of 9 or 10 are generally the more remote and isolated areas of the County, which are difficult to access and serve.