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To: City Council of Redondo Beach Date: May 21, 2024
From: Mark Hansen, King Harbor Boater
Subject: N. 1. RB FIRE DEPARTMENT COMPARED TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY
REGARDING THE HARBOR PATROL
Staff' s Administrative Report of April 16, 2024 acknowledges:
A complex organizational analysis of the City' s current King Harbor operations and comparisons to other similar Southern California harbors was beyond the scope of work for the current Agreement with Citygate and was not be completed as a part of this effort.
Citygate did, however, provide a high- level review of the City' s current Harbor Patrol operations and their findings are included in their report.
Currently the City' s Waterfront and Economic Development is conducting a similar assessment of King Harbor and has the ability to integrate any additional Citygate efforts.
The consultant' s Deployment & Organizational Analysis ( DOA) p23 acknowledges:
This high- level overview of the Department' s fireboat program is based entirely on the review of various documents and conversations with Department managers.
The consultant' s Analysis of Contracting with the County ( ACC) p20 acknowledges.
Citygate did not model what costs, if any, would occur with the transfer of the administrative functions of Harbor Master to another City department.
The consultant should probably have stopped here and not endeavored to provide findings based on an incomplete understanding of our harbor.
Before even offering any findings, the consultant lost significant credibility by demonstrating a basic misunderstanding of our harbor. Examples ( 3):
1) Fire Station 3, out on a " wharf", currently houses the Department' s two Harbor Patrol members and two District Lifeguards... CCA p12 & DOA p24 Fire Station 3 is NOT out on a " wharf". Some years ago, the city constructed a modern two- story Harbor Patrol building on Mole B. Only the old crow' s nest office is out on pilings, and it NEVER housed the Harbor Patrol members.
2) The RBFD fireboat seems to be regularly used for non- emergency towing incidents. In " Basin A" and in other southland harbors, this is a private sector function... DOA p25 There is no such thing as a " Basin A" in our harbor.
There is no private sector towing being offered in one basin versus the other two basins. 3) Citygate finds that the City has spread out harbor operations management across multiple City departments and one City contractor: City Economic Development, a " Basin 1 contractor" operator for non- 9- 1- 1 issues, and the fire and police departments. DOA p25 The experienced boating and harbor community has NO idea who the consultant was attempting to reference as a " Basin 1 Contactor."
These three examples, demonstrating the consultant' s basic misunderstanding of our harbor, significantly call into question the credibility of any findings offered.
Three of the consultant' s findings have been contemplated in greater detail in the past and largely dismissed as impractical or unacceptably reducing harbor safety.
The consultant recommends considering moving a full fire engine to Station 3, the Harbor Patrol on Mole B:
An alternative deployment improvement would be to transfer the second fire engine from Fire Station 2 to Fire Station 3 in King Harbor. DOA p3 & p66. ... consider if moving the second engine from Fire Station 2 to Station 3 in the harbor would be a more substantial improvement. DOA p7 & p68 Consider moving the second fire engine from Station 2 to Station 3 in King Harbor. DOA p9 During a previous brief contemplation of this idea, it was quickly dismissed as being impractical and unsafe. The fire engine would be required to respond to emergencies out of a narrow roadway, with parking on both sides, and boaters, dock carts, children, and pets crossing the roadway to and from the gangways.
The consultant recommends attempting to use Baywatch to replace some of the coverage by our own Harbor Patrol.
Finding # 1: ... shares the County Baywatch boat crew in King Harbor.
Finding #2: While Baywatch Redondo is based out of Fire Station 3 in King Harbor, the District' s boat has a larger response area and may not be available at times. CCA p4 The District' s Baywatch Redondo, serving out of Fire Station 3, would be shared with the City and provide a Rescue Boat Captain and a Paramedic Ocean Lifeguard Specialist, deckhand. CCA p12 This idea has been contemplated in the past. However, as the consultant briefly acknowledges, the response area of Baywatch stretches along the full length of the county coastline. As a previous analysis of the Fire Department emphasized, many of the disabled boats out of King Harbor drift quickly into the breakwater and pier.
Various of our life- threatening events have occurred at night. King Harbor has a well- demonstrated need for 24/ 7 in- harbor emergency response.
The consultant repeatedly recommends replacing some Harbor Patrol coverage with private company contractors.
The City should consider... transferring non emergent boater services to a contractor. DOA p3 p66 not enough use of a private company for boater support. DOA p4 The City would be well- served to conduct an in- depth assessment regarding using contractors to provide typical private- sector boater services... DOA p6 & p26 it appears the fire crew conducts non- 9- 1- 1 incident customer services that in many other Southern California harbors is private sector work. DOA p25 The RBFD fireboat seems to be regularly used for non- emergency towing incidents.... in other southland harbors, this is a private sector function, given there is no emergency to the boat passengers or others nearby. DOA p25
These recommendations demonstrate a lack of understanding of our specific harbor.
There are no private towing services in King Harbor. Such services must respond from Marina Del Rey or Long Beach. As noted, disabled boats, which can initially appear to not constitute an emergency, can quickly evolve into an emergency, as the prevailing winds and waves push the boats onto the breakwater or pier. The cost to subsidize a full-time private contract towing service could easily exceed the cost of the replaced Harbor Patrol.
It should be noted that our Harbor Patrol officers have very specialized training, including paramedic training, that well exceeds that of a commercial tow boat driver. Again, King Harbor has a well-demonstrated need for 24/7 in- harbor professional emergency response.
One recommendation, also briefly verbalized by the consultant, was the development of an integrated Harbor Patrol Master Plan.
There are many positive aspects of the existing Harbor Patrol program. However, considering the complexities and current economics, there are overlapping technical areas which need to be reviewed more closely...
In addition, a modern, integrated Harbor Patrol Master Plan should be developed. DOA p25 The boating and harbor community would enthusiastically embrace the establishment of a new independent Harbor Department and Harbor Director.