February 21, 2023
Fire Department
DATE: February 21, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Angel Montoya, Fire Chief
Aaron Osorio, Deputy Fire Chief
Subject:
Appropriate Additional Funds to Allow the Rotation of Fire Personnel to Staff the 2023 Fire Academy.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The anticipated overtime cost of $148,469.82 is in addition to the adopted FY2022-2023 adopted overtime
budget of $4,305,402.00 (01202022-400032). It is
important that this request be approved as the
department cannot cover the expense through additional
revenue or another program reduction.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Fire Department will conduct its 2023 Fire Academy between March 2023 through June 2023.
During, and in preparation for the Fire Academy, the
department will staff a cadre consisting of three (3) sworn personnel to assist in preparing, training, and testing. For this reason, the department needs to cover the roster
spot vacated by the cadre during the timeframe to meet
the minimum staffing requirements per the Amended
Memorandum of Understanding dated July 8, 2014,
between the City of Richmond and IAFF Local 188.
AGENDA
REPORT
February 21, 2023
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROPRIATE additional funds in the amount of
$148,469.82 to augment the Fire Department’s Fiscal
Year 2022 –2023 Overtime Budget to allow the rotation
of one firefighter, one fire engineer, and one fire captain to staff the 2023 Fire Academy for twelve weeks, and
backfill the three temporarily vacant roster assignments by authorizing the overtime of existing staff – Fire
Department (Chief Angel Montoya 510-307-8038).
DISCUSSION:
The Richmond Fire Department (“Department”) will conduct its 2023 Fire Academy between March 2023 through June 2023. The purpose of the Fire Academy is to educate, train, and test twelve (12) firefighter trainees to become probationary firefighters for the City of Richmond. During, and in preparation for the Fire Academy, the Department will have a cadre (full-time training staff) consisting of three (3) sworn personnel – one firefighter, one fire engineer, and one fire captain – that will assist in preparing, training, and testing. Three (3) sworn personnel (one each rank) are staffed during this time period as they form a fire company, where each rank has specific skillsets and are assigned to evaluate particular tasks. Similarly, three (3) sworn personnel (one each rank) are staffed at the academy to account for student-instructor ratio and to alleviate staffing burden on one rank.
The three (3) roster spots of the cadre will be vacant for twelve weeks: 10-week academy, one week of preparation, and another week of debriefing. Per the MOU extension dated July 8, 2014, between the City of Richmond and IAFF Local 188, daily staffing of seven engine companies and one ladder truck company must be staffed with a minimum of three Local 188 positions consisting of one captain, one engineer, and one firefighter. To fulfill this agreement, rotation and overtime backfills will be mandated throughout the department to cover for the cadre for 12 weeks.
Calculations for this year’s Fire Academy derive from the overtime back fill hours required in the past academy which the Department expects to mirror in the current academy. During the 2020 Fire Academy, the total overtime academy cover hours were 2,124.50, with an approximate total cost of $125,815. For this year’s academy, the 2020 overtime academy cover hours of 2,124.50 were divided by three (3), to account for the three (3) sworn personnel that will be staffed at the academy. Current overtime rates at the top step for each rank were then accounted for to anticipate the overall 2023 Fire Academy overtime cost of $148,469.82. The breakdown of these costs is shown below:
February 21, 2023
Total OT Cover Hours for 2020 Fire Academy: 2124.5
Total # of Fire Personnel for 2022 Fire Academy: 3
Total OT Cover Hours per personnel 708.17 hours/personnel
Current FF OT Rate (Step 5) $ 63.74 Current Engr OT Rate (Step 3) $ 67.87 Current Capt OT Rate (Step 3) $ 78.04
Total OT Cover Hours x Current FF OT Rate (Step 5) $ 45,140.74 Total OT Cover Hours x Current Engr OT Rate (Step 3) $ 48,063.50 Total OT Cover Hours x Current Capt Rate (Step 3) $ 55,265.59 Total OT Projection: $ 148,469.82
For this reason, staff members request the additional overtime appropriation of $148,469.82 to backfill and cover the roster assignments created by three (3) personnel that will be staffed at the fire academy for 12 weeks. It is important that this request be approved as the department cannot cover the expense through additional revenue or another program reduction.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Academy Budget Analysis