TO: PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND FROM: Robert Sapien, Jr.
STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: FIRE DEPARTMENT SWORN DATE: April 6, 2022
STAFFING STRATEGIC PLANNING
_________________________________________________________________ Approved Date
____________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the report on Fire Department sworn staffing strategic planning, including anticipated attrition rates and an analysis of service needs in the context of a growing and increasingly dense population.
BACKGROUND
The Fire Department (Department) presented its first Fire Department Sworn Staffing Levels Annual Report to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support (PSFSS) Committee on October 6, 2021. The Committee moved to revisit two items for discussion at the April 21, 2022 PSFSS meeting including recommendation, analysis, and timeline related to 1) expected attrition and additional companies and 2) strategic planning for growth and population densification.
The Department’s strategic goals, including goals related to staffing and resourcing, are set out in the San José Fire Department Strategic Business Plan (“Vision 2023”). The Strategic Business Plan is informed, in turn, by the 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review. A description of these documents is provided below. The Analysis section of this memorandum provides a detailed discussion of staffing in the context of service demand, population growth, and call volume, as well as a discussion of attrition, growth, and hiring.
Fire Department Strategic Business Plan
The Strategic Business Plan was adopted by City Council on June 7, 20161. Concurrently, City Council accepted the Fire Department Organizational Review, conducted by Citygate Associates, 1 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57394/637249837395300000 PSFSS COMMITTEE: 4/21/2022
ITEM: (d)3.
4/13/2022
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
LLC, which included a community risk assessment and a Standards of Response Coverage (SOC) assessment that analyzed Department fire crew deployment.
The Fire Department Strategic Business Plan pursues five focus areas including Operations, Sustainable Workforce, Community Alliance, Infrastructure and Support, and Revenue Generation and Cost Savings. Staffing and resourcing are addressed in both the Operations and Sustainable Workforce focus areas. Attachment A to this memorandum provides excerpts from the Strategic Business Plan related to staffing and resourcing. 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review
The Department first presented its City Council-directed Fire Department Organizational Review to the Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee (PSFSS) on February 18, 20162.
The Organizational Review, conducted by Citygate Associates, LLC, included a community risk assessment and a Standards of Response Coverage (SOC) assessment that analyzed Department fire crew deployment. The SOC evaluated a variety of factors including response time performance, effective firefighting force (resources) assembly time, call volume, and others. The recommendations contained in Organizational Review have since guided the Department’s Strategic Business Plan goals and objectives and recommendations to City Council. Attachment B to this memorandum provides excerpts of staffing and resource-related recommendations from the Organizational review, along with a summary of the current implementation status of these recommendations.
ANALYSIS
Population and Service Demand
Fire Department call volume has generally risen, although disproportionately, as City population has increased. From Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-2013 to FY 2017-2018, population increased by
4.8% from 998,127 to 1,045,854. In that same period, call volume increased 19.5% from 77,481 to 92,587. From FY 2017-2018 to FY 2020-2021, City population decreased by approximately
1.5% from 1,045,854 to 1,029,782; however, the Department experienced its highest ever call volume of 94,784 total incidents in FY 2020-2021 with the proportion of calls tightening to approximately 60% medical emergencies and 40% all other call types, from 63% medical emergencies and 37% all other call types in FY 2017-2018. 2 February 18, 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review report to PSFSS
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
Chart 1: Fire Department Call Volume and Population* from FY 2012-2013 to FY 2020-2021 *California Department of Finance Population data as of January 1 of each year.
Population and Staffing
The Department reached its highest staffing levels in FY 2007-2008 with 758 authorized sworn positions. In subsequent years, the Department proposed substantial reductions to meet budget reduction targets as impacts of the Great Recession challenged City resources. The FY 2010- 2011 Operating Budget3eliminated 75 sworn positions resulting in the closure of Fire Engine 30, Fire Engine 33, Fire Engine 34, Fire Engine 35, Truck 3, and reduced the Hazardous Incident Team (HIT 29) from four to two personnel. Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Operating Budget4action resulted in the elimination of 28 sworn positions achieved by the reduction of truck company and Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) company daily minimum staffing from 5 to 4 in the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 230 Memorandum of Agreement. In that same year, the 6 remaining positions on the HIT 29 were eliminated and hazardous materials response was transferred to Truck 29. Additionally, brownouts of Fire Engine 9 and Fire Engine 29 were implemented as cost-saving measures.
Department staffing levels were driven downward from previous highs by budget contraction.
Restoration, while constrained by budget, has been guided by strategic planning and standards of response coverage assessment. (Note that Recommendation 2-2 from the 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review, found in Attachment B, sets goals related to the restoration of resources.) While many Department resources have been restored, Truck 3 and Engine 33 remain out of service indefinitely, and Truck 29 is placed out of service when HIT 29 is committed to a hazardous materials response. The 2020-2021 Adopted Operating Budget authorized 707 sworn positions and the 2021-2022 Adopted Operating Budget authorized 719 sworn positions, which 3 2010-2011 City of San José Adopted Operating Budget - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/50625/637152074933900000 4 2011-2012 City of San José Adopted Operating Budget - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/50645/637152094524730000
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
includes 14 new positions to staff Fire Engine 37 at the newly constructed Fire Station 37 and, to achieve budget reduction targets, the civilianization of a Battalion Chief and a Fire Captain position (incumbents were placed in vacant frontline positions). Sworn and civilian staffing levels and City population from FY 2012-13 to FY 2021-2022 are reflected in Chart 2 below.
Chart 2: Fire Department Staffing and City Population* from FY 2012-2013 to FY 2021-2022 compared with FY 2007-2008 (highest sworn staffing year). *California Department of Finance Population Data on January 1 of each year. 2021-2022 data not yet posted.
Staffing and Call Volume
In FY 2020-2021, the annual total call volume of 94,784 was over 22% higher than the 77,481 total calls in FY 2012-2013. Fiscal Year 2021-2022 staffing of 719 is 10.44% higher than the FY 2012-2013 651 authorized positions. Chart 3 below reflects call volume and staffing levels from FY 2012-2013 to FY 2021-2022.
Chart 3: Fire Department Staffing and Call Volume from FY 2012-2013 to FY 2021-2022
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
Restored staffing, enabling redeployment of Fire Engine 30, Fire Engine 34, and Fire Engine 35, the elimination of brownouts, and deployment of two-person Rescue Medic Units (formerly Squads) have all contributed to improving and stabilizing response time performance. However, while the Department has consistently met response time performance requirements as required by the 911 Emergency Medical Services Provider Agreement between the City of San José and the County of Santa Clara Emergency Medical Services Agency 5 , performance continues to be
well below the “8-minutes/80% of the time” City response time standard. The Department provides its Emergency Response Times Performance Annual Report to PSFSS, last reported on October 21, 20216.
The Department remains focused on advancing its “Vision 2023” Strategic Business Plan, including recommendations from the 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review. Staffing and resource-related recommendations yet to be achieved include the restoration of Engine 33, Truck 3, and Hazardous Incident Team (HIT) staffing. Additional resources, including Fire Engine 37, will be put into service at the newly constructed Fire Station 37; and new Fire Stations 32 and 36, enabled by the passage of Measure T in 2018, are on track for construction in the coming years. On June 18, 2019, the Department provided its Measure T New Fire Station Placement Prioritization7 which recommended the most suitable location for new fire stations based upon response performance data, anticipated City growth areas, and prior recommendations from the 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review (in particular see Recommendation 2-3 from the Organizational Review, provided in Attachment B.) As opportunities arise to strengthen staffing levels, the Department will update analyses and prioritize the most critical needs.
Attrition, Growth, and Hiring
Fire Department attrition is primarily driven by separations due to retirement. Tier 1 members of the Police and Fire Retirement Plan8are eligible for a service retirement when they reach a minimum age of 55 after 20 years of service or age 50 after 25 years of service or at any age after 30 years of service. In calendar year 2021, sworn service retirements occurred at an average 25.04 years of service. Chart 4 below reflects the numbers of current sworn employees that will be reaching 20, 25, and 30 years of service.
5https://emsagency.sccgov.org/sites/g/files/exjcpb266/files/General/CityofSanJoseEMSAgreementAmendments201 81231.pdf
6 https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=9890523&GUID=92CBC1E3-A1C3-41A0-99FD9D3ED8FEC551 7 https://sanjose.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3971473&GUID=14E39796-C129-452E-8320- EAC7502605B2&Options=&Search=
8 Know Your Benefits | Active Police and Fire | San Jose Retirement Services (sjretirement.com) - https://www.sjretirement.com/members/police-fire/active/know-your-benefits/
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
Chart 4: Current Sworn Years of Service (20, 25, and 30 years from 2009 to 2029) Currently, the Department has the capacity to provide two 30-position, 20-week firefighter recruit academies per year. This 60-firefighter per year onboarding capacity is generally sufficient to keep pace with average attrition levels and modest staffing increases. In 2006, the Department conducted abbreviated lateral firefighter academies to accelerate hiring. This accelerated hiring reflects at the 20-year point in 2026. It is also important to note that many of the lateral firefighters hired, qualify for reciprocity under the San José Police and Fire Retirement Plan, thus qualifying for retirement prior to meeting normal service time requirements. This lateral firefighter hiring strategy remains available and is being evaluated to close the current paramedic license gap that materialized statewide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Department annual vacancy rates have generally remained lower than the 60-firefighter onboarding capacity. Vacancy numbers are generally at the highest point after January of each year which is when most retirements occur. Chart 6 reflects sworn vacancies on February 1 from FY 2017-2018 to FY 2021-2022. Increased vacancies in FY 2021-2022 resulted from a higher than usual number of retirements. This trend is likely to continue as the numbers of personnel with 25 to 30 years of service time continues to grow; however, attrition numbers are estimated to be within the Department’s onboarding capacity.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
Chart 6: Sworn Positions Authorized, Filled, and Vacant* (2017-2018 to 2021-2022) *Position vacancies as of February 1 for each fiscal year.
Department sworn vacancies occur by retirements, added positions, and infrequently, employee separation, for other reasons. For planning purposes, the Department evaluates the number of employees who are retirement eligible based on age and service time. The actual number of retirements will vary as employees do not immediately separate upon eligibility. Growth, or additional positions, are recognized in the budget process and thus, the Department can anticipate when newly created positions can be filled. The FY 2021-2022 Adopted Operating budget authorized 14 additional positions for staffing of Fire Engine 37 effective January 1, 2022. Currently, future growth is anticipated to also include 28 positions for new Fire Engine 32 and Fire Engine 36. Combined, expected retirements and growth should be within the Department’s current onboarding capacity. Chart 5 below reflects the numbers of retirementeligible sworn employees and anticipated growth.
Chart 5: Sworn Retirement Eligible and Staffing for Fire Engines 37, 32, and 36 (Calendar Year 2022 to 2026*)
*FY 2021-2022 assumes 19 Firefighter Recruits graduating academy on April 15, 2022.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Staffing Strategic Planning
CONCLUSION
The Department remains focused on achieving "Vision 2023” Strategic Business Plan objectives to close performance gaps. In the 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review, Citygate Associates, LLC concluded the following:
The Department is not meeting its adopted 80% at 8-minute goal, or a 90% at 7- minute best-practice goal, or the City General Plan goal of a 4-minute travel time.
This study has identified four principal reasons for this situation: (1) too few stations; (2) traffic congestion; (3) high workload rates on many key companies; and (4) movements for mandatory multi-unit training.
The City has taken meaningful steps to address each of these principal reasons including advancing and passing Measure T which will enable the construction of Fire Stations 32, 36, and 37, approving the landside bay at newly constructed Fire Station 20, providing traffic signal preemption at over 900 intersections citywide, partially restoring resources eliminated due to budget action following the Great Recession, providing overtime for backfill of companies and personnel out of service for training, and several other staffing, policy, and technology-related actions.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The Department evaluates recruitment and hiring needs on an ongoing basis. Information provided in this report will be revised and reported to the PSFSS Committee annually.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
/s/
ROBERT SAPIEN, JR.
Fire Chief, Fire Department
For questions, please contact Robert Sapien, Jr., Fire Chief at (408) 794-6952.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Fire Department Strategic Business Plan: Staffing and Resource Related Goals Attachment B: 2016 Fire Department Organizational Review: Staffing and Resource Related Recommendations and Implementation Status
Attachment A
Fire Department Strategic Business Plan: Staffing and Resource Related Goals Operations Focus Area: Increase operational efficiency and effectiveness, maintain a welltrained force, meet response time requirements, analyze and address staffing needs to enable immediate and long-term operational goals.
Goal 2: Provide adequate and appropriate resources in support of our mission to save savable lives and property.
• Objective: Advance initiatives as appropriate based upon recommendations presented in the 2016 Organizational Review.
• Objective: Deploy resources to continue to meet expanding service demands to meet response time standards, apparatus requirements, staffing needs, and community needs.
Sustainable Workforce Focus Area: Active recruitment of a diverse workforce, ongoing training for line staff, succession planning, reduce job-related injuries, improve health and safety of line staff.
Goal 1: Actively recruit a talented and diverse workforce consistent with Fire Department Values Statement.
• Objective: Revitalize and reestablish Department recruitment program. • Objective: Partner with external and internal stakeholder groups to support recruitment efforts (i.e. affinity groups).
• Objective: Leverage entry-level emergency response occupations for development and recruitment (i.e. EMS providers).
• Objective: Establish a recruiting team that reflects the diversity of the organization/community.
Goal 2: Ensure that all personnel have the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel within their role in the organization.
• Objective: Conduct ongoing department assessment of Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs) to include legal, operational, human relations, supervision and personnel management.
• Objective: Establish a training plan to address identified gaps. • Objective: Review and revise Minimum Qualifications (MQs) based on roles and responsibilities of positions.
• Objective: Bring department policies and procedure current and standardize continual revision process.
Goal 3: Provide career development opportunities to personnel to reach their fullest professional potential.
• Objective: Develop and implement a succession plan for all positions. • Objective: Forecast and estimate departmental staffing needs over 2-year and 5-year windows.
Attachment A
• Objective: Assess current staff knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and compare to anticipated department needs over 2- and 5-year periods. • Objective: Identify key areas to prepare employees for advancement. • Objective: Provide comprehensive training and experience opportunities for employee skill and leadership development.
• Objective: Participate in citywide workforce development programs.
Attachment B
2016 Fire Department Organizational Review: Staffing and Resource Related Recommendations and Implementation Status
2-2: Restore, as soon as possible, the browned-out (closed) fire companies and fully fund the current five squads as stopgap reliever units in the busiest areas.
Status: Fire Engine 35 restoration was enabled by award of the 2014 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (S.A.F.E.R.) Grant with ongoing funding commencing in FY 2017-2018. In FY 2016-2017, permanent staffing was added and positions were reallocated from Squads 4 and 18 to restore Fire Engine 30 and Fire Engine 34. $2.4 million in ongoing overtime budget was added to prevent brownouts of other companies due to absences. Engine 33 and Truck 3 remain closed, and the Hazardous Incident Team (HIT) remains cross-staffed with Truck 29 personnel. 2-3: Identify the funding and timing to add four to six of the most critically missing fire stations.
Status: On August 10, 2018, Council voted to place the Disaster Preparedness, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Bond Measure on the November 2018 ballot. The passage of Measure T enabled the City to address some of the gaps identified in the Fire Department Organizational Review SOC analysis including construction of new Fire Stations 32, 36, and 37. 42 sworn positions will be required to staff newly deployed Fire Engines 32, 36, and 37 (12 front-line and 2 relief positions per fire station). The 2021-2025 Adopted Capital Improvement Program authorized Measure T funding to add a landside bay at Fire Station 20 at the San José Mineta International Airport to improve service gap areas.
2-4: If adding more fire companies in the gap areas will take longer than two years, then add four full fire companies on a daytime schedule, 7 days per week to add peak hour firefighting/all-risk capability and to backfill for companies on incidents or assigned to training. Continue this program until at least four additional fire stations are operational.
Status: In FY 2016-2017, $4.0 million of additional overtime funding was authorized through the 2016-2017 Mid-Year Review, shifting vacancy savings from salary and benefits, in part enabling overtime backfill for units and personnel in training to maintain service levels and improve response time performance.
3-2: Restore direct fire management-level supervision to the Communications Center. The Department should review whether it is best served by reducing the number of responsibilities currently assigned to the Division Chief currently managing this function or restore the Battalion Chief position formerly assigned to this function, or explore the hiring of a non-sworn civilian position to fill the role of Communications Manager.
Status: The FY 2019-2020 Adopted Operating Budget added one (1) Division Manager and one (1) Analyst position, both offset by the elimination of one (1) Division Chief.
Attachment B
This reorganization achieved direct fire management-level supervision to the Communications Center and necessary administrative support. 3-16: The Fire Department should begin tracking trends experienced in personnel hiring, training, performance, retention, and recruiting. Develop a quality goal for “Recruiting and Retention” and place the responsibility for this goal with the appropriate current position. Utilize an established, tested, and accepted program, then report out the results of this program at least twice each year.
Status: The Administration anticipates bringing forward a proposal in the 2022-2023 Proposed Operating Budget for additional resources to create space to focus on data collection and analysis to evaluate and put in to place recruitment and retention strategies and reporting tools necessary to achieve a diverse workforce that represents the community it serves.
3-17: The Fire Department should add an executive manager, whose sole task is to order process improvement changes for all aspects of the Department’s operations where they materially affect response times. This position will manage the recommended process improvement committee and the needed technology and staffing for process improvement measurement and reporting.
Status: The Department was able to advance several impactful response times improvement initiatives without the recommended additional executive manager. The Fire Department Emergency Response Times Performance Annual Report was last presented to PSFSS on October 21, 20219.
3-18: The Department needs to upgrade the Supervising Applications Analyst (SAA) position and add an Information Systems Analyst (ISA) position.
Status: The Department appropriated one-time funding of $300,000 through the FY 2020-2021 Adopted Operating Budget to hire a consultant and to develop a Fire IT Master Plan. The project underway will assess the adequacy of current staffing levels and provide a forecast of future needs. Future recommendations will be brought forward for City Council consideration as part of the budget process. 3-20: The Department has to continue to invest in adequate Information Technology staff to maintain its Information Technology systems, gather data, and provide useful management reports.
Status: The Department was appropriated one-time funding of $300,000 through the 2020-2021 Adopted Operating Budget to hire a consultant to develop a Fire IT Master Plan. The project underway will assess the adequacy of current staffing levels and provide a forecast of future needs. Future recommendations will be brought forward for City Council consideration as part of the budget process. 9 City of San José - File #: CC 21-263 (legistar.com) - https://sanjose.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5144918&GUID=24E3E7F5-8553-4137-9648- 9B835E033113&Options=&Search=
Attachment B
3-22: Re-appoint or add a management-level position of Public Information Officer to coordinate the messaging and use of technology for all community outreach communications, whether for preparedness, emergency operations, or disaster plan events.
Status: FY 2019-2020 eliminated one (1) Fire Captain serving as Public Information Officer and added one (1) Public Information Manager and one (1) Video/Multimedia Producer. This reorganization has resulted in significant strengthening of Department communications and community engagement, with much greater presence on social media platforms and improved public information outreach and responsiveness to news media requests.
4-2: Conduct an analysis of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) staff resulting in potential added position(s) in this order of priority: a. One (1) FTE Data Analyst or Epidemiologist Nurse, b. One (1) FTE EMS Division Administrative Staff, c. One (1) FTE Nurse Educator.
Status: The FY 2021-2022 Adopted Operating Budget eliminated one (1) Fire Captain and added one (1) Analyst II position in the EMS Division. Additionally, through the FY 2021-2022 Mid-Year process, the Department eliminated one (1) Program Manager and added one (1) Nurse Practitioner position in the EMS Division. This reorganization resulted in cost savings and positioned the Department for greater focus on CQI.