Appendix L
Fire Response Technical Memorandum
FIRE RESPONSE TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Subject:
Date:
cc:
Attachment(s):
The following technical memorandum provides a summary of Dudek’s fire service response analysis for the San Marcos Restaurant Row Project (Project) in San Marcos, California. This letter provides a preliminary summary of the existing San Marcos Fire Department’s (SMFD) nearby resources, their modeled travel time responses into the Project, and their existing call volumes. The goal is to determine the potential impact of the Project on the SMFD. 1 Assignment
Dudek’s assignment was to:
• Conduct evaluation of existing, nearby SMFD fire station travel times to the project site; • Acquire existing call volumes for nearby stations to determine their current work load; • Analyze generated information to determine if any of the Project site cannot be reached within the City’s response time goal; and
• Analyze call volume information to determine if the Project’s projected call load would significantly impact the ability of existing stations to provide response to the Project. 2 Project Description
The proposed Project is the development of a vacant 10.5-acre site located west of the inters ection of W. San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz in the western central region of the City of San Marcos, California (Figure 1, Project Location). The approximately 10.5-acre project site is located at the northwest corner of West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz in the City of San Marcos (1020 West San Marcos Boulevard; APNs 219-200-45-00, 219-200-31-00, and 219 -200-30-00). The property is zoned Mixed -Use 1 (MU-1) on two parcels, and Light Industrial (L-1) on one parcel.
Dudek Fire Protection Planning Team, Michael Huff, Principal San Marcos Restaurant Row Fire and Medical Response Analysis July 7, 2023
N/A
1. San Marcos Fire Department Fire Station 1 Modeled Response Time
2. San Marcos Fire Department Fire Station 2 Modeled Response Time
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
2 Fire Station Location Equipment Staffing
Station 1 180 W. Mission Road
San Marcos, California 92069
Paramedic Engine
Co.
Paramedic Truck Co.
Wildland Fire Engine
Paramedic
Ambulance
Battalion Chief
Vehicle
On duty: 9
Station 2 1250 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd San
Marcos, California 92069
EngineParamedic
Co.
Paramedic
Ambulance
On-duty: 5
3 Methods
3.1 Travel Time Response Modeling
Dudek conducted a GIS-based travel time coverage modeling effort in order to determine if the project meets the SMFD’s response goal. The SMFD indicates “the average initial total response standard in the City of San Marcos is to arrive within seven minutes for 90% of the emergency calls received, and within 10 minutes for 90% of the non-emergency calls received1.”
1 2021 Call volume, response standard, and fire station statistics provided by Jason Nailon, SMFD Fire Marshal, via e -mail communication. 2021
13844
JULY 2023
The project would include development of 202 residential units and 10,400 sf of commercial retail uses on the
10.5-acre site. Open space amenities would be located in the northeastern portion of the project site, and commercial uses would be placed along the southern and eastern project boundaries. A total of 501 parking spaces would be provided. Primary project access would be via West San Marcos Boulevard at the project’s southern boundary.
The Project is located within the jurisdiction of the SMFD. The fire department provides structural fire protection and advanced life support-level emergency medical services within the City limits; unincorporated territory adjacent to the city’s northern boundary (Project Area); discontinuous, unincorporated areas between the City of San Marcos and the City of Escondido; and the community of Lake San Marcos. The fire department operates two Fire Stations (Stations 1 and 2) that would respond to an incident at the proposed Project site, with primary response likely from Station 1 given its closer location and greater coverage in a faster timeframe. Station 2 would respond as necessary and also provides fast response to all units. Table 1 presents a summary of the location, equipment, and staffing levels for the two SMFD stations responding to the site.
Table 1
SMFD Responding Fire Stations Summary
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
3 Travel time is one part of the overall response time and is based largely on the distance from the fire station to the project. The analysis that follows evaluates travel time and assumes the dispatch and turnout times as a constant i.e., 2 minutes and 30 seconds, total.
3.2 GIS Response Travel Time Modeling
Following compilation of all necessary data layers received from project applicant and acquired via publicly available sources, Dudek verified that all data layers were in the correct State Plane Zone coordinate system with units in feet. A network data set was then created utilizing ESRI’s Network Analyst extension in the Arc Catalog module. The data set was created by merging the existing centerline street layer with the proposed San Marcos Restaurant Row Project centerline street data, provided by project applicants, and assigning parameters to the created data set.
Several parameters are available during the creation of a network data set and include elevation constraints, U - turn capabilities, curb approach direction and travel impedance.
Due to the emergency nature of the response scenarios modeled in this analysis, U-turns were permitted on every road. Curb approach determines on which side of the street the vehicle needs to approach and includes three options, left, right, or either. The ‘either’ option was selected for all roads in this analysis based on the emergency nature of the response situations. Finally, travel impedance was utilized to include the effect of speed limits on response travel time. A custom impedance value was created for each road segment and was a function of road segment distance (miles) divided by speed (mph). This value was utilized in Network Analyst calculations for both modeling types and reflected the time necessary for a vehicle to cover the distance of the road segment. Speed was set at 35 mph, consistent with National Fire Protection Associa tion (NFPA) 1142 Table C.11(b) and the Insurance Services Office (ISO) travel time formula (T=0.65 +1.7D).
Once the network data set parameters were finalized, the route analysis was run using the Network Analyst extension in ArcGIS 10.2.2. This function determines the best route between a minimum of two points based on the parameters chosen. The analysis includes response from SMFD Fire Stations 1 and 2, which are the closest stations to the Project. A route analysis procedure was then run using N etwork Analyst with each respective fire station as the starting point, and a remote location within the Project as the destination. The maps depicting each Station travel time coverage area are presented in Attachments 1 and 2.
3.3 Modeling Results
As indicated in Table 2 and Attachments 1 and 2, response to the project site from the closest existing SMFD fire station (Station 1) would arrive at the Project’s primary entrance off W. San Marcos Boulevard within 3 minutes, 45 seconds travel time ( 6 minutes 15 seconds total response time). The most remote units within the Project are reached within 4 minutes 04 seconds trave l time, or 6 minutes 34 seconds total response time. This analysis indicates that the entire Project is within the SMFD’s internal response t imeframes with up to 24 seconds of additional time available. This analysis also indi cates that there is redundancy in response capability of meeting the internal response standard. Station 2 can also respond within SMFD’s seven minute total response goal to an estimated 100% of the project site. Although slightly further away, Station 2 would have travel times of 3 minutes 50 seconds to 4 minutes 10 seconds and total response times ranging from 6 minutes 20 seconds to 6 minutes 40 seconds.
13844
JULY 2023
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
4 Table 2
SMFD Fire Station Response Time to Project
Call Response Times
Estimated Percent of San Marcos Restaurant Row Project Achievable Fire Station 1 Fire Station 2
Travel Time
Total Response
Time Travel Time
Total Response
Time
Less than 7 minutes 100% 100% 100% 100%
3.4 Response Time Capability Assessment
The Project includes a substantial number of new residential structures. Service level requirements could, in the absence of fire facilities and resources improvements, cause a decline in the SMFD response times and capabilities for existing residents. However, it is clear that from a response time perspective, the project does comply with the City’s total response time standard.
4 Call Volume Analysis
4.1 Estimated Calls and Demand for Service from the Project The SMFD estimates approximately 11,486 total annual calls (Nailon, J. 2021) and a City population of approximately 95,000 (SMFD 2021). The per capita call volume is roughly .12 for the City of San Marcos. The Project plans for 202 new dwelling units, including 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units. As a conservative approach, this analysis assumes a per dwelling unit population of 4 persons per unit.
A population of 808 persons would generate approximately 97 calls per year, most of which are expected to be medical-related calls, consistent with typical emergency call statistics.
The closest SMFD fire stations, Stations 1 and 2 currently responds to roughly 16 to 18 calls per day (up to 6,570 calls per year) in their primary service areas. These are busy fire stations and adding calls can cumulatively create an impact and result in longer response times or stacked calls requiring assistance from more distant fire stations.
It is anticipated that the Project’s contributions, along with other projects’ contributions to fire service and availability fees through property taxes and/or other avenues provide funding needed to augment service capabilities such that an impact is not experienced. Despite the current busy call load, an addition of 97 calls per year, or 1 call every 3.5 days, is not expected to significantly impact service level requirements given the measures that can be implemented by SMFD with provided ongoing funding from new development. 13844
JULY 2023
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
5 5 Discussion and findings
5.1 Emergency Response
As presented, both Stations 1 and 2 are well-within the City’s time response goal for first-in fire engine and medic ambulance to the entire Project site.
5.2 Call Volume/Load
The Project would generate emergency calls, primarily medical, proportionally with its population. At build out, there may be as many as 97 calls per year generated by the on-site population. The addition of one call per 3.5 days or
0.28 calls per day to a station that is currently running approximately 17 to 18 calls per day is not considered a significant increase. Based on the information provided by SMFD, the Project’s additional call volume should not cause a significant stress on the response capabilities. However, SMFD would make the final determination, based on specific fire station call volumes (which were not provided for this analysis), whether the station would incur delayed response times or an increase in call volume that could not be absorbed. 6 Recommendations
The following Recommendation is provided based on the preceding analysis:
It is recommended that SMFD provide emergency response to the proposed Project from Stations 1 and or 2.
Factors supporting this recommendation are the absorbable number of calls that would be anticipated as the Project is built and the response time that is within range of local and national standards.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any additional information. I look forward to continuing to work with you on this project’s fire safety considerations. 13844
JULY 2023
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
6 Attachment 1
Travel Time Response to Project from
Existing San Marcos Fire Station 1
13844
JULY 2023
4:04
3:45
LINDA VISTA DR
STONE DR
VIA VERA CRUZ
RYAN DR
W SAN MARCOS BLVD
SOURCE: SANGIS 2020, 2021; GMP 2021
Date: 7/7/2023 - Last saved by: agreis - Path: Z:\Projects\j1384401\MAPDOC\DOCUMENT\UrbanForestry\Figure01_SMFS1_DriveTime. mxd 0 200 100
Feet
Project Boundary
Fire Station
Response Routes
Drive Times
3.5 to 4 minutes
4 to 4.5 minutes
San Marcos
Fire Station 1
Project Site
ATTACHMENT 1
San Marcos Fire Station #1 - Drive Times
Restaurant Row, San Marcos
FIRE PROTECTION TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: SAN MARCOS RESTAURANT ROW PROJECT
7 Attachment 2
Travel Time Response to Project from
Existing San Marcos Fire Station 2
13844
JULY 2023
4:10
3:50
LINDA VISTA DR
STONE DR
VIA VERA CRUZ
RYAN DR
W SAN MARCOS BLVD
SOURCE: SANGIS 2020, 2021; GMP 2021
Date: 7/7/2023 - Last saved by: agreis - Path: Z:\Projects\j1384401\MAPDOC\DOCUMENT\UrbanForestry\Figure02_SMFS2_DriveTime. mxd 0 200 100
Feet
Project Boundary
Fire Station
Response Routes
Drive Times
3.5 to 4 minutes
4 to 4.5 minutes
San Marcos
Fire Station 2
Project Site
ATTACHMENT 2
San Marcos Fire Station #2 - Drive Times
Restaurant Row, San Marcos