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Home My WebLink About03/10/2011 (Special)• ~~ Energizing Ontario SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 TIME: 8:30 A.M. PLACE: COURTICE COMMUNITY COMPLEX A special meeting of Council is being held to commence work on the Strategic Business Plan for this term of Council and to receive the Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief's report on the implications of meeting the requirement of four firefighters on a truck. CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 E'uergizing Ontario ~- DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 TIME: 8:30 A.M. PLACE: COURTICE COMMUNITY COMPLEX MEETING CALLED TO ORDER DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST PRESENTATION a) Ron Collis, Collis & Reed Research Inc. -Strategic Plan Public Input Forum -Results at a Glance COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN a) Peter Spratt, ROCG Consulting -Facilitator for Strategic Plan Workshop STAFF REPORT a) ESD-004-11 -Implications of a Minimum of Four Firefighters on a Fire Truck CONFIRMING BY-LAW ADJOURNMENT CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1 C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 ~ ~ ~...J~'t ~ ~~ `~ ~?_~s,~G ~ v r~ ~ ~.~` REPORT EMERGENCY AND FIRE SERVICES Meeting: Council Date: March 10, 2011 Resolution#: By-law#: Report: ESD-004-11 File#: Subject: Implications of a Minimum of Four Firefighters on a Fire Truck RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended to Council the following: 1. THAT Report ESD-004-11 be received for information. 1 Submitted by: w~-' ~ Gordon Weir, AMCT, CMM111 Director Emergency & Fire Services Reviewed by: ~°~ ~ i "~" Franklin Wu, Chief Administrative Officer CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T(905)623-3379 F (905)623-4169 REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND AND COMMENT 1.1 Part II of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA) states, "Every municipality shall: a) establish a program in the municipality which must include public education with respect to safety and certain components of fire prevention and, b) provide such other fire protection services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its needs and circumstances." 1.2 In 1974, the Orono, Newcastle and Bowmanville Volunteer Fire Departments were amalgamated to become the Town of Newcastle Fire Department. During this era, two (2) firefighters were hired full-time and based out of the Bowmanville Fire Station. In June 1974, the Department opened a fourth fire station located in Courtice. The Department's total complement was sixty-two (62) firefighters; two (2) full-time and sixty (60) volunteer. 1.3 From 1987 to 1994, the Department opened a new fire station in Enniskillen and staffed it with twenty-five (25) volunteer firefighters. As well, a progressive recruitment of thirty (30) full-time firefighters provided for the staffing of a pumper truck in Bowmanville and Courtice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7). In addition, four (4) firefighter/dispatchers were hired and based in Bowmanville to perform the duties of dispatch. 1.4 The firefighters work a four (4) platoon system, with eight (8) firefighters and one (1) dispatcher assigned to a platoon. A minimum platoon staffing of six (6) firefighters plus one (1) dispatcher has been established. By 1994, the Departments' volunteer firefighter complement was increased to twenty-five (25) per station for a total of one hundred and twenty-five (125) volunteer firefighters. 1.5 In 2003, Dillon Consulting presented the Clarington Emergency and Fire Services (Fire Department) with a Master Fire Plan. The Master Fire Plan applied two (2) performance measures namely, First Response and Depth of REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 PAGE 3 Response. In doing so they provided recommendations with respect to staffing, apparatus and stations. In 2008, Dillon Consulting prepared the Clarington Emergency and Fire Services 2008 Fire Master Plan Update. The update recognized the achievements since 2003 and provided recommendations for hiring firefighters, divisional staff, fire station construction and apparatus purchases to support Municipal growth to the year 2020. 1.6 During the years 2007-2010, no full-time suppression staff was hired and to date, forty-four (44) full-time firefighters staff a pumper truck in Bowmanville and Courtice respectively 24/7, and when staffing permits a SCAT truck based in Bowmanville. As well, four (4) firefighter/dispatchers are based in Bowmanville 24/7. The minimum platoon staffing is six (6) firefighters and one (1) firefighter/dispatcher. 2.0 ANALYSIS 2.1 Several documents were researched to determine if such minimum staffing is a requirement including the Ontario Fire Marshal's Operational Planning Document: An Official Guide to Matching Resource Deployment and Risk, which was released January 2011. It replaces the older guidelines "PSFG 04-08-12 Staffing Single Family Dwellings". Staff are currently working through the critical task matrix to identify gaps in fire suppression capabilities. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710, an American document, provided minimum requirements for staffing an engine company or truck company. The Standard sets requirements for the number of personnel required per company, not per apparatus. Therefore, if a company is composed of two or more engines, it can staff each engine with two personnel, as long as the company contains a minimum of four personnel continually operating together. Since most jurisdictions deploy one engine or truck per company, most jurisdictions must staff each engine or truck with a minimum of four personnel. This criteria applies to low hazard situations such as single-family occupancies. Where tactical hazards, high hazard occupancies, high incident frequencies, or geographical REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 PAGE 4 restrictions apply, companies must be staffed with a minimum of five or six on- duty members. The number of additional fire fighters above four is predicated on the specific duties to be accomplished at these high hazard locations as well as the time requirements associated with initiating these tasks. A third document was reviewed as well from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) called "Report on Residential Fireground Field Experiments". 2.2 The Department currently employs the following suppression staff: • one hundred and twenty-five (125) volunteer firefighters, twenty-five (25) at each of the five (5) stations • four (4) firefighter/dispatchers based at the Bowmanville Station • forty-four (44) full-time firefighters 2.3 An additional four (4) firefighters were approved in the 2011 budget. The total complement will be four (4) firefighter/dispatchers and (forty-eight) 48 full-time firefighters for suppression activities. 2.4 The Collective Agreement between Clarington Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3139, and the Municipality of Clarington provides members with: • Vacation entitlement (on average 3.79 weeks annually, based on years of service) • Statutory Holidays, referred to as Lieu Days (13 days annually) • Sick Leave (12 days annual entitlement, with the average days used being 5.9) • Leaves for Association business, bereavement leave, jury duty, etc. 2.5 Firefighters are provided the opportunity to attend two (2) weeks of training at the Ontario Fire College annually. Other forms of training are provided by Ontario Power Generation and the Municipality in addition to the two (2) weeks. REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 PAGE 5 2.6 The distribution of the forty-four (44) full-time firefighters and four (4) firefighter/dispatchers over four (4) platoons is twelve (12) assigned per platoon. Illustrated below in Chart 1 is our staff deployment. Once on-duty staff is below seven (7), overtime would be required. (;hart 1 On-Duty Staff/Platoon Pump 1 (Bowmanville) Pump 4 (Courtice) SCAT 1 (Bowmanville) Dispatch (Bowmanville) 12 5 4 2 1 11 4 4 2 1 10 4 3 2 1 9 3 3 2 1 8 4 3 1 7 3 3 1 2.7 In 2010, the Department paid out approximately $91,995 in overtime wages. Of that, $53,424 was paid in overtime wages to maintain a minimum platoon staffing of seven (7). Through the Municipality's Memorandum of Understanding with Ontario Power Generation, the Municipality was reimbursed approximately $26,000 for overtime costs due to training. 2.8 Staffing a minimum of four (4) fighters on a pumper truck will impact the performance measures suggested by Dillon Consulting with regards to the Clarington Emergency and Fire Services 2008 Fire Master Plan Update and the proposed timings of recommendations schedule. The implementation schedule we have utilized to advise Council to up-staff the department with firefighters will have to be recalculated. 2.9 Employing a minimum staffing of four (4) firefighters on a pumper truck will initially impact service levels (# of responses) provided by the SCAT Truck as seen in Chart 2. The reduction in SCAT responses will ultimately increase the responses of pumper trucks which is a less effective use of these resources. REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 Chart 2 PAGE 6 On-Duty Staff/Platoon Pump 1 (Bowmanville) Pump 4 (Courtice) SCAT 1 (Bowmanville) Dispatch (Bowmanville) 13 5 5 2 1 12 5 4 2 1 11 4 4 2 1 10 5 4 1 9 4 4 1 2.10 Employing a minimum staffing of four (4) firefighters on a pumper truck will impact the departments overtime budget. Conservative estimates suggest an overtime budget of $176,000 to maintain a minimum staffing of four (4) firefighters on a pumper truck. 3.0 CONCLUSION 3.1 As per the FPPA, it is the responsibility of Council to set the level of service it deems necessary. Clarington Emergency and Fire Services is a composite department, employing a suppression force of forty-four (44) full-time firefighters and one hundred and twenty-five (125) dedicated volunteer firefighters. Full-time firefighters and volunteer firefighters complement each other in providing emergency response services to the residents of Clarington. 3.2 A change in the minimum staffing of a pumper truck will also affect the future staffing of the Newcastle Fire Station, as a minimum of twenty (20) firefighters will be required. As has previously been indicated to Council anew modern fire station in Newcastle is required immediately and with call volumes increasing the need for afull-time staffing is required. The change in staffing will no doubt delay this happening for many years. 3.3 Council should also be cautioned that the minimum staffing must only be applied to pumper trucks as applying such staffing to other suppression vehicles will hinder future deployment of other vehicles effectively. REPORT NO.: ESD-004 -11 PAGE 7 3.4 In closing, if Council determines a minimum staffing of four (4) firefighters per pumper truck is warranted, it can be accomplished with current staff levels. There will however be increased overtime costs and a reduction in service levels as a result of the SCAT truck being regularly removed from service. Full-time Firefighters in Newcastle will also be delayed.