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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.6 ReglFireSvsStdy-TwinVly T 'e e ... CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: February 14, 1994 SUBJECT : Regional Fire Services study/Twin Valley Fire Service Project (Prepared by: Richard C. Ambrose, City Manager) 1 . / Draft Resolution 2. / Work Plan for an Alameda COunty Regional Fire Service Delivery Study 3. / Work Program for Twin Valley Fire Service Project EXHIBITS ATTACHED: RECOMMENDATION: ~ . 2. Adopt Resolution endorsing City and COunty Regional Fire Service Delivery Study Provide Direction to Dougherty Regional Fire Authority (DRFA) Board of Directors FINANCIAL STATEMENT: 1 ) 2) Costs for the Regional Study will be paid for by Alameda COunty. Cost for Twin Valley Fire Service Project would be paid for by DRFA (Dublin & San Ramon), Pleasanton, Livermore, and Alameda County. Estimated Cost to Dublin $3,975. DESCRIPTION: ReQional Fire Services Study In September, 1993, the Alameda County Fire Chiefs' Association concluded that the present system of fire service delivery in the County should be examined for the purpose of achieving much greater regional coordination among the now separate fire departments. This conclusion is based on several considerations including: 1. the clearly demonstrated need for a unified fire fighting system when dealing with major fire disasters such as occurred in the Oakland & Berkeley Hills in 1991; 2. opportunities to achieve economies and efficiencies by eliminating redundancies and maximizing utilization of staffing, facilities, and equipment; 3. recognition that the fire service is an expensive, yet essential service that is largely dependent on basic property tax dollars for which there is increasing competition; 4. significant changes over the years in the complexity of the fire service and increases in service demand as a result of emergency medical, hazardous materials control and other human and environmental safety needs; and 5. realization that effective fire safety responsiveness is not limited by jurisdictional boundaries. In addition to the Fire Chiefs' conclusions, other events have also occurred which point to a need to examine the question of regional fire service delivery. For example, the County recently consolidated several fire districts and set up a single countywide fire district. The City of San Leandro is now studying the feasibility of joining the new district. There are numerous other examples within the County where cities, special districts, the County and the State are contracting with each other in efforts to provide economical and highly responsive emergency medical and fire protection services. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- . ITEM NO. ~ COPIES TO: CI~ FILE~ ::ili... e It In response to the recommendation of the Fire Chiefs' Association, a committee comprised of city managers and city and county fire chiefs has developed a work plan for an Alameda County Regional Fire Service Delivery Study. A copy of this work plan is attached.(See Exhibit 2) Preliminary indications are there are several different fire service delivery methods that should be evaluated. The goals for this study are: 1 . To determine the feasibility for reorganizing fire service deli very programs or subprograms within Alameda County into one or more regional service delivery mechanisms; 2. To assess the advantages and disadvantages to regional fire service delivery in terms of cost, service to the community and impacts on the fire service; 3. To develop a process by which indi vidual agencies may consider the advantages and disadvantages of regional fire service delivery. If there is sufficient support for the study among the cities, the County Administrator has indicated that the County will consider funding the cost of the effort. The results would not be binding on either the County or cities. The study would, however, provide a common framework for discussing options to the current organization of our County's fire service system. All cities within the County are being asked to approve the attached resolution endorsing this study effort. The results of the study would be available within about nine months. Periodic status reports will be made to the Mayor's Conference. The study is to be conducted in three phases as follows: Phase I: A comprehensive survey of existing fire service programs in Alameda County (e.g. stations, equipment, personnel, wage and benefit structure, costs, existing intergovernmental arrangements, etc.) Phase II: Identification, description and analysis of other "regional service delivery models." Analysis of the specific application of one or more regional models to Alameda County. Phase III will only be undertaken after reporting back to the cities and the County on the results of Phases I & II. Phase III: This undertaking is an outgrowth of several events in recent years directed toward improving coordination among the fire departments in the County. Discussions have been held with fire fighter employee organizations who are also being asked to join in the study. Twin Valley Fire Service Pro;ect For sometime the City Managers of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon have been working with the Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dougherty Regional Fire Authority Fire Chiefs to identify and evaluate alternatives to maintain and/or improve the delivery of fire service to our respective communities by jointly providing some or all fire services. More recently, the City Managers have included the County Administrator and County Fire Chief in these discussions, since the County provides Fire Service to the unincorporated areas adjacent to our communities. Collectively, the City Managers and Fire Chiefs believe that it is necessary to have an independent consultant experienced in such fire studies to assist the involved public agencies in identifying and evaluating joint service options and to determine the operational practicality and fiscal implications of these options. This project would be more specific to the Valley than the Regional Study and would provide more specific information regarding potential cost savings to valley agencies. -2- e e The Davis Company which is an experienced consultant in other such studies, including the recent Alameda County Fire Consolidation study, was requested to present a proposal to the Cities and the County. A copy of the proposed work plan is attached. (See Exhibit 3) The proposed cost of this project is $26,500 which would be split four ways ($6,625 per agency) between Alameda County, Pleasanton, LiverDlOre, and the Dougherty Regional Fire Authority. Dublin's estimated share of the DRFA cost is approximately $3,975. . Participation in this project will be presented to the DRFA Board of Directors on February 15, 1994. a:214f1re.agenda#14 -3- e e RESOLUTION NO. - 94 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN *************************** ENDORSING A CITY & COUNTY REGIONAL FIRE SERVICE DELIVERY STUDY WHEREAS, fire service is a critical public safety service that is essential to protection of public property and personal safety of citizens; and WHEREAS, an essential element of each community's fire protection system is the assistance fire departments provide to one another when it is needed; and WHEREAS, events of recent years such as the Oakland & Berkeley Hills fire have clearly demonstrated the importance of unified training and immediate fire service responsiveness to major disasters; and WHEREAS, the Alameda County Fire Chiefs' Association has proposed that the cities and the County further study opportunities to increase the regional response capabilities of the fire service in the County; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin'S contribution to this study would be limited to the provision of in-kind services in the form of providing information about the City's existing fire protection resources and requirements; and WHEREAS, one of the purposes of the study will be to specify any additional benefits that the City of Dublin and the Dougherty Regional Fire Authority might receive from becoming a part of a regional fire service delivery system. WHEREAS, it is understood that Phase III of the proposed study, as outlined in the work plan, will not proceed until authorized by the City Managers/Fire Chiefs Committee and until the results of Phases I & II have been reported to the Cities and the County. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby endorse and approve of the conduct of a city and county regional fire service delivery study. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 14th day of February, 1994. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk a: resof1re.agenda#14 1~~~t$1IRrr 1 tE$ll.g ~;1I.\i' iJ -.. " ..' ,.. . . , e e Revised January 24, 1994 WORK PLAN FOR AN ALAMEDA COUNTY REGIONAL FIRE SERVICE DELIVERY STUDY BACKGROUND The primary purpose of the Alameda Regional Fire Service Delivery Study is to present individual fire departments with a regional alternative to existing community based service delivery systems. The study will be conducted under the guidance of a joint committee of fire chiefs and city managers. It is anticipated that Alameda County will fund the cost of the study and will engage the services of consultant(s) as required. Through the Fire Chiefs Association, a technical assistance team comprised of fire department representatives will be designated to assist with various parts of the work such as the fire protection survey. This Work Plan is based on the study goals and objectives that were developed by the fire chiefs and managers and includes the following components or phases of work: 1. A survey of existing fire protection resources and responsibilities within the county. 2. Identification of specific opportunities and options to create one or more regional fire and emergency medical response systems within the county. 3. An assessment of the implications and impacts of regional fire service delivery for existing communities. After the basic components of this Work Plan have been reviewed and approved by the City Managers/Fire Chiefs Committee, individual tasks for each component will be developed to guide the work. Employees will be kept apprised of and involved in the study through regular communications with their representatives. PHASE I - F1RE PROTECTION SURVEY The purpose of the fire protection survey is to define and describe existing fire service programs in a way that permits an analysis of regional service delivery potential. The survey will include a comprehensive overview of existing: 1. Service areas including boundaries and protection requirements. 2. Resources including apparatus, staffing, stations and other facilities. 1 r:~'-~ .;:-:~ ;;jB~~ ~<'i;l'l ~ ':l <' ,.;..~", .Ju. S 11 l~.A UJ !\;; t. ~ :.!mB ':lIHU, "'~ . e It Revised January 24, 1994 3. Inter-jurisdictional service arrangements in areas such as mutual and automatic aid, hazardous materials response, and training. 4. Dispatch services (note: a companion study of dispatch services is also in the planning stages). 5. Labor relations policies including pay and benefit data. 6. Financial resources and obligations including annual revenues, operating and capital costs and debt. Based on the results of the Fire Protection Survey, an evaluation of current service delivery practices will be completed. This analysis will cover such items as: a. current operating policies, procedures and practices; b. redundancies in staffing, fire stations and other facilities and fire apparatus; c. identification of areas where cost savings, improved productivity and utilization of human resources, equipment and facilities are likely to occur; d. the extent of overlap for the service districts for each fire station; e. comparison of labor relations agreements, policies, compensation practices and key operating practices that affect the work environment of employees. PHASE II - REGIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIONS Alternatives to the existing mode of fire protection will generally fall into two categories. These are single purpose regional agencies such as fire districts and regional joint service delivery agreements that include varying degrees of functional coordination and consolidation of resources. This phase of the study will identify and evaluate the several other regional models that now exist and identify any models that might be more appropriate for Alameda County. Other models will be studied as to: 1. Background. How did these models evolve and why? 2. Service. How is service provided and how do the service programs impact individual communities? How have service levels been affected? 3. Funding. What is the cost of service? How are costs shared? Have agencies 2 e e Revised January 24, 1994 experienced more or less cost? What type of funding arrangements are used to pay for regional service costs? 4. Policy & Administration. How are service level policies developed (Le. what is the process, who participates, how are decisions made)? How is the fire service program administered and how does the cost of administration compare to the cost in Alameda County? One or more regional fire service option(s) will be developed for Alameda County. The options for Alameda County will be developed in sufficient detail for policy discussion and will be described in terms of: 1. Legal structure and policy control (governance). 2. Operational characteristics (deployment of resources). 3. Service. (how would service levels as well as responsibility and access to service be impacted). 4. Predicted fiscal consequences (is service likely to cost more or less over time and why). 5. Practicality and difficulty for converting existing service programs into the regional option. PHASE ill - APPLICATION OF REGIONAL MODEL(S) This phase of the study will examine the advantages and disadvantages of the regional service delivery option(s) in terms of their impacts on individual communities and fire departments. The purpose of this phase of work fs to present information that will permit individual communities to decide if they should join a regional service delivery program. a. service response capability (Le. effective utilization of resources and response to day-to-day as well as catastrophic incidents); b. compatibility with existing regional or joint service delivery efforts (e.g. training, dispatch, hazardous materials response); c. cost; d. fire prevention and education services; e. changes in local control over services; f. relationship of the fire department to the community; 3 e e Revised January 24, 1994 ;.J g. An analysis of all relevant financial information that will enable the cities and the County to determine if any specific regional proposal will be financially feasible; PROJECT REPORTING & REVIEW PROCESS All aspects of the study will be documented. Status reports covering at a minimum each of the three major phases as outlined above will be submitted to and reviewed by the Project Committee as the study progresses. Status briefings for the Mayors Conference or other appropriate groups will also be prepared periodically. A comprehensive final project report will be submitted covering all phases of work at the conclusion of Phase lIT. The report will be suitable for presentation to the individual cities and the County. The final report will include a suggested process for the cities and the county to make decisions about if, when and how to pursue specific regional service delivery options. TIMING All phases of the study will require approximately nine months to complete as follows: Phase I: Fire Protection Survey 3 months Phase IT: Identification of Regional Models 2 months Phase III: Application of Regional Models 4 months 4 - . WORK PROGRAM FOR CITIES OF DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SAN RAMON & ALAMEDA COUNTY TWIN VALLEY FIRE SERVICE PROJECT Februarv 7. 1994 ~9'~ by: Tho Davl. Company SSS UniVllnity AVllnUll, Suite 250 $.~ralMnlO. CA 9$825 916/444-6IS0 ""'1::7 "''''~5B'I . . I . ,."' ~:] I ! < " -.r '-." .-- rkJ fit<(,] ,'. ~ 3 :~ 1\\:;j t ~~: ~. I ~".:::r.dHi il" . __uu __u_ e e WORK PROGRAM TWIN V ALLEY FIRE SERVICE PROJECT 1. BACKGROUlfD The cities of Dublin. Livermore. Pleasanton and San Ramon have initiated a process to evaluate alternatives for jointly providing some or all fire services within the Twin Valley area. Recently, Alameda County acted to form a single fITe protection district serving all unincorporated areas of the county including unincorporated areas adjacent to the Twin Valley citie5. The project has reached a point where technical assisbmce is needed to evaluate specific proposals for joint service among the cities and the county. The agencies want to reach fundamental decisions about local efforts to share services and to specifically determine what, if any, economies and efficiencies might be achieved prior to conclusion of the countywide Regional Fire Service Delivery Study later this year. II. OBJECTIVES To identify and evaluate the joint service "options' that may be available Lo tht: cities. To determine the operational practicality and fiscal implications of specific proposals for shared service delivery that have previously been developed within the Twin Valley fire departments; and to report those findings to the cities and the county. III. END-PRODUCTS The intent of this Work Plan is to help the cities. the county and their ftre departments sort through the practical fiscal and operational implications of specific joint fIre service delivery options by providing the products listed below. An Assessment of ~pecific Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Fire Service Delivery A range of options have been under discussion by the fire departments. Based on these preliminary efforts the project consultant will prepare an assessment of current city and county fire service program and a comparison of these programs to the available options in the following areas: 1. Training 2. Fire Prevention 3. Incident Command and Response 1 " . e e 4. Hazardous Materials Response and Enforcement S. Management and administrative support services (including dispatch services) 6. Facilities Upon concluding the assessment the consultant shall present findings and recommendations in the form of one or more comprehensive management memorandums concerning each of the service areas outlined immediately above and additional service areas should they be added to the scope of work. The project consultant shall coordinate all work with the Fire Chiefs of the Twin Vwlt:y fire departments and the City Managers, including the County Fire Chief and County Administration as required. The total cost to perform the specific tasks above is $25,500 for professional services plus actual uut-of-pocket expenses for travel, printing, postage and phones/facsimile. The estimated total cost for both expenses and services is $26,500. All work will be completed within twelve weeks. 1