camano island fire & rescue strategic plan · camano island fire & rescue 2016-2026...

2016-2026

Camano Island Fire & Rescue Strategic Plan

Table of Contents Letter from the Chief and Board of Fire Commissioners ................................................. 3 Planning Committee ........................................................................................................ 4 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 6 Department History ....................................................................................................... 16 Organizational Structure ................................................................................................ 16 Camano Island Fire & Rescue ...................................................................................... 18 Plan Overview and Background .................................................................................... 34 Strategic Plan Priority – Training and Education ........................................................... 35 Strategic Plan Priority – Facilities and Equipment ......................................................... 41 Strategic Plan Priority – Community Outreach .............................................................. 52 Strategic Plan Priority – Neighbor Relations ................................................................. 56 Strategic Plan Priority - Personnel ................................................................................ 58 Strategic Plan Priority - Communications ...................................................................... 61 Strategic Plan Priority – Disaster Preparedness ........................................................... 62 Strategic Plan Priority – Service Levels ......................................................................... 69 Strategic Plan Priority - Funding .................................................................................... 81 Estimated Costs of Recommendations ......................................................................... 84 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 86 Appendix A – NFIRS Categories ................................................................................... 87 Appendix B – Vehicle Replacement Schedule .............................................................. 88 Appendix C - Critical Tasking per NFPA 1710 .............................................................. 90 List of Figures Figure 1 Total incidents per year. .................................................................................. 20 Figure 2 Incidents by call type ....................................................................................... 21 Figure 3 Total Response Times .................................................................................... 22 Figure 4 Average response times by month .................................................................. 22 Figure 5 Breakdown of fire call types ............................................................................ 23 Figure 6 Patient age distribution .................................................................................... 24 Figure 7 Comparison of patient age and EMS usage .................................................... 24 Figure 8 Impact of Age on EMS use ............................................................................. 25 Figure 9 Incident locations ............................................................................................ 26 Figure 10 Station Response Areas ............................................................................... 27 Figure 11 Calls by Station ............................................................................................. 28 Figure 12 Incidents by day of the week ......................................................................... 29 Figure 13 Incidents by time of day ................................................................................ 29 Figure 14 Annual yearly revenue .................................................................................. 30 Figure 15 2016 Revenue breakdown ............................................................................ 31

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Camano Island Fire & Rescue 2016-2026 Strategic Plan

Figure 16 Cushman Revenue/Expenditure Prediction Model ........................................ 32 Figure 17 Staffing levels ................................................................................................ 32 Figure 18 Training by topic delivered in 2014 ................................................................ 38 Figure 19 Risk Categories ............................................................................................. 63 Figure 20 Camano Island Road System ........................................................................ 65 Figure 21 Time vs. Products of Combustion ................................................................. 70 Figure 22 Utstein Criteria model .................................................................................... 71 Figure 23 Survival Rates for Cardiac Arrest by Intervention Time ................................. 72 Figure 24 Incidents by time of day ................................................................................ 76 Figure 25 Funding at Current Levy Rates ..................................................................... 81 Figure 26 Funding at $1.25 Fire Levy Rate ................................................................... 82 Figure 27 Funding at $1.35 Fire Levy Rate ................................................................... 83 List of Tables Table 1 Population and Population Growth ................................................................... 18 Table 2 Age Distribution ................................................................................................ 18 Table 3 Employee Numbers .......................................................................................... 33 Table 4 Fleet Active/Reserve Schedule ........................................................................ 48 Table 5 Current and Projected Fleet Numbers .............................................................. 50 Table 6 Potential Areas of Collaboration ....................................................................... 56

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Letter from the Chief and Board of Fire Commissioners

The vision presented in this document is a product of exciting cooperation between the Camano Island Fire & Rescue (CIFR) Board of Fire Commissioners, CIFR staff and firefighters, and most importantly, our Camano Island citizens. As a Fire Department we have been blessed to have such wonderful and important citizen support and a strong willingness to help us achieve our utmost goal which is to make life better for all who are fortunate enough to live here, work here, or visit Camano Island.

Every organization, public or private, must prepare itself for the future or it is doomed to fail. Fire Departments are somewhat unique in that we must serve in the role of “All-Hazard” responders. We tell our citizens to never hesitate to call 911 for any emergency, or perceived, emergency. We do respond to fires and cardiac arrests but we also respond to broken water pipes, unusual odors, or to simply help someone who has fallen to the floor and just can’t get up. In the last 50 years Fire Departments embraced a role as Emergency Medical Service providers to such an extent that now over 70% of most fire department’s activity typically lies in this area. In addition, within the last 15 years we have had to become experts in responding to terrorist attacks requiring additional training in Hazardous Materials responses. In the last few years a change in the climate has required even urban fire departments to train and equip their personnel for activity in the wildland urban interface. A change in our scope, i.e. what we do, is to be expected and must be undertaken for the safety and well-being of our citizens and our personnel. This Strategic Plan is designed to help us prepare for the next ten years or more by reviewing our past, looking at our present, and predicting where we will need to be in the future. If any document can be considered to be a “living document’ certainly a strategic plan is one. We anticipate, and fully expect, that the conclusions reached by our planning committee will need to be modified or in some cases deleted and new ones added in the future.

As the Fire Chief for Camano Island Fire & Rescue I feel very fortunate to be able to lead the exceptionally talented men and women of this fire department into the future as we make life better for our citizens. Our desire is to be an example for other departments in the area, state, and even nationally. I can think of no higher complement for a fire department than for our peers to say “Let’s do it like Camano Island Fire & Rescue does it”.

Michael Schick, Ph.D., EFO, NRP Fire Chief

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Planning Committee

Camano Island Fire & Rescue is grateful to the following individuals for assisting in the development of this Strategic Plan. Special thanks go to the many people who are not listed below but helped review the plan and provided valuable suggestions to improve this document. Camano Island Fire & Rescue Staff

Fire Chief Michael Schick Assistant Chief Craig Helgeland Assistant Chief Levon Yengoyan Linda Layton, Finance Manager Darla Tiner, Board Secretary Linda Thayer, Data Entry Kathy Pace, Payroll Clerk

Camano Island Fire & Rescue Firefighters

Captain Jason Allen Camano Island Fire & Rescue Board of Commissioners

Steve Lich Pat Metz Erik Shouse Don Timmerman Jan Treml Paul Williams

Citizens Advisory Group

Barbara Garnett William Swander William Boring Dick Moa

Working together to safely protect our community’s lives and property

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Executive Summary

This report presents the results of Camano Island Fire & Rescue’s efforts in developing a Strategic Plan and assessing the needs of the surrounding district. The CIFR Strategic plan of fire and emergency services was commissioned by Chief Michael Schick with approval of the District Board of Commissioners. The District has a past record of using internal Task Forces and Committees along with citizen input to increase participation in the District’s decision-making processes. We believe that the analysis and action plan provides a basis for future policy making as well as a method of ensuring quality and predictable fire and emergency services.

The objectives of the Team in this planning process were to: 1) review the basic organizational and performance requirements of Camano Island Fire & Rescue; 2) identify general goals and objectives for the Strategic Planning Process; and 3) collect input on fire service policy and programming projections for the next 5 to 10 years. These objectives were met through various meetings with firefighters, citizens, and management.

The goal of this study was for the CIFR management team to provide the community with the information needed to best manage resources in the next 10 year planning period. Planning conducted now will increase the District’s ability to maintain or increase levels of service, achieve cost savings, and decrease duplication of effort. In order to achieve project goals, the Planning Team developed a methodology that would result in findings and recommendations aimed at allocating fire and emergency resources in the future. The study included a review of the following key factors:

• The District’s population and development growth trends and patterns; • The Fire Department’s operational policies and practices; • Basic fire protection practices and principles; and, • Overall District policy direction as it relates to fire and emergency services.

This planning activity included various ways of collecting information. A review of Fire Department operations at all levels along with solicitation of input from citizens, citizen groups, firefighters, and staff. This was done to accomplish a high degree of involvement in the community and to assure review of the complex concepts that are part of contemporary fire protection and emergency services programs.

The statistical portion of the plan displays a portrait of a District that will not likely change in any significant way over the next 5 to 10 years. The population is anticipated to increase slowly, but the corporate boundaries are not expected to change significantly; however, “in-fill growth” will impact the population base. As a result, the District will become denser as additional homes are constructed leading to an influx of population. If the assumptions made within this plan are linked to projections that change, then the specific factors being evaluated may have to be recalculated. Changes in risk inventory or District boundaries may result in a need to make changes to the assessments done during this planning period. We depict Camano Island Fire &


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Rescue as an “all-hazards” or “all-risk” oriented fire protection agency that currently delivers fire prevention, fire education, fire suppression, and basic emergency medical services. CIFR has a current WSRB Rating Class of 6. The planning team believes that a WSRB rating of 6 is not a bad rating and is standard for communities in this area. For the majority of homeowners and those in industrial and commercial occupancies that are sprinklered, moving to a higher ranking will have little significant effect on their insurance rates; however, the district could improve on the fire department rating.

The executive summaries outlined below are intended to only highlight specific

sections of this document.

Executive Summary 1 - Training and Education Training is currently a strength within CIFR and we anticipate that this will continue. The fact that certification and continuing education requirements are expected to increase and the very nature of the ever changing hazard environment in which firefighters of today must work it is strongly recommended that the Training Officer position be made into a full time position on days. The current model of a Training Officer as a shift officer places an undue burden on personnel and results in high overtime costs. All of the recommendations proposed within the Training and Education section would be enhanced by having a single person focused on implementing or completing these. Executive Summary 2 – Facilities and Equipment The number of fire stations is certainly adequate for the community and the distribution of the current stations represents significant foresight by the District in the past. However, the planning committee recommends designating Station 1 as a storage facility only or selling the property outright. The only use currently for this station is for storage of excess vehicles. In addition, some thought should be given to the disposal of the Administrative Building and co-locating Admin staff to one or more of the current fire stations. This would entail some remodeling expense since there is little to no office space within the current station configurations. Station 5 is rapidly reaching the end of its service life and consideration should be made as to the future of a station on the south end of Camano Island. Considerable emphasis must be placed on replacing or updating the rapidly aging fleet. Many vehicles are past their useful life and should be placed into reserve status or sold outright. A major conclusion of this planning document is that the department should transition to smaller, lighter, less expensive vehicles for both fire suppression and EMS use. In the development of a vehicle replacement schedule this philosophy was used. For example the current fleet of Type 1 ambulances should be replaced with Type 3 ambulances resulting in a 30-40% savings in direct purchase cost. Without question the Type 1 ambulances are more rugged but the ride for patients and personnel is much less comfortable, maintenance costs are typically higher, and they are considerably noisier than Type 1 ambulances. In addition, it is recommended that


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the District reduce the overall number of engines along with a transition to a quick response (Type5/6) type of vehicle. CIFR currently has six fire engines of which only one is routinely used resulting in overutilization of the one engine and underutilization of the others. The Type 5/6 engines, as with the Type 3 ambulances, represent smaller vehicles which are less expensive. It may also be possible to staff these smaller vehicles with fewer personnel allowing a better distribution of resources around the Island. The number of staff and utility vehicles is also in excess of what a District this size needs or can support. As these vehicles reach the end of their service lives it is recommended that only those vehicle absolutely needed be replaced. The vehicles remaining should be shared among the various users allowing for a more efficient and cost effective use of resources. Executive Summary 3 – Community Outreach Progress has already been made on many of the recommendations within this section. A Community Paramedic program has been initiated and we expect this program to mature over the next few years as we determine the needs of our community and as legislative changes occur at the State level to allow more patient contact within these types of programs. A new emphasis is being placed on public education within the District with emphasis on our elderly citizens as well as the young. The recommendation of having a full time public educator is based on the availability of funding but there may be the potential of grant support or resource sharing with our neighbors or other county groups on Camano Island in support of this position. Alternatively, the role of the Public Educator could be considered as a part of the Community Paramedic program. A Citizen Advisory Group has been established and in fact, this group of active Camano Island citizens was extremely helpful in the development and review of this Strategic Plan. Executive Summary 4 – Neighbor Relations Camano Island is geographically isolated and we are highly dependent on mutual aid from the one adjacent fire department to our East, North County Regional Fire Authority. Both departments work extremely well together and we expect the relationship to continue and to flourish as both departments deal with similar problems of stagnant revenues falling behind increasing expenses. Talks are currently underway to determine those areas in which resource or cost sharing may be effective and how to implement those. The most likely areas in which resource sharing may occur would be in Training and EMS. The natural impediment of the departments being located within different counties will certainly be an obstacle. Executive Summary 5 – Personnel CIFR has a proud history of resident volunteers providing emergency responses on Camano Island. A recent decrease in volunteer numbers, similar to that seen around the country, is actively being addressed. Modifications to the program such as easing of residency requirements and changing to shift based versus call response requirements


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will allow us to reach a target level of 40 to 50 volunteers. This number of volunteers, while a reasonable goal, brings an added burden of program oversight which will need to be addressed through the addition of a volunteer recruitment/retention coordinator or at least assigning these duties to current personnel. The supplementation of career staffing with Part-time firefighters continues to be an essential component of our daily staffing model. It is proposed to increase from one PT position per 24 hour shift to two. However, additional funding must be located for this and it would need to be negotiated with the Union. An additional proposal to add one FT position per shift would allow for an increased ability to staff Station 1-3 on peak staffing days with staffing of Station 1-5 also possible on peak activity days or times. However, even with an increase in revenue from a fire levy increase it is unlikely that these positions could be maintained for more than a few years. The CIFR organizational structure appears to be overly weighted towards Chief Officers with three career and two volunteer chief positions. None of the Chiefs have divisional responsibility, e.g., Training or EMS, which is unusual. One of the volunteer chief positions is currently vacant and it is unlikely to be filled. While we are not recommending a decrease in the number of chief officers, three career (two Assistant Chiefs and one Fire Chief) and one volunteer, it is apparent that a reassignment of duties will lead to a more efficient operation. For example, the volunteer chief could take a more active role in the recruitment and retention of volunteers, a task recommended above. Of the two career Assistant Chief positions one should be tasked with daily operations while the second can take a more active role in fire prevention and facilities. Currently there is considerable overlap in responsibilities between the Assistant Chief positions which has led to some confusion within the command structure. At this time with the opening of an Assistant Chief position a revision of duties and responsibilities should be undertaken. As mentioned earlier it would be ideal to have EMS and Training assigned to personnel at the Chief Officer level but the current structure does not support additional chief officers. Executive Summary 6 – Communications We are working extremely hard to educate our citizens about their fire department. Various communication avenues are being used or considered in order to maximize the chances of getting our message to as many people as possible on a consistent basis. The department’s web site is consistently being reevaluated for ease of use, both Twitter and Facebook are now used as communication tools for routine as well as emergency notifications, and we are developing an e-mail based monthly newsletter to supplement our biannual mailed newsletter. Executive Summary 7 – Disaster Preparedness CIFR is fortunate to be able to partner with multiple citizen led groups in ensuring that we are prepared for any natural or manmade disaster that may occur. We expect that partnership to continue and to mature. Executive Summary 8 – Service Levels


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With severe limitations placed on the department by current and future funding levels CIFR must be creative in being able to provide a proper level of emergency service to our citizens. Due to the rural nature of most of the island it will likely not be possible to provide response times seen in urban areas. However, the current response model in which career personnel are located at two stations towards the center of the Island may not be the most ideal model. By redistributing personnel to the north and south we hope to impact our overall response times for calls. This will require a modification of our response models in which a few large vehicles are used to transport needed personnel to scenes. We believe it is possible to safely respond in smaller vehicles with fewer personnel on each vehicle than in our current response model. Executive Summary 9 – Funding

Last, but certainly not least, is the department’s ability to maintain the necessary funding to meet the community’s current and future fire protection and emergency services’ needs. In developing this plan, the planning team weighed safety and economic security against the cost to the taxpayer. While adoption of every recommendation in the plan carries a significant price tag, the team strongly believes that it is both reasonable and cost effective when compared to similar communities. Having said that, it is clear that the existing tax levy is not sufficient to maintain current service levels and will likely result in an overall decrease in the ability to continue providing services even at the current level. While, the planning team does recognize that it may not be realistic to expect that all recommendations be funded, however, consideration should be given to developing a graded approach or priority to program improvements. To that end, the team recommends a fire levy increase to between $1.40 and $1.50 be proposed to the taxpayer for consideration in 2017. This increase would be specifically marked for apparatus replacement, station maintenance, increase in personnel, and day to day operations.

The following pages present a list of the Strategic Plan Goals and resulting tasks in nine areas and additionally they have been color coded as to indicate the time frame in which we recommend implementation. A few of those tasks representing good business practice, such as policy review or development, are already underway.

These goals represent our guiding principles and should reflect implicitly our vision, mission, and values. These principles will give us our direction and should remind us of the high standards we have set and are absolutely dedicated to meeting. CIFR will strive to be “best in class” in every aspect of the services we deliver. We will make every effort to “Do the right thing, the right way”.


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Red – within 1-3 years; Orange – 3-5 years; Green – 5-10+ years

Training and Education

1) Develop training SOGs and evaluate against industry standards. Establish an annual review cycle.

2) Establish safety requirements for all personnel which meet applicable WAC and NFPA guidelines

a. Establish minimum certification levels for all positions

b. Training – Initial and Continuing Education

c. PPE

3) Training Academies

a. Host annual FF1 training academy

b. Host annual EMT class

c. Host annual Fire Cadet class in conjunction with SHS

4) Develop and implement firefighter/officer development programs

5) Establish annual review process for evaluating firefighter skills in fire suppression, EMS, hazardous materials, and technical rescue

6) Establish full time training officer position

7) Construct Incident Command Training Sim center

8) Adopt and support minimum educational requirements for all members

9) Construct a training facility with live fire capability

Facilities and Equipment

Facilities

1) Determine facility/station distribution and establish a facility replacement/modification schedule

2) Remodel/Rebuild Stn 5


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3) Consider designating Stn 1 as a storage facility or selling property

4) Develop office space at one or more of the stations allowing the District to consider selling the administration building


Equipment

6) Equipment / Technology/ Tactics Advances

a. Establish best practice team to review latest changes within Fire Service and to suggest opportunities to modify current practices

7) Establish an apparatus replacement plan along with minimum apparatus needs. (Appendix B).

Community Relations / Outreach

1) Develop Community Paramedicine / Mobile Healthcare program

2) Hire a FT Community Paramedic

3) Establish co-leadership role with Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and the Camano Preparedness Group (CPG)

4) Establish PIO/Social Media responsibilities

5) Establish Citizen Advisory Group

6) Hire a Fire and Life Safety Educator to manage Public Education program

7) Improve and expand community education programs including CPR, First Aid, Fall Prevention, and Fire Prevention

Neighbor relations

1) Expand maintenance services/clientele

a. Add additional mechanic position

b. Utilize reserve vehicles as “loaners”


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2) Explore resource sharing with NCRFA

a. Medical Safety Officer

b. Training Officer

c. Community Paramedic

d. Public Educator

e. Battalion Chief

f. Fire Marshal duties

g. Part Time Firefighters

h. Fire Investigation team

i. Training Academies

Personnel

1) Establish day time MSO position

a. Manage QA/QI program

b. Manage FTO program

c. Manage Community Paramedicine program

2) Develop and adopt personnel policy manual for admin staff

3) Complete Lexipol policies and establish review cycle

4) Expand volunteer program

a. Transition to shift based requirements

b. Open membership to out of district volunteers

c. Establish volunteer recruitment / retention position

d. Establish EMS only positions

e. Establish residency program utilizing station bedrooms

5) Expand Part Time Firefighter program


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a. Add 1 PT position per day

b. Share PT recruitment and scheduling with NCRFA

6) Implement staffing models allowing for two engine/QRV and two medic deployment

a. Add 1 FT FF per shift

b. Add 1 PT position per day

7) Evaluate organizational structure (Appendix C)

8) Establish day time Training Officer position

9) Establish internal fire investigation capabilities

10) Develop employee recognition program

Communications

1) Implement update process for District web site

2) Publish monthly newsletter

a. Establish e-mail list for distribution

3) Establish Facebook page

4) Establish Twitter capabilities

5) Establish media emphasis calendar

6) Implement customer feedback process

Disaster Preparedness

1) Provide leadership role to CERT and CPG

2) Establish Continuity of Services plans in the event of a natural disaster

3) Establish Evacuation Plans in the event of a natural disaster

Service levels


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1) Evaluate current response time standards and modify as appropriate to meet WAC and NFPA standards and in accordance with citizen needs.

2) Explore feasibility of Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) model

3) Develop staffing model to maintain 24/7 staffing at Stations 2, 3, and 4 along with overflow staffing at Station 5

Funding

1) Review current funding levels and determine if they are adequate

2) Evaluate ambulance transport fees

3) Determine parameters for raising fire levy

4) Collaborate with local hospitals, senior center, Island County resources for community paramedicine support

5) Evaluate CPR class fees

6) In house EMT class to support CIFR students

7) Expand shop to enhance revenue


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Department History Island County Fire Protection District No. 1, originally serving only the Camano City area, was incorporated in 1945. Fire District No. 4, serving the Madrona and North end of the Island was next, followed by Fire District No. 6, covering the entire East side of Camano, with fire stations at Mabana, Country Club, and Terry’s Corner. In 1993, a vote of the citizens resulted in a merger of all three districts into one, to be called Camano Island Fire and Rescue (CIFR). The fire district was organized under the tenants of Title 52 of the RCW, with the legal formation of the Fire District mandated by the commissioners – Legal Authority, Section 1.1 – 1.7.

Organizational Structure

As with most fire departments, the organizational structure for CIFR depicts a paramilitary type of organization with the citizenry as the ultimate customer, supporter, and advisor. The Board of Commissioners consists of five elected officials serving staggered six year terms. The Fire Chief serves as the CEO for the department and is hired by the Commissioners. Two Assistant Chiefs and a volunteer Battalion Chief oversee the career shifts, volunteer firefighters, and the fleet maintenance facility.

Oversight to the administrative staff is provided by the Fire Chief. Day to day business is conducted at the Administration building located at 811 N Sunrise Blvd. Offices for the administrative staff are in this building as well as offices for the career chiefs. This building also has a room in which many of the commissioner’s meetings are held. You can go to our website at www.camanofire.com to see the schedule for the commissioner’s meetings and the minutes from past meetings or copies of the Chief’s Report given at each meeting. All questions about the fire department can be directed to staff at the Administration building either in person, by phone, or via e-mail.

Working together to safely protect our community’s lives and property 16

http://www.camanofire.com/


Operations/Administration

Demographics

CIFR serves a forty three (43) square mile island that in some ways is extremely diverse in its demographics. The island is twenty two (22) miles long, approximately six (6) miles across at the north end and less than one (1) mile across at the south end, and has more than 63 miles of coastal shoreline. Elevation ranges from sea level to a high of five hundred and eighty one feet. Camano Island is considered rural with small suburban residential developments dispersed within a rural environment. Population

Due to seasonal fluctuations the number of residents on Camano Island can vary significantly, especially in the summer months. The latest US census data collected in 2010 indicated that there were 15,661 residents (Table 1). If the population growth experienced since 1990 has continued than it is reasonable to speculate that the current population may exceed 18,000 permanent residents as of 2016. The high number of homes on the island which are considered a second home or a vacation home impacts this number. Some of this is reflected in the fact that 22% of housing units on Camano Island were unoccupied in 2010 (US Census Data, 2010). The annual growth rate of 3.87% for Camano Island is similar to other communities in this area.

Camano Island Citizens

Board of Fire Commissioners

Fire Chief

Fleet Battalion Chief

Volunteers

Assistant Chief Operations

Training

Special Operations

Assistant Chief Life Safety

Fire Prevention

Facilities

Emergency Medical Services

Community Paramedic

Medical Safety Officer

Finance / Human Resources

Payroll

Data Entry

EMS Billing

Board Secretary

Citizen Advisory Group


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Table 1 Population and Population Growth

Population Growth 1990 2000 2010 CAAGR* 1990-2010

Camano Island 7,329 13,347 15,661 3.87% City of Stanwood 1,961 3,923 6,231 5.95% City of Arlington 4,037 11,713 17,926 7.74% City of Mt Vernon 17,647 26,232 31,743 2.98% Island County 60,195 71,558 78,506 1.34% Snohomish County 465,462 606,024 713,335 2.16% *Compound Average Annual Growth Rate Source: US Census Bureau.

One important population statistic in which Camano Island does differ from neighboring communities is in our age distribution. The median age of 50.2 years is considerably higher than surrounding communities (Table 2). The age distribution indicates fewer Camano Island residents under the age of 20 as compared to neighboring cities with higher percentages of citizens in the higher age ranges. We expect this trend to continue and to possibly increase as our citizens live longer and hopefully healthier lives. This is not only a local trend but can also be seen at the state and national levels as well. However, as long as Camano Island is seen as a great place to live and retire we anticipate that the median age will continue to increase at a higher rate than our neighbors. The impact that this will have on the provision of emergency medical care to our citizens is likely to be tremendous. A major focus of this agency will be to help our aging citizens live healthier and more independent lives. Table 2 Age Distribution

Age Distribution

Camano Island

City of Stanwood

City of Arlington

City of Mt Vernon

Island County

Snohomish County

Less than 20 20.8 30.5 31.1 31.3 23.0 26.9 20 to 34 10.1 18.2 20.0 22.6 18.2 20.1 35 to 44 10.8 14.6 15.1 12.1 10.8 14.6 45 to 54 17.1 13.3 13.3 11.6 14.0 16.1 55 to 64 18.8 8.0 9.1 9.8 15.7 11.9 65 to 74 13.9 5.8 5.7 6.2 10.9 5.7 75+ 8.4 9.6 5.7 6.5 7.6 4.5 Median Age 50.2 35.9 34.3 43.2 43.2 37.1 Source: US Census Bureau 2010 data.

Camano Island Fire & Rescue

As an “all-hazard” agency CIFR is expected to solve various issues, both emergencies and non-emergencies, for our citizens. Although CIFR is considered the “Fire Department”, fire suppression activity is a small part of the emergency responses provided. This is a trend seen throughout the nation, and internationally as well, which


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began in the 1970’s with the adoption of pre-hospital EMS by the fire service. Calls requiring special skills such as high-angle rope rescues, hazardous materials spills, and marine rescues require enough expertise within CIFR to at least initially stabilize incidents until additional mutual aid units with the proper equipment, personnel, and training can respond. For example, a hazardous materials call will generate a response from the Snohomish County HazMat team based in Marysville. The following list represents those types of calls and activities in which CIFR currently maintains at least a minimal level of certification and skill and can initially mitigate issues:

1) Fire Suppression 2) Basic Life Support (BLS) Emergency Services 3) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Emergency Services 4) Hazardous Materials Operations Level Response 5) Technical Rope Rescue 6) Marine Rescue 7) Public Education 8) Fire Prevention

Total Incidents

Of the 1975 total calls recorded in 2015, 98% were on Camano Island with the remainder consisting of mutual aid requests from our neighbors. This represents a continued increase in the number of yearly incidents for CIFR. In fact, in 2015 we responded to the highest number of emergency calls (1936) in recent history just on Camano Island breaking the previous record of 1828 set in 2014. This is a trend that we expect to see continue (Figure 1). Conversely, there were 57 incidents in which outside agencies responded to Camano Island to assist us with the majority of assistance provided by North County Regional Fire Authority (96%). Typically we will ask for help from our neighbors when we have overlapping requests for service (311 overlapping incidents in 2015) and we don’t have sufficient personnel to handle multiple calls or on larger personnel intensive calls such as a structure fire or motor vehicle collision with multiple patients. Working safely and efficiently with our neighbors will continue to be a major focus of this department in the future.


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Figure 1 Total incidents per year.

Average number of emergency incidents on Camano Island is indicated by the red line (average = 1637 calls). Types of calls

Throughout the country most fire departments place their incidents into one of nine separate categories. This facilitates the reporting of the number and types of our calls into a national database known as the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). This system allows the US Government to track the number of fires, false alarms, medical calls and other types of emergencies. However, there are a few categories of incidents which many citizens may not be familiar with. “Good Intent” types of calls include those in which the fire department was cancelled, authorized controlled burning, or a smoke report which turned out to be steam. A “Service Call” includes animal rescue, removal of water, lock out assistance, assisting someone who has fallen but is uninjured, or removal of jewelry such as a stuck ring. See Appendix A for a complete description of the NFIRS categories. Requests for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) continue to be the most common incident type for CIFR and, in fact, are the most common call type for the vast majority of fire departments throughout the country. Over the last four years CIFR has experienced an average of 69.2% of their calls as EMS with 2015 slightly lower at 63.9% of the calls as medical incidents. As our population increases in number and age we expect an increase in service requests to meet their medical needs.

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

CIFR Total Calls


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Figure 2 Incidents by call type

Response Times

The goal of this fire department is to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible to every emergency request from our citizens. For every emergency call that CIFR responds to, call information is automatically downloaded from the Island County Dispatch Center into our incident reporting software. With this information we are continually monitoring our response times to get a better idea on how we are doing and to make sure we are providing the best possible service we can. CIFR Commissioners are briefed each month on the Departments response statistics. We typically look at four different parameters when examining our response times. Call processing time represents how long it takes for the 911 communications center to receive a call and notify emergency responders. Although call processing is out of the direct control of the Fire Department it does play a role in how long it takes before emergency responder show up at your door. In 2015 the Island County Dispatch Center (ICOM) answered a 911 call, inputted the call data, and toned the Fire Department in an average of 1 min 23 sec with a 90th percentile of 2 min 4 sec. In Figure 3 you will see the time frames which we do have direct control of. Enroute Time is the period between when we receive notification of a call through our paging system and the first unit to announce on the radio or through their Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) that they are responding. On average CIFR firefighters are on their way in 1 min 22 seconds (2015 data). Travel Time is the time it takes for an emergency vehicle to arrive at the correct address following notification that the unit is enroute. For 2015 the average travel time for CIFR was 7 min 35 sec.

Fire

Rescue, EMS

Hazardous Condition

Service Call

Good Intent

False Alarm Weather


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Figure 3 Total Response Times

The CIFR Response time is simply the addition of the Enroute and Travel Times.

In 2015 the average Total CIFR Response time for emergency calls on Camano Island was 8 min 57 sec and the 90th percentile for Total Response times was 14 min 33 sec. Month to month variation in response times for 2015 is depicted in Figure 4.

Figure 4 Average response times by month

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Fire Incidents Although fire calls made up fewer than 4% of our total calls in 2015 these types

of calls remain among the most dangerous, most labor intensive and most costly of all of our calls. The financial loss on Camano Island due to fires this past year was estimated to be slightly over $900,000. The most common type of fire on Camano Island in 2015, and typically in most years, involved grass or natural vegetation fires (Figure 5). Although vegetation and building fires both involve fire, the tactics, the equipment and the training required are quite different.

Figure 5 Breakdown of fire call types

EMS Incidents A request for medical assistance continues to be the most common incident type

for CIFR with typically 60-70% of our total calls. Included within this incident type are motor vehicle accidents, rope rescue, vehicle extrication, and water/ice rescues. The most common medical complaint we responded to involved some form of Trauma followed by Chest Pain and Weakness. In over 66% of our medical calls the patient was older than 60 years of age (Figure 6). We expect the average age of our population to continue to increase and we will likely see a corresponding increase in medical issues and service requests. A comparison of the percentage of Camano Island residents within various age groups along with the percentage of our patients within each of the age groups is shown in Figure 7. This very clearly shows the impact an aging population has on emergency care providers

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Figure 6 Patient age distribution

Figure 7 Comparison of patient age and EMS usage

The same data used for Figure 7 was used in Figure 8 to show that a citizen over the age of 80 years is six times more likely to use emergency services provided by the fire department than would be expected by population numbers alone.

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Figure 8 Impact of Age on EMS use

Incident Location

As you can see in Figure 9 the emergency calls that we responded to are primarily in areas with a higher population density. These are the areas where, for the most part, we have located our staffed fire stations and career personnel. We are watching closely as our call volume increases to make sure that we are placing personnel in the most appropriate areas to have the most effective and efficient response. As with any small fire department this means that sometimes we have a little slower response times to those areas considered more rural and during those times when we have multiple calls occurring at the same time.

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Figure 9 Incident locations

Camano Island can be divided into response areas based on the location of the

various fire stations.


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Figure 10 Station Response Areas

When looking at a breakdown of calls by station in 2015 approximately equal

number of calls were located in the Station 1-2 (27%) and Station 1-3 response areas (28%). Station 4 (16%), Station 5 (14%), and Station 1 (11%) response areas had fewer requests for calls as to be expected due to lower population densities. The decrease in call numbers over the last few years in the Station 1-2 response area is due in some part to a review of incident addresses and making sure that the call is attributed to the right response area. The current CIFR staffing model has a response out of Station 1-2 on every call which led the company officer to default to Station 1-2 when entering call information. A call review process instituted in 2014 ensures that address information


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and response area are entered correctly. However, we anticipate that the Station 1-2 and Station 1-3 response areas will continue as the location for the majority of our incidents.

Figure 11 Calls by Station

We are constantly reevaluating our call distribution to ensure we have the most effective locations for our limited resources. Not only do we look at the location of the call but we also look at how incidents distribute by day of the week and time throughout the day (Figures 12 and 13). All of these help us as we plan for future changes. The increase in calls on Saturday could be due to many reasons including higher population levels on the weekend, more trauma types of calls as residents work or play around their homes, more visitors to the local parks, etc. A peak in call activity around 5pm could be due to higher traffic volumes, cooking related issues, patient decision to no longer delay medical care, etc. At this time CIFR does not staff differently depending on the time of day or day of week. Full time staffing at Stations 1-2 and 1-4 represents a decision to place resources at a central location and close to population centers. The transition of higher call volumes in the Station 1-3 area will force a re-examination of resource distribution.

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Figure 12 Incidents by day of the week

Figure 13 Incidents by time of day

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Funding

Primary funding for CIFR comes through property tax levy’s previously approved by Camano Island residents. Our two major sources of revenue are a Fire levy which is currently at $1.17 per $1,000 of assessed value and an EMS Levy which is at the maximum allowed by law at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value (Figure 13). Ambulance transport fees also provide a revenue stream for our department (Figure 14). Since 2010 the District has experienced a 67% decline in transport revenues which can be attributed to cessation of ambulance coverage provided to the City of Stanwood and 2% decline in tax revenue due to a fall in property values throughout Camano Island. Consequently total revenue for CIFR has dropped 20% since 2010. Consequently CIFR has had to be very aggressive in containing costs since we are limited somewhat in our ability to pursue other sources of revenue.

Figure 14 Annual yearly revenue

During 2016 we estimate that funds collected from our Fire levy will be 61% of our total revenue with the EMS levy providing 28%, ambulance transport fees providing another 10% and other revenue sources at 2% (Figure 15).

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Figure 15 2016 Revenue breakdown

A revenue/expenditure prediction model was used to estimate future changes in revenue and/or expenditures. As indicated in Figure 16 this model is predicting consecutive years of expenditures exceeding revenues. This model assumes a 1% increase in tax revenue, the maximum allowed by law, a 5% increase in Operations costs including wages and benefits, and an 8% increase in healthcare costs. Due to the fiscally conservative nature of the Board of Commissioners it is likely that expenses will be decrease to match the anticipated revenue levels.

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Figure 16 Cushman Revenue/Expenditure Prediction Model

Personnel

To provide 24/7 emergency service and to ensure the proper level of service to the community, CIFR is divided into three shifts, A, B and C,. Each shift is supervised by a Captain with other members assigned to each shift carrying the ranks of Lieutenant, Firefighter, or Paramedic. There are 7 career members assigned to each shift for a total of 21 Line personnel. Daily staffing level ranges from a minimum of 5 up to a maximum of 8. CIFR utilizes part-time firefighters to increase staffing levels by one. Fire personnel work a 48 hour on duty and 96 hour off duty schedule, with part time Firefighters used to supplement staffing on a 24 hour shift. The number of volunteer Firefighters on the department varies tremendously year to year with 30-50% turnover not uncommon. The majority of our volunteer Firefighters respond from home following notification of a call via pager. The Fire Chief and both Assistant Fire Chiefs are on call from home after normal working hours. In addition, at least one of the chiefs, including the volunteer Battalion Chief, is on call from home every weekend and week day evening on a rotating basis.

With the current staffing model there can be 6, 7, or 8 FT career and PT personnel on duty at any one time. Staffing varies due to personnel who are on vacation, sick leave, or on a Kelly Day. Approximately 67% of the time our staffing level is at 6 Firefighters (5 FT and 1 PT), 25% of the time it is at 7 (6FT and 1 PT), and 8% of the time we are fully staffed at 8 (7 FT and 1PT) (Figure 15).

Figure 17 Staffing levels

In 2016 Camano Island Fire & Rescue employed twenty two (22) career

Fully Staffed, 8%

1 FF Down, 25%

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Staffing Levels


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members, nine (9) part-time, and seventeen (17) volunteers (Table 3). CIFR is actively recruiting additional volunteer firefighters and it is expected that this number will increase in 2016 by an additional 14 Firefighter for a total of 31. No other increase in employee numbers is anticipated. Table 3 Employee Numbers

Chief Officers 3 Career Full-time Firefighters 22 Career Part-time Firefighters 9 Volunteer Firefighters 17 Administrative Support 4 Mechanics 2 Total Staff 57


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Plan Overview and Background

As we looked to the future the Planning Team identified nine (9) areas in which to focus our efforts in the near term (within 1 year) to far term (5 to 10 years). As to be expected there is a considerable amount of overlap within the focus areas. For example, adding a day-time Training Officer is addressed in Focus Area 1 – Training and Education as well as in Focus Area 5 – Personnel.

1) Training and Education 2) Facilities and Equipment 3) Community Relations / Outreach 4) Neighbor relations 5) Personnel 6) Communications 7) Disaster Preparedness 8) Service levels 9) Funding


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Strategic Plan Priority – Training and Education Background

“Training and Education” is defined as the specific programs, resources, and capabilities of the personnel within a fire service agency which exist to support the operational programs defined by its own policies. “Training and Education" resource programs express the philosophy of the organization they serve and are central to its mission. Learning resources should include the following:

1) Instructional methodologies and technologies; 2) A library and other collections of materials that support teaching and learning 3) Support services; 4) Distribution and maintenance systems for equipment and materials; 5) Instructional information systems, such as computers and software: 6) Telecommunications, other audiovisual media and the facilities to utilize such

equipment and services; 7) Facilities, props, and equipment.

Central to success of the training and educational process is a learning

resources organizational structure and a technically proficient support staff, i.e., training officers. The training staff should provide services that encourage and stimulate competency, innovation, and increased effectiveness. The agency or system must provide those learning resources necessary to support quality training. The adequacy of a system’s successes should be judged in terms of its goals, objectives, and programs supporting the organization in achieving its mission. The system should also include the following elements:

1) Comply with all Federal, State, and Local mandated training requirements. 2) Include training sessions specific to new apparatus and equipment. 3) Implement a record keeping system that identifies individual participation and

compliance with mandated training requirements. 4) Develop Standard Operating Procedures specific to CIFR capabilities and a

program plan. 5) Ensure operational readiness through quarterly performance reviews.

Today’s firefighters operate in complex, dangerous and dynamic environments.

Firefighter training is the single most important factor in determining if the firefighters are prepared to meet the challenges of the environments in which they work. Proper training can mean the difference between success and failure during an emergency operation. The need for firefighter and officer training on Camano Island is substantial. Firefighter’s safety and survival is the first and foremost reason for improving training in the District. As the community grows, firefighters are faced with new challenges and hazards, changing construction techniques, and new manufacturing processes that require specialized knowledge in order for firefighters to respond safely to emergency incidents.


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The demand for increased efficiency and effectiveness also drives the need for enhanced training. As service demands increase, the District attempts to do more with limited resources by looking at new technologies and procedures to make operations more efficient and effective.

Increased training requirements are also driven by the “Paradox of firefighter training”. The paradox is as the fire department does a better job in preventing fires and other emergencies, the less proficient firefighters become, therefore basic skills must be practiced and refreshed. Practice and continued training must take the place of real world experience. High risk, low frequency events must be practiced regularly to have success at the operational level. These training events should simulated real world scenarios as much as possible and emphasize task, tactical, and strategic operational levels. Current training program delivery

The District’s current training program is developed and delivered through a combination of in-house and external training. As part of the planning process, the District examined its training needs and delivery system, which included the fire chief’s analysis of current capabilities. As outlined in the District’s command structure, training is assigned by the Training Division. The Training Division maintains an overall three year training program. Each year the Training Division develops a training calendar with approval of the Chief to support the minimum training requirements, coordinate training activities, and facilitate the training curriculum.

The current training program is primarily process centered and individual members must meet a specific hour requirement each year to remain an active member. As a minimum, each member must also complete an approved CIFR initial Firefighter 1 academy; obtain a State of Washington Emergency Medical Technician certification and State of Washington Firefighter 1 with Hazardous Material Operations. It should be noted that all of the fire service certifications are IFSAC accredited. All of these certifications require both a written and practical examination. In addition to these core-training requirements, any member that drives a fire pumping apparatus must complete the department specific “Driver Operator” program.

With an aggressive individual training program, the internal analysis indicated that improvements could be realized by implementing multiple approaches, including but not limited to: Company-based day shift training, performance based training, student centered and realistic training.

Company based - Company training is usually centered on how to function as a team and what role and responsibilities each player has. These include fire ground functions integrating efforts from single engine companies to combined companies to achieve rescue and fire control. The key to company operations is a standard set of procedures that create teamwork.

Performance Based - This is a practical approach to basic skills proficiency. Proficiency testing and certifications on standard skills are critical component of the performance-based program. Testing helps identify areas of further need. Good testing lends credibility to certification and allows the firefighter to demonstrate proficiency. The planning team believes that performance based training is a critical component to the department’s overall performance.


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Student Centered - Most training professionals believe that a good training program is student centered. It concentrates on developing teaching methods and a curriculum that is at their experience and ability level. This type of training also develops firefighters in meeting new challenges, developing new skills and provides synergistic training opportunities.

The planning team believes that CIFR has the ability to be one of the more progressive fire departments in Washington State. The District provides a full range of services including but not limited to; fire suppression, emergency medical and rescue services, technical rope and marine rescue, as well as Haz-Mat operations. Over the past several years the District has been very fortunate to have both qualified and dedicated training officers to meet the needs of our organization. They have spent countless hours preparing, instructing and delivering continuing education programs, officer development programs and new member orientations. As the District’s training needs have increased over the years (including state and federal mandates), District officers have been both creative and forward thinking to meet the departments training requirements. The District has, and continues to use, internal resources to the fullest extent possible. The District and its members are to be commended for their dedication and resourcefulness in meeting this challenge.

CIFR has a Training Officer who oversees the Training Division, prepares a Master Calendar of Training, and assures that records are maintained.

The Training Division is responsible for the ongoing process of maintaining firefighter training levels. Currently our lead Training Officer also serves as a shift Captain. The primary purpose of the Training Officer is to organize, develop, and schedule training for all department members in compliance with federal, state and local requirements. The goal of the Training Division is to deliver relevant, realistic, challenging training that meets state, federal, and department training requirements and supports operational success and safety.

The budget provided for training not only reflects the District’s commitment to maintaining well trained members, but the District’s dedication to continually improving firefighters’ safety, skills, and abilities to provide the best customer service to the citizens of Camano Island. Training is provided to all shifts through the Company Officers and the Training Officer. Volunteer training has historically been provided on Tuesday nights. The District is currently evaluating the efficacy of monthly training for career, part-time, and volunteer members. This new training schedule would allow for more in-depth and realistic training evolutions. Subjects for the training session are distributed to each shift quarterly so they have time to review the materials and prepare for the training session they are assigned to deliver. In addition, whenever possible, subject matter “experts” are used to present materials in their area of expertise or experience to improve the quality of the training.

The current CIFR Training Officer is chair of the Snohomish County Training Officer’s Annual Training Program committee and has worked with surrounding departments to develop jointly prepared materials that meet state and federal requirements. This collaborative effort ensures training that is consistent among mutual aid companies and members. It also has improved the quality of the training materials as departments are able to share subject matter experts and materials to present higher quality drill and training materials for all member departments. Multi-jurisdictional


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training events are held to ensure inter-operability of mutual and automatic aid resources.

Training topics consist of emergency medical, fire suppression, hazardous materials, special rescue, and safety training. Since the District is an all hazards response agency, the training must be consistent with the duties of the assigned members. In other words, all members must complete their required training in all of the areas of response the agency is expected to serve. The opportunity for volunteers to serve in specialized roles has been discussed as an option to increase volunteer numbers. A pilot program to gauge the effectiveness of utilizating volunteer members in an EMS only capacity is currently underway.

The training is presented as shift or station level drills, classes, or multiple company drills that career personnel attend while on duty and volunteers attend on Tuesday evenings or one Saturday per month. In addition, our personnel attend training presented by outside agencies and instructors in various subject areas, such as Leadership, Incident Command, Incident Safety Officer, and fire ground operations.

Figure 18 Training by topic delivered in 2014

The members of Camano Island Fire and Rescue logged a total of 2495 training

sessions in 2014 with over 5300 hours of training participated in by members. These hours represent continuing education as well as initial training in new subject areas for current and new firefighters. Part time members also accumulate hours at other departments in the same or similar subjects and are given credit for that work.

One of the consequences associated with low outbreaks of

ADMIN/OFFICER 12% Haz Mat

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fire in a community is the loss of practice and likewise the ability to fight them when they do occur. This is not because firefighters do not have the training. It is because of a phenomenon called “skills degradation.” This is a reduction in the ability to perform skills that are not frequently practiced. Without an adequate reinforcement of periodic drills of basic skills, especially in the area of interior attack, skills often deteriorate over time. Fire departments therefore need training facilities to maintain their skills. Currently there are no formal training facilities within the immediate vicinity. The department does have a shipping container converted to allow the burning of class A materials. The closest training tower is in Mount Vernon. Therefore, the District should evaluate how to incorporate modern but moderate training facilities into future planning. Based on all of the information to date, the District is unlikely to have either the space or financial resources to build a complete training facility. Nonetheless, there are less expensive modular designs for fire training facilities that could provide a low rise, smoke, and even a heat producing training facility that could be incorporated into a current fire station site. District staff has met with neighboring departments to discuss the possibility of a joint venture. Cadet Academy

CIFR has an active collaboration with the Stanwood Camano School District to offer a Cadet Fire Academy. In the 2014/2015 school year, 17 students participated in this academy under the guidance of CIFR instructors. The students are given entry level firefighter training culminating with live fire training at our facility at Station 2. Each school day the students report for three hours of lectures and drill ground practice. Special field trips included a tour of the Island County Dispatch Center, a walk-through of an active building site to learn about building construction, and the Warm Beach Rope Challenge Course. Students also assist with Fire Prevention week activities at our local elementary schools as well as the CIFR Haunted House and Santa Run. The first semester ends with several days of skill’s testing followed by a written exam. The testing/exam process is similar to the Washington State Firefighter 1 process –challenging the Cadets knowledge of fire service skills learned.

Regardless of whether a department has career or volunteer members, the challenge of maintaining a well-trained staff is becoming more difficult each year. Each year we are increasingly impacted by changing standards which require additional continuing education hours, instructional preparation hours, field instruction and documentation. While the District meets the intent of industry standards, these requirements significantly stretch our training resources. Training resources are further stretched by the realities of today’s volunteer work force as well as performance based staffing. A compounding factor is the retention rate for volunteer firefighters. The current average retention of a volunteer firefighter nationally is approximately 3 years. According to the National Fire Academy, factors affecting the retention of volunteers relate much more to the mobility of the work force than local impact factors. Additionally, more volunteers indicate that it’s too difficult to meet the significant time commitments of mandated training. Unfortunately, the CIFR statistics are in line with the national average.

CIFR has a strong and robust training program in place and in development. These recommendations are designed to continue and enhance this progress and to


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prepare the department for training our firefighters in the future. Recommendations

1) Develop training SOGs and evaluate against industry standards. Establish an annual review cycle.

2) Establish safety requirements for all personnel which meet applicable WAC and NFPA guidelines

a. Establish minimum certification levels for all positions b. Training – Initial and Continuing Education c. PPE

3) Training Academies a. Host annual FF1 training academy b. Host annual EMT class c. Host annual Fire Cadet class in conjunction with SHS

4) Develop and implement firefighter/officer development programs 5) Establish annual review process for evaluating firefighter skills in fire

suppression, EMS, hazardous materials, and technical rescue 6) Establish full time training officer position 7) Construct Incident Command Training Sim center 8) Adopt and support minimum educational requirements for all members 9) Construct a training facility with live fire capability


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Strategic Plan Priority – Facilities and Equipment Background

“Physical Resources” are defined as the fire stations, training facilities, fire apparatus and other capital expenditures and outlays that make up the property assets of an agency. Special attention is required to obtain and maintain appropriate physical resources. Apparatus resources should be designed and purchased to meet CIFR goals and objectives. The inspection, testing, preventative maintenance, replacement schedule, and emergency repair of all apparatus should be well established and meet the needs for service and reliability of emergency apparatus. Buildings Fire Station 1 - 985 Orchid Road

Station 1 is located in the Camano City community and is currently used primarily

as a vehicle storage facility. A reserve Engine, Heavy Rescue unit, and support vehicle are kept at the station. Due to a lack of volunteers in the area it is unusual to have an emergent response out of this station.

The original parcel was obtained for the conveyance of $1 and the facility was constructed in 1946 as a result of the local school district declaring the adjacent 1905 schoolhouse as surplus to their needs. The original fire station building was initially constructed of CMU block – and had then undergone a significant wood frame addition remodel in 1980, then providing two larger truck bays, a proper septic system, and some small interior office space areas.

A boundary line adjustment was filed to separate the schoolhouse in 2012 and that building was sold in 2012. The fire station facility received some interior lighting improvements in 2012 and was better insulated in 2013 to ensure weatherization. The asphalt shingle roof structure, exterior paint finish, plumbing, and conventional septic system are all in good repair today. The facility has both commercial telephone service, and a modern internet connection. A natural gas connection is not available. The building has good quality domestic water and a fire hydrant on site. Cosmetic paint refinishing for the truck bay doors was completed in 2015. The glazing is intact throughout and the electrical system is in good repair. The duty crews from Station 2 maintain the grounds. The building is not considered ADA compliant nor does it have any public meeting areas. The facility has an automated apparatus vehicle exhaust extraction system and remains completely functional as a satellite-type rural fire station. Occasional pest control measures have been undertaken in the recent past. Some visible seismic failure cracks can be seen in the mortar of the CMU bricks. Station 1-1 Needs –

• Depending upon the future operational disposition of this facility, the building does not accommodate overnight sleeper crews - nor does it have a dedicated training classroom or suitable external drill ground area. To make this into a functional response station will require significant modification of the structure


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including the addition of bedrooms, kitchen facilities, and a ready/radio room. • Heating devices are multiple inefficient electric warehouse style heat exchanger

devices. • There are no dedicated decontamination areas within and there is very limited

parking space available on site. • The original truck bays employ wooden doors on the western exposure - and are

manually operated. • The building is not protected by alarm system. • The building is not presently supported by a standby back-up utility power

generator. Fire Station 2 - 1326 Elger Bay Road

Station 2 is in the Country Club neighborhood and is primarily staffed by our

career personnel. It has a training class room and the department’s live burn trailer is located adjacent to the building. The training room is available for public use as well. The station has an engine, medic unit, tender, and one of our rescue boats. This (now two-story) wood frame facility was originally constructed in 1972, and then underwent a significant addition remodel in 1995 when a third-party private Medic Unit crew was housed there. This facility continues to serve as the main-hub 24 hour career staffed station for the fire district housing the majority of the on duty crews. In 2009 another remodeling project commenced to enhance seismic survivability and also to rearrange the interior layout – further defining and separating the sleeping quarters, the adequate classroom area, and the well-equipped P/T exercise areas. The roof sheeting is a 50 year rated metal design. Exterior lighting is good. The parcel affords a gravel surface training / drill ground. The location is well suited to accommodate the call volume for this region of the island.

The private crew quarters area is positioned on the second floor level. The facility has a small kitchen downstairs adjacent to the meeting / classroom, and a full crew kitchen upstairs. The agency SCBA Cascade System and stationary air compressor is positioned here utilizing three-phase utility power. The domestic water is of good quality with billing on a bi-monthly schedule. There is a fire hydrant on site and the building is protected by a fire sprinkler system. Multiple commercial telephone lines and a modern internet connection service this building. The septic system is a sand mound filter design. Heating is provided via Propane fuel - as no Natural Gas connection is available. A redundant antenna tower and related feed cables are in place for community disaster recovery communication needs. The building has an automated apparatus vehicle exhaust extraction system. All glazing is modern and intact and the paint finish is in good repair. The facility houses a modern extractor / washer for cleaning of contaminated Turnout PPE Gear. The on-duty crews maintain the grounds. The building is considered ADA compliant. In general, the facility is in good repair. Station 1-2 Needs -

• The existing truck bay doors are no longer available as a factory order item and would need to be custom fabricated if ever damaged. Two of those doors are


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high cycle devices, used for both Engine 1-2 and Aid 102. • No fully dedicated DECON area is established at this building. • The exterior display sign lighting utilizes high current (inefficient) Sodium Vapor

lamps and fixtures. • Although mechanically sound at present, the current standby back-up generator

is the oldest in the agency and should be considered for replacement. It was installed in 1994.

Fire Station 3 - 525 E North Camano Drive

Station 3 is located in the Terry’s Corner area and is our northernmost station.

This station also has a training class room and it is home to our maintenance facility. As staffing allows we occasionally will have a career crew at the station as well as a few volunteers who participate in our “sleeper” program. These volunteers sleep at the station and respond to calls within their assigned area or as requested by the Shift Captain. Within the station we have two engines, an ambulance, and a tender. This single story wood frame facility was originally built in 1977, but underwent a complete and total remodel in 2011 utilizing the same foundation footprint and today meets current seismic standards. The location is well suited for this region of the island. Although designed for overnight crews, the building remains vacant much of the year and sees little use. The ample size paved park lot surface also provides for a good drill ground. The building is protected by a monitored fire sprinkler system and there is a (fire district owned) hydrant on the parcel. The water quality is good with a bi-monthly user fee. The building utilizes Natural Gas fuel for heating. There are multiple commercial telephone circuits and a modern internet connection at this site. An automated apparatus exhaust extraction system was installed in 2011. All glazing is modern and thermally efficient. The roofing uses asphalt shingle and the structure is in good repair. Standby back-up utility power is provided by a generator which is capable of “dual-fuel” operation. Exterior lighting is good. The on duty crews from Station 2 maintain the grounds.

Because the ground water level is high at this sea-level site, the septic system is a hybrid design, utilizing an offsite remote drain field requiring annual user fees. The building is ADA compliant but due to the smaller overall footprint the structure does not easily accommodate public meetings but is used for smaller training classes and the Cadet Academy. The building is well insulated, but the uninsulated flooring is entirely concrete throughout the building which contributes to some chill during the colder seasons.

An adjacent 2.5 acre parcel has been maintained for decades as a possible future training site. Station 1-3 Needs –

• Presently there is no permanent A/C (HVAC) provisioning for the crew quarters or general living spaces.


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Fire Station 4 - 273 N West Camano Drive Located within the Vista / Madrona area of Camano Island is our Station 4. This

station typically is staffed by a career ambulance crew who respond along with Engine 1-2 from Station 2 on the majority of calls. This station has a large multi-purpose room available for use by the public or whenever the department needs a larger classroom for training or classes. Vehicles at Station 4 include an engine, tender, ambulance, reserve ambulance, and a boat.

This large wood frame single story facility was constructed in 2010 and is a modern seismic resilient design. The location is well suited for the call volume of the NW corner of the island. The ample size parking lot provides for a good drill ground. The facility is protected by a monitored fire sprinkler system and there are three hydrants on the parcel. The water quality is good with a bi-monthly user fee. The building utilizes Propane fuel for heating. No Natural Gas is currently available at this site. There are multiple commercial telephone circuits and a modern internet connection in the building. An automated apparatus exhaust extraction system was installed during the initial construction. All glazing is modern and thermally efficient. The roofing uses asphalt shingle and the structure is in good repair. One centrally located section of the roof has a flat design, which requires annual maintenance to remove any leaf debris. Standby back-up utility power is provided by a generator. Exterior lighting is good. The facility could easily accommodate a future (three phase power) SCBA compressor Cascade System. A modern washer / extractor is installed at this facility. The septic system is of a robust design with a remote drain field near the driveway entrance. The on-duty crews at the station maintain the grounds.

This 14,000 square foot structure is responsible for a good deal of the total energy costs for the District. Only a crew of two occupies this large building on any given shift. Although designed to accommodate the area the truck bay spaces are not typically heated. The entire flooring is designed of uninsulated concrete. There are eight (Propane fueled) HVAC units in the building, six of which individually heat the separate dorm rooms.

The building is ADA compliant and easily accommodates public meetings. The building is well insulated, but the uninsulated flooring is entirely concrete throughout the building which contributes to some chill during the colder seasons.

Landscaping for this 11.5 acre parcel requires a good deal of effort and some extra costs. A (state declared) fish bearing stream traverses the parcel, invoking annual mandatory landscaping maintenance practices observed by the County Planning Dept. Station 1-4 Needs –

• The site has 9 privately owned (Sodium Vapor lamp) street lamps which are high energy, inefficient and should be replaced.

• The Training/Meeting Room is difficult to heat or cool to comfortable temperatures. A ductless heat pump may be necessary for this room.

Fire Station 5 - 3651 South Camano Drive


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Our southernmost station is Station 5 in the Mabana area. Staffed by a small but active group of volunteers this station allows us to provide initial emergency response to an area of the island which is not heavily populated and which accounts for only a small number of our total calls. Located within the station are an engine, tender, and ambulance. As in our other stations space for public meetings is available. This single story facility was originally constructed in 1956 and then underwent a significant remodel in 1980 with the addition of the three existing truck bays. The original portion of the structure (meeting room) is constructed of CMU brick. The 1980 addition is completely designed of wood frame construction. Although the location serves the community well, the facility does not accommodate any overnight crews and is currently showing its age. No visible cracks are apparent within the mortar today. The structure presently has two multiple / different designed roof coverings upon the original portion of the building (i.e., one framed roof structure built atop another). The roof membrane is a “hot-mop” design. The facility is heated by Propane, but is poorly insulated. All glazing is intact, but is not thermally efficient. A 20 kW Propane powered generator is also on site which is essential in the event of a loss of power on the south end of the island. Residents look to the fire station as potentially their only source of power in a power outage.

There is one commercial telephone circuit and a modern internet connection at this site. An automated apparatus exhaust extraction system was installed in 2011. The entire floor is constructed of uninsulated concrete. The septic system is a conventional design with a good service life. The good drainage soils at this parcel are sandy loam. The building is partially ADA compliant and is utilized frequently for local neighborhood meetings. The on-duty crews from Station 1-2 maintain the grounds.

The site hosts a Fire District owned wellhead and the well water is treated on site for both minerals and hardness. The facility is not protected by a fire alarm system but does have a security system due to multiple break-in events five years ago. There are two “draft” style (non-pressurized) fire hydrants on site, but the facility has no greater fire protection measures in place. Two 38,000 gallon concrete water tanks are erected on site for fire suppression refill needs in this remote part of the island. Due to the lack of frequent hot water use, the high mineral water will routinely result in a sulfur smell generated by the constant heating of the hot water tank(s). Overall, although dated, the building has been maintained in good repair. Station 1-5 Needs –

• The truck bay doors now show signs of fatigue and are no longer available from a factory supply. Any future damaged incurred would require custom built door panels for replacement.

• The station does not currently have any designated space for crew sleeping quarters.

Administration 811 N Sunrise Blvd

Our headquarters building is home to full-time and part-time administrative staff.

This is where the day to day business of the District occurs and where our citizens can come to have their questions answered. Many of the biweekly Commissioner meetings


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take place at this facility although the meetings rotate through our other stations to make it easier for citizens in those areas to attend. This building was originally purchased from a real estate company and slightly modified for use as the administration building. Currently the Department of Licensing (DOL) leases a bottom corner office within the building on the east side first floor. The additional traffic associated with the business does occasionally create traffic issues on both the east and west sides of the building. Main parking for the fire department and overflow DOL parking is on the east side of the building near the main entrance for the administration offices.

The relationship between the DOL and CIFR appears to be stable and at this time we do not foresee any changes in that arrangement.

The property to the south of the administration building was recently purchased and we anticipate that it will be developed resulting in a direct impact on the fire department’s use of the administration building. Currently on duty fire apparatus use the driveway to the northwest of the parking lot for temporary parking. This driveway will likely be expanded to provide access to the new property which would preclude its use as a parking area. It may be possible to extend a parking area uphill and to the west of the current parking lot. While the cost to do this may be minimal the impact on the septic drain field, also located to the west and uphill, will have to be determined. Administration Needs –

• Exterior stain finish • Driveway delamination repair at the entrance / egress.

Maintenance Shop

This two story wood frame facility was originally built in 1992 and recently had a machine / fabrication shop addition constructed in 2014 to better accommodate the workload, floor space, and employee safety. Heating is provided by a Natural Gas fueled unit heat exchanger. The building also had new exterior sheeting and paint finishes both inside and out, and some interior space upgrades were also performed in 2014, including better insulation and lighting.

The facility has an early model washer / extractor on site for the cleaning of PPE gear. The site does also have a walk-in DECON shower. The roof and building are both in good condition today and the facility serves the agency well. The facility is not protected by an alarm system nor does it employ any fire protection measures. The telephonic and internet amenities are supported from the Station 1-3 connections. The building space is adequate for today’s level of work, but if that scope were to expand then an additional employee should be considered. The facility also has a standby back-up utility power generator. Shop Needs -

• Due to age and internal repairs, the air compressor should be considered for replacement.

• Some deterioration of the asphalt surface is evident in the parking area. Fleet Maintenance and Replacement


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CIFR’s Fleet Maintenance Division is responsible for keeping the department’s

fleet of emergency vehicles and equipment running in top condition. The fleet of vehicles numbers approximately 32 and includes:

• 6 Engines • 4 Tenders • 5 Medic Units • 6 Command Vehicles • 2 Boats • 9 Utility Vehicles (one of these is a Heavy Rescue Unit).

Fleet Maintenance is also responsible for CIFR’s fixed generators, and oversees

a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan, and required annual pump and ladder testing. In addition to maintaining CIFR vehicles and equipment we also provide services to neighboring departments on a contract basis. Our professional staff of Fleet Maintenance hold multiple “ASE” (Automotive Service Excellence) and “EVT” (Emergency Vehicle Technician) Certifications, which allow them to perform all of the functions typical of a full service maintenance facility.

Our maintenance facility is capable of performing a wide range of comprehensive troubleshooting, engine and transmission repair, and other related services. Maintenance Division Staff are on call 24 hours a day to provide any emergency repair or support required.

The District provides specific training and certification for the mechanics assigned to work on Fire Department vehicles. Currently there is not a vehicle replacement cycle however this document will outline the timeline and criteria for replacement. All engines are given annual pump tests and the department will, if fiscally capable, maintain a vehicle replacement cycle approved by the District through the budget process.

Typically the NFPA 1901 guidelines, as summarized below in Table 4, state that a Tender is to be used for no more than 20 years as a frontline apparatus with an additional 10 years on reserve status if it has been well maintained. A fire engine is to be used for no more than 15 years as a frontline vehicle and 7 years as a reserve. Rescue apparatus have an active duty life expectancy of up to 10 years although we are recommending a 5 year active to reserve status change due to the high mileage accumulated each year on our vehicles. Command cars should be replaced every 10-15 years. All of these replacement suggestions are based on normal mileage and use and require an aggressive maintenance program. Tenders

CIFR currently has four tenders with three capable of carrying up to 2,500

gallons of water while the fourth tender can bring up to 2,900 gallons to a fire scene. Stations 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5 currently have tenders assigned to their facilities. The varying quality of water systems around the island require the department to error on the side of caution and make a tender response critical for all fire incidents. For a


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residential structure fire two CIFR tenders along with a tender from North County Regional Fire Authority are requested. A commercial fire response adds an additional CIFR tender on a first alarm assignment. A tender shuttle to maintain water flow must be established unless hydrants with sufficient water flow are available. Responding engines also have approximately 750 gallons of water on board which can be used while waiting for tenders to arrive and supply hoses to be placed in service. Table 4 Fleet Active/Reserve Schedule

NFPA 1901 recommends an active status of 20 years for a properly maintained tender followed by 10 years as a reserve. One of the CIFR tenders, T1-3, is 33 years old, as of 2016. T1-4 was placed in service in 1995 followed by T1-5 in 2009 and T 1-2 in 2016. T1-3 was built using safety standards in place prior to 1991 and does not incorporate many of the safety features now considered industry standards. The current number of tenders, i.e. four, is considered to be optimum as is the current distribution at Stations 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5. As a long term goal it would be prudent to transition from a dedicated tender type of vehicle to a pumper/tender type. Although these carry less water they have additional pumping capabilities. Engines

CIFR currently has six engines in service on the island. Each station houses an

engine with an additional engine in service at Stn 1-3. The engine in service at Station1-2 responds to every incident on Camano Island and is the primary suppression unit responding to mutual aid requests.

NFPA1901 recommends an active status of 15 years for a properly maintained engine with seven years in reserve status. Five of the six CIFR engines are older than 15 years and should be considered as reserve engines. One reserve engine for every eight active engines is considered an industry standard.

The current number of engines, six, is excessive for what is needed to adequately protect the infrastructure on Camano Island. A typical first alarm fire response for CIFR is 1-2 engines along with 1-3 tenders which are adequate to provide enough personnel and water to the vast majority of fires seen on Camano Island. In addition to the CIFR first alarm response an engine and tender are requested from NCRFA. This results in a first alarm response of 2-3 engines and 2-4 tenders. A fire in which this level of response is not adequate would more than likely require additional personnel and water (tenders) but not more engines. Consequently a more reasonable

Apparatus Year to be placed in Reserve

Year to be Replaced

Tender 20 30 Engine 15 22 Ambulance 5 10 Command 10 15


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number of engines would be four of which one could be in reserve status. If the district begins a transition to a QRV model for responses the number of engines could be reduced to three of which one could be in reserve status supplemented with two or more Quick Response Vehicles (Type 5 or Type 6 engines). Moving to a pumper/tender type of vehicle would also lend support to a QRV type of response model. Ambulances

Five ambulances are currently in service for CIFR ranging in age from six to 20

years. Round trip transport distances to one of the three closest hospitals can easily exceed 100 miles which leads to high mileage burdens on our ambulances. Along with responding to medical types of calls an ambulance, and in many cases, an aid car, will respond on fire calls as well to supply personnel. Three ambulances currently handle the majority of transports with M104, A102, and A103 averaging between 25,000 – 35,000 miles per year. It is anticipated that two new ambulances will be delivered in 2016 replacing the two oldest ambulances currently in service.

The life span of an ambulance depends on many factors including initial quality of construction, maintenance program, and annual mileage among many other factors. With these factors in mind we expect an active status of five years for these vehicles along with a 5 year reserve status. Using this time frame all five of the current CIFR ambulances would be in reserve status.

The current number of ambulances, five, is excessive. CIFR should be able to provide ALS transport service on two simultaneous calls suggesting an absolute minimum of two ALS ambulances along with an additional reserve ambulance. In many cases a request for an ALS response from NCRFA is made for a second or third call depending on CIFR paramedic staffing. If the district decides to be able to cover three simultaneous calls than an additional ambulance is highly recommended although staffing will likely be limited after two simultaneous calls depending on the nature of the call. A distribution of two active and two reserve ambulances would be sufficient to handle the majority of anticipated call loads. Marine Units

Two marine units are currently in service for CIFR. NFPA does not make

recommendations on marine unit life span. Maintenance and upkeep of the marine units is primarily accomplished by the CIFR shop. Command Vehicles

CIFR currently utilizes six vehicles for command responses. Each of the four

chief officers has been assigned a response SUV which they keep at their residence. Each chief officer is expected to be available for major calls at least one evening each week and one weekend out of every five. The community paramedic has been assigned a response vehicle which is kept at Station 1-3 on nights and weekends. A sixth SUV is used by alternate personnel when assigned command response responsibility.

A command vehicle typically has an active life span of 10 years followed by an


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additional five years in reserve status. The current number of command units used by CIFR appears to be excessive.

Since there is no overlap in response requirements it appears that the number of command vehicles could be dropped significantly with a shared vehicle response model being used. In addition the use of more expensive SUV types of vehicles should be examined with a thought of going to less expensive and more fuel efficient sedans. Support Vehicles

CIFR maintains nine support units available for various activities. A heavy rescue

unit (HR1) with breathing air storage is kept at Station 1-1 along with Support 104, a retired ambulance staffed by a local citizens group to assist at large scale emergencies. Each of the marine units has a dedicated vehicle for transport, a F350 for Marine 1-4 at Station 1-4 and a F-250 for Marine 1-2 at Station 1-2. A van has been assigned to the training division but is currently designated for surplus due to its poor condition. A shop van has been assigned to the lead mechanic which he takes home to be used for responses after normal working hours. Also assigned to the shop is a F150 pickup truck and a GMC Suburban. The Suburban is used as a loaner vehicle which outside agencies may use as a short term response unit while they have their vehicles in our shop. A Ford Focus is available for staff use and may be taken for transport to off-site training such as conferences when needed. Table 5 Current and Projected Fleet Numbers

Recommendations Facilities

1) Determine facility/station distribution and establish a facility replacement/modification schedule

2) Remodel/Rebuild Stn 5

3) Consider designating Stn 1 as a storage facility or selling property

Apparatus Current Proposed Active Reserve Active Reserve Tender 3 1 3 1 Engine 1 5 3 1 Engine (QRV) 0 0 2 0 Ambulance 0 5 2 2 Command 4 2 3 0 Support 9 NA 5 NA


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4) Develop office space at one or more of the stations allowing the District to consider selling the administration building


Equipment

1) Equipment / Technology/ Tactics Advances a. Establish best practice team to review latest changes within Fire Service

and to suggest opportunities to modify current practices 2) Establish an apparatus replacement plan along with minimum apparatus needs.

In progress (Appendix B).


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Strategic Plan Priority – Community Outreach Background

It’s certainly not reasonable to believe that fires and medical emergencies can be completely eliminated but it has been proven in several proactive agencies that we can reduce the number of incidents and severity of fire and medical emergencies. The Department strongly believes that by educating the public we can avoid emergencies and improve the odds of citizen’s reacting appropriately during an emergency. An additional benefit would be a reduction in the number of emergency responses in a system where there is a large number of overlapping calls occurring (16% in 2015). The department’s programs have been traditionally directed towards fire prevention and taking every opportunity to market the department’s mission and values. The department is also active in conducting fire prevention activities during “Fire Prevention Week” and providing other life safety and public awareness activates throughout the year. They also provide “Citizen CPR” classes to enhance the community’s awareness and survivability from cardiac arrest. While the programs have been generally well received and have had a positive impact on the department’s defense programs, the department would like to enhance public education to include “all risks program”. Program implementation currently resides within the tactical operations division. At the current time no one serves as an overall program manager to coordinate activities and ensure the required resources are assigned. While the basic program elements are being met, it does require oversight and management support.

Compared to other small suburban fire departments of CIFR’s size, public education is considered a high priority. Unfortunately program implementation is entirely dependent on key career firefighters for coordination and content development. Of particular concern to the planning team is when career staff members are not available, the entire program becomes vulnerable. That said, while this program is considered a critical component of the department’s fire defense programs, it cannot be supported on a consistent or reliable basis. Further the department would like to expand its current programs to include several new all-risk public education topics including but not limited to:

• Appropriate use of 911 • Accident / Fall Prevention • Haz-Mat Awareness • Neighborhood programs • Juvenile Firesetter programs • Consistent elementary school programs • Disaster Preparedness • Citizen Academies

Most importantly the department has a goal to be proactive in the delivery of its

programs and market them directly to the community. Realization of this goal is currently limited by the lack of a dedicated resource.

CIFR must assume a proactive role in providing community education outreach programs. Programs such as First Aid, Blood Pressure Screening, CPR, and School


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Safety programs can all contribute to the success of an EMS program. For example, early CPR (by bystanders) is an important link in the “chain of survival.” Without this intervention, chances of survival are diminished and the EMS system will have poor performance results. Essential elements in this outreach program must include teaching the difference between non-emergent situations and emergent or “911” calls. Recognition must be given to the fact that the Emergency Medical Services System is a rapidly changing system. The combination of state and federal legislation, coupled with local needs, requires that any plan be monitored and updated frequently.

Numerous studies, starting with the Seattle CPR study in the 1980’s, have indicated that survivability of cardiac arrest patients is not always determined by the speed with which ALS personnel arrive on the scene. While the treatment and procedures of ALS companies is vital, another important link is the intervention by witnesses to cardiac arrests. The speed in which First Aid, CPR, and other actions are taken is a determining factor of overall outcomes. As the Department expands its role, it should develop a more visible, proactive outreach program geared towards educating the public about Fire Prevention and Emergency Medical Services.

Recent changes influencing the delivery of healthcare in the United States represent a tremendous opportunity for EMS agencies. In 1996 the EMS Agenda for the Future was released and it presented a vision that EMS will be community based and fully integrated with the overall health care system. This paper described a future EMS as having the ability to not only provide acute illness and injury care, but also identify health risks and provide follow-up care, treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This concept of healthcare provided within prehospital EMS has become known as Community Paramedicine. The Rural and Frontier EMS Agenda of the Future, released in 2004, further reinforced a community health role for EMS with a vision that recognized EMS providing not only a rapid response, but also filling roles as a community resource for prevention, evaluation, triage, referral and advice. Both documents make numerous references to community health roles where EMS is integrated with other elements of the health care delivery system. As such, the concept of community paramedicine embraces EMS providers who are utilized in an expanded role as part of a community-based team of health services and providers. The Planning Team feels that the role of a Community Paramedic program is vital to the long term success of CIFR and the health and well-being of our citizens.


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Recommendations 1) Develop Community Paramedicine / Mobile Healthcare program 2) Hire a FT Community Paramedic (position summary follows) 3) Establish co-leadership role for Community Emergency Response Teams

(CERT) and the Camano Preparedness Group (CPG) 4) Establish PIO/Social Media responsibilities 5) Establish Citizen Advisory Group 6) Hire a Fire and Life Safety Educator to manage Public Education program

(position summary follows) 7) Improve and expand community education programs including CPR, First Aid,

Fall Prevention, and Fire Prevention


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Roles and Responsibilities for a Community Paramedic 1) Performs all Primary Job Responsibilities listed for Paramedic; 2) Examines, screens, treats and coordinates health services for patients; 3) Conducts post-hospital release follow-up care including, but not limited to,

monitoring medication, dressing changes, and checking vital signs; 4) Observes, records, and reports to physician, patient’s conditions and reactions to

drugs, treatments, and significant incidents; 5) Conducts patient education, including diabetes prevention/treatment,

hypertension, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), falls assessment, injury evaluation, geriatric frailty visits, and nutrition;

6) Administers patient care consistent with department protocols and physician orders;

7) Coordinates appointments and follow-up with physicians and hospitals; 8) Develops and completes appropriate reports and templates for the Community

Paramedic Program; and 9) Attends meetings as requested and available.

Roles and Responsibilities for a Public Educator

1) Schedules and conducts age- and audience-appropriate programs of instructions on fire and life safety issues using prepared materials with defined objectives

2) Schedules, coordinates, and supervises the activities of FSLE 3) Responds to questions from the public regarding fire and life safety with

applicable facts and recommended practices 4) Administers tests and surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of specific programs

of fire and life safety education 5) Prepares reports and documentation of individual activities and maintains

appropriate files 6) Prepares budget proposals and expenditure projections for the Pub Ed Div 7) Determines the priorities of specific programs of instruction and allocates

resources appropriately 8) Evaluates the overall effectiveness of specific fire and life safety programs by

collecting and analyzing relevant data and statistics 9) Participates in collaborative partnerships and coalitions of professionals involved

in fire and life safety issues 10) Designs and develops original, or modifies existing, course materials and lesson

plans, or both, for programs of fire and life safety education


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Strategic Plan Priority – Neighbor Relations Background

In large part because of the current staffing model and geographical location of Camano Island Fire & Rescue mutual aid responses for all major incidents as well as specialty incidents is a requirement. The nearest mutual aid agency is North County Regional Fire Authority (NCRFA) which provides fire suppression and ALS transport services to the City of Stanwood and surrounding unincorporated areas. NCRFA is listed on the first alarm assignment for all structure fire responses on Camano Island as well as the backup for an ALS unit when all CIFR medic units are occupied. Specialty responses such as for Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue require a specific request to Snohomish County teams. Assistance with marine rescue calls can be provided by NCRFA units as well as units from one of the other Island County Fire Departments on Whidbey Island.

In 2013 a feasibility study performed by Emergency Services Consulting, Intl. (ESCI) evaluating “Opportunities for Collaborative Efforts” was commissioned by seven area fire departments including CIFR. A major finding involving CIFR was that a consolidation between CIFR and their nearest neighbor, NCRFA, was not fiscally viable at that time but may be feasible in the future. While the financial variables have not changed significantly for either department the Planning Committee feels that there are multiple areas in which the sharing of resources may be beneficial to CIFR and other departments. Table 6 Potential Areas of Collaboration

CIFR NCRFA

Medical Safety Officer Duties assigned to Community Paramedic

Duties assigned to Shift Officer

Training Officer Duties assigned to Shift Officer

Duties assigned to Shift Officer

Community Paramedic

Program being developed

Program being developed

Public Educator Not currently staffed Not currently staffed

Battalion Chief Not currently staffed One per shift

Fire Marshal duties Island County does not have a Fire Marshal

Duties performed by County personnel

Fire Investigation team

Island County does not have a Fire Marshal

Duties performed by County personnel

Mechanic Two EVT on staff Duties performed by contract with third party


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Recommendations 1) Expand maintenance services/clientele

a. Add additional mechanic position b. Utilize reserve vehicles as “loaners”

2) Explore resource sharing a. Medical Safety Officer b. Training Officer c. Community Paramedic d. Public Educator e. Battalion Chief f. Fire Marshal duties g. Fire Investigation team


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Strategic Plan Priority - Personnel Background

To provide 24/7 emergency service, CIFR is divided into three shifts, A, B and C, to ensure the proper level of service to the community. Each shift is supervised by a Captain with other members assigned to each shift carrying the ranks of Lieutenant, Firefighter, or Paramedic. There are 7 career members assigned to each shift for a total of 21 Line personnel. Daily staffing level ranges from a minimum of 5 up to a maximum of 8. CIFR utilizes part-time firefighters to increase minimal staffing levels. Fire personnel work a 48 hour on duty and 96 hour off duty schedule, with part time Firefighters used to supplement staffing on a 24 hour shift. The majority of our volunteer Firefighters respond from home following notification of a call via pager. The Fire Chief and both Assistant Fire Chiefs work 4 ten hour days and are on call from home after working hours. In addition, all of the chiefs, including the volunteer Battalion Chief, are on call from home every weekend and week day evening on a rotating basis. With the current staffing model there can be 6, 7, or 8 FT career and PT personnel on duty at any one time. Staffing varies due to personnel on vacation, sick leave, or on a Kelly Day. Approximately 67% of the time staffing is at 6 (5 FT and 1 PT), 25% of the time it is at 7 (6FT and 1 PT), and 8% is at 8 (7 FT and 1PT). Staffing needs are based on two requirements:

1. Get emergency personnel on scene quickly 2. Get a sufficient number of emergency personnel on scene

CIFR’s strategy in responding to structure fires is simple – get there fast and

extinguish the fire while it’s small. It’s important for the public to know that when firefighters arrive before flashover, they find a fire that requires little water or extinguishment effort. However once flashover occurs, ordinary fire suppression techniques have little impact on life and property loss in the vicinity of the fire. After flashover the smoke and heat generated reduce the chances of safe evacuation in the remainder of the building. This also presents a much greater danger to the firefighters. Unless the building is equipped with sprinklers, firefighters must take hose lines inside to extinguish the fire. CIFR utilizes an aggressive attack strategy to push the heat, smoke and steam away from potential survivors and if this is not possible defensive operations are deployed to contain the fire from spreading to other structures. What’s important to note is that the success of fire suppression operations is dependent on early intervention by response crews. Currently the department reliably delivers one engine company consisting of career personnel on an initial alarm. This response typically puts 3 to 4 firefighters at the fire; however, quick response times are dependent on the location of the fire in relationship to the fire station and availability of firefighters. The engine is typically staffed at Stn 1-2 which has a central location within the District. Additional personnel able to bring a medic unit and a tender respond out of Stn 1-4. However, since the station typically has only 2 firefighters on duty the units are each staffed with a single person. We believe that this is a safety concern especially during emergent responses.


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The planning team conducted a review of the current staffing and deployment of the department resources. The team reviewed the critical task requirements and the department’s current capabilities. The current response profile places approximately 5 to 10 CIFR personnel initially on the scene of a full first alarm assignment with an average response time of 8.1 minutes for the first unit. This includes the Fire Chief and Assistant or Battalion Chiefs. Based on the 2 in and 2 out provisions of OSHA , and the methods used to establish a water supply and initial attack, the department can realistically provide approximately 200 to 240 gpm in the first 8 to 10 minutes of attack. This correlates to the water necessary to extinguish a fire in a single-family dwelling or small commercial or industrial occupancy. Fires that either exceed this fire flow or have a longer response time by the fire department will require additional resources. In those areas with no fire hydrants available the ability to sustain the required fire flow is certainly hampered necessitating a tender response. In fact, the standard first alarm assignment for CIFR always includes a CIFR tender along with a request from neighboring agencies for a tender as well. On the positive side, because the department uses volunteers, the incident can expect a significantly larger number of resources on protracted incidents or multiple alarms. This is particularly evident during evenings and weekends when more volunteers are available. (Note: The OSHA 2in/2out requirement is designed to insure there are adequate resources outside the structure to effect a rescue of the interior crews. While this has been a recommended practice in the past, it is now a legal requirement.) CIFR maintains an automatic aid agreement with North County Regional Fire Authority resulting in the addition of an engine and tender to the initial tone. While travel time to the south end of the District can be extended for mutual aid units they can arrive at the same time as CIFR units to calls on the extreme north end.

What is most important to recognize about these statistics is that 60-70% of the District’s call load can be attributed to Medical emergencies where time is a critical component to survival. Currently the department averages 7.7 minutes to provide BLS or higher service and 10.55 minutes to provide ALS. The department is significantly challenged to meet even a reasonable performance against the 90th percentile fractile ALS response requirements of 8 minutes. Currently the department is responding to 90% of all EMS calls within 12.3 minutes. This is significantly slower than the national average for a suburban community.

Most structure fires require 12 to 16 firefighters to perform effectively without undue fatigue (consistent with NFPA 1710, 2012 ed.). However, the most recent edition of NFPA 1710 to be released in 2016 raises this number to 22 to 24 firefighters. That said, CIFR realizes that career staffing at either level is not fiscally realistic. However, the department does average 14 total firefighters on a structure fire. The number of volunteer firefighters responding to a structure fire within the last two years has varied between 2 and 15 with an average of 6.8 firefighters per fire. Career firefighter response has ranged from 4 to 9 with an average of 7.2 firefighters per fire. It can take a longer period of time to achieve the total number since most of the volunteers are responding from outside the stations. Typically the Department has fewer personnel available during the time period of 0700 to 1900 each day. When fewer firefighters are available, smaller fires are more difficult to extinguish and the chance of firefighter injuries increases.


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Recommendations

1. Establish day time MSO position a. Manage QA/QI program b. Manage FTO program c. Manage Community Paramedicine program

2. Develop and adopt personnel policy manual for admin staff 3. Complete Lexipol policies and establish review cycle 4. Expand volunteer program

a. Transition to shift based requirements b. Open membership to out of district volunteers c. Establish volunteer recruitment / retention position d. Establish EMS only positions e. Establish residency program utilizing station bedrooms

5. Expand Part Time Firefighter program a. Add 1 PT position per day b. Share PT recruitment and scheduling with NCRFA

6. Implement staffing models allowing for two engine/QRV and two medic deployment

a. Add 1 FT FF per shift b. Add 1 PT position per day c. Add 2 FT FF for daytime peak time staffing

7. Evaluate organizational structure (Appendix C) 8. Establish day time Training Officer position 9. Establish internal fire investigation capabilities 10. Develop employee recognition program


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Strategic Plan Priority - Communications Background

One of the standards of emergency services is that in many cases citizens know very little about the Fire Department until after they need those services. CIFR is somewhat unique in that there is a small, but highly significant, group of citizens who have been extremely supportive of the District. A close relationship currently exists between the District and two Ladies Auxiliary groups, Chamber of Commerce, Camano Preparedness Group, Camano Senior Center, Camano Yacht Club and many of the Homeowners associations. These connections have been vital to the success of the District but the individuals involved represent a small percentage of the total population.

A considerable effort is underway to contact those citizens who may not be an active member of one of the many support groups. Ideally there would be one mechanism in place to reach out and connect to every citizen on the island but of course that method does not exist. Consequently the District has developed a departmental web site with current information concerning the department and District. CIFR also maintains a Facebook page along with Twitter capabilities. Over the last few years a newsletter has been sent to all addresses at least twice each year. Even with these old and new communication techniques it will require a tremendous amount of effort to continue all of these notification tools. Recommendations

1) Implement update process for District web site 2) Publish monthly newsletter

a. Establish e-mail list for distribution 3) Establish Facebook page 4) Establish Twitter capabilities 5) Establish media emphasis calendar 6) Implement customer feedback process


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Strategic Plan Priority – Disaster Preparedness Background

This section analyzes a variety of risks that are present on Camano Island and may pose a threat to Island residents and businesses. These risks create a response workload for Camano Island Fire and Rescue (CIFR). By identifying and analyzing these risks CIFR can staff and locate resources, develop mitigation plans, and more effectively respond to likely emergencies.

Risk assessment involves identifying potential threats and losses that may result from a fire, medical, special rescue, or weather related incidents within our community. Worst case scenarios are often used to evaluate the significance or severity of a threat. Both empirical and predictive data are used to create picture of current and future risk. While it is impossible to remove all risk from the Island, these data are utilized to maximize resource allocation and effectiveness. Overall Geospatial Characteristics

Camano Island’s overall risk assessment was developed based on Island County’s Zoning Code as specified in ICC 17.03. It should be noted that not all of the area on Camano Island has been fully developed as intended by the County’s zoning designations. Since the zoning designation describes that intended end-state for each zone, these codes provide useful data in determining future staffing and resource allocations. Figure 17 translates zoning codes to categories of relative fire and life risk based on the following risk categories:

• Low Risk – Areas zoned for agricultural and open space uses. o Park o Commercial Agriculture o Rural Agriculture o Rural Forest

• Moderate Risk – Areas zoned for low to moderate density residential properties and rural lifestyle uses.

o Rural • High Risk – Areas zoned for higher density residential, commercial, and

manufacturing uses. o Rural Residential o Rural Service o Rural Village o Light Manufacturing o Camano Gateway Village o Airport


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Figure 19 Risk Categories


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Geospatial Characteristics Political and Growth Boundaries

CIFR covers a total of 43 square miles of primarily rural land. As part of Island County, Camano is solely governed by a board of three elected commissioners with no cities within its borders. Camano Island Fire and Rescue is the sole entity responsible for fire and EMS services on the Island. It operates as its own taxing agency and is governed by an elected board of five commissioners. As an island, connected by a single land bridge to Snohomish County, the District’s jurisdictional boundaries are set with no opportunities for growth. Additionally, due to the lack of incorporated areas within its jurisdiction, there is no potential impact of losing jurisdiction at this time. Infrastructure Limitations As a rural community, Camano Island has no municipal water service and water availability is the primary component of the limited infrastructure. All water on the Island is privately supplied via a single party well or as part of one of the over 40 privately owned and operated water systems. Topography

Camano Island has relatively little change in elevation. Starting at sea level at its borders the Island has to just over 500 feet along a north / south ridge at its center. This overall topography presents few response barriers. Two primary arterials cross the Island from east to west. Steep grades on portions of these roads may limit the effective speed of some apparatus. The Island experiences few snow events; typically one per year lasting 1-3 days. During these events direct access across the Island may be hampered as well as access to some hilltop communities. Additionally, lowland beach communities may face coastal flooding hazards due to winter high tides and high wind events. Transportation Risks

Transportation corridors provide necessary access to and from any community. This access can take the form of roads, airports, railways, or ferries. For Camano Island, these corridors are severely limited with only one road and a small private airport supporting ingress and egress for Island residents. These transportation limitations directly impact CIFR’s response capabilities, transportation to area hospitals, and the ability to request mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions. Roads

Access to Camano Island is limited to one state highway that connects the mainland to the northeast corner of the island. This limited access poses threats and potential delays to ingress and egress. Additionally, there is the potential for geographic isolation from the mainland in the event of an earthquake, flood, or other significant incident this access road. Due to the location of this access (at the extreme northeast corner), mutual aid resources can have significant travel times to many areas of the Island.

On the Island itself, there are numerous beach communities that are only


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accessible via one road. The roads often traverse steep slopes and ravines and have high potential for being cut off. The entire southern third of the island is accessed by two main arterials. Downed trees or other incidents could easily strand a significant portion of the Island’s population.

Traffic signal devices within CIFR are all equipped with signal pre-emption equipment. These devices help reduce response times and increase the safety to motorists.

Figure 20 Camano Island Road System


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Rail Lines CIFR has no railways within its jurisdiction and no railway risk is present.

Airports

Camano Island Airfield is a small privately owned airport located at the north end of Camano Island. The airfield is predominantly used for local general aviation and averages 25 aircraft operations per week. Waterways

CIFR has 52 miles of coastline, several lakes, and many small streams. The eastern portion of the Island borders Skagit and Port Susan bay both of which have extensive tidal mud flats. While recreational boating from Island launches is extensive, there is no commercial or public ferry transportation on or off the Island. Climatic Impact Weather-Related Risk

The climate on Camano Island is generally mild and generally has little impact on emergency operations. Temperatures range from the mid-30’s to the mid-50’s in the winter and from the low-50’s to the mid-70s in the summer. Typical of western Washington, Camano receives significant rainfall (an average of 29” per year) with November being the wettest month. During the winter, CIFR experiences numerous storm events involving high winds and rain. An average of one event per year is typical and may last from 1-4 days. Disaster Exposure

Camano Island’s geography puts CIFR at some risk due to natural disasters. Several Puget Sound earthquake faults run across or within close proximity to the Island. Both the Strawberry Point and Utsalady Point Faults run across Whidbey Island and terminate at the north end of Camano Island. In addition the South Whidbey Island Fault runs southwest of the Island southern tip. Although the potential earthquake risk is significant, CIFR has experienced only a few minor quakes in the recent past. Winter storms are a more common disaster event that brings strong winds, snow, landslides and flooding. Strong winds, heavy rains, and snow events often cause downed trees, loss of electricity, and transportation impacts that impact Island residents and emergency response operations. Much of Camano Island’s shoreline is classified as steep slopes and the Island has experienced several landslides in the last few years. Finally, strong winds, coupled with winter high-tides, have caused coastal flooding in many of Camano’s beach communities. Physical Assets Protected Schools

The Island is served by the Stanwood Camano School District. The school district operates two primary schools on the Island with middle and high school facilities located across the bridge in the City of Stanwood. While the schools are primarily operational during the daytime hours, after school events create a situation where


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persons may occupy the facilities at varying hours of the day or evening. Government Buildings

Island County government is based on neighboring Whidbey Island. In order to serve Camano residents, the County operates a small annex facility that houses planning and building department staff. The Island County Sheriff’s office operates similarly out of a small precinct. The Island County Public Works department operates out of a medium sized facility that houses staff and equipment. Community Buildings and Places of Worship

There are a number of places of worship on Camano Island serving a variety of faiths. In addition to the scheduled worship services, many host other activities through the weekdays and evenings. Two facilities also provide daycare, pre-school, and other schooling services throughout the year. One of the churches on the Island, Camano Chapel, currently runs a food bank serving approximately 70-80 families a week. The Island also supports a community center and large senior center. While neither of these facilities provides full-time housing, they host many activities and are occupied most days and evenings. Retail and Manufacturing Facilities

Camano Island has limited retail and manufacturing. A single large grocery store and associated strip mall and gas station (Camano Plaza) form the core of the Island’s retail. Numerous other individual shops, restaurants, and facilities are scattered around the island. Of specific note is the large lumber yard located at the Island’s north end. Other Critical Infrastructure

Water Distribution – There is no centralized water and wastewater distribution and collection system on the island. All water service is provided by individual wells or small private water systems. Wastewater is treated solely by the use of septic systems.

Communication – Several cellular towers operated by large wireless carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) are located on the Island. The towers also hold additional communications equipment including repeaters used by fire and law enforcement agencies. The National Weather Service also maintains a NEXRAD radar on the Island.

Energy – Camano Island is connected to the mainland via one highway. A single trunk line runs along the highway and provides all the electricity to Island residents. From the trunk line, three electric substations distribute power. A natural gas pipeline runs across the northern tip of the Island serving some residents and providing a gas connection to Whidbey Island. Finally, 30,000 gallon LPG tank was recently installed on the Island.

Bridges – As mentioned above, the Island is connected to the mainland via a single highway. This highway traverses the Stillaguamish River via a newly constructed bridge. A small bridge spans Davis Slough. This bridge is slated for replacement in 2016.


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Recommendations

1) Provide co-leadership role to CERT and CPG 2) Establish Continuity of Services plans in the event of a natural disaster 3) Establish Evacuation Plans in the event of a natural disaster


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Strategic Plan Priority – Service Levels Background

The primary reason for providing Emergency Services is to arrive at the scene of a fire before the fire grows to a level that destroys life and property. The primary mechanism that CIFR uses for the delivery of that service is career fire personnel housed in fire stations backed by a volunteer response. Moreover, a secondary reason CIFR exists is to arrive at the scene and provide both basic and advanced life support.

One of the most basic questions that the district has to address in providing emergency services is how quickly service must be delivered to significantly improve a negative situation. This is one of the most common questions raised in discussing a community’s fire protection and emergency service needs. In order to better understand the rationale for setting response times, reference must be made to three accepted models for performance. Two of these models compare the onset and escalation of the incident and the arrival of intervention force. These two models are called “Standard Time – Temperature Curve” and the “Utstein Criteria”. The third standard is the NFPA standard 1710 (Organization and Deployment of Suppression, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by a Career Fire Department) and NFPA standard 1720 (Organization and Deployment of Suppression, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by a Volunteer Fire Department). These models are explained below. Standard Time Temperature Curve

The standard method of assessing the need for dealing with fire growth is based upon the time temperature curve outlined in Figure 21.

The Standard Time-Temperature Chart displays a sequence of time that starts when a fire breaks into open flame and terminates when the fire destroys the occupancy or origin when there is no intervention by a fire protection action.

This figure also displays the various elements of time that comes into existence as a fire grows in size and complexity. Reading the chart from left to right you can see that for every moment the fire is allowed to increase, it generates more and more of a threat to the occupants. This does not mean that that every fire goes to these extremes. What it does mean is that every fire that has reached an open flame production has the possibility of going to that stage provided it is unchallenged.

The figure also illustrates that there are points in the curve in which other interventions can occur. The chart reflects the activation of smoke detection and sprinkler head devices, which, if they are properly positioned and maintained, will result in ether notification or an actual intervention on the fire. Fire Station response is based on the probability that most fire scenarios are created where there are few interventions. Based upon being aware that a fire exists, CIFR must be notified and then respond in a timely fashion to avoid destruction of life or property. Figure 17 below illustrates the planning notion that a five-minute response time is appropriate to achieve the operational objective of keeping the fire within a room of origin. The standard fire service performance objective for career departments for this target is 90% of the time.


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Figure 21 Time vs. Products of Combustion


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Utstein Criteria

There is a corollary time sequence that has been developed to set standards for emergency medical services. The Utstein criteria is based on a study that was conducted to determine how long a person could survive if they were deprived of either oxygen or blood circulation. The Utstein study demonstrated that a person who has lost circulation or breathing ability has a very low percentage of survivability after a period of 5 minutes. When the time exceeds 8 minutes for life-saving intervention, the survivability rate decreases to practically zero (Figures 22 and 23). Figure 22 Utstein Criteria model

Response times for trauma victims are also critical. Medical researchers have linked response times for EMS to survival of major trauma victims. In one study, survival of major trauma victims, who were expected to survive, was linked to short response times (average 3.5 minutes), and trauma patients who were expected to survive but didn’t were linked to longer response times. What is most important to recognize about these statistics is that 60-70% of the District’s call load can be attributed to Medical emergencies where time is a critical component to survival. Currently the department averages 7.7 minutes response time to provide BLS and 10.55 minutes response time to provide ALS (2015 data).

The department is significantly challenged to meet even a reasonable performance against the 90th percentile fractal ALS response requirements of 7 minutes


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Camano Island Fire & Rescue 2016-2026 Comprehensive Plan

59 seconds. Currently the department is responding to 90% of EMS calls within 12 minutes. This is significantly slower than the national average for a suburban community.

NOTE: Both of these time-response models have been utilized by Cities and Fire Protection Districts across the nation to establish response time criteria. Figure 23 Survival Rates for Cardiac Arrest by Intervention Time

NFPA 1710/1720

NFPA 1710 and 1720 were designed to provide the fire service with a defined set of deployment and performance standard expectations. These standards assume that the fire department must maintain a staffing compliment and response time criteria to effectively mitigate a 1700sq. ft. fire, and the standard assumes no credit for auto detection or suppression. Additionally 1710 specifies minimum response times for Cardiac EMS intervention. While these standards are still based on consensus, they are now considered an industry standard. By definition NFPA 1710 does not directly apply to the CIFR staffing and deployment model due to the fact that it is a career standard. That said however, NFPA 1720 charges the authority having jurisdiction (CIFR) with developing these deployment and staffing standards to meet the community’s expectations. Typically these deployment standards are promulgated based on the community risk management plan, the risk associated with the storage, use and transportation of hazardous materials. Based on that evaluation CIFR has established an aggressive standard to meet the District’s hazards and aging community profile. While these response and deployment standards fall short of the career standard they are considered a significant effort considering the suburban/rural nature of the District and the reliance on volunteers. In establishing the CIFR response time goal the planning team evaluated the most critical components that influence response times and provided a consensus for expected performance for a modern community like Camano Island.

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Measuring Response Time Performance There are essentially two ways to measure response time performance: Average Performance Measurement – All response times are added together and averaged. If the average is the number of minutes or less than the performance goal, it is considered satisfactory. Using this method, up to half the total number of calls could take longer than 6 minutes and can create a credibility gap for services. Percentile Performance Measurement - Using this method, the response times are stacked in ascending length. Then the total number of calls generating a response within a specified time frame is calculated as a percentage of the total number of calls. According to the American Heart Association and the NFPA, a 90th percentile or 90 percent standard is now considered the industry standard. When using this method, only 10 percent of the total number of calls should take longer than the number of minutes stated in the performance goal.

The Department had traditionally measured response time utilizing averages of all times, not including alarm processing time. However, the planning team recommended that percentile average was more in line with what the community expects for its emergency services provider. Components of Response Time The 5 key factors that impact a fire event are: Detection time Early discovery increases the occupant’s probability of escape and results in quicker response for the fire department. Notification time This is the amount of time it takes to notify the fire department. Island County Communications (ICOM) averages a 1 minute 16 second (1 minute 59 second 90th percentile) notification for top priority fire and rescue calls. This is a critical component in the system as it directly affects fire growth and survivability. Enroute time This is the time between notification of dispatch and the first vehicle leaving the station enroute to the scene. Travel time Travel is influenced by the distance between the emergency event and the fire station, road conditions, traffic, weather, time of day and how fast the apparatus can safely travel. This is one of the most significant time intervals for the CIFR due to staffing


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configurations and locations and numbers of fire stations. Setup time This is the time between arrival of the first engine company and the initial attack on the fire or EMS intervention. Setup time varies with the type of incident. In addition, individual and team training, station staffing, equipment availability, and response area familiarity all have a profound effect on setup times.

Most structure fires require 12 to 16 firefighters to perform effectively without undue fatigue (consistent with NFPA 1710). That said, the CIFR realizes that career staffing at this level is not fiscally realistic, however, the department does average 15.6 firefighters on a structure fire. It can take a longer period of time to achieve this number since most of the volunteers are responding from outside the stations and mutual aid personnel are responding from Stanwood. Typically the Department has fewer volunteers available during the time period of 0700 to 1900 each day. When fewer firefighters are available, smaller fires are more difficult to extinguish and the chance of firefighter injuries increases. While these realities affect the department ability to manage an incident safely, the district response goals significantly improve the department response profile. Existing Standards of Response Coverage

CIFR currently provides services from two stations utilizing a rather traditional approach to providing emergency service with a career staff. New Response Time Goals

The CIFR management team has adopted a response time standard that reflects a new emphasis on total customer satisfaction and concentrates on initial response intervention. While the standard is considered aggressive department it represents a focused effort to improve the district’s overall response policy. That said, the CIFR has established a goal of providing fire services within eight minutes for 90% of all calls. In general, the policy states that the department should be improved to adequately protect the District’s current risk and growth. While the District has made significant progress in reducing turnout and response times, there remains a significant challenge to meet the established goal. Moreover, the District has established a goal to respond to Basic Life Support calls within 7 minutes and provide Advance Life Support in 8 minutes in 90% of all rescue calls. While medical studies have linked survivability in cardiac arrest to having CPR administered within four to six minutes, it’s not considered realistic or feasible for the Fire Department to be on scene in this time frame.

As required by the State of Washington the Board of Commissioners and Command Staff for Camano Island Fire & Rescue have established service level objectives in compliance with RCW 52.33 also commonly known as HB1756. This legislation, first passed in 2005, mandates that every city fire department and fire district “set standards for addressing the reporting and accountability of substantially career fire departments, and to specify performance measures applicable to response time


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objectives of certain major services”. Turnout Time Turnout Time Standard CIFR has adopted a turnout time standard of eighty (80) seconds 90% of the time for all calls. Arrival of 1st Arriving Engine Company at Fire Suppression Incident Response Time Standard CIFR has adopted a response/travel time standard of eight (8) minutes for the first fire engine to arrive when responding to a fire suppression incident 90% of the time. Deployment of full first alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident Response Time Standard for Full 1st Alarm Response: The full first alarm assignment defined by CIFR is two (2) engines, one (1) tenders, one (1) rescue, one (1) medic unit, and one (1) command vehicle. To fill a first alarm assignment requires automatic aid from North County Regional Fire Authority. A response standard of eight (8) minutes 90% of the time for the first arriving engine and tender to a fire suppression incident was adopted. Arrival of First Responder or higher level capability at an emergency medical incident Response Time Standard CIFR has adopted a response/travel time standard of six (6) minutes 90% of the time for the arrival of the first medical unit with Basic Life Support (2 Firefighter / Emergency Medical Technicians) Arrival of Advanced Life Support unit at an emergency medical incident Response Time Standard CIFR has adopted a response/travel time standard of eight (8) minutes 90% of the time for the arrival of the first medical unit with Advanced Life Support (1 Firefighter / 1 Paramedic) Demand and Capacity issues

Every Fire Department has some acceptable level of delay resulting from simultaneous calls. To avoid all delays associated with simultaneous call is cost prohibitive. However at some point, simultaneous calls push the department beyond its capability and drain the system to a point where service delivery becomes inadequate. That said CIFR is experiencing an average of 16 % of its calls as simultaneous (overlapping calls, 2015 data). Longer Travel Distances Increase Response Time

Fire and emergency service delivery systems are typically geographically based. Living close to a fire station usually correlates to prompt service. However, as the distance from the fire station increases, or as access to an area becomes restricted, response times typically extend. This factor is also compounded in the CIFR due to the


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current staffing profile. As an example, Station 1-1 is closed, Station 1-3 is only staffed when maximum career staffing levels are reached or volunteers staff the station in the evening, and Station 1-5 is only staffed by volunteers. Time of Day/Day of Week affect Response Times CIFR responds to significantly more calls between the hours of 0700 and 1900 than between 1900 and 0700.

Figure 24 Incidents by time of day

EMS Capabilities

Emergency Medical Services have been in evolution both in CIFR as well as the State of Washington and nationally as well for the past 20 years. Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services share a tradition steeped in Paramilitary traditions. Many concepts used on the battlefield such as rapid medical evaluation and treatment have proved effective when designing a comprehensive community system for the delivery of EMS. Communities recognized quickly that Fire Departments were the obvious choice for providing EMS because fire stations were already strategically located and they had emergency communications capabilities and personnel trained to function during times of crises. During this evolution, citizens of CIFR have received field EMS services for over 25 years directly from the CIFR; however, as the call load increased and the availability of ACLS volunteers diminished, the District implemented a Tiered Medical approach.

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The current system remains a tiered system in that CIFR provides Basic Life Support (BLS) with trained firefighters at the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Level followed by the arrival of a Paramedic. The concept of providing a tiered EMS system is that BLS crews can stabilize the patient until definitive advanced care arrives. What’s vitally important to the tiered concept is that both BLS and ALS be provided with definable performance standards and most importantly that it meets customer expectations. More specifically, it is the District’s goal to meet the well-established “Chain of Survival” as described by the American Heart Association. The AHA indicated that the chances of survival are improved when the following sequences of events occur rapidly: early access to pre-hospital care system (911), early CPR and early Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) provided by paramedics. If any link in the chain is weak or missing, the chance of survival is diminished and there will be a predictably poor performance result. Multiple studies over the years now confirm that ACLS should be provided within 4 to 6 minutes. Because EMS continues to be the largest call for service component in the District, this program area is a major focus of the planning teams. Critical performance analysis

The District has maintained ALS capability since 1995. There are several compounding factors that have affected the overall quality of the program; however, the planning team believes basic customer expectations are being met. Fire Suppression Capabilities

CIFR’s strategy in responding to structure fires is simple – get there fast and extinguish the fire while it’s small. It’s important for the public to know that when firefighters arrive before flashover, they find a fire that requires little water or extinguishment effort. However once flashover occurs, ordinary fire suppression techniques have little impact on life and property loss in the vicinity of the fire. After flashover the smoke and heat generated reduce the chances of safe evacuation in the remainder of the building. This also presents a much greater danger to the firefighters. Unless the building is equipped with sprinklers, firefighters must take hose lines inside to extinguish the fire. CIFR utilizes an aggressive attack strategy to push the heat, smoke and steam away from potential survivors and if this is not possible defensive operations are deployed to contain the fire from spreading to other structures. What’s important to note is that the success of fire suppression operations is dependent on early intervention by response crews. Currently the department reliably delivers one engine company on the initial alarm. This response typically puts 3 to 4 firefighters at the fire; however, quick response times are dependent on the location of the fire in relationship to the fire station and availability of firefighters.

The planning team conducted a review of the current staffing and deployment of the department resources. The team reviewed the critical task requirements and the department’s current capabilities. The current response profile places approximately 5 to 7 personnel on the scene of a full first alarm assignment. This includes the Fire Chief and Assistant Chief. Based on the 2 in and 2 out provisions of OSHA, and the methods used to establish a water supply and initial attack, the department can realistically


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provide approximately 200 to 240 gpm in the first 8 to 10 minutes of attack. This correlates to the water necessary to extinguish a fire in a single-family dwelling or small commercial or industrial occupancy. (This task analysis is based on having a total crew of 5 personnel on duty in either Station 1-2 and Station 1-4 at all times). Fires that either exceed this fire flow or have a longer response time by the fire department will require additional resources. On the positive side, because the department is staffed with volunteers along with career firefighters, the incident can expect a significantly larger number of resources on protracted incidents or multiple alarms. This is particularly evident during evenings and weekends when more volunteers are available. Transition fires

Transition fires in CIFR are particularly challenging. Because fire continues to grow in size and intensity until it is overwhelmed by water, second and third engine company response times are critical in determining whether a fire can be successfully extinguished in its early stages. If the first engine company is unable to slow the fire’s growth, they will likely be caught in a transition fire. A transition fire occurs following flashover and leads to the fire becoming larger than the first company’s extinguishing potential.

Transition fires also present additional dangers to firefighters. The firefighters can become exhausted and more susceptible to injury. The building may collapse, leading to entrapment. Because of the potential for collapse, firefighter’s efforts may switch to defensive exterior attack. Transition fires also tend to spread to exposures requiring additional resources. Pre- fire management

CIFR has worked diligently to enhance its pre-fire programs through strict code compliance and a rigorous life safety program. While this strategy has worked well for industrial and commercial occupancies, it does little to manage the high probability events in residential and multifamily occupancies. Hazardous Materials Capability

Because there are few significant portions of Camano Island associated with advanced technology, research and chemical manufacturing, limited quantities of hazardous materials (HazMat) are transported though the District and the transportation corridors. However, like any other community, these materials, if released, can threaten the lives and health of the District’s residents. Because of this threat CIFR takes a proactive role in preventing and controlling HazMat incidents.

The department responded to 52 Haz-Mat incidents in 2015 and we anticipate those numbers to increase in the future. Growth in Haz-Mat incidents is consistent throughout the region and nationally. Unfortunately with a potential increase in Haz-Mat calls, there is usually a proportionate cost in legally disposing of hazardous waste as a result of illegal dumping.

Federal law requires that the States develop hazardous material response systems, and in Washington, the responsibility was delegated to local jurisdictions by statutes. The statute requires local governing bodies to appoint a Designated Emergency Response Authority (DERA) for the purpose of responding the HazMat incidents in their jurisdictions. In order to provide the community with the best low cost


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options, CIFR relies on the Snohomish County HazMat team. CIFR primarily handles initial responses to hazardous material incidents with an

initial engine company assignment. Firefighters are trained to the HazMat Awareness or Operations level; however, they only maintain the most basic diagnostic instrumentation and Type C & D personal protective equipment (PPE). Should a confirmed HazMat incident happen in the CIFR jurisdiction, the Incident Commander will request a Snohomish County HazMat team member for consultation and or mitigation. Depending on the level of the incident CIFR will implement one of the following Snohomish County response modes.

Mode I – The incident is within the capabilities of the first responding units, they can handle the containment and arrange for disposal themselves; Mode II – When the initial engine company cannot handle the incident, they activate the Snohomish County HazMat team. In Mode II Incident Command remains with CIFR; Mode III – If the incident is too large, the IC requests a full HazMat team response and joint command is established; Mode IV – Requires State and or Federal assistance and command of the incident is turned over to the appropriate agencies.

While the department supports the Snohomish County HazMat system, it has no

active members on the team. It would be beneficial for the district to have multiple members on the team; however, based on the current availability and the hours required to meet the “technician” training level, it is not currently practical. Hazardous Materials Release Prevention (Enforcement & Education)

While this component is discussed in some detail in this chapter, it dovetails into the department’s community fire defense programs. That said, the first effort toward decreasing the number and severity of hazardous materials incidents involve public education. Through these efforts the District can increase the number of options such as Household Hazardous Waste Disposal programs, thereby decreasing unnecessary storage and illegal disposal of hazardous substances by citizens. Another essential aspect of decreasing the number and severity of hazardous materials incidents is enforcement of local, state and federal laws concerning storage and transportation of hazardous materials. To better manage these materials it has been beneficial to have staff directly incorporate HazMat information after each inspection into the preplan database. This action will help firefighters better understand the hazards associated with each occupancy. Recommendations

1) Evaluate current response time standards and modify as appropriate to meet


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WAC and NFPA standards and in accordance with citizen needs. 2) Explore feasibility of Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) model 3) Develop staffing model to maintain 24/7 staffing at Stations 2, 3, and 4 along with

overflow staffing at Station 5


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Strategic Plan Priority - Funding Background Current Washington State law severely limits funding levels for fire districts. A maximum of $1.50 / $1,000 assessed value for a Fire levy along with a maximum $0.50 / $1,000 assessed value for an EMS levy. The Fire levy for CIFR currently stands at $1.17 and at $0.50 for the EMS levy for a total of $1.67. Due to increases in the assessed value as reported by the Island County Assessor’s Office the Fire Levy will decrease to $1.10 and the EMS levy will decrease to $0.47 in 2017. The Fire levy was originally approved by Camano Island citizens at $1.25 and the EMS levy was renewed at $0.50 in 2015. The State allows for a maximum of a 1% increase per year even if property values increase. It’s important to note that the assessed value of property on Camano Island is still below levels as reported in 2012. As indicated in Figure 25 projected expenses will begin to exceed available revenue starting in 2017 at this levy rate. Reserve funds have been used to supplement revenues in the short term but this cannot continue. Consequently not only is funding of the recommendations within the Strategic Plan unlikely funding of current programs will likely be in jeopardy.

Figure 25 Funding at Current Levy Rates

A voter approved increase in 2017 of the fire levy rate to $1.25 for a combined

fire and EMS levy of $1.75 would lead to a moderate excess of revenue versus expenditures for a minimum of two years (Figure 26) beginning in 2018. However, this prediction model still does not include any of the recommendations as specified in this Strategic Plan.

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Figure 26 Funding at $1.25 Fire Levy Rate

Asking the citizens of Camano Island to approve the Fire levy rate of $1.35 to go along with the maximum EMS levy rate of $0.50 (approved in 2015) would allow funding of some of the more costly recommendations listed in this document. Included in this list would be vehicle replacement costs and the addition of one FT Firefighter per day.


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Figure 27 Funding at $1.35 Fire Levy Rate

Recommendations

1) Review current funding levels and determine if they are adequate 2) Evaluate ambulance transport fees 3) Determine parameters for raising fire levy 4) Collaborate with local hospitals, senior center, Island County resources for

community paramedicine support 5) Evaluate CPR class fees 6) In house EMT class to support CIFR students 7) Expand shop to enhance revenue


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Estimated Costs of Recommendations

Recommendation Responsibility Est Cost Develop training SOGs and evaluate against industry standards. Establish an annual review cycle.

NC

Establish safety requirements for all personnel which meet applicable WAC and NFPA guidelines

NC

Host annual FF1 training academy $20,000 / yr Host annual EMT class $12,000 / yr Host annual Fire Cadet class in conjunction with SHS

NC

Develop and implement firefighter/officer development programs

NC

Establish annual review process for evaluating firefighter skills in fire suppression, EMS, hazardous materials, and technical rescue

NC

Establish full time training officer position $110,000 / yr Construct Incident Command Training Sim center

$30,000

Adopt and support minimum educational requirements for all members

$10,000 / yr

Construct a training facility with live fire capability

$1,500,000

Determine facility/station distribution and establish a facility replacement/modification schedule

$10,000 / yr

Remodel/Rebuild Stn 5 $3,000,000 Consider designating Stn 1 as a storage facility or selling property

NC

Develop office space at one or more of the stations allowing the District to consider selling the administration building

$100,000

Establish best practice team to review latest changes within Fire Service and to suggest opportunities to modify current practices

NC

Establish an apparatus replacement plan along with minimum apparatus needs

$350,000 / yr

Hire a FT Community Paramedic / MSO $100,000/ yr


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Establish co-leadership role with CERT and the CPG

NC

Establish PIO/Social Media responsibilities NC Establish Citizen Advisory Group NC Hire a Fire and Life Safety Educator to manage Public Education program

$50,000 / yr

Improve and expand community education programs including CPR, First Aid, Fall Prevention, and Fire Prevention

$10,000 / yr

Neighbor relations NC Develop and adopt personnel policy manual for admin staff

NC

Complete Lexipol policies and establish review cycle

NC

Expand volunteer program $10,000 / yr Expand Part Time Firefighter program $200,000 / yr Add 1 FT FF per shift $300,000 / yr Add 2 FT FF for daytime staffing $200,000 / yr Establish day time Training Officer position $110,000 / yr Establish internal fire investigation capabilities

$10,000

Develop employee recognition program $1,000 Communications NC Disaster Preparedness NC


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Glossary Advanced life support - functional provision of advanced airway management, including intubation, advanced cardiac monitoring, manual defibrillation, establishment and maintenance of intravenous access, and drug therapy. Basic Life Support - essential non-invasive life-saving procedures including CPR, bleeding control, splinting broken bones, artificial ventilation, and basic airway management. Fire suppression - the activities involved in controlling and extinguishing fires. Flash-over - as defined by national institute of standards and technology means when all combustibles in a room burst into flame and the fire spreads rapidly. Kelly Day –an uncompensated day off for firefighters to keep the number of hours worked within a pay period under the FLSA minimum for mandatory OT. Marine rescue and firefighting - the firefighting actions taken to prevent, control, or extinguish fire involved in or adjacent to a marine vessel and the rescue actions for occupants using normal and emergency routes for egress. Response time - the time immediately following the turnout time that begins when units are enroute to the emergency incident and ends when units arrive at the scene. Special operations - those emergency incidents to which the fire department responds that require specific and advanced training and specialized tools and equipment. Turnout time - the time beginning when units receive notification of the emergency to the beginning point of response time.


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Appendix A – NFIRS Categories

Working together to safely protect our community’s lives and property 87


Appendix B – Vehicle Replacement Schedule

Tender 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

1983 (1-3) 32 Surplus

1988 (1-2) 27 28 29 Surplus

1995 (1-4) 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Surplus

2009 (1-5) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

2016

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

2018 (PT)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

2025 (PT)

0 1 2 3 4

Engine 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

1997 (1-4) 18 Surplus

1998 (1-1) 17 18 Surplus

1998 (1-3) 17 18 19 20 Surplus

2000 (1-32) 15 16 17 18 19 20 Surplus

2000 (1-5) 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Surplus

2007 (1-2) 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Surplus

2017

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2023

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

2028

0 1 Engine (QRV) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

2017

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2019

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Ambulance 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

1995 (A105) 20 Surplus

1995 (A104) 20 Surplus

2006 (A103) 9 10 11 12 Surplus

2008 (A102) 7 8 9 10 11 12 Surplus

2009 (M104) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Surplus

2016

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Surplus

2016

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Surplus

2019

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2022

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2025

0 1 2 3 4

2028

0 1 2

Marine Units 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

2005 (M1-2) 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

2009 (M1-4) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Command 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

1997 (B100) 18 RTF/Surplus

2000 (C104) 15 RTF/Surplus




2009 (C101) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 RTF

2016 (C101)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2019

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


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Appendix C - Critical Tasking per NFPA 1710

Critical tasks are tasks that must be conducted in a timely manner by firefighters at structure fires in order to control the fire prior to flashover. In creating standards of response coverage, the capability of arriving companies and individual firefighters to achieve these tasks must be assessed. Furthermore, there may be need for critical tasks to be developed for each risk category, if there is a higher level of expectation due to size or complexity of the risk. Firefighter safety must be emphasized when identifying critical tasks. Whenever interior fire operations require the use of at least a 1 ¾ inch hose and protective clothing including turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), additional personnel must be staged to perform rescue functions for interior firefighters. In this situation, a command structure must also be in place. Critical tasks are described below. These descriptions are supplemented by a table that outlines the tasks that must be accomplished by the initial response force if a department is to control a fire in a typical fire risk if a fire is in progress upon their arrival.

Attack Line - a 1 ¾ inch hose that produces 125-150 GPM and is usually handled by a minimum of two firefighters, or a 2 ½ inch hose that produces 250 GPM handled by two or three firefighters. Generally each engine company carries a set of attack lines preconnected to the pump, one folded on the hose bed, and a special pack designed to be carried into high-rise buildings. The selection of attack line for a given situation depends on the type of structure, the distance to the seat of the fire, and the stage of the fire. The pre-connected lines are the fastest to use but are limited to fires within 200 feet of the pumper. When attack lines are needed beyond this limit, the hose bed or high-rise lines are used. 2 ½ inch attack line will be used when the fire has passed the flashover stage and threatens exposed unburned portions of the structure.

Search and Rescue - a minimum of two firefighters assigned to search for and remove living victims while the attack crew moves between the victims and the fire to stop it from advancing to them. A two-person crew is normally sufficient for most moderate risk structures, but additional crews are required in multistory buildings or structures with people who are not capable of self-preservation.

Ventilation Crew - a minimum of two firefighters to open horizontal or vertical ventilation channels when the attack crew is ready to enter the building. Vertical ventilation or ventilation of a multi-story building can require more than two firefighters. Ventilation removes superheated gases and obscuring smoke, thereby preventing flashover and allowing attack crews to see and work closer to the seat of the fire. Ventilation also gives the fire an exit route so the attack crew can "push" the fire out the opening they choose and


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keep it away from endangered people or unburned property. Ventilation must be closely timed with the fire attack. If it is performed too soon, the fire will receive additional oxygen and grow. If performed too late, the attack crew cannot push the fire in the desired direction. Instead, the gases and smoke will be forced back toward the firefighters and their entry point, endangering them as well as any victims and unburned property they are protecting.

Back-up Line - a 1 ¾ inch or 2 ½ inch line that is taken in behind the attack crew to provide cover in case the fire overwhelms them or a problem develops with the attack line. Back-up lines require a minimum of two firefighters per 1 ¾ inch line. A 2 ½ inch line is used for back up when the fire is one that could grow rapidly if not stopped by the 1 ¾ inch attack line.

Rapid Intervention Crew - a minimum of two firefighters equipped with SCBA and available near the entry point to go into the structure, performs search and rescue, or serves as the backup crew if something goes wrong. OSHA, as of October 1998, requires this critical task.

Exposure Line - a 1 ¾ inch attack line staffed by two firefighters and taken above the fire in multi-story buildings to prevent fire expansion. This line is also used externally to protect nearby structures from igniting due to radiant heat. In situations where the heat release is great or structures are built close together, a 2 ½ inch line or deluge gun is used. The use of 2 ½ inch lines doubles the staffing requirement.

Pump Operator - one firefighter assigned to deliver water under the correct pressure to the attack, back up, and exposure lines, monitor the pressure changes caused by changing flows on each line, and ensure that water hammer does not endanger any of the hose line crews. This firefighter also completes the hose hookups to the correct discharges and the water supply hookup to the intake. The pump operator can sometimes make the hydrant hookup alone if the pumper is near a hydrant, but the hydrant spacing for moderate risk fires normally precludes this.

Water Supply - a crew of one or two firefighters who must pull large diameter hose between the pumper and the nearest hydrants, hookup at the hydrant, and deliver a water supply to the pumper before its water tank runs dry. A pumper has about four minutes of water if one 1 ¾ -inch line is flowing. Once a hydrant line is in place, this person can often be given additional assignments.

Incident Command - an officer assigned to remain outside of the structure to coordinate the attack, evaluate results, redirect the attack, arrange for more resources, and monitor conditions that might jeopardize crew safety.


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Utilities - at least one firefighter to secure natural gas, electrical supply, and water to the affected structures. Utilities must be secured before interior firefighters can open a concealed space such as an attic.

Ladder operations - at least one and preferably two firefighters to set up the aerial ladder and a ground ladder to provide access to the roof of the structure when vertical ventilation is performed.

EMS/Rehabilitation - at least one firefighter to establish a treatment and rehabilitation sector in preparation for any victims found and any firefighters who are injured or physically drained. This latter event is a common occurrence during periods where there are high temperatures.

Safety Officer - one firefighter dedicated to the exterior of the structure with the sole responsibility of firefighter and scene safety. The majority of structure fires occur in moderate/typical risk occupancies. The table below shows the standards of cover required for the initial response force to accomplish the critical tasks necessary to mitigate a moderate/typical risk occupancy fire.

Critical Tasks for Initial Response

Incident Command 1 person Pump Operator / Water Supply 1 person

Initial Attack Lines 4 personnel Attack Line Support 2 personnel Search and Rescue 2 personnel

Ventilation / Ground Ladders 2 personnel RIC 2 personnel

EMS/Rehabilitation 2 personnel

Total 16 personnel

As shown above, 16 firefighters are needed to accomplish the critical tasks necessary to control a moderate risk fire (2000 sq. ft.) in an efficient and effective manner. It should be noted that the table assumes the availability of three engine companies, one truck company, and a chief officer.


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