risk analysis and facilities - new rochelle, ny

Risk Analysis and Facilities

91

Figure 4.18 models the travel time of apparatus from each of the current fire stations. The

model utilizes the street network of the City and surrounding areas calculating the travel

time extent via distance and speed capability of streets. Actual posted speed limits were

utilized and time penalties were assessed for negotiating turns and intersections. This

model assumes departure from the fire stations which may not always be the case. It also

does not take into account weather conditions, traffic congestion, construction, or

detours. It does respect the one way restrictions as they are in place.

All the railroad crossings in the City are traversed via overpass or underpass. The

underpass railroad crossings for Webster Avenue are lower but passable considering the

height of the city fire apparatus and assessed a time penalty to allow for the slowing of

apparatus. Furthermore, the railroad overpass of Centre Street is reported to have a

weight restriction and is avoided by fire apparatus. In all the travel models, this bridge is

designated “‘impassable.”

Exiting from a firehouse always causes a slight delay as the crew assesses the egress for

pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Additionally, it is often wise that the station door is

observed to have closed for security reasons. Moreover, the sight lines for all the stations

are complicated by intersections and parked vehicles. A time delay is entered into the

model to account for these concerns. Certain stations in New Rochelle have unique

aspects that create an extended delay exiting the station. Station 3 is not perpendicular to

the roadway, but it does not appear to be a significant impediment to exiting apparatus.

Station 2 was observed to require a turning adjustment due to the narrowness of the street

where it is located. A longer station egress time penalty has been applied to this station.


92

Figure 4.18

TRAVEL TIME EXTENT


93

The model in Figure 4.18 represents the capability and geographic extent when

responding to the most critical of incidents. Certain areas of town will require slightly

more time to reach than those areas that are closer to the existing fire stations. There are

also significant areas outside of town, such as Scarsdale and Pelham, to which NRFD are

within an appropriate response time for first-due fire company.

It can also be seen that there would be significant overlap of travel time between the

downtown stations. While this may seem wasteful, it has to be taken into consideration

that fire calls usually require multiple apparatus, unlike medical calls that require a single

apparatus response. Multiple apparatus from other stations are standard firefighting

procedure. This procedure calls for the arrival of the entire initial assignment (sufficient

apparatus and personnel to effectively combat a fire based on its level of risk) within a

certain amount of time. Under NFPA 1710 guidelines for career departments, this would

usually equate to a total of 15-16 (NFPA 1710 - 5.2.2.2.5* and 5.2.4.2.2* requires 15, 16

if an aerial is needed) in a typical 2,000 sq. ft. two-story single family dwelling without a

basement and with no exposures (5.2.4.2.2*). Fire departments that respond to fires in

high, medium or low-hazard occupancies that present hazards greater than those found in

the low-hazard occupancies described in 5.2.4.2.2* shall deploy additional resources on

the initial alarm (5.2.4.2.3*). This would also require a response of four (4) apparatus (2

eng/2 lad or 3eng/1 lad) with four-man staffing plus the chief within eight minutes of

dispatch. This is to ensure that enough people and equipment arrive soon enough to

effectively control a fire before substantial damage occurs. The New Rochelle Fire

Department has established a first alarm for structure fires as a collective response of the

on-duty deputy chief, three engines, two ladder trucks, (15 firefighters considering the

three-man staffing) for initial report of a structure fire6. Figure 4.19 illustrates the

geographic extent of first-alarm coverage by the NRFD.

6 F320 Response Plan-60 Control


94

Figure 4.19

CURRENT FIRST-ALARM ASSEMBLY


95

CURRENT SERVICE DEMAND ANALYSIS

The name “Fire Department” has historical and traditional roots, but in today’s realm of

services that are provided by the department it can be misleading. Thanks to the

preventive programs, improved construction codes enforced, and sprinkler systems,

actual fires are fortunately fewer than in decades past, but remain a potential serious

threat. The fire department in New Rochelle typically responds to every perceived

emergency outside of those involving the enforcement of law and civil order. Demand for

the services of the fire department range from medical incidents, to rescues, to trees down

on wires, to calls for trapped people or animals, to name a few.

Demand for service for the fire department is not typically distributed evenly within an

area. There are areas where incident calls occur frequently and near each other as well as

other places where demand is less intense and the occurrence is further from each other.

Service demand is typically higher in areas of higher population, not just residential, but

offices and shopping centers fill with people, as well. Figure 4.20 illustrates the level of

demand for services over the last year7 for the New Rochelle Fire Department.

Figure 4.20 is easier to understand for many people. It shows that the greatest numbers of

incidents occur in the downtown area, but this map is reflective of counts per square mile

rather than a deviation from the normal amount of activity expected. Figure 4.21

illustrates that call intensity is again highest in the downtown area, as expected, compared

to a swath of less-intense activity in the northern side of town.

Records of incidents with the City of New Rochelle were acquired from the Computer-

Assisted Dispatch (CAD) records from the Westchester County Emergency

Communications Center (60 Control). According to 60 Control and NRFD, the fire

department’s records management system records are auto-populated with information

from the CAD and then updated by NRFD with other information, such as the actual

disposition of call. At the time of data collection for this study, the records of the fire

department were admitted to be incomplete. The fire department personnel were unsure

how to exactly export raw data and only produced simple reports occasionally when

requested and minimally for budgetary purposes. It is suggested that the fire department

become more knowledgeable on the use of their own RMS software and issue reports to

improve quality control of incident handling and use the data to more effectively

communicate within the leadership and to City management and elected officials.

7 Dispatched Calls from PSAP (60 Control)


96

Figure 4.20

SERVICE DEMAND


97

Figure 4.21

SERVICE DEMAND INTENSITY


98

The call types discussed in the following analysis are categorized as they were

dispatched, not by what may have actually been found upon arrival of fire personnel. For

instance, someone may have reported a fire, but it was found to be a smoke condition due

to burnt food. This disposition and reclassification reporting is the fire department’s

responsibility. Figure 4.22 illustrates the change in volume for categories of reported fire,

medical, and all other categories of incidents (alarm, hazard, spill, etc.) over the past six

years.

Figure 4.22

HISTORIC SERVICE DEMAND

It can be seen that medical calls account for about 50% of service demand within the City

of New Rochelle. Fire calls are approximately 4% to 5% while other types of service

calls account for the remaining percentage, just over 40%. Changes in demand can be

seen on a monthly basis when examining the last year of data8 more closely (Figure

4.23).

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It should be mentioned that during the time following the post-tropical storm Sandy last

year, higher service demand was experienced compared to earlier years. Spikes in

demand have happened due to snowstorms and Nor’easters in March of 2007, 2010, and

April of 2011.

Service demand calls surged in October as the storm hit on the 30th

of the month and

generally reduced as time passed. Fire and EMS calls were actually highest in November.

Prior to that, a typical wavering of demand between months was consistent with previous

years.

Figure 4.23

DEPARTMENT WORKLOAD BY MONTH OF YEAR

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Examining the department service demand by the day of the week (Figure 4.24) reveals

that Friday and Saturdays are the busiest days of the week for medical calls for the New

Rochelle Fire Department. Fire calls are most numerous on Sundays and Mondays with

all other call types’ volume increasing on Wednesdays.

Figure 4.24

DEPARTMENT WORKLOAD BY DAY OF WEEK

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101

Next, the workload is examined upon an hourly basis displayed as a percentage by call

type because the higher EMS volume has been solidified as true in the previous figures. It

can be seen in Figure 4.25 that service demand for the fire department increases with

daytime human activity. Not surprisingly, EMS demand volume surges beginning at 6

AM and remains high until after 5 PM when it steadily declines. Calls for fires begin to

increase after the noon hour after subtlety rising since 4 AM reaching an apex in volume

at the 6 PM hour before falling off in number. All other types of calls follow a similar

pattern to EMS calls, but continue to rise after the 6 PM hour then falling off, similar to

fire calls.

Figure 4.25

WORKLOAD BY HOUR OF DAY 2012

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The workload differences between night and day are significant. Firefighters typically

work 24-hour shifts and the lighter workload at night allows for some respite from busier

daytimes. Figure 4.26 looks at this difference.

Figure 4.26

WORKLOAD DIFFERENCES DAY/NIGHT 2012

The geographic pattern of demand does not significantly shift towards one end of the City

or the other based on the time of day. The individual call points appear as scattered

throughout the City as they do during the day. To determine any real temporal movement,

the center point of demand was determined by every 3 hours throughout the day and

night. The center of demand remains near the downtown core vacillating near the traffic

circle as the hours elapsed. With the decrease in population during the day and

commuting patterns, it might have been thought that the demand center point might have

moved northward. However, this isn’t the case partly because of the center of residential

population density, the predominance of EMS calls in the dataset, and socioeconomic

differences between the northern end of town and the downtown center.

If shift patterns change to 12-hour shifts, any staffing reductions have to be examined

with respect to the need for effective firefighting force levels, geographic drive times, and

potential increased risk to the community. This will be discussed in a later section.

These peak hours are typically when simultaneous calls occur, and this can reduce the

available units for subsequent calls. To gauge the likelihood of this occurring, Figure 4.27

illustrates the simultaneous call activity for the New Rochelle Fire Department.

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103

Figure 4.27

CONCURRENT CALLS

Figure 4.27 must be viewed with caution because it utilizes the last-unit-cleared time to

calculate the level of concurrent calls. Many units dispatched initially may have cleared

and are available, while one unit or the deputy chief may remain on scene, keeping the

call “open.” Standby and coverage move assignments were removed to get a more

accurate reading as these “assignments” are open for hours even though the unit is

available. In comparison to other cities of similar size, these figures represent a busier

department. While most of the concurrency within the City is caused by EMS calls, it is

important to remember that the fire department can clear quickly when released by the

EMS crew on the scene; they do not have a transportation component.

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104

More importantly then is how busy the individual units are and if the City runs out or

runs dangerously low in resources. The next section details the workload by unit for the

last year’s data9.

Figure 4.28 illustrates the workload of each unit in the dispatch data that correlates to the

NRFD. Some of these are multiple unit and personnel dispatches such as “DPT230” and

“230EOC” and others are call signs for reserve apparatus when another is out of service

due to mechanical issues. It can be seen which are the primary apparatus and the

workload for each correspond generally with the level of demand in their primary area

although many times they travel as needed to other areas.

Figure 4.28

2012 UNIT WORKLOAD

9 CAD Records

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From the dispatch data, it appears that an ambulance is not dispatched on every fire call.

This is acceptable since most fire calls will not require a medical response. In the case of

a recognized need or potential, such as a working structure fire, it is appropriate to send

an ambulance initially.

Similarly, fire suppression apparatus should not respond to routine medical calls

especially in situations where medical personnel exist, such as clinics, doctor’s offices,

and nursing homes. An exception to this overall recommendation is where additional

manpower is beneficial, such as cardiac arrest, severe trauma, multiple victim incidents,

and obese patients. Another exception would be to send a fire suppression unit if the

ambulance is responding from out of district.

While the amount of calls for service may seem impressive, this belies the actual amount

of time units spent on calls during their shift. Some calls, like fires, take hours while

others are cancelled within minutes as units arrive or are called off by the crew at the

scene while responding. Unfortunately, individual unit time stamps are not kept by

60 Control in order to assess this workload component. NRFD should encourage

60 Control track individual time stamps so that accurate reporting of call commit ratios

can be accomplished.

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), a labor union organization,

postulate that fire suppression units should be no more than a .20 ratio; lest firefighter

fatigue and career burnout ensue. It further proposes that fire based EMS units should be

no more than .30 ratio10

. Private EMS industry considers adding an additional unit when

ratios reach .45 and routinely run units at ratios higher than .50.

RESPONSE TIME ANALYSIS

The most important measure of performance of any emergency service provider

especially to whom they serve is how fast does help arrive. Discussions of the reasons for

and the specific parameters of the establishment of national response time guidelines

from the NFPA have been outlined in an earlier subsection in this chapter. As a reminder,

it is recommended that 90% of the time the first arriving apparatus to a fire alarm or a

serious medical emergency should arrive within five minutes of being dispatched. Sub-

sequent apparatus are allowed additional time as also discussed previously. Figure 4.29

illustrates the response time performance for the first arriving fire apparatus using the

10

1995/1999 IAFF Guides to Fire-based Emergency Medical Services


106

CAD dataset. Mutual aid to other areas was removed, as well were public assists and

standbys.

The average response time for first arriving units is five minutes and five seconds

(0:05:05), while 90% of all calls are answered within seven minutes and twenty-eight

seconds (0:07:28).

Figure 4.29

RESPONSE TIME PERFORMANCE

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While the response time performance for all calls is longer than recommended

benchmarks, it should be emphasized that these guidelines were established for the most

serious and critical incidents. The fire department responds to a variety of calls, many of

which do not necessarily require an absolutely urgent response. For instance, it is

unquestionable that being dispatched to the report of a structure fire or a serious medical

emergency requires the fastest response from the fire department. Figure 4.30 displays

the hourly response time performance for calls dispatched as a structure fire. There were

no reports of a fire during the 2 AM hour, but the overall average response to this type of

call is four minutes and fifteen seconds (0:04:15) for the first apparatus to arrive, with

90% of the calls reached within six minutes and twenty-nine seconds (0:06:29).

For serious medical emergencies (ones that are dispatched generally for someone who

may need Advanced Life Support [ALS], such as a heart attack, stroke, or major trauma),

the community relies upon the NRFD to be the medical first responder to provide basic

life support functions, such as oxygen, splinting, and defibrillation before the arrival of

advanced level paramedics, provided by Transcare Ambulance, Inc. Figure 4.31 shows

the hourly response time performance for ALS calls last year. The overall smoother look

of the graph is due simply to more data points in the set. Nonetheless, the average

response time to a serious medical call in New Rochelle by the fire department is four

minutes and fifty-two seconds (0:04:52), with 90% of all of these types of calls answered

with just under seven minutes (0:06:59).


108

Figure 4.30

STRUCTURE FIRE HOURLY RESPONSE TIME

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Figure 4.31

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110

There are many factors that can contribute to delaying a response (e.g., weather,

construction, etc.), but one that is ultimately controlled by firefighters and paramedics is

turnout time. Turnout time is elapsed between the dispatch and the unit becoming enroute

to the scene. For 24-hour-shift workers, it is not unusual for this delay to extend during

the overnight hours as seen in Figure 4.31. The CAD incident record dataset from

60 Control did not indicate the enroute time, so turnout time analysis cannot be

conducted.

In other cases, station design plays a role in the difficulty of a crew to reach the gear and

apparatus to exit the station. A crew may not be in the station, but in another building or

business when the alarm comes in, causing a longer turnout time. The conditions and

design of the fire station may play a factor in turnout time; this is discussed in a separate

section in this study.

Not all calls for service are truly a critical emergency, nonetheless they need to be

answered. To better assess response-time performance and to reduce the risk to

firefighters, the public, and property, a thorough review of dispatch procedures that

reduce the use of lights and sirens to non-emergent calls should be considered. A level of

criticality, similar to that being accomplished with EMS calls, should also be

accomplished for fire calls, with an appropriate response dictated. A public relations

campaign to reduce the amount of non-emergent calls to the fire department should also

be initiated to reduce the demand for services.

MUTUAL AID ANALYSIS

Mutual aid, as discussed in an earlier section, is when neighboring municipal fire

resources are requested into New Rochelle for a fire or medical call that requires more

apparatus and manpower than is available within the City at the time. Mutual aid is also

requested when all NRFD firefighters are busy or when a certain level of fire department

resources are drawn down. Under such circumstances mutual aid units are requested to

standby at NRFD station/s to help cover requests for services. Similarly, NRFD responds

to requests from other municipalities to help in like situations. This section examines the

impact of mutual aid assignments of other municipalities upon the New Rochelle Fire

Department.

Most importantly, the export of New Rochelle fire resources to neighboring communities

will be examined since it takes resources away from the City. According to the dispatch


111

records, Figure 4.32 illustrates the calls that were listed as mutual aid to other

jurisdictions over the last six years.

Figure 4.32

MUTUAL AID TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY TYPE AND YEAR

According to the statistics in Figure 4.32, mutual aid to other jurisdictions in 2012

accounted for about 2% of total call volume. It can be seen that, once again, EMS type

calls account for the most dispatched mutual aid calls. However, looking deeper into the

data, the dispatch records reveal that many of these EMS calls that are categorized as

mutual aid have a New Rochelle address, as illustrated in Figure 4.33. The true total of

mutual aid appears to be just 36 calls in 2012.

Figure 4.33

MUTUAL AID BY JURISDICTION 2012

Figure 4.33 only lists calls addressed in the CAD record in other jurisdictions by mutual

aid incident types. If the viewpoint is widened to include all types of incidents (Figure

4.34), it appears that an additional 28 calls that are mutual aid exist in the record. Still,

this is less than 1% of total call volume in 2012 and most times (28/54); the facility

location was identified to be a fire station, indicating it was a stand-by assignment to

cover calls or prepare to assist the host department.

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112

Figure 4.34

MUTUAL AID BY ALL TYPES TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS 2012

Besides supplying an address, city, and selectively, the facility name, the CAD dataset

also supplied geographic coordinates used to plot the calls on a map. When the calls that

were within the City were removed, the mutual aid calls plotted by coordinates remain.

While 53 of the 54 identified in Figure 4.34 remained, one call was identified as the

Scarsdale post office plotted just inside the City’s border. Another 22 were identified, but

had their city listed as New Rochelle but plotted outside the City border. One

understandable call was plotted at the very end of Premium Point Road, outside the City

but only accessible via New Rochelle. Of the other 21 calls with the city listed as New

Rochelle, 12 were at Exit 16 and 21 of the Hutchinson River Parkway either in

Eastchester or Scarsdale respectively. For 3 other calls, facility name was listed as

Larchmont, another was the Groton High School in Yonkers, one was at Post Road Plaza

in Pelham Manor, and one each in Mt Vernon and Eastchester. Two did not have accurate

coordinate entries to plot accurately, but found by further investigation to be within the

City’s limits. So 19 more calls may be considered truly mutual aid according to the call

plotting analysis, for a total of 73 calls in 2012. This equates to a mutual aid call was

received every fifth day by the New Rochelle Fire Department in 2012.

In concept, the closest neighboring municipal fire station should respond into New

Rochelle when mutual aid is requested. Figure 4.35 illustrates which department should

be called into which areas of New Rochelle under this concept. The map is divided into

time segments to represent a request as a first responder and a longer time segment to

represent additional manpower in the case of a multiple alarm fire scenario.

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risk analysis and facilities - new rochelle, ny

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