duxbury fire department looking at today the fy 04 situation
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DUXBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT
LOOKING AT TODAY
The FY 04 Situation
We have 23 Full Time Positions.
OUR STAFFING
There are 20 members who provide 24 x 7 x 365 coverage. Four Officers and 16 Firefighter/EMTs
They are divided into four shifts – Each Shift member works two 10 hour day shifts and two 14 hour night shifts every 8 days.
Each Shift member works 48 hours in eight days, and that causes them to work 42 hours per seven day work week over the eight week cycle.
We have 23 Full Time Positions.
OUR STAFFING
The Fire Prevention Officer works four 10 hour days.
Three positions are staff positions: Fire Chief - Deputy Fire Chief
Fire Prevention Lieutenant
These staff people work day shifts only -
The Chief and Deputy work five 8 hour days
When both stations are open, we need an Officer and four Firefighter/EMTs.
OUR OPERATION
There is an Officer at Station 1 with two Firefighters.There are two Firefighters at Station 2 (Ashdod).
We cover every vacant position. Firefighter for Firefighter Officer for Officer.
That is the only way that we can provide the current level of services at the current staffing level.
When only one station is open, we need an Officer and three Firefighter/EMTs.
OUR OPERATION
By pooling our resources, we can run one position down per shift, and maintain our minimum coverage.We would cover vacant positions to keep us at the one and three level minimum level.
This will save overtime dollars whenever an employee is on vacation, out sick or while our two members are at the Firefighting Academy Recruit Training Program.
Previous Staffing Levels
OUR HISTORY
In January, 1979, when we first opened the Ashdod Fire Station on a 24 x 7 x 365 basis, we had 21 full time positions.
The Fire Chief worked a five day, eight hour per day work week.
The Deputy Chief, three Officers, and 16 Firefighters worked four shifts to cover the 24 x 7 x 365 schedule.
Previous Staffing Levels
OUR HISTORY
At that time we maintained the same man for man coverage that we do today.
The Ashdod Fire Station was closed in 1990 because we could not afford to maintain coverage of an Officer and four firefighters at all times. We need to maintain five people on shift to keep both fire stations open, and that requires overtime money.
We are starting out FY 04 in deficit.
OUR PROBLEM
We anticipated one retirement: that retirement probably will not come unless there is some type of early retirement package.
Our FY 04 budget was cut by $ 76,081.00 in Salaries and $ 7,881.00 in Expenses.
We have had one firefighter out for 9 shifts on injured-on-duty leave – Cost of about $3,638.00. He is back to full duty now.
We are starting out FY 04 in deficit.
OUR PROBLEM
Shift coverage for the two recruits who will attend the Recruit Training will cost about $ 16,000.00 each making our deficit over 100 K.
We have one recruit in the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy 11 week Recruit Training Program now, and one that is scheduled in the next class.
Recruit training is required under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
SOLUTIONSREQUESTED APPROVED DI FFERENCE
Vacation Coverage $140,000.00 $100,000.00 $40,000.00
Sick I njury $32,000.00 $24,000.00 $8,000.00
Training $35,500.00 $28,000.00 $7,500.00
Fire Prevention $5,200.00 $1,400.00 $3,800.00
Callback for Fires $58,000.00 $48,000.00 $10,000.00
Call Firefi ghters $10,000.00 $5,000.00 $5,000.00
52 Hour Week $2,597.00 $2,499.00 $98.00
Personnel Adjustments $28,283.00 $26,500.00 $1,783.00
REDUCTI ON - SALARI ES $76,181.00
SOLUTIONS FY04 FY04
ACTUAL APPROVED DI FFERENCE
Vacation Coverage $151,362.00 $100,000.00 $51,362.00
Sick I njury $41,334.00 $24,000.00 $17,334.00
Training $27,320.00 $28,000.00 ($680.00)
Fire Prevention $3,794.00 $1,400.00 $2,394.00
Callback for Fires $55,094.00 $48,000.00 $7,094.00
Call Firefi ghters $4,319.00 $5,000.00 ($681.00)
52 Hour Week $2,597.00 $2,499.00 $98.00
Personnel Adjustments $28,283.00 $26,500.00 $1,783.00
REDUCTI ON - SALARI ES $78,704.00
SOLUTIONS
We still need to make up a substantial amount of money, and hope that we don’t have extended sick or injury leave, serious fires, a stormy winter or a busy brush fire season next spring.
SOLUTIONS
1. - Layoff the newest employee and put the Fire Prevention Officer back on Shift.
3. - Find additional money.
2. - Close the Ashdod Fire Station for a limited period of time and get our savings on the front end. That will allow for small adjustments on the back end.
We see only three possible ways to accomplish this:
OUR RECOMMENDATION
This is the best time of year to close the Fire Station:
Fewer heater related incidents – less chance of oil burner problems, solid fuel fires, chimney fires, building fires, and CO incidents.
Few brush and outside fires to contend with.
Our recommendation is that we close the Ashdod Fire Station from August 1 to December 1. This will allow us to save overtime money while still assuring firefighter safety.
OUR RECOMMENDATION
Responses in the Ashdod area are still only about 35-40% of all of our total call volume.
Many of those emergency calls are south of the Ashdod Fire Station.
We would still have a response to serious medical calls from the Jordan Paramedic 9 Team while that station is closed.
OUR RECOMMENDATION
If we ultimately get a retirement or two by way of an early retirement plan, it will help to save more taxpayer dollars.
However, the goal is not to save money.
The goal, as I see it, is to live within the budget while providing reasonable response times to all of our residents and assuring firefighter safety.
DUXBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT
LOOKING AT TOMORROW AND BEYOND
Where do you expect to be in 5 years ?
OUR VISION
Where do you expect to be in 5 years ?
OUR VISION
Our vision is that no Duxbury Firefighter will make the supreme sacrifice in giving his/her life in the line of duty in saving another life.
Sending our folks home to their families safely at the end on each work shift is my driving force that consumes how I look at things every day.
Where do you expect to be in 5 years ?
OUR VISION
Our vision is that we can continue to attract remarkable young people as firefighters who enjoy public service and who care about our community and its residents.
An organization’s future is clearly defined by the quality of the people in its workforce. Our people, both call and career, are outstanding. Our fire department enjoys great respect in the community because of them.
Where do you expect to be in 5 years ?
OUR VISION
Our vision is that the Duxbury Fire Department will still be providing the same high quality fire protection, fire safety education, fire prevention, and Emergency Medical Services for our customers that it provided before the economic downturn of FY 04-05.
It is a sad testimony to wish to be in five years where you are today, but that is the fact.
DUXBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Sometimes
WE DON’T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN !!
The Fire Department is considered by most people as a necessary evil. Like health insurance and life insurance, we are only here because people will have serious problems that they can’t solve on their own.I believe that our department has the most critical mission of any department because:
THE MISSION
Every emergency that we respond to is escalating in seriousness and urgency. If we don’t intervene, destruction, injury, or death will certainly occur.We only do about 1,600 emergency calls per year but if you are # 1486, that call is very significant.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
1. - Completion of the fire alarm and security system program in our Town buildings.
This project is now underway. The High School fire and security alarm system, and the receiving panel at the Police Station will be done by October.By next year at this time, 13 Town Owned buildings will be fully alarmed and connected to the Public Safety Dispatch Center.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
2. – Continuing the Capital Improvement Program so we can continue our life saving mission.
Our dedicated people are what gets the job done for our citizens, but our rolling stock and ancillary equipment are essential to that mission.
History should not have to repeat itself with the costly repairs and equipment failures that we experienced in 1989.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
3. - Developing our Town web site into an interactive site where our customers can purchase permits and fill out inspection forms without having to visit us. This could provide a substantial benefit to our customers, the citizens of Duxbury who we all work for.
This site has come a long way, but we still have work to do. Mary Beth is terrific and has brought us to the point where we are now.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
4. - Planning for the installation of automatic sprinkler systems in several of our Town buildings.Our insurance folks (MIIA) have recommended sprinkler systems in the fire stations, police station, and the DPW garage and maintenance facility.
Alden School, Chandler School, PAC, Library, and Senior Center have or will have sprinkler systems.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
5. - Rebuilding of the Central Fire Station into a modern, efficient facility similar to the Ashdod Fire Station.
Departmental Projects & Priorities
OUR VISION
6. - Initiation of our own Advanced Life Support (ALS) System of Emergency Medical Services for our residents.
Staffing Levels & Future Staffing Needs.
OUR VISION
We need to get back the Full Time Fire Prevention Officer position that we are losing in FY04.We need to hire the 6th position per shift as I have previously requested.
We need to increase our call force to 15 active members.
The City of Quincy is considering recommendations of the NFPA for staffing levels at one Officer and three firefighters per piece of apparatus.That recommendation would put our shift strength at 12 instead of 5. Out total allocation of personnel would go from 23 to 51.
That doesn’t include personnel for staffing our two ambulances.
National Fire Protection Association
Our budget would increase to about 3.5 million dollars.
Could Technology Impact Your Services?
OUR VISION
There is technology that could assist us in doing our jobs more efficiently.
Mobile Data Terminals would provide a huge benefit, particularly with the use of digital images of our target hazards.
GPS and pictometry would provide huge benefits in all types of firefighting efforts.
Completion of an interactive Town wide web site.
FY 05 BUDGETExpended Expended Expended Budget Requested
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
1,452,589$ 1,480,000$ 1,547,845$ 1,508,225$ 1,554,037$
152,275$ 152,275$ 152,254$ 152,404$ 153,404$
1,604,864$ 1,632,275$ 1,700,099$ 1,660,629$ 1,707,441$
159,745.00$ 215,203.00$ 287,561.00$ 265,000.00$ 275,000.00$
FY 05 BUDGET
The FY 05 Budget reflects an increase of $46,812. 00 or an increase of 2.82 % over the FY 04 budget. Most of that increase is the result of a 3 % pay increase that our collective bargaining employees received as a part of a three year contract - $ 40,506.00.It reflects a small dollar amount for employees who are entitled to annual step increases - $ 5,306.00.It also reflects an increase of $ 1,000.00 in our ambulance billing line item.
FY 05 BUDGET
The $46,812.00 in this budget could be reduced by about $ 30,000.00 to $ 40,000.00 through an increase in our ambulance billing rate.
STAFFING & SERVICE
What Does Level Dollar Funding Mean ?Level dollar funding will create a dramatic cut in services in FY05. We would be required to absorb the pay increase that was approved for our employees, and to absorb the step increases allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.
TOTAL FISCAL IMPACT – ABOUT $ 46,000.00
STAFFING & SERVICE
What Does A 10 % Reduction Mean ?A 10 % REDUCTION MEANS THE LOSS OF $ 166,000,00. BASED ON OUR FY 04 BUDGET.
Loss of 4 full time Firefighter/EMT positions.
Closing Station 2 permanently.
In my opinion, there is not even room for reasonable discussion on the magnitude of this reduction.
STAFFING & SERVICEStaffing
We are currently at 1979 shift staffing levels.
Our number of emergency responses have doubled since 1979.
We have added a second ambulance since 1979.
After the first emergency call, we become a call fire department.
The value of the property that we are asked to protect has doubled since 1979.
STAFFING & SERVICE
StaffingWhat about using Call Firefighters to help solve our staffing problems ?
We have great Call Firefighters and they do a good job for us. However, they all work full time regular jobs. Their employer will not allow them to leave their jobs several times a day to bail out our fire department.
STAFFING & SERVICE
StaffingWhat about using Mutual Aid to help solve our staffing problems ?
Because Mutual Aid needs to be “Mutual”. Mutual Aid is a great tool. We have terrific neighbors that help us regularly.
However, the money that we save getting it will be spent giving it back.
We CANNOT run below staffing of five per shift for two stations or four per shift for one station.
Difficult choices need to be made between fire department staffing for essential services, and maintaining other programs.
That would be completely irresponsible, and could expose the Town to liability issues.
We provide the most essential service of any Town department.
STAFFING & SERVICE
STAFFING & SERVICE
What Are Our Capitial Needs–5 YearsThe Fire Department capital needs are always outlined in a five year Capital Improvement Plan that is submitted as a part of our annual budget package. We have done that since 1983.
Unfortunately, our equipment is high cost stuff, but ignoring replacement puts us back in the 1988 predicament.
Best guest estimate at today’s prices: $ 700,000.
Over the next 5 years, we will need to replace two ambulances, one command car, and one pumper. This will meet our minimum needs and allow us to continue with our life saving mission.
STAFFING & SERVICE
Two of these @ $ 140,000.00 each.
CAPITAL NEEDS
One of these @ $ 375,000.00.
CAPITAL NEEDS
One of these @ $ 35,000.00.
CAPITAL NEEDS
We won’t need any of these.
CAPITAL NEEDS
DEPARTMENT FEES
When Was Last Fee Increase ?
DEPARTMENT FEES
Current Fee StructureFees for permits covered under 527 CMR 1-50, Fire Prevention Regulations, are governed by Mass. General Law, Chapter 148, section 10A. This section allows the head of the fire department to charge a fee of $ 5.00 for permits. The BOS may increase that permit fee, but it shall not be increased to more than $ 10.00.
The Municipal Tax Relief program may change that.
DEPARTMENT FEES
Current Fee Structure
Our fee schedule for inspections and permits are based on the following philosophy:The cost of the permit or inspection should be tied to the cost incurred with performing the function. Permits that are sold at the counter by employees or others are low cost.
Permits that require trained personnel and/or that require one or more site visits cost more.
DEPARTMENT FEES
Current Fee Structure
Inspections and permit fees are as follows:
Permits that are sold at the counter - $ 5.00 in accordance with MGL Chapter 148, section 10A.Residential permits and inspections that require one or more site visits are $ 20.00
Permits and inspections for commercial venues are $ 50.00.
BLACK POWDER PERMIT $5.00
BLASTING PERMIT $20.00
BRUSH BURNING PERMIT $5.00
COPY OF INCIDENT REPORTS $7.50
CUTTTING & WELDING $5.00
FIRE ALARM/SMOKE DETECTOR INSPECTION RESIDENTIAL $20.00
COMMERCIAL $50.00
FIREWORKS PERMIT $20.00
OIL BURNER INSPECTION $20.00
(NEW OR REPLACEMENT)
OIL TANK INSTALLATION $20.00
(NEW OR REPLACEMENT)
OIL BURNER & OIL TANK INSTALLATION $20.00 (INSTALLED & INSPECTED AT SAME TIME)
PROPANE STORAGE $20.00
SPRINKLER SYSTEM $50.00
STORAGE OF FUEL $20.00
STORAGE OF COMPRESSED GASES $20.00
SMOKELESS POWDER PERMITS $5.00
TANK TRUCKS $50.00
UNDERGROUND OIL TANK REMOVAL $20.00
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DEPARTMENT FEES
How Do Fees Compare To Other Towns ?A recent survey of area fire department’s fee
schedules shows that Duxbury is about average.
Communities with a more commercial base charge higher fees than we do.
I would be hard pressed to increase fees at a time when we are going to be reducing our level of service by cutting our full time Fire Prevention Officer.
19 Town
TYPE PERMI T OR I NSPECTI ON Duxbury Average
STORAGE OF BLACK POWDER PERMIT $5.00 $5.79
BLASTING PERMIT $5.00 $8.68
BONFIRES & BURNING CHRISTMAS TREES $5.00 $2.11
BRUSH BURNING PERMIT $5.00 $1.58
CANNON & MOTOR FIRING $5.00 $6.32
COPY OF INCIDENT REPORTS $7.50 $3.55
CUTTING & WELDING $5.00 $5.53
DUMPSTER PERMIT $10.00 $4.74
FIRE ALARM/SMOKE DETECTOR INSPECTION:
RESIDENTIAL $20.00 $9.47
COMMERCIAL $50.00 $14.47
FIREWORKS PERMIT $20.00 $13.42
STORAGE OF FLAMMABLE & COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS $5.00 $7.89
STORAGE OF FLAMMABLE GASES & SOLIDS $5.00 $8.42
FUEL TRANSFER OPERATIONS $5.00 $3.68
FURNIGATION AND INSECTICIDE FOGGING $5.00 $3.95
OIL BURNER INSPECTION $20.00 $8.95
(NEW OR REPLACEMENT)
OIL TANK INSTALLATION $20.00 $11.58
(NEW OR REPLACEMENT)
OIL BURNER & OIL TANK INSTALLATION $20.00 $9.47
(INSTALLED & INSPECTED AT SAME TIME)
OPEN AIR FIRES $5.00 $1.84
OVENS & FURNACES $5.00 $3.16
STORAGE OF PROPANE $20.00 $9.21
(NEW OR REPLACEMENT)
SALAMANDERS $5.00 $4.47
SPRINKLER SYSTEM $50.00 $15.00
STORAGE OF FUEL $20.00 $8.16
STORAGE OF COMPRESSED GASES $20.00 $8.16
STORAGE OF SMOKELESS POWDER $5.00 $5.79
INSPECTION OF TANK TRUCKS $50.00 $10.79
INSPECTION OF TRANSFER TRUCKS $20.00 $8.95
UNDERGROUND OIL TANK REMOVAL $20.00 $16.32
Current Ambulance fees are maximum allowable under Medicare guidelines.
They were increased in 1998. At that time, the BOS voted to index them to the Medicare rates so they will increase or decrease accordingly.
We should revisit our rate structure rates for ambulance billing, although we will not receive the additional amount for Medicare patients.
AMBULANCE FEES
Current Ambulance fees: FY 03
AMBULANCE FEES
SERVI CE CURRENT PROPOSED
Base Rate $300.78 $391.01
Mileage $10.97 $14.26
Oxygen $45.14 $58.68
Defibrilation $98.72 $128.34
Mast Application $64.49 $83.84
DEPARTMENT FEES
Revenue Projection Vs. BudgetFire departments generally do not have the
ability to generate huge amounts of revenue.
We now generate about $ 265,000.00 in revenue through ambulance billing and the sale of permits. We could increase that by increasing ambulance billing rates for non-Medicare patients.Moving to our own ALS system would increase revenue but it would also increase our operating costs.
DEPARTMENT FEES
Revenue Projection Vs. BudgetWe are always looking at ways to increase
revenue. A example is the fire alarm panel that is going to be installed in the Public Safety Dispatch Center. That will eliminate the cost of paying a Central Station to monitor the Towns fire and security alarms. By reducing costs for outside monitoring of our alarms, it will serve the same effect as increasing revenues.
DEPARTMENT FEES
Revenue Projection Vs. Budget
I see an opportunity for us to become entrepreneurial if we wish to handle fire and security alarms for private businesses. We have the infrastructure and we have the people in place.
I believe there is an opportunity to make generate revenue if we wish to venture into an area where municipalities seldom wish to venture.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT US AT:
www.duxburyfire.org
