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Fire & Emergency Response Deployment Study i5~~~E ~Y4-~ MEMORANDUM November 30, 2006 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The City has received the completed Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study from Matrix Consulting Group. Fire Chief Dan Brown is recommending that a City Council work session be scheduled for January 3, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. to receive a presentation from the consultant, Travis Miller. Printed copies of the Study will be provided before the work session. I respectfully recommend Mayor and City Council approval of the selection of January 3, 2007, as the date of the work session. /11 !j;~ Michael C. Van Milligen ------~ MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Dan Brown, Fire Chief Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA matrix consulting group 4322 N. Belt Line Rd.. B112 Irving, TX 75038 v.972.871.7950 1.972.871.7951 November 30, 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS November 30, 2006 1. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2. DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 9 3. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT RESPONSE NETWORK 30 4. ANALYSIS OF FUTURE STATION LOCATION NEEDS 49 1. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Dubuque, Iowa retained the Matrix Consulting Group to conduct a Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study for the Dubuque Fire Department. The study was conducted in accordance with the Request for Proposals issued by the City in December 2005. Key factors driving the need for an assessment of the Fire Department include anticipated growth due to annexations and economic development on the City's western and southern borders, a desire to evaluate current and future service levels and develop anticipated costs associated with changes to Fire Department operations. The scope of services included the following elements: . An assessment of the performance of the current station network. . Identification of gaps in service levels and for areas of duplication of service. . Evaluation of station needs based on near-term and long-term growth projections. . Evaluation of alternative station location and personnel deployment options. . Identification of operating and capital costs associated with changes to the Department's response network. The study was conducted by a team of public management and firefEMS specialists between April and September 2006. The Matrix Consulting Group used a detailed and inclusive approach in conducting the study and in developing our analyses and recommendations. Specific elements of the study approach included the following: . Interviews with the City Manager, City Council Members, and representatives of other City departments, including Planning and Information Services. Interviews with the command staff of the Department and other personnel. Matrix Consulting Group CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study . Extensive tours of the City to understand risks in the community and the road network. In addition, these tours were used to assess the suitability of potential fire station locations throughout the City. . Extensive data collection focused on understanding operations and services. This included analysis of the emergency services, apparatus response patterns and the geo-coding of emergency incidents as a precursor to developing alternative station location options for the City. . Development of interim documents for review by the Fire Department and City management. During the course of the study the Matrix Consulting Group reviewed factual information, key assumptions, and interim documents with the Department. The overall focus of the Matrix Consulting Group's approach was to maximize the opportunities for input into the process and to ensure that major issues were identified to enhance the likelihood that recommendations were practical and will be implemented. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The analysis and supporting documentation contained within this report are extensive. The project team utilized a detailed, highly quantitative approach to evaluating the costs and benefits of alternative station locations. This approach provides a significant amount of information, which enables the City of Dubuque's decision makers to understand the operational and fiscal trade offs between various station location and personnel deployment options. While the purpose of the executive summary is to summarize the key findings within this report, it is important to understand the methodology utilized by the project team in conducting the analysis of fire station locations. The points, below, describe the steps taken to develop the station location analysis: . The project team assessed the current performance of the existing station network and the ability to meet response time objectives. Matrix Consulting Group Page 2 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study . The project team identified a number of potential fire station locations based on several tours of the City. Potential sites were chosen based on a number of factors including: arterial access, surrounding land use, feasibility of acquiring property, and general suitability for locating a fire station. The following sites were chosen for further analysis: Site 11 West 9th Street 2180 JFK Road 3155 Central Avenue 1697 University Avenue 689 South Grandview 1500 Rhomber Avenue Chavenelle & Radford Kell & Valentine Key West Station 22nd & Windsor Penns Ivania Flora Park Sei el Near Cousins Middle Near Serr Kennedy near 320d 32nd near Carter Chavenelle Seippel Chavenelle blw Se; el & Radford Chesterville & Cotlin ham 61 & Southwest Arterial Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 The map below, shows the locations of each of the sites listed above: Matrix Consulting Group Page 3 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City of Dubuque, Iowa Current & Potential Station Locations ^.~. " --, J'--V'-.J~>-'-~~-~~ ('. -".. Current! PotenlialSlations . The projected team next identified all of the potential station location combinations for scenarios that include 5 stations, 6 stations, 7 stations, and 8 stations, This step is important in expanding the number of alternatives available to the City, The total number of scenarios evaluated is shown below: Number of Stations Number of Scenarios 5 Stations 11,628 6 Stations 27,123 7 Stations 50,338 8 Stations 75,582 Total 164,730 . As shown above, over 164,000 different scenarios were evaluated. For each of these scenarios, the project team determined the following response statistics: The average response time in minutes, The percentage of calls reached by the first arriving station/unit in four minutes. Matrix Consulting Group Page 4 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The percentage of calls reached by at least two stations within eight minutes. The percentage of calls reached by at least three stations within eight minutes. The results of the analysis were then sorted based on response targets and those scenarios requiring the fewest number of new stations. . Population estimates were utilized to project future fire department workload. The additional workload was then utilized to evaluate alternative fire station location scenarios. Overall, the project team utilized a rigorous methodology to evaluate current response capabilities and future capabilities of alternative station locations. This approach was utilized to identify and evaluate a large number of options for the City of Dubuque. The table below summarizes the findings and recommendations made within this report: Matrix Consulting Group Page 5 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Issue Findina/Analvsis Recommendation Performance of Current The current station network is The Department should monitor Response Network well designed to provide a high reflex times to ensure that level of service to the City of response times are accurately Dubuque. Actual response times recorded and that reasons for indicate the Department is extended reflex times are reaching 85% of emergency calls identified and remedied. for service within four minutes of drive time and 85% of calls within five minutes from dispatch to arrival on scene. The Department has also effectively deployed resources to meet fire and EMS workload demands. However, there are opportunities to improve response times. The Department is not meeting best practices for "reflex" time, defined as the time between dispatch and a unit going "en-route." Best practices call for a one-minute reflex time 90% of the time. Based on available data, the Department is currently meeting this target 68% of the time. Alternative Station Locations In order to improve response Current workloads and response Based on Current Workload coverage to the City of Dubuque, times do not justify moving three to four stations would have existing stations. to be relocated and or constructed. None of the alternatives markedly increase response capabilities. Current stations are projected to reach 89% of calls within four minutes, while the best six station options (requiring three stations be relocated) wouid improve performance by 1 %. Performance could be improved by 2% if four new stations are constructed. Matrix Consulting Group Page 6 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Issue FindinglAnalysis Recommendation Future growth and Fire Continued annexation of land The City should monitor Department workload. west and south of the City could population growth and economic add an additional 20,309 development within annexed residents over the next 25 years. areas to the far west and south of This will significantly impact the the current boundaries. The City Fire Department's ability to should also encourage an orderly maintain current service levels expansion of growth close to given the geography of the City existing boundaries and then and the areas cited for growth. expanding west and south. The City may also want to consider establishing alternative service level objectives or more stringent fire code standards (e.g. residential sprinkler systems) for those developments well outside the current boundaries of the City. The City should continue to install signal pre-emption devices to ensure the safest and quickest response to emergency incidents. Matrix Consulting Group Page 7 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Issue Findina/Analvsis Recommendation Alternative Station Locations Based on estimated population As development occurs, the City based on Future Workload growth and increased fire should add one additional station department workloads, the and relocate one current station current station network is to accommodate the increase in projected to reach only 68% of fire department workload. This calls for service within four scenario would consist of adding minutes or less, with an average a station at or near Chavenelle & drive time of over five minutes. Radford to provide service to the west side of the City. In addition, the City should relocate Station 5 to the area at or near the current Key West Volunteer station. Additional development farther west or south of the City along the proposed southwest arterial extension should be monitored to identify potential workload increases that may cause extended response times. Depending on the location of this increase in workload, an 8th station should be added to the far west, at or near Chesterville & Cottingham, or along the Southwest Arterial. The estimated costs of these changes are: $1.7 million in capital costs for one new station, and $1.1 million in operating costs. In addition, relocating Station 5 will cost approximately $1.4 million in capital costs and $500,000 in additional operating costs. Matrix Consulting Group Page 8 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 2. PROFILE OF THE DUBUQUE FIRE DEPARTMENT This chapter in the Station Location, Response and Deployment Study for the Dubuque Fire Department (DFD) includes information about the City of Dubuque and the current organization and operation of the DFD. The information contained in this document was developed from interviews with City Administrators (City Manager, Planning Director, and GIS Specialists) and Fire Department personnel (Fire Chief and Assistant Chiefs, Fire Marshal, Training Officer and EMS Supervisor). Members of the City Council were also interviewed. The study team toured the Fire Department's service area and facilities, reviewed various documents, records and maps and collected data about the City and the Fire Department. This profile is organized as follows: . City Setting and Demographics . Fire Department Overview . Fire Department Expenditures . Organization of the Department . Fire Stations and Apparatus . Fire Department Workload . Station Coverage The first section, which follows, provides some basic descriptive information about the City of Dubuque. Matrix Consulting Group Page 9 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 1. CITY SETTING AND DEMOGRAPHICS Dubuque, located on the banks of the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, is the county seat of Dubuque County and the economic hub of the surrounding area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of the City has remained relatively constant over the past 20 years and currently stands at approximately 58,000 residents. The graph, below, displays information about population growth in the City, changes since 1980 and expectations about growth through 2031. The population estimates are based on information provided by the Transportation and Planning Department of the East Central Iowa Intergovernmental Association. Current estimates suggest a very slow rate of population growth in the City over the next several decades. Population Growth and Projections, 1990 - 2031 75,000 62,374 60,000 45,000 30,000 - 15,000 o 57,204 57,686 61,093 1980 1990 2000 2003 2015 2031 The City has maintained its population level as well as its tax base in recent years by mounting an intensive economic development program that includes renovation of the central business district, development of business parks in the southeastern and southwestern sections of the City and annexing areas of the County to its west and south. Although the population has remained largely unchanged over Matrix Consulting Group Page 10 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study the past several decades, the City has gone through a substantial revitalization as evidenced by the information presented below. . Annexation: The City annexed 40 acres between 1990 and 1995 compared to 3,788 acres since 1995. This acreage has provided space for residential and commercial development. . Non-residential development: Between 1990 and 1998 the City added an average of 350,000 square feet of commercial space compared to an average of one million square feet between 1999 and 2004. . Non-farm employment: The number of non-farm persons employed in Dubuque County has risen substantially over the past 20 years. Most of the job growth has occurred in the City. 1983 - 37,600 jobs 1990 - 46,000 jobs 2005 - 59,000 jobs - 86% of these jobs were in the City Interviews with Dubuque's planners indicate that the City will likely continue to annex unincorporated areas of the county on its borders and foster job creation. The City currently covers 29.5 square miles. This area includes an annexation of approximately 700 acres of land (a little more than one square mile) that has been challenged in the courts by the neighboring City of Asbury. The City is currently updating its 2002 Comprehensive Plan and analyzing the costs and benefits of annexing 23 parcels of land within its extraterritorial zone. The 23 parcels are identified in the City's "Future Land Use 2030" map. The 23 parcels total 23,000 acres or approximately 36 square miles. If all of the parcels are brought into the City, they will more than double the land area of Dubuque. The parcels identified for annexation are briefly described below. . 17 of the 23 parcels are located on the southern and western sides of City. They are south of the City of Asbury. These parcels are both north and south of the Matrix Consulting Group Page 11 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study proposed, limited access, southwest arterial that will run from Route 61 in the east near Williams Lane to Route 20 in the west near Seippel Road. Areas north of the proposed Southwest Arterial and west Route 61 of are tentatively zoned as single family or duplex and mixed residential. Areas to the south of the proposed Southwest Arterial west of route 61 are tentatively zoned rural density residential. Areas to the east of 61 from the City's current boundary are zoned primarily single family or duplex. These parcels are identified as a mix of single family or duplex or agricultural zoning . The remaining six parcels are on the north central section of the City extend from the City of Asbury east to Central Avenue and north to the City of Sageville. The parcels are tentatively zoned single family duplex or agricultural. The residential and commercials growth of the City, coupled with the need to provide improved service response times to the southwestern sections of the City, were primary determinants in commissioning this fire station location study. 2. FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW The Fire Department provides a wide range of services to the community. The DFD not only provides fire suppression and prevention serves but also provides a high level of emergency medical care, including emergency medical ambulance transportation (in fact, 69% of the Department workload involves EMS incidents). The DFD provides the Advanced Life Support level of EMS care. The goals of the Department's Fire Suppression/Emergency Services Division are to: . Protect the public from the dangers of fire by attempting to control them at their points of origin while keeping fire and water damage at a minimum. . Respond to a broad range of requests from citizens in emergencies when immediate help is not otherwise available. Matrix Consulting Group Page 12 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study . Maintain fire stations, apparatus and equipment in first class condition at all times. The Department further defines the mission of the Fire Suppression/Emergency Services Division in a series of 20 "Service Objectives." Several of the service objectives related to this study are listed below: . To maintain an average response time of three to six minutes by continuing current dispatch and operating procedures. . To act as first responders to emergency medical calls and accidents. . To monitor first company response time through written records and periodic reviews and evaluations. These three objectives are critical for the purpose of evaluating the placement of fire stations in the City of Dubuque. 3. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPENDITURES The proposed Fire Department budget for FY 2007 is slightly over $8.2 million. This amounts to approximately $142 per capita. The following exhibit provides information about the department's operating budget during the most recent fiscal years. $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $7,972,734 $8,227,007 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 FY2005 - Actual FY2006 - Budget FY2007 - Budget Matrix Consulting Group Page 13 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study During the 3-year period the budget rose at an average rate of 3.2% annually. During this period the authorized personnel strength of the Department has remained constant, hence budget increases are largely related to cost of living adjustments. The table, below, itemizes the major expense categories in the DFD's FY 2007 budget. The largest item, personnel, represents 92% of the Department's budget. The Fire budget is supported primarily from the City's General Fund and is based on property tax assessments. However, the Department derives approximately 8% of its budget from ambulance transportation fees and 4% from the Cable TV fund. Fire Department Budget Detail- FY 2006 Budaet Item Line Detail Amount Person nel $7,5551,765 Wages $5,030.857 Benefits $2,386,611 Uniforms/personal equipment $ 54,747 Other $ $78,550 Operating Expenses $ 556,228 Liability Insurance $ 80,403 Utilities $ 74,928 Fuel $ 37,838 Vehicle Maintenance $151,485 Bill Collection Services $ 66,090 Miscellaneous $145,484 Equipment $ 119,014 Vehicles $55,000 Furniture $ 5,880 Medical equipment $27,438 Fire Equipment $24,196 Radios, Pagers $ 6,000 Miscellaneous $106,754 Total $8,227,007 The Department provides emergency medical care, including ambulance transportation services, for which it charges service fees. The fee schedule is listed in the table on the following page. The Department anticipates that it will collect $900,000 in EMS fees in FY 2007. The billing and collection of the EMS fees has been contracted to a private firm at a cost of $66,000 to the Department. Matr/x Consulting Group Page 14 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Service ALS emer enc and non-emer enc ALS1 emer enc and non-emer enc ALS2 ALS1 & 2 Interce t base rate On-scene care - BLS On-scene care - ALS Milea e Ox en - Local Spinal immobilization Nitro Nox Waitin time Resident $400 $500 $650 $400 $75 $150 $6.00 $35 $75 $75 $90ihr Non-Resident $550 $650 $800 $400 $225 $300 $6.50 $35 $75 $75 $90/hr In addition to the operating budget, the Department has a long-range capital improvement plan and budget. The items in the capital improvement budget are listed in the table, below. The bulk of the plan in the out years is focused on the replacement of apparatus. The plan does not currently have any money allocated for the relocation or construction of any fires stations that might be recommended by this study. Item FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 Traffic sional pre-emotion eouioment $15.000 $15.000 $15,000 $15.000 Connect stations with fiber ootic lines $125.000 $396,000 Reolace oumoers in Stations 5, 6, and 3 $228,500 $240,000 $283,000 $175.500 Reolace ladder 512 $900.000 Reolace an ambulance $175,500 Trainino academv fire simulators $365.000 Station 3 maintenance and repairs $13,600 Station 5 maintenance and repairs $7,200 Station 2 maintenance and repairs $12,100 Mabile data terminals for apparatus $536,000 Restore 1948 Seaorave ladder truck $33.000 Install a passenger elevator in station 1 $422,000 The following section describes the staffing and organization of the Fire Department. 4. ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT The organization chart, on the following page, provides a graphical overview of the Fire Department. The Department has a budgeted staff complement of 89 uniformed positions and one civilian secretary. The number of personnel in the Department has not changed since 2000. Matrix Consulting Group Page 15 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study r----..Rr;ch.ief Secretary 1 1 Civilian Fire Marshal Office 1 AsslChief, Fire Marshal 1 Asst Fire Marshal Suppression/Ambulance [ Training . 1 AsstFlreChief 1_. EMS Supervisor Division 1 1 AsstChief 1 EquipmenlOperator Dlvls;on2 1 AsstChief 1 Equipment Operator Division 3 1 AsstChief 1 Equipment Operator r;;;;:;atus Staff L~6_~ersonnel The following table lists the number and classification of personnel in each division of the Department. The vast majority of personnel, 94%, are assigned to emergency operations where they staff the Department's emergency fire apparatus and ambulances. Function Administration Fire Suppression/Ambulance Fire Prevention Bureau Ambulance Supervisor Fire training Total Personnel Classification 1 Fire Chief 1 Secretar 3 Assistant Chiefs 7 Captains 12 Medical Officers 14 Lieutenants 24 Fire Equipment Operators 24 Firefi hters 1 Ass!. Chief/Fire Marshal 1 Ass!. Fire Marshal 1 Fire EMS Supervisor 1 Ass!. Fire Chief 89 Fire/EMS Personnel 1 Civilian Two important support functions, communications / dispatch and apparatus maintenance are provided to the DFD by other agencies. Dispatch services are provided by a joint City-County Communications Center and the City's Fleet Management Department maintains fire apparatus and ambulances. Matrix Consulting Group Page 16 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study (1) Minimum Staffing and Lost Time The Department has a minimum daily staffing level of 22 personnel - one Assistant Chief and 21 Fire Officers and Firefighters. Except for the Assistant Chief and one Fire Equipment Operator, all of the on duty personnel are assigned to apparatus. Each shift is assigned 28 personnel to cover for staff that are off duty because of vacation, sick and other leave. If the number of personnel on duty falls below the minimum shift requirement of 22, off-duty personnel are called back on overtime. The Department budgeted $40,579 for overtime in FY 2006. Personnel assigned to the Fire Suppression/Ambulance Division work a 56-hour week composed of three alternate 24- hour days followed by 96 hours off duty (i.e., on, off, on, off, on, 4-0ff). The amount of overtime in a fire department with minimum staffing requirements is a function of the number of personnel assigned to a shift and the amount of time off taken by personnel. Time off is frequently referred to as "lost time". The study team analyzed lost time for the Department using data from 2005. The suppression and medical personnel took a total of 1,644 shifts off in 2005. This amounts to 16% of the 10,220 shifts (28 personnel X 365 shifts) they were assigned to work. The table below lists the amount of lost time in shift increments used by the Fire officers and Firefighters assigned to emergency operations. Personnel averaged 19.6 days of lost time in 2006. The largest portions of the lost time were accounted for by vacation, comp time, sick and injured on duty. Matrix Consulting Group Page 17 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Reason for Lost Time in 2005 - Number of Shifts Funeral 728 Light Duty Training Casual Day On-the-Job Injury Sick Comp Time Vacation o 300 600 900 Fire departments generally adjust the relationship between the number of personnel assigned to a shift and the number that actually appear for duty to minimize the amount of overtime needed to meet minimum staffing requirements. The City and the Fire Department have done a good job of matching scheduled resources to minimum daily staffing needs based on the average amount of lost time per Firefighter. With a lost time rate of 16%, an average of 23.5 Fire Officers and Firefighters are generally available for duty. The small amount of overtime expense in 2005 ($40,579) attests to this. (2) Roles and Responsibilities of Personnel The table, on the following page, describes the key roles and responsibilities of various personnel in the Fire Department. These summaries are not intended to be detailed job descriptions but rather to provide an overview of the main responsibilities and functions in the DFD. Matrix Consulting Group Page 18 ~TYOFDUBUQU~/OWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Position # I Kev Roles and Responsibilities ADMINISTRATION Fire Chief 1.0 . Department head, reports directly to the City Manager. . The Fire Chief is responsible for the management and oversight of all operations and administrative functions of the Dubuque Fire Department. . The Chief has direct supervisory responsibility for the Assistant Chiefs, as well as the administrative personnel. Secretary 2 . Provides general administrative and clerical support to Fire Chief, Assistant Chiefs and Fire Marshal, Training and the Department as a whole. . Performs routine as well as confidential clerical duties. . This position works Mondav throuQh Fridavs, TRAINING Training Officer 1 . An Assistant Chief serves as the Training and Safety Officer. . Responsible for developing and implementing an annual training program, in-service company training program as well as new recruit orientation and training. . This position works a 5-day, 40-hour week. FIRE PREVENTION 1 Assistant ChieflFire Marshal 2 . The Fire Marshal and Assistant Fire Marshal are responsible for all fire prevention activities 1 Assistant Fire Marshal including: - Inspections of residential and commercial properties - Enforcement of the fire code - Fire alarms (e.g., system testing reports, system design review, inspections, etc.) - Fire investigations, including arsons - Public education . Coordinates the prevention activities engaged in by suppression units under the direction of the Assistant Fire Chiefs. . These Dositions work a 5-day, 40-hour week. Matrix Consulting Group Page 19 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Position # I Kev Roles and ResDonsibilities AMBULANCE SUPERVISOR Ambulance Supervisor 1 . Responsible for the Department's emergency medical program. . Provides and organizes training. . Monitors EMS activity of all fire and ambulance companies. . Conducts quaiity review of patient care. . Conducts ambulance and crew inspections. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS Assistant Chief 3 . Serves as the shift commander for emergency operations. One Assistant chief is assigned to each of the three 24-hour shifts. . Responsible for daily shift activities, including filling shift vacancies (e.g., call back I overtime), coordinating training and fire prevention activities, responding to incidents and serving as the incident commander. Fire Captain 7 . All personnel are cross-trained to provide a full- Emergency Medical Officer 12 range of emergency services (EMS, fire, rescue Fire Lieutenant 14 haz-mat) as well as prevention/inspection services. Fire Equipment Operator 24 . Captains and Lieutenants are the supervisors on Firefighter 24 each piece of fire (5 engines, 2 ladders) apparatus. . Emergency medical officers are paramedic trained and are assigned to the three ambulances. . Engineers and Firefighters are responsible for driving the apparatus as well as EMS, suppression, and prevention services. The following section provides more detail regarding the deployment of stations and apparatus in the City of Dubuque Fire Department. 5. FIRE STATIONS AND APPARATUS The following sub-section describes the location of the current fire stations operated by the City of Dubuque. (1) Location of Stations The DFD provides fire and EMS services from six fire stations staffed by paid, career personnel. Three of the stations are located on the flats along the Mississippi Matrix Consulting Group Page 20 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study River that comprise the older downtown neighborhoods of the City, while the other three stations are built on the bluffs that spread westward from the river. The western sections of the City have experienced considerable economic and residential growth during the past decade. The average age of the fire stations is 56 years but they range from 27 to 101 years old. All are in generally fair to good condition. With the exception of the two oldest stations, all of the stations have multiple bays for the use and storage of apparatus. Sta 3 - 155 Central 27 St. 2 - 2180 JFK 100 818 1 HQ-1 west 9th Sta 4 - 1697 University Sta 6 - 1500 Rhomberg 8ta 5 - 689 S. Grandview 101 o 25 50 75 100 125 The Department's headquarters station, Station 1, is staffed with three pieces of apparatus: an engine, a ladder and an ambulance. An Assistant Fire Chief and seven Fire Officers and Firefighters are on duty in this station daily. Station 4 operates two pieces of apparatus: a quint (ladder) and an ambulance with a minimum staff of 4 personnel. The other four stations each operate a single piece of fire apparatus - a pumper. Two of these stations (Station 2 and 3) have a minimum staff of three personnel per pumper and two stations (Station 5 and 6) have a minimum staff of two personnel per pumper. The following table lists the fire station, the year each station was built, the address, the type of apparatus housed at each location, and the number of minimum on-duty staff for each piece of apparatus. Matrix Consulting Group Page 21 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Staffed Minimum On- Station Address ADDaratus Dutv Staff Station 1 11 West 9 Street Engine 501 2 Built - 1970 Ladder 511 2 Ambulance 551 2 Chiefs Car 1 2 Station 2 2180 JFK Boulevard Engine 502 3 Built - 1976 Station 3 3155 Central Avenue Engine 503 3 Built - 1979 Station 4 1697 University Avenue Ladder 512 2 Built - 1954 Ambulance 552 2 Station 5 689 South Grandvlew Engine 505 2 Built - 1905 Avenue Station 6 1500 Rhomberg Avenue Engine 506 2 Built - 1906 Total 8 staffed Minimum shift Average age of apparatus staffing of 22 stations - 56 5 Engines personnel years 2 Ladders 2 Ambulances The map on the following page displays the location of the fire stations in the City. Matrix Consulting Group Page 22 ~ " - '" - '" '" ~ g- Q "0 '" '" '" ~ o ~ '" It '" " '~ '" '" ~ '" ~e. 0'" -E: U.r lU ::,"0 0'" ::,'" lll,e ::,u:: Q- II. '" O's. ).. .~ I- '" - " O:!; lA C o ta:t= ii:: ~ .2g ....1 Qi C ::s 0 t:r ._ ::S" .g~ OQi ~... Oii: ;::... ._ c OQi I:: ::s o 'tl c: .. ~ .. ....I ~ c 0 N CO 'T ~, ." c c c n 5 is ~ Q Q 0 (I) ~ "' "' ;;; ;;; ro ~ tri IJ) ,1) I1i I1i i:L Cl . @! . IL Cl ~ :> if a '" a. c gj 9 - (Q ~ I1i ~ @>I '" if> ::l '" " i;; !L "0 Z. C C ~ ~ o " OJ () ~ ~ :::J ::::J (/1 0" cr V', Q; :::J :::J -0 >.o.oro ti' a a If? 001 0)>-'; c:.o " ~"OO" ~.." (I)~.g ~~Cl u~- 0.0 ~~>- n5 ::E.." ,",uc: .o~" ,,~'" ..00 " a. '" .2 Ii. i ""u ~fCf) Ol?::J .., '" '" tn ~ go e C) tn '" ~ co '" o o ,~ .l: ~ z~ CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 6. FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKLOAD This section of the profile summarizes the workload of the Fire Department. (1) Incident Trends The number of calls to a fire department is the most comprehensive measure of service needs in a community. A call is simply a citizen's request for service to which emergency apparatus are dispatched. The number and type of apparatus dispatched to a call depends on the nature of the call. Five pieces of fire apparatus and an ambulance are usually dispatched to structure fires, while an EMS call typically receives a single engine response, ambulance, and command car. The following chart tracks emergency calls to the department over the past several years. The number of calls has remained relatively stable in recent years. In 2005 the DFD responded to an average of 12 emergency calls per day. Emergency Calls, 2005 - 2005 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 o 4,175 2003 2004 2005 (2) Types of Service Calls in 2005 Fire departments respond to many different kinds of emergencies and non- emergency service calls. Fires, motor vehicle accidents and EMS calls are examples of Matrix Consulting Group Page 24 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study emergency services. Examples of non-emergency services provided by the Department include the prevention inspection and public education activities. The information in the following exhibit presents information about the types of emergencies the Department responded to in 2005. Types of Emergency Calls in 2005 261 176 26 Fire Service Other The vast majority of the calls involved medical incidents - 69% of the calls in 2005 were EMS calls. This is a typical distribution for departments that provide fire and EMS care. In 2005, the Department transported 2,417 patients. Most were transported as a result of an emergency incident. The Department also transports patients between medical facilities and to nursing homes. Fires represent a small but important part of the Department's workload. Fires present a significant risk because of the life safety issues involved and, to a lesser extent, the loss of property value. The Department responded to 261 fires in 2005. The fires represented 6% of the Department's emergency service workload. The exhibit, on the following page, displays information about the types of fires that occurred during the Matrix Consulting Group Page 25 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study year. The Department responded to an average of 1.3 building or structure fires weekly in 2005. Types of Fires in 2005 80 67 65 60 40 20 0 Building Trash Brush Vehicle In a Other building (3) Emergency Workload by Station and Company The number of emergency calls varies substantially by area of the City. The chart, below, displays information about the number of service calls by district in 2005. The districts represent the first due area for each station. 1,400 1,241 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 Emergency Calls by Fire District in 2005 984 540 476 456 _I_~I Sta 1 -11 W 9th Sta 2 - 2180 JFK Sta 4 -1697 University Matrix Consulting Group Sta 3- 3155 Central Sta 6 - 1500 Rhomberg Sta 5 -689 S. Grandview Page 26 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The following points summarize information about the number of calls by fire district. . The number of service calls per fire district ranges form a high of 1,241 in district 1 to 456 calls in district 6. . The busiest station is Station 1 (Headquarters), located in the central business district. It is the most heavily staffed station in the City. The number and type of apparatus (engine, ladder, ambulance) deployed from the station gives the Department flexibility in meeting a range of emergency needs. The district generated 3.4 calls per day in 2005. . The second busiest station is Station 2 located in the western quarter of the City. Station 2 serves the City's newer residential and commercial growth areas. It is staffed with an engine company. The district generated 2.7 calls per day in 2005. . The third busiest station is Station 4. It serves the western part of the city on the bluff. A quint (pumper/ladder combination) and an ambulance are deployed from this station. The district generated 1.7 calls per day in 2005. . The fourth busiest station is Station 3. It is located on the north end of Central Avenue. An engine company is deployed from this station. The district generated 1.5 calls per day in 2005. . Districts 5 and 6 are the least busy districts in the City. An engine is deployed from each station. These two districts generated 1.2 calls per day in 2005. The number of runs made by a fire company (apparatus and its staff) is an indicator of the amount of workload generated by service calls. The number of runs is larger than the number of emergency calls because multiple pieces of apparatus are sent to most calls. For example, the DFD usually dispatches an ambulance and an engine to EMS calls; 3 engines, 2 ladders and an ambulance to structure fire calls; and a single engine to service calls. In 2005, the 4,335 emergency calls resulted in the dispatch of 8,098 emergency vehicles. The fire service has not developed standards regarding the minimum or maximum number of runs that can be handled by a fire company. Fire professionals Matrix Consulting Group Page 27 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study generally regard more than 3,000 runs as a cause for close monitoring of activity levels. The exhibit, which follows, displays the number of runs made by individual fire companies in Dubuque in 2005. The number of annual runs ranges from 1,636 (4.5 per day) for Medic 551, stationed at fire headquarters to 313 runs for ladder 511 (0.85 per day), also stationed at headquarters. The run information for each piece of apparatus is detailed in the exhibit below. The distribution of runs by type of company is typical of what occurs in most fire departments. Medic units tend to be the busiest followed by engine and ladder companies. Ladder 512 from station 4 is busier than one would expect for a ladder. However, it runs as an engine in its first due district. Apparatus Run levels in 2005 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 o 1,636 1 550 , 1,401 Med 551 Med 552 Eng 501 Eng502 Lad 512 Eng 503 Eng 506 Eng 505 Lad 511 "ladder 511 responses include Haz-Mat 81 and Medic 553 unit runs 7. STATION COVERAGE This section provides information on the population served and area covered by the current stations by response district. The information in the section was collected from the City Planning and GIS Departments. Matrix Consulting Group Page 28 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Demographic Characteristics of the Fire Districts Station Population Served 7,125 15,738 11,227 9,067 8,183 4,915 56,255 Area in S uare Miles 2.28 11.99 4.98 1.88 5.76 3.27 30.16 Population Densi Sta 1 HQ - 11 W. 9th Sta 2 - 2180 JFK Sta 3 - 3155 Central Sta 4 - 1697 Universil Sta 5 - 689 S. Grandview Sta 6 - 1500 Rhomber Total 3,125 1,313 2,254 4,823 1,421 1,503 1,865 As shown above, the station network currently services 56,255 residents. The distribution of population ranges from a high of 15,737 persons in Station 2's area to 4,915 persons in Station 6's first due area. There is also quite a bit of disparity in the area (square miles) in each of the fire districts. Station 2 covers 11.99 square miles compared to 2.28 square miles in Station 1 's fire due area. Matrix Consulting Group Page 29 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 3. ANALYSIS OF CURRENT RESPONSE SYSTEM This chapter of the report focuses on the analysis of fire station locations and the deployment of personnel by the Dubuque Fire Department. This chapter is focused on addressing several issues which were critical to Dubuque at the outset of this study: What service level standard(s) should be adopted by the City of Dubuque for the delivery of fire and EMS emergency responses? What is the ability of the current system to meet that service delivery standard? Are the current fire stations appropriately located to provide efficient and effective emergency response? Are there gaps in the current response network? The first section, which follows, provides the project team's discussion of selecting an appropriate service level standard for the City of Dubuque. 1. ESTABLISHING AN APPROPRIATE SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVE IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN A STATION LOCATION AND DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS. One of the most important decisions that can be made by the City's policy makers relating to the delivery of fire and EMS services is to determine what the appropriate service level standards are for the community. This has been a topic of intense national debate in recent years, with efforts focused on providing a consensus standard and other efforts focused on developed methodologies for setting appropriate response time targets locally. Nationwide, a great deal of effort and research has been put into developing performance objectives for the delivery of fire and EMS services. This effort, as was stated previously, is critical for agencies making decisions about deployment and Matrix Consulting Group Page 30 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study location of emergency resources. The objectives promoted for fire/rescue and EMS have their basis in research that has been conducted into two critical issues: . What is the critical point in a fire's "life" for gaining control of the blaze while minimizing the impact on the structure of origin and on those structures around it? . What is the impact of the passage of time on survivability for victims of cardiac arrest? The chart, that follows, shows a typical "flashover" curve for interior structure fires. The point in time represented by the occurrence of "flashover" is critical because it defines when all of the contents of a room become involved in the fire. This is also the point at which a fire typically shifts from "room and contents" to a "structure" fire - involving a wider area of the building and posing a potential risk to the structures surrounding the original location of the fire. Generalized Flashover Curve u.. (/) w w , 0:: <.? w Q ~ w 0:: .;GO :::> ~ 0:: w a. :a w }- 200 FLASHOVER TE\lPE.RA,TllR[ E.lQtct~rtO~'d!l(Y! CootiIc1r!flll:arrJ~ Poom1al 01 Millen3i& / / 3 5 7 9 11 MINUTES Note that this exhibit depicts a fire from the moment of inception - not from the moment that a fire is detected or reported. This demonstrates the criticality of early Matrix Consulting Group Page 31 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study detection and fast reporting as well as rapid dispatch of responding units. This also shows the critical need for a rapid (and sufficiently staffed) initial response - by quickly initiating the attack on a fire, "flashover" can be averted. The points, below, describe the major changes that occur at a fire when "flashover" occurs: . It is the end of time for effective search and rescue in a room involved in the fire. It means that likely death of any person trapped in the room - either civilian or firefighter. After this point in a fire is reached, portable extinguishers can no longer have a successful impact on controlling the blaze. Only larger hand-lines will have enough water supply to affect a fire after this point. The fire has reached the end of the "growth" phase and has entered the fully developed phase. During this phase, every combustible object is subject to the full impact of the fire. . This also signals the changeover from "contents" to "structure" fire. This is also the beginning of collapse danger for the structure. Structural collapse begins to become a major risk at this point and reaches the highest point during the decay stage of the fire (after the fire has been extinguished). It should be noted that not every fire will reach flashover - and that not every fire will "wait" for the 8-minute mark to reach flashover. A quickly responding fire crew can do things to prevent or delay the occurrence of flashover. These options include: . Application of portable extinguisher or other "fast attack" methodology. . Venting the room to allow hot gases to escape before they can cause the ignition of other materials in the room. . Not venting a room - under some circumstances this will actually stifle a fire and prevent flashover from occurring. Each of these techniques requires the rapid response of appropriately trained fire suppression resources that can safely initiate these actions. In the absence of automatic fire suppression systems, access to interior fires can again be limited by a safety requirement related to staffing levels. OSHA and related industry standards Matrix Consulting Group Page 32 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study require the presence of at least two firefighters on the exterior of a building before entry can be made to a structure in which the environment has been contaminated by a fire. In the absence of a threat to life demanding immediate rescue, interior fire suppression operations are limited to the extent a fire service delivery system can staff to assure a minimum of four people actively involved in firefighting operations. The second issue to consider is the delivery of emergency medical services. One of the primary factors in the design of emergency medical systems is the ability to deliver basic CPR and defibrillation to the victims of cardiac arrest. The exhibit, below, demonstrates the survivability of cardiac patients as related to time from onset: Survival Rate % Survival Rate 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 'r 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Response in Minutes This graph illustrates that the chances of survival of cardiac arrest diminish approximately 10% for each minute that passes before the initiation of CPR and/or defibrillation. These dynamics are the result of extensive studies of the survivability of patients suffering from cardiac arrest. While the demand for services in EMS is wide ranging, the survival rates for full-arrests are often utilized as benchmarks for response time standards as they are more readily evaluated because of the ease in defining patient outcomes (a patient either survives or does not). This research results in the Matrix Consulting Group Page 33 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study recommended objective of provision of basic life support within 4 minutes of notification and the provision of advanced life support within 8 minutes of notification. The goal is to provide BLS within 6 minutes of the onset of the incident (including detection, dispatch and travel time) and ALS within 10 minutes. This is often used as the foundation for a two-tier system where fire resources function as first responders with additional (ALS) assistance provided by responding ambulance units and personnel. Additional recent research is beginning to show the impact and efficacy of rapid deployment of automatic defibrillators to cardiac arrests. This research - conducted in King County (WA), Houston (TX) and as part of the OPALS study in Ontario, Canada - shows that the AED can be the largest single contributor to the successful outcome of a cardiac arrest - particularly when accompanied by early delivery of CPR. It is also important to note that these medical research efforts have been focused on a small fraction of the emergency responses handled by typical EMS systems - non-cardiac events make up the large majority of EMS and total system responses and this research does not attempt to address the need for such rapid (and expensive) intervention on these events. The results of these research efforts have been utilized by communities and first responders, often on their own with no single reference, to develop local response time and other performance objectives. However, there are now three major sources of information to which responders and local policy makers can refer to when determining the most appropriate response objectives for their community: The Insurance Services Office (ISO) provides basic information regarding distances between fire stations. However, this "objective" does little to recognize the unique nature of every community's road network, population, calls for service, call density, etc. Matrix Consulting Group Page 34 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) promulgated a documented entitled: "NFPA 1710: Objective for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments." This document (NFPA 1710) was published in 2001 and generated a great deal of dialogue and debate - which is still on-going. The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) in its "Objectives of Coverage" manual places the responsibility for identifying "appropriate" response objectives on the locality. These objectives should be developed following a comprehensive exercise in which the risks and hazards in the community are compared to the likelihood of their occurrence. While each of these efforts provides a reference point for communities to follow, only NFPA 1710 offers any specificity. It is important to note that the performance objectives (in terms of response times) provided in the NFPA 1710 document are derived from the basic research previously described. These include the following (all are taken from section 4.1.2.1.1 of NFPA 1710): One minute (60 seconds) for the processing of an incoming emergency phone call, including the completion of the dispatching of fire response units. "One minute (60 seconds) for turnout time." This is also called reflex time, reaction time, "out-the-chute" time, etc. This is the time that elapses between dispatch and when the units are actively responding. "Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident and / or 8 minutes (480 seconds) or less for the deployment of a full first-alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident." "Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival of a unit with first responder or higher level capability at an emergency medical incident." "Eight minutes (480 seconds) or less for the arrival of an advanced life support unit at an emergency medical incident, where this service is provided by the fire department." In section 4.1.2.1.2, NFPA 1710 goes on to state: "The fire department shall establish a performance objective of not less than 90 percent for the achievement of each response time objective specified in 4.1.2.1.1" Matrix Consulting Group Page 35 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study It is important to note the "and / or" found in the initial response objective statement. This indicates that a system would meet the intent of the standard if it can reasonably plan to deliver either the single unit, 4-minute travel time standard, the first alarm, 8-minute travel time standard, or both. It should also be noted that it is implied that the total time allotted is additive with each successive event. For example, a system which arrived on-scene in six (6) minutes or less 90% of the time (from time of dispatch) would be in compliance - even if the turnout time was longer than a minute (though that should clearly be improved). It is also critical to note that these time objectives apply to emergency calls for service - there is nothing in NFPA 1710 (nor in any other objective) that suggests that communities cannot establish a differential response to calls for service determined to be non-emergency in nature. A second element of the NFPA 1710 performance objectives addresses unit and total response staffing. These objectives are described in NFPA 1710 as follows: Engine and truck companies should be staffed with a minimum of four personnel (sections 5.2.2.1.1 and 5.2.2.2). Section A.3.3.8 defines a company as either a single unit or multiple units which operate together once they arrive on the fire ground. A total initial response is defined (in section 5.2.3.2.2) as having a total of 15 people (if an aerial is utilized) for 90% of calls. This is broken down as follows: One (1) incident commander. One (1) on the primary supply line and hydrant. Four (4) to handle the primary and backup attack lines. Two (2) operating in support of the attack lines, performing forcible entry. Two (2) assigned to victim search and rescue. Matrix Consulting Group Page 36 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Two (2) assigned to ventilation. One (1) assigned to operate the aerial device. Two (2) to establish an initial rapid intervention team. If an incident is determined to require additional resources, the fire department should have as an objective the ability to respond with: Additional units as needed (through its own resources or via automatic and mutual aid). Assignment of two (2) additional personnel to the rapid intervention team. Assignment of one (1) as an incident safety officer. It is interesting to note that the four person companies discussed in some areas of NFPA 1710 are not maintained in the description of primary tasks to be accomplished on the fire ground - recognition that the requirements of the response in the field are dynamic and do not fit neatly into size and shape of any particular response configuration. These objectives apply to the initial and follow-up response for reported structure fires. The document does not suggest that this response be mounted for all incidents. The project team from the Matrix Consulting Group utilized the following performance objectives for our analysis of fire station locations and operations in the City of Dubuque: One minute (60 seconds) or less for dispatch processing time - from call answer to dispatch of initial units. This is evaluated at a 90% fractile. One minute (60 seconds) or less for reflex time - from dispatch notification to the units going en-route. This is also evaluated at a 90% fractile. Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for drive time - from en-route time to arrival of the first unit on scene. This is also evaluated at a 90% fractile. Matrix Consulting Group Page 37 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Eight minutes (480 seconds) or less of drive time for the arrival of the second due station to the scene of a structure fire or large emergency incident. The standards above were utilized in the absence of any clearly defined performance targets. While the Department has a target "response time" of three to six minutes, this goal is not well defined. The following sections show the analysis of current performance against these standards. The following section provides a description of the Matrix Consulting Group's approach to analyzing station location and deployment issues. 2. THE MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP UTILIZES A DYNAMIC GIS ANALYTICAL MODEL TO EVALUATE DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES. The Matrix Consulting Group has developed an in-house capability for the analysis of fire station locations. This analytical approach is based on a number of key factors including the following: Utilization of state of the art GIS software developed by ESRI. These elements include Arclnfo 9.0, Network Analyst, Spatial Analyst and specialized sub- routines which focus on analyzing facility locations. Development of the most complete road network possible. In this case, the Matrix Consulting Group made use of data from the City's GIS staff, the County Assessor's Office, and the US Census. Access to and utilization of the most detailed call for service information possible. These data are taken from the CAD / RMS systems maintained by the Fire Department. In order to reduce the impact of seasonal or annual outliers, the Matrix Consulting Group utilizes multiple years of data. These include data points which focus on key information for analyzing station networks, including: Street address of the call. Call type and priority. Actual response times achieved by the Fire Department. Utilization of these technologies enables the Matrix Consulting Group to calculate a large range of statistical information about the current system or about various Matrix Consulting Group Page 38 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study alternatives. These rnay include the predicted average response time, the "fractile" response time, etc. The Matrix Consulting Group's approach involves identifying the total range of potential locations in the City. The model is then used to calculate the fastest possible response time from each of these locations to each call address. The impacts of growth are incorporated into the firm's model by projecting calls for service in undeveloped areas. These response times are then utilized to evaluated potential station locations. Various alternatives can then be tested to determine which may be the "optimal" solution for the City. The fact that we are able to test so many at once enables the City's policy makers and staff to evaluate potential tradeoffs between the costs (capital and operating) and the benefits (response time reduction or improved fractile performance) resulting from each alternative. The following section provides the project team's analysis of the current fire / EMS service delivery system. 3. ANALYSIS OF CURRENT RESPONSE CAPABILITIES SHOWS THAT THE CURRENT STATION NETWORK IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITY. The project team evaluated the capabilities of the current fire department response system utilizing two methods. The first evaluates response capabilities based on actual response time data derived from the City's Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Department performance on each of the targets identified above is measured to identify issues and or strengths. Next, the project team utilized the GIS model described above to identify theoretical or projected response times from current station locations. This approach allows the firm to verify the accuracy of the GIS model with respect to response times, and provides a benchmark against which response time data can be evaluated. In other words, the model is calibrated against actual response time data and the model is used to identify potential issues with how the Department is responding to emergency incidents. Matrix Consulting Group Page 39 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study (1) While the Station Network Is Well Designed, the Department Is Not Meeting All Recommended Performance Targets. This section compares response times achieved by the DFD during calendar year 2005 to the benchmarks discussed in the preceding sections. The project team collected detailed call for service data to document actual response time elements during this time period. The exhibit, below, provides a summary of response times achieved by the Fire Department during 2005: Avg. % Avg. % Avg.FD % Reflex Drive <4 Total <5 Incident Tvoe Time < 1 Min. Time Mins. ResDonse Mins. ACCIDENT PD HAZARD 0.00 100% 4.07 100% 3.27 100% ACCIDENT PI 0.59 78% 3.55 86% 3.31 86% ACCIDENT PI HIT & RUN 0.32 100% 3.14 67% 3.36 67% ACCIDENT PI MINOR 1.23 33% 2.82 100% 2.14 100% ACCIDENT PI W/ENTRAPMENT 0.38 75% 3.30 83% 3.19 83% AMBULANCE 1 ST RESP HOT/AMB COLD 0.94 70% 3.39 90% 3.39 89% AMBULANCE ALL UNITS HOT 0.90 67% 3.24 86% 3.43 88% AMBULANCE NON- EMERGENCY 1.22 60% 3.98 67% 4.66 64% ASSAULT FIGHT ACTIVE WEAPON 0.00 100% 1.57 100% 2.35 100% BOMB THREAT 0.67 67% 5.40 50% 4.26 67% DOMESTIC INJURY ACTIVE 0.12 100% 0.94 100% 0.72 100% FIRE BUSINESS 0.68 78% 3.93 67% 4.52 68% FIRE DUMPSTER 0.77 75% 4.12 63% 5.44 50% FIRE GRASS 2.09 19% 2.76 77% 4.72 62% FIRE NO THREAT 1.61 52% 3.33 71% 4.81 63% FIRE RESIDENCE 0.78 75% 3.78 74% 4.51 68% FIRE UNKNOWN 0.89 62% 3.21 71% 5.05 71% FIRE VEHICLE 1.04 65% 2.97 79% 3.94 83% FIRE VEHICLE WITH OCCUPANTS 1.14 0% 3.12 100% 4.21 100% HAZARD HIGH ANGLE 1.63 0% 2.22 100% 3.85 100% HAZARD MAJOR 0.77 63% 4.37 40% 5.68 45% HAZARD RIVER RESCUE 0.31 100% 6.10 25% 9.03 25% HAZARD WIRES DOWN 0.66 75% 4.03 60% 4.82 63% MEDICAL DISPATCH - PRO Q A 0.12 96% 3.71 75% 3.33 86% MISC AGENCY ASSIST 0.00 100% 2.10 50% 2.10 100% MISC CITIZEN ASSIST 0.30 100% 4.12 50% 4.42 100% MISC WARRANT SERVICE 0.00 100% 0.00 100% 0.00 100% MISC WELFARE CHECK 0.13 100% 1.13 100% 1.13 67% Matrix Consulting Group Page 40 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Avg. % Avg. % Avg.FD % Reflex Drive <4 Total <5 Incident T e Time < 1 Min. Time Mins. Res onse Mins. SERVICE LOCK OUT 1.86 80% 3.52 60% 5.38 60% SERVICE MINOR HAZARD 1.19 61% 3.84 60% 4.97 53% SERVICE MISC FIRE 1.41 55% 3.81 60% 5.19 55% SERVICE POWER OUTAGE 0.00 100% 4.77 50% 4.77 50% SERVICE WATER OR STEAM LEAK 3.97 0% 1.20 100% 5.16 67% SUSPICIOUS PERSON 0.00 100% 1.54 100% 2.26 100% TRAFFIC PROBLEM 0.09 100% 0.01 100% 0.10 100% Total 1.00 66% 3.54 77% 4.06 76% The following points summarize the information above: . Overall, the Department is averaging one minute for turn-out or "reflex" time to all calls for service. Note that this includes non-emergency calls for service. Overall, the DFD is meeting the one-minute target 66% of the time. Utilizing only emergency calls for service indicates that this target is being met approximately 68% of the time, short of the 90% target. It should be noted that the timestamp for recording when a unit goes "en-route" to the scene is recorded in dispatch once verbal confirmation is made with the responding unit. There may be a delay in recording this time based on call activity in dispatch. As a result there may be instances where time stamps do not accurately reflect "reflex" time. . The Department is averaging approximately 3.5 minutes of drive time to all calls for service and meeting the four-minute target approximately 77% of the time. Again, this includes non-emergency calls. Looking at only emergency calls shows that the four-minute target is being met approximately 85% of the time. . Finally, the total Fire Department response (from dispatch to arrival of the first unit on scene) averaged approximately four minutes. The percentage of total calls responded to within 5 minutes or less of reflex and drive time was 76%. Again, if only emergency calls are used, the Department is meeting the performance target approximately 85% of the time. Overall, the Department is performing well against the drive time and total fire department response time targets. However, performance against the reflex time benchmarks can be significantly improved. The Department and City should verify that reflex times are being captured appropriately within the CAD system. Improving reflex time will enhance response times and ensure the most effective response to emergency incidents. Matrix Consulting Group Page 41 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Recommendation: The Department should improve reflex times and monitor performance against the one-minute target to ensure data are captured accurately and to identify response impediments. This is a critical component of overall response time. Recommendation: The Department should ensure that reflex times are being captured accurately by the dispatch center and investigate those instances where reflex times exceed one minute. (2) Matrix Consulting Group Calibrated Its Station Location Model to Approximate Current Response Capabilities. The project team utilized ArcGIS and the Network Analyst extension to estimate the potential areas of the City that can be reached within the targeted drive times of four minutes and eight minutes. Travel times are generated based on estimated speed limits for different road classifications - arterial, minor arterial, collector, local roads, etc. These estimates incorporate the ability of a large piece of fire apparatus to safely respond to emergency incidents, traffic, and other response impediments. The project team verifies these assumptions by comparing projected response capabilities to actual response times. The project team utilized the following travel speed assumptions in calibrated the station location model: . Arterial roads were assigned an average travel speed of 35 miles per hour. . Minor arterials, collectors, and local roads were assigned travel speeds of 25 miles per hour. The project team then utilized personnel and unit deployment information to measure the ability to deliver resources to the scene of an emergency incident. The projected coverage of these incidents is based on actual calls for service responded to during 2005. The next section provides an analysis of current resource deployment. Matrix Consulting Group Page 42 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study (3) The Project Team Utilized the Station Location Model to Evaluate Personnel Deployment and Response Capabilities. The project team developed maps and statistics that describe the current capabilities of the response system. The project team evaluated the response capabilities of the current station network and deployment of personnel based on the following: The number of units delivered within four minutes of drive time. This element measures the ability to handle single EMS incidents as well as larger incidents which require a quick initial response. . The number of personnel delivered within four minutes of drive time. This element also measures the ability to handle EMS and larger incidents but provides additional information on personnel resources available. The number of personnel delivered within eight minutes of drive time. This measure evaluates the ability to handle structure fire incidents or other large incidents which require additional personnel. . The ability to delivery an ALS response within eight minutes of drive time. The element is based on the research discussed in the performance standards section. The maps, that follow, depict the Fire Department's performance against the above benchmarks: Matrix Consulting Group Page 43 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City of Dubuque, Iowa Potential Personnel Responding at 4 Minutes of Drive Time / efsonnelat4 Minutes ~-3 4,6 City of Dubuque, Iowa Potential Units Responding at 4 Minutes of Drive Time 3 Dubuque BoulClaries Matrix Consulting Group Page 44 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City of Dubuque, Iowa Potential Personnel Responding at 8 Minutes of Drive Time . 8 2.1 2.~ City of Dubuque, Iowa Potential Ambulance Units Responding at 8 Minutes of Drive Time Matrix Consulting Group Page 45 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study In addition to the maps above, the project team developed response statistics that demonstrate the potential response capabilities of the Department based on current deployment. The first set of tables describe the number of calls (actual 2005 calls) capable of being reached by various levels of personnel and units within four minutes of drive time: Potential # of Personnel Responding At 4 Minutes of Drive Time # of Personnel # of Calls % Cumulative 2 to 3 1,126 27% 27% 4 to 6 465 11% 38% 7to 8 232 6% 44% 9to 12 743 18% 62% 13 to 15 1,102 27% 89% Outside 4 Min. 467 11% Total 4,135 100% 100% Potential # of Units Responding At 4 Minutes of Drive Time # of Units # of Calls % Cumulative 1 Unit 1,126 27% 27% 2 Unit 306 7% 35% 3 Unit 251 6% 41% 4 Units 140 3% 44% 5 or more units 1,845 45% 89% Outside 4 Min. 467 11% Total 4,135 100% 100% The following points summarize the tables above: . As shown above, the station location model predicts that approximately 89% of total calls for service responded to during 2005 could be reached by at least 2 personnel. Note that actual response performance was 85%. . Approximately 61% of total calls for service could be reached by 4 or more personnel. . Approximately 50% of total calls for service could be reached by 7 or more personnel. Matrix Consulting Group Page 46 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study As shown above, the model predicts that approximately 89% of calls for service could be reached by at least 1 unit. Again, actual response performance was 85%. Approximately 61 % of total calls for service could be reached by 2 or more units. . Approximately 54% of total calls could be reached by 3 or more units. Approximately 45% of total calls could be reached by 5 or more units. The next set of tables shows response capabilities at 8 minutes of drive time: Potential # of Personnel Responding At 8 Minutes of Drive Time # of Personnel 2 to 4 5108 9 to 13 14to 15 161022 Outside 8 Min Total # of Calls 159 408 728 194 2,637 9 4,135 % 4% 10% 18% 5% 64% 0% 100% Cumulative 4% 14% 31% 36% 100% Potential Ambulance Units Responding At 8 Minutes of Drive Time Medic Units # of Calls % Cumulative 1 Unil 1,081 26% 26% 2 Units 2,830 68% 95% Outside 8 Min. 224 5% Total 4,135 100% 100% The following points summarize the tables above: . The Department is predicted to be capable of providing at least 1 unit to 99% of total calls for service within 8 minutes of drive time. . Approximately 96% of total calls for service could be reached by 5 or more personnel within 8 minutes of drive time. Approximately 82% of total calls for service could be reached by 9 or more personnel within 8 minutes of drive time. . Approximately 70% of total calls for service could be reached by 14 or more personnel within 8 minutes of drive time. Matrix Consulting Group Page 47 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study . Approximately 95% of total calls for service can be reached by at least 1 ambulance unit within eight minutes of drive time. Approximately 68% of total calls for service can be reached by at least 2 ambulance units. Overall, while the Department is somewhat below the strict benchmarks utilized by NFPA for structure fire response, the Department is capable of providing significant resources within targeted response times to handle emergency incidents. In addition, due to the relative infrequency of structure fires (fewer than 100 in 2005) the response network is well designed to handle current workloads. Matrix Consulting Group Page 48 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 4. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE STATION LOCATIONS AND FUTURE GROWTH ISSUES This chapter presents the project team's analysis of the Department's optimal station locations based on current workload as well as anticipated population and call for service workload growth over the next twenty-five years. 1. THE PROJECT TEAM IDENTIFIED ALTERNATIVE FIRE STATION LOCATION SITES FOR ANALYSIS. The project team conducted a number of tours of the City to identify potential sites for fire station relocation or fire station additions. In selecting potential sites the project team focused on the following criteria: Adjacent land uses of existing parcels. For example, the project team utilized sites that would not be located within a developed, primarily residential area. Access to arterial roads and major thoroughfares. . Sites large enough to potentially locate a fire station. Generally sites that were at least one acre were selected. . Sites that could potentially allow for the consolidation of existing stations and/or the addition of a new station. For example, sites that were one block away from existing stations were not utilized since these would have negligible impacts on response times. Based on the criteria above, the project team developed a list of potential sites. The exhibit, below, and the map that follows, identifies the location of the sites evaluated. Note that each site is assigned a number for ease of reporting. Site 11 West 9th Street 2180 JFK Road 3155 Central Avenue 1697 Universit Avenue 689 South Grandview 1500 Rhomber Avenue Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 Matrix Consulting Group Page 49 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Site Chavenelle & Radford Kelly & Valentine Ke West Station 22nd & Windsor Penns Ivania Flora Park Sei el Near Cousins Middle Near Berry Kenned near 320d 32nd near Carter Chavenelle Sei Chavenelle blw Se! el & Radford Chesterville & Cottingham 61 & Southwest Arterial Number 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 City of Dubuque, Iowa Current & Potentiai Station Locations N A Current & Potential Stations As shown above, the project team identified nineteen total sites, including current stations, for further analysis. Matrix Consulting Group Page 50 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 2. MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP IDENTIFIED AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF POTENTIAL STATION LOCATION SCENARIOS The Matrix Consulting Group's approach to evaluating fire station locations is focused on evaluating all possible unique combinations of fire station locations. This means that each unique station location combination is identified for evaluation of the potential impact on response capabilities. This is accomplished for different scenarios which include a given number of stations (e.g. 4 station options, 5 station options, 6 station options, etc.), As an illustration, the project team considered all possible fire station location combinations for options that include four stations, five stations, and six stations. The table, below, shows the total number of scenarios (options) evaluated by the project team: Number of Stations Number of Scenarios 4 Stations 11,628 5 Stations 27,123 6 Stations 50,338 7 Stations 75,582 Total 164,730 As shown above, over 164,000 different scenarios were evaluated. For each of these scenarios, the project team determined the following response statistics: . The average response time in minutes. . The percentage of calls reached by the first arriving station/unit in four minutes. . The percentage of calls reached by at least two stations within eight minutes. . The percentage of calls reached by at least three stations within eight minutes. The percentage of calls reached by four stations within eight minutes. Matrix Consulting Group Page 51 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The results of the analysis were then sorted by the top performing scenarios and those scenarios requiring the fewest number of new stations. 3. ANALYSIS OF OPTIMAL STATION LOCATIONS BASED ON CURRENT WORKLOAD INDICATES THAT MINOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE LEVELS WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS TO THE FIRE STATION NETWORK. This section presents the results of the station location analysis based on current call for service workload. This analysis was performed to identify potential station relocations, consolidations, or additions that would enhance current service levels or reduce costs. In evaluating optimal placement of station locations, the project team had to develop some criteria for ranking the results of the analysis. Because the model produces a number of statistics: average response time, four minute fractile, five minute fractile, six minute fractile, eight minute fractile (calls reached by two or more stations), developing criteria to rank scenarios is important. The exhibit, that follows, discusses the tradeoffs of utilizing various performance measures: Meas u re Advanta es Total Response Time Choosing the scenario with the lowest total response time ensures that a large portion of calls will receive a quick response. Average Response Time Same as using total response time since total response time is just divided by total number of calls to determine the avera e. Matrix Consulting Group Disadvanta es Using total response time does not maximize the number of calls that can be reached within a specified response target. For example, scenarios with the lowest total response time may indicate that some calls receive a very quick response time, while some calls receive a delayed res onse time. Same as above. Page 52 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Meas u re Advanta!les Disadvanta!les Four minute fractile (% of calls Choosing the scenario with the Using the four minute fractile reached within 4 minutes) best four minute fractile (greatest may limit the ability of the % of calls reached within four Department to provide more than minutes of drive time for the first one unit on scene within an eight arriving unit), would ensure the minute target. This is due to the best initial response time. fact that scenarios with the best four minute fractile essentially spread out stations to provide coveraQe to a larQe area. 8 Minute Fractile (% of calls Choosing the scenario with the Using this measure does not reached within 8 minutes) best eight minute fractile always result in the best initial (greatest % of calls reached by at response. This approach tends least two stations within eight to concentrate resources in high minute of drive time), ensures call density areas. coverage of calls when another station is busy (concurrency), or during incidents that require a large number personnel and equipment (e.Q. structure fires). In sum, there are benefits and consequences from utilizing a single measure to choose the best station locations, The project team believes, however, that utilizing three criteria to evaluate scenarios is useful. First, the project team ranked scenarios based on four-minute response performance, Since the vast majority of workload involves emergency medical incidents, and an efficient response limits the escalation of fire, utilizing the four-minute target is essential. Second, scenarios that required the fewest number of new stations and had a high level of four-minute performance were chosen. Finally, eight-minute performance was utilized to further refine the rankings. Utilizing the criteria discussed above, the project team developed a list of the top ten station location scenarios for four-station, five-station, and six-station options. The first two tables, on the following page, show the top 15 scenarios ranked by four-minute performance and by fewest number of new stations required. Note: ST1, ST2, ST3, ST 4, ST5 refer to site numbers (for each of the potential sites) identified and shown in the previous section. Matrix Consulting Group Page 53 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Top 15 Station Options Including 5 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Current Workload 8MIN- New ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 AVG. 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 2 8MIN-3 8MIN-4 Stations 2 3 5 10 11 2.71 87% 92% 95% 94% 66% 49% 2 2 3 4 5 10 2.61 87% 92% 95% 91% 70% 54% 1 1 2 3 4 6 2.30 86% 92% 94% 90% 70% 54% 0 2 4 5 10 15 2.70 86% 91% 95% 91% 77% 33% 2 2 5 10 11 15 2.80 86% 91% 95% 90% 75% 31% 3 1 2 3 4 10 2.24 86% 91% 94% 90% 73% 57% 1 2 5 8 10 11 2.79 86% 91% 96% 86% 66% 36% 3 2 4 5 8 10 2.69 85% 91% 96% 85% 72% 37% 2 2 5 7 10 11 2.80 85% 91% 96% 84% 72% 12% 3 2 4 5 7 10 2.70 85% 91% 96% 88% 73% 12% 2 1 2 3 4 5 2.38 85% 90% 94% 89% 72% 59% 0 1 2 3 5 11 2.45 85% 90% 94% 93% 67% 55% 1 1 2 3 4 8 2.41 85% 91% 94% 89% 76% 36% 1 2 5 9 10 11 2.83 85% 91% 95% 85% 61% 10% 3 2 4 5 9 10 2.73 85% 91% 96% 85% 67% 11% 2 Top 15 Station Options Including 6 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Current Workload New ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST6 AVG. 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 8MIN-2 8MIN-3 8MIN-4 Stations 2 3 5 8 10 11 2.63 90% 94% 96% 96% 73% 58% 3 2 3 4 5 8 10 2.54 89% 94% 96% 92% 77% 63% 2 2 3 5 7 10 11 2.64 89% 93% 96% 94% 78% 52% 3 2 3 4 5 7 10 2.54 89% 93% 96% 95% 78% 56% 2 2 3 5 9 10 11 2.68 89% 93% 95% 96% 68% 50% 3 2 3 4 5 9 10 2.58 89% 93% 96% 92% 72% 55% 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 2.16 89% 93% 96% 91% 77% 63% 0 1 2 3 5 6 11 2.23 89% 93% 95% 95% 76% 60% 1 1 2 3 4 6 8 2.19 88% 94% 96% 92% 81% 62% 1 1 2 3 4 6 7 2.23 88% 93% 95% 95% 80% 55% 1 1 2 3 5 10 11 2.17 88% 92% 95% 95% 77% 62% 2 2 5 8 10 11 15 2.72 88% 92% 96% 92% 79% 57% 4 1 2 3 4 5 10 2.10 88% 92% 95% 91% 77% 66% 1 2 4 5 8 10 15 2.63 88% 92% 96% 92% 82% 61% 3 1 2 3 4 8 10 2.13 88% 93% 95% 92% 81% 65% 2 Bolded row shows current stations Matrix Consulting Group Page 54 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Top 15 Station Options Including 7 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Current Workload New ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST6 ST7 AVG. 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 8MIN-2 8MIN-3 8MIN-4 Stations 2 3 5 7 8 10 11 2.56 91% 95% 97% 97% 81% 63% 4 2 3 4 5 7 8 10 2.47 91% 95% 97% 97% 82% 68% 3 2 3 5 8 9 10 11 2.60 91% 95% 96% 96% 75% 60% 4 1 2 3 5 6 8 11 2.15 91% 94% 96% 96% 82% 65% 2 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 2.50 91% 95% 96% 92% 78% 66% 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 2.09 91% 94% 96% 92% 83% 69% 1 2 3 5 7 9 10 11 2.60 91% 95% 96% 96% 80% 53% 4 2 3 4 5 7 9 10 2.50 91% 95% 97% 97% 80% 58% 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2.09 90% 94% 97% 96% 85% 65% 1 1 2 3 5 6 7 11 2.16 90% 94% 96% 96% 88% 61% 2 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 2.12 90% 95% 96% 96% 85% 68% 2 1 2 3 5 8 10 11 2.09 90% 94% 96% 96% 83% 65% 3 1 2 3 4 5 8 10 2.03 90% 94% 96% 92% 83% 70% 2 2 3 5 6 8 10 11 2.57 90% 94% 96% 96% 84% 63% 3 2 3 5 8 10 11 15 2.61 90% 94% 96% 96% 87% 67% 4 The following points highlight the information above: . The highest ranked five station option is predicted to result in 87% of current calls for service being reached within four minutes of drive time. This would require the addition or relocation of 2 stations. This option however requires one fewer station than currently utilized by the Department. The best option that requires the no new stations results in 86% of calls reached within four minutes or drive time. Note that both of these are decreases from the projected 89% performance at four minutes for the current station network. The highest ranked six station option is predicted to reach 90% of total calls for service within four minutes of drive time. This would require the addition or relocation of 3 stations. Note that the increase in service levels is marginal compared to current service levels. Current stations are predicted to reach 89% of calls for service within 4 minutes of drive time. The highest ranked seven station option is predicted to reach 91% of total calls for service within four minutes of drive time and will require 4 new stations. Again, the increase in service levels is marginal. Overall, minor increases in service levels would require significant modifications to the current system. While a similar level of service can be provided with fewer stations, significant modifications are required. In addition, consolidation of stations Matrix Consulting Group Page 55 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study may not provide desired service levels once new development within the Dubuque area occurs. 4. THE CITY IS ANTICIPATING SIGNIFICANT POPULATION GROWTH DUE TO ANNEXATIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS. The graph. below. displays information about population growth in the City. changes since 1980 and expectations about growth through 2031. The population estimates are based on information provided by the Transportation and Planning Department of the East Central Iowa Intergovernmental Association. Population Growth and Projections. 1990 - 2031 75000.-. . 62.374 60.000 45.000 30.000 15.000 o ---.-.---~-. H - - . -6'l30m 57.686 61.093 . 1980 1990 2000 2003 2015 2031 In_____._ Although the population has remained largely unchanged over the past several decades. interviews with Dubuque's planners indicate that the City plans to continue to annex unincorporated areas of the county on its borders and foster job creation. The City currently covers 29.5 square miles. This area includes an annexation of approximately 700 acres of land (a little more than one square mile) that has been challenged in the courts by the neighboring City of Asbury. The City is currently updating its 2002 Comprehensive Plan and analyzing the costs and benefits of annexing 23 parcels of land within its extraterritorial zone. The 23 parcels are identified Matrix Consulting Group Page 56 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study in the City's "Future Land Use 2030" map. The 23 parcels total 23,000 acres or approximately 36 square miles. If all of the parcels are brought into the City, they will more than double the land area of Dubuque. The parcels identified for annexation are briefly described below: . 17 of the 23 parcels are located on the southern and western sides of City. They are south of the City of Asbury. These parcels are both north and south of the proposed, limited access, southwest arterial that will run from route 61 in the east near Williams Lane to Route 20 in the west near Seippel Road. Areas north of the proposed southwest arterial and west of route 61 of are tentatively zoned as single family or duplex and mixed residential. Areas to the south of the proposed southwest arterial and west of route 61 are tentatively zoned rural density residential. Areas to the east of 61 from the City's current boundary are zoned primarily single family or duplex. These parcels are identified as a mix of single family or duplex or agricultural zoning. The remaining six parcels are on the north central section of the City and extend from the City of Asbury east to Central Avenue and north to the City of Sageville. The parcels are tentatively zoned single family duplex or agricultural. The potential extension of the City primarily westward and southward will increase service demands on the Fire Department as the City's population is spread out. Response times to these areas will be a significant issue as growth occurs. The East Central Iowa Intergovernmental Association recently conducted a transportation study of the Dubuque area, which identifies potential population growth in these outlying areas. The map, below, illustrates where population growth will occur over the next twenty-five years: Matrix Consulting Group Page 57 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City of Dubuque, Iowa Estimated Population Growth 2005 to 2030 (DMATS Areas) Legend Pop Growth Hlll$ II. 2030 -18~. 0 ,') 1001.:000 ~~~-) --?~- "!_~.~ 1_1000 _:001-4000 _4001-66Z2 t- O Dubuque BOll"d~r!~s! ~- - ,1 (" In order to estimate the impact of additional population growth and economic development on Fire Department workload, the project team identified the areas of the region likely to be incorporated into the City. In addition, a relationship between calls for service workload and population change was developed to project future service demands. The first table, below, shows the relationship between historic population growth and calls for service: Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Average Po ulation 57,204 57,364 57,525 57,686 57,846 58,007 Calls 4,121 4,133 4,144 4,175 4,006 4,335 Ratio 13.88 13.88 13.88 13.82 14.44 13.38 13.88 As shown above, based on population growth and calls for service growth, the City has experienced approximately one additional call for service per 13.88 additional Matrix Consulting Group Page 58 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study residents. This relationship was utilized to project future workload. The exhibit, below, shows the projected population growth within potential growth areas identified by City planners. Note that traffic analysis zones were utilized to define growth areas: Popu lalion Change Zone 2005-2030 TAl 19061:149 64 TAZ 19061 :151 2,683 TAZ 19061:152 52 TAZ 19061:156 9 TAl 19061:158 (24) TAl 19061:159 (4) TAZ 19061:162 347 TAl 19061:214 (571 TAl 19061:223 (7) TAl 19061 :235 - TAl 19061 :236 (21) TAZ 19061245 87 TAl 19061 :246 673 TAl 19061 :247 9 TAl 19061 :261 121 TAZ 19061 :263 492 TAl 19061 :265 (5) TAl 19061 :266 (11) TAl 19061 :268 991 TAl 19061270 367 TAl 19061:273 (9) TAl 19061 :278 3,697 TAl 19061 :279 2,589 TAl 19061 :280 6,622 TAl 19061 :281 (9) TAl 19061 :282 648 TAl 19061 :381 1,003 TAl 19061 :384 5 TAl 19061 :389 (3) Tolal 20,309 As shown above, potential growth areas could add an additional 20,309 residents over the next 25 years. Based on these estimates, the project team modeled call for service workload. The fire station location model was utilized to evaluate alternative station locations and their impact on response time performance. Matrix Consulting Group Page 59 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study 5. ANALYSIS OF STATION LOCATION OPTIONS BASED ON FUTURE WORKLOAD INDICATES THAT AT LEAST TWO STATIONS WILL NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE STATION NETWORK TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH PLANS. Using the same approach to evaluate alternative station locations based on current workload, the project team evaluated the impact of future workload on station needs. The tables, which follow, provide the top ranked station options for 6-station, 7- station, and 8-station options (Note that 5-station options are not shown due to low projected performance). Top 15 Station Options Including 6 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Future Workload New ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST6 AVG. 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 8MIN-2 8MIN-3 8MIN-4 Stations 2 3 5 9 10 11 4.80 75% 79% 81% 75% 52% 39% 3 2 3 4 5 9 10 4.72 75% 79% 81% 72% 55% 43% 2 1 2 3 4 6 9 4.46 74% 79% 81% 69% 56% 42% 1 2 5 8 9 10 11 4.62 74% 78% 82% 68% 53% 30% 4 2 5 7 9 10 11 4.38 74% 79% 83% 68% 57% 12% 4 2 4 5 7 9 10 4.30 74% 79% 83% 70% 57% 12% 3 2 4 5 9 10 15 4.79 74% 78% 81% 72% 60% 28% 3 2 4 5 8 9 10 4.55 74% 78% 82% 66% 57% 31% 3 2 5 9 10 11 15 4.86 74% 78% 81% 72% 59% 26% 4 1 2 3 4 9 10 4.41 74% 79% 81% 69% 57% 45% 2 2 5 9 10 11 12 3.66 73% 80% 85% 67% 48% 10% 4 2 4 5 9 10 12 3.59 73% 80% 85% 67% 52% 11% 3 1 2 3 4 7 9 4.09 73% 79% 82% 72% 60% 10% 2 1 2 3 4 8 9 4.34 73% 79% 81% 69% 59% 31% 2 2 5 9 10 11 16 3.95 73% 79% 83% 67% 48% 10% 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 5.18 68% 71% 73% 70% 59% 49% 0 Bolded Scenario represents performance of current stations Matrix Consulting Group Page 60 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Top 15 Station Options Including 7 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Future Workload 8MIN 8MIN 8MIN New ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST6 ST7 AVG. 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 2 3 4 Stations 2 3 5 8 9 10 11 4.51 77% 80% 82% 75% 58% 47% 4 2 3 5 7 9 10 11 4.27 77% 81% 83% 75% 62% 41% 4 2 3 4 5 7 9 10 4.19 76% 81% 83% 76% 61% 45% 3 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 4.44 76% 80% 82% 72% 61% 51% 3 2 3 5 9 10 11 12 3.55 76% 82% 85% 75% 53% 39% 4 2 3 4 5 9 10 12 3.47 76% 82% 85% 73% 56% 43% 3 2 3 5 9 10 11 16 3.84 76% 81% 83% 75% 53% 39% 4 2 3 4 5 9 10 16 3.76 76% 81% 83% 73% 55% 43% 3 1 2 3 4 6 7 9 3.92 76% 81% 83% 73% 64% 42% 2 1 2 3 4 6 8 9 4.18 76% 81% 82% 71% 63% 50% 2 2 5 7 8 9 10 11 4.21 76% 80% 83% 68% 60% 34% 5 2 3 5 9 10 11 17 4.13 76% 80% 83% 75% 56% 39% 4 2 5 8 9 10 11 15 4.58 76% 79% 82% 73% 63% 46% 5 2 3 4 5 9 10 17 4.06 76% 80% 83% 74% 57% 43% 3 2 4 5 7 9 10 15 4.26 75% 79% 83% 74% 63% 33% 4 ~ 5.18 168% I 71% I 73% I 70% 59% I 49% o Top 15 Station Options Including 8 Stations Ranked by 4 Minute Performance Based on Futu re Workload 8MIN 8MIN 8MIN ST1 ST2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST6 ST7 ST8 AVG 4MIN 5MIN 6MIN 2 3 4 New 2 3 4 5 7 9 10 18 3.33 78% 85% 90% 76% 61% 46% 4 2 3 5 7 9 10 11 18 3.46 77% 85% 90% 76% 61% 42% 5 2 3 5 7 8 10 11 18 3.65 77% 85% 89% 76% 62% 49% 5 2 4 5 7 9 10 15 18 3.37 77% 84% 90% 71% 62% 37% 5 2 3 4 5 7 8 10 18 3.52 77% 85% 89% 76% 62% 52% 4 2 3 4 5 7 10 18 19 3.38 77% 85% 90% 76% 60% 45% 4 2 5 7 9 10 11 15 18 3.50 77% 85% 90% 71% 61% 35% 6 2 3 4 5 7 10 12 18 3.47 77% 84% 90% 81% 61% 45% 4 2 3 5 7 10 11 18 19 3.51 77% 85% 90% 76% 61% 42% 5 2 5 7 8 10 11 15 18 3.69 77% 84% 89% 71% 61% 50% 6 2 3 5 7 10 11 12 18 3.61 77% 85% 90% 80% 61% 43% 5 2 4 5 7 8 10 15 18 3.56 77% 84% 89% 71% 63% 51% 5 2 4 5 7 10 15 18 19 3.42 77% 84% 90% 71% 61% 35% 5 2 4 5 7 10 12 15 18 3.52 77% 84% 90% 77% 62% 35% 5 2 5 7 10 11 15 18 19 3.55 77% 85% 90% 71% 60% 34% 6 ~ 5.18 I 68% I 71% I 73% I 70% 59% I 49% o Matrix Consulting Group Page 61 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The following points summarize the information above: . As shown above, the best 6-station option is predicted to reach 75% of calls for service within 4-minutes of drive time. This requires three new stations. The second best results in the same performance, with less coverage at 8-minutes by two stations. This option requires two new stations. Note that the current station network is projected to reach only 68% of calls for service within four minutes or less of drive time with an average drive time of over five minutes. . The best 7-station option is predicted to reach 77% of calls for service within 4- minutes of drive time. This option requires four new stations. Average response time is predicted to be 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Three stations are predicted to be able to reach 58% of calls for service within 8 minutes of drive time. The best 7-station options requiring the fewest number of new stations, consists of sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. This option results in a four-minute fractal performance of 76% and requires only 2 new stations, including the relocation of Station 5. This options also improves average response time to less than four minutes. . The best 8-station option is predicted to reach 78% of total calls within four minutes of drive time and requires four new stations. Note that four-minute fractal performance only increases by 1%. In addition, eight-minute performance improves only slightly. Average drive time, under this scenario, improves to 3.3 minutes. Much of the decrease in projected service levels is due to the projected location of population growth (as shown in the previous population growth map). The location of growth is also similar over the next five and fifteen-year period. The maps, that follow, show that much of the anticipated growth is located within the far southwest and southern areas of the City - well outside the traditional fire/EMS service area. Matrix Consulting Group Page 62 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City of Dubuque, Iowa Estimated Population Growth 2005 to 2010 (DMATS Areas) Legend Pop Growth2005 to 2010 0-67-0 01-37 E]3a-128 .129-337 _338-579 DD.lbuqueBoundaries _~~~~~~_S~~_Rlver DO. ,~??: ,1.5 2.25 City of Dubuque, Iowa Estimated Population Growth 2005 to 2020 (DMATS Areas) Legend Pop Growth 2005 to 2020 D-65--14 D-13-102 0103360 _361_766 _767-1894 o OubuqueBoundar _MiS5lssippiRiver ~~':S17$ " '" Matrix Consulting Group Page 63 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Given the location of anticipated growth, it is not surprising that the addition of stations does not markedly improve performance levels. As shown above, the areas of greatest growth are well west and south of the current City boundaries and existing services. The exact location of new development and the timing of this development could severely impact the ability of the Fire Department to respond to additional call for service workload. Maintaining current service levels for these areas will be a challenge to the City as annexation proceeds within these areas. Based on the preceding analysis, the project team makes the following recommendations regarding service levels, station location modifications, and timing: . The City should monitor population growth and economic development within annexation areas to the far west and south of the current boundaries. The City should also encourage an orderly expansion of growth close to existing boundaries and then expanding west and south. The City may also want to consider establishing alternative service level objectives or more stringent fire code standards (e.g. residential sprinkler systems) for those developments well outside the current boundaries and service areas of the City. The City should continue to utilize traffic signal preemption devices to improve response times in the growth areas. The Department has already installed preemption devices at 30 intersections throughout the City. In addition, new intersections are required to have these devices installed prior to operation. Use of these technologies has a significant impact on response times and should be continued to mitigate delays in emergency response. . As development occurs, the City should add one additional station and relocate one current station to accommodate the increase in Fire Department workload and to minimize the change in service levels. This scenario would consist of adding a station at or near Chavenelle & Radford to provide service to the west side of the City. In addition, the City should relocate Station 5 to the area at or near the current Key West Volunteer station. . Additional development farther west or south of the City along the proposed southwest arterial extension should be monitored to identify potential workload increases that may cause extended response times. Depending on the location of this increase in workload, an 8th station should be added to the far west, at or near Chesterville & Cottingham, or along the Southwest Arterial. Matrix Consulting Group Page 64 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study The project team also recommends that as these stations are added to the network, additional personnel be added to staff an engine and ambulance unit at each station. This recommendation is made for the following reasons: . These areas are well outside the 8-minute response coverage of current ambulance units as shown previously in this report. The ability to deliver an ALS transport unit within 8 minutes of drive time is critical to providing high quality EMS care. . Suppression resources and initial EMS response will be needed to provide an initial attack unit within four minutes of drive time. The current station network is projected to reach only 68% of future call for service workload in this time frame. In addition, average response times are predicted to reach over 5 minutes. The addition of one station, and relocation of another will improve average response time to less than four minutes. . The use of two units, staffed by a team of 4 personnel, is consistent with current deployment of personnel in Dubuque. This practice is also an effective means of providing fire and EMS service, while minimizing staffing costs. The project team estimated the operating and capital costs associated with these changes. The table, below, is based on the Department's most recent budget information as well as estimates of construction costs and land values: Estimated Cost of Adding One Additional Station Near Radford & Chavenelle Position Ca tilt. Driver FF o eratin Salaries Benefits $52,910 25,397.02 $49,155 23,594.40 $45,844 22,005.11 Ca tilt. Driver FF Staffin IShift 1 1 2 Staffing All Shifts 3 3 6 Total $78,307 $72,749 $67,849 Total Needed With Lost Time 15% 3 4 7 Ca tilt. Driver FF $234,922 $290,998 $474,944 Total Personnel Costs Other 0 eratin Costs $1,000,864 $90,078 Matrix Consulting Group Page 65 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study I Total Operating Costs $1,090,941 .Other Operating Costs include insurance, utilities, equipment, maintenance, furniture and other costs. These costs were derived based on the proportion of the Department's current budget to personnel costs and total budget. Ca ital Costs Station Costs Land. Construction.. A aratus En ine Ambulance Total Capital Costs Amount $219,000 $972,000 Amount $300,000 $175,000 $1,666,000 .Land Costs were derived based on current Western Dubuque area listings for commercial lots between 1 to 2 acres. Residential lots were substantially less. ..Construction Costs were estimated at $82.50 per square foot based on Building Service Department data on valuation and square footage. Needed square footage was estimated at 8,000 square feet (2,000 living I 6,000 apparatus bay/mechanical). Approximately 35% was added to the construction cost for architectural fees, insurance, and other contingency costs. As shown above, the estimated ongoing operating costs associated with adding one additional station is approximately $1.1 million. The low figure for operating costs is attributed to the City and Department's effective management of overtime and daily staffing needs. Capital costs are estimated to be approximately $1.7 million per station. It is important to note that if station 5 is moved, these costs will be less due to existing personnel and apparatus. It is unlikely that the current station utilized by the Key West Volunteers will be adequate for DFD personnel and apparatus. As a result, the total costs associated with staffing and building a new station in this area would be: Matrix Consulting Group Page 66 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study Estimated Cost of Relocating Station 5 to Key West Area Ca lilt. Driver FF Sa la ries $52,910 $49,155 $45,844 Position Ca lilt. Driver FF Staffin IShift Staffing All Shifts Total $78,307 $72,749 $67,849 Total Needed With Lost Time 15% 2 6 7 $474,9441 I CapliLt. Driver FF $474,944 $42,745 $517,689 Ca ital Station Costs Land Construction Apparatus En ine Ambulance Total Ca ital Costs Amount 219,000 972,000 $175,000 $1,366,000 As shown above, the estimated costs associated with staffing and constructing a station near the current Key West Volunteer station would be approximately $518,000 in ongoing operating costs and $1.3 million in initial capital costs, Overall, given the current direction of future growth and desires for annexation, the City will need to make significant modifications to the current station network to provide an adequate level of fire, rescue, and emergency medical services. Recommendation: Based on projected population growth and future call for service workload, the current station network cannot maintain current service levels. In order to improve service to future growth areas, the City should plan for the addition of a 7th station at or near Chavenelle & Radford. In addition, station 5 should be moved to the area near the current Key West Volunteer Station. These changes should be made as development occurs to the west and south of the Matrix Consulting Group Page 67 CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA Municipal Fire and Emergency Service Response and Deployment Study City. The estimated cost of these changes is approximately $1.6 million in ongoing operating costs and approximately $3.0 million in initial capital costs. Recommendation: The City should encourage growth along the current City boundaries to provide consistent fire department service levels. Should growth occur well beyond the current boundaries, the City should consider alternative service level targets and enhanced fire code requirements for new construction in these areas (i.e. residential sprinklers). Recommendation: The City should monitor growth in other areas in anticipation of adding an 8th station. Matrix Consulting Group Page 68