Re-Accreditation Report

Transcription

1 Re-Accreditation Report Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical 1911 Stewart Avenue Lawrence, KS USA This report was prepared on February 20, 2013 by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical This report represents the findings of the peer assessment team that visited Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical on January 27-31, 2013 Peer Assessment Team Mike Thompson, Team Leader Dave Dauer, Peer Assessor Donald Garringer, Peer Assessor April Draper, Peer Assessor

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS... i EXECUTIVE REVIEW... 3 CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS OBSERVATIONS Category I Governance and Administration Category II Assessment and Planning Category III Goals and Objectives Category IV Financial Resources Category V Programs Criterion 5A Fire Suppression Criterion 5B Fire Prevention / Life Safety Program Criterion 5C Public Education Program Criterion 5D Fire Investigation Program Criterion 5E Technical Rescue Criterion 5F Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Criterion 5G Emergency Medical Services Criterion 5H Domestic Preparedness Planning and Response Criterion 5K Other Programs Category VI Physical Resources Category VII Human Resources Category VIII Training and Competency Category IX Essential Resources (i)

3 Criterion 9A Water Supply Criterion 9B Communication Systems Criterion 9C Administrative Support Services and Office Systems Category X External Systems Relationships EXHIBITS Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Organizational Chart Summary Rating Sheet (For Commission Use Only) (ii)

4 EXECUTIVE REVIEW PREFACE Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical recently received candidate status. On October 23, 2012 the department asked the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for a site visit to determine if it could be recommended for re-accreditation. On October 23, 2012, the CFAI appointed a peer assessment team. The peer team leader approved the department s documents for site visit on December 5, The peer assessment team conducted an onsite visit of Lawrence- Douglas County Fire Medical on January 27 31, In preparation for the onsite visit, each team member was provided access and reviewed the self assessment manual, standards of cover, community risk analysis and strategic plan posted by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical on the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) SharePoint site. This documentation represented a significant effort by the staff of the department and other community agencies. The department used a consultant to assist it with completing the documents required for accreditation. SUMMARY The CFAI has completed a comprehensive review and appraisal of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical based upon the eighth edition of the Fire and Emergency Services Self Assessment Manual (FESSAM). The commission s goals are to promote organizational self-improvement and to award accreditation status in recognition of good performance. The peer assessment team s objectives were to validate the department s self-assessment study, identify and make recommendations for improvement, issue a report of findings and conclude if the department is eligible for an award of accreditation. The peer assessment team followed CFAI processes and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated that its self study accreditation manual, community risk analysis, standards of cover (SOC) and strategic plan met all core competencies and criteria. The peer assessment team recommends re-accredited agency status for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. The city of Lawrence has a population of 88,727 and covers a little over 33 square miles. The city is home to two universities: the University of Kansas (KU) and Haskell Indian Nations University. There are approximately 28,000 students attending KU. Haskell Indian Nations University is the nation s only inter-tribal university for Native Americans, representing more than 150 tribes from across the country. Douglas County is the fifth largest county in the state with a population of 112,211 according to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010 data), covering 456 square miles. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical operates within a commission-city manager form of municipal government. Lawrence is declared a municipality by a legal charter from the state of Kansas. The department is divided into six organizational divisions. The department provides comprehensive coverage within the city and only medical coverage in the unincorporated parts of the county. 3

5 The department used the CFAI self-assessment process to logically and rationally define and align its self-assessment manual, community risk hazard analysis, standards of cover (SOC) and strategic plan. The strategic plan is updated on an annual basis and discusses immediate and future needs of the department. The department s SOC processes have evolved, and appropriate adjustments have been made through the implementation of necessary improvements, to match available resources to the fire and non-fire risks and related expectations in the community. The SOC appropriately identifies the city as urban density and the county area that is outside of the city as rural density. There are appropriate benchmark goals and actual baseline performance statements in place that identify and measure all components of the total response time continuum. Following a detailed assessment and analysis, the peer assessment team believes by consensus that the alarm handling time, turnout time, travel time for first due and travel time for effective response force components of the total response time continuum, as identified in the department s standards of cover, are in line with the expectations identified in the eighth edition of the FESSAM and do not constitute a gross deviation. It is clear the department is committed to taking steps to meet the FESSAM expectations. Additional details are found in Category II of this report. With the assistance of the Center for Public Safety Excellence Technical Advisory Program, the department recently reviewed and updated its strategic plan in March 2012 to cover the period of The process involved an appropriate mix of internal and external stakeholders. The city manager has received the plan. The department s short-term goals are identified and some of the long-term goals in the strategic plan become part of the city s annual budget. Individual goals and objectives are developed by every fire department employee and are incorporated in their annual performance evaluation process. The department operates from an annual budget that is jointly funded by the city and the county. The department works closely with the governing body and finance department when developing the annual budget. Input from staff officers and other members is welcomed as well and is, at times, obtained through various management team and committee meetings. However, it would be beneficial to solicit more involvement from the entire chain of command. Day to day purchasing practices are in place and followed diligently. There is a capital improvement program in place to allow for short and long-term financial planning. The city participates in the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) and is in its 13 th year. The department provides a wide range of emergency response programs, including fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials and emergency medical services that are designed to meet the goals, objectives and vision of the department and the needs of the community. The department relies on its fire prevention division to administer its fire prevention and life safety program. It is recommended that the division look at adding a person to staff. The public education division has targeted the delivery of additional public education programs for college fire safety and youth injury by providing free bike helmets and fitting year-round. There is a clear understanding that the risk level for firefighters is improved by ensuring more fire safe buildings in the community. Two public education specialists on each shift provide the public 4

6 education materials; shift personnel receive appropriate training, deliver the various public education programs and currently are supplementing the public education program. The department provides a wide range of technical rescue programs to its residents including, but not limited to: rope rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, trench rescue, water and ice rescue and vehicle and machinery rescue. Technical rescue teams staff one rescue company with a minimum of three personnel. The department has a comprehensive approach to hazardous materials emergencies wherein all firstdue companies are trained to the operations level, and a well-equipped, dedicated hazardous materials (hazmat) response unit provides support at the technician level. The department is responsible for overall management of hazardous material incidents in Lawrence and all of Douglas County using a unified command structure established with the jurisdictional fire department. The department responds to emergency medical services (EMS) situations to provide advanced life support service (ALS) or Type I Service. The state licenses the department. The department has a minimum of six ALS units staffed in the city and county every day. The department participates in the development and review of the Douglas County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that also serves as an all-hazards plan for the city. The city has a wellintegrated and coordinated system for emergency preparedness. There are regular multi-jurisdictional planning meetings and exercises to ensure this preparedness is always at a high level of readiness. Douglas County, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, surrounding cities and the unincorporated areas within the county conduct an annual multi-jurisdictional exercise. The department provides coroner scene investigation (CSI) services under a contract with the county. The goal of the CSI program is to assist the coroner in the determination of cause and manner of death for all unattended deaths in the county. The department maintains six fire stations with fire administration, a training center and investigations center both co-located at an older unstaffed fire stations; office space is rented for the prevention division. Frontline staffed apparatus consist of a truck, a combination engine and hazmat vehicle, two quints, a ladder, a heavy rescue and six medic units. The department utilizes cross staffing of specialty apparatus including one tender, two wildland units and a technical rescue support trailer. The city has a designated human resources manager. This individual oversees all city personnel issues with the assistance of a human resources staff and reports directly to the assistant city manager. The department encourages recruitment and retention through several means. Personnel policies and procedures are updated periodically and made available to all employees. The department is proactive in addressing work place safety and occupational exposure prevention. The department also promotes physical fitness as all members have access to physical fitness equipment. The department has a full time training division that organizationally is overseen by the division chief of training and is staffed by two full time personnel, including a captain and a lieutenant, who work on a 40 hour work week in fire administration. A training and education program is established to support the agency s needs. The department has established an annual training program that includes a variety of mandatory training and company training events. The training division provides a variety of training opportunities to department members ranging from drills, multi-company drills, 5

7 entanglement drills and live fire events conducted at the training center. Due to its age, failing condition and increasing maintenance costs, the drill tower is becoming less effective and efficient. All areas of the city are served by a well developed and maintained water system. The City of Lawrence Utilities Department was evaluated by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) in November of 2010 and received a score of out of 40 for an overall rating of Class I. There is a strategic plan, which goes through 2020, that addresses maintenance and upgrades to the water system. The water department has two water treatment facilities for redundancy. The department s communication and alerting system is provided by the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center. The communications center is working with all agencies it serves to select and implement a new computer aided dispatch (CAD) system in The center is also working with all stakeholders to implement a new county-wide 800 MHz trunked radio system that will be completed in the third quarter of The department uses a combination of sworn and civilian personnel to operate the administrative services system. Administrative services support staff handle subpoenas, payroll, purchasing, EMS billing and personnel functions with support from city departments such as legal services, finance, IT and human services. The department understands and supports the need to integrate resources across jurisdictional boundaries. It shares response capabilities with other fire departments in the immediate area, through automatic and mutual aid agreements. The agreements have proven to be beneficial in nurturing positive relationships with other agencies; however, they also cause occasional strain on operating budgets. The department will continue to search for financing to help deter this strain. Other agreements are in place between Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and various townships that operate their own departments. There is a recognized need to more consistently make these agreements accessible to all appropriate personnel within the department. The peer assessment team identified opportunities for improvement that are captured in the recommendations section and in the observations and performance section of the report. These recommendations came from discussions, interviews and a review of department supplied documentation to support its self-assessment conclusions. The department demonstrated a strong desire to immediately implement plans to address opportunities for improvement. The best example is the plan and short term progress to aggressively pursue improvements in alarm processing times. The peer assessment team observed a strong commitment by the department to the CFAI accreditation process and, in particular, to ensuring appropriate succession training for the accreditation manager position. The incoming accreditation manager has been actively supporting the current manager through this process. The department has institutionalized accreditation by including all chief officers, captains and support staff to sustain the process. The current accreditation manager has been a peer assessor and it is anticipated the incoming manager will become involved after receiving the appropriate training. These approaches ensure continuity, more direct access to best practices with other similar organizations and the engagement of a broader spectrum of the department. The peer assessment team had meetings with the city manager and two deputy city managers. They expressed an understanding of the process and the value self assessment brings in demonstrating to 6

8 the community that the department is using best practices and has a tool in place for continuous self improvement. There is clearly a commitment to continue to follow and support the implementation of identified opportunities for improvement. The city administration and city commission are both current in their knowledge of and support for the accreditation process. 7

9 Composition Lawrence is located in Douglas County in Northeast Kansas, 30 minutes west of Kansas City and 20 minutes east of Topeka. Lawrence has a population of 88,227 according to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010 data). Since1980, Lawrence s population has risen 68 percent and Douglas County s population has risen 66 percent. The city covers a little over 33 square miles and Douglas County covers 456 square miles. They have a very rich history with Lawrence being founded in 1854 by the New England Emigrant Aid Society in an effort to keep the territory free from slavery. Lawrence streets are named after the states, in the order in which they came into the Union, beginning with Delaware. Massachusetts Street is designated the main street because Lawrence s founders were from Massachusetts. The city has a vibrant downtown core consisting of shopping, dining and entertainment. Massachusetts Street is referred to as Mass by local residents where the local residents and students come to shop. Many areas of the downtown core are being converted to mixed use with commercial or retail space on the lower levels and living areas in the upper floors. The city s economy is mainly driven by being home to two universities: the University of Kansas (KU) and Haskell Indian Nations University. Approximately 28,000 students attend KU, which adds to the current population of 88,277. Haskell Indian Nations University is the nation s only inter-tribal university for Native Americans, representing more than 150 tribes from across the country. 8

10 Government Commission-Manager form of government 5 Commissioners City Manager Fire Chief Fire Department 5 fire stations in Lawrence 1 medic station in Baldwin City 129 uniform and 12 part-time firefighters 6 civilian personnel 3 shift system Staffed Resources 1 engine 1 combination engine and hazardous materials unit 2 quints 1 truck 1 heavy rescue 6 medic units Cross-staffed Resources 1 tender 2 brush trucks 9

11 CONCLUSIONS The self-study manual produced by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical was of high quality. The manual represented a significant effort by the staff of the department to produce and present a quality document. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated that all core competencies were met and received a credible rating. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated that all applicable criteria were met and received a credible rating. The peer assessment team recommends accredited agency status for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. 10

12 RECOMMENDATIONS The peer assessment team conducted an exit interview with the agency consisting of the two assistant city managers, the fire chief and most all of the staff that participated in the self-assessment study. The purpose of the meeting was to review the team s findings and recommendations. The department was given an opportunity to respond to any errors in findings of fact. Strategic Recommendations Strategic recommendations were developed from information gathered from the onsite assessment visit and the evaluation of the criteria and core competencies. 1. It is recommended that the department stringently monitor the recently implemented improvements to alarm handling practices to identify positive outcomes and additional opportunities for further enhancements. 2. It is recommended that the department adopt the most current version of the International Fire Code to ensure that it is staying current with recommended industry practices. 3. It is recommended that the department review the fire prevention and life safety staffing levels in relation to being able to adequately meet the goals and objectives of the program. 4. It is recommended the department continue with its implementation of the master plan, particularly as it applies to new fire station construction and related staffing requirements, as the anticipated annexation and new development occurs. 5. It is recommended the department consider replacement of the existing drill tower to meet nationally recognized standards for training facilities. 6. It is recommended the department develop a scheduled replacement program for the mobile data computers. 11

13 Specific Recommendations Specific recommendations were developed from the appraisal of performance indicators in each of the ten categories. Category IV Financial Resources Criterion 4A: Financial Planning Performance Indicator 4A.3 The budget process involves input from appropriate persons or groups, including staff officers and other members of the agency. It is recommended that more direct input be encouraged and solicited by the department from the entire chain of command when developing the budget. Category V Programs Criterion 5C: Public Education Program Performance Indicator 5C.2 The program has staffing with specific expertise to accomplish the program goals and objectives. It is recommend the department review the public education program staffing levels in relation to being able to adequately meet the goals and objectives of the program. Category X External Systems Relationships Criterion 10B: External Agency Agreements Performance Indicator 10B.2 The agency researches, analyzes and gives consideration to all types of functional agreements that may aid in the achievement of the goals and objectives of the agency. It is recommended that the department move all agreements to a central location, with personnel assignments for responsibility attached, and that they be made easily accessible to all appropriate personnel within the department. 12

14 OBSERVATIONS Category I Governance and Administration Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical operates within a commission-city manager form of municipal government. The fire chief reports directly to the city manager, who reports to the city commission. The fire chief presides over the six divisions in the department including: administrative, training, quality services, prevention, business and operations. The governing body and the agency manager are legally established to provide general policies to guide the department s approved programs and services and appropriated financial resources. The department is legally established and organized within the city s charter and ordinances. The city is declared a municipality by a legal charter provided by the state of Kansas. In 1996 the City of Lawrence Fire Department merged with Douglas County Ambulance Service. Pursuant to this merger, the city adopted the municipal code that resulted in the department being legally established as Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. The established administrative structure provides an environment for achievement of the agency s mission, purposes, goals, strategies and objectives. The department relies upon city policies and ordinances to cover personnel, human resource and safety issues. These processes are in place to ensure legal compliance with requirements of local, state and federal governments. Additionally, the city provides the department with a public safety attorney to give guidance and direction regarding legal requirements. Category II Assessment and Planning Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has embraced the use of the CFAI self-assessment process to logically and rationally define and align its self-assessment manual, community risk hazard analysis, standards of cover (SOC) and strategic plan. The department used the services of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Technical Advisor Program to support the development of these various components. Internally, the department established a management team and assigned staff to provide support to the overall accreditation process. The efforts of the department produced a comprehensive and integrated approach that is appropriate, acceptable and affordable as it relates to the identified needs of the community. The city has taken a conservative and staged approach to supporting the funding of the department s proposals. The department collects and analyzes data specific to the distinct characteristics of the community served and applies the findings to organizational planning. The service area for the department is comprised of mixed densities. The SOC appropriately identifies the city as urban density and the county area that is outside of the city as rural density. The department provides comprehensive coverage within the city and only medical coverage in the unincorporated parts of the county. The department has completed a comprehensive analysis of the risk within the various population density areas. The results of the analysis and the associated identified needs are integrated into the standards of cover. The department assesses the nature and magnitude of the hazards within its jurisdiction and develops appropriate response coverage strategies. Each significant fire and non-fire risk is categorized and 13

15 listed to permit future analysis and study in determining standards of cover and related services. Special attention is paid to identify, analyze and develop strategies for non-fire or limited fire risks that gain importance due to cultural, economic, environmental or historical value. The benchmark service level objectives incorporated into the standards of cover are based on local needs and circumstances and industry standards and best practices adopted from the: Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) Fire & Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual, eighth edition; CFAI Standards of Cover, fifth edition; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems; NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments; Departments; the Fire Protection Research Foundation; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The department has developed proposals that are appropriate, acceptable and affordable in relation to the identified needs of the community. The department s comprehensive assessment and planning process provides very detailed information related to both the fire and non-fire risks in each of its 13 planning zones. This information was used by the SOC committee to identify appropriate responses capable of efficiently, effectively and safely addressing the risks within the current capabilities of the department s delivery system. The committee also identified opportunities for improvement that are included in the SOC document. The department has considered the overall fire risk it protects, its areas of responsibility, demographics of the city, economic indicators influencing its ability to deliver services, the historical fire loss data, the available water supply and the use of automatic fire protection systems for certain occupancies in the development of its SOC. Each fire company is responsible for continually assessing the changing fire risk within its area. The currency of the risk status is further enhanced by continuous inter-action with the fire prevention division and other fire staff. Ultimately the department has used the results of its various processes to determine the appropriate deployment of resources to address the identified risks. This comprehensive approach has ensured the establishment of an appropriate and effective SOC strategy for fire risks. In the development of the SOC, careful consideration was also given to the non-fire risks in the community. The non-fire risks include technical rescue, hazardous materials and emergency medical services. Technical rescue includes confined space, rope, water and ice, trench and structural collapse rescue. The department has completed an analysis and evaluation of the related service demands for each of these risk types. Appropriate performance objectives are contained in the SOC relative to the response of adequate personnel within an appropriate time-frame. The key to keeping the SOC strategy effective is the department s ongoing commitment to: continually measuring the gap between benchmark and baseline times; identifying contributing factors to those gaps; and developing remedies, through appropriate recommendations, to make continuous improvements. An evaluation is conducted by the administrative chief each year to: analyze changes in the population density; identify any significant changes in the risk; and assess the impact on response time standards. 14

16 The department uses data generated by Firehouse Enterprise Software and Vinelight Software to create reports that assist in assessing its past and present performance within these planning areas. Shift commanders have the responsibility and expectation to monitor response performance for their particular shifts against the expectations of the standards of cover. The shift commanders and administrative chief meet regularly and on an as needed basis to share the results of their monitoring activities. The department s practice is to document alarm handling as the time interval from the receipt of the alarm at the primary public service answering point (PSAP) until the end of the transmittal of the response information via voice or electronic means to emergency response facilities or the emergency response units in the field. Following a detailed assessment and analysis, the peer assessment team believes by consensus that the alarm handling time, turnout time and the travel time for the first-due and effective response force components of the total response time continuum, as identified in the agency s standards of cover, are in line with the expectations identified in the eighth edition of the Fire and Emergency Services Self- Assessment Manual (FESSAM) and do not constitute a gross deviation. It is clear the department is committed to taking steps to meet the FESSAM expectations. The department has been working with the communications center for several years to come up with a different alarm handling procedure for emergency medical dispatching without much success. A little over a year ago the Douglas County Communication hired a new director. The administration chief and dispatch center director have been working on changing the call processing procedure to improve alarm handling times. Beginning in January of 2013, the dispatch center implemented a new procedure where fire department units are being immediately dispatched based on a nature code as the call taker continues to gather information from the caller. Responding units are then updated with the additional information. This process has improved alarm handling times to 114 seconds, 90 percent of the time, for an approximate 38 percent improvement. It is recommended that the department stringently monitor the recently implemented improvements to alarm handling practices to identify positive outcomes and additional opportunities for further enhancements. A strategic plan for is in place and, along with the budget, is guiding the activities of the department. The plan is submitted to the city manager. The plan has supported the department s efforts to align with the mission and vision of the city and the needs of the community. The plan was developed in consultation with external and internal stakeholders. At the initial planning session, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted, and facilitated by the Center for Public Safety Excellence Technical Advisor Program. The information gained during this analysis was soon put together to form the final document. This strategic plan was published in hard copy format and posted on the department s intranet. The peer review team was impressed by the commitment of the department to integrate its selfassessment manual, community risk hazard analysis, standards of cover and strategic plan documents. Category III Goals and Objectives Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical is guided by a vision statement, a mission statement, a set of core values and established goals and objectives. The related performance measures are stated in the city s annual adopted budget document and serve to establish the benchmarks of the department s goals and objectives. These statements, goals, objectives and performance measures are also 15

17 integrated within the recently updated strategic plan for The development and maintenance of this document ensures the department retains an alignment with the mission and vision of the city and the needs of the community it serves. The department has established general goals and specific objectives that direct its priorities in a manner consistent with its mission. The goals and objectives are appropriate for the community served. On an annual basis, the department develops goals and related objectives that incorporate measurable elements of time, quantity and quality. In some cases they are a continuation of the previous year and, in most cases, they are aligned with identified needs in the department s strategic plan and standards of cover. The department uses a defined management process to implement the goals and objectives. The current goals and objectives are developed by the department staff and submitted to the city manager for consideration and inclusion in the city s annual budget. Periodic reporting by division chiefs, and a continuous evaluation of the current budget impact, provide implementation measures of goals and objectives. The department s longer term goals and objectives are contained in its five year strategic plan for that was developed with the assistance of the Center for Public Safety Excellence Advisory program. The seven functional areas have goal statements to direct the department and its future. The implementation of the published, long term objectives are currently at various levels, from early stages of activity through to completion. The department uses a defined management process to implement the goals and objectives. The department utilizes the annual budget and strategic planning as the main processes for implementing it goals and objectives. The department reviews the strategic plan at managers meetings and at executive staff meetings. To ensure a balanced representation of personnel, the department identifies program managers and other members to participate in this process. In addition, members from city and county departments attend to ensure the department is including all partners in the review of annual goals and objectives for the department. With the information from these meetings, program managers and staff prepare specific program goals and objectives. The goals and objectives, and the progress towards their implementation, are readily available to all members of the department through its intranet site. Also, the chief has monthly meetings with station crews to keep them updated on the implementation of department goals and objectives and other related topics. Processes are in place to measure and evaluate progress towards the completion of specific objectives and overall system performance. The goals and objectives are re-examined and modified periodically. The department reviews portions of it plan goals and objectives at manager s meetings, labor management meetings and weekly executive staff meetings. Goals and objectives are incorporated within personnel performance appraisals at the beginning of the evaluation period. Progress of or successful completion of agreed upon goals and objectives are reviewed at the end of the evaluation period to determine an overall rating of the individual s performance. High ratings on a personnel evaluation can translate to an increase in pay for that fiscal year. Category IV Financial Resources Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical uses internal staff to develop the initial operating and capital budgets. These individuals work closely with the city manager and budget director to complete the 16

18 final recommended budget that is subsequently reviewed by the city manager and ultimately approved by the governing board i.e., the city commission. The department s financial planning and resource allocation processes are based on agency planning involving broad staff participation. It follows and complies with all policies and guidelines for budget preparation, provided annually by the city s finance department to all department directors. Notifications of changes are sent via and over the city s intranet. The finance department meets with each department to review updated and current laws and procedures specific to each department. The chief of the department works closely with the city manager to ensure the proposed budget reflects the department s and the city s goals. The city manager oversees the entire budget process, while adhering to established policies and guidelines. Department executive staff, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1596 executive board and department managers are also involved in budgetary discussions to ensure achievement of the department s strategic goals. The budget process is multi faceted and relies on input from appropriate persons or groups, from within the department as well as from external stakeholders. The department s strategic plan was finalized in 2012 and included formal internal and external stakeholder meetings to facilitate their input. Although firefighters are mentioned as stakeholders to the budget process, a more diligent effort could be made to solicit input from all chains of command, as opposed to officers being a primary voice between suppression and executive personnel. It is recommended that more direct input be encouraged and solicited by the department from the entire chain of command when developing the budget. The department s financial management practices exhibit sound budgeting and control, proper recording, reporting and auditing. The peer assessment team confirmed that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical is in receipt of the most currently available Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (certificate) from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The department has submitted its most recent GFOA certificate and CAFR as prima facie compliance with this criterion. Financial resources are appropriately allocated to support the established organizational mission, the stated long-term plan, goals and objectives and maintain the quality of programs and services. Financial stability is a fundamental aspect of an agency s integrity. The department ensures that programs and services provided can be supported by the necessary fiscal resources using sound budgetary practices. Historically, the city commission and city manager have been supportive of the fire department s mission by providing sufficient funding to maintain, if not increase, staffing as well as enhance service delivery through new apparatus, facilities and equipment. The city continues its support of the department by producing and maintaining a balanced budget, as required by the budget policy and Kansas statutes. 17

19 Category V Programs Criterion 5A Fire Suppression Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical is a full-service fire and rescue organization designed to provide essential public safety and emergency services to a growing population base. The department s primary service area for fire suppression is limited to the city only. The department s only primary role in the unincorporated areas of the county is the delivery of emergency medical services (EMS). To meet the needs of its residents, the department currently staffs; one engine; one combination engine and hazardous material unit; two quints; one truck; six medic units; and one heavy rescue. It also cross-staffs one water tender (2,000 gallons) and two brush trucks from five fire stations. The pump capacity of the quints, engines and truck is 2,000 gallons per minute and the new combination engine and hazardous material unit is 1,500 gallons per minute. The department operates a 3-shift system and has established a minimum staffing benchmark of 36 firefighters per shift, per day, all of the time. The department maintains a minimum of: four firefighters on the engine, quints, truck and the combination engine and hazardous material unit; three firefighters on the heavy rescue unit, and two firefighters on each medic unit. The department operates an adequate, effective, and efficient fire suppression program directed toward controlling and or extinguishing fires for the purposes of protecting people from injury or death, and reducing property loss. The department completes a comprehensive review of all standard operating guidelines related to the program on a three-year cycle. An established monthly schedule determines which policies are reviewed at the station level, allowing all department members an opportunity to comment. These regular reviews assure the continued introduction of industry best practices and lessons learned from local emergency responses. The department has adopted an incident management system and uses it on all emergency responses, regardless of the size or complexity of the incident. The department has adopted and follows the expectations of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The department has used an incident management system since 1979 and members are well versed in its use. All personnel, at a minimum, have taken ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800 courses. In addition, the department requires company officers to obtain ICS 300 and chief officers to obtain ICS 400. The department frequently appraises the effectiveness of its fire suppression program. A monthly managers meeting, which is attended by all 17 captains and 7 division chiefs, is held to appraise emergency responses. Vinelight software, a digital dashboard to monitor performance, is used to see the relation to the achievement of goals and targets. They identify trends and contributing factors in public and firefighter injuries and deaths as well as the related losses associated with properties and the environment. They also use the review process to address trends and to implement best practices for mitigating significant incidents. Recommendations resulting from those reviews are typically acted upon immediately and any necessary adjustments to operations and practices are institutionalized through changes to the standard operating procedures. The department s response and deployment standards are based upon the urban population density and fire demand of the community. Five fire stations provide citywide coverage; department staffing is based upon station location, incident type and frequency. The targeted service level objectives in the standards of cover benchmark statements are based on industry standards and best practices, as identified earlier in this report in Category II Assessment and Planning. The objectives have been 18

20 approved and adopted by fire department management and submitted to the city manager. The department s benchmark service level objectives are as follows: For 90 percent of all low, moderate and high risk structure fire responses, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters, shall be 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The first-due unit shall be capable of: establishing command; completing an initial size up; establishing water supply; and initiating fire attack and or rescue. These operations shall be done utilizing safe operational procedures. For 90 percent of all low, moderate and high risk structure fire responses, the total response time for the arrival of the effective response force (ERF), staffed with a minimum of 16 firefighters, shall be 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The ERF shall be capable of: establishing command; providing an uninterrupted water supply; advancing an attack line and a backup line for fire control; complying with the requirements of two in-two out; completing forcible entry; searching and rescuing at-risk victims; supporting evacuation; ventilating the structure; providing exposure protection; controlling utilities; and performing salvage and overhaul. These operations shall be done utilizing safe operational procedures. The department s baseline statements reflect actual performance during 2008 to The department does not rely on the use of automatic aid or mutual aid from neighboring fire departments to provide its effective response force complement of personnel. The department s actual baseline service level performance is as follows: For 90 percent of all low, moderate and high risk structure fire responses, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters, is 7 minutes and 32 seconds. The first-due unit is capable of: establishing command; completing an initial size up; establishing water supply; and initiating fire attack and or rescue. These operations are done utilizing safe operational procedures. For 90 percent of all low, moderate and high risk structure fire responses, the total response time for the arrival of the ERF, staffed with a minimum of 16 firefighters, is 10 minutes and 43 seconds. The ERF is capable of: establishing command; providing an uninterrupted water supply; advancing an attack line and a backup line for fire control; complying with the requirements of two in-two out; completing forcible entry; searching and rescuing at-risk victims; supporting evacuation; ventilating the structure; providing exposure protection; controlling utilities; and performing salvage and overhaul. These operations were done utilizing safe operational procedures. It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated a trend of improvement in its actual baseline performance for

21 Structure Fires - 90th Percentile Times Baseline Performance Alarm Handling Pick-up to Dispatch 1:50 1:43 1:34 2:02 1:59 1:37 Turnout Turnout Time Time 1st Unit 2:02 1:38 2:15 2:14 2:16 2:19 Travel Time 1st Unit 4:47 5:24 4:08 4:48 4:21 5:02 Distribution Travel Time Total Response Time Travel Time ERF Concentration Total Response Time 1st Unit On Scene Distribution Total Response Time ERF Concentration Criterion 5B Fire Prevention / Life Safety Program 7:35 7:25 7:24 7:46 7:19 7:36 7:32 7:20 6:59 7:32 7:21 8:17 10: :46 10:11 10:39 10:16 10:22 Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical relies on its fire inspection and operation division personnel to administer its fire prevention and life safety program. The prevention division is staffed by a division chief serving as fire marshal, as required by city ordinance. One captain and one lieutenant serve as plan reviewers, fire inspectors and fire investigators. Two fire inspection specialists on each shift, referred to as night consultants, are tasked with inspecting all assemblies with an occupancy load over 49, except for churches. All operations division members function in the capacity of fire inspectors on a daily basis. The department operates an adequate, effective, and efficient program directed toward fire prevention, life safety, hazard risk reduction, the detection, reporting, and control of fires and other emergencies, the provision of occupant safety and exiting and the provisions for first aid firefighting equipment. The department operates under the 2009 International Fire Code (IFC) and local amendments. The current fire prevention code was adopted in January A review of the 2012 IFC is in process and being prepared for adoption. It is recommended that the department adopt the most current version of the IFC to ensure that it is staying current with recommended industry practices. Enabled by these legislative powers, the prevention division provides an effective fire prevention program to the community. The fire prevention division focuses on code enforcement in the areas of new construction, schools and daycares, existing occupancies and hazardous materials occupancies. Each of the occupancy types are scheduled to be inspected every one or two years in accordance with the established frequency of inspection schedules, as identified in the standard operating guideline for the program. Kansas University is located within the city of Lawrence and multi-family and Greek housing is a high priority. All Greek housing is inspected twice annually. 1 This time, which is unusual in that it is higher than all times in the contributing years, was verified and validated as being accurate. It is the result of a low number of emergencies that contributed to the creation of this baseline for the total response time of the effective response force. 20

22 The use of night consultants inspecting assembly occupancies, and on-duty firefighters conducting inspections of all low and moderate-risk commercial occupancies within their respective service areas, further enhances the capabilities of the division. With the many duties given to the three staff officers within the prevention division, some of their inspections are past due; however, the peer assessment team believes that the division s goals and objectives are being minimally met. It is recommended that the department review the fire prevention and life safety staffing levels in relation to being able to adequately meet the goals and objectives of the program. The prevention division has a comprehensive list of performance objectives for each of the sections. Firehouse Enterprise software is used for the records management and it compiles and cross checks information that meets the department s needs. It is able to accurately track work output, identify any necessary follow-up actions and to widely disperse information to operational units for use in its risk assessment and preplanning process. Current fire prevention division operating policies, procedures and guidelines are identified and reviewed every three years to ensure that personnel can carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively, efficiently and safely. Criterion 5C Public Education Program Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical delivers a comprehensive public education program through the prevention and training division. The training division chief is responsible for the coordination of public education. Two public education specialists on each shift provide the public education materials; shift personnel receive appropriate training, deliver the various public education programs and currently are supplementing the public education program. The programming is aimed at changing unsafe behavior, ultimately resulting in the reduction of death, injury and property loss related mainly to fires. The department has a public education program in place and directed towards identifying and reducing specific risks in a manner consistent with its mission. The programs are offered based on specific community needs and citizen requests. The department identifies priority audiences and a number of human behaviors as fire risk factors based on incident, demographic and program data analysis. The targeted audiences are young children, college students and the elderly. The department provides: cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR); automated external defibrillator (AED); first aid training; safety lectures; home fire inspection services; fire extinguisher training; campus fire safety; and free bike helmets and fitting year-round. The department is in partnerships with many community groups and businesses in respect to sponsorship and participation in several of its public education programs. The department s fire safety house is used throughout the county. The department s public education standard operating procedure (SOP) directs the development, scheduling, delivery and evaluation of the public education program. The SOP defines the major programs delivered. The public education SOP is updated every three years, or as needed, based upon feedback. A procedure is written for the life cycle of SOPs and the review process. Public education specialists are competitively selected utilizing the public education incentive SOP. They are guided in program delivery by the public education SOP. Public education specialists receive specialized training in emergency medical operations, hazardous materials operations, fire and life safety education, juvenile fire setting prevention and the wheeled sport safety program. All 21

23 have certifications as American Heart Association CPR and AED instructors and International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) Instructor I. This specialized training allows the education specialists to accomplish the program goals and objectives. Public education specialists and the division chief of training meet annually to review the public education program. The ongoing review of current trends, presentation evaluations, SOPs, national initiatives and presentation programs ensure program modifications occur, if needed. Discussions at department managers meetings identify and address issues related to the public education program. A full appraisal is conducted annually to determine the effectiveness of the public education program in reducing the human behavior risks identified within the city. The department has an excellent programs in place that enable improved fire protection and injury prevention through the provision of free smoke alarms and the installation and free bike helmets for children up to 14-years of age. The department also educates all first and fifth graders on fire safety and injury prevention and offers a juvenile fire setter program. Public education specialists, in addition to their regular job duties, conduct the public education activities, research and develop new programs and evaluate current programs. With the development of new programs, and a greater dedicated effort in relation to fire safety education, the department finds its resources somewhat strained. As such, it is recommended that the department review the public education staffing levels in relation to being able to adequately meet the goals and objectives of the program. Criterion 5D Fire Investigation Program Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical utilizes nine fire investigators comprised of the division chief of prevention, a fire prevention captain, a fire prevention lieutenant and two investigator specialists on each shift to create a dedicated fire investigation program to conduct investigations of all reported fires within the city. Company officers have the authority to investigate small fires of which the cause is obvious and accidental in nature. The department operates an adequate, effective and efficient program directed toward origin and cause investigation and determination for fires, explosions, and other emergency situations that endanger life or property. Kansas Annotated Regulation and the 2009 International Fire Code (IFC), section authorize the fire investigation program and defines the fire investigation unit as having the statutory responsibility to investigate and determine the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires or explosions. Members have full police powers and are integrated into the city s criminal justice system. Mandated investigations are conducted by the fire investigators using the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2011 edition. Company officers are provided with mandated overview training on the content of NFPA 921 to ensure that they are familiar with the overall expectations of an investigation. The current staffing level allows the department to meet its mandate of conducting fire cause determination and fire injury investigations. All fire investigators are qualified to the NFPA 1033: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator. Department fire investigators complete Fire Investigator II certification per the department s standard operating procedure (SOP) and meet the requirements as outlined in state regulations. 22

24 A department SOP has guidelines for initiating, conducting and reporting fire investigations. NFPA 921 continues in use as a reference for proper investigative procedures. A Douglas County fire investigation agreement is in place between Lawrence County police and fire departments, the sheriff of Douglas County and the University of Kansas. A review and update of the investigation SOPs took place in The branch completes a review of all its standard operating guidelines on an annual basis. Monthly meetings are held to determine trends and patterns; by following this process staff is also able to provide specific data on arrests, conviction rates and case clearance rates and determine the effectiveness of the fire investigation program. The department is fortunate to have a Pierce special services vehicle purchased in 2007 as a mobile investigation unit. This vehicle provides a secure location from which investigators may work and conduct interviews while processing the fire scene. The department maintains an unstaffed fire station that serves as an investigation center; it houses the mobile investigation unit, contains offices and computers, file storage, an evidence room and a room to conduct interviews. Criterion 5E Technical Rescue Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical provides a wide range of technical rescue programs to its residents including, but not limited to: rope rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, trench rescue, water and ice rescue and vehicle and machinery rescue. Technical rescue teams staff one rescue company with a minimum of three personnel. All first-due companies have operations level training. Operations personnel members receive training in each rescue discipline every year at level one for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1006: Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications and operations level for NFPA 1670: Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents. The department responds to technical rescue emergencies in Lawrence and will assist or take the lead role as needed in all other cities and areas within Douglas County. The department is also a participating member of Northeast Kansas Homeland Security Region USAR Task Force 2 (KS-TF2). The department operates an adequate, effective, and efficient program directed toward rescuing trapped or endangered persons from any life-endangering cause. The department describes what is expected of its members during technical rescue incidents through the use of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for: rope rescue; confined space; structural and trench collapse; water and ice rescue; and vehicle extrication technical responses. The department reviews the technical rescue SOPs every three years and makes change recommendations to ensure they match operational levels with fire service best practices. The division chief in charge of the technical rescue team meets informally with the division chief in charge of training, and the Station 5 officers formally, to determine the progress of the technical rescue team and program. The executive staff receives updates on equipment needs and purchasing, training plans and staffing issues during scheduled meetings. This process ensures the department annually appraises the effectiveness of its technical rescue program. The department s response and deployment standards are based upon the urban population density and technical rescue demands of the community. Five fire stations provide citywide coverage; department staffing is based upon station location, incident type and frequency. The targeted service level objectives in the standards of cover benchmark statements are based on industry standards and 23

25 best practices, as identified earlier in this report in Category II Assessment and Planning. The objectives have been submitted to the city manager. The department s benchmark service level objectives are as follows: For 90 percent of all technical rescue incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due fire apparatus, staffed with 4 firefighters, shall be 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The first-due fire apparatus shall be capable of: establishing command; sizing up to determine if a technical rescue response is required; requesting additional resources; controlling the hazard; and providing basic life support to any victim without endangering response personnel. For 90 percent of all technical rescue incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the effective response force (ERF), staffed with 16 firefighters and officers, shall be 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The ERF shall be capable of: establishing patient contact; providing the equipment; technical expertise, knowledge, skills and abilities to mitigate a technical rescue incident; and providing advanced life support and transport patients. The department s baseline statements reflect actual performance during 2008 to The department does not rely on the use of automatic aid or mutual aid from neighboring fire departments to provide its effective response force complement of personnel. The department s actual baseline service level performance is as follows: For 90 percent of all technical rescue incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due fire apparatus, staffed with 4 firefighters, is 11 minutes and 35 seconds 2. The firstdue fire apparatus is capable of: establishing command; sizing up to determine if a technical rescue response is required; requesting additional resources; controlling the hazard; and providing basic life support to any victim without endangering response personnel. These operations are done utilizing safe operational procedures. It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical did not have sufficient technical rescue incidents, which required an effective response force to be assembled for , to provide reliable data. The department responded to eight incidents in the technical rescue classifications for An effective response force was assembled for one of the incidents classified as a technical rescue. There are therefore no baseline service level performance statements provided for the effective response force in this report. It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated a trend of improvement in its actual baseline performance for This longer response time is the result of a low call volume of technical rescue situations (see performance chart) 24

26 Technical Rescue - 90th Percentile Times Baseline Performance Alarm Handling Pick-up to Dispatch 3:19 1:29 3:17 2:10 3:19 3:19 Turnout Turnout Time Time 1st Unit 1:56 1:56 1:28 00:33 1:28 00:02 Travel Time Travel 1st Unit Time Distribution 7:57 2:10 3:53 5:23 7:57 2:00 Total Response Time Total Response Time 1st Unit On Scene Distribution 11:35 5:40 7:03 8:10 11:35 5:21 Criterion 5F Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has a comprehensive approach to hazardous materials emergencies wherein all first-due companies are trained to the operations level, and a well-equipped, dedicated hazardous materials response unit provides support at the technician level. The department provides hazardous materials response, identification, rescue, emergency medical services (EMS) and mitigation within the city and the county. The department has been identified by the city and county commissions as the best agency available to provide this service due to the overlapping needs of fire, rescue, EMS, response time, personnel staffing, certifications and equipment deployment. The department provides certified hazardous materials technicians, certified first responders, and equipment through its own team and in concert with regional hazardous material response teams. The department is responsible for overall management of hazardous material incidents in Douglas County using a unified command structure established with the jurisdictional fire department. The hazmat team responds to hazardous material releases, including decontamination for both victims and responders at large and small scale incidents. The hazmat team operates with certified technician and operation level members from Station Four. The department maintains relationships with: Douglas County Emergency Management; the University of Kansas; Kansas Department of Health and Environment; the Environmental Protection Agency; State of Kansas Fire Marshal s Office; regional hazmat teams; Kansas Homeland Security Region USAR Task Force 2 (KSTF 2); local facilities; and other organizations. The department equips all front-line fire apparatus with a small equipment cache to handle minor gas and fuel leaks. Larger hazardous materials responses are handled by the technician level crew. The members are hazardous materials operations certified and participate in at least nine hours of documented hazardous materials training per year. The specially-designed combination engine and hazardous materials unit at Station 4 is cross-staffed with firefighters and hazardous materials technicians. There are a total of 40 members certified at the hazardous materials technician level; 18 of the certified technicians are assigned to Station 4. The department operates an adequate, effective, and efficient hazardous materials program directed toward protecting the community from the hazards associated with fires and uncontrolled releases of hazardous and toxic materials. The department s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the Douglas County Emergency Operations Plan provide members with direction for response to hazardous material incidents. The department has developed SOPs to provide a central core of 25

27 directives from which personnel can effectively, efficiently and safely meet the level of response for hazmat events. Department policy requires a complete review of SOPs every year; they are under current revision. The hazardous materials team members and other department members will continue to review the hazardous materials SOPs during annual training. The Firehouse Fire Records Management System provides data to analyze hazardous materials response times and training hours. The hazardous materials response SOP directs members to efficiently operate at the operations and technician level. The analysis addresses the baseline and benchmark objectives and the level of response for hazardous materials incidents. The division chief in charge of hazardous materials conducts an annual appraisal of the hazardous materials program with the hazmat captains at Station 4. Monthly meetings also provide ongoing and regular appraisals of the hazardous material program. The department s response and deployment standards are based upon the urban population density and hazardous materials response demands of the community. Five fire stations provide citywide coverage; department staffing is based upon station location, incident type and frequency. The targeted service level objectives in the standards of cover benchmark statements are based on industry standards and best practices, as identified earlier in this report in Category II Assessment and Planning. The objectives have been have been submitted to the city manager. The department s benchmark service level objectives are as follows: For 90 percent of all hazardous materials response incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters, shall be 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The first-due unit shall be capable of: establishing command; sizing up; assessing the situation to determine the presence of a potential hazardous material; determining the need for additional resources; estimating the potential harm without intervention; and begin establishing a hot, warm and cold zone. These operations shall be done utilizing safe operational procedures. For 90 percent of all hazardous materials response incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the effective response force (ERF), staffed with 16 firefighters, shall be 10 minutes and 30 seconds. The ERF shall be capable of providing the equipment, technical expertise, knowledge, skills and abilities to mitigate a hazardous materials incident. These operations shall be done utilizing safe operational procedures. The department s baseline statements reflect actual performance during The department does not rely on the use of automatic aid or mutual aid from neighboring fire departments to provide its effective response force complement of personnel. The department s actual baseline service level performance is as follows: For 90 percent of all hazardous materials response incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, staffed with a minimum of 4 firefighters, is 9 minutes and 45 seconds. The first-due unit is capable of: establishing command; sizing up; assessing the situation to determine the presence of a potential hazardous material; determining the need for additional resources; estimating the potential harm without intervention; and begin establishing a hot, warm and cold zone. These operations are done utilizing safe operational procedures. 26

28 It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical did not have sufficient hazardous materials incidents, which required an effective response force to be assembled for , to provide reliable data. There are therefore no baseline service level performance statements provided for the effective response force in this report. It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated a trend of improvement in its actual baseline performance for Hazardous Materials - 90th Percentile Times Baseline Performance Alarm Handling Pick-up to Dispatch 2:40 2:44 2:12 2:18 2:36 1:58 Turnout Turnout Time Time 1st Unit 2:26 1:50 3:27 2:27 2:14 2:09 Travel Time Travel 1st Unit Time Distribution 5:29 3:05 5:05 5:27 5:29 5:32 Total Response Time Total Response Time 1st Unit On Scene Distribution Criterion 5G Emergency Medical Services 9:45 10:19 7:17 7:02 09:45 09:48 Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical responds to emergency medical services (EMS) situations to provide advanced life support service (ALS) or Type I Service. The state of Kansas licenses Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. The department has a minimum of six ALS units staffed in the city of Lawrence and Douglas County every day; five of the units are stationed in the city and one is stationed in the county. Additional resources can be available if the volume of calls indicates the need. Five reserve medic units, one at each station in Lawrence, serve this purpose and are a backup for first out units. Each medic unit is staffed with a minimum of one paramedic and one emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I). Each engine, rescue or quint company has a minimum of one EMT-I. The medical priority dispatch (EMD) protocols with pre-arrival instructions ensure an adequate number of personnel and units respond to out-of-hospital incidents to provide the best and quickest possible care. The department operates an EMS program that provides the community with a designated level of out-of-hospital emergency medical care. The department operates under protocols outlined in its standard operating procedures and falls under the auspices of the Kansas Board of EMS statutes. The department has one medical director who reviews critical incidents, evaluates services, makes recommendations and substantiates procedures. Personnel receive regular training on the procedures outlined within the protocols to insure consistent unified knowledge, skills and abilities throughout the year. The department utilizes ESO Solutions software as its electronic patient care report (PCR) system for every patient treated and transported. The PCR contains patient history, incident history, treatment 27

29 rendered and the patient disposition. The department SOP details procedures regarding the release of information contained on the PCR and complies with federal laws relevant to patient confidentiality. The department has a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance program in place. All personnel received training to this act. The department complies fully with the privacy policy through appropriate disclosure with all patients who enter the EMS system and cause the creation of a PCR. The department trains each new employee on its procedures during initial EMT training and for all members during continuing education training. The department conducts an appraisal and a thorough review of the EMS program annually in August during which time EMS protocols and quality assurance are the focus of the discussion. The current strategic plan, SOPs and any performance measures and outcomes specific to the EMS program serve as the basis for the program assessment discussion. A program appraisal guide for department programs provides program managers with key areas to review as part of the program review. The department s response and deployment standards are based upon the urban, rural and countywide population density and medical support demand of the community. Five fire stations provide citywide coverage and one ALS station in the City of Baldwin provides additional coverage in the county; department staffing is based upon station location, incident type and frequency. The targeted service level objectives in the standards of cover benchmark statements are based on industry standards and best practices, as identified earlier in this report in Category II Assessment and Planning. The objectives have been sent to the city manager. The department s benchmark service level objectives are as follows: For 90 percent of all priority medical incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, staffed with a minimum of 1 paramedic and 1 EMT-I, shall be: 6 minutes and 30 seconds in urban areas; 12 minutes and 30 seconds in rural areas; and 9 minutes and 30 seconds countywide. The first-due unit shall be capable of: establishing command; assessing scene safety; conducting initial patient assessment; obtaining vitals and patient s medical history; initiating basic life support with automatic external defibrillator (AED) capability until the ALS transport unit arrives on the scene. For 90 percent of all priority medical incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the effective response force (ERF) (ALS unit), with a minimum of 1 paramedic and 2 EMT-Is, shall be: 10 minutes and 30 seconds in urban areas; 14 minutes and 30 seconds in rural areas; and 12 minutes and 30 seconds countywide. The ERF shall be capable of: establishing command; assessing scene safety; conducting initial patient assessment; obtaining vitals and patient s medical history; providing intravenous (IV) access-medication administration; and transport the patient. The department s baseline statements reflect actual performance during The department does not rely on the use of automatic aid or mutual aid from neighboring fire departments to provide its effective response force complement of personnel. The department s actual baseline service level performance is as follows: For 90 percent of all priority medical incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the first-due unit, including a minimum of 1 EMT in rural areas and 2 EMT-Is in urban areas was: 7 minutes and 59 seconds in urban areas; 14 minutes and 17 seconds in rural areas, and 10 minutes and 02 seconds countywide. The first-due unit is capable of establishing command; 28

30 assessing scene safety; conducting initial patient assessment; obtaining vitals and patient s medical history; initiating basic life support with AED capability until the ALS Transport unit arrives on the scene. For 90 percent of all priority medical incidents, the total response time for the arrival of the ERF, including a minimum of 1 paramedic and 1 EMT-I, was 8 minutes and 33 seconds in urban areas, 17 minutes and 55 seconds in rural areas, and 11 minutes and 31 seconds countywide. The ERF is capable of: establishing command; assessing scene safety; conducting initial patient assessment; obtaining vitals and patient s medical history; providing intravenous (IV) access-medication administration and transport the patient. It was verified and validated by the peer assessment team that Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical demonstrated a trend of improvement in its actual baseline performance for Recently the Douglas County Communication Center implemented a pre-alert system to get EMS out the door much faster as the call taker continues to gather information. Two weeks of data provided to the peer assessment team demonstrated a 38 percent improvement in alarm handling time. EMS Priority 1-90th Percentile Times Baseline Performance 2012 Alarm Pick-up to Dispatch --- 3:19 3:03 3:22 3:14 3:18 3:30 Handling Turnout Turnout Time 1st --- 1:58 1:47 2:05 1:58 2:01 1:53 Time Unit Travel Time Total Response Time Travel Time 1st Unit Distribution Travel Time ERF Concentration Total Response Time 1st Unit On Scene Distribution Total Response Time ERF Concentration Criterion 5H Domestic Preparedness Planning and Response Urban 4:23 4:33 4:09 4:18 4:37 4:20 Rural 10:33 09:28 09:06 10:14 10:15 9:36 Countywide 6:22 6:05 4:56 6:40 5:47 7:26 Urban 5:00 5:00 4:54 4:47 5:29 5:07 Rural 14:15 14:10 11:24 12:38 12:46 15:44 Countywide 7:38 07:24 6:33 7:29 7:46 7:43 Urban 07:59 08:05 07:58 7:52 7:45 7:59 Rural 14:17 12:25 12:10 13:55 13:49 15:04 Countywide 10:02 9:09 9:29 10:35 10:15 11:19 Urban 8:33 8:39 8:38 8:50 08:27 8:27 Rural 17:55 17:55 14:23 15:36 16:48 18:43 Countywide 11:31 10:18 10:43 11:31 12:26 12:16 The Douglas County Emergency Management Office is responsible for the development of the multijurisdictional emergency operations plan (EOP) that serves as an all-hazards plan. The EOP is a 29

31 multi-jurisdiction plan covering: Douglas County, the cities of Lawrence, Baldwin, Eudora and Lecompton; and the unincorporated areas within the county. Through its involvement with the county, the department operates an all-hazards preparedness program that includes a coordinated multi-agency response plan, designed to protect the community from terrorist threats or attacks, major disasters and other large-scale emergencies occurring at or in the immediate area. The EOP covers all emergency support functions and all phases of emergency operations. The all-hazards plan conforms to the standards reflected in the National Response Framework. All personnel are trained and operate under the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The EOP is regularly reviewed by the department and the Douglas County Emergency Management. The fire department uses the Douglas County EOP as its planning and response guide. The most recent revision occurred in The department will continue to conduct annual reviews and updates of its standard operating procedures concurrent with the annual review and exercise of the EOP. Douglas County conducts a multi-agency exercise annually to validate the EOP. Douglas County has a well-equipped emergency operations center (EOC). All agencies in Douglas County utilize a single communications center, with the exception of Kansas University Police who utilize the same radio system. To facilitate interoperability, the EOC operates under NIMS during activations. The Douglas County mobile command post has an ACU-M that allows patching of different radios for specific events and other emergencies. Douglas County is currently under contract with Motorola to design and install a new radio system that will enhance the overall interoperability of all county agencies. The first quarter of 2014 is the operational target date for the new system. Criterion 5K Other Programs Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, in conjunction with Frontier Forensics, P.A., administers a coroner scene investigation (CSI) program. A contractual agreement with Douglas County establishes program funding. The prevention division chief oversees the program and the department has recently assigned a lieutenant as the program manager. The department has six coroner scene investigators that cover each of the three 24-hour shifts. The goal of the CSI program is to assist the coroner in determining the cause and manner of death for all unattended deaths in Douglas County. This is accomplished through scene investigation, information gathering, witness interviews and follow-up activities necessary to aid the coroner in determining the cause of death. All six CSIs are sent to school to receive training to become nationally registered medico-legal death investigators. The agency operates an adequate, effective and efficient program directed toward coroner scene investigations occurring in Douglas County. The department has standard operating procedures (SOP) that describe the duties, responsibilities, necessary documentation and reports, level of authority and independent judgment the investigators may exercise. At regular monthly program meetings, CSIs discuss SOP relevance, updates and any new work procedures that may be under development. The department hosts a monthly meeting for all stakeholders in the CSI program. In addition to department CSIs and administrators, these stakeholders include county and municipal law 30

32 enforcement representatives, member of the district attorney s office and representatives from Frontier Forensics, P.A. These multi-agency meetings serve as a clearinghouse for reviewing previous cases and addressing issues that may arise either from actual incidents or from general trends in the death investigation community. Case reviews provide opportunities for program improvement. Due to the non-emergency response for dispatching CSIs to death scenes, response times vary greatly. The jurisdictional law enforcement agency will request a CSI response from the on-duty shift commander, who will in turn assign the call to an on-duty or on-call CSI. The CSI will then self-initiate the incident with dispatch upon going en route to the scene. There is no record of the total time between the request for a CSI and the arrival on scene. Category VI Physical Resources Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical maintains six fire stations that are distributed across the city and the county to meet the service level objectives; five are in Lawrence and one is in Baldwin in the county. The department is seeking funding to remodel Station 1 and the training facility. To meet the department s standards of cover and service level objectives, it operates a response fleet of 15 frontline apparatus, 8 reserve apparatus and 19 utility vehicles and support vehicles, appropriate for the functions served. The department uses the city s maintenance department that is appropriately staffed with properly trained and qualified personnel to maintain the apparatus and equipment used for emergency response activities. The department ensures the development and use of physical resources is consistent with its established plans. A systematic and planned approach to the future development of facilities is in place. All appropriate parties, including the governing body, administrative staff and the city s building maintenance department are involved in the development of the major plans and proposals for the maintenance and remodel of facilities. The department does not have a need for planning the addition of future stations at this time. As the city continues to annex new areas, the department will need to monitor the impact on services. The department s fixed facility resources are designed, maintained, managed and adequate to meet its goals and objectives. The department s baseline performance data demonstrates that it is able to currently meet expectations for the delivery of emergency response services with its current six station configuration. Monitoring of future annexations will be critical to make sure the department is able to maintain existing baseline performance and move forward to meet benchmarks. It is recommended the department continue with its implementation of the master plan, particularly as it applies to new fire station construction and related staffing requirements, as the anticipated annexation and new development occurs. The peer assessment team observed a strong commitment by the department to ensuring that all facilities meet and exceed minimum all applicable codes and regulations. All facilities have a sprinkler system. The department s apparatus resources are designed and purchased to be adequate to meet its goals and objectives. The department pays close attention to maintaining the appropriate distribution and concentration of the apparatus so as to ensure a continuous capability to meet its standards of cover objectives. The department s baseline performance data demonstrates that it is able to currently meet emergency response services with its current apparatus deployment. 31

33 The inspection, testing, preventive maintenance, replacement schedule and emergency repairs of all apparatus are well established and meet the emergency apparatus service and reliability needs. The vehicle city s maintenance division is well managed and has a robust records management system capable of tracking every vehicle in the fleet. There is direct communication to and from the maintenance department to the administration chief to schedule service work, based upon preventive maintenance schedules. Mechanics are well trained and certified as emergency vehicle technicians (EVTs); some are certified as master EVTs for the work they perform on the fire department equipment. There is a well stocked parts supply area that ensures minimum down-time due to delays in obtaining the necessary parts. All manufacturers recommendations are being followed and national standards are being met. The shared expectations of both the administration and the maintenance department are well established in standard operating guidelines. They are reviewed at a minimum on an annual basis, and sometimes more often, to ensure continuity of operations and a consistent approach to keeping the fleet well maintained. The tools and small equipment resources are adequate and designed and maintained to meet the agency s goals and objectives. A division chief is assigned to logistics for ordering, stocking, maintaining and distributing the tools and small equipment for all stations in the department. The program is well managed and stocked to assure that all items required by the department are readily available. There is an adequate records management system for the program. All aerial devices and ground ladders are tested annually by a third party vendor under the supervision of the city maintenance garage. Annual hose testing is the responsibility of a station captain. Aerial, ground ladders and hose testing are well documented in the fire department s record management program. Safety equipment is adequate and designed to meet the agency s goals and objectives. The department has a comprehensive safety program and provides a high quality supply of safety equipment for its employees. The department is in the process of replacing firefighter protective clothing every five years on a staggered rotation in an attempt to provide a second set of turnouts for all line suppression personnel. All helmets are replaced every ten years. The department has staff certified to maintain self-contained breathing apparatus and complete annual fit testing. Other safety equipment is provided for particular tasks on an as needed basis. Company officers are charged with the annual inspection and documentation of firefighter safety equipment. Category VII Human Resources The human resources functions for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical are provided through the city s human resources department. This department includes a variety of support staff comprised of four positions: a management analyst over compensation, a recruiter, a benefits coordinator and an administrative support position. General human resources administration practices are in place and are consistent with local, state and federal statutory and regulatory requirements. Human resources staff administers the necessary city policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all of the related demands. The city s human resources manager is designated as the one person responsible for all human resource activities throughout the various city departments and reports directly to the assistant city manager. 32

34 Systems are established to attract, select, retain, and promote qualified personnel in accordance with applicable local, state and federal statutory requirements. The department has a comprehensive program for hiring, training and testing new employees; however, the department has experienced problems attracting diversified candidates. Promotions through the ranks are based on city and department defined competitive processes for both unionized personnel and management staff. The department has a defined, supervised probationary process to evaluate new and promoted members. Newly hired firefighters are on probation for a period of 12 months from the date of hire, and promoted employees are on probation for a period of 6 months. Each employee is monitored by the shift captain once he or she is on shift. Personnel policies and procedures are in place, documented and used to guide both administrative and personnel behavior. When policies and procedures are being written or updated, they are put on the shift calendar for employees to review and send feedback to executive staff for approval. The documents are reviewed for currency annually. Upon approval, the policy is posted on the department s intranet where it is easily accessible to all employees. The city has a discrimination policy in place entitled Statement of Individual Respect, located in the city s employee handbook. This handbook is given to each employee via CD, and it is also accessible to all employees via the city s intranet. Human resources staff provides sensitivity training annually to all employees. Additionally the Statement of Individual Respect is reviewed with the employee and supervisor during evaluations. Human resources development and utilization is consistent with the agency s established mission, goals and objectives. The department has a process whereby, on a yearly basis, assessments of job functions and job descriptions are accomplished primarily by the human resources department. Additionally, job descriptions are reviewed with each individual during his or her annual evaluations. Revisions are authorized by the city manager s office and the city commission. A system and practices for providing employee and member compensation is in place. The city s human resources division publishes the annual pay plan for all employees, including uniformed and civilian members of the department. Copies are available to employees on the city s intranet. Occupational health and safety and risk management programs are established and designed to protect the organization and personnel from unnecessary injuries or losses from accidents or liability. The city and the department provide training programs for employees to address health and safety issues upon: initial employment; position assignment; implementation of new procedures or equipment; or identification of new substances. The department has an internal quality services division responsible for all functions pertaining to employee wellness and health. The division works in conjunction with the city s risk management division when the need arises to investigate an injury. The department has a wellness and fitness program for recruit and incumbent personnel and provisions for non-compliance by employees and members are written and communicated. The department takes a proactive approach to physical fitness standards and all members have access to physical fitness equipment. The department provides pre-hire medical physicals for all new employees and annual physicals for existing employees, scheduled by an officer in the quality services division. Workers compensation provides rehabilitation to employees for on the job 33

35 injuries. A wellness fitness initiative is in place which allows for certified peer fitness trainers to be available on each shift to work with employees on proper fitness techniques. The department has developed and maintains current standard operating procedures (SOPs) to provide a central core of directives to guide and direct the health and wellness program. At least an hour of physical fitness daily is highly encouraged; however, it is not mandatory. Category VIII Training and Competency Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has a full time training division that organizationally is overseen by the division chief of training and is staffed by two full time personnel, including a captain and a lieutenant, who work on a 40 hour work week in fire administration. A training and education program is established to support the agency s needs. The program includes a variety of mandatory training and company training events. The training division provides a variety of training opportunities to department members ranging from drills, multi-company drills, entanglement drills and live fire events conducted at the training center. The department s training division identifies training needs based upon federal, state and local laws, as well as administrative requirements. The tasks, activities, knowledge, skills and abilities required to deal with anticipated emergency conditions are identified. Additionally, the training division receives input from the operations division and company officers when creating the annual training plan. The annual training plan is completed in the fall for deployment at the first of the year. Training and education programs are provided to support the agency s needs. The training division chief is responsible for the planning and implementation of the department s various training programs. Long-range training scheduling is achieved using an annual training plan. Short term training schedules are published each month. The department utilizes an apprentice program to evaluate members up to 36 months after they complete the initial recruit training. Specific performance based drills are conducted multiple times throughout the year to comply with required training needs to maintain the department s Insurance Services Office (ISO) status. The training division develops drills with defined performance criteria that are used to measure company proficiency and to identify areas of improvement that need to be addressed. Individual drills are also conducted to measure proficiency on an individual level. The training section develops several multi-company drills annually. The training division maintains individual and company training records for the department in Firehouse. Training and education resources, printed and non-printed library materials, media equipment, facilities and staff are available in sufficient quantity, relevancy, diversity and they are current. The department conducts training using multiple classrooms, primarily at the training center and at the administrative offices. The department s training center features a four-story drill tower, with a first floor burn room attached to it, which was constructed in the late 1980s. The drill tower itself, however, is not eligible for live fire training. Due to its age and the failing condition of the drill tower, not being able to conduct live fire training and increasing maintenance costs, the drill tower is becoming less effective. It is recommended the department consider replacement of the existing drill tower to meet nationally recognized standards for training facilities. 34

36 In general, the training center facilities and apparatus minimally meet the needs of the department. The facilities are small and minimally adequate. The drill field s current size is unable to accommodate National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and VFIS driving practicum. Nationally recognized training materials are being used and all training is being continuously evaluated through the training program team to make sure it is meeting the needs of the department. Training and education resources, printed and non-printed library materials, media equipment, facilities and staff are available in sufficient quantity, relevancy, diversity and they are current. Category IX Essential Resources Criterion 9A Water Supply Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical relies on the city s water department to ensure the provision of a well-maintained, reliable and adequate water system. An excellent working relationship exists between the two entities and includes the regular exchange of information to determine the required fire flow water for new construction developments. The water supply resources available to the department are reliable and capable of distributing adequate volumes of water and pressures to all areas of agency responsibility. All areas meet fire flow requirements for emergencies. The water department was evaluated by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) in November of 2010; it received a score of out of 40 for a Class I designation. The fire marshal serves as the liaison officer with the city s water department for coordination purposes to review and approve the required fire flow for all significant new construction developments. The water department runs models to determine fire protection requirements. This ensures the department will be able to conduct effective fire suppression efforts. The fire department must approve alternate methods proposed by the developer where the fire flow requirements are not being met. The city water department has two water treatment facilities that are capable of providing redundancy. Should the domestic water supply be rendered inoperable, the fire department has a 2,000 gallon capacity water tender and a mutual aid agreement with surrounding townships for ten additional water tenders. The hydrant locations and alternate water sources are maintained in both hard-copy and on GIS mapping. Responding crews have on-board mobile data computers to access the information through the department s records management system. There is an appropriate system in place for the sharing of information between the fire department and the water department related to any problems that develop with the pressurized water system. Virtually all built up areas of the city are adequately served by the domestic water supply and hydrant system. The distribution system and hydrant distances are designed to have a minimum spacing of 500 feet between hydrants. The city water department is requesting commission approval of a five year, $142 million dollar infrastructure improvement plan for domestic water and waste water with $50 million of the funding dedicated to water improvement. 35

37 Criterion 9B Communication Systems Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical receives its communication services from the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center. The center provides dispatch services for police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) to all agencies within Douglas County. The department a very good working relationship with the dispatch center director. The center director has been there for less than two years and has a strong belief in building relationships and providing good customer service. The fire chief holds a seat on the advisory board for the communications center. The administration chief and dispatch center director have been working on changing the call processing procedure to improve alarm handling times. Beginning in January of 2013, the dispatch center implemented a new procedure where fire department units are being immediately dispatched based on a nature code as the call taker continues to gather information from the caller. Responding units are then updated with the additional information. This process has improved alarm handling times to 114 seconds, 90 percent of the time, for an approximate 38 percent improvement. The public and the department have an adequate, effective and efficient emergency communications system. The system is reliable and able to meet the demands of major operations, including command and control within fire and rescue services during emergency operations, and meets the requirements of other public safety agencies having a need for the distribution of information. The communications center has adequate provisions for meeting the incoming call volume associated with emergencies. All staff in the center are cross-trained and able to assume call taker or dispatch functions for police, fire and EMS should the need arise during times of high call volume. The onduty supervisor can be pressed into similar service, if necessary, but it is recognized that this should be avoided, if at all possible, to ensure appropriate supervision capability continues to be in place at all times. There are provisions to staff up the center within one hour for such situations as major weather related emergencies. A new radio system is based on 800 MHz and VHF trunked technology. The department is still operating on VHF with the expectation of cutting over to 800 MHz in the fourth quarter of The fire station alerting is included in the updating of the radio system. The department assigns portable radios to every riding position on first line apparatus, all command staff personnel and other specialty assignments. All fire department mobile and portable radios have national mutual aid talk-around channels. All apparatus and staff positions have been issued cell phones for backup communications. Mobile data computers are installed on all fire apparatus, but most of them are from 2004 and are unreliable. As computers fail, the department finds the funding within its existing budget to replace them one at a time. Due to the current problems, fire personnel are reluctant to use them. It is recommended the department develop a scheduled replacement program for the mobile data computers. The center operates under comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) that provide a central core of directives from which personnel can effectively, efficiently and safely meet the expected levels of service for all emergency events. The dispatch center has an on-going system of review to update SOPs, at a minimum, on an annual basis. The fire department has started taking on a greater role in helping the new center director review fire and medical SOPs. 36

38 Criterion 9C Administrative Support Services and Office Systems Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical uses a combination of sworn and civilian personnel to operate the administrative services system. These administrative staff positions and their respective staff subordinates have been a key component in bridging the gap between staff policy decision making and service delivery at the citizen level. Administrative services support staff handle subpoenas, payroll, purchasing, emergency medical services (EMS) billing and personnel functions with support from city departments such as legal services, finance, IT and human resources. Administrative support services and general office systems are in place with adequate staff to efficiently and effectively conduct and manage the department s administrative functions, such as organizational planning and assessment, resource coordination, data analysis, research, records keeping, reporting, business communications, public interaction and purchasing. The department has adequate clerical resources, records systems, business communications equipment, computers and workstations to support meeting the mission of the department. The department makes extensive use of financial incentives to manage some programs and services that are often provided by administrative staff personnel in larger departments. Category X External Systems Relationships Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has several written mutual aid agreements including: four traditional inter-jurisdictional mutual aid agreements; an automatic aid agreement and one automatic tender agreement. The department also participates in the State of Kansas Emergency Response Plan. The department has a strategic plan in place that identifies external agencies and its relationships with these agencies. The department understands the need and has successfully implemented a process of identifying and nurturing relationships with other agencies. The department s operations and planning efforts include relationships with external agencies and operational systems that affect or may influence its mission, operations or cost effectiveness. The department understands and supports the need to integrate resources across jurisdictional boundaries and provides response capabilities for other jurisdictions. By entering into various mutual and automatic aid agreements, the department has ensured an advanced state of preparedness to immediately respond should there be a major emergency take place that exceeds the department s internal capabilities. Although the cooperation with outside agencies has assisted in maintaining beneficial relationships with the agencies, it has also produced economic challenges by straining operating budgets at times. The department has recognized this challenge, and has a plan to continue to seek funding to reduce this budgetary impact. The department has well-developed and functioning external agency agreements. The system is synergistic and is taking advantage of all operational and cost effective benefits that may be derived from external agency agreements. The department maintains current, clearly defined mutual and automatic aid agreements with other agencies, which include the cities of Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park and Ottawa Fire Departments. All mutual and automatic aid agreements stay in effect for all area fire departments and are signed by each fire chief, unless any department chooses to formally opt out of the agreement. These agreements are reviewed periodically and updated as needed. Regular reviews ensure that the department s organizational objectives are being met. The department also has several township agreements in effect. Although these townships are responsible for their own fire suppression, the department will assist them by sending additional 37

39 apparatus. These agreements do have expiration dates, and it is the responsibility of either the department or the township to renew them after expiration. The department recognizes that the challenge being faced is the consistency in which these agreements are being reviewed and or updated, as there are various personnel within the department who are responsible for each agreement. It is recommended that the department move all agreements to a central location, with personnel assignments for responsibility attached, and that they be made easily accessible to all appropriate personnel for review. 38

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