LFD 3 SORT Member Lt Ryan Cox ascends a tree to set up a rescue device for a paratrooper Lacey Fire District 3 Annual Report 2013
From the Fire Chief Thank you for taking a moment to review the highlights of what was an action-packed year for both the members and citizens of Lacey Fire District 3. We began 2013 with the notification that we had been awarded a $2.4 million federal grant to hire 12 career firefighters and restore staffing to the Willamette Drive Station #35. Deputy Chief Kathy Dickson has an excellent track record as the District s primary grant writer and has literally saved the taxpayers millions of dollars and allowed us to fund programs and equipment that would have otherwise been impossible. We were also excited to take delivery of two new fire engines in January. These units were built by Pierce Manufacturing of Wisconsin and they replaced two 24 year old units that had 200 thousand miles of service to the community. The purchase of the new engines was made possible by the sale of a cell tower lease and through Commissioner Bonds issued in 2012. Neither of these created any increased costs to the taxpayers as they are paid for out of General Fund operating dollars. This was the first time in decades that the District has been able to fund large capital improvements without the need for voted bonds. In addition to funding the two new engines, the bond funding also allowed us to make some much needed repairs and improvements to our oldest facility, the Steilacoom Road Station #34. This station was completed in 1991 and has never had any significant improvements. We were able to replace the leaking roof, install new high speed/low maintenance apparatus bay doors and make several improvements to the interior crew quarters and public meeting areas. I hope you will stop by and get a tour to see the significant improvements. My thanks to Deputy Chief Gary Pearson for managing this extensive project and ensuring that it came in under budget while dramatically improving the functionality of the station. Lastly, let me say that my first two years as Fire Chief here at Lacey Fire District 3 have been the most rewarding of my career. I am truly thankful for the dedication and service of all the members of our agency, both career and volunteer, and for the support that our community provides. I am thankful to be part of such a great team that truly improves the quality of life for its citizens and guests. If you have any questions or comments about our services, I hope you will not hesitate to contact me directly. Page 2 of 11
Lacey Fire Fire District 3 Annual Report 2013 Lacey Fire District Overview Lacey Fire District 3 began operations in 1948. The current boundaries include the Nisqually River to the East, the City of Olympia to the West, Fire District 8 to the North and Fire District 6 and Joint Base Lewis McCord to the South. Within the District boundaries are the City of Lacey and the Nisqually Indian Reservation. These boundaries encompass about 70 square miles and approximately 88,500 people. Lacey Fire District protects an assessed valuation of more than $7.2 billion dollars, which includes a mix of residential and commercial occupancies as well as agricultural and undeveloped wildland. The District holds a Class 3 rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau within the City of Lacey city limits, and a Class 4 rating in a majority of the remainder of the District area. The colored areas on the map at the right depict various response zones within the District boundaries. Services are provided throughout the District from four 24-hour staffed stations strategically located throughout the community. A 5th station, with volunteer residents, provides additional coverage in the south east area of the District. Each of these stations has an Engine company of three, with volunteers providing a 4th position about 90% of the time. Station 34 on Steilacoom Road also houses a Medic Unit which in 2013 achieved 24 hour staffing. Station 31, the headquarters station on Franz St SE has a staffed Truck company as well as a staffed Medic Unit. The District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Fire Commissioners. The District operates as a combination agency, with both career employees and volunteer members. In 2013, the District had 92 career firefighters and officers, and fifteen volunteer firefighters. Additional employees and volunteers support the service delivery mission through administrative and support functions. Page 3 of 11
Overview, cont The 2013 General Operating budget for the District was $15.2 million, with salary and benefits comprising less than 83% of the total. 2013 District Operating Budget $2,077,782 $113,200 2013 revenue included nearly $1 million from SAFER grant funding and approximately $3.2 million from the Thurston County Medic One contract for paramedic services provided through the District. Salary and Benefits $13,022,051 Maintenance and Operations Through thoughtful spending, Capital Improvements negotiated benefits cost reductions and regular comprehensive financial reporting, the District ended 2013 with General Operating expenses coming in 7% under budget. CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS Paramedic services in Thurston County are coordinated through a central Thurston County Medic One (TCMO) office that contracts with fire service agencies for service delivery. Lacey Fire District 3 operates three of the seven Medic Units in Thurston County, and the District s contract with TCMO covers approximately 80% of the costs of providing those services. In 2013 the District s third Medic Unit expanded services from part time staffing to full time staffing. Other intergovernmental agreements provide for efficiencies in District operations: Vehicle maintenance a cooperative agreement between the City of Olympia benefits both agencies; City of Olympia emergency vehicle certified mechanics operate out of the District 3 vehicle repair facility & provide fleet maintenance services to District apparatus Training City of Olympia and Lacey Fire District 3 firefighters trained approximately three days per week in 2013 at the Mark Noble Regional Training Center practicing tactics and skills in Fire Ground Safety & Survival, live fire and Blue Card Command. Special Operations and Rescue Team (SORT) a county-wide team responds for a variety of specialized rescue needs; Lacey Fire District has several members participating on that team. Lacey Fire also has surface rescue swimmers and equipment and training for ice rescue calls. Northeast Thurston (NET) Lacey Fire District 3, South Bay Fire District 8 and North Olympia District 7 share a Health and Safety Officer. Page 4 of 11
Key 2013 Events SAFER Grant In December 2012 the District was notified they were the recipients of a $2.4 million federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Department of Homeland Security if they chose to accept it. The grant would cover the salary and benefits for 12 career firefighters for a period of two years. Seeking the best possible answer for the community, the Commissioners and Fire Chief sought input at a series of public meetings. It was explained that the grant did not cover costs for pre-hire medical evaluations, uniforms, protective clothing, and training; those costs must come from the operating budget. Additionally, accepting the grant also meant that after the two year grant period, unless the community continued to provide support, some or all of those firefighters would most likely have to be laid off. The community consensus from the public meetings was that the positive effects of the grant far outweighed the complicating factors, and urged the District to accept. Twelve new firefighters were hired, outfitted and trained, and put into service at the end of June 2013. Restaffing Station 35 As a result of the hiring of the SAFER grant career firefighters, Station 35 in the NE area of the District was again staffed 24/7 and the District regained the service level of four 24-hour staffed stations. The addition of another engine crew to the daily resources of the District improves response time locally in the area of the staffed station, adds backup capability as well as additional resources for structure fires and preserves the District s excellent insurance rating. Staffing had been pulled from Station 35 in April of 2012 when resources limitations, community risk assessments, and call volume drove a decision to move the crew to the more centrally located headquarters station in the urban area. Coverage in the Station 35 area was provided from the next closest station, about 5 miles away. Page 5 of 11
New Pierce Fire Engines Lacey Fire District 3 was able to replace two aged and high mileage pumpers in 2013 with new Pierce Velocity Pumper fire engines without additional citizen funding. These new engines have current firefighter safety features such as air bags and rollover protection, as well as intrinsically safe seat mounted SCBAs. The pumpers boast HID headlights, LED scene lights and a water tank in excess of 500 gallons with a 1500 GPM pump. Fuel economy is achieved through the addition of idle reduction technology funded in part by the Washington State Department of Ecology. When on scene and not pumping water, a small diesel generator automatically starts and the vehicle engine stops; the small generator powers lights and other support functions and consumes only a fraction of the fuel that the vehicle engine would normally consume. Cooperative Training Agreement In 2013 the District was a co-signatory for a cooperative training agreement with the City of Olympia Fire Department. Members from both agencies trained cooperatively throughout the year in a focused effort on Fireground Safety & Survival, Blue Card Command, and live fire exercises. This cooperative training effort improved individual skills, company level skills and cross-agency training that becomes extremely valuable in mutual aid circumstances. Technical Rescue Lacey Fire District 3 offers a variety of rescue services. We have members that participate in the countywide Specialized Operations Rescue Team (SORT) that provides rescue services for confined space, heavy rescue, trench and rope rescue, including rescuing paratroopers entangled in the tree heights as well as having members trained as surface rescue swimmers and ice rescue techniques. We maintain a boat for static water rescue in the area s lakes, retention ponds and slack waters of the Sound. Page 6 of 11
Response Overview In 2013 the District responded to 10,793 calls for assistance. 2013 Response Types Emergency medical services (EMS) and rescue responses included both basic life support (4,788 responses) and advanced life support (3,306 responses) types of calls, as well as rescues from trees, bodies of water and machinery. EMS type calls continue to comprise about 75% of all District calls for assistance. 1238 939 242 117 27 8230 Emergency Medical and Rescue Good Intent and Fire Alarms Service Calls Fire Hazardous conditions Other For all calls within the District, our average response time varies by Station area. Response time is the time segment from dispatch to arrival. Stations with 24-hour staffing (31, 33, 34 and 35) are able to achieve quicker response times overall. In 2013 the District was able to initiate a resident volunteer program at Station 32, which should allow for enhanced responses from that station. Minutes:Seconds 12:00 10:48 9:36 8:24 7:12 6:00 4:48 3:36 2:24 1:12 0:00 6:24 Average Response Time by Station Area, 2013 10:57 7:39 6:55 8:21 Station 31 Station 32 Station 33 Station 34 Station 35 Page 7 of 11
Community Fire Report There were slightly over 200 fire calls in the District area in 2013, and the District also responded with mutual aid to fires in other districts or cities an additional 40 times. By Station area, fires occurred according to the distribution chart at thr right. This includes house fires, chimney fires, vehicle fires, wildland fires and other types of fires such as dumpster fires or stove top fires that are kept to the stove top. 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 66 Fires in the District Area, 2013 By Station 14 42 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 68 13 The total fire loss for the District was $1.4 million in 2013; just five fires accounted for slightly over $900,000 in losses. With an assessed valuation of $7.2 billion, the total fire loss represents less than 1% within the protected area. One fire resulted in a civilian death. $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $0 2013 Fire Losses by Station $734,354 $348,770 $235,530 $105,400 $15,000 $39,973 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 Average Page 8 of 11
Emergency Medical Responses Lacey Fire District responded to 8,230 emergency medical calls in 2013; of those calls, 6,972 were within the District boundaries. The remainder of the EMS calls had a District 3 medic unit but were outside of District 3. The District provides both advanced life support, or paramedic responses, and basic life support, calls that are managed by emergency medical technicians or EMTs. Of the 6,972 calls, 59% were basic life support responses in 2013. Within the emergency medical category, Lacey Fire District responded to more than 550 motor vehicle accidents. CPR 2013 The District achieved a 50% survival rate for victims of certain types of heart attacks in 2013. The national average is around 30% 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 250 200 150 100 50 0 2888 2013 Emergency Medical Calls by Station 535 1997 1755 365 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 Motor Vehicle Accident Responses 207 38 105 179 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 27 Page 9 of 11
Service Calls Lacey Fire District responded to nearly 1,000 call for service in 2013. These calls ranged from broken water pipes to unauthorized burning complaints, to assisting citizens who had fallen but had no medical complaint (patient assists). 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2013 Service Calls by Station Area 358 294 199 35 47 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 The largest single component of these types of calls is patient assists. Many citizens throughout the community have disabled family members. The District provides assistance when called to respond then helps get them connected with outside resources where possible. 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 358 270 Patient Assists as Component of All Service Calls 35 22 294 210 199 139 St 31 St 32 St 33 St 34 St 35 47 27 All Service Calls Pt assist Page 10 of 11
Community Involvement Throughout 2013, the Commissioners, Fire Chief, staff and responders were active in the community. Presentations on the District s current operations and future needs were made to Homeowner Associations, service groups, elected officials, and other organizations. Apparatus appeared at community events, and staff and members provided static displays on fire service safety and emergency preparedness throughout the year. CPR7 Seventh graders throughout the District received the CPR7 curriculum, specifically designed to positively impact that age group regarding the ease and benefits of CPR. Approximately 400 7 th grade students received CPR training from LFD in 2013. The District also participated in child and infant care seat installations throughout the year; led by the unflagging efforts of the Fire Chief and the Fire Equipment Technician, the District was awarded the Motor Vehicle Safety Award for Child Passenger Safety Fitting Station of the Year for 2013. October 2013 brought focused involvement in all the District area elementary schools. All 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd graders in all schools, public and private, received age appropriate fire safety education delivered by the firefighters in the classroom. Page 11 of 11