Career FireEMS Staffing

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Career Fire/EMS Staffing
Department of Public Safety

• When, Where How Much ???

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Overview BOS Requested Outputs
Procedure for Requesting Additional Fire/EMS
Career Staff Funding Options for Additional
Fire/EMS Career Staff Guidelines for Determining
Need for Additional Fire/EMS Career Staff
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Recommended Procedure for Requesting Staff
Figure 1 This procedure is consistent with the
Accomack County budget procedures.
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Funding for Additional Staff
Current Funding
Where does the money come from?
Where does the money go?
How much public funding is currently being
allocated?
4.2 million
Proposed Funding Options

• Tax Base Funded from the EMS tax.
• Tax base must staffing cost
• Shared Requesting Department share in some
  aspect of the overall cost.

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Determining Need for Additional Staff
This section shall cover
Current System Description of service
levels Current historical approach to hiring
staff
Options for Board Consideration/Discussion
1 Current Approach 2 Response Approach 3
Systems Approach
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Determining Need for Additional Staff
CURRENT SYSTEM

• Stations, response districts call volume
• Challenges with current system
• Antiquated response districts
• Not meeting BOS response standard
• No accountability / Oversight
• 15 different entities
• Problems are not equally experienced

Map 1
Table 1
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Determining Need for Additional Staff
CURRENT and HISTROICAL PROCESS OF HIRING CAREER
STAFF

• History
• Current Approach Staff Placement
• Challenges with Current Approach
• No consideration of the whole County
• No consistent criterion or benchmarks used for
  decision making
• No ability to plan for future years
• No means of providing corrective actions
• Benefits
• Volunteer stations determine needs BUY-IN

Map 2
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Development of a Hiring Guideline
The Difficultly

• No uniform funding plan
• No accountability
• Only 1 standard established
• Identification of problems
• Fear of losing ES Billing revenue
• Not every department is experiencing difficulties
  at the same time.
• Some departments have more long term vision
• Guideline MUST be flexible to allow for predicted
  increases in call volume or diminishing
  volunteers.
• Fear of Take-over

Historical Research

• Staffing Matrix Presented in Oct. 2008
• Fire/EMS Study Presented in April 2008
• Facilitated discussion Presented in Oct 2008
• Drive Time Analysis March 2008
• Change for a Safer Tomorrow w/Staffing Plan
  October 2004
• Supplemental Fire/EMS Staff Relocation Plan
  May 2004
• Trends, Issues, Concerns Solutions AC Fire
  Rescue Commission September 2004
• Response Committee Report AC Fire Rescue
  Commission June 1998

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Option 1 Current Approach
Supplemental Documents
Option 1 Illustrative Map
Option 1 Summary
Highlights Would require hiring additional 7
FTEs. No benchmarking or performance
measures. Would address a staffing realignment to
maximize 24 hour personnel. All currently staffed
stations remained staffed.
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Option 2 Response Approach
Option 2 Illustrative Map
Option 2 Summary
Highlights Would require hiring additional 11
FTEs. Response time as performance
measures. Would address a staffing realignment to
maximize 24 hour personnel. All currently staffed
stations remained staffed.
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Option 3 Systems Approach to Staffing
Goal
1.) A statement of policy/procedure by which to
determine a course of action 2.) Provide at the
lowest possible cost.
Guiding principles

• Meeting or reducing BOS response time
  guideline
• Accountability for service delivery
• Both CAREER and VOLUNTEER
• Quantitative data analysis for decision
  making
• Examine County as a system and not as
  individual departments.
• Augment not replace volunteers.

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Option 3 Systems Approach
Option 3 Illustrative Map
Option 3 Summary
Highlights Would require hiring additional 8
FTEs. Would address a staffing realignment to
maximize 24 hour personnel 2 backfill. EMS
districts defined by drive time. Future
reductions in response time possible and
predictable. Staff placement based on population
density, call volume ability to reach areas of
the County. Response and staffing performance
measures can be established.
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Option 3 Future Considerations
Potential 5 year

• Examine additional EMS coverage in the New
  Church Area
• Discuss the possibility of future Oak Hall
  station location.
• Monitor established performance measures,
  increase career coverage as needed.

Potential 10 year

• A view of response times utilizing 2 career
  staff in each staffed station.

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Summation
Procedure for Requesting 1.)Budgetary
procedure Recommendation/Action Board adopt
process. Funding Options 1.) EMS Tax 2.) Shared
Cost Recommendation Shared Funding
Action Further discussion with volunteer
depts. Guidelines for Determining Need 1.)
Current Approach 2.) Response Approach 3.)
Systems Approach Recommendation Systems
Approach Action Further
discussion with volunteer depts.
Solicit Public input on service
levels funding
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Final Notes/Facts

• VOLUNTEERS in Accomack County SAVE the taxpayers
  a TREMENDOUS amount of MONEY.
• NONE of the proposed options will be SUCCESFUL
  WITHOUT the participation of the VOLUNTEERS of
  this County.