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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023.02.21 Packet - FD Staffing Workshop AGENDA Fire Department Staffing Workshop City Hall Oneka Room Tuesday, February 21, 2023 7:00 p.m. 1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Review of Past Workshops 3. Discussion on Council’s Priorities 4. Review of Possible Staffing Plan 5. Direction to Staff 6. Adjournment Fire Department Staffing Needs Total Calls from 2017-2022 Growth in call volume380 calls in 2022Increase from 263 to 380 in 6 yearsGrowth rate = 8% annually Growth is faster than city’s annual population growth rate Type of Call from 2017-2022463146565153831361541431831851341321251271211420204060801001201401601802002017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Incident Type per YearFireMedicalOther Fire Calls from 2017-2022 Fire calls53 fire calls in 2022Relatively stable from year to yearBut there are more buildings in the city each year due to growth of the city…Safer buildingsStricter building codes/fire codesIncreasing requirements for sprinklersMajority of fire calls are for mutual aid to other citiesAutomatic Mutual Aid increases volume further Medical Calls from 2017-2022 Medical calls185 in 2022Up from 83 in 2017Growth rate is extraordinary (unsustainable?)Likely several reasons for the growthVast majority are for “medical assists” to help the ambulance companyWill be an ongoing discussion topic. “Other” Calls from 2017-2022 Miscellaneous “other” calls142 calls in 2022.Large increase from last yearSmoke alarms, CO detectors, natural gas leaks, false alarms, “cancelled in route” Call volume isn’t everything380 calls in 2022… But…In 2014, there were 607 calls, we helped run an ambulance service and managed duty crewsWithout a FT Fire ChiefCall volume doesn’t have a high impact on ChiefNeed is for a good response system to be in placeNo matter what happens with call volume…we need to manage a department TO: City Council FROM: Bryan Bear, City Administrator SUBJECT: Staffing at the Fire Department DATE: January 18, 2023 for the City Council workshop of January 25, 2023 BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS: In 2022, Council set a goal to discuss staffing needs at the Fire Department. Prior to that, during interviews for the part-time Fire Chief position, Fire Chief Jim Compton Jr, expressed his desire to make this discussion a priority if he were to be selected as Chief. Council has since discussed this topic at a series of workshops in 2022. At the budget workshop in August, Council directed staff to include funding in the 2023 Budget for a full-time Fire Chief. Although the position is now in the adopted 2023 budget, Council has not made a decision to create the position or advertise for it. Obviously, Council is not required to create the position simply because funds are allocated for it in the budget. The discussion about whether to hire a full-time Fire Chief has included information about call volumes, discussion on City Council priorities, workloads of officers on the Fire Department, and anticipated trends. If a full-time Fire Chief position is created, it will result in a reorganization of responsibilities for all other officers on the Department, and will result in some officer positions being eliminated. Currently, there are 11 total officers on the Fire Department, including the Chief. The most recent report from the Fire Chief recommends that total be reduced to 7 officers, including the Chief. Staff would expect the workload and level of responsibility for each of the remaining officers to be reduced. Likewise, the officer salaries would also be reviewed. With this situation being uncertain at the end of 2022, the Finance Director simply added a full- time Chief position to the 2023 budget….and also kept all 11 officers budgeted at their current levels. Clearly, we do not expect to hire a full-time Chief and retain all 11 officers, so we expect this funding level to be overkill in 2023 no matter what decision Council makes. The 2024 Fire Department budget would be reduced accordingly with the Council’s decision. RECOMMENDATIONS: Attached to this memo is information staff recommends be reviewed prior to the workshop including;  Updated information on 2022 call volumes and trends  Budget information as it relates to the Fire Department CITY OF HUGO MEMORANDUM  Chief’s memo from August, 2022, concerning the need for a full-time Fire Chief Staff expects a discussion at the workshop starting with Council priorities, and leading to direction to staff concerning next steps. Staff has collected notes from prior Council discussions to help this conversation move along. If Council is interested in hiring a full-time Chief, staff will create a job description and position profile based on Council priorities. Establishing these priorities will help eliminate candidates who have different objectives. Staff will also rewrite job descriptions for all the other fire officers, establish a new organizational chart, and create a new salary structure for the department. Staff would recommend widely advertising the position opening, and would encourage internal candidates to apply. If the Council decides not to hire a full-time Chief, we will pursue a discussion to re-set expectations for the level of service being provided by the Fire Department. Setting of expectations should make sense following our discussion on Council priorities. One of the highest priority goals of the City’s 2021 goals is to study and address fire service staffing needs. The City Council authorized Fire Chief Jim Compton Jr. to create a staffing plan for how to address staffing issues within the department. Chief Compton’s vision was to grow the department with a growing city. The City of Hugo has a population of approximately 16,000 and encompasses 36 square miles. City of Hugo is in Washington County, 20 miles northeast of St. Paul. The City has experienced a rapid rate of growth, with its population growing steadily over the last decade and is projected to continue a high growth rate to 2040. The City has a diverse landscape with rural lands, subdivisions, commercial establishments and municipal buildings. Background At the present time, the department has 25 members which include 3 Chief Officers, 2 Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 1 Fire Marshal, 1 Chief Engineer, and 15 Firefighters. The Department operates out of one fire stations and the current ISO rating is 5/5Y. The Department responds to over 355 calls annually with an average yearly increase in call volume of 9%. Prior to 2015 the Hugo Fire department provided basic life support on all emergency calls in the City of Hugo. In July of 2015, in order to help provide better service to the citizens of Hugo, the fire department reevaluated the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) partnership with White Bear Lake Fire Department. The city decided to cancel agreement with White Bear Lake in order to provide better service, lessen the burden on the paid on call firefighters, and help with firefighter retention. The city at that time decided to use North Memorial Ambulance for EMS services in Hugo. In 2020, M Health Fairview took over the PSA from North Memorial, and M Health Fairview provides EMS services in Hugo today. The administrative duties to keep the department operating effectively is distributed amongst 11 paid salary positions. The extra time needed to complete these duties has continued to increase year after year, regardless of an increase or decrease of call volume. Training requirements, personnel issues, technology updates, vehicle maintenance, fire code questions, site plan review and inspection, equipment ordering, and personal protective equipment maintenance are just some of the areas of duties split among the 11 paid positions. These tasks and the duties associated with them have City of Hugo Fire Department 5323 140th Street North Hugo, Minnesota 55038 PH: (651) 762-6362 FAX: (651) 429-3212 continued to increase and have reached a point where it is no longer sustainable for part time employees to manage. The emergency services are the most demanding of volunteer activities today. The physical and time demands associated with training; responding to incidents; maintaining facilities, apparatus, and equipment are grueling if not managed properly. In today’s hectic world, strong leadership is required to make the fire department that will attract volunteers. Fire departments can no longer count on the children of current members following in their parent’s footsteps. Nor can they count on a continuous stream of community people eager to donate their time and energy to their local volunteer fire department. Adding to the problem, departments cannot rely on members staying active in the volunteer fire service for long periods of time. The continued increasing difficulty in recruitment and retention of day time available firefighters has put a strain on the day time available staff and the department response has suffered. Therefore the fire department day time staffing needs to grow with the growing community. Staffing Plan The Fire Chief recommends that the department moves forward and hire a full time Fire Chief. This position is needed with the rapidly growing community and the many hours spent on administrative duties to keep the department operating. Routinely the part time chief spends numerous evenings and weekends at the fire station, working on department operations. Trying to manage and run the department while still working 40+ hours per week at a full time job, while also managing family obligations, leaves little time for the chief to spend the needed time and effort to effectively and efficiently manage a department of 25+ people. The fire chief routinely spends numerous hours during their normal job work hours, conducting fire department business. Whether it is responding to emails in a timely fashion, or responding to staff or citizen inquiries. Additionally, the fire chief is unable to work collaboratively with other city staff or area fire departments. With the fire chief unable meet during the day when other staff are working, this limits the collaboration the fire department can have with others. This also limits the fire chief’s ability to effectively and efficiently manage people during the day. Additionally during this time, some salaried and hourly staff will need to remain to manage the administrative work of the department. The duties of 11 different people would certainly overwhelm the daily work of just 1 full time Chief. Therefore even after a full time chief position is filled, the salaries of the Deputy Chief and the Assistant Chief should remain. Even though some of the duties that the Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief are assigned would be completed by the Full time Chief along with the duties of the Fire Marshal, Administrative Captain and Administrative Lieutenant. Duties that the Safety Captain, Training Captain, Safety Lieutenant, Training Lieutenant and Chief Engineer would need to be absorbed, and the Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief would continue to assist the Fire Chief in completion of these duties. There would also be 2 Captains and 2 Lieutenants that would assist when needed with the administrative duties. The Captains and Lieutenants would be paid by the hour for their time spent working on administrative duties. By taking the extra work load off many of the officers and allowing them to respond to emergency calls, training drill, community events, and small amounts of administrative work as needed, is a path to help sustain the paid on call model in the City of Hugo for years to come. After a full transition the Fire Department would best be supported with the following positions: Fulltime Fire Chief (salaried) The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive; other duties may be required or assigned. Paid a salary for all work performed.  Responsible for overall department operations  Responsible for HR/personnel issues within the department  Oversight of department annual budget and planning for future budget items and Capital improvements  Grant application and management  MNFIRS reporting, payroll for paid on call staff and percentage tracking for attendance  Emergency call response  City, county, and regional meetings  Fire Marshal duties  Hiring and on boarding new firefighters  Coordinates and overseas the pubic fire prevention education programs  Technology equipment management Paid on Call Deputy Chief (salary + hourly pay) The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive; other duties may be required or assigned. Paid a salary for administrative work, and hourly for emergency calls and training.  Emergency call response  Provides administrative reporting duties to the Chief  Assist Fire Chief with hiring and on boarding of new hires  Gear, PPE equipment ordering and management  Assist Fire Chief with personnel issues  Manages vehicle maintenance and repairs Paid on Call Assistant Chief (salary + hourly pay) The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive; other duties may be required or assigned. Paid a salary for administrative work and hourly for emergency calls and training.  Responsible for emergency call response  Responsible for planning the training for the department  Managing education, certifications and MBFTE awards  Assist Fire Chief in hiring and on boarding of new hires  Building maintenance and repairs  Assist Fire Chief with personnel issues Paid on call Captains (2) (hourly pay) The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive; other duties may be required or assigned. Paid hourly for assigned administrative work, emergency calls, and training.  Act as a company officer on emergency call response and training drills.  Assist with small administrative tasks assigned by the Deputy or Assistant Chief.  Assist with planning and teaching fire training drills.  Assist with general administrative duties as needed or assigned.  Gain knowledge and experience to help with department succession of leadership.  Paid on call ownership in department decisions. Paid on call Lieutenants (2) (hourly pay) The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive; other duties may be required or assigned. Paid hourly for assigned administrative work, emergency calls, and training.  Act as a company officer on emergency call response and training drills.  Assist with small administrative tasks assigned by the Deputy or Assistant Chief.  Assist with planning and teaching fire training drills.  Assist with general administrative duties as needed or assigned.  Gain knowledge and experience to help with department succession of leadership.  Paid on call ownership in department decisions. Department Succession By keeping two salaried paid on call Chief positions, two hourly Captain positions, and two hourly Lieutenants positions this helps the department with future growth in our officer structure. It also allows individual’s to assist in the department operations and have input in its growth. This structure insures that if one person is unavailable at any given time, there will be leadership able to step in and assist in areas that are needed to continue the day to day operations. The Chief Officers would act as command staff on emergency calls. The Captains and Lieutenants would also act as company officers on emergency calls and training drills. Benefits As a result of implementing the Fire Chiefs recommendations, the City staff, the Fire Department and the citizens living in the City should realize significant benefits needed to justify the recommended investment:  Improve the confidence and abilities of emergency response personnel to handle emergency incidents, by increasing the time spent on improving the Hugo Fire Department operations and administration policies and procedures.  Provide a long-term approach to operational and capital needs for the City to use as a planning guide for budgetary and operational considerations. This approach improves efficiencies by reducing repetitive processes and provides for a structured management plan.  Provide a pro-active approach to planning for the future development of the community by detailed evaluation of the fire department services, which is then revisited periodically.  Improve coordination of information between the fire department and city hall staff, city council, other fire departments, adjacent municipalities, the Sheriff’s Office, public works departments, business’, and other organizations.  Increase and improve the level of service to citizens by providing staff with the ability to have quicker response to any requests or inquires.  Provide the City management with timelier accurate information and decision-making tools, which should result in improved and effective policy decision making.  Increased time and resources spent on grant applications. Providing possible budget savings from offsetting costs for equipment and personnel with grant funds.  Professional leadership of the department.  Lessens the burdens on paid on call firefighters and officers, which will result in more time for the firefighters to focus their energy on emergency response.  Continuous visible leadership for the fire department.  Timelier handling of Human Recourse issues, personnel matters, and Workers Compensation paperwork.  Improved interdepartmental communications.  Point of contact for the department.  Completing work that otherwise may not get done.  Daytime emergency responder. Budget Impact The budget impact to hire a full time chief would be done by eliminating 8 of the officer salaries to offset the cost of the full time chief’s salary and benefits. Currently the fiscal year 2022 budgeted officers’ salaries that would be eliminated are $51,060. The Fire Chief position would be a Police/Fire PERA plan position. The salary range was based on departments of similar size within the metro area. The salary range, plus benefits would be between $181,418 and $194,580. Therefore a total budget impact for fiscal year 2023 would be within the range of $130,358 and $143,520. Salary of Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief to be determined based on job description expectations and responsibility. Trigger Points for Future Full Time Staffing  Call volume increase during hours paid on call staff have limited availability.  Call volume increase that is creating burnout for paid on call firefighters.  Paid on call staff numbers drop to unsustainable levels to operate safely, effectively, and efficiently.  Administrative workload increases to a level that requires more help.  Building construction in commercial and residential developments in Hugo continues at a rate that requires more help with plan review and fire inspections required for certificate of occupancy per the Minnesota Building Code.  Population increase to a level that requires more work from the fire department to manage community engagement and involvement.  City council policy changes in response and staffing levels. Current Fire Department Chain Of Command Structure Fire Chief Compton Deputy Chief Jensen Assistant Chief Emans Engineers Gregoire, Esch, Kaspazak, Roettger Training Captain Palmquist Admin Captain Hoernemann Admin Lieutenant Kindelberger Safety Lieutenant Drew Training Lieutenant Nadeau Fire Marshal Duncanson Chief Engineer Millard Safety Captain Hoernemann Firefighters D. Albertson, S. Albertson, Bieniek, Guareschi, Jorgenson, Koll, Kriegshauser, LeGros, A. Nadeau, Olson, Raschick Proposed Fire Department Chain of Command Structure Fire Chief Full Time Deputy Chief Paid on Call Assistant Chief Paid on Call Engineers Paid on Call Captain Paid on Call Lieutenant Paid on Call Lieutenant Paid on Call Captain Paid on Call Firefighters Paid on Call April 2022-August 2022 In April 2022 I was unable to work at my full time job and as a result I spent at least 30 hours a week in the office at the fire station. While in the office I was able to work on several things that otherwise would just sit and wait for me to get time to complete it. During this time the my stress level was down due to the fact I wasn’t working my full time job and doing my Fire Chief job at the same time. I was able to get more sleep and spent time at home with my wife. Soon this will change back when I return to my full time job. Some example of what I was able to work on and the department benefited from during this time are:  Improve communication with the entire department.  Improve communication with other City of Hugo employees.  Improve communication with the Sheriff’s Office, area fire departments, and M Health Fairview EMS.  Work on a renumbering system for all Hugo Fire equipment to create unit ID numbers that are in line with other City of Hugo pieces of equipment. This allowed our city mechanic to have better records system for maintenance. It also allows the finance department a better system for the future where truck numbers will not change when Washington County changes the dispatch numbers again. (They have changed our numbers 4 times in 20 years and are likely to do so again soon).  Attend important Washington County Fire Improvement Team (FIT) meetings during the day to help influence the direction of the dispatch center. This is important to the city as it likely comes with a cost and at times we have no input in those decisions.  Visibility of the Chief at daytime calls, around the station, and in the community at events. (Friday’s with Firefighters, and daycare fire safety talks, etc.)  Less stress on the chief other fire officers due to the time available to do the needed work.  Availability to respond and work with city staff, the community, and insurance companies requesting information from the fire department.  Point of contact for the department in many cases.  Work with repair companies and the city mechanic on timely repairs to our equipment.  Work with city staff on budget and CIP for upcoming years while they are working their normal hours.  Work on full time Chief proposal.  Work on future staffing and response ideas, looking towards the future.  Approve invoices and payroll in a timely manner for the finance department.  Work with Public Works on building repairs, parking lot signage, and other needed improvements.  Work closer with fire department personnel on their personal development.  Helps with moral when chief is around! I’ve heard many times from firefighters how this helps with their attitude here.  Short notice media interview - The Fire Department was given the opportunity to do an interview with a local news channel to promote a positive story regarding how we handle stressful emergency calls we encounter. I was also able to promote our Friday’s with Firefighter’s event during this interview. CITY OF HUGO 2023 GENERAL FUND EXPENSE BUDGET LINE ACCOUNT 2023 NOTES TO LINE ITEMS NO. DESCRIPTION BUDGETED 240 Fulltime Fire Chief 114,925$ Pay Grade 11 Minimum 241 Pera 20,342$ 17.7% of regular salary 242 Fica 7,125$ 6.20% of wages 243 Medicare 1,666$ 1.45% of wages 244 Worker's Compensation 14,240$ $114,925/100*$12.39 245 Health Insurance 31,741$ HealthPartners High-Deductible Plan 246 Contribution to Employee HSAs -$ Offset Higher Deductible 247 Dental Insurance 1,760$ Delta Dental 248 Fire Chief Salary 26,125$ 4.5% increase 249 1st Asst Chief Salary 12,049$ 4.5% increase 250 2nd Asst Chief Salary 12,049$ 4.5% increase 251 Fire Marshal Salary 6,835$ 4.5% increase 252 Training Captain Salary 3,172$ 4.5% increase 253 Safety Captain Salary 3,172$ 4.5% increase 254 Administrative Captain Salary 3,172$ 4.5% increase 255 Chief Engineer Salary 3,172$ 4.5% increase 256 Training Lieutenant Salary 2,571$ 4.5% increase 257 Safety Lieutenant Salary 2,571$ 4.5% increase 258 Administrative Lieutenant Salary 2,571$ 4.5% increase 259 Fire Call Wages 86,500$ Includes increased retention step increases 260 Administrative Wages 2,323$ Admin tasks performed by non-officers 261 Basic Life Support Ambulance Pay 55,705$ Switched to Fairview in 2020 262 Drill Pay 95,070$ Includes increased retention step increases 263 Conference Attendance Pay 7,800$ $156/day (prorated by a quarter of a day) 264 Burning Permit Pay 375$ Offset by permit revenue (15 X $25) 265 Maintenance Wages 1,130$ Pay for special services 266 Special Event Pay 14,250$ Per special event policy 267 College Training Pay 9,500$ Pay for college classes attended by firefighters 268 Training Bonus Reimbursement 12,000$ Contingent on passing fire classes (3 x $4000) 269 Fica 22,451$ 6.20% of salaries and wages 270 Medicare 5,251$ 1.45% of salaries and wages 271 Worker's Compensation 49,078$ 16,071/100*305.38 272 Office Supplies 2,000$ Office supplies, computers 273 Instructional & Promotional Supplies 4,500$ Fire Prevention & open houses 274 Operating Supplies 30,000$ Fire foam, tools, supplies, computers… 275 - 7 Pagers, Service Plans & Batteries 5,500$ 7 Pagers, Service Plans & Batteries 276 - COVID 19 Supplies -$ COVID 19 Supplies 277 - CAD System 10,000$ CAD licenses & CAD equipment upgrades 278 Motor Fuels 16,480$ Cyclical commodity 279 Medical Supplies 3,000$ Supplies for local vehicles 280 Gear & Apparel 15,000$ Uniforms, boots 281 - Shirts, Sweaters, Jackets, Caps, Badges… 4,800$ HFD branded apparel 282 - Replacement Turnout Gear 20,800$ 4 sets of replacement turnout gear x $5,200 283 - New Hire Turnout Gear 15,600$ 3 sets of new turnout gear for new hires x $5,200 284 - New Hire Uniforms 1,500$ 3 sets of uniforms for new hires x $500 285 Repairs & Maintenance 31,500$ Truck & equipment maintenance 286 Building Repairs & Maintenance 19,500$ Building repairs, maintenance & security system supplies 287 - Security System Annual Support 1,500$ Card & Fob Software upgrades 288 Firefighter Physicals & OSHA Testing 6,000$ OSHA fittings & pre-employ evaluation 289 - New Hire Physicals 3,000$ Psychological & medical evaluations 3 x $1000 290 Health and Wellness Program 1,000$ Gym memberships reimbursements 291 Grant Application Assistance 1,000$ Grant writing assistance 292 Building Cleaning Services (Contractual) 6,300$ $525/month 293 Computer Technical Support - Metro Inet 22,326$ 9 of 43 computers 294 Telephone System Support - City of Roseville 1,429$ 19% of annual cost 295 Fire Station Phone 1,080$ Fire station main phone lines 296 Cellular Phone Charges 13,200$ Verizon Wireless = $1,100/month 297 800 Mhz Radio Fees 18,000$ Washington County 298 Code Red Mass Emergency System Fees 1,250$ Washington County 299 Business Internet - Comcast 2,340$ $195/month (Comcast) 300 Travel & Training 16,000$ Professional development 301 College Training/Tuition Reimbursement 8,000$ Continuing Education Courses 302 - New Hires 8,000$ Basic firefighting classes 303 Property Insurance 6,360$ Assumes no year-end dividends 304 Automobile Insurance 5,792$ Assumes no year-end dividends CITY OF HUGO 2023 GENERAL FUND EXPENSE BUDGET LINE ACCOUNT 2023 NOTES TO LINE ITEMS NO. DESCRIPTION BUDGETED 305 Electric Utilities 11,040$ Rate Filing: 15% increase 306 Vehicle Heating Cost Reimbursements 1,498$ Rate Filing: 15% increase 307 Gas Utilities 15,985$ Rate Filing: 49% increase 308 Refuse Disposal 3,300$ Monthly service + large items 309 Weed Control 1,200$ Annual service bids 310 Copier Overage Charges 350$ Copies over the base rate + color copies 311 Copy Machine Lease 2,520$ $210/month 312 Dues 850$ Annual constant 313 Office Furniture & Equipment 4,000$ Non-electronic equipment 314 Fire Department 974,191$ Pay Grade Minimum Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Maximum11 114,925$       120,095$       125,501$       131,147$       137,048$       143,218$       149,716$       Fulltime Fire Chief 114,925$       Pay Grade 11 MinimumPera 20,342$          17.7% of regular salary Fica 7,125$            6.20% of wagesMedicare 1,666$            1.45% of wages Worker's Compensation 14,240$          $114,925/100*$12.39 Health Insurance 31,741$          HealthPartners High‐Deductible Plan Contribution to Employee HSAs‐$                Offset Higher DeductibleDental Insurance 1,760$            Delta Dental191,799$       Fire Chief Salary 26,125$          1st Asst Chief Salary 12,049$          2nd Asst Chief Salary 12,049$          Fire Marshal Salary 6,835$            Training Captain Salary3,172$            Safety Captain Salary 3,172$            Administrative Captain Salary 3,172$            Chief Engineer Salary 3,172$            Training Lieutenant Salary 2,571$            Safety Lieutenant Salary 2,571$            Administrative Lieutenant Salary 2,571$            77,459$          2023 Salary Step StructureFulltime Fire Chief Budget ImpactYearly Officer Salaries