Final Report Fire Operations

Final Report Fire Operations City of Kentwood, Michigan August 2012 Submitted by: ICMA Center for Public Safety Management International City/County ...
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Final Report Fire Operations City of Kentwood, Michigan August 2012

Submitted by: ICMA Center for Public Safety Management International City/County Management Association 777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002

Background About ICMA The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the premier local government leadership and management organization. Since 1914, ICMA’s mission has been to create excellence in local governance by developing and advocating professional local government management worldwide. ICMA provides an information clearinghouse, technical assistance, training, and professional development to more than 9,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world.

ICMA Consulting Services The ICMA Consulting Services team helps communities solve critical problems by providing management consulting support to local governments. One of ICMA Consulting Services’ areas of expertise is public safety services, which encompasses the following areas and beyond: organizational development, leadership and ethics, training, assessment of callsfor-service workload, staffing requirements analysis, design of standards and hiring guidelines for police and fire chief recruitment, police/fire consolidation, communityoriented policing, and city/county/regional mergers.

Performance Measures The reports generated by the operations and data analysis team are based upon key performance indicators that have been identified in standards and safety regulations and by special interest groups such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, Association of Public Safety Communication Officials International, and through the Center for Performance Measurement of ICMA. These performance measures have developed following decades of research and are applicable in all communities. For that reason, comparison of reports will yield similar reporting formats, but each community’s data are analyzed on an individual basis by the ICMA specialists and represent the unique information for that community.

Methodology The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team follows a standardized approach to conducting analyses of fire and other departments involved in providing safety services to the public. We have developed this standardized approach by combining the experience sets of dozens of subject matter experts who provide critical roles in data and operations assessments in the areas of police, fire and EMS. Our collective team has more than a combined 100 years of conducting such studies for cities in the United States and internationally. The Public Safety Management team begins most projects by extracting calls for service and raw data from an agency’s computer aided dispatch system. The data are sorted and analyzed for comparison to nationally developed performance indicators. These performance indicators (e.g., response times, workload by time, multiple-unit dispatching) are valuable measures of agency performance regardless of departmental size. The findings are shown in tabular as well as graphic form and are organized in a logistical format. While

most of our documents’ structure as well as the categories for performance indicators are standard, the data reported are unique to the cities. Due to the size and complexity of the documents, this method of structuring the findings allows for simple, clean reporting. The team conducts an operational review in conjunction with the data analysis. The performance indicators serve as the basis for the operational review. The review process follows a standardized approach comparable to that of national accreditation agencies. Prior to the arrival of an on-site team, agencies are asked to provide the team with key operational documents (e.g., policies and procedures, asset lists, etc.). The team visits each city on-site to interview fire agency management and supervisory personnel, rank-and-file officers, and local government staff. The information collected during the site visits and through data analysis results in a set of observations and recommendations that highlight strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the areas under review. To generate recommendations, the team reviews operational documents, interviews and observations from site visits, relevant literature, statutes, regulations, industry standards, and other areas specifically included in a project’s scope of work. This standardized approach ensures that the ICMA Center for Public Safety measures and observes all of the critical components of an agency, which in turn provides substance to benchmark against localities with similar profiles. Although agencies may vary in size, priorities, and challenges, there are basic commonalities that enable comparison. The approach also enables the team to identify best practices in use throughout the country In general, the standardized approach adopts the principles of the scientific method: We ask questions and request documentation upon project start up; confirm accuracy of information received; deploy operations and data analysis teams to research each unique environment; perform data modeling; share preliminary findings with the jurisdiction; assess inconsistencies reported by client jurisdictions; follow up on areas of concern; and communicate our results in a formal, written report.

BACKGROUND

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Contents Background ................................................................................................................. i About ICMA.............................................................................................................................. 1 ICMA Consulting Services ......................................................................................................... i Performance Measures............................................................................................................. i Methodology ............................................................................................................................ i

Summary of Findings and Recommendations .............................................................. 1 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 1

Fire Operations Review and Analysis ........................................................................... 4 Governance and Administration .............................................................................................. 4 Assessment and Planning ........................................................................................................ 5 Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................... 8 Financial Performance ...........................................................................................................10 Programs ................................................................................................................................10 Fire Suppression and Emergency Response .................................................................10 Prevention, Investigations, and Public Education.........................................................13 Special Operations ........................................................................................................13 Emergency Medical Services.........................................................................................14 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................18 Human Resources and Staffing ..............................................................................................20 Training ..................................................................................................................................20 Communications ....................................................................................................................20 Relationship with the Union ..................................................................................................21 Water Supply .........................................................................................................................21 Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating ...................................................................................22 Transformation ......................................................................................................................22 External Relationships ...........................................................................................................24

SECTION I: Summary of Findings and Recommendations This executive summary and report will provide a benchmark for the Kentwood Fire Department (KFD) in its delivery of fire and EMS services. For definition purposes, a benchmark is the existing performance for an agency. The benchmark performance information can be found in the Data Analysis section of this report. During our study, we analyzed performance data provided by the KFD and we also examined first-hand the department’s operations. Fire and EMS departments tend to deploy resources utilizing traditional approaches, which are rarely reviewed. This report seeks to identify ways the department can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and safety for both its members as well as the community it serves. The recommendations may be adopted in whole, in part, or rejected. However, ICMA recommends that specific objectives be assigned to individuals with a reporting/report card process to deliver input to the city's administrators and elected officials. ICMA executed a contract with the city of Kentwood to complete a comprehensive analysis of the city’s fire services. This analysis is designed to provide the city with a thorough and unbiased review of all emergency services provided by the Kentwood Fire Department. To begin the review, the project management staff asked the city for certain documents, data, and information. The project management staff used this information/data to familiarize themselves with the fire department’s structure, assets, and operations. The provided information was also used in conjunction with the raw performance data collected to determine the existing performance of the fire department and compare that performance to national benchmarks. These benchmarks have been developed by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc., and the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement. City staff was provided an electronic shared information folder to upload information for analysis and use by the ICMA project management staff. Two site visits were conducted by ICMA’s project management staff for the purpose of observing fire department and agency-connected supportive operations, interviewing key fire department staff, and reviewing preliminary data and operations. Additionally, followup telephone calls were also conducted between ICMA project management staff and agency staff so that ICMA staff could affirm the project information and elicit further discussion regarding this operational analysis. There were also teleconferences conducted between project management staff and city officials regarding project scope and project data clarification.

Recommendations The data derived during the 12-month study period (November 1, 2010, through October 31, 2011) were carefully analyzed in light of the information gleaned during site visits and interviews. The findings from this information are included in this report. In addition, the report includes several recommendations for the Kentwood Fire Department. The following recommendations are based on best practices.

1. Fill the deputy chief position to help facilitate strategic planning and handle other administrative responsibilities currently performed by the chief and captains. 2. Develop a plan to achieve accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. 3. Develop strategic plan for the department. 4. Develop written vision, mission, and values statements. 5. Evaluate dispatch processing and turnout policies and procedures to identify needs for improvement. 6. Place captains on engines. 7. Place AEDs in every Kentwood Police Department cruiser and other city vehicles and train police and city staff on their use. 8. Work with Grand Rapids and Wyoming fire departments to explore the possibility of consolidating HAZMAT and technical rescue teams. 9. Establish response standards for specific medical interventions. 10. Develop a quality improvement program to monitor medical system performance. 11. Establish specific contract provisions with private ambulance companies (AMR and LifeEMS) outlining response times for advanced life support (ALS) arrival or upgrade to nontransport ALS. 12. Establish policy guidelines for emergency response to include both “hot” and “cold” responses and a “no response” protocol. 13. Implement medical priority dispatch system at the two public safety answering points, as prescribed in Kent County EMS Report. 14. Consider the adoption of the recommendations for restructuring ambulance services that were included in the Kent County EMS report. 15. Continue to explore new fire suppression tools, technologies, and methodologies, including fire interruption technology. 16. Work with Grand Rapids to strengthen the automatic aid between Kentwood and Grand Rapids fire departments. These recommendations are discussed further in the body of this report.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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SECTION II: Fire Operations Review and Analysis Governance and Administration The city of Kentwood operates under a mayor/council form of government in which the fire chief reports directly to the mayor. The city was incorporated in 1967; the Kentwood Fire Department has had career fire personnel since the 1970s and began full-time, around-theclock operations in 1991. The fire department services a population of 48,707 in an area of 22.5 square miles and is a combination department with full-time and paid on-call personnel. The Kentwood Fire Department is led by Chief Brent Looman, who was hired in July 2011. Looman previously served as the department’s deputy chief, fire marshal, fire inspector, and part-paid firefighter. In addition to the fire chief, administrative staff consists of an executive administrative assistant. The deputy chief’s position is currently vacant. As shown in Figure 1, the department’s formal organization chart reflects an authorized strength of thirty-nine fire suppression positions, four administrative officers—two of which are dedicated to prevention and education—and respective civilian support

FIGURE 1: Kentwood Fire Department Organizational Chart Fire Chief

Fire Marshal

Deputy Fire Chief (vacant)

Fire Inspector

Admin. Asst.

Clerical Asst. Captain(3)

Fire Station 2 Lt/Inspector (3) Engine Operator (3) Firefighter (6)

Fire Station 1 Lt/Inspector (3) Engine Operator (3) Firefighter (6)

Fire Station 3 Lt/Inspector (3) Engine Operator (3) Firefighter (6)

Paid on Call Firefighters

Paid on Call Firefighters

Paid on Call Firefighters

personnel. Fire suppression personnel operate out of three fire stations utilizing a threeplatoon system; a captain oversees the day-to-day operations of each of these platoons. The department also uses paid on-call fire personnel, who are dispatched when needed to augment full-time firefighters. There are currently ten on-call fire personnel. The department has developed and keeps current a range of operational policies, procedures, and guidelines that focus on all aspects of fire suppression, fire prevention, and emergency medical service (EMS) delivery. However, the department lacks a strategic plan. Developing such a plan that can serve as a roadmap for the future should be a priority for departmental management. There appears to be an open flow of communication between the fire chief and the mayor’s office. Chief Looman seems prepared to make necessary organizational changes to continue to provide fire services to the city of Kentwood within the constraints of the fiscal environment. It is recommended the Kentwood Fire Department fill the vacant deputy chief position. The new deputy chief should work in conjunction with the chief to facilitate strategic planning and risk assessment processes. The deputy also could take on administrative tasks currently performed by the chief and captains, enabling the captains to be assigned to an engine company. This would allow for consistent deployment of rescue squads. Because it is already a budgeted position, filling the deputy chief position would not add to the department’s general fund expenditure requests. In addition, filling the deputy chief with a civilian and moving the captains back to a fire apparatus would enable the department to forego filling three firefighter positions, resulting in a savings of three FTEs. The annual cost for a full-time firefighter (including salary and fringe benefits) is roughly $70,000; cutting three positions from the Kentwood Fire Department would save the city approximately $210,000.

Recommendation: 

Fill the deputy chief position to help facilitate strategic planning and handle other administrative responsibilities currently performed by the chief and captains.

Assessment and Planning The Kentwood Fire Department should enhance its commitment to an ongoing planning process that includes risk assessment and hazard analysis, operational issues, financial planning, and vehicle replacement. The department should routinely analyze property loss, injury, and loss of life due to fire, and use the analysis as the basis for prevention activities and deployment decisions. KFD has a hazard analysis process that includes fire risks for certain structures within the jurisdiction; however, there is no differential response to those structures based on this analysis. The department also should conduct and periodically update a community fire risk analysis or assessment as part of a comprehensive needs assessment. This process enables the department to determine what assets within the community are at risk and what resources

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are available or needed to effectively deal with those risks. Figure 2 highlights the risk assessment model proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Using a standard methodology for classifying and recording a community’s risks could benefit the Kentwood Fire Department in a number of ways. First, the information gathered can be assembled into a database that can be used for training, routine communication, and a host of other purposes. Second, because fire is not the only risk faced by a community, the information about assets can be used to develop and revise disaster plans. Finally, the information can be used to help meet fire department accreditation requirements. The basic premise of a risk assessment process is to enable a department to derive a fire risk score for each property, which can then be used to categorize the property as one of low, moderate, or high/maximum risk. Once completed, the ratings of individual properties can be aggregated to establish a risk level of low, moderate, or high/maximum for each geographic area of the community. These ratings are then used to determine the appropriate level of fire suppression resources in the form of equipment, personnel, and vehicles to be deployed for the initial arriving unit, the full alarm assignment, and any additional alarm assignments. There are many tools available to help organizations like the KFD analyze hazards and assess needs. Figure 3 depicts the components of comprehensive emergency service organization needs assessment. A universal tool that can be used to evaluate an entire community in relation to the risk of fire is called Vision™ Risk Assessment, which is available through a private company called Emergency Reporting™. This product replaced the Risk, Hazard and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) software once available at no cost through the U. S. Fire Administration. ICMA does not endorse this product; it is but one example of the tools readily available for risk and hazard analysis.

FIGURE 2: Risk Assessment Model

Source: FEMA Risk Assessment Model, http://www.ready.gov/risk-assessment.

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FIGURE 3: Emergency Service Organization Needs Assessment

Fire Service Accreditation The accreditation process managed by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and established through the Center for Public Safety Excellence provides an analytical self-assessment process to evaluate ten categories of fire department performance: governance, risk assessment, goals and objectives, finance elements, program elements, human resource practices, physical assets and facilities, training and competency assurance, internal support structure, and external support. In this detailed self-assessment, managers examine more than 240 separate performance indicators, 98 of which are considered core, or required, competencies.1 In the analysis process, the community uses planning zones and for each planning zone to identify the hazards posed. The community then ranks the hazards by potential severity to ensure that the appropriate resources are available to manage the hazards. There is a cost associated with the accreditation process conducted by the CFAI; however, a department can purchase the SOC manual and its accompanying self-assessment manual for less than $200. Even if the department chooses not to pursue formal accreditation, the selfassessment reference materials could serve as an invaluable tool for creating a blueprint to improve overall fire department administration and operations. 1

For more information, see the Center for Public Safety Excellence, http://publicsafetyexcellence.org/.

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Recommendation: 

Develop a plan to achieve accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

Goals and Objectives The Kentwood Fire Department lacks a strategic plan outlining departmental goals, objectives, and priorities. In general, strategic planning results in organizational change to build on the identified strengths and correct the identified deficiencies. The Chief Fire Officer’s Desk Reference outlines the principles and practice of a strategic plan. “The strategic plan should provide a well-thought-out approach to managing the operations. The fire chief should organize a strategic planning team to evaluate and make strategic recommendations for service improvements. The planning team should review the service history and compare the results to the service expectations of the community (as guided by political leaders). The process of developing a strategic plan may provide one of the first indications of a service weakness in the area, such as a new station to be planned based on community growth.”2 As depicted in Figure 4, which highlights the main tasks involved in strategic planning, strategic planning is part of an ongoing process in which the knowledge derived during each step feeds into the next. Within the context of the strategic plan, the department should

FIGURE 4: Strategic Planning Process Model

2

John M. Buckman III, Chief Fire Officer’s Desk Reference (Fairfax, VA: International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2009), 26.

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develop specific goals for limiting property loss and injury, improving response times, and other performance data. The Kentwood Fire Department lacks vision, mission, and values statements—elements that should inform and be tied directly to the strategic plan. Ensuring that change is in accordance with the vision, mission, and values of the organization can be difficult without first clearly identifying these elements. In Managing Fire and Emergency Services, I. David Daniels defines and outlines some of the advantages of each of these elements: “The function of the vision is to keep the organization focused on the future, on the benefit the customer will receive if the organization is successful, and on the organization’s contribution to the jurisdiction’s success. … While a vision statement describes the journey, a mission statement provides the ‘road signs’ that will keep the organization on the right road. The mission statement describes the organization’s activities (its reason for existing) and defines the organization’s journey in terms of tactical implementation of strategic goals.”3 Values statements also can be integral to organizations by helping them articulate what is important. The values statement is essentially a short list of principles that help guide an organization toward its vision. “Values help organization leaders and managers at the strategic, tactical, and task levels evaluate right and wrong with respect to how they should interact with the service delivery system,” writes Daniels. 4 As with strategic planning, there are many resources that departments can use to develop vision, mission, and values statements. One of the first steps may be to review the statements developed by other fire departments. The Kentwood Fire Department also should have an action plan outlining specific steps to achieve its goals and objectives, the date each step should be completed, and the party responsible for each. An action plan will help the organization establish priorities and stay on track. Ongoing monitoring of the action plan should be undertaken to hold people accountable for deliverables and make adjustments where needed. The fire chief and other managerial leaders within the department should oversee the strategic planning process and the development or written vision, mission, and values statements. However, it is important to involve key stakeholders within and outside the department to ensure that these are in line with the expectations of the community and personnel at various levels of the organization.

Recommendations: 

Develop a strategic plan for the department.



Develop written vision, mission, and values statements.

3

I. David Daniels, “Leading and Managing,” in Managing Fire and Emergency Services, ed. Adam K. Thiel and Charles R. Jennings (Washington, D.C.: ICMA, 2012), 216. 4 Daniels, “Leading and Managing,” 216.

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Financial Performance The city of Kentwood has a long history of fiscal conservatism and has reacted well to the difficult economic environment. The Kentwood Fire Department had an adopted budget of $5.9 million for fiscal year (FY) 2012. Their general fund budget has increased less than 2 percent since 2008, from $5.3 million to its current $5.9 million.

Programs Four separate programs, each of which is integral to the mission and operations of the Kentwood Fire Department, are discussed in this section of the report: (1) Fire Suppression; (2) Prevention, Investigation, and Public Education; (3) Special Operations; and (4) Emergency Medical Services.

Fire Suppression and Emergency Response The Kentwood Fire Department provides emergency service from three fire stations within city limits. Staffed front-line apparatus responding to emergency calls includes pumpers and medical response units. In addition, there is a ladder unit that is staffed on an as-needed basis. The ladder unit includes water supply and pumping capability. For EMS response, the fire department uses mainly pumpers equipped with basic life support (BLS) supplies. These units do not have patient transport capability. Pumpers and the ladder truck are staffed with three or four personnel; medical response units are staffed with two personnel. The fire department received 3,978 emergency calls during the 12-month reporting period. Of these 3,696 were fire (22 percent) and EMS calls (68 percent). The remaining 282 calls (10 percent) were cancelled. As shown in Figure 5, the call distribution is substantially higher between 10 A.M. and 10 P.M.

FIGURE 5: EMS and Fire Incidents, by Hour of Day

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than for other times of the day or night; the department received 50 percent more calls for service during this 12-hour period than from 10 P.M to 10 A.M. Even so, hourly call rates are less than one call per hour during the busiest time of a 24-four hour period. The NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations, provides recommendations for first fire suppression travel time of 4 minutes. Figure 6 shows travel times for each station location. The lighter shades of red indicate overlaps for four-minute drive times as determined by geographic information system (GIS) mapping software. The travel time configurations indicate a slight gap between 4 minute travel times of Fire Stations 1 and 2. This does not however present a serious concern due to the low call volumes systemwide. The ICMA data analysis observed that the 90 percentile response time was 9.3 minutes for structure fires and 11.3 minutes for outside fire calls. These times exceed NFPA recommendations. The most contributing factors to noncompliance are a 90 percentile dispatch time for fire and EMS calls of 4.0 minutes and 3.7 minutes, respectively, and turnout times for fire and EMS calls of 3.0 minutes and 3.7 minutes, respectively. Of the time intervals contributing to overall response times, these are the most controllable. Both dispatch processing and firefighter turnout policies should be evaluated for improvement and performance objectives monitored on a regular basis. As for dispatch time, NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems 2010, recommends this be done on a monthly basis using data from the previous month.

FIGURE 6: Drive Times for Kentwood Fire Stations

Red lines = 4 minutes; Green lines = 6 minutes; Blue lines = 8 minutes

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The proper coding to determine whether calls for service are emergency or non-emergency are not being articulated by dispatch. This results in skewed data regarding dispatch processing, turnout, and response times. To fully analyze the advanced life support (ALS) response times for medical emergencies, the Kentwood Fire Department should obtain dispatch and arrival times from the private ALS providers and include them in a special field created in the Firehouse reporting system. The Kentwood Fire Department responded to the vast majority of EMS calls—94 percent— in fire apparatus, and just 6 percent of calls in a squad rescue vehicle. This speaks directly to the resource deployment model being used. Most comparable organizations in the area— including Wyoming, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Allendale, Cutlerville, and Cascade—deploy squads to handle EMS calls. The Kentwood Fire Department has a squad at each station; however, the squads are not staffed on a regular basis. By staffing the squads, the department would realize some significant benefits: 

More units would be available to handle calls for service during peak times.



With only two personnel, the unit could achieve faster response times, which aid in reducing average turnout time.



The department could reduce costs because rescue squads are less expensive to operate; cost savings would include fuel and maintenance costs.



The smaller crew size would allow for firefighters to handle additional tasks and conduct training activities during business hours.

In addition, it would be more cost-effective to respond to a medical emergency with two personnel in an SUV versus a minimum of three in a pumper. This could be accomplished through cross-staffing or by having two personnel take an SUV when responding to a medical emergency, leaving at the station one firefighter to staff an engine in the event of a fire call. ICMA assessment asserts that the change would positively impact the KFD’s response times to both fire and EMS calls. Each shift currently has a captain assigned. Captains provide fire suppression with administrative duties. They work 24-hour shifts and do not handle calls for service other than fire alarms or structure fires. Placing the three captains on engines to assist in fire response would allow adequate staffing of rescue squads and enabling them to be placed in service constantly. [The data generated during the study period reveal that Car 3 (the captain’s unit) is busy just 33.7 minutes per day.] In addition, the additional manpower realized by having the captains perform in a more enhanced operational capacity would enable the fire department to adjust current staffing levels to better address absences due to vacation, injuries, and illness. Moving captains to engines would enable the Kentwood Fire Department to reduce the department by three career firefighter positions. The annual cost of a full-time firefighter,

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with salary and fringe benefits, is roughly $70,000; eliminating three positions could save Kentwood $200,000 to $250,000 a year.

Recommendations: 

Evaluate dispatch processing and turnout policies and procedures to identify needs for improvement.



Place captains on engines.

Prevention, Investigations and Public Education The Kentwood Fire Department has a fire prevention officer who works out of the fire chief’s office. Fire inspections are also provided by fire suppression personnel working on the platoon schedule. KFD personnel work in conjunction with the Kentwood Police Department on fire investigations. The fire department has nominal commitment to public education. Fire suppression personnel should be used for ongoing public education programs offered to schools and other organizations. In addition to fire safety, these programs could include education on issues such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, water safety, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Existing personnel could conduct these programs, enabling the department to expand its educational offering at nominal cost, consisting primarily of educational materials. The Kentwood Fire Department, in partnership with Holland Home, received a grant from NFPA for a representative of each organization to attend the 2011 “Remembering When” Conference, Reaching Older Adults through Home Visits." The grant provided initial training for delivery of fire and injury prevention programs for older adults in the community. Since then, the fire department has delivered the program to several senior-citizen complexes in Kentwood and has received very positive feedback. Best practices show that an important way to prevent cardiac medical events from becoming fatalities is to ensure that there is ready access to automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). Experience in other communities demonstrates that a modest investment in AEDs yields a huge dividend in saving lives. Thus, AEDs should be carried in all Kentwood police squad cars and other city vehicles. Prevention activities should also include a goal to make AEDs available in all public assembly buildings and ensure that citizens are trained to use them. The fire prevention officer and/or identified training personnel should oversee training in use of AEDs for local government employees, the police department, and the community. Interviews conducted with staff within the Kentwood Fire Department suggests that time spent on prevention activities has not been well documented. The department has Firehouse software, which provides the means to better track these activities. A management emphasis on this level of documentation and accountability is paramount.

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Recommendation: 

Place AEDs in every Kentwood Police Department cruiser and other city vehicles and train police and city staff on their use.

Special Operations The department has a very good response capability for hazardous material (HAZMAT) events and technical rescue. Kentwood Fire Department, Grand Rapids Fire Department, and Wyoming Fire Department all have standalone HAZMAT and technical rescue capabilities. Functional consolidation of these special operations would provide each of the fire departments significant cost savings without impacting the level of service. (This recommendation is discussed in more detail in the Phase II report on fire department consolidation, which is to be submitted in June.) The Kentwood Fire Department does not have primary responsibility for fire response at the Gerald R. Ford international Airport, but part of the airport property is located within city limits. Areas of the airport property also fall within the jurisdiction of the city of Grand Rapids and the township of Cascades. (Fire and EMS services to the airport is discussed in more detail in our Phase II report on fire department consolidation, which is to be submitted in June.)

Recommendation: 

Work with Grand Rapids and Wyoming fire departments to explore the possibility of consolidating HAZMAT and technical rescue teams.

Emergency Medical Services All personnel except clerical and administrative assistants are cross-trained to the firefighter/emergency medical technician (EMT) certification level. The department operates three medical units/squads from three fire stations, and fire suppression units also respond to medical emergencies. Although minimum staffing varies from day to day, suppression units generally deploy three to four firefighter/EMTs while medical units are constantly staffed with two personnel.Cross-staffing between medical squads and engine companies helps the department save costs and improve efficiency.

EMS Response Times The Kentwood Fire Department operates under the response time standards adopted by the Kent County Medical Control Authority that adopt the NFPA 1710 standard for career fire departments. According to ICMA data analysis, the 90th percentile travel time for EMS calls was 6.1 minutes. Although this is outside the recommended standard of 4.0 minutes suggested by the NFPA, recent studies have concluded there are certain limitations associated with this time standard—specifically that there was less emphasis on response time, but only time to defibrillation. The standard applied only to the cardiac arrest patients. Further, the article used by the NFPA in its deliberations was published over thirty years

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ago and supported defibrillation within 8 minutes—unacceptable under today’s standards now that public access and first responder defibrillation programs have been established.5 The data analysis observed a 90th percentile response time for EMS calls of 10.6 minutes. The previously mentioned study indicated that perhaps a better method of setting standards would be to establish response time standards for certain interventions, and not applied to EMS calls universally. Setting response time standards for initiation of CPR for cardiac arrest, epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis, and manual maneuvers for foreign body obstruction, or basic life support (BLS) or advanced life support (ALS) ventilation for a compressed airway likely represents a better clinical outcomes-based model.6

EMS Workload Review of the Kentwood Fire Department’s current EMS workload shows that approximately 68.1 percent of all calls for service are for medical emergencies. This is not unusual in fire departments that have expanded their service delivery model to include EMS. The move to expand the range of service to include medical response is a logical approach to providing a needed service to the community. Fire facilities are strategically located within the community from which to deploy response resources. The fact that fire calls have dramatically declined further supports situating an emergency medical response from within the fire service. According to the ICMA data analysis: 

Squad 51 made 203 runs, averaging 0.6 runs and 20 minutes of busy time per day.



Squad 52 and Squad 53 combined made 51 runs and were busy 44 hours in a year.

An important measure in operating efficiency in emergency medical services is unit hour utilization (UHU). An individual UHU is the ratio of time that an EMS unit is engaged on calls compared to the total on-duty time of the unit. The departmental UHU is the figure for all units combined. If a unit was on duty for 24 hours and was engaged in calls for 8 of those hours, its UHU for that period is 0.33. This is an approximation based on an assumption of one hour per call. Although not all agree, most EMS experts consider the desirable range for UHU to be between 0.25 and 0.50, with an optimum being around 0.40.7 Rates higher than 0.50 increase the risk of overuse and employee burnout, lack of available units during simultaneous emergencies, and inadequate preparation for the next call. Rates lower than 0.25 signal underutilization and inefficiency. UHU calculations are precise in some reports and approximate in others, with approximations often based on an assumption of one hour per call. With this approximation, a UHU of 0.40 is achieved by a unit handling two calls

5

Jeffrey M. Goodloe and Stephen H. Thomas (eds.), “Emergency Medical Services Evidence-Based System Design,” EMSA White Paper (University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, July 2011), 21. 6 Goodloe and Thomas, “Emergency Medical Services Evidence-Based System Design,” 24. nd 7 David Ammons, Tools for Decision Making: A Practical Guide for Local Government (2 edition), (Washington, DC: ICMA, 2009), 220.

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every five hours.8 For the purpose of this study an approximation was used in calculating UHU. Review of KFD’s daily runs shows that all of its three medical units fell far below the prescribed range for operational efficiency. The UHU fell well below the prescribed range for KFD’s engine companies, which also respond to medical calls for service. Average busy minutes per run were noted to be less than one hour for all but Squad 52. Collectively these data represents an underutilization of EMS responses within the Kentwood Fire Department. The department’s policy of cross-staffing medical and fire suppression personnel is an efficient approach to service delivery. Further efficiencies and cost savings could be gained through the purchase of multipurpose vehicles that could be used to respond to both incident types, as shown in Figure 8. The fire department could then use traditional pumpers as part of a reserve fleet to bring paid on-call staff to alarms that require additional personnel support and pumping capacity.

Clinical Service Levels Today, more fire departments are upgrading the level of care provided to its citizens to the ALS level, but recent literature suggests this is unnecessary. According to Goodloe and Thomas, only about 5 to 10 percent of an urban EMS system’s calls require interventions at an ALS level. 9 Although local protocols and state EMT regulations vary, EMTs typically have

FIGURE 8: Multipurpose Vehicle

8 9

David Ammons, Tools for Decision Making, 220. Goodloe and Thomas, “Emergency Medical Services Evidence-Based System Design,” 21.

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the ability and capability to save lives. All Kentwood Fire Department personnel are trained to the EMT level. In addition, the current EMS system uses private ambulance companies for the provision of ALS services. This provides an efficient and cost effective service delivery model for Kentwood.

Quality Management Identifying local levels of performance that are considered acceptable by a recognized authority is critical to the adequate functioning of all EMS systems.10 It is imperative that emergency medical response agencies develop quality improvement programs to monitor all aspects of medical performance. All medical first responders within the Kent County EMS system were found to be without this vital component, as reported in the findings of the Kent County EMS report. Although the department has developed various standards for vehicle maintenance, medical supplies and training, comprehensive ongoing assessment of medical treatment has not been addressed.

Medical Call Prioritization In FY 2010–2011, the Kentwood Fire Department decided to eliminate its medical response to Med-3 (non-life-threatening) emergencies. Although not many fire departments have chosen this response policy, it is an appropriate way to target limited resources to needs. The Kentwood Fire Department also should consider a prioritization and response plan that includes the use of a “cold” response (no warning lights and siren) for lower-acuity calls. Given the potential risks to emergency responders and citizens associated with warning lights and siren responses, this change reduces the risk of accidents and possible liability to the city should a vehicle accident occur. Emergency vehicle collisions result in numerous deaths and injuries each year. In a ten-year study of the Denver EMS system, 72 percent of the claims made against the system (59 of 82 claims) were related to motor-vehicle collisions involving an ambulance; six of these claims resulted in lawsuits.11

Ambulance Services ICMA data analysis conducted a conditional response time analysis of the first-arriving private ambulance and the first-arriving Kentwood Fire Department units by EMS call type. Because the calculations were limited to those calls with matched phone rings, the sample size is smaller than the number of matched calls. Only average response time comparisons were made between private ambulance companies and the Kentwood Fire Department. The more precise measurement for response time was not calculated; therefore, comparison with the Kent County study findings was not possible. Although ICMA data categorized EMS calls by type, a specific distinction between Med-1, Med-2, and Med-3 calls were not made.

10

Robert Swor et al, Quality Management in Prehospital Care (St. Louis: National Association of EMS Physicians, 1993). 11 Goodloe and Thomas, “Emergency Medical Services Evidence-Based System Design,” 12.

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According to the Kent County EMS report, the aggregate performance of the ambulance services in 2010, on 29,412 emergency (Med-1) calls that met inclusion criteria, the 12 response interval averaged 9.08. The 90 percent reliability level was reached at 15.22. One EMS study examined response times, the clinical care provided, and patient outcome for high-acuity 911 calls with the aim to determine if the local response time specifications and clinical care provision assets for that community were appropriate. The findings suggested that when compared with patients who wait less 10:59 minutes for an ALS response, priority patients who wait longer than 10:59 minutes could experience between a 6 percent increase to a 4 percent decrease in mortality. Further, there was no evidence of increased 13 mortality for priority patients where ALS response time exceeded 10:59 minutes. Based on the findings of the Kent County EMS report, ICMA supports its recommendations in whole for improving ambulance services within Kent County.

Recommendations: 

Establish response standards for specific medical interventions.



Develop a quality improvement program to monitor medical system performance.



Establish specific contract provisions with private ambulance companies (AMR and LifeEMS) outlining response times for advanced life support (ALS) arrival or upgrade to non-transport ALS.



Establish policy guidelines for emergency response to include both “hot” and “cold” responses and a “no response” protocol.



Implement medical priority dispatch system at the two public safety answering points, as prescribed in Kent County EMS Report.



Consider the adoption of the recommendations for restructuring ambulance services that were included in the Kent County EMS report.

Physical Resources The Kentwood Fire Department operates from three fire stations. These stations are relatively new and appeared to be in good or excellent condition. Vehicles and apparatus also appeared to be in good condition. The city and fire department have a vehicle and apparatus replacement schedule articulated within the capital improvement plan that was adopted by the city commission in June 2010. Every effort should be made to adhere to the replacement schedule. Over the long term, delaying the replacement is inadvisable because it will add to the overall costs of the apparatus. In 2011, the Kentwood Fire Department received a grant for replacement of its selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) and associated equipment.

12

Integral Performance Solutions, “Findings and Recommendations on Emergency Medical Services in Kent County,” (Lakeland, FL: Integral Performance Solutions, 2011), 31. 13 Goodloe and Thomas, “Emergency Medical Services Evidence-Based System Design,” 24

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Human Resources and Staffing As a combination department the Kentwood Fire Department struggles to recruit and retain paid on-call personnel. An intensive recruitment and retention program needs to be undertaken to insure a sufficient cadre of paid on-call personnel are available. Across the United States the number of volunteer and part-paid firefighters has been decreasing at an alarming rate. In a recent article in Fire Chief, Fire Chief Rick Markley discusses the struggle that volunteer (part-paid) departments are enduring: “The volunteer fire service finds itself at a serious fork in the road. Its current membership is at its lowest point in nearly two decades and further erosion could have dire consequences. But recruitment efforts are being hampered by numerous socioeconomic factors. All of this is forcing chiefs to re-evaluate how they operate and get creative in their thinking. “Of course, the real gorilla in the room is the amount of training that is required to be a volunteer firefighter. Not only does rigorous training prepare volunteer firefighters to perform well and safely, it also weeds out those who lack commitment and/or the requisite physical attributes. Yet NFPA 1001 and Firefighter I and II training requirements can be particularly 14 burdensome to volunteers, especially during hard economic times.” To continue with a strong combination fire department, the city of Kentwood should establish a recruitment and retention program that reaches high school students. There is federal funding available to support comprehensive programs. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program was created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, front-line firefighters available in their communities. The goal of SAFER is to enhance the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response and operational standards established by the NFPA and OSHA (NFPA 1710 and/or 15 NFPA 1720 and OSHA 1910.134). The Kentwood Fire Department currently operates with an 11-person minimum staffing deployment model with a maximum of 13: Station #1 has one captain, one lieutenant, and two equipment operators; Station #2 has one lieutenant, one equipment operator, and two firefighters; and Station #3 has one lieutenant, one equipment operator, and two firefighters. An opportunity for cost savings exists in the area of staffing of apparatus. Traditionally, the fire service has staffed equipment at the same level for all hours of a 24-hour period regardless of the demand. The Kentwood Fire Department utilizes 24-hour shifts for all fulltime fire suppression and medical response units.

14

Rick Markley, “A Dangerous Dilemma,” Fire Chief (March 1, 2012), http://firechief.com/leadership/ar/volunteer-firefighter-recruitment-changes-201203?page=2. 15 See FEMA, Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants, http://www.fema.gov/firegrants/safer/index.shtm.

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The recent downturn of the economy and subsequent budget problems for local governments have forced communities to look at other staffing options for their fire departments, including staffing that is based on the demand for service as determined by how many calls for service are expected at different times of the day. Law enforcement agencies have used differential staffing for years, in recognition of a far greater need for staffing levels on Friday at midnight than on Sunday morning, for instance. Similar demandbased, or dynamic, staffing would be of benefit to the Kentwood Fire department. As part of the demand-based staffing solution, the department should consider hiring parttime fire suppression personnel to cover peak times or for backfill scenarios. This convention guarantees the personnel are available, while saving the expense of paying for fringe benefits that are required for FTEs. City management should engage the union to entertain the introduction of peak-load staffing and part-time fire suppression personnel.

Training The Kentwood Fire Department has sufficient training capacity and a licensed training facility. There are no full-time employees dedicated to a training division, but in-house experts conduct some training classes. Every operational employee is trained in positive pressure attack fire-ground tactics. The department does not have a burn facility, so this training utilizes a makeshift burn site. A comprehensive training program is a critical component of ensuring employees is proficient in the firefighting techniques required of them. In general, fire department training programs evaluate the current needs of the personnel and provide instruction to ensure that the personnel have the desired skill sets to perform their duties. In the state of Michigan, firefighter training must include: 

Driver’s training



Communicable diseases



Incident command system



Self-contained breathing apparatus



Hazardous materials/right to know.

The Kentwood Fire Department would benefit from a regional approach to training. In addition to enabling physical and human resources to be shared, a regional approach would increase consistency in the tactics that are used familiarity among line staff. These issues are becoming increasingly important as fire departments are relying more and more on mutual aid. (This issue will be addressed in more detail in the Phase II report on fire department consolidation to be submitted in June.)

Communications Dispatch services for the Kentwood Fire Department are provided by the Kent County Dispatch Authority, a relatively new organization that was created when five separate dispatching agencies were combined. The authority is governed by a board consisting of

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local government officials from the agencies receiving service and supervises two dispatching organizations in the community. Dispatch for fire calls is fairly simple and straightforward. A more complex arrangement exists for EMS calls. When a medical emergency call is received, the dispatcher notifies both the Kentwood Fire Department and the private ambulance company that provides emergency medical response and transport to local hospitals. The dispatcher keeps the private ambulance company and the caller on the line while the ambulance company discusses the nature of the emergency. Neither the dispatch center nor the private ambulance company uses a formal priority medical dispatch system, such as the one developed by Jeff Clawson. As indicated previously, the dispatch authority should consider implementing priority medical dispatch procedures. This would lead to a more efficient utilization of Kentwood Fire Department and private ambulance company emergency response resources. Clawson’s research has shown that priority medical dispatch can help communities provide better service with fewer resources by matching clinical needs with scaled response configurations. A computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system upgrade was completed in February 2012. The upgrade does not include an adequate interoperable radio communication system through which different fire agencies can communicate directly with one another. However, communications can be accomplished by use of handheld radios programmed for a specific fire department and carried by the mutual aid member. An increasing number of mutual aid agreements are requiring greater reliance of fire departments on one another to meet emergency needs. The Kentwood Fire Department has an automatic aid agreement with Grand Rapids in specified areas. Mutual aid agreements, which provide for additional resource support when requested, are in place with the city of Wyoming and other fire departments. All fire department within Kent County have signed a mutual aid agreement. These factors make interoperability critical.

Relationship with Union All uniformed personnel in the department, from the firefighter rank through the deputy fire chief, are represented by Local 3174 of the International Association Firefighters (IAFF). The fire chief is the only position not represented by the union. The department has a good working relationship with the leadership of Local 3174 and meets regularly to discuss labor and operational issues. Chief Looman places a high premium on establishing open communication with the president of the union and looks forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship. In the state of Michigan, union contract negotiations can take a long time to conclude, however, particularly when contractual issues are resolved through arbitration in the state impasse resolution process. A comprehensive review of collective bargaining issues is beyond the scope of this study, but some of the opportunities to improve public service may require negotiation with the union. In addition to the introduction of peak load staffing and part-time fire suppression

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positions, the department and the union should engage in the strategic planning process to identify mutually satisfactory goals and objectives.

Water Supply The Kentwood Fire Department is provided an adequate public water supply by the city of Wyoming or the city of Grand Rapids (depending on geographic location). The city of Kentwood services the water supply from the city of Wyoming while the water supply coming from Grand Rapids is serviced by Grand Rapids. Incumbent staff articulated no issues with water supply and/or hydrant problems that would affect fire operations.

Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating The city of Kentwood is evaluated by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The ISO is an arm of the insurance industry that rates the fire protection systems in cities all over the country. Its representatives visit the community, collect records, and observe the components of the local fire protection system, including such elements as hydrants and other water supply systems, apparatus and equipment, staffing, training records, and dispatch facilities. Their observations are combined with inspections of selected properties to determine fire flows needed for fire suppression. The ISO then uses this data to determine a numerical grade for the fire department. The grades range from 1 to 10 (with 1 being the best). The criterion that is used to evaluate the fire department is based on water supply (40 percent); communications/dispatch (10 percent); and fire suppression capability (50 percent). The ratings and associated data are made available to insurance companies to help them determine fire insurance rates. The Fire Safety Rating Service is not used by all insurance companies, and does not take in to account the target hazards in a community. The assigned rating can be useful in conjunction with other assessments to evaluate the fire departments’ ability to protect the community from fire. The Kentwood Fire department has a current ISO rating of 4. The ISO rating schedule’s efficacy as a guide to deployment of fire apparatus and prediction of community fire loss has been questioned, however. Whereas some studies have supported the notion that better ISO ratings correspond to lower fire losses, others have found a weak correlation between ratings and results.16 However, the schedule remains highly influential in fire service deployment and is frequently used as an assumption within planning methodologies or as a rationale for retention of personnel, stations, or apparatus. The ISO has clearly stated that their ratings are for insurance purposes only and are not intended to analyze all aspects of a comprehensive structural fire suppression delivery system. Moreover, it should not be used for the purpose of determining compliance with state or local laws or making loss prevention or life safety recommendations.

16

Charles Jennings, ed., Proceedings of First International Conference on Fire Service Deployment Analysis (Alexandria, VA: Institution of Fire Engineers, 1999), 1–2.

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Transformation One of the great strengths of the Kentwood Fire Department is the commitment of city leaders, the fire chief, and other fire personnel to entertain change. Although in general, the U. S. fire service is often resistant to change, there is clear recognition in Kentwood that the fire department of the twenty-first century will face vastly different challenges than those in the past. Several specific examples of transformation are worthy of mention. The department has committed to and trained on the use of positive pressure attack, a rapid ventilation process at a structure fire, as a routine firefighting tactic. The fire chief and other leaders continue to look for opportunities to improve public safety service delivery and safety. By embracing change, the department is positioned well for the future.

New Tools and Technologies Kentwood Fire Department has been proactive in exploring new technologies. For instance, the KFD has outfitted E-51, E-52, E-53, and E-55 with Class A Foam Eductors that have worked well for the department. The department may also want to consider a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS), a pumping and delivery system that mixes water, foam solution, and compressed air. Compressed air foam systems were introduced and advocated for structural firefighting in the 1990s as a way to provide greater fire knockdown power and to decrease water usage, hose-line weight, and water damage. CAFS is increasingly viewed as a potential way to offset reduced staffing among career fire service organizations and decreased volunteerism among volunteer and combination departments. The use of CAFS as a primary fire attack tool is now being proposed in the United Kingdom’s East Sussex Fire and Rescue Brigade and has two years experience of operational trials in structures. The brigade has several front-line fire engines equipped with the German made Schmitz gmbH “One-Seven” system. Other brigades across the United Kingdom are fast following this innovative approach. The growing acceptance of CAFS is being driven by fire leaders who see an opportunity for a simple system of primary fire attack that will replace the high-pressure water-fog system. CAFS appears to offer increased performance in fire suppression of post-flashover fire and possibly pre-flashover situations. It reduces the amount of water needed to suppress a vast majority of fires, so primary water tanks and fire engines can become smaller, fewer firefighters may be needed, and attacks on a fire can be made from a safer distance. Further, the costs associated with training firefighters in primary fire attack may well be reduced substantially. Closer to home, the effects of CAFS on manpower needed for suppression activities are well documented in the literature and have been consistently observed, in both actual fireground situations and simulated exercises. For example, controlled room and contents fire tests utilizing CAFS were performed at Wallops Island, Virginia, and Salem, Connecticut, by Hale Fire Pump; the Atlantic Virginia Fire Department; Ansul Fire Protection; the International Society of Fire Service Instructors; Elkhart Brass; the National Aeronautics and Space

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Administration-Goddard Flight Center Fire Department; the Charlotte, North Carolina Fire Department; the Fairfax County, Virginia Fire Department; the Fire Industry Equipment Research Organization; and the Salem, Connecticut Fire Department. Table 1, which depicts the results of these tests, shows that there is a significant difference in temperature drop rate using CAFS as compared to the other extinguishing mediums of plain water and a simple foam solution. CAFS is in use in Los Angeles, California. In 1990, the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) began an intensive evaluation of Class A foam. That led to the specification of direct-injection, multiple-outlet foam proportioners on all new engines starting in 1992. In 1995, the department purchased three engines equipped with compressed-air foam systems. Today, the LACFD has 224 front-line engines, 10 reserve engines, and 15 front-line quints equipped with Class A foam proportioners. An additional 19 front-line engines are equipped with CAFS. One of the misconceptions associated with the use of foam solutions in fire extinguishment is its cost. In the Class A foam/water solution test, LACFD personnel used only 31 fluid ounces of concentrate to knock down and overhaul a fire in four rooms. At an average cost of $13 per gallon, this cost just $3.10 for the concentrate. The CAFS test used even less— only six fluid ounces (60¢) of concentrate.17

Fire Interruption Technology Another example of innovative equipment in use today for fire extinguishment is the AraSafety Pro Fire Interruption Technology (FIT) knockdown tool. The manufacturer claims it can be deployed in a wide variety of structure fire scenarios, from incipient to fully involved, as well as in defensive, offensive, and transitional modes. In some fireground situations water may be unavailable, such as when the duty commander may be on site before working crews and trucks, or an EMS call may leave the crew short to follow the “two in two out” rule.18 The knockdown tool can be used to supplement firefighting forces and mitigate the effects of fire in the incipient stages, thereby reducing the risk of flashover. Reducing the risk to firefighters and the public is always of primary concern. The device is made for use by professional firefighters only, and proper training in its deployment is required. Current pricing stands at approximately $1,000 per tool. One of the most significant aspects in the use of this new technology is the fact that interior attacks can be initiated through a door or window. This allows greater standoff distances and thus reduces the risks to firefighters. OSHA requires that two personnel be stationed outside whenever two rescuers are inside structures where there is an immediate danger to life or health. The Kentwood Fire Department staffs engine companies with three personnel. The FIT tool can be a viable option when firefighting operations can be initiated from the outside, thereby reducing

17 18

See “Bubbles Beat Water,” Fire Chief (July 2001). See ARA Safety, “ARA Safety Pro,” http://www.arasafety.com/products/arasafetypro.htm.

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critical time in fire progression. ICMA does not necessarily endorse the FIT tool for use in any department. It only serves as an example of available products within the industry.

Recommendation: 

Continue to explore new fire suppression tools, technologies, and methodologies, including fire interruption technology.

External System Relationships The Kentwood Fire Department has good working relationships with other fire departments in Kent County and surrounding jurisdictions. The department has automatic aid agreements with Grand Rapids, Cascade Township, and Cutlerville. Mutual aid agreements, which provide aid to another agency when requested, are also in place with other fire departments such as the city of Wyoming. Some training is conducted with other fire agencies and Kentwood host Firefighter I and II training at their licensed training facility. When evaluating geographical boundaries between Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and Wyoming, the following suggestion could help strengthen automatic aid between the jurisdictions. Include GRFD Stations #4 and #10 on structure and reported fires along 44th Street, Breton, Kalamazoo East, and South Division, as well as Wyoming Station #2, which is directly across from the Kentwood municipal boundary. This would allow for enhanced staffing levels in a timely manner. The cities of Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and Wyoming have entered into serious discussions over the past year regarding the possible merger of the fire departments of the three cities. The issue of fire department merger is the subject of a Phase II report to be completed in June.

Recommendations: 

Work with Grand Rapids Fire Department to strengthen the automatic aid between Kentwood and Grand Rapids.

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