THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

FINAL REPORT THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN Presented to: Mr. Les Karpluk, Fire Chief Project Manager Prince Alb...
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FINAL REPORT

THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

Presented to:

Mr. Les Karpluk, Fire Chief Project Manager Prince Albert Fire Rescue Services

Submitted by:

MORRISON HERSHFIELD LIMITED Suite 300, 6807 Railway Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2V6

Project No. 3085132.00 November 28, 2008

THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report would not be possible without the valuable contributions of the following individuals and groups.

The City of Prince Albert Team Councilor Fred Matheson Councilor Greg Dionne Les Karpluk

Fire Chief

Dan Heney

Deputy Chief

Joe Zatylny

Deputy Chief

Craig Harper

Battalion Chief

Dave Davies

Fire Prevention Officer

Lloyd Zwack

President, I.A.F.F. Local 510

Corey Rodgers

Secretary, I.A.F.F. Local 510

Throughout this process the management and staff of The City of Prince Albert have been of significant help, always accommodating and patient with our requests and their input was invaluable.

Morrison Hershfield Team Isaac Comandante

Project Coordinator

Barry Colledge

Project Lead

Robert Côté

Technical Advisor

Bruce McBride

GIS and Mapping

Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Prince Albert Fire Department has made significant changes to adapt to current demands and to improve operations. The recommendations are meant to be implemented over the next five to ten years. In the discussion section additional possibilities were also raised that should be considered as part of the growth of Prince Albert. The risks faced by the City of Prince Albert are similar to most communities with residential and natural cover fires being primary concerns. The territory covered by the city boundary does provide a unique risk given the topography and size of the area including the fact that only one bridge exists over the river. The current fire department resources are being stretched, particularly in attempting to meet acceptable intervention times for the community. An IAFF report in November 2007 did provide some recommendations to address delays in arrival of the fire department. Based on a review of the risks and resources, a gap analysis was completed on the services expected from the Prince Albert Fire Department. Given this review a number of recommendations are presented to continue the improvements already launched. The recommendations include: •

Improved direction for the fire department in the updating of bylaw and standard operating guidelines.



The construction of one new fire station within five years with a second station within ten years. Consideration should be given to creating a multi-service facility for emergency response.



Creation of nine new staff positions over the next four years with the need for 24 additional positions to staff a third station.



Increase training and record-keeping to meet current demands.



A more proactive approach to the reduction of emergencies by improving fire prevention activities.

The cost of the recommendations would include several million dollars to construct the new facility based on the expected function. The capital cost could range from $3 to 10 million to construct and equip the facility. The annual operating budget would increase by approximately $750,000 over the next four years.

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THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................1 1.1 1.2

Scope ..........................................................................................................1 Operating Principles ......................................................................................2

SECTION 2 RISK .................................................................................................4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13

Introduction .................................................................................................4 Challenges ...................................................................................................4 Demographic and Geographic Risk ..................................................................4 Statistics......................................................................................................6 Historical Risks .............................................................................................7 Residential Risk .......................................................................................... 12 Commercial Risk ......................................................................................... 13 Road and Rail Risk ...................................................................................... 14 Water Risk ................................................................................................. 17 Industry Risk .............................................................................................. 17 Dangerous Goods Risk................................................................................. 18 Air Risk...................................................................................................... 18 Maps ......................................................................................................... 19

SECTION 3 RESOURCES ....................................................................................22 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12

Mission and Core Services ............................................................................ 22 Operating Principles .................................................................................... 23 Organization............................................................................................... 25 Agreements................................................................................................ 25 Community Service Considerations ................................................................ 26 Human Resources ....................................................................................... 27 Facilities .................................................................................................... 27 Apparatus .................................................................................................. 29 Equipment ................................................................................................. 32 Training..................................................................................................... 32 Fire Prevention ........................................................................................... 32 Communications ......................................................................................... 33

SECTION 4 DISCUSSION...................................................................................35 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8

Bylaws....................................................................................................... 35 SOPs and SOGs .......................................................................................... 35 Organization............................................................................................... 36 Operations ................................................................................................. 37 Staffing Options.......................................................................................... 40 Fire Prevention ........................................................................................... 43 Supplementary Services............................................................................... 44 Cost / Budget ............................................................................................. 45

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SECTION 5 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................48 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7

Fire Service Bylaw....................................................................................... 48 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) ........................................................... 48 Organization............................................................................................... 48 Operation .................................................................................................. 48 Fire Prevention ........................................................................................... 51 Supplementary Services............................................................................... 51 Cost / Budget ............................................................................................. 52

SECTION 6 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................55 SECTION 7 REFERENCES...................................................................................56 7.1 7.2 7.3

Government of Canada ................................................................................ 56 Province of Saskatchewan Provincial Legislation.............................................. 56 City of Prince Albert Bylaws.......................................................................... 56

APPENDIX A STATISTICS CANADA TREND DATA APPENDIX B STATISTICAL RESPONSE DATA CHARTS APPENDIX C FIRE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE TEN YEARS STATISTICAL DATA APPENDIX D GIS MAPPING APPENDIX E PRINCE ALBERT EMERGENCY SERVICES FLEET STUDY APPENDIX F SASKATCHEWAN CODE OF PRACTICE FOR FIRE FIGHTERS APPENDIX G PRINCE ALBERT EMERGENCY SERVICES OCCUPANCY LIST APPENDIX H CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT ZONING MAP APPENDIX I

PRINCE ALBERT EMERGENCY SERVICES OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX J

MORRISON HERSHFIELD POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION This report is designed to provide an assessment of the City of Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department. It does so by identifying and assessing the nature and sources of risk faced by the Department, calibrating the resources available to address these risks, and then identifying the nature of the gap between these risk driven needs and available resources. This is followed by the recommendations regarding how best to address the identified gaps. This approach also includes addressing the governance and relationship management implications and opportunities associated with effective management of the most significant risks. This approach is designed to ensure that the nature and allocation of resources, and the relationships between key participants, are aligned with real risk, in particular the need to ensure the most significant risks are addressed first.

1.1

Scope The study used the goals and objectives detailed in the RFP AND Morrison Hershfield proposal. It also provides a methodology for building partnerships between the Regional Partners, Industry and residents. It is intended to harmonize the goals of safety for both public and emergency responders, to meet the current and proposed needs of the partners in an efficient and consistent manner. Specific areas that will be reviewed, based on ‘best practices’, which would have direct impact on effective emergency services delivery are: •

Identify a detailed analysis of Operational, Administrative Management and Leadership systems;



Evaluate the Human Resources within the Emergency services with emphasis on the following: Health & Safety Act and Code, Code of Practice for the Fire Service, Ambulance Services Act, Disaster Services Act, current recruitment and retention, and training policies to provide a perspective on current effectiveness and future desired state;



Review current data and conduct a Gap and Risk Analysis within the City to determine the nature of risks, their priority, categorization and location, either through documentation or interview process, the risks will then be mapped and a future growth trends will be plotted to project a future state requirement for use by the Emergency services;



Evaluate the current reality of the emergency service delivery within the service area including but not limited to: identification of fire and rescue apparatus, deployment, fleet composition, apparatus and equipment requirements, and current staffing;



Evaluate the future requirements and direction of the prevention and education programs, including the preparation of a five-year capital budget.

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Weigh the current effectiveness and efficiency of service against the risks identified within the area to present options for mitigating the risk, response to and manage the risk for service delivery;



Review the current situation of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and make recommendations in relation to effective future service delivery;



Identify options to manage the risks and develop measurable standards, designed in such a way that accountability is both defined and appropriately placed;



Evaluate the legal structure (Bylaws) currently employed by the emergency services or the individual component thereof including all partnerships, mutual aid, fee for service agreements or other legally binding arrangements such as Mutual Aid Agreements;



Evaluate the current infrastructure and station location(s). We will measure to the risk and future growth/state identified, matched with the deployment standards to arrive at the future facility, site, spatial and infrastructure requirements.



Identify service level targets, reach agreement on service level standards for the area (such as NFPA) and industrial stakeholder requirements;



Identify cost of facilities, equipment and staffing resources coupled with a financial strategy within the Financial Strategy Plan;

Evaluate the current Municipal Emergency or Disaster Plan and how it relates to emergency services and infrastructure.

1.2

Operating Principles 1.2.1 Local Government and Fire Department(s) The principles listed below provide the guidelines for evaluating the current delivery services provided by the City of Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department: 1. Provide appropriate leadership; 2. Respect limitations; 3. Promote team functioning – partnerships; 4. Adopt a pro-active approach to: •

Examine new technologies / ideas



Examine and define risks consistently and regularly



Re-design responses as necessary



Anticipate the unexpected



Create and sustain a learning environment



Encourage participation at all levels



Encourage a free flow of communication and feedback



Create an environment that allows mistakes but does not tolerate negligence

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5. Provide a safe and supportive Community as set out in The City of Prince Albert Strategic Plan (2007) where Council recognizes the “safety” of its citizens as top priority. 1.2.2 References The following list pertains to the responsibilities of the Municipalities and the Departments, all of which give direction and legal responsibilities of the Fire Department: •

British North American Act



Cities Act (Saskatchewan)



Fire Prevention Act 1992



National Fire Code 1995



Emergency Planning Act 1989



The Fire Departments Platoon Act 1978



Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 1996 Part XXXII Code of Practice for Fire Fighters



Highway Traffic Act



Health Act



Bylaw No.22 2008: The Fire and Emergency Services Bylaw establishes: -

Fire Protection

-

Fire Suppression

-

Fire Prevention and Inspection

-

Fire Investigations

-

Educational Programs

-

Airport Fire Suppression Services

-

Rescue Operations

-

Strategic Plan 2007

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SECTION 2 RISK 2.1

Introduction Every city has common and unique challenges when it comes to safety of the citizens. It is the unique challenges and the City’s identified risk tolerance that require every fire department to modify their structure and equipment to best serve the citizens to the expected level. For a proper evaluation, the first step must be the identification of the risks present in the community.

2.2

2.3

Challenges •

Rate of growth in the City and the Region;



Growing challenge of recruiting and retaining firefighters in an environment where competition with other services and the private sector is a continuing issue;



Aging of the existing workforce and the fact that over 10% of the officer core will retire in the next 5 years;



A lack of experience along with qualifications and distribution of promotions mostly through retirement;



The improved transportation network, both air and road, which makes getting to Prince Albert so much easier but also adds to the incident volume;



Lack of a regional planning framework to deal with possible industrial risks that poses a threat to residents and to firefighters.

Demographic and Geographic Risk Prince Albert is the third largest city in Saskatchewan with a population of 40,000 and an area of approximately 70.67 square kilometers in size, most of which is in the river valley of the North Saskatchewan River. Being the largest municipality in the northern part of the province attracts over 150,000 people annually to this municipality over and above the permanent citizens of Prince Albert. This influx occurs from early spring through to mid fall. The blend of true prairie in close proximity to the Boreal Forest (forest protection areas) to the north plus an agreement with the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No.461 provides a wide range of risks, particularly in wildland fire fighting operations. Development of sub-divisions and acreages within forested areas has provided another level of risk. Travel distances to these response areas also stretch resources both in the number and duration of incidents. The City of Prince Albert has a stable community with a strong cultural core. This is reflected in Table 1 below showing the stability of the population from 1996 to 2006.

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Table 1 – City of Prince Albert Population by Age (1996 – 2006) City of Prince Albert Age 1996 Under 11,665 20 years 20- 64 18,735 years Over 65 4,385 of years Total 34,785

Population Census provided by Statistics Canada % 2001 % 2006 % 33.5

10,885

31.7

10,535

30.9

53.9

18,910

55.1

18,870

55.3

12.6

4,500

13.1

4,715

13.8

34,295

34,120

Figure 1 – City of Prince Albert Population by Age (2006) 65 plus years 13.8%

Under 20 years 30.9 %

20-65 years 55.3%

*Note: Trend data provided by Statistics Canada provided in Appendix A.

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2.4

Statistics An important source of risk data is the nature and volume of department activities. The methodology included not only a detailed review of the excellent data stream supplied by the department, but to also direct observation by the MH team and feedback from the Saskatchewan Fire Commissioners Office. The main statistical observation is that the call volumes are on a rise and this trend is expected to continue. With the predicted economic growth in the region this pattern may even accelerate. These increases have coincided with discussions on the department’s growth strategy of building a second hall as it would be difficult to see how the department could manage the existing volume out of the current downtown hall from both a capacity and a location standpoint. The volume of calls has increased but equally important is the level of call complexity and the time spent on each call. Available data is found in Appendix A. In 2007, total call volume was 1,058. There is a combination of factors involved in these incidents; the single biggest factor is the legal and regulatory requirements for responders to discharge their duty of care in a common law setting and to ensure from a regulatory standpoint that all the statutory law requirements are fulfilled. This alone has resulted in up to a 50% time on task increase to ensure that things such as rekindles do not occur or that traffic is adequately controlled during a motor vehicle rescue, just to give two examples of many. The length of time to respond to, set up for and recover from incidents is increasing. This is the case for Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services as shown in the data provided in the Appendices. These factors result in numerous overlapping or simultaneous calls, a reality common to this and many other similar systems. If call volumes could be evenly spread throughout the day as single events the system would be manageable, but that is an exception as calls in this system cluster and overlap for a variety of predictable reasons. This department has already entered the risk envelope of having two or more calls occurring at the same time and many of the recommendations in this report are structured to deal with this growing reality. The recommendations will provide some guidance in looking at “best practices” in dealing with this pressing issue, but ultimately this is a service level issue. It will require the department and its partners to build on the already excellent policy approach of the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services rooted in what is a shared understanding of what are acceptable risks in terms of capacity, and how many calls of what complexity the system can realistically be expected to manage. While at a strategically high level this is a straightforward concept, the number of variables involved in dealing with emergency incidents demands a more rigorous approach than just someone’s gut feeling.

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2.5

Historical Risks The following tables and charts are based on three years of Fire data provided by showing the number and types of fires along with the averaged response time in each zones. The zones correlate to the map provided to us by the fire department.

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Table 2 – Total Fire Calls per Zone (June 2005 – May 2008) Zones

1

2

3

100 Fire Other

1 1

5 2

3 1

7

8

9

10 4

5 4

6 5

1

12

1

1 1

1 14 2

8 8 1

3

21

3

3 3

1

5

2 1

3 1

10 2

1 3

1

2

4

3

7 12

7 8

2

2

2 16 1

5

2 2

2

1 1

3 8

13

9

2

3

1

1 2

1

2

3

3

6

4

1

10

1 4

1

1 13

2 105

1

105

1

1 1 1

1

1 1

3 2 4

1 2 5 3

3

1

21

8

5

6

1

3

4

2

3

4

3

2

2

14 12 1

9

5

3 1

6

3

29

15

8

6

1

2

59 3 4

1

1 1

2

1

11 83 3

2 11 1

1 4 1

1 2 1

1 6 1

3 5 1

3 3

2

5 11 1

5 21 1

15 33

2 1

1

1 4

4

5

1 2

1

11 62 10 1

1

1

96 82 20

1

8 8

1

1

7 3 66 201 11 69 172 8

2 1

1

7 4 1

1 2 1

1 2 55

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24 12

$24,600

$386,500

$219,600

$61,600

$33,100

2

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959 $6,290,530

65

$747,100

73

$3,500

37 18 95

$414,200

23

$371,250

27

$106,000

$73,260

$126,800

290 85 48 37 $162,750

2

$814,650

28 23

$125,600

2 0

$15,820

3

0

2 2 1

154 Dumpster Fire 1 160 Special Outside Fire other 161 Outside Storage Fire 162 Outside Equipment Fire 164 Outside Mailbox Fire 170 Cultivated Vegetation 171 Cultivated Grain/Crop Total Fires 15

Dollar Loss

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Main RM Total

1

130 Mobile Property 131 Passenger 4 Vehicle Fire 132 Road Freight Fire 133 Rail Vehicle Fire 135 Aircraft Fire 136 Self Propelled Motor Home 137 Camper/RV 138 Off Road Heavy Vehicle 140 Natural Vegetation Fire 141 Forest/Woods 142 Brush Mix 143 Grass Fire 150 Outside Rubbish other 151 Outside Rubbish/trash Fire

5

1

$39,400

113 Cooking Fire 114 Chimney Fire 118 Trash/Rubbish Fire

6 27 25

$2,564,800

111 Building Fires 1119 Detached Garages 112 Structure other than Building

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Figure 2 –

Frequency of Fire Calls (June 2005 – May 2008)

All Other Calls 25%

142/143 Grass/Bush

27% 100 Fire Other

10%

9% 111 Structural/ Building

11%

131 Passenger Vehicle

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18%

154 Dumpster

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Table 3 – Response Time Averages of Fire Calls (June 2005 – May 2008)

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Figure 3 –

Response Time Averages of Fire Calls (June 2005 – May 2008) 2 to 12 minutes

Over 12 min

Under 12 min

Under 2 min 0.6% Under 4 min

5.75%

Under 10 min

4.02%

5.75%

10.92% Under 6 min 38.81%

Under 8 min 34.48%

The response times in the table and chart are based on the data provided for fire responses only from June 2005 to May 2008. The times are overall average response times. * Note: Data charts supporting the above are located in Appendix B.

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2.6

Residential Risk The City of Prince Albert has a very typical and well planned mix of residential occupancies ranging from low density country residential through to an excellent stock of single family dwellings and a large number of high density walk ups and apartments to accommodate a growing highly mobile workforce. From a fire and emergency services perspective there are several issues arising from this reality. •

The age of the housing and demographics of the older neighborhoods. In these areas most of these homes are rental properties attracting a younger population of a more transient type. These demographics brings along social and economic issues, which substantially increases the risk and reliance on the services of the department.



In the northern quadrant of the city residences are being built in the forested area’s increasing the risk with the possibility of wild land urban interface fires. Working with developers and city planners to mitigate the risks through awareness programs such as the Fire Smart programs is essential, as there is no support infrastructure in this region.



The increase in the volume of housing impacts the overall risk from travel distances and frequency of calls. Currently there are approximately 12,000 single family units at this time.



The size of an average single-family dwelling has increased while the common construction methods have lowered the tenability in terms of rescue and firefighting. Lightweight engineered wood construction products and other code compliant but potentially hazardous materials (i.e. the vinyl siding as a potential fire spread issue) have also affected levels of risk. This imposes a new duty on incident commanders to accurately assess attack modes on these newer houses which may, depending on their construction, pose a real threat to responding crews in terms of early floor separation and collapse. Many departments are identifying this type of construction as a risk in their pre-fire planning systems.



While the City of Prince Albert has done an excellent job of maintaining adequate separation distances between dwellings there must be constant vigilance to maintain those important spaces so the dwellings do not start to form one contiguous fire area which can wipe out a whole neighborhood, as has occurred several times over the past few years in communities across Canada such as the conflagrations in Edmonton Alberta. It is also important for the City of Prince Albert to work with its neighbors to encourage safe and viable residential growth. This is both a building code and a planning issue where all developments should continue to be assessed for their potential to contribute to a conflagration or large loss fire.



The high number of multi-family and apartment units impose a firefighting, rescue and recovery risk on the community for a number of reasons: 

Fires in these occupancies require a lot of resources to fight.



Even if confined to the unit of origin these incidents can displace a large number of people that could require evacuation, medical triage, shelter, site control, etc.

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Given the current economy, how quickly will units be rebuilt, particularly at the lower end of the scale where other social issues (such as a displaced single mother on assistance) add additional complexities to the recovery process?



Over a ten year period 238 residential dwelling fires occurred in the City of Prince Albert which impacted the community with a 33,986,279 dollar loss, 6 injuries and 1 death as a result of the fires. *



During the same time period the multi-family and apartments fires were 76 fires that accounted for a 1,717,711 dollar loss, 2 injuries and 1 fire death.*



High life hazards or large fire potential occupancies consist of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, high rise buildings. These buildings are built according to relevant codes, separated effectively and are inspected regularly.



Prince Albert has seven high rises; two senior complexes, four correctional institutions, and one hospital that provide unique risks should an emergency arise.

*Note: Statistical Dollar Loss provided by the Saskatchewan Fire Commissioners Office provided in Appendix C.

2.7

Commercial Risk The growth of the commercial sector in the City of Prince Albert and the surrounding areas of the Rural Municipality can only be described as an indication of future growth. Nothing probably better illustrates Prince Albert central role in the catchment area than the number and variety of commercial occupancies. •

The age of the buildings in the downtown core increases the department’s risk. Older combustible buildings, without automatic fire suppression or spatial separations, provide a risk of a conflagration.



The majority of new commercial occupancies appear to fall into three broad categories, big box mercantile, service occupancies and a boom in restaurants and hotel facilities.



The big box stores represent potential large loss fires but they are usually confined to a single occupancy that meets the code requirements for automatic suppression and rated fire separations.



The existing and new commercial developments in the eastern quadrant are well served by the existing station but the existing and future northern developments pose a response challenge for the existing hall as this area continues to expand and cannot be adequately serviced by the existing hall.



The service industry facilities and occupancies appear to be rationally located and given their highly changeable uses the City of Prince Albert has done a good job of controlling their use, but in a very active economy this takes constant attention to ensure zoning and code compliance.



The restaurant and hotel sector is a risk based on volume of patrons at the time of an emergency for evacuation and displacement.

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2.8



There is an apparent inflow of commercial/mercantile activity into the existing downtown core based on trying to revitalize the area.



Much of the construction in this sector is new and low maintenance now, but much of this construction has a relatively short life cycle and must be monitored to ensure fire and life safety risks are not exceeding the original design criteria.

Road and Rail Risk •

Roads were brought up as a concern during the consultation process due to an increase in volume seasonally and that Highway 2 northbound is the only bridge to the north. The volume alone trying to access this location creates congestion that ties up the inner core all the way back up the south hill hindering the response of Emergency Services overall.



The road network is excellent with high capacity road widths and no obvious issues. This also extends to the Rural Municipalities interface with the city, as there are smooth transitions with no obvious changes in engineering standards on the main feeder routes. This network becomes congested because of the seasonal transient population that utilizes the City of Prince Albert as a hub attracting up to 150,000 people within this catchment area.



Rail is an issue as there are a high number of rail interfaces in the City, which increase the overall risk in terms of emergency services. Active rail lines run past or through many critical access routes including: 

Directly south of the main fire hall;



North of the hospital, and



Parallel running through the downtown core.



Each situation is a level crossing except for two overpasses, one at Center Avenue and the other at 6th avenue.



At Highway 2 there is also a level crossing that creates traffic congestion being the transportation corridor to the northern points of the province.

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Figure 4 – Aerial View of Train Yards

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Figure 5 – Map of the City of Prince Albert showing Rail Systems within the City

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2.9

Water Risk The North Saskatchewan River flows through the City of Prince Albert dividing the city. The city utilizes the river, as its only raw water source for the cities infrastructure and needs, servicing approximately 40,000 citizens and 600 rural area farms. Currently accessing the actual river for an emergency is from one point that is also available to the public making accessing a risk in the event of an emergency. Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services respond to numerous calls to the river. Calls vary in nature including surface water rescues, ice rescues, environmental hazards, and public hazards. Providing these services is of a specialized nature involving equipment, and training. There is an ongoing cost to keep the equipment and training current that needs to be reflected in the budget on a yearly basis.

2.10 Industry Risk •

Prince Albert has a mix of light and medium industrial occupancies serving a number of industries including forestry, mining, oil and gas exploration and pipeline servicing, along with ongoing support to agriculture, all of which are mirrored in the rural municipality at some level.



The importance of Prince Albert as a hub of the mining industry is just starting to be realized, with its ideal location for product gathering, upgrading and redistribution to northern points. Planning and responding to this specialized growth will be a significant challenge for the City and emergency responders in the region.



There needs to be a high degree of harmonization in terms of land use planning to maintain safe distances between residents and industry so responders can focus on the incident and not be absorbed by evacuations or health issues because people have been allowed to reside in close proximity to industry.



This risk was identified through out the city, such as the eastern downtown core with two bulk stations within a residential area. The rail yards to the south of the downtown are another example. North of the river and within the city limits is a mix of everything from wild land interface to industrial sites having no water infrastructure in place.

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2.11 Dangerous Goods Risk Dangerous Goods (DG) range from the fuels required by all communities to the more exotic and risky chemicals used and produced by various industries (for example Potash and Uranium). The city and surrounding area have the potential risk of being exposed to DG incidents due to the expanding nature of linear risk in the region including roads, rail, pipelines, and power transmission. These incidents are difficult to quantify from a risk management standpoint as the event can occur anywhere along the line.

2.12 Air Risk The importance of the airport and air service was repeatedly pointed out by most stakeholders. •

Given the relative remoteness of Prince Albert maintaining the air link is vital. The airport should be a pivotal partner in all emergency and disaster management.



The airport plays a vital role in dealing with emergencies which may impact the city and the region including acting as the air attack base for combating wild land or other forestry related fires, supporting medical evacuations or other health related incidents and or events plus acting as the link for resources both human and material in an emergency.



In the near future the volume of passenger traffic at the airport could result in a change of airport category, which could require a dedicated response capability for scheduled flights.



As the industry in the Prince Albert region continues to intensify with an emphasis on becoming a major transmission and gathering point for oil and gas the airport will see a large increase in high value freight to serve the industry.



Emergency responses to the airport meet the requirements as set out by Transport Canada. Decommissioning of the ARFF (Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting Apparatus) that was located at the Airport was a result of the fleet study, lack of specialized training according to industry standards. The ARFF is not a requirement for the Airport according to its current classification. However, the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services department and the City of Prince Albert must monitor this closely as an increase in flights may change the airport classification, which will have a direct impact on department resources and response capabilities.

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Figure 6 – City of Prince Albert Airport

2.13 Maps Please refer to the following pages. Additional maps can be located in Appendix D.

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Map 1 – Prince Albert’s Current Fire Station Six-Minute Response Time

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Boat Launch

RISK AREAS Rail Yard Storage Bridge Crossing (choke point) Airport Bulk Fuel Lumber

Current Fire Station

Map 2 – City of Prince Albert – High Risk and Areas of Interest

THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

SECTION 3 RESOURCES 3.1

Mission and Core Services Emergency response activity: The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services is a very efficient and competent team of dedicated firefighters and officers who are proud of their community and the role they play in protecting its citizens. During all the stakeholder consultations this was recognized and reinforced by all participants both within and external to the department. 3.1.1 Mission Statement The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services mission statement reads as: “The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services will continue to seek opportunities to serve the Public through Fire Prevention, Emergency Operations and Excellent customer service.” 3.1.2 Value Statement We will pride ourselves on service and will not be bound by outdated attitudes and thinking. We Value:

Safety… we are committed to a safe working environment, Teamwork… as a foundation for effectiveness, Professional Pride… our motivation for excellence, Service Excellence… our dedication to our customer, and Leadership… for the betterment of the department. 3.1.3 Core Services The core services outlined in the Fire and Emergency Services Bylaw No.22 of 2008: •

Fire Protection



Fire Suppression



Fire Prevention and Inspections



Fire Investigations



Educational Programs



Airport Fire Suppression Services



Rescue Operations which include, but are not limited to:



Surface Water Rescue



Basic Rope Rescue

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3.2



Vehicle Extrication



Structural collapse support operations



Confined Space Rescue



Trench rescue support operations



Dangerous Goods first response (Operational Level)



Pre-hospital emergency medical support service

Operating Principles Several aspects of individual service delivery areas/programs identified through the stakeholder interviews are important to note. 3.2.1 Firefighting – Structural The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department continues to demonstrate excellent firefighting capability although as noted in this report and the recommendations the ability to mount a consistent attack is becoming problematic due to multiple call and personnel pressures. 3.2.2 Firefighting – Industrial It is still important that the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department play a support role for industry to ensure the residents are being adequately protected. Given the industrial growth potential in this region this may pose the single greatest risk element for the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department and its Industrial partners 3.2.3 Firefighting – Aircraft This report deals with this expanding role as a critical link to Prince Albert’s future and the opportunities to work directly with the Airport in providing service to this vital sector of the community. 3.2.4 Firefighting – Wildland Urban Interface This remains a concern on the Northern reach of the City, recognizing the Boreal forest in the light industrial zone. The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department has an excellent reputation in dealing with these incidents but maintaining liaison with Saskatchewan Environment and partners is vital as these fires are characterized by their length and the number of firefighters required controlling them. 3.2.5 Firefighting – Dangerous Goods Response It would be of assistance to the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department to look at where such incidents would have an impact. As industry in the region grows this may be an opportunity to form a joint partnership for DG response. The goal of such a partnership remains firefighter and public safety, not revenue generation or allowing industry to transfer the risk to the municipality, which most responsible industries will not do. The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department should also create a policy framework to review the service delivery around DG responses

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to delineate which activities are within the scope of the department and which are not and how to manage the risk gaps. 3.2.6 Technical Rescue Currently the department responds to numerous types of specialized rescues all unique to themselves such as; •

Structural collapse including heavy rescue



Rope rescue (excluding high angle) and slope



Confined space



Vehicle and machinery



Water



Trench and excavation

Currently the department is not response ready for Structural Collapse or Trench and Excavation. The rope rescue and confined space capabilities at this time are more in alignment as a support function. The department has identified the rope rescue service and currently designing a new training package for their staff. Staff will receive a standard level of rope rescue training beginning 2009. These specialized areas each require extensive equipment and training that needs to be kept up on an annual basis ensuring the readiness in the event of an emergency. 3.2.7 Medical Aid Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services require all members to be trained medically to an EMT-A level. This enables the department to provide a higher level of care to its citizens when called upon as First Responders when requested by Parkland Ambulance. The current situation of response as a backup or as medical aid makes it difficult in keeping with best practices and due diligence as the members are not utilizing the potential skill level that they are required to maintain by legislation. This adds on going cost and training for a service that is neither efficient nor effective. Being able to provide medical care at all emergencies while working along with Parkland Ambulance service will only enhance both departments in serving the community as a whole. Building on this relationship is of extreme importance, as the majority of calls in the future will be medically related.

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3.3

Organization Figure 7 – Services

Organization Chart of the City of Prince Albert Fire Rescue

This flow chart shows the structure of the department, which allows for the smooth transition of reporting to and/or following command from day to day activities or during an emergency.

3.4

Agreements Current agreements are with: •

Sask911



Correctional Service Canada



The Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No.461



Resort Village of Candle Lake



Town of Shellbrooke



Village of Meath Park



Village of St. Louis



Town of Birch Hills



Lakeland & District Co-Operative Volunteer Fire Department; and



The Buckland Co-Operative Volunteer Firefighters

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The Sask911 agreement is for dispatching, their responsibilities, training requirements, and what service is expected. This agreement is a five year agreement that ends on October 28, 2008, at which time it is a month-to-month service until a new agreement signed. Correctional Services Canada agreement is based on a retainer to provide services to their facilities. The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services are compensated for actual cost based on a set rate. The agreement was a two year agreement then year to year. The Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No.461 agreement is to provide services as required to the rural municipality based also on a yearly retainer. This agreement is a five year term. The Mutual Aid agreement involves the Co-operatives, and Villages, is an agreement amongst the parties to provide assistance to one another on a fee for cost basis. Presently most of the mutual aid agreements are three to five years old and should be revisited on a yearly basis. This allows for communication between parties whether it is about recent businesses moving in, future growth, apparatus, or the day-to-day costs. This enables the parties to discuss partnering on training, facilities and apparatus. A new mutual aid agreement being proposed is being presented to the mutual aid group.

3.5

Community Service Considerations Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department is very active within the community having a long strong history dating back to 1897, with fire prevention, education, health and safety, and fund raising for various groups through out the city. Fire prevention not only includes commercial inspections but also involves citizens in home inspections. The department also provides fire extinguisher training to the public. The recently created the needle drop off program has improved the safety to the public as well. This department will be going through an appearance change from Fire Prevention to Life Safety Division that more closely reflects the involvement in the community. A fire mentoring program has also been developed to reach out to the youth of the community. Within the department, they have formed a Fire Fighters Charity active in raising funds for over 38 different groups, organizations, and foundations raising over $2 million dollars since its inception in 1978. These activities are secondary services, which revolves around the core services of the department. As the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services continues to experience an increase in calls the overall community involvement will be impacted and a balance needs to be in place, putting the department and its staff’s emergency response to the community as the priority. City Council has acknowledged the community safety considerations in the 2007 Strategy Plan. Under Safety the Planning as stated in the document;

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“To develop a more efficient and coordinated Plan to address community safety, through effective allocation of resources, timely financial management and community planning development and design”.

3.6

Human Resources The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services has a highly motivated well-trained complement of professional fire fighters and fire officers. The issues faced by the Department are similar to many others; in that increasing call volumes and incident complexity are putting a strain on members to manage what is becoming a very busy system. Many of the recommendations in this report deal with the staffing issues facing the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services. Many demographic and career issues remain outside the strict realm of business planning as they involve significant personal choices by individual members. This can evolve when staff members choose to retire or if they stay based on what incentives exist for their continued participation or where they see themselves in terms of possible promotion in the department. While the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services currently exhibits a high degree of career stability, there are many possible changes which could impact recruitment and retention of people over the next 5 years with the greatest potential being in the officer ranks and the management team. Currently 16% of the staff has 25 plus years with the department. It would be valuable for the department to set up a Succession Planning Team, which while respecting individuals right to choose their own future. This would help to ensure their choices and could possibly be integrated into the overall future direction for the department and potentially to the City as a whole.

3.7

Facilities Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services operate out of one station in the downtown core of the city. All day to day operations are from this location. As the demand on the service increases (staffing, training, apparatus, responses) the current location is at its maximum capacity. Originally built in 1976, the life span of a fire hall is 30 years on an average. During this time the building has under gone numerous renovations to accommodate staff, from sleeping dorms to offices, separate areas for PPE storage, laundry area, to a dedicated maintenance room for breathing apparatus. However, co-ed considerations have not been addressed at this time, and it is a possibility for future recruitment needs. Unfortunately response from this location is being taxed as the traffic flows have increased on Fifteenth Street in both east and west directions. The other critical factor is travel distance and intervention time. As the City expands, it takes longer to reach emergencies occurring within the boundaries of the city due to distance and traffic increases.

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Figure 8 – The City of Prince Albert Emergency Services Station

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3.7.1 Alternatives There are several possible options available when deciding of a site using historical data, call responses, and dollar risk or value. All of which need to be evaluated and a consensus of what is more important to the department to prioritize. Building a second sub-station on the east end of the city would reflect the current growth of mercantile and residential development. This station would improve the overall response times not only for the eastern end of the City but also the south end, as this area of light industrial continues to expand. A station located in the south west would allow for intervention times to better serve the community as the historical data shows a large portion of the responses are to the west. Another consideration is the level of protection to the north of the river within the city boundaries. Building a station in the north would improve response times to the residential area that currently exists, the industrial areas, acreages and improve coverage to the Airport. This location would replace the current downtown location and house the management and support functions. Each station location would complement the other, when needed during an emergency event.

3.8

Apparatus The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services have a well-equipped and maintained fleet of response apparatus. This fleet consists of 15 pieces of apparatus including specialized units; •

3 - Front Line Pumps,



1 - 75 Ft. Aerial Ladder,



1 – Tanker,



1 – Command Vehicle,



1 – Rescue,



1 – Utility,



1 – Brush,



3 – Administration Vehicles,



2 – Boats,



1 – Hazmat Trailer

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Table 4 – Age of Emergency Service Apparatus – City of Prince Albert Vehicle

Year

15 year Mark

Tanker 19

1991

2006

Ladder 16

1997

2012

4

Engine 11

2001

2016

8

Engine 12

2004

2020

12

Engine 14

2007

2022

14

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Remaining Years Over Age, replacement unit is on order, this unit suitable as a reserve or second line apparatus

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Table 5 – Description of Emergency Service Apparatus – City of Prince Albert Unit #

Location

Year

Make

Engine 11

City of Prince Albert

2001

Superior F – One Cyclone

Engine 12

City of Prince Albert

2004

Superior F – One Cyclone

Engine 14

City of Prince Albert

2007

Fort Garry Spartan Chassis

Ladder 16

City of Prince Albert

1997

Dependable

Rescue 15

City of Prince Albert

1990

Outlaw Marine (Jet Boat)

Pumper, 1250 gpm. mid-ship pump. Carries 500 gallons of water and 35 liters of Class A & B foam Pumper, 1250 gpm. Mid-ship pump. Tank capacity of 500 gallons of water plus 35 liters of Class A & B foam. Pumper, 1250 gpm. mid-ship pump. Carries 700 gallons of water and 35 liters of Class A & B foam Aerial / 75’ Ladder and platform, 1500 gpm mid-ship pump and carries 200 gallons of water. 19 ft Aluminum Haul, Ford Mercury 351 engine.

Rescue 28

City of Prince Albert

2006

Ford F350 4x4

Utility Truck configuration

Tanker 19

City of Prince Albert

1991

White GMC

Utility 18

City of Prince Albert

1999

Ford F450 4x4

Battalion 21

City of Prince Albert

1996

Ford F450 4x4

Mobile Command Cube style Van

Utility 24

City of Prince Albert

2007

Ford F450 4x4

½ ton pickup truck used for a utility vehicle.

Utility 29

City of Prince Albert

2007

Inspector 26

City of Prince Albert

2002

Dodge Caravan

Vehicle used mainly for Fire Inspections.

D/C 25

City of Prince Albert

2003

Ford Crown Vic

Fire Chiefs Vehicle

Zodiac

City of Prince Albert

1999

Zodiac

14ft zodiac equipped with a 25 hp out board motor.

Ice Boat

City of Prince Albert

Zodiac

10ft zodiac that has been converted to a sled.

Reserve Ladder

City of Prince Albert

1975

On Order

City of Prince Albert

2008

Unit XX

City of Prince Albert

2008

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Description

840 gpm. mid-ship pump. Carries 2000 gallons of water and 80 liters of Class A foam Bush/Grass Fire configuration, Skid mount 18hp Briggs and Stratton pump, 250 gallons of water, 20 liter foam

Hazmat Trailer

King Seagrave

Mechanical Backup, 100ft ladder, no pump or water capacity. 6x6 Chassis 1050 gpm pump, 1500 gallons of water (High/ low)

Ford Escape

Fire Chief Vehicle

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After reviewing the replacement and reserve policies for the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services, that was presented to council on March 24th 2007, (Council did accept the report and recommended option C), no recommendations were made in this report to change them but rather to maintain and strengthen the current direction, (Increasing the annual reserve funds of $160,000 to $200,000 allowing for inflation and/or an annual increase of 10-15%). *Note: Fleet Study Report provided in Appendix E

3.9

Equipment The observations regarding the equipping of the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services from PPE to appliances indicate that the level and condition of equipment appears to be excellent. On all station visits the overall level of care and maintenance reflected the pride and professionalism of the members in maintaining the station and their equipment. This is a constant battle in a busy department and more formal quality assurance measures will be required as the system and the number of stations grows. The current use of SOPs, for truck inventory lists and daily checks are being implemented on a daily schedule.

3.10 Training Training is a key part of every emergency service. Individual training for career advancement and team training ensure the citizens are receiving the expected response. Training requires qualified instructors, courses and training aids to maximize the value of the training time. Current standards are for all the members to be trained to a NFPA 1001 Level II, NFPA 472 Operations level standards, and medically trained as EMT-A’s. Officers are required to train to NFPA 1021 standards.

3.11 Fire Prevention A good fire prevention program has three main elements: education, engineering and enforcement. The 3 Es cover the necessary areas to provide the public with the skills and support for the safest possible environment. Education of the public ranges from school programs to activities during Fire Prevention Week. Engineering is done in conjunction with the City Building and Planning to ensure code compliance and minimizing risks during construction and renovations of facilities. Enforcement involves inspections of identified facilities to improve safety levels. This process also allows the fire department to familiarize the responders to the risks and complete pre-fire planning to assist in the event of an emergency. Fire prevention is provided by the newly formed Life Safety Division, staffed by two full time members that provide inspections, fire investigations, and education with the help of the crews on shift. Current scheduling of inspections of businesses is once within a two year period then once a year as the department’s resources allow.

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There are 11,125 total occupancies with in the city limits through out the six different occupancy types (A, B, C, D, E, and F). Group C (residential occupancies) accounts for 10,409 occupancies. Leaving 716 that should be inspect each year. This does not include the apartment blocks, group homes, bed and breakfast occupancies.

3.12 Communications As of 2004, Communication has been operating at City Hall as a stand-alone department. Prior to this, it was located in the fire hall and was operated by fire department staff. The Prince Albert Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) offers one of the highest performing E-911 call answer/dispatch centers in the province of Saskatchewan. This call center is one of three in the province not only dispatching for Prince Albert but also for North Battleford Fire Department,185 rural fire departments, Police, and Ambulance which accounts for two thirds of the geographical area of the province. It is an emergency backup center to the other two PSAP in the event of an emergency. •

E-911 and Dispatch remain one of the most important elements in the entire emergency response system: it’s where it all begins and ends in terms of productivity. This role within the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services is well supported at all levels within the department and understood by the highly competent staff that operates the centre. The continued pursuit of high performers in this service will be very important for the Department and its potential partners as good dispatchers are if anything more difficult to find than good firefighters.



Continued pursuit of quality management systems and compliance with relevant standards (NFPA 1221 and 1061) remains a challenge for all dispatch centers



Perhaps no area is more impacted by technological change than dispatch: 15 years ago 95% of 911 calls came from dedicated landlines. This has now dropped below 50% and that is just one of a myriad of fast paced fundamental technical changes and heightened public expectations affecting delivery of the service. Other major areas include: •

Data logging and voice transcription services;



Possible shifts in radio frequency allocations (shift from VHF to UHF) to a provincial system sharing with the RCMP;



New public alerting opportunities for reverse 911 as proposed by the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Committee);



Computerized fire and disaster management programs with dispatch as the process hub;



Changing medical protocols ;



New security and critical infrastructure requirements;



More advanced GIS applications including AVLs (automatic vehicle locators) which are normally monitored by dispatch to determine closest available units, and

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Managing new potential satellite uplink technology and communications.



Staffing and actual size of the facility to accommodate the future needs of the dispatch center.

Given the growth in technology, service areas and call volume, the current space occupied by the Dispatch Centre has been outgrown. Expansion is necessary in the near future to maintain the required level of service. Consideration of this requirement should be done in conjunction with other emergency service upgrades for the most cost-effective solution. These are just a few of the challenges and opportunities facing dispatch, but in the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Region, given the level of the existing service, transitions will be far easier than for most.

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SECTION 4 DISCUSSION 4.1

Bylaws Within the province of Saskatchewan, the Fire Prevention Act, 1992 establishes the duties, powers and authorities for persons involved in fire prevention. Municipalities are responsible for fire suppression under one of four acts – Section 136 of the Urban Municipality Act, Section 100.1 of the Northern Municipality Act, Section 215 of the Rural Municipality Act, or the Cities Act, where the Province delegates the responsibility of fire protection and suppression to the municipal level of government. The Municipality then must have its own Bylaw for a fire department. For Prince Albert, Bylaw No.22 of 2008 has been passed by City Council. Actual bylaw needs to reflect the Saskatchewan Cities Act and the Fire Prevention Act more closely. These documents provide the necessary legal requirements to the Authority Having (AHJ) Jurisdiction to effectively perform their jobs as needed. The bylaw is also the base document for development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The SOPs provide the guidance to fire fighters for the day-to-day operation of the Fire Department. It is also the document for Council to use in assessing that the Fire Department is providing the service level budgeted.

4.2

SOPs and SOGs SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), SOP means an operational directive prepared by an employer that establishes a standard course of action for the fire fighter to respond. A fire department may perform any number of services, and to any level, based on the resources and technical expertise that the fire department has available. Each department must determine exactly what service(s) the fire department will provide and identify the level or standard to which each service will be performed. Once these decisions have been made it is necessary that the employer clearly communicates to the fire fighters what is expected from them as employees. The means of communicating and maintaining this information is through a written plan comprised of guidelines, standard operating procedures, and policies. Saskatchewan Labor administers The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, 1996. Part XXXII, Additional protection for Fire Fighters, “A Code of Practice for Fire Fighters”. *Note: Complete copy of document provided in Appendix F. Within this legislation it states the responsibility of the employer in clause 481 as follows: Plan for response to emergency incident 481

(1)

An employer, in consultation with the committee, shall develop a written plan that establishes the procedures to be followed by fire fighters in response to an emergency incident

(2)

A plan required by subsection (1) must include:

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(a)

identification of standard firefighting functions or evolutions, including functions or evolutions that must be performed simultaneously;

(b)

the minimum number of fire fighters required to perform safely each identified firefighting function or evolution, based on written standard operating procedures;

(c)

the number and types of firefighting vehicles and fire fighters required for the initial response to each type of emergency incident to which the fire fighters will be expected to respond;

(d)

the total complement of firefighting vehicles and fire fighters to be dispatched for each type of emergency incident;

(e)

a description of a typical emergency operation, including alarm time, response time, arrival sequence, responsibility for initiating standard operating procedures necessary to protect the health and safety of fire fighters;

(f)

an incident management system; and

(g)

a personnel accountability system. (3) An employer shall:

(a)

ensure that the plan developed pursuant to subsection (1) is implemented; and

(b)

make a copy of the plan readily available for reference by fire fighters.

Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department currently has SOPs in place. As time permits they are being reviewed. This process is an on going and slow process due to the daily activities of a service. Once the SOPs have been revised they are submitted to the administration staff for review and then distributed to the crews through the Battalion Chiefs or Captains for further discussion and input from all members. When reviewing or creating SOPs we must remember that these are actually a living document that needs to be focused upon constantly in order to be effective and efficient and meet the needs of the department. A review of the SOPs indicates that most address the administrative side of the daily operations of the Fire Department. A few refer to the deployment of apparatus and staging but the actual duties or expectations of the fire fighters are not all that clear at an emergency event.

4.3

Organization The Fire Department needs a clear chain of command for successful operations. The current organization needs a few minor changes for better operation: The two deputy chief positions need to have clear areas of responsibility with no overlap for regular reporting. All positions will at times have additional responsibilities but this should not cloud normal operations. •

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the on scene commander must maintain control no matter what ranking officer is on scene.

4.4



Fire Prevention Officers need clear direction when an emergency scene should be come their responsibility for investigative purposes. They should follow standard procedures for assuming command of the scene.



When additional stations are activated and staffed, the Lieutenant position should be re-activated in the department providing a logical progression through the ranks while maintaining a clear chain of command. This would allow for a Captain and a Lieutenant at each station with the Battalion Chief located at headquarters. This would also reduce the need for acting positions under normal conditions since a crew could operate with only one officer on shift in a station.

Operations 4.4.1 Facilities Having the current Fire Station in the downtown core has served its purposed over the last 32 years quite well. As the city has grown substantially over these years its effectiveness to be efficient and meet the growing needs has not. The building itself has run out of room for equipment, apparatus, and staff for future growth. Numerous pieces of apparatus and equipment are currently being stored outside exposed to the elements, as there is no room to place the equipment inside the station. A 6 minute response time, as outlined in the 2005-2007 business plan, is not being met. The downtown location is no longer able to effectively provide service to all of Prince Albert. In fact, a third of the citizens are currently residing outside of expected response range. Building a second hall as a substation will free up space from apparatus, equipment, and staff. This will allow the current location to be utilized for a few more years, as the strain on the building would be relieved for the time being and improve the intervention time. Expansion Station 2 Building the second station on the east end of the city to be operational within the next five years, will improve response times and coverage based on the high dollar risk involved. Expansion Station 3 Building a third station in the South West corner of the city within ten years will allow for responses to the west and southern boundaries of the city within the expected response time. Expansion Station 1 Replacement A new station being built on the north side of the city that provides coverage to the residences, industrial properties, and the airport. This would replace the current downtown location moving the daily operations administration, life safety division, and training to this location. This location is most difficult to justify given the limited responses currently experienced in the north but

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would be necessary to provide equitable service to citizens living and working north of the river. When considering which station to build first or second, the possibility of partnering include Sask911, the City Police (including Bylaw), and possibly with Parkland Ambulance Services. A multi-use facility would enhance all emergency services provided to the citizens and streamline capital costs for departments. Common facilities such as meeting rooms, reception, etc can be shared for a more cost-effective building and further opportunities for equipment and staffing agreements. Funding could be shared, if a multi-service facility is considered allowing funds from each organization or department involved to share in the overall capital and operating costs of a new building. Another possibility is a P3 (Public Private Partnerships) developed facility if managed properly can have significant benefits for both the public and private sectors. Government can reduce the costs and risks for the citizens. The private sector can generate business opportunities, and the public can receive better or more accessible services. 4.4.2 Apparatus Prince Albert has 15 pieces of apparatus all of which are well maintained and the oldest front line apparatus is from 1990. A current replacement schedule is being implemented so that funding will be in placed when apparatus are due for replacement. Apparatus requirements for the airport will have to be monitored as the Airport Classification and requirements for fire protection change, adjustments to the apparatus replacement schedule will have to be made accordingly. If a second station is to be built the current apparatus fleet could be divided up between the two stations providing a basic response from both stations. This would also improve parking facilities for the fleet allowing equipment that is currently stored outside to have better protection. If more stations are built, additional apparatus will need to be budgeted for the fire department to ensure a basic response from each station. Specialty equipment can be allocated to a specific station with additional training for staff in that station. For example, an aerial does not need to be in every station. 4.4.3 Equipment Budgeting for equipment must meet the needs of the services expected. As the services provided by the department to meet the needs of the community become more technical the cost of equipment will have to match the safety demands. Requirements of Occupation Health and Safety, Bill C45, ensure that the equipment is tested annually and or replaced as required is part of that increasing maintenance cost. Future growth of the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services will determine the amount and type of equipment needed. The need of newer equipment, Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

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and/or replacement equipment as it ages, will be reflected in the annual budget. As new fire halls come into operation, filling the equipment needs will bring an initial budgetary increase, which levels out to more of a maintenance and replacement costs in future budgets. As with the apparatus mentioned earlier, the apparatus is mostly up to date and well maintained. With the future addition of a second station, the equipment could be divided up between the two stations A third station would require an increase of equipment. Some specialty equipment would not have to be located in every station. A good example is the self-contained breathing apparatus bottle refilling and maintenance that would be centralized for the department. 4.4.4 Staffing Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services are staffed full time, consisting of four shifts of 11 members. This model is not met on a daily basis due to staffing shortages (due to illness, injuries, vacation etc.) without bringing back on call members paying overtime that causes overruns in the budget. Overtime expenditures for 2007 were $142,087.00 indicating that current staff is already being taxed to maintain minimum staffing and training. Current job descriptions have been developed to provide an understanding of responsibilities, expectations, and future succession planning for staff. These are available to all staff and the Union. Job evaluations have been developed for each position. Currently there are eight staff members with twenty-five years or more with the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services. Planning for this attrition should be a priority to ensure that that qualified personnel are recruited for these positions. While staffing is a potentially serious issue at the in-scope officer level it could also become critical at the senior command and management team level, as candidates are very difficult to find even when engaging in full national and international searches. The earlier suitable candidates can commence their journey down this path the better, but it requires cooperation from the union and the membership as a whole to avoid this being perceived, accurately or not, as jumping ahead. A technique to avoid conflict in this area is to ensure that regular officer training and selections are not impacted in the process and that the career enrichment (such as acquiring a degree in business administration) remains external to the normal promotional system. The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services already has a training and development program, this being another component in the development process with the goal being a number of qualified, diverse people ready to join the senior ranks. One necessary qualification here is to not produce too large of a pool or have the individuals peak too early, or they may leave to pursue their careers elsewhere. The bottom line is that members of the Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services need to see this internal development as a positive approach by the department to minimize roadblocks presented to individuals taking this risk, as there are no guarantees for them.

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Ensuring that all staff are aware of the on-going changes to operations, policy, SOPs, from day to day must be communicated consistently through the chain of command, Bulletin boards, email and the Union in order for members to be aware of the changes to the work place each day. Current practice of having a 3 man attack/rescue crew on initial arrival is not concurrent with industry best practices. This requires a 3 man team for backup outside for safety concerns. As the department is having trouble ensuring minimal staffing levels this practice of 3-in/3-out is not an efficient use of resources on a fire scene which increases the impact on, fire personnel and the general public. With the additional station(s), minimum staffing levels will need to be addressed, along with the authority to authorize overtime expenditures.

4.5

Staffing Options As discussed, an Engine Company best practice for an initial response requires a minimum of five personnel to be safe and effective for a residential fire. Current staffing of eleven per shift would allow a split of six personnel at the downtown station and five at the satellite station. In order to cover off holidays, training and other benefit times, additional recruit firefighters should be considered. The options are: •

Reducing initial response from one station, but having automatic response from both stations on every call to ensure a minimum staff of five arrives. The initial truck would accomplish size-up and set up while the second truck was on route. This would not address rising incidents of concurrent emergencies.



Hiring of additional staff to meet the minimum staffing levels of best practices of 2in/2out regulations as per NFPA 1500 and 1710 should be considered. Adding 8 additional staff would place one more member at each station per shift. This would allow both stations to operate more independent of each other. The automatic call out would be prioritized for structure fires and if assistance is required a second call would initiate additional support.



Increasing overtime at double time. Current high cost of overtime due to covering minimum staffing levels and callbacks will only increase while the possibility of burnout becomes more pronounced putting a further strain on the current system.

Best Practices recommend a minimum manning of 5 per initial response, ensuring the 2in/2out is being met. The members on a truck would be: the on scene commander (OSC), one apparatus operator, a hydrant man and two initial attack and or rescue crew. As the attack crew goes into the scene the hydrant man and OSC become the two man team for backup. The apparatus operator is responsible for the operation of the truck and the critical water supply. As the second truck arrives other duties are assigned to that crew in relation to the development of the incident. Tasks such as exposure protection, ventilation and safety can be assigned to the second crew.

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Staffing of the a second station with the current staffing levels being split between the two stations of a 6:5 manning level is possible. Using an automatic call out for both stations responding to all calls would provide minimum support on scene. Development of a third station in the southwest would require the hiring of a minimum staff to cover 20 additional positions (5 per shift) for the operations of this station. Given benefit time off this would be a minimum of 24 new hires. Having the north station built would replace the current station moving that staff to the new location. 4.5.1 Training The recent introduction of a Deputy Chief of Training and Operations allows for the needed attention to training. Being able to focus on a yearly training schedule that meets the needs of the department will ensure that the member’s competencies are current in accordance to NFPA 1001 Level II standard, NFPA 472 Operations standard, and that all medical training competencies are current for the EMT-A scope of practice. Recognizing the need for the development of training that encourages members to plan their future growth with the organization has been initiated within the last year. This will allow for the much needed succession planning and overall retention. Saskatchewan Labor administers The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, 1996. Part XXXII, Additional protection for Fire Fighters. A Code of Practice for Fire Fighters. Within this legislation it states the responsibility of the employer in clause 482 as follows; Training of 482 (1) An employer shall ensure that: fire fighters (a)

all fire fighters receive the training necessary to ensure that the fire fighter is able to carry out safely any emergency operation that the fire fighter will be expected to carry out;

(b)

The training required by clause (a) is provided by competent persons; and

(c) A written record is kept of all training delivered to fire fighters pursuant to this Part. (2) An employer shall ensure that every firefighting vehicle is operated by a competent operator. The department utilizes a computer software program called Firehouse that is capable of tracking training, member’s competencies, calls, and inspections enabling the department to be more effective. Currently Firehouse is not being utilized to its full capability, as the department does not have the resources to input all applicable data. A gap exists on recording data for training, education, human and equipment resources, and department scheduling. The costs for an external consultant to train department Officers would be cost prohibitive and options must be examined to ensure that Officers are recording correct data. As Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

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more litigation exists in the fire service and more requests under the Freedom of Information Act occur, it is critical that the department’s data is current and accurate. A failure or gap in this process could result in costly litigation for the City of Prince Albert. In the past there have been different individuals working within the program and made changes that are not applicable to the existing delivery of services. This has caused some entry issues for Department Officers and it is imperative that the program data is reviewed and customized to meet the department needs. Currently the department has access to a training area that is located at the airport. The training structure is an old training tower that does not meet the needs of the department, as it is not structurally sound and has been decommissioned due to safety and health concerns. Being located at the Airport at the north eastern boundary is also a concern as the crews on shift are still in service while attending. The concern is the distance and the increased response times that could result in the event of an emergency. This site is also along the North Saskatchewan River bank raising environmental concerns since the department still uses wood pallets, and straw to produce heat and smoke to simulate fire conditions. Newer training facilities are now using cleaner burning fuels such as propane to create fire conditions. This process can be controlled and is safer for the users. It is also more environmentally friendly and less disruptive to the community. 4.5.2 Special Operations / Technical Rescue The areas currently being considered are confined space rescue, low and high angle rescue, and water surface rescue. These services have been under review as what is needed and the actual training, qualification, and equipment involved. Reviewing SOPs for risk management to consolidate needs with historical response. Ensuring that all members are provided the necessary tools and training to efficiently perform the tasks required when an emergency arises. Specialized operations are an ongoing task that requires constant monitoring to ensure the equipment meets the necessary requirements and that all the members’ skills meet the competencies required. Having individuals trained as qualified instructors for these areas is going to become a necessity due to the cost restraints of sending personnel out for training. 4.5.3 Communication Facility The current location is in the basement of the City Hall building with space being limited. They are soon to out grow their current location. Partnering with the fire department to locate in a new station will only enhance the overall effectiveness of both the fire department and Sask911 servicing the citizens.

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4.6

Fire Prevention Fire Prevention is provided by the newly formed Life Safety Division, staffed by two full time members that provide inspections, fire investigations, fire prevention, and education with the help of the crews on shift. They are also responsible for reviewing incident reports from the previous shift each morning, ensuring quality control for the department. 4.6.1 Fire Prevention Education Education provides the opportunity for the department to interact with the citizens of their community in a non-emergency setting. Just ensuring citizens are knowledgeable about the services being provided is a benefit. Traditional education includes teaching children safe practices, actions in the event of a fire and fire station tours. Fire Prevention Week and school activities are other areas addressed by most departments. Other training could also be of benefit. One simple training lesson is proper reporting procedures when reporting an emergency. Teaching citizens when and how to relay the proper information over the telephone can save precious time in an emergency response. The major problem with education is justifying a budget and time for completion. It is difficult to state that because of improved education we will see a corresponding reduction in fires this year. The success of a program is measured over time, which can only occur if the fire department commits to and maintains a program. 4.6.2 Fire Prevention Engineering This is primarily dealing with the City Planning Department in ensuring that new developments or upgrades provide the safest possible neighborhoods. This can be accomplished acceptably by ensuring codes are met but by ensuring local conditions are also considered so that the level of safety can be maximized, as with the recent addition of Section 22 of Bylaw No.22 Smoke Alarm Regulations. Intervention times can often be overlooked when developing a new community. If citizens knew that their home or business would be beyond saving before the fire department could arrive they might consider alternatives in location, construction or protection. 4.6.3 Fire Prevention Inspections Within the City of Prince Albert there are 11,125 total occupancies of which 10,409 are residential dwelling leaving approximately 716 buildings that require periodic inspections. This does not include inspections of home-based businesses that need or request inspections adding to the workload. *Note: An Occupancy Breakdown list is provided in Appendix G. The current scheduling of inspections of the businesses is once within the first two-year period then once a year as the department can schedule. This goal is not being met at this time as the department is falling further behind due

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to time restraints on staff and higher priority of investigation and reporting of emergency calls. The department needs to allot additional resources strictly designated to inspections with the assistance of the crews on shift to assist with inspections. Due to call volume, hydrant checks, training, staffing levels, and daily duties, personnel may not be able to commit to inspections on a regular basis. Current Officer level of these positions are not clear as to their status within the organization (e.g. Captain, Platoon Chief). Clarification will aid in chain of command at fire investigation or during inspections.

4.7

Supplementary Services 4.7.1 Transportation The effectiveness of the current station would improve with an upgrade to the traffic control signal to interrupt the traffic flow automatically allowing the apparatus to respond safely from the hall in the event of an emergency. The Fire Truck intersection needs to be well marked on the road surface as well as improving signage warning motorists of on coming fire apparatus. This will improve safety for the general public and the fire department. Rail could have an increased risk in the community’s development in the future as the economy grows and the price of fuel increases. The railways need to be a partner in controlling incidents and improving access for responders. As this area grows in importance and industrial complexity it may be time to encourage a TUC study (Transportation Utility Corridor in cooperation with the Province and to include the future of Rail in that approach). 4.7.2 Airport Coverage As future growth of air traffic movements increase at the airport there will be a requirement for fire protection as per Transport Canada (C.A.R.S). This could necessitate having a crew at the Airport during peak hours to eventually requiring having fulltime coverage all being based on the future growth of the airport. 4.7.3 Emergency Operations Center Currently the Fire Chief is in charge of the Emergency Operations Center in the event of a disaster. This position should not be held by the Fire Chief but should be someone else having the responsibility of authority. The Fire Chief needs to focus on providing the resources required for his department to operate effectively. Currently the roles and responsibilities are being reviewed by the Fire Chief. 4.7.4 Water Distribution The water distribution system is capable of filtering 10 million liters (2.6 million gallons) of water a day supplying three water reservoirs and 240 kilometers of piping throughout Prince Albert. The major risk is the age of Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

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the system that makes water line breaks a regular occurrence. The major portion of the downtown distribution system is smaller diameter pipe that is approximately forty years old. Currently the fire hydrants are being flushed once a year and checked by the Fire Department while the maintenance is done by the Public Works Department as needed. Ensuring that hydrants are flushed once a year has been a challenge for the fire department and it cannot be guaranteed that this will occur each year. Depending on call volume the Fire Department may not complete the flushing for the year. Both Public Works and the Fire Department need to work together during an emergency. The current distribution system is approximately 25% cast iron mostly in the lower west and central flats. During a fire, the distribution system needs to be manually overridden, as the emergency pump is not on an automatic switch during high volume flows. Members of the fire department need to ensure the operations don’t create an unnecessary water hammer that could damage the distribution system due to age and construction. There are around 30 John East Hydrants that need to be replaced within the system. Public works last hydraulic analysis of the system was done over 30 years ago. 4.7.5 Planning and Land Use Development Currently the Fire Department is not requested to provide input to the city’s development board on a regular basis. Having a formal process for input from the Fire Department would ensure the needs of the both the planning department and the fire department requirement for future growth and protection planning is considered. It will also ensure that developers understand the level of protection available for any given location. *Note: A Zoning Map is provided in Appendix H.

4.8

Cost / Budget Current budget amount for 2008 is $4,540,250.00 a 10% increase over the 2007 budget amount. The budgeting process is a zero cost budget having to justify overrun before or as they arise throughout the year and is an on going issue. Even with this style of budget there needs to be a five to ten year budget forecast to give Council a preview of the future expenditures required to provide service to the citizens of Prince Albert. 4.8.1 Equipment Budgeting for equipment must meet the needs of the services expected. As the services provided by the department meet the needs of the community become more technical the cost of equipment will have to match the safety demands. Requirements of Occupation Health and Safety, Bill C45, and Underwriters to ensure that the equipment is tested annually and or replace as required is part of that increasing maintenance cost.

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The Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services continues to grow and expand, with an increasing need for newer equipment, maintenance to current inventory and/or replacement. Also, as new halls come into operation, filling these equipment needs will result in a spike in the budget but will stabilize as it incorporates into a maintenance program. 4.8.2 Staffing Budget for staffing will be based on the needs of department and the minimum staffing levels. Current recommendations on staffing must be considered in conjunction with the other recommendations of additional stations and increased fire prevention. Overtime expenses for 2007 was $142,087.00 that is the equivalent cost of hiring an additional 2 4th class fire fighters. For 2008 the overtime expenses for half the year is on the same pace as 2007. In the short term, hiring 8 additional fire fighters over the next four years would cut back the costs of overtime and aid in the minimum staffing issues that exist today. Attrition planning will also mean hiring additional staff to replace positions being left and filled by succession planning. Cost of staffing a second location while splitting the current staff without hiring would be an increase in overtime costs and a need for automatic response from the second station. The addition of eight staff approximately $600,000.00 a year would allow for more independent operations from each station while avoiding increases in overtime. Future staffing for the southwest station of twenty staff would be approximately be $1.5 million a year. 4.8.3 Training The training budget needs to be increased from the current amount of $36,600.00 of which $26,640.00 is dedicated to training services, to properly reflect the needs of the services provided. Costs identified above historical levels include additional staff advancement and technical training in rescue and airport operations. In house training does make better use of budgetary monies however the costs for shift coverage and overtime as set out in the union agreement quickly allocates the budget. Examples of costs for required training courses: •

Yearly recertification of CPR $100.00 per member is $5000.00 for materials alone. This would not include wages for staff not on shift for in house training. The other aspect for training to be effective is that it must be conducted without interruptions. The increase in call volume in recent years is hindering training activities for the active crew.

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An Aerial Apparatus Operations course in Vermilion for example costs $670.00 per student. Total cost for one member to attend Vermilion would be approximately $5,601.47 that is 21% of the current budget.

Funding for a more effective training facility that would meet the needs of the department could be implemented with the addition of a second hall. 4.8.4 Fire Prevention Fire Prevention is $201,960.00 of which $189,730.00 is salaries for staff, leaving $5,050.00 for programs. A reevaluation of the services needs to be looked at prioritizing inspections along with fire prevention and fire engineering programs. As the current staff is stretched thin with time restraints and resources any additional workload would require staffing resources either dedicated or taken from existing operational resources, as available. Examples of the programs that could be funded by the current budget are: •

Fire Prevention Week materials budget for 43 schools would allow approximately $118.00 per school for promotional items. Not taking into account any open houses to promote educating the general public.



Funding a residential smoke detector battery replacement program for example. If you were to focus on just Family dwelling units within the City of Prince Albert (10,409) the Life Safety Division could allocate 49 cents per household falling short of the cost for batteries alone.

Fire prevention is a proactive approach to fire safety in the community and should be given a prominent place at least equivalent to other facets of the fire department when allocating budget funds for citizen safety.

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SECTION 5 RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1

Fire Service Bylaw The Fire Service Bylaw was recently updated. This is a living document that needs to reflect the expectations of Council on behalf of their citizens. This document provides the framework for the fire department budgets. One area that has not been well defined is the type and level of service expected.

5.2

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) SOPs are the interpretation of the Fire Service Bylaw providing more specific instructions for the fire department to accomplish the services requested. SOPs must be specific enough to guide the staff without restricting the needs to react to individual risks as they arise. SOPs are usually divided into Administrative and Operational. Currently the Fire Department’s Administrative SOPs are better developed than the Operational SOPs. Both should be reviewed on a regular basis but particularly after an update of the bylaw. In a legal case the bylaw and SOP provide the primary explanation for the actions that were taken. If the actions taken significantly differ from the SOP then the reason for that variance must be explained. SOPs also provide explanation for budgets by determining the actual equipment and training needed to meet the SOP.

5.3

Organization The Fire Department must have a clear Chain of Command for all situations. Staff must react to the person in charge, particularly in an emergency, without question since lives may depend upon the actions taken. At an emergency scene the most senior officer may not be in charge until a proper hand-off or transfer of command is completed. An SOP on command and changing of command is necessary so that all staff understand the procedure and roles throughout an emergency. Clear definition of what responsibilities are the primary responsibility of each of the Deputy Chiefs and Life Safety Officers is also required. Additional organization will be covered under staffing.

5.4

Operation 5.4.1 Facilities The current downtown fire station has served Prince Albert well but it is aging and many citizens are now outside the accepted intervention times. One station can no longer cover all of the areas in the city. Eventually two stations will be needed to cover the south side of Prince Albert within an acceptable intervention time. Once both stations are operational the downtown station will be redundant for the area south of the river. This will Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

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leave the north side of the river as the primary response role for the existing station although it could still reach downtown emergencies ahead of the other stations. At that point it would require a decision if the existing station continues to operate in the current or new location or is just closed. A station north of the river is difficult to justify given current development and demand but this may change in the future. A north station could combine the headquarter functions including a training area as well as providing closer support to the airport. 5.4.2 Apparatus The current apparatus is sufficient to meet the response needs for the city. A replacement program also ensures that the apparatus is maintained to ensure reliability. The biggest factor on apparatus currently is the lack of protected space for storage. A second station will provide the necessary space to house existing apparatus. The only major purchase not currently covered is the necessary apparatus to protect the airfield. The actual requirement will depend on the development of the airport in the future and is only noted at this time. 5.4.3 Equipment The fire department has the necessary equipment for the current services being offered. Ongoing replacement of most equipment is part of the operating budget to ensure the proper level of safety for all users. Specialty equipment for rescue or hazmat not currently covered would require a budget as part of any decision to expand services. A few of the more expensive pieces of equipment must be identified for lifecycle purchase. That equipment list would include the SCBA air compressor, Jaws of Life and thermal imaging camera as examples. 5.4.4 Staffing Current operational staffing is sufficient to meet the current demands with the aid of the overtime budget. The management team underwent expansion recently but it is recommended that an additional member be considered for the Life Safety Division. The position would augment the capabilities for education and inspection while assisting the Deputy Chief of Training in ensuring training goals are met. As part of the proposed expansion to additional stations, the creation of eight new positions is recommended. The new positions would in effect be Lieutenant positions, two on each platoon clarifying the succession planning of the Department. The positions could be approved incrementally over the next fours years. The filling of these positions would reduce the need for overtime and acting pay since you would have additional officers on each platoon.

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5.4.5 Training Hiring of qualified staff reduces the need for recruit training provided you can find qualified candidates at the proper level. Failure to find qualified candidates will require a plan to train recruits to an acceptable level. Occupational Health and Safety requires all employees to be properly trained for any task assigned. Specialty training is part of the adoption of any service and very obvious for rescue teams that require specific knowledge and skills to perform the expected tasks. Training must include individual skills as well as team skills to ensure the rescue evolution is successful. Succession planning allows a training plan to meet the department. It also requires that training be offered candidates to avoid favoring specific candidates. Because with the decisions that impact life safety they must be experienced for the tasks expected.

needs of the fire to all acceptable officers are tasked fully qualified and

*Note: Officer Development policy provided in Appendix I. Recent expansion of the management team has started the process of improving training and record keeping ensuring all training requirements are met. Current budgets must be increased to match the level of qualifications expected of the fire department. 5.4.6 Special Operations It is a Council decision on what type and level of specialty service is to be provided by the Prince Albert Fire Department. The decision must be based on the risk or demand for the service. Each new service comes with a price tag in equipment and training to provide the service. It must also be recognized that every additional service reduces availability to meet existing services. Every fire department comes with some basic services such as fire suppression, automobile extrication and search and rescue. 5.4.7 Communication Facility The current Communication Centre in the basement of City Hall is no longer adequate for the growing service being provided. The need for additional communication equipment and staff requires additional space. This requirement is not a direct responsibility of the fire department but is included for two reasons. The first reason is that any degradation in service could directly impact fire department response. The second is to co-locate the Communication Centre into a new facility which could solve two problems at a reduced cost.

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5.5

Fire Prevention The fire department needs to be more proactive in the interests of the citizens to prevent emergencies. This process has already commenced with the creation of the Life Safety Division but needs to be better defined and funded. Addition of one staff was discussed under staffing but the roles and expectations for the staff must be clearly documented to ensure the expected level of service is being provided. As discussed fire prevention has three distinct areas: education, engineering and enforcement. Additional tasks in fire investigation and administration provides a wide range of skills and demands on the Life Safety Division. A review on the types and frequencies of inspections needs to be completed. The types and audience for education programs should also be defined as part of the process periodic reports on quantities of each of the tasks should be published. These numbers should be used to define and justify the budget for the Life Safety Division.

5.6

Supplementary Services 5.6.1 Airport Coverage Current protection for the airport is extremely limited. The current airport category does not require on site protection but as the City develops the airport is expected to become busier. Once on site protection becomes a requirement the three minute response requirement would require dedicated resources at the airport during normal operating hours. Future development of the fire department must take this factor into consideration. 5.6.2 Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) The current EOC is located in City Hall. Currently the Fire Chief is in charge of the EOC. This should also be reviewed to determine a more suitable candidate at City Hall to assume that role allowing the Fire Chief to concentrate on the emergency response rather than administration of the EOC. 5.6.3 Water Distribution A budget has been approved for upgrades to the existing water distribution system. Upgrades to the water lines and the intake pump house will greatly improve the reliability and water flow to the city. A hydraulic analysis of the current system and proposed upgrades will help define the fire flows for various neighborhoods. Fire flows should be based on the expectations of the Fire Underwriters to take best advantage of insurance opportunities for the citizens of Prince Albert. Water lines should be sized to handle the calculated fire flows for each area that will minimize friction losses and velocities in the system. While awaiting final upgrades, the fire department needs to take extra care in the treatment of the water distribution system. Limit large flows to emergency situations only and operate water appliances to avoid surges. Any shut down of the pump engines should be gradual to avoid water hammer on the system.

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5.6.4 Planning and Land Use Development This is a simple task of setting up a formal process to allow input from the fire department during the review and approval process. One member of the Life Safety Division could be a designated liaison with the Planning Department to provide them with an additional source of data when putting the package together for Council approval. 5.7

Cost / Budget 5.7.1 Facilities Funding for a second station needs to be implemented and in place as soon as possible in order to be operational within five years. Funding could be shared if a multi-service facility is considered allowing funds from each organization or department involved to share in the overall capital and operating costs. A third station should be considered within the next ten years to reduce intervention time to an acceptable level for the majority of the citizens. The actual cost of a new station is highly dependent on the function of that facility. A small neighborhood station could be constructed for as little as $2,000,000. A more realistic budget needs to be based on whether it will be a shared facility and what support functions would be conducted at the station that if used as a multi-use headquarters could be as much as $10,000,000. A building and/or facilities committee should be formed as soon as possible (early 2009). This committee would confirm the function of the station and design. Once this is done, the committee can focus on a report for Council verifying the location, design, costs and timeframes, giving a five year plan for the building of the second station. 5.7.2 Equipment Budgeting for equipment must meet the needs of the services expected. As the services provided by the department to meet the needs of the community become more technical the cost of equipment will have to match the safety demands. Most equipment purchases should be part of the operational budget based on good lifecycle management. Much of the equipment should be recurring costs with a percentage replaced each year. A replacement budget needs to be in place for more expensive equipment such as the Jaws of Life or a Thermal Imaging Camera. As new stations come into operation filling the equipment needs will be an initial budgetary increase leveling out to more of a maintenance and replacement costs. A movement to a Provincial wide radio system is currently being developed for possibly 2010. This will require the fire department to upgrade all of their communications equipment. Current projected costs are $5,000.00 per radio. The department has 48, for a projected cost of $240,000.00. This cost does not take into account the programming, installation, and accessories (antennas, mikes, spare batteries, and chargers) or inflation.

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5.7.3 Staffing Hiring qualified staff should be considered a high priority. •

Hiring staff to offset attrition and succession planning is first priority



One additional member for the Life Safety Division that would also assist in training



Hiring 8 additional fire fighters over the next four years would cut back the costs of overtime, prepare for a second station and aid in the minimum staffing issues that exist today.

The addition of eight staff approximately $600,000.00 a year. Future staffing for a southwest station of twenty-four staff would be approximately $1.5 million a year. Figure 8 – Proposed Organization for the Prince Albert Fire Department Future organization of the Prince Albert Fire Department for two stations is recommended as follows to better define the chain of command and plan for succession. FIRE CHIEF

Executive Assistant

Deputy Fire Chief Training

Deputy Fire Chief Operations

Life Safety Division Supervisor (BC)

Life Safety Division Captain (2)

Battalion Chief

Battalion Chief

Battalion Chief

Battalion Chief

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Captain

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter

With three fire fighters in each section it would match current staffing levels but with four fire fighters in each section it would help limit overtime and allow more independent operation of each section. A section would be responsible for staffing a fire station. Project No. 3085132 November 28, 2008

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5.7.4 Training The training budget needs to be increased to reflect the size and complexity of the fire department. Training must be allotted for recruit training, advancement for succession and team/skill maintenance training. Source of the training impacts the cost since in-house courses can be much more costeffective than sending individuals to various training institutions. The fire department staff is currently 50 members. At $532 annually per individual to allow for all training is inadequate. For the training to be effective, the staff is training on days off thus impacting overtime, which should be captured as a separate cost. As a starting point the training budget should be doubled but more importantly the costs and results need to be better documented so the actual cost of training can be identified and justified as separate cost approval in the budget based on the services requested. Funding for a more effective training facility that would meet the needs of the department could be implemented with the addition of a second hall. A proper training area with the capability for live fire training, which is a requirement for airport fire fighting training, must be considered.

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SECTION 6 CONCLUSION Currently, Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services have made significant changes to adapt to current demands and improve operations. The above recommendations are meant to be implemented over the next five to ten years. In the discussion section additional possibilities were also raised that should be considered as part of the growth of Prince Albert.

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SECTION 7 REFERENCES 7.1

Government of Canada -

7.2

Province of Saskatchewan Provincial Legislation -

7.3

Statistics Canada Community Profiles Data Bill C-45

The Municipalities Act The Fire Prevention Act, 1992 Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 National Fire Code 1995 Emergency Planning Act 1989 Highway Traffic Act Health Act A Code of Practice for Fire Fighters The Fire Departments Platoon Act Saskatchewan Fire Commissioners’ Publications Saskatchewan Local Assistants Handbook Unit I and Unit II

City of Prince Albert Bylaws -

Bylaw No.33 0f 2007 The Fire Services Bylaw Bylaw No.5 of 2004 The Emergency Planning Bylaw City of Prince Albert Emergency Response Plan City of Prince Albert Community Profile Community Action Plan on Homelessness and Housing Prince Albert South Highway Corridor Concept Plans & Commercial/Industrial Feasibility Study City of Prince Albert Fire and Emergency Services Department Service Agreements and Contracts Local IAFF 510 Agreement January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2009 A Fire Protection Plan 1990 Prince Albert Fire & Rescue Services Strategic Plan 2003 2005-2007 Business Plan Prince Albert Fie & Emergency Services 2007 Report Past Budget and proposed Budget documentation All Current Standard Operating Procedures Fleet Study Safety Management Program Career Management Program Performance Assessment Three year Response Statistics provided by the Life Safety Division (06/200506/2008) NFPA Qualifications, Safety, Equipment, Apparatus Standards Geographic Information System Emergency Services Response Capabilities Analysis (IAFF) 2007

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THE CITY OF PRINCE ALBERT FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES MASTER PLAN

SECTION 8 APPENDICES Appendix A

Statistics Canada Trend Data

Appendix B

Statistical Response Data Charts

Appendix C

Fire Commissioner’s Office Ten Years Statistical Data

Appendix D

GIS Mapping

Appendix E

Prince Albert Emergency Services Fleet Study

Appendix F

Saskatchewan Code of Practice for Fire Fighters

Appendix G

Prince Albert Emergency Services Occupancy List

Appendix H

City of Prince Albert Zoning Map

Appendix I

Prince Albert Emergency Services Officer Development

Appendix J

Morrison Hershfield PowerPoint Presentation

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