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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 1 FIRE STUDY 02-04-85NEW BUSINESS NO. 1 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: HONORABLE NAYOR & HEDIBERS OF TIlE CITY COUNCIL WILLIAM A. HUSTON. CITY NANA~ER FIE ~TUDY - AUTHORIZATION TO RETAIN CONSULTANT REtOI~NDATION That the City Council authorize retention of the consulting firm of Hughes' Heiss & Associates to prepare the fire study. BACKGROUND The City Council authorized an appropriation this fiscal year for a consultant to analyze the cost-benefit of the County contract for fire suppression, prevention and paramedic services, ~lternatives to the present formula for setting the contract price)and alternatives to the County contract. OISCU~ION The fire study will provide the City Council the information necessary to make policy decisions regarding the most cost-beneficial means of providing fire and emergency medical services. Because of the importance of this study, staff was particularly careful to solicit proposals from consulting firms with the capability to perfom such a study. Of the eight (8) firms invited to submit a proposal only one, Hughes, Heiss & Associates, responded. Fortunately, this firm is the most experienced in preparation of-fire feasibility studies. Due to their experience, what staff believes to be a comprehensive study approach, and the reasonable fee ($33,550), I do not believe it is necessary to attempt to solicit additional proposals. Fire feasibility studies are not often done and for that reason very few consulting firms are qualified. Hughes, Heiss & Associates has performed several studies comparable to that requested by the City and has an excellent reputation for producing realistic and accurate feasibility studies. Attached are the City's request for proposal and the Hughes, Heiss & Associates proposal. William A. Huston City Manager WAH Attachments FIRE F-r. ASIBILITY 5TIJDY (Request for P~oposaJ ) GOAL The goal of the study is to evaluate ~he cost-benefit of ~he City's contract with the County of Orange for fire an~l paramedic services and ~ fden~tfy and eva~ua~ al~rnaCtves for ~e dellve~ of fl~ services wt~htn ~he c~ ty of TusCan. The study must include, but not be limited te, the following: Cost-benefit of the current County contract including alternative methods for establishing the contract price. Alternatives (publtc safety department, . municipal fire department, JPA with another agency, CtW provide ftre suppression and contract for paramedics, City provide civilian paramedics and contract for ftre* suppression, and any other appropriate alternatives). Levels of service (personnel, apparatus, response time, etc.) and corresponding effect upon Ctty's fire rating for each alternative. Costs (operating and capttel, Including facilities, apparatus, specialized equipment, maintenance, ~'atning, e~c.), Financing (fundtng of capttel and operating costs). ~hastng of Implementation (for recommended alternative). Because cost and level of service will be the determining factors,, it is essential that the study be realistic and accurate. Documentation and specificity will be required regarding assumptions and conclusions reached regarding cost, required level of service, etc. The study must be comprehensive and provide the basis upon which decisions can be made as to the most cost-effective means of providing fire services. The study must be action-oriented. BACICGROUND INFORlqATION The City provided fire services through a municipal fire department until December 31, 1977 when the City entered into a contract for fire services with the Orange County Fire Department. Contract services include fire suppression, prevention, inspection and paramedic. The annual price is set through a cost &1location formula wherein equally weighted factors (population, square miles, assessed valuation and calls for service) are used to determine the City's proportionate share of the County Fire Depar~ent's annual budget. [ach agency which con~c~ with the County Ft~e Depa~en~ (et=he~ ~ough cash contrac~ or p~tctpa~on Jn a property-~x-funded s~uc~ural fund) fs asstgned a proporttonm~ share of the annual Coun~ Ftre Depar~ent budge~ as de.retried through ~e cos~ allocation fo~u]a. The C~ty's cos~ was $670,000 tn 1978-79 and ts $2,800.000 for 1984-85. The City is approxime~ly eleven ([l) square mi]es with a population of 40,200. The Ci~ has a dive~se mix of single and multi-family housing, a strong co~rcial b~se =nd ~o industrial parks with a high ~chnolo~ ~mphasis. The Ma~ine Co~ps Ai~ S~tton (Helicopter) Tustin ts si[u~ted within ~e City's limits. The City ts presently preparing a specific plan fo~ ~n undeveloped'2.000 ac~ parcel within the Ctty's ]imi~ ~ned by The [trine Company. Develop~t of this area will begin in [985 and will eventually con.in a population of approxi~ly 20,000 te 25.000. Tusttn is a general law city with a Council-Manager form of government. The City has [74 employees and provides public works, water, community development, parks and recreation, police and administrative services. METIIO~L~Y The City expects the study to deal with the following principal issues: a) The cost-effectiveness of the County fire contract; b) Alternatives for pricing the County fire contract; c) In identifying the alternatives to the County fire contract, innovative approaches to providing fi re and paramedic services; d) What bearing development of the 2,000 acres will have upon the alternatives for fire service. Conclusions regarding the County fire contact and the alternatives must be supported by co~rehensive and sound technical analysis. The study must include a comparative analysis of short and long term costs, levels of service and the pros and cons of each alternative and the County fire contract. Since medical aid constitutes the greatest percentage of calls for service, the City is particularly interested in alternatives for the delivery of -2- pre-hospital emergency services. Yhe alternatives must evaluate but not be limited to various options such as non-sworn paramedics with peak load staffing, private paramedics, and the training of sworn police personnel as EMT's to supplement paramedics. The City is receptive to whatever organizational and/or contractual configuration for the deltvery of ftre suppression, prevention, inspection and medtcal services that are feasible and cost effective. The consultant will be expected to meet with City staff and any other agencies necessary for the study to be completed. The consultant will also be required to present the final report to the City Council. SUBMZTTAL OF PROPOSAL. Four copies of a proposal must be submitted by January 11, 1986 to the City Manager's office, 300 Centennial Way, Tusttn, California 92680. The proposal' must Include a statement of qualifications, a resume for each individual to be assigned to the study and identify the project manager for the study. If a joint venture, the proposal must include the same information for the firm or individual(s) to be utilized. A fixed fee is required. -3- Proposal to Conduct a Fire Service Feasibility Study CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA January 6, 1985 Hughes, Heiss & Associates San Mateo, California HUGHES · HEISS & ASSOCIATES MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS 675 Mariners Island Blvd. / Suite 108 San Mateo, California 94404 415/570-6111 January 6, 1985 Mr. William Houston City Manager City of Tustin 300 Centennial Way Tustin, CA 92680 Dear Mr. Houston: We appreciate the opportunity to submit our proposal to conduct a fire service feasibility study for the city of Tustin. We feel that Hughes, Heiss and Associates provides a unique set of qualifications and experience to conduct the study. We propose to conduct the project with a senior project team blending experience with local government program and operations analysis with the perspective of a fire service professional. Each member of our project team has a demonstrated track record in conducting successful analyses of fire service issues. John Heiss, our proposed Project Manger and Lead Analyst, has 15 _years' experience as a consultant to local government and has been involved in over 15 fire 'service studies in the last five years. Richard Brady, a senior associate with the firm, has seven years' experience as a consultant to local government, and has worked with Mr. Heiss on virtually all our fire service projects. Jim Hunt brings to the team 25 years' experience as a fire service professional and consultant to fire service agencies. Together, we feel this team provides a unique blend of experience and demonstratable project results. Our firm has conducted recent, successful analyses of fire service contract situations with real payoff to clients. Over the last year, we have conducted analyses of fire service contracts for the Cities of San Fernando, California and Mill Creek, WashingtoQ. Each of these projects resulted in signifi- cant reduction in fire service contract costs. In addition, our firm and project team have broad experience in fire service management and operations analysis as well as signi- ficant experience analyzing %he cost-effectiveness of establish- ing fire departments in communities currently served by contract. In total, the firm and- the project team has completed over 15 fire service systems analyses in the last five years. The proposal which follows is organized in three sections which include a detailed review of the analytical approach we would take to achieve Tustin's study objectives; an introduction to the qualifications of Hughes, Heiss and Associates and each member of our project team; and our estimate of project cost. 1. OUR APPROACH TO THE FIRE S£RVICE FEASIBILITY STUDY. The pages which follow provide our specific task plan for conducting the fire service feasibility study. This section concludes with a detailed work schedule for completing the project. Task 1 -- Document the Current Structure andCosts of the Fire Service Delivery System in Tustin. The purpose of this first task i'~ to develop a detailed famili- arity with the community of Tustin' and relevant fire service issues. Through interview with City staff, representatives of the Orange County Fire Department, review of appropriate documents, and other relevant data collection techniques, the project team will document and evaluate the following components: The scope and content of the existing fire service contract with Orange County. This would include documenting the current contract in terms of the following components: - Structure and content of the cost allocation formula. - Nature and scope of services provided through the contract. Cost trends since the contract was established and major factors contributing to cost increases. Specific cancellation provisions. Historical factors underlying development of the formula applied to apportion fire service costs. Document in detail how fire suppression, fire prevention, 'and emergency medical services are currently provided to Tustin by the Orange County Fire Department. This will include: Stations involved in ~he service delivery system to include those located within and external to Tustin's boundaries. Apparatus and personnel assigned to those stations. The extent to which all or some of those stations are involved in providing fire suppression and emergency medical service to areas outside the Tustin city boundaries. - How fire prevention services, including inspections and plan checking, are currently provided by the Orange County Fire Department. - The IS0 rating applicable to Tustin to include identifica- tion of that portiontol the IS0 rating related to City water service and that portion related to the Orange County Fire Department's capabilities and services. Expected major changes in Tustin which are likely to impact future fire service demands including: Expected population growth. Commercial and industrial growth in' the community. - Shifts in population density and characteristics. - Growth in non-resident population. In addition to documenting the characteristics of the current fire service system and expected changes in the community which may occur in coming years, it is important that the consulting team take a retrospective look at trends in fire service delivery in Tustin over recent years. This would include reviewing how Tustin reached the decison to eliminate its stand-alone fire service and move to a contract situation with Orange County. As a result, through interview with appropriate staff and review of historical documents, the consulting team will document: -3- Basic reasons that the decision was made to eliminate an in-house fi re department. How the transition to a contract situation was implemented including: - Any steps taken to transition Tustin fire service personnel tO the Orange County Fire Department. - Disposition of City stations and apparatus. - Other operating and financial factors relevant to the service transition to include how and to what extent initial savings wre achieved. Initial and subsequent reactions of Tustil) cfficials to the quality and cost of services provided through the ccntract. Task 2 -- Document and Evaluate Current Fire and Emergency Medical Service Levels and Workload in Tustin. To fully evaluate the contract as well as to develop estimates of the costs to Tustin of establishing its own fire department, it is important that the project team have a detailed understanding and a quantified profile of fire suppression, fire prevention, and emergency medical service workload and service levels in the community. To develop this detailed profile, the consulting team will accomplish the following steps: Collect historical data indicating trend in volume of fire a~d emergency medical service calls by call type for the last five to ten years. Call volume will be analyzed in terms of absolute numbers and'in relation to frequency on a per capita basis. The project team wil conduct an in-depth evaluation of all calls responded to in Tustin by the Orange County Fire Department over the last 12 months. Through a review of dispatch records, incident reports and other relevant Orange County Fire Department operating records, the following data elements will be documented: -4- Response times for each category of fire and emergency medical service call. Number and type of fire apparatus and personnel responding to each call. Specific characteristics of each call to include the nature of fire suppression and emergency medical services required to include such factors as: Actual fire suppression required. .. Fire out on arrival. .. Smoke check. .. False alarm.. Actual medical emergency, with or without transport required. .. Other relevant service indicator. The amount of clock and staff time required to handle each call dealt with by the Orange County Fire Department in the Tustin area. To the extent that stations servicing Tustin provide services to other Orange County areas, comparable, call .information about responses involving services outside the Tustin City boundaries will be collected and evaluated. The major purpose of this analysis is to attempt to quanify the proportion of responding units' time dedicated to serving Tustin as compared to other service areas dealt with by the Orange County Fire Department. In addition, the project team will review all major structure and grass fires which have occurred in the last five years. Major is defined as property loss in excess of $1,000 or a grass fire involving more than one acre at the time of reporting. Through review of fire incident reports and CFIRS reports, the following factors will be documented: -5- r Type of structure involved/nature and extent of wildlands area involved.. - Location where the fire started and cause of fire. Number and type of apparatus and personnel dispatched to handle the fire. Extent of involvement at the time of the arrival of the first responding unit. Number and type of apparatus actually required to handle the call. - An evaluation of call resultm. The product of this task will be a set of narrative and statistical descriptions of workload and service levels related to the delivery offire suppression and emergency medical services in Tustin. These data will be employed to provide the basis for analysis of contract equity to include actual cost to Orange County of serving Tustin, development of alternative contracting formulas, and the potentiat to establish a stand-alone fire department which will be dealt with in subsequent work tasks. Task 3 -- Project Likely Future Demand for Fire and Emer~enc~ Medical Services in Tustin. The purpose of this third task is to project future fire service and emergency medical service demands in Tustin to provide the basis for comparative evaluation of the cost-effectivensss of fire and emergency medical service delivery alternatives developed in subsequent study work tasks. Basic work steps involved in accomplishing this task include the following: Further explore growth information developed in Task ! of this proposal. This would involve developing a detailed description and analysis of likely community growth trends measured by such components as the following: Location and type of population growth expected in future years. Any projected likely annexations to occur over future years. Annexations would be analyzed in terms of; -6- ·. Location. .. Size. Characteristics of the area likely to be annexed -- residential, commercial, industrial and the like. Projected changes in land use patterns within the City of Tustin to include: The extent to which increasing density could be expected. Location and magnitude of likely development of multi-story structures. Any projected changes in existing street and transportation patterns which could impact fire service delivery. Then, once growth data have been documented and projected, population and growth projections would be converted into likely future call demand over a lO-year period. Historical trend data will be analyzed to identify relationships between population levels and call frequency, and projections of expected future call volume by major areas of thq community will be developed. This will include consideration of any potential community expansion through annexation. Once call volume has'been projected, the results will be evaluated and the impact on station location, personnel and apparatus requirements will be estimated. Task 4 -- Evaluate the Structure, Content, and Equity of The Current Fire Service Contract With The Orange County Fire Department. The purpose of this task is to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the current fire service contract with Orange County. Basic steps involved in the analysis.would be as follows: Trace trends in contract costs and actual use of Orange County fire service resources. This evaluation would be conducted from several pespectives: Identify basic contract cost trends. Compare them with trends in the resources and staff employed by the Orange County Fire Department to provide services to Tustin. Based on the analysis of call data, Orange County Fire Department costs, and service network information, determine the costs of services provided by the Orange County Fire Department over the-years since the contract was established. Compare both of the above and identify differentials in service cost and contract cost trends. Evaluate the real costs to the Orange County Fire Department of serving Tustin. Employing the call demand and workload data documented in Task 2, accomplish the following: Document the number and type of responses and calls.. responded to by the Orange County Fire Department within the Tustin area. Based on the analysi= of Call information, estimate the staff and apparatus time required to handle these calls. Identify fire prvention workload and the staff resources employed to handle that workload. Document capital costs and overhead costs related to the delivery of services in Tustin. Based on the above, estimate the amount of "stand-by time" and related costs involving delivery of service to Tustin by the Orange County Fire Department. Compare the results of this analysis to actual contract costs charged to the City. Based on the analysis conducted above, evaluate the equity of 'the existing contract and its formula. Identify problems and inequities and review them with both City of Tustin staff and representatives of Orange County. -8- Task 5 Structure and Evaluate Alternative Contracting Formulae Considering Both Current and Projected Demand for Fire · and Emergency Medical Services in Tustin. Based on the above, structure and evaluate alternative formulae for calculating contract service costs assuming continuation of service by the Orange County Fire Department. The following steps will be involved in accomplishing the analysis: To the extent that apparent contracting inequities were identified in the previous work task, develop contract alterna- tives -- especially those'alternatives which appear to relate demand and actual use of resources to contract costs. Using projections developed earlier in the analysis, project contract costs for each alternative formula over a lO-year planning period. Incorporate conclusions related to the need to add stations, apparatus and staff to meet expected future service demand. Include in this projection exercise application of the existing formula over the lO-year analytical period. Identify the cost impact both now and in future years of each alternative formula as welt as the existing contract approach. Ideniify differentials. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative formula from the perspective of both Tustin and Orange County. Task 6 -- Identify Other Options for Contracting for Service and Evaluate the Cost-Effectiveness of Each. To the extent that alternative service deliverers exist, other cities which could provide service to Tustin in lieu of the Orange County Fire Department will be identified and contacted to assess the likelihood of potential future contracting or other service delivery situations, this will include review of Tustin's. previous discussions and negotiations with Santa Aha and discussiqns with Irvine to review joint fire service interests. Through contact with these other cities and interviews with appropriate staff representatives, the following components will be documented and evaluated: How service could or would be provided to include employment of existing stations and the need to add auditional stations and personnel to provide service to Tustin. The cost structure of service delivery given the components identified above. og- Potential for actual service cost to the City of Tustin employ- ing the various alternative contract formulae developed and evaluated in the previous task. This would include considera- tion of both current costs and expected future costs given trends and service demand and workload volume. Evaluation of the service impact of each alternative contracting option to include: - Response time. Impact on all IS0 ratings sensitive to fire suppression and fire prevention service delivery capabilities. Actual identification of the number, type, and quality of both apparatus and staff which would be available for dispatch to Tustin calls by call type and service level impact compared to the current situation. Based on the above, :he feasibility of contracting with another agency for fire service wil'l be identified and evaluated. Task 7 -- Structure and Evaluate the Cost-Effectiveness of Establishin~ a Stand-Alone Fire Department in Tustin. In this task, the results of the preceding tasks will be employed to structure and describe a "stand-alone" fire service agency for the City of Tustin. An agency will be structured to meet both current service demand as well as demands projected for the :O-year planning period. In · structuring the "stand-alone" fire service agency, we will accomplish the following work steps: Analyze existing and projected call demand and identify specific requirements for station location within the City of Tustin. This would include-consideration of such factors as the following: The impact of establishing a "stand-alone" fire service agency in Tustin on station location requirements. For example, analysis may indicate that the establisment of a stand-alone organization may require the addition of one or more stations when the immediate resources of other Orange County Fire DePartment stations are no longer available for first response ~ithin Tustin. -10- Conversely, analysis will consider the feasibility of establishing automatic aid or mutual aid agreements with the Orange County Fire Department and other City fire departments if a stand-alone fire service agency in Tustin is established. Such automatic aid or mutual aid agreements will be analyzed from the perspective of minimizing impact on station location and subsequent capital facility expansion requirements should a stand- alone fire service agency be established. Other capital facility requirements related to the establishment of a stand-alone fire agency will be estimated. This would include assessing the feasibility of existing fire stations located in Tustin to provide space for administrative and fire prevention staff to support fire service agency operations. Analysis will include determination of whether additional capital facilities will be required; size and scope of those facilities as determined in conjunction with the development of an expected departmental staffing plan described later in this section; and other appropriate factors. Develop a detailed fire suppression staffing plan for the stand-alone agency including: - Company assignment by station. - Company manning. - Staffing pol.icies underlying company staffing assumptions. Based on current service demand as well as projected growth assumptions, structure a fire prevention program and related staffing requirements for the stand-alone agency. Based on the previous work steps, develop an overall plan of organization and staffing for the stand-alone agency. Develop a proposed apparatus inventory for the stand-alone agency -- to support fire suppression and emergency service levels defined in previous work steps. Structure a proposed salary and benefit plan for a stand-alone agency. In addition to accomplishing the work steps outlined above, we will portray the impact of establishing a stand-alone fire agency over the course of the planning period. This will include addressing such issues as: Capital equipment replacement needs faced by the stand-alone agency over the planning period. Potential increases in staffing required over the course of the planning period as Tustin grows and community configurations change. Identify, specific points in the planning periJd, when additional stations might be required and their expected capital cost. Once cost data have ~een identified, the service impact of transi- tioning to a stand-alone agency will be evaluated from the perspective of: Consistency of on-duty staff resources (engine companies,-fire flow capabilities, paramedics,, etc.) with the nature of call demand experienced in Tustin. This would include estimates of the frequency with which fire demands could exceed Tustin F.D. on-duty resdources (from the fire flow perspective) and require either call-back of off-duty resources or reliance on mutual aid from neighboring departments (including assessment of the likli- hood that this mutual aid would be available). Expected response times for all required units. -ISO impact. Key transition problems and costs including recruiting, selection, and training of fire presonnel of all levels. This' step will also include consideration of the potential to organize a stand-alone fire service agency within a public safety administrative framework, evaluating the extent to which selected management and administrative requirements could be blended with the police department management and support service structure to reduce overall costs. Advantages, disadvantages, and transition issues will be identified. With the completion of this task, it will be possible to estimate the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a stand- alone fire agency and con~are it to the results of contract alternative analysis accomplished in preceeding work tasks. -12- 1K Task 8 -- Structure and Evaluate Other Options for Deliverin9 Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Consistent with your request for proposal, the project team will also analyze practical opportunites for severing emergency medical services from the delivery of fire suppression and fire prevention services and the attendant cost and service impact of each alternative step. In acco~lishing this analysis, the following work steps will need to be addressed: Identify practical options for the delivery of emergency medical service considered in conjunction with the various fire service delivery options previously considered. We expect that the following, options would need to be identified and evaluated: Maintenance of the fire service contract with Orange County for fire suppression services and provision of paramedic services through contract with a private service provider. Consistent with this option, provide emergency medical technician trained police to provide first response or back-up for contract paramedic response. Delivery of contract paramedic services but with Orange County providing engine company response to back-up paramedics. Both of the above options with the City providing paramedic services with non-sworn staff. A stand-alone fire department with paramedic services delivered either through contract with a private agency or by non-sworn, paramedic staff. For each alternative, cost would need to be estimated in detail considering the following: The potential to sever emergency medical service from fire suppression and the impact on the various alternative formulae previously developed and evaluated to apportion the cost of contract fire service. The actual cost of contract services if a private sector of paramedic deliverer were selected. Capital and other start-up costs related to establishing an in-house paramedic service capability and operating costs associated with this capability. Identification of key implementation issues related to each alternative. This could include such issues as: Costs and problems related to training police staff in emergency medical technician.capabilities. Availability of private agency service deliverers.' - How to transition from the existing contract situation. - Service quality impact of each alternative. - Other factors as appropriate. At the conclusion of this task, the project team will present a full evaluation of the potential to deliver emergency medical services apart from the delivery of fire suppression and fire prevention services whose alternatives were discussed in proceeding work tasks. This evaluation will include: Detailed cost estimation re~ated to the delivery of paramedic services. Comparable cost estimation related to the delviery of future suppression and fire prevention services under the various alternatives if emergency medical services are no longer included. Task 9 -- Documents Study Results in a Formal Final Report. The results of each of the preceeding work tasks will be documented in the form of a detailed final report. The project team will review the report in detail with City of Tustin staff and where appropriate, representatives of Orange County Fire Department.. To the extent that modifications and clarifications are required, the report will be modified. Once the report is completed, we will be prepared to present it to the City Council as you deem appropriate. The exhibit which follows this page shows a pr6posed work schedule for accomplishing each of the tasks described in this-section. As can be seen from review of the information presented in the exhibit, we estimate approximately 18 weeks will be required to conduct tile analysis and prepare a detailed final report. 2. BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR FIRM AND PROJECT TEAM. ' Hughes, Heiss and Associates is a management consulting firm which specializes in providing analytical services to local government. Established in 1974, the firm is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and has served more than 150 clients on over 300 separate, analytical projects in the ten years of its operations. Our firm and its staff have significant experience in several areas of critical importance to the conduct of the fire service feasibility study including: ' Recent assignments evaluating fire service contracts -- projects which in each case led to .reductions in contract costs. Previous experience in evaluating the feasibility of establishing a public safety department to provide police and fire services. Broad experience in evaluating fire service operations for city and county agencies at the city and county level in California and the western United States. The paragraphs which follow provide summaries of our recent assignments in each of these areas. As these assignments are reviewed, it should be noted that most have i'nvolvedat a minimum of two of the proposed members of our project team. The section concludes with specific introductions to each member of our proposed project team. (1) Evaluation of Fire Service Contracts. City of San Fernando. Evaluation of equity of contract costing formula related to the delivery of fire service to San Fernando by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department. Projects included in-depth analysis of workload and service demand in San Fernando and evaluation of alternative contract approaches. The project included analysis of the cost to San Fernando if an in-house fire department were re-established. Based on study results, the City of Los Angeles agreed to restructure the formula for contract cost, representing an annual fire service cost savings of $150,000 for San Fernando. -15- T 3- 4- 5- Document struc- ture & cost of current delivery system. Document and evaluate current fire & EMS work- load & service levels. Project future service demand. Evaluate current fire service contract. Structure & evaluate alter- native contract- ing formulae. Identify other options for con- tracting for .fi. re service. Evaluate the cost-effective- ness of estab- lishing a stand-alone fire department. Structure & evaluate other options for delivering fire & emergency services. 0 1 2 3 4 I- ! I EXHIBIT City of Tustin PROJECT WORK SCHEDULE Weeks FollOWin9 Project Start Date 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Prepare & present final report. City of Mill Creek, Washington. Retained by this new city north of Seattle to evaluate alternative proposals for the delivery of contract fire services and to suggest costing formula alternative to those provided by bidding agencies. Study results included negotiation of a final contract $100,000 less than initially proposed. In addition to the projects noted'above, we have dealt with service costing contract, and cost-sharing formulae issues as part of other fire service analyses which are described in the next section. These include our consolidation studies for Downey, Lynnwood, and South Gate; Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vis.ta; and cities located in South Snohomish County, Washington. (2) Fire Service AnalyseQ. Analysis of the fire services system in Sonoma County. The project involved an in-depth analysis of the cost- effectiveness of the current fire service system; involved' evaluation of alternative approaches for increasing service cost-effectiveness by expanding the role of city fire departments in both urban-and rural fire service delivery; and analyzed the cost and service impact of establishing various central support services for all County fire service agencies involving training dispatch, fire service coordin- ation, and maintenance services. The study was recently adopted in principle by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Management and operations analysis of the Big Bear Lake Fire Department. Included developing short and longer-range recommendations for improving the cost-effectiveness of the fire services system. Included in the project were analyses relating to departmental management and ad~.inistration, improving volunteer participation, and better coordination of emergency medical and fire preientio~ services to the community, and evaluation of staffing requirements. Analysis of the Fire Services System in Northern Monterey County. Project recommendations included analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches to reorganizing the existing set of fire districts which serve the unincorporated area. In addition, analysis included consideration of the role of the City of Salinas in providing contract service to selected unincor- porated areas in Northern Monterey County. Based on the project, .major district reorganization and boundary realignment has occurred and the City of Salinas has assumed contract responsibility for providing fire protection to the unincorporated areas on the periphery of the city. -16, Analysis of the fire services system on the Monterey Peninsula. Involving analysis of the potentia) to consolidate or reduce the costs associated with delivering fire services to the unincorporated area -- an area characterized by a substantial number of city departments, largely urbanized areas and fire districts which, in the post-Proposition 13 era, face substan- tial funding deficiencies. Project recommendations implemented include reduction in staffing of several CDF stations providing protection to several county service areas, and recommendations regarding provision of contract service to the unincorporated urbanized periphery of the city are ~urrently being considered by the City of Monterey. Fire services consolidation study for the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista in San Diego County... This recent project involved the analysis of the feasibility of fire service consolida[ion for these three independent cities; included. projection of likely fire service demand and related staffing and apparatus requirements over a 25-year planning period; and detailed analysis of the cost impact of consolidation both now and over a 25-year planning period. The project also involved in-depth analysis of the cost-effectiveness impact of less than total service consolidation involving such areas as fire dispatch, training, and fire prevention. The project included evaluation of alternative scenarios for delivering paramedic services across the three cities. Conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of the fire service system in Stanislaus County. which involved 17 fire districLs, the County Fire Warden, and four City departments. Major project issues involved providing fire services-on the urban periphery of Modesto; how to provide adequate support (finan- cial, training, fire preventionn specialist expertise) to largely volunteer agencies; and the role of the County Fire Warden. Project results implemented include a number of district boundary realignments; revision of the County Fire Warden's role involving elimination of fire suppression capa- bilities and increased involvement in providing training, arson investigation, and fire prevention inspection support to district fire services. Fire Service Consolidation Study for South Snohomish Count¥~ Washinlton. Project involved cost-effective analysis of consolidating three city fire departments and a fire district. Project included consideration of both fire and emergency medical services and involved development and evaluation of a variety of alternative costing formulae. -17, Fire Service Consolidation Study for Downey, Lynnwood, and South Gate. Feasibility of the cost-effectiveness impact of fire service consolidation for these three Los Angeles County cities. Study included evaluation of ISO impact of consolidation; development and evaluation of alternative cost sharing formulae; -and consideration of implementation issues involving personnel, apparatus ownership, and political control. Station Location Study for Monterey, California. Consideration of station, staffing, and apparatus needs to deal with projected community growth. Project included response time analysis; evaluation of alternative sites; and detailed cost analysis. Conucted an in-depth analysis of the existing fire service system in Tulare County and developed a revised fire service p)an. The project included analysis of what level of fire" services can be provided in a county with mixed urban and rural population configurations; involved detailed station location and ~ervice demand analysis for 35 county stations; and identifica- tion of specific opportunities for reducing county fire service costs by contracting with cities. Analyzed fire dispatch needs in San Bernardino County. This project evaluated alternative roles for the County Communi- cations Center and the California Department of Forestry as well as general regional joint services configurations. The project involved analyses of dispatcher utilization of all five dispatch centers in the County, identification of alter- native approaches, and detailed development of cost-sharing potential. (3) Combined Fire Service and Public Safety Feasibility Analysis. In addition to the fire service studies, the firm and members of our proposed project team have conducted detailed analyses of the feasibility of establishing public safety departments to deliver police and fire services. Representative assignments are as follows: Analyzed the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches for deliverin9 public safety services for the City of Cupertino. The project involved cost-benefit analysis of the City of Cupertino's withdrawing from the central fire protection district, involved structuring a stand-alone fire department for the City of Cupertino and comparing that against the cost and benefits of remaining part of a large fire protec- tion district; and involved structuring a theoretical public safety department for the City and comparing that to the costs and benefits of establishing a stand-alone fire agency or main- taining membership in the central fire protection district. The project included extensive analysis involving projection of future fire service demand in this rapidly developing south Bay Area city. Analyzed fire service operations and assessed feasibility of establishin~ a public safety department for the Town of Paradise. In-depth study of fire service operations, staf- fing, and operations. Project included observation of fire units as they conducted various evolutions to evaluate per- formance levels and training adequacy. An additional com- ponent of the project included feasibility analysis (cost, staffing, service impact) of establishing a public safety department in lieu Of separate police and fire operations. (4) Organization and Staffin~ of Our Project Team. Hughes, Heiss and Associates staffs its projects with senior and experienced analysts. It is our policy to avoid unnecessary overhead on client assignments by involving such personnel as non-working project managers and directors in the project. A principal of our firm serves as lead analyst on every assignment and works in conjunction with experienced staff me,ers in accomplishing all project activities. Hughes, Heiss & Associates does not use junior staff to accomplish either data collection or analysis. We would propose to conduct the management and operations audit of the Public Safety Department with a three person project team comprised of John Heiss, Richard Brmd¥, and Jim Hunt. · John Heissl a Principal of Hughes, Heiss and Associates since its inception ten years ago, has a wide range of experience in fire service operations analysis, program evaluations, and financing and contract analysis. In his consulting career, he has worked with over 35 fire service agencies. In addition, he has taken the lead in all of the fire service studies listed in the preceding paragrap slab-and accomplished both of the firm's recent fire service contract a~alyses. He would act as project manager and 'lead analyst on the project. Richard Brady has been an Associate with Hughes, Heiss and Associates for over 6 years. During that period, he has spe6ialized in the analysis of fire, police, and public safety systems. He has conducted management staffing and operations audits as well as evaluated a large number of law enforcement agencies. He also has extensive experience in the analysis of fire service agencies. Recent projects include fire studies for Paradise, Monterey County, City of Monterey, and the Town of Big Bear Lake. He was lead analyst on our police, fire, and public safety study for Cupertino. Jim Hunt has over twenty-five years' experience as a profes- sional '¥n and consultant to the fire service. His line exper- ience in the fire service includes all facets of fire protection including fire suppression, training, fire prevention, and research and development. His consulting experience involves both the conduct of analytical studies and extensive experience as an educator in the fire service area. The attachment to this letter contains more detailed resumes of each project team member. 4. PROJECT COST. Accomplishment of a study of the scope and content described in the previous section would cost $33,550. This includes all charges for professional staff time and reimbursable expenses such as clerical, report production, travel and the like. We would be pleased to enter into a fixed price contract for this amount. The exhibit which follows this page shows a breakdown of project costs. Again, we appreciate the opportunity to submit our proposal. If you have any question about any component of this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. John W. Heis$ Principal Sincerely yours, HUGHES, HEISS AND ASSOCIATES -20- Task [ - Document*current system. 2 - Document call demand and service level. 3 - Project future demand. 4 - Evaluate current contract. 5 - Structure/evaluate alternative formulas 6 - Identify/evaluate other options. 7 - Structure/evaluate stand-alone department. 8 - Structure/evaluate alternative paramedic services. 9 - Prepare final report. Progress Meetings Final Report Presentation. TOTAL PROJECT COST Professional Staff Time J. W. Heiss - gl6 hours at $70/hour R. P. Brady - 192 hours at $60/hour J. Hunt 40 hours at $45/hour Sub-Total Reimbursable Expenses Air Travel Subsistence Clerical Report Production (10 copies) Telephone Sub-Total EXHIBIT City of Tustin PROJECT COST ESTIMATE Person Hours By Staff Member Heiss ' Brad~ Hunt 16 16 - 24 32 16 - 40 - 24 - 8 32 16 8 40 16 32 16 24 40 16 16 8 - 216 192 8 $15,120 11,520 1,800 $ 1,700 1,800 960 SOO 150 TOTAL $33,550 ATTACHMENT DETAILED RESUMES OF PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS JOHN W. HEISS (1) Mr. Heiss is a principal of Hughes, Heiss and Associates. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, awarded in 1969, and a BA degree from Dartmouth College, awarded in lg62. Mr. Heiss has nearly 15 years' exper- ience in consulting to public sector agencies. He is currently a Principal of Hughes, Heiss and Associates, and previously was an associate and project manager with a large, international management consulting firm. Relevant experience for this project is described below. Conducted a fire services consolidation study for the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista in San Diego County. 'This recent project involved the analysis of the feasibility of fire service consolidation for these three independent cities; included projection of likely fire service demand and rela~ed staffing and apparatus requirements over a 25-year planning period. Mr. Heiss was Lead Analyst and Project Manager on a comprehen- sive analysis of fire services in Sonoma County, California. The project involved an in-depth analysis of the cost-effec- tiveness of the current fire service system and involved evalua- tion of alternative approaches for increasing service cost- effectiveness. Conducted two studies of fire services for Monterey County -- both focusing on epportunities to improve fire service cost- effectiveness thr6ugh organizational realignment; changes in station location; and alternative approaches for contracting for fire service in the unincorporated area with urban fire agencies in Monterey County. Served a~ Project Manager and Lead Analyst on an evaluation of county-wide fire service agencies in Stanislaus County. The project involved evaluation of ways the fire services in the unincorporated area could continue to be provided with funding restrictions following Proposition 13. Served as Project Manager and Lead Analyst on an evaluation of county-wide fire dispatch services in San Bernardino County. The project included an evaluation of the alternative roles for the County con~nunications center and dispatch services provided through contract with the California Departmentof Forestry. JOHN W. HEISS (2) Mr. Heiss provided counsel to the San Francisco Fire Depart- ment on the implementation of a program budgeting/performance measurement system related to fire operations. Conducted an analysis of countywide fire services for Tulare County. The project included an evaluation of the cost-effec- tiveness of the existing Station network of 50 plus stations operated under contract with the California Department of Forestryi involved measurement of staff utilization in t~e field fire suppression function; and exploration of alternative approaches for providing services on the periphery of cities in Tulare County. Mr. Heiss was Project Manager and Lead Analyst on a study which evaluated the potential for fire service c6nsolidation for the Los Angeles County cities in Downey, Lynwood and South Gate. The study evaluated the impact of consolidation on both station networks, service-levels, and staffing for each of the three cities. Served as Lead Analyst on an analysis of opportunities to increase utilization of fire staff for three departments in the East San Francisco Bay Area. The project included detailed measurement of fire fighter utilization; identification of potential to increase staff utilization in fire and non-fire related tasks; and explored alternative staffing patterns designed-to increase staffing cost-effectiveness and staff utilization. Served as an Analyst on a project involving investigation of the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of establishing a' public safety department in Cupertino, California. The project involved cost-benefit analysis of the City of Cupertino's withdrawing from the Central Fire Protection District; struc- turing a stand-alone fire department for the City of Cupertino and co~aring that against the cost and benefits of remaining part of a larger fire protection district. Evaluated fire service contract issues for San Fernando, California and Mill Creek, Washington. Served as Lead Analyst on the fire department operations analysis and public safety feasibility study for Paradise, California. RICHARD P. BRADY Mr. Brady is a Senior Associate with Hughes, Heiss and Associates and has more than six years' experience in analyzing public sector issues. He was awarded a BA Degree from California State University at Hayward in Ig72; and was awarded a Master's Degree from Oxford University in England in 1974; and a Ph.D. Degree from Oxford in 1978. Relevant experience for this project includes: Served as Lead Analyst on an evaluation of station location issues for the City of Monterey, California. · Served as Lead Analyst on a management and operations audit of the Big Bear Lake Fire Department. · Served as an Analyst on two major studies of fire services in Monterey County, California with lead responsibility for documenting and evaluating existing service levels and fire suppression resource utilization~ Served as the Lead Analyst on an evaluation of the feasibility of alternative approaches for delivering public safety services for the City of Cupertino· Project responsibilities included projecting fire service and police service demand over a 25-year plannig period; structuring and evaluating alternative approaches for delivering law enforcement services to include contracting with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department; establishing a stand-alone police department; and establishing a stand-alone public safety department which incorporated both police and'fire safety functions. Project responsibilities also included the service and cost impact evaluation of the City of Cupertino withdrawing from the Central Fire Protection District. · Served as Project Analyst on a study involving fire dispatch needs in San Bernardino County. Specific project responsibil- ities included documenting workload in evaluating dispatcher btilization. Mr. Brady has also had major responsibility for field data collection activities on fire studies for Stanislaus County, Tuiare County, and Sonoma County. JAMES W. HUNT (1) Fire Protection Specialist Mr. Hunt has over twenty-five years' experience as a professional and consultant in fire service issues. He was a member of various California fire service organizations for sixteen years and served in major management positions with the City of Huntington Beach and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. His line experience in the fire service area includes all facets of fire protection including fire suppression, training, fire prevention, and research and development. Mr. Hunt's consulting experience involves both the conduct of analytical studies and extensive experience as an educator in the fire service area. As an educator, he has served on the faculties of the State Fire Academy, the National Fire Academy, the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of California at Davis, Long Beach State College, Santa Barbara City College and Hancock College, and numerous private funded seminars including semiQars for the International Conference of Building Officials. He has developed and conducted courses of instruc- tion covering fire protection, disaster planning, major emergency manage- ment, fire service mangement, fire prevention, and related subjects. Mr. Hunt is a member of the faculty of the National Fire Academy under the United States Fire Administration in Washington, D.C. He has been involved in course development and teaching in the fields of disaster planning and management, and fire protection. He has developed four courses dealing with major emergency management and with fire prevention. These are now taught nationally. Mr. Hunt has broad experience in the conduct of fire defense studies and master planning.. In recent years, he has prepared fire defense studies and fire service master plans for a number of California communities including: The City of Commerce. Santa Barbara County. E1 Segundo, California. · Cambria, California. South Lake Tahoe JAMES W. HUNT (2) Fire Protection Specialist Each of these studies has encompassed the following basic analytical elements: Community fire risk analysis; documentation and projection of local fire and emergency medical service demands; analysis of fire department organization, management, operations, ~rograms, and records; evaluation of proficiency levels of all fire serwce personnel to include both paid staff and volunteers; training program evaluation; evaluation of city or jurisdiction fire codes and ordinances; and structuring and eval- uation of alternative fire delivery systems applicable to the communities. In addition, the Commerce, California study included evaluation of the City's fire service contract with Los Angeles County. MT. Hunt has also been extremely active in consulting and analytical work in the disaster planning and major emergency management area. He . has prepared disaster plans for the City of Dallas, Texas; the Livermore Nuclear Laboratory near San Francisco, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant; and the City of San Luis Obispo, California, He. has also been a consultant to the Federal Emergency Management Agency-(FEMA), the Department of Energy, and the Southern California Gas Company. As noted above, Mr. Hunt is active in preparing and conducting seminars and other instructional courses in a number of fire protection subject areas. 'He frequently instructs for the National Fire Academy and the State Fire Academy, and also has conducted recent training programs for fire and emergency service personnel in such cities as South San Francisco, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and numerous others. Mr. Hunt worked with Hughes, Heiss & Associates on our study of the Paradise Fire Department. His responsibilities included observation of fire suppression units in simulated fire situations to evaluate training and performance levels.