GFD - Independent Report

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Final ReportFire/EMS Operations

Germantown, Tennessee

Submitted by and reply to:

ICMA Center for Public Safety

International City/County Management Association

777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002

[email protected]



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ICMA Background

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the

premier local government leadership and management organization. Since

1914, ICMA’s mission has been to create excellence in local governance by

developing and advocating professional local government management

worldwide. ICMA provides an information clearinghouse, technical

assistance, training, and professional development to more than 9,000 city,

town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world.

ICMA Center for Public Safety Management

The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team helps communities

solve critical problems by providing technical assistance to local

governments. The ICMA Center for Public Safety Managements’ areas of

expertise encompass the following areas and beyond: organizational

development, leadership and ethics, training, assessment of calls for service

workload, staffing requirements analysis, designing standards and hiring

guidelines for police and fire chief recruitment, police/fire consolidation,

community-oriented policing, and city/county/regional mergers.



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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................. 9 I. Introduction ................................................................................... 10 II. Overview ...................................................................................... 11 III. Operations Analysis ...................................................................... 12

A. Evaluating Local Risks and Determining Resources ........................... 12 1. Risk Management ...................................................................... 14

B. Challenges Facing a Combination System ....................................... 16 1. National Trends in Volunteerism .............................................. 16 2. Planning for Future Participation .............................................. 18 3. Where are Volunteers Needed? ................................................ 19

C. Measuring Performance in an Emergency Service Organization ......... 22 1. Developing an Effective Performance Measurement System ........ 23 2. Program Logic ....................................................................... 25 3. Benchmarking ....................................................................... 29

D. Ambulance Transport Service ........................................................ 32 1.

Medical Transportation ........................................................... 33

2. Economic Factors Surrounding Policy Implementation ................ 35 3. Cost Factors .......................................................................... 37

E. Fire Station Location ..................................................................... 42 1. Reducing Response Times ....................................................... 45 2. National Standards ................................................................ 46 3. Standards of Response Cover .................................................. 50 4.

Risk versus Response Time Standards ...................................... 50

5. GFD Response Time Analysis ................................................... 51

F. Organization and Deployment – Increased Fire Potential within

Germantown ................................................................................... 52 G. Alternative Options for GFD Funding Allocations .............................. 54



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1. Data and Management Information Systems ............................. 54 2. Communications .................................................................... 55 3. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) .................................... 55 4. Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) .............................................. 56 5. Global Positioning Systems ..................................................... 56 6. Wireless Data and Laptop Strategies ........................................ 57 7. Fire Prevention and Public Education ........................................ 57 8. Public Education .................................................................... 58

H. Recommendations ....................................................................... 61

Data Analysis

Introduction ....................................................................................... 63 I. Aggregate Call Totals and Dispatches ................................................ 64 II. Workload by Individual UnitCalls and Total Time Spent .................... 75 III. Dispatch Time and Response Time .................................................. 81 IV. Analysis of Busiest Hours in the Year ............................................... 96 Appendix I. Correspondence between Call Description and Call Type ....... 102 Appendix II. Workload Analysis for Administrative Units and Non-

Germantown Units ............................................................................ 105



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Tables

Table 1. Call Types ............................................................................. 64 Table 2. Calls by Hour of Day ............................................................... 70 Table 3. Number of Units Dispatched by Call Type .................................. 71 Table 4. Annual Deployed Time by Call Type Including Mutual Aid Calls ..... 73 Table 5. Annual Total Deployed Time by Call Type for Calls within

Germantown ...................................................................................... 74 Table 6. Call Workload by Unit and Station ............................................ 75 Table 7. Busy Minutes by Hour of Day ................................................... 77 Table 8. Engine and Truck Units: Total Annual Number and Daily Average

Number of Runs by Call Type ............................................................... 78 Table 9. Engine and Truck Units: Daily Average Deployed Minutes by Call

Type ................................................................................................. 79 Table 10. Rescue Units: Total Annual and Daily Average Number of Runs by

Call Type ........................................................................................... 80 Table 11. Rescue Units: Daily Average Deployed Minutes by Call Type ...... 80 Table 12. Average Dispatch, Turnout, Travel, and Response Time of First

Arriving Units by Call Type ................................................................... 82 Table 13. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Call Type ....... 84 Table 14. Number of Total Calls for the First Arriving Units ...................... 85 Table 15. Average Dispatch, Turnout, and Travel Time of First Arriving Units

by Hour of Day ................................................................................... 87 Table 16. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Hour of Day.... 89 Table 17. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time of First

Arriving Unit for EMS Calls ................................................................... 91 Table 18. Average Response Time for Structure Fire and Outside Fire Calls

by First Arriving Fire Units ................................................................... 92 Table 19. Average Response Time for Structure Fire and Outside Fire Calls

by Second Arriving Fire Units ............................................................... 93



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Table 20. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time of First,

Second, and Third Arriving Fire Units for Structure and Outside Fire Calls .. 95 Table 21. Frequency Distribution of the Number of Calls .......................... 96 Table 22. Ten Hours with the Most Calls Received ................................... 97 Table 23. Unit Workload Analysis Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on January

29, 2010 ........................................................................................... 98 Table 24. Unit Workload Analysis Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on April 13,

2010 ............................................................................................... 100



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Figures

Figure 1. Performance Measurement Systems ........................................ 24 Figure 2. General Program Logic Model ................................................. 26 Figure 3. Costs Needed to Support a New or Expand an Existing Program. . 39 Figure 4. Incident Development and Response Timeline and NFPA 1221 and

1710 Recommendations for Career Firefighters ...................................... 48 Figure 5. Incident Development and Response Timeline and NFPA 1221 and

1720 Recommendations for Volunteer Firefighters .................................. 50 Figure 6. Outcome for Heart Attack Victims Based on When CPR is Provided

........................................................................................................ 59 Figure 7. Non-canceled Calls by Type and Duration ................................. 66 Figure 8. Non-canceled EMS and Fire Calls by Type ................................. 68 Figure 9. Average Calls per Day by Month ............................................. 69 Figure 10. Calls by Hour of Day ............................................................ 70 Figure 11. Number of Units Dispatched by Category................................ 71 Figure 12. Busy Minutes by Hour of Day ................................................ 77 Figure 13. Average Dispatch, Turnout, Travel, and Response Time of First

Arriving Units by Call Type ................................................................... 82 Figure 14. Number of Total Calls for the First Arriving Units ..................... 85 Figure 15. Average Dispatch, Turnout, and Travel Time of First Arriving Units

by Hour of Day ................................................................................... 86 Figure 16. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Hour of Day .. 88 Figure 17. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time of First

Arriving Unit for EMS Calls ................................................................... 90 Figure 18. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time of First,Second, and Third Arriving Fire Units for Structure and Outside Fire Calls .. 94 Figure 19. Unit Workload Analysis by Call Type Between 10 p.m. and 11

p.m. on January 29, 2010.................................................................... 99



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Figure 20. Unit Workload Analysis by Call Type Between 10 a.m. and 11

a.m. on April 13, 2010 ...................................................................... 101



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Executive Summary

The report provides an analysis and evaluation of various aspects of the city

of Germantown Fire Department with emphasis on challenges facingcombination type departments in light of decreased volunteer resources,

feasibility of Advance Life Support program expansion, options for future

funding allocations, and improvements to the strategic management

processes.

Peak load staffing solutions in the wake of increased demands brought on by

increasing emergency medical responses has been in use in other

departments for some time. Various approaches to increase volunteerism

are employed by nonprofit organizations with great success. Supplementing

volunteer membership with paid part-time employees is a natural transition

for the combination department whose call volumes continue to escalate.

Some recommendations challenge perspectives regarding deployment

initiatives. Although ICMA data analysis mirrors the results of some GFD

internal performance indicators, a different approach is taken with respect

inferences made and conclusions drawn. The goal in these instances was to

stimulate creative thinking and cost-effective measures for improving

service delivery efforts. System service enhancements can be achieved in a

modest fashion thereby re-directing funds to other deserving areas.

Reconstructing performance objectives as a part of the development of a

total performance measurement system will aid in accountability and

monitoring goal achievement.



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I. Introduction

ICMA was retained by the City of Germantown, Tennessee to conduct a

study of the Germantown Fire Department (GFD). The department is all risk

providing Suppression, Emergency Medical Service, Hazardous Materials and

Technical Rescue, Fire Prevention and Public Education, Emergency

Management, and Community Emergency Response Team services.

The organization has evolved over the years from an all-volunteer service to

its present form of a combination fire department. GFD has enjoyed many

successes on the road to improving the level of service provided to its

citizens. It is a well-organized department with established well written andmaintained standard operational procedures. These guidelines provide a

significant measure of safety to both its emergency responders and the

citizens of Germantown. It uses strategic management concepts to

determine its future direction based upon continued environmental scans -

both internal and external - to identify challenges and opportunities. The

department consists of a dedicated group of men and women, paid,

volunteer and civilian which contribute to its delivery of exceptional serviceto the community.



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II. Overview

The project team conducted an on-site analysis mid-August 2010.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with members of the command staff.All operational facilities were visited and less formal qualitative interviews

transpired with facility personnel. A thorough review of literature was made

examining the latest information regarding the subject matter. Observations

made in the data analysis were used to make inferences as to operational

strategies to employ for service delivery improvements. The study focused

on the following key issues:

What are the advantages/disadvantages associated with a change of

EMS service delivery method from private to fire based transport?

What organization and deployment methods are needed in light of a

new mixed used neighborhood which will include an eight story

building?

What is the appropriate staffing, deployment, and equipment levels

needed taking into consideration the possibility of additional fire

station?

What challenges are present in a ―combination‖ type department and

what is the most effective use of its reserve component?

What opportunities for continuous improvement exist and what are the

key variables that should be tracked routinely to assist with budgetary

and policy decisions.

The Operational report will show tables and figures representing nationalstandards for fire department response times; components of performance

measurement systems; State of Tennessee census data; cost associated

with program development; demand analysis data, and Cardiopulmonary

Resuscitation timeline.



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III. Operations Analysis

A. Evaluating Local Risks and Determining Resources

The City of Germantown Fire Department (GFD) Strategic Plan 2009-2014identifies its number one core business as that of suppressing fires.

Operating element number eight lists identifying fire risks and assessing

community risks.

The department has developed a business plan to identify the magnitude

and scope of probable fire risks in the community, a plan that every fire

department should conduct and periodically update. This risk analysis or

assessment process enables the department to determine what assets

within the community are at risk and what resources are available or needed

to effectively deal with them.

A universal tool that allows the entire community to be evaluated in relation

to the risk of fire is the Risk, Hazard, and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) model,

which the Commission on Fire Accreditation International developed as a

way to classify individual properties in relation to protecting lives and

property.1 The RHAVE software and documentation is available at no cost

from the U.S. Fire Administration.

The risk evaluation process enables a department to establish a fire risk

score for every property and to categorize a property as one with either low,

moderate, or high/maximum risk. Once completed, the risk ratings of

individual properties can be aggregated to establish a risk level of low,

moderate, or high/maximum for each geographic area of the community.

These ratings are then used to determine the appropriate level of fire

1 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, Third Edition, ICMA, 2002, p. 40.



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suppression resources needed (equipment, personnel, and apparatus) to be

deployed for the initial arriving unit, the full alarm assignment, and any

additional alarm assignments for each level of risk.

The GFD has successfully developed a strategic plan. However, its business

plan needs to be refined if the department wishes to achieve its goals. A

business plan is the direct link between the operational planning of a

department and the overall community’s agenda. Business planning is the

process of arriving at a document that outlines how the organization will

achieve its objectives in conjunction with the fiscal constraints set by the

budget process. The document outlines the major tasks to be performed to a

specified level of service (e.g., responding in a certain number of minutes in

at least a certain percentage of calls or having a certain number of

firefighters on scene within a certain number of minutes for at least a certain

percentage of all reported working fires) and the cost associated with those

tasks.2 The development of these targets or performances measures will be

addressed later in the report.

Miami-Dade County incorporated the strategic planning process into its

management system in the early 1990s. This has evolved since then into a

highly efficient and effective method for monitoring the performance of its

departments. It is the department business plan, outlining performance

measures, that makes it a highly effective accountability document.

The GFD business plan was analyzed against a business plan recommended

by ICMA in its book Managing Fire and Rescue Services (p. 175). Although

the GFD plan does touch key areas such as customer identification, services

analysis, history, mission, vision and broad goals, it fails to identify specific

objectives and the action plans necessary to carry them out. Program

2 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, Third Edition, ICMA, 2002, pp. 172-173.



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objectives should specify milestones to be attained within certain time

periods. To do otherwise does not convey management commitment to

achieve any particular results. Moreover, they provide little guidance for

defining meaningful measures to assess performance. Truly useful objectives

can be developed using the SMART convention: such objectives are specific

in terms of the results to be achieved, measurable, ambitious but realistic,

and time bound.3 The subject of performance measures is addressed in

Section III-C of this report, ―Measuring Performance in an Emergency

Service Organization.‖

1. Risk Management

After risks within the community are identified, appropriate control

measures can be developed. The three generally accepted risk control

measures are:

Risk avoidance – making sure that the conditions giving rise to risk are

eliminated or not allowed to arise.

Risk transfer – moving the risk to another agency or an insurance

company.Risk control - most commonly used by fire departments, this involves

implementing measures to control the frequency and severity of losses

and reduce the overall impact of community risks.

With regards to risk management, this report will focus on all three risk

control measures in some form or another.

When looking at risk avoidance, naturally one thinks of fire prevention andpublic education. Effective measures to control risks take various forms. An

ordinance that requires the installation of fire suppression and detection

3 Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations, Poister, T. H. 2003, pg. 63



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systems is an example of a risk control measure, as is marking the exterior

of abandoned buildings.

The greatest potential for increasing the installation of home fire sprinkler

systems is in new construction. Although a large percentage of current

housing stock in Germantown is considerably aged, it is important to ensure

that future residential buildings employ adequate control measures. The

construction of multi-use buildings within the city should take advantage of

all available measures to ensure the safety of occupants. Further, the use of

these measures helps to bring down the cost of suppression forces needed

to provide fire protection.



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B. Challenges Facing a Combination System

The GFD operates a combination system fire department, which presents

certain challenges not seen in fully-paid emergency service organizations.

Generally, there are a number of factors that may cause a combination

department such as GFD to assess its need for increased dependence on call

or paid personnel. Overall call volume can be a major factor in a determining

the need to increase paid staffing when the number of assigned volunteers

is holding steady or dwindling in light of increasing call volume.

Assessing when to evaluate the type of emergency service organization a

jurisdiction chooses to operate is dependent on multiple factors, including

rapid population growth, addition of new or different levels of service (such

as the plan to implement ambulance transport within GFD), increased

hazards within the response district, and changes in demographics. The

most common change is rapid residential growth, often in the form of single

family, two family, and multi-family structures.

1. National Trends in Volunteerism

Emergency medical services in the United States have depended on

volunteer support for many years and the importance of volunteers cannot

be overstated. Volunteers are of all ages, with the largest number between

the ages of 30 and 45. At the same time, almost a quarter of the population

under the age of 30 and over age 65 is involved in volunteer work. Each sex

is represented equally among volunteers; almost one-half of all males and

females are involved in volunteer activities. Both white collar and blue collar



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workers, as well as students and retirees are represented among

volunteers.4

Prior to 1975 in Germantown, firefighters trained in first aid responded to

calls for medical assistance. In 1975, three Germantown firefighters became

licensed as Emergency Medical Technicians and the department placed a

basic life support response truck in service. Thus, the GFD has a thirty-five

year commitment to providing emergency medical treatment to citizens of

Germantown. Volunteers have played a significant role in the advancement

of service delivery not just in fire suppression but EMS activities as well.

The key to any successful program is its leadership. Without the

commitment of a manager to champion its cause, any program is destined

to evaporate into nothing more than an ineffective nuisance – something

that gives the appearance of being more trouble at times than its worth.

The management of a volunteer program is no different. It is important that

the GFD recognize the need for dedicated leadership and management

responsibility for its volunteers. Simply assigning a volunteer to fill the

management role creates issues of continuity of leadership. Likewise,

placing it under the umbrella of an assistant chief’s responsibilities does little

in the way of providing the close direction required to achieve established

goals and objectives. A full-time, paid employee can provide the needed

continuity of management and can represent the interests of volunteers,

paid personnel, and the community at-large.

4 Emergency Medical Service Recruitment and Retention Manual , Federal Emergency

Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration, (no date), pg. 3.



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2. Planning for Future Participation

In order to be competitive in the marketplace of volunteerism, an

organization must accept certain realities. Volunteer programs must be

planned thoughtfully and managed well if they are to succeed. Thecombination fire department would do well to take lessons from the

nonprofit agencies thatdepend primarily on volunteers in order to sustain

their operations. Fire departments and EMS agencies alike must compete

with other community organizations to attract the most capable and

committed volunteers. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, here are

the basic steps for recruiting and selecting EMS volunteers.5

Develop and implement a needs assessment based on the EMS

organization’s current volunteer staffing, existing vacancies, and

anticipated need for staffing, including daytime volunteers.

Identify the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed and any specific

certifications required.

Prepare job certifications required.

Prepare job descriptions based on tasks and responsibilities.

Develop a plan and timetable for the recruitment of the various types

of volunteer personnel and skills needed.

Implement a system for evaluating potential volunteers that is

compatible with applicable civil rights laws. The evaluation system

used may be an existing system or a new system developed by the

organization; however, the procedures employed in the system must

be valid and reliable. Skill or knowledge tests, if appropriate or open-

ended interview forms should be administered. Tests based on the

performance of real tasks offer the most reliable information about the


Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration, (no date), pg. 8.



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relative abilities of candidates for volunteer positions and are more

easily shown to be valid if challenged in court.

Rate or rank order the applicants based on established criteria.

Select the candidates with the best qualifications.

Develop a schedule compatible with current and anticipated needs for

volunteers for bringing the selected candidates on board. Schedule

follow-up contacts with qualified candidates placed on a waiting list.

Implement an orientation and training program for new volunteers.

Assess the progress of new volunteers and make recommendations as

to changes needed in performance or training.

As can be seen from the preceding list of tasks associated with recruitment

and selection program, oversight cannot be haphazard. The success of an

organization’s ability to provide the volunteers needed to assist in its

operations will depend largely on its commitment to providing the resources

required to achieve its desired goals.

3. Where are Volunteers Needed?

The GFD uses volunteers as paramedics, firefighters, and members of theCommunity Emergency Response Team. Of course, these jobs are not the

only ones in which volunteers bring added value to the services delivered

by emergency service organizations. For example, in Miami-Dade County,

senior volunteers participate in a public education program to bring fire

safety information to their peers in nursing homes, senior adult congregate

living facilities, and at fire station open houses. In Germantown, people

between the ages of 60 and 70 years make up about 22 percent of thepopulation. This suggests the possibility of a fertile marketplace for

volunteerism.



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The following list of volunteer recruitment and retention strategies can point

the way for the GFD as it looks for ways to improve its recruitment and

retention program. Additional information for each strategy can be obtained

from the source of the list (see note).



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Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Strategies

for Fire Departments6

Annual volunteer recognition

event

Multilingual recruitment

Availability of non-

operational opportunities

New, well-maintained vehicles

Buddy system Open house

Clearly written job

descriptions

Out-of-town conferences

Competitive testing for

promotions

Participation-based

compensation

Encouragement of family

participation

Physical activities

Formal recognition system Piggybacking of recruitmentactivities

Free insurance Print advertisements

Free meals during long-

distance runs

Recruiter incentives

Free personal equipment and

protective clothing

Stipend (service account) for

volunteers who meet

minimum weekly participation

requirements

Free training Targeted recruitmentInformal recognition system

Length of Service awards

program

24-hour central telephone

access by prospective

volunteers

Mentoring Vacancy announcements

Movie theater advertisement Volunteer EMT week

Welcome wagon Youth development programs

Youth education


Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration, (no date), pg. 47-48.



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C. Measuring Performance in an Emergency Service Organization

The question of how to measure agency and program performance within a

public organization is one of the big issues within the field of public

administration today. Strategic planning and management has come to the

fire service and is unlikely to go away. It is leadership and the proper and

effective use of the right tools which will impact plan implementation.

Performance measurement is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of

program accomplishments, particularly progress toward pre-established

goals. The need to continually assess performance requires the addition of

new words and definitions to the fire service lexicon. Fire administrators

need to know the different tools and consequences of their use.7

Administrative feasibility. How difficult will it be to set up and operate

the program?

Effectiveness. Does the program produce the intended effect in the

specified time? Does it reach the intended target group?

Efficiency. How do the benefits compare with the costs?

Equity. Are the benefits distributed equitably with respect to region,

income, sex, ethnicity, age, and so forth?

Political feasibility. Will the program attract and maintain key actors

with a stake in the program area?

Performance measures are objective, quantitative indicators of various

aspects of the performance of public programs or agencies. Different kinds

of measures are used to track particular dimensions of performance, such as

effectiveness, operating efficiency, productivity, service quality, customer

satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. Performance measurement refers to the

process of defining, observing, and using such measures. The following is a

7 Managing the Public Sector, Eighth Edition, Starling, Grover, 2008, pg. 242.



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step-by-step process for designing and implementing a performance

measurement system.8

1. Developing an Effective Performance Measurement System

Performance measurement systems vary among types of agencies. Some

systems focus primarily on efficiency and productivity within work units, and

others are designed to monitor outcomes produced by major public

programs. Still others track the quality of the services provided by an

agency and the extent to which clients are satisfied with these services.

Measurement systems are the principle vehicle for observing, reporting, and

using performance measures. In addition to the management function,

performance measurement systems consist of three components which

pertain to data collection and processing, analysis, and consequent action or

decision making as shown in Figure 1.

8 Measuring Performance in Public and Non-Profit Organizations, Poister, Theodore H., 2003,

pg. 3-4.



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Figure 1. Performance Measurement Systems

The following represents steps associated with implementation.9

1. Secure management commitment.

2. Organize the system development process.

3. Clarify purpose and system parameters.

4. Identify outcomes and other performance criteria.

5. Define, evaluate, and select indicators.6. Develop data collection procedures.

7. Specify the system design.

Identify reporting frequencies and channels.

Determine analytical and reporting formats.

Assign responsibilities for maintaining the system.

8. Conduct a pilot and revise if necessary (optional).

9. Implement full-scale system.10. Use, evaluate, and modify the system as appropriate.

9 Measuring Performance in Public and Non-Profit Organizations, Poister, Theodore H., 2003,

pg. 22.



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2. Program Logic

Public programs should be planned and managed with an eye toward

specifying and achieving desirable results. If a program cannot articulate

worthwhile results and provide evidence that its activities are producingthem, continued support will or should be questioned. Any sound program

design must be based on a set of assumptions regarding the services the

program provides, the clients it serves or the cases it treats, its intended

results, and the logic of how the use of resources in particular programmatic

activities will be expected to produce these results.10 Figure 2 represents a

pictorial view of the logic model.

10 Measuring Performance in Public and Non-Profit Organizations, Poister, Theodore H.,

2003, pg. 36-37.



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Figure 2. General Program Logic Model

The logic model clarifies what goes into a program, who its customers are,

what services it provides, what immediate products or outputs it produces,

and what outcomes it is supposed to generate. Once this has been done, the

most relevant measures can be identified. For the most part, the type of

measures include measures of output, efficiency, productivity, service

quality, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.11

There are several studies, some of which date back to the 1970s, that

highlight important performance measures for fire departments. The GFD

has begun the process of measuring its performance, but more needs to be

done. There have been many key changes in fire codes since the 1970s. This

can have a profound impact on measures of fire department performance.

11 Measuring Performance in Public and Non-Profit Organizations, Poister, Theodore H.,

2003, pg. 47.



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Fire detection and suppression equipment is now required in most new

construction. There are more requirements for nonflammable building

contents, such as upholstered furniture and mattresses and bedding.12

The easiest and best way of applying quantitative performance measures to

qualitative goal statements is to specifically identify target rates or

percentages of each goal. Elected officials will then gain a better

understanding of what it is the department is trying to achieve.

For example, stating that the GFD’s ‖response time goal‖ is to reduce

response time is a fine goal. However, an effective measure for this goal

would be the percentage of time the department responds to fire incidents in

five minutes or less.

Another example of a qualitative goal statement might be to ―control fire

spread upon arrival’‖ The department could use this measure: percentage of

fires that did not spread beyond the area of origin after arrival of the fire

department. The GFD collects the typical fire department data, such as

response times, total inspections, code violations found, code violations

corrected in ninety days, and response to structure fires by type. These

statistics, although reflective of typical measures seen among fire service

organizations today, should link department goals to specific target rates or

percentages if they are to be used persuasively to justify budget requests to

city officials.

According to Schaemann and Swartz in Measuring Fire Protection

Productivity in Local Government , The Urban Institute and NFPA, 1976, a

large part of the fire service contribution to reducing loss can be measured

by combining response time measures with measures of fire spread after

12 Fire Service Performance Measures, National Fire Protection Association, 2009, pg.3



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arrival of the fire department. They also suggest analyzing the crash rate en

route to or from fires to indicate if response times are being achieved at the

expense of increased damage and casualties during response.

Additional methods that may be used for measuring success are:13

Comparing fire incidence, casualty, and property loss rates over time

both within the department and with the same rates of departments in

comparable communities.

Measuring the percent of fires confined to the room of origin.

Measuring intermediate outcomes, such as ―number of preventable

fires‖ (where ―preventable fires ―is defined as fires that could have

been prevented if an inspector or other educational intervention had

been performed).

Measuring citizen satisfaction with fire department performance.

(Public opinion of firefighters is generally quite high: thus any

indication of dissatisfaction among citizens should be considered an

indicator of possibly serious problems within the department.)

Although responding to fire incidents, by definition, is the fire department’s

primary mission and the majority of performance measure research focuses

on this function, performance measures must be identified for each

organizational function. They are especially important with regards to areas

of service delivery. Below are examples of outcome measures for fire

protection services.14

13 How Effective Are Your Community Services: Procedures for Performance Measurement,

Third Ed., ICMA, The Urban Institute, 2006, pg. 81-82.14 How Effective Are Your Community Services: Procedures for Performance Measurement,

Third Ed., ICMA, The Urban Institute,2006, pg. 82-83.



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Number of civilian (a) injuries and (b) deaths related to fires, absolute

and per 1,000 population.

Number of firefighter (a) injuries and (b) deaths per 100 firefighters.

Direct dollar loss from fires (a) per $1,000 property protected and (b)

per 100,000 population.

Percentage of homes with working smoke alarms.

Percentage of (a) homes or (b) businesses with working sprinklers.

Average dollar loss for fires not out on arrival, by property type.

Percentage of fires confined to room or area of origin (or a specified

areas expressed in square feet).

3. Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the search for practices that lead to superior performance.

Basically, it involves comparing performance across organizations to

measure one’s own achievements and identify ways to improve.

Unfortunately, most comparisons in the public sector focus on resources

rather than on performance.

The most common resource comparisons in the fire service are per capitacosts, the number of firefighters per 1,000 population, and the number of

firefighters assigned to each piece of apparatus. A primary difference

between comparative resource analysis and benchmarking is the extent to

which the latter focuses on methods for improving performance.

Benchmarking seeks to identify best practices and then implement those

practices to enhance performance. The following is an example of

comparative data (taken from State of Tennessee fire department censusdata):



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Fire Dept. Type County

No.

of

Sta.

Paid

CAVolunteer P/C

Germantown MC Shelby 4 67 25 0

Shelbyville Shelbywille 3 37 18 0Barlett MC Shelby 5 94 30 0

Millington MC Millington 4 47 30 0

Gallatin MC Gallatin 3 57 9 0

Collierville MC Shelby 5 64 0 15

MC = Mostly Career; Paid CA = Paid Career; P/C = Paid per call.

Whether initiated by a number of counterpart agencies or mandated by

some higher level of authority, the benchmarking process usually proceeds

through the following steps:15

Identify the measures to be used – what is to be measured and what

those measures will be.

Develop precise definitions of the operational indicators to be used by

all participants, along with clear guidelines for implementing them and

uniform procedures for collecting and processing the data and

computing the measures.

Collect and report the data on a periodic, often annual, basis.

Use the comparative data to assess the performance of a particular

agency or program, set targets for particular entities or more general

standards for the field at large, or identify star performers and

industry leaders and investigate leading-edge practices, as

appropriate.

There are challenges in the process that involve availability of data,

reliability of data, reliability of comparative data, and variation in operating

15 Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations, Poister, T. H., 2003, pg.

239-240.



31

conditions. These factors should not, however, deter an agency from

embarking upon this worthwhile endeavor as a means of improving

performance.



32

D. Ambulance Transport Service

The City of Germantown is considering the expansion of the GFD’s

emergency medical services to include ambulance transport. The city

currently participates with the cities of Arlington, Collierville, Lakeland, and

Millington in a shared, intergovernmental agreement with Shelby County for

ambulance transport services. GFD paramedics serve as first responders to

all emergency medical calls for service, turning over advanced life support

patients to Rural Metro, a private service contractor, for transport to an

appropriate medical facility.

According to a report issued by the GFD, two main problems exist with this

method of service delivery. First, GFD expends resources without the

possibility of cost recovery, and second, there is little to no control over the

quality of service delivered once patient transfer occurs. Another issue not

mentioned in the report but brought forward during the qualitative interview

process, was that of time constraints. Legislative action at the state level

could limit the city’s ability to implement transport service in the future.

In a 2008 pilot study published by the U.S. Department of Transportation,

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for the mid-Atlantic region,

it was estimated that the fire department served as the primary emergency

medical service transport agency for 31 per cent of the population of all

systems surveyed. Of course, this means that fire departments served

nearly 70 percent of the population with only primary first response.

Why do so many fire departments not engage in transport services? The

answer is not surprising. First and foremost, fire departments operating EMS

transport need additional personnel, as time spent delivering patients to





34

private ambulance companies are not in a strong enough financial position

to limit their services to emergency transportation, which is why so much of

their resources are dedicated to nonemergency transports – where the

higher percentage of revenues is received. Ideally, the ratio of billable to

nonbillable transportation events will be two to one: two-thirds

nonemergency and one-third emergency.18

Given this information, how could a local government – which has higher

salaries and more generous fringe benefits than most private companies --

provide emergency ambulance service on a competitive, cost-effective

basis?

Much depends on the demographics of the community, the payer mix, the

prevailing reimbursement rates, and the effectiveness of the billing and

collection processes. It is well documented that in most cases where the

service is provided by the fire department utilizing multirole personnel, the

marginal costs will be sufficiently low to allow the potential for full cost

recovery. Furthermore, service charges for local government agencies can

be lower than for private companies within the same geographic area.19

There are few if any current examples of government-operated EMS services

of this type showing a profit margin.

Recently, the City of Stockton, California made the decision to discontinue

its ambulance transport service after operating it for nearly two years. Three

ambulances and associated equipment were taken out of service, and there

was a reduction in personnel. The original feasibility study undertaken by

the department was favorable. It indicated better than average collection

18 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, ICMA, 2002, pg. 3019 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, ICMA, 2002, pg. 31



35

rates within the surrounding market area, as well as good comparative data

among other fire departments providing the service.

2. Economic Factors Surrounding Policy Implementation

The GFD has researched the feasibility of implementing ambulance

transportation services for the City of Germantown. In its document entitled,

―Emergency Ambulance Service, Business Plan for the City of Germantown,‖

it identifies various key indicators that serve to support its recommendation

for the addition of this service delivery component to its core business

functions. The following list of key indicators taken from that document,

which are based on professional experience and judgment, offer the greatest

advantages favoring service implementation.

An aging population indicates a growth in the need for emergency

medical services.

During the next ten years, the majority of the baby boomer generation

will reach 65 years of age.

It is projected that between now and the year 2020, the growth rate in

the number of persons over age 65 will be twice the growth rate forthe general population.

Germantown’s median age is 41.3 years, which is higher than the

median age of the U.S. population, which is 35.5 years.

Germantown is growing at a faster rate than the national average. The

largest age group in Germantown is between the ages of 45 to 54

(21.7 percent of the city’s population). In four years, the largest group

will be 55 and older.Germantown will need to provide medical (and other) services to

seniors sooner and at a much higher rate than in many other

communities.



36

The number of medical responses the fire department makes to elderly

residents is increasing.

• The most common medical calls in Germantown associated with the

elderly include respiratory problems, chest pain, cardiac arrest, stroke,

diabetic emergencies, general illness, and falls.

The socioeconomic environment in Germantown and the market area

indicates a high potential for collecting revenue for services provided.

The market area contains mainly third-party payers

The vast majority of Germantown residents are well educated: more

than 40 percent are college graduates and more than 22 percent have

post-graduate degrees. This educational level indicates the probability

that most residents have jobs or careers that provide medical benefits

and/or they understand the need for comprehensive health insurance.

More than 89 percent of the households in Germantown report annual

salary and wage earnings.

More than 81 percent of households in Germantown report annual

earnings of $50,000 or more.

More than 46 percent of households report annual earnings of

$100,000 or more.

The median household income in Germantown is $113,769.

Per-capita income in Germantown is $44,021.

At first glance, these factors provide a good argument for the sustainability

of a fire department ambulance transportation service. However, there are

other factors to consider.



37

3. Cost Factors

The cost concept that is most useful in examining new or expanded service

is marginal cost. Marginal cost concentrates attention on the additional

expenditures required to deliver a new service or expand an existing one.20

The business plan prepared by GFD outlines many of the programmatic

costs associated with the implementation of an ambulance transport service.

However, all costs associated with a new program or expansion of an

existing one must be considered if an educated decision about program

development is to be made.

Cost projections and program objectives are used in choosing amongpossible programs before anything is implemented. The goal of the planners

is to offer services that will justify the investment of funds.

Some will argue that the expansion of EMS service within the fire

department is a win/win situation for the department and community. No

doubt many local governments have benefited, although not monetarily,

from this expanded role for their fire departments. The enhanced reputation

and goodwill associated with this service have been a selling point for many

jurisdictions. At the same time, the idea that so many departments have

moved toward this type of service delivery does not preclude the need to

perform due diligence during the decision-making process. In this day and

age of economic decline, government entities are scrutinizing expenditures

closer than ever in order to keep costs down.

There are various costs associated with undertaking a program, including:

21

20 Costing Government Services: A Guide for Decision Making, Kelly, Joseph T. 1984, pg.

89.21 Program Evaluation Methods and Case Studies, Fifth Edition, Posavac, E., Carey, R. 1997,

pg.195-196.



38

• Variable versus fixed costs: Cost borne to simply open an agency’s

door.

Incremental (marginal) versus sunk costs: Incremental costs are those

that must be covered day by day in order for a program to provide a

service-staff, salaries, or repairs. Sunk costs are those that have been

expended already. Sunk costs do not determine future behavior, but

incremental costs should.

Recurring versus nonrecurring costs: recurring costs are those due at

regular intervals, such as salaries, rent, utilities, and vehicle lease

payments if that is what is used to acquire vehicles. The cost of

purchasing equipment or vehicles is a nonrecurring cost if the

equipment or vehicles are expected to last a number of years.

Hidden versus obvious costs: Brings attention to the fact that some

costs are not easily recognizable.

Direct versus indirect costs: Those who provide the service and those

who make it possible to provide the service, such as the city or fire

department staff who provide administrative oversight for the private

billing service company.

Opportunity costs: Whenever money is spent to relieve one need, it

cannot be spent to relieve another need; that is the opportunity cost.

Figure 3 is a pictorial view of the costs associated with program

development.



39

Figure 3. Costs Needed to Support a New or Expand an Existing

Program.

A few factors missing from the proposed business plan are contract

administration, opportunity costs, discounting, compounding, future value,

and present value.

Contract administration can be calculated in one of two ways. The first is to

choose a percentage of the contract cost. A range of 10 to 20 percent for

contract administration is a rule of thumb, with the ratio dropping as the

total dollar amount rises. The second is to use the staffing formula

developed as a guide for federal agencies by the U.S. Office of Management

and Budget (OMB), and which is based on the number of government

employees needed to provide the service. For example, if government

provision of the service takes 66 to 91 employees, then according to the

OMB ratio four government employees would be needed to administer a

private contract covering that same range of personnel.22

22 Management Policies in Local Government Finance, Fifth Edition, ICMA, 2004, pg. 369-

370.



40

The factors of opportunity costs, discounting, compounding, future value,

and present value fall under the category of the time value of money.

Taking a closer look at opportunity costs, we begin to understand that even

though the idea of expanding EMS service delivery sounds good

theoretically, the decision to do so should be weighed against other

department needs. After all, resources are limited and it is the responsibility

of administrative and elected officials to make the best possible decisions

when allocating limited resources. Hypothetically, what if funds used for this

purpose were instead directed toward developing or enhancing a data and

management information system (DMIS), toward increased staffing in Fire

Prevention, or toward hiring a full-time volunteer coordinator? What about

adding an additional compressed-air foam system equipped pumper?

The decision not to expand into EMS transport is a difficult choice, but using

these funds could generate tremendous resources to advance GFD service

delivery by taking advantage of today’s technology and/or adding needed

support staff.

The wisdom of a resource allocation decision can be assessed by placing the

decision in context and by considering the time value of money. Was it a

good decision compared with some other option – including the option of

investing these funds? A standard method of making such an assessment is

to compare the ―return‖ or benefit from a project with the return on a

conservative investment of an equal amount of funds. On that basis, the use

of funds for a program with substantial revenue-generating or cost-

avoidance potential would seem to have an advantage over a conservative

investment of an equal amount of funds, which in turn would seem to have

an advantage over nonrevenue-generating alternatives; but the time value

of money comes into play in different ways.



41

A dollar in the hand today is considered to be more valuable than a

projected dollar to be received in the future for at least three reasons:23

It is a sure thing – the risk of nonreceipt is eliminated.

The possibility of consumption today rather than tomorrow is highly

prized (if owners must wait before gaining access to their resources,

compensation in the form of interest payment is expected in return for

deferred gratification).

Inflation erodes the buying power of money.

Our study will not attempt to compute any present or future values. This

task is best left to finance experts within Germantown city government.

In summary, the decision by public officials to spend financial resources

eliminates the possibility of using those same resources for other purposes.

23 Tools for Decision Making, Second Edition, David N. Ammons, 2009, pg. 126-127.



42

E. Fire Station Location

The most effective way to improve outcomes for both fire and medical

emergency response is to reduce response time. Excessive travel times may

mean an increased risk to the public. Therefore, the basic deployment

concept, or model, for a fire department calls for fire stations to be located

so as to form an orderly network of stations from which emergency service

is delivered. The network as a whole seeks to optimize coverage with short

travel distances, while giving special attention to natural and man-made

barriers that can create response time problems. When such barriers to

optimum response times exist, some areas may require more fire stations.24

Fire station location planning must take into account a number of variables

including:

The importance of time in responding to fire and medical emergencies

• Flashover (marks critical change in fire conditions)

• Fire department total reflex time sequence (dispatch time, turnout

time, response time, access time, and set-up time)

• Emergency medical services.

Prior to the gradual population growth to the northwest, the existing location

of fire stations within the GFD response area has served to provide an

effective deployment network for suppression and EMS resources. The

impact this growth will have on overall resource deployment can be

determined by analyzing historical response data and computer modeling. A

computer database of local streets, roads, and thoroughfares can help the

fire department planning staff by simulating responses from a proposed fire

station site along all streets at various average miles per hour. The more

24 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, ICMA, 2002, pg. 121.



43

realistic the average response speeds, the better the projected coverage

area can be defined.

This ICMA study is limited in its ability to provide this kind of station location

analysis; however, computerized programs are available for this analysis, as

are private consultants who specialize in such efforts.

In an examination of the historical data extracted from the department’s

computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, unit workload was identified.

Currently, engine 93 and truck 41 housed at station 3 are the busiest units

within the GFD response area. Engine 93 has the largest percentage of EMS

category calls (65.8) and the lowest percentage of fire category calls (33.8).

Truck 41 ranks third highest among the remaining vehicles in the

percentage of EMS responses. The following exhibit shows the call

percentage by broad category of call during our study period.

Station Unit EMS Fire Related

1 ENG 91 19.4 58.3

2 ENG 92 14.0 66.4

3 ENG93 65.3 33.8TRK 16.4 62.8

4 ENG 94 21.5 48.9

Given the above information, certain inferences can be drawn from which to

make resource deployment recommendations.

It is obvious that the city would be better served if station 3 could be

supplemented with an EMS response unit, since the majority of its calls for

service are of this nature. The type of unit (e.g., Basic Life Support, BLS, or

Advanced Life Support, ALS, transport unit) would depend on the type of

calls received. ICMA data analysis is limited to a broad categorization of

EMS-related calls. Therefore, GFD would need to use its own resources to



44

determine the level of service needed in the wake of this information. This

strategy would also possibly bring about a reduction in EMS runs for truck

41, since number of runs per day for engine 93 average only 3.9.

This report has already mentioned the additional wear and tear on vehicles

with the implementation of transport service. Indeed, this is already being

experienced as a result of the heavy use of a ladder truck for the delivery of

this type of service. Increased maintenance costs are a result of this kind of

deployment strategy. It should be noted that the information provided does

not represent a trend analysis in that only a twelve-month period of data

was observed.

Another assumption that can be drawn from the data has to do with the

issue of capacity. Capacity is the number of simultaneous calls for service or

multiple alarms received by an agency and which would overwhelm its

ability to meet the increased demand.

ICMA data analysis shows the impact of simultaneous calls on department

capacity to be insignificant. Our research indicates that only four out of six

staffed units were busy during the peak workload hour of the period we

observed, with only two units busy more than thirty minutes of the hour.

Further, for the period studied, the hourly call rates were the highest

between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., averaging at least 0.42 calls per hour and the

call rate was lowest between midnight and 6 a.m., averaging .13 calls per

hour.

Based on this information the following alternatives for modifications to

deployment strategies are recommended for consideration (in order of

descending priority):



45

Add a peak load (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) ALS unit to station 3, staffed by

reserve members. Shift staffing could be condensed to only eight

hours.

Add a peak load (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) BLS unit to station 3, staffed by

reserve members. Shift staffing could be condensed to only eight

hours.

Add a peak load ALS unit to station 3, staffed with paid, on-call

personnel during an eight-hour block time schedule.

Add a peak load BLS unit to station 3, staffed with paid, on-call

personnel during an eight-hour block time schedule.

Using either peak load staffing and paid, on-call personnel are deployment

methods that have used across the country for many years. These options

offer flexibility and efficiency while increasing effectiveness.

The unit demand analysis for the remaining stations shows near equitable

distribution of calls among the two broad call categories – fire and EMS. Call

volume does not require any recommended deployment modifications. A

new station appears to be unjustified at this point in time.

1. Reducing Response Times

Essentially, each community must decide its desired response and travel

times. There a number of factors that influence the selection of a specific

response/travel time and all must be considered.25 These factors are:

• What types of services are delivered by the fire department? Does the

department deliver both fire and emergency medical services or fireservice only?

25 GIS for Fire Station Locations and Response Protocol: An ESRI® White Paper , Jan 2007,

pg. 8.



46

• What is reasonable travel time for the community?

• What is the size of the area being served and the type and amount of

resources that are available?

• What level of risk is the community willing to accept?

There are several ways a community can establish a response/travel time

standard.26

The use of historical fire and EMS response data.

Demand for service.

The level of care that the community wants to provide.

The level of care that the community is able to afford.

2. National Standards

There are three National Association of Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

standards that contain time requirements that influence the delivery of fire

and emergency medical services. These are:

NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of

Emergency Service Communications SystemsNFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire

Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special

Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments

NFPA 1720, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire

Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special

Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments.

NFPA 1710 contains time objectives that shall be established by career fire

departments as follows:

26 GIS for Fire Station Locations and Response Protocol: An ESRI® White Paper , Jan 2007,

pg. 9.



47

• Turnout time: One minute (60 seconds) for turnout time.

• Fire response time: Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival

off the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident

and/or eight minutes (480 seconds) or less for the deployment of a full

alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident.

• First responder or higher emergency medical response time: Four

minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival of a unit with first

responder or higher-level capability at an emergency medical incident.

• Advanced life support response time: Eight minutes (480 seconds) or

less for the arrival of an advanced life support unit at an emergency

medical incident, where the service is provided by the fire department.

The standard states that the fire department shall establish a performance

objective of not less than 90 percent for the achievement of each response

time objective. NFPA 1710 does not contain a time objective for dispatch

other than requiring that ―All communications facilities, equipment, staffing,

and operating procedures shall comply with NFPA 1221.‖ For the purposes of

NFPA 1710, the following definitions apply:

Dispatch time: The point of receipt of the emergency alarm at the

public safety answering point to where sufficient information is known

to the dispatcher and applicable units are notified of the emergency.

Turnout time: The time that begins when units acknowledge

notification of the emergency to the beginning point of response time.

Response time: The time that begins when units are en route to the

emergency incident and ends when units arrive at the scene.



48

Figure 4. Incident Development and Response Timeline and NFPA

1221 and 1710 Recommendations for Career Firefighters

Source: NFPA 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency

Services Communications Systems and NFPA: 1710 Standard for the Organization and

Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career

Fire Departments.

NFPA 1720 contains a time objective for dispatch time by requiring that ―All

communications facilities, equipment, staffing, and operating procedures

shall comply with NFPA 1221, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance and

Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems.‖ NFPA 1720 contains

no time requirements for turnout time and response time.

NFPA 1221 requires that 95 percent of alarms shall be answered within

fifteen seconds, 99 percent of alarms shall be answered in forty seconds,

and the dispatch of the emergency response agency shall be completed

within sixty seconds 95 percent of the time.

• After receipt of a call for assistance, the fire department will respond

with the first unit to that location within three minutes.



49

• After receipt of a call for assistance, the fire department will respond

with a unit to the location, within four minutes, to 90 percent of area

served.

• After receipt of a call for a medical emergency, the fire department will

respond with an engine company to that location within four minutes

and an ambulance with six minutes.



50

Figure 5. Incident Development and Response Timeline and NFPA

1221 and 1720 Recommendations for Volunteer Firefighters

Source: NFPA 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency

Services Communications Systems and NFPA: 1720 Standard for the Organization and

Deployment off Fire Suppression Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by

Volunteer Fire Departments.

3. Standards of Response Cover

Other guidelines for the deployment of emergency resources are the

Commission on Fire Accreditation International’s standards of response

coverage. The components of this resource were identified previously in this

report.

4. Risk versus Response Time Standards

Some communities may choose to adopt several response time standards

for various levels of risks in the community, or they may adopt one single

response time standard for all risks. GFD has elected the latter. A risk refers

to a location where the response may be made and the characteristics (e.g.,

fire potential, occupant exposure) at that location. Providing a single

response time simplifies the station location study process; however, it does



51

not negate the need to conduct a community hazard analysis and needs

assessment.

5. GFD Response Time Analysis

According to the GFD business plan, the response time objective is five

minutes within the city limits. ICMA data analysis indicates that for 90

percent of the time, response time is 7.3 minutes or less. Although still

within the acceptable NFPA standard, this figure provides a more precise

picture of where the community stands with regard to response time.



52

F. Organization and Deployment – Increased Fire Potential within

Germantown

Preparation for potential fire operations prior to actual alarms requires pre-

incident planning; staffing assessment; determination of apparatus and

equipment needs; and training of emergency response personnel. With the

construction of a mixed-use occupancy and a high-rise structure within

Germantown, the development of new standard operating procedures and

tactics and strategies will be needed.

Pre-incident planning is conducted to allow firefighting personnel to view

conditions within a structure or site, evaluate what these conditions are

likely to develop into in the event of an emergency, and then develop

strategies for dealing with potential problems. NFPA 1620, Recommended

Practice for Pre-Incident Planning, should be reviewed by the department

command staff prior to the development of a pre-incident planning program

or updating an existing one. The following provides a summary of the steps

involved in the process.27

1. Determine the priorities to address – that is, life hazards, firefighter

traps, and critical infrastructure.

2. Decide what data are needed.

3. Develop a standardized information capture method, preplan form,

and so forth.

4. Train collectors to gather information.

5. Perform visits and collect data.

6. Develop strategic and tactical plans.

27 Fire Protection Handbook, 20th Edition, National Fire Protection Association, 2008, Vol. II,

pg. 12-302.



53

7. Distribute copies to all potential users.

8. Train users on objectives.

9. Review the plan periodically (annually at minimum).

10. Revise as needed, redistribute, and retrain.

Making the plan available to those who need it in an emergency is the last

step in the pre-incident planning process. Information dissemination can be

handled in a number of ways. Currently, the GFD uses both written

documentation kept on field units and some limited storage within the CAD

system as a means of getting the information to incident commanders. The

CAD is by far the most effective tool for retrieving pre-incident planning

information.

Of course, the information within the system is only as good as the

information that is put into it. Continual updating, at least on an annual

basis, is required in order to ensure the safety of responding emergency

personnel. The department should consider evaluating the effectiveness of

the current CAD system to take advantage of available technology.

Improvements in this area are not only critical to the safety of responding

units, but also to reducing response times.

The amount of information that can be amassed about a typical high rise

building can be quite extensive. In many cities where the CAD systems have

been developed or expanded, data entry issues have been resolved by

requiring the property owners of certain ―target hazards,‖ such as high-rise

buildings, to provide the information in a standardized electronic format.

This can often be accomplished by using a commonly available electronic

program that architectural or engineering firms use.28

28 Fire Protection Handbook, 20th Edition, National Fire Protection Association, 2008, Vol. II,

pg. 12-307.



54

G. Alternative Options for GFD Funding Allocations

1. Data and Management Information Systems

Fire and rescue service managers must have accurate information. Theyneed it to make decisions, and they also need it to explain and defend their

decisions to local government managers, budget directors, the media, and

citizens. Like other agencies and public interest groups, the fire service must

be prepared to make the case for its priorities.

The number of problems a fire department faces is voluminous and the

range of activities it engages in is broad. The GFD needs to able to handle

the huge amount of information required to make intelligent and informed

decisions. Even the smallest department can be confronted with a myriad of

situations and require hundreds of material resources in order to deal with

them. This is where access to a sophisticated method of managing data and

information becomes important. Moreover, the proper use of good statistics

can help managers identify potential problems, develop public education

programs, and a build positive image of the fire department.

Management information systems allow stored data to be manipulated and

intermixed with advanced systems using computer models for decision

making. Management information systems can also incorporate logic and

information of experts to create ―expert systems‖ that imitate highly

experienced advisers.29 This can be extremely effective in both the

administrative and field environments. Hazardous materials incidents,

disaster management, and EMS patient interventions are just a few of scenarios in which technology can be useful in improving the level of service

provided.

29 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, Third Edition, ICMA, 2002, pg. 424.



55

2. Communications

Of all the areas in which technology can be applied to enhance public safety,

communication probably provides the most ―bang for the buck‖ and also the

greatest number of options. Some of the technology applications that affectcommunications are global positioning systems, internal communications

systems (pagers, voice mail, e-mails), methods of geographically locating

callers using cellular phones, and voice data logging systems.

Because a new system that solves one problem may create new problems if

it is unable to share resources with an existing system, it is wise to

assemble representatives from all public safety entities to review any

proposed purchases of technology, even though the purchase appears to

affect only a single agency. For instance, an evidence tracking system for

the police department might appear to affect only that department.

However, if the fire department has a role in bombing or arson

investigations, fire personnel may be involved in the collection or processing

of evidence, or even have primary responsibility for arson investigations.30

3. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

CAD can be interfaced with GIS, thus allowing various data to be presented

in graphical form tied to maps of the community. For example, one can

create a circle one mile in radius around a factory site and feed the

telephone numbers of all residences in that area to an automated telephone

calling system. This can then be used to provide evacuation information and

instructions to the population at risk. GIS can also be integrated with

enhanced 911 systems: when the location of the caller is overlaid with road

closure information, emergency responders can be routed more efficiently.

30 IQ Service Report , ICMA, Vol.32/Number 1, January 2000, pg. 8.



56

There are many other ways GIS can be used to improve service delivery in

public safety operations.

4. Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)

The CAD system in use for public safety purposes within the city of

Germantown is a work in progress. The GFD lists in its business plan the

objectives to be achieved in this area. It is important to understand the

implications of changes to a system, especially as noted previously when

multiple agencies are involved.

Newer systems make it possible to transfer responsibility for status changes

to the field units when those units are equipped with simple data statusunits, mobile data terminals, or mobile computers. Further, CAD systems

can interface with enhanced 911 systems (systems that show the location of

the caller) and with governmental computer systems. This interfacing allows

access to vast amounts of information that, if properly managed, can be of

assistance to emergency responders.31

5.

Global Positioning Systems

Global positioning system (GPS) technology allows the user to establish, to a

very high degree of accuracy, his or her location in three dimensions

anywhere on or above the surface of the earth.

The most common use of GPS in public safety is to locate mobile assets from

a central control station. GPS technology can be used to track the

movements of a receiver, or the vehicle on which it is mounted. The term

―automatic vehicle locator‖ is the term often used to describe this

technology. It updates the location of receivers up to several times a

second. The direction of travel and rate of speed can be tracked with high

31 Managing Fire and Rescue Services, Third Edition, ICMA, 2002, pg. 463.



57

accuracy, and either transmitted to a base station or stored for later

retrieval. Because units may be away from the station for various reasons

during the course of a shift, GPS can have a significant effect on decreasing

response times by enabling the dispatch of the closest unit to an

emergency.32

6. Wireless Data and Laptop Strategies

A wireless system can connect a person in the field to the relevant database

so that he or she can get information directly, instead of waiting for it to be

read by a dispatcher. The technology can have a tremendous positive impact

on the delivery of emergency services. Fire prevention code inspections can

be completed with information inputted directly from the field, thus creating

efficiencies and enabling the recording of more accurate information. The

same is true with EMS patient reporting. Depending on the sophistication of

the system, mobile data systems can enable field workers to bring up maps

or diagrams of areas, floor plans, research the system for previous calls the

area or address, and gather intelligence on the incident as they respond. 33

7. Fire Prevention and Public Education

There are a number of critical time factors that are within a fire

department’s power to manage within the total reflex time sequence of

every emergency. The United Kingdom released The National Plan in 2004,

replacing earlier standards of coverage documents. The new report found

that without prevention and mitigation, a fire department’s ability to have an

impact on the level of safety for responders and the public would reach a

plateau. Using the analysis of risk and looking at what strategic actions can

32 IQ Service Report , ICMA, Vol.32/Number 1, January 2000, pg. 11.33 GIS for Fire Station Locations and Response Protocol: An ESRI® White Paper , January

2007, pg. 11.



58

be taken may not only prevent the incident from occurring, but may also

minimize the severity when and if the incident ever occurs.

At present, staffing within the GFD fire prevention section is minimal. The

fire marshal has no additional human resource outside of himself to attend

to the myriad responsibilities required of the functional area. It appears that

all funding is allocated toward the suppression side of the equation, giving

little emphasis to the importance of fire prevention and education efforts.

This is not unusual among fire department organizations, given the limited

resources available. However, if real progress is to be made in controlling

the escalating cost of providing fire protection to our communities,

adjustments in priorities must take place. Continued channeling of resources

to control fire and medical emergencies after the fact is ineffective and

highly inefficient. What was mentioned earlier in this report is worth

repeating. Without prevention and mitigation, impacting the level of safety

for responders and the public would reach a plateau.

8. Public Education

The delivery of EMS by first responders is also time critical for many types of injuries and events. If a person has a heart attack and cardiopulmonary

resuscitation (CPR) is not started within four minutes, brain damage is likely

to occur. Moreover, the victim’s chances of leaving the hospital alive are four

times greater than if the victim did not receive CPR until after four minutes.



59

Figure 6. Outcome for Heart Attack Victims Based on When CPR is

Provided

Sixty-one million Americans have cardiovascular disease, resulting in

approximately 1 million deaths per year. One-third of these deaths (300,000

– 400,000) are due to cardiac arrest, the sudden and unexpected loss of

heart function.

In 1999, every police officer in Miami Dade County was issued an AED and

trained in its use. The City of Germantown, like many other cities across the

nation, could benefit from the implementation of a comprehensive Automatic

External Defibrillator Program. The operative word here is ―comprehensive‖.



60

In 1990 one of the first studies was initiated to determine the effectiveness

of putting AEDs on police cars. At the time the value of fully incorporating

their use in the community at large was not considered. Since then, it has

become a well-accepted fact that making AEDs accessible in as many public

places as possible dramatically increases survival rate for out-of-hospital

victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Programs have been implemented using

various funding methods across the United States. Grants at all levels of

government are available for start-ups and some offer additional funding for

maintenance once programs have been initiated. The business community

has also contributed to the effort by not only providing opportunities for AED

station placements, but providing financial funding as well.

Training and public awareness play a key role in the success of a PAD

program. Fire departments should assume the lead role in this initiative and

aid in the administration the program, utilizing their association with local

medical professionals and access to the business community. GFD has been

forward thinking in this area, but the program should be expanded. The

public should have access to CPR and AED training opportunities and police

departments must have a strict protocol for the use of AEDs carried in their

vehicles. Additionally and most important to the deployment of AED from

police vehicles, is the cultural change within the police department that must

occur for program success. A full commitment to assume the added role of

becoming a medical first responder must take place. Communication center

response protocols must also be changed to achieve improvements in

survival outcomes.



61

H. Recommendations

Conduct community risk assessment and hazard analysis based on

RHAVE model developed by Commission on Fire Accreditation and

International.

Modify Business Plan to include SMART performance objectives

Consider FTE Volunteer Program Manager to lead and coordinate

recruitment and retention activities.

Implement lessons learned from nonprofit organizations on developing

strategies to recruit and retain volunteers.

Explore/identify areas within department where volunteers can serve,

such as fire prevention and public education and administration.

Implement part-time program to supplement Reserve Program

staffing.

Develop quantitative performance measures for all program areas that

link goals to specific target rates or percentages.

Establish benchmarking partnership(s) with comparable departments

to determine ―best practices‖ as means toward self -improvement

strategy.

Expand feasibility study to include consideration of additional items

associated with program expansion (marginal costs, contract

administration, opportunity costs, discounting, compounding, future

and present value).

Consider opportunity costs associated with decision to implement ALS

transport service.

Implement paid part-time program to enhance staffing during peak

load periods at Station 3 using various alternatives as determined by

feasibility and ALS and BLS transport data.

Reconsider need for additional fire station at this time.



62

Data Analysis Report

Fire/EMS Operations

Germantown, Tennessee

Submitted by and reply to:

ICMA Center for Public Safety

International City/County Management Association

777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002

[email protected]



63

Introduction

Germantown’s fire department has four engines and three reserve engines,

one aerial truck, one reserve hazardous material truck, one reserve brush

truck, one reserve squad, one rescue unit, and two reserve rescue units for

use during special events. These units are deployed in four stations. Every

day, the fire department staffs one supervisor, one or two firefighters, and

one driver in each of the four engine units; one supervisor, one driver, and

one or two firefighters in the aerial truck; and one paramedic in the rescue

unit.

Our data analysis is divided into four sections. The first section focuses oncall types and dispatches. The second section explores time spent and

workload of individual units. The third section presents response time

analysis. The fourth section presents analysis of the busiest hours in the

year we reviewed.

The data in this report cover all calls for service between July 1, 2009 and

June 30, 2010. During this period, Germantown’s fire department received

2,669 non-canceled calls in the city of Germantown and 34 non-canceled

mutual aid calls. As multiple units are often sent to calls, a total of 4,100

Germantown units were dispatched during this period. The total workload for

the year for all Germantown units combined was 1,894 hours. Lastly, the

average total response time was 5.1 minutes for both EMS and fire category

calls in the city of Germantown.



64

I. Aggregate Call Totals and Dispatches

In the year studied, Germantown’s fire department received 2,789 calls. Of

these, eighty-nine were structure fire or outside fire calls within the city of

Germantown and twenty-one were mutual aid structure fire or outside fire

calls. There were 1,710 emergency medical service (EMS) calls within the

city of Germantown and 8 mutual aid EMS calls. We categorized the calls

based on the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) call type

code, as shown in Appendix I.

Table 1. Call Types

Call Type

GermantownMutual

Aid

Combined

Number

of Calls

Calls

per

Day

Call

Percentage

Number

of Calls

Number

of Calls

Calls per

Day

MVA 112 0.3 4.2 1 113 0.3

EMS Other 1,598 4.4 59.5 7 1,605 4.4

EMS Total 1,710 4.7 63.7 8 1,718 4.7

Structure Fire 41 0.1 1.5 19 60 0.2

Outside Fire 48 0.1 1.8 2 50 0.1

Hazard 165 0.5 6.1 1 166 0.5

Alarm 454 1.2 16.9 3 457 1.3

Public Service 228 0.6 8.5 1 229 0.6

Good Intent 23 0.1 0.9 23 0.1

Fire Total 959 2.6 35.7 26 985 2.7

Canceled 16 0.0 0.6 70 86 0.2

Total 2,685 7.4 100 104 2,789 7.6

Observations:

Mutual aid calls were 3.7 percent of all calls. Of the 104 mutual aid

calls received, 70 (67.3 percent) were canceled.

In the city of Germantown, the department received 7.4 non-canceled

calls per day.

In the city of Germantown, EMS calls for the year totaled 1,710 (63.7

percent of all calls), or about 4.7 per day.



65

In the city of Germantown, fire category calls for the year totaled 959

(35.7 percent of all calls), or about 2.6 per day.

Calls for structure and outside fires combined averaged 2.1 calls per

week. Of these, 19.1 percent were mutual aid calls.

In the city of Germantown, alarm calls totaled 454 (16.9 percent of all

calls), or about 1.2 per day.







68

Figure 8. Non-canceled EMS and Fire Calls by Type

Observations:

A total of 110 structure fire and outside fire calls accounted for 11.2

percent of the fire category total.

Alarm calls were 46.4 percent of fire category calls.

Public service calls were 23.2 percent of the fire category total.

Hazardous condition calls were 16.9 percent of the fire category total.

Good intent calls were 2.3 percent of the fire category total.

Motor vehicle accident calls accounted for 6.6 percent of EMS category

calls.

Other EMS calls were 93.4 percent of the EMS category total.



69

Figure 9. Average Calls per Day by Month

Observations:

Average calls per day ranged from a low of 6.5 calls per day in

October 2009 and April 2010 to a high of 8.4 calls per day in January

2010. The highest daily average is 29 percent greater than the lowest

daily average.

Average EMS calls per day ranged from a low of 4.1 calls per day in

August 2009 to a high in 5.4 calls per day in March 2010.

Average fire category calls per day ranged from a low of 2.1 calls per

day to a high of 4.0 calls per day (lowest in April 2010, highest in

January 2010).





71

Figure 11. Number of Units Dispatched by Category

Table 3. Number of Units Dispatched by Call Type

Call Type

Unit

One Two ThreeFour or

moreTotal

MVA 29 68 12 4 113

EMS Other 1,318 244 40 3 1,605

EMS Total 1,347 312 52 7 1,718

Structure Fire 12 2 25 21 60

Outside Fire 29 10 8 3 50

Hazard 56 17 64 29 166

Alarm 247 35 172 3 457Public Service 212 8 9 229

Good Intent 11 5 6 1 23

Fire Total 567 77 284 57 985

Grand Total 1,914 389 336 64 2,703

Percentage 70.8 14.4 12.4 2.4 100



72

Observations:

Overall, four or more units were dispatched to 2.4 percent of calls.

On average, 1.3 units were dispatched per EMS call.

For EMS calls, one unit was dispatched 78.4 percent of the time, two

units were dispatched 18.2 percent of the time, and three or more

units were dispatched 3.4 percent of the time.

On average, 1.9 units were dispatched per fire category call.

For fire category calls, one unit was dispatched 57.6 percent of the

time, two units were dispatched 7.8 percent of the time, three units

were dispatched 28.8 percent of the time, and four or more units were

dispatched 5.8 percent of the time.



73

Table 4. Annual Deployed Time by Call Type Including Mutual Aid

Calls

Call Type

Germantown Mutual Aid Combined

Annual

Busy

Hours

Number

of Runs

Annual

Busy

Hours

Number

of Runs

Annual

Busy

Hours

Number

of Runs

MVA 106 215 2 3 108 218

EMS Other 838 1,930 14 8 852 1,938

EMS Total 944 2,145 16 11 960 2,156

Structure Fire 83 135 234 76 317 211

Outside Fire 50 87 2 2 52 89

Hazard 187 405 3 2 190 407

Alarm 258 842 1 3 259 845

Public Service 88 254 1 1 89 255

Good Intent 13 43 - - 13 43

Fire Total 679 1,766 241 84 920 1,850Canceled 4 23 9 71 13 94

Total 1,627 3,934 267 166 1,894 4,100

Observations:

Total deployed time for the year, or total busy hours, was 1,894

hours. This is the total deployment time of all the units that were

deployed on any type of call, including 267 hours spent on mutual aid

calls.

There were a total of 4,100 runs, including 166 runs dispatched for

mutual aid calls.

Fire category calls accounted for 48.5 percent of the total workload.

There were a total of 300 runs for structure and outside fire calls, with

a total workload of 369 hours. This accounted for 19.5 percent of the

total workload. The average busy time for a mutual aid structure fire

call was 184.7 minutes, which was five times longer than the average

busy time for a structure fire call in the city of Germantown.

Alarm calls accounted for 13.7 percent of the total workload.

EMS calls accounted for 50.7 percent of the total workload.



74

Table 5. Annual Total Deployed Time by Call Type for Calls within

Germantown

Call Type

Busy

Minutes

per Call

Annual

Busy

Hours

Percent

of Hours

Number

of Runs

Runs

per

Day

MVA 29.7 106 6.5 215 0.6

EMS Other 26.1 838 51.5 1,930 5.3

EMS Total 26.4 944 58.0 2,145 5.9

Structure Fire 36.8 83 5.1 135 0.4

Outside Fire 34.3 50 3.1 87 0.2

Hazard 27.8 187 11.5 405 1.1

Alarm 18.4 258 15.9 842 2.3

Public Service 20.7 88 5.4 254 0.7

Good Intent 17.9 13 0.8 43 0.1

Fire Total 23.1 679 41.7 1,766 4.8

Canceled 10.3 4 0.2 23 0.1Total 24.8 1,627 100.0 3,934 10.8

Observations:

The workload for calls in the city of Germantown was 1,627 hours.

EMS category calls accounted for 58.0 percent of the total workload.

The average busy time per EMS call was 26.4 minutes.

Fire category calls accounted for 41.7 percent of the total workload.

For structure and outside fire calls, a total of 222 runs were dispatched

and the total busy time was 133 hours. The average busy time for a

structure fire call was 36.8 minutes and the average busy time for an

outside fire call was 34.3 minutes.

On average, 10.8 runs were dispatched per day. Of these, 5.9 runs

per day were for EMS calls.



75

II. Workload by Individual UnitCalls and Total Time

Spent

Here we look at the actual time spent by each unit on every call. We report

two types of statistics: workloads and runs. After the introductory table, we

present run data and workload data for every unit, as well as the daily

average for engine, truck, and ambulance units.

Table 6. Call Workload by Unit and Station

Station Unit TypeUnitID

AverageBusy

Minutes

per Run

Numberof Runs

Runs

per

Day

Busy

Minutes

per Day

AnnualTotalBusy

Hours

1 Engine ENG91 28.1 597 1.6 46.0 280HazMat HZ41 36.5 39 0.1 3.9 24

2Engine ENG92 30.4 500 1.4 41.7 254

Rescue RES41 31.8 307 0.8 26.8 163

3

Brush Truck BRT41 64.0 19 0.1 3.3 20

Engine ENG93 25.4 1,428 3.9 99.4 605

Aerial Truck T41 26.9 599 1.6 44.1 269

4 Engine ENG94 29.9 514 1.4 42.1 256

Special

Event

Rescue RES42 673.0 1 0.0 1.8 11

Rescue RES43 2.0 2 0.0 0.0 0

Note: Reserve engine ENG96 was dispatched one time and is counted as ENG91. Reserve

squad SQ41 was dispatched eight times and is counted as ENG92. Reserve engine ENG95was dispatched four times and is counted as ENG93. Reserve engine ENG97 was

dispatched one time and is counted as ENG94.

Observations:

Engine company ENG91 made 597 runs in the year studied, averaging

1.6 runs and 46.0 minutes of busy time per day.

Engine company ENG92 made 500 runs over the course of the year,

averaging 1.4 runs and 41.7 minutes of busy time per day.

Engine company ENG93 made 1,428 runs during the year, averaging

3.9 runs and 99.4 minutes of busy time per day.

Engine company ENG94 made 514 runs during the year, averaging 1.4

runs and 42.1 minutes of busy time per day.

Hazardous material truck HZ41 was dispatched 39 times in a year.



76

Brush engine BRT41 was dispatched 19 times in the year.

Aerial truck T41 made 599 runs during the year, averaging 1.6 runs

and 44.1 minutes of busy time per day.

Rescue unit RES41 made 307 runs during the year, averaging 0.8 runs

and 26.8 minutes of busy time per day.

Special event unit RES42 was dispatched once and special event unit

RES43 was dispatched twice during the year.



77

Figure 12. Busy Minutes by Hour of Day

Table 7. Busy Minutes by Hour of Day

Two-HourInterval

EMS Fire Total

0-1 2.3 3.4 5.8

2-3 2.2 8.7 10.9

4-5 2.3 2.6 4.8

6-7 5.1 2.7 7.8

8-9 10.1 6.5 16.6

10-11 11.7 9.5 21.2

12-13 10.6 10.5 21.1

14-15 8.9 7.6 16.6

16-17 8.6 8.5 17.0

18-19 6.4 5.6 12.0

20-21 6.6 5.1 11.7

22-23 4.2 4.8 9.0

Daily Total 157.9 151.3 309.2

Note: Daily totals will equal the sum of each column multiplied twice since each rowrepresents two hours.

Observations:Hourly busy minutes were the highest between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.,

averaging at least 16.6 minutes per hour.

Hourly busy minutes were the lowest between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.,

averaging at most 10.9 minutes per hour.



78

Table 8. Engine and Truck Units: Total Annual Number and Daily

Average Number of Runs by Call Type

Unit EMSStructure

Fire

Outside

FireHazard Alarm

PublicService

GoodIntent

TotalRunsper

Day

ENG91 258 38 9 85 145 54 8 597 1.6ENG92 212 34 14 55 148 32 5 500 1.4

ENG93 956 44 23 80 216 98 11 1,428 3.9

ENG94 258 29 13 54 135 18 7 514 1.4

BRT41 2 2 10 2 3 19 0.1

HZ41 2 30 1 6 39 0.1

T41 217 43 15 84 189 45 6 599 1.6

Observations:

Engine ENG93 was dispatched most often of all fire units. It made

1,428 runs during the year, averaging 3.9 runs per day. EMS calls

accounted for 66.9 percent of this unit’s total runs.

ENG91, ENG92, ENG94, and T41 each made between 500 and 600

runs, averaging between 1.4 and 1.6 runs per day.



79

Table 9. Engine and Truck Units: Daily Average Deployed Minutes by

Call Type

Unit EMSStructure

Fire

Outside

Fire

Hazard AlarmPublic

Service

Good

Intent

Total

FireCategory

CallsPercentage

ENG91 19.2 8.4 1.2 6.9 7.0 2.8 0.5 46.0 58.3

ENG92 14.0 10.8 1.4 4.8 8.1 2.3 0.3 41.7 66.4

ENG93 65.8 9.8 1.6 5.7 10.0 5.9 0.5 99.4 33.8

ENG94 21.5 7.9 0.9 3.7 7.0 0.9 0.3 42.1 48.9

BRT41 0.1 2.1 0.8 0.1 0.3 3.3 97.0

HZ41 0.0 0.7 2.8 0.1 0.3 3.9 100.0

T41 16.4 7.6 1.5 6.0 10.1 2.3 0.3 44.1 62.8

Note: Fire category calls percentage is the sum of average deployed minutes per day of allnon-EMS calls divided by the total deployed minutes per day.

Observations:

On average, Engine ENG93 was busy 1 hour and 39.4 minutes per

day. EMS calls accounted for 66.2 percent of its daily workload.

On average, ENG91, ENG92, ENG94, and T41 were busy between 41.7

minutes and 46.0 minutes per day.



80

Table 10. Rescue Units: Total Annual and Daily Average Number of

Runs by Call Type

Unit MVAEMS

Other

Structureand Outside

Fire

Fire

OtherTotal

Runs per

Day

RES41 17 233 24 33 307 0.8

Table 11. Rescue Units: Daily Average Deployed Minutes by Call Type

Unit MVAEMS

Other

Structure

and OutsideFire

Fire

OtherTotal

EMS Calls

Percentage

RES41 1.7 17.2 5.8 2.1 26.8 70.5

Observations:

RES41 made 307 runs during the year, averaging 0.8 runs per day.

On average, RES41 was busy 26.8 minutes per day. EMS calls

accounted for 70.5 percent of its daily workload.



81

III. Dispatch Time and Response Time

In this section we present dispatch and response time statistics for different

call types and fire units. For most types of calls, we are mainly interested in

the dispatch time and response time of the first arriving units. However, for

structure and outside fire calls, we analyze the response time of the first and

the second arriving fire vehicles (no rescue units).

We use different terms to describe the components of response time.

Dispatch processing time is the difference between the unit dispatch time

and the call receipt time. Turnout time is the difference between the unit

time en route and the unit dispatch time. Travel time is the difference

between the unit on-scene arrival time and the unit time en route. Response

time is the difference between the unit on-scene arrival time and call

received time. A total of 335 calls have non-zero dispatch time, non-zero

turnout time, and non-zero travel time. Out of those 335 calls, 204 (61.1

percent) were calls in June of 2010 and 96 (28.7 percent) were in May of

2010. We use those 335 calls to present the average dispatch time, turnout

time, and travel time in Figures 13 and 15 and Tables 12 and 15. The

average response time of the 335 calls was 5.4 minutes and did not vary

much compared to the average response time of 5.1 minutes using all 2,651

calls. Thus, we report average response time using all 2,651 calls in the

remainder of the figures and tables in this section.



82

Figure 13. Average Dispatch, Turnout, Travel, and Response Time of

First Arriving Units by Call Type

Table 12. Average Dispatch, Turnout, Travel, and Response Time of

First Arriving Units by Call Type

Call TypeDispatch

Time

Turnout

Time

Travel

Time

Response

Time

90th

Percentile

ResponseTime

Sample

Size

MVA 0.4 1.1 3.0 4.5 6.5 18

EMS Other 0.6 1.1 3.5 5.2 7.8 211

EMS Total 0.6 1.1 3.5 5.2 7.7 229

Structure Fire 0.3 1.2 3.4 4.9 5.9 3

Outside Fire 1.1 0.5 3.4 5.0 5.4 3

Hazard 0.8 1.1 3.3 5.2 6.6 22

Alarm 0.9 1.2 3.6 5.8 7.4 60

Public Service 0.6 1.3 4.7 6.5 9.9 17

Good Intent 1.1 0.5 6.8 8.4 8.4 1

Fire Total 0.8 1.2 3.8 5.8 8.0 106

Total 0.7 1.1 3.6 5.4 7.7 335

Note: Figure 13 and Table 12 include only 335 calls that have non-zero dispatch time, non-zero turnout time, and non-zero travel time.



83

Observations:

The average dispatch time for all 335 recorded calls in the City of

Germantown was 0.7 minutes.

The average turnout time for all 335 recorded calls in the City of


The average travel time for all 335 recorded calls in the City of


The average response time for the 335 calls was 5.4 minutes and the

90th percentile response time was 7.7 minutes.



84

Table 13. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Call Type

Call TypeResponse

Time

90thPercentileResponse

Time

SampleSize

ResponseTime of Mutual

Aid Calls

MVA 4.2 6.1 111 5.4EMS Other 5.0 7.2 1,588 17.5

EMS Total 5.0 7.1 1,699 16.0

Structure Fire 5.5 7.3 41 13.7

Outside Fire 5.3 7.8 47 14.5

Hazard 5.5 8.0 165 26.0

Alarm 5.5 7.4 452 10.1

Public Service 5.6 8.4 224 26.9

Good Intent 4.6 8.0 23 -

Fire Total 5.5 7.8 952 14.3

Total 5.1 7.3 2,651 14.7

Observations:

The average response time for all 1,699 EMS calls in the City of

Germantown was 5.0 minutes and the 90th percentile response time

for all EMS calls was 7.1 minutes.

The average response time for 952 fire category calls was 5.5 minutes

and the 90th percentile response time for fire category calls was 7.8

minutes.



85

Figure 14. Number of Total Calls for the First Arriving Units

Table 14. Number of Total Calls for the First Arriving Units

Unit EMS

Structureand

Outside

Fire

FireOther

Total PercentageCumulativePercentage

ENG93 925 42 345 1,312 48.9 48.9

ENG94 232 22 163 417 15.5 64.4

ENG91 240 16 115 371 13.8 78.2

ENG92 128 15 152 295 11.0 89.2

T41 77 6 80 163 6.1 95.3

RES41 104 4 8 116 4.3 99.6BRT41 - 4 2 6 0.2 99.8

HZ41 - - 4 4 0.1 100.0

RES42 1 - - 1 0.0 100.0

Observations:

Engine ENG93 arrived first on scene most often, followed by ENG94

and ENG91.

The top three units, ENG93, ENG94, and ENG91, were the first units

on scene for 78.2 percent of calls.

For structure and outside fire calls, Engine ENG93 was the first unit on

scene for 42 of 109 calls.



86

Figure 15. Average Dispatch, Turnout, and Travel Time of First

Arriving Units by Hour of Day



87

Table 15. Average Dispatch, Turnout, and Travel Time of First

Arriving Units by Hour of Day

HourDispatch

TimeTurnout

TimeTravelTime

Numberof Calls

0 0.7 1.9 3.4 4

1 0.4 1.9 5.3 5

2 0.4 2.7 3.7 6

3 0.9 1.5 3.6 10

4 0.5 1.7 4.4 6

5 0.6 1.5 4.9 8

6 0.4 1.2 3.6 10

7 0.4 1.3 3.2 13

8 0.8 0.9 2.7 18

9 1.4 0.8 3.2 20

10 0.6 1.1 3.3 25

11 0.6 0.9 4.3 2012 0.9 0.9 3.8 28

13 0.7 1.0 3.7 24

14 0.3 1.1 3.8 16

15 1.0 1.0 3.5 22

16 0.5 0.9 3.5 22

17 0.6 0.9 3.0 25

18 0.4 1.3 3.8 19

19 0.7 1.0 3.5 5

20 0.3 1.0 3.4 6

21 0.4 1.6 3.2 10

22 0.4 1.8 3.4 6

23 0.7 1.4 3.5 7

Total 0.7 1.1 3.6 335

Observations:

Average dispatch time by hour of day was between 0.3 and 1.4

minutes for the 335 calls with all times recorded.

Average turnout time was between 0.8 and 2.7 minutes. Between 8

a.m. and 6 p.m., average turnout time was no more than 1.1 minutes.

Average travel time was between 2.7 and 5.3 minutes.



88

Figure 16. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Hour of

Day



89

Table 16. Average Response Time of First Arriving Units by Hour of

Day

HourResponse

TimeNumberof Calls

0 6.7 55

1 6.1 38

2 6.3 39

3 6.2 36

4 6.1 46

5 6.2 40

6 5.1 66

7 5.0 81

8 4.9 150

9 5.0 161

10 5.1 198

11 5.1 18712 5.2 181

13 5.1 188

14 4.9 145

15 5.1 154

16 4.9 161

17 4.7 147

18 4.7 126

19 4.5 104

20 5.2 113

21 5.1 99

22 5.3 80

23 5.9 56

Total 5.1 2,651

Observations:

Average response time by hour of day was between 4.5 and 6.7

minutes. Between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., average response time was less

than or equal to 5.2 minutes. Between midnight and 6 a.m., it was

more than 6 minutes.



90

Figure 17. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time

of First Arriving Unit for EMS Calls

Reading the CDF Chart

The vertical axis is the probability or percentage of calls. The horizontal axis

is response time. For example, with regard to EMS calls, the 0.9 probability

line intersects the graph at the time mark at about 7.1 minutes. This means

that units responded to 90 percent of these calls in fewer than 7.1 minutes.



91

Table 17. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time

of First Arriving Unit for EMS Calls

ResponseTime

FrequencyCumulativePercentage

1 min. 29 1.7

2 min. 23 3.1

3 min. 113 9.7

4 min. 306 27.7

5 min. 430 53.0

6 min. 413 77.3

7 min. 200 89.1

8 min. 113 95.8

9 min. 45 98.4

10 min. 9 98.9

11 min. 11 99.6

>= 12 min 7 100.0

Observations:

The average response time for EMS calls was 5.0 minutes.

For 77.3 percent of EMS calls, the response time was 6 minutes or

less.

For 90 percent of EMS calls, the response time was 7.1 minutes or

less.









95

Table 20. Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of Response Time

of First, Second, and Third Arriving Fire Units for Structure and

Outside Fire Calls

Response

Time

First Unit Second Unit Third Unit

FrequencyCumulative

Percent FrequencyCumulative

Percent FrequencyCumulative

Percent

0 min. 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0

1 min. 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0

2 min. 1 1.1 0 0.0 0 0.0

3 min. 5 6.8 1 1.8 0 0.0

4 min. 10 18.2 5 10.5 0 0.0

5 min. 15 35.2 7 22.8 2 4.8

6 min. 28 67.0 10 40.4 7 21.4

7 min. 19 88.6 10 57.9 7 38.1

8 min. 3 92.0 11 77.2 5 50.0

9 min. 3 95.5 3 82.5 7 66.710 min. 3 98.9 2 86.0 6 81.0

11 min. 1 100.0 0 86.0 2 85.7

12 min. 0 100.0 1 87.7 1 88.1

13 min. 0 100.0 3 93.0 1 90.5

>=14 min. 0 100.0 4 100.0 4 100.0

Observations:

The average response time of the first arriving fire unit for structureand outside fire calls was 5.4 minutes.

Ninety percent of the time, the first fire unit arrived on scene in fewer

than 7.7 minutes.

On average, the response time of the second arriving unit was 7.6

minutes, which was 2.2 minutes longer than that of the first arriving

unit.

Ninety percent of the time, the second fire unit arrived on scene infewer than 12.1 minutes.



96

IV. Analysis of Busiest Hours in the Year

There was significant variability in the number of calls from hour to hour.

One special concern relates to the fire resources available for the hours with

the highest workload. We tabulated the data for all 8,760 hours in the year.

Approximately once every six days the fire department will respond to three

or more calls in an hour. This is 0.7 percent of the total number of hours.

Once during the year, there were more than five calls (eight calls) in a single

hour. In studying these call totals, it is important to remember that an EMS

run lasts on average only 26.4 minutes and a fire category call lasts on

average 23.1 minutes. For the majority of these high-volume hours, thetotal workload of all units combined is equivalent to four or fewer units being

busy the entire hour. Here, we report on the ten hours with the most calls

received. We also provide detailed analysis of the two busiest hours of the

year.

Table 21. Frequency Distribution of the Number of Calls

Number of Calls in an

Hour

Frequency Percentage

0 6,531 74.6

1 1,836 21.0

2 332 3.8

3 49 0.6

4 7 0.1

5 4 0.0

8 1 0.0

Observations:There were sixty-one hours (0.7 percent) during the year in which

three or more calls occurred in an hour. This is approximately once

every six days.



97

Table 22. Ten Hours with the Most Calls Received

HourNumberof Calls

Numberof Runs

Total BusyMinutes

01/29/2010 10 p.m. 8 9 243

04/13/2010 10 a.m. 5 8 263

03/23/2010 5 p.m. 5 8 185

05/01/2010 10 a.m. 5 9 125

08/18/2009 8 p.m. 5 7 228

09/09/2009 9 a.m. 4 4 96

12/22/2009 6 p.m. 4 7 215

07/29/2009 11 a.m. 4 6 149

12/28/2009 5 p.m. 4 8 154

01/30/2010 1 a.m. 4 4 394

Note: The combined workload was the total busy minutes responding to callsreceived in the hour, and the response may have extended into the next hour or

hours.

Observations:

The hour with the most calls received was between 10 p.m. and 11

p.m. on January 29, 2010. The eight calls received involved nine runs.

The combined workload was 243 minutes, which may have extended

into the next hour or hours. This is equivalent to four firefighting units

being busy the entire hour.

The hour with the second most calls received was between 10 a.m.

and 11 a.m. on April 13, 2010. The five calls received involved eight

runs. The combined workload was 263 minutes, which may have

extended into the next hour or hours. This is equivalent of between

four and five firefighting units being busy the entire hour.

The hour on January 30th that had the highest total busy minutes (1

a.m. to 2 a.m.) included work that continued into the next hour or

hours. This was the result of one long public assistance call. Engine

unit ENG93 was tied up for six hours on this call.



98

Table 23. Unit Workload Analysis Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on January 29, 2010

Station 1 2 3 4 Number of Busy UnitsUnit ENG91 HZ41 ENG92 RES41 BRT41 ENG93 T41 ENG94

0-5 5.0 1

5-10 4.9 1

10-15 3.9 1.5 2

15-20 5.0 0.1 2

20-25 5.0 1.2 2

25-30 4.5 5.0 4.1 5.0 4

30-35 5.0 2.1 1.9 5.0 5.0 5

35-40 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5

40-45 1.4 5.0 5.0 2.3 3.2 5.0 6

45-50 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4

50-55 5.0 5.0 0.9 5.0 4

55-60 5.0 5.0 5.0 3

Total 15.9 0.0 46.0 0.0 26.9 16.4 10.7 46.1

Note: The numbers in the cells are the busy minutes within the five minute block. The cellvalues greater than 2.5 are coded as red.

Observations:

In the city there are six units staffed all of the time. During the worst portion of the hour between

10:45 p.m. and 10:50 p.m., all six units were busy. Only two units were busy more than thirty

minutes during this hour.



99

Figure 19. Unit Workload Analysis by Call Type Between 10 p.m. and

11 p.m. on January 29, 2010

Observations:

Busy minutes for EMS calls totaled 36.2 minutes, which accounted for

22.3 percent of the total busy minutes.

Busy minutes for nonstructure and outside fire category calls totaled

125.8 minutes, which accounted for 77.7 percent of the total busyminutes.



100

Table 24. Unit Workload Analysis Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on April 13, 2010

Station 1 2 3 4 Number of Busy UnitsUnit ENG91 HZ41 ENG92 RES41 BRT41 ENG93 T41 ENG94

0-5 0

5-10 1.6 1.6 1.6 3

10-15 5.0 5.0 5.0 3

15-20 5.0 5.0 5.0 3

20-25 5.0 5.0 5.0 3

25-30 5.0 5.0 5.0 3

30-35 1.8 1.8 5.0 3

35-40 5.0 1

40-45 5.0 2.8 5.0 5.0 4

45-50 5.0 5.0 2.8 5.0 4

50-55 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4

55-60 4.4 5.0 5.0 5.0 4

Total 42.8 23.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 17.8 17.8 51.6

Note: The numbers in the cells are the busy minutes within the five minute block. The cellvalues greater than 2.5 are coded as red.

Observations:

In the city there are six units staffed all of the time. During the worst portion of the hour, between

10:40 a.m. and 11 a.m., four units were busy. Only two units were busy more than thirty minutes

during this hour.



Figure 20. Unit Workload Analysis by Call Type Between 10 a.m. and

11 a.m. on April 13, 2010

Observations:

Busy minutes for EMS calls totaled 55.0 minutes, which accounted for

35.9 percent of the total busy minutes.

Busy minutes for nonstructure and outside fire category calls totaled

98.4 minutes, which accounted for 64.1 percent of the total busy

minutes.



102

Appendix I. Correspondence between Call Description andCall Type

Call TypeNFIRSCode

Description

MVA 322 Motor vehicle accident with injuries

MVA 323 Motor vehicle/pedestrian accident (MV Ped)MVA 324 Motor vehicle accident with no injuries

EMS 300 Rescue, EMS incident, other

EMS 311 Medical assist, assist EMS crew

EMS 321 EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury

EMS 350 Extrication, rescue, other

EMS 353 Removal of victim(s) from stalled elevator

EMS 363 Swift water rescue

EMS 445 Arcing, shorted electrical equipment

EMS 460 Accident, potential accident, other

EMS 463 Vehicle accident, general cleanup

EMS 510 Person in distress, other




Structure Fire 111 Building fire

Structure Fire 113 Cooking fire, confined to container

Structure Fire 114 Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue

Structure Fire 116 Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined

Structure Fire 130 Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other

Outside Fire 118 Trash or rubbish fire, contained

Outside Fire 131 Passenger vehicle fire

Outside Fire 132 Road freight or transport vehicle fire

Outside Fire 137 Camper or recreational vehicle (RV) fireOutside Fire 138 Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire

Outside Fire 140 Natural vegetation fire, other

Outside Fire 141 Forest, woods or wildland fire

Outside Fire 142 Brush or brush-and-grass mixture fire

Outside Fire 143 Grass fire

Outside Fire 154 Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire

Outside Fire 160 Special outside fire, other

Outside Fire 162 Outside equipment fire

Outside Fire 561 Unauthorized burning

Hazard 211 Overpressure rupture of steam pipe or pipeline

Hazard 213 Steam rupture of pressure or process vessel

Hazard 240 Explosion (no fire), other

Hazard 243 Fireworks explosion (no fire)

Hazard 251 Excessive heat, scorch burns with no ignition

Hazard 400 Hazardous condition, other

Hazard 411 Gasoline or other flammable liquid spill

Hazard 412 Gas leak (natural gas or LPG)

Hazard 420 Toxic condition, other

Hazard 421 Chemical hazard (no spill or leak)







Appendix II. Workload Analysis for Administrative Unitsand Non-Germantown Units

Station Unit DescriptionNumberof Runs

BusyHours

1 F-158 A command and interoperabilitycommunications truck. 1 11.2

3BT41 On duty Battalion chief SUV 636 286.5

UT41 Pickup truck 3 1.0

Admin

400 Fire chief car 21 20.0

401 Assistant Fire Chief car 26 42.3

402 Deputy Fire Chief car 15 32.2

403 Fire marshal car 32 47.1

416 Assistant Fire Marshal car 6 16.5

BC42 Off duty Battalion chief 5 1.6

MUTAID Mutual aid vehicle 5 2.9

WING Private Helicopter 2 1.5

Rural/Metro

RM31 Ambulance 1 0.5RM32 Ambulance 31 12.9

RM36 Ambulance 951 388

RM42 Ambulance 397 173.3



Documents

GFD - Independent Report