STAFFING TO MEET
CURRENT STANDARDS AND THE NEEDS OF FRANKLIN’S CITIZENS
Franklin Fire Department
Franklin, Wisconsin
An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program
The
problem is station two and three of the Franklin Fire Department (FFD) are
staffed with two personnel resulting in limited initial firefighting ability at
all times and delayed emergency medical response in the event of a second
emergency medical call. The purpose of
this project was to compare the FFD’s response times and staffing with national
standards. It was also to identify
obstacles and evaluate the level of community support available.
Three questions used to
guide this writer throughout this paper:
1)
What
standards exist to determine adequate staffing levels and response times?
2)
What
obstacles exist to prevent the fire department from meeting the staffing levels
and response time standards?
3) What community support exists?
Two surveys and one
interview were completed. The first
survey was distributed to the citizens of Franklin. The survey was designed to determine what value citizens placed
on FFD services, what obstacles citizens identified to meeting nationally
recognized standards and finally what financial support the citizens would be
willing to provide. The second survey
was given to a selected group of fire chiefs.
The survey identified standards used and obstacles encountered when
determining staffing and response times.
The interview was done to determine the legal impact of the national
standards.
The results indicated that
NFPA 1710 is the recognized standard of care.
The results also indicated that the community overall
placed a very high value on the services provided, that cost was the major
obstacle and that citizens are willing to pay for the service.
This writer recommended that
the management team of the FFD use the results of this research to support
dialogue between city leaders and the fire department in developing a plan to
bring the FFD closer to the national standard of care.
Abstract 2
Table of Contents 4
Introduction 5
Background and Significance 5
Literature Review 8
Procedures 12
Results 15
Discussion 19
Recommendations 21
References 23
Appendix A 25
Appendix B 29
Appendix C 31
Introduction
The problem is both station
two and station three of the Franklin Fire Department are staffed with only two
firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) resulting in limited initial
firefighting ability at all times and delayed Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
response in the event of a second EMS request in that station’s area. The purpose of this applied research project
is to compare the Franklin Fire Department’s current staffing and response time
standards with national standards. It
is also to identify obstacles and evaluate the level of community support
available to improve on the limited initial firefighting ability at all times
and delayed EMS response in the event of a second EMS request.
This writer will use the
following questions to guide the evaluative research done throughout this
project:
3)
What
standards exist to determine adequate staffing levels and response times for
firefighting and EMS response?
4)
What
obstacles exist to prevent the fire department from meeting the staffing levels
and response time standards for firefighting and EMS response?
5)
What
community support exists to ensure the standards for fire and EMS staffing
levels and response times are met?
Franklin is a 34 square mile
city of nearly 35,000 residents and is a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Franklin Fire Department (FFD) provides
many services to the citizens of Franklin.
Among these services are fire prevention activities, hazardous materials
response, confined space rescue, community education programs including car
seat safety checks and other service oriented programs. However, the two largest efforts provided by
the FFD are fire and emergency medical response. The FFD responds to an average of nearly 2,700 emergency 911
requests for service each year (J. Martins, Fire Chief, personal communication,
March 3, 2003). These requests are
answered by an on duty staff of ten firefighters with varying EMS educational
backgrounds.
On November 5th
of 1989 the FFD established the first 24-hour on duty firefighters ever to work
in the city of Franklin. Prior to this
there were only firefighters on duty during the daytime when on-call people
were primarily at work. In 1989 five
firefighters worked out of one station while the other three fire stations were
staffed by on-call firefighters.
Although this system provided a good response to the citizens located
near the main station, citizens who lived several miles away, primarily on the
east side did not receive as rapid a service (D. Bublitz, retired Chief,
personal communication, March 3, 2003).
As the population of the city grew, it became apparent that there was a
need to staff more stations to provide at a minimum, an initial EMS response. Throughout the past ten years it was the
goal of the fire chief to minimally establish the staffed, three-station
infrastructure needed to cover Franklin adequately for EMS first response. For all calls other than the first ambulance
run however, there was not enough staffing to handle the call safely and it was
clear that additional staffing would be needed in the future (D. Bublitz,
retired Chief, personal communication, March 3, 2003).
Currently the FFD remains
staffed with two firefighters at station two and station three. As in the past, the firefighters responding
from these stations to a fire call are very limited in what they can do until
help from other stations arrives. Also,
once the two firefighters respond to any call either in their area or not, the
entire area served by those firefighters experiences a delay in response
because there are no firefighters left in the area. The current staffing levels are dangerous to both the
firefighters and the citizens in these areas (J. Martins, Fire Chief, personal
communication, March 3, 2003). Chief Martins
also points out that the current staffing levels do not meet the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) 1710, standard for the “Organization and
Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and
Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments”.
The City of Franklin is
continuing to grow at an average of 800 residents per year (S. Woselowski, City
Clerk, personal communication, March 4, 2003).
With this growth, the demands on stations two and three will also
grow. This will result in an increase
in the number of fires the two firefighters will have to respond to with only
two firefighters to perform on the scene.
It will also increase the number of EMS requests that will receive a
delayed response because the crews assigned to station two and station three’s
area will already be tied up on other calls.
A requirement of the
Executive Fire Officer Program is for the participant to recognize a problem
within his or her department and work to correct that problem. The research contained in this project is
intended to provide the information needed to improve the services provided by
the FFD to the citizens of Franklin. As
stated in the terminal objectives of unit 10 of the Executive Development
program, “the students will be able to evaluate services provided by their
organizations and develop strategies to improve organizational quality and
service standards” (FEMA, 1998 p.SM 10-2).
This applied research paper also strives to meet objective number three
of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) five year operational
objectives “To appropriately respond in a timely manner to emergent issues”
(U.S. Fire Administration, 2000).
Literature Review
The
literature review portion of this research project is a summary of current
published information as it relates to the three project questions found in the
“Introduction” portion of this paper.
It was the finding of the literature review that guided this writer in
determining the research done.
The NFPA is an international
association of firefighters, fire chiefs, vendors, and trade organizations
whose mission is “to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on
the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus
codes and standards, research, training, and education” (Morris, 2001). After ten years of preparation, the NFPA
cleared its final hurdle by passing the new standard 1710, standard on
operations and deployment for career fire and rescue departments in July of
2001 (“Historic Victory”, 2001). The
NFPA standard 1710 is supported by both the International Association of Fire
Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) (Bruno,
2001).
This newly passed NFPA
standard is not considered law. However,
often NFPA guidelines and standards are incorporated into local ordinances and
building codes (Morris, 2003). NFPA
standards have become the “standard of care” for the fire service industry. When considering litigation, lawyers often
turn to the applicable standard of care to determine their course of action
(Schaenman, 2001). In the case of the
NFPA’s 1710, it is viewed by some local government officials as an “unfunded
mandate” (Morris, 2003).
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) also addresses staffing levels. OSHA’s CFR 1910.134 requires fire
departments to, at a minimum, have a two-in/two-out rule (Schaenman, 2001
). The rule states that before any
interior firefighting can begin there must be an entry team of at least two
members entering and at least two members outside prepared to help the entry
team. Wisconsin however, is not
considered an OSHA state. Interior fire
operations are regulated by the state Department of Commerce under Chapter ILHR
30 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code (Schaenman, 2001). ILHR 30 requires five firefighters on scene
before any interior firefighting can begin if the fire is beyond the incipient
stage. However, ILHR 30 does not
specifically address acceptable response times or minimum staffing levels for
responding units.
There are many concerns
regarding staffing and response time standards. In regards to 1710, The International City/County Management
Association (ICMA) and the National League of Cities (NLC) opposed the standard
and worked to challenge the guidelines prior to adoption (“NFPA 1710”,
2001). Three major concerns city
leaders see with the new NFPA standard are cost, loss of local control by
elected officials to determine service levels and the potential for fire
departments to drain resources from other city functions (Greenblatt,
2001).
Mayor Dennis W. Archer of
Detroit stated “In order to get in line with 1710, thousands of cities would
have to increase their fire department budgets, from 10 to 50 percent”
(Fletcher, 2001, p.1). Mayor Archer
felt it would be impossible for his community to raise the funds needed to meet
the standard in his city. “The scope of
standard 1710 is overly broad, mandating staffing levels and response times
that intrude into democratic local decision making and rights of local
legislative bodies to set policy” (Fletcher, 2001, p.1).
Another concern involves
failure to comply with the new standard.
Many city leaders fear that failure to comply could expose
municipalities to significant potential liability claims and lawsuits if a fire
company with fewer than four firefighters responds to a fire and the building
is destroyed or someone is hurt or killed (Morris, 2001).
It is very clear that both
the NFPA and the people responsible for running local governments recognize the
impact of the new 1710 standard.
Although this new standard is in place, it is not going to be easy for
local governments to comply.
In spite of the difficulties
associated with meeting the new 1710 standard, the events of September 11, 2001
have significantly increased support for local firefighters. “The American fire service has become a lot
like an actor who becomes an overnight sensation after years of competent
performance in unappreciated roles” (Page, 2002, p.10).
As with many other states,
Wisconsin is experiencing budget concerns.
According to a recent “Badger Poll”, the budget deficit in Wisconsin
ranges from $2.6 to $4.3 billion (“Poll; Many Believe”, 2003). In spite of this deficit, Wisconsin’s
Governor Jim Doyle has promised not to raise taxes and still protect, as much
as possible, the three most important state programs: aid to public schools,
health care programs and subsidies for local governments also known as revenue
sharing (Walters, 2003). Doyle said he
realizes state aid to municipalities is crucial for police and fire departments
and local health services. For this
reason Doyle said he will not reduce revenue sharing in the 2003 budget
(Richmond, 2003).
Another example of public
support for the fire service recently occurred in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. In
spite of the sluggish economy, the city council of Fitchburg, a suburb of
Madison, recently approved a 16% increase in taxes to support staffing a second
fire station. In exchange for this tax
increase local taxpayers will receive a boost in public safety services
(Davis-Humphrey, 2002).
After conducting the
literature review needed for this project, this writer determined that the NFPA
standard 1710 was clearly recognized by both the leaders of the fire service
and the local city leaders throughout this country regarding staffing and
response times. As a result, this
writer chose to conduct research specific to the standards outlined in 1710
regarding staffing and response times.
The research also revealed
that there were many concerns about 1710.
There were four main concerns local officials had including cost, loss
of local control, the potential impact on other city services and the likely
legal impact if the fire department did not meet this standard? Because of this, the research conducted by
this author specifically addressed these major concerns.
Finally this author was able
to determine through the literature review that citizens do value their
protective services. This led this
author to try to determine exactly what citizens’ value related to their fire
department and what financial support the citizens would be willing to give to
provide for this service.
A random survey was
developed (Appendix A) and distributed to a sample of Franklin citizens. The purpose of this survey was to determine
how important it was to citizens that their fire department meet nationally
recognized standards for staffing and response. It was also intended to determine what citizens feel would be the
most significant obstacle to meeting these standards, and finally would the
citizens support funding the amount of money needed to meet the standards?
The survey was developed by
this author to obtain the evaluative research needed for this project. Once the survey was completed, it was
reviewed by Chief Martins of the FFD for accuracy and pertinent content. Once approved by Chief Martins, the survey
was distributed to a small sample group of five of this writer’s neighbors for
clarity and ease. Once the feedback was
received from the neighbors and minor changes were made, the survey was again
distributed to the same five neighbors.
With no further comments made, the final survey was printed for
distribution.
The sample group needed for
this random survey was selected by obtaining a listing of all properties by tax
key number within Franklin from the city assessor’s office. The list required that the property be
developed and hold a current value of greater than $25,000. This resulted in 9,850 properties as of
March 1st, 2003. A sample of
456 properties was required. This
number is based on recommendations made by Krejcie and Morgan to use a sample
of 380 properties when the total number of citizens represented is between 30
and 40 thousand plus 20% for non returns (Krejcie, Morgan, 1970). To obtain the sample needed, this writer
selected every 21st property on the list assuming that one citizen
from each property would be involved in the survey. Starting with the first tax key number on this list, every 21st
property was moved to a second spreadsheet.
Once the spreadsheet of all 456 properties was completed, the list was
mail merged and the envelopes were printed.
Once all the surveys were prepared they were mailed out.
A second survey called
“Chiefs Survey” was developed (Appendix B).
The intent of this survey was to find out what standards other Wisconsin
fire chiefs running career departments similar to Franklin were using or were
planning to use to determine staffing and response times within their
communities. It was also developed to
determine what problems or concerns their community experienced or is expecting
if these standards were implemented.
Finally the survey asked what the chief’s perception of public support
was for the fire department as it relates to staffing and response times.
The survey was completed and
given to Chief Martins who reviewed the survey for accuracy and clarity. Once approved by Chief Martins, the survey
was also reviewed by several members of the FFD for grammar and clarity.
To determine the
participants for the Chief’s Survey this writer obtained a copy of the
Wisconsin Fire Chief’s Education Association’s “Spring 2003 Survey” (Wisconsin
Fire Chief’s 2003). Because the
literature review of this paper clearly indicated that NFPA 1710 was the most
widely identified standard, this writer chose to survey Wisconsin fire
departments that run with only career personnel. This was because if a department was volunteer or combination, it
is up to local authorities to decide whether NFPA 1710 or NFPA 1720 would apply
(Morris, 2003).
The list of Wisconsin fire
departments with only career personnel was obtained by proceeding through the
Wisconsin Fire Chief’s Education Association’s spring survey and selecting the
departments that listed their staffing as career only. Once this list was created the envelopes
were created for each department chosen and the survey was distributed.
The final procedure used to
obtain needed research was obtained by conducting an interview (Appendix
C). This writer chose to interview
Attorney Robert Jaskolski of Domnitz & Mowicke law firm. Mr. Jaskolski was chosen because he was a
firefighter for the Village of Hales Corners fire department, a department that
borders Franklin, for several years.
Mr. Jaskolski also presented information at a training session provided
to all chief fire officers in Franklin and its surrounding cities. The intent of the interview was to determine
the potential legal impact of the NFPA 1710 staffing and response time standard
and to what extent the city could be held liable if it was decided not to meet
the standard.
A preliminary phone call was
made on March 27, 2003 to determine if Mr. Jaskolski would be willing to
participate. Mr. Jaskolski agreed to
the phone interview. Mr. Jaskolski
asked for a copy of NFPA 1710 prior to the interview so he could review
it. This was sent to him the same day
with a note indicating that this writer would contact him by phone in one week.
On April 7, 2003 the interview was conducted.
The citizen survey was
distributed on April 11, 2003. The
survey group was asked to return all surveys by April 30, 2003. As of May 2, 2003 a total of 186 of the 456
surveys sent out were returned. This
represented 41% of the total surveys sent out.
The
results of question one, “How important is it to you that your fire department
meets the NFPA staffing and response time standards in the even of a fire?” are
as follows: On a scale of one to six
with one being unimportant and six being very important five respondents or
2.7% indicated one. Three respondents
or 1.6% indicated a two. Five
respondents or 2.7% indicated a three.
Eight or 4.3% indicated a four.
27 respondents or 14.5% indicated a five and 138 respondents or 74.2%
indicated a six.
The
results of question two, “How important is it to you that your fire department
meets the NFPA staffing and response time standards in the event of a medical
emergency?” are as follows: On a scale
of one to six with one being unimportant and six being very important four
respondents or 2.1% indicated one. Four
respondents or 2.1% indicated two. Five
respondents or 2.7% indicated three.
Three respondents or 1.6% indicated four. 20 respondents or 10.8% indicated five and 150 or 81% indicated
six.
The
results of question 3, “What do you view as the most significant obstacle the
City of Franklin must deal with in order to provide fire and EMS response
consistent with NFPA staffing and response time standards?” are as follows: 109 of the respondents or 59% indicated cost
is the most significant obstacle. 36
respondents or 19.4% indicated fear of reducing other city services as the most
significant obstacle. 24 respondents or
12.9% indicated loss of local control as the most significant obstacle and 17
respondents or 9.1% indicated other.
The
results of question four, “Would you be willing to pay an additional eight
cents per $1,000 assessed value to gradually bring your fire department up to
NFPA staffing and response time standards?” are as follows: 144 of the respondents or 77.4% indicated
yes they would be willing to pay. 42
respondents or 22.6% indicated no to increasing the tax levy.
The
Chief survey was distributed on April 11, 2003. The survey group was asked to return all surveys by April 30,
2003. As of May 2, 2003 a total of 17
of the 26 surveys sent out were returned.
This represented 65.4% of the total surveys sent out.
The
results of question one, “Please list the standards or laws you use or plan to
use to determine adequate staffing levels and response times within your
community.” are as follows: 15 of the respondents 88.2% identified NFPA
1710. Nine respondents or 52.9%
identified Wisconsin Department of Commerce “Comm 30”. Eight respondents or 47% identified NFPA
1500 and one respondent or 5.8% identified the American Heart Association. Nine of the respondents indicated in some
way that the city counsel and budget was the main determinant in deciding
service levels and that the standards were only used as a guide.
The
results of question two, “What obstacles or concerns did you experience when
attempting to meet the standards you use or hope to use to determine adequate
staffing and response times?” are as follows: 14 respondents or 82.4%
identified budgetary concerns. Four
respondents or 23.5% identified apathy by elected officials and three or 17.6%
identified union concerns as obstacles to meeting existing standards.
The
results of question three, “Please indicate the amount of public support you
expect from your citizens to help you meet the existing standards.” are as
follows: On a scale of one to six with
one indicating no support and six being very supportive none of the respondents
indicated one. Three respondents or 17.6%
indicated two. Five respondents or
29.4% indicated four. Two respondents
or 11.8% indicated five and three or 17.6% indicated six.
The interview with attorney
at law Mr. Rob Jaskulski of Domnitz & Mowicke occurred on April 9, 2003. It was conducted at 2 p.m. and consisted of
four questions. The results of the
questions are as follows:
Question 1: Do you view the National Fire Protection
Agency’s standard 1710 as an un-funded mandate?
Mr. Jaskulski: I do not believe the standard is a
mandate. It is my opinion that until
Wisconsin adopts a standard as law it cannot be considered a mandate. However I do feel that NFPA 1710 is clearly
a “standard of care” recognized throughout the state and country.
Question 2: If you were the prosecuting attorney in
a case involving a citizen suing the city who felt the fire department did not
perform as expected at an incident, would you use NFPA 1710?
Mr. Jaskulski: Yes, 1710 is evidence of the standard
of care. There is no other agency more
recognized than the NFPA when it comes to fire related standards. It is common practice for attorneys to look
to what ever is considered the “standard of care” when prosecuting a case.
Question 3: Assuming that many states and fire
departments across the country are recognizing NFPA 1710 as the standard of
care, do you believe Wisconsin will be forced to recognize 1710 as a form of
common law in the near future?
Mr. Jaskulski: No.
Currently Wisconsin has municipal immunity for discretionary
decisions. In other words as long as it
is a discretionary act the most a city can be held liable for is $50,000. What this means is that a city can use its
discretion when determining staffing levels for the fire department. Even if the city is found negligent for under-staffing
the fire department resulting in injury or damage the most the city can be sued
for is $50,000. This law protects
cities from large lawsuits but it also provides a scapegoat for cities to
provide less than adequate service.
Question 4: If the City of Franklin uses some
standards and guidelines established by the NFPA, but refuses to adopt others,
does this increase the city’s chance of being held liable?
Mr. Jaskulski: No.
However the only reason I feel this is the case is because of the municipal
immunity mentioned above in Wisconsin.
If this were another state I would clearly argue that a municipality
could not pick and choose which standards it wishes to enforce.
The
results of the research done by this author do seem to agree with the
literature review when considering which standards or laws are used to
determine adequate staffing levels.
This writer’s findings were consistent with the article “Historic
Victory” (2001) and Bruno (2001) in finding that NFPA 1710 is the leading
standard recognized relating to staffing and response times. The literature review indicated Wisconsin
Administrative code ILHR 30, otherwise known as “Comm 30”, was a Wisconsin law
establishing the minimum number of firefighters needed to initiate interior
firefighting or rescue (Schaenman, 2001).
This writer’s research also recognized Comm 30 as a law used by fire
chiefs to establish minimum staffing to begin firefighting or rescue
operations. There were two other
standards or guidelines mentioned by the chiefs that were not found in the
literature review. The two standards
were NFPA 1500 and The American Heart Association standards.
The
literature review found that communities viewed NFPA 1710 as an unfounded
mandate (Fletcher, 2001). This is not consistent
with the research found by this writer through the interview portion of the
research. The research found that NFPA
1710 would not be considered a mandate until the state adopts the standard as
law. However, consistent with Schaenman
(2001), this research found that NFPA 1710 is considered a “standard of care”
and those attorneys when arguing a negligence case use the standard of
care.
According
to Greenblatt (2001) three major concerns local leaders have when attempting to
meet NFPA 1710 are cost, loss of local control and depleting funding from other
city departments to support the fire department. The research done by this author seems to support this fear. By far the most recognized obstacle is cost
followed by depleting funds to other city departments and finally the loss of
local control.
Wisconsin’s
leaders seem to recognize the amount of public support there is for local fire
and EMS protection. Governor Doyle has
promised to protect as much as possible state aid to local governments that is
relied upon to provide these services (Walters, 2002). The research done seems to agree. 93% of the respondents to the research feel
the work done by the fire department is important and must be a priority of
local governments. In spite of already
high taxes in Franklin, 77.4% of Franklin’s residents are willing to pay more
if it means better fire and EMS protection.
NFPA
1710 seems to have clearly established itself as the standard of care
throughout the nation as it relates to fire department staffing and response
times. Although there are other
standards and even laws they do not seem to specifically address the issues of
response time and staffing levels to the same detail in which 1710 does.
As
far as obstacles are concerned it is clear to this writer that cost is and
always will be the biggest obstacle. It
would be hard to imagine a politician who refused to improve the quality of
service if there was no cost involved.
The cost issue goes hand in hand with the concern over depleting other
departments within a city. If it could
be done for no cost there would be no reason to cut other departments. As far a local control is concerned few
citizens seemed concerned about this.
The NFPA is the leading authority in this area and has the credibility
to back their recommendations up.
Citizen
support seems overwhelming. The
citizens of Franklin seem to put a high value on quality protective
services. As stated earlier, 93% of the
citizens who responded to the survey rated quality response times and adequate
staffing as a four or higher on a scale of one to six. It is also evident when 77% are willing to
pay more in these economic times that the fire department has the support of
its citizens.
The
results of this research seem to be that the fire department is well thought of
and well supported by both the state leaders and by the citizens it
serves. It is also recognized that the
citizens expect quality services from the city and it is the job of the
legislative body of the city to help the fire department provide services to
the levels expected by the citizens.
The results of this research give the fire department the needed
information to move forward.
It
is the recommendation of this writer that the management team of the FFD
develop a plan in conjunction with the city leaders to improve the staffing
levels at stations two and three. The
plan should take into consideration NFPA 1710 as well as The Wisconsin
Department of Commerce; “Comm. 30”.
This plan should include both a short-term goal and a long-term
goal. This plan should also include
response patterns and operational plans designed to provide coverage to all
areas of the city at all times. The
plan must also provide solutions to the financial concerns of the city and must
be realistic in this time of fiscal uncertainty. Most importantly, once the plan is developed it must be
followed.
The
plan should consider the results of the research that indicated the majority of
the citizens of Franklin do feel the services provided by the fire department
are very important. By developing a
plan and implementing it, the citizens located in station two and station
three’s areas will no longer experience limited initial firefighting ability at
all times and delayed EMS response in the event of a second rescue in the
area. Improved staffing will also
provide a safer working environment for those firefighters assigned to stations
two and three.
If
the reader is considering conducting similar future research, this writer
recommends assuming a larger non-response rate than 20%. By randomly surveying a larger population
and possibly only expecting a 40% return rate the research will provide the
recommended survey population. It is
also recommended that the researcher work closely with his or her supervisor
keeping them well informed as well as informing city leaders of your research.
Bruno, H. (2001, January) Labor and management cooperate on NFPA 1710 staffing
standard. Firehouse, p.14
Davis-Humphry, V. (2002, September 29). Tax hike to
fund public safety; with the
additional money, city officials plan to fully staff the city’s second
fire station.
Wisconsin State Journal, C3
FEMA/USFA/NFA-ED-SM (1998) Executive Development. ( Available from the
National
Fire Academy, 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727)
Fletcher, J. (2001). National coalition protests
fire, ems staffing mandate. National
Cities
Weekly, 24(8), 1/6U.S. Fire Administration (2000). USFA 5-year
operational
objectives. Retrieved March 9, 2003, from:
http//www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-
usfa/op-obj.cfm
Greenblatt, A. (2001, July). Fired up over a new
standard, Governing 14(10), p.50
Historic victory:. (2001, July-August). Historic victory: 1710 standard
approved
International Fire Fighter, 84, 4
Krejcie, R.V., Morgan, D.W. (1970). Determining
sample size for research activities.
Electronic version]. The National League of Cities. Retrieved
February 19, 2003,
from. http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/policy_legislation/nfpa_proposed_standards/index.cfm
NFPA 1710. (2001, August) NFPA appeals to be reviewed. Fire Engineering 154(8), 40 Page, J.O. (2002, July). Will the saints go marching out. FireRescue Magazine. 20(7), 10
Poll: many believe big service cuts, more taxes unnecessary. (2003, January 17).
Richmond, T. (2003, February 5). Doyle: no cuts to
local governments; but says that’s
Cudahy
city of South Milwaukee]. Retrieved February 19,2003, from
http:www.ci.south-milwaukee.wi.us/firestudy.htm
Walters, S. (2003, February 9). Budget pain could
soon hit home. Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel p.A1
Wisconsin Fire Chiefs
(2003). Spring 2003 Survey. (Available from the Wisconsin
Fire Chief’s Education Association, President Chief Paul
Guilbert II, Pleasant
Prairie Fire and Rescue, 8044 88th Avenue Pleasant Prairie, WI
53158-2015)
Dear Franklin Resident:
My name is Lloyd Bertram. I am a battalion chief on the Franklin Fire Department. I am currently enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer program. As a requirement of the program I must complete an applied research project. The intent of the project must be to improve the fire department. To assist me with the research, I am conducting a survey to identify the needs and expectations of the citizens served by the Franklin Fire Department. Your feedback on the survey will not only assist me but it will also help the other leaders of your fire department in determining service levels and future plan development. Please take a few moments to complete the attached survey and return it in the stamped envelope provided no later than April 30, 2003. Your answers will remain completely confidential.
I would like to thank you in advance for your time and effort. Your honesty and opinion are valuable to your fire department. If you would like a copy of the results of this survey please contact me via e-mail at lloyd.bertram@ci.franklin.wi.us or call me at 425-1420.
Sincerely,
Lloyd Bertram, Battalion Chief
The following background information is to help clarify some of the questions on the survey form.
The National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) is an international association of firefighters, fire chiefs,
vendors, and trade organizations whose mission is “to reduce the worldwide
burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and
advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research,
training, and education.” NFPA’s
guidelines, while voluntary, often are incorporated into local ordinances and
building codes. In July of 2001, the
NFPA adopted standard 1710, which establishes minimum response times and
staffing levels for fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) response.
The key staffing and
response time minimums identified by the NFPA are as follows:
§
A
fire department engine company with a minimum of four firefighters on the scene
of a fire within five minutes of the time the fire department is notified.
§
An
EMS response with a minimum of two trained first responders with defibrillation
capability within five minutes of the time the fire department is notified.
Please answer the following questions and return
this survey in the self-addressed, postage paid envelope provided. If you would like to make any further
comments please use the back of this survey to express any opinions or feelings
you may have.
1)
How
important is it to you that your fire department meets the NFPA staffing and
response time standards in the event of a fire?
Unimportant 1 2 3 4 5 6
Very Important
2)
How
important is it to you that your fire department meets the NFPA staffing and
response time standards in the event of a medical emergency?
Unimportant 1 2 3 4 5 6
Very Important
3)
What
do you view as the most significant obstacle the City of Franklin must deal
with in order to provide fire and EMS response consistent with NFPA staffing
and response time standards?
Please check
one:
q Cost
q Fear of reduced funding for
other city services if the city funds the increase needed for the fire
department
q Loss of control by local law
makers in determining adequate staffing levels
q Other, Please
explain:_____________________________________________
4)
You
are currently paying $1.66 per $1,000 of assessed property value for fire and
EMS services based on the 2003-tax levy.
Would you be willing to pay an additional eight cents per $1,000 assessed value ($16 per year on a home
currently assessed at $200,000) to gradually bring your fire department up to
NFPA staffing and response time standards?
Yes No Explain:______________________________________________
Dear Fire Chief:
My name is Lloyd Bertram. I am a battalion chief on the City of Franklin Fire Department. I am currently in the Executive Fire Officer Program obtaining research for my applied research project. The answers you provide to the following survey will help me with my applied research project as well as the other members of the management team of the Franklin Fire Department to determine a course of action to help improve services provided to the citizens of Franklin.
Please
answer all three questions and return the survey in the envelope provided no
later than April 30, 2003. If you would
like a copy of the results please contact me via e-mail at lloyd.bertram@ci.franklin.wi.us
. I will be happy to provide you with
these results.
Thank you for your time and effort!
Sincerely,
Lloyd Bertram, Battalion Chief, Franklin Fire
Department
Please answer the following survey questions and
return it in the postage paid envelope provided. If you would like to make any further comments please feel free
to use the back of this survey form.
1)
Please
list the standards or laws you use or plan to use to determine adequate
staffing levels and response times within your community?
Please explain:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2)
What
obstacles or concerns do you expect or did you experience when attempting to
meet the standards you use or hope to use to determine adequate staffing and
response times? Please explain:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3)
Please
indicate the amount of public support you expect from your citizens to help you
meet these standards.
Please explain:
1)
Do
you view the National Fire Protection Agency’s standard 1710 as an un-funded
mandate?
2) If you were the prosecuting attorney in a case involving a citizen
suing the city who felt the fire department did not perform as expected at an
incident, would you use NFPA 1710?
3) Assuming that many states and fire departments across the
country are recognizing NFPA 1710 as the standard of care, do you believe
Wisconsin will be forced to recognize 1710 as a form of common law in the near
future?
4) If the City of Franklin uses some standards and guidelines established by the NFPA, but refuses to adopt others, does this increase the city’s chance of being held liable?