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Home My WebLink About2009-0420 Study Session PACKET CITY OF ASHLAND Imoorta'ntAny citiienmaY'6ra1lyaddres~ the;corintif?,nnon-agenda itemsduringthePubHcF~riun.'.;\ny citizen may submit written comments to the 'CoUncil oriany"jt~m OIl the Agenda; unless itisthe subject ofa public he~g~d the record is closed. Except for public hearin~t,herejs noabsohiterighHQ"onillyad<iresstheCouilcil on an ~gendaitem;'ritnepennitting, the Presiding Officer may allowonil'testiInony;however, .kbl~c meetings :law guarantees only public atteDd~ce, not public participation. If you wish to speak,:pleasefill.outthe Sp~akerRequestformlocatednearthe entraIlce to the Council Chambers. The chair will recognize you and inform you as to the amount oftiIneallotted to you, if any. . The $1egranted will be dependent to some extent on the nature ofihe item uriderdiscussion, thenUlllber of people who wish to be heard, and the length of the agenda CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION AGENDA Monday, April 20, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. Siskiyou Rdom, 51 Winburn Way 5:30 p.m. Study Session 1. Look Ahead Review 2. Discussion regarding Standards of Cover for Ashland Fire and Rescue. [60 minutes] (PACKET MATERIAL IN REGULAR MEETING PACKET OF APRIL 21,2009) CITY COUNCIL EXECUTIVE SESSION AGENDA Monday, April 20, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way 1. Real Property (pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(e) In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone number 1-800-735- 2900). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35. 104 ADA Title I). ... , City of Ashland Council Meeting Look Ahead *****THIS IS A DRAFT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE***** Council Meeting Date Departments SS CC SS cc SS cc SS cc SM SS cc SS cc SS cc Responsible 5/4 5/5 5/18 5/19 6/1 6/2 6/15 6/16 6/25 7/6 7/7 7/20 7/21 8/3 8/4 -------------- 1 Discussion re: Downtown Taskforce Right of Way Ordinance Planning Legal I (Bill/Richard/Mike F.) 55 Regular Council Meeting 5/5 2 Annual appointments to Ashland Community Healthcare Recorder Services Board (Barbara) CONS 3 Downtown re: Downtown Taskforce Right of Way revisions Planning Legal PH (Bill/Richard/Mike F.) PW ORD-1 ORD-2 4 Public Hearing related to annual fee adjustments for Parks Parks Finance Department (Don/Rachel) PH 5 Approval of RVTD contract (Mike F. / Ann) PW Admin UNFIN 6 Report on Tasers and Downtown Contact Station (Terrv) Police NEW 7 Cross Connection update (Mike F} PW NEW 8 Ordinances (three) re: water resources (Bill/Richard) Plannina Leaal ORD-2 9 Ordinance re: administrative authority to waive TOT and F&B Legal Finance penalties (Richard/Lee) ORD-2 10 Ordinance re: Housing Commission Resolution amendment Legal 'Richard) ORD-1 ORD-2 11 Ordinance re: Public Art on Historic Structures Admin Legal (Ann/Richard/Bill Plannin ORD-1 ORD-2 Regular Council Meeting 5/19 12 Winburn Project adoption from Forest Lands Commission 'Larrvrronv Kerwin) Fire PRES 13 Report on Sweatshop free purchasing policy implementation Finance Legal 'Lee/Richard) CONS 14 Confirmation of Mayor's Appointment of Fire Chief Personnel 'Tina/Martha) Admin CONS 15 Librarv Contract Approval (Ann) Admin CONS 16 Lease/Franchise for Ashland Home Net (Mike A. / MeQan) IT Leaal CONS 17 New Franchise aQmt for Charter (Richard/Mike A.) IT LeQal CONS 18 Ordinance re: Downtown Taskforce Right of Way revisions Planning Legal I (Bill/Richard/Mike F.) ORD-2 19 Ordinance re: Housing Commission Resolution amendment Legal I(Richard) ORD-2 20 Ordinance re: Public Art on Historic Structures Admin Legal I (Ann/Richard/Bill)) Plannina ORD-2 21 Ordinance Amending Chapter 11 re: Bicycle Bill of Rights Planning Legal I (Bill/Richard) ORD-1 ORD-2 22 Two Ordinances re: Public Contracting amendments Legal Finance (Richard/Lee) ORD-1 ORD-2 Page 1 of 3 4/9/2009 City of Ashland Council Meeting Look Ahead *****THIS IS A DRAFT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE***** Council Meeting Date Departments 55 CC 55 CC 55 CC 55 CC 5M 55 CC 55 CC 55 CC Responsible 5/4 5/5 5/18 5/19 6/1 6/2 6/15 6/16 6/25 7/6 7/7 7/20 7/21 8/3 8/4 ---------- Discussion relating to Court misc. Fees and Charges Legal _un. 23 I(Richard) ss Regular Council Meeting 612 24 Internal Controls Policy (Lee) Finance CONS 25 Approval of Public Art Commission Recommend. on Utility Box Painting (Ann) Admin CONS Public Hearing for adoption of FY09-1 0 Budget including: Finance * Reso establishing Appropriations 26 * Reso Certifying qualification for State Subventions * Reso Accepting State Subventions * Ordinance to Levy Property Taxes PH Public Hearing for Ordinance and Resolution establishing Legal 27 Fees and Charges for Municipal Court Administration PH 'Richard) ORD-1 ORD-2 28 Adoption of Facilities Master Plan (Mike) PW NEW 29 Ordinance Amending Chapter 11 re: Bicycle Bill of Rights Planning Legal I (Bill/Richard) ORD-2 30 Two Ordinances re: Public Contracting amendments Legal Finance I (Richard/Lee) ORD-2 31 Ordinance establishing classes of Offenses and Minimum Legal Fines for Munici al Court Richard ORD-1 ORD-2 32 Discussion re: the Imperatrice Property RFP (Mike F.) PW ss Regular Council Meeting 6116 33 Ambulance License Renewal (Larry) Fire CONS 34 Discussion re: Food and Beverage Tax (Ann/Lee) Admin Legal NEW Public Hearing for Ordinance and Resolution establishing Legal 35 Fees and Charges for Municipal Court Administration 'Richard) ORD-2 36 Ordinance establishing classes of Offenses and Minimum Legal 37 Final FY09 Bud ~; A~'ust~ent~ Lee" . Finance ~M Meeting Cancelled due to Independence Day Holiday Annual Joint meeting councll/ACH Board 7" Regular Council Meeting 7n Page 2 of 3 4/9/2009 City of Ashland Council Meeting Look Ahead *****THIS IS A DRAFT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE***** Council Meeting Date Departments 55 cc 55 cc 55 cc 55 cc 5M 55 cc 55 cc 55 cc Responsible 5/4 5/5 5/18 5/19 6/1 6/2 6/15 6/16 6/25 7/6 7/7 7/20 7/21 8/3 8/4 --- Reaular Council Meeting I I 7/21 Ordinance (Richard/Mike F.) Reaular Council Meeting 814 39 Proclamation of AUQust as Kiwanis Month (Diana) Admin 1 Ordinance re: repeal of AMC 2.41 - Volunteer contrib. and spending 2 Discussion of Next Steps on Railroad Property 3 Study Session with OSF Board 4 Interaovernmental Strateav 5 Como Plan Amendment re Economic Oooortunities 6 Regulatorv barriers to rental and affordable housina 7 Follow up on next steos on TAP 8 Airport Misc. Fees & Charges Page 3 of 3 4/9/2009 CITY OF ASHLAND Council Communication Meeting Date: Department: Secondary Dept. : Approval: Standards of Cover Ashland Fire & Rescue April 21, 2009 Primary Staff Contact: Scott Hollingsworth Fire E-Mail: Hollings@ashland.or.us None Secondary Contact: Larry Langston Martha Benn Estimated Time: Consent Question: Should the City Council adopt the Resolution which approves the Standards of Cover document that examines Ashland Fire & Rescues ability to respond to and mitigate emergency incidents and defines the comprehensive analysis of detailed Fire, EMS, and Rescue systems? Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the City Council adopt the Resolution accepting the Standards of Cover document presented by Ashland Fire & Rescue and authorize the Mayor to sign it. Background: The format of this document is based on the State of Oregon's Standards of Response Coverage. This proposed 2009 Standards of Cover for Ashland Fire & Rescue document examines Ashland Fire & Rescues ability to respond to and mitigate emergency incidents created by natural or human-made disasters, and is a comprehensive analysis of detailed Fire, EMS, and Rescue systems. The Standards of Coverage are developed through the evaluation of Ashland Fire & Rescue's present practices, regulatory requirements, historical response data, and comprehensive and scientific risk analysis. We, your Fire & Rescue Department, hope this analysis will help the City Council and the community, visualize what the current response system can and cannot deliver. NFP A 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments describes what an optimal fire department emergency response would be, to safely and efficiently handle different types of emergencies. The NFP A 1710 standard serves as a valid point of reference in how AF&R should conduct our emergency operations for the citizens of Ashland and the surrounding communities we serve. Current and future operations are based on moving us closer to the standards set by the NFP A. Related City Policies: Council Options: Council can . Accept the proposed Standards of Coverage . Revise the proposed Standards of Coverage . Request major revisions prior to adoption . Reject the proposed Standards of Coverage Page 1 of2 sac Council Communication 2.doc - .... CITY OF ASHLAND Potential Motions: Motion to accept the Standards of Cover and authorize signature by Mayor. Attachments: Proposed Resolution Ashland Fire & Rescue's Standards of Cover Page 2 of2 sac Council Communication 2.doc -- RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION ADOPTING ASHLAND FIRE AND RESCUE'S "STANDARDS OF RESPONSE COVERAGE" DOCUMENT CONTAINING FIXED AND MOBILE RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, DEPLOYMENT AND RESPONSE PROCEDURES FOR THE CITY OF ASHLAND'S FIRE AND EMS ORGANIZATION Recitals: A. A critical element of the accreditation process of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) is the adoption of Standards of Coverage; and B. Ashland Fire and Rescue desires to adopt Standards of Response Coverage based upon evaluation of Ashland Fire and Rescue's present practices, regulatory requirements, historical response date and comprehensive risk analysis; and C. The Standards of Response Coverage analysis is intended to help the City Council and the Ashland Community visualize what the current and future Fire and EMS response system can and cannot deliver to the Ashland Community THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOllOWS: Section 1. The attached Ashland Fire and Rescue Standards of Response Coverage document is hereby adopted as the Ashland Fire and Rescue Department's official standards for determining emergency medical, fire and rescue response; and Section 2. The attached Ashland Fire and Rescue Standards of Response Coverage document is hereby adopted as the official description of the City of Ashland's distribution and concentration of fixed and mobile resources. Section 3. This resolution takes effect upon signing by the Mayor. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this _ day of ,2009. John Stromberg, Mayor Reviewed as to form: Richard Appicello, City Attorney STANDARDS OF COVERAGE 2009 1 ASHLAND FIRE & RESCUE STANDARDS OF COVERAGE INTRODUCTION This document examines Ashland Fire & Rescue s ability to respond to and mitigate emergency incidents created by natural or human-made disasters. It differs from the Ashland's Emergency Management Program and Emergency Management Plan, that to provide overall planning and coordination for emergencies, in that it is a comprehensive analysis of detailed Fire, EMS, and Rescue systems. The format of this document is based on the State of Oregon's Standards of Response Coverage, a critical element of the accreditation process of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). "Standards of Response Coverage" are those written procedures that determine the distribution and concentration of the fixed and mobile resources of a Fire and EMS organization. A systems approach to deployment, rather than a one-size-fits-all prescriptive formula, allows for local determination of the level of deployment to meet the risks presented in each community. In this comprehensive approach, each agency can match local need (risks and expectations) with the costs of various levels of service. In an informed public policy debate, a City Council "purchases" the Fire, Rescue, and EMS service levels (insurance) the community needs and can afford. The Standards of Coverage are developed through the evaluation of Ashland Fire & Rescues present practices, regulatory requirements, historical response data, and a comprehensive risk analysis. The response analysis will help the City Council and the community, visualize what the current, or a possible, response system can and cannot deliver. ** Printing of this document was done in black and white as a cost savings measure. A color version is available via electronic medium on request. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I. COMMUNITY BASELINES......................................................................4 A. History of Ashland Fire & Rescue...........................................................4 B. Governance...................................... ............................ ......... ..4 C. Geography................................... ............................... ......... ....5 D. Existing Fire Deployment......................................... ............... ..6 II. RISK ASSESSMENT....................................................................................11 A. Risk Assessment ModeL.............................................. .......... ...12 B. Risks by Type ..... ................. .............. ............. ............... ...... .15 1. Structure Fire Risk ......................................................... .15 2. EMS Risk......... .......... ........................ ..................... .......... ....... ......... ..17 3 . Wildland Fire Risk........................................................... ................ .18 4. Technical Rescue Risk................... ............ ....... ..... ... .... ...20 III. CRITICAL TASK ANAL YSIS.................................................................23 A. Structure Fires...................................................................... .24 B. EMS. ... ...... ... .... ...... ..... .......... ... ........ .... ...... .,. .......... .......... ...27 C. Wildland Fires ................................................................................... .... ......28 D. Technical Rescue .. ...... ... ..... ......... .... ..... .... ...... ..... .... .... ...... ....31 IV . ESTABLISHING OBJECTIVES ...........................................................31 A. The Elements of Response Time...................................... .... ....32 B. Dynamics of Fire Growth and Flashover ..................................33 C. Emergency Medical Services Benchmarks and Expectations ........36 V. RESPONSE RELIABILITY ............................................... .... .38 VI. CONCLUSION....................................................................... .40 3 SECTION ONE: COMMUNITY BASELINES A. History of Ashland Fire & Rescue Like many towns across America, Ashland has literally been shaped by fire. On March 11, 1879, a devastating fire that began in a blacksmith's shop destroyed many of the businesses on the west side of the plaza. Many of the masonry structures that replaced the wooden buildings are still standing today. Ashland Hose Company No.1, East Main Street, 1887 On August 3, 1885 the "Ashland Fire Committee" was formed under City Council ordinance No. 14. In 1891, the City Council passed Ordinance NO.1 05 establishing the Ashland Fire Department, consisting of two hose companies. The first Fire Chief was appointed in 1913. Today, Ashland Fire & Rescue (hereafter referred to as "AF&R") is organized as a municipal service department. B. Governance The City of Ashland operates under the strong Mayor - Council form of government with the Mayor elected for a four year term and six Council Members 4 elected, at-large, for four-year overlapping terms. Day-to-dayoperational activities are overseen by a City Administrator who coordinates the duties and responsibilities of eight Department Directors including the Fire Chief. The budget process, organized under Oregon budget law, utilizes seven citizens as lay members of the city budget committee, who are joined by the Mayor and Council. The Budget Committee approves the budget, which is the annual spending plan for the City. The City Council adopts the budget following a public hearing. The adopted budget for AF&R in 2009 was approximately 5 million dollars. AF&R generates over 700,000 dollars of revenue which accrues in the General Fund. c. GeoaraDhv Urban Growth Boundary: The emergency medical services and fire suppression auto/mutual aid boundaries of Ashland Fire & Rescue extend beyond the Urban Growth Boundary of the City. The City Urban Growth Boundary is as follows: Northern Boundary - Jackson Rd. @ Hwy 99 North, Bear Creek, East Main St. - Dead Indian Memorial Rd., Tolman Creek - Upper Strawberry Lane, Pinecrest Terrace, Green Meadows Way - Ashland Mine Rd. Eastern Boundary Southern Boundary Western Boundary Primary topography: Ashland's elevations vary from 1,800 - 2,300 feet above sea level, and are located on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Siskiyou Mountain Range. Much of the surrounding lands are livestock grazing lands and pasture lands. To the south, east and west there is mountainous terrain with heavy timber. The valley floor consists mostly of farmland and pastureland. Neil Creek, which runs along the northern city limits, emptying into Bear Creek. Bear Creek continues along the northern boundary of the city and ultimately empties into the Rogue River. The Talent Irrigation District maintains a major canal which runs from southeast to northwest through the city, continuing through into rural farmland. Weather: Summer months have typically very low humidity, less than 200/0. Temperatures will range between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These conditions create extreme fire conditions during most fire seasons. Winter months have typically moderate temperatures of 40 degrees with occasional lows in the teens and twenties. In addition, winters usually bring snow, ice and wind. This is particularly true for elevations above the basin floor. 5 D. Existing Fire DeDlovment Ashland Fire & Rescue employs thirty-four full time personnel (Two positions are currently unfilled due to budget short falls). There are 6 Firefighters, 2 Engineers and 1 Captain on each shift. There are three emergency response shifts. Each shift works a 24 hour day, rotating days on and days off during a nine day cycle. Each of the three shifts is under the command of the shift Captain. While each shift is comprised of 9 personnel, the minimum daily required staffing is 7 personnel (1 Captain, 2 Engineers, and 4 Firefighters). These 7 - 9 personnel operate out of the City's two fire stations. Fire Station No. 1 is also utilized for administrative offices. The administrative staff includes the Fire Chief, Operations Division Chief, EMS Division Chief, Fire & Life Safety (FLS) Division Chief and Secretary. The following is the department's organizational chart: Fire Chief Admin Secretary DCIEMS A Shift Captain C Shift Captain Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter** Firefighter ** *indicates part time position funded by grant funds - indicates positions that have not been filled due to lack of funding in the current 2008-2009 budget year. 6 Minimum Daily Staffing Current Staffing Station 2 Station 1 Bad t ~ Captain lElEld Flre!hter FI!9::- tI:- t t ~;nrmighter . !.~ ~.1'~.1 ~ ~.:- En!eer Fire!hte~_ . !.~ l~. i~ ~., ... ..:- - Station 1 Proposed Staffing Station 2 BE1d lElEJd . . Captain Engineer -- --1 ,c~'- - t . tf;re';. t t -~~ Firefighter Firefighter 7 The following will be the department's organizational chart with the proposed budget cuts scheduled to take effect July 1, 2009 for the 2009-2010 budget year). Full time staff will decrease to twenty-nine personnel (Down from thirty two full time funded positions). In addition to the two firefighter positions that have not been filled, the department would need to cut another two firefighters and the C.E.R.T. coordinator. The Operations Division Chief position would be left vacant and that individual placed on a shift to augment line staff. Minimum daily staffing would then be reduced to 6 firefighters (3 Firefighters, 2 Engineers, and 1 Captain). A Shift Captain C Shift Captain Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Engineer Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Firefighter Fire Chief Admin Secretary DCIEMS *indicates part time position funded by grant funds 8 Calls for service During the 2008 calendar year, Ashland Fire & Rescue responded to 3,418 calls for service. Of these requests for service, 86% were related to Emergency Medical Services, 14% were Fire related emergencies. t/) i 3500 .... .... ! CD , t/) .-.---- --. , c: ~ , 3000 i 0 ---i ~ ! Q. +- ! t/) CD 2500 ; Q:: , '0 2000 '- 1500 CD .Q E 1000 ::s Z 500 - - - - ----- - - - - - - 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 ~Total Calls 2630 2740 2922 3186 3285 3534 3556 3418 -.- Fire Responses 528 446 494 496 569 579 587 474 Medical Calls 2102 2294 2428 2690 2716 2955 2969 2944 4000 .:. Note - While multiple units may respond on an emergency response, it is only counted one (1 )'time for statistical purposes. Fire Response numbers include the following: Structure Fires Brush Fires Car Fires Fire Alarms Sounding Ruptured Gas Lines Smoke Detector/CO Alarms Power Line Hazards Rescue Situations Lift Assists to the Disabled Miscellaneous Other 9 The following map shows AF&R's ambulance response area outside of the city limits. Ambulance Service Areas Ambulance Service Areas .. Rogue River F.P.D. .. Ashland Fire & Rescue c=:J Mercy Flights J~ .I ( / /// ~...-' l ,t " ~ Shad~ Butte Falls . ~- ~';'gle oint ,/..-J '""'\.. ~./?,l -........" ~ .... ------ ----....... -~'-.. "--.. --...,---.".--...-- / Jac~ne ~( 10 SECTION TWO: RISK ASSESSMENT A. Risk Assessment Model The City of Ashland must assess risks based upon the potential frequency (probability of an incident occurring) and consequence (potential damage should an event occur). For example, a terrorist act has a low probability; however, if a terrorist act occurs, the damage and the psychological impact are potentially very high. This same outlook regarding risk assessment can also be applied to natural disasters. For example, an earthquake generally does not hit the same community every year; but if it does strike, the damage can be great. Conversely, medical emergencies happen every day. The overall potential damage from medical emergencies to the community as a whole is not nearly as significant as that from an earthquake or other natural disaster though these individual incidents greatly affect those requiring the service. To design future deployment strategies, the department must be able to compare the potential frequency and potential damage of events that may affect the community and service area. Risk management is the analysis of the chance of an event occurring and the resulting damage that could occur as a result of the event. For example: structure fires are relatively infrequent in comparison to medical incidents in the City of Ashland and its service areas; however, the loss of subsequent dollars, loss of irreplaceable items, and loss of business or jobs make the consequences of such fires high; activation of automatic fire alarms is high probability with low consequence; earthquakes or a large hazmat incident may be infrequent but represent a large potential loss to life and property. Comparatively, a dumpster fire may be a high probability but have little consequence outside of the fire response. With an understanding of the different levels of probability and consequences, proper strategic planning in respect to risk management and resource deployment can take place. The challenge in community risk management does not lie solely in the work necessary to assess the probabilities of an emergency event in a community, but in the political arena as well. It is the policy makers who will determine the level of service to be delivered to the area being served. The following risk Matrix helps identify the elements that must be considered when assessing community risk. Each of the four categories represents a specific level of risk based on the probability of that risk occurring and ties the probability to the consequences that will be experienced if the risk occurs. Each risk that a community faces can be identified and categorized using this measurement of probability/consequences. As the level of risk increases, a different commitment of fire resources is needed to keep the risk from escalating. 11 P R o B A B I L I T y HIGH PROBABILITY HIGH PROBABILITY LOW CONSEQUENCE HIGH CONSEQUENCE c Maximum Risk Moderate Risk 0 n r Distribution 41 .- ~! I Low Risk i Significant Risk 0 n LOW PROBABILITY LOW PROBABILITY LOW CONSEQUENCE HIGH CONSEQUENCE CONSEQUENCES 1. Maximum Risk: Maximum risk includes a high probability and maximum consequence. This level of risk has the potential for a high level of life and property loss as well as significant property damage across the entire geographic area. Maximum risks will certainly have a devastating impact on the community's ability to maintain its commercial, residential and industrial tax base. An event of this magnitude would severely impact the community in multiple ways and challenge the community's ability to recover. An event of this nature would most likely include a disaster declaration by the Governor and/or the President of the United States. An example of a Maximum Risk event would be Hurricane Katrina, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the Oakland Hills Fire or the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. 2. Significant Risk: Significant risk level has a low probability of occurrence and a high level of consequences. This risk level has the potential for high to moderate life and property loss. A significant risk may vary in magnitude and may create varying threats to those people in the immediate area of impact. Significant risks can also impact those in close proximity to the immediate threat zone. The financial impact related to a significant risk is usually high by threatening the community's economic and social structures. A significant risk will require an extended recovery period but a community that has prepared can recover within a reasonable period of time. 3. Moderate Risk: Moderate risk has a high probability of occurrence and a low level of consequence. This level of risk can present a potential for life and property loss but these are usually limited to only those areas, properties and residents in the immediate threat zone. A moderate risk usually has an impact both financially and socially but is limited to specific areas unless the community has allocated adequate resources to respond to a risk of this level. Inadequate 12 resource allocations for moderate risk incidents can cause them to escalate to a significant level of risk requiring additional resources and the possibility for increased life and property loss. Recovery from a moderate risk is usually completed within a brief period of time. Moderate risk incidents seldom require assistance from outside the jurisdictional area. 4. Low Risk: Low risk has a low probability of occurrence and a low level of consequence. This risk level presents little threat to the community's ability to function unless the community does not have adequate resources allocated to handle this level of risk. The occurrence of this type of event is infrequent and presents little, if any, potential for significant life and property loss or damage. The relationships between probability and consequence and the community's adopted service level goals determine the needed concentration and distribution of resources. Distribution is the location of resources throughout the city. Concentration is the number of resources needed in a given area within the city. This varies depending on many factors including the number of events (calls for service); the risk factors of the area; the availability, reliability, and time of arrival of secondary responding units; etc. A challenge will be to find the proper balance for the distribution and concentration of resources needed to meet the service level goals today and in the future as the city and the department service areas continue to grow. Distribution: The term distribution is used in the fire service to describe the location of fire department emergency response resources in an effort to ensure their availability to provide intervention for all risk levels. Because of the cost related to the allocation of fire resources, fire departments use a static response system. A static response system is a system in which fire stations are strategically located in designated response areas across the community, or coverage area. This allows fire department units to travel from one point to another in a pre-designated period of time known as response times or performance objectives. A key component to a static response system is to ensure fire department resources are properly placed based on current and future growth. Properly spaced fire stations are needed to assure a rapid deployment of emergency resources in order to respond to and mitigate average, or routine, emergency calls for service in a timely manner. Concentration: The term concentration is used to describe the spacing of multiple fire department resources so a fire department can assemble an "effective response force" at the scene of an emergency incident. An effective response force is that which will most likely stop the escalation of the emergency incident as it is categorized in each risk type. Differing incident types require different levels of initial and secondary staffing based on the nature of the 13 incident. These incident specific resource requirements are called critical tasking and are explained in detail later in this document. It is a critical factor for fire departments to develop specific service level objectives to address the concentration of resources for each risk area. *. Fire Station #1 is located at 455 Siskiyou Boulevard. Current minimum staffing is 1 Captain, 1 Engineer and 3 Firefighters who staff one command vehicle, one engine and one ambulance. The station also houses an unstaffed backup ambulance, engine, brush truck and wildland interface engine. Personnel can be moved off one type of equipment and onto another to better respond to emergency needs. Station 1 's first in response area is that part of the city to the west of the triple green line. --^- Station #2 is located at 1860 Ashland street. Current minimum staffing is 1 V Engineer and 1 Firefighter who will respond in an engine or ambulance depending on the type of call. Station 2 houses backup ambulances, a brush truck and a technical rescue response trailer. Station 2's first in response area is east of the triple green line. The blue line shows the boundary for a 5 minute drive time from Station 1. The 5 minute drive time boundary from Station 2 is shown in red. ~ '-~~ .....OO"">~ ... ~-. .~~~, . ~~~b~\\~~~:;~, E S'l. '<"%'0:" E ~.~~~~~ I i -""'. ~ 0: (U -0 (U t z Q) c: i ~~~ II? .~ &: I &0.t' ~ ~~ ~ w g ~ ~~ ~1- C)., "'of -?<r 61 s Rogue River HatioM Forest ~ "tb ~ ~ .:. It should be noted that those areas outside of the blue & red lines have a drive time greater than 5 minutes 14 B. Risk TVDe Understanding community risk is important when conducting a fire department response coverage assessment. Each risk presents the need for varying fire resources. Based on the potential posed, each risk type may require an increased number of fire department personnel, apparatus, equipment, and water supply to keep a potential event from escalating beyond the department's mitigation capabilities. This section explains the various risk types in the community. The potential risks include the following categories; Structure Fires, Emergency Medical Services, Wildland Fires, and Technical Rescue. 1. Structure Fire Risk A building categorized as Maximum Risk will be significant in size, absent of automatic fire protection and alarm systems, require a large amount of water to contain a fire and have a potential for a high life loss due to existing and non- conforming exiting. These buildings will have an irreplaceable or a major financial or social impact on the community if lost. A key factor that places a building in this category is inadequate water availability for fire suppression operations at the site of this building. An example of a building categorized as Maximum would be as follows: An older, multi-story, non-reinforced masonry building considered to have historical significance. This building would have no fire protection or alarm systems, poor exiting, and a marginal water supply for firefighting operations. A building categorized as Significant Risk will be substantial in size and have the potential for life and property loss. The potential for life loss varies between those occupants in the immediate area to threatening the lives of all of the people in the building. The financial impact to the community created by this level can be high due to loss of jobs and/or loss of tax revenue. These buildings usually have automatic fire protection and alarm systems. Examples of Significant buildings include common hallway apartments, warehouses, office complexes, moderate to large sized retail stores, hospitals, medical buildings, and older downtown buildings that have retrofitted their buildings with fire protection systems. Buildings categorized as Moderate Risk are average in size and can present a potential for a high life loss but are usually limited to threatening only the immediate occupants of the structure. The financial impact due to the loss of this structure has an impact on the occupants or owners, but not the surrounding properties. Examples of these buildings vary widely with the most typical in this class being a single family residence. Smaller apartment buildings and smaller businesses are also included in this category. 15 Buildings categorized as Low Risk have a very limited exposure. They are small structures that are not normally occupied by people. They also generally have a reduced amount of fire load, require small amounts of water to extinguish, have limited potential to spread to other buildings, and have little financial impact to the owners or the community. An example of a building in the Low Risk category would be a carport, shed, or out-building with limited potential for spreading to nearby buildings. The table below illustrates the types and numbers of building occupancies that can be found within the City of Ashland. CLASSIFICATION # of BUilDINGS Single Family Residential 7,800 Multi- Family Residential 258 Offices/Mercanti lei Assem bly 338 Educational Facilities 28 Fabrication & Manufacturing 27 Hazardous Materials 65 Health Care Facilities 4 Stand Alone Large Mercantile 28 Storage 6 IT ata Is 8,554 ** There are 1770 businesses that operate in the City of Ashland ** It is important to note that the above table shows buildings only. There are many structures that have multiDle businesses within them. 16 2. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Risk Routine, single patient emergency medical service incidents in the Fire Department's coverage area can be considered "Low" to "Moderate" risk. These types of incidents have a very high probability of occurring but their consequences only affect the patient and their immediate family. EMS incidents with multiple patients, also known as Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI's) can be considered "Moderate" to "Significant" risks. These call types occur less frequently but have the potential to affect a greater number of people. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) incidents make up the largest percentage of responses for AF&R. This fact is also true for the fire service nationwide. During the past 15-20 years fire departments across the country have taken a lead role in providing basic and advanced life support services in their protection areas in an effort to provide comprehensive pre-hospital care for the citizens they protect. Nationally, EMS calls for service make up approximately 700/0 of any fire department's overall emergency call volume Assessing the risk related to the EMS system involves understanding the history and types of EMS calls being responded to as well as the location in which those calls are occurring. As the population in the United States ages, calls for emergency medical service are certain to increase. During difficult economic times, fire departments experience an increase in calls for EMS service. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responses are the most prevalent incident type for AF&R. During FY 07/08 the Fire Department responded to 3,418 calls for emergency service. Of those calls, 860/0 were calls related to emergency medical services. The most typical types of patient symptoms generating EMS calls were altered level of consciousness, cardiac arrest, chest pains, shortness of breath, falls and seizures. 17 3. Wildland Fire Risk Assessing Ashland's Wildfire Risk Wildland fire risk and hazards have been documented as "High" (High is the highest rating) in both the primary and mutual aid response areas of Ashland Fire & Rescue. The State of Oregon and Jackson County wildfire risk assessments rate the Ashland wildland urban interface (WUI) as among the most hazardous in the State and the highest ranked community in Jackson County (State of Oregon Wildfire Risk Assessment 2005, Jackson County Integrated Fire Plan, 2005). The primary factors used for assessing a community's wildfire risk are the vegetation types (fuels), steepness of the topography, housing density, fire starts, and protection capabilities. The key factors that lead to Ashland's high rating are the fuel loads that surround Ashland, the density of homes in the WUI zone, and the upslope of the Ashland Municipal Watershed. * Ashland Municipal Code refers to this area as The Wildfire Hazard Area. Composite Wildfire Assessment Map, Jackson County Integrated Fire Plan (2005). Red is high risk. Wildfire Behavior and Suppression 18 Wildland fire behavior is driven by three primary factors: fuel, weather, and topography. All three factors combine in the Ashland WUI to create potentially extremely hazardous wildfires. The intensity and rate of spread (together referred to as behavior) of a wildfire determine what suppression tactics will be effective. Flame heights over 4 feet dictate the use of fire engines and bulldozers in a direct or indirect attack strategy and flames over 8 feet dictate the use of airial resources and construction of firelines well away from the fire front. Wildfire Fuel Conditions The fuel (vegetation) in and around Ashland is often heavy although a significant area of fuels has been modified through an ongoing AF&R fuels reduction program. According to a City commissioned study in 2002, just over 800/0 of the WU I area is either Extreme or High hazard vegetation types (not including Federal lands ), meaning flame lengths of at least 4 feet and more likely 8 feet and greater over a larger proportion of the protection area. The fuels reduction program has decreased the potential fire behavior and increased potential suppression effectiveness on 1,431 acres of City and private land since 2002. However, without regular maintenance these acres will revert back to pre-2002 conditions. The Forest Resource Specialist is a staff position dedicated to wildland fire prevention and mitigation. Structure Vulnerability An important unknown factor is the flammability of homes. As explained above the wildfire risk is well quantified, but each individual home has its own hazard rating depending on the construction and the immediate 100 foot area, often called the "defensible space" zone, surrounding the home. There are 1,879 structures (2008) in the Ashland WUI zone, but it is unknown how many have adequate defensible space for effective fire protection. Looking at WUI wildfires in similar communities across the West, the prognosis for structure survival during a major wildfire in Ashland looks grim. Factors including high housing density, narrow and winding streets, a finite water supply (no water in many rural portions in the mutual aid area), commonly hot and dry days, steep topography, and highly flammable vegetation surrounding the community all spell out a potentially challenging and hazardous environment for firefighting with limited chances for avoiding home loss. Outreach and education efforts continue by AF&R to encourage homeowner preparations, but the loss of the City's Code 19 Compliance Officer (2008-2009) increases difficulty in code enforcement when hazardous situations are identified by AF&R. This decreases the effectiveness of suppression and home protection actions and increases the risk to firefighter's safety. 4. Technical Rescue Risk In general, technical rescue is the application of special knowledge, skills and equipment to safely resolve unique and/or complex rescue situations. For a wide variety of reasons, victims become stranded and/or injured in the areas in and around our city. Easy access to hiking and biking trails along with extremes in the geography create technical rescue situations each year. Furthermore, vaults, tanks, tunnels and trenches spread throughout the City pose a risk to the employees who work in them and the citizens who might become trapped in them. Maintaining a rescue response is not only mandated by OSHA but is the prudent approach to these threats. RODe Rescue Rope rescue is defined as any rescue attempt that requires rope and related equipment to safely gain access to, and remove victims from, hazardous geographic areas with limited access such as slopes, cliffs, and buildings, above or below grade structures, by means of rope systems. Rope rescues are divided into two general categories, low/steep angle and high angle. 20 Toothpick Trail Rescue - 2002 Both of these categories exist in and around the City. Each year AF&R is called to treat and rescue injured victims from our watershed, park lands and frontier areas we serve. Many of these victims are located in remote regions accessible only by 4x4 vehicles, by foot, and in some cases helicopter. These calls for service range from litter carry outs to technical rescues involving multiple agencies and extended times to accomplish the mission. Confined Soacerrrench Rescue Risk Confined spaces exist in the City in a variety of forms. Federal OSHA regulations define a confined space as a space that: -Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and -Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit; and -Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. 21 r~ ... Examples of confined spaces in Ashland include: - Sewers and sewer facilities (throughout city and at the waste water treat- ment plant) - Storm drains -Electrical and communication vaults (serviced by Ashland Electric and AFN) -Tanks (fixed and mobile) -Manholes -Trenches and excavations (City Streets, Water and Electric departments and private contractors) -Tunnels (SOU) Confined space rescue represents one of the most challenging and dangerous operations undertaken by fire departments in America today. Nearly 600/0 of all confined space deaths are would-be rescuers associated with secondary entries. This includes fellow employees, bystanders and untrained or poorly trained responders. 22 SECTION THREE: CRITICAL TASK ANALYSIS OF AF&R In order to provide life safety and emergency mitigation efforts in an effective manner it is imperative that firefighters respond to emergencies in a timely manner and with enough trained firefighters to safely mitigate the emergency. Critical tasks are those duties that must be conducted by firefighters in order to safely control emergency incidents. In order to effectively determine AF&R's ability to ensure effective service delivery while maintaining a safe working environment the department must conduct a critical task analysis. The critical task analysis is the process of matching AF&R's resource deployment to each type of risk. A critical task analysis identifies the necessary staffing level required to safely perform each task and successfully mitigate each risk. A critical task analysis was conducted for the following risk types: . Structure Fires . Emergency Medical Calls . Wildland Fires . Technical Rescues 23 A. Structure Fires Low Risk Fires The following table provides a task analysis for Low Risk structure fires and/or incidents like rubbish fires, small grass fires, vehicle fires and incidents that involve a light fire load. The example also takes into consideration that the potential for injury or loss of life is non-existent and that the potential for exposure issues related to adjacent properties is non-existent. CRITICAL TASK PERSONNEL Command / Safety 1 Pump Operator 1 Attack Line 2 Total Number of Firefighters 4 Low risk fires are normally handled by one fire unit and 4 firefighters as demonstrated in the following diagram: Low Risk Structure Fire - 4 Firefighters .....1 Attack line t ") .. (" ....,...,.~.._./ t .......- Puml) Ol)et atot Incident Command 24 Moderate Risk Fires The following table and diagram represent the critical task assignments and personnel requirements for an initial alarm assignment at a "Moderate Risk" structure fire. CRITICAL TASK PERSONNEL Command I Safety 1 Pump Operator 1 Attack Li ne 2 Back-up Line * 2 Support I Search and Rescue 2 Ventilation 2 RIT ** 2 Total Number of Firefighters 12 * Back-up Line is required to meet OSHA's 2-IN I 2-0UT Policy. ** Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). A dedicated crew of firefighters who are assigned for rapid deployment to rescue lost or trapped members. Moderate Risk Structure Fire - 12 Firefighters Ventilation Team - tt Search & " Rescue RIT t Incident Comma"d . .~ ~.. ro ____.., \.' \.,' . ,,~... , . j " :.r: ,.' -_.- .... 25 .:. NFPA recommends a minimum of 14 firefighters for initial response on these types of fires .:. Currently, at minimum staffing, AF&R is able to deploy 7 firefighters, plus an additional 2 firefighters from Jackson County Fire Dist. #5 for a total of i firefighters. Therefore, fire attack and rescue often cannot be conducted simultaneously. .:. After July 2009, we will be able to deploy 6 firefighters, plus 2 additional firefighters from Jackson County Fire Dist. #5 for a total of ! firefighters. .:. AF&R must at times operate in split or less then ideal modes on the fire ground until sufficient staffing is on scene. .:. Equipment and personnel responding may be reduced because of multiple emergencies or extenuating circumstances. Significant and Maximum Risk Fires Fire departments should maintain the capability to provide additional alarm assignments when situations are beyond the capacity of the initial first alarm assignment. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) standard recommends when an incident escalates beyond an initial full alarm assignment, or when a significant risk is presented, the Incident Commander (IC) upgrade the number of resources at the incident scene to provide for the increase of the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) from a partial crew of 2 firefighters to a full Rapid Intervention Crew of 4 firefighters. NFPA further recommends that the IC also deploy a safety officer. CRITICAL TASK PERSONNEL Command I Safety 4 Pump Operators 2 Attack Lines 4 Back-up Lines 4 Search and Rescue 4 Ventilation 4 RIT 4 Total Number of Firefighters 26 26 .:. Equipment and personnel responding may be reduced because of multiple emergencies or extenuating circumstances. B. Emeraencv Medical Services Routine, Single Patient EMS Incident AF&R has determined that 2 Firefighter/Paramedics are able to provide the necessary EMS care for the majority of EMS Responses. In those cases where a significant life threatening emergency has been identified by the dispatch center, 2 more personnel are dispatched to the scene to assist with the additional critical tasks that these kinds of calls generate. These calls are coded a "David" response. The following illustration shows the resources needed at most medical emergencies. EMS RESPONSES "David" Level Responses All Other Response Levels f~ .. ,-I .!J" ~ .:... - t . ~- . t Firefighter Firefighter . . .~~A. - ~~~~ Q:!1~ Firefighter Firefighter Engineer Firefighter .:. Equipment and personnel responding may be reduced because of multiple emergencies or extenuating circumstances. .:. Motor vehicle accidents and airplane incidents both start at the "David" level response on first alarms. "David" responses can be defined as those types of medical emergencies which are immediately life threatening and will require more than 2 personnel to help mitigate the crisis. 27 Mass Casualty Incident To provide the resources needed to handle the needs during a mass casualty incident that goes beyond the capability of local resources, Jackson County has implemented the Ambulance Resource Management System (A.R.M.S.). The A.R.M.S. allows one strategic dispatch to utilize all ambulance resources available to respond to emergencies. C. Wildland Fires During peak fire season AF&R units respond to multiple wildland incidents both inside and outside of the primary boundaries of our response area. AF&R's primary responsibility is protection of life including evacuation of residents from the fire area. Secondary to life, property protection is prioritized, meaning that the advance of the fire may continue until protection of both life and property are addressed. Mutual aid from Jackson County District #5, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and the U.S. Forest Service is absolutely critical to address potentially overwhelming demands for protection of life and property, and to suppress the wildfire itself if AF&R units are fulfilling primary goals first. 28 Small Wildland Fire Because wildland fires could have such a disastrous effect upon the City, AF&R has placed a significant interest in extinguishing any small brush/grass fires as quickly as possible. Initial alarm assignments have all available personnel responding to the scene. The fire pictured above occurred in Lithia Park in late July. The mitigating factors that stopped the fire from spreading to up slope homes and toward the watershed were a rapid response from fire crews and the fuels reduction program which had eliminated ladder fuels from the area. The following chart shows the initial alarm assignment for any wildland fire that occurs within the City. less than one acre PERSONNEL 1 2 3 1 7 29 .:. At minimum staffing, the above numbers do not leave any personnel available to staff an ambulance .:. During the fire season AF&R will also receive assistance from ODF and the U.S. Forest Service, including helicopter and fixed wing aerial resources. .:. Equipment and personnel responding may be reduced because of multiple emergencies or extenuating circumstances. Small Wildland Fire - 7 Firefighters t Incident Command D. / Pump Operator ";// t Pump / Operator Brush Rig Operator Large Wildland Fire When wildland fires escalate beyond a first alarm assignment, additional resources must be requested through additional alarms. Additionally, Strike Teams and Task Forces may be requested from Jackson and Josephine Counties. Further escalation of the incident or the potential for serious impacts to the community can necessitate declaration of a conflagration in order to mobilize State-wide resources. Typical critical tasks required during a large wildland fire are listed below: .:. Establish a Unified Incident Command Structure .:. Provide an Incident Safety Officer 30 .:. Evacuate residents as needed .:. Delegate Division and Group Supervisor responsibility .:. Request and direct fire control activities using air tankers and helicopters .:. Fire control/structure protection with engines .:. Fire control with dozers .:. Fire control with hand crews .:. Provide mobile water supply .:. Tactical planning including structure triage and GIS mapping D. Technical Rescue The following graph indicates the minimum number and type of responders needed to perform a Technical Rescue. At this time, because of the elimination of the training funds for Technical Rescue, there is no actual "Team". As it stands, there are several individuals on each shift who have a basic understanding of various rescue disciplines. In cases where we need additional expertise or services, AF&R might be able to utilize outside organizations for assistance with a significant delay. Incident type Technical Rescue Firefighters Total Trained Firefi hters 1 3 4 1 6 7 9 6 15 6 4 10 9 6 15 SECTION FOUR: ESTABLISHING OBJECTIVES This section discusses the basis for fire department response objectives. Fire department response objectives are typically based on: 1. The dynamics of fire growth. 2. The events involved in a life threatening emergency medical incident. These two types of emergency responses have extensive scientific information available thus making them quantifiable. This section provides the definitions of 31 response times, a discussion on each of the above items, and the associated department goals. A. The Elements of ResDonse Time Response times are a critical component in the control and mitigation of an emergency incident. Understanding the standardized elements of response time is important in order for a fire department to measure its response effectiveness. The National Fire Protection Association definitions concerning fire responses are as follows: Dispatch Time - The point of receipt of the emergency alarm at the public safety answering point to the point where sufficient information is known to the dispatcher and applicable units are notified of the emergency. Turnout Time - The time beginning when units acknowledge notification of the emergency to the beginning point of response time. Response Time - The travel time that begins when units are en route to the emergency incident and ends when units arrive on scene. Jackson County Ambulance Service Plan defines ambulance response times as follows: Notification Time - The length of time between the initial receipt of the request for EMS by either a provider or an emergency dispatch center (911 ) and the notification of the ASA provider. Response Time - The length of time between the notification of each provider and the arrival of each provider's emergency medical service unit(s) at the incident scene or at the end of an ambulance access point. On-Scene Time - The point at which the responding unit arrives on the scene of the emergency. System Response Time - The elapsed time from when the Public Safety Answering Point receives the call until the arrival of the appropriate provider unit(s) on scene. 32 B. Dvnamics of Fire Growth and Flashover In order for firefighters to provide the most effective service, and to significantly reduce the risk of life and property loss, they must arrive at a structure fire in a short period of time with adequate resources. Matching the arrival of resources with a specific point in the fire's growth is one of the greatest challenges for a fire department. Finding the specific point in a fire's growth can be accomplished by identifying the stages of a fire. Stages of a Fire Regardless of the speed of growth, or length of burn time, all fires inside a compartment or building go through the same stages. A fire in a comparlrrlent begins with the "Ignition" stage and when left unaddressed will develop through the Growth, Flashover, Fully Developed, and Decay stages. One particular stage emerges as being very significant because it marks a critical change in conditions. This phase is called the "Flashover" phase. The following provides a brief overview of the stages of fire within a compartment: Ignition Stage - Ignition describes the period when a heat source is applied to a combustible fuel package, in the presence of oxygen, and a continuous chemical chain reaction known as combustion begins. At this point the fire is small and generally confined to the material (fuel) first ignited. Growth Stage - During this stage, the combustion process continues to release increased levels of heat while nearby objects reach their ignition temperature, and begin to burn. Superheated gases rise to the ceiling, spread outward and begin to bank down the walls of the enclosure consuming all available oxygen in the room and raising the heat levels to reach the next stage. Flashover Stage - Flashover is the transition between the growth and the fully developed fire stages. During flashover, the conditions in the compartment change very rapidly, and the fire changes from one that is dominated by the burning material first ignited, to one that involves all of the exposed combustible surfaces within the compartment. Fully Developed Stage - The fully developed fire stage occurs when all combustible materials in a compartment are involved in fire. During this period of time, the burning fuels in the compartment are releasing the maximum amount of heat possible for the available materials, and producing large volumes of fire gasses. A fire at this stage requires significantly more resources (water, hoses, and personnel) to control, due to the massive amount of heat energy involved. Also, during this stage, hot unburned fire gasses are likely to begin flowing from the compartment of origin into adjacent spaces or compartments. These gasses 33 ignite as they enter a space where air is more abundant, causing the fire to spread further. Decay Stage - During this stage, the fire diminishes and temperatures begin to decline because the fire has already consumed the available fuels in the compartment. Flashover "Flashover" is a critical stage of fire growth for various reasons. The predominate reasons that this phenomenon is so critical is that no living thing can survive in the flashover room, and that it creates a rapid increase in the rate of combustion which requires a greater amount of water to reduce the burning material below their ignition temperature. After flashover has occurred the fire burns much hotter and spreads at a much more significant pace. Once flashover has occurred search and rescue efforts become more difficult in the remainder of the building. Also, the occurrence of flashover causes an increased need for fire suppression personnel to mitigate the incident in a timely manner. The following graph represents the stages of fire growth. This graph also identifies the time elements involved in flashover such as the detection and reporting of the fire, dispatch processing time, and the fire department's response time. 34 The following table compares pre and post flashover conditions: Before Flashover After Flashover Limited to one room May spread beyond one room Requires smaller attack lines Requires more, and larger attack lines Search and Rescue is easier/safer Compounds Search and Rescue Initial assignment can handle Requires additional companies Staffing and equipment needs can be reasonably predicted for different risk levels and fire stages. The correlation of staffing and equipment needs with fires according to their stage of growth is the basis for response coverage. The goal is to maintain and strategically locate enough firefighters and equipment so a minimum acceptable response force can reach a reasonable number of fire scenes before flashover occurs. To minimize risk, the department strives to extinguish small fires quickly before they reach flashover potential to minimize risk. As flashover is such a significant fire event, preventing this stage of fire behavior is imperative. Time is a key factor in this effort. Once flashover potential is reached, an exponential increase occurs not only in the rate of combustion, but in the amount of resources necessary to mitigate the fire emergency. For these reasons Ashland Fire & Rescue has established the following goal: 35 Goal #1 AF&R will respond to 900/0 of all fire suppression calls inside the City of Ashland with a response time of 5 minutes or less. * AF&R will use the NFPA established measuring criteria concerning emergency fire response times. 2008 FIRE RESPONSE GOAL 90% 100% 80% " ~~ ~~ ~ " ~~ ~, ~, ~ ~ ~ ~ 'to <It ~, ~ ~, ~~ ~ ~ .} ~~ 'to~ " <I!>~ .....' "':.,<It " fIo~ ..~ I:) " <I!>~ ....' ~fIo " <I!>~ ..' ~' . Arrival Within 5 Minutes of Dispatch . Arrival After 5 Minutes of Dispatch .:. Fire suppression calls include: Structure Fires, Wildland Fires, Vehicle Fires, and Fire Alarm Sounding calls. C. Emeraencv Medical Services Benchmarks and Exoectations Life Threatening Medical Emergencies - Basis for Response Objectives Using life threatening medical emergencies as a basis for setting EMS response time performance objectives has become a fire and EMS industry norm. The American Heart Association has shown that the likelihood of a patient surviving a 36 life threatening medical emergency is improved if CPR and defibrillation are initiated within 4 minutes of the onset of the medical emergency. PATIENT SURVIVABiliTY WITH EARLY DEFIBRilLATION 20 100 ..J c( > ~ ::) U) u.. o w o z c( ::I: o 80 60 40 o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ELAPSED TIME IN MINUTES 10 From an emergency medical perspective, the service-level objective typically is to provide medical intervention within a six-minute timeframe, as brain damage is very likely at six minutes without oxygen. However, in a cardiac arrest situation, survivability dramatically decreased beyond four minutes without appropriate intervention. Intervention includes early recognition and bystander CPR. Early defibrillation is often called the critical link in the chain of survival because it is the only way to successfully treat most sudden cardiac arrests. When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart starts to beat chaotically (fibrillation) and cannot pump blood efficiently. Time is critical. If a normal heart rhythm is not restored in minutes, the person will die. In fact, for every minute without defibrillation, the odds of survival drop seven to ten percent. A sudden cardiac arrest victim who is not defibrillated within eight to ten minutes has virtually no chance of survival. The shortest possible response times create the highest probabilities of 37 resuscitation. For these reasons Ashland Fire & Rescue has established the following goal: Goal #2 AF&R will provide emergency medical services to 900/0 of patients within ASA time standards. ZONE STANDARD Urban 8 minutes Suburban 15 minutes Rural 45 minutes Frontier 2 Hours EMS RESPONSE GOAL 90% 100% 80% . 2001 = 1003 2004 2005 m 2007 m . # of Cals Within M3A Standards . # of Calls N~ Within M3A Standards SECTION FIVE: RESPONSE RELIABILITY Response reliability addresses the probability that the required amount of staffing and apparatus will be available when a fire or other emergency call is received. If 38 every piece of apparatus in each station were available every time a fire call was received, the response reliability for each station would be 1000/0. As the number of calls per day increases, and line staffing decreases, the likelihood that a needed piece of equipment and/or personnel will already be busy with an existing incident will increase. For example, in January of this year there were 27 times when two overlapping emergency responses occurred, 8 times when three overlapping emergency responses occurred and 3 times when four overlapping emergency responses occurred. Consequently, during these times, AF&R's response reliability decreases. The following chart shows the number of times there have been multiple alarms occurring at the same time: MULTIPLE ALARMS 800 rn CD (.) c J! 700 rn .5 .... o "" 600 CD .a E ::s Z 500 2005 2006 2007 2008 While AF&R utilizes mutual aid agreements to receive equipment and manpower from neighboring departments, response times will be longer than those recommended by NFPA and ASA standards. The following steps have been taken to help with low staffing levels and multiple alarms: 1) All firefighting personnel have been issued a pager and are encouraged to return to duty when a "call-back" for personnel is initiated. 2) An Automatic and Mutual Aid Agreement is maintained with all fire and ambulance agencies in Jackson and Josephine Counties. 3) Automatic Aid is pre-programmed through six alarm assignments, providing a systematic method to bring additional resources to the incident as needed. 4) AF&R maintains Automatic and Mutual Aid Agreements with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the United States Forest Service for grass, brush and forest fires. 39 SECTION SIX: CONCLUSION 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 describes what an optimal fire department emergency response would be, to safely and efficiently handle different types of emergencies. Although AF&R is unable to meet these standards at this time, AF&R will continue to use NFPA 1710 standard as a goal for improvement in the future. AF&R will continue its efforts to meet the community's needs for fire protection, emergency medical services, response to hazardous conditions, community emergency preparedness, plans review, interface fuel reduction and planning with the available resources. 40