Table of Contents. June Town of Carleton Place Fire Master Plan. Message from the Fire Chief. Introduction.

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1 Table of Contents Message from the Fire Chief Introduction Executive Summary Summary of Recommendations Overview of the Town of Carleton Place Growth and Development The Fire Service in Carleton Place History of the Ocean Wave Fire Company Carleton Place Fire Service Today Mutual and Automatic Aid Agreements RECOMMENDATIONS Dispatch and Communications Emergency Calls Radio Communications RECOMMENDATIONS Response Times Response and Deployment Standards RECOMMENDATIONS Staffing Emergency Response Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Remuneration of Volunteer Firefighters RECOMMENDATIONS 1

2 Training and Education Delivery of Training Programs RECOMMENDATIONS Building Apparatus and Equipment Fire Station Apparatus Equipment RECOMMENDATIONS Water Supply Municipal Water Supply RECOMMENDATIONS Administration Fire Service Management and Administration RECOMMENDATIONS Fire Prevention and Public Education Fire Safety Inspections Public Education Initiatives Vulnerable Occupancies Fire Investigation Activities RECOMMENDATIONS Community Survey Conclusion Appendices RECOMMENDATIONS (A) Establishing and Regulating By-law ( ) (B) Lanark Medical Assist Response Agreement (C) Carleton Place/Mississippi Mills Automatic Aid Agreement (D) Operational Guideline A-2 (Fire Safety Inspections) (E) Community Awareness Survey 2

3 Message from the Fire Chief A strong effective fire service is committed to a program of continuous improvement which is predicated on its ability to periodically step back and objectively assess its performance relative to industry standards, its stated goals and objectives and the performance of peer departments. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through a comprehensive review of its present state in conjunction with a vision of what lies in the future and what they will need to do to maintain and indeed improve the service they provide to the citizens who depend on them. I have proudly led the firefighters and officers of the Ocean Wave Fire Company since 2007 and while I am confident that they are among the finest small fire departments in Ontario, I also welcome this opportunity to have our performance evaluated by others and gauge the value that our citizenry place on our service. As we deal with the change and ever increasing pressures that face today s fire service, we also are ever cognizant of the growth that our community is and will continue to experience. Certainly, there will be unanticipated bumps in the road and inevitably there will be necessary changes from the service we see today. In the end, however, I am confident that the Ocean Wave Fire Company will continue to efficiently protect the people of Carleton Place from fires and other emergencies, just as they have done for the last 139 years. A Master Plan such as this entails a great deal of work and I would be remiss if I did not recognize some of the many people involved in its preparation The members of the OWFC, without whom none of this would matter and who never hesitate to provide me with their thoughts and input when requested but also recognize that in the fire service nothing trumps the chain of command The Council of the Town of Carleton Place, which authorized the creation of this plan and has always shown great leadership by supporting our fire department, providing the resources they need to do their job and being pro-active in their approach to fire prevention and public education The Fire Service Master Plan Steering Committee who, through many meetings, absorbed and reviewed all the data and information then developed the recommendations that form the substance of the plan 3

4 The citizens of Carleton Place who took the time to complete our Community Survey, giving us a better idea of how our residents view their fire department and what their concerns for the future are And finally, Catalina Blumenberg, our AMCTO intern who acted as the secretary for the Steering Committee and spent countless hours amassing data, analyzing surveys, talking to other fire departments and pulling everything together for the committee s consideration. We could not have done it without her and undoubtedly Catalina knows far more about the Ontario Fire Service than she would have dreamed possible when she arrived here. By the time Town Council considers this Master Plan she will have left for a new position with the City of Kingston and I want to wish her all the best as she pursues her career in municipal administration. 4

5 Introduction The overall objective of this Fire Service Master Plan is to provide the optimum level of protection to the community, in keeping with local needs and circumstances. The Plan defines the current and future fire protection needs, assesses local circumstances and details fire service responsibilities, capabilities and performance. It is critical that the fire service be guided by a written philosophy, general goals and specific objectives which are consistent with their legal mission and are appropriate for the community it serves. These are the integral components of a Fire Service Master Plan. The Plan provides a detailed program of action to implement and maintain a system of evaluation and monitoring of performance. It also provides a series of recommendations and direction necessary to achieve the objectives of the Ocean Wave Fire Company and providing for a continuous improvement process. The Plan will be monitored to judge the effectiveness of the strategies, new policies and performance measures. It is meant to be an on-going process that will be reviewed on a 3 year basis in order to keep pace with ever changing needs. Adoption of the Fire Services Master Plan ensures formal interaction between Council with its policy setting responsibilities, the municipality with its corporate management objectives, and the fire department with its operational expertise. Development of a Fire Services Master Plan provides the following benefits: It will assist the Fire Chief and other municipal officials in fulfilling the legislative requirements of the Fire Prevention and Protection and Act, (FPPA) It will assist Council in making informed decisions on the provision of fire protection services More efficient use of available resources to improve fire protection Implementation of new technology and/or innovative approaches to fire protection by our municipality A systematic process to collect and coordinate information in managing community fire risks The improvement of fire protection services to address local needs and circumstances Town Council identified the need to complete a review of fire services in The last comprehensive review of this type was completed by the Office of the Fire Marshal in They no longer provide that service to municipalities so the decision was made that the plan should be prepared internally by our own staff. Council passed a resolution on September 3, 2013 giving the Fire Chief direction to proceed with development of a Fire Services Master Plan. A Steering Committee was established to 5

6 complete this plan, consisting of the following members: Fire Chief Les Reynolds, Councillor Gary Strike, Councillor Louis Antonakos, Firefighter Jason Jackson, Firefighter Matt Anderson, Dale Moulton, Jim Gordon, and Secretary Catalina Blumenberg. Their goal was identified as developing a plan to respond to the needs of a growing community while addressing the requirements of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act 1997, and the guidelines established by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFEM) The objective of the Plan is to examine, evaluate and make recommendations to enhance municipal fire services within the context of future growth and the pressures it will place on service delivery. A 10 year horizon for the Fire Services Master Plan is set, with specific timelines for each recommendation based on urgency. Following approval of the final plan, an implementation plan which outlines costs, timing, funding sources, and staffing/resource requirements will be developed by staff. 6

7 Executive Summary The plan examines eight different functions or aspects of our fire service, considering both the situation today and the possible impact of future growth and as a result the committee has approved 24 different recommendations which are summarized below. Some of these recommendations will be easily completed, while others will be more difficult to implement due to financial implications and/or the impact on staff time and resources. The committee has not attempted to prioritize or classify them as to urgency, instead leaving that to Council and the Fire Chief to consider. At the completion of their work the consensus reached by the committee was that our fire service is presently meeting its mandated tasks, is well equipped, well trained and effective. The results of the community and stakeholder surveys generally indicate a positive view of the department and a feeling that the present delivery model meets the needs of the community. Having said that, there is also a clear feeling that as the town grows and changes, there must be careful consideration given to ensure that the fire service keeps pace and is given the tools to continue to do the job well The Fire Service is well known for its fondness of acronyms. Some of the ones used throughout this plan are listed and explained below: OWFC Ocean Wave Fire Company OFMEM Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management FPPA Fire Prevention and Protection Act (1997) OFC Ontario Fire Code (O.Reg. 213/07) MFPIS Municipal Fire Protection Information Survey NFPA National Fire Protection Agency OFC Ontario Fire College PPE Personal Protective Equipment SCBA Self Contained Breathing Apparatus PASS Personnel Accountability Safety System OHSA Occupational Health and Safety Act IRM Integrated Risk Management Tool 7

8 Summary of Recommendations The Fire Service in Carleton Place 1) Continue participation in the Mutual Aid Agreement with Lanark County and the Automatic Aid Agreement with Mississippi Mills 2) Extend an invitation for an Automatic Aid Agreement with Beckwith we remain open to opportunities to be cost-efficient and remain open to opportunities for automaticaid. 3) Conduct a review of the Establishing and Regulating By-Law (Appendix A) to ensure that it accurately reflects the core services provided and make revisions as necessary to update various sections including fire prevention programs and emergency services authorized by Council. Dispatch and Communications 1) Provide staff with the necessary time to utilize the media and maintain the fire department website to continue public education efforts targeted at the general population to educate them on the importance of providing internet providers with appropriate information to their files in terms of emergency response should they choose to utilize Voice Over Internet Protocol for their phone service. 2) Provide staff with the necessary time to educate large businesses on the importance of indicating call location to the dispatch centre when the 911 address may not be the actual address of the emergency. Response Times 1) The OWFC should continue to conduct analysis of all emergency responses, identifying calls by type with the average number of firefighters attending at each type. Using this data the department, when reporting to Council, can identify any significant changes or trends which will help in determining if there is a need to change or modify service delivery. 2) The OWFC should continue to track and report to Council its staff deployment figures. Data on average response times should be incorporated into the monthly reports to Council. 3) The Fire Chief should establish formal response time and staff deployment benchmarks for Council s consideration and approval. 8

9 Staffing Emergency Response 1) Proposals for a volunteer firefighter compensation strategy be developed for Council s consideration and approval. In addition to direct compensation for emergency and other responses any such proposals should address issues such as insurance, benefits and retention incentives as well as mandating a periodic review requirement. 2) That Council consider appropriate recognition for employers who agree to their employees serving as volunteer firefighters. Any such recognition should include selfemployed volunteers who take time away from their business to serve. Training and Education 1) That our fire service promote collaborative partnerships with other county fire departments to share in training courses and provide instructors as an effective means to conduct training activities. 2) That consideration be given to construction of a training facility and tower at the proposed location on Bates Ave. This would facilitate and improve practical training for firefighters and reduce the need to travel out of town for many basic training evolutions that are difficult to achieve at the present time. This would also enhance the ability to offer additional training to other fire departments and generate revenue. 3) That the department expand the use of computer based or on-line training for the theory portion of many courses. This will assist in allowing volunteers to study and complete assignments from home or in the fire station, at times that are convenient for them. It will also allow the instructors to focus on practical hands on training. Building Apparatus and Equipment 1) That the fleet management program which has been successfully utilized in the past be continued with adequate funding allocated to it. 2) That the Fire Chief consult with the Treasurer to identify any future building, apparatus or equipment purchases that are growth related, and that consideration be given to including these projects in future versions of the Development Charges By-law. 9

10 3) That a policy be developed clearly stating that both the parameters and frequency of regular maintenance programs for the various types of equipment. 4) That the department continue to track the purchase dates, cost and expected life cycle of equipment through the department s records management system. Adequate funds will need to be identified in future budgets to meet these requirements. Administration 1) That consideration be given to creating a part time administrative position that would provide support to the fire service as well as the other divisions of the Department of Protective Services. 2) That the fire chief utilize the new IRM tool in preparing a report for Council analyzing our current risk profile. Fire Prevention and Public Education 1) Ensure staff have the necessary time to develop and present new public fire safety education programs to targeted population segments. 2) A workload analysis be completed to determine whether current staffing levels are adequate to continue to provide a pro-active, effective fire prevention and public education program. 3) Ensure that social media is utilized to a greater extent to inform residents about fire and life safety issues, respond to requests for information or assistance and provide them with the answers they will need to mitigate their concerns Community Survey 1) That the Fire Chief and Deputy Chief review the results of the Public Awareness survey and consider each comment / suggestion submitted to determine how and if it should be incorporated in future department planning. 2) That a public awareness survey be conducted in 2019 (5 years) to analyze the public s views and measure the satisfaction of the level of service. 10

11 Overview of the Town of Carleton Place The Town of Carleton Place is located in Lanark County, just west of the City of Ottawa, and has immediate access to Provincial Highways 7 and 15. Carleton Place compromises approximately 890 ha (2,200 acres) of land and the Mississippi River bisects the Town from west to east. The Town is bordered by the Town of Mississippi Mills to the north and by the Township of Beckwith to the south. Carleton Place is a lower tier municipality with responsibility for a wide range of municipal services. Growth and Development Carleton Place is considered a small urban municipality. Based on the latest census data, the total population of Carleton Place was 9,809 in 2011 representing a percentage change of 3.8% from The estimated population of Carleton Place for 2013 is 10,202 people. The average age of our residents declined from 38.2 years in 2001 to 37.6 years in Characteristic (2013 unless noted) Source: Manifold Data Mining Inc. Value Population Total estimated population 10,202 Census population ,453 Census population ,809 Population Projections Projected population ,634 Projected population ,030 Age Structure Age ,408 Age ,430 Age ,023 11

12 Age ,340 Total male population 4,819 Males ,226 Males ,184 Males ,393 Males Total female population 5,384 Females ,182 Females Females ,631 Females In 2011, Carleton Place had 3,973 private dwellings according to census data. The change in private dwellings occupied by residents from 2006 was 7.3%. For Canada as a whole, the number of private dwellings increased by 7.1% so Carleton Place is slightly above the national average. It is estimated that Carleton Place had 4, 188 households in 2012 with an average household income of 84,257. Households & Household Income (2012) Total number of households 4,188 Median household income 72,037 Average household income 84,257 Under 10, ,000 to 19, ,000 to 29, ,000 to 39, ,000 to 49, ,000 to 59, ,000 to 69, ,000 to 79, ,000 to 89, ,000 to 99, ,000 to 124, ,000 to 149, ,000 and above 94 Average # of persons in household

13 Carleton Place is largely urbanized, with some areas designated to accommodate future development. A sufficient supply of land is available for future residential commercial/industrial, recreational, open space and institutional uses. This will allow for a range of employment opportunities and housing types to accommodate future growth and development. It is anticipated that future development will occur largely in the southeast and northwest sectors of the town. The key employers are high tech sector, health and social services, and light manufacturing. A significant portion of the labour force commutes into the City of Ottawa on a daily basis for employment due to the close proximity of Carleton Place to Ottawa. It is clear from the statistics and demographics outlined above along with our proximity to the City of Ottawa and planned growth that the Town will continue to prosper. As such, it is critical that a Fire Services Master plan be developed accordingly to map out the future delivery of fire services in the community. The way we provide fire services has changed, and will need to continue to change to coincide with the growth of the Town. 13

14 The Fire Service in the Town of Carleton Place History of the Department By 1873 citizens of Carleton Place were becoming conscious of fire prevention. They were agitating for a fire company and improved fire equipment. It was in 1875 when the Town's present Fire Company replaced earlier and temporary groups, as this community's firefighting organization. An attempt to form a Carleton Place Fire Company is on record as early as 1853, when the community had a population of 500. It was about when the Company purchased a hand-pumper that required 40 men to work it. In order to give this unit a fair trial, the Renfrew Fire Brigade was invited to town. They were a large, fine looking and proud body of men. The trial took place on Central Bridge and as the men forced the breaks to cry of "heave her down", and as the great streamer rose towards the sky and dam, the late James Murphy exclaimed with great rapture: "The Ocean Wave". On that day, so well-remembered, the Ocean Wave Fire Company (OWFC) was christened. The hand-engine thus gave way to the steamer and the "Sir John" was purchased. Later, yet another steamer was added to the Company's firefighting arsenal. With a first-class water works system, and with Mort Brown's & Hawthorne Factory's auxiliary power, the OWFC stood second to none as a well-equipped fire department. As the great steamers and hand-pumpers started to disappear, the Town purchased its first motorized fire truck. This truck was a Reo Speedwagon and was equipped with a specialized tank that used a chemical mix to develop the required pressure. The year was 1923, and since then, many fine trucks, many of which have been retired, have served this community faithfully. The Reo remains in the new Fire Hall, in full and proud 14

15 working order. She has been honorably retired from active service and is now used for historic reference and parade duty. The first Fire Hall was located at 256 Bridge St and this property was rented for 7.00 per month, for the period from 1st of December to the 1st of April. In 1902, the Company moved from Bridge Street to Mill Street and took up station in the Town Hall. The Company remained there until 1978, when a larger facility was built, further down Mill Street. In April of 1995, the OWFC moved to its present site on Coleman Street. In the early 1950 s the need for fire prevention education became apparent and during Fire Prevention Week every year our firefighters began to make inspections on public property. Throughout the year firefighters began raising public awareness of fire dangers in an attempt to reduce losses. This commitment to fire prevention and public education has continued over the years as the OWFC expanded its services. Today our firefighters are trained not only in fire prevention and education but fire suppression, haz-mat awareness, auto extrication, advanced first aid and water/ice rescue. As the Town of Carleton Place continued to prosper and grow, so has the Ocean Wave Fire Company. In 2001, two new full time positions were created when the Town s first fire inspectors were hired. In 2007, the position of Director of Protective Services was created with responsibility to act as the Fire Chief, Secretary to the Carleton Place Police Services Board, and Chief By-law Enforcement Officer. At the present time, the full time personnel of the department consists of Fire Chief Les Reynolds, Deputy Fire Chief Dave Joy, and 2 fire prevention officers along with 24 dedicated volunteer fire fighters. Carleton Place Fire Service Today The Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA) is the governing legislation for public safety and fire prevention in Ontario. Under the provisions of the Act municipalities are required, as a minimum, to complete an assessment of the community s fire risks and to establish a program that includes public education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention e.g., a smoke alarm program, home escape planning and fire prevention inspections upon complaint or request. This establishes municipal responsibility for fire protection and makes fire prevention and public education services mandatory. The FPPA 15

16 does not prescribe the level of fire suppression and rescue services that a municipality should provide, instead allowing them to determine the appropriate levels of fire protection services for their community, based on the municipality s needs and circumstances. The cost of these services is a municipal responsibility. The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) is required to review and monitor the municipality s fire protection services to ensure that they comply with the minimum requirements of the FPPA. If during one of the review process- for example, the Municipal Fire Protection Information Survey (MFPIS), a municipality fails to comply with its responsibilities or it is found that a serious threat to public safety exists, the OFMEM may present to the Municipal Council recommendations for rectifying the circumstances. If a serious situation exists, the Fire Marshal may establish criteria and standards for the municipality to comply with and may choose to enforce them by means of a Ministerial Order. This establishes municipal responsibility for fire protection and makes fire prevention and public education mandatory. It serves to clarify the role of municipalities in providing fire services and establish the minimum level of fire protection without imposing significant costs on the Province. Once a municipality decides to establish a fire department they are required to pass an Establishment and Regulating By-law and appoint a Fire Chief. By-law (Appendix A) established a fire department for the Town of Carleton Place, to be known as the Ocean Wave Fire Company (OWFC). It details the organization of the department, the core services it is to provide and delegates authority for the operation of the department to the Fire Chief. The OWFC provides a range of emergency response capabilities, including fire suppression and rescue, auto extrication and land based ice/water rescue as well as providing assistance to the Lanark County Paramedic Service through a tiered response agreement (Appendix B). They also provide fire prevention and public education programs throughout the community as well as conducting pro-active enforcement of the Ontario Fire Code and applicable municipal by-laws. The department is a composite service comprised of 4 fulltime staff and 24 committed volunteer firefighters. It protects a population of approximately 10, 202 residents, defending an area of approximately 8.83 square kilometres. It operates from a single fire station located at 15 Coleman St which serves as its headquarters, administration centre and training facility. 16

17 Figure 2: Organizational Chart Fire Chief Deputy Fire Chief Fire Prevention Officer (2) Captain Captain Captain Captain Firefighters 17

18 Mutual and Automatic Aid Agreements Mutual Aid between fire services is a long standing tradition in Ontario, typically organized on a county or regional basis. In short, the involved services agree to come to each other s aid on a reciprocal basis at no cost. Each participating department agrees to provide and maintain adequate resources to deal with the normal provision of the services their municipality has identified mutual aid is only to be implemented when those resources are inadequate to deal with a specific incident. Carleton Place is actively involved in the Lanark County Mutual Aid Agreement, with Chief Reynolds acting as County Fire Co-coordinator. Automatic Aid agreements are a valuable means of improving fire protection coverage in outlying portions of a municipality that are remote from the fire stations in that municipality. An agreement with a neighboring fire department to automatically respond to fire calls in the home municipality can reduce response time. It is more cost effective than attempting to build and staff additional fire stations that may have a minimal number of calls or a lack of volunteers available. These agreements usually include payment for services or compensation by reciprocal services. We presently have an Automatic Aid agreement with Mississippi Mills (Appendix C) under which we have agreed to provide an initial response crew to any incident in those areas of Mississippi Mills that have been identified as being located nearer to our fire station than Mississippi Mills Station #1. The agreement is structured to renew automatically with periodic review by both fire chiefs and provides for annual increases in the compensation due to Carleton Place. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Continue participation in the Mutual Aid Agreement with Lanark County and the Automatic Aid Agreement with Mississippi Mills 2) Extend an invitation for an Automatic Aid Agreement with Beckwith we remain open to opportunities to be cost-efficient and remain open to opportunities for automaticaid. 3) Council ensure that the Development Charges By-law reflects that the appropriate charges are applied to the Fire Department 4) Conduct a review of the Establishing and Regulating By-Law to ensure that it accurately reflects the core services provided and make revisions as necessary to update various sections including fire prevention programs and emergency services authorized by Council. 18

19 Dispatch and Communications A key component of an effective fire service for the community is its communications system. Quickly and efficiently answering emergency calls from the public and prompt dispatch of fire apparatus is essential to the overall operation of the fire service. Residents must be able to quickly report emergencies to the dispatch centre and the dispatch centre must have the capability to expeditiously alert fire department personnel to respond. Communication capability must also extend between responding fire apparatus, personnel and the dispatch centre and continue at the emergency scene. From an administrative and customer service standpoint, communication and dispatch capabilities are also important for day-to-day operations. There are a number of different components to the receiving and dispatching of resources to a reported emergency. The analysis that follows will describe the current communications systems of the Carleton Place Fire Department and identify any gaps that require attention. 911 Emergency Calls The County of Lanark currently utilizes the Ontario Provincial Police communications centre in North Bay, Ontario for C.E.R.B services. Residents dialing 911 to report an emergency will be answered by dispatchers at the C.E.R.B who will immediately transfer the call to the appropriate dispatch centre. The Fire dispatch centre for our area is hosted by the Smith Falls Fire Department. Lanark County has provided enhanced 911 in that the name, address, phone number and responding agencies for the address are attached to the call instantaneously by computer when the call is made. While the system functions exceptionally, there are some issues which arise from time to time. On occasion, the location from where the call is made is not the same as the billing address for the telephone. For many years calls were received from telephone land lines connected to specific buildings and the telephone number and address were displayed to the 911 call taker so the location of the caller was immediately known. With changing technology many 911 calls come from cell phones or via internet connections and it has become more difficult to pinpoint the location of the emergency, which has the potential to slow response. Another issue of growing concern is the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone service where a 911 call placed using a VOIP service may go to the service providers answering service who then has to pass the information along to the correct 911 dispatch centre. This can result is significant delay in having the correct emergency service notified of an emergency. Many customers using VOIP are not aware of this difference. Another issue is that no additional 19

20 information will be automatically attached to the call. It becomes incumbent upon the internet provider to direct the call to the appropriate dispatch centre which could result in undue additional time. Also, in event of a power failure, cordless phones and computer connections may not be available. This background information provides an understanding of how 911 calls are processed and why in some cases it appears the fire department is taking longer than anticipated to arrive at an emergency. The total time from the start of the emergency incident until arrival of the first apparatus is the time the caller has been waiting for help. However, only the time from when the fire department is paged out until the arrival of the first apparatus is that part of the call handling and response time that the fire department is responsible for. Radio Communications Efficient and reliable dispatching is a critical component to fire service delivery. The OWFC relies on portable radios to notify personnel and to manage emergency operations and incidents. The requirements of the radio system for fire operations are: i. Mobile (apparatus) and portable radios shall operate throughout the entire coverage area. ii. The radio system must have the capability for multiple channel coverage in order to meet the operational needs of the department. iii. The system must be dedicated and reliable iv. The system shall have built in redundancies to overcome operational difficulties with partial system malfunctions. v. The radio system must be compliant with the regulation of Industry Canada (the federal agency responsible for communication regulations) Our fire service operates on a simulcast network, supported by the Lanark County communications system. It provides excellent coverage across the County and throughout our area. The department is able to utilize a main channel, two tactical channels and the Ontario Fire Marshal s channel. All personnel are equipped with a portable radio so that communications can be maintained with incident command. 20

21 RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Provide staff with the necessary time to utilize the media and maintain the fire department website to continue public education efforts targeted at the general population to educate them on the importance of providing internet providers with appropriate information to their files in terms of emergency response should they choose to utilize Voice Over Internet Protocol for their phone service. 2) Provide staff with the necessary time to educate large businesses on the importance of indicating call location to the dispatch centre when the 911 address may not be the actual address of the emergency. 21

22 Response Times Most residents view the key service that is provided by the fire department to be fire suppression and emergency response. Response times are important in emergencies because the sooner first responders arrive at the incident the better the chances to save lives and limit property damage. The Time / Temperature Curve shown below illustrates the growth of fire over time and the importance of prompt intervention to limit loss of life and property. In large urban centres with more career firefighters and multiple stations, response times are frequently in the 5 8 minute range. In rural areas response times can frequently be minutes or more depending on the size of the municipality, number and location of fire stations and road network, etc. As an example, the City of Ottawa response time targets are five (5) minutes for urban, seven (7) minutes for suburban and fourteen (14) minutes for rural areas. One of the tools volunteer firefighters use is a green light flashing courtesy light. Courtesy Lights are used to request right-of-way by firefighters to expedite the drive in their privately owned vehicles to the fire station or incident. Courtesy lights do not allow the user to disobey traffic laws such as speed limit, stop signs or stop lights. Response and Deployment Standards The OFMEM no longer uses the 10 in 10 guideline for emergency response, however many fire departments still use this as their standard. Based on the data currently available it is evident that the OWFC is meeting this standard. 22

23 Another frequently referenced standard is NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments which has as a response standard of: Suburban 9 minutes Travel Time 90% of Calls Rural 13 minutes Travel Time 90% of Calls Note that NFPA 1720 refers to Travel Time which is different from Response Time. Travel Time is the time the fire apparatus leaves the station until it arrives on scene. Response Time is from the time the volunteers are paged until the fire apparatus arrives on scene. Based on the data currently available it appears the Carleton Place Fire Service currently meets or exceeds the NFPA 1720 standard as well as the OFMEM 10 in 10 guideline. The number of volunteers (24) and their availability are a significant asset in the department s ability to provide good response times and adequate staffing at emergency scenes for most incidents. Average Response Time/ # of Personnel-Weekend Time Response Personnel 0:00-6:00 8:52min 13 9:23min 11 6:36min 12 9:55min 12 6:00-12:00 5:35min 19 5:33min 15 5:00min 17 10:39min 17 12:00-18:00 7:08min 18 6:26min 15 5:15min 17 6:17min 16 18:00-24:00 7:21min 16 6:00min 17 6:41min 18 6:42min 15 Total Average 7:04min :08min :02min 16 8:14mins 15 Average Response Time/ # of Personnel-Monday-Friday Time-Response Personnel 0:00-6:00 6:47min min 17 6:55min 17 9:00min 17 6:00-12:00 3:53min min 14 4:55min 17 5:47min 15 12:00-18:00 5:00min min 15 5:26min 16 5:42min 13 18:00-24:00 5:41min min 17 4:28min 18 6:35min 15 Total Average 5:10min min :16min 17 6:56min 15 RECOMMENDATIONS 23

24 1) The OWFC should continue to conduct analysis of all emergency responses, identifying calls by type with the average number of firefighters attending at each type. Using this data the department, when reporting to Council, can identify any significant changes or trends which will help in determining if there is a need to change or modify service delivery. 2) The OWFC should continue to track and report to Council its staff deployment figures. Data on average response times should be incorporated into the monthly reports to Council. 3) The Fire Chief should establish formal response time and staff deployment benchmarks for Council s consideration and approval. 24

25 Staffing-Emergency Response Staffing for emergency response or fire suppression is the largest component of any fire service. The ability of the department to deploy sufficient numbers of firefighters in a timely manner is a key indicator of the ability to provide emergency services to the public. The Carleton Place Fire Service is considered a composite fire department with both full-time staff and volunteer firefighters providing services. This section will consider the current emergency response staffing and provide some guidelines on if and when the Municipality should consider the addition of on-duty full-time firefighters to the department. There are 26 authorized positions in the suppression division consisting of 24 dedicated volunteers who are on call at all times as well as the 2 career Fire Prevention Officers who also act as firefighters and serve as volunteers when they are not actively on duty. The current data available on response times and staffing at incidents indicate that the Carleton Place Fire Service is providing a satisfactory level of service with the present organization and volunteer staffing level. This situation places the Carleton Place Fire Service in an unusual, but very fortunate position when compared to many volunteer or composite fire departments, which are having a very difficult time recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters, or in having adequate numbers available during weekdays to provide a reliable level of service. Based on the OFMEM expectation of 30% of volunteers on a department showing up for any given response the expected average turn out for the Carleton Place Service with 24 volunteers would be 8 volunteer firefighters. The average turn out for calls in period has been 15 firefighters for all calls. If this level of response is maintained the department is more than adequately staffed for the present level of demand. One advantage the Carleton Place Fire Service has in volunteer staffing is that any volunteers who are municipal employees are available to respond from work. As well a significant number of our volunteers work in Carleton Place and are available weekdays when many fire departments find their volunteers are not available because they work outside of the community. This is only possible due to supportive employers and firefighters who are self-employed and willingly leave their workplaces at personal cost to respond to emergencies. Another advantage is that Carleton Place is a small urban community with a total area of 2,200 acres. This results in better response times, and ultimately less property and life loss. 25

26 Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Recruitment and retention are a significant problem for many volunteer or composite departments and an annual loss of 10% - 20% of volunteers from a department is not uncommon. This means that within 5 10 years there may have been a complete turn-over of volunteer members. This causes fire departments to spend significant time and money recruiting and training new volunteers. The result is that many new volunteer firefighters have limited experience and skills. Because of this turn-over, there are fewer experienced members to take on the role of Captain to lead the firefighter teams. Also, as a result specialized or advanced training often suffers because so much time and effort must be spent on basic recruit training. Volunteer fire departments that are facing a loss of volunteers and difficulty in recruiting and retaining new volunteers encounter a number of similar problems. A recent paper by Deputy Chief Ian Shetler of the Greater Napanee Fire Service provides good insight into the factors that cause a loss of volunteers in today s fire service. One section provided an informative chart with some of the reasons volunteers gave for leaving the fire department. Volunteer Retention and Recruitment Root Causes Source of Problem Time Demands Contributing Factors The two-income family and working multiple jobs Increased training time demands Higher emergency call volume Additional demands within department (administrative, fund-raising, etc.) Training Requirements Higher training standards and new government requirements More time demands Greater public expectation of fire department s response capabilities (broader range of services) Additional training to meet broader range of services Recertification demands Increasing Call Volume Fire department assuming wider response roles (EMS, hazmat, technical rescue) Increasing emergency medical call volume 26

27 Change in the Nature of the Business Changes in Sociological Conditions (In Urban and Suburban Areas) Changes in Sociological Conditions (In Rural Areas) Leadership Problems Increasing number of automatic alarms Abuse of emergency services by the public Less of an emphasis on social aspects of volunteering Transience Loss of community feeling Loss of community pride Less of an interest or time for volunteering Two-income families me generation Employers less willing to allow employees off to run calls Time demands me generation Poor leadership and lack of coordination Authoritative management style Failure to manage change A review of our recruitment efforts over the last decade shows that 18 firefighters have been hired since 2004, 4 of whom were due to the authorized strength increasing from 20 to 24 volunteers in Hence we can report an annual turn-over of only 1.4 firefighters (0.6%) which places our service in an enviable position. It is crucial that these results, while impressive, should not be taken for granted. Every effort must be made to ensure that recruitment and retention of dedicated volunteers remains a priority and that initiatives or programs to support this are encouraged. As the Town of Carleton Place continues to grow and new residents move in, they may have different expectations and understanding when comparing urban living to small town/country living. Service expectations are higher and community involvement in volunteering/participating may be of less importance than that of longtime residents with deep community roots. If, in the future, the Carleton Place Fire Service finds that it cannot continue to provide emergency services with only volunteers then there may be a need to hire additional career staff to complement the work of the volunteers. It is not uncommon for fire departments to start with some limited full-time staff working weekdays to ensure an adequate response capability and utilizing volunteers overnight and on weekends. Careful management of how the career and volunteer firefighters interact and clear lines of responsibility are important to avoid or minimize conflicts. To better appreciate the value of volunteer firefighters and the cost of career firefighters the following examples illustrate the calculations for providing career firefighters at different levels of staffing: 27

28 Scenarios 1. One (1) firefighter on-duty 12 hours per day, five (5) days per week, incl. stat. holidays 2. Two (2) firefighters on-duty 12 hours per day, seven (7) days per week, incl. stat. holidays 3. Four (4) full-time firefighters on-duty 24/7/365. Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Days to Cover Hours per day Hours to cover Number of FF on-duty Total hours Calculation of hours a firefighter would be available for work based on a 42 hour work week Annual hours employed 42 hours x 52 weeks 2184 hours Deductions from available hours Vacation - 3 weeks 12 hours x 15 days (180 hours) Statutory holidays 12 hours x 13 days (156 hours) Training courses 12 hours x 10 days (120 hours) Sick, Bereavement, misc. leave 12 hours x 5 days (60 hours) Net Hours on-duty 1668 hours Calculation of how many Firefighters would be required and associated cost based on a 1st. Class + benefits = 100,000 28

29 Example Hours Required Hours available Hrs. Req. / Hrs. Available = Number of Firefighters Needed Annual Salary and benefits costs est hours 1.87 = 2 FF 200, hours 5.25 = 5 FF+ 500, hours 21.0 FF 2,100,000 Remuneration of Volunteer Firefighters Responsibility for setting remuneration of the volunteers falls to Council as detailed in S.5 of the Establishment and Regulation By-law ( ). At the present time this consists of an honourarium which is distributed to firefighters based on attendance at emergency responses as well as other departmental functions. The honorarium for is 124, 994. Annual increases are consistent with the rate of salary increases for other Town employees. In addition to the honourarium, members are compensated separately for time spent serving as officers, instructors or health and safety representatives. The Town also provides the maximum WSIB coverage for our volunteers as well as 24 hour wage loss insurance coverage through VFIS (Volunteer Firefighters Insurance System) and a 10,000 life insurance policy. The steering committee feels that it would be beneficial to develop and implement a more formal compensation structure including a negotiation and approval process involving both the volunteer firefighters and management. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Proposals for a volunteer firefighter compensation strategy be developed for Council s consideration and approval. In addition to direct compensation for emergency and other responses any such proposals should address issues such as insurance, benefits and retention incentives as well as mandating a periodic review requirement. 2) That Council consider appropriate recognition for employers who agree to their employees serving as volunteer firefighters. Any such recognition should include selfemployed volunteers who take time away from their business to serve. 29

30 Training and Education Training is mandatory for safe and effective fire department operations and is an on-going requirement to maintain skill levels. Training is crucial and one of the most important functions within a fire service. There cannot be a gap between training requirements and training delivery. Any such gap would adversely affect the safety and effectiveness of the firefighters and their ability to deliver emergency services. A great deal of time and effort are needed to properly train personnel. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to provide training to employees. Duties of employers 25. (1) an employer shall ensure that, (a) The equipment, materials and protective devices as prescribed are provided; (b) The equipment, materials and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition; 30

31 Idem (c) The measures and procedures prescribed are carried out in the workplace; (2) Without limiting the strict duty imposed by subsection (1), an employer shall, (a) Provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker; The Carleton Place Fire Service has implemented a fair and accountable hiring process that consists of six (6) steps; Application Completion and Submission Candidate Physical Aptitude Test Written General Aptitude Test Interview Fire Service Interview panel Candidate to provide References, Medical Clearance, Police Background Check, and Driver s Abstract Successful completion of the recruit training program All new Carleton Place Fire Service volunteers complete a recruit training program that provides them with the basic skills needed to respond to incidents and perform essential tasks. This training is based on the OFC Curriculum (currently being replaced by the NFPA Professional Qualifications for Firefighter I and II). The first part of the training covers 23 subjects and requires about 4 months of weekly training. During the next 8 months recruits receive monthly training on additional subjects. Other mandated training includes: Ontario Incident Management System 100 Accessible Ontario Workplace Harassment WHIMS Ontario Health and Safety Awareness Other training as may be required by legislation Certification in First Aid, CPR and automated defibrillation Hazardous Materials Response (Awareness Level) Additional training such as acquiring a DZ license is also required before firefighters are permitted to perform specialized tasks such as driving and operating large apparatus, vehicle extrication, ice and water rescue or other specialized operations. Certification in First Aid, CPR and automated defibrillation also must be maintained. 31