Fire Services. Summary of Submitted 2014 Budget. ($000's) Revised Budget. Draft Budget. Non Tax Revenue

Transcription

1 Fire Services Summary of Submitted 2014 Budget ($000's) Revised Budget Draft Budget Increase / (Decrease) Over Previous Year Service Expense Non Tax Revenue Net Property Tax Supported Expense Non Tax Revenue Net Property Tax Supported Expense Non Tax Revenue Net Property Tax Supported Prop. Tax Supported (%) Fire & Rescue Services 52,482 (205) 52,277 54,110 (37) 54,073 1, , % Fire Prevention & Education 2,408 (140) 2,268 2,794 (140) 2, % Total to Maintain Existing Service Level 54,890 (345) 54,545 56,904 (177) 56,727 2, , % Service Adjustments Submitted % 2014 FIRE SERVICES BUDGET AS SUBMITTED 56,727 2, % 2014 Budget Highlights: $ 000 % Maintaining Existing Service: Agreements that cover salaries and fringe benefits expired on December 31, Continued arbitration is scheduled for the spring to early fall of 2014 and more than 90% of total expenditures relate to personnel costs. Fire and Rescue Services personnel cost pressures due to projected operational impacts and fringe benefit adjustments, net of realignment of 3 positions to Fire Prevention & Eduction. Reduction in Communications Contract with Middlesex County. Realignment of 3 Fire Prevention positions, from Fire & Rescue Serivces, as well as operational expenses and personnel cost pressures due to projected operational impacts and fringe benefits. 1, % % % Increase/ (Decrease) over prior year budget 2, % Page 299

2 BUSINESS PLAN: Fire & Rescue Services How does this service contribute to the results identified in the City of London Strategic Plan? A strong economy A vibrant and diverse community A green and growing City A sustainable infrastructure A caring community Fire & Rescue Services responds to various types of calls for service including, but not limited to, structure fires, car fires, motor vehicle collisions, cardiac related events, carbon monoxide calls, and open-air burning complaints for the purpose of preventing loss of life and injury of citizens and visitors to the city, as well as reducing the loss of property due to fires and natural disasters. It is important to note many of the fire fighters also serve on the Department s specialty teams thereby permitting the LFD to respond to hazardous materials calls, water and ice rescue calls and technical rescue calls, as well as act as backup communication operators, within the existing Fire Fighting Division resources. Name the main activities done to provide this service: Name The Activities Done To Provide This Service How Much Did We Do? (optional) Is The City Mandated To Provide This Service? Can The Level Of Service Be Changed? 1. Fire Related Emergency Calls 3,126 Yes Yes 2. EMS (Cardiac Related Calls 1,769 No Yes 3. Motor Vehicle Collision Calls a. Extractions Related Calls 272 Yes Yes b. MVC w/personal Injuries 826 No Yes 4. Specialized Services a. Hazmat (All Levels) 181 Yes Yes b. Natural Gas 107 Yes Yes c. Technical Rescue 14 Yes Yes d. Water/Ice Rescue 6 Yes Yes 5. Open Air Burning 636 No Yes 6. Carbon Monoxide 840 Yes No Page 300

3 Name The Activities Done To Provide This Service How Much Did We Do? (optional) Is The City Mandated To Provide This Service? Can The Level Of Service Be Changed? 7. Assistance Call (All Types) 439 No Yes Total 8,306 What is the current state of this service? The Fire Fighting Division s 360 frontline fire fighters operate from 14 stations delivering fire and rescue services to the citizens of London. In 2012, the Department responded to 8,306 calls for service including, but not limited to, structure fires, car fires, motor vehicle collisions, cardiac related events, carbon monoxide calls, and open-air burning complaints. From a positive perspective, an analysis of the calls from indicate that fire related alarms are generally lower with an average decrease of 2.97% per year and, overall, emergency calls of all types show a decrease with a 5-year average of -1.90% annually. More important, the calls per 1,000 citizens decreased from 19.39/1,000 to 17.28/1,000. In sum, while London s population increased by approximately 4.0% in this period, emergency calls for service dropped 10.9% on a call/1,000 basis. Alternatively, non-emergency type calls increased on average 5.67% over the same 5-year period with a consistent year over year increases. Over the past few years, the LFD has developed an overarching vehicle and facility deployment plan with a view to providing an appropriate and consistent level of service to the citizens of London within the urban area in an efficient and effective manner, which includes the expansion of multi-purpose vehicles and, consequently, developed a depth of service that has not been present before. The department continues to explore the replacement of single purpose vehicles through the life cycle replacement program with multi-use vehicles to further enhance the depth of coverage within the City. The Apparatus Division continues to service the Department s fleet, which includes frontline emergency response vehicles, as well as emergency and rescue equipment. In 2012, the Division fully implemented a fire hose testing program that pressure tests all of the Departments hose which represents over 54,000 feet or over 1, foot lengths. This program ensures the safety of the firefighters and ensures this critical tool is reliable and alarm ready. Concerning the frontline fleet, with the purchase of 3 pumper rescues and a tanker in 2012, as well as the recent delivery of a new tanker in 2013, the average age of the fleet is approximately 6.5 years old. Over the last 5 years administration has developed and implemented various manual evaluative tools to gather its statistics, however, these methods are extremely labour intensive and difficult to maintain. Additional responsibilities are making it even more difficult to dedicate staff for these purposes. The lack of data prevents administration from properly analyzing the operations to seek opportunities for efficiencies and improvements. The department is in the process of implementing business intelligence software approved by Council that it hopes to have fully implemented in Page 301

4 The Training Division has implemented and delivered a number of new programs, including expanding the auto-extrication training for all firefighters. To further enhance training opportunities, the Department is exploring a new concept to deliver training in a more efficient and effective manner within existing resources, although the process may flow into 2014/2015. That being said, the Department purchased and has piloted an on-line training system that should see expanded use in 2014 and beyond. The latter will enable the Department to deliver more training in an efficient manner. One challenge that the Department is working through is its Officer training program, which is in the midst of transition because of changes by the Fire Marshal. The Department is concerned the training requirements are being diluted and do not represent the requirements of today modern fire officer. What is the future direction of this service? Based on the Fire Marshal s direction concerning the first two lines of defence, more specifically prevention and education, the Department will be seeking opportunities to transition the Fire Fighting Division from primarily a response or reactive group to one more involved in the delivery of a balanced service. While additional fire prevention inspectors and public educators are required, it makes good business sense to leverage the largest group in the fire department toward this goal, particularly since its firefighters are a well-recognized and respected group. What do you plan to do? 2014 Fully implement Business Intelligence tool Using the aforementioned tool, implement a real time monitoring program for the purposes of gaining efficiency through improved dispatch times as well as firefighter turnout times Analyze response times to seek opportunities to improve service, when required, within existing resources Develop and implement a firefighter program to enable frontline staff to conduct inspections in lower risk occupancies Expand community partnerships, primarily through our NCFS colleagues, to have firefighters assist with neighbourhood programs Coordinate the conversion of the training tower Pre-planning of all high risk occupancies Initiate process for analysis and acquisition of mobile data capability Initiate RFP process for the purchase of replacement bunker gear Page 302

5 Continue expansion of community partnerships, primarily through our NCFS colleagues, to have firefighters assist with neighbourhood programs Initiate firefighter inspections in lower risk occupancies Initiate RFP process for the purchase of new self-contained breathing apparatus purchase Review opportunities for further introduce multi-purpose vehicle strategy Key Performance Indicators Description of measure How Much? 1. No. of Emergency Call (LFD) a. City of London 6,391 6,440 6,485 6,530 6,585 6,640 6,700 b. Middlesex County No. of Non Emergency Calls (LFD) a. City of London 1,915 2,040 2,060 2,080 2,100 2,125 2, No. of Business Calls a. City of London 20,885 22,100 22,265 22,490 22,715 22,940 23,170 b. Middlesex County 4,375 4, How Well? th percentile for engine arriving on scene within Urban 4:03 4:03 4:10 4:00 4:05 4:00 4:00 Growth Boundary (Code 4) th percentile for 15 fire fighters arriving within Urban 7:34 7:34 7:40 7:34 7:40 7:35 7:35 Growth Boundary (Code 4) 6. Estimated dollar loss in thousands $9,600 $9,600 $9,600 $9,300 $9,300 $9,300 $9, Fire injuries per 10,000 population Page 303

6 Fire & Rescue Services 2014 Budget As Submitted ($000's) Explanation of Adjustments 2014 Maintain Revised Service Requested Increase/ (Decrease) Over 2013 Actual Existing Budget Adjustments Budget Object Service Expenditures $ % Personnel Costs 49,555 50,078 1,629 51,707 1, % Administrative Expenses % Financial Expenses % Purchased Services % Materials & Supplies 1,085 1,245 1, % Furniture & Equipment (1) 302 (1) (0.3%) Other Expenses % Total Expenditures 52,203 52,482 1, ,110 1, % Revenue User Fees (221) (205) 168 (37) 168 (82.0%) Other Municipal Revenues (12) % Sub-total - Non Property Tax Revenue (233) (205) (37) 168 (82.0%) Net Budget 51,970 52,277 1, ,073 1, % Additional Information / Commentary with respect to 2014 Draft Budget Maintaining Existing Service Levels (Flow through from prior years, inflation, contractual obligations, efficiencies) Personnel cost pressures due to projected operational impacts and fringe benefit adjustments, net of realignment of 3 fire suppression positions to fire prevention. The communications contract with the County of Middlesex Communications expired in 2011 and at this time the County is actively exploring an alternative service provider. The net result could be a revenue reduction, noting that at this time the annual revenue is $168,000. Page 304

7 Budget Forecast Object Expenditures Budget 52,482 Budget 54,110 55,141 56,261 57,334 58,427 Increase 5,945 Non-Property Tax Revenue (205) (37) (38) (38) (39) (40) 165 Property Tax Supported (Net Budget) 52,277 54,073 55,104 56,223 57,295 58,387 6,110 Increase / (Decrease) Over Prior Year 1,796 1,031 1,119 1,072 1,092 6,110 Increase / (Decrease) Over Prior Year % 3.4% 1.9% 2.0% 1.9% 1.9% 11.7% Annual average increase: 2.2% Staffing Full-Time Equivalents # Increase / (Decrease) Over Previous Year (3.0) Full-Time Employees # Increase / (Decrease) Over Previous Year (3) Additional Information / Commentary: Fire & Rescue Services Budget Forecast & Staffing ($000's) 2013 Revised 2014 Requested 2015 Forecast 2016 Forecast 2017 Forecast 2018 Forecast 2014 to 2018 Projected Personnel Costs increased at 1.9% annual rate, other operating costs increased at 2.0% inflation for the forecast period. Page 305

8 BUSINESS PLAN: Fire Prevention & Education How does this service contribute to the results identified in the City of London Strategic Plan? A strong economy A vibrant and diverse community A green and growing City A sustainable infrastructure A caring community The purpose of this service is to conduct fire inspections, prosecute non-compliant property owners, investigate the cause and source of fires and deliver public education programs toward the goal of improving behaviours with respect to fire safety so as to reduce loss of life, injury to citizens and visitors to the city, and the loss of property due to fire. Name the main activities done to provide this service: Name The Activities Done To Provide This Service How Much Did We Do? (optional) Is The City Mandated To Provide This Service? Can The Level Of Service Be Changed? 1. Enforcement of the Ontario Fire Code Yes No 2. Smoke Alarm Program Yes No 3. Public Education Yes Yes 4. Inspections Upon Complaint or Request Yes No 5. Risk Assessment Yes No 6. Vulnerable Occupancy Inspections and Fire Drills Yes No 7. Fire Investigations Yes Yes What is the current state of this service? The Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, (FPPA) sets out the minimum requirements that municipalities are required to provide with regards to fire prevention and public education, more specifically Section 2(1) of the Act states that, Every municipality shall, (a) establish a program in the municipality which must include public education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention; and (b) provide such other fire protection services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its needs and circumstances. [Emphasis Added]. In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the London Fire Department ensures compliance with the Provincial legislation by following the Public Fire Safety Guidelines, Technical Guidelines and Directives issued by the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal. Toward the provision of the Page 306

9 same, the London Fire Department Fire Prevention Division provides the first two lines of defence, as noted earlier, and is divided into three subgroups: Education, Inspection and Plans Review. The largest of the three subgroups includes Fire Prevention Inspectors who through their activities primarily ensure the safety of the City s permanent residents, as well as, visitors in those occupancies that are legally required to comply with the Fire Code such as, but not limited to multi-residential occupancies, educational institutions, hospitals, long-term care occupancies, student residences and hotels. Equally important, the Fire Prevention Inspectors also inspect the City s commercial, retail and professional services occupancies, factories, etc. Where a Fire Prevention Inspector determines an occupancy non-complaint with the Ontario Fire Code, the owner is served a Provincial Order to remedy the situation. In carrying out their duties, Fire Prevention Inspectors use the legislative options provided in the FPPA to mitigate all fire code violations and fire safety hazards discovered that are not specifically addressed by the Fire Code. Within this framework, the Division works with building owners; however, where an owner refuses to implement the necessary changes to achieve Code compliance, or where a significant fire safety issue exists, the owner is charged and prosecuted as set out in the Provincial Offences Act. Further to the above, Fire Prevention Inspectors investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of all fires, using the information obtained during these investigations to focus public education activities. In addition, the Inspectors often provide expert advice to the police in criminal code matters resulting from fires. The second subgroup within the Service Group is Public Fire and Life Safety Education. The primary role of the Public Fire and Life Safety Educators is to deliver public education programs and distribute fire safety information aimed at changing human behaviour with the goal to prevent fires and, if they should occur, to ensure citizens react appropriately. These critical services serve the citizens of London and the student population. The third and final subgroup also includes up includes Fire Prevention Inspectors that assist the Building Division in the review of building and site plans from a fire safety perspective. In this capacity, the inspectors work under the Chief Building Official; ensuring new buildings comply with the fire safety requirements of the Ontario Building Code. The current resources allocated to the Fire Prevention Division have been impacted by a number of external factors that have contributed to the gradual erosion in the frequency of inspections of conducted by Fire Prevention Inspectors on a routine basis throughout the municipality. Amendments to the FPPA and Ontario Fire Code, along with other delegated responsibilities from the Provincial government; such as the additional responsibilities with regards to propane safety, Marijuana grow ops, have reduced the ability of the division to implement routine inspections for specific building classifications, which adversely impacts the second line of defense. In addition the number of inspections required under the Residential Rental Unit By-Law and the time required to comply with the legal requirements of judicial and quasi-judicial hearings have further compounded the additional requirements on the fire department by the Province. Through this transition, the Fire Marshal and the Ministry are taking a stronger stance with regards to municipal responsibilities in areas such as, but not limited to, inspection, enforcement, fire safety plans, etc. To re-establish an acceptable inspection frequency, additional human resources will be required in the future. Page 307

10 What is the future direction of this service? The London Fire Department through its Fire Prevention Division will continue to emphasize public education and fire safety inspections as the primary mechanism to protect the citizens and visitors to the municipality. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) has introduced amendments to the FPPA and Ontario Fire Code requiring all municipal fire departments to conduct annual inspections of their vulnerable occupancies (such as retirement homes, nursing homes), review and approve risk plans for propane facilities and enforce the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms; thus increasing the fire prevention requirements of all municipal fire departments. Second, the OFM has introduced new professional standards for fire prevention personnel in the Province. In addition, the OFM has released a new integrated risk management tool for municipal fire departments to assess the probability and consequence of fire in their communities; again emphasizing the importance of public education and fire code enforcement. The municipality, through the Residential Rental Unit By-Law, has similarly increased the number of inspections required to be conducted by fire prevention personnel, albeit the identification of such properties is critical to ensure fire safety in such occupancies.. It is estimated that 2 FTEs will be required to maintain the newly discovered building stock. Finally, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a draft standard: NFPA 1730 Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation and Public Operations to the Public. The activities of the Fire Prevention Division will be driven by the increased emphasis on public education and fire safety inspections, both from a Provincial and North American perspective. The emerging issues and challenges of this shift in the fire service delivery paradigm, along with the increase in legislated service delivery and training requirements, will require an investment in both human and capital resources into the division in order to conduct the number of inspections required both from both Provincial legislation and Municipal Bylaws, but also based on the standard of care referenced in the Fire Underwriters Survey and the draft NFPA 1730 standard. This investment will provide necessary human resources, training and professional development and information and technology tools to facilitate the most efficient delivery of service and ensure fire prevention staff meets their legislated requirements, both from the FPPA and the Ontario Courts. Finally, to the anticipated need to increase in fire prevention personnel, the London Fire Department will be transitioning toward the use of on duty fire suppression personnel for the inspection of specific lower risk building classifications within the municipality. The re-allocation of fire suppression personnel will assist the London Fire Department in increasing the inspection frequencies of these specific building occupancies; thus providing for a higher level of fire safety for both the occupants and the responding fire fighters. The use of on duty fire suppression personnel will require an investment in training from fire prevention staff to ensure they have the requisite knowledge to perform fire safety inspections. The combination of the proposed increased number of fire prevention personnel and the use of on duty fire suppression personnel will increase the capacity of the department to conduct inspections for all building classifications commensurate with their probability and consequence of fire. Page 308

11 What do you plan to do? 2014 Ensure compliance with the new amendments to the FPPA and Ontario Fire Code with regards to vulnerable occupancies Implement a Quality Assurance and Risk Management program for fire safety inspections and fire investigations Conduct training for all on duty fire suppression personnel to prepare for the in-service inspection program Complete the pre-fire planning process for all vulnerable occupancies Expand internal and external stakeholder partnerships to maximize public education capacity for high risk, vulnerable populations Introduce the in service fire safety inspection program Complete the pre-fire planning for all high rise residential, assembly and industrial buildings Ensure all fire prevention personnel complete the new OFM professional certification process Expand internal and external stakeholder partnerships to maximize public education capacity for high risk, vulnerable populations Maximize the deployment of public education and fire safety inspection programs based on the data provided by Environics Implement a new records management system that will: (1) provide mobile data capability, (2) ensure compliance with municipal, provincial and federal freedom of information and privacy laws, (3) improve work flow and (4) ensure compliance with OFM recommendations for inspection records Increase the frequency of inspections for all classification of building occupancies. The frequency of inspections will be based on the probability and consequence of fire at each occupancy classification. Complete all inspections under the Residential Rental Unit By-Law Page 309

12 Key Performance Indicators Description of measure How Much? 1. Inspections and Inspection Activities 9,500 4,018 5,650 8,884 10,680 10,680 10, Number of code complaints Addressed How Well? 3. Inspections and Inspection Activities per Inspector Fire Code Complaint Process (address 90% within 2 days) 98% 91.8% 98% 98% 98% 98% 98% Is Anyone Better Off? 5. Number of Structure Fires Fire Injuries Note: The numbers provided for 2013 are extrapolations as of October 1, 2013 data. Structure Fires herein defined include Assembly, Institutional, Residential, Business & Personal Services, Mercantile, and Industrial and not non- OBC classified or Vehicle Fires Impact of Increased Resources on Inspection Frequency 2014 Three (3) Fire Prevention Inspectors 1.5 Inspectors assigned to the inspections required under the RRLU By-Law 1 Inspectors assigned to inspections of High Rise Residential Buildings on an annual basis 0.5 Inspector assigned to assist with Vulnerable Occupancies to ensure compliance with the amendments to the Ontario Fire Code 2015 Two (2) Fire Prevention Inspectors and One (1) Public Educator On duty fire fighters assigned to inspect Business, Mercantile and Medium Hazard Industrial Occupancies on a tri-annual basis 1 Inspector assigned to inspections of High Hazard Industrial Occupancies on an annual basis 1 Inspector assigned to inspections of Assembly Occupancies on a semi-annual basis 1 Public Educator 2016 Three (3) Fire Prevention Inspectors 1 Inspector assigned to inspections of Assembly Occupancies on an annual basis 2 Inspectors assigned to inspections of Hotels/Motels and Low Rise Multi Unit Residential Buildings on an annual basis Page 310

13 Fire Prevention & Education 2014 Budget As Submitted ($000's) Explanation of Adjustments 2014 Maintain Revised Service Requested Actual Existing Budget Adjustments Budget Service Increase/ (Decrease) Over 2013 Object Expenditures $ % Personnel Costs 2,058 2, , % Administrative Expenses % Materials & Supplies % Furniture & Equipment % Total Expenditures 2,191 2, , % Revenue User Fees (124) (140) (140) 0 0.0% Other Municipal Revenues (4) % Sub-total - Non Property Tax Revenue (128) (140) 0 0 (140) 0 0.0% Net Budget 2,063 2, , % Additional Information / Commentary with respect to 2014 Draft Budget Maintaining Existing Service Levels (Flow through from prior years, inflation, contractual obligations, efficiencies) Personnel cost pressures due to realignment of 3 suppression positions to fire prevention as well as projected operational impacts, grid movements and fringe benefit adjustments. Page 311

14 Budget Forecast Object Expenditures Budget 2,408 Budget 2,794 2,848 2,902 2,957 3,014 Increase 606 Non-Property Tax Revenue (140) (140) (143) (146) (149) (152) (12) Property Tax Supported (Net Budget) 2,268 2,654 2,705 2,756 2,809 2, Increase / (Decrease) Over Prior Year Increase / (Decrease) Over Prior Year % 17.0% 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 26.2% Annual average increase: 4.9% Staffing Full-Time Equivalents # Increase / (Decrease) Over Previous Year Full-Time Employees # Increase / (Decrease) Over Previous Year Additional Information / Commentary: Fire Prevention & Education Budget Forecast & Staffing ($000's) 2013 Revised 2014 Requested 2015 Forecast 2016 Forecast 2017 Forecast 2018 Forecast 2014 to 2018 Projected Personnel Costs increased at 1.9% annual rate, other operating costs increased at 2.0% inflation for the forecast period. Page 312

15 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors Financial Implications ($ 000) Change to Gross Expenditure Change to Non Property Tax Supported Revenue Net Change to Property Tax Levy 2014 Tax Levy Impact % Incremental Net Change Future Years $ (if applicable) Capital Budget Impact $75 - $ % $80 $ Operating Budget Impact $179 - $ % $529 $872 $1,051 $1,051 Staffing Implications # of FT / FTEs impacted Inspectors Inspectors, 1 Public Educator Inspectors Background The provision of fire protection services within the Province of Ontario are legislatively governed by the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Concerning the responsibility for fire protection services, Section 2(1) of the Act states that, Every municipality shall, (a) establish a program in the municipality which must include public education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention; and (b) provide such other fire protection services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its needs and circumstances. [Emphasis Added] Toward this legislated requirement, the Fire Marshal of Ontario recently reemphasized the need for municipalities, including its respective fire departments, to provide a balanced approach to the delivery of fire protections to which he refers to as the 3 Lines of Defence. Page 313

16 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors In recognition of its responsibilities, the Ontario Fire Service is shifting the paradigm of the delivery of fire protection services from one that focusses almost entirely on emergency response to one that focusses on the prevention of fires; more specifically the provincial fire service delivery model is transitioning from a reactive model to a proactive model. Notwithstanding the direction of the Fire Marshal, the shift in focus is supported by Canadian and United States studies, along with Provincial fire statistics, indicating flashover is now occurring as quickly as three (3) to four (4) minutes because of the materials used in modern furnishings. The consequence of the rapid growth of modern fires and the associated smoke and toxic gases have caused fire officials to re-evaluate their priorities and subsequent reallocation of human resources. A number of years ago, the London Fire Department acknowledged the critical role that public education and inspections play in preventing fires and subsequently reducing injuries and deaths from fire; thus increasing the safety of the community and contributing to a caring community. The Fire Department, using statistical information now selects public education programs and distributes resources based on predictive modelling. In addition, the Fire Department marketing campaign is similarly based on statistics and data from Environics; the design, location and medium for the messages are selected based on the characteristics identified in the Environics analysis of census characteristics. With inspections being the second critical line of defence, the Fire Department implemented routine inspections for all occupancy classification of buildings, but a number of factors have impeded this objective. First, the Provincial government has amended the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA), Ontario Fire Code and other pieces of legislation; increasing the number of areas of responsibility for municipal fire services. To name but a few, municipal fire departments are now required to review and approve Risk Plans for propane facilities and conduct annual inspections and fire drills at all vulnerable occupancies. In addition, the disclosure and evidence requirements of the judicial system has increased substantially over the last number of years; thus requiring inspectors to spend more time ensuring all legislated obligations are fulfilled. Furthermore, the introduction of the Residential Rental Unit By-Law, which will certainly improve fire and life safety in these occupancies, has resulted in a significant number of new inspections estimated at approximately 1,000 per year for the next several years. These occupancies will then result in additional recurring scheduled re-inspections of approximately 5,000 occupancies that will be required now that the fire department is aware of the locations of these buildings. This one initiative will require 2 FTEs. Page 314

17 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors Discussed earlier, the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) as demonstrated in a number of recent initiatives and legislative changes has acknowledged the role that public education and fire safety inspections play in the fire protection model; both from a public and fire fighter safety perspective, but also from a human resources perspective. For example, the OFM is releasing a new tool for Chief Fire Officials to accurately and realistically predict the probability and consequence of fires in specific occupancies; thus providing Chief Fire Officials the option of reallocating resources toward risk reduction through proactive methodologies. The tool credits the fire department for its public education, fire code enforcement, frequency of inspections and pre fire planning activities in buildings because such activities reduce the risk and likelihood of a serious fire in the building. In addition, the last number of Provincial Coroner s Inquests called following multi fatal fires all recommended municipal fire departments implement annual inspections, increase public education and enforce the provisions of the Ontario Fire Code. At this time, the Fire Department does not have sufficient resources to make full use of the tool and thereby reduce the risk and consequence as the tool would permit. In an effort to minimize costs, increase the utilization rate of firefighters and foster a culture of education and prevention, the Fire Department is planning on maximizing its inspection capacity by providing training in 2014 to its fire suppression personnel that will enable them to conduct fire safety inspections in lower risk buildings such as business, mercantile and low hazard industrial. The Fire Department intends to implement the in service inspection program in 2015; thus allowing sufficient time to ensure the fire fighters have the requisite knowledge to conduct these specific fire safety inspections. For this program to be successful, it is imperative that IT resources be dedicated to permit electronic entry of inspection data, as well as the implementation of a GPS/AVL project. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, including increasing routine inspection frequencies of all building classifications and expanding its public educations activities, the Fire Department predicts a need to increase the Fire Prevention Division staffing complement by eight (8) fire prevention inspectors and at least one (1) public educator over the next several years. The Fire Department will be relying on the recommended inspection frequencies from the Fire Underwriters Survey of Canada and the draft NFPA 1730 Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation and Public Education Operations to the Public. The increase in complement, as well as involving fire crews, will enable the Fire Department to commence the transition toward increasing the frequency of routine inspections for all OBC building classifications with the objective of attaining the proposed inspection frequency standards in late Page 315

18 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors Performance Measures Impact The Fire Department is currently only able to conduct more frequent routine inspections at Care and Treatment Occupancies (nursing homes, hospitals, long term care homes), currently on an annual basis. From a municipal perspective, the Fire Department is currently over four hundred (400) RRUL s inspections behind and from a provincial perspective it is unable to implement an acceptable scheduled routine inspection frequency for the other classifications of buildings within the municipality because its resources, which are being diluted with the introduction of new requirements from the Province. The inability to conduct routine inspections on an acceptable schedule at occupancy classifications such as high rise apartment buildings, factories and plants, night clubs and arenas increases the probability and consequence of fire at these establishments; as well bring forth a provincial focus on the City. An increase in resources to the fire prevention division will allow the Fire Department to transition toward the implementation of a defendable routine inspection program based on fire loss statistics and the draft NFPA 1730 Standard. The OFM, with the introduction of the new integrated risk management tool, supports municipal fire departments increasing fire safety inspections, code enforcement and public education. The Chief Fire Official, with the approval of increased resources, will be able to use the risk management tool to reduce the probability and consequence of fire at each type of building; thus allowing a redistribution of total Fire Department resources, which will avoid adding to the firefighting division in an already serviced area because of high risks. The objective of the Fire Department, with the approval of the increase in fire prevention resources and the use of on duty fire suppression personnel, is to work towards the inspection frequency standards referenced in the draft NFPA 1730 Standard and the completion of all RRUL inspections. The measurable objective is to work towards attaining these inspection frequencies by the end of The Fire Department has referenced interim performance measurements during the transition years ( ) that will provide the Fire Department feedback on the performance of the fire prevention division. Page 316

19 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors Impacts a) Community The impact on the community will be a reduction of the probability and consequence of fire. The focus of the Ontario Fire Service, as evident in recent legislative amendments, advice and tools, is for municipal fire departments to increase their focus and resources to the first two lines of defence; public education and fire safety inspections. Statistics and science has clearly demonstrated that given today s modern furnishings and their impact on the fire growth curve, fire departments can make the most impact on the community by: (1) providing the public the knowledge to prevent the fire from occurring in the first place and (2) ensuring the building and its fire protection features function as intended in the event that a fire does occur. b) Community Engagement The Fire Department has spent considerable effort engaging both internal and external stakeholders to communicate the emphasis on public education and fire safety inspections. Members of the Fire Department have also communicated through various mediums including print, radio, social and television media, attended community events and engaged the Chamber of Commerce and other business associations. c) Other City of London Services An increased number of inspections may result in an increased number of prosecutions initiated under the FPPA. The increased number of prosecutions would increase the workload of the respective municipal prosecutors. Page 317

20 2014 Supplementary Business Case Service Initiative Fire Prevention & Education Enhance First Line of Defence Addition of Fire Prevention Inspectors Risks The role of the Fire Marshal s Office is evolving to more of an enforcement role where they will be assessing the performance of fire departments with particular focus on inspection and education activities. Those municipalities that fail to transition toward a proactive model stand the risk of close scrutiny for not taking a more aggressive approach toward a balance approach. Furthermore, the risk of not implementing the increase in fire prevention resources will result in the Fire Department not being able to work towards attaining the inspection frequencies recommended in the draft NFPA This translates into a far more infrequent inspection cycle due to the diluted existing resources attempting to address the provincial downloading and new directions concerning public safety. Ultimately, residents and occupants of OBC classified buildings that are regulated by the Ontario Fire Code could be at additional risk during a fire situation. Page 318