Pismo Beach Fire Department And Lifeguard Program 2015 Report

Transcription

1 Pismo Beach Fire Department And Lifeguard Program 2015 Report To serve and safeguard the people and protect the property and resources of the City of Pismo Beach through education, preparedness and emergency response. Integrity, Competence, Teamwork, Courage and Commitment Robert Lewin, Fire Chief

2 CAL FIRE / Pismo Beach Fire Department Since 2001 the City of Pismo Beach has had a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE to provide emergency services to the citizens of Pismo Beach from two fire stations. CAL FIRE provides fire protection and emergency response through cooperative agreements with 150 different local government entities in 36 of California s 58 counties. The origins of many of these agreements date back to the mid-1920 s and they paved the road for the Cooperative Fire Program we have today. Pismo Beach Fire Department under this 1.5 million dollar cooperative agreement is part of a consolidated fire department which includes the State, the County, Los Osos CSD, Avila Beach CSD and Cayucos CSD. It includes 21 fire stations, 2 Fire Camps, 1 Air Attack Base, a Fire Prevention Bureau, an Emergency Command Center that dispatches 7 other fire departments, a Training Bureau and 24/7 Battalion Chief and Duty Chief coverage. Of the 9 fire stations In the South County, 6 are part of this consolidation. The City of Pismo Beach determines and maintains local control over the level of service provided. The City also adopts its own fire codes and laws within the City jurisdiction. The 20 person Reserve Firefighter force is fully funded by the City and supervised by CAL FIRE Captains at the Bello Street Station. The third firefighter on Engine 64 is usually one of these Reserves. The beach is protected by 25 seasonal City Lifeguards who are supervised by CAL FIRE personnel. Firefighters and Lifeguards respond to over 2,000 incidents in the City per year. Firefighting Resources The cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE increases the resources available to all of the communities it serves. In addition, the Department has automatic and mutual aid agreements with all the fire departments within the County. City of Pismo Beach Assigned Resources: 3 City Type 1 Fire Engines

3 1 State Type 3 Fire Engine 1 City Rescue Vehicle 1 Utility Vehicle 1 City Rescue Water Craft 1 City Lifeguard Vehicle 5 City Lifeguard Towers Total CAL FIRE Resources in the County available to Pismo Beach: 16 staffed ICS Type I & II Engines 12 staffed ICS Type III Engines 1 Hazardous Materials Unit 3 Water Tenders 1 Heavy Rescue Vehicle 7 Rescue Vehicles 2 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting vehicles 1 Breathing Support Unit 3 Boats 3 Rescue Water Craft (RWC) 3 Staffed ICS Type II Dozers 10 Staffed ICS Type I Hand Crews 1 Staffed Air Tactical Plane 2 Staffed ICS Type III Air Tankers CAL FIRE/Pismo Beach Fire Department has obtained verification from the Governor s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) certifying Rescue 64 as a FIRESCOPE Incident Command System, Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Type 3 and Swift Water Rescue Type 4 resource. The FIrefighting RESources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) is a program directed towards improving the all-hazards response effectiveness of fire resources to any major incident. In obtaining this classification, the City of Pismo Beach will be better prepared for rescues such as, Cliffside, Ocean, River, Structural Collapse, and Flood emergencies. By meeting the FIRESCOPE standard, this certification also has the potential to poise the City to receive more grant funding. There are only 2 Rescue Units in the County of San Luis Obispo that currently meet the US&R and Swift Water Rescue standard in one Rescue Vehicle. Both of these Rescue Units reside in the South County; one operated by the SLO County Fire Department at the SLO Regional Airport and the other in the City of Pismo Beach. Fire Department staff has spent the last year working on the endorsement which required procuring certified equipment, training Fire Department personnel, and working with CAL OES representatives for final evaluation.

4 Personnel Summary: 1 Fire Chief, 1 Deputy Chief, 3 Division Chiefs, 11 Battalion Chiefs, 2 Unit Foresters, 56 Fire Captains (8 Captain Medics), 38 Engineers (11 Engineer Medics), 2 Firefighter II (3 Firefighter II Medics), 67 peak staffing and 15 off peak Firefighters, 275 Paid Call Firefighter, 35 Reserve Firefighters, 200 Inmate Firefighters, 40 California Conservation Corps Firefighters, 25 Lifeguards, 15 Administrative Staff. Special Teams: Urban Search & Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Team, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team, Incident Management Teams and Incident Dispatch Support Teams. ISO Rating The City of Pismo Beach received a new Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 3, upgraded from 5. The ISO had not completed a review of the City of Pismo Beach since CAL FIRE began serving the City. The new ISO rating will provide an economic boost to our business community by reducing commercial and potentially residential insurance rates. Fire and Public Works teams accomplished this improved rating by planning, designing, and developing systems that increased our safety and reduced our risk significantly. ISO recognized our efforts to build a safer community through improvements to water delivery, investments in equipment and vehicles, and training for best practices in response. Some of the areas we scored high in were operational response, hydrants and inspections, and fire engine capacity. The addition of a full time staffed Shell Beach station and the Heights Water Project greatly contributed to the exceptional scoring in these areas. The ISO report showed areas for improvement include engine staffing and a staffed ladder truck. Community Programs/Special Events The Fire Department participates in many community outreach programs including CPR classes, fire prevention programs at schools and churches, flag raising ceremonies, toy drives and holiday parades. We are also members of the Fire Safe Council, Traffic Safety Committee, Special Events Committee, Central Coast Fire Prevention Association, County Fire Chiefs Association, Central Coast Fire Prevention Association and the County Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) Operations Committee. Special events in the City of Pismo Beach require constant attention from Fire Department staff; from planning to staffing during events. CAL FIRE has a seat on the Special Events Committee that allows our Prevention staff to comment on all permitted activities. Some of these events include the Car Show, AMGEN, 4 th of July, and other beach events. There are occasions when unpermitted events take place and can be challenging. When such events

5 occur, we are able to utilize additional County and City resources to maintain the level of service expected by our community. Emergency Dispatching The goal of the emergency dispatch system is to correctly and quickly dispatch the appropriate first responder resources to a citizen s call for help. It is the mutual goal of CAL FIRE and the City of Pismo Beach to pursue means and methods that will expedite the rapid and proper dispatch of emergency calls in Pismo Beach. This is accomplished through policies, procedures, training, proper staffing and technology which improve dispatching. A CAL FIRE Battalion Chief, 4 Fire Captains, 6 Communication Operators and 15 Paid Call Dispatchers staff the CAL FIRE Emergency Command Center. This combined staff of personnel dispatches over 13,000 fire department emergencies throughout the County per year with approximately 1,300 incidents occurring in the City. The Emergency Command Center dispatches for 7 other fire departments; Camp Roberts, San Miguel, Templeton, Santa Margarita, Cambria, Cayucos and Morro Bay. The Emergency Command Center meets or exceeds all of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for dispatching. CAL FIRE is the designated fire and rescue mutual aid coordinator for all of San Luis Obispo County, processing and assigning resources based on requests for assistance during emergencies that are beyond the scope of local jurisdictions. CAL FIRE uses Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software and Mobile Data Computers (MDC) on each fire engine that uses a constantly updated GIS map and fire department resource database. The Pismo Beach Police Department dispatch center is the Primary public service answering point (PSAP) for Pismo Beach. Calls for fire service resources are immediately transferred or relayed using CAD to CAD interface software by the Pismo Beach Police dispatchers to the CAL FIRE dispatch center. CAL FIRE dispatches Pismo Beach Fire resources, and makes all notifications to other agencies necessary to mitigate a fire, rescue, or medical emergency in the City of Pismo Beach. Grants Fire Department staff has applied and received grants from San Luis County Park s Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle Program. We received $10,000 in a communications grant for two multi-band

6 hand held radios. The two radios allow for multi-agency communication between fire department and law enforcement organizations. We have also been awarded a $17,500 vehicle grant that the City will use to purchase a Lifeguard Response Vehicle. Fire Department staff has applied for two FEMA grants through the Assistance to Firefighters grant program. One application is $25,000 for a Special Event/Preserve Response Vehicle and the other is $25,000 for single layer Wildland Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We are also looking to apply for grants for equipment such as a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC), Jaws of Life, and waterproof radios in Emergency Planning In continuing the City s efforts to prepare for managing a disaster, City staff has spent valuable time training for such an event. City management staff comes together for quarterly training which includes tabletop exercises and instruction on working in an Emergency Operations Center. Police and Fire Department personnel led this training cooperatively. In 2011 this training paid off when the City s Emergency Operations Center was activated for a Tsunami. Because of the proximity of Pismo Beach to Diablo Canyon Power Plant the City is required to participate in FEMA evaluated tabletop exercises. These exercises consist of realistic scenarios that often include evacuation problems, coordination between the City and County Emergency Operations Centers and the management of personal radiation monitoring for emergency workers. The FEMA evaluators gave high marks to the City s actions during the exercise. City staff has also trained on scenarios that include severe flooding, ocean surge damage, hazardous materials incidents and other potential catastrophes. During a disaster, the City Manager becomes the Emergency Services Director and City Department Heads take on lead roles in Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance. Goals and priorities are set, disaster declarations and press releases are written and press conferences are held. Coordination with other City, County, State and Federal agencies is critical to success. Fire Safe Council The Pismo Focus Group of the County Community Fire Safe Council was founded in the summer of 2006 to improve fire safety in Pismo. The Fire Department has assisted the Pismo Focus Group in reducing the wildland threat to their community. The Pismo Focus Group applied for and received a $10,000 and a $17,500 grant for fuel reduction. These funds will be used to maintain and improve the fuel reduction project and provide a greater level of protection to the City from a damaging fire. The Fire Department completed a 17 acres fuel reduction project in Chumash Park in We were able to utilize CAL FIRE inmate fire crews who spent over 100 hours clearing flammable brush. Other projects that the Pismo Focus Group may not have the ability to complete will be addressed by the local Battalion

7 Chief, the CAL FIRE Registered Forester and the community. The Ontario Peak Vegetation Management Project was completed weeks before a significant fire burned through the area, the project saved 1.2 million dollars in communications infrastructure that would have been lost if the project was not completed. The State Park owned Lagoon in the City has always been a potential target hazard for Wildland Fires but with cooperation of State Parks, CAL FIRE and the residents of Hacienda del Pismo, the fuels have been reduced to keep a damaging fire from impacting the area. Fire Prevention, Inspection and Code Adoption Fire prevention in the City is comprehensive. It includes Fire Protection Planning, Law Enforcement, Information and Education, and Hazardous Fuel Reduction. This effort is under the direction of the Fire Marshal and her staff as well as station personnel who conduct business inspections and education programs. A Fire Captain is assigned to the Pismo Beach City Hall and is responsible for new construction review, code compliance, special event inspections and inspection of State Fire Marshal mandated buildings such as schools and hotels. Many special events take place in Pismo Beach each year and some are the largest in the County. Ensuring the safety of event participants is paramount and a task of the Fire Prevention staff. CAL FIRE is able to supply Inspection and Law Enforcement Teams each year to aid the City in making sure that each participant and responder has a safe day in the City. Last year the City adopted the 2013 California Fire Code which includes local amendments such as the addition of the Sky Lantern ordinance, dead end road lengths, and building identification that help customize the fire code to better protect the residents and visitors of Pismo Beach. Both the Fire Department and Planning & Building Department spend months meeting and deliberating on refinements of the code that are meant to better protect life, property the environment and be fiscally responsible. Once completed the amendments are brought to the Central Coast Fire Prevention Association and reviewed again to ensure county wide continuity. Average Monthly Prevention Statistics 20 Commercial/Residential site inspections 18 Building plan reviews 5 Engineering Plan Reviews 6 Planning Reviews

8 6 Hotel Inspections 6 Business Inspections 6 Nuisance Inspections 1 Assembly Inspection or School Inspection 15 Public Education Contacts Weed Abatement The Fire Department inspects approximately 4,600 parcels in the City of Pismo Beach annually to ensure they are in compliance with the City s weed abatement ordinance. Property owners that have parcels found to be out of compliance are sent individual notices that require abatement by June 1st. Those parcels which are not abated by June 1st, approximately 15 per year, are cut by the City contractor and the owner is assessed. In addition 14 City owned lots are cleared by the contractor. Lifeguard Program 25 seasonal Lifeguards are hired each season to staff 5 Lifeguard towers on the City Beach. These Lifeguards are trained to the United States Lifesaving Association standards. To qualify as a Lifeguard the candidates must complete a 1,000 meter swim in 30 minutes in the open ocean. All new Lifeguards must complete a 40-hour standardized training course. Once trained, Lifeguards are required to perform 16 hours of training bi-weekly during the season in order to maintain the required Ocean Lifeguard 1 certification. They are trained in water rescue techniques using swimming, a rescue board and a Rescue Water Craft. All Lifeguards are trained in first aid techniques and CPR. Junior Lifeguard Program The Junior Lifeguard Program continues to provide the highest caliber training and recreation to our children ages 9 to 17. This program, which is coordinated by a Fire Captain using seasonal lifeguard staff, has 85 participants. These young people meet daily in late June to early August and participate in activities that include: beach safety, ocean dynamics, rescue equipment use, first aid, kayak handling, CPR, lessons on marine life, a campout, physical fitness and beach games. They also compete successfully in Southern California against other Junior Lifeguard programs. Rescue Water Craft Fire Department continues to provide an exceptional level of service for water

9 rescues by using a Rescue Water Craft (RWC). CAL FIRE/Pismo Beach is one of three stations in the department that operate RWC s. These three RWC s are located at the Pismo Beach Station on Bello St (Station 64), the Avila Valley Station (Station 62), and the South Bay Station (Station 15).They respond to all water rescues along the coast and play an active part in the Coastal Response Plan for the County. While the Lifeguards are the first line of attack for water rescues by swimming or boarding to victims in the surf line, the RWC is available for rescues in larger surf, multi victim rescues, area searches, vessels in distress, etc. The Lifeguards and Firefighters of Pismo Beach have been trained to use the RWC to affect rescues when needed. Continuous training ensures their skill on these highly specialized rescue tools is current. Fire Facility Planning Fire and Planning staff have re-reviewed the plans for the proposed new Fire Station to replace the Bello Street Station. This project has been a long-term goal of the City Council and has been in the planning stages for over 12 years. Completion of this facility will eliminate the current need of having the Firefighters in a temporary mobile home in the police station parking lot. Reserve Firefighters The Reserve Firefighter program remains strong and viable and consistently has 15 to 20 members. Consistent with the national trend, no longer does the Reserve force consist of long time community members. It now consists of young people who generally reside outside the City and are gaining experience to become full time firefighters. These Reserve Firefighters are smart, eager, fit and committed to the program. Most only remain on the company 2 to 3 years before moving into seasonal and permanent positions in the fire service. The program costs are approximately $192,000 dollars per year providing the City with the third person on the engine at the Bello Street Station. Cost Comparisons The City of Pismo Beach cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE provides the City with all-risk emergency response services in a cost-effective manner. The City s costs under the agreement are leveraged with funds from CAL FIRE and other local agencies participating in similar agreements. This provides optimum response capabilities to the City while reducing the burden on the City s general fund and its taxpayers. The agreement makes a number of emergency resources available to Pismo Beach not normally available to a small city fire department, including hazardous materials unit, breathing support, technical rescue, air attack operations, handcrews, Fire Prevention staffing for large events and more. These resources include the equipment, personnel and expertise needed for timely and

10 effective responses. As part of the cooperative agreement between the City and CAL FIRE the use of the Amador Plan is used at the Shell Beach Station. There are 5 State fire engines in San Luis Obispo County that are under the Amador Plan including the engine at Shell Beach Station. The other stations are Shandon, Cambria and San Luis Obispo, which are in cooperation with the County. Cayucos Station is also in the plan in cooperation with the Cayucos Fire District. The plan allows the use of a State fire engine to respond to local government calls year round. A cost benefit analysis shows that the City enjoys significant savings under the cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE. By using the Amador Plan for staffing at the Shell Beach Fire Station the City saves $544,481 annually. The City does not directly fund chief officer coverage saving approximately $212,000. Overhead costs are reduced by spreading the costs of administration and training support personnel over a much larger group of employees. In this area, an economy of scale is achieved which reduces per employee costs and provides programmatic opportunities and a depth and experience that would not otherwise be available. The cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE provides many opportunities for the City to benefit from bulk purchases when the County or State places orders for: Personal Protective Equipment, vehicles, Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus and miscellaneous equipment. This benefit is also realized for other services such as: ladder testing, fit testing and pump testing. Comp Claim and personnel actions for employees are fiscally and administratively taken care of by CAL FIRE.

11 The following table, graphs and statistics provide a snapshot of your contract with CAL FIRE and comparisons with local fire protection agencies: 70% 7% 9% 6% 1% 0% 1% 0% 1% 1% 0% 0% Debris Emergency Medical Fire Alarms Fire Menace Standby Flooding Gas Leak Other Public Service Assistance Smoke Check Structure Fire Traffic Collision Vehicle Fire Wildfire 4%

12 Comparison of City Fire Protection in San Luis Obispo County Data from the 2014 County Fire Department Service Level Analysis City Provider Fire Stations Fire Chief FT/PT Full Time FF s Reserve FF s Paid Call FF s Annual Budget Population Assessed Valuation Arroyo Grande Five Cities Fire Authority 1 FTshared 6 17 shared pool n/a $1,551,420 17,716 $2,619,019,261 Atascadero City of Atascadero 2 FT n/a $3,734,090 29,096 $3,262,239,138 Grover Beach Five Cities Fire Authority 1 FTshared 6 17 shared pool n/a $1,206,660 13,432 $1,403,472,816 Morro Bay Paso Robles San Luis Obispo City of Morro Bay City of Paso Robles City of San Luis Obispo 1 FT n/a $1,991,818 10,461 $2,021,896,551 2 FT 24 n/a n/a $5,219,000 30,857 $4,074,141,649 4 FT n/a n/a $8,926,200 46,377 $7,015,573,053 Pismo Beach CAL FIRE 2 FTshared 13.33* 20 n/a $2,185,903 7,861 $2,616,877,363 *9 PB funded and 4.33 CAL FIRE funded

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