New Fire Models, Week # 11:
Final Thoughts
Over the past ten weeks we have presented three main topics
on improving the service delivery of the fire department and containing costs.
They each address ways to improve efficiencies and the overall value of the
fire department as compared to the present system.
The ideas were developed over many years as a result of
consultation with fire chiefs and rank-and-file firefighters who openly
acknowledged that the current culture and practices have adverse consequences
on the quality of the services rendered. These ideas have been formed into what
are called ‘new models’.
The first new model addresses the issue of elective policies
that allow neighborhood fire stations to close for extended periods, thus
causing needless delays on emergency calls. These practices have been
identified and are directly related to preventable delays in responses to
critical emergencies.
The second new model deals with the staffing of engine
companies that the
The third model is the creation of a Community Fire Reserve
Corps. It is the backbone of the other two models. With a strong locally based
reserve contingent similar to the one in the police department as well as in
many other Class 1 fire departments, the city has the capability of doubling
its fire resources before the next major earthquake or other disaster. The
reserves can also be used to staff a fourth firefighter on engine and truck
companies. Using state certified firefighters as reserves allows for position
coverage for full or partial shift vacancies due to vacation and sick leave,
temporary administrative or personal requirements. It would also save the city
up to ten million dollars per year.
These new models would reduce response times to emergency
medical calls, keep engine and truck companies in service and in district, and
add 100% to the existing on-duty firefighter daily staffing for major disaster
response. Today, there are no fire departments locally that have instituted all
of these models. The fire culture has its own special interests and will take
extreme measures to prevent change. This caution comes from the Los Angeles
Area Fire Chiefs Association who also recommends using reserves to staff daily
and cut costs. They also said it will take extraordinary political leadership
to overcome the pressure from the fire department and union.
This morning my associate, Cynthia Lloyd Jones and I met
with Deputy Fire Chief Howard. During that meeting I asked him about the
expected report that City Manager Starbird said would
be forthcoming. Deputy Chief Howard said that the fire chief is the person who
is responsible for creating the report and that no one staff member has been
assigned with managing and coordinating the document preparation. He also said
that he does not know when the final report will be prepared but that the fire
department would respond in some manner. I asked him if it would be days,
weeks, months or years. He said he did not know. But he did say that the report
may not be released to the public. The chief’s statement is hard to understand
given the appearance of openness and accountability that is articulated in the
fire department’s mission statement.
On a side note, I want to share two pieces of information.
One is that I have now audited an additional ten incidents where Engine 27 is
responding to emergency calls from
Given these life-threatening/life-saving policy issues and
the apparent lack of interest on the part of the fire department to respond to
the material that we have presented in the last ten weeks, it might be helpful
if the city council discussed its expectations in terms of detail and
thoroughness of the report and to assure the public that the final document
will be made public. From our discussion with Chief Howard today, it seems
clear that the fire department has become emboldened by the lack of
expectations by the city manager and city council.
Contact Information:
Bruce Philpott
(818) 240-8949
Email: logicpoint@aol.com/