Greater Napnaee Fire Service Fire Master Plan Update · 2017-09-22 · Greater Napanee Fire Service Fire Master Plan Update Page 4 . 1. Executive Summary . Developing a Fire Master

Fire Master Plan

Update

Prepared By:

Terry D Gervais, CMMIII, Fire Service Executive General Manager/Fire Chief

December 2013

Greater Napanee Fire Service Fire Master Plan Update Page 2

Table of Contents Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................................2

1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 4

2. Overview of the Town of Greater Napanee ........................................................................ 5 Greater Napanee – Structural Types of Dwellings ........................................................................... 6 Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional ........................................................................................ 6 Transportation Infrastructure .......................................................................................................... 7 Growth and Development ............................................................................................................... 7

3. Fire Service .......................................................................................................................... 8 Greater Napanee Fire Service History ............................................................................................. 8 Greater Napanee Fire Service Today ............................................................................................... 9 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 10

4. Emergency Call handling, Dispatch and Communications ............................................ 11 Current Operations ........................................................................................................................ 11 Call Handling Procedures for Communications ............................................................................. 12 Dispatch Equipment Requirements ............................................................................................... 14 Console and Radio Equipment ....................................................................................................... 14 Computer Aid Dispatch (CAD) ........................................................................................................ 14 Record Management System (RMS) .............................................................................................. 14 CAD/RMS/Radio Interface ............................................................................................................. 14 Costs vs. Risks................................................................................................................................. 15 Options Considered ....................................................................................................................... 15 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 15

5. Response Times ................................................................................................................ 16 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 17

6. Fire Service Staffing.......................................................................................................... 18 Volunteer Recruitment and Retention .......................................................................................... 18 Career Staffing ............................................................................................................................... 21 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 24

7. Training and Education .................................................................................................... 25 Recruit Training .............................................................................................................................. 25 In-Service Training ......................................................................................................................... 25 Officer Development...................................................................................................................... 26 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................... 26

8. Fire Station ........................................................................................................................ 27 Headquarters (Napanee Station) ................................................................................................... 27 Station 2 (Roblin Station) ............................................................................................................... 28 Station 3 (Dorland Station) ............................................................................................................ 28 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 28


9. Water Supply ..................................................................................................................... 29 Municipal Water Supply (Hydrant Protected) ............................................................................... 29 Rural Water Supply (Non-hydrant areas) ...................................................................................... 29 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 29

10. Fire Apparatus Fleet.......................................................................................................... 30 Apparatus Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance ......................................................................... 30 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................... 31

11. Fire Prevention and Public Education ............................................................................. 32 Public Education and Community Events ...................................................................................... 32 Inspections ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Code Enforcement ......................................................................................................................... 33 Plans Review .................................................................................................................................. 33 Fire Investigations .......................................................................................................................... 33

12. Simplified Risk Assessment ............................................................................................. 33 Demographic Profile ...................................................................................................................... 34 Population Analyses ....................................................................................................................... 34 Public Education Challenges .......................................................................................................... 34 Vulnerable Residents Analysis ....................................................................................................... 34 Demographic Profile Analysis ........................................................................................................ 35 Building Stock Profile ..................................................................................................................... 36 Priority Setting for Compliance ...................................................................................................... 39 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................... 40

13 Emergency Management .................................................................................................. 42 RECOMMENDATION ...................................................................................................................... 42

14 Corporate Services ........................................................................................................... 43

15 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis ............................... 44

16 Recommendations Summary ........................................................................................... 45

17 Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 48 2005 Master Fire Plan Recommendations Update ........................................................................ 48

18 Fire Insurance Rating ........................................................................................................ 49 Public Fire Protection Classification System (PFPC)....................................................................... 49 Dwelling Protection Grades (DPG) ................................................................................................. 50

19 Performance Measures ..................................................................................................... 51

20 Fire Apparatus Fleet Replacement Schedule .................................................................. 53

21 Legislation Affecting the Ontario Fire Service ................................................................ 54


1. Executive Summary Developing a Fire Master Plan is an important process for a municipality to complete as it will provide a clear picture of current and future needs of the community, and it will allow staff to provide Council with the necessary information to make decisions that will protect lives and property. Fire Protection and Prevention is mandated, and a municipal responsibility under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA) Section 2(1)(b). For the municipality to be compliant with the FPPA it must provide specific fire prevention and protection services as well as additional services, as is determined by Council, to meet the needs and circumstances of the Town. It is the intent of this Fire Master Plan is to make the most efficient and effective use of the resources available by providing not only fire suppression services, but also strong fire prevention and public education programs. Improved Public Educations and Code Enforcement for the community are an important part of the review and recommendations of the Fire Master Plan. Tradition has shown that the Fire Service treats the three lines of defense in the order of Suppression, Code Enforcement, and Public Education. The service must reverse these traditional priorities to be Public Education, Code Enforcement, and then Suppression. This revised focus on traditional priorities does not mean that emergency response is not a critical function. The review identified deficiencies in emergency response that can be substantially improved if the full-time staff can be re-deployed from the dispatching function. The Simplified Risk Analysis shows that Council should not reduce our level of suppression abilities; but rather utilize the current staffing levels in a more productive manner to ensure that the municipality is meeting the requirements under the FPPA, other applicable regulations, and the challenges of operating a Composite Fire Service. In December of 2005, Council approved the last Fire Master Plan and it has served the community since that time by ensuring that we are meeting applicable laws and regulations while protecting the community. Out of the nine (9) recommendations, eight (8) have been completed and the department is continuing to work on the final one. Due to unfortunate tragic circumstances with the Greater Napanee Fire Service in 2010, the Fire Master Plan was not reviewed and updated during the normal time frame of five (5) years, but rather was completed seven (7) after the latest one. The intent of the new Fire Master Plan is not to completely re-do the plan, but rather to update the plan, and make recommendations to Council for the short, mid, and long term needs of the community. The updating of the Fire Master Plan was completed by a team consisting of the General Manager/Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief, the Assistant Chief, and Retired Fire Chief Chris Powers, who acted as a Facilitator. Input was received from Council, the Fire Prevention, Training, and Suppressions Divisions, and the Final Document was reviewed and approved by the Senior Management Team. The Master Fire Plan will be a fluid and dynamic document that must be adjusted as the needs and circumstances change for the community. Information provided in the Plan may also change over the next several years but every effort has been made to ensure it is accurate and comprehensive.


2. Overview of the Town of Greater Napanee The Town of Greater Napanee is part of Lennox and Addington County and is approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Kingston. It is located on the eastern end of the Bay of Quinte. The present municipality known as Greater Napanee was created by amalgamating the old Town of Napanee with the townships of Adolphustown, North and South Fredericksburgh, and Richmond in 1999. The Township of Tyendinaga is to the west, with Loyalist and Stone Mills Townships on the east. Lake Ontario forms the southern boundary. The area was originally settled by Loyalists in 1784 and was first incorporated in 1854. The first Loyalists settlers arrived at Adolphustown on June 15, 1784. The original hamlet of Napanee was located at the site of a waterfall on the Napanee River, and was first known as Clarksville after Robert Clark, who built a grist mill there. In 2011, Greater Napanee (Town) had a population of 15,511, representing a percentage change of 0.7% from 2006. There were 6,325 private households in Greater Napanee in 2011, a change of 3.4% from 2006. Of these, 23.3% of households were comprised of couples with children aged 24 and under at home, a change of -11.7% compared with five years earlier. Land area is 461.31 square kilometres with a population density of 33.6 persons per square kilometre. The rural area includes a significant amount of agricultural farm lands in the south and increasingly more woodland areas in the northwest of the town.

The old Town of Napanee continues to be the largest population center and is the location for the majority of residential, commercial, industrial, and government activities. The downtown core contains some important historical buildings and is a destination for tourist.

Dundas Street is the main street in the Town of Greater Napanee and is an important commercial area with many historical buildings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennox_and_Addington_County

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston,_Ontario

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Quinte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolphustown,_Ontario

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalist_(American_Revolution)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napanee_River

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grist_mill


Greater Napanee – Structural Types of Dwellings In Greater Napanee, 74.5% of private households were in single-detached houses and 16.2% lived in apartments in buildings of less than five storeys. The rest lived in other types of dwelling structures.

Structural type of dwelling Greater Napanee Number %

Total - Structural type of dwelling 6,325 100.0 Single-detached house 4,715 74.5 Semi-detached house 230 3.6 Row house 260 4.1 Apartment, building that has five or more storeys 0 0.0 Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys 1,025 16.2 Apartment, duplex 65 1.0 Other single-attached house10 15 0.2 Movable dwelling11 15 0.

Data from 2011 Census Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional The largest private sector employer is the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant with 685 employees. The Lennox Power Generation Station has a staff of 160, and a large expansion project is scheduled to increase power generation with the addition a new 900 megawatt gas-fired power plant being built by TransCanada. In the Public Sector there are a number of large employers including:

Name of Employer Type of Employment No. of Employees

County of Lennox & Addington Public Administration 415 Limestone District School Board Education 260 L&A County General Hospital Health Services 215 John M. Parrott Centre Long-term Care Facility 187 Quinte Regional Detention Centre Correctional Services 167 Town of Greater Napanee Public Administration 159 Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board

Education 126

Ontario Provincial Police Law Enforcement 97

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?Lang=Eng&GK=PR&GC=3511015#FN-MD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_Tire_and_Rubber_Company

http://www.lennox-addington.on.ca/

http://www.limestone.on.ca/

http://www.lacgh.com/

http://www.lennox-addington.on.ca/stats/top-employers/17-john-m-parrott-centre.html

http://www.mpss.jus.gov.on.ca/english/corr_serv/adult_off/facilities_lists/det_centres.html

http://www.greaternapanee.com/

http://www.alcdsb.on.ca/

http://www.alcdsb.on.ca/

http://www.opp.ca/


Transportation Infrastructure The Town is served by a network of provincial, county, and municipal roads connecting various communities within, and outside, the town. Highway 401 is a busy east – west transportation corridor with large volumes of traffic passing just north of downtown Napanee. The Napanee River and Lake Ontario, including the Bay of Quinte, create barriers that hinder easy access to some parts of the Town in the south and west sections. The main railway lines between Montreal and Toronto, for both the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, pass through the Town with high volumes of freight traffic. Via Rail operates intercity passenger service on the CN Rail main line and has a high volume of passenger train operations.

Growth and Development The population of Greater Napanee has remained stable for some time with growth of 0.7% between 2006 and 2011. The current population is 15,511, with the majority of residents living in the old town of Napanee area. The population is not expected to have any significant increase in the foreseeable future. Residential development is reflected in the level of population change, with limited numbers of new dwellings being added in recent years. In recent years Greater Napanee experienced considerable commercial development along the corridor of County Road 41, south of Highway 401, and to the west along Jim Kimmett Blvd. The construction of a 900 megawatt gas-fired generating plant is planned on lands adjacent to the Lennox Generating Station, and a warehouse expansion is also planned on the Goodyear plant site. Construction of government and institutional facilities has resulted in a number of new or renovated / enlarged buildings, as well as the Downtown Core area has had a significant facelift from 2010-2012, with many new businesses opening.


3. Fire Service

Greater Napanee Fire Service History A fire department was established in the 1800’s to provide protection to the Town of Napanee as the population grew, and commercial and industrial activity increased. For many years each municipality in the county had its own fire department, or purchased fire protection. South Fredericksburgh and Adolphustown never had their own fire service and bought protection from nearby municipalities. In 1968 both Richmond and North Fredericksburgh Townships purchased a pumper for fire suppression. Both these vehicles were housed in Napanee Fire Station. At this time all major equipment was housed in a four bay fire station in the market square of Napanee, which was home to 6 pieces of fire apparatus, and each department had its own equipment that was all marked separately. If there was a call to one of the municipalities the respective pumper would respond to fight that fire. Napanee would send out the pump with 5 firefighters from Napanee,. No other resources left Napanee. During the early 1970’s Roblin, (a village in Richmond), assembled a committee and they put together a 1000 gallon tanker which was housed in Carl Richmonds Garage. Using Township staff and at a cost of $15,000, Richmond built a fire hall in the village of Roblin to house this tanker truck. In 1978-79 Fire Chief Tom Kimmett recognized the need for a better system, not only to deal with apparatus and equipment issues, but to better serve the residents of the three municipalities. He began the process of amalgamating the three municipal fire services into one to share resources to provide better fire protection to these areas. Although they still operated as three separate municipalities, fire was under one administration run by a Fire Board with representation from each municipality. Automatic aid agreements were established with neighboring departments to provide better fire protection service for the residents and those of neighbouring municipalities. Because of the pro-active approach taken by the Napanee Fire Chief, the 1999 amalgamation of the five (5) municipalities into the Town of Greater Napanee had little immediate impact on the fire service as it had already been operating as one department. In 2001 a fire service review was conducted to look at the viability of establishing a new station in the south end of the new municipality and the needs for the future. In 2005, Chief George Hanmore started work on a new Fire Master Plan. Among the recommendations in this plan was the establishment of a new station in the southern portion of the municipality, and in 2008 Station 3, in the hamlet of Dorland, was established to provide fire protection and public education not only to the residences of that community, but to add resources for the department overall.


Greater Napanee Fire Service Today The Greater Napanee Fire Services provides fire protection and other emergency services to the Town of Greater Napanee. The department operates under the authority of the Establishing and Regulating By-law By-law No. 2011 - 38. This by-law identifies the services that the department is authorized to provide as well as the general organization, authority, and responsibilities of members. The Greater Napanee Fire Service provides a variety of emergency services as authorized under the Establishing and Regulating By-law. The services are provided in accordance with the level of training and resources available. These services are:

• Fire Suppression • Motor Vehicle Accident / Extrication Response • Ice and Water Rescue – Shore Based • Medical Assist Response • Other emergency & non-emergency services

A review of the Establishing and Regulating By-law 2011-38 identified a number of areas where changes should be considered to update and clarify various sections of the by-law. The department operates from three (3) fire stations – Fire Station 1, which is the Headquarters, is located at 66 Advance Ave, Fire Station No. 2 is located in the village of Robin in the northeast of the town, and Fire Station No. 3 in located in Dorland and serves the southern portion of the municipality. All stations receive back-up support from other stations as needed. The department administration includes the (1) General Manager / Fire Chief, (1) Deputy Fire Chief and (1) Assistant Chief, and they are supported by an (1) Administrative Assistant. The other full time staff include one (1) Fire Prevention / Public Education Officer, one (1) Training Officer, 1 Firefighter/Public Educator, and three (3) Firefighters. Co-located at the fire station is the Manager of Safety Compliance & Accessibility who provides services for all Town departments and is supervised by the General Manager/Fire Chief. The department is considered a “composite fire department” which consists of having both full-time and volunteer members. The department attempts to maintain a force of approximately seventy-two (72) volunteer firefighters assigned as follows:

Station 1 – Napanee Station 2 – Robin Station 3 - Dorland 4 Captains 2 Captains 3 Captains 28 Firefighters 14 Firefighters 21 Firefighters

As with most fire departments that rely heavily on volunteers, the issues of recruitment, training, and retention, are significant concerns that can impact service delivery. These issues are discussed at greater detail in following sections of this report. The department is authorized to participate in the Frontenac/Lennox & Addington Fire Mutual Aid Plan and other mutual aid plans. Mutual Aid is provided at no cost, on a reciprocal basis, for those occasional large fires that require additional resources and are beyond the ability of the department to contain without outside help. The department also participates in a “Tiered Medical Response” program with Lennox & Addington County Paramedic Services.


The Town has a the large rural area which consists of many large homes, as well as extensive farming and industrial properties, and a considerable amount of forested areas that present a significant risk for wildfires. The department operates equipment and conducts training for rural operations. The primary equipment for rural fires is tankers to transport water to areas without hydrant protection.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Establishing and Regulating By-law be revised and updated to more accurately reflect the direction of Council, identify department responsibilities and authority at emergencies, and clarify the types and levels of services provided by the department.


4. Emergency Call handling, Dispatch and Communications

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. This function requires skilled dispatchers with highly reliable and up-to-date communications and computer systems. As expectations and standards have changed over the years the ability to meet the expected level of service has become more challenging than in the past. Public and firefighter safety depend on the communications from a dispatch center. High volume activity resulting in missed or dropped calls, inexperienced dispatchers, or equipment failures with no redundancy, are causes for serious concern and potential liability to the municipality. Operating a dispatch service also limits the ability of the department to efficiently deploy its full – time staff to respond to emergency calls, conduct fire prevention activities and training, or maintaining its stations and equipment. Therefore a review of this function is a key consideration of the Fire Master Plan Update.

Current Operations The Greater Napanee Fire Service has been providing dispatch services for decades and at the present time the full-time firefighters and the Training Officer provide call handling for all emergencies on a 24/7 basis with one dispatcher on duty. The dispatch office also answers administrative calls after normal business hours. As a back-up to assist in maintaining coverage during business hours, the Fire Prevention Officer and the Administrative Assistant provide support, when possible, to allow the firefighter, who is also the dispatcher, to respond to an emergency call. The department also provides contract dispatching services to five other municipalities. In 2011, the service handled 1365 emergency and non-emergency calls for the six (6) fire departments. Multiple calls are an issue for staff because of the number of calls we now receive for an incident due to the use of cell phones. It is not uncommon now to receive 20 to 30 calls for a accident on the 401, or a major fire incident. When there is a major weather event or disaster that affects the multiple areas that the department dispatches for, the full-time firefighter is responsible for now handing all the 911 calls and dispatch functions for those municipalities. With only a single firefighter on duty it is not possible to assure the public, or the other fire department clients, that all calls can be answered or dispatched during these occasions of high volume calls. The priority for the full-time firefighter is to answer the 911 and emergency lines above all other activities. This commitment limits the availability for the full-time firefighter to be assigned duties that require completion. In the case of weekends and nightshifts the full-time firefighter cannot respond to any emergency calls and has a limited ability for any other required tasks.


Call Handling Procedures for Communications Paging and Radio Phone

Tyendinga 1 Station

OPP EMS Fire 911

Communications

Napanee 3 Stations

Loyalist 4 Stations

Deseronto 1 Station

Stone Mills 4 Stations

Addingtion 2 Stations

OPP/EMS

General Inquires

Hydro/Gas

OFM

Mutual Aid

Canutec

EM Control Grp

Fire Co-ordinator

Municipal Departments


The staff make every effort to ensure all emergency calls are answered and dispatched as quickly and efficiently as possible, however with changes in personnel and limited or no back-up available to assist the single dispatcher on duty, it is not possible to provide a service standard guarantee. The following sections of “NFPA 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems” illustrate the demanding level of call handling required from a dispatch centre. National Fire Protection Association Standard 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems This standard sets the minimum requirements for the installation, performance, operation, and maintenance of public emergency services communications systems and facilities. NFPA 1221 characterizes a communications system as a vehicle that receives emergency signals (i.e. alarms) from the public and then forwards the appropriate information to emergency response facilities. Specifically, the standard addresses the functions, components, operations, testing and record keeping requirements of a communications system.

7.4.4* Where alarms are transferred from the primary public safety answering point (PSAP) to a secondary answering point, the transfer procedure shall not exceed 30 seconds for 95 percent of all alarms processed.

7.4.1* Ninety-five percent of alarms received on emergency lines shall be answered within 15 seconds, and 99 percent of alarms shall be answered within 40 seconds.

7.4.2* Ninety-percent of emergency call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 60 seconds, and 99 percent of call processing and dispatching shall be completed within 90 seconds.


Dispatch Equipment Requirements

Console and Radio Equipment The current radio system has served the municipality well for over 20 years however, as with any technology, it eventually becomes outdated. Obtaining parts and repairing the radio consoles have become an issue as the system we currently have is now obsolete and the majority of the parts that might be required are hard to obtain. The paging of the suppression staff for an emergency must be done on a manual basis, which significantly slows the call process time. If the department is to continue providing dispatch services, there has to be a significant investment in upgrading the radio and paging system. Costs for replacing the system would be $50,000 to $70,000.

Computer Aid Dispatch (CAD) Once the caller has provided the location of the emergency, the dispatcher must then enter the call into the CAD. The CAD then determines the appropriate station and level of response. The CAD also is used to keep track of the status of vehicles, response times, and provides mapping. The current version of the CAD has been in place since 2007, but was built on a platform from the 1990’s with very little upgrading. New CADs are more efficient, more accurate, and easier for the dispatcher to process and assist in the mitigation of an emergency. Cost of replacing the current CAD would be between $35,000 and $65,000.

Record Management System (RMS) In 2012, the department purchased the new RMS. This new system has many features that assist with the operation of the department as well as manage staff, equipment, and statistics. One of the modules that were purchased was the Incident Module that assists the department with recording statistics for emergency response. The Office of the Fire Marshal requires all fire departments to report statistical information on emergency responses through a Standard Incident Report Form in an electronic format. The new RMS system has created efficiencies for this process as well as the additional benefits that assist the Management Team in running a cost effective service.

CAD/RMS/Radio Interface Currently there is no interface with the CAD, the RMS, and the Radio and paging system. Every step of the process has to be done manually. The call is received manually, then it is entered into the CAD manually, then the call is put out over the radio and paging system manually, and when the call is finished it is then manually put into the RMS. This system leaves room for errors, and adds time to the call handling procedures. Although was an accepted standard 10-15 years ago, it is not now. New standards for dispatching, and increased liability on service providers, has made it necessary to have systems that interface with each other to reduce call processing time and better record keeping.


Costs vs. Risks At the direction of council in 2011, the cost for providing dispatch services to the client fire departments was increased by 65%. In 2012, the total revenue that is received from the providing the dispatch service was $65,000. This large increase ran the risk of losing potential clients but due to the hard work of Acting Fire Chief Shetler, he was able to retain the current number of departments that are dispatched. In 2011, Fire Chief Gervais took a report to council on the risks of further increasing dispatch fees for the term of the contract, and further reported that the department could not fulfill the mandate of council to recover the entire costs of dispatching the other fire departments. An analysis was made to see if there was a potential of increasing the number of departments that could be dispatched and it was determined that due to three other dispatch centers within 30 miles of the municipality there were no departments that were interested in moving to the center. There is significant liability for a municipality, no matter what service they provide, and this includes dispatch. The potential for legal action against the municipality due to an error in the present system is a definite possibility and any successful lawsuit could far exceed any revenue generated. The NFPA 1221 Standard is difficult to meet with the limited resources but it would be the standard against which we would be measured in court. Despite having dedicated full-time firefighters who are trying to meet these standards it is currently not practical or feasible.

Options Considered Given the costs to replace the equipment ($100,000 plus), the liability on the municipality, the inability to meet the recognized standard, and not being able to increase the service fees that are required to make the dispatch service cost effective, the Management Team, with Council’s approval, should review all the options for providing this critical service. Some of the options that should be reviewed are:

• Do Nothing – status quo; • Upgrade Dispatch Equipment and staffing to be able to meet NFPA 1221 standard; • Contract Dispatching to another fire department that can meet the NFPA 1221 standard

and re-deploy staff to benefit Greater Napanee taxpayers.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that a study be conducted on the options for providing an NFPA 1221 Standard compliant dispatch service for the residents of the Town of Greater Napanee. Included in the study would be the cost and benefits associated with any change in operating practices and service delivery is identified.


5. Response Times 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” 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 full-time firefighters and multiple stations, response times are frequently in the 5 – 8 minute range. In rural areas response times can frequently be 10 – 20 minutes depending on the size of the municipality, number and location of fire stations and road network, etc. As an example, some municipalities use response time targets of five (5) minutes for urban, seven (7) minutes for suburban and fourteen (14) minutes for rural areas. The Office of the Fire Marshal provides statistical data on fire department responses and for Greater Napanee Fire Service the latest OFM data indicates the following:

• Average response time to All Calls 2009 – 2011 = 08:33 min. • Average response time to Structure loss fires 2009 – 2011 = 08:22 min. • Average number of personnel on scene for all calls - 2009 – 2011 = 6

FirefightersResponse and Deployment Standards A guideline the OFM has used was the “10 in 10 Guideline” (10 firefighters on scene in 10 minutes – 90% of the time). While this time is maybe achievable in the Napanee Town district, it is not possible in most of the rural districts. While the OFM no longer uses the “10 in 10” guideline for emergency response and has been developing a new guideline on deployment, many fire departments still use the “10 in 10” guideline. Another 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 Standard 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.


While Greater Napanee Fire Service is meeting a reasonably good level of Response Time, it is not meeting a recommended level of on-scene staffing of 10 firefighters. To help resolve this deficiency the re-deployment of full-time fire fighters that makes them available for emergency response would improve the level of emergency service delivery.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that in 2014 the Greater Napanee Fire Service conduct an analysis of all emergency calls for the years 2011 – 2013 and separate calls into (1) the urban district and (2) the rural districts. Calls are further separated into “All Calls” and “Structural Fire Calls” with average number of firefighters attending at each classification. Using this data the department will report to Council, and provide the outcomes for each subsequent year. This reporting will identify if there are significant changes in this performance measure and help determine the need to change or modify service delivery. It is recommended that an appropriate service standard for emergency response in both the urban and rural areas of the Town of Greater Napanee be identified using call data and given the capacity of the fire service with existing resources.


6. Fire Service Staffing Greater Napanee Fire Service is a “composite” fire service which means it has a combination of full time and volunteer1 staff. This type of fire service is primary used in smaller municipalities like the Town of Greater Napanee because it provides a cost effective service by using mainly volunteer firefighters supported by full-time staff. 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 Town has had full-time firefighters since the early 1950’s and over the years the number of full-time staff increased in increments until the 1980’s when the total complement of full-time suppression staff was 8 FTE’s including the Fire Chief. At that time there were approximately 36 volunteer firefighters. There have been significant changes in the department since 1989. This includes an amalgamation which added two municipalities requiring fire protection, a third fire station was opened, and the fire fleet increased from 8 vehicles to 15 vehicles. The number of volunteer firefighters has increased about 40%, while full-time staffing has only increased by one half of a FTE position. Other more recent changes in staffing include:

• In 2006 a full time Deputy Chief was added to replace the retired volunteer Deputy;

• In 2007 the new Dorland Fire Station was opened which increased the volunteer complement from 46 to the current number of 72;

• In 2010 one firefighter position was re-allocated to a newly created Assistant Chief’s

position. This position was assigned ½ a FTE for fire and ½ FTE for Corporate Fleet, Health and Safety, and Training. This position was identified as a requirement under the Health and Safety Act to ensure there was a competent supervisor available on a 24/7 basis. Learning from the tragedy in 2010, it was determined that to provide this coverage on a 24/7/365 basis it was not practical with just two chief officers. Additionally, managing a staff of eighty (80) is not practical with just two (2) managers.

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Recruitment and retention are a significant problem for many volunteer departments and an annual loss of 10% - 20% of volunteers from a department is not unknown. 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. Specialized or advanced training suffers because so much time and effort must be spent on basic recruit training. A review of department volunteer recruitment shows that 24 new recruits have been hired since 2009, (or 34% of the volunteers), resulting in an annual turnover of approximately 7% per year. Some fire stations are frequently short of the full complement of volunteers. There are presently 35 volunteers or 50% of the department with more than five (5) years of service.


Note 1 - ‘Volunteer firefighter” The term “volunteer” firefighter in this report is based on that found in the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. “volunteer firefighter” means a firefighter who provides fire protection services either voluntarily or for a nominal consideration, honorarium, training or activity allowance. 1997, c. 4, s. 1 (1); 2001, c. 25, s. 475 (1). Greater Napanee and most, “volunteer” fire departments in Ontario compensate volunteers for their time in the form of an “honorarium”. The honorariums are based on various systems including a “points system” or an hourly rate. These members may also be considered as ‘paid-on-call” firefighters. The challenge of recruiting and retaining the volunteer firefighter is documented in many articles however one particular article titled “Where are they Going”, authored by Deputy Chief Ian Shetler for the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) and clearly outlines why we have the challenges that we do with this type of department. 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 Contributing Factors

Time Demands

• 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 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 • Increasing number of automatic alarms

Change in the “Nature of the Business”

• Abuse of emergency services by the public • Less of an emphasis on social aspects of

volunteering

Changes in Sociological Conditions (In Urban and Suburban Areas)

• Transience • Loss of community feeling • Loss of community pride • Less of an interest or time for volunteering • Two-income families • “Me” generation

Changes in Sociological Conditions (In Rural Areas)

• Employers less willing to allow response to calls

• Time demands • “Me” generation

Leadership Problems • Poor leadership and lack of coordination • Authoritative management style • Failure to manage change

The Greater Napanee Fire Service is continuing to attempt to maintain sufficient numbers of well trained volunteers, however there continues to be a shortage of volunteers in some stations and it is unlikely that this problem will ever be fully resolved unless the demographics and population base changes.


Career Staffing One important advantage the Greater Napanee Fire Service has is the availability of full-time firefighters to provide improved service response. Unfortunately, with the present requirement for dispatching services this resource is not being utilized to the best advantage. The majority of the career firefighters time is dedicated to maintaining a 24/7 operation of dispatch. The department has four (4) full–time firefighters that work a schedule of alternating shifts of 42 hours per week, plus a Training Officer who works straight days for half of the year and for the other half works shifts to cover for vacancies due to vacations. A Fire Prevention Officer works straight days all year conducting fire prevention duties. The current work schedule of the full-time staff restricts the department from providing an adequate level of service in the three primary areas of responsibility for the fire service which are Public Education, Code Enforcement, and Fire Suppression:

1. Public Education which is a mandatory requirement of the FPPA, is only carried out on a part-time basis in the department. This program is coordinated by one of the full-time firefighters on shift and a committee of a volunteer representative of each of the fire stations. Other than during Fire Prevention Week the program is not on a proactive basis due to time restraints on both full-time and volunteer staff.

2. Fire Code Enforcement is also a mandatory requirement of the FPPA. Due to the

volume and complexity of enforcement activities resulting from complaints of fire code violations the Fire Prevention Officer is unable to spend sufficient time conducting inspections of many other properties that should be part of an annual inspection program. The other full-time fire fighters assist with doing weekly inspections but only on a very limited basis due to the requirement to maintain dispatch service.

3. Fire Suppression is of critical importance to public safety and this review has identified

deficiencies in staffing at emergency scenes. Full-time staff can only assist with response during business hours if the Administrative Assistant is in station. On night shifts and on weekends they cannot leave the building for a response. This seriously limits the ability of the department to make use of its most experienced and best qualified firefighters when they are most needed at an emergency.

The department has sufficient human resources available to meet its obligations under the Fire Prevention and Protection Act and provide a good level of service to the community, only if those resources can be more effectively deployed to work on the services identified above. Continuing to use these valuable firefighters for providing dispatch services is not in the best interest of the Town of Greater Napanee. There are two different approaches that could solve some of these issues while maintaining and enhancing the level of service required to provide to the municipality. Those options are:

• Hire more full-time staff for emergency response and other duties, while maintaining the volunteer complement as it is, or

• Redeploy the current full-time staff and significantly improve service to the community. The most cost effective way would be not to add addition staff but use the resources that Council has provided. The main challenge to this approach is the current requirement for providing dispatch services.


If the dispatch services were handled in a different manner then the full-time staff of six could be deployed in the following method. 1 Fire Prevention Officer -- Straight Days 1 Firefighter/Public Educator -- included in the shift rotation (re-allocated position) 1 Training Officer -- Straight Days (re-allocated for straight days) 3 Firefighters -- 2 to a shift to provide daytime coverage 7 days a week This schedule would provide staffing seven days per week, from 6 am to 6 pm with a minimum of 2 firefighters to respond, when the full complement is available. During weekday office hours an additional 2 staff, including a Chief Officer, would also be available Volunteer firefighters would still be paged depending on the type of call, however a number of one-vehicle responses and non-emergency calls could be handled by the on-duty staff. An important advantage of having the staff work during the daytime hours is in the areas of public education, inspections, and fire prevention. The full-time firefighters could do daily inspections of buildings in the community and provide public education, including spending more time with youth and seniors. This model provides the municipality five full-time staff to do public education, inspections, and fire prevention instead of one, as well as providing a better level of service for emergency response without any increased cost to the municipality. The following charts indicate the redeployment which can improve both response times and on-scene staffing, and that this will provide a better level of emergency service.

This chart shows that the majority of calls for service (284) occur from 6am to 6pm, compared to (162) from 6pm to 6am.

35

22

53

80 76 75 76

29

0102030405060708090

Midnightto 3am

3am to6am

6am to9am

9am toNoon

Noon to3pm

3pm to6pm

6pm to9pm

9pm toMidnight

Average Number of Calls by Time of Day 2007 - 2011


This chart shows that the average number of personnel on scene drops during the hours of 6am to 6pm to 6.25 from the 6.5 responding during the hours of 6pm to 6am. It also shows the gap between the minimum recommendation of 10 firefighters.

The chart above illustrates that during the week the average response time is better because full-time firefighters are frequently available to respond with the volunteer firefighters . Response times increase on weekends when the full-time firefighter on-duty cannot respond due to having to remain answering the phones. If the full-time firefighters were available seven days a week for day time responses, times could be reduced significantly during the hours of 6am to 6pm and slightly reduced from the hours of 6pm to 10pm on weekdays.

123456789

10

Average Number of Firefighters On-Scene by Time of Day 2007 - 2011

Average

OFM Minimum 10recommended

8.3 8.2

8.6

7.9

8.8 8.9 9.1

7.27.47.67.8

88.28.48.68.8

99.2

Average Response time in minutes by day of the Week


These charts clearly show that the majority of calls for service happen during the hours of 6am to 6pm and while having even limited full-time staffing during the day can reduce response time there are less average number of people on scene do to the lack of availability of the volunteer firefighters during that time. By re-allocating full-time resources during the day time hours it means that there would be a guaranteed response to not only the Napanee Station area but the Roblin and Dorland Stations as well were daytime resources are even more hampered because of lack of business in the area to draw on for volunteers.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that full-time suppression staff be re-deployed to improve emergency response times and on-scene staffing with a focus on weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm, when volunteer availability is limited. This recommendation is subject to development of an alternative source of fire dispatch services.


7. Training and Education Training and education are critical to the safe and effective delivery of fire services. As standards have changed and different types of emergency services are provided, the training of firefighters has become much more demanding and time consuming. Long gone are the days when volunteers were given a bunker coat and helmet and told to show up when the siren sounds or pager goes off to help out and learn on-the-job. Occupational health and safety legislation, potential law suits from insurance companies, and higher expectations from the public, require that fire departments conduct comprehensive training programs and document that training.

Recruit Training Greater Napanee Fire Service has partnered with the other fire departments in Lennox and Addington to conduct joint recruit training for all new volunteers. This program was piloted in 2012 and has proven very effective for sharing of resources and instructors. Using the OFM Curriculum and the “Essentials of Firefighting” textbook the new recruits are provided with some 56 hours of theory and practical training before taking a final exam. Only upon successful completion of the training can a new volunteer begin responding to calls. This approach has reduced the costs for instructors and made better use of training equipment in the different locations.

In-Service Training The recruit training is only the beginning of an on-going program to train firefighters in the many aspects of fire and emergency operations. Programs include driver training, pump and aerial operation, ice and water rescue, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials awareness, etc. The time and resources required to maintain an effective training program are significant. While the Training Officer is the lead in these programs each department officer must be actively involved in weekly training for station crews. As volunteer officers are finding more demanded of them there is a need to provide additional training support from the existing full-time firefighters to assist in delivery of training to department members. All 80 members of the department must be trained to the same standard. The following list shows the hours of training completed yearly from 2010 – 2013

Year Training Hours

2010 3000 2011 3475 2012 3900 2013 (to Sept.) 3900


Some of the specialized courses provided include: • Firefighter survival – 26 Firefighters trained by the end of 2013 and it is expected to

train another 24 next year • Ice/Water Rescue– All firefighters are trained in shore based rescue. There is also an

Ice/Water Go Team that has 12 members • Driver Training –in house DZ license training. Also an established driver training

program that all our drivers must complete prior to driving our apparatus • Medical – All firefighters are now trained to the same level on first-aid, CPR/Defib and

airway management. A recommendation In the 2007 Fire Master Plan, was to: “move the full-time Training Officer’s position to straight day shift and replace this person with a probationary full-time firefighter. With the increase in Volunteer firefighters, there will be a larger time commitment to deliver training to these people at different time periods throughout the week, which cannot be done by someone working shift work”. To accommodate firefighter’s different shifts and commitments in 2013 we went from training one night a week to two nights a week as well as on Thursday mornings during the weekday. As Chief Hanmore predicted this has made the role of the Training Officer’s unmanageable on shift. The position must continue to be full-time but must also be moved to a flexible day shift that allows the Training Officer to meet the requirements of the firefighters as well as be able to attend evening or weekend trainings without being committed to answering the emergency phones.

Officer Development Officer Development is a large part of the training program. It falls outside the weekly in-service training, and is specific to educating the Officers on how to better perform their role as supervisors of crews, as well as to meet their obligations under the Ontario Health and Safety Act. In addition to attending the regular training night, the officers also attend an additional one night a month, as well as many weekends for additional training. Their education includes more management training such as how to teach adults using different learning styles, how to manage people, crisis management, and conflict resolutions. In addition to the Officer Development program the department has an Acting Officer program that is made of up firefighters who have successfully passed all the qualifications to get into the program. They receive all the same training as the Officers, along with additional training, and are required to perform extra tasks over and above the firefighters. This program is designed to be proactive and educate and prepare these individuals to become the next officers of the department. This approach helps ensure that the future officers of the department are ready to fill the position prior to obtaining the position.

RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Training Officer be assigned to a flexible day shift position to provide the time and availability required to support the training activities of all members of the department and to ensure firefighters are trained to safely and efficiently carry out their duties.


8. Fire Stations The department operates from three (3) fire stations – Fire Station 1, which is the headquarters, is located at 66 Advance Ave, in Napanee, Fire Station No. 2 is located in Robin in the north east of the town, and Fire Station No. 3 is located in Dorland, to serve the southern portion. All stations receive back-up support from other stations as needed.

Fire Apparatus Assigned HQS Station 2 Station 3

2 Pumpers 0 Pumper 1 Pumper 1 Tanker 1 Pumper / Tanker 1 Tanker 1 Aerial Ladder 1 Tanker 1 Squad/Brush 1 Rescue 1 UTV 1 UTV Trailer

Headquarters (Napanee Station) The Napanee Station was built in 1992 and replaced the old fire station which was inadequate for the department operations. The station houses the administration offices, fire prevention, training, dispatch and the corporate safety and accessibility officer. In addition to the apparatus bays there are support functions such as the breathing air compressor/ fill station, supplies and equipment storage to support the operation. There is a training facility in the back of the station that allows a wide range of practical training to be carried out.

In 2011 – 2013 renovations were carried out to make more effective use of the administration space, provide appropriate office accommodation for staff, including the Manager of Safety Compliance and Accessibility, and to make the building compliant with accessibility standards. Additional renovations and upgrades will be required in the future including replacing overhead doors, energy conservation, building exterior sheathing replacement, etc.


Station 2 (Roblin Station) The Roblin Station was built in the 1973 with the majority of the work being done by the community. The station no longer meets current needs and standards with the changes to the fire service and the vehicles that are purchased currently. Due to the age and design of the building it is not feasible to attempt to renovate it as it would not be cost effective. With the approval of Council on May 28th, 2013 phase 1 of the new community hall and fire station began in the spring of 2013. The existing

community hall shall be completely renovated and upgraded, including all mechanical and electrical systems. Once this project is in the second phase, it will see a new fire apparatus floor constructed on the side of the renovated community hall. The building will include additional training facilities, as well as office space and a kitchen, and will be managed by the Emergency Service Department. This approach of combining these two facilities will save the municipality an estimated $1.5 million in Capital funding as well as operating costs.

Station 3 (Dorland Station)

The Dorland Fire Station was built in 2008 as the result of the previous Fire Master Plan identifying a need to increase the level of service for the Dorland area. Previous to building this station, fire protection was purchase from the Township of Loyalist under a First Response Agreement. This station was built to ensure it will serve the community for a number of years and should only require yearly regular maintenance and minor capital expenditures for the foreseeable future.

Previous councils and administrations have done an excellent job ensuring that the different areas of the Town are covered by a primary fire station that can respond within a reasonable timeframe. With the opening of the Dorland Station in 2008 there is no requirement for additional fire stations at this time.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that facilities and equipment be replaced or renewed based on the proposed “Facilities and Equipment Capital Replacement Plan “


9. Water Supply Water supply for fire protection is classified in two categories: 1) Municipal water Supply - hydrant protected 2) Rural Water Supply non-hydrant areas.

Municipal Water Supply (Hydrant Protected) Water supply for fire protection in the urban area of Napanee is provided by municipal water supply and distribution systems. The municipality is responsible for the supply of potable water with sufficient flows to meet firefighting requirements and for the local distribution system including fire hydrants. Hydrant protected properties usually have lower insurance premium costs than non-hydrant protected properties. In urban development areas, all new subdivisions are required to provide water supplies and hydrants to meet the fire flow established by the Fire Underwriters Survey. The Infrastructure Service’s Utilities department flow test and mark hydrants with flow capacity by colour coding in accordance with “NFPA 291: RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR FIRE FLOW TESTING AND MARKING OF HYDRANTS” and an annual hydrant maintenance program is carried out to provide reliable hydrant operation under any weather conditions.

Rural Water Supply (Non-hydrant areas) Water supply for fire protection in rural areas (non-hydrant protected) presents significant challenges for fire departments. Unlike urban departments who depend on fire hydrants almost exclusively, this department must have additional fire apparatus (tankers) and personnel that are trained on tanker shuttle procedures. Two programs are being developed to address water supply for fire protection in rural areas:

1. The first program is the “Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation”. This program will provide improved capacity to maintain adequate water supply for effective fire fighting for distances of up to 8 km from a fire station with a minimum of 900 liters/ min. (200 gallons) for a two hour duration. As a result of this program many rural residents could see significant reductions in fire insurance premiums.

2. Secondly the fire department has installed “Dry Hydrants” in several locations as well as

some underground storage tanks. Dry hydrants are designed to allow fire apparatus to draft water from rivers, lakes, ponds or storage tanks and are “non-pressurized’.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the department develop the capacity to meet the Fire Underwriters Survey requirements for “Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation” including having sufficient pumpers, tankers water supply refill sites and other necessary equipment and procedures.


10. Fire Apparatus Fleet The review of the Fire Service’s fleet has found that the fleet is modern and up to date as the result of the support of council and the previous Chief’s recommendations. With the acceptance of the Fleet Rationalization Plan by Council in February 2012 this will allow Fire Service’s to forecast the potential financial impact for the upcoming years. Some of the guiding principles for Fleet Replacement adopted by council in February 2013 are:

• Establish a vehicle Refurbishment and Replacement program to assist the Fire Management team with recommendations for council for budget purposes. Small Fleet 9 years, Large Fleet refurbished at 15 years, and replaced at 20 years.

• Move fleet around in an effort to reduce the amount of mileage that is being put on any one vehicle in order to provide a longer life span for vehicles.

• Ensure that fleet is maintained and current to provide maximum efficiency to protect the residents.

• Remain current in new technology and changes to the municipality in an effort to ensure the fire service has the proper fleet and make recommendations to council as needs change.

Fire Service apparatus has evolved over the years and there are increasingly more demanding standards that must be followed when purchasing apparatus. They include the Ontario Health and Safety Act, National Fire Protection Association Standard 1901 – Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus and/or ULC – S515-04 – Automotive Fire Fighting Apparatus. Continuing changes in safety requirements, construction materials, and operating practices, older fire apparatus do not have many of the features now mandated. Among the most important are Anti-lock Brake Systems (ABS) and Roll Stability Control (RSC) that help minimize accidents by improving steering and braking control. Another factor in determining when apparatus should be replaced is the impact of the Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) on the age of apparatus that is acceptable for insurance grading purposes. In smaller communities FUS will only recognize apparatus that is no more than 20 years old. (15 years old in larger cities). These factors emphasize the importance of planning and budgeting to replace older apparatus to reduce the risk to the municipality and its firefighters... The department services a large rural area and therefore it must operate tankers to supply water for firefighting in non-hydrant protected areas. As discussed in more detail in the section on “Water Supply” the department intends to work toward achieving the “Superior Tanker Shuttle Certification” to provide a higher level of fire suppression service for rural residents. A key component of meeting and maintaining this certification is having adequate numbers of both pumpers and tankers designed to be quickly filled and to dump large quantities of water ( 1000 gal./min.) Apparatus Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Fire apparatus must be maintained to a high level of availability to ensure they will start and operate anytime an emergency incident occurs. This requires a robust system of daily, weekly, and annual inspections, tests, and maintenance. In addition to routine maintenance, such as checking and adjusting brakes, lubrication, oil changes, etc., the apparatus must have annual MTO inspections, pump tests, and non-destructive testing on ladders and aerial devices.


Also as noted above, standards have become more demanding and complex with the introduction of new safety systems, pollution control, and engine and driveline systems using computer interfaces. In the past, many components on fire apparatus could be repaired or maintained by mechanically skilled firefighters or a local garage. Some of this work may now require mechanics with specialized training and computer analysis of system faults. As a result of both the routine maintenance, and the complexity of today’s fire apparatus, this means that each vehicle may be out of service for longer periods of time while maintenance and/or repairs are being carried out. There are two key impacts of vehicle maintenance and testing that we need to consider, which are: Having firefighters trained and available to conduct inspections and testing as required at the frequency needed (daily, weekly, etc.). These firefighters would also be capable of conducting as much in-house service and repair as possible to return the apparatus to service as quickly as possible. Having an adequate number of reliable reserve apparatus to maintain coverage to replace out of service vehicles. Fire Services Heavy Fire Apparatus Classifications & Assignments

Type Totals HQS Stn 2 Stn 3 Assignment Growth

Pumper 3 2 1 First Response for Emergencies Pumper/Tanker 1 1 First Response for Emergencies 1 Tanker 3 1 1 1 Provide Water Supply in Non-

Hydrant Areas

Ladder 1 1 Rescue and Suppression in Multi-Story Buildings and Core Area

Rescue 1 1 Automobile Accidents, Specialized Rescues, Lighting, Emergency Power, Rehab

Brush Squad 1 1 Wildland Fires, Support Vehicle UTV 1 1 Wildland Fires, Off-Road Patient

Transport

UTV Trailer 1 1 Trailer for UTV and Equipment

RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that all new tankers should be 2500 gal capacity and have pumps capable of pumping 1000 gal/min. It is recommended that the fire apparatus fleet be replaced or renewed based on a 20 year life cycle for major apparatus and nine (9) years for light vehicles as recommended in the Fleet Rationalization Plan


11. Fire Prevention and Public Education

Public Education and Community Events Public Education and Community Events are a large part of both the Prevention and Suppression Division Duties. The department usually spends close to one thousand (1000) man hours each year. Some of the events include:

• Appearances for local events and fundraisers • Fire Prevention week • Smoke alarm program • Visits to schools and senior organizations • Requests for appearances by local groups • Fire alarm drills

Inspections Smoke alarm inspections/visits were the focus of the prevention division which included visits to all seasonal trailer parks. Coordinated by the Fire Prevention Officer, suppression crews completed inspections and smoke alarm checks throughout residential areas within the municipality with the primary focus being the Town’s most vulnerable occupancies. Approximately 500 homes and seasonal dwellings were visited, and over 85 smoke alarms were installed in dwellings in the past year, as well as, approximately 100 batteries installed. Annual inspections of all low rise residential buildings remain a priority to protect high public concentration areas. The downtown core is an area where priority is given by the inspection program due to the type of occupancy. All seniors, retirement, and long term care homes, Child Day Care facilities, and Group homes are inspected annually.


Code Enforcement Over the last two (2) years the Fire Prevention Officer has issued eight (8) tickets for Part 1 Offences under the FPPA as well as eight (8) under Part 3. Each of Part 3 offences requires approximately 8 to 10 hours of work, which includes court time, preparation of court brief and case study, and swearing of information.

Plans Review Annually the Fire Chief and the Fire Prevention Officer review approximately 10 plans for various developments within the municipality ranging from interior renovations to new developments.

Fire Investigations Under the FPPA it is the responsibility of the Fire Service to investigate all fire within the municipality. On average the Fire Prevention Officer completes 20 investigations a year that includes taking photos, conducting interviews and completing reports. Each investigation takes from 3 hours to 10 hours to complete depending on complexity and required information. 12. Simplified Risk Assessment Although Greater Napanee is similar to many other communities in population size it is significantly different in both its Demographics and Building Stock. These differences make effective fire protection more challenging and require greater emphasis on fire prevention / public education programs as well as on fire suppression capabilities. To ensure that the fire service is meeting the community needs and the requirements of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA), a Simplified Risk Assessment (SRA) is conducted to assess risks and establish priorities. A SRA is made up of the following components:

• Demographic Profile • Building Stock • Local and Provincial Fire Loss Profile • Information Analysis and Evaluation • Priority Setting for Compliance • Implementing Solutions

In addition the FPPA requires each municipality to complete the following assessments and have programs based on the assessment.

• Simplified Risk Assessment • Smoke Alarm Program • Distribution of Fire Safety Materials • Inspections upon complaint or request • Demographic Profile


Demographic Profile To analyze our community’s Demographic Profile we must look at our population based on age groupings, our vulnerable occupancies and residents, and any other considerable specifics to the community.

Population Analyses

Population 2011 15,111 Population Projected 2021 15,554 Population 2006 15,400 Population Change 2006 - 2011 0.7%

Age of Population Number % of Total Population 0-14 2305 14.8 15-44 5045 32.6 44-64 4961 32.0 65 and over 3200 20.6

Total Population 15,511 100 Median Age of the Population 46.7

Public Education Challenges To be effective, Public Education Programs must reach as many residents as possible. There is a segment of the population that is more vulnerable due to their economic and social circumstances. The Fire Service is looking at ways to reach these people to help them better understand and practice fire and life safety. This will include working with the Social Services, County housing, the hoarding collation, and other community groups that interact with these residents on a frequent basis, and providing improved communications on fire safety. Part of the partnerships that have to be formed with these groups will be to have a fire safety training program established for the front line workers on how to recognize potential problems fire hazards in occupancies they visit.

Vulnerable Residents Analysis Vulnerable People/Occupancies

Occupancy Type No. of Facilities No. of Residents Nursing Homes 3 294 Retirement Homes 3 300 Seniors Apartments 12 350 Group Homes 7 35 Detention Centers 1 205 Mobile Homes 38 76 Downtown Apartments 140 350


Demographic Profile Analysis The Town of Greater Napanee’s population has been very consistent over the last 8 years and the profile indicates that 64.7% of the population is between 15-64 years of age. This profile also shows that 35.3% is either youth or seniors and considered part of the vulnerable sector. The following are some local considerations based on the analysis of the community that assist with determining how to plan to provide fire protection that includes public education, code enforcement, and fire suppression to meet our mandate of the FPPA.

1. The Town of Greater Napanee has many older residential homes constructed before the Building Code was enacted. These older homes, built pre-building code, pose a greater risk due to the age of the structure, lack of fire resistive construction, and the different times of the day the population resides in them.

2. The Town of Greater Napanee has an old Downtown Core that has a mixed of firstt level

businesses and apartments above on multiple floors. These century old buildings built before building codes pose a high risk to both businesses and residents from the apartments.

3. The Town of Greater Napanee has several Senior Complexes, Low-rise apartments and

group homes. These types of occupancies are a challenge due to residents being part of our vulnerable sector as well as a large number of people living on several floors in one building.

4. The Town of Greater Napanee has several large older Victorian type homes that have

been converted to multi-unit dwellings. These type of occupancies are a great risk due to renovations, possible lack of detections systems and fire separations, and being converted without the building or emergency service being aware or approving of them.

5. The Town of Greater Napanee has several light and heavy Industrial buildings.

These types of occupancies are a challenge due to the size and complexity of the buildings. Large Industry like Ontario Power Generation and Goodyear challenge our resources due to the size and magnitude of the buildings.

6. The Town of Greater Napanee has a large agricultural area.

Many large farming operations are subject to faster fire spread as they do not include fire resistance or other fire protection systems in the building design and are located in a non-hydrant area. This is a risk for having large fires in buildings with no protection and limited water supply.

7. The Town of Greater Napanee has several cottage areas and trailer parks.

Trailer parks and much of the cottage areas have limited water supply as well as private roads that are not assumed by the municipality.


9. The Town of Greater Napanee has one provincial Correctional Facility. This type of occupancy has a challenge due to the large number of people in one building that are detained and locked in cells. There is also a challenge because of the number of people who are detained changes from day to day.

10. The Town of Greater Napanee has many by-laws that provide standards for the

community. Enforcement of the by-laws is usually prompted by a complaint and the challenge is to try to become more pro-active in the enforcement of the by-laws that address fire and life safety issues.

Building Stock Profile The Building Stock Profile is an important consideration in making informed decisions on the types of fire risks that potentially can occur in the municipality and how to mitigate them. As indicated previously, other municipalities with similarly sized populations are not necessarily faced with the fire protection challenges found in Greater Napanee due in large part to the difference in the building stock. Some of the primary concerns are:

• Old downtown core, effective fire separations questionable, and poor spatial separation of buildings

• Mixed use buildings with residential above commercial • Numerous buildings subject of OFC retrofit requirements • Cottages and Trailer parks with possible lack of smoke alarms, as well as possible fire

extension between trailers, and limited access for fire apparatus • Rural properties without hydrant protection

Occupancies are assigned Classifications as per the Ontario Building Code. Similar occupancies are grouped together and these groups are used to enforce both the Ontario Fire Code and the Ontario Building Code.

Occupancy Classifications # of Occupancies Group A Assembly 54 Group B Detention Occupancies 2 Care and Treatment/Care 8 Group C Single Family Dwellings 4000 Multi-Unit Residential 2000 Hotel/Motel 8 Mobile Homes/Trailer 400 Group D & E Business & Personal Service/Mercantile 49 Group F Industrial 35 Other Occupancies not Classified such as Agricultural 100 Total 6656


Municipal Property Dollar Loss Occupancy Type

2007

2008 2009 2010 2011 % of Total $ Loss

Group A Assembly

1

10K 2 30K 2 3.5K 2 2.1K 1 30k 2%

Group B Care & Detention

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Group C Residential

14 641k 10 190k 19 936k 22 994K 10 209k 76%

Group D Business

1 5K 1 6K 0 0 0 0 0 0 .3%

Group E Mercantile

0 0 0 0 1 8.5K 1 5K 1 .2K .5%

Group F Industrial

1 1K 0 0 0 0 1 5K 0 0 .2%

Structures Property Not Classified

1 1K 0 0 2 1.1K 3 3.5K 2 8.5K .4%

Agricultural 1 5K 1 1K 1 1K 4 2.2K 1 .3K .3% Other-Outdoor

3 .725K 0 0 2 2.2K 6 2.3K 1 .1K .3%

Other-Vehicle

16 49.5K 11 25.1K 8 74K 12 607K 10 105K 20%

Total Dollar Loss

713K 252K 1,026K 1,621K 356K


Municipal Fire Deaths and Injuries Occupancy

Type 2007

Deaths 2007

Injuries 2008

Deaths 2008

Injuries 2009

Deaths 2009

Injuries 2010

Deaths 2010

Injuries 2011

Deaths 2011

Injuries Group A

Assembly

Group B Care &

Detention

Group C Residential

1 3 1

Group D Business

Group E Mercantile

Group F Industrial

Total by Year

1 3 1

A little history lost last night - The heritage building that houses The New York Cafe had a fire from a second floor apartment early last night. "Five minutes later and you would have been looking for a new Chinese Restaurant" a firefighter told us. (Apparently buildings this old are insulated with horse hair and newspaper) The residents were left out in the cold last night looking for alternative accommodation but thankful to the quick and diligent work of local firefighters (who literally rushed from another fire) everyone was safe and the building still stands - though the extent of damage is not yet known to me. panorama by: Napanee Design Studio - Downtown

https://www.facebook.com/NapaneeDesignStudio?directed_target_id=0


Priority Setting for Compliance Priority setting for compliance is compiled from reviewing information from the Simplified Risk Assessment. (Demographic, Building Stock, Municipal Fire Loss)

Priority Setting Worksheet Priority

List Current Status Future Goals and

Objectives

Fire Prevention Public Education

Code Enforcement

Fire Prevention

Public Education

Code Enforcement

Residential Fires (including multi-unit)

Smoke Alarm Program Inspection upon Request/Complaint

Fire Prevention Week School Tours Community Events

Zero Tolerance Smoke Alarm Program

Inspections on Multi-Unit Buildings Smoke Alarm Program in Rural Residential

Town Quarterly Brochures Monthly Staff Newsletter Community Events

Downtown Core

Annual Inspection Inspection upon Request/Complaint

Zero Tolerance for Smoke Alarm Program

Review Retrofit Fire Safety Plans

Fire Safety Information for Residents

Issue Orders for non-compliance

Vulnerable Groups (including Senior homes Group homes)

Inspection upon Request/Complaint Annual Licensing Smoke Alarm Program


Mock Evacuation Retrofit 9.7 NFPA 101 Fire Safety Plans

Fire Safety Information for Owners

Issue Orders for non-compliance OFC 9.7

Residential Home converted to Multi-dwelling

Inspection upon Request/Complaint Smoke Alarm Program


Program to record all of these types of occupancies

Fire Safety Information for Residents Fire Safety Information for Owners

Retrofit

Industrial Fires

Inspection upon request/Complaint Building Pre-Planning Building Permits

Fire Extinguisher Demos

Inspections Annual Pre-Planning Fire Drills

Employee Fire Safety Training

Issue Orders for non-compliance


Agricultural Farms

Inspection upon request/Complaint

Annual Pre-Planning Smoke Alarm Program Tanker Shuttle Accreditation

Fire Safety Information for Owners


Correctional Facility

Inspections upon request

Annual Inspection Pre-Planning Joint Training

Fire Extinguisher Demos

By-laws Open Air Burning Fire Works Fees for Service Fireworks Fire Route

Quarterly Brochures

Private Lane by-law

Open air-burning pamphlet Open air-burning Education Campaign Fire Route Public Education Campaign

Charges under by-laws

RECOMMENDATIONS Residential Occupancies With the majority of our deaths, injuries, and dollar losses coming from fires in residential occupancies, continue to enhance public education, code enforcement, and fire suppression programs to protect residents. Continue zero tolerance approach to smoke alarms, as well as having the suppression staff visit more residential occupancies and checking for smoke alarms and providing public education. Better co-ordination of public education programs and code enforcement is required to direct suppression staff as to where the priorities are. Downtown Core Buildings The Downtown Core area poses a great risk to both businesses and the residents who live in the apartments above. Additional time must be spent ensuring that annually these occupancies are inspected as well as that they are compliant with Retrofit. Vulnerable People and Occupancies Group homes, seniors’ apartments, nursing and special care facilities, multi-unit dwellings and apartments in the downtown core need to have a higher priority for code enforcement and public education. New legislation in January 2014 for group homes will tax the Fire Prevention Division. There also needs to be more time spent providing public education for the staff that looks after them.


Residential Homes converted to Multi-dwelling Develop a program working with other municipal departments / agencies to identify large old Victorian homes that have been converted to multi-residential use and begin an inspection program to bring them into compliance with the Retrofit sections of the Fire Code. Light and Heavy Industrial A more proactive approach to inspecting and pre-planning must be done on these types of occupancies utilizing the suppression staff coordinated by the Fire Prevention Division. Fires in these occupancies can have a large impact on the municipality due to the loss of jobs or even worst the re-location of the business. Agricultural Areas The Ontario Building Code and the Ontario Fire Code limits code enforcement on agricultural properties. This makes Public Education Programs more important on these properties to assist in reducing the impact a fire has on buildings in the farming community. Enforcement of the open-air burning bylaw will also work to reduce the number of fires in the agricultural areas. The development of a “Superior Tanker Shuttle” program to improve the capacity of the department to suppress fires in the rural area will provide a higher level of protection to rural residents Cottages and Trailer Parks The department needs to continue the smoke alarm program with the cottages and trailer parks as well as providing more public education. There also needs to be a by-law developed for private lanes that will allow fire service vehicle to access the buildings on these properties. Correctional Facility The Correctional Facility has a potential risk for injury or death due to the type of occupancy. Further suppression staff training and pre-planning must be carried out to ensure staff is aware of how to deal with a fire in this facility. By-Laws Current by-laws such as the Open Air Burning, Fire Routes, and Fire Works are adequate, however the challenge is to enforce them on a regular and consistent basis instead of just on a complaint. There needs to be a greater emphasis on the enforcement of the by-laws and we need to explore ways to create further partnerships with the By-Law enforcement branch. Smoke Alarm Program While the Smoke Alarm Program is quite aggressive there needs to be an expansion to the program where rural residents with a large distance from the Fire Stations are visited each year. In addition, the smoke alarm zero tolerance programs must remain in place as well as develop a program to recover some of the cost incurred when giving out smoke alarms.


13 Emergency Management Municipalities are legislated under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter E.9, as amended 2009, to complete annual compliance. In order to comply with this legislation each municipality must commit to having a Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC), complete annual training and exercises, provide public education, and complete a Hazard Identification Risk Assessment (HIRA). With the re-organization of the corporation in 2012, and the new senior management team, the responsibility for Emergency Management was moved to the newly created Emergency Services and was assigned to the General Manager. Traditionally emergency management has been a responsibility of the fire service because of the similarities between the two services. In the summer of 2013 the Province of Ontario moved to merge Emergency Measures Ontario with the Office of the Fire Marshal. The HIRA is the base of the development of the required programs for the municipality. Once the HIRA has been completed then the public education, training, and exercises are all designed to meet the highest risks. These risks do not necessarily have to be large scale events such as floods, tornados or hurricanes, but could be smaller scale events like a wind storm, a snow storm, and power outages, or as in the case in 2010, when the fire department lost a large number of firefighters from active service due to a tragic bus accident. The commitment of resources to providing Emergency Management has increased over the last five years and must continue to be supported and enhanced over the next several years. The addition of the Manager of Safety Compliance and Accessibility position permits dedicated hours to maintaining the Emergency Management function. Logistical support for the control group must continue over the next several years to improve the communications tools with residents and to assist staff to work more effectively during an emergency. Improvements have been completed at Napanee Fire Station, the primary Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as well as adding backup generators to all critical infrastructure. There is a need to review the location and requirements of the primary and secondary EOC’s. Currently the primary EOC is located in close proximity to two of the major identified hazards: the CN train tracks and Highway 401. The secondary EOC has very limited resources to function as an EOC, and it is also a community hall that may be needed for other functions.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that a review be conducted as to the best location for the primary and secondary EOC and that the primary and secondary EOC be set up identical for redundancy in case the emergency does not allow the primary EOC to be functional.


14 Corporate Services The Fire Service is one part of the corporate structure of the Municipality of Greater Napanee and together with other municipal departments they deliver services to the residents and businesses in the municipality, as directed by Council. The Chief Administrative Officer and members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) oversee the coordination of municipal service delivery, evaluate changing demands and circumstances and make recommendations to Council for their consideration on a wide variety of subjects. With the organizational change in 2012, the General Manager/Fire Chief of Emergency Services has had his responsibilities increased from managing the fire service to include corporate health and safety, accessibility, fleet, training, and emergency management. In conjunction with the Chief Administrative Officer, and the other General Managers, this position contributes to the development of the strategic vision for the Corporation. With the General Manager’s new responsibilities some of his former responsibilities were shifted to the recently established Assistant Chief. The Assistant Chief position has allowed the municipality to provide for management of the Corporate Fleet, Health and Safety, and the coordination of staff training. These three areas are now coordinated by one person for the Corporation thus providing a consistent approach to these three important areas that benefit all municipal departments. This position has already shown its value with many polices including a comprehensive fleet rationalization policy that identifies the current and future needs of the fleet and areas of where savings could be found by the sharing of fleet resources. Standards have been developed for the purchasing of fleet vehicles that complies with the Town’s purchasing policies and obtaining the best price possible. Another change has been the creation of the position of “Manager of Safety Compliance & Accessibility”, which was added to Emergency Services and reports to the Assistant Chief.


15 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis As part of the review of the Greater Napanee Fire Service a “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis” was carried out. This comprised of a session that was held with all the Officers and Firefighters to discuss the department’s past, present and future. A SWOT questionnaire with 20 questions was also distributed to the members with the intent to get their feedback. The results show the members are very positive and pleased with the operation of the department, the strength of the leadership, and that they believe they provide a very credible and professional fire service. The following are a couple of themes that were highlighted from the SWOT.

• The firefighters feel that they are fairly treated and are respected. • The firefighters feel that the management team is strong and effective, and it is important

to have a succession plan in order to continuing to build good leaders. • That the time commitment for Monday night training has extended beyond the original

two (2) hours and that the minimum training compensation should be looked at. • That with the amount of requests for public education and community events, fundraising

activities and requests to be present at community functions it can strain the firefighter’s availability for participating at activities. A system should be developed to spread the events around more people.

• Continue to work on communications within the department.


16 Recommendations Summary 1. It is recommended that the Establishing and Regulating By-law be revised and

updated to more accurately reflect the direction of Council, identify department responsibilities and authority at emergencies, and clarify the types and level of services provided by the department.

2. It is recommended that a study be conducted on the options for providing an NFPA 1221 Standard compliant dispatch service for the residents of the Town of Greater Napanee. Included in the study would be the cost and benefits associated with any change in operating practices and service delivery is identified.

3. It is recommended that in 2014 the Greater Napanee Fire Service conduct an analysis

of all emergency calls for the years 2011 – 2013 and separate calls into (1) the urban district and (2) the rural districts. Calls are further separated into “All Calls” and “Structural Fire Calls” with average number of firefighters attending at each classification. Using this data the department, in its annual report to Council, can provide the outcomes for each subsequent year. This reporting will identify if there are significant changes in this performance measure and help determine the need to change or modify service delivery.

4. It is recommended that an appropriate service standard for emergency response in

both the urban and rural areas of the Town of Greater Napanee be identified using call data and given the capacity of the fire service with existing resources.

5. It is recommended that full-time suppression staff be re-deployed to improve

emergency response times and on-scene staffing, with a focus on weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm, when volunteer availability is limited. This recommendation is subject to development of an alternative source of fire dispatch services.

6. It is recommended that the Training Officer be assigned to a flexible day shift position

to provide the time and availability required to support the training activities to ensure firefighters are trained to safely and efficiently carry out their duties.

7. It is recommended that facilities and equipment be replaced or renewed based on the

proposed “Facilities and Equipment Capital Replacement Plan “ 8. It is recommended that the department develop the capacity to meet the Fire

Underwriters Survey requirements for “Superior Tanker Shuttle Accreditation” including having sufficient pumpers, tankers, water supply refill sites and other necessary equipment and procedures.

9. It is recommended that all new tankers should be 2500 gal capacity and have pumps

capable of pumping 1000 gal/min. 10. It is recommended that the fire apparatus fleet be replaced, or renewed, based on a 20

year life cycle for major apparatus and five (9) years for light vehicles as recommended in the Fleet Rationalization Plan.


11. Fire Prevention and Public Education Recommendations (From the Simplified Risk Assessment)

Residential Occupancies With the majority of our deaths, injuries, and dollar losses coming from fires in residential occupancies, continue to enhance public education, code enforcement, and fire suppression programs to protect residents. Continue zero tolerance approach to smoke alarms, as well as having the suppression staff visit more residential occupancies and checking for smoke alarms and providing public education. Better co-ordination of public education programs and code enforcement is required to direct suppression staff as to where the priorities are.

Downtown Core Buildings The Downtown Core area poses a great risk to both businesses and the residents who live in the apartments above. Additional time must be spent ensuring that annually these occupancies are inspected as well as that they are compliant with Retrofit.

Vulnerable People and Occupancies Group homes, senior’s apartments, nursing and special care facilities, multi-unit dwellings and apartments in the downtown core need to have a higher priority for code enforcement and public education. New legislation in January 2014 for group homes will tax the Fire Prevention Division. There also needs to be more time providing public education for the staff that looks after them.

Residential Homes converted to Multi-dwelling Develop a program working with other municipal departments / agencies to identify large old Victorian homes that have been converted to multi-residential use and begin an inspection program to bring them into compliance with the Retrofit sections of the Fire Code. Light and Heavy Industrial A more proactive approach to inspecting and pre-planning must be done on these types of occupancies utilizing the suppression staff coordinated by the Fire Prevention Division. Fires in these occupancies can have a large impact on the municipality due to the loss of jobs or even worst the re-location of the business.

Agricultural Areas The Ontario Building Code and the Ontario Fire Code limits code enforcement on agricultural properties. This makes Public Education Programs more important on these properties to assist in reducing the impact a fire has on buildings in the farming community. Enforcement of the open-air burning bylaw will also work to reduce the number of fires in the agricultural areas. The development of a “Superior Tanker Shuttle” program to improve the capacity of the department to suppress fires in the rural area will provide a higher level of protection to rural residents

Cottages and Trailer Parks The department needs to continue the smoke alarm program with the cottages and trailer parks as well as providing more public education. There also needs to be a by-law developed for private lanes that will allow fire service vehicle to access the buildings on these properties.


Correctional Facility The Correctional Facility has a potential risk for injury or death due to the type of occupancy. Further suppression staff training and pre-planning must be carried out to ensure staff is aware of how to deal with a fire in this facility.

By-Laws Current by-laws such as the Open Air Burning, Fire Routes, and Fire Works are adequate, however, the challenge is to enforce them on a regular and consistent basis instead of just on a complaint. There needs to be a greater emphasis on the enforcement of the by-laws and we need to explore ways to create further partnerships with the By-Law enforcement branch.

Smoke Alarm Program While the Smoke Alarm Program is quite aggressive there needs to be an expansion to the program where rural residents with a large distance from the Fire Stations are visited each year. In addition, the smoke alarm zero tolerance programs must remain in place as well as develop a program to recover some of the cost incurred when giving out smoke alarms.

12. It is recommended that a review be conducted as to the best location for the primary

and secondary EOC and that the primary and secondary EOC be set up identical for redundancy in case the emergency does not allow the primary EOC to be functional.


17 Appendices

2005 Master Fire Plan Recommendations Update No. 2005 Recommendations Status 1 In 2006, as recommended by the Fire Marshal Office and the 2002 Review

Committee, hire a full time Deputy Fire Chief. This person would assume some of the administrative roles and everyday operational issues, including implementing future growth within the organizational structure.

Completed in 2006

2 In 2006, conduct an aggressive recruitment program to increase the number of Volunteer Firefighters in the Roblin area. This station presently has 9 Volunteers and it should be brought up to between 15 and 20 Volunteers. This would make this station more of a stand-alone station, and would reduce the number of Firefighters that need to respond from the Napanee station during emergency calls.

Completed in 2006 & 2011

Staffing is

currently 12

3 In 2006, conduct an aggressive recruitment program in the south end of the Municipality to determine if there would be enough residents interested in becoming Volunteer Firefighters in this area.

Completed in 2006

4 In 2006, re-position some of the Officers to cover the two mandated positions (Accountability Officer and Safety Officer) by Ministry of Labour and Section 21 Committee recommendations. This would require promotion of two new Volunteer Officers to fill in as first-line Officers.

New Officers positions

established in 2007

5 In 2006, establish a Lieutenant’s position within the Department in to provide succession training for them to become Front Line Officers, to replace some of the more senior Officers that will be retiring.

Completed in 2008 and

changed to Acting

Officers in 2011

6 In 2006 conduct a competition for the full-time position of Administrative Assistant. Perform some minor renovations at the Napanee station to enhance the delivery of services to the public.

Completed in 2006

7 In 2007, move the full time Training Officer’s position to straight day shift and replace this person with a probationary full-time Firefighter. With the increase in Volunteer Firefighters, there will be a larger time commitment to deliver training to these people at different time periods throughout the week, which cannot be done by someone working shift work.

Completed in 2015. No

probationary full-time

Firefighter hired.

8 In 2007 through 2008, provided there are enough residents interested in becoming Volunteer Firefighters in this area, construct a fire hall in the location that would best reduce response times to emergencies in this area. It would also be in the Municipalities’ best interest to talk with the County during this phase to see if they would be interested in sharing some costs to house an ambulance in this building to reduce their response times to this area. This building could also have an office area that the Police could operate out of to enhance their delivery of service in this area in a more timely fashion.

Completed in 2008

9 In 2008, replace all Self Contained Breathing Apparatus with new 2005 compliance Breathing Apparatus. At the present time, some of our Breathing Apparatus only meets 1994 compliance, and these units are becoming more difficult to repair due to the fact there are limited parts available for them.

Completed in 2007


18 Fire Insurance Rating

Fire Insurance classifications for municipalities are set by the Fire Underwriters Survey as a guide to participating insurance companies in setting premium costs. The insurance business is competitive, rates will vary between companies even if they are using the same classification grading, however residents and businesses can benefit financially if overall the premiums are lower because of a better classification. The following information has been provided by the Fire Underwriters Survey from a 2010 evaluation of the Town.

Public Fire Protection Classification System (PFPC)

Also known as the “Commercial Classification”, the PFPC system is used for all properties that are not single-family dwellings or duplexes. This 10-class system categorizes communities according to a variety of criteria applied to the local fire protection service area fire risk, and fire protection facilities. Class 1 represents the ultimate degree of protection, while Class 10 indicates little or no public fire protection. Properties within a municipality (or fire protection service area) with a better PFPC generally benefit from reduced fire insurance rates. Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) follows a comprehensive process to arrive at its conclusions, using a standardized methodology. The following areas of fire protection are reviewed and have the following weights within the FUS Grading system: Fire Department Operations 40% Water Supplies and Distribution System 30% Fire Safety Control within the Community 20% Fire Service Communications 10% After careful analysis of all the relevant information, documentation and records obtained, Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) has determined the following Public Fire Protection Classification (PFPC) grades for the Town of Greater Napanee:

Commercial Grades (PFPC) Fire District

Previous PFPC

2010 PFPC Comments

Napanee Fire Station No.1 5 5

Attributed to commercial property located within 5 km’s by road of the responding fire station, and within 150m of a recognized fire hydrant.

Selby Hydrant Protected

Area 7 7

Attributed to commercial property located within 5 km’s by road of the responding fire station, and within 150m of a recognized fire hydrant.

Roblin Fire Station No.2 9 9

Attributed to commercial property located within 5 km’s by road of the responding fire station, but further than 150m of a recognized fire hydrant.

Dorland Fire Station No.3 N/A 9

Attributed to commercial property located within 5 km’s by road of the responding fire station, but further than 150m of a recognized fire hydrant.

Rest 9 10 Attributed to commercial property located further than 5 km’s by road of the responding fire station.


Dwelling Protection Grades (DPG) The DPG is a 5-class system, similar to the one used in the PFPC system. One (1) is the highest grading possible and five (5) indicates little or no public fire protection. This grading reflects the ability of a community to deal with fires in small buildings (e.g. single family dwellings). In order to provide further details about the DPG system, additional information can be found once again on our website. After careful analysis of all the relevant information, documentation ,and records obtained, Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) has determined the following Dwelling Protection Grades (DPG) for the Town of Greater Napanee:

Fire District Protection Details Previous DPG 2010 DPG

Napanee Fire Station No.1

Hydrant Protected Area 2 2 Fire Hall Protected Area 3B 3B

All Other Areas 5 5

Roblin Fire Station No.2

Hydrant Protected Area N/A N/A Fire Hall Protected Area N/A 3B

All Other Areas 5 5

Dorland Fire Station No.3

Hydrant Protected Area N/A N/A Fire Hall Protected Area N/A 3B

All Other Areas N/A 5 Refer to the table below for the basic requirements under each of the 5 categories.

Minimum Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG) Requirements

CRITERIA DPG 1 2 3A 3B 4 5

Water supply system equipped with standard hydrants capable of delivering a minimum of 200 IGPM for a 2-hour duration or 400 IGPM for a 1-hour minimum duration in addition to maximum consumption.

X X X - - -

Response from within 5 miles of a fully equipped standard triple combination pumper.

X X X - - -

Response from within 5 miles of fully equipped standard triple combination pumper plus a tanker. Combined tank capacity must be at least 1500 Imperial Gallons and there must be a transfer system capable of supplying the pumper (dump valve, portable tank, portable pump etc.)

- - - X - -

Response from within 5 miles of a fully equipped standard triple combination pumper or tanker with minimum 800 Imperial Gallon tank and 200 IGPM pump (e.g. PTO)

- - - - X -

Adequate drafting sources. Locations to be clearly indicated on a map. - - - X X - Minimum of 3 career fire fighters on duty (24-hours/day) with apparatus. X - - - - - Minimum of 1 on-duty career fire fighter (24-hours/day) backed by 15 volunteers per station.

- X - - - -

Minimum of 15 volunteer fire fighters per station. - - X X - - Minimum of 10 volunteer fire fighters per station. - - - - X - Means of alarm receipt and dispatch (pagers, siren, group phones, etc.) X X X X X -

Heated and well-maintained fire hall. X X X X X - Regular training of all fire department members (weekly in case of volunteers)

X X X X X -

Clearly defined fire protected area with boundaries clearly indicated on map.

X X X X X -


19 Performance Measures

ITEM 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Population 15,400 15,400* 15,400* 15,400* 15,511 Call Volume 446 416 468 432 470 Dollar Loss – structure fires $663,400 $227,600 $940,200 $1,212,150 $221,400 Fatalities – fire related 1 0 0 0 0 Injuries – fire related 3 1 1 0 0 Ave. Response Time – minutes** 10.4 13.0 8.4 8.6 8.7

* Note – exact population numbers not available, but from 2006 to 2011 the population increased by 0.7% ** Note – the OFM changed the method of Response time calculation in 2009

Fires Explosions with

Loss 6%

Fires Explosions No

Loss 2% Burning

(controlled) 4%

CO False Calls 3%

False Fire Calls 18%

Medical Calls 32%

Other Response

15%

Pre fire conditions/no

fire 4%

Public Hazards 6%

Rescue 10%

Greater Napanee Fire Service Call Types for 2011


446 416 468 432 470

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Greater Napanee Fire Service Total Calls by Year 2007 - 2011

FiresExplosionswith Loss

FiresExplosions

No Loss

Burning(controlled)

CO FalseCalls

False FireCalls Medical Calls Other

Response

Pre fireconditions/no

fire

PublicHazards Rescue

2007 38 55 27 0 96 75 56 12 28 592008 26 22 26 0 105 94 62 15 19 472009 34 25 24 20 80 132 55 22 18 582010 51 10 25 16 71 106 84 12 13 442011 26 10 18 15 85 149 73 21 27 46

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Greater Napanee Fire Service Call Types 2007 - 2011

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011


20 Fire Apparatus Fleet Replacement Schedule

Pool No. Vehicle No. Year Type of Vehicle Manufacturer Chassie

Type Year

Received Year

Refurbished Cost

Refurbished Year

Disposted Cost of

Replacement

Heavy Fleet

91-57 Pump 1A 1991 Custom Pumper Almonte Spartan 1991 2008 $50,000 2016 $350,000

95-58 Pump 3 1996 Commercial Pumper Fort Garry Feightliner 1996 2011 $50,000 2016 $350,000

99-59 Tanker 1 1999 Commercial Tanker Almonte GMC 1999 2014 $10,000 2019 $250,000

99-60 Tanker 2 1999 Commercial Tanker Almonte GMC 1999 2014 $10,000 2019 $250,000

3-61 Ladder 1 2003 100' Ladder Seagrave Seagrave 2003 2018 $50,000 2023 $1,000,000

5-62 Rescue 1 2006 Commercial Rescue Dependable Feightliner 2006 2013 $20,000 2026 $250,000

7-63 Tanker 3 2007 Commercial Tanker Eastway GMC 2009 2024 $10,000 2029 $250,000

9-64 Pump 1 2009 Custom Pumper Eastway Spartan 2009 2024 $50,000 2029 $350,000

12-67 Pump 2 2012 Commercial Pumper/Tanker Eastway Kenworth 2013 2028 $50,000 2033 $350,000

Light Fleet

9-51 Squad 3 2009 Red 3/4 Ton 4 Door Pick-up Chevy Silverado 2500HD 2009 2021 $35,000

9-52 Prevention 1 2009 White 4 Door Sedan Chevy Impala LS 2009 2018 $30,000

10-53 Utility 1 2010 Red 1/2 Ton Pick-up GMC Sierra 1500 2010 2019 $30,000

11-54 Car 3 2011 Red 1/2 Ton 4 Door Pick-up GMC Sierra 2011 2020 $30,000

11-55 Car 2 2011 Red 1/2 Ton 4 Door Pick-up GMC Sierra 2011 2020 $30,000

11-56 Car 1 2011 Red 4 Door Sedan Ford Taurus Sel AWD 2012 2021 $30,000


21 Legislation Affecting the Ontario Fire Service

LEGISLATION AREAS OF SCOPE / CONCERN

Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and Ontario Fire Code

Mandates and authorizes both the OFM and municipalities. Part IX is generally the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour, except where terms and conditions in collective agreements may adversely affect the provision of fire protection.

Provincial Offences Act Assistants to the Fire Marshal are provincial offences officers under the act for the purpose of smoke alarm related offences.

Municipal Act, 2001 Authorizes the passing of bylaws necessary for the provision of fire protection

Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations

Human resources Occupational health & safety

Ontario Regulation 211/01 Propane Storage and Handling, O. Reg. 440/08

Requires propane operators to obtain fIre department approval for Risk and Safety Management Plans. The fire department approves fire safety, fire protection and emergency preparedness elements of the RSMPs.

Environmental Protection Act

Requires fire department personnel to report spills to MOE

Dangerous Goods Transportation Act

Governs the transportation of dangerous goods

Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act

Requires municipalities to have an emergency plan and a trained community emergency management coordinator and to conduct exercises

Building Code Act, 1992 Provides authority for municipalities to appoint certain fire personnel as building inspectors

Highway Traffic Act Governs operation of fire vehicles during emergency response. Governs the response of firefighters on roads that have been closed by police, the use of flashing green lights on firefighters' personal vehicles, and controlling traffic at accident scenes. Contains regulated requirement to log hours of service for operation of commercial motor vehicles.

Forest Fire Prevention Act Applies only to “Fire Regions” as defined in the act. Controls outdoor fires in “Restricted Fire Zones”. It requires municipalities to extinguish grass, brush or forest fires within their limits. Provides authority for appointment of “Wardens” and “Officer” by the Minister. Also Regulation 207/96 controls outdoor fires outside of restricted fire zones

Development Charges Act Provides the authority for portions of development charges to be allocated to fire services

Coroners Act Regulates the control of bodies. Authorizes/regulates coroner's inquests and coroner's inquest recommendations

Day Nurseries Act Defines the approvals from the fire chief that are required to operate a daycare facility


Employment Standards Act Human resources

Human Rights Code Defines how boards of inquiry, complaints, discrimination and enforcement are to be handled

Labour Relations Act Human Resources

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

To provide access to information held by institutions and to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by institutions

Pesticides Act Makes mandatory the reporting of wholesale and retail pesticides to the fire department

Workplace Safety and Insurance Act

Legislated requirement to report accidents and provide and document training Presumptive legislation

Greater Napnaee Fire Service Fire Master Plan Update · 2017-09-22 · Greater Napanee Fire Service Fire Master Plan Update Page 4 . 1. Executive Summary . Developing a Fire Master

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