WMA Fire Cooperation Work Group Report · system Project future (2030) demand for service national / regional service standards Project future equipment, staffing and levels of service

WMAFire Cooperation

Work Group Report

Existing and Potential Cooperative Agreements in Fire Services

WMA Priority Request & Process

WMA Request• Inventory and assess current cooperative

arrangements• Identify potential future cooperative arrangements

Work Group Formed and Group Report

WMA Presentation & Discussion on Next Steps

Work Group Members• Carl Ferch (Scio Twp)• Larry Morabito (Ypsilanti Twp)• Al D’Agostino (Pittsfield Twp)• James Roberts (City of Ypsilanti)• Garvin Smith (Superior Twp)• Ron Schebil (Washtenaw Community College)• Cindy Hall (EMU Public Safety)• John Phillips (Pittsfield Twp)• Rick Ericson (Ann Arbor Twp)• Sam Hopkins (City of Ann Arbor)• Dale Berry (Huron Valley Ambulance)• Marc Breckenridge (Washtenaw County)• Craig Hoeft (WAMAA, city of Saline)

Work Group Report

Section 1: Existing Cooperative Arrangements

Section 2: Potential Additional Arrangements

Section 3: Summary of Cooperative Arrangements and Next Steps

Existing Arrangements

Available to all WAMAA membersCentralized Training - Training and continuing education to member departments as well as to members of Non-WAMAA departments (e.g., vehicle extrication, firefighter 1 & 2, EMS, continuing education credit and specialty classes, such as technical rescue and HazMat. Ensures training needed for basic and specialized emergency response.

All WAMAA membersMutual Aid- This agreement, which has been in existence for over thirty years, allows departments to voluntarily share resources and request help from another member department for emergency response. Provides better fire services coverage for all citizens in the WAMAA area.

Participating JurisdictionCooperation under the Washtenaw Area Mutual Aid Agreement

Existing ArrangementsParticipating JurisdictionCooperation under the Washtenaw Area Mutual Aid Agreement

All WAMAA membersFoam Bank- A pool of fire fighting foam available for use by any participating jurisdiction.Replacement foam is provided by the using jurisdiction.

Under DevelopmentTechnical Rescue Team (Under Development)Provides assistance for confined space and high angle rescue, ice rescue, building collapse and other fire and rescue services requiring special equipment and technical skills.

All WAMAA membersEquipment and Personnel Staging- In the event the resources in one jurisdiction are responding to an event, equipment and personnel from surrounding jurisdictions move to a location that allows coverage of the remaining jurisdictional area. Provides for better coverage and quicker response times.

Existing Arrangements

Most WAMAA members have such agreements.

Automatic Mutual Aid –Specific Events – In the case of certain events, a dispatcher automatically dispatches another jurisdiction. These agreements are for specific buildings or target hazards such as large structure fires and explosions in a structure)

Agreements exist between Ann Arbor Twp. and Scio and between Ann Arbor Twp. and Northfield Twp.

Automatic Mutual AidDual Response-More than one department is automatically dispatched

Participating JurisdictionsCooperation under Seperate Agreements Between Jurisdictions

Additional Existing Arrangements

Superior and Ypsilanti Township Western Wayne Mutual AidA separate Mutual Aid association in Western Wayne County.

All WAMAA members.Western Wayne Mutual Aid also has a Hazmat team.

Hazardous Materials Response Authority (2000) –This is a State authorized authority governed by an authority board. Provides ability of all jurisdictions to share specialized resources.

Participating JurisdictionsAdditional Existing Cooperative Agreements

Existing ArrangementsSummary

Excellent track record of using cooperative arrangements to:

• Keep up with growing service demands– Share resources for emergencies– Equipment and staff staging– Large structure fires and explosions

• Provide full range of specialized services– Foam bank– Hazardous materials– High angle, confined space, building collapse, ice rescue– Training on specialized equipment

Potential Additional Cooperative Arrangements

• Insurance• Homeland Security and Specialized

Services• Meeting Future Service Demands

Group Equipment Purchasing & Insurance

• Research other national models

• Estimate cost savings• Identify legal

requirements• Identify parties that could

coordinate the function• Develop

recommendations based on the above considerations

WMA Work Group

Growthprojections

County Staff

Fiscal Analysis

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LegalAnalysis

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Homeland Security

• Coordinating first responders– Fire, Police, Health Officials

• Mass evacuation – Public and private transportation providers

• Removal and clearing of debris– Public Works departments

Homeland Security & Specialized Services

• Review emergency preparedness plans

• Project future needs• Research other national

models• Develop

local/regional/county-wide service options

• Evaluate level of service and cost implications for options

• Develop recommendations based on the above considerations

Homeland Security Task Force& WAAMACommitteer

Growthprojections

County Staff

Fiscal Analysis

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LegalAnalysis

?

Future Growth Service Options(includes communications)

Existing system

2030 (2050) Conditions

Existing Police and Fire Stations

Existing Dispatchers

Future Growth: 2030

2030 (2050) Conditions

– Regional growth characteristics• Southern townships grow faster• Northern townships grow at slower rate• Built out communities and ability to

– May be regional / sub-regional / county-wide options

Future Growth Service Options(includes communications)

Identify baseline conditions current staffing and equipment, response times and excess / deficit capacity in the system

Project future (2030) demand for servicenational / regional service standards

Project future equipment, staffing and levels of service based on current individual department system and alternative regional / sub-regional options

Identify alternatives to meet demande.g., joint stations, automatic aid, mutual-aid call-back, overtime pool, training center, volunteer to full time staffing etc.

Develop Recommendations

WMA Work Group

Growthprojections

County Staff

Service NeedsAnalysis

?

FiscalAnalysis

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Important Considerations• Cost-savings should not be the only factor considered

– will have increased costs as a result of growth– cost containment is possible by thinking long-range

• The primary enhancement needed to ensure public safety is an inter-operable communication system

• Caution must be used to avoid one municipality subsidizing another in the process

• Consolidating departments is not necessary to achieve regional benefits, but regional arrangements will get more difficult as individual service providers grow

• Additional efforts will require a willingness to address perceived loss of control

WMA Discussion

• Comments on work to date and report

• Discussion / Direction for moving forward– Projects and overall scope of work– Commitment and resources