Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2008 - (Page 19)

$400,000, while the mini-pumper cost is $165,000. Loose equipment was not calculated. The cost difference was $235,000. On-going Cost Fuel usage was the big measuring point; we calculated average gallons used per incident in a year. When using engines only, we averaged 2.82 gallons per call. When using squad only, the average was 1.9 gallons per call. When using the response matrix of combining and alternating an engine and squad, the fuel usage was 2.62 gallons per call. No significant changes were determined during the review time, but fuel prices continue to climb leading to this possibly becoming a larger issue in the immediate future. Staffing Cost The department reviewed its current minimal staffing requirements and made the choice to keep a three person minimal staffing for an engine and allow two person staffing of a squad. The initial entry level cost for the staffing of the squad with Lt. and firefighter was $244,530 per year. The cost for staffing an engine with Lt., driver and firefighter is $360,969 per year. This cost was base pay only and did not include any built in overtime, benefits or incentive pay. The cost difference in the staffing was $116,439. Impact to Performance Indicators The department also wanted to measure items besides monetary outcomes. The department looked at changes that occurred to Key Performance Indicators. The first indicator looked at was the number of times the department met the goal of arriving on scene within four minutes of dispatch of the emergency. Results indicated that engines arrived within four minutes 47 percent of the time with and average response time of six minutes 20 seconds. Squads leaving from the same stations going to the same scene locations arrived within four minutes 58 percent of the time with TEXAS FIRE CHIEF Fall/Winter 2008 an average response time of four minutes 38 seconds (a difference of only 4.6 percent, but time difference of almost two minutes). The department also looked at the number of staff that arrived on the scene of a working fire for each type of apparatus. During engine response only, initial staff on scene during working fires from LFD totaled five people. The squad response only provided an average of three people. The actions of the people on scene was also evaluated during structure fire situations by looking at delays, if any, of the first arriving units of being able to deploy a hand line and prepare for a positive pressure attack. The results with an engine response only showed the initial fire attack activities began with the first arriving crew and, on average, began within the first two minutes of arrival. Squad response only showed a delay of fire attack based on first arriving unit type. The initial attack activities were delayed because of taking longer to get hose stretched and crewed ready to ventilate and enter the fire structure. The next performance indicator looked at by the department was the number of times there was a return of pulse from a non-breathing, pulseless patient. The ability to determine if by-stander CPR was taking place was not available during all parts of this study. The department found that during an engine response, there was ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) averaging 2 percent. The squad response maintained an ROSC of 8 percent. The department was fortunate, due to staffing changes and construction delays, to have the ability to have a squad and engine housed together and staffed simultaneously. This part of the review looks at a time LFD used a response matrix based on call type to determining which or both units would respond. Both units responded on all fires, cardiac arrest, pin-in collisions and technical rescues. Squad took mostly medical calls and engine took oth- er call types. Here are the results on the performance indicators reviews earlier by a single unit response for a six-month period. Performance Impact • Response Times – On scene within four minutes 50.2 percent of the time. Average response time was five minutes 26 seconds for both units. • Initial staff on scene during working fires from LFD from initial alarm: average 10 people from LFD on scene. Other needs met by mutual and automatic aid. • CPR ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) – Average return of circulation for apneic and pulseless patients: 32 percent. So, what did Leander Fire Department learn from this study and review of the events during the study? 1. We learned that a squad is not a replacement for an engine during certain fire situations because of lack of staff. 2. Not every call needs a large engine to handle the situation, and routinely can be handled quicker and more economically with a squad. 3. Critical patients have better outcomes when help arrives in a timely manner and the initial help is supported with an adequate number of personnel. 4. Fire ground operations can operate well with only one engine if supported with adequate responders 5. Diversity in response is better for the customer. 6. Call type drives apparatus need for the community and the specific area served. This does not end this process, as LFD has one more step. Starting July 2008, the department is moving squad staffing to three by adding a driver. The squad will also be housed with a truck company and will respond to most events by itself, with the exception of structure fires, cardiac arrest and technical rescues to which both units will respond. 19

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2008

Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2008 Contents Executive Director’s Report Texas Fire Chiefs Academy Project Reports Southwest Fire Rescue Conference Program Membership Application Customer Service Orientation in Fire Rescue Departments A Visit to the E-One Plant Index to Advertisers

Texas Fire Chief - Fall/Winter 2008

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