AGENDA #4e
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Fire Protection Mutual Aid Agreement with the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department
DATE: August 25, 2003
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend that the Council authorize the Manager to execute a Mutual Aid Agreement between the Chapel Hill Fire Department and the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department to provide for automatic response under certain conditions as established in the agreement (Please see Attachment 1).
Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize the Town Manager to execute the Mutual Aid Agreement.
BACKGROUND
Mutual Aid is the recognized procedure whereby fire departments agree to assist each other across jurisdictional boundaries during major incidents and under other specified conditions. Both Chapel Hill and North Chatham are parties to a 1994 Mutual Aid agreement for all of Orange County and neighboring communities that generally authorizes mutual aid. The 1994 agreement provides that if certain fire departments determine that it is mutually beneficial to upgrade their mutual aid agreements to “automatic” then they may enter a separate agreement to do so.
Automatic mutual aid is a procedure that pre-determines mutual aid response in certain areas or for certain target hazards so that the response occurs on the initial dispatch and there is no delay for a command level request and authorization order to occur. Chapel Hill annexed a large area in the southern part of Orange County in July of 2001. The proximity of Fire Station #5 to neighborhoods in the North Chatham jurisdiction and the use of North Chatham to assist Chapel Hill in areas such as Southern Village have increased the need for mutual aid between the two departments. Furthermore, North Chatham has recently purchased a large ladder truck, which now makes North Chatham the closest large ladder truck mutual aid unit for the UNC Hospital complex.
DISCUSSION
Mutual Aid between North Chatham and Chapel Hill has become more effective and valuable for both departments with the opening of Fire Station #5 on Bennett Road. The neighborhoods in the North Chatham district that are accessed off of U.S. 15-501, Old Lystra Road and Mt. Carmel Church Road are within easy response distance for Chapel Hill units at Station #5. Neighborhoods in the southern area of Chapel Hill such as Southern Village and Hundred Oaks are more easily accessed by North Chatham fire units than by other mutual aid departments such as Carrboro. Before North Chatham acquired its 100’ ladder truck, the closest large ladder truck for mutual aid to Chapel Hill was in Durham. The addition of this ladder truck in proximity to the UNC hospital complex and the high-rise dorms of south campus improves backup capability for the Chapel Hill Fire Department.
The proposed automatic agreement between the two fire departments would facilitate response by making it an automatic procedure at the dispatch centers for each department. This eliminates the need for a command officer from one department requesting the mutual aid, having it relayed through two communications centers and then waiting for the authorization being relayed back before the actual response begins.
We do not believe that this agreement will add significantly to the service demand on either department, because traditional mutual aid has been in place and utilized since the 2001 annexation.
RECOMMENDATION
The Manager recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Manager to execute the attached mutual aid agreement between the Chapel Hill Fire Department and the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Chapel Hill Fire Department and North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department Automatic Aid Agreement (p. 4).
Map of Mutual Aide Response in Chatham County
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AUTOMATIC MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHAPEL HILL AND NORTH CHATHAM VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS (2003-08-25/R-6)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill recognizes the need to plan and prepare response capabilities for major emergencies and special hazards; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill currently has an existing mutual aid agreement that includes the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill Fire Department and the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department find it beneficial to upgrade their mutual aid agreement to an automatic aid status; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill supports the concept of regional response planning and mutual aid between public safety agencies to enhance resources, capabilities, expertise and support functions in fires, disasters and threats to the community;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is authorized to execute an Automatic Aid Agreement between the Chapel Hill and North Chatham Volunteer Fire Departments with the terms and conditions substantially as stated in the agreement document presented at the Council’s meeting of August 25, 2003.
This the 25th day of August, 2003.
Chapel Hill Fire Department
and
North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department
AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENT
Pursuant to G.S. 58-83-1, this agreement between the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department of Chatham County, North Carolina and the Chapel Hill Fire Department of Orange County, North Carolina is for the purpose of providing an automatic aid response from the Chapel Hill Fire Department to all structure fires or reported possible structure fires in the area known as the North Chatham Fire District within Chatham County. The actual area in which automatic aid is to be provided is on Attachment A (map).
The Chatham County Communications Center upon receiving notification of a structure fire or possible structure fire in the aforementioned area shall automatically notify the Orange County Communications Center to dispatch the Chapel Hill Fire Department to respond with personnel and fire protection equipment including sufficient fire apparatus capable of carrying a combined minimum of 1,000 gallons of water to assist the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department. The first arriving fire department shall notify the Chatham County Communications Center of the situation found and the Chatham County Communications Center shall notify all other responding units. If a Chapel Hill Fire Department fire unit is the first unit to arrive on scene they will be in command of the scene until arrival of North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department fire unit, and at the same time the Chapel Hill Fire Department fire unit will coordinate firefighting activities with the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department fire units. Either the Chapel Hill Fire Department or the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department fire units shall have authority to cancel any responding units if the first arriving units make the assessment that the situation does not warrant any further response from either department.
During any actual fire situation, the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department units shall coordinate activities with the Chapel Hill Fire Department units to allow the Chapel Hill Fire Department units to return to their respective response area at the earliest convenience.
In return, the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department shall provide automatic aid response of a 95’ aerial accompanied by 4 personnel to the reported structure fires in the UNC Hospital complex when notified by the Orange County Communications Center.
This agreement shall be in effect for a period of five (5) years from the effective date hereof and shall be automatically renewed for successive periods of five (5) years as to all parties executing the same except that this agreement can be cancelled by giving notice of the intention by the party who intends to cancel by registered mail to the other party to this agreement.
North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department Date:
______________________________________ _____________________________
Chairman, Board of Directors Fire Chief
Chapel Hill Fire Department Date:
______________________________________ _____________________________
Town Manager Fire Chief