February 26, 2003

Chapel Hill Fire Department

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Council

2003-2004

(Revised)

I. Mission Statement

The mission of the Chapel Hill Fire Department is to protect life, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disasters or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services.  Our priorities are:  (1) Safety; (2) Service; and (3) Morale

II. Brief Description of Services

§ Fire Suppression

§ First Responder – Emergency Medical

§ Vehicle Extrication and Basic Rescue

§ Fire Code Enforcement through an Inspection Program

§ Disaster Management and Emergency Operations Center

§ Public Education through In-house and Out-Reach Programs

§ Fire Cause and Determination Investigations

§ Contact Department for Citizens’ Inquiries on Safety and Environmental Issues

§ Development of Domestic Preparedness Capability

§ Partner Agency with North Carolina Task Force 8 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team

III. Departmental Revenue Estimates

REVENUE SOURCE	Actual 2001-2002 Revenues	2002-2003 Budgeted Revenues	Estimated 2002-2003 Revenues	Proposed Revenues For 2003-2004
State Fire Protection Fund	850,000	850,000	850,000	850,000
Local Fire Training Fee	-	5,000	-	-
Fire Districts	500	500	500	500
Fire Inspection Fees	3,500	3,500	3,000	3,000

IV. Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

CATEGORY	2002-2003 Original Budget		Requested 2003-2004 Budget
Personnel	$	4,254,673	$	4,403,576
Operations	$	628,871	$	643,428
Capital Equipment	$	5,200	$	5,200
TOTAL	$	4,888,744	$	5,052,204

Key Budget Issues:

▪ Rising utility and supply costs coupled with a zero increase budget guideline represent an overall budget reduction.  Cuts in operational items must be made in order to offset the loss in resources

▪ The combination of the aforementioned factors result in the department’s inability to fund purchases of needed capital equipment

▪ The department’s commitment to the regional partnership for the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team results in a new expenditure of $5200 for this year’s budget to provide for personal protective gear, rescue equipment and supplies for the team.  There is also a supplemental request associated with the team. 

V. Programs Going Well

▪ NC Task Force 8 Urban Search and Rescue Team – This venture, in partnership with the Raleigh, Cary and Durham Fire Departments, represents a dramatic, positive shift toward regional planning and cooperation for emergency services delivery.  The team has been selected and has started an integrated training program coordinated by the team leaders from the respective communities.  Although the program is still in a developmental stage, it already denotes the successful cooperative effort of the communities and the departments involved to solve problems facing us all.        

▪ Safety Education Programs – The number and variety of fire and life safety education programs requested of the department has seen a considerable upsurge again this year.  The department is an active member of the Orange County Safe Communities Coalition and we work closely with coalition members to deliver safety and injury prevention programs like car seat check points, bike safety rodeos, Risk Watch, and other community outreach programs.  The fire department continues to be the primary car seat checkpoint in the county and we are working with the Coalition to become a certified checking station, allowing more opportunities to apply for grant funding.  The department houses, maintains, and coordinates the scheduling for the Coalition’s safety equipment trailer and the Orange County Chief’s Association Fire Safety Education Trailer.  The Life Safety Division developed and presented a fire safety class for Town Public Housing residents and a training program for Child Care Center providers.         

VI. Programs That Could Be Improved

▪ Training – The most overwhelming need of the department is a full-time, dedicated training officer.  Training program management for certified firefighters and medical responders is an increasingly complex and wide-ranging task; far too complex and demanding to assign as an additional duty to a staff officer with other primary duties.  This is a high-liability item for the department and the Town.

▪ Operational Staffing – Despite a steady increase in service calls, community size and types service delivery, staffing levels have remained fairly constant.  Out of 10 comparably sized NC communities, Chapel Hill ranks last.  The lack of sufficient staffing directly impacts each of our mission priorities of Safety, Service and Morale.  Increased staffing would allow firefighters to operate more safely and provide a more effective level of service than we can currently provide.  Additionally, employee morale is affected on several levels when staffing is at minimum levels.

VII. Proposed Additions

▪ Training Officer – As is stated above, the most pressing need is for a full-time training officer.  The cost for the addition to the budget is listed in the chart below.

Salary	Overtime	Benefits	Uniforms / Equipment	Supplies	Total Cost
$46,860	$1,500	$14,508	$2,800	$2,500	$68,168

▪ Addition of 3 Firefighter Positions – As reported to Council following the citizen’s petition in October, the staffing level continues to be a major challenge for the department.  We propose to begin addressing this need with the addition of 3 positions this year and followed by staggered increases over the next three years.

Salary	Overtime	Benefits	Uniforms / Equipment	Supplies	Total Cost
$83,685	$4,500	$25,105	$9,900	$750	$123,940

▪ Priority A Departmental Equipment Add List –

Item	Price
(4) Semi-Automatic Heart Defibrillators for Public Use to be located at Town Hall, Hargraves Center, Library and the Community Center	$8,000
Thermal Imaging Camera	$18,000
Honor Guard Team Equipment	$1,185
Additional USAR Training Equipment	$2,000
(2) Motorola P1225 UHF portable radios	$1,000
Straight Blade cutters for “Power Hawk” tool	$1,500
(4) Holmatro Airbag Restraint Devices for Auto Accidents	$1,500
Holmatro Rescue Jack System	$3,200
Fitness Step Machine	$1,800
Sub-Total for “A” Priority Add-On List	$38,185

VIII. Proposal for 5% Budget Reduction

▪ Due to the narrow margins the fire department budget operates on, the only effective way to implement an across the board 5% reduction would be to reduce staffing.  The elimination of 6 personnel and the suspension of Squad 33 from service is the only way to accomplish this goal within the constraints of the current budget.

IX. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

▪ Strengths: Our primary strength is in delivering high quality, customer focused service.  The fire service tradition is rooted in service above self, and the Chapel Hill Fire Department follows that tradition to the best of our ability.

▪ Weaknesses: Stemming from our strength, our main weakness results from not knowing how to say “no”.  We often stretch well beyond our resources to deliver the service our customers, both internal and external, demand.  Sacrifices are usually made at the expense of our personnel in terms of staff development and training as well as reduced time spent on strategic issues in order to accomplish the immediate needs as they are presented.

▪ Opportunities: Two major areas of opportunity are emerging.  The first is the evolving success of the cooperation between the triangle communities to partner on the USAR team.  We believe this investment will yield even more successful collaborations in the future that will be a benefit to the citizens of the entire region.  Secondly, technology specifically designed for the fire service is becoming widely available and affordable.  There are a variety of areas the department could use these developments to decrease staff time, increase operational effectiveness and improve firefighter safety. 

▪ Threats:  Steadily increasing demand for services coupled with no increase in staff or resources is making it difficult for the department to achieve its mission and priorities.  Another developing trend is the progressive reduction in the applicant pool over the past three years.  Fewer choices among trained and certified personnel, and few minority applicants, are making recruitment and selection of our workforce increasingly difficult.