Subject: West District Long and Short Term Recommendations for a Fire Station.

Transcription

1 To: Summit Fire & Medical District Board From: Mark A. Gaillard, Fire Chief Date: September 12, 2017 Subject: West District Long and Short Term Recommendations for a Fire Station. Note: The following is a summary of the information staff will overview at the September 16, Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions you may have or to discuss this prior to the Board meeting. Recommendations: 1. (Long Term) Summit Fire & Medical District should develop a single fire station serving the western side of the district at the intersection of Highway 180 and Snowbowl Road. 2. (Long Term) Summit Fire and Medical District should sell Fire Station #37 to reduce fixed assets and contribute to the funding of a future capital programs budget. 3. (Short Term) Summit Fire & Medical District should sell Fire Station #36 to reduce fixed assets and begin the funding of a future capital programs budget. Assumptions/Background: 1. The western portion of the SFMD (Highway 180 Corridor) has one arterial road north to south in Highway According to Coconino County Planning & Zoning Staff, the rural character of the service area will remain constant with growth not exceeding 5% over the next 20 years. 3. Due to the rural character of this service area, leveraging automatic aid with route base dispatching should be a priority for the SFMD. 4. The Highway 180 Corridor service area of the SFMD is composed of two former fire districts that, through consolidation, became the Summit Fire District. (Ft. Valley, and Mount Elden) 5. The responsibility of the District is to serve the community. Neighborhood loyalties have been a factor in previous public discussions on the issue of fire stations, understandably so, given the history of the District. The District must consider services to all taxpayers. 6. Under analysis of risk, demand, and fiscal sustainability, the District s staffing goal should achieve one paramedic firefighting company in this service area. Response time level of service objectives require further study and should be evaluated by the fire board.

2 7. Suitable long-term sites are limited to Highway 180 being the only arterial and the lack of private/public lands available with infrastructure. 8. Station Distribution should consider the following: a. Appropriate station size, b. Immediate adjacency to arterials for improved response times to the service area. c. Adjacent system distribution via neighboring fire stations, mutual and automatic aid response. d. Safe and sustainable facilities for the personnel assigned to the station. e. Availability of utility infrastructure. 9. Both existing stations have limitations as a functioning fire station to include: a. Lack of decontamination facilities b. Lack of vehicle exhaust removal systems c. Lack of central heating (one station) d. Unfinished interiors (one station) e. Lack of proper personal protective clothing (PPE) storage areas. f. Lack of community and District meeting areas. 10. Station 36: a. Originally the Ft. Valley Fire District neighborhood station. b. Currently, not staffed. c. Located at 8015 W. Wing Mountain Drive, Flagstaff, AZ d. The facility is a residential structure with an added garage structure to house apparatus. e. Station 36 resides on a residential collector street approximately one half mile from direct access to Highway 180. From this location the entry on to Highway 180 is at the district s northern boundary. 11. Station 37: a. Originally, the station was purchased to provide services to the Mount Elden area. b. Currently minimally staffed with one paramedic firefighting company. c. Located at 5500 N. Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ d. Facility is residential with an add-on garage structure to house apparatus. e. Directly adjacent to Highway 180. f. Provides service to the entire Highway 180 corridor of the District

3 Analysis leading to Recommendations: Methodology e.g. how we conducted analysis 1. We utilized ArcView GIS software that can shade map areas using time as a parameter (spatial analysis). 2. We identified additional properties along the 180 corridor to use for analysis. a. Ranch at the Peaks. The site was identified through the zoning process as a possible fire station site. A significant concern for the site is the adjacency of a flood plain in and around the proposed site as well as adjacency to Chimney Springs Trail. b. Snowbowl Road and Highway 180. The existence of private lands, immediate adjacency to Highway 180, and available infrastructure led to this site being considered. It is the recommended site. c. Fort Valley Ranch Road & Highway 180 was considered simply due to its centrality within the service area. Lack of private lands, incomplete road infrastructure, and lack of utility infrastructure ruled this site out for further consideration. 3. We also used current locations. 4. We incorporated Flagstaff fire station 5 s ability to cover some of the District with the idea of a permanent agreement for Automatic Aid. 5. Staff evaluated shaded map studies that aided in identifying best distribution options meeting guidelines referenced above. Results of analysis leading to recommendations, e.g. the recommended site met the following: 1. Covered the most area of the District in the shortest response time. 2. Located on Highway 180 for quicker response and for supporting automatic aid response with the City of Flagstaff. 3. Located within an area with available utility and roadway infrastructure. 4. Is the center of the snow play traffic break (Snowbowl Road). 5. Safer area to enter Highway 180 (sight line).

4 Appendices List of Exhibits: 1. Summit Fire District Map 2. Station Station 36 with assumption of automatic aid with the City of Flagstaff 4. Station Station 34 (34 is reference only. Snowbowl Road and Highway 180. This is the proposed long term site) 6. Station 34 with assumption of automatic aid with the City of Flagstaff

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11 References Center for Public Safety Excellence. (2009). Fire & Emergency Services Self-Assessment Manual. Chantilly: Center for Public Safety Excellence. National Fire Protection Association. (2003). Organizing for Fire and Rescue Services. In R. C. Barr, & A. P. Caputo, Fire Protection Handbook, 19th Ed. (pp. 7: ). Quincy: NFPA. National Fire Protection Association. (2014). Standard for the Organziation and Deployment of Fire Suppresion Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments (NFPA 1720). Quincey: NFPA. National Fire Protection Association. (2016). Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppresion Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. (NFPA 1710). Quincy: NFPA.