DATE: September 20, 2016 REPORT NO. PHSSS Andrew Lillico, Deputy Fire Chief Fire Services

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1 DATE: September 20, 2016 REPORT NO. PHSSS TO: FROM: PREPARED BY: Chair and Members Jo Cupoli-Atanas, General Manager Public Health, Safety & Social Services Todd Binkley, Deputy Fire Chief Fire Services Andrew Lillico, Deputy Fire Chief Fire Services 1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ ] ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION [ X ] 2.0 TOPIC Fire Services Review (FSR) recommendation Live Fire Training/Feasibility Study [Financial Impact: $50,000] (Funded-RF0482-Fire Equipment) (PHSSS ) 3.0 RECOMMENDATION A. That the Brantford Fire Department Training Facility Business Plan BE RECEIVED; and B. That the 2017 Capital funding request to conduct a Feasibility Study for a Training Facility BE REFERRED to the 2017 budget process. Public Health, Safety and Social Services 220 Colborne Street, P.O. Box 845 Brantford, ON N3T 5R7 Phone: Fax:

2 Report No. PHSSS Date: September 20, 2016 Page PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to provide Council the business case to support the need for a Training Facility feasibility study. 5.0 BACKGROUND In response to PHSS , Fire Service Review (FSR), dated June 21, 2016 staff is reporting back to Committee on a key recommendation which was identified as critical and essential, "Yearly Live Fire Training". The authors of the review also noted that yearly live fire training, which ensures staff are properly trained is also a requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The need for live fire training and the establishment of a local training facility was first identified as a critical need in 2005 in the Five Year Capital Plan. The Master Fire Plan that was approved in principle by Council, further identified that the department was unable to train and develop staff under realistic live fire conditions and recommended the following: That the Department conducts a study to determine the need for a training facility for live operations. The study will include but not be limited to the type of facility, location, cost effectiveness, partnerships and feasibility to accommodate the current and future requirements of the City of Brantford. - Independent training facility study- $50, During the 2015 Estimates process, Council approved $50,000 in the fire services budget to hire a consultant to conduct a training facility location and feasibility study. However, due to an urgent Council priority that funding was allocated to fund a FSR. The training facility study was deferred to 2016, and is currently in the 10 year capital plan. Since a local training facility was first identified as a critical need, the training requirements of the BFD have grown exponentially. The Brantford Fire Department (BFD) has evolved into a modern fire service that is expected to provide high level, professional emergency service response in fire suppression, auto extrication, ice and water rescue, hazardous materials response, medical response, and technical rescue. All of these disciplines require several hours of initial and ongoing training to ensure the City and Department meet the due diligence required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Section 21 Firefighter Guidance Note. Many emergency responses today are high risk, low frequency events that require fire professional to devote several hours of training to remain both proficient and safe. The combination of modern building construction and

3 Report No. PHSSS Date: September 20, 2016 Page 3 composition of today s furnishings and contents have caused firefighting to become more dangerous and complex. Today s fires now burn hotter and spread more quickly, degrading light weight structural building components and increasing the likelihood of building collapse. A fire professional s ability to quickly and effectively assess these potential dangerous hazards can only be gained through experience and training. Currently, the Fire Department only provides live fire training for recruits in their first eight weeks of training. In an effort to meet the due diligence required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and to ensure that all suppression personnel receive live fire training, a $126,920 legislated unmet need has been included in 2017 estimates process. This reflects live fire training alone. Over and above the training and the costs associated with live fire training, the BFD must address all training needs. The dynamic growth of the city in areas surrounding the fire stations has eliminated or restricts the ability to train in many of the disciplines of fire services. Fire crews can no longer spray water to practice pumping evolutions and hose streams; can no longer practice forcible entry or auto extrication. Furthermore, there are no facilities or spaces to practice search and rescue, firefighter survival, Utility Terrain Vehicle training, confined space training, or hazmat. It is critical for the BFD to investigate opportunities for a local training facility to ensure all personnel are properly and comprehensively trained to fulfill service level mandates, in a safe and effective manner. A local training facility will allow the BFD to deliver all the required training with local training officers and to staff who are on duty. 6.0 CORPORATE POLICY CONTEXT This report aligns with the following Strategic Goals: City of Brantford Strategic Plan, Corporate Mission The City of Brantford, in partnership with our community, is committed to responsible leadership through sound fiscal management and the delivery of quality programs and services for the citizens of Brantford. City of Brantford Strategic Plan, Goal #2 High Quality of Life and Caring for all Citizens Brantford will be recognized as a safe and healthy community one that promotes and enables the well-being of its citizens, and supports access to a full range of health and community services. City of Brantford Strategic Plan, Goal #4 Excellence in Governance and Municipal Management

4 Report No. PHSSS Date: September 20, 2016 Page INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES Manager of Health and Safety Finance 8.0 ANALYSIS The following statements are taken directly from the FSR and illustrate the urgency to bring this recommendation forward for Council s consideration: Live fire training is both critical and essential for the members of the Brantford Fire Department to ensure all staff members are competent and properly trained to perform their duties. Currently the department provides live fire training to probationary firefighters during recruit induction training. Yearly live fire training must be considered to ensure staff is properly trained in accordance with Occupational Health & Safety Act. Through the interview process, firefighters have stated that they have not had live fire training since their recruit-training program. Given the reduction of working fires due to work undertaken through fire prevention programs, Suppression Division staff is not facing working fires to maintain their operational skills. Due diligence is required by the City to ensure all members are properly trained to carry out their respective role in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The BFD is committed to providing the highest level of safety, protection of life, property and the environment to the citizens of Brantford. The Department provides emergency services including fire suppression, auto extrication, ice and water rescue, hazardous materials, medical, elevator rescue, and other technical rescues. The City and the Brantford Fire Department have a legislative requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to ensure that all members receive the necessary training in these disciplines. It is critical to the life safety and wellbeing of firefighters and the citizens of Brantford, that fire personnel have adequate regular training. Although the fire service review specifically speaks to the requirement for yearly live fire training, live fire training is only one of many training requirements needed to ensure competency and safety of our staff and our citizens. Exploring the feasibility of establishing a local training facility will allow the BFD to investigate the possibility of:

5 Report No. PHSSS Date: September 20, 2016 Page 5 o reducing future operating costs, o reducing overtime costs o reducing accommodation costs o reducing meal allowances o allowing firefighters to attend training while on duty o ensuring all staff attend required training o mitigating risks; and o improving worker and public safety 9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Fire Capital Plan Training Facility Capital Budget Costs Funding Source 2017 Feasibility Study $50,000 RF0482-Fire Equipment 10.0 CONCLUSION Live fire training and associated fire service training is critical to the safe and responsible delivery of fire services. The feasibility study for a local Training Facility will deliver an efficient plan to develop an effective training solution that reduces costs, addresses current and future needs, mitigates risks and liabilities, and improves worker and public safety. Todd Binkley, Deputy Fire Chief Fire Services Jo Cupoli-Atanas, General Manager Public Health, Safety & Social Services Andrew Lillico, Deputy Fire Chief Fire Services

6 Report No. PHSSS Date: September 20, 2016 Page 6 Attachments: Appendix A: Business Plan Training Facility Feasibility Study Presentation Copy to: NA In adopting this report, is a by-law or agreement required? If so, it should be referenced in the recommendation section. By-law required [ ] yes [ x ] no Agreement(s) or other documents to be signed by Mayor and/or City Clerk [ ] yes [ x ] no Is the necessary by-law or agreement being sent concurrently to Council? [ ] yes [ x ] no

7 BRANTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING FACILITY BUSINESS PLAN Prepared by Todd Binkley, Deputy Chief Brantford Fire Department August 12, 2016

8 Brantford Fire Department Training Facility Business Plan 1.0 Overview The purpose of this business plan is to identify the critical need for a dedicated training facility within the City of Brantford. The business case will demonstrate the value both financially and logistically that the Brantford Fire Department (BFD) and the City of Brantford would receive from this critical investment. The business case will provide a comprehensive explanation of the training requirements and current limitations of the BFD. Furthermore, it will examine options for the City and Department to meet due diligence required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act by ensuring that fire personnel are comprehensively trained to the fire service level offered by the City. However, this business case is a high level overview of those options. A thorough training facility feasibility study is required to further investigate all options and provide Council and the Department with quantifiable information to ensure cost effective operation of the BFD. Comparator 20 Year Estimated Costs (Break Down Below) 20 Year Live Fire Training Est. 20 Year Additional Training OT Est. 20 Year Facility Est. 20 Year Estimated Revenue Training Options for the BFD Status Quo (No Facility) Joint Facility (Shared 3-Ways) BFD Facility (Sole Ownership) $9,684,256 $8,258,160 $1,534,896 $3,075,590 $1,649,403 $24,297 $6,608,666 $5,969,135 $0 $0 $707,655 $2,122,892 0 $68,033 $612,

9 Benefits Limitations No capital or operational costs Not all firefighters trained Severe scheduling limitations Only live fire training Cannot meet all training needs Equipment wear and tear, and unavailable during training No long term benefits Firefighters trained to meet due diligence Shared costs More firefighters trained Able to train in more disciplines Shared revenue Training staff locally available Reduced equipment wear/tear Scheduling limitations, time shared between partners Partnerships and agreements change over time May not meet future training needs Table 1 Overview of Training Options Firefighters trained to meet due diligence Comprehensive training in all disciplines All firefighters trained Firefighter availability to respond to calls Eliminate overtime for training Revenues not shared First choice to scheduling Training staff locally available Ability to meet future training needs Reduced equipment wear/tear Opportunity to be a fire service leader Greater upfront capital commitment

10 2.0 Introduction The Brantford Fire Department prides itself on the services it provides to the residents, visitors, businesses and property owners in the City of Brantford. Through our fire suppression division we provide a wide range of emergency services including fire control and extinguishment, auto extrication, ice and water rescue, hazardous material response, medical response and other rescue related responses. All of these disciplines require several hours of initial and ongoing training for firefighters. This training is regulated or governed by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards or industry best practices. NFPA Standards for Suppression Personnel 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications 1002 Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications 1006 Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications 1021 Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications 1041 Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications 1407 Standard for Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program 1521 Standard for Fire Department Safety Officer Professional Qualifications 472 Standard for Competence of Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents Table 2 NFPA Standards that BFD Personnel are Trained To The adoptions of NFPA standards or industry best practices by fire departments are not mandatory in the province of Ontario. However, these standards will be utilized and enforced by any investigating body such as the Ministry of Labour, should the training practices of the BFD be scrutinized. The NFPA Standards for Professional Qualifications are considered the international benchmark to recognize competency for fire professionals. The training and evaluation for the one time certification process requires extensive hours and often specialized facilities. Many personnel at the BFD have met the minimum requirement for several NFPA certifications. This was mainly achieved through the Ontario Fire College grandfathering process when the Province transitioned from the Ontario Fire Service Standards to the NFPA Professional Qualification Standard. The grandfathering process recognized previous experience and training of all Ontario fire service personnel, however the process ended in December Individuals who were not eligible for grandfathering must now attend a course and successfully pass a knowledge and skill test for each NFPA certification. It is the Department s intention to have all of our supervising officers qualified to NFPA 1021 Standard for Fire Officers. Many Acting Captains and future Acting Captain will be required to attend these courses out of town, increasing training and overtime costs

11 Certification in NFPA professional qualifications alone does not fulfill the Departments obligations under the Ministry of Labour and the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations. It is necessary for the BFD to provide continuous training in all disciples to demonstrate competency and up-grading of skills for all employees. Fire Departments must be able to prove that the training provided to their personnel commensurate with the skills that they will be required to perform at emergency scenes. Fire Departments such as Meaford, Point Edwards and Port Colborne have all had to defend charges by the Ministry of Labour. The following table highlights the training required by the Brantford Fire Department to meet the NFPA minimum certification. The last column illustrates training in disciplines that would be improved with a training facility, ensuring that the City and the Department meets their due diligence as outlined by the Ministry of Labour and Occupational Health and Safety Act. Training Requirement BFD Meets Minimum Certification BFD Meets OH&S Act Requirements Training Facility Required to meet Legislate Training NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Awareness NFPA 472 Hazardous Materials Core Ops NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level I NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level II NFPA 1002 Apparatus Equipped with a Fire Pump NFPA 1006 Ice Rescue Level I NFPA 1006 Ice Rescue Level II NFPA 1006 Surface Water Rescue Level I NFPA 1006 Surface Water Rescue Level II NFPA 1021 Fire Officer I Captains NFPA 1021 Fire Officer II Platoon Chief NFPA 1041 Fire Instructor I NFPA 1041 Fire Instructor II NFPA 1407 Rapid Intervention Crew NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer NFPA 1670 and 1006 Vehicle / Machinery Extrication First Aid / CPR C / HCP Automatic External Defibrillation - AED Live Fire Training Elevator Rescue TSSA Solar Photovoltaic Systems, Wind Turbines & Firefighter Safety UTV Operation Slope Rescue Rope Rigging Table 3 Training Requirements for Suppression Personnel

12 The Brantford Fire Department has been without a dedicated training facility since the early nineties, when the old single story burn building located at 50 Newport was decommissioned. Since this time, the department has tried to develop piecemeal solutions to ensure that members receive high quality training. However, the BFD currently does not have the space or facilities to practice the skills need by todays modern fire service professional in a realistic setting. This has resulted in training that is only theory based or lacks the comprehensiveness to fully develop skills and abilities. The dynamic growth of residential and commercial development in areas surrounding the current Fire Stations has limited or inhibited necessary training. In the interest of good relations with the neighbouring public it has become increasingly difficult to find suitable areas to practice such functions as spray water, practice forcible entry, or vehicle extrication. The close proximity of businesses and residence to the current stations has eliminated training that was conducted in the past. Without a dedicated facility it is difficult to comprehensively train personnel in fire suppression, search and rescue, firefighter survival, confined space and hazmat. Currently, training for vehicle extrication must be done outside the city limits. This necessitates a pumper and crew to travel outside the city limits, which removes valuable assets from the city and delays response times for the citizens of Brantford. The new minimum staffing mandate may require off duty personnel to be called in to cover while the apparatus is outside the city limits. The department has been fortunate in the past, albeit infrequently to have buildings that are slated for decommission or demolition offered to us on temporary bases for training. However, these locations that are acquired within the city do not adequately meet the training requirements of the Department or cause significant health and safety concerns. All acquired structures utilized by the BFD need to be thoroughly vetted for safety, lead paint, asbestos, mold, and fall hazards. All of these hazards must be nonexistent or mitigated to ensure the safety of personnel. Often, the Department is unable to use these facilities or training must be restricted due to the high risk of personnel safety. Fire crews are unable to practice simple firefighting techniques such as hose stream evolutions, as the application of water would increase the demolition costs for the home owner. Additionally, roof ventilation or forcible entry evolutions would cause the structures to become unsecure, which could potentially cause liability issues for the Department should unauthorized individuals attempt to enter the structure after fire crews have completed training for the day. Unfortunately the restrictiveness and infrequency of these structures cannot be relied upon to meet the training requirements of a modern fire service. As the fire service has transitioned from an organization that was once tasked simply with fire extinguishment into the multifaceted emergency response agency, the training requirements have grown exponentially. The combination of modern building

13 construction and composition of today s furnishings and contents have caused firefighting to become more dangerous and complex. Today s fires now burn hotter and spread more quickly, degrading light weight structural building components and increasing the likelihood of building collapse. A fire professionals ability to quickly and effectively assess these potential dangerous hazards can only be gained through experience and training. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires supervisors and employers to advise a worker of the existence of any potential or actual danger to the health and safety of the worker and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstance for the protection of the worker. Without live fire experience, from real structure fires or training it is very difficult to ensure the competency of fire officers and to ensure that the City and Department are meeting their due diligence as it relates to legislation. Fire officers are not exposed to the same volume of fires that their predecessors were, creating a greater need for realistic training to hone command and size up skills. Additionally, structural firefighting, hazmat, ice/water, slope rescue are all high-risk, low frequency events that requires proficiency and expertise that can only be garnered from continued practice. This presents an ever increasing need for the BFD to have a facility that will facilitate training for both firefighting techniques and the entire technical rescue services provided to the citizens of Brantford. The Occupational Health and Safety Act states that the employer is required to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health and safety of the worker. Further we are required to do everything reasonable in the circumstance to protect the worker. Ensuring that our employees and their supervisors receive initial and on-going training is imperative, a dedicated training facility would allow the Department to provide those required training in a timely and effective manner. Other Ontario municipalities and their fire departments have found themselves defending charges brought forward by the Ministry of Labour where firefighters have been injured or killed in the line of duty. In these instances the training practices of the fire departments were scrutinized. In 2009 the Meaford Fire Department following an apartment fire that nearly claimed the lives of two firefighters was ordered by the Office of the Fire Marshal to conduct additional training for all firefighters and had to defend several Ministry of labour charges regarding their current training. Additionally, in 2004 an Ontario Coroner s Inquest into the death of a firefighter in Barrie, recommended that: More live fire training exercises, in the form of realistic scenarios, be provided to firefighters More live fire training centers be created in Ontario. A training facility would allow the Department to ensure that all personnel receive the necessary training required by today s modern fire service and improve the safety of personnel and reduce the risk to residence. A solely owned and operated training facility

14 would allow the Fire Department to have control over design, scheduling, and user costs. Furthermore, the facility could be used by other fire departments in partnership or as customers, generating revenue to offset operating costs. The facility would also be available to other city departments to use for their training needs. 3.0 Project Description 3.1 Goal To ensure highly trained and competent employees that will meet the fire service delivery needs of the City of Brantford. 3.2 Objectives To provide a multi-functional facility capable of allowing all staff to practice and maintain the necessary skills and competencies to do their job in a proficient manner. To provide an additional resource for the improvement of the operation of the training division of the fire department so that personnel can receive the necessary training to ensure the Department and City meets their due diligence outlined in legislation in a realistic, timely, safe and controlled environment. To provide more training opportunities for our suppression, prevention and communication staff in a realistic setting so as to improve the efficiency and safety of all of our personnel. To provide a facility that can be utilized by other departments within the Corporation and other neighbouring fire services. To generate income and partnerships to help offset operating costs Scope The project would involve the acquisition and purchase of sufficient land and the construction of a training facility. The training facility could be constructed as a standalone site or incorporated on the same site as a new or relocated station. Requirements The following would be required to meet the training needs of the Brantford Fire Department. However, these requirements would also meet the needs of other fire services such as the County of Brant, Six Nations, and Norfolk County allowing them to potentially become customers or partners in this initiative. The facility classrooms and other buildings could possibly meet the needs of other city departments, such as City of Brantford Police or Human Resources

15 2-4 Acres of Property A building consisting of one or more classrooms, offices, washrooms, and storage areas A burn building for live fire, search and rescue, firefighter survival, ladder operations, roof operations and highrise evolutions Outdoor area for pumping operations, auto extrication, vehicle fire simulations, UTV training and other training props 4.0 Strategic Alignment High Quality of Life and Caring For All Citizens with the desired outcome that Brantford will be recognized as a safe and healthy community one that promotes and enables the well-being of its citizens, and supports access of all citizens to a full range of health and community services Excellence in Governance & Municipal Management with the desired outcome that Brantford will be recognized as a fiscally responsible and well-managed city that provides efficient and effective government services. 5.0 Cost Analysis 5.1 Capital Cost The capital cost associated with research, design and construction of a training facility Design Study $50, Design $225, Construction $1,275,000 Total $1,550,000 Table 4 Capital Budget Costs ** The above noted capital cost do not include the purchase of land. The 10 year capital forecast for a future fire station and land does include a provision to include land for a training facility, however, the design and construction study will identify land requirements based on facility use and needs. ** 5.2 Operating Cost The operating costs of the facility are undetermined at this time. However, estimated operating cost and potential revenue will be included in the proposed design and construction study. These operating costs will be offset by not sending personnel outside the city for training. The proposed 2017 live fire training is an increase of $126,920 to the operating budget

16 6.0 Comparative Analysis 6.1 Status Quo The Brantford Fire Department could continue to train at insufficient or temporary sites in a very limited fashion. However, as noted above it is becoming increasingly more difficult to demonstrate that employees are receiving the necessary training to meet competencies. Currently we are unable to provide personnel the opportunity to train in a realistic and safe environment. Many members of the department have not had the opportunity to practice these skills since recruit training and eventually will be required to perform these skills in a life or death situation. The lack of experience and training can jeopardize their safety and wellbeing and that of fellow firefighters and citizens. Personnel simply cannot fully practice the skill necessary for modern firefighting without attending a training facility. This is a concern to the safety of not only firefighters, but to the general public as well. It is predicted that the Department will see future training costs increase considerably, as the necessary training to meet the due diligence of legislation is conducted outside of the city. For example, as a Department we are unable to meet live fire training requirements for new recruits and current personnel. In previous years the department has rented training facilities in Fort Erie, Waterloo, Niagara Falls, and Hamilton to meet the needs for live fire training for new recruits. The Department must pay user fees for the facilities and additional costs to staff for travel, overtime, accommodations, and meals. The estimated costs for one recruit live fire training are $10,000 - $12,000 per class. Recruit Training Fort Erie Estimated Costs Unit Price Subtotal Facility Rentals 3 days $497.00/day $ S.C.B.A cylinder refill $11.30/cylinder $ Overnight Accommodations 2 nights 5 $135.60/night $ rooms Meals -8 personnel at $45.00/day $360.00/day $ Miscellaneous Training Materials $ $ Estimated Overtime Costs hours $42.60/hour $ Total $ Table 5 Based on 3 days of live fire attended by the Training Division, 4 recruits, and 4 additional personnel To ensure competency of all suppression staff, we would require personnel to attend a minimum of two days a year of live fire training. As these facilities are outside of our coverage area, our on duty suppression personnel are not able to participate. Thus personnel would need to be scheduled during their off duty time. Alternatively, on duty

17 personnel could be scheduled to attend training outside of the city, however the department would need to backfill these positions with replacement staff. Personal commitments and legislated requirements of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA) will make scheduling very difficult. The FPPA states that the hours of duty of firefighters shall be free from fire department duties, this makes it very difficult or impossible for the Department to guarantee that staff will be willing to attend live fire training or to backfill positions on their time off duty. Irrespective of how the Department facilitates the use of a facility outside of the city overtime costs will be incurred. If we were to attempt to have all of our suppression personnel attend two days a year at a training facility for the purpose of firefighting evolutions in a structure, it would take 24 training days to do so. This is based on training a group of eight firefighters and two officers per session (two days). It would also require the support of the Training Division staff to attend these training sessions outside of their normal working hours, increasing the overtime costs. The Training Division would be required to be at the out of town training facility for six weeks, possibly requiring overnight accommodations for the week, impacting on other regular work assignments. The logistic of the Training Division conducting live fire training at a facility outside of the city would drastically diminish the operational efficiency of both the division and the department, possibly resulting in unmet staffing needs in this division. Suppression Live Fire Training Cost Items Fort Erie Training Center Waterloo Training Center Hamilton Training Center Annual Annual Annual Training Center $11,928 $30,646 $46,104 Rental (24 Days) Accommodations $10,577 $0 $0 2 nights/week/6 wks. Meals $12,960 $4,320 $4,320 Miscellaneous $7,200 $4,200 $4,200 Training Expenses Overtime (108 $92,016 $87,415 $85,114 suppression personnel) Totals $134,681 $126,581 $139,738 Table 6 Live Fire Training at Other Fire Department Training Centers

18 Training facility rental costs would be $11,928 - $46,104 per year. Staffing overtime costs for all suppression personnel are estimated $85,114 - $92,016 for these sessions based on straight time. Miscellaneous costs associated with traveling to another facility such as fuel and consumables would amount to an estimated $4,200 $7,200. Not included in the above projections are those associated with the wear and tear on our two reserve vehicles, that would be making these trips and adding additional kilometres thereby possibly reducing their life expectancy. When using another departments training facility we are also forced to schedule our training in the times that are made available to us. There is no guarantee that another training facility would be able to meet all of our requests now or in the future. We would then have to consider using multiple training sites rather than just one. The other concern with using an outside training facility is that although our pre-booked training days are scheduled, they may be cancelled due to the training needs of the host department. We would also be subject to the terms, conditions and rules of the host site which may place restrictions on our training needs. Furthermore, our department would have no control on rental fee increases, which could become cost prohibitive. Thus if we were to conduct one recruit class per year and provide live fire training to 108 suppression personnel the approximate cost would be $136,581 - $151,738 per year. This cost has been added to the operating budget. Based on current salaries and fees associated with renting a facility for live fire, the cost over the next 20 years would be approximately $2,731,620 $3,034,760. This cost only represents live fire training and does not take into consideration the cost associate with the other multi-faceted training requirements. Without a dedicated training facility it is conceivable that training cost will continue to rise annually. If required to send personnel out of town for multiple disciplines to meet the City and Department s due diligence outlined in the legislation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act the training cost over the next twenty years would be substantial, significantly more than the cost of establishing a local training center

19 6.2 Joint Training Facility The Brantford Fire Department could investigate partnerships with the County of Brant and Six Nations to build a joint training facility. At this time neither fire department has adequate facilities to carry out live fire training. The ability to move a joint project forward would be depended on approval for funding from the council of all partners. The advantage to a joint facility is the initial capital cost to build the facility and operating costs would be shared by all municipalities dependent upon a number of factors. Annual operating cost will need to be continually reviewed to ensure that equable distribution remains throughout the lifetime of the facility. Additional provisions will need to be in place should one partner choose to discontinue use of the facility. The location of the facility would need to accessible and agreeable to all three fire departments. A facility in the City of Brantford is centralized, as it is located in the middle of Brant County. Additionally, a facility located within the city would be advantageous to the Brantford Fire Department, enabling us to leave crews in service while training. If a joint facility was located outside the city, our on duty crews would need to be taken out of service during training, removing valuable fire response resources from the city. For the Department to safely and effectively conduct training for many firefighting disciplines, a minimum of eight personnel or two fire crews are required. Thus, the department would be required to call in off duty personnel to maintain minimum staffing in the city. Suppression staff could be schedule to attend the facility during their regular time off. However, it would not be practical to schedule personnel to attend the required hours of training needed for a firefighter during off duty hours. As previously noted provisions of the FPPA restrict the Departments ability to schedule consistent training. Additionally, a facility located outside of the city will cause the Brantford Fire Department to incur additional cost for overtime regardless of how the training is scheduled. The overtime costs associated with providing just live fire training alone at a jointly owned facility located in the County are $67, per annum. However, if the Department utilized the training facility for multiple disciplines to enhance training and meet the due diligence required by legislation, annual overtime costs are estimated to be $245,

20 Estimated Costs for Training At a Joint Facility Outside the City Live Fire Training Personnel Required for Cost per Day Annually 20 Years Training (8 hours) (24 Days) 2 Captains $ $18, $376,550 6 Firefighters $2, $49, $981,120 Totals $2, $67, $1,357,670 Table 7 Estimated Costs for Training at a Joint Facility Outside the City Live Fire Training While a joint facility, depending on the location would help to defer costs it also means shared control and decision making. Considerations for facility design, scheduling, office space, cleaning and charges for outside users would all have to be thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by the three partners. It is presumed that any revenue collected from user fees would be shared with the other partners. A shared facility may decrease our abilities to continue to ensure that our training needs are met in the future. 6.3 Brantford Fire Department Training Facility A Brantford Fire Department Training Facility would allow the department to design a facility that would meet our departmental training needs and ensure that our continued needs are met in the future. Furthermore, it would allow the department to control scheduling, cost, and user fees. The primary advantage to a BFD Training Facility is the Department can ensure that personnel meet the required training by ensuring that personnel are scheduled to attend training on duty. Training conducted on duty allows resources, such as personnel and apparatus to remain available to the citizens of Brantford in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, overtime will not be incurred for individuals training on duty. However, building our own facility will necessitate the Brantford Fire Department to absorb capital and operating costs. It is possible to offset some operating costs through potential revenue from rental fees or by operating fire service related courses similar to training facilities in Oakville and Blyth

21 In the vicinity of Brantford there are other fire departments that could be potential customers of this facility for live fire. If the facility is rented out to other fire services for a minimum of 36 days per year at a fee of $700 a day, the annual revenue would be $25,200. There have been changes to course delivery at the Ontario Fire College, which are resulting in more courses being offered off-site. The Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, through the Fire College, will be looking to create regional training sites in partnership with fire departments. A new training facility and our close proximately to a number of fire departments to the south and west in need of training we would be situated to explore this opportunity. Being designated a regional training facility would allow the Brantford Fire Department to demonstrate its continuance as a leader in the fire service, while creating additional revenue. Furthermore, the classroom with updated technology and the outdoor space at the facility could be utilized by other department within the Corporation to conduct training. It would be prudent to investigate other potential partners located within the city such as Brantford Police, Brant County Ambulance and 56 th Field Regiment

22 7.0 Cost Benefit Analysis The following charts compares the estimated costs and revenue for the different options available to the Brantford Fire Department to meet the due diligence required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act by providing training to all personnel. These preliminary estimates are provided by staff for initial comparison, however accurate costs will be provided by the feasibility study. MINIMUM TRAINING (FIRE SUPPRESSION) COSTS Item Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility Facility Rentals 30, Meals 4, Training Materials / Expenses 4, ,000 Overtime Costs 87,415 67,884 0 Estimated Annual Cost 126,581 67,884 1,000 Inflation Rate 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 20 YEAR ESTIMATE $3,075,590 $1,649,403 $24,297 ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL TRAINING OVERTIME COSTS (IF TAKEN) Training Type Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility Vehicle Extrication $35,096 $35,096 $0 Firefighter Survival 78,966 70,191 0 Utility Terrain Vehicle 35,096 35,096 0 Confined Space 43,867 35,096 0 Hazardous Materials 78,966 70,191 0 Estimated Annual Cost 271, ,670 0 Inflation Rate 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 20 YEAR ESTIMATE $6,608,666 $5,969,135 $

23 ESTIMATED FACILITY COSTS Training Type Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility Study $0 $16,667 $50,000 Property 0 166, ,000 Design 0 75, ,000 Construction 0 425,000 1,275,000 Estimated Capital Total 0 683,333 2,050,000 Supplies ,000 Misc ,000 Estimated Annual Cost 0 1,001 3,000 Inflation Rate 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 20 Year Est. (Annuals + Inflation) 0 24,322 72,892 TOTAL (CAPITAL + 20 YR. EST) $0 $707,655 $2,122,892 ESTIMATED RENTAL REVENUES Item Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility Facility Rentals $0 $2,800 $25,200 Estimated Annual Revenue 0 2,800 25,200 Inflation Rate 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 20 YEAR ESTIMATE $0 $68,033 $612,294 BOTTOM LINE BASED ON ALL TOTALS ABOVE Item Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility 20 YEAR ESTIMATED TOTAL COST $9,684,256 $8,258,160 $1,534,896 Notes: 1. Overtime costs were based on straight time. 2. Training Facility rentals based on 2016 fees. 3. Joint Facility based on being located in the County (worst case scenario). 4. Estimated Training Facility operating costs based on a Type A facility (burning wood and straw)

24 8.0 Recommendations This business plan identifies that the best option for the Brantford Fire Department is to build a solely owned training facility within the City of Brantford. A training facility allows the Department to increase operational efficiencies and provide a cost savings. The projected operational cost for live fire training for 2017 is $126,920. If this annual operational costs were directed towards the Capital cost of training facility, the facility would be paid for in less than 12 years. The projected twenty year training costs for providing the necessary live fire training needed to meet the City and Department s due diligence outlined by the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act is $2,731,620. If compared to the capital investment of building a training facility the cost avoidance would be approximately $1,231,620 - $1,534,760. Furthermore, by building a facility in the City of Brantford the Department will be able to keep our resources in town and available for deployment if necessary. It will also allow the BFD to facilitate all of the training required by a modern fire service and give opportunities for other City of Brantford departments to utilize the facility. This initiative is the most viable and effective method of ensuring the life safety of the citizens of Brantford and firefighters. Therefore it is recommended: A. That the Brantford Fire Department Training Facility Business Plan BE RECEIVED; AND B. That the 2017 Capital funding request to conduct a Feasibility Study for a Training Facility BE REFERRED to the 2017 budget process; AND

25 BRANTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT Training Facility Feasibility Study

26 TRAINING REQUIREMENTS Live Fire Hose Stream and Pumping Evolutions Forcible Entry Auto Extrication Ventilation Utility Terrain Vehicle Training Ladder Rescues Hazmat Confine Space Firefighter Survival

27 HISTORY 1990 s Old Single Story Burn Building Decommissioned 2005 Identified as a critical need in the 5 year capital plan overview 2008 Training Facility Study recommended in the Master Fire Plan, Adopted by Council 2015 Council approved $50,000 Training Facility location and feasibility study

28 FIRE SERVICES REVIEW 2016 Council initiated Fire Service Review recommended: Live fire training is both critical and essential for the members of the Brantford Fire Department to ensure all staff members are competent and properly trained to perform their duties. Currently the department provides live fire training to probationary firefighters during recruit induction training. Yearly live fire training must be considered to ensure staff is properly trained in accordance with Occupational Health & Safety Act. Through the interview process, firefighters have stated that they have not had live fire training since their recruit-training program. Given the reduction of working fires due to work undertaken through fire prevention programs, Suppression Division staff is not facing working fires to maintain their operational skills. Due diligence is required by the City to ensure all members are properly trained to carry out their respective role in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Investigate the Possibilities of Building a Training Facility

29 DIVERSITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED Fire Suppression Auto Extrication Ice and Water Rescue Hazardous Materials Medical Response Elevator Rescue Technical Rescue

30 BFD TRAINING FACILITY BENEFITS Increase Safety of Firefighters and Civilians Reduce long term costs Allow the Department to Train to the Standards and Legislation Address Evolving Training Needs of the Department Ensure adequate Training of all Personnel Create Opportunities for Partnership Create Opportunity for revenue generation

31 Undertrained Staff POTENTIAL RISKS Staffing Issues Increasing Costs Equipment Wear and Tear and Unavailability

32 LEGISLATION Occupational Health & Safety Act: The Employer Shall Provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health and safety of the worker When appointing a supervisor, appoint a competent person Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of the worker Occupational Health & Safety Act: Supervisor Shall advise a worker of the existence of any potential or actual danger to the health or safety of the worker of which the supervisor is aware take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker Section 21 Firefighter Guidance Note

33 INQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 2004 Ontario Inquest into the Death of Barrie Firefighter More live fire training exercises, in the form of realistic scenarios, be provided to firefighters More live fire training centers be created in Ontario. Ministry of Labour Charges: Meaford Port Colborne Point Edward

34 Return on Investment- 20 Year Trend (Est.) - outside Fire Sup. Training - BFD Training Facility - Full Training Value ~ 10,000,000..., , , , ,..---._. BFD training facility BFD training facility costs..., costs recovered after recovered after 14.5 ~ 8,000,000 5 years when years when compared to (.) compared to total value of full training. ongoing outside fire supr. Q) 6,000,000 b i training costs only > ca :::::s E :::::s (.) Years

35 Training Costs - 20 Year Totals (Est.) ,000,000 ~.._..., t/) 8,000, Q) 6,000,000.., > - ns 4,000,000 :::l E :::l 0 2,000,000 0 Full Training Fire Suppression Only Status Quo Joint (3-Way) BFD Facility

36 CONCLUSION A Training Facility Feasibility Study Would Identify: Cost Capital and Operating Type and Construction Options Land Requirements Environmental Impact Potential Partnerships to Reduce Costs Customers/Opportunities for Revenue Opportunities for Staffing and Cost Efficiencies It will deliver an efficient plan to develop an effective training solution that reduces costs, addresses current and future needs, mitigates risks and liabilities, and improves worker and public safety.

37 QUESTIONS?