Memorandum
City of
Fire
Medical
To: David
Corliss, City Manager
From: Mark Bradford, Fire Chief
cc:
Cynthia
Boecker, Assistant City Manager
Date: March 26, 2008
Re: Assistance
to Firefighters Grant:
Protective
Clothing
Aerial
Ladder – 100’ Platform
Assistance to
Firefighters Grant:
The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants
(AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire
departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services organizations. The deadline for receipt of the applications
is April 4, 2008. The AFG, which will be
distributed in phases throughout FY 2008, will ultimately award approximately
$500 million.
Fire departments serving populations of over 50,000 or more
must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-Federal funds equal to
20% of the total project cost and the project must be completed in one
year.
Protective Clothing
Background:
In FY 2007, the department implemented an inspection
program for personal protective clothing to ensure that safety requirements
established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are met. The inspection revealed 67 coats and pants in
need of replacement and 60 in need of repair.
The total for all repairs and replacements totaled $51,950. This funding was required to meet minimum
safety protecting clothing standards.
All Garments were rated overall as needing Replaced,
Repaired or OK. The department has a
specific policy for replacement, including mandatory replacement every 10 years
as required by NFPA Standards. Our
current usage of protective clothing does not permit a 10 year cycle;
therefore, the department is using a five year program with annual advanced
safety inspections that ensures safe serviceability. For
safety equipment this should be our goal.
In FY 2008, the department will continue the annual
advanced safety inspections. The
preliminary results indicate that a minimum of 90 sets will require
repairs. In addition, a minimum of 40
sets will require replacement to meet the NFPA standard. The FY funding for protective equipment will
not satisfy the demand placed on the department by the 10-year NFPA
serviceability standards.
Protective Clothing
Definition:
Protective Clothing includes the following items:
Helmet
Protective
Hood
Coat
Gloves
Pants
Suspenders
Boots
Protective Clothing
Plan:
The peer assessment team of the Commission on Fire
Accreditation International recommended that a more formal system be developed
to assure the cleanliness of in-service protective clothing. It was also recommended that the development
of that system should consider the effectiveness of the present protective
clothing washing equipment and processes.
To establish a five year replacement plan allowing for two
sets of protective clothing per firefighter, the department recommends the
implementation of a total 10-Year service life.
This plan will allow for the removal of biohazards and carcinogens, and
maintain overall appearance. In all
cases, quality maintenance will permit the protective clothing to extend its
life as long as possible. In addition,
this will permit sufficient time for routine repairs to extend the life of the
protective clothing and ensure safety of the firefighter.
The request of $282,100 would provide funding for 140
complete sets of protective clothing which would permit the implementation of
the above replacement plan. The
continuation of traditional annual operating funding would sustain the plan.
Protective Clothing
Cost Allocation:
Total estimated cost $282,100
Federal share (80%) $225,680
City share (20%) $56,420
Aerial Ladder – 100’
Platform:
As outlined in the department’s 2008 – 2013 CIP the
replacement of the department’s 1986 aerial ladder is needed based on the
Central Garage – Vehicle Replacement Model Guidelines. In 2007, this evaluation system indicated
this vehicle accumulated 49.71 Replacement Points. This program identifies vehicles with 20
points and above as needing immediate consideration for replacement. The most recent repair required the vehicle
to be out of service for an extended period of time due to limited and obsolete
parts.
The current aerial ladders are primarily support and rescue
vehicles and must respond with another pumping apparatus in order to provide
water flow. Like the current ladders,
the requested replacement vehicle will include a 100’ ladder; however, it will
also include a platform for enhanced rescue capability, as well as a pump and
water tank so that it could be self sufficient with a four-person crew.
Aerial Ladder Cost
Share Allocation:
Total estimated cost $1,500,000
Federal share (80%) $1,200,000
City share (20%) $300,000
Action Request:
Fire Medical Department staff requests approval from the
City Commission to:
·
pursue
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant for personal protective clothing;
·
pursue
the Assistance to Firefighters Grant for an aerial ladder – 100’ platform
apparatus; and
·
authorize
funding for 20% as outlined for 2008 funding.