07. Fire Department Staff ChangeKalispell Fire/Ambulance Dept.
336 1 st Ave. East • P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59903-1997
REPORT Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM Randy Brodehl, Fire Chief
SUBJECT Change in staffing
MEETING DATE February 4th 2002
Telephone 406-758-7764
Fax 406-758-7758
BACKGROUND: The ability of a Fire Department to respond to the fire suppression needs
of their community is based on a rating by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO). At our
last grading, ISO assigned us a Class 5 (ISO grading is based on Class 1 being best, and Class 10
being no fire protection. There are 100 points possible, with each 10-point drop in the scale
diminishing your Class by one). There are a total of 100 points available and at our last grading
we scored 50.46. Every ten points means a class change. In other words, if we had scored .46
points less, we would have been graded as a Class 6 with less than half a point making the
difference.
We will be re -graded in 2004. We are in the process of addressing every issue identified as
deficient in their last visit, and reviewing the growth of the City, establishing what impacts
growth may have had on our possible score. We believe that if we correctly address each issue,
at ISO's next visit, it is possible to rated as a Class 3. We anticipate reducing annual insurance
costs to businesses throughout the area by approximately $1.2 million dollars, and decreasing our
average fire loss in the community by over 200 percent.
Fire prevention inspections generate up to 7 of the available 100 ISO points, while the number of
available personnel generates up to 15 points. At our last grading, fire prevention inspections
were given a credit of .7 points, one tenth of the possible points. This is because the inspections,
which are performed by the Engine Companies during their regular work day, are not up to date.
Engine companies are averaging nine responses per day, leaving it impossible to complete their
required training, and the 1400 inspections in the City of Kalispell.
The Personnel area was given 2.43 of the possible 15 points.
The most critical part of fire prevention inspections is completing inspections in a timely fashion.
If all businesses in the City are inspected twice annually, we receive 7 points. To do this we
would need to add two full time employees. However, if commercial occupancies are inspected
once annually, we receive 5.6 points which we believe is a reasonable inspection frequency, and
one that would generate about 80% of the available points.
The Fire Marshal manages the Fire Prevention Program. As part of the responsibility, the Fire
Marshal is responsible for reviewing all new commercial construction and development. They
review zoning and future growth plans. Since this is so closely associated with the role of the
Building Department, in November of 2001, funding of that position was changed so 50% comes
from the Building Department budget, and 50% comes from the Fire Department budget.
We are requesting a change in staffing to increase our prevention and suppression effectiveness,
thereby decreasing our fire losses and increasing possible ISO points. We propose changing the
status of Fire Marshal to Assistant Chief Fire Marshal, and adding a Deputy Fire Marshal.
The Assistant Chief Fire Marshal would be an exempt position, managing the Prevention
Division (See the attached job description and the organizational chart). This position would
also respond as a command officer on structure fires, allowing us to have at least one command
officer available 24 hours per day.
The Deputy Fire Marshal would focus on inspections and public education. This would shift the
burden off of the Engine Companies, and allow them to focus on emergency responses, training,
and pre -fire plans of commercial buildings (As required by ISO). The Deputy Fire Marshal
would also be cross -trained as necessary to respond as a firefighter during emergency events.
The Deputy Fire Marshal position that would be funded similarly to the Assistant Chief Fire
Marshal; 50% from the Building Department budget and 50% from the Fire Department budget.
We believe that this position would accomplish two goals. The first is to increase all commercial
business inspections to an annual inspection. This would increase our community fire safety,
and raise the number of ISO grading points in fire inspections to 5.6 points, an increase of 4.5
points. The second goal would cover a firefighter position during fire suppression responses.
While we are only able to approximate this change in our ISO score, we believe it to be an
increase of about 1.5 points, raising us from 2.43 to 3.93.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Change the Fire Marshal title and role to Assistant Chief/Fire
Marshal. Create the position and hire one Deputy Fire Marshal on March I ", 2002
FISCAL EFFECTS: $ The impact to the 2001/2002 budget would be a net increase of $1688.
This is because we will not fill the vacant Fire Marshal's position until about 3/l/2002. Because
of the changes associated with making the Fire Marshal position exempt, the impact to the
2002/2003 Fire Department budget would be negligible. The impact to the Building Department
budget would be approximately $54, 736. Because of the growth in the City of Kalispell, the
Building Department enterprise fund has grown equally and is able to make this adaptation.
ALTERNATIVES: As recommended by Council
Respectfully submitted,
kfidy rode
Fire Chief
r
Chris Kukulski
City Manager
Kalispell Fire/Ambulance Dept.
336 1st Ave. East • P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59903-1997
January 25, 2002
To: Chris Kukulski
From: Randy Brodehl, Fire Chief
Byron Guy, President, IAFF Local #547
Re: Contract opening to review Fire Marshal position
Chris,
Telephone 406-758-7764
Fax 406-758-7758
IAFF Local 547 has voted by majority to accept Proposal 94 by the City of Kalispell. By this
proposal:
The position of Deputy Fire Marshal is established by contract between the City and Local
4547. This position is consistent with the progressive direction the Fire Department and future
Fire Prevention Division.
Under this agreement, the position of Fire Marshal would be eliminated from the contract. The
position of Deputy Fire Marshal will be created.
The Deputy Fire Marshal would be a position within IAFF Local 547, and would be task
oriented, focusing on inspections and fulfilling other prevention programs, thereby allowing the
engine companies to focus on pre -plans and training. Salary for this position would be Base plus
10 percent (1.10 x Base), and would be subject to EMS fill-ins and emergency response as
needed to supplement the engine company. This position will be full time, and will work an 80-
hour per two -week pay period.
This restructuring of positions should poise us to move ahead, matching growth in the city with
adequate personnel to safely meet the needs of our community. Please contact me after you have
reviewed this information to clarify any questions you may have.
This proposal is subject to:
Council review and approval.
A mutually agreed upon job description for the Deputy Fire Marshal position that is
developed by a committee with representatives of both Management and IAFF Local
#547.
J
Brodehl, rire Chief Byron G , President, AFF Local 547
1