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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007/06/18 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - Study SessionCity Council Study Session June 18, 2007 Immediately Following City Council Meeting Westwood Room Discussion Items 1. Status of Fire Department Facilities Planning Adjourn Auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities are available upon request. To make arrangements, please call the Administrative Services Department at (952) 924-2525 (TDD (952) 924-2518) at least 96 hours in advance of meeting. City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 1 1. Status of Fire Department Facilities Planning Fire and Inspections PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION: To update the City Council on the status of Fire Department facilities planning. Staff is requesting direction from the City Council as to the next steps to be taken on this matter. As noted later in this report, staff is recommending that further site analysis be undertaken for a two station configuration (main station and satellite) and that staff continue with the public information process. BACKGROUND: Early in 2006, Fire Stations #1 and #2 were identified as having several significant physical and operational deficiencies within the buildings. Both fire stations were constructed in the 1960’s and are not in full compliance with the Federal ADA requirements for public facilities or designed to accommodate the current multi-gender Fire Department staffing. Other concerns have related to the aging mechanical systems, limited ventilation ability, the lack of apparatus storage space, and the inability to accommodate all firefighters simultaneously for meetings. Although these have been the general areas of concern, staff determined that a detailed analysis would need to be completed for an accurate evaluation. Correcting the fire station deficiencies and providing workable facilities for the next fifty years is potentially one of the most significant city building investments to be undertaken in years. To help us make sound decisions and plan accordingly, the city issued an RFP to architectural firms who were capable of providing assessment services. BKV Group was selected based on the extent of their experience and proposed process. In a report to Council on November 27, 2006, the consultant verified that both fire stations have extensive building and operational deficiencies. From a long term facilities planning perspective, it was concluded at that time that public funds would be most efficiently used thru the construction of new facilities rather than renovating existing structures through extensive remodeling and additions. Following this meeting, the City Manager formed a committee made up of all the Department Directors that would in some way be impacted by the project. This group formed a sub- committee made up of members from Community Development, Inspections, Fire and Administration to look at potential sites and report back to the main group. This sub-committee reviewed more than sixteen general site possibilities for both single station (consolidated) and two station configurations. Some of the criteria used for site evaluation were size, location, response times, available routes, accessibility to major routes and neighborhood impact. In addition, staff considered sites that were for sale, presented opportunities to advance redevelopment goals, and estimated land acquisition and relocation costs. ANALYSIS: Based on the assumption that the current fire station buildings would not be suited for continued use, staff began the study to determine the city’s future needs for fire station facilities. The process and cost for fire station facilities will be considerable. However, it does provide an opportunity to evaluation the service level to the community and our Fire Department operations. To answer the business need and determine feasible alternatives for this report, a significant City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 2 mount of discussion and analysis of many factors occurred, a summation of which is provided in this report. Operations Overview The Fire Department provides significantly more services than just fire response. In 2006, the Fire Department responded to 4,252 calls for service. Seventy percent (3,032) of these were classified as medical emergencies, 2% were a combination of hazardous responses, vehicle fires, mutual aid, good intent and false alarms. All are an important part of the city’s service to the community. The Fire Department operation is based on a combined staffing model which has proved successful, consisting of 24 full-time career firefighters and 27 paid-on-call firefighters providing 24/7 response. The full-time staffing allows for two initial response crews, capable of responding individually to medicals and provides a sufficient total number of firefighters available to safely enter and fight a structure fire. Paid-on-call firefighters are members of the community living within close proximity to a fire station that, when called, respond to a fire station for equipment before proceeding to the scene. This combined method of staffing for emergency response operations is likely to continue as it allows a flexible and viable option for the city to provide full services into the future. Current staffing is more cost efficient then a full-time only department, and better service response is possible versus utilizing an all volunteer department only. Additionally, as our society continues to change, finding sufficient paid-on-call firefighters available and living close to stations becomes more difficult. Fire Department staff are now located in three separate facilities. City Hall contains the management and administrative staff. Station #1, 3752 Wooddale Avenue is the main fire station and houses the ladder truck, one responding crew, and equipment necessary for paid-on-call responding from that station. Station #2, 2262 Louisiana Ave is a satellite station housing one response crew and equipment necessary for paid-on-call responding from that station. For response purposes, the city has been divided into two districts; District 1 (south) and District 2 (north). This line follows natural and man made divisions such as the creek, major streets, highways and railroads from 33rd Street on the west to approximately the 21st Street on the east (Attachment 1). Service The most critical issue, as we consider a facility for operating our emergency response services, is the end service level to the community. There are many components that can be considered when we discuss service levels of city operations. However, for emergency response, especially medical, the most critical aspect is the time it takes to arrive on the scene after a 911 or alarm call is made. Overall average response time, including turnout time, for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls was 4 minutes, 14 seconds. This equates to having a fire unit on scene 80% of the time within the four minutes as suggested by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 (Attachments 2 and 3). City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 3 For fire calls, the overall response average was 4 minutes 47 seconds. This is slightly longer than the EMS response. This is due to increased turnout time resulting from additional equipment that must be worn for fire suppression activities and larger equipment that must be taken to the scene. The department has a unit on scene typically within four or five minutes, 67% of the time within the four minutes suggested by NFPA Standard 1710. With the use of auto aid from neighboring departments, the department is capable of providing 14 personnel in nine minutes as also suggested by NFPA Standard 1710. When evaluating the Insurance Service Office (ISO) suggested travel distances of 1.5 miles between stations, a correlation is evident between response times and current station configuration (Attachment 4). A detailed analysis of response times and the national standard is provided within Appendix 1. Current staffing, operations, and facility locations contribute to this excellent response and service delivery that our community is experiencing. Staff perceives that the community is very pleased with the medical, fire and emergency services provided by the Fire Department. Assuming that we would maintain the same service level in the future became a critical component as we investigated facility alternatives. Comparison of Single and Multi Station Concepts To evaluate the possibilities of a single station while maintaining the best service levels possible results in needing to consider a centrally located site, about two to three acres in size. As a fully and compactly developed community, the obvious selections are limited. The center of the community, both geographically and through road access, is in the general area of Bronx Park and the Lennox Center. In order to evaluate a two station concept (a main facility and a smaller satellite station), the existing general site locations were utilized. While not proposing any specific site at this time, we used this area to generate the data necessary for a comparison summary. Single Station Potential Advantages: • Fire staff and equipment in one location All management and staff operating in one location would allow for more efficient utilization of personnel. Tasks such as training would be easier because everyone would be at one location and stations would not have to be brought together. • Building cost savings Initial estimates indicate that the total building construction could be approximately 7,000 square feet smaller, equating to a potential costs savings of $963,753 – 1,736,809. • Acquisition and Development of only a single site. City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 4 Possible Disadvantages: • Increased response times GIS modeling suggests that there would be a two to three minute increase in response time to perimeter areas of the city (current average response time is four minutes – See Appendix 1). The highest impact would be on the northwest and southeast quadrants of the City. (Attachments #5 and #6) • Lack of north/south travel routes Traffic congestion on existing routes and physical barriers such as railroads and highways can add to response times. • Physical size of single station A larger site would be required for additional building size and enough parking for both full-time and paid-on-call firefighters responding to a call. • Resources are all in one location While an advantage this is also a disadvantage. In the event the facility was damaged or service could not be dispatched because of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event, the city would have no backup facility to rely on for fire or emergency medical services. • Difficulty of acquiring a site A single station site would require two to three acres of space, depending on the design of the structure. The only undeveloped land in this area is Bronx Park, which is already heavily used by utilities for water storage, treatment and pumping. It is likely that a fire station at this location would consume all existing parkland and interfere with existing utility operations. Most of the adjacent area consists of single family homes. A substantial number of properties would be needed to create a potential station site. • Future operation needs By all accounts, the two station concept appears to be working. If it turns out that the future needs of the city are such that a single station is not adequate, the central location now becomes a detriment as it may have to be abandoned or become part of a multiple (3) station format. Main Station with Satellite Station Potential Advantages: • Maintain current service response levels On average, response time is 4 minutes and 14 seconds. While there may still be room for improvement, this average response time is very good. (See Appendix 1) • More compatible with Paid-On-Call response When responding to an emergency, Paid-On-Call firefighters need to be able to quickly respond to their assigned station to get apparatus and equipment. As such, a critical factor becomes distance from their homes to the station. A two station configuration assists in putting them closer to their equipment for a more rapid response. City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 5 • Emergency Management Backup The potential for destruction of a facility always exists, particularly with natural disasters. Roads and railways may also limit a stations ability to respond. Having resources in separate locations provides greater assurance of the availability of Fire Department services should response from one station be reduced or eliminated. Possible Disadvantages • Higher building costs It is estimated that building two stations would require approximant 7,000 additional square feet over the size of a single station. This could equate to a higher cost of $963,753 – 1,836,809. • Requires two sites to be identified Although two smaller sites could be used in all probability if two new sites have to be purchased their combined size would be greater than that of a consolidated station. • Operational efficiencies Management, staff and equipment are decentralized. Tasks such as training are not as efficient as staff are not located at one central building. Deciding whether to construct one central station or two stations comes down to policy questions associated with desired response time and capital construction costs. In either scenario, Fire Department staffing and equipment needs would not appreciably change, unless Council were to direct a complete evaluation and change in providing emergency medical and fire protection services. The same number of firefighters would be utilized to maintain two responding crews and structure fire entry. Modest operational cost savings would be experienced under a single station concept. Any cost advantage or disadvantage of either scenario is still dependent on yet unknown acquisition and building design considerations. Site Considerations A number of factors should be evaluated when determining site usability for a fire station. These include existing road widths, traffic, access to main north/south and east/west roads, distance from major intersections, elevation changes, neighborhood effects, soils, and more. Existing Locations Station #1, 3750 Wooddale Avenue, is ideally suited for many identified reasons. Several possibilities could be pursued that include demolition and rebuilding in the same location or expanding the site and constructing a new station adjoining the existing building. Staff suggests this is a primary option to evaluate further as a new satellite station. Lot size and parking limitations do not suggest continued use as a main station site. City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 6 Station #2, 2262 Louisiana Avenue, is not ideal due to its’ very small size, difficulty for vehicles to leave and enter, close proximity to the Cedar Lake Road intersection and grade change. Alternate Station Locations A new main station site (as part of a two station concept) could be considered in adjoining North Side Park or some other possible sites in the area. As an alternate to the north/south orientation of the current stations, the following examines implications of an east/west two station scenario. Texas Avenue/ Minnetonka Boulevard and Raleigh Avenue/ Minnetonka Boulevard: Potential Advantages • Response times would be similar to current station configuration Review of potential site areas indicates that this two station configuration would have similar response times to the existing operations. • Two new sites would mean no interruption of operations Two new sites mean that while the stations are being built their operations could continue out of the existing stations until construction was completed. • Reuse of existing stations Two new sites would mean that both stations would potentially be available for some other use. Possible Disadvantages • Lacking North/south routes The east/west areas looked at did not provide good north-south access. Using Hwy. 100 or 169 more frequently is not overly desirable as both are routinely affected by traffic congestion. • Lacking good access points to main roadways For the eastern site areas considered there are no good ways to get on or around existing barriers such as Hwy 7 and railroads. • Requires finding two new station sites This would require finding two new sites approximately 1 ½ and 2 ½ acres in size in areas that are already fully developed Funding Alternatives There are several methods available under Minnesota state law which allows cities to fund new public service facility construction. These include both internal financing and the issuance of bonds. The internal financing method would be through available funds in any of our capital project accounts. For fire stations in St. Louis Park, this includes the Fire Pension fund, Permanent Improvement Revolving (PIR) fund, or our other internal funds. Depending on the total cost, the construction of the fire station(s) could be accomplished without outside financing. This was the approached used to fund the police station project about 14 years ago. However, City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 7 the use of a significant amount of internal cash could greatly limit the city’s financial flexibility in the future. The Fire Pension fund currently provides an annual transfer to the General fund in the amount of about $140,000 to cover part of the cost of operating the dispatch center. If these funds are used for construction of a new fire station, then the general property tax levy will need to support this additional amount of funding. There are several other financing mechanisms available, and they have different associated costs and impact on taxpayers. The most common financing method for large or controversial public projects is a referendum. This involves placing a question on the ballot to allow voters the option of issuing bonds for a specific project with a cap on the maximum amount of bonds to be sold. These bonds will be repaid with an annual property tax levy based on taxable market value. This method treats business and residential owners alike in that one dollar of property value is taxed the same as any other. The other common debt financing arrangements are capital improvement bonds or EDA lease- revenue bonds. Capital improvement bonds must not be issued until after a public hearing is held. They must be adopted by a 3/5 vote. These bonds are subject to a referendum if a petition signed by 5% of those voting in the last election is returned within 30 days. An EDA lease-revenue bond will carry a higher interest rate because they are issued without the city’s general obligation pledge. These bonds also have a longer term because an escrow account must be established to cover one year’s principal and interest payment as a debt service reserve. This reserve is then used to make the final year payment. As allowed by our City Charter, we can issue any of these bonds, as provided by MN Statute 475.58, without a referendum. The bonds will then be repaid with property taxes levied on the basis of tax capacity for each property. Under that method, residential property is taxed on the basis of 1% up to the first $500,000 of taxable value and businesses are taxed at 2% of the amount exceeding $150,000 of taxable value. The effect is to reduce the amount residential property owners pay when compared to a referendum election. While very preliminary, the BKV study provided general cost estimates for a one or two station concept. These estimates ranged from $6 to $10 million dollars, depending on many variables and not including the cost of any land acquisition. Main Station: Square footage 27,497 Approximate cost $4,659,778 – 6,145,779 Satellite Station: Square footage 14,884 Approximate cost $2,634,612 – 3,479,282 Consolidated Station: Square footage 35,330 Approximate cost $6,330,637 – 7,788,252 City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 8 Combined square footage for two stations 42,381 Consolidated station square footage 35,330 Size difference 7,051 sq. ft. Combined cost of two stations $7,294,390 – $9,625,061 Consolidated station costs $6,330,637 $7,788,252 Difference Total $963,753 $1,836,809 STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS: Staff recommends that Council: 1. Direct Staff to develop possible site and development options for construction of a main fire station and smaller satellite station. Analysis has shown that the existing station configuration is working well and that efforts should be made to further review the areas around the existing stations for possible expansion and site alternatives. 2. Direct staff to use professional architectural services for site feasibility of various building options. Potential sites should have a detailed review to ensure they will be developable and if any building designs limitations or opportunities exist. Depending on the number of potential sites reviewed, an additional $10,000 should be allocated for this component of the process. 3. Direct staff to continue to examine approaches to finance the construction of fire station facilities. 4. Report back to Council within four months. 5. Continue to provide information to the public on the site evaluation process. Attachments: Appendix 1 Attachment 1 -Current Fire Districts Attachment 2 – Response Time Analysis Attachment 3 – Response Time Analysis Existing Fire Station Locations Attachment 4 – ISO Recommended Travel Distance between Stations Attachment 5 – Bronx Park Response Time Analysis Attachment 6 – ISO Recommended Travel Distance Single Station Attachment 7 – Aerial Photograph of Existing Fire Station #1 Attachment 8 – Aerial Photograph of Existing Fire Station #2 Prepared by: Brian Hoffman, Director of Inspections Chief Luke Stemmer, Fire Department Approved by: Tom Harmening, City Manager City Council Study Session Discussion Item: 061807 - 1 - Fire Station Report Page 9 APPENDIX 1 Response Times: The primary responsibility of the St. Louis Park Fire Department is protect the citizens and the property located within the city borders by providing fire, rescue, and emergency medical services. Currently the average response time is four minutes. Time clearly is a critical element when an emergency is reported. Fire growth can expand at a rate many times its volume per minute, so every minute is vital for the rescue of occupants and the application of extinguishing agents in order to minimize loss. The time between containment and flashover can be measured in seconds. Likewise, survival rates for some types of medical emergencies are also dependent on rapid intervention by trained personnel. There are five steps affecting a fire department’s total response time: 1. Dispatch time – the time it takes to receive and process an emergency call; 2. Turnout time – from when the units acknowledge notification of the emergency to the beginning of response time; 3. Response time – beginning when units are en route and ending when units arrive on- scene; 4. Access time – the time required to get from where the apparatus stops to where the emergency exists; 5. Set up time – the amount of time required to begin working the incident. While improvement in any of the areas will lower total response time, the component that will have the biggest impact is travel time, occurring when the vehicle leaves the station until arriving on the scene. Station location and available routes play a key role in this determination. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Insurance Service Office (ISO) both use travel time or distance traveled as a measure to help determine performance standards. NFPA Standard 1710 (NFPA) has different standards for response based on whether the call is a fire or medical response. For fire response, the NFPA allows four minutes or less for the arrival of the first arriving engine company and/or eight minutes or less for the deployment of a full first alarm assignment at the fire incident. For a medical response, the basic life support unit must arrive within four minutes 90% of the time. The League of Minnesota Cities suggests that even though NFPA standards are not mandated regulations, they do have the appearance of being generally accepted industry standards. From a liability standpoint, this means that the NFPA implies a performance standard to which the fire department can be held. The Insurance Services Office, Inc (ISO) has for many years done evaluations and ratings of the fire protection provided in communities. The ISO process grades a community’s fire protection on a scale of 1-10, with 1 assigned as the highest level of protection based on ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). All cities in the metro area have ratings of 4 or higher, including St. Louis Park Fire which is currently a 4. The FSRS looks at a great deal of specific information about the fire department, water supply, property types, fire equipment, communications, number of personnel, training, and response time. To maximize points on their scale, the city should have a first-due engine company within 1.5 miles and ladder-service company within 2.5 miles. Once a department goes below a rating of 7, the system has little or no effect on single family homes, but will continue to impact insurance premiums on commercial structures. A lower rating typically equates to a lower premium. It should be noted that not every insurance company uses the ISO fire rating system to determine insurance rates.