HomeMy WebLinkAbout31-City Manager CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO–REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION ORIGINAL
From: Charles McNeely, City Manager Subject: Fire Department Reorganization
Dept: City Manager's Office
Date: July 16, 2009 MC/C Meeting Date: July 20, 2009
Synopsis of Previous Council Action:
7/14/2009 –Heard by the Personnel Committee
RECOMMENDATION:
Personnel Committee Recommendation:
Keep the Fire Department's Management staffing as is and direct the Fire Department to generate additional
revenue of $254,200 (FY 09/10) through compliance enforcement and use the additional revenue to reinstate
Firefighter positions.
OR
Staff Recommendation:
Implement the Fire Department Reorganization plan as outlined in Attachment A and use the savings to balance
the FY09/10 budget as proposed in the budget workshops.
4ke-
Signature
Contact Person: Teri Baker/Mat Fratus Phone: x5122 or x5286
Supporting data attached: Staff Report, 7-7-09 (Attachment A) & 7/14/09 (Attachment B) Personnel
Committee reports, FD Organizational Chart Ward: Citywide
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: Approximately $254,200 savings OR revenue in
FY 09/10
Source: (Account No.) 001-202-50XX
(Acct Description) Emergency Operations
Personnel Services
Finance:
Council Notes: R+QE c,//UUs L *,/ 1-7/20/6 -
Agenda Item No.
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO—REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
STAFF REPORT
Subject•
Fire Department Management Reorganization
Background:
On March 31, 2009, the Interim City Manager directed all department heads to begin preparing
additional budget reduction scenarios to address a continuing budget shortfall. In response, the
Fire Chief proposed a reorganization of the Fire Department's management staff that would
result in a savings of approximately $254,000 for FY 2009/10. This proposal was submitted to
the City's Personnel Committee on July 7, 2009 (Attachment A). During that meeting, the
Committee asked for additional information and an exploration of other specific management
staffing configurations to determine if similar savings could be achieved through another
approach. The Committee also asked staff to evaluate the potential for increasing revenue
through a more aggressive use of Administrative Civil Penalties (ACPs).
A written response was provided by the Fire Chief and reviewed at the Personnel Committee
meeting held on July 14, 2009 (Attachment B). This document evaluated other options for
reconfiguring management, but the Fire Chief noted that each option posed operational and
safety concerns, and ultimately did not save as much as his original configuration. Therefore, the
Chief's final recommendation to the committee was to adopt his original reorganization plan as
submitted on July 7, 2009.
After discussing the information provided by the Fire Chief along with additional input from the
City Manager regarding ACPs, the Personnel Committee voted during the July 14, 2009 meeting
to reject the Fire Chief's proposal and recommendations. The effect of this motion is that
approximately $254,200 in savings for FY 2009/10 and approximately $279,000 in subsequent
years will not be realized. The Personnel Committee motion also called for the Fire Department
to generate additional revenue through increased compliance enforcement/increased penalty
amounts for fire code violations. The additional projected revenue from these penalties would
specifically be used to reinstate firefighter positions that were eliminated as part of the City's
budget reduction strategy on FY08/09.
The City Manager respects the Committee's position on these issues. However, in light of the
current financial conditions facing the City, it is imperative that the City take advantage of cost
reduction strategies such as those recommended by the Fire Chief. Furthermore, the City
Manager's office requests additional time for staff to evaluate the ACP process to ensure that it is
being administered uniformly across the city, and to give closer analysis to the community
impact and revenue generating potential of using this mechanism before increasing the revenue
projections.
Financial Impact
Implementation of the Personnel Committee's recommendation would increase revenue by
$254,200 (to be generated by the Fire Department) through more aggressive use of penalties for
fire code violations, and allow for the reinstatement of up to 2 Firefighter positions. Alternative
budget saving measures would have to be developed to balance the FY09/10 budget, since
$223,000 of expenditure savings from the proposed reorganization of Fire Management has been
proposed to help balance the budget.
Implementation of the Fire Chief's Management reorganization proposal would result in a
savings of approximately $254,200 for FY 2009/10, and an annual savings in subsequent years
of approximately $279,000.
Recommendation:,
Personnel Committee Recommendation:
Keep the Fire Department's Management staffing as is and direct the Fire Department to
generate additional revenue of $254,200 (FY 09/10) through compliance enforcement and use
the additional revenue to reinstate Firefighter positions.
OR
Staff Recommendation:
Implement the Fire Department Reorganization plan as outlined in Attachment A and use the
savings to balance the FY09/10 budget as proposed in the budget workshops.
k
g M'
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO —REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
From: Linn Livingston, Human Subject: FIRE DEPARTMENT
Resources MANAGEMENT REORGANIZATION
Dept: Fire Department
Date: July 7, 2009
M/CC Meeting Date: July 20, 2009
Synopsis of Previous Council Action:
Recommended Motions:
1. Authorize the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief and establish a 9%
education incentive for Administrative Battalion Chief.
2. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief/Training Officer to the
Training Officer position.
3. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief/Fire Marshall to the Fire
Marshal position.
4. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief to two of the Battalion Chief
positions.
5. Delete one (1) Battalion Chief(Effective 9/15/09).
6. Delete funding for one (1)Administrative Captain position.
7. Authorize the Human Resources Department to update Resolution Nos. 97-244 and
2008-452.
8. Authorize the Director of Finance to incorporate the above changes'o the FY
09/10 adopted budget. i 4
Signature
Contact person: Anne Alvarado Phone: 384-5161
Supporting data attached:, Yes Ward:
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: $254.200 Savings for FY 2009-10
Source: (Acct. No.)
(Acct. Description) Salary and Benefits
Finance:
Council Notes:
Agenda Item No.
.Q-,o a e_e ene_rrr rrg
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
Staff Report
Subject:
Fire Department Management Reorganization.
Background•
As part of the Fire Department's contribution toward balancing the City's budget, the Fire Chief
is proposing a reorganization of the Fire Department's management staff. This reorganization
will save approximately $254,200 in FY 2009/10 and approximately $279,000 annually in
subsequent years.
The proposal is as follows:
Delete One (1)Battalion Chief
In this proposed reorganization, one (1) Battalion Chief position will be eliminated through
attrition on September 15, 2009. Battalion Chiefs are critical management positions that provide
the overall supervision of the Captains, maintain general continuity of operations and assume
command at major emergencies. The Fire Department currently has six (6) Battalion Chiefs (P-
5's) who are assigned to 48/96 shift schedules on each of the department's three (3) shifts (two
Battalion Chiefs per shift). Through the current configuration, the department maintains a
minimum of two (2) chief officers on-duty 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Although
deletion of a Battalion Chief is proposed, as discussed below, other elements of the proposed
reorganization will help to reduce the impact of this loss.
Assign the Working Title of Administrative Battalion Chief to two of the Battalion Chief positions
Three (3) of the remaining five (5) Battalion Chief positions will continue with their present
duties and with 48/96 schedules. The remaining two (2) Battalion Chief positions will be
assigned primarily to administrative duties, but will also perform emergency operation
coordination as required.
The proposed working title for the upgraded administrative chief positions is Administrative
Battalion Chief (P-5). This is a standard title in the fire service for chief officers taking on
responsibilities greater than those typically performed at the Battalion Chief level, but not
necessarily to the level of a Deputy Chief. Two (2) other chief officer positions in the Fire
Department(Training Officer and Fire Marshal) are also at the P-5 rank. These two (2)positions
primarily perform administrative duties on a 40-hour work schedule.
The two (2) new Administrative Battalion Chief positions and the Administrative Battalion
Chief/Training Officer will be moved to a modified schedule that consists of three.(3) 8-hour
shifts and one(1) 24-hour shift, for a total of 48 hours per week. The 24-hour shifts will occur on
weekends and holidays to ensure a minimum of two (2) chief officers on duty 24/7. If any of the
administrative chief officers takes leave time on a scheduled 24-hour shift, it will require backfill
overtime from another chief officer. However, leave time taken on scheduled 8-hour days will
not require backfill overtime since other administrative chief officers will be available to respond
to emergencies as necessary. This represents a significant savings.
Compensation for the position of Administrative Battalion Chief should be at the same level as
the current positions of Training Officer and Fire Marshal, as the job functions are similar.
Currently, the salaries for the Training Officer and Fire Marshal are identical, and calculated
through the process outlined in Section 186 of the City's Charter. Over the past 10 years, Section
186 salary surveys for the Training Officer and Fire Marshal positions have reflected an average
salary of approximately 9% above the Battalion Chief position(P-5). Therefore, in recognition of
the additional responsibility, knowledge, skills and the educational requirement of a Bachelors
Degree, it is recommended that a 9% educational incentive be provided for the assignment of
Administrative Battalion Chief. (Note: The required degree must be granted from an accredited
institution and should focus on Fire Science, Business Management or a closely related field of
study. Only those individuals performing Administrative Battalion Chief duties will be eligible
to receive this incentive.) Upon approval of this reorganization, salaries for the positions of
Training Officer, Fire Marshall, and Administrative Battalion Chief will be calculated in the
same manner (Battalion Chief pay plus 9%) for consistency in the department's management
structure.
Delete Fundingfor one (1)Administrative Captain Position
To achieve the potential goal of $279,000 in savings, the department will need to discontinue
funding one (1)Administrative Training Captain position. The current duties of this position will
be assumed by one of the newly upgraded Administrative Battalion Chiefs.
The configuration of this proposed Fire Department's management reorganization will address
some of the shortfalls in administrative staffing levels that the Fire Department has struggled
with for some time. However, it will also create challenges in ensuring that adequate chief
officer supervision is present 24/7 for emergency response and supervisory issues. With the
above plan, it is believed that adjustments can be made to keep the fire management operation
running efficiently until these fiscally challenging times end and the chief officer and
administrative captain positions can be reinstated. The savings from this reconfiguration are
equal to the cost of two (2) firefighter positions.
Financial Impact:
The proposed management reconfiguration will reduce current annual Fire Department personnel
costs by approximately $279,000. For FY 2009/10, the savings will be approximately $254,200
due to the delay in eliminating the additional Battalion Chief position until September 15, 2009.
Savings estimates include the overtime cost of covering night shifts when only one Battalion
Chief is scheduled for duty. Tables 1 and 2 provide a breakdown of costs and the net savings.
Table 1. Annual Cost Factors Associated with Current Configuration of Chief Officers and
Training Captain.
Rank Annual Base Salary Annual Backfill for Number of Total
(Less 10%concession) Benefit Cost 24/7 current
coverage positions
IAA—Et RT 24 " �1 f itmill 6 . $f13 .3971
i* 6:, _ ,r N e ,s :. _ , x ,
Training Officer $ 132,948 $ 67,752 $ t 1 $ 200,700
-0,17MMar.434MIN 4-$144101MMITI hokipovre-4,:- t 1 " " .96,807,.._ ,.,..:,„ ,,,_ ,„„:„.„,..,,,,,,.,,:)„,
Training Captain $ 103,262 $46,664 $ - 1 $ 149,926
4 ; u $ 1,861,404
Tot ,c .$ .:}`°° r t "4.a's� --, T.1,. 'W.� '1'-''' , sv,°,,, 'r,�wf x� '``.,. ^�"P, i" -� fir"' .,
al . .�.. . .� ,'� ,,.._.. , ���� . ��_.�,,.� .� . .. .. .. .
Table 2.Annual Cost Factors Associated with New Configuration of Chief Officers.
Rank Annual Base Salary Annual Benefit Backfill for Number of Total
(Less 10%concession) Cost 24/7 current
coverage positions
''.x' .r1 k, ; .-t,� c e, ` i `A , 656 896
Battalion Chief w -.` .. {$xa.2 ;2� 4 , :;,- ,.. .7� 352 £7�0 .` 3 $ ,
Administrative
Battalion Chief $ 135,425 $ 67,752 $6,200 3 $ 628,131
A. Ba 1 4r ai§ ss� `.:.e ^.,`ky'.d' �`p� , ,'� c P " A Ct`K ;y r�o q:,, - •3�.SN r f.� k ,
�, � �-, t� � �� -_ =r �fi� � �>� �, �t� � � 1 ..�� ,�.� X199,248
Chief Fi arshi l ‘'2.:5. _.$135, 25 4i.,:f�_ �.i 63 5. 9,, ., ' �� .. :t.., - `
Supplemental Staffing
(24/7 coverage) $98,000 $ 98,000
�, w � , , `$ 1,582401
ii����ii�i�i�iiiiiiiiliiiii��r�� i�/ii%r//%%%%�%/ %% / /.
Difference in Costs
Between Table 1 and
Table 2 Totals(Annual $ 279,0031
Savings)
I This represents the ongoing annual savings. Because the vacancy of the Battalion Chief's
position will be created through attrition in September of 2009,the savings for FY 2009/10 will
be reduced to $254,208.
Recommendations:
1. Authorize the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief and establish a 9%
education incentive for Administrative Battalion Chief.
2. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief/Training Officer to the
Training Officer position..
3. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief/Fire Marshall to the Fire
Marshal position.
4. Assign the working title of Administrative Battalion Chief to two of the Battalion Chief
positions.
5. Delete one(1) Battalion Chief(Effective 9/15/09).
6. Delete funding for one (1) Administrative Captain position.
7. Authorize the Human Resources Department to update Resolution Nos. 97-244 and 2008-
452.
8. Authorize the Director of Finance to incorporate the above changes into the FY 09/10
adopted budget.
■
' c
to
3.
2. 1_.I I
cro'C n
fl w o 0
� = Al ♦ ..,Z . el
00 A m O '0O 5 2 14 w.
''A A =i A 7
,y 3 a -s IQ a.•
`o yQ. O"
L / 1 L -, ♦
3. tz
N — -
ry ,-1 I
p
O
Cl) O
A E. : =x et A ^7 J
N
�
b =. N O N. •
cn CD
O Q O eD-
O g N O A, b p 0 ,
CM r■ IQ .. = CD y
Po
C y c o
C
u °o o • 03 s»
c a . � , 'r1 CD
1/4--, to C A '�.$'
--r
- _ 1-11
'b 4
L • ' -
s w b r, i� �7 0 c
= A AD = a O
0 y 1 y
"b o R 'd ,, e w m CD!
C d fD fD V] y ■rt 7 e, 7
CIC1 *11 Cr
^S C O 0,
'3 3 . o d ro
- " cM bQ
co o
IC m o @
m o '* --ft
2 •-.
fo
�, < N
4 0
w
b
ta
n IQ
Cl) GA CA Cl). (1) O .1 R
S 0.. 0.. " fD a
' •e 0
O 00 O, A N / 1 7 CJ w
N
UO
y H y 2
0
r0
A
fiD W
rM
�IJ � �
O
0
1 l
F.
H
Cl) Cl) a CA M Cl) s. '
O O O 0 O
O 0 O 0 0
W '0 N N N
... ,a J Vi W
FJci ci) f
SAN BERNARDINO CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
To: Personnel Committee
From: Michael J. Conrad, Fire Chief
Subject: Fire Department Reorganization-Response to Personnel Committee
Date: July 14, 2009
Copies: Charles McNeely, City Manager
This memo is in response to the discussion that took place at the July 7, 2009 Personnel
Committee Meeting regarding my proposed plan to reorganize administrative staff positions as a
cost savings measure. Staff was asked to provide costing and information for an alternate
reorganization as follows:
• Elimination of one Administrative Training Captain
• Elimination of one Battalion Chief
• Reinstatement of Fire Fighter positions
• Revenue generation
Elimination of Administrative Training Captain
The Administrative Training Captain position was established in 2004. At that time, the
department had less than half of the training staff that would be considered standard for a fire
department of this size, and maintained a training budget that was approximately 15% of what
comparable Cities allocated to their training. Most importantly, the department was not able to
meet all of the training needs and requirements mandated by state and federal agencies.
Although the Training Division is still not completely on par with the majority of comparable
Cities in terms of staffing and budget, the additional position of Administrative Training Captain
has facilitated a substantial improvement in meeting the minimum training requirements and
overall needs of the department and the community. Having this full-time position allows the
department to conduct training for department personnel while they are on duty, which reduces
overtime costs significantly. Additionally, the position has facilitated a revenue stream for the
City through the Santa Ana Community College District (SACCD) that generated over $107,000
in revenue for FY 2008/09. This amount is approximately $45,000 more than projected. This
increase is a direct result of the Administrative Training Captain scheduling, organizing, and
instructing additional classes on a regional level through the department.
If the Administrative Training Captain position were eliminated, we would experience the same
deficiencies that we did prior to creating the position. This training deficit will decrease
operational effectiveness and will likely increase the City's liability should any unfavorable
outcome occur during fire department operations. There will also be a negative fiscal impact by
SW"'
eliminating this position. Revenues from SACCD will decrease as the department will lose the
ability to focus on regional level training. Additionally, certain periodic training functions such
as required new-employee training would necessitate additional trainers on overtime to serve as
full time instructors. After taking these elements into account, the annual net savings resulting
from the elimination of the Administrative Training Captain position would be $97,946 (see
table 1).
Table 1:
Savings Resulting from the Elimination of 1 Administrative Training Captain
Savings from the Projected reduction Cost for employee Total Savings
elimination of 1 in training revenue orientation training
Admin Training
Captain
$149,946 $:35,000' < $ 1.7,000 $.97,946
Elimination of One Battalion Chief(BC) Position
The city currently uses six battalion chiefs (two battalion chiefs per shift) to supervise field
operations on a 24/7 basis, and perform a variety of managerial functions. One of the critical
functions of the battalion chiefs is to take a command role in emergency operations. Ensuring
that these incident command functions take place is required by Title 29 CFR 1920.120.
Furthermore, NFPA Standard 1710 calls for a Chief Officer and an Aide (2 personnel total) to
respond to the scene of emergency incidents to perform command functions. These functions
include implementing the Incident Command System (ICS), coordinating incident
communications, tracking the precise location and function of each person assigned to the
incident, and coordinating functions of outside agencies that may be involved with the incident.
Because of the complexity of these functions and because the department does not have Battalion
Chief Aides, a second Battalion Chief is routinely dispatched to all incidents where multiple
companies will be operating. The second Battalion Chief assists with the above functions, and
often serves as the Incident Safety Officer, a position also required by OSHA and NFPA. By
eliminating a BC, certain shifts would be left without this resource, which places additional
burdens on the remaining BC and the fireground Captains. This environment hampers command
and control functions, emergency communications, and situational awareness. Each of these
elements has been identified as leading causes of firefighter fatalities and ineffective operations.
Furthermore, at certain times when simultaneous incidents occur and multiple units are required,
there would be no other Chief Officers on duty to respond in a timely fashion.
In the non-emergency environment, each BC is responsible for the direct supervision of six fire
station facilities and seven Captains. This 7:1 supervisory ratio is acceptable by industry
standards, although it is considered to be the maximum span of control. By eliminating a
Battalion Chief without providing another mechanism for supervision or emergency scene
oversight, the ratio would increase to 14:1. At such a ratio, it is not reasonable nor responsible to
expect a single BC to maintain operations to the expectations of the City, its citizens, or
regulatory agencies.
2
In consideration of the above issues, the effect of the reduction of one Battalion Chief position
would have to be mitigated by backfilling the vacant position with existing Battalion Chiefs.
This would ensure that a minimum of two Battalion Chiefs are on duty 24/7 to address these
operational needs. The annual savings realized through such a configuration would be
approximately$126,248 (see table 2).
Table 2:
Savings Resulting from the Elimination of 1 Battalion Chief while providing for 24/7 Coverage.
Savings from the elimination Cost of maintaining 2 Total remaining savings
of 1 Battalion Chief position battalion chiefs for 24/7
coverage
$218,995 $ 92;747 $ 126;2
Collectively, eliminating the Administrative Training Captain and a Battalion Chief in this
fashion would result in an annual savings of$224,194. This savings is approximately $55,000
less than the original management reconfiguration proposal. Although the above configuration
does provide for BC coverage on a 24/7 basis, it does not provide an adequate mechanism for
maintaining training operations as the original proposal did.
Re-instatement of Firefighter positions:
The Committee also expressed a desire to reinstate Firefighter positions by using the savings
from the elimination of the two positions listed above and from additional funding sources. The
cost to fully fund one Firefighter position is $132,000; therefore savings from the elimination of
the two positions ($224,194) would fund one Firefighter position, and fall approximately
$40,000 short of funding a second.
Administrative Civil Penalties (ACP)Program Revenue
There was also a great deal of discussion concerning potential revenue in the form of
Administrative Civil Penalties (ACPs) as a means to provide additional funding to the Fire
Department and, perhaps, to fund the reinstatement of Firefighter positions. There was no clear
direction provided to the Fire Department last fiscal year concerning the process to administer
the ACP Program and specific ACP revenue expectations; therefore, further direction and
clarification is needed. The department did collect $26,200 in revenue from ACPs and
Administrative Citation revenue did exceed expectations by approximately $31,000 more than
projected in the adopted budget.
After further discussion with the City Manager regarding the Fire Department and
Administrative Civil Penalties, the City Manager decided that the Administrative Citation
process needs a total review. The Fire Department will be involved in this process and
appropriate revenue projections will be set and a policy will be developed for the program.
Equitability with Rank-and-File
The Committee also expressed concerns regarding the reorganization proposal with regard to a
9% increase over base Battalion Chief pay for two additional individuals that would be placed in
the new administrative Battalion Chief positions. This proposal would bring the total number of
3
administrative Battalion Chiefs to four. For over 25 years, the fire department has had a
minimum of two Battalion Chiefs assigned to administrative duties, and they have received
additional compensation that averages 9% above base Battalion Chief wage. The amount of this
additional compensation was determined by the same process that is used to establish fire safety
employee's wages through Charter Section 186. As such, it represents the average pay that
employees in other fire departments receive for performing like duties. The two additional
administrative Battalion Chiefs would be performing duties that are comparable to the two
existing administrative Battalion Chiefs. Therefore, we believe that it is fair and appropriate to
compensate them accordingly.
It should also be noted that although the total number of administrative staff would be reduced
from nine to seven, the amount of administrative level work that must be completed will be the
same. Therefore, the administrative Battalion Chiefs would be expected to handle issues that are
typically done at higher administrative levels than they deal with typically.
In order to maintain 24/7 coverage for field supervision, the proposed configuration will create
the need for Battalion Chiefs to work additional hours,which would be compensated at Battalion
Chief straight-time rate without the 9% bonus. This concept is identical to the constant staffing
method used by rank-and-file personnel to maintain 24/7 staffing. As with the rank-and-file, this
approach actually costs the city less money than hiring additional personnel to fill vacant time
periods. Personnel only work when needed, and do not incur additional costs for benefits.
Considerations:
The reorganization proposal as presented on July 7th would have generated approximately
$254,200 in savings in FY 2009/10 and approximately $279,000 in FY 2010/11. This is
approximately $55,000 more in FY 2010/11 than we would experience by eliminating the
Administrative Training Captain position and one Battalion Chief position as outlined in this
document,which would result in an annual savings of only$224,194.
The 2009/10 proposed budget included $223,000 in savings from the Fire Department's
reorganization to balance the budget. Should the Council decide to use the savings to reinstate
Firefighter positions, an alternate funding source would have to be identified to close the gap.
Based on the above information, and in the interest of operational efficiency, safety, and fiscal
prudence, I recommend that the Committee support the implementation of the reorganization as
proposed at the July 7, 2009 Personnel Committee meeting.
4