3.a) Staff Report-Fire Call Response Requirments
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: January 8, 2014
To: City Council
From: Kristina Handt, Administrator
Re: Fire Department Call Response Requirements
Background:
As discussed at the August 13, 2013 work session, Scandia Fire and Rescue does not require
firefighters to report to a minimum number of calls in order to retain active membership in the
department.
The current membership requirements can be found in the departments operating manual and
includes the following:
All members must regularly attend fire and rescue training. Any member missing fire
training for sixty (60) consecutive days may not report to a fire related emergency scene,
and any member missing rescue training for sixty (60) consecutive days may not report to
a medical related emergency scene. Members must get approval from the Chief and
appropriate Training Captain before being allowed to respond to an emergency scene.
The member must also appear before a review board consisting of Chief Officers and
Training Captains to determine if performance expectations are being met.
A sampling of what other communities require was also reviewed in August.
Princeton: 30% of fore call each year, 75% of Tuesday night trainings per year
Chisago City: 33.3% of fire calls per year
Bloomington: 30% of calls each quarter, 50% of drills in 6 months
Maple Grove: 45% of all calls when not at regular job, 66% of monthly trainings
Plymouth: 30% of calls each quarter
Shakopee: 35% of calls and trainings
Alexandria: 70% of all calls, meetings, and trainings
Farmington: 25% of calls, 75% of trainings
Owatonna: 40% of paged shift calls, 80% of trainings
Eagan: 30% of calls, 80% of trainings
Newport: 20-25% of calls
At the August 27, 2013 special meeting Mayor Simonson, with the consent of Fire Chief Hinz,
requested staff to prepare a policy to create a minimum call requirement of 25% annually and
keep the current requirement of attendance at 50% of training meetings.
Language was drafted to amend the membership section of the City of Scandia Fire Department
Operational Policy and reviewed by the City Attorney. This language was shared with the Fire
Department Officers at their December monthly meeting.
Issue:
What percentage of calls should firefighters be required to respond to in a year?
Proposal Details:
Included in your packet is a copy of page three from the department’s operational policy. The
language in red was proposed by the City Attorney following direction from the Council in
August. It requires firefighters to respond to 25% of calls in a year or be subject to disciplinary
action. Similar to the language in the Stillwater policy discussed in August, it allows the Fire
Chief with approval of the City Administrator to exercise judgment in applying the policy in
unusual or extenuating circumstances.
The language in blue are requested changes from the fire department officers. They would like
to see the percentage lowered to 15% in a year and include language that the times of the calls be
reviewed and taken into consideration before any disciplinary action is taken. The concern was
that if most calls are during the day when they are at their regular jobs, they didn’t want to be
penalized for that. One could argue the discretionary language included for the Fire Chief would
already cover this but the officers preferred it be explicitly stated.
In the future the officers would also like to see a long term goal. What should they be striving
for in five years? Also, they would like to see a benefit given to those who respond to a certain
percentage of calls over that required. I suggest we implement the changes and review them in a
year. Once more data is obtained about call response time, then the Council may wish to explore
goals and incentives.
Options:
1) Amend the Membership section of the Fire Department Operational Policy with the
suggestions in red. Consent agenda at next Council meeting.
2) Amend the Membership section of the Fire Department Operational Policy with the
suggestions in red and incorporate the changes in blue so there is only a 15%
requirement. Consent agenda at next Council meeting.
3) Amend the Membership section in some other way. Consent agenda at next Council
meeting.
4) Make no changes to the Membership section.
Recommendation:
Option 2. This gives the City the tool to address those who respond to very few calls while not
penalizing others.