Presented at Deccan 2011 UGC.

1. Deccan International

2. Seattle Fire Department:
The “Where”
• 84 square miles, 193 miles lake/sea waterfront
• 34 fire stations (32 land, 1 water, 1 land/water)
• Medic One facility @ Harborview Medical Center
• Fire Facility Capital Improvement work since 2003
• Fire Alarm Center (with City EOC)
• Joint Training Facility
• 5 Operational battalion areas (only 4 BCs)
• Medic One battalion
• Mutual aid to surrounding King County areas
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3. Seattle Fire Department:
The “What”
• Fire: 32 Engines, 11 Ladder trucks
• EMS: 3 Aid Cars, 7 Medic Vans
• H2O: 2 fireboats (Fresh and Salt)
• Specialty: Command Van, HazMat Van, Tech
Rescue Van, Air Units, Hose Wagons
• Admin Cars: BCs, Deputy1, Staff10, Safety, Fire
Marshal, Command Staff, MIS
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4. Seattle Fire Department:
The “Who”
• 2010 Population: 563,400
• Daytime population: 1,500,000 (est.)
• Personnel Profile (2010):
• Uniformed: 1,020 (all EMT certified)
• On-duty strength: 208
• Department Chiefs: 35
• Paramedics: 74
• Civilian: 87
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5. Budget Challenge Faced
• Example 1: Isolation By Road Closures
• Trying to figure out the “right” baseline
• Major roadway closures
• Response time impacts (first-in, 2nd-in, etc.)
• Short-term vs. long-term
• We can’t afford another unit for interim
coverage, justify City DOT pay for it!
• What type of unit to recommend?
• For how long?
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6. Actions Taken
• Example 1: Isolation By Road Closures
• Create a baseline with modified road network of
expected roadway status during the next 1½ years
• 1710 ADAM Full-alarm coverage performance metrics
to show high fragility of a residential/industrial area
• Show temporary ladder truck benefits area and adds
benefit to surrounding station area.
• Propose City DOT pays $1.5 million for truck until
road work is complete
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7. Approach For Composing
Deployment Change Plans
• Example 1: Isolation By Road Closures
• Home station for the truck is already a double-
house with just the engine – no additional shelter
cost needed
• We have the truck, so let’s get it there NOW
• (Okay, let’s set up the staffing, CAD, etc.) and THEN get
it there NOW!)
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8. Obstacles
• Example 1: Isolation By Road Closures
• Couldn’t justify the need on BLS, ALS or
First Engine metrics
• Run counts not as high in that area as in
other parts of City
• Not as many high-rises as in other parts of
the City
• Major roadway opening removes 2nd-in
ladder issue.
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9. Outcome
• Example 1: Isolation By Road Closures
• City DOT agreed to fund ladder truck for
1½ years
• 1710 metrics remained intact (First
Responder metrics actually improved a
little)
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11. Budget Challenge Faced
• Example 2: Revenue Shortfall
• 3-6% decrease - early 2011 projection
• $3-10 million dollar fire department shortfall
• One-time cuts for last six months of 2011
• Station closures (permanent or brownout),
unit decommissions are for consideration
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12. Actions Taken
• Example 2: Revenue Shortfall
• Rule out one battalion’s stations/units due to their
centralized and critical geographic areas
• Use 2-year road network baseline (to sustain these
cuts longer, loss of temporary ladder)
• Determine target stations through engine run totals,
City-wide and sample fractal ADAM analyses
• Create options for best and worst cases, and 2 in-
between
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13. Approach For Composing
Deployment Change Plans
• Example 2: Revenue Shortfall
• Narrow down to 4 stations (engines with lowest run
totals), use decomms instead of brownouts
• Run 4 scenarios (least-used 1,2,3 and 4 engines)
• City-wide coverage performance comparison of First
Responder, First Engine and Full Alarm 1710 metrics
needed
• Pick fractals with large BLS, ALS and Fire counts and
compare baseline and scenarios
• If a single house loses its unit, then add station closure
to savings.
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14. Obstacles
• Example 2: Revenue Shortfall
• Station closures, even for a day, are
perceived as unacceptable to taxpayers
• Avoid simultaneous impacts in adjoining
areas
• Minimize impact to central battalion (tourist
waterfront, downtown, medical district)
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15. Outcome
• Example 2: Revenue Shortfall
• WE GOT LUCKY – final estimate at 2%
• Only ONE change to Ops staff
• Loss of central battalion chief, replaced by Admin BC
• Reductions were taken in:
• Recruitment
• Training
• Purchase deferments
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19. May 2011 Closure Analysis - Comparison of 1710 ADAM Scenarios To November 2010 Baseline - ROUND 1
BASELINE: Nov 2010
Station Locations &
4-DECOM 3-CLOSURE 4-DECOM 3-CLOSURE
Deployment BUT Road SCENARIO: Decom SCENARIO: Decom
Netw ork Includes 1st Av E21,E22,E30,E32 E21,E22,E30,E32
Citywide Metrics S Bridge Closure Close S21, S22, S30 Close S21, S22, S30
II. COVERAGE PERFORMANCE (ALL AREAS OF THE CITY)
A. First Responder (2 EMTs, under 4 minutes 90% of the time)
Coverage Performance Percentage 78% 76% -2%
Coverage Average Response Time 3:27 3:33 (0:06)
Grid Counts
90%-100% 1301 1196 -105
80%-90% 241 248 7
70%-80% 166 178 12
50%-70% 206 229 23
Under 50% 440 503 63
B. First Engine (4 FFs, 5 FFs in Hi Hazard under 4 minutes 90% of the time)
Coverage Performance Percentage 53% 48% -5%
Coverage Average Response Time 4:20 4:26 (0:06)
Grid Counts
90%-100% 914 823 -91
80%-90% 106 100 -6
70%-80% 110 102 -8
50%-70% 126 115 -11
Under 50% 1098 1214 116
C. Full Alarm (15 FFs under 8 minutes 90% of the time)
Coverage Performance Percentage 73% 68% -5%
Coverage Average Response Time 6:58 7:16 (0:18)
Grid Counts
90%-100% 1376 1205 -171
80%-90% 184 236 52
70%-80% 86 98 12
50%-70% 103 104 1
Under 50% 605 711 106
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20. Review Of Approaches Taken
• Seattle Fire’s methodology to evaluate budget impacts
hasn’t changed much over time
• Unit run totals generally come in same order each year,
changes in City-wide workload and response time are
minimal from year to year
• Larger shortfalls require mass brownouts, not full closures
• Changes in demand and demographics are nearly uniform
across areas from year to year, and aren’t substantial –
but some areas may have trends (changing baselines)
• The same units and stations are always up for discussion
• The 3 biggest considerations in ADAM analysis: road
network, revenue decrements, long-term demand trends
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21. Questions?
Peter Di Turi
GIS Analyst
Seattle Fire Department
301 Second Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104-5031
Phone: 206.386.1542
E-mail: peter.dituri@seattle.gov
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