ICFD CRESA and Standard of Cover by City of Iowa City

IOWA CITY

COMMUNITY RISK AND EMERGENCY SERVICE ANALYSIS STANDARD OF COVER

Fire Department 16

City of Iowa City, Iowa

City Council Mathew J. Hayek, Mayor Connie Champion Susan Mims Terry Dickens Michelle L. Payne Rick Dobyns Jim Throgmorton

City Manager: Tom Markus Assistant to the City Manager: Geoff Fruin Fire Chief: Andrew Rocca Accreditation Manager: Roger Jensen Iowa City Fire Department Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis and Standard of Cover An overview of the policies and procedures that establish distribution and concentration of fixed and mobile resources of the Iowa City Fire Department, examining the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to respond to and mitigate emergency incidents created by natural or man-made disasters, and a comprehensive analysis of Iowa City Fire Department services.

Second Edition

May 1, 2013

COMMUNITY RISK AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ANALYSIS STANDARD OF COVER

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Iowa City Fire Department (ICFD) was one of the first fire departments established in Iowa. The roots of the department go back to 1842, three years after the founding of Iowa City and four years before Iowa's statehood. The ICFD provides emergency and non-emergency services including fire suppression, emergency medical care via basic and advanced life support services (EMS), technical rescue (rescue), and hazardous materials (hazmat) response. Additionally, the administrative staff is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of service to the community, continuously providing programs such as fire prevention and inspections, safety education, emergency preparedness, emergency management, and building codes. The ICFD is consistently working to achieve and/or maintain the highest level of professionalism and efficiency on behalf of those it serves. The department is involved in the process of reaccreditation to ensure continuous improvement for the future. While demonstration is apparent via international accreditation, the department is committed to continuous improvement through education and training. The ICFD regional training center articulates with the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau, Kirkwood Community College, and the Johnson County Mutual Aid Association. Community involvement is also a top priority as the ICFD participates in projects such as fire safety education, fire station tours, juvenile fire setters intervention, a mobile fire safety house, a mobile fire sprinkler trailer, ride-along program, the Iowa City/Coralville Safety Village, and is a co-leader with Mercy Hospital of the Johnson County SAFE KIDS Coalition.

Background In an effort to work toward self-improvement, the ICFD contracted with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) to facilitate a method to document the department’s path into the future - this resulted in the development and implementation of a ― community-driven strategic plan.‖

The strategic plan was written in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the

Commission on Fire Accreditation International Fire & Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual 8th Edition and is intended to guide the organization within established parameters by the authority having jurisdiction. The ICFD conducts Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis (CRESA) to achieve the maximum effectiveness against all types of risk. The Standard of Cover (SOC) document illustrates all hazards deployment strategy and links perspective demand for resources to risk types and historical need within the community. The ICFD’s performance goals and objectives outlined within the community-driven strategic plan were crafted with consideration for the stakeholder’s input.

Community values and

expectations played a key role in determining the department’s deployment objectives. As a result of citizen and staff input, expectations were developed for each service type and risk classification. This document is a complete comprehensive assessment of community risk, examining risk levels by service delivery type and geographic planning zone. A thorough discussion of risk organized by service delivery type (Fire, EMS, Rescue, and Hazmat) was presented and carefully analyzed.

Standard of Cover Process Development of the department’s systematic deployment strategy is a combination of subjective risk analysis and applied objective data. This document begins with a complete review of current deployment. It provides a description of the community, a summary of the services provided with the existing deployment, and a review of community expectations - this is followed by a detailed community risk assessment in Section D.

The SOC is comprehensive in that it performs a complete assessment of community risk, examining risk levels by service delivery type and Risk Management Zone (RMZ). A thorough discussion of risk organized by service delivery type was presented and carefully analyzed. Additionally, for the purposes of risk and emergency response analysis and planning, the department dissected the community by tracts known as Risk Management Zones (RMZs). Risk levels were classified through the use of a probability and consequence methodology. Historical response frequency data was used, along with the identification of community risk factors such as target hazards, at-risk populations, property values, and economic and historic loss considerations. Population densities were analyzed by RMZ and combined with local considerations to predict service demand and form the basis for important risk level conclusions. Risk level classifications were then determined for each service delivery by considering the probable frequency of each specific incident type and their potential for loss. A critical tasking analysis was then completed which identified the number of staff necessary to mitigate the incident within a prescribed timeframe. The next step in the process was to use historical response time data to measure current system performance. Performance objectives were then outlined in Section F, which specified that total response time measures be viewed in the framework of alarm handling, and turnout and travel times. Baseline and benchmark performance measures for distribution (first arriving unit) and concentration of resources were set forth by service delivery type and population density. An SOC compliance methodology was developed in Section G to ensure the timely review of actual system performance, the baseline and benchmark objectives themselves, and any changes in community risk, service demand, planning zones, or operations that impact service level objectives.

The overall compliance strategy and action plans were designed to meet and

maintain current service level objectives regarding the deployment of department resources. Finally, overall conclusions and recommendations were made for consideration by the Fire Chief and other policy makers.

SOC Conclusions and Recommendations Throughout the continuous improvement process, the ICFD has rationally and systematically evaluated the community and the department using industry best practices and standards with the sincere ambition of providing the highest quality of fire and emergency service to the community. The entire process has been designed around risk, risk mitigation, and outcome, while the final determination of success is measured by the achievement of the desired outcomes. After assessment, areas in which the current levels of service delivery meet or exceed the adopted performance measures were identified. However, several opportunities for improvement were also discovered. The department concluded that information, especially in regard to emergency incidents, could be better captured and further refined. Another finding suggests the need for the additional study of deployment in the area of resource allocation and placement. The following recommendations are made as part of the continuous improvement effort for the promotion of excellence within the department and to ensure a safer community for those who visit, live, or work in Iowa City. 1: Incident information The department should augment the existing process to ensure that the documentation of incident information better captures the exact location of an incident in longitude and latitude and the actions taken for each emergency response.

Knowing exact locations, especially along

roadways, will help the department come up with effective risk mitigation measures to incidents. 2: Resource allocation and placement The department should further study the distribution and concentration of current and future human and physical resources regarding emergency services deployment, emergency workload, population density, and community risk to ensure that performance objectives and measures are met.

The four-minute travel time map identified several weak areas with regard to the

departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s static distribution network. Many of the areas are not fully developed in terms of road network or the number of structures present. Consistently, these areas also have low 5

population densities and â&#x20AC;&#x2022; lowâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; community risk level classifications.

However, significant

portions fall into high risk RMZs, especially RMZ 4, and RMZ 23, which has 72 university buildings. These findings call for reevaluation of the static distribution and/or additions of new stations to fill gaps, as this would significantly impact response times. 3: Emergency response times The ICFD is planning to add two more fire stations to assure the highest service level in all protected areas of the city.

Consideration should be given to improve resource (station)

concentration (location), especially in District 4 and District 2, where the department faces its longest travel times. Consideration also must be given to the future growth of the city (refer to the growth boundary map below) and the correlating impact upon population density. The outcome of 2012 data analysis highlighted an issue with response times to RMZs 5 and 13. The ICFD has made all efforts to improve performance in turnout times by continuously tracking and reporting on unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance. Alarm handling time in general warrants improvement as the department looks to improve total response time to an emergency event by minimizing: 1) the time it takes to process a call for service; 2) the time it takes for firefighters to don personal protective equipment and board the apparatus; and 3) the time it takes to travel to the location of the emergency. Part of the scheduled improvement projects is a diamond cut grinding of Emerald Street in District 2. The completion of this project should significantly improve Station 2 response times. Further detailed study for District 2 performance would help the department identify and address any other issues that might cause longer travel times.

Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 2 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Standard of Cover Process ........................................................................................................................ 3 SOC Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................................................. 5 Table of Figures ................................................................................................................................... 12

COMMUNITY RISK AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ANALYSIS and STANDARD OF COVER ........... 16 A. COMMUNITY PICTURE................................................................................................. 17 Legal Basis ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Governance ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Financial Basis ..................................................................................................................................... 20 History of the Department ...................................................................................................................... 23 Service Milestones, 2008-2012 ............................................................................................................... 29 2009 .................................................................................................................................................... 30 2010 .................................................................................................................................................... 31 2011 .................................................................................................................................................... 32 2012 .................................................................................................................................................... 38 Community Description ......................................................................................................................... 42 Geography ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Topography ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Trails .................................................................................................................................................... 43 Parks .................................................................................................................................................... 45 Streams and Other Bodies of Water ................................................................................................... 46 Climate ................................................................................................................................................ 47 Population ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Schools ................................................................................................................................................ 58 The University of Iowa ........................................................................................................................ 60 Demographic Features ........................................................................................................................ 62 Languages............................................................................................................................................ 63 At Risk Groups ..................................................................................................................................... 64 Educational Attainment ...................................................................................................................... 65

Industries ............................................................................................................................................ 65 Transportation .................................................................................................................................... 66 Iowa City Municipal Airport ................................................................................................................ 66 Waterways .......................................................................................................................................... 68 Highways ............................................................................................................................................. 68 Rail....................................................................................................................................................... 70 Roads................................................................................................................................................... 71 Transit Service ..................................................................................................................................... 76 Land Use .............................................................................................................................................. 77 General Housing Information ............................................................................................................. 81

B. DEPARTMENT SERVICES .............................................................................................. 85 Service Delivery Programs ...................................................................................................................... 87 Fire Suppression .................................................................................................................................. 87 Emergency Medical Services ............................................................................................................... 88 Rescue ................................................................................................................................................. 89 Hazmat ................................................................................................................................................ 91 Service Deployment ................................................................................................................................ 95 Points of Service Delivery and Resources ........................................................................................... 95 Emergency Operations........................................................................................................................ 99 Existing Prevention and Occupancy Inspection Programs ................................................................ 101 Code Enforcement ............................................................................................................................ 102 Public Education program ................................................................................................................. 102 Training and Equipment .................................................................................................................... 104 Fire Stations ...................................................................................................................................... 106

C. Community Trust ....................................................................................................... 113 Community Expectations ..................................................................................................................... 114 Service Delivery Program Transitions ............................................................................................... 114 Community Service Expectations...................................................................................................... 114 Performance Expectation Goals............................................................................................................ 116 Mission .............................................................................................................................................. 116 Performance Goals............................................................................................................................ 116

Community Service Priorities ............................................................................................................ 117 ISO Rating .......................................................................................................................................... 118

D. COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT................................................................................ 119 Methodology Used in the Classification of Community Risk Levels ................................................. 120 Risk Assessment Defined .................................................................................................................. 121 Community Service Demands ............................................................................................................... 123 Incident History ................................................................................................................................. 123 Incidents by Type .............................................................................................................................. 124 Incident Location............................................................................................................................... 127 Incident Location Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 137 Incident Frequency ........................................................................................................................... 137 First Due Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 137 Service Delivery Areas ....................................................................................................................... 138 Station Response Areas .................................................................................................................... 138 Risk Identification.............................................................................................................................. 140 Critical Task Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 140 Fire Risk ............................................................................................................................................. 140 Structure Fires ................................................................................................................................... 141 Attributes of a Building in Maximum Risk Category: ........................................................................ 151 Special Housing ................................................................................................................................. 162 Historical Buildings ............................................................................................................................ 166 Fire Risk Level Conclusions................................................................................................................ 167 Fire Risk Level Classifications ............................................................................................................ 170 Fire Critical Task Analysis .................................................................................................................. 171 Other Non-Fire Risks...................................................................................................................... 178 Rescue Risks ...................................................................................................................................... 179 Rescue Risk Level Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 185 Hazmat Risks ..................................................................................................................................... 189 All Hazard Disaster Response Assistance ................................................................................ 193 Disaster Risks .................................................................................................................................... 194 Non-Fire Risks ................................................................................................................................... 194

Drought ............................................................................................................................................. 205 Snow and Ice ..................................................................................................................................... 207 Severe Weather Plan ........................................................................................................................ 207 The Iowa City Continuity of Operations Plan .................................................................................... 209 Natural Hazard Risk Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 209 Risk Management Zones ................................................................................................................... 209 Risk Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 210

E. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND SUMMARY OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE .......................... 216 Relationship between Fire Behavior and Response Times ............................................................... 217 Relationship between Cardiac Arrest and Response Times ............................................................. 220 Community Response History ........................................................................................................... 221 Cascade of Events ............................................................................................................................. 221 Distribution Benchmark Statement .................................................................................................. 224 Concentration Benchmark Statement................................................................................................ 225 Concentration Study of Resources.................................................................................................... 226 Community Service Level Benchmark Objectives ............................................................................. 227 Comparability Study .......................................................................................................................... 232 Baseline Performance ....................................................................................................................... 232 Methodology of Response Data Gathering and Analysis.................................................................. 233 Baseline System Performance .......................................................................................................... 234 Concentration Study of Resources.................................................................................................... 246 Reliability Study................................................................................................................................. 249 Location and Distribution Reliability ................................................................................................. 251 Availability and Resource Reliability ................................................................................................. 251 Total Response Time and Performance Reliability ........................................................................... 252

F. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES ............................................................. 255 Fire Suppression Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures ............................................. 256 Fire Suppression Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures .................................................. 257 EMS Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures................................................................. 258 EMS Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures ..................................................................... 258 Technical Rescue Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures ............................................ 259

Technical Rescue Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures ................................................. 260 Hazardous Materials Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures ...................................... 260

G. COMPLIANCE METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 263 Continuous Improvement ..................................................................................................................... 263

H. OVERALL EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS ............................... 268 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 268 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 270

Table of Figures Figure 1: Iowa City Council Districts ........................................................................................................... 19 Figure 2: General Fund Revenue ................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 3: Firehouse Analytics ..................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 4: ICFD within Johnson County and State of Iowa .......................................................................... 42 Figure 5: Iowa City Growth Boundary ........................................................................................................ 43 Figure 6: Iowa City Parks ........................................................................................................................... 45 Figure 7: Iowa City Water Ways ................................................................................................................. 46 Figure 8: Days Temperature was Equal to or Greater than 90 Degrees Fahrenheit ................................. 47 Figure 9: Temperature Records ................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 10: Weather Averages..................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 11: Normal Precipitation ................................................................................................................. 51 Figure 12: Population Growth Trend ......................................................................................................... 52 Figure 13: 2010 Population Densities by Census Blocks ............................................................................ 53 Figure 14: Inflow/Outflow of Workers ....................................................................................................... 54 Figure 15: Population Trend in Iowa City and Johnson County ................................................................. 54 Figure 16: Population by Age Cohort ......................................................................................................... 55 Figure 17: Percentage of Population in Selected Age Groups ................................................................... 55 Figure 18: Population Linear Projection..................................................................................................... 56 Figure 19: RMZ Classification ..................................................................................................................... 57 Figure 20: Population Density by RMZ ....................................................................................................... 58 Figure 21: Iowa City Schools ...................................................................................................................... 59 Figure 22: University of Iowa Campus ....................................................................................................... 60 Figure 23: University of Iowa Campus Zones ............................................................................................. 61 Figure 24: Racial Mix .................................................................................................................................. 62 Figure 25: Languages Other than English Spoken at Home ..................................................................... 63 Figure 26: List of People in Group Quarters............................................................................................... 64 Figure 27: Highways Serving Iowa City ...................................................................................................... 69 Figure 28: Vehicle Incidents 2008-2012 ..................................................................................................... 70 Figure 29: Primary Roadways..................................................................................................................... 72 Figure 30: Transportation Capacity ............................................................................................................ 73 Figure 31: Transportation Level of Service Definition ............................................................................... 74 Figure 32: 2012 Peak Hour Level of Service ............................................................................................... 75 Figure 33: Land Use Map ........................................................................................................................... 78 Figure 34: Total Housing Units ................................................................................................................... 79 Figure 35: Residential Structures Distribution ........................................................................................... 79 Figure 36: RMZ Structures by Class ........................................................................................................... 80 Figure 37: Change in Household Composition ........................................................................................... 81 Figure 38: Breakdown of Hydrants ............................................................................................................ 84 Figure 39: 2012 Fire Flow ........................................................................................................................... 84 Figure 40: Johnson County Fire Station Locations ..................................................................................... 95 Figure 41: Points of Service Delivery.......................................................................................................... 96 12

Figure 42: Figure 43: Figure 44: Figure 45: Figure 46: Figure 47: Figure 48: Figure 49: Figure 50: Figure 51: Figure 52: Figure 53: Figure 54: Figure 55: Figure 56: Figure 57: Figure 58: Figure 59: Figure 60: Figure 61: Figure 62: Figure 63: Figure 64: Figure 65: Figure 66: Figure 67: Figure 68: Figure 69: Figure 70: Figure 71: Figure 72: Figure 73: Figure 74: Figure 75: Figure 76: Figure 77: Figure 78: Figure 79: Figure 80: Figure 81: Figure 82: Figure 83:

ICFD Resources .......................................................................................................................... 97 Emergency Response Staffing ................................................................................................... 98 ICFD Protected Area .................................................................................................................. 99 Incident and Firefighter per Population.................................................................................... 99 Fire Incidents 2008-2012 ........................................................................................................ 100 Response by Type 2008-2012 ................................................................................................. 101 Station 1 Equipment ............................................................................................................... 107 Station 2 Equipment ............................................................................................................... 108 Station 3 Equipment ............................................................................................................... 108 Training Center Inventory ....................................................................................................... 109 Station 4 Inventory.................................................................................................................. 110 ICFD Programs ......................................................................................................................... 114 Verbatim Customer Expectations in Order ............................................................................. 115 Customer Service Priorities ..................................................................................................... 118 Probability and Consequence Matrix ...................................................................................... 121 Incident Count Summary 2006-2012 ...................................................................................... 123 2012 Incidents by Type ........................................................................................................... 124 Incident Type Summary 2008-2012 ........................................................................................ 125 Total Fire Incidents .................................................................................................................. 125 Fire Incidents by Hour ............................................................................................................. 126 EMS/Rescue by Hour............................................................................................................... 126 Incident by Station .................................................................................................................. 127 2012 Total Incidents by RMZ................................................................................................... 128 Density of Calls, 2009-2011..................................................................................................... 129 2010 Incidents' Density and Businesses Locations ................................................................. 130 2010 Population Densities by RMZ ......................................................................................... 131 Incidents by RMZ..................................................................................................................... 132 Incidents by RMZ 2008-2012 .................................................................................................. 133 2012 Incident Count by Type .................................................................................................. 134 Fire Incidents by RMZ.............................................................................................................. 134 EMS/Rescue by RMZ ............................................................................................................... 135 HAZMAT by RMZ ..................................................................................................................... 135 Other Incidents by RMZ .......................................................................................................... 136 2011 Map of Incidents ............................................................................................................ 136 Overlapping Incidents ............................................................................................................. 137 Iowa City Fire District .............................................................................................................. 138 Station Response Areas within 4 Minutes Travel Time .......................................................... 139 Fire Response 2008-2012 ........................................................................................................ 140 Number of Structures by RMZ ................................................................................................ 142 Structures' Density by RMZ ..................................................................................................... 143 Population Density per Structure ........................................................................................... 144 Property Loss Due to Fire 2008-2012 ..................................................................................... 146 13

Figure 84: Property Average Assessed Value Excluding Government and University ............................. 147 Figure 85: Occupancy Hazard Statistics ................................................................................................... 149 Figure 86: Total Occupancy Hazard Statistics .......................................................................................... 149 Figure 87: Total Structures by Type of Use and Risk Class ....................................................................... 149 Figure 88: Risk Category by Type of Structure ......................................................................................... 150 Figure 89: High Risk Buildings Map .......................................................................................................... 150 Figure 90: High Risk Buildings by RMZ ..................................................................................................... 151 Figure 91: Significant Risk Structures by RMZ.......................................................................................... 152 Figure 92: Total Multi-family Structures by RMZ ..................................................................................... 154 Figure 93: Average OVAP Score by RMZ .................................................................................................. 154 Figure 94: Average OVAP Score Map ....................................................................................................... 155 Figure 95: RMZs Classification as Identified by RHAVE Program ............................................................. 156 Figure 96: Low to Moderate Income and Minority Concentration by RMZ ............................................ 160 Figure 97: 2010 Senior Populations ......................................................................................................... 161 Figure 98: Population Age 85 or Older by RMZ ....................................................................................... 162 Figure 99: Population Age 5 or Under by RMZ ........................................................................................ 164 Figure 100: Incidents Density in Relation to Special Housing, 2010 ........................................................ 165 Figure 101: Critical Tasks and ERF by Risk Type ....................................................................................... 171 Figure 102: 2011 Fire and EMS Incidents................................................................................................. 173 Figure 103: EMS Responses ..................................................................................................................... 174 Figure 104: 2011 EMS Incidents as a Percent of Total ............................................................................. 174 Figure 105: EMS Critical Task Analysis ..................................................................................................... 177 Figure 106: Non-fire Emergency Responses ............................................................................................ 178 Figure 107: Non-fire Response by Type ................................................................................................... 179 Figure 108: Rescue ERF ............................................................................................................................ 188 Figure 109: HAZMAT ERF ......................................................................................................................... 192 Figure 110: Comparison between the Western US Seismic Fault and the New Madrid Seismic Fault ... 195 Figure 111: Path and Damage Amounts, Iowa City July 28, 2006............................................................ 197 Figure 112: Water Level and the Corresponding Flood Impact ............................................................... 199 Figure 113: Residential Properties, Historic District, and FEMA 100-&ear Floodplain ............................ 200 Figure 114: 2008 Flood and FEMA Floodplain ......................................................................................... 201 Figure 115: Iowa City Zoning within FEMA 100-Year Floodplain and 2008 Flood Boundary .................. 203 Figure 116: Zones Flooded in 2008 .......................................................................................................... 204 Figure 117: Drought Monitor, July 2012 .................................................................................................. 205 Figure 118: Drought Intensity and Consequences ................................................................................... 206 Figure 119: Total OVAP Value by RMZ ..................................................................................................... 211 Figure 120: Risk Level Classification by RMZ............................................................................................ 214 Figure 121: RMZs Risk Level ..................................................................................................................... 215 Figure 122: Time vs. Products of Combustion ......................................................................................... 219 Figure 123: Time vs. Defibrillation Success .............................................................................................. 220 Figure 124: Cascade of Events for Emergency Services ........................................................................... 223 Figure 125: Fire Baseline Performance .................................................................................................... 235 14

Figure 126: Figure 127: Figure 128: Figure 129: Figure 130: Figure 131: Figure 132: Figure 133: Figure 134: Figure 135: Figure 136: Figure 137: Figure 138: Figure 139: Figure 140: Figure 141: Figure 142: Figure 143: Figure 144: Figure 145:

Emergency Medical Service Baseline Performance .............................................................. 237 Technical Rescue Baseline Performance............................................................................... 239 Hazardous Materials Baseline Performance ......................................................................... 242 Four Minute Response Areas ................................................................................................ 243 2008 Response Time ............................................................................................................. 245 Response Time 2009-2011 .................................................................................................... 246 2012 Incident Responses by Station ..................................................................................... 247 Travel Time by Station .......................................................................................................... 248 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Call Processing Time in Seconds ........................................ 249 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Turnout Time in Seconds ................................................... 250 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Travel Time in Minutes..................................................... 250 First Arriving Unit Total Response Time Reliability ............................................................... 253 Benchmark Fire Suppression by Population Density ............................................................ 256 Baseline Performance Times by Population Density ............................................................ 257 Benchmark EMS by Population Density ................................................................................ 258 EMS Baseline by Population Density..................................................................................... 258 Benchmark Technical Rescue by Population Density ........................................................... 259 Baseline Technical Rescue by Population Density ................................................................ 260 Benchmark Hazmat by Population Density........................................................................... 260 Baseline HAZMAT by Population Density ............................................................................. 261

COMMUNITY RISK AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ANALYSIS and STANDARD OF COVER

The analysis of the community risk and emergency services is divided into five parts: Community Picture; Department Services; Community Trust; Community Risk Assessment; and Historical Perspective and Summary of System Performance. Following the five parts of the analysis, the department established an organizational Standard of Cover (SOC), which includes Performance Objectives and Measures, a Compliance Methodology, and Overall Evaluation. The following chart illustrates the relationship of the Community Risk and Emergency Service Analysis and SOC with evaluation.

A. Community Picture

B. Department Services

C. Community Trust

D. Community Risk Assessment

Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis and Standard of Cover

E. Historical Perspective and Summary of System Performance F. Performance Objectives and Measures

G. Compliance Methodology

H. Overall Evaluation

A. COMMUNITY PICTURE The first part of the Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis is the Community Picture.

This part is an introduction to Iowa City that will help orient any reader to the

community’s features. The Community Picture is sub-divided into four parts to better help depict the community:

Legal Basis, Department History, Department Milestones, and

Community Description.

A. Community Picture

Legal Basis

Department History

Department Milestones

Community Description

Legal Basis The Code of Iowa City grants the City of Iowa City the authority to establish, house, equip, staff, uniform, and maintain a fire department. The ICFD was established by city ordinance on February 1, 1874. According to the proceedings of the Fourth Legislative Assembly of the territory of Iowa, Council File 109, a bill authorizing the Iowa City Fire Engine Company was approved in February 1842, largely for the protection of what was then the new state capitol building, known now as ― Old Capitol.‖ The company was finally formed on January 31, 1844. The Iowa City Fire Engine Company apparently went out of existence sometime in the late 1840s or early 1850s. Then in 1861, in response to a fire that burned most of the buildings on Dubuque Street between Iowa Avenue and Washington Street, the City Council passed an ordinance to ― establish fire companies in Iowa City.‖

The Alert Hose House, long time home of Snow Ball and High Ball, famous Iowa City fire horses, after their retirement. This picture was taken in the late 1920s, about the time the Alert Hose Company disbanded.

Governance

The governing body having jurisdiction over the ICFD is an elected City Council/City Manager form of government under a home rule charter. By ordinance, the city is divided into three council districts of substantially equal population. Figure 1 below shows a map of the three districts. The Iowa City Council consists of seven council members serving staggered four-year terms. Four of them represent the city "at-large" and are nominated by all voters and elected by all voters. Although the other three are "district" council members (Districts A, B, and C shown in the map below), nominated solely by voters within their districts and any primary is held only within the district, they are elected by voters city-wide. All powers of the city are vested in the council, except as otherwise provided by state law or the charter. As the policy makers, the City Council passes resolutions and ordinances, approves the budget, appoints citizens to advisory boards, and hires the City Manager.

Figure 1 Iowa City Council Districts

The City Manager, as the chief administrative officer, is responsible for administering the affairs of the city, under the direction and supervision of the council. Much like the executive branch of the federal government, the City Manager implements policy decisions of the City Council and enforces city ordinances. In addition, the City Manager appoints and directly supervises the directors of the City's operating departments; i.e. appoints the chief of the police department and the Fire Chief with the approval of the City Council; supervises administration of the City's personnel system, and further supervises the official conduct of City employees, including their employment, training, compensation, reclassification, and discipline.

The Fire Chief has the responsibility to keep the lines of communication open between the governing body and the department. The Fire Chief is also responsible for reporting to the City Manager on a weekly basis at a scheduled staff meeting issues that may affect the dynamics of how the city operates. The City Council gives the City Manager a great deal of latitude to run the city and the City Manager encourages the Fire Chief to come up with the best possible programs to benefit the city. With recommendations from the Fire Chief, the City Manager makes a determination as to which programs may need to be brought before the elected members of the City Council, i.e. changes in the model codes, amendments to the same, fees for service, etc. The City strives to be a high-functioning, customer service oriented organization that actively supports and engages stakeholders through clear, open, and innovative communication methods. On January 4, 2012, the City Council passed a resolution establishing the City’s strategic planning priorities. The resolution identified public communications and community outreach as one of the top priorities.

Recently, the City Manager has called for a comprehensive

organizational assessment to be conducted, including an evaluation of public communications and community outreach. This directive will be incorporated into an action plan and presented to the City Council for review every four months for approval. Financial Basis

Generally, the department is funded by the City’s general fund. The City’s General Fund is supported by eight funding source areas. Property tax is the largest portion of the source areas, followed by other taxes and charges for services. Property tax revenue of $36.6 million is the primary funding source for General Fund operations, providing an estimated 64 percent of total revenue in FY2013. The ICFD’s annual operating and capital budget appropriated for the year ending June 30, 2012, was $9,206,705.

Figure 2 General Fund Revenue

FY 2013 Budget - General Fund Intergovernmental 5% Use Of Money & Property 0%

Charges For Services 7% Miscellaneous 3%

Other Financing Sources 1%

Licenses & Permits 2%

Other City Taxes 18% Property Taxes 64%

The City of Iowa City’s Finance Department provides a financial planning manual to each division to assist in the development of the annual budget. Each fiscal year, the department develops a multi-year capital outlay budget, which is reviewed and updated annually. These expenditures must be approved by the City Council. The annual budget is provided to the department as approved by the City Council.

The overall annual budget and short-range

financial plan requests clearly reflect the department’s plans and priorities. The Fire Chief is intensely involved in the preparation of the City’s annual budget.

The

Financial Plan includes the one-year annual budget, required by Iowa Code, and provides two projection years as a planning tool. The three-year plan also permits a more comprehensive review of the City’s financial condition, allowing analysis of current and future needs and requirements. During preparation of the plan, careful review is made of property tax levy rates, utility and user fee requirements, ending cash balances by fund, debt service obligations, bond financing needs, capital outlay for equipment purchases, and major capital improvement projects.

The City Council sets the budget priorities and adopts the financial plan. The ICFD is given the task of developing a budget that addresses the needs of the department. The department uses the Three-Year Financial Plan set forth by the City of Iowa City governing body. All budgetary decisions are approved by the City Council.

History of the Department Iowa City was created by an act of Legislative Assembly of the Iowa Territory on January 21, 1839, fulfilling the desire of Governor Robert Lucas to move the capitol out of Burlington and closer to the center of the territory. While it was selected as the territorial capital in 1839, it did not officially become the capital city until 1841, after construction on the capitol building had begun. The capitol building was completed in 1842, and the last four territorial legislatures and the first six Iowa General Assemblies met there until 1857, when the state capital was moved to Des Moines.

A bird's-eye view map of Iowa City circa, 1868.

Fire protection was an essential component of public safety when Iowa was on the frontier, just as it is now. Then, the position of Firefighter was filled by a dedicated volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his time, energy, health and even his life to help protect the community. At some point in each town and city, these volunteer firefighters stopped simply congregating at the scene of a fire and formed themselves into fire companies and fire departments. Through an 87-year "volunteer era" of the fire department in Iowa City, there were 12 separate fire companies. Together, these fire companies had well over 400 members. Some of the companies lasted only a few years while others remained active for decades. There were as 23

many as six different fire companies in Iowa City at one time. Eventually, they were grouped under the umbrella name of the Iowa City Fire Department, while maintaining their individual identities and functions.

These volunteer fire companies performed a much-needed public

service, which Iowa City could not have otherwise afforded at that time. As a result of citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; petition, the City Council ordered the marshal to "procure, upon the best possible terms, three-story, two-story, and two 14-foot ladders, six poles with the necessary hooks, chains, and ropes, together with a carriage suitable for the conveyance of the same, and to provide a suitable central place for the keeping of the same." As a result, Iowa City Fire Company number 1 was formed on October 26, 1855, and was equipped with the items that the marshal bought in 1854. They may also have had a hand engine, because on August 11, 1856, the Council recommended the expenditure of $300 for the purchase of a fire engine. In 1861, in response to a fire that burned most of the buildings on Dubuque Street between Iowa Avenue and Washington Street, the City Council passed an ordinance to establish fire companies in Iowa City. The council also authorized the purchase of equipment for the firefighters. It may have been pulled to fires by horses hired for each alarm from the nearby, Foster and Thompson's Livery Barn. Once on the fire scene, the pump was powered by hand by firefighters in order to add pressure to water from mains.

Five firefighters taking possession of Snowball and Highball in 1912. Fire Chief Jim Clark is second from the left

In 1872, in response to a fire that destroyed the famous Clinton House Hotel, the City Council agreed to purchase $500 worth of fire-fighting gear, including hook and ladder equipment and buckets. This led to the founding of the entity named the Iowa City Fire Department. A new volunteer company -the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company No.1- was formed on May 20, 1872, to take charge of the new equipment. The Rescue Hook and Ladder Company No.1 was the only fire company in the new department at that time. This new equipment brought about the formation of a second fire company, the Protection Engine and Hose Company #1, on July 10, 1873. Later, the Protection Engine and Hose Company No. 1 procured a two-wheeled hose cart. A two-wheeled hose cart was pulled to fires by firefighters.

With the formation of two

independent fire companies, the ICFD was established by city ordinance. The new ordinance provided for companies of fire wardens, horsemen, engine men, and ladder men. These companies were autonomous and task specific, but unlike rival companies in other cities, they were considered part of one fire department. They were under the supervision of a Fire Chief and two assistant chiefs. All fire apparatus was under the care of the Fire Chief who 25

was required to make a quarterly report to the City Council on the condition of the Fire Department. In 1881, Iowa City built a new city hall at the corner of Linn and Washington streets. ICFD headquarters were moved to this building. In 1883, a second fire station - the Alert Hose House - was built at 206 North Linn Street, just north of Market Street. On March 8, 1884, the Alert Hose Company No. 2 was formed and moved into the new house. They had a four-wheel hose cart and protected the north end of the city. In 1890, the Iowa State Legislature passed a law allowing second-class cities (those with a population between 2,000 and 15,000) to levy a tax, "For the purpose of maintaining a fire department." As a result, the City was able to purchase more and better equipment. An even greater impact on the department was the aspect of the law that allowed cities to pay firefighters for their time spent at fires.

Hose cart 1900

On July 14, 1929, the Alert Hose House on North Linn Street finally closed and a two-platoon system was created. The six paid firefighters worked every other day. The inclusion of the Fire Chief brought the total strength of the department to seven.

The ICFD started absorbing increases in staffing in 1968. The increases were due to the opening of Station 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; located at 301 Emerald Street, just off Melrose Avenue - on August 23, 1968. More firefighters were hired to staff another firehouse, Station 3, which opened on February 12, 1972, and is located at 2001 Lower Muscatine Road. With the addition of the firefighters hired to staff Station 3, the total strength of the department was brought to 51 firefighters. The department currently operates from four fire stations and maintains a staff of 64 uniformed personnel. The departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minimum daily firefighter staffing is 16 firefighters and officers (maximum 20) responding on three engine companies, one quint company, one truck company, and one battalion chief command van. Minimum staffing on each apparatus is three personnel. Station 1 is staffed with a minimum of seven personnel, of which two are officers. Stations 2, 3, 27

and 4 are staffed with a minimum of three personnel at each location, of which one is an officer or acting officer. Newly opened Fire Station 4 is located on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s northeast side at the intersection of North Dodge Street and Scott Boulevard. The 13,300 square-foot station opened on Monday, October 3, 2011. Fire Station 4 is providing faster response times to the growing northeast side of Iowa City. Following a year of operation, compliance with a travel time goal of four minutes increased from 69.5 percent to 72.3 percent, city-wide.

The additional satellite station yielded nine new

firefighters and is equipped with an engine, a rescue truck, and a reserve engine. The building features drive-thru apparatus bays, a first for Iowa City. The building also includes a geothermal HVAC system, generous use of ambient day lighting, water-efficient fixtures, and other features that did achieve gold certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a green building certification system.

Service Milestones, 2008-2012 2008

The Iowa City Fire Department (ICFD) was unanimously awarded Accredited Agency Status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) at the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission (CPSE) hearings in Denver, CO. The ICFD was one of only 128 agencies worldwide to obtain CFAI Accredited Agency Status. The ICFD continued to be active in taking a leading role in the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team. Twelve ICFD personnel are part of the Hazmat Team. All personnel are certified as hazmat technicians. The department was severely tested during the flood of 2008 with the training center falling victim. At the crest

the flood,

approximately

water inches

was deep

throughout and around the building. Approximately 800 hours of labor was spent restoring the training center. Rising waters threatened to close all of the bridges linking the east and west sides of the city. ICFD personnel were called to staff two additional fire companies on the west side to ensure a safe and effective response to fires and other emergencies anywhere in the city, independent of help from across the flood waters.

2009

Following

months

demolition

and

reconstruction, Station 2 personnel moved into the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new fire station. Station 2, located at 301 Emerald

Street,

was

awarded

Gold

Level

certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is an internationally recognized green building certification system. Station 2 is the first building the City of Iowa City completed with LEED certification.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Station 4 was held in October. Station 4 was partially funded

with

$2.2

million

I-JOBS

money

appropriated by the State of Iowa. Station 4 will better serve the northeast quadrant of Iowa City and will be LEED certified. Station 4 is the first drive-thru fire station for the ICFD.

Videoconferencing was implemented, which allows live videoconferencing to outlying stations, as well as the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency. Videoconferencing allows fire units to stay in their fire districts and minimizes travel between stations for communication, greatly improving the ability to coordinate activities in times of natural or man-made disasters.

2010

The Fire Prevention Bureau conducted 1,959 fire and life-safety inspections in businesses, schools, daycares, churches, and university buildings. The inspections allowed the bureau to ensure adherence to local codes and national standards, as well as increase familiarity with pertinent information, such as building construction and potential hazards associated with occupancy. The ICFD used funds received from FEMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to purchase laptop computers for use in completing electronic-based fire inspections and preplans. This major change allowed the department to work toward a total paperless record management system and significantly improved the manner in which inspection data is collected, tracked, and retrieved.

The ICFD embarked on a communitydriven strategic planning process, facilitated by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE).

The

strategic plan was the result of input from 74 external stakeholders and then

developed

stakeholders.

internal

ICFD personnel were

tasked with critically examining paradigms, values, philosophies, beliefs, and desires, challenging individuals to work in the best interest of the â&#x20AC;&#x2022; team.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; The five-year plan contains goals in the areas of training, communications, marketing, physical resources, human capital, and service delivery.

The ICFD instituted a pass/fail fitness exam for new hires, known as the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). taking a written exam.

Applicants started by The top 69 scores

proceeded to the CPAT.

An interview

committee then interviewed 60 applicants and generated

list

highly-qualified

firefighter candidates for certification by the Civil Service Commission. 2011

New Station 4, located at 2008 N. Dubuque Road, opened its doors at 0700 on October 3rd and was paged out for a call for service shortly thereafter.

The station is located in a fast-

growing portion of the city where the initial emergency unit travel time goal of four minutes was previously unachievable. Station 4 not only meets the needs of the northeastern part of the city by providing fire and emergency medical services, but it also provides technical rescue proficiencies throughout the fire district through enhanced training.

The

facility is a single-story structure with 13,300 gross square footage, including a mezzanine level, basement, and apparatus bay. The total project construction cost was $3.2 million and was funded by a $2.2 million I-JOBS grant, an inter-fund loan, and general obligation bond proceeds. The ICFD’s only heavy rescue apparatus – Rescue 4 – is housed at Station 4. Station 4 was designated as the specialty rescue station and coordinates all Special Operations Rescue Team (SORT) activities. The SORT keeps skill levels high with team training, in addition to regular company and shift training on various rescue disciplines. Nine additional firefighters were hired to staff Station 4. 32

Public safety answering points, formerly operated by the city and the county, were consolidated into the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC).

A state-of-the-art P25

compliant digital 800 MHz radio system

provides

interoperable

communications for all fire, law enforcement, medical

and

service

emergency providers

Johnson County. This project was a prime example of local governmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collaboration and cooperation.

Fire and life-safety education provided over 500 presentations, accounting for over 740 hours of contact. In addition to public education programs geared for children, public educators also provided programs focusing on general home safety, older adult safety, public assembly safety, and residence hall safety. continues within

to the

build

The ICFD partnerships

community,

co-

sponsoring a mock residence hall room

burn,

smoke

alarm

replacement program, and attending numerous safety fairs.

The Quint is equipped

with safety systems and was assigned to Station 2. The apparatus were built by Pierce Manufacturing, located in Appleton, WI. The estimated total cost of these three apparatus was $1.9 million and they were paid for with general obligation bonds.

The ICFD took delivery on a new Rescue One 1660 Connector model boat. The boat is equipped with a light bar, emergency lighting, a vinyl top, and a cover. The boat is a larger version of the Jon boat it replaced, has plenty of room to work inside, and has a folding platform on the front to help personnel perform rescues.

On August 1, 2011, the ICFD went live with Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) in all apparatus. Eleven apparatus were outfitted with Hub-Data911 mobile computer systems equipped with mobile software solutions for vehicular environments. Tac10 fire mobile software provides unit connectivity to the JECC and allows each unit to manually capture status changes, increasing the accuracy of response time data.

Mapping and AVL/GPS functions are also provided via the MDCs, though not yet developed for application by Tac10 and the JECC.

The mobile computers are connected to the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s records management software â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Firehouse via the internet to access occupancy, fire inspection, incident data, and fire pre-plan information.

Through the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) program, the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) seeks to acknowledge demonstrated competence in all phases of fire investigation as held by individuals from many fields, both public and private. The CFI Program of the IAAI has the following objectives: 

Recognition of professional standards of achievement in fire investigation theory and practice by government and private sector fire investigators.



Encouragement of continued education and training in the field of fire investigation.



Increased professional standing in the fire investigation field.



Identification of the sources of professional knowledge for the theory and practice of fire investigation, related fields, and the laws and regulations governing or affecting fire investigation.

The CFI program awards points for achievements in education, training, and experience as they relate to fire investigation. These point totals are subject to maximums in each of these areas, which further assure substantial field experience as opposed to a primarily academic or theoretical background. Certification is based on attainment of at least 150 points, as well as a passing grade on a comprehensive examination covering the various job requirements for fire investigators, as identified in NFPA Document 1033. Fire Marshal John Grier obtained his Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) certification in September 2011.

The ICFD sponsored three personnel – one per shift – to participate

the

IAFC/IAFF

Peer

Fitness

Trainer

Certification. These trainers will conduct an annual fitness assessment on each ICFD personnel with follow-up, if needed. Results of the assessments are only provided to the participant with overall department results utilized for trend analysis. The trainers also provide various training sessions, to include workout creation, nutrition advice, and proper exercise technique. 36

The ICFD received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for just under $18,000 to be used toward the Blue Card Command Training Program. The City of Iowa City also contributed $4,337 toward the program. The ICFD was able to send one member to become an instructor and an additional 23 personnel were able to complete the online and simulation classes to become certified in Blue Card Command. Blue Card Command is a training program designed to help officers and future officers sharpen their tactical decision-making skills, time and resource management, and communications skills with computer-aided fire ground simulations. Commanders must consider critical fire ground factors; develop a risk management plan, a strategy, and an incident action plan in order to carry out tactical priorities.

The tactical priorities at every incident include life-safety, incident

stabilization, and property conservation. Blue Card is specific to structure fire incidents and is to be used on Type 4 and 5 incidents. Type 5 is an incident that requires a response from local resources, i.e. residential house fire. Type 4 is an incident that requires more than local resources and additional assistance is needed from mutual aid throughout the county, i.e. commercial building fire. After completing a 50-hour online course, Blue Card students then participate in a three-day simulation based certification class. Those three days are spent reviewing the concepts learned during the online portion and practicing the skills using computer-based simulations.

2012

Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) Public Protection Classification (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. PPC is important to communities and fire departments with the issuance of a respected benchmark that is used by many departments as a valuable tool when planning, budgeting, and justifying fire protection improvements. ISO is the leading supplier of data and analytics for the property/casualty insurance industry. Most insurers use PPC classifications for underwriting and calculating premiums for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. A communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. The ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PPC improved from Class 3 to Class 2, on a scale from 1 to 10, effective November 1, 2012.

The ICFD is participating in the newly-formed Johnson-Linn Metro Dive Team. This team is a multi-agency response coalition to prepare and respond to water rescues, drowning incidents, crime scene investigations, etc. Agencies that make up the team represent law enforcement and fire departments from Johnson and Linn counties. The various agency participants are ensuring that their team participants are being trained and both counties are engaging in equipment purchasing. The current expectation is that the team will be response ready in the spring of 2013.

iStation is a web portal built on a Microsoft SharePoint platform designed to enhance fire department communications and provide easy access to information through a user-friendly interface. Many fire departments have a snarled mix of current and out-of-date information spread across multiple file shares, paper-based systems, and third party applications. The iStation platform was customized to meet ICFD needs and went live on February 1, 2012. Forms and policies are well catalogued in easy-to-access repositories. Maintenance requests are smartly initiated and tracked for facilities, apparatus, and equipment. 38

iStation automatically launches when the computer is booted up, giving firefighters direct communication through the use of announcements, conference call items, duty rosters, and a master calendar of events. Firehouse Analytics Improving Response Times In February of 2012, the ICFD purchased the add-on module â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Firehouse Analyticsâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; to its records management software. Firehouse Analytics provides response time feedback to emergency response personnel faster and more readily than ever before. An easy to navigate dashboard provides real time information at a glance, giving immediate insight into staff training, turnout and reaction times, incident compliance rates, and standards of cover.

Figure 3: Firehouse Analytics

The ICFD, as part of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team, utilizes a decontamination trailer that is currently owned by the Veterans Administration Hospital, located in Iowa City. The trailer sat idle for multiple years and county hazmat funding was utilized to get it into working order. The trailer is stored at the Emergency Management Agency and can be used for meth lab decontamination and any other hazmat situation.

Starting in the spring of 2012, the ICFD conducted quantitative SCBA fit testing for all personnel. In the past, the process was of a qualitative design. The new process delivers quantifiable, unambiguous results, as well as a direct measurement of fit factors.

In May 2012, the ICFD took part in a multi-agency response exercise that took place in the Iowa City fire district. The exercise was anchored as a WMD incident and it was located at the University of Iowa Carver Hawkeye Arena. incorporated chemical

release

The drill

radiological with

and

multiple

victims. Various local, regional, and state agencies participated in this multi-day event.

The ICFD was engaged in a long duration incident, starting on May 26th, when the landfill drainage layer started on fire.

The drainage

layer, consisting of rubber chips equating to 1.3 million tires over 7.5 acres burned for over two weeks.

This event required staffing of the

Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incident command post with daily operational and planning meetings.

The

incident required participation and coordination of multiple City departments, as well as a disaster declaration to reach out to state and federal resources.

The damage caused an

estimated four million dollars, as well as an extended disruption to the daily operation of the landfill.

As in every fire department, the ICFD responds to citizen assist calls. Sometimes those incidents are repeat contacts. In an effort to assist those with identifiable needs, the ICFD has instituted a process through which we collaborate with various agencies throughout the county.

appropriate agency is then notified, dependent upon the type of need, to make a call/visit to the needy citizen in an effort to improve their quality of life - this provides a decrease in the amount of non-emergent calls the ICFD responds to. A group of ICFD Firefighters proved they not only know how to hold their own when tackling a fire or an emergency situation - they also know how to hold their own in a flag football game, especially when it involves a little friendly competition with other area emergency response departments and the opportunity to raise funds for charity.

The ICFD Firefighters took top

honors in the annual Cedar Rapids Fire Department Fire Bowl held September 9 at Coe College's Clark Field. The bowl, now in its third year, helped raise more than $33,000 for Folds of Honor (visit their website at www.foldsofhonor.org for more information), which provides assistance and scholarships for spouses and children of service members killed or injured in service to our country. Each year, the Fire Bowl selects a different charity for the football/fundraising competition. All members of the ICFD Firefighters team, which was coordinated by Lieutenant Brandon Smith, sold raffle tickets or team shirts to help raise funds. The Iowa City Professional Firefighters Local 610 also served as an event sponsor and assisted the team. A total of 12 teams competed. The ICFD Firefighters played and defeated four of them in the double-elimination tournament, including defending champions from the North Liberty Volunteer Fire Department, Marion Fire Department, University of Iowa Emergency Department, and Hiawatha Fire Department. Other teams that competed included the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, Cedar Rapids Police Department, St. Luke's Emergency Department, Linn County Sherriff's Office, Area Ambulance Service, Dubuque County Sheriff's Office, and the Cedar Rapids National Guard. This is the second year the Iowa City Firefighters have competed in the event. Last year, in their debut effort, they took fourth place. 41

Community Description Geography

Iowa City is located on both sides of the Iowa River in a rich agricultural area in southeast Iowa in the heart of the Midwest, just south of the Coralville reservoir. This location, 25 miles south of Cedar Rapids and approximately 55 miles west of Davenport and the Mississippi River, is within easy reach of many of the major Midwest metropolitan centers, lying 300 miles north of St Louis, a little over 200 miles west of Chicago, and 250 miles east of Omaha. The city covers 26.51 square miles in the central portion of Johnson County. Figure 4 below shows Iowa City within the state of Iowa and the county of Johnson. Figure 4 ICFD within Johnson County and State of Iowa

State of Iowa

Johnson County

Topography

Iowa City has a wide range of elevations, generally sloping from the hills on the northeast and west sides of town down toward the Iowa River and areas toward the south of town. The average elevation for the city is 668 feet or 203.6 meters above sea level.

Iowa City growth boundary is the area considered as the area outside of the city limits, in unincorporated areas of Johnson County, where the City has agreements with other municipalities for future annexation. Figure 5: Iowa City Growth Boundary

Trails

Today the City manages over 1,600 acres of parkland/open space, which includes over six miles of nature trails and miscellaneous other amenities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, bocce courts, horseshoe courts, dog park, disc golf, etc. The Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trail system has grown to include over 50 miles of trails. In 2005, the department purchased a John Deere Gator to provide emergency services within the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trail system.

Iowa City Parks and Trails Master Plan Map

The Willow Creek Trail on the west side of Iowa City is approximately two miles long and connects to Willow Creek Park, Kiwanis Park, Walden Square commercial area, West High School, and surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking is available at Kiwanis Park and Willow Creek Park for trail access. Two recently constructed links in the trail network include the IRP Dam pedestrian bridge, linking Coralville to the Peninsula Park and the Iowa River Corridor (IRC) Trail and the trail under Interstate-80, linking Waterworks Prairie Park to the rest of the IRC Trail System. These projects show how trails are linking our communities closer together. Trail projects planned in the near future include a trail along Ralston Creek between Creekside Park and Court Hill Park

in east Iowa City and a pedestrian bridge over the Iowa River adjacent to the Dubuque Street/Iowa River bridge. Parks

Iowa City has a policy of protecting sensetive natural areas and has been able to acquire some of the low lying land near the river for conversion into parks and open space. The largest of these parks is City Park.

Figure 6: Iowa City Parks

Streams and Other Bodies of Water

There are several creeks and streams in Iowa City that run into the Iowa River. The Iowa River runs through the center of the city and several bridges provide access across the river. Several creeks, including Clear Creek, Rapid Creek, and Deer Creek run along the outside edges of town, which are generally less densely populated areas.

Ralston Creek enters the city from the

northeast side of town and flows southwestward toward the Iowa River through some of the older residential neighborhoods before it joins the river just south of downtown. Figure 7: Iowa City Water Ways

The Iowa River in winter, as seen from the University of Iowa campus

Climate

Similar to most cities in the upper Midwest and due to its location in the central portion of North America, the climate is continental in character. Iowa City experiences four seasons annually â&#x20AC;&#x201C; spring, summer, fall and winter. Because it is far from the influence of a large body of water, a wide variation in both temperature and precipitation during the four seasons is common. The following data tables contain Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weather information, which was provided by the weather base in May, 2012. Figure 8: Days Temperature was Equal to or Greater than 90 Degrees Fahrenheit

Days Tempratures >= 90 F 30 20 Number of Days 10 0 2008

2009

2010

2011

Figure 9: Temperature Records

Highest Recorded Temperature ANNUAL JAN

109

Years on Record: 26

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 66

105

109

108

Lowest Recorded Temperature ANNUAL JAN

-23

Years on Record: 25

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC -23

-16

-4

-19

Iowa City’s climate is warm during the summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70s and very cold during the winter when temperatures tend to be in the 20s. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average maximum temperature of 87.50 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January, with an average minimum temperature of 13.40 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest recorded temperature was 104°F in 1988, while the lowest recorded temperature was -26°F in 1996.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual average precipitation in Iowa City is 37.27 inches. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.

Figure 10: Weather Averages

Average Snowfall ANNUAL JAN

in.

28.4

7.7

Years on Record: 63

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 6.7

---

Average Number of Rainy Days ANNUAL JAN

Days

64.8

3.7

1.8

Years on Record: 99

3.6

5.3

6.1

6.9

7.5

6.9

6.6

4.5

3.8

3.9

Years on Record: 6

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 78

Average Dew Point ANNUAL JAN

0.2

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Average Relative Humidity ANNUAL JAN

---

Years on Record: 6

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 19

The maximum average precipitation occurs in June. Summer precipitation results primarily from thunderstorm activity, although longer, less intense rains are common in the area. Other forms of precipitation recorded in the area include snow, hail, ice pellets, and sleet. The annual average rainfall is just over 64 inches, with June typically being the wettest month. The annual snowfall average based on weather data collected from 1981 to 2010, from the NOAA National Climatic Data Center is 27.2 inches (69.1 centimeters).

The pedestrian mall 1

in Iowa City

Source: the Gazette, accessed Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Figure 11: Normal Precipitation (Iowa City weather station, 0.76 miles from Iowa City)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Inch

1.10 1.15 2.36 3.75 4.52 4.82 4.54 4.89 3.43 2.78 2.41 1.52

Annual

37.27

There are no large bodies of water between the Rockies and Iowa, so meteorologists say Iowa is in the ― rain-shadow‖ of the mountains. This means most of the time the west winds that cross Iowa are dry and hot. Cool, dry air from the north provides relief from summer heat or it can make it even colder in the winter. Southerly winds coming up from the Gulf of Mexico provide most of Iowa’s precipitation. Any of these systems can be in place for a long period of time. They produce stable, sometimes pleasant, sometimes unpleasant weather conditions. Long periods of hot, dry winds from the west can cause drought conditions. A continuous stream of moisture-rich air from the south can cause flooding. When any two of the systems collide, there is a good chance there will be an outbreak of severe weather. Although weather impedance to emergency response is rare, the consideration of such a factor is still important. Heavy snow and ice can seriously impede effective mobility as it did in 2007 when thick icy ruts caused truck axles to break. The department maintains close contact with City staff from the Department of Public Works Streets Division, which is responsible for snow 51

plow operations. Iowa City enacted a snow emergency ordinance, which is designed to limit onstreet parking during a snow emergency to allow plows to access and clear the entire street during extreme winter storms. Population

The population in Iowa City has been steadily increasing since the 1940s. Between 1960 and 1970, there was a population increase of 40 percent. Another period of considerable population growth occurred between 1990 and 2000 when population increased 18 percent. According to the 2010 Census, Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is 67,862, an increase of 9.07 percent with an annual growth rate of 0.91 percent since 2000, making it the sixth largest city in the state. The figure below shows Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical population and population growth trend. Population density in the year 2010 is depicted in Figure 13 by census blocks. Figure 12: Population Growth Trend

Iowa City Population Growth Trend 80,000 67862 70,000 62220

60,000 59738 50508

50,000 46850

40,000 33443

30,000

27212

20,000

17182 15340

10,000 7,987 0 1900

11267 10091

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Figure 13: 2010 Population Densities by Census Blocks

The ICFD serves a permanent population of approximately 67,862 residents, according to the 2010 Census. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population nearly doubles when University of Iowa classes are in session. The daytime population inflates by at least 22,339 people2 due to job opportunities created by the University of Iowa and other industrial and commercial organizations housed within the city limits. That makes the service population approximately 90,201. Refer to the 2

Residents+ (Inflow-Outflow workers) = Total Build-out Service Population { 67,862 + (34,079-11,740*) = 90,201}

(*Source: Source: U.S Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies )

charts below for a breakdown of the population by age cohort and percentage of selected age groups in 2010. Figure 14: Inflow/Outflow of Workers

Inflow/Outflow Job Counts (All Jobs) in Iowa City Employed in Iowa City Area Employed in Iowa City but Living Outside Employed and Living in Iowa City Area Living in Iowa City Living in Iowa City but Employed Outside Living and Employed in Iowa City

Count 52,312 34,079 18,233 29,973 11,740 18,233

Share 100.00% 65.10% 34.90% 100.00% 39.20% 60.80%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies, 2009 Figure 15: Population Trend in Iowa City and Johnson County

Population Trend in Iowa City and Johnson County Iowa City

Johnson County

130,882

124,240

111,006

62,220

66,177

67,862

133,403

69,274

2000 2007 2010 2012

Figure 16: Population by Age Cohort

Total Population of Iowa City by Age Groups 2000-2010 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000

2000

6,000

2010

4,000 2,000 0

Figure 17: Percentage of Population in Selected Age Groups

Percentage of Population in Selected Age Groups 2010 Seniors (65+)

Boomers (45-65)

15%

Young Adults (18-44)

Children (under 18)

8% 18%

59%

Figure 18: Population Linear Projection

Linear Projection of Population Growth 200,000

182,200

Population Count

164,800 147,400

150,000

130,882

100,000 67862

75500

71400

79500

50,000

0 Iowa City

2010 2020 Johnson County

2030

2040

Year

Iowa City is attractive to senior citizens, due to the hospitals, cultural, arts, and retail opportunities.

The baby boomer generation is the fastest growing segment of the local

population. The percentage of older residents in the city has increased dramatically in the last ten years; those in the age group 54-64 years old grew by 81 percent between 2000 and 2010 and those 65 and older grew by 26 percent to total eight percent of the city population. The increase is due to aging baby boomers and also due to the fact that Iowa City has been identified in national publications as a very attractive place to retire and was named among the best places in America to live.

Figure 19: RMZ Classification

RMZ 1 4 5 6 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105

Area in Square Miles 5.89 3.99 1.66 0.48 0.36 0.47 0.71 1.12 0.57 0.41 1.53 3.4 0.35 1.38 1.8 1.66

Population Density 1,071 1,349 4,355 6,249 10,808 4,080 4,232 4,087 4,477 17,587 1,835 2,600 10,890 3,262 1,882 1,837

Class Suburban Suburban Metro Metro Metro Metro Metro Metro Metro Metro Suburban Urban Metro Metro Suburban Suburban

Figure 20: Population Density by RMZ

Schools

The Iowa City Community School District is the fifth-largest school district in Iowa. On any given school day, approximately 12,454 students are in Iowa City schools, 8,680 of them are within the Iowa City Fire District. The school district has 17 preschool sites, 19 elementary Schools, three junior high schools, two high schools, and one alternative school. The Iowa City campus of Kirkwood Community College is one of the fastest-growing campuses in Iowa. More than 3,500 students attend the Iowa City campus.

Figure 21: Iowa City Schools

The University of Iowa

Iowa City is the home of the University of Iowa. Established in 1847, the University of Iowa is a major national research university located on a 1,900-acre campus. The University of Iowa is composed of 11 colleges, the largest of which is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, enrolling most of Iowa's undergraduates. The Henry B. Tippie College of Business, the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and the Colleges of Education, Engineering, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, enroll undergraduates. All provide graduate degree programs along with the Colleges of Dentistry and Public Health. Figure 22: University of Iowa Campus

More than 30,500 students enroll at Iowa each year: 55 percent come from Iowa, 25 percent from adjoining states, and nine percent from the remaining states. International students from 100 countries make up 10 percent of the university's enrollment. Enrollment at Iowa reached a record in fall 2012, with 31,498 students attending the university. The incoming class, 4470, is Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most diverse ever, with 16.2 percent of them minorities. Iowa residents make up 47.2 percent of the class. The faculty numbers approximately 1,700 and approximately 13,000 staff. There are more than 120 major buildings. Adding to the population are more than a million visitors each year who come to enjoy cultural events and art exhibits, to attend Big Ten athletic events, and to participate in the many conferences and educational programs scheduled at the university year-round. Kinnick Stadium (KS), shown on the map below Hawkeye fans from all parts of the state of Iowa, the Midwest, and locations as far away as New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, and Texas converge on Iowa City for an entire weekend of activities on the Iowa campus. Tailgating activities continue all day as Iowa fans support their Hawkeyes. Figure 23: University of Iowa Campus Zones

Demographic Features

Most of Iowa City’s population is white. Other principal races are African American and Asian. Iowa City became more diverse over the past decade with non-white residents increasing from 12.7 percent to 17.5 percent of the total population. The Black or African American population increased from 3.75 percent to 5.8 percent of the total population between 2000 and 2010. Iowa City’s Asian population increased from 5.64 percent to 6.9 percent of the total population and the number of Hispanics or Latinos of any race in Iowa City increased from 2.95 percent to 5.3 percent. The chart below shows the racial mix of the city: 82.5 percent White, 5.8 percent Black or African American, 0.2 percent Native American, 6.9 percent Asian, 2.1 percent from other races, and 2.5 percent from two or more races; 5.3 percent of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. Figure 24: Racial Mix

American Indian/Alaska Native alone, 0.2%

Population 2010 by Race Asian Alone, 6.9%

Some Other Race Alone, 2.1%

Black Alone, 5.8%

Other Race Alone or in Combination, 17.5% White Alone, 82.5%

The estimated median age in Iowa City in 2011 is 25.6 years, skewed by the student population at the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. This is an increase of approximately 2.4 percent from 25 years of age in 2000, indicating Iowa City’s population is growing slightly older. However, Iowa City remains a very young community, compared to the 62

nation as a whole, and is aging more slowly than the U.S. on average. The U.S. median age in 2008 was 36.9 - an increase of approximately 4.34 percent from the 2000 median age of 35.3. A large part of the population is college-aged: Arranged by age, 14.9 percent of the population is under 18, 33.4 percent is 18 to 24, 25.7 percent is 25 to 44, 17.8 percent is 45 to 64, and 8.2 percent is 65 or older. Languages

According to the American Community Survey 2006-2008, among the population of Iowa City urbanized areas (including University Heights and Coralville) who are five years old or older, approximately 77,758 people speak English and 9,948 people speak other languages at home; 3,640 (37 percent) of whom speak English less than â&#x20AC;&#x2022; very well.â&#x20AC;&#x2013;3 It is assumed that the percentages apply to the protected area. This is an important concern in terms of language barrier as an impediment to the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response effectiveness. With this in mind, the department is taking steps to create a work force that is, as much as possible, representative of the community racial mix. The figure below is a break-down of the languages spoken at home from 2008 data. Figure 17 shows Non-English speakers classified by language. Figure 18 shows how many of them speak English less than very well. Figure 25: Languages Other than English Spoken at Home

Languages other than English spoken at home Spanish

Other Indo -European Language

Asian and Pacific Islander language 9%

Other languages

30%

32%

29%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2008 American Community Survey. Data is based on a sample and is subject to sampling variability.

At Risk Groups

Generally at risk populations include 11,730 children (those under 18 years), 4,804 seniors (65 years or older), and about 353 individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities4. It is assumed that these groups are more likely to require assistance during times of disaster and therefore are considered, generally speaking, more â&#x20AC;&#x2022; at-riskâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; than the remaining population. Inventory of Supportive Housing Facilities for Non-Homeless Special Needs Populations Iowa City and Johnson County support a number of housing facilities occupied by persons with special needs. These residential facilities serve persons with physical and mental disabilities, persons who are elderly, and substance abuse patients. Following is a list of facilities in Iowa City, the populations they serve, and the capacity of the facility. Figure 26: List of People in Group Quarters

5,468 people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus) 145 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill 145 people in hospices or homes for chronically ill 119 people in other non-institutional group quarters 115 people in nursing homes 94 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups) 86 people in schools, hospitals, or wards for the mentally retarded 23 people in other non-household living situations 22 people in residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children 16 people in homes for the physically handicapped 15 people in homes or halfway houses for drug/alcohol abuse 4 people in homes for the mentally ill 3 people in religious group quarters

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey

Educational Attainment

Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa and a small Kirkwood Community College campus. The population increases during the months when the two schools are in session. Iowa City is tied with Stamford, Connecticut, for the U.S. metropolitan area with the highest percentage of adult population holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Close to half of the populace have a Bachelor's degree or higher due to the graduates, professors, and other degree-wielding individuals living in the city. For ages 25 years and over, high school diplomas have been earned by 94.8 percent of the population group, Bachelor's degrees or higher by 55.9 percent of the population group, and Graduate or professional degrees by 27.8 percent of those 25 years and older. Industries

Iowa City's economy is as diverse as it is prosperous and the city has received numerous rankings and awards as a "Best Place" for business and quality of life.

In 2004, Forbes

Magazine named Iowa City the third Best Small Metropolitan Area in the United States. In June 2006, Kiplinger's Personal Finance rated Iowa City number ten on its list of the Top 50 Smart Places to Live. The leading industries in Iowa City representing 42 percent of the total are education and health and social services. Retail trade represents 11 percent; arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services represent 10 percent of the industrial base (as of 2006 census estimates). The total number of firms in 2007 was 4,186. The economy is based on thriving commerce, a major university, and a number of national and international businesses. The University of Iowa is the city's largest employer. The academic and research missions of the university, along with the health care services provided at its hospitals and clinics, have a tremendously positive economic impact on the area. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) is the state's only comprehensive tertiary care center. The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center in Iowa City is an NCI-designated Cancer Center, one of fewer than 60 in the country. Pearson, Oral B Laboratories, Procter & Gamble, the corporate headquarters for ACT Inc., and scores of smaller industries and businesses operate facilities in Iowa City. All of these businesses help Iowa City maintain a vibrant business environment.

Transportation

There are several modes of transportation within the Iowa City fire district, which include roadways, a municipal airport, bus service, trails, a bicycle friendly community, and a rail line. The Johnson County Council of Governments reports that according to the 2000 US Census, Iowa City has far more pedestrian and bicycle commuters than the rest of the state, with 15.5 percent per capita pedestrians and 2.5 percent per capita bicyclists.

Airports and heliports located in Iowa City are: 

Iowa City Municipal Airport (Runways: 2, Air Taxi Ops: 2,200, Itinerant Ops: 13,100, Local Ops: 3,700, Military Ops: 287)



Picayune Airport (Runways: 1)



University Of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Heliport



University Of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics No. 2 Heliport

Iowa City Municipal Airport

Iowa City Airport

Iowa City’s general aviation airport – the Iowa City Municipal Airport - is located on the south side of the city, two miles southwest of downtown.

Iowa City Municipal Airport Operations and Facilities

The Iowa City Municipal Airport is the second busiest general aviation airport in the state. It has been operating since 1918 and is the oldest general aviation airport this side of the Mississippi River. Eighty-four aircraft are based at the Iowa City Municipal Airport where approximately 36,000 flight operations are conducted annually. The Iowa City Municipal Airport does not have a significant impact on the arterial street system. South Riverside Drive, a four lane arterial street, provides vehicular access to the airport. Existing Iowa City Municipal Airport facilities include two runways, the terminal building, a maintenance facility, hangars, and fueling facilities. The airport terminal includes a pilotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lounge, weather briefing room, lobby, classroom, and administrative offices. Fueling facilities are provided for the fixed base operator. The fixed base operator offers fuel sales, charter service, maintenance, flight lessons, and other airport support services. Existing runway dimensions are 3,900 x 75 feet (Runway 12-30), and 5,004 x 100 feet (Runway 7-25), and are able to accommodate larger aircraft than many other general aviation airports. The airport is utilized by single engine,

twin

engine,

turboprop, and business jet aircraft,

along

with

helicopters. The airport also offers aircraft parking. Regional

access

the

airport is provided by U.S. Highway 218/27, I-80, I380, U.S. Highway 6, and Iowa Highway 1. Eighty-four aircraft are based at the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The Iowa City Municipal Airport supports 115 jobs in the Iowa City Area and contributes $11.2 million in economic output. A study on the economic impact of aviation in Iowa was commissioned by the Iowa Department of 67

Transportation and estimates that 36,450 operations occur per year, and 70 aircraft visit the airport each week on average. The Airport Commission voted in 2009 to change the traffic patterns on Runways 7 and 12 to right-handed traffic. The change provides increased safety for separation between aircraft and helicopter traffic landing at the UI Hospitals & Clinics. In addition, aircraft landing traffic patterns are shifted away from the residential areas to the north and northwest of the airport. Waterways

The

Iowa

River

runs

through

Iowa

City.

Approximately 300 miles long, the Iowa River is open to traffic to Iowa City, about 65 miles from its mouth.

The river is dammed to create the

Coralville reservoir just north of Iowa City to provide flood control and recreation.

Highways

Four highways run through Iowa City: U.S. 218, Iowa 1, and U.S. 6. Interstate 80 runs eastwest along the northern edge of Iowa City. U.S. Highway 218/27 (The Avenue of the Saints) runs north-south along the western edge of the city. Thousands of trips per day are made on the streets, roads, highways, and interstates that go through Iowa City. If the designed capacity of the roadway is exceeded, the potential for a major incident increases. Weather conditions play a major factor in the ability of traffic to flow safely in and through the city, as does the time of day and the day of the week.

Figure 27: Highways Serving Iowa City

Figure 28: Vehicle Collisions

Although certain intersections may pose a higher risk than others due to a tight turning radius or low sight distance, traffic volume also plays a role, as streets with more traffic are more likely to experience a higher incidence of accidents. Below is a map that dispays all accidents in 2006: The Iowa City area has a higher than average number of highway transportation incidents compared to the state as a whole. The following are department responses to incidents within the Iowa City protected area, including highway and non-highway routes. Figure 28: Vehicle Incidents 2008-2012

Year Vehicle Accident with Injuries Accident involving Pedestrian Accident with No Injuries Total

2008 38 8 0

2009 29 8 0

2010 35 7 0

2011 48 6 40

2012 50 9 43

102

Rail

Iowa City is served by the freight-only Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) and the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRANDIC). The main products handled by the IAIS, a class II railroad, include farm products, food products, transportation equipment, waste and scrap products, and metals. The CRANDIC is a class III railroad. The main products handled by the CRANDIC include food products, coal, grain, paper, and hazardous materials. The city and surrounding areas also stand to benefit from proposed rail improvements. The Iowa Department of Transportation is working to initiate a new commuterâ&#x20AC;?oriented passenger rail service in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Corridor on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company (CRANDIC) lines. This corridor is well located to serve commuters traveling from Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, and Coralville to Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown and the University of Iowa. Currently, there are no stops in the project area, although the line runs through the city and a stop has been proposed for an area north of Lafayette Street, between Clinton and Dubuque Streets, and in the northwest corner of the study area.

These new regional rail stops may serve as a catalyst for redevelopment and foster a change in existing land use patterns. If these services are implemented, the city would be well-positioned for transit‐oriented development (TOD) and could support higher density mixed‐use development in the vicinity of these transportation facilities. It could lead to an intensification of commercial uses along South Gilbert Court and a corridor of commercial and urban mixed‐use along Gilbert Street. Moreover, there could be positive spillover effects to support denser, mixed‐use, pedestrian‐oriented development. In 2010, the State of Iowa received $230 million in transportation appropriations funds to create a new intercity passenger-rail service between Chicago and Iowa City via the Quad Cities, by upgrading 131 miles of track to meet FRA Class IV requirements, which will enable 79 mph passenger-rail operations. Political support for the expenditure has waned since 2010 and the entire project is currently undergoing further analysis. Roads

Streets, roads, transit service and pedestrian and bicycle connections are vital elements for creating accessible neighborhoods. The street system shapes development patterns and provides connections within and between neighborhoods.

Arterial streets serve as neighborhood

boundaries that are intended to carry high volumes of community traffic traveling between homes, employment, shopping, and other destinations.

Mormon Trek Boulevard

Camp Cardinal Boulevard Figure 29: Primary Roadways

Figure 30: Transportation Capacity

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has a functional classification hierarchy for roads and streets. The FHWA groups roads according to their functional system (location) and then by subsystem (level of traffic mobility versus land access). The three functional systems include rural, urbanized, and small urban areas. The subsystems include arterial, collector, and local streets. The hierarchy of mobility ranges from automobile-oriented on the arterials to pedestrianfriendly on the local streets. Higher levels of mobility suggest increased amounts of automobile movement, whereas more land access indicates more direct access to surrounding land and an elevated rate of multi-modal activity.

Figure 31: Transportation Level of Service Definition

Level of Service Free Flowing LOS A

Description Relatively free flow. No restrictions to vehicle maneuverability or speed. Very slight delay

Minimal Delays LOS B

Stable flow. Some slight reduction in maneuverability and speed. Vehicle platoon form. Slight delay

Acceptable Delays LOS C

Stable flow operation. Higher volumes. More restrictions on maneuverability and speed. Acceptable delay.

Tolerable Delays Approaching unstable flow operation. Queues develop. Little freedom to maneuver. Tolerable delays for short periods. LOS D Significant Delays LOS E Excessive Delays LOS F

Unstable flow or operation. Low operating speed; momentary stoppages. This condition is not uncommon in peak hours. Congestion and lengthy delays. Forced flow or operation. There are many stoppages. The highway acts as a vehicle storage area. Jammed. Gridlock

Level of Service (LOS) is normally used to describe peak hour transportation conditions, which occur during the early morning or late afternoon, when traffic is the heaviest. Traffic engineers and planners use the LOS designations to evaluate the relative congestion of roads and highways. It is used to design where and what type of roadway improvements are required, such as location and timing of traffic signals, the configuration of intersections, and the number of lanes for new streets. LOS is intended to provide an approximate measurement of roadway operations similar to the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perceptions of traffic conditions. The table above provides LOS and their respective level descriptions. Figure 33 below shows level of service in Iowa City roadways at peak hour. There are two road segments in District 2 classified as F LOS which are considered impediments to response time efficiency.

Figure 32: 2012 Peak Hour Level of Service

Transit Service

The 2010 Census showed that among similarly sized communities, the Iowa City Urbanized Area ranked tenth in the country for percentage of persons using public transit to get to work at 5.3 percent. The next highest percentage for a metropolitan area in Iowa was 1.6 percent. The Iowa City Urbanized Area also ranked third highest in the country for persons walking to work at 10 percent. Iowa City Transit is the primary provider of public transit in the north district. Two bus routes offer residents of the north district connections to downtown Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and to other destinations in the larger Iowa City area. The Manville Heights route provides transportation to the western portion of the district, while the North Dodge route provides service in the eastern half of the district. The University of Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CAMBUS provides fixed route service to the Mayflower residence hall and the University of Iowa Bionic Bus and Johnson County SEATS provide para-transit for persons with disabilities. The North Dodge route was recently upgraded to provide increased bus service to the NCS/ACT area. It is likely that the northern terminus of the Manville Heights route will be improved, should Laura Drive be extended to provide a connection to Foster Road. Demand for transit service may increase as new residential development occurs along Laura Drive and in the Peninsula. Once Foster Road is extended, there may be sufficient demand to justify adding new transit service or modifying existing routes to provide more efficient transit connections east of Dubuque Street. Iowa City has a higher than average number of buses and public transportation options compared to most other cities in Iowa. Incidents involving buses and other high occupancy vehicles could trigger a response that exceeds the normal capabilities of response agencies. Iowa City Transit, Coralville Transit, and the University of Iowa's CAMBUS provide public transportation.

Land Use

Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comprehensive plan presents a vision for the city, provides a strategy for realizing the vision, and sets policies for the growth and development of specific geographic areas of the city. The Comprehensive Plan also guides decisions on planning and development issues as they arise. The broad principles set forth by the vision to guide the future of the city's development serves as the foundation for more specific recommendations. Based on these principles, detailed policies and action items outline how the vision can be realized. Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to preserve the character and identity of the community while guiding the creation of compatible new areas protecting the environment; encouraging diversity in the population, in housing, in jobs, and offering opportunities for human development to all citizens. As guidance, land use composition contributes toward achieving the greater vision of the city while providing the opportunity for existing and future residents to live, work, and recreate. Existing land use in Iowa City is predominantly residential. Single-family residential buildings account for about 61 percent of total structures in the city and multi-family comprise 27 percent of total structures (refer to tables below for more details).

According to the American

Community Survey of 2011, there are an estimated 28,274 housing units in Iowa City. Fortytwo percent of the units are detached homes, while 47 percent of the housing stock is multifamily units. Multi-family units with 20 or more units comprise 12 percent of total units. The average number of units in a multi-family housing structure is 2.3 units. The table below details the count and percentage of each type of housing.

Figure 33: Land Use Map

Figure 34: Total Housing Units

Units in Structure Total housing units 1-unit, detached 1-unit, attached 2 units 3 or 4 units 5 to 9 units 10 to 19 units 20 or more units Mobile home Source: U.S. Census, 2010

Count

% of Total

28,274 11,744 3,128 1,053 1,276 2,383 4,171 3,418 1,101

100% 42% 11% 4% 5% 8% 15% 12% 4%

Figure 36 shows the residential structures as a percentage of the total number of structures in the RMZ. Ninety-eight percent of structures located in RMZ 12 and 13 are residential and the majority of RMZs 4, 5, and 15 are also residential. Figure 35: Residential Structures Distribution

Most other areas are extensively single-family. Single-family units account for 53 percent of the housing stock; many being larger lot single family households. However, there are a few new condominium developments on the northeast side that are generally large (over 10 units) and not targeted at the student population. New Station 4 was built in this area. The table below shows a classification of all structures within the protected area by RMZ. Note: University means the structure is owned by the University of Iowa. Governmental means the structure is owned by Government. Figure 36: RMZ Structures by Class

RMZ

University

Single-family

Multi-family

Government

Commercial

1 4 5 6 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105

1 40 9 44 17 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 58 72 2 0

1,396 1,247 918 335 450 738 1,152 1,199 1,073 373 1,047 1,671 3 613 4 607

380 485 1,303 294 376 34 273 438 102 384 61 964 211 133 3 321

15 4 3 2 3 0 0 10 2 5 14 4 11 30 18 6

81 46 81 86 156 12 45 84 40 108 481 257 394 13 197 83

City Total

253

12,826

5,762

127

2164

0.60%

10.24%

% of Total 1.20% 60.69% 27.27% Note: Some residential units are located in commercial buildings.

General Housing Information

According to the 2010 Census, there are 29,270 housing units at a density of 1,079.4 housing unit per square mile in Iowa City. 27,657 units were occupied in 2010 and 1613 were vacant. Vacant housing units include units for sale or rent, units that were rented or sold but unoccupied, units for seasonal or recreational use, and other units that were vacant at the time of enumeration. Growth in the number of housing units well outpaced the growth in total households during the last decade, both nationally and in Iowa. On average, the U.S. housing stock increased by 1.41 units per each new household. In Iowa, the ratio was 1.44 housing units per new household. A century ago, an average of 4.5 people lived in each household in the United States. The average U.S. household size has declined gradually through the decades, falling below four people between 1930 and 1940 and dropping below three people between 1970 and 1980. In Iowa City, the average household size in 2010 was 2.58 persons per household. The change in household composition yielded more single parent families and more people living alone. Refer to the table below for more details. Figure 37: Change in Household Composition

Change in Household Composition: 2010 and 2000

Iowa City

State of Iowa

2010

2000

2010

2000

Number of households

27,657

25,202

1,221,576

1,149,276

Percentage of households: Family households Married couple families with own children under 18 Single parent families with own children under 18 Male householder, no wife present Female householder, no husband present Householder living alone Households with an individual under age 18 Households with an individual age 65 or older

% 42.50% 13.50% 5.50% 1.10% 4.40% 34.30% 19.80% 14.50%

% 44.40% 15.90% 5.30% 1.10% 4.20% 33.80% 22.20% 12.70%

% 64.70% 20.00% 8.40% 2.50% 5.90% 28.40% 30.60% 25.50%

% 67.00% 23.90% 7.50% 1.90% 5.60% 27.20% 33.30% 25.40%

Area Development

2011 data shows a total of 223 building permits were issued for housing and mixed use. Relatively few housing units were overcrowded in 2010. Across the Iowa City area, 1.8 percent of the occupied housing stock was identified as overcrowded. Assisted Housing

In addition to the private housing market, there is a substantial privately-assisted housing inventory in the Iowa City metro area.

Privately-assisted housing is privately-owned, but

affordable due to the funding source used to develop the housing units. This type of subsidized housing differs from public housing, which is owned by a government entity. Eligible resident households typically include those who are elderly (either 55 or 62 years of age or older), low income (80 percent of median income or less), or disabled. Financing for these affordable units typically comes from state and federal sources such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC), the U.S. Department of Agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Section 515 Program, HUDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Section 202 (elderly), Section 811 (disabled), Section 236, and Section 221(d) (family) Programs. Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Program

Currently, the Assisted Housing Program (administered by the Iowa City Housing Authority) provides rental assistance to 1,171 housing units through two programs:

Housing Choice

Voucher Program (HCVP) and Public Housing to assist families and individuals that are income eligible (under 50 percent of the area median income) and meet the definition of a family. Both programs operate at 96-103 percent occupancy levels. HUD-Funded Apartments

A number of other funding sources are used by both for-profit and non-profit entities to provide affordable housing. There are 991 HUD funded apartments for families, elderly, and persons with disability. Water Distribution System

The municipal water supply system is analyzed within the Iowa City Comprehensive Plan (1997). The plan looks at the water supply in each district in terms of flow rate and pressure and categorizes it as adequate or inadequate. This analysis is supported primarily by the Iowa City 82

Water Division’s Distribution System Analysis Update – Master Plan for Service to Future Areas (2007). The Master Plan analyzes the water system’s capabilities throughout the city and makes recommendations for future improvements.

The 2007 update spoke to two additional

underground storage tanks and the possibility of system expansion to Hills, North Liberty, and/or a two-mile radius as potential issues for system planners. Iowa City Water Division runs the production system that serves the entire city. The City of Iowa City maintains a water system with fire hydrants for most of the department’s jurisdiction. On the University of Iowa campus, the ICFD utilizes the university’s water system. Both water systems maintain hydrant pressures between 65 and 105 pounds per square inch (psi). The municipal water system at the Water Treatment Plant has a capacity of 16.7 million gallons per day. There are four underground storage tanks in the system with a nine million gallon storage capacity. The university water system has a capacity of six million gallons in winter and 10 million gallons in summer. The U of I maintains 2.75 million gallons in above ground storage. The supply inventory includes the Iowa River – Four Collector Wells + SPPS as River Intake + Deep Wells.

System improvements since 2000 consist of over $50 million of

improvements, including installation of generators with automatic switchgear at the Emerald, Rochester, and Sycamore Ground Storage Reservoirs (GSR). A one million gallon Bloomington Street GSR was also added. The new 16.7 MGD water treatment plant went on line in 2003, which included a 30‖ transmission line to the Rochester GSR (east side of town) with three connections to the system and a 24‖ transmission line to the Emerald GSR (west side of town) with one connection to the system.

The new water treatment plant also has an emergency generator with automatic

switchgear. These major projects significantly improved reliability and system capacity. The ICFD has used the Risk Hazard and Valuation Evaluation (RHAVE) process to quantify risks in fire flow requirements in the risk management zones (RMZs). Based on these findings and performance standards and goals, the ICFD developed a Standard of Cover (SOC).

Figure 38: Breakdown of Hydrants

Breakdown of Hydrants

Count

3 way hydrant (x2 2 ½ outlets and x1 steamer or 4.5 connection) 2 way hydrant (x2 2 ½ outlets) 1 way hydrant (x1 2 ½ outlet) Subtotal 3 way hydrant (x2 2 ½ outlets and x1 steamer or 4.5 connection) 2 way hydrant (x2 2 ½ outlets) Subtotal1 way hydrant (x1 2 ½ outlet where more than 250 gpm is available at 20psi) 4” branch line of smaller Subtotal Total Hydrant Count Flush type hydrants (x1 2 ½ outlet where less than 250 gpm is available at 20psi)

2,462 765 0

3,227 26 9

35 35 3,262

Figure 39: 2012 Fire Flow

The map below shows fire flow density based on flow tests for a sample of 100 fire hydrants. The concentrations of higher flow hydrants are well suited for parts of the city that are the most populated and have higher property values.

B. DEPARTMENT SERVICES

The ICFD is dedicated to providing the community with progressive, high quality emergency and preventive services. This part of the document - Department Services - helps orient readers to the department’s services and deployment features. Department Services is sub-divided into two parts: Service Delivery Programs and Service Deployment.

B. Department Services

Service Delivery Programs

Service Deployment

This section examines the ICFD’s ability to respond to and mitigate emergency incidents created by natural or human-made disasters, and is a comprehensive analysis of detailed fire, emergency medical services, hazardous materials, and rescue protection systems. Data for this report was compiled from the fire department’s existing deployment strategy, community risk analysis, critical task analysis, resource distribution study, resource concentration study, performance study of historical data, and fire station concept study.

Included in this examination is a

historical perspective of all four fire stations that make up the ICFD, data from the past five years related to performance objectives and the department’s ability to meet those goals, and a community risk assessment, which identifies areas of vulnerability in the current response areas. The information will assist the department in its efforts to refine its performance measures and work to improve service delivery across the entire response spectrum.

Information for this report was collected and studied in an effort to assist the ICFD in its effort to make informed decisions concerning its ability to balance the community risk against the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to fund service enhancements. The ICFD is committed to the concept of continuous improvement. Service delivery models will reflect the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to safety and customer satisfaction. The ICFD provides an integrated all risk response to the community. Emergency services include, but are not limited to, emergency medical services, fires, rescue response for vehicle accidents, surface water bodies, confined space, technical rescue, and hazardous material incidents.

Service Delivery Programs

Fire Suppression

Fire suppression services provided by the department include responses to structure fires involving single-family dwellings, multi-family, commercial and residential high-rise occupancies, and commercial and industrial buildings. Other fire suppression services provided are responses to fires involving mobile property, to include passenger and road freight transport vehicles, rail, water and recreational vehicles, as well as fires involving heavy equipment and small private aircraft. Fire suppression services for natural vegetation, landfill, and dumpster (rubbish) fires are also provided. The department currently operates from four fire stations and maintains a staff of 64 uniformed suppression personnel. The department’s minimum daily firefighter staffing is 16 firefighters and officers (maximum 20) responding on three engine companies, one quint company, one truck company, and one Battalion Chief command van. Minimum staffing on each apparatus is three personnel. With regard to fire suppression, the ICFD responds to emergency incidents with specific apparatus assignments.

These assignments are based on potential incident severity, past

experience, and the associated risk-to-benefit analysis as determined by the ICFD.

unconfirmed moderate risk suppression first alarm would minimally consist of ten shift personnel on two engines (or one engine and one quint depending on incident location), a truck company, and the battalion chief’s command van. A confirmed moderate risk suppression first alarm would minimally consist of thirteen shift personnel on three engines (or two engines and one quint depending on incident location), a truck company, and the battalion chief’s command van. A high or special risk suppression alarm response would minimally consist of sixteen shift personnel on three engines and one quint, a truck company, and the battalion chief’s command van and automatic callback of off-duty ICFD personnel. High and special risk suppression alarm responses include activation of the mutual aid box alarm system as requested by response personnel. Included on all moderate suppression alarms is an administrative chief officer to assist

in critical staffing needs. High or special risk alarms include a minimum of two administrative chief officers. All fire apparatus are equipped to meet typical fire suppression activities encountered by ICFD personnel. The type and amount of equipment carried on apparatus is based on past experience. Other determining factors include National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards relating to apparatus and equipment, as well as Insurance Services Organization (ISO) guidelines, which determine the fire protection areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance rates based on the equipment and level of protection provided.

Equipment on all apparatus is standardized and/or similar,

including that on reserve apparatus. The City of Iowa City has a 28E agreement with surrounding communities to provide fire protection and other emergency services.

The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS),

adopted in November 2001, is a preplanned mutual aid system used to deal with emergencies exceeding fire department resources. MABAS contains predetermined response of personnel and equipment to five levels of alarm. In 2012, the ICFD received mutual aid 4 times and provided mutual aid 23 times; automatic aid was received 20 times and provided on 12 incidents. Emergency Medical Services

The ICFD provides first responder medical care at the Basic Life Support (BLS) service level. All firefighters are trained and certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs); however, 16 are certified paramedics. The ICFD is a non-transport agency. Transport service is provided by the County Ambulance Service (JCAS). All fire apparatus carry Automatic External Defibrillation (AED units) for restoring heart rhythms and personnel are recertified in their use quarterly. Shift EMS coordinators facilitate monthly continuing education training. With regard to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the ICFD responds to emergency incidents with specific apparatus assignments. These assignments are based on potential incident severity, past experience, and the associated risk-to-benefit analysis as determined by the ICFD. Both low and moderate risk events are minimally provided one unit with a minimum of three personnel with BLS capabilities. High risk events are minimally dispatched to provide 10 personnel with 88

BLS capabilities and special risk events will minimally provide 16 personnel. The Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) will be utilized to augment resource needs as determined by the incident commander. All Johnson County Mutual Aid Partners are trained EMS first responders and can assist in that capacity.

Rescue

Technical rescue includes incidents where a successful operation requires the rescuer(s) to employ special knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques. In comparison to firefighting, which generally requires large numbers of personnel, technical rescue requires fewer personnel, but a great deal of specialized equipment and intensive training. The entire range of technical rescue includes auto and machinery extrications, confined space rescue, trench and building collapse, high-angle rope rescue, and water and ice rescue. Emergency operations also include many non-emergency services, such as carbon monoxide 89

investigations, smoke and odor investigations, and miscellaneous requests for public assistance. Three rescue technician level trained responders are available on-duty at all times.

With regard to rescue services, the ICFD responds to emergency incidents with specific apparatus assignments. These assignments are based on potential incident severity, past experience, and the associated risk-to-benefit analysis as determined by the ICFD. As with all other risks, a low risk event will receive a response that includes three personnel. Moderate risk events are provided a minimum of 10 personnel; high risk events a minimum of 16 personnel; and special risk events a minimum of 16 personnel with a Special Operations Rescue Team callback and the resources available through the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System

(MABAS). Mutual aid partners have received operations level training by the department SORT to assist with special risk events. Hazmat

The ICFD’s hazardous materials (hazmat) response service was established in 1988. At least three hazmat technician level trained responders are available and on-duty at all times. The ICFD is prepared to respond to and mitigate the release of hazardous materials. Personnel are trained to the hazardous materials technician level and front line engine companies are equipped with basic tools to perform defensive operations in the event of a minor release. Such releases might include fuel spills at a local filling station, a fluid cleanup resulting from a motor vehicle accident or a carbon monoxide release within a structure. All apparatus carry the ERG, NIOSH Pocket Guide, shovels, and binoculars. In addition, all engine companies carry oil dry. All carbon monoxide incidents will receive a representative from the local gas company, MidAmerican Energy. Members of the ICFD take part in hazardous materials training on the company and department level. Company training topics concentrate on basic hazmat response competencies. Quarterly department training is multi-company to include specialty classes and scenarios. Probationary firefighters must successfully show proficiency with hazmat competencies within their first year to realize technician status. These competencies are based on NFPA 472 standard. Response and mitigation of larger, more complex incidents is accomplished in partnership with the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team (JCHMRT). The JCHMRT is a combination team comprised of Iowa City firefighters, the Johnson County Sheriff’s office, volunteer firefighters from departments within Johnson County, technical specialists, and civilians. The team is under the autonomy of the Johnson County Sheriff and is directed by a six person executive board. This board is made up of members of the team. Two are appointed, one by the Iowa City Fire Chief and one by the Johnson County Sheriff. The Battalion Chief assigned to Operations is the Fire Chief’s appointed board member. The county EMA director is the sheriff’s appointment. The remaining board positions are voted on by the team membership.

The JCHMRT utilizes a hazmat response unit that is housed at ICFD fire station 2. This apparatus is a walk- in rescue body design and is fully stocked with hazmat response supplies. Upon receipt of a call for service, this truck will be brought to the scene by those assigned to fire station 2, if available, or by off-duty ICFD personnel or JCHMRT volunteer members.

Station 2 is the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hazardous materials specialty station. All personnel assigned to this station are members of the JCHMRT.

Station 2 personnel are the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hazmat

specialists and are responsible for the delivery of all departmental hazmat training. All personnel assigned to Station 2 are sent to outside hazardous materials technician training. Currently, the department is utilizing the Michigan State Police Academy in Lansing, Michigan for this training. This course ensures station 2 personnel are getting contemporary, standards based training. With regard to hazardous materials response, the ICFD responds to emergency incidents with specific apparatus assignments. These assignments are based on potential incident severity, past experience, and the associated risk-to-benefit analysis as determined by the ICFD. All low risk hazmat calls for service will be dispatched as a single engine company assignment with a minimum of three personnel. Moderate risk events will be provided a minimum of 13 personnel. A scene size-up to determine potential release and/or the degree of toxicity, flammability, or

radiation will dictate a callout for the JCHMRT. A high risk event includes a full team roll-out of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team. This callout is done via the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center (JECC). Any need for a level A or B entry will require the assistance of the JCHMRT. High risk events will be provided a minimum of 16 personnel. Special risk events will be provided a high risk assignment of 16 personnel minimally and may require other specialists such as the Iowa WMD Taskforce and/or the 71st Civil Support Team. The Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System can be utilized to provide additional resources for hazardous materials response. All JCMA personnel are trained to hazardous materials operations level.

Landfill Fire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hazmat Element:

The tire chip fire that occurred at the landfill during the summer of 2012 proved difficult to analyze and plan for. Station 2 personnel assisted the mitigation effort by modeling plumes, making contacts with the 71st Civil Support Team (CST) and monitoring air quality at the site and affected areas of the city.

Charting plumes with the current JCHMRT software was difficult, due to limited database information. Initial plume modeling was established by the JCHMRT until the 71st CST could receive the proper approval related to the use of government technology. Once this arrangement was established, plume modeling was transmitted daily to the incident command post to assist with planning for upcoming operational periods. Four-gas monitors and photo ionization detectors (PID) were utilized to establish safe areas, as well as to determine where pyrolytic oil vapors were migrating. Because of the around-the-clock presence at the landfill site, these monitors were used in conjunction with plume models to ensure that response personnel were positioned in safe areas. Likewise, as the department received calls for service throughout the community for strange odors, monitoring could take place to identify the presence of vapors that were migrating via the sewer system.

Service Deployment

Points of Service Delivery and Resources

All fire departments and districts in Johnson County are dispatched centrally by the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center. The following map depicts the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four fire stations, as well as the other nine fire stations and fire districts within Johnson County. Figure 40: Johnson County Fire Station Locations

Sixty-four uniformed and one non-uniformed personnel are assigned to four major divisions: Administration and Support, Fire Prevention, Training and Equipment, and Emergency Operations. Services include fire prevention and education, fire suppression, emergency medical care, technical recue, and hazardous materials emergency response. Figure 41: Points of Service Delivery

Figure 42: ICFD Resources

64 Uniformed and One Civilian Personnel 4 Fire Stations 1 Training Center 3 Engine Companies 1 Quint Company 1 Truck Company 1 Cross-Staffed Rescue Company 1 Incident Command Van 1 Tow Vehicle 1 Tech Rescue Trailer 2 Public Education Trailers 1 All Purpose Gator 3 Water Craft 5 Reserve Engines 6 Staff Vehicles

The ICFD operates a combination of three engines with 1500 gallon per minute pumps, each carrying 750 gallons of water and 30 gallons of structural firefighting foam, one ladder truck with a 2000 gallon per minute pump and 200 gallons of water, and one quint equipped with a 1500 gallon per minute pump, 500 gallons of water, a full complement of hose, ground ladders, and light rescue equipment. A heavy rescue, hazmat unit and water craft are cross staffed by onduty personnel. Station 1 is staffed with a minimum of seven personnel, of which two are officers. Stations 2, 3, and 4 are staffed with a minimum of three personnel at each location, of which one is an officer or acting officer. The normal or routine daily staffing for stations is detailed in General Policy. No. GP-130.05 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Staffing. Figure 40 shows emergency response staffing. 97

Figure 43: Emergency Response Staffing

On- Duty

STATION 1 Battalion Chief Engine 1 Truck 1 20 1 4 4 19 1 4 4 18 1 4 4 17 1 3 4 16 1 3 3

STATION 2 STATION 3 STATION 4 Quint 2 Engine 3 Engine 4 Rescue 4 4 4 3* 0 4 3 3* 0 3 3 3* 0 3 3 3* 0 3 3 3* 0

NOTE: * Indicates E-4 personnel also operate R-4

Fire Administration and Support Services directs and manages the department and coordinates division activities.

Additionally, Fire Administration provides essential support, such as:

emergency management, public information, planning, budgeting, performance measurements, logistics and support services, human resource management, community services, community risk management, and community enhancement. The ICFD Fire Chief is the highest ranking administrative officer in the department. As such, the Fire Chief is the administrator of all activities the ICFD carries out. In addition, the Fire Chief conducts all responsibilities set out by federal or state laws, City ordinance, and the requirements of the City Manager, Mayor, and the City Council. The Deputy Fire Chief provides direct administrative and/or emergency operations oversight and serves on the senior management team. The Deputy Fire Chief plans, organizes, and directs the staffing and training of administrative services, accreditation, homeland security, special assignments, and related emergency response activities. The Deputy Fire Chief assumes the duties of the Fire Chief in the event of absence and/or vacancy. The shift battalion chief assigned to Administration and Support is responsible for buildings, grounds, calendar administration, and the Health & Safety Committee.

Emergency Operations

The Operations Division works a three shift system. Each duty shift is comprised of 24 hours and minimally consists of one Battalion Chief, one Captain, four Lieutenants, and 10 Firefighters.

This division is directly responsible for fire suppression, emergency medical

response, hazardous materials response, rescue, and other emergency response duties assigned to them. Figure 44: ICFD Protected Area

Total Population, 2010

Area in Square Miles

Overall Density

Total Housing Units

67,862

26.51

2,260 people per square mile

27,627

In 2012, the ICFD responded to 5,178 calls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an almost 16 percent increase from 2010. Total call volume in 2012 was a 22 percent increase from five years ago. Calls for service are divided into four categories: fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, and hazardous materials. Emergency medical calls accounted for the largest number of responses, with 2,876 calls for service in 2012. Actual fire calls totaled 241 in 2012, with an additional 799 false alarms. The largest single fire loss was estimated at $4 million for a fire that occurred at the Iowa City Landfill on May 26, 2012. Figure 45: Incident and Firefighter per Population

Non-fire incident per 1,000 population Fire incident per 1,000 population Sworn firefighter per 1,000 population

2008 60.2 2.61 0.82

2009 58.75 2.55 0.82

2010 63.29 2.62 0.82

2011 65.07 2.50 0.93

2012 71.61 3.50 0.93

Figure 46: Fire Incidents 2008-2012

Fire Incidents 2008-2012

241 179

2008

177

2009

178

2010

173

2011 2012

The total amount of loss due to all fires in 2012 amounted to just over $4.9 million; the major loss was attributed to a tire fire at the landfill, an estimated loss of $4 million. Evaluating response time data over the past five years indicates the ICFD provides an effective response force on the scene of a moderate risk unconfirmed structure fire within 10 minutes 45 seconds in serving metropolitan and urban population densities, and within 12 minutes 54 seconds in serving suburban population densities, 90 percent of the time. The ICFD continually seeks ways to decrease response times to all emergencies. Examples of this include the recent opening of Station 4 with its improved fire station design, resultant travel time reductions, and in the use of videoconferencing for training sessions to ensure companies remain in their response districts. The ICFD provides several technical rescue services: water emergencies, ice rescue, trench and structural collapse rescue, vehicle and heavy machinery rescue, rope rescue, and confined space rescue. The ICFD responded to 15 calls involving technical rescue in 2012.

The Special 100

Operations Response Team (SORT) keeps skill levels high with team training, in addition to regular company and shift training on various rescue disciplines. Station 4, the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty rescue station, is the centerpiece to the SORT, with Station 4 personnel coordinating all SORT activities. The SORT was placed on stand-by a total of 150 occurrences, due to confined space entries throughout the fire district in 2012. Figure 47: Response by Type 2008-2012

Response by Type 3500 3000

Count

2500 2000

EMS/ Rescue

1500

Fire

1000

Other HAZMAT

500 0 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Year

The ICFD continues to be active and take a leading role in the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team (JCHMRT), which includes 13 ICFD personnel.

The JCHMRT

consists of 31 members who are trained and certified to the Hazmat Technician level. The ICFD responded to 177 hazardous conditions in 2012. Existing Prevention and Occupancy Inspection Programs

The ICFD is committed to developing public private partnerships to implement and enhance fire prevention awareness. It has adopted a strategic approach to fire prevention and overall life safety. Starting with collecting data and trends to focus on inspection and education activities; measuring the actual fire problem and fire loss potential with life and values at risk. The frequency of inspections is based on fire history, fire potential, life-safety, and high risk occupancy. The inspection cycle is influenced by factors that help establish fire and life safety priorities.

Priorities change based on identified problems, perceived problems, seasonal

101

influence, type of use of occupancy, code-specified inspection frequency, and new construction versus existing properties. Besides harshly enforcing its designated occupancy limits, the department has put in place an educational program - Crowd Control Management Training - in which employees of businesses receive training on dealing with evacuation. This approach provides engagement in the everchanging economic demands of the community and insight for fire prevention challenges the department might face. Code Enforcement

The ICFD and the City of Iowa City are proactive in the adoption of codes for fire prevention and life-safety issues. The ICFD is proactive in establishing programs in fire prevention and in allocating resources to attain the goals. The City of Iowa City has adopted a number of codes directed toward fire prevention, life-safety and the reduction of hazards. The ICFD and other City inspection personnel apply these codes to various occupancies in the community. Compliance is assured by an assortment of penalties up to and including closure of the business. Public Education program

The public education program involves every member of the ICFD. The ICFD has partnerships with several agencies, including the State Fire Marshal, the University of Iowa, University Hospitals, Mercy Hospital, the Burn Treatment Center at University Hospitals, the City of Iowa City Community Development Department, and the Iowa City Community School District. Additionally, the ICFD is involved on a daily basis with public education through station tours, extinguisher demonstrations and training, and safety talks.

102

103

Training and Equipment

ICFD personnel are trained to fulfill the mission statement. Initial training of firefighters is done during a six-week orientation process. Probationary firefighters are required to be EMT and Fire Fighter I certified by the end of the first year of employment. Department-wide training is accomplished via a yearly training schedule. Monthly training days are assigned for fire, EMS, and rescue. Hazardous material training is held three or four times a year for at least eight total hours. Other required topics, i.e. SCBA fittings and bloodborne pathogens, are addressed on an annual basis. Emergency driving course and radiological monitoring are addressed annually; defibrillation skills are recertified semi-annually and quarterly. In addition, the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals call for additional company level training in fire and rescue topics on a monthly basis. New technical specialties are added to the training calendar on an as-needed basis. Company officers have the latitude to initiate company training at their discretion to ensure their companies are performing well. Certain technical rescue programs, such as confined space rescue, have annual competency testing.

Department training records are recorded in Firehouse by the

Training Officer. Company officers enter company training as it is conducted. Individuals who travel for training record their training when they return. The ICFD received a Federal Fire Act grant to train personnel on the Blue Card ICS curriculum â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a training program geared to incident command training.

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Two new 2011 Pierce Impel pumpers with the Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC) were placed in-service. Each unit is equipped with a 1500 gallon per minute pump. The units each carry 750 gallons of water and the usual complement of hose and ground ladders, along with some light rescue equipment. They are equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, such as seat belt warnings with frontal and side air bags. The cab is built to accommodate four firefighters. One of the pumpers was assigned to Station 3 to replace an older pumper. The other pumper was assigned to new Station 4. A new 2011 Pierce Velocity pumper was also placed in-serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this apparatus is referred to as a Quint, due to its 75 foot aerial ladder, giving it extra capabilities. The Quint is equipped with a 1500 gallon per minute pump and carries 500 gallons of water, a full complement of hose and ground ladders, and some light rescue equipment. The Quint is also equipped with safety systems to enhance firefighter safety. The Quint was assigned to Station 2. The estimated total cost of all three apparatus is $1.9 million. The ICFD took delivery on a new Rescue One 1660 Connector model boat on November 1, 2012. The boat is equipped with a light bar, emergency lighting, a vinyl top, and a cover. The boat is a larger version of the jon boat it replaced, has plenty of room to work inside, and has a folding platform on the front to help personnel perform rescues. Mobile Data Computers were installed on all apparatus to aid in tracking response times and provide information on an emergency scene.

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Fire Stations

Fire Station 1, 410 E Washington St. Designated Headquarters Station 1 houses the administration, emergency operations, and training divisions - Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Battalion Chief, Administrative Secretary, Fire Marshal, and Training Officer. Station 1 has a conference/training room, hose drying tower, three small storage rooms, a filing room, and a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) repair room. Living quarters are located on the second floor with a designated exercise area and separate bathroom/shower facilities for male and female personnel. Sleeping accommodations are single cubicles for 12 personnel on the second level. These non-private areas have a common bedding storage area. The Station 1 office area also has cubical space for company officers, as well as an office and dormitory for the Battalion Chief. Station 1 was remodeled in 1990, which improved the amount of space for administrative use and classroom space for training. The second floor kitchen was remodeled in 2012. Nine company officers share three work stations, which provide minimal space for completing required tasks. Private offices for completing employee evaluations, counseling, or discipline issues are lacking. The engine room consists of three bays to house six pieces of emergency equipment. Four additional staff vehicles are parked adjacent to the station in the public safety area of the parking lot.

106

Figure 48: Station 1 Equipment

Vehicle Name

Equipment No.

Model Year

Vehicle Type

Location

Deputy Chief Vehicle

359

2008

Car, Ford Taurus

Station 1

Fire Marshal Vehicle

369

2008

Car, Ford Taurus

Station 1

Command Reserve & Travel Vehicle

337

2009

Car, Ford Escape

Station 1

Shift Inspector

350

2011

Car, Dodge Dakota

Station 1

Command Van

368

2009

Van, Ford E-350

Station 1

Fire Chief's Vehicle

373

2012

Car, Chevrolet Impala

Station 1

Truck 1

2006

Aerial Ladder Truck

Station 1

Engine 11

352

2009

Pierce Engine

Station 1

Engine 1

353

2009

Pierce Engine

Station 1

Gator

334

2005

John Deere Gator

Station 1

Fire Station 2, 301 Emerald Street Designated as Hazardous Materials Response Station 2 is designated as the hazmat station. It has taken on the function for storage of supplies and equipment for the county hazmat team, i.e. over pack drums, decontamination equipment, and bulk storage. Station 2 has added off-street parking space. Living quarters include a large kitchen, living room, exercise room, locker room, six private sleeping rooms, storage cubicles, and separate male/female bathroom/shower facilities. There is a small conference room/library, as well as multiple work stations for firefighters to utilize. 107

Figure 49: Station 2 Equipment

Vehicle Name Quint 2 (Primary) Engine 22 (Reserve) Hazmat 1

Equipment No.

Model Year

Vehicle Type

Location

358

2011

Pierce Quint

Station 2

354

2009

Pierce Engine

Station 2

EVI

Station 2

County-owned

Fire Station 3, 2001 Lower Muscatine Rd Designated as Public Education Station 3 is designated as the public education station. Living quarters include four bedrooms, an exercise room, male and female bathroom/shower facilities, and a large storage room. Station 3 has one outbuilding with 130 square feet of storage space. Figure 50: Station 3 Equipment

Vehicle Name

Equipment No.

Model Year

Vehicle Type

Location

Engine 3 (Primary)

356

2011

Pierce Engine

Station 3

Engine 33 (Reserve)

351

2003

Pierce Engine

Station 3

108

Training Facility, 1001 South Clinton St In April 2002, the ICFD took possession of the North Wastewater Treatment Plant property, which is currently the training center. The training facility allows for training in all types of fire suppression, technical rescue, emergency medical services, hazardous materials, and personal development, as well as classroom training to support hands-on training. The current facility contains a four-story drill tower with standpipe system and sprinklers, a rail car, a live-fire training room, a driver training area, and an outdoor portable fire training bunker. The facility also includes a sub-grade to allow training for below-grade firefighting.

A full array of

equipment is readily available at the training center. Figure 51: Training Center Inventory

Equipment No.

Model Year

Vehicle Type

Location

Engine 55 (Training Engine)

381

1995

Toyne Spartan Engine

Training Center

Support 3

360

2012

Tow Vehicle

Training Center

Training Van

370

2007

Caravan

Training Center

Kids Safety House

333

2003

House Trailer

Training Center

Tech Rescue Trailer

374

2001

Trench, EBS Trailer

Training Center

Unknown

2006

Trailer

Training Center

Vehicle Name

Sprinkler Trailer

109

Fire Station 4, 2008 N. Dubuque Rd The ICFD’s only heavy rescue apparatus – Rescue 4 – is housed at Station 4, Designated as EMS and Rescue. Figure 52: Station 4 Inventory

Vehicle Name Engine 4 (Primary) Engine 44 (Reserve) Rescue 4 (Cross-Staffed)

Equipment No.

Model Year

Vehicle Type

Location

357

2011

Pierce Engine

Station 4

355

2001

Toyne Spartan Engine

Station 4

391

2010

Pierce HD Rescue

Station 4

110

Apparatus

Engine 1

Engine 3

Engine 4

111

Truck 1

Rescue 4

Command Van

Quint 2 112

C. Community Trust Within this section, the community expectations are detailed. The revised performance goals have been recreated to ensure the level of service provided to the community is stated. This section documents the efforts undertaken to ensure the community understands its current service level and citizens are satisfied with the services currently being delivered. This section also includes a discussion of the ISO rating, date of the last rating, and anticipated next grading. Community Trust is sub-divided into two parts: Community Expectations and Performance Expectation Goals.

C. Community Trust

Community Expectations

Performance Expectation Goals

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Community Expectations Service Delivery Program Transitions

The ICFD’s business plan helps guide the department and its services. Each core service within the department is met through four functional areas:

Administration, Emergency Services,

Emergency Management, and Community Risk Management.

These functional areas and

divisional responsibilities can further be expanded into programs that encompass all aspects of the department’s core services that meet citizen needs and the City’s objective of promoting community health, safety, and welfare. The ICFD’s responsibilities fall into seven programs: Figure 53: ICFD Programs

Fire Administration & Support Services Emergency Management Fire Prevention & Risk Reduction Emergency Service Response Fire & Explosive Investigations Training & Occupational Safety Fire Public Education

Community Service Expectations

Understanding what the community expects of its fire and emergency services organization is critically important to developing a long-range perspective.

With this knowledge, internal

emphasis may need to be changed or bolstered to fulfill customer needs. In certain areas, education on the level of service that is already available may be all that is needed. A facilitated community driven strategic planning session was held to gather community and internal input. The strategic planning process received 51 expectations from community stakeholders. The following table lists in verbatim the top 20 community expectations in priority order:

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Figure 54: Verbatim Customer Expectations in Order

1. Quick response. 2. To be courteous and professional at all times. 3. To be highly trained. 4. Knowledgeable about their job. 5. Firefighters in excellent physical condition to meet safety needs. 6. Service oriented. 7. Available to the public. 8. Highly dedicated. 9. To provide quality inspections with trained inspectors. 10. To have quality, up-to-date apparatus. 11. To utilize efficient and modern fire suppression practices. 12. The firefighters should have all essential equipment and facilities. 13. To value life and safety above property. 14. To have a community presence. 15. To keep the safety and welfare of the citizens first. 16. To rank at the top in terms of technical expertise. 17. To communicate with the community about the types of services that the department provides. 18. To safeguard the citizens of Iowa City. 19. To be friendly. 20. To keep owners appraised of the situation.

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Performance Expectation Goals Mission

The mission of the Iowa City Fire Department is to protect our community by providing progressive, high quality emergency and preventive services. Vision: We will honor our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trust by demonstrating our commitment to delivering professional fire and rescue services with compassion, respect, and utmost courtesy. Through expanded community involvement initiatives and the use of various external communications methods, we will ensure that our service offerings are made available and are clearly understood. By proactively identifying and analyzing Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolving risks, and the dynamic demands of those risks, we will improve our response capabilities while implementing resource and deployment strategies which are in the best interest of our community and the accomplishment of our mission. Our demonstration of service excellence through innovative and efficient operations will be a priority provision to all those living, working, or visiting in our community. Our leadership and workforce will hold one another individually accountable for applying our mission and values, while continuously striving to reach our goals. It is our vision, through these efforts, that the Iowa City Fire Department will consistently meet or exceed the expectations of our community. Performance Goals

The strategic planning process gathered external (community) and internal (staff) input. The process also completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis, or SWOT. These tools helped identify performance targets and goals. The following goals were identified by the process: Goal 1: Develop a Comprehensive Training Initiative. Goal 2: In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of services, improve internal communications and foster management consistency for better organizational effectiveness. Goal 3: Develop and implement a marketing and communications plan to provide a clear understanding of agency activities and service offerings. 116

Goal 4: Maintain a high quality level of service to the community through the maintenance and acquisition of physical resources (apparatus, equipment, tools, and facilities). Goal 5: To provide a high quality service for the citizens of Iowa City, the ICFD should develop and implement a Human Capital/Workforce Plan. Goal 6: Ensure core programs meet jurisdictional and regional service delivery demands and needs. While not all of the community expectations have been listed, the external stakeholder input has provided the ICFD with valuable information to help craft qualitative and quantitative performance goals and objectives.

All have been considered in the development of goals

outlined within the community-based strategic plan. Community Service Priorities

A key element of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizational philosophy is having a high level of commitment to customers, as well as recognizing the importance of customer satisfaction. Therefore, the agency asked representatives from their community to participate in a meeting which would focus on their needs and expectations of the agency. Discussion centered not only on the present services provided, but also on priorities for the future. In order to dedicate time, energy, and resources on services most desired by its customers, the ICFD needed to understand what customers considered as priorities. The External Stakeholders were asked to prioritize the services offered by the agency through a process of direct comparison. The strategic planning process also identified eight service program priorities from community stakeholders.

The following chart illustrates the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program service

priorities.

117

Figure 55: Customer Service Priorities

1 Fire Suppression 2 Emergency Medical Services 3 Technical Rescue 4 Fire Prevention & Hazmat Mitigation 5 Fire Investigation 6 Public Fire/EMS Safety Education 7 Domestic Preparedness, Planning & Response

ISO Rating

To help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties, insurance companies need reliable, up-to-date information about a community’s fire protection services. The Insurance Services Organization (ISO) provides that information through the Public Protection Classification (PPC) program. The ICFD has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of Class 2, which is a high rating on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 indicates exemplary service and 10 indicates insufficient service. The department’s rating improved from Class 3 to Class 2, effective November 1, 2012. ISO collects information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each, ISO analyzes the relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). By classifying the community’s ability to suppress fires, ISO helps communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, country-wide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. By securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services.

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D. COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT

The fourth part of the CRESA-SOC was a Community Risk Assessment. The department driven Community Risk Assessment was conducted to effectively develop a systematic approach to resource deploymentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;matching the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demands in regard to risk with the appropriate levels of service. The Community Risk Assessment was a systematic process which examined two main categories: Community Service Demand and Community Risks.

Service Delivery Areas

Community Risks RMZ

D. Community Risk Assessment

Incident History

Incident Type Community Service Demand Incident Location

Incident Frequency

119

Methodology Used in the Classification of Community Risk Levels

The relationships between probability and consequence are essential in the classification of community risk levels and to the determination of the requirements in the community for the needed concentration, distribution and commitment of resources. Upon completion of community risk identification within each specific service delivery area, fire and non-fire risk levels were classified using a probability and consequence methodology. Probability actually speaks to the predictability of an event occurring, and through the quantification of historical data, provides a method of projecting the frequency of future events. Consequence refers to the result and therefore the impact of a particular emergency incident on the community. For example, a fire in a nursing home may be an infrequent event, but it carries an extremely high consequence to life and property. By utilizing this form of methodology, risks were identified in each service area based on past incident data (probability) and whether or not the potential loss severity (consequence) of life and/or property during future events could significantly impact the community. Fire Administration follow and analyze the three key concepts that, according to the CFAI, are typical elements of the SOC: 

Distribution — the station and resource locations needed to assure rapid response deployment to minimize and terminate emergencies



Concentration — the spacing of multiple resources arranged so that an initial ― effective response force‖ can arrive on-scene within sufficient timeframes to mobilize and likely stop the escalation of an emergency in a specific risk category



Staffing levels — consist of the number of response-ready personnel and their assignments

The department-driven Community Risk Assessment was conducted to effectively develop a systematic approach to resource deployment. The second main category examined within this assessment was designated community risks.

120

The category of Community Risks was examined and evaluated based upon service delivery areas and geographic areas (planning zones), which the department refers to as Risk Management Zones (RMZs). Risk Assessment Defined

Each community has risks. Risks are based on the probability of an event occurring and the consequences of that event.

Each creates different requirements in the community for

commitment of resources. The risk assessment was divided into four major components: 

Low Probability, Low Consequences



Low Probability, High Consequences



High Probability, Low Consequences



High Probability, High Consequences

Increased Risk = Increased Concentration Figure 56: Probability and Consequence Matrix

High Probability/Low Consequence

High Probability/High Consequence

Moderate Risk

Maximum Risk

Low Isolated Risk

High/Special Risk

Low Probability/Low Consequence

Low Probability/High Consequence

121

The output of the risk identification and classification process resulted in a grading system capable of achieving differential response and should be applied consistently throughout the department’s service delivery area. The concept of differential response refers to the department’s ability to send different compliments of resources to an emergency based on the risk level present. It is important to note that the principle of ― resources‖ encompasses not merely staff, but also appropriate apparatus, water and/or foam delivery capabilities, technical response equipment, and knowledge, etc. Whereas a fire in an outbuilding is indeed a structure fire, it presents a far different risk scenario than a fire in a large commercial structure. A differential response system is designed to achieve firefighter safety, as well as to provide system efficiency and effectiveness. Responses are not ― one size fits all.‖ Responses must be matched to the risk level of the event.

122

Community Service Demands Incident History

Incident history, by year, month, day, and hour was studied to calculate a probability of the event occurring in the future. All calls for service over the last five years were included in the study. Three groups of incidents were assessed: Fires, EMS and Non-fire (which includes all other incidents not Fire or EMS related). The number of calls has steadily increased with the population growth from 2,723 incidents in 1993 to 3,684 incidents in 2006. In 2012, the department responded to 5,178 incidents, an increase of 22 percent since the year of accreditation award. Refer to Charts below for detail. Figure 57: Incident Count Summary 2006-2012

Incident Count Summary

5500

5,178 5000

Incident Count

4,643 4,473

4500

4,257 4,143

4,155

4000

3,684 3500

3000 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Year

123

Incidents by Type

Analyzing incidents by type is an important factor when conducting a community risk assessment. The 2012 data shows that EMS/Rescue incidents account for 60 percent of all incidents. Figure 63 below shows incident by type for the year 2012. Figure 58: 2012 Incidents by Type

Incidents by Type EMS

Fire

Other

HAZMAT

32%

60% 5%

The ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call volume by incident type showed no significant statistical differences when considering day of week or month of year. The conclusion drawn is the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call volume by incident type in those terms is consistent throughout the year. However, in terms of year-to-year, the number of EMS/Rescue incidents has continuously increased since 2009 (Figure 64).

124

Figure 59: Incident Type Summary 2008-2012

3500 3000 2500 2000

2008

1500

2009

1000

2010

500

2011

2012

Figure 60: Total Fire Incidents

Total Fire Incidents Non-structure fire

Structure fire

90 77

102

118

101

2008

2009

2010

2011

151 2012

The frequency of fire incidents (by hour of the day) is analyzed for the purpose of probability (predictability). The graph below shows that the department responds to more fire incidents around 6:00 p.m. Consistent with national findings, a leading cause of home structure fires is cooking, with the most common area of fire origin being the kitchen. The following graph shows that the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest total incident volume for 2012 occurred during the 6 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock hour (p.m.). Historically, most EMS/Rescue incidents in Iowa City occur between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

125

Figure 61: Fire Incidents by Hour

Figure 62: EMS/Rescue by Hour

126

Incident Location

Incident location is an important factor when conducting a community risk assessment. The department uses two components to analyze incident location in Iowa City. The components are Risk Management Zones (RMZ) and station response areas. Both components help create a better understanding of where incidents occur in relationship to population densities, fire station locations, and other specific areas of the community. Incident occurrence was not evenly distributed across the protected area. In 2012, Station 1 responded to 41 percent of all incidents, followed in order by Station 3, Station 2, and Station 4. Stations 1 and 2 are located in RMZs with metropolitan population densities, while Station 3 is located in a suburban RMZ. Stations 2 and 3 had lower number of responses, but are located in an area with very significant residential property values. Station 4 is located in the previously underserved northeast quadrant of the city that is primed for growth and development. Figure 63: Incident by Station

Incident by Station-2012 2124

1165

1369 520

About 14 percent and 12 percent of all incidents occurred in RMZs 21 and 18 respectively, while only 2.4 percent occurred in RMZ 104. RMZs 18 and 21 had the highest number of incidents of all, both classified as â&#x20AC;&#x2022; High risk RMZsâ&#x20AC;&#x2013;. RMZ 18 is home to 2,896 building structures; RMZ 21 has university buildings and a high density of businesses and day-time population. The map below shows the number of incidents in 2012 by RMZ.

127

Figure 64: 2012 Total Incidents by RMZ

128

Figure 65: Density of Calls, 2009-2011

129

Figure 66: 2010 Incidents' Density and Businesses Locations

Population densities are illustrated in the table map by the four color gradations, with each corresponding to a different population density type within the city: Metropolitan (more than 3,000 people per sq. mi.); Urban (2,000 to 3,000 people per sq. mi.); and Suburban (1,000 to 2,000 people per sq. mi.

130

Figure 67: 2010 Population Densities by RMZ

131

Figure 68: Incidents by RMZ

Urban

EMS 2011 357

Metro

346

373

Suburban

225

317

Metro

218

229

Sub-urban

218

255

Metro

200

246

Suburban

162

249

Metro

132

154

Metro

129

148

105

Suburban

116

144

Metro

113

127

Metro

104

Suburban

RMZ

Type

EMS 2012 436

2012 Incident Counts and Percentages by RMZ RMZ

Fire

EMS

Other

Total

Fire

EMS

Other

249

152

414

60%

37%

317

155

492

64%

32%

127

210

60%

34%

182

52%

45%

154

126

296

52%

43%

135

66%

32%

124

59%

34%

229

105

345

66%

30%

107

71%

28%

246

127

389

63%

33%

255

126

403

63%

31%

436

154

631

69%

24%

373

302

705

53%

43%

148

208

373

40%

56%

104

126

62%

33%

105

144

214

67%

31% 132

RMZ 21 ranked second in both fire and EMS incidents in 2012 and had the highest number of total incidents for 2012. RMZ 21 is mostly populated by students and 90.5 percent of the population is moderate to low-income. RMZ 18 had the highest number of fire and EMS incidents in 2012 and had the second highest number of total incidents for the year. RMZ 18 is classified as urban density RMZ.

However, it has concentrations of multi-family housing

structures. RMZ 4 was ranked third in EMS incidents and in all incidents, despite its classification as a suburban RMZ; however, this RMZ has high concentrations of multi-family apartment complexes of eight-unit structures, elderly population facilities, as well as a very high concentration of low-income populations. In Iowa City, minority concentrations are defined as RMZs that contain minority households of at least ten percent greater than the general population. Only RMZ 4 met this criterion with 21.3 percent Asian/Pacific Islander residents compared with 5.7 percent in the city overall. RMZ 4 is also a low-to-middle-income area with a percentage of LMI persons of 54.3 percent (at least 61 percent of the RMZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s households are below 80 percent of median income). Figure 69: Incidents by RMZ 2008-2012

Total Incidents by RMZ 800 700

Count

600 500 400 300 200 100 0

104

105

2008 364

268

214

156

231

357

315

363

486

613

342

104

135

2009 312

353

188

162

255

103

306

339

323

428

683

335

134

2010 303

371

196

207

242

102

118

294

369

340

502

717

352

199

2011 307

416

191

159

239

122

117

298

397

403

571

666

343

226

2012 414

492

210

182

296

135

124

345

107

389

403

631

705

373

126

214

133

Generally, the total incidents count in an RMZ is consistent with its population and structure density. In other words, RMZs with a higher structure density have a higher incident counts. Figure 70: 2012 Incident Count by Type

Incident Type by RMZ 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

104

105

Other

135

146

114

121

114

136

290

199

Haz-mat

EMS

249

317

127

154

229

246

255

436

373

148

144

Fire

Figure 71: Fire Incidents by RMZ

Fire 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

104 105

134

Figure 72: EMS/Rescue by RMZ

EMS/Rescue 500 450 400 350

2008

300

2009

250

2010

200

2011

150

2012

100 50 0 1

104 105

Figure 73: HAZMAT by RMZ

HAZMAT 30 25 20

2008 2009

2010 2011

2012 5 0 1

104 105

135

Figure 74: Other Incidents by RMZ

Other Incidents 350 300 250

2008

200

2009

150

2010 2011

100

2012

50 0 1

104 105

The following map denotes the location of all incidents for 2011: Figure 75: 2011 Map of Incidents

136

Incident Location Conclusion

As was expected, the data analysis shows a direct relationship between service demand and higher population densities and business locations. Overall, service demand is highest in high density areas, as well as where people are concentrated during daytime. Incident Frequency

The frequency of incidents is important to note when reviewing historical response data. This type of comparative approach may help identify trends, such as concurrent incidents. Concurrent incidents are those which happen simultaneously with one another, or whose durations overlap in such a way that a single unit cannot handle both responses. In 2012, 24.9 percent of the 5,178 incidents were overlapping. The following chart illustrates the trend in concurrent incident count by year. Figure 76: Overlapping Incidents

Overlapping Incidents

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Incidents Overlapping Percent

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

3684 571 15.5%

4143 707 17.1%

4259 780 18.3%

4155 685 16.5%

4472 809 18.1%

4643 917 19.8%

5178 1288 24.9%

First Due Conclusion

The number of overlapping incidents has risen to comprise nearly 25 percent of total incidents and grew by 125 percent and 40 percent since 2006 and 2011 respectively, outpacing the 41 percent and 11 percent growth in total incidents. The growth in overlapping incidents can be attributed to population growth, precision of data recording, and weather conditions.

137

Community Risks

Service Delivery Areas

A comprehensive approach to community risks was undertaken within the context of service delivery areas with the identification and assignment of risk that, for the purposes of this study, were separated into three components:

Risk Identification and Methodology, Risk Level

Classifications and Conclusions, and Critical Task Analysis. Station Response Areas Figure 77: Iowa City Fire District

138

The map below shows estimated station response areas based upon a four-minute travel or ― drive‖ time on local roadways. The map shows the department’s four fire stations’ initial arriving company or ― first arriving‖ areas, together with the overlap between some stations in regard to the four-minute drive (travel) time. Figure 78: Station Response Areas within 4 Minutes Travel Time

All of RMZ 105, almost all of RMZ 13 and 104, and approximately half of RMZs 14, 4, and 23 are outside of the four-minute response time. This situation is particularly challenging as RMZ 23 and 4 are among the highest risk RMZ class.

139

Risk Identification

Risks were assessed as they pertained to each of the following five service delivery areas: fire, EMS, rescue, and hazmat. The ICFD has a system in place to identify at-risk populations. Fire loss, civilian death, and casualty records are analyzed to determine high-risk groups. Some programs are also driven by national data analysis. Once these at-risk populations are identified, an attempt is made to tailor a public education program to fit their particular needs. Critical Task Analysis

In order to affect positive change, department staff must be properly assigned, resources must be properly placed and equipped, and each individual must be assigned a critical task to complete. Consequently, those individuals must arrive within a time-frame that allows them a chance to intervene and stop loss or overcome a potentially fatal medical condition. Not only is it necessary to assess and establish task assignments for fire and EMS responses, critical task assignments are also necessary for non-fire risks. This section will establish critical task assignments for risks associated with fire, EMS, rescue and hazmat. Fire Risk

The chart below shows an approximately 35 percent increase in fire responses since 2009. Fire responses, which represent 4 percent of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total call volume, are clearly a smaller percentage of the total when compared to non-fire responses. Nonetheless, fire responses pose elevated risk because of the high hazard nature of fire. Figure 79: Fire Response 2008-2012

Fire Response 2008-2012 250 200 150 100 50 0 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

140

Structure Fires

Structural fires present a greater threat to life and property and the potential for much larger economic losses. Iowa City has modern fire codes and fire suppression requirements in new construction and building renovations, coupled with improved firefighting equipment, and training and techniques, to lessen the chance and impact of major urban fires. Most structural fires occur in residential structures, but the occurrence of fire in a commercial or industrial facility could affect more people and pose a greater threat to those near a fire or fighting the fire. The ICFD used Risk, Hazard, and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) to identify, categorize, and analyze fire risk for all 21,139 buildings within Iowa City. The ICFD chose the RHAVE process to identify the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hazardous areas, as well as analyze risks, potential risks, and identify the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs in terms of response time and service required. Building Occupancy Risk Assessment

In most communities, the majority of losses occur in the smallest percentage of emergencies that reach the significant destruction or loss ranges. The objective of risk assessment technique is to reduce serious loss in a very unusual event in the community. This involves trying to keep routine emergencies from becoming serious loss situations. In 2005, the ICFD initiated the RHAVE program to identify potential hazards and level of risk within Iowa City. The RHAVE process is administered by the Fire Prevention Bureau. In 2012, a database platform was formulated to provide greater flexibility in sorting data and creating reports. The software analyzes the data to calculate an Occupancy Vulnerability Assessment Profile (OVAP) score. Six factors are considered in the formula. The building score includes type of construction, exposure hazards, and access to the building, how tall the building is, and square footage. The life-safety factor includes things such as occupant load, occupant mobility, fire alarm equipment, and the existing system. The risk score includes the probability and consequence of a serious fire incident based on regulatory oversight, human activity, and experience. The consequence score quantifies the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to control, the hazards within a building, and combustible fire load that is present. The water demand score determines the required fire flow for the building and the fire flow that is available at the closest fire hydrant. The final factor included in the OVAP formula involves the potential impact a large 141

fire or loss would have on the community. The program groups the occupancy according to the OVAP score. A building is considered a high risk if the score is greater than 50, a significant risk if the score is from 40-49, a moderate risk if the score is from 16-39, and a low risk if the score is 15 or less. While risk factors all have some common thread, the rationale of placing occupancy within any risk assessment category is to assume the worst. For example, fire flow as a risk assessment criteria or requirement is based on defining the problem that will occur if the occupancy is totally involved, and therefore creates the maximum demand upon fire suppression services. RHAVE is made up of seven sections:

Building Score, Life-Safety Score, Risk Score,

Consequence Score, Water Demand Score, Value Score, and the final OVAP score. Each section has different categories that are scored from zero to five.

The ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to

objectively evaluate all of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s occupancies so there is a full and complete understanding of the demands placed upon its fire department. Figure 80: Number of Structures by RMZ

142

Building Score

Building Score is composed of six different categories:

exposure separation, type of

construction, stories, access, and square footage. Exposure separation is defined by how far the building being evaluated is from the next closest building. The closer the two buildings are to each other, the higher the ranking. Construction type is determined by the materials of which a building is constructed. The more hazardous the construction materials used, the higher the score a building receives. Buildings are also evaluated by how tall, or by the number of stories constructed. If a building is one to two stories tall, it receives one point. If a building is seven to nine stories tall, it receives four points toward the total OVAP score. Access sides to the building being evaluated include all doors except garage doors and do not include windows. The lower the number of sides of access, the higher amount of points an occupancy receives. Figure 81: Structures' Density by RMZ

143

Life-Safety Score

Life-Safety Score is composed of four different categories: occupant load, occupant mobility, warning alarm, and egress system. Occupant load is determined by how many people a building can hold. If there is an occupant load ranging from zero to ten, one point is awarded. If there is an occupant load greater than 300, five points is awarded. Occupant mobility is based on how high a building is and the state of the occupants inside. The occupants inside a building could be awake ambulatory, asleep ambulatory, or non-ambulatory/restrained.

Warning alarm is

determined by the type of alarm present in a building. No alarm system present would receive five points, while an automatic-central station alarm would only receive one point. The last category, egress system, has two options: conforming and non-conforming. Most occupancies in Iowa City have a conforming egress system. Figure 82: Population Density per Structure

144

Risk Score

Risk Score has three different categories: regulatory oversight, human activity, and experience. Regulatory oversight determines if a building is highly regulated with mandatory compliance (industrial, one point), highly regulated with inspections scheduled (commercial, two points), regulated with inspections scheduled randomly (residential, three points), etc. Human activity is based on who has access to the building in question and how accessible the building is for bystanders. All buildings have the same experience score, which is an annual event (four points). Consequence Score

Consequence Score has three different categories: capacity to control, hazard index, and fire load. Capacity to control determines if a building is on fire how much damage that building will do to the surrounding area and buildings. If the fire can be controlled within the building of origin, one point is awarded. However, if the fire building is hazardous to firefighting activities, five points are awarded. Hazard index gives more points to buildings with greater hazards. Fire load is broken down as light (one point), ordinary hazard group I (two points), ordinary hazard group II (three points), extra hazard group I (four points), and extra hazard group II (five points). Water Demand Score

Water Demand Score is composed of two categories: required fire flow and fire flow available. The required fire flow is determined from a fire flow spreadsheet. The fire flow spreadsheet takes seven different factors into consideration: construction coefficient, building area, occupancy factor, exposure factor, if the building has a wood roof, and whether or not the building has sprinklers. Once a fire flow is determined from the fire flow spreadsheet, points are awarded to the score. The lower the required fire flow, the lower the points that are achieved. Fire flow available is determines whether or not the required fire flow that was calculated is present at the closest fire hydrant.

145

Value score

Value Score has one category: property value. The point system for property value starts at 1.0 and increases in increments of 0.1 to reflect an increase in property value. If a building is a personal/family loss, one point is awarded. community, it is awarded 1.4 points.

If a building is an irreplaceable loss to the

Property loss due to fires totaled $2,861,590 and

$4,902,326 in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Figure 83: Property Loss Due to Fire 2008-2012

5,500,000

Total Loss

5,000,000

$4,902,326

4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000

$2,861,590

3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000

$986,600

$985,413 $467,325

$441,355

250

179

177

178

241

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

146

Figure 84: Property Average Assessed Value Excluding Government and University

147

Once all of the hazard information is entered for each occupancy, an Occupancy Vulnerability Assessment Profile (OVAP) score is calculated. Final OVAP scores are categorized as follows:

Maximum - 60 or more High - 50 to 59 Significant - 40 to 49 Moderate - 16 to 39 Low - 15 or less

The Final OVAP score is an accumulation of all of the previous scores from each category, which determines an overall score for each building. A building is considered ― maximum risk‖ if the score achieved is greater than 60 and a ― high risk‖ if a building achieved a score from 5059. A building is considered ― significant risk‖ if the score achieved is from 40-49. A building is classified as ― moderate risk‖ if the score achieved is from 16-39 and ― low risk‖ if the score achieved is 15 or less. The largest OVAP score achieved was 71 at the Iowa Memorial Union. Using the RHAVE process, Fire Administration identified 3 ― maximum risk‖ buildings, 44 ― high risk‖, 215 ― significant risk‖ buildings, 20,840 ― moderate risk‖ buildings, and 30 ― low risk‖ buildings. As a result of this analysis, the city proved to be comprised mainly of structures having a ― moderate‖ risk profile as defined above. OVAP hazard statistics show that nearly 99 percent of the 21,139 occupancies reviewed were assigned a moderate risk level. The graph and associated table below summarizes the overall results of the fire risk analysis.

148

Figure 85: Occupancy Hazard Statistics

Occupancy Hazard Statistics Risk Level & OVAP Score 20,840

215 30

Maximum 60+

High 50-59

Significant 40-49 Moderate 16-39

Low 0-15

Figure 86: Total Occupancy Hazard Statistics

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

OVAP Score 60+ 50-59 40-49 16-39 0-15 23.4

# of Structures 3 44 215 20840 30 21,132

Value 191 2,372 9,248 482,321 329 494,461

% 0.0 0.2 1.0 98.6 0.1 100

Figure 87: Total Structures by Type of Use and Risk Class

CLASS

Maximum Risk (60+ OVAP) High Risk (50-59 OVAP) Significant Risk (40-49 OVAP) Moderate Risk (16-39 OVAP) Low Risk (15 or Less OVAP)

Commercial Government Multi-family Residential Single-family Residentrial University

0% 14% 54% 10% 10%

0% 2% 5% 0% 87%

0% 2% 15% 27% 0%

0% 0% 0% 62% 3%

100% 82% 26% 1% 0%

149

Figure 88: Risk Category by Type of Structure

Risk Category by Type of Structure 120% 100% 80%

Maximum Risk (60+ OVAP) High Risk (50-59 OVAP)

60%

Significant Risk (40-49 OVAP) 40%

Moderate Risk (16-39 OVAP)

20%

Low Risk (15 or Less OVAP)

0% Commercial Government Multi-family Single-family University Residential Residentrial

Figure 89: High Risk Buildings Map

150

Attributes of a Building in Maximum Risk Category:

The ― Maximum Risk‖ category required an OVAP score equal to or greater than 60. There are only three occupancies placed in maximum risk, making it the smallest category of the five. The ― High Risk‖ category has an OVAP score of 50-59. There are 44 occupancies in this category; however 82 percent of the occupancies are university buildings and 14 percent are commercial buildings. Generally, buildings in those two categories have occupancy loads of 300+ people, require water flows in excess of 6000 GPM, and are valuable pieces of property. A majority of these buildings don’t have the needed water flow available from the closest fire hydrant. All of the Maximum Risk structures in the city are university buildings. Figure 90: High Risk Buildings by RMZ

151

Attributes of a building in Significant Risk Category:

The â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Significant Riskâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; category has an OVAP score ranging from 40-49. These occupancies are large with some having square footage of around 40,000. The height of the buildings varies from one story to six stories tall. In this category, the type of fire alarm system a building has is starting to become a factor. A lot of these buildings have no alarm system or some type of manual alarm system. The hazards in this category range from common hazards to multiple and complex hazards. Property value of these buildings is becoming a factor as well. This includes moderate economic impact/severe causality exposure, severe economic impact/tax base or job loss, and irreplaceable loss to community if these buildings are damaged or destroyed. The majority of buildings - 54 percent - in this class-are commercial or university buildings as they comprise 26 percent of this class. Figure 91: Significant Risk Structures by RMZ

152

Attributes of a Building in Moderate Risk Category:

The ― Moderate Risk‖ category has an OVAP score ranging from 16-39. This category is the moderate risk‖ have various most diverse when it comes to occupancy type. Occupancies with ― characteristics. Because this category is so diverse, it is hard to pinpoint any distinguishable characteristic that separates occupancies in this category from occupancies in the other four categories. Most of these buildings are large, have small exposure separations, a large occupant load, common hazards, mixed hazards, and industrial hazards. Almost all of the residential occupancies in Iowa City fall into the 15-39 OVAP score category. Single-family residential being the predominant category comprises 62 percent of this class. Multi-family residential comprises 27 percent.

These residential occupancies include

apartments, zero-lot-lines, multi-family dwellings, single-family dwellings, and condominiums. Most residential occupancies range from 21-26 with very minute differences present to cause that range. Occupancies in this category have common and mixed hazards, an occupancy load no greater than 50 people, have access on most sides of the building, and square footage under 15,000 feet.

153

Figure 92: Total Multi-family Structures by RMZ

Attributes of a Building in a Low Risk Category:

The â&#x20AC;&#x2022; Low Riskâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; category required an OVAP score equal to or less than 15. There are 30 occupancies in this category. All buildings in this category have access points on all sides, are less than 7,500 square feet, are no taller than two stories, and have the lowest fire load, hazard index, and water demand available. Figure 93: Average OVAP Score by RMZ

RMZ

Average OVAP

1 4 5 6

22.42 22.55 23.32 24.61

Number of Structures 1,470 1,822 2,314 761

Total Value 41,996 41,090 53,978 18,725 154

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105

23.78 21.77 22.21 22.44 21.75 24.19 24.87 23.1 31.46 23.94 29.75 22.82

1,002 784 1,470 1,731 1,217 871 1,612 2,896 677 861 224 1,017

23,834 17,072 32,655 38,835 26,471 21,070 40,083 66,876 21,293 20,608 6,663 23,213

Figure 94: Average OVAP Score Map

155

Figure 95: RMZs Classification as Identified by RHAVE Program

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 21 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 2 128 50-59 9 481 40-49 79 3,388 16-39 586 17,281 0-15 1 15 31.46 677 21,293

% 0.3 1.3 11.7 86.6 0.1 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 23 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 1 63 50-59 23 1,260 40-49 20 894 16-39 817 18,391 0-15 0 23.94 861 20,608

% 0.1 2.7 2.3 94.9 0.0 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 104 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 25 1,049 16-39 198 5,599 0-15 1 15 29.75 224 6,663

% 0.0 0.0 11.2 88.4 0.4 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 105 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 4 168 16-39 1012 23,033 0-15 1 12 22.82 1,017 23,213

% 0.0 0.0 0.4 99.5 0.1 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 12 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 1 50 40-49 1 44 16-39 782 16,977 0-15 0 21.77 784 17,072

% 0 0.1 0.1 99.7 0 100

156

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 13 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 1 43 16-39 1469 32,612 0-15 0 22.21 1470 32,655

% 0.0 0.0 0.1 99.9 0.0 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 14 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 3 134 16-39 1722 38,642 0-15 6 60 22.44 1731 38,835

% 0.0 0.0 0.2 99.5 0.3 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 15 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 0 16-39 1215 26,451 0-15 2 20 21.75 1217 26,471

% 0.0 0.0 0.0 99.8 0.2 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 16 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 11 473 16-39 860 20,597 0-15 0 24.19 871 21,070

% 0.0 0.0 1.3 98.7 0.0 100

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 17 Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low

OVAP Score 60+ 50-59 40-49 16-39 0-15

# of Structures 0 2 21 1589 0

Average Score

24.87

1612

Value 102 924 39,058 -

% 0.0 0.1 1.3 98.6 0.0

40,083

100

157

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 1 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 9 382 16-39 1850 41,459 0-15 14 155 22.42 1873 41,996

% 0.0 0.0 0.5 98.8 0.7 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 4 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 1 50 40-49 4 175 16-39 1817 40,864 0-15 0 22.55 1822 41,090

% 0.0 0.1 0.2 99.7 0.0 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 5 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 4 168 16-39 2309 53,800 0-15 1 10 23.32 2314 53,978

% 0.0 0.0 0.2 99.8 0.0 100

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 6 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 14 617 16-39 745 18,089 0-15 2 20 24.61 761 18,725

% 0.0 0.0 1.8 97.9 0.3 100

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ11 Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low

OVAP Score 60+ 50-59 40-49 16-39 0-15

# of Structures 0 8 6 988 0

Average Score

23.78

1002

Value 429 257 23,149 -

% 0 0.8 0.6 98.6 0

23,834

100

158

Risk Level Maximum High Significant Moderate Low Average Score

Occupancy Hazard Statistics RMZ 18 OVAP Score # of Structures Value 60+ 0 50-59 0 40-49 13 533 16-39 2881 66,321 0-15 2 23 23.1 2896 66,876

% 0.0 0.0 0.4 99.5 0.1 100

Fire Risk Factors

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), older adults are more vulnerable in a fire than the general population due, to a combination of factors including mental and physical frailties, greater use of medications, and elevated likelihood of living in poverty-like or fixed income situations. As shown in Figures 104 and 104 below, RMZ 105, RMZ 5, and RMZ 6 have populations with the highest number of individuals aged 85 years and older. Employing probability and consequence methodology, it is significant that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that older adults comprise 12 percent of the population and growing. It is estimated that the older population will rise sharply between 2010 and 2030, the years when the baby boom generation will be in retirement. By 2030, the Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging estimates adults aged 65 and over will comprise 20 percent of the U.S. population. In terms of consequence, the elderly continue to experience a disproportionate share of fire deaths. According to the USFA, older adults represented 12 percent of the U.S. population, but suffered more than 30 percent of all fire deaths. The relative risk of individuals aged 65 and over dying in a fire is 2.6 times greater than that of the general population. The risk worsens as age increases: the risk is 1.7 for adults aged 65 to 74, but soars to 4.7 for those over age 84. With this in mind, it is notable that Iowa City has several multi-family residential structures referred to as retirement communities, which are home primarily to older adults. Likewise, according to the USFA, people in poverty-like or fixed income situations are more vulnerable to fire risk. Using probability and consequence methodology, this fire risk level conclusion can be drawn from numerous studies and data compiled by the USFA.

The

159

probability aspect, and therefore the predictability of this impact on the community, can be measured by quantifying the portion of the community living in poverty-like or fixed income situations. Figure 103 below shows the distribution of low-to-moderate-income and minority populations by RMZ. Figure 96: Low to Moderate Income and Minority Concentration by RMZ

LMI persons, as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), have incomes at or below 80 percent of the median family income (MFI). In 2009 estimates, HUD determined there were 29,895 LMI persons in Iowa City, equivalent to 53.2 percent of the population for whom this rate is determined. HUD defines an LMI-RMZ as one in which 51 percent or more of the population have incomes of 80 percent or less of the MFI. According to this criteria, nine of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s populated census RMZs qualify as LMI areas. 160

The City of Iowa City Housing Authority (ICHA) offers programs that provide housing at a reduced rate for those meeting the annual gross income eligibility requirements, with priority given to families who qualify for local working preference, are elderly, or have a household member that is disabled. Figure 97: 2010 Senior Populations

161

Figure 98: Population Age 85 or Older by RMZ

Special Housing

The U.S. Census defines disabled persons as those with impaired mobility, including the blind. The number of disabled persons in a district has important planning and social implications, which affect the demand for specialized access and EMS demands. According to census data the most stable group is the age cohort of 65 years and older with an increase of four-tenths of one percent as a percentage of total population. These people are often life-long residents of Iowa City. However, there is a slight decrease in the number of elderly single-person households. As shown by the maps, senior population is not evenly distributed across the fire district. The largest number (249) of the Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 85+ seniors, as well as 1,084 of the total 65+ population of the city live in RMZ 105. 162

This increasing demographic is realized daily by EMS providers, but its effect on fire operations must not be overlooked. As this population shift continues so will the demand for housing that meets the lifestyle demands of active senior citizens and those in need of much more advanced care. According to the National Fire Protection Association, once a person reaches 65, the risk of being killed or injured by fire doubles compared to the general population.

Many

communities are seeing a building boom of senior care housing that is much different than that of a generation ago, which resembled a sterile hospital environment. Many of these new facilities have senior citizens with very different needs all living at a facility that might possess a single street address. It is only through thorough pre-planning that fire departments will be able to identify these occupancies and establish appropriate rescue and fire suppression strategies. One of the objectives of the ICFD training program is to have firefighters demonstrate a basic understanding of different types of senior communities and facilities. Firefighters will also gain an understanding of fire operations at these facilities and learn how to educate staff, as well as the senior occupants on fire safety. Children and Fire

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 52 percent of child fire deaths affect those under the age of 5. Escaping from fire can be difficult for very young children because they lack the motor skills and mental capabilities needed to quickly escape a burning building. The number of fire injuries are also highest in the under age 5 bracket. Boys are at a higher risk of death from fire than girls; African-American children are at an increased risk of death from fire.

ICFD

prevention campaigns urge parents and caregivers to install and maintain working smoke alarms, to safely store matches and lighters out of the reach of children, and to practice a fire escape plan with small children.

163

Figure 99: Population Age 5 or Under by RMZ

164

Accessible Units

The Iowa City Housing Authority (ICHA) has 37 accessible units in its inventory. All 37 units are currently occupied. Households receiving HCVP rental assistance needing accessible units have also utilized the private market. Figure 100: Incidents Density in Relation to Special Housing, 2010

165

Historical Buildings

Structure fires also pose a risk to the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history.

When fire strikes a

historic structure, the consequences may not only be devastating to the building itself, but also to the community as a whole.

This is

especially true if fire destroys any one-of-a-kind artifacts found within.

Fire, caused by workers using hand torches to remove asbestos from the building during an exterior repair project, destroyed most of the gold dome of Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Old Capitol on Tuesday, November 20, 2001. The building was built in 1840. It served as the last capitol of the Iowa territory - from 1842 to 1846 - and as the first state capitol from 1846 to 1857. The fire caused an estimated $5.9 million in damage. Restoration of the building took four and a half years and approximately $9 million to complete. There are 68 properties on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa City. Special Type Incident: Iowa City Landfill Fire

On May 26, 2012, the ICFD responded to a fire call at the Iowa City Landfill, located at 3900 Hebl Avenue, and one mile west of Highway 218 in Iowa City. The fire started at the working face of the landfill where garbage was dumped earlier in the day. The fire quickly spread to the landfill liner system, which includes a drainage layer of approximately 1.3 million shredded tires. Once the fire was in the drainage system, strong south winds spread it quickly along the west edge of the landfill cell. Landfill staff used bulldozers to cut a gap in the shredded tire layer to contain the fire, but the fire spread across the gap before it could be completed. Staff regrouped and cut two additional fire breaks to halt the rapidly moving fire.

166

Protecting the health and safety of the public and workers on-site remained the number one priority for the City and all cooperating agencies as the tire shreds continued to burn. Also of primary concern was keeping the fire from spreading to adjacent landfill cells and to a portion of the new cell which was successfully isolated in the days following the fire's ignition. On June 1, 2012, Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek signed a local disaster declaration.

The declaration

facilitated access to state and federal resources, including advanced air quality monitoring and thermal imaging technology to assist

with

incident.

mitigating

the

The Johnson County

Health Department partnered with the State Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa

Department

Natural

Resources and subject matter experts with the University of Iowa to monitor air quality throughout the region. Officials with

the

United

States

Environmental Protection Agency actively partnered with local and state officials on issues related to air quality. On Tuesday, June 12, 2012, environmental restoration contactors completed a stir, burn, and cover strategy to finally contain the fire and stop the burning. Heavy equipment was in operation for a period of nine days. The City estimated the loss to be $4 million.

Fire Risk Level Conclusions

A careful assessment and analysis of fire risk within the community has revealed numerous valuable fire risk level conclusions. Clearly, the community faces a very real fire potential and risk scenario, as demonstrated by the previous thorough discussion of fire risk as it relates to probability and consequence.

167

Historical fire suppression response frequency and loss data speaks to the potential (probability) of future fire occurrences within the community. Differing population densities within planning areas (RMZs) also have a direct correlation to fire potential. Another reliable predictor of future fire potential is the prevalence of at-risk populations within the community (i.e. children, older adults, people living in poverty-like or fixed income situations). In conclusion, the city contains risk characteristics allowing for the prediction of future fire occurrences within the community. Single family residential structure fire events are classified as moderate fire risk while multifamily residential and commercial structure fire events are classified as high fire risk because of their significant potential life and/or property loss scenarios. The OVAP-style hazard approach used within the fire risk analysis clearly demonstrates that factors such as occupant load and mobility, size, property value, and capacity for fire control, have an unmistakable relationship to potential fire loss. Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youthful median age and the risk taking behavior frequently associated with young people living away from home for the first time exaccerbate the risk and probability. Unconfirmed moderate risk fires minimally require two engine companies (or one engine and one quint depending on incident location) a ladder company, and a battalion chief for a total of 10 shift personnel. Confirmed moderate risk fires will receive an additional engine or quint to provide a minimum of 13 shift personnel. High risk events and special risk events affect the community in terms of loss of life and/or significant property, but also may have an important economic or historic impact to the community. They will also certainly impact the department because of the large allocation of resources to such events. In fact, very large fire occurrences are almost certain to bring the department to the point of resource exhaustion.

Therefore, the conclusion drawn is that

increased fire risk warrants an increased concentration of fire suppression resources. High risk fires are allocated an initial response of three engine companies, one quint, a ladder company and a battalion chief to provide a response force of at least 16 personnel. A callback of off duty personnel will follow and the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) may be utilized to bring additional resources as required.

168

Certain fire occurrences are extraordinary in nature, and due to their low frequency of occurrence and potentially high consequence to the community, are classified as a special fire risk. Examples of special high risk fires include: fires in high-rise buildings, hospitals, university research facilities, large assembly occupancies, and heavy manufacturing. Speical risk fires will exhaust the ability of on duty crews to mitigate the incident. The Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) will be utilitzed to assemble additional resources to mitigate the incident. Experiential data suggests a MABAS third alarm will provide 50 personnel within 45 minutes of the alarm. The MABAS agreement provides two more alarm levels, for a total of five alarms. Each alarm can be ordered with or without a change of quarters. The change of quarters request provides one engine and four personnel to each of Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four fire stations. A second alarm will produce, on average, 16 off-duty ICFD personnel and two administrative chiefs to the incident; a third alarm will add four apparatus, 16 personnel, and one chief; a fourth alarm will add four apparatus, 16 personnel, and one chief; and a fifth alarm will add four apparatus and 16 personnel, and one chief. Other types of fire occurrences have been identified that are probable within the community; however, they carry much less risk-and are of a lesser consequence to the community. These events, such as appliance fires, flue fires, outbuilding fires, transport vehicle fires, and single family dwellings are classified as either low or moderate fire risk. Fewer resources are allocated to this type of fire risk level, and the impact to the department is less as well. Fires involving passenger vehicles, rubbish or vegetation are included in this category. The risk level classifications found on the following pages are designed to match risk with the appropriate response force necessary to perform the critical tasks dictated by the specific incident type. In other words, an effective response force must be assembled to perform the needed actions (critical tasks) to control the incident and prevent its further escalation.

169

Fire Risk Level Classifications

The department-driven community risk analysis used probability and consequence methodology in the classification of fire risk by considering the frequency of incidents and potential for loss. By using this systematic approach, the following risk level conclusions are established illustrating incident types and the correlating risk categories. The categories are low, moderate, high, and special risk. Low

Automatic alarms and investigations are considered low risk. Included in the low risk classification are fires involving passenger vehicles, rubbish, or vegetation.

Moderate

Fires involving single family dwellings, machines/appliances, chimneys, and outbuildings are considered moderate risk. Also included in the moderate risk classification are transport vehicle fires and manufactured homes.

High

Fires involving multi-family dwellings, large commercial structures, businesses, and light manufacturing.

Special

Fires involving high-rise buildings, hospitals, university research facilities, large assembly occupancies, and heavy manufacturing.

The City of Iowa City maintains an agreement with other fire departments in our area to provide fire protection assistance and other emergency services upon request. The agreement is called, â&#x20AC;&#x2022; The Johnson County Mutual Aid Agreement.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; The details of the agreement are included in the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). MABAS is a preplanned mutual aid system used by the Johnson County Mutual Aid Association to deal with emergencies exceeding fire department resources. The Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) will utilize the MABAS to dispatch personnel and equipment to the scene of an emergency incident. Iowa City fire districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 are divided into 12 boxes. Each box can escalate, depending upon the needs of the incident to a 5th alarm, with each alarm bringing additional apparatus and personnel. Mutual aid assistance will be necessary to assemble an effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control a special risk event.

170

Fire Critical Task Analysis

Fire Risk: Low

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command/Safety Fire Attack Pump Operations TOTAL

1 1 1 3 Fire Risk: Moderate (Unconfirmed)

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command/Safety

Fire Attack

Back Up Line/RIC

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Ventilation/Ground Ladders

Search and Rescue

TOTAL

10 Fire Risk: Moderate (Confirmed)

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Fire Attack

RIC

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Ventilation/Ground Ladders

2 171

Search and Rescue

Back Up Line

TOTAL

Admin Chief (ICS)

1 Fire Risk: High

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Attack Line

2nd Attack Line

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Back-Up Line

RIC

Search and Rescue

Ventilation/Utilities

Utilities/Exposure Protection

TOTAL

Admin Chiefs (ICS)

2 Fire Risk: Special

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Command Aid

Safety

Division Supervisors

Staging

Attack Line

2nd Attack Line

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Back-Up Line

Rapid Intervention

Search and Rescue

Ventilation/Ground Ladders

Utilities/Exposure Protection

Aerial Operations/Other

On Deck

Level 1 Staging

6 172

Level 2 Staging

TOTAL Admin Chief (ICS)

50* 2

*Equates to MABAS Alarm Level 3 EMS Risks

The most common type of call for service in Iowa City - like most fire departments across the United States - is EMS response. EMS incidents are a significant risk to the community. Iowa City sees an increase in EMS calls nearly each year.

In 2011, the ICFD responded to 2,767

EMS incidents and in 2012 the ICFD responded to 3,089 incidents, an increase of 39 percent since 2008. Figure 102: 2011 Fire and EMS Incidents

173

The following chart shows the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total EMS responses over the past five years. Figure 103: EMS Responses

EMS Responses 2008-2012

3,500 3,000 2,500 3,089

2,000 1,500

2,223

2,315

2,310

2,534

1,000 500 0 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Figure 104: 2011 EMS Incidents as a Percent of Total

174

Consistent with the probability and consequence methodology discussed earlier, the hot-spot map below identifies the areas within the community with the greatest EMS density. The frequency of EMS responses is greatest in the areas of the community with higher population densities and somewhat associated with the special housing units discussed earler. Figure 98 shows the locations of the community’s special needs housing and nursing facilities. EMS Risk Factors

Similar to fire risk, as discussed earlier, areas of the community characterized by populations living in poverty-like conditions account for a greater service demand for EMS, as compared to other areas of the community. This problem has been exacerbated by the increasing income gap between the well-off and the poor in the U.S., and cutbacks in income support programs for lowincome households, with 4.7 percent of the population living below the poverty line in the 2010 Census. The city’s population is growing older. According to the 2010 Census, 8.2 percent of the total population are 65 years of age or older. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the number of older adults within the community will rise dramatically between now and the year 2030. The population of older adults is considered at-risk due to the population’s often non-ambulatory nature, chronic medical conditions, increased use of medications, and elevated likelihood of living in poverty-like or fixed income situations. Dense populations of older adults can impact risk and the subsequent demand for EMS services within the community.

Subsequent high demand for EMS services has an obvious high

consequence to the community, due to the elevated levels of resources that must be allocated to meet this demand. Unmistakably, these resources, once deployed, are unavailable to meet any other service needs of the community as seen in the number of overlapping incidents that can affect response time. As mentioned earlier, Iowa City is home to many concentrated populations of older adults living in multi-family dwellings and ― retirement communities.‖

Further, the city has numerous

facilities with an on-site skilled nursing component, which fall under the ― assisted living‖ and ― 24–hour-care skilled nursing facility‖ designations.

175

EMS Risk Level Classifications

The following risk level conclusions are established: Low

Lift and invalid assists are considered low risk. Also identified as a low risk are incidents involving people who may have obvious morbidity. Incidents involving any Basic life Support (BLS) treatment are considered low risk.

Moderate

Emergent EMS incidents, either illness (medical) or injury (trauma) are considered moderate risk.

These incidents include CPR in progress and all

Advanced Life Support (ALS) single patient incidents. High

Multiple patient ALS incidents, MCI events involving 10 or fewer patients and multiple patient carbon monoxide incidents are considered high risk. (Vehicle entrapment is categorized within risk classifications for rescue.)

Special

Multiple patient/MCI events involving more than 10 patients are considered special risk.

EMS Critical Task Analysis

According to the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, to create standard levels for response in the mitigation actions, an assessment must be conducted locally to determine the capabilities of the arriving companies and individual responders to achieve those critical tasks. When identifying critical tasks, responder safety must be a priority. An ERF is the number of staff/tasks necessary to complete all of the identified tasks within a prescribed timeframe. The following tables show critical tasks and associated risk with the ERF for the incident. All incidents which fall within the EMS risk category low or moderate will be dispatched as a single company response. If pre-arrival or on-scene information warrants, the first arriving officer may special call additional resources. Risk category High will receive a minimum of 10 personnel; Risk category Special will receive a minimum of 16 personnel with additional resources made available through the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System.

176

Figure 105: EMS Critical Task Analysis

EMS Risk: Low

Critical Task Command/Safety/Documentation Patient Care TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 2 3

EMS Risk: Moderate

Critical Task Command/Safety/Documentation Patient Care TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 2 3

EMS Risk: High

Critical Task Command Safety Patient Care Hazard Control Triage TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 1 6 1 1 10

EMS Risk: Special

Critical Task Command Safety Patient Care Hazard Control Triage TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 1 12 1 1 16*

177

*In the event of an extraordinary special risk EMS incident the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) will be utilized to assemble additional personnel and apparatus as stated in the fire critical task analysis. Mutual aid companies are certified first responders and are qualified to assist and support the ICFD in accomplishing its mission. Other Non-Fire Risks

The total number of non-fire incident responses has fluctuated over the past five years. The lower frequency seen in recent years may be attributed to the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s false alarm reduction program. The purpose of the program is to reduce the number of false alarm calls for service to which police officers and firefighters respond. Figure 106: Non-fire Emergency Responses

Non Fire Responses 1815

1755 1738 1697 1649

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

178

Figure 107: Non-fire Response by Type

Non fire Response by Type

1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 FALSE

Good Intent

Hazard

Over Service Pressure

Special

Weather

Rescue Risks

Although the frequency of technical rescue incidents in Iowa City does not compare to that of fire and EMS, it was still necessary to identify rescue service risks, due to the high consequential nature they present. These risks were divided into the following technical rescue disciplines: vehicle extrication, confined space rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, rope rescue, and water/ice rescue. Vehicle Extrication: Given the amount of highway and roadway lane miles traversing Iowa City, coupled with the prevalence of traffic collisions, there is a potential vehicle extrication risk to the community. Vehicle extrication is defined as the process of removing a vehicle from around a person that has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible or unadvisable. Vehicle extrication risks were identified based on the most recent published crash data from federal and state agencies, and by using trend analysis of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to traffic collisions with vehicle extrications from 2008-2010 as a method for predicting future occurrences.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

179

(NHTSA) reported 5.5 million motor vehicle collisions resulting in 1.5 million injuries and 30,797 fatalities across the United States in 2009.

Confined Space: There are many workplaces in the city that contain spaces considered as "confined," simply because their dimensions and configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. Examples of confined spaces include, but are not limited to, the following: underground vaults, tanks, hoppers, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, sewage digesters, process vessels, tunnels, and pipelines. Generally, workers enter into these spaces for the purpose of inspection, testing of equipment, maintenance, and cleaning. Although an exact number of confined spaces and permit-required confined spaces are not kept on record with the state of Iowa or the City of Iowa City, confined space risks were identified based on national and state-level occupational fatality statistics and site hazard planning conducted during pre-planning, business inspections, and training. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a confined space as any space that has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and is not specifically designed for continuous employee occupancy. Spaces that meet OSHA’s definition of a ― confined space‖ and contain health and safety hazards are called "permit-required‖ confined spaces. These spaces 180

have one or more of the following characteristics: contains (or has the potential to contain) a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a majority of confined space rescues occur as a result of exposure to toxic environments and asphyxiation. Annually, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports approximately 400 fatalities (437 in 2008, 404 in 2009, and 409 in 2010) from exposure to harmful substances and environments. Although the frequency of responding to confined space rescues is inherently low, as evident from the data listed above, it must be considered because the hazards certainly exist within the community. Therefore, it is reasonable to presume that because the hazards exists in many different forms throughout the community, the risk potential is real and therefore the probability to respond to future occurrences cannot be overlooked. Trench Rescue: Trench rescue is defined as the process of rescuing a victim that has become entrapped in a trench as the result of a cave-in or collapse at a construction site. OSHA defines a trench as a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, but less than 15 feet wide.

Trench excavation sites

pose a significant level of risk to the community because of their prevalence throughout the city. Routinely, private contractors and public

works

employees

are

working in and around trenches while performing maintenance and repair to utilities and/or installing new utilities.

Trenching and

excavation work presents serious risks to all workers involved, but the greatest risk is that of a trench 181

cave-in. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), when cave-in accidents occur, they are much more likely to result in worker fatalities than other excavation-related accidents. Similar to confined spaces, occupational accidents producing injuries and fatalities happen regularly at construction sites, including trench cave-ins and falls.

According to OSHA,

construction site accidents are very prevalent across the nation and report high consequences to human life, listing approximately 1,200 fatalities per year. According to a 2010 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report, 350 workers died in trenching or excavation cave-ins from 2000â&#x2C6;&#x2019;2009, showing a trend average of 35 fatalities per year. Although the frequency of responding to trench rescue incidents is inherently low - as it is with other technical rescues - it must be considered because the hazard exists, as well as the potential for fatal consequences. Based on the aforementioned statistical data, it is reasonable to presume there is trench rescue risk associated with excavation work being performed locally in the construction industry, and therefore the potential exists to respond to trench rescue incidents in the future.

182

Structural Collapse:

Structural collapse rescue is defined as the process of locating and

removing trapped and often injured victims from partially or totally collapsed structures. The collapse of a structure is usually the result of a natural or man-made disaster. Natural disasters resulting in structural collapse are most often caused by natural events such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Man-made disasters resulting in structural collapse are usually the result of human intent, error, negligence, or an engineering failure of a man-made system. Although modern building codes have greatly reduced the risk of being hurt or killed in a manmade structural collapse disaster, they cannot totally eliminate the risk altogether because of the unpredictable nature of disasters. However, while the probability of a building collapse as the result of a disaster is low, the consequences can be tragic and necessitate the identification of the risk in the City. Due to the fact that natural disaster data is more prevalent than man-made disaster data, structural collapse risks were identified based on statistical weather data. Iowa ranks sixth in the United States for tornado frequency, averaging 31 tornadoes each year. Based on those statistics, it is reasonable to presume that there is a potential for a natural disaster to occur in the future within the city of Iowa City; therefore, the same potential exists for structural collapse.

Iowa Avenue following EF2 tornado of April 15, 2006

183

Rope Rescue: Rope rescue is defined as any rescue attempt that requires the use of rope and related equipment to safely gain access to, and remove patients from, hazardous geographic areas with limited access such as steep embankments, high rise buildings, or any type of above or below grade structure (i.e. embankments, cell towers, bridges, spillways, silos, water towers, high rise structures). Given the fact that most of these hazardous areas have already been identified earlier in the document, the potential for rope rescue risk must be considered. However, despite the amount of hazards within the city, rope rescue emergencies happen very infrequently. In fact, the ICFD has only responded to one incident in the last four years. Also, statistical data for rope rescue incidents is not compiled by any local, state, or federal agency, thus making it nearly impossible to quantify rope rescue risk. Therefore, although rope rescue incident data is lacking to show possible trends, the ICFD has identified rope rescue risks based on site hazard planning conducted during pre-planning, business inspections, and training as a method for predicting future occurrences. Water/Ice Rescue: Water related activities, bodies of water (lakes, ponds, creeks, etc.) and containers of water (pools, etc.) pose risk to the community. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about ten people die every day from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years.

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Iowa City owns three commercial swimming pools. The CDC data also shows that males, children, and minorities are most at risk. According to the CDC, nearly 80 percent of people who die from drowning are male. In addition, children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. In 2007, among children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, almost 30 percent died from drowning. Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years. The data continues by saying between 2000 and 2007, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans across all ages was 1.3 times that of Caucasians. For American Indians and Alaskan Natives, this rate was 1.7 times that of Caucasians. The rates of fatal drowning are notably higher among these populations in certain age groups. The fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 is 3.1 times that of caucasian children in the same age range. For American Indian and Alaskan Native children, the fatal drowning rate is 2.3 times higher than for caucasian children. Factors identified by the CDC, such as the physical environment (i.e. access to swimming pools) and a combination of social and cultural issues (wanting to learn how to swim and choosing recreational water-related activities), may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates. The CDC continues by noting that current rates are based on population and not on participation. If rates could be determined by actual participation in water-related activities, disparity in minorities’ drowning rates compared to Caucasians would be much greater. water-ice rescue‖ incidents in the years 2008 to 2012. Although The ICFD responded to three ― the historical occurrence may be considered low locally, the potential life-threatening consequence, especially to males, children and minorities, is unacceptable in any community. Rescue Risk Level Conclusions

A careful assessment and analysis of rescue risk within the community has revealed numerous valuable rescue risk level conclusions. Clearly, the community faces a very real rescue potential and risk scenario, as demonstrated by the previous thorough discussion of rescue risk as it relates to probability and consequence. Rescue risk potentials were classified by type, to include the technical rescue disciplines of vehicle extrication, confined space rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, rope rescue, and water/ice rescue.

Historical rescue response frequency data speaks to the potential 185

(probability) of future rescue occurrences within the community. Each rescue typeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential is substantiated by the widespread presence of structures and areas within the community that carry with them specific hazards. Certainly, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large number of roadway lane miles create a vehicle extrication potential. Similarly, for example, the prevalence of industrial occupancies and bodies of water in the community illustrate confined space rescue and water/ice rescue potentials, respectively. Traffic injury accidents with extrication, industrial accidents, vehicles colliding with buildings, and water/ice rescues are classified as a high rescue risk because of their inherent probability of occurrence, as well as for their significant potential loss scenarios. In addition, the level of difficulty of these rescues is of an elevated nature, making potential negative consequences more likely. Many rescue occurrences are exceptional in nature, and due to their low frequency of occurrence and potentially high consequence to the community, are classified as a special rescue risk. Examples include: structural collapse, rope, trench, confined space, and high angle rescues. Understandably, also included in this risk category is a natural disaster mass casualty incident (MCI), such as a tornado strike, a man-made disaster, or a downed aircraft. Of course, the level of difficulty in mitigating such an event is extraordinary, making potential negative consequences much more likely. High risk rescue and special risk rescue occurrences affect the community in terms of significant injury or loss of life, but also may have an important economic impact to the community. They will also certainly impact the department because of the large allocation of resources to such events. In fact, large MCI occurrences are almost certain to bring the ICFD to the point of resource exhaustion. Therefore, the conclusion can be drawn that increased rescue risk means an increased concentration of (need for) rescue resources. Dispatch protocols are constructed to provide a minimum of 10 personnel to a moderate risk incident, 16 to a high risk incident, and 16 plus SORT and MABAS resources to a special risk rescue incident. Special rescue risk incidents have the potential to bring with them very complex problems which would likely require the technical skill set of the departments special operations response team (SORT). The SORT is activated anytime the department arrives at a confirmed trench, confined

186

space, high angle or structural collapse rescue incident. The activation will trigger a response from off duty personnel as SORT membership is spread across all three shifts. Should the incident exceed the capability of the SORT, a request for the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban search and rescue team could be made. This team is located in both Cedar Rapids and Sioux City and would be requested through the county emergency management coordinator. All risk level classifications found on the following page are designed to match the risk with the

appropriate response force necessary to perform the mitigation actions called for by the specific incident type.

In other words, an Effective Response Force (ERF) must be assembled

(concentration of resources) within the proper timeframe to perform the needed actions (critical tasks) to control the incident and prevent its further escalation. Rescue Risk Level Classifications

The following risk level conclusions are established: Low

Removal from stuck elevators is the only incident that is considered low risk.

Moderate

Rescues involving a motor vehicle accident (no entrapment) that did not involve speeds over 45 mph, involve a rollover, a tractor trailer, a bus, or a train. Included too are any rescues located on or near the city trail system.

High

Rescue involving vehicle extrication with entrapment, a vehicle into a structure, an industrial entrapment, or water/ice is considered high risk.

Special

Rescue involving structural collapse, confined space entry, rope, high angle, or trench collapse is considered special risk. Natural and man-made disasters are considered Special Risk. Special risk incidents will cause the Special Operations Rescue Team (SORT) to be activated.

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Rescue Critical Task Analysis

According to the CFAI, to create standard levels for response mitigation, an assessment must be conducted locally to determine the capabilities of arriving companies and individual responders to achieve critical tasks. When identifying critical tasks, responder safety must be a priority. An ERF is the number of staff/tasks necessary to complete all of the identified tasks within a prescribed timeframe. The following tables show critical tasks and associated risk with the ERF for the incident. Figure 108: Rescue ERF

Rescue Risk: Low

Critical Task Command/Safety Rescue Operations TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 2 3 Rescue Risk: Moderate

Critical Task Command Safety Rescue Operations Support Operations Stabilization Patient Care TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 1 3 3 1 1 10 Rescue Risk: High

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Attack Line

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Rescue Group Supervisor

Rescue Operations

Support Operations

Patient Management

1 188

Hazard Control

TOTAL

Admin Chief (ICS)

Rescue Risk: Special Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Attack Line

Pump Operations/Water Supply

Rescue Group Supervisor

Rescue Operations

Support Operations

Patient Management

Hazard Control

TOTAL

16* + SORT + MABAS + USAR

Admin Chiefs (ICS)

* The total ERF will be higher depending on the number of off-duty SORT members that respond to the callback. Additional support personnel will be requested via the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Mutual Aid personnel have been trained by the ICFD to support and provide assistance to the SORT. Hazmat Risks

Hazardous materials and hazardous wastes are a concern for the city because a sudden accidental or intentional release of such materials can be dangerous to human health and safety, damage property, and affect the quality of the environment. The most likely occurrences of such releases are in the following areas: transportation routes, business and industry, agriculture, and illegal dumping. All agency personnel are trained to the hazmat technicial level, as outlined in NFPA 472. Agency apparatus are equiped with operations level equipment. Any incident that is beyond that of defensive operations, requires the callout of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team (JCHMRT). This team is comprised of agency personnel assigned to fire station 189

2 as well as individuals sponsored by area volunteer fire departments, various departments within Johnson County government, and area businesses with an interest in hazardous materials response. Total team membership is 30 personnel. The team response apparatus, Hazmat 1, is owned by the county but is stationed at Iowa City Fire Station 2. Hazmat 1 carries equipment required for a technician level response.

Hazmat Critical Task Analysis

According to the CFAI, to create standard levels for response mitigation, an assessment must be conducted locally to determine the capabilities of arriving companies and individual responders to achieve critical tasks. When identifying critical tasks, responder safety must be a priority. An ERF is the number of staff/tasks necessary to complete all identified tasks within a prescribed timeframe. The following tables show critical tasks and associated risk with the ERF for the incident.

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HazMat Risk Level Classifications The following risk level conclusions are established: Low

Incidents include investigations with carbon monoxide, natural gas or other commonly encountered hazardous materials such as gasoline and anti-freeze. An ERF of 3 personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of low risk HazMat incidents.

Moderate

Incidents include HazMat spills and gas leaks to include methane and propane. Incidents will include investigations inside a structure for hazardous materials. An ERF of 13 personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of moderate risk HazMat incidents.

High

Incidents include cases where a full team roll-out of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team is required.

Incidents include a large

quantity transportation accident release, an unknown chemical release from a lab, or a chemical release at a manufacturing facility. An ERF of 16 personnel is necessary to initiate the critical task assignments of high risk HazMat incidents. Specific and detailed task assignments would be determined by the incident commander or team leader. Special

Incidents include events requiring full team activation plus additional HazMat specialists to initiate the critical task assignments associated with a special risk HazMat incident. Special risk incidents include any large-scale HazMat event, natural or manmade such as a train derailment, a dirty bomb or a WMD event. An ERF of 22 personnel is necessary to initiate the critical task assignments. A team roll-out of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Team will be required and requested via the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC). Additional state resources such as the Iowa WMD team and 71st Civil Support Team may be special called through Johnson County Emergency Management. NOTE: The ICFD conducted a WMD type exercise that included both of these specialty teams in the summer of 2012.

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Figure 109: HAZMAT ERF

Hazmat Risk: Low

Critical Task Command/Safety/Documentation Investigation/Monitoring TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 2 3

Hazmat Risk: Moderate

Critical Task Command Safety Documentation Entry Team Backup Hazard Control Pump Operator Support/Decon TOTAL

Number of Staff 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 3 13 Hazmat Risk: High

Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Documentation/Research

Hazmat Group Supervisor

Entry

Entry 2

Backup

Decon

Hazmat Support

TOTAL

Admin Chief (ICS)

192

Hazmat Risk: Special Critical Task

Number of Staff

Command

Safety

Hazmat Group Supervisor

Documentation

Staging Manager

Entry

Entry 2

Backup

Decon

Research

General Hazmat Support

Technical Hazmat Support

TOTAL

22*

Admin Chiefs (ICS)

* Six (6) additional on-duty ICFD technician level personnel may be assigned to the incident. In the event of a particularly difficult or complicated hazmat incident, the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) will be utilized to attain the same quantity of personnel and apparatus as stated previously in the fire critical task analysis. Mutual aid companies are certified as operations level providers in hazardous materials response and are qualified to assist and support the ICFD in the performance of its duties. All Hazard Disaster Response Assistance

In the event of a large-scale disaster, mutual aid assistance will be necessary to assemble an effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control the event. Immediate additional support personnel can be requested via the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Additional support and assistance may be requested through the Iowa Mutual Aid Compact (IMAC), an intrastate mutual aid agreement that provides the mechanism for political subdivisions and emergency management commissions to share resources with one another during a disaster that has been declared either by the local jurisdiction or the governor. The Compact increases each memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level of emergency preparedness, 193

allowing them to work as a team when disasters are beyond local capabilities. If additional resources are required, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management will work with other states to provide resources through the national Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Disaster Risks

Data on the past occurrences and future probabilities of hazards for the Johnson County planning area are taken from:

Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan, FEMA, and various articles and

publications. The Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan identified the following risks and calculated probabilities of occurrences: Non-Fire Risks Earthquakes

Definition: A sudden, violent shaking or movement of part of the earth's surface caused by the abrupt displacement of rock masses, usually within the upper 10 to 20 miles of the earth's surface. Consequences of earthquakes may include fire, hazmat release, or dam failure, among others. Many earthquakes occur in the United States, mainly along the Californian Fault and the New Madrid Seismic Fault Zone. Even though most of the shakings are unnoticed by the general public, severe quakes can and do occur. The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a 150 mile long fault system which extends over five southern and Midwestern states. The New Madrid Seismic Zone lies within the central Mississippi Valley, extending from northeast Arkansas, through southeast Missouri, western Tennessee, and western Kentucky to southern Illinois. A high intensity quake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone will have far more drastic consequences as compared with West Coast earthquakes. The possibility of an earthquake in Iowa City is of some concern, but is a low probability issue. Potential hazards associated with earthquakes include: ď&#x201A;§

Rupture of the ground surface by displacement along faults.

ď&#x201A;§

Shaking of the ground caused by passage of seismic waves through the earth.

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ď&#x201A;§

Ground failure induced by shaking, such as landslides, liquefaction, and subsidence of unstable ground, with associated effects, including fire and disruption of utilities and transportation routes.

ď&#x201A;§

Tsunamis, which occur in enclosed bodies of water, such as reservoirs or lakes.

A major earthquake would be expected to cause considerable damage to transportation systems. Roads, bridges, and highways are susceptible to damage or failure. The risk of an occurring earthquake in the area protected by the ICFD is extremely low; in case of occurrence, the ICFD will use its existing response plans. Figure 110: Comparison between the Western US Seismic Fault and the New Madrid Seismic Fault

Severe Thunderstorms

Every thunderstorm produces lightning. In the United States, an average of 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year by lightning. Thunderstorms are common occurrences during changing seasons, primarily from winter to spring and again from fall to winter. Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include tornadoes, strong winds, hail, and flash flooding. 195

Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more than 140 annuallyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;than any other thunderstorm associated hazard. The ICFD recognizes the inherent dangers present during a severe thunderstorm and has the capability of providing services for fire and medical emergencies caused by severe weather. The department has backup generators to be used in case of power failure. Tornadoes

Definition: Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that descend from thunderstorms to come in contact with the ground.

Tornadoes develop from thunderstorms when the wind

variation with height supports rotation of the thunderstorm updraft. Iowa City is located in tornado alley and within Wind Zone 4, the highest wind zone in the country. According to NOAA records, Iowa City is in an area experiencing 20-30 significant tornados per 100-year period, providing an average of one event every four years. For that reason, the entire jurisdiction is at risk of experiencing a tornado or a wind storm. In April 2006, a tornado with an EF2 magnitude hit Iowa City, causing $12 million in damage and injuries. Iowa ranks sixth in the United States for tornado frequency. The Iowa City areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical tornado activity is slightly above Iowa state average. It is 165 percent greater than the overall U.S. average. On June 7, 1984, a category 4 (maximum wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 17.6 miles away from Iowa City killed three people, injured 64 people, with an estimated $5,000,000 to $50,000,000 in damage. On April 30, 1954, a category 4 tornado hit 32.8 miles away from the city. Overall, there have been 29 tornados reported in Johnson County since 1950. These tornadoes killed one person, injured 49 people, and caused $30,012 million in property damage. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur most often in Iowa during the spring months of March, April, and May. A secondary tornado season occurs in the fall. Such thunderstorms may also generate large hail and damaging winds. Tornadoes cause extensive property and crop damage, injuries, 196

and even death. Iowa ranks sixth in the United States for tornado frequency, averaging 31 tornadoes each year. On the evening of April 13, 2006, a severe storm consisting of large hail and tornadoes struck Iowa City, causing severe property damage and displacing many from their homes, including University of Iowa students. The storm left a path of destruction three and a half miles long and a third of a mile wide. The National Weather Service reported five to six tornadoes in Johnson County, two of which touched down in Iowa City. One of the tornadoes touching down in Iowa City was classified as an EF-2 tornado, with winds over 150 miles per hour. It was the first tornado recorded to directly hit Iowa City. No serious injuries were reported. Historically, only 15 percent of tornadoes occurring in Iowa were classified as EF-2.5 Figure 111: Path and Damage Amounts, Iowa City July 28, 2006

3EMA. Thunderstorms and Lightning. Available online at: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/thunderstorm/index.shtm

197

Hail

The national climatic data center reported 49 hail events for Johnson County between 1950 and 2005, with a total property and crop damage assessed at $41 million. The ICFD has the capability of responding to adverse consequences of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The ICFD can receive additional support from surrounding communities through the established 28E Mutual Aid Agreement. Floods

Forty flood events were reported in Johnson County, Iowa, between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 2005, causing a reported $140 million in property damage and $27 million in crop damage. Flooding along rivers is a natural and inevitable part of life. Iowa City is prone to flooding, as the Iowa River crosses along the city. The city experienced a major flood in the summer of 1993. In June 2008, the city also experienced a flood of record along the Iowa River, which was near the 500-year flood per the FEMA Flood Insurance Study (FIS). Significant city resources were expended to resist floodwaters from entering the critical city services, such as water wells and wastewater treatment systems. Residences and businesses situated along and within the floodwaters were supplied with flood-fighting equipment and labor. Cleanup and removal of flood damaged items continued for several weeks after floodwaters receded. The rebuilding/repair of flood damaged structures is currently in a variety of stages. The ICFD will proceed with necessary action if flood situations arise and will continue to provide fire and medical emergency services to the citizens to the best of its ability The City of Iowa City is responsible for storm drainage within the city boundaries. One of the storm water missions is to protect the community and its waterways through sound planning and construction of storm water management projects, such as storm sewer and flood-prevention capital improvements.

198

Impact of Increased Urban Development

The frequency and severity of flooding has increased in recent years, partly as a result of increasing urban development. As more land becomes covered with impermeable surfaces such as buildings, parking lots, and roads, water cannot drain into the soil and surface runoff increases, thereby causing acute local flooding. Figure 112: Water Level and the Corresponding Flood Impact

Serious flood damage occurs at the University of Iowa campus.

Flood protection becomes necessary at the University of Iowa. Water affects several industrial businesses and warehouses along Commercial Drive.

Water floods county road bridge approaches along the river and affects streets and parking lots along Commercial Drive.

Flooding occurs in Coralville. Water inundates the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City rail line near Coralville.

23.5

Water affects the north Wastewater Treatment Plant. Considerable flooding occurs at the University of Iowa.

23 22

Water floods Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa. Flooding problems occur elsewhere on the University of Iowa campus. Urban flood damage occurs in Iowa City. Water enters homes along Edgewater Drive.

Flooding occurs in homes near Taft Speedway in Iowa City. Homes on east side of Quarry Road in Coralville require protection. Edgewater Drive becomes impassable.

20.5

Water affects the north Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Lowland flooding occurs in the Iowa City Park area.

Rural flooding occurs along the river.

Flood Hazard Areas

There are areas of residentially used floodplain on the east side of the Iowa River that extend beyond the Iowa River. Ralston Creek, a central feature of the residential neighborhood located

199

between Court Street and Muscatine Avenue, runs through a large portion of town, and impacts a number of neighborhoods, most of which were built in the second quarter of the 20th Century. Figure 113: Residential Properties, Historic District, and FEMA 100-&ear Floodplain

The southeast district is bounded by Court Street on the north, Highway 6 on the south, and extends from 1st Avenue and the Sycamore Mall area on the west to the city's growth area boundary located just east of Taft Avenue. It contains a number of residential neighborhoods with a mix of housing types, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, apartments, and elderly housing. The southeast side of the city has seen new development over the past 20 years and a substantial amount of this development has been multi-family. There are also a number of industrial properties in this area. The majority of homes on the west side of the river are post WWII. While Ralston Creek is viewed as an asset and an amenity for the Court Hill Neighborhood, it is 200

also prone to flash flooding, particularly during heavy local rain events. Residents and business owners with property along the creek should be aware of dangers posed by flooding, not only to property, but to public safety. Figure 114: 2008 Flood and FEMA Floodplain

Iowa City’s floodplain management ordinance, intended to discourage and restrict new development in flood hazard areas, has been in place since 1977. However, in response to the devastating floods of 1993 and 2008, the City re-examined these regulations and expanded the definition of ― flood hazard‖ to include the ― 100-year‖ and ― 500-year‖ floodplains. Almost all property along Ralston Creek in Court Hill Neighborhood is developed. The City applied and received CDBG disaster recovery funds through the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) in 2009 and 2010 to replace some housing demolished and converted to permanent green space. 201

Iowa City Flood of 2008 The Ralston Creek watershed is located on the east side of Iowa City. Its southern and lower branches are urbanized. The north branch sub-basin is largely agricultural, but has undergone new development as Iowa City has continued to expand. Hickory Hill Park is located at the downstream end of the north branch sub-basin and a bridge on Rochester Avenue that crosses the creek constrains flood flows. The regional storm water detention basin for the north branch of Ralston Creek is located in Hickory Hill Park. The south branch of Ralston Creek flows into the regional storm water detention basin located east of Scott Boulevard in Scott Park. These regional basins are able to serve most of the northeast district. Developers in this district are not required to provide on-site storm water detention facilities, as long as sufficient capacity remains within the two regional storm water basins. Although a 100-year storm water route needs to be provided through each property, not having to provide storm water detention facilities on individual properties allows for more compact development to occur within the district.

202

Figure 115: Iowa City Zoning within FEMA 100-Year Floodplain and 2008 Flood Boundary

203

Figure 116: Zones Flooded in 2008

Costs Associated with Flooding

Loss of service values are more often found with disruption of critical city facilities or utilities. For example, the current FEMA standard value for the loss of electrical power is $126 per person per day; the loss of potable water is $93 per person per day, and the loss of wastewater service is $41 per person per day. Road closures that cause detours can also be calculated into the losses avoided by undertaking the project; the current standard value for vehicle delay time is $38.15 per vehicle per hour and $0.55 per mile (Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, 2009). Floodplain Development Regulations

Iowa City participates in the National Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP), and thus enforces all NFIP regulations. Development in the floodplain can occur by permit only and the City enforces one foot of freeboard.

Floodplain permits are enforced by the City of Iowa City Housing &

Inspection Services Division. Additionally, some aspects of flooding are managed by the storm

204

water management ordinance, which can prevent or reduce some of the damages associated with flash flooding from improperly drained areas, blocked drainage ways and capacity issues. Drought

Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current climate created the tall grass prairie habitat. The air systems coming up from the Gulf of Mexico brought water to Iowa. There was enough moisture to help plants grow, but the hot, dry winds from the west discouraged tree growth. Sometimes lightning caused fires; the fires raced across hundreds of miles before reaching a river. Iowa has a serious drought (long period of dry weather) about every ten years. Eight drought events had been registered in Johnson County from 1950 to 2005, leading to a total crop damage of $1.01 billion. Last year Iowa City has experienced an extreme drought category (D3-D4), which may result in major crop or pasture losses; extreme fire risk, widespread water shortages, or use restrictions may occur. Figure 117: Drought Monitor, July 2012

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Figure 118: Drought Intensity and Consequences

Extreme Drought Major crop or pasture losses; extreme fire danger; widespread water shortages or restrictions. Palmer Drought Index -4.0 to -5.4 Standard Precipitation Index -1.6 to -1.9 Percent of Normal Precipitation is <60% for 6 months Satellite Vegetative Health Index 6-15 CPC Soil Moisture Model 3-5% USGS Weekly Stream flow 3-5%

Exceptional Drought Exceptional and widespread crop or pasture losses; exceptional fire risk; shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells, creating water emergencies. Palmer Drought Index -5.5 or less Standard Precipitation Index -2.0 or less Percent of Normal Precipitation is < 60% for 12 months. Satellite Vegetative Health Index 1-5 CPC Soil Moisture Model 0-2% USGS Weekly Stream flow 0-2%

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Snow and Ice

Seventy-three snow and ice events

were

Johnson between

reported

County, 1950

and

Iowa, 2005,

including freezing rain, ice storms, heavy snow, and winter storms. The City of Iowa City Public Works Department has an effective snow removal and Iowa City after Snow Storm

street

maintenance

program

when winter storms occur. Precautions are taken when icy conditions exist. Severe Weather Plan

The Severe Weather Plan is the principle source of documentation for the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency operations activities in the event of a severe storm/tornado watch, warning, or lightning strike. Almost every City department has the responsibility for developing and maintaining some part of this plan. Each department with responsibilities in this plan have developed and maintained written procedures for carrying out their assigned tasks. Johnson County-Wide Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan

The Johnson County-Wide Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan establishes the policies, guidelines, and procedures that will allow all the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency resources to function effectively, as a team, when disaster strikes.

207

The Iowa City Emergency Operations Plan

The primary purpose of this plan is to provide a basis for City of Iowa City emergency operations. It is intended to assist key City officials and emergency organizations to carry out their responsibilities for the protection of life and property under a wide range of emergency conditions. The document serves to work as a building block to the Johnson County Wide Emergency Operations Plan. Nothing here is intended as a replacement to that document. The Iowa City Mass Evacuation Plan

Iowa City currently has a plan to provide for the orderly evacuation of all or any part of the population, if it is determined that such action is the most effective means available for protecting the population from the effects of an emergency situation. There are a wide variety of emergency situations that might require an evacuation of portions of the local area: 

Limited evacuation of specific geographic areas might be needed as a result of a hazardous materials transportation accident, major fire, natural gas leak, tornado damage, or localized flooding/flash flooding.



Large-scale evacuation could be required in the event of a major hazardous material spill, terrorist attack with chemical agent, or extensive flooding.

In case an incident happened, the ICFD would be responsible for: 

fire protection in the evacuated area



assisting in warning the public



assisting in evacuating the aged, the handicapped, and other special needs groups.

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The Iowa City Continuity of Operations Plan

The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) provides guidance for ICFD personnel to ensure the organization maintains the capability to fulfill all of its assigned essential functions during all contingencies. COOP planning is the effort to ensure the continued performance of essential government functions during a wide range of potential emergencies. Whether the hazard is the result of a natural or human-induced event, an â&#x20AC;&#x2022; all hazardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; approach assures that, regardless of the emergency, essential functions will continue. The Iowa City COOP plan was completed in September of 2012. Natural Hazard Risk Conclusion

Risk Assessment conclusion, in line with the Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan, lists thunderstorm and lightning, hail storm, and winter storms as the highest probability hazards. Tornadoes and Iowa River flooding were noted as hazards rated with the highest severity of impact. Risk Management Zones

As part of the community risk assessment, the ICFD conducted a thorough evaluation of the community risks within each of Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RMZs. All RMZs were individually evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The assessment identified and located the maximum or worst, typical or routine, and the remote or isolated fire and non-fire risk(s) in each RMZ (done pursuant to Performance Indicator 2B.3 and 2C.3 of the CFAI FESSAM 8th Edition). Maximum risks are hazards that require the most amounts of emergency resources, or that would result in the greatest negative effect on the community. Examples include, but are not limited to, the loss of life or property; damage to critical infrastructure, economic, historical or environmental impact, etc. Typical or routine risks are those risks most common to an RMZ. After the assessment was completed, risk level classifications and conclusions were made for each RMZ.

209

Risk Evaluation

The following seven unique risk evaluation factors were used as part of the assessment: Incident History, Population Density, OVAP, At-Risk Populations, Property Value, Target Hazard, and Local Considerations. Each risk evaluation factor received a risk rating based upon relevant raw data. Incident History (probability) was defined as the total number of fire, non-fire, and EMS incidents which occurred in an RMZ. The rating is based on the number of incidents occurred in an RMZ. RMZs were rated according to the following classes: 1 0-221 2 222-373 3 374-673 Population Density (probability) was identified as the total number of people occupying a one square mile geographical area. 1 Rural (less than 1,000) 2 Suburban (1,000 – 1,999) 3 Urban (2,000 – 2,999) 3 Metropolitan (greater than 3,000) OVAP (consequence) hazard designation was recognized in those occupancies within an RMZ that had an assigned vulnerability assessment score. The total value score is calculated by multiplying the number of structures in the RMZ by the average OVAP score of the RMZ. 1 Low OVAP occupancy value (less than 10,000) in the RMZ 2 Moderate OVAP occupancy value (10,000–25,000) in the RMZ 3 High OVAP occupancy value (26,000 or more) in the RMZ

210

Figure 119: Total OVAP Value by RMZ

RMZ

Average OVAP

Number of Structures

Total Value

1 4 5 6

22.42 22.55 23.32 24.61

1,470 1,822 2,314 761

41,996 41,090 53,978 18,725

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105

23.78 21.77 22.21 22.44 21.75 24.19 24.87 23.1 31.46 23.94 29.75 22.82

1,002 784 1,470 1,731 1,217 871 1,612 2,896 677 861 224 1,017

23,834 17,072 32,655 38,835 26,471 21,070 40,083 66,876 21,293 20,608 6,663 23,213

At-Risk Populations (consequence) were defined as the total number of groups or subgroups that are more likely to be exposed or more sensitive to certain fire, non-fire, and EMS risks than the general population. At-Risk populations included, but were not limited to, older adults, children, non-ambulatory, limited mobility, confined, and students.

211

1 Low 2 Moderate 3 High Residential Property Value (consequence) was based on the county appraisal. The higher the residential property value, the higher the risk and community significance reflecting the loss. 1 Low (less than $200,000) 2 Moderate ($200,000-$350,000) 3 High (greater than $350,000) Target Hazards (consequence) were identified as facilities or features in which there exists a great potential for the loss of life and/or property. The more target hazards present in an RMZ, the greater the potential for significant consequences. Target hazards included, but were not limited to: malls, hospitals, schools, universities, jails, transportation network, hazmat, nursing homes, retirement communities, Section 8 housing, movie theaters, government buildings, hotels/motels, places of worship, industrial/manufacturing, high-density housing/apartments, and activity centers/sporting complexes. 1 Low 2 Moderate 3 High Local Considerations (consequence) were included in this study in order to more accurately portray the actual risk levels within each RMZ that might not have been captured using the other six probability and vulnerability factors (incident frequency, population density, OVAP, property values, etc.). Local considerations included, but were not limited to: topography (water, terrain, undeveloped areas, elevation); critical infrastructure (utilities, vital transportation, ECC, etc.), threats (water plant, FAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Air Route Traffic Control Center, etc.), historical significance, economic impact, and political impact.

212

1 Low 2 Moderate 3 High Risk Level Classifications and Conclusions Within every RMZ, each of the seven unique risk evaluation factors were analyzed and given the most appropriate risk rating. The risk ratings consisted of a standardized numerical value of one (1), two (2), or three (3). Within every RMZ, each of the seven factor ratings were aggregated and assigned a comprehensive risk level classification specific for the respective grid. The aggregate risk level classifications were assembled and classified into one of the following risk level categories: Low, Moderate, or High. Low: 12 Moderate: 13-16 High: 17-21 RMZs risk classification conclusions, as noted in the chart below, are that one RMZ is Low risk, seven are of Moderate risk, and eight are High risk. Nearly 94 percent of the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RMZs are classified as a moderate risk or higher. Five out of the eight High risk RMZs are with metropolitan population densities. Five of the seven Moderate risk RMZs also have metropolitan population densities. The ICFD concluded that higher population densities directly relate to higher risk. The following table illustrates the systematic, risk evaluation process, and risk level classifications:

213

Figure 120: Risk Level Classification by RMZ

EMERGENCY SERVICE ZONE - RISK FACTORS AND RATINGS Probability

Consequence Residential RMZ Incident Population OVAP Total At Risk Target Local Property History Density Value Population Hazards Considerations Value

Risk Level

1 4 5 6 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105

Moderate High Moderate Moderate High Moderate Moderate Moderate High High High High High High Moderate Low

2 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 3 3 3 2 1 2

1 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 1

3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 2

3 3 3 2 1 2 2 3 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 3

1 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

3 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1

3 3 2 2 3 3 2 1 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 1

16 19 16 16 17 16 16 16 17 18 19 20 18 18 16 12

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Figure 121: RMZs Risk Level

215

E. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND SUMMARY OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE A review of historical perspective and the measurement of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current service delivery system, in relation to response times, community response history, distribution, concentration, reliability, comparability, and baseline performance are an essential part of the process to determine how resources may be used more efficiently and effectively. In this section, the quality of the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distribution network will be viewed within a historical context using data from the past five years obtained from department incident reports and the Firehouse record management system. The distribution network includes department apparatus responding from their respective fire stations within the city, as well as apparatus from neighboring jurisdictions responding as part of automatic (or mutual) aid. Relationship to Response Times Community Response History

Distribution

E. Historical Perspective and Summary of System Performance

Concentration

Reliability

Comparability

Baseline Performance

216

Relationship between Fire Behavior and Response Times

The stage of a fire affects staffing and equipment needs. Both can be reasonably predicted for different risk levels and fire stages. The ability to correlate fire staffing and equipment is the basis for a response coverage study for the ICFD. The fire suppression tasks that are required at a typical fire scene vary a great deal depending upon risk level. What the fire companies must doâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;simultaneously and quickly, if they are to save lives and limit property damageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is to arrive at the right time, with adequate resources to do the job. Matching the arrival of resources with a specific point of fire growth or number of patients found is one of the greatest challenges to fire managers. Regardless of the speed of growth or length of burn time, all fires go through the same stages of growth. In order to save lives and minimize property damage, fire suppression units must arrive within an appropriate timeframe and possess the adequate resources needed to accomplish critical tasks. An important yet common reference point in these terms is the phenomenon of flashover.

Flashover is the point in fire growth where the contents of an entire area reach their ignition temperature, resulting in an eruption of heat, smoke, and pressure capable of extending the fire far beyond the area of origin. More importantly, this fire stage is untenable for firefighters and especially for potential survivors, with grave consequences for anyone found within this environment. Ideally, fire suppression forces should be on-scene and attacking the fire prior to the point of flashover. Flashover is the point at or before which it is desirable to have fire companies arrive on-scene. When flashover occurs, everything in the room instantaneously erupts into flame. This eruption into flame generates a tremendous amount of heat, smoke, and pressure, resulting in enough force to extend the fire beyond the room of origin through doors and windows or breaches in walls. The combustion process then speeds up because it has an even greater amount of heat to transfer to unburned objects through convection, radiation, direct flame contact, and conduction.

217

Flashover is a critical stage of fire growth for two reasons: ď&#x201A;§

No living thing in the room of origin will survive, so the chances of saving lives drop dramatically.

ď&#x201A;§

A greater amount of resources (equipment and personnel) are required to handle and extinguish the fire.

A post flashover fire will burn hotter and move significantly faster, compounding the search and rescue problems in the remainder of the structure at the same time that more firefighters are needed for fire attack and extinguishment. Flashover normally occurs from four to ten minutes after free burning begins. Studies show that flashover occurs between 4-10 minutes after the beginning of the free burning stage of fire growth.

During this stage, fire growth occurs rapidly.

This rapid growth

emphasizes the importance of early notification (activation of 911) and ICFD intervention at the scene of the incident to help avoid this potentially deadly fire stage. The following flashover graphic illustrates the relationship between the physics of fire and the time directly manageable by a fire department.

218

Figure 122: Time vs. Products of Combustion

In summary, the products of combustion, and the stage of a fire directly impacts staffing and equipment needs. The time it takes to detect and report a fire can be positively influenced by a mitigation source, such as an automatic alarm system. Additionally, the early suppression of fires by automatic sprinkler systems can significantly affect the outcome of a fire. However, if neither of these mitigation sources is present, firefighters must arrive to the scene of a fire within an appropriate timeframe, which allows for emergency interventions including occupant rescue, the application of water, etc. Emergency interventions prior to flashover will have the most beneficial results. New data may indicate that time to flashover potentially is shorter than noted in the previous graphic.

219

Relationship between Cardiac Arrest and Response Times

Effective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) deployment also emphasizes on-scene performance goals to improve patient outcomes. Patients in cardiac arrest represent one of the most emergent situations found in the field.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has

determined that brain damage will likely occur within four minutes of the body being deprived of oxygen, due to a lack of perfusion and that damage will be irreversible after ten minutes without intervention.

County protocols provide for interventions that would include early Cardio

Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), or if indicated, CPR, and electrical defibrillation. Patients receiving no such interventions within ten minutes typically experience â&#x20AC;&#x2022; brain death,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; with survival rates near zero percent, as illustrated in the Time vs. Defibrillation Success graphic.

Figure 123: Time vs. Defibrillation Success

220

Community Response History

Time and on-scene performance measures are an indication of overall system performance by showing how resources are used in an effective and efficient manner.

It is essential to

understand the current performance of the delivery system in order to conduct analysis leading to possible changes in the system. Response time goals should be looked at in terms of total reflex time, which would include call processing time, turnout time, and travel time. Cascade of Events

The individual time points and elements of an emergency event (house fire, cardiac arrest, etc.) are critical to the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to positively impact the outcome.

Fire growth is

exponentially based upon concentration of fuels, elapsed time to intervention, atmospheric conditions, etc. Similarly, in medical emergencies - especially in terminal events such as cardiac arrest - the elapsed time to effective intervention has a direct relationship in determining survivability and ultimately quality of life. The cascade of events is the sum of these time points and elements. The cascade of events is sequential and flowing. The elements and time points of the cascade of events are: State of Community and Emergency Responder Normalcy, Emergency Event Initiation, Emergency Event, Alarm, Alarm Processing, Notification, Turn-out Time, Travel time, On-scene time, Initiation of Action, Termination of Incident, and Total Response time. The following discusses the cascade of events: The state of community and emergency responder normalcy (status quo) is simply the time where conditions are routine or without the need for help. The point at which factors occur that ultimately result in the activation of the emergency response system is emergency event initiation. Precipitating factors may occur in seconds, minutes, hours, or even days before a point of awareness is reached. An example may be that of a person who ignores a feeling of chest pressure for days before a critical point is reached (point of awareness) and a decision is made to seek help. The quantification or capture of the emergency event initiation point is rare this point is considered soft data. 221

Emergency event is the point where an awareness of conditions exist that requires an activation of the emergency response system - this is also called the point of awareness. The point of awareness may be the recognition by a person that help is needed. Or, the point of awareness may be the mechanical or electronic recognition, such as a smoke alarm or fire sprinkler activation. - this point is considered soft data. The point at which the emergency response system becomes activated is the alarm. The alarm is a signal or message from a person or device indicating the existence of an emergency or other situation that requires help from emergency responders. A 911 emergency call (person) or transmittal of a local alarm (device) to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) are additional examples of this time point. A PSAP is a facility or center where 911 calls are answered. - this point is considered soft qualitative data. Notification is the point when an alarm is received and acknowledged at a 911 center - this point is hard quantifiable data. Alarm handling is the time interval from when an alarm is acknowledged at a 911 center to the time information is transmitted to emergency responders - this is hard quantifiable data. The time interval that starts when notification of emergency responders begins and ends at the point when responders start to travel is called turnout time - this is hard quantifiable data. Travel time is the interval that begins when an emergency response unit (fire truck, etc.) is en route to the emergency and ends when the unit arrives at the scene - this is also hard quantifiable data. On-scene time is the point when emergency responders arrive at the scene or location of the emergency - on-scene time is hard quantifiable data. The initiation of action is generally soft qualitative data. Initiation of action starts when the first emergency unit arrives and ends when emergency mitigation (interventions) starts. The time point at which responders have completed the emergency assignment and are available to answer other calls for service is the termination of incident. 222

Total response time is the interval from when the alarm is received at the PSAP to when the first emergency responders initiate action or intervene to control the incident. Knowing the elements and time points that make-up the cascade of events is important to better understand the complexity of emergency service delivery - the delivery of service is dynamic. Figure 124: Cascade of Events for Emergency Services

223

Distribution Benchmark Statement

For 90 percent of all incidents, the first due unit shall arrive within 6 minutes 20 seconds of total response time in Metro/Urban Risk Management Zones (RMZs) and within 7 minutes 20 seconds of total response time in Suburban RMZs. The first due unit shall be capable of advancing the first line for fire control, starting rescue when a life hazard is present, or providing basic life support with defibrillation for medical incidents. Fire Administration will continue to focus on the call handling, turnout, and travel times in an effort to reduce the total response time. Fire Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to have a call processed in less than one minute, turnout time of less than 80 seconds, and a travel time of less than four minutes on 90 percent of all incidents.

Fire Administration will rely on the continuous

improvement model to obtain performance improvement in call handling and turnout. Strategies and tactics currently employed include: report notifications on out-of-range incidents to provide real-time feedback, count-up clocks to facilitate performance monitoring that are located at or near the apparatus exit doors, quarterly reports by unit and by shift to identify solutions and/or weaknesses and to encourage communication and feedback.

Goals and compliance

measurements are routinely communicated to staff and improved fire station design was employed with the construction of our last fire station to facilitate rapid turnout. Call handling times are improving incrementally and efforts to streamline that process include the addition of a horizontal PSAP and regular quality assurance reviews along with clear and concise dispatch protocols. Stability in leadership positions at the communication center has been an ongoing issue.

Dispatchers are now dispatching response units while the call taker is still taking

information. The CAD vendor is consulted on a regular basis to explore and provide software efficiencies. Distribution of the stations and resources is needed to assure rapid first due response deployment in order to minimize and successfully intervene at emergencies. Distribution is measured by the percent of the jurisdiction covered by the first due units within adopted public policy. The ICFD

224

has utilized brain death and flashover as benchmarks when determining distribution of units, specifically to arrive before brain death on an EMS call, and prior to flashover for a fire call. Currently, the ICFD operates out of four fire stations, each containing an engine company or a quint company staffed with a minimum of three personnel, running first due in each district. In addition, Station 1 contains a truck company with a minimum of three personnel, and a Battalion Chief. Station 4 houses the cross-staffed rescue apparatus. Concentration Benchmark Statement For 90 percent of maximum risk areas, an Effective Response Force (ERF) shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time within Metro/Urban RMZs and within 12 minutes 20 seconds in Suburban RMZs and be able to provide 1,500 GPM for firefighting, or handle a three-patient emergency medical incident. Concentration addresses the spacing of multiple resources arranged (close enough together) so that an initial ERF can be assembled on-scene within sufficient timeframes. An initial ERF is that which will most likely stop the escalation of an emergency in a specific risk type. Such an initial response may stop the escalation of an emergency, even in maximum risk areas. However, an initial ERF is not necessarily the total number of units or personnel needed if an emergency escalates to its maximum potential. For example, if a building is preplanned for a worst case fire flow of 4,000 GPM, it is possible that the jurisdiction plans an initial ERF to provide the resources necessary (ex. 1,500 GPM) to contain the fire to a reasonably sized compartment of origin. Additional alarms or units could be planned on from further away, including mutual aid.

In determining concentration, the ICFD has again looked at risk

assessment, call volume, population, and critical tasking. Future needs are identified in the Strategic Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The effective service area of each fire station is described as the area that is accessible by fire units within four minutes travel time. The department takes into account factors such as street patterns, terrain, and traffic arrangement of fire stations, which impact response and station location. Efforts are continually made to shorten time in each of the steps. Fire Administration

225

anticipates the CAD and Mobile Data Computer (MDC) systems will help identify response time deficiencies and better manage and/or condense response time components. A distribution study is merely one of several dimensions which can be utilized to view system performance history. The four-minute travel time map identifies several weak areas with regard to the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s static distribution network. Many areas depicted in white on the map below are not fully developed in terms of road network or the number of structures present. The areas consistently have rural population densities and low community risk level classifications. However, there are significant portions that fall into high and moderate risk RMZs, especially RMZ 4, 13, and 105. These findings call for re-evaluation of the static distribution and/or addition of stations to fill the gaps. Concentration Study of Resources

According to CFAI, concentration is the spacing of multiple resources arranged close enough together so that an ERF can be assembled on-scene within adopted public policy timeframes. Simply stated, resources should be located throughout the community so that the needs of an emergency incident are met in a timely fashion. Also, concentration of resources may vary since an increased risk potential or population density may equal an amplified need for the spacing of resources. For the purposes of this concentration study, the following factors were examined to determine availability of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concentration of resources: ERF, incident data (responses) by RMZ, and incident data (responses) by station. Typically, high and special risk incidents require a larger ERF to successfully mitigate an emergency. In summary, the appropriate department and mutual aid resources are dispatched either automatically or by request in accordance with the county-wide response matrix and the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), which coincides with critical tasking and the related ERF. The tables and charts that follow show incident responses (all incident types) and travel time performance by station for 2012:

226

The data analysis concludes a direct relationship to community service demand and higher population density RMZs. Simply stated, service demand is peak for the areas where people are concentrated. Furthermore, station response area map (four-minute travel time) exhibit adequate coverage to most of the service demand. However, noteworthy overlap of some station response areas is observed and there are low service demand areas and low population density RMZs outside of the four-minute travel time.

Consideration should be given to improve resource (station)

FIRE Objective: For all fire incidents, the Iowa City Fire Department shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficient resources to stop the escalation of the fire and keep the fire to the area of involvement upon arrival. Initial response resources shall be capable of containing the fire, rescuing at-risk victims, and performing salvage operations, while providing for the safety of the responders and general public. 

Distribution Performance Measure for Fire – All: The first engine (or truck or quint with engine capabilities) staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall arrive within 6 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 7 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, for 90% of all requests for emergency service.



Concentration Performance Measure for Fire – Low:

See Distribution Performance

Measure. 

Concentration Performance Measure for Fire – Moderate (Unconfirmed): The second and third due engine (or truck or quint with engine capabilities) staffed with a minimum 227

of six personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 10 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services. The department will not enter an IDLH environment until the arrival of minimal personnel to meet critical tasking objectives.



Concentration Performance Measure for Fire – Moderate (Confirmed): The second, third, and fourth due engine (or truck or quint with engine capabilities) staffed with a minimum of nine personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 13 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services.



Concentration Performance Measure for Fire – High: The second through fifth due units staffed with a minimum of 12 personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 16 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services.



Concentration Performance Measure for Fire – Special: To the resources identified in high risk response add the preplanned mutual aid resources available through the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Iowa City’s four fire districts are divided into 12 boxes. Each box can escalate, depending upon the needs of the incident commander’s incident action plan to a 5th alarm, with each alarm bringing additional apparatus and personnel. Mutual aid resources will be necessary to assemble an effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control a special risk event.

228

EMS Objective: For all emergency medical incidents, the Iowa City Fire Department shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficiently trained and equipped personnel to provide medical services that will stabilize the situation, provide care and support to the victim and reduce, reverse, or eliminate the conditions that have caused the emergency while providing for the safety of the responders.

Timely transportation of victim to appropriate medical facilities shall be

accomplished in an effective and efficient manner when warranted. 

Distribution Performance Measure for EMS – All: The first unit (with BLS capabilities) staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall arrive within six minutes total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; seven minutes total response time in suburban population areas, for 90% of all requests for emergency service.



Concentration Performance Measure for EMS – Low and Moderate:

Same as

Distribution Performance Measure. 

Concentration Performance Measure for EMS – High: The second and third unit with BLS capabilities staffed with a minimum of six personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 10 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency service.

Concentration Performance Measure for EMS – Special: The second through fifth due units staffed with a minimum of 12 personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 16 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services.

Mutual aid resources may be necessary to assemble an

effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control a special risk event. Preplanned mutual aid resources are available through the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). 229

RESCUE Objective: For all incidents where rescue of victims is required, the Iowa City Fire Department shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficient resources to stabilize the situation and extricate the victim(s) from the emergency situation or location without causing further harm to the victim, responders, public or the environment. 

Distribution Performance Measure for Rescue – All: The first unit (engine, truck, quint, or rescue) staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall arrive within six minutes twenty seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; seven minutes twenty seconds total response time in suburban population areas, for 90% of all requests for emergency service.



Concentration Performance Measure for Rescue – Low:

Same as distribution

performance measure. 

Concentration Performance Measure for Rescue – Moderate: The second and third due engine, truck, rescue or quint staffed with a minimum of six personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 10 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services.



Concentration Performance Measure for Rescue – High: The second through fifth due units staffed with a minimum of 12 personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 16 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency services.

Concentration Performance Measure for Rescue – Special: To the resources identified in high risk response add the preplanned mutual aid resources available through the Johnson County 230

Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). A call-back of off-duty Special Operations Rescue Technicians (SORT) will bring added staffing. One or both groups may be necessary to provide an effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control a special risk event. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Objective: For all incidents where hazards involving hazardous materials are involved, the Iowa City Fire Department shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficient resources to stabilize the situation, stop the escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for the successful conclusion of the incident without causing further harm while providing for the safety and security of the responders, public, and the environment. 

Distribution Performance Measure for Hazardous Materials – All: The first unit (engine, truck, quint, or rescue) staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall arrive within six minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; seven minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, for 90% of all requests for emergency service.



Concentration Performance Measure for Hazardous Materials – Low:

Same as

distribution performance measure. 

Concentration Performance Measure for Hazardous Materials – Moderate: The second, third, and fourth units staffed with a minimum of nine personnel and the battalion chief shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 13 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency service.



Concentration Performance Measure for Hazardous Materials – High: The second, third, fourth and fifth unit staffed with a minimum of twelve personnel and the battalion chief

231

shall arrive within 10 minutes 20 seconds total response time in metropolitan and urban population areas; 12 minutes 20 seconds total response time in suburban population areas, to have a minimum of 16 personnel on scene for 90 percent of all requests for emergency service. 

Concentration Performance Measure for Hazardous Materials – Special:

To the

resources identified in high risk response add a full team call-out of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team (JCHMRT). The preplanned mutual aid resources available through the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) may also be added. The JCHMRT will be necessary to assemble an effective response force capable of addressing the critical tasks necessary to control a special risk event. Comparability Study

A method of measuring system performance is that of comparability. Comparability may be done in different ways.

A common practice is to use industry standards such as NFPA,

Insurance Services Office, etc. Another method is to use industry best practices that have been validated by organizations dedicated to continuous improvement, such as CFAI.

Internal

comparison of system performance is also a method to capture comparability. An internal comparison is conducted in the summer and spring planning meetings. The meeting report monitors the department’s performance.

The report addresses the department’s

emergency service and administrative (budget, health and safety, fire marshal, evaluations, training, reports, etc.) items. The report also illustrates emergency service items related to turnout, travel time, and total response time (average and 90th percentile) across all three shifts and by month. Baseline Performance

Understanding the historical measure of today’s (baseline) performance is critical when assessing the emergency service delivery system.

An integral portion of the performance

assessment is accurate response data.

232

Methodology of Response Data Gathering and Analysis

A records management system (Firehouse Software) was utilized to gather accurate raw response data, with further calculations performed to arrive at the end results seen in the following data charts. Initially, a query was built to capture all fire, EMS, rescue, and hazmat responses within the city limits (mutual/automatic aid responses outside the city excluded) from the year 2008 through 2012. All data was exported to (and all response analysis calculations were done through) Microsoft Excel Macro. Due to special data accuracy issues about 6 percent of the data were excluded to make sure that the data is indeed representative to our performance outcomes. We believe the excluded outliers are outcome of technology failure, mis-entered data, or extreme weather conditions. For example, a significant portion of these data points had zero alarm handling time. Raw response data was pulled for every response unit that responded to an emergency incident (excluding units canceled prior to arrival) and included the following: 

Incident Type



Unit Identifier



Unit Arrival Sequence



Date/Time of: Call in Queue, Alarm, Notification, Roll, Arrival, Clear



Location (RMZ) of Incident



Year of Incident (filter)



Fire Station District of Incident

The following calculations were performed using raw response data gathered utilizing the criteria listed above: 

Unit Count (total number of units per incident)



Alarm Handling Time (Alarm Date/Time minus Call in Queue Date/Time)



Turnout Time (Roll Date/Time minus Notification Date/Time)



Travel Time (Arrival Date/Time minus Roll Date/Time)



Total Response Time (Arrival Date/Time minus Call in Queue Date/Time)



Turnout and Arrival Sequencing (order sorting of unit’s turnout and arrival)



Effective Response Force (last unit arrival from first alarm assignment) 233

Data analysis was completed using Microsoft Excel reports and Firehouse Analytics, which allowed the viewing of data by categories based on: specific years, years and service delivery areas, and years and RMZs. Filtering methods used were: apparatus and turnout sequencing and ERF.

The Microsoft Excel reports were used in such a manner that allowed quick

summarization of incident counts, analysis of the first arriving unit, and ERF response performance. Baseline System Performance

The following data tables are representative of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2008-2012 baseline (actual) system performance for alarm handling time, turnout time, travel time, and total response time for all Code 3 (emergency) incidents that transpired within Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city limits for each service type (fire, EMS, technical rescue, and hazmat). The 2008-2012 data was analyzed according to service type, risk classification, and population density. The data was measured to the 90th percentile for each individual year and then aggregated to show the 90th percentile measurement for all five years from 2008-2012. Fire Suppression Baseline Performance

Low risk fire suppression incidents include grass fires, trash/rubbish fires, and passenger vehicle fires. An ERF of three personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of low risk fire incidents. For most low risk fire suppression incidents, the ERF is the same as the first arriving unit. Moderate risk fire suppression incidents included single family dwelling fires, appliance fires, flue/chimney fires, outbuilding fires, and transport vehicle fires. An ERF of ten personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of moderate risk fire incidents. In cases where a working fire is confirmed, the minimum ERF is 13 personnel. High risk fire suppression incidents included fires in multi-family dwellings, commercial structures, and light manufacturing. An ERF of 16 personnel is minimally required to complete the critical task assignments of high risk fire incidents.

234

Figure 125: Fire Baseline Performance

STRUCTURE FIRE: Type 111-118

Alarm Handling

Turnout Time

Pick-up to Dispatch

Turnout Time 1st Unit

Travel Time 1st Unit Distribution

Travel Time

Travel Time ERF (Moderate) UNCONFIRMED Concentration

Travel Time ERF (Moderate) CONFIRMED Concentration

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009

Metro / Urban 90% Data Fractal Set 1:09 45 1:09 31 2:12 45 2:03 41 2:08 49

Suburban 90% Data Fractal Set 1:46 11 1:01 14 1:48 22 2:24 16 1:52 18

1:43 1:43

211

1:51 1:51

2:17 2:11 2:13 2:09 1:55

45 31 45 41 49 211

2:41 2:27 2:40 2:10 2:08

11 14 22 16 18 81

2:07 2:07 3:55 4:22 3:50 4:26 3:43

4:07 4:01

45 31 45 41 49 211

2:26 2:26 5:38 5:42 5:28 4:57 4:46

5:05 5:05

11 14 22 16 18 81

8:12 7:16

36 14

7:51 8:55

10 13

7:10 7:40 8:04

32 28 35 145

8:35 9:31 7:12

20 15 17 75

2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009

7:40 7:40 6:44 13:25

2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

7:10 9:04 6:59 8:14 8:14

6 8 4 7 5 30

8:35 8:35 18:48 18:20 13:19 14:45 9:26 14:45 14:45

1 7 6 4 6 24

235

Total Response Time

Total Response Time 1st Unit Distribution

TRT ERF (Moderate) UNCONFIRMED Concentration Total Response Time

TRT ERF (Moderate) CONFIRMED Concentration

2008 2009

6:34 6:23

45 31

8:36 8:03

11 14

2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

6:29 7:33 6:41

45 41 50 211

8:25 7:24 7:56

22 16 18 81

ERF [Low Risk] = 3 Personnel

6:36 6:36 11:07 10:06 10:33 13:14 10:57

36 14 32 28 35 145

10:45 10:45 11:55 21:09 14:52 17:44 15:46 16:14 16:14

6 8 4 7 5 30

8:09 8:09 12:05 13:12 12:54 14:15 10:32

12:54 12:54 23:05 25:17 21:35 17:28 16:45 21:35 21:35

10 13 20 15 17 75 1 7 6 4 6 24

Metro RMZs: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 23

ERF [Moderate/Unconfirmed] = 10 Personnel Urban RMZ: 18 ERF [Moderate/Confirmed Risk] = 13 Personnel Suburban RMZ: 1, 4, 17, 104, ERF [High Risk] = 16 Personnel

and 105

ERF [Special Risk] = 16 Personnel + MABAS Travel time METRO/URBAN Benchmark Baseline

1st Unit 4:00 4:01

SUBURBAN Benchmark Baseline

5:00 5:05

Effective Response Force Moderate Risk Unconfirmed Confirmed 8:00 8:00 7:40 8:14

10:00 8:35

10:00 14:45 236

EMS Baseline Performance for 2008-2012

EMS incidents included all emergency EMS calls, illness (medical), or injury (trauma) related. Figure 126: Emergency Medical Service Baseline Performance

Metro / Urban

EMS: Types 311, 321, 322, 323

Alarm Handling

Turnout Time

Pick-up to Dispatch

Turnout Time 1st Unit

Travel Time 1st Unit Distribution

Travel Time

Travel Time ERF Concentration

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

90% Fractal 1:44 1:29 2:08 2:13 2:10 1:55 1:55 2:21 2:19 2:11 2:06 1:51 2:03 2:03 5:21 5:06 5:10 5:13 4:56 5:00 5:00 5:33 7:33 2:39 4:56 6:40 6:40

Data Set 1494 1530 1598 1654 1845 8121 1494 1530 1598 1654 1845 8121 1494 1530 1598 1654 1845 8121 1 4 1 3 0 9

Suburban 90% Data Fractal Set 1:37 632 1:33 592 2:04 695 2:14 784 2:09 892 1:48 3595 1:48 2:32 632 2:13 592 2:04 695 2:26 784 1:52 892 2:02 3595 2:02 7:06 632 6:19 592 6:30 695 5:58 784 5:41 892 5:58 3595 5:58 5:25 1 6:47 3 10:18 2 9:00 1 5:53 2 6:47 9 6:47

237

2008 2009 Total Response Time 1st Unit Distribution

Total Response Time

2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 Total Response Time ERF 2010 Concentration 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

7:58 7:19

1494 1530

9:44 8:36

632 592

7:42 8:05 7:48 7:44 7:44 8:16 11:03 9:39 8:09 9:22 9:22

1598 1654 1845 8121

9:01 9:09 8:32 8:35 8:35 7:43 9:30 12:36 12:43 8:25 9:30 9:30

695 784 892 3595

1 4 1 3 0 9

1 3 2 1 2 9

ERF [Low Risk] = 3 personnel ERF [Moderate Risk] = 3 Personnel ERF [High Risk] = 10 Personnel ERF [Special Risk] = 16 Personnel + MABAS Travel time Effective Response Force METRO/URBAN Benchmark Baseline

1st Unit 4:00 5:00

Moderate Risk 8:00 5:58

Metro RMZs: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 23 Urban RMZs: 18

SUBURBAN Benchmark Baseline

5:00 6:40

10:00 6:47

Suburban RMZs: 1, 4, 17, 104, and 105

Technical Rescue Baseline Performance for 2008-2012

Low: Removal from stuck elevators is the only incident that is considered low risk. An ERF of three personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments for low risk technical rescue incidents.

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Moderate: Rescues involving a motor vehicle accident (no entrapment) that did not include speeds over 45 mph, involve a rollover, a tractor trailer, a bus, or a train. Also included are any rescues located on or near a trail. An ERF of ten personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of moderate risk technical rescue incidents. High: Rescue involving vehicle extrication with entrapment, a vehicle into a structure, an industrial entrapment, or water/ice is considered high risk. An ERF of 16 personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of high risk technical rescue incidents. Special: Rescue involving structural collapse, confined space entry, rope, high angle, or trench collapse is considered special risk. Special risk incidents will cause the Special Operations Rescue Team (SORT) to be activated in addition to the high risk deployment of 16 personnel.

Figure 127: Technical Rescue Baseline Performance

TECHNICAL RESCUE: Type 351-370

Alarm Handling

Turnout Time

Pick-up to Dispatch

Turnout Time 1st Unit

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

Metro / Urban 90% Data Fractal Set :56 4 1:19 5 1:19 2 1:15 6 1:39 2

Suburban 90% Data Fractal Set :57 3 :47 3 2:22 4 1:27 3 1:40 5

1:23 1:23

1:29 1:29

1:14 2:37 1:01 2:10 1:28

4 5 2 6 2

1:54 1:56 1:38 1:01 1:59

3 3 4 3 5

2:09 2:09

1:59 1:59

239

Travel Time 1st Unit Distribution

Travel Time

Travel Time ERF Concentration

Total Response Time 1st Unit Distribution Total Response Time

Total Response Time ERF Concentration

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

6:30 6:03 :29 3:14 3:26

4 5 2 6 2

5:31 6:20 6:50 5:02 4:33

3 3 4 3 5

3:50 3:50

5:12 5:12

4:05 7:57

1 1

8:43 11:57 5:59

2 2 1

7:57 7:57

8:43 8:43

7:26 7:38

4 5

7:00 8:39

3 3

6:09 6:23 6:13

2 6 2

9:40 7:47 8:29

4 3 5

6:23 6:23

7:47 7:47

13:56 18:46

2 2

7:10 10:31

1 1

11:41

8:51 8:51

14:46 14:46

ERF [Low Risk] = 3 Personnel ERF [Moderate Risk] = 10 Personnel ERF [High Risk] = 16 Personnel ERF [Special Risk] = 16 Personnel + SORT + MABAS

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Travel time METRO/URBAN Benchmark Baseline

1st Unit 4:00 3:50

Effective Response Force Moderate Risk 8:00 7:57

Metro RMZs: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 23 Urban RMZs: 18

SUBURBAN Benchmark Baseline

5:00 5:12

10:00 8:43

Suburban RMZs: 1, 4, 17, 104, and 105

Hazmat Baseline Performance for 2008-2012

Low risk hazmat incidents included investigations with carbon monoxide, natural gas, or other commonly encountered hazardous materials such as gasoline and anti-freeze. An ERF of three personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of low risk hazmat incidents. Moderate risk hazmat incidents included HazMat spills and gas leaks that include methane and propane.

Moderate risk incidents include investigations inside a structure for hazardous

materials. An ERF of 13 personnel is necessary to complete the critical task assignments of moderate risk incidents. High risk incidents include incidents where a full team roll-out of the Johnson County Hazardous Materials Response Team is required.

Incidents include a large quantity release from

transportation accidents, an unknown chemical release from a lab, or a chemical release at a manufacturing facility.

An ERF of 16 personnel is necessary to initiate the critical task

assignments of high risk HazMat incidents. Special risk incidents require full team activation plus additional HazMat specialists to initiate the critical task assignments associated with a special risk event. Examples include any largescale HazMat event, spills related to a train derailment, a dirty bomb or a WMD event. An ERF of 22 personnel is necessary to initiate the critical task assignments. Additional resources may include the Iowa WMD team and/or the 71st Civil Support Team.

241

Figure 128: Hazardous Materials Baseline Performance

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: Type 411-430

Alarm Handling

Turnout Time

Pick-up to Dispatch

Turnout Time 1st Unit

Travel Time 1st Unit Distribution

Travel Time

Travel Time ERF Concentration

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

Metro / Urban 90% Data Fractal Set 1:09 13 1:54 17 3:25 21 2:15 18 3:13 27

Suburban 90% Data Fractal Set 1:34 6 :54 2 2:06 9 2:21 10 3:00 7 2:08 34

2:11 2:11

2:13 2:30 2:10 2:19 2:03

13 17 21 18 27

2:00 2:06 2:10 2:29 1:55

2:12 2:12

2:06 2:06

3:17 4:47 4:22 3:37 5:23

13 17 21 18 27

2:32 6:02 5:32 5:49 5:33

3:55 3:55

5:32 5:32

7:06 5:56 6:27 7:14 6:08

10 10 15 9 12

6:58 5:32 6:47 7:28

6:27 6:27

7:28 7:28

2:08 6 2 9 10 7 34 6 2 9 10 7 34 4 8 6 6 24

242

2008 2009 Total Response Time 1st Unit Distribution

2010 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline 2008 2009 Total Response Time ERF 2010 Concentration 2011 2012 2008-12 Baseline

Total Response Time

5:46 7:24

13 17

5:02 7:40

6 2

7:42 7:03 8:45

21 18 27

7:05 8:54 10:02

7:06 7:06

7:56 7:56

9 10 7 34

11:26 13:34 10:11 12:04 12:16

10 10 15 9 12

10:07 9:42 12:01 12:33

11:26 11:26

11:15 11:15

4 8 6 6 24

ERF [Low Risk] = 3 Personnel ERF [Moderate Risk] = 13 Personnel ERF [High Risk] = 16 Personnel ERF [Special Risk] = 16 Personnel + JCHMRT

Travel time Effective Response Force METRO/URBAN Benchmark Baseline

1st Unit 4:00 3:55

Moderate Risk 8:00 6:27

Metro RMZs: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 23 Urban RMZs: 18

SUBURBAN Benchmark Baseline

5:00 5:32

10:00 7:28

Suburban RMZs: 1, 4, 17, 104, and 105

243

Figure 129: Four Minute Response Areas

244

Figure 130: 2008 Response Time

245

Figure 131: Response Time 2009-2011

Concentration Study of Resources

246

Typically, high and special risk incidents require a larger ERF to successfully mitigate an emergency. In summary, the appropriate department and mutual aid resources are dispatched either automatically or by request in accordance with the county-wide response matrix and the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), which coincides with critical tasking and the related ERF. The following charts show incident responses (all incident types) and travel time performance by station for 2012: Figure 132: 2012 Incident Responses by Station

Station 4, 520

Station 1, 2124 Station 3, 1369

Station 2, 1162

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Figure 133: Travel Time by Station

The data analysis concludes a direct relationship to community service demand and higher population density RMZs. Simply stated, service demand is peak for the areas where people are concentrated. Furthermore, station response area map (four-minute travel time Figure 132 above) exhibit adequate coverage to most of the service demand. However, noteworthy overlap of some station response areas is observed and there are low service demand areas and low population density RMZs outside of the four-minute travel time.

Consideration should be given to improve

resource (station) concentration (location), especially in District 4 and District 2, where the department faces its longest travel times. Consideration also must be given to the future growth of the city (refer to the growth boundary map below) and the correlating impact upon population density.

248

Reliability Study

The ultimate goal of conducting a reliability study is to evaluate the dependability of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency services when called upon by the community. The department performed a reliability study to verify the overall service dependability in terms of distribution, resources, and performance. Measuring service reliability involved an analysis of whether or not the required emergency resources within the distribution network were located appropriately and available when a call for service was received, and whether or not their arrival was within specified response time parameters. Figure 134: 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Call Processing Time in Seconds

249

Figure 135: 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Turnout Time in Seconds

Figure 136: 2008-2012 All Code 3 Incidents Travel Time in Minutes

250

Location and Distribution Reliability

As mentioned previously, the current dispatching system is computer-aided, which is why the distribution network functions both statically and dynamically, depending on the physical location of resources. When all first arriving units are in their corresponding station locations, the department considers the distribution of resources to be statically reliable. Likewise, if response units are mobile (in transit) or located outside of their time-determined station response areas, the department considers the distribution of resources to be dynamically reliable. Therefore, no matter where the resources are located within the distribution network, they are considered to either be statically or dynamically reliable because of the near-ubiquitous nature of the current county-wide dispatching system. Availability and Resource Reliability

Distribution reliability is only as good as the availability of the response resources within it. If units are unavailable to respond to incidents because of a high emergency workload (call volume), then reliability may be in question. However, response resources are typically dynamic within their static area during most non-emergency activities (training, business inspections, public education, public relations events, etc.). The ICFD has a total of five fire companies. To improve response times and to ensure at least one company is available within each district, the department schedules regular training sessions that involve hands-on training and shifts companies as needed to ensure coverage in all districts. Didactic training classes are offered by videoconferencing to keep units within their response districts. Essentially, resources are usually assigned to non-emergency activities within their stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response area. Therefore, availability plays a huge role in determining whether or not the resources within a given distribution network will be reliable. Yet, unavailability does not necessarily yield unreliability.

For example, if an emergency

response unit is unavailable to respond to an incident, for whatever reason, but another, more distant unit is able to arrive on-scene within predetermined response time parameters (i.e. benchmark or baseline 90th percentile measures), then ultimately the service provided to the community was reliable. Consequently, in order to accurately determine whether or not the

251

ICFD’s service reliability was being impacted by the unavailability of resources; the ICFD had to analyze response time performance data within the distribution network. Total Response Time and Performance Reliability

Response time performance is the definitive measurement of service reliability. Even though resources may be located appropriately in a distribution network and available to respond to calls for service, the potential to be unreliable still exists if the resources are unable to arrive at emergency incidents within predetermined response time parameters (i.e. benchmark or baseline 90th percentile measures). The term ― benchmark‖ refers to a standard by which something can be measured. The term ― baseline‖ refers to the assessment and measurement of current service delivery practices relative to a benchmark. Therefore, in order to correctly identify potential gaps in the overall service reliability, the ICFD had to evaluate its performance reliability in relation to benchmark or baseline 90th percentile measurements. Performance reliability can be evaluated in many different ways (turnout time, travel time and total response time) and on many different levels (first arriving unit, second arriving unit, and ERF).

However, the department decided that the best way to determine its performance

reliability was to examine the total response time of first arriving units to Code 3 (emergency) incidents in Iowa City relative to baseline 90th percentile measures and population density. Specifically, the department analyzed all Code 3 (emergency) incidents within each RMZ that took place within city limits in the past five years. By analyzing the incidents geographically at the RMZ level, the department was able to pinpoint exact areas of performance unreliability in the distribution network. Figure 137 depicts the department’s first arriving unit total response time reliability for all Code 3 (emergency) fire, EMS, hazmat, and technical rescue responses from 2008 to 2012.

reliability percentage was assigned to each RMZ according to whether or not the baseline 90 th percentile performance measures were met, or not met, for the first-arriving unit. Overall, the department’s first arriving unit reliability for all emergency incidents from 2008 to 2012 was 91.1 percent.

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Figure 137: First Arriving Unit Total Response Time Reliability

RMZ 1 4 5 6 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 23 104 105 Total

Total Response Time, 2008-2012 Met Not Met 1038 137 1271 139 533 152 546 41 894 28 321 50 223 136 1056 195 322 36 1267 31 1318 26 1895 178 2424 43 1070 164 256 27 586 85 15020 1468

Total Emergency Responses

Reliability

1175 1410 685 587 922 371 359 1251 358 1298 1344 2073 2467 1234 283 671 16488

88.3% 90.1% 77.8% 93.0% 97.0% 86.5% 62.1% 84.4% 89.9% 97.6% 98.1% 91.4% 98.3% 86.5% 90.5% 87.3% 91.1%

Total Response Time, 2012 Only Met Not Met 248 31 325 27 120 38 105 10 213 7 62 7 43 39 213 47 74 6 284 7 279 8 457 46 523 8 227 39 66 10 150 21 3389 351

Turnout Class Alarm Processing Metro RMZs: 5,6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 23

Total Emergency Responses

Reliability

279 352 158 115 220 69 82 260 80 291 287 503 531 266 76 171 3740

88.9% 92.3% 75.9% 91.3% 96.8% 89.9% 52.4% 81.9% 92.5% 97.6% 97.2% 90.9% 98.5% 85.3% 86.8% 87.7% 90.6%

Travel

Total Response Time

Metro/Urban

:90

5:12

8:12

Suburban

:90

6:30

9:30

Urban RMZs: 18 Suburban RMZs: 1, 4, 17, 104, 105

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STANDARD OF COVER

254

F. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES

Following a comprehensive review of the ICFD’s historical response performance and a thorough analysis of the quality of the distribution network as it pertained to the distribution, concentration, reliability and comparability of emergency response resources, the department was able to utilize the findings to assist in the development of appropriate performance objectives and measures for its Standard of Cover (SOC). The ICFD recognizes that only through the establishment of performance objectives and measures will it have the ability to evaluate the overall effectiveness of achieved response outcomes within each service program. This section establishes benchmark and baseline performance objectives and measures each service program (fire, EMS, rescue, and hazmat) in direct relation with risk level classifications (low, moderate, and high) and population densities (metropolitan, urban, and suburban). Performance objectives are qualitative goal statements that generalize the intended outcome of a program in words rather than numbers, whereas performance measures are the quantitative or numerical representation of activities and resources that help evaluate whether goals are met. The department used previous findings, along with the recommended best practices from national standards, to drive the development of benchmark and baseline performance objectives and measures. As mentioned earlier, the term ― benchmark‖ refers to a standard by which something can be measured, but also is representative of industry best practices (i.e. NFPA). The term ― baseline‖ refers to the assessment and measurement of current service delivery practices relative to a benchmark. In regard to establishing benchmark performance objectives for each service delivery program, the department utilized 90th percentile time measures outlined in NFPA Standard 1710. Specifically, the department focused on using recommended total response time benchmarks for the first arriving unit and the ERF in relation to population density (metropolitan, urban, and suburban). Total response time equates to the summation of alarm processing time, turnout time, and travel time of response units.

255

Total Response Time (TRT) = Alarm Processing Time + Turnout Time + Travel Time In regard to establishing baseline performance objectives for each service delivery program, the department utilized aggregated 90th percentile time measures derived from 2008-2012 emergency response data. Specifically, the baseline objectives and measures focused on the total response time performance of the first arriving unit (distribution) and the ERF (concentration), but also took into consideration the associated service risk levels (low, moderate, and high) and RMZ population densities (metropolitan, urban, and suburban). Fire Suppression Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 138: Benchmark Fire Suppression by Population Density

NFPA 1710 Fire Suppression Benchmark Performance Times by Population Density Population Alarm 1st Arriving ERF 1st Arriving Density Processing Turnout Travel Travel TRT Metropolitan 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 Urban 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 Suburban 1:00 1:20 5:00 10:00 7:20

ERF TRT 10:20 10:20 12:20

First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for fire suppression services, the TRT of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes, 20 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, 7 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of: providing 500 gallons of water and 1,500 gallons per minute (GPM) pumping capacity, initiating command, requesting additional resources, establishing and advancing an attack line, flowing a minimum of 150 GPM, establishing an uninterrupted water supply, containing the fire, rescuing at-risk patients, and performing salvage operations.

These operations shall be done in

accordance with the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative policy guidelines, while at the same time providing for the safety of all personnel and the community. Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for All Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for fire suppression services, the TRT for the arrival of the ERF staffed with the appropriate number of personnel to meet critical tasking shall be: 10 minutes, 20 seconds in metro and urban areas, 12 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The ERF shall be capable of: 256

establishing command, providing an uninterrupted water supply, advancing an attack line and a backup line for fire control, complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements of two in-two out, completing forcible entry, searching for and rescuing at-risk patients, ventilating the structure, controlling utilities, and performing salvage and overhaul. The ERF shall also be capable of placing elevated streams into service from aerial ladders. These operations shall be done in accordance with the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative policy guidelines, while at the same time providing for the safety of all personnel and the community. Fire Suppression Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 139: Baseline Performance Times by Population Density

2008-2012 Fire Baseline Performance Times by Population Density Population Density 1st Arriving TRT ERF TRT Metropolitan 6:36 11:00 Urban 6:36 11:00 Suburban 8:25 14:15

Should additional firefighters be needed for a structure fire, the Incident Commander can upgrade the alarm to five levels of box alarms, as outlined in the Johnson County Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). The factors affecting the decision to upgrade the alarm level include, but are not limited to, percentage of involvement, rescue operations, number of victims, number of casualties, length of incident, exposure problems, presence of hazardous materials, and the presence of built-in fire protection systems. Objective: To stop escalation of a major fire when found. Typically, this means conducting a search for any victims, confining fire to the floor of origin, plus limiting heat and smoke damage to the area of floor origin. The tasks of rapid intervention rescue for trapped firefighters, property salvage, and crew rotation with rehabilitation requires additional personnel on a fire scene in this risk category. First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for all Fire Risks: For 90% of all requests for fire suppression services, the total response time of the first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes 36 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas; 8 minutes 9 seconds in suburban population areas.

257

Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for all Fire Risks: For 90% of all requests for fire suppression services, the total response time of the ERF shall be: 10 minutes, 45 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas; and 12 minutes, 54 seconds in suburban population areas. The ERF shall be capable of: establishing command; providing an uninterrupted water supply; advancing an attack line and a backup line for fire control; complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements; the ERF shall also be capable of performing all operations in accordance with the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative policy guides while at the same time providing for the safety of all personnel and the community. EMS Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 140: Benchmark EMS by Population Density

NFPA 1710 EMS Benchmark Performance Times by Population Density Population Density Alarm Processing Turnout 1st Arriving Travel Metropolitan 1:00 1:00 4:00 Urban 1:00 1:00 4:00 Suburban 1:00 1:00 4:00

First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for EMS services, the TRT of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit (with BLS capabilities), staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes in metropolitan, and urban population areas and 7 minutes in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of providing medical services that will stabilize the situation and provide care and support to the patient. EMS Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 141: EMS Baseline by Population Density

2008-2012 EMS Baseline Performance Times by Population Density Population Density 1st Arriving TT Metropolitan 7:44 Urban 7:44 Suburban 8:35

Total Response Time for All Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for EMS services, the TRT shall be: 7 minutes, 44 seconds in metropolitan and urban areas and 8 minutes, 35 seconds in

258

suburban, population areas. The unit shall be capable of providing medical services that will stabilize the situation and provide care and support to the patient. Objective: To provide medical treatment for an incident involving at least one patient. The goal is to stop the deterioration of a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical condition through basic life support and defibrillation until the arrival of an advanced life support unit. Technical Rescue Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 142: Benchmark Technical Rescue by Population Density

NFPA 1710 Technical Rescue Benchmark Performance Times by Population Density Population Alarm 1st Arriving Density Processing Turnout 1st Arriving Travel ERF Travel TRT Metropolitan 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 Urban 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 Suburban 1:00 1:20 5:00 10:00 7:20

ERF TRT 10:20 10:20 12:20

First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Rescue Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for rescue services, the TRT of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes, 20 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 7 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of providing rescue services to stabilize the incident and extricate patients from the emergency situation. Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for All Rescue Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for rescue services, the TRT of the ERF, staffed with the appropriate number of personnel to meet critical tasking shall be: 10 minutes, 20 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 12 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The ERF shall be capable of providing rescue services to stabilize the incident and extricate patients from the emergency situation.

259

Technical Rescue Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 143: Baseline Technical Rescue by Population Density

2008-2012 Technical Rescue Baseline Performance Times by Population Density Population Density 1st Arriving TRT ERF TRT Metropolitan 6:23 8:51 Urban 6:23 8:51 Suburban 7:47 14:46

Technical Rescue Baseline Performance Goal Statement: For all rescue incidents in all population densities, the ICFD shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficient staffing and resources to stabilize the situation and extricate the patient(s) from the emergency situation. First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Rescue Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for rescue services, the TRT of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes, 23 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 7 minutes, 47 seconds in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of providing rescue services to stabilize the incident and extricate patient(s) from the emergency situation. Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for All Rescue Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for rescue services, the TRT of the ERF, staffed with the appropriate number of personnel to meet critical tasking shall be: 8 minutes, 51 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 14 minutes, 46 seconds in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of providing rescue services to stabilize the incident and extricate patient(s) from the emergency situation. Hazardous Materials Benchmark Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 144: Benchmark Hazmat by Population Density

Population Density Metropolitan Urban Suburban

NFPA 1710 Hazmat Benchmark Performance Times by Population Density ERF 1st Arriving Alarm Processing Turnout 1st Arriving Travel Travel TRT 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 1:00 1:20 4:00 8:00 6:20 1:00 1:20 5:00 10:00 7:20

ERF TRT 10:20 10:20 12:20 260

First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Hazmat Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for hazmat services, the total response time of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be: 6 minutes, 20 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 7 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The first arriving unit shall be capable of providing hazmat services to stabilize the situation, stop escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for successful conclusion of the incident. Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for All Hazmat Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for hazmat services, the TRT of the ERF, staffed with the appropriate number of personnel to meet critical tasking shall be: 10 minutes, 20 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 12 minutes, 20 seconds in suburban population areas. The ERF shall be capable of providing hazmat services to stabilize the situation, stop escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for successful conclusion of the incident

Hazardous Materials Baseline Performance Objectives and Measures Figure 145: Baseline HAZMAT by Population Density

2008-2012 Hazmat Baseline Performance Times by Population Density Population Density 1st Arriving TRT ERF TRT Metropolitan 7:06 11:26 Urban 7:06 11:26 Suburban 7:56 11:15

Hazmat Baseline Performance Goal Statement: For all hazmat incidents in all population densities, the ICFD shall arrive in a timely manner with sufficient resources to stabilize the situation, stop escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for successful conclusion of the incident. First Arriving Unit Total Response Time for All Hazmat Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for hazmat services, the TRT of the ICFDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first arriving unit, staffed with a minimum of three personnel shall be 7 minutes, 6 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 7 minutes, 56 seconds in suburban population densities. The first arriving unit shall be capable of

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providing hazmat services to stabilize the situation, stop escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for successful conclusion of the incident. Effective Response Force (ERF) Total Response Time for All Hazmat Risks: For 90 percent of all calls for rescue services, the TRT of the ERF, staffed with the appropriate number of personnel to meet critical tasking shall be 11 minutes, 26 seconds in metropolitan and urban population areas, and 11 minutes, 15 seconds in suburban population densities. The ERF shall be capable of providing hazmat services to stabilize the situation, stop escalation of the incident, contain the hazard where applicable, and establish an action plan for successful conclusion of the incident.

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G. COMPLIANCE METHODOLOGY In the previous sections of this document, the ICFD has provided a description of the current delivery system, reviewed the existing risk found in the community, and given an overview of the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance over the past five years with consideration, study, and analysis of the performance relative to the distribution, concentration, and reliability of emergency response resources. Section F presented the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Standard of Cover (SOC) component with overall benchmark and baseline performance objectives and their measures, which were consistent with industry best practices for population densities and risk levels outlined within the CFAI FESSAM, 8th Edition. This section of the community risks and emergency services analysis (CRESA) and SOC establishes the compliance commitment, which determines how, when, and what will be measured to ensure that the CRESA driven SOC are valid. In turn, the CRESA-SOC helps provide appropriate direction for strategic planning and the requirement that service level objectives and performance measures be evaluated, and efforts made to reach or maintain the established levels.

Continuous Improvement The continuous improvement process must be perpetual, comprehensive, and resilient in order to help ensure not only compliance, but that quality service is provided to the community. The ICFD is dedicated to ensuring constant improvement compliance as part of its commitment to the community. The Fire Chief directs the command and continuous improvement teams, while the Deputy Chief serving as the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accreditation manager, guides the continuous improvement effort.

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As part of the ICFD’s compliance commitment, the department: Reviews Risk and SOC Performance 

Community Risk and Emergency Services Analysis (annually and every five years)



SOC performance measures, a continuous update of the Self-Assessment Manual and SOC document, as required to maintain accreditation with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE)

Evaluates Performance 

Baseline total (emergency) response time by risk, type (service program), and population density



Benchmark total (emergency) response time by risk, type (service program), and population density

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First arriving and second arriving total unit (emergency) response reliability by RMZ



ERF

Develops Compliance Strategies 

Determines strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats



Seeks ways to maximize strength and opportunities



Seeks solutions to weaknesses and threats

Communicates Expectations 

Gives details of compliance measurement and expectations to staff



Encourages staff feedback



Shares non-compliance consequences to staff

Verifies Compliance 

Ensures requirements are met by the department

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Adjusts Accordingly 

Makes sure any service adjustment maintains or improves performance

The planning meetings help the department review and evaluate performance. This monitoring examines in detail the department’s emergency services and the administrative (budget, safety message, fire marshal, evaluations, training, reports, etc.) items. The planning meeting report illustrates emergency service items related to turnout, travel time, and total response time (average and 90th percentile) across all three shifts and by month. The comparison also includes a shift and year-to-date average and 90th percentile. The Emergency Service items include: 

Monthly incident totals



Monthly incidents by type



Average total response times



First turnout by shift, 90th percentile

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Travel time of first arriving unit, 90th percentile



Total response time of first arriving unit, 90th percentile



Monthly unit responses



ERF

Monthly Staff Meetings Staff meetings facilitate the timely review of criterion, core competencies, and performance indicators, for the purpose of identifying status changes, using input from assigned shift personnel, as well as Strategic Plan review of progress and/or obstacles (action plan), and adjusting goals and objectives as required. A brief summary statement of recommended changes to assigned criterion and performance indicators is presented at monthly staff meetings, as prescribed in the Iowa City Fire Department Self-Assessment Monthly Review Schedule and Log Sheet. Recommendations are limited to big picture changes.

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All ICFD general policies and operational guidelines are reviewed annually by all personnel. Review and the acceptance/rejection of proposed modifications are conducted at monthly staff meetings, according to a scheduled plan. Quarterly All Officer Meetings All command and company officers meet quarterly to communicate goals and priorities for the upcoming quarter. Another section of the meeting is devoted to progress reports on unresolved issues from previous meetings, and a final section of the meeting is given two or three issues that are selected by company officers for in-depth discussion. Quarterly reports are presented with the meeting agenda to display conformance to performance objectives related to training and emergency response. Methods to promote continuous improvement are discussed. Annual Employee Survey The ICFD conducts an annual employee survey in order to acquire feedback and improve agency policies and procedures. Spring meeting (April) Previous calendar year data review â&#x20AC;&#x201C; calendar year data is arranged for presentation. Data to be presented include, but may not be limited to: incidents by group, incidents by alarm type, response reliability, incident counts, fire by property type, property loss data, multiple alarm incidents, injuries and fatalities, mutual aid given and received, EMS/rescue incidents by call type, responses by alarm hour, benchmark vs. baseline effective response times, response time component and trend analysis, and incident count and type analysis by census tract (RMZ). The data also include GIS mapping, when available. Review and approval of changes to calendar year criterion and performance indicators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; calendar year modifications and updates to criterion, core competencies, and performance indicators are presented for annual review.

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Summer meeting (June) 

Effects of data and incident review – an opportunity to reflect on the previous year’s events and data. Program managers remain open to the use of other data sources that might better assist them in their decision-making.



Goals and objectives not otherwise identified – consideration given to ideas for improvement that may require or warrant the creation of goals and objectives to fulfill.

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Performance Indicator (PI) plans – planning for the future as it applies to continuous improvement. A review of department environmental changes that impact future plans.

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Strategic Plan – review of progress and/or obstacles, adjusting goals and objectives, as required.

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Annual goals and objectives – department goals and objectives from the previous year are reviewed for completion, amended, and/or reconstructed to comply with current department needs.

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H. OVERALL EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS The overall evaluation is the final component of the Community Risks and Emergency Services Analysis and Standard of Cover (CRESA-SOC) document, which ties together all work and summarizes the process for the decision-makers. The entire process has been designed around risk, risk mitigation, and outcome. Success of the process can be measured by achievement of the desired outcome. Throughout the process, the ICFD has identified many areas in which the current levels of service delivery either meet or exceed the adopted performance measures.

As anticipated,

several opportunities for improvement were also discovered. The following conclusions and recommendations addressing these factors were provided for consideration by the Fire Chief and other policy makers.

Conclusions Through the evaluation of community expectations and other elements of the Standard of Cover document, the ICFD has established goals and objectives. These goals and objectives address the issues of keeping up with city growth and improving the level of service to a degree that will achieve the benchmark goals and objectives listed throughout this document. The ICFD will continue to project the needs and plan for future services through continuous data analysis, the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual budget process, and the three-year Capital Improvement Plan. As part of the continuous improvement process, the department rationally and systematically evaluated the community.

Using industry best practices and standards, a comprehensive

assessment of community risk was performed, examining risk levels by service delivery type and geographic planning zone. A thorough discussion of risk organized by service delivery type (fire suppression, EMS, rescue, and hazmat) is presented and carefully analyzed. Within the scope of RMZs, risk levels were classified through the use of a probability and consequence methodology.

Historical response frequency data was used, along with the

identification of community risk factors such as target hazards, at-risk populations, property values, and economic and historic loss considerations. Population densities were analyzed by 268

RMZ, and combine with local considerations to predict service demand, and form the basis for important risk level conclusions. Risk level classifications were determined for each service delivery type (fire suppression, EMS, rescue, and hazmat) by considering the probable frequency of each specific incident type and their potential for loss.

A critical task analysis was then completed for each risk level

classification, which identified the number of staff necessary to mitigate an incident within a prescribed timeframe, establishing the ERF. Historical response time data was used to measure current system performance. Performance objectives were outlined, which specified that total response time measures be viewed in the framework of alarm handling, and turnout and travel times.

Baseline and benchmark

performance measures for distribution (first unit arrival) and concentration (ERF) of resources were set forth by service delivery type and population density. Methodology was developed to ensure the timely review of actual system performance, the baseline and benchmark objectives, and any changes in community risk, service demand, planning zones (RMZs), or operations that impact service level objectives.

The overall

compliance strategy included the need to create an action plan designed to meet and maintain current service level objectives regarding the deployment of department resources. Through the systematic evaluation of the community and the ICFD, several areas were noted for improvement. Although existing data collection is extensive, the department concluded that information could be better captured and further refined. Another finding suggests the need for additional study of deployment in the area of resource allocation and placement to determine the best sites for the planned Station 5 and Station 6 locations. Finally, it is recommended that this CRESA-SOC document be embraced together with its associated findings and service level objectives.

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Recommendations

The following recommendations are made as part of the continuous improvement effort for the promotion of excellence within the department, and to ensure a safer community for those who visit, live, work, or learn in Iowa City. 1: Incident information The ICFD should augment the existing process to ensure that documentation of incident information (data) better captures the incident exact location, especially incidents that happen along roadways. 2: Resource allocation and placement The ICFD should further study the distribution and concentration of current and future human and physical resources regarding emergency service deployment, emergency workload, population density, and community risk to ensure that performance objectives and measures are met. Consideration should be given to improve resource (station) concentration (location), especially in District 4 and District 2, where the department faces its longest travel times. Consideration also must be given to the future growth of the city and the correlating impact upon population density. Three new fire stations were planned in the FY2007-FY2011 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); however, two of them are programmed in the unfunded years of the CIP. Included were Station 4 (recently opened), Station 5, and Station 6. If implemented, this planning will bring fire protection for the community toward response time standards, as prescribed in NFPA 1710, 2001 Edition. 3: Emergency Response Times To meet and exceed the outlined expectations regarding response time performance objectives and measures and for the long-term future, the ICFD should add two more fire stations - this would assure the highest service level in all the protected areas of the city.

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The outcome of 2012 data analysis highlighted an issue with response times to RMZs 5 and 13. The ICFD has made all efforts to improve performance in turnout times by continuously tracking and reporting on unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance. As well, part of the scheduled improvement projects is a diamond-cut grinding of Emerald Street. Completion of this project should improve Station 2 response times. Further detailed study would help the department identify and address any other issues that might cause longer travel times. The ICFD has made all efforts to improve performance in turnout times by continuously tracking and reporting on unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance. Alarm handling time also warrants improvement as the department looks to improve total response time to an emergency event by minimizing: 1) the time it takes to process a call for service; 2) the time it takes for firefighters to don personal protective equipment and board the apparatus; and 3) the time it takes to travel to the incident address.

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