Jeff Humphreys- Buckley Fire Article

A Daunting Task Made Easier If you want voters to fund your station construction, get them involved in the design process early and often.

By Jeff Humphreys and Alan Predmore

FIRECHIEF.COM

NOVEMBER 2011

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COVER FEATURE >> A Daunting task

T

he pursuit of a public bond measure can be a daunting task, and even more so in today’s challenging economic environment. However, good planning and careful execution of the strategy will optimize a fire department’s chance for success.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach that will enable every department to successfully obtain voter approval of a tax increase for a bond measure. This article focuses on the strategies used by the city of Buckley, Wash., and its fire department that led to overwhelming voter approval of a measure that funded the design, construction and furnishings of a new station.

The department began its effort by reaching out to active and retired fire department personnel, elected officials, and the department’s competitors.

Competitors are those groups or agencies that have an interest in how the fire department’s bond debt obligation may impact their funding initiatives, as well as those entities that also might be seeking public funding. There is a limit to how much voters will bear at one time. So, it is important to remember that each of these entities shares the goal of improving the community; it is imperative then to work strategically with them to avoid competing for the same dollars or votes.

The next important step was to educate key stakeholders regarding the need for the new facility. Many organizations in such a circumstance are embarrassed to showcase their existing facilities — but this is exactly what needs to be done.

The Buckley Fire Department worked closely with the local Chamber of Commerce to educate active and influential citizens about its goals. Community groups — such as the Rotary, Elks and Lions clubs — also became great resources, as their members typically are highly invested in the community and passionate about good causes.

The department created opportunities for such organizations to experience its current facility, which enabled them to become knowledgeable 54 NOVEMBER 2011

advocates for the proposed upgrade. It isn’t difficult to sell the need if people understand it. Moreover, involving key stakeholders builds their sense of ownership in the project, which in turn leads them to become critical messengers who will help build your roster of advocates.

It is vital that a comprehensive strategy, tactical plan and detailed schedule be developed, including an understanding of local voting requirements — e.g., is a double majority required? — and applicable election deadlines. Target an election and work backward from there. The amount of campaigning time needed will vary depending on the department’s current level of support in the community and on the amount of funding requested.

Also important are building a strong team, doing your homework, delivering facts and, most importantly, leaving no question unanswered.

Integral to the ability to do all of this is a needs assessment, which may take two to three months to complete. It is time well spent however, because a well-executed needs assessment enables an agency to fully understand what it is seeking and to answer the following critical questions: ■■ How big does the facility need to be?

■■ Remodel and expand or build new?

■■ Where will it be located?

■■ How much money will it take to complete?

If available funding allows, it’s often best to solicit the expertise of professional architects and engineers with fire station design experience.

Doing so will ensure a more realistic assessment of needs, a more functional facility design, and a more accurate projection of costs. This final piece is critical. Ask for too much and you risk alienating government officials and the citizenry; ask for too FIRECHIEF.COM

little and you risk ending up with a facility that still doesn’t meet the department’s needs fully.

An understanding of the procurement laws that apply to the district or department is crucial to the selection process. Are competitive proposals required? Can fee be a factor in selection? In how many places must the public notice appear? From the initial notice to selection, this process typically will take anywhere from four to eight weeks.

Initial Steps In August 2009, the city of Buckley issued a public request for proposal and conducted a qualifiFIRECHIEF.COM

cations-based selection process, which led to the selection of multidisciplinary architecture, engineering and planning firm Group Mackenzie as the design team.

The design team’s first step in developing the fire department’s needs assessment was distribution of a questionnaire to key staff that was designed to get them thinking about the spaces, equipment, staffing and other important items that would be discussed during upcoming face-to-face interviews. These interviews helped to identify projected department growth and space needs, desired adjacencies, and storage/equipment requirements.

At the same time, discussions about the existing

Buckley’s design team held a “visioning” meeting with stakeholders.

The collaborative process yielded a list of keywords and images that described what the stakeholders desired for the look of the new facility.

Photos provided by Group Mackenzie

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facility’s usage and efficiencies provided insight regarding its impact on the department’s culture and philosophies. The outcome of the interviews was a comprehensive facility program.

Once the projected facility’s overall size and required site acreage was identified, it could be compared to similarly sized fire stations within neighboring communities or communities of similar population. The next step was to tour existing facilities to assess current conditions and to document deficiencies concerning such items as: ADA accessibility; energy code compliance; systems that were at or near the end of their life spans; and seismic resistance.

Facilities two years old or older were targeted because they had been operational for a while and the occupants are no longer in the “honeymoon stage.” It is best to tour such facilities with someone who works in them or was engaged in their development, because they can provide insight into the facility’s design and, hopefully, share some of the

lessons that were learned. It is important when on a tour to look at the flow of spaces and the materials that were selected. Look at how the materials are holding up. Are they wearing well? What is working and what is not? Use the time to challenge or validate assumptions made during the development of your own program. It is not uncommon to change the size or dimensions of a room, or the flow of work spaces, after such tours.

The next step was to establish the character of the facility’s exterior. This is an opportunity to engage a variety of community stakeholders, and is an excellent way to jumpstart bond campaigning by getting the public excited about the facility and helping them feel connected to, and invested in, the project. This engagement enables the public to weigh in on the aesthetics of the facility and helps them to know that the team listened to their ideas and incorporated them — or to understand the reasoning behind why an idea was not incorporated. Holding a series of two or three meetings Buckley’s design team brought to its first public meeting images of fire stations and other applicable buildings that were similar in size and scope so stakeholders could review and critique them.

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COVER FEATURE >> A Daunting task

Based on the outcome of the visioning meeting, a series of design options was developed that embraced the aesthetic preferences that were identified.

series of design options was developed that embraced the aesthetic preferences that were identified. These design options then were presented to the stakeholder groups, which were asked to select one of the schemes for further refinement. Once the selected scheme was refined, the final building character was presented to the stakeholders in a third public meeting.

Forecasting Issues not only allows the design team to build on the information gathered throughout the process, but increases overall participation by providing multiple opportunities for citizens to take part.

For the first public meeting, Buckley’s design team brought images of fire stations and other applicable buildings that were similar in size and scope, which stakeholders reviewed and critiqued.

This “visioning” meeting was a collaborative process that yielded a list of keywords and images that described what the stakeholders desired for the look of the new facility.

Fire stations embody nearly equal measures of utilitarian function and symbolic aesthetics. A fire station is a great opportunity for the community to help develop a building that is distinct yet looks like a fire station — and, more importantly, becomes a cornerstone in the community. The visioning process is a great way to solicit community input and should be a fun and engaging exercise for all participants. People sometimes find it difficult to explain what they like or dislike in the abstract, but more easily can identify through pictures what they feel best fits into their community.

Based on the outcome of the visioning meeting, a 58 November 2011

Upon completion of the character-development phase — and with approved site and floor plans in hand — the team was well positioned to accurately forecast the project costs. These forecasts addressed the following: construction costs; consultant costs; the cost of fixtures, furniture and equipment; permit fees; land acquisition costs; and various contingencies.

At the conclusion of forecasting phase, the team should have answers to all the questions identified at the beginning of the process and be able to demonstrate the steps undergone and explain the conclusions that were made. The findings can be compiled in a report and presented to the city council or other governing body, and be used as a basis for future presentations to community groups and voters. The final Buckley needs-assessment report included: ■■ Executive summary ■■ Final programs ■■ Adjacency and bubble diagrams ■■ Due-diligence reports ■■ Color renderings of the site plan, floor plans, elevations and perspectives ■■ Project cost estimate ■■ Identification of next steps ■■ Schedule for moving the project forward FIRECHIEF.COM

COVER FEATURE >> A Daunting task

Buckley project timeline

Once the needs assessment is complete, it is important to reevaluate and formalize the schedule and campaign strategy. Construct a timeline and audit critical benchmarks such as deadlines for resolutions or ordinances. Know and understand the election and public-disclosure laws, as well as any rules that will apply to the bond-issue ballot measure. For example, the Buckley Fire Department wanted to put a reminder to vote on the measure in the city’s monthly newsletter; staff consulted with election officials who ruled that impermissible, as the city had no established history of using the newsletter to remind citizens to vote.

It is vital to keep supporters involved in the process. Be visible and accessible throughout the community in order to share information and answer questions. Volunteer personnel can be a great asset in this regard. Buckley’s volunteers distributed door hangings, posters, and lawn signs, and made calls reminding people to vote. Volunteers generally are allowed to be more engaged in 60 November 2011

campaigning than paid staff, but be sure to validate their activities with your local election board.

It also would help to gain the support of a political action committee. A PAC can speak freely about a campaign when the public entity may be restricted in what it can say, and it can fund a campaign when most political entities cannot.

The process and steps undertaken by the Buckley Fire Department paid off in a big way, as 78% of voters approved the bond measure in the May 2010 election. Ultimately, the key to success threefold: developing a plan and timeline, working with good consultants, and ensuring that good communication and rumor control were exercised regularly throughout the campaign. Using strategies similar to these in your own jurisdiction will prove invaluable in the pursuit of a bond measure for a station construction project. The undertaking is a big effort, but one that can be engaging and rewarding for all. n Jeff Humphreys, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is the director of architecture at Group Mackenzie and has two decades of professional experience specializing in emergency response facilities. He can be reached at jhumphreys@grpmack.com.

Alan Predmore, IAAI-CFI, is a 30-year veteran of the fire service and serves as fire chief of the Buckley (Wash.) Fire Department. He can be reached at apredmore@cityofbuckley.com.

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