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C <br />STAFF REPORT <br />ITEM NO. 12 <br />DATE: MARCH 15, 2011 <br />TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNC <br />FROM: ROD FOSTER, CITY MANAGER <br />PREPARED BY: TOM HENDRIX, FIRE CHIEF <br />SUBJECT: FIRE RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />It is recommended that the City Council approve the Fire Department Rolling Brown Out Plan as <br />presented in this report. <br />GOAL STATEMENT <br />The proposed action will support the City's goal to provide a safe livable city. <br />BACKGROUND <br />Due to the City's fiscal situation, the Fire Department has been reviewing service level options. <br />These options, in addition to budget cuts made during the last two budget cycles, leaves only one <br />option available, and that is to reduce our emergency response capability even further by either <br />the browning out or closure of one fire station. While service reductions over the last two years <br />have been challenging, we have maintained average response times, and current daily staffing is <br />only slightly below national standards for the first alarm assignment to residential structure fires. <br />Closing a fire station will result in an eventual reduction of firefighters and response units <br />available to respond to all types of emergencies. Response times will likely increase and will be <br />monitored closely. <br />ISSUES/ANALYSIS <br />When considering Fire Department resource deployment, two primary issues should be <br />addressed: the speed and weight of attack. <br />• Speed is the response time of the first unit to arrive <br />• Weight is delivering the total number of firefighters needed in time to achieve <br />the desired outcome <br />The National Fire Protection Association recognizes both of these issues and incorporates them <br />into their national standards for Fire Department response. These same issues apply not only to <br />