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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0733.002 2020-2022 Mitchell D. Roth "`Y-°F"9+ Kazuo S. K. L. Todd Mayor Gr�` Fire Chief Lee E. Lord Erie H. Moller Managing Director +' KI g �y, Maw.pa Deputy Fire Chief q7E p�•Mp� out of i`i HAWAII FIRE DEPARTMENT 25 Aupuni Street•Suite 2501•Hilo,Hawaii 96720 (808)932-2900•Fax(808)932-2928 7 April 6, 2022 r Maile Medeiros David, Council Chair and Member of the Hawaii County Council Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Chair David: RE: Hawaii Fire Department Audit Review PowerPoint Presentation—Committee Meeting on 4-19-22 Enclosed is a thumb drive containing the Hawaii Fire Department Audit Review PowerPoint presentation which will be presented during the Committee Meeting in Kona on April 19,2022. The thumb drive (#3) will be hand-delivered to your Hilo office today. If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at(808) 932-2903. Sincerely, KAZ O S. K. L. TODD Fire Chief KT:lk Enc. Thumb Drive#3 Comm No Ref. To: J Ref. Date APR M 7 2022 m y i - Report 2022-02: Recommendations and Implications. .xa Recommendations Results _ . Categories of the recommendations • General Financial • Accreditation • Deployment • Vehicles • Training • Facilities • Waste, Fraud, Abuse • Staffing HAWAII Fire Department Managements Response to the Audit We agree with most of the recommendations, with reservations. • Most of the results are not a surprise to management • In general, we agree with the findings and recommendations Specific answers to each recommendation can be y. . read in the drafted response at the end of the Audit }= This presentation covers the audits recommendations and discusses implementation µ A ~ ."�N_ `. ., DRi �•����x *Mayor's budget is funding one clerk position in training which will help with recommendation # » & 12 ry HAWAII Fire Department ? 3 6 PW l4VAUr"'A t�N�<'� iy' � 3°.�+ + A , �y t ��3�q ALT '- ek rn fuy ,..... /fes r -- rj � - d - 3 f � � A 4 ' t n1MissT0on on I- - erns w10n�l General �rb. Accredmitation • HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD develop a master plan We recommend H FD work towards CFAI Accreditation General & Accreditation Categories: Recommendations 1 & 2 What is a Master Plan? Why get accreditation? • Long term plan for 10-20 years • Third party assessment • Focused on creating a vision of what we want to look • Encourages quality improvement. like in the future 0 Identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses. • Ties in with Standards of Cover, Community Risk • Allows for the establishment of a plan for Assessment, and a Strategic Plan improvement. • Provides data supported decision-making. • Communicates management and leadership philosophies. HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD develop a master plan We recommend H FD work towards CFAI Accreditation General & Accreditation Categories: Recommendations 1 & 2 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • They say that those that fail to plan, plan to fail • Hire an external agency who specialize in this type of Previous Strategic Plan had good objectives, but was work • not achieved • expected costs range around $14ok • Fire Department has issues that are expected to take • Mirror HPD Accreditation Staffing: 1 Captain, 1 a long time frame to address Program Manager, z Clerk I I Is • This is the norm for professional fire departments • Estimated Costs are $266k annually • Initial training for Chief Officers • $5ok HAWAII Fire Department a �,�(�' • � a vy ..,.�' )yam Y' � '� PJ,tiv l+"� • -'�1E� � OWit w i '.: COURry O: Veh 'icles and Replacement y , t � Section 2: Recommendations on vehicles and , planning for their replacement HAWAII 8 Recommended: vehicle profiles and a maintenance and replacement plan Vehicles Category: Recommendations 3 & 4 Comprehensive Vehicle Profiles? Repair and Replacement Planning? • Each vehicle should have it's own file with historical With Data, we can analyze trends to identify vehicles data of need of replacement • Tracking of repairs Plans for replacement can give cost expectations up • Scheduling of maintenance to a decade in advance • Planned replacement of aging vehicles • Generally the vehicle replacement area of the budget has been underfunded • H FD paid for tracking program for years and never used it due to lack of clerical staff HAWAII . Fire Department If we implement recommendation 3 & 4, will that solve our issues? • Recommendation 3 & 4 implementation • will provide a plan for vehicle replacement _ • Plan will provide future data on cost of replacement for budgeting .<x �- �aaa�ar��rcv � • Any plan is going to cost more then we - BMW7PIUCK are currently budgeting.— " j Add a footer HAWAII Fire Department Recommended: vehicle profiles and a maintenance and replacement plan Vehicles Category: Recommendations 3 & 4 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • HFD's vehicle fleet has 50+ year old trucks still being • The planning portion of this is expected to run used to respond to fires and parts are difficult to get approximately $114k annually for software and a clerk • Many vehicles are in disrepair I I I position (Sup 7) • No fiscal plans for replacement leading issues like • With good data, and a plan, there is still a shortage of chopper z funding in our vehicle replacement budget • It is estimated that several million dollars is needed to • New vehicles are coming primarily from charitable properlyfund vehicle replacement annually donations or grants not county funding HAWAII Fire Department Sx ,d ty�.F 1 r _ u _t Fac' I 't 4 t s 1 77 '11i�'�! 5 ",y 1 Section 3: covering recommendations on facility maintenance and repair ,I. HAWAII 12 Fire Department Facilities by the Numbers • zo Paid Fire Stations • 18 Volunteer Fire Stations • One Maintenance Shop • Two Warehouses • 15 Lifeguard Towers A i r + :.w Compile Courtesy County Auditor HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFDwork with its Fire Captains to develop a system to compile and maintain a master list of work order items. Facilities Category: Recommendations 5 Does the Fire Department Track? Economy of Scale and CIP? • Yes and No • Auditor recommendation involves bundling together • Repairs are submitted to DPW who is tracking like issues to put forward for Cl P funding for repair. • Auxiliary Services BC, and Assistant Chief for Support • This recommendation is used in many municipalities Services also split the small and large repair submittal and monitoring • However, there is no single master list, nor do we have a good tracking for work submitted to DPW HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFDwork with its Fire Captains to develop a system to compile and maintain a master list of work order items. Facilities Category: Recommendations 5 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • Fire Department facilities are falling apart • There are two positions we have asked for in • Collapsing ceilings supplemental requests that would help • Leaking roofs • Repair& Maintenance Worker(Sup 7) • Rusted away structural members • Clerk III (Sup 6) • Repairs and maintenance go years without being • Cost expected to by approximately $103k addressed HAWAII Fire Department If we implement recommendation 5, will _ that solve our issues? Y • Recommendation 5 implementation will produce a better accounting of facility ` issues • Good data is necessary in order to get buy in from administration to allocate the money • We can bundleg acka es for submission ' = ` P to DPW .1, • Caveat is that issues will still exist and we a. still need to rely on DPW to fix Add a footer HAWAN Fire Department s f � a. RE D�Q Staffing Part :L e� Section 4, covering recommendation #6 A HAWAII Fire Department • E w r 17 We recommend HFD pilot a relief pool program to control overtime expenditures while better meeting constant staffing needs. Staffing Category: Recommendation 6 What is a Relief Pool? How does this save money? • Audit proposes to create additional roaming positions By paying base salary instead of overtime to fill a • Not assigned to a specific station vacancy there is a cost savings • Roving to cover vacancies caused by sick leave or vacation • Estimated by Auditor to save money on total overtime costs HAWAII Fire Department Last Updated: 3/21/2022 HFD Operational Dashboard N � $ r C O N N 1= a1 N O HFDStaffingbythe z = � � � N r �' 0 _ � _ M �° o = = c Q = 9 E M c > Cn U a w N N 3 d a _ �° a pp m M N numbers J a° Z v U H 1 Central 6 + 2 = 8 5 7.33 0.67 • NFPA 1710 required numbers are for a 2 Waiakea 5 + 0 = 5 6 5 5 5 0 response to a residential structural fire 3 Haihai 5 + 2 = 7 6 6 5 6.66 0.34 which require 16 firefighters on scene 4 Kaumana 5 + 0 = 5 6 5 4 5 0 5 Kea'au 4 + 2 = 6 9 5 4 � 5 1 • Not staffed for business fire at 28 6 Captain Cook 4 + 2 = 6 8 5 4 � 5 1 firefighters 7 Kailua 7 + 2 = 9 9 7 7 8.66 0.34 • Not staffed for high-rise fire at 42 8 Honokaa 4 + 2 = 6 6 5 4 5.33 0.67 firefighters 9 Waimea 4 + 2 = 6 8 6 5 5.33 0.67 • Minimum Staffing is based on Operational 10 Pahoa 4 + 2 = 6 9 6 5 4 2 11 Pahala 4 + 0 = 4 6 4 3 4 0 Chief consensus based on past responses 11A Na'alehu 0 + 2 = 2 6 2 2 2 0 and a minimal safety margin 12 Keauhou 4 + 2 = 6 8 5 4 6 0 14 South Kohala 6 + 2 = 8 8 6 5 � 7 1 • Compromised goes below what is 15 North Kohala 3 + 2 = 5 6 6 5 IM 1 3.33 1.67 considered safe for responders, but may 16 Waikoloa 3 + 2 = 5 8 5 5 5 0 be necessary based on County's budget 17 Laupahoehoe 3 + 0 = 3 4 3 3 3 0 18 HPP 2 + 2 = 4 8 4 4 3.33 0.67 • Black levels are when HFD is considering 19 Volcano 4 + 2 = 6 8 5 4 5.33 0.67 shutting down stations 20 HOVE 3 + 2 = 5 6 5 5 3 2 21 Makalei 5 + 0 = 5 6 54 4.66 0.34 Shift Total: 85 + 32 = 117 150 105 91 104 13 Total: 255 + 96 = 351 450 315 273 312 1 39 Add a footer HAWAII Fire Department Is HFD's usage of Overtime excessive? <::> • What causes the use of Overtime? • Sick Leave k r / r '� • Vacation 40" 4b -40 • Major Events(Mang Road) 100 �00 • Calls during Changeover • Training (Trainees and Trainers) • COVID 10 • Injury (workers comp) • FM LA • Travel time (CBA) • Ghost Positions • OT for Equip Servicing(MSA/Fit) • Vacant positions HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD pilot a relief pool program to control overtime expenditures while better meeting constant staffing needs. Staffing Category: Recommendation 6 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • HFD has largest budget for OT in Hawaii County Create relief pool positions, recommended 12 initial (6 • Notes: Capt, 6 FEO) • Less OT is budgeted for HFD per firefighter then Kauai, Maui Needs to be vetted with Finance of Honolulu. Needs to be vetted with the Union • As page#39 covers, OT to cover sick leave and vacation Needs to be vetted with DH R already exceeds allocated budget by 2.6 million. And where these costs must currently be covered by over time backfill at 1.5x. Averaqe Compensation Cost Overtime Multiple Overtime Cost Battalion Chiefs $ 272,041.70 1.5x $408,062.55 Fire Captains $ 1,110,722.20 1.5x $1,666,083.30 Equipment Operators $ 1,129,012.50 1.5x $1,69,3518.75 Fire Rescue Specialists $ 273,939.84 1.5x $410,909.76 Fire/EMS Specialists II $ 650,545.56 1.5x $975,818.34 Firefighters $ 1,260,822.00 1.5x $ 1,891,233 Grand Total $7,045,625.70 HAWAII Fire Department Our Business Model is designed to pay Overtime If the Overtime budget is a problem, we need a differently designed system, not "more thorough oversight" Ways to achieve progress • Change staffing model to account for vacation, sick, and training while maintain a safe response number within each district • E.g. staff to meet minimums with leave factored in • Create a relief pool of personnel to fill vacancies holes • Fund Training positions • E.g fund trainer positions so they are permanent and we are not backfilling(Sup g) • Maintaining minimal vacant positions. • E.g. fund the recruit positions, and hire for expected vacancies 1 year in advance OR • Pay the overtime and continue to use this business model • Shutdown units/stations when staffing is low (brownout business model) Add a footer HAWAII Fire Department i ✓f;f/ij-- r tiiir �� �r/ J � ;; � f�t � ^I S � �ti �..,,_ '.i. �. -r ^ q - 1- Staffing F, - Part Of� -77 r - rr r � Section 5, covering recommendation #7 & 8 wi Y4 rta�� f7fhyt' firat ar ¢ani a ?� rW�'r. A7 ,:..g r f�.nI N.•t;' r J /->.. C ` 4diJtu�"` . P ft i'r r a '`-.;Prv " r i,�.,� .i/� x::4 .3 r t'- .t�'.+•a s. ;'�5 r7� r ivy �,< 5 cp .', r'� '-�Ip,��.�• ��;.,, r „a,, ��'�.�sY'"' r=-. ' {• '�t `0 f',��1_n1,- ,(,.�� �s�'� p, �s,, _ ��%v�u:�'a: �../ �'-..�" �. ,iJ' �fad, r 'Z'p17< .,l� -(t .Lxr � d %� .a � ✓9."�'!f r,.-:_ r -,?�/�: x ��� ����� �«.:r.� " -�, �f�'rr��p `,� i r,�* �e✓, �, t '�z d'"�^a�.r .� J` .�4'fiy„."��r` rx'�d,` y °�,;9� -� r^'f � � r��A �A_ .w'Y �'�3 �s„ ttt, ,.,a+y�, 7, � ''` sFr s%^,:: ./�;=,'�,a��.. �f ”�pp>f� ."Y,y a iri ��r t' '4'. `''l,Y�:`t a�'' ,,.��_!'�y � -�'r r �f�:/ ���� �Tf, r, �t ''�1-� `�•Y' 4:. .ri:,�. y � p�hG', l.�`•:'v � ",��� old � i' � � t /"1 9 y��-mow .r }7/7*, � f� '� ?'- ,� ^�:;,rf+r"- ^`.,�?�*�.,.'3 rte' �"". ;�/i!-`3:., 4�� :.;�., �i� �i'�� 1,.�•, � 4� 1 1 23 We further recommend HFD follow and enforce internal controls and follow policy on overtime Staffing Category: Recommendations 7 & 8 HFD is not following it's own policy? Summary • Technically, Yes* • We are working on this, it will be handled. • Policies type written in 1984 and do need some updating, . Cost control, and good financial management is a this is being worked on major issue for Chief Todd, and it will get the • Some of the policy is difficult to track due to timesheets attention is deserves. being paper, OT being on other shifts, and personnel transferring throughout the year • We do have abuses that will to be addressed. • Employees violating policy will be disciplined HAWAII Fire Department Illllii� 245sS�S�`1� sir �, ic t HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD develop budgeting benchmarks to assist county management's understanding of budget requests. Financial Category: Recommendation 9 What is this recommending Our Belief • H FD should put together better information so that It is the role of the Fire Chief to present an County management team can make decisions on quantitative analysis of Fire Department operations funding or not funding programs within the Fire and present funding options so that County Department Management can make decisions understanding the • The implication is that H FD is underfunded, because implications on the public, safety of HFD personnel,we have failed to justify our funding requests and levels of service desired • Currently this is made difficult by lack of support staffing, lack of SOC, and funding HAWAII Fire Department Audit: Comparable Department's to HFD (Page 43) ScottsdaleFY 21 HFD Michigan General Fund Budget $46,889,522 $46,816,343 $83,000,000 $42,737,520 $31,942,351 $38,698,205 Fire Budget $31,174,364 $46,816,343 $60,839,000 $42,737,520 $31,942,351 $38,698,205 EMS Budget $12,721,812 $0 $22,161,000 $0 $0 $0 Ocean Safety Budget $2,993,345 $o $o $o $o $o FT 479.0 308.0 489.3 366.0 199.0 229.0 FTE Fire 251.0 280.0 276.4 303.0 166.0 180.0 FTE EMS 100.0 0.0 107.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 FTE Ocean Safet 62.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 FTE Other 50.0 11.0 70.8 8.0 15.0 34.0 FTE Admin 16.0 17.0 34.5 55.0 18.0 15.0 Fire Stations 20.0 15.0 16.0 14.0 11.0 13.0 Population 200,528 241,361 219,346 199,723 198,917 212,000 211,979 Service Area 4,028 sq mi 184 sq mi 102 sq mi 97 sq mi 45.27 sq mi 230 sq mi 131.65 sq miles Percentage of Budget 10.60% 14.3% 32.6% 13.1% 22.4% 17.0% 19.9% Percentage S&W to Budge 85.90% 81.0% 78.0% 92.7% 85.1% 79.6% 833% Ratio First Responder to Support/Admin 29.9 to 1 18.1 to 1 14.2 to 1 6.65 to 1 11.1 to 1 15.26 to 1 13.06 to 1 Cost Per Capita $234 $194 $378 $214 $161 $183 $226 Cost Per Statio $2,194,809 $3,121,090 $5,187,500 $3,052,680 $2,903,850 $2,976,785 $3,448,381 Cost per Employe $97,890 $152,001 $169,630 $116,769 $160,514 $168,988 $153,580 HAWAII Fire Department Fire services in Tacoma Washington vs Hawaii County TacomaFY 21 HFD • • General Fund Budget $46,889,522 $83,000,000 36 Million more Fire Budget $31,174,364 $60,839,000 29.5 Million more EMS Budget $12,721,812 $2211611000 Ocean Safety Budget $2,993,345 $0 FTE 479.0 489.3 Similar #s FTE Fire 251.0 276.4 Similar #s FTE EMS 100.0 107.6 Similar #s FTE Admin 16.0 34.5 Twice the Admin Support Fire Stations 20.0 16.o Less Fire Stations Population 200,528 219,346 Similar #s Percentage of Budget 10.60% 32.6% 3 times the budget share HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD develop budgeting benchmarks to assist county management's understanding of budget requests. Financial Category: Recommendation 9 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • Audit shows comparable departments have more • Various supplementary budget request submitted this funding year are geared to addressing some of the funding Audit is believes that Hawaii Fire Departments budget deficiencies noted by this Audit is low because HFD has failed to adequately • In specific, the Business Manager position, and the documents and explain it's need for funding Clerical position requests are directly to address the recommendation for better benchmarking HAWAII . Fire Department Is the Goal of our County to fund the Fire Department through Charity? • The Daniel R. Sayre Foundation will donate close to 7 million dollars worth of " equipment between this year and last • The Daniel R. Sayre Foundation was formed, because the Fire Department did not have the funding to purchase basic life saving equipment Why is a government organization relying on a non-profit to properly equip and supply it's personnel? Add a footer HAWAII Fire Department Deployment Section 7, covering recommendation #10 HAWAII 31 We recommend HFD evaluate its volunteer program to, Enhance participation. . . Develop organizational structure. . . Invest in volunteer infrastructure. . . Deployment Category: Recommendation to Why is this a recommendation? What are the issues? • Audit notes that volunteers create value by increasing • Failing vehicles the total of on-scene responders 10 Almost no funding • No incentive to participate for volunteers • Minimal support (z paid positions for 150) • Limited resources to scale operations • Declining participation • HFD is not capitalizing on the volunteers Non-compliant used PPE • Minimal infrastructure (tents for fire stations) HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD evaluate its volunteer program to, Enhance participation. . . Develop organizational structure. . . Invest in volunteer infrastructure. . . Deployment Category: Recommendation to Why invest? What needs to be done to implement? • Critical for the next Mana Road Under supplemental requests we were already seeking 10 Fraction of the cost funding to address these issues • Federal cost share • Positions: Volunteer BC, 1 Clerk, 4 Training Specialists . $455k • It is a Big Island, and we can't afford 38 paid fire 10 stations Funding for infrastructure, and vehicles • $1.2 million HAWAII Fire Department ai Aim Training .11-�Ill� h Y HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD set number of training hours annually per position title needed to maintain proficiency, and develop better tracking Training and Competency Category: Recommendations 11 & 12 Annual Hours and Tracking? Existing Problems • Recommendation is about documentation, and Staffing standardization Lack of budget • H FD does a lot of training, but to assign funds • Lack of clarity towards an effective department, training hour requirements need to be quantified Policies and procedures • Once quantified, then we can hold employees to a standard, and measure success and failure HAWAII Fire Department We recommend HFD set number of training hours annually per position title needed to maintain proficiency, and develop better tracking Training and Competency Category: Recommendations 11 & 12 So why was this recommended? What needs to be done to implement? • Good outcomes rely on well trained responders • It is hard to recommend solutions without more data • Training should be quantified, and then funded to • In our supplemental requests: meet the standard • Sup #3, Clerk III for Training $45k (in Mayor's Budget) • Sup # 9E, Training Specialists (4), $3ook HAWAII Fire Department e Waste Fraud and AbLy 8 ' Section 9, covering recomendationz#13HAWAII Y 37 It is recommend HFD work with Finance to revise the County'sVehicle Use Policy, specifically the refill gas section, to include provisions for electrically powered vehicles. Waste, Fraud, & Abuse Category: Recommendation 13 Why is this a recommendation? Is the Fire Department Allowing this? • During the Audit, an electric vehicle was noticed Requests to plug in have been denied in the past plugged into a fire station We have sent out a memo stating this is not allowed • Standards of conduct policy which is in review specifically addresses this. HAWAII Fire Department � a p I .MrMI► � a i i r 9 t� '�' ��� .. Fire Chief Kazuo Todd 8o8-93Z-zgoo 4 fire�a hawaiicounty.gov www.hawaiicounty.gov �� hankYou 0 A� u HAWAVI w 39 Fire - . .