HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7920 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7920
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OPP To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 23, 1995
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Subject:
PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL FIRE TRAINEE CLASS
IN FY 1994-95
The Fire Department proposes to conduct a class of 15 fire trainees at a cost of$180,500 to fill
vacancies created during this year in order to reduce or eliminate fire company deactivations.
This class would be in addition to the budgeted class of 30 trainees which graduated this May.
There is a civil service list now in effect that expires August 12, 1995. Using this existing list
will save processing time and expense. There is good diversity represented in this list as well.
The Fire Department utilizes 164 permanently assigned firefighters of various ranks per 24-hour
shift to fully staff fire companies. These personnel are augmented by vacation relief firefighters
who are assigned each morning to stations at which permanently assigned firefighters are absent
due to vacation, family illness, sick and other leave. When sufficient vacation relief firefighters
are not available, overtime funds are used to hire off-duty personnel to staff companies. When
sufficient personnel or overtime funds are not available, fire companies are deactivated for the
24-hour shift. The personnel that were assigned to the deactivated company are then reassigned
to other fire companies to fill out minimum staffing requirements. In FY 1993-94, 898 fire
companies were deactivated and for FY 1994-95, 319 fire company deactivations have occurred
as of March 31. Deactivations occur only at stations housing two fire companies and are rotated
sequentially throughout the city. At no time is a complete fire station closed due to deactiva-
tions.
The Fire Department began the practice of deactivating fire companies in FY 1990-91 when
neither sufficient personnel nor overtime funding was available to fully staff every fire company
for every shift. Deactivations have increased from 13 in FY 1990-91 to 898 in FY 1993-94.
Deactivating fire companies creates morale problems within the department and increases
response times throughout the city. Morale declines when fire crews are uncertain from day to
day whether their company will be in service or whether they will be reassigned throughout the
city to other stations.
Response time has increased in proportion to the number of deactivations. The percent of all
emergency calls the Fire Depart ment responded to in four minutes or less has increased by 7%
since deactivating fire companies became commonplace, and responses in five minutes or less
have increased by 6%.
In order to minimize deactivations by better utilization of the number of personnel available each
shift, the department initiated a more prudent approach to the management of leave usage by
firefighters. More thorough reviews of personnel using sick leave were initiated, accountability
for the use of leave time was increased, and the leave sellback program was implemented this
fiscal year. It was estimated that the leave seilback program would cost about $287,000 during
the first year of implementation. The actual cost was $227,112, with 343 employees out of 437
qualified to participate actually selling back leave time. These efforts have resulted in a
substantial decrease in leave time. Sick leave occurrences in the Operations Division have
decreased during the first half of this fiscal year by 30% over the same period in 1992-93, and
all leave occurrences have decreased by 12% over the same period.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS ---
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7920
n,- To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 23, 1995
Page 2 of 2
Subject:
,all PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL FIRE TRAINEE CLASS
IN FY 1994-95
With improvements in leave usage, the primary remaining cause for deactivations is vacancies.
There are currently ten vacant positions, and without an additional class we project there will
be fourteen vacancies on October 1, 1995. By conducting a class of 15 trainees over the next
20 weeks, the department would be able to begin FY 1995-96 with fewer vacancies. This will,
in most cases, eliminate or reduce the need for fire company deactivations. The Fire
Department will monitor vacancies closely and attempt to schedule classes in order to minimize
the effect of vacancies on staffing levels and to significantly improve training efficiencies.
Unless directed otherwise, staff will bring forth an M&C in the very near future authorizing
funding for the class.
Bdb Terre
`City Manager
- ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS