The Tumwater Fire Department is recommending to its city council the development of a third fire station for the city.
The department’s recommendation resulted from an Emergency Services Consulting International evaluation as part of the fire department’s new five-year strategic plan.
Fire Department Chief Brian Hurley and consultant Richard Curtis presented the plan and other recommendations to the city council on Tuesday, July 9.
The evaluation stated that the two fire stations in the city could provide a four-minute response time to only 31% of the city, which could increase with a third station. According to the report, four minutes is a benchmark standardized by the National Fire Protection Association and only accounts for the time before a first unit arrives at a fire incident.
Curtis said they conducted a preliminary assessment of the possible location of a third station. A west-side fire station would increase the department’s four-minute response area from 31% to 37% and provide coverage to 6,011 out of 9,854 structures in the city.
Meanwhile, a south-end fire station would expand the department’s four-minute response area to 53%, yet covering fewer structures at only 5,083. Curtis noted that the south-end fire station captures a larger area, and even though it would serve fewer structures, much of the city’s potential growth is in the south.
Improvements to the existing fire stations could also improve the department’s total response time.
Curtis said that the department’s total response time for fire incidents is nine minutes and 42 seconds, which is over 50% longer than the benchmark standard of six minutes and 20 seconds. Total response time measures how long it takes to respond to a 911 call and for the first unit to arrive at a scene.
The fire department also recommends increasing its minimum daily staffing from nine to 13 firefighters. Increasing staffing would help the city achieve the standard of 16 firefighters assembling within eight minutes in response to a residential fire covering 2,500 square feet.
The city can achieve this standard for only 5% through mutual aid. According to the department's assessment, increasing its staffing to 13 firefighters would help improve this coverage to 9% of the city.
The increase in staffing may be achieved by hiring a fourth firefighter per engine company on top of the two additional firefighters that the city is already considering for the medic unit at the T2 Station. As an alternative, Curtis said the department could consider adding two firefighters to the aid units at the T1 station in place of the two additional firefighters for the engine companies.
Regarding risk reduction and emergency management, the fire department recommends hiring an assistant chief to take over a community risk reduction program and to get someone to develop an emergency management program.
Curtis explained that with a community of Tumwater’s size, the fire chief alone cannot oversee emergency management. The fire department has several options to address the issue, such as hiring a program manager, contracting a service provider, or partnering with local agencies or nearby cities.
According to Curtis, the fire department also recommends developing an interlocal agreement with Olympia to consolidate personnel training in both jurisdictions. Both cities have the same set of policies and training procedures.
Hurley said that the department’s last strategic plan ended in 2021. In previous years, the department had worked to consolidate with Olympia’s fire department to form a regional fire authority, but residents voted against the proposition in 2023.
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OlyBlues
There is a lot to unpack here with Tumwater Fire Department. First and foremost, the department lost tremendous credibility when they chose greed and were salivating for the higher salaries that would have come with the ill-proposed regional fire authority, all of this despite Tumwater only having a fraction of the calls that Olympia does. This never made sense for Tumwater, yet the raises that they would have received were too much for the firefighters to be honest with the community on how it was supposedly benefitting the city. They knew it wouldn't and we knew it too.
The regional fire authority did not pencil out other than more admin and higher salaries, something Tumwater firefighters were giddy for. Now we hear the reality. Tumwater supposedly needs a 3rd station and actually should have been concentrating on the needs of the city all along! Huge surprise. Where were these firefighters fighting for the needs of the city paying them? Because of this loss of credibility, this proposal by Tumwater Fire cannot be trusted. Yes, they had an outside study. We need to know how many times this outside organization has recommended more personnel and additional stations vs. maintaining existing personnel in other jurisdictions. Is this what they do to get paid? Are they truly independent of the fire service and fire culture? One could surmise this organization was specifically recommended and/or selected by Tumwater Fire. Another question for the JOLT to investigate.
The reality is firefighters are being paid to work 24 hour shifts and want to sleep, workout, cook, and watch movies during the majority of this time. I don't blame them. This is fire culture. The need for a 3rd station could be alleviated by having them provide direct fire service during the full 24 hours they are being paid for or start to have them work shorter shifts. No other government employees receive the type of benefit to sleep and do other activities on the clock other than the fire service and for their $110K+ a year salaries. This must change so the fire service can once again become cost effective for taxpayers. Until then, we will continue to see these recommendations for more and more personnel, admin, assistant chiefs and more stations at unsustainable costs.
Tuesday, July 16 Report this
Southsoundguy
"Quick, lets make up projections and problems so we can spend more money."
Tuesday, July 16 Report this
52237123abc
Probably being pushed by the Port and Rob Rice and his mini town south of Tumwater.
Tuesday, July 16 Report this
JW
DeeperThoughts I'm confused as to how they could work shorter shifts? An emergency can happen at any time day or night. Shorter shifts would just mean more employees which would probably cost more overall.
If the Minority Report ever came true it sure would help staffing fire stations.
Tuesday, July 16 Report this
mathisje
Is anyone paying attention to the core issue? It is not trust. It is not money. It is response times. They need to be reduced. In general, a fire doubles in size every minute. Shaving a few minutes responding to a call saves lives and property. There is no question the City needs a south side fire station. The City has grown 50% with no increase in stations. Building and maintaining a new station takes big money. That means a bond and figuring out how to fund the annual costs. Its up to the citizens to suck it up and support a new station. Also, firefighters put their lives on the line. Specious comments about how much 'free' time they have is disrespectful. Fire fighters spend countless hours training, maintaining equipment, and working fire prevention. They have to be there 7x24 and have the people, skills and equipment to respond. Any discussion needs to focus on whether the City fire services have the right level of resources to provide adequate service to its citizens, not how much free time a firefighter many or may not have.
Wednesday, July 17 Report this