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Volunteer/Paid-per-call/Paid-on-call Full-time staff Part-time staff Combination of full, part and/or POC Joint department Contract for services Public safety model 2

Merged department with the City of Clive In-house staffing combination varieties Contracting for services 3 Options Explored In Detail

Currently a combination Fire Department made up of: 5 full-time employees (24-hr & 9am-9pm) 8 part-time employees that cover 2 additional FTE positions (6am – 6pm) 14 paid-per-call (POC) firefighters serving evening/overnight hours every third day Staff in-station 1–3 positions with 24-hour paramedic level response capabilities 4

POC Staff are difficult to retain 41 personnel have left since 2011 Average length of commitment has been less than 3 years Prior to spring of 2015 POC staff were being depended upon for all fire/EMS services from 6pm – 6am Results were monthly non-responses and subpar delivery of services 5

In the spring of 2015 Windsor Heights took action to reorganize into a public safety administrative model  Resulted in 24-hour paramedic staffing  Hiring two additional full-time firefighter/EMT-B positions  Campaign to hire new POC firefighter recruits to bolster citizen involvement Total added investment ~ $80,000 annually 6

 Approach similar staffing needs collectively  Leverage proximity of communities to create a new fire district that may serve as a future model for other metropolitan collaborations  Reduce combined fleet and save on long-term capital expenditures 7

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 1.43 calls per day (Windsor Heights)  3.93 calls per day (Clive)  5.36 calls per day (Combined)  65-80% of annual call volume in each department is EMS related 9

A merged operation  New identity  Look of an independent fire & EMS district  Serving all of Windsor Heights and Clive  Westside Fire Station 22 will continue to exist and serve communities of western Clive and portions of West Des Moines Staff & apparatus are combined  Flexible staffing plan of 6 personnel 24/7/365  Provides an ambulance and engine, or  Three ambulances, or  An engine and ladder 10

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12  Station on Harbach covers nearly all of East Clive and WHTS with 4- minute drive time.  4-minute drive factors into an 8-minute response  90 percentile goal 4-Minute Drive Time

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911 Calls Answered by Polk County  Police dispatched by Polk County  Fire/EMS dispatched by WestCom  Fee paid in by Windsor Heights is initially 0.5% of WestCom’s overall annual operating budget  NOTE: Windsor Heights will pay $55,000 penalty to Polk County for early termination of a fire dispatch agreement and may be subject to user fees for 911 referrals to WestCom  Estimated fees below – does not include above notation 19

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 3% Inflation Factor used to calculate annual rise in operating expenses and capital equipment  Modeling is based upon continuation of staffing six positions at the Harbach Station (#32) throughout 20 year forecasting table  NOTE: Under the merged model operating cost projections do not include Windsor Heights’ need to contract for Rental Inspection Program services that are currently managed by their fire department 21

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 Merged operation as one entity (no band aids or partial sharing arrangements)  New organizational name (not Clive or Windsor Heights)  “West Metro Fire & EMS Department”  Equal oversight by a Management Committee consisting of officials from both communities  WestCom would be the dispatching agency for Fire/EMS in the new district  Existing community outreach / special events continue  All personnel will be retained in the new entity 25

 Modern, updated facility  6 employees staffing the facility comprised of mostly career full-time staff in-house at all hours of the day 24x7x365  An experienced and veteran career fire chief to provide administrative and operational oversight 26

 The intangible positives of collaboration  Potential long-term sustainable costs  Lower levy rate and levy potential  Training, pooled resources, recruitment and retention 27

 Large service area for EMS which encompasses areas as far northwest as Meredith and Warrior Lane, with a reduction down to two ambulances  Loss of individual control of costs and services  Loss of WHFD identity, culture and traditions 28

 As Clive’s population grows, the ability to meet the long- term needs of both cities with a crew of six(6) at the Harbach station diminishes and thus potential for increased staffing  $55,000 penalty for exiting agreement early with Polk County  Increasing costs (As Clive’s population increases – costs increase) 29

 Rental inspections will need to be contracted out or completed by staff that cannot commit the time necessary  During times of emergency responses, Clive’s issues are usually our issues and vice-versa, such as Walnut Creek flooding, weather, rush hour (prioritization? staffing?) 30

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 Full-time paramedics 24x7x365  2 new Firefighter/EMT-B  24x7 for Firefighter/Police  Enhanced part-time roster  Recruit Academy for paid-per-call = $80,000 investment 32

 Still much of day 1 or 2 person response  2/3 of day rely on paid-per-call/mutual aid  Status quo staffing 33 HoursStatus QuoApparatus Options Available FT paramedic + 1 PTAmbulance FT paramedic + 1 PT + FT FF/EMT-BAmbulance or Engine; Combination of Ambulance or Engine + Paramedic/Duty Officer response vehicle FT paramedic + FT FF/EMT-B + POCAmbulance or Engine; Combination of Ambulance or Engine + Paramedic/Duty Officer response vehicle FT paramedic + POC duty crewAmbulance or Engine; Combination of Ambulance or Engine + Paramedic/Duty Officer response vehicle

 Continue the $100 overnight stipend as necessary  Add a 6 th full-time firefighter (3 rd FF/EMT-B)  Possible future need of Deputy Chief  Potential elimination of the Community Service Officer position allocated to the Police Department 34

 Tighten the budget in all areas  Enhance revenues where and when possible  Convert the Council Chambers storage area or FD OIC office into sleeping quarters to house male and female employees separately overnight 35

 Morale is high and improving, along with a sense of community  Improved outlook for POC staffing as a result of the most recent recruitment  Long-term financial control  Stability and operational control  Predictability 36

 Appropriate staff to handle WH call volume now and in the future  Maintain WHFD traditions, culture and identity  Ability to implement staffing plan in phases with the first phase already completed = two(2) new FF/EMT-Bs 37

 Already added $80,000 (FY ‘16 Budget Amend forthcoming) to avert the staffing crisis, plus $100/night until POC staff are fully trained  Additional $$ needed, up to $120,000 annually depending on certain variables  Potential levy and levy rate increase 38

 Female sleeping quarters  The need to retain general fund revenues, including ATE, and enhance revenue streams  The potential for no new staff in other departments, including previously authorized staff 39

 Already shifted to 24-hour operation and added two full-time staff members; a third FF/EMT-B is needed and possibly a Deputy Chief in the future  Can no longer rely on POC members to be first or second available responder to calls for service but must sustain program as overnight resource  Future staffing model has two responders in-house at all times and a third during the day; POCs continue to play a role as additional overnight responders and backfill roles on engine response  Operating costs will increase in excess of $100,000 annually from cost projections of merged model within 15 years 40

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Both of the models most closely analyzed have advantages and disadvantages to work through. The ability to eliminate or mitigate the disadvantages and capitalize on the advantages while also providing the best services at the lowest cost should be one of the factors that play the most pivotal role in the final determination. In addition, numerous other variables must be considered, along with the ability to control the variables to some extent. Finally, and certainly high on the level of importance is what level of service the public desires and how much they are willing to pay for that service. 43