Staff recommends the City Council adoption of the Center for Public Safety Management Fire Operational and Administrative Analysis by resolution.

During the FY21 budget process City Council approved an analysis of the Fire, EMS and Police Services. The Center for Public Safety Management, LLC (CPSM) was retained by the City of Billings to conduct an Operational and Administrative Analysis for the fire department, including a detailed review of department operations, its interaction with AMR, workload, staffing, fire stations, fire apparatus, and deployment practices. This analysis included a thorough review of the organization structure, training, performance measures, prevention activities, and its service responsibilities in the Billings Urban Fire Service Area (BUFSA). Specifically, CPSM was tasked with providing recommendations and alternatives regarding fire department operations, staffing levels, and alternative modes of operation for current service demand and in terms of options that can best position the department to respond to the community’s anticipated growth.

CPSM analyzed performance data provided by the Billings Fire Department (BFD) and also conducted a firsthand examination of the department’s operations. To begin the review, project staff asked for documents, data, and information. The project staff used this information/data to familiarize themselves with the department’s structure, assets, and operations. The provided information was supplemented with information collected during an on-site visit to observe the performance of the department and to compare that performance to national benchmarks. CPSM will typically utilize benchmarks that have been developed by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE), the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement, as well as others.

Thirty-four recommendations were provided based on the analysis. The recommendations are based on best practices derived from the NFPA, CPSM, ICMA, the U.S. Fire Administration, the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
 

City Council may:

• Approve the Center for Public Safety Management Fire Operational and Administrative Analysis as the guiding document,
  Modify the analysis, or;
  Disapprove the analysis and provide staff with additional direction

Immediate fiscal effects of analysis implementation was presented to City Council on June 14, 2021. The estimated cost for immediate analysis recommendation implementation is $1.5M.