Consideration and Approval of Agreement:  Between the City of Flagstaff and the High Country Fire Rescue for dispatch services.

Approve the agreement for dispatching services between the City of Flagstaff and the High Country Fire Rescue Fire Department. 

The City of Flagstaff, acting through the Police Department, has negotiated an agreement to provide dispatching services to the High Country Fire Rescue Department. This will be a five (5) year contract with payment to the City of Flagstaff based on the currenlty utilized cost per call format. Approval of this agreement will continue to enhance inter-agency collaboration, information sharing via direct radio contact and more timely interoperability between the High Country Fire Rescue Department and the Flagstaff Communications & 911 Center. High Country Fire Rescue is located in the Red Lake area off of State Route Hwy 64 in Coconino County. Interactive fire and medical communications will benefit both parties through direct radio communications thus avoiding time delays in the relay of emergency information. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office is the local law enforcement agency dispatched out of the Flagstaff Communications & 911 Center.

Approval of this agreement will establish cost recovery for the indirect and direct costs based on the currently utilized cost per call format.

Public Safety: By approving this agreement, the High Country Fire Rescue Department will be dispatched consistently along with the other rural fire departments currently served by this Communications Center, their 911 public safety answering point (PSAP). This change ensures direct communication between the responding fire/medical units and the dispatch center by providing direct radio information relays rather than by telephone to a second party. We currently do not track High Country Fire Rescue units. Dispatching High Country Fire Rescue will enable prompt, efficient and effective responses by emergency personnel as a result of 911 calls from the community.

No.

The Council can choose to accept the agreement or reject it.

On August 28, 2008 High Country Fire Rescue was formed. Previously, the Red Lake area of State Route Hwy 64 lacked Fire services. Volunteers, with their own money, purchased a Fire Engine and Rescue Squad to provide Fire and EMS servcies to the communities of Red Lake, Howard Mesa, Four Hills and Valle. High Country Fire Rescue is a non-profit private fire department which operates from donations and subscriptions from members of the community. Forming the area into a fire district is the main goal after the completion of High Country Fire Rescue Fire Station on State Route Hwy 64 at mile post 192 in December 2012. The current dispatching service is being completed by telephone. Currently, the Flagstaff Communications & 911 dispatcher calls High Country Fire Rescue (HCFR) to make notification of a call for service. All information gathered is given via telephone to the volunteer dispatcher. When the incident information is given to the volunteer, they pass along the information to the responding units via radio. The fire units currently do not have direct access to this Communications Center. They must contact their dispatcher who then calls the Communications Center if they need assistance with a deputy or to relay any information regarding their call for service. This is not a timely way to conduct business or best for the customer requesting assistance. The development of this contract is based on the expansion of their radio system that will enable High Country Fire Rescue to reach the Flagstaff Communications & 911 center from the Red Lake area.

The approval of this intergovernmental agreement will provide streamlined, direct and consistent dispatch services as outlined and financial recovery based on a cost per call basis. This change ensures direct and interoperative communication between the responding fire and medical units and the dispatch center by providing direct radio information relays rather than by telephone to a second party. 

We currently do not track High Country Fire Rescue’s units after they have been dispatched on a call for service due to their current radio system configuration.  This radio system update accompanied by this intergovernmental agreement will now allow timely and consistent toning and tracking of High Country Fire Rescue’s emergency response units. 

This intergovernmental agreement provides for payment based on a cost per call basis and will assist in offsetting the cost of operating the Communications Center. The 2013 projected cost to High Country Fire Rescue will be $6,520.50  This number is based on the actual calls for service to HCFR in 2011.  

The approval of this intergovernmental agreement provides a continued positive relationship with the High Country Fire Rescue Department that enables quick, efficient and effective responses of fire and emergency personnel as a result of 911 calls from the individuals, citizens and community members within their region. By dispatching directly to the necessary units, it will eliminate the need for a second party to relay information and the potential for the loss of information in that translation. Approval of this intergovernmental agreement will make the High Country Fire District a fully active member of the Communications User Group allowing them to provide input and feedback to the center on procedures and policies related to best practices.

Collaborate

Approval of this intergovernmental agreement allows direct communication/dispatch interoperability with the High Country Fire Rescue. Disapproval will eliminate a direct contract with the field units and will require that we continue to use a second party to pass along fire and medical information.

Approved by CC on 1/15/2013