department of fire & emergency medical services ......colerain township department of fire and...

DEPARTMENT OF FIRE & EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES BENCHMARKING REPORT

October 2013

Prepared by:

Frank W. Cook, MPA, CFO

Battalion Chief 3251 Springdale Road

Colerain Township, Ohio 45251-1505

Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS Benchmarking Report

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

OVERVIEW 7

Methodology 8

AGENCY SERVICE AREA CHARACTERISTICS 10

Aging Housing and Population 11

Fire Stations and Equipment 13

FIRE SERVICE INDUSTRY STANDARDS & COMPARISONS 15

National Fire Protection Association 15

Insurance Services Office 15

Center for Public Safety Excellence 16

FIRE PROTECTION & EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COSTS 17

AGENCY STAFFING 21

AGENCY HISTORICAL SERVICE DEMAND & PERFORMANCE 25

Demand for Service 25

Estimated Property Dollar Loss 32

AGENCY BASE SALARIES & WAGES 33

CONCLUSION 36

How Colerain Fire and EMS Compared 36

Lessons Learned 37

Opportunities to Provide Better Service or Value 39

Identified Cost Savings and Shared Services Opportunities 39

Areas that Support Being a Best in Class Fire Department Agency 39

Areas of Improvement Needed to Become a Best in Class Fire Department Agency 40

Planned Changes in 2014 as a Result of the Benchmarking Exercise 41

APPENDIX A: Surveyed Fire Departments 43

APPENDIX B: Questionnaire Instrument 45

APPENDIX C: Questionnaire Response Data 51


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iii

LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES

Tables

Page

Table 1: Comparison of Peer Jurisdiction and Fire Protection Area 10

Table 2: General Peer Jurisdiction Demographic Information 12

Table 3: Peer Jurisdiction Housing Data and Density 13

Table 4: Comparison of Staffed Emergency Response Apparatus and Units, 2012 13

Table 5: Fire Suppression Apparatus Ratios, 2012 14

Table 6: Fire Department ISO PPC Classification Rating and Accreditation Status 16

Table 7: Comparison of Jurisdictional Approved Budgets, 2012 17

Table 8: Comparison of Agency Approved Budgets, 2012 17

Table 9: Comparison of Peer Agencies Staffing, 2012 22

Table 10: Comparison of On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population, 2012 22

Table 11: Requests for Service Summary, 2012 27

Table 12: Comparison of Estimated Dollar Loss Due to Fire per Assessed Value, 2012 32

Figures

Page

Figure 1: Comparison of Population and Land Area Protected 11

Figure 2: Agency Operating Budget Compared to Population, 2012 18

Figure 3: Fire Agency Appropriated Funding Cost per Capita, 2012 19

Figure 4: Comparison of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Cost per Square Mile, 2012 20

Figure 5: Comparison of Expenditure Cost per Capita, 2012 20

Figure 6: Comparison of Requests for Service Cost per Capita, 2012 21

Figure 7: Comparison of On-Duty Staffing Levels per Square Mile, 2012 23

Figure 8: Minimum On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012 24

Figure 9: Average On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012 24

Figure 10: Maximum On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012 25

Figure 11: Annual Requests for Service Demand Total, 2012 26

Figure 12: Daily Requests for Service Demand Total, 2012 26

Figure 13: Requests for Service Demand Total per Capita, 2012 27

Figure 14: Annual Emergency Medical Service Demand, 2012 28

Figure 15: Daily Emergency Medical Service Demand, 2012 29

Figure 16: Emergency Medical Service Request per Capita, 2012 29

Figure 17: Annual Fire Company Requests for Service Demand, 2012 30

Figure 18: Daily Fire Company Requests for Service Demand, 2012 31


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LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES continued

Figure 19: Fire Company Service Request per Capita, 2012 31

Figure 20: Estimated Dollar Loss Due to Fire per Capita, 2012 33

Figure 21: Comparison of Fire Shift Commander Base Salaries, 2012 34

Figure 22: Comparison of Fire Company Officer Base Salaries, 2012 35

Figure 23: Comparison of Firefighter Paramedic Base Salaries, 2012 36


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The leadership of Colerain Township local government’s approval and investment of resources

in the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (Department of Fire and EMS) are

intended to ensure that there is continuous adequate fire protection and emergency medical

incident response coverage in all areas of the community. To place a fire department’s operation

or performance in perspective, it is helpful to compare the agency with other fire department

agencies that share similar characteristics. In light of the importance of the services provided by

the Department of Fire and EMS, the Township’s leadership tasked its agency to inter-

departmentally compare itself with other best in class fire department agencies by means of

benchmarking. This report represents the results of the Department of Fire and EMS’s

benchmarking project.

Colerain Township Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services is the sole public safety

entity responsible for providing fire protection and emergency medical service to the

community’s residents and visitors. The Department of Fire and EMS provides its services from

five fire stations utilizing a combination system of staffing and an assortment of emergency

response vehicles and equipment. In 2012, the Department of Fire and EMS responded to more

than 10,600 incidents of all types or on average 29 incidents daily.

Expectations of this project were to collect quantitative and qualitative data for comparison that

did not constitute an evaluation of any agency’s service delivery, capabilities or performance.

The results of the data collection were summarized by means of text, figures, and detailed tables

throughout the report. Where applicable, footnotes were included in the tables that reference the

mathematical formulas utilized to calculate the numerical data.

The project utilized 2012 data obtained by means of interviews and a questionnaire distributed to

22 municipal fire departments regionally, statewide and nationally (Appendix A). Twenty of the

questionnaires were completed and returned (91-percent response rate) as requested. The project

criteria identified for data collection included:

Service Area Demographics and Characteristics;

Local Government Approved Budgets, and Agency Approved Budgets and Expenditures;

Agency Organization Profile and Staffing;

Level of Emergency Medical Service Provided;

Ancillary Services Provided by Agency;

Public Protection Classification and Accreditation Status;

Historical Emergency Incident Activity; and

2012 Agency Salary and Wages.

The data presented displayed how Colerain’s Department of Fire and EMS ranked among other

similar fire department agencies, and statistically against the mean (averages) and median.

The scope of the project was restricted to career and combination staffed fire departments that

provide fire protection, advanced life support emergency medical and transport services and

other functions or services similar to Colerain’s Department of Fire and EMS. The submitted


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data was reviewed and the following 10 peer agencies were selected for the final benchmarking

comparison:

Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio Fire & Rescue;

City of Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky Fire Department;

Green Township, Hamilton County, Ohio Fire & Emergency Medical Services

Department;

City of Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio Fire Department;

Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio Fire Department;

Lisle-Woodridge, Dupage County, Illinois Fire Protection District;

City of Mentor, Lake County, Ohio Fire Department;

City of Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut Fire Department;

Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana Fire Department; and

West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio Fire Department.

How Colerain Fire and EMS Compared

In 2012, Colerain Fire and EMS compared favorably when measured against the selected peer

fire department agencies. The statistics had several areas which were outside the means, and in

some cases at the moderate ends of the comparable data reported. Colerain was above the mean

jurisdictional population by 4.5-percent and 46.4-percent greater than the mean land area

protected of the comparable jurisdictions. It had the same amount of fire stations compared to

the mean of its peer agencies; however each Colerain station covered 36.5- percent more land

area than the sampling mean. Colerain had one more engine company than the mean, but a

similar mean number of ladder and rescue companies, and emergency medical transport units as

the other agencies. The request for service per thousand population was 28.6-perceent greater

than the mean of the comparables. Colerain’s mean on-duty daily staffing was 30-percent above

the mean while the mean number of firefighters and emergency medical technicians per square

mile of the jurisdiction land area protected was in the lower 40-percent of the peer agencies.

Finally, of note is that Colerain’s 2012 approved budget was 3.4-percent below the mean of the

comparable agencies.

Lessons Learned

By looking outward, Colerain Fire and EMS examined the similar services of peer agencies and

learned the following lessons from the benchmarking exercise:

A demonstration of the strengths and weaknesses of agencies in comparison to others.

Through shared experiences agencies can identify best practices from each other that can

then be implemented within their own agency.

The benchmarking process must become an ongoing, integral part of the improvement

process with the goal of continually improving the services it provides.

The major benefit of benchmarking is that the things we’ve benchmark seem to get

accomplished; if we cannot see success or identify failure, we cannot learn from or

improve it.


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Finally, faced with the challenges of a strained economy, the fire department will need to

establish methods to demonstrate results and needs. For any public sector agency, it will

be difficult to obtain and sustain support for continued funding and additional needed

resources.

Opportunities to Provide Better Service or Value

As a result of the benchmarking exercise, the following potential opportunities for value-added

services by the fire department include:

Home safety inspections;

Health fairs attended by fire department representatives ;

Injury prevention programs;

Neighborhood wellness programs;

Unused prescription drug disposal;

Neighborhood meetings attended by fire department representatives;

Citizen's Emergency Response Training; and

Programs designed to market the department’s programs and services.

Potential benefits for the citizens and visitors:

Additional risks reduction education;

Greater confidence in the fire department;

Familiarity of station personnel.

Increased knowledge of available programs; and

Added value without added cost.

Some potential positive aspects for the Department of Fire and EMS are:

Increase in knowledge of response areas;

Greater support from citizens;

Identification of potential hazards; and

Ongoing fire safety education.

Identified Cost Savings and Shared Services Opportunities

As a result of the initial focus of the benchmarking project, no additional or new dramatic cost-

saving or shared service approaches or opportunities from the peer fire department agencies were

identified. However, a continuation of the analysis could help to identify opportunities for cost

savings and shared services. Nonetheless, the Department will continue to make every effort to

stretch tax dollars and increase our creativity in providing essential fire and emergency medical

services.

Areas that Support Being a Best in Class Fire Department Agency

1. Unparalleled Experience throughout our Ranks – the level of experience from the

firefighter to chief officer rank that is unparalleled in the region.


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2. Organizational Drive to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service – the prevailing attitude

throughout the organization is to exceed customer expectations in everything we do.

3. Unequalled Training Program to Assure Highest Service Level Possible – a training and

education approach that is unequalled in the region.

4. Most Extensive EMS Quality Assurance Program in the Region – the program provides

the assurance that the performance of the EMS providers who operate under the medical

director’s supervision and authority meet acceptable standards of care and minimal

competency.

5. Highest Insurance Services Office (ISO) Numerical Rating in Region – the Department of

Fire and EMS has the highest ISO numerical rating score in the area and its ISO score

ranks the department in the upper one-percent nationally.

Areas of Improvement Needed to Become a Best in Class Fire Department Agency

1. Continue to improve services to achieve a lower Insurance Services Office (ISO) fire

insurance rating; this has the potential to provide for lower cost of fire insurance in the

community.

2. Pursue fire department accreditation status. Accreditation through the Commission on

Fire Service Accreditation International (CFSAI) and the Center for Public Safety

Excellence (CPSE) is a worldwide measure of excellence.

3. Progress as an organization to continually meet the needs and demands of the

community, citizens and visitors by means of monitoring trends within and throughout

the fire service to improve efficiency and effectiveness; and measure the department’s

performance against established standards and adjust to meet those standards.

4. Promote community risk reduction programs and strategies as a fundamental means to

preserve our community. Community risk reduction programs have the potential to

directly impact the safety of firefighters, citizens and visitors.

Planned Changes in 2014 as a Result of the Benchmarking Exercise

Marketing for the Department of Fire and EMS will be an ongoing initiative that will

specifically address the key stakeholder groups and customize messaging and key

communication points for each stakeholder.

The Department is committed to identifying and implementing available sources of

revenue in order to fund operational and capital improvements, and to lessen the burden

of its operations on the tax payer. The Department will seek to capture additional

revenues through the enhanced reimbursable services and available grants (federal, public

and private).

The Department is committed to providing consistent, high-quality services to the public.

Within this context the Department will routinely examine its operations and seek to

identify strategies which contain or reduce costs without reducing service levels.


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As the cost of government services and funding challenges increase, the Department

recognizes the necessity of minimizing unplanned expenditures. The Department is

committed to developing a sound plan which will allow for the timely improvement and

replacement of capital assets and infrastructure.

The Department of Fire and EMS will continue to work with the Board of Trustees,

Township Administration and Departments, the Financial Advisory Committee and other

local and regional stakeholders to ensure policy development and decision making for the

Department results in the appropriate local control, operational effectiveness and cost

containment necessary to sustain the emergency services delivery system.

Our ability to collect the data for this project was greatly enhanced by the high level of

cooperation and support provided by those involved. The assistance provided during the course

of our work from staff internal and external of the fire department was vital to our ability to

conduct this project. The efforts of these individuals in providing data, participating in

interviews, and providing feedback were essential to a successful project. We would like to

express our appreciation to all individuals who participated in this project for the time and

courtesy extended to us throughout the project effort and for their input. It is with expectation

that the information contained in this report will be utilized to its fullest extent, and that its

content will afford the Township and fire department leadership the opportunity to engage in

timely and productive policy discussions on the future of the fire department.


6


7

OVERVIEW

The leadership of Colerain Township local government’s approval and investment of resources

in the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (Department of Fire and EMS) are

intended to ensure that there is continuous adequate fire protection and emergency medical

incident response coverage in all areas of the community. To place a fire department’s operation

or performance in perspective, it is helpful to compare the agency with other fire department

agencies that share similar characteristics. In light of the importance of the services provided by

the Department of Fire and EMS, the Township’s leadership tasked its agency to inter-

departmentally compare itself with other best in class fire department agencies by means of

benchmarking. Agency or jurisdictional comparisons can be challenging to interpret as there

may be many variables. No two agencies or jurisdictions are exactly alike in terms of emergency

incident volume, agency staffing, budgetary characteristics, geographic size and features,

community demographics serviced, agency or governmental organization and services provided.

Many agencies and jurisdictions, however, do share some similar qualities that are useful for

comparison. While these comparisons are not direct indicators of performance, they can provide

a valuable function in assessing an agency in relation to the performance of its peers. It is useful

to determine whether an agency is at the polar ends of a scale or somewhere in the middle, and it

can be especially useful in identifying the reasons that others may be more efficient in

performing the same operations. This direct comparison can identify strengths or weaknesses

and also suggest areas for improvement.

The Colerain Township Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (Colerain Fire and

EMS) is a full-service provider of fire suppression, advanced life support (ALS) paramedic

service and ambulance transport services, technical rescue, water rescue, hazardous materials

response, community risk reduction and education (i.e., life safety code enforcement, fire

incident investigations and prevention), and regional emergency medical technician and

firefighter education and training programs. Colerain Fire and EMS serves a population of

approximately 58,499 within a geographic area of approximately 43.2 square miles. In addition

to serving Colerain Township, the department provides contract first responder emergency

medical services to Springfield Township’s Pleasant Run Farms neighborhood. In 2012,

Colerain Fire and EMS responded to over 10,600 fire, emergency medical, rescue and public

service incidents and conducted public prevention and safety education presentations to

thousands of students and adults.

Colerain Fire and EMS, one of the best rated fire departments in the state, functions as a public

safety entity for the residents and visitors of Colerain Township. Fire protection and emergency

medical services (EMS) are provided from five fire stations using the following compliment of

companies and units: five engine companies staffed with a combination of four crossed-trained

firefighters-emergency medical technicians: basic and paramedics; one ladder company staffed

with five firefighters-emergency medical technicians; and five ambulances staffed with two

firefighter-emergency medical technicians: paramedics. Colerain Fire and EMS also has several

specialty units utilized for technical rescue and hazardous materials response, water rescue

response, and mobile water supply for areas without fire hydrants. As previously indicated, all

uniformed fire personnel are trained and certified as emergency medical technicians.


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Approximately 125 (out of a total of 192 uniformed personnel) or 65-percent possess paramedic

certification.

Colerain Fire and EMS was compared by means of benchmarking with several other best in class

fire department agencies providing municipal fire protection and emergency medical services as

a method of ascertaining its relative position with respect to service area, budgeting, staffing,

workload and salaries. In this context, benchmarking is a management tool used to collect

quantitative and qualitative data, and identify best practices in fire department agencies that

provide services or perform functions either the same as, or similar to, the services or functions

provided or performed by Colerain Fire and EMS. The results of the benchmarking collection of

data are summarized within this document.

Methodology

The project utilized 2012 data obtained by means of questionnaires initially distributed to 22 fire

departments regionally, statewide and nationally (Appendix A). Twenty of the questionnaires

were completed and returned (91-percent response rate) as requested. Copies of the questionnaire

instrument and agency responses are included as Appendix B and Appendix C. The submitted

data was reviewed and 10 peer agencies were selected for the final benchmarking comparison.

Publicly available resources were also utilized to obtain demographic and budgetary data (e.g.,

jurisdictional and agency annual reports, 2010 U.S. Census estimates, Comprehensive Annual

Financial Reports, etc.). All information was confirmed through data provided by each relevant

peer. Because the jurisdictions and agencies had complexities that could not be completely

understood by reviewing the questionnaire data alone, telephone interviews were periodically

conducted with representatives to obtain specific information regarding their fire and EMS

services.

The scope of this project was restricted to career and combination staffed fire departments that

provide municipal fire protection, advanced life support emergency medical and transport

services, and other characteristics similar to Colerain Fire & EMS.

The following project criteria were identified for data collection:

Service Area Demographics and Characteristics;

Local Government Budgets, and Agency Approved Budgets and Expenditures;

Agency Organization Profile and Staffing;

Level of Emergency Medical Service Provided;

Ancillary Services Provided by Agency;

Public Protection Classification and Accreditation Status;

Historical Emergency Incident Activity; and

2012 Agency Salary and Wages.

The collected data was entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to produce descriptive

statistics [i.e., Average (Mean) and Median] that are presented in the comparison tables and

figures that were calculated without Colerain Fire & EMS included, but shown for assessment

and comparison purposes. Where applicable, footnotes were included in the tables that reference


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the mathematical formulas utilized to calculate the numerical data. The data presented shows

how Colerain Fire and EMS ranks among other similar fire department agencies, and against the

means and medians.

The following provides an introduction to the selected peer fire department agencies included in

this project:

Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio Fire & Rescue provides fire protection and

advanced life support (ALS) ambulance and emergency medical services to an

approximate area of 31.2-square miles using an all career system of staffing of four fire

stations serving an approximate population of 43,857 residents.

City of Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky Fire Department provides fire protection

and ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 13.7-

square miles using an all career system of staffing of five fire stations serving an

approximate population of 40,640 residents.

Green Township, Hamilton County, Ohio Fire & Emergency Medical Services

Department provides fire protection and ALS ambulance and emergency medical

services to an approximate area of 27.9-square miles using a combination (career and

part-time) system of staffing of four fire stations serving an approximate population of

58,370 residents.

City of Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio Fire Department provides fire protection and ALS

ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 22.1-square miles

using an all career system of staffing of five fire stations serving an approximate

population of 62,477 residents.

Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio Fire Department provides fire protection and

ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 37.1-square

miles using a combination system of staffing of five fire stations serving an approximate


Lisle-Woodridge, Dupage County, Illinois Fire Protection District provides fire

protection and ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to the Village of Lisle,

the Village of Woodridge and some unincorporated areas of Dupage County

encompassing an approximate area of 32-square miles using an all career system of

staffing of five fire stations serving an approximate population of 70,000 residents.

City of Mentor, Lake County, Ohio Fire Department provides fire protection and ALS

ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 28-square miles

using an all career system of staffing of five fire stations serving an approximate


City of Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut Fire Department provides fire

protection and ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area

of 23.4-square miles using an all career system of staffing of four fire stations serving an


Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana Fire Department provides fire protection and

ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 44.1-square


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miles using an all career system of staffing of five fire stations serving an approximate

population of 77, 895 residents.

West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio Fire Department provides fire protection

and ALS ambulance and emergency medical services to an approximate area of 35.5-

square miles using a combination system of staffing of five fire stations serving an


AGENCY SERVICE AREA CHARACTERISTICS

In choosing jurisdictions and fire department agencies for comparison, consideration was given

to jurisdictional population, land area, density, and services offered (especially whether there

was ALS service and transport provided by the fire department). The chosen peer agencies are

all of somewhat different sizes, scope and compositions.

From a community planning perspective, Colerain Township can be primarily characterized as a

rural and suburban community; however, the National Fire Protection Associations’ 1710,

Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency

Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments also

characterizes it as urban based on having a population density greater than 1,000 people per

square mile. The location of fire stations and emergency response units are typically based on

several factors. Primarily, the demand for service, community risks, time and distance to travel

to an incident scene as it relates to response goals represents the driving forces for determining

the placement and deployment of primary response resources.

In comparison to the peer jurisdictions, Colerain ranked fifth in jurisdictional population at

58,499 residents in 2012, which was above the mean (55,964) and the median (57,397). A

comparison of land area protected, Colerain ranked second at 43.2-square miles well above the

mean (29.5-square miles) and the median (29.6-square miles). Each of Colerain’s five stations

provides protection and services to approximately 8.6-square miles, which ranked second

amongst the peer jurisdictions. Comparable jurisdictions average approximately 6.3-square

miles per station as displayed in Table 1.

Table 1: Comparison of Peer Jurisdiction and Fire Protection Area

Fire Department Agency Jurisdiction

Population

Land Area

(sq. mi.)

Protected

Jurisdiction

Population

Density per

Sq. Mi.1

No. of

Staffed Fire

Stations

Fire Station

Coverage

Area (sq.

mi.)2

Fire Station

Area

Population

Density per

Sq. Mi.3

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 77,895 44.1 1,770 5 8.8 354.1

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 70,000 32.0 2,188 5 6.4 437.5

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 62,582 35.5 1,763 5 7.1 352.6

1 Jurisdiction Population Density per Square Mile = Jurisdiction Population ÷ Land Area Protected;

2 Fire Station Coverage Area = Land Area Protected ÷ Number of Staffed Fire Stations; 3 Fire Station Area Population Density per Square Mile = Jurisdiction Population Density per Square Mile ÷ Number

of Staffed Fire Stations;


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Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 62,477 22.1 2,830 5 4.4 565.9

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 58,370 27.9 2,092 4 7.0 523.0

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 56,424 23.4 2,411 4 5.9 602.8

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 47,023 28.0 1,764 5 5.6 352.9

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 43,857 31.2 1,406 4 7.8 351.4

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 40,640 13.7 2,966 5 2.7 593.3

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 40,373 37.1 1,088 5 7.4 217.6

Mean (Average) 55,964 29.5 2,028 5 6.3 435.1

Median 57,397 29.6 1,931 5 6.7 395.8

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 58,499 43.2 1,364 5 8.6 272.7

Figure 1 compares the significant variability in both the jurisdictional population and land area

protected by each agency.

Figure 1: Comparison of Population and Land Area Protected

Aging Housing and Population

In general, older homes and buildings have the potential to represent an increased risk to the

community. The electrical systems in older homes may be overtaxed, lack the modern

overcurrent protection provided by circuit breakers, and require the use of extension cords. Fire

separation walls and fire stops may have been penetrated to run telephone, cable TV, and

computer lines, which can compromise their reliability. Wood frame construction may lack fire

stopping found in newer homes. An aging population uses the emergency medical service

system more frequently, contributing to an increase in incident volume. Older buildings may

lack fire and smoke detection and/or sprinkler systems, which can contribute to increased fire

growth before detection.

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

0

15,000

30,000

45,000

60,000

75,000

90,000

Lan

d A

rea

(sq.

mi.

)

Pop

ula

tion

Population Land Area (sq. mi.)


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Table 2 compares general demographic information for the peer jurisdictions. Information on

residents age 65 years and older is included because of its relevance to demand for emergency

medical services. The Baby Boom Generation, individuals born between 1946 and 1964 and one

of the largest generations in U.S. history began turning 65 in 2011.4 As this large generation

continues to age, the growth of the 65 and older population will continue at an increased rate.

This expanding older adult population may require ever-increasing amounts of public services,

health care, and additional services. Of particular importance to fire and emergency medical

services is finding a way to accommodate a vastly increased demand for services from an already

large and continually growing segment of the population.

Table 2: General Peer Jurisdiction Demographic Information

Jurisdiction Population Median

Age

Percent of

Residents 65

years or

older

Median

Household

Income

Anderson Twp., OH 43,857 43.0 15.5% $88,008

Colerain Twp., OH 58,499 39.6 13.8% $54,286

Covington, KY 40,640 34.8 10.2% $34,557

Green Twp., OH 58,370 40.6 16.6% $65,636

Hamilton, OH 62,477 36.4 13.0% $46,335

Jackson Twp., OH 40,373 44.6 17.8% $66,657

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist.*

Village of Lisle, IL 22,390 36.8 11.2% $69,712

Village of Woodridge, IL 32,970 37.5 10.2% $75,469

Mentor, OH 47,023 45.1 16.8% $64,476

Milford, CT 56,424 42.6 16.3% $77,625

Pike Twp., IN 77,895 31.0 10.9% $43,046

West Chester Twp., OH 62,582 37.3 10.9% $79,146

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2012 American Community Survey

Note: * Population data not available for unincorporated areas of the fire protection district.

Factors that are likely to impact the volume of residential building fires are age and maintenance

of housing stock, fire codes, human and socioeconomic factors, and public education efforts.

Older homes and buildings can represent an increased risk to a community. While structural

factors of buildings have an effect on the incidence of fire, of equal or greater importance today

is how humans use and maintain those buildings. A particular important jurisdiction

characteristic when considering the provision of fire protection is the building density of the

jurisdiction and the number of buildings; both occupied and vacant. Table 3 displays data on

those characteristics for each of the peer jurisdictions.

4 “The Older Population: 2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, November 2011, C2010BR-09,

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-09.pdf


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Table 3: Peer Jurisdiction Housing Data and Density

Jurisdiction

Land

Area (sq.

mi.)

Total

Housing

Units

Occupied

Housing

Units

Vacant

Housing

Units

Density -

Housing

Units per

sq. mi.5

Median

Housing Unit

Value

Anderson Twp., OH 31.2 16,488 15,762 726 528 $210,900

Colerain Twp., OH 43.2 24,593 22,477 2,116 569 $118,600

Covington, KY 13.7 20,228 16,696 3,532 1,476 $104,100

Green Twp., OH 27.9 23,554 22,301 1,253 844 $155,600

Hamilton, OH 22.1 27,786 24,149 3,637 1,257 $99,200

Jackson Twp., OH 37.1 17,450 16,325 1,125 470 $170,800

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist.*

Village of Lisle, IL 7.0 9,713 9,165 548 1,384 $313,800

Village of Woodridge, IL 9.6 13,650 12,793 857 1,425 $254,100

Mentor, OH 28.0 20,177 19,015 1,162 721 $166,800

Milford, CT 23.4 22,001 20,427 1,574 940 $301,600

Pike Twp., IN 44.1 33,603 30,645 2,958 762 $129,900

West Chester Twp., OH 35.5 22,565 21,727 838 636 $202,400

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2012 American Community Survey

Note: * Land area data not available for unincorporated areas of fire protection district.

Fire Stations and Equipment

Each peer agency was questioned about the amount of apparatus staffed each day. Table 4

summarizes and compares the number of engine, ladder, and heavy rescue companies, and

ambulance transport and non-transport units for each jurisdiction.

Table 4: Comparison of Staffed Emergency Response Apparatus and Units, 2012

Fire Department Agency Jurisdiction

Population

No. of

Engine

Companies

No. of

Ladder

Companies

No. of

Rescue

Companies

No. of

Ambulance

Transport

Units

No. of Non-

Transport

EMS Units

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 77,895 5 2 1 4 0

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 70,000 4 2 0 3 0

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 62,582 5 1 1 4 1

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 62,477 4 1 0 3 0

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 58,370 4 1 0 4 0

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 56,424 6 1 0 2 0

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 47,023 5 1 2 5 0

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 43,857 3 1 0 2 0

5 Density – Housing Units per Square Mile = Land Area ÷ Total Housing Units;


14

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 40,640 4 2 1 3 0

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 40,373 4 1 1 5 0

Mean 55,964 4 1 1 4 0

Median 57,397 4 1 1 4 0

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 58,499 5 1 1 4 2

Table 5 takes the comparison another step by considering emergency response apparatus per

capita and the ratios among different types of fire suppression units. Key comparisons include

the number of engine companies as a function of population, and the ratios of engine companies

to ladder companies and other special service units. Special service units, principally ladder and

heavy rescue companies are usually deployed to perform search and rescue of occupants as well

as vital support functions to engine companies necessary for fire suppression, including forcible

entry, laddering, ventilation, and electrical and natural gas utility control. A smaller engine to

special service ratio value indicates an agency with greater special service companies available

to perform these duties.

Table 5: Fire Suppression Apparatus Ratios, 2012

Fire Department Agency Engine : Ladder

Ratio6

Engine : Special

Service Ratio7

Engines per

1,000

Population8

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3.0 3.0 0.07

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 2.0 2.15 0.10

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 4.0 4.0 0.07

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 4.0 4.0 0.06

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 4.0 2.0 0.10

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 2.0 2.0 0.06

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 5.0 1.66 0.11

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 6.0 6.0 0.11

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 2.5 1.66 0.06

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 5.0 2.5 0.08

Mean 3.8 2.90 0.08

Median 4.0 2.33 0.07

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 5.0 2.50 0.09

This is the circumstance in Colerain Township, which has a slightly smaller engine company to

special services company ratio at 2.50, than the mean (2.90) of the peer agencies. When

6 Engine Company :Ladder Company Ratio = Number of Engine Companies ÷ Ladder Companies; 7 Engine Company :Special Service Company Ratio = Number of Engine Companies ÷ (Number of Ladder

Companies + Rescue Companies); 8 Engines Companies per 1,000 Population = (Number of Engine Companies x 1,000) ÷ Jurisdictional Population;


15

comparing Colerain to the mean, Colerain has a greater engine to ladder company ratio and

engines per 1,000 residents than comparable jurisdictions. This is due to the fact that Colerain

has a greater number of engine companies, five in total, than the average of four of the peer

agencies. The ratios provided demonstrate fundamentally that the fire firefighting capability of

an agency can be related to a balanced and complete systems approach designed to deliver

specified fire suppression and incident mitigation capacity and not a mere massing of random

forces.

FIRE SERVICE INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND COMPARISONS

Fire, rescue and emergency medical services have evolved in response to a number of emerging

industry measures. These measures are concerned with the nature and safety of emergency

response. As a means of evaluating a community’s fire department agency public administrators

rely on standards, benchmarks, and best practices commonly used to measure the fire service

delivery system.

National Fire Protection Association

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an organization that develops, publishes,

and disseminates timely consensus standards covering all areas of fire protection. Many of the

standards establish quantifiable methods of measuring the quality of fire department agencies. In

addition, the standards provide adequate and appropriate guidelines vital to the operational

performance and safety of a fire and EMS department’s roles and responsibilities. These NFPA

standards have been adopted by numerous state and federal authorities, giving them the force of

law. In Ohio, NFPA standards are recognized as voluntary consensus standards.

Insurance Services Office

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) utilizes the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS),

which is a manual containing the criteria ISO uses in reviewing the firefighting capabilities of

individual communities. The schedule measures the major elements of a community's

fire‐suppression system and develops a numerical grading called a Public Protection

Classification (PPC). The key elements that are evaluated include:

Fire Department – the adequacy of apparatus and equipment, staffing levels, evaluation

of training, existence of automatic or mutual aid agreements, and the geographic

distribution of fire stations and companies;

Emergency Communications – 911 telephone systems, adequacy of local telephone

systems, operator supervision and staffing, and the dispatching hardware and software

systems; and

Water Supply – condition and maintenance of fire hydrants, existence of alternative water

sources, and an evaluation of the amount of available water – in volume and pressure –

compared with the amount needed to suppress fires.


16

ISO assigns a PPC from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection,

and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum

criteria.

Center for Public Safety Excellence

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) is a nonprofit organization developed through a

cooperative effort of the International City/County Manager’s Association (ICMA) and the

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). The CPSE establishes and promotes recognized

professional standards to help fire department agencies move beyond tactical deployment to

continuous strategic improvement. CPSE's Accreditation Program, administered by the

Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) reflects a comprehensive self-

assessment and evaluation model that enables fire and emergency service organizations to

examine their service levels and performance in a way that allows them to compare to industry

best practices.

Across the United States, there are more than 47,000 communities graded by ISO Commercial

Risk Services, of which only 59 are rated as Class 1. There are 660 or 1.4-percent of the

communities rated as Class 2. In Ohio there are 2,833 graded areas, of which there are none

rated as Class 1 and there are 32 Class 2 communities, of which Colerain Township is one of

these Class 2 communities.

Nationwide, there are 171 agencies that have achieved the accredited status, and in Ohio only

seven are titled as an accredited fire department agency. For those fire department agencies that

have attained both the esteemed PPC Class 1 rating and the accredited status was a significant

undertaking and required an embedded culture of quality throughout the agency.

Table 6 provides a comparative listing of ISO PPC ratings and accreditation status of the

benchmarked agencies:

Table 6: Fire Department ISO PPC Classification Rating and Accreditation Status

Fire Department Agency ISO: Public

Protection Rating

ISO: Total Credit

Assigned

CPSE Accredited

Agency

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 1 93.00 Yes

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 1 91.32 No

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 2 85.16 No

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 2 83.80 No

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 2 80.37 No

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3 76.56 No

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3 71.74 No

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3 71.38 No

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3 70.00 No

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 4 67.12 No

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 3 No


17

FIRE PROTECTION & EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COSTS

Without adequate funding, no emergency services agency can survive or provide the level of

service a community expects and deserves. Adequate funding can be derived from a variety of

sources including the general fund, property taxes or special purpose levies, or a blend of the

aforementioned with alternative sources such as user fees (e.g., emergency medical service

billing), permit fees, grants, or tax increment finance funding. Several different attributes are

compared with the peer agencies on a per capita basis in this section. Table 7 compares

Colerain’s local government’s 2012 approved budget with its peers. At $498.66, Colerain’s

budget was below the mean ($615.11) and median ($653.10) when measured on a per capita

basis. Lisle-Woodridge, a special fire protection district did not provide jurisdictional

appropriation information. It has been excluded from this particular comparison.

Table 7: Comparison of Jurisdictional Approved Budgets, 2012

Fire Department Agency

FY2012

Jurisdictional

Budget

Population

Jurisdictional

Budget Cost Per

Capita9

Covington, KY $45,666,203 40,640 $1,124

Mentor, OH $51,255,497 47,023 $1,090

Jackson Twp., OH $33,000,000 40,373 $817

Anderson Twp., OH $34,302,985 43,857 $782

Green Twp., OH $39,998,094 58,370 $685

West Chester Twp., OH $38,860,242 62,582 $621

Hamilton, OH $36,000,000 62,477 $576

Pike Twp., IN $20,890,000 77,895 $268

Milford, CT $10,568,704 56,424 $187

Mean $31,054,173 48,964 $615

Median $35,151,493 51,724 $653

Colerain Twp., OH $29,176,823 58,499 $499

Regardless of the source of revenue, it is imperative that fire department agencies have sufficient

funding to carry out their primary mission. Table 8 compares each of the peer agency’s 2012

approved budget amounts.

Table 8: Comparison of Agency Approved Budgets, 2012

Fire Department Agency Population 2012 Fire Dept.

Budget

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 70,000 $23,638,792

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 77,895 $20,202,338

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 62,477 $13,400,000

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 62,582 $12,532,465

9 Approved Jurisdictional Budget Cost per Capita = Approved Jurisdictional Budget ÷ Jurisdictional Population;


18

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 40,640 $11,930,000

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 56,424 $10,445,704

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 40,373 $10,100,000

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 47,023 $9,806,167

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 43,857 $9,670,800

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 58,370 $7,489,259

Mean 55,964 $12,921,553

Median 57,397 $11,187,852

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 58,499 $12,500,000

Figure 2 represents each fire department agency’s approved budgets as compared to the

population served. As would be expected, the higher the population served, the higher the

agency’s budget tends to be.

Figure 2: Agency Approved Budgets Compared to Population, 2012

For public administrators, cost per capita for fire protection gives a rough indication of cost

efficiency of a fire department agency. This should be considered relative to the level and

quality of service, though it is difficult to make meaningful comparisons of quality for fire

departments. In considering the cost per capita for fire protection and other related emergency

services, one should also realize that larger jurisdictions that require more resources can

sometimes achieve better cost ratios since the cost is spread over more residents. Economy of

scale is a consideration in comparing cost per capita data.

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

$0

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

$25,000,000

2012 Fire Dept. Budget Population


19

The cost per capita of each peer fire department was based on its approved operating budget, not

including capital funding. An agency’s operating budget includes personnel services, supplies,

building and vehicle maintenance expenditures, etc., which are annual appropriations for

recurring costs that do not depreciate. Figure 3 displays comparative cost per capita and indicates

that Colerain with an operating cost per capita of $213.68, which was below the mean of $228.33

and the median of $214.48.

Figure 3: Fire Agency Approved Budget Cost per Capita, 2012

Figure 4 represents the cost of providing fire and emergency medical services per square mile.

Colerain’s $289,352.85 was below the mean ($467,478.81) and the median ($399,712.39) of its

comparable peer agencies.

$3

37

.70

$2

93

.55

$2

59

.35

$2

50

.17

$2

20

.51

$2

14

.48

$2

13

.68

$2

08

.54

$2

00

.26

$1

85

.13

$1

28

.31

$0.00

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

$300.00

$350.00

$400.00

Ope

rati

ng

Cos

t pe

r C

apit

a

Cost per Capita Mean Median


20

Figure 4: Comparison of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Cost per Square Mile, 2012

Looking at expenditures on a per capita basis, Figure 5 shows that Colerain compares somewhat

favorably at $208.53 to other agencies in terms of expenses just below the mean ($219.09) and

the median ($208.54) in 2012.

Figure 5: Comparison of Expenditure Cost per Capita, 2012

Requests for service include all emergency medical, fire and other emergency and non-

emergency incident responses by fire department companies and units. Using the total request

for service data, Figure 6 compares the cost per request for service as an expense. Colerain Fire

$3

09

.69

$2

72

.99

$2

45

.23

$2

35

.31

$2

08

.98

$2

08

.53

$2

08

.10

$2

06

.59

$1

89

.24

$1

87

.31

$1

27

.46

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

Expen

dit

ure

Cost

Per C

apit

a

Cost per Capita Mean Median

$870,803

$738,712

$606,884

$458,103

$446,398

$353,027

$350,220

$309,962

$289,352

$272,237$268,432

$0$100,000$200,000$300,000$400,000$500,000$600,000$700,000$800,000$900,000

$1,000,000

Cos

t P

er S

quar

e M

ile

Cost per Square Mile Mean Median


21

and EMS services calculated at a cost of $1,164.01 per incident that was well below the mean

($2,085.04) and median ($1609.65).

Figure 6: Comparison of Requests for Service Cost per Capita, 2012

AGENCY STAFFING

In simplest terms, staffing can be defined “as to supply with a staff or with workers.” In broader

terms it involves the decisions and activities connected with selecting and training individuals for

specific job functions and charging them with job responsibilities. These individuals provide the

staff for an organization. First introduced to the region by Colerain Fire and EMS in early 1984,

the combination staffing model of career or full-time and part-time firefighters is the existing

system that has historically met the needs of the community in terms of effectiveness and

reliability. It has also been evident that it is very efficient in terms of cost to the taxpayers. By

using the combination system, it’s estimated that it allows for 25-percent more on-duty

employees. In addition, the system has been successful, because the contributions of the career

and part-time employees are valued equally and blended effectively. Of the 10 peer agencies,

four are staffed using the combination system. The collected data addressing the ratio of career

to part-time on-duty staffing denotes that Mentor Fire Department relies on a slightly greater

percentage of part-time positions at 44-percent career to 56-percent part-time compared to

Colerain Fire and EMS at 45 to 55-percent followed by:

Green Township: 65 to 35-percent;

West Chester: 69 to 31-percent; and

Jackson Township: 91 to 7-percent.

Statistically, the mean ratio was 68-percent career to 32-percent part-time and median was 67 to

33-percent of the four peer combination fire departments.

Table 9, summarizes the total staffing provided by each benchmarked agency. Colerain Fire &

EMS ranks at the top when compared to its peers for total staffing of its fire department agency.

$4,056

$2,448 $2,211$1,930 $1,869 $1,350 $1,311 $1,164 $1,130 $1,108 $982

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

Req

ues

t fo

r S

ervi

ce C

ost

Cost per Request Cost per Request Mean Cost per Request Median


22

Table 9: Comparison of Peer Agencies Staffing, 2012

Fire Department Agency Type of

Staffing

Career

(Uniformed)

Career

(Support)

Part-Time

(Uniformed)

Part-Time

(Support) Total

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Career 61 1 62

Covington, KY Fire Dept. Career 116 1 117

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 43 2 48 93

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. Career 95 1 96

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 66 0 25 91

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. Career 110 6 116

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. Combination 70 1 34 105

Milford, CT Fire Dept. Career 113 13 126

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. Career 141 13 154

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 57 3 73 2 135

Mean 87 4 45 2 110

Median 83 2 41 2 111

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS Combination 53 2 125 2 182

In Table 10, Colerain is above the mean and median in all the categories displayed for on-duty

uniformed personnel per 1,000 population served.

Table 10: Comparison of On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population, 2012


Minimum

On-Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

Average

On-Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

Maximum

On-Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

Minimum

On-Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

per 1,000

Population10

Avg. On-

Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

per 1,000

Population11

Maximum

On-Duty

Uniformed

Personnel

per 1,000

Population12

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 16 17 18 0.36 0.39 0.41

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 27 27 0.66 0.66 0.00

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 17 19 20 0.29 0.33 0.34

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 22 22 27 0.35 0.35 0.43

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 16 18 21 0.40 0.45 0.52

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 25 25 34 0.36 0.36 0.49

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 21 23 25 0.45 0.49 0.53

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 23 24 27 0.41 0.43 0.48

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 47 47 47 0.60 0.60 0.60

10 Minimum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population = (Minimum On-Duty Staffing x 1,000) ÷

Jurisdictional Population; 11 Average On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population = (Average On-Duty Staffing x 1,000) ÷

Jurisdictional Population; 12

Maximum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population = (Maximum On-Duty Staffing x 1,000) ÷

Jurisdictional Population;


23

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 25 29 33 0.40 0.46 0.53

Mean 24 25 28 0.43 0.45 0.43

Median 23 24 27 0.40 0.44 0.48

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 27 32.5 33 0.46 0.56 0.56

Figure 7 provides a comparison of on-duty staffing per square mile at the minimum, average and

maximum levels.

Figure 7: Comparison of On-Duty Staffing Levels per Square Mile, 2012

Figures 8 thru 10 illustrates and provides a closer look at the comparison of on-duty staffing per

1,000 population at the minimum, average and maximum levels.

1.97

1.07 1.03 1.000.82 0.82 0.78 0.75 0.68

0.54 0.49

0.05.010.015.020.025.030.035.040.045.050.0

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

Lan

d

Area (

sq.

mi.

)

Nu

mber

of

Un

iform

ed

Person

nel

Minimum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel Average On-Duty Uniformed Personnel

Maximum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel Land Area (sq. mi.)


24

Figure 8: Minimum On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012

Figure 9: Average On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012

0.660.60

0.46 0.45 0.41 0.40 0.40 0.36 0.36 0.350.29

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

Nu

mber

of

Un

iform

ed

Person

nel

Minimum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population

Minimum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Mean

Minimum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Median

0.660.60 0.56

0.49 0.46 0.45 0.430.36 0.35 0.33 0.29

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

Nu

mber

of

Un

iform

ed

Person

nel

Avg. On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population

Avg. On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Mean

Avg. On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Median


25

Figure 10: Maximum On-Duty Personnel per 1,000 Population Comparison, 2012

AGENCY HISTORICAL SERVICE DEMAND AND PERFORMANCE

Virtually all fire department agencies respond to a wide variety of requests for service. People,

specifically the number of people within a given service area, are the most significant influence

on both incident response volume and type. One hundred-percent of emergency medical

responses are directly attributable to people. The National Fire Protection Association reports

that approximately 70-percent of all fires are the direct result of an act or error on the part of a

person. Thus, factors such as the age of the population, population density, and other

demographics drive a fire department’s demand for service or workload.

Demand for Service

Demand is defined here as the number of requests for assistance received by the fire department

for emergencies and non-emergency services. In 2012, Colerain Fire & EMS responded

to more request for emergency incidents and service than in any other year in the history of the

agency. These incidents include the extinguishment of fires, treatment and extrication at

motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials responses, fire alarms, weather related

incidents and providing basic and advanced life support practices and hospital transport at

medical emergencies. Colerain Fire & EMS also provided assistance to neighboring

communities in accordance with mutual aid agreements. Comparatively, Figure 11 illustrates

that Colerain Fire & EMS responded to 10,601 requests for service in 2012 far greater than the

mean of 7,742 and the median of 6,947. Figure 12 shows that on a daily basis, Colerain

responded to an estimated 29.4 request per day; which was above the mean of 21.2 and above the

median of 19 requests.

0.840.67 0.60 0.57 0.53 0.48 0.47

0.36 0.31 0.27

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

Nu

mber

of

Un

iform

ed

Person

nel

Maximum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population

Maximum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Mean

Maximum On-Duty Uniformed Personnel per 1,000 Population Median


26

Figure 11: Annual Requests for Service Demand Total, 2012

Figure 12: Daily Requests for Service Demand Total, 2012

33.3 33.129.4 28.7

21.8 19.9 18.2 16.0 15.5 14.810.8

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

2012 Daily Request for Service Incidents 2012 Daily Request for Service Incidents Mean

2012 Daily Request for Service Incidents Median

12

,15

0

12

,09

2

10

,73

9

10

,46

9

7,9

67

7,2

64

6,6

29

5,8

28

5,6

67

5,4

03

3,9

51

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2012 Total Request for Service Incidents 2012 Total Request for Service Incidents Mean

2012 Total Request for Service Incidents Median


27

Amongst the peer agencies, Colerain’s 0.18 total requests for service per capita during 2012 was

above the mean of 0.15 and the median of 0.13.

Figure 13: Requests for Service Demand Total per Capita, 2012

0.30

0.19 0.18 0.15 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.11 0.09 0.09 0.08

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

Requ

ests

for S

ervi

ce

2012 Total Request for Service per Capita

2012 Total Request for Service per Capita Mean

2012 Total Request for Service per Capita Median

An alternative look at demand for fire department services is effectively compared in terms of

annual requests per 1,000 residents. Table 11 shows that the Colerain Fire & EMS experienced

184 requests per 1,000 residents in 2012 greater than the mean of 143.

Table 11: Requests for Service Summary, 2012


Total Requests

per 1,000

Population13

Fire Company

Requests per

1,000

Population14

EMS Requests

per 1,000

Population15

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 90 20 70

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 299 67 232

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 114 28 85

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 194 48 145

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 134 38 96

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 83 28 55

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 154 43 111

13 Total Request per 1,000 Population = (Total Annual Requests for Service x 1,000) ÷ Jurisdictional Population; 14

Total Fire Company Requests for Service per 1,000 Population = (Total Fire Company Requests for Service x

1,000) ÷ Jurisdictional Population; 15 Total Emergency Medical Requests for Service per 1,000 Population = (Total Emergency Medical Requests for

Service x 1,000) ÷ Jurisdictional Population;


28

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 141 60 81

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 134 28 107

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 91 28 63

Mean 143 39 105

Median 134 33 91

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 184 63 119

In 2012, emergency medical service requests in Colerain Township comprised approximately

66-percent of the fire department’s emergency services activity provided to its residents and

visitors. Figures 14 and 15 illustrate emergency medical requests for service demand as a

workload measure. The two figures represent that Colerain’s Fire & EMS agency’s 6,944

requests are well above the mean (5,636) and median of (4,767) annually, and the 19 requests

daily are above the mean (16) and the median (14) of the benchmarked agencies. Lastly, Figure

16 represents the EMS workload per capita showing that Colerain is above the mean (0.10) and

median (0.09).

Figure 14: Annual Emergency Medical Service Demand, 2012

9,4

30

9,0

84

8,3

06

6,9

44

5,2

22

4,9

73

4,5

61

3,9

25

3,8

85

3,8

84

3,0

85

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

2012 Total EMS Incidents 2012 Total EMS Incidents Mean

2012 Total EMS Incidents Median


29

Figure 15: Daily Emergency Medical Service Demand, 2012

Figure 16: Emergency Medical Service Request per Capita, 2012

25

.8

24

.9

22

.8

19

.0

14

.3

13

.6

12

.5

10

.8

10

.6

10

.6

8.5

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

2012 Daily EMS Request 2012 Daily EMS Request Mean 2012 Daily EMS Request Median

0.2

3

0.1

5

0.1

2

0.1

1

0.1

1

0.1

0

0.0

9

0.0

8

0.0

7

0.0

6

0.0

6

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

2012 EMS Requests per Capita 2012 EMS Requests per Capita Mean

2012 EMS Requests per Capita Median


30

Throughout its history, the Township has experienced a range of fire losses that have helped to

shape the existing Department of Fire and EMS’s efforts to protect life and property. Figures 17

and 18 correspondingly illustrate fire company or unit requests for service demand as a workload

measure. The two figures represent that Colerain’s Fire & EMS agency’s 3,657 requests in 2012

are well above the mean (2,106) and median of (1,993), and the 10 requests daily are above the

mean (5.8) and the median (5.5) of the peer agencies. Lastly, Figure 19 represents the fire

company workload per capita showing that Colerain’s 0.06 is above the mean (0.04) and median

(0.03).

Figure 17: Annual Fire Company Requests for Service Demand, 2012

3,6

57

3,4

06

3,0

08

2,7

12

2,1

63

2,0

42

1,9

44

1,7

42

1,6

56

1,5

18

86

6

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

No.

of

An

nu

al

Fir

e C

o.

Requ

ests

2012 Total Fire Company Requests 2012 Total Fire Comapny Requests Mean

2012 Total Fire Company Requests Median


31

Figure 18: Daily Fire Company Requests for Service Demand, 2012

Figure 19: Annual Fire Company Requests for Service per Capita, 2012

0.0

7

0.0

6

0.0

6

0.0

5

0.0

4

0.0

4

0.0

3

0.0

3

0.0

3

0.0

3

0.0

2

0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

Requ

ests

per C

apit

a

2012 Total FireCompany Requests 2012 Total FireComapny Requests Mean

2012 Total Fire Company Requests Median

10

.02

9.3

3

8.2

4

7.4

3

5.9

3

5.5

9

5.3

3

4.7

7

4.5

4

4.1

6

2.3

7

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

No.

of

Dail

y F

ire C

o.

Requ

ests

2012 Daily Fire Company Request 2012 Daily Fire Comapny Requests Mean

2012 Daily Fire Company Requests Median


32

Estimated Property Dollar Loss

One of the primary missions of fire departments is to prevent and minimize property loss.

Property dollar loss due to fire data can be easily skewed. A single exceptional incident or

under- or over-reporting property loss could have a huge impact on the comparisons. Also,

different agencies may collect data in slightly different ways, making comparison imperfect.

Table 12 displays the estimated dollar loss due to fire as a percentage of assessed property value

reported by each peer agency in 2012.

Table 12: Comparison of Estimated Dollar Loss Due to Fire per Assessed Value, 2012

Fire Department Agency Population Total Valuation

Estimated

Property

Dollar Loss

Fire Loss per

Assessed Valuation

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 43,857 $1,161,644,000 $899,000 7.74%

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 40,640 $1,972,617,700 $1,255,365 6.36%

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 58,370 $1,071,320,660 $206,165 1.92%

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 62,477 $885,000,000 Not Reported

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 40,373 $1,300,000,000 Not Reported

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 70,000 $2,277,401,808 $716,250 3.15%

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 47,023 $1,363,079,440 $641,690 4.71%

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 56,424 $5,410,000,000 $1,024,500 1.89%

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 77,895 $4,522,322,662 $1,697,459 3.75%

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 62,582 $2,083,000,000 $851,320 4.09%

Mean 55,964 $2,204,638,627 $911,469 4.20%

Median 57,397 $1,667,848,570 $875,160 3.92%

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 58,499 $1,304,000,000 $838,350 6.43%

Figure 20 compares the estimated fire loss data in a per capita format. In 2012, Colerain was

below the mean ($16.54) and median ($15.90) estimated dollar loss per capita. Relatively low

estimated fire dollar losses can be used as a gauge of the fire protection capability of a

community’s fire departments’ ability to suppress fires and its preventative efforts. It can be

reflective of a number of factors including a) low fire incident activity; b) adequate response

times; c) firefighter response (number of) to emergencies; d) the agency’s compliment of

responders ability to contain a fire to its object, area or room of origin; e) type and extent of

workforce training and education; and f) public education and prevention programs.


33

Figure 20: Estimated Dollar Loss Due to Fire per Capita, 2012

AGENCY BASE SALARIES AND WAGES

In order for a fire department to recruit and retain quality personnel, compensation and benefits

(as well as overall working conditions) must be in line or in excess to those of surrounding

agencies. While the compensation amount fire department personnel receives varies significantly

on a number of factors like location, experience, labor contract agreements and type of

appointment all factor into the amount each employee is salaried. This section compares the

base salaries for the positions of shift commander (Battalion or District Chief), company officer

(Fire Captain) and firefighter paramedic. Note: All salary figures are rounded-off to the nearest

dollar.

Fire department shift commanders play significant roles in achieving the command and

operational mission of their agencies. The fire shift commander directs, manages, supervises,

and coordinates the activities and operations typically of a 24-hour shift within the fire

department including fire training and safety, technical or support services; coordinates activities

with other departments, and outside agencies as needed for both emergency and non-emergency

situations. The shift commander has responsibility to ensure that shifts are staffed properly and

that staff are supervised and managed consistently within the confines of policy, procedures and

applicable labor agreements. The rank of the shift commander varies greatly from agency to

agency.

The following ranks are represented that perform the functions of shift commander for the

benchmarked agencies: deputy chief, battalion chief, district chief, and captain. Figure 21

$30.89

$21.79 $20.50$18.16

$14.33 $13.65 $13.60 $10.23

$3.53

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

$35.00

Fire loss per Capita Mean Median


34

compares annual base salaries for the position of shift commander and shows that Colerain’s

battalion chief rank at $78,398.46 was below the mean of $82,680.87 and below the median of

$79,776.50.

Figure 21: Comparison of Fire Shift Commander Base Salaries, 2012

The fire company is the basic unit of a fire department. This is made up of a single piece of

apparatus and its personnel. The company is typically supervised by a company officer. This is

usually a fire captain or lieutenant – the officer over a single company. Depending upon the

agency he or she may be on an engine, ladder or rescue company. This officer is often the initial

incident commander at emergencies and can be called upon to fill in for the battalion chief

during his or her absence. The following ranks are represented that perform the functions of

company officer for the benchmarked agencies: fire captain and lieutenant. Figure 22 compares

annual base salaries for the position of company officer and also shows that Colerain’s company

officer rank at $73,515.95 was below the mean of $74,951.60 and the median of $74,493.50.

$1

13

,00

0

$8

7,7

90

$8

5,7

35

$8

5,1

00

$8

0,3

66

$7

9,1

87

$7

8,9

47

$7

8,3

98

$7

6,8

43

$7

3,2

00

$6

6,6

41

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

An

nu

al

Base S

ala

ry

Shift Commander Base Salary Shift Commander Base Salary Mean

Shift Commander Base Salary Median


35

Figure 22: Comparison of Company Officer Base Salaries, 2012

Finally, at the foundation of the emergency operations agency is the firefighter paramedic who is

responsible for the extinguishment of fires and response to medical emergencies. They perform

specific duties assigned by the company officer or shift commander. As paramedics they assess

and treat injured or medically-ill victims. Figure 23 compares the firefighter paramedic rank

base salaries and shows that Colerain’s firefighter paramedics at $43,907.76 receive one of the

lowest base salaries of the peer agencies, which is below the mean of $54,425.88 and the median

of $52,147.71.

$1

02

,00

0

$8

0,3

66

$7

8,5

18

$7

7,3

70

$7

4,9

87

$7

4,0

00

$7

3,5

16

$7

0,4

99

$6

6,5

31

$6

4,0

53

$6

1,1

92

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

An

nu

al

Base

Sala

ry

Fire Company Officer Base Salary Fire Company Officer Base Salary Mean

Fire Company Officer Base Salary Median


36

Figure 23: Comparison of Firefighter Paramedic Base Salaries, 2012

CONCLUSION

Colerain Fire and EMS has historically aimed to operate as effectively and efficiently (near or at

the lowest cost) as possible. The benchmarking exercise offered an opportunity to compare the

efficiency, service level and cost of our operations to similar services offered by other fire

department agencies on a local, regional and national scale.

How Colerain Fire and EMS Compared

In 2012, Colerain Fire and EMS compared favorably when measured against the selected peer

fire department agencies. The statistics had several areas which were outside the means, and in

some cases at the moderate ends of the comparable data reported. Colerain was above the mean

jurisdictional population by 4.5-percent and 46.4-percent greater than the mean land area

protected of the comparable jurisdictions. It had the same amount of fire stations compared to

the mean of its peer agencies; however each Colerain station covered 36.5- percent more land

area than the sampling mean. Colerain had one more engine company than the mean, but a

similar mean number of ladder and rescue companies, and emergency medical transport units as

the other agencies. The request for service per thousand population was 28.6-perceent greater

than the mean of the comparables. Colerain’s mean on-duty daily staffing was 30-percent above

the mean while the mean number of firefighters and emergency medical technicians per square

mile of the jurisdiction land area protected was in the lower 40-percent of the peer agencies.

Finally, of note is that Colerain’s 2012 approved budget was 3.4-percent below the mean of the

comparable agencies.

$7

8,0

00

$5

7,7

58

$5

5,9

15

$5

4,0

00

$5

2,5

50

$5

1,7

45

$5

1,4

99

$4

9,7

41

$4

9,1

66

$4

3,9

08

$4

3,8

74

$0

$15,000

$30,000

$45,000

$60,000

$75,000

$90,000

An

nu

al

Base S

ala

ry

Firefighter Paramedic Base Salary Firefighter Paramedic Top Salary Mean

Firefighter Paramedic Top Salary Median


37

Lessons Learned

In the private sector, if a business does not perform well in relation to those providing the same

products or services – if they don't grow, improve and continue to meet the changing needs of

their customers – they will likely fail. Increasingly, fire departments are finding themselves

under that same threat. The benchmarking exercise afforded the Department of Fire and EMS a

glimpse at areas its peer fire department agencies are exceling in – or maybe just different – than

our agency. Often, an organization can get so focused on improving what it’s currently doing

that it becomes blind to more-efficient or cutting-edge practices or systems. By looking outward

the department has examined the similar services of peer fire department agencies, gained insight

on the processes used to excel, and apply the following lessons learned toward improved

effectiveness and efficiencies:

Benchmarking exercises demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of agencies in

comparisons to others. Based on the experiences of the peer agencies, Colerain Fire and

EMS can now learn how to improve on our accomplishments and overcome difficulties.

Fire departments throughout the U.S. are no longer choosing to work in isolation.

Through benchmarking fire departments can share their experiences, and identify best

practices from each other that can then be implemented within their own agency.

The benchmarking process should not be considered a one-time exercise. To be

beneficial, it must become an ongoing, integral part of the improvement process with the

goal of continually improving the services it provides.

In general, the major benefit of benchmarking is that the things we benchmark seem to

get accomplished; if we cannot see success or identify failure, we cannot learn from or

improve it.

Finally, faced with the challenges of a strained economy in recent years, the fire

department will need to establish methods to demonstrate results and needs. For any

public sector agency, it will be difficult to obtain and sustain support for continued

funding and additional needed resources.

Opportunities to Provide Better Service or Value

The Department of Fire and EMS provides high-quality and comprehensive fire protection,

emergency medical, and life safety services for the Township at what is believed to be a

reasonable cost. As long as the quality of the service is high, and the service benefits the

community, the return on investment is positive. In addition to fire and emergency medical

response services, the Department provides many value added services mentioned in this report.

Although not considered true fire department emergencies, requests from residents to remedy

their emergencies, for example, occupants locked out of their house, water leaks, requests for

physical assistance, etc. are also a value added response service provided by Colerain Fire and

EMS. Additional non-emergent value added services provided by the Department include:

Securing and rendering vacant buildings safe;

Pet removals and rescues;

Fire prevention and safety presentations;


38

Fire extinguisher training;

Fire station tours and equipment demonstrations;

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training and related first-aid instruction programs;

Community use space;

Blood pressure and blood-glucose checks;

Child car seat inspections and installations;

Smoke alarm installations and battery replacement services; and

Citizen Fire Academy

The Department of Fire and EMS has realized for many years it cannot rest on simply

responding to emergencies. Since the agency interacts with a small percentage of residents and

visitors we have not rely on emergencies to create value to everyone else whose only interaction

with the agency may be reading a headline or watching a story in the local media. Therefore, the

Department will continue to engage in a focused effort on customer service and community

outreach to increase our value proposition with our customers.

As a result of the benchmarking exercise, the following potential opportunities for value-added

services by the fire department include:

Home safety inspections;

Health fairs attended by fire department representatives ;

Injury prevention programs;

Neighborhood wellness programs;

Unused prescription drug disposal;

Neighborhood meetings attended by fire department representatives;

Citizen's Emergency Response Training; and

Programs designed to market the department’s programs and services.

Potential benefits for the citizens and visitors:

Additional risks reduction education;

Greater confidence in the fire department;

Familiarity of station personnel.

Increased knowledge of available programs; and

Added value without added cost.

Some potential positive aspects for the Department of Fire and EMS are:

Increase in knowledge of response areas;

Greater support from citizens;

Identification of potential hazards; and

Ongoing fire safety education.


39

Identified Cost Saving Opportunities

Over the past several years various strategies have been employed by the Department of Fire and

EMS to significantly reduce expenditures while maintaining the high-quality of overall fire

protection and emergency medical services to which the residents have grown accustomed –

even during recent challenging economic times. As a result of the initial focus of the

benchmarking project, no additional or new dramatic cost-saving approaches or opportunities

from the peer fire department agencies were identified. However, a continuation of the analysis

could help to identify opportunities for cost savings. Nonetheless, the Department will continue

to make every effort to stretch tax dollars and increase our creativity in providing essential fire

and emergency medical services.

Identified Shared Service Opportunities

Before considering the question of what shared service opportunities were identified, it is

important to understand the manner in which the department already works together to share

services and responsibilities. Considered the most extensive and most prominent example of

shared services and cooperation in the region is in the area of mutual aid and the Hamilton

County Midwest fire departments collaborative. There is no charge for equipment, personnel or

services provided under mutual aid by one municipality on behalf of another. Additional areas in

which service sharing and cooperation are occurring is in the form regional specialized response

and mitigation teams and training. The Department of Fire and EMS is affiliated with and

utilizes the Hamilton County Urban Search and Rescue Team, and the Greater Cincinnati

Hazardous Materials Unit to assist in the mitigation of complex technical rescue and hazardous

materials incidents. The basis of each team is a collaborative approach comprised of human and

physical resources from numerous regional emergency service agencies that specialize in various

disciplines. This concept alleviates the department from significant expenditures on response

and mitigation equipment and apparatus. Several agency personnel are on staff with these

specialized teams. Joint training events are also an example of shared services that includes live

fire simulation, incident management system, firefighter rapid assistance team training, and

emergency medical victim care venues. As a result of the initial focus of the benchmarking

project, no additional or new opportunities from the peer fire department agencies for shared

services were identified. However, a continuation of the analysis could help to identify

opportunities for shared services.

Areas that Support Being a Best in Class Fire Department Agency

1. Unparalleled Experience throughout our Ranks – the level of experience from the

firefighter to chief officer rank is unparalleled in the region. Many agencies in the area

consult Colerain on our practices and approaches to a variety of fire, emergency medical

and life safety issues. The participation of several of our key personnel is critical to the

success of not only the aforementioned specialized regional response and mitigation

teams, as well as Command 400, a regional incident command vehicle equipped with

radio communication equipment, computer network system and video equipment that is

utilized at large scale incidents; and the Southwest Ohio Incident Management Team – a

scalable group of specially trained and experienced individuals that provide for enhanced


40

command, control, coordination, support and management during emergency and disaster

events.

2. Organizational Drive to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service – the prevailing attitude

throughout the organization is to exceed customer expectations in everything we do. This

attitude and drive separates us from the rest. As new personnel enter the organization

they are trained to higher levels and ingrained with our customer service standards.

3. Unequalled Training Program to Assure Highest Service Level Possible – A training and

education approach that is unequalled in the area. In many organizations, State required

certification levels are the target. At Colerain they are basic requirements for entry into

the organization. New employees serve in a precepting program for up to 90-days to

assure their basic training foundation is acceptable. Once that is determined new

employees enter regular service and begin the process of continuous advanced in-service

training. Skill levels of employees are regularly evaluated by shift officers, training

officers, and physician medical directors throughout their service period with the

organization. The training envelope is continuously pushed in the organization. Total

annual training hours accumulated by personnel significantly exceed those which

typically occur in other area departments.

4. Most Extensive EMS Quality Assurance Program in Region – the program provides the

assurance that the performance of the EMS providers who operate under the medical

director’s supervision and authority meet acceptable standards of care and minimal

competency. As such, the program establishes a quality management program that allows

for the collection, analysis and usage of data to make changes that ultimately helps to

improve the care provided by our agency.

5. Highest Insurance Services Office (ISO) Numerical Rating in Region – the Department of

Fire and EMS has the highest ISO numerical rating score in the area and its ISO score

ranks the department in the upper one-percent nationally.

Areas of Improvement Needed to Become a Best in Class Fire Department Agency

1. Continue to improve services to achieve a lower Insurance Services Office (ISO) fire

insurance rating; this has the potential to provide for lower cost of fire insurance in the

community. The ISO evaluates public fire-protection services and classifies a

communities’ ability to suppress fires. Currently, the Department of Fire and EMS has a

Class 2 rating and will work to improve to a Class 1 rated agency.

2. Pursue fire department accreditation status. Accreditation through the Commission on

Fire Service Accreditation International and the Center for Public Safety Excellence is a

worldwide measure of excellence. The accreditation process helps to determine

community risks and fire safety needs, evaluates the performance of the agency, and

provides a system for continuous improvement. By conducting a comprehensive

assessment and identifying areas of improvement is a responsible course of action.

Having a detailed evaluation for the Department’s use provides a basis for good decision

making. Finally, it reassures the citizens and stakeholders we serve and ultimately

protects their interest and investment in Department’s services.


41

3. Progress as an organization to continually meet the needs and demands of the

community, citizens and visitors by means of monitoring trends within and throughout

the fire service to improve efficiency and effectiveness; and measure the department’s

performance against established standards and adjust to meet those standards.

4. Promote community risk reduction programs and strategies as a fundamental means to

preserve our community. Community risk reduction programs have the potential to

directly impact the safety of firefighters, citizens and visitors. These programs may

eliminate or reduce the need for a response and can prepare the community to prevent,

respond or recover from the daily emergencies, as well natural and human-caused

disaster events.

Planned Changes in 2014 as a Result of the Benchmarking Exercise

Marketing for the Department of Fire and EMS will be an ongoing initiative that will

specifically address the key stakeholder groups and customize messaging and key

communication points for each stakeholder. The true benefits of the fire protection and

emergency medical services model provided by the Department can only be realized

through accurate, timely and appropriate marketing and communication strategies that

clearly articulate the proven and potential benefits for receiving services from Colerain

Fire and EMS.

The Department is committed to identifying and implementing available sources of

revenue in order to fund operational and capital improvements, and to lessen the burden

of its operations on the tax payer. The Department will seek to capture additional

revenues through the enhanced reimbursable services and available grants (federal, public

and private).

The Department is committed to providing consistent, high-quality services to the public.

Within this context the Department will routinely examine its operations and seek to

identify strategies which contain or reduce costs without reducing service levels.

As the cost of government services and funding challenges increase, the Department

recognizes the necessity of minimizing unplanned expenditures. The Department is

committed to developing a sound plan which will allow for the timely improvement and

replacement of capital assets and infrastructure.

The Department of Fire and EMS will continue to work with the Board of Trustees,

Township Administration and Departments, the Financial Advisory Committee and other

local and regional stakeholders to ensure policy development and decision making for the

Department results in the appropriate local control, operational effectiveness and cost

containment necessary to sustain the emergency services delivery system.

It is recognized that this report contains a significant amount of information and Colerain Fire

and EMS would like to thank the fire chiefs and their designees of each fire department agency

involved for their tireless efforts in bringing this project to fruition. Colerain Fire and EMS

would also like to thank the various individuals for their input, opinions, and candid

conversations throughout this process. It is with expectation that the information contained in

this report will be utilized to its fullest extent and that its content will afford the Township and


42

fire department leadership the opportunity to engage in timely and productive policy discussions

on the future of the fire department.

In closing, it must be conveyed that the delivery of effective fire, emergency medical and life

safety services are important to creating a positive quality of life within a community. The

impact of fire is well established, costing thousands of lives each year, billions of dollars in

damage, and representing one of the most significant disruptions to life that can occur to a

family, business, or community.


43

APPENDIX A

Surveyed Fire Departments

Anderson Township Fire & Rescue

7850 Five Mile Road

Anderson Township, Ohio 45230-2356

Mark Ober, Fire Chief

(513) 688-8400

Beavercreek Township Fire Department

851 Orchard Lane

Beavercreek, Ohio 45434-7228

David VandenBos, Fire Chief

(937) 426-1213

Bowling Green Fire Department

625 East 6th

Street

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101-2320

Greg Johnson, Fire Chief

(270) 393 – 3702

Covington Fire Department

638 Madison Avenue

Covington, Kentucky 41011-2422

Dan Mathew, Fire Chief

(859) 292 – 2345

Fishers Fire Department

2 Municipal Drive

Fishers, Indiana 46038-1547

Steve Orusa, Fire Chief

(317) 595 - 3201

Green Township Fire & EMS Department

6303 Harrison Avenue

Cincinnati, Ohio 45247-7818

Doug Witsken, Fire Chief

(513) 574-0474

Hamilton Fire Department

77 Pershing Avenue

Hamilton, Ohio 45011-3022

Steve Dawson, Fire Chief

(513) 785 – 7501

Jackson Township Fire Department

7383 Fulton Drive NW

Massillon, Ohio 44646-9393

Tracy Hogue, Fire Chief

(330) 834 – 3950

Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District

1005 School Street

Lisle, Illinois 60532-1866

Thomas K. Freeman, Fire Chief

(630) 353 – 3000

Macomb Township Fire Department

16820 25 Mile Road

Macomb, Michigan 48042-1704

Robert Phillips, Fire Chief

(586) 677 – 1262

Mentor Fire Department

8467 Civic Center Boulevard

Mentor, Ohio 44060-2415

Richard Harvey, Fire Chief

(440) 974 – 5765

Miami Valley Fire District

2710 Lyons Road

Miamisburg, Ohio 45342-3720

Matthew Queen, Fire Chief

(937) 560 – 2152


44

APPENDIX A continued

Surveyed Fire Departments

Midwest City Fire Department

8201 East Reno Street

Midwest City, Oklahoma 73110-7503

Randy Olsen, Fire Chief

(405) 739 – 1340

Milford Fire Department

72 New Haven Avenue

Milford, Connecticut 06460-4827

Robert Healey, Acting Fire Chief

(203) 874 – 6321

Novi Fire Department

45125 West Ten Mile Road

Novi, Michigan 48375-3006

Jeffery Johnson, Dir. of EMS & Fire Ops.

(248) 349 – 2162

Pike Township Fire Department

4881 71st Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-2149

Robert Smith, Fire Chief

(317) 347 - 5860

Plain Township Fire Department

2600 Easton Street NE

Canton, Ohio 44721-2600

Donald Snyder, Fire Chief

(330) 492 – 4089

Skokie Fire Department

7424 Niles Center Road

Skokie, Illinois 60077-3230

Ralph Czerwinski, Fire Chief

(817) 982 – 5300

Taylor Fire Department

23345 Goddard Road

Taylor, Michigan 48180-4163

Robert Tompos, Fire Chief

(734) 374 – 1355

Washington Township Fire Department

8320 McEwen Road

Dayton, OH 45458-2041

Bill Gaul, Fire Chief

(937) 433 – 3083

West Chester Fire Department

9119 Cincinnati-Dayton Road

West Chester, Ohio 45069-3840

Anthony Goller, Fire Chief

(513) 777 – 1133

Ypsilanti Township Fire Department

222 South Ford Boulevard

Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198-6067

Eric Copeland, Fire Chief

(734) 544 - 4100


45

APPENDIX B

Questionnaire Instrument


46

APPENDIX B continued



47




48




49




50




51

APPENDIX C

Questionnaire Response Data

COMMUNITY DIMENSIONS LAND USAGE No. of FIRE STATIONS


Government County Population

Population Density

Land Area (sq. mi.)

Urban & Suburban

Rural No. of

Staffed Fire Stations

Sq. Mi. covered

per station

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS Township Hamilton 58,499 1,354 43.2 93% 7% 5 8.6

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Township Hamilton 43,857 1,406 31.2 97% 3% 4 7.8

Covington, KY Fire Dept. City Kenton 40,640 2,966 13.7 95% 5% 5 2.7

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. Township Hamilton 58,370 2,092 27.9 4 7.0

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. City Butler 62,477 2,830 22.1 95% 5% 5 4.4

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Township Stark 40,373 1,088 37.1 85% 15% 5 7.4

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. Village DuPage 70,000 2,188 32.0 100% 0% 5 6.4

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. City Lake 47,023 1,679 28.0 100% 0% 5 5.6

Milford, CT Fire Dept. City New Haven 56,424 2,411 23.4 100% 0% 4 5.9

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. Township Marion 77,895 1,766 44.1 90% 10% 5 8.8

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. Township Butler 62,582 1,763 35.5 87% 13% 5 7.1

DISCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

COMMUNITY DIMENSIONS LAND USAGE No. of FIRE STATIONS


Government County Population

Population Density

Land Area (sq.

mi.)

Urban & Suburban

Rural No. of

Staffed Fire

Stations

Sq. Mi. covered

per station

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS Township Hamilton 58,499 1,354 43.2 93% 7% 5 8.6

Mean (Average): 55,964 2,019 29.5 94% 6% 5 6.3

Median (Middle): 57,397 2,019 29.6 95% 5% 5 6.7

Maximum (High): 77,895 2,966 44.1 100% 15% 5 8.8

Minimum (Low): 40,373 1,088 13.7 85% 0% 4 2.7

Range: 37,522 1,878 30.4 15% 15% 1 6.1


52

APPENDIX C continued


COMMUNITY FINANCIAL PROFILE

Fire Department Agency Total Valuation 2012

Jurisdictional

Budget

2012 Fire Dept. Budget

2012 Capital Budget

Primary Funding Source

Alternative Funding

Sources

Effective Millage

Cost per Citizen

2012 Fire Dept. Revenue

2012 Fire Dept.

Expenditures

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS $1,304,000,000 $29,176,823 $12,500,000 $957,000 Property Tax Levy User Fees,

Permit Fees & Grants

9.06 $213.68 $12,394,368.00

$12,198,784

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. $1,161,644,000 $34,302,985 $9,670,800 $250,000 Property Tax Levy User Fees,

Permit Fees, Grants, & TIF

6.52 $220.51 $8,400,000 $9,165,448

Covington, KY Fire Dept. $1,972,617,700 $45,666,203 $11,930,000 General Fund User Fees $293.55 $1,180,999 $12,585,780

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. $1,071,320,660 $39,998,094 $7,489,259 $534,240 Property Tax Levy User Fees,

Permit Fees, Grants, & TIF

8.67 $128.31 $7,440,127 $7,440,127

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. $885,000,000 $36,000,000 $13,400,000 General Fund User Fees &

Grants $214.48 $1,700,000

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. $1,300,000,000 $33,000,000 $10,100,000 $1,300,000 Property Tax Levy User Fees &

Permit Fees 6.00 $250.17 $7,600,000 $9,500,000

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. $2,277,401,808 $23,638,792 $1,068,486 Property Tax Levy User Fees,

Permit Fees $337.70

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. $1,363,079,440 $51,255,497 $9,806,167 $210,800 General Fund $208.54 $3,122,872 $9,785,652

Milford, CT Fire Dept. $5,410,000,000 $10,568,704 $10,445,704 $123,000 Property Tax Levy User Fees

$185.13 $3,000 $10,568,704

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. $4,522,322,662 $20,890,000 $20,202,338 $687,900 General Fund User Fees

$259.35

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. $2,083,000,000 $38,860,242 $12,532,465 $632,125 Property Tax Levy User Fees, EMS

Billing & TIF 6.00 $200.26 $12,077,001 $11,843,304


COMMUNITY FINANCIAL PROFILE

Fire Department Agency Total Valuation 2012

Jurisdictional

Budget

2012 Fire Dept. Budget

2012 Capital Budget

Primary Funding Source

Alternative Funding

Sources

Effective Millage

Cost per Citizen

2012 Fire Dept. Revenue

2012 Fire Dept.

Expenditures

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS $1,304,000,000 $29,176,823 $12,500,000 $957,000 Property Tax Levy User Fees,

Permit Fees & Grants

9.06 $213.68 $12,394,368 $12,198,784

Mean (Average): $2,204,638,627 $34,504,636 $12,921,553 $600,819 6.80 $229.80 $5,190,500 $10,127,002

Median (Middle): $1,667,848,570 $36,000,000 $11,187,852 $583,183 6.26 $217.49 $5,281,500 $9,785,652

Maximum (High): $5,410,000,000 $51,255,497 $23,638,792 $1,300,000 8.67 $337.70 $12,077,001 $12,585,780

Minimum (Low): $885,000,000 $10,568,704 $7,489,259 $123,000 6.00 $128.31 $3,000 $7,440,127

Range: $4,525,000,000 $40,686,793 $16,149,533 $1,177,000 2.67 $209.39 $12,074,001 $5,145,653


53



AGENCY STAFFING PROFILE LEVEL of EMS SERVICE ANCILLARY FIRE DEPT. SERVICES PROVIDED

CONTRACTED SERVICES PROVIDED

Fire Department Agency Type of Staffing

Ca

ree

r

(Un

ifo

rme

d)

Ca

ree

r

(Su

pp

ort

)

Pa

rt-T

ime

(Un

ifo

rme

d)

Pa

rt-T

ime

(Su

pp

ort

)

To

tal

Fir

st

Re

sp

on

de

r

Ba

sic

Lif

e

Su

pp

ort

Ad

va

nce

d L

ife

Su

pp

ort

Do

es N

ot

Pro

vid

e E

MS

Co

de

En

forc

em

en

t

Dis

aste

r

Ma

na

ge

me

nt

Ori

gin

& C

au

se

Inve

sti

ga

tio

n

Bu

ild

ing

Pla

ns

Re

vie

w

Ha

z-M

at

Re

sp

on

se

Pu

bli

c

Ed

uca

tio

n

Re

gio

na

l F

ire

& E

MS

Tra

inin

g

Te

ch

nic

al

Re

scu

e

Fir

e P

rote

cti

on

EM

S

Tra

inin

g o

r

Ed

uca

tio

n

Co

de

En

forc

em

en

t

Oth

er

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS Combination 53 2 125 2 182 X X X X X X X X X

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Career 61 1 0 0 62 X X X X X X X X X

Covington, KY Fire Dept. Career 116 1 0 0 117 X X X X X

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 43 2 48 0 93 X X X X X X X X X

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. Career 95 1 0 0 96 X X X X X X X X X

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 66 0 25 0 91 X X X X X X

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. Career 110 6 0 0 116 X X X X X X X X

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. Combination 70 1 34 0 105 X X X X X X X X X

Milford, CT Fire Dept. Career 113 13 0 0 126 X X X X X X X X

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. Career 141 13 0 0 154 X X X X X X

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. Combination 57 3 73 2 135 X X X X X X X X X


AGENCY STAFFING PROFILE LEVEL of EMS SERVICE ANCILLARY FIRE DEPT. SERVICES PROVIDED CONTRACTED SERVICES

PROVIDED

Fire Department Agency Type of Staffing

Ca

ree

r

(Un

ifo

rme

d)

Ca

ree

r

(Su

pp

ort

)

Pa

rt-T

ime

(Un

ifo

rme

d)

Pa

rt-T

ime

(Su

pp

ort

)

To

tal

Fir

st

Re

sp

on

de

r

Ba

sic

Lif

e

Su

pp

ort

Ad

va

nce

d L

ife

Su

pp

ort

Do

es N

ot

Pro

vid

e E

MS

Co

de

En

forc

em

en

t

Dis

aste

r

Ma

na

ge

me

nt

Ori

gin

& C

au

se

Inve

sti

ga

tio

n

Bu

ild

ing

Pla

ns

Re

vie

w

Ha

z-M

at

Re

sp

on

se

Pu

bli

c

Ed

uca

tio

n

Re

gio

na

l F

ire

& E

MS

Tra

inin

g

Te

ch

nic

al

Re

scu

e

Fir

e P

rote

cti

on

EM

S

Tra

inin

g o

r

Ed

uca

tio

n

Co

de

En

forc

em

en

t

Oth

er

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS Combination 53 2 125 2 182 X X X X X X X X X

Mean (Average): 87 4 18 0 110

Median (Middle): 83 2 0 0 111

Maximum (High): 141 13 73 2 154

Minimum (Low): 43 0 0 0 62

Range: 98 13 73 2 92


54



No. of COMPANIES or UNITS No. of PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO: COMMAND STAFF


No

. o

f

En

gin

e

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f

La

dd

er

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f

Re

scu

e

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f A

mb

ula

nce

Un

its

No

. o

f N

on

-

Tra

nsp

ort

EM

S U

nit

s

En

gin

e

La

dd

er

Re

scu

e

Am

bu

lan

ce

No

n-T

ran

sp

ort

De

pu

ty C

hie

f

Assis

tan

t C

hie

f

Ba

tta

lio

n C

hie

f

Dis

tric

t C

hie

f

Div

isio

n C

hie

f

Ca

pta

in

Oth

er

To

tal

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 5 1 1 5 2 4 5 2 2 2 1 1 3 0 2 0 0 7

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 4

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 4 2 1 3 0 3 3 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 0 12 0 17

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 4 1 0 4 0 4 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 6

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 4 1 0 3 0 3 3 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 7 0 13

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 4 1 1 5 0 3 5 5 3 2 1 3 0 0 16 0 22

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 4 2 0 3 0 3 3 0 2 0 2 0 3 0 3 0 0 8

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 5 1 2 5 0 3 2 2 2 0 3 0 0 0 15 20

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 6 1 0 2 0 3 2 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 6

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 5 2 1 4 0 4 4 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 3 14 0 21

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 5 1 1 4 1 4 4 Cross-

Staffed 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 6 15 23


No. of COMPANIES or UNITS No. of PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO: COMMAND STAFF


No

. o

f

En

gin

e

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f

La

dd

er

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f

Re

scu

e

Co

mp

an

ies

No

. o

f A

mb

ula

nce

Un

its

No

. o

f N

on

-

Tra

nsp

ort

EM

S U

nit

s

En

gin

e

La

dd

er

Re

scu

e

Am

bu

lan

ce

No

n-T

ran

sp

ort

De

pu

ty C

hie

f

Assis

tan

t C

hie

f

Ba

tta

lio

n C

hie

f

Dis

tric

t C

hie

f

Div

isio

n C

hie

f

Ca

pta

in

Oth

er

To

tal

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 5 1 1 5 2 4 5 2 2 2 1 1 3 0 2 0 0 7

Mean (Average): 4 1 1 4 0 3 3 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 6 3 14

Median (Middle): 4 1 1 4 0 3 3 0 2 0 1 1 3 0 0 4 0 15

Maximum (High): 6 2 2 5 1 4 5 5 3 0 6 2 3 4 3 16 15 23

Minimum (Low): 3 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4

Range: 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 5 1 0 6 2 3 4 3 16 15 19


55



STAFFING LEVELS AGENCY EVALUATIONS

Fire Department Agency Minimum Staffing

Maximum Staffing

Average Daily

Staffing

Avg. On Duty Ffrs. / 1,000 Population

Avg. On Duty

Ffrs. / Sq. Mile

On-Duty Career / Part-Time Ratio

ISO: Classification

Rating

ISO: Total Credit

Assigned

CPSE Accredited

Agency

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 27 33 32.5 0.56 0.75 15/18 (45%/55%) 2 85.16 No

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 16 18 16.9 0.39 0.54 3 71.38 No

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 27 0 27.0 0.66 1.97 2 83.80 No

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 17 20 19.0 0.33 0.68 13/8 (65%/35%) 3 70.00 No

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 22 27 22.0 0.35 1.00 2 80.37 No

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 16 23 18.0 0.45 0.49 21/2 (91%/7%) 3 71.74 No

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 25 34 25.0 0.36 0.78 1 93.00 Yes

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 21 25 23.0 0.49 0.82 11/14 (44%/56%) 3 No

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 23 27 24.0 0.43 0.98 1 91.32 No

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 47 47 47.0 0.60 1.07 4 67.12 No

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 25 29 29.0 0.46 0.82 20/9 (69%/31%) 3 76.56 No


STAFFING LEVELS AGENCY EVALUATIONS

Fire Department Agency Minimum Staffing

Maximum Staffing

Average Daily

Staffing

Avg. On Duty Ffrs. / 1,000

Population

Avg. On Duty

Ffrs. /

Sq. Mile

On-Duty Career / Part-Time Ratio

ISO: Classification

Rating

ISO: Total Credit

Assigned

CPSE Accredited

Agency

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 27 33 32.5 0.56 1.33 15/18 (45/55%) 2 85.16 No

Mean (Average): 24 25 25.1 0.45 0.91 16/8 (68%/32%) 3 78.37

Median (Middle): 23 26 23.5 0.44 0.82 17/9 (67%/33%) 3 76.56

Maximum (High): 47 47 47.0 0.66 1.97 1 93.00

Minimum (Low): 16 0 16.9 0.33 0.49 4 67.12

Range: 31 47 30.1 0.34 1.49 25.88


56



EMERGENCY INCIDENT ACTIVITY


2012

EMS Incidents

Average

2012 EMS Incidents per Day

2012 EMS

Incidents / 1,000

Population

Average EMS

Response Time

(minutes)

2012 Fire Incidents

Average

2012 Fire Incidents per Day

Average Fire

Response Time

(minutes)

2012 Total

Request for Service Incidents

Average

Total Incidents per Day

Estimated Dollar Loss

Estimated Dollar Saved

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 6,944 19 119 0:05:33 3,657 10 0:05:25 10,601 29 $838,350 $3,788,368

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3,085 8 70 0:04:28 866 2 0:05:37 3,951 11 $899,000 $10,483,094

Covington, KY Fire Dept. 9,430 26 232 0:06:02 2,712 7 0:06:02 12,150 33 $1,255,365

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. 4,973 14 85

1,656 5 0:04:49 6,629 18 $206,165 $7,547,285

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. 9,084 25 145 0:05:25 3,008 8 0:05:15 12,092 33

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3,885 11 96 0:04:00 1,518 4 0:04:00 5,403 15

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. 3,884 11 55 0:03:22 1,944 5 0:03:56 5,828 16 $716,250

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. 5,222 14 111 0:04:37 2,042 6 0:06:10 7,264 20 $641,690 $7,469,000

Milford, CT Fire Dept. 4,561 12 81 0:05:59 3,406 9 0:05:59 7,967 22 $1,024,500

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. 8,306 23 107 0:05:24 2,163 6 0:05:20 10,469 29 $1,697,459 $577,893,872

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. 3,925 11 63 0:05:13 1,742 5 0:09:22 5,667 16 $851,320 $132,859,743


EMERGENCY INCIDENT ACTIVITY


2012

EMS Incidents

Average

2012 EMS Incidents per Day

2012 EMS

Incidents / 1,000

Population

Average EMS

Response Time

(minutes)

2012 Fire Incidents

Average

2012 Fire Incidents per Day

Average Fire

Response Time

(minutes)

2012 Total

Request for Service Incidents

Average

Total Incidents per Day

Estimated Dollar Loss

Estimated Dollar Saved

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS 6,944 19 119 0:05:33 3,657 10 0:05:25 10,601 29 $838,350 $3,788,368

Mean (Average): 5,636 15 105 0:04:57 2,106 6 0:05:39 7,742 21 $911,469 $147,250,599

Median (Middle): 4,767 13 91 0:05:13 1,993 5 0:05:29 6,947 19 $875,160 $10,483,094

Maximum (High): 9,430 232 232 0:06:02 3,406 9 0:09:22 12,150 33 $1,697,459 $577,893,872

Minimum (Low): 3,085 8 55 0:03:22 866 2 0:03:56 3,951 11 $206,165 $7,469,000

Range: 6,345 224 177 0:02:40 2,540 7 0:05:26 8,199 22 $1,491,294 $570,424,872


57



Fire Department Agency Fire Chief Deputy

Chief Base Deputy

Chief Top Assistant

Chief

Battalion or District

Chief Base


Chief Top

Division Chief

Fire Marshal

Fire Captain

Base

Fire Captain

Top

Fire Lieutenant

Base

Fire Lieutenant

Top

Paramedic Firefighter

Base


Top

Firefighter / Inspector

Base


Top

Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS $106,271 $93,661 $93,661 $90,956 $78,398 $82,172 $84,432 $73,516 $76,486 $43,908 $71,018 $53,598 $69,241

Anderson Twp., OH Fire Dept. $111,561 $92,873 $87,790 $87,790 $78,518 $78,518 $49,166 $71,380

Covington, KY Fire Dept. $99,312 $89,244 $78,947 $78,947 $66,531 $75,390 $62,939 $71,280 $43,874 $63,365 $38,929 $55,936

Green Twp., OH Fire Dept. $103,688 $92,043 $76,843 $80,503 $76,843 $70,499 $73,184 $49,741 $67,142

Hamilton, OH Fire Dept. $97,865 $85,100 $89,700

$68,000 $74,000 $78,000 $62,000 $68,000 $54,000 $65,000 $45,500 $60,000

Jackson Twp., OH Fire Dept. $89,800 $80,520 $80,520 $73,200 $73,200 $64,053 $64,053 $55,915 $55,915 $49,500 $49,500

Lisle-Woodridge, IL Fire Prot. Dist. $150,000 $135,000 $135,000 $113,000 $113,000 $113,000 $102,000 $102,000 $90,000 $90,000 $78,000 $78,000 $60,000 $60,000

Mentor, OH Fire Dept. $125,915 $103,581 $103,581 $85,735 $90,392 $77,370 $80,886 $51,499 $72,381

Milford, CT Fire Dept. $99,714 $88,084 $79,187 $81,991 $88,084 $72,185 $74,987 $64,728 $67,497 $52,550 $61,123 $52,500 $61,623

Pike Twp., IN Fire Dept. $96,000 $92,000 $92,000 $66,641 $61,192 $61,192 $58,596 $58,596 $57,758 $57,758

West Chester Twp., OH Fire Dept. $106,793 $92,927 $80,366 $80,366 $71,687 $78,454 $51,745 $67,629


2012 SALARIES

Fire Department Agency Fire Chief Deputy Chief

Deputy Chief

Assistant Chief


Chief Base


Chief Top

Division Chief

Fire Marshal

Fire Captain

Base

Fire Captain

Top

Fire Lieutenant

Base

Fire Lieutenant

Top


Base


Top



Colerain Twp. Dept. of Fire & EMS $106,271 $93,661 $93,661 $90,956 $78,398 $82,172 $84,432 $73,516 $76,486 $43,908 $71,018 $53,598 $69,241

Mean (Average): $108,065 $99,240 $100,160 $91,034 $84,957 $84,058 $113,000 $77,642 $74,332 $76,570 $70,704 $74,046 $54,425 $65,969 $49,286 $57,412

Median (Middle): $101,701 $92,000 $92,000 $92,043 $79,067 $81,247 $113,000 $76,843 $72,185 $75,390 $70,499 $73,184 $52,148 $66,071 $49,500 $60,000

Maximum (High): $150,000 $135,000 $135,000 $92,927 $113,000 $113,000 $113,000 $88,084 $102,000 $102,000 $90,000 $90,000 $78,000 $78,000 $60,000 $61,623

Minimum (Low): $89,800 $80,520 $80,520 $88,084 $73,200 $66,641 $113,000 $68,000 $61,192 $61,192 $58,596 $58,596 $43,874 $55,915 $38,929 $49,500

Range: $60,200 $54,480 $54,480 $4,843 $39,800 $46,359 $0 $20,084 $40,808 $40,808 $31,404 $31,404 $34,126 $22,085 $21,071 $12,123

department of fire & emergency medical services ......colerain township department of fire and...

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