SPECIAL CCW-SA&T Minutes and Attachment 1

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE A Special Council Committee of the Whole Meeting was held on September 7, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., with Council President Slavin presiding. Members of Council present were Mr. Anderson (arrived at 6:04 p.m., departed at 7:18 p.m., and returned at 7:21 p.m.), Mr. Neil, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Cole, Mr. Hosfelt, Mr. Hare, and Mr. Hutchison. Mr. Sudler was absent. Mayor Christiansen was also present. Mr. Keller was present. Mr. Shelton was absent. SAFETY ADVISORY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE The Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee met with Councilman Hosfelt presiding. AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS Mr. Hutchison moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Keller and unanimously carried. Public Safety Study - Fire/EMS Operational & Administrative Analysis Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, reminded members that while the FY 16 budget was being developed, Council considered a request from the City Manager’s Office to study the umbrella of public safety services, including police, fire, fire support, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) services. He noted that the EMS component relates to ambulance service in the City of Dover. Mr. Koenig explained that the fire and EMS aspects of the report would be discussed this evening. He stated that the study was requested to provide a perspective based on national benchmarks from subject matter experts with experience working with fire, emergency management, emergency medical, and ambulance services in various parts of the country. Mr. Koenig indicated that this was an effort to review the excellent levels of service that the City of Dover enjoys and look at how business could potentially be done in a different fashion and how services could evolve when moving into the next round of challenges. He noted that, as the City grows, it is facing resource constraints, evolution of the workforce, advances in technology and information technology, which all have a role in decisions regarding providing services to citizens, visitors, and businesses. Mr. Koenig noted that the 110-page report provided by the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) was posted to the City’s website and distributed to members of Council and the Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee. He stated that the report contained 49 recommendations. Council President Slavin advised that the study would be discussed as a healthy dialogue between the Fire Department, constituents, and members of the Council Committee of the Whole. He noted that none of the recommendations had been accepted by Council, he did not expect that they all would be accepted, and he did not believe that any would be accepted without dialogue taking place. Mr. Slavin indicated that there had been open dialogue with Mr. Brian Bashista, President, Dover Fire Department, and Fire Chief Carleton Carey, Jr. on this issue. Mr. Slavin advised that the results of the report would be heard this evening and in October 2016 the Fire Department would be given an opportunity to provide their response and reaction. Mr. Slavin believed that everyone would agree on some of the recommendations and others would be more controversial. He stated that there may be more meetings after the October meeting if more dialogue is needed.

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 2 Mr. Thomas Wieczorek, Director, CPSM, congratulated members for looking at operations from a very comprehensive viewpoint, noting that CPSM did a forensic review by going into raw CAD data, looking at all the different components, and using the data to develop recommendations drawn from best practices around the world. He noted that the result was not mandates that carry the weight of law but a series of recommendations developed by CPSM, as representatives of the International City/County Management Association, that can be implemented with policy from Council and advice from the Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee. Mr. Wieczorek stated that some recommendations would be easy to implement, some difficult, and some may be impossible. He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work with the City over the past 10 months and in the future. Mr. Wieczorek explained that CPSM was created by the International City/County Management Association approximately 10 years ago during the same time period that the international fire accreditation group was created between the international fire chiefs and international city management. Their charge was to look at research and development, training and education, helping select the chiefs, and operational and performance analytics. Mr. Wieczorek advised that they came into the organization with an audit-like process, beginning a series of steps and looking at different components of the organization in a business-like manner. From that, they were able to draw upon their team with best practices from around the world to create recommendations. Mr. Wieczorek advised that they use an audit-like process in an effort to create a basis of data that can be used to compare agencies in a variety of manners. He explained that, as the Executive Director for the former Commission on Fire Accreditation International, he had previously tried to use National Fire Incident Reporting System data but found a substantial problem with this data, especially in the fire service. Since this data was found to be incorrect and unusable, CPSM had been trying to create a database with clean and accurate data to provide a good basis for making comparisons. Mr. Wieczorek explained that Mr. Mike Iacona, Senior Manager for Fire and EMS, would be reviewing the report in depth with members as he was the project leader, and Mr. Iacona had been assisted by Mr. Jack Brown and Mr. Peter Finley, CPSM Associates. He indicated that Dr. Dov Chelst, who heads qualitative analysis for CPSM, had also been involved, as well as a team of individuals at the Ph. D. and master’s levels who work strictly on analyzing CAD data. Mr. Wieczorek noted that one of their biggest problems is that it usually takes three (3) to four (4) months to clean the data. He explained that not all data systems record data accurately, so it cannot be extracted accurately, and this is not unique to Dover. Mr. Wieczorek noted that, in one city, it took them almost a year to clean up data so that they could begin the analysis. Mr. Iacona stated that he was pleased to be part of this process, having had some familiarity with Dover and the Eastern Shore. Mr. Iacona advised that he was familiar with this work, having spent 38 years in the fire service, primarily in Florida. He explained that he had started as a firefighter, rose through the ranks, and assumed the role of Fire Chief in Orange County, Florida, in the Orlando area. Mr. Iacona stated that he became Fire Chief in Flagstaff, Arizona in 2002 and recently retired. He estimated that he had done approximately 70 such studies and enjoyed going to communities to see the dynamics and mechanics of how people provide this very vital service.

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 3 Mr. Iacona stated that Dover had an excellent system, and the City should be proud of the services being provided in the community in a very unique way. He noted that volunteer services are some of the most difficult to maintain, and are becoming more so as the dynamics of society change. Mr. Iacona stated that the formula in Dover was working well, and everyone should be proud. He noted that he was very impressed with the level of commitment, the caliber of people, and the intensity of their desire to serve the community. Mr. Iacona reviewed a presentation entitled, “Operational and Administrative Analysis - Dover Fire Department” (Attachment #1). Referring to page 7, Findings and Recommendations, Organizational Needs, he explained that CPSM was suggesting phasing in efforts, noting that changes would not happen overnight. Mr. Iacona stated that there would be a building process, and eventually there would be noticeable improvement in the system and goals would be achieved. He noted that some of the biggest expenditures in the Fire Department related to apparatus, and CPSM believed that more organization was needed in terms of an apparatus replacement schedule and a funding mechanism. Mr. Iacona stated that setting a 15-year time frame for apparatus was a good approach, noting that the City’s workload may be a little less than typical. He suggested anticipating the replacement of apparatus according to this time frame and committing dollars to the purchasing process. Mr. Iacona stated that CPSM believed that the relocation and consolidation of the dispatching service to Kent County should be considered, noting that Kent County offers this service, had indicated that they would do it at no charge, and were currently involved in the dispatching of Dover EMS activities and other volunteer entities in the area. He stated that the way dispatchers are used in Dover is commendable, noting the difficulties that volunteer entities have in terms of the support needed to keep an organization going, including maintaining equipment, checking if it is viable or needs repairs, etc. Mr. Iacona indicated that it is hard for people with other lives and careers to be involved in the maintenance support function, noting that dispatchers were doing this in Dover, which was very viable and should be continued. However, he stated that there were difficulties in accomplishing inspections, pre-planning, and performing preventative tasks, and CPSM thought this would be more useful for the dispatchers. Mr. Iacona recommended that dispatchers be reclassified as fire technicians that would go out into the community, identify risks, and provide feedback to emergency responders through training avenues. He stated that the suggestion was to restructure the process and use that personnel effort in other ways; however, he noted that one (1) of the ways that the City was doing this was very viable and suggested that it be continued. Referring to page 8, Findings and Recommendations, Deployment, Mr. Iacona suggested limiting the number of apparatuses that respond as first line apparatus, given the nature of the community and the workload that was evaluated. He explained that this would be beneficial in two (2) ways: 1) there would be rolling stock that could be depended on and could be deployed in a regimented fashion, and 2) it would limit the amount of equipment that would have to be replaced throughout the life cycle. Mr. Iacona stated that the City could muster a sizeable workforce that would handle the majority of incidents with primary response apparatuses of three (3) engines, one (1) ladder, one (1) heavy rescue, and two (2) command units and the additional utility or reserve apparatus that is there.

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 4 Mr. Iacona stated that standardizing response protocols was recommended and noted that vehicle accidents involving first responders are the second cause of death in the fire service nationally. He suggested minimizing the frequency of running with lights and sirens as a safety factor, since it is hard to judge the public’s response to these situations. Mr. Iacona indicated that the Emergency Services Manager should have oversight of the ambulance service, greater standards and performance measures should be built into the ambulance contract, and ambulance units should be staffed with a minimum of two (2) Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). He explained that the current requirement was for one (1) EMT and one (1) individual who is a driver with basic first aid. Mr. Iacona stated that CPSM believed that every ambulance attendant should have EMT as a basic level of training. In reference to page 9, Findings and Recommendations, Training, Mr. Iacona believed that command and supervisory training should be criteria for the ascension of fire officers and chief officers into leadership ranks. He indicated that it was also recommended that there be a progression from firefighter to officer, mid-level officer, and chief officer since a lot of experience is gained in these roles. In regard to training for volunteers, Mr. Iacona noted that when volunteers go into someone’s home wearing a Dover Fire Department uniform, there is a normal affiliation with the City, and ultimately there may be a legal implication for the work that is done as it reflects on the City. He stated that there should be very specific training that deals with workplace behavior and supervisory responsibilities. Mr. Iacona noted that in some cases volunteer supervisors are supervising City employees and there are labor implications in that relationship, so the study recommended training and clear understanding as to the rules with regard to workplace behavior. Referring to page 10, Mr. Iacona stated that sprinklers should be required in all new residential construction, explaining that fire sprinklers are almost 99% effective in putting out fires or limiting their spread but are ineffective when someone turns them off or interrupts their capacity to work effectively. He indicated that this is difficult to get through the building community; however, it has a dramatic impact and is effective in protecting the community. Mr. Anderson asked Mr. Iacona to explain his EMS recommendation, why the City was paying a premium to have EMS, and how this could be changed. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that it was very natural for EMS to be a component of fire service. He advised that many communities separate fire services and EMS; however, he felt they should be joined because the frequency of fires in a community is much less than medical emergencies. Mr. Iacona indicated that accidental and non-accidental injuries are usually 90% of the workload, so the linkage of fire services and EMS is natural. He felt that having a secondary ambulance provider made a lot of sense, explaining that this is what is usually phrased a two-tiered system, where fire services become the first responder and EMS then comes to stabilize and transport. Mr. Iacona advised that there was limited application for joint activities in the City’s system and this occurs mostly when there is a hazardous situation, such as a vehicle accident with fuel present or patient extrication. He noted that typically if 911 is called for a medical emergency, only the EMS component responds. Mr. Iacona stated that communities were seeing the need for EMS much more frequently than fires or the impacts of mass destruction, so there was a natural evolution toward melding the systems. He indicated that one (1)

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 5 of the study’s recommendations was to bring the ambulance service under the umbrella of the Fire Department and operate from fire stations, or to have closer alignment, because EMS was being requested from the citizens much more often than fire calls. Mr. Anderson asked Mr. Iacona for the pros and cons of issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for EMS. In response, Mr. Iacona explained that public safety services evolve over time, and the standards placed on the current provider were very limited in terms of the level of training, standards of response, and various criteria that could be built into the ambulance contract. He felt that there was a natural meld between the fire service and EMS where fire, being a part of the EMS process, had involvement in oversight, monitoring of standards, and delivery of patient care. Mr. Iacona explained that the melding of the two (2) services is the direction that most communities are going to and this was believed to be appropriate in the Dover community. Responding to Mr. Anderson regarding the benefit of doing a national RFP, Mr. Iacona stated that this would open the market and allow for competition. He noted that he was involved in an RFP process for ambulance services in Key West, Florida, where an entity was charging a $700,000 subsidy to the city to provide EMS with very little regulation and very few performance measures. Mr. Iacona advised that, through the competitive bid process, the current holder of the license reduced their price from $700,000 to approximately $400,000, and they also received a series of proposals. He noted that two (2) entities offered to do it for no subsidy, and the award was given to a zero (0) subsidy entity, a European company that wanted to get a foothold in the U.S. In response to Mr. Anderson regarding the meaning of a 90% fractile requirement, Mr. Iacona stated that if there was an eight-minute response time requirement, a fractile requirement of 90% would indicate that 90 out of 100 calls should be responded to in under eight (8) minutes, and the response time for the remaining 10 calls could be over eight (8) minutes. Responding to Mr. Hosfelt regarding whether the City was meeting that percentage, Mr. Iacona stated that the City’s current contract had no response time criteria. Mr. Hosfelt, referring to the Operational and Administrative Analysis, Dover Fire Department, Dover, Del., Final Report - March 2016, page 47, Table 5-10: 2015 Mutual Aid EMS Units Dispatched into Dover, noted that the number of times that Prime Care units were unavailable and mutual aid EMS units were required to respond in Dover was exceedingly high. He pointed out that CPSM reported that Prime Care was unavailable for 21.2% of the incidents in a 10-month period and asked if this statement was based on CPSM’s experience or if there was a benchmark the City was compared to. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that this was anecdotal. He advised that most ambulance contracts have provisions whereby if a certain performance standard is not met, a fine is levied against the charges paid to that service. Mr. Iacona explained that this provides an offset, which keeps the system honest. He stated that CPSM felt the numbers were exceedingly high and should be addressed. Mr. Hosfelt asked if CPSM had numbers in mind for the number of Basic Life Support (BLS) units the City should have on standby or ready to go on a daily basis in the future. In response, Mr. Iacona stated that a better way to approach this would be a performance measure indicating that a level of

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 6 performance will be achieved 90% of the time. He advised that this would be simple quantification in terms of distance and time. Mr. Iacona stated that typically one could average about 30 miles per hour, or two (2) minutes per mile, and by looking at the service distribution and building out that distance on the basis of this formula, a maximum could be determined. He noted that typically they were in the eight (8) to 10 minute fractile and were responding to incidents in eight (8) to 10 minutes 90% of the time. Mr. Iacona informed members that fire service is the first responder in most systems and will respond in a much shorter time frame, because the criteria for EMS is to get the first responder on the scene in four (4) to six (6) minutes. The higher level of EMS care, or paramedic care, is in the eight (8) to 10-minute time frame, so there is usually a tiered approach. Mr. Iacona stated that most systems are structured so that first responders, who can perform basic CPR and first aid, arrive in four (4) to six (6) minutes, and a higher level of care arrives in eight (8) to 10 minutes. Mr. Iacona suggested, if an RFP is developed, that benchmarks be built into the timeline for a fractile delivery, such as 80% or 90% in eight (8) or 10 minutes. Mr. Hutchison asked Mr. Iacona to expand on training and staff for the Fire Department. In response, Mr. Iacona stated that initial training efforts were very comprehensive and effective; however, improvements could be achieved in the area beyond initial training. He noted that the fire service is typically a very long-tenured operation, and individuals may stay involved for 20 years. Mr. Iacona stated that this is often not the case in volunteer organizations; however, there is still an evolution, and a one- or two-year firefighter is not expected to have the competencies that would be seen in a more seasoned individual with eight (8) to 10 years of experience. He indicated that initial training is robust, intensive, and monitored; however, improvements could be made in ongoing training at the mid-management, leadership, and supervisory levels, including refreshers. Mr. Iacona noted that there was a provision for a “lifetime membership” in the organization with less training requirements; however, he felt that realistically training should never be less. He believed that as individuals become more seasoned in their profession, their need for a refresher grows, because systems and the delivery of service change, and a level of readiness must be maintained. Being up to date with the tactical approaches to fire, EMS, hazmat scenarios, and the various things that are encountered requires ongoing training. Mr. Iacona stated that CPSM saw a need for ongoing training, performance assessments, and monitoring of those efforts to improve this system. Mr. Hutchison asked if more fire departments were going toward national accreditation. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that accreditation is not easy to achieve and is very labor intensive. He advised that the accreditation process helps an organization fine tune and hone its skills. Mr. Iacona stated that accreditation forces an organization to look at its systems, monitor them for ongoing improvements, and establish goals; however, it does not guarantee increased proficiency and is not the solution to all of the problems. Mr. Hutchison asked if there was a difference between a volunteer fire department versus a paid fire department as far as accreditation. In response, Mr. Iacona felt it would be more difficult for a volunteer organization to achieve accreditation because the mechanics are labor intensive. He noted that a series of iterations is involved that is sometimes questionable in terms of whether they change service delivery. Mr. Iacona was not sure that the time and effort necessary to go through this process was what Dover needed at this point in time, and he believed this had been included in the recommendations as a long-term effort.

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 7 Mr. Neil asked if CPSM had looked at the impact of the special relationship between the City’s Fire Department and neighboring fire departments within Kent County. He noted that these organizations work together on major events that can attract as many as 90,000 people, such as NASCAR races and the Firefly Music Festival, and this would also occur in the event of a disaster. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that CPSM was very impressed with the level of coordination that existed, and that was one of the reasons that they made the recommendations with regard to the Kent County 911 system. He indicated that this orchestrated the collective effort of neighbor helping neighbor, because the majority of the neighboring agencies that Dover coordinates with are under the umbrella of Kent County 911. Mr. Iacona felt that Dover was very fortunate to have a working relationship between these entities. He stated that the key was to foster that relationship so that the organizations could work seamlessly hand-in-hand, so that the boundaries between the entities in the 911 system would be imperceptible. Mr. Iacona estimated that there were eight (8) different entities in surrounding communities, and they found out about the different ambulance providers because in many instances they were covering for PrimeCare when PrimeCare was unavailable. He reiterated that PrimeCare was unavailable more often than CPSM thought was appropriate. Mayor Christiansen questioned to what extent CPSM dealt with the Delaware State Fire School and the training that they offered to the Dover Fire Department and the other fire departments throughout the State of Delaware. He noted that this organization is prominent nationally. In response, Mr. Iacona stated that the Delaware Fire School and its working relationship with the community was a tremendous resource. He indicated that Dover was fortunate to have that facility and those personnel readily available, and CPSM’s recommendations with regard to training were very in-depth and specific due to the availability of this resource in the community. Because there was day-to-day interaction with the Fire School, Mr. Iacona believed it would be a shame not to take advantage of it and build that training capacity into Dover’s system. In response to Mayor Christiansen, Mr. Iacona advised that he was aware that the Fire Department encourages its members to go to the Delaware State Fire School, and that some of the members of the department are instructors there. He indicated that he had reviewed the reference to the Robbins Hose Company in the City’s Charter, as well as an additional agreement that facilitated this relationship. Mr. Iacona indicated that CPSM’s impression was that adherence to the agreement or utilizing the Fire School for day-to-day working relationships was not being effectuated as well as it could have been. Mayor Christiansen questioned if CPSM had researched the law that states that the fire chief is the supreme authority of the fire department in the State of Delaware. He believed that if there is intercession with a fire or emergency services administrator, the authority of the fire chief would not be undermined, he would just become another high-paid official within the City government. In regard to the proposal to make the fire dispatchers fire technicians, Mayor Christiansen stated that the City’s Inspections Department and Fire Marshal’s Office do the inspections and identify hazards within the City, and he believed that taking this action would be redundant. Mayor Christiansen explained that he had some experience with this matter, and he was appreciative that emergencies on the fire scene in the City were handled by personnel who knew Dover’s situation, stating that he was referring to the dispatchers. He explained that the people working at the fire station are those

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 8 who can anticipate and work through the worst of disasters, even the young, inexperienced officers. Mayor Christiansen advised that one of the reason that the Kent Center was established was because Dover had answered most of the fire calls for Kent County, and it was felt that the workload needed to go elsewhere so that Dover could emphasize their efforts on Dover fire calls. He believed that Dover emergencies are first priority in Dover and are not coming through other companies that may be dealing with situations. Mr. Slavin stated that members had heard about what was included in the report; however, he noted that what was not included were comments about negativism, deficiencies over coverage areas, or risks to citizens because of the City’s operations. Instead, he had heard the opposite, that the City had great operations, and he assumed that the silence regarding problems reflected a good standard of practice and coverage. Mr. Slavin questioned if there were risks to the men and women of the Fire Department and the citizens. Responding, Mr. Iacona indicated that two (2) things stood out in his perspective of the community and his limited understanding of the interaction and operations of the Fire Department. The first was the vulnerability of Dover as a likely target for terrorist activity because it is a state capital and a bastion of government. Mr. Iacona noted that if he were in this community, he would want to ensure that there are pre-planning, contingency efforts, and understanding of process. The second consideration was the limited interaction that exists with Dover Air Force Base, which is also a significant, notable target. Mr. Iacona believed that greater collaboration and contingency planning was needed in the event that something occurs in those environments. He stated that these were the only two (2) things that he would elevate, and he recommended that those issues be fleshed out. Mr. Hare stated that the dispatchers do more than waiting for the phone to ring and dispatch, and they have other duties, such as keeping equipment ready. He noted that, during his time in the City, he had a house that almost burned down and the Fire Department was very quick to respond. Mr. Hare noted that he had never had anyone come to him expressing negative comments about the Fire Department’s performance. He acknowledged that they may have some internal things they need to correct; however, he felt that the Fire Department was doing what needs to be done. Mr. Hare stated his understanding that insurance companies rate fire departments on a scale of one (1) to four (4), with one (1) being the best. He believed that the insurance company had indicated that the Dover Fire Department had a response time faster than Wilmington’s paid fire department, and would have rated Dover at the top level; however, rated the Department at a level two (2) because volunteer fire departments cannot be rated at a one (1). Mr. Hare acknowledged that there were things that could be tweaked; however, he stated that when there is a fire, they are there, and he had heard many people say this. Mr. Hare informed members that a house caught fire on Riverside Drive in July, and the gentleman whose house it was had nothing but praise for the Fire Department. Although there may be some administrative things that are not being done as they should, including recordkeeping, he felt that they should be given a lot of credit for being there when there is a fire or a need. In response to Mr. Hare, Mr. Iacona assured members that CPSM recognized this level of care, noting that he prefaced remarks by indicating the commendability of the system that the City has. He felt that this could now be embellished, revisited, and some options could be considered. Mr. Iacona stated that this would ultimately be the City’s decision, stating that CPSM had provided

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 9 a series of perspectives, and he would be departing from the City and leaving members with the report. CPSM would also provide access after the report for follow-up or questions. Mr. Iacona stated that they were present to support the report, but reiterated that it would ultimately be Council’s decision regarding how they choose to protect their community. He reiterated that there were no State or federal mandates, and that CPSM had been asked to look at this from a different perspective and provide some alternatives to consider. In regard to the service contract and performance standards, Mr. Hare felt that the Fire Department had maintained their training and level of efficiency and did not understand why they would have to sign a contract telling them that they had to be better than they are. He felt that they were meeting standards and was unsure if a contract was needed. Mr. Keller commented that, when reviewing this incredible report, he noticed a score of 68.7 out of a possible 70 and asked for an explanation. Responding, Mr. Iacona informed members that this was the Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating, which ranks community fire protection on a one (1) to 10 scale, with one (1) being the highest level of performance, achievement, or coverage, and 10 being a service that is virtually nonexistent. He indicated that a number of insurance agencies structure their premiums on the basis of what this scoring is, the logic being that the premium related to fire protection would be lowest for a Class 1 department. Mr. Iacona explained that a Class 10 rating would indicate that there is virtually no fire department, so the insurance premiums impacted by fire departments would be higher. He noted that the portion of homeowners’ insurance attributable to fire protection is approximately 20% to 25% of the premium. Mr. Iacona stated that the lower the scoring, the lower the associated premium. At a 68, the Dover Fire Department was a little more than two (2) points from a Class 3 rating. Mr. Iacona noted that there were a number of areas in which the Dover Fire Department was very close to a higher rating, and CPSM made some recommendations that they believed may raise the rating to a Class 3 if revisited by ISO. Mr. Hutchison asked if any of the other fire departments that Mr. Iacona personally evaluated were volunteer fire services. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that he had evaluated a number of volunteer entities and combination departments and, as Chief of Operations in Florida, he supported three (3) volunteer entities in the county in training, mutual aid, equipment refurbishment, and things of that nature. Two (2) of the other CPSM team members had careers with volunteer and combination organizations, and their team was structured to reflect the nature of the community. Referring to page 10 of the report, Mr. Hosfelt requested clarification regarding the comment that, “Our analysis did not reveal any illegal or unethical practices; however, there is concern that improved oversight is warranted.” In response, Mr. Iacona advised that the difficulty they saw was that dispatchers, who are involved as employees and are part of a collective bargaining agreement, were being supervised by members of the volunteer association, who are non-employees. It was believed that training should be strengthened to enable them to provide that level of supervision. Referring to page 21, Mr. Hosfelt quoted the recommendation that, “The City of Dover should revisit its current prohibition when allowing employees to respond as volunteer firefighters without docking their pay or requiring utilization of leave time in providing this service.” He asked if CPSM had seen this in other cities and how it had worked. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that there are always

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 10 individuals who test the systems; however, the systems that they had seen that utilized employees wearing dual hats were effective. He explained that they had seen that a number of people working for the city had difficulty responding because of this prohibition; in fact, at one time the fire chief was a dispatcher, and this policy did not make sense. Mr. Iacona acknowledged that issues could arise and someone could get hurt during this activity; however, they felt these issues were manageable. He noted that it is difficult to recruit and retain qualified volunteers in this day and age, and it was felt that the City was hindering the effort since this restriction was being placed on employees who were wearing two (2) hats in responding while in a paid status. Mr. Iacona thought that this could be massaged a little bit to work better in the system. Mr. Anderson referred to the recommendation to restructure the equipment response. He noted that the Dover Fire Department has responsibility for not only the City of Dover but also the surrounding areas, and backs up other jurisdictions and fire districts. Mr. Anderson asked how adopting this recommendation would affect the ability to provide back-up and maintain a sufficient response time in the City. Responding, Mr. Iacona stated that the issue they were attempting to address was to implement more standardization for the types and numbers of equipment that respond to the various types of incidents. For example, a structure fire in a single-family residence would get a specific response, and a call identifying something less significant, such as a smell of smoke or wires arcing, would have a scaled-down response. Mr. Iacona explained that, in this way, a whole service contingent would not be sent to something that is likely to be a non-emergency situation and the response would be gauged on the basis of inquiry that is done at the dispatch center. He advised that dispatch centers that are professionally operated have a series of questions with a specific format to eventually deduce whether there is a likelihood for a true emergency or not. However, Mr. Iacona advised that, in looking at the numbers of people that were assembled for incidents, there was not a frequency for being able to staff more than a certain number of apparatuses. He noted that if 17 or 20 people respond or come in, this limits what can actually be dispatched. In looking at the numbers and what it typically takes to manage these incidents, CPSM felt that standards should be set up. Referring to the recommendation on page 8 regarding Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) and a Continuity of Government (COG) Plan, Mr. Anderson asked for an explanation of the difference between these plans. Responding, Mr. Iacona indicated that a COOP is contingency planning for facility operations and involves planning for situations such as a building becoming unavailable due to flooding from a broken pipe, or if the server for the payroll system goes down. He cited another example of planning for a diminished workforce, noting that this was considered when the Asian flu was an issue. In this case, questions had to be answered such as, if half the workforce was no longer available, what services would be curtailed; what employees would take with them if they had to leave the building; and where employees would go. Mr. Iacona explained that COG is related to ascendancy of authority and deals more with people than operations, such as who would take the role of city manager or council president if they are gone. Mr. Hosfelt asked what CPSM was looking for from the City following the City’s review of the study. In response, Mr. Iacona explained that their studies begin with a conference call. Their point of contact is asked to invite those individuals that they want to be part of this call to attend, and there is a discussion about what the deliverables and expectations are, and whether certain elements are wanted. Mr. Iacona noted that CPSM explains what they plan to do and determines if this is the

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 11 product that is expected. He stated that CPSM then does a data analysis and provides the document back to the other party in draft format to determine if there are errors and omissions. Mr. Iacona advised that once the data report is approved, he and his team do the field analysis, using the data to justify or evaluate the situation. They then take the data, write up their findings, and give the report to the point of contact and ask them to make sure that it is accurate and has no incorrect elements. Mr. Iacona stated that they also talk about the mechanics of how things will be presented and determine the right forum for conveying the thought process. He explained that they discuss the best way to convey the information diplomatically, and this is looked at from the perspective of the substance and accuracy of the information. Mr. Iacona advised that after CPSM provides the draft report, there is a conference call to go over all of the points raised by the client. Adjustments are made and a final report is sent, which is close to the final product, although it is still subject to change. Responding to Mr. Hosfelt, Mr. Iacona confirmed that the process would be the same, whether the study is of the Police Department, Fire Department, or the ambulance service. Mr. Hosfelt stated his understanding that when the study of the Police Department came back from CPSM it was given to the Police Chief for his review, and asked if the same opportunity was afforded to the Fire Department when this initiative came back. In response, Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, explained that all of the raw data, including tables, etc., was sent to the Fire Department for review electronically and no comments were received back by the City Manager’s Office. Mr. Koenig advised that he had reviewed the data and the data tables seemed to add up. He noted that questions were sent back and forth. Mr. Koenig indicated that when the stage of a final report was reached, a meeting was held in the City Manager’s Conference Room, where it was intended to give the Fire Department the information and let them read it and respond before putting anything out publicly. Mr. Koenig indicated that the Fire Department declined to make comments, and at that point staff decided to release the document. In his opinion, the opportunity for response was at the meeting where the members who were there declined the opportunity to edit and make comments before it was sent out. Mr. Koenig noted that he did not take any of the comments or recommendations from the consultant out of the report, and the comments and questions that he sent back were more context, formatting, and spelling issues. Mr. Koenig reminded members that, in regard to the Fire Department, the City is dealing with a third-party entity that does not have any reporting requirement to the City. If the Fire Department takes the report and distributes it, at that point it is out, and this can occur before members of Council see it. He advised that if it was left on a desk by accident, it would be out, so the context of how to get the information to people would become somewhat distorted. Mr. Koenig stated that no information was transferred back and forth to the ambulance provider. Staff got the raw data that was assembled, and had no conversations with the ambulance service. Mr. Koenig indicated that the recommendations were the recommendations, and they would be acted upon. With respect to the Police Department, Mr. Koenig explained that the Department was provided the data collection summaries and analysis. Data collection with the Police Department was much more difficult. He noted that the Police Department is completely within the realm of the City. Mr. Koenig stated that the raw draft report was distributed electronically to the Police Chief and the Mayor, and they were asked for comments. He stated that this report had not yet been finalized but

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 12 would be finalized shortly. Mr. Koenig reiterated that with the Fire Department the City was dealing with a third-party, private company that basically provides service to the City, so there were some confidentiality issues. He noted that there would have been problems if the Fire Department had disclosed the report, even by accident, before there was an opportunity to meet with affected employees. Mr. Koenig informed members that when the Fire Department declined to provide comments, staff essentially had to meet with the employees prior to distribution, so that it was not a surprise to those employees when the information came out. Council President Slavin advised that the meeting that Mr. Koenig referenced included himself, Mr. Hosfelt, Mr. Bashista, and Mr. Carey. He explained Mr. Carey and Mr. Bashista were offered a copy of the report, but they were very sensitive to the fact that they did not want to be the two (2) members of the fire company that had access to the report, believing that all members deserved the benefit of that access. Mr. Slavin advised that they all made the decision at that point that it would be in the best interest of everyone to simply release the report all at once. He noted that all members of Council saw it on the same day and at the same time that all members of the fire company did, to avoid discussion of who had it when. Mr. Koenig agreed that this type of setup created a difficult situation for all sides, because the City has an obligation, as the employer, to employees that may be affected by the report, and the fire company had an obligation to share the information as soon as they got it. This became a timing issue; therefore, it was agreed at the meeting to distribute the report as written. In response to Mr. Hutchison, Mr. Koenig stated that, to his knowledge, there had been no assessment or evaluation of the Fire Department in the past. He indicated that the only similar analysis was the accreditation process at the Police Department, which involves looking at operational procedures and recordkeeping. He noted that a study relating to the Fire Department was conducted by Haggerty and Haggerty, Certified Public Accounts and Management Consultants, and it related to accounting and reporting structures regarding audit and finance, rather than service-level delivery or improvement of service delivery over time. Mr. Koenig did not believe that the Haggerty and Haggerty study got to the depth of information that this study had provided across the board. He stated that any previous discussion of the Fire Department did not include ambulance service and the level of ambulance service activity, and the City had never conducted that type of study. Mr. Anderson noted that there was a recommendation that one (1) of the benchmarks be the presence of two (2) EMTs and asked if this was something that was not always being done. In response, Mr. Iacona explained that current contract does not require a minimum of two (2) EMTs on ambulances. He advised that in their evaluations of other communities, the norm was for ambulance service to be provided at an even higher level, what is called advanced life support, with paramedics. Mr. Iacona stated that a paramedic can provide a whole host of preventative and invasive type cares; therefore, the level of care being provided should be notched up a bit. He felt it would ultimately behoove the City to look at ambulance service being advanced life support sometime in the future, since this was the national benchmark in most communities. Responding to Mr. Slavin, Mr. Iacona confirmed that this would be advanced life support provided by the County.

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 13 Mr. Paul Eichler, firefighter, Dover Fire Department, advised that he had been a firefighter for over 20 years, currently holds the rank of firefighter, and had held several positions throughout the Department. On behalf of himself and his colleagues present this evening, he thanked the City for the opportunity to review their operations and practices. Mr. Eichler thought it had benefitted them immensely to be able to tell what they were doing well, where they needed to do a bit more homework, and to identify those issues coming from the conversations and studies that largely had no impact on their operations and further separate them. He thanked Mr. Iacona, who had pointed out several best practices that the Fire Department currently employs in their delivery to the City. Mr. Eichler stated that it meant a lot to the Department as they strive to be a professional organization, regardless of how they are staffed in terms of the volunteer versus career conversation. Mr. Eichler indicated that the Fire Department had done a lot of due diligence already with regard to the information that was presented. He informed members that, since reviewing the study, a committee from the Department had met several times. He noted that they had put a lot of work into the review and looked forward to the opportunity next month to break it down and provide some of their recommendations and thoughts. Mr. Eichler encouraged everyone to keep in mind that the delivery of emergency medical services to the citizens of Dover is extremely unique. He believed that anyone would be challenged to find another system in the country that delivers services in the same way. In light of some of the challenges experienced through the years, Mr. Eichler felt comfortable saying that the Dover Fire Department does an excellent job, exceeding the majority of the country in delivery of fire services and support of the emergency medical services that are delivered in the City and throughout the fire district. He stated that they were very proud of the relationships that they had built through the years with their fellow organizations, and thought they had nothing to look forward to but continued wonderful relations, specifically with this body, as well as with all of their fellow service providers. Mr. Eichler appreciated the opportunity to comment, stating that he was very comfortable saying, on behalf of President Bashista, Chief Carey, and their members both present and absent, that they enjoy working with the City and look forward to continuing to do so. Although he believed that there may be more challenges to be addressed in October, he felt this would help them to continue to move forward. Mr. Hutchison thanked those responsible for the report. He noted that he had the opportunity to see first hand what the Fire Department is capable of doing. Mr. Hutchison indicated that he had seen it operate in all kinds of weather conditions, day and night, and believed that Dover has a first-class volunteer service, which is what the report had said. He informed members that he had an opportunity to review the report with Fire Chief Carey, and Mr. Hutchison had a better insight into some of the things that Chief Carey and the Fire Department were doing and changes they were making. He felt that this was not a negative report but a good report and that only 49 recommendations spoke well of the volunteer fire service. Mr. Hutchison expressed thanks for the report, which he believed provided a tremendous opportunity to look at this matter from a different perspective. Mr. Hosfelt thanked the gentlemen from CPSM for their presentation and expressed pride in the service provided by the Dover Fire Department. He noted that he had held discussions with

SPECIAL COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 PAGE 14 Mr. Bashishta and had agreed that another Special Council Committee of the Whole/Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee meeting would be held on October 19, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. to hear from the Fire Department regarding the presentation. He welcomed those from CPSM to attend. Mr. Neil moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Hutchison and unanimously carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m. Timothy A. Slavin Council President TAS/TM/js/dd S:\AGENDAS-MINUTES-PACKETS-PRESENTATIONS-ATT&EXH\Committee-Minutes\2016\09-07-2016 SPECIAL CCW-SA&T.wpd Attachments Attachment #1 - Presentation - Operational and Administrative Analysis - Dover Fire Department

ATTACHMENT #1 Council Committee of the Whole Meeting of 09/07/2016 Dover Fire Department 1 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Operational and Administrative Analysis Dover Fire Department Dover, DE September 7, 2016 2 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

CPSM Project Staff: Thomas J. Wieczorek, Director Leonard A. Matarese, Director, Research & Project Development Mike Iacona, Senior Manager for Fire and EMS Jack Brown, Public Safety Associate Pete Finley, Public Safety Associate Dov N. Chelst, Senior Quantitative Analyst Dennis Kouba, Editor 3 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Presentation Agenda Project Methodology Initial Observations Findings and Recommendations Questions 4 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Project Methodology The project began with an analysis of fire department administrative and operational information. On‐site meetings with key stakeholders in November 2015. A response and workload analysis was completed. Additional communication with City staff and the Volunteers Association for clarification of information and understanding of operations. 5 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Initial Observations Dedicated Corps of Volunteers, Committed Service Delivery. DFD is at a crossroads in finding ways to enhance its Volunteer services in order to meet the growing service demands of the community. Improved coordination is needed between the Volunteer Association and the City of Dover. The expanded use of National Training Standards, recognized Officer Certifications and Professional Credentials are needed. Dispatch operations should be centralized. Expanded efforts in fire prevention and hazard assessment. 6 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Findings and Recommendations Organizational Needs: Hire an Emergency Services Manager with oversite for Fire, Ambulance Services and Emergency Management functions. Establish a service contract between the City and the Volunteer Association that specifies working relationships and performance standards. Institute an apparatus replacement program and shift vehicle purchase and maintenance responsibilities to the City. Improve incident reporting and Fire Department recordkeeping. Transfer dispatching duties to Kent County and reclassify Fire Dispatchers to Fire Technicians. 7 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Findings and Recommendations Deployment: Limit primary response apparatus to 3‐Engines, 1‐Ladder, 1 Heavy Rescue and 2 Command Units (Not including reserve units and utility vehicles). Respond a separate Chief or Duty Officer vehicle to all major incidents to establish the command and safety functions. Adjust response protocols to standardize response assignments and when appropriate send fewer units to non‐emergency calls. Expand the Emergency Services Manager’s oversight of ambulance operations and require EMT training for all ambulance personnel. 8 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Findings and Recommendations Training: Move to the NFPA‐1001 Standard: Firefighter I & II Qualifications. Insure that Fire Officers and Chief Officers achieve and maintain command and supervisory training as a component of their selection. Institute training requirements for all Volunteers regarding workplace behavior, supervising City employees and operating in public forums as representatives of the City. Insure that all emergency response personnel maintain skills qualification and personal readiness to operate safely in hazardous environments. 9 // EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ICMA

Findings and Recommendations Prevention: Conduct a fire risk analysis and pre‐fire planning in high risk occupancies and critical infrastructure. Utilize Fire Technicians (former Dispatchers) to conduct pre‐fire plans and safety inspections ‐ providing this information to response personnel. Consider the reassignment of the Fire Marshall’s Office under the umbrella of the Emergency Services Manager. Adopt fire code provisions that requires automatic fire sprinklers in all new residential construction. 10 / / E X C L U S I V E P R O V I D E R O F T E C H N I C A L A S S I S T A N C E T O I C M A

Questions ?? CPSM Helping to make communities safe for citizens, business and employees. 11 / / E X C L U S I V E P R O V I D E R O F T E C H N I C A L A S S I S T A N C E T O I C M A