HomeMy WebLinkAbout2511 Ordinance No . 2511
["Beginning July 1 , 1998"]
(Amending or Repealing Ordinances)
CFN=786 — SEPA; 122 — Police/Fire Departments
Passed 12/3/1984
Adopting the fire master plan
Amended by Ord. 3573 (Sec. 11.03.510 formerly Sec. 12.12A.510)
Amended by Ord. 3746 (Sec. 11.03.510)
A_
O D ORDINANCE NO. U�•S/
C
AN ORDINANCE of the City of Kent,
Washington adopting the Fire Master Plan and
lT amending Subsection 12 .12A.510 D . Kent City
Code (Ordinance 2494, City Environmental
Policy) in conjunction therewith.
a 5 0 WHEREAS, it is the mission of the Kent Fire Department to
Ia' 1 protect life and property by responding to requests for assistance
(both emergency and nonemergency) , to prevent emergencies, and to
reduce risk in the fire and life safety environment; and
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�SEC WHEREAS to achieve its mission the Fire Department has
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set administration goals, suppression goals, and code enforcement
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goals; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kent and Fire District 37, which
contracts with the City for fire protection and emergency medical
services, have experienced a significant economic and population
growth in the past decade; and have experienced an increased
demand for emergency services which has strained the fire and life
safety systems; and it is anticipated that the city and
surrounding area will continue to experience significant growth in
the future with limited sources of funding; and such growth has
required the City to thoroughly evaluate existing problems,
possible solutions for current problems and alternative approaches
in order to adequately meet the needs of the community' s future;
and
WHEREAS, the department organized an internal committee
Ito draft a Master Plan for fire prevention and control including
risk reduction, building and fire code enforcement, emergency
medical services, fire suppression, hazardous material incident
management, disaster preparedness, non-emergency services; and
WHEREAS, a draft Master Plan was referred to a Technical
Committee composed of City of Kent departmental representatives
and representatives from King County Departments of Building and
Land Development, and Planning; and
WHEREAS, the draft Master Plan was further reviewed by a
Citizen' s Advisor Committee composed of residents and civic
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leaders throughout the City and District 37 service area, and
representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Kent School District
and other community interests and concerns; and
WHEREAS, numerous meetings with the Citizen Advisory and
' Technical Advisory Committees were held in 1983 and 1984, during
, which time an in-depth review was conducted and modifications were
( made; and during 1984 several presentations were made to community
, groups, including the Chamber of Commerce Local Government
Committee; and
WHEREAS, the matter has been considered by the City
Council at a special workshop on October 29, 1984, and a public
hearing was held on November 19, 1984; and
WHEREAS, the Fire Master Plan identifies levels or risk
and service; projects resource needs for future growth over the
next ten years; recommends goals to achieve an adequate level of
service; defines measures of effectiveness; establishes a dynamic
planning guide for the future delivery of services; and provides
for the implementation of this process and standards for
implementing regulations to affect these goals; and
WHEREAS, the City having determined that it be in the
l best interest of the community to adopt and implement the Fire
l ' Master Plan; NOW THEREFORE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT, WASHINGTON DOES
HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City of Kent Fire Master Plan and
Executive Summary, a copy of each is filed with the City Clerk and
a copy of each is available at Fire Station No. 1, be and the same
are hereby adopted.
Section 2 . Subsection 12 .12A.510 D. Kent City Code ( SEPA
Substantive Authority) (Ordinance 2494) is amended as follows:
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12 .12A.510
D. The City designates the adopts by reference the
following additional policies as the basis for the City' s exercise
of authority pursuant to this section:
1. The City shall use all practicable means,
consistent with other essential considerations of state policy, to
improve and coordinate plans, functions, programs, and resources
to the end that the state and its citizens may:
a. Fulfill the responsibilities of each
generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding
generations;
b. Assure for all people for Washington safe,
healthful, productive, and aesthetically and culturally pleasing
' surroundings;
C. Attain the widest range of beneficial uses
of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety,
or other undesirable and unintended consequences;
d. Preserve important historic, cultural, and
natural aspects of our national heritage;
e. Maintain, wherever possible, an
environment which supports diversity and variety of individual
choice;
f. Achieve a balance between population and
resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide
sharing of life' s amenities; and
g. Enhance the quality of renewable resources
and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable
resources.
2. The City recognizes that each person has a
fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment and
that each person has a responsibility to contribute to the
preservation and enhancement of the environment.
3 . The City adopts by reference the policies in
the following City codes, ordinances, and resolutions:
a. Kent Citywide Comprehensive Plan
(Resolution 817) , and its specific components, including, but not
limited to the East Hill Plan (Resolution 972 ) , the West Hill Plan
(Resolution 1016 ) , the Kent Central Business District Plan
(Resolution 764) and the Valley Floor Comprehensive Plan
(Resolutions 873 and 924) , as amended.
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b. Shoreline Master Program (Resolution 907) . ,,
C . City of Kent Surface Water and Drainage
'; Plan (KCC 12 .14) .
d. Electrical or Communications Facilities -
Underground Requirements (KCC 7 .10) .
e. Transportation Master Plan (Resolution
1014) .
f. Wastewater Facilities Master Plan (KCC
7 .12 )
g. Comprehensive Water Plan (Ordinances 2369
and 2329) .
h. Construction Standards for Public Works
(KCC 4 .04)
i . Street Use Permit Requirements (KCC 4 .07 ) .
j . Flood Hazard Protection (KCC 14 .22 ) .
k. Kent Subdivision Code (KCC 12 .04 ) .
1 . Kent Mobile Home Park Code (KCC 12 .08) .
M. Valley Studies (as adopted in Resolutions
920, 921, 922, 923, and 924) .
n. Noise Control (KCC 9 .20) .
o. State Building Code, together with the
local implementing ordinances (KCC Title 14) .
p. State Fire Code, together with the local
implementing ordinances (KCC Title 13 ) .
q. Kent Zoning Code (KCC Title 15) .
r. Recreational Vehicle Park Code (KCC 12 .06) .
S. Water Shortage Emergency Regulations (KCC
9 .24) .
t Kent Comprehensive Park & Recreat
ion
dSystem Plan (KCC 4 .10 & KCC 4.12 ) .
U. Kent Public Improvements Ordinance (KCC
4.14 & KCC 4 .18)
V. Storm Drainage Utility (Ordinance 2325 ) .
W. Storm Drainage Policies (Resolutions 920
and 937) .
X. Six Year Transportation Improvement Plan
(Resolution 1020) .
y. Comprehensive Sewerage Plan (Resolution
915 ) .
Z. Fire Master Plan (Ordinance dS// ) .
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Section 3 . Those levels of service and measurement goals
identified in the appendix to the Kent Fire Department Master Plan
Executive Summary are hereby adopted as policies and standards of
the City of Kent, and the Chief of the Kent Fire Department is
directed to enforce such policies and standards and to adopt and
administer rules and regulations, as needed, and such other
policies and standards for the implementation of Sections 1 and 2
herein, consistent with the Fire Master Plan. Any rules and
regulations and such other policies and standards to be adopted by
the Department shall be effective upon filing with the Clerk and
publication of the text thereof in the official City newspaper.
Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take
" effect and be in force five (5 ) days from and after its passage,
approval and publication as provided by law.
ISABEL HOG , MAYORJ
ATTEST:
MARIE JE E , CITY CLERK _
APPROVED AS TO FORM: -
P. S EN DiJULIO, CITY ATTORNEY
PASSED the day of � � , 1984.
APPROVED the day of , 1984 .
PUBLISHED the day of 1984.
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I hereby certify that this is a true copy of Ordinance
No. passed by the City Council of the City of Kent,
Washington, and approved by the Mayor of the City of Kent as hereon
indicated.
(SEAL)
MARIE SEN, CITY CLERK
2050-90
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FIRE
DEPARTMENT
MASTER P LAN
KENT FIRE
DEPARTMENT
MASTER PLAN
DRAFTED BY THE KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT
1983
Reviewed by
Technical Committee of City of Kent & King County Officials
i ) and
Kent Area Citizens Advisory Committee
July 1983 through February 1984
and
Norman Angelo, Fire Chief
Dick Cushing, City Administrator
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Submitted to the Kent City Council and
The Board of Commissioners K.C.F.D. #37
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October 1984
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Fire--Department Drafting Committee
Mary Berg, Assistant Chief
Dale Robertson
Duane Griffin
Kevin Kearns
With outstanding support from the
entire Fire Department staff
Technical Committee Members Citizens Advisory Committee
Mike Webby Steve Dowell
Assistant City Administrator Business Owner/Kent Chamber of Commerce
Gary Gill Cliff Hulk
City Engineer Insurance Agent/Dist #37 Resident
Jim Harris Jon Johnson
Planning Director Kent City Council
Jim Hansen Henry Mairs
Planning Department Fire District #37 Commissioner
Hal Reese Don Masoero
Police Department Building Inspector/Dist #37 Resident
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Barbara Heavey Claudia Otey
Assistant City Attorney Kent Schools Transportation Director
Niel Sullivan Juan Robertson
Superintendant of Recreation Boeing CoJWest Hill Resident
Dick Flaten Tom Sharp
King County Building Department Developer/Kent Chamber of Commerce
Chandler Felt Tom Shepard
King County Planning Department Kent Firefighters Union
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1 . INTRODUCTION 1
A. PHILOSOPHY OF PLANNING FOR FIRE SERVICE
B. ROLE OF THE FIRE PROTECTION MASTER PLAN
SECTION 2. KENT COMMUNITY PROFILE 5
A. DEMOGRAPHICS OF KENT
B. COMMUNITY SURVEY
C. HISTORY OF KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT
SECTION 3. DESCRIPTION OF KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT 13
A. FACILITIES
B. STAFFING CONFIGURATIONS
C. PERSONNEL DISTRIBUTION
D. FIRE SUPPRESSION
E. SERVICE CALLS
F. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
G. DISPATCHING SYSTEM
H. OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
I. TRAINING
J. CODE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
SECTION 4. PROFILE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES 56
A. FIRE SERVICES
B. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
C. INCIDENTS BY FIRE DEMAND ZONES
D. DEATH AND INJURY
E. CODE ENFORCEMENT BUILDING INSPECTIONS
F. INCIDENTS OF ARSON
SECTION 5. CRITICAL TIME FACTORS 72
A. TIME VS. TEMPERATURE
-� B. TIME LIFE URGENCY
C. INCIDENT CONTROL
SECTION 6. AGENT APPLICATION 94
A. AVAILABILITY OF THE AGENT
B. AGENT REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL
C. AGENT APPLICATION ABILITY
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Page
SECTION 7. MEASUREMENTS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT EFFECTIVENESS 109
A. TRADITIONAL MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
B. DEVELOPMENT OF MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
C. RECOMMENDED MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
SECTION 8. DESIGNED SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS AND GOALS 117
A. LACK OF EMPHASIS ON FIRE PREVENTION AND CODE ENFORCEMENT
B. FIRE PREVENTION AND CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFECTIVENESS WITHIN
FIRE DISTRICT 37
C. PUBLIC EDUCATION
D. FACILITIES
E. DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE ABILITY
F. FIRE/ARSON INVESTIGATIONS
G. DISASTER PLANS
H. TRAINING
I. WATER AVAILABILITY
J. RESPONSE TIMES
K. G.P.M. DELIVERY
L. DISPATCHING
SECTION 9. IMPLEMENTATION AND LEVELS OF SERVICE 141
A. EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
B. REDUCING RISK POTENTIAL
C. FIRE SUPPRESSION
D. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
E. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT
J F. NON-EMERGENCY SERVICES
G. IMPLEMENTATION
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TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
FIGURE NUMBER
1 KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE AREA 16
2 WATER DISTRICTS 17
3 KENT FIRE STATION LOCATIONS 19
4 STATION 71 RESPONSE AREA 21
5 STATION 72 RESPONSE AREA 23
6 STATION 73 RESPONSE AREA 25
7 STATION 74 RESPONSE AREA 27
8 STATION 76 RESPONSE AREA 29
9 STATION 77 RESPONSE AREA 31
10 DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION 33
11 CODE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION 34 ..
12 FIRE SUPPRESSION DIVISION 35
13 STATION MANNING 37
14 MANPOWER & EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION 38
15 INCIDENT RESPONSES 40
16 NEIGHBORING FIRE DEPARTMENTS 46
17 AUTOMATIC RESPONSE AREAS 47
18 INCIDENT RESPONSES 58
19 FIRE DEMAND ZONE GRID 59
20 1976 FIRE & HAZARDOUS CONDITION RESPONSES 63
21 1980 FIRE & HAZARDOUS CONDITION RESPONSES 64
22 1982 FIRE & HAZARDOUS CONDITION RESPONSES 65
23 1976 EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSES 66
24 1980 EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSES 67
J 25 1982 EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSES 68
26 PATIENT'S CHANCES FOR RECOVERY 78
27 FIRE GROWTH VS. REFLEX TIME 80
28 1982 FIRE & HAZARDOUS CONDITION RESPONSE TIMES 84
29 1982 EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE TIMES 85
30 CREW SIZE EFFECTIVENESS - ENGINE COMPANY 90
31 CREW SIZE EFFECTIVENESS - LADDER COMPANY 93
32 ISO REQUIRES FIRE FLOW 105
33 WATER AVAILABILITY 106
34 FIRE FLOW REQUIRED FOR AVERAGE FIRE 107
35 ABILITY TO DELIVER WATER 108
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INTRODUCTION
PHILOSOPHY OF PLANNING FOR FIRE SERVICES
Historically when a group of people have banded together for mutual support
and protection, one of the first services provided is fire protection. At
that time fire protection was thought of as extinguishment of fires only, and
this premise has survived far too long. The American Fire Service continues
in this trend and only reacts to the fire problem after some major disaster
has pointed out inadequacies in the environment.
Through the years, fire protection planning has followed a course of applying
the requirements of an insurance grading schedule. This schedule is based on
the concept of the one major fire occurring and the application of east coast
tactics of "surround and drown" to combat that one fire. In reality, that
major fire may occur only once every ten or fifteen years. This type of
planning has resulted in the fire service providing a level of protection that
is less than optimum in cost effectiveness.
Starting in the late 1960's, a series of events occurred in America that
related to long-range planning for the fire service. The first of these
events was the Wingspread conferences that were held in Racine, Wisconsin. At
these conferences groups of fire leaders from throughout the United States met
to study the fire problem and make recommendations for needed improvements.
Another major event that occurred was the publishing of "America Burning,"
which was a report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control .
This report was from a presidential commission that was impaneled to study the
American fire problem and to make a series of recommendations.
As a result of these in-depth studies of the fire problem, some changes were
recommended in the old style reactive management of the fire service. Two of
the major recommendations were that the fire service must assume more respon-
sibility and leadership in fire loss management and the need for long-range
planning for improvement of the fire and life safety environment.
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The Kent Fire Department Master Plan is intended to provide the long-range
direction for deployment of Fire Department resources. It is the intent of
this plan to identify levels of service that are in keeping with levels of
cost effectiveness that the citizens of this area are willing to accept.
ROLE OF THE FIRE PROTECTION MASTER PLAN
The Fire Prevention and Control Master Plan is intended to become a section of
the Community' s Comprehensive Plan. It is also intended that the Fire Preven-
tion and Control Master Plan support the goals of the community in regards to
life and fire safety.
In addition the Master Plan will also identify the fire problem. It should be
noted that when we talk about problem identification we're not saying that the
fire department has severe problems, but rather that any time fire is occur-
ring, an undesirable condition exists. So an analysis will be made of the
type of incidences that are occurring, where the incidences are occurring, and
when they are occurring. An identification will also be made of the types.of
service that the public is requesting from the Fire Department.
A very important part of this Master Plan will be the identification of the
Fire Prevention and Control System. In doing this, the plan will look at the
individual parts of the system.
1 . Code Enforcement which includes the administration and enforcement of
Fire, Building, and Zoning Codes.
2. Water which will include the water distribution system, fire hydrants, and
the maintenance and installation of private fire protection systems by
businesses and citizens.
3. Public Education Programs designed to promote public awareness of Fire
Department activities as well as local fire problems and their respective
solutions.
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4. The Fire Suppression System which includes personnel , fire stations, fire
engines, ladder trucks, hoses, ladders, and related hardware necessary to
do physical combat with the fire should it occur.
5. Emergency Medical Services provided by the Fire Department to aid and
assist distressed citizens suffering from acute medical problems such as
heart attacks, automobile accidents, etc.
Another role of this Master Plan is to identify a level of service and list
alternatives. Costs of the various levels will be analyzed and presented to
the governing bodies of the fire protection area and will serve as a basis for
the decision-making process on determining delivery of fire prevention and
control services.
Goals and objectives will be identified to implement the acceptable level of
service. Measurement bench marks will be established for the evaluation of
the Fire Prevention and Control System.
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KENT COMMUNITY PROFILE
DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE KENT AREA
The City of Kent is centered approximately 18 miles between Seattle and
Tacoma, bordered on the West by Des Moines and King County, on the East by
rural King County, on the North by Renton and on the South by Auburn. Eleva-
tion is 50 feet above sea level on the valley floor rising to approximately
400 feet on the east and west hills. Kent has a moderate climate. Average
annual snowfall is 8.6 inches and measurable precipitation averages 162 days
per year. Average annual precipitation is 34.10 inches. Average annual
temperature is 45.4°F minimum, 60OF maximum. The City has two railroad lines,
Burlington Northern and Union Pacific transversing the valley floor north and
south. Approximately 45 trains varying from very short to well over 100 cars
in length, travel through on a daily basis. State Highways 167 (Valley
Freeway) , 181 (West Valley Highway), and 516 (Kent-Kangley/Kent Des Moines)
pass through the City. Interstate 5 and State Highway 99 (Pacific Highway
South) pass through on west hill . Sea-Tac International Airport is located
seven miles west of the City. Kent's population is approximately 24,000
people within its 18 square mile boundary. Projected growth is to be 26,500
by 1985.
There are about 70 major companies that employ from 50 to 7,000 employees
each, for a total of approximately 18,000 jobs within the City. A major
factor contributing to population increase is expanded industrialization of
the Kent Valley. Its central location between Seattle and Tacoma, coupled
with the close proximity to all major types of transportation facilities,
makes Kent attractive to firms relocating into larger facilities and to firms
just coming into the Pacific Northwest. Continuing improvements and access
highways, development of new shopping areas, good public schools, recreation
opportunities, etc. have contributed to substantial growth of residential
areas on hills to both the east and west of Kent's central business and
industrial areas. Medical services are provided by a major hospital located
just outside the north city limits, numerous clinics within the City, and
Emergency Medical Service provided by the Kent Fire Department. Schools
within the Kent area are from four school districts. There are 17 elementary,
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five junior high and four senior high schools. Total enrollment is approxi-
mately 17,800 students. At the present time, Kent is a Class 4 fire rated
city (discussed later in this plan).
With a merger of Fire District 37, in 1973, an additional 35 square miles and
approximately 43,000 people were added to the protection area of the Kent Fire
Department. District 37 is mainly located east of the Kent city limits with a
small portion located to the southeast. The area is rural in nature, made up
mainly of single and multiple family dwellings situated among rolling hills
and valleys. One major arterial , State Highway 18, as well as two heavily
traveled state routes, State Highway 515 (Benson Road) and 516 (Kent-Kangley
Road), go through the district.
Assessed valuation of the City of Kent is $2,032,755,800 and $1 ,015,242,000
for District 37. Therefore, the total valuation for the property protected by
the Kent Fire Department is $3,047,997,800.
COMMUNITY SURVEY
During the latter part of 1982, a survey from the Fire Department was included
with the utility bills sent out by the City. The following information is a
result of the approximately 700 forms that were completed and returned. When
asked if they understood the mission of the Fire Department, 70 percent stated
that they did. This statistic would tend to indicate that the Fire Depart-
ment's public information program is working, but perhaps more emphasis could
be placed upon it.
Approximately half of the people answering the survey felt that the City's
fire rating of 4 and the District's rating of 5 is acceptable to them. This
being understood that on a rating of 1 to 10, 1 being the best.
Ninety-five percent of the people feel that the Kent Fire Department should
receive aid from other fire departments during large scale emergencies. This
would appear to indicate that our mutual aid and automatic response agreements
should be continued. It also seems to indicate that most citizens .have no
preference as far as which political entity arrives to give them assistance.
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It also seemed to indicate that future consolidation should be considered to
allow the closest fire unit available for the emergency to be dispatched.
Fifty percent answering said they would not be willing to pay more for
increased services. However, 69 percent of the people answering the question-
naire have not needed the services of the Fire Department in time of emer-
gency. Eighty-two percent stated that from personal observation, the Fire
Department personnel impressed them as being proficient at their jobs.
Ninety percent of the people felt that the Fire Department should provide
Emergency Medical Services (EMS). This would seem to incidate that an
attempted reduction in Emergency Medical Services would meet with adverse
public opinion. However, 50 percent of the people when asked if the Fire
Department should charge for the service to recover costs not covered by the
EMS levy said no. Forty-nine percent would support a payment for Emergency
Services if it was necessary to maintain the EMS Program.
Ninety-one percent of the citizens surveyed answered in the affirmative that
the Fire Department should be trained in the handling of emergency incidents
involving hazardous materials. This would indicate that there is a general
awareness and concern about hazardous materials, and a training program should
be initiated. This result of the survey, coupled with the fact that the Fire
Department should receive mutual aid from other departments during large
emergencies, would lend support to the continuance of the Fire Department' s
area-wide hazardous material response program.
Ninety percent said they have smoke detectors or automatic sprinklers in their
homes or businesses. Since the State laws and City ordinances requiring these
are relatively new and did not apply to older homes, it would appear that the
National and Local Smoke Detector Publicity Programs have had a desirable
affect.
Seventy-seven percent of the people answering the survey said that they had
developed and discussed a fire evacuation plan in the event a fire should
occur in their home. Since this message is distributed almost solely through
the public education programs put on the by the Fire Department at elementary
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schools, it would appear that this program is extremely effective and worth-
while. Seventy-six percent of the people said that they would like to see
more public education fire safety programs.
On a scale of 1 to 10, a large majority rated the fire and EMS services of the
Fire Department in the upper one-third of the scale. This would indicate that
the citizens of the area are satisfied with the level of service that the Fire
Department is providing.
Sixty-six percent said they would be willing to participate in a voluntary
fire safety survey program where a civilian representative of the Fire Depart-
ment would come into their home and give advice on fire hazards. This number
of people answering in the affirmative would indicate that the Fire Department
should actively pursue a program where civilian volunteers are selected and
trained and then sent into the community to perform Home Fire Hazard surveys.
Eighty-three percent said they would be willing to invest in fire safety
improvements to homes or businesses if a return to the investment could be
realized through insurance rates. It will be identified later in this
document that technological breakthroughs have been accomplished and the
installation of automatic sprinklers systems in single family residences are
now cost feasible. A recommendation would be to promote cooperation between
local government and the insurance industry to give insurance premium reduc-
tions to those single family residences that are equipped with a sprinkler
system.
Approximately 70 percent of the people polled stated they wanted to maintain
the services provided by the Fire Department at present level . Only seven
percent indicated they would be willing to accept less services for less tax
dollars expended.
J In summary, it would indicate that the citizens of the community are willing
to accept the level of service that they are receiving from the Fire Depart-
ment. They are satisfied with the professionalism of the Fire Department, but
in areas of public education and home safety surveys there is an indication
J that the public would be willing to accept a higher level of service. The
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fact that in excess of 80 percent of the people answered that they would be
willing to improve their homes to make them safer from the danger of fire
would indicate that the Fire Department should seek an aggressive approach to
the community's fire problem through the installation of fire protection
devices in residential occupancies.
BRIEF HISTORY OF KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Kent Fire Department dates back to 1882 when an informal group of men
formed the Department with equipment consisting of one large chemical fire
extinguisher mounted on wheels. By 1900 two hand drawn hose carts had been
added to the Fire Department, and by 1912 the Department had a horse drawn
hook and ladder rig, but the horses were owned by the men and not the Fire
Department. It was in this year that the official Kent Volunteer Fire Depart
ment was organized. The Department consisted of 28 volunteers and responded
to three alarms that year. In 1917 the Department became mechanized with the
purchase of a Maxwell chemical fire truck which provided a fast, efficient,
firefighting rig, one of the first motorized units in the area.
The last year of the Kent Volunteer Fire Department was 1923, and that year
they responded to ten alarms. On January 23, 1924, the Kent Fire Department
was reorganized with volunteer staff consisting of a chief and eleven men.
This was the beginning of the City Fire Department, and all appointments were
made by the City Council . In 1925, a bond issue was passed by the voters for
$5,000 to purchase a new fire engine. This was the only bond issue put before
the voters for the next 40 years. This was also the first year that night
shift men were on duty at the fire station, thereby giving the Fire Department
fast response to nighttime fires. In 1927 inspections of public and commer-
cial buildings were started, becoming one of the first such inspection
programs in the area. This was also a landmark period of time in Department
history due to the purchase of a "lung motor," a device used to help revive
unconscious people. The Fire Department had now taken on the responsibility
of first aid alarms, and the first recorded aid call was on May 2, 1929.
Throughout the 1930's, growth was slow but continuous. In 1936 a new Ford
J fire truck was purchased with money which came from the people outside the
City limits and was used to provide rural fire protection. Kent was one of
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the first departments in the area to provide this type of rural protection.
In 1940 a new Seagrave fire engine was added to the Department and was the
first-run unit for many years. With the war years of the 40' s, the Fire
Department became an arm of the Department of Civil Defense. Much time was
spent in First Aid training for local people preparing for events that could
have happened but never did. After the war in 1948, King County Fire District
37 was formed, and the fire chief of Kent became chief of both Departments.
In 1952, the Fire Department, with money received from donations from the
community, purchased a 1952 Chevrolet Sedan delivery vehicle to be used as a
medical aid car. The Kent Fire Department consequently was one of the first
in the state to operate a first aid vehicle. The first large capacity fire
engine, an open cab Kenworth, was purchased in 1954. For the next ten years,
the Fire Department developed gradually, adding equipment as necessary. In
1964, a $200,000 bond issue, the second bond issue on record for the Fire
Department, was passed by the voters. This money paid for two new fire
stations and two new Crown fire engines.
The most historic year was 1965 when the City Council hired the first paid
staff, consisting of two chief officers and ten fl refighters. With the addi-
tion of two new fire stations, the Fire Department moved, and for the first
time in history was not housed at City Hall . At this time, Fire District 37
hired its own fire chief and expanded with new equipment and more manpower.
In the years that followed, the Kent Department also increased in both equip-
ment and manpower, and by 1970 the force of paid firefighters had increased to
24. Two years later in 1972, four members of the Fire Department completed
the new first aid training known as Emergency Medical Technician. These were
some of the first Emergency Medical Technicians in the state. Another major
event occurred that year when the City Building Department was brought under
the management control of the Fire Department. This was a radical change of
traditionally accepted organizational control but proved to be an extremely
workable and valuable concept. In 1973, an insurance break came to the tax-
payers of the City as the Department lowered their fire rating from a Class 5
to a Class 4. The year 1974 opened with a contract between the Kent Fire
Department and King County Fire District 37 to cut costs and operating
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expenses. The work force and equipment was combined into one large Depart-
ment. This was accomplished by the commissioners of the district and the City
Council working out a contract whereby the Fire Department increased in man-
power to 39 men and the area of protection to approximately 53 square miles.
In 1980, bond issues were passed by the voters in Fire District 37 for the
purchase of one new station, remodeling of another, a fire engine, and an aid
car. The total cost of this bond issue was $985,000. At the same time, the
voters in the City passed a bond issue of $450,000 for the purchase of a new
fire engine and ladder truck.
i
12 -
DESCRIPTION OF KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Kent Fire Department and Fire District 37 in conjunction with surrounding
fire departments provide a variety of services for the approximately 68,000
residents of the greater Kent area. (Figure 1 . ) These services include such
things as fire suppression, fire prevention, emergency medical services, fire
and building code enforcement, business inspections, service calls, public
education as it relates to the Fire Department, and fire investigation.
In 1972 the Kent Building Department was placed under the direct supervision
of the Fire Department to better serve the public and correlate the needs of
one department as it relates to the decisions of the other. The Building
Department, under the supervision of the Fire Department, provides such public
services as enforcement of building codes, construction inspections, plan
checks, and tracking of the issuing of building permits throughout the various
City departments.
In 1973 the Kent Fire Department expanded its fire protection area via a
contract with Fire District 37 to provide all fire suppression services within
the fire district boundaries. The contract, now in effect for ten years, has
proved beneficial to both parties and has since combined the departments into
what is commonly referred to as the Greater Kent Fire Department. The Depart-
ment currently has 91 full time paid employees that include administration,
suppression, supportive staff, Fire Prevention and Building Departments (now
called Code Enforcement) , and maintenance staff. To supplement the paid
suppression crews, the Department still actively recruits and maintains a
volunteer firefighter program currently consisting of approximately 30 volun-
teers assigned throughout the protection area, primarily on the East Hill .
A response area of approximately 53 square miles is protected by six stations,
five of which are manned 24 hours a day. The Department is able to dispatch a
total of five engine companies, one ladder company, two aid cars, and a
command vehicle, with paid people. The remaining station houses a single
engine and is manned by volunteer firefighters on a call basis. Paid crews
are supplemented with the remainder of the volunteers assigned to the various
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engine companies.
J - 14 -
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Suppression crews responded to an average of 12.8 calls per day for a total of
4,665 incidents during the year 1982. Requests for medical aid are by far the
bulk of the responses, consisting of 60 to 65 percent of the total calls, with
fire responses second, totalling approximately 25 percent. The remainder of
the responses consist of service related calls, i.e. , water problems, standby
request, power lines down, or other services rendered within the scope of the
Department's responsibility. The fire protection area is served by six water
departments or districts. The primary one being the City of Kent Water
Department. Others include Water Districts 111 , 58, and 105 on the East Hill ,
Water District 87 on the Valley Floor, and Water District 75 on the West Hill .
(Figure 2. )
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FACILITIES
As stated, the Department currently consists of six fire stations located
throughout the response area. (Figure 3. )
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-19-
Station 71 . Currently our headquarters station located at 504 West Crow on
the Valley Floor is primary protection for the core area and the East Hill of
the City. This station houses an engine company, Kent's only ladder company,
an aid unit, and the command vehicle used by the shift commander for transpor-
tation throughout the response area. This station is of single story block
construction with living quarters for a maximum crew of nine employees, an
office area for support staff, offices for fire administration and training,
four apparatus bays, and a shop area for the mechanic. It sits on approxi-
mately one half acre which also serves as a limited training site. This
station was constructed in 1965 with a shop area being added during 1971 and
the administration offices being added in 1975. Several smaller remodeling
projects have been necessitated by growth of the Department and the reoganiza-
tion of administration. (Figure 4. )
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Station 72. Built in 1982, this station is the newest in the Department.
It' s located at S.E. 256th and 140th S.E. and houses a paid engine company, an
aid car, and a volunteer engine company. This station has an employee capa-
city of ten. Primary areas of response are the southern half of the fire
district and southeast area of the City. (Figure 5. )
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- 23-
Station 73. Located on the West Hill of the City, this station is a single
engine company station with a maximum personnel capacity of three. Initially
a volunteer station, it was remodeled and converted to a paid fire station
during 1978. The station is addressed at 3536 South 252nd and is the primary
response unit for the residential and light industry that comprises this area
of the City. The structure was built in 1961 on a residential lot and has
been remodeled and expanded to the capacity of the land available. (Figure 6. )
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Station 74. The only all volunteer station left in the Department, this
structure houses a single engine company. It's located approximately one
block west of the Benson Road on S.E. 216th and serves the area along the
Benson corridor. Constructed in 1948 by volunteer labor, this single story
block building is the oldest in the Department. Expansion occurred during the
mid 50's; however, current condition and lot size would make any future
improvements questionable. (Figure 7. )
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- 27-
Station 76. Located at approximately South 214th and the West Valley Road,
Station 76 is a single story block structure with response capability of one
engine company. Maximum personnel capacity is four but would probably require
some remodeling to accommodate them. The station is responsible for alarms
primarily in the City of Kent's northern area, consisting of industry and
warehousing. The station is located on a lot size parcel of land that could
accommodate possible expansion. However, due to the widening of the West
Valley Road to five lanes, the structure is now located such that its
continued use is questionable. (Figure 8. )
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-29-
Station 77. The third largest station in the Department with two apparatus
bays, this station is located at S.E. 210th and 132nd S.E. Primary response
area is the northern half of the fire district and northeast areas of the
City. Remodeled in 1982, this station now has facilities to accommodate four
firefighters. Currently a single engine company responds from this station.
(Figure 9. )
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Of the six stations within the response area, only two have been rebuilt or
expanded to meet future needs, Stations 77 and 72. This was accomplished
through a bond issue passed by the voters of the Fire District. Of the
remaining stations, the location of each needs to be examined in depth, and
J expansion, in most cases, would seem impossible or unrealistic. Future facil-
ities will have to be considered if the current level of protection is to
remain.
J - 30 -
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CODE ENFORCEMENT
The Code Enforcement Division is located on the fourth floor of City Hall ,
sharing the floor with the Kent Planning Department. Working conditions are
very crowded as 14 people are using an office space of approximately 800
square feet. With the "open concept" arrangement, noise and confusion are at
a very high level throughout the area. This arrangement also doesn't allow
for a conference room or a private area for counseling of employees or
necessary meetings.
The nature of the work performanced by the Code Enforcement Division requires
their physical location to be near both the Planning and Engineering Depart-
ments. This arrangement would allow for a fast and efficient flow of inter-
departmental information and paper work. Any expansion of facilities should
take these factors into consideration.
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- 32 -
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STAFFING CONFIGURATIONS
The Fire Department currently has a total of 91 people employed, divided into
the following categories. (Figure 10. )
Area Employees
Administration 3
Suppression 69
Staff & Training 3
Code Enforcement 14
Maintenance 2
DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION
FIRE CHIEF
ASST. CHIEF ASST. CHIEF
CODE ENFORCEMENT FIRE SUPPRESSION
DIVISION DIVISION
t26
taff
BUILDING OFFICIAL FIRE MARSHAL 69 Career Volunteer
Firefightersfighters
'r Staff l3 shifts)
Inspectors Inspectors
Figure. 10
J - 33 -
To facilitate necessary functions, the Code Enforcement Division along with
one administrator and three support staff are located on the Fourth Floor of
City Hall . This allows these personnel ready access to the other City Depart-
ments necessary to coordinate the designed functions and responsibilites
assigned them. Under the direction of the assistant chief in charge of Code
Enforcement, the Building official and the Fire Marshal direct the Code
Enforcement staff. See Fire Prevention staffing configuration chart.
(Figure 11 . )
CODE ENFORCEMENT
DIVISION
ASSISTANT CHIEF
BUILDING OFFICIAL \ /FIRE MARSHAL
I Staff Coordinator. I
Plans Checker I Asst. Fire Marshal
IPermit Specialist
2 Inspectors � 3 Inspectors
Clerk
i
P/T Clerk
Figure 11
Remaining administrative personnel , which include the chief of the Fire
Department, assistant chief in charge of suppression, and the training officer
are assigned to the headquarters station, Station 71 . They are supported by a
consisting of a secretary and clerk typist. Suppression crews are
staff co g Y
assigned to the manned stations per Fire Department procedure. To ensure
24-hour protection availability, the suppression division consists of three
crews made up of a captain, commonly referred to as the shift commader, a
- 34 -
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lieutenant assigned to each paid station, and firefighters assigned to the
ladder company, engine companies, and aid cars as policy dictates. See
suppression configuration chart. (Figure 12. )
FIRE SUPPRESSION
DIVISION
ASSISTANT CHIEF
Training STAFF
Of ficer Secretary
Clerk
.......................... Mechanic
Bidgs. Maint.
A SHIFT B SHIFT C SHIFT . VOLUNTEERS
Captain Captain Captain Batt. Chief
I I I 1
5 Lieutenants 5 Lieutenants 5 Lieutenants 4 Lieutenants
17 Firefighters 17 Firefighters 17 Firefighters 21 Firefighters
Figure 12
Maintenance Division consists of a mechanic assigned the responsibilities of
J
maintenance and repair of all major emergency equipment, i.e. , engine, ladder
truck, aid vehicles, and command unit. Smaller support vehicles are main-
tained and repaired by the City of Kent Equipment Rental Department. Also
included in this division is a building/grounds maintenance employee. Primary
J
responsibilities of this individual are maintenance of structures, equipment,
systems, and utilities of each of the six stations along with the grounds and
landscaping maintenance as required. Part time seasonal help has been hired
over the last several years to assist with the maintenance person's workload.
- 35 -
J
PERSONNEL DISTRIBUTION
The allocation of personnel pertains primarily to suppression crews as distri-
buted to fire stations and ultimately emergency apparatus. Currently each
suppression crew has a total assigned compliment of 23 personnel . (Figure
13. ) Rarely if ever are all assigned employees on duty at the same time due
to vacations, kelly days, illnesses, schooling, etc. Realistically, with 23
people assigned to a shift, an average of 18 employees will be available for
the manning of equipment. (See chart below and Figure 14. ) So for the
following distribution discussion, we will consider 18 employees available to
be assigned.
Station Equipment Assigned Personnel Assigned to the Equipment
71 Engine 2 people
Aid Car 2 people
Ladder 1 person
Command Car 1 person
72 Engine 3 people
Aid Car 2 people
77 Engine 3 people
76 Engine 2 people
73 Engine 2 people
Each engine company will be supervised by the lieutenant assigned to that
station as it responds with the assigned driver/pump operator. Should any
additional personnel be available to be assigned to the engine company, they
ride as either nozzlemen or hydrantmen as the situation dictates. The remain-
ing apparatus, a ladder company and the aid cars are staffed with fire-
fighters. The command vehicle, as mentioned earlier, is the shift commander's
mode of transportation to allow him access to incidents throughout the
response area as necessary. As a vacancy occurs in an officer's position due
to vacations, sick leave, schools, etc. , an employee shall be temporarily
assigned to the fill that position. This assures continuity in the chain of
command necessary to a paramilitary operation. At certain peak periods,
officer or and/ firefighter hter staffing will fall below mininums set by the
- 36 -
department policy, thereby necessitating the need to hire back off-duty
employees to insure fire protection remains at a safe and reasonable level .
Paid duty crews are assisted by the volunteer force on a call basis. As an
engine company responds, volunteer personnel assigned to that unit are
dispatched via home receivers. This assistance, however, is at best unreli-
able due to uncertain availability of volunteer personnel to respond during
their working hours, vacations, holidays, etc. Response from volunteers at
night average four volunteers per call , while a daytime average is reduced to
.7 personnel per call .
MANPOWER 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
SHIFT 1 I I I I I 1
CAPT.
STA 71 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8
72 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6
73 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3
74&5 v v v v v v v v v
76 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3
77 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Figure 13 STATION .MANNING
- 37 -
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FIRE SUPPRESSION
Fire suppression has the responsibility of controlling all hostile fires and
hazardous situations. Operating out of the six stations with seven engine
companies, two aid cars, a ladder company, and the command unit, the Kent Fire
Department currently serves a population of approximately 68,000 which
includes Fire District 37. This population is spread throughout the 53 square
mile response area and generated 4,665 alarms during 1982. Of these alarms,
approximately 800 were of a fire related nature.
Using the years 1976, 1980, and 1982 as primary data collection years,
activity of the Fire Suppression Division of the Kent Fire Department can be
traced and projected as it pertains to the community. (See Figure 15. ) As in
most communities, services of the Kent Fire Department requested by its
citizens are on an increase. The number of responses suppression crews make
to fire related calls are able to be affected by such things as public
education, sprinkler ordinances, building inspec- tions, and building
construction. This education and inspection process, commonly referred to as
Code Enforcement, has had a favorable impact on the City of Kent. However,
due to a continuing influx of people and business to the area, the number of
incidents remain on the increase.
On all structure fires, a minimum of two engine companies are dispatched.
Manpower is supplemented with the aid crew personnel and the ladder company on
predetermined structures and fire demand zones. It should be noted, however,
that aid personnel to assist in firefighting may not always be available due
to commitment to aid related alarms. This is true also of the second engine
company, as simultaneous alarms are generating more dispatch problems through-
out the area. The solution to this increasing problem should be solved at a
future date as the dispatch center will have "unit dispatch capabilities"
rather than the current system of "station dispatch" now used. Unit dispatch
allows the dispatcher to track current status of a response unit and if the
unit is unavailable, dispatch the next closest unit without delay.
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- 39 -
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14%
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76 77 78 79 80 81 82
Emergency Medical Hazardous Condition/Fire
Other
Figure 15 INCIDENT RESPONSES
-40-
Suppression Division responses for the data years are broken down to the
following categories with corresponding numbers of alarms per type of incident.
Type of Call 1976 1980 1982
Fire/Explosion 402 481 634
Pressure Rupture 0 4 8
Rescue or Aid 1 ,479 2$ 06 2,682
Hazardous Condition 47 181 173
Service Calls 63 229 205
Alarm/No Fire 167 387 446
Malicious False Alarms 39 44 37
Other (includes Mutual Aid Given) 24 363 480
SERVICE CALLS
The Fire Department provides assistance to citizens on certain non-emergency
situations. These are referred to as service calls and include such things as
assisting in water related problems (pumping basements, broken water lines,
etc. ), assist individuals locked out of either vehicles or homes, protect
property after storm damage, odor investigations, smoke removal , invalid
assistance as needed, and other such related services as requested by the
public. These type of calls totalled 205 during 1982 indicating another
service provided the citizens for their tax dollars.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
Since the 1920's American fire departments have been assisting the public with
first aid and oxygen. This was logical since firefighters had been assisting
each other when they had been burned and overcome by smoke. Ambulances
responsible for aid and transportation were generally privately owned and were
staffed by attendants with minimal training. In 1966 the Department of Trans-
portation initiated several programs to reduce the high death rate on the
nation's highways. Its objective was to improve the training of people
rendering aid to injured victims, and one of the programs was called Emergency
Medical Technician - Ambulance (EMT-A). An 81 hour state run class was given
to professionals and volunteers that were rendering aid to the sick and
- 41 -
injured. They were trained in the newest techniques of cardio-pulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) , airway management, wound care, extrication, and other
Basic Life Support (BLS) skills. Some ambulance companies not able to afford
the training and new expensive equipment went out of business, and the fire
departments became even more responsible for medical aid. In some areas EMTs,
working closely with local hospital staff, became upgraded in such Advanced
Life Support (ALS) skills as intravenous therapy, drug therapy, and advanced
airway management and defibrillation. This program was initiated and certi-
fied the participant as an Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic (EMT/P).
Station wagon ambulances were replaced with modular and van type vehicles with
enough room to store and use the necessary equipment. By the 1980's Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) had become an additional service provided by most fire
departments. It supplies a vital service to the community and is perhaps the
fire department's most effective public relations tool .
The City of Kent has been providing emergency aid to its citizens since the
1930' s when the chief' s car, equipped with an oxygen resuscitator, would
answer calls for breathing problems and heart attacks. In 1972, six fire-,
fighters were certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, and by 1973, all
paid firefighters were trained to an EMT-A level . The vehicles were also
upgraded to van-type aid/rescue units. Aid units are the primary responding
units for medical assistance. An engine company is sent in addition if they
are closer or additional manpower is needed. If the situation is considered
to be life threatening, a medic unit, staffed with King County paramedics is
also dispatched. Transportation of critically ill patients is done by the
County Medic Units. Noncritical patients are transported by private ambu-
lances requested by Fire Department personnel . Units are staffed by two fire-
fighters/EMT-As with at least one of them a certified Defibrillation Techni-
cian trained to recognize a lethal cardiac-arrhythmia on the heart monitor and
is capable of delivering an electric shock (defibrillation). This program is
J closely monitored by King County Medic I medical staff through voice tapes,
EKG tapes, and report forms. Review is held quarterly to insure all partici-
pants keep up their certification. At this time, the Department has 25
defibrillation technicians, two aid units and one reserve aid car. Requests
for Emergency Medical Services makes up approximately 60 to 65 percent of the
Fire Department responses.
J - 42 -
DISPATCHING SYSTEM
Dispatching for the Kent Fire Department was originally done using Kent Police
Department dispatchers. As Fire Department responses increased and more time
demands were placed on the police dispatchers, the need for a more efficient
system became evident. In 1977 the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton, and
Tukwila all realizing the same need for an efficient, upgraded dispatch system
contributed to form the current central dispatch system known as Valley
Communications or Valley Com. The dispatch center is located in a block
building on the East Hill of Kent and provides police and fire dispatch
services to the parent cities listed above. Contract dispatch services are
also provided to Fire District 1 (Duwamish) , Fire District 20 (Skyway) , Fire
District 40 (Spring Glen), Fire District 43 (Maple Valley), Fire District 46
(Neuwaukum) , Fire District 47 (Selleck-Palmer) , and the City of Pacific.
The staff, consisting of a director of operations, a deputy director, four
supervisors, and 20 dispatchers is controlled by an operational board made up
of the eight fire and police chiefs of the parent cities. Three dispatch
crews provide the 24 hour services necessary to provide emergency assistance
requested by the public. Modern state-of-the-art equipment is being installed
and updated as possible. This equipment, when installed, will include such
things as unit dispatch capabilities (the ability to track and maintain the
status of all emergency equipment to allow dispatching of the closest
in-service unit without delay), computerization of all areas, units, and
response zones, status message terminals (SMTs) , and additional transmitter
capabilities to mention a few. Enhanced 911 phone system, if and when
installed, would increase the the efficiency of the dispatch center. The
facilities were established in a surplused fire station with limited space.
To allow makeshift expansion, a school portable has been moved onto the
property, but the continued need for expansion will require updated buildings
in the very near future.
during 1982 consisting of
' This central dispatch center dispatched 79,861 calls du g g
the following dispatches by police and fire for each service area.
- 43 -
1982 1982
Number of Calls % of Total Fire
Dispatched Service Calls
Police Agencies 60,676 N/A
Fire Departments
Kent 4,641 30.8
Renton 39086 20.5
Auburn 2,293 15.2
Tukwila 1 ,436 9.5
KCFD #43 1 ,044 6.9
KCFD #40 974 6.5
KCFD #20 641 4.2
KCFD #1 567 3.8
Pacific 178 1 .2
KCFD #46 160 1 .0
KCFD #47 57 •4
Fire Department Totals 15,077 100%
Medic Units 4,108 N/A
Total 79,861
The above chart represents the actual alarms dispatched. The communications
center had approximately 30,000 additional calls that for one reason or
another did not require dispatching of emergency help.
J
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- 44 -
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
To insure rapid delivery of services to the taxpayers of the area, Fire
Departments have established the concept of mutual aid. Mutual aid is defined
as the availability of requested assistance from one fire department to
another in return for like consideration when needed. The Kent Fire Depart-
ment maintains mutual aid contracts with all departments encompassing its
boundaries. These include Renton, Tukwila, Fire District 26 (Des Moines),
Fire District 39 (Federal Way), Auburn, Fire District 44 (southeast Auburn) ,
Fire District 43 (Maple Valley), and Fire District 40 (Spring Glen). During
1982, approximately 300 calls were made for mutual aid, and our Department
responded to approximately 200 alarms as requested by other departments.
(Figure 16. )
Due to extended response time of some Kent units, based on station or unit
locations, a system of automatic response from several outlying departments
has been established. Automatic responses differ from mutual aid in that
mutual aid is on a request basis while automatic responses are dispatched
initially in conjunction with Kent units. Areas of automatic response include
north Kent with assistance from Tukwila and District 40, the eastern area with
assistance from District 43, southern Kent from Auburn and Fire District 44,
and the West Hill receiving assistance from District 39 and District 26. As
can be seen in Figure 17, the Kent Fire Department must rely on automatic
assistance to provide adequate response time to approximately 40 percent of
the protection area.
Due to increased awareness, manufacturing, and transportation of substances
classified as hazardous materials, several fire departments in the Valley area
have combined resouces and manpower to form a Hazardous Incident Response
Team. Each department has committed manpower, funding, and equipment to be
available to respond to any incident involving potential life or property
damage due to complications involving a hazardous substance. The partici-
pating departments include Kent, Renton, Auburn, Tukwila, and the Port of
Seattle and have approximately 60 total personnel able to staff two response
units. This response team has not established a formal mutual aid agreement
with surrounding areas but would respond upon request.
- 45 -
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-47-
TRAINING DIVISION
Efficient firefighting requires the planning of procedures, training of
personnel , and supervision of activities. Procedures can be planned for near
perfect operations and the activities of personnel can be well supervised, but
without training, firefighters cannot efficiently perform. The gap that
exists between planning and execution must be bridged by a well developed
progressive training program. In the final analysis, the key to a successful
training program lies with the company officer working closely with the Train-
ing Division.
The Training Department was formed as a separate division within the Fire
Department in January 1982. During February of that year, the first full time
training officer was selected and together with that individual , administra-
tion established directions and responsibilities of that position. The first
year of existence was utilized to establish such things as filing systems,
training equipment, and organize a definite direction for the training divi-
sion. These organizational steps were slowed due to unforeseen demands on. the
newly created position. Some remodeling of the headquarters station was
mandated to accommodate this newly established division within the Fire
Department.
A three-phase program was developed and targeted for 1983. Phase I involves
the development of a training manual on hose evolutions for use department
wide. Phase II will consist of the training of Fire Department personnel to
maximum efficiency in relation to the establish hose evolutions, and the third
phase will consist of an ongoing evaluation program to insure maintenance of
skills. Training is one of the more vital divisions of fire service as it
will directly affect the efficiency of suppression crews and ultimately will
have effects on training as it pertains to Code Enforcement and public educa-
tion.
Training facility needs of the Department are primarily in the areas of class-
rooms and drill fields. Currently Stations 71 , 72 and 77 have classroom
facilities capable of accommodating existing crews. Station 73, 74 and 76
lack the facilities capable of being used for training. The need for uniform
- 48 -
classroom training currently requires that personnel from several stations
train in a single facility. This requires the movement of various apparatus
and personnel to a classroom, often outside of their response area, extending
their response time should they have to respond. Every effort is made to
reduce this out of area time; however, to acquire the necessary training, this
movement must occur to some degree.
Drill field facilities are limited to Station 71 and 72 and do not meet the
needs of most manipulative drills. The Headquarters Station (71 ) has approxi-
mately one-quarter of an acre with a pump test pit and a hose tower. This
area also accommodates the parking of all private vehicles and the nighttime
and weekend storage of several smaller fire department vehicles. This leaves
a very minimal area to maneuver engines or the ladder company to perform the
necessary drill functions.
Station 72 has an area that serves both as parking lot and limited drill
area. This Station also has a smaller tower that facilitates limited ladder
drill .
Due to lack of sufficient drill field area, most drill functions are performed
on various public or private lands throughout the response area. These
include school grounds, housing developments (where construction has not yet
started) and park lands. The availability of most of these areas is very
limited and restricts fire department functions in relation to drill .
The emphasis on suppression training is currently on suppression task with
duty crews averaging approximately three hours per shift on actual training
functions. These functions include EMS training, manipulative drills involv-
ing hose and ladders, driving and pumping, salvage, forceful entry and to a
very limited degree, fire prevention.
Training for Code Enforcement personnel includes Code review, types of
construction, inspection techniques, and other related Code Enforcement
activities. Currently formal training sessions are on Wednesday afternoons
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only, for a two hour time period. No other formal on-duty training is avail-
able to Code Enforcement personnel , resulting in a "learn as you go" system
and the need to attend off-duty classes.
Due to work loads in both suppression and Code Enforcement, cross training is
almost non-existent. C.E. personnel are not able to maintain their skills in
relation to suppression activities, and suppression crews are able to expand
their Fire Prevention knowledge only on a very limited basis.
If suppression crews are to expand and improve Fire Prevention services, the
need to re-evaluate or re-assign certain functions must be considered. This
would allow more time available necessary to expand fire prevention and
inspection knowledge of the combat crews.
CODE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
Within the Kent Fire Department the Fire Prevention Bureau came into being in
1973. Prior to that time, Fire Prevention activities had been the responsi-
bility of fire suppression personnel . As it became evident that fire preven-
tion was becoming more of a factor in the operation of the fire department as
a whole, an individual from fire suppression was given the title and responsi-
bility of Fire Marshal and one Fire Inspector position was defined and manned
with suppression personnel . The Fire Inspectors were recruited from
suppression and held the title of Inspector/Firefighter. Responsibility of
the Fire Prevention Bureau included annual fire inspections, fire code
enforcement, business license inspections, fire investigation, arson investi-
gation and plans checking. As the City of Kent grew, so did the responsi-
bility of Fire Prevention, and assignment of manpower to Fire Prevention could
not match the required workload.
To relieve the Bureau of some of the work, annual fire inspections were
assigned and became the responsibility of the suppression crews. As suppres-
sion people were currently involved with commercial structure familiarization
(pre-fires) , the addition of inspection responsibility was natural . This has
been probably the most significant step in shifting the emphasis from suppres-
sion to fire prevention within the fire service.
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Improvement in service and inspections was also advanced in 1973 when the City
Building Department was placed under the jurisdiction of the Fire Department.
In January 1 , 1982, the Building Department and Fire Prevention Division of
the Fire Department advanced to yet another stage of efficiency. Combined
under the title of Code Enforcement Division, an aggressive program of cross
training was initiated. Individual areas of responsibility still are
necessary, but overall , this re-organization has allowed more effective
continuity of necessary inspections and serves as an extremely effective
system of checks and balances to insure the safest environment possible.
The Building Department in the City of Kent is one of only three in the state
that works directly under the jurisdiction of the Fire Department. This
organizational structure is unique but seems natural . The Uniform Building
Code adopted by the State has as its base approximately 70 percent fire and
life safety considerations, and the Uniform Fire Code is sponsored jointly by
the Western Fire Chiefs Association and the International Conference of
Building Officials. In Kent, the building official and fire marshal have
equal status and report to an assistant fire chief. Although both have their
independent areas of responsibility, they also share many common areas of code
enforcement. This process begins with predevelopment meetings held with
representatives of the developer and individual departments of the City, where
all aspects of the proposed project are discussed. As the construction
project progresses, complete plans and specifications are submitted by the
developer and reviewed by plan checkers from the Code Enforcement Division to
insure compliance with all codes and local ordinances. All permit and plan
check fees are collected, and the Building Division in effect takes over the
task of Code Enforcement until the building is completed. When the building
is finished, a final inspection is made by Code Enforcement inspectors, and
upon their recommendations, a certificate of occupancy is issued by the
Building Official . At that time, Code Enforcement assures periodic inspec-
tions to maintain continued code compliance. When the traditional departments
are combined into a single division, overlapping responsibilities are elimi-
nated and continuity of inspections is assured to improve the life and fire
safety environment.
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The Building Department and Fire Prevention Bureau compliment each other
through cooperation, familiarity of both codes and through stringent inspec-
tion techniques, the responsibility of health, life and safety of the public
is being positively enforced. Both departments check initially for their
respective requirements. The Building Department assures the structure is
built to the requirements of the Building Code during the construction, and
the fire inspectors insure continued compliance after the building is occupied
and in use.
The Building Department's primary responsibility is to ensure that minimum
standards are enforced to safeguard life or limb, health, property, and public
welfare by regulating and controlling the design construction, quality of
materials, use and occupancy, location, and maintenance of all buildings and
structures within this jursidiction and certain equipment specifically regu-
lated by the code. It initially classifies buildings for:
1 . Occupancy groups.
2. Type of construction by building materials used and the fire resis-
tance of parts of the building.
3. Location on property.
4. Floor area.
5. Height and number of stories.
6. Occupant loads.
It inspects to the criteria of the Uniform Building Code, Uniform Plumbing
Code, Uniform Mechanical Code, Washington State Energy Code, and State Barrier
Free Standards. In addition, it has been given the task of enforcing the
provisions of locally adopted ordinances for noise abatement, nuisances,
litter, and condominium conversions.
The fundamental objective of the Fire Prevention Bureau is to ensure as fire
safety an environment for the citizens of the City as possible. It endeavors
to accomplish this objective through the adoption of codes and ordinances
relating to:
1 . The prevention of fires.
J - 52 -
2. The storage, use, and handling of explosives, flammable, combustible,
toxic, corrosive, and other hazardous gases, solids, or liquid
materials.
3. The installation and maintenance of automatic, manual , or other
private fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment.
4. The maintenance and regulation of fire escapes.
5. The maintenance of fire protection and the elimination of fire
hazards on land and in buildings, structures, and other property
including those under construction.
6. The means and adequacy of each exit in the event of fire and all
places where people work, live, and congregate from time to time.
7. The investigation of all fires to determine the cause, origin and
circumstance of such fire.
8. The education of the general public and school age children as to the
dangers of fire and fire exit drills.
The Uniform Fire Code is designated as a maintenance type code to be enforced
after building and processes are in operation. Without the input and inspec-
tions presently being conducted during construction and/or installation, the
job would be unsurmountable. The Bureau is also charged with the investiga-
tion of fires that occur within our jurisdiction. The knowledge and informa-
tion gained through these investigations allow us to upgrade the fire and life
safety environment.
J While public education has been an ongoing program, the need for emphasizing
this aspect of the Bureau operation has resulted in one inspector being given
this as a priority item.
Without public involvement, the potential for greater life and property loss
is very realistic. A primary goal of any fire department is to actively
- 53 -
involve the public in as many areas of fire and life safety as possible. If,
for example, the total populace of a response area could be taught C.P.R. , the
need for lower response times could be eliminated and chance for recovery of
the patient would be significantly increased. The Kent Fire Department is
currently involved in limited on-duty public education programs such as school
presentations, C.P.R. classes, business safety classes, etc. Approximately 75
percent of all public education is accomplished through off-duty firefighters
instructing the public. The most active program of Public Education is that
of C.P.R. training throughout the community, particularly in the school
system. In addition, fire department personnel teach the use of fire extin-
guishers, explanation of fire department services, First Aid, babysitting
classes, home fire safety and other fire or aid related classes requested by
the public.
FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIRE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE KING
COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT 37
RCW 19.27.110 grants to the County government the authority to administer and
enforce the Uniform Fire Code. Individual fire districts may enter into a
contract with the County to conduct fire prevention inspections within their
jursidictions if they choose. Until 1979, the City had signed such an agree-
ment and also had conducted fire investigations. Since 1979, the responsi-
bility for conducting all inspections in the district has been placed with the
County Fire Marshal 's Office, due to non-renewing of contract. With only two
inspectors in that office to cover all of unincorporated King County, the fire
prevention inspections are not being accomplished. The Kent Fire Department
still is conducting all public education within the Fire District. In July
1980 King County established a fire investigation task force consisting of two
teams. Each team had a fire prevention/investigator and a member of the King
County Police. Due to current budget reductions, the task force concept has
been eliminated and now only two investigators service all of King County.
The lack of the ability of the City of Kent to influence building code
enforcement, and investigative responsibilities in Fire District 37 has a
J direct bearing on such things as fire incidents and protection in that area.
The budget restrictions of the King County Fire Marshal's office and the
J - 54 -
necessary reduction in inspection staff, has resulted in a less than desirable
fire prevention effort in the Fire District.
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PROFILE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES
FIRE SERVICES
To understand increasing capacities and service volumes of the Kent Fire
Department, services for the three data collection years (1976, 1980, and
1982) have been compiled and categorized to provide an overview of the
suppression related responses. (Figure 18. )
In order to take a geographic look at the community protection needs of the
Greater Kent Area, the City and Fire District 37 was divided into quarter
sections using the township and range system. The recommended data was
collected or retabulated using the quarter section concept referred to as
"Fire Demand Zones" (FDZ). This system of area response division allows the
Fire Department to readily identify problem areas in relation to all hazardous
conditions and emergency medical calls based on population and occupancy
classification. (Figure 19. )
During 1982 there were approximately 800 incidents involving fires, explo-
sions, or hazardous conditions requiring responses from suppression crews and
represents 17.5 percent of the total alarms. Annual reports place a great
deal of emphasis on comparisons of dollar loss due to fire. This single
statistic (fire loss) has been the basis for determining overall ability of
fire departments for many years. The trend currently is to remove that
emphasis, as the fire loss of an area can be (and in most cases is) greatly
affected by a single fire. If for instance, a large commercial building is
lost due to a single incident, annual loss would compare unfavorably to
preceeding years and realistically has no bearing on the efficiency of fire
department. More significant to the profile of services would be types of
alarms and types of incidents per category.
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5000
o� 12 Jo
4000 106 14 0
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% c /
3000
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76 77 78 79 80 81 82
f:•: Emergency Medical Hazardous. Condition/Fire
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Figure 18 INCIDENT RESPONSES
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
All paid Fire Department personnel are certified Emergency Medical Techni-
cians. In addition, twenty-eight of these men are certified as defibrilator
technicians. Three of the volunteers also meet these training requirements.
Two medical units, one in the City and one in Fire District 37, are dispatched
as needed. These medical units, staffed by two paid firefighters, are
specially designed ambulance vehicles. They are equipped with rescue and
medical gear as well as affording a mobile field examining and treatment
room. The Department now licenses three such units. The third and oldest
unit is usually held in reserve status and frequently sees duty at area sport-
ing events as well as special assignment to outlying fire stations during snow
storms and flooding.
The 2,682 calls for assistance in 1982 produced 3,050 patients.
TYPE OF INCIDENT FOUND
Type of Incident # %
Trauma 1309 42.9
Illness 1106 36.3
Other Alarm 361 11 .8
Drug/Alcohol 196 6.4
Psychiatric 52 1 .7
OB/GYN 26 1 .0
Of those patients, 2,047 required transportation to medical facilities. Kent
Fire Department medical units transported 73 times in 1982, mostly from the
jail , other City properties, and Kent schools. The use of the MAST helicopter
(from Fort Lewis) fortunately only had to be used twice in 1982. Average Fire
Department aid response times increased again this year by six seconds, 4.3
minutes on the average. (See Section 5 for response time discussion. ) Kent
area citizens enjoy the highest cardiac arrest survival rate in King County.
The table below details by year, the number of cardiac arrests, number of
admissions, and number of discharges for cardiac arrest followed by a
percentage relating to each, for the years 1976 through 1982.
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# of Cardiac Admissions Discharges
Year Arrests Number q of Total Number q of Total
76 21 4 19.1 2 9.5
77 30 3 10.0 3 10.0
78 27 7 25.9 3 11 .1
79 26 3 11 .5 1 3.9
80 42 12 28.6 7 16.7
81 34 13 38.2 10 29.4
82 45 14 31 .1 11 24.4
The current County-wide average discharge rate is 20%.
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INCIDENTS BY FIRE DEMAND ZONE
To better understand the distribution of service demands, the data collection
has, as mentioned earlier, been divided into areas of Fire Demand Zones. As
can be seen in Figures 20-25, the areas of total fire and Emergency Medical
Service incident demands has changed with the emphasis moving north and east
as population and commercial land use expands.
These maps would indicate a greater demand for fire and aid services being
placed on units responding to the northern one-half of the City and eastern
one-half of the Fire District. If one considers the station location, which
reflects directly on response times and mututal aid/automatic responses,
service delivery time and manpower availability must be re-evaluated as the
growth of the fire protection area occurs.
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DEATH AND INJURY
Protection of life is the primary goal of the Kent Fire Department. This
includes both civilian and Fire Department personnel . Fire deaths probably
affect the community and Fire Department personnel more than any other single
event requiring Fire Department participation. National averages of fire
deaths in communities of 50,000 to 100,000 population are 21 persons per
million.1 This would indicate that the Kent Fire Department response area
with a population of 68,000 could expect an average of approximately 1 .5 fire
deaths per year. Fortunately our Department, has to date, enjoyed a more
favorable statistic. There have been five civilian fire deaths in the
Department response area from 1976 through 1982, an average of .71 deaths per
year. These fire related deaths have all been in residential structures with
three of them occurring in one incident, that being an apartment fire New
Year's morning of 1978. The other deaths involved a small child and an
elderly male in unrelated house fires, one during 1982, the other during 1976,
respectively.
Only one firefighter death occurred during this six-year period. A volunteer
assistant chief died as a result of injuries sustained during a routine house
fire in 1979.
Statistics for firefighters and civilian injuries have not been recorded prior
to 1980. State collected statistics refer to fire incident related injuries
only for the two categories, while the Kent Fire Department annual report
totals all firefighter injuries which include not only fire incidents but also
drill time, physical training, and other duty related injuries.
Total injuries to the firefighters for 1980, 1981 , and 1982 are 30, 16, and 30
respectively, while civilian injuries, fire related only, are 5, 6, and 15
respectively for the same years.
1 "Fire in the United States;" 1978 U.S. Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Fire
Administration.
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As the National average for civilian fire deaths is more than double that of
the Kent Department, and firefighter deaths throughout the Department has been
limited to one, data would indicate Kent has enjoyed below average occurrences
of that which is our primary function, protection of life. It is without
question that consideration be given to the direction of the fire service to
enable maintenance of the fire and life safety environment and enhance the
quality of life available in the area.
CODE ENFORCEMENT BUILDING INSPECTIONS
The number of building permits issued by the Building Department during the
data control years were as follows:
1982 - 876 1980 - 1147 1976 - 433
For each permit issued there are from 2 to 14 individual types of inspections -
required by the Building, Plumbing, Mechanical , Fire and Energy Codes. Based
on the type of construction (commercial , residential , etc. ) each inspection
can require from one to as many as ten inspections, depending on the size of
the project, number of code discrepancies found, and number of re-inspections
required. Average time spent per inspection, including travel , is approxi-
mately 40 minutes; from 10 minutes for a simple gas test to whatever time it
takes to solve problems on a complex job. The number of inspections currently
made by each Building Inspector is approximately 12 per day, for an annual
average of approximately 3000 per inspector.
INCIDENTS OF ARSON
Title 9A of the Washington Criminal Code describes arson in the first degree
"as a fire or explosion caused knowingly, and maliciously, which is manifestly
dangerous to any human life including firemen or damages a dwelling or any
building in which there shall be at the time a human being who is not a
participant in the crime." Arson in the second degree is a "fire or explosion
caused knowingly and maliciously that damages a building or any structure or
erection appurtenant to or joining any building or any warf, dock, machine,
engine, automobile, or other motor vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, bridge or
tressel , or hay, grain, crop, or timber whether cut or standing or in any
- 70 -
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range land or pasture land or any fence or any lumber, shingle, or other
timber product or any property."
To understand the problem of arson, it is necessary to describe the motives
for arson. They include: insurance fraud, revenge, spite, jealousy, crime
concealment, intimidation, vandalism, excitement, or pyromania. The detection
of arson begins with the first arriving firefighter. He must be trained to
observe the basic indicators of arson and maintain security of evidence until
the arrival of the arson investigator.
Responsibility for conducting arson investigation has been placed on the Fire
Department by the adoption of the Uniform Fire Code. Within the City limits
of Kent, three investigators, each with over 286 hours of training in advanced
arson investigation, have been assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau. The
investigators are assigned a normal 40 hour work week and are called back on
off duty hours when they are needed. Firefighters at the scene of fire have
been instructed to call for an arson investigator when in their opinion the
cause of the fire is arson or suspicious, undetermined, or if the fire causes
a death or injury. In the event that the fire is determined to be arson, then
the Kent Police Department is notified and the duty sergeant assigns a patrol
officer to assist the Kent Fire Department in the investigation.
Within Fire District 37, the responsibility for arson investigation rests with
the King County Fire Marshal 's Office. On all incidents that involve serious
injury or death, excluding those resulting from vehicle accidents, or any
structure fire with an estimated loss of $5,000 or more or any unknown or
suspected arson fires or any fire that the cause is undetermined, the King
County Arson Investigation Unit is notified.
In 1982, the City of Kent and Fire District 37 responded to 40 arson fires and
61 suspicious fires. A suspicious fire is defined as a fire that circum-
stances indicate the possibility that it was deliberately set and no acci-
dental or natural ignition factor can be found.
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CRITICAL TIME FACTORS
The fire protection delivery system is continually called upon to provide
service under severe time constraints. This section will identify the reasons
why the promptness of the delivery system is important. Two general types of
emergencies will be examined. The requirements of emergency medical incidents
and hazardous incidents will be analyzed in detail , showing the reasons why
the prompt delivery of services is important.
Although it is difficult to predict just where or when a fire will occur, its
unrestrained growth follows a predictable pattern. The longer that fire goes
unchecked, the hotter, larger, and more destructive to life and/or property it
becomes.
TIME VS. TEMPERATURE
Normally, a fire in a room starts as a small fire caused by ignition of a
material by a heat source, for example, the flame of a match or the heat of a
stove or hot electrical wire. Depending on various factors such as the nature
of the material exposed to the ignition source or the size of the ignition
source, the fire may self extinguish or grow to full development. Usually the
fully developed stage of a fire is preceded by a phenomenon known as flash-
over, which is characterized by instantaneous ignition of materials in all
parts of the room. The time it takes to reach this point can be effected by
several factors. An interior finish that absorbs heat readily and holds it,
as an insulator would, might reduce the time to flashover. If the finish
material is combustible, it will be a source of fuel for the fire. The size
and shape of the space in which the fire occurs becomes a factor also.
It is usual to divide the progress of a fire into three periods; - a growth
period, a fully developed period, and a decay period.
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In the growth period, i .e. , the period before occurrence of flashover, the
temperatures in the room are relatively low, even close to the burning
materials, and evacuation from the fire area presents no problems. During
flashover, however, the temperature rises very sharply to such a level that
survival of the fire by persons still in the room becomes unlikely. Thus, the.
time interval between the start of the fire and the occurrence of flashover
determines the time that is available for safe evacuation of the fire area.
Time for flashover to occur was determined to be 15-17 minutes in tests
conducted by the National Bureau of Standards.1 In more recent tests,
flashover has happened as quickly as 2-1/2 minutes after ignition.
Once a room fire becomes fully developed, fire can spread very quickly to
adjacent rooms in the absence of any fire separation barriers. The volume of
the rooms involved in fully developed fires tends to increase at a tremendous
rate. Fire can spread horizontally and vertically beyond the room of orgin
and through compartments or spaces that contain no combustibles. Heated
unburned combustion products from the fire such as methane, hydrogen, and
carbon monoxide, will mix with fresh air and burn as they flow outward. This
results in extended flame movement under noncombustible ceilings, up exterior
walls, and through vertical openings. This is a common way fire spreads down
corridors and up open stairways and shafts.
Buildings may contain a variety of concealed spaces behind walls, above
suspended ceilings, behind soffits, under floors, in attics and elsewhere
where fire burns out of sight of occupants and detection is frequently
delayed. Manual fighting of concealed space fires can be very difficult
because of limited accessibility and inherent venting problems. Because of
this, fire development and spread in combustible concealed spaces is a classic
cause of large losses in fires. The disasterous Beverly Hills Supper Club
fire in which 165 people died on May 28, 1977 was identified as having origi-
nated in a combustible concealed space.
Vertical fire spread, inside walls and chases, can spread fire between floors
and into attic spaces where it mushrooms out horizontally. The rapid vertical
1 "N.F.P.A. Handbook 15th Edition - National Fire
i
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spread of fire was quantitatively demonstrated during several full scale fire
tests in wood frame housing in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, N.Y. In one
test, temperatures in excess of 1 ,5000 were recorded at the top of a 32 foot
shaft only one minute after a fire was started at the bottom.1
To gain a better understanding and realization of the potential fire severity
of building fires, including residential , we should observe the results of
fire tests that have been conducted by the National Bureau of Standards.
These tests have been of value in making it possible to express in terms of
"fire loading" the severity of a fire hazard as represented by the weight of
combustible material involved. The term "fire load" means the amount of
combustible material in a building and includes both the contents and the
combustible parts of the structure. The relationship between fire loading and
fire severity in terms of heat generation can then be related to the amount of-
fire protection required. For example, if the average weight of combustible
contents per sq. ft. is 5 lbs. , a heat output of 40,000 BTUs can be expected.
If the average weight of combustible contents is 30 lbs. per sq. ft. , a heat
output of 240,000 BTUs can be expected.
The Bureau has also made a study of the average fire loading in various
occupancies such as residential , commercial , school , storage, and industrial .
These figures can be of valuable assistance in pre-planning an attack
necessary for these occupancies.
Typical Residential Fire Loading 5-10 lbs./sq. ft.
Typical Business Fire Loading 10-15 lbs./sq. ft.
Typical Mercantile Fire Loading 15-20 lbs./sq. ft.
Typical Industrial Fire Loading 25 approximately lbs/sq. ft.
Typical Storage Fire Loading 30 approximately lbs/sq. ft.
It is noteworthy that all these were conducted in buildings of non-combustible
construction and therefore, in buildings of ordinary construction, the
possible fire loading could be twice the figures given.
1 "N.F.P.A. Handbook, 15th Edition - National Fire
- 75 -
Another factor that should be considered is the type of material being used
for construction purposes as well as being stored in large quantities. All of
the aforementioned data was compiled using "ordinary combustible" material as
a data base. Ordinary combustible material is defined as wood, paper and
textiles. With the advent of new technology, many traditional building
materials and finishes are being replaced with plastic base materials which
have a higher heat output than ordinary combustibles. A series of tests
conducted by the NFPA has established the heat production for most plastics is
two to three times more than dry wood, which was the comparison base.
Another fairly recent development that affects fire loading is the installa-
tion in storage facilities of rack storage. This type of storage configura-
tion will allow the concentration of large amounts of combustibles in a small
floor space. The fire loading per square foot will often reach a density of -
100 pounds or more. The racks not only increase the fire loading but also
hamper manual firefighting in that the material is often stacked 24 feet or
higher and with certain materials, up to 15 feet deep. A recent example of a
fire in a rack storage facility was a K-Mart Distribution fire in
Pennsylvannia in late 1982. While the building -was sprinklered, the amount of
combustibles that were present and the type of combustibles overwhelmed the
sprinkler system and ended in total destruction of the building and a loss in
excess of $16,000,000.
TIME LIFE URGENCY
"IN ALL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, MATTERS GET WORSE WITH TIME." Most aid requests
of a serious nature are no exception to this statement. In such cases as
major injury auto accidents, strokes, cardiac arrest, drug overdoses, and
other severe trauma, the number of fatalities is directly proportional to
time. Life threatening trauma as discussed in this document could be defined
as "lack of oxygen to the brain. " This results from such things as cardiac
arrest, extreme blood loss, or lack of sufficient airway (suffocation).
The moment the human body ceases to function is defined as clinical
death.
J Cells within the body will suffer little major damage for an average of
approximately four minutes. With a lack of oxygen supply over a period of
- 76 -
time, they will begin to die. This is known as biological death. The most
fragile of body cells are those of the brain. Therefore, statistics show that
if basic life support aid is not adminstered within the first four minutes,
brain damage to some degree will occur.
To combat this time factor, fire departments have initiated programs of public
awareness to allow citizens on the scene of major trauma incidents the ability
to initiate minimal first aid efforts. An example of this type of program is
the teaching of cardio pulmonary resuscitation classes in schools, businesses,
and any citizen group upon request. The Kent Fire Department has for several
years taught this program in the schools of the area. However, due to the
inability to expose all citizens of the area to this type of program, or in
some cases the inability of on-scene citizens to administer life support aid,
response times of aid personnel should be established to accommodate a worst
case acceptable risk incident.
If such response times can be reduced to the four minutes so critical to body
death, statistics would indicate chance for survival can be greatly improved.
(Figure 26. ) Fire departments have undertaken the responsibility of assisting
in the administering of basic life support to improve the quality of life in
their community. On life threatening incidents, it is the policy of most fire
departments to dispatch the closest unit (usually an engine company) in
conjunction with a basic life support unit and an advanced life support unit
to reduce response times of the available aid. Therefore, many departments
have established or recommended a response time in the four minute range as an
acceptable maximum to provide optimal aid assistance. This criteria,
obviously, has a great deal of affect on the Master Plan of a fire depart-
ment. Such things as station locations, unit locations, available personnel ,
basic life support equipment, and training are but a few of the criteria that
must be considered. The primary question that must be answered by the areas
elected officials is what level of emergency medical service should be avail-
able to its citizens based on the fire department's information and recommen-
dations.
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-78-
INCIDENT CONTROL
In order to provide effective fire service it is necessary to analyze certain
factors of the total response time, then improve wherever possible. The total
reflex time is that period from when the fire starts to when the situation is
controlled, and consists of several segments: 1 ) Ignition 2) Fire Detection
3) Report of Alarm 4) Dispatch of Units 5) Crew Reaction 6) Travel Time
7) Set-Up.
The following explanations of each segment will be necessary for a full
understanding of the time-reflex analysis. (Figure 27. )
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-80-
IGNITION
Fire occurs when a heat source comes in contact with a fuel source and suffi-
cient oxygen is present for combustion. There is a multitude of reasons for
this, ranging from blatant arson to an act of God. The only means by which
this segment can be managed is through fire prevention activities such as
vigorous inspection programs, public education programs, and strict fire and
building code enforcement policies. Truly, an ounce of prevention here can
equal a ton of cure.
FIRE DETECTION
The period of time from ignition to detection is a most critical stage in a
structural fire. Very often, major fires have been the result of an extended
pre-burn time prior to the detection. In fact, the greatest loss of property
generally is experienced when there has been a delay in detecting the fire.
The greatest loss of life in residential fires occurs at night between the
hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. when sleeping occupants are trapped. Often these
fires gain large headstarts and are usually not -discovered until visible flame
or smoke is evident to neighbors or passers-by. The ability of residents to
escape is significantly curtailed and the outcome often proves fatal .
REPORT OF ALARM
Time delays in the reporting of a fire can significantly contribute to the
intensity of the fire and therefore to the amount of property and/or life loss
incurred. The ease with which the reporting party can call the dispatch
center impacts this segment. The telephone is the primary method by which
emergencies are reported to the dispatch center. Delays can and do occur,
however, because of various problems:
1 . The Reporting Party (R.P. ) doesn't know the Emergency Telephone
Number and needs time-consuming operator assistance.
2. The R.P. uses the telephone book to find the Emergency Number.
- 81 -
3. The R.P. forgets or doesn't know the address.
4. The R.P. dials the wrong number because of the wrong Emergency
sticker on the phone.
5. The R.P. uses the wrong Emergency Number for the area.
DISPATCH OF UNITS
The time between the receipt of an alarm by the dispatch center and the relay-
ing of the alarm to the proper fire units in the field is critical . At the
present time the alarm is received at Valley Com by a call receiver or
dispatcher who then enters the address and type of emergency into a computer
for determination of the closest units to be sent. The information received
from the computer aided dispatch is then relayed over the fire department
radio system to the units. A recent Valley Com statistics study determined
the average dispatch time to be 47 seconds.
CREW REACTS
The time it takes for the personnel to receive the alarm, don protective
clothing, board the apparatus and leave the station is the "Crew Reaction"
time. This time segment will vary depending on the time of day and the
activities of the personnel involved.
TRAVEL TIME (RESPONSE TIME)
The amount of time it takes the first arriving unit to leave its station and
subsequently arrive on location at the emergency is the "travel time. " From
the citizens point of view the time it takes for the first unit to arrive is
probably the most important determination of our level of service. However,
this response time doesn't necessarily reflect the degree of effectiveness of
the first arriving unit. For example, if the first unit arrives with two
firefighters, yet six or eight are required to control the emergency, the
emergency will not be controlled until sufficient manpower and equipment have
arrived.
i
- 82 -
The travel time for fires and hazardous conditions for 1982 are displayed in
Figure 28. It can be readily observed there are areas of travel times in
excess of 5 minutes and these areas must be addressed to bring the time into
acceptable limits.
Figure 29 illustrates the response times for EMS responses. Attention must be
given those areas that have a time greater than 4 minutes. It is common to
have longer response times around the perimeter of a protection area; however,
there are also Fire Demand Zones that have response times in the center of the
area.
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SETUP TIME
It is the duty of the "officer in charge" of the incident (usually the
first-in officer) to make a logical tactical approach to the fire utilizing
various factors known to the officer at that time. The company officer
considers many factors enroute and upon arrival , must make rapid mental calcu-
lations to arrange priorities, establish objectives, and to determine a plan
of attack. It may take a few seconds after arrival on location to accomplish
a size up because additional information may be received from witnesses as to
the location of the fire or trapped occupants. The officer may have to decide
whether to assume an offensive or defensive mode of operation. This decision
is reached after analyzing the facts, probabilities, and resources at hand.
The officer then formulates and initiates a plan, gives orders to the fire-
fighters at the scene, and directs the in-coming units. -
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J - 86 -
DELIVERY OF SERVICES
In this area of the Master Plan an examination will be made of the Fire
Department's ability to deliver services to the citizens of the community
during fires or emergency medical incidents. As previously noted, time is of
vital importance in the successful termination of an incident. An analysis
will demonstrate how staffing levels affect the Department's ability to
deliver these vital services within certain time frames.
HAZARDOUS INCIDENTS
To analyze the reflex time requirement for fire ground operations we divide
the operations into two phases: 1 ) Setup Time & 2) Extinguishment Time. Setup
time is the period from when the responding fire units arrive at a fire loca-
tion to the beginning of extinguishing agent application. Extinguishment time
starts at the end of the set up to the point of control of all fire involve-
ment.
During the setup and extinguishment phases there are several objectives that
must be carried out to bring about the safe rescue of occupants and extin-
guishment of fire:
-- Rescue of occupants (highest priority),
-- Protection of exposures (adjacent structures or adjacent noninvolved
areas in a fire structure),
-- Confinement of the fire,
-- Extinguishment of the fire,
-- Ventilation (a function that allows smoke and toxic gases to be
removed from the fire building; ventilation can occur at the
beginning or near the end of the extinguishing phase),
-- Overhaul (Locating and extinguishing hidden fires) ,
-- Salvage (protection of valuables and items that are still useful ).
These objectives must be considered at all fires, but because fires vary in
size and complexity, not every objective will need to be acomplished at all
fires. For example, a fire in a single family residence where all the occu-
pants are safely out of the building before the arrival of the first fire
J - 87 -
units, does not require search and rescue to be performed. The officer must
still consider this objective until it can conclusively be established that no
persons are in the structure.
The setup time during the fire ground operation is a function that varies with
the size and complexity of the fire problem encountered upon the arrival of
fire units. The ability to handle the pending fire problem quickly and
effectively will be based upon the work load requirement and the manpower
available. As the fire size and complexity increases, so does the work load
for the extinguishment of such a fire. Therefore, the time for the setup and
extinguishment phase will vary with the initial manpower available to carry
out the critical tasks and the work load required to be performed.
The fire problems involve certain work loads and these work loads vary. In
addition, fires are dynamic and work loads change as the fire changes. Fire
growth can expand up to 50 times per minute. With this type of fire progres-
sion the start of actual fire suppression has a direct relationship to fire
loss and the amount of gallons per minute (GPM) of water flow required for.
control (GPM required is a method of establishing work loads for suppression).
The capability of minimizing work loads lead to the reduction of overall
reflex time requirements for setup and extinguishment. Therefore, the ability
to keep setup and extinguishment reflex times low can be a great benefit by
reducing the area of fire involvement, therefore reducing the amount of
potential fire and life loss.
In May of 1981 the Kent Fire Department conducted a task line analysis
using the standard fire ground hose and aerial evolutions normally utilized at
fire scenes. This study looked at various crew sizes and their effectiveness,
and also studied procedures used to identify areas where Time Reductions could
occur.
1 City of Kent, Washington. , "Report on Task Line Analysis" (unpublished
Study KFD, Washington) MEMORANDUM MAY 1981 , Lt. John Evans.
- 88 -
The Kent Study pointed out that crew size effectiveness is strongly dependent
upon the work load to be performed. It also demonstrates that as crew size
remains constant and work loads increase, fatigue becomes a primary concern.
When smaller crews (2 firefighters) carried out complex setup evolutions
common to the fire ground, they were near exhaustion after set up, without
having performed any actual application of water. (Figure 30. )
The greatest threat to a firefighter in the line of duty is a fatal heart
attack. Exposure to carbon monoxide and other fire gases, together with the
physical and emotional stresses inherent in the job, greatly aggravate any
cardiovascular disease from which a firefighter may suffer. Under these
conditions, regular, thorough medical examinations complimented by a
comprehensive physical fitness program emphasizing activities of high
cardio-pulmonary benefit become extremely important. Many excellent programs
along these lines have been documented. In many fire departments, company
staffing has been cut to control costs, leaving fewer firefighters to perform
necessary tasks. This circumstance places added importance on physical
fitness.l
The Kent study consisted of setup times for hose and aerial evolutions that
were well practiced and these times were the best to be achieved. It was
shown that 6 firefighters performed the exercises in the shortest period of
time with the least amount of fatigue. Six member crews were considered 100
percent efficient and the following list is a comparison of various size
efficiency.
6 Firefighters 100% Efficient
5 Firefighters 58% Efficient
4 Firefighters 57% Efficient
3 Firefighters 49% Efficient
2 Firefighters 42% Efficient
1 National Fire Protection, "Fire Protection Handbook", Fifteenth Edition
1981 , p 2-40.
- 89 -
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It should be noted that these operations were the best to be achieved and do
not include all the critical tasks that would have to be done as in a real
emergency.
At fire scenes many of the critical functions that must be accomplished are
placed in a category known as ladder operations. The members working in this
position have responsibility for life rescue, laddering the fire and exposed
buildings (with ground and or aerial ladders) , affecting entry, ventilating
and generally making it possible for engine crew members to enter a structure
and attack the seat of the fire.
At most structure fires, ladder operations must be carried out. If a ladder
company is not present, personnel must then be used from engine crews to
perform the ladder company functions which depletes their manpower and limits
the engine company capability. In addition, the safety and efficiency of the
engine crew is dramatically reduced. This ultimately increases the engine and
ladder reflex times for the fireground operations.
Many of the ladder company's tasks require three to five members and, for
safety purposes, it is recommended that at least two (2) ladders should be
immediately placed on each building that requires laddering. The placement of
a 35 foot ground ladder (one capable of reaching the roof of a three story
building) requires a minimum of two members, and the placement of the 50 foot
ground ladder (the largest ground ladder carried) requires four members.
Search and rescue operations, which are vital for the life and safety of any
occupants, require two crew members for firefighter's safety and the ability
to rescue victims that are located. Ventilation is also a two member task.
It is an imperative function which allows search and rescue to be performed,
helps locate a fire, reduces possibility of injury to firefighters and enables
combustion and toxic gases to escape from the structure. As refered to
earlier, the Kent Fire Department conducted a task line analysis in which the
aerial setup reflex time was studied. At present the Kent Fire Department
usually responds with one (1 ) firefighter driving the aerial ladder truck.
J - 91 -
The numerous ladder functions described above will require varying reflex time
periods to complete. Since these operations are crucial and must be performed
almost simulataneously with engine company operations, a ladder company of one
or two members will not be capable of carrying out all of its responsibilities.
(Figure 31 . )
SUMMARY
It takes time and resources to control an emergency situation. The quicker
that the fire suppression system can react, the quicker the situation can be
controlled with the resultant effect of less life and property loss. Anything
that can be done to reduce the reflex-time should be studied and implemented
if possible and practical . It will certainly cost more to improve the
services, but the Kent Fire Department will continue to do everything possible-
to provide the maximum amount of service with the resources available. It is,
however, the responsibility of the fire department to make notice of where a
deficiency exists and to suggest solutions. It is the purpose of this time
reflex analysis to help accomplish this task.
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-93-
AGENT APPLICATION
In this section of the Fire Prevention and Control Master Plan, an analysis
will be made of the Fire Control System's ability to control and extinguish
structure fires as it relates to the application of an extinguishing agent.
Three main areas of importance will be examined.
1 . Availability of the agent
2. Agent requirements for control
3. The availability of the Fire Control System to apply the agent
Each of these three areas will be examined by fire demand zones, and future
needs or problems will be identified.
AVAILABILITY OF THE AGENT
The control and extinguishment of interior fires requires the application of
an extinguishing agent in a rate sufficient to overcome the fire. To gain- an
understanding of fire control technology as it relates to structure fires, a
review of basic fire chemistry would be in order. The review will identify
the three criteria for a fire to occur and also the ways fire can be extin-
guished.
For a fire to occur, three things must be present. We must have a fuel that
will support combustion. There must be sufficient heat to raise that fuel to
its ignition temperature. And finally, there has to be sufficient oxygen to
sustain combustion once it occurs.
In structure fire fighting, the fuel is present in the contents of a structure
as well as in some types of construction, the structure itself. The heat for
ignition is supplied either by the occupant of the structure or some type of
mechanical device within the structure. This would apply to both residential y
and commercial occupancies. The oxygen that is required for a fire to burn is
supplied in the air that we breath inside a building. The phenomenon of fire
is represented by the fire triangle where we see one side existing of oxygen,
another of fuel , and the other, heat. In extinguishing a fire, any one of the
- 95 -
three sides of the triangle may be interrupted which would cause the fire to
go out.
O
FIRE
TRIANGLE
FUEL
In attacking and extinguishing structure fires, the easiest way for extin-
guishment to occur is through the removal of heat. This is accomplished with
the application of a heat absorbing agent. Water has continued to be the .-
chosen agent for a variety of reasons. Water is' used because it is usually
readily available, is relatively inexpensive when compared to some of the
other extinguishing agents, and it has a very high heat absorbing capability.
One gallon of water, for example, will absorb 8,000 Btus (Btu = British
Thermal Unit, which is the amount of heat required to raise 1 pound of water 1
degree Fahrenheit). One pound of an ordinary combustible material such as
wood or paper products will release 8,000 Btus during combustion. So, to gain
control of a fire, we would have to apply one gallon of water for every one
pound of ordinary combustible material present. However, with the modern
technology present in our everyday environment, we find that many man-made
products are being used in construction components, as well as furnishings.
Often in storage occupancies, large quantities of these materials are
present. These products will release a higher rate of heat into the atmos-
phere than would ordinary combustibles. For example, many plastic products
will release as high as 15,000 to 20,000 Btus per pound as compared to the
8,000 Btus per pound for ordinary combustibles.
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We can see that the extinguishment of fire in structures is still a job that
requires water to be applied to the fire. Total success of a fire depart-
ment' s operations is dependent upon the availability of the water at the loca-
tion of the fire as well as their ability to apply it in sufficient quantities
to overcome the heat production of the fuel .
AGENT REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL
In planning for the control of structure fires, the amount of water required
to extinguish a fire can be determined prior to the fire occurring. Water is
of a vital importance for a fire department to operate effectively. If water
is unavailable in sufficient quantities to combat a given problem, failure is
programmed in from the very start. Over the years, the fire service has used
two separate formulas for determining the amount of water required. The
Insurance Services Office (ISO) Guide for determination of required fire flows
is one formula used and the other is the Field Guide formula that has been
published by the Iowa State University Fire Extension Division. Each of these
formulas has its own intended purpose and application. To help clear up some
of the confusion that does exist, an examination of each formula will be made.
The Insurance Services Office has published a guide to be used for determining
the amount of water in gallons per minute that is to be provided on site for
fire protection. This guide applies a mathematical formula that utilizes a
series of factors based on building size, construction, intended occupancy,
exposures, and whether the building will be equipped with a sprinkler system.
The purpose of the ISO Guide is to provide adequate water to supply the
sprinkler system and provide water for fire department hose streams both
inside the involved building and in exposed structures nearby. Through the
application of this guide during the pre-construction phase of development,
the fire department is assured of sufficient water for a major problem.
Should insufficient water be available, the option should be open of either
providing the fire flows required in the ISO Guide through expanded water or
limiting the building size to the class that would be permissible under the
ISO Guide for the water that is available.
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The most widely accepted formula (field guide) was developed in 1967, revised
in 1981 , and has been published by the Iowa State University Fire Extension
Division. In applying this formula, three basic factors must be considered.
The water must be applied properly, the size of the building or fire area has
to be considered, and finally the occupancy or the fire loading of that fire
area must also be considered.
An examination should be made of each of these three pre-mentioned factors.
The water must be applied properly, and this is one undisputable rule in any
type of firefighting, that to achieve extinguishment, the extinguishing agent
must be applied to the seat of the fire or upon the fuel . In structure fire-
fighting, this requires a strong, aggressive, interior attack upon the base of
the fire. Another factor, the size of the building or fire area must be
considered, as the larger the fire, the more water is required. During the
early stages of the development of the Field Guide formula, it was thought
that one gallon of water for every 100 cubic feet of fire area was sufficient
for extinguishment of fire. This figure was sufficient for fires in ordinary
construction or in ordinary fire loading such as a single family residence.
As the fire loading would increase by occupancy; for example a tire storage
warehouse versus a warehouse of metal pipe, the fire flows had to be increased
to meet the added demands. Factors have been added that will increase the
water requirements up to as much as five times that of a single family
residence.
In summary, the ISO Guide is used for the determination of the amount of water
that would be required for a major problem in a given occupancy, while the
Field Guide formula is used for the determination of fire flows for a fire
inside a structure that is involving only certain portions of that structure.
There is another benefit of the Field Guide formula and that is that it serves
as a basis for determining the amount of firefighters needed to combat a
typical structure fire.
AGENT APPLICATION ABILITY
In considering the application of water on structure fires, two general
methods will be examined. A comparison will be made between the manual appli-
cation of water versus the automatic application of water as an extinguishing
J - 98 -
agent. An analysis will be performed of the benefits and disadvantages
inherent with each method.
The manual method of water application requires the Fire Department to perform
many simultaneous tasks to achieve their goal of fire control . For example,
when rescue, forcible entry, or ventilation are required in conjunction with
the operation of hose streams, the delivery rate per person will decline. The
Los Angeles Fire Department, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection
Association, did a series of studies in the late 1960's that were published by
the NFPA in their book entitled, "Fire Attack." The delivery rate per fire-
fighter was determined to be 35 gallons per minute when simultaneous tasks are
accomplished. During the 1970's the Kent Fire Department performed a series
of fireground task analysis. As a result of these studies, the Kent Fire
Department went to a larger diameter attack line which increased the capabil-
ities of each individual firefighter to a delivery rate of 50 gpm. As a
result of these factors, the fireflow delivery rate can be readily calculated
by simply taking the fire alarm assignment of personnel and multiplying the
total number by 50 to determine the amount of water that can be applied. It
should be noted for larger fires, where we have 'a totally involved structure,
the fireflows can be increased dramatically when we use an exterior attack on
the fire. During an exterior attack, a 2-1/2 inch hoseline can be utilized
which will increase the capabilities of a fire company, three persons, to a
delivery rate of about 300 gallons per minutes or approximately 100 gallons
per firefighter. If the firefighters were to utilize large stream appliances,
where the delivery rates per appliance are as high as 1000 gallons per minute,
a generally accepted rule of thumb is a delivery rate of 500 gallons per
minute per firefighter. It should be pointed out that both of these increased
flow rates are only utilized when the building is totally involved, the fire
is at the point of an extreme hazard to the firefighters to make an interior
attack, or where the building is in imminent danger of collapse. Also this
type of fire has little if any salvage value of the building's contents or
even the structure itself.
The advantages of the manual method of application of water can be summa-
rized: The firefighter is able to apply the water directly to the fire, the
uninvolved stock in a commercial building may not be damaged by the water, and
finally, the Fire Department is able to apply water to any structure. The
- 99 -
disadvantages are apparent. The manual method relies heavily on the fact that
the Fire Department must arrive before the fire gains such a magnitude that
entry to the building is prohibited. Even at best, the delivery rates for the
smaller commercial buildings and larger residential occupancies require a very
intensive labor force. The largest disadvantage to manual application of
water is the resulting potential for a life loss because the fire is able to
continue during the Fire Department's reflex time.
In the automatic extinguishing mode of fire control , the water is applied to
the fire by a fixed extinguishing system that is built into the structure. It
has been found that automatic sprinkler systems are the most effective means
of controlling fires in buildings. In order to understand the capabilities of
these systems, a review will be made of an automatic sprinkler system and its
component parts.
Automatic sprinklers are devices for automatically distributing water upon a
fire in sufficient quantity either to extinguish it entirely or to prevent its
spread. The water is fed to the sprinklers through a system of piping ordi-
narily suspended from the ceiling, with the sprinklers placed at intervals
along the pipes. The water for the sprinkler system comes from the water
system or in areas of limited water supply, large quantity, on-site, water
storage may be provided.
The idea of automatic sprinkler protection, whereby heat from a fire opens one
or more sprinklers and allows the water to flow, dates back to about 1860.
During the ensuing years, many revisions and improvements have occurred in
automatic sprinkler technology. At the present time, an automatic sprinkler
system will not only control the fire, but is also able to give notification
of a fire occurring by transmitting an alarm to a monitoring station.
We find that automatic sprinklers are particularly effective for life safety
because they qive warning of the existence of fire and at the same time apply
water to the burning area. With sprinklers, there are seldom problems of
access to the seat of the fire or interference with visibility for firefight-
ing due to smoke. While the downward force of the water discharge from
sprinklers may lower the smoke level in a room where a fire is burning, the
sprinklers also serve to cool the smoke and make it possible for persons to
remain in the room much longer than if it were without sprinklers.
- 100 -
I
Because of the rapid technological advancement, research, and development
work, automatic sprinklers are becoming more and more practical for dwellings
and other small properties. There is no reason to doubt that the same protec-
tion afforded a commercial building with an automatic sprinkler system cannot
be achieved in a single family residence. In some areas of the southwest,
insurance companies have reduced premiums for fire coverage based on the
belief that residential sprinkler systems will reduce fire loss and increase
life safety.
Another statistic to consider relating to the application of an extinguishing
agent by an automatic system is that the National Fire Protection Association
has no record of a multi-death fire (a fire which kills three or more people)
in a completely sprinklered building where the system was operating
properly.1 The exception being where an explosion or a flash fire killed
the buildings occupants prior to the operation of a sprinkler system, but,
this was not a failure of the sprinkler system. A 1982 study by the U.S.
Department of Energy, covering a 28-year period of that agency's buildings,
showed that there had never been a loss of life due to a fire in a sprinklered
building. For many years the NFPA published summaries of sprinkler perform-
ance.1 However, this practice was stopped after 1970 when it became
apparent that the data being used was biased by collection criteria which
concentrated on fires causing large dollar loss. This basis lead to an
apparent and misleading decline in sprinkler effectiveness. Based primarily
on the fact that many insurance companies had a higher deductible at that
time, the insured would never report small loss fires to the insurance
carrier. Prior to the NFPA ceasing to collect efficiency data of sprinkler
systems, figures of 96 to 98 percent effectiveness had been documented. In
the United States Department of Energy report, referenced earlier, that agency
determined the sprinkler systems were more than 98 percent effective in
controlling or extinguishing fires.2
1 NFPA Handbook 15th Edition National Fire Protection Association - Quincy,
Mass.
2 "Automatic Sprinkler System Performance and Reliability U.S. Dept. of
Energy PUB DOE/EP - 0052 Washington, D.C.
I
- 101 -
While recent comprehensive statistics on sprinkler effectiveness are not
available, documentation of their effectiveness in the protection of property
can be found in numerous examples of succcessful operation in NFPA, United
States Fire Administration, and insurer files.
The advantages from the installation of a standard sprinkler system equipped
with an automatic detection device would be as follows:
The sprinkler system can apply water efficiently and promptly to the
seat of the fire.
The system, when it is activated, would provide prompt notification
to the Fire Department of a fire occurring in that structure.
As soon as the system activates, it provides immediate life safety
protection.
Sprinklers are not hampered in their operation by smoke or heat as
the firefighters are.
Direct fire loss is reduced due to the sprinkler protection. In
addition, there is a savings in indirect fire loss.
The most common-voiced disadvantages of an automatic sprinkler system are
covered by the following:
Water damage is usually severe in a sprinklered building.
An accidental discharge of water from an automatic sprinkler system
can be caused by failure of the system or mechanical damage.
The cost of installing the system is often prohibitive.
Upon analysis of historical data regarding sprinkler systems, we find the
three above disadvantages of sprinkler systems to be simple misconceptions.
An analysis of sprinkler system data has proven the following.
- 102 -
A properly installed sprinkler system, operating in a timely manner,
will generate less water damage than the later application of hose
streams by the fire service. We know that sprinklers can apply water
effectively and promptly to the seat of the fire, unhampered by heat
or smoke.
The misconception that external damage to the sprinkler system can
cause a severe loss, again has not been proven. The chance of any
damage to or from a sprinkler system is about one per year for every
800 systems, and nearly half of the incidents that were recorded by
the Department of Energy were so slight that the damage to or from
the system was negligible.
The misconception that sprinkler systems are unneccesarily expensive
has been proven false. In many instances savings in insurance
premiums alone could adequately finance, over a few years, the
installation of an automatic sprinkler system. The Building Code
allows flexibility in its requirements with the installation of auto-
matic sprinklers. But the most important question is, "what value
can be placed on the life safety aspects of total sprinkler protec-
tion.
ANALYSIS
The amount of water required to extinguish the "average fire," water avail-
ability, and the fire control system's ability to apply the water will be the
basis for an analysis to determine areas that need attention. The "average
fire" is defined as the fire that has the highest probability of occurring in
the most common building of the Fire Demand Zone.
Figure 33 displays the water that is available in each Fire Demand Zone. The
red areas are those areas that do not have an established water supply. These
areas are primarily located in the agricultural and single-family areas.
The Insurance Services Office requirements for the fire flow are illustrated
in Figure 32. The Fire Demand Zones that have matching colors between Figure
32 and Figure 33 indicate the areas where the ISO requirements are met.
- 103 -
Average Fire Flow Required, displayed in Figure 34 is an assessment of the
water required to extinguish the "average fire. " Before the reader is lulled
into a false sense of security, it should be pointed out that the following
factors were considered in determining fire flow:
The average fire was considered to be a one or two room involvement in
single-family occupancies and one unit involvement in multi-family occupan-
cies. In commercial occupancies that are sprinklered, an attack of two 1-3/4"
lines was considered adequate. In non-sprinklered buildings, a fire that
could occur in the largest undivided area was used.
The department' s ability to apply the water is based on the total first alarm
response personnel multiplied by 50 gpm to determine a delivery rate. These
figures are displayed in Figure 35. An emphasis must be placed on the fact
that the first arriving fire engine will not be able to deliver the required
fire flow until the arrival of the second, and in most areas, the third
engine. This is necessary to have sufficient personnel to deliver the
displayed rates. The response times for the second and third engines have.
never been collected on a permanent basis, but in a random sampling of two
months of alarms it was found, the second engine arrived 4 minutes after the
first engine. This time lag allows the fire to increase and the resulting
water requirements are greater than those illustrated.
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MEASUREMENT OF FIRE DEPARTMENT EFFECTIVENESS
TRADITIONAL MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
Traditionally the effectiveness of a fire department has been measured against
four basic standards:
The Insurance Service Organizations Grading Schedule
Fire Department Expenditures
Standards of Effort and Performance
Units based on fire loss
While each of these standards provide a form of evaluation, the application of
these standards as a measurement of fire department effectiveness creates some-
problems. The problems caused by the misapplication of these standards will
be identified.
ISO GRADING SCHEDULE
The purpose of the ISO Grading Schedule is to provide insurance companies with
a guide for underwriting purposes. The Schedule also provides a method of
measuring the degree of hazard from conflagrations and large-loss fires, but
was never intended as a measurement of fire department effectiveness.
Two readily identifiable problems with the application of this schedule are:
j The tendency of fire departments to staff according to levels identified
in the schedule to handle the large-loss fires in accordance to the
schedule. These large-loss fires are rare and only account for a minute
fraction of the total amount of fires.
J
The goal of a fire department is for a "better" class under the Grading
Schedule. This improved classification or "rating" is interpreted to mean
a more efficient fire department, which in fact it is not; it only
J measures the degree of ability to combat the occasional large-loss fire.
J - 110 -
EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS
An analysis of expenditures as a method of measuring effectiveness is based on
the following:
A fire department's stated goals, objectives and operating costs are
closely related.
A system's total costs must be analyzed, not just one part of the system.
In the Fire Prevention and Control System, component parts would include
the Fire Department, Planning, Public Works and other related divisions of
local government.
In applying these "rules" as a measure of fire department efficiency, two
problems become apparent:
Few fire departments have the resources for a comprehensive analysis of
expenditures. A medium for considering the total cost of fire protection
is not readily available. It should be noted that total costs would
include the expenses of the fire department, cost of fire insurance, both
direct and indirect fire loss, and fire protection engineering costs
resulting from fire and building codes.
The most often stated goal of the nation' s fire departments is the preven-
tion of fires; however, the largest percentage of a fire department's
budget is spent on fire suppression.
Using the Expenditure of Funds as a tool to determine effectiveness at the
present time would not give the desired results as it would only reinforce the
above problem.
EFFORT AND PERFORMANCE
The amount of effort expended by a fire department can be measured in terms of
money, personnel , equipment and facilities. These units of effort, however,
do not necessarily have any correlation with an efficient operation.
Nationally the fire service has been tardy in developing performance standards
or measuring techniques to determine effectiveness. A few selected fire
departments have done some exploratory work in the development of performance
standards. The application of these standards have only been toward fire
ground operations and then only under controlled conditions and not under the
real situation found.
It can be readily seen that neither of these units can provide a true measure
of effectiveness. Performance standards, that measure the total fire preven-
tion and control systems, would be the logical approach. Various measures of
performance that accurately define effectiveness will be identified later.
UNITS OF FIRE LOSS
The criteria of fire department adequacy and efficiency is considered to be
fire loss. The theory behind this statement is reasonable as the purpose of a
fire department is to keep fire loss at a minimum. However, the statement
falls considerably short of logic for two reasons:
As already pointed out, most fire department resources are deployed
according to requirements of the ISO Grading Schedule, which has no rela-
tionship to actual fire loss.
The second reason why fire loss fails to provide a measure of effective-
ness is in the application of the following two criteria used in inter-
pretation of fire loss figures.
Loss per $1 ,000 valuation: The intended purpose of this unit of measure-
ment is to evaluate loss in relation to the potential risk, or what is
burning to what might burn. The first logical step in using this method
I, would be determining what
there is to burn and what its valuation is.
This would require a definition of valuation. Would the value be REAL
value, REPLACEMENT value, ASSESSED value or the INSURED value? At the
present time there is not a standard unit of measurement of value. It is
up to each fire department to determine what definition to use. It has
- 112 -
been a common practice for a fire departments to use all of the defini-
tions of value within a reporting year. Regardless of the method used, a
trained loss manager would be required to make an accurate judgment.
Loss per building fire: Theoretically this unit of measurement is
intended to evaluate trends in performance. Usually the loss per building
fire is lumped into a single category. For example, if a fire department
were efficient in fighting fires in single-family dwellings but were
inefficient in warehouse fires, the total figure would tend to display an
inefficiency in the total problem.
Both of these methods have two commonly shared problems. One problem being
neither criteria considers the amount of property saved from the destruction
of the fire. The other problem being the one large-loss fire that occurs
occasionally would tend to show the department less efficient in the year of
that fire, when just the opposite could be true.
DEVELOPMENT OF MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
In developing the measurement criteria, three factors were considered:
The actions or operational methods of the fire department must be measur-
able during emergency incidents. This would not be limited to fire
suppression activities, but would also include Emergency Medical Services.
The total Fire Prevention and Control System must be measured. The compo-
nent parts of the system that are to be measured, in relationship to fire
prevention and control , have been identified by department and division.
Fire Department
Fire Suppression Division
Training
Code Enforcement Division
Fire Prevention
J Building
Emergency Medical Services Division
J - 113 -
Planning Department
Public Works
Water
Streets
Police Department
Alarm Communications
The measurement of the selected criteria should be available from the
present record keeping system. The Washington State Fire Incident Report-
ing System (WAFIRS) now in use by the Kent Fire Department will provide
the information needed. WAFIRS is also part of the National Fire Incident
Reporting System (NFIRS) and would enable fire department administrators
to compare local data with data from areas of equal size throughout the
country.
RECOMMENDED MEASUREMENT CRITERIA
Applying the following four elements will measure the effectiveness of the.
Fire Prevention and Control System.
Number of fires/Population
Number of fires/Occupancy
Response time
Escalation of incident after arrival of fire department
Number of fires/Population: This element will measure the effectiveness
of the fire prevention efforts of the fire department and the prevention
efforts of the other components of the Fire Prevention and Control System.
Number of fires/Occupancy: Measuring the number of fires by occupancy
would gauge the efforts of the Code Enforcement division, primarily in
commercial occupancies. There are national statistics available by popu-
lation groups so only comparisons of like communities would be possible.
The frequency of fires in residential occupancies would be a measure of
J the public education and public relations efforts of the Fire Prevention
and Control System.
J - 114 -
Response time: This would be defined as the time from when the call for
help is placed until help arrives. Graphing "Response time" into its
component parts would enable an analysis of each part.
Response Time
Call for Processing Travel Help
Help of Alarm Time Arrives
Processing of Alarm: With the installation of the new telephone system
(E-911 ) the exact time the alarm is transmitted to the alarm center would
be recorded. Comparing this time against the transmittal of the alarm to
the proper fire or aid units would give an indication of the effectiveness
of the alarm center. It should be pointed out that the time for "process-
ing of alarm" would be comparable between jurisdictions across the country.
Travel Time: This is defined as the time between the dispatch and the
arrival of the units at the scene of the emergency. There are nationally
recognized maximum times that are permissible before aid must be admini-
stered in a fire or medical emergency. Travel time would give an indica-
tion of the following:
Street and traffic patterns and how they relate to the response of
emergency traffic.
Fire station placement and how they relate to districts or areas
covered and their relationship to where the majority of the incidents
are occurring.
Escalation of incident after arrival of fire department: This criteria
would be applied to both types of emergency services provided by the fire
department, emergency medical and fire suppression.
J
Emergency Medical : With various types of medical emergencies, if the
incident requires additional assistance, it would help to measure the
adequacy of training and staffing levels of the response personnel . The
level of patient status before and after the arrival of the fire depart-
ment would also be an indicator of the level of training of the general
public.
Fire suppression: Should a fire grow in size during fire department
operation, it would be the result of one or more of the following:
Inadequate staffing levels which would limit the possibility of a
strong action against the fire.
Insufficient water will seriously hamper the fire department's
ability to extinguish a fire or even confine the fire to its area of
involvement.
Tactical operations of the fire department. By choosing the wrong
alternatives at the fire scene, the department's operation may cause
the fire to spread. The training level of the fire suppression
forces of a department would also be apparent during their fire scene
operations.
Lack of internal protection: Without the requirements of the Build-
ing and/or Fire Codes a building has a higher level of susceptibility
to a rapidly spreading fire, both before and after the arrival of
firefighters. Early warning systems would give an additional measure
of protection by limiting the amount of time for a fire to spread.
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DESIGNED SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS AND GOALS
Master planning is a system of organized data and knowledgeable assembled
input to advise citizens and elected officials of the problems or areas of
needed improvement. A Master Plan will identify problems, set goals to obtain
an improved level of service, list objectives to reach those goals, and will
list alternatives based on the analysis of trends and situations as they
exist. These recommendations are intended to be guidelines only, as the
ultimate level of service provided will be decided by the government officials
responsible to the citizens who elected them.
Goals are based on current data and represent a direction most favorable to
the community. Reassessment of recommendations and directions must be done on
a regular basis. Data resulting from initial recommendations accepted by
elected officials can then be compiled to affirm proper and improved services
for tax dollars. Should the data identify incorrect delivery of services or
directions contrary to the best interest of the public, adjustments to the
Master Plan, which in fact is a direction of the department, can be made.
It is not the intent of the Master Plan Committee to pressure or influence
those that must make the final decisions, but only to explain the situations
as they exist today and identify a variety of service levels available to the
citizens of our response area. The goals in this document represent a level
of service exceeding those currently available. Some will require increased
funding. Some will dictate the need for redirection of emphasis, and some
will require legislative changes, but all are subject to analysis and accept-
ance or rejection by the reviewing committees and policy makers of the govern-
ing body.
The existence of the Fire Department is solely dependent on the need of the
community for a protection system. Therefore, the ultimate goal of the Kent
Fire Department is to provide the most effective, efficient system possible
for the tax dollars spent. Ideally, through the efforts of education and
prevention, the fire problem as we know it today would be eliminated, result-
ing in a zero fire and life loss in the protection area.
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LACK OF EMPHASIS IN FIRE PREVENTION AND CODE ENFORCEMENT
The American Fire Service has often been described as "200 years of tradition
unhampered by progress". In keeping with this statement, most fire depart-
ments' emphasis is placed on fire suppression activities and only a token
effort is placed on fire prevention. It is only after a major fire, that
usually results in a large loss, that consideration is given to improvement of
the fire and life safety environment through code enforcement. The Kent Fire
Department has begun to break from the traditional approach toward the fire
problem; however, the major emphasis is still on fire suppression.
PROBLEM
For years the fire service has seen the need for an emphasis shift from sup-
pression (reactive management) to prevention (proactive management) but has
done little or nothing to accomplish this goal .
GOAL
Actively pursue a shift from the reactionary style of management to a progres-
sive systems approach of improving the fire and life safety environment.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Evaluate current suppression personnel activities and allow for more
involvement in fire prevention activities.
2. Implement a comprehensive public education system to reduce fire and
life loss.
3. Pursue code and ordinance changes to insure a reduction in fire and
life loss.
J 4. Provide staffing at necessary levels to accomplish all required fire
prevention and code enforcement functions.
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5. Ensure fire department involvement in the total response area, both
City and District 37.
6. Ensure continued and improved relationships with other City and
county departments to provide most efficient delivery of services.
7. Provide active input into all phases of community growth and
development.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
Continue to increase suppression staffing to react to an escalating fire
problem.
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FIRE PREVENTION AND CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFECTIVENESS WITHIN FIRE DISTRICT 37
In 1973, as stated in Section 3 of the text, the Kent Fire Department and King
County District 37 entered into a contract for emergency services. This
contract has proven beneficial for both parties. In order for a fire depart-
ment to affect the fire and safety environment within its response area, that
fire department must have control or input into all areas of fire service
responsibilities. The King County Fire Marshal 's office is charged by law
with the responsibility of fire prevention inspections. However, due to
reductions in County staffing, adequate inspections are not being accomplished
at this time. In addition, King County has solicited input from the Kent Fire
Department on new construction, codes and ordinances. However, due to demands
placed on Fire Department staff, active input has been lacking, resulting in
lack of continuity between city and county requirements and enforcement levels.
PROBLEM
The higher level of prevention and enforcement is not available to Fire
District 37 residents due to the inability of King County to deliver some
elements that affect the fire and life safety environment; input into King
County codes and ordinances has not been actively pursued by the Fire Depart-
ment.
GOAL
To strive for comparable levels of fire prevention and code enforcement
services between the City and the Fire District.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Provide input from the Kent Fire Department staff into such things as
planning, streets, water systems, and codes to assure Fire Department
needs are met to the best of the County's ability.
2. Ensure fire personnel have the authority to enforce necessary codes
and ordinances regarding fire inspections in the district area.
- 121 -
3. Encourage the strict enforcement of established codes and ordinances
within the County.
4. Identify target areas of need for increased public education.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Anticipate the need for higher suppression crew staffing in the fire
district to deal with the higher rate of incidences.
2. Reevaluate the benefits of the contract between Fire District 37 and
the Kent Fire Department.
3. Annex the Fire District 37 area.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION
Public education directly affects the needed services of the Fire Department.
If public apathy can be overcome and citizens taught to understand the
necessary codes and ordinances, prevention techniques, and how to limit and
cope with an emergency prior to the Fire Department arrival , the service
demands placed on the Fire Department and subsequently the resources required
will be reduced. An example of this education was illustrated on the CBS
program "60 Minutes" several years ago. A condensed statement of the contents
of that segment is "if you have a cardiac arrest, the Seattle area is the best
place in the world to have it". This is due to citizen education in an
area-wide CPR program. Through public education, the quality of life in the
Puget Sound area has improved. If this education process were expanded to
include all fire and life safety, the need for fire departments as they exist
today would be altered drastically.
PROBLEM
The vast majority of information developed to improve the life safety environ-
ment is not in a contemporary form that is readily accepted by the public. In
addition, the Fire Department lacks a dynamic delivery system to distribute
all needed prevention material to overcome public apathy.
GOAL
Establish a consistent and aggressive public education program of materials
and presentations which are responsive to changing conditions.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Analyze available data to determine informational needs of the
community.
2. Recruit active involvement from citizens, business groups, service
clubs, and any other community organization.
- 123 -
3. Identify and utilize all delivery systems necessary to distribute the
public education material .
4. Insure that all necessary resources are available and that responsi-
bilities are assigned to implement a comprehensive public education
program.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Rely on another entity to deliver public education.
2. Continue to increase Fire Department suppression staffing to meet the
needs of an uninformed public.
3. Limit public education by the Fire Department to specific areas.
4. Relax enforced standards and accept a higher level of risk.
- 124 -
FACILITIES
Facilities of the total Kent Fire Department consist of six response stations
and the office area of the Code Enforcement Division located on the 4th floor
of City Hall . Only two of the stations are such that they meet the future
needs of the fire department. Stations 72 and 77 are both Fire District
facilities and because of a bond issue, were rebuilt or upgraded to meet
future demands. The remaining four stations were built before 1965 and have
been expanded and remodeled as much as possible. Department growth and needs,
however, have exceeded facility capacities.
Code Enforcement requirements are currently far in excess of present facili-
ties. Located on the fourth floor of City Hall , the Code Enforcement Division
has only limited access to the other necessary City departments, which creates
a somewhat inefficient permit process. Due to expansion and growth of this
division of the fire department, Code Enforcement facilities are in immediate
need of upgrading. Should the belief that prevention is the direction of
future fire departments be substantiated, the need for additional , expanded
facilities will become obvious.
PROBLEM
The majority of fire department facilities are in need of upgrading to accom-
modate current and future service needs.
GOAL
Provide facilities for the Kent Fire Department to insure an efficient system
of service delivery.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Evaluate current station usefulness and conditions and upgrade or
alter as necessary to meet future needs.
- 125 -
2. Re-locate or expand the Code Enforcement's work area to meet current
and future needs.
3. Consider the feasibility of a centralized permit center to provide
efficient and prompt service.
4. Evaluate response area growth and service delivery capabilities to
establish a basis for a station location program.
5. Combine with other area departments to establish a central training
facility.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . The merger of area fire departments would allow a more efficient use
of existing stations.
2. Establish a program for development of a complete training facility
that will meet the needs of a proactive Fire Department.
3. Consider "temporary" response facilities.
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DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE ABILITY
Although the problem of data collection, storage, and retrieval was not
directly addressed in the text, compiling of this Master Plan emphasized the
Department's non-uniformity in the data collection process, limited or cumber-
some storage facilities, and limited access to the storage banks. To insure
an efficient fire protection system, information pertaining to all areas of
these responsibilities must be avaiable to Fire Department personnel . The
Fire Department system must identify all information needed and standardize
the system to collect, store, and retrieve any such data. Equipment, as well
as trained personnel , must become available to the Fire Department to insure
delivery of services is the best that can be provided for the tax dollar.
PROBLEM
It has been found that the lack of uniform data collection, storage, and
retrieval abilities are hampering the efficiency of the Fire Prevention and
Control System. City storage of Fire Department statistics is limited and is
not available on a needed, 24-hour basis.
GOAL
Establish an overall flexible information data base and establish resources to
allow for the collection, storage, and retrieval abilities necessary for data
analysis and efficient management of a proactive fire department.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Identify the information needed for the long-term use of the fire
department.
2. Define data retrieval priorities that would include 24-hour access to
information for emergencies.
3. Increase storage capacity to allow for storage of all needed data.
- 127 -
4. Increase microfiche capacity to allow for inclusion of all building
plans and establish instant retrieval capabilities.
5. Provide for microfiche and computer terminal capabilities at each
station.
6. Persue the establishment of a combined data base for all City
departments, so that unnecessary duplications are eliminated.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1
1 . Do nothing.
2. Combine computer use with other fire departments.
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FIRE/ARSON INVESTIGATIONS
Identification of an area's fire problem is only possible through accurate
analysis of occurring fires. As described in Section IV of this Master Plan,
that responsibility is charged, by State Law, to the Code Enforcement Division
of the Kent Fire Department. Due to staffing of that division, the fire
investigation tasks are often times not complete. Factors that affect the
ability to conduct an accurate investigation of all fires include such things
as man hours available, continuity of the investigation, participation of
external agencies, and training. Fire Department investigators are not always
available, and suppression crew training lacks in the area of fire origin
identification and evidence preservation. Because investigation responsibil-
ities are shared by code enforcement personnel , continuity of investigations
is sometimes compromised. Outside agencies immediately involved include the
Kent Police Department and the King County Fire Marshal 's Office. Both
provide expertise in their field of responsibility; however, the need for a
closer working relationship would provide for a more accurate identification
of the area's fire problem.
PPOBLEM
All fires in the response area are not being investigated as to cause, which
results in an inaccurate identification of the fire problem.
GOAL
Insure that all fires within the response area are investigated to the fullest
extent possible to establish the cause, resulting in the identification of the
area's fire problem, which should result in an improved life and fire safety
environment.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Provide training for selected fire suppression personnel so they can
accurately investigate and determine the cause of fires.
- 129 -
2. Insure that all fires of suspicious or unknown origin and major loss
fires are investigated by specialized fire investigation personnel .
3. Insure that sufficient resources are available to facilitate all fire
investigations.
4. Establish an active, compatible working relationship with involved
jurisdictions necessary for all fire investigations.
5. Target a program of community awareness of the fire and arson problem.
6. Explore the possibility of establishing an area-wide arson task force.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Contract for fire investigations with an outside agency.
2. Establish criteria to allow for only limited investigations.
3. Place fire investigation responsibilities with the Kent Police
Department.
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DISASTER PLANS
Fire and Emergency Medical Services are provided for a unique area, that has a
large potential for loss from a disaster. This disaster could come in the
form of an earthquake, severe storm, or even another volcanic eruption. As
six major transportation routes transverse the protection area, the potential
for a hazardous materials incident is very high. The Puget Sound Council of
Government study of hazardous materials lists Kent as the third most hazardous
area in the Puget Sound Basin. Fire departments are identified by statute as
the coordinating agency to deal with major disasters. To accomplish this
mandate, written disaster contingency plans must be established.
PROBLEM
There is a lack of written policies or plans governing the deployment of the
emergency control system during a major disaster.
GOAL
Formulate in conjunction with area fire departments, local governmental
agencies, and private sector groups, written policies and procedures to cope
with a major disaster.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Perform a risk analysis to determine the potential from the various
types of disasters.
2. Select a Planning Committee from the response area to formulate
policy and procedures.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
J 1 . Retain a reactive approach to a disaster should it occur.
2. Hire a consulting firm to prepare a written disaster plan.
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TRAINING
Section III of this Master Plan makes the statement "procedures can be planned
for near perfect operations and the activities of personnel can be well super-
vised, but without training, firefighters cannot efficiently perform". Train-
ing and, consequently training facilities, are of the utmost importance to
insure efficient operations on an emergency scene. The Kent Fire Department
has only limited classroom and drill ground facilities that only accommodate
10 percent of the needed manipulative drills. Often response units are moved
from their primary response area to facilitate needed uniformity of training.
Currently drill ground facilities consist of whatever open area is available;
often times, privately owned lands.
Training, as is typical of most departments, still emphasizes suppression.
The only way to eliminate the fire problem as we know it today is to actively
pursue the advancement of fire prevention. This proactive or prevention
orientation should be able to solve many problems before tragedy strikes so
that reactive approaches need not be used. To advance this belief, the Fire
Department, through training efforts, must increase the emphasis on preven-
tion, keeping in perspective the needs for a well trained suppression force.
PROBLEM
Present training facilities do not meet the needs of the Fire Department to
effectively train all personnel to the maximum suppression skill efficiency.
In addition, the overall emphasis of the training is not that of a proactive,
prevention minded Fire Department.
GOAL
Provide facilities that allow effective manipulative skills training and
implement a balanced training program that places more emphasis on preventa-
tive type activities.
- 132 -
OBJECTIVES
1 . Cause the proper emphasis to be placed on training in a direction to
support the belief that prevention will drastically impact the
current fire problem.
2. Establish performance standards to insure uniformity in all areas of
training.
3. Ensure all resources necessary for a well balanced training program
be available to accomplish the defined goal .
4. Pursue the formation and operation of a regional training facility to
be shared by neighboring jurisdictions.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Increase reliance on training resources external to the Kent Fire
Department.
2. Continue suppression training as is.
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WATER AVAILABILITY
For the Fire Department to successfully combat a major fire in a structure,
sufficient water must be available. The water would be applied to control the
fire as well as keeping the fire from spreading to other buildings.
An analysis of each of the fire demand zones was performed to identify the
target hazard in each area. The required fire flow for each target hazard was
determined and compared to the water available. The target hazard is defined
as the largest fire hazard in a given area.
PROBLEM
There is insufficient water in 30 percent of the fire protection area to meet
the fire flow requirements for the identified target hazards.
GOAL
Ensure that the water systems are expanded or upgraded to meet the fire flow
requirements for all construction in the response area.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Ensure Fire Department input into water system improvement programs.
2. Maximize use of automatic extinguishing systems in all construction
to reduce required fire flow.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
J
1 . Require on-site water storage for fire fighting.
portable PP
Provide ortable water supplies for fire fighting use.
3. Allow construction without regard for adequate fire flow availability.
- 134 -
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RESPONSE TIMES
Service delivery time, in most cases, is largely affected by response time of
the closest in-service unit. As discussed in the text of this Master Plan
(Section V) , the fire service can identify a maximum response time for a given
type of incident. Factors that affect this time are such things as station/
unit location, time of day, response routes, and weather. Of these, station
location impacts overall response time more than the others. The Kent Fire
Department functions under a headquarters/satellite station distribution
system which allows for short response times. Due to the size of the response
area, the shifting of population density, and the natural and man-made
barriers, response times are, in some cases, far in excess of maximum recog-
nized times needed to prevent incident escalation beyond Fire Department
control .
PROBLEM
The Fire Department is unable to deliver vital fire and aid services within a
time frame critical to incident escalation in 55 percent of our response area.
GOAL
To provide service throughout the response area which is in a time frame
conducive to reduced fire and life loss.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Conduct an in-depth study to determine optimum response times,
staffing, relocation, additions, combinations of current fire station
locations, or mergers.
2. Establish and implement an extensive public education system to give
citizens the ability to decrease the needs for quicker response times.
- 135 -
3. Work to. encourage automatic detection and extinguishment systems in
all buildings to reduce the need for rapid response times through
public education and the proper application of codes and ordinances.
4. Evaluate the present service delivery system and consider non-tradi-
tional approaches in regards to stations, units, code enforcement and
fire prevention.
5. Ensure Kent Fire Department involvement in all aspects of community
development that impact the fire problem.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Consider a total merger of area fire departments to allow better
distribution of manpower and equipment.
2. Determine an acceptable level of service less than the optimum.
3. Determine levels of service based on land use and demands for
responses.
- 136 -
GPM DELIVERY
To enable the fire prevention control system to extinguish the "average fire"
(as defined in Section VI ) , two factors must be present. First the system
must be capable of a sufficient delivery rate. This is influenced by either
the absence of automatic sprinkler systems or low personnel levels. The
second factor requires an extinguishing agent to be available in large enough
quantities. In most cases this requires a water distribution system to
provide the necessary extinguishing agent.
PROBLEM
In 30 percent of the total response area, the Fire Prevention and Control
Delivery System is unable to control the "average fire" due to either lack of
water (23 percent), or understaffing of suppression crews, (7 percent).
GOAL
Provide adequate water and/or delivery systems to allow for extinguishment of
the "average fire" throughout the response area.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Establish input and/or control of development standards within the
total response area to insure water systems meet fire control needs.
2. Provide for portable water availability to meet fire control needs.
3. Identify the need for and require alternative water sources.
4. Maximize the use of automatic extinguishment and/or detection systems
to limit the "average fire."
5. Staff to meet "average fire" requirements in all response zones.
- 137 -
6. Evaluate current staffing locations and traditional alarm assignments
to adjust for any overstaffing that may exist in areas of lesser
demand.
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Accept a greater possibility of loss in 30 percent of the fire
protection area.
2. Merge fire departments to better utilize personnel and equipment.
3. Commit enough initial response resources to target areas to meet
staffing requirements for the "average fire", accepting the reduced
level of protection then available for the remainder of the response
area.
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DISPATCHING
Although emergency dispatching is not directly a function of the Kent Fire
Department, it must be addressed as an area of influence, as it is one of the
primary factors that affects our delivery of service. Current facilities do
not meet the demands placed on the system and technology is making present
equipment obsolete. The need for modern facilities and advanced equipment,
not only within the present system, but including such things as a Countywide
emergency phone system is vital to the rapid deployment of units requested for
service.
The inability of the dispatch system to track unit status also reflects on the
ability to efficiently dispatch emergency vehicles. Often due to a lack of
status tracking, units are redispatched to a second or even a third alarm when
in fact they were currently "out of service" on a previous response.
PROBLEM
Current dispatch time is not as efficient as advanced technology allows and
the inability to track status of emergency units often hampers the service
delivery system.
GOAL
To support the installation and use of any dispatching technology needed by
the communication system that would result in a reduced service delivery time
while maintaining dispatch accuracy.
OBJECTIVES
1 . Assure continued funding and input into the area's communication
system.
2. Allow for purchasing and installation of Kent Fire Department commu-
nications equipment that is compatible with and complements the total
dispatch system.
- 139 -
ALTERNATIVE GOALS
1 . Establish a dispatch system that would be directly controlled and
operated by the Kent Fire Department.
2. Contract for dispatching of emergency units with another agency.
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SERVICE AREAS
Section VIII of the Master Plan identified twelve significant items within the
Fire Department or the community makeup which are in need of modification or
improvement in order to enhance the fire and life safety environment. The
goals and objectives outlined in that section will now be applied to each of
the six areas of service provided by the Fire Department. These services are:
I. Emergency Medical Care
II. Reducing Risk Potential
III. Fire Suppression
IV. Hazardous Materials Incident Management
V. Disaster Preparedness and Management
VI. Non-Emergency Public Services.
The following is a review of the current delivery methods in each service
area, discussion of measurement capabilities and a statement about the present
level of service. Finally, based on the goals and objectives of Section VIII,
a recommended level for each service area will be stated.
I. EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: The Kent Fire Department has for a number of
years provided the community with basic emergency medical care. In 1983, for
example, 54 percent of the total 4,773 responses were for emergency medical
aid. All Fire Suppression personnel are trained to the advanced level of
first aid called Emergency Medical Technician. In addition, over one-half of
the personnel also voluntarily received qualification to administer cardiac
defibrillatory shocks for patients in cardiac arrest. As shown in the
description of the Kent Fire Department (map on page 6) , the Department staffs
five engines and two aid cars with paid personnel and two engines with volun-
teers. All engines are equipped with minimal first aid supplies and oxygen so
that they can handle an aid response until the aid car can arrive. Engines
are sent on emergency medical responses in addition to the aid car if they are
closer. By doing this the Kent Fire Department can deliver emergency medical
care within four minutes to 56 percent of the total response area. (See map on
page 11 ).
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Advanced life support is provided by paramedic staff Medic One units. The
three Medic One units that respond into the Kent Fire Department area are
stationed at Valley Medical Center (formerly Valley General Hospital ), Auburn
General Hospital and Federal Way Station 6 (272nd and 16th Avenue South) . In
addition, both aid units and Engine 77 carry cardiac defibrillators which
allow the Fire Department to administer this advanced life support service
quickly in cases of ventricular fibrillation. Units with defibrillators can
reach the patient within four minutes in 35 percent of the response area.
It should be remembered that at minimum manpower levels, when Aid 71 is out of
quarters on a response, Engine 71 and Ladder 71 are reduced to a driver only.
Minimum staffing does occur approximately 70 percent of the time. Also, an
ever increasing number of simultaneous and concurrent alarms are occurring.
When this happens in the same response area, one of the incidents must wait
six to eight minutes for the next closest unit to arrive.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Present measurements rely heavily on
total numbers of alarms and patients. The following measures will better
analyze the capabilities of the Fire Department and the level of service being
provided. Some of these will require further refinement and additional
measures may be added as experiences indicate. The proposed measurements at
this point are: 1 ) Response time of the basic life support, 2) Response time
of advanced life support (Medic One), 3) Fire Department defibrillation
capability, 4) Cardiac survival rates, 5) Effectiveness of the Fire Department
basic life support.
1 . RESPONSE TIME OF BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Rationale and Definition. It is well documented that in severe
medical emergencies, and particularly cardiac and respiratory
emergencies, the condition of the patient and the patient's chances of
recovery are directly linked to the elapsed time from the onset of the
medical problem until treatment is administered. For patients in
cardiac arrest, a significant improvement in survival rates exists if
treatment (CPR) can be administered within four minutes from time of
collapse. In addition, if an advanced life support unit (Medic One) is
further than four minutes behind the Fire Department aid car (an 8
144
minute total response time) quick arrival of the aid car (within 4
minutes) is directly related to patient survival . Measuring of basic
life support response time will indicate the ability of the Fire
Department to provide care within recognized time frames. It will also
indicate the effectiveness of station locations and efforts to improve
response route congestion. Response time of basic life support will be
defined as the elapse time from when the dispatch center receives the
call from the reporting party until the first dispatched Fire
Department unit arrives on location.
Present Statistics. Records currently kept by the Department
measure response time as the interval from the dispatch time to units
arriving on location. Alarm handling time is not included. With the
Valley-Com computer system now in place, it will be possible to track
the total time from receiving the call for assistance to arrival of
Fire Department units. This is the response time as perceived by the
public. For the past three years, time from actual alarm dispatch to
the arrival of units, has averaged 4.2 minutes (1981 4.2 minutes, 1982
4.3 minutes, 1983 4.1 minute). Dispatch time has been found to be
approximately 3/4 of a minute. Therefore, total response time
currently averages 5 minutes.
2. RESPONSE TIME OF ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
Rationale and Definition. Even though not within the direct
control of the Fire Department, advanced life support (Medic One)
response time is an important indicator of the system's overall ability
to provide definitive care to critically ill or severely injured
patients. In situations where the patient's condition is not able to
be maintained or improved by basic life support, advanced life support
skills can often bring about improvements in the patient's condition.
The response time of advanced life support will be defined as the
elapsed time from when the dispatcher is aware that a medic unit is
indicated, until the arrival of the medic unit. Occasionally, initial
call screening by the dispatcher does not indicate the need for a medic
unit, but following evaluation of the patient by the Fire Department
aid car, a medic unit is requested. In these types of cases, advanced
145
life support response time will be measured from the time of the aid
car request until the medic unit arrival .
Present Statistics. The data currently collected on medic unit
response times is not broken down by the individual Fire Department
areas into which they respond. A system is now being set up to
record this information. Overall response time for the medic units
which respond in the South King County area, range from a low of 8.2
minutes to a high of 9.3 minutes. It is felt that response time to
Kent area calls is in the 8 to 8-1/2 minute range.
3. FIRE DEPARTMENT DEFIBRILLATION CAPABILITY.
Rationale and Definition. In many cardiac arrest situations,
the patient's heart is in a useless rhythm called ventricular fibril-
lation. In these cases, quick administration of a defibrillatory
shock can convert the heart into a working rhythm. Measuring the
percentage of the response area that this treatment can be delivered
in a timely manner indicates the Fire Department ability to augment
its basic life support service with more advanced life saving skills.
The measurement will be based on a four minute response time for the
Fire Department aid car and plotted on drive time maps for units with
defibrillators (currently Aid 71 , Aid 72, and Engine 77). A drive
time of three minutes will be used to allow one minute for alarm
processing, dispatch and crew reaction time until they are underway.
Present Statistics. With the three defibrillation units now in
service, 35 percent of the total response area can be reached with
defibrillation capability within four minutes. (See map on page 11 ) .
4. CARDIAC SURVIVAL RATES.
Rationale and Definition. As a supplement to the previous
measure, data on the number of cardiac arrest patients, number of
alive admissions to the hospital , and number of patients discharged
J from the hospital will be used to indicate the effectiveness of the
entire system. This data is compiled by King County Emergency
Medical Services Division and published annually.
J 146
Present Statistics. For the period 1976 through 1983:
King County Kent Fire Dept.
Total number of patients 4231 266
Resusitated and admitted to hospital 1346 (32%) 72 (27%)
Discharged from hospital
(Long-term Survival ) 685 (16%) 44 (17%)
5. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Rationale and Definition. Another question of importance is the
ability of the basic life support services of the Fire Department to
improve or maintain patient condition. Tracking this ability will
indicate the overall effectiveness of first aid services. By analyz-
ing the cases where Fire Department intervention failed to improve or
maintain patient condition, needs for decreased response time, ad-
vanced skills training, advanced equipment or public education will
be indicated. The measurement used will be the percentage of the
patient's that the Fire Department actions improved or maintained
patient condition. This will be evaluated by the crew who treated
the patient and any negative factors influencing the outcome will be
documented for later analysis.
Present Statistics. The Fire Department's ability to improve or
maintain patient condition has not been measured prior to this time.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: With present station configurations, the
Kent Fire Department can respond to 56 percent of the response area within
four minutes and is currently averaging five minutes for all responses.
Defibrillation units can reach the patient in 35 percent of the area within
four minutes. Cardiac survivability rates have consistently been as good as
or better than the countywide average. It is felt that in the majority of
cases, Fire Department basic life support skills are capable of maintaining or
improving the patient condition.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will reduce average response time to
four minutes and be able to deliver defibrillation capability to 75 percent of
the response area within that four minutes. Cardiac survival rates should be
147
maintained at 2 to 4 percent above the countywide average of 16 percent.
Medic unit response times will be tracked and any weaknesses pointed out to
King County Emergency Medical Services for correction.
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II. REDUCING RISK POTENTIAL
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: It has become increasingly obvious that the
fire service needs to take a more proactive approach to fire and life safety,
and not only react to emergencies as they occur. In the Kent area, Building
Code inspections are conducted to insure that structures are built to minimum
adopted safety standards. Many structural features are required which will
limit the spread of fire if it does occur and provide safe and easy exit for
the occupants. In addition, annual fire inspections of businesses helps to
assure that the building occupants continue to use the structure as it was
intended and that processes involved are in compliance with the Code. The
inspection is also one method to educate the tenants in fire safe practices.
Presently, no formal process exists to provide fire safety inspections of
private dwellings (individual apartments and houses) but fire inspections are
done on all common areas in apartment complexes. The effectiveness of annual
fire inspections may best be illustrated by the low number of fires that occur
in business occupancies when compared to residential occupancies.
As required in the Uniform Fire Code, the Kent Fire Department issues permits
for identified high hazard processes or the presence of high hazard materials
in a business. The Code Enforcement Division currently issues these permits
after inspection to ensure code compliance. In addition, businesses often
utilize hazardous materials in small enough quantities that permits are not
required, but which may pose a hazard to firefighters who have to fight a fire
in the structure. Presently, no system exists to identify these small quanti-
ties or to catalog the materials that permits were issued for and then have
this information available to suppression crews prior to them entering a
structure to fight a fire. Due to the volume of this and other tactical
information that would be advantageous to know prior to combatting such a
fire, a computer based system would be necessary.
Inspections alone cannot eliminate all the possible causes of fire, however,
since human error is by far the largest single cause. In 1983, human errors,
or lack of maintenance accounted for approximately 48 percent of the fires
that occurred in the Kent Fire Department area. Design, construction or
j 149
installation deficiencies accounted for less than 3 percent (arson or suspic-
ious circumstances accounted for approximately 13 percent). Educating and
informing the public on fire safety practices is one of the best ways of pre-
venting fires from occurring.
Inspections, training and maintenance take up most of the suppression crews'
time and Tittle or none is currently available to be involved in public educa-
tion. Inspectors assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau have similar time
constraints. Recognizing the need for coordinated public education, one of
the Fire Prevention Inspectors is tasked with coordinating the classes that do
occur, however, only approximately one-third of his time is available for
education efforts. Because of these factors, only a limited amount of public
education takes place. Few requests for fire safety classes can be honored
and classes in the public schools have been severely curtailed. CPR classes
are being taught with an fairly high frequency by off duty firefighters who
are paid for teaching the class through a countywide program supported by
United Good Neighbors.
Other activities of the Kent Fire Department which impact the overall level of
risk, include interaction with the City of Kent and King County Planning and
Water Departments and the King County Building Department. This is done to
help assure that new development and construction that does occur does not add
undue risk and that sufficient water is available to combat fires that do
occur. In addition, the suppression crews conduct formal and informal prefire
surveys of the high risk buildings to help prepare strategies in the event of
an actual emergency.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: There are a number of ways to measure
the results of risk reducing actions. Largely, they will consist of tracking
the total numbers and rates of occurrences of particular types of incidents.
The following measures will be used initially to evaluate the level of service
provided: 1 ) Emergency medical service demand, 2) Incidents of fire,
3) Causes of fire, 4) Fire death and injury, 5) Hazardous material incidents,
150
6) Target hazard analysis.
1 . EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE DEMAND.
Rationale and Definition. The Fire Department may have little,
if any, impact on reducing the number of illnesses or injuries that
occur. They can, however, through public first aid training, improve
the abilities of the citizenry to deal with minor injuries them-
selves. Experience has shown that Fire Department units are some-
times dispatched to situations where care required only simple first
aid procedures. It has been informally noted by first aid training
providers, such as the American Red Cross, that citizens trained in
first aid are less likely to require first aid treatment due to their
own increased caution and understanding of the mechanisms of injury.
To measure the overall reduction in emergency medical incidents, the
number of patients per 1 ,000 population will be tracked.
Present Statistics. Demand for emergency medical care for 1982
was 45 patients per 1 ,000 population, and 44 patients per thousand in
1983. This is up from the 1980 and 1981 figure of 40 patients per
1 ,000 population.
2. INCIDENTS OF FIRE.
Rationale and Definition. The overall effectiveness of the Fire
Department's actions directed at preventing fires (primarily
inspections) can be measured by evaluating the number of the fires
that do occur. Structure fires are most significant and two cate-
gories, residential and nonresidential warrant independent tracking.
Fires in residential structures present the obvious burdens of loss
of personal belongings, loss of living quarters and severe financial
pressures. Furthermore, over three quarters of all fire deaths
nationally and all Kent area fire deaths, have occurred in residen-
tial occupancies. Fires in nonresidential buildings present similar
potential for property and life loss, and the possibility for
economic loss to the business and the community due to loss of
production time or employment.
J 151
To track the incidents of fire, the measure of number of fires
in residential and nonresidential structures per 1 ,000 population
will be used. Population is used as the measurement base since
people represent the true potential fire ignition sources. The popu-
lation of the City of Kent alone will not be a good measurement base
since such a large portion of the City is industrially oriented.
However, when viewed in its entirety, the 53 square mile fire
protection area with approximately 70,000 people appears to be a
balanced community.
Present Statistics. Data on fire occurrence in residential and
non-residential structures was collected for the two year period of
1982 and 1983. Comparative data was also collected for these two
years from eight Puget Sound area fire departments, the State of
Washington and a sampling of six states nationwide. The following
graphs show the Kent Fire Department's position in relation to this
comparative data.
Number of Residential Fires/1000 Population
8
6.0
6
q 3.3 3.3
2.7
2 1.3 1.5
0
LOW NATIONAL WASH. LOCAL KENT HIGH
Non-Residential Fires/1000 Population
4 3.5
3
2
1.1
1 6 .6
.3
0
LOW KENT NATIONAL WASH. LOCAL HIGH
152
3. CAUSES OF FIRES
Rationale and Definition. By tracking the causes of fire, it is
often possible to spot trends and take action to reduce their
impact. By far, human errors and lack of maintenance are the largest
causes of fires. The effectiveness of public education efforts can
perhaps best be analyzed by tracking the percentage of fires which
are occurring as a result of human errors or lack of maintenance.
Present Statistics. Human errors or lack of maintenance
accounted for 39 percent of the ignitions in 1982 and 48 percent in
1983.
4. FIRE DEATH AND INJURY.
Rationale and Definition. In addition to tracking the incidents
of fire, the impact on human life of fires that do occur is impor-
tant. The numbers of civilian fire related deaths and injuries
reflect on the ability of people to protect their own well being in
fire situations. This can be improved through public education
directed at making homes and businesses safer so that fires that do
occur are less severe. In addition, training people in the use of
extinguishers on small fires, emergency exit procedures, and burn
prevention, would be effective. Annual death and injury statistics
will be utilized.
Present Statistics. The national rate for fire deaths in com-
munities of 50,000 to 100,000 population is 21 per million. At this
rate, Kent would expect 1 .5 fire deaths per year. Presently, Kent is
experiencing a rate of .63 fire deaths per year (five fire deaths in
eight years). Also during this period one firefighter death has
occurred. Injury rates are:
1982 1983
Civilian Fire Injuries 15 7
Firefighter Injuries 18 15
153
I
5. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS.
Rationale and Definition. The volume and variety of hazardous mater-
ials that are stored and handled or moved through the area, is ever
increasing. Through inspection of facilities that utilize hazardous
materials or processes, a certain amount of Fire Department influence is
possible. The ability of the Fire Department to influence the procedures
used in transportation, however, is limited. Measuring the number of
hazardous materials incidents per year is one way of evaluating the ulti-
mate potential of a hazardous materials incident occurring. It should be
noted that the potential of a major hazardous materials incident occurring
may not be predictable in this same manner.
Present Statistics. Under the current reporting system, not all inci-
dents which involve hazardous materials are classified as chemical emer-
gencies. Modification of the data keeping system is necessary to track
all of the hazardous materials incidents which do occur. In 1982, there
was one incident classified as a chemical emergency (hazardous materials
incident). In 1983, there were three incidents classified as such.
6. TARGET HAZARD ANALYSIS.
Rationale and Definition. In addition to the emergency events that
occur with sufficient frequency to measure impacts made in reducing their
rates, other events do not occur with such frequency. These may not be of
disaster proportion, but would have significant impact on life, property,
environment or community well being. Such an event would be the total
burnout of a major employer; or a severe fire in a convalescent institu-
tion or school . Target hazards need to be evaluated and actions taken to
reduce the potential for a major incident occurring. Factors that can
reduce this risk include preplanning of evacuation techniques, preplanning
fire fighting tactics, upgrading fire protection equipment within the
structures, and improving training of occupants in fire safe operation of
their facility. At present an evaluation program with measurement
criteria is not developed in this area. Further work is needed to refine
such a system for the Kent Fire Department.
154
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The Kent area is currently experiencing a
high rate of fires in residential structures with many being caused by human
errors. In addition, there is an increasing demand for emergency medical
care. Fires in nonresidential structures are below national , state and local
averages. However, fire deaths are less than one-half the national average.
It is perceived that the potential for a hazardous materials incident is
increasing.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will work to reduce the overall level
of risk in the community. As measured by the preceding criteria, reduced
levels of incident occurrence should be achieved. Specifically, fire rates in
residential structures should be reduced to, and maintained at, two per 1 ,000
population and the present rate M per 1 ,000) in non-residential structures
should be maintained. The present fire death rate should at least be main-
tained, with improvement to a rate of .50 per year desirable. Human errors as
a cause of fires should be reduced from current levels and the volume of
emergency medical patients reduced to 38 to 42 per 1 ,000.
155
III. FIRE SUPPRESSION
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: As previously discussed, the Kent Fire
Department staffs five engines, two aid cars, one ladder truck and the command
vehicle with a minimum manpower level of 17. In addition, automatic and
mutual aid response is available and heavily utilized in the fringe areas or
in cases of simultaneous alarms.
The ability to effectively combat a fire and control its growth and spread is
dependant on many factors. Water must be available within a reasonable dis-
tance and in sufficient quantities to combat a fire which fully involves the
structure. A majority of the response areas do have sufficient water. How-
ever, areas exist both in the City and in District 37 where available water
quantities are below flows needed for the largest structure in the zone.
Other zones, particularly in District 37, have no water at all . In areas with
no water systems, tankers must be used to provide water for firefighting.
Another factor which influences the Fire Department's ability to fight a fire
is the type and quantity of material burning, or in other words, the fire
loading. Residential structures have similar fire loadings, but with the
increased use of synthetic and plastic materials in the home, toxicity of the
products of combustion is increasing. Commercial occupancies and warehouses
can create more significant problems. Fire loadings in these buildings can be
quite high and a variety of toxic and hazardous materials may be involved.
The amount of time elapsed from ignition to the application of water is also
an important factor. As fire progresses, interior temperatures rise and the
area of involvement grows. Often, all the contents of the room or area are
heated to their ignition temperature and ignite at one time. This occurrence
is known as flashover. The time from ignition to flashover will vary with the
characteristics of the structure and the fire loading. Actual fire tests and
computer modeling have provided mixed results as to when flashover will
occur. Flashover has occurred in as short an interval as 2-1/2 minutes from
time of ignition. Evacuation of a fire area must occur prior to flashover
since temperatures at flashover often exceed 15007. Water can be quickly
applied to fires while they are still small if an automatic sprinkler system
156
is present. In the absence of a sprinkler system, the Fire Department must
apply the water.
Factors influencing how quickly the Fire Department can apply water include
response time, setup time, and the amount of manpower on location quickly.
Present station locations allow for a first-in engine company response time of
four minutes in 56 percent of the area. Engine company manning ranges from a
driver only on Engine 71 (if Aid 71 is out of quarters) to a crew of three on
Engine 72 and 77. Water delivery of approximately 50 gallons per minute per
firefighter is possible. This means that for an average involvement in a
residential occupancy, a total of six firefighters are needed initially to
deliver the 300 gallon per minute necessary for effective control over the
fire. It now often requires three engine companies and up to ten to twelve
minutes to amass a crew. During the time delay to amass the crew, the chance
that the limited crew may need to make an unsafe entry is quite high. In
addition, physical abilities testing now going on within the Department seems
to indicate that at the present manpower levels, excessive demands are being
placed on the personnel . Section V, Critical Time Factors, and Section VI,
Agent Application, of the Master Plan should be read for more details on these
topics.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Presently, the measures utilized to
track the fire suppression activities center on the number of incidents, their
percentages of annual totals and the percentage changes over time. In addi-
tion, causes of fires are recorded to allow analyzing of trends. Another
measure used historically has been dollar loss due to fire. The validity of
this measurement is questionable for many reasons ranging from the lack of
Fire Department expertise in property valuation techniques to the inability to
calculate the indirect losses (downtime, loss of taxes, etc. ). In addition,
drawing conclusions about Fire Department effectiveness from dollar loss fig-
ures can be misleading. For example, the number of fires occurring may be
dropping (a good trend) but dollar loss may be rising (a bad trend) due to
factors such as inflation, or that the fewer fires that did occur occurred in
properties with higher valuations. Dollar loss numbers give extra weight to
losses of expensive goods that may be no easier or no more important to save
J 157
than are their less expensive counterparts. Also, risk to life is not
directly related to property value.
The fire service community as a whole recognizes the need for improved
measurements of service delivery but most departments have taken a wait and
see approach, hoping that somebody else will do the research. The Kent Fire
Department feels it is important to develop new measurements now and refine
them with experience. The measurements to be used are: 1 ) Incident escalation
prior to Fire Department arrival , 2) Incident escalation after Fire Department
arrival , 3) Water availability and 4) Level of risk to the safety of personnel .
1 . INCIDENT ESCALATION PRIOR TO FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. Once a fire occurs in a structure, a
number of factors influence its spread and growth. These are largely
inherent factors in the building's construction, its contents, or the
fire detection and suppression systems installed in it. By measuring
the incident escalation prior to the Fire Department arrival , the
effectiveness of fire and building codes and fire detection and extin-
guishing systems, can be evaluated. In addition, the effectiveness of
fire safety education and in home safety practices can be evaluated.
Degree of escalation will be measured and reasons for significant
escalation will be evaluated to point out areas in need of more
research, public education or changes in code requirements. The
specific techniques for measuring escalation are now being developed by
the Fire Department.
2. INCIDENT ESCALATION AFTER FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. As in incident escalation prior to Fire
Department arrival , inherent factors of the building have a strong
influence on fire growth and spread after the Fire Department arrival .
In addition, the actions or inabilities of the Fire Department also can
increase or decrease incident escalation. A system of measuring the
incident growth will be established to analyze the Fire Department's
ability to control the fire and the reasons behind any inability.
I
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Present Statistics. Although a formal system for evaluating incident
escalation is not yet established, the present, aggressive actions of the
suppression crews are fairly effective at containing a fire. It is
speculated that incident escalation is controlled in approximately 65
percent of the fires encountered.
3. WATER AVAILABILITY.
Rationale and Definition. As explained in Section VI, entitled "Agent
Application," water is the most commonly used extinguishing agent. The
Insurance Services Office (ISO) has developed required flows for struc-
tures based on factors such as size, construction and contents and built
in fire protection factors. Figures 32 and 33 of the Master Plan show
comparisons of water availability and water needs. Many areas have insuf-
ficient water or no water at all . Should a fire occur in these areas,
there is a greater likelihood that the Fire Department will not be able to
effectively extinguish the fire and prevent incident escalation. Measur-
ing the percentage of the areas where water availability meets or exceeds
the ISO requirement will show how well this risk factor is being improved.
Present Statistics. Currently, 73 percent of the response zones in
the Fire Department have sufficient water quantities available. The 27
percent without sufficient water are divided into those with no organized
water system at all (18 percent) and areas where water is not sufficient
to meet the highest potential demand (9 percent).
4. LEVEL OF RISK TO THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL.
Rationale and Definition. Besides evaluating the risks to the com-
munity, it is also necessary to evaluate the risk to the safety of the
suppression crews. Although firefighting is hazardous by nature, many
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advances have been made in fire fighting equipment and techniques which
help reduce this risk. Analysis of safety is necessary to allow evalua-
tion of the risk to the personnel that is being created or prevented by
the methods used to accomplish the other goals identified. Factors that
need consideration include such things as the time it takes to assemble a
full crew and the physical demands versus crew size. At this time a full
set of measurement criteria has not been developed.
159
Present Statistics. Although the formal criteria for evaluating the
level of risk to the safety of personnel have not yet been established,
certain factors are known. As previously stated, engine crew size at
Station 73 and 76 is two personnel . Engine 71 is often staffed with a
driver only, and may arrive at a fire with only this manpower compliment.
An accepted minimum manpower level for an engine company is three
personnel (officer, driver and one firefighter) . Under current opera-
tional systems, Kent firefighters are often exposed to undue risk while
attempting firefighting operations with limited manpower on location.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The effectiveness of the suppression activi-
ties of the Kent Fire Department has been achieved through an aggressive and
sometimes risky attack on fires by small engine crews. Engine companies can now
arrive within four minutes of the report of a fire in only 56 percent of the
response zones. More substantial life exposure, pre-burn time and incident
escalation are occurring in the other 44 percent of the response areas. Eighteen
percent of the response zones do not have a water system in place for fire
fighting and in an additional nine percent of the zones, inadequate water is
available for the highest potential demand. City of Kent codes in effect at the
time this Master Plan was drafted and reviewed, required automatic sprinkler
systems in buildings over 6,000 square feet. This was changed in September of
1984, however, and now a building must reach 12,000 square feet before sprinklers
are required. This is similar to King County requirements in the District 37
area. A major fire has never occurred in structures protected by automatic
sprinkler systems.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will work to provide effective incident
control while maintaining the safety of suppression crews. A maximum of a two
room involvement should be expected prior to Fire Department arrival to residen-
tial structure fires. Fires in sprinklered occupancies should be contained prior
to the Fire Department arrival and in nonsprinklered, nonresidential structures,
fires should not extend beyond the room or compartment of origin prior to the
Fire Department arrival . Further, the Fire Department should expect to contain
all fires to the area involved at the time of arrival . Further, steps should be
taken to restrict new construction in areas without water supplies until such
systems are installed or on-site storage capabilities are provided.
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IV. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: Hazardous materials incidents pose many
unique problems to the Fire Department crews beyond those encountered in
structural fires. Materials involved may be explosive, corrosive, toxic,
flammable, radioactive, or a combination of several of these, and factors such
as rescue, evacuation, containment and cleanup must be considered. Suppres-
sion crews have limited training to recognize and identify hazardous materials
and take appropriate initial steps to protect their own safety and isolate the
incident. Their firefighting protective clothing and breathing apparatus
provide limited protection from exposure to hazardous materials.
Full operations to manage a hazardous materials incident are handled by a
Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) formed .by several area fire depart-
ments. These departments are Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Auburn, Port of Seattle
(Sea-Tac Airport), and King County Fire District 39 (Federal Way). This team
is composed of firefighters from each department who work their normal assign-
ments but are detailed to the HMRT, if an incident occurs. The Kent Fire
Department has nine firefighters on the team. Two response units are
utilized, one stationed at Tukwila and the other at Auburn. These units are
equipped with resources needed to cope with a limited hazardous materials
incident. The team is relatively new and initial resources have been devoted
to the acquisition of response units and equipping them with the basic items.
needed. Further resources now need to be devoted to improving the skill and
knowledge levels of all Fire Department crews as well as the HMRT members.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: No system presently exists to evaluate
the level of service provided in hazardous material incident management.
Criteria will need to be developed utilizing the following categories to allow
better evaluation. The categories to be used are: 1 ) Incident escalation
prior to Fire Department arrival , 2) Incident escalation after Fire Department
arrival , 3) Level of risk to the safety of personnel . This is the same
procedure recommended for evaluating the level of service provided in fire
suppression, but factors will be different.
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1 . INCIDENT ESCALATION PRIOR TO FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. The actions that take place prior to the
Fire Department arrival can have a large impact on the final outcome of
a hazardous materials incident. Through periodic inspections of
facilities that utilize hazardous materials, safer practices and
attitudes can be achieved. In addition, Fire Department training of
plant personnel on appropriate first reaction procedures could help
limit the magnitude of the incident on Fire Department arrival .
Evaluation criteria will be established to allow measurement and to
identify causes of excessive incident growth.
2. INCIDENT ESCALATION AFTER FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. Evaluation of incident growth after the
arrival of the Fire Department will allow for identification of
significant causal factors and the targeting of resources to improve
capabilities.
3. LEVEL OF RISK TO THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL.
Rationale and Definition. As in fire suppression, the safety of
the personnel must be considered when evaluating the methods used in
the service delivery system.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The area Hazardous Materials Response Team
(HMRT) provides the fundamental resource for hazardous materials incident
management. Basic equipment now is on hand to control a limited hazardous
materials incident. Although formal evaluation of incident escalation has not
been done up to this time, the actions of the HMRT have been judged as ade-
quate in several drill situations. A high degree of emphasis is currently
placed on effective control of increased life exposure in a hazardous material
situation.
D. GOAL: Through increased inspections and in-plant safety presentations
the degree of incident escalation prior to Fire Department arrival can be re-
duced. The Fire Department and the HMRT should be capable of containing the
incident and minimizing life exposure and effects on the environment. Fur-
ther, a Fire Department capability to clean up limited incidents should exist,
162
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as well as a plan for cleanup of major incidents. Further training and
resources are needed to allow the HMRT to expand its capabilities in
containment, environmental protection and cleanup.
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V. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: In order to effectively manage a disaster
situation, the entire municipal system must respond in an organized and
coordinated manner. Emergency services provided by the Fire Department and
Police Department need to be supported by other services provided by various
City departments. Presently, the normal operational procedures of the Fire
Department would allow it to provide a limited degree of coordination. How-
ever, without a formal disaster plan developed to involve all municipal
agencies, the effectiveness of such management is severely limited. It has
been the experience of other communities that the Fire Department is often
best equipped to coordinate and manage disaster situations. And, the Kent
Fire Department has been designated as the lead agency for the City of Kent
should a disaster occur.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Currently, no system of evaluating the
level of service is available. Further work is needed in this area, but the
following measures will serve to evaluate the service provided to the
community: 1 ) Stage of plan development, 2) System's ability on simulated
drills.
1 . STAGE OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
Rationale and Definition. Since the City of Kent and the Kent Fire
Department do not have a formal disaster plan, one of the first ways to
evaluate the disaster management ability of the system is to measure
the stage of plan development. This measurement criteria will be
accomplished as an initial step in the organization of a drafting
procedure for a disaster plan. It will involve actions such as
drafting, reviewing, training, revising and testing.
Present Statistics. Although the drafting of a disaster plan has
not yet begun, the Department has sent staff members to local disaster
plan meetings and will be sending staff to the National Fire Academy to
learn disaster planning techniques.
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2. SYSTEM'S ABILITY ON SIMULATED DRILLS.
Rationale and Definition. Once a plan is developed and in place, a
grading schedule can be developed to the plan specifications which will
allow the appraisal of training exercises. The lessons learned from
these drills will provide information for updating the plan. No such
drills have yet occurred.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: Current emergency services structuring
would allow only limited disaster management. No local provisions are
preplanned for property recovery, housing, financial assistance, etc.
D. GOAL: Complete a disaster plan for the Kent Fire Department area and
the City of Kent, and conduct training exercises to evaluate the plan and the
actions taken.
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VI. NON-EMERGENCY PUBLIC SERVICES
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: The Kent Fire Department is often called upon
by the citizens to provide assistance in situations other than fires which
endanger their property. Generally, these are situations which are not true
emergencies, but so overwhelm the persons' own resources, that they turn to
the Fire Department for help. Often the problems are water related due to
broken piping, malfunctioning drainage, etc. Fire Department assistance
usually involves stopping the water flow and providing salvage assistance
(moving furniture or merchandise and removing water) to prevent further
property damage. The Fire Department also provides assistance in situations
such as trees down into houses, weather damage, and lockouts.
The decision to provide this help is usually based on the severity of the
situation, the potential for further property damage and the availability of
Fire Department resources. Emergency situations, of course, have priority,
but Fire Department crews interrupt other activities such as inspections or
training to handle the requests for non-emergency service. Response to these
situations is generally immediate but units proceed with traffic, not utiliz-
ing lights or sirens. During severe environmental conditions such as wind
storms or heavy freezing (as in the Christmas of '83 storm), demand for ser-
vices is so high that delays in answering requests occur and some are not
handled at all .
In addition to these types of services, the Code Enforcement Division is
responsible for the investigation and resolution of complaints arising from
various City of Kent noise or nuisance ordinances. At present, the lack of
available manpower from the Building Department staff forces the Building
Official to handle complaints personally. Due to other departmental
responsibilities, and priorities, few cases are handled in a timely manner,
and those judged to be of lower priority may take many months to resolve.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: At present, no measuring of this service
takes place except the tracking of total numbers of calls. In 1983, the sup-
pression crews handled 477 service responses and the Building Official logged
approximately 600 complaints.
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1 . RESPONSE TO REQUESTS.
Rationale and Definition. Perhaps the only effective way to
measure the Fire Department's level of non-emergency services is to
measure its ability to handle a request in a timely manner. The
reasonableness of the time frame will be established for the various
services such as water removal , and noise or nuisance complaints. The
Fire Department will track the percentage of requests that are handled
within that time frame.
Present Statistics. No record of response times to non-emergency
situations is readily available. It is estimated that under normal
demand periods, suppression crews arrive within 15 minutes of the
request. Complaints are usually prioritized with serious ones
receiving attention within the week and less serious ones delayed into
weeks or months.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: At normal demand levels, non-emergency
services provided to the public are not impacting delivery of emergency
services but do impact other activities such as training and inspections. The
services are effective in minimizing property damage. Complaint resolution is
not being done on a timely basis and increased public frustration results.
The volume of complaints is impacting the activities of the Building Official
directly.
D. GOAL: The Fire Department should continue to provide non-emergency
services within the 15 minute time frame as long as emergency responses are
not impacted. On lengthy cleanup and water removal operations, support staff
should be utilized to allow the emergency crews to return to an in-service
status. Complaints should be investigated to determine validity within two
working days and efforts to resolve the situation be taken as quickly as the
situation warrants.
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IMPLEMENTATION
The Kent Fire Department has been experiencing a continuous and relatively steady
growth in incident occurrence. Two factors influencing this are population
growth and an increase in the rate of incident occurrence. Analysis of alarm
demand trends and population projections point out some interesting aspects about
the future.
By 1990, the Kent Fire Department will be serving a population of approximately
84,000 people, and by the year 2000, this total could rise to 118,000. Obvious-
ly, as population increases, demand on the Fire Department will increase. Exper-
ience has indicated, however, that the rate of alarms occurring per 1 ,000 popula-
tion has also been increasing as population has grown. If current trends con-
tinue, it is anticipated that by 1990 the Fire Department will be called to over
400 structure fires and 7,500 total incidents annually. By the year 2,000, the
area could be experiencing over 600 structure fires annually, and the Fire
Department would be responding to over 11 ,000 total incidents. Considerable
future resources in manpower, equipment, and facilities would be needed to cope
with this incident demand.
To enable the Fire Department to effectively manage the future fire and life
safety environment of the community, direction must be given now to the approach
to be taken. After considerable analysis, it is the opinion of the Kent Fire
Department that, in addition to the short-term maintenance of service (discussed
on pages �-� to 4,51 , the focus of its efforts should be made in two areas: 1 )
Improving the level of emergency services provided to the Community to an accept-
able level , and 2) Shifting the focus of the Fire Department to a proactive
approach, taking steps to limit the overall risk levels in the community and
control the growth and demand for emergency services.
The underlying principle is that it is more cost effective and makes better com-
mon sense to devote efforts to preventing fires and making the community safer
than to follow a "you light 'em, we fight 'em" approach. The measurement goals
established for each of the six service areas are considered to be realistic and
achievable, and are aimed at managing the fire and life safety environment,
rather than constantly reacting to crisis or trying to totally eliminate risk.
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I
EMERGENCY SERVICES IMPROVEMENTS
Section VIII of the Master Plan (Training, Response Times, GPM Delivery, and
Dispatching) identified improvements and modifications necessary to upgrade
the level of service provided to the community. These are:
1 . Improved Response Time Capabilities. Response times need to be reduced to
a four minute average and 75 percent of the response area should be within
a four minute response time from a station location. To accomplish this,
a station location computer study will need to be conducted and decisions
on facility replacement, relocation or additions made, based on the
results. From data now available, it is anticipated that in addition to
station relocations, the Kent Fire Department will need to operate one
additional staffed station (6 total ) , in the mid-Benson corridor. This
would require the construction of a replacement for Station 74 and
staffing of one additional engine company with three personnel , 24 hours a
day. To accomplish this, it is estimated that capital outlay and other
one-time costs would total $1 ,788,000. Annual costs of this improved
level would amount to approximately $490,000.
Further response time improvements can be made by working through the
appropriate traffic engineering authorities (City, County and State) , to
improve the traffic flow through primary response routes. This can be
accomplished by improving signalization control at now uncontrolled inter-
sections (Opticom) and preplanning of primary routes to new growth areas.
The Fire Department also needs to be involved in the City and County
planning and development process. A one-time cost of $100,000 would be
incurred to provide the necessary upgrading.
2. _Additional Defibrillation Equipment. The current distribution of aid cars
and defibrillator equipped engines is such that only 35 percent of the
area can be reached within a four minute response time. It is anticipated
that by operating defibrillation units from each of the present station
locations, and a new location in the mid-Benson corridor, the 75 percent
four minute response time goal for defibrillation capability could be
met. This would require a one-time equipment outlay of $30,000 and an
additional $2,000 annually for program maintenance.
169
3. Improved Training Capabilities. The quality and effectiveness of the
training of all Fire Department personnel is critical . Hands on and
classroom type training facilities are not adequate to even meet current
needs. Due to the rapid growth and change in technology, it will require
more time and resources being allocated to training. The most logical and
cost effective approach would be to construct and operate a training
center in cooperation with other fire and perhaps police agencies. By so
doing, fixed costs could be shared and ongoing operations consolidated
into an efficient system. It is anticipated that the cost of operating
our own training facility could total over $100,000 annually and require
upwards of $3 million to set up. By combining efforts with other juris-
dictions, these costs could be cut by as much as two-thirds.
4. Improved Alarm Processing and Dispatching. Alarm receiving and dispatch-
ing capabilities have been improving. Continued support of Valley-Com
improvements is necessary to further reduce alarm handling times which
will reduce response times. In addition, communications capabilities
should be expanded to allow command officers to be aware of apparatus
status at all times as well as have access to building and occupancy
information necessary to make good tactical decisions. This would require
modified status information terminals in each command vehicle. To accomp-
lish these improvements, capital outlays of approximately $175,000 would
be needed.
5. Improved Haz-Mat Response Capabilities. During the initial formation of
the joint hazardous materials response team (HMRT) , resources have been
dedicated primarily to basic equipment acquisition and training. Addi-
tional training and resources are needed to expand the level of capabili-
ties of the HMRT and the preparedness of the fire suppression crews. This
would involve capital costs of approximately $25,000 and annual program
costs of $6,500.
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: It should be noted that it is not the intention of the
Fire Department to urge that these actions be taken all at once. In fact,
phasing in these improvements along with those outlined in Redirection of
170
Emphasis would be recommended. As discussed in item number three, cooperative
construction and operation of a training center would reduce both the one-time
and annual impact on the Kent Fire Department. Also, cpaital costs could be
spread over 10 or more years if bonds are utilized. Similarily, new station
land acquisition, station construction and equipment costs could be spread
over time, with personnel costs not being incurred until construction is
complete.
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REDIRECTION OF EMPHASIS
Section VIII of the Master Plan (Lack of Fire Prevention Emphasis, Fire Pre-
vention Effectiveness in District 37, Public Education, Investigations,
Disaster Plans, and Water Availability), identified improvements and modifica-
tions necessary to shift the emphasis of the Kent Fire Department to one which
works to reduce the level of risk in the community. These are:
1 . Expanded Public Education and Inspection Services. Current activities
devoted to public education are very limited. An aggressive and innova-
tive public education program targeted at all segments of the community is
needed. By doing this, not only will fewer incidents occur, but those
that do occur will be less severe. This is essential to the management of
the future fire and life safety environment of the community. Conducting
in-home fire safety surveys (home inspection program) is also important in
reducing the number of fires. It is also a very effective way to provide
fire safety education to the public. To accomplish these activities, a
staff of four persons would be needed to create, coordinate and operate
the public education/home inspection programs. In addition, it is antici-
pated that community volunteers (perhaps senior citizens) could be uti-
lized to conduct home inspections. This concept has worked in other
jurisdictions. Total annual costs for such a program would be approxi-
mately $150,000. A one-time cost of $21 ,000 would be incurred to
establish the program.
Code Enforcement is also a very important aspect of preserving fire and
life safety as well as assuring the structural integrity of buildings in
the area. Currently, new construction inspections are done on a very
timely basis and a high degree of compliance is achieved without resorting
to legal pressure. Fire Code inspections of new occupancies are also
currently at acceptable levels, but providing required annual inspection
has been difficult. Recent restructuring of the inspection program may
allow the annual inspection frequency needed to monitor the continually
changing environment. Further, due to King County's inability to provide
annual inspection of occupancies in the District 37 area, the Kent Fire
Department is negotiating to provide this very vital function.
172
This, however, is not without its costs. Paper work from the expanded
inspection program places extra work on the Code Enforcement staff. In
addition, increases in building activity also impact the Division. Shift-
ing to a computer based management system is considered essential . Pre-
sently, routine facilities and equipment maintenance are conducted by the
duty crews. To enable them to be more actively involved in public educa-
tion and code enforcement activities, as well as meet the needs for more
advanced levels of training, it is necessary to increase the amount of
maintenance support staff by four personnel . By doing this, the skills of
the firefighters can be more fully utilized in the areas of managing fire
and life safety. This would result in a more cost effective handling of
basic maintenance responsibilities. Startup costs for this would amount
to less than $3,000 with additional annual personnel and program costs of
approximately $100,000.
2. Increased Involvement in Community Development. Development guidelines in
the City of Kent have been very effective in assuring that fire and life
safety considerations, such as water availability, built in fire protec-
tion and access have been taken into account prior to growth. Until
recently, however, such planning in the District 37 area has not been
exercised. It is important that the Kent Fire Department be actively
involved in plans for community growth, to assure that fire and life
safety needs are satisfied before new development is allowed. To accomp-
lish this, the Code Enforcement Division needs to allow its staff to pro-
vide their own individual expertise to community planning and development
groups, councils, etc. This is a need that can be accomplished by alloca-
ting management and staff time for this function, and would require no
direct allocation of funds.
3. Improved Inter-Department Coordination and Code Administration. The phys-
ical separation of the Code Enforcement and Planning offices from the
Engineering office makes access to the permit process difficult for the
community. In addition, the fourth floor of City Hall is being over-
crowded, not only by the Fire Prevention and Building staff but also by
the Planning staff. By operating a comprehensive, one-stop permit center,
the simplicity, efficiency and comprehensiveness of the permit process
173
would be enhanced. Operation of such a center would require relocation of
staff from all involved departments and a fully integrated computer
system. Direct annual costs to the Fire Department would amount to
approximately $40,000. Capital costs for con- struction or facilities
leasing, as well as annual operations costs, would be shared by all
involved departments.
4. Improved Quality and Level of Fire Investigations. Fire investigations
are necessary to uncover the crime of arson and to identify trends in fire
causes which can then be attacked through education or codes. As proven
in other regions, operating an areawide arson task force improves the
quality and effectiveness of the investigation function. Such a concept
in this area could be accomplished as a cooperative effort of all the area
cities. Kent's involvement would amount to one investigator and a pro
rata share of operational costs. Closely tied to the effectiveness of
ongoing analysis would be the availability of suitable computer capabil-
ities. This would require the one-time allocation of approximately $5,000
to organize the system and annual costs of $42,000.
5. Drafting of a Disaster Plan. Having a well conceived and implemented disaster
plan is the only way to assure a coordinated response in a disaster situa-
tion. The Kent Fire Department must now act to draft and implement a disaster
plan for the area. A one-time outlay of approximately $50,000 would be
needed, as well as approximately $2,500 for annual updating and training.
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: As with the improvements outlined for Emergency Services, it
is not intended that these modifications be made immediately. The logical action
would be to phase in the new programs to minimize their impact on annual budgets
and special financing alternatives. Again, joint operations are recommended for
the arson task force and the permit center, to allow a minimal impact on the Fire
Department budget.
ALTERNATIVES
An almost automatic response to the suggestion that an organization must
undergo a massive redirection of emphasis is to ask why. Why can't the Kent
Fire Department go on as before? The answer to this and similar questions is
174
not easy. It would be possible to operate the Fire Department in a largely
reactionary style and continue to increase suppression capabilities to match
increases in demand. Based on the projections stated here, by the year 2000
this could mean an additional 50 firefighters and three fire stations being
needed to respond adequately to the fire and life safety needs of the com-
munity, over and above the personnel needed now just to 'fix up' current con-
ditions. Ultimately, the entire system would be too expensive to continue and
by then it would be too late to build safety into the community.
It is also possible to operate the Fire Department basically as we know it
today. By providing full automatic fire detection and extinguishment equip-
ment in all structures, old and new, fire department responses would be
limited to a very few and rather minor fires. With this in place, the Fire
Department could operate with two person engine companies. This option,
although appealing, is not realistic due to excessive costs of retrofitting
existing buildings to these higher standards and the public resistance to full
retrofitting.
The key question is, what kind of a fire and life safety environment does the
community really want. Do they want a fire department which is totally
reactive? Or do they want a fire department which can adequately respond to
emergencies and seeks out ways to help assure fire and life safety? Based on
nationwide trends, it is the opinion of the Kent Fire Department that the
recommended actions represent the most realistic and achievable way of main-
taining a high level of fire and life safety in the community.
i
I
I
175
SHORT TERM MAINTENANCE OF SERVICES
Even if improved levels of service are not undertaken, present operations of
the Fire Department are stretching available resources beyond their maximum,
and in some instances, service is compromised due to time constraints. No
pre-set formal schedule for equipment and apparatus replacement now exists
which has led to older and often less reliable equipment being kept in ser-
vice. Engine company and ladder truck staffing in the City is insufficient to
operate in a timely and safe manner. Information and data handling is inade-
quate and cumbersome and use of good data analysis and projection techniques
is almost impossible, and management and staff time is not being utilized to
its maximum efficiency.
1 . Replacement of Equipment. In order to maintain the current operations and
level of service, and avoid further "slipping," resources need to be
allocated to "fix up" the present situation. Presently two engines and
two aid cars are in dire need of replacement. This will require a
one-time capital outlay of approximately $440,000. Their age and service
demands are such that continued use will invite excessive down time and
the reliability of reserve apparatus is low. The units replaced can be
moved to reserve status for a short period of time to provide more
reliable backup apparatus. Other apparatus need to be refurbished in a
timely manner to extend their serviceability, and an equipment and
apparatus replacement and funding schedule needs to be adopted.
2. Increased Staffing Levels. Engine company and ladder truck staffing needs to
be upgraded to ensure the ability to apply adequate water quantities with
first dispatched units in a timely and safe manner. Six firefighter positions
(27 personnel) need to be added to bring Engine 71 , 73 and 76 and Ladder 71
crews up to three people each. This will require a one-time outlay of
approximately $54,000, and annual costs of approximately $875,000.
3. Maintaining Code Enforcement Capabilities. Code Enforcement office staff
is overtaxed by coordination of inspections, complaints, information needs
of the public and paperflow. The present part-time secretary needs to be
upgraded to a full time position and a combination housing inspector/
176
complaint investigator is needed to keep up with present demand. This
would require one-time costs of $1 ,000 with annual costs of approximately
$45,000.
4. Alleviation of Overcrowding. The condition of facilities is in need of
attention. Station 73, 74 and 76 are in poor physical locations and their
size and layout are not compatible to crew sizes of three or above. The
Code Enforcement Division is crammed into work space which is barely
adequate for one-half of the assigned staff. Consideration of relocation
of Station 73, 74 and 76 must be given as well as to finding additional
space for the Code Enforcement Division. Space availability at Station 71
is inadequate for the variety of functions (apparatus shops, supply stor-
age, building maintenance, training, administration and fire suppression
duty crews) 'which are conducted there. Actions must be taken to improve
this situation as well . To lease additional office space for a portion of
the Code Enforcement Division would cost approximately $7,500 annually and
require a one-time outlay of approximately $2,500.
5. Enhanced Data Keeping Capabilities. Information and data keeping in the
Fire Department is almost entirely manual and quite cumbersome. Signifi-
cant improvements are needed to allow effective management of present
operations, improved coordination of emergency operations and proper
planning for the future. The needed improvements require a total rework-
ing of data recording and retrieving capabilities. A computer based
information system which is capable of sharing information with other
associated departments (Planning, Engineering and Police) is needed. A
key to the success of a computer system for the Fire Department will be
accessibility at all times without delay. A one-time outlay of up to
$200,000 may be needed to set up a functional computer network.
Facilities upgrading costs will depend on property selection and location.
Basic three bay fire stations, cost approximately 1 .6 million dollars to
construct and occupy. It is anticipated that Station 73, 74 and 76 need to be
replaced. It is not known what resale value is expected on the present prop-
erties. Station 73 and 74 are located in developed, residential neighborhoods
and Station 76 is located in a prime M-1 Industrial Park Zone.
177
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: These improvements can not be phased in over a long period
of time. The items discussed here are current needs and need to be accomp-
lished in a relatively short period of time. Bonds could be used to lessen
the short-term impact.
The following tables summarize the present levels of service in each of the
six areas, the recommended improved level of services, and the implementation
strategies that will be used to achieve the improvements. In addition, the
estimated one-time and annual costs of each implementation strategy are shown.
178
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ESTIMATED COSTS
Facilities & Equipmentersonne
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY One Time Annual I One Time Annual
EMERGENCY SERVICES IMPROVEMENTS
1. mprove esponse Time capabilities $1,860,000 $15,000 $28,000 $475,000
One new station located in the mid-Benson I
corridor staffed with a 3 person engine company.
2. Additional Defibrillation Equipment 30,000 2,000 N/A N/A
One unit (engine or aid car) equipped with a
Defib unit in each station.
3. Improved Training Capabilities 1,000,000 40,000 1 N/A 35,000
Construction and operation of a multi-
Jurisdictional training facility and
increased emphasis on training.
4. Improved Alarm Processing 8 Dispatching 175,000 2,000 N/A N/A
Expanded Valley-Com data storage and
transmittal ability. I
5. Improved Haz-Mat Response Capabilities 25,000 6,500 I N/A N/A
Specialized training and equipment for
Haz-Mat incidents.
REDIRECTION OF EMPHASIS TO A PROACTIVE APPROACH I
Expanded u c uca on nspec on ervices 20,000 36,000 1 4,000 214,000
Creation of a Public Education Unit within the
Fire Department, increasing P/E activities,
conducting home fire safety inspections and
increased suppression crew involvement in 1
public education and inspections.
2. Increased Involvement in Community Development N/A N/A I N/A N/A
Increased Fire Department input into community
development and growth.
3. Improved Inter-Department Coordination
3 Code Administration Facilities, Equipment and Operating I 1,000 40,000
Improved coordination of the permit process Costs to be shared by all involved
and operation of a one-stop permit center departments
4. Improved Quality and Level of Fire Investigations 5,000 5,0000 I N/A 37,000
Formation and operation of an area-wide Arson Task
Force/Fire Investigation Program
S. Drafting and Implementation of a Disaster Plan 4,000 2,500 1 46,000 N/A
i
SHORT-TERM MAINTENANCE OF SERVICES 440,000 N/A N/A N/A
1. Replacement o qu pment
Maintaining apparatus necessary for continuance
of present services.
2. Increased Staffing Levels N/A N/A 1 54,000 875,000
Engine and Truck Company crews upgraded to
3 persons each.
3. Maintaining Code Enforcement Capabilities N/A 4,000 I 1,000 41,000
Addition of a Housing/Complaint-Inspector and
increased secretarial staff. I
4. Alleviation of Overcrowding 2,500 7,500 I N/A N/A
Reduction of Code Enforcement office congestion
and planning for station replacement/relocation. 1
5. Enhanced Data Keeping Capabilities 200,000 Undertermined I N/A N/A
Computer capabilities to improve management i
Fire Department resources I
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ANALYTIC APPROACHES TO PUBLIC FIRE PROTECTION
By: Edward J. Ignall, PhD; et al
Published by: Institute for Independent Study, 1979.
FIRE IN THE UNITED STATES
By: U.S. Department of Commerce & U.S. Fire Administration, 1978.
FIRE PROTECTION HANDBOOK, 15th Edition
By: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) , 1981.
MANAGING FIRE SERVICES
Compiled by: The International City Management Association (ICMA) , 1979.
MASTER PLANNING FOR FIRE PROTECTION
By: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
United States Fire Administration (USFA) , 1980.
MEASURING FIRE PROTECTION PRODUCTIVITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
By: Philip S. Schaenman and Joe Swartz
Published by: NFPA, 1974.
MUNICIPAL FIRE SERVICE WORKBOOK
By: Research Triangle Institute (RTI) , ICMA and NFPA, 1977.
NOVA "Why America Burns"
Originally broadcast October 1981.
PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MUNICIPAL SERVICE
By: Harry P. Hatry, et al
Published by: The Urban Institute and ICMA, 1977.
PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT HANDBOOK FOR STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Edited by: George J. Washnis
Published by: John Wiley & Sons in cooperation with the National
Academy of Public Administration, 1980.
WATER SUPPLY FOR FIRE PROTECTION
By: F. Dale Cozad, 1981 ,
Various Technical Journals & Periodicals, Including:
Fire Engineering
Fire Journal
Americal Fire Journal
International Fire Chief
Fire Command
Building Standards
"1
# � KENT
FIRE DEPARTMENT
- --. - -- MASTER PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
0
Prepared by the staff of the
Kent Fire Department
Norman Angelo
Chief
J
Submitted to the Kent City Council and
The Board of Commissioners K.C.F.D. *37
October 1984
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Description of the Kent Fire Department . . . 3
Emergency Medical Care . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Reducing Risk Potential . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fire Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Hazardous Materials Incident Management . . . 29
Disaster Preparedness & Management . . . . . . 32
Non-Emergency Public Services . . . . . . . . 34
Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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FIRE MASTER PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PURPOSE
Throughout much of the history of our country, changes and improvements in
fire protection have taken place in reaction to a major fire disaster pointing
out inadequacies in fire and building codes or suppression techniques. During
the 1960's, two significant events pointed out a need for a change in think-
ing. First, the publishing of America Burning by the National Commission on
Fire Prevention and Control gave a detailed look at the true magnitude of the
fire experiences of the country; something that up to that point had not been
done. The second, the Wingspread Conferences brought together fire service
leaders from around the country to discuss the fire protection future of
America. A primary recommendation identified as a result, was the need for
the fire service to take a leadership role in fire loss management and long-
range planning for fire protection.
Under present organizational , conditions, the Kent Fire Department is guided by
a mission statement and supporting goals.
MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of the Kent Fire Department to protect life and property by
responding to requests for assistance (both emergency and non-emergency), the
prevention of emergencies, and the reduction of risk in the fire and life
safety environment.
ADMINISTRATION GOALS
1 . To achieve the Department's mission through the management and coordina-
tion of internal resources in cooperation with other City departments and
governmental agencies.
2. To provide training support to all divisions of the Fire Department by
developing, scheduling or conducting needed technical and manipulative
training.
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3. To provide support services in building maintenance, vehicle maintenance,
communications and supplies in a quality and cost effective manner.
SUPPRESSION GOALS
1 . Through the effective use of available resources, provide sufficient and
timely response of suppression forces to fires and all other incidents
that pose a life or property loss hazard.
2. To provide basic life support and minimal advanced life support to all the
citizens within four minutes.
CODE ENFORCEMENT GOALS
1 . In accordance with local and state laws, provide and ensure compliance
with minimum standards to safeguard life, health, property and public
welfare.
2. To effectively utilize the resources of the Code Enforcement and Suppres-
sion Divisions to gain cooperation of the public in meeting and maintain-
ing life safety standards.
Using these goals as background, the Department organized an internal com-
mittee to draft a master plan for fire prevention and control . This committee
was composed of individuals with backgrounds in fire department administra-
tion, fire ground incident management, fire suppression techniques, and fire
and building code enforcement. They analyzed current literature, present
departmental operations, and community characteristics to compile the body of
the plan, Sections I through VII. Drawing from this information, twelve
significant items were identified within the Fire Department or the community
makeup that were seen to be in need of modification or improvement in order to
enhance the fire and life safety environment of the community.
These twelve areas (identified in Section VIII of the document), along with
the Fire Department committee's proposed goals for improvements, objectives to
accomplish these goals, and alternative goals were then submitted to the
J 2
review of two separate committees. The first, referred to as the Technical
Committee, was composed of City of Kent departmental representatives and
representatives from King County Departments of Building and Land Development,
and Planning. This group reviewed the entire document, paying particular
attention to the study of the proposed goals and objectives in Section VIII.
Their comments and suggestions were then incorporated into the text of the
document.
The second review was done by a citizens' Advisory Committee composed of resi-
dents and civic leaders from throughout the service area and representing a
variety of community interests and concerns. This committee took a similar
approach, first reviewing the text of Sections I through VII to give them a good
understanding of present conditions. Their review of Section VIII yielded
additional input and adjustment to the goals and objectives given in the plan.
Using the combined inputs from both committees, the drafting committee from
the Fire Department then organized the recommended improvements into their
appropriate service delivery areas in Section IX, entitled "Implementation and
Levels of Service." For purposes of clarity, the entire text of this section
is included in this summary. This section gives details on the present level
of service provided, the recommended improved service level , and methods for
accomplishing this.
DESCRIPTION OF THE KENT FIRE DEPARTMENT
HISTORY
The Kent area has experienced a significant modification in character in
recent years. Once a largely agricultural and residential area, the community
is now more industrially oriented with an increasing number of multi family
residential developments occurring on the areas fringing the industrial core.
Even the eastern area (the East Hill and Soos Creek Plateau area) is changing
in character with numerous single family dwelling subdivisions occurring in
recent years.
Fire protection in the area has gone through a variety of changes with the
community. Initially an all volunteer operation, the City of Kent Fire
.� 3
Department grew in size and services provided in response to community needs.
The number and variety of alarms began to exceed the capacity of a volunteer
organization and a shift to career firefighters was started. Similar
transitions took place in King County Fire District No. 37 which covered
unincorporated county areas to the south and east of the City.
In 1973, the City and District operations were combined by way of a con-
tractual agreement whereby the District contracted to the City to operate its
fire protection services. Both entities have realized benefits from this
arrangement. The present combined service area covers 53 square miles and a
population of approximately 70,000 people.
DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE
The Department is structured into two primary operational divisions, the Code
Enforcement Division and the Suppression Division. The Code Enforcement
Division (see figure 10, page 7) is a new title for a concept which began in
1973 when the operations of the Building Department were merged into the Fire
Department structure. This arrangement is unique to only three departments in
the state but seems natural , since approximately 70 percent of the Uniform
Building Code is based on fire and life safety considerations, and its
companion Uniform Fire Code are co-published by the International Conference
of Building Officials and the Western Fire Chiefs' Association.
Primary responsibilities of the Building Department center on the monitoring
of building construction. Working closely with the City Planning and
Engineering Departments, the process begins with predevelopment meetings and
tracks the project through plans review, construction inspections and issuance
of a Certificate of Occupancy. During this process, building inspectors are
checking against Code requirements of the Uniform Building Code, Uniform
J Plumbing Code, Uniform Mechanical Code, Washington State Energy Code and
Washington State Barrier Free Standards. Presently, the City of Kent has a
reputation in the construction community for being strict but fair enforcers
of Code requirements.
J
As a compliment to the Building Department's role, Fire Prevention Inspectors
are also involved in the entire process. Their main focus is on fire safety
J 4
concerns such as building access, hydrant location, fire detection and
suppression systems, and special hazards. Through the combined efforts of
building and fire prevention, a high degree of Code compliance is achieved.
Further, once a building is occupied, periodic fire inspections enforcing the
Uniform Fire Code, take place. Annual business inspections are done by the
Suppression crews. Fire Prevention Inspectors provide follow-up enforcement
of violations not corrected as a result of the annual inspection, as well as
inspections of new businesses and special hazard occupancies. In addition,
Fire Prevention personnel provide support and training to the Suppression
crews in inspection techniques.
Another major function is the investigation of fires. In addition to uncover-
ing incidents of arson, thorough investigation of fires can help identify
trends in fire causes. By doing this, it is possible to target prevention
efforts to reduce common fire causes. Currently, two of the Fire Prevention
inspectors are trained as fire investigators and all Fire Department members
are trained in recognition and preservation of evidence that can the be used
by the investigators.
A final responsibility of the Code Enforcement Division is the investigation
and resolution of complaints arising from City of Kent noise and nuisance
ordinances. Presently a lack of available manhours limits the ability to
resolve all complaints in a timely manner.
The Fire Department operates six fire stations (see map on page 6). Stations
73, 74, 76, and 77 house one engine only. Station 72 houses two engines and
an aid car and, Station 71 (headquarters) houses one engine, one aid car, one
ladder truck, and the command vehicle. Each station has assigned response
areas which overlap to provide full coverage.
The Fire Suppression Division is structured to provide staffing to five of
these stations on a 24 hour basis (see figures on pages 6 and 7). Fire-
fighters work shifts of 24 hours and each shift is assigned 23 personnel .
However, due to vacations, Kelly Days, illness, disabilities, schooling, etc. ,
") a shift operates approximately 70 percent of the time at the minimum staffing
level of 17. Crew size at each station varies. At Station 73 and 76, the 0
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DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION
FIRE CHIEF
ASST. CHIEF ASST. CHIEF
CODE ENFORCEMENT FIRE SUPPRESSION
DIVISION DIVISION
_i Staff
[BUILDING OFFICIAL FFIITEMARSHAL 69 Career 26 Volunteer
�Staff� ( Firefighters Firefighters
Inspectors Inspectors l3 shifts)
Figure. 10
ff
E SUPPRESSION
DIVISION
ASSISTANT CHIEF
Training STAFF
Officer Secretary
..........................
Clerk
Mechanic
Bldgs. .Maint.
A SHIFT B SHIFT C SHIFT , VOLUNTEERS
Captain Captain Captain Batt. Chief
I I 1 1
5 Lieutenants 5 Lieutenants 5 Lieutenants 4 Lieutenants
17 Firefighters 17 Firefighters 17 Firefighters 21 Firefighters
Figure 12
total crew size is two, the officer and one firefighter. Station 77 is
assigned an officer and two firefighters and Station 72 is assigned an officer
and two firefighters for the engine and two for the aid car. Station 71 is
assigned an officer and three firefighters. This means that the aid car, the
engine and the ladder truck each have a driver only and the officer responds
on either the engine or the aid car, depending on the incident. When the
officer is out of quarters on the aid car, the engine is staffed by a driver
only.
In addition to the shift personnel , the Department has approximately 25 volun-
teers who respond to alarms on a call basis. Station 74 is manned only by
volunteers and Engine 75 out of Station 72 is also volunteer staffed. The
availability of volunteers is uncertain, however, due to their own work, vaca-
tion and holiday schedules. Average response from volunteers is 4 per call at
night and .7 per call during normal weekday working hours. Volunteers are
routinely dispatched on working fires and major incidents but are limited as
to availability for dispatch on routine alarms and aid calls.
Suppression crews have a variety of activities to accomplish during their duty
hours. Annual business inspections are assigned by shift and zone, with the
goal being 100 percent coverage annually. In addition to this responsibility,
the crews are responsible for minor maintenance of their equipment, apparatus
and sta- tion, equipment testing, hydrant testing, maintaining records and
reports, training, and, of course, responding on alarms. On average, the Kent
Fire Department responds to 13 alarms per day with Station 71 and 72 being the
busiest since aid cars are stationed there. The following is a summary of
1982 and 1983 alarm statistics:
1982 1983
TYPE OF CALL NUMBER q NUMBER %
Fire or Explosion 634 14 529 11
Pressure Rupture 8 - 4 -
Rescue or Medical Aid 29682 57 2,567 54
Hazardous Condition
173 4 180 4
Service Calls 205 4 477 10
Alarm With No Fire 446 10 467 10
Malicious False Alarm 37 1 28 -
Other (includes mutual aid given) 480 10 521 11
Total 4,665 100% 4,773 100%
J 8
Automatic and mutual aid agreements with neighboring jurisdictions provide for
the receiving of outside assistance in the event of major incidents, simul-
taneous alarms, or long response times. The Kent Fire Department provides
reciprocal assistance to these neighboring jurisdictions. At present, the
Kent Fire Department relys heavily on automatic aid in several areas to assure
timely arrival of Fire Department units.
Dispatching is provided by Valley-Com, which is a dispatch organization
initially set up by a consortium of the four valley cities. Valley-Com now
dispatches fire and police calls for the four parent cities and the City of
Pacific, and fire calls for six fire districts. Efforts are currently under
way to have the countywide 911 emergency phone number in service in 1985.
Presently, the Kent Fire Department is the largest fire user with 31 percent
of the total fire responses dispatched.
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SERVICE AREAS
Section VIII of the Master Plan identified twelve significant items within the
Fire Department or the community makeup which are in need of modification or
improvement in order to enhance the fire and life safety environment. The
goals and objectives outlined in that section will now be applied to each of
the six areas of service provided by the Fire Department. These services are:
I. Emergency Medical Care
II. Reducing Risk Potential
III. Fire Suppression
IV. Hazardous Materials Incident Management
V. Disaster Preparedness and Management
VI. Non-Emergency Public Services.
The following is a review of the current delivery methods in each service
area, discussion of measurement capabilities and a statement about the present
level of service. Finally, based on the goals and objectives of Section VIII,
a recommended level for each service area will be stated.
I. EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: The Kent Fire Department has for a number of
years provided the community with basic emergency medical care. In 1983, for
example, 54 percent of the total 4,773 responses were for emergency medical
aid. All Fire Suppression personnel are trained to the advanced level of
first aid called Emergency Medical Technician. In addition, over one-half of
the personnel also voluntarily received qualification to administer cardiac
defibrillatory shocks for patients in cardiac arrest. As shown in the
description of the Kent Fire Department (map on page 6), the Department staffs
five engines and two aid cars with paid personnel and two engines with volun-
teers. All engines are equipped with minimal first aid supplies and oxygen so
that they can handle an aid response until the aid car can arrive. Engines
are sent on emergency medical responses in addition to the aid car if they are
closer. By doing this the Kent Fire Department can deliver emergency medical
response care within four minutes to 56 percent of the total p onse area. (See map on
page 11 ) .
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Advanced life support is provided by paramedic staff Medic One units. The
three Medic One units that respond into the Kent Fire Department area are
stationed at Valley Medical Center (formerly Valley General Hospital ), Auburn
General Hospital and Federal Way Station 6 (272nd and 16th Avenue South). In
addition, both aid units and Engine 77 carry cardiac defibrillators which
allow the Fire Department to administer this advanced life support service
quickly in cases of ventricular fibrillation. , Units with defibrillators can
reach the patient within four minutes in 35 percent of the response area.
It should be remembered that at minimum manpower levels, when Aid 71 is out of
quarters on a response, Engine 71 and Ladder 71 are reduced to a driver only.
Minimum staffing does occur approximately 70 percent of the time. Also, an
ever increasing number of simultaneous and concurrent alarms are occurring.
When this happens in the same response area, one of the incidents must wait
six to eight minutes for the next closest unit to arrive.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Present measurements rely heavily on
total numbers of alarms and patients. The following measures will better
analyze the capabilities of the Fire Department and the level of service being
provided. Some of these will require further refinement and additional
measures may be added as experiences indicate. The proposed measurements at
this point are: 1) Response time of the basic life support, 2) Response time
of advanced life support (Medic One) , 3) Fire Department defibrillation
capability, 4) Cardiac survival rates, 5) Effectiveness of the Fire Department
basic life support.
1 . RESPONSE TIME OF BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Rationale and Definition. It is well documented that in severe
medical emergencies, and particularly cardiac and respiratory
emergencies, the condition of the patient and the patient's chances of
recovery are directly linked to the elapsed time from the onset of the
medical problem until treatment is administered. For patients in
cardiac arrest, a significant improvement in survival rates exists if
treatment (CPR) can be administered within four minutes from time of
collapse. In addition, if an advanced life support unit (Medic One) is
further than four minutes behind the Fire Department aid car (an 8
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12
minute total response time) quick arrival of the aid car (within 4
minutes) is directly related to patient survival . Measuring of basic
life support response time will indicate the ability of the Fire
Department to provide care within recognized time frames. It will also
indicate the effectiveness of station locations and efforts to improve
response route congestion. Response time of basic life support will be
defined as the elapse time from when the dispatch center receives the
call from the reporting party until the first dispatched Fire
Department unit arrives on location.
Present Statistics. Records currently kept by the Department
measure response time as the interval from the dispatch time to units
arriving on location. Alarm handling time is not included. With the
Valley-Com computer system now in place, it will be possible to track
the total time from receiving the call for assistance to arrival of
Fire Department units. This is the response time as perceived by the
public. For the past three years, time from actual alarm dispatch to
the arrival of units, has averaged 4.2 minutes (1981 4.2 minutes, 1982
4.3 minutes, 1983 4.1 minute). Dispatch time has been found to be
approximately 3/4 of a minute. Therefore, total response time
currently averages 5 minutes.
2. RESPONSE TIME OF ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT.
Rationale and Definition. Even though not within the direct
control of the Fire Department, advanced life support (Medic One)
response time is an important indicator of the system's overall ability
to provide definitive care to critically ill or severely injured
patients. In situations where the patient's condition is not able to
be maintained or improved by basic life support, advanced life support
skills can often bring about improvements in the patient's condition.
The response time of advanced life support will be defined as the
elapsed time from when the dispatcher is aware that a medic unit is
indicated, until the arrival of the medic unit. Occasionally, initial
call screening by the dispatcher does not indicate the need for a medic
unit, but following evaluation of the patient by the Fire Department
aid car, a medic unit is requested. In these types of cases, advanced
13
life support response time will be measured from the time of the aid
car request until the medic unit arrival .
Present Statistics. The data currently collected on medic unit
response times is not broken down by the individual Fire Department
areas into which they respond. A system is now being set up to
record this information. Overall response time for the medic units
which respond in the South King County area, range from a low of 8.2
minutes to a high of 9.3 minutes. It is felt that response time to
Kent area calls is in the 8 to 8-1/2 minute range.
3. FIRE DEPARTMENT DEFIBRILLATION CAPABILITY.
Rationale and Definition. In many cardiac arrest situations,
the patient's heart is in a useless rhythm called ventricular fibril-
lation. In these cases, quick administration of a defibrillatory
shock can convert the heart into a working rhythm. Measuring the
percentage of the response area that this treatment can be delivered
in a timely manner indicates the Fire Department ability to augment
its basic life support service with more advanced life saving skills.
The measurement will be based on a four minute response time for the
Fire Department aid car and plotted on drive time maps for units with
defibrillators (currently Aid 71 , Aid 72, and Engine 77). A drive
time of three minutes will be used to allow one minute for alarm
processing, dispatch and crew reaction time until they are underway.
Present Statistics. With the three defibrillation units now in
service, 35 percent of the total response area can be reached with
defibrillation capability within four minutes. (See map on page 11 ).
4. CARDIAC SURVIVAL RATES.
Rationale and Definition. As a supplement to the previous
measure, data on the number of cardiac arrest patients, number of
alive admissions to the hospital , and number of patients discharged
from the hospital will be used to indicate the effectiveness of the
entire system. This data is compiled by King County Emergency
Medical Services Division and published annually.
14
Present Statistics. For the period 1976 through 1983:
King County Kent Fire Dept.
Total number of patients 4231 266
Resusitated and admitted to hospital 1346 (32%) 72 (27%)
Discharged from hospital
(Long-term Survival ) 685 (16%) 44 (17%)
5. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Rationale and Definition. Another question of importance is the
ability of the basic life support services of the Fire Department to
improve or maintain patient condition. Tracking this ability will
indicate the overall effectiveness of first aid services. By analyz-
ing the cases where Fire Department intervention failed to improve or
maintain patient condition, needs for decreased response time, ad-
vanced skills training, advanced equipment or public education will
be indicated. The measurement used will be the percentage of the
patient's that the Fire Department actions improved or maintained
patient condition. This will be evaluated by the crew who treated
the patient and any negative factors influencing the outcome will be
documented for later analysis.
Present Statistics. The Fire Department's ability to improve or
maintain patient condition has not been measured prior to this time.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: With present station configurations, the
Kent Fire Department can respond to 56 percent of the response area within
four minutes and is currently averaging five minutes for all responses.
Defibrillation units can reach the patient in 35 percent of the area within
four minutes. Cardiac survivability rates have consistently been as good as
or better than the countywide average. It is felt that in the majority of
cases, Fire Department basic life support skills are capable of maintaining or
improving the patient condition.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will reduce average response time to
four minutes and be able to deliver defibrillation capability to 75 percent of
the response area within that four minutes. Cardiac survival rates should be
J 15
maintained at 2 to 4 percent above the countywide average of 16 percent.
Medic unit response times will be tracked and any weaknesses pointed out to
King County Emergency Medical Services for correction.
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II. REDUCING RISK POTENTIAL
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: It has become increasingly obvious that the
fire service needs to take a more proactive approach to fire and life safety,
and not only react to emergencies as they occur. In the Kent area, Building
Code inspections are conducted to insure that structures are built to minimum
adopted safety standards. Many structural features are required which will
limit the spread of fire if it does occur and provide safe and easy exit for
the occupants. In addition, annual fire inspections of businesses helps to
assure that the building occupants continue to use the structure as it was
intended and that processes involved are in compliance with the Code. The
inspection is also one method to educate the tenants in fire safe practices.
Presently, no formal process exists to provide fire safety inspections of
private dwellings (individual apartments and houses) but fire inspections are
done on all common areas in apartment complexes. The effectiveness of annual
fire inspections may best be illustrated by the low number of fires that occur
in business occupancies when compared to residential occupancies.
As required in the Uniform Fire Code, the Kent Fire Department issues permits
for identified high hazard processes or the presence of high hazard materials
in a business. The Code Enforcement Division currently issues these permits
after inspection to ensure code compliance. In addition, businesses often
utilize hazardous materials in small enough quantities that permits are not
required, but which may pose a hazard to firefighters who have to fight a fire
in the structure. Presently, no system exists to identify these small quanti-
ties or to catalog the materials that permits were issued for and then have
this information available to suppression crews prior to them entering a
structure to fight a fire. Due to the volume of this and other tactical
information that would be advantageous to know prior to combatting such a
fire, a computer based system would be necessary.
Inspections alone cannot eliminate all the possible causes of fire, however,
since human error is by far the largest single cause. In 1983, human errors,
or lack of maintenance accounted for approximately 48 percent of the fires
that occurred in the Kent Fire Department area. Design, construction or
17
installation deficiencies accounted for less than 3 percent (arson or suspic-
ious circumstances accounted for approximately 13 percent). Educating and
informing the public on fire safety practices is one of the best ways of pre-
venting fires from occurring.
Inspections, training and maintenance take up most of the suppression crews'
time and little or none is currently available to be involved in public educa-
tion. Inspectors assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau have similar time
constraints. Recognizing the need for coordinated public education, one of
the Fire Prevention Inspectors is tasked with coordinating the classes that do
occur, however, only approximately one-third of his time is available for
education efforts. Because of these factors, only a limited amount of public
education takes place. Few requests for fire safety classes can be honored
and classes in the public schools have been severely curtailed. CPR classes
are being taught with an fairly high frequency by off duty firefighters who
are paid for teaching the class through a countywide program supported by
United Good Neighbors.
Other activities of the Kent Fire Department which impact the overall level of
risk, include interaction with the City of Kent and King County Planning and
Water Departments and the King County Building Department. This is done to
help assure that new development and construction that does occur does not add
undue risk and that sufficient water is available to combat fires that do
occur. In addition, the suppression crews conduct formal and informal prefire
surveys of the high risk buildings to help prepare strategies in the event of
an actual emergency.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: There are a number of ways to measure
the results of risk reducing actions. Largely, they will consist of tracking
the total numbers and rates of occurrences of particular types of incidents.
The following measures will be used initially to evaluate the level of service
provided: 1 ) Emergency medical service demand, 2) Incidents of fire,
3) Causes of fire, 4) Fire death and injury, 5) Hazardous material incidents,
I
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6) Target hazard analysis.
1. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE DEMAND.
Rationale and Definition. The Fire Department may have little,
if any, impact on reducing the number of illnesses or injuries that
occur. They can, however, through public first aid training, improve
the abilities of the citizenry to deal with minor injuries them-
selves. Experience has shown that Fire Department units are some-
times dispatched to situations where care required only simple first
aid procedures. It has been informally noted by first aid training
providers, such as the American Red Cross, that citizens trained in
first aid are less likely to require first aid treatment due to their
own increased caution and understanding of the mechanisms of injury.
To measure the overall reduction in emergency medical incidents, the
number of patients per 1 ,000 population will be tracked.
Present Statistics. Demand for emergency medical care for 1982
was 45 patients per 1 ,000 population, and 44 patients per thousand in
1983. This is up from the 1980 and 1981 figure of 40 patients per
1 ,000 population.
2. INCIDENTS OF FIRE.
Rationale and Definition. The overall effectiveness of the Fire
Department's actions directed at preventing fires (primarily
inspections) can be measured by evaluating the number of the fires
that do occur. Structure fires are most significant and two cate-
gories, residential and nonresidential warrant independent tracking.
Fires in residential structures present the obvious burdens of loss
of personal belongings, loss of living quarters and severe financial
pressures. Furthermore, over three quarters of all fire deaths
nationally and all Kent area fire deaths, have occurred in residen-
tial occupancies. Fires in nonresidential buildings present similar
potential for property and life loss, and the possibility for
economic loss to the business and the community due to loss of
production time or employment.
19
To track the incidents of fire, the measure of number of fires
in residential and nonresidential structures per 1 ,000 population
will be used. Population is used as the measurement base since
people represent the true potential fire ignition sources. The popu-
lation of the City of Kent alone will not be a good measurement base
since such a large portion of the City is industrially oriented.
However, when viewed in its entirety,. the 53 square mile fire
protection area with approximately 70,000 people appears to be a
balanced community.
Present Statistics. Data on fire occurrence in residential and
non-residential structures was collected for the two year period of
1982 and 1983. Comparative data was also collected for these two
years from eight Puget Sound area fire departments, the State of
Washington and a sampling of six states nationwide. The following
graphs show the Kent Fire Department's position in relation to this
comparative data.
Number of Residential Fires/1000 Population
8
6.0
6
4 3.3 3.3
2.7
2 1.3 1.5
0
LOW NATIONAL WASH. LOCAL KENT HIGH
Non-Residential Fires/1000 Population
4 3.5
3
2
1.1
1 .4 .6 .6
.3
0
LOW KENT NATIONAL WASH. LOCAL HIGH
20
3. CAUSES OF FIRES
Rationale and Definition. By tracking the causes of fire, it is
often possible to spot trends and take action to reduce their
impact. By far, human errors and lack of maintenance are the largest
causes of fires. The effectiveness of public education efforts can
perhaps best be analyzed by tracking the percentage of fires which
are occurring as a result of human errors or lack of maintenance.
Present Statistics. Human errors or lack of maintenance
accounted for 39 percent of the ignitions in 1982 and 48 percent in
1983.
4. FIRE DEATH AND INJURY.
Rationale and Definition. In addition to tracking the incidents
of fire, the impact on human life of fires that do occur is impor-
tant. The numbers of civilian fire related deaths and injuries
reflect on the ability of people to protect their own well being in
fire situations. This can be improved through public education
directed at making homes and businesses safer so that fires that do
occur are less severe. In addition, training people in the use of
extinguishers on small fires, emergency exit procedures, and burn
prevention, would be effective. Annual death and injury statistics
will be utilized.
Present Statistics. The national rate for fire deaths in com-
munities of 50,000 to 100,000 population is 21 per million. At this
rate, Kent would expect 1 .5 fire deaths per year. Presently, Kent is
experiencing a rate of .63 fire deaths per year (five fire deaths in
eight years). Also during this period one firefighter death has
occurred. Injury rates are:
1982 1983
Civilian Fire Injuries 15 7
Firefighter Injuries 18 15
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5. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS.
Rationale and Definition. The volume and variety of hazardous mater-
ials that are stored and handled or moved through the area, is ever
increasing. Through inspection of facilities that utilize hazardous
materials or processes, a certain amount of Fire Department influence is
possible. The ability of the Fire Department to influence the procedures
used in transportation, however, is limited. Measuring the number of
hazardous materials incidents per year is one way of evaluating the ulti-
mate potential of a hazardous materials incident occurring. It should be
noted that the potential of a major hazardous materials incident occurring
may not be predictable in this same manner.
Present Statistics. Under the current reporting system, not all inci-
dents which involve hazardous materials are classified as chemical emer-
gencies. Modification of the data keeping system is necessary to track
all of the hazardous materials incidents which do occur. In 1982, there
was one incident classified as a chemical emergency (hazardous materials
incident). In 1983, there were three incidents classified as such.
6. TARGET HAZARD ANALYSIS.
Rationale and Definition. In addition to the emergency events that
occur with sufficient frequency to measure impacts made in reducing their
rates, other events do not occur with such frequency. These may not be of
disaster proportion, but would have significant impact on life, property,
environment or community well being. Such an event would be the total
burnout of a major employer; or a severe fire in a convalescent institu-
tion or school . Target hazards need to be evaluated and actions taken to
reduce the potential for a major incident occurring. Factors that can
reduce this risk include preplanning of evacuation techniques, preplanning
fire fighting tactics, upgrading fire protection equipment within the
structures, and improving training of occupants in fire safe operation of
their facility. At present an evaluation program with measurement
criteria is not developed in this area. Further work is needed to refine
such a system for the Kent Fire Department.
22
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The Kent area is currently experiencing a
high rate of fires in residential structures with many being caused by human
errors. In addition, there is an increasing demand for emergency medical
care. Fires in nonresidential structures are below national , state and local
averages. However, fire deaths are less than one-half the national average.
It is perceived that the potential for a hazardous materials incident is
increasing.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will work to reduce the overall level
of risk in the community. As measured by the preceding criteria, reduced
levels of incident occurrence should be achieved. Specifically, fire rates in
residential structures should be reduced to, and maintained at, two per 1 ,000
population and the present rate (A per 1 ,000) in non-residential structures
should be maintained. The present fire death rate should at least be main-
tained, with improvement to a rate of .50 per year desirable. Human errors as
a cause of fires should be reduced from current levels and the volume of
emergency medical patients reduced to 38 to 42 per 1 ,000.
23
I
III. FIRE SUPPRESSION
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: As previously discussed, the Kent Fire
Department staffs five engines, two aid cars, one ladder truck and the command
vehicle with a minimum manpower level of 17. In addition, automatic and
mutual aid response is available and heavily utilized in the fringe areas or
in cases of simultaneous alarms.
The ability to effectively combat a fire and control its growth and spread is
dependant on many factors. Water must be available within a reasonable dis-
tance and in sufficient quantities to combat a fire which fully involves the
structure. A majority of the response areas do have sufficient water. How-
ever, areas exist both in the City and in District 37 where available water
quantities are below flows needed for the largest structure in the zone.
Other zones, particularly in District 37, have no water at all . In areas with
no water systems, tankers must be used to provide water for firefighting.
Another factor which influences the Fire Department's ability to fight a fire
is the type and quantity of material burning, or in other words, the fire
loading. Residential structures have similar fire loadings, but with the
increased use of synthetic and plastic materials in the home, toxicity of the
products of combustion is increasing. Commercial occupancies and warehouses
can create more significant problems. Fire loadings in these buildings can be
quite high and a variety of toxic and hazardous materials may be involved.
The amount of time elapsed from ignition to the application of water is also
an important factor. As fire progresses, interior temperatures rise and the
area of involvement grows. Often, all the contents of the room or area are
heated to their ignition temperature and ignite at one time. This occurrence
is known as flashover. The time from ignition to flashover will vary with the
characteristics of the structure and the fire loading. Actual fire tests and
computer modeling have provided mixed results as to when flashover will
occur. Flashover has occurred in as short an interval as 2-1/2 minutes from
time of ignition. Evacuation of a fire area must occur prior to flashover
since temperatures at flashover often exceed 1500°F. Water can be quickly
applied to fires while they are still small if an automatic sprinkler system
24
is present. In the absence of a sprinkler system, the Fire Department must
apply the water.
Factors influencing how quickly the Fire Department can apply water include
response time, setup time, and the amount of manpower on location quickly.
Present station locations allow for a first-in engine company response time of
four minutes in 56 percent of the area. Engine company manning ranges from a
driver only on Engine 71 (if Aid 71 is out of quarters) to a crew of three on
Engine 72 and 77. Water delivery of approximately 50 gallons per minute per
firefighter is possible. This means that for an average involvement in a
residential occupancy, a total of six firefighters are needed initially to
deliver the 300 gallon per minute necessary for effective control over the
fire. It now often requires three engine companies and up to ten to twelve
minutes to amass a crew. During the time delay to amass the crew, the chance
that the limited crew may need to make an unsafe entry is quite high. In
addition, physical abilities testing now going on within the Department seems
to indicate that at the present manpower levels, excessive demands are being
placed on the personnel . Section V. Critical Time Factors, and Section VI,
Agent Application, of the Master Plan should be read for more details on these
topics.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Presently, the measures utilized to
track the fire suppression activities center on the number of incidents, their
percentages of annual totals and the percentage changes over time. In addi-
tion, causes of fires are recorded to allow analyzing of trends. Another
measure used historically has been dollar loss due to fire. The validity of
this measurement is questionable for many reasons ranging from the lack of
Fire Department expertise in property valuation techniques to the inability to
calculate the indirect losses (downtime, loss of taxes, etc. ). In addition,
drawing conclusions about Fire Department effectiveness from dollar loss fig-
ures can be misleading. For example, the number of fires occurring may be
dropping (a good trend) but dollar loss may be rising (a bad trend) due to
factors such as inflation, or that the fewer fires that did occur occurred in
properties with higher valuations. Dollar loss numbers give extra weight to
losses of expensive goods that may be no easier or no more important to save
25
I
than are their less expensive counterparts. Also, risk to life is not
directly related to property value.
The fire service community as a whole recognizes the need for improved
measurements of service delivery but most departments have taken a wait and
see approach, hoping that somebody else will do the research. The Kent Fire
Department feels it is important to develop new measurements now and refine
them with experience. The measurements to be used are: 1 ) Incident escalation
prior to Fire Department arrival , 2) Incident escalation after Fire Department
arrival , 3) Water availability and 4) Level of risk to the safety of personnel .
1. INCIDENT ESCALATION PRIOR TO FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. Once a fire occurs in a structure, a
number of factors influence its spread and growth. These are largely
inherent factors in the building's construction, its contents, or the
fire detection and suppression systems installed in it. By measuring
the incident escalation prior to the Fire Department arrival , the
effectiveness of fire and building codes and fire detection and extin-
guishing systems, can be evaluated. In addition, the effectiveness of
fire safety education and in home safety practices can be evaluated.
Degree of escalation will be measured and reasons for significant
escalation will be evaluated to point out areas in need of more
research, public education or changes in code requirements. The
specific techniques for measuring escalation are now being developed by
the Fire Department.
2. INCIDENT ESCALATION AFTER FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. As in incident escalation prior to Fire
Department arrival , inherent factors of the building have a strong
influence on fire growth and spread after the Fire Department arrival .
In addition, the actions or inabilities of the Fire Department also can
increase or decrease incident escalation. A system of measuring the
incident growth will be established to analyze the Fire Department's
ability to control the fire and the reasons behind any inability.
26
Present Statistics. Although a formal system for evaluating incident
escalation is not yet established, the present, aggressive actions of the
suppression crews are fairly effective at containing a fire. It is
speculated that incident escalation is controlled in approximately 65
percent of the fires encountered.
3. WATER AVAILABILITY.
Rationale and Definition. As explained in Section VI , entitled "Agent
Application," water is the most commonly used extinguishing agent. The
Insurance Services Office (ISO) has developed required flows for struc-
tures based on factors such as size, construction and contents and built
in fire protection factors. Figures 32 and 33 of the Master Plan show
comparisons of water availability and water needs. Many areas have insuf-
ficient water or no water at all . Should a fire occur in these areas,
there is a greater likelihood that the Fire Department will not be able to
effectively extinguish the fire and prevent incident escalation. Measur-
ing the percentage of the areas where water availability meets or exceeds
the ISO requirement will show how well this risk factor is being improved.
Present Statistics. Currently, 73 percent of the response zones in
the Fire Department have sufficient water quantities available. The 27
percent without sufficient water are divided into those with no organized
water system at all (18 percent) and areas where water is not sufficient
to meet the highest potential demand (9 percent).
4. LEVEL OF RISK TO THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL.
Rationale and Definition. Besides evaluating the risks to the com-
munity, it is also necessary to evaluate the risk to the safety of the
suppression crews. Although firefighting is hazardous by nature, many
advances have been made in fire fighting equipment and techniques which
help reduce this risk. Analysis of safety is necessary to allow evalua-
tion of the risk to the personnel that is being created or prevented by
the methods used to accomplish the other goals identified. Factors that
need consideration include such things as the time it takes to assemble a
full crew and the physical demands versus crew size. At this time a full
set of measurement criteria has not been developed.
27
Present Statistics. Although the formal criteria for evaluating the
level of risk to the safety of personnel have not yet been established,
certain factors are known. As previously stated, engine crew size at
Station 73 and 76 is two personnel . Engine 71 is often staffed with a
driver only, and may arrive at a fire with only this manpower compliment.
An accepted minimum manpower level for an engine company is three
personnel (officer, driver and one firefighter). Under current opera-
tional systems, Kent firefighters are often exposed to undue risk while
attempting firefighting operations with limited manpower on location.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The effectiveness of the suppression activi-
ties of the Kent Fire Department has been achieved through an aggressive and
sometimes risky attack on fires by small engine crews. Engine companies can now
arrive within four minutes of the report of afire in only 56 percent of the
response zones. More substantial life exposure, pre-burn time and incident
escalation are occurring in the other 44 percent of the response areas. Eighteen
percent of the response zones do not have a water system in place for fire
fighting and in an additional nine percent of the zones, inadequate water is
available for the highest potential demand. City of Kent codes in effect at the
time this Master Plan was drafted and reviewed, required automatic sprinkler
systems in buildings over 6,000 square feet. This was changed in September of
1984, however, and now a building must reach 12,000 square feet before sprinklers
are required. This is similar to King County requirements in the District 37
area. A major fire has never occurred in structures protected by automatic
sprinkler systems.
D. GOAL: The Kent Fire Department will work to provide effective incident
control while maintaining the safety of suppression crews. A maximum of a two
room involvement should be expected prior to Fire Department arrival to residen-
tial structure fires. Fires in sprinklered occupancies should be contained prior
to the Fire Department arrival and in nonsprinklered, nonresidential structures,
fires should not extend beyond the room or compartment of origin prior to the
Fire Department arrival. Further, the Fire Department should expect to contain
all fires to the area involved at the time of arrival. Further, steps should be
taken to restrict new construction in areas without water supplies until such
systems are installed or on-site storage capabilities are provided.
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IV. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: Hazardous materials incidents pose many
unique problems to the Fire Department crews beyond those encountered in
structural fires. Materials involved may be explosive, corrosive, toxic,
flammable, radioactive, or a combination of several of these, and factors such
as rescue, evacuation, containment and cleanup must be considered. Suppres-
sion crews have limited training to recognize and identify hazardous materials
and take appropriate initial steps to protect their own safety and isolate the
incident. Their firefighting protective clothing and breathing apparatus
provide limited protection from exposure to hazardous materials.
Full operations to manage a hazardous materials incident are handled by a
Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) formed by several area fire depart-
ments. These departments are Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Auburn, Port of Seattle
(Sea-Tac Airport), and King County Fire District 39 (Federal Way). This team
is composed of firefighters from each department who work their normal assign-
ments but are detailed to the HMRT, if an incident occurs. The Kent Fire
Department has nine firefighters on the team. Two response units are
utilized, one stationed at Tukwila and the other at Auburn. These units are
equipped with resources needed to cope with a limited hazardous materials
incident. The team is relatively new and initial resources have been devoted
to the acquisition of response units and equipping them with the basic items
needed. Further resources now need to be devoted to improving the skill and
knowledge levels of all Fire Department crews as well as the HMRT members.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: No system presently exists to evaluate
the level of service provided in hazardous material incident management.
Criteria will need to be developed utilizing the following categories to allow
better evaluation. The categories to be used are: 1 ) Incident escalation
prior to Fire Department arrival , 2) Incident escalation after Fire Department
arrival , 3) Level of risk to the safety of personnel . This is the same
procedure recommended for evaluating the level of service provided in fire
suppression, but factors will be different.
J
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1 . INCIDENT ESCALATION PRIOR TO FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. The actions that take place prior to the
Fire Department arrival can have a large impact on the final outcome of
a hazardous materials incident. Through periodic inspections of
facilities that utilize hazardous materials, safer practices and
attitudes can be achieved. In addition, Fire Department training of
plant personnel on appropriate first reaction procedures could help
limit the magnitude of the incident on Fire Department arrival .
Evaluation criteria will be established to allow measurement and to
identify causes of excessive incident growth.
2. INCIDENT ESCALATION AFTER FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL.
Rationale and Definition. Evaluation of incident growth after the
arrival of the Fire Department will allow for identification of
significant causal factors and the targeting of resources to improve
capabilities.
3. LEVEL OF RISK TO THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL.
Rationale and Definition. As in fire suppression, the safety of
the personnel must be considered when evaluating the methods used in
the service delivery system.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: The area Hazardous Materials Response Team
(HMRT) provides the fundamental resource for hazardous materials incident
management. Basic equipment now is on hand to control a limited hazardous
materials incident. Although formal evaluation of incident escalation has not
been done up to this time, the actions of the HMRT have been judged as ade-
quate in several drill situations. A high degree of emphasis is currently
placed on effective control of increased life exposure in a hazardous material
situation.
D. GOAL: Through increased inspections and in-plant safety presentations
the degree of incident escalation prior to Fire Department arrival can be re-
duced. The Fire Department and the HMRT should be capable of containing the
incident and minimizing life exposure and effects on the environment. Fur-
ther, a Fire Department capability to clean up limited incidents should exist,
30
as well as a plan for cleanup of major incidents. Further training and
resources are needed to allow the HMRT to expand its capabilities in
containment, environmental protection and cleanup.
31
V. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: In order to effectively manage a disaster
situation, the entire municipal system must respond in an organized and
coordinated manner. Emergency services provided by the Fire Department and
Police Department need to be supported by other services provided by various
City departments. Presently, the normal operational procedures of the Fire
Department would allow it to provide a limited degree of coordination. How-
ever, without a formal disaster plan developed to involve all municipal
agencies, the effectiveness of such management is severely limited. It has
been the experience of other communities that the Fire Department is often
best equipped to coordinate and manage disaster situations. And, the Kent
Fire Department has been designated as the lead agency for the City of Kent
should a disaster occur.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: Currently, no system of evaluating the
level of service is available. Further work is needed in this area, but the
following measures will serve to evaluate the service provided to the
community: 1 ) Stage of plan development, 2) System's ability on simulated
drills.
1. STAGE OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
Rationale and Definition. Since the City of Kent and the Kent Fire
Department do not have a formal disaster plan, one of the first ways to
evaluate the disaster management ability of the system is to measure
the stage of plan development. This measurement criteria will be
accomplished as an initial step in the organization of a drafting
procedure for a disaster plan. It will involve actions such as
drafting, reviewing, training, revising and testing.
Present Statistics. Although the drafting of a disaster plan has
not yet begun, the Department has sent staff members to local disaster
plan meetings and will be sending staff to the National Fire Academy to
learn disaster planning techniques.
32
2. SYSTEM'S ABILITY ON SIMULATED DRILLS.
Rationale and Definition. Once a plan is developed and in place, a
grading schedule can be developed to the plan specifications which will
allow the appraisal of training exercises. The lessons learned from
these drills will provide information for updating the plan. No such
drills have yet occurred.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: Current emergency services structuring
would allow only limited disaster management. No local provisions are
preplanned for property recovery, housing, financial assistance, etc.
D. GOAL: Complete a disaster plan for the Kent Fire Department area and
the City of Kent, and conduct training exercises to evaluate the plan and the
actions taken.
33
VI. NON-EMERGENCY PUBLIC SERVICES
A. CURRENT DELIVERY SYSTEM: The Kent Fire Department is often called upon
by the citizens to provide assistance in situations other than fires which
endanger their property. Generally, these are situations which are not true
emergencies, but so overwhelm the persons' own resources, that they turn to
the Fire Department for help. Often the problems are water related due to
broken piping, malfunctioning drainage, etc. Fire Department assistance
usually involves stopping the water flow and providing salvage assistance
(moving furniture or merchandise and removing water) to prevent further
property damage. The Fire Department also provides assistance in situations
such as trees down into houses, weather damage, and lockouts.
The decision to provide this help is usually based on the severity of the
situation, the potential for further property damage and the availability of
Fire Department resources. Emergency situations, of course, have priority,
but Fire Department crews interrupt other activities such as inspections or
training to handle the requests for non-emergency service. Response to these
situations is generally immediate but units proceed with traffic, not utiliz-
ing lights or sirens. During severe environmental conditions such as wind
storms or heavy freezing (as in the Christmas of '83 storm), demand for ser-
vices is so high that delays in answering requests occur and some are not
handled at all .
In addition to these types of services, the Code Enforcement Division is
responsible for the investigation and resolution of complaints arising from
various City of Kent noise or nuisance ordinances. At present, the lack of
available manpower from the Building Department staff forces the Building
Official to handle complaints personally. Due to other departmental
responsibilities, and priorities, few cases are handled in a timely manner,
and those judged to be of lower priority may take many months to resolve.
B. MEASUREMENTS OF CAPABILITIES: At present, no measuring of this service
takes place except the tracking of total numbers of calls. In 1983, the sup-
pression crews handled 477 service responses and the Building Official logged
approximately 600 complaints.
34
1 . RESPONSE TO REQUESTS.
Rationale and Definition. Perhaps the only effective way to
measure the Fire Department's level of non-emergency services is to
measure its ability to handle a request in a timely manner. The
reasonableness of the time frame will be established for the various
services such as water removal , and noise or nuisance complaints. The
Fire Department will track the percentage of requests that are handled
within that time frame.
Present Statistics. No record of response times to non-emergency
situations is readily available. It is estimated that under normal
demand periods, suppression crews arrive within 15 minutes of the
request. Complaints are usually prioritized with serious ones
receiving attention within the week and less serious ones delayed into
weeks or months.
C. PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE: At normal demand levels, non-emergency
services provided to the public are not impacting delivery of emergency
services but do impact other activities such as training and inspections. The
services are effective in minimizing property damage. Complaint resolution is
not being done on a timely basis and increased public frustration results.
The volume of complaints is impacting the activities of the Building Official
directly.
D. GOAL: The Fire Department should continue to provide non-emergency
services within the 15 minute time frame as long as emergency responses are
not impacted. On lengthy cleanup and water removal operations, support staff
should be utilized to allow the emergency crews to return to an in-service
status. Complaints should be investigated to determine validity within two
working days and efforts to resolve the situation be taken as quickly as the
situation warrants.
I�
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IMPLEMENTATION
The Kent Fire Department has been experiencing a continuous and relatively steady
growth in incident occurrence. Two factors influencing this are population
growth and an increase in the rate of incident occurrence. Analysis of alarm
demand trends and population projections point out some interesting aspects about
the future.
By 1990, the Kent Fire Department will be serving a population of approximately
84,000 people, and by the year 2000, this total could rise to 118,000. Obvious-
ly, as population increases, demand on the Fire Department will increase. Exper-
ience has indicated, however, that the rate of alarms occurring per 1 ,000 popula-
tion has also been increasing as population has grown. If current trends con-
tinue, it is anticipated that by 1990 the Fire Department will be called to over
400 structure fires and 7,500 total incidents annually. By the year 2,000, the
area could be experiencing over 600 structure fires annually, and the Fire
Department would be responding to over 11 ,000 total incidents. Considerable
future resources in manpower, equipment, and facilities would be needed to cope
with this incident demand.
To enable the Fire Department to effectively manage the future fire and life
safety environment of the community, direction must be given now to the approach
to be taken. After considerable analysis, it is the opinion of the Kent Fire
Department that, in addition to the short-term maintenance of service (discussed
on pages 44 to 45), the focus of its efforts should be made in two areas: 1 )
Improving the level of emergency services provided to the ,Community to an accept-
able level , and 2) Shifting the focus of the Fire Department to a proactive
approach, taking steps to limit the overall risk levels in the community and
control the growth and demand for emergency services.
The underlying principle is that it is more cost effective and makes better com-
mon sense to devote efforts to preventing fires and making the community safer
than to follow a "you light 'em, we fight 'em" approach. The measurement goals
established for each of the six service areas are considered to be realistic and
achievable, and are aimed at mana2ing the fire and life safety environment,
rather than constantly reacting to crisis or trying to totally eliminate risk.
36
EMERGENCY SERVICES IMPROVEMENTS
Section VIII of the Master Plan (Training, Response Times, GPM Delivery, and
Dispatching) identified improvements and modifications necessary to upgrade
the level of service provided to the community. These are:
1 . Improved Response Time Capabilities. Response times need to be reduced to
a four minute average and 75 percent of the response area should be within
a four minute response time from a station location. To accomplish this,
a station location computer study will need to be conducted and decisions
on facility replacement, relocation or additions made, based on the
results. From data now available, it is anticipated that in addition to
station relocations, the Kent Fire Department will need to operate one
additional staffed station (6 total ) , in the mid-Benson corridor. This
would require the construction of a replacement for Station 74 and
staffing of one additional engine company with three personnel , 24 hours a
day. To accomplish this, it is estimated that capital outlay and other
one-time costs would total $1 ,788,000. Annual costs of this improved
level would amount to approximately �490,000.
Further response time improvements can be made by working through the
appropriate traffic engineering authorities (City, County and State), to
improve the traffic flow through primary response routes. This can be
accomplished by improving signalization control at now uncontrolled inter-
sections (Opticom) and preplanning of primary routes to new growth areas.
The Fire Department also needs to be involved in the City and County
planning and development process. A one-time cost of .$100,000 would be
incurred to provide the necessary upgrading.
2. Additional Defibrillation Equipment. The current distribution of aid cars
and defibrillator equipped engines is such that only 35 percent of the
area can be reached within a four minute response time. It is anticipated
that by operating defibrillation units from each of the present station
locations, and a new location in the mid-Benson corridor, the 75 percent
four minute response time goal for defibrillation capability could be
met. This would require a one-time equipment outlay of $30,000 and an
i
additional $2,000 annually for program maintenance.
I
37
3. Improved Training Capabilities. The quality and effectiveness of the
training of all Fire Department personnel is critical . Hands on and
classroom type training facilities are not adequate to even meet current
needs. Due to the rapid growth and change in technology, it will require
more time and resources being allocated to training. The most logical and
cost effective approach would be to construct and operate a training
center in cooperation with other fire and. perhaps police agencies. By so
doing, fixed costs could be shared and ongoing operations consolidated
into an efficient system. It is anticipated that the cost of operating
our own training facility could total over $100,000 annually and require
upwards of $3 million to set up. By combining efforts with other juris-
dictions, these costs could be cut by as much as two-thirds.
4. Improved Alarm Processing and Dispatching. Alarm receiving and dispatch-
ing capabilities have been improving. Continued support of Valley-Com
improvements is necessary to further reduce alarm handling times which
will reduce response times. In addition, communications capabilities
should be expanded to allow command officers to be aware of apparatus
status at all times as well as have access to building and occupancy
information necessary to make good tactical decisions. This would require
modified status information terminals in each command vehicle. To accomp-
lish these improvements, capital outlays of approximately $175,000 would
be needed.
5. Improved Haz-Mat Response Capabilities. During the initial formation of
the joint hazardous materials response team (HMRT), resources have been
dedicated primarily to basic equipment acquisition and training. Addi-
tional training and resources are needed to expand the level of capabili-
ties of the HMRT and the preparedness of the fire suppression crews. This
would involve capital costs of approximately $25,000 and annual program
costs of $6,500.
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: It should be noted that it is not the intention of the
Fire Department to urge that these actions be taken all at once. In fact,
phasing in these improvements along with those outlined in Redirection of
38
Emphasis would be recommended. As discussed in item number three, cooperative
construction and operation of a training center would reduce both the one-time
and annual impact on the Kent Fire Department. Also, cpaital costs could be
spread over 10 or more years if bonds are utilized. Similarily, new station
land acquisition, station construction and equipment costs could be spread
over time, with personnel costs not being incurred until construction is
complete.
39
REDIRECTION OF EMPHASIS
Section VIII of the Plaster Plan (Lack of Fire Prevention Emphasis, Fire Pre-
vention Effectiveness in District 37, Public Education, Investigations,
Disaster Plans, and Water Availability), identified improvements and modifica-
tions necessary to shift the emphasis of the Kent Fire Department to one which
works to reduce the level of risk in the community. These are:
1 . Expanded Public Education and Inspection Services. Current activities
devoted to public education are very limited. An aggressive and innova-
tive public education program targeted at all segments of the community is
needed. By doing this, not only will fewer incidents occur, but those
that do occur will be less severe. This is essential to the management of
the future fire and life safety environment of the community. Conducting
in-home fire safety surveys (home inspection program) is also important in
reducing the number of fires. It is also a very effective way to provide
fire safety education to the public. To accomplish these activities, a
staff of four persons would be needed to create, coordinate and operate
the public education/home inspection programs. In' addition, it is antici-
pated that community volunteers (perhaps senior citizens) could be uti-
lized to conduct home inspections. This concept has worked in other
jurisdictions. Total annual costs for such a program would be approxi-
mately $150,000. A one-time cost of $21 ,000 would be incurred to
establish the program.
Code Enforcement is also a very important aspect of preserving fire and
life safety as well as assuring the structural integrity of buildings in
the area. Currently, new construction inspections are done on a very
timely basis and a high degree of compliance is achieved without resorting
to legal pressure. Fire Code inspections of new occupancies are also
currently at acceptable levels, but providing required annual inspection
has been difficult. Recent restructuring of the inspection program may
allow the annual inspection frequency needed to monitor the continually
changing environment. Further, due to King County's inability to provide
annual inspection of occupancies in the District 37 area, the Kent Fire
Department is negotiating to provide this very vital function.
40
This, however, is not without its costs. Paper work from the expanded
inspection program places extra work on the Code Enforcement staff. In
addition, increases in building activity also impact the Division. Shift-
ing to a computer based management system is considered essential . Pre-
sently, routine facilities and equipment maintenance are conducted by the
duty crews. To enable them to be more actively involved in public educa-
tion and code enforcement activities, as well as meet the needs for more
advanced levels of training, it is necessary to increase the amount of
maintenance support staff by four personnel . By doing this, the skills of
the firefighters can be more fully utilized in the areas of managing fire
and life safety. This would result in a more cost effective handling of
basic maintenance responsibilities. Startup costs for this would amount
to less than $3,000 with additional annual personnel and program costs of
approximately $100,000.
2. Increased Involvement in Community Development. Development guidelines in
the City of Kent have been very effective in assuring that fire and life
safety considerations, such as water availability, built in fire protec-
tion and access have been taken into account prior to growth. Until
recently, however, such planning in the District 37 area has not been
exercised. It is important that the Kent Fire Department be actively
involved in plans for community growth, to assure that fire and life
safety needs are satisfied before new development is allowed. To accomp-
lish this, the Code Enforcement Division needs to allow its staff to pro-
vide their own individual expertise to community planning and development
groups, councils, etc. This is a need that can be accomplished by alloca-
ting management and staff time for this function, and would require no
direct allocation of funds.
3. Improved Inter-Department Coordination and Code Administration. The phys-
ical separation of the Code Enforcement and Planning offices from the
Engineering office makes access to the permit process difficult for the
community. In addition, the fourth floor of City Hall is being over-
crowded, not only by the Fire Prevention and Building staff but also by
the Planning staff. By operating a comprehensive, one-stop permit center,
the simplicity, efficiency and comprehensiveness of the permit process
41
would be enhanced. Operation of such a center would require relocation of
staff from all involved departments and a fully integrated computer
system. Direct annual costs to the Fire Department would amount to
approximately $40,000. Capital costs for con- struction or facilities
leasing, as well as annual operations costs, would be shared by all
involved departments.
4. Improved Quality and Level of Fire Investigations. Fire investigations
are necessary to uncover the crime of arson and to identify trends in fire
causes which can then be attacked through education or codes. As proven
in other regions, operating an areawide arson task force improves the
quality and effectiveness of the investigation function. Such a concept
in this area could be accomplished as a cooperative effort of all the area
cities. Kent's involvement would amount to one investigator and a pro
rata share of operational costs. Closely tied to the effectiveness of
ongoing analysis would be the availability of suitable computer capabil-
ities. This would require the one-time allocation of approximately $5,000
to organize the system and annual costs of $42,000.
5. Drafting of a Disaster Plan. Having a well conceived and implemented disaster
plan is the only way to assure a coordinated response in a disaster situa-
tion. The Kent Fire Department must now act to draft and implement a disaster
plan for the area. A one-time outlay of approximately $50,000 would be
needed, as well as approximately $2,500 for annual updating and training.
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: As with the improvements outlined for .Emergency Services, it
is not intended that these modifications be made immediately. The logical action
would be to phase in the new programs to minimize their impact on annual budgets
and special financing alternatives. Again, joint operations are recommended for
the arson task force and the permit center, to allow a minimal impact on the Fire
Department budget.
ALTERNATIVES
An almost automatic response to the suggestion that an organization must
undergo a massive redirection of emphasis is to ask why. Why can't the Kent
Fire Department go on as before? The answer to this and similar questions is
42
not easy. It would be possible to operate the Fire Department in a largely
reactionary style and continue to increase suppression capabilities to match
increases in demand. Based on the projections stated here, by the year 2000
this could mean an additional 50 firefighters and three fire stations being
needed to respond adequately to the fire and life safety needs of the com-
munity, over and above the personnel needed now just to 'fix up ' current con-
ditions. Ultimately, the entire system would be too expensive to continue and
by then it would be too late to build safety into the community.
It is also possible to operate the Fire Department basically as we know it
today. By providing full automatic fire detection and extinguishment equip-
ment in all structures, old and new, fire department responses would be
limited to a very few and rather minor fires. With this in place, the Fire
Department could operate with two person engine companies. This option,
although appealing, is not realistic due to excessive costs of retrofitting
existing buildings to these higher standards and the public resistance to full
retrofitting.
The key question is, what kind of a fire and life safety environment does the
community really want. Do they want a fire department which is totally
reactive? Or do they want a fire department which can adequately respond to
emergencies and seeks out ways to help assure fire and life safety? Based on
nationwide trends, it is the opinion of the Kent Fire Department that the
recommended actions represent the most realistic and achievable way of main-
taining a high level of fire and life safety in the community.
43
SHORT TERM MAINTENANCE OF SERVICES
Even if improved levels of service are not undertaken, present operations of
the Fire Department are stretching available resources beyond their maximum,
and in some instances, service is compromised due to time constraints. No
pre-set formal schedule for equipment and apparatus replacement now exists
which has led to older and often less reliable equipment being kept in ser-
vice. Engine company. and ladder truck staffing in the City is insufficient to
operate in a timely and safe manner. Information and data handling is inade-
quate and cumbersome and use of good data analysis and projection techniques
is almost impossible, and management and staff time is not being utilized to
its maximum efficiency.
1 . Replacement of Equipment. In order to maintain the current operations and
level of service, and avoid further "slipping," resources need to be
allocated to "fix up" the present situation. Presently two engines and
two aid cars are in dire need of replacement. This will require a
one-time capital outlay of approximately $440,000. Their age and service
demands are such that continued use will invite excessive down time and
the reliability of reserve apparatus is low. The units replaced can be
moved to reserve status for a short period of time to provide more
reliable backup apparatus. Other apparatus need to be refurbished in a
timely manner to extend their serviceability, and an equipment and
apparatus replacement and funding schedule needs to be adopted.
2. Increased Staffing Levels. Engine company and ladder,truck staffing needs to
be upgraded to ensure the ability to apply adequate water quantities with
first dispatched units in a timely and safe manner. Six firefighter positions
(27 personnel ) need to be added to bring Engine 71 , 73 and 76 and Ladder 71
crews up to three people each. This will require a one-time outlay of
approximately $54,000, and annual costs of approximately $875,000.
3. Maintaining Code Enforcement Capabilities. Code Enforcement office staff
is overtaxed by coordination of inspections, complaints, information needs
of the public and paperflow. The present part-time secretary needs to be
upgraded to a full time position and a combination housing inspector/
J 44
complaint investigator is needed to keep up with present demand. This
would require one-time costs of $1 ,000 with annual costs of approximately
$45,000.
4. Alleviation of Overcrowding. The condition of facilities is in need of
attention. Station 73, 74 and 76 are in poor physical locations and their
size and layout are not compatible to crew sizes of three or above. The
Code Enforcement Division is crammed into work space which is barely
adequate for one-half of the assigned staff. Consideration of relocation
of Station 73, 74 and 76 must be given as well as to finding additional
space for the Code Enforcement Division. Space availability at Station 71
is inadequate for the variety of functions (apparatus shops, supply stor-
age, building maintenance, training, administration and fire suppression
duty crews) which are conducted there. Actions must be taken to improve
this situation as well . To lease additional office space for a portion of
the Code Enforcement Division would cost approximately $7,500 annually and
require a one-time outlay of approximately $2,500.
5. Enhanced Data Keeping Capabilities. Information and data keeping in the
Fire Department is almost entirely manual and quite cumbersome. Signifi-
cant improvements are needed to allow effective management of present
operations, improved coordination of emergency operations and proper
planning for the future. The needed improvements require a total rework-
ing of data recording and retrieving capabilities. A computer based
information system which is capable of sharing information with other
associated departments (Planning, Engineering and Police) is needed. A
key to the success of a computer system for the Fire Department will be
accessibility at all times without delay. A one-time outlay of up to
$200,000 may be needed to set up a functional computer network.
Facilities upgrading costs will depend on property selection and location.
Basic three bay fire stations, cost approximately 1.6 million dollars to
construct and occupy. It is anticipated that Station 73, 74 and 76 need to be
replaced. It is not known what resale value is expected on the present prop-
erties. Station 73 and 74 are located in developed, residential neighborhoods
and Station 76 is located in a prime M-1 Industrial Park Zone.
45
BUDGETARY IMPACTS: These improvements can not be phased in over a long period
of time. The items discussed here are current needs and need to be accomp-
lished in a relatively short period of time. Bonds could be used to lessen
the short-term impact.
The following tables summarize the present levels of service in each of the
six areas, the recommended improved level of services, and the implementation
strategies that will be used to achieve the improvements. In addition, the
estimated one-time and annual costs of each implementation strategy are shown.
46
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ESTIMATED COSTS
ac es qu pmen ersonne
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY One Time Annual ( One Time Annual
EMERGENCY SERVICES IMPROVEMENTS
1. improved Response ime apabilities $1,860,000 $15,000 $28,000 $475,000
One new station located in the mid-Benson I
corridor staffed with a 3 person engine company.
2. Additional Defibrillation Equipment 30,000 2,000 N/A N/A
One unit (engine or aid car) equipped with a
Defib unit in each station.
3. Improved Training Capabilities 1,000,000 40,000 I N/A 35,000
Construction and operation of a multi-
Jurisdictional training facility and
increased emphasis on training.
4. Improved Alarm Processing 3 Dispatching 175.000 2,000 N/A N/A
Expanded Valley-Com data storage and
transmittal ability. I
S. Improved Haz-Mat Response Capabilities 25,000 6,500 I N/A N/A
Specialized training and equipment for
Haz-Mat incidents.
I
REDIRECTION OF EMPHASIS TO A PROACTIVE APPROACH 4,000 214,000
1. xpan e Public uca on nspec on ervices 20,000 36,000 1
Creation of a Public Education Unit within the
Fire Department, increasing P/E activities,
conducting home fire safety inspections and
increased suppression crew involvement in 1
public education and inspections.
2. Increased Involvement in Community Development N/A N/A I N/A N/A
Increased Fire Department input into community
development and growth.
3. Improved Inter-Department Coordination
S Code Administration Facilities, Equipment and Operating I 1,000 40,000
Improved coordination of the permit process Costs to be shared by all involved
and operation of a one-stop permit center departments
4. Improved Quality and Level of Fire Investigations 5,000 5,0000 I N/A 37,000
Formation and operation of an area-wide Arson Task
Force/Fire Investigation Program
S. Drafting and Implementation of a Disaster Plan 4,000 2,500 1 46,000 N/A
I
SHORT-TERM MAINTENANCE OF SERVICES NIA N/A
1. Replacement o Equipment 440,000 N/A
Maintaining apparatus necessary for continuance
of present services.
2. Increased Staffing Levels N/A N/A 1 54,000 875,000
Engine and Truck Company crews upgraded to
3 persons each.
3. Maintaining Code Enforcement Capabilities N/A 4,000 i 1,000 41,000
Addition of a Housing/Complaint Inspector and
increased secretarial staff. 1
4. Alleviation of Overcrowding 2,500 7,500 I N/A N/A
Reduction of Code Enforcement office congestion
and planning for station replacement/relocation.
5. Enhanced Data Keeping Capabilities 200,000 Undertermined I N/A N/A
Computer capabilities to improve management
Fire Department resources
i