1. Career Fire/EMS Staffing When, Where & How Much ??? Department of Public Safety

2. Overview: BOS Requested Outputs When Where & How Much? Procedure for Requesting Additional Fire/EMS Career Staff Funding Options for Additional Fire/EMS Career Staff Guidelines for Determining Need for Additional Fire/EMS Career Staff

3. Recommended Procedure for Requesting Staff When to Hire Figure 1: This procedure is consistent with the Accomack County budget procedures.

4. Funding for Additional Staff How Much? Tax Base: Funded from the EMS tax.  Tax base must = staffing cost Shared: Requesting Department share in some aspect of the overall cost. Current Funding: How much public funding is currently being allocated? $4.2 million Where does the money come from? Where does the money go? Proposed Funding Options:

5. Determining Need for Additional Staff Getting Up to Speed This section shall cover: Current System Description of service levels Current & historical approach to hiring staff #1: Current Approach #2: Response Approach #3: Systems Approach Options for Board Consideration/Discussion

6. Determining Need for Additional Staff Current Fire & EMS Approach CURRENT SYSTEM  Stations, response districts & call volume  Challenges with current system:  Antiquated response districts  Not meeting BOS response standard  No accountability / Oversight  15 different entities  Problems are not equally experienced Map # 1 Table # 1

7. Determining Need for Additional Staff Current Approach for Hiring Career Staff CURRENT and HISTROICAL PROCESS OF HIRING CAREER STAFF  History  Current Approach & Staff Placement  Challenges with Current Approach  No consideration of the whole County  No consistent criterion or benchmarks used for decision making  No ability to plan for future years  No means of providing corrective actions  Benefits  Volunteer stations determine needs “BUY-IN” Map # 2

8. Development of a Hiring Guideline A statement or indication of policy or procedure by which to determine a course of action:  Staffing Matrix – Presented in Oct. 2008  Fire/EMS Study – Presented in April 2008  Facilitated discussion – Presented in Oct 2008  Drive Time Analysis ~ March 2008  Change for a Safer Tomorrow w/Staffing Plan ~ October 2004  Supplemental Fire/EMS Staff Relocation Plan ~ May 2004  Trends, Issues, Concerns & Solutions – AC Fire Rescue Commission ~ September 2004  Response Committee Report – AC Fire Rescue Commission ~ June 1998 The Difficultly  No uniform funding plan  No accountability  Only 1 standard established  Identification of problems  Fear of losing ES Billing revenue  Not every department is experiencing difficulties at the same time.  Some departments have more long term vision  Guideline MUST be flexible to allow for predicted increases in call volume or diminishing volunteers.  Fear of “Take-over” Historical Research:

9. Option 1: Current Approach They Ask, We Provide Highlights: Would require hiring additional 7 FTE’s. No benchmarking or performance measures. Would address a staffing realignment to maximize 24 hour personnel. All currently staffed stations remained staffed. Supplemental Documents

10. Option 2: Response Approach “20 minutes 90% of the Time” Highlights: Would require hiring additional 11 FTE’s. Response time as performance measures. Would address a staffing realignment to maximize 24 hour personnel. All currently staffed stations remained staffed.

11. Option 3: Systems Approach to Staffing New Look at an Old Problem Meeting or reducing BOS response time guideline: Accountability for service delivery Both CAREER and VOLUNTEER Quantitative data analysis for decision making Examine County as a system and not as individual departments. Augment not replace volunteers. Guiding principles: 1.) A statement of policy/procedure by which to determine a course of action 2.) Provide at the lowest possible cost. Goal :

12. A County Wide Approach Highlights: Would require hiring additional 8 FTE’s. Would address a staffing realignment to maximize 24 hour personnel & 2 backfill. EMS districts defined by drive time. Future reductions in response time possible and predictable. Staff placement based on population density, call volume & ability to reach areas of the County. Response and staffing performance measures can be established. Option 3: Systems Approach

13. Future Issues for Career & Volunteer Response Option 3: Future Considerations Potential 5 year: Potential 10 year:  Examine additional EMS coverage in the New Church Area  Discuss the possibility of future Oak Hall station location.  Monitor established performance measures, increase career coverage as needed.  A view of response times utilizing 2 career staff in each staffed station.

14. Summation Time for Reflection Procedure for Requesting 1.)Budgetary procedure Recommendation/Action: Board adopt process. Funding Options 1.) EMS Tax 2.) Shared Cost Recommendation: Shared Funding Action: Further discussion with volunteer depts. Guidelines for Determining Need 1.) Current Approach 2.) Response Approach 3.) Systems Approach Recommendation: Systems Approach Action: Further discussion with volunteer depts. Solicit Public input on service levels & funding

15. Final Notes/Facts Get up to speed  VOLUNTEERS in Accomack County SAVE the taxpayers a TREMENDOUS amount of MONEY.  NONE of the proposed options will be SUCCESFUL WITHOUT the participation of the VOLUNTEERS of this County.