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AND WE WILL HAVE THE[B. Presentation — Fire and Rescue Station Staffing Study Report]
FIRE RESCUE STATION AND STAFF AND REVIEW STUDY IS, UH, CHIEF ZA, ARE YOU DOING THAT OR? YES, MA'AM.I'M JUST GONNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS, BOARD SUPERVISORS, I DO APPRECIATE YOU.
SO, UH, TONIGHT MARK, A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, BOTH CAREER AND VOLUNTEER PERSONNEL COLLABORATIVELY.
EFFORT, UM, HAS CULMINATED IN THE REPORT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE.
IT'S A DATA-DRIVEN STUDY OF OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM SPECIFIC TO STAFFING.
THIS REVIEW PROVIDES US WITH CLEAR, IMPARTIAL FOUNDATION THAT WILL GUIDE OUR DEPARTMENT'S PLANNING PROCESS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
ON BEHALF OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF WARREN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND TO THE CITIZENS FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND OFTEN EXPENSIVE ONES AT DEATH FOR ENSURING THAT WE MAKE OUR FUTURE DECISIONS BASED ON DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS AND NOT ANECDOTE OR EMOTION.
SO, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE GENTLEMAN THAT KIND OF LED US THROUGH THIS, AND THAT IS VICE PRESIDENT OF MATRIX CONSULTING.
TAKE MY LARGE FONT,
I'M ROBERT FINN, VICE PRESIDENT OF MATRIX CONSULTING GROUP.
AND, UH, WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CONDUCTING THIS STUDY FOR YOUR FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT.
UH, UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A LONG DAY STARTING WITH MEETINGS AT AROUND THREE O'CLOCK, SO I'LL BE AS DETAILED AS I CAN, BUT, BUT STILL TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF.
SO, UH, SO YOU GUYS GET ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, ASK QUESTIONS, AND THEN, UH, ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNANCE AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION NEEDED TO MOVE THE FIRE RESCUE, UH, DEPARTMENT FORWARD.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STUDY OBJECTIVES, UM, HOW WE PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT THE STUDY, WHAT OUR FINDINGS WERE, WHAT OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES OR THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS RESULTING FROM IT WERE.
AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD MAY HAVE, OR IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA STOP ME WHEN A QUESTION IS FRESH IN YOUR MIND, YOU'RE NOT GONNA DERAIL ME.
WE CAN STOP AND, AND TALK ABOUT ANY INDIVIDUAL ITEM AS WE GO.
SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, OUR, UH, CONSULTING FIRM.
WE ARE A FIRM THAT ONLY DOES, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTING, SO WORKING WITH CITIES, COUNTIES, UH, SOME LIMITED STATEWIDE GOVERNMENT STUDIES, BUT, BUT MOST OF OUR FIRE AND EMS STUDIES ARE EITHER COUNTY BASED FIRE EMS OR MUNICIPAL BASED FIRE EMS. WE'VE WORKED IN 42 STATES, HAVE DONE OVER 400 OF THOSE STUDIES.
I'VE BEEN WITH MATRIX JUST SHORT OF 15 YEARS, SO I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT, UH, 250 TO 300 OF, OF THE 400 STUDIES, AND WE HAVE ABOUT AN 85% IMPLEMENTATION RATE WHEN WE GO BACK AND VISIT WITH CLIENTS ON WHAT'S IMPLEMENTED.
SOMETIMES, UH, POLITICAL REASONS GET IN THE WAY OF IMPLEMENTATIONS MORE OFTEN THAN THAT.
SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S A FISCAL DECISION THAT, UH, THERE'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE JURISDICTION JUST CAN'T AFFORD AND THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH, UM, INITIATIVES THAT, THAT MAKE SENSE FOR THEIR ORGANIZATION.
EVERYTHING WE DO IS FACT-BASED AND JURISDICTIONAL SPECIFIC.
SO WE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME GETTING DATA FROM THE COUNTY, BRINGING IT TO 'EM TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FACTUAL UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT THEY GAVE US WAS CORRECT.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, ONCE WE WERE SURE, WE HAD A FACTUAL FOUNDATION TO, TO CONDUCT THE DEEPER ANALYSIS AND ULTIMATELY ARRIVE AT, UM, THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS.
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, UH, PERSONNEL FROM THE COUNTY WERE INVOLVED IN REVIEW AND INTERIM DELIVERABLES, GETTING US MORE DATA IF WE NEEDED MORE DATA, REFINING DATA THAT WAS FOUND TO BE FLAWED.
AND, UH, AND THEN WORKING WITH US THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, ALL OF OUR TEAMS ARE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE FIRM, SO WE'RE NOT USING SUBCONTRACTORS AND THEY HAVE SPECIFIC SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE IN THE AREAS OF THE STUDY THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN.
SO IT, UM, STARTED OUT WITH THE INITIATION OF THE PROJECT AND THEN CONDUCTING THE FIELD WORK.
AND I MET WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, NUMEROUS COUNTY PERSONNEL TOWARD EVERY, UM, FIRE RESCUE STATION IN USE IN THE, IN THE JURISDICTION.
AND THEN WE COLLECTED THE DATA SO WE COULD, UH, PROVIDE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, THE FACTUAL AS IS WITH, WITH NO RECOMMENDATIONS, JUST TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD A FACT-BASED FOUNDATION TO
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WORK FROM.FROM THERE, WE LOOKED AT WHAT TYPES OF RISKS WERE PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN IMPACT THE NEED FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES.
UM, DURING THAT ONSITE, I RECOMMENDED TO THE CHIEF AND, AND HE AGREED THAT A TOWN HALL MEETING, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT SOME, SOME DECISIONS THAT HAD BEEN MADE SPECIFICALLY, UH, REFERRING TO THE CHESTER GAP AREA AND DIRECTIONS, THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT WAS PLANTED ONGOING, THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THOSE CONCERNS SO THAT WHEN THE REPORT CAME OUT, ANY, ANY ONE OF THOSE ISSUES ARE DISCUSSED, ANALYZED, AND, AND RATIONALE BEHIND, UH, WHAT WE FELT FELT WAS THE FACT-BASED DECISION, UM, WAS, WAS INCLUDED IN THE REPORT.
AND PEOPLE COULD, COULD UNDERSTAND THAT AS, AS MOST PEOPLE ARE, UH, FULLY VERSED IN, IN THE DECISIONS THAT GO BEHIND BUILDING THE STAFFING AND DEPLOYMENT MODEL FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES.
UM, THEN WE DID THE DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS, THE DEEPER DIVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WELL THE SYSTEM IS PERFORMING, UH, WHERE THERE WERE GAPS OR OVERLAPS IN SERVICES, UM, HOW WELL THAT PERFORMANCE ALIGNED WITH INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES, ANY LOCALLY ADOPTED PERFORMANCE GOALS OR, UH, ALLOWED US TO, TO THINK WHAT BEST SUITED THE UNIQUE MAKEUP OF YOUR COUNTY.
UH, I MEAN, YOU GUYS WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT IF A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH DOESN'T WORK HERE WHEN YOU'RE IN A VALLEY WITH, WITH, UH, THE ROAD NETWORK, YOU HAVE RIVERS, STREAMS AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT IMPACT THE DELIVERY OF EMERGENCY SERVICES.
A FOUR MINUTE, ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
NFPA IS THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD OF, OF FOUR MINUTE TRAVEL TIME WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE HERE, UH, AS YOU GET MORE RURAL.
UM, SO, SO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT COMMUNITY BASED APPROACH TO TIERING SERVICES BASED ON A SUBURBAN OR RURAL, UM, FRONT ROYALS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING AN URBAN.
AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE, THE SPECIAL RISKS OF A LARGE MANUFACTURING AREA.
THE, THE LARGE DOUBLETREE HOTEL THAT IS, IS IN THAT AREA WHERE THE LARGER, UH, FACILITIES ARE THE, THE AIRPORT AND YOU, YOU CAN CATEGORIZE THINGS IN SPECIAL RISKS.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THOSE UNIQUE COMMUNITY FEATURES THAT, THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE OPERATIONAL AND, UH, CAPITAL NEEDS ARE.
SO, SO THAT'S WHY WE TOUR THE STATIONS, LOOK AT, LOOK AT WHAT, UH, TYPE OF EQUIPMENT APPARATUS AND FACILITIES ARE OPERATING FROM.
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE, THE READINESS AND AND RISK REDUCTION.
SO IN THE FIRE SERVICE, WE HAVE A LONG TRADITION OF TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES OUTTA BUSINESS THROUGH COMMUNITY FIRE EDUCATION, COMMUNITY PREVENTION.
AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT IT'S EVOLVED INTO NOW IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION.
SO BUILDING APPROPRIATE BUILDING CODES IN, UH, INSPECTING BUILDINGS DURING THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND, AND MAKING SURE THOSE THINGS ARE FOLLOWED SO THAT THE RISK PROFILE IS MITIGATED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND, AND YOU CAN PREVENT, UH, THE EMERGENCIES FROM OCCUR OCCURRING.
THEN THE, UH, DRAFT REPORT WAS SENT FOR REVIEW AND ULTIMATELY, UM, ANY EDITS MADE THAT WERE NEEDED TO BE MADE, UH, FOR THE CLARIFICATIONS, UH, DISCUSSION OF TOPICS.
AND THEN, UH, ARRIVED AT THE, THE FINAL REPORT FOR PRESENTATION TO YOU TONIGHT.
SO DURING THE TOWN HALL MEETING, UH, WE HEARD SEVERAL GENERAL CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
ONE IS THE ISSUE OF 9 1 1 CALLS BEING ROUTED TO THE WRONG COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT.
AND THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BOTH THE COUNTY 9 1 1 AS WELL AS THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES AT THE MEETING THAT, UH, TALKED ABOUT CELL TOWER TRIANGULATION AND WHY SOMETIMES YOU MAY BE IN A SPOT IN THE, YOU JUST HAPPENED TO HIT A CELL TOWER THAT SENDS IT TO THE WRONG CENTER, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE ON THE EDGES OF THE COUNTY.
SO, SO YOU CAN END UP GOING TO AN ADJOINING COUNTY.
UM, AND THOSE SEEM TO BE LIMITED TO CALLS KIND OF TOWARD THE, THE BORDERS WHERE, WHERE YOUR, YOUR CELL MAY PING ON THE WRONG TOWER.
IT DOESN'T REALIZE THAT YOU'RE INSIDE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY LINES, IT JUST GRABS THE CELL TOWER AND SENDS IT TO WHICHEVER TOWER THAT ONE HAPPENS TO BE PROGRAMMED TO, UH, UH, ROUTE THE CALL TO.
SO THEY EXPLAINED THAT, UM, THE CONCERNS OVER THE POTENTIAL DECISION TO DISCONTINUE FUNDING, UH, STAFF FOR THE CHESTER GAP STATION WAS, WAS A CONSIDERABLE, UH, DISCUSSION.
WE LISTENED TO THAT, WE LISTENED TO THEIR RATIONALE AND, AND MADE SURE THAT, THAT WE INCLUDED CHESTER GAP, THE ROAD NETWORK AND, AND, AND THE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THE SERVICE DEMANDS ARE, WHAT THE SPECIFIC RISK PROFILE IS OF, IS IN THAT PLANNING ZONE.
UM, SO WE TOOK EACH FIRE STATION AND SERVICE AREA AND BROKE IT INTO INDIVIDUAL PLANNING ZONES.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND
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WHAT'S GOING ON IN EACH ONE OF THOSE TO SEE WHAT SERVICES WERE TYPICALLY NEEDED THERE.UH, WHAT KIND OF RISK FOR PRESENT TO, TO DRIVE THE NEED TO STAFF COMPARED TO THE OTHER OPTION OF MOVING, UM, THE PERSONNEL THAT WERE BEING FUNDED IN CHESTER GAP TO THE FRONT ROYAL STATION AND, AND, UH, BEEFING UP THE, THE STAFF FOR THERE.
SO, SO WE WERE WELL AWARE OF THAT GOING INTO THE STUDY AND MADE SURE THAT WE FULLY ANALYZED THAT, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE REPORT.
THEN WE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT KIND OF STAFFING WAS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE NEEDS IN THE COUNTY.
SO TAKING THE, THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, UM, AND THEN UNDERSTANDING THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF EACH SERVICE AREA INTO ACCOUNT TO ARRIVE AT THE PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
WHICH ONE SHOULD BE PHASE ONE IMPLEMENTED, PHASE TWO IMPLEMENTED, AND PHASE THREE WE TRIED TO BUILD IN A REASONABLE TIMELINE FOR YOU.
AND THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT US GOING FURTHER INTO BRINGING THE COMMUNITY BACK, WORKING WITH, UH, MORE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN TURNING THIS INTO A, A STRATEGIC PLAN WITH STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, TIMELINES, THE DOLLARS ASSOCIATED, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, UM, IF, IF THE COUNTY DESIRES THAT TO, TO FURTHER THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO.
THE, UM, SO THE, THE PEOPLE REALLY WANTED TO SUPPORT WHAT STAFFING NEEDS WERE, AND THEN THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT THE CURRENT STAFFING AND DEPLOYMENT PLAN IS AT A TIPPING POINT THAT GROWTH IN THE COUNTY IS STRETCHING THE RESOURCES.
THEN, UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF VOLUNTEERS IS A, IS A REAL NATIONAL TREND WHERE, UH, VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT AS, AS AVAILABLE AS THEY THEY ONCE WERE.
FOR AN ALL VOLUNTEER MODEL, UM, YOUR SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE WORKING WELL WHERE YOU'VE GOT CAREER PERSONNEL FIRST DO FIRST OUTTA THE STATION, AND THE VOLUNTEERS THEN ARE THE, THE SUPPORTING WAY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT IT TAKES TO MITIGATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EMERGENCIES.
AND WE WALK YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING IN THE REPORT FROM, FROM THE 13 PEOPLE TO, FOR A RESIDENTIAL, UH, STRUCTURE FIRE, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE 50 PLUS THAT IT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THAT, UM, DOUBLE TREE IN OR ONE OF THOSE LARGE FACILITIES, UH, OUT NEAR THE AIRPORT.
UH, THEY ALSO HAD A DESIRE FOR MORE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND, AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEM AND FIRE RESCUE.
SO THEY UNDERSTOOD FIRE RESCUE SERVICES BETTER, UM, AND, AND, UH, WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT AS A MORE INFORMED CITIZEN WHEN IT CAME TO, TO, UH, TO THIS TOPIC BECAUSE MOST OF THEM EITHER HAD NEVER USED THE SERVICES OR DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT INTO THE DELIVERY OF FIRE RESCUE SERVICES.
SO WE PROVIDED THEM A SNAPSHOT OF THE AS IS, BUT, BUT THEY, THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE OF THAT SO THEY UNDERSTOOD IF RESPONSE TIMES WERE GETTING LONGER, IF CALL DEMAND WAS INCREASING, AND JUST HAVING THAT INFORMATION ON AN ONGOING AND UPDATED BASIS.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH IS ISSUES IN THE COUNTY AND HOW THEY COULD IMPACT THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM AND DEMAND ON THE, UH, EMS TRANSPORT AMBULANCES THAT THE COUNTY HAS DEPLOYED.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR EXISTING FIRE STATIONS, YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU HAVE A, UH, A STRONG NETWORK OF, OF STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITH THE, THE CHESTER GAP AND STATION 12 UP THERE BEING IN THE ADJOINING COUNTIES THAT, THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAS, HAS A LONG HISTORY OF AUTOMATIC AND MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH THAT YOUR SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THEM IN EMERGENCY, THEIR SERVICES WILL, UH, ASSIST YOU, BUT, BUT YOU'VE ALSO, UM, HAD A HISTORY OF FUNDING PERSONNEL TO ASSIST IN THE STAFFING OF THAT FOR TO SERVE AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN CHESTER GAP AND FRONT ROYAL AND, AND STATION 12 AND, AND STATION 10 AND STATION EIGHT TO HELP FILL THOSE, FILL THOSE GAPS IN SERVICE WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE, UM, RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN GET THERE IN THE MOST EXPEDIENT FASHION.
SO, SO THAT'S, UH, HOW THOSE ARE LAID OUT AND THAT'S HOW WE USE THE INITIAL PLANNING FOR THE ZONES WAS BASED ON STATIONS AND THEIR FIRST DUE RESPONSE AREA.
YEAH, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT AND MAYBE I KNOW THE ANSWER, WHATEVER, BUT I JUST NOTICED ON HERE ON, ON YOUR MAJOR OR ON YOUR MAIN REPORT AND ON HERE TOO, YOU'RE NOT LISTING COMPANY FOUR, LINDA, IT WASN'T ON YOUR MAIN REPORT.
SO IT'S SHOWN THERE, BUT IT'S NOT LISTED.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IN THE STATION? IT'S ON THE PICTURE LOCATION.
OH, THAT WAS THE SAME THING ON PAGE SEVEN OF YOUR MAIN, OF YOUR, YOUR MAIN ENTIRE REPORT TOO.
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THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT ON MY PART FOR THIS ONE.I'M JUST TRYING BEFORE THE REPORT'S FINAL, I'M JUST TRYING TO THAT'S A GOOD CATCH, ACTUALLY.
SO, SO YEAH, SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT DURING THAT AS IS COMMUNITY PROFILE STAGE OF, OF THE CURRENT STATE.
SO, SO WE WILL, UH, GET THAT TABLE ADDED TO REFLECT COMPANY FOUR.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR EMERGENCY CALL DEMAND, YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 70% IS DRIVEN BY THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE SYSTEM.
SO, SO, UH, CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT INVOLVE THE, THE AMBULANCES, AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, 30% ARE FIRE CALLS, RESCUE CALLS, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE SERVICE CALLS OF MY FIRE ALARM IS CHIRPING.
CAN YOU COME HELP ME CHANGE THE BATTERIES? AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF SERVICE CALLS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, FIRE RESCUE SERVICE FOR SERVICES PROVIDE.
AND OVER THE, UH, THREE YEAR PERIOD, YOU CAN SEE THE CALLS HAVE GROWN EACH YEAR WITH A A 5% OVERALL INCREASE OVER THE, THE THREE YEARS OF DATA THAT WE WERE PROVIDED AND EXAMINED AS PART OF THIS STUDY.
SO AS THE COUNTY GROWS, WHAT THE OTHER IS THERE, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HODGEPODGE OF, OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALLS.
SO FROM, UM, FALSE ALARMS TO, TO, UH, HELPING CHANGE A, LIKE A SERVICE CALL FOR CHANGING A SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERY TO, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORICAL CAT IN A TREE CALL, UM, DOWN IN THE ROAD PUBLIC SERVICE ASSIST BED, OKAY.
PD ASSIST IS JUST ANY KIND OF, BUT THEY DON'T HAPPEN IN A LARGE ENOUGH NUMBER TO, TO BE A CATEGORY BY THEMSELVES.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE CALL DENSITY, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE NEXT, THE NEXT MAP SHOWS WHERE THE COMMUNITY RISK IS, BUT THE, THE CALL DENSITY LARGELY ALIGNS WHERE, WHERE THERE ARE MORE, UM, MORE BUSINESSES AND THOSE THAT, THAT, THAT FIT THE COMMUNITY RISK PROFILE IN THE COUNTY.
AND AS YOU MOVE OUT, UH, FURTHER INTO THE RURAL AREAS, THE, UH, THE CALL DEMAND DECLINE.
SO THE FRONT ROYAL AREA BEING THE, THE HIGHEST DENSITY AND, AND HAVING THE, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CALLS, ALSO, THEY HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CONCURRENT CALLS, WHICH IS WHEN MORE THAN ONE CALL HAPPENS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS WITH ONE UNIT STAFFED AT FRONT ROYAL, THAT MEANS SOME, SOME UNIT FROM ONE OF THE OTHER OUTLYING STATIONS THAT'S AVAILABLE HAS TO COME IN AND, AND CLOSE THAT, UH, GAP TO, TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A UNIT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE IN FRONT ROYAL.
SO, UM, THAT WAS THE PART OF THE ANALYSIS OF, OF THE SYSTEM DEMAND AND, AND THEIR DECISION TO UP STAFF FRONT ROYAL, UH, MAKING SURE WE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE CALL DEMAND, THE CALL CONCURRENCE, AND THE FACT THAT THOSE UNITS OF FRONT ROYAL WERE THE MOST HEAVILY UTILIZED OF ANY OF THEIR, UH, FRONTLINE RESPONDING UNITS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PHYSICAL HAZARDS BY THE PLANNING ZONE, AGAIN, UM, FRONT ROYAL HAD ROUGHLY 60% OF THE, OF THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONSIDERED A TARGET HAZARD.
SO THOSE THINGS ARE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, JAILS, DAYCARES, ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS, UH, HOTELS, ANYTHING WITH A LARGE OCCUPANCY WHERE THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR LARGE LOSS OF LIFE.
THERE'S A, A, UH, HIGH RISK USE IN THE, IN THE OCCUPANCY, UH, OR A TRANSIENT POPULATION, CHURCHES, PLACES OF ASSEMBLY, THEY ALL FIT THE, UH, THE RISK PROFILE.
SO YOU CAN SEE BRENT ROYAL AND, AND NORTH WARREN MAKE UP ABOUT 80% OF ALL THE TARGET HAZARDS IN, IN THE, UH, COUNTY, AND THEN SHENANDOAH SHORES AND SOUTH WARREN.
THE REST, THE OTHERS WERE NEGLIGIBLE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF, UH, COMMUNITY RISKS THAT, THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR SERVICE AREAS.
SO MUCH LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE A SAYING WHERE THAT ALL ROADS LEAD TO FRONT ROYAL, ALL COMMUNITY RISK PROFILES LEAD TO FRONT ROYAL TOO.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE LARGEST RISK PROFILE OF YOUR COMMUNITY IS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA BE A GOOD JOKE, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.
SO, UM, THEN THE, JUST THE PLANNING VIEW OVERVIEW TO GIVE YOU, UH, JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF WHAT EACH ONE OF THESE PLANNING ZONES LOOKS LIKE.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM PERCENT OF POPULATION TO WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE COUNTY AREA.
SO BRENT OIL'S GOT THE LARGEST POPULATION, BUT THEY TAKE UP THE LEAST AREA.
SO MOST DENSELY POPULATED, UM, THEY HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PHYSICAL HA HAZARDS, AND THEY'RE ALSO ABOUT HALF OF THE CALL DEMAND OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE GOT THE MOST RISK, THE
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MOST CALLS, AND, AND THEY, UH, AND THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST DEMAND FOR, FOR SERVICES.AND THEN WHEN YOU, UH, GET THROUGH THERE, YOU CAN SEE MIDDLETOWN OBVIOUSLY, UH, THEY'VE GOT THE, THE SMALLEST AMOUNT FOLLOWED BY, UH, SHENANDOAH SHORES AND THEN CHESTER GAP WHEN IT COMES TO LOWEST CALL DEMAND AND, AND DRAW FOR SERVICES ON THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM.
SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, WE FOUND THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES INITIALLY IN THE, UH, CAPTURING AND REPORTING OF CALL PROCESSING AND TURNOUT TIME AND WHY THAT'S IM IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE ANALYZING FIRE AND EMS SERVICES IS 'CAUSE THESE TWO ARE CONTROLLABLE.
WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CALL PROCESSING, HOW QUICKLY THE NINE ONE ONE OPERATOR PICKS UP THE CALL AND SENDS A UNIT IN ROUTE.
SO THAT'S THE TIME THEY ANSWER THE PHONE, TILL THEY TELL THE FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM THAT, HEY, THIS EMERGENCY EXISTS, WHETHER IT'S YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, RESPOND TO A MEDICAL CALL, HOUSE ON FIRE, YOU KNOW, CAR WRECK, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, THAT IS THE CALL PROCESSING TIME.
SO THE, THE MORE EFFICIENTLY YOU, YOU PROCESS THAT CALL, UH, THE SOONER IN THE MINDS OF THE CALLER EMERGENCY SERVICES GET THERE.
IF IT TAKES YOU THREE MINUTES TO, TO PROCESS THE CALL VERSE ONE MINUTE, IT LOOKS LIKE TO THE CALLER THAT YOU'RE ABLE, YOU HAVE A TWO MINUTE SHORTER, UH, RESPONSE TIME WHEN THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED IS THEY WERE MORE EFFICIENT.
SO CAPTURING THAT CORRECTLY, UH, IS IMPORTANT SO THAT THEN THEY CAN MONITOR IT, FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY CAN IMPROVE THAT.
UH, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT CALL PROCESSING AND TURNOUT TIMES WERE GETTING EMBEDDED TOGETHER, AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WHAT.
SO, SO THE CALL WOULD BE RECEIVED AND IT WOULD SHOW THAT AT, WE'LL JUST SAY EIGHT O'CLOCK, DISPATCHED AT 8 0 5 UNIT EN ROUTE AT 8 0 5.
WELL, THERE'S IMPOSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, THE FIREFIGHTERS CAN'T HEAR THE BELL AND, AND GET OUT THE DOOR IN, IN THE SAME SHORT WINDOW EXACT TO THE SECOND.
AS, AS THE TIME SOMEBODY TOLD THEM THERE WAS A CALL, THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE VEHICLE, START THE VEHICLE.
IF IT'S A FIRE CALL, THEY GOTTA PUT ON TURNOUT GEAR, GET IN THE FIRE TRUCK, UH, AND THEN RESPOND.
SO, SO YOU, IN EMS CALLS, BEST PRACTICE WOULD BE A 62ND TURNOUT TIME.
SO MEASURING THE, YOU MEASURE EVERYTHING TO THE SECOND IN FIRE CALLS.
MOST COMMUNITIES, THE BEST PRACTICE IS 80 SECONDS.
MOST COMMUNITIES HAVE FOUND 90 SECONDS IS REALLY WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE AT THE 90TH PERCENTILE.
SO ALL THESE ARE THE 90TH PERCENTILE, AND THEN THE TRAVEL TIMES ARE WHAT THEY ARE, WHEREVER THE CALL IS COMPARED TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE AND WHERE THE STATION IS IS GONNA DETERMINE, UH, THE TRAVEL TIMES, DAYS LIKE THE LAST TWO WEEKS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD ICE AND SNOW AND EVERYTHING ON THE ROAD.
THOSE ARE GONNA BE SLOWER THAN THEY ARE ON A NICE, BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY WHEN, WHEN THE ROADS ARE DRY AND THERE'S, AND THERE'S NO TRAFFIC.
SO, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT CONTROLLABLE WITHOUT BUILDING MORE ROADWAY NETWORKS, WHICH IS PROHIBITIVE OR COST PROHIBIT OR, OR BUILDING MORE STATIONS AND STAFFING MORE UNITS TO, TO SHORTEN UP THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT FRACTILE UH, TRAVEL TIME, YOUR GEOGRAPHIC MAKEUP WE FOUND SUPPORTED THE MULTIPLE ZONES.
SO WE LOOKED AT RURAL AND SUBURBAN TODAY AS, AS THE TWO THAT WE RECOMMENDED.
BUT AS FRONT ROYAL CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND GROW, AND IF THERE'S MORE INTEREST IN YOUR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING CORRIDOR AND THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, YOU MAY WANT TO COME UP WITH AN URBAN OR SPECIAL RISK CATEGORY WHERE YOU AUTOMATICALLY DISPATCH, UH, MORE RESOURCES ON THE FRONT END AND YOU, YOU SHORTEN THAT, UH, TRAVEL TIME WINDOW TO MAKE SURE THAT ENOUGH RESOURCES CAN GET THERE IN A SHORT ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THOSE TYPES OF SPECIAL, SPECIAL EMERGENCIES FOR THE, THE LARGER HAZARDS OR THE MORE DENSELY POPULATED AREAS BECAUSE, UM, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE RURAL AREAS, THE FARMHOUSE CATCHES ON FIRE.
IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE CONTAINED TO THE FARMHOUSE.
WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA AND YOU HAVE UNPROTECTED STRUCTURES THAT ARE BUILT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A LONG ROAD TOGETHER AND THERE'S A WINDSWEPT FIRE, YOU CAN LOSE THE, THE WHOLE BLOCK WHICH IMPACTS IS THE TAX BASE.
SO THAT'S WHY IN THE MORE DENSELY HIGHER RISK PROFILE AREAS, SHORTER TIMEFRAMES ARE, ARE USUALLY USED, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTY IS RURAL.
BRENT ROYAL'S THE ONLY AREA THAT EVEN HIT SUBURBAN AND EVEN YOUR AREA WITH THE MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL, THOSE, THOSE BUILDINGS ARE PRETTY SPREAD OUT FROM EACH OTHER.
THEY'VE GOT THE BUILT IN FIRE PROTECTION.
SO, SO THERE IS SOME RISK MITIGATION THAT HAS GONE ON WITH WITHIN THOSE, UH, AND THE DENSITY AND CALL VOLUME REALLY ISN'T THERE SPECIFIC TO THAT AREA TO WARRANT, UM,
[00:25:02]
THE, THE KIND OF UPSTAFFING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GIVE IT A SPECIAL RISK DESIGNATION AT THIS TIME.SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT SUBURBAN AND RURAL AREAS, THE, AND THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT IS YOU CAN SEE IN THE RURAL USING THAT 10 MINUTE, UH, TRAVEL TIME EXPECTATION, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE 10 MINUTES, THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTY CAN BE COVERED IN, IN A 10 MINUTE TRAVEL TIME STANDARD, WHERE WHEN YOU MOVE TO A SUBURBAN STANDARD, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE GAPS IN THE, IN THE SERVICE DELIVERY START, START, UM, EX EXPANDING.
BUT FRONT ROYAL FITS A, A NICE SUBURBAN STANDARD OF SIX MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS.
SO THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EXCELLENCE, WHO ACCREDITS FIRE DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE CENTER FOR FIRE ACCREDITATION INTERNATIONAL ALLOWS THIS TYPE OF TIERED SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN SAY IN THE RURAL AREAS, HERE'S OUR EXPECTATION FOR FOR PERFORMANCE AT 90%.
AND THEN SUBURBAN, WE'VE MOVED IT TO THIS IN THE URBAN AREAS THAT WE'VE MOVED IT TO, TO THIS.
SO IF YOU WENT TO A FIVE MINUTE SAY, IN THE URBAN AREAS OR SPECIAL RISKS AREAS THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE, AND NOW THE INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE ALLOWS YOU TO USE THIS KIND OF DATA-DRIVEN STUDY, THIS KIND OF, UH, GIS SPATIAL MAPPING, UH, TO SHOW THAT THAT'S WHY YOU'VE ADOPTED THESE TYPES OF STANDARDS.
AND, UH, IF YOU'RE ACCREDITED, BECAUSE OF THE USE OF OF, OF THIS FORMULA AND THIS METHODOLOGY, UH, YOU AUTOMATICALLY ACHIEVE AN IO TWO RATING, UM, IMPLEMENTING, IMPLEMENTING THAT.
SO, SO THAT'S WHY A LOT OF AGENCIES HAVE GONE TO THAT, BECAUSE ONCE, ONCE IT'S PROVED CREDIBLE THROUGH THAT ORGANIZATION, THEN ISO HAS, HAS ALLOWED YOU TO USE THAT DATA TO SUPPORT YOUR, YOUR REQUEST FOR A, A HIGHER ISO RATING OR A LOWER COMMUNITY RISK SCORE.
SO THEN WE SPECIFICALLY DOVE DEEPER INTO, UM, TRAVEL TIME AND WERE SURE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS ABOUT CHESTER GAP.
SO KEN CHESTER GAP BE REACHED WITHIN THAT 10 MINUTE TRAVEL TIME STANDARD WITHIN UNITS FROM FRONT ROYAL AS THE FIRST DUE, IF THE STAFFING MOVED TO FRONT ROYAL.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT WAS YES.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO A SUBDIVISION, UM, OF ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE WAS, WAS ABOUT THE POPULATION DENSITY ALONG REMOUNT ROAD.
UM, SO WE LOOKED AT IT SPECIFICALLY AS IT'S KIND OF A UNIQUE, UM, POPULATION CENTER WITHIN THE AREA BETWEEN FRONT ROYAL AND CHESTER GAP.
AND ALL OF IT WAS ALSO REACHABLE WITHIN THAT, UH, SUBURBAN TIME FRAMEWORK.
ALSO, WE NOTED THAT CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT IN FRONT ROYAL COULD POTENTIALLY PUSH IT OVER THE, THE THOUSAND PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE THRESHOLD TO TO BE TECHNICALLY CLASSIFIED AS URBAN.
UM, AGAIN, BOTH NFPA AND THE ACCREDITATION STANDARDS ALLOW YOU TO ADOPT LOCAL PERFORMANCE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY STANDARDS THAT, THAT FIT YOUR NEEDS.
SO, UH, MUCH LIKE BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION, URBAN STANDARD USED TO BE 2000, FOR SOME REASON THEY DECIDED TO MOVE IT TO A THOUSAND.
SO IF YOU WERE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR US WE THINK 15 HUNDRED'S, A GOOD TIPPING POINT, WELL, YOU BUILT YOURSELF A LONGER WINDOW, BUT YOU WOULD NEED TO DEFINE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE USING, UH, TO DEFINE THOSE DIFFERENT, UH, SERVICE AREAS TO MOVE FROM SUBURBAN TO TO, UH, TO URBAN.
UM, IF YOU DO, IF YOU DO HIT THAT TRIGGER POINT AND HAVE ADOPTED AN URBAN STANDARD OF SAY, FIVE MINUTES, WELL THEN YOU'RE GONNA NEED ADDITIONAL, UH, FIRE STATIONS TO, TO MEET THAT, THAT URBAN BENCHMARK, AS YOU CAN SEE IN, IN A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE TIME.
THOSE, THOSE GAPS IN SERVICE AREA BECOME LARGER.
SO OUR STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR, AGAIN, ESTABLISHING THOSE 90% BENCHMARKS FOR SYSTEM, UH, FOR THE SYSTEM WITH 90% BEING YOUR BENCHMARK FOR ALARM PROCESSING, TRACKING THAT, REPORTING IT SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE GOAL AND THE BENCHMARK.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DON'T USE THAT BECAUSE THEY, THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE ON THE ROAD AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE AN OFFICER'S LOCATED IN RELATION TO A CALL FOR SERVICE.
SO, SO THE DISPATCHERS TEND TO GET A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE FRONT END FOR POLICE CALLS AND BECAUSE THERE'S MORE POLICE CALLS TYPICALLY THAN FIRE CALLS, THAT THEN MOVES OVER INTO THE FIRE WORLD AND THEY START TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT THE FIRE GUYS DON'T CARE ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CARE THAT IT'S A BLUE CAR UPSIDE DOWN, WE'LL SEE THE UPSIDE DOWN CAR, JUST TELL US WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND THEN ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU CAN GET 'EM, YOU CAN GIVE
[00:30:01]
'EM DURING THAT SIX MINUTE, 10 MINUTE TRAVEL TIME THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THERE.UM, WORKING WITH THE DISPATCH CENTER TO ENHANCE THE ACCURACY OF THE TIMESTAMPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT, WHEN THEY DO DISPATCH, IN FACT THEY RECORD THAT AT THAT TIME AND THEN RECORD WHEN THE UNITS GO ROUTE.
SO NOW THAT THEY CAN ACCURATELY TRACK BOTH OF THOSE CONTROLLABLE FACTORS AND UNDERSTAND, IS IT US AND US GETTING OUTTA THE STATION ISSUE, OR IS IT A, A CALL PROCESSING ISSUE THAT'S DELAYING, UH, THE OVERALL RESPONSE TIME AND THEN REPORTING THAT BACK MONTHLY SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE FULL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE FOR TURNOUT TIME.
AGAIN, UH, A 92ND, UH, TURNOUT TIME STANDARD, WE, WE RECOMMENDED FOR THE STAFF STATION.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T PREDICT, UM, WHAT THE VOLUNTEER TURNOUT TIME'S GONNA BE BECAUSE DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY, UH, THEY, THEY COULD BE WOKEN UP AT NIGHT, THEY'VE GOTTA GET IN THEIR VEHICLE, THEY GOTTA RESPOND TO THE STATION, THEY GOTTA GET THEIR GEAR, THEN THEY GOTTA GET ON THE UNIT AND, AND THEY HAVE TO WAIT.
UM, IT'S NOT SAFE TO OPERATE A FIRE APPARATUS, BUT LESS THAN THREE PEOPLE.
FOUR IS IDEAL BECAUSE THERE'S A, A, UH, A REGULATION BY OSHA FOR TWO IN AND TWO OUT, AND THAT'S IF TWO PEOPLE GO INTO THE HAZARDOUS ZONE, THERE'S TWO PEOPLE OUTSIDE TO RESCUE THEM IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
SO, SO WITH THREE PEOPLE, YOU DON'T MEET THE TWO IN TWO OUT RULE AND, AND YOU'RE WAITING ON A SECOND UNIT BEFORE YOU CAN MEET THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, IF TURNOUT TIMES ARE EXCESSIVE FROM THE STANDARD THEY SET TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A WAY TO REPORT THEM SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND IS IT STATION DESIGN? IS, IS THIS JUST NOT A PRACTICAL STANDARD FOR OUR SYSTEM? SHOULD IT BE ADJUSTED? BUT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE TIME ARE SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED.
UM, SOME, SOME DEPARTMENTS PUT CLOCKS IN THE BAY SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT THE TURNOUT TIME IS, SOME STRATEGICALLY, UM, PLACE TURNOUT GEAR AND DIFFERENT THINGS IF THEY'RE HAVING TO GO TO LOCKERS TO GET IT.
SO THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN ENHANCE AND SPEED THAT UP IN THE EVENT OF EXCESSIVE TIMES FOR TRAVEL TIMES, WE RECOMMENDED THAT SIX MINUTE AND 32ND, UH, TRAVEL TIME BE ADOPTED FOR THE SUBURBAN AREAS AND THEN CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE THE GROWTH IN FRONT ROYAL AND DETERMINE WHEN YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO TIGHTEN UP THAT TRAVEL TIME STANDARD AND ADOPT AN URBAN, UH, TRAVEL TIME STANDARD FOR FRONT ROYAL.
AS, AS GROWTH CONTINUES AND, AND THE RISK PROFILE AND DENSITY CHANGE FOR THE RURAL, WE RECOMMENDED THAT 10 MINUTE TRAVEL TIME STANDARD.
IT'S ACCEPTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND, AND YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM SUPPORTS THAT STANDARD.
WELL, FROM TALKING TO THE RESIDENTS AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT CROWD WAS LIMITED.
THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS WITH THE CURRENT PERFORMANCE AND THE CURRENT SPEED OF, OF UNITS GETTING TO THE CALLS.
SO NO ONE WAS SAYING IT TAKES TOO LONG TODAY.
SO YOUR CURRENT PERFORMANCE MEETING, THAT 10 MINUTE CRITERIA SEEMS APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT THE COMMUNITY DESIRES IN IN WARREN COUNTY, AND AGAIN, MONITORING THE GROWTH.
IF, IF A NEW DEVELOPER COMES IN, IS BUILDING A, A LARGER DEVELOPMENT AND SOMEWHERE THAT'S RURAL TODAY, IS IT GONNA MAKE IT SUBURBAN? IS IT GONNA CHANGE THAT PROFILE TO WHERE NOW IT SHOULD, SHOULD FALL INTO WHATEVER SUBURBAN STANDARD THAT YOU ADOPT? SO IN THE ENHANCEMENTS TO THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM, SO WE LOOKED AT, IN, IN THE REPORT, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S, THERE'S FOUR REGIONS.
UH, WE HAVE THE CENTRAL REGION, THE NORTHEAST, THE SOUTH, AND THEN THE WEST REGION.
SO WE BROKE YOU INTO FOUR DISTINCT REGIONS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE CENTRAL IS YOUR MOST DENSELY POPULATED AREA, THE HIGHEST RISK PROFILE, UM, AND, AND REALLY THE FOCUS OF WHERE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR, YOUR CALLS ARE OCCURRING, UH, IN THE COUNTY TODAY.
SO, SO WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY FOCUSING ABOUT 80% OF THE SYSTEM DEMAND AND RISK PROFILE FOR, FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, THE WAY YOUR STAFF TODAY, THE STAFFING PLAN IS YOUR STAFFING WITH TWO EMS PERSONNEL TO STAFF.
STAFF STATIONS IS THE FRONT FIRST UNIT OUT.
SO THEY'RE ALL CROSS TRAINED AS FIREFIGHTERS, AND IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, THEY CAN CROSS STAFF THE ENGINE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE A FIRE ENGINE WITH TWO PEOPLE.
NOW THEY CAN ROLL AND ANOTHER AMBULANCE CAN, CAN RESPOND AND MEET THEM THERE TO GET YOUR, AGAIN, TWO IN, TWO OUT RULE MET.
BUT IT TAKES NOW THE FIRETRUCK AND THEN ANOTHER AMBULANCE TO, TO SHOW UP ON SCENE.
SO BY UPSTAFFING, THE FRONT ROYAL STATION, YOU SOLVE TWO PROBLEMS. ONE IS 70% OF THE CALLS REMEMBER EMS, BUT THEY HAVE THE CALL CONCURRENCE AND THE LONGEST UNIT UTILIZATION TIME.
[00:35:01]
BY SOLVING THAT ISSUE, NOW YOU'VE GOT THE, THE SECOND AMBULANCE IN FRONT, ROYAL READY TO RESPOND TO THE SECOND EMERGENCY, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE FOUR PEOPLE THERE TO BE ABLE TO NOW STAFF A FIRE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY.UM, AND NOW YOU'RE RELYING ON THE VOLUNTEER STATIONS TO MAKE UP THAT WHAT'S CALLED THE EFFECTIVE RESPONSE FORCE.
SO REMEMBER 13 PEOPLE FOR A HOUSE FIRE.
SO YOU'RE STILL WAITING FOR, UH, TWO OTHER FIRE TRUCKS PLUS A COMMAND VEHICLE TO SHOW UP IF EVERYBODY'S GOT FOUR ON IT FOR A HOUSE FIRE BEFORE YOU'VE GOT GOT WHAT'S CALLED AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE FORCE TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE A TYPICAL, UH, INVOLVED HOUSE FIRE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE WHOLE COUNTY'S COMING, AS WELL AS YOUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS IF IT'S ONE OF YOUR LARGER, UH, RISK, LARGER, LARGER OCCUPANCY, UM, HIGHER PROFILE STRUCTURES IN TOWN.
SO WE LOOKED AT FOUR PEOPLE, A FOUR PERSON STAFFED ENGINE COMPANY AT FRONT ROYAL, SO THAT WOULD BRING THAT STAFFING TO EIGHT.
UM, WHAT JURISDICTIONS DO IS THERE'S, THERE'S A RELIEF FACTOR IN FIRE THAT DOESN'T WORK AND NORMAL BUSINESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO THE BANK AND THE TELLER'S CALLED IN SICK, NEW ACCOUNTS, STEPS UP AND BECOMES THE TELLER AND SOMEBODY WALKS IN AND NEEDS A TELLER, OR IF THE NEW ACCOUNTS IS SICK, THEN SOMEBODY ELSE STEPS IN.
IF SOMEBODY'S THERE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT.
SO IN THE FIRE WORLD, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DRIVE THE TRUCK, SO YOU NEED SOMEBODY CERTIFIED TO DRIVE THAT FIRE ENGINE ON, ON DUTY OR IT, IT CAN'T ROLL.
SO, SO, UM, A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS YOUR SIZE IMPLEMENT A A FOUR PERSON STAFFING, BUT A THREE PERSON MINIMUM.
SO THAT WAY IF SOMEONE CALLS IN SICK, THERE'S A BACKUP THAT, UH, DRIVERS ARE TRAINED TO FUNCTION AS THE OFFICER, THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE DRAIN TRAINED TO STEP UP AND FUNCTION AS THE DRIVER.
SO THEN YOU WOULD STILL HAVE SOMEBODY FUNCTIONING AS THE OFFICER, SOMEONE ABLE TO FUNCTION AS THE DRIVER AND THEN, AND THEN A FIREFIGHTER.
NOW THEY'RE WAITING ON THAT, THAT FOURTH PERSON FOR TWO AND TWO OUT, BUT THEY CAN START WHAT'S KNOWN AS AN EXTERNAL FIRE ATTACK WHERE TWO PEOPLE GRAB THE HOSE, THE PERSON DRIVING THE TRUCK IS HOOKED UP TO THE WATER SUPPLY AND PUMPS THOSE TWO PEOPLE WATER.
IT'S JUST NOBODY GOES INSIDE UNLESS THERE'S A KNOWN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO A LIFE.
SO IF SOMEBODY SAYS, MY KID'S STILL ON THE HOUSE, CLEARLY THEY'RE GONNA RISK A LIFE TO SAVE A LIFE, BUT NOT IF IT'S JUST STUFF.
SO IN THAT, IN THAT EVENT, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD DO AN EXTERNAL ATTACK.
SO THE SAME THING, THE NEXT STATION WE LOOKED AT WAS THE NORTH WARREN STATION GETTING A, UH, ENGINE COMPANY STAFF THERE.
THE THIRD ON THAT, THAT PHASE ONE PLAN WOULD BE TO GO TO THE LINDEN STATION AND THEN STAFFING ALL THESE STATIONS WITH THIS NUMBER OF PERSONNEL, PLUS THE AMBULANCES BEING STAFFED WITH TWO, UH, WOULD BRING YOU TO 20 PERSONNEL SCHEDULED AT A MINIMUM TO STAFF THOSE STATIONS DAILY, PLUS YOUR OTHER STAFFED UNITS.
ONE'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, UM, UNLESS SAFER GRANT FUNDING OR ANOTHER METHOD IS, IS SECURED TO ALLOW YOU TO KIND OF EASE INTO THE COUNTY PAYING FOR THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN.
WHAT WHAT IS TIMELY, REALISTIC, MEASURABLE, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO IS THEN AN ENGINE COMPANY AT THE RIVER MOUNT STATION, UM, THAT WOULD BRING THAT STATION TO A MINIMUM OF SIX TWO FOR THE AMBULANCE AND THE FOUR FOR THE STATION.
AND THEN PHASE THREE, WHICH IS NOW WE'RE GOING LONGER TERM, MOVING SEVERAL PROBABLY, UH, BUDGET YEARS DOWN THE ROAD LOOKING AT STATIONS FIVE AND SIX AND X BY TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL DAILY TO, TO FILL IN THAT NORTHEAST REGION.
AND THEN LASTLY, INCREASE IN STATION THREE BY BY TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL DAILY.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY CROSS STAFF THE, UH, THE ENGINE COMPANY.
SO WHEN IT CAME TO COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION AND, AND PUB, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PIECE, WE LOOK AT JUST TRANSITIONING THAT, THAT FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION INTO A TRUE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION MODEL.
SO, SO PUBLIC EDUCATION PLANS REVIEW, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPEN HOLISTICALLY AND SEAMLESSLY TOGETHER PERIODICALLY EVALUATING THE RISK PROFILE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION ELEMENTS ALIGN WITH, WITH WHAT KIND OF RISKS AND WHAT KIND OF CALLS YOU'RE SEEING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UH, YOU COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHIC CONTINUES TO BE ATTRACTIVE FOR AN AGING POPULATION.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME HERE TO RETIRE, THEY'RE SLOWING DOWN, THEY,
[00:40:01]
THEY LIKE THE, THE QUIET RURAL ENVIRONMENT.BUT IF THAT CONTINUES AND YOU START TO SEE AN INCREASE IN, SAY, COOKING FIRES BY SENIORS, YOU WOULD DEVELOP COMMUNITY EDUCATION PLANS TO EDUCATE SENIORS ON HOW TO PREVENT COOKING FIRES OR TRIPS AND FALLS OR, OR WHATEVER RISK PROFILE OR, UH, CALL DEMAND YOU'RE SEEING BASED ON, ON A CHANGE IN, IN COMMUNITY RISK.
AND THEN AS THIS AREA EVOLVES, LOOK AT, LOOK AT INCREASING THE COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION STAFFING TO MEET WHATEVER THE SERVICE DEMANDS ARE, WHETHER IT'S ON THE PLAN REVIEW, END FIRE'S UNIQUE, WHERE THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN UPS STAFF ON ON THE PLAN REVIEW SIDE AND THEN, AND THEN ADJUST WHEN THERE'S A SLOWDOWN.
WHEREAS IN THE FIRE WORLD, THEY REVIEW THE PLANS ON THE FRONT END AND THEN ONCE IT'S BUILT, THEY INSPECT IT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
SO USUALLY IF THERE'S A SLOWDOWN ON THE PLAN REVIEW SIDE AND THINGS HAVE BEEN BUILT, THAT TRANSITION IS THAT A PLAN REVIEWER NOW BECOMES A COMMUNITY, UH, INSPECTOR IN THE FIELD TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE, THE INCREASED WORKLOAD OF NOW HAVING TO, UH, INSPECT MORE BUILDINGS.
SO NOW I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
I KNOW IT'S A LARGE REPORT AND A LOT TO DIGEST.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIDE OURSELVES IS, IS WE'RE HERE FOR YOU AS LONG AS YOU NEED US TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR, UH, OR THINGS YOU BRING UP TO THE CHIEFS LATER, THAT MAY BE A STUMBLING BLOCK.
JUST COME BACK AND WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO WALK THROUGH IT AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S WORKED WELL IN OTHER PLACES.
JUST AS FAR AS THE STAFFING LEVELS OVER THREE YEAR PERIOD, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 4, 1 10 AND FOUR.
AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PHASE TWO HAVING FOUR AT, UH, HOW MANY ARE, SO THAT WOULD BE 4, 8, 12 MORE AT THOSE THREE, THAT'D BE 12.
AND THEN AT RIVERMONT ANOTHER FOUR, SO THAT'D BE 16.
AND THEN NOW, NOW YOU'RE GOING LATER.
SO RIGHT, I MEAN PHASE THREE OBVIOUSLY IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT FOR THE NEXT FEW FISCAL YEARS.
I WAS JUST LOOKING FIVE AND SIX YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THEN TWO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
YOU CAN HANDLE CONCURRENT EMS CALLS OR CROSS STAFF A AN ENGINE AND HAVE THE FOUR PEOPLE.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING THAT GIVES YOU IS SOME, SOME STAFFING FLEXIBILITY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE, IN THE MORE RURAL STATIONS, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS, UH, THERE'S A STAFFING SHORTAGE.
SO WE'LL SAY FRONT ROYAL'S ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE PERSON OFF ON VACATION AND THE SECOND PERSON CALLS IN SICK.
SOME PEOPLE IN THE OUTLYING STATIONS MAY BE DESIGNATED AS FLOATERS IN THAT CASE WHERE THEY MOVE THEM TO STAFF FRONT ROYAL INSTEAD OF USING MORE OVER TIME TO TO JUST BRING IN SOMEBODY SPECIFIC FOR FRONT ROYAL.
SO THEY BUILD WHAT'S AS, AS THE SYSTEM GROWS.
IT'S KNOWN AS A DYNAMIC STAFFING PLAN AND THEY, THEY PLAN FOR THAT.
LIKE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CALL CONCURRENCE FOR THE SECOND AMBULANCE.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DO IS, IS DOWN THAT AMBULANCE AND MOVE THESE TWO PEOPLE TO BACKFILL VACANCIES BEFORE WE USE OVERTIME.
'CAUSE THE, THE FIRE STAFFING MODEL IS EXPENSIVE AND YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THE BUILT IN FAIR LABOR OVERTIME, UH, IN THAT 24 HOUR SHIFT SCHEDULE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO THE MORE UNINTENDED OVERTIME THAT YOU CAN AVOID, THE BETTER.
AND THE OTHER THING TOO IS, AND THIS MAYBE MORE FOR THE CHIEF, I GUESS, UM, THIS IS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, IE UH, VEHICLES THAT'S ON YOU ALONG THOSE LINES TOO, WHICH I, I I GUESS YOU WERE, YOU HEARD SOME OF IT AS FAR AS WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS REPLACEMENT OF THE ROOFS, IT'S THE, THESE ARE BASICALLY INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEER STATIONS.
SO ALL THE STATIONS RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FRONT ROYAL, ALL THE OTHER STATIONS ARE STAFFED WITH TWO CLEAR STAFF, YOU KNOW, ONE THROUGH EIGHT RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY ALL HAVE AT A MINIMUM TWO MINIMUM STAFFING DAILY.
WE TRY TO SPREAD THE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT OF THE PARAMEDIC CONCEPT ACROSS THE COUNTY, BUT ON DAILY CAN, CAN YOU GRAB THE BIKE FOR ME PLEASE? OH, SURE.
HAVE TO SENATE HEARINGS HERE,
UM, BUT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IS WE, WE, WE MINIMUM STAFF TO A LS PERSONNEL AT FRONT ROYAL BECAUSE OF THE CALL ME CALL PRESSURES, BUT ALSO TO THE ACUITY LEVEL SEEMS TO BE HIGHER AS WELL.
SO WE TRY TO MEASURE PREEMPTIVELY HOW BEST TO DO IT.
BUT, UM, TO MR. FINN'S POINT EARLIER, WHERE IT REALLY BECOMES DIFFICULT IS IF WE GET, LET'S JUST SAY A STRUCTURE FIRE OR WE GET A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH EXTRICATION
[00:45:01]
CONCURRENTLY, WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES RESILIENCY IN THE SYSTEM TO DO OUR JOB APPROPRIATELY.SO YOUR QUESTION WAS, DOES THIS INCLUDE CAPITAL TO INCLUDE ASSET REPLACEMENT OR BUILDING FIREHOUSES? NO, SIR, IT DOES NOT.
I'M TALKING, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY PEOPLE HERE.
SO WHAT, IS THERE A PLAN? I MEAN, LIKE I SAY, SAY, I DON'T KNOW, COMPANY EIGHT NEEDS A NEW ROOF.
IS THAT ALL ON THEM OR RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE OKAY.
UM, NOW TO, AS, AS YOU'VE SEEN, UM, LINDA BEING THE MOST RECENT, A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEERS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME OF IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, ABSENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE GIVE THEM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FIRE STATION ONE, THE REST OF 'EM, I MEAN, AND STATION THREE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB HISTORICALLY 'CAUSE THEY'RE VERY FRUGAL WITH THEIR MONEY AND, AND ASSETS.
BUT WITH THE EXCEPTION, EVERYBODY ELSE IS HAVING A HARD TIME RESPECTFULLY KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON AND UH, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT WE KNOW.
AND, UM, SO, UH, YEAH, FIRE TRUCKS, I MEAN, I HEARD THE GENTLEMAN SPEAK FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM REGARDING WHAT A SCHOOL BUS COSTS AND I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT A LADDER TRUCK COSTS.
I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT AN ENGINE COSTS.
IT'S EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER AND EACH YEAR IT COMES THAT MUCH MORE.
UM, IF I SHOWED YOU OUR REPAIR BILLS FOR APPARATUS, WE HAVE 20 AND 30 YEARS OLD, IT, IT WOULD BLOW YOUR MIND IF YOU, IF YOU GO DOWN AND HIS CUES ON THE NEW GUY, RELATIVELY SPEAKING.
BUT IF YOU GO DOWN ONE OF THOSE STREETS, WHEREVER WE GET OUR FIRE, OUR UH, OUR AMBULANCES REPAIRED, IT LOOKS LIKE A USED AMBULANCE LOT 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS THERE NOW TO THE CREDIT OF THE BOARD.
WE HAVE BEEN, WE'VE HAD A WINDFALL OF BUYING MEDIC UNITS BECAUSE OF NECESSITY.
SO TO YOUR POINT, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, STARTING WITH STAFFING, THE PRIORITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STAFFING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT, SAFE EMERGENCY APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TO INCLUDE ALL THE CANCER MEASURES.
UM, AND ASSETS ARE ALL EXPENSIVE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO STAY REALLY SPECIFIC TO THAT.
BUT WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP FOR A LOT OF YEARS OF NOT NOT PAYING HOMAGE TO IT.
YEAH, AND CAPITAL PLANNING IS BECOMING MORE CRITICAL.
IT'S THREE YEARS NOW FOR DELIVERY OF AN ENGINE AND WHEN I RETIRED 15 YEARS AGO, I WAS BUYING CUSTOM ENGINES FOR 350,000 AND NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUSHING A MILLION.
SO, SO THEY, AND WHEN YOU TALK TO THE MANUFACTURERS, IT'S NOT CHANGING ANYTIME SOON.
THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, LEGISLATIVE PRESSURE ON THEM NOW TO CHANGE A BROKEN SYSTEM.
SO HOPEFULLY SOME OF THAT GAINS TRACTION.
BUT IN THE SHORT AND NEAR TERM, IT'S, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE AND YOU GOTTA HAVE A A THREE YEAR LENS LOOKING AHEAD OF, OF WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT.
UH, SO PLANNING IS IS CRITICAL.
OTHER QUESTIONS? IT'S A LOT, A LOT TO SCHOOL BUDGET IN THIS.
IT'S A, A LOT TO THINK OF TONIGHT.
SO HUGH, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO MA'AM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ORGANIZATION'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE, ESPECIALLY THE BABY.
UM, MS. SCOTT, NO CIGARETTE TEST.
SO LOOKING TO UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR ALL THIS STUFF.
[C. Discussion — Ordinance to add to the Warren County Code Article XXIV in Chapter 160 to impose a Cigarette Tax. - Alisa Scott, Finance Director]
HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CIGARETTE TAX IN THE PAST AND MS. SCOTT, YOU'RE GONNA PRESENT AGAIN TONIGHT FOR THAT? YES.SO MY PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS GONNA BE FAIRLY SIMPLE.
IT'S JUST A WORK SESSION FOR ME TO BRING UP THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BOARD TO ADOPT A CIGARETTE SALES TAX.
IT'S A WAY FOR THE COUNTY TO DIVERSIFY TAX IN 2027 AND NO, IT DOES NOT WORK FROM THIS DISTANCE.
DO YOU THINK IT'S THE ANGLE MAYBE THERE, HERE WE GO.
I WAS WONDERING HOW THIS WOULD APPEAR ON THE SCREEN.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY SIMPLE PRESENTATION, A VERY SHORT PRESENTATION.
I HAVEN'T SPENT A WHOLE LOT OF TIME ON THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE ESTIMATED REVENUE WITH THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA CIGARETTE SALES TAX BOARD, WHICH I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
[00:50:01]
WITH THE COMMISSIONER, MRS. SERS.WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DIRECTOR THERE TO HELP ESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL REVENUE THAT WARREN COUNTY COULD BRING IN IF WE WERE TO IMPOSE A CIGARETTE SALES TAX.
SO IF YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS FOR A HALF A YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $490,000.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE CURRENT REVENUE THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN RIGHT NOW ON ASSESSMENTS AT THE CURRENT RATE, ONE PENNY IS ABOUT $700,000.
SO TAKING A LOOK AT 12 MONTHS OF CIGARETTE SALES TAX, THE OVERALL REVENUE ESTIMATE IS ABOUT 900,000 TO $980,000 A YEAR.
JUST SHY OF A PENNY AND A HALF.
YOU'VE JUST HEARD FROM THE SCHOOLS.
AND YOU'VE ALSO HEARD FROM FIRE AND RESCUE FOR PERSONNEL.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE BROUGHT UP IN AUGUST OF 2024 AS POTENTIAL NEEDS FOR THE CIGARETTE SALES TAX.
AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THOSE TO YOU AS WELL.
THE CANCER PREVENTION, WHICH DOES ADDRESS SOME CAPITAL NEEDS FOR SPECIFIC FIRE STATIONS, HELPING OUT WITH REZONING OF THOSE STATIONS, REMODELING THOSE STATIONS.
AND THEN ALSO THE PHARMACEUTICAL PROGRAM THAT WAS, UM, DROPPED ON THE COUNTY FAIRLY QUICKLY DECEMBER OF 2024 I BELIEVE.
SO MRS. SAUERS AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA CIGARETTE SALES TAX BOARD TO COLLECT AN ESTIMATED 900 TO $980,000.
THIS IS A FAIRLY SIMPLE PROCEDURE.
THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE REVENUE FOR US TO REACH OUT AND ADDRESS SOME OF OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEW PERSONNEL NEEDS.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT SO EASY WITHIN THEIR REACH IS THE PROPOSED LIQUID TOBACCO IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT TOBACCO ROLLED CIGARETTES THAT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S NOT GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT FURTHER.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN OUR REACH AS THIS CIGARETTE SALES TAX IS WITHIN OUR REACH.
ANOTHER IDEA THAT I HAVE PROPOSED TO STAFF IS TAKING A LOOK AT A PROPOSED FIRE TAX, WHICH WOULD BE A VERY SPECIFIC INCREASE TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX AND THAT PENNY INCREASE, $700,000 WOULD GO SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS FIRE AND RESCUE LAW ENFORCEMENT EMS NEEDS.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT $700,000 FOR ONE PENNY, THAT'S ABOUT $2.1 MILLION FOR A 3 CENT INCREASE.
THAT IS ALSO WITHIN OUR REACH, BUT A LONGER TERM GOAL FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
SO TONIGHT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU AGAIN TO THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA CIGARETTE SALES TAX BOARD, LET YOU KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE SITTING ON THE BOARD, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CO CO-OP WHERE WE WOULD JOIN THE CO-OP.
WE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BENEFITS OF BEING PART OF A SYSTEM OF LARGER LOCALITIES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA THAT WE COULD BENEFIT OFF OF THEIR CIGARETTE SALES TAX AS WELL AS OUR OWN.
WE WOULD PAY A SMALL FEE FOR THE WHOLESALERS 2% DISCOUNT.
WE WOULD ALSO PAY FOR THE STAMPS.
SO THE NET REVENUE WOULD BE AN ESTIMATED 900 TO $980,000 A YEAR.
SO I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME TONIGHT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THEM OR LOOK INTO THEM FOR YOU.
I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD A LOT TONIGHT, BUT I WANTED TO KEEP THIS VERY SHORT AND VERY SIMPLE.
BILL, DO, HAS THERE, ARE THERE ANY PREDICTED VERSUS ACTUALS, LIKE FOR A JURISDICTION THAT PREDICTED THEY WERE GONNA HAVE 908,000 REVENUE AND THEY ENDED UP WITH WHATEVER, 600 OR, OR 1.2 OR WHATEVER IT MEANS? IS THAT, IS THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
UH, THE NUMBER HERE IS DIRECTLY FOR FROM, UH, THE CIGARETTE SALES TAX BOARD.
UH, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUAL CIGARETTE PACKS SOLD BETWEEN THE, UH, MONTHS OF JULY THROUGH DECEMBER IN THIS COUNTY.
AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE WOULD JUST MOVE, GO ON DOWN THE ROAD TO THE NEXT COUNTY TO BUY INSTEAD OF HERE? IS IS THERE WELL, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION TOO, BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS WARREN COUNTY POTENTIALLY THINKING ABOUT IMPOSING THIS CIGARETTE SALES TAX, BUT YOU
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MAY HAVE HEARD THAT FREDERICK COUNTY HAS A HUGE BUDGET SHORTFALL AS WELL.AND TONIGHT, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT EXACT SHORTFALL THAT WE HAVE BEING JUST INTRODUCED TO THE SCHOOL'S REQUEST FOR 27.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT AND FREDERICK COUNTY IS ALSO CONSIDERING A CIGARETTE SALES TAX AS WELL.
THE LOCALITIES AROUND US HAVE ALREADY IMPOSED.
THAT'S, I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT.
I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE THE CONNOTATION OF WHAT I SAID, BUT YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
SO YES, MR. CARTER, THAT'S NO, NO BIG DEAL.
WHAT IT'S, IT'S 40 CENTS PER PACK.
THAT WOULD BE THE CURRENT PROPOSED.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY DRAFTED OUR RESOLUTION.
UH, WHICH WOULD BE THE, UH, ROLL TOBACCO CIGARETTES, IT'S 2 CENTS A CIGARETTE.
SO NO MATTER WHAT THE PACK IS, IT WOULD BE 2 CENTS A CIGARETTE.
SO 40 CENTS A PACK, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED BY STATE CODE TO JUST, I KNOW IMPOSE THE REAL BRAND NAMES.
THEY COULD BE NINE OR 10 BUCKS A PACK, THE OFF BRAND OR WHATEVER.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS DOES THE TOWN CURRENTLY HAVE ATTACKS? THEY DO NOT.
SO IF WE INSTITUTED THIS AND THE TOWN INSTITUTED, WOULD IT BE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER OR WOULD THAT PRECLUDE NO, IT WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS BECAUSE NOT 'CAUSE THE TOWN WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPOSE WITHIN THE, THE TOWN BOUNDARIES WE WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO IMPOSE WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT THIS AS A GENERAL FUND SUPPLEMENT BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE TOWN MAY OR MAY NOT ADOPT A CIGARETTE SALES TAX.
SO THAT REVENUE ESTIMATE DIPS DRASTICALLY.
SO THEY PUT IN, THEY INSTITUTED A TAX, SAY THEY ONLY DID 20 CENTS, THAT WOULD STILL PRECLUDE US FOR GETTING THE OTHER 20 CENTS.
AND THEN DO WE KNOW WITH YOUR FIGURES JUST CURIOSITY? WE GOT A LOT OF EFFORT AT TIME, BUT YOU KNOW, DO WE KNOW THE SALES IN TOWN VERSUS OUTSIDE OF TOWN? WE LOOKED AT THAT PREVIOUSLY AND THE ESTIMATE WAS AROUND $500,000.
SO OUR REVENUE WOULD GO FROM 900, 980,000 TO ABOUT 500,000.
AND, AND THIS LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, IS A VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE BASED UPON NUMBERS THAT WERE GATHERED IN OCTOBER, I'M SORRY, AUGUST OF 2024 VERSUS ESTIMATING NOW WHAT THOSE POTENTIALLY MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF 2026.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
SO I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE WORK SESSION.
SO IT'S ABOUT QUARTER TO NINE.
THAT'S NOT TOO BAD FOR ALL WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING.