WINNING NARRATIVE 2005



The City of XXX, Minnesota is located approximately 255 miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul in the extreme southwest corner of the state. Located in a highly agricultural area, our department covers 68 square miles in our primary response area and assists in protecting numerous other communities and townships through mutual aid agreements with 5 other fire departments. The city of XXX has a population of 565. When considering the population of our primary response area, we currently protect approximately 6,895 residents in addition to their numerous homes, businesses, barns, farm buildings and more.

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION & BUDGET

Risk Assessment. The fire department leadership and members have conducted a comprehensive risk assessment. This process identified shortcomings that are the result of capability gaps between the fire department’s resources and their ability to protect the public, property and firefighter’s safety. Identified shortcomings in our fire department’s ability to protect the health and safety of our crew and the public include personal protective gear needs. By obtaining the identified equipment listed as our shortcomings, we can greatly reduce the risk to our firefighters, the public we protect and the critical infrastructure of our rural region and fill the capability gaps we have identified through the risk assessment process.

Problem Statement. The XXX fire department’s personal protective gear has seen its share of wear. It is torn and tattered and has burn holes, is more than 20 years old and does not meet current NFPA standards. With the awarded FEMA grant, we will purchase 24 new sets of turnout gear to adequately protect all 24 of our firefighters. We have also identified a need to better protect the safety of our active, on duty firefighters by equipping them 100% with SCBA’s. Although we currently have 14 SCBA’s, they are more than 20 years old and are no longer passing tests. On a typical call we send out 12-14 firefighters. Our firefighting vehicle fleet will seat 14 with 14 SCBA compartments. Because of the inefficiency of our SCBA’s we find we are in need of 14 new ones, therefore we are requesting funding for 14 SCBA’s to adequately equip our active, on-duty firefighters.

Purchase 24 sets Turnout Gear
$1,573 ea. x 24 sets = $37,752

Purchase 14 SCBAs with Spare Cylinder & PASS
$3,656 ea. x 14 = $51,184

Total project cost = $88,936

Budget Explanation. Despite financial limitations, which strap the department’s budget, the City of XXX has agreed to assist the fire department with a 10% match, exceeding the FEMA Program’s required 5% match. Thus, our request to FEMA is for $80,582 ($88,936 equipment cost, plus $400 grant-writing fee, minus $8,954 local 10% match.) We have investigated costs and specifications from two vendors -– YYY and GGG Fire Equipment.

The Planned Project. Our FEMA project will address the essential basic needs identified through our community and firefighter risk assessment. To fill the risk assessment capability gap, 24 new sets of turnout gear will ensure adequate safety by equipping our firefighters 100%. In addition, we will purchase 14 new SCBAs that will be OSHA/NFPA compliant. By purchasing these SCBA’s we will ensure that all active, on-duty firefighters will be safely equipped on a fire scene.

The problems that affect our current equipment and the advantages that new equipment will offer us can be itemized as follows:

1) PROTECTIVE GEAR

We currently own 24 sets of protective gear, but they are more than 20 years old, are damaged, torn and have several burn holes. They require replacement to be compliant with MS 182.653 and NFPA-1971 standards. Our non-complying gear endangers the safety of our firefighters and each of the items for which we are seeking funds is needed to protect our active, on-duty firefighters during the performance of their tasks. Purchasing the protective equipment described in this application will be of great benefit to the XXX Volunteer Fire Department by improving basic safety considerations for all our active, on-duty staff. By keeping our firefighters safe, their lives – plus the lives of the public they serve – will be protected to a much greater extent than they are today.

By purchasing 24 full sets of bunker gear, we will have 100% of what is needed for all our active, on-duty firefighters and all these items will be in OSHA/NFPA compliance.

2) SCBAs

We currently own 14 SCBAs, however they are more than 20 years old and no longer pass the tests. Typically we have 12-14 firefighters respond to a call and our vehicle fleet provides enough seated positions for 14 firefighters. Currently, none of our firefighters are adequately equipped when we respond to a call. This is a hazardous situation for our firefighters and the situation impacts our ability to be effective toward our mission of protecting the public and property.

Purchasing these 14 SCBAs will fill the capability gaps identified through our risk assessment process by ensuring that 100% of our active, on-duty staff are adequately and safely equipped.

Hazardous Situations. -- Our department must also confront potentially hazardous infrastructure that can jeopardize the personal safety of our firefighters and in the event of a hazardous event would cause catastrophic loss of life or catastrophic economic loss. Within our primary service area, we access a public rural water system and a sub-station for power is located within the City of XXX. We also protect 4 windtowers located within our primary service area. The Burlington Northern rail line runs through XXX and State Highway 270 supports a bridge that overpasses the Burlington Northern rail line. Approximately 5 miles east of the City and within our primary service area there is a natural gas pipeline, however, for heating purposes, residences have either propane or fuel oil storage on site. The City of XXX has a prominent grain elevator adjacent to the city and another elevator in town storing various chemicals, including anhydrous ammonia and dry fertilizers. This elevator also has a large 25,000 gallon propane tank. One private business in our primary service area deals in bulk gasoline and diesel fuel. The XXX/ZZZ High School is located in the City of XXX, where entertainment activities such as concerts, plays and sporting activities draw large gatherings of people. Considering these types of potentially hazardous situations, the XXX Volunteer Fire Department wishes to be well-equipped, so we can better work toward our mission to protect the safety of our firefighters, the public we serve and the critical infrastructure within our community.

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FINANCIAL NEED

1.) Limited Local Budget. Our annual fire department budget is usually around $22,709. This does not meet our needs for improvements. Even if we spent every dollar of our annual budgets toward the equipment we wish to purchase with the FEMA grant, it would take us more than nine years to pay for it. Thus, outside grant assistance is essential.

City of XXX – Budget for 2005
$79,316 General Government
$18,645 Police
$32,125 Fire Department
$57,930 Streets
$35,040 Park & Recreation

City of XXX Fire Department Budget for 2005
$2,500 Vehicle Repair
$500 Building Repair
$1,300 Fuel
$4,100 Equipment & Equipment Repair
$14,725 Other (includes $5,135 contribution to
Firemen's Relief)
$9,000 Capital Expenditures

2.) Limited Taxing Ability. The median value of a house in XXX is $63,100. This is about 1/2 of the statewide median value of a house in Minnesota, which is $122,400 (2000 Census). This huge difference in value means that we are much less able to generate funds for fire department improvements through a property tax levy.

3) Our median household income is $33,125, 30% lower than across Minnesota as a whole ($47,111). (U.S. Census 2000)

4) Median family income in XXX is $43,750, 23% lower than across Minnesota ($56,874).

5) Per capita income is $15,824, 32% lower than Minnesota ($23,198).

6) Elderly Population and Low Incomes. The 2000 Census shows that XXX is an older community than our state as a whole. 28.8% of our population is age 65 or older (12.1% for Minnesota statewide). Because of our higher proportion of the elderly, their incomes take on additional importance. The mean retirement income in XXX is $14,204, which is 17% lower than statewide ($17,034). This means that for a significant portion of the local population, the local cost (taxes, etc.) of equipping our fire department can be an even greater financial burden.

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COST / BENEFIT

The lack of protective gear creates serious gaps in our capabilities as a department. The resulting problems harm our ability to provide mission-critical services and jeopardize our firefighters' safety.

Cash Match. The City of XXX in partnership with the XXX fire department understands the community benefits this new equipment will provide the community and surrounding communities. The City has approved a 10% match toward the funding of this new equipment, above the 5% required match by FEMA.

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STATEMENT OF EFFECT

Benefit to Community. -- This project will have a positive impact on the community and our wider service area by improving our ability to protect life and property through an increased capacity and capability beyond what we as a fire department can currently offer residents within the community and mutual aid partners beyond our primary service area. It will also create greater interoperability between our department and our mutual aid partners, and create a safer environment for our firefighters.

Benefit to Department/Operational Outcomes/Enhance Operations. -- This project will allow response to all hazards, including the chemical hazards and critical infrastructure hazards discussed above in this narrative. The identified new gear will increase the level of safety we can provide to our firefighters by giving them the equipment they need to perform their tasks in a safe manner. The proposed equipment requests will enhance our department’s effectiveness for the community and greater interoperability with our mutual aid partners. These items will significantly increase our fire department’s performance and effectiveness and will increase our ability to protect life and property.

Enhance Operations. The gear we will purchase will improve our ability to respond to all types of hazards by improving and protcting the safety of our firefighters. By doing this, the gap in our daily operations will be filled in our ability to successfully perform mission-critical services. If we cannot make these purchases, the safety of our firefighters will still be at risk and the gap will remain.

Benefits Other Departments / Implement Interoperability. -- XXX Fire Department’s problems with its equipment cripple the department’s ability to be a good partner with its fellow mutual aid members as follows:

a.) Our torn and tattered gear reflects an unprofessional, and unsafe situation for our firefighters. Mutual aid partners will often elect to call on other, more safely equipped departments to assist, fearing the worst may happen to one of our firefighters. Purchasing new gear for our firefighters will create greater interoperability within our mutual aid region.

b.) The proposed SCBAs will enable all of our active, on-duty firefighters to participate on a mutual aid call, again creating greater interoperability with our mutual aid partners and create more effective regional fire protection.

By purchasing the new equipment, we will be able to fully contribute as a member of our mutual aid group, providing expanded firefighting capacity at home and to other communities.

Operational Outcomes. -- Daily operations will be enhanced and our fire department’s ability to protect life and property will have a positive affect in the community of XXX and the surrounding area. The purchase of the personal protective gear will generate increased confidence in our firefighters through more adequate protection on call and will provide them with the necessary gear to enhance safety. The SCBAs will ensure that 100% of our active, on-duty crew can actively fight any fire they may be faced with ensuring that our community is well-protected.

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Timetable/ Funds. The City and Department both understand the program’s timetable and the requirement that all purchases will be made within 12 months from the grant award date. As purchases are made and funds requested, the City and Department understand that FEMA funds cannot be held by the City for more than 30 days. If funded, the City will provide our resolution stating that the City has adopted the NIMS.