HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/1993, 7 - CONTRACT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES WITH CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY (CAL POLY) --- Date: ---.,May 18, 1993
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norms COUNCIL. AGENDA REPORT
FROM: Bob Neumann, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Contract Emergency Response Services with.California Polytechnic State University
(Cal Poly)
CAO RECOMMENDATION: By motion, receive a report concerning the exploration of
providing emergency response services to the University and authorize staff to negotiate a contract
consistent with the parameters outlined in the report.
BACKGROUND:
In June of 1992, Cal Poly University approached the City of San Luis Obispo in preliminary
discussions over the possibility of the City providing contract emergency response services for the
main campus of the University.
Cal Poly is the only state University remaining with its own Fire Department. Considerable
financial difficulties have caused them to evaluate both the functions and need of having a Fire
Department. The University determined that contractual arrangements seemed the most economical,
and looked to both the County and City of San Luis Obispo as potential providers of emergency
response.
Through the summer and fall, both the County and the City Fire Departments provided the
University with a number of options to effectively fulfill their emergency response needs. However,
the University chose to reconfigure its Fire Department in lieu of employee lay-offs and contact with
the County and City was dropped.
This spring we have again been approached by the University. The increasing fiscal problems at the
State level have resulted in the University's final decision to pursue this course of action to a
completion.
The City and the University have a long history of sharing fire-protection services. Approximately
ten years ago, the City and the University entered into an "Agreement for Day-To-Day Mutual Aid
for both automatic- and mutual-aid for fire protection. This agreement was desirable to maximize
the effective use of resources to respond to fires and local emergencies that could develop beyond
the control of either the City or the University. Over the years each party to the agreement has
enjoyed the support of the other in many specific incidents. In November of 1992, due to budget
restraints, the University was forced to terminate this Automatic Aid Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
Over the past nine months the University has explored a number of alternatives to their current
system. They have talked extensively with both the City and County Fire Departments about a
number of possible contractual arrangements. The University has decided to close their fire
department at the end of this current fiscal year. They now desire to reach an agreement with the
City of San Luis Obispo to provide emergency response services on the campus.
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COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
At its 4-20-93 meeting staff advised Council of the University's request. Council directed to
staff to return with a report on the basic parameters of an agreement. Preliminary discussions have
centered around needs confirmed by the University to be beyond their capability that fallwithin the
scope of agreement. These discussions have covered the following operational issues.
Fine Suppression/Alarms:
The CITY would provide personnel, equipment, materials, and supervision for suppression of
structure and incident fires on the main campus of the university.. Fires to be suppressed include
(but are not limited to): structure, rubbish, trash container, automobile, vegetation adjacent to
structure and other such fires which, along with the above, are evaluated from the initial report to
be of significance or beyond the capabilities of the University's response.
Fire suppression would include those universally-accepted activities which bring an un-friendly fire
under control and render the property safe from further damage.
The UNIVERSITY would maintain.all campus alarm systems. University personnel would evaluate
a reporting alarm prior to notifying CITY dispatch. The CITY would respond a first alarm
assignment to water flow alarms in sprinidered buildings. The UNIVERSITY would screen all
other alarms and would request CITY response when confirmation is made that a fire or other
emergency is in progress.
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care:
The City would not provide medical response support to the University except on the following
special occasions;
• The locally provided ambulance service is not available or is
significantly delayed in it's response to the University.
• A mass casualty incident has occurred on the main campus of the
University.
The University understands that the County of San Luis Obispo is currently considering the
development of a new "pre-hospital care" ordinance that may revise the current system of
ambulance transportation in the County. The University agrees to cooperate with the City if the
City should so choose to enter into the County's pre-hospital care emergency transportation system.
Hazardous Materials
The CITY would provide trained personnel as indicated by the Code of Federal Regulations 29
"First-Responder Capabilities" to the UNIVERSITY. It is the intent that the CITY would share in a
joint command of any hazardous materials incidents based on the availability of responding
UNIVERSITY personnel.
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Response to threat of or release of hazardous materials would include within the capability of CITY
resources: evacuation of affected area, identification of substances, containment of substances,
protective actions for people, environment and property.
The University would provide technical support of qualified staff to assist the City with Hazardous
Materials response. Supplies and materials normally associated with first response would be
provided by the City. The UNIVERSITY would arrange for hazardous materials response beyond
the capability of the CITY including the removal and disposal of the hazardous material(s).
At such time as the proposed San Luis Obispo County Regional Hazardous Materials Response
Team becomes operational, the CITY and the UNIVERSITY would work cooperatively to access
this resource.
Extrication Emergencies
The CITY would provide personnel, materials, equipment and supervision for emergency extrication
of students, faculty, staff, guests, and visitors on the main campus of the UNIVERSITY.
Emergency Rescue includes: extrication of trapped persons from vehicles, machinery, cave-ins,
collapse of structures, fire, and other significant situations which could require assistance. The
UNIVERSITY recognizes that in an area-wide emergency, the CITY would prioritize it's response
predicated on life safety.
The CITY's response to elevator problems would be limited to situations confirmed by a
UNIVERSITY employee that an emergency does indeed exist.
Disaster Response
The UNIVERSITY has developed and will maintain at a.high state of readiness, a multi-hazard
disaster response plan. Included in this plan is the establishment and operation of a university
Emergency Operations Center as well as annexes addressing the roles of operational units of the
UNIVERSITY.
For purposes of disaster response, the UNIVERSITY recognizes that there would be priorities which
would dictate the CITY's response capabilities.
Subsequent to priortizing emergencies based on life safety, the CITY would deliver available
resources to assist The UNIVERSITY in it's mitigation efforts. If additional emergency response
resources are needed, they would be accessed through the Mutual Aid system already in place.
Unanticipated Calls For Service
Special situations not specifically covered may arise that are deemed by the University to require
resources beyond their capabilities. When those occasions happen the City would provide, at it's
discretion, available resources. The University would compensate the City on an hourly basis, the
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COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ;
hourly amount to be agreed upon by both parties. The following are examples of special situations
possibly requiring response.
* Flooding/Storm Response * Pipe Line Ruptures/Water Control
* Smoke Removal * Animal Rescues
* Electrical Hazard * Radiological
* Bomb Threats * Special Events/Crowd Control/Civil Disturbances
* Menace Stand-by * Fire Prevention and Other Technical Assistance
E%IPACTS:
The campus is occupied at any given hour in the daytime by approximately 10,000 souls; about
3,000 at night. The matriculated full-time equivalent student body is about 14,000 and there are
2,100 support staff.
The University, over the long term, has experienced a low fire-loss history with only one notable
exception in the last decade. Based on our experiences, while operating under previous Automatic
Aid Agreements and staffs review of Universityincident statistics, we anticipate approximately 40 -
50 calls for service per year.
A preliminary survey of the physical plant at Cal Poly, to assess impacts of assuming contract
protection responsibilities, was conducted in the company of University public safety employee,
David Ragsdale.
The following issues were evaluated as to their individual impact.
Access:
Perhaps the single greatest issue which would affect emergency response, is campus access.
There are numerous areas of narrow streets and questionable or non-existent clearances.
Building identification is difficult and access to locked areas requires many keys.
Facilitating entry into affected areas would remain a University responsibility.
Fnvflow:
Fireflows in almost all areas of the campus are below standard, particularly for large volume
defensive appliances. There are plans for upgrades over time, but these may well be
deferred due to budget constraints that will probably persist throughout the 1990's and the
current situation should probably be considered the best things are going to get for a while.
Water mains in many areas of the campus core are old and small. Static pressure may be
okay, but adequate defensive flows generally are not available.
Hydrant Locations:
Hydrants are few and far between. An unrefined estimate of hydrant density is something
less than 15 hydrants per square mile overall (maybe 50 or 60 per square mile in the core)
compared to about 130 hydrants per square mile in the City.
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Fixed Fine Protection Systems:
Most major buildings are relatively new and contain many fire-protection features as required
by code. There are few fully-sprinklered buildings on campus.
Alarm systems are mix-and-match where they exist. Some report to answering points, some
are only local. Some can be defeated by occupants without consequence. Zoning and
annunciation are essentially ineffective in most cases where systems exist.
Hazardous Materials:
Hazardous materials use and storage is probably not a significant concern, especially if City
response were limited to awareness functions as defined by OSHA. The quantities were
surprisingly low for the facilities and functions they support, and their storage, handling, and
use is well regulated. The storerooms where they are kept for distribution are generally
staffed with knowledgeable people.
There are some 900 regulated radiation sources on campus. Pesticides and herbicides are
well stored, and in reasonable quantities. The Crops Unit is probably the biggest toxicity
hazard; the buildings are combustible, and run-off control might be challenging.
Wildland Interface:
The wildland interface is generally well-buffered, and potential for wildland fire intrusion
into the campus core is acceptably managed.
Outlying Campus Areas:
Areas outside the campus core are not a particular concern from a strategic point of view.
While they may create spectacular fires, the probability of losses beyond the involved
structure is relatively low. Water supplies are the biggest problem here. There is also a
problem of poor access in muddy weather in some of these outlying units.
Tactical deployment of resources would likely be substantially more demanding than within the City
for similar fires, and more time consuming and manpower-intensive. This would probably result in
more defensive situations, and greater losses when fires do occur, since water supplies are not
sufficient to support defensive operations in most areas. However, most major buildings are fire
resistive construction and are well maintained. Also, fire is likely to be detected in its early stages
by occupants.
Both agencies recognize and agree that problem areas exist on campus which could greatly hamper
the delivery of effective emergency response or mitigation efforts. These problem areas would be
identified in any agreements with the understanding that the City response efforts would cope as best
possible, but would not be held responsible for detrimental results occurring due to existing campus
deficiencies.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City move forward in developing,a contract with the University for
emergency response services. We reach this conclusion based on the following:
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• Existing deficient conditions on the campus would remain the responsibility of the
University.
• Significant revenue would be realized by the City.
• The call-load would not have significant impact on the City's current fire suppression
system and minimal additional expenses would be incurred.
• Existing mutual aid agreements with the County of San Luis Obispo would require the
eventual response of City resources to any significant incident on the campus.
Therefore, to enter into a contractual agreement would be of the optimum benefit to
both agencies.
• The consolidation of duplicated services provides the most effective approach to
maximizing the taxpayer's dollar.
Staff anticipates that we would return with a final agreement for Council's review on June 15th.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff anticipates that revenues of$100,000 - $150,000 will be generated if a contract is established
between the University and the City.