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To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Jeff Carman, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Date:	December 8, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 21786 to Add Three (3) Fire District Dispatcher Positions

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/08/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Director
Candace Andersen, Director
Mary N. Piepho, Director
Karen Mitchoff, Director
Federal D. Glover, Director

Contact:	Denise Cannon, 925-941-3311
cc:	Denise Cannon Eldreai Ellis James Hicks Cheryl Koch

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 8, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 21786 to add (3) three Fire District Dispatcher (REWA) (represented) positions at salary plan and grade 4N6 1489 ($5,089 - $6,820) in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Fire District Dispatcher classification (REWA) has a total annual cost range of $127,669 to $164,899 including benefits and other roll-ups. There are seven salary steps in the range. The annual cost of adding three (3) Fire District Dispatcher positions at step one is approximately $383,097, of which approximately $130,139 is a attributable to employer pension costs. That amount would be prorated for the portion of the fiscal year remaining (depending on the dates of appointment).

FISCAL IMPACT: (CONT'D)

The source of funding for these positions is the District operating budget; however, the intention is to eventually transfer the positions to the newly established EMS Ambulance Transport Fund once the implementation of EMS ambulance services has proven to be financially sustainable and the Fund has a positive cash balance.

BACKGROUND:

The District operates the Contra Costa Regional Fire Communications Center (CCRFCC). The CCRFCC dispatches approximately 98,000 incidents per year for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District, Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District, Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District, and the City of Pinole Fire Department. Certain automatic aid incidents are also dispatched for the City of Richmond Fire Department. The CCRFCC answers an average of 4,800 9-1-1 calls per month with a peak of close to 5,700 9-1-1 calls per month during the summer fire season. In addition, the CCRFCC answers an average of 15,000 administrative and “7 digit emergency” phone calls per month with a peak of approximately 20,000 per month during the summer fire season. Since 2011, the average number of incoming phone calls per hour, of all types, has risen approximately 27%.

The proliferation of mobile phones and ability for those phone calls to be directed to the CCRFCC is a significant contributing factor to this increased workload. Staffing of the CCRFCC currently consists of four (4) dispatchers and one (1) senior dispatcher per shift. These staffing levels have remained consistent since 1999. The daily workload, incoming phone calls, and emergency incident volume have increased dramatically since 1999, but staffing has not increased to match the workload. With the consolidation of American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance dispatching into the CCRFCC and the contract between the District and AMR for providing service under the County-wide ambulance contract, the District will realize approximately $1 million in efficiencies and cost savings that would otherwise be paid to AMR for dispatching services.

These savings and efficiencies are directly tied to the CCRFCC, its facility and systems, and the personnel carrying out the work of answering administrative and emergency phone calls and dispatching of fire and EMS resources to serve the public. The District is seeking to add three (3) Fire District Dispatcher positions to better and more efficiently handle emergency call processing and fire and EMS dispatching. The positions will enable the CCRFCC to better achieve contractual obligations and industry standards for emergency call processing and dispatching performance at all hours of the day. Additional personnel will enable the CCRFCC to provide improved radio channel monitoring during active incidents which improves firefighter safety.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

By not adding three (3) dispatcher positions, the CCRFCC will not have the ability to improve call processing or dispatching times and will have a difficult time maintaining standards to achieve contractual obligations and industry standards for emergency call processing and dispatching performance at all hours of the day.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

No impact.