HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Station Location Study South Hill 1983Submitted by:
''Valerie J. Koif
To
Prof. S. Smidt
Capital Budgeting.
and to:
Peter M. Lovi
Town Planner
May 5, 1983
a
EXECUTIVE SUMMRY
Various studies performed by both fire protection experts and members
of the Town and City of Ithaca governments have recognized the need for
increased fire protection in the South Hill and Westhill areas of the
Town of Ithaca. The City Fire Department covers these regions on a sub-
optimal basis in terms of response time and volunteer participation.
A station built and operated by the Town in one or eventually both
of these areas will best satisfy current and future protection needs
provided the Town factors in residential development patterns, defines its
future fire protection relationship with the City, and is able to
generate strong volunteer activity.
on an annual basis, the construction and operating costs of a Town
station are significantly less than continued contract fees paid to the
Citv. Until the Town and City negotiate a revised contract agreement in
the event of a Town -built station, however, the total package costs
(station costs plus new contract fees) to the Town may be more or less
than current annual contract fees.
The critical issue for a Town station is staffing. Paid personnel
is an extremely expensive staffing method and should be minimized wherever
possible in favor of volunteers. To gather and maintain a strong volunteer
force, the Town needs to develop a recruiting action -plan and benefit mix
that will maximize volunteer activity. In this way, the Town will be able
to avoid the low volunteer participation rate and other staffing problems
currently faced by the City.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. QUALITATIVE ISSUES
Overview of City Fire System
Town Alarm Statistics
Town Coverage
Site Selection for Town Station
The Staffing Issue
III. QUANTITATIVE DATA
Continued Contract Services
Station Costs - Sq. Ft. Basis
Station Size
Equipment Cost Derivation
Town Station: Minimum Total Cost
Maximum Total Cost
Mid -Range Total Cost
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INTRODUCTION
The Town of Ithaca currently contracts with the City of Ithaca
for fire protection services. For protection in the northeastern
section of town, it also contracts with Cayuga Heights. Contract
terms generally run for three years;.the present contracts will
expire on December 31, 1983. A copy of the contract in force with
the City of Ithaca is included with -this report.
Current.annual fees paid by the Town for.protection services
are $290,000 to the City and $31,000'to Cayuga Heights for a total of
$321,000 paid in equal quarterly installments. In return, the Town
receives the right to one engine comrany and one Emergency Medical
Treatment team per alarm in any portion of the Town. The City covers
all of the Town except the area north of the Cornell Filtration
Plant; this section is protected exclusively by Cayuga Heights. Be-
cause the bulk of the Town fire protection issues involve the City
of Ithaca, no further detail on Cayuga Heights services is discussed
in this study. -
For some time the Tdun has been considering the construction
and operation of its own station(s) in the South Hill and/or Westhill
areas as an alternative to contracting, in the interest of more ex-.
tensive protection at similar or lower costs to Town residents. The
purpose of this report is to present major issues involved in a Town -
operated station and to outline total cost parameters of one station
under varying assumptions as compared to the cost of continued contract-
ing for the same level of protection services. Additional options
such as a Townwide fire protection, network or an increase in service
P
levels with increased contract fees are beyond the scope of this
study. The costs of two Town -operated fire stations can be derived
from the data in this report but are not specifically addressed.
QUALITATIVE ISSUES
Overview of City of Ithaca Fire System
The City operates five separate stations designated by number.
Stations 1 through 4 are one station and make up Central Headquarters
on West Green Street. Stations 5 and b are both located on West State.
Station 7 is on North Tioga, and Station.::9 is on College Avenue in
Collegetown. The City has seven engines, one of which is a "floater"
engine used as needed. The City also owns two ladder trucks, two
suburbans, a station wagon, and an alarm truck.
All fire calls come in to Central Headquarters. Engines and
trucks are then dispatched according to geographic boundaries and
location of available vehicles. Volunteers are alerted by way of a
horn -alarm system, and are paged on radio pagers. No one station or
volunteer company is responsible for covering one specific area of
the City of Town.
There are eight volunteer companies, each one assigned to a
corresponding station number. Each company is an independent unit
responsible for its own group activities and fund-raising. New volun-
teer members choose the company they wish to be identified with and
are elected to membership by the specified company.
Town Alarm Statistics
In 1982 the Town of Ithaca registered 366 alarms, 22.3% of the
K
total alarms in the City and Town for the year. Of these 366 alarms,
48 (13%) were fire calls, while 63 (17%) were Emergency Medical Service
calls and 39 (11%) were Malicious Fire Alarms. 204 (56%) were due to
alarms where no fire was found, and to malfunctions. In proportional
relation to City alarms, the Town has the same percentage of actual
fires, a much lower percentage of EMS calls (17% vs. 320), a slightly
higher share.of MFA's, and a substantially higher proportion of alarms
with no fire (56% vs. 41%). This last proportion may be due to a lower
level of alarm equipment maintenance in the Town than in the City. In
regard to MFA's, the Toum's higher share is due to the fact that both
Ithaca College and much -of Cornell University - the two major sources
of-MFA's - are located within Town boundaries. Out of the total 134
MFA's for the City and Town in 1982, 54% originated at either Cornell
or Ithaca College. Ithaca College's percentage of N,FA's out of its
total alarms is twice that of Cornell - 21% vs. 100; yet IC holds the
stiffest penalties for students who misuse the alarms.
Town .Coverage
The quality of Town coverage by the City is deteriorating. Major
reasons for the decline are outlined below.
- High level of alarms
The Ithaca Fire Dept. now averages five alarm calls daily. The Depart-
ment's capacity to handle further increases without system expansion or
improvement is questionable. A substantial number of alarms also
increases the probability of a City and Town fire or EMS emergency
occurring at the same time, in which case the City alarm takes priority
according to current contract terms. Thus, the risk to the Town of
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being without protection under these conditions is heightened.
- Poor volunteer response
The number of volunteers responding to an alarm has dropped by
more than 50% since 1978. Average response per alarm in 1982 was
6.4 firefighters including bunkers and 3.6 without bunkers.
- Poor response times
Acceptable response times from station to emergency site are from
three to five minutes. Very little of the'Town is covered by response
from existing City stations. The two areas most susceptible to
severe damage in the event of fire are South Hill/Ithaca College and
Westhill, which includes apartment complexes, the hospital, and the
nursing home. Both areas are beyond acceptable response levels at
present, and both are residential growth areas.
There is not much the City can do in terms of system expansion
to improve Town coverage such that the entire Town is adequately
protected. For full coverage, the Town will need its own protection
system in coordination with the City network.
Site Selection for Town Station
Four Town sites have been under consideration for the past two years.
They are:
South Hill
1) Ithaca College along Danby Road
2) Ithaca College rear entrance on Coddington
Westhill
1) Mecklenburg @ the City Line
2) Trumansburg Road across from the odd Fellows Home
It is not the intent of this study to either specify the "one best site"
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among the four proposed or to suggest new sites. Both South Hill and
Westhill need increased fire protection; whatever area is chosen will
serve an established need. All sites involve trade-offs in response
times to important occupancies and properties, and in costs vs. benefits.
It can be suggested that the site chosen should have an acceptable
response time (!9 5 minutes) to all specified crucial points rather than
an optimal response time (< 3 miriutes)-to one location with non -accept-
able times to the others. In this way, protection is equally distributed.
The sites are sufficiently similar so as to project construction,
equipment, paid staffing, and operating costs for a station without
specifying an exact location. One exception may be the necessity of a
pumper -tanker to ensure water supply in the event a Westhill site is
selected.
The Staffing Issue
The bulk of discussions regarding a Town -operated station has so
far focused on site alternatives and costs. To date, insufficient
attention has been given to the problems and issues involved in staffing
a fire station. To the extent that the best of stations located. on an
optimal site is useless without manpower, the manning question must be
addressed before final plans are laid for a Town station.
The Town of Ithaca has no fire fighting tradition on which to
build an active volunteer company. The prestige and importance of
fire fighting has deteriorated over time; as a rule there is less
community support for volunteer fire fighters, and most firms are no
longer willing to pay for time off for employees who serve as volunteer
firemen. The increasing number of single -parent families has a negative
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impact on the number of volunteers that can he recruited; who will
watch the children while the parent is supposed to be answering an
alarm.? Past intangible benefits from fire -fighting such as high
community visibility, political influence, and strong identification
with a volunteer company are no longer evident. There are no tangible
rewards. Virtually the only benefit accorded to volunteers is the
personal satisfaction they derive from participation. In the face of
declining volunteer recruits and the training and time demands placed
on volunteers, such compensation may no longer be adequate.
These are very real trends in Ithaca that the City is currently
facing. In a February, 1982 Fire Protection Study for the City carried
out by George Proper of the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control,
it was noted that the response (in time and numbers) of career, volunteer,
and bunker personnel had fallen below previous levels. Recent discussions
with City firefighters of all three types indicate that the situation
has not improved. Conflicts exist between paid and volunteer personnel,
the volunteer force is aging without sufficient younger recruits, and
bunker participation is falling.
Given the manpower problems of the City, it would be myopic for the
Town to assume that volunteers for its station can be recruited without
concentrated planning efforts. The volunteer issue must be afforded at
least as much detailed attention as the more definitive factors such as
costing. For example,
- How many volunteers can the Town expect to get, assuming it can
achieve the same participation rate as the City?
- How can City volunteers be classified; are there common characteristics
so that a likely volunteer prospect can be identified? If so, can the
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Town supply this type of person?
- Are Town residents now volunteers with the City? If so, by how much
would Town volunteer recruitment be taking away potential City
volunteers?
- How will the staffing issue affect site selection, if at all?
- What kind of benefits will attract volunteers? What benefits could
be provided?
- How will volunteers be recruited?
Chief Tuckerman estimates active City volunteers at forty men.
With a City population of approximately 29,000 people, this gives a '
participation rate of l volunteer per 725 persons, or 1.38/1000.
Applying this rate to the Town's population of 16,000 results in
an expected 22 volunteers for the Town. Note that this is a rough
estimate only - neither the quality of recruiting efforts, nor the
time needed to develop public awareness, nor that segment of the
Town population influenced by City recruitment have been factored in.
The City attracts a variety of people as volunteers, with an
approximately even mix between blue and white collar occupations.
Members are generally homeowners in the 35 to 55 year -old age group.
By more extensive study and interviews with the current volunteer
force, the Town should be able to develop a clearer picture of the
type of person most inclined to serve in a volunteer capacity. Town
surveys could also be carried out at relatively low cost to gain an
idea of how many residents could be recruited and the time that they
could be expected to donate per week,.month, etc. There are many
Town residents who are City volunteers, so it is likely that the City
would need to recruit more personnel in conjunction with the Town.
Since the Town will not be able to operate independently of the City
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system for at least several years, cooperative recruiting efforts
by both City and Town will be most effective. Volunteer Company #2
\ has offered to relocate to a new station if necessary. This would
benefit the Town in that it would gain an experienced and cohesive
volunteer group, though additional personnel would still be necessary.
The Westhill Civic Association has indicated a willingness to
participate in staffing a fire station were one to be constructed
west of the railroad tracks. The Association covers 800 households
in the Westhill area, 100 of which are active members. On November 3,
1982, the Association submitted to the City of Ithaca a resolution '
to locate a fire station west of the Conrail tracks out of concern
over the inadequate level of protection for Westhill. The President
of the Association has verified that the group is still actively
interested in this proposal, and that the Association would assist
in both recruiting and supplying manpower for a Westhill station:
The Westhill Civic Association is the strongest and most active
group of its kind in the Ithaca area; there is no similar Association
in South Hill. To the extent that solid community support eases
staffing difficulties, the Town may want to consider this issue in
station site selection.
The supply of bankers must also be taken into account if the
Town decides to use them. Since most bunkers are college students,
a South Hill station would potentially attract more bunkers than a
Westhill station. Yet a South.Hill station would most likely find
itself with excess bunker capacity during the summer, as almost all
Ithaca College students leave town. With any station that the Town
builds, the bunker area should include facilities for both males and
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females; an increasing number of females have been applying for
bunker space in City stations.
A large part of the declining volunteer/bunker participation
problem in the City may be due to a.simple lack of publicity. The
bunker program is not well advertised at either Ithaca College or
Cornell. Volunteers rarely receive public attention through the
media for their efforts or activities, and recruitment appears
neither well planned nor highly publicized. Periodic, planned
efforts to create and reinforce public awareness of the volunteer
and bunker programs will help the Town build a strong participation
rate.
Some mix of benefits is necessary to attract, keep, and motivate
fire -fighting personnel. Possibilities include an attractive station
with multi -purpose facilities such as a lounge or gameroom, meeting
room, or kitchen facilities; reimbursement for gas used in travelling
to alarms; free radio pagers to either all or the most active volunteers;
periodic public recognition of service such as a "Volunteer Firefighters'
Day"; or more incentive -oriented benefits as simple as annual contests
with prizes awarded to the most active members.
Successful staffing of a fire station is essentially a marketing
issue. The Town may want to consider hiring a person to set up a
recruiting and/or benefit system and be responsible for gathering
volunteers once plans for a Town -operated 'station have been finalized.
The following total cost scenarios for a Town station do not in-
clude the costs associated with recruiting and motivating volunteers,
since such costs depend solely on the Town's choice of recruiting methods
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to be used and benefits to be provided, if any.
QUANTITATIVE DATA
Continued Contract Services
CURRENT FEES (rounded) ANNUAL FEE QUARTERLY PAYMENT
City of Ithaca $ 290,000 $ 72,500
Cayuga Heights $ 31,000 $ 7,750
TOTALS $ 321,000 $ 80,250
According to contract terms, contract fees constitute a fixed percentage
of annual expenditures by and for the City and Village Fire Departments,
including but not limited to insurance, capital expenditures, direct
costs, fringe benefits, etc. Actual computation of the fee is complex.
As a general rule, however, annual increases in fees charged can be
projected to rise with the inflation rate.
The present value of total contract fees paid by the Town over the next
ten years is calculated below in real and nominal terms based on the
following data:
*, Town borrowing rate = nominal discount rate = 8%
* expected average annual inflation rate = 5`k
* real discount rate (rounded) = 3%
* no increase in the level of fire protection services
Real Terms: Quarterly payment =
$80,250
Time =
40 periods (10 yrs.),
Discount rate =
.75% (.03/4)
Present Value of total fees paid, real terms = $2,764,000
Nominal Terms:Quarterly payments
with 5% annual inflation:
1984: $84,260
1989: $107,540
1985: $88,475
1990: $112,920
1986: $92,890
1991: $118,565
1987: $97,545
1992: $124,490
1988: $102,420
1993: $130,720
Time
= 40 periods (10 yrs.)
Discount rate
= 2% (.08/4)
Present Value of total fees paid, nominal = $2,760,000
note: discrepancies between real and nominal total fees paid
over ten years is due to rounding error.
Equivalent Annual Cost (rounded) = $325,000
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Calculated costs for a Town station are to be compared with the correspon-
ding category of contract fees, either as the present value of total costs
in real terms or on an equivalent annual cost basis.
Station Costs - Square Foot (SF) Basis
The following unit cost figures were taken from Mean's 1983 Building
Construction and Cost Data, 41st Edition. They were derived from more
than 8000 projects nationwide and include the contractor's overhead and
profit but do,not include land costs or architectural fees. The figures
are current as of January 1, 1983. Only major subdivisions of a "typical"
fire station project are listed below.
Because the project samples were located throughout the U.S. they reflect
large differences in SF costs. The costs below are meant as preliminary,
general figures only and should be used as such. They have -been modified
by a city building cost index. As the index for Ithaca is•unavailable,
a cost index of .929 (1.00 = national average) was derived by averaging
the cost indices of Syracuse and Binghampton.
All individual cost items were tabulated separately. Thus the sum of the
individual figures for plumbing, heating, and electrical do not equal the
total Mechanical & Electrical costs arrived at by separate analysis.
The 1/4 coluaan shows that 250 of the projects had lower costs (lower
Quartile). The 3/4 column shows
that 75% of the
projects
had lower costs;
25% had higher costs (upper quartile).
The median column
shows
that 50%
of the projects had lower costs,
50% had higher.
FIRE STATION: 1983 COSTS
$
COST/SF
t
% OF TOTAL COST
(all costs adjusted by index .929) 1/4
MED.
3/4
1/4
MED.
3/4
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS
41.16
54.44
65.22
Masonry
7.61
10.87
15.42
10.8%
15.6%
16.7%
Roofing'
1.55
2.67
•3.84
z.1.7%
3.0%,
4.9%
Glass & Glazing
.47
.66
1.04
; .5%
1.0%
1.1%.
Floor Covering
.26
.33
.47
! .2%
.3%
.8%
Painting
1.01
1.38
1.59
1 1.3%
1.6%
2.0%
Plumbing
2.70
4.14
5.42
+ 5.9%
7.1%
9.4%
Reating,ventilation,A/C
2.22
3.16
5.09
4.9%
6.9%
8.8%
Electrical
3.18
5.14
7.37
7.4%
9.6%
12.1%
Total: Mech. & Elec.
8.96
13.10
17.93
20.6%
24.1%
28.1%
Station Size
On a national basis, the typical size of a fire station project in 1983 is
5,800 SF; the typical range is from 4,000 to 8,700 SF. In the City of ;
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Ithaca, Station #5 is the smallest with 2,400 SF; Central Headquarters
is the largest at 11,200 SF. The size of a Town -built station is not
so dependent on site location as it is on anticipated station expansion
needs, residential development, proximity of potential sites for future
fire stations, and the amount of space dedicated to additional facilities
such as meeting rooms, kitchens, recreational or community service areas,
and the like.
Interviews with several officers and volunteers of the City Fire Depart-
ment indicate that 3,000 SF is the minimum space needed for a station.
Station #5 at 2,400 SF consists of only one bay area, a small meeting
room (suitable for approximately 15 people), and bunker facilities for .
five. With an efficient use of space, 3,000 SF would allow for an addi-
tional bay.
Maximum station size has been estimated at 5,000 SF. The additional
2,000 SF could be used as an expanded meeting room, training area,
lounge, storage area, bunker rooms, or some combination thereof.
Equipment Cost Derivation
Basic equipment and vehicle costs were projected based on two information
sources :
1) A 1980 cost study by Marc Cramer, business professor at Ithaca College
and volunteer fireman, done in cooperation with the Cayuga Heights and
City of Ithaca Fire Departments and according to ISO regulations.
Equipment listed in this study conforms to that required and recom-
mended by legal standards. The Cramer study computed building and
equipment costs for a five -station network. A 10% inflation factor
had been applied so that stated costs were in 1981 dollars.
2) Interviews with the City of Ithaca's Assistant Fire Chief, Mr. Ed
Olmstead. The Cramer study was reviewed with regard to revised costs,
miscalculations, and equipment description as well as unnecessary and/
or additional equipment for one station. Vehicle costs and cost
ranges were further verified by interviews with active volunteer mem-
bers and paid personnel.
Two sets of costs were computed and adjusted from 1981 to 1983 dollars by
a 10% inflation factor. One set was based on the Olmstead interview; the
other was derived directly from the Cramer figures. Both resulted in
similar totals which varied from each other by approximately 11%.
Derivation of costs directly from Cramer's report are as illustrated on
the next page.
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Cramer Study Single Station Cost Derivation
5 STATION TOTAL .....................................$ 1,960,150
LESS:
all engines $255,000
ladder truck 250,000 -
mini pump 85,000
squad truck 72,000
all stations 675,000
miscalculations 256,000 (1,593,000)
(rope,squeeges,etc)
TOTAL BASIC EQUIPMENT, FIVE STATIONS ................$ 367,150
TOTAL BASIC EQUIPMENT, ONE STATION (367,150/5) $, 73,430
PLUS: 10% inflation factor 7,343
TOTAL BASIC EQUIP., 1983 dollars ....................$ 80,773
(net of vehicles and station costs)
Town Station : Minimum. Total Cost
Conditions
1) Land donated
2) Station size = 3000 SF
3) Minimum cost/SF used (lower quartile figures)
4) Painting done by volunteers or not supplied
5) One engine only at mimimum cost estimate
6) No paid personnel
7) No bunkers
Construction
Total project cost: 3000 SF @ $41.16/SF = $123,480
Less painting costs:3000 SF @ $1.01/SF (3,030)
Total Construction $ 120,450
Equipment
Based on Cramer study,adjusted to 1983 dollars:
Basic Equipment $ 80,773
Engine 90,000
Total Equipment $ 170,773
Total Fixed Investment: $291,223
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Annual Operating Costs
Bldg. maintenance supplies
$ 700
Gas/oil
900
Equipment maintenance
2400
Equipment parts/supplies
2500
Property maintenance
3500
Telephone
600
Utilities
6000
Total Annual Operating Cost: $16,600
Present Value of Total Minimum Costs
Time horizon: 10 yrs.
Nominal discount rate: 8%
Expected annual inflation: 5%
Real discount rate(rounded): 3%
Fixed Investment: $291,223
Plus present value of oper. costs:
$16,600/yr.;10 yrs.;3% 141,600
Total Present Value: $432,823
Equivalent Annual.Cost
$16,600 + ($291,223/8.5302) = EAC $50,740
If the above -described scenario is desired and can be realized at
approximately the same cost levels as calculated above, building
a station under minimum cost conditions is about one -sixth the
cost of continued contracting on an equivalent annual cost basis,
not including any revised contract fees.
Town Station : Maximum Total Cost
Parameters
Equivalent annual contract fees based on $80,250 quarterly payments with
a real discount rate of 3% are $325,000. In a scenario with no future
contracting by the Town for City services, the Town could thus afford up
to this amount for building and operating its own station(s) and still
benefit. However, since the Town will still have to contract out for
fire protection if it builds its own station, the maximum annual cost
for a station can be no more than $325,000 less what the Town would be
required to pay under revised contract. Otherwise, the Town will end
up paying more per year for fire protection after building a station
than if it simply continued contracting out for total fire protection.
Thus, maximum total cost in terms of equivalent annual outflows will
equal the percentage reduction in annual contracting fees ($325,000)
granted by the City.
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A sample of probable reductions are given below:
% REDUCTION FROM 325,000 MAX. EQUIV. ANNUAL COST FOR TOWN STATION
10
$ 32,500
15
48,750
15.65
50,860
20
65,000
25
81,250
30
97,500
35
113,750
40
130,000
60
195,000
Note that unless the Town receives a 15.65% reduction in contract fees,
building and maintaining a station under minimum cost. conditions at
$50,740 per year will be uneconomical in dollar terms.
There are, however, other factors to consider. For example, if the
Town locates a station on Westhill, protection services supplied to
the Town. of Ulysees on a contract basis - if possible - will reduce
the financial burden on the Town of Ithaca. This could necessitate
cooperation from the City of Ithaca. The structure of the agreement
between the City and Town in the event of a Town -located station
will also influence costs to the Town. Since a majority of alarms
occur in the South Hill area, perhaps the City reduce would reduce fees
charged by more than if the Town located a station in Westhill.
Finally, the non -quantifiable social benefits of increased protection
afforded by a Town station must be taken into account. An argument
could easily be made that lives saved at, for example, the nursing home,
hospital, or Tower Dorms because of a nearby Town station are well worth
the additional costs to the Town. How much is the Town willing to pay
over its current protection costs for better service and lower risk
to Town residents?
Calculations
Conditions
1) Land purchased, 3 acres
2) Station size = 5000 SF
3) Median cost/SF used (upper quartile costs are improbable)
4) No volunteer construction work
5) 24-hour coverage by paid personnel
6) 5 bunkers
7) One engine, one ladder truck
Land Cost $12,000
Construction (sitework included)
Total project cost: 5000SF @ 54.44/SF $272,200
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Equipment
Basic equipment
Engine
Ladder truck
Total Equipment:
Annual Operating Costs
$ 80,773
90,000
250,000
$420,773
Total Fixed Investment: $704,973
Bldg. maintenance supplies
Gas/oil
Equipment maintainance
Equipment parts/supplies
Property maintenance
Telephone
Utilities
Labor:
1983 starting salary,
one man, w/experience
Benefits = +50%
Total salary, one man
For 24-hour coverage,regu-
lations dictate 5 men
$1100
1500
3500
3000
5700
600
9000
$21,119
10,560
31,679
$ 24,400
x5 $158,395
Total Annual Operat'g Costs: $182,795
Present Value of Total Maximum Costs
Time horizon: 10 yrs.
Nominal discount rate: 8%
Expected annual inflation: 5%
Real discount rate: 38
Fixed Investment: $704,973
Pius present value of operat'g costs:
$182,795/yr.;10 yrs.;3% 1,559,278
Total Present Value: $2,264,251
E-luivalent Annual Cost
$182,795 + ($704,973/8.5302) = EAC = $265,440
Comments : This is a "deluxe" station relative to the minimum cost
assumptions given previously. Land costs may vary; $12,000 is the
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most often quoted figure for Town sites under consideration. Lowest
land costs are found at Coddirgton Rd./Pennsylvania Ave. ($8000) and
on Mecklenburg past West Haven Rd. (5-acre parcels for approx.$10,000).
Highest prices will be on Mecklenburg at the City Line ($24,000) and
next to the Coddington Restaurant ($16,000). The range of land prices
does not significantly affect the equivalent annual costs in the above
station cost analysis.
Paid personnel and bunkers go hand -in -hand; it is possible to have
paid personnel without bunkers, but it is illogical to put 18-22 year old
bunkers in a station without supervision. Thus, in scenarios where
bunkers are used there should be provision for at least one-man 24-hour
coverage.
The City of Ithaca Fire Department currently owns two ladder trucks.
With an additional station and continuing residential development,
another ladder truck in the system may be a necessity. Ladder trucks
are the principal equipment vehicles for fire service Data on
fire -fighting operations indicate that approximately one-third of the
work on the fireground is "truck" work whether long ladders are needed
or not. Omission of the ladder truck cost from the maximum cost
scenario will reduce the present value of total costs to $2,014,251.
Equivalent annual cost will drop from $265,440 to $236,130.
If a station is located in Westhill, a pumper -tanker may be included
in cost projections for adequate water supply. Estimated cost for
a 1500 gallon tanker with a front -mounted pump is $110,000. This will
increase the present value of total costs to $2,374,250 and the
equivalent annual cost to $278,330 from $265,440.
Even with the additional cost of pumper -tanker, both the present
value of total costs and the equivalent annual cost of the larger,
manned station are below those of continued contract fees. However,
as previously discussed, the Town will still need City services.
If the Town warts to pay no more than current protection fees in the
event a station is built, then contract fees must be reduced by
80 - 85%, or other arrangements must be negotiated.
Town Station : Mid -Range Total Cost
Conditions
1) Land purchased, 3 acres @ $12,000
2) Station size = 4000 SF
3) No volunteer construction work
4) Median cost/SF used @ $54.44/SF
5) 5 bunkers
6) One-man 24-hour coverage; no experience
7) one engine @ $90,000
FV7
Land $ 12,000
Construction 217,760
Equipment;Basic & engine 170,773
Total Fixed Investment: $ 400,533
Annual Operating Costs
Bldg. maintenance/supplies $ 900
Gas/oil
900
Equipment maintenance
2400
Equipment parts/supplies
2500
Property maintenance
4500
Telephine
600
Utilities
7400 $ 19,200
Labor:
1983 starting salary,
one man, inexperienced
15385
Benefits = +50%
7693
Total salary,one man $ 23078
For 24-hour coverage,regu-
lations dictate 5 men x5 $115,390
Total Annual Operat'g Costs: $134,590
Present Value of Total Mid -Range Costs
Time horizon: 10 yrs.
Nominal discount rate: 8%
Expected annual inflation: 5%
Real discount rate: 3%
Fixed Investment: $ 400,533
Plus present value of operat'g costs:
$134,590/yr.;10 yrs.;3% 1,148,080
Total Present Value: $1,548,613
Equivalent Annual Cost
$134,590 + ($400,533/8.5302) = EAC = $ 181,545
Comments : Once again, station costs per year are lower than what is
currently being paid, but future contracting costs with the City would
need to reduced by 56% from $325,000 to $143,000 per year for the two
alternatives to be equal; i.e. same equivalent annual costs (181545 +
143000 = approx. 325,000).
18
The largest expense involved in'a Town -operated station, and the one
which most influences total costs, is paid personnel, assuming that
the Town is interested in 24-hour coverage and/or bunkers. Daytime
coverage is possible at a total cost of $23,078 per man without
experience and $31,680 for an experienced person. 2n this case
bunkers are impractical. Unless the The Town finds more effective
ways than the City to recruit active volunteers and increase
volunteer -response to alarms, a no -bunker scenario could result in
low response rates; as it stands now bunkers are required to respond to
all alarms when they are in the station.
Yi7
LOCATION STUDY FOR A SOUTH HILL
FIRE STATION
Prepared by the
Town of Ithaca Engineering and Planning Department
June 1, 1983
Introduction/Executive Summary
The present fire protection agreement between the City and Town
of Ithaca should be revised to reflect the need and awareness for
an increased level of fire protection in the Town. The optimal
arrangement will require the formation of a joint City/Town fire
protection district. This will require special State enabling
legislation and its drafting and passage should be given particu-
lar attention.
A new fire station should be built on South Hill in the Town.
The best site for such a station is south of the entrance to
Ithaca College on Route 96. This station provides the best
balance between the existing service requirements of the City and
the growth projections of the Town in the East King Road/Danby
Road area. The Town should construct and maintain this station
and the City should agree to relocate one of its existing com-
panies to serve as the cadre. This new fire station should be
designed as a multi -purpose community center with a public
meeting room and other space.
With respect to the upcoming negotiations, the criteria specified
in the Negotiation Recommendations should be considered in
addition to the terms already specified in the existing agree-
ment. It is opinion of the Engineering and Planning staff that
this new fire protection contract should be considered the
1
transition period between the present fire protection arrangement
and the eventual creation of a joint City/Town, Fire District.
Problem Definition
Concerned community leaders in both the Town and City of Ithaca
have identified a need for improved fire protection within the
Town of Ithaca. During 1983 the Town will be renegotiating its
agreement with the City; it is therefore an appropriate time to
consider the overall fire protection planning requirements of the
community.
Mr. George Proper, Fire Protection Specialist in the Office of
Fire Provention and Control has written that, "...very little of
the Town of Ithaca is covered by response from existing fire
stations. Important occupancies, (i.e. Ithaca College) are
beyond reasonable response levels. The topography of the area
and the manner with which residential development has proceeded,
clearly illustrates the futility of attempting to organize and
operate fire departments on every major highway leading out of
the city. Therefore it makes sense to deal with an existing fire
department." (letter to Mayor Shaw, March 29, 1982)
The problem to be considered here is how best to proceed with the
upgrading of fire
protection
in the
Town
and improve the
cost-effectiveness of
this vital
service.
Fire
protection should
F
be improved without sacrificing the quality of service available
in the City and without placing an unfair burden on the taxpayers
of the City and Town. Though the present recommendations will be
made within the context of the existing fire department opera-
tion, a preferable arrangement would be the creation of a joint
City/Town fire protection district within the near future.
South Hill/West Hill Priority
In the Town, both South Hill and West Hill are in need of fire
protection improvement. At this time, planning considerations
militate against the construction of two facilities. On West
Hill, the optimal location of a fire station in the Town is
compromised by the existing road system and the availability of
public water. Given the costs of improving public utilities, a
station on South Hill should be given priority. A station
located in the Town on West Hill should be considered following
commitments to:
1. the relocation of Route 96 or a final decision other-
wise,
2. replacement of water and sewer utilities to the Hospi-
tal/Biggs complex,
3. improvement of access between Hayts and Mecklenburg
Roads.
3
Alternative Locations/South Hill
In the course of discussions with the City Fire Chief, the City
of Ithaca Planning Department, and other interested parties, the
following sites have been suggested as possible locations for a
South Hill fire station (See Maps #1 and #2):
I. Hudson Place
II. Route 96, 300' south of Ithaca College entrance
III. Coddington Road, north entrance of Ithaca College
IV. Coddington Road, east entrance of Ithaca College
General Site Descriptions
I. 17-19 Hudson Place (Map #3)
Site recommended by Chief Tuckerman in his memorandum to the
Board of Fire Commissioners dated May 4, 1983. This site
offers a good sized lot with adequate parking space and good
access to South Hill in the City. However, trucks would
have to navigate several tight intersections with Coddington
and Danby Roads. Its location would make it a convenient
community center and a "neighborhood station". On the other
hand, from a land use perspective, it is difficult to prefer
this attractive residential site over less densely developed
alternatives.
4
0e
/THA CA COLLEGE
'-MAP 2 SITE DETAIL
F I\
. .ESS LA I
4c
ra
4
I �O
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l MAP I
SOUTH HILL AND A
PORTION OF THE CITY
OF ITHACA
SCALE 111=20001
MAP 2
SITE DETAIL OF SOUTH HILL
STATIONS
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OF
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OF ITHACA
0 F ITHACA
G�A DVIEV'
II _
HUDSON
T=-u
C0DDINGTON RD.
17 - 19 HUDSON PL.
SCALE I"=200'
The proximity of this site to the City would allow the
station to back up other City responses and would allow it
to be connected to the municipal alarm system. Alternative-
ly, it is poorly sited with respect to the residential and
commercial growth occurring in the East King Road and Danby
Road area.
All South Hill stations would have to respond downhill in
order to cover City alarms. It is our understanding that
heavy-duty braking systems are available which would miti-
gate the problem. We recommend that these systems be
installed for all trucks at any South Hill station.
II. Route 96, 300' south of Ithaca College entrance (Map #4)
Site recommended by Town to City Planning Department. in
preliminary discussions Fall, 1982. Good access to Route 96
north to the City and south toward Danby. Excellent
coverage of Ithaca College and NCR; better location with
respect to South Hill growth in the Town. Response time to
City roughly 30 seconds greater than from the Hudson Place
site; the municipal alarm system would have to be extended
in order to provide a bell circuit for this station.
Whether this site is located on the east or west side of
Danby Road, there would presently be no real identification
5
with a particular residential neighborhood. On the other
hand, a fire station is more appropriately located in a
industrial or educational rather than a residential zone.
The volunteer shortage might be mitigated by the easy access
to student bunkers. In addition, regular company members
and volunteers might be given access by Ithaca College to
their recreational and other facilities. This could be a
morale boost for station personnel and an incentive for
volunteers at little or no cost to the College, City, or
Town. Ithaca College has indicated a willingness to provide
the site for a South Hill Fire Station subject to -their land
use Master Plan.
III. Coddington Road, north entrance of Ithaca College (Map #5)
Property adjacent to Ithaca College maintenance buildings.
Many of the same advantages and disadvantages of the Hudson
Place site. with higher land costs. Attractiveness for
bunkers is reduced by the longer distance to campus. There
is less land available for construction and the road access
is not as favorable as Danby Road, though somewhat better
than the Hudson Place site.
9
2p'
SITE
PL.
I I I
HUDSON
L '
C(
CODDINGTON RD. I. C. NORTH
ENTRANCE
SCALE I"= 200'
IV. Coddington Road, east entrance of Ithaca College (Map #6)
No advantages over sites I -III. with the exception of lower
land costs. Response times unfavorably compare to all other
alternatives, given the expected future distribution of
population.
Travel Times
The table. below summarizes information collected by the Ithaca
Fire Department and City PlIinning. Sites I. and III. have
roughly the same coverage and travel times and are presented
below.
Minutes 0 1 2 3 4 5
Sites-
I. and III.
Morse Chain ###########
NCR $$$$$$$$
Tower Dorms ??????????????????????
Burns Road &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
II.
Morse
Chain
#############
NCR
$$$$$
Tower
Dorms
???????????????
Burns
Road
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
IV.
Morse
Chain
##############
NCR
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Tower
Dorms
?????????????????????????
Burns
Road
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
7
-1
CODDINGTON RD. I.C. EAST
ENTRANCE
SCALE I" =200'
Volunteer and Staffing Issues
It is no secret that volunteer participation in the City Fire
Department has fallen steadily in recent years. It is also clear
that volunteer effort is essential if the present level of fire
protection is to be maintained. There are several steps which
the Town and City could take to improve the image and position of
volunteer firemen in the community.
The Town should encourage employers to pay for time off for
employees who serve as volunteer fire fighters. Large employers
such as Cornell University, Ithaca College, Morse Chain, and NCR
will benefit from improved fire protection and should participate
in a volunteer inducement effort. Town residents might be
encouraged to serve as volunteers, perhaps through some property
tax credit for responding to a specified percentage of alarms.
Student bunkers should be eligible for room and board credits.
Volunteers could be given ID cards which would allow them access
to University and College facilities; YMCA membership might also
be possible. Most importantly, there should be greater continu-
ing recognition by the Town and City of the importance which the
volunteer firemen play in our communities.
Though the Town may propose to construct and maintain the new
station, the City should consider relocating one of its existing
fire companies to serve as the cadre of trained professionals
necessary for operation. In discussions with the Fire Chief it
N
has been suggested that equipment already owned by the City would
be transferred to this facility. The Town and City would jointly
invest in other improvements, such as the provision of radio
pagers for especially conscientious volunteers.
Station Design Considerations
The Fire Chief has recommended a one bay station for any site
under consideration. However, if the Town is prepared to finance
the construction, it is reasonable to consider a multi -purpose
facility which would serve the needs of our community for the
next generation.
I
Such a facility could be a two storey structure, earth -sheltered
for optimum energy efficiency. The lower floor would be a large
two -bay station with dormitories for bunkers and other personnel
of both sexes. The upper floor would be maintained as a public
meeting room with open workspace for administrative personnel or
community groups. This space should be capable of comfortably
accommodating 200 seated persons in order to complement the
existing public meeting space available at Town Hall. Bathroom
facilities for both sexes would be designed for common access by
fire personnel and the public.
This design approach would allow the new fire station to become a
Town community center. Of the sites recommended in this report,
Z
the Danby Road alternative presents the most attractive mix of
travel time, location, compatible land use, and cost for the con-
struction of a multi -purpose resource.
Negotiation Recommendations
1. The minimum response to any alarm in the Town covered by
this agreement should be increased from one to two companies
until such time as the City can demonstrate to the satisfac-
tion of the Town Board that adequate firefighting personnel
will be available with single company response.
2. The City and the Town should begin measures to substantially
improve the level of volunteer response to all alarms. Both
the City and Town should consider cost-effective incentives
for volunteers and their employers.
3. The Board of Fire Commissioners may provide a quarterly
report to the Town Board detailing all responses to alarms
in the Town. Information to be given in this report should
include: number of responses, locations, company(ies)
responding, type of alarm, estimated response time, number
of personnel involved, major equipment engaged for each
response, per response cost estimate.
10
4. The present fire protection agreement should be revised so
that, to the extent possible, no significant discrepancy
exists between the priority of protection available to the
Town vis-a-vis the City.
5. At the earliest opportunity following the renegotiation of
this agreement, the Town of Ithaca should name an addition-
al, interim representative to the Board of Fire Commission-
ers. It is expected that a permanent place on a three-man
Board would be made following the establishment of a joint
City/Town Fire Protection District.
6. The City should agree to staff and equip a fire station to
be located within the Town of Ithaca on South Hill at the
site 300' south of the entrance of Ithaca College on the
east side of Danby Road. The Town may agree to assume all
or part of the construction and operating expenses of this
station, excluding personnel costs. It is expected that the
planning and construction of this facility will be completed
within the lifetime of the new protection agreement.
7. This new fire station should be designed as a multi -purpose,
Townwide, community center. A two -storey, earth -sheltered
facility should be considered.
11
8. The City should agree with the Town on the eventual need for
a fire station on West Hill. This facility will be needed
to improve the level of service to the Hospital, Biggs
Complex, nursing homes, and professional buildings as well
as the expanding residential community. It is understood
that the planning of this facility will require the
improvement of water utilities on West Hill and the eventual
relocation of Rte. 96 and/or other improvements in traffic
circulation.
9. The highest priority for both the City and Town should be
the creation of a joint City/Town fire protection district.
Attorneys for both municipalities should be directed to
overcome any legislative impediments and bring this issue to
a prompt and satisfactory conclusion, if possible by the end
of the 1983 New York State Legislative session.
12
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TOWN OF ITHACA ZONING
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CITY OF IT'
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