AGENCY & APPARATUS RE-NUMBERING

1. AGENCY & APPARATUS RE-NUMBERING By: Tri-County Chiefs June 2012

2. WHAT IS AGENCY & APPARATUS RE-NUMBERING • Agency: In simple terminology, it is where each agency will be in a zone. Most (Fire Districts) will retain their traditional agency number in the new expanded numbering system. EXAMPLE: BCFD#2 was identified with a (2) i.e.; Engine 211. • Apparatus: It is where each agency will be required to change their apparatus identifications to reflect kind, CRZ(County Resource Zone), type and number. EXAMPLE: Richland Fire Medic 74 will be changed to M-1711 • Personnel: It is where Chiefs and other support personnel identifications will be changed. EXAMPLE: Franklin 3 Chief 31 will be changed to CH 231

3. WHY ARE WE MAKING THESE CHANGES? • The Fire Districts and Departments are preparing to • switch to a single Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). • It is anticipated that all Fire Agencies from • Benton/Franklin and WWFD#5 will be dispatched • from a single dispatch center. When this happens, we • will be using a single CAD program. • This single CAD will not allow for duplication of apparatus. • The single CAD will ultimately save us over $500,000.00, • avoiding a required CAD upgrade from both Benton and • Franklin Counties two CAD systems.

4. WHY ARE MAKING THESE CHANGES NECESSARY? • Avoids the duplication of apparatus numbering not capable in one CAD. • Easily identifies a geographical area (zone) that the apparatus is responding from (assuming in quarters) • Identifies if the apparatus is from Benton, Franklin or Walla Walla County • Follows the State Chiefs apparatus typing of resources

5. Tells you if it’s a support apparatus, tactical or personnel apparatus. “Described in a later document of Tier 1 & Tier 2 apparatus” • Is compliant with all reporting software, using (National Fire Information Reporting Software (NFIRS) and is compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) • The numbering can be expanded to multiple other counties. You can have more than 10 agencies, but not more than 10 CRZ’s.

6. Is modeled after CalFire and Arizona Fire Departments • This system should be able to support our current structure (can have more than 10 agencies but not more than 10 CRZ’s) for at least twenty years or beyond. • Will be easily understood over a short period of time.

7. WHAT AGENCIES WILL BE CHANGING? Currently all of Benton and Franklin Counties. Walla Walla is working on it: • BENTON: BCFD# 1,2,3,4,5,6, HFD,KFD &RFD • FRANKLIN: FCFD# 1,2,3,4,5,CFD,PFD and North Franklin Hospital

8. WHAT IS NOT CHANGING? Fire and Ambulance Station Identifications. EXAMPLE: Station 63, will remain Station 63 and 82 will remain 82 etc.

9. WHO MADE THE DECISION TO CHANGE? • The Tri-County Fire Chiefs, which includes all of Benton, and Franklin counties. Walla Walla County Fire Departments are still considering, but will likely follow. • A Committee was selected to develop a numbering system which can be compatible with CAD, can be NIMS and NFIRS Compliant. • Can be compatible and expand to other counties in our area (up to 9 counties). • Will avoid duplication of resources for all Tri-County Apparatus

10. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES WE SEE TODAY WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM? • BCFD#6 and Kennewick Fire utilize a 6 identifier and in the future could utilize the same apparatus identifier. • FCFD#3 and Prosser FD#3 utilize the same apparatus identifiers • WWFD#5, FCFD#5 and BCFD#5 utilize the same 5 identifier and utilize the same apparatus identifiers. • WWFD#4 and BCFD#4 utilize the same 4 identifier and utilize the same apparatus identifiers. It doesn’t stop there, all three counties have multiple conflicting apparatus

11. Issues with current system continued: • All agencies in Benton/Franklin and Walla Walla Counties are in • our mutual plan. • CAD can not recognize the duplication of apparatus. • Incident Commanders may get confused on which apparatus is • from which county. • Some agencies within the three counties are not compliant • with NIMS and use no recognized Apparatus Typing or kind • designators.

12. HOW WILL THE NEW SYSTEM WORK AND, WHAT ARE THE CHANGES TO EACH AGENCY AND COUNTY?

13. TYPING OF RESOURCES: • Each agency resource will be typed. • Typing of resources will be identified using the WA State • Fire Chief and NWCG Typing; which is compatible with • NIMS. • Typing is categorized as Tier 1 or Tier 2. Whether it is a tactical, • support or personnel apparatus. • Tier 1 units have a one alpha identifier/alias. ie: Engine (E) • Tier 2 units have a two alpha identifier/alias. ie: Rehab (RB)

14. EACH COUNTY IS ASSIGNED A NUMBER FOR IDENTIFICATION. • Benton County 1 • Franklin County 2 • Walla Walla County 3 • Columbia County 4

15. EACH RESOURCE IS ASSIGNED AN ALIAS IDENTIFICATION

16. ZONES • Agencies in all participating counties will be assigned a response zone. • (see maps starting slide 18) • Each county is divided in up to 10 geographical zones. • Zones are typically divided By urban, suburban and rural. • The philosophy is that multiple departments/districts can serve any given zone or share zones. We have multiple agencies tied together in zones based upon their geographic location and the population they may serve, whether its mutual aid or not. The rural areas often have their own zone by agency. • The reason we have zones is so that an incident commander or unit can • easily identify that an apparatus is coming from a certain geographical • location (zone) and can anticipate a relative time of arrival. • EXAMPLE: If BC#2 is requesting mutual aid for Type 3 or 5 engines and hears the 1 or 8 zone go en-route, they can anticipate the relative time of arrival.

17. Zones continued: • The same would be said if 61 crews were on a fire on Fruitland and they • hear E2813, they would know it is Franklin County engine out of CRZ 8 • (Pasco); they would have a relative time of arrival. • The reason we did not use stations as opposed to zones is because BC#1, • FC#3 and HFD have stations spread far apart and response times can vary • significantly. • Furthermore; if agencies had more than 10 stations (as in a merger), the system • would fail. CRZ’s have a limit of 10 on a specific type.

18. The following zone maps indicate where each zone is. The maps start with a full map and then are split finally into quadrants for easier viewing.

19. Full zone map

20. Upper half

21. Lower half

22. Quad 1

23. Quad 2

24. Quad 3

25. Quad 4

26. TIER 1 (Primarily Tactical Resources)

27. TIER 2 (Primarily Support Resources)

28. PERSONNEL RESCOURCES

29. APPARATUS WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING: • Resource Alias • Home County • County Resource Zone (CRZ) • Apparatus Typing • Number Out Of The Station “Engine 1811 (Engine 18/11) *** Old Engine 62 “Medic 2811 (Medic 28/11) *** Old Medic 81

30. CAD and NFIRS LIMITS • CAD AND NFIRS can only take up to 5 characters, • whether alpha or numeric. • There are too many resources and agencies to • accomplish a re-numbering without using 5 • characters while still having an operational value.

31. ARE THERE ISSUES THAT YOU CAN SEE WHICH WOULD CAUSE FAILURE OF THIS NEW PROPOSED SYSTEM? • Please discuss this amongst your peers, subordinates or technical staff and give your feedback to your Chief or delegate no later than JULY 19th, 2012 • Changing to a new system is required. Doing nothing is not an option!

32. WHEN DO WE PLAN ON IMPLEMENTING THIS CHANGE? • It will be mandatory by the end of 2013, but agencies can change this year if they desire to do so or have a need.

33. HOW IS IT FUNDED? • The Fire Chiefs are looking into several grants and existing budgets from various sources available to us. These funds can be evenly distributed to all of the agencies involved, to help off set some of the costs and in some cases pay for all of the transition costs. • Budget the money for the 2013 cycle.

34. IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS: • Get Feedback from each agency (Due 7/19/12). • Review and produce a final chief approved document/plan. • Identify what equipment changes are needed for each of the • agencies apparatus. • Provide those needed changes to the Chiefs. • Determine standard equipment & types. • Receive bids for equipment. • Obtain approval & secure funding. • Order equipment (TBD). • Train staff, personnel and dispatchers (TBD). • Put new identification equipment on apparatus (due • 12/31/13). • Change info in CAD to recognize apparatus (TBD).