Asheville Fire Department

1. Asheville Fire Department Extra Territorial Jurisdiction Periodic Fire Inspection Program

2. Periodic Inspections • Fire inspections reduce hazards and unsafe acts in the community, and provide a method to reduce community risks. • When risks are reduced, the community avoids increases in insurance, loss of tax revenue (property and sales tax) when a business is destroyed, and loss of employment. • Many businesses destroyed by fire never reopen.

3. Fire Inspection Mandate • City Limits • By Statute in 1991 • City Ordinance • City Program started in 1966 • ETJ Areas • By Statute • Begun 2006

4. Core Fire Department Services • City Limits • Fire Prevention Inspections • Tax Supported and Fee Supported since FY02 • Emergency Operations • Tax Supported • Extra Territorial Jurisdictions (ETJ) • Fire Prevention Inspections • Fee Supported and Tax Supported by the City since FY06

5. The Fire Inspection Work Load • Inspectable Premises • City Limits of Asheville = 7500 premises • ETJ Areas = 450 premises Current Fee Schedule in place since July 1st 2007 planned to achieve a Cost Recovery Rate of 80%.

6. Services Cross Over • How Do Fire Inspections Benefit Fire Department Emergency Operations? • Reduces Fire Incidents in Buildings • Fire Protection System Operability • Hazardous Materials Control and Reporting • Site Development • Water Supply for Firefighting Operations

7. Services Cross Over • How Do Fire Inspections Benefit Fire Department Emergency Operations? • Revenue Sources in Periodic Inspections • Reduces Fire Incidents in Buildings • Fire Protection System Operability • Hazardous Materials Control and Reporting • Site Development • Water Supply for Firefighting Operations

8. The same fire inspection services that benefit City of Asheville Firefighters also benefit Firefighters and their Departments in the ETJ Areas

9. Revenue Proposal • Fire Inspection Services that benefit the ETJ Fire Departments would be charged an additional fire inspection fee. • These fees would be adjusted from our base COA fees to cover 100% of our service costs in the City’s ETJ areas.

10. Proposed ETJ Fee Surcharges • All inspections are charged an 20% surcharge. • All services that directly enhance fire service operations are charged an additional 10% surcharge, such as: • Site Development Review • Fire lanes, fire hydrant placement, etc • Hazardous Materials Management • Plans and TIER II reporting • Fire Protection Confidence Testing • Fire sprinklers, kitchen hoods, fire alarms, etc

11. Revenue Example 1 • Restaurant with a 300 person capacity • City of Asheville • Base Fee is $175.00 • Restaurant with a 300 person capacity • ETJ Areas • Base Fee would be $210.00 • Fire Protection Test $ 21.00 • Total $231.00

12. Revenue Example 2 • 25,000 sq. ft sprinklered factory • City of Asheville • Base Fee is $225.00 • 25,000 sq. ft sprinklered factory • ETJ Areas • Base Fee would be $270.00 • Fire Protection Test $ 22.50 • Total $292.50

13. Revenue Example 3 • 10,000 sq. ft office building with a fire alarm • City of Asheville • Base Fee is $125.00 • 10,000 sq. ft office building with a fire alarm • ETJ Areas • Base Fee would be $150.00 • Fire Protection Test $ 12.50 • Total $162.50

14. Fiscal Impact to Operating Costs • Projected Periodic Fire Inspection revenue • FY 10 -11 = $ 270,000 • Adjusted Periodic Fire Inspection revenue + ETJ • FY 11 -12 = $ 295,000 • Anticipated revenue increase of $25,000 annually

15. Implementation • As this proposal is a fee adjustment based on business location, the current fee schedule could be amended by adding two additional footnotes. • Meeting with affected ETJ Fire Departments on a new information sharing effort regarding sharing confidence testing reports on fire protection systems.

16. Other Considerations • Revenue is cyclic in that some years all three schedules converge so the revenue stream is inflated for that year. • This also means that some years the cycle would primarily affect the annual inspection cycle and the revenue would appear lower.

17. Customer Service Concerns • Information Sharing with affected ETJ Fire Departments is key and must be timely. • Program comparison with the Buncombe County Fire Marshal’s Office – No Fees. • Our customer service must be exceptional.