Title
Phoenix Fire Department Staffing, Ambulance Model, and Response Time Update
Description
This report provides an update to the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee regarding the Phoenix Fire Department's ongoing developments in staffing, recruitment processes, operational activity levels, and ambulance (rescue) model restructuring proposal.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
Report
Summary
This report included as Attachment A serves as an update on the Fire Department’s Key Performance Indicators related to:
- Sworn staffing levels
- Recruitment/hiring efforts
- Emergency incident response times
- Overall demand for services
- Ambulance transport activity
- Ambulance operations restructuring
Sworn Staffing
The Fire Department's Human Resources staff works throughout the year to recruit, test, and hire new firefighter recruits to fill vacant sworn positions promptly. With the fire academy lasting 14 weeks, staff plan for attrition and coordinate efforts to minimize vacancies.
Recruitment Efforts
Historically, the Fire Department has experienced considerable interest when recruitments have been undertaken. While interest remains high, over the past 10 years the trend has moved slightly downward. Recruitment efforts must begin now to ensure a robust pool of candidates remains available for future opportunities.
Emergency Response Times
Emergency response time is measured from the time of dispatch of a fire apparatus to when the unit arrives on the scene of the emergency. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) establishes the objective standard that fire departments utilize to measure performance. Currently, the Fire Department’s response times exceed the NFPA-established standards. Fire staff continue to assess new ways to minimize impacts with current resources.
Calls for Service
Emergency response activity levels are tracked by the Fire Department to understand how the system is performing and what capacity level for additional service delivery may exist. The historical trend for the department's activity levels has consistently been a year-over-year increase. However, for the first time in 2023, the Fire Department reduced the overall activity level in 2023 by an average of eight percent when compared to 2022. The improvement can be attributed to a number of efforts implemented such as a reassessment of dispatch protocols, increased staffing, and expansion of ancillary services, including the Community Assistance Program (CAP).
Patient Transport Activity
The Fire Department operates a fire-based, emergency patient transportation system. This system has been in place for almost four decades. This system ensures the residents of Phoenix receive the highest level of care from the point of calling 9-1-1 to the hospital arrival. While the number of transports remained consistent for many years, the department has experienced an average increase of 16 percent in transports in 2023 compared to 2022. Fire staff have been seeking alternative solutions to address the growing demand for emergency transports.
Ambulance (Rescue) Reimagined
The Phoenix Fire Department, with a history spanning nearly four decades in providing emergency patient transportation services, has recently faced unprecedented challenges in its operations. The primary objective of this program has been to guarantee that Phoenix residents receive efficient and uninterrupted medical care from the initial 9-1-1 call to hospital arrival. However, a significant and consistent increase in patient transport demands, beginning in late 2022 and persisting through 2023, has placed considerable strain on the system's capacity to maintain consistent service.
Additionally, consistent with all ambulance services, the Fire Department’s program is regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) through a Certificate of Necessity. The Fire Department must charge for patient transports, with rates established by AZDHS. The Fire Department generates revenue for the City of Phoenix General Fund but is not considered an Enterprise Fund.
The existing infrastructure includes 29 full-time units, one dedicated to Sky Harbor Airport, and 16 part-time units, increasingly dependent on overtime staffing. In response to these challenges, the Fire Department undertook a comprehensive assessment to identify critical areas of improvement. The assessment highlighted the need for major restructuring to counter the identified challenges. These challenges include:
- 16 percent increase in transports in 2023;
- 36 percent of units staffed by overtime; and,
- An inability to place all units in service every shift.
The proposed restructuring plan involves converting 10 part-time rescue units into six full-time units, effectively increasing the number of full-time units to 35. Additionally, the plan includes incorporating new rescue units in each upcoming station. This reorganization strategy is expected to yield substantial benefits, including enhanced service delivery capacity, reduced response times, elimination of overtime reliance for daily staffing, consistent unit availability for every shift, and a sustainable model to accommodate future growth. The proposed ambulance restructuring plan will result in a nominal cost to the Fire Department's budget. Response times and activity levels will continue to be monitored regularly to allow for proactive solutions to be identified and developed to meet NFPA standards and community needs.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department.