Thread by @AdamMacVicar

Good morning from city hall!

Executive Committee is meeting today. We’re hearing about Stampede financials and Calgary Fire resources among other things this morning. #yyc #yyccc @GlobalCalgary

Calgary Fire chief Steve Dongworth is at committee this morning for a report on what resources would be required to bring the fire department up to National Fire Protection Standards in Calgary. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth is speaking about what NFPA 1710 benchmarks would mean for Calgarians. Increased investment for the fire department but could also impact home insurance rates. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Note from the report: "While NFPA 1710 is not currently a regulatory standard, it is recognized by the fire industry as a leading benchmark for emergency
response service levels." #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Response times and targets for the fire department. Chief Dongworth says the city's development is outpacing the growth of fire resources. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth says new communities are more dense than older communities, which means fires spread quicker. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

The challenge: CFD would need to almost double its annual operating budget and staffing to reach NFPA 1710. Chief Dongworth says it would also take 15-20 years to implement. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth says NFPA 1710 is not feasible here, but is suggesting council use it as a guiding document for decisions regarding fire department resources. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Here's the options in front of committee.

The total cost of the 3 options is $52M in operating costs and $51M in capital costs with the addition of 315 new firefighters.

All 3 options are expected to shorten response times by 1:15. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth says the fire department is looking into dispatch and turnout times to help improve response times. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Dongworth is suggesting that it could help if communities on the outskirts of the city had agreements for response with fire departments in surrounding communities. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 14 Coun. Peter Demong asks how many of the increased calls that CFD is responding to are medical calls.

Chief Dongworth says there has been between 30-40% increase in medical calls in the first 5 months of this year compared to last year.

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Demong asks how removing medical calls from CFD would improve response times.

Dongworth says it would help but would be a "tragedy for the citizens of Calgary."

Demong said he doesn't want to see that happen, but says it's another example of "provincial downloading."

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Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness brings up this story from earlier this week. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary globalnews.ca/news/8954414/3…

Wyness asks about critical tasking.

Dongworth says they're the tasks that have been identified for a fire to be fought effectively and safely.

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Chief Dongworth says NFPA 1710 could be the fire department's "north star" and should be used especially when it comes to building new fire stations. Current response time of new builds is 4:30, while NFPA 1710 states it should be 4:00. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Wyness asks about how much say CFD has when it comes to building new fire stations and new communities.

Dongworth says the new business cases for neighbourhoods were reviewed for fire coverage by CFD.

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Dongworth says redevelopment in the inner city is creating similar challenges to what they're seeing on the outer edge communities. Infills being built closer together which requires a quick response time to contain the fire. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth says he's sure AHS is aware they need to improve the service in Calgary. He says he spoke with the chief paramedic about this issue this morning. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Wyness asks administration about why there aren't any updates coming to council about the pressures the fire department is facing.

GM Katie Black says they have processes to keep council informed.

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Wyness says council needs to be better informed about what's going on with the fire department. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian is asking about the opioid crisis and how it's impacting the fire department. Dongworth says the rise in overdoses has had an impact on all first responders.

39% increase in firefighters administering NARCAN last year. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean says he's disappointed the Calgary Fire Department is "carrying the water" for AHS in terms of medical response. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

McLean asks Dongworth if he would be in favour of Calgary taking over EMS and consolidating emergency response service in the city. Dongworth says it's a common model that would improve service but it's a political decision, and beyond his pay grade. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra says the city is in a struggle with trying to respond to emergencies while dealing with "downloading." #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

"If we don't have firefighters operating the jaws of life, we can't get people out of the wreckage," Carra says it's not always downloading because lives are at stake and the fire department is necessary at a lot of emergency calls. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Carra asks for a percentage of what calls CFD is responding to that are 100% firefighter required calls, and which calls might be considered downloading.

Dongworth says they need to be at a lot of vehicle crashes, not just for medical but also to clean up fluid leaks. #YYC

Between 50-55% of calls CFD is responding to is for medical interventions, Dongworth says. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Carra says he originally thought firefighters fight fires, but he says he's learned that CFD does a lot more than that and it needs to be considered. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Committee is recessing for the lunch hour. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Committee is back from break. They're continuing to ask questions of Calgary fire chief Steve Dongworth.
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Mayor Gondek and Chief Dongworth are talking about the process of a budget ask for the fire department. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Chief Dongworth says he approved the three options in front of city committee. He says they're things they thought city council would accept. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Mayor Gondek says this is an issue, and these aren't options but three items that need to be done to help improve the Calgary Fire Department. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Mayor Gondek asks if this issue would've been brought to council if it wasn't through a notice of motion. City manager David Duckworth says no but it would've potentially come up in the budget discussions in the fall.
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Mayor Gondek says this is politicizing a budget ask for the Calgary Fire Department.

Gondek asks why the chief can't outline what CFD needs and it automatically goes into their budget ask for November. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Duckworth says he has no doubt this would've been included in the budget ask in November. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Coun. Wyness says city council needs a budget request that is firm and blunt similar to the CPS requests - she feels council is not getting good updates on what is needed through "watered down reports." #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

GM Black says this is not a budget ask, but a response to a notice-of-motion from council specifically related to getting CFD to NFPA 1710 benchmarks. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Carra says council is being a little hard on administration considering they've been driven to find efficiencies over the last few years. He says they've had to do a lot of cost discipline for the fire department and now they need to take a look at the impacts of those decisions.

Carra says they've done too much cost discipline on the fire department over the years. He says they're talking about the cost of growth, and the more the city grows on the edge, the tougher it is to deliver a higher level of service. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Mayor Gondek says she's not supportive of across the board cuts, but rather efficiencies that don't impact city services. She says she continued to ask administration why fire kept getting budgets cut when it was already slashed. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Gondek says while she supports this, she can't believe it took a political ask to build a proper budget for the fire department. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Should note her frustration seems to be directed toward city administration and not the fire department representatives in attendance. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary

Sounds like this will go to council at the July 26 meeting.
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It is carried unanimously. #YYC #YYCcc @GlobalCalgary