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Executive Summary
The executive summary provides an overview of the Eugene Fire & EMS and Springfield
Fire and Life Safety. The purpose of this executive summary is to abridge the
document’s key points, save the reader time, and serve as an organizer for the reader.
Purpose and Report Conventions
The project was initiated on March 17 and 18, 2009. ESCI’s (Emergency Services
Consulting International) met with the Eugene/Springfield project managers to develop
and approve an action plan for the Cooperative Services – Feasibility Study.
ESCi recognizes that information, by its very nature, is often incomplete as it changes
from moment to moment. Efforts were made to compile data that was complete,
comprehensive, and accurate. The information gathering process included data
collection, interviews, and research.
ESCi would like to thank Fire Chief Randy Groves and Fire Chief Dennis Murphy and
their staffs for their able guidance and assistance.
Critical Issues and Challenges
ESCI’s observations are compiled into four groupings, vital issues, challenges and
concerns, opportunities and current successes, and benefits. Vital issues are those
essential to one or both cities; any one which might be a deal breaker of future
cooperative efforts. Challenges and concerns would not necessarily thwart efforts, but
could present an impediment or roadblock to mutual programming and collaboration.
While these groupings harbinger warnings to halt or slow organizational changes, there
were as many inputs ascribing potential benefits and successful enterprises already
established.
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The three battalion concept was frequently mentioned first when discussing current
successes. It is evident from the comments ESCI received, individuals are seeing
benefits and anticipating further collaboration between the fire departments.
Analysis of Evaluation, Review and Benchmarking of the Current Organizations
The objective of this project is to conduct a thorough analysis of Eugene and Springfield
fire protection services. The organizational analysis is based on the elements included
in the following tasks:
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Task 1: Review of City/County Comprehensive Plans; ISO (Insurance Services
Office) rating evaluation; past studies and recommendations; and a thorough
review associated documents.
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Task 2: Organization Overview – A broad-spectrum overview of each
organization.
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Task 3: Staffing – Review the staffing levels of each fire department.
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Task 4: Financial Profile – Review the past, present, and future financial picture
of each fire department.
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Task 5: Capital Assets and Capital Improvement Programs – Review status of
current major capital assets (facilities and apparatus) and methods of financing
capital needs.
The report contains a comprehensive and detailed level of findings based on the
analysis of the above tasks.
Opportunities and Options
The ESCI Project Team explored the concept of Cooperative Organizational
Relationships, Strategic Re-Structuring, and Cooperative Operational Efforts. In this
phase and objective of the report ESCI offers information on the options and
opportunities available to the cities.
Oregon State Law provides for a number of cooperative opportunities, organizational
relationships, and processes to maximize fire and emergency services. ESCI provides a
detailed profile of each partnering model that is available to the cities. A discussion of
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the joint programming, strategic restructuring, alliances, and joint operation models
include:
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Cooperation
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Collaboration
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Consolidation
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Contract for services
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Full integration
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Future inclusion of other agencies
Available Options for Assimilating EFD and SFLS
There are a limited number of options available for EFD and SFLS to assimilate EMS
and fire services beyond joint programming and an alliance. The options involve the
conversion of a fire department to an RFPD. Oregon Law includes four strategic routes
– formation, annexation, merger, and consolidation.
Findings
During the process, ESCI found that the EFD and SFLS had many characteristics that
are found in progressive emergency service agencies. A listing of a few characteristics
includes the three battalion program, development of the Metro SOPs, a merged
response system, and joint training. Much of the responsibility is directly related to the
positive efforts and working relationship fostered by the current leadership. Fire Chief
Dennis Murphy and Fire Chief Randy Groves have created an atmosphere that is
benefiting the public, employees, and organizations.
Common to both EFD and SFLS is the similar variety of service and programs. No other
metro area in the state enjoys the benefit of a single fire and ALS EMS transport system.
The system has proven to be effective at maintaining a high level quality service. The
FireMed program, long embraced by both departments, has been copied in other areas
of the country with like success.
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Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the word “feasibility” as: “Capable of being
done.” The scope of work for this project states ESCI will present the feasibility of each
opportunity for shared services. The report provides detail descriptive on each strategy
that includes:
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Collaboration
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Joint Programming (Alliance)
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IGA (Alliance)
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Fire Authority
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Merger
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Fire Districts
Preferred Option
Of all of the feasible options listed above and presented in detail in the report, our
preferred choice is an IGA between EFD and SFLS. This is seen as an intermediary
step for a vision of a single fire agency via annexation to a fire district. While a number
of fire districts are available for the cities to annex to, those with a current relationship to
EFD and SFLS are clearly preferred. This strategy clearly represents the least complex
alternative to execute.
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