Fire Department Annual Report 2012

Annual Report 2012

Onward/ By 2020, Calgary communities are resilient, complete and connected.

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CPS2013-0502ATTACHMENT 2

2012 MeMoRAble MoMents

Calgary Metal Recycling fire On April 29, 2012, the Fire Department

responded to a fire at Calgary Metal Recycling in the southeast industrial area. A pile of scrap auto parts burned for a total of 10 days. The City activated its Municipal Emergency Plan and Fire crews worked diligently throughout the event to monitor air quality and safety for surrounding citizens and businesses. The Fire Department successfully worked with many other City of Calgary business units, contracted companies and provincial agencies in order to manage, control and extinguish the fire.

Shaw Court building explosion On July 11, 2012, the Fire Department

responded to a report of an electrical explosion at the Shaw Court Building located in downtown Calgary. All building occupants were safely evacuated. However, power to the building was affected, which impacted businesses and citizens whose data and systems were powered by Shaw. Some phone and computer communications used by The City of Calgary to provide services to citizens were impacted.

The City activated its Municipal Emergency Plan at the Shaw building to co-ordinate its response and resources. By July 17, all impacted City of Calgary services were restored, and citizens were informed they could access services as usual.

Contents

message from the general manager 2message from the Chief 3Who We are 4What We Do 10WhY We Do it 20hoW We Do it 24What’s next 36

2012 MeMoRAble MoMents

Severe weather events Strong winds can cause numerous hazards,

including downed powerlines and trees, power outages and blocked roadways. The Fire Department responded to multiple windstorm events in 2012 with the more severe event requiring activation of the Municipal Emergency Plan. In January, winds gusting up to 100 kilometres an hour resulted in downtown road closures. Then, in March, the Fire Department responded to a severe windstorm that had a portion of a sign dangling from Western Canadian Place. The City closed off sections of the downtown core for several hours during the commuter rush as emergency responders secured the area.

Harvie Passage The opening of the Harvie Passage in May

2012 presented a new public education challenge for the Fire Department. Lack of citizen awareness of how to safely traverse the passage coincided with a high spring runoff, resulting in a significant risk to users of the Bow River. A concentrated public education campaign, ongoing discussions with stakeholder groups, and increased river patrols were implemented to ensure citizens were aware of the risks.

During the summer, firefighters responded to an average of 12 calls a month to provide aquatic rescue to citizens travelling the Harvie Passage.

Shamrock Hotel fire On Aug. 28, 2012, firefighters responded

to a fire at the historic Shamrock Hotel in the community of Ramsay. Fire crews knocked down the three-alarm fire quickly at the 88-year-old hotel. Eleven people were rescued and three were treated by EMS/AHS personnel. The Fire Department investigation resulted in charges being laid against the building owner for fire code violations that posed a significant risk to the safety of hotel tenants at the time of the fire.

MessAge fRoM the geneRAl MAnAgeR

2 Fire | AnnuAL REPORT 2012

Recognizing the need for capital projects to address city growth as well as lifecycle needs of existing facilities, we celebrated the grand opening of the Genesis Wellness Centre and the reopening of Calgary’s only indoor public park, Devonian Gardens, following an extensive renovation. Funding for four new recreation centres was secured and the Community Investment Fund supported numerous projects including Bowness Park, Shouldice Aquatic Centre, Optimist Park, tree planting and playground replacements.

The Calgary Fire Department opened two fire stations, and the new Emergency Operations Centre also opened, housing the Calgary Emergency Management Agency and the Public Safety Communications (9-1-1) backup centre.

All of this work supports what citizens believe to be important: a family-friendly city, quality service, help for those in need and investment in community infrastructure. These are things that contribute to bettering neighbourhoods and creating a city in which we all want to work, live and play.

Calgary is a better place because employees and partners of the Community Services & Protective Services department care about citizens, our community and one another.

Erika Hargesheimer General Manager Community Services & Protective Services The City of Calgary

Dear Council, citizens and City colleagues,

Ensuring Calgary is a socially inclusive, liveable and sustainable city is at the heart of all we do. We take great pride in serving Calgarians and we work hard to continually improve quality of life in our city in partnership with community agencies, community and social recreation associations, civic partners as well as a network of provincial and federal emergency management agencies.

2012 was a busy and exciting year for Community Services & Protective Services. We began the year with Recreation centennial celebrations. Dubbed Rec100, we celebrated each month with a theme and fun-filled activities. Another highlight was Calgary’s designation as Cultural Capital of Canada, affirming Calgary as a city enriched by diversity.

The Multi-Agency School Support Team (MASST) expanded in 2012. This innovative partnership with Calgary Police Service, Community & neighbourhood Services and school boards, provides early intervention services to elementary-age children exhibiting high-risk behaviour or victimization that may lead to criminal involvement. Additionally, we received a commitment from Council through Fair Calgary to initiate work on a single point of entry system for eligibility and access to all low-income programs and services offered by The City.

More than 160,000 Calgarians attended Canada Day celebrations which included events connected along Olympic Plaza, Prince’s Island Park, RiverWalk, Riverfront Avenue to East Village and Fort Calgary. And 16,500 citizens voiced their opinions over a six-month period on what matters most to them about their library and what a 21st century library should be. This input is now being used to guide the next phase of work for the new Central Library.

MessAge fRoM the Chief

The Fire Department’s 2011–2021 Sustainability Plan is available at calgary.ca/fire.

3Messages froM the general Manager and chief

• Improved efficiencies extended existing funding. Through improved project management controls, funds saved from other station construction projects were significant enough to reallocate to cover the costs of our future East Macleod Emergency Response Station.

In our Annual Report you will see the Fire Department’s performance for 2012 discussed under our six sustainability priorities:

1. Managing growth.

2. Ensuring safe communities.

3. Leading in service to citizens.

4. Elevating our environmental stewardship.

5. Valuing and empowering our workforce.

6. Building service resiliency through emergency management.

We are at the beginning of our sustainability mission and we are confident that our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement will help us become a recognized leader in fire service sustainability. I appreciate the incredible efforts of every one of our employees in 2012 to deliver outstanding service to our citizens while building a sustainable organization that continues to deliver quality service to Calgarians in the future.

W. (Bruce) Burrell Fire Chief

In 2011, City Council approved the Fire Department’s 10-year Sustainability Plan that outlines our commitment to making sustainability central to our decision-making, our plans, our practices and our operations. For the first time, we are reporting on our annual performance from a sustainability perspective and providing increased accountability for our actions on our economic, social and environmental goals.

Sustainability is becoming a business imperative for many municipalities, as citizens demand city services that wisely manage resources to ensure long-term viability and a better quality of life. We believe that by maintaining a strong sustainability compass to guide our operations we will further increase citizen satisfaction, reduce costs, create stronger communities, enhance employee engagement, and advance learning and innovation.

In 2012, our employees delivered the following major improvements to community and firefighter safety:

• Faster travel times to fire rescue incidents. Travel time performance – for first-in engines responding to fire rescue incidents, and for a full first alarm response, which is getting 12 firefighters to a fire suppression incident – was the best since 2008.

• Improved firefighter safety. We better protected firefighters by replacing more than 1,100 sets of personal protective equipment and being the first fire department in Canada to deliver training on fireground survival to reduce risk to firefighters caught in an emergency situation.

• Reduced risk of fires. Over the past five years, the number of fires has declined by 24 per cent, significantly improving both citizen and firefighter safety.


Our people are key to our success. They protect and safeguard citizens by delivering fire and community safety services to Calgarians living and working in communities across the city.

With over 90 per cent of our operating expenditures dedicated to salaries and wages, our workforce is our most important asset and an essential element of our sustainability and success. Our efforts to engage, develop and advance our staff are reflected in our sustainability priority: valuing and empowering our workforce.

Who we ARe

92% oF employees are uniFormed staFF

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500

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1,000

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1,2891,356 1,369 1,402 1,401

total fire Department employees, 2008-2012

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120

87

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new recruits, 2008-2012

Who We are 5

SuSTAInABILITy PRIORITy:

Valuing and empowering our workforceThe vision for 2021: our workforce has just-in-time access to the types of training and development that support our service to citizens. our human resources management and programs align with our organizational goals, and motivate and support staff in achieving our vision. We apply technology as a strategic tool and enabler for public service innovation, productivity growth, and reduction of our environmental footprint. Working in concert with our unions, we create service delivery and workforce strategies that protect the safety of our citizens and reflect consideration for all of the factors impacting our sustainability.

Understanding and managing our human capital riskIn 2012, 1,401 employees delivered fire and community safety services to more than 1.1 million Calgarians.

Just over 92 per cent of all Fire Department employees are uniformed staff. Of our total workforce, 85.4 per cent provide frontline services to citizens while the remainder of staff support firefighters through health and wellness, training and technology initiatives, or oversee programs that enhance service to citizens, such as public education and response and station planning.

With the opening of one new station, and 38 firefighter staff retirements in 2012, three recruit classes completed training to prepare 81 new hires for work as frontline firefighters.

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Local 255 Other

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321

fire Department retirements, 2008-2012


Creating a workforce reflective of our community. Recruitment activities through the year continued to support our 2011–2014 Recruitment Inclusion Action Plan, which was developed to attract and recruit qualified women, Aboriginal people and visible minorities. In 2012, an inclusion consultant began work with the Fire Department on establishing stronger relationships with Calgary’s Aboriginal community. We also worked to expand the audiences learning about becoming a firefighter by providing live video streaming of our recruitment information sessions.

Preparing for the Fire Department’s future. Knowledge transfer and retention are key to ensuring our organization can continue to run without interruption to our services and business processes. In 2012, we established a process for collecting critical position knowledge, and developed strategies for ensuring vital information is retained and shared with others. We also identified key positions in the organization requiring succession planning to help create development programs to prepare staff for future roles.

Preparing employees to deliver a breadth of fire and community safety services to citizensOur staff needs exceptional rescue, fire and medical training to ensure the safety of Calgarians at home, at work, on our roadways or visiting one of the thousands of businesses or facilities in our city.

Preparing our staff to lead. Through the Supervisory Leadership Development program offered by The City of Calgary in partnership with the Canadian Management Centre, 268 staff from various levels in our organization received career development training related to frontline leadership skills.

Expanding learning opportunities. Through our Learning Management System, staff completed more than 8,000 online courses from their stations and offices. Leveraging their expertise in online learning, our Employee Development & Training division developed electronic courseware for other City business units, including the City Manager’s Office, Community & neighbourhood Services, the Calgary Police Service and Calgary Transit. The division also helped develop and launch an online learning system for Public Safety Communications to support increased learning opportunities for The City of Calgary’s 9-1-1 emergency communications officers.

Building skills through hands-on learning. Over 3,000 recruit and incumbent staff took part in more than 2,200 hours of instructor-led training. This translated into more than 91,000 hours of hands-on instruction for staff.

7Who We are

DEMOnSTRATInG OuTSTAnDInG COMMunITy SAFETy AnD SERVICE • Captain Alax Whittleton, Jeff Atkinson, Scott

Jordan and Jeff Bell from Station #24 received the Calgary Police Service Chief’s Award for Exceptional Recognition. The award recognized these firefighters for going above and beyond when assisting members of the Calgary Police Service with rescuing a girl during a heavy rainstorm in August 2011.

• Together with Public Safety Communications, the Calgary Emergency Management Agency and Canada Task Force 2, the Fire Department received a City of Calgary Star of Excellence Award in the Caring category for its assistance at the Slave Lake fires in 2011. Calgary firefighters volunteered countless hours to assist an overwhelmed Slave Lake community fire department. Our personnel worked around the clock, including off-duty staff who volunteered their time to fight the blaze. Many Slave Lake residents were able to return home just two weeks later thanks to the fast response and selfless efforts of Calgary’s emergency responders.

• In 2012, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals were presented to Canadians to recognize significant contributions and achievements. Captain David Avramenko and former Fire Chief Wayne Morris of the Calgary Fire Department were honoured for their service and accomplishments.

• Fire Chief Burrell was named 2012 Canadian Career Fire Chief of the Year. This important recognition reflects the high regard other departments and peers across the country hold for the Calgary Fire Department. It is a testament to the innovative, outstanding work our employees carry out each day.

• On behalf of the Province of Alberta, the Fire Department was proud to host the 2012 Fire Service Exemplary Medal Awards for Southern Alberta. The awards recognize professional and volunteer fire personnel with 20, 30 and 40 years of service. In total, 32 firefighters from across Alberta received recognition for their dedication, commitment and distinguished service, including nine of the Calgary Fire Department’s own.

• The Sikh youth Council sought a volunteer to work with a young member of the Sikh community. Raminder Dhaliwal was interested in learning more about what is required to become a firefighter. Each month, Assistant Deputy Chief Brian McAsey shared his time and experiences to help Dhaliwal learn more about the career and the Fire Department. In recognition of both men’s level of commitment, the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council honoured them with the Mentor and Mentee of the Year Award.


Protecting the safety of our firefighters. • The Department purchased more than 1,100

sets of personal protective equipment last year. The new equipment replaced duty gear that had been in use beyond its recommended lifecycle age, as well as outfitting new firefighters.

• We were the first fire department in Canada to deliver the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Fireground Survival Course to our frontline firefighters in 2012. It can take only a moment for things to go wrong at a fire incident. This course taught vital escape and survival techniques for firefighters facing a personal safety emergency situation.

• We developed a new injury incident database that will allow us to identify staff injury trends on a timely basis so injury reduction programs can be implemented when they are most needed. It will incorporate Workers’ Compensation Board injury data and costs so we can assess trending and costs associated with different injuries.

Creating healthier workplaces. In 2012, 558 formal workplace inspections occurred at Fire Department facilities. It was part of our effort to identify existing and potential safety hazards to staff. The completion rate for the year was 96 per cent, which was an improvement of 13 per cent over 2011 thanks to the implementation of a new inspection scheduling system and an online inspection procedure outlining roles and responsibilities. The inspection program will be further enhanced with an online workplace inspection training module scheduled for release in 2013.

Collaborating to create a safe, engaged, sustainable workplace.The 2012 City of Calgary Employee Satisfaction Survey indicated a moderate decline in the overall employee satisfaction score for the Fire Department. Our 2011 score of 100.6, which was the highest satisfaction score recorded to date for the Fire Department, dipped to 84.6. Though not as high as the previous year, our employee satisfaction results remain strong, with an overall upward trend over the past five years. Key results included:

• Employees expressed high levels of satisfaction with the fairness and respect they receive from those to whom they report directly, and with knowing what is expected of them to deliver excellent customer service.

• Areas of concern for staff include having access to the resources they require to do their job and having safe working conditions. In addition to the advances made in 2012 on optimizing resources and enhancing firefighter safety, Fire Department management has committed to providing quarterly updates on initiatives in these areas.

Establishing joint labour-management sessions. The fire chief and the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 255 started joint labour-management sessions in 2012 to collaboratively review Fire Department performance, operational issues and staff concerns. These sessions provide an opportunity to collaborate on solutions aimed at advancing the shared goal of employee and citizen safety.

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CFD CS&PS Corporation (City)

63.4

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88.6

108.5

81.7

102.6

118.4

100.6

111.8119.5

84.6

102.8

118.2

employee satisfaction survey index score, 2008-2012

11%increase

members attended the Wellness centre

in 2012, more than

1,200

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

member attendance 968 1,148 1,071 1,086 1,205

Pre-employment medicals conducted 238 104 43 152 98

Driver’s medicals conducted 137 220 237 257 265

wellness Centre use, 2012

Who We are 9

updated position-based hazard assessments were also completed for every position at the Fire Department. This joint effort between employees and management helps identify potential health and safety hazards for each position so appropriate control measures can be implemented for all identified hazards. Templates and an online training module helped staff understand how to identify hazards for remediation.

Due to the variety of work situations staff may encounter on a daily basis, we implemented a new field level hazard assessment process in 2012 with an online training module. Staff are now trained and better equipped to identify hazards associated with a particular job. Similar to the position-based hazard assessments, both employees and managers are involved in the identification of hazards before the job is started.

Supporting staff health. The Fire Department Wellness and Fitness program is a progressive model for delivery of preventative and occupational health care services for firefighters and all support staff. The program helps ensure that all of our fire personnel are healthy for the duration of their careers and subsequent retirement. In 2012, more than 1,200 suppression and non-suppression members attended the Wellness Centre. That is an 11 per cent increase over 2011.


The Fire Department is one of five business units within The City of Calgary’s Community Services & Protective Services department committed to improving the quality of life in Calgary communities.

More than 1,400 firefighters and non-uniformed staff contribute to the health, safety and vitality of Calgarians through an integrated program of emergency fire and medical response, prevention and enforcement. We also work with other agencies to support emergency and disaster management planning, preparedness and response.

Our work to protect citizens and the quality of life in our city is guided by two of our sustainability priorities: ensuring safe communities, and elevating our environmental stewardship.

What we Do

what we Do 11

Emergency response and firefightingFour platoons of firefighters located in 38 emergency response stations across Calgary provide a range of emergency and non-emergency services to 1.1 million citizens. Emergency services include response to fires, emergency medical incidents, chemical and hazardous materials releases and motor vehicle collisions. In addition, our firefighters provide specialized rescue services to citizens, including rescue from incidents involving wind, water, tall structures and collapsed buildings or confined spaces. To ensure the safety of our employees and citizens, and adherence with all applicable legislation, staff receives specialized training in emergency response and community safety throughout their careers.

Impact on fire service: This service represents an average of 88 per cent of our total employees and 83 per cent of our overall operating budget. It is the area of our organization most directly impacted by community growth and intensification issues, including changes in the volume and type of calls, traffic patterns and road networks, city geography and population demographics.

Fire trucks, equipment and resourcesReliable emergency response requires timely and appropriate support for emergency vehicles, stations and equipment. Stations must be safe and constantly in operation, which means regular and ongoing maintenance and management. In addition, the specialized fleet of emergency response vehicles must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure optimum performance under any conditions. Fire, protective safety and communications equipment needs to be regularly tested, repaired and warehoused. Dedicated technology support is required to help deliver the necessary information we need to make planning and response decisions.

Impact on fire service: This service represents an average of two per cent of our total employees and six per cent of our overall operating budget. This area is most directly impacted by the availability of capital funding to acquire necessary infrastructure used in the delivery of emergency and non-emergency services by our frontline staff.

platoons4

stations38

million people relying on us

1.1


Working with all three levels of government, we provide input into the development of new codes and standards to improve safety. Our investigations program identifies the causes of fires and provides vital information that shapes the outreach and education initiatives we provide to our communities.

We also work to reach at least one in 10 Calgarians annually through our community safety programs and education, including initiatives targeted at groups most at risk and vulnerable to injury, including children, disabled persons, low-income households, immigrant populations and seniors.

Impact on fire service: This service represents an average of three per cent of our overall personnel and two per cent of our overall operating budget.

Planning, risk analysis and performance managementAs we strive towards increased sustainability and innovation, we rely on a co-ordinated and specialized approach to our planning, risk management and compliance. Our organization continuously monitors and analyzes performance to ensure we are delivering quality services in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This work includes business and budget planning, capital planning and development, urban planning, fire-based research and development, environmental monitoring and compliance, occupational health, safety and wellness, policy development, and performance management and reporting.

Impact on fire service: This service represents an average of six per cent of our overall personnel and seven per cent of our overall operating budget..

Disaster planning and preparednessEmergency and disaster management within the Fire Department includes planning to ensure we can support the Calgary Emergency Management Agency during widespread events, as well as developing our own policies, strategies and practices so we can maintain service to Calgarians through response to, and recovery from, any large-scale incident. Strong supply chain and workforce management are vital to ensuring business continuity through any emergency.

Impact on fire service: This service represents one per cent of our total employees and one per cent of our overall operating budget.

Prevention and investigationsThrough education, inspections and enforcement, we work with building and property owners to ensure compliance with fire and safety codes.

decline in the number oF Fires

oVer the past FiVe years

24%

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Apparatus responses Incidents

49,876 47,554 50,520 52,91846,992

109,476

99,476 100,695 102,632100,761

incidents and apparatus responses, 2008-2012

Rescues 1.1%False alarms 15.7%Hazardous conditions 15.2%Investigations 8.4%Public service assistance 6.5%Fires 3.5%Severe weather .1%Medical assists 49.4%Rupture/explosions 0%

incidents by major incident type, 2012

Type of incident 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 % of total % change 2011-2012

rescues 542 474 444 522 579 1.1% 10.9%

medical assists 22,904 21,153 21,753 23,392 26,134 49.4% 11.7%

false alarms 8,479 7,857 8,167 8,412 8,328 15.7% -1.0%

hazardous conditions 6,539 6,817 7,181 7,965 8,033 15.2% 0.9%

investigations 4,889 5,092 4,818 4,622 4,438 8.4% -4.0%

Public service assistance 3,987 3,364 3,168 3,544 3,441 6.5% -2.9%

fires 2,467 2,163 1,956 1,860 1,877 3.5% 0.9%

severe weather 48 44 44 189 62 0.1% -67.2%

rupture/explosions 21 28 23 14 26 0.0% 85.7%

total number of incidents 49,876 46,992 47,554 50,520 52,918 100.0% 4.7%

incidents by major incident type, 2008–2012

what we Do 13


ensuring safe communitiesThe vision for 2021: every calgarian will live in a safe community. our programs and services will reflect the growing and changing community safety demands of our citizens, and will be tailored to the risk, diversity and needs of each community. stations and firefighters are core to our communities and are key to delivering programs, services and education that enhance the health, safety and preparedness of our citizens. We support business in our city by ensuring safe facilities and practices that mitigate risk to their employees and our citizens.

Providing services fundamental to the quality of life of citizensDemand for our fire and community safety services continued to increase in 2012. This year, firefighters and apparatus responded 102,632 times to 52,918 incidents. That is a 4.7 per cent increase in incidents and a 1.9 per cent increase in apparatus responses over the previous year.

The nature of community safety demands continues to change. While the number of fires showed only a minor increase from 2011, the number of medical assist calls increased 11.7 per cent to make up slightly less than 50 per cent of our calls in 2012. Our community safety role continues to expand as demonstrated by increased calls for rescues, hazardous conditions and ruptures/explosions.

Declining fires in Calgary. A testament to the success of our prevention activities, the number of fires in Calgary has declined almost 24 per cent over the past five years. The number of fire incidents increased by approximately one per cent over 2011, with emergency response crews responding to just 17 more fires.

Similar to previous years, just over half of all fires occurred in structures such as homes, garages and businesses.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

structure fires 1,137 1,075 1,037 943 986

natural vegetation fires 299 258 211 187 210

mobile property (vehicle) fires 274 275 223 258 253

outside rubbish fires 467 314 291 274 261

special outside fires 130 87 72 62 50

Cultivated vegetation/crop fires 1 2 2 1 1

other fires 159 152 120 135 116

total fires 2,467 2,163 1,956 1,860 1,877

fire by major fire category, 2008-2012

since its inception in 1996, the home saFety program

has seen community saFety oFFicers and FireFighters install oVer 22,000 smoke

detectors and change more than 14,000 smoke

detector batteries


Stations and firefighters are vital elements of neighbourhoodsIn Community Services & Protective Services’ 2012 Citizen Expectations & Perceptions research, 85 per cent of citizens indicated the Fire Department should work with community associations and local community groups to drive a community-centred approach to fire safety and injury prevention.

Ingraining firefighters and safety into our communities. In 2012, we met our goal of reaching one in 10 Calgarians in a non-emergency setting, whether through station visits, educational programs or community events.

We also hit an important milestone in community safety. Since introducing our annual Home Safety Program in 1996, we have visited over a quarter million Calgary homes to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Since the program’s inception, community safety officers and firefighters have installed over 22,000 smoke detectors and changed more than 14,000 smoke detector batteries.

Ensuring safe businesses and facilities in our neighbourhoods. Each year, firefighters visit businesses registered within The City of Calgary to perform safety check audits. In 2012, fire crews visited and audited more than 26,000 businesses to ensure fire and life safety systems in buildings are operational and functioning in accordance with the Alberta Fire Code. In addition, safety codes officers provided almost 11,000 fire inspections and responses to business complaints or inquiries. Fire Department staff reviewed and evaluated 1,100 building plans to ensure facilities are constructed in accordance with building and fire codes.

Providing services citizens expect. Every year we participate in Community Services & Protective Services’ Citizen Expectations & Perceptions research to help us better understand what Calgarians want and expect from the Fire Department. It also provides an opportunity for us to ask citizens about current and emerging safety issues and collect feedback that helps drive our future programs and services.

Engaging a diverse range of citizens. In light of the fact that fire fatality rates in Aboriginal communities are up to 10 times higher than the general population, we developed an Aboriginal Inclusion Plan in 2012 to assist these communities. In addition, we are exploring opportunities to train firefighters currently working in these communities as well as the opportunity to provide safe fire equipment to help upgrade their protection abilities. In 2012, we provided previously used duty gear to a local Metis settlement to help them improve the personal protective equipment for their firefighters.

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2012 Calgary population = 1,120,225

91,562 93,359

106,947 108,815115,341

non-emergency public contacts, 2008-2012

Visits, presentations and public assistance 2012

After the Emergency Community Support Program – providing caring support to citizens affected by crisis.

7 events 228 residences visited by firefighters 51 smoke detectors installed or replaced 28 batteries installed or replaced

Home Safety Program – bringing safe practices and fire prevention education to citizens in their homes.

26,741 homes visited by firefighters 1,550 smoke detectors installed or replaced

youth Firesetter Intervention Referral and Education Service (y–FIRES) Program – assisting youth at high risk of arson-related activity. 14 youth clients participated

Firefighter school visits – firefighters providing fire safety education to children in a classroom setting.

39 schools visited by firefighters 176 teachers and 1,944 students attended

Public fire station educational tours – firefighters providing fire safety education to children in an emergency response station setting.

515 tours given by firefighters 7,706 children and 2,574 adults attended

Firefighters Museum – preserving, promoting and honouring the history of the Fire Department and providing fire safety education to the public. 1,919 visitors to the museum

Fire Prevention Week – educating public on the services of the Fire Department through station open houses. Close to 4,800 persons attended events

Education, prevention and inspections 2012

River patrols – promoting water safety with boaters and rafters. Almost 18,000 people counted and monitored for water safety compliance during 223 boat patrols

Community safety events – delivering fire safety and injury prevention education through community events.

23,749 persons attended Fire Department safety education events

Fire hydrant inspections and testing – ensuring an appropriate water supply is available for fire suppression activity. 15,335 hydrants inspected and tested

Building plan examinations – reviewing plans to ensure compliance with fire and building codes. 1,160 plans examined

Safety codes officer and firefighter life safety inspections - completing inspections of businesses and facilities to ensure occupant safety.

10,856 safety codes officer inspections 26,244 firefighter inspections

Community health and wellness 2012

Street Safe needle Program – keeping our community safe by removing discarded needles from playgrounds, school grounds, public parks and streets.

7,200 needles collected

Community health assistance – providing cholesterol screening and blood pressure testing free of charge at fire stations. 1,160 blood pressure readings

overview of community safety activities, 2012

what we Do 15

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No. Name Address1 Downtown East 450 1 St. S.E. • • •2 Beltline 1010 10th Ave. S.W. • • •4 Vista Heights 1991 18th Ave. n.E. • • • • •5 South Calgary 3129 14th St. S.W. • •6 Louise Crossing 360 8 St. S.W. • • • •7 Mount Pleasant 2708 4 St. n.W. • • •8 Rosscarrock 1720 45th St. S.W. • • • • •9 Ogden 2515 78th Ave. S.E. • • • • •

10 Briar Hill 1909 16th Ave. n.W. • • • • •11 Windsor Park 5536 4 St. S.W. • • • •12 Forest Heights 123 44th St. S.E. • • • •13 Airport 2021 78th Ave. n.E. •14 Haysboro 9840 Horton Rd. S.W. • • •15 Bowness 6328 35th Ave. n.W. • • • •16 Highfield/Headquarters 4124 11th St. S.E. • •17 Varsity 3740 32nd Ave. n.W. • • • • •18 Huntington Hills 415 68th Ave. n.W. • • • • •19 Parkland 13807 Parkland Blvd. S.E. • • • •20 Lincoln Park 2800 Peacekeepers Way S.W. • • • • • • •21 Silver Springs 209 Silvergrove Dr. n.W. • • • • • • •22 Temple 7199 Temple Dr. n.E. • • • • •23 Dover 2727 26th Ave. S.E. • • • • •24 Cedarbrae 2607 106th Ave. S.W. • • • • • •25 Foothills Industrial Park 4705 76th Ave. S.E. •26 Midnapore 450 Midpark Way S.E. • • • • • •28 Edgemont 7925 Edgemont Blvd. n.W. • • • • •29 Coach Hill 7027 Coach Hill Rd. S.W. • • • • •30 MacKenzie Towne 6 McKenzie Towne Gate S.E. • • • • •31 Country Hills 11955 Country Village Link n.E. • • • • • •32 Saddleridge 800 Saddletowne Circle n.E. • • •33 Signal Hill 3800 69th St. S.W. • • • •34 Royal Oak 1 Royal Birch Hill n.W. • •35 Valley Ridge 11280 Valley Ridge Blvd. n.W. • • • •36 Hidden Valley 10071 Hidden Valley Dr. n.W. • •37 Bridlewood 2375 162nd Ave. S.W. • •38 Skyview Ranch 3 Skyview Springs Cove n.E. • • •39 Douglas Glen 4199 114th Ave. S.E. • • • • • •40 Sage Hill 121 Sage Bank Cres. n.W. • •

Calgary fire Department station locator and services provided (as of December 2012)


Initiative Description

Canadian Blood Services Sirens for Life

Our staff donated more blood during Canadian Blood Services’ 2012 Sirens for Life Challenge than all other Calgary emergency services combined, with 253 donations.

MovemberFirefighters joined their peers from across the country in “The Great Canadian Fire Challenge,” growing moustaches and raising almost half a million dollars for men’s health.

Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary and Raise-a-Reader

Emergency response stations across the city accepted donations for the Annual Book Drive and Sale in support of the Servants Anonymous Society and the Calgary Herald’s Raise-a-Reader program.

Calgary Firefighters Toy Association

With the help of Calgary’s two public school boards and the Salvation Army, firefighters collected toys and hosted more than 1,700 families at a Christmas party for underprivileged kids, providing them with gifts, a meal and a visit from Santa.

unICEF Firefighters worked hand-in-hand with unICEF on “Count Day,” arranging school pickups and sorting money collected during Halloween.

MADD Red Ribbon Campaign The Fire Department took part in the 25th annual campaign by placing red ribbons on fire engines to encourage Calgarians to not drive impaired.

united Way of Calgary and Area Staff made pledges as part of the annual City of Calgary campaign and volunteered their time with the organization.

Calgary Firefighters Benevolent Fund Staff volunteered and donated to the Calgary Firefighters Benevolent Fund, which supports firefighters, retirees and their immediate families in times of distress.

Project Warmth and Jacket Racket

Emergency response stations accepted clothing donations through the year and volunteer firefighters collected, repaired, cleaned and distributed warm outerwear to those in need. In addition, the Fire Department participated in the annual Jacket Racket to collect coats for donation to children across the city.

fire Department community support, 2012

what we Do 17

Supporting safe, healthy communities. In addition to the organizations the Fire Department supports, many Fire Department staff give their personal time and talent throughout the year to support charities and citizens in our city.

An essential element of complete communitiesIn Community Services & Protective Services’ 2012 Citizen Expectations & Perceptions research, 90 per cent of Calgarians indicated the Fire Department should be involved early on in the community planning process to encourage building and community designs that reduce the likelihood and impact of fire.

Influencing safe community and infrastructure design. Throughout 2012, we continued to be involved in corporate planning teams, ranging from Area Structure Plans to transportation studies, to provide our input on emergency response considerations and safety issues at the earliest possible stages of community and infrastructure planning. We provided our emergency services perspective to several key design teams:

• South Shephard Area Structure Plan Technical Advisory Committee

• Belvedere Area Structure Plan Technical Advisory Committee

• Keystone Hills Areas Structure Plan Technical Advisory Committee

• Directors Technical Subcommittee (in support of the Directors Integrated Growth Committee)

The Fire Department also contributed to the Corporate Growth Management Team, a cross-departmental team responsible for creating the Framework for Growth and Change that establishes the method for putting the Municipal Development Plan into action. As well, we provided input into the Residential Streets Policy in the Complete Streets Guide to ensure street planning reflects the needs of emergency response vehicles and firefighters.

oF people surVeyed belieVe the Fire department’s community saFety and Fire preVention Work is important

83%at least

Reaping the benefits of water conservation projects.

As a result of our collaboration with Parks on a water reclamation project at our Fire Training Academy in 2010, we are now able to recycle more than one million gallons of water from training exercises annually.

As of 2011, we’ve reduced water use in our emergency response stations by 32 per cent, already achieving The City of Calgary’s goal of a 30 per cent reduction by 2030.


Measuring and reducing the carbon footprint, water use and waste within our operations and from firesTo help reduce our environmental impact and encourage staff compliance with environmental requirements, we updated our EnviroSystem online training course to reflect our current practices, and delivered the training to all employees to increase awareness of the Fire Department’s environmental management system.

Reducing waste. Waste assessments completed on a sampling of fire facilities in 2012 indicated 44 per cent of the Fire Department’s waste, measured by weight, is successfully diverted from landfills through use of various recycling programs. This places us halfway towards our 2021 target of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfills.

We improved our electronic call notification technologies in our stations last year to help minimize the volume of paper used. Early estimates indicate we have reduced the amount of paper used by 1,000 kilograms annually.

Reducing energy use. When spread across more than 40 Fire Department facilities, even small changes can bring about big change. A review of the energy consumption of the refrigerators used in our stations resulted in the replacement of 17 units. That one change is expected to net energy savings of 27 to 84 per cent.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To ensure proper and safe operation of our specialized apparatus, drivers complete certification testing and refresher courses. Beginning in 2012, up to 50 per cent of a driver’s certification time is now spent training on an electronic driving simulator the Fire Department purchased in 2011. That translates into substantial savings – on both fuel emissions and engine use.


elevating our environmental stewardshipThe vision for 2021: We meet or exceed global benchmarks for environmental management in fire services and have minimized our environmental footprint through innovative practices and collaboration. from a community perspective, we reduce risks to the health, safety and protection of our waterways, land and air by pioneering safe management practices for hazardous materials in our homes and businesses. our environmental leadership role is the result of pursuing opportunities that demonstrate a sound balance between environmental benefit and economic sensibility.

Reducing environmental contaminants

Firefighters collected an estimated 317,609 litres of fluids from motor vehicle accidents and other emergency calls.

Waste diversion and reduction

Six fire stations and three landfill Throw & Go locations are designated as Household Hazardous Waste program sites:

•Collected866,223kilogramsofhouseholdhazardouswaste chemicals from citizens.

•Collected81,379kilogramsofpropanetanks,heliumtanks and other cylinders from citizens.

•Diverted480,500litresofwasteoilandflammableliquidsfrom Calgary landfills.

•Diverted4,019,000litresoflatexpaintandwasteoilpaintliquids from Calgary landfills.

•Collected2,990metrictonnesofhazardousmaterialsfrom citizens.

Contributing to a cleaner city

what we Do 19

Developing partnerships for environmental safety to reduce risks associated with fire and hazardous materialsDiverting hazardous materials from landfills and waterways. The Household Hazardous Waste Program, a partnership between the Fire Department and Waste & Recycling Services, works to divert hazardous materials from Calgary’s landfills to help maintain the safety of Calgary’s water, land and air.

Increasing our ability to respond to hazardous materials calls. We added a new hazardous materials unit to our fleet, bringing our total hazardous materials vehicle fleet to three. The new vehicle will improve our capacity to respond to hazardous material incidents, which have increased 22.8 per cent over the past five years, and make up just over 15 per cent of our annual call volume.

Becoming an energy neutral organizationCreating energy efficient stations. The replacement South Calgary Emergency Response Station #5 and new Douglas Glen Emergency Response Station #39 that opened in 2012 are piloting significant new environmental initiatives that will help the Fire Department become an energy neutral organization by 2021. The stations were designed to reduce energy consumption from 52 to 54 per cent. They are up for gold-level certification under the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) program.

Features include:

• Energy efficient building envelopes.

• Solar thermal panels for water heating.

• Light-coloured roofing systems to reduce solar heat absorption, which can impact heating and cooling loads, or artificially change the microclimate around the building.

• Low-E, argon-filled, hermetically sealed double glazing on the building exteriors to reduce heat loss from the building in winter and heat gain into the building during the summer.

• Energy-efficient lighting systems with occupancy and daylight sensors.

In addition, the South Calgary Emergency Response Station #5 has solar photovoltaic panels on the roof to supply some of the station’s electrical needs.

The new Emergency Operations Centre was also designed using the LEED® rating system and incorporates a number of sustainable and urban design strategies that provide a healthy

and energy-efficient building for staff, and enhance the neighbourhood by allowing unimpeded views of the skyline from the community. The facility is designed to maximize water efficiency and reduce use of municipal water and wastewater systems. Alberta Construction Magazine honoured the Emergency Operations Centre with two Top Project awards in the Industrial and Sustainability categories as a result of the building’s unique design and environmental considerations.


Our fire and community safety services are a reflection of what our citizens tell us they want. We provide these services as efficiently and effectively as possible, demonstrating responsible fiscal management while never losing sight of what is most important: the safety of our citizens and firefighters. How we assess our performance, and where we look to make even greater strides toward public safety in the future comes through in our sustainability priority: leading in service to citizens.

Why we Do it

201220112010200920080

20

40

60

80

100

55.2

68.8 66.9 69.3 69.4

Percentage of building/structure fires where flame spread was limited to within the room or object of origin, 2008-2012

201220112010200920080

20

40

60

80

Injuries Deaths

51

63

37 35

22

537 53

Civilian fire injuries and deaths, 2008-2012

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

number of fire incidents 2,467 2,163 1,956 1,860 1,877

Estimated loss from fires $52,634,093 $30,465,711 $42,126,848 $24,151,683 $46,003,046

Fire loss per capita $50.47 $28.59 $39.32 $22.14 $41.07

Total population 1,042,892 1,065,455 1,071,515 1,090,936 1,120,225Estimated value of property affected by fire $2,024,034,215 $2,979,283,525 $1,200,203,064 $1,041,447,739 $1,267,528,603

Estimated value saved from fire $1,971,400,122 $2,948,817,814 $1,158,076,216 $1,017,296,056 $1,221,525,557

Percentage of value saved 97.4% 99.0% 96.5% 97.7% 96.4%

estimated fire loss and saves, 2008-2012

Striving for best practices. In 1999, the Fire Department became the first Canadian fire service to be accredited by the Centre for Public Safety Excellence. In 2012, new accreditation requirements were outlined by the agency and the Fire Department is preparing for its third reaccreditation review in 2014.

why we Do it 21


leading in service to citizensThe vision for 2021: We have clearly demonstrated the life and safety outcomes, value and efficiency of our service. the means by which fire and community safety services is evaluated reflects the differences we have made in the quality of our citizens’ lives, our communities and the social fabric of our city. our commitment to sound science and research will help reduce fire and community safety risks in calgary. it will also empower us to effectively advocate for change to legislation and practices that result in safer infrastructure and buildings in our city.

Leveraging experience and sharing practices to drive standards and measures of success for fire and community safety servicesAs a sustainable organization, continuous improvement is embedded in our day-to-day work and practices. To improve, we need to know where our performance stands today. That is why we

review our measures of success regularly to make sure we are demonstrating public safety outcomes, the breadth of our services and efficiencies of our operation.

Minimizing harm to lives and property. One of our current public safety outcomes is to contain 67 per cent of fires to the room or object of origin. In 2012, we achieved our target, limiting fire spread in 69.4 per cent of building and structure fire incidents.

Our continued efforts to ensure safe communities through a combination of prevention and community safety activities resulted in our fourth consecutive year of decline in civilian fire-related injuries. Despite our best efforts, five citizens lost their lives to fire in 2012.

The Fire Department saved an estimated $1.2 billion in property and content value from loss due to fire, which represents a save rate of 96.4 per cent.


accuracy than any hydrocarbon detection device. The team attended more than 60 fire scenes in 2012 and Honey identified accelerants in a number of situations where investigators could not. With 754 fires suspected or confirmed to be arson over the past five years, this unique team will be a great resource to fire investigations and prevention.

Leveraging technological innovation to improve operations. Last year, we hired two new program managers to lead two key technology initiatives that will shape our performance and reporting in the coming years.

We selected a new data and records management system in 2012 for multi-phased implementation throughout this business planning cycle. The new system will amalgamate multiple data sources to provide comprehensive recording and reporting capabilities related to activities we perform, such as linking all incidents at a particular address or tracking all incidents to which an individual firefighter responds. It will reduce the time and resources required to collect data from different sources and will support more effective decision making.

A comprehensive review of our critical technology infrastructure will determine the resiliency of our technology in a public safety environment and ensure we are maximizing our investments in this area. Technology and systems are essential tools in providing frontline crews with the information and communications necessary for safeguarding their safety and that of our citizens. This multi-phased review started in 2012 with the hiring of a program manager and the issuing of an RFP for consultant services to review the current state of our critical public safety system technologies, such as our dispatch and emergency response station alerting

Driving innovation that reduces risk to lives and property, and supports efficient operationsEnsuring safer secondary suites. In partnership with Development & Building Approvals, the Fire Department participated in the launch of the Suite Safety Pilot program. The pilot, which runs until April 2013, is a proactive approach to ensuring secondary suites are safe and legal for tenants. The team will inspect 50 existing secondary suites to determine if they have appropriate permits, correct land use designation and meet the standards in the Alberta Fire and Building Codes. The team will then assist property owners through City of Calgary processes to bring suites up to compliance wherever possible.

Uncovering the causes of fires. In Spring 2012, we launched our Accelerant Detection Team: a Labrador retriever named Honey and her fire investigator handler. Searching fire scenes, Honey can detect the presence of flammable liquids with far greater

0

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80

20122011201020092008

100

CFD CS&PS Corporation (City)

9790

64

99

89

68

99

89

71

9890

75

9891

81

Citizens responding “somewhat” or “very satisfied” in satisfaction survey results (in percent), 2008–2012

oF citizens are satisFied With the calgary Fire department

98%

why we Do it 23

systems. The review will continue this year and will identify critical technology infrastructure and the level of resiliency required.

Continuing research on residential fire sprinklers. The Fire Department hosted two side-by-side public burns to demonstrate the effectiveness of fire sprinklers in homes. These demonstrations provided a visual comparison highlighting the positive effects an automatic sprinkler system could have related to saving lives, reducing injuries and minimizing the impact on the environment.

Through Community Services & Protective Services’ 2012 Citizens Expectations & Perceptions research, 51 per cent of Calgarians agreed residential fire sprinklers should be made mandatory in all newly built homes. Between 2008 and 2012, 10 civilian fire deaths in Calgary occurred in private dwellings where residential fire sprinklers could have made a difference.

Partnering to foster innovation. In 2012, we established a partnership with the university of Alberta to examine performance measures that may more accurately reflect our ability to deploy resources based on identified risk. Through this research and co-operation, we will look at what the appropriate balance is, given the level of risk of a situation, between getting a first unit on scene and assembling an effective response force.

We also piloted a fire bylaw enforcement program in partnership with Animal & Bylaw Services. Through training provided by Animal & Bylaw Services’ officers, our safety codes officers will be given greater authority to encourage citizen compliance with fire-related bylaws, including the ability to issue tickets. With more enforcement alternatives, safety codes officers will be able to deal with citizens who pose a risk to public safety in a more timely manner.

Measuring social return on investment and creating more value for citizensWe continue to refine our services to successfully meet the changing needs and expectations of citizens. The 2012 Citizen Satisfaction Survey ranked the Fire Department highest among City of Calgary services, with a citizen satisfaction rating of 98 per cent.


Like many City services, our challenge remains to keep pace with growth in Calgary, whether by providing fire service to newer communities or realigning service in older communities where populations have intensified. How we successfully navigate growth to ensure our community safety services remain both responsive and proactive is driven by two sustainability priorities: managing growth, and building service resiliency through emergency management.

hoW we Do it

Funded capital projects under construction

MSI and CRL funded projects

Future capital projects required (unfunded)

Current station or facility

N

1-40

WARD 4

WARD 3

WARD 2

WARD 1

WARD 5

WARD 6

WARD 9

WARD 10

WARD 11

WARD 8

WARD 7

WARD 12

WARD 14

WARD 13

TUSCAN(HOUSE)

ROYAL VISTA (#34)

NORTHWESINDUSTRIA

NORTHWESANNEXA

NORTH ANNEXATION(INDUSTRIAL)

KEYSTONEHILLS

SYMONSVALLEY (#40)

NORTHEASTINDUSTRIAL / AIRPORT

TTION

TL

Y

VARSITYMOUNT

PLEASANT

E.O.C.

DOWNTOWN EAST (#1)

TRAININGACADEMY PROJECT

BELVEDEREEASTCORE

FIREHEADQUARTERS

WINDSORPARK (#11)

SHEPARDINDUSTRIAL

SHEPARD RESIDENTIAL

SOUTHEASTANNEXATION

PROVIDENCE

EVERGREEN (#37)

SETON (#41)

EASTMACLEO

WESTMACLEO

FAR SOUTHEASTANNEXATION

D

D

33

21

12

5

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

1517

18

19

20

28

22

23

24

25

29

30

31

36

26

4

37

16 HQ

34

35

38

6

40

32

39

How we Do it 25


managing growthThe vision for 2021: We will effectively and efficiently balance the fire and public safety service requirements presented by growth. every calgarian will have equitable access to appropriate, affordable and acceptable fire and community safety services. sustainable, predictable funding allows us to maintain safe equipment, apparatus and facilities to support our service to citizens.

Committing new or renewed fire and community safety services for communitiesIn Community Services & Protective Services’ 2012 Citizen Expectations & Perceptions research, 91 per cent of citizens indicated the Fire Department should be resourced to keep pace with the development and growth of the city, now and in the future.

New Douglas Glen Emergency Response Station #39. This new station opened in September to serve the diverse and densely populated communities of Douglas Glen, Douglasdale and the Shepard and East Shepard industrial area. The building houses a fire investigation bay to allow investigators to assess the cause and origin of vehicle fires with specialized equipment and tools.

Station Type Estimated opening date

Symons Valley Emergency Response Station #40 Permanent* January 2013

Seton Emergency Response Station #41

new multi-services** Late 2013

Evergreen Emergency Response Station #37 Permanent* Late 2013

Windsor Park Station #11 Replacement First quarter 2014

* Permanent indicates an interim station is currently in operation.

** Multi-services includes Calgary Police Service, Animal & Bylaw Services and Community & neighbourhood Services.

emergency response facilities under construction


2012, to co-ordinate a united response to protect citizens and their property during a disaster or major emergency. The expanded facilities and technologies support more effective preparation and co-ordination for large-scale emergency events, including the ability to operate off the grid for days at a time.

Emergency response facilities under construction. In 2012, construction began on four new or replacement emergency response facilities expected to open in 2013 and 2014 (see chart at left).

We also finalized site location for a permanent Royal Vista Emergency Response Station in 2012. This project will replace the interim Royal Oak facility with an estimated completion date in 2014.

Replacement South Calgary Emergency Response Station #5. Our existing station and staffing configurations need to change as populations in established neighbourhoods intensify. In november, this station opened to replace the original 1952 building, which was the oldest operational fire hall in Calgary. The new station has more and larger bays to house apparatus and equipment that will help address the growing and changing emergency service requirements of Altadore, Bankview, Elbow Park, Marda Loop, Mount Royal, Richmond, Scarboro and South Calgary.

Replacement Emergency Operations Centre. The City of Calgary’s essential and emergency services rely on this vital hub, which opened in fall

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60%

80%

Total time goal met (7 min.)

100%

Turnout time goal met (1 min./30 sec.) Travel time goal met (4 min./30 sec.)

Long-term performance benchmark 90%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

63.358.6 61.1 64 65.3

62.257.3 55.4 54.7

51.2

68.169 69.3 72.2 73.1

first-in engine response time performance for fire rescue incidents, 2008-2012

201220112010200920080

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09:3210:06

09:51 09:22 09:22

06:23 06:33 06:25 06:02 06:01

02:23 02:43 02:32 02:31 02:27

02:10 02:16 02:18 02:15 02:13

first-in engine response time performance (90th percentile) for fire rescue incidents, 2008-2012

How we Do it 27

2012 response time performance. We made extensive efforts to help improve emergency response times. Our ongoing focus on continuous improvement, along with a number of strategic, operational and planning initiatives introduced over the past two years, have helped move us towards our Council-approved long-term response time targets. Initial results are encouraging; we have seen improvements in some key response areas in 2012.

Fire rescue incident response • In 2012, first-in engines responding to fire rescue

incidents achieved the total response time goal of seven minutes or less 65.3 per cent of the time. That is our best performance since 2008, but still short of the annual target of 70 per cent. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of responses to arrive on scene within seven minutes. In 2012, 90 per cent of responses arrived on scene within nine minutes and 22 seconds or less. That is the same as in 2011.

• First-in engines achieved the turnout time goal of 90 seconds or less 51.2 per cent of the time. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of turnout times to be completed within 90 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of turnout times were completed in two minutes and 27 seconds or less. That is 12 seconds slower than in 2011.

• First-in engines achieved the travel time goal of four minutes and 30 seconds or less 73.1 per cent of the time. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of travel times to be within four minutes and 30 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of travel times were within six minutes and one second or less. That is about one second faster than in 2011, and the best 90th percentile travel time in recent years.

Performance measure/ Council-approved long-term benchmark 2012 comparative cities benchmark survey results Fire Department 2012 results

number of fire stations per capita at or near comparable Canadian cities An average of 29,783 persons protected per station 38 fire stations each protected an average of 29,480 persons.

number of fire suppression personnel per capita at or near comparable Canadian cities One firefighter for every 902 persons Staffing level was at one firefighter for every 937 persons.

Average service area covered per fire station at or near comparable Canadian cities An average service coverage area of 23.31 km2 37 fire stations each cover an average service area

of 22.32 km2

Fire suppression cost per capita at or near comparable Canadian cities Average of $117.73 per capita Fire suppression service was a cost of $134.77 per capita.

Performance measure/ Council-approved long-term benchmark Fire Department 2012 results

First-in engine emergency response within seven minutes at fire rescue incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 65.3 per cent of first-in engines arrived within seven minutes.

First-in engine emergency response within six minutes and 30 seconds at life-threatening emergency medical incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 74.5 per cent of first-in engines arrived within six minutes and 30 seconds.

ninety seconds or less turnout for the preparation of the first engine company at fire rescue incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 51.2 per cent of first-in engine turnout times were within 90 seconds.

Sixty seconds or less turnout for the preparation of the first engine company at life-threatening emergency medical incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 25.7 per cent of first-in engine turnout times were within 60 seconds.

Four minutes and 30 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of the first engine company at fire rescue incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 73.1 per cent of first-in engine travel times were within four minutes and 30 seconds.

Four minutes and 30 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of the first engine company at life-threatening emergency medical incidents, 90 per cent of the time. 77.5 per cent of first-in engine travel times were within four minutes and 30 seconds.

Full first alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident within 11 minutes, 90 per cent of the time. 61.1 per cent of full first alarm assignment total response times were within 11 minutes.

Eight minutes and 30 seconds or less travel response time for the deployment of a full first alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident, 90 per cent of the time.

58.3 per cent of full first alarm assignment travel times were within eight minutes and 30 seconds.

Flame spread limited to within the room or object of origin in 65 per cent of building and structure fire suppressions.

Flame spread was limited to within the room of origin or object of origin in 69.4 per cent of building/structure fires.

Fire Department apparatus that meet minimum staffing requirements (four firefighters for each engine, and two for rescue units, aerial units, tankers and hazardous materials units). All Fire Department apparatus provided sufficient staffing to meet its requirements.

Percentage of Fire Department fleet beyond recommended lifecycle replacement guidelines. An estimated 8.6 per cent of Fire Department fleet is beyond recommended lifecycle replacement guidelines.

fire Department performance against long-term benchmarks, 2012


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40%

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80%

100%Long-term performance benchmark 90%

Total time goal met (7 min./30 sec.) Turnout time goal met (60 sec.) Travel time goal met (4 min./30 sec.)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

74.670.5 70.8 73.3 74.5

26.6 23.6 24.2 27 25.7

78.48076.7 78.2 77.5

first-in engine response time performance for life-threatening emergency medical incidents, 2008-2012

201220112010200920080

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08:02 08:28 08:1907:58 07:55

05:26 05:34 05:41 05:29 05:32

02:07 02:12 02:11 02:10 02:23

01:4202:00

01:47 01:41 01:19

first-in engine response times (90th percentile) for life-threatening, emergency medical incidents, 2008-2012

How we Do it 29

• First-in engines achieved the travel time goal of four minutes and 30 seconds or less 77.5 per cent of the time. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of travel times to be within four minutes and 30 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of travel times were within five minutes and 32 seconds or less. That is three seconds slower than in 2011.

Performance benchmark summary. In 2008, City Council approved 18 long-term performance benchmarks for the Fire Department. These are outlined in our Service Levels and Response Time Targets plan. In consultation with City Council, we set annual performance targets during each three-year business planning cycle that are designed to deliberately and incrementally move us towards our longer-term benchmarks. Progress towards, and the ultimate achievement of these benchmarks, is subject to annual funding through The City’s budget process and our commitment to ongoing quality improvement.

Life-threatening emergency medical incident response• In 2012, first-in engines responding to life-

threatening emergency medical incidents achieved the total response time goal of six minutes and 30 seconds or less 74.5 per cent of the time. That is our best performance since 2008, but still short of the annual target of 78 per cent. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of responses to arrive on scene within six minutes and 30 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of responses arrived on scene within seven minutes and 55 seconds or less. That is three seconds faster than in 2011.

• First-in engines achieved the turnout time goal of 60 seconds or less 25.7 per cent of the time. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of turnout times to be completed within 60 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of turnout times were completed within two minutes and 23 seconds or less. That is 13 seconds slower than in 2011.

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Total time goal met (11 min.)

100%

Travel time goal met (8 min./30 sec.)

Long-term performance benchmark 90%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

60 60.2 57.8 56.161.1 61.2

55 56.9 54.958.3

full first alarm assignment response time performance, for fire suppression incidents, 2008-2012

201220112010200920080

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13:4414:51 14:45

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11:4712:37 12:39 12:50

11:45

full first alarm assignment response times (90th percentile), for fire suppression incidents, 2008-2012


Full first alarm response• In 2012, units forming a full first alarm response to

fire suppression incidents achieved the total response time goal of 11 minutes 61.1 per cent of the time. That reflects our best performance since 2008, but is still short of the annual target of 64 per cent. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of responses to arrive on scene within 11 minutes. In 2012, 90 per cent of responses arrived on scene within 14 minutes and nine seconds or less. That is one minute and 25 seconds faster than in 2011.

• units forming a full first alarm response achieved the travel time goal of eight minutes and 30 seconds 58.3 per cent of the time. Our long-term performance benchmark is for 90 per cent of full first alarm travel times to be within eight minutes and 30 seconds. In 2012, 90 per cent of full first alarm travel times were within 11 minutes and 45 seconds. That is one minute and five seconds faster than in 2011 and the quickest 90th percentile travel time since 2006.

How we Do it 31

Co-operating, collaborating and partnering to secure public and private resources for capital services and educationLeveraging the support of the private sector. Through a five-year partnership with the Fire Department, Encana Corporation is providing support for the majority of the day-to-day operating expenses for our Accelerant Detection Team, including care and feeding of the team’s accelerant-sniffing dog, Honey, as well as annual recertification and equipment, including a natural gas-fuelled truck.

Sponsorship funding covers 90 per cent of the program costs of our community safety programs. We value the support the of our private sector partners who have made a commitment to the safety of citizens:

• Conoco Phillips supports our youth Firesetter Intervention Referral and Education Service (y–FIRES) Program that assists youth at high-risk of arson-related activity. Conoco Phillips also provides funding for stuffed animals that firefighters give out to children involved in an emergency situation, and colouring books to help educate children on how to prevent fires and injuries.

• Intact Insurance and EnMAX sponsor our Home Safety Program where firefighters visit homes across Calgary to replace smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries, or install new smoke detectors, free of charge. Intact Insurance also sponsors our After the Emergency Program that provides support to citizens affected by crisis.

• ATCO supports our participation in Campus Calgary, an innovative program that enriches student learning by taking students outside the classroom to various sites across the city, including our Fire Training Academy.

• In partnership with the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Separate School District, ATCO also sponsors the youth Fire Cadet Program. The 18-month program gives high school students a chance to learn about firefighting and our values: pride, professionalism, teamwork and respect. Cadets learn basic firefighter skills, including vehicle extrication, search and rescue, and CPR.

• Canada Safeway is a key sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, which includes station open houses for citizens to learn more about fire and life safety.

• Emerson Clarke provides printing of our home safety brochure. Distributed at events throughout the year, the brochure teaches Calgarians how to protect their homes and families from fire.

Securing funding from other levels of government. The majority of funding in our 2012 capital budget of $109.6 million came from grants and other levels of government, including 52 per cent of funds coming from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative and 13 per cent from the Alberta Municipal Infrastructure Program. While these forms of funding are significant in supporting our current infrastructure projects, we continue to seek out more sustainable forms of capital funds to help support our long-term planning.

20122011201020090

30

60

90

120

150

180

$ m

illio

ns

FTEs

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

1,800

Budgeted FTEsActual

1,4011,356

158.5 153.2

175.8 170.8184.4 183.6 187.1 187.2

1,4021,369

fire Department operating budget vs. actual expenditures ($ millions) and full-time employees (ftes), 2009-2012

New stations 66.9%and facilities

Facility lifecycle 16.5%

Technology and 8.5%communicationequipment

Apparatus and 8.1%equipment

Capital budget allocation, 2012 Municipal

government property tax

.56¢

Provincial governmentproperty tax

.44¢

Animal & Bylaw Services 0.4¢Public Safety 0.7¢Communications (9-1-1)Community & 1.0¢Neighbourhood ServicesRecreation 1.5¢Parks 2.7¢Calgary Fire Department 6.3¢

{

Dollar diagram/distribution of tax dollars, 2012

The Alberta Government receives 44 cents from every dollar collected through City of Calgary residential property tax bills.*

Of the 56 cents collected for the municipality, The City spends 12.6 cents on Community Services & Protective Services, as follows:

* Based on the combined current municipal and Provincial property tax rates as independently determined by each level of government.


• Initiated Phase 2 installation of emergency generators in nine emergency response stations. These generators support off-grid sustainability, ensuring emergency services will be available in any circumstances.

• Completed the majority of phase 2 and 3 renovations to Fire Headquarters to accommodate more staff and improve environmental performance.

• Began installing WiFi connectivity at fire facilities for faster, more effective technology communications, including online learning.

• Installed a new emergency response station alerting system in all stations to improve the reliability of alarms used to notify stations of incoming emergency calls.

• Invested in other supporting infrastructure, including rolling stock, district chief vans and upgraded training technology and equipment.

Ensuring long-term funding sufficiency, optimal use of assets and ongoing adoption of innovationOperating budget highlights. The Fire Department’s 2012 Council-approved operating budget was $187,109,000. That was 1.46 per cent higher than in 2011. This year’s actual operating expenditures were $187,216,000 – less than one per cent higher than the approved operating budget.

Capital budget highlights. In 2012, the Fire Department’s total Council-approved capital budget was $219.2 million, distributed over 2012 to 2016. The budget allocation for 2012 capital expenditures was $109.6 million, with 66.9 per cent being allocated to new emergency response stations and facilities. Key outcomes of the 2012 capital budget include:

How we Do it 33

The past year also saw significant improvements in internal construction expense forecasting tools that allowed for better monitoring and identification of potential construction project funding shortfalls or surpluses. As a result, by reallocating funds from concluding projects we were able to add the future East Macleod Emergency Response Station to our approved project list during the 2013 Budget Adjustment process.

We also participated in The City of Calgary’s Project Management Framework Initiative, which established the minimum requirements for project reporting and tracking to ensure even tighter controls on capital projects. These new standards will take effect in early 2013 and will be incorporated into our best practices.

Optimizing assets. We initiated a comprehensive performance improvement program in 2012 to examine opportunities to improve our existing response and deployment. As part of this work, we completed a Human Factors Assessment to look specifically at turnout times of crews. We introduced some initial deployment changes in 2012, but the majority of initiatives are planned for 2013. We did some additional work on assessing the appropriateness and fit of national Fire Protection Association and Council-approved performance benchmarks based on findings from this assessment, which will influence performance benchmark reviews starting in 2013.


Achieving public safety resiliency through partnershipsAssisting agencies with public safety management. As a member of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, the Fire Department regularly partners with agencies to address matters of public safety. Last year, we provided support to the Calgary Police Service for several large public events. In addition, we proactively worked with other City of Calgary business units to plan for events requiring a co-ordinated approach to public safety management.

Performing exercises to test emergency response plans. The Fire Department is a member of the Calgary Airport Authority Emergency Planning Committee because firefighters are involved in any emergency incident involving aircraft. To ensure firefighters maintain a high level of preparedness and ability to respond to these types of specialized incidents, we participated in a full-scale disaster exercise with the Calgary Airport Authority and multiple tabletop exercises throughout the year.


building service resiliency through emergency managementThe vision for 2021: We have established relationships, planning and protocols critical to maintaining our service to citizens throughout the course of any large-scale disaster or emergency. By leveraging our stations and firefighters located throughout calgary, we are a key partner in helping create resilient, self-activating communities. We are closely tied to forecasting emerging disaster and emergency events, and prepare our workforce and communities to respond safely, effectively and appropriately.

35hoW We do it

Helping Calgarians help themselves during and after large-scale disastersPreparing individuals to help themselves. As part of 2012 national Emergency Preparedness Week programming, we partnered with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency to host the third annual Disaster Alley. Members of the Fire Department and other emergency services were on hand to provide learning opportunities for Calgarians on how to better prepare for an emergency or disaster situation.

Supporting improved emergency management in the private sector. As a member of The City of Calgary’s Gas and Oil Group, the Fire Department provided expertise and input to influence the provincial direction of the Energy Resources Conservation Board D71, which outlines emergency preparedness and response requirements for the petroleum industry. We also worked closely with local oil and gas operators to build relationships, understand roles and responsibilities, and ensure an awareness of any ongoing operations, maintenance or abandonment projects.

Developing a comprehensive emergency management programEstablishing business continuity plans. When large-scale emergencies or disasters strike, the Fire Department must be able to secure the staff and resources it needs to respond and assist citizens. Business continuity planning continued in 2012 with the creation of several emergency management plans to guide how fire and community services will be managed and delivered during a large-scale incident. We developed plans to guide large-scale response and continuity of operations under a number of different emergency conditions and staffing situations.


Through the direction and innovative thinking set out in the Fire Department’s 10-year Sustainability Plan, we intend to establish a leadership role in sustainable development with the fire service. It shapes both our short- and long-term planning, including the goals and objectives identified in our three-year business plan.

What’s next

imagineCALGARY100 Years

30Years

20Years

10 Years

5 Years

3 Years

1 Year

Plan It Calgary

2020 Sustainability Direction

Centre for Public Safety Excellence Accreditation

Fire Department Capital PlanFire Department Sustainability Plan

Fire Department Service Level and Response Time Targets Plan

City Council’s Fiscal Plan For CalgaryCommunity Services & Protective Services Business Plan

Fire Department Business Plan

Fire Department Business Plan Implementation PlansCentre for Public Safety Excellence Annual Compliance Reports

What’s Next 37

All of the planning in the Fire Department falls along a continuum from short to long range. Each plan is designed to support the broader visions and directions set out by those above it. Guiding all of our planning at the highest level is the 100-year imagineCALGARy plan, which shapes and informs all other plans we create, all the way down to our annual business plan implementation plans.

In 2013, we will continue to push ourselves to achieve the vision set out in our Sustainability Plan by working towards the five strategic result areas outlined in our 2012–2014 Business Plan:

1. Safe, complete communities.

2. A sustainable service through a more effective and disciplined organization.

3. A resilient workplace.

4. Ongoing program review and improvement.

5. Environmental stewardship.


honoring our fallenFirefighter Hugh McShane(1923) apparatus accident

Captain Arthur Simmons(1948) Union Packing Plant fire

Firefighter Norman Cocks(1962) training accident

Lieutenant Lloyd Dutnall(1970) calgary stockyards fire

Lieutenant Harold Smith(1971) Mctavish Block fire

Firefighter Jerry Walter(1972) Beachcomber night club fire

Firefighter David Allan(1976) apparatus accident

Firefighter George Look(1981) Manchester racquet club fire

Captain Art Scotten(1985) occupational cancer

Firefighter Morley James(1992) forest lawn hotel fire

District Chief Reuben Poffenroth(1998) occupational cancer

Captain Ron Renard(1998) occupational cancer

Division Chief Ken Moody(1999) occupational cancer

District Chief Maurice Simonin(2000) occupational cancer

Chief Training Officer George Heming(2003) occupational cancer

Captain Edward Briggs(2004) occupational cancer

Deputy Chief William Beattie(2005) occupational cancer

Captain Alan Edwards(2005) occupational cancer

Fire Chief Thomas Minhinnett(2005) occupational cancer

Captain James Symon(2005) occupational cancer

Firefighter Robert Elder(2005) occupational cancer

Captain Bruce Dancy(2006) occupational cancer

District Chief Sidney Gilbert(2007) occupational cancer

Firefighter Gord Paul(2007) occupational cancer

Captain Olaf Wilson(2007) occupational cancer

Division Chief Jim Carrington(2008) occupational cancer

Captain Ron Lindberg(2010) occupational cancer

Captain Bruce Seitz(2010) occupational cancer

Captain Bob Derrheim(2011) occupational cancer

Fire Chief Wayne Morris(2012) occupational cancer

39honoUring oUr fallen

Chief Morris’ commitment to the well-being of firefighters followed him into his retirement when he became the driving force behind the creation of the Calgary Firefighters Benevolent Fund. Much like Chief Morris himself, the fund provides assistance to current and former fire department staff during times of distress.

The former chief leaves behind a wife and son, and a legacy for all other firefighters to aspire to – in Calgary and beyond.

in memoryFire Chief Wayne Morris1946–2012

Wayne Morris, former fire chief of the Fire Department, passed away on Aug. 1, 2012, from occupational cancer.

He was an integral part of the Fire Department for 39 years, joining the department in 1966. He served as fire chief in 1999 until his retirement in May 2005.

Chief Morris was renowned for his energy, passion and enthusiasm, and it is these qualities that contributed to the many advancements made by the Fire Department to better protect citizens and firefighters. In partnership with George Heming, he started the first Canadian aquatic rescue program that continues today to keep citizens safe on our waterways. He also established the Multi-Agency Training Centre, which houses classrooms for use by emergency and City services as well as a large indoor training facility used for rope rescue, ladder, search and rescue, and trench rescue training. In addition, he worked closely with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 255 to establish a Wellness Centre dedicated to monitoring and improving the health of firefighters.

In 2002, Chief Morris received a national fire chief’s award of excellence for outstanding contributions to the community and fire service industry. He was also the CEO for the 1997 World Police and Fire Games held in Calgary, and his quest for physical excellence led him to win gold and silver medals in the triathlon and cycling events, respectively. In 2012, Chief Morris was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his achievements and service to the community. Former Fire Chief Wayne Morris (centre)

2013

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Documents

Fire Department Annual Report 2012