CHAMBER MEMBER SURVEY

APRIL 2004

 

At its annual goal-setting workshop, the Volusia County Council discussed the creation of an independent countywide fire district that could ultimately absorb county fire services and 12 independent city fire departments.

Council members said they are interested in an independent - not county-run - fire district that would be governed by a board made of representatives from cities & unincorporated areas in the county.

Proponents have said such a district would save lives by eliminating service boundaries that have sometimes led to fatal emergency response delays. The change, proponents said, also could save money.

Many cities have been reluctant to relinquish their fire departments. They want assurances that such a plan will provide the same level of service as they currently provide for their citizens.

 

1.      Would you support the creation of a countywide fire district with that would be independent of county and city government yet governed by a board made of representatives countywide? 

 

Yes      71.8 percent    

 No      28.2 percent

 

Comments - 

  1. If it reduced cost to the taxpayer
  2. Current system is extremely inefficient, too costly to operate, and presents too many service problems due to all the service boundaries and differences between individual fire departments
  3. We need desperately to find ways to reduce municipal expenses and ensure equal coverage in services provided
  4. The financial savings would be significant.  Service should stay the same or improve, if not, someone should be accountable
  5. I think it is important to think of all of the duties the Fire Department has when considering what a countywide fire district would do for the communities.  For example, would the fire district still support the cities when conducting annual fire inspections of commercial and multifamily buildings?
  6. It’s way overdue
  7. Seems to work well in other parts of Florida and U.S.
  8. This is an extremely complicated problem with even more complicated issues.  What  happens to current fire employees?  What about union issues?  How do you determine who hires and fires?  How are these people regulated?  Just what are their job descriptions?  Who foots the bill?  How are the distribution of funds for this assessed?  Do areas with more rural areas have more representation because that’s where most of the catastrophic fire issues are?  Will this involve fire/rescue emergency services as well?  Are we just creating more government?  Who makes up this board?  How are they qualified?  Are they salaried?  I believe this endeavor is just too expensive at this time – do we have to pay for a study as well?  Who’s budget does that come out of?
  9. As a 40 year resident of Daytona Beach and a Firefighter Paramedic for 20 plus years I would like to give you my view on this subject.  My background in this area is Lifeguard for Volusia County, Beachmaster for Daytona Beach, Paramedic Firefighter for Casselberry, and now I am a Paramedic Firefighter with Pone Inlet.  The discussion of consolidation of Fire Services is a discussion many municipalities are looking into due to every increasing costs of providing this service.  Here in Volusia County we have a system.  Each City has a Fire Department and has to provide every increasing levels of service for both Fire and EMS.  With the County providing transport for all agencies.  The problem with this system is the city is being told what to do without the county sharing the wealth.  I worked for Casselberry Fire Department for 16 years.  We were the first Fire Transport Department in Seminole County.  That system evolved in a multiple county First Response System.  All the Departments share the load, the closest Engine goes as with the closest Rescue to provide treatment and transport.  I think the figure for medical vs. fire calls is 80% plus medical.  With a system like Seminole County all the Fire/Rescue personnel associate with each other learning to work together as a group.  There is a lot of fragmentation and waste here in Volusia County that could go making a really great system.  But I really do not see it happening because of distrust by City vs. County agencies.  I would not want to work for the County and hopefully it wouldn’t happened before I retire.  If you are looking for a solution to this problem just cross the St. Johns  Bridge and watch a real Fire based system at work.  They fight fire better, their Paramedics are better because their experience with treatment and transport. The system works well and the men and women are proud to work within the system.  I realize that working for a Fire Department makes me bias, but I have seen both sides of this issue – why hasn’t anyone else.
  10. (Voted yes) after careful, open public discussion
  11. Yes, only with the understanding that it will be governed with the same quality of service. 
  12. There would have to be a strict provision against a strike

 

2.     If yes, what do you envision the make up of the board to be? Number of representatives? Number of city representatives? Number of county representatives?

 

Comments –

  1. Geographic by population – model organization from some existing community model
  2. Too many and it will be sluggish.  Maybe 7 total.  Have one or two representatives for the cities (could be rotating), someone from the county, from fire chiefs & few citizens.
  3. 2 from county, 1 from each city
  4. 1 member from each municipality and 2 from the unincorporated portion of the county (1 from east side and 1 from west side)
  5. Rep from each of major cities (Ormond Beach, Daytona, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Deltona, Deland).  Reps from smaller cities and unincorporated areas combined, and three from county
  6. Citizen, business, large city, small town, county and fire professional representatives
  7. Rep from each city and 2 from county – weighted vote.
  8. Would the board be a governing board or a steering committee?  I would see a two tier structure.  A smaller governing board to oversee the business and budget of the fire district.  The steering committee would be made up of life safety, code enforcement, city advocacy,
  9. No representatives for specific cities.  Less than ten representing all areas of county.
  10. 1 per city – 1 for county – 1 for EVAC
  11. 1 from each city, 5 from unincorporated areas of the county
  12. 1 from every city/town with county supervision
  13. 1 rep from each city and 1 from county
  14. Not familiar with typical model
  15. 1 from each city or from each area of the county.  9 to # of cities
  16. Representatives from each city and county number to be determined by population 
  17. 17 or 19 representatives -  1 each from city, 2 from county
  18. 1 from each participating city – 1 from the county
  19. City - 5 from EVAC, 5 from city.  County - 5 from fire, 5 from county
  20. Numbers to be small.  Would support entirely county-run (although political feasibility is an issue in getting this off the ground
  21. 1 representative per 10,000 population (rounded down) 1 per city and 3 for unincorporated areas
  22. The structure of the board is by positions (not elected or individual appointment)  Positions:  county chair, representatives of city managers, cities that op mayors, mayors of 2 largest cities – Deltona, Daytona, CEO of trauma center, county manager.  The board is dynamic as people come and go.  Leaves the politics out.
  23. 5 city, 2 county
  24. Council/Commision members (elected official) from each participating government
  25. Would have to know more about the county makeup and give consideration before responding.
  26. As simple as possible - doesn't need to be too bureaucratic.

 

 3.      What advantages do you see with a countywide fire district? What disadvantages?

 

Comments –

  1. Shared resources, faster reaction times, closest availability, savings due to economics of scale
  2. No disadvantages!  Advantages include:  better service, less costly, elimination of intergovernmental committee, uniform pay, benefits and equipment systems, elimination of competition between various departments for personnel, more efficient coverage of area by elimination of many service boundaries
  3. Operating efficiencies, lower cost, fewer administrative types and more regular firemen.  Maybe reduce union’s power?
  4. Consolidate costs.  Better response.
  5. More bureaucracy is not the solution.  The county is too large and too diverse for a countywide fire department.  The resolution to this situation is a regional one that should be dealt with within the Halifax area.
  6. Countywide – less duplication, cost savings, and uniform level of services.  Disadvantage is loss of municipal autonomy
  7. Huge economies of scale and the elimination of redundanacies.  Assuming that the dispersement of stations remains the same, I do not see any disadvantages.
  8. Advantages:  tax savings, quicker response times. Disadvantages: Possible decreased service if not adequately staffed – need to follow 2 in and 2 out.  Citizens want life and property saved as efficiently as possible.
  9. Advantages – The opportunity to leverage dollars and maximize equipment and labor would be a plus.  Disadvantages – I don’t think I am knowledgeable enough to understand the potential disadvantages.  However, I do know that the fire department does play a role in fore code enforcement with the city inspectors.  I would not want this to become another layer of inspections for new businesses or building businesses when it comes to fire and life safety compliance.
  10. More efficient and less costly
  11. Response time would be less
  12. Advantage – better services, more efficient.  Save money and thank God, get rid of 8 fire chiefs and 8 deputy fire chiefs.  God knows now more dispatchers, clerks, etc.
  13. Tax savings, better coverage throughout county
  14. Blanket protection. No gaps.  Quick response
  15. Could cross city or county lines without fear of getting in the way of other companies dispatched closest to the call
  16. Efficiencies, elimination of duplicated services, financial savings
  17. Service and cost
  18. Service boundaries can be eliminated by other means
  19. Avoid unnecessary expansion of power in the hands of a few.
  20. The cities do a fine job and are experienced with the risk.  Too much risk in the change!
  21. One call for any fire.  Quicker response, less cost.  No disadvantages
  22. One call does it all
  23. None
  24. Disadvantage – slower (lengthened) reaction time.  Who goes where and when?
  25. Cost savings and better use of resources
  26. Countywide fire district sounds like a good idea!  But I want someone responsible to the citizens to be in charge of it.  Someone I can vote for or against, like the sheriff
  27. Better response times, no border disputes, less duplication of equipment and staffing
  28. Cost control
  29. Big is not always better! Slower response time.
  30. Cost would be prohibitive to provide an equal level of service in the unincorporated areas of the county
  31. Cost savings and efficiency
  32. No advantages
  33. More than we can count!
  34. No service boundaries, holistic approach, stop the ?? labor negotiations
  35. Economic of scale disadvantage – large union less expensive
  36. A few advantages – opportunity to reduce operating costs, improve buying efficiencies via size, seamless geographical coverage, communication simplifications. 

Disadvantages:  large bureaucracy with reduced accountability, loss of local control, one size fits all mindset on service needs.

  1. Advantages – no boundaries. 

Disadvantages – fair compensation to current pension, salary and benefits

  1. Reduced overhead and better coordination among the various fire crews
  2. It would be too expensive tp provide the same level of service now  available in the unincorporated areas of the county, where I live.
  3. - better allocation of resources; both human and capital.  Coordinated efforts on major fires.  Improved communications between departments. No disadvantages forseen.
  4. The advantage of not having county/city boundries preventing immediate responses.  The disadvantage is that an independantly run fire district may not fall under the same scrutiny as county/city funds, therefore may be misappropriated. Where would the money come from anyway?
  5. There would have to be a consensus on this question.  I would say 1 representative from each city and one from the county.  You also need an odd number of representatives to avoid tie votes. 
  6. Possible savings from consolidation of services in some areas, currently divided by city limits.