ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: May 3, 2002
Author/Local: T. Easterbrook

665-6052
RTS NO. 02109

CC File No. 3651

Council: May 14, 2002

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	The General Manager of Fire and Rescue Services
SUBJECT:	Purchase of Fire Apparatus

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve the allocation of $356,000 from the Truck Plant Account for the addition of two new Wildlands Firefighting Vehicles to Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service's fleet. FURTHER THAT Council approve $25,900 related to rental rates and maintenance costs for the remainder of 2002 to be funded from Contingency Reserve and that $61,800 be added to Fire and Rescue Services' future Operating Budget, subject to the 2003 budget review process.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services RECOMMENDS the purchase of two (2) Wildlands Firefighting vehicles to combat fires within the forested areas of the City of Vancouver.

COUNCIL POLICY

On January 17, 1995, Council approved the provision of fire protection and related services by Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services to the University of British Columbia and the University Endowment Lands.

Council approve all increases in service levels including the addition of vehicles to the fleet.

SUMMARY

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service (VF&RS) is concerned about the possibility of an increased danger of fires in the forested areas of the City and the University Endowment Lands (UEL) due to a number of factors. VF&RS plan to combat this possibility with fast attack, highly manoeuvrable vehicles utilizing Compressed Air Foam Systems. These units utilize an environmentally friendly foam that can be delivered in high volumes to inaccessible forested areas. Both of these vehicles will be additional units to the Fire Services's Fleet and each will cost $178,000.00.

The Department can allow a minimum ten (10) year life cycle for these units. The funding for these vehicles will come from the Plant Account and VF&RS's budget will require a corresponding increase in the amount to fund replacement vehicles in the City of Vancouver's Plant Account and an increase in the VF&RS's Operating Budget for the amount of required maintenance for the two units.

PURPOSE

This report recommends Council approve allocation of $178,000.00 per unit to purchase two (2) specialized vehicles that are designed to attack and mitigate fires in a wildlands/forest's environment, utilizing the latest environmentally friendly technology available. Each unit would be an additional vehicle to the Plant Account and the Fire Service's Fleet.

BACKGROUND

A recent review of the Stanley Park water system indicates a need to replace the existing water mains and hydrants in order to provide an adequate supply for firefighting, particularly in the forested areas. However, a more cost effective solution is to purchase these vehicles, as conventional fire apparatuses are unable to access these areas.

DISCUSSION

VF&RS is responsible for providing fire protection for areas of forestation within its jurisdiction. This includes areas such as Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Park and Everett Crowley Park. Much of these areas are presently inaccessible to normal firefighting apparatus due to the size and weight of this conventional apparatus.

VF&RS had previously employed two vehicles that were capable of delivering fire suppression (water only) to Pacific Spirit Park and Everett Crowley Park. One vehicle was a 1978 Ford 4X4 pickup that was received from the Province of BC as surplus to their needs. This vehicle was replaced in 1997 by UEL with a 1997 GMC pickup modified to accommodate firefighting equipment. The 1978 Ford 4X4 pickup was also kept as an addition to the fleet until 2000 (stationed near Everett Crowley Park) when it was condemned and disposed of for safety reasons.

We anticipate a higher than normal fire hazard condition in Vancouver's forested areas for a number of reasons. First, we have been recently informed by Engineering that the Fire hydrants west of the Stanley Park Causeway (along the trails) are not functional and to replace the water mains would cost between $1 and $2 million. Meetings have been held involving both Parks, Engineering, and VF&RS to discuss this problem and to develop workable solutions. Both Parks and Engineering support the purchase of these vehicles as a viable alternative to replacing these water mains and incurring this large expense and the disruption to the Park. Without a vehicle such as the kind proposed, the loss of these hydrants will seriously compromise VF&RS's ability to effectively protect Stanley Park. The major concern at Everett Crowley Park is the serious overgrowth problem and the serious threat this poses to the Urban/Wildlands interface. It is only a matter of time before we experience a major fire in this area unless VF&RS can get access to a fire in this Park and contain it before it can gain a foothold. Normal structural firefighting apparatus cannot provide this capability in this Park due to the lack of accessible trails or roadways and the lack of a hydrant system (water supply) in the Park. Another serious concern in Everett Crowley Park is the encroachment of the brush area towards the urban area. These factors could lead to a large loss fire in the area of the City.

British Columbia Forest Service recently conducted a risk assessment on Pacific Spirit Park and stated that it has an extremely high fire rating due to disease among other factors. This combined with the arson incidents (thirty (30) in Pacific Spirit Park during 2000) concerns VF&RS. In 2000, Regional Parks West recorded fourteen (14) major fires in the Pacific Spirit Park area. VF&RS needs to have the ability to combat all of these fire threats by utilizing vehicles that have the capability of entering into areas that are inaccessible to conventional fire apparatus and dealing with the problem before it can become a serious situation. These vehicles should have the capability to quickly and efficiently provide fire suppression and protection with minimal disruption or contamination to the environment. This goal can be accomplished by the effective use of smaller lightweight 4X4 vehicles utilizing Compressed Air Foam Systems.

Compressed air foam systems are currently being used by several major US Fire Departments for first line urban and wildlands fire fighting. The US Forest Services and at least sixteen (16) other Fire Departments in British Columbia and Alberta now use this technology for urban and/or wildlands fire suppression. This system, using compressed air foam, allows firefighters to suppress fires quicker and with less damage while protecting exposures for longer periods of time leaving little or no impact on the environment.

VF&RS ise requesting the expenditure of $178,000.00 per unit to purchase two (2) wildlands vehicles with compressed air foam capability.

With the introduction of this technology VF&RS will have the capability of combatting fires by using environmentally friendly foam and will be better able to fight certain types of fires that would benefit by using foam suppression such as chemical spills, flammable fuel fires or those types of fires similar to the dockside ship fires that Seattle has recently experienced.

ALTERNATIVES

A. Purchasing two new Compressed Air Foam Units

One to be stationed near Stanley Park, the other near Everett Crowley Park

This type of vehicle would:

Advantages:

- have the ability to gain access to presently inaccessible areas,
- make more efficient use of the limited water carried on the vehicle,
- keep environmental damage to a minimum,
- allow large involved areas to be blanketed with foam, effectively protecting that area,
- allow firefighters to deliver suppression capability further from this vehicle than through conventional systems,
- provide the ability to provide "mobile, wildlands style" of firefighting,
- provide firefighters with a greater margin of safety,
- be utilized to deliver foam to chemical spills, flammable fuel fires or shipboard fires and other emergencies.

Disadvantage:

- will cost approximately twice the cost of a conventional pickup with a water tank and pump.

B. Purchase a second four-wheel drive vehicle with a water tank and pump

Advantage:

- the cost to replace this unit, with a current model four wheel drive unit with a water tank and pump would be approximately $92,000.00 compared to $178,000.00.

Disadvantage:

- it would only allow VF&RS to utilize 100 gallons of water for spot fire suppression with little foam capabilities and no exposure protection.

C. Lease a four-wheel drive unit for four months

Advantages:

- would not have to rely solely on the unit at # 19 Firehall.

Disadvantages:

- the cost of the lease for the four wheel drive and water tank would have to be taken from an operational or maintenance budget,
- minimal suppression coverage.
- Cost $1,100 per month (2001 rate) per vehicle plus additional insurance ($100 per month per vehicle).

D. Lease or purchase a CAFS unit for 2002 Fire Season

Advantages:

- would enable VF&RS to have CAFS suppression coverage and exposure protection for the 2002 fire season,
- would allow the wildlands unit to be tendered separately.

Disadvantages:

- the cost of the lease or purchase would have to be taken from an operational or maintenance budget.
- Cost: Approximate cost would be $2500 per month per vehicle for a one year lease. A dealer may not be willing to offer this option. Insurance cost would be $100 per month per vehicle.

E. Remains status quo

Advantage:

- Forego Capital expenditure

Disadvantages:

- there would be slow response for Stanley or Everett Crowley Parks as the only wildlands vehicle in service would be required to respond from the Endowment Lands;
- Stanley Park does not have a water supply available on the trails,
- the wildlands vehicle may not become available if there are fires or high hazard conditions in that area during the summer months,
- the water capability of this unit does not allow for adequate fire suppression.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The addition of a vehicle of this type to the fleet of VF&RS lessens the possibility of environmental damage than does conventional firefighting methods. Environmentally friendly foam utilized in this system has a greater dispersal rate than the foam Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services uses now.

PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

Personnel would require some training on the new equipment. All VF&RS members at present have been trained in combatting wildlands fires. There is no addition to present staff levels associated with the purchase of these vehicles.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

This report is seeking additional funding to cover the costs of the two vehicles. Total additional cost would be $356,000 to come from the Plant Account to be financed through rental rates. VF&RS annual budget would have to be increased to offset the additional costs associated with the Plant Account, allowing for a 10-year life cycle for these vehicles, and a corresponding increase in the VF&RS Maintenance budget of $17800 annually. The rental rate would be $22,000 per year per vehicle. Total impact on the operating budget would be $61,800 per year. This amount would need to be an addition to the VF&RS operating budget. Operating (maintenance) funds would be required starting in 2003 with the amount of $25,900 required for 2002.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

These vehicles would be put to tender immediately upon Council's approval.

CONCLUSION

Given the gravity of the present wildlands conditions, a higher than average fire hazard condition will exist during the summer months. VF&RS, at present, do not have the capability to deal with any large or small wildlands fire in most of the inaccessible areas within its jurisdiction in an effective manner. The addition of two wildlands vehicles with compressed air foam capability will greatly enhance VF&RS capability to deal with most types of emergency situations in this area as well as give the versatility to utilize proven modern technology and resources in combatting emergencies that require more than just water as a suppression requirement.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver