Police and Fire Department CONSOLIDATION
MANAGEMENT
It’s an old subject with strong emotional overtones, and it’s in the news again. Several views are presented on this controversial subject:
It is important to make clear that I am not advocating public safety consolidation of fire and police services for any other city. My sole purpose here is to review the background and situation in Kalamazoo that lead to its fire and police consolidation.
Kalamazoo is in Michigan, a state with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Last May, the state’s credit rating was reduced by Moody’s Investor Services, eliminating the chances of raising bond money at reasonable interest rates. In Kalamazoo, too, financial options are limited.
The city began to explore alternative means to provide various services. While the total number of city departments dropped from 13 to 6, the fire and police departments were spared more than others. Then the former mayor and City Manager Robert Bobb requested that the city commission form a study committee of city commissioners and administrators, union personnel and citizens.
The purpose: To look at other ways to deliver fire and police services. Many of the people involved were young and nontraditional. The city manager is 35, his deputy 28. The was predictably nontraditional.
Other proposals rejected
The study committee discussed supplementing full-time fire forces with volunteers, part-paid fire fighters, and as-needed use of public works employees. Each one was considered and judged on an individual basis — and rejected.
Some volunteer departments are obviously very good. But some suffer from poor participation, especially in the critical first minutes of a fire attack. The same can be said for the response of part-paid fire fighters and backup use of other city employees.
The desired characteristics were for someone who would be available full time for immediate response and who would be extensively trained in fire fighting, not just for backup.
A remaining alternative was consolidation of fire and police departments. Although not the ideal solution (a fully funded, full-time fire department was ideal but no longer feasible), it was generally felt that full-time, cross-trained public safety personnel would be best suited for Kalamazoo.
The committee spent the next year studing public safety departments in Oak Park, Mich., Durham and Winston-Salem, N.C., Sunnyvale, Calif., and Peoria, III. All available literature from other communities was reviewed by the committee.
Each of the communities was visited for several days while the committee attempted to analyze strengths and weaknesses. The programs fell into classifications from successful to miserable failure.
Planning made the difference
The thing that seemed to make the most difference in a program’s success was the amount of planning. When enough time was allowed for planning and implementation, and when all the affected parties were included in planning discussions, then the program typically fared better.
Peoria’s failed system was apparently ordered without considering the parties involved. Durham eased into its program and was a good model. But Kalamazoo had to come up with a plan for Kalamazoo’s conditions.
Kalamazoo has 80,000 people in 25 square miles. The traditional fire department had 164 full-time employees operating from seven fire stations. The police department had 219 full-time employees with an average of 11 patrol cars on the street.
The consolidation plan featured fewer total employees but greater coverage through cross training. Fire stations would increase to nine. The number of public safety vehicles on patrol would more than double, to 26 or as many as 32.
Most fire companies would have two station-assigned employees per shift, but they would be met or preceded at the fireground by three assigned patrol vehicles. Those public safety officers would then have fire fighting duties.
The old system meant 15 to 18 personnel for an initial response, and the new system means 18 to 21.
The new public safety organization for police and fire field operations will be commanded on each shift by a lieutenant and junior lieutenant who will serve as shift commander or chief fire officer as required.
A fire station’s district will be considered a public safety district. A public safety sergeant will be the company officer and will supervise public safety patrol personnel. The sergeant will be mobile or at the station as duties require.
Extensive negotiations followed
After the study committee made its recommendation, extensive negotiations were conducted with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 394, Kalamazoo Police Officers Association and Kalamazoo Police Supervisors Association. The negotiating table thus included 25 to 30 representatives from the three bargaining units plus labor attorneys representing the unions and the city.
Although many bargaining issues were often subject to conflicting points of view, the overall negotiations were conducted in a professional, honest, sincere and friendly fashion. Negotiations culminated with all parties agreeing to the plan. The agreements were formally ratified by the respective unions and the city commission. Three-year contracts were signed by all parties last lune 18.
From the fire service perspective, one of the major impacts was City Manager Bobb’s decision to equally integrate fire and police command personnel. Thus, of eight lieutenants in the new system, four will come from fire and four from police personnel. The 28 sergeants will also be acquired equally.
An overall reduction in personnel will come from normal attrition and special retirements. Twelve each fire and police personnel were offered voluntary early retirement on a seniority basis at 2.5 percent of pay times the number of years’ service. Remaining personnel will get a special increase in salary for their crosstraining. The net effect will be lower personnel costs.
Turn page
Cross-training begun
Cross-training has begun. Last spring I, along with two assistant chiefs and the training officer, completed the Michigan Law Enforcement Training Council’s 240hour police officer certification program. We then completed the police department’s five weeks of advanced training.
Last July 26, the police chief and his four senior officers began the fire department’s Michigan Firefighters Training Councilcertified fire academy. Specialized training for officers will then be completed, along with courses on hazardous materials, fireground tactics, etc.
Training for the first public safety district began in October. An equal number of fire and police personnel were assigned to the counterpart academy. Police personnel completing the fire academy will then receive the Firefighters Training Council 40-hour officer program and 20hour hazardous materials course.
The city’s first public safety district is scheduled to become operational on )an. 7 next year. Full cross-training is expected to take five to eight years. Therefore, traditional police and fire personnel will constantly be paired up to guarantee experts to handle any situation.
The training for the second public safety district will begin in mid-1983. Meanwhile, traditional fire and police services will continue to operate in other areas until they, too, are phased out in favor of public safety operations.
In summary, some of us still have apprehensions whether this will work in Kalamazoo. My first reaction was total opposition. However, we believe that the proposed organization has been extensively studied and carefully negotiated. We have a dedicated group of employees who are saying, “We voted for it, now let’s make every effort to make it work.”
I am optimistic that if public safety is ever to be given a fair chance, it will be in Kalamazoo. Only time and continued concern toward providing excellent fire, police and emergency medical services will provide the answer.
