FIRE DISTRICT

DISSOLUTION STUDY

Presented by:
October 2010
Emergency Services Consulting International
25200 SW Parkway Ave. Suite 3 ● Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
www.esci.us ● 800-757-3724

This document was prepared with funds provided by the

New York State Department of State under the
Local Government Efficiency Grant Program.
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Table of
o Conte
ents
Table off Figures ............................................................. ............................................................... iii 
s ....................................................... .............................................................. vii 
Acknowledgements
ve Summary
Executiv y ....................................................... ................................................................ 1 
Evaluation of Curre
ent Conditio
ons ................................. .............................................................. 15 
nization Ove
Organ erview .............................................. .............................................................. 15 
Governance and
d Lines of Au
uthority .......................... ............................................................. 16 
ndational Po
Foun olicy .................................................. ............................................................. 17 
Orga
anizational Design
D .............................................. ............................................................. 17 
Main
ntenance of History ............................................. ............................................................. 18 
Interrnal and Exte
ernal Comm
munications ..................... ............................................................. 19 
Document Contrrol and Secu
urity ................................ ............................................................. 19 
Reporting and Records
R ............................................. ............................................................. 20 
Operating Budge
et and Finan
ncial Resourrces ............ ............................................................. 21 
Staffin
ng and Pers
sonnel Mana
agement ....................... .............................................................. 37 
Rule
es, Regulatio
ons, and Han
ndbooks ........................ ............................................................. 38 
Cred
dentialing an
nd Licensing
g ..................................... ............................................................. 39 
Disc cesses .............................................. ............................................................. 39 
ciplinary Proc
Recruitment and
d Application
n Processes .................. ............................................................. 40 
Testting, Measurrement, and Promotiona
al Processess ............................................................ 41 
Stafff Distribution
n ....................................................... ............................................................. 41 
Incid
dent Staffing
g Performanc
ce .................................. ............................................................. 44 
Capita
al Assets ............................................................. .............................................................. 46 
Facilities .................................................................... ............................................................. 46 
Appa
aratus ................................................................. ............................................................. 48 
Main
ntenance and Repair........................................... ............................................................. 52 
Servic
ce Delivery and
a Perform
mance ........................... .............................................................. 55 
Dem
mand .................................................................... ............................................................. 55 
Distrribution ................................................................ ............................................................. 63 
Concentration ........................................................... ............................................................. 70 
ability and Concurrency
Relia C ...................................... ............................................................. 71 
Response Perfo
ormance ............................................ ............................................................. 72 
mparison to National
Com N Standards and Industry Ben
nchmarks ............................................. 76 
Mutu
ual Aid Syste
ems .................................................. ............................................................. 79 

i
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Eme
ergency Med
dical Service
es ................................... ............................................................. 81 
Future Service
S ns .................................. .............................................................. 83 
Delivery Option
Emerg
gency Medic
cal Services y Options .. .............................................................. 83 
s Feasibility
Fiscal Impacts............................................................. .............................................................. 90 
sis and Imp
Analys pacts of Dissolution an ves ...................................................... 104 
nd Alternativ
us Quo .............................................. ........................................................... 105 
Option A – Statu
Option B – Disso
olution and Consolidatio
C her District ......................................... 115 
on with Anoth
Sum
mmary of Con
nsolidation Options
O .......................... ........................................................... 135 
Option C – Disso
olution and Creation
C of a Fire Protecction Districtt (Ambulancce District) ..... 138 
Option D – Statu
us Quo with Enhanced Financial
F Ovversight ............................................... 142 
ngs, Recommendations
Findin o Impleme ntation ............................................... 145 
s and Plan of
dings .................................................................... ........................................................... 145 
Find
n ....................................................... ........................................................... 145 
Prefferred Option
Conclusion .................................................................. ............................................................ 146 
pe of Work ........................................ ............................................................ 147 
Appendiix A – Scop

ii
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Table of Figures
Figure 1:: Capital Fun
nd Balances as of Decem
mber 31, 20 09 ........................................................ 22 
Figure 2:: LOSAP Fin
nancial Cond
dition .............................. ............................................................. 24 
Figure 3:: GHFD Deb
bt as of Dece
ember 31, 20
009 ............. ............................................................. 24 
Figure 4:: GHFD Rev
venue, 2006 – 2010 .......................... ............................................................. 25 
Figure 5:: GHFD Expenditures, 2006 – 2010 ...................
. ............................................................. 26 
Figure 6:: Allocation of
o Expenses
s Between Fire and EMS
S, 2010 ................................................. 27 
Figure 7:: Taxable As
ssessed Valu
ue for Fire Districts
D ....... ............................................................. 28 
Figure 8:: Taxable As
ssessed Valu
ue for Ambu
ulance Districcts ........................................................ 29 
Figure 9:: Budget Dolllars for Fire Districts ........................ ............................................................. 30 
Figure 10
0: Budget Do
ollars for Am
mbulance Dis
stricts ......... ............................................................. 31 
Figure 11
1: Tax Rates
s for Fire Dis
stricts ............................. ............................................................. 32 
Figure 12
2: Tax Rates
s for Ambula
ance Districts
s ................ ............................................................. 33 
Figure 13
3: 2010 Expe
ense Budge
et Compariso
ons ............. ............................................................. 34 
Figure 14
4: 2010 Expe
ense Budge
et Compariso
ons ............. ............................................................. 35 
Figure 15
5: Points Sys
stem Summ
mary ................................ ............................................................. 40 
Figure 16
6: GHFD Administration and Supporrt Compleme
ent ........................................................ 42 
Figure 17 erations Stafffing Summary ............................................................................ 42 
7: Field Ope
Figure 18
8: Volunteerr Personnel per opulation .... ............................................................. 43 
p 1,000 Po
Figure 19
9: Career Pe
ersonnel perr 1,000 Popu
ulation ........ ............................................................. 43 
Figure 20
0: Historical Workload by
y Incident Ty
ype ............ ............................................................. 56 
Figure 21
1: Historical EMS Worklo
oad by Cond
dition .......... ............................................................. 56 
Figure 22
2: Historical EMS Worklo
oad Summa
ary ............... ............................................................. 57 
Figure 23
3: Impact of Mutual Aid on
o Workload
d ................. ............................................................. 58 
Figure 24
4: Monthly Workload
W .......................................... ............................................................. 59 
Figure 25
5: Workload
d by Day of Week
W ............................. ............................................................. 59 
Figure 26
6: Workload by Hour of Day
D ................................ ............................................................. 60 
Figure 27
7: Total Incid
dents, 2005 - 2009 ........................... ............................................................. 61 
Figure 28
8: Fire Incide
ents, 2005 - 2009 ............................. ............................................................. 62 
Figure 29
9: EMS Incid
dents, 2005 - 2009 ........................... ............................................................. 63 
Figure 30
0: Current Fa
acility Deplo
oyment ........................... ............................................................. 64 
Figure 31
1: Travel Tim
me Capability
y .................................... ............................................................. 65 
Figure 32
2: Representative Insura
ance Premiu
ums by Fire P
Protection C
Class .................................. 66 

iii
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 33
3: ISO Engin
ne Distance ...................................... ............................................................. 68 
Figure 34
4: ISO Truck
k Distance ......................................... ............................................................. 69 
Figure 35
5: Effective Response
R Force – Statio
ons ............. ............................................................. 70 
Figure 36
6: Advanced
d Life Support Concentra
ation ........... ............................................................. 71 
Figure 37
7: Response
e Time Perfo
ormance Fre
equency ...... ............................................................. 73 
Figure 38
8: Average Response
R Tiime by Appa
aratus Type ............................................................. 74 
Figure 39
9: Average Response
R Tiime by Hourr of Day by A
Apparatus Tyype .................................... 74 
Figure 40
0: Overall Av
verage Turnout Times by
b Apparatuss Type ................................................... 75 
Figure 41
1: Average Turnout
T Time
e by Hour off Day by App
paratus Type
e ........................................ 76 
Figure 42
2: Comparison to Nation
nal Standard
ds and Indusstry Benchma
arks – Engin
ne Response
e .. 76 
Figure 43
3: National Structure
S Fire Response
e Time Analyysis ....................................................... 77 
Figure 44
4: Regional Structure Firre Response
e Time Analyysis ...................................................... 78 
Figure 45
5: National Structure
S Fire Response
e Time Analyysis – Flame
e Spread ............................. 78 
Figure 46
6: Comparattive Tax Rate to Supportt EMS ........ ............................................................. 83 
Figure 47
7: Comparison of Ambullance Provid
ders ............ ............................................................. 85 
Figure 48
8: Workload and Inciden
nts per Capitta ................ ............................................................. 86 
Figure 49
9: Historical EMS Worklo
oad Comparrison ........... ............................................................. 86 
Figure 50
0: Workload and Utilization ................................. ............................................................. 87 
Figure 51
1: CPI-U, 20
000 - 2009 ......................................... ............................................................. 91 
Figure 52
2: Graphical Representa
ation of CPI--U, 2000 - 20
009 ....................................................... 92 
Figure 53
3: Graph Re
epresentation
n of Forecas
st CPI-U, 20 10 - 2020 ............................................. 93 
Figure 54 odel Budget ...................................... ............................................................. 94 
4: GHFD Mo
Figure 55
5: GHFD Allo
ocated Model Budget ....................... ........................................................... 101 
Figure 56
6: 2010 Budget Manpow
wer Summary ................ ........................................................... 107 
Figure 57
7: Model Bud
dget Manpower Summa
ary .............. ........................................................... 108 
Figure 58
8: GHFD Ve
ehicle Invento
ory Summarry ........................................................................... 109 
Figure 59
9: GHFD Ve
ehicle Dispos
sal Summary
y ................. ........................................................... 110 
Figure 60
0: GHFD Re
etained Vehic
cle Summarry ........................................................................... 110 
Figure 61
1: GHFD Ve
ehicle Replac
cement Sche
edule .......... ........................................................... 111 
Figure 62
2: GHFD Re
eserve Funds
s as 12/31/0
09 ............... ........................................................... 113 
Figure 63
3: Optimized
d Travel from
m Existing Sttations – Witth Gordon H
Heights ............................. 116 
Figure 64
4: Optimized
d Travel from
m Existing Sttations - Wit hout Gordon
n Heights ......................... 117 
Figure 65
5: Turnout Time
T Comparisons ............................ ........................................................... 118 
Figure 66
6: Travel Tim
me Capability
y – Without Gordon Heig
ghts .................................................... 119 

iv
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 67
7: ISO Engin
ne Distance – Without Gordon
G Heigh
hts ...................................................... 120 
Figure 68
8: ISO Truck
k Distance – Without Go
ordon Heightts ........................................................ 121 
Figure 69
9: Advanced
d Life Support Concentra
ation – Witho
out Gordon Heights ............................ 122 
Figure 70
0: Travel Tim
me Gains an
nd Losses – Without Gorrdon Heightss ....................................... 123 
Figure 71
1: Effect on Travel
T Time – Without Gordon
G Heig
ghts ..................................................... 123 
Figure 72
2: Yaphank FD TAV, 2006 – 2010 ...................... ........................................................... 124 
Figure 73
3: Yaphank FD Consolid
dated TAV, 2011
2 – 2015
5 .......................................................... 125 
Figure 74 dated Operating Cost .... ........................................................... 125 
4: Yaphank FD Consolid
Figure 75
5: Yaphank FD Consolid nses 2011 – 2015 .................................................. 126 
dated Expen
Figure 76
6: Coram FD
D TAV for ye
ears 2006 – 2010
2 .......... ........................................................... 126 
Figure 77
7: Coram FD
D Consolidatted TAV, 2011 – 2015 .. ........................................................... 127 
Figure 78
8: Coram FD
D Consolidatted Operatin
ng Cost ....... ........................................................... 127 
Figure 79
9: Coram FD
D Consolidatted Expense
es, 2011 – 2 015 .................................................... 128 
Figure 80
0: Middle Isla
and FD TAV
V, 2006 – 2010 .............. ........................................................... 128 
Figure 81
1: Middle Isla
and FD Con
nsolidated TA
AV, 2011 – 2
2015 ................................................... 129 
Figure 82
2: Middle Isla
and FD Con
nsolidated Operating Cosst ........................................................ 129 
Figure 83
3: Middle Isla
and FD Con
nsolidated Ex
xpenses, 20
011 – 2015 .......................................... 130 
Figure 84
4: Medford Fire
F TAV for years 2006 – 2010 ...... ........................................................... 130 
Figure 85
5: Medford FD
F Consolidated TAV, 2011 – 2015 ........................................................... 131 
Figure 86
6: Medford FD
F Consolidated Operatting Cost ..... ........................................................... 131 
Figure 87
7: Medford FD
F Consolidated Expens
ses, 2011 – 2015 .................................................. 132 
Figure 88
8: Medford EMS
E TAV, 2006 – 2010 ...................
. ........................................................... 132 
Figure 89
9: Medford EMS
E Consolidated TAV, 2011 – 201 5 ........................................................ 133 
Figure 90
0: Medford EMS
E Consolidated Operrating Cost .. ........................................................... 133 
Figure 91
1: Medford EMS
E Consolidated Expe
enses, 2011 – 2015 ............................................... 134 
2: TAV Summary ................................................ ........................................................... 135 
Figure 92
Figure 93
3: Expense Budget
B Sum
mmary ............................. ........................................................... 135 
Figure 94
4: Alternative
e Budget an
nd Tax Rate Summary .. ........................................................... 136 

v
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Acknow
wledgem
ments
Town of Brookhaven
n Medford Fire Diistrict
Mark Lesk
ko, Superviso
or Joseph D
DeStefano, C
Chairman
Ste
eve Fiore-Ro
osenfeld, Dis
strict 1 Frank Grrande, Vice Chairman
Jane Bonner, District 2 Richard P
Piquette, Com
mmissioner
Kathleen Walsh,
W Distric
ct 3 Joseph Th
hemann, Commissioner
Constance
C Kepert,
K District 4 Richard D. C
Coleman, Commissione
er
Timothy Ma
azzei, Distric
ct 5
Daniel Pan
nico, Districtt 6 Middle Island Fire
e District
Martin Haley, Comm
missioner of Building
B and
d Walter A.. Olszewski, Chairman
Fire Prevention Christopherr Campo, Co
ommissioner
hn Dembek, Chief Fire Marshal
Joh M Jeffrey D
Davis, Comm
missioner
Teddi Navins,
N Sec. to the Com
mmissioner Nick Pa
aglia, Comm
missioner
Marie Michel, Ass
sistant Town Attorney hebold, Commissioner
Scott Th

Gordon Heig
ghts Fire Dis
strict hank Fire District
Yaph
James Ke
elly, Chairma
an Patrickk Accardi, Ch
hairman
Avery
A Dean, Vice Chairm
man Donald S
Schaaf, Com
mmissioner
Ca
arter L. Brow
wn, Commiss
sioner William Pe
eters, Jr., Co
ommissionerr
Maryanne Owe
ens, Commis
ssioner Herbert Davis, Commissioner
Alex
A Hanson
n, Commissio
oner Gregory S
Sandell, Com
mmissioner
Erto
on Rudder, Chief
C of Depa
artment
Eileen Berrios
s-Pryor, Trea
asurer Com
mmunity Grroups
Diana Brow
wn, Secretary eater Gordo
Gre on Heights C
Civic Associa
ation
Coram
m Civic Asso
ociation
Coram Fire
F Districtt The L
Longwood A
Alliance
Thomas Ly
yon, Chairma
an Middle Issland Civic A
Association
Van
ndorn Johns
son, Commis
ssioner Ya
aphank Taxpayers & Civvic Associattion
Jerome A. Delli Bovi,
B Comm
missioner Medford Taxpa
ayers
even Yalama
Ste as, Commiss
sioner on to Preservve GHFD
Coalitio
Tim
mothy Heidrich, Commis
ssioner Gordon Heights Ministeriial Association
G

vii
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Executive Summary
Introduc
ction
This repo
ort is the re
esult of a re
equest by th
he Town of Brookhaven
n, New Yorkk, for Emerg
gency
Services Consulting International (ESCI) to
o conduct a Fire Distrrict Dissolutiion Study o
of the
Gordon Heights
H Fire
e District. The genesis of
o this study was a petitiion filed by a simple ma
ajority
of reside
ents of the Gordon He
eights Fire District req
questing tha
at the Town
n, the gove
erning
authority over the es
stablishment, modification, and dis solution of ffire districts within the ttown,
dissolve the fire disttrict due to excessive ta
axation com
mpared to th
he fire districcts that surrround
Gordon Heights.
H The
e Town of Brookhaven
B has opted tto thoroughly evaluate tthe operatio
ons of
Gordon Heights
H Fire
e District prio
or to holding
g a public he
earing on the
e petition orr taking actio
on on
potential dissolution.

Current Conditions
The Gorrdon Heights
s Fire Distriict (GHFD) provides firre protection
n and advan
nced life support
(ALS) em
mergency me
edical transp
port services
s to a comm
munity area known as G
Gordon Heigh
hts in
the Town
n of Brookha
aven, Suffolk County, New
N York. Th
he departme
ent began providing serrvices
in 1947 as
a a volunte
eer fire assoc
ciation. The first fire equ
uipment wass purchased
d in 1948 an
nd the
Gordon Heights Firre District was
w officially
y formed in e District operates und
n 1951. The der a
sion-chief forrm of goverrnance, and the Board of Fire Com
commiss mmissioners is provided
d with
necessarry power and authority
y to govern
n the provission of fire protection and emerg
gency
services..

GHFD prrovides eme

ergency serv
vices to a population of 2
2,201 in an a
area of 1.7 ssquare miless. The
area serrved by the District is experiencin
ng very limitted growth. The Districct’s servicess are
provided from one fire
f station. The Districtt maintains two fire engines, one aerial truck, one
escue truck, two ALS quick-respo
heavy re onse vehicle
es, two amb
bulances, a
and two wild
dland
ng vehicles, along with two
firefightin t fire polic
ce utility veh
hicles, one u p truck, and three
utility pick-up
staff cars
s. There arre 67 individ
duals involv
ved in delive o the jurisdicction.
ering these services to
Primary staffing cov
verage for emergency
e response
r is through the
e use of on
n-call respon
nders
coming from
f home or
o work, alo
ong with one
e emergenccy medical te
echnician th
hat is on duty 24
hours a day.
d

1
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The Boa
ard of Comm
missioners establishes
e budget policcies and gu
uidelines thro
ough the District
Treasure
er. The treas
surer has res
sponsibility fo
or coordinatting the prep
paration of th
he budget an
nd for
providing
g it to the Bo
oard for app
proval. The District
D uses a one-yearr budget cyccle to preparre the
operating
g budget. Th
he Board ap
pproves the budget
b blic hearing ffor resident input
and holds a pub
to the proposed bu
udget. After the public hearing, th e budget iss modified (if required)) and
d by the Boa
approved ard to becom
me the adoptted budget. Although the
e Town of B
Brookhaven is not
involved in the prep
paration or review
r of th
he District b
budget, the T
Town’s Taxx Receipts O
Office
receives tax payments and forw
wards the proceeds
p to
o the Town’ss Finance D
Department.. The
Finance Department allocates alll District fun
nds received to the Distrrict based on
n appraised vvalue
and tax rate. GHFD
D revenue is
s primarily generated
g byy property ttaxes. For the 2010 bu
udget,
ercent of reve
98.74 pe enue was fro
om property taxes.

GHFD financial
f cords are validated with
rec w an ann
nual indepe
endent aud
dit conducte
ed in
accordan
nce with standards applicable to financial auditts contained in the Gove
ernment Aud
diting
Standard
ds issued by the Comptrroller Genera
al of the Unitted States

GHFD cu
urrently has two outstanding committments for d
debt. The Disstrict has isssued serial b
bonds
for impro
ovements to the fire stattion; the bon
nds mature in June 201
12. The othe
er commitme
ent is
for the le
ease of the 75’ aerial from
f E-One. The final payment on
n this lease will be made in
August 2010.
2

Gordon Height
H Fire District’s 2010 tax rate was
w $60.83 . A detailed analysis of the 2010 bu
udget
is compa
ared to the previous fourr years of actual data an d shown in tthe following
g table.

2
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

District TAV $2,2

281,124 $2
2,321,306 $
$2,332,677 $2,318,301
1 $2,297,4
417
Expen nse Categoryy Actua
al 2006 Acttual 2007 A
Actual 2008 Actual 2009
9 Actual 20
010
Personne el Services $3324,503 $338,229
$ $318,235 $354,7899 $371,8849
Business Operations $99,530
$ $88,936 $114,129 $96,148
8 $114,5500
Business Administratio
on $115,698 $112,186
$ $52,333 $80,954
4 $135,5500
Bond and Lease Paym ments $86,977
$ $86,057 $85,137 $89,217
7 $88,0
068
Vehicles $64,512
$ $46,977 $105,853 $45,009
9 $60,0
000
Building and
a Grounds $99,031
$ $145,066
$ $101,855 $153,4044 $123,2200
Communications $38,961
$ $31,961 $48,237 $44,515
5 $43,5
500
Fire and Rescue
R $67,110
$ $93,493 $114,580 $96,210
0 $105,2282
Social Security $24,824
$ $25,873 $25,318 $27,067
7 $28,5
500
Insurancee Exempt $135,141 $148,862
$ $122,538 $138,6344 $165,0000
Fund Tran nsfers $3355,312 $418,018
$ $428,629 $262,5877 $180,0000
Non-Prop perty Tax Revenue ($3
35,449) ($74,530)
( ($155,437) ($25,396)) ($17,90
00)
Total Exppenditures $1,3
376,150 $1,461,128 $
$1,361,408 $1,363,138
8 $1,397,4
499
% Change
from Prev vious Year 6.17 -6.82 0.13
3 2.52

Tax Rate 60.33 62.94 58.36 58.80

0 60.83

The residents of GH
HFD have petitioned
p th
he Town of Brookhaven
n to take acction againsst the
District due
d to the high cost of fire
f protectio arison to adjacent Districcts based on the
on in compa
tax rates
s charged to each home
e owner. To understand the issue in
n the eyes o
of the tax pa
ayers,
several comparative
c tables are provided
p in this report de
epicting the total assesssed taxable vvalue
of the 39
9 fire districts
s and 10 ambulance disttricts in the T
Town of Bro
ookhaven, the total budg
get for
each disttrict, and the or each distrrict. GHFD i s ranked firrst with rega
e tax rate fo ard to tax ratte for
the Town
n. For fire districts,
d GHF
FD is $28.613 higher th
han the num
mber two-ran
nked Coram
m Fire
District; GHFD’s
G tax rate is 88.9 percent high
her than Corram’s.

owing illustra
The follo ation is a rep
presentation of service d
demand exp
perienced byy GHFD ove
er the
last four years.
7
700

6
600

5
500

4
400

3
300

2
200

1
100

0
6
2006 200
07 20
008 2
2009

EMS Fire

3
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

GHFD’s overall service dema

and is comprised prim
marily of em
mergency m
medical serrvices
s. EMS incid
incidents dents have increased
i stteadily overr the past fo
our years wh
hile fire incid
dents
have dec
clined propo
ortionately. GHFD’s
G ove
erall inciden t rate is exttremely high
h. Using nattional
regional median num
mbers, the expected
e us
sage rate fo
or most popu
ulations is a
approximate
ely 10
percent. In other worrds, a popula
ation of 1,00
00 would pro
oduce an app
proximate se
ervice dema
and of
dents per year.
100 incid y Based on the res
sident popu
ulation of G
GHFD, an estimated se
ervice
demand of around 300 incide
ents annuallly would be
e expected; GHFD’s w
workload grreatly
exceeds this numberr. GHFD also n unusually high numbe
o handles an er of mutual a
aid response
es. In
2006, 29
9.5 percent of
o the GHFD overall workload was fo
or mutual aid
d; in 2007 th
hat figure clim
mbed
to 31.3 percent. Although the mutual aid percentage is reduced
d in 2008 an
nd 2009 to 22.9
pectively, da
percent and 22.0 percent, resp ata provided
d for those years did n
not separate
e out
mutual aid response
es for fire, on
nly for EMS. The service
e demand sstudy is pressented in dettail in
this report, including temporal an
nd geograph
hic distributio
on analysis.

owing chart illustrates th

The follo he response
e time historry for GHFD
D over the p
period Janua
ary 1,
2006, thrrough Decem
mber 31, 200
09.
60 120%

50 100%

4
40 80%

30 60%

2
20 40%

10 20%

0 0%
0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 28 30

Incident Coun
nt Cumulative
e Percentage

st frequently
The mos y recorded response tim
me for calls is within the
e seventh m e 90th
minute. The
percentile
e for engine
e responses
s is 14 minutes 43 secconds total response time from tim
me of
dispatch.. There are several facto
ors that affe
ect overall re
esponse time
e, including but not limitted to
weather, distance, construction,
c , and traffic congestion . However,, one eleme
ent of the ovverall
e time performance thatt firefighters can controll is the turno
response out time inte
erval—the tiime it
takes forr personnel to
t respond to
t the station
n, board the
e apparatus, and head o
out of the sta
ation.
The follo
owing figure illustrates only
o the turnout time o
of the first, ssecond, and
d third appa
aratus
measured on the ave
erage.

4
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

00:00 02
2:00 04:0
00 06:00 08:00 10:00

Engine La
adder Ambulance FR

The follo
owing table summarizes
s the inform
mation conta
ained in the
e preceding paragraphss and
figures as
a well as provides
p com
mparisons to
o the Natio nal Fire Pro
otection Asssociation (NFPA)
Standard
d 1720.

Perforrmance NFPA 1720

Fractile GHFD
Mea
asure Urban
Turnout 90th Perce
entile 1:00 10:59
Total Res
sponse 90th Perce
entile 9:00 14:43

As indica
ated in the figure
f above
e, GHFD has a turnout time 9 minu
utes 59 seco
onds longerr than
the reco
ommended standard
s when measured at the 90th percentile. Simila
arly, GHFD total
response
e times forr an engin
ne response
e are 5 m
minutes 43 seconds llonger than
n the
recomme
ended stand
dard when measured
m at the 90th pe rcentile. Add
ditional anallysis of resp
ponse
time and performanc
ce is provided within the report.

Future Service
S Delivery Option
ns
This sec
ction of the
e report ide
entifies stra
ategies and
d recommen
ndations ba
ased on se
everal
alternativ
ves ranging from status quo to diss
solution of th
he District. T
The discussion included
d with
each pre
esented alte
ernative inclu mmendationss, estimated costs, ope
udes recom erational imp
pacts,
and soc
cial considerrations. Beffore the altternatives a
are presente
ed, howeve
er, discussio
on is
provided in regard to
o continuatio
on of emerg
gency mediccal services and how th
he GHFD bu
udget
could be modified to reduce the tax
t burden on
o the comm
munity.

EMS Serrvices
The prov
vision of emergency me
edical servic
ces (EMS) th
hroughout th
he Town of Brookhaven
n and
specifically the Gordon Heights Fire District is an enorm
mous underttaking and ccomprises a large
percentage of the overall serrvice demand and op
perating bud
dget. ESCI calculated that

5
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

approxim
mately $32.5
588 of the GHFD totall rate is ussed to supp
port the EM
MS function. The
following figure illustrates how th
his calculated
d tax rate co
ompares witth other amb
bulance provviders
e area.
within the
Tax Rate
2010 to
Ambulance
A Provider
P
Support
EMS
Gorddon Heights 32.5888
Shirle
ey 12.7655
Masttic Beach 10.1377
East Port/East Mo
oriches 9.3877
Masttic 9.1100
Medfford 8.0666
Southh County 6.3699
Mano orville 5.9644
Mt. Sinai
S 4.4633

Based on response information

n from 2009
9, GHFD ressponded to 605 EMS incidents (15
55 of
which we
ere mutual aid
a response
es to neighb
boring jurisdi ctions). Thiss calculates to a per inccident
actual co
ost of $1,24
47.37. In com
mparison, Medford
M Am bulance ope
erated on a 2009 budg
get of
$1,170,192 with a wo
orkload of 2,,019 incidents for a per iincident rate
e of $579.59.

Understa
anding that the
t provision
n of EMS within the Go
ordon Heightts communitty is a nece
essity,
the ques
stion arises as
a to how to
o best delive
er that servicce. There arre four addittional ambulance
providers
s surrounding Gordon
n Heights: Coram Firre District (CFD), Me
edford Volu
unteer
Ambulan
nce (MVAC),, Middle Isla
and Fire Dis
strict (MIFD)), and Yaphank Fire Disstrict (YFD). The
feasibility
y of merging nto these otther agencie
g the currentt GHFD EMS function in es was evalu
uated
and pres
sented in the
e report.

It is unliikely that Coram

C Fire Departmentt could abssorb the additional emergency me
edical
services workload within the Gordon He
eights comm hout adding personnel and
munity with
es. In additio
resource on, based on
n the distribu dents within GHFD, the majority of EMS
ution of incid
workload
d is occurring
g in the soutth-central po
ortion of the District. Alth
hough CFD could respo
ond to
incidents
s in the north
hern portion of the Distrrict, responsse times to a majority off incidents w
would
be extended. CFD has formally stated that the
t departm
ment does no
ot believe it could absorrb the
additiona
al EMS worrkload with GHFD nor does it de
esire to see
e the curren
nt EMS serrvices
eliminate
ed.

6
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

As for Medford
M Vo
olunteer Am
mbulance Co
ompany, ba
ased on Arrticle 12-A. § 209-a. 1
1, an
ambulance district is
s considered
d to be a type of “improvvement distrrict” and, the
erefore, the T
Town
has the authority
a to establish
e or expand the existing disttrict after following proce
edural guide
elines
outlined in Article 12-A. § 209-e of the Laws of New Yor k. However, based on th
he deployme
ent of
esources combined with
MVAC re h already hig
gh unit hourr utilization, it is unlikelyy that the ag
gency
could ab
bsorb the additional
a EM
MS workloa
ad within G
GHFD withou
ut adding rresources. S
Since
Medford is an ambulance distric
ct, there is an
a opportuniity in place tto charge fo
or services. ESCI
calculate
es the gross
s potential net revenue to be $68,2
272. Althoug
gh this poten
ntial net revvenue
would no
ot nearly offs
set the costs
s associated
d with operattions of EMS
S within Gorrdon Heightss, the
collection
n of at leastt some reve
enue could be
b used to offset the o
overall tax b
burden facing the
community currently..

Based on facility deployment, Middle

M Island
d Fire Distri ct is best lo
ocated to ab
bsorb the cu
urrent
orkload within GHFD, particularly in
EMS wo n the northe
ern half of tthe District. Incidents in the
southern half of the District, how
wever, would
d in all likelih
hood see an
n increase in
n response tiime if
ere responding from th
units we he MIFD he
eadquarters station. In addition, M
MIFD has sstated
formally that it does not believe
e it would be
e able to ab
bsorb the ad MS workload from
dditional EM
e GHFD norr does it wish
within the h to see the current EMS
S services e
eliminated fro
om the area..

k Fire Distric
Yaphank ct has historically experiienced a low
wer EMS wo
orkload than
n the surroun
nding
providers
s with only 509
5 incidents
s in 2009 wiith a corresp
ponding unitt hour utiliza
ation that wa
as the
lowest in
n the region
n. YFD cou
uld potentially reach a small portio
on of EMS incidents in
n the
extreme southern po
ortion of the District quickly from itss current sta
ation location. Although YFD
officials stated
s during
g interviews that they co
ould absorb the current EMS worklo
oad within G
GHFD
without difficulty,
d it is
s apparent frrom travel models and p
previous muttual aid relattionships tha
at this
ve would nott likely be in the best inte
alternativ erest of the ccommunity a
as a whole.

Considerring that eac

ch of the fore
egoing scenarios assum
med that the existing GHFD station w
would
not be used
u in the deploymen
nt models, itt is conceivvable that iff another prrovider assu
umed
responsibility over EMS within Gordon
G Heights, the fire station could remain acctive and pro
ovide
the new provider with
h a base of operations
o within
w Gordo
on Heights.

7
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Budget Modifications
M s
Many op
ptions exist for
f adjusting
g the delivery model fo
or fire and E
EMS service
es to the Go
ordon
Heights Fire
F District. One option is to review
w and significcantly reduce
e the curren
nt operating costs
of the District. Redu
ucing budget costs are never easy and will im
mpact the livves of the pe
eople
affected by the changes. However, the resid
dents of Gord
don Heightss Fire Districtt have expre
essed
oncerns rega
strong co arding high operating
o co
osts.

ESCI’s financial anallyst prepared

d a model operating bud
dget for the Gordon Heights Fire Disstrict,
which is presented in
i the reportt. The mode
el budget de
epicts a 39.5
54 percent reduction in total
budget cost
c and a ta
ax rate of $37.25 if ESCI’s recomme
ended modiffications are made. Like
ewise,
if anothe
er district as
ssumed con
ntrol and operation of t he GHFD a
area and the current sttation
remained
d open and operationa
al, ESCI has
s calculated
d that the o
overall budg
get would ssee a
reduction
n of 47.25 pe
ercent in tottal costs. Further, if the current GHF were to be closed
FD station w
and serv ed from a neighboring jurisdiction, a 96.12 perrcent reducttion in total costs
vices provide
would be
e realized (so
ome necess
sary contracttual issues a
and resulting
g transfer of costs to the
e new
departme
ent providing
g service to
o the area would
w contin
nue). ESCI’ss model bud
dget was used to
evaluate the feasibility of several dissolution strategies.

Analysis
s and Impac olution and Alternative s
cts of Disso
The analysis and im
mpacts of dissolution altternatives p
presented in the report are the result of
e analysis of
extensive o NYS law, operational guidelines a
and practice
es of GHFD as well as tthose
departme
ents surroun
nding the District, availa
able financia
al data rega ets, funding, and
arding budge
taxes, as
s well as numerous interview with ovided in the full
h communityy stakeholders. As pro
report, each
e option presented includes dis
scussion, po
olicy actionss, operation
nal impact, fiscal
impact, social
s consid
derations, fea
asibility and likelihood o
of success, a
and potentiall impedimen
nts.

Option A- Status Quo

o
It is the opinion of ESCI
E that if the District alters its m ethods of administration
n, oversightt, and
nal policies, the current tax rate can
operation c be subsstantially red
duced, there
eby relieving
g the
burden on
o the com
mmunity. Me
ethods to make
m these
e alterationss through tthe reductio
on of
equipment, career staff,
s and unnecessary
u y expenditu res were a
addressed in ESCI’s m
model
budget. The
T feasibilitty or likelihood of success of this strrategy will depend on th
he commitme
ent of
the elected and appo
ointed leade
ership of GH
HFD. Accepttance of the will of the ccommunity a
and a

8
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

willingness to chang
ge will greatly increase
e the likeliho
ood that thiss strategy w
will succeed
d and
GHFD will continue to
t exist in a sustainable
s manner.

Option B – Dissolutio
on and Cons
solidation witth Another D
District
Although
h the origina
al petition th
hat was the impetus forr this study called for the dissolution of
GHFD, the
t impact of that dec
cision must be determi ned, speciffically in reg
gard to how
w the
surround
ding agencie
es’ workload would be im
mpacted if th
he district were consolid
dated with one or
more neighboring dis
stricts. Acco
ording to NYS
S Law, the T
Town of Bro
ookhaven ha
as the authorrity to
alter fire districts based on agre
eement betw
ween two orr more distriicts. The To
own also ha
as the
authority to dissolve fire districts based on th
he method o
of petition ussed in this ca
ase. In order to a
merger or
o consolidattion of fire diistricts to occur, one or m
more of the surrounding
g districts- C
Coram
FD, Med
dford FD (M
Medford Amb
bulance), Middle Island FD, and Y
Yaphank FD
D- would nee
ed to
agree to assume con
ntrol of all or
o a portion of
o the area p
previously sserved by GH
HFD. In add
dition,
determination would need to be made whether any succh mergers o
or consolidations would keep
the existiing fire statio
on in operatiion as an ele
ement of the
e merged disstrict, or closse the station
n and
provide services
s from
m other existting facilities
s.

In order to identify the

t impact on
o service delivery
d from
m any of these possible configurattions,
ESCI used extensiv
ve analysis and
a travel time modelss to assess the resultin
ng response time
ance. ESCI initially
performa i mode
eled the imp
pact if the G
GHFD station
n was closed and the district
was merrged into th
he surroundiing districts on the sol e basis of which distriict could pro
ovide
services to various areas
a the fas
stest. Throu
ugh this mod d that closing the
deling it wass determined
GHFD sttation complletely would result in inc
creasing the
e average re
esponse time
e for the exxisting
district arrea by more
e than 2 minu
utes 46 seco
onds. This w
would repressent a 46 pe
ercent increa
ase in
average response tim
me of the firs
st responderr EMS unit a
and a 23 perrcent increasse in the ave
erage
response
e time of an
n engine. Th
he maximum
m travel tim ncident would increase by 1
me to any in
minute 6 seconds. In light of th
he informatio
on above, irrrespective o
of the strate
egy impleme
ented
with rega
ard to goverrnance and oversight off GHFD, kee
eping the G
Gordon Heigh
hts fire statiion in
operation
n would hav
ve the least impact on response tim
mes for the g
greatest num
mber of incid
dents
when com
mpared to what
w this geo
ographic area
a as a whole
e experience
es now.

Financial models were used to assess

a the im
mpact of eacch of the con
nsolidation/m
merger strate
egies
xisting tax ra
on the ex ates of the su
urrounding districts.
d

9
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• The
T consolid
dation of Yaaphank and Gordon He eights Fire Districts wo
ould result in an
in
ncrease in Yaphank’s
Y tax
t rate by $4.076 peer hundred and a decrrease in Go ordon
Height’s
H tax rate
r ndred using ESCI’s mod
by $10..805 per hun deled budgeet (a reduction of
$34.39 per huundred from GHFD’s existing 2010 rrate).
• The
T consolid
dation of Cooram and Gordon
G Heiights Fire D
Districts woould result iin an
in
ncrease in Coram’s
C tax rate by $0.5
599 per hund
dred and a ddecrease in Gordon Height’s
ta
ax rate by $4
4.434 per huundred using ESCI’s mo on of $28.014 per
odel budgett (a reductio
hundred fromm GHFD’s ex xisting 2010 rate).
• The
T consolidation of Mid ddle Island and
a Gordon Heights Fire would result in an
e Districts w
in
ncrease in Middle
M Islandd’s tax rate by $0.934 p
per hundred
d and a deccrease in Go ordon
Height’s
H tax rate by $4.793 per hundred using g ESCI’s model budgett (a reductio on of
$28.373 per hundred
h from
m GHFD’s existing 2010 0 rate).
• The
T consolidation of Med dford Fire and Gordon H e District’s w
Heights Fire would result in an
in
ncrease in Medford
M Fire
e’s tax rate by $2.259 p per hundred and an inccrease in Go ordon
Height’s
H tax rate by $3..349 for per hundred, calculated ffor fire prottection only.. The
associated consolidation
c n of Medforrd Ambulan nce District and Gordo on Heights EMS
District
D will re
esult in an in
ncrease in Medford
M EMS S’s tax rate b
by $1.562 pe er hundred aand a
decrease in Gordon
G Heigght’s calculatted EMS taxx rate by $15
5.772 per hu undred for EM
MS.

xisting GHFD
If the ex D area was divided up to multiple departmentts, the likelihood of succcess
would de he District leadership and
epend on th a the rete
ention of exxisting GHFD memberss and
personne
el. As discu
ussed earlier, closure of
o the statio n could deccrease servvice levels to
o the
community, thereby creating
c an increased po
otential for sstrategy failu
ure.

Option C – Dissolutio
on and Crea
ation of a Fire
e Protection
n District (Am
mbulance Disstrict)
Under NY
YS Law, Towns are nott allowed to operate a fi re departme
ent but do have the auth
hority
to establish a Fire Protection
P District within the bounda
aries of the Town and tthen contracct fire
sion, rescue,, and emergency medica
suppress al services t o one or mo
ore providerss. Under thiss type
of strateg
gy, the Town establishe
es the tax ra
ate based on
n a negotiatted budget w
with one or more
service providers, collects
c the
e taxes and e funds to the approp
d then disttributes the priate
organizations. Service contrac
cts can be negotiated
d annually or based on a multii-year
ent. The esta
agreeme ablishment of
o a separate Ambulancce District is similar in m
many ways tto the
creation of a Fire Protection Dis
strict, excep
pt that Ambu
ulance Distrricts are con
nsidered ‘Sp
pecial
Districts’ by the Statte of New York
Y and, th
herefore, falll under a se
eparate stattute than do
o Fire
Protectio
on Districts.

10
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The fisca
al impact off this strategy would be
e applied to
o the citizen
ns of GHFD
D. If GHFD were
dissolved
d, then the associated
a tax
t rate currrently being levied on tthe resident property ow
wners
would als
so be eliminated. Based
d on the prov
vider selecte
ed to provide
e service to tthe newly fo
ormed
fire prote
ection and ambulance
a districts,
d new
w tax rates would be d and applied. The
determined a
new tax rates
r could be
b substantiially lower th
han the curre
ent rate. How
wever, the p
property valu
uation
within the
e current GH
HFD is not sufficient
s to adequately
a ssupport the ccurrent level of service b
being
provided. This would
d not chang
ge by simply converting
g the indepe
endent fire district to a Fire
Protectio
on District. This
T alternative would, however, give
e the Town of Brookhavven more co
ontrol
over the cost to provide services
s as well as the
t level of sservices provvided.

erational imp
The ope pact of this strategy wo
ould be bassed on how
w the Town approachess the
process of
o selecting a service prrovider to be
e responsible
e for the fire protection d
district. The T
Town
has two basic option
ns: Solicit bids from providers as m
mentioned ab
bove or conttract directlyy with
the existing Gordon Heights Fire
e Departme
ent. Notice h
here that the
e ‘fire districct’ will have been
d but the ‘fire deparrtment’ (the
dissolved e non-taxing
g 501(c)(3)) not-for-pro
ofit membe
ership
corporation) would re
emain.

Under cu
urrent state law, properrty of GHFD
D would nee
ed to be offfered at pub
blic auction if the
District is
s dissolved with sale proceeds goiing to retire
e existing de
ebt. Remaining assets ccould
then be transferred
t to
t the Town if not sold or
o transferre
ed to anothe
er special disstrict. It is ES
SCI’s
recomme
endation tha
at, if dissoluttion is appro
oved, the Tow
wn work witth GHFD in drafting an a
asset
dispositio
on plan that would trans
sfer all asse
ets to the To
own just prio ual dissolution of
or to the actu
the Distriict. This wou
uld allow the
e Town to ma
aintain the e
equipment and/or facilityy while poten
ntially
offering those
t items to
t the entity((s) contracte
ed to provide
e service to tthe area.

In ESCI’s
s profession
nal opinion, this strategy ely feasible and has a h
y is ultimate high likelihood of
success. This opinion is based on
o the following.
• Although
A GHHFD would be b dissolved d, the not-fo unteer fire department w
or-profit volu would
co
ontinue to exist
e and co ould feasibly
y continue too deliver seervice to the
e communityy with
only an altera
ation of the governance
g structure of the organizaation.
• A certain level of compe
etition is gen
nerated thro
ough the pottential bid process to de eliver
se
ervice to the eights community, likely resulting in a lower costt of operation
e Gordon He ns
• The
T Town would
w have a significantt amount off input into the deliveryy of servicee and
co
ontract prov
visions for th
he delivery of service a o the
at an efficient and effecctive level to
Gordon
G Heigh
hts commun nity.

11
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Option D – Status Qu
uo with Enha
anced Finan
ncial Oversig
ght
This stra
ategy, in ess
sence, is a combination
n of Optionss A and C in that it wo
ould require
e that
GHFD ta
ake drastic measures
m to
o substantially reduce itss operating budget, and
d therefore itts tax
rate, while submitting
g to an enha
anced level of
o financial o
oversight by the Town off Brookhave
en. By
implementing this strrategy, the Town
T of Broo
okhaven wo
ould be issuing an ultima
atum to GHF
FD by
insisting on action or
o facing pottential dissolution. This would be similar to the
e Nassau Co
ounty
Finance Authority (N
NIFA). In the
e case of Na
assau Coun
nty, NIFA wa
as granted a
authority thrrough
sau County
the Nass y Interim Finance Auth
hority Act, C
Chapter 84
4 of the La
aws of 2000
0, as
suppleme
ented by Chapter 179, to review financial
f pla
ans submitte
ed, make re
ecommendattions,
monitor compliance
c and impose certain controls on Nasssau Countyy’s financial operations. NIFA
is govern
ned by a se
even-membe
er board app
pointed by th
he Governo
or. In the case of GHFD
D, the
Town of Brookhaven
n Town Boa
ard is sugges
sted to servve as the ovversight board and workk with
GHFD in
n controlling expenditure
es and deve
eloping an o perating bud
dget comme
ensurate witth the
community’s expecta
ations.

With the exception of

o a reduced
d administrattive staff, a rreduced num
mber of phyysical assetss, and
ed budget in line with that recomme
a modifie ended in thiss report, the day-to-day operations o
of the
departme
ent should not be signific
cantly impac
cted by the i mplementattion of this sttrategy.

This option is consid

dered to be feasible,
f butt the likeliho
ood of succe
ess will be determined b
by the
openness of the lead
dership of GHFD
G to accept an enha
anced level o
of oversight and involve
ement
own in the operations off their organization.
by the To

Findings
s, Recomme a Plan of Implementa
endations and ation
This sec
ction of the report identifies what ESCI
E believe
es is the be
est, most fea
asible, and most
likely to succeed
s option of those presented previously.
p

mining the most

In determ m feasible options, ESCI has m
made certain findings a
and assump
ptions
based on that data
a analyzed and the infformation prrovided by the groupss and individ
duals
wed througho
interview out this proce
ess. Those findings
f and
d assumption
ns include:
• The
T sole purp pose of the petition to dissolve
d GH FD was to rreduce the ttax rate levie
ed by
th
he District on
n the residen
nt property owners.
o
• The
T District contains
c alm
most entirely
y residentiall properties with little to
o no comme
ercial
properties.

12
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• The
T Gordon Heights Fire e District doe
es not follow
w the bound
daries of the
e Gordon He
eights
co
ommunity as
s defined by
y the U.S. Ceensus Burea au.
• Certain
C portio
ons of the Gordon
G Heigh
hts commun nity have be en excludedd from the G
GHFD
re
esponse areea based on issues otherr than efficie
ent travel tim
me and opera
ations.

The prefferred optio

on, in ESCI’’s professio
onal opinion
n is two-fold
d and restss entirely on
n the
willingness of the le
eadership off GHFD to take
t the ne cessary me
easures to e
ensure contiinued
existence
e.

Preferred
d Option 1: Strategy
S D – Status Quo
o with Enhan
nced Financiial Oversight
In ESCI’s profession
nal opinion, the most feasible
f ategy would be for GH
stra HFD to subm
mit to
enhanced oversight by the Town
n of Brookha
aven and a ccommitmentt to a substa
antial reductiion in
expenditures as outlined in this report.
r This strategy wo
ould allow the District to retain its hisstory,
nd independence while proving to the commun
pride, an nity that the leadership and membe
ership
are willin
ng to listen to
o the desire
es of the citiz
zens and takke the appro
opriate actio
ons to reducce the
tax burde
en on the co
ommunity.

Preferred
d Option 2: Option
O C – Dissolution
D and
a Creation
n of a Fire Prrotection Disstrict
In the ev
vent that GHFD leadersh
hip is not willing to subm
mit to enhancced oversigh
ht by the Tow
wn or
fails to comply
c with the terms of the perform
mance agre
eement discu
ussed under Strategy D
D, the
next prefferred option for the To
own would be to disso
olve the Disttrict, create a fire prote
ection
district in
n its place, and contract for
f service with
w another provider.

Conclus
sion
The ESC
CI project tea
am began co
ollecting info
ormation con
ncerning the eights Fire District
e Gordon He
and the Town of Brookhaven
B in May 201
10. The tea
am memberrs recognize
e that the rreport
contains an extremely large quan
ntity of inform
mation and E
ESCI would like to thankk the elected
d and
appointed officials of
o the Town of Brookha
aven as we ll as the ele
ected staff a
and membe
ers of
Gordon Heights Fiire District, Coram Fire District,, Medford Fire Department, Me
edford
nce, Middle Island Fire District, and Yaphank Fire Districct for their ttireless efforts in
Ambulan
t fruition. ESCI would also
bringing this project to a like to th
hank the varrious individu
uals and extternal
organizations for the
eir input, opinions, and candid convversations throughout this process. It is
ESCI’s sincere
s hope
e that the information co
ontained in this report is utilized to
o its fullest e
extent
and that the emergen
ncy services
s provided to
o the citizenss of Gordon Heights and
d the surroun
nding
areas are
e improved by
b its implem
mentation.

13
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Evalua
ation of Currentt Conditiions
This repo
ort is the re
esult of a re
equest by th
he Town of Brookhaven
n, New Yorkk, for Emerg
gency
Services Consulting International (ESCI) to
o conduct a Fire Distrrict Dissolutiion Study o
of the
Gordon Heights
H Fire
e District. The genesis of
o this study was a petitiion filed by a simple ma
ajority
ents of the Gordon He
of reside eights Fire District req
questing tha
at the Town
n, the gove
erning
authority over the es
stablishment, modification, and dis solution of ffire districts within the ttown,
dissolve the fire disttrict due to excessive ta
axation com
mpared to th
he fire districcts that surrround
Gordon Heights.
H The
e laws of the
e State of Ne
ew York in p
place at the time of the p
petition direcct the
Town to hold a public hearing on
n the matterr and take ap action if it is determined to be
ppropriate a
in the public interest..

Although
h nothing in the
t law direc
cts the Town e the potenttial effects o
n to analyticcally evaluate on the
community if the District were to
o be dissolve
ed, the Town
n of Brookha
aven has opted to thoroughly
evaluate the operatio
ons of Gordon Heights Fire Districtt prior to hollding a publiic hearing o
on the
petition or
o taking ac
ction on pote
ential dissolu
ution. This rreport detaills the analyysis conducted to
determine the effects
s of dissolutiion as well as
a to find a p
potential alte
ernative solu
ution. It shou
uld be
at, throughou
noted tha ut this reporrt, the terms ‘District’ and
d ‘Departme
ent’ are used
d interchange
eably
except where
w specifically identified.

Organiization Overview
O
The Gorrdon Heights
s Fire Distriict (GHFD) provides firre protection
n and advan
nced life support
(ALS) em
mergency medical
m trans
sport servic
ces to a porrtion of the communityy area know
wn as
Gordon Heights
H in th
he state of New
N York. Th
he response
e area includ
des a mix off older and n
newer
residentia
al homes an
nd developm
ments in Sufffolk County a
and is situatted on Long Island, abo
out 60
miles eas
st of New York
Y City. Th
he departme
ent began prroviding servvices in 194
47 as a volunteer
fire asso
ociation. The
e first fire eq
quipment wa
as purchase
ed in 1948 a
and the Gordon Heightss Fire
District was
w officially formed in 1951.

GHFD prrovides eme vices to a population off 2,2011 in a

ergency serv an area of 1
1.7 square m
miles.
The area
a served by the District is experienc
cing very lim
mited growth
h. The District’s services are
provided from one fa
acility located
d within the jurisdiction. The Districtt maintains a fleet of veh
hicles

1
U.S. Cen
nsus Bureau, 2000 census
s data.

15
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

including
g two fire en
ngines, one aerial truck, one heavyy rescue truck, two ALS
S quick-resp
ponse
vehicles, two ambula
ances, and two wildland
d firefighting
g vehicles, a
along with sspecialty or utility
units including two firre police utility vehicles, one utility p
pick-up truckk, and three sstaff cars.

There arre 67 individuals2 involve

ed in delivering these sservices to tthe jurisdictio
on. The District’s
primary managemen
m nt team inclu
udes a Chie
ef, two Fire Captains, a
an EMS Cap
ptain, and a Fire
Police Ca
aptain. A Dis
strict Secreta
ary, District Treasurer, p
part-time Me
echanic, and
d part-time H
House
Attendan
nt provide additional
a support
s serrvices. Prim
mary staffing
g coverage for emerg
gency
response
e is through the use of on-call resp
ponders com
ming from ho
ome or workk, along with
h one
emergen
ncy medical technician
t th
hat is on duty 24 hours a day.

urance Services Office (ISO)

The Insu ( review
ws the fire p esources witthin communities
protection re
and prov
vides a Com
mmunity Fire Protection Rating
R em from whiich insurancce rates are often
syste
based. The
T rating sy
ystem evalu
uates three primary are
eas: the eme
ergency com
mmunication
n and
dispatch system, the
e department, and the communityy’s pressurizzed hydrant or tanker-b
based
water supply. The ov
verall rating is then exprressed as a number bettween 1 and
d 10, with 1 b
being
the highe
est level of protection
p nd 10 being unprotected
an o. As of the latest rating, ISO
d or nearly so
gave the service area
a a rating off Class 3.

The Disttrict provide y of services, including

es a variety g fire supprression, eme
ergency me
edical
transportt, operations
s-level hazm
mat, structura
al collapse, vehicle extrrication, trench rescue, w
water
rescue, and
a ice rescue. The Bro
ookhaven To
own Hazard als Response Team provides
dous Materia
technicia
an-level hazm
mat respons ue Communications provides
se. The Sufffolk County Fire Rescu
emergen
ncy call receiipt and dispa
atch service.

Governa
ance and Lines of Auth
hority
The Gord
don Heights
s Fire Distric d under the laws of the State
ct is a formal special disstrict, formed
of New York,
Y which is provided the authority to levy taxe
es for operatting a fire pro
otection systtem.

The Disttrict operate

es under a commission-chief form of governa
ance, and th
he Board off Fire
Commiss
sioners is prrovided with
h necessary power and authority to
o govern the
e provision o
of fire
protection and emerg
gency servic
ces in the de
esignated jurrisdiction. Ass the govern
nmental auth
hority,
ers include:: organizing
the powe g a fire prottection systtem, appoin
nting officerss and mem
mbers,

2
Current number at tim
me of field res
search.

16
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

purchasing land and

d equipment, entering into
i contraccts, authorizzing issuancce of bonds,, and
levying of
o taxes.

The role and authority of the Board of Fire Commission

C ners and the Fire Chief iis further cla
arified
within District Establishment Res
solution of the Town of Brookhaven
n, the by-law
ws of the Disstrict,
and writtten policy do
ocuments de
escribing the
eir function a
and tasks. T
The Fire Chief is a volunteer
officer, elected
e by th
he District membership
m on an annu
ual basis. The Board off Commissio
oners
must form ve the chief’s appointme
mally approv ent following
g the membe
er election. The Fire Ch
hief is
then dele
egated the fu
ull operational authority over the me
embers of the
e fire Districct.

Foundattional Policy
y
Organiza
ations that operate effiiciently are typically go
overned by clear policcies that layy the
foundatio
on for effectiive organiza
ational culturre. GHFD m aintains sevveral primaryy policy man
nuals:
the Corporation By-L
Laws, Standa
ard Operatin
ng Guideline
es, and Distrrict Policies.

nuals were given

The man g a basic review for quality and
d content. T
The manualss were fairlyy well
organized, and it ap
ppears that a great dea
al of time we
ent into writting the variious policiess and
procedurres in a pro
ofessional an
nd clear ma
anner. The d
documentatiion includess the approp
priate
policies either
e requirred by law or
o focused on
o reducing the risk of ccivil liability. These inclu
ude a
sexual harassment
h policy, work
kplace viole
ence, and d
disciplinary policy. Othe
er policies ccover
routine procedures,
p complaint
c ha
andling, orientation of ne
ew memberss, uniform usse, etc.

The Stan
ndard Opera
ating Guidellines are rea
asonably org
ganized, eassy to undersstand and a
apply,
and refle
ect the curren
nt industry standards
s an
nd best practtices. The procedures a
are reported to be
reasonab
bly up to date but witth no presc
cribed syste m in place to review and update
e the
procedurres on a periiodic basis.

ational Design
Organiza
A well-de
esigned orga
anizational structure
s ould reflect tthe efficient assignmentt of responssibility
sho
and auth
hority, allowing the organization to accomplish
a effectivenesss by maxim
mizing distrib
bution
of worklo
oad. The line
es on an org
ganizational chart simplyy clarify acccountability, coordination
n and
supervisiion. Thoroug
gh job descriptions should provide the details of each possition and en
nsure
that eac
ch individua ear and ce ntered on the overall mission of the
al’s specific role is cle
organization.

17
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

A review
w of this agency’s organizational cha
art reveals tthat it is organized in a typical top-d
down
hierarchy
y. The organ
nizational strructure of the District de
emonstrates a clear unitty of comma
and in
which ea
ach individua
al member reports
r to only one sup
pervisor (within the conttext of any g
given
h or she is responsible for supervission and acccountability.
position) and is awarre to whom he

ef executive officer (fire

The chie e chief) direc
ctly supervisses five oth
her individua
als, including
g the
captains and trainin
ng officer. The chief's span of ccontrol fallss within the
e range typ
pically
considere
ed normal and acceptable. The fire
f chief ha
as been pro h the disciplinary
ovided with
authority to suspen
nd a memb
ber from ac
ctive duty p
pending revview by the
e Board off Fire
sioners.
Commiss

The Disttrict does not

n maintain
n a thoroug
gh and up--to-date sett of job cla
assificationss and
descriptio
ons that acc
curately refle
ect the typica
al responsib he positions. The
bilities and activities of th
by-laws do contain brief paragrraphs descrribing each position cla
assification, but provide
e little
hese paragra
detail. Th aphs do not adequately describe the
e primary fu
unctions and activities, ccritical
tasks, or levels of supervision an
nd accountab
bility.

The Disttrict does not y maintain collective b

n currently bargaining a
agreements (CBA) with
h any
classifica
ation of employees within
n the organization.

Maintena
ance of History
The Gord s Fire District has some formal levells of history retention prrograms in p
don Heights place.
ate records of all corpo
Appropria orate or mun
nicipal meettings are ma
aintained in accordance
e with
the laws of the state
e governing various type
es of public meetings an
nd decisionss involving p
public
funds.

The District maintain

ns a "scrapb
book" or file containing iitems of histtorical signifficance, inclu
uding
pictures, newspaperr articles, etc
c. These arre helpful wh
hen updatin
ng a historical perspective of
nization and the major events
the organ e in its developmen
d nt.

ot publish orr distribute an

The District does no eport of activities and a
a annual re accomplishm
ments,
failing to provide any
y specific his
storical recorrd or measurrement of itss annual perrformance.

18
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Internal and External Commun

nications
Regular officers me
eetings take place in th
his agency about once
e per month
h and includ
de all
primary staff
s and offficers. Minuttes or summ
maries of reg
gular officerss meetings are not regularly
made av
vailable or distributed fo ganization. Such an efffort is
or review by all memberrs of the org
recomme
ended, as it encourages
s internal communicatio ns and perm
mits members to share ideas
on deparrtmental issu
ues, enhanciing a feeling
g of empowe
erment amon
ng personne
el.

Written, formal
f memorandums are y utilized for distribution of information, ensuring
a regularly g that
all memb
bers receive
e critical data
a in an orga
anized and cconsistent fa
ashion. A syystematic me
ethod
for distrib
bution of wriitten commu
unications is
s in place an
nd is followe
ed regularly in order to m
make
certain that no mem
mbers are le
eft out of th
he informatio
on loop. W
When certain types of ccritical
memos or policies are releas
sed, a syste
em has be
een establisshed for ve
erification of the
distributio
on to all perrsonnel. This
s system provides a reccord of conffirmation tha
at the inform
mation
was rece
eived and improves acco
ountability.

mber meeting
Full mem gs are conducted once per month in es personnel with
n a manner that provide
an opporrtunity or forrum for exch d discussing concerns, iideas, or isssues directlyy with
hanging and
managem
ment person
nnel. No em
mployee/mem
mber newsle
etter has be
een initiated
d. District bu
ulletin
boards are
a adequate
ely controlled
d and organ
nized, with in
nformation b
being sorted
d and update
ed on
a regularr basis.

District business
b em
mail address
ses have been
b issued
d to approp
priate personnel. Indivvidual
member mailboxes or station/shift mailbo
oxes are ussed to excchange impo
ortant hard--copy
nts and prev
documen vent missing or misplace
ed documen ts. Voicema
ail is in place
e for primaryy staff
and officers through their cellular phones, pe
ermitting oth
her memberss or the exte
ernal custom
mer to
efficiently
y and quick
kly leave personal conta
act message
es. The Disstrict publish
hes a comm
munity
newslette
er for distrib
bution to the public on
n an occasio
onal basis. The newsle
etter permitss the
release of
o specific an
nd detailed information authored
a dire
ectly by the District.

Docume
ent Control and
a Securitty
Records management is a critic
cal function to
t any organ uses are made of
nization. A variety of u
written re
ecords and, therefore, their integrrity must be
e protected. State law
w requires p
public
access to
o certain fire
e and EMS department
d documents and data. C
Clear written
n procedure
es are
in place to
t provide fo
or public reco
ords access through the
e District stafff.

19
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Paper re
ecords (hard
d copy files)) are adequately secure
ed with passage and/orr container locks
with limitted access. Important computer
c filles are baccked-up to a secure da
ata location on a
regular and
a consistent basis.

The statiion is reportted to be co

onsistently lo
ocked and s ecured from
m unauthorizzed entry thrrough
an electrronic locking system with
h Radio Freq
quency Iden
ntification (R
RFID) key fob
bs. Public acccess
to the bu
uildings is lim
mited to bus
siness areas
s or when acccompanied
d by an emp
ployee. Electtronic
key fobs
s can be shut off to pre
event orpha
an keys and
d unauthorizzed entry. N
No security a
alarm
systems are used to provide for automa
atic notificatiion of unau
uthorized en
ntry or brea
ak-in.
ovide early smoke
Monitored fire alarm systems pro s and ffire detection for buildings, as well a
as an
additiona
al life-safety measure forr occupants in the eventt of a fire.

District computers arre programm ssword secu rity on sensitive file access and softtware
med with pas
to provid
de an additio
onal level of security an
nd data inte
egrity. Firew
wall protectio
on is in placce for
computers accessing
g the interne
et and other outside serrvers. The protection is adequately up to
d capable of preventiing most unauthorized
date and u d network iintrusions. Up-to-date virus
protection software is
i utilized on
n all incoming email an
nd files; ope
erating syste
ems are regularly
scanned for undetected virus infe
ection.

ncy maintain
The agen ets. A process is in place to maintain this
ns a current inventory off capital asse
inventory
y and new assets
a ogged and recorded att purchase. No business-related ca
are lo ash is
he premises of the District, reduci ng or elimin
routinely kept on th nating risks associated with
burglary and theft. The use of an
ny significan
nt petty cash
h fund has b
been elimina
ated. Genera
al-use
s VISA™ or MASTERCA
credit cards, such as ARD™, are iissued to key district perrsonnel, but strict
account controls, low
w credit limits, and zero liability fraud
d protection are in place
e. Written, fo
ormal
purchasing policies and
a procedu
ures are in place and are
e strictly enfo
orced. Virtua
ally all purch
hases
require specific
s purc
chase orders
s (POs) with
h appropriate
e approval ssignatures a
and appropriation
verificatio
ons.

Reportin
ng and Reco
ords
The District utilizes records
r man
nagement so
oftware to e ore incident information. The
enter and sto
software is complian
nt with NFIR
RS (National Fire Inciden
nt Reporting
g System) sttandards, bu
ut the
New Yorrk Departme
ent of State indicates th
hat the Distr ict has not been regula
arly submittin
ng its
data as required.
r Tra
aining and maintenance
m e also mainta
records are ained electro
onically.

20
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Personne
el records are reported to be complete and up-tto-date and maintained in a manner that
protects private medical information. Record
ds are mainttained on em
mployment h
history, discipline,
ork assignme
commendations, wo ents, injurie
es, exposure
es, and leavve time. Fin
nancial activvities,
including
g budgets, ex
xpenditures,, revenues, purchase orrders, and o
other encumbrances are
e kept
in a fina
ancial recorrds manage
ement softw
ware system
m permitting
g consistentt and up-to
o-date
monitorin
ng of all finan
ncial activitie
es and accounts.

The Disttrict uses a PC-based computer system, with Windows X

XP as its p
primary operrating
system, and
a all comp
puters are ne
etworked to a district se
erver.

Operatin a Financial Resource

ng Budget and es
The Boa
ard of Comm
missioners establishes
e budget policcies and gu ough the District
uidelines thro
Treasure
er. The treas
surer has res
sponsibility fo
or coordinatting the prep
paration of th
he budget an
nd for
providing
g it to the Bo
oard for app
proval. The he managing the
e Board overrsees the firre chief in th
daily ope
erations of th
he District.

The Distrrict uses a one-year

o bud
dget cycle to
o prepare the
e operating budget. The
e Board apprroves
the budget and holds earing for resident input to the propo
s a public he osed budgett. After the p
public
hearing, the budget is modified (if
( required) and approvved by the B
Board to beco
ome the ado
opted
budget. Although
A the
e Town of Brookhaven
B is not invollved in the preparation or review o
of the
District budget,
b the Town’s Ta
ax Receipts Office recceives tax p
payments and forwardss the
proceeds
s to the Tow
wn’s Financ
ce Departme
ent. The Fi nance Depa
artment allo
ocates all District
funds rec
ceived to the
e District bas
sed on appra
aised value and tax rate
e. The alloca
ation is not b
based
on actual funds rece
eived by the District. At the
t end of th
he tax paym
ment season, unpaid pro
operty
e turned ove
taxes are er to the cou
unty for colle
ection. Unco
ollected prop
perty taxes are not alloccated
back to the District but are absorrbed by the county.
c

GHFD maintains
m bud nd capital reserve accou
dget and fun unts. Three rreserve acco
ounts are fu
unded
with eac
ch budget cy
ycle. The ta
able below gives
g a valu
uation of these reserve
e accounts as of
Decembe
er 31, 2009.

21
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
F 1: Capital Fund Balances as o
of Decemberr 31, 2009

Capital Funds
F Bala
ance
Equipment Reserve 6
6,184
Building
g Reserve 138
8,887
Truck Reserve
R 130
0,695
Total Ca
apital Fund Reserves
R 275
5,766

GHFD prepares a five-year

f vehicle replac
cement and building ca
apital plan. T
These planss are
updated annually witth the prepa
aration of the
e budget. Du
ue to the esttimated life o
of fire apparratus,
ommended that
it is reco t the vehicle replacement plan b
be extended
d to a minim
mum of 15 yyears.
The requ
uirement from
m these two plans shoulld be used a
as the reservve fund budg
get amount iin the
year of th
he budget. In the 2010 budget,
b $180
0,000 has b een included
d for funding
g these rese
erves.
Howeverr, the buildin
ng and appa
aratus repla
acement pla ns provide vehicle replacement tottaling
$75,000 and building
g replacement/renovation totaling $5
57,000.

strict is the responsibil ity of the ttreasurer an

Financial control within the Dis nd the fire cchief.
Financial reporting is
s provided monthly
m to the
e Board of C
Commissione
ers for review and appro
oval.

nancial reco
GHFD fin ords are valid
dated with an
a annual in dependent a
audit. In 200
09, the auditt was
conducte
ed by Cullen
n & Danows
ski, LLP. The
e audit wass conducted in accordan
nce with aud
diting
standards generally accepted in
n the United
d States an
nd the stand
dards appliccable to fina
ancial
ontained in the
audits co t Governm
ment Auditin
ng Standard
ds issued byy the Compttroller General of
the Unite
ed States. It is the opinio
on of the aud
ditor that the
e financial in
nformation p
presented in 2009
fairly, in all
a material respects,
r rep
presents the
e assets, liab
bilities, and ffund balance
es of each fu
und.

GHFD ha
as a Length
h of Service Award Prog
gram (LOSA
AP) which iss a defined benefit for a
active
volunteer firefighters. The progra
am took effe
ect in Januarry 1, 1991. T
The program
m was established
pursuantt to Article 11
1-A of the General
G Muniicipal Law a nd provides municipallyy-funded pen
nsion-
like bene
efits to facilitate the recru
uitment and retention off volunteer fiirefighters. T
The District iis the
sponsor of the program. Service
e credit is determined
d b
by the gove
erning board
d of the spo
onsor,
n information
based on n certified to
o the governing board byy the Districct. The Distriict must reta
ain all
required records.

olunteer fireffighters who have reached the age o

Active vo of 18 and w
who have com
mpleted one
e year
of firefighting servic
ce are eligib
ble to partic e program. Participantss acquire a non-
cipate in the

22
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

forfeitable right to a service awa

ard after bein
ng credited with five yea
ars of firefig
ghting servicces or
aching progrram’s entitlement age off 62. In gene
upon rea eral, an actiive firefighte
er is credited
d with
one yearr of firefightiing service for each calendar year after the esstablishmen
nt of the pro
ogram
during which
w he or she
s accumu
ulates 50 po
oints. Points are granted
d for perform
mance of ce
ertain
activities in accordan
nce with a sy
ystem estab
blished by th e sponsor o
on the basis of a statutory list
of activitiies and poin
nt values. A participant may also re
eceive creditt for five yea
ars of firefig
ghting
service re
endered prio
or to the esta
ablishment of
o the progra
am.

A particip t actuaria l equivalent of a monthlyy payment fo

pant’s beneffit under the program is the or life
equal to $10 multiplied by the person’s to
otal number of years off firefighting
g service priior to
us $20 multip
January 1, 2002, plu plied by the years of serrvice after Ja
anuary 1, 20
002. The number
of years of firefightting service cannot ex
xceed 30 ye
ears. The p
program pro
ovides statu
utorily
mandated death an
nd disability payments. The progrram also prrovides optiional line-off-duty
disability benefits wh
here the individual will be credited w
with five poin
nts for each full month d
during
ey are disab
which the bled.

The gove
erning board
d has retaine
ed and designated Hom
metown/RSA
A Consultantts to assist in the
administrration of th
he program
m. The prog
gram admin
nistrator’s p
primary ressponsibility is to
administe
er the plan, compute pa
articipants’ entitlements, authorize disbursementts to particip
pants,
compute contribution
n amounts, maintain ne
ecessary re
ecords, and consult with the District on
ent plans. Diisbursementts from the fund
investme f must be
e reviewed by the fire b
board and siigned
by at leas
st two Comm
missioners. Program
P ass
sets are held
d in trust by LOSAP legiislation. The
e trust
agreeme
ent currently in place is dated
d Octobe
er 9, 2007.

onsor is req
The spo quired to re
etain an ac
ctuary to de
etermine the
e amount o
of the spon
nsor’s
contributions to the plan.
p The ac
ctuary retain
ned for this purpose is H
Harbridge C
Consulting G
Group,
LLC. In 2009 the recommend
ded contribution to th e trust was $75,766. GHFD’s a
actual
contribution for that year
y was $32,529; $43,2
237 below th
he recomme
ended level.

Figure 2 provides a snapshot

s of the trust fun
nd as of Dece
ember 31, 2
2009.

23
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fig
gure 2: LOSA
AP Financiall Condition
Deescription Amouunt
Actuarial Presen
nt Value of Benefits
B $843
3,523
Net Assets
A $740
0,221
Unfu
unded Liability for Prioor Service $103
3,302

Recomm
mendation:

• Any action
a taken
n by the To own of Brookhaven on restructuring g of GHFD must includ
de an
action
n plan to sattisfy the unfu
unded liabilitty to the LOS
SAP program
m.

urrently has two outstanding committments for d

GHFD cu debt. The Disstrict has isssued serial b
bonds
for impro
ovements to the fire stattion. The bonds mature in June 201
12. The othe
er commitme
ent is
for the le
ease of the 75’ aerial from
f E-One. The final payment on
n this lease will be made in
August 2010.
2 The chart
c below provides a status of e brance as o
each encumb of Decembe
er 31,
2009.

Figure 3: GHFD Debt as of Dece

ember 31, 20
009
Maaturity Interest Princip
ple
Date of Issue Descriptio
on Pay
ying Agent
Date
D Rate Balance
9/15/20
001 8/4
4/2010 E-One 75’ Ae
erial E-One 4.900% $5
59,617
6/30/20
003 6/3
30/2012 Building Se
erial Bonds 4.600% $7
75,000
Total $13
34,617

Recomm
mendation:

• Any action
a takenn by the To own of Brookhaven on restructuring g of GHFD must includ
de an
action
n plan to reffinance or eliminate the debt
d on the building.

FD uses a modified
The GHF m acc
crual basis of
o accountin
ng. Under th
he modified accrual bassis of
accountin
ng, revenue
es and othe
er financial resources a
are recognized as acccrued when they
become both meas
surable and
d available to finance
e expenditures of the current pe
eriod.
Expendittures are recognized when the fun
nd liability iss incurred w exceptions. The
with certain e
District’s treasurer is
s responsiblle for managing all fina
ancial activitties and ove
ersees reven
nues,
expenditures, investm
ments, accounting, and debt.

evenue is primarily gene

GHFD re erated by pro
operty taxess. For the 20
010 budget, 98.74 perce
ent of
revenue was from property
p taxe
es. In the 2010 budget , GHFD hass included rrevenue from
m the

24
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

leasing of
o a newly constructed
c cell tower located at th
he fire statio
on. This revvenue repressents
1.00 perc
cent of budg
geted income
e, as indicate
ed in the folllowing figure
e.

Fig
gure 4: GHFD
D Revenue, 2
2006 – 2010
Actual Actual Actual Actuual Acttual
Revenue
R Source
2006 2007 2008 2009 20
010
Property Tax
T Revenue $1,476,161 $1,476,1665 $1,421,5
510 $1,397
7,518 $1,39
97,499
Interest $28,599
9 $26,5003 $10,1
146 $2
2,500 $
$3,500
Refund Prior Year $1,085
5 $885 $1
162 $17 $0
Sale of Eq
quipment $0
0 $2,5000 $4,6
600 $10
0,052 $0
Insurancee Recovery $5,445
5 $37,8885 $29,6
632 $8
8,187 $0
Grant $0
0 $$0 $102,0000 $3
3,000 $0
Rental Inc
come $0
0 $$0 $0 $0 $14,400
Other $321 $7,5888 $8,8
897 $1
1,640 $0
Total
T Revenu
ue $1,511,610
0 $1,550,6995 $1,576,9
947 $1,422
2,915 $1,415,399
% of Reveenue from Tax 97.65
5 95.1 9 90.14 9
98.22 98.74

ning the Co
Determin ost of Fire Protection
P
Establish
hing the cos
st of fire pro
otection in a communityy is an impo
ortant part o
of evaluating
g the
feasibility
y of other delivery strattegies. By knowing
k the
e cost of the
e services a
as they existt and
predicting
g the cost off that service
e after organ
nizational ch
hanges are m
made, altern
native fire mo
odels
may be ju
udged more
e fairly.

As part of the curre

ent systems evaluation of the GHF
FD, ESCI de
eveloped a computer-d
driven
o estimate the
model to t public cost
c of fire protection a
and emerge
ency medica
al services. The
baseline estimate is
s expressed
d in dollars and in term
ms of equivvalent rate per $100 o
of the
d value of th
assessed he District. The estimatte provides a scale by w
which to me
easure the sstatus
quo against any prop
posed system
m change.

The adaptation of th
he District’s budget to estimate
e pu blic cost of fire service
e requires ce
ertain
ons and as
conventio ssumptions. Specifica
ally, the bud
dget of the
e agency m
may need tto be
reformattted, often co
ombining lin
ne item expe
enditures off different go
overnmental funds to re
eflect
total public service co
ost.

Non-tax revenues sp
pecific to the
e District (su
uch as fees for servicess) are identiffied. Reven
nue is
d to allow forr accumulatiion (or expenditure) of ccash and for the average
corrected ed expenditu
ure of
y. Adjusted revenues arre subtracted
contingencies, if any d from expe
enditures to yyield an estiimate
al operating tax require
of genera ements. The resultant su
um represen
nts the amo
ount of publiic tax

25
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

support required
r to sustain
s the given
g level off fire and em
mergency me
edical servicces, regardle
ess of
the sourc
ce of the tax revenue.

There is,, however, one

o point of emphasis. This analyssis provides a “snapshott” estimate o
of the
public tax
x cost for th
he current bu
udgetary yea
ar. Many fo
orces may a
act to change the level o
of tax
support in the future,, including changes in la
aw, revenue,, politics or ccontracts. T
This process uses
evenue and appropriatio
current re on to genera
ate an estim ate of the amount of taxx support relative
to existin
ng levels of fire
f and eme
ergency med
dical service alysis allows comparison
es. The ana n with
the predicted cost of service; it does
d not pred
dict the actu
ual tax rate – current or ffuture.

Fire Prottection Disttrict Tax Co

ost
A detaile
ed analysis of
o the 2010 budget
b is com
mpared to th
he previous four years o
of actual data
a and
shown in
n the followin
ng table.

Figurre 5: GHFD Expenditures

E s, 2006 – 2010

District TAV $2,2

281,124 $2
2,321,306 $
$2,332,677 $2,318,301
1 $2,297,4
417
Expen nse Categoryy Actua
al 2006 Acttual 2007 A
Actual 2008 Actual 2009
9 Actual 20
010
Personne el Services $3324,503 $338,229
$ $318,235 $354,7899 $371,8849
Business Operations $99,530
$ $88,936 $114,129 $96,148
8 $114,5500
Business Administratio
on $115,698 $112,186
$ $52,333 $80,954
4 $135,5500
Bond and Lease Paym ments $86,977
$ $86,057 $85,137 $89,217
7 $88,0
068
Vehicles $64,512
$ $46,977 $105,853 $45,009
9 $60,0
000
Building and
a Grounds $99,031
$ $145,066
$ $101,855 $153,4044 $123,2200
Communications $38,961
$ $31,961 $48,237 $44,515
5 $43,5
500
Fire and Rescue
R $67,110
$ $93,493 $114,580 $96,210
0 $105,2282
Social Security $24,824
$ $25,873 $25,318 $27,067
7 $28,5
500
Insurancee Exempt $135,141 $148,862
$ $122,538 $138,6344 $165,0000
Fund Tran nsfers $3355,312 $418,018
$ $428,629 $262,5877 $180,0000
Non-Prop perty Tax Revenue ($3
35,449) ($74,530)
( ($155,437) ($25,396)) ($17,90
00)
Total Exppenditures $1,3
376,150 $1,461,128 $
$1,361,408 $1,363,138
8 $1,397,4
499
% Change
from Prev vious Year 6.17 -6.82 0.13
3 2.52

Tax Rate 60.33 62.94 58.36 58.80

0 60.83

geted tax ratte for 2010 will

The budg w require the paymentt of $1,217 in
n district exp
pense for a h
home
with a Ta
axable Asses
ssed Value (TAV)
( of $20
00,000.

GHFD do nancial reporting, betwe

oesn’t distinguish, for fin een fire and EMS costs o
of operation
ns. To
truly iden
ntify the cos
st of operations, ESCI analyzed 2 010 budgetted expense
es to create
e cost
segregattion between
n fire and EMS
E service
es. The alloccation metho
odology use
ed was revie
ewed
and apprroved by the
e district treasurer. The fo
ollowing tab
ble depicts th
hese costs.

26
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fig
gure 6: Allocation of Expenses Betwe
een Fire and EMS, 2010
2010 Firre 2010 0 EMS 2010
Exp
pense Catego
ory
Budge et Buudget Budget
Personnel
P Serrvices $755,677 $2 296,172 $371,849
Business
B Operrations $655,637 $
$48,863 $114,500
Business
B Adm
ministration $104 4,895 $
$30,605 $135,500
Bond
B and Leas se Payments $81 ,576 $6,492 $88,068
Vehicles
V $133,884 $
$46,116 $60,000
Building
B and Grounds
G $699,313 $
$53,887 $123,200
Communicatio
C ons $8
8,703 $
$34,797 $43,500
Fire and Rescu ue $622,626 $
$42,656 $105,282
Social
S Security
y $5
5,800 $
$22,700 $28,500
In
nsurance Exe empt $41 ,585 $1 123,415 $165,000
Fund Transfers $121 ,261 $
$58,793 $180,000
Non-Property
N Tax
T Revenue e ($8, 950) (($8,950) ($17,900)
Total 2010 Bu udget Expens se $642 2,007 $7 755,546 $
$1,397,499
District
D Assesssed Value $2,3188,301 $2,3318,301 $
$2,318,301
Taxable Rate perp $100 TAVV 27
7.693 32.588 60.281

Figure 6 shows that 54 percent of GHFD tottal costs are

e for the provision of EM
MS to the Disstrict.
me with a $2
On a hom 200,000 TAV
V, the cost off ambulance
e service is $
$652.

Compara
ative inform
mation
The residents of GH
HFD have petitioned
p th
he Town of Brookhaven
n to take acction againsst the
District due
d to the high cost of fire
f protectio
on in compa
arison to adjacent Districcts based on the
tax rates
s charged to each home
e owner. To understand the issue in
n the eyes o
of the tax pa
ayers,
the follow
wing tables depict
d the to
otal assessed
d taxable va
alue of the 3
39 fire districcts in the Tow
wn of
Brookhav
ven, the tota
al budget forr each distric
ct, and the ta each district..3 Each indivvidual
ax rate for e
table also
o shows the
e rank by siz
ze of each district
d in com
mparison to all the distrricts. It shou
uld be
noted tha
at the Town
n of Brookha
aven also ha
as ten ambu
ulance distriicts. Ambula
ance districtts are
charged to the tax pa
ayers on sep
parate lines of the tax in
nvoice so a d
district-to-disstrict compa
arison
is not po
ossible witho
out including
g the cost off ambulance
e service disstricts. The o
only adjacen
nt fire
district with
w an ambulance distric
ct is Medford
d Fire Districct.

3
Informattion provided by the Town of Brookhave
en’s finance d
department.

27
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 7: Taxable Ass

sessed Value
e for Fire Dis
stricts

T
TAV
Fire District
D 2006 2007 2008
8 200
09 2010
Ran
nking
Setauket 43,592,521 43,693,00 04 43,666, 693 43,205,167 624,755
42,6 1
Centerrea ach 29,211,961 29,258,52 29 29,461, 647 29,203,490 29,0
077,161 2
Selden 26,906,2800 26,897,39 93 26,757, 504 26,280,681 26,0
009,097 3
Lake Ronkonkoma 25,525,8166 25,438,31 17 25,325, 830 25,067,083 24,8
800,912 4
Pt Jefferson 23,995,3433 23,964,56 65 23,937, 792 23,728,872 23,5
504,639 5
Medford 22,340,4733 22,838,80 05 22,990, 072 22,850,155 22,7
790,198 6
Rocky Po oint 22,676,9499 22,770,77 76 22,714, 003 22,382,481 22,1
159,675 7
Terryville 22,004,1444 21,856,33 36 21,807, 789 21,510,412 21,2
279,922 8
Coram 17,608,2688 17,699,43 37 17,604, 136 17,308,250 16,9
992,901 9
Mt Sinai 14,430,9099 15,523,13 37 15,992, 284 16,047,034 16,1
115,264 10
Holtsville 16,356,8633 16,458,65 57 16,576, 126 16,093,862 15,9
972,088 11
Farmingville 16,587,7844 16,383,16 62 16,171, 829 16,049,654 15,7
712,880 12
Mastic 14,590,2577 14,699,25 54 14,756, 556 14,703,558 14,7
776,231 13
Miller Placce 15,343,0900 15,453,54 48 15,213, 891 14,993,022 14,6
683,535 14
Manorvillee 14,750,1477 14,851,41 13 14,809, 547 14,696,883 14,4
484,074 15
North Patchogue 14,487,2400 14,440,82 28 14,409, 614 14,257,903 14,2
237,058 16
Brookhaven 13,724,5400 13,782,70 09 13,784, 916 13,679,813 13,6
645,417 17
Mastic Be each 12,910,1500 12,999,12 28 13,072, 677 13,095,662 13,0
085,543 18
Ridge 13,289,4400 13,372,06 60 13,183, 494 13,193,156 12,9
982,500 19
Patchogue 12,213,6166 12,017,05 50 11,961, 177 11,903,818 11,8
820,963 20
Middle Island 12,119,401 12,154,14 49 12,171, 256 11,935,977 11,7
778,858 21
Stoney Brrook 12,002,7355 11,929,18 83 11,887, 013 11,825,370 11,7
704,155 22
Hagerman n 1,173,654
4 11,786,34 41 11,693, 993 11,723,329 11,6
649,110 23
Center Mo oriches 8,544,829
9 8,762,6003 8,844, 583 8,887,374 8,9
910,113 24
Wading River
R 8,377,589
9 8,356,9336 8,287, 378 8,219,287 8,1
188,811 25
East Moriches 8,197,854
4 8,647,3888 8,264, 249 822,515 8,1
167,066 26
Bellport 7,415,371 7,517,1556 7,427, 986 7,406,522 7,4
412,893 27
Sound Be each 6,499,487
7 6,515,8222 6,495, 353 6,491,904 6,4
478,744 28
Blue Point 6,364,924
4 6,384,9662 6,381, 333 6,287,464 6,1
180,155 29
Yaphank 6,101,466
6 6,149,0555 6,071, 461 6,096,107 6,0
087,909 30
Fire Islandd Pines 2,994,920
0 2,933,1333 2,997, 200 3,019,173 3,0
034,528 31
Moriches Protection 3,200,444
4 3,202,9772 2,916, 426 2,919,098 2,8
895,633 32
Gordon Heights
H 2,281,124
4 2,321,3006 2,332, 677 2,318,301 2,2
297,417 33
Eastport 1,770,687
7 2,067,3440 2,185, 793 2,226,340 2,2
271,821 34
Ocean Ba ay Park 1,345,199
9 1,346,9334 1,357, 684 1,356,665 1,3
390,020 35
Cherry Grrove 897,136
6 894,1663 904, 637 903,667 9
909,288 36
Davis Parrk 852,071 853,1558 855, 097 856,012 8
863,273 37
Riverhead d 773,703
3 770,4226 770, 724 764
4,288 7
765,160 38
Water Islaand 190,329
9 193,8003 193, 340 193,243 1
195,156 39
*Green highlighted dep
partments are
e adjacent to GHFD.
G

28
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Total Tax
xable Asses
ssed Value for
f the Town
n of Brookh aven increa
ased 0.9 perrcent since 2
2006.
GHFD TA
AV increase
ed 0.7 percent over the same period HFD is rankked 33rd out of 39
d of time. GH
fire distric
cts in total assessed
a tax
xable value.

Figure
F 8: Tax
xable Assess
sed Value forr Ambulance
e Districts

Ambulance
2006 200
07 2008 2009 2010
District
South County
C 25,255,467 25,48
84,156 2
25,279,949 25,235,495
5 25,158,,759
Medford d 22,176,065 22,60
06,845 2
22,704,378 22,568,634
4 22,497,,248
Mt Sinaii 14,430,909 15,52
23,137 1 5,990,171 16,045,133
3 16,113,,574
Mastic 14,559,716 14,66
68,800 1 4,714,163 14,647,197
7 15,909,,442
Manorviille 16,075,574 16,17
72,002 1 6,138,127 16,013,688
8 15,794,,512
Mastic Beach
B 12,910,150 1299
99128 1 3,057,787 13,084,494
4 13,070,,935
East Port/East
9,274,568 1004
41380 9,753,455 9,771,262
2 9,758,,874
Morichees
Shirley 7,230,231 722
20951 7,200,815 7,181,961
1 7,132,,047
Blue Point 6,390,790 6,40
03,364 6,376,530 6,286,558
8 6,186,,496
East Patchogue 2,085,773 2,08
85,134 2,072,992 2,074,343
3 2,074,,882
Total Bu udget
130,389,243 133,20
04,897 13
33,288,367 132,908,765
5 133,696,,769
Dollars

Another view of co
omparable data
d is looking at tota
al budget d
dollars. The
e following table
summarizes the tottal budget dollars use
ed to generrate tax invvoices for tthe residen
nts of
ven.
Brookhav

29
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 9: Budgett Dollars for Fire Districts

s

TAAV
Fire District 2006 2007 2008 2009
9 201
10
Rank
king
Selden 5,940,099 6,183,981 6,165,7
733 6,165,7
712 6,165
5,719 1
Coram 5,737,830 5,800,637 5,694,4
409 5,290,4
442 5,474
4,605 2
Setaukett 4,823,077 4,821,532 4,781,0
068 6,440,1
163 4,878
8,831 3
Centerre each 3,492,290 3,601,435 3,789,0
066 3,940,1
135 4,114
4,130 4
Terryville
e 4,025,658 4,024,189 4,024,8
844 4,015,1
136 4,073
3,404 5
Middle Issland 2,946,240 3,083,509 3,273,0
094 3,613,0
044 3,713
3,049 6
North Pa atchogue 2,981,474 3,208,464 3,358,8
885 3,507,7
729 3,576
6,208 7
Rocky Point 3,038,035 2,983,285 3,319,0
008 3,490,0
069 3,324
4,431 8
Ridge 2,343,859 2,559,150 2,763,9
925 2,957,3
377 3,105
5,285 9
Farmingv ville 2,325,110 2,929,146 2,925,1 60 3,023,1
114 2,964
4,550 10
0
Medford 2,848,680 2,827,607 2,816,7
745 2,977,3
382 2,866
6,552 11
Hagerma an 1,664,258 1,656,216 1,676,3
339 2,124,9
972 2,349
9,744 12
2
Lake Ronkonkoma 2,553,858 2,554,007 2,456,3
355 2,352,2
296 2,338
8,976 13
3
Brookhaven 1,782,681 1,930,274 2,073,2
251 2,209,7
702 2,278
8,239 14
4
Holtsville
e 1,800,073 2,033,632 2,152,2
245 2,126,9
964 2,137
7,226 15
5
Miller Pla
ace 2,015,315 2,003,708 1,918,4
476 1,954,0
041 2,031,762 16
6
Stoney Brook
B 1,315,020 1,380,088 1,492,0
058 1,528,0
074 1,855
5,113 17
7
Patchogue 1,272,781 1,353,963 1,385,2
225 1,504,2
287 1,579
9,990 18
8
Center Moriches
M 1,337,351 1,381,776 1,398,0
065 1,554,3
314 1,565
5,775 19
9
Pt Jefferson 1,574,814 1,475,739 1,512,1 51 1,642,7
750 1,557
7,418 20
0
Gordon Heights
H 1,476,161 1,476,165 1,421,5
510 1,397,5
518 1,397
7,520 21
Yaphank k 1,255,499 1,226,306 1,318,6
600 1,317,3
308 1,361,868 22
2
Bellport 1,042,601 1,072,247 1,102,9
907 1,091,0
062 1,322
2,906 23
3
Mt Sinai 1,135,135 1,192,023 1,267,0
069 1,267,0
074 1,320
0,002 24
4
Manorville 1,213,495 1,212,470 1,213,1 98 1,216,4
463 1,293
3,433 25
5
Sound Beach
B 1,022,499 1,226,409 1,225,0
089 1,339,2
215 1,267
7,697 26
6
Mastic Beach
B 1,424,377 1,002,241 1,075,4
489 1,161,4
458 1,146
6,555 27
7
Blue Point 862,129 888,021 917,7
764 923,2
251 917
7,074 28
8
Wading River 758,926 776,527 807,1 08 807,6
627 833
3,457 29
9
East Moriches 750,432 743,770 756,9
925 763,4
483 795
5,961 30
0
Moriches s Protection 425,051 419,398 415,8
824 432,5
522 400
0,003 31
Fire Islan
nd Pines 126,296 154,865 148,6
632 216,7
777 235
5,632 32
2
Ocean Bay
B Park 189,754 178,482 189,4
451 188,6
658 190
0,364 33
3
Davis Pa ark 122,102 147,076 139,8
800 132,7
785 147
7,240 34
4
Mastic 1,641,842 1,482,714 1,449,0
096 1,446,5
539 144
4,603 35
5
Cherry Grove
G 119,956 119,952 119,9
955 120,1
143 120
0,144 36
6
Eastport 87,366 94,188 96,3
321 110,7
761 109
9,570 37
7
Riverhea ad 58,662 63,692 83,1 68 82,9
979 85
5,323 38
8
Water Island 36,376 36,710 35,4
412 42,4
413 54
4,002 39
9
*Green highlighted dep partments are
e adjacent to GHFD.
G

30
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Total fire
e protection expense do
ollars for the
e Town of B
Brookhaven increased 7
7.9 percent since
2006. GH
HFD total ex
xpense dolla
ars decrease
es by 5.3 perrcent for the
e same perio
od of time. G
GHFD
d 21st in 2010
is ranked 0 for total bu s versus 33rdd in TAV ranking.
udget dollars

Figure 10
0: Budget Do
ollars for Am
mbulance Districts

TA
AV
Ambula
ance District 2006 2007
7 200
08 200
09 20
010
Ran
nking
Medford 778,3
380 852,732 1,061 ,887 1,170
0,192 1,81
14,930 1
South County 1,391,3
324 1,460,2
251 1,477
7,623 1,575
5,200 1,60
02,364 2
Mastic 974,0
045 924,2
282 1,188
8,317 1,363
3,801 1,44
49,358 3
Mastic Beeach 1,113,113 1,028,2
262 1,109
9,656 1,113
3,886 1,32
25,001 4
Manorville
e 769,5
538 774,8
800 823
3,529 848
8,567 94
40,404 5
East Port//East Moriche
es 803,4
456 785,4
424 801 ,860 848
8,537 91
16,067 6
Shirley 815,7
787 835,753 843
3,935 904
4,857 91
10,409 7
Mt Sinai 368,0
072 371,158 774
4,246 693
3,958 71
19,149 8
Blue Point 347,2
276 347,705 374
4,813 400
0,265 42
21,239 9
East Patcchogue 113,3
341 113,2
223 121 ,851 132
2,074 14
41,279 1
10
Total Bud
dget Dollars 7,474,3
332 7,493,590 8,577
7,717 9,051
1,337 10,24
40,200

The finall comparison to other fire

f districts in the Town
n of Brookh
haven is the
e actual tax rates
charged to the reside
ents of each district.

31
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fig
gure 11: Tax Rates for Firre Districts

Ratte
Fire
e District 2006 2007 2008 2009
9 201
10
Rank
king
Gordon Heights 64.7122 63.5992 60.9
939 60.282 60
0.830 1
Coram 32.5866 32.7773 32.3
347 30.566 32
2.217 2
Middle Island 23.8144 24.8552 26.8
892 29.743 31
1.523 3
Water Issland 19.1122 18.9442 18.3
316 21.948 27
7.671 4
North Pa atchogue 20.5800 22.218 23.3
310 24.602 25
5.119 5
Ridge 17.6377 19.1338 20.9
965 22.416 23
3.919 6
Selden 22.0777 22.9991 23.0
043 23.461 23
3.706 7
Yaphank 20.5777 19.9443 21.7
718 21.609 22
2.370 8
Hagerman 14.1800 14.0552 14.3
335 18.126 20
0.171 9
Sound Beach
B 15.7322 18.8222 18.8
861 20.629 19
9.567 10
0
Terryville 18.2955 18.412 18.4
456 18.666 19
9.142 11
1
Farming gville 14.0177 17.8779 18.0
088 18.836 18
8.867 12
2
Center Moriches
M 15.6511 15.7669 15.8
807 17.489 17
7.573 13
3
Davis Pa ark 14.3300 17.2339 16.4
490 15.512 17
7.056 14
4
Bellport 14.0600 14.2664 14.8
848 14.729 17
7.046 15
5
Brookha aven 12.9899 14.0005 15.0
040 16.153 16
6.696 16
6
Stoney Brook
B 10.9566 11.5669 12.5
552 12.922 15
5.850 17
7
Rocky Point
P 13.7711 13.4332 14.9
951 16.009 15
5.382 18
8
Blue Point 13.5455 13.9008 14.3
382 14.684 14
4.839 19
9
Centerre each 11.9555 12.3009 12.8
861 13.492 14
4.149 20
0
Miller Place 13.1355 12.9666 12.6
610 13.033 13
3.837 21
1
Moriche es Protection 13.2811 13.0994 14.2
258 14.817 13
3.814 22
2
Ocean Bay
B Park 14.1066 13.2551 13.9
954 13.906 13
3.695 23
3
Holtsville
e 11.0055 12.3556 12.9
984 13.216 13
3.381 24
4
Patchog gue 10.4211 11.2667 11.5
581 12.637 13
3.366 25
5
Cherry Grove
G 13.3711 13.415 13.2
260 13.295 13
3.213 26
6
Medford d 12.7688 12.4001 12.2
252 13.030 12
2.578 27
7
Setauke et 11.0644 11.0335 10.9
949 14.906 11
1.446 28
8
Riverhea ad 7.5822 8.2667 10.7
791 10.857 11
1.151 29
9
Wading River 9.0599 9.2992 9.7
739 9.826 10
0.178 30
0
Mastic 11.2533 10.0887 9.8
820 9.838 9
9.786 31
1
Lake Ro onkonkoma 10.0055 10.0004 9.6
699 9.384 9
9.431 32
2
Manorville 8.2277 8.1664 8.1 92 8.277 8
8.930 33
3
Mastic Beach
B 11.0333 7.710 8.2
227 8.869 8
8.762 34
4
East Mo oriches 9.1544 8.6000 9.1 59 9.283 8
8.746 35
5
Mt Sinaii 7.8666 7.6779 7.9
923 7.896 8
8.191 36
6
Fire Isla
and Pines 4.2177 5.1774 4.9
959 7.180 7
7.765 37
7
Pt Jefferrson 6.5633 6.1558 6.3
317 6.923 6
6.626 38
8
Eastportt 4.9344 4.5556 4.4
406 4.975 4
4.823 39
9
*Green highlighted dep partments are
e adjacent to GHFD.
G

32
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

GHFD is
s ranked firs
st with regarrd to tax ratte for the To
own. GHFD
D is $28.613
3 higher than the
number two-ranked
t Coram
C Fire District;
D GHF
FD’s tax rate
e is 88.9 perrcent higher than Coram
m’s.

Figure
e 12: Tax Rates for Ambu
ulance Distric
cts

Raate
Ambula
ance Distric
ct 2006 2007
7 2008
8 200
09 201
10
Ranking
Shirley 11.283
3 11.574 11.7220 12.599 12.7
765 1
Mastic Beach 8.622 7.911
1 8.49 8 8.5113 10.1
137 2
East Port/East
8.663
3 7.821
1 8.22 1 8.68
84 9.387 3
Morichess
Mastic 6.690 6.301
1 8.07 6 9.31
11 9.110 4
Medford 3.561 3.772
2 4.67 7 5.18
85 8.066 5
Blue Poinnt 5.434 5.430
0 5.87 8 6.36
67 6.809 6
East Patcchogue 5.434 5.430
0 5.87 8 6.36
67 6.809 7
South Coounty 5.509
9 5.730
0 5.84 5 6.24
42 6.369 8
Manorvillle 4.787
7 4.791
1 5.10 3 5.29
99 5.954 9
Mt Sinai 2.509
9 2.391
1 4.84 2 4.32
25 4.463 10

s surroundin
The four fire districts ng GHFD are
e Medford, Y
Yaphank, C
Coram, and M
Middle Islan
nd. Of
these dis
stricts, all offfer EMS se
ervices as part
p of the fiire district b
budget with the exceptio
on of
Medford,, which has an ambulan
nce district. It should be
e noted thatt the assesssed value fo
or the
Medford ambulance district is slightly less than the fire d
district.

owing table summarizes

The follo s the total 2010
2 budge
et in a com
mparative forrmat for the
e four
surround
ding districts. The data fo
or each district has bee
en modified b
by account d
description tto the
same format as Go
ordon Heigh
hts and will not agree by expense
e category with the bu
udget
y submitted to
originally t the Town of Brookhav
ven.

33
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 13: 2010 Exp

pense Budge
et Compariso
ons
Medfford Medforrd Total Middle Gorrdon
Coram aphank
Ya
Firre Ambulannce Medford Island Heigghts
District TAV
V 22,7900,198 22,497,24
48 22,643,723 16,992,901 1
11,778,858 6,087,909 2,297,417
Exppense Categoryy
Personnel Services
S 475
5,000 375,000 850,000 1,580,000 740,000 282,522 371,849
Business Operations
O 0 121,500 121,500 296,000 205,000 76,200 114,500
Business Administration
A 365
5,000 133,300 498,300 382,050 248,000 177,623 135,500
Bond and Lease
L Payments
s 675
5,000 0 675,000 629,672 200,000 254,500 88,068
Vehicles 200
0,000 72,000 272,000 260,000 150,000 123,000 60,000
Building and Grounds 0 145,000 145,000 537,800 320,000 73,300 123,200
Communic cations 0 50,000 50,000 85,000 80,000 11,200 43,500
Fire and Reescue 422
2,500 164,000 586,500 299,000 250,000 30,600 105,282
Social Sec urity 0 0 0 123,000 70,000 26,670 28,500
Insurance Exempt
E 428
8,833 185,000 613,833 1,102,000 730,000 207,215 165,000
Subtotal w//o Capital 2,566
6,333 1,245,800 3,812,133 5,294,522 2,993,000 1,262,830 1,235,399
Fund Trans sfers 300
0,000 426,000 726,000 250,000 720,000 500,000 180,000
Non-Property Tax Revenue e 0 0 0 (70,000) 0 (401,000) (17,900)
Total Exppenditures w/ca
apital 2,866
6,333 1,671,800 4,538,133 5,474,522 3,713,000 1,361,830 1,397,499

Tax rate pe
er Hundred w/o capital
c 11.26
1 5.54 16.84 31.16 25.41 20.74 53.77
Tax rate pe
er Hundred w/ ca
apital 1
12.58 7.4
43 20.04 32.22 31.52 22.37 60.83

If the pre
eceding info
ormation is reviewed
r without the co
ost of provid
ding capital, the tax ratte for
GHFD moves
m closer to Coram Fire District’s rate.

Another comparison is to other volunteer fire districts tthroughout tthe country to analyze costs
epartments. The following table ou
with similar sized de utlines the ccost of GHF
FD against West
Douglas County Fire
e Protection District
D (outs
side of Denvver, Colorado
o).

34
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 14: 2010 Exp

pense Budge
et Compariso
ons

W
West Dougla
as
Gordon H eights
County (CO
O)
District TAV
T 2,297,4417 45,932,467
7
Populatio on ~30000 ~4500
Calls 6055 1302
Coverag ge Area 4 square miles 6
60 square miles
Paid FTE Es 3.5 0
Voluntee ers 60 38
Expense
e Category
Personnel Services 3
371,849 0
Businesss Operations 1
114,500 31,400
Businesss Administration 1
135,500 11,600
Bond and Lease Paym ments 88,068 133
3,891
Vehicles
s 60,000 29
9,000
Building and Grounds s 1
123,200 20
0,660
Commun nications 43,500 3
3,000
Fire and Rescue 1
105,282 25
5,200
Social Security 28,500 0
Insurancce Exempt 1
165,000 77
7,900
Subtotal w/o Capital 1,2
235,399 332
2,651
Fund Traansfers 1
180,000 10
0,000
Non-Prooperty Tax Reevenue ( 17,900) 0
Total Expenditures
E s w/capital 1,3
397,499 342
2,651

Tax rate per Hundred

d w/o capital 53.77 0.72
Tax rate per Hundred
d w/ capital 60.83 0.75

General Fiscal Impa

act Observa
ations
GHFD currently has
s paid posittions of a secretary,
s a treasurer, a custodian
n, and a cle
erical
person. In addition to administtrative positiion, GHFD has a paid
d ALS coord
dinator, partt-time
c, and three
mechanic e EMT staff positions. These
T positi ons account for $371,849 in wagess and
an additional $109,500 in taxes and benefits
s paid for pe
ersonnel. Pe
ersonnel cossts total $481
1,349
34 percent of
in the 2010 budget (3 o the budget). GHFD ha
as 14 in-servvice vehicless and two an
ntique
vehicles. Each of these vehicles, with the
e possible exception o ques, must have
of the antiq
e, fuel, main
insurance ntenance an
nd equipmen
nt to keep th
hem operatiional. The liimited numb
ber of
calls wou
uld suggest that the use
eful life of all vehicles ca
an be extended which w
would reducce the
burden on
o tax payers
s to fund new
w purchases
s.

35
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Recomm
mendations::

• Revieew equipment replacement plan to ensure

e that each unit is being optim
mally utilized prior
to dis
sposal.
• Revie
ew the need for a part-time mechanic.
• Inves
stigate the potential
p cos
st savings of
o contractin
ng mechaniccal servicess to the Tow
wn or
anoth
her external vendor.
• Inves
stigate the potential
p cost savings of
o entering a joint equ
uipment maiintenance a
and/or
purch
hasing agreeement with an
a adjacent district.
d
• Revie
ew communications cost category expenditures .
• Revie
ew excessive fire/rescue
e equipment purchases as compare
ed to service demand.

36
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Staffin
ng and Pe
ersonnel Managem
ment
An organ
nization’s pe
eople are itts most valu
uable resou
urce. Carefu
ul attention must be pa
aid to
urce to achiieve maximum productiivity for the organizatio
managing that resou on and maxiimum
satisfaction for the in
ndividual. A safe workin
ng environme
ent, fair trea
atment, and recognition for a
job well done
d are key
y componen
nts of employ
yment, mem
mbership, and
d job satisfaction.

Policies and proced

dures, guide
elines, general orders iin regard to
o maintenan
nce of perso
onnel
records, promotional process, and
a disciplinary policies based on ffirm enabling
g documentts are
keys to efficient
e and effective pe
ersonnel management o
of a fire depa
artment. The
e maintenan
nce of
adequate
e and up-to--date person
nnel records is critical in
n every organization thatt depends o
on the
effective performanc
ce of its pe
eople. Origin
nal applicati on materialls should be
e retained in an
attempt to create a full histo
orical record
d of the em
mployee/me
ember’s parrticipation in
n the
organization from initial appointment to separation. Documentss and reco
ords referrin
ng to
ents, promo
assignme otions, comm
mendations, discipline, and other p
personnel acctions should be
maintaine
ed as well.

A formal progressiv
ve disciplina
ary process for memb ers and em
mployees sh
hould be clearly
d and available. The pro
identified ocess should
d provide fo
or various levvels of disciipline focuse
ed on
correcting unaccepta
able behavio
ors with the most
m reason
nable actionss considered
d appropriate
e and
effective.. The process under wh
hich disciplin
ne is applie
ed should be
e clear and unambiguou
us. A
multi-leve
el appeals process
p shou
uld be docum mber who fe
mented to affford the mem eels aggrieve
ed by
an unrea
asonable disciplinary action the opportunity to
o have his//her issues reviewed b
by an
impartial party.

Critical in
ncident stress is a very
y real condition that afffects all em
mergency se
ervice worke
ers to
some de
egree or ano
other. It is how
h emerge
ency workerrs deal with
h that stresss that makes the
difference. The trigge
er for significant psycho
ological traum
ma may be a single eve
ent or a seriies of
nding events
compoun s. Emergenc
cy services bring otherw
wise ordinarry people into life and d
death
situations
s that some
etimes end very tragica
ally. Even th
hough fire/re
escue perso
onnel are tra
ained
firefighters, they do not have an
n impregnable shield tha
at prevents them from b
being affecte
ed by
c events. Th
traumatic hough norma
ally sufficient to help em
mergency pe
ersonnel cop
pe with the e
event,
on occas
sion longer-term supportt is needed. Failure to prrovide that ssupport can ultimately le
ead to
the temporary or perrmanent loss
s of a valuab
ble member.

37
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fire dep
partments must
m provide
e adequate staffing in three key a
areas; emergency servvices,
administrration, and support.
s ESCI surveyed
d the Gordon
n Heights Fire District to determine
e how
the balance betwee
en the three
e areas is maintained , given the
e realities o
of available local
resource
es.

Several industry sttandards ad

ddress stafffing issues . Specificallly, the OS
SHA Respirratory
on Standard
Protectio d 29 CFR 1910, 134; NFPA 171
10 Standard
d for the O
Organization
n and
Deploym
ment of Fire
e Suppressio
on Operatio
ons, Emerg
gency Mediccal Operatio
ons and Sp
pecial
Operations to the Public
P by Career
C Fire Departmen
nts; and NF
FPA 1720 S
Standard fo
or the
ation and De
Organiza eployment off Fire Supprression Operrations, Eme
ergency Medical Operations,
and Spe
ecial Operatiions to the Public by Volunteer
V ire Departments are fre
Fir equently cite
ed as
authoritative docume
ents. These resources have been ussed as benchmarks against which G
GHFD
has been
n compared.

Rules, Regulations
R , and Handb
books
GHFD maintains
m a policy and es manual that combines all ad
d procedure dministrative and
operation
nal policies and procedures plus maintains
m a sseparate sta
andard operating proced
dures
manual that
t outlines tactical ope
erational procedures. Th
hose policiess and proced
dures speciffically
related to
o personnel manageme
ent aspects of the Distriict include th
hose consid
dered critical to a
successfful organiza
ation such as
a benefits description
ns, sexual h
harassment,, and workplace
violence prevention.

The currrent policy and

a procedu
ures manual is a compiilation of ad
dministrative
e, personnel, and
operation
nal policies and
a procedu
ures; section
ns/specific do
ocuments arre not segregated for ea
ase of
reference
e.

Recomm
mendation:

• GHFDD should separate

s ad
dministrative
e policies from opera
ational proccedures so that
perso
onnel can qu
uickly referen
nce necessa ary documennts.

38
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Credentialing and Licensing

L
In regard
d to firefighting personnel, “Policy 05-1: Classsification off Firefighterrs” identifiess four
specific classification
c ns of personnel:
Class
C A – Inte
erior Firefigh
hter
Class
C B – Extterior Firefig
ghter
Class
C C – Em
mergency Me
edical Respo
onse Firefigh
hter
Class
C D – Firre Police/Adm
ministration

Although
h ultimately regulated by
b the State
e of New Y
York Departtment of He
ealth, Burea
au of
Emergen
ncy Medical Services, credentialing
c g/licensing a
and classificcation of EM
MS personn
nel is
noticeably absent fro
om the Distrrict’s policies
s and proce
edures. Acco
ording to the
e NYS Bureau of
ere are 2,19
EMS, the 94 Emergenc
cy Medical Technician
T – Critical Ca
are (EMT-CC
C) licensed iin the
New Yorrk. GHFD reports that th
he District em
mploys four full-time (inccluding the A
ALS coordin
nator)
and 11 part-time
p EM
MT-CC perso
onnel. The only
o referencce to qualifications of E
EMS personn
nel is
contained
d within a re
evision of the District by
y-laws that sstates all EM
MS officers m
must mainta
ain an
EMT certtification.

9 Training Analysis
The 2009 A by Category
C rep
port supplied
d by GHFD indicates tha
at out of the
e total
1,067 ho
ours of trainin
ng conducte
ed within the
e District, on
nly 21 hours were dedica
ated to EMS
S (not
including
g the 111.4 hours
h attributted to an EM
MS drill).

Disciplin
nary Proces
sses
GHFD Policy 08-1 outlines
o the District’s
D pro
ogressive dissciplinary prrocedures and serves a
as the
District’s official polic
cy for handling disciplina
ary actions. A
Although the
e policy is w
well-written in
n that
it clearly identifies th
he various le
evels of discipline and w
where the au
uthority for d
disciplinary a
action
y lies, the policy conclu
ultimately udes with a statement re
egarding civvil service la
aw and a bla
anket
nt that enables the District to take whatever
statemen w actiion necessa
ary outside th
he general sscope
of the po
olicy.

Recomm
mendations::

• The District
D shou
uld remove any
a reference
e to civil serv
rvice law from
m the disciplinary policyy.
• The District shou uld remove the last element of the e disciplinaryy policy so a as to reduce the
poten
ntial for bias and irregula
arity in the application off the progresssive discipliine policy.

39
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Recruitm
ment and Ap
pplication Processes
P
There is little informa
ation availab
ble as to the
e procedure for the hirin
ng of District EMS perso
onnel
ew members
while ne ship procedures for fire
ematic perssonnel are o
outlined in the policiess and
procedurres noted prreviously. Th
he general procedure
p to
o become a firematic m
member of G
GHFD
includes::
• Membership
M Committee interview
i
• Application
A re
eview by me
embership as
s a whole
• In
nterview with
h Board of Commissione
C ers, if applica
ation approvved by membership
• Physical
P exam
mination, at expense of District
• Sworn
S in by Board
B of Fire
e Commissio
oners

wearing in as
Upon sw ber of the District, eacch individua
a a memb al is issued a pager, basic
handboo
ok, district map,
m respon
nsibility sheet, responsse protocolss, by-laws, sstation key,, and
picture ID
D.

The Disttrict has esttablished an

n attendance
e and point policy for tthe memberrship that details
attendance requirem
ments both for
f dispatch
hed incidentts as well a
as routine a
activities. Se
ervice
points arre awarded for various activities and a minim um of 50 p
points per ca
alendar yea
ar are
required for memberrs to particip
pate in the aw
wards progrram. The folllowing is a ssummary of point
awards.

Figure 15: Points System Summary

M
Minimum Max
ximum Annu
ual
Event
E Pointts Per Event
Re
equirement Points
Fire Calls 1 10% 25
Ambulanc ce Calls 1 10% 25
Training Courses
C 1 per hour 25
Drills 1 2 Hour 25
Meeting Attendance
A 1 25
Miscellaneeous 1 25
Elected Position
P
Chief – 25
2 Captain
n – 20 Lieutenant – 15
Presidennt/VP – 10 Chapla
ain – 5 Secreta
ary/Treasurer – 5
Sergeant-at-Arms – 5

Full-time personnel are not included in the

e points aw ard system but are pro
ovided addittional
benefits, including:
• Up
U to 15 days
s paid vacattion depending on tenure
e
• 10 paid holida
ays (time an or hours wo rked plus eig
nd one-half fo ght hours ho
oliday pay

40
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• 12 paid sick days

d
• Five paid perrsonal days
• Five paid berreavement days

Testing, Measurement, and Promotional Processes

P
The Distrrict does nott utilize a forrmal testing and measurrement proce
ess for prom
motions but rrather
has established minimum requirrements with
h Article IV of the by-law
ws for each
h elected offficer’s
position within
w the District.
D The majority of position
p requ
uirements arre limited to
o years of se
ervice
within th
he District with
w experie
ence at the
e next lowe
er level priior to qualification. Se
econd
Lieutenant is the low
west officer ra
ank open to election an d this positio
on requires at least one
e year
of active service, qua
alified on all firematic eq
quipment, ce
ertified in either truck or engine com
mpany
ns, first aid and CPR certification,
operation c and attend
dance at 40
0 percent off alarms an
nd 80
percent of
o scheduled
d drills.

In light of
o the increa
asing respon eing placed on fire and EMS providers, the District
nsibilities be
should co
onsider esta
ablishing form
mal job desc
criptions for each voluntteer officer a
and impleme
enting
formal minimum requ
uirements ba
ased on exp
perience, edu
ucation, and
d skills proficciency ratherr than
election by
b the memb
bership.

Recomm
mendation:

• The District shouuld considerr establishing formal job

b description
ns for each volunteer oofficer
and implementing g formal minnimum requiirements bassed on expe erience, edu
ucation, and skills
profic
ciency ratherr than electio
on by the me
embership.

Staff Dis
stribution

Adminis
stration and
d Support Sttaff
One of th
he primary responsibiliti
r es of the Diistrict’s adm
ministration a
and support staff is to en
nsure
that the operational
o entities of th
he organizattion have th
he ability and
d means to accomplish their
responsibilities on an
n emergency
y incident. Efficient
E and effective ad
dministration
n and support are
critical to
o the Districtt’s success. Without suffficient overssight, planning, docume
entation, training,
and maiintenance, the
t operatio
onal entities
s could faill. Like any other partt of the Disstrict,
administrration and su
upport require appropria
ate resource
es to function
n properly.

41
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Analyzing
g the ratio of
o administrration and support posittions to the total positio
ons facilitate
es an
understanding of the
e relative nu
umber of re
esources co mmitted to this importa
ant function.. The
appropria
ate balance of the administration an
nd support ccomponent to
o the operattional compo
onent
is crucial to the success of the de
epartment’s mission and
d responsibilities. For ea
ase of illustra
ation,
volunteer and/or stipend personn
nel are calcu
ulated at 0.2 5 FTEs (full--time equiva
alents).

Figure
F 16: GH
HFD Adminis
stration and Support Com
mplement
Position
n Number
District Secretary
y 1.00
District Treasure
er 1.00
Pre
esident 0.25
Vice President 0.25
Financial Secrettary 0.25
Serrgeant-at-Armms 0.25
Chaaplain 0.25
Fire
e Chief 0.25
Total Pe
ersonnel 3.50

In additio
on to the ad
dministrative
e oversight of
o a fire dep
partment, it takes an ad
dequate and
d well
trained staff
s of emergency res
sponders to
o put the a
appropriate emergencyy apparatus and
equipment to its bes
st use in mitigating incidents. Insu fficient stafffing at an operational sscene
es the effecttiveness of the respons
decrease se and incre
eases the rissk of injury to all individ
duals
involved.. The follow
wing figures summarize
e the voluntteer personnel assigne
ed to streett-level
service delivery
d and
d does not utilize an FTE equiva
alent. The numbers sh
hown are a
actual
positions
s.

Figure 17: Field Op

perations Sta
affing Summary
Position
n Number
Cap ptain 4.0
1st Lieutenant
L 4.0
2nd Lieutenant 4.0
Fire
efighter 18.0
Res scue Squad 8.0
Fire
e Police 9.0
Total Pe
ersonnel 47.0

Although
h the fire ch
hief is also considered in the eme
ergency ressponse com
mplement, fo
or the
purposes
s of staff div
vision, that position
p is excluded
e fro m this illustration and iss included in the
administrrative complement figurre. The follo
owing figure
e compares GHFD aga
ainst the reg
gional
and natio
onal medians
s for volunte
eers (paid-on
n-call) per 1,,000 populattion.

42
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 18: Volunteer Personnel

P pe
er 1,000 Popu
ulation

2
25
20.84 21.35
20
2
20

1
15

1
10

0
Reg
gional Median
n N
National Mediian GHFD

The District is enjoyiing a slightly

y higher than
n average ra
ate of volunteerism. The
e following ffigure
s career perrsonnel in co
considers omparison to
o volunteer (paid-on-calll) personnel for departm
ments
of similarr size and po
opulation as Gordon Heights.

Figure 19
9: Career Personnel per 1,000 Popula
ation

2
1.8
82
1
1.8
1
1.54 1.59
1
1.6
1
1.4 1.27
1
1.2
1
0
0.8
0
0.6
0
0.4
0
0.2
0
nal Median
Region National Me
edian ICMA GHF
FD

Note: ICMA – International City

y/County Mana
agers Associatiion

43
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

It should be noted he
ere that NFP
PA (Nationa
al Fire Protecction Associiation) benchmark data does
de data spe
not includ ecific to combination fire
e departmen ts; the preceding chart is a combin
nation
of the av
vailable data
a from the closest mattching popu lation group
ps. For the purposes o
of this
analysis, paid GHFD
D EMS perso
onnel are co n the overall paid compllement of the fire
onsidered in
ent since res
departme sponses are handled by a combinat ion of paid a er personnel.
and voluntee

Incident Staffing Pe
erformance
The NFP
PA issued a response performanc
ce standard for all or m
mostly volun
nteer staffed
d fire
departme
ents. This standard,
s among
a other things, id
dentifies a rresponse tim
me perform
mance
objective
e for fire departments an
nd a target sttaffing stand
dard for struccture fires. N
NFPA 1720 is not
a legal mandate,
m bu
ut it does provide a useful benchm
mark againsst which to measure the
e fire
departme
ent’s perform
mance.

Of signifficance to th
he staffing objective off this study is that NFP
PA 1720 esstablishes th
hat a
response
e company consists
c of fo
our personnel. The stan
ndard does n
not require that all four b
be on
the same
e vehicle but does expe
ect that the fo
our will operrate as a sin
ngle function
ning unit oncce on
scene. The
T NFPA 1720
1 respon
nse time sta
andard also requires th
hat all four personnel b
be on
scene within the reco
ommended response
r tim
me guideline
es.

s another re
There is eason the arrival
a of fo
our personn el is critica
al for structure fires. O
OSHA
regulations require that before personnel
p ca
an enter a b
building to e
extinguish a fire, at leasst two
el must be on
personne o scene and
d assigned to
t conduct ssearch and rrescue in ca
ase the fire a
attack
crew bec
comes trapped. This is re
eferred to as e.4 The onlyy exception to
s the two-in,, two-out rule o this
regulation is if it is kn
nown that vic
ctims are tra
apped inside
e the building
g.

olunteer staff
Given vo ffing of engin
nes within Gordon
G Heig hts, the time
e it takes for the second
d unit
to arrive becomes ve
ery importan
nt to achieve
ement of the
e NFPA sta
andard. If ad
dditional help
p is a
able time aw
considera way, the fire
e will continu
ue to grow rapidly conttributing to ssignificantly more
damage to the prope
erty.

ormal circum
Under no n analysis of the incidentt response sstaffing by G
mstances, an GHFD would have
been accomplished through the
e compariso ncident stafff response performance
on of its in es to

4
US Deepartment of Labor. Occupational He ealth and Sa afety Adminisstration. Dire
ectorate of S
Safety
s. 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4). Respiratory Protection.
Standards

44
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

national standards, local and na

ational task analyses,
a an
nd observattions. Unforttunately, Nattional
Fire Incident Reporrting System
m (NFIRS) data
d was n
not available
e for analyssis, thereforre no
determination of stafffing effective
eness could be complete
ed.

45
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Capital Assets
Gordon Heights
H Fire District maintains one fire
f station th
hat, like all fiire stations, needs a balance
of three basic resou
urces to suc
ccessfully ca
arry out its e mission: People, equipm
emergency m ment,
and facilities. Becau
use firefighting is an exttremely physsical pursuitt, the adequacy of perso
onnel
es is a prima
resource ary concern; but no mattter how com
mpetent or numerous the
e firefighterss are,
the depa
artment will fail
f to executte its missio
on if it lacks sufficient fire
e apparatuss distributed in an
efficient manner.
m

GHFD maintains
m miillions of do
ollars’ worth of capital a
assets. Ma
aintenance a
and replace
ement
plans sh
hould be created and maintained
d for facilitiies, appara
atus, and o
other high vvalue
equipment. A fundin
ng mechanis
sm should be establishe
ed to ensure
e money is a
available to ccover
the cost of
o this effort and that res
sources are not duplicatted within the
e area.

While volunteer, care

eer, and com
mbination de
epartments h
have differen
nt facility req
quirements, there
c needs eac
are basic ch fire station
n must addrress: Quick response an
nd housing o
of apparatuss and
epends on a particular department's budget and needs. Fire
equipment. Everything else de
station designs
d are unlike any other type of project a
as there are
e many subttle elementss and
specialized systems that go into a fire station. For exam
mple, fire dep
partments accross the co
ountry
stling with the question of
are wres o how to ad
ddress gend
der issues w
within the bo
oundaries off both
existing and
a new fire
e stations.

nt issues and
Importan d/or goals to
o consider when
w design
ning a fire sstation suitable for both men
and wom
men include the design of
o bunk room
ms, restroom
ms, locker ro
ooms, and ccommon are
eas. It
appears that was no
ot taken intto considera
ation as the GHFD faciility was expanded ove
er the
years.

Facilities
s
The following figure represents
r a summary of
o the evalua
ation conduccted on the G
GHFD facilityy.

46
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Gordon
n Heights
23 Haw
wkins Avenue
e

Originallly built in 194

46, with additiions in 1950,
1986, aand 2002, thiss 18,977 squa are foot facilityy
consistss of four backk-in and four d drive-through
apparattus bays. Blen nding in well wwith the
surrounnding area, this facility has undergone th hree
renovattions to accom mmodate the needs of the
departmment and com mmunity. Ame enities are
consisteent with a volunteer fire de epartment,
offering
g no accommo ull-time staff b
odations for fu but
allow fo
or business m meetings, classroom trainin ng
segmen nts, and comm munity functioons that includ de
food preeparation.

Any spe ecific issues o

or observation ns with this
facility ccan be classiffied into the fo
ollowing seve
en
categorries.
Size of faciility is adequa
ate for currentt use. Althouggh there are nno warning lig
ghts
to notify tra
affic of appara
atus respondi ng, exit to tra
affic flow is ad
dequate. The
Design
front of the station also serves
s as a p
public bus stoop. During inspection, riderrs
were obserrved boarding g bus that blo cked front appron.
The buildinng is construccted on block w walls with a fflat steel bar jo
oist roof. No
leaks were evident durin ng inspection((in which it wa as raining). A fuel oil furnaace
Constru
uction provides he eat for the entire building a
and appeared d to be well mmaintained. Th he
building is cooled by cen ntral air condiitioning (with the exception n of the
apparatus bays).
The buildinng does not offfer a fire spri nkler system, as smoke/he eat, and secu urity
alarms are monitored offf-site. Buildinng is well secuured, as all m
members main ntain
key-fob enttry keys. Secu urity camerass are mounted d in and around facility with all
activity recorded on-sitee. All exits werre unobstructted and identiified by working
signage. All apparatus doors
d operly operating automatic door stops.
had pro
Commercia al cooking equipment on s ite was well m maintained wiith proper filte
ers
in place. Central shut do own point for cooking equipment was un nobstructed w with
Safety
fixed extingguishing systeem (up to datte regarding innspection). Back-up generrator
with autom matic transfer is
i powered byy diesel. Flam mmables were e not properlyy
stored. Paint and paint thinner
t was n
noted in storagge rooms off of bay and
outside of hall.
h Althoughh properly ma arked, breakerrs in the bay aand storage
room outsid de of hall had
d tape coverin ng them. General cleaning needed for a all
storage roo oms. All oxygen cylinders p properly chainned, and therre were an am mple
number of extinguishers s mounted thrroughout the ffacility.
There is noo apparatus smoke remova al system in the station. No
o apparatus ffloor
Environment
drain oil se
eparation prov
vided. No evid
dence of unde erground storrage tanks.
Code Co
ompliance No building
g code issues
s notes during
g inspection.

47
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

This facility
y offers limited
d space to wo ork in, on, andd around appparatus and sm mall
equipment,, as there are e two open ap pparatus spotss in the main bay. Primaryy
apparatus bay does not offer adequa ate room for ssafe and rapidd turnout, as
bunker gea ar is stored onn the wall. Th ere is very lim
mited room beetween the
Staff Facilities apparatus and the gear.. Facility offerrs a full servicce commercia al kitchen for ffood
preperation n and dining; however, the ere is no spacce offered for sleeping or
personal hy ygiene. Therre is only one bathroom ea ach for male a
and female usse.
The large community
c haall can also be
e used for com mpany-level m
meetings and d
classroom training sessions.
Main apparratus area offfers motion se ensors to turnn on the bay lights. A
residential washer and drier
d is offeredd, but there iss no gear wassher (launderring
Efficienc
cy of turnout gear
g is provided by an outsside contracto or for off-site cleaning).
Facility offe
ers four admin nistrative officces that are limited in spacce. A common n
meeting room is adjacen nt to the officees.

Apparatus
GHFD maintains
m a fleet
f of response vehicle
es; while so
ome of the vvehicles are
e new, half a
are in
excess of
o the typica
al anticipated
d front-line lifespan for its type. A
Average age
e of all majo
or fire
apparatu
us is 5.6 years. Average condition off all fire and EMS appara
atus is conssidered very good
or new. GHFD needs to keep an apparattus replacem ng program active for ffuture
ment fundin
ment needs.
replacem

eplacement needs of ccurrent reso

In order to meet apparatus re ources, $123
3,000 shoulld be
erve fund eac
contributed to a rese ch year by the District. A
Also, based on the age and replace
ement
e of apparatu
schedule us in use to
oday, there should
s be $ 710,250 currrently availa
able in a resserve
fund. Thiis calculation is based on
o a continu
uation of the
e current nu
umber and tyype of appa
aratus
that GHF
FD maintains
s.

Each hea
avy piece of apparatus was
w given a basic review
w for conditio
on and safetty.

48
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Engine 5 9 3
2009 Spartann/Crimson T
Top-mount Pu
ump Engine

Seating Capaacity: 8
Pump Capac city: 1,500 galllons per min
nute (gpm)
Tank Capacitty: 960 gallonns
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 2,86
61
Additiona
al Comments s or Observaations: 30-gallon Class A ffoam tank, po owered hydra aulic pump-
spreaders
s-cutters. Cordless saw-zaall, cribbing, AED.
A Portable radios for all riding positio
ons. One K12
2-saw
and a suffficient numbe
er of PFDs.
Engine 5 9 4
2008 Spartann/Crimson T
Top-mount Pu
ump Engine

Seating Capaacity: 8
Pump Capac city: 1,500 gpm
m
Tank Capacitty: 960 gallonns
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 7,59
91
Additiona
al Comments s or Observaations: 30-gallon Class A ffoam tank, po owered hydra
aulic pump and
combination tool, and cordless
c saw--zall. Portable
e radios for alll riding positio
ons.
Ladder 5 9 1
1991 E One 75' Quint

Seating Capaacity: 6
Pump Capac city: 1,250 gpm
m
Tank Capacitty: 1,000 gall ons
Condition: Fa
air
Mileage: 16,3
396
Additiona al Comments s or Observa ations: Portab
ble radio for a
all riding posittions, search rope, one sm
moke
ejector, as
ssorted compposite cribbing
g, powered hyydraulic simo pump-spread ders-cutters, one K12, and
d one
chain saww. Two 16' roo
of ladders, one 24' ladder, and one 35' l adder.
Current Rescue
1986 GMC Top-Kick
T Sau
ulsbury Walk
k-In Heavy Re
escue

Seating Capaacity: 4
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Po
oor
Mileage: 19,6
678
Additiona al Comments s or Observaations: On booard generato or, operationss level hazmatt booms-padss-
absorbentt. Powered hy ydraulic pump ader-3 rams, ResQjack sta
p-cutter-sprea abilization kit, composite
cribbing, air
a chisel, high pressure air bag set, and
d 2 K12 sawss. 2 portable w water pumps, working air
compress sor and light to
ower. One 244' ground and one 10' attic ladders.

49
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Brush 5 9 12
2
1952 6-Wheeel Drive Milittary Surplus Vehicle Brus
sh Truck

Seating Capaacity: 2 cap-4

4 back
Pump Capac city: 250 gpm
Tank Capacitty: 500 gallon
ns
Condition: Po
oor
Mileage: 10,2
2304
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: Vehicle is outdated
d and in poor condition.
Brush 5 9 12
2B
1952 6-Wheeel Drive Milittary Surplus Vehicle Brus
sh Truck

Seating Capaacity: 2 cap-4

4 back
Pump Capac city: 250 gpm
Tank Capacitty: 500 gallon
ns
Condition: Po
oor
Mileage: 71,7
719
Additiona
al Comments ations: Vehicle is outdated
s or Observa d and in poor condition.
New Rescue e
1993 Pierce Walk-In Hea
avy Rescue

Seating Capaacity: 2 cab - 6 in box

Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Fa
air
Mileage: 28,2
283
Additionaal Comments s or Observaations: Light tower,
t four el ectric cord re
eels, two air re
eels, four hydraulic
hose reels
s, four-bottle cascade systtem, one 12k electric winch
h.
Fire Police 5 9 5
2007 Ford/WWarner Body F550 Super Duty Utility ((Fire Police 5
5)

Seating Capaacity: 5
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 5,07
75
Additionaal Comments s or Observa ations: Utility body with ro oll-up doors. R
Rehab equipm ment featuring g
coolers an
nd misting fan
ns. Various tra
affic control equipment
e inccluding personnnel vests, fla
ashlights, flare
es,
cones, an
nd portable baarricades. This unit also offfers a back-u p camera and d spare portable radios.
Fire Police 5 9 6
2009 Ford E Series 11 pa
assenger van
n Utility (Firre Police)

Seating Capaacity: 11
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 658

Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: No eq
quipment carrried on this ve
ehicle.

50
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Spare Expeddition XLT

2005 Ford Expedition
Ex XL
LT Utility

Seating Capaacity: 5
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Goood
Mileage: 37,1
137
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: No eq
quipment carrried on this ve
ehicle.
Charger
2009 Dodge Charger Pas
ssenger Veh
hicle

Seating Capaacity: 5
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 4,83
33
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: No eq
quipment carrried on this ve
ehicle.
First Respon
nder 5 9 15
2001 Chevy Tahoe Utility
y

Seating Capaacity: 5
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Fa
air
Mileage: 64,7
705
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: Prima
ary first respon
nder vehicle, stocked with ALS equipme
ent.
First Respon
nder Back-U p
2005 Ford Expedition
Ex Uttility

Seating Capaacity: 4
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Goood
Mileage: 23,9
958
Additionaal Comments
s or Observa
ations: This is
s a spare SUV
V used as a b
back-up to the
e first respond
der
vehicle.
Ambulance 5 9 16
1999 Ford/R
Road Rescue E450 Superr Duty BLS A
Ambulance

Seating Capaacity: 2
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 41,0
052
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: BLS ambulance.
a

51
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Ambulance 5 9 17
2009 Ford/R
Road Rescue E450 Superr Duty BLS A
Ambulance

Seating Capaacity: 2
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: 9,88
88
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: BLS ambulance.
a
Chief Exped
dition
Ford Expediition Utility

Seating Capaacity: 4
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Ex
xcellent
Mileage: Unkknown
Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations:
Utility
Ford Pick-up
p Utility

Seating Capaacity: 2
Pump Capac city: N/A
Tank Capacitty: N/A
Condition: Un
nknown
Mileage: Unkknown

Additiona
al Comments
s or Observa
ations: Not av
vailable for in
nspection.

Maintena
ance and Repair
R
The veh
hicle fleet management
m t and mainttenance pro
ogram is handled thro
ough a partt-time
mechanic
c of the Fire District. The mecha
anic is Eme
ergency Veh
hicle Techn
nician (EVT)) and
Automotiive Service of Excellence (ASE) certified. Wh en the mecchanic cannot make ne
eeded
repairs due
d to sched
duling limitations or repa
airs beyond his scope or equipmentt, other EVT
T/ASE
mechanic
cs are contrracted to ma
ake the repa
airs. Commo
on warrantyy items are handled by each
piece of equipment’s respective
e vendor. The mechaniic is also re
esponsible ffor all preve
entive
ance, for which there is a dedicated schedule. T
maintena The maintena
ance progra
am monitors time,
engine hours, and mileage betwe
een services
s.

The partt-time mecha ponsible for maintaining approximattely 16 piecces of equip

anic is resp pment
which inc
clude:
• 2 Front Line Engines
E
• 2 Brush Trucks

52
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• 1 75’ Quint
• 2 Fire Police Vehicles
• 2 First Respoonder Vehicle
es (SUVs)
• 1 Heavy Resc cue
• 2 Ambulance es
• 3 Support Veehicles (Car, SUV, Pick up)
u
• 1 Chief Comm mand Vehicle

on to vehicle
In additio es the mecha
anic also rep
pairs:
• Generators/s
G aws
• Ventilation
V fans
• Extrication
E eq
quipment
• Compressors
C s
• Tools
T and sm mall equipme
ent

Many prreventative maintenance functions are perforrmed annua

ally on the equipment. The
mechanic
c performs the following
g functions:
• Assist
A with the development of speciffications for apparatus too be bid outt
• Administer
A a preventive maintenance
m e program foor the fleet and equipme ent
• Maintain
M a fle
eet and equip
pment parts inventory
• Perform
P and oversee all fleet
f and eqquipment rep pairs
• Conduct
C all small engine repairs
• Maintain
M fleett and equipm
ment mainten
nance recorrds

eventive Maintenance (PM)

The Pre ( am for the department was imple
Progra emented byy the
mechanic
c. The goa ogram is to have all fire
al of the pro er vehicles in the
e apparatus and smalle
inventory
y receive PM
M service at 480 hours or three mo
onths and am at 2,500 miles or
mbulances a
every fou
ur months. Powered
P hy
ydraulic resc
cue tool systtem repairs not able to be made b
by the
c are handled by the local Hurst® dealer. Th
mechanic he area Sccott® air pacck representtative
addresse
es all SCBA repairs and testing.

ers conduct monthly apparatus “re

Firefighte esponse rea
ady” checkss to ensure
e equipmentt and
apparatu
us is operatin
ng properly and
a safely. A schedule ffor equipment testing is established, with
annual ground
g ladd
der/aerial testing outsourced to a third partyy vendor an
nd pump te
esting
ed annually at the Sufffolk County Fire Trainin
conducte ng Facility. Annual hosse testing is also

53
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

outsourced to a vend
dor shared with
w other fire
e districts, w
with the sche
eduling responsibilities ffalling
e Fire Chief.
under the

Recomm
mendations::

• The department appears ov ver-resource

ed for the ssize and the
e nature off risks within
n the
comm
munity. Rem move unnec cessary app paratus from
m the fleet in order too reduce ovverall
mainttenance, operations, and insurance costs.
• Cond
duct apparatus “response ready” che
ecks more frrequently tha
an once a m
month.
• Defin
ne and docum
ment an app
paratus repla
acement sch
hedule.

54
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Service Deliverry and Pe

erformanc
ce
The deliv
very of fire suppression
s , rescue serrvices, and e
emergency medical serrvices is no more
effective than the sum of its parts.
p It req
quires efficie emergency, rapid
ent notificattion of an e
e from well-located facilities in appropriate appa
response aratus, and sufficient staffing follow
wing a
well-prac
cticed plan of
o action. Th
his section off the study e
evaluates the
ese various componentss and
provides observation
ns of the elements
e tha
at make up
p the delivery of the m
most critical core
services provided by e District. I t should be
b Gordon Heights Fire e noted tha
at, under no
ormal
circumsta
ances, data
a for analys
sis of the following ccomponents is typicallyy obtained from
departme
ental records managem
ment systems
s (RMS) and
d jurisdiction
nal compute
er aided disp
patch
(CAD) ce
enters. In this instance, this
t was not the case.

GHFD co
ould produc
ce no Nation
nal Fire Incid
dent Report ing System (NFIRS) da
ata nor could the
State of New York Office
O of Firre Preventio
on and Conttrol (OFPC). Although G
GHFD perso
onnel
indicate that
t all response reports
s are entere
ed into an in--house RMS
S and data iss exported tto the
OFPC, th
he District was
w unable to extract an
ny data from its system and the OFPC only had
d one
response
e report on file
f for the pa
ast three ye 2009, 2010). Suffolk Co
ears (2008, 2 ounty Departtment
of Fire, Rescue & Emergency
y Services (SCFRES),
( ations Bure
Communica eau was ab
ble to
produce raw incident data for independent analysis
a by ESCI. The d
demand ana
alysis that fo
ollows
n compiled frrom that raw
has been w incident da
ata.

Demand
d
The follo
owing illustra presentation of service d
ation is a rep demand exp
perienced byy GHFD ove
er the
last four years as pro
ovided by Su
uffolk County
y FRES.

55
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 20:
2 Historical Workload b
by Incident T
Type

7
700

6
600

5
500

4
400

3
300

2
200

100

0
2
2006 2007 2008 200
09

E
EMS Fire

GHFD’s overall service dema

and is comprised prim
marily of em
mergency m
medical serrvices
s. Also, EMS incidents have incre
incidents eased stead
dily over the
e past four years while
e fire
s have declined proporttionately. Th
incidents he following figure illusstrates how the predom
minant
EMS worrkload is disttributed acro
oss the vario
ous incidentss types.

Figure 21: Historical EMS Worklo

oad by Cond
dition

2006 2
2007 2008 2009

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Sick

MVA / Veh Ped

Difficulty Breathing

Psychiatric
Assault
Animal Bite

Stroke
Back pain

Unknown
Chest pain

Fall
Diabetic
Choking
Allergic Reaction

Unconscious
Electrocution

Heat Exposure
Convulsions

Drowningg

Industrial
Burns

Maternity

Stab / Gunshot
Eye Problem

Headache

Overdose
CO Emergency
Cardiac Arrest

Traumatic Injury
Heart Problem
Abdominal Pain

Lacerations

O d
o

56
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 22 consolidates the information presented prevviously into a summaryy of all call ttypes
ed over the four
distribute f years off data evalua
ated.

Figure 22: Historica

al EMS Work
kload Summa
ary

5
500
4
450
4
400
3
350
3
300
2
250
2
200
150
100
50
0
2
2006 2007 2008 200
09

Tra
auma Me
edical Otther/Unknow
wn

Traumatiic incidents have varied

d only slighttly over the last four ye
ears as havve other/unknown
incidents
s while mediical incidents have incre
eased stead
dily. This cou
uld be attrib
buted to an a
aging
populatio
on within the
e District.

ally, the expected usage

Anecdota e rate for mo
ost populatio
ons is approxximately 10 percent. In other
words, a population of 1,000 wo
ould produce an approxximate serviice demand of 100 incid
dents
per year.. Therefore, based on the resident population o
of GHFD, an estimated service dem
mand
of around
d 300 incide
ents annually
y would be expected.
e Th
his number ccannot be ve
erified, of co
ourse,
since a variety of factors
f can be attribute
ed to overa demand succh as transients,
all service d
aphics, distrribution of population,
demogra p omic factorss, etc. Of note for GHFD,
socio-econo
however, is the fact that it does
s run an unusually high
h number off mutual aid
d responses. The
ent is respo
departme onding to a substantial number off incidents in areas ou
utside its disstrict,
predomin
nantly Yaphank. The following figurre illustratess the mutua
al aid worklo
oad for GHF
FD as
compared to overall workload.

57
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
e 23: Impact of
o Mutual Aid
d on Worklo
oad

80
00

70
00

60
00 155
152
209
50
00 179 9
99
100
40
00 91
118
30
00

20
00 411 450
366
309
10
00

0
2
2006 2007 2008 200
09

EMS Fire Muttual Aid

In 2006, 29.5 perce

ent of the GHFD overall workload was for mu
utual aid; in 2007 that ffigure
climbed to 31.3 perc
cent. Although the mutu
ual aid perc entage is re
educed in 20
008 and 2009 to
cent and 22.0 percent, respectively
22.9 perc r , data provid
ded for thosse years did not separatte out
mutual aid responses
s for fire, only for EMS.

A review of incidents
s by time of occurrence also revealss when the g
greatest resp
ponse dema
and is
occurring
g. The follow
wing charts show how activity and demand ch
hanges for GHFD base
ed on
various measures
m off time. ESCI began by breaking dow
wn the worklo
oad into monthly increm
ments.
The following analys
sis used aggregate data from Janua ry 1, 2006, tthrough Deccember 31, 2
2009,
in order to
t show overall trends in
n temporal va
ariation.

58
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 24: Monthly Wo

orkload

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
v Dec

Monthly workload for fire calls varies

v in any
y given year.. Generally, service dem
mand is high
her in
January as well as during
d summ
mer months. In further a
analysis, worrkload is exa
amined by d
day of
k. Over the data period
the week d evaluated, the busiest day of the w Monday while the
week was M
least bus
sy day of the
e week was Wednesday
W .

Figure 25: Workload by Da

ay of Week

410

400

390

380

370

360

350

340

330

320
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

59
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The final analysis of historical wo

orkload conc
cludes with e
examination
n of call type
es by hour off day.
The hou
urs of peak activity can
n strain an under-equi pped or un
nder-staffed fire departm
ment.
Understa
anding when peak acttivity occurs he process of develop
s begins th ping deployyment
strategies and needs assessme
ent. This figure shows e
each year individually in order to show
how calll volume is
s relatively consistent by time of day year after year with only m
minor
divergences.

Fiigure 26: Wo
orkload by Ho
our of Day

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
3 14 15 16 17
7 18 19 20 21
1 22 23
20
006 20
007 2008 2
2009

Activity fo
or fire and EMS
E calls ge
enerally beg
gins to increa n the hours of 6:00 a.m
ase between m. and
7:00 a.m
m., reaching peak volum
me during the midday h ours before
e gradually d
declining into the
evening. Peak activ
vity times ca
an be reflectted in respo
onse time pe
erformance in certain ca
ases.
The impa
act of respo
onse time on the outcome of emerrgency incid
dents has be
een exhausstively
studied, both in the laboratory and
a in historiical data, wiith a predicta
able correla
ation betwee
en the
two. Though seemingly intuitive, it is still use
eful to review
w how longe
er response ttimes can ha
ave a
negative effect on the
t ability to
o suppress fires, particcularly in sttructures, orr to successsfully
e in a life-thrreatening me
intervene edical emergency. Ressponse time performancce is examin
ned in
a separate section off this report.

60
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The following figures

s plot service
e demand wiithin the Disttrict geograp
phically.

Fig
gure 27: Tota
al Incidents, 2
2005 - 2009

Service demand
d ove
er the previous five complete years of data is well distribute
ed throughou
ut the
District. Other ways of evaluating service demand is to evaluate
e how dema
and is distrib
buted
between fire and EMS
E nts. The following figurres display fire and EMS as sep
inciden parate
illustratio
ons.

61
 Town of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fig
gure 28: Fire
e Incidents, 2
2005 - 2009

62
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fig
gure 29: EMS
S Incidents, 2
2005 - 2009

The prev
vious two fig
gures indica
ate that, although well d
distributed th
hroughout th
he entire Disstrict,
EMS service demand is much
h higher tha
an fire worrkload, conffirming the tabular ana
alysis
provided earlier in this report.

Distributtion
GHFD op
perates from
m a single location positioned near tthe southern
n boundary o
of the Districct but
in the ce
enter of the most dense
ely populated
d area. The following m
map illustrate
es the location of
the statio
on and the District boundary as we
ell as the re
elative prima
ary response
e areas of tthose
districts surrounding
s Gordon Heiights.

63
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 30: Curre

ent Facility D
Deployment

Of note in
i the prece
eding figure is that the GHFD
G bound
dary does not correspond to the arrea of
the Gordon Heights community
c as
a noted by the U.S. Ce nsus Bureau
u.

The follo
owing map demonstrate
d s the travel time capab
bility of emerrgency appa
aratus when
n they
leave the ation, as well as appara
e GHFD sta atus respond
ding from ea
ach surroun
nding fire sta
ation.
Adjustme
ents to spee
ed capability
y of the stree
ets were ma
ade to accou
unt for nego
otiating turnss and
intersections.

64
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
F 31: Trravel Time C
Capability

Distributtion Analys
sis – Community Fire Protection
P In
nsurance R
Rating
This repo
ort section examines
e th
he departme
ent’s coverag
ge based upon credenttialing criterria for
the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The
e ISO review
ws the fire protection resources w
within
ovides a Public Protection Classificcation™ (PPC) rating syystem from w
communities and pro which
insurance
e rates are
e often bas
sed. The ra
ating system mary areas: the
m evaluatess three prim
emergen
ncy commun
nication and
d dispatch system,
s the fire departtment, and the community’s
pressuriz
zed hydrant or tanker-b
based water supply. The ating is then expressed as a
e overall ra
number between
b a 10, with 1 being the highest leve
1 and on and 10 b
el of protectio being unprote
ected
or nearly
y so. GHFD received 8.3
39 out of a possible
p 10 p
points for the
e dispatch ssystem, 34.2
29 out
of 50 for the fire dep
partment, an
nd 39.40 out of 40 for th
he water sup
pply; resultin
ng in a score
e of 3
for the entirety
e of the District. It is also im
mportant to note that, according tto the Insurrance

65
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Services Office webs

site informattion on the PPC™
P minim
mum criteria
a, “the ISO g
generally assigns
Class 10 to propertie
es beyond fiv
ve road mile e station.5
es” from a fire

A commu
unity’s PPC™
™ can affec
ct decisions insurers ma ke regarding
g the availab
bility and priice of
property insurance. Many
M ance companies make a
insura at least som
me use of the
e classificatiion to
price the
eir policies, determine
d which
w o coverage to offer, or to determine deductible
types of es for
individua
al homes an
nd business
ses. Notwith he community’s classificcation, indivvidual
hstanding th
insurance
e companie
es - not the
e Insurance
e Services Office, esta
ablish the p
premiums. The
particular system th
hat any giv
ven compan
ny uses wh
hen calculatting premiu
ums for pro
operty
insurance
e may be afffected by th
hat company
y’s fire-loss e
experience, underwriting
g guideliness, and
marketing strategy. This makes
s it extreme
ely difficult tto generalizze how any improveme
ent or
decline in
n the PPC™
™ rating will affect
a specific insurance policies or p
premiums.

The following figure shows how insurance premiums

p miight vary forr two typical structures u
under
a couple of insuranc
ce companie
es’ current ra
ating schedu
ules. While tthese figuress are reason
nable
examples
s of the impact the PPC
C™ can mak
ke on insuran
nce premium
ms, the value
e of the prem
mium
credits fo
or the differe
ent PPC™ ra
atings will va
ary among in
nsurance com
mpanies. Th
his example chart
was obta a Cities entitled The ISO
ained from a report published by the League off Minnesota O Fire
Protectio
on Rating Sy
ystem.

Figure 32:
3 Represen
ntative Insura
ance Premiu
ums by Fire P
Protection Class
Reprresentative In
nsurance Preemiums
Fire $150,00 00 $ 1,000,000
Class Residence Offiice Building
1 $670 $2,950
2 $670 $2,980
3 $670 $3.020
4 $670 $3,040
5 $670 $3,060
6 $670 $3,120
7 $670 $3,230
8 $777 $3,330
9 $972 $3,440
10 $1,072 2 $3,710

5
Informattion obtained from the Insu
urance Servic
ces Office web
bsite, www.iso
omitigation.co
om.

66
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

According to the repo

ort, there are
e some poin
nts to note re
egarding the
e chart:

1. In
n this schedu ule, no addittional credit is given on rresidential p property for a fire class b better
th
han 7. The reason
r has largely
l to do
o with the roole that wateer supply pla ays in the ratings.
Having
H a bettter water su upply helps in i fighting fir
ires in largerr commercia al structuress, and
th
herefore is reeflected in a better rating g. But for mo ost residentiial fires a lessser water supply
is
s actually ne eeded, and d having mo ore than tha at available really doessn’t help the e fire
department
d fiight that parrticular resid
dential fire an
ny better. Thhere’s some e variation ammong
in
nsurance companies (e.g., some might allow a dditional cre edit for classs 6, others m might
lu
ump classes s 7 and 8 tog gether for raating purposses, etc.) butt this genera al pattern is fairly
ty
ypical for res
sidential prem mium structu ures.
2. Not
N all insurrance companies use the t ISO cla assifications.. This is esspecially tru
ue for
re
esidential co
overage. So ome compan nies have thheir own ratting systemss based on their
own historicaal loss data for
f the area rather than on an evalu uation of the
e fire protectiion in
th
he area. Othher insurance e companiess use their o
own systemss for rating tthe fire prote
ection
fo
or a particullar property;; a companyy might classsify properrties based on the indivvidual
property’s dis
stance from a fire station example.6
n and water ssupply, for e

stribution cre
While dis edits in the PPC™ may
y not be the most imporrtant factor in the decision to
add faciliities, it is acknowledged
d that this iss
sue does afffect the com
mmunity’s ratting classificcation
and shou
uld be considered. The next few pa
aragraphs off the report e
examine the
e travel cove
erage
based up
pon the PPC
C credentialin
ng criteria by
y the Insuran
nce Servicess Office.

To receiv
ve maximum
m credit in th
his section, all
a “built-upo
on” portions of a commu
unity would need
to be witthin 1.5 road miles of an
a engine company
c d 2.5 road miles of a ladder or se
and ervice
company
y. In order to
o determine the distributtion of engin
ne companie
es across “b
built upon” a
areas,
ISO reviews the response are
ea of each existing en gine and id
dentifies the
e number o
of fire
hydrants within thos
se response areas. ISO
O analyzes w
whether therre are addittional geogra
aphic
areas of the city outs
side of the existing
e engine companyy response where at lea
ast 50 perce
ent of
ber of hydrants served by
the numb b the larges
st existing re
esponse are
ea could be served by a new
engine. For ISO purrposes, the response arrea is meas ured at 1.5 miles of travvel distance from
gine compan
each eng ny on existin
ng roadways
s. In order ffor a structurre to be in a protected rrating
for insurrance purposes, it shou
uld be within five miless of a fire sstation. The
e following ffigure
illustrates
s how muc
ch of the cu
urrent area lies within and withou
ut the 1.5-m
mile ISO en
ngine
distance..

6
League of Minnesota Cities. The IS
SO Fire Prote
ection Rating System. www
w.lmnc.org.

67
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 33: IS
SO Engine D
Distance

A vast majority of GH
HFD is within
n 1.5 miles from
f a curren
nt fire station
n.

In similarr fashion, to achieve opttimum credit for the num

mber of truck companies, ISO review
ws the
response
e area of eac
ch existing ladder comp
pany and ide
entifies the n
number of firre hydrants w
within
those res
sponse area
as. ISO ana
alyzes wheth
her there are
e additional geographic areas of the
e city
outside of
o the existing ladder response arreas where at least 50
0 percent o
of the numb
ber of
hydrants served by the largest existing
e respo
onse area ccould be servved by a new
w truck were
e one
to be add
ded. For IS
SO purposes
s, the respon
nse area is m
measured a
at 2.5 miles o
of travel disttance
from eac
ch ladder co
ompany on existing roadways. The
e following figure illustrrates the area of
coverage
e within the 2.5-mile
2 trav
vel distance of a fire stattion that hou
uses an aeria
al apparatuss.

68
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 34: ISO Truck D istance

All of the
e GHFD are
ea is within 2.5 miles of
o a statione pparatus. Arreas can receive
ed aerial ap
similar crredit for a se
ervice compa
any without the requirem
ment of an elevated device and can even
receive partial
p creditt for a service company if other a pparatus, su
uch as an e
engine, carrries a
complem
ment of servic
ce company
y equipment.. However, a ladder com
mpany is nott required to have
an elevating ladder or
o aerial dev
vice unless there
t umber of buildings that w
are a ssufficient nu would
e three-story height and square
meet the s foota
age limits. D
During ISO’s last evaluattion of GHFD
D, the
only structure that met
m the height requireme
ent for an e
elevating ladder or aeria
al device wa
as the
fire statio
on itself.

Equally important arre buildings with large square footag

ge. An aeriial provides one way to
o train
ver the rooffs of these structures (“Big Box” sstores like department stores, nattional
water ov
e retailers, and malls).
hardware The only multi-storie
ed structuress within the
e GHFD priimary

69
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

response
e area are tw
wo-story res
sidential stru
uctures; the re are no sttructures with a total sq
quare
footage of
o 25,000 square feet or more.

Concenttration

Standard
d firefighting
g procedures he arrival off the entire initial assignment (suffficient
s call for th
apparatu
us and perso
onnel to effectively comb
bat a fire bassed on its le
evel of risk) w
within a rela
atively
short am
mount of time
e. This is to ensure thatt enough pe
eople and eq
quipment arrrive soon en
nough
to be effe
ective in con e of the volunteer
ntrolling a firre before substantial da mage occurrs. Because
nature off GHFD and
d the other surrounding
s districts, de partment pe
ersonnel ma
ay make requests
for variou
us apparatus from mutu
ual aid depa
artments dep on the needs of the inciident.
pending upo
The num
mber of perso
onnel recommended for a structure vvaries greattly. The follo
owing map sseries
illustrates
s the depth of resources
s and the ge
eographic co
oncentration within an eiight-minute ttravel
time, inclluding mutua
al aid station
n resources.

Figure 35:
3 Effective Response F
Force – Stations

70
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The entirrety of GHFD

D can be rea
ached by at least two sttations within
n eight minu
utes of trave
el with
a majoritty of the area capable of ched by five stations or more within eight minuttes of
o being reac
travel. The following strates how much of th e area is ccapable of b
g figure illus being covere
ed by
Advanced Life Suppo
ort resources.

Figure 36:
3 Advanced
d Life Suppo
ort Concentra
ation

A majoritty of the GH
HFD area ca
an be reach
hed by no le
ess than two
o ALS unitss within an e
eight-
minute trravel time fro
om existing station
s locations.

Reliability and Conc

currency
The worrkload of an
a emergen
ncy respons
se unit can n response time
n also be a factor in
performa
ance. The busier a giv
ven unit, the
e less availa emergency. If a
able it is for the next e
response
e unit is una
available, the
en a unit fro
om a more d
distant statio
on must resspond, increa
asing
overall re
esponse time. A cushio
on of surplus
s response capacity abo
ove average
e values mu
ust be
maintaine
ed due to less frequent but very crittical times w
when atypica
al demand patterns appe
ear in

71
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

the syste
em. Multiple
e medical ca
alls, simultan
neous fires, multi-casua
alty events, or multiple a
alarm
fires are all examples
s.

mes, multiple
Many tim e agencies are dispatc
ched to a s ingle alarm and this iss reflected in
n the
preceding analysis as
a it is partt of a deparrtment’s tota
al workload. While muttual aid betw
ween
departme
ents is comm
mon, this pra
actice reduces resource
es otherwise available fo
or an agencyy. To
the degrree that this occurs, the reliability of a de
epartment ccan be neg
gatively affe
ected.
Unfortunately, due to
t the form
mat in which
h incident d
data was prrovided, an analysis off unit
reliability
y and call con
ncurrency co
ould not be conducted.
c

Respons
se Performa
ance
The ultim
mate goal off any emerg
gency service delivery ssystem is to provide suffficient resou
urces
(personn
nel, apparatu
us, and equipment) to th
he scene off an emerge
ency in time to take effe
ective
action to
o minimize the impactts of the emergency.
e This need
d applies tto fires, me
edical
emergen
ncies, and an ergency situation to whicch the fire de
ny other eme epartment re
esponds.

Emergen
ncy service agencies should
s have clearly deffined response perform
mance objecctives
establish
hed to allow evaluatio
on of capa
ability and service de
elivery. A
An organization’s
performa
ance objectiv
ves should clearly state
e both the ccurrent and desired em
mergency se
ervice
capabilities in very measurable
m terms. For emergency
e rresponse, pe
erformance o
objectives sh
hould
define re sing both time and resou
esponse perfformance us urce criteria. For examp
ple:
1. Provide
P for the arrival of adequatte resourcess to initiate
e basic eme ergency me edical
se
ervices at th
he scene off any medica
al emergenccy within “X”” minutes fo
ollowing disp
patch,
90 percent off the time.
2. Provide
P for the arrival of adequa ate resource es to initiate interior fire suppression
op
perations att the scene of any fire within
w “X” m
minutes follow
wing dispatcch, 90 perce
ent of
th
he time.

ecific perform
With spe mance criteriia, a fire dep
partment ca n develop d
deployment m
methodologiies to
achieve desired lev
vels of perfformance, and
a can qu
uickly identtify when cconditions in
n the
ment degrad
environm de performa
ance. GHFD has no
ot officially adopted a response time
performa
ance standarrd.

Due to the
t nature of
o the reporrting which recorded ea
ach unit’s time intervalss as well as the
‘announc
cement’ alarrm time, the
e first arriving unit on sccene was uttilized for th
he analysis. The

72
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

following charts illustrate the res

sponse time history for GHFD over the period JJanuary 1, 2
2006,
through December
D 3 2009.7
31,

Figure 37
7: Response Time Perform
mance Frequ
uency

60 120
0%

50 100
0%

40 80%
%

30 60%
%

20 40%
%

10 %
20%

0 0%
0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
2 21 22 24 28 30

Incid
dent Count Cumu
ulative Perce
entage

The mos
st frequently
y recorded response tim
me for calls is within the
e seventh m e 90th
minute. The
percentile
e response time for engine respon
nses is 14 m
minutes 43 sseconds tota
al response
e time
e of dispatch. The follow
from time he average response tim
wing figure illustrates th me by appa
aratus
type.

7
Mutual aid calls and
d non-emerge
ent calls werre removed ffrom responsse time analyyses as they were
found.

73
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 38: Average

A Res
sponse Time by Apparatu
us Type

00:00 02:00 0
04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14
4:00

F
FR Ambula
ance Ladd
der Engine
e

Respons
se times can vary by time
t of day
y in reflectio
on of servicce demand workload, ttraffic
congestio
on, weather, and distance to the ca
all from the sstation, to na
ame but a fe
ew. The follo
owing
strates how the average
chart illus e response tiime perform ance varies by the hourr of day.

Figure 39: Average

e Response Time
T by Hourr of Day by A
Apparatus Ty
ype

0
23 20:00 1
22 2
21 15:00 3

20 10:00 4

19 05:00 5

18 00:00 6

17 7

16 8

15 9
14 10
13 11
12
FR Ambulance Engine Ladder

74
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Areas within
w the prreceding figu
ure without a data poiint indicate that no inccident respo
onses
occurred during thos
se specific ho
ours of the day.
d

There are several factors that afffect overall response tim

me including
g, but not lim
mited to, wea
ather,
distance,, constructio
on, and trafffic congestio
on. Howeve
er, one elem
ment of the overall resp
ponse
time perfformance tha
at firefighters
s can contro
ol is the turno
out time inte
erval.

0 illustrates the turnout time of the first, second

Figure 40 d, and third apparatus m
measured on the
average.

Fig
gure 40: Ove
erall Average
e Turnout Tim
mes by Appa
aratus Type

00:00 02:00 04:00

0 06:0
00 08::00 10
0:00

E
Engine Lad
dder Ambu
ulance FR

owing chart illustrates

The follo i ho
ow the avera
age turnout time performance varie
es by the ho
our of
day.

75
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
e 41: Average Turnout Time by Hour of Day by Ap
pparatus Typ
pe

0
23 255:00 1
22 2
20
0:00
21 3
15
5:00
20 4
10
0:00
19 5
05
5:00

18 00
0:00 6

17 7

16 8

15 9
14 10
13 11
1
12
FR Ambula
ance La
adder E
Engine

Comparison to Natiional Stand

dards and In
ndustry Ben
nchmarks
The follo
owing table summarizes
s the inform
mation conta
ained in the
e preceding paragraphss and
figures as well as pro
ovides comp
parisons to national
n stan
ndards.

Figure
e 42: Compa
arison to National Standa
ards and Indu
ustry Benchm
marks – Eng
gine Respons
se
Perforrmance NFPA 1720
Fractile GHFD
Mea
asure Urban
th
Turnout 90 Perce entile 1:00 10:59
Total Res
sponse 90th Perce
entile 9:00 14:43

As indica
ated in the figure
f above
e, GHFD has a turnout time 9 minu
utes 59 seco
onds longerr than
the reco
ommended standard
s when measured at the 90th percentile. Simila
arly, GHFD total
response
e times forr an engin
ne response
e are 5 m
minutes 43 seconds llonger than
n the
recomme
ended standard when measured
m t 90th perccentile.
at the

h NFPA 172
Although 20 is the na
ational stand
dard that ap
pplies to volunteer and combination fire
departme
ents, it is widely accepted that mos
st departmen
nts find it difficult to me
eet that stan
ndard,
particularly those utillizing solely volunteer firre suppressiion personne wing charts were
el. The follow

76
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

excerpted from a US Fire Ad

dministration
n publicatio
on that illusstrates how
w response time
correlate
es response time to the effectiveness
e s of fire servvices.

sponse Time Analysis8

Fiigure 43: Nattional Structture Fire Res

Nationally, the highe

est percentag
ge (16 perce
ent) of struccture fires ha
ad a respon
nse time in the 4-
minute range. The percent of structure
s fire
es with res ponse timess of three m
minutes and
d five
minutes were not farr behind at 15 percent and
a 14 perccent, respecctively. Overa
all, 61 perce
ent of
structure
e fires in 2001 and 2002 had a respo
onse time of less than sixx minutes.

8
United States
S Fire Administration. “Structure Fire
F Response e Times.” Na
ational Fire Da
ata Center T
Topical
Fire Rese
earch Series, Volume
V 5- Iss
sue 7 from Jaanuary 2006.

77
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 44: Regional Structure Fire Res

sponse Time
e Analysis

Figure 45
5: National Sttructure Fire
e Response T
Time Analysiis – Flame Spread

The figure shows th

hat the mean response time was l owest for fires confined
d to the roo
om of
ess than sev
origin (le ven minutes)) while fires that spread
d beyond the building o
of origin havve the
highest mean respo
onse time (less
( than nine
n minute
es). As statted previoussly, the ave
erage
response
e time for GH
HFD is in ex
xcess of ten minutes witth a responsse time of n
nearly 15 min
nutes
when me he 90th perce
easured at th entile for eng
gine responsses.

78
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Mutual Aid
A Systems
s
Nearly ev
very emerge
ency service
es agency across the U nited Statess uses at lea
ast some levvel of
mutual aid
a in order to
t provide services
s to their individu
ual communities. How that mutual a
aid is
active, how it is used, and recip
procity are all
a elements of mutual a
aid that musst be consid
dered.
For the purposes
p of this report, there
t are thrree basic typ al aid: Basicc mutual aid upon
pes of mutua
request, written mutual aid agre
eements, an
nd automaticc aid agreem
ments. Each
h of these w
will be
discusse
ed individually and a review of how GHFD
G uses m
mutual aid w
will conclude
e this section
n.

Basic Mutual Aid Upon

U Reques
st
This form
m of mutual aid
a is the mo
ost basic an
nd is typicallyy permitted under broad
d public lawss that
allow com
mmunities to
o share reso
ources upon request durring times off disaster orr during loca
al and
es. Often, these broad laws permit communitie
regional emergencie es to make d
decisions qu
uickly
regarding
g mutual aid
d under spe
ecified limita
ations of lia bility, allowing a comm
munity to tap
p into
resource
es from their immediate neighbors,
n as
a well as ve
ery distant re
esources in ccommunitiess with
which the
ey have very
y little day-to
o-day contac
ct. Under th
his level of m
mutual aid, specific resou
urces
are typic
cally requestted by the fire departme
ent, through the chain o
of command, and somettimes
coordinated by local or regional emergency manageme
ent personne
el. Dependin
ng on the levvel of
the requ
uest, the res
sponse can
n sometimes
s be slow a
and the autthorization p
process ma
ay be
cumbersome due to the exchange of officia
al information
n or even ellected officia
als’ approva
al that
may be required.
r

Written Mutual
M Aid Agreementts
This form
m of mutua
al aid goes one step fu
urther by fo
ormalizing w
written agree
ements betw
ween
communities (typicallly immediatte neighbors
s in a region
n) in an effo
ort to simplifyy the proced
dures
and, thus
s, cut response times. Usually,
U thes
se written a
agreements include a prrocess that ttakes
the reque
est and resp
ponse autho
orization dow
wn to a lowe
er level in th
he organizattion, such a
as the
Fire Chie
ef or other incident
i com
mmander. By signing su
uch agreem
ments, comm
munities are “pre-
authorizing” the deployment of their
t resourc pecified circcumstances as spelled o
ces under sp out in
eement. Mos
the agre st often, the
ese agreements are ge
enerally reciprocal in n
nature and rrarely
involve an
a exchange
e of money fo hough they may include
or service, th e methods fo
or reimburse
ement
of unusual expenses
s for long dep
ployments.

79
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Automattic Aid Agre

eements
This form
m of mutuall aid takes the process
s an additio
onal step furrther by spe
elling out ce
ertain
circumsta
ances unde
er which one
e or more specific
s reso
ources will respond au
utomatically upon
notificatio
on of a rep
ported incide
ent in the neighboring
n community.. In essence, automatic aid
esponse to ccertain typess of inciden
ents expand a communiity’s initial first alarm re
agreeme nts by
adding re om a nearby neighbor to
esources fro o that respon
nse protocol. Typically, ssuch agreem
ments
are for specific
s geog
graphic area
as where th
he neighbor’’s resource can be exp
pected to ha
ave a
reasonab
ble response a only for specific typ
e time and are pes of incide
ents. An exa
ample of succh an
agreeme
ent would be
e having a ne
eighboring community’s
c engine resp
pond to all re
eported stru
ucture
fires in an area wherre that appa
aratus would be closer th
han the seco
ond or third--due engine from
e community
the home y. In other cases,
c the ag
greement m ight cover a type of ressource, such
h as a
tanker orr aerial appa
aratus, whic
ch the home
e communityy does not p
possess. An
n example o
of this
would be
e having a neighboring community’s
c s tanker resp
pond to all rreported stru
ucture fires iin the
areas of the home co
ommunity that do not ha
ave pressurizzed hydrantss.

Automatiic aid agreem

ments may be
b purely rec
ciprocal or t hey may invvolve the excchange of m
money
for the services
s provided. Pure
ely reciproca
al agreemen mmon, but tyypically are used
nts are com
where ea
ach commun me resource or service i t can provid
nity has som de to the ben
nefit of the o
other.
These se esources need not be id
ervices or re dentical. Forr instance, o
one commun
nity may sen
nd an
engine to
o a second
d community
y on automatic responsse to structture fires, w
while the se
econd
community agrees to send a ta
anker to the
e first comm
munity’s struccture fire ca
alls in excha
ange.
These re
eciprocal agrreements arre sometimes made with
hout detailed
d concern ovver quantificcation
of the equality of th
he services exchanged
d, since the
ey promote the effectivveness of ovverall
services in both com
mmunities. In
n other case
es, the writtten agreeme
ents spell ou
ut costs that one
community can charrge the othe
er for service
es, typically where no rreasonable rreciprocation
n can
pated.
be anticip

One prim
mary purpos
se of autom
matic aid agrreements iss to improve
e the region
nal applicatio
on of
resource
es and staffin e protection resources a
ng. Since fire are most fre
equently esta
ablished beccause
of the oc
ccupancy ris
sks in a com
mmunity and not necessa
arily a heavvy workload, these resou
urces
may be idle during frrequent periods of time. While fire d
departmentss make productive use o
of this
time thro
ough training
g, drills, pre
e-incident planning, and
d other funcctions, the ffact is that tthese
expensiv
ve resources
s of apparattus and stafff are not h
heavily tied up on emerrgency incid
dents.
Commun
nities that share
s certain s back and forth are, in essence
n resources e, expanding
g the

80
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

emergen
ncy response
e workload of those un
nits across a larger geo
ographic are
ea that gene
erally
ignores jurisdictiona
al lines. Th
his expande gly benefit both
ed use of resources can strong
communities that might otherwis nificantly inccreased costts if they had to procure
se have sign e and
h all the sam
establish me resource
es alone. Automatic
A ai d can be u
used effectivvely to bolsster a
sources, or to reduce unnecessary redundan
community’s fire protection res ncy and ovverlap
between communitie
es.

st common ty
The mos ype of mutual aid emplo
oyed by GHF
FD is basic mutual aid u
upon requesst. No
written mutual
m aid agreements
a were prese
ented during ection, but department staff
g data colle
indicated
d that mutua
al aid was a significant burden,
b partiicularly for m
medical incid
dents. In add
dition
eavy mutual aid load as described previously
to the he p in
n this report, reciprocal aid is apparrently
less than
n equitable. One
O departm
ment intervie
ewed indicatted that GHF
FD frequentlly responded
d into
its area for
f medical incidents bu
ut that it wa
as departme
ent policy no
ot to respond
d into the G
GHFD
unless th
he incident in
nvolved a ch
hild.

This type
e of non-rec
ciprocal mutual aid shou
uld be invesstigated and
d remedied rregardless o
of the
outcome of this analy
ysis.

Recomm
mendation:

• Non-reciprocal mutual
m aid sh
hould be inve
estigated an d eliminated
d.

Emergen
ncy Medical Services
GHFD maintains
m EM
MT-CC level personnel to
t staff transsport units th
hat respond
d from the sttation
to medical incidents throughout the GHFD primary
p area
a as well as ffor mutual a
aid requests.. One
i on duty each day and is sup
person is pported by volunteer p
personnel a
as incidentss are
dispatche
ed. This se
ection provides an eva
aluation of those servvices, focusing on logiistical
services,, administrattive and support services
s, and mediccal control a
and oversigh
ht.

Logistical Support Services

Emergen
ncy Medical Services (EMS) is deliv
vered as an iintegrated service of GH
HFD. As succh, all
logistical support se
ervices existt under the overall log
gistical serviices of the fire departm
ment.
Personne
el assigned to the statio S responsess and do nott respond to non-
on are dedicated to EMS

81
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

EMS incidents unles

ss to provide medical support
s on t he scene off suppressio
on and/or re
escue
s. Personnel are responsible for in
incidents nspection off each amb
bulance and
d quick resp
ponse
a the beginning of their duty shift; supplies a re replenish
vehicle at hed from the
e general sttation
stock.

Adminis
strative and
d Support Se
ervices
The proc
cess of delive
ering EMS to
o a commun
nity can beco
ome quite co
omplicated, particularly w
when
medical incidents make
m up a vast majo
ority of the organizatio
on’s total w
workload. Proper
administrration and support
s of the
t EMS prrogram is a critical fun
nction that m
must be givven a
priority.

For GHF
FD, the on-du
uty EMS perrsonnel are responsible for their ow ative and support
wn administra
functions
s and the full-time
f Dis
strict Secrettary has lim
mited involvvement in E
EMS operattions.
Likewise, there is no
o 24-hour EMS
E supervision. Rathe
er, a full-time ALS Coordinator, wo
orking
typical business hou
urs, is respo
onsible for scheduling,
s equipment issues, etc.. and is the
e sole
provider of support services
s to th
he EMS pers
sonnel, aside
e from occassional volun
nteer supportt.

EMS Pollicies, Procedures, and

d Processes
s
In order for
f any EMS
S system to operate effe
ectively and efficiently, fiirm policies, proceduress, and
es must be in place and
processe a ed. In addittion, those implementin
enforce ng said pollicies,
st understand the effect of those implementations on the clinical
procedurres, and processes mus
personne
el and, ultima
ately, the pa
atient.

The EMS
S operations
s within GHF
FD operate within
w the bro
oader policie
es and procedures of th
he fire
departme
ent as outlin
ned previous
sly in this re
eport. In reg
gard to Advvanced Life Support me
edical
protocols
s, GHFD follows the protocols
p pro
ovided throu
ugh the Sufffolk Countyy Regional EMS
Council (REMSCO)
( and
a is provid
ded medical oversight se
ervices throu
ugh that sam
me organization.

82
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Future
e Servic
ce Delive
ery Optio
ons
This section identifie
es strategies
s and recom
mmendationss for future resource de
eployment b
based
on severral alternativ s quo to disssolution of the District. The discussion
ves ranging from status
included with each
h presented ve includess recommendations, e
d alternativ estimated ccosts,
nal impacts, and social consideratio
operation c ons. Before tthe alternativves are pressented, how
wever,
discussio
on is provide
ed in regard
d to continu
uation of em
mergency me
edical servicces and how
w the
GHFD bu
udget could be modified to reduce th
he tax burde
en on the community.

Emerg
gency Med
dical Serrvices Fea
asibility O
Options
The prov
vision of emergency me
edical servic
ces (EMS) th
hroughout th
he Town of Brookhaven
n and
specifically the Gordon Heights Fire District is an enorm
mous underttaking and ccomprises a large
percentage of the overall servic
ce demand and operatiing budget ffor each ag
gency. In facct, as
noted pre
eviously in this
t report, the provision
n of EMS forr GHFD com
mprised 86 p
percent of ovverall
service demand
d durring 2009 an
nd an estim
mated 54 pe
ercent of the
e fiscal yearr 2010 operrating
budget based
b on 20
009 expendiiture analysis. The Taxxable Assessed Value ((TAV) during
g the
same period was $2,318,301. Th
hat calculate
es to a tax rrate of appro 32.588 to support
oximately $3
the EMS
S function. The
T following
g figure illus
strates how this calcula
ated tax rate
e comparess with
other am
mbulance pro
oviders within
n the area.

Figure 46
6: Comparattive Tax Rate
e to Support EMS
Tax Rate
2010 to
Ambulance
A Provider
P
Support
EMS
Gorddon Heights 32.5888
Shirle
ey 12.7655
Masttic Beach 10.1377
East Port/East Mo
oriches 9.3877
Masttic 9.1100
Medfford 8.0666
Southh County 6.3699
Mano orville 5.9644
Mt. Sinai
S 4.4633

Based on response information

n from 2009
9, GHFD ressponded to 605 EMS incidents (15
55 of
ere mutual aid
which we a response
es to neighb
boring jurisdi ctions). Thiss calculates to a per inccident
actual co
ost of $1,24
47.37. In com
mparison, Medford
M Am bulance ope
erated on a 2009 budg
get of
$1,170,192 with a workload
w of 2,019 incidents for a p
per incidentt rate of $57
79.59. Since
e fire

83
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

districts in New Yo
ork are not allowed to bill patientts for serviices, the to
otal expendiitures
associate
ed with the provision
p of EMS within GHFD, and any other fiire district, iss paid completely
by the ta
axpayer. In many
m states,, organizatio
ons involved in the transsport EMS w
would bill pattients
transportted or their in
nsurance co
ompanies. Th
his, howeve r, is not the case in New
w York. New
w York
State law
w prohibits fiire districts from
f billing for
f the proviision of EMS ely, towns in New
S. Converse
York hav
ve the authority to bill on
n behalf of ambulance
a districts and in an effort to offset mu
d uch of
their ope
erational cos
sts through the
t use of user fees ratther than a sstrict reliancce on taxatio
on for
funding.

Understa
anding that the
t provision
n of EMS within the Go
ordon Heightts communitty is a nece
essity,
the ques
stion arises as
a to how to
o best delive has proven to be
er that servicce. The currrent model h
unsustain
nable due to
t the low overall
o tax valuation
v an
nd subseque
ent high taxx rate within
n the
community. Addition
nally, the wo
orkload of th
he system iss unusually high given the low ressident
populatio
on resulting in an extre usage rate. Anecdotal information from
emely high per capita u
across th dicates that the typical community
he nation ind c EMS usage rate is aroun
E nd 10 perce
ent. In
ords, only 10 percent of
other wo o the resident populattion would ttypically use
e the servicce. In
Gordon Heights,
H the
e usage rate
e is closer to
o 21 percentt, not includ
ding mutual aid responsses to
other jurisdictions.

There are
e four additional ambula
ance provide ding Gordon Heights: Co
ers surround oram Fire Disstrict,
Medford Volunteer Ambulance,
A Middle Isla e District. A brief
and Fire Disstrict, and Yaphank Fire
w of each pro
overview ovider is pres
sented below
w.

Coram FD
F
During 2009,
2 CFD responded
r to
t 2,238 EM
MS incidentss, including 63 mutual a
aid responses to
other juriisdictions. The
T department functions with a paiid staff on d
duty 24 hourrs per day a
and is
ented by volunteers. CF
suppleme FD maintains three perssonnel on du
uty at all tim
mes and unitts are
typically staffed with two personn
nel.

Medford
d Volunteer Ambulance
e
During 2009, MVAC responded to 2,019 EM
MS incidentts, including 44 mutual aid responsses to
other jurisdictions. The
T departm
ment function
ns with paid
d staff on du
uty 24 hourss per day a
and is
suppleme
ented by vo
olunteers. MVAC mainta
ains one to two personnel on duty at all timess and
units are typically sta ne to two perrsonnel per iincident.
affed with on

84
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Middle Is
sland FD
During 2009,
2 MIFD responded to 1,238 EM
MS incidentss, including 78 mutual a
aid responsses to
other jurisdictions. The
T departm plishes its E MS mission
ment accomp n similarly to
o the surroun
nding
ents in that a paid staff is
departme i on duty 24
4 hours per day and is ssupplemente
ed by voluntteers.
MIFD ma o personnel on duty at all times a
aintains two and unit stafffing is depe n the
endent upon
incident type
t dispatched.

Yaphank
k FD
During 2009, YFD re
esponded to 509 EMS in
ncidents, inccluding 69 m
mutual aid re
esponses to other
jurisdictio
ons. The dep
partment acc
complishes its EMS misssion by stafffing paid pe
ersonnel 24 h
hours
per day and is supp
plemented by
b volunteerrs. YFD ma intains one person on duty at all ttimes
responding in a firs er unit with the ambullance staffe
st responde ed by volun
nteers base
ed on
availability.

Summarry
The follo
owing table summarizes
s ation contain
the informa ned in the prrevious para
agraphs in re
egard
to EMS resources
r av
vailable in an
nd around GHFD.
G

Figure 47:
4 Comparis ders9
son of Ambu lance Provid
EMS Incidennts
FT On D
Duty
District Stations Area Population
n Incidentts per
Person
nnel Perso
onnel
2009 Capitaa
GHFD 1 1.7 2,201 605 0.27 3 1
CFD 3 13.8 34,923 2,238 0.06 8 3
MVAC 2 10.5 21,985 2,019 0.09 4 1
MIFD 2 8.3 9,702 1,238 0.13 6 2
YFD 1 14.1 5,025 509 0.10 1 1

The 2009
9 workload for
f each prov
vider is pres
sented graph
hically in the following fig
gure.

9
Population and area based on U.S S. Census Bu ureau data fro om the most appropriate ‘ccensus desig
gnated
place’ tha
at does not ne
ecessarily corrrespond to the actual fire/a
ambulance district bounda
aries.

85
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 48: Workloa

ad and Incide
ents per Cap
pita

2,500 0.30

0.25
2,000

0.20
1,500
0.15
1,000
0.10

500
0.05

0 0.00
YFD GHFD MIFD MVAC CFD

Workload Inciden
nts per Capitta

The per capita usage rate in Go

ordon Heightts is more th
han double that of the n
next highestt rate.
y be in part due
This may d to the several
s coun
nty-owned an
nd operated
d group homes in the Disstrict,
a high ra
atio of seniorr citizens, orr various oth
her socioeco
onomic facto
ors that tend to correspo
ond to
higher em
mergency se ge rates. In order to ga in a comple
ervices usag ete understanding of how
w the
workload ed over the past severa
d has evolve al years, ES ed the historical workload of
SCI evaluate
each of the ambulance providers
s noted in Figure 48.

Figure 49:
4 Historicall EMS Worklo
oad Comparrison

2,500

2,000

1,500 2006
2007

1,000 2008
2009

500

0
G
GHFD CFD M
MVAC M
MIFD YFD

86
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

It is evide
ent from the
e preceding figure above
e that each provider of EMS within the study re
egion
has seen
n a steady in
ncrease in ov
verall worklo
oad over the
e past four ye
ears. Worklo
oad estimate
es for
2010 app
pear to conttinue this tre all EMS workload
end. The folllowing figurre representts the overa
from cale
endar year 2009
2 as well as illustrates the unit h
hour utilizatiion (UHU) ra
ate of each EMS
provider.

Figure 50: Wo
orkload and U
Utilization

2,500 0.30

0.25
2,000

0.20
1,500
0.15
1,000
0.10

500
0.05

0 0.00
GHFD CFD MVAC MIFD YFD

2009 Workload 20
009 UHU

Unit hourr utilization is a represen

ntation of ho
ow busy anyy particular u
unit is throug
ghout the ye
ear. In
most circ
cumstances,, UHU is calculated by determining
g the total am me that particular
mount of tim
units are
e busy on ca
alls and divid
ding that tota
al by the nu mber of ava
ailable unit h
hours; in mo
ost 24
hour systems, this number
n is 8,760, which represents the total number of hou
urs available
e in a
year. Data obtained from SCFR er, did not i nclude actu
RES, howeve ual unit clear times so a one
hour per incident factor was used
d to calculatte an estima te of UHU.

The valu
ue of a UHU
U calculation
n is highly dependent
d u
upon the typ
pe of organization delivvering
EMS to the commu
unity. Many fire-based systems usse a UHU of 0.3 as the thresho
old to
approxim
mate the ma
aximum allo
owable comm
mit time wh
hile private EMS provid
ders tend to
o use
UHUs as
s high as 0.5. As UHU
U increases, so does th
he utilization
n of any givven unit. In other
words, a UHU of 1..0 indicates the unit wo
ould be bussy 100 perce
ent of its avvailable time
e. As
identified
d previously, UHU of the
e various org
ganizations ranges from
m 0.06 in Ya
aphank to 0..26 in

87
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Coram. GHFD’s
G UHU is calcula
ated to be 0.07, indicati ng seven pe
ercent utilization, well b
below
the fire-b
based thresh
hold.

In an atttempt to de
etermine ho
ow to best deliver servvice to the Gordon He
eights comm
munity
through an alternativ ment model, the feasibil ity of merging the currrent GHFD EMS
ve deploym
function into these other agen
ncies was evaluated.
e T
The followin
ng paragrap
phs evaluate
e the
feasibility
y of one of the
t surround
ding provide
ers assuming
g the responsibility of p
providing EM
MS to
the Gord
don Heights
s community
y. Each sce
enario assum
mes that the
e current G
GHFD fire sttation
would no
o longer be in
n operation.

Coram FD
F
CFD has the highest overall workload and
a subseq
quent utiliza of the agencies
ation rate o
ding Gordon Heights. Wiith a workloa
surround ad of over 2 ,200 inciden
nts in 2009 ((a sharp incrrease
over its 2008 workload) and a utilization of 0.26, it is unlikely that CFD ccould absorb
b the
additiona
al workload within the Gordon Heights
H com
mmunity with g personnel and
hout adding
resource
es. In additio
on, based on
n the distribu dents within GHFD, the majority of EMS
ution of incid
workload
d is occurring
g in the soutth-central po
ortion of the District. Alth
hough CFD could respo
ond to
incidents
s in the north
hern portion of the Distrrict, responsse times to a majority off incidents w
would
be exten
nded. It shou
uld also be noted here that CFD h
has formallyy stated thatt the departtment
ould absorb the addition
does not believe it co nal workload with GHFD nor does it desire to se
ee the
current services
s elim
minated.

Medford
d Volunteer Ambulance
e
MVAC experienced
e the second
d highest workload of tthe surrounding agencies during 2
2009,
along wiith the seco
ond highestt utilization rate. Simila
ar to CFD, MVAC hass seen a stteady
increase in service demand ove
er the past four years with an inccrease of ovver 100 incid
dents
between 2008 and 2009. Base
ed on the deployment
d of MVAC re
esources co
ombined witth an
already relatively
r hig
gh UHU, it is
s unlikely that the agen cy could ab
bsorb the additional workload
within GH
HFD withoutt adding reso
ources.

Based on
o Article 12-A. § 209-a. 1, an ambulance
a district is cconsidered tto be a typ
pe of
“improvement distric
ct” and, therrefore, the Town
T has th
he authorityy to establissh or expand
d the
existing district
d after following pro 209-e of the Laws
ocedural guidelines outllined in Articcle 12-A. § 2
of New York.
Y Understanding th
hat MVAC was
w e that the district
formed based on tthe premise

88
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

would follow the esttablished bo

oundaries off the Medforrd Fire Depa
artment, thiss scenario w
would
involve the Town of Brookhaven
n either neg
gotiating the
e expansion of the amb
bulance distrrict to
include Gordon
G Heig
ghts or moving to expan
nd the Districct involuntarrily in the be
est interest o
of the
community as a who
ole.

Information obtained
d from the U.S. Deparrtment of H
Health & Hu
uman Servicces, Centerrs for
Medicare
e & Medicaid
d Services in mbursement rates
ndicate that 2010 ambu lance fee scchedule reim
for New York
Y are flatt at $209.65 with a base
e mileage ratte of $6.74 p mile.10 If the base
per loaded m
reimbursement rate were to be applied
a to th
he 501 transsports that w
were comple
eted during 2
2009,
11
gross po
otential reven
nue is estim
mated to be $105,034.
$ Considering
g that the avverage colle
ection
rate natio
onally is estimated to be
b approxim
mately 55 pe
ercent, applyying this fig
gure to the g
gross
potential revenue ca
alculates to $68,272 in potential n
net revenue.. Although tthis potentia
al net
revenue would not nearly
n offse
et the costs associated with operattions of EMS within Go
ordon
Heights, the collectio
on of at leas enue could be used to offset the overall tax bu
st some reve urden
e community
facing the y currently.

Middle Is
sland FD
MIFD experienced a moderate workload
w and
d correspon
nding UHU d
during 2009 and saw virrtually
no increa
ase in EMS emand over 2008. Base
S service de ed on facilityy deployment, MIFD is best
located to
t absorb th
he current workload
w witthin GHFD, particularlyy in the norrthern half o
of the
District. A large porrtion of the northern Dis ed by MIFD due to previous
strict is currrently serve
property deed restric
ctions. Incid
dents in the southern ha
alf of the District, howe
ever, would in all
d see an increase in
likelihood n response time if un
nits were rresponding from the M
MIFD
headquarters station
n. As with CF
FD and MVA
AC, MIFD ha
as stated forrmally that it does not be
elieve
it would be
b able to absorb the ad
dditional workload from within the G
GHFD nor do
oes it wish to
o see
the curre
ent services eliminated
e frrom the area
a.

Yaphank
k FD
YFD is lo
ocated to the
e extreme so
outheast of GHFD.
G The departmentt has historiccally experie
enced
a lower EMS worklo
oad than the
e surroundin
ng providerss with only 5
509 incidentts in 2009 w
with a
onding UHU of 0.06 (the
correspo e lowest in the
t region). YFD saw vvirtually no cchange in ovverall
nd over 2008 and has remained re
EMS serrvice deman elatively stab
ble over the
e last four yyears.
10
https://w
www.cms.govv/AmbulanceF
FeeSchedule//02_afspuf.assp. Accessed October 18, 2010.
11
Gross potential
p reve
enue does no
ot include mile
eage or otherr charges tha
at could increa
ase the total gross
revenue.

89
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

YFD could potentially

y reach a sm
mall portion of EMS inci dents in the
e extreme so
outhern portiion of
the District from its current
c on location. Although YF
statio FD officials stated durin
ng interviewss that
they could absorb th
he current wo hin GHFD w ithout difficu
orkload with ulty, it is app
parent from ttravel
models and
a previou
us mutual aid relationsh
hips that thiis alternativve would no
ot be in the best
o the community as a whole.
interest of w

Considerring that eac

ch of the fore med that the existing GHFD station w
egoing scenarios assum would
not be used
u in the deploymen
nt models, itt is conceivvable that iff another prrovider assu
umed
responsibility over EMS within Gordon
G Heights, the fire station could remain acctive and pro
ovide
the new provider with
h a base of operations
o within
w Gordo
on Heights.

Fiscal Impacts
Many op
ptions exist for
f adjusting
g the delivery model fo
or fire and E
EMS service
es to the Go
ordon
F District. One option is to review
Heights Fire w and significcantly reduce nt operating costs
e the curren
of the District. Redu
ucing budget costs are never easy and will im
mpact the livves of the pe
eople
affected by the changes. However, the resid
dents of Gord
don Heightss Fire Districtt have expre
essed
oncerns rega
strong co arding high operating co
osts. These concerns w
will require a fresh look a
at the
budget with
w recomme
endations fo
or changes as
a necessaryy.

In propos
sing budget adjustments
s, many facttors were co
onsidered fro
om comparin
ng like costss with
neighborring departm
ments to reviewing
r ness, to simply
liine items costs for reasonablen
recomme
ending a red
duction in to
otal cost due
e to financia
al considera
ation for the residents o
of the
District. ESCI
E was not able to do an in-deptth analysis o
of all cost ca
ategories. T
To insure tha
at the
District was
w not penalized by excessive reductions, a new cosst fund wass establishe
ed for
unbudge
eted items. The
T new fund
d was labele
ed “Continge
encies” and is shown in the fund tra
ansfer
section of
o the budge
et. As more experience
e/history of tthe model b
budget is achieved, this fund
should be
e eliminated
d in future ye
ears.

Developing future fin

nancial mode
els requires looking into
o two variab
bles: 1) the p
projected ch
hange
in taxable other non-taxx related inccome and District
e assessed value (TAV)) and 2) the change in o
operating
g expenses.

alue will be projected

Taxable assessed va p to future yearss based on 2
2006 – 2010
0 actual asse
essed
d growth trends derived from these values.
value and

90
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The basis for develo

oping cost will
w be to prroject costs based on tthe historic Consumer Price
Index Urrban (CPI-U)). It should be noted tha
at this rate is used for analytical pu
urposes and
d that
al CPI-U for a given yearr could be higher or lowe
the actua er.

Annual inflation
i Ra
ate CPI-U
Historical information
n was used to develop an inflation index for th 11 – 2020.122 The
he years 201
information is display
yed in both table and grraphical form
mat below. T
The historica
al ten-year C
CPI-U
is 2.650 percent per year.

Figure 51: CPI-U, 2000 - 2009

Year AVVG
2000 2.6
6500%
2001 2.6
6500%
2002 2.6
6500%
2003 2.6
6500%
2004 2.6
6500%
2005 2.6
6500%
2006 2.6
6500%
2007 2.6
6500%
2008 2.6
6500%
2009 2.6
6500%

12
nce data is frrom the Bureau of Labor Statistic
Referen S webssite http://ww
ww.bls.gov/cpii/. The seriess ID is
for New York,
Y Northernn New Jerseyy and Long Island (CUURA A101SA0).

91
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
F 52: Grraphical Rep
presentation of CPI-U, 20
000 - 2009

5.00%

AVG
4.00% CPI-U

3.00%

2.00%

1.00%

0.00%
2000
0 2001 2002 2003 2004 200
05 2006 2007 2008
8 2009

The CPI-U average increase will be applie

ed to other rrevenue and
d expense ccategories o
of the
2010 con
nsolidated budget
b to de
evelop forec
casted impa
act on the ccombined orrganization ffuture
financial stability.

92
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figu
ure 53: Graph Representtation of Fore
ecast CPI-U, 2010 - 2020

1..50

1..25

1..00
2011 2012 2
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Utilizing the TAV tre

ends and historic CPI-U
U, various o
options will b
be reviewed
d and projecctions
made as to the proje
ected future costs
c to the tax payers.

GHFD Model
M Budge
et
The follo
ow table dep odel budget for GHFD, including th
picts the mo he major adjustment de
efined
above.

93
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Figure 54: GHFD Model Bu

udget
Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Com
mments
Personnel Servicces 
Salary - Secrettary 39,972 Eliminatee position
Treasureer to assume due
el roll of Secretaryy and
Salary - Treasu
urer 49,428 49,428 Treasureer
Salary - Mainte
enance
Salary - EMT Staff
S 193,684 193,684 193,684 No changge to existing sta
aff
Salary - Mechaanic 16,000 Contractt maintenance
Salary - Departtment Secretary
Salary - Custod
dial 17,996 On duty personnel assign
ned to clean facility.
Volunteeer workdays once
e per month
Salary - Attorne
ey
Salary - Clerica
al 13,000 Eliminatee position
Salary ACS Co oordinator 41,769 41,769 41,769 No changge to existing sta
aff
Child Support Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
IRS
Metro Commutter Mobility Tax
NYS Retire - Employee Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
NYS Income Ta ax Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
Federal Income e Tax Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
FICA Employee e Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
Medicare Emplloyee Restatedd into base salaryy and wage for bu
udget
Total Personnel Services 371,849 284,881 235,453
Business Operattions 
Department Ph hysicals 8,000 4,200 4,200 30 interioor certified firefigh
hters @ $140
Physical Training 2,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Training/Educaation District 13,000 6,500 6,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Installatioon dinner for new
w board of directoors and
Inspection Dinn
ner 22,500 11,000 11,000 new officcers. Estimate cost at: facility rent 4, band 2,
food $500 per person 3,misc 3

94
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Commments
Office Equipme
ent Lease 8,500 3,200 3,200 3,200 Minimum m non-cancelable lease $3,168. Ca ancel all
other leaases.
Review ssubscriptions andd reduce due to fiscal
Dues/Subscripttions 3,000 1,250 constrainnts
Publications/Elections 3,000 500 Same ass Yaphank
District Supplie
es 13,000 4,500 Same ass Yaphank
Signal 8 (meals s & Refreshmentss) 3,000 Eliminatee cost for
Misc. 5,000 Cost covvered in contingen
ncy below
Conventions/As ssociations Hosting 2,000 2,000 No changge
Training/Educa ation Fire/Rescue 16,000 8,000 8,000 Reduce 550% due to fiscal constraints
Equipment Maiintenance 15,000 7,500 Accountiing software $2k, IT $3K, Misc $2..5K
Total Business Operations
O 114,500 48,650 32,900 3,200
Business Administration 
Treasurer's Bond
Financial Audit 17,000 12,000 Same ass Yaphank
Legal Fees 25,000 Legal feees to fund opposition to modify existing
structuree. Not needed with reduce budget..
LOSAP Audit
Hydrant Rentall 18,500 12,000 12,000 12,000 2009 at 11,000, budget proojects moving to 5
500 ft.
Return too 2009 rental rate
es
Transfer to Res
serves
Service Awards
s 75,000 56,250 56,250 LOSAP ppayment. Reduce e funding level byy 25% for
reductionn of fire police volunteers.
Grant Expensees
Community Enhancement Grant
Total Business Administration
A 135,500 80,250 68,250 12,000
Bond and Lease Payments 
Principal on Bo
ond 25,000 Paymentt made with sale of excess equipm
ment
Interest on Bon
nds 3,450 Paymentt made with sale of excess equipm
ment
Capital Lease Principal
P 56,833 Last payyment August 201
10
Capital Lease Interest
I 2,785 Last payyment August 201
10
Total Bond and Lease Payments 88,068

95
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Com
mments
Vehicles 
Vehicle Repair//Maintenance 45,000 7,651 7,651 Average 2006 - 2009 lesss 30% for fewer vvehicles
Vehicle Fuel 15,000 9,750 9,750 less 35%
% for fewer vehicle
es
Propane
Vehicle Inspecttion
5-9-1 Ladder Truck
T Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-2 Antique Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-3 Engine Vehicle uunder warranty
5-9-4 Engine Vehicle uunder warranty
5-9-5 Fire Polic
ce Van Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-6 GMC Fire e Police Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-22 District car
c Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-8 1986 GM MC Heavy Rescuee Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9 9 Jeep Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-10 None Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-11 ALS Firs st responder
Vehicle Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-12 Brush Truck
T Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-13 Mack Engine Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-7 Stufen Pu umper 2001 Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5- 9-15 Tahoe ALS
A First responder Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-16 Ambulance 3,500 3,500 Adjustedd value from gene
eral repair line above
5-9-17 Ambulance 1,000 1,000 Adjustedd value from gene
eral repair line above
5-9-18 Mechan nic Truck Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5- 9 19 Bus Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-20 Chief 5--9-30
5-9-21 Chief 5--9-32 Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-12B Brush Truck Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
5-9-14 Ford Ex xpedition ALS 700 700 Adjustedd value from gene
eral repair line above
5-9-23 District Vehicle
V Vehicle rrecommended for disposal
Total Vehicles 60,000 22,601 22,601

Building and Gro
ounds 

96
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Commments
L.I.P.A 27,000 27,000 27,000 No changge
Building Supplies 6,000 6,000 6,000 No changge
Grounds Keepiing 5,500 2,500 2,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Refuse Pickup 4,500 4,500 4,500 No changge
Boiler & A/C Reepair 4,500 4,500 4,500 No changge
Kitchen maint. 2,100 1,500 1,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Exterminator 600 600 600 No changge
General Bldg. Maintenance
M 28,000 28,000 28,000 No changge
Misc. Building Expenses
E
Security Mainteenance 1,000 750 750 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Building Heatinng Fuel ( Hawkins
s) 25,000 15,151 15,151 Previouss years actual plus 25%
Building Heatinng Fuel ( Rose) 5,500 2,354 2,354 Previouss years actual plus 25%
Office Equipme ent 4,000 2,500 2,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Propane 1,500 793 793 Previouss years actual plus 25%
Security Equipm ment 5,000 No addit ional improvements
Building Equipmment 3,000 1,500 1,500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Total Building an
nd Grounds 123,200 97,647 97,647
Communication
ns 
Telephones 24,000 20,000 20,000 Drop to 5 cell phone plus land lines/land line only
Siren Repair 2,000 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Radio/Pager Puurchase 13,000 10,000 10,000 four handdhelds per year
Radio/Pager Repair 3,500 3,500 3,500 No changge
Cable 1,000 1,000 1,000 No changge
Siren Purchase
e
Total Communiccations 43,500 34,500 34,500
Fire and Rescue 
Firematic Supp plies 13,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 Reductioon of vehicles will reduce demand
Rescue Supplie es 20,000 14,800 14,800 14,800 Ambulannce only
Cylinder Refills
s 6,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 Previouss year level
Uniforms 10,000 4,900 4,900 35 firefigghters at $140
Uniform Alterattions 1,000 500 500 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints
Signal 8 (mealss & Refreshments
s) 4,500 1,800 1,800 Reduce ddue to fiscal consstraints

97
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Commments
Turnout Gear 6,000 6,000 6,000 6 sets peer year @ $1,0000ea 20% inventoryy
replacemment per year
Firematic Equip
pment 21,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 Reductioon of vehicles will reduce demand
Rescue Equipm ment 18,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 Ambulannce only
Fire Prevention
n 5,000 5,000 No changge
Firematic/Resccue Equipment
Repair 782 782 782 782 No changge
Total Fire & Res
scue 105,282 57,782 52,782 39,582
Social Security 
FICA Employerr 23,000 17,663 14,598 FICA @ 6.2% of wages
Medicare Emplloyer 5,500 4,131 3,414 Medicaree @ 1.45% of wa
ages
Total Social Sec
curity 28,500 21,793 18,012
Insurance Exempt 
Worker Compe
ensation 16,000 8,984 6,738 2009 levvel minus percent reduction based d on wages
and volu nteer hours for fire police
Medical/Accide
ent Ins 6,000 5,276 3,957 2009 levvel minus percent reduction based d on wages
and volu nteer hours for fire police
Unemploymentt Ins. 5,000 1,500 1,125 perviouss year + percent reduction based oon wages
Auto Insurance
e 38,000 23,693 23,693 35% lesss vehicles of 2009 9 value
Life insu rance payment. RReduce funding leevel by
VFBL 29,500 22,125 16,594 25% for reduction of fire p
police volunteers..
NYS Retiremen nt 35,000 29,267 21,950 2009 levvel minus percent reduction based d on wages
Medical Ins. Em
mployee 25,000 25,000 18,750 1 office 3 EMTs
Umbrella Policyy 10,500 10,500 10,500 No changge
Total Insurance 165,000 126,344 103,306
Fund Transfers 
General to Equ
uipment Reserve
Contingency Fuund 40,000 40,000 Establishh contingency fun
nd
General to T&AA
Emergency Vehicle Repair Fundd
General to Truc
ck
General to Resserve Fund 180,000 41,250 41,250 See vehiicle replacement schedule

98
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Admin 
A
Budget  Model  Costs 
C Stattion 
Expensse Category  2010  Budget  Re
emoved  Clossure  Com
mments
Total Fund Transfers 180,000 81,250 81,250
Total Expenditurres 1,415,399 855,699 746,701 54,782

Percent Reduction 39.544% 47.244%

4 96.120%

Tax rate 60.83 37.25 32.50 2.38

99
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The prec
ceding mode
el budget depicts a 39.54
4 percent re
eduction in to
otal budget cost and taxx rate
if the rec
commended modifications are made
e. Likewise,, if another d umed contro
district assu ol and
operation
n of the GHF
FD area and
d the curren
nt station rem
mained open
n and opera
ational, ESC
CI has
calculate
ed that the overall
o budge
et would see
e a reduction
n of 47.25 p
percent in to
otal budget w
with a
correspo
onding tax ra
ate of 32.50
0. Further, iff the curren
nt GHFD sta
ation were to be closed
d and
services provided frrom a neigh
hboring juris
sdiction, a 9
96.12 perce
ent reduction
n in total bu
udget
e realized (d
would be due to some
e necessary contractual issues and transfer of costs to the
e new
departme
ent providing
g service to the
t area) an
nd a corresp onding tax rrate of $2.38
8.

Allocatio
on of Modell Budget be
etween Fire and EMS
The table
e below allo
ocates the model
m budge ng functions of fire and EMS
et into costs by operatin
assuming
g the current GHFD stattion remains
s in operatio n and budge
et modifications are mad
de as
recomme
ended.

100
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Figure 55: GHFD Allocated Mod

del Budget
Moddel
Expens
se Category Fire EMS Allocaation Methodolo
ogy
Budg
get
Personnel Serv vices
Salary - Treasuurer 24,714 24,714 49,4
428 50/50 split
Salary - EMT Staff
S 0 193,684 193,6
684
Salary ACS Co oordinator 0 41,769 41,7
769
Total Personnel Svces 24,714 260,167 284,8
881
Business Opera ations
Department Ph hysicals 3,526 674 4,2
200 Percent of manpower
Training/Educa ation District 5,457 1,043 6,5
500 Percent of manpower
Inspection Dinnner 9,236 1,764 11,0
000 Percent of manpower
Office Equipme ent Lease 591 2,609 3,2
200 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Dues/Subscripttions 1,050 201 1,2
250 Percent of manpower
Publications/Elections 92 408 500
5 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
District Supplie
es 831 3,670 4,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Conventions/As ssociations Hosting 1,679 321 2,0
000 Percent of manpower
Training/Educa ation Fire/Rescue 6,717 1,283 8,0
000 Percent of manpower
Equipment Maiintenance 1,385 6,116 7,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Total Business Operations
O 30,563 18,088 48,6
650
Business Admiinistration
Financial Audit 6,000 6,000 12,0
000 50/50 Split
Hydrant Rentall 12,000 0 12,0
000
Service Awards s 42,188 14,063 56,2
250 25% to EMS
Total Business Administration
A 60,188 20,063 80,2
250
Vehicles
Vehicle Repair//Maint 1,412 6,239 7,6
651 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Vehicle Fuel 1,800 7,950 9,7
750 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
5-9-16 Ambulance 0 3,500 3,5
500
5-9-17 Ambulance 0 1,000 1,0
000
5-9-14 Ford Ex xpedition ALS 0 700 700
7 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Total Vehicle 3,212 19,389 22,6
601
Building and Grounds
L.I.P.A 14,700 12,300 27,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Building Supplies 3,267 2,733 6,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers

101
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Moddel
Expens
se Category Fire EMS Allocaation Methodolo
ogy
Budgget
Grounds Keepiing 1,361 1,139 2,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Refuse Pickup 2,450 2,050 4,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Boiler & A/C Re epair 2,450 2,050 4,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Kitchen maint. 817 683 1,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Exterminator 327 273 600
6 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
General Bldg. maint.
m 15,245 12,755 28,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Security Mainteenance 408 342 750
7 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Building Heatinng Fuel ( Hawkins
s) 8,249 6,902 15,1
151 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Building Heatinng Fuel ( Rose) 434 1,919 2,3
354 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Office Equipme ent 1,361 1,139 2,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Propane 432 361 793
7 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Building Equipmment 817 683 1,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on bay doors pplus 30% to EMS for full-time workkers
Total Building an
nd Grounds 52,318 45,329 97,6
647
Communication ns
Telephones 3,692 16,308 20,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Radio/Pager Pu urchase 1,846 8,154 10,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Radio/Pager Repair 646 2,854 3,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Cable 840 160 1,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on total headcoount
Total Communic cations 7,024 27,476 34,5
500
Fire and Rescue
Firematic Supp plies 5,000 0 5,0
000
Rescue Supplie es 0 14,800 14,8
800
Cylinder Refills
s 3,358 642 4,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on headcount
Uniforms 4,114 786 4,9
900 Alloc. base
ed on headcount
Uniform Alterattions 420 80 500
5 Alloc. base
ed on headcount
Signal 8 (mealss & Refreshmentss) 1,511 289 1,8
800 Alloc. base
ed on headcount
Turnout Gear 5,038 962 6,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on headcount
Firematic Equippment 10,000 0 10,0
000
Rescue Equipm ment 0 5,000 5,0
000
Fire Preventionn 5,000 0 5,0
000
Firematic/Resc cue Equipment
Repair 144 638 782
7 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Total Fire & Resscue 34,585 23,197 57,7
782
Social Securityy 0

102
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Moddel
Expens
se Category Fire EMS Allocaation Methodolo
ogy
Budgget
FICA Employerr 2,089 15,573 17,6
663 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Medicare Emplloyer 489 3,642 4,1
131 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Total Social Sec
curity 2,578 19,215 21,7
793
Insurance Exem mpt
Worker Compe ensation 862 6,428 8,9
984 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Medical/Accideent Ins 506 3,775 5,2
276 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Unemploymentt Ins. 177 1,323 1,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Auto Insurancee 8,627 15,067 23,6
693 Alloc basedd on vehicles
VFBL 2,617 19,508 22,1
125 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
NYS Retiremen nt 2,810 20,940 29,2
267 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Medical Ins. Em
mployee 2,958 22,043 25,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on total wages from above fire 1
11.83%, EMS 88.17%
Umbrella Policyy 1,938 8,562 10,5
500 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
Total Insurance 20,496 97,644 126,3
344
Fund Transfers s
Contingency Fu und 7,384 32,616 40,0
000 Alloc. base
ed on call volume
General to Resserve Fund 20,875 20,375 41,2
250 Alloc. base
ed on vehicle replaacement plan
Total Fund Transfers 28,259 52,991 81,2
250
Total Expenditu
ures 263,937 583,559 855,8
869

Tax rate 11.488 25.401 37

7.25

T
The allocation of
o expenses de
epicts that 31 percent of costs are fire related
d, with the rem
maining 69 perce
ent supporting ambulance
o
operations.

103
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Analys
sis and Im
mpacts off Dissolution and Alternatiives
The anallysis and impacts of diss
solution alte
ernatives pre
esented in th
he paragraph
hs that follow
w are
the resullt of extensiv
ve analysis of NYS law
w, operationa
al guideliness and practiices of GHF
FD as
well as those departtments surro
ounding the District, ava
ailable finan
ncial data regarding bud
dgets,
funding, and taxes, as well as numerous
n in
nterview with
h communitty stakeholders. Each o
option
ed below includes the following:
presente
• Discussion
D
o This section
s prov
vides a gen ption of the strategy byy introducing
neral descrip g the
primary concepts and areas of
o focus.
• Policy
P Actionss
o The section
s on policy actiions provid es decision n-makers w with guidancce in
navigaating the pa articular strattegy along w
with identificcation of the
e authority ha
aving
jurisdiiction to alter the currentt service dellivery model.
• Operational
O Impact
o Within n these para
agraphs, info
ormation is ffocused on p
personnel and capital assets
and how the optio
on may impa act those ressources.
• Fiscal Impactt
o A finaancial analys
sis was cond
ducted for ea
ach particula
ar strategy a
and the resu
ults of
that analysis are included d here. C Components of the a analysis incclude
recom
mmended ap pparatus replacement schedules along with retained ve ehicle
recom
mmendations s and an analysis
a of current verrsus recommended resserve
funds.
• Social
S Considderations
o This section
s prov
vides a brie ef discussion
n of the pottential socia
al impacts oof the
particular strateg gy. Through hout this p process ESCI met with or otherwise
interviewed comm munity stake eholders inccluding eleccted and apppointed offficials
from GHFD as well w as eac ch surround ding emerge ency servicees agency, local
comm munity organ nizations on both sides of the issu ue, Town offficials, and other
interested parties s. Understan nding the hhighly emotiional naturee of this typpe of
endea avor, ESCI made every y effort to p
provide inforrmation with
hin each straategy
regardding the pottential social implicationns while focu using on se
ervice delive
ery as
the ovverall driving
g objective.
• Feasibility/Lik
kelihood of Success
S
o The feasibility/like
f elihood of success
s is h
highly variable for any of the follo
owing
option ns. Political drive, community support, o al desires and
organizationa
willinggness to coo e success of any
operate will all play a vvital role in the ultimate
strategy. This se ection provides some issues thatt will likely surface for the
particular strategyy.
• Potential
P Imppediments
o With any a potentia al organizatio
onal changee there are ppotential imp
pediments too that
chang ge. This secction identifies the mosst likely impe
ediments th hat policy-ma
akers
will face in implem
menting the particular
p strrategy.

104
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Option A – Status Quo

Q

Discussion
As with any
a feasibility options analysis,
a con
ntinuing to p
provide servvice in the ccurrent mann
ner is
always a viable opttion, albeit less
l than id
deal in man
ny cases. The analysis of GHFD is no
different. The impetu
us for this prroject was public
p dissat isfaction witth the level o
of taxation le
evied
D, not the ge
by GHFD eneral servic
ce provided. It is the op inion of ESC
CI that if the
e District alte
ers its
methods of adminis
stration, ove
ersight, and operationa l policies, tthe current tax rate ca
an be
substantially reduced
d, thereby re
elieving the burden on tthe commun
nity. Method
ds to make tthese
ns through the reductio
alteration on of equipm
ment, caree
er staff, and
d unnecessa
ary expendiitures
were add
dressed in th
he previous section.
s

Policy Actions
A
In order for GHFD to
t survive as
a an indepe
endent entitty supported
d by the com
mmunity thrrough
volunteerism and fun
nding, the elected officia
als must be determined to change the departm
ment’s
way of thinking. Cha
ange is difficult, particu
ularly in em ergency serrvices organ
nizations. Th
his is
er within an organization with a stro
even true ong history and proud m
members. T
There is no d
doubt
that the elected offic
cials, memb
bers, and em
mployees off GHFD are well aware of departm
mental
history and serve witth pride. The
e fact remaiins, howeve r, that the ssocio-econom
mic factors o
of the
District served
s are not suitable
e for the lev
vel of servicce the depa
artment currrently desire
es to
provide. This is not to say that th
he Gordon Heights
H com munity dese
erves a lowe
er level of se
ervice
y of the surro
than any ounding com
mmunities, but the servicce must be provided witth more atte
ention
to cost efffectiveness and efficien
ncy in mind.

Authority
y to continue ment as stattus quo lies with the Tow
e the departm wn of Brookkhaven. Like
ewise,
altering the
t governa
ance of the District is also
a within the purview
w of the Tow
wn. Outside
e this
authority, however, the
t elected officials of GHFD
G mustt take action
ns that have
e substantia
al and
long-lasting effects on
o the sustainability of the organizzation. The following policy actionss are
ended underr this strateg
recomme gy:
• The
T Town of Brookhaven
n should hold
d a public meeting on th
he issue GHF
FD dissolutio
on
• Iff dissolution is not reco
ommended or o is tabled for later acction, the C
Commissione ers of
GHFD
G shouldd implementt strategies as outlined in this repo
ort to reduce
e the tax ra
ate by
su ubstantially reducing expenditures

105
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Operatio
onal Impactt
Although
h status qu
uo indicates
s operations
s ‘as is’, tthe District should evvaluate the cost
effectiven
ness of conttinuing certa
ain services. As noted prreviously, ES
SCI is recom
mmending ce
ertain
changes to the operations of th
he departme
ent, particullarly in the area of paid personnel and
us.
apparatu

Personne
el
s five paid personnel: District seccretary, District Treasurrer, a
The Disttrict currentlly maintains
custodian
n, a mechan
nic, and a clerical
c perso
on. Paid possitions listed
d here do no
ot include ccareer
EMS personnel tha
at are not recommende
r ed for chan
nge as parrt of this sttrategy. ESCI is
recomme
ending that all
a paid adm
ministrative personnel, w ith the exception of a pa
art-time trea
asurer
be elimin
nated. With the
t reduction
n in apparattus discusse
ed below, the
e need for m
maintenance
e staff
should be negated as
a many of the retained
d apparatus would be u
under warran
nty and custtodial
duties ca
an be handle
ed by on-duty
y personnel or assigned
d station dutyy of voluntee
ers.

The Disttrict currently employs an ALS co

oordinator to
o oversee tthe deliveryy of EMS to
o the
community; this position should be
b tasked with
w more of tthe administtrative respo
onsibilities off day-
perations rather than re
to-day op elying on the
e District Se
ecretary and other clericcal staff for tthese
functions
s.

Another personnel fu
unction withiin the organization that ESCI is reco
ommending for elimination is
the Fire Police
P progrram. Althoug
gh determine
ed to be ben
neficial to the
e organizatio
on, this servvice is
neither critical
c nor mandated.
m In fact, Fire Police
P are au
uthorized in only a very small numb
ber of
states, primarily
p in th
he northeas
st. The cost to maintain this progra
am is not fou
und in the a
actual
personne
el but more in the way off retirement benefits and
d equipmentt.

106
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The table ent budgeted manpowe r for GHFD13.

e below depicts the curre

Figure 56:
5 2010 Bud
dgeted Manp
power Summ
mary
Firre
Staffing Admin
nistration Firefighting
F Rescue Sq
quad Police Tota
al
Paid Perrsonnel
Secretarry 1 - - - 1
District Treasurer
T 1 - - - 1
ALS Coo ordinator - - 1 - 1
EMTs - - 3 - 3
Custodia an 1 - - - 1
Mechanic 1 - - - 1
Clerical Support
S 1 - - - 1
Total Paid Staff
S 5 - 4 - 9
Voluntteer Personn nel -
Chief 1 - - - 1
Captain - 2 1 1 4
Lieutena ant - 3 2 2 7
Firefighteers - 18 - - 18
Rescue Squad
S - - 8 8

Fire Polic
ce - - - 12 9
Tota
al Volunteer Staff
S 1 23 11 12 47
Percent of
o Volunteer Staff
S 2.13% 48.94% 23
3.40% 25.53% 100.00
0%
Total Sta
aff Paid &
Volunteeer 6 23 15 12 56

The total cost of man

npower is hig
gh based on
n the numbe
er of calls and the size off the departm
ment.
wing budget information supplied by
In review y neighborin
ng departme
ents, ESCI rrecommendss that
GHFD re
educe paid manpower and rely on volunteerss/remaining paid staff tto perform ssome
functions
s currently be
b complete
ed by positio
ons which a
are recomme
ended for te
erminations.. The
following reductions are incorporrated in the model
m budge
et:
• Consolidation
C n of the Distrrict Secretarry, District Trreasurer and
d clerical sup
pport into on
ne
fu
ull-time posittion.
• Eliminate
E cus
stodial position and meet cleaning re
equirement bby assigning g task to on-duty
personal and creating a monthly
m work
kday to havee volunteerss clean statio
on.
• Outsource
O me
echanic pos
sition to locall repair shop
ps.
• Eliminate
E the function of fire
f police.

e reductions
With the s noted in the
t preceding list imp lemented, F
Figure 57 illustrates a new
manpowe
er chart for GHFD.
G

13
Manpow
wer data prov
vided by client in tab 10 of workbook givven to ESCI.

107
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 57: Model Budget

B Manp ower Summa
ary
Firre
Staffing Admin
nistration Firefighting
F Rescue Sq
quad Police Tota
al
Paid Perrsonnel
District Treasurer
T 1 - - - 1
ALS Coo ordinator - - 1 - 1
EMTs - - 3 - 3
Total Paid Staff
S 1 - 4 - 5
Voluntteer Personn nel
Chief 1 - - - 1
Captain - 2 1 - 3
Lieutena ant - 3 2 - 5
Firefighteers - 18 - - 18
Rescue Squad
S - - 8 - 8
Fire Policce - - - -
Tota al Volunteer Staff
S 1 23 11 - 35
Percent ofo Volunteer Staff
S 2.86% 65.71% 31
1.43% 0.00% 100.00
0%
Total Staaff Paid &
Voluntee er 2 23 15 - 40

The reco
ommended elimination
e of
o full-time paid
p position
ns and drop
pping the firre police fun
nction
generate
es a reductio
on in total ma
anpower by 16 positionss: 4 paid and
d 12 volunteer. The impa
act of
this redu
uction ripples
s throughou
ut the model budget imp
pacting wag
ges, mandated payroll ta
axes,
benefits, Volunteer Fireman’s
F Be
enevolent Fu
und (VFBL), and LOSAP
P participatio
on paymentss.

Apparatu
us
As prese
ented previously, the District currently main tains a flee
et of 19 ve
ehicles. ESCI is
recomme
ending that this fleet be
b reduced to six: Two
o engines, two ambula
ances, one ALS
response
e vehicle, an
nd one chieff’s vehicle. The
T remainin
ng vehicles should be m
moved to su
urplus
and sold.

The following table depicts

d the current vehicle inventory for GHFD.

108
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
e 58: GHFD Vehicle
V Inven
ntory Summa
ary
Veh
hicle Purchase Net Book
Type Year Make/Model Comments
Num
mber Price Value
75' Aerial
A
5-9-1 Ladder 1999 E-One 450,000 225,000
5-9-2 Paradde truck 1964 Ford
F 660 23,750 0
5-9-3 Pump per 2009 Spartan
S 228,036 228,036
5-9-4 Pump per 2008 Spartan
S 304,548 289,321
5-9-5 Fire Police
P 2008 Foord F550 81,500 73,350
5-9-6 Fire Police
P 2010 Fo
ord E350 32,837 36,121
5-9-8 Heavvy Rescue 1993 Pierce 165,000 0
5-9--8 (1) Heavvy Rescue 1985 GM
M Top Kick 65,000 0
5-9
9-12 Brushh Truck 1952 GMC 2,000 N/A Antique
5-9--12B Brushh Truck 1952 GMC 5,000 N/A Antique
Ford
5-9
9-14 ALS 2005 Exxpedition 30,210 18,126
RReserve
5-9
9-15 ALS 2001 Che
evy Tahoe 30,109 6,022 vvehicle
5-9
9-16 Ambu ulance 1999 Ford 107,998 0
5-9
9-17 Ambu ulance 2008 Ford 146,000 131,400
5-9
9-18 Pick-up 2002 Ford 22,135 11,805
5-9
9-19 Schoool bus 1979 Superior
S 2,500 0
Ford
5-9
9-20 Chieff Car 2008 Ex
xpedition 32,999 29,699
Ford
5-9
9-22 Asst Chief Car 2005 Ex
xpedition 34,210 20,526
Dodge
5-9
9-23 District Car 2009 Charger
C 17,252 17,252
Total 1,781,084 1,086,658

Fiscal Im
mpact
The total cost of rettaining the vehicles
v is excessive
e frrom the stan
ndpoint of m
maintenance
e and
e and doesn
insurance n’t provide any significan
nt improvem
ment in servicce to the ressidents of GHFD.
ESCI is recommending the redu
uction of a significant
s n
number of th
hese vehicle
es. In making the
endation, ES
recomme SCI has bee
en able to retain
r the ve
ehicles that will allow G
GHFD to pro
ovide
service at
a its current level, albeit through a modified
m delivvery system
m.

109
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The following vehicle

es are recom
mmended to be sold.

Figure
e 59: GHFD Vehicle
V Dispo
osal Summa
ary
Net
Vehiclle Purchase
Type
T Year Make/Model
M Book Commentts
Numbe er Price
Value
5-9-1 75' Aerial Ladder 1999 E-One 450,000 225,000
5-9-2
2 Parade e truck 1964 Ford 660 23,750 0
5-9-5
5 Fire Poolice 2008 Ford
F F550 81,500 73,350
5-9-6
6 Fire Poolice 2010 Ford
F E350 32,837 36,121
5-9-8
8 Heavy Rescue 1993 Pierce 165,000 0
5-9-8 (1) Heavy Rescue 1985 GM Top Kick 65,000 0
5-9-122 Brush Truck
T 1952 GMC 2,000 N/A Antique
5-9-122B Brush Truck
T 1952 GMC 5,000 N/A Antique
5-9-155 ALS 2001 Chhevy Tahoe 30,109 6,022 hicle
Reserve veh
5-9-188 Pick-upp 2002 Ford 22,135 11,805
5-9-199 School bus 1979 Superior 2,500 0
5-9-222 Asst Ch hief Car 2005 Forrd Expedition 34,210 20,526
5-9-233 District Car 2009 Dod dge Charger 17,252 17,252
To
otal 931,293 390,076

The vehicles to be disposed of are

a the prope
erty of GHFD
D. Proceedss from the disposal shou
uld be
used to:14
• Fully fund the
e LOSAP liab
bility = $103
3,302
• Pay
P off the ba
alance of the
e building de
ebt = $75,00
00

Figure
e 60: GHFD Retained
R Veh
hicle Summa
ary
Net
Vehicle Pu
urchase
Type Year Make/M
Model B
Book
Number Price
V
Value
5-9-3 Pumper 2009 Sparrtan 2
228,036 22
28,036
5-9-4 Pumper 2008 Sparrtan 3
304,548 28
89,321
5-9-14 ALS 2005 Ford Exp
pedition 30,210 1
18,126
5-9-16 Ambulance 1999 Forrd 1
107,998 0
5-9-17 Ambulance 2008 Forrd 1
146,000 13
31,400
5-9-20 Chief Car 2008 Ford Exp
pedition 32,999 2
29,699
Total 8
849,791 69
96,582

odel budget, provisions are made to

In the mo o establish a capital pla
an and ratab
ble fund a po
ortion
of future
e replacement costs ea
ach year. As
s shown in Figure 61, the model budget req
quired
$41,250 per year to ensure
e timelly replaceme
ent of future apparatus p
purchases.

14
Unpaid liabilities are as of 12/31/0
09 from the Cullen
C & Dano
owski audit report dated Ma
arch 15, 2010
0.

110
 Town off Brookhaven, NY
Y – Fire District Dissolution Stu
udy

Figure 61: GHFD Vehicle Replacem

ment Schedule

Years
Y
L
Left Reserve Annuual
Vehicle No. Pu urchase Mak ke Useful as
a of Replace Required Reserrve
Date Life 1/1
1/2009 Cost @ 12/31/09 Require 2010 2011 201
12 2013 2014
5‐9‐3 2009 Spartaan 20 20 $400,000 40,000 20,0
000 20,000 20,000 20
0,000 20,000 20,000
5‐9‐4 2008 Spartaan 20 19 $0 - - - - - - -
5‐9‐14 2005 Ford Expeedition 10 6 $35,000 35,000 500
3,5 3,500 3,500 3
3,500 3,500 3,500
5‐9‐16 1999 Ford
d 10 0 $0 - - - - - - -
5‐9‐17 2008 Ford
d 10 9 $160,000 48,000 000
16,0 16,000 16,000 16
6,000 16,000 16,000
5‐9‐20 2008 Ford Expeedition 10 9 $35,000 8,750 750
1,7 1,750 1,750 1
1,750 1,750 1,750
Total Annual Fund ding Requirement - Vehicles 131,750 41,2
250 41,250 41,250 41
1,250 41,250 41,250
Capital for Building
g 50,000 10,000 10,000 0,000
10 10,000 10,000
Emergency Fund 42,000 5,000 5,000 5
5,000 5,000 5,000
Annual Funding Requirement
R 223,750 56,250 56,250 56
6,250 56,250 56,250

Purchases
Building 1,500 1,500 20
0,000 2,000 2,000
Emergency Repairrs - 10,000 - 10,000 -

Total Purchases 1,500 11,500 20

0,000 12,000 2,000
Reserve Fund Balaance Sheet
Beginning Reservve Fund Balance 275,766 330,516 375
5,266 411,516 455,766
Transfer from Gen
neral Fund to Reserrve Fund - Vehicless 41,250 41,250 1,250
41 41,250 41,250
Transfer from Gen
neral Fund to Reserrve Fund - Buidling
g 10,000 10,000 10
0,000 10,000 10,000
Transfer from Gen
neral Fund to Reserrve Fund - Repairss 5,000 5,000 5
5,000 5,000 5,000
Less: Purchases (1,500) (11,500) 0,000)
(20 (12,000) (2,000)
Ending Reserve Fund Balance 330,516 375,266 411
1,516 455,766 510,016

111
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

As can be
b seen by th
he vehicle re
eplacement schedule ab
bove, the re
equired balan
nce at Dece
ember
31, 2009
9, is $171,75
50. The amo
ount of reserrve funds ass of Decemb
ber 31, 2009
9, is shown in the
following figure.15

Figure
e 62: GHFD Reserve
R Fun ds as 12/31/0
09
Reserve Funds Balance
e
  Equ
uipment Resserve 6,184
4
  Bui lding Reservve 138,887
7
  Truck Reserve 130,695
5
Totaal Capital Fu
und Reserve
es 275,766
6

as $104,016
GHFD ha 6 more in res
serve than is
s required. E
ESCI recomm
mends that a
any excess ffunds
be retained as an em
mergency fun
nd to pay forr unanticipatted future co
osts.

Social Consideratio
C ons
An organ
nizational ch
hange has the potentiall to alter the
e social fabrric of the co
ommunity. In
n this
case, the
e primary so
ocial elements of concerrn would be a paradigm
m shift in Disstrict governa
ance.
The elec
cted and ap
ppointed lea
adership of GHFD will determine tthe outcome
e of any se
ervice
delivery or
o administrrative modific
cations. It is
s possible th
hat memberss will feel ass though the
ey are
being de
enied the basic equipme
ent and supp
plies afforde
ed to the surrounding ag
gencies whe
en, in
fact, the organization
n would be ta
aking actions to ensure the existencce of the dep
partment.

e associated
Everyone d with GHFD
D must unde
erstand the community cannot and will not con
ntinue
to suppo
ort the department at its
s current fun
nding level. Without sig
gnificant mo
odifications in the
way the department
d is managed, the organiz
zation is sim
mply not sustainable.

Feasibiliity/Likelihoo
od of Succe
ess
The feas
sibility or like
elihood of success
s of this strategyy will depend
d on the co
ommitment o
of the
elected and
a appointted leadersh
hip of GHFD
D. Acceptan
nce of the w
will of the ccommunity a
and a
willingness to chang
ge will greatly increase
e the likeliho
ood that thiss strategy w
will succeed
d and
GHFD will continue to
t exist in a sustainable
s manner.

ely, lack of full

Converse f acceptan
nce of the siituation by D
District leade
ership will re
esult in contiinued
frustratio
on and lack of
o support fro
om the comm
munity and ssurrounding agencies.

15
Reserve
e fund balanc
ces are extrac
cted from the Cullen & Dan
nowski audit rreport dated M
March 15, 2010.

113
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Potentia
al Impedime
ents
With any
y potential orrganizationa
al change co
ome potentia
al impedimen
nts to that ch
hange. ESC
CI has
identified
d the most lik
kely impedim
ments as well as strateg ies to mitiga
ate those cha
allenges. Th
his list
is in no way
w intende
ed to be exc
clusive as otther challen ges can and
d will arise as changess take
place witthin the organization. Policymakers
P s should be vigilant in their awareness of pote
ential
impedime
ents and be willing to ad
ddress them early and o
often.
• Reluctance
R to
t Change
o As no oted previous sly, success ategy will rely greatly on
s of this stra n the attitude
e and
action
ns of District leadership. Reluctance e or refusal to change thhe organizatiion to
a morre sustainable model should be mett with stern ccriticism from m the comm munity
with a continued drive to elect policym makers that understand the nature e and
direne
ess of the fin ommunity.
nancial situation of the co
• Loss
L of Mem
mbership
o There e is the poteential that some
s memb bers will fee el as though
h they are b being
single
ed out or otherwise treated unfairly b
by the action ns taken by tthis strategyy and,
thereffore, some members
m maay decide to no longer vvolunteer forr GHFD. Thiss is a
commmon occurrence and willl usually re ectify itself a
as time passses. In add dition,
mutuaal aid agreement with surroundin ng agenciess should be e reviewed and
enhannced where necessary to o preempt a ny volunteer exodus.

114
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Option B – Dissoluttion and Co

onsolidation
n with Anot her Districtt

Discussion
Although
h the origina
al petition th
hat was the impetus forr this study called for the dissolution of
GHFD, the
t impact of that dec
cision must be determi ned, speciffically in reg
gard to how
w the
surround
ding agencies’ workload would be im
mpacted.

According to NYS La
aw, the Tow
wn of Brookh
haven has th
he authority to establish
h fire districtss and
to alter fiire districts based
b on ag
greement be
etween two o
or more districts. The To
own also ha
as the
authority to dissolve fire districts
s based on the
t method of petition u
used in this case. If GHFD is
d, there will be
dissolved b at least some
s impactt on one or m
more of the ssurrounding
g jurisdictionss and
one or more
m of thos
se agencies;; Coram FD
D, Medford F
FD (Medford
d Ambulance
e), Middle Issland
FD, and Yaphank FD, would ne
eed to agree to assum e control off all or a po
ortion of the area
previously served by
y GHFD.

Policy Actions
A
Based on the inform ded in this document a
mation provid ective input from comm
and the colle munity
s and emerg
members gency servic
ces providerrs, the electted officials of the Town of Brookh
haven
have the authority to
o dissolve GH
HFD. In so doing,
d the To hen work witth one or mo
own must th ore of
ounding age
the surro encies to ensure that fire suppresssion, rescu
ue, and emergency me
edical
services are not inte
errupted and
d that there is no declin
ne in the levvel of service
e provided tto the
community. The follo
owing actions are recommended.
• Hold
H public hearing to ob
btain input (b
both for and a
against disssolution) of G
GHFD.
• Hold
H formal meetings
m witth each depa HFD to ascertain interesst and
artment surrrounding GH
ability in expa
ansion.
• Work
W with GH
HFD on liquid
dation or tra
ansfer of asssets.

Operatio
onal Impactt
ESCI ev
valuated the impact to service delivery on the
e region ba
ased on whether or no
ot the
existing GHFD
G statio
on remained
d open and operational.
o This analyssis begins w
with an evalu
uation
of travel times and distances to the area
a currently sserved by G
GHFD. The
e following ffigure
s an optimized travel tim
illustrates me model from existing sstation locations.

115
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 63
3: Optimized Travel from Existing Sta
ations – With
h Gordon He
eights

ed travel sim
Optimize mply allows analysis of which depa
artment or a
apparatus ccan respond to a
given seg
gment of roa
adway within the least amount
a of ti me. District boundariess are ignored
d and
travel models are extended
e un
ntil they me
eet the trave
el model fro
om an opposing statio
on. In
essence,, this type off modeling allows
a for the developm
ment of a closest station response (C
CSR)
rather than simply relying
r on pre-determine
ed district li nes. The fo
ollowing figu
ure evaluates the
impact on the optimized travel model
m if GHFD were to be closed o
or otherwise
e eliminated from
onal plan for service deliv
the regio very.

116
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 64: Optimized Travel

T from Existing
E Stattions - Witho
out Gordon H
Heights

Although
h it would appear from the preced
ding figure tthat Middle Island would be the lo
ogical
choice to
o assume re
esponsibility
y for a majority of the G
GHFD area, with Yapha
ank and Me
edford
each taking much sm
maller portio
ons to the so
outh, this ma
ap represen
nts only optim
mized travell time
and shou
uld not be confused
c witth general response
r tim
me. Responsse time includes the turnout
time of th
he personne
el on duty orr volunteers responding to the statio
on to retrieve the equipm
ment.
Thus, a station that is farther aw
way can still be faster iin response when comp
pared to a ccloser
station if that farther station has a lower turnout time.

Though the
t analysis
s contained earlier in this report ind
dicates that GHFD has turnout time
es for
fire appa
aratus that exceed
e the national sta nd in NFPA
andards foun A 1720, ESC
CI compared
d this
data with
h that of the three other agencies fo
or which suffficient data w
was provide
ed: Middle Issland,
Yaphank
k, and Medfo
ord Ambulance. The re
esults, show
wn in the folllowing figure
e, indicate ssome
variation of turnout tiimes for those units stafffed by volun
nteers, while
e the first responder veh
hicles

117
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

that are staffed

s prima
arily by paid personnel, are relativelyy consistentt. The analyssis does indicate,
however, that the en
ngine and the
e first responder unit (th
hose units th
hat are typically the first units
to arrive on scene of
o a fire or EMS
E respons
se) are relattively compa
arable in turrnout time across
these agencies.

Fig
gure 65: Turn
nout Time Co
omparisons

der Average
Ladd

Engine Average
M
Medford Ambu
ulance
YYaphank FD
M
Middle Island FFD
Ambulan
nce Average
G
Gordon Heightts

1st Re
esp Average

00:0
00 02:00 04:00
0 06:00 08:00 10:000 12:00 114:00 16:00

With the preceding analysis

a in mind,
m ESCI can now pro
ovide compa
arison of tra
avel time mo
odels.
ompared to previous data, the following figurre illustratess that closure of the G
When co GHFD
station would
w result in the loss of the four-minute trave
el capabilityy to a majority of the cu
urrent
district.

118
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fiigure 66: Tra

avel Time Capability – Wiithout Gordo
on Heights

It should also be notted from the preceding figure

f that th
he area slicing through the middle o
of the
GHFD arrea is curren
ntly outside a four-minute
e travel mod
del from both
h Yaphank a
and Middle Issland
FDs.

With regard to ISO, it was previously illustrrated how 10

00 percent o
of the GHFD
D area fell w
within
s of a fire sta
1.5 miles ation for eng
gine travel. The
T followin
ng figure con
nsiders the e
elimination o
of the
GHFD sttation and th
he impact that closure would
w have o
on the comm
munity in terrms of ISO ttravel
distances
s.

119
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
F 67: ISO Engine Dis
stance – Witthout Gordon
n Heights

Although
h the numbe
er of parcels
s that would
d fall outsid e the 1.5-m
mile engine distance forr ISO
purposes
s would be minimal, those residen
nt property o
owners wou
uld likely see
e an increa
ase in
homeowners’ insuran
nce premium
ms as a resu
ult of the clossure of the e
existing GHF
FD station.

ESCI’s recommenda
r ations includ
de the remo
oval of the GHFD aeriial apparatu
us. The follo
owing
figure illu
ustrates the 2.5-mile
2 trav
vel for all reg
gional aerial apparatus.

120
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 68: IS
SO Truck Dis
stance – With
hout Gordon
n Heights

A vast majority
m of the
t GHFD area
a falls within
w the 2.5
5-mile trave
el distance o
of another a
aerial
device. The
T impact of
o the elimina
ation of the GHFD
G aeria l would be m
minimal.

d to the prov
In regard vision of eme
ergency med
dical service
es, it is appa
arent from the following ffigure
that remo
oval of ALS resources frrom GHFD (either
( throu gh reallocattion of EMS duties to an
nother
agency or
o through closure
c of th
he GHFD sta
ation) would
d only resultt in the loss of one ALS
S unit
while still retaining th
he capability
y of responding to a maj ority of the a
area with mo
ore than one
e unit
ght minutes of travel time.
within eig

121
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 69: Advanced Life Supportt Concentrat ion – Withou

ut Gordon He
eights

es travel time modeling to analyze and

ESCI use a compare
e the effectss of fire statio
on locations.. This
permits accurate
a “be
efore and afte
er” comparis
sons of expe
ected travel ttime perform
mance for va
arious
station lo
ocation stra
ategies. In this case, ESCI applie
ed this metthodology to the effeccts of
removing
g the Gordon
n Heights firre station fro
om service co
ompletely. F
For purposess of this ana
alysis,
ESCI assumed that the Gordon
n Heights Fiire District w
would be divvided up intto new resp
ponse
at would be assigned to
areas tha o the closes
st existing fi re station in
n the surrou
unding districcts of
Coram, Medford,
M Mid
ddle Island, and Yaphan
nk. If this occcurred, som
me areas of the GHFD w
would
actually be
b closer to a respondin
ng fire statio
on, while oth
her areas, pa
articularly the area close
est to
the existing GHFD station,
s woulld obviously now be farrther away. T
The followin
ng figure displays
the relative gains an
nd losses in
n travel time
e for inciden
nts from 20
005 through 2009 under this
scenario.

122
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure
e 70: Travel Time
T Gains and
a Losses – Without Go
ordon Heights

To provide more sp
pecific inform
mation on the overall e
effect on the travel tim
me to emerg
gency
s in the existing GHFD area, the follo
incidents owing table iis provided.

Figure
F 71: Efffect on Trave
el Time – Witthout Gordon Heights
Minimu
um mum
Maxim Meaan
Sc
cenario Trave
el Traveel Trav
vel ndard
Stan
Time
e Timee Tim
me Deviation
With Gord
don Heights 00:00
0 05:008 01:4
46 01:23
Without Gordon
G Heightts 00:45
5 06:1 4 04:3
33 01:18

Closing the
t GHFD station
s comp
pletely would
d result in in
ncreasing the
e average response tim
me for
the existiing district area
a by more
e than 2 minutes 46 seco
onds. This w
would repressent a 46 pe
ercent
increase in average response tim
me of the first responde
er EMS unit a
and a 23 pe
ercent increa
ase in
the averrage response time of an engine. The maxim
mum travel time to anyy incident w
would
increase by 1 minute
e 6 seconds
s. In light off the informa
ation above, irrespectivve of the stra
ategy

123
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

implemented with re
egard to gov
vernance an
nd oversight of GHFD, kkeeping the Gordon He
eights
on in operatiion would ha
fire statio ave the leas
st impact on response times for the greatest number
of inciden
nts when compared to what
w this geo
ographic are
ea as a whole es now.
e experience

72 relates to
Town Law section 17 o the consolidation of ad
djoining fire districts whe
en the respe
ective
Boards of
o Commissio
oners of eac
ch special district agree to consolida
ate. Under T
Town Law se
ection
206, all property
p of the original districts ma
ay become tthe propertyy of the conssolidated disstrict,
and the cost
c of debt service for all
a the outsta
anding debt of the origin
nal districts m
may be raise
ed by
the cons
solidated dis
strict. Dissolution and subsequent
s expansion of or conso
olidation witth an
adjoining
g district is somewhatt more com
mplicated. D
Distribution of assets under a fo
orced
dissolutio
on is discuss
sed in later strategies.
s

Fiscal Im
mpact
The fisca
al impact of this
t strategy
y would depe mber of factors. First, th
end on a num he organizatiion(s)
that abso
orbed all or part of the current
c GHFD area wou ld need to a
adjust their le
evy approprriately
to assum
me responsib
bility for the additional property
p valu
ues protected. In additio
on, irrespectiive of
which orr how many
y surroundin
ng departme
ents particip
pated in abssorbing add
ditional area
a, the
question as to wheth
her or not to keep the cu
urrent GHFD
D station in o
operation will affect costss and
ns. The follo
operation owing subsec
ctions outline the projeccted financia
al impact if G
GHFD were to be
consolida
ated with any one of the other surrou
unding depa
artments.

Consolid
dation with Yaphank
Y FD
Yaphank
k FD TAV forr the years 2006
2 through
h 2010 has sshown a deccrease of 0.2
22 percent o
over
the five-y
year period as
a indicated in the follow
wing figure.

Figu
ure 72: Yapha
ank FD TAV,, 2006 – 2010
0
Actual
A Actual
A A
Actual Acctual Buudget
2006 2007
2 2
2008 2
2009 2010
District TA
AV 6,1
101,466 6,1
149,055 6,0
071,461 6,0996,107 6,08
87,909
Percent Change 0.78%
0 -1
1.26% 0..41% -0..13%
5 Year Change -0..22%

Figure 73
3 uses the five-year average to esta
ablish projectted propertyy value incre
eases for futu
ure
years. Since Yaphan
nk’s assesse
ed value dec
creased durin
ng the period under reviiew, TAV forr
s of this analysis will be set at 0.0 pe
purposes ercent. No p
projected increases for T
TAV will be

124
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

included for the yearrs 2011 – 2015. The follo

owing table sshows the T
TAV for Yaph
hank and Go
ordon
Heights Fire
F Districts
s consolidate
ed.

Figure 73: Yaphank

Y FD Consolidate
ed TAV, 2011
1 – 2015
Yaphhank 20100 2011
1 2012
2 2013 2014 2015
Distric
ct TAV 6,087,9
909 6,087,9
909 6,087,9
909 6,087,9009 6,087,9009 6,087,9009
Annual increase 0.00%
% 0.00%
% 0.00%
% 0.00%
% 0.00%
Gordon Heights
Distric
ct TAV 2,297,4
417 2,313,7
729 2,330,1 56 2,346,70
00 2,363,36
62 2,380,14
42
Annual increase 1.007
71 1.007 1 1.00711 1.00711 1.0071
Cons solidated TAV
V 8,385,3
326 8,401,6
638 8,418,0
065 8,434,60
09 8,451,27
71 8,468,05
51

ve annual va
The abov alues will be used to pro
oject the tax rate for each
h year.

e of operatin
The table ng costs and non-tax rev
venue utilizess Yaphank’ss 2010 budg
get and the m
model
budget discussed
d in
n previous sections
s of the report. If the conssolidation occcurs, the m
model
budget needs to be reviewed
r forr duplicate fu
unctions thatt could reducce the overa
all tax burden.

Figure 74: Yaphank FD

D Consolidatted Operating
g Cost
Con
nsolidated
Yaph
hank Admin Station
Desc
cription Model
Budgett 2010 Removed Closed
B
Budget
Expense e Category
Personnel
P Serrvices 28
82,522 567,403 517,975 282,522
Business
B Operations 76,200
7 124,850 109,100 79,400
Business
B Adm
ministration 17
77,623 257,873 245,873 189,623
Bond
B and Leas se Payments 25
54,500 254,500 254,500 254,500
Vehicles
V 12
23,000 145,601 145,601 123,000
Building
B and Grounds
G 73,300
7 170,947 170,947 73,300
Communicatio
C ons 11,200
1 45,700 45,700 11,200
F and Rescue
Fire 30,600
3 88,382 83,382 70,182
Social
S Securityy 26,670
2 48,463 44,682 26,670
In
nsurance Exeempt 20
07,215 333,559 310,521 207,215
Subtotal
S w/o Capital
C 1,26
62,830 2,037,279 1,928,281 1,317,612
Fund
F Transferrs 50
00,000 581,250 581,250 500,000
Non-Property
N Tax
T Revenue e (40
01,000) (418,900) (401,000) (401,000)
Total Expendditures w/capital 1,36
61,830 2,217,529 2,108,531 1,416,612

Tax
T Rate per Hundred
H 22.369
2 26.445 25.145 16.894

The cons
solidation off Yaphank and
a Gordon
n Heights Fi re Districts will result in an increa
ase in
Yaphank
k’s tax rate by $4.076 per hundred
d and a de
ecrease in G
Gordon Heig
ght’s tax ratte by

125
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

$10.805 per hundred

d using the modeled budget for botth fire and E
EMS and red
duction of $3
34.39
dred from the
per hund e current non
n-consolidatted budget.

e below proje
The table ects future costs
c and the
e impact on resident’s ta
ax rate throu
ugh 2015.

Figure 75: Yap

phank FD Co
onsolidated E
Expenses 20
011 – 2015

Consolid
dated
Des
scription 20
011 20 12 20
013 20
014 20
015
Budgget

Inflation In
ndex 1.000 1.027
1 1
1.027 1.027 1.027 1.027
Expense Category 
Personne el Services 56
67,403 582
2,722 598
8,456 614,614 631,209 648,251
Business Operations 124,850 128
8,221 131
1,683 13
35,238 138,890 142,640
Business Administratio on 25
57,873 264
4,836 271
1,986 27
79,330 286,872 294,617
Bond and d Lease
Payments s 25
54,500 261
1,372 268
8,429 0 0 0
Vehicles 14
45,601 149
9,532 153
3,570 15
57,716 161,975 166,348
Building and
a Grounds 17
70,947 175
5,563 180
0,303 18
85,171 190,171 195,306
Communiications 45,700 46
6,934 48
8,201 4
49,503 50,839 52,212
Fire and Rescue
R 88,382
8 90
0,768 93
3,219 9
95,736 98,321 100,976
Social Se ecurity 48,463 49
9,772 51
1,116 5
52,496 53,913 55,369
Insurance e Exempt 33
33,559 334
4,139 343
3,161 35
52,426 361,942 371,714
Subtotal w/o
w Capital 2,03
37,279 2,083
3,859 2,140
0,124 1,92
22,231 1,974,131 2,027,433
Fund Tran nsfers 58
81,250 596
6,944 613
3,061 62
29,614 646,613 664,072
Non-Prop perty Tax
Revenue (418
8,900) (430
0,210) (441,,826) (453
3,755) (466
6,007) (478
8,589)
Total Ex xpenditures
w/capital 2,217,529 2,250
0,593 2,311
1,359 2,09
98,089 2,154,738 2,212,916

Tax Rate per Hundred 26.445 26

6.788 27
7.457 2
24.875 25.496 26.133

Consolid
dation with Coram
C FD
Coram FD TAV for th
he years 200
06 through 2010
2 has sho
own a decre
ease of 3.49 percent ove
er the
five-year period.

Fig
gure 76: Cora
am FD TAV, 2
2006 – 2010
Acttual Acctual A
Actual A
Actual Budget
20
006 20
007 2
2008 2009 2010
District
D TAV 17,60
08,268 17,66
69,437 17,6
604,136 17,,308,250 16
6,992,901
Percent
P Chan
nge 0.3
35% -0
0.37% --1.68% -1.82%
5 Year Chang ge -3.49%

Figure 77 uses the five-year av

verage to establish the
e projected p
property asssessed valu
ue for
s/decreases
increases s for future years. Sinc
ce Coram’s assessed vvalue decre
eased during
g the

126
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

period un
nder review,, TAV for pu
urposes of this analysiss will be set at negative 1.25 percent for
the years
s 2011 – 2012. Years 20
013 – 2015 will be proje
ected with 0..0 percent in
ncrease for 2
2011.
The following table shows
s the TA
AV for Coram
m and Gordo
on Heights F
Fire Districtss consolidate
ed.

Figure 77: Coram FD Consolidated

C d TAV, 2011 – 2015
Coram 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
District TAV 16,992,90 0 16,570,7344 16,570,7344 16,570,734
01 16,780,490 4 16,570,734
4
Annual increase 98.75% 98.75% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Gorddon Heights
District TAV 2,297,417 2,313,729
9 2,330,1566 2,346,7000 2,363,362
2 2,380,142
2
Annual increase 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071

ceding annu
The prec ual values will
w be used to project tthe tax rate for each ye
ear. The tab
ble of
operating
g costs and
d non-tax re
evenue utiliz
zes Coram’ s 2010 bud
dget and th
he model bu
udget
discusse
ed in previou
us sections of the repo
ort. If the cconsolidation
n occurs, th
he model bu
udget
needs to be reviewed
d for duplica
ate functions
s that could rreduce the o
overall tax bu
urden.

Figure 78
8: Coram FD Consolidate
ed Operating
g Cost
Coram
m
Consolid
dated A
Admin Station
Description Budgett
Budgget Removed Closed
2010
Infla
ation Index 1.000
Expense Category
C
Perrsonnel Servic ces 1,580,0000 1,86 4,881 1,815,453 1,580,000
Bussiness Operattions 296,0000 34 4,650 328,900 299,200
Bussiness Administration 382,0550 46 2,300 450,300 394,050
Bonnd and Lease e Payments 629,6772 62 9,672 629,672 629,672
Vehhicles 260,0000 28 2,601 282,601 260,000
Building and Gro ounds 537,8000 63 5,447 635,447 537,800
Commmunications s 85,00
00 11 9,500 119,500 85,000
Fire
e and Rescue e 299,0000 35 6,782 351,782 338,582
Soccial Security 123,0000 14 4,793 141,012 123,000
Insu
urance Exempt 1,102,0000 1,22 8,344 1,205,306 1,102,000
Subbtotal w/o Cap pital 5,294,5222 6,06 8,971 5
5,959,973 5,349,304
Funnd Transfers 250,0000 33 1,250 331,250 250,000
Nonn-Property Ta ax Revenue (70,000
0) (87
7,900) (70,000) (70,000)
Tootal Expendituures w/capitall 5,474,5222 6,33 0,221 6
6,221,223 5,529,304

Tax
x rate per Hun
ndred 32.21
17 3 2.816 32.250 28.664

The consolidation of
o Coram an
nd Gordon Heights Fire
e Districts w
will result in
n an increase in
Coram’s tax rate by $0.599 per hundred and a decreasse in Gordon
n Height’s ta
ax rate by $4
4.434
dred for both fire and EM
per hund MS using the
e model budg
get and a re
eduction of $
$28.014 usin
ng the

127
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

current non-consolid
n dated budge
et. The follo
owing table projects futu
ure costs an
nd the impa
act on
resident’s
s tax rate through 2015.

Figure
F 79: Co
oram FD Con
nsolidated Ex
xpenses, 201
11 – 2015

Consoliidated
Description 20
011 20
012 20
013 20
014 2015
Budg get

Inflation Index
I 1.000 1.027 1.027 1.027 1
1.027 1
1.027
Expennse Category y
Personne el Services 1,86
64,881 1,915,233 1,96
66,944 2,020,052 2,074
4,593 2,130
0,607
Businesss Operations 34
44,650 35
53,956 36
63,512 373,327 383
3,407 393
3,759
Businesss Administratio
on 46
62,300 47
74,782 48
87,601 500,766 514
4,287 528
8,173
Bond and d Lease
Paymentts 62
29,672 64
46,673 66
64,133 0 0 0
Vehicles 28
82,601 29
90,231 29
98,068 306,116 314
4,381 322
2,869
Building and
a Grounds 63
35,447 65
52,604 67
70,225 688,321 706
6,905 725
5,992
Commun nications 11
19,500 12
22,727 12
26,040 129,443 132
2,938 136
6,527
Fire and Rescue 35
56,782 36
66,415 37
76,308 386,469 396
6,903 407
7,620
Social Se
ecurity 14
44,793 14
48,703 15
52,718 156,841 161
1,076 165
5,425
Insurancee Exempt 1,22
28,344 1,25
53,084 1,28
86,917 1,321,664 1,357
7,348 1,393
3,997
Subtotal w/o Capital 6,06
68,971 6,22
24,407 6,39
92,466 5,882
2,998 6,041
1,839 6,204
4,969
Fund Traansfers 33
31,250 34
40,194 34
49,379 358,812 368
8,500 378
8,450
Non-Prop perty Tax
Revenue e (87,900) (90
0,273) (92
2,711) (95
5,214) (97
7,785) (100,425)
Total Exxpenditures
w/capital 6,33
30,221 6,47
74,328 6,64
49,135 6,146,596 6,312
2,555 6,482
2,994

Tax rate per Hundred 32.815

3 33.907
3 3
35.179 32
2.492 3.340
33 34
4.209

Consolid
dation with Middle
M Island
d FD
Middle Is
sland FD TA
AV for the years
y 2006 through 201
10 has expe
erienced a d
decrease off 2.81
percent over
o the five-year period
d.

Figure
e 80: Middle Island
I FD TA
AV, 2006 – 20
010
Acttual Acctual A
Actual A
Actual Budget
20
006 20
007 2
2008 2009 2010
District
D TAV 12,119,401 12,15
54,149 12,1
171,256 11,,935,977 11
1,778,858
Percent
P Chan
nge 0.2
29% 0 .14% --1.93% -1.32%
5 Year Chang ge -2.81%

owing table uses the fiv

The follo ve-year ave
erage to esttablish the p
projected prroperty asse
essed
value forr increases/d
decreases fo
or future yea
ars. Since Miiddle Island’’s assessed value decre
eased
during th
he period un
nder review. TAV for pu
urposes of th
his analysis will be set at negative 1.25

128
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

percent for
f the years
s 2011 – 20
012. Years 2013
2 – 2015
5 will be projjected with zzero increasse for
2011.

Figure 81: Mid

ddle Island FD
F Consolida
ated TAV, 20
011 – 2015

Midd
dle Island 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
District TAV 58 11,631,622
11,778,85 2 11,486,227
7 11,486,227
7 11,486,227
7 11,486,227
7
Annuual increase 98.75% 98.75% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Gorddon Heights
District TAV 2,297,417 2,313,729
9 2,330,156
6 2,346,700
0 2,363,362
2 2,380,142
2
Annuual increase 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071

ve annual va
The abov alues will be used to pro
oject the tax rate for each
h year.

Figure 82 utilizes Middle

M Island
d’s 2010 budget and th
he model bu
udget discusssed in previous
sections of the report. If the con
nsolidation occurs,
o the model budg
get needs to
o be reviewe
ed for
e functions th
duplicate hat could red
duce the ove
erall tax burd
den.

Figure
F 82: Middle Island FD Consolid
dated Operatting Cost
Middle
e
Island Consolid
dated A
Admin Station
Description
Budgett Budgget Removed Closed
2010
Infla
ation Index 1.000
Expense Category
C
Perrsonnel Servic ces 740,00
00 1,02 4,881 975,453 740,000
Bussiness Operattions 205,00
00 25 3,650 237,900 208,200
Bussiness Administration 248,00
00 32 8,250 316,250 260,000
Bonnd and Lease e Payments 200,00
00 20 0,000 200,000 200,000
Vehhicles 150,00
00 17 2,601 172,601 150,000
Building and Gro ounds 320,00
00 41 7,647 417,647 320,000
Commmunications s 80,00
00 11 4,500 114,500 80,000
Fire
e and Rescue e 250,00
00 30 7,782 302,782 289,582
Soccial Security 70,00
00 9 1,793 88,012 70,000
Insu
urance Exempt 730,00
00 85 6,344 833,306 730,000
Subbtotal w/o Cap pital 2,993,00
00 3,76 7,449 3
3,658,451 3,047,782
Funnd Transfers 720,00
00 80 1,250 801,250 720,000
Nonn-Property Ta ax Revenue 0 (17
7,900) 0 0
Tootal Expendituures w/capitall 3,713,00
00 4,56 8,699 4
4,459,701 3,767,782

Tax
x rate per Hun
ndred 31.52
23 3 2.457 31.682 26.767

The cons
solidation of Middle Islan
nd and Gord
don Heights Fire Districtts will result in an increa
ase in
Middle Is
sland’s tax rate
r by $0.93
34 per hund
dred and a d
decrease in Gordon Height’s tax ra
ate by

129
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

$4.793 per
p hundred for both fire
e and EMS using
u the m odel budgett and a redu
uction of $28
8.373
using the
e current no
on-consolida
ated budget. The follow
wing table p
projects future costs and the
impact on resident’s tax rate thro
ough 2015.

Figu
ure 83: Middle Island FD Consolidated
C d Expenses,, 2011 – 2015
5

Consoliidated
Description 20
011 20
012 20
013 20
014 2015
Budg get

Inflation Index
I 1.000 1.027 1.027 1.027 1
1.027 1
1.027
Expen nse Category y
Personne el Services 1,02
24,881 1,05
52,553 1,08
80,972 1,110
0,158 1,140
0,132 1,170
0,916
Businesss Operations 25
53,650 26
60,499 26
67,532 274
4,755 282
2,174 289
9,792
Businesss Administratio
on 32
28,250 33
37,113 34
46,215 355
5,563 365
5,163 375
5,022
Bond and d Lease
Paymentts 20
00,000 20
05,400 21 0,946 0 0 0
Vehicles 17
72,601 17
77,261 18
82,048 186
6,963 192
2,011 197
7,195
Building and
a Grounds 41
17,647 42
28,924 44
40,505 452
2,398 464
4,613 477
7,158
Commun nications 11
14,500 117,592 12
20,766 124
4,027 127
7,376 130
0,815
Fire and Rescue 30
07,782 316,092 24,627
32 333
3,392 342
2,393 351
1,638
Social Se
ecurity 91,793
9 94,272
9 9
96,817 99
9,431 102
2,116 104
4,873
Insurancee Exempt 85
56,344 87
71,040 89
94,558 918
8,711 943
3,516 968
8,991
Subtotal w/o Capital 3,76
67,449 3,86
60,744 3,96
64,984 3,855
5,398 3,959
9,493 4,066
6,400
Fund Traansfers 80
01,250 82
22,884 84
45,102 867
7,919 891
1,353 915
5,420
Non-Prop perty Tax
Revenue e (17
7,900) (18
8,383) (18
8,880) (19
9,389) (19
9,913) (20,451)
Total Exxpenditures
w/capital 4,56
68,699 4,66
65,245 4,79
91,206 4,703
3,928 4,830
0,934 4,961
1,369

Tax Rate
e per Hundred
d 32.456
3 33.454
3 3
34.678 34
4.005 34
4.881 35
5.780

Consolid
dation with Medford
M FD
Medford Fire Distric
ct TAV for the years 20
006 through
h 2010 has shown an increase of 2.01
percent over
o the five-year period
d.

Figure 84: Me
edford FD, 20
006 – 2010
Acttual Acctual A
Actual A
Actual Budget
20
006 20
007 2
2008 2009 2010
District
D TAV 22,34
40,473 22,83
38,805 22,9
990,072 22,,850,155 22
2,790,198
Percent
P Chan
nge 2.2
23% 0 .66% --0.61% -0.26%
5 Year Chang ge 2.01%

Figure 85 uses the five-year av

verage to establish the
e projected p
property asssessed valu
ue for
s/decreases
increases s for future years.
y Since
e Medford F
Fire District’ss assessed value incre
eased

130
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

during th
he period un
nder review, TAV for pu
urposes of tthis analysiss will be esttablished at 0.40
percent increase
i for the years 2011
2 – 2015
5. The table below show
ws the TAV for Medford
d Fire
and GHF
FD consolida
ated.

Figure 85: Medford FD Consolidate

ed TAV, 2011 – 2015

Medforrd Fire 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

District TAV 22,790,198 9 22,972,884 23,064,77
8 22,881,359 76 23,157,0335 23,249,6
663
Annual increase 1.004 1.004 1.004 1.004 1.004
Gordon n Heights
District TAV 2,297,417
7 2,313,729
9 2,330,156 2,346,70
00 2,363,36
62 2,380,142
Annual increase 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071

owing table of
The follo o operating costs and non-tax
n reve
enue utilizes Medford Fire’s 2010 bu
udget
and the model
m budget discussed
d in previous sections o
of the reportt. If the conssolidation occcurs,
the mode
el budget ne
eeds to be re
eviewed for duplicate fu nctions thatt could reducce the overa
all tax
burden.

Figure 86:: Medford FD

D Consolidate
ed Operating
g Cost
Medford
d
Fire Consolid
dated A
Admin Station
Description
Budgett Budgget Removed Closed
2010
Infla
ation Index 1.000
Expense C
Category    
Perrsonnel Servic ces 475,00
00 75 9,881 710,453 475,000
Bussiness Operattions 0 4 8,650 32,900 3,200
Bussiness Administration 365,18
89 44 5,439 433,439 377,189
Bonnd and Lease e Payments 675,00
00 67 5,000 675,000 675,000
Vehhicles 200,00
00 22 2,601 222,601 200,000
Building and Gro ounds 0 9 7,647 97,647 0
Commmunications s 0 344,500 34,500 0
Fire
e and Rescue e 422,50
00 48 0,282 475,282 462,082
Soccial Security 0 2 1,793 18,012 0
Insu
urance Exempt 428,83
33 55 5,177 532,139 428,833
Subbtotal w/o Cap pital 2,566,52
22 3,34 0,971 3
3,231,973 2,621,304
Funnd Transfers 300,00
00 38 1,250 300,000 300,000
Nonn-Property Ta ax Revenue 0 -1 7,900 0 0
Tootal Expendituures w/capitall 2,866,52
22 3,72 2,221 3
3,531,973 2,921,304

x rate per Hun

Tax ndred 12.57
78 14
4.837 14.079 11.644

solidation of Medford Firre and Gordon Heights Fire District’’s will result in an increa
The cons ase in
Medford Fire’s tax ra
ate by $2.25
59 per hundred and an increase in Gordon Height’s tax ra
ate by

131
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

$3.349 fo
or per hundred for fire protection only.
o Using tthe current non-consolidated budge
et for
fire and EMS, a redu
uction of $45.993 would
d be realized
d. EMS is fig
gured separrately. Figure 87
projects future
f costs and the imp
pact on resid
dent’s tax ratte through 2015.

Fiigure 87: Medford FD Co

onsolidated E
Expenses, 20
011 – 2015

Consolidated
Description 201
11 201
12 2013 2014
4 2015
5
Budge et

Inflation
n Index 1.000 1.027 1..027 1..027 1.027 1.0
027
Expennse Category y
Personnel Services 759
9,881 513,206 527,,063 541,,294 555,908 570,9
918
Businesss Operationss 48
8,650 31,388 32,,236 33,,106 34,000 34,9
918
Businesss
Adminisstration 445
5,439 436,862 448,,657 460,,771 473,211 485,9
988
Bond and Lease
Paymen nts 675
5,000 693,225 711,,942 0 0 0
Vehicle
es 222
2,601 208,699 214,,334 220,,121 226,064 232,168
Building
g and
Ground ds 97
7,647 53,731 55,,181 56,,671 58,201 59,7
773
Commu unications 34
4,500 7,213 7,,408 7,,608 7,814 8,0
025
Fire andd Rescue 480
0,282 469,427 482,,101 495,,118 508,486 522,2
215
Social Security
S 21,793 2,648 2,,719 2,,793 2,868 2,9
946
Insurannce Exempt 5,177
555 461,461 473,,920 486,,716 499,857 513,3
354
Subtotaal w/o Capital 3,340
0,971 2,877,860 2,955,,562 2,304,,197 2,366,411 2,430,3
304
Fund Transfers 381,250 337,122 346,,224 355,,572 365,173 375,0
032
Non-Pro operty Tax
Revenu ue (17,,900) (7,189) (7,3
383) (7,5
582) (7,7
787) (7,9
997)
Total Expenditures
E
w/capitaal 3,722
2,221 3,207,793 3,294,,403 2,652,,187 2,723,796 2,797,3
339

Tax Rate per

Hundre
ed 14
4.836 12.732 13..020 10..437 10.673 10.9
914

Consolid
dation of GHF
FD EMS witth Medford Ambulance
A
Medford EMS Distric
ct TAV for the
e years 2006 through 20
010 has sho
own an incre
ease of 1.45
percent over
o the five-year period
d. See table below:

Figurre 88: Medfo

ord EMS TAV
V, 2006 – 2010
0
Acttual Acctual A
Actual A
Actual Budget
20
006 20
007 2
2008 2009 2010
District
D TAV 22,17
76,065 22,60
06,845 22,7
704,378 22,,568,634 22
2,497,248
Percent
P Chan
nge 1.9
94% 0 .43% --0.60% -0.32%
5 Year Chang ge 1.45%

132
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 89 uses the five-year av

verage to establish the
e projected p
property asssessed valu
ue for
s/decreases
increases s for future years.
y Since
e Medford E
EMS District’’s assessed value incre
eased
during th
he period un
nder review, TAV for pu
urposes of tthis analysiss will be esttablished at 0.30
percent increase for the years 2011
2 – 2015
5. The table below show
ws the TAV ffor Medford EMS
don Heights EMS Distric
and Gord cts consolida
ated.

Figure 89: Medford

M EMS
S Consolidate
ed TAV, 2011 – 2015

Medforrd EMS 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

District TAV 8 22,564,740
22,497,248 0 22,632,434 22,700,33
31 22,768,43
32 22,836,7
738
Annual increase 1.0030 1.0030 1.0030 1.0030
0 1.0030
0
Gordon
n Heights
District TAV 2,297,417
7 2,313,729
9 2,330,156 2,346,70
00 2,363,36
62 2,380,142
Annual increase 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071 1.0071

ceding annu
The prec ual values will
w be used to project th
he tax rate for each year. The tab
ble of
operating
g costs and non-tax reve
enue utilizes
s Medford EM
MS’s 2010 b
budget and tthe model bu
udget
discusse
ed in previou
us sections of the repo
ort. If the cconsolidation
n occurs, th
he model bu
udget
needs to be reviewed
d for duplica
ate functions
s that could rreduce the o
overall tax bu
urden.

Figure 90: Medford EMS Consolida

ated Operatin
ng Cost
Medford
d
EMS Consolid
dated A
Admin Station
Descrip
ption
Budgett Budge et Rem
moved Closed
2010
Infla
ation Index 1
1.000
Expense Category
C
Perssonnel Servicces 375,000 6355,167 568,684 375,000
Bussiness Operations 121,500 1399,588 135,274 124,700
Bussiness Administration 133,300 1533,363 147,300 133,300
Bonnd and Lease Payments 0 0 0 0
Vehhicles 72,000 91
1,389 91,389 76,500
Building and Gro ounds 145,000 1900,329 190,330 145,000
Commmunications s 50,000 77
7,476 77,476 50,000
Fire
e and Rescue 164,000 1877,197 187,197 187,197
Soccial Security 0 19
9,215 19,215 0
Insu
urance Exemp pt 185,000 2822,644 282,644 200,067
Subbtotal w/o Cappital 1,245,800 1,7766,368 1,699,509 1,291,764
Fund Transfers 426,000 4788,991 478,991 426,000
Otheer 143,130 1433,130 143,130 143,130
Nonn-Property Tax Revenue 0 (10 ,900) (10,900) (10,900)
Tootal Expendituures w/capital 1,814,930 2,3877,589 2
2,310,730 1,849,994

Tax rate per Hun

ndred 8.067 9
9.629 9.211 7.374

133
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

The cons
solidation off Medford EM
MS and Gorrdon Heightss EMS Distriict’s will resu
ult in an incrrease
in Medford EMS’s ta
ax rate by $1
1.562 per hu
undred and a decrease in Gordon H
Height’s EMS tax
rate by $15.772
$ per hundred forr EMS. The following ta
able projectss future costts and the im
mpact
on reside
ence tax rate
e through 20
015.

Fig
gure 91: Med
dford EMS Co
onsolidated Expenses, 2
2011 – 2015

Consolid
dated
Description 201
11 201
12 201
13 2014 2015
Budge et

Inflation
n Index 1.000
1 1.027 1 .027 1.027 1..027 1.027
Expen nse Category y
Personn nel Services 635
5,167 652
2,317 669
9,929 688,017 706,,594 725,672
Businesss Operations s 139
9,588 143
3,357 147
7,227 151,203 155,,285 159,478
Businesss
Adminisstration 153
3,363 157
7,503 161 ,756 166,123 170,,609 175,215
Bond an nd Lease
Paymen nts 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vehicless 91
1,389 93
3,856 96
6,391 98,993 101,,666 104,411
Building
g and
Grounds 190
0,329 195
5,468 200
0,746 206,166 211,,732 217,449
Commu unications 77
7,476 79
9,568 81 ,717 83,923 86,,189 88,516
Fire and
d Rescue 187
7,197 192
2,251 197
7,442 202,773 208,,247 213,870
Social Security
S 19
9,215 19
9,734 20
0,267 20,814 21,,376 21,953
Insurance Exempt 282
2,644 290
0,275 298
8,113 306,162 314,,428 322,918
Subtotaal w/o Capital 1,776
6,368 1,824
4,329 1,873
3,586 1,924,173 1,976,,126 2,029,481
Fund Trransfers 478
8,991 491,924 5,206
505 518,846 532,,855 547,242
Other 143
3,130 146
6,995 150
0,963 155,039 159,,225 163,525
Non-Pro operty Tax
Revenu ue (10,900) (11,,194) 497)
(11,4 (11,8
807) (12,1
126) (12,4
453)
Total Expenditures
E
w/capita
al 2,387
7,589 2,452
2,053 2,518
8,259 2,586,252 2,656,,081 2,727,795

Tax rate
e per Hundred
d 9.629
9 9.856
9 10
0.088 10.326 10..569 10.817

134
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Summary
ry of Consolidation Optio
ons
The follo
owing table depicts
d the various
v optio
ons TAV forr both the orriginal budget submitted
d and
the merg
ge or updated
d proposal.

Figure 92
2: TAV Summ
mary

TAVV Originaal 2010 C

Consolidated
d
GHFDD Status Quo 2,297,417 2,297,417
7
GHFDD Model Budg get 2,297,417 2,297,417
7
Yaphank Merge with GHFD 6,087,909 8,385,326
6
Coram
m Merge with GHFD 1
16,992,901 19,290,318
8
Middlle Island Merg
ge with GHFD 1
11,778,858 14,076,275
5
Medfo
ord Fire Mergee with GHFD 2
22,790,198 25,087,615
5
Medfo
ord Amb. Merrge with GHFD D 2
22,497,248 24,794,665
5

The follo
owing table depicts
d the various optiions for both
h the origina
al budget su
ubmitted and the
merge orr updated prroposal.

Fig
gure 93: Expense Budgett Summary

Expenditure e Budget Origina

al 2010 C
Consolidated
d
GHFDD Status Quo 1,397,499 1,397,499
9
GHFDD Model Budg get 1,397,499 829,595
5
Yaphank Merge with GHFD 1,361,830 2,191,424
4
m Merge with GHFD
Coram 5,474,522 6,304,117
7
Middlle Island Merg
ge with GHFD 3,713,000 4,542,595
5
Medfo
ord Fire Mergee with GHFD 2,866,522 3,123,459
9
Medfo
ord Amb. Merrge with GHFD D 1,814,930 2,387,589
9

The follo
owing table depicts
d the various
v optio
ons’ tax rate
es for both the original b
budget subm
mitted
and the merge
m or upd
dated propo
osal.

135
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Figure 94: Alternative Budget

B and T
Tax Rate Summary
2010 Consol idated A
Admin Station
Budget Bud get Re
emoved Closed
Co
onsolidated with
w YFD 1,361,83
30 2,2
217,529 2
2,108,531 1,416,612
Tax Rate 22.36
69 26.445 25.145 16.894
Co
onsolidated with
w CFD 5,474,52
22 6,3
330,221 6
6,221,223 5,529,304
Tax Rate 32.21
17 32.816 32.25 28.664
Co
onsolidated with
w MIFD 3,713,00
00 4,5
568,699 4
4,459,701 3,767,782
Tax Rate 31.52
23 32.457 31.682 26.767
Co
onsolidated with
w MFD 2,866,52
22 3,7
722,221 3
3,531,973 2,921,304
Tax Rate 12.57
78 14.837 14.079 11.644
Co
onsolidated with
w MEMS 1,814,93
30 2,3
387,589 2
2,310,730 1,849,994
Tax Rate 8.06
67 9.629 9.211 7.374

Social Consideratio
C ons
The sociial considera
ations attached to this particular sttrategy are wide and vvaried due to
o the
multiple options thatt could be co
onsidered. During
D intervviews with a
area fire dep
partments, itt was
ed that Coram, Medford,, and Middle
verbalize e Island had no personn
nel or operattional issuess with
GHFD orr the Districtt’s personne
el. Yaphank FD, also ne
ever verbalizzed any issues with GHF
FD or
District personnel,
p bu
ut was more
e than willing
g to offer to take on the
e responsibillity for the G
GHFD
response
e area and make
m the existing GHFD station a su
ubstation of Y
Yaphank FD
D.

me evident during
It becam d stake
eholder interrviews that the two dep
partments h
have had cu
ultural
differences in the pa
ast. The rec
cent termina
ation of the mutual aid a
agreement between the
e two
s may be ev
agencies vidence of continuing
c is
ssues with tthe relationsship of the d
departmentss and
their pers
sonnel. ESC
CI does not feel that a melding
m of G
GHFD and Y
Yaphank FD
D would be in the
best interests of the Gordon Heights community or thatt the outcom
me of such a
an attempt w
would
essful.
be succe

Feasibiliity/Likelihoo
od of Succe
ess
If the ex
xisting GHFD
D area was divided up to multiple departmentts, the likelihood of succcess
would de
epend on th
he District leadership and
a the rete
ention of exxisting GHFD memberss and
personne
el. As discu
ussed earlier, closure of
o the statio n could deccrease servvice levels to
o the
community, thereby creating
c an increased po
otential for sstrategy failu
ure.

136
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Potentia
al Impedime
ents
With any
y potential orrganizationa
al change co
ome potentia
al impedimen
nts to that ch
hange. ESC
CI has
identified
d the most likely impedim
ments to strrategy succe
ess. This listt is in no wa
ay intended to be
exclusive
e as other ch
hallenges ca
an and will arise
a as cha
anges take p
place within the organiza
ation.
Policyma
akers should
d be vigilantt in their aw
wareness of potential im
mpediments and be willing to
address them early and
a often.
• Other
O Deparrtments Lac ck of Interes st in Expans sion
o Althou ugh the Tow wn has the authority to o establish a fire districct, expand a fire
distric
ct, and dissoolve a fire district,
d publlic input and
d agreemen nt of the exxisting
Distric
ct’s board of
o directors is required prior to forrcing any district to exp pand.
Three e of the fourr districts su
urrounding G GHFD have formally sta ated that the
ey do
not wiish to expand their areas s to include GHFD.
• Loss
L of Mem
mbership
o There e is the poteential that some
s memb bers will fee el as though
h they are b being
single
ed out or otherwise treated unfairly b
by the action ns taken by tthis strategyy and,
thereffore, some members
m maay decide to no longer vvolunteer forr GHFD. Thiss is a
commmon occurrence and willl usually re ectify itself a
as time passses. In add dition,
mutuaal aid agreement with surroundin ng agenciess should be e reviewed and
enhannced where necessary to o preempt a ny volunteer exodus.
• Social/Cultu
S ral Clash
o As no oted previou usly, many of the fire departmentts surround ding GHFD have
formally stated th heir support for the con tinuation of the departm ment. If GHF FD is
dissolved and inc corporated into
i anotherr district, the
ere is the ppotential thaat the
social and cultura al fabric tha
at is GHFD would not ssufficiently in ntegrate with the
new organization. It is also a conceeivable tha at, under the approp priate
circum
mstances an nd based on n existing soocial elemen nts, that serrvice to the area
could be jeopardized. It is allready occu rring that ce ertain deparrtments refuse to
provid
de reciproca al mutual aid
a into the Gordon H Heights com mmunity and d this
inequa ce could be extended.
ality in servic

137
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Option C – Dissoluttion and Cre

eation of a Fire Protec
ction Distric
ct (Ambulan
nce District))

Discussion
Under NY
YS Law, Towns are nott allowed to operate a fi re departme
ent but do have the auth
hority
to establish a Fire Protection
P District within the bounda
aries of the Town and tthen contracct fire
sion, rescue, and emerg
suppress gency medical services tto one or mo
ore providerrs. An examp
ple of
this type of arrangem
ment is the Town
T of Ma
alta, New Yo
ork, in which
h the Town e
established a fire
protection district th
hat correspo
onds to the
e boundariess of the To
own and th
hen contractts for
services with Malta Ridge Volu
unteer Fire Company, R
Round Lake
e Fire Company, and M
Malta
er Ambulance
Voluntee e.

Under this type of strrategy, the Town

T establiishes the taxx rate based
d on a negotiated budget with
each serrvice provider, collects the taxes and then d
distributes th
he funds to the approp
priate
organizations. Service contrac
cts can be negotiated
d annually or based on a multii-year
ent.
agreeme

ablishment of a separate
The esta e Ambulance
e District is ssimilar in ma
any ways to the creation
n of a
Fire Prottection District except th
hat Ambulan
nce District a
are conside
ered ‘Special Districts’ b
by the
State of New
N York an
nd, therefore
e, fall under a separate sstatute than do Fire Prottection Distrricts.

Policy Actions
A
Under this strategy, the Town off Brookhave
en would havve several p
policy decisions to make
e and
several actions
a to take. The Tow
wn already has
h experien
nce in the crreation of Firre Protection
n and
Ambulan
nce Districts and should
d follow the methodolog
gies used in
n the creatio
on of the exxisting
Districts. The followin
ng is a list off actions ESCI feels are most critica
al.
• Dissolve
D GHF
FD as an ind
dependent fire district.
• Create,
C by re
esolution, a fire protecttion district with bounddaries as de
etermined byy the
Town
T as well as an Ambuulance District with identtical bounda
aries.
• Develop
D and publish a re equest for proposal
p (RF
FP) for entities to bid on
n the provision of
se
ervice within otection and ambulance districts (opttional).
n the fire pro
• Develop
D a co
ontract for se
ervice with th
he selected p
provider.
• Establish
E new otection and ambulance district base
w tax rate for the fire pro ed on the ag
greed
upon contract.

138
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Fiscal Im
mpact
The fisca
al impact of this strateg
gy would alm
most entirelyy be applied
d to the citizzens of GHF
FD. If
GHFD were
w dissolv
ved, then th
he associate
ed tax rate currently being levied on the ressident
property owners wou
uld also be eliminated.
e Based
B on the
e provider sselected to p
provide serviice to
the newly formed firre protection
n and ambulance districcts, new taxx rates would be determ
mined
and appllied. In all likelihood, th
he new tax rates
r would be substan
ntially lower than the cu
urrent
rate. In addition
a to the
t fiscal im
mpact on the resident p
property ow
wners, the Town would incur
minimal expenses in
n the develo
opment and distribution of an RFP
P for the pro
ovision of se
ervice
e fire protec
within the ction district as well as expenses a
associated w
with contractt negotiation
n and
collection
n of taxes as
s determined
d in the contract with the
e service pro
ovider.

Howeverr, as has alre

eady been discussed,
d th
he property valuation wiithin the currrent GHFD iis not
sufficientt to adequa
ately supportt the curren
nt level of sservice bein
ng provided.. This would
d not
change by simply converting
c th
he independ
dent fire disstrict to a F
Fire protection District. This
ve would, ho
alternativ owever, give
e the Town of
o Brookhave
en more con
ntrol over the cost to pro
ovide
services as well as the
t level of services
s provided, presu
umably a ne
early equal le
evel of serviice at
a substantially lower cost.

Operatio
onal Impactt
The operrational impa
act of this sttrategy will be
b based on
n how the To
own approacches the pro
ocess
of selectiing a service
e provider to
o be respons
sible for the ffire protectio
on district. The Town has two
basic options: Solicitt bids from providers as
s mentioned
d above or ccontract dire
ectly with Go
ordon
Heights Fire
F Departm
ment. Notice
e here that th
he ‘fire distrrict’ will have
e been disso
olved but the
e ‘fire
departme
ent’ (the non
n-taxing 501((c)(3) not-for-profit mem
mbership corp
poration) wo
ould remain.

n the fact th
Based on hat GHFD (tthe District) currently ow
wns all faciliities and apparatus currrently
associate
ed with GHF
FD, a decision by the District
D wou ld be requirred as to ho
ow to handle the
transfer, sale, donatiion, or otherr liquidation of all physiccal assets. A
Although primarily a fina
ancial
impact, this uncerta
ainty is also
o an opera
ational conce
ern since, without equ
uipment, Go
ordon
Heights Fire Departtment canno
ot function. If the equi pment is liq
quidated an
nd either the
e fire
ent or another agency
departme y is granted
d the contra
act to provide service, resources from
another location will be necessary as well as determin
ning where to locate a new facilityy that
e required ba
would be ased on prev
viously prese
ented travel models.

139
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Under cu
urrent state law, properrty of GHFD
D would nee
ed to be offfered at pub
blic auction if the
District is
s dissolved with sale proceeds goiing to retire
e existing de
ebt. Remaining assets ccould
then be transferred
t to
t the Town if not sold or
o transferred
d to anotherr special disttrict. If assetts are
not trans
sferred to th
he Town or otherwise sold
s or tran
nsferred to a
another spe
ecial district, they
could be
e claimed by the sta
ate. Section
n 198(12) o
of New Yo
ork Town L
Law states, “(b)
Notwithstanding any other provis
sion of this chapter, th
he town board or the
e commissio
oners
strict with the approval of
of a dis o the majo
ority of the to
own board m
may sell all o
or any part o
of the
property and faciliities of an improvemen
i nt district to a county, a city, a villag
ge, a n…”16
town
Although
h this particu
ular section of the law pertains
p to im
mprovementt districts, th
he applicabillity to
this situa
ation should be investiga
ated by the Town
T throug h legal coun
nsel.

CI’s recomm
It is ESC mendation th
hat, if disso
olution is ap
pproved, the
e Town worrk with GHF
FD in
drafting an
a asset dis
sposition pla
an that wou
uld transfer all assets to
o the Town just prior to
o the
actual dissolution of the District. This would
d allow the T
Town to ma
aintain the e
equipment a
and/or
facility while potentia
ally offering those items to the entityy(s) contraccted to provide service tto the
area.

Social Consideratio
C ons
How this particular strategy
s play
ys out will de e social and cultural imp
etermine the plications tha
at will
apply. If the provisio
on of service
e with the Gordon Heigh
hts commun
nity is contra
acted back tto the
not-for-profit Gordon
n Heights Firre Departme
ent, it is con
nceivable th
hat little wou
uld change in the
way of organizationa
o al culture other than th
he current g
governance structure an
nd, perhapss, the
level of equipment
e an
nd physical resources th
hat are availa
able to the d
department.

ely, if another organizattion assume

Converse es control off operational responsibilities, the cu
urrent
social an
nd cultural fabric
f of GH
HFD would be altered tto conform to the new service delivery
organization. Ultimattely, the soc
cial and culttural implica
ations of thiss strategy w
would need to be
d based the
evaluated e organizatio
on chosen to
o provide serrvice to the newly created fire prote
ection
district.

Feasibiliity/Likelihoo
od of Succe
ess
In ESCI’s
s profession
nal opinion, this strategy ely feasible and has a h
y is ultimate high likelihood of
success. This opinion is based on
o the following.

16
NYS To
own Law Artic
cle 12 § 198. 12(b).

140
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• Although
A GHHFD would be b dissolved d, the not-fo
or-profit volu
unteer fire department w
would
co
ontinue to exist
e and co ould feasibly
y continue too deliver seervice to the
e communityy with
only an altera
ation of the governance
g structure of the organizaation.
• A certain level of compe
etition is gen
nerated thro
ough the pottential bid process to de eliver
se
ervice to the eights community, likely resulting in a lower costt of operation
e Gordon He ns
• The
T Town would
w have a significantt amount off input into the deliveryy of servicee and
co
ontract prov
visions for th
he delivery of service a o the
at an efficient and effecctive level to
Gordon
G Heigh
hts commun nity.

Potentia
al Impedime
ents
With any
y potential orrganizationa
al change co
ome potentia
al impedimen
nts to that ch
hange. ESC
CI has
identified
d the most likely impedim
ments to strrategy succe
ess. This listt is in no wa
ay intended to be
exclusive
e as other ch
hallenges ca
an and will arise
a as cha
anges take p
place within the organiza
ation.
Policyma
akers should
d be vigilantt in their aw
wareness of potential im
mpediments and be willing to
address them early and
a often.
• In
nability to Negotiate
N wiith GHFD
o One of o the best--case scena arios would be for GH HFD to be dissolved a and a
contra
act for the fire protecttion district be awarde ed to Gordon Heights Fire
Deparrtment. If, however, the e leadership and/or mem mbership off Gordon He eights
Fire Department
D is either unable
u or u nwilling to negotiate the terms oof the
contra
act in accorrdance with h budget mo odifications outlined in this reportt, the
equipment and other
o physicaal assets cu
urrently ownned by GHF FD could bee lost
resulting in a higgher cost off operation for the age ency ultimattely awardedd the
contra
act to provide
e service.
• In
nsufficient Response
R to RFP
o It is conceivable
c that the Toown, upon isssuing an R RFP for the provision o of fire
supprression, resccue, and em mergency m medical servvices to the Gordon He eights
commmunity, could d receive an n insufficientt number off respondentts to the RF FP or
deem those that do respond inadequate he required level.
e to deliver sservice at th
This circumstance
c e would req quire the Tow wn to take eemergency action and grant
tempo orary contraccts for the prrovision of sservices and revisit the R
RFP processs with
potential lower pe
erformance standards.
s

141
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Option D – Status Quo

Q with En
nhanced Fin
nancial Ove
ersight

Discussion
This stra
ategy, in ess
sence, is a combination
n of Optionss A and C in that it wo
ould require
e that
GHFD ta
ake drastic measures
m to
o substantially reduce itss operating budget, and
d therefore itts tax
rate, while submitting
g to an enha
anced level of
o financial o
oversight by the Town off Brookhave
en. By
implementing this strrategy, the Town
T of Broo
okhaven wo
ould be issuing an ultima
atum to GHF
FD by
insisting on action or
o facing pottential dissolution. This would be similar to the
e Nassau Co
ounty
Finance Authority (N
NIFA). In the
e case of Na
assau Coun
nty, NIFA wa
as granted a
authority thrrough
sau County
the Nass y Interim Finance Auth
hority Act, C
Chapter 84
4 of the La
aws of 2000
0, as
suppleme
ented by Chapter 179, to review financial
f pla
ans submitte
ed, make re
ecommendattions,
monitor compliance
c and impose certain controls on Nasssau Countyy’s financial operations. NIFA
is govern
ned by a se
even-membe
er board app
pointed by th
he Governo
or. In the case of GHFD
D, the
Town of Brookhaven
n Town Boa
ard is sugges
sted to servve as the ovversight board and workk with
n controlling expenditure
GHFD in es and deve
eloping an o perating bud
dget comme
ensurate witth the
community’s expecta
ations.

The petition that was the impetus for this study wa

as the tax rrate applied
d by GHFD
D, not
necessarrily the serv
vice provide
ed. This stra
ategy would force the District to lo
ower its taxx rate
without th
he Town being required
d to take the ultimate acttion of disso
olution. In efffect, this stra
ategy
would ‘ta
able’ the vote
e of the Tow
wn Council on
o dissolutio
on for a spe
ecified period
d of time to allow
GHFD to
o make the
e necessary
y operationa
al and admiinistrative m
modificationss to substan
ntially
reduce th
he budget.

Policy Actions
A
The Tow
wn of Brookh mplementing this strateg
haven, in im gy, would find it necesssary to have
e the
Town attorney work
k with GHFD counsel to draft a performance
e contract tthat outliness the
expectations of the Town as well as criteria that mustt be achieve
ed in the fu
uture to stavve off
on. The term
dissolutio ms of this co
ontract, or ag
greement, w
would be highly variable but the outccome
should be that the ta
ax rate applied to the co
ommunity is more comm
mensurate w
with the desirres of
ens and the ability
the citize a of the community to pay. Spe
ecific policy a
actions would include:

142
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• Holding
H a pu
ublic hearing to gatherr input from
m the comm
munity aboutt the emerg
gency
se
ervices prov
vided.
• Working
W through the Tow wn Attorney and GHFD counsel, dra aft an agree
ement that m
meets
th
he expectatio
ons as deterrmined durin
ng the publicc meeting.
• Voting
V to table the issue on
o dissolutio
on.
• Developing
D periodic
p revie sms to ensu re compliance with the a
ew mechanis agreement.
• Taking
T appro on at a later date base
opriate actio outcome of the perform
ed on the o mance
agreement.

Operatio
onal Impactt
With the exception of
o a reduced
d administrattive staff, a rreduced num
mber of phyysical assetss, and
ed budget in line with that recomme
a modifie ended in thiss report, the day-to-day operations o
of the
departme
ent should not be signific
cantly impac
cted by the i mplementattion of this sttrategy.

Fiscal Im
mpact
The Tow
wn will incur some level of expense
e in the nego
otiation and drafting of the perform
mance
agreeme
ent but will otherwise fa
ace no fisca
al impact. B
Based on th
he terms off the agreem
ment,
however, the citizens of GHFD should see a significan
nt savings in
n the fire taxx rate in the near
future. The
T operatin
ng budget for
f GHFD should be substantiallyy reduced but, as outtlined
previously, operation
ns should no
ot be affected
d.

Social Consideratio
C ons
The social and cultu
ural impact of
o this strate
egy has the potential to
o be high in that this tyype of
enhanced oversight and involvement on the
e part of the
e Town could
d be constru
ued as exce
essive
n in the bus
government intrusion siness of ano
other indepe
endent quassi-governmental entity. W
While
ception could lead to disputes between the
this perc e Town and
d the District, it should be
remembe
ered that, att this point, the Town has
h taken no
o formal acttion on the d
dissolution o
of the
District and can bring
g that issue to
t a vote at any time afte
er the initial action.

Feasibiliity/Likelihoo
od of Succe
ess
This option is consid
dered to be feasible but the likelihoo
od of succe
ess will be de
etermined b
by the
openness of the lead
dership of GHFD
G to accept an enha
anced level o
of oversight and involve
ement
own in the operations off their organization.
by the To

143
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Potentia
al Impedime
ents
With any
y potential orrganizationa
al change co
ome potentia
al impedimen
nts to that ch
hange. ESC
CI has
identified
d the most likely impedim
ments to strrategy succe
ess. This listt is in no wa
ay intended to be
exclusive
e as other ch
hallenges ca
an and will arise
a as cha
anges take p
place within the organiza
ation.
Policyma
akers should
d be vigilantt in their aw
wareness of potential im
mpediments and be willing to
address them early and
a often.
• Lack
L of Willingness to Submit
S to Enhanced
E O
Oversight
o It is conceivable
c GHFD refusse to submit to an enha
that the leadership of G anced
level of
o oversightt on the parrt of the Broookhaven To own Board. In this case e, the
Town will find it necessary
n o explore o ther optionss in regard tto controlling the
to
costs to provide fiire suppresssion, rescue,, and emerggency medical services tto the
Gordo on Heights community.
c
• In
nsufficient Compliance
C e with Perfo
ormance Ag greement
o If, aftter submittin ng to enha anced overssight, GHFD D fails to mmake substa antial
changges that will reduce the tax
t rate appplied to the ccommunity, tthe Town will find
essary to take up discussions once
it nece e again on th he issue. Th
his could ressult in
additio
onal oversig ght or the Town bein ng forced to o explore o other optionns in
controolling the cos
st passed on
n to the com
mmunity.
• Lack
L of Patie
ence on the e Part of Cittizens
o The group
g of citiz
zens that ge enerated the e petition tha
at served ass the impetu us for
this sttudy may finnd this strate
egy unsatisfa actory in tha
at it does no
ot take sufficciently
swift action
a to con ntrol cost butt rather putss the onus off burden bacck on the Disstrict.

144
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Findings, Reco
ommenda
ations, an
nd Plan off Impleme
entation
This repo
ort contains a large qua
antity of empirical and a
analytical information on
n the curren
nt fire
suppress
sion, rescue
e, and emerrgency mediical servicess provided by the Gord
don Heightss Fire
District. In
I addition, the workload or service
e demand off the organizzations thatt surround G
GHFD
was also
o evaluated to determin
ne what, if any,
a impact would be fe
felt by these
e organizatio
ons if
GHFD were
w to be dissolved by the Town of
o Brookhave
en. The pre
evious sectio
ons of this rreport
summarized this infformation an
nd provided several strrategies for future servvice deliveryy that
oth maintain
would bo n or improve
e the curren
nt level of sservice provvided to the
e communityy and
reduce th
he tax load on
o the resident property
y owners. Th
his section id
dentifies what ESCI believes
is the bes
st, most feas
sible, and most
m likely to succeed op
ption of those
e presented previously.

Findings
s

In determ
mining the most
m feasible options, ESCI has m
made certain findings a
and assump
ptions
based on that data
a analyzed and the infformation prrovided by the groupss and individ
duals
wed througho
interview out this proce
ess. Those findings
f and
d assumption
ns include:
• The
T sole purp pose of the petition to dissolve
d GH FD was to rreduce the ttax rate levie
ed by
th
he District on
n the residen
nt property owners.
o
• The
T District contains
c alm
most entirely
y residentiall properties with little to
o no comme
ercial
properties.
• The
T Gordon Heights Fire e District doe
es not follow
w the bound
daries of the
e Gordon He
eights
co
ommunity as
s defined by
y the U.S. Ceensus Burea au.
• Certain
C portio
ons of the Gordon
G Heigh
hts commun nity have be en excludedd from the G
GHFD
re
esponse areea based on issues otherr than efficie
ent travel tim
me and opera
ations.

Preferred Option

The prefferred optio

on, in ESCI’’s professio
onal opinion
n is two-fold
d and restss entirely on
n the
willingness of the le
eadership off GHFD to take
t the ne cessary me
easures to e
ensure contiinued
e.
existence

Preferred Option 1:: Strategy D - Status Qu

uo with Enh
hanced Fina
ancial Overrsight
In ESCI’s profession
nal opinion, the most feasible
f stra
ategy would be for GH
HFD to subm
mit to
enhanced oversight by the Town
n of Brookha
aven and a ccommitmentt to a substa
antial reductiion in
expenditures as outlined in this report.
r This strategy wo
ould allow the District to retain its hisstory,
nd independence while proving to the commun
pride, an nity that the leadership and membe
ership
are willin
ng to listen to
o the desire
es of the citiz
zens and takke the appro
opriate actio
ons to reducce the
tax burde
en on the co
ommunity.

145
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Preferred Option 2:: Option C – Dissolutio

on and Crea
ation of a Fir
ire Protectio
on District
In the ev
vent that GHFD leadersh
hip is not willing to subm
mit to enhancced oversigh
ht by the Tow
wn or
fails to comply
c with the terms of the perform
mance agre
eement discu
ussed under Strategy D
D, the
next prefferred option for the To
own would be to disso
olve the Disttrict, create a fire prote
ection
district in
n its place, and contract for
f service with
w another provider

Conclu
usion
Gordon Heights
H Fire
e District is an
a organizattion that hass a proud hisstory and co
ontinues to sserve
the Gord
don Heights community to the best of its abilityy. To that en
nd, howeverr, the Districct has
lost sight of the com
mmunity’s ab
bility and willingness to
o support the organization at its cu
urrent
level of funding.
f In addition,
a the
e services being
b provide
ed by GHFD
D, although not a subje
ect of
community complain
nt, are well below both national sta
andards and
d expectations based on the
level of funding
f currrently receiv
ved. The foc
cus of this study was not the effe
ectiveness o
of the
current services
s dellivered but rather an evaluation
e to
o determine
e how to be
est deliver tthose
services in the future
e while subs
stantially red
ducing the fi nancial burd
den on the ccommunity. ESCI
e recommen
offers the ndations in th
his report to
o assist the T
Town in imp
plementing strategies tha
at will
best benefit the public while ensu
uring that the current levvel of service
e is not jeop
pardized.

CI project tea
The ESC am began co
ollecting info
ormation con
ncerning the
e Gordon He
eights Fire District
and the Town of Brookhaven
B in May 201
10. The tea
am memberrs recognize
e that the rreport
contains an extremely large quan
ntity of inform
mation and E
ESCI would like to thankk the elected
d and
appointed officials of
o the Town of Brookha
aven as we ll as the ele
ected staff a
and membe
ers of
Gordon Heights Fiire District, Coram Fire District,, Medford Fire Department, Me
edford
Ambulan
nce, Middle Island Fire District, and Yaphank Fire Districct for their ttireless efforts in
bringing this project to
t fruition. ESCI would also
a like to th
hank the varrious individu
uals and extternal
organizations for the
eir input, opinions, and candid convversations throughout this process. It is
ESCI’s sincere
s hope
e that the information co
ontained in this report is utilized to
o its fullest e
extent
and that the emergen
ncy services
s provided to
o the citizenss of Gordon Heights and
d the surroun
nding
e improved by
areas are b its implem
mentation.

146
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

Appendix A – Scope
e of Work
Fire District Dissolu
ution Feasibility
y Analys
sis
The sc
cope of work
w for th
his projec
ct was:
Phase I: Projec
ct Initiatio
on, Fieldw
work and Stakeholder Inpu
ut
Task 1-A
A: Project In
nitiation & Developmen
D nt of Work P
Plan
ESCI will converse with the ellected/appoiinted officia ls of the To
own of Brookhaven an
nd its
project liaison
l to gain
g a com
mprehensive
e understan
nding of th
he backgrou
und, goals, and
expectations for the project. ES
SCI’s projectt manager w
will refine and present the project work
he project team. This wo
plan that will guide th ork plan shalll be develop
ped identifying:
• Primary
P taskss to be perfoormed
• Person(s)
P res
sponsible forr each task
• Time
T table for each task tot be compleeted
• Method
M of evaluating results
• Resources
R to
o be utilized
• Possible
P obsttacles or prooblem areas associated with the acccomplishmen
nt of each ta
ask

eting will als

This mee so help to establish
e wo
orking relati onships, ma
ake logistica
al arrangem
ments,
determine an approp
priate line of communications, and fi nalize contra
actual arrangements.

B: Acquisitio
Task 1-B on & Review
w of Background Inforrmation
ESCI will request the following information and data frrom the Tow
wn’s assigne
ed project lia
aison
he Gordon Heights
and/or th H Fire District. This data will be used exttensively in the analysiss and
developm
ment of the feasibility
f report. The do
ocuments an
nd informatio
on relevant tto this projecct will
include, but
b not be lim
mited to, the
e following:
• Past
P or current emergenc cy service sttudies or ressearch
• Community
C planning
p cuments, inclluding curre nt and future
doc e land use in
nformation
• Local census s and demog graphics data a
• Zoning
Z maps and zoning codes
• District
D ncial data, including debt
finan d informa
ation, long--range financial plans and
budget/revenue projections
• District
D adminnistrative pollicies and prrocedures
• Standard
S Opeerating Guid
delines (SOG Gs) and servvice delivery practices
• Current
C servicce delivery objectives
o an nd targets foor the commmunity
• Facilities and apparatus inventories
i
• Local collectivve bargaininng agreemen nts, if applica
able
• Automatic
A and mutual aidd agreementts
• Records
R mannagement da ata, includinng National F Fire Incident Reporting System (NF FIRS)

147
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

in
ncident data
• Computer-Aid
C ded Dispatchh (CAD) inciident recordss
• Local Geogra aphic Information System
ms (GIS) datta

Task 1-C
C: Primary Fieldwork
F and Stakeho
older Input
The ESC
CI project tea
am will cond
duct site visitts in the Tow
wn, the Gord
don Heightss communityy, and
the Gord
don Heights Fire Distric
ct for the purpose of co
onducting intterviews witth, and gath
hering
information from, key
y personnel including:
• Elected
E or ap
ppointed officcials
• Fire district managers
m and other key staff
• Finance functtion manage ers for the To own and Disstrict
• Community
C planning
p stafff
• Employee
E and volunteer groups of th he District
• Civic
C organiza ations in andd around the e District are
ea
• Organizers
O n Heights Firre District disssolution pe
off the Gordon etition
• Officials
O of neeighboring fire districts around
a Gord on Heights
• Others
O as theey may contrribute to this s project

ese interview
From the ws, ESCI will obtain ad
dditional pers
rspective on operational, economic, and
policy iss
sues facing the agencies. In addition, the projecct team will learn more about availa
ability
of data necessary to meet projec
cted goals.

Phase II: Evalua

ation of Current
C Condition
C ns
The initia
al phases of the study focus on a baseline asssessment o
of the curre
ent organizattional
condition
ns and current service performanc
ce of the G
Gordon Heig
ghts Fire D
District. ESC
CI will
conduct an organiza
ational review
w of these departments
d s based on tthe elementts included in the
following tasks. The
e purpose of this eva
aluation is tto assess tthe agencie
es’ operation
ns in
son to industry standard
comparis ds and best practices, ass well as to create a be
enchmark ag
gainst
which the
e options forr future serviice delivery can be mea sured.

A: Organization Overview
Task 2-A
An overv
view of the District
D and community
c will
w be develo
oped discusssing:
• History,
H formaation, and ge
eneral descrription of the
e District
• Description
D o the currentt service delivery infrast ructure
of
• Governance
G a lines of authority
and
• Foundational policy docu uments
• Organizationa
O al design
• Service
S area population and
a demogra aphics
Task 2-B
B: Capital Assets
A and Capital
C Improvement P Programs

148
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

ESCI will review stattus of curren

nt major capital assets (ffacilities and
d apparatus)) and analyzze the
existing condition off these asse
ets, their ma
arket value, and their vviability for ccontinued u
use in
ervice deliverry, including:
future se
Facilities
s – Tour and
d make observations in areas relate
ed to station
n efficiency and function
nality.
Items to be contained
d in the repo
ort include:
• Desiggn • Code compliance
• Consstruction • Staff ffacilities
• Safetty • Efficie
ency
• Envirronmental issues • Future e viability & im
mprovement n
needs

Apparatus / Vehicle
es - Review
w and make observation
ns regarding
g inventory o
of apparatuss and
equipment. Items to be reviewed
d include:
• Age,
A condition, and serviceability
• Distribution
D a deployment
and
• Maintenance
M
• Regulations
R compliance
c
• Future replaccement and improvemen
i nt needs
• Market
M value

Task 2-C
C: Staffing and
a Personnel Manage
ement
ESCI willl review the District’s sta
affing levels. Areas to be
e considered
d include:
• Review
R and evaluate
e admministration and
a support staffing leve els
• Review
R and evaluate
e opeerational stafffing levels
• Review
R staff scheduling
s methodology
m y
• Analyze
A curreent staffing performance
p e for incidentts
• Review
R utiliza
ation of care
eer and volun nteer compa anies, where
e applicable

el managem
Personne ment systems
s of the Distrrict will also be reviewed
d, focusing o
on:
• Human
H resouurces policies and handbbooks
• Quality
Q and status
s of job descriptions
s
• Personnel
P rep
ports and recordkeeping g
• Compensatio
C on systems
• Disciplinary
D processes
p
• Counseling
C services
• Application
A and recruitme ent processe
es
• Testing,
T measuring, and promotion processes
p
• Member
M reten
ntion efforts and program
ms
• Health
H and wellness
w proggrams

Task 2-D
D: Service Delivery
D and
d Performan
nce
ESCI will review and
d make obs
servations in
n areas speccifically invo
olved in, or a
affecting, se
ervice
nd performan
levels an nce of the District,
D eithe
er individuall y or when o
operating in concert with
h one

149
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

another in the study

y area (the collective
c jurrisdiction of all organiza
ations includ
ded in the sttudy).
Areas to be reviewed
d shall includ
de, but not necessarily
n b
be limited to::
• Demand
D Studdy –
ƒ Analysis of curren nt service de emand by inccident type a and tempora al variation
ƒ Analysis and geog graphic dispplay of curren nt service deemand denssity
• Distribution
D Study
S –
ƒ Overv view of the current
c facilitty and appa ratus deployyment in the e Gordon He eights
Fire District
D and neighboring
n districts,
d ana
alyzed throuugh Geograp phical Informmation
Systems software e, with iden ntification off service ga aps and red dundancies. This
distrib
bution study will be cond ducted for the e study area a as a wholee, with all exxisting
facilities included in the analyysis.
• Concentration
C n Study –
ƒ Analysis of geographic display of the re esponse tim me necessarry to achievve full
effective response e force arrivval in the stu udy area usiing existing distribution of all
area resources
r
ƒ Analysis of compa any distributtion as relatted to effectiive response e force asse embly
in the study area
• Reliability
R Stuudy –
ƒ Review of actual or estimated d failure ratees of individual companies (to the e extent
data is s complete)
ƒ Analysis of call co oncurrency
• Performance
P Summary –
ƒ Analysis of actua al system re esponse tim me performa ance, analyzzed by indivvidual
compo onents of turnout and tra avel (to the eextent data is available)).
ƒ Analysis of respon nse time perrformance b y type of call
• Efficiency,
E efffectiveness, and perform mance of exiisting mutua al and autom matic aid systtems
• Efficiency,
E efffectiveness, and perform mance of EM MS integratioon (first responder, etc.)

Phase III: Futurre Service

e Delivery
y Options
s
The nextt phase of the
t project will
w identify and model various stra
ategies to sserve the se
ervice
demand and commu
unity fire prottection risks
s. ESCI will d
develop and
d analyze va
arious operattional
or providing emergency
models fo y services with the speciffic intent of identifying th
hose optionss that
can deliv
ver reasona
able levels of
o service co
omparable tto nationallyy recognized standardss and
industry practices. Analysis
A will be provided
d identifying the best lon
ng-range strrategy for se
ervice
delivery and
a the impa
act of initiating such a sttrategy.

A: Developm
Task 3-A ment of Res
sponse Stan
ndards and Targets
An appropriate set of respons ance goals will be devveloped for the study area
se performa
matching
g the naturre and type
e of risks observed in the prevvious reporrt sections. The
performa
ance goals shall be deve
eloped with consideratio
c n to:
• In
ncident-spec
cific staffing levels to me
eet the critica
al tasking an
nalysis for the identified risks
• Apparatus
A as
ssignments to accomm modate the a anticipated fire flows a and other critical

150
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

fu
unctions of th
he identified
d risks
• Time
T standarrds that will provide
p for effective
e initia
ation of criticcal tasks and
d functions

These performance
p goals will be develop
ped for app
plication to the entire sstudy area, with
considera
ation given to varying le
evels of risk
k, density of population and service demand. W
Where
appropria
ate, service delivery pla
anning zone
es will be de
eveloped to
o allow for th
he applicatio
on of
urban, su
uburban, rurral or wildern
ness levels of
o service pe
erformance g
goals.
Task 3-B
B: Analysis of Service Delivery Op
ptions
ESCI willl develop an
a analysis of long-rang
ge options for alternatiive service delivery tha
at will
achieve the identifie
ed performa
ance objecttives and ta
argets. Th
his may incclude, but iss not
necessarrily limited to
o, specific op
ptions regard
ding:
• In
ntegration off Gordon Heights Fire District area in
nto one or m
more neighbooring fire disstricts
• Response
R of one or morre neighboring fire depa artments thrrough contra
actual agree ement
with
w Town Bo oard

ESCI willl evaluate an

nd present in
n graphical and or the deployyment option(s):
a descripttive format fo
• Extent
E to whic
ch it achieve
es establishe
ed operation
nal performa
ance goals
• Potential
P negative conseqquences on service delivvery

C: Analysis of Alternatiives to Diss

Task 3-C solution
ESCI will develop an
a analysis of the pote
ential for m
maintaining sservice delivvery through
h the
existing Gordon
G Heig
ghts Fire Dis
strict through
h improveme
ents to syste
em in areas ssuch as:
• Agency
A mana agement and d organizatio
on
• Staffing
S and personnel
p deeployment
• Service
S delive
ery methodss
• Alteration
A f district boundaries
of fire
• System
S funding and cost recovery
• Enhanced
E co
ooperative seervice among districts orr agencies

D: Analysis of Consolid
Task 3-D dation/Merg
ger Options
s
ESCI will develop an
a analysis of the pote
ential for m
maintaining sservice delivvery through
h the
existing facility,
f perso
onnel and ap
pparatus thrrough conso
olidation or m
merger of the
e Gordon He
eights
Fire Distrrict with one or more neiighboring fire
e districts.

ous partnering strategie

The vario es will be described. The
e following a
alternatives will be evalu
uated
and discu
ussed:
• Functional co
onsolidation
• Operational
O consolidation
c n

151
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

• Legal unificattion or merge

er

Within each presented option for

f consolid
dation/merge
er, ESCI will evaluate and discusss the
following:
• Level of coopperation
• Estimated
E tim
meline for completion
• Affected
A sections, i.e. Administration, Operationss, Support Services
• Affected
A stakeholders
• Objective
O of strategy
s
• Summary
S of strategy
s
• Guidance
G
• Fiscal considerations
• Social
S considderations

Phase IV: Impact Analys

sis
The nextt phase of th
he project wiill identify an
nd model fin ancial impaccts of the disssolution an
nd the
various operational models for
f providin
ng emergen
ncy service
es. In add
dition, all other
ultural impac
organizational and cu cts will be as
ssessed and
d explained.

A: Financial Projections of Dissolu

Task 4-A ution and S
Service Deliv
very Option
ns
ESCI use
es computer--driven mode
el budgets fo ncy to allow a comparativve examination of
or each agen
the actua
al public costts for each fiire agency, and
a as a too
ol for analyzin
ng the financcial effects o
of any
type of contract
c serv
vice, consolid
dation of dis
stricts or coo
operative effo
ort. Budget modeling iss also
used to measure
m the
e effects of th
he proposed
d change(s). Funding m
mechanisms a
are identified
d and
comprehe
ensive financ
cial outcome
es are provided for each sservice delivvery strategy offered.
• Review
R and analyze
a depaartment budgets and revvenues
• Develop
D projjected budg get for each h service d delivery strategy option extending to a
minimum
m of five years
• Id
dentify financ cial issues of
o each strateegy option
• Id
dentify areas s of short and long-term savings and d costs
• Comparison
C o total cost for services and discusssion of the le
of evel of increase or decre
ease
• Modeled
M asse essments fo or residential and comme ercial properrties
• Presentation
P or other simiilar districts and departm
of comparattive matrix fo ments

nalysis is an important co
Fiscal an omponent off the fire servvice options analysis. L
Long-term su
urvival
of an em
mergency services
s system require
es that the system be adequatelyy funded. ESCI
determine
es the fiscal state of the District, and
d develops rrecommenda
ations that arre consistent with
the comm
munity’s fina
ancial capab
bility to provide adequate
e, cost effecctive service
es to citizenss. In

152
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

addition, budgeting practices arre thoroughly examined

d, and altern
nate method
dologies ma
ay be
ed.
suggeste

Task 4-B
B: Other Fin
nancial Impa
acts
In additio
on to the fis
scal analysis
s of each se
ervice delive CI will present an
ery strategy option, ESC
evaluation of other fin
nancial impac
cts of the opttions or of dissolution, inccluding:
Impact off property an
nd asset disp
position
• Payment
P of outstanding obligations, and th he levy an nd collection of necesssary
axes/assessments
ta
• Im
mpact and re
esolution of existing voluunteer memb ber’s Length
h of Service Awards Pro
ogram
(L
LOSAP)
• Im
mpact on tax
x exemptions s of local volunteer firefi ghters and ffirst respond
ders
• Im nd alternatives for, paid employees, elected officcials and department offficers
mpact on, an

Task 4-C
C: Analysis of Addition
nal Non-Fisc
cal Factors
ESCI will also review other cultura
al and comm
munity impactts resulting ffrom dissoluttion, including
g:
• Im
mpact on com mmunity idenntity
• Racial
R ations of the dissolution
implica
• Community
C cu
ulture and so
ocial implicattions of the d
dissolution

Phase V: Findin
ngs and Recomme
R endations
The finall phase of the
t project will
w provide a summaryy of the key findings of the study a
and a
specific plan
p of action for moving
g forward.

Task 5-A
A: Findings
s, Recomme
endations, and
a Plan off Implementtation
Any majo
or change in
n emergency
y service delivery metho
odology pressents the co
ommunity lea
aders
with a se
eries of challlenges. Suc
ccessful imp
plementation
n of any feassible strategyy will require
e that
significan
nt matters be
e addressed
d regardless
s of which fo
orm of servicce delivery iss chosen. T
Those
issues will be identified here.
• Findings
ƒ Feasibility of eachh option will be presente ed
• Preferred
P Option
ƒ The preferred
p opttion or option
ns will be pre
esented and d discussed at length
• Policy
P Action
ƒ Neces ssary policy action by the elected bo odies will be described
• Timelines
T
ƒ The recommendations outlined in thiss section p provide genneral completion
timelin
nes offered to guide th he agenciess in develop ping a moree detailed listing
duringg the formal planning pro ocess
• Process
P Issue
es

153
 Town
T of Broo
okhaven, NY
Y – Fire Distriict Dissolutio
on Study

ƒ Strate
egic planning
g, legal considerations, manageme
ent and gove
ernance, fun
nding
and other issues will
w be provid ded in detaill

Phase VI: Deve

elopment,, Review, and Deliivery of P
Project Re
eport
Task 6-A
A: Developm
ment and Re
eview of Draft Project Report
ESCi willl develop an
nd produce three
t (3) cop
pies of a dra
aft version off the written report for re
eview
by the client
c and client represe
entatives. Client feedba
ack is a crittical part of this projectt and
adequate
e opportunitty will be prrovided for review and discussion of the draft report priior to
finalizatio
on. The repo
ort will includ
de:
• Detailed
D narrative analys sis of each re
eport compo onent structu
ured in easyy-to-read secctions
and accompa anied by exp planatory support to enccourage und derstanding by both stafff and
civilian readeers
• Clearly
C desig
gnated recom mmendation ns highlighte
ed for easy reference a and cataloge ed as
necessary in a report app pendix
• Supportive
S chharts, graphs s, and diagra
ams, where appropriate e
• Supportive
S maps,
m utilizing
g GIS analyssis as necesssary

Task 6-B
B: Delivery and
a Presen
ntation of Final Project Report
ESCI will complete any
a necessa
ary revisions of the draft and producce ten (10) p
publication-quality
bound, final versions
s of the writte
en report, alo
ong with an electronic vversion in pdf file format.

A formal presentatio
on of the pro
oject report will
w be made
e by ESCI p
project team
m member(s)) to a
joint meeting of the
e communitty leaders and/or orga
anizations included in this study. The
presentation will inclu
ude the follo
owing:
• A summary of o the nature of the reporrt, the metho
ods of analyssis, the prim
mary findingss, and
crritical recom
mmendations s
• Supportive
S auudio-visual presentation
p
• Review
R and explanation n of primaryy supportivee charts, gra
aphs, diagra ams, and m maps,
where
w approp
priate
• Opportunity
O fo
or questionss and answe ers, as needeed
• All
A presentation materialls, files, gra aphics, and written material will be e provided to o the
cllient at the conclusion
c off the presentation(s)

154
 Corporate Offices  Eastern Region Office  National Capital Region Office 
25200 SW Parkway Avenue, Suite 3  249 Normandy Road  4025 Fair Ridge Drive 
Wilsonville, Oregon  97070  Mooresville, North Carolina  28117  Fairfax, Virginia  22033 
800.757.3724  704.660.8027  703.273.0911 

© Copyright 2010.  Emergency Services Consulting International.  All Rights Reserved.