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Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

18. Nashua Fire Rescue should modify its current alarm assignments to satisfy critical staffing functions
for fires in occupancies such as strip malls and garden apartments.

Nashua Fire Rescue does not differentiate the initial alarm assignment by occupancy. As such, a fire in
a strip mall or garden apartment, both of which NFPA 1710 recommends 28 firefighters on an initial full
alarm assignment, will each have 18 firefighters initially dispatched. It would be up to the Incident
Commander to request a “Working Fire” assignment which would increase the response from 18 to 26
firefighters. A second alarm assignment would send an additional engine and ladder truck and a total of
8 additional firefighters. The second alarm assignment would put a total of 34 firefighters on-scene for
a fire in a strip mall or garden apartment, which exceeds the 28 firefighters specified by NFPA 1710.

ESCI suggests that Nashua Fire Rescue should modify its current alarm assignments to satisfy critical
staffing functions for fires in occupancies such as strip malls and garden apartments by ensuring that
the initial full alarm assignment deploys at least 28 firefighters rather than requiring the Incident
Commander to request additional alarms to provide the appropriate number of firefighters.

Administrative Staffing

19. Nashua Fire Rescue should evaluate the potential benefits of restructuring the Administrative
Division to include an Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards. This Assistant Chief would
report to the Chief of Department and be tasked with:

= Investigating all internal affairs type activities, thus removing this work from the Chief and
existing Assistant Chief. The single point of contact within the fire department as well as close
collaboration with Human Resources will better position Nashua Fire Rescue to address these types
of issues more consistently and to hold members accountable as appropriate.

= Develop and manage a communications plan for regular and consistent communications with
the Operations Division. Communication has been a critical weakness within Nashua Fire Rescue
for decades that is getting progressively worse. This problem will continue to fester, thus further
negatively impacting morale and the operations of the fire department until such a time that there
are focused resources dedicated to improving this deficiency.

« Manage the recruitment of new firefighters, thus removing this work from the Training and
Safety Division. Training was repeatedly identified as a major weakness within Nashua Fire Rescue.
The reassignment of recruitment duties to the Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards
will allow the Training and Safety Division to focus their efforts on improving the Nashua Fire
Rescue Training Program.

= Oversight of the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program. As previously noted, training was
repeatedly identified as a major weakness within Nashua Fire Rescue. Placing the Training Safety
Division under the direction of the Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards will provide
the oversight that is necessary to establish and then achieve simple, manageable, achievable,
reasonable, and timely (SMART) goals to systematically improve the Nashua Fire Rescue Training
Program.

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» Manage the promotion process in conjunction with Human Resources. ESCI recommended within
the Promotions Processes Section of this report that Nashua Fire Rescue re-evaluate the merits of
including the civilian Board of Fire Commissioners within the promotional process. It is ESCl’s
suggestion that Nashua Fire Rescue may be able to improve the current promotional process by
allowing the professional human resources and fire department personnel to conduct the entire
process, thereby eliminating the potential political influence that could be introduced by the
inclusion of the elected board. The Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards would be
well-positioned to facilitate this process on behalf of the fire department.

= Develop, implement, and manage a Professional Development Program for Nashua Fire
Rescue. Officers who fail to learn leadership skills are challenged almost immediately upon
promotion. As detailed in the Career Development section of this report, both Nashua Fire Rescue
and its employees stand to gain from the development and implementation of a Career
Development Program.

Emergency Services Division
20. Nashua Fire Rescue should consider creating a promoted position of Apparatus Driver.

Each firefighter within Nashua Fire Rescue is expected to be able to operate the fire apparatus. ESCI
suggests that Nashua Fire Rescue consider creating a promotional position for Driver. In 2017 alone,
more than 15,000 fire department vehicles were involved in collisions nationwide, resulting in 4,555
firefighter injuries occurring while responding to or returning from an incident.*° Considering the risk
involved in operating emergency vehicles, it would be prudent for Nashua Fire Rescue to establish
promoted Driver positions that require additional and ongoing safe driver training.

21. Toreduce overtime expenses, Nashua should consider hiring additional firefighters to achieve a 1.2%
Staffing Relief Factor.

In 2020 and for 2021, Nashua budgeted $842,818 in overtime and overtime coverage. An alternative
approach to using overtime coverage is the use of a staffing relief factor. A relief factor is the amount of
additional FTE positions needed to reasonably cover time off including, leave, training, vacancies, etc.
The following is an industry-accepted methodology used to determine a relief factor to cover paid leave,
training time off, and vacancies adequately for 24-hour fire and EMS department shifts. While overtime
cannot be reasonably eliminated in all situations, the relief factor, when calculated based on the
department's time off usage, will significantly reduce overtime and ensure that adequate staffing is
available. Determining the relief factor is outlined in the following:

= The average of Nashua Fire Rescue FY 2017-19 firefighter paid leave, time off for training,
unscheduled time off, and position vacancies is 54,720 hours annually.

= 54,720 hours divided by the scheduled 2,184 hours per position annually = 25.1 FTEs of annual
coverage required for time off.

30 NFPA Journal, U.S. Firefighter injuries 2017, Nov-Dec 2018.

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» When the total average time off per FTE (360) is subtracted from the total annual hours per FTE
(2,184), the result is an average of 1,824 hours per year actually worked.

= By dividing total annual hours scheduled (2,184) by hours actually worked (2,824), a relief factor of
1.2% is achieved.

« This results in a total of 176 operational FTEs or 44 FTEs per shift using the 1.2% relief factor.

In most cases, organizations seeking to achieve the desired relief factor must do so in stages. In the case
of Nashua, it may be reasonable to add four firefighters per year over a 6-year period to achieve a 1.2%
relief factor. Additionally, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant offered
through FEMA can provide funding for the hiring of new firefighter positions.

Fire Marshal Division

22. Nashua Fire Rescue should establish a formal Community Risk Reduction Program and re-institute
the Public Educator Position that was eliminated in 2006.

The duties of Nashua Fire Rescue’s Fire Marshal's Office are shared among a full-time Administrator, a
Fire Marshal, and two Fire Inspectors/Investigators. The Department previously had a Public Educator
position; however, the funding mechanism was removed in the 2006 fiscal year budget. Public
education is an essential function performed by the fire service and is a vital part of any agency’s
community risk reduction program. The Public Educator position was eliminated in the 2006 budget and
currently, Nashua Fire Rescue does not have an established fire prevention or community risk reduction
program in place. In addition, Nashua had a strong regional Juvenile Fire Setter program; however, it
was disbanded many years ago. NFPA 1730 and the Vision 20/20 National Strategies for Fire Loss
Prevention program are the current best practices regarding this area of fire prevention. ESCI would
further recommend that the Public Educator's position that was eliminated in the 2006 fiscal year
budget be reinstated to ensure the development and implementation of a model community risk
reduction program within the city.

23. Nashua Fire Rescue should create a targeted Community Risk Reduction Program for people with
disabilities.
8,922 of the 37,124 households within the City of Nashua reported having one or more members with a
disability. This comprises 24%, or almost a quarter of the households which presents an opportunity for
education and community risk reduction within the Nashua community.

24. Nashua Fire Rescue should create a targeted Community Risk Reduction Program for people who
speak a language other than English.

The minority population in the city is higher than the New Hampshire average, but less than the national
average. The percentage of the population that are foreign-born (15.8%) is very high comparatively. In
addition, 21.7% of the population of Nashua speak a language other than English. This suggests that
normal English versions of fire safety messages are potentially missing a large cross-section of the
community. Prevention and education messages could reach more residents if the messaging was
expanded to include additional languages.

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25.

26.

27.

Nashua Fire Rescue should take steps to ensure that firefighters and command staff have
comprehensive, accurate information readily at hand to identify hazards, direct tactical operations,
and use built-in fire-resistive features by purchasing software that is designed for this purpose.

ESCI recommends that Nashua Fire Rescue purchase a software program that is specifically designed to
make the information that is collected during pre-plans readily accessible to firefighters in an
emergency. Many such programs are on the market including Streetwise, Blazmark, and Raxar, among
others.

Nashua Fire Rescue should increase the number of Fire Inspectors to bring inspection frequency into
compliance with NFPA 1730.

The present staffing level does not allow for regular inspections to be completed at all target hazard
occupancies such as apartment complexes and multi-family dwellings. These occupancies are often only
inspected when a complaint is generated by a tenant, landlord, or the building official.

NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code
Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public Education Operations, 2019 Edition, specifies:

6.6* Required Personnel. The AHJ shall determine the minimum resources, personnel, and equipment
levels necessary to perform code enforcement and inspection activities.

6.7 Minimum Inspection Frequency. Existing occupancy fire prevention inspection and code enforcement
inspection frequencies shall not be less than those specified in Table 6.7.

Figure 103. Table 6.7 Minimum Inspection Frequency

Occupancy Risk Classification

High Annually
Moderate Biennially
Low Triennially
Critical Infrastructure Per AHJ

Nashua Fire Rescue consider the addition of a civilian plans reviewer position.

A civilian plans reviewer position could bring stability to the Fire Marshal’s Office because that position
would not be expected to promote out of the office. This position could be an economical way
redistribute the Fire Marshal’s workload, thus allowing for the completion of regular inspections of all
target hazards in the City.

Training and Safety Division

28.

ESC

Nashua Fire Rescue should establish a dedicated budget for the Training and Safety Division.

Currently, the Training and Safety Division does not have an assigned budget. This poses a problem for
the addition and delivery of outside training programs that could assist in the development of both
firefighters and officers as a whole. The importance of these additions can have a major impact on the
training goals for the entire Department. Nashua Fire Rescue may consider breaking out funding for
each division and having those dollars tracked to allow for better management and understanding
across divisions.

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30.

31.

32.

33.

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The Nashua Fire Rescue Training and Safety Division needs at least one additional instructor.

Members of the Department repeatedly identified the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program as a
significant weakness. The addition of a fourth position within the Division would streamline the delivery
of fire and rescue training as well as the administration of EMS continuing education and the quality
control of the New Hampshire required TEMSIS EMS reports.

An online learning platform such as Target Solutions into the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program
would allow for more efficiency and better tracking for training purposes.

Members of the Department repeatedly identified the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program as a
significant weakness. While the Division is in dire need of at least one additional full-time Instructor, the
addition of an online learning platform such as Target Safety would allow for more efficiency and better
tracking for training purposes.

Currently, the New Hampshire Fire Academy has NHOODLE, which serves as an online platform for
certain fire and EMS trainings. With the addition of an online platform, the members of the Training and
Safety Division could deliver training skills sheets and documents that would allow for the optimization
of hands-on training hours. The addition of an online training platform may also alleviate the problem
of taking companies out of service for training while ensuring a robust emergency response capability.
This will also allow for members of the Division to be present for more training evolutions.

Nashua Fire Rescue should coordinate regular use of the fire training facility by all of its companies to
ensure proficiency.
ESCI heard from members at virtually every meeting that their access to the training facility was very

limited or, in some cases, almost non-existent. The value of hands-on training in a controlled
environment cannot be overstated.

ESCI encourages the integration of outside instructors into the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program.

The use of instructors from outside of Nashua Fire Rescue is critical to the future success of the Nashua
Fire Rescue Training Program as it diversifies the perspectives of the firefighters and brings new ideas
into the organization.

ESCI recommends that Nashua Fire Rescue develop and implement a formalized training manual that
encompasses an umbrella-type system to ensure members of the Training and Safety Division and
company officers can affect clear and defined training.

NFPA 1410: Standard on Training for Emergency Scene Operations contains the context and minimum
requirements for fire departments to evaluate training for fire suppression and rescue procedures used
by members operating at emergency scenes.

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Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

Fire Alarm Division

34. Nashua Fire Rescue should consider the possible future need to make the communications compliant
with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Center is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title Il, in that they do not have an
elevator to the Center, which is located on the second floor.*

35. Nashua Fire Rescue should install a bollard around the generator in the parking lot at the
Communications Center.

The backup power generator for the Communications Center is located in the parking lot. Bollards
should be installed to prevent a vehicle from disabling the generator.

Capital Improvements
36. Nashua Fire Rescue should implement video monitoring and recording at exterior entry points to

ensure an increased level of security and awareness as to who is or attempting to enter Nashua Fire
Rescue facilities.

These monitoring systems also can record activity occurring in the area of a fire station while crews may
not be in the station. ESCI recommends that Nashua Fire Rescue implement video monitoring and
recording at all exterior entry points to ensure increased security and awareness of those who may
attempt to gain access to facilities.

37. Nashua Fire Rescue should consider implementing an access card system that identifies each fire
department member accessing facilities.

This evaluation should also include the ability of Nashua Fire Rescue leadership to change access of a
staff member immediately from a central location based upon a member's employment status or
operational concern. While the mechanical locks limit the ability of the general public from entering a
facility unannounced, the potential still exists for former employees who may be disgruntled to enter a
facility and act out.

38. Nashua Fire Rescue should store turnout gear in a well-ventilated room to prevent additional
firefighter exposure to off-gassing chemicals absorbed into turnout gear during a fire in Stations 1
and 5. This issue has already been addressed in the rest of Nashua’s fire stations.

The danger for firefighters does not stop when the fire is extinguished, but returns to the fire stations
through their gear, equipment, and vehicles which were exposed and contaminated by smoke or other
vapors. When contaminated gear and equipment is returned to the station via their respective response
apparatus, the potential for cross-contamination occurs. Many agencies have developed significant on-
scene decontamination procedures intended to minimize the potential for contaminants entering the
work environment. While these efforts have a positive impact, additional consideration must be given
to the physical design of the fire station to minimize these exposures further. Nashua Fire Rescue should
limit/reduce firefighter exposure to toxic products of combustion which occur after the fire (i.e., off-
gassing).

3+ Attps://www.ada.gov/regs2o10/titlell_2010/titlell_z010_regulations. pdf.

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39.

LONG-

Nashua Fire Rescue should plan for significant fire station maintenance and renovations in the coming
years.

Four of the six fire stations in Nashua are more than 40-years-old. ESCI evaluated these four stations to
be in “fair” condition which means that “The building appears to be structurally sound with a weathered
appearance and minor to moderate non-structural defects. The interior condition shows normal wear
and tear, but flows effectively to the apparatus bay or offices. Mechanical systems are in working order.
Building design and construction may not match the building’s purposes well. Showing increasing age-
related maintenance, but with no critical defects. Age is typically 30 years or more.”

Many of these fire stations have outlived their useful life and some are no longer located in the optimal
location to meet the current service demands in the City of Nashua. Consideration should be given to
relocating some of these stations as they come due for renovation. GIS Models for Fire Station
Optimization are included within the Long-Range Deployment Options Section of this plan.

RANGE DEPLOYMENT OPTIONS

Staffing and Deployment

40.

41.

ESC

For future stations, Nashua should consider a design that allows for drive through bays that are large
enough to accommodate frontline and reserve apparatus.

Stations 1, 3, and 4 have “back-in” bays, which are considered to be a serious safety concern as many
firefighter injuries and accidents occur when emergency vehicles are being backed into the fire station.
ESCI notes that all stations use “back-in” procedures; however, drive through bays are the
recommended configuration.

Identify locations for future new or relocated fire stations.

To assist Nashua in identifying locations that could serve as optimized locations for future new or
relocated fire stations, GIS software was used to develop a baseline model for projected performance
as well as additional optimized locations based on 2019 incident data. The model seeks to locate the
best location based on creating the largest service area that captures the greatest number of calls within
a 4-minute travel time. The baseline model is displayed in Figure 104.

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To:

From:

Re:

A. Motion:

Attachments:

Discussion:

City of Nashua, Public Works Division

Board of Public Works Meeting Date: May 26, 2022

Jeff Lafleur, Superintendent
Solid Waste Department

Single Stream Recycling Contract

To award a three year contract for the transportation and processing of the City of
Nashua’s single stream recyclables at an annual cost of $400,000 to Casella
Recycling LLC of Charlestown, MA pending approval of the FY23 operating
budget and subject to annual budget approvals. The term of this contract will be
from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. Funding through Department 168 Solid
Waste; Fund: Solid Waste; Account Classification: 55 Other Contracted Services.

Analysis of bids

The City’s current contract for single stream recycling ends on June 30, 2022,
therefore the City of Nashua need’s to secure a vendor for these services.

The Solid Waste Department put out an RFP and solicited bids for Single Stream
Recycling Services from seven potential vendors. We received bids from Casella
Recycling LLC, Waste Management and ecoMaine. All three submitted proposals
that provided for a ceiling price, costs for transportation and a formula for potential
revenue back to the City of Nashua for improving market prices.

After reviewing the bids, Casella had the best cost structure in comparison with the
other bidder’s proposals.

Casella has provided the required certificate of insurance to accomplish these
services.

The Solid Waste Department has worked with Casella Recycling for over eleven
years and they have consistently provided the City of Nashua with excellent service.
Therefore the Solid Waste Department Superintendent and Recycling Administrator
have determined that Casella Recycling LLC of Charlestown, MA should be
awarded the contract.

Master Plan

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Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

Figure 104: Baseline Performance for Current Fire Stations

o™~ . ¢ Senter
NH 101A & Form Estates
122 : SAS 2019 Incident Locations
e Villages . eae .
Is oe at Kessler Incidents within 4 Minute
Northwest ay
&: Conservation & Travel:
al Land ~ —
es . 67.2%
roy
if
2 # 2
® Fire Station Se,
‘ Linear Path from
Selected Location to Incident
| T\ Nashua Boundary Z
[1 | Fire Districts
0 1 2 =
——————————————iiiics
Laleluiks
Proc ste
S
$ ‘ \. Sagamore
? Flints Hill Industrial
A 123m Pork
é 1
NH 122
o S
) 4 -
ahver
- *
8 o* NH 111A ee 4
f ’ i
z
i \ Pope Technical
_ L \
j \ " Y _ MA 3A nn nl
yy’ Main Street wi \? = \ +
Se — 4 x 79m X ee

The baseline performance for current fire stations projects that 67.2% of incidents were within a 4-minute
travel of a Nashua fire station. Next, three additional locations were selected by the model to provide an

indication of location and performance if these locations were added.

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Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

Figure 105: Station Optimization with Three Additional Locations

\%,

Senter
arm Estates

2019 Incident Locations
Incidents within 4 Minute

I conservation Travel:

ig lie . 4 83.6%

Northwest

@® — Fire Station

Selected Location

. Linear Path from i

ff Selected Location to Incident ed fi : ‘

4 Sa
eS Nashua Boundary } : p eZ ==:
[1 sFire Districts : =

oO 1 2 i
————————— Miles
t
5 e— :
x va C ane Sagamore
; one / 2 3 Industrial
* 123m fi oS = i Park
1
NH 122
uu ‘y _
4
$
4 ; ;
# 4
2 \
L ; \ \ Pope Technical
nena ore \ Park
| : “KY
/ i \ Cicer MA 3A rene
y Main Street Serace A Prassathiisett -\ .
* PL: 4 ph Wear 4 5 79m \ a,

When additional locations are added to the system, performance improves from 67.2% to 83.6%, a 16.4%
improvement. The gap between stations 3 and « is filled, a location north of the airport selected, anda station
in the southwestern portion of the City identified to fill gaps within the current model. Should Nashua seek
to construct or relocate fire stations to improve performance at some point in the future, ESCIl recommends

that factors such as property size, grade, drainage, and access be evaluated along with current demand to
discover the optimal location available at that time.

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