Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
» 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.
¢ J Emergency Services
ESC) Consulting International 149
