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FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION
FIRE PREVENTION, CODE ENFORCEMENT, INVESTIGATIONS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM
PROGRAM MISSION: To reduce threats to life, property and the environment through
education, inspection, enforcement, and community service.
This program enforces the Fire
Prevention Code; enforces requirements in the County code in order to insure
public building safety; educate the public, investigates the causes of fires,
explosions and environmental crimes and renders safe all identified hazardous
devices. These functions will be
accomplished through comprehensive Fire Prevention Code inspections and ongoing
training in the community.
Investigations are conducted to determine the origin and cause of fires
or explosions and determine the circumstances or the person responsible for the
spill, leak and/or clean up of environmental incidents. In addition, this program provides fire
safety education to the community which includes civic associations, school
children, businesses, organizations, hotels, motels, medical facilities, and
municipal employees. Additionally, the
Public Education Program evaluates evacuation plans, which include organizing
fire brigades for high-rise buildings, coordinating fire safety programs
between fire stations and public schools and coordinating car safety seat
inspections/installations with the Fire/Emergency Medical Services Operations
Program.
The proposed budget provides
funding to continue inspections of places of assembly during hours of peak
activity, continue the tests of high-rise buildings fire protection systems,
expanded code enforcement activities through the use of Shift Fire Marshals,
continuing "Operation Fire Safe", the smoke detector give away and installation
program supported by fire operations units, continuation of the "Risk Watch
Program" in the County Schools at a rate of one school per year, and the "Remembering
When Program" for all seniors living in Arlington.
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Code
Enforcement, Investigations and Education Program
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FY 2002
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FY 2003
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FY 2004
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% Change:
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Actual
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Adopted
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Proposed
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'03 to '04
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Personnel
|
$810,432
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$790,558
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$933,071
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18%
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Non-Personnel
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53,591
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114,305
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124,305
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9%
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Total Expenditures
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864,023
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904,863
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1,057,376
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17%
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|
|
|
|
|
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Revenues
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109,925
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107,435
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191,554
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78%
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Net Tax Support
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$754,098
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$797,428
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$865,822
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9%
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|
|
|
|
|
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Authorized FTEs
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10.0
|
11.0
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12.0
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|
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Funded FTEs
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10.0
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11.0
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12.0
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SIGNIFICANT
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
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Personnel expenditures increased due mainly to
combining the Public Education Program (1.0 FTE) with the Code Enforcement and
Investigations Program and normal salary increases
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Non-personnel expenditures reflect the addition of the
Public Education Program operating costs ($10,000).
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Revenues increased mainly due to increases in
confidence testing fees ($75,000) and reimbursement from the City of Falls
Church for the Hazardous Materials Coordinator previously budgeted in the
Technical Services Division ($13,454; was $16,491 in the Technical Services
Program in FY 2003 ) which are partially offset by a decrease in hazardous
materials user fees ($4,500).
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
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FY
2001
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FY
2002
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FY
2003
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FY
2004
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FY
2004
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Actual
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Actual
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Estimate
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Estimate
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Target
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Mission Outcome Measures
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|
|
|
|
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Educations sessions conducted
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380
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400
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450
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500
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500
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Inspections conducted
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1,741
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1,800
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1,800
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1,850
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1,850
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Fires investigated
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136
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140
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140
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140
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140
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Environmental crimes investigated
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8
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5
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6
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6
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6
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Evacuation plans reviewed
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31
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36
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50
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60
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60
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Education session conducted and evacuation plans
reviewed have increased due to the events of
September 11, 2001.
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The Inspection Program has been consolidated to
incorporate all Fire Prevention Code, fire protection systems, and hazardous
materials inspections.
Objective: To measure the effectiveness of program
areas of greatest concern: inspections and investigations.
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FY
2001
Actual
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FY
2002
Actual
|
FY
2003
Estimate
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FY
2004
Estimate
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FY
2004
Target
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Workload Measures
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|
|
|
|
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Violations
cited
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694
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700
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750
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800
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800
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Systems
tests conducted
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177
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150
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160
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200
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200
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Cases resulting in arrest
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11
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12
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13
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13
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13
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Percentage
of cases resulting in convictions
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91%
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100%
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100%
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100%
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100%
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Request for information
Processed
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155
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160
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160
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160
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160
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FY 2001 requests for information reflects requests
for fires investigated and not emergency medical service reports.
Objective: To promote safety in the community through an
aggressive approach toward education and regulatory enforcement of hazardous
activities and processes governed by the Fire Prevention Code.
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FY
2001
Actual
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FY
2002
Actual
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FY
2003
Estimate
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FY
2004
Estimate
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FY
2004
Target
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Mission Outcome Measures
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|
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Fire Prevention Code
permits issued
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655
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600
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600
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650
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650
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Permit fees
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$51,079
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$50,000
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$50,000
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$55,000
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$55,000
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Objective: To provide a quality Public Education
Program to the community.
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FY
2001
Actual
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FY
2002
Actual
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FY
2003
Estimate
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FY
2004
Estimate
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FY
2004
Target
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Workload Measures
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|
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Adults/children
reached
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50,000
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55,000
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60,000
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65,000
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65,000
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School
classroom sessions
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330
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350
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400
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450
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450
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The FY 2003 estimate for number of adults and
children reached is reflective of our attempts to widely educate the community.
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School classroom sessions is a continuation and
expansion of fire safety education efforts, i.e. "Risk Watch Program", directed
towards primary and secondary school children.
FUTURE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS:
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Automating operations in the areas of data collection,
electronic file storage and records management in order to enhance service
delivery and deployment.
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Additional staff may be needed to increase the systems
testing program.
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Institute a fire and life safety program to reach every
kindergarten and third grade student in the County each year.
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As recommended in the TriData report, the public
education unit should be increased by at least one full-time public educator
and one administrative assistant.
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Behavior Consequence Training for all middle school
children in Arlington.
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