Innovative staffing models and new firefighting technology were key topics in a February 20 web conference presented by ICMA’s Center for Public Safety Management. Leonard Matarese, ICMA’s director of research and public safety programs, teamed up with Joseph Pozzo, ICMA’s senior manager of fire and EMS, for this enlightening discussion.

Matarese lead the discussion with a look at grand jury reports from Santa Clara, California, and Orange County, California. These scathing reports called for complete overhauls of staffing and deployment models that were found by the grand juries to be antiquated and not grounded in the actual needs of the community. 

For example, in the 2011-2012 study for Orange County, the grand jury made three main findings: 1) with the advent of the 9-1-1 system, fire departments have shifted from fire-only calls to primarily responding to medical calls; 2) the model for operating fire departments has not evolved to reflect the move to emergency medical response; 3) and economic recessions are forcing local fire department boards of directors and city councils to re-evaluate these models.

Matarese and Pozzo shared staffing options, discussing a myriad of options from 24-hour shifts to dynamic staffing models. Pozzo also shared innovations in fire-fighting technology, including the Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) and the Dry Sprinkler Powder Aerosol System (DSPA). He also unveiled dual fire suppression/EMS transport vehicles, which allow jurisdictions to save money and still provide needed emergency services.

More information on the fire and EMS service delivery web conference is available here.