►
Description
Meeting of Council's Committee of the Whole to hear testimony on the following bills/resolutions: Bill Nos. 160170, 160171, and 160172 & Resolution No. 160180 regarding the FY2017 Capital Budget.
Testimony from:
Acting Commissioner Derrick Sawyer, Philadelphia Fire Department
http://phlcouncil.com/FY17-council-budget-center
A
B
Afternoon,
Cashman
Greeley
and
members,
the
City
Council
on
fire
Commission
Derrick
Sawyer
joining
me
today,
will
be
Deputy
Commissioner
operations,
Jesse
Wilson
to
my
right
and
Deputy
Commissioner
of
ems
Jeremiah
Laster
to
my
left.
I
would
like
to
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
appear
before
this
morning
to
give
testimony
on
the
fellow
fire
departments
operating
budget.
B
I
would
also
like
to
thank
you
on
behalf
of
the
2400
firefighters,
paramedics,
emergency
medical
technicians
and
support
staff,
for
the
crucial
role
that
council
plays
in
providing
funding
for
public
safety
of
our
citizens
for
the
routine
calls
from
assistance
to
dramatic
national
news
incidents
like
Amtrak
188.
This
fire
department's,
proud
to
serve
the
citizens
and
visitors
of
our
great
city.
The
recommendations
of
this
department
for
additions
to
our
operating
budget
will
make
us
both
safer
and
more
efficient
and
a
more
efficient
fire
department.
B
B
This
is
a
direct
result
of
lessons
learned
from
the
2013
building
collapse
at
twenty
second
and
market
street
council
took
action
based
on
the
2015
report
of
the
building
oversight
board
to
a
fund
increase
staffing
in
the
fire
departments,
fire
code
unit
over
the
twenty
sixteen
to
twenty
eighteen
fiscal
years,
and
to
provide
training
to
certify
every
captain
and
Lieutenant
to
fire
inspector
one.
This
expect
this
expanded
cold
unit,
working
teams
with
other
vital
partners
at
license
and
inspections,
and
will
be
stationed
in
their
neighborhoods
to
ensure
safety
of
our
citizens.
B
The
training
provided
to
every
single,
an
officer
we
give
every
fire
company
the
knowledge
to
spot
and
report
hatches
throughout
the
city.
The
second
operating
budget
item
is
the
addition
of
self-contained
breathing
apparatus.
What
we
call
scba
fit
testing
to
ensure
mask
fit
properly
and
do
not
leak
air
while
operating
in
hazardous
conditions.
The
National
Fire,
Protection
Association,
recommends
annual
a
civilian
fit
testing.
Fire
Department
analysis
indicates
that
the
contracting
of
this
service
is
cost
effective
as
the
cost
effective
means
of
enhancing
the
safety
of
personnel.
B
The
funding
increase
in
medical
supplies
was
requested
due
to
both
the
increased
volume
of
ems
responses
and
the
increasing
cost
of
pharmaceuticals.
Medic
units
must
be
stocked
with
the
proper
equipment
and
supplies
to
meet
the
ever-increasing
demand
for
medical
services.
Department
expenditures
on
pharmaceuticals
on
average
has
increased
fifty
percent
over
the
last
two
years.
The
cost
increase
for
medical
supplies
on
average
was
nine
percent
between
the
fiscal
year
14
and
15.
This
includes
an
increased
cost
for
bandages,
cervical
collars
and
gloves,
all
of
which
are
especially
critical
to
protect
EMS
providers
and
the
public.
B
This
funding
increase
is
necessary
to
prevent
critical
supply
soldiers
and
to
meet
the
Pennsylvania
Department
of
Health
equipment
and
supply
requirements
for
ambulances.
These
supplies
are
critical
in
keeping
with
the
department's
mission
of
delivering
high
quality
of
Mercy
Medical
Care
I'm,
ready
to
now
answer
any
questions
that
you
may
have
Thank.
A
B
B
In
addition
to
installing
smoke
alarms,
we've
actually
been
doing
home
visits
where
you
get
chance
to
educate
the
community
about
fire
hazards
in
the
home
and
talk
to
them
about
how
to
be
safe
and
how
to
maintain
a
high
level
of
safety.
So
we've
done
that
in
partnership
with
a
couple
of
the
organizations
like
the
American
Red
Cross
and
the
insurance
Society
of
Philadelphia,
and
that
effort
of
public
education,
along
with
installing
smoke
alarms,
have
helped
us
reduce
the
number
of
arms.
Okay,.
A
A
B
Response
times
as
it
relates
to
engines
is
that
is
it
within
the
national
average
of
five
minutes.
I
EMS
response
times
are
kind
of
high,
and
one
of
the
things
we're
doing
to
address
the
response
times
for
EMS
is
we've
implemented
at
office
of
community
Risk
Reduction
and
we're
trying
to
identify
the
super
users
in
our
system.
So
a
super
user
is
an
organization
that
calls
us
more
than
what
15,
21,
21
and
20
times
a
month.
That's.
B
A
super
user,
so
we
started
a
pilot
program
with
friends
hospital
to
try
to
figure
out
how
we
can
reduce
the
super
users
by
educating
them
and
and
making
sure
that
the
person
didn't
need
emerging
care.
We
can
get
other
transportation
there's
a
lot
of
times.
The
calls
that
we're
receiving
to
the
super
users
or
lower
crude
acuity
calls
all
right.
So
that's
one
of
the
things
we've
done.
B
B
B
A
B
So
what
do
things
we
do
is
try
to
we
meet
with
those
people
too.
So
we
try
it
with.
We
are
attacking
the
facilities
for
it's
like
hospital,
nursing
homes
or
friends.
Hospital
things
like
that
to
address
that's
going
to
have
a
larger
impact.
What
I
think
the
places
where
people
say
when
they
get
out
of
prison?
Those
are
one
of
the
super
users
and
then
we're
going
to
attack
the
civilians
also.
So
we
had
a
young,
older
dell
that
was
calling
us
on
a
regular
basis
and
a
lot
of
times.
B
She
would
call
because
she
just
needed
someone
to
help
her
get
up
because
she's
she
had
fallen,
so
we
found
out,
she
was
fallen
because
she
wasn't
taking
her
meds,
so
he
sent
someone
to
the
house
talked
about
her,
taking
her
meds
and
oftener
of
assistance
connecting
her
with
home
health
care
to
make
sure
she
takes
her
meds
and
then
that
reduces
the
number
calls
to
that
house.
Okay,.
A
B
B
A
B
No
problem
getting
qualified
people,
one
reason
is:
when
we
hire
firefighters,
we
don't
require
them
to
be
qualified.
What
we
do
is
we
certify
them
at
the
firefighter
1
&
2
level.
They
leave
with
the
EMT
certification
and
they
also
lead
with
fire
and
life
safety,
education
certification.
So
we
bring
them
in
at
the
grassroots
that
when
we
certify
them
to
all
the
levels
they
need
to
have
it
reference
to
paramedics
and
emts.
A
B
Know
we
have
a
list
waiting
for
me.
We
have
one
this
waiting
for
pair
medics,
a
bear
necklace,
a
clash
opposed
to
be
starting
I,
believe
in
June,
and
after
that
we
were
going
to
have
a
class
for
EMTs.
We
have
to
fire
fighter
classes
and
currently
now,
okay,
you
started
out
with
a
hundred
in
each
class.
They
graduate
this
year,
this
June
and
right
now
we
have
about
eighty
six
in
one
class
and
95
in
the
other
class.
Okay,
very
good.
A
One
last
question:
some
of
the
council
members:
they
all
have
teed
up
a
page
for
your
written
testimony
shows
your
apartment
has
only
attained
a
three
percent
mwd
BBE
participation
so
far
in
fiscal
16.
So
the
goal
is
fifteen
percent.
Is
there
a
reason
why
they
were
you
or
you're
struggling
it
to
get
to
that
kind
of
number?
Yes,.
B
So
in
the
fire
service
we
deal
with
different
types
of
pliers
like
self-contained
breathing
apparatus,
ladders
for
vendors,
for
ladders,
pump
testing
and
there
aren't
a
lot
of
minority
businesses
that
actually
do
latter
test
and
pump
tests,
and
things
like
that.
So
that's
what's
making
it
difficult
to
be.
A
D
You
councilman
Greenlee
good
afternoon
instead
a
few
questions.
Yes,
sir
I'm,
looking
at
the
budget,
let
the
testimony
with
the
budget
or,
if
you
have
it
handed,
you
know
the
numbers,
but
on
page
three
of
the
budget,
I'm
just
curious
as
to
why
personal
services
were
the
obligations
in
2015
were
7.5
million
and
16.
They
were
4.8,
but
you're
they're,
going
to
be
12
million
and
70
I'm
just
wondering
why
that
went
up
so
much
personal.
D
D
D
Overtime,
this
is
shipped
uniform
over
time,
35
million
based
on
total
pay
of
208
million,
and
then
in
16
it
went
down
to
24
I
sure
it's
going
to
be
29
million
went
down
six
this
year,
we're
projecting
it
to
go
down.
10
I'm,
just
wondering
how
we're
going
to
accomplish
that
goal
when
it
was
35
in
15
and
29
and
16
how
we
going
to
get
it
to
19
and
70,
which
is
great
I,
just
want
to
make
sure
we
accomplish
that
goal.
So.
B
The
planned
accomplish
a
goal
is
to
we
have
to
fire
classes
and
now
so,
once
these
two
classes
graduate,
we
should
be
fully
staffed,
which
should
be
able
to
cut
down
on
overtime.
Another
fair
we're
going
to
do.
Is
we
put
in
a
performance
measures
in
place
for
each
battalion
to
track
over
time
on
a
regular
basis
to
make
sure
that
they're
meeting
that
standard,
and
not
only
four
members
of
the
staff
I
mean
members
in
the
field,
but
staff
members,
also
so
by
tracking
overtime
on
a
weekly
basis
versus
a
monthly
basis.
B
D
In
the
numbers
that
I'm
looking
at
what
you're
saying
is
in
15,
the
overtime
was
roughly
seventeen
percent
of
the
total
payroll
of
the
fire
department,
seventeen
percent
and
then
16.
It
was
roughly
14
and
a
half
percent.
What's
going
down
and
we're
saying
next
year,
it's
going
to
be
ten
percent.
That's.
C
Thank
you
very
much.
Mr.
chairman
I,
actually
don't
have
any
questions.
I
know
that
there's
you
know
been
so
much
stuff
going
on,
but
I
didn't
want
to
miss
the
opportunity
to
just
say
how
much
it
has
been
a
pleasure
to
work
with
you,
your
accessibility,
it's
been
fantastic.
I
really
enjoyed
our
last
meeting
with
commissioner
Ross
and
yourself
and
just
a
dynamic
couple
of
commissioners.
I'm,
sorry
to
see
you
leave
I
wish
you
would
stay,
but
I
know
that
you
have
you
no
good
fortune
laying
ahead
of
you
and
to
your
whole
command
team.
E
E
What
kind
of
action
plan
has
happened
in
the
last
couple
of
years
since
I've
been
asking
these
questions
for
some
time
now
to
address
the
really
just
deplorable
conditions
of
our
fire
houses
and
the
folks
who
work
there
have
been
most
gracious
and
you
know
when
we
go
in
and
we
do
a
tour
and
talk
to
them
about
what's
happening
in
the
neighborhood.
That's
really
the
purpose
of
the
tours
to
talk
about
what's
happening.
What
are
they
saying
throughout
my
district,
but
when
I
go
in
I'm?
E
B
B
B
B
Working
with
public
property
they've
been
been
doing
a
pretty
decent
job
of
trying
to
keep
up
with
the
demands
we
have
old
infrastructure
and
whenever
emergencies
occur,
sometimes
they
have
to
stop
working
on
a
major
project
to
make
sure
they
work
on
another
project.
To
get
us
back
in
service
quickly.
B
The
public
safety
facilities
has
a
master
plan
that
we
working
on
also
where
they're
going
to
has
already
been
projected
out
the
improvements
over
the
next
five
years.
So
that's
an
ongoing
process.
I
think
public
property
probably
can
give
you
more
detail
on
the
plan
on.
What's
next
to
be
repaired,
we
do
actually
you
do
a.
We
have
windows,
heating
systems
and
that's
being
done
on
a
continuous
basis.
Also,
okay,.
B
E
B
B
E
B
Problem,
yes,
so
they
are
fully
stocked.
We
actually
added
additional
medic
units
five
last
year,
right
five,
that
federer
biomedical
at
noon
is
last
year
at
five
additional.
This
year
again,
you
saw
an
increase
in
medical
supplies,
that's
to
make
sure
that
they
have
enough
medical
supplies
to
do
their
job
correctly.
Okay,.
E
B
In
the
in
the
to
address
the
high
call,
volume
and
stress,
you
heard
me
talk
about
earlier
we're
trying
to
come
up
with
ways
to
address
the
super
users
to
reduce
the
call
volume
so
that
they
won't
be
have
burnout
and
suffer
from
burnout.
The
call
volume
from
the
super
users
and
then
a
little
bit
about
public
education,
we're
about
to
roll
out
an
ad
campaign
to
educate
the
community
about
when
you
should
call
911.
Okay,.
E
B
E
B
E
My
question
is:
if
we
know
that
eighty
percent
of
non-emergencies
and
I
know
I,
think
it's
a
great
thing
to
roll
out
a
campaign
to
address
it
and
get
people
to
understand.
You
know,
don't
call
911.
Oh,
this
is
the
appropriate
way
to
handle
such
a
message.
But
how
long
do
you
think
it's
going
to
take
for
that
campaign
to
be
up
and
running
so
that
people
in
the
meantime,
you
know
our
EMTs
are
still
working
in.
B
B
We
are
in
conversations
with
community
marketing
concepts.
Now
the
plan
is
to
roll
it
out
in
May
how
long
it
takes
to
have
an
impact.
That's
a
good
question.
The
next
meeting
I
can
ask
them
to
do
a
impact
analysis
to
see
how
long
will
it
take
for
that
message
to
get
out
and
then
when
will
we
start
seeing
results?
Okay,.
E
The
consumer,
our
constituents
are
not
getting
the
proper
service,
you
know
all
of
the
mt
that
they
could
get
not
to
the
mt
or
the
person
is
trying
to
give
less.
But
it's
just
you
know
human
nature.
At
some
point,
you
begin
to
slow
down
you're
going
to
slow
down.
So
if
you
could
get
back
to
us
and
give
us
some
kind
of
idea
as
to
when
we
could
see
you
know
in.
B
The
goal
is
to
measure
along
the
way
also
each
month.
The
goal
is
the
measure
you
smoke.
What
the
impact
is,
so
what
we
roll
out
to
campaign,
we
already
have
a
baseline,
so
each
month
we
can
say
well,
has
it
decreased?
Has
this
stabilize
or
has
it
going
up
so
we'll
track
that
on
a
monthly
basis,
once
the
campaign's
roll
down
very.
C
You,
mr.
chairman
I,
just
not
not
a
question
at
all,
but
Commissioner
I
want
to
thank
you
for
your
service.
I
am
saddened
by
the
fact
that
I
will
not
be
able
to
work
with
you
in
this
capacity
at
this
time
have
been
newly
elected.
I
just
want
to
say
that
my
time
at
the
northeast
fell
off
the
chamber
of
commerce
and
in
the
community
you
always
there
for
us,
you
were
very
supportive
of
community
needs
and
small
business
needs
and
I
want
that
recognized
by
all
of
Philadelphia,
so
I.
A
F
That
was
an
edict
that
that
has
been
changed
and
I
think
it's
really
important
I
know
my
constituents
and
a
lot
of
other
members
constituents
or
we're
extremely
concerned,
and
people
fought
rule
long
and
hard
for
you
know
a
period
of
time
to
to
let
their
opinion
center
and
their
voices
be
heard.
So
so
thank
you
for
that.
You
know
with
this.
We
appreciate
that
the
question
by
in
and
I
didn't
miss
it
here
with
with
the
EMTs
versus
paramedics.
F
I,
don't
know
if
that
has
been
the
conversation
or
not.
Can
you
tell
me
the
policy
of
not
pairing
up
paramedics
that
are
going
out
on
phone
calls,
or
you
know
just
the
new
policy
but
paramedics
and
their
training
versus
EMTs
and
the
amount
of
training
that
they
get
and
going
out
on
home
calls?
And
so,
if
you
can
explain
a
little
bit
of
that,
I
don't
appreciate
it
sure.
B
B
One
of
the
major
differences
is
that
a
paramedic
is
allowed
to
give
intervene,
dis,
fluids,
meds
and
things
of
that
nature
and
in
which
you
probably
refer
to.
As
in
the
past,
an
advanced
life
support
unit,
ac,
ALS
unit,
advanced
life
support
unit
has
been
staffed
with
two
paramedics
and
a
BLS
basically
likes.
B
The
corner
for
unit
has
been
staffed
with
two
EMTs
going
forward
to
plan
is
the
staff
all
ALS
units
with
a
paramedic
and
EMT
now
far
as
the
national
standards
and
certification
that's
the
norm
across
the
country
of
having
a
emt
and
the
paramedic
staff
together.
So
what
that
does
for
us?
It
allows
us
one
to
do
a
better
job
of
responding
to
a
less
cause
so
because
you
have
an
EMT
and
a
paramedic
in
the
meta
unit.
B
When
you
respond
to
a
call,
regardless
of
whether
that
caused
the
ALS
call
or
BLS
call,
you
have
someone
certified
and
both
friends
and
it
can
handle
that
call
so
in
the
past.
What
would
happen?
Is
you
resent
a
BLS
unit
to
an
LS
call?
You
would
have
to
send
additional
an
additional
unit,
ALS
unit
to
help
address
that
call.
So
now
you
have
two
units
out
of
service
instead
of
one
unit
out
of
service.
F
Do
her
paramedic
cert
somebody
be
a
paramedic
go
out
on
like
a
run
as
opposed
to
separate
and
I.
Don't
I
know
it
gets
a
little
on
that.
Familiar
with
you
know
a
paramedic
truck
and
and
or
you
know,
different
types
of
apparatuses
you
know
in
in
in
the
in
houses.
So
we
could
there
be.
Could
you
train
a
paramedic,
we're
not
I'm,
sorry.
Could
you
assign
a
paramedic
to
go
out
and
when
the
initial
calls,
because
doesn't
when
you
get
a
911
response
who
goes
out
first,
it.
F
B
F
B
B
B
B
F
B
F
How
do
we
help
that
now
with
with
with
some
of
their
their
responses?
So
we
can
we
alleviate
I
mean
you
have
overtime,
you
have
not
enough
staffing,
you
have
reassignments
to
changing
or
aren't
they
changing
the
policies
of
moving
around
and
not
not
necessarily,
you
know
how
for
you,
you're,
you're
assigned
to
a
house
or
a
station.
That's
your
call
right.
I
mean
that
you're,
your
territory
and
when
you
respond
to
the
paramedics
today
and
EMTs
they're,
going
to
be
changing
all
over
the
place
right
and
being
reassigned.
Well,.
B
If
I
recall
directly,
when
I
give
the
oath
of
office
to
a
firefighter
paramedic
or
emt
they're
sworn
to
serve,
every
citizen
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
they're,
not
sworn
to
say,
I'm
only
going
to
work
in
the
Northeast
well
I'm
under
going
to
work
on
North,
Philly
or
I'm.
Only
going
to
work
in
westerly
they're
actually
swear
that
they're
going
to
serve
and
protect
all
the
citizens
of
the
city.
Not.
F
F
But
I'm
talking
about
response
times,
I'm
talking
about
policies
that
that
make
sense
for
not
only
the
citizens,
but
you
know
for
for
the
paramedic
and
or
emt
is
there?
Is
there
an
opportunity
to
you
know
revisit
how
we
you
know,
structure
the
paramedics
and
EMTs
or
even
consider
having
paramedics
go
out
on
runs
with
with
some
of
the
other
absolutely.
B
I
think
yeah
absolutely.
I
think
we
do
that
every
single
year
and
I
think
we
do
it
on
a
continuous
basis,
so
we
believe
in
continuous
process
improvement
where
we
look
at
every
opportunity
to
make
every
member's
life
a
little
bit
easier.
So,
yes,
there
are
opportunities
there
to
try
to
restructure.
One
of
the
things
we've
done
already
is
try
to
increase
the
number
of
meta
units.
B
B
Put
out
yes,
absolutely
and
the
way
that,
with
the
plan
going
forward,
what
it
does,
it
provides
a
higher
level
of
service
for
all
the
citizens
because
of
the
fact
that,
once
again,
you
have
a
paramedic
one,
every
single
call.
Now
you
talked
about
them,
have
an
advanced
training.
Well,
that
advanced
training
is
important
to
all
the
citizens.
So
now
we
have
the
ability
to
provide
that
on
every
single
call,
not
just
on
some
of
our
calls.
So
in
the
past
we
had
how
many
a
less
units
36
and.
D
B
Many
Biela
tune
is
so
we
have
36
ALS
units,
14
VLTs,
so
14
units
will
respond
with
a
lower
level
of
care
because
those
people
weren't
paramedics.
Now
every
single
medic
unit
will
have
a
paramedic
on
it,
which
means
they
can
receive
the
highest
level
of
care
possible,
so
you're
actually
increase
in
the
level
of
service
for
the
community.
Great.
F
One
callbacks
I
know
we're
running
a
little
bit
behind
schedule,
as
you
can
as
you're.
Well
aware
of
so,
thank
you
for
your
for
your
patience.
When
we
do
callbacks
I
want
to,
you
know
kind
of
focus
in
a
little
moral,
and
you
know
the
ALS
and
BLS
and
got
you
know
the
whole
process
and
assignments,
and
things
like
that,
and
also
the
training
of
our
officers
by.