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Discuss and receive an update regarding the construction status on the Joint Fire Training Facility and discuss a request from Addison Fire Department to become a partner in the Fire Training Facility project.
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BACKGROUND:
Fire Chief Steve Parker will provide a briefing to Council on the construction status of the Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch Fire Training Facility. Further to the update, Chief Parker would like to discuss a request from the Town of Addison Fire Department to become a partner in the Fire Training Facility project.
DISCUSSION:
As approved by Resolution 2016-018, the Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch Fire Training Facility is under construction and on budget. The building is at 100% completion on design, with the towers structural steel to be delivered on September 20, 2016. Burn room fire props are being manufactured and are expected to be delivered to the site by December 1, 2016. All of the building’s foundation piers have been poured, and as of September 9, 2016 half of the foundation grade beams have been completed. The building’s foundation and finished floor should be completed by October 1, 2016. Water lines, fire hydrants and water meter have been installed and tested. The project’s only delay is the completion of the site paving. As of September 12, 2016 only half of the site paving has been completed.
On February 4, 2014 the project was first presented to each city’s Council for consideration. The initial business plan included the Carrollton, Coppell, Farmers Branch, and Addison Fire Departments. Three of the four cities approved to move forward with the project; however, the Town of Addison at that time failed to provide funding to allow their participation.
As each city began planning for FY 2016-17, the Town of Addison, with a new City Manager, Fire Chief, and a majority of Council members included funding in their budget to be able to petition for re-inclusion on the project. The Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch Fire Chiefs and City Managers are in support of this request.
The four cities’ public safety systems are intertwined in the new HARRIS public safety radio system, shared dispatch services provided by the jointly managed North Texas Emergency Communications Center, our joint SWAT team, and most importantly the robust Automatic Aid agreements for providing emergency response across borders that all cities are a member to.
Including Addison in the Joint Fire Training Facility project will improve the level of emergency service provided across all communities. It would allow for Addison police officers and firefighters to receive the same hands-on, robust training and ensure all public safety officers are on the same page so they can safely operate at the same high level of proficiency while responding together.
The Town of Addison is requesting to join the project in FY 2016-17 and pay 100% of their proportional share of the facility’s shared operational costs. However, Addison would pay their capital investment of $451,171 over three years. Their capital funds would be used to complete all remaining capital improvements (North drive surface, 4th floor burn room, outdoor storage and classroom building, and multiple training props) that were in the initial facility design, but were removed due the budget having to be amended from four to three partner cities.
Although paying their capital contribution over time is not ideal, having Addison partner in on the project will immediately reduce the Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch financial commitment to the project in both the short and long term.
Farmers Branch would see an immediate reduction of $11,105 in FY 2016-17 and would not have to provide funding in future budgets to pay for the additional items that would maximize the facility’s training potential.
If Council supports allowing Addison to partner on this project, the next step is for the City Managers to amend the existing interlocal agreement (ILA) and include Addison as a member. Once completed, the amended ILA would be presented to Council for approval.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends Council support the partnership request from the Town of Addison, and allow the City Managers to amend the existing interlocal agreement to include Addison as a member.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Council Memo Joint Fire Training Facility 092016
2. PowerPoint Presentation - Joint Fire Training Center Update September 20 2016