A Report to the Maryland General Assembly. Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, and. House Appropriations Committee. regarding

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3 A Report to the Maryland General Assembly Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, and House Appropriations Committee regarding Maryland Aviation Administration - Fire and Rescue Service November 2011 The Maryland Department of Transportation

4 Introduction This report was prepared to meet the requirements of the Joint Chairmen's Report on the State Operating Budget, 2011 Session (p. 47 & 48). The Narrative language requiring this report is as follows: Fire and Rescue Services : The BWI Fire and Rescue Department provides federally mandated fire suppression services for aircraft operations at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI Marshall) Airport as well as fire and rescue services for the terminal. In calendar year 2010, approximately 40% of the BWI Fire and Rescue Department's emergency response calls were to provide mutual aid to surroundingjurisdictions, primarily Anne Arundel County. While mutual aid responses cdn be beneficial to both jurisdictions because it can foster cooperation among neighboring jurisdictions and provide additional resources at critical times, overreliance on mutual aid can be detrimental to both jurisdictions. The jurisdiction requesting significant mutual aid may use it in place of providing its own adequate staff and equipment and the jurisdiction responding to mutual aid too frequently may require additional staffing and equipment to meet mutual aid demands. The committees are concerned that absent mutual aid calls, current staffing levels at BWI Fire and Rescue Department are excessive for existing airport-only call volumes. The committees request that the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), in consultation with Anne Arundel County, should provide a report on the level of mutual aid provided in Anne Arundel County and the options to reduce the amount ofmutual aid provided to Anne Arundel County or develop a cost-sharing agreement to maintain current mutual aid volumes but have Anne Arundel County participate in the cost. Possible cost-sharing methods that should be evaluated include exemption of State-owned parking spaces from the Anne Arundel County parkjng tax, which was originally envisioned to repay the County for providing fire and rescue services at BWI Marshall Airport prior to the establishment of the BWI Fire and Rescue Department. In addition, MAA should also consult with the Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey to learn more about cross-training personnel at ports and airports as both police andfirefighters and the cost-savings that may result. The report should also include information on how this cross-training works in New York and New Jersey, the feasibility of cross-training Maryland Transportation Authority Police at the Port and Airport in a similar manner, and the cost savings that may result Pagel

5 Background The current level of mutual aid being provided to Anne Arundel County ("AACO") is driven largely by the existing reciprocal agreement for mutual aid in firefighting, rescue and emergency medical services which was updated and signed by both AACO and MAA on February 9, The MAA and AACO have maintained a mutual aid agreement dating back to The key operational component of this agreement provides for predetermined response assignments. These predetermined response assignments ensure that Fire and Emergency Medical Service ("EMS") units are dispatched to assist either jurisdiction providing a timely and appropriate response to mitigate fire and medical emergencies. This agreement also provides for requests for specialized apparatus such as foam firefighting equipment and hazardous materials and mass casualty support equipment. Due to the Airport being located in AACO they are the largest recipient of BWI Fire and EMS resources. MAA also provides mutual assistance with Howard County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City. This agreement also ensures that Core Goals for Homeland Security are being met specifically in the areas of Communications Interoperability, Hazardous-Material (Haz-Mat) Personnel Protective Equipment, Training and Exercises, and Mass Casualty Responses. The current BWI Fire staffing levels are based on meeting two nationally recognized standards. These standards are published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The standards are: 1. NFP A Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments; and 2. NFPA-403 Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Services at Airports Both of these standards address staffing levels based on equipment type, services provided and airport size. The current staffing levels are not established to provide mutual aid but instead are based on the need to provide an all hazardous service to the Airport community. Relative Cost of Mutual Aid It was reported to the Budget Analyst that the MAA's cost to provide mutual aid assistance to AACO in CY 2010 would be in an estimated range of $894,000 to $3,600,000. These sums were fully burdened with overhead and not weighted by the type of service. The BWI Fire Department met with AACO Fire Department to calculate the nationally used FEMA guidance for comparing mutual aid costs as follows: PageZ

6 This nationally accepted model for establishing costs of emergency vehicles was used to determine overall cost of units responding to and from Anne Arundel County. The rates are based on Schedule of Equipment. Rates are for applicant-owned equipment in good mechanical condition, complete with all required attachments. Each rate covers all costs eligible under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U. S. C. 5121, et seq., for ownership and operation of equipment, including depreciation, overhead, all maintenance, field repairs, fuel, lubricants, tires, OSHA equipment and other costs incidental to operation. Labor costs of operator is not included in the rates but have been calculated and added to the following chart. The cost Schedule is contained in 44 CFR Allowable Costs.,.. AACOSerVice. Cost ':,BWIServlce Cost EMS Paramedic $ 2, EMS Paramedic $ 79, Fire 23, Fire 137, Rescue 5, Rescue 5, Service call/other 1, Service call/other 3, Total $32, Total $226, The AACO Fire Department cost to provide BWI with mutual aid support for emergency responses in CY 2010 using the same FEMA Cost Model categories and calculation method was $32,410. The cost for BWI Marshall mutual aid to Anne Arundel County was $226,074. Reduction of the Amount of Mutual Aid Provided to AACO The BWI Fire Department Director will continue to periodically meet with all mutual aid partners to review and discuss mutual aid responses and to determine the most cost effective methods for providing Fire and Emergency Medical service that meets or exceeds national best practices. The BWI Marshall Fire Rescue Department will continue to provide Fire and Emergency Medical Service and assistance as is currently agreed upon in the established mutual aid agreements. The procurement of a state of the art computer aided dispatch system, along with the integration of all the inherent components of such system with Anne Arundel County, will ensure that all requests for emergency service at the airport or in the surrounding communities will receive the closest available resource even if it is from another jurisdiction. Automatic vehicle locators (AVL's) installed on all emergency vehicles, in all jurisdictions, will ensure the closest unit response, and will provide much needed data so that the mutual aid responses of all emergency units can be scrutinized to ensure that the most cost effective methods of providing service to the airport and its surrounding communities are maintained. It is the opinion ofbwi Fire Rescue Department leadership that when this system is fully implemented, mutual aid will be provided to and from BWI airport in a cost effective and equitable manner Page 3

7 , Maryland Aviation Administration - Fire and Rescue Service Require Cost-Sharing by Anne Arundel County In discussions with County leaders, MAA believes some cost sharing initiatives already exist however more can be realized. Examples of cost sharing initiatives are: The loaning of County fire and medical apparatus when BWI apparatus are out of service due to mechanical problems; The County providing transfer (fill-in) apparatus when BWI personnel and equipment are not available because BWI personnel are mitigating an emergency or involved in training; The County providing fire-rescue and EMS training to BWI personnel; The County providing training facilities (fire academy props and structures) to BWI personnel; The County providing apparatus, personnel and supervisors during the tri-annual Airport Emergency Plan Exercise, and other training functions; The County providing paramedic refresher programs and classes; The County providing annual pump testing ofbwi apparatus; The County providing more than 3 unit response apparatus vehicles on average for mutual aid requests from BWI Marshall. The County has also been very responsive to the needs ofbwi Marshall. The County has agreed to transfer eight acres of property along MD 170 adjacent to Runway 10-28, fee simple. This property, originally transferred to the County at no cost, is currently valued between $800,000 and $1.2 million. The MAA has a perpetual easement to use and maintain the property for airport operations. Federal Aviation Administration regulations and grant assurances require the MAA to have ownership of this property because it is located within a runway protection zone. The County is also providing guidance and assistance to MAA as it works to establish an ambulance transport fee for BWI Fire and Rescue. The County already has a fee program in place, including a contract with a third party to assist in collecting the fee, and it has offered its staff and experience to help MAA est~blish its own program. Recommendation Mutual aid is critical for the safety ofbwi Marshall passengers and employees. If there were a major emergency at BWI Marshall, having both BWI Fire personnel and AACO Fire personnel responding would significantly enhance the probability of saving lives and minimizing property damage. If a major incident would occur at BWI Marshall (structural fire, Haz-Mat, mass causality incident, etc.) the BWI Fire Department would require substantial additional resources Page 4

8 to help safely mitigate these incidents "and the majority of mutual aid support will come from Anne Arundel County. With the current agreement, the State is assured that the maximum safety of its property, and more importantly lives, will be maintained. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department and BWI Fire Department have developed a partnership over their many years of service. The interaction between them, on mutual aid calls, has benefited not only the performance/readiness of these emergency agencies, but the protection ofbwi Marshall travelers and employees as well as the Airport's surrounding communities. As a result of the Budget Analyst's recommendations and resulting JCR Narrative language, the County and MAA revisited past practices and have developed recommendations and actions that will improve service and reduce costs. The greater sharing of training opportunities, which will at times eliminate the need for out-of-state travel for fire fighters, will save time and money for Maryland. Also the sharing of apparatus will enhance the ability for the fire fighters/ems to have continuous access to equipment required to provide the services needed by MAA. At the heart of both of these departments is the core value to save lives and property. In the past, this arrangement has worked very well. Several years ago, MAA deployed their specialty foam truck to extinguish an out of control tanker fire on an 1-95 overpass in Howard County. Without this sharing, the overpass would have been destroyed and the State would have incurred a substantial financial cost in repairs, not to mention the havoc it would have caused for highway travelers. BW1 Marshall has also been the recipient of services/equipment that has been critical to saving life and property. Of paramount concern is the possibility of a catastrophic incident at BWI Marshall that would require far more equipment/man power than MAA has to provide. MAA has the benefit and assurance of knowing that our mutual aid partners would contribute anythi~g needed to handle such an incident. MAA respectfully submits that the current relationship between AACO and MAA saves money for the State and enhances the safety of our citizens, which is the paramount goal of these Fire Departments. The current system should be held in place while the County and MAA continue to develop ways to save money for the State while not compromising public safety PageS

9 Consult with the Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey on Police and Fire Cross Training Members from the Maryland Aviation Administration BWI Fire Rescue Department consulted with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and obtained information to determine ifit were tactically feasible and cost effective to cross-train MAA personnel as both police and firefighters. Background The Port Authority Police Department (P APD) operates its own police academy, located in Jersey City, New Jersey which include:s a Regional Training Center located at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Police Academy recruits undergo 25 weeks of intensive basic training. Topics covered in this training include New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ) law, behavior sciences, police practices and procedures, laws of arrest and court procedures and testimony, rules of evidence, defensive tactics, first aid, police patrol and traffic duty, firearms training, defensive driving and water safety and rescue, and basic fire fighting The PAPD work force employs over 1,700 personnel and is responsible for three major airports, Newark Liberty International Airport,.John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia. In addition to protecting three major airports, the P APD also protects the Marine Terminal facilities located at Port Newark/Elizabeth, and the Brooklyn Piers. The PAPD is also responsible for tunnels and bridges in the NY and NJ area and a bus terminal. Twice a year, officers undergo training to achieve and maintain Federal Aviation Administration certification. The PAPD only provides the Federal Aviation Administration Part 139 required service for airports which is Aircraft Crash Rescue. All other services such as structural firefighting, Hazardous Materials mitigation, Technical Rescue and Advanced Life Support (Paramedic) services are provided by outside jurisdictions. The only exception is the P APD does provide a Fire Marshal/Police function. The P APD works in close conjunction with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), Jersey City Fire Department, and other mutual aid partners to provide adequate coverage for all areas for which they are responsible. The BWI Airport Fire and Rescue Department provides an "all hazards"j service to the Airport community which includes Emergency Medical Service, Hazardous Materials Response, Confined Space Entry and Rescue, and structural fire fighting; the NY and NJ PAPD do not. To 1 All Hazards relates to a full service delivery fire department that provides structural firefighting, rescue, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation and Emergency Medical Services at Paramedic and basic life support levels ~----Page6

10 remain proficient at all of these disciplines, members of the BWI Fire Department (FRD) are required to undergo many hours of recertification and proficiency training. Requiring the many additional hours to become an effective and efficient law enforcement officer would be significantly challenging. Consideration should be given to the cost involved in providing the appropriate training staff and infrastructure to accommodate initial and recurrent training to maintain high standards and proficien~y in a cross trained work force. MAA does not currently have a facility that would meet the requirements and standards associated with the additional training. The training of Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MDT AP) personnel as fire fighters would be a significant challenge as well. In addition to their basic law enforcement training they would be required to undergo 525 hours of basic fire fighting training to meet the minimum standards established in the current BWI FRD. In order to be certified to drive and operate fire fighting equipment, an additional 150 hours of training is required. For leadership positions, an additional 200 hours of formal training is required. All of this training is the minimum required to become nationally certified. To become proficient in a discipline such as fire fighting several thousand hours of practical experience is needed as well. It is important to note that these training hours do not include the several hundred hours necessary for a fire fighter to certify as a paramedic so that all customers have state-of-the-art medical care available to them when needed. The time and cost associated with the necessary mandatory training requirements along with the commitment to become proficient seem to make this proposal cost prohibitive. Given the complexity of integration of MDT AP police with MAA, MDOT has concluded the same inherent problems exist for providing fire and rescue services for the public port terminals in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Recommendation There would be no cost savings associated with the cross training of personnel as practiced by PAPD. The high capital cost of a training facility, and the many hours of training and practical experience needed to properly implement such a system, makes the concept problematic for MAA. Nevertheless, the importance of having the framework to support the existing activities merits consideration. It is the goal of the BWI Fire Department to provide the best service to protect passengers and employees in and around the Airport. This cannot be understated. MDT AP officers do have basic first aid and CPR training early in their careers and have saved several travelers lives using the airpor! defibrillators. The BWI Fire Department will work with MDT AP and other fire departments to provide updated life safety training for MDT AP officers. However, in case of a major incident, police are needed to secure the site, especially given the high security areas in the airport. The Airport would also rely on the mutual aid assistance of the professional fire fighters from the local jurisdictions Page 7