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On the surface, it seems like a bigger fire department would save money, maybe even improve services, but this proposal found a way to make that not happen.
Do not be misled by the Proponents claims of improved service. They want you to believe that added EMS employees and CARES will happen because of an RFA. That is not correct, not by a mile.
The RFA Plan has no new fire trucks other than what Tumwater is already planning to buy, no new EMS staff other than Olympia is already hiring for, and no new fire stations. But they do add new administrative positions costing over $2.0 million a year and pay increases for all. In other words, the RFA does not improve the services you receive. It just costs us more.
This clip of the RFA meeting where it comes home to Councilmember Cooper that the funding won't improve response times is worth watching.
To make it perfectly clear, here is the "Before" and "After" numbers for front line Firefighters and Firefighter/EMTs.
The same number except 5 Tumwater firefighters get promoted to Lieutenants.
The Olympia and Tumwater Response Times are excellent. Here are the official numbers from an independent source, Medic One.
Below is the Advanced Life Support and the Basic Life Support performance. No better emergency responders in the county.
Click to see full list
https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/medic-one/medic-one-response-times/fire-or-ems-agency-response-times
"But the real question is what do we get for that...what enhancements to level of service and a fully funded fire department versus what we're doing now? Like I get a 5 minute response, time instead of 10?" - Jim Cooper
The consultant is incorrect in saying you get "transport" -- those improvements are already being implemented in Olympia. Her other item of "what you get for that" is a meaningless mantra of "financial stability".
Below is the RFA Organizational chart that shows you will be getting more administrative staff but NO NEW fire fighting or EMS staff that won't otherwise be in place by the time the RFA is supposed to go into operation.
The existing staff are show in blue.
The Plan adds redundant administrative "new staff", displayed in green on the left side of the org chart.
The "new staff" for BLS Transport (Basic Life Support) and CARES shown in green are not really new. They will already be in place as part of Olympia's current initiative to replace private ambulance service for 911 calls. The "new transport staff" are being recruited by Olympia now and will be there whether there is an RFA or not. Same with CARES. Here is the recruitment for Olympia job announcement that describes the transport positions on the org chart.
Here is a quote from the "Internal Working Draft not for public disclosure" PowerPoint of June 4, 2022 received through a public records request:
"Assume BLS Transport is in place in Olympia at 8/1/23. Use their financial model which has 18 new FF and 2 admin staff for Olympia only."
What the org chart did leave out were the new RFA Board politicians.
Again, from the "Internal Working Draft not for public disclosure" PowerPoint, we see that there is no new station, equipment, or fire engines in the plan:
"Assume no 5th station in Olympia in the model in the 7 years.
Assume no new engines, major equipment or facilities in 22, 23 or 24.
The Chiefs will review pushing off any major expenditures to 2025 or later."
So if the money is not going for improved services, where is it going?
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