HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-07-28; Growth Management Citizens Committee; ; Committee Business (3)CA Review ______
Meeting Date: July 28, 2022
To: Growth Management Citizens Committee
Staff Contact: Eric Lardy, City Planner
Eric.Lardy@carlsbadca.gov
Sarah Lemons, Communication & Engagement
Sarah.Lemons@carlsbadca.gov
Subject
Committee Business
Recommended Action
Receive presentation from city staff and discuss the following topic:
• Fire Performance Standard. Receive a presentation from city staff on the existing standard
for Fire services. Group discussion on the standard: Is this standard important to quality of
life in Carlsbad? Should this standard be re-evaluated in any way? (Michael Calderwood, City
of Carlsbad Fire Chief) (Exhibit 1)
Fiscal Analysis
This action has no fiscal impact.
Environmental Evaluation
In keeping with California Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a
“project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act in that it has no potential to
cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical
change in the environment. Therefore, it does not require environmental review.
Public Notification and Outreach
This item was noticed in keeping with the Ralph M. Brown Act and it was available for public
viewing and review at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting date.
Exhibits
1. Fire Performance Standard
A. Fire Service Area Map
B. May 19, 2020 City Council Staff Report on Fire Department Standards of Coverage, Potential
Deployment Improvements (incorporated by reference and available here:
https://records.carlsbadca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=4869855&dbid=0&repo=CityofCa
rlsbad&cr=1)
GROWTH MANAGEMENT CITIZENS COMMITTEE @) Staff Report
CARLSBAD TOMORROW - GROWTH MANAGEMENT CITIZENS COMMITTEE
STAFF REPORT – Discussion Item 1 Exhibit 1
JULY 28, 2022
FIRE FACILITIES
No more than 1,500 dwelling units outside of a five-minute response time.
BACKGROUND
The intent of the growth management standard, as applied to fire facilities, is to establish the distribution
of station locations, based upon response distances. At the time the Growth Management Plan was
developed, scientific fire behavior information and recognized best practices supported the position that
a response time of five minutes would result in effective fire incident intervention. The Growth
Management Plan provides no other trigger mechanism for the installation of additional fire stations, it
states that up to 1,500 dwelling units could exist outside the five-minute reach of the closest fire station
for an indeterminate length of time without violating the growth management standard. The five-minute
response distance measure was selected exclusively as a means of geographically positioning fire stations
throughout the city. Therefore, the standard is applied as a means of measuring compliance with locating
fire facilities in accordance with the Growth Management Plan, not the performance of the Fire
Department in meeting service responsibilities.
FACILITY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
The city’s fire facilities comply with the Growth Management performance standard. There are no more
than 1,500 dwelling units outside of a five-minute response distance from any of the city’s six fire stations.
Buildout Facility Adequacy Analysis
Based on the current residential land uses planned by the General Plan, at buildout, the threshold of no
more than 1,500 units outside of a five-minute response distance will not be exceeded for any of the fire
stations.
Fire Station Number Total number of dwelling units outside of five minutes
1,3 & 4 (aggregated) 1,227
2 902
5 392
6 1,185
The following criteria was used to determine the number of existing and future dwellings outside a five-
minute response:
• Existing fire station locations (see Exhibit 1A for a map of fire station service areas)
• Anticipated future development
• 2.5-mile road distance from each fire station (five-minute response time equates to road
driving distance of 2.5 miles)
• All planned, major roadway arterials
• The number of dwelling units projected at buildout that will be located outside of the 2.5-mile
road (five-minute) distance from each fire station.
CARLSBAD TOMORROW - GROWTH MANAGEMENT CITIZENS COMMITTEE
STAFF REPORT – Discussion Item 1 Exhibit 1
JULY 28, 2022
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HOW THE CITY FUNDS FIRE FACILITIES
Fire stations are funded by public facility impact fees and the general fund, as such, they require a public
vote for expenditures over $1 million.
OTHER STANDARDS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The current geographical based standard for fire services does not consider the population density of
the geographic area or the actual volume of emergency calls and resource commitment times. As an
alternative to the current geographically focused approach, the city could adopt complete performance
measures to aid in deployment planning and to monitor department capabilities. This alternate
approach would provide for and allow measures designed to monitor the fire department’s ability to
deliver outcomes that will save patients’ lives when possible, keep small fires small and prevent serious
fires from becoming more serious.
In May 2020, the Fire Department presented a report to the City Council on Fire Department standards of
coverage and potential deployment improvements. Standards of Cover is a document that details a
systems-based approach to fire department deployment that uses local risks and demographics to
determine the level of protection that best fits a department's needs. It is intended to identify current
services and appropriate services levels while providing a uniform and ongoing foundation for fire and
ambulance service planning.
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Carlsbad Tomorrow – Growth Management Citizens Committee
July 28, 2022 – Exhibit 1A
CITY OF c_ Area Analysis Fire Station Service .
ARLSBAD
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