The issue of civilization of administrative and support functions has been a debate that has waged for years. Each time the City faces economic difficulties this debate intensifies. The department is constantly evaluating program areas looking for efficiencies. As part of the Department"s administrative five (5) year plan, there will be an in-depth analysis to gauge the appropriateness and efficiency of using civilians to add expertise, economies and most importantly strengthen outcomes. In the public safety sector, there has always been discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of civilianizing positions that at face value would appear to be analogous to civilian civil service classifications.

It must also be pointed out that the Department has not been able to realize cost reductions predicted in previous civilianization. The Department initially created 6280 Fire Safety Inspector I position at a pay rate of approximately 60% of the H-4 Fire Inspector. All 6280 Inspectors were transferred to a newly created 6281 Fire Safety Inspector II position and given parity with their uniform counterparts, negating the saving incurred by the use of civilian personnel.

The Department has already converted uniformed positions in the cases of the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resource Director, and anticipates the transition of E911 dispatch to civilians. However, it is believed that uniform members possess a level of expertise that renders them invaluable in some support positions, particularly when their decisions directly affect Fire Suppression and EMS operations.

As a paramilitary organization, the use of uniform personnel in administrative positions is consistent with those practices of both military and paramilitary organizations nation wide. In our own jurisdiction, both the Police and Sheriff"s Department recognize and utilize the value of their uniform personnel in staffing critical administrative posts.

While the Department always seeks to evaluate changes to the organizations that benefit the Department, wholesale changes solely based on budgetary concerns are not desirable. The Department endorses a critical and systematic approach to each position recommended for civilization, and a cost benefit analysis that acknowledges more than just the differential savings inherent in their civilization. Questions of operational expertise, redundancy for mission critical positions, retention of personnel, chain of command, and concern about the multiplicity of unions must be answered before positions are transitioned to civilian classifications.

In general, the process of converting positions from uniform to miscellaneous (civilian), is not as simple as described by the Auditor"s Report. While costs and efficiency are important, the main focus should be on the needs of the position, operations, and the best way for the Department to complete its mission. Specifically, the following must occur:

· Review the position in totality, including minimum qualifications, essential functions of the position, etc.

· Review MOU implications, including any provisions/restrictions that may apply.

· Work with the Department of Human Resources to determine if any civilian positions exist that would match the full responsibilities and duties of the position. This involves completion of a Job Analysis Questionnaire (JAQ), and organizational chart, and/or Express Classification Form by the Department, with review and final approval needed by DHR. In addition to DHR, subsequent approval, similar to any other requisitions that are put through, require approval of the Controller"s office and the Mayor"s Budget Office.

While the Department will fully evaluate civilization, some of the issues not touched on by the Auditor"s Report in Section 2.3 must be considered.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

2.3.1: Convert the following uniform positions to civilian positions:

· H-2 Firefighter in the Bureau of Equipment

· Seven H-2 Firefighters in the Bureau of Equipment to 7381 Automotive Mechanic

· H-3 Firefighter in the Bureau of Equipment to 1942 Assistant Materials Coordinator

·H-30 Captain in Facilities Renovation to 7262 Maintenance Planner

· Four H-20 Lieutenants in Bureau of Assignments to four existing 1202 Personnel Clerks;

· H-20 Lieutenants in Bureau of Assignments to existing 1204 Senior Personnel Clerk

· Twenty-four H-4 Inspectors in Bureau of Fire Inspection to twenty four 6281 Inspectors;

· H-18 Coordinator of Community Affairs to 1314 Public Relations Officer

·H-20 Lieutenant in Neighborhood Emergency Response Training to 1314 Public Relations Officer

· Assessment of Department

· H-2 Firefighter in the Bureau of Equipment

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

Currently, the H-2 Firefighter in the BOE performs tasks well beyond the scope of a civilian purchaser. The level of operational expertise is exhibited in almost every aspect of the day to day duties of this firefighter. Many mission critical tools and accessories flow through the BOE, and the ability to match resources with needs is based on operational priorities, not necessarily administrative ones.

The firefighter assigned to the BOE is responsible for drafting specifications, purchasing and distribution of all fire hose (the single most important piece of fire fighting equipment in the Department), chainsaws and multi-purpose saws, portable generators, portable lighting systems, personal life safety tools and equipment. It is the operational experience and knowledge that this firefighter brings with him / her that allows for appropriate decision making when determining new hose configurations. His / her choices directly impact the tactical approach of firefighters in the field on the fire ground.

· Seven H-2 Firefighters in the Bureau of Equipment to 7381 Automotive Mechanic

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

The seven (7) H-2s currently assigned to the BOE do function as mechanics, but this is just one of a myriad of duties these firefighters perform on a daily basis. These firefighters are asked to lend an operational eye to the specifications, purchase and deployment of new equipment used in the Department. These firefighters evaluate equipment ranging from Hurst tools (Jaws of Life) to new Aerial Ladder Trucks. These firefighters must critically evaluate new generations of equipment and apparatus to determine field worthiness, usability, probable life span, and ultimately the cost benefit. It is also the responsibility of these firefighters to coordinate and assist with vehicle redeployment and replacement on a 24 X 7 basis.

Additionally, these members are required on a 24 X 7 basis. Currently they work a fire fighters 48 hour / week schedule. They are required to respond to all greater alarms, and contrary to the Auditor"s Report, perform critical firefighting functions on the fire ground. These members are asked to trouble shoot equipment, assist with hose leads, and help with SCBA replacement. These members are an invaluable resource on the fire ground. Further, since they work a 48 hour week, replacing them with civilians would require a 20% increase in FTEs. Losing 8 hours a week from each member represents a 20% shortfall in covered hours. Since the incremental salary saving is far less that 20%, it would actually cost the Department significantly more to staff these positions with civilians.

· H-3 Firefighter in the Bureau of Equipment to 1942 Assistant Materials Coordinator

There is currently no H-3 assigned to the Bureau of Equipment.

·H-30 Captain in Facilities Renovation to 7262 Maintenance Planner

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

The Captain of Support Services charged with facilities maintenance has long been the direct extension of the ADC of Support Services in the field. The Captain of Support Services is charged with assuring the operating condition of all Department facilities on a 24 X 7 basis. This officer is responsible for all infrastructure within and without (connecting) department facilities. Plumbing, roofing, electrical, carpentry, drywall, insulation, HVAC, and telephony all fall under the umbrella of his/her responsibility.

This officer represents the Department in discussions and negotiations with other City Departments (DPW, Water Dept., etc.) and well as private contractors and utility providers (PacBell, PG & E, Thunder Electric, etc.). The Captain of Support Services is required to work with the planning department in the development, design and construction of new and renovated streets to assure proper placement of hydrants and that these streets allow for the navigation of fire apparatus. This officer is required on a daily basis to make decisions based on operational priorities rather than on strict project or budgetary concerns. The experience of fire fighting proves invaluable when rendering decisions for minor repairs or major facility upgrades.

The Captain of Support Services is required to respond to the EOC in the event of disaster / emergency mobilization. The Captain acts as the executive officer and relief to the Chief of Support Services and is asked to take an active role in IC system serving in logistics and / or the planning sections. During the tragedy of September 11, the Captain of Support Services proved to be an invaluable resource for mobilizing staff, equipment and resources.

Additionally, the Captain of Support Services has been charged with coordinating the renovation of fire facilities during period of bond expenditure. The Facilities Renovations Manager position has been vacant for over 2 years, and those duties and responsibilities have fallen to the Support Service Captain to execute. Decisions made in this capacity directly impact the day to day operations of any fire station and suppression expertise is particularly warranted.

·Four H-20 Lieutenants in Bureau of Assignments to four existing 1202 Personnel Clerks;

· H-20 Lieutenants in Bureau of Assignments to existing 1204 Senior Personnel Clerk;

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

The five Lieutenants currently assigned to the Bureau of Assignments are responsible for daily staffing responsibilities of field units. The use of uniform officers provides the Department enormous flexibility and expertise not in the scope of civilians who might be assigned to these positions. The operational experience that these members possess have allowed them to operate efficiently without the benefit of computers and scheduling aides in times of computer disruptions and system crashes. Officers fit cleanly into the chain of command and operate with the full authority of the Deputy Chief of Administration. In the event of emergency or disaster, these members can be pressed in to service on the field after completion of their duties, and during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, Oakland Fire Storm and 9.11.01, these officers were subject to mandatory hold-over for operational deployment.

These officers provide a 365-day a year function, and are already accustomed to working holidays and odd shifts. They are not subject to differential wage increases, and as with all Department positions, their attrition is far below that of civilians. When staff does rotate back to field assignments, their expertise is not lost, and they can be recalled back to duty in the AO to fill vacancies caused by vacations, illness or injury. Additionally the use of officers gives the Department a ready pool of replacements for members scheduled to rotate back to the field.

The Fire Department chooses to use H20 Lieutenants as the core members of the Assignment office staff. This practice stands in direct contrast to the more expensive options used by both the Police Department (using Police Lts. the equivalent of Fire Capt.) or MUNI.

· Twenty-four H-4 Inspectors in Bureau of Fire Inspection to twenty four 6281 Inspectors;

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

The Auditor"s recommendation to convert 24 H-4 Fire Inspector positions to 6281 Fire Safety Inspector positions would result in a retirement obligation of $1,128 per position. While the report considers the reasons provided by the Department for using uniform fire inspectors as "tangential," the Department feels strongly that its current policy to eliminate the 6281 Fire Safety Inspector positions through attrition and replace them with H-4 Fire Inspector positions has significant validity.

The fundamental reason for this decision was the need to retain the expertise gained as firefighters prior to their promotion to the H4 inspector position. The ability to perform fire inspections with fire fighters experience has enormous and incalculable benefit to both the Department and the public. Firefighters promoted to inspector positions have first-hand knowledge and experience regarding Department firefighting standard operating procedures as well as understanding Department policies, procedures, and chain of command. This knowledge is essential for many duties related to plan review and inspection of new or remodeled construction. Such decisions as locations of fire department connections, fire control center locations, standpipe outlet location, fire department access requirements, and numerous other requirements are better made by fire inspectors with background and training as San Francisco firefighters.

Emergency medical, suppression, and fire prevention activities at emergency incidents are made possible by having San Francisco firefighters promoted to inspector positions. H-4 Fire Inspectors are able to wear protective equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus, to investigate the effectiveness of fire protection systems at the scene of fire incidents. Uniformed fire inspectors have responded to and assisted at numerous greater alarm fires, auto accidents, medical incidents, and even the 101 California Street shootings. In times of disaster, these inspectors can be quickly mobilized to take up fire suppression and EMS duties. Most recently, on September 11, 2001, four members were assigned to Treasure Island, Station 48 and from this assignment three were detailed to the Fire Boat. Three others were assigned to the Emergency Operations Center. Others were available for detail at Department Headquarters. Bureau management staff is promoted from the H-4 Fire Inspector rank.

It is worth remembering that the Department initially created 6280 Fire Safety Inspector I position at a pay rate of approximately 60% of the H-4 Fire Inspector. All 6280 Inspectors were transferred to a newly created 6281 Fire Safety Inspector II position and given parity with their uniform counterparts, negating the saving incurred by the use of civilian personnel.

· H-18 Coordinator of Community Affairs to 1314 Public Relations Officer

·H-20 Lieutenant in Neighborhood Emergency Response Training to 1314 Public Relations Officer

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

Both the H-18 Coordinator of Community Affairs and H20 assigned to coordinate the Neighborhood Emergency Response Training (NERT) play an invaluable role in public relations and public education for our Department. The value of having uniformed personnel who can bring their experiences as emergency responders into our community, classrooms, and public events cannot be quantified. While a civilian could certainly present a training curriculum, it is the anecdotes and experiences of these members that engage the participants, and give credibility to the program and the instructors. The efficacy of these programs and credibility of the Department would be irreparably damaged by the use of civilian personnel. The use of uniform personnel has resulted in NERT becoming one of the most successful community education programs in the entire City of San Francisco, as well as the nation.

· Issues common to all positions:

There are some issues common to the civilianization of any position within the Department. A brief but by no means inclusive list of these issues consists of the folowing:

1. Civilian employees do not fit as cleanly into the chain of command in a paramilitary organization.

2. There is an inherent sense of frustration experienced by many civilian employees in a paramilitary organization which they believe effectively "freezes them out" of top leadership positions. This creates a "concrete" causing frustration among civilian employees that often leads to:

· Lackluster productivity

· Excessive use of leave time

· Difficulty in retaining employees

· The attrition of firefighter is the lowest in the City. Civilian attrition is generally well above average in paramilitary organizations.

Note: The Auditor"s Report recommends that to counter the high attrition rates of civilian employees the Department should add more civilian positions. Any significant addition of civilian positions would negate any cost savings realized by civilianizing positions and may have the undesired paradoxical effect of increasing uniform attrition.

3. The inability to have more that one qualified person for each position. As firefighters rotate through these positions, their expertise is not lost and can be used to bolster vacation or extended leave by the assigned member.

4. The need to negotiate with another union and coordinate a different set of work rules within a primarily uniform environment.

5. Uniform personnel are required to perform "other duties as required." There is no analogous clause for civilian personnel. It is the call to public service and the "Esprit de Corps" that exits within the Fire Service that empowers our personnel to take ownership over issues that affect the Department.

6. The general requirement to pay premiums for off-work hour support in a 24 X 7 agency not required by uniform personnel

· Stand by pay for carrying a pager

· Shift differential pay for those assigned to swing / night shifts

7. The number of administrative positions is already limited, and these provide valuable experience for professional and employee development within the Department

8. During times of disaster / emergency uniformed members can be readily converted to emergency duty and perform a variety of functions for the Department¹.

9. Large pool of qualified applications for replacement, either for immediate or long-term assignment.

Note: The Auditor actually recommends "The San Francisco could designate administrative officer with in the Division of Training, Office of the Public Information Officer (PIO), Bureau of Equipment (BOE) and Bureau of Investigative Service to facilitate middle management training for uniform staff.²" This recommendation appears to be in direct conflict with the auditors recommendations to civilianize numerous administrative positions within the Department.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list of concerns, it is sufficient enough to begin asking whether the differential saving warrants the transition of these positions from uniform to civilian. Also, any saving may not endure, as evidenced by the Department"s recent experience with civilian fire inspectors.

· Department Action plan and timeline

While the Department disagrees with the auditor it will review these positions and proceed with an analysis into the merits of civilianizing these positions. This review will be part of the strategic five (5) year plan and will be complete by January 2003.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

2.3.2: Convert the H-40 Battalion Chief in Bureau of Assignments to H-20 Lieutenant

· Assessment of Department

The Department disagrees with the recommendation of the audit.

The Department will review this position and proceed with its own analysis on the merits of transition of this position simultaneously with the analysis of the positions outlined in recommendation 2.3.1

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

2.3.3: Classify all new Bureau of Equipment and MIS positions that are requested in the FY 2002-03 budget as civilian positions.

· Assessment of Department

The Department is not currently considering increases in budgeted positions assigned to the BOE or MIS.

Summary / Conclusion

The Department considers staffing an important issue for a variety of reasons. It is why two high ranking positions in the Department, Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Director, are staffed by civilians. It was determined that these two positions require individuals with specific background and or expertise that provide continuity. The Department will continue to review areas throughout the organization to determine which positions can be filled by civilians, but shall not make hasty decisions which could potentially cause operational difficulties merely to save money.

The Department"s previous experience with civilianization demonstrates the risks that far outweigh the minimal benefits of minor salary savings, especially when the salary differential can be easily eliminated through collective bargaining.

¹ In the aftermath of 9.11.01, the San Francisco Fire Department prepared a detail post incident analysis of the 3 day mobilization as well as a detailed risk assessment of Department state of preparedness for an actual event. While the Operations Section was well prepared for the mobilization or an actual event, several key Incident Command System (ICS) Positions were unfilled or were filled in an "ad hoc" manner. The primary affected sections were the Planning and Logistics Section. Each section is required by ICS in cases that may require a multi-day response to a given threat or actual incident. In order to assure that these positions are staffed in a timely manner, the Department will modify the roles and responsibilities of existing Administrative Positions to include specific roles and responsibilities in the ICS structure. These roles will include mandatory call back requirements and specific training requirements (consistent with the duties uniformed personnel). An analysis will be performed comparing costs associated with suggested Civilian Positions versus existing Uniformed Positions. A key point to address is Training Costs since currently Civilians do not have either an Initial or Continuing (In Service) Training Requirement that will be necessary to fulfill an ICS role.

² Management Audit of the San Francisco Fire Department, Pg. 2.3-2