To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: PATRICK BUTLER, INTERIM FIRE CHIEF & HARBOR MASTER
TITLE
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE COMPARATIVE DEPLOYMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS PREPARED BY CITYGATE ASSOCIATES, LLC. OF THE REDONDO BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AS COMPARED TO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE DISTRICT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE REDONDO BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MASTER PLAN
DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (IF ANY) REGARDING THE REPORTS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In October of 2022 the Redondo Beach City Council considered policy options on whether to contract provision of fire protection, paramedic, and incidental services with the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (District). Interest was expressed in conducting an organizational assessment of the Redondo Beach Fire Department to assist in the evaluation of the various policy options. Citygate Associates LLC (Citygate) was hired by the City to conduct an objective third-party review of the Fire Department and evaluate the potential of outsourcing the provision of certain services to the District. After an in-depth analysis of both the District’s proposal and the City’s current Fire Department operations, Citygate has provided the Council three substantive documents which include their findings and the City’s policy options.
BACKGROUND
In October of 2022, the District presented the City costs for the provision of fire protection, paramedic, and incidental services for the City. The City then entered into a reimbursement agreement with the District to conduct a Phase 2 feasibility study for the provision of fire protection, paramedic, and incidental services for the City by the District.
At the March 14, 2023 Council meeting, a referral was made to bring forward a discussion item regarding a Phase 2 feasibility study performed by the District to provide fire protection, paramedic, marine, and incidental services for the City.
At the April 11, 2023 Council meeting, Chief Deputy Jon O’Brien from the District provided updated costs and answered questions about the proposed services, operations, costs, and next steps. Council directed staff to proceed with a reimbursement agreement for Phase 2 of the feasibility study by the District.
Additionally, a referral was made to staff to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ), with cost estimates, from consultants to provide a third-party deployment and organizational analysis of the Redondo Beach Fire Department as compared to the District’s proposed service options. On April 13, 2023, the RFQ was released to perspective consultants with a deadline of April 20, 2023. On May 2, 2023, Citygate was selected by the Council, and on June 20, 2023 a formal contract with scope of work was executed with Citygate.
Citygate is a premiere consulting firm with over 30 years of experience in the public safety and public sector domain, which includes deep public safety expertise in the Los Angeles and South Bay region as well as expertise in harbor and marine operations.
On July 17, 2023, the District initiated Phase 2 of the feasibility study, which included site visits, apparatus, infrastructure, and facility inspections along with a financial review of personnel costs. The results of the Phase 2 findings, which included costs and credits, was received by the City on October 12, 2023 and transmitted to the Council and Mayor.
Since that time Citygate has reviewed the relevant documents, conducted on-site inspections of facilities, equipment, infrastructure, City department staff interviews as well as in-depth analysis of data, financials, comparisons, and deployment models. Citygate conducted an in-depth comparative deployment and organizational analysis of the Redondo Beach Fire Department as compared to the fire protection, paramedic, and incidental services model provided by the District. Citygate also conducted a separate organizational analysis of the Redondo Beach Fire Department, a community risk assessment, and recommendations and compiled their findings as a Master Plan.
On December 21, 2023, Citygate issued the first draft report which was circulated to the Mayor, Council Members, and City staff to request feedback and fact checking against City data. On January 8, 2024, City staff held a project status update with Citygate and provided feedback based on extensive internal evaluation and review of the draft report. On January 21, 2024, City staff held an additional project update with Citygate and provided updated information, as requested by Citygate to supplement the initial draft report.
On February 27, 2024, Citygate provided the City draft reports, with attachments, based on the feedback and fact checked data from the December 21, 2023 draft. The updated draft documents were shared with the Council, Mayor, and city staff for review and fact checking on February 27, 2024. Those draft documents include a deployment and organizational analysis of the Redondo Beach Fire Department as compared to the District’s proposed service options, along with an organizational analysis of the Redondo Beach Fire Department with their findings and recommendations in the form of a draft Master Plan.
On April 12, 2024, Citygate provided the final documents, which were posted to the April 16, 2024 City Council agenda. Citygate will be making a presentation on their reports at the April 16, 2024 Council meeting.
A complex organizational analysis of the City’s current King Harbor operations and comparisons to other similar Southern California harbors was beyond the scope of work for the current Agreement with Citygate and was not be completed as a part of this effort.
Citygate did, however, provide a high-level review of the City’s current Harbor Patrol operations and their findings are included in their report. If an in-depth analysis of the City’s current Harbor Patrol operations is desired, the City Council could direct staff to pursue an expanded scope of work with Citygate to provide this analysis or direct staff to evaluate various options as an administrative effort with input from the Harbor Commission and boating community.
Currently the City’s Waterfront and Economic Development is conducting a similar assessment of King Harbor and has the ability to integrate any additional Citygate efforts as the public safety component of their assessment.
COORDINATION
This project involved coordination with several City departments and staff including; the City Manager’s Office, Fire, Police, Public Works, Information Technology, Financial Services, Waterfront and Economic Development, Community Development, and Human Resources Departments, along with the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal impact associated with receiving the reports provided by Citygate. The cost of the Agreement with Citygate for the Comparative Deployment Analysis and Master Plan was for $96,741. Any addition to the scope of work would require a contract amendment and additional funding that would be brought to Council for evaluation at a later date, if desired. To date, the City has expended $24,000 for Phase 2 of the District feasibility study.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• 2024 Redondo Beach LA County Contract Analysis, Updated April 10, 2024
• 2024 Vol 1 - Technical Report - Redondo Beach FD Deployment and Organizational Analysis, Updated April 12, 2024
• 2024 Vol 2 - Map Atlas - Redondo Beach FD Deployment and Organizational Analysis, Updated April 10, 2024
• Letter - Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles Redondo Beach Conversion Cost Letter, October 30, 2023
• Agmt - Citygate Associates, LLC., June 20, 2023
• Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles Cost Estimate to Provide Services to the City of Redondo Beach for FY 2023-24, April 11, 2023
• Administrative Report - City Council, Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles Study and Reimbursement Agreement, April 11, 2023