9/21/22


Fire Battalion Chief outlines physically why Watts Plan Won’t Work (excerpt from full report)
Candidates pls read to get full picture and the facts.

FROM:  Jose Castrejon:

After reviewing the submitted plans requesting an opinion on the combined Police and Fire Public Safety Building, I have concluded the plans are short of accommodating modern fire department workforce needs.

The industry standards for fire station health and safety have evolved since the building was initially constructed; therefore, we must provide facilities that will recruit, retain, and develop a diverse group of firefighters.

Unfortunately, the current station does not meet these basic needs and the recent concept only magnifies the issues at the current location.

Listed below are the deficiencies in both the existing station and the proposed design. My recommendation is to continue with the plans that are in place and to proceed with the project as currently approved by the Kensington Fire Protection Board.
First Floor:
·       Stairs have open access to the second floor.
·       The new elevator connects the lobby to the private dayroom above, leaving no separation between Police and Fire personnel.
·       The proposed new outswing door is a security issue
·       Access door from the bottom of the stairs to Apparatus Bay is poorly located at the front of the bays. The design would require personnel to walk around the rear of the apparatus before being able to access the engine and turnout gear.
·       Decontamination area is not provided for crews prior to entering the living area.
·       No area provided to receive emergency dispatch information.
·       Conference room is too small and does not provide sufficient space for DOC during a local emergency.

·       No office space on the ground floor for fire personnel to meet vendors or the public. The existing conference room is often occupied and does not allow for any unscheduled meeting space. The current use of private staff (dorm) quarters is inappropriate.
·       The single restroom must be shared between any public use of conference/training and staff.
·       No space for KFPD administration (GM, Board Clerk, Bookkeeper/Accountant). Second Floor:
·       The space is insufficient to accommodate the minimum staffing of three personnel. Red Flag Days staffing is increased to four personnel; in addition, on extreme fire weather days, staffing is increased to eight personnel to staff both fire engines.  
·       Access to the stairs from dorm rooms is difficult and leads to the front of the apparatus bay. The lack of depth in the bay does not allow sufficient space to walk around the front of the apparatus. This creates delays in turnout and response times.
·       Elevator access to dayroom, dining areas, and dorms of the station causes a security issue.
·       Dining location is too small.
·       Kitchen is too small and does not include sufficient storage for all three shifts and nine firefighters’ staples.
·       Office space/workstations are inadequate. Personnel needs an area to complete reports, online training, and administrative assignments. A minimum of three workstations are required. They must be in acoustically separated areas with associated storage.
·       Gym needs to be in the current and proposed booking room location. The workout equipment requires a ceiling taller than 8’ to accommodate for proper use and assembly. The gym requires direct access to the rear parking lot for the exterior workout equipment and use.
·       The Bookings/Reports Room location is and will continue to be a security issue for fire personnel.
·       The location of Dorm Room 3 to the Police Lockers/Restroom is unacceptable. The existing adjacency of police areas to the firefighter’s sleeping areas is a problem due to noise and the different schedules.
·       Parking is not shown nor described. The current spaces are insufficient for shift change, red flag days, and fire district administration.

9/20/22


Fiscal Impact of Jim Watts alternate plan for PSB : excerpt from Hansells analysis, please read

Financial impact:
…Mr. Watt’s proposal would delay the project by nearly a year and require additional approval to extend the Temporary Fire Station lease. Such a delay will also affect the PSB construction cost due to inflation, which has been increasing an average of 8% per year even prior to recent reports. The range of the five bids for the PSB renovation was $5.5M to $6.5M.

***If the prior 8% inflation rate is assumed, a new bid would raise the cost by $500K or more. 
***Architecture and engineering studies between 2016 and 2021, which recommended the space needs for both fire and police, totaled $289,379. Mr. Watt’s plan would reject the benefit of that expense by implementing lower standards. 
***Architecture, engineering, and permitting costs since June 2021 have totaled $565,577 to design and approve the current plan. Mr. Watt’s concept would require repeating most of that expense.

***Even if held to 80%, it would cost $452K for a new permit. 
***The extended lease for the Temporary Fire Station and associated costs, if allowed, would require another $70K. 
****Therefore, the total additional cost of Mr. Watt’s plan, not including the lost expense of the 2016-2021 studies plus additional staff and project management time, equals $1,022,000.
***There would also be a potential penalty for breaking the terms of the $2.1M construction loan, which requires that the project be finished within the approved 18-month schedule ending March 2024. 
Finally, the financial planning by NHA Advisors showed that the current project is affordable without jeopardizing the district’s emergency reserves.

***Adding another $1M on to the cost, would no longer provide the necessary reserves.