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CR 95-163 South Metro Public Safety Training Center . . . 1 ',' o September 15, 1995 v ; ~ .y '" rJ ,:. P r \ CR Report 95-163 South Metro Public Safety Training Center Proposed Action Staff recommends that the City Council direct that Hopkins be one of the cities included in making applications and requests for capital funds for the South Metro Public Safety Training Center. Overview For over a year, the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Richfield and the metropolitan Airports Commission have explored the concept of developing a joint public safety (police and fire) training center. Recently, the cities of Hopkins and Minnetonka have been asked to join this consortium. As explained in the following memorandum, the need for such a facility is becoming critical. Such police training facilities as firing ranges and SWAT courses are closing and/or becoming more remote. Similarly, fire training opportunities are limited as stricter M.P.C.A. and a.S.RA. rules limit live fire training. At the same time, mandated training for police and fire personnel is increasing in quantity and complexity. The proposal which has been developed is a very cost effective way to provide much-needed and much-improved training. It would provide a environmentally safe live-flame training system for firefighters, one which could also be rented by fire departments outside of the consortium. The capital cost of the proposed Center is estimated to be $4.8 million. A strategy (identified in the following memorandum) has been developed which would have this cost paid by others--the State, the Federal government, Hennepin County--and by moneys in the MAC's drug forfeiture fund. It is difficult to place firm figures on what each city's share of the net operations costs would be since the facility would not be in operation until 1997 at the earliest. A formula needs to be developed, probably within the structure of a joint powers organization. Some greater economies will occur in current outlays for training, and they can be credited toward each city's eventual net cost. Although further analysis of these costs is underway, it appears that the average yearly additional net cost per city would be in the $15,000-30,000 range. Hopkins, having fewer fire fighters and police officers than other cities should have reduced participation cost. Primary Issues to Consider o Where will the money come from for this training? Part of the funds will come from money currently being spent on training. Additional training opportunities as well as facility operation cost will probably require some additional funding. Supportin2 Information o September IS, 1995 memo from Craig Dawson George Ma oal, Fire Chief, Earl Johnson, Police Chief . MEMORANDUM TO: City Managers of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield Executive Director Metropolitan Airports Commission FROM: Police and Fire Training Officers & Craig Dawson, Assistant to the City Manager, Eden Prairie DATE: September 15, 1995 SUBJECT: Progress Report; Support for Funding Applications and Update on South Metro Public Safety Training Center . For the past several months, public safety training officers for Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Richfield, and the MAC have been developing plans for a police and fire training facility which is conveniently located for these communities. Recently, Hopkins and Minnetonka have expressed an interest in being part of the consortium which would be developing a South Metro Public Safety Training Center. This approach would meet the increasing training needs and requirements of 13 agencies--seven police departments and six fire departments (all except the MAC's). Scheduling models have shown that the police and fire training facilities would have a high rate of utilization by the member cities. Capital Costs: The capital cost for the facility on a site by the Braemar complex in Edina is estimated to be $4.8 million. A working group of the city managers has identified an approach in which these costs could be covered by grants and restricted-use funds: $ 2,000,000 from the State of Minnesota through the Governor's Bonding Bill 1,300,000 from the federal COPS Program (1994 Crime Bill) 1,000,000 from the MAC through Drug Forfeiture Funds 500.000 from Hennepin County to complement the Maple Grove facility $ 4,800,000 The Governor's Bonding Bill is a key component of this plan. In order for the Training Center to be considered as part of the Governor's proposal, an application will need to be submitted in October. It is critical for the governing boards to indicate their endorsement to prepare and submit the application. Similarly. they should also indicate their support to . make an a'vvlication for a federal COPS grant. . City Managers re: South Metro Public Safety Training Center September 15, 1995 Page Two Operational Costs: The working group of training officers have identified three approaches to operate and maintain the Center. Both the training officers and city managers prefer the model in which a well-qualified training coordinator would run the facility. Gross operational costs would be in the $250,000 - $275,000/year range, figures which include a $SO,OOO/year outlay for capital maintenance and improvement projects for Center. Estimated revenues for direct costs would be $30,000 to $40,000. Other revenues may come from other agencies who rent the facilities (e.g., the firing range, live-fire training tower,) or whose staff enroll for classes and training. This additional revenue is not critical for the economical operation of the Center, but represents an opportunity to reduce the net cost to the member cities/MAC. Additional Costs and Savin~s: Trainine: Enhancements: Further study is underway to identify more definitively what economies the participating agencies will see from using the Training Center approach. Some quick math would suggest that each of the 13 public safety agencies would need to pay about $20,000 annually toward the net operations cost of the Center. But these costs would be offset by more economical use of funds already used in conjunction with training. . * Overtime: A centrally-located facility would permit training during regular shift assignments, thus reducing the need to pay overtime and "back-fill" schedules so that shifts are properly staffed while others are in training. Records indicate that Eden Prairie and Richfield spent $17,000 and $10,400, respectively, on overtime for training. * Another example is opportunity cost: It is estimated that Eden Prairie, for example, would spend $5,000 annually to travel to and from the Maple Grove firing range. This outlay could be redirected to patrol in the community. * Travel Expenses: Transportation, lodging, and meal expenses typically make up one- half to two-thirds of the cost of attending training opportunities outside the metropolitan area. Much of the training requiring out-of-area travel could be brought to the Center, thus reducing these additional expenses. Alternatively, these budgeted funds could be used to provide the same training to more staff. Most of the economy of the Center would accrue to the police departments. Most of the fire departments among the member cities are volunteer, and training opportunities are limited due to the lack of buildings available for practice and increasingly stringent regulations from the EPA, OSHA, and MPCA. The type of live-fire training system which would be constructed is only affordable if many cities are involved in funding and operating it. . The Center would be funded by seven cities representing 13 public safety agencies. Analysis thus far suggests that each city could see additional net costs of $ 15.000-$20.000/year for much-improved and much-needed public safety training. e City Managers re: South Metro Public Safety Training Center September 15, 1995 Page Three Review of the Trainine Center Proposal: The South Metro Public Safety Training Center is a collaborative effort to provide needed and mandated training for police officers and firefighters. Approximately 800 law enforcement and firefighting positions exist among the seven cities (assume for brevity that the MAC is a city). A cooperative approach to meet the training needs of these personnel will take advantage of economies of scale, leverage resources, and avoid duplication. It will allow the cities to provide up-to-date, often state-of- the-art equipment and facilities needed for public safety personnel more affordably than if they h-ied to do so separately. The Training Center will address several major needs: * Develop and maintain skills Comply with state and federal mandates * * Lawsuit prevention Convenient location * Firearms practice: There are few outdoor ranges left in the metro area, and they will likely close. The nearest long-weapons training ranges are in Faribault and St. Cloud. Indoor ranges have also been closing due to high remodeling costs to comply with new OSHA e requirements, and as firearms technology has exceeded capacities of existing ranges. SWAT: Units currently train at Camp Ripley or Fort Dodge, Iowa. Some of their training could be provided locally if facilities were available. Fire: Fire departments have traditionally used fire towers or abandoned buildings for fire training. The only tower left among these cities is an obsolete one in Bloomington on a site that is being considered for redevelopment. There are few buildings left that are abandoned or to be demolished for redevelopment on which to practice firefighting tactics. Even these buildings come with a price tag--for example, the EPA would require a City to remove asbestos from the building before setting it ablaze. Increasingly stringent OSHA training standards would require more live-fire training than any of the cities can currently provide. The Training Center: The South Metro Public Safety Training Center is envisioned to be a 20,000 square-foot training building and a state-of-the-art, computerized live-flame firefighting training system. The 20,000 square-foot building would include: * * Classrooms Indoor firing range, with a maximum of 10 short-arms lanes and 4 long-arms lanes Scenario-based training (e.g., computer/interactive simulations for decision-making in the use of force) Ability to function as a satellite emergency operations center (EOC) or a center for special cases by one or multiple jurisdictions Canine unit training facilities * * . * e . . City Managers re: South Metro Public Safety Training Center September 15, 1995 Page Four The firefighting training system would include: * A fire tower, a commercial structure, and a residential structure, all of which would be connected, and which could also be used for SWAT training A computer controlled firelflame system (using propane), which gives programmed and improvised fire situations for firefighter response Quick clean-up to allow for multiple practice sessions by small units, or to make sure that a whole department gets the same training at about the same time. * * Summary of Benefits: Better training is affordable: It will be less expensive to bring instructors to a central training facility than to send staff to out-of-metro sites for training, seminars, and schools The fire training system is affordable only through cooperative financing Standardization of practices among the iurisdictions: There will be greater safety for police officers and firefighters on joint-jurisdiction responses. Additionally, there would be a larger pool of staff available for major response situations Preparation of training materials could be economized With common curricula, cities could develop experts on their staffs to become accredited instructors (and thus save the expense of outside trainers) Conveniencel24-hour training capability: It will reduce the need to pay overtime to attend limited training opportunities It will allow training to be available on any shift, thus meeting the needs of staff (and their families) working non-standard shifts It will allow brush-ups on skills and training as needed It will keep staff nearby if needed to respond to calls in their cities A vailability to other jurisdictions: Class offerings would be available to other jurisdictions; tuition would be revenue Other fire departments would be allowed to rent the fire training system More benefits to the public safety staffs, the cities, and the communities will be realized than the ones listed above. Admittedly, it will be difficult to attach dollar figures to many of them. But few would be realized without this multi-city collaborative initiative.