Interact Business Group

Subject: Public Safety Training Center Strategic Business Plan

 

Vacaville City Council authorized the Fire Chief to enter into a consultant services agreement with Interact Business Group (IBG) to develop a Public Safety Training Center Business Plan. This project was also included in the City's 2005-2007 Strategic Plan. Staff from both the Fire and Police Departments worked with the consultant for many months, leading to the completion of a comprehensive strategic business plan.
 

The report answers four critical questions that address the overall objective of the business plan:

1. What are the public safety training needs of Vacaville?

2. What training facilities does Vacaville need to meet its training demands?

3. What are the cost factors and logistical advantages of creating a dedicated training center that would meet Vacaville's immediate and long-term needs?

4. What are the cost factors and revenue potential of offering training classes to outside public agencies and industries?

Key findings and recommendation presented in the report include:

• 56% of the total annual training hours consist of training required by either law or necessary to safely  operate equipment needed to carry out a person's job assignment.
Although this training is being carried out, it is not being performed to the satisfaction of the Fire ad Police Department's expectations due to the lack of suitable facilities.

• 38% of the total annual training hours consist of training that the Departments would like to perform, but due to a lack of facilities, is not being carried out.

• To address the deficiency in available facilities adequate for training, the proposed center would consist of a variety of components, including a five-story drill tower with combined live-burn building, commercial structure/strip mall mock-up building, indoor and outdoor live-fire burn props, low-speed emergency vehicle operations course, confined space/trench/technical rescue props, firearms training simulator, haz-mat emergency props, and a building for classrooms, facility services, and administrative support.

• The site required for the training center needs to be 10 to 12 acres and should be located within a reasonable proximity to the City's fire stations.
 

• Outside users, consisting of other public safety agencies, Solano Community College, and private industry, have expressed a strong interest in using the training facility on a fee-for-use basis.

• The training center could be used to conduct community-related events such as V-CERT training, health screenings and seminars, etc.

• The training center can be constructed using a three-phase build-out strategy based on the priority needs of Vacaville and the outside user survey results.

• The City should explore various funding alternatives, including grants, development impact fees, leasing, and other options.


Fire and Police Department leadership concurs with the findings and conclusions of the business plan and recommends several action items for the Council to consider. These action items will serve as a "road map" for the future as City staff works to make the dedicated public safety training center a reality.

CITY STAFF ACTION ITEMS:

1. Meet with Solano Community College District officials and administrators to determine the feasibility of: 1) co-locating the training center at SCC's 60-acre Vacaville campus site and, 2) establishing a JPA (or similar partnership) for the joint operation of the training center.

2. Identify suitable alternative sites for the training center as a contingency in the event that co- location at the SCC-Vacaville site is not feasible.

3. Develop a project timeline and funding plan for Phase 1 of the training center
 

RECOMMENDATION:
 

By simple motion, that the City Council accept the Public Safety Training Center Strategic Business Plan report developed by Interact Business Group and direct staff to move forward on the action items and timelines listed in the staff report.

(The following discussion was taken from the City Council Agenda Item No. 9b, April 10, 2007)

 

Contact Point:

 

 

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