Sunday, March 13, 2016

City of Davis Fire Department fleet costs and Chief's statement

Upon a public records request I was given the following information regarding the cost of fuel, repair and maintenance of the Davis Fire Department's five fire engines and how many miles each was driven in 2015:


Vehicle
Miles
Gallons of fuel
Cost of Fuel
Repair/Maintenance
Total fuel + repair
330-E31
10,023
2,221
$6,721.12
$29,841.23
$36,562.35
330R-E231
2,908
470.28
$1,333.61
$39,052.26
$40,385.87
320-E32
7,793
1,923.09
$5,700.30
$17,227.08
$22,927.38
325-E33
13,962
2,260.07
$6,661.79
$13,788.76
$20,450.55
315R-E233
4,235
648.15
$1,887.23
$11,358.41
$13,245.64
Totals
38,921
7,522.59
$22,304.05
$111,267.74
$133,571.79


This second table includes all of the information above plus the cost and mileage figures for other large fire trucks. Note that the last two numbers indicate which station the vehicle is based at. Those ending 31 are from the downtown station. Those ending 32 are based in West Davis. Those ending 33 are South Davis vehicles. The vehicle called 334-W31 is most likely the Fire Rescue Truck, which is based downtown. The two vehicles, G32 and G33, are fire trucks designed to fight grass fires.


Vehicle
Miles
Gallons of fuel
Cost of Fuel
Repair/Maintenance
Total fuel + repair
330-E31
10,023
2,221
$6,721.12
$29,841.23
$36,562.35
330R-E231
2,908
470.28
$1,333.61
$39,052.26
$40,385.87
334-W31
487
144.54
$430.19
$8,425.07
$8,855.26
320-E32
7,793
1,923.09
$5,700.30
$17,227.08
$22,927.38
332-G33
1,918
246.67
$774.67
$7,358.60
$8,133.27
325-E33
13,962
2,260.07
$6,661.79
$13,788.76
$20,450.55
315R-E233
4,235
648.15
$1,887.23
$11,358.41
$13,245.64
336-G32
1,629
236.26
$748.48
$13,851.70
$14,600.18
Totals
42,955
8,150.06
$24,257.39
$140,903.11
$165,160.50

In my Davis Enterprise column, I was not able to include Chief Nathan Trauernicht's complete statement for reasons of space. Nonetheless, I accurately summarized what his view is. I reproduce every word he emailed to me here:

“The fire service nationally is evolving with new ideas and concepts surrounding resource deployment.  There are many pilot programs occurring looking at the use of smaller response units to lower acuity calls.

At this time our dispatch center isn’t able to provide ‘priority dispatching’ of fire units.  That means that we have to send the full tool box to calls in the event that there is more to the situation than what is initially reported by the caller.  Even with priority dispatch many places using quick response vehicles have not reduced the staffing or capabilities of other fire apparatus in their jurisdictions.  Instead they have implemented them as an additional secondary resource in areas with simultaneous call challenges or unique call for service demands.

The hallmark of the fire service is the ability to respond to all-risks, all hazards, with the tools necessary to complete the wide variety of tasks we encounter on a daily basis.  When the time comes that we look at alternate response units in this community it will be data driven, strategic, and in a way that doesn’t compromise our ability to respond appropriately to the needs of our customers.”

NATHAN J. TRAUERNICHT
FIRE CHIEF
CITY OF DAVIS & UC DAVIS FIRE DEPARTMENTS

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF
p: (530) 752-6399
Fire Headquarters
Fire/Police Building
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616

Friday, March 4, 2016

"What Everyone Should Know About Bicycles for Fun and Safety"

Below are the front and back cover and a few interior pages from a booklet I found among her books called, "About Bicycles." My mom likely brought this home from an S&L in Davis then called Central California Federal Savings and Loan Association. I think this is the same institution that became Heart Federal and today is a branch of US Bank.



The copyright on this booklet is 1965, though it says this is the 1973 edition.


Most of "What's a bicycle good for?" still applies.


I'm never certain what the value in publishing obvious information like that in this booklet. Of course, maybe it is not obvious to everyone, and perhaps when I was 9-years-old in 1973 it was not so obvious to me.