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Boise Fire reviews 4‑person staffing case, cites NFPA, NIST studies and SAFER grant opportunity
Summary
Boise Fire Chief presented analysis supporting four‑person engine companies, citing NFPA 1710, NIST studies showing faster task completion and potential effects on insurance ratings; the department flagged staffing and apparatus needs and noted SAFER grant opportunities for personnel funding.
Boise Fire Department leadership presented to council on the department’s approach to four‑person engine staffing, the operational rationale behind that staffing level and funding pathways including federal SAFER grants.
The fire chief outlined industry standards and research that inform staffing discussions. "One of the things I'm very passionate about is this idea of 2 in, 2 out when we go to fight a structure fire," the chief said, explaining the operational benefit of having at least two firefighters outside ready to rescue interior crew members if needed. He cited NFPA 1710 and NIST research, summarizing a NIST controlled study that found four‑person engine companies completed essential firefighting tasks faster than smaller crews (the chief reported a roughly 25% improvement in residential task completion time for four‑person crews versus three‑person ones and a notable time advantage for high‑rise tasks).
Staff described the department’s current staffing: two stations operating with four‑person crews (station 16 paid by North Ada County Fire and Rescue and station 15 staffed with four since June, which the chief said has been staffed at that level about 93% of shifts). He said opening of station 13 next summer would add a four‑person‑staffed station. The chief said fully moving the department to four‑person minimum staffing across all engine companies would require substantial new hires and recurring funding; he presented a high‑level cost comparison and noted the department is exploring FEMA SAFER and other grant options for personnel funding.
On insurance and community impacts, staff said Idaho’s state insurance survey and rating process (ISRB) factors staffing and apparatus into community ratings. The chief said Boise moved from a class 3 to class 2 rating during prior efforts and that moving to class 1 would likely require additional staffing and another ladder truck; exact premium impacts depend on insurer underwriter formulas the department said are not publicly disclosed.
Council members asked about how four‑person staffing affects emergency medical responses and operations in areas without hydrants. The chief said four‑person crews can be advantageous on critical medical calls like cardiac arrest because additional hands allow for assigned roles and rotations during extended CPR, and that staffing changes can also help coordinate water‑tender support in hydrant‑sparse areas.
The chief and staff said the department will continue to model needs using predictive analytics and to pursue federal grant opportunities; they paused the squad discussion for a later meeting to allow time to cover the Valley Fire update.
Sources: Boise Fire chief presentation, references to NFPA 1710 and NIST studies, council Q&A.
