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HomeMy WebLinkAbout#2 - Fire Dept Organizational Analysis ReportSTAFF REPORT DATE: March 10, 2020 AGENDA ITEM: Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report SUBMITTED BY: Jake Dickson, Assistant City Administrator BACKGROUND: One of the highest priority goals of the City’s 2019-2020 work plan is to study and address fire service staffing needs. The City Council authorized advertising for proposals to perform an operation audit of the fire department in August of 2019. In November the City Council awarded the contract to RW Management. RW Management studied the Lake Elmo Fire Department organizational structure, facilities, procedures, and practices as well as interviewing staff members and elected officials to compile their findings. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Does the City Council have any additional questions about the Fire Department Operational Study Report? PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Jeff Roemer of RW Management will present their findings and recommendations to the City Council. ATTACHMENTS: • Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report prepared by RW Management. City of Lake Elmo Fire Department Washington County, MN Prepared for the CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT MARCH 3, 2020 McM. No. L0585-4-20-00104.00 JRR:lam Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Lake Elmo Fire Department Washington County, MN Prepared for the CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT March 3, 2020 McM. No. L0585-4-20-00104.00 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION II. OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS III. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IV. ESTIMATED BUDGET V. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY VI. GLOSSARY OF TERMS Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 1 Engineering City of Lake Elmo Fire Department Washington County, MN Prepared for the CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT March 3, 2020 McM. No. L0585-4-20-00104.00 I. INTRODUCTION A. Project Overview RW Management Group, Inc. was retained by the City of Lake Elmo to conduct an Organizational Analysis of the Lake Elmo Fire Department. The Study will provide recommendations and options for the City and fire department to use now and in the future, when assessing department needs. Based upon the proposal submitted by RW Management Group, Inc. (RW) the scope of the project was to perform a Fire Department Organizational Analysis to assist the City and Fire Department in developing a long-range plan for staffing, compensation, potential for contracted services, administrative and managerial improvements. This study was designed to have an independent third-party review current department administration, operations, rules, regulations, personnel procedures, operating procedures, and provide recommendations on future departmental needs. The City also desired to have an evaluation of the overall organization and staffing levels of the Fire Department. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 2 The findings and recommendations are related to the LEFD operations, administration, and response times for services rendered, related human resources and program review. The review included the following categories:  Governance and Administration  Assessment and Planning  Goal and Objectives  Financial Resources  Programs  Physical Resources  Human Resources  Essential Resources  Training  External Systems Relations B. Project Work Tasks To complete the objectives set forth by the City, RW evaluated the operations of the Fire Department. RW met with and gathered the needs and concerns of Fire Department personnel. RW also met with City administration, the Mayor and council person to further understand the growth potential of the City and the relationship between the projected growth of the City and needs of the Department. The following presents an overview of the work tasks completed by RW during the project. 1. Developed a project team of appropriate users and stakeholders to oversee and participate in the project. 2. Conducted a Project Planning Meeting with RW Project Manager, the Project Team and key project personnel. Defined scope and mission, discussed work plans, established liaison responsibilities, coordinated project schedules and confirmed other general arrangements. 3. Obtained and reviewed documentation provided by the project team pertaining to the project. 4. Conducted interviews and on-site observation to evaluate the current, and future, needs and standards of performance of the Department internally and in relation to other surrounding departments. In conducting this study, we met with representatives from the following agencies:  Lake Elmo Assistant Fire Chief (the Fire Chief position was vacated at the beginning of this study)  Lake Elmo Administrator, Mayor and one member of the City Council  Lake Elmo Fire Department Officers and a group of fire fighters  Neighboring Fire Department Chiefs – Woodbury FD, Bayport FD, Oakdale FD, Stillwater FD, Lower St. Croix Valley FD and Mahtomedi FD. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 3 Interviews and observations primarily focused on the following:  Current Fire operations, staffing and levels of service  Fire workload, call volume and activity  Administrative Organizational Structure  Department Policies and Procedures  Analysis of regulations and rules of the Department  Facilities  Major Equipment  Training  Shared service opportunities 5. Prepared for and facilitated a project status meeting to discuss the results of the interviews and on-site observations with the Project Team. 6. Reviewed the present Fire workflows and processes to analyze and develop potential organizational and operational requirements. This review was based on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) categories and criteria. The performance indicators that were examined include the following:  Governance and Administration  Assessment and Planning  Goals and Objectives  Financial Resources  Programs  Physical Resources  Human Resources  Essential Resources  Training  External System Relations 7. Determined any public safety industry standards and trends related to the Department’s operational requirements. During the development of all recommendations, RW considered many factors and standards as a basis for recommendations, including:  National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA)  National Fire Service Accreditation Program (NFSAP)  National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)  Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA)  National Fire Administration (NFA)  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating Schedule  Local Fire Protection Ordinances 8. Developed a comprehensive Fire Department organizational analysis, utilizing the information provided by the documentation received, the interviews, national standards and on-site observations. The projected growth and level of service Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 4 needs were considered during the development of these recommendations. Recommendations included:  Effectiveness, efficiency and performance of current Fire operations  Efficient utilization of station resources  Administrative growth and organizational structure  Review and analysis of the “corporate culture”  Review of Department policies and procedures  Analysis of Personnel and staffing needs 9. Facilitated a Recommendations Meeting to present preliminary recommendations and obtain feedback from the Project Team. 10. Listed and described the findings and recommendations on the Fire governance and administration, assessment and planning, goals and objectives, financial resources, programs, physical resources, human resources, essential resources, training, and external system relations, and all other items evaluated and analyzed during the project. 11. Assembled the Analysis document. Performed a detailed quality assurance review of the document to ensure that the document meets the expectations of the Project Team and conforms to RW's standards. 12. Prepared and delivered the draft Analysis to the Project Team for review. 13. Received feedback from the Project Team regarding the content of the draft Analysis. Made any changes to the Analysis based on the returned comments. Produced and delivered the final document copies to the Project Team and City Administration. 14. Presented the findings and recommendations of the Analysis to the City Council. C. Overview of the Current Demographics and Environment The City of Lake Elmo has a population of approximately 10,500 and encompasses approximately 25 square miles. Lake Elmo is in Washington County, 15 miles northeast of St. Paul. The City has experienced a rapid rate of growth, with its population growing steadily over the last decade and is projected to continue a high growth rate to 2040. The City has a diverse landscape with rural lands, subdivisions, commercial establishments and municipal buildings. At the present time, the department has approximately 21 members which include 2 Chief Officers, 2 Captains, and 17 Firefighters. The authorized size of the Department is 35. The Department operates out of two fire stations, both of which are inadequate. The current ISO rating is 5/9. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 5 D. Fire Department Operations Review and Administrative Study To present the findings and recommendations that resulted from the engagement, RW has prepared this document; commonly referred to as the Fire Department Organizational Analysis. The remainder of this report is structured as follows: • Section II – Operational Recommendations: This section lists the findings and presents recommendations on the current and future issues associated with organizational aspects of the Department. This section is outlined in the following sections: o Governance and Administration o Assessment and Planning o Goals and Objectives o Financial Resources o Programs o Physical Resources o Human Resources o Essential Resources o Training o External System Relations o Organizational Structure and Staffing • Section III – Implementation Plan: This chapter contains a phased implementation for the recommendations made in the Analysis. • Section IV – Estimated Budget: This chapter contains budget estimates for the recommendation’s implemented. • Section V – Management Summary: A summarized version of the Analysis is presented, highlighting the projects objectives, recommendations and implementation benefits. • Section VI – Glossary of Terms: A glossary of terms is presented for reference. II. OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS A. Operational Overview and Recommendations As stated earlier, the objectives of this project were to evaluate the City of Lake Elmo Fire Department (Department) and make recommendations for the Department’s short/long term organizational and administrative needs. The Report includes findings and recommendations relating to the Governance and Administration, Assessment and Planning, Goals and Objectives, Programs, Physical Resources, Human Resources, Essential Resources, Training, and External System Relations and Organizational Structure and Staffing of the Fire Department. This section evaluates the Department’s present Fire organizational and administrative needs, and makes recommendations relating to the categories listed above. This review was based on the Center for Public Safety Excellence Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 6 (CPSE), formerly the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) categories and criteria. The Lake Elmo Fire Department overall is providing adequate level standards in providing fire service within their scope of service. The shortage of staffing and lack of leadership have combined to hinder the agency in reaching critical milestones in the Departments development. Department personnel displayed professionalism and were very cooperative throughout the review. B. Governance and Administration 1. Findings The Lake Elmo Fire Department is an organization established by Chapter 32 of the City Ordinances. The governing authority is the City Council working through the City Administrator. The City Council is responsible for Department oversight, performance program approval, and ensuring policy compliance by the fire department. There are communication processes in place through the Fire Department and City Administration to help guide the City Council and Department in; policy making, planning, compliance with legal requirements, and the department’s vision and mission. RW Management has concluded that at times there seems to be inconsistency in communications and miscommunications between the City Council, City administration and the Department administration when conducting business. The previous administration had been providing monthly reports to the Council and met weekly with the City Administrator. Furthermore, in reviewing Chapter 32 of the Municipal Code, the lines of authority between the Fire Department and the City Council and Administrator are unclear. 2. Recommendations a. Establish a more structured communications process between the City Council, City Administrator and the Fire Department that utilizes written reports, regular meetings between the Administrator and Chief, and meetings with the City Council as needed. This can be accomplished through a Project Team structure, or a request from any of the City stakeholders for additional information. b. The City Council is responsible to review, approve, and perform appraisals of fire department programs to ensure compliance with basic City policies. This can be easily attainable through scheduled meetings with the City Administration and the City Council. c. All parties should review Chapter 32 of the Municipal Code to clarify lines of authority and reporting responsibility between the Fire Chief and the City Administrator. The history and make-up of the fire department is a structure based upon military command. In other words, there always needs to be a clear definition and understanding of the “chain of Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 7 command”. Chapter 32 lacks this clear structure and should be amended to clarify reporting responsibilities. C. Assessment and Planning RW reviewed area characteristics, fire and non-fire risk assessments and response strategies, and planning within the Department. The following findings and recommendations are based on planning concerns and risk management criteria that will impact outcomes and provide for the basic needs to complete the mission of the Department. 1. Findings The City of Lake Elmo has a population of approximately 10,550 and covers an area of approximately 25 square miles. The City of Lake Elmo is bordered by the City of Stillwater on the north, the City of Woodbury to the south, the City of Oakdale on the west, and City of Mahtomdedi to the northwest. The Fire department currently has 21 total members with 1 Interim, Chief (the Fire Chief resigned during this study), 1 District Chief 2 Captains, and 17 Firefighters assigned to fire suppression and Emergency First Response. The Department operates 2 fire stations in which neither has sleeping quarters in the station, so the paid-on-call members respond from their homes when paged for fire and ambulance calls. The Department’s current Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) rating is a 5 in the hydrant areas of the district and 9 in the rural areas not served by municipal water. The rating schedule measures the major elements of a City’s fire suppression system. These measurements then are developed into a Public Protection Classification number on a relative scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing less than the minimum recognized protection. The schedule is a fire insurance rating tool used to determine property insurance premiums that property owners pay to their insurance carrier. The Department responded to 202 fire incidents and 337 medical first response calls in the 2019 calendar year. This reflects a total incident response of 539 an overall increase of 14% over the previous calendar year. The Department does not have a “standard of cover” for emergency deployment, which outlines response time, pumping capacity and apparatus and equipment deployment objectives. The water supply system is adequate for the City and is utilized in the planning effort as it relates to City development. However, large areas that the department covers do not have a water supply although Lake Elmo Fire does have water tenders, the increasing size of the residential structures require larger volumes of available water. The department relies on mutual aid for water tenders when fighting fires in these areas. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 8 The Department should take a more active role in promoting fire protection suppression and detection systems as part of the development and planning process. The Lake Elmo inspection program is currently inadequate. The department should be conducting yearly inspections of all commercial occupancies within the City Limits with follow up inspections when required. Currently the Department has very limited records in place to indicate an inspection program has been conducted. Firefighters of all ranks should be trained in conducting basic fire inspection of low risk occupancies to assist the agency in completing this task. Conducting these inspections will also allow the agency to Pre-plan for events should one occur. The Department does not have a long-range plan, although a Capital plan for equipment and stations has been outlined during the fiscal process. It is unknown how much insight the agency has had in the process of projecting the agencies requirement for personnel for the next five (5) to (10) years. There are no current annexation issues or concerns with neighboring communities. 2. Recommendations a. The City’s growth plan and the current incident response statistics show no need for improved station coverage but will need to plan for future facilities by the City. Specific recommendations in these areas are covered in the Physical Resources section, of this chapter. b. A fire risk assessment and response strategy listing the nature and magnitude of the hazards within the City should be completed. The fire risks in each planning zone, including required fire protection resources and special, routine and isolated hazards need to be identified (pre-plans) so an accurate “standard of cover” strategy can be established. The risk assessment and the recommendations and implementation plan in this report will provide the basis for a comprehensive strategic plan. c. In conjunction with the City Council, a long-range strategic plan should be developed for the Fire Department. D. Goals and Objectives RW performed an evaluation of the City and Department’s goals and objectives and has made recommendations for future documentation. 1. Findings The City Council and Fire Department do not have written goals and objectives for the fire department. The fire department organizational structure, although clearly Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 9 defined has vacancies in the leadership ranks. For example, several of the company officer positions are unfilled leaving a leadership gap at the company level. 2. Recommendations a. RW Management recommends the City define and develop a formal written mission statement for the Lake Elmo Fire Department with corresponding goals and objectives. This can be accomplished by the development of a committee representing the Lake Elmo Fire Department, Administration, and governing body in the development of the mission statement, goals and objectives. Once completed, everyone on the City staff needs to be familiar with the mission of their fire department and how the Department is going to achieve its goals. b. The Fire Department needs to continually update and re-enforce department goals and objectives with members through a required learning/training program to ensure consistency and compliancy with all Department policies. c. City and department goals and objectives should be reviewed annually by the Chief and the Administrator, with any changes necessary brought to the attention of the City Council. This should be a scheduled meeting so that all City Stakeholders can appraise and address the effectiveness of the goals and objectives. d. The Department should identify and develop an updated management process (chain of command) that will be responsible for implementing the City and department’s goals and objectives. This can be accomplished by developing a committee of City and fire representatives who through a plan will develop, teach, and ensure that all department employees have a very clear understanding of the chain of command. e. The City Council should define City and department organizational structure and reporting responsibility by clarifying these relationships in the Municipal Code. E. Financial Resources RW reviewed how the Department handled financial issues including budget development and administration. 1. Findings The Fire Chief develops the budget with some input and recommendations from the officers and firefighters, however a more structured process may be helpful. The budget then goes to the City Administrator and City Council for review and approval. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 10 Financial reports are provided to the Chief by the Finance Director who reviews them periodically, but not on a consistent basis, which suggests a need for budget administration being given a higher priority. The City also has an independent audit conducted annually. The Fire Chief reviews invoices for expenses incurred by the Department on a monthly basis and submits them to the City Administration for processing and payment. Within the Lake Elmo Fire Department is a not-for-profit 501c3 Fire Association that conducts annual fund-raising efforts. The funds are used to support the fire department and buy equipment that is not funded by the City Council. The Association operates independently of the City and does not provide any accounting of revenues and expenses to the City. Fundraising is not covered by City policy when using the Department’s name and resources. 2. Recommendations a. The City Council should establish fund raising policies and procedures for the Fire Association to follow when fund raising efforts are conducted utilizing the Department’s name and resources. b. The Chief should include officers and line personnel in the budget process and use it as an opportunity to develop future Chief Officers. An example would be to ask all department employees to submit their own budget requests (wish lists) for the upcoming year, and then organize a LEFD summit to prioritize the requests. c. All fundraising activities that involve City equipment should be governed by City policies. d. The Fire Department should utilize current financial practices and principals supported by Generally Accepted Accounting Practices. e. Provide the City with an annual accounting statement of Fire Association funds and provide full public disclosure of the source and use of these funds. F. Programs This area is defined as the services, activities and responses provided by the department for the community, and supported by the mission, goals and objectives of the Lake Elmo Fire Department. Findings The fire suppression performed by the Lake Elmo Fire Department is supported by 1 Rescue Pumper, 1 Ladder, 1 Tender Pumper, 2 Grass Trucks, and 2 Command Cars. In addition, the department maintains a boat and a ATV. All responding personnel are familiar with the Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 11 Incident Command System (ICS), and seem to work well with their neighbors who also all utilize ICS. The department is required by code, to provide the City with a fire prevention and code enforcement program that has not been able to maintain a satisfactory status. Preplanning and a formalized inspection program are not currently in place Currently there is no written public education program. The fire prevention program currently does not follow a formal curriculum and no data is available to annotate program success The Lake Elmo Fire Department does not currently investigate fire cause and origin, or provide fire investigation services, but there is interest from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, who are contracted with the City to provide law enforcement services, to work with the Fire Department to provide this service. The department does provide some Technical Rescue (extrication and surface water rescue) training, but other services such as elevated rescue, dive, water rescue, confined space, and trench rescue are provided by external resources. Hazardous materials services are provided by the department up to awareness level, with level A and B coming from Minnesota Task Force 1. This is a practical approach to hazardous materials for a department this size. The department provides basic emergency medical services up to EMT-B with paramedic service available from the neighboring hospital under contract for this service area. Currently, the Fire Department, specifically the Chief, is responsible to provide disaster management services to the community but is lacking in the planning stages and consistency of training. 1. Recommendations a. The City and Fire Department should conduct periodic appraisals for all programs to ensure consistency and compliance with the department’s mission. b. The fire department should develop a written departmental training program with a twelve-month calendar of events. This will allow for all department members to plan for and attend training on a regular basis. c. The Department should continue to train on NIMS, Mutual Aid incidents, and EOC, with defined role and responsibilities of internal officers and surrounding departments. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 12 G. Physical Resources This section evaluates the Department’s fixed facility, apparatus and maintenance and related personnel needs. 1. Findings The Department currently has two (2) stations. The facility is maintained and managed to meet the agency’s mission. The design of the facility is not conducive to full time personnel. Additionally, neither facility is in compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The station locations meet today’s needs for the Department’s coverage area. Several maps of the coverage areas and incident response for the City were reviewed. Call statistics and actual incident response time for specific map locations were reviewed and utilized to form the basis of an ideal response area. The current location allows for easy access and response for the majority of department personnel and acceptable apparatus response to incidents. This is confirmed by the City Council, City Administrator, and positive feedback from the community. The ideal standards of coverage for fire and emergency medical responses are 4-6 minutes from the time that the call is dispatched until the unit arrives on the scene. This standard is consistent with the standards of the following agencies;  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)  American Heart Association Guidelines for Defibrillation and CPR  National Standard of Care for EMS Response  Journal of American Medical Association  Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS)  American Ambulance Association (AAA) These established national standards for response have proven to be valid and will be utilized in legal cases as being the benchmark to which services will be judged. The Department currently meets these standards with the current station location, and current staffing levels. The apparatus are fully equipped for structural firefighting, water supply is adequate in the areas served by municipal water. Those areas not serviced by municipal water relay heavily on mutual aid to deliver water via tanker shuttle. Emergency medical response times are good, extrication and rescue meet standards. The vehicles are checked on a regular basis and have adequate maintenance provisions (certified vehicle maintenance). The current Department apparatus are well designed and meet the Department’s goals and objectives, except for water to fight rural fires. The Department has 1 rescue engine, 1 ladder (quint), 1 tender pumper, 2 command cars, 2 grass trucks, 1 boat and 1 ATV. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 13 A replacement schedule is established and appears to meet the need for service and reliability of emergency apparatus. The Department equipment resources were adequate and well maintained. There was regular preventive maintenance and repairs on the equipment and an inventory control system was in place. There is a capital Improvement program set up which outlines the replacement schedule for the apparatus, station maintenance and replacement. 2. Recommendations a. RW recommends that the Department establish a written “standard of cover” for emergency deployment, which accurately reflects the Department’s capabilities. This should be based on the Risk Assessment that was recommended in the Assessment and Planning chapter of this report. b. RW recommends that a new station being planned for take into consideration the future needs of the department to include overnight quarters and training areas. c. Update the inventory control system to provide better accountability of current assets. The City and Department should look at and research a bar-code system to better track inventory items. d. The City capital improvement plan for vehicle replacements seems adequate, but the City Council and Fire Department should consider sharing the cost of future purchases with their neighboring departments. Specialized apparatus such as ladder trucks, heavy rescue and boats can often be shared between municipalities due to their infrequency of use and advanced skill sets needed to safely and efficiently operate them. This would provide for efficiencies for all involved. H. Human Resources RW reviewed the development and utilization of human resources for the Department. The Department’s organizational chart, City policies and standard operating guidelines were examined to provide a basis for the completion of this section. 1. Findings There is currently no designated personnel manager for the Fire Department. Human resource polices, along with job descriptions for all personnel are in place. The Department also has current standard operating guidelines in place which are currently being reviewed and updated. There was a concern found that the human resource policies were not always followed and evenly enforced. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 14 Recruitment, selection, discipline, probationary period, and promotion policies need review. Currently the City Administration holds the responsibility for these areas with the Fire Chief providing input. The Department does have a written new member orientation program. The City has a written Employee Handbook in place but may need to be reviewed by members on a more frequent basis. A written physical/fitness program is not in place currently. The Department does not have a risk management or career development plan in place. The Department does not have a written risk management program in place. 2. Recommendations a. RW recommends that the City Administrator be designated as the personnel manager for the Department. This will provide the Fire Chief with someone who has human resource knowledge and ability. Another option would be to share these services with a neighboring fire department. b. RW also recommends that the Department develop a career development program and a written health and fitness program for the Department. c. The Department should Establish recruitment, retention, and promotional process committee. d. The Department should develop a Health and Safety Committee and begin putting together a risk management and safety program for the Department. e. The administrative staffing recommendations will be found in the External System Relations portion of this report. f. Develop a written risk management process that will provide the City of Lake Elmo with an analysis of community risk using real world factors. The risk assessment will include determining and defining the differences in risk between single family, multiple family, and commercial dwellings within the City. g. Update and provide a more structured new member orientation program. h. Develop a progressive discipline system that establishes rules pertaining to employee conduct, performance, and responsibilities so that all personnel can conduct themselves according to certain rules of good behavior and good conduct. The system should include; a purpose, policy, Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 15 training, discipline steps for each offense, and an investigation team/process that is fair and unbiased. i. Provide human resource training and review SOGs with all members. I. Training Training supports safety and is the backbone for all fire departments when it comes to providing services to their communities in a safe and efficient manner. The Lake Elmo Fire Department lacks a formalized training program to meet the Job Performance Requirements (JPR’s) as set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 1. Findings The department has processes in place to ensure proper training, but not in a consistent manner for all members. No performance-based measurements are in place. The Department has a training records system in place but needs updating to ensure that all members remain compliant. 2. Recommendations a. Develop a long-term training plan that will include; training needs, benefits to the department and City, a priority link to the Lake Elmo Fire Department goals and budget. b. Identify training needs as they pertain to current and potential future risks. c. Enhance accountability system to ensure all members are current with their training. The Lake Elmo Fire Department should utilize a computer- based training system with all members having to login to their accounts. d. Develop performance-based measurements for training. e. Expand training with Mutual Aid partners by setting up mock incidents and worse-case scenarios, to better prepare the members for incident types that are low frequency and high risk. Some examples would be; tornado drill, high school shooting, hazmat incident, etc. f. Training programs should be established to provide for company level inspections to be conducted on an annual basis J. Essential Resources RW interviews and document review provided a basis for the completion of this section. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 16 1. Findings The water supply in the coverage area covered by a hydrant system is adequate. Mutual Aid provides for Tender coverage from other departments for the areas that do not have hydrants. A county wide 800mHz Communications system is in place and dispatch is provided by a County wide dispatch center. This system provides interoperability with mutual aid departments. The County is currently working to install automatic aid dispatching into procedures which will enhance the department’s ability to determine a standard of cover for the community. The management information system does support the current needs of the Department. There is limited administrative support and resources available to the Department. 2. Recommendations a. RW recommends that the Department keep moving forward with mobile data computers in some of the first response vehicles. This will provide better access to incident information, mapping and pre-plans. b. Administrative staffing options are recommended in the next section of this report. c. Review communications SOGs with all members to ensure proper radio etiquette and compliance. Also, provide all members the opportunity to tour the dispatch center and learn how difficult and challenging the dispatching day can be. This will also provide LEFD members with how they are perceived when requesting incident scene equipment. d. Complete the County-wide automatic aid programming. This will help ensure adequate resources are dispatch in a timely and efficient method. e. Adopt a management information system that supports departmental needs. All fire departments today are using some form of a technological system to record and process the effectiveness of services provided to their communities. Even though information systems are best used to collect important data, the LEFD must ensure that management is reviewing this data to achieve department/City goals and objectives. K. External System Relations This section of the report covers external department relations for fire, coverage and their effect on the station staffing needs of the Department. 1. Findings Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 17 The Department does not have a strategic plan in place that would also address the external relationships and potential for changes in those relationships based on population, economic factors, and county-wide rescue emergency planning efforts (i.e. county-wide paramedic system). The current mutual aid agreement should be formalized as well as all automatic aid agreements. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is covered with the department first responders and assigned hospital based Advanced Life Support (Paramedic) services. 2. Recommendations a. RW recommends that the Lake Elmo Fire Department develop a Strategic Plan, which include how external resources are utilized. b. There is a strong need to initiate and manage the fire-EMS shared services potential in this area. Improved resource coordination and availability could be realized, along with cost effective measures ensuring adequate resources at an incident without having to provide unsustainable staffing and equipment. c. RW recommends that a project manager be utilized to help coordinate the shared services effort and provide an objective, informed overview of the current demographics and politics. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 18 L. Organizational Structure and Staffing Recommendations Based on all the analysis and recommendations in the previous section, RW recommends the following Organizational Structure and staffing recommendations; 1. Lake Elmo Fire Department 2020 – 2021 Organizational Chart Recommendation Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 19 2. Lake Elmo Fire Department 2022 – 2025 Organizational Chart Recommendation 3. Staffing Recommendations The Fire Department is a transitional period and would best be supported with the following positions: a. Fulltime Fire Chief 1) Responsible for overall department operations b. Fulltime Division Chief of Training 1) Responsible for Department training in both Fire and EMS 2) Provides oversight of operations c. Part-time Administrative Captain Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 20 1) Provides administrative reporting duties to the Chief 2) Responsible for Inspection Bureau and Preplanning 3) Serves as Company officer during daytime shift periods d. Three Paid on Call Lt’s 1) Assigned as company officer 2) Responsible for the daily function of the shift to include administrative taskings of inspection, public education, maintenance and other duties as assigned. 3) Serve as member of the initial fire crew on assigned fire apparatus e. Four Part time Firefighters 1) Transition should be made to all firefighters being Paid on Call or Part time upon the completion of the new station with the minimum staffing being an Engine Company of 4 personal available to respond within 90 secs of receipt of call. In 2022 RW recommends that the department moves forward and hire or promotes 3 firefighters to Fulltime in the position of Driver/Operator. Those positions should be also required to be Emergency Medical Technicians. The Department should also continue the transition of all members being required to be EMTS. Depending on a call volume it may elect at this time to increase the overall number of Firefighters to allow for coverage of sick days, vacations and other time off. III. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN A. Implementation Plan by Priority To properly and successfully implement the recommendations made for department operations, administrative services, policies, and other related recommendations, certain key components must be addressed. Without the implementation of these components, overall services, productivity and organizational buy-in will be tempered and system performance will suffer. The following implementation plan lists, by priority, those requirements that satisfy the principles of comprehensive delivery of fire service protection. The plan has been developed also considering the benefits that have a high overall return to the residents, the Department, the City and the neighboring communities. Using this approach, the City will not only be moving toward sound fire department services, practices and systems, but they will also be implementing changes in operations, services and technology that yield the highest returns first. The exact details and dates for some of these changes are left up to the project team to determine the specifics of how the current corporate culture is, and the immediate need. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 21 1. Fiscal Year 2020 The goal for the first year of implementation should be to begin planning for the comprehensive implementation of the recommendations. The following areas are to be implemented during the remainder of this year include: a. Assist the Interim Fire Chief by providing mentoring and management consulting to achieve mutually agreed upon departmental goals and objectives. b. Begin executive search for New Fire Chief. c. Begin planning for construction of the new station with the development of a physical resource plan. The exact timetable for this should be determined by the project team and recommended to the City Council d. Define a Project Team made up of members from the City and Department. This team will provide oversight of the Fire Department Operations and Administrative Review Study recommendations and of the planned organizational changes to occur with internal and external resources to coordinate efforts. e. In consultation with members of the Fire Department and City Administrator, the City Council to define and develop goals and objectives for the fire department. f. Provide for project management to oversee the entire project for the next five (5) years. The project manager will be responsible for keeping the project on track and moving ahead. This may be the City Administrator or Fire Chief. g. Complete a fire risk assessment and response strategy listing the nature and magnitude of the hazards within the City. The fire risks in each planning zone including the required fire protection resources and special, routine and isolated hazards need to be identified. h. Review and update the Public Safety Committee and Administrator on recruitment, hiring, and discipline practices. i. Define and develop a formal written Recruitment and Retention Plan with corresponding goals and objectives. j. Develop a written “standard of cover” for emergency deployment, which accurately reflects the Department’s capabilities. k. Designate the City Administrator as the personnel manager for the Department Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 22 l. Establish a training program to meet the Professional Job Requirements of all positions as defined by the National Fire Protection Association. m. Develop a career development program for the Department. n. Develop a written fire prevention program to include annual fire inspections and public education aspects. o. Begin discussions with the surrounding communities about shared purchasing and staffing opportunities. p. Develop a written health and fitness program for the Department. q. Participate in the Federal Disaster Recovery Program. r. The project team should take the information from this report and begin developing a strategic plan for the Department that encompasses the next ten (10) years. 2. Fiscal Year 2021 The goals for the second year of implementation are to begin work on a physical resource plan, and planning process and recommendations within the budget and resource constraints. The following areas are to be developed during this year: a. Develop an updated inventory control system. b. Complete the long-term strategic plan for the Department. The City Council should approve this plan. c. Review and update the written new member orientation program. d. Proceed forward with the City Council adopting multi-jurisdictional purchasing agreements with surrounding communities. e. Create a formal structure to include all fire department personnel in the budget and planning process. f. Develop a higher level of respected trust between the City and Fire Department. g. Complete the implementation of laptop computers in the response vehicles. Implement a digitized mapping and pre-plan system on the laptops for easy and quick retrieval of incident location, occupancy and pre-plan information. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 23 h. The Public Safety Committee should begin putting together a risk management and safety program for the Department. i. Establish a written Department health and fitness program. 3. Fiscal Year 2022-2027 The goal for the remaining years of implementation is to continue implementing the strategic plan and recommendations within the budget and resource constraints. The following areas are to be developed during these years: a. Develop specifications for the purchase of the replacement vehicles utilizing a needs analysis of existing equipment and those apparatus which could be shared with neighboring communities through automatic aid agreements b. Begin active recruitment for full time firefighter positions based on earlier recommendations. c. Purchase new vehicles utilizing mutual aid purchasing agreements. d. Make needed adjustments, changes and updates to the Department strategic plan. e. Complete a departmental reorganization, to include fulltime staffing position(s) of firefighters. f. Begin discussions on shared service opportunities with neighboring communities. g. Continue to complete and update the Fire Department Strategic Plan. h. Provide constant and continued audits of all department activities. IV. ESTIMATED BUDGET A. Project Budget Section IV presents budget estimates and costs associated with future short/long term organizational and administrative recommendations. The budget has been developed considering the recommendations presented throughout this document. As with any project, these estimates were developed anticipating that the City would implement the plan as presented, and in the timeframes specified. Should the project timeframes be lengthened, or the scope or direction of the project be changed, the budget estimates would need to be adjusted accordingly. The costs for these recommendations are approximate estimations and can be adjusted at any time by the project team. For Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 24 example, the actual costs associated with the rehiring of a full-time Fire Chief will have to be researched and determined by the City. Also, the cost of the research must be accounted for in the budget. Years 2022 through 2027 are lumped together in one column. This is to allow for the project team to determine the exact years of implementation for each recommendation. The dollars shown in this column are totals for each phase of the project and should represent accurate estimates for the entire 8-year period. The budget is presented to provide the basis for the continuing project efforts should the City adopt the recommendations and begin implementation of the recommendations. The budget is characterized by the following major components: • Operational Expenses – Expenses associated with project management and related costs. Project management should include but is not limited to these areas within the City/department; team development, high-level plan, choosing the best people, assigning responsibilities, and setting goals and objectives. These costs are based on external project management and may or may not be lower if the project management is handled internally. 1. Benefits As a result of implementing RW’s recommendations, the City, the Department and the citizens living in the City should realize significant tangible benefits, mitigate liabilities, and justify the recommended investment. The following tangible and intangible benefits should be realized as a result of implementation of the study recommendations: a. Improve the confidence and abilities of emergency response personnel to handle emergency incidents, by improving the Lake Elmo Fire Department support network; updated operations and administration policies and procedures. b. Provide a long-term approach to operational and capital needs for the City to use as a planning guide for budgetary and operational considerations. This approach improves efficiencies by reducing repetitive processes and provides for a structured management plan. c. Mitigate liability in instances where accepted national standards are not being met. These standards are nationally recognized in a court of law and will serve to protect the City. d. Provide a pro-active approach to planning for the future development of the community by detailed evaluation of the fire department services, which is then revisited periodically. e. Provide a well-defined, coordinated plan for the proper implementation of a fully functional Fire Department, supported by department and City goals and objectives. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 25 f. Improve the confidence and abilities of emergency response personnel to handle emergency incidents, by providing the appropriate facilities, management, organizational structure and technology. g. Improve coordination of information between the City and department, outside departments, such as adjacent municipalities, highway maintenance, public works departments and other organizations. h. Improve coordination and productivity during major incidents and disasters with all involved agencies, including the on-scene command posts, Emergency Government and the Emergency Operations Center. i. Increase and improve the level of service to citizens by providing staff with the ability to have quicker access to incident information, through the utilization of laptop databases, allowing for a better prepared response unit, to citizen requests for assistance. j. Provide the City management with timelier accurate information and decision-making tools, which should result in improved and effective policy decision making. k. Increase quality improvement through a continuous self-assessment capable of identifying and correcting deficiencies and building on strong points. This will also foster pride within the Department and national recognition by the community and peers. This will also assure that the Department is utilizing best practices and instills community pride. l. Stabilize the Departments rate of spending for the next ten years, which will allow the Department to handle the rapid growth of the community and yet keep in line with the current rate of assessed value growth. m. The improvement and retention of the overall fitness and health of the Department members should be given a higher priority. This should contribute to the mitigation or work accidents, occupational exposure, hazard awareness and the reduction of loss time injuries and legal actions. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 26 The cost to implement the recommendations is shown in the budget projections below: LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Recommendations Budget Organizational Recommendation Low Estimate High Estimate Management Counsel – Project Management $36,000 $72,000 Executive Recruitment $10,000 $25,000 Project Team Expenses $2,000 $8,000 Fire Risk Assessment $10,000 $40,000 Shared Services Agreement $2,000 $20,000 Strategic Plan Development $2,000 $20,000 Estimate Totals $62,000 $185,000 Utilization of Management Counsel or Project Management will allow the costs to remain closer to the low end of the estimates. Most of these costs will be encountered in the first year of the recommendation implementation. By implementing the recommendations found in this report, the current Lake Elmo Fire Department will be able to continue to provide citizens and taxpayers exemplary Fire and EMS services. V. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY The Management Summary portion of this Analysis is a summarized version of what has already been stated in the Analysis. It is designed for quicker reading of the project overview, recommendations made and benefits of implementing the recommedations. A. Project Overview RW Management Group, Inc. was retained by the City of Lake Elmo to conduct an Organizational Analysis of the Lake Elmo Fire Department. The Study will provide recommendations and options for the City and fire department to use now and in the future, when assessing department needs. Based upon the proposal submitted by RW Management Group, Inc. (RW) the scope of the project was to perform a Fire Department Organizational Analysis to assist the City and Fire Department in developing a long-range plan for staffing, compensation, potential for contracted services, administrative and managerial improvements. This study was designed to have an independent third-party review current department administration, operations, rules, regulations, personnel procedures, operating procedures, and provide recommendations Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 27 on future departmental needs. The City also desired to have an evaluation of the overall organization and staffing levels of the Fire Department. The findings and recommendations are related to the LEFD operations, administration, and response times for services rendered, related human resources and program review. The review included the following categories:  Governance and Administration  Assessment and Planning  Goal and Objectives  Financial Resources  Programs  Physical Resources  Human Resources  Essential Resources  Training  External Systems Relations B. Operational Overview and Recommendations As stated earlier, the objectives of this project were to evaluate the City of Lake Elmo Fire Department (Department) and make recommendations for the Department’s short/long term organizational and administrative needs. The Report includes findings and recommendations relating to the Governance and Administration, Assessment and Planning, Goals and Objectives, Programs, Physical Resources, Human Resources, Essential Resources, Training, and External System Relations and Organizational Structure and Staffing of the Fire Department. This section evaluates the Department’s present Fire organizational and administrative needs, and makes recommendations relating to the categories listed above. This review was based on the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), formerly the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) categories and criteria. The Lake Elmo Fire Department overall is providing adequate level standards in providing fire service within their scope of service. The shortage of staffing and lack of leadership have combined to hinder the agency in reaching critical milestones in the Departments development. Department personnel displayed professionalism and were very cooperative throughout the review. 1. Recommendations a. Establish a more structured communications process between the City Council, City Administrator and the Fire Department that utilizes written reports, regular meetings between the Administrator and Chief, and meetings with the City Council as needed. This can be accomplished through a Project Team structure, or a request from any of the City stakeholders for additional information. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 28 b. The City Council is responsible to review, approve, and perform appraisals of fire department programs to ensure compliance with basic City policies. This can be easily attainable through scheduled meetings with the City Administration and the City Council. c. All parties should review Chapter 32 of the Municipal Code to clarify lines of authority and reporting responsibility between the Fire Chief and the City Administrator. The history and make-up of the fire department is a structure based upon military command. In other words, there always needs to be a clear definition and understanding of the “chain of command”. Chapter 32 lacks this clear structure and should be amended to clarify reporting responsibilities. d. The City’s growth plan and the current incident response statistics show no need for improved station coverage but will need to plan for future facilities by the City. Specific recommendations in these areas are covered in the Physical Resources section, of this chapter. e. A fire risk assessment and response strategy listing the nature and magnitude of the hazards within the City should be completed. The fire risks in each planning zone, including required fire protection resources and special, routine and isolated hazards need to be identified (pre-plans) so an accurate “standard of cover” strategy can be established. The risk assessment and the recommendations and implementation plan in this report will provide the basis for a comprehensive strategic plan. f. In conjunction with the City Council, a long-range strategic plan should be developed for the Fire Department. g. RW Management recommends the City define and develop a formal written mission statement for the Lake Elmo Fire Department with corresponding goals and objectives. This can be accomplished by the development of a committee representing the Lake Elmo Fire Department, Administration, and governing body in the development of the mission statement, goals and objectives. Once completed, everyone on the City staff needs to be familiar with the mission of their fire department and how the Department is going to achieve its goals. h. The Fire Department needs to continually update and re-enforce department goals and objectives with members through a required learning/training program to ensure consistency and compliancy with all Department policies. i. City and department goals and objectives should be reviewed annually by the Chief and the Administrator, with any changes necessary brought to the attention of the City Council. This should be a scheduled meeting so that all City Stakeholders can appraise and address the effectiveness of the goals and objectives. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 29 j. The Department should identify and develop an updated management process (chain of command) that will be responsible for implementing the City and department’s goals and objectives. This can be accomplished by developing a committee of City and fire representatives who through a plan will develop, teach, and ensure that all department employees have a very clear understanding of the chain of command. k. The City Council should define City and department organizational structure and reporting responsibility by clarifying these relationships in the Municipal Code. l. The City Council should establish fund raising policies and procedures for the Fire Association to follow when fund raising efforts are conducted utilizing the Department’s name and resources. m. The Chief should include officers and line personnel in the budget process and use it as an opportunity to develop future Chief Officers. An example would be to ask all department employees to submit their own budget requests (wish lists) for the upcoming year, and then organize a LEFD summit to prioritize the requests. n. All fundraising activities that involve City equipment should be governed by City policies. o. The Fire Department should utilize current financial practices and principals supported by Generally Accepted Accounting Practices. p. Provide the City with an annual accounting statement of Fire Association funds and provide full public disclosure of the source and use of these funds. q. The City and Fire Department should conduct periodic appraisals for all programs to ensure consistency and compliance with the department’s mission. r. The fire department should develop a written departmental training program with a twelve-month calendar of events. This will allow for all department members to plan for and attend training on a regular basis. s. The Department should continue to train on NIMS, Mutual Aid incidents, and EOC, with defined role and responsibilities of internal officers and surrounding departments. t. RW recommends that the Department establish a written “standard of cover” for emergency deployment, which accurately reflects the Department’s capabilities. This should be based on the Risk Assessment that was recommended in the Assessment and Planning chapter of this report. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 30 u. RW recommends that a new station being planned for take into consideration the future needs of the department to include overnight quarters and training areas. v. Update the inventory control system to provide better accountability of current assets. The City and Department should look at and research a bar- code system to better track inventory items. w. The City capital improvement plan for vehicle replacements seems adequate, but the City Council and Fire Department should consider sharing the cost of future purchases with their neighboring departments. Specialized apparatus such as ladder trucks, heavy rescue and boats can often be shared between municipalities due to their infrequency of use and advanced skill sets needed to safely and efficiently operate them. This would provide for efficiencies for all involved. x. RW recommends that the City Administrator be designated as the personnel manager for the Department. This will provide the Fire Chief with someone who has human resource knowledge and ability. Another option would be to share these services with a neighboring fire department. y. RW also recommends that the Department develop a career development program and a written health and fitness program for the Department. z. The Department should Establish recruitment, retention, and promotional process committee. aa. The Department should develop a Health and Safety Committee and begin putting together a risk management and safety program for the Department. bb. The administrative staffing recommendations will be found in the External System Relations portion of this report. cc. Develop a written risk management process that will provide the City of Lake Elmo with an analysis of community risk using real world factors. The risk assessment will include determining and defining the differences in risk between single family, multiple family, and commercial dwellings within the City. dd. Update and provide a more structured new member orientation program. ee. Develop a progressive discipline system that establishes rules pertaining to employee conduct, performance, and responsibilities so that all personnel can conduct themselves according to certain rules of good behavior and good conduct. The system should include; a purpose, policy, training, discipline steps for each offense, and an investigation team/process that is fair and unbiased. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 31 ff. Provide human resource training and review SOGs with all members. gg. Develop a long-term training plan that will include; training needs, benefits to the department and City, a priority link to the Lake Elmo Fire Department goals and budget. hh. Identify training needs as they pertain to current and potential future risks. ii. Enhance accountability system to ensure all members are current with their training. The Lake Elmo Fire Department should utilize a computer-based training system with all members having to login to their accounts. jj. Develop performance-based measurements for training. kk. Expand training with Mutual Aid partners by setting up mock incidents and worse-case scenarios, to better prepare the members for incident types that are low frequency and high risk. Some examples would be; tornado drill, high school shooting, hazmat incident, etc. ll. Training programs should be established to provide for company level inspections to be conducted on an annual basis mm. RW recommends that the Department keep moving forward with mobile data computers in some of the first response vehicles. This will provide better access to incident information, mapping and pre-plans. nn. Administrative staffing options are recommended in the next section of this report. oo. Review communications SOGs with all members to ensure proper radio etiquette and compliance. Also, provide all members the opportunity to tour the dispatch center and learn how difficult and challenging the dispatching day can be. This will also provide LEFD members with how they are perceived when requesting incident scene equipment. pp. Complete the County-wide automatic aid programming. This will help ensure adequate resources are dispatch in a timely and efficient method. qq. Adopt a management information system that supports departmental needs. All fire departments today are using some form of a technological system to record and process the effectiveness of services provided to their communities. Even though information systems are best used to collect important data, the LEFD must ensure that management is reviewing this data to achieve department/City goals and objectives. rr. RW recommends that the Lake Elmo Fire Department develop a Strategic Plan, which include how external resources are utilized. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 32 ss. There is a strong need to initiate and manage the fire-EMS shared services potential in this area. Improved resource coordination and availability could be realized, along with cost effective measures ensuring adequate resources at an incident without having to provide unsustainable staffing and equipment. tt. RW recommends that a project manager be utilized to help coordinate the shared services effort and provide an objective, informed overview of the current demographics and politics. uu. The Fire Department is a transitional period and would best be supported with the following positions: 1) Fulltime Fire Chief a) Responsible for overall department operations 2) Fulltime Division Chief of Training a) Responsible for Department training in both Fire and EMS b) Provides oversight of operations 3) Part-time Administrative Captain a) Provides administrative reporting duties to the Chief b) Responsible for Inspection Bureau and Preplanning c) Serves as Company officer during daytime shift periods 4) Three Paid on Call Lt’s a) Assigned as company officer b) Responsible for the daily function of the shift to include administrative taskings of inspection, public education, maintenance and other duties as assigned. c) Serve as member of the initial fire crew on assigned fire apparatus 5) Four Part time Firefighters a) Transition should be made to all firefighters being Paid on Call or Part time upon the completion of the new station with the minimum staffing being an Engine Company of 4 personal available to respond within 90 secs of receipt of call. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 33 vv. In 2022, RW recommends that the department moves forward and hire or promotes three firefighters to Fulltime in the position of Driver/Operator. Those positions should be also required to be Emergency Medical Technicians. The Department should also continue the transition of all members being required to be EMTS. Depending on a call volume it may elect at this time to increase the overall number of Firefighters to allow for coverage of sick days, vacations and other time off. 2. Benefits As a result of implementing RW’s recommendations, the City, the Department and the citizens living in the City should realize significant tangible benefits, mitigate liabilities, and justify the recommended investment. The following tangible and intangible benefits should be realized as a result of implementation of the study recommendations: a. Improve the confidence and abilities of emergency response personnel to handle emergency incidents, by improving the Lake Elmo Fire Department support network; updated operations and administration policies and procedures. b. Provide a long-term approach to operational and capital needs for the City to use as a planning guide for budgetary and operational considerations. This approach improves efficiencies by reducing repetitive processes and provides for a structured management plan. c. Mitigate liability in instances where accepted national standards are not being met. These standards are nationally recognized in a court of law and will serve to protect the City. d. Provide a pro-active approach to planning for the future development of the community by detailed evaluation of the fire department services, which is then revisited periodically. e. Provide a well-defined, coordinated plan for the proper implementation of a fully functional Fire Department, supported by department and City goals and objectives. f. Improve the confidence and abilities of emergency response personnel to handle emergency incidents, by providing the appropriate facilities, management, organizational structure and technology. g. Improve coordination of information between the City and department, outside departments, such as adjacent municipalities, highway maintenance, public works departments and other organizations. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 34 h. Improve coordination and productivity during major incidents and disasters with all involved agencies, including the on-scene command posts, Emergency Government and the Emergency Operations Center. i. Increase and improve the level of service to citizens by providing staff with the ability to have quicker access to incident information, through the utilization of laptop databases, allowing for a better prepared response unit, to citizen requests for assistance. j. Provide the City management with timelier accurate information and decision-making tools, which should result in improved and effective policy decision making. k. Increase quality improvement through a continuous self-assessment capable of identifying and correcting deficiencies and building on strong points. This will also foster pride within the Department and national recognition by the community and peers. This will also assure that the Department is utilizing best practices and instills community pride. l. Stabilize the Departments rate of spending for the next ten years, which will allow the Department to handle the rapid growth of the community and yet keep in line with the current rate of assessed value growth. m. The improvement and retention of the overall fitness and health of the Department members should be given a higher priority. This should contribute to the mitigation or work accidents, occupational exposure, hazard awareness and the reduction of loss time injuries and legal actions. VI. GLOSSARY OF TERMS ALS Advanced Life Support – An emergency medical response unit with EMT- Paramedic personnel and equipment. This unit is equipped to provide emergency cardiac and drug intervention care. AUTOMATIC AID Automatic Aid is a type of mutual aid in which resources from another department/agency are dispatched to an incident in another jurisdiction by protocol rather than by verbal request from the incident commander in the jurisdiction where aid is needed. APPARATUS Apparatus is commonly used to describe multiple types of fire trucks or emergency response vehicles like ambulances. BLS Basic Life Support – An emergency medical response unit with EMT personnel and equipment. This unit is equipped to provide basic emergency medical care. CIP Capital Improvement Plan - A short-range plan, usually four to ten years, which identifies capital projects and equipment purchases, provides a planning schedule and identifies options for financing the plan Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 35 CFAI Commission of Fire Accreditation International – National Fire accreditation process, which has become a part of the Center of Public Safety Excellence. CPSE Center for Public Safety Excellence - Evaluation process that measures fire departments to established and accepted national standard criteria. The International City /County Management Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs were both committed to the development of these standards. EMS Emergency Medical Service - This term is utilized to cover the multiple tiers of emergency medical response, from first responder to Paramedic. EOC Emergency Operations Center - is a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions at a strategic level during an emergency, and ensuring the continuity of operation of a company, political subdivision or other organization. EOP Emergency Operations Plan - Describes how a facility will respond to and recover from all hazards. FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency – A federal government agency responsible for the regulation of disaster management, planning and training. ICS Incident Command System – Nationally accepted system for the management of personnel and resources at large Public Safety incidents. ISO Insurance Services Office Rating Schedule – System used to rate fire departments for insurance rating purposes. MUTUAL AID Mutual aid is utilized frequently in fires that exceed the capabilities of a department’s equipment or available manpower to appropriately fight a large fire. Mutual aid requires a specific request for assistance by the incident commander. NFPA National Fire Protection Association - An association organized to reduce the burden of fire on the quality of life by advocating scientifically based consensus codes and standards, research and education for fire and related safety issues NIMS National Incident Management System – Nationally accepted program for the management of personnel, resources and equipment at major disaster related incidents. POC Paid-On-Call - Firefighters that are paid based on responding to call. Generally, POC Firefighters do not stay at a fire station while awaiting a call to respond to. PAID-ON-PREMISE Firefighters that are paid on a part-time basis to be working in a fire station while waiting for a call for service to respond to. PRE-PLANS The documentation fire departments use to plan building response and incident management for target threats or specific hazardous locations. Fire Department Organizational Analysis Report City of Elmo Fire Department | Washington Co., MN CITY OF LAKE ELMO FIRE DEPARTMENT Page 36 RMS Records Management Systems. SOG Standard Operating Guidelines - Department developed document that establishes parameters for firefighting operations and other department functions.