Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
Elgin Fire Chief John Fahy often quotes the famous Yogi Berra saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.†This belief in having a clear vision for the future inspired the Elgin Fire Department to create its first-ever strategic plan, covering the years 2015 to 2020, as Fahy explained.
The plan was developed this spring with the support of The Center for Public Safety Excellence, who worked as consultants at a cost of around $15,000. It was officially released last week. According to Fahy, only about 10% of fire departments across the country have formal strategic plans, making Elgin one of the few that take long-term planning seriously.
Assistant Fire Chief Dave Schmidt was among 32 internal stakeholders who helped shape the final document. These individuals worked closely with external participants who attended focus groups, ensuring that both internal and external perspectives were considered in the process.
Previously, the department lacked a formalized approach, often excluding frontline firefighters and the public from the planning process. With many senior leaders nearing retirement, the new strategic plan also serves as a way to establish clearer succession plans within the department.
“By 2020, most of our staff may be retiring after 30 years of service,†Schmidt noted.
The strategic plan focused on seven key areas: internal and external communications, community outreach, disaster preparedness, fire prevention, workforce development, health and wellness, and public education. Each area had specific goals set for implementation over the next five years.
In the past, it was easier for a fire chief to simply ask for equipment or funding. But today, with a data-driven approach, departments must not only justify their needs but also provide evidence of how those needs benefit both the department and the community. To ensure transparency, the department invited 130 community stakeholders to participate in focus groups, with 90 attending, according to Fahy.
The consultants were impressed by the high level of community engagement, which shows strong support for the department and city operations. After the public input sessions, internal stakeholders took the lead in refining the ideas and turning them into actionable steps.
Fahy made a conscious effort to stay out of the process, believing that firefighters would be more open and honest when they weren’t directly under his supervision.
Both Fahy and Schmidt agreed that many strategic plans end up unused on a shelf. To avoid that, each of the seven goals has specific objectives, timeframes, tasks, and funding estimates. Every objective is assigned to responsible personnel, and many are designed to build upon one another.
The workforce planning and development goal focuses on current staffing levels and how they align with service demands. It also identifies future staffing needs based on expected service requirements.
Looking ahead, these objectives will include evaluating personnel management and leadership development programs, helping prepare current firefighters for future roles within the department.
Elgin firefighters, like many across the country, have noticed a decline in the number of fires due to improved home construction. Currently, about 75% of all calls are medical-related, while the remaining 25% involve fires, accidents, hazardous materials, and other emergencies. The strategic plan aims to help the department better allocate its resources to meet these changing demands.
“In the end, we hope to become a more efficient, better-trained, and more communicative department,†Fahy said.
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