Elgin FD invests in strategic planning

Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:

Elgin Fire Chief John Fahy often quotes Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” This mindset has driven the Elgin Fire Department to create its first formal strategic plan for 2015–2020, as Fahy explained. The plan was developed this spring with the help of The Center for Public Safety Excellence, at a cost of around $15,000. It was recently released and marks Elgin as one of just 10% of fire departments nationwide with such a structured approach.

Assistant Fire Chief Dave Schmidt was among 32 internal stakeholders who helped shape the final plan. These individuals worked alongside external community members who participated in focus groups. Unlike previous efforts, which were informal and didn’t involve firefighters or the public, this process aimed to be more inclusive and transparent.

Fahy pointed out that many senior leaders are nearing retirement age, making it essential to formalize succession plans. “By 2020, most of our staff will have been with the department for 30 years,” Schmidt noted. The new strategic plan covers seven key areas: internal and external communications, disaster preparedness, fire prevention, workforce planning, health and wellness, and public education.

In the past, fire chiefs could simply ask city councils for equipment. Today, however, data is essential. The department and its consultants invited 130 community stakeholders to the focus groups, with 90 attending. Fahy said the high turnout surprised the consultants, showing strong public support for the department’s work.

To encourage open dialogue, Fahy stayed largely out of the process, allowing firefighters to express their thoughts freely. He and Schmidt agreed that many strategic plans end up forgotten on a shelf. To avoid that, each of the seven goals includes specific objectives with timelines, tasks, and funding estimates. Each objective is assigned to responsible personnel, with many building on the previous ones.

The workforce planning goal examines current staffing levels and how they align with service demands. It also identifies future staffing needs based on those demands. This includes evaluating management programs and preparing firefighters for leadership roles in the future.

Firefighters across the country, including in Elgin, are responding to fewer fires due to better home construction. In Elgin, about 75% of calls are medical, while 25% involve fires, crashes, or hazardous materials. The strategic plan will help determine the best way to deploy resources to meet these evolving needs.

“In the end, we want to be a more efficient, better-trained, and more communicative department,” Fahy said. With this plan in place, the Elgin Fire Department is taking a proactive step toward a stronger, more sustainable future.

Thanks, Dan

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