Title
Resolution to Adopt the 2016 Strategic Fire Services Plan
Memorandum
This is to recommend approval of the attached resolution adopting the 2016 Strategic Fire Services Plan, which will provide the City’s Fire Services Unit (AAFD) a clear statement of their ongoing mission as well as the necessary planning tool in development of future services to better protect and preserve the community and its residents.
AAFD has an opportunity to pursue national accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and its Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). CPSE describes the fire department accreditation as a rigorous self-assessment process that requires the agency to “examine their past, current, and future service levels and internal performance and compare them to industry best practices.” This accreditation process provides a well-defined, internationally-recognized benchmark system to measure the quality of fire and emergency services as well as assure compliance to state and federal laws. An adopted Strategic Plan is required for accreditation.
AAFD’s current strategic plan was developed in 2008. An updated strategic plan, which addresses the quality benchmarks identified in the accreditation process, was a necessary component of AAFD’s efforts to pursue its overall mission. The same strategic plan consulting firm used by the City, The Azimuth Group, Inc. (AGI), was hired by AAFD to assure that the Fire Service’s strategic plan stays in alignment with the overall City’s strategic plan.
The proposed strategic plan incorporated interviews, work groups and focus groups to obtain input from many facets including fire administration, fire service unit personnel from all ranks, leaders of neighboring fire departments, University of Michigan representatives, and community leaders. The data collected from all spectrums allowed to identify and plan for the future in providing the expected and needed fire services.
This strategic plan is a result of consensus around several key strategic priorities to guide the efforts of fire leaders and personnel over the next several years including the selection of policies, development of capacity, and interpretation of the environment by managers to focus organizational efforts toward the achievement of preset goals and objectives.
Key benefits to implementing a fire service unit strategic plan are:
• Assessment of the current and anticipated future environment surrounding the organization;
• Identification of the current strengths and weaknesses of an organization, especially its capabilities
• Alignment of the department mission and vision statement with the City statements;
• Identification of community risk and safety needs and development of community-specific service standards;
• Development of strategies for the achievement of desired goals;
• Provision of a well-defined, internationally-recognized benchmark system to measure the quality of fire and emergency services as well as assure compliance to state and federal laws.
• Provision of guidance to fire administration in identified strategic priorities and goals and implementation strategies for those goals;
• Development of performance measurement with control and evaluation systems for continuing feedback;
In summary, the 2016 Fire Services Strategic Plan will serve as an important enabling document, establishes a strategic foundation for improvement, clearly articulates a progressive future direction, and drives the achievement of desired community outcomes. This strategic plan clarifies what success looks like for AAFD in light of expected future conditions and the direction the community and leadership wants to take the organization moving forward.
Approval of this resolution adopts the 2016 Fire Services Strategic Plan
Attachment: 2016 Fire Services Strategic Plan
Staff
Prepared by: Ellen S. Taylor, Assistant Fire Chief, AAFD
Reviewed by: Larry E. Collins, AAFD Fire Chief
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Ann Arbor Fire Services Unit has actively pursued the development of a new strategic plan around several key strategic priorities to guide the efforts of fire leaders and personnel over the next several years including the selection of policies, development of capacity, and interpretation of the environment by managers to focus organizational efforts toward the achievement of preset goals and objectives;
Whereas, The proposed strategic plan incorporated interviews, work groups and focus groups to obtain input from many facets including fire administration, fire service unit personnel from all ranks, leaders of neighboring fire departments, University of Michigan representatives, and community leaders. The data collected from all spectrums allowed to identify and plan for the future in providing the expected and needed fire services;
Whereas, AAFD has an opportunity to pursue national accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), and its Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI);
Whereas, This strategic plan complies with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and its Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) requirements to allow the Fire Department to come closer to national accreditation; and
Whereas, This strategic plan is in alignment with the overall City’s strategic plan;
RESOLVED, That City Council adopt the 2016 Strategic Fire Services Plan;
RESOLVED, The adopted strategic plan shall include a copy of this Resolution certified by the City Clerk as evidence of the Council’s action; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this Resolution.