Saint Paul Fire Department

1. Saint Paul Fire Department 5-Year Strategic Plan October 17, 2007

2. Background • In March 2007, the City received a report from the TriData Division of System Planning Corporation, a consulting firm hired to conduct a management study of the Saint Paul Fire Department. The consultant’s charge was to assess staffing and deployment, including an analysis of stations locations and response times. The report indicates they also evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of management and of the organizational structure. • The final report contained 138 recommendations that ranged from major controversial changes, such as eliminating three fire stations and moving two others, to routine non-controversial recommendations, such as tracking the number of hours spent by inspectors on public education. • Upon receiving the final consultant’s report, the Mayor’s Office directed the Fire Department to review the consultant’s recommendations and prepare a five-year strategic plan, incorporating the recommendations as appropriate.

3. Strategic Planning Team Robert Morrison, Fire Chief Mike Hogan, Assistant Fire Chief Sue Jacobson, Deputy EMS Chief Pat Smith, District Fire Chief (FSA Rep) Tony Ferraro, Fire Captain (Local 21 Rep) John Swanson, Executive Services Director Cindy Mentes, Administrative Assistant Terry Haltiner, Senior HR Consultant (Chair) Sherrie Le, Facilitator

4. Strategic Planning Team • Other attendees • R.J. Frascone, Medical Director • Pat Flanagan, Local 21 President • Members of Local 21’s EMS Committee • Input from staff at all levels • Involvement from both labor and management • Meetings held twice a week since April, 2007 • Station and division meetings

5. TriData’s Recommendations • 138 Final Recommendations • 84 Non-Controversial • 54 Controversial • 19 Recommendations Complete • 60 Recommendations In Process • 17 Recommendations Rejected • 16 Assigned to the Department of Safety and Inspections • 10 Assigned to Emergency Management

6. Strategic Planning Process • Identified Shared Values • Developed a Mission Statement • Clarified our Vision • Established Employee Focus Groups • 18 Employee Meetings • Solicited feedback on values, mission, vision • Solicited ideas on what would be ideal • Employee input was incorporated into the plan

7. Employee and Strategic Planning Team Categories • Leadership • EMS • Fire Suppression and Special Operations • Funding and Revenue • Facilities and Equipment • Employee Fitness and Well-being • Employee Relations • Public/Community Relations • Education and Training • Hiring and Promotion

8. Developing the Plan • Review Focus Group input along with relevant TriData recommendations • Identification of critical issues • Development of goals to address issues • Prioritization of goals • Development of tactical plans • Establishment of critical success factors

9. The dedicated professionals of the Saint Paul Fire Department provide prompt, quality fire, EMS, special operations, and fire prevention services for the City of Saint Paul. MISSION VISION To be on the cutting edge of providing emergency services in response to the evolving needs of the community. • Commitment to the Job/Dedication • Teamwork/Cooperation • Integrity/Commitment to Values • Professionalism • Determination/Motivation/Work Ethic • Effective, Open Two-way Communication • Trust/Credibility • Training, Education, and Career Development • Compassion/Empathy • Honesty VALUES

10. BELIEFS • LEADERSHIP • We believe good leadership is a commitment of unselfish service to our customers and employees • We believe strong visionary leadership fosters trust, loyalty, and commitment to the values of the organization and the well-being of our employees • We believe empowering employees unifies the workforce to accomplish organizational goals • We believe leadership encompasses vision, optimism, and integrity and is based on trust • We believe good leadership creates an inclusive atmosphere that fosters success while maintaining the best of our traditions • HUMAN RELATIONS • We believe effective human relations skills incorporate open, honest, and respectful two-way communication • We believe in healthy conflict resolution

11. BELIEFS - Continued • ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT • We believe in a diverse workforce that respects individual and cultural differences • We believe in developing an efficient and effective workforce through education and training • We believe in continual improvement, innovation, and adaptability to plan for future needs and growth • EMPLOYEES • We believe that if we strive for excellence while doing what’s best for the city, department, and citizens, we will foster professionalism and pride in the organization and its traditions • We believe employees should reflect the following qualities: honesty, integrity, compassion, patience, respect, dependability, confidence, optimism, and a sense of humor

12. EMS Strategic Plan Number, location, and types of apparatus (ALS/BLS, and possible transport service issues also). Paramedic and EMT staffing and scheduling. How should EMS calls be dispatched (different levels – Clawson Dispatch Model)? EMS quality assurance oversight. Workload distribution and burnout (numbers and types of calls – retention of paramedics). EMS Critical Issues

13. EMS Strategic Plan • Ensure an optimal number of paramedics in the department. • Convert to an EMS delivery system that better matches resources to needs including how calls are dispatched. • Stabilize and eventually decrease ALS response times. • Deliver the most advanced EMS care available through continual improvement in training, technology and best practices. • Distribute the workload more equitably. • Establish a better system of quality assurance and oversight. EMS Goals

14. EMS Strategic Plan • Workload and response times (including fractal) by: • Clawson Dispatch Model codes • Apparatus • Geographic area • Time of day • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 Standards • Patient survivability • Employee Satisfaction (paramedics, EMTs on medic rigs, EMTs not on medic rigs) • Unit availability • Paramedic retention compared to past years Critical Success Factors

15. Ultimate Goals • Provide additional support for EMS calls while not decreasing our ability to protect the community from fire, property damage, and other life threatening hazards • Decrease the amount of time apparatus are out of service • Establish and implement a multi-tiered EMS system (Clawson Dispatch Model) • Distribute the workload more equitably using internal rotation, BLS rigs, and appropriate redeployment of resources • Ensure the response to 9-1-1 calls is appropriately matched to the need • Ensure the department has the optimal number of paramedics in the system • Send paramedics to more ALS calls and fewer BLS calls • Add fourth tier to the EMS system based on program to be developed by the Recruitment Committee using non-sworn positions to handle OMEGA transport calls

16. Ultimate Goals – Cont. • Improve EMS shift supervision and quality assurance • Upgrade minimum requirements for Firefighter series to build the workforce with individuals more likely to be able to successfully complete paramedic school and/or move into leadership positions in the department • Increase the quality of service and decrease response times • Increase diversity within all ranks of the department • Assign rigs to stations based on up-to-date information and other relevant factors • Encourage and facilitate employee involvement in planning and decision making • Improve communication between administration and employees, between administration and unions, and with the community • Increase efforts to educate the community to improve understanding of the EMS system and services and to improve the health of our residents

17. TACTICAL PLAN (excerpt) 2008 Task Responsible Status Implement 2008 Pilot Program Fire Chief Research supervisory span of control Asst. Fire Chief in EMS - research and plan a Pilot Program to include EMS shift supervision Budget for full funding of Pilot Exec. Srvs. Director Program in 2009 Establish Diversity Committee Senior HR Consultant Implement new pen-based software EMS Chief with appropriate interfaces to improve documentation

18. 2008 Pilot Project • The Strategic Planning Team believes in modifying EMS responses to match appropriate resources to needs. A multi-tiered response will be used following the Clawson Dispatch Model. Response zones will be modified to accommodate the tiered approach. The preferred approach uses: • Four-person ALS units with a minimum of 2 paramedics. They will respond to higher-level EMS calls and will remain dual-staffed. • Two-person ALS units with 1 paramedic and 1 EMT. They will respond to mid-level and BLS calls and will be split-staffed. The ALS engines will still be available for both fire and EMS calls. • BLS – 2 person units with 2 EMTS. They will respond to BLS calls and will be split-staffed. The split-staffed engine will still be available for both fire and EMS calls.

19. 2008 Pilot Project • January 1, 2008: Engine 18 will become a 6-person company with two responders on medic runs. There will be one paramedic on the engine. The medic rig will run with one paramedic and one EMT and will cover the entire district. The medic rig will respond to mid-level and BLS medical calls. • The engine will have ALS capability and will be staffed with at least one paramedic and can also respond to EMS calls. Medic 18 may be deployed on a fire run in an EMS capacity when requested. Firefighters will rotate between their engine and medic rig every other day within a segment, to decrease burnout and more equitably distribute the workload.

20. 2008 Pilot Project • July 1, 2008:The tiered response will continue to be used.Engine 18 will continue through year-end as previously described. Ladder 20 will move to Station 23. The Fire Department is committed to full staffing. However, there may be times when it is necessary for some companies to run short, based on the number of retirements and the number of personnel on vacation, military leave, light duty, injured, or ill. • Engine 13 will move to Station 20 and an ambulance for BLS runs will be added. Engine 13 (at Station 20) will become a five-person company with a BLS engine and BLS ambulance, with two EMTs, responding to low level calls. Whenever possible, a paramedic will be assigned to the ambulance and the response will increase to BLS and mid-level medical calls. • Engine 9 will become a five-person company with an ALS engine and ALS medic rig (one EMT and one paramedic), responding to mid-level and BLS medical calls. • Both Engine 13 and Engine 9 will rotate firefighters between their respective fire apparatus and medic unit every other day within a segment to decrease burnout and more equitably distribute the workload. For confirmed fires, all five personnel will respond when the medic personnel are available. For alarms with no confirmed fire, three will respond to keep the medic unit in service. If an alarm call later becomes a confirmed fire, the other two will respond on the medic rig, with gear for fire suppression.

21. 23 13 6 15 Current Apparatus Placement 17 9 22 22 7 7 20 D3 4 18 18 1 D2 8 8 24 H 14 24 5 2 3 D1 10 10 Key Engine Company 10 10 Ladder Company 19 Rescue Squad / Haz Mat 1 Paramedic Unit D1 District Chief

22. 6 15 Proposed Apparatus Placement - DRAFT 17 23 9 20 22 22 7 7 13 D3 4 18 18 1 D2 8 8 24 14 24 5 2 D1 3 10 H Key Engine Company 10 10 Ladder Company 19 10 Rescue Squad / Haz Mat 1 Paramedic Unit D1 District Chief 6-Person Engine/Medic(Amb)

23. 1 Captain 1 FEO 3 Firefighters 1 Captain 1 FEO 2 Firefighters • Rescue Squad 3 • Engine/Medic 4 • Engine 5 • Engine/Medic 6 • Engine 7 • Engine 8 • Engine/Medic 9 • Engine/Medic 10 • Engine 13 • Engine/Medic 14 • Engine 15 • Engine/Medic 17 • Engine/Medic 18 • Engine/Medic 19 • Engine/Medic 22 • Engine/Medic 23 • Engine/Medic 24 • Ladder 7 • Ladder 8 • Ladder 10 • Ladder 18 • Ladder 20 • Ladder 22 • Ladder 24 Current Operations – 26 Companies 24 Companies with four positions 2 Companies with five positions • Rescue Squad 1 • Rescue Squad 2

24. Proposed – 26 Companies – 2009 21 Companies with four positions 2 Companies with five positions 1 Captain 1 Captain 1 Captain 1 FEO 1 FEO 1 FEO 4 Firefighters 2 Firefighters 3 Firefighters • Rescue Squad 1 • Rescue Squad 2 • Rescue Squad 3 • Engine/Medic 4 • Engine 5 • Engine/Medic 6 • Engine 7 • Engine 8 • Engine/Medic 10 • Engine/Medic 14 • Engine 15 • Engine/Medic 17 • Engine/Medic 19 • Engine/Medic 22 • Engine/Medic 23 • Engine/Medic 24 3 Companies with six positions • Ladder 7 • Ladder 8 • Ladder 10 • Ladder 18 • Ladder 20 • Ladder 22 • Ladder 24 • Engine/Ambulance 13 • Engine/Medic 9 • Engine/Medic 18

25. Shift Strength Comparison - DRAFT Proposed Staffing - 2009 Current Staffing - 2007 Station 1 --- 0 Station 4 Rescue Squad 1 5 Engine/Medic 4 4 Station 5 Engine 5 4 Station 6 Engine/Medic 6 4 Engine 15 4 Station 7 Engine 7 4 Ladder 7 4 Station 8 Engine 8 4 Ladder 8 4 Station 9 Engine/Medic 9 6 Station 10 Engine 10 4 Rescue Squad 3 4 Station 14 Rescue Squad 2 5 Engine/Medic 14 4 Station 17 Engine/Medic 17 4 Station 18 Engine/Medic 18 6 Ladder 18 4 Station 19 Engine/Medic 19 4 Ladder 10 4 Station 20 Engine/Amb 13 6 Station 22 Engine/Medic 22 4 Ladder 22 4 Station 23 Engine/Medic 23 4 Ladder 20 4 Station 24 Engine/Medic 24 4 Ladder 24 4 Deputy Chief/District Chiefs(3)/Arson 5 _________ Total Daily Personnel Assigned 117 Station 1 Rescue Squad 3 4 Station 4 Rescue Squad 1 5 Engine/Medic 4 4 Station 5 Engine 5 4 Station 6 Engine/Medic 6 4 Engine 15 4 Station 7 Engine 7 4 Ladder 7 4 Station 8 Engine 8 4 Ladder 8 4 Station 9 Engine/Medic 9 4 Station 10 Engine 10 4 Ladder 10 4 Station 14 Rescue Squad 2 5 Engine/Medic 14 4 Station 17 Engine/Medic 17 4 Station 18 Engine/Medic 18 4 Ladder 18 4 Station 19 Engine/Medic 19 4 Station 20 Ladder 20 4 Station 22 Engine/Medic 22 4 Ladder 22 4 Station 23 Engine/Medic 23 4 Engine 13 4 Station 24 Engine/Medic 24 4 Ladder 24 4 Deputy Chief/District Chiefs(3)/Arson 5 __________ Total Daily Personnel Assigned 111

26. Next Steps • Endorsement by Mayor, Council, External Team, and employees • Review plan with department staff • Ensure implementation of tactical plans • Establish committees as described in the plan • Review and evaluate data collected • Obtain status reports on tactical plans • Continually review and update plan