To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Norris W. Croom III, Fire Chief
Title
Resolution Approving the Town of Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department 2020-2024 Community Driven Strategic Plan
Body
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Executive Summary
The Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department (CRFD) has been an internationally accredited agency through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) agency since 2012. A central part of the department’s continuous process improvement efforts is having a Strategic Plan that represents an understanding of the community’s expectations, concerns, and priorities. The Department actively sought community feedback as the basis for establishing the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. The plan provides a guide for the department’s continuous improvement over the next five years. This plan will be reviewed and updated on annual basis to reflect the department’s and Town’s ongoing effort in an attempt to keep services consistent with our goals, objectives, and growth.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Outreach to the community was accomplished through a series of seven open houses conducted throughout the community, direct surveying of the open house participants, and, for the first time, an online survey.
The Public Safety Commission reviewed the Strategic Plan, to include the processes used in its development, approved the plan by unanimous vote, and recommends adoption.
History of Past Town Council, Boards & Commissions, or Other Discussions
The Department has maintained a strategic plan since 2010 when the Town adopted the 2010-2015 Community Driven Strategic Plan and approved its annual amendments. The 2016-2019 Strategic Plan was an extension of the Department’s continuous process improvement efforts and contributed to our ongoing goal of providing exceptional service to our community, and remaining an internationally accredited agency.
Discussion
The Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department (CRFD) has been an internationally accredited agency through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) agency since 2012. A central part of the department’s continuous process improvement efforts is having a Strategic Plan that represents an understanding of the community’s expectations, concerns and priorities. The Department actively sought community feedback as the basis for establishing the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, and then conducted an internal assessment on how to best address the stated priorities. This plan provides a guide for the Department’s continuous improvement over the next five years, and it will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis to reflect the department’s and Town’s ongoing effort in an attempt to keep services consistent with goals, objectives and growth.
The Strategic Plan identifies the top community expectations which are:
1. Well trained personnel through training and education
2. Adequate response times
3. Adequate staffing
It also identifies the top community concerns, which are:
1. Keeping pace with growth and development
2. Ensuring sufficient staffing
3. Ensuring appropriate resource deployment
4. Adequate funding
Through the survey, the Strategic Plan establishes the community’s service priorities, which are:
1. Emergency Medical Services
2. Fire Suppression
3. Wildland Fire Suppression
4. Fire Prevention
5. Technical Rescue
6. Hazardous Materials Response and Mitigation
7. Domestic Preparedness
8. Public Education
9. Fire Investigation
Keeping the community expectations and concerns in mind, the department’s internal stakeholders group developed six strategic goals for the Department to focus on over the next five years. Those goals are:
1. Improve and update the Fire Training Center (Community Expectation #1)
2. Plan and Implementation of Fleet Service and Logistics Facility (Community Concern #3)
3. Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Wildland Mitigation Program through the Creation of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (Community Expectation #2 and Community Concern #1 and #3)
4. Review and Update Software and Hardware Technologies (Community Expectations #1-3 and Community Concerns #1 and #3)
5. Develop a Special Operations Management Plan (Community Expectations #1-3)
6. Equip All Facilities to Minimize Return-to-Service Times and Provide for the Ongoing Health and Wellness of Department Members (Community Expectations #2 and #3)
In reviewing these goals, the internal stakeholder group agreed that these directly impact the community’s expectations and concerns, and once completed, they should have a positive impact for not only the community, but the department as well.
Budget Impact
While each goal carries an estimated cost to complete, there is no specific budget impact by adopting this plan. The cost estimates are simply to provide awareness and planning of potential future budget expenses. Some of the goals’ costs will be incorporated into the department’s existing budget, and depending on the outcome of others, funding may need to be requested through the normal budget process.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the motion to adopt the 2020-2024 Community Driven Strategic Plan.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the resolution as introduced by title.”
Attachments
Attachment A: Resolution
Attachment B: Power Point
Exhibit 1: 2020 - 2024 Strategic Plan