shared training services staffing and personnel deployment · the shared services initiative is...

Long Lake (MN) Fire Department

Loretto (MN) Volunteer Fire Department

Maple Plain (MN) Fire Department

Mound (MN) Fire Department

Conducted by:

July, 2016

Assessment of

Shared Services:

Shared Training Services

Staffing and Personnel Deployment

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Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 5

Shared Training Coordinator ................................................................................................... 5

Shared Staffing Program ........................................................................................................... 5

Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Assessment of Issues ................................................................................................................... 10

Culture of Participating Fire Service Agencies ..................................................................... 10 Recommendation – Chief Meetings: ...................................................................................... 14

Recommendation – Agreed Upon Support by Administrators and Elected Officials: .......... 15

Contracts for Service .................................................................................................................. 15 Recommendation - Contracts: ................................................................................................ 17

Training Needs .......................................................................................................................... 17

Training Reimbursement ........................................................................................................ 21

Current Training Situation ..................................................................................................... 22

Shared Training Coordinator .................................................................................................... 23 Recommendation – Joint Training Officer: ........................................................................... 29

Recommendation – Training Coordinator Costs .................................................................... 30

The Position and Ideal Candidate: ......................................................................................... 31 Recommendation – Training Team ........................................................................................ 33

Search Process for Training Coordinator .............................................................................. 34 Recommendation – HR Assistance ........................................................................................ 35

Staffing and Personnel Deployment .......................................................................................... 35

Types of Staffing Methodologies ............................................................................................... 37 Career Shift Employees .......................................................................................................... 37

Volunteer/POC Employees ..................................................................................................... 38

Paid-On-Premise (Part-time) Employees................................................................................ 41

Privatization/Contractual ........................................................................................................ 42

National and State Staffing Methodology Comparison ........................................................... 42

Data Analysis – Participating Departments ........................................................................... 45 Types of Calls – Associated Challenges ................................................................................ 48

Recommendation – Continue or Expand Duty Officer Programs.......................................... 49

Clarification Point on EMS Service Delivery ........................................................................ 49

Analysis of Situation and Recommendations ......................................................................... 50 Recommendation – Shared Staffing & Personnel Deployment Model ................................. 52

Conceptual Shared Response and Deployment Model ......................................................... 52

Fire District Concept Plan: ...................................................................................................... 53 Recommendation – Fire District Concept .............................................................................. 54

List of Recommendations in Priority Order ............................................................................ 55 1. Chief Meetings: .............................................................................................................. 55

3. Contracts with Municipal Partners: ................................................................................ 55

4. Joint Training Officer: .................................................................................................... 55

a. Elicit HR Assistance....................................................................................................... 55

b. Training Coordinator Costs ............................................................................................ 55

5. Develop Training Team ................................................................................................. 55

6. Continue or Expand Duty Officer Programs .................................................................. 55


7. Shared Staffing & Personnel Deployment Model .......................................................... 55

8. Fire District Concept ...................................................................................................... 55

Table of Figures Figure 1: Training Team Concept ................................................................................................. 33

Figure 2: Percentage Change in Total Calls ................................................................................. 46

Figure 3: 10 Year Total Emergency Responses ............................................................................ 48

Figure 4: NFIRS 3 Year Total ...................................................................................................... 49

Table of Tables Table 1: Fire Department Membership ......................................................................................... 11

Table 2: Fire Department Service Area ........................................................................................ 16

Table 3: Refresher Training Requirements ................................................................................... 19

Table 4: Training 11 Core Elements ............................................................................................. 20

Table 5: SWOT Training Exercise ............................................................................................... 23

Table 6: Types of Departments & Percent of US Population Protected ....................................... 43

Table 7: Types of Staffing Compared to Population - National ................................................... 43

Table 8: Types of Staffing Compared to Population - Minnesota ................................................ 44

Table 9: Ten Year Total Calls ....................................................................................................... 45


Executive Summary

McGrath Consulting Group, Inc. was commissioned by the Long Lake Fire Department, the

Loretto Fire Department, the Maple Plain Fire Department and the Mound Fire Department to

conduct an assessment of two separate shared service opportunities. The first was an

evaluation of opportunities for joint training including whether or not the four service providers

could hire and share a full-time training coordinator. The second aspect of the study looked at

the extent and willingness of the four organizations to potentially develop a shared staffing and

personnel deployment response program. This study was funded through a grant provided by

the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Shared Training Coordinator

As it relates to the issue of joint training and a shared training coordinator, numerous needs and

opportunities exist that would support this position. The required annual training for all

personnel as established by OSHA and NFPA under Minnesota guidelines is not being met.

This, coupled with the necessary training needed to keep all personnel proficient in operational

areas specific to the individual departments, is greater than the available time of the existing

career staff along with the volunteer/POC trainers. The inability to meet standards and provide

basic operational skills is an increased liability and safety concern to the departments. It is

recommended that the agencies move forward in hiring a shared training coordinator.

Shared Staffing Program

At this time the consultants do not recommend the development and implementation of a paid

shared staffing and personnel deployment model. Currently the departments have a strong

volunteer/POC base who respond regularly and by all indications are handling the existing

workload. The change in call volume for each of the departments over the last 10-years is

negligible and does not indicate a significant increase. Although a change in available

volunteer/POC staffing is predicted by the fire chiefs, the consultants do not believe that a

current change in this area is justified. Volunteer/POC staffing and response trends need to

continue to be monitored closely.


It is important to note that the consultants do not feel a joint response team is a bad idea or

should not be implemented in the future. It is simply that current response patterns and call

volumes do not justify the need today.

Overview

The Long Lake Fire Department, the Loretto Fire Department, the Maple Plain Fire

Department and the Mound Fire Department commissioned the work of McGrath Consulting

Group, Inc. to conduct an assessment study of shared service opportunities. The study was

funded by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office Shared Fire and Rescue Services Grant

Program. As described by the Fire Marshal’s Office, grant funding is to be used to pay for

third-party consulting services to explore a shared services model for multiple fire service

agencies. The grants are designed to assist fire-and-rescue organizations in becoming more

effective or more efficient through voluntary and cooperative shared services. The grant was

an award of $23,500 with each of the four participating agencies providing $2,611 to cover the

required 10% local contribution of the grant award.

The grant was awarded to specifically study the feasibility, administrative challenges and

anticipated benefits of having a regional fire training coordinator. In addition, it was to look at

the practical options for a shared services staffing model that would support all of the 13

western Hennepin County communities served by the four fire agencies.

The shared services initiative is driven by Executive Order 09-13 as issued by Governor Tim

Pawlenty in December of 2009. Under this order, Governor Pawlenty created the “Fire and

Rescue Shared Services Task Force” to investigate and evaluate the comparative benefits

associated with different models for shared fire and rescue service delivery. Specific areas to

be reviewed by the task force were:

Governance of regional fire and rescue shared services districts that takes into account

geographic area, population density, and other factors that encourage voluntary

participation of communities and service providers;

Funding sources for operations of the service district, cooperative training among

component departments, and equipment procurement;


Efficiency and effectiveness of emergency response and overall benefit to the population

served;

Employment issues associated with combining existing agencies and entities into a

regional or multi-jurisdictional shared services entity;

An analysis of best practices in the creation and functioning of public safety-related

shared services delivery models;

A preliminary set of operating procedures for cooperative shared fire and rescue service

systems.

The taskforce, in a letter to Governor Pawlenty dated October 1, 2010, recommended making

grant funds available to local units of government to study the feasibility of shared services.

These studies would then provide useful information to local elected officials on the topic of

shared fire services while encouraging them to review various recognized models that might be

applicable and useful to their specific jurisdictions.

In this case, the study involves four neighboring departments who regularly interact together

through automatic/mutual aid response. Three of the four departments are municipal

organizations providing service to their respective communities along with contract agreements

providing coverage to several neighboring areas/municipalities. The Loretto Fire Department

is a private not-for-profit organization providing contract fire services.

The combined coverage area for these four agencies is over 150 square miles with a population

base of 40,000. The area is a blend of urban, suburban and rural areas including a large portion

of Lake Minnetonka. In addition, the agencies cover over 40 miles of regional trail systems

that transverse the response areas.

All four departments are staffed and operated by paid-on-call (POC) personnel. The Long

Lake and Mound Fire Departments both employ full-time career fire chiefs with all other

aspects of emergency operations, training and administrative duties provided through the POC

model. The Mound Fire Department also employees a full-time administrative assistant.


Currently the departments each have a strong POC base, and personnel readily respond to calls

and participate in training and departmental activities. Each has a tenured staff who bring a

wealth of experience to the various organizations. Nationally, this long-standing tenure is

becoming less common due to the changes in the workforce and availability of discretionary

time for people to volunteer. The long tenure of membership enjoyed by the four departments

can most likely be attributed in no small part to the pension benefits extended to the POC

personnel.

All four agencies are concerned with recruitment challenges and the availability of daytime

response personnel to handle the call volume. Each predicts challenges in these areas in the

very near future that will have a detrimental impact on their ability to provide service. They are

also concerned about the ability to maintain the basic competencies needed for a dynamic fire

service. It is felt that the volunteer/POC model does not allow personnel, specifically the

training staff, the time needed to stay abreast of emerging trends and the associated ability to

develop educational programs designed to keep departmental personnel trained to the level

required.

In order to gain an understanding of the situation, the consulting team conducted a series of

meetings/interviews/phone calls/emails with representatives (small groups or individuals) of

the four departments as well as the communities serviced by these agencies. The consulting

team also spent considerable time researching Minnesota fire service standards and

requirements to gain an understanding of the issues that would impact a shared services

program.

The team analyzed a vast amount of information provided by the participating departments that

included annual reports, training records, response data, numbers of personnel responding to

incidents, equipment and capital equipment resources, and budgetary figures. Finally, the team

also reviewed the Opportunities for Collaborative Efforts Feasibility Study conducted by

Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) for the Hamel Volunteer Fire

Department, Inc. and the Loretto Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. Conversations with the

stakeholders was held as to why the recommendations for shared services and mergers made


within this report did not move forward to full implementation.

The project contact for the consulting team was Chief James Van Eyll of the City of Long Lake

Fire Department. Chief Van Eyll provided tremendous assistance in the coordination of

meetings and continually answered questions and worked to obtain information needed as the

study progressed. Representatives interviewed and who provided information throughout the

project are as follows:

Long Lake Fire Department:

Fire Chief

Assistant Chief

Battalion Chief

Deputy Chief of Administration

Loretto Fire Department

Fire Chief

Chief Officers

Maple Plane Fire Department

Fire Chief

Chief Officers

Mound Fire Department

Fire Chief

City Administrator – City of Maple Plain

Chief of Police – City of Medina

City Administrator – City of Orono

City Manager – City of Mound

City Administrator – City of Spring Park

Director of Public Safety – Corcoran Police Department


Planner – City of Independence

City Administrator – City of Long Lake

City Administrator – City of Minnetrista

The consulting team wishes to thank Chief Jeff Leuer of the Loretto Fire Department, Chief

David Eisinger of the Maple Plain Fire Department, Chief Gregory Pederson of the Mound Fire

Department, along with Chief Van Eyll of the Long Lake Fire Department for their assistance

and time throughout the project.

Although the perspectives of those interviewed were diverse, the consultants at no time were

restricted or influenced by any of the study agencies’ members, represented community board

members, or other elected and/or appointed official or their agents. Rather, the consultants

were able to take a non-biased, professional assessment of the participating organizations and

their potential for shared services to produce these study findings.

Three consultants participated in the study, with each addressing topics that were appropriate to

their specific skills and expertise.

Dr. Tim McGrath, CEO – Project Manager – 33 years fire/EMS (paramedic) experience

Chief Craig A. Haigh – Fire/EMS consultant – 32 years fire/EMS experience

Dr. Victoria McGrath, CEO McGrath Human Resources Group – Human Resources – 29 years

public and private sector HR experience

Assessment of Issues

Culture of Participating Fire Service Agencies

As part of the assessment process, the consultants conducted interviews with representatives

from the various participating agencies both collectively and individually. (Note: Due to

challenges with scheduling on the part of Mound Fire Department personnel, interviews/information gathering

sessions with Chief Pederson and his staff were conducted primarily via phone call and email.)

The four fire departments participating in this study appear to be strong, with sound,


experienced and qualified leadership who are focused on providing excellent service to the

residents and businesses within their respective response districts. This strong leadership is

evidenced by the fact that each has a full and active personnel roster. A continuing challenge

within the volunteer/POC fire service is the fact that oftentimes departments have a large

number of members rostered, but their activity level is low and not what is required to operate a

full service emergency response agency. In this case, each of the chiefs reported that their

active membership is high. This is extremely beneficial and beyond what is typically seen with

other similar fire service agencies. The chiefs reported the following:

Table 1: Fire Department Membership

Departmental Membership

Fire Department Rostered Members Active Members

Long Lake 40 35

Loretto 30 25

Maple Plain 30 26

Mound 40 38

Even with strong membership rosters/active members, daytime response for most

volunteer/POC departments is challenging. In today’s culture, the number of department

members who live and work in the same community is diminishing; and if they do, their

employers will not typically release them to respond on emergency calls. This significantly

limits daytime resources which has forced many departments to move to some type of

compensated daytime staffing model. That being said, all four chiefs reported that their

daytime responses are consistently strong, reporting anywhere from 6-10 members on average

being available during the business day. They did, however, report a concern with the

continued increase in call volume, specifically (non-fire) service calls, and the retirement of

some long-standing members, including some who work for various public works agencies.

They predict these changes coming in the very near future.

Each of the four departments, although similar, have significant autonomy and desire to protect

their individual identities. When interviewing members of the various departments, it became

quickly evident that they are proud of their respective departments and believe that their

organizations effectively provide service to their constituent bodies. There seemed to be a

generalized consensus of the members interviewed that they were unsure whether or not a


shared training coordinator was really needed. They also had some concerns as to how a

shared response unit would work and how it would be received by residents. No one

interviewed was opposed or unwilling to move in this direction if it makes sense, they were

simply undecided as to whether or not a true justifiable need exists.

During these member interviews, two of the groups brought up concerns related to support of

the initiative by the fire chiefs. They were very respectful, but clearly indicated that although

the four chiefs appear to be on the same page, that this is not necessarily the situation and they

question the long term viability of a shared services program. When questioned about which

department/chief would walk away from the project first, the answers varied and were not

consistent, but their comments do suggest an underlying concern as it relates to the success of

such a program.

When meeting with these member groups the consulting team was encouraged to hear the level

of organizational ownership and their desire to maintain their autonomy but also their

willingness to support change if it makes sense and can be justified. We also appreciated their

overall honesty, openness and professionalism.

Based on the interviews conducted with membership and the various discussions with the fire

chiefs, it is the consultant’s opinion that a model of shared cooperation is possible, but

challenges exist because of the desired continued autonomy and some deeply held convictions

about the best ways to operate and manage an incident.

As an example, two of the four departments operate under an incident command model known

as the “Blue Card” system. This system is a program taught internationally and is designed to

provide training and certification, including continuing education and recertification, to

incident commanders and company officers in the techniques of managing emergency

operations. The other two departments utilize a similar but slightly different incident command

model that has been developed in-house/regionally and is based on the National Incident

Management System (NIMS). This system has proven to work well, reduces what they believe

to be unnecessary radio traffic, does not have the training and recertification costs of Blue


Card, and is equally if not more efficient.

When asked about transitioning to one system or the other, strong opinions and debate were

evidenced. The issue was not only noted by the fire chiefs, but by their command

staff/members as well. The point has been raised enough that the consulting team recognizes

that this singular issue will be a challenge to address.

The consultants did not review the incident command practices to the level of making a

recommendation on one system over the other, but in order to make any type of functional

consolidation work, the four agencies must agree on common operational tactics and processes.

This issue provides evidence of the difficulties in developing a shared services model,

regardless of level, in that this is only one of many issues that will arise and need to be

addressed. If the departments intend to share a joint training coordinator, this individual will

need to have clear direction from the chiefs as to agreed-upon tactics, policies and procedures

in order to be able to coordinate joint training for all agencies. Issues such as differing

manufacturers of Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), styles and types of hydraulic

rescue tools, nozzles (combination or smooth bore), transitional or traditional attack modalities,

and ventilation tactics are all potential cultural issues that will need to be addressed and

managed should any type of shared services model be developed and implemented.

Based on challenges in getting data, scheduling meetings for interviews and work groups, and

individual conversations with the four chiefs, the consulting team is unclear as to the overall

commitment of the chiefs to the two issues being evaluated as part of this shared services

study. Although the chiefs seem interested, an excitement about the potential benefits seems to

be lacking including a long term vision for where the programs might ultimately lead. Caution

is expected and prudent, but the lack of engagement suggests something below the surface that

is not visible to the consulting team that is causing the chiefs to hold back and not fully engage.

Whatever this is, it needs to be addressed and corrected if possible. It cannot be stressed too

strongly that the participating chiefs need to be fully engaged and support such an initiative. If

the chiefs are not all fully vested or begin to waver in support, the membership of their

respective departments will quickly dismiss the program and it will ultimately be destined to


failure.

Likewise, success of any shared services model will be hugely dependent on the support of

governmental staff/administrators and elected officials. A concern has been raised repeatedly

that support for change to address the challenges the departments are facing in providing

services has not been a priority to city administrators and elected officials. Two prior shared

services studies have been completed. These studies involved two of the agencies being

evaluated in this report (Loretto and Mound). The consulting team reviewed one of these

reports and found it to be well developed with strong recommendations. Yet most, if not all, of

the recommendations detailed were not implemented. When questioned as to this situation, the

chiefs identified a lack of support from city leadership as the primary stumbling block

hindering implementation.

The seeming lack of commitment by the chiefs may be a symptom of a “we have been through

this before” mentality where they have developed a skepticism that the needed change will be

supported by the governing bodies. Or there may be other underlying concerns that were not

raised and able to be vetted by the consulting team. Bottom line – support for a change in the

service delivery model must be jointly supported by the chiefs, administrators, staff and the

elected officials or even the best shared services model is destined for failure.

Recommendation – Chief Meetings:

The chiefs of the represented departments need to schedule and commit to regular meetings designed specifically to discuss and work through operational differences.

These meetings will need to be held weekly or bi-weekly during the initial phases of

establishment of a shared services system. The meetings can likely change to monthly

intervals once the system has been operational for an extended period. These meetings should

produce written policies that all agencies agree to implement and follow and will become the

steering documents used by the shared training coordinator to provide education to the

personnel.

These agreed-upon, shared policies will become even more essential should the agencies begin


operating a shared response team. [As an example, the Northwest Suburban Fire & Rescue

Alliance is a shared operational system between six fire departments/districts located in the

Chicago Metro Area. This group has been operational for more than 4-years, does not fund any

shared personnel, and finds it necessary to meet weekly in order to continue discussing and

working through joint operational policies and shared systems.]

Recommendation – Agreed Upon Support by Administrators and Elected Officials:

Leadership at the administrator and elected official level will be needed to address the service delivery challenges the departments are facing. Communities need to come

together at this level to find solutions collectively in order to address the areas of

concern within the current dynamics of the POC/volunteer fire service.

Contracts for Service

The contract for service model employed within Hennepin County is not overly common, but

certainly not exclusive to this area. The most unique aspect of this process is how the various

municipalities/communities divide up their respective jurisdictions to receive services from one

or more fire department contract providers. After reviewing maps and driving the area, these

geographical divisions make sense based on the proximity to fire stations and, therefore, their

associated response times. The uniqueness of this model is in the fact that contract

relationships in other areas of the country typically follow municipal/governmental boundaries.

This allows one provider to manage all aspects of fire-related services and ensures consistency

throughout jurisdictional boundaries.

In the model being evaluated, the contract relationships are managed in their entirety by the

various municipalities (i.e. contractors). Each of these municipalities/contractors, at their sole

discretion, manages fees, establishes boundary response lines, and sets the level and extent of

the service provided by the contract entity. This system gives the municipality/contractors

immense control over the level of service provided, including cost control based on their ability

to end a contract and move to another service agency. These changes can be made relatively

easily based on the Hennepin County 911 Emergency Communications System that provides

emergency call taking and dispatch for all areas of the County. Added is the County auto-aid

system that dispatches multiple fire agencies, albeit the closet available units, to any given


address for a reported emergency. Under this joint communication and auto-aid system,

municipalities can easily move contract boundaries with little to no impact on service delivery.

Although workable, the system does present a great deal of risk for the fire service agencies in

that they are forced to make decisions on staffing, facility location, infrastructure and capital

expenses based on their current contractual relationship with no guarantee that this will

continue beyond the established contractual period. Reviewing a historical perspective of

contractual relationships, some agencies and municipalities have enjoyed long-term stable

relationships, while others have worked, for various reasons, off of a year-by-year or similar

low-number/limited-life contract system. These shorter contracts make departmental long

range planning extremely difficult. It also fosters competition between fire service providers

that can easily become problematic when agencies attempt to work within an auto-aid

environment. In addition, it leaves open the potential for political impact based on changes in

elected officials, administrators, staff and fire department leadership.

Currently, fire service delivery is provided in whole or in-part as illustrated in the table below:

Table 2: Fire Department Service Area

Fire Service Provider Service Area

Long Lake Fire Department

City of Long Lake

City of Orono

City of Medina

Loretto Fire Department

City of Loretto

City of Medina

City of Corcoran

City of Greenfield

City of Independence

Maple Plain Fire Department

City of Maple Plain

City of Independence

City of Medina

Mound Fire Department

City of Mound

City of Minnetrista

Minnetrista Beach

City of Spring Park

Shorewood

St. Bonifacius


Should the four fire service agencies decide to move forward with a shared services model, it

will be imperative that the contract agencies all agree to support the initiative over an extended

time period. Without this type of commitment, it will be impossible to recruit, hire and

maintain a quality training coordinator who is equipped to build and manage this new initiative.

Any new full-time employee will be interested in longevity and job security which will

necessitate secure funding from all participating agencies. The consulting team has been led to

believe that shared funding from all four participating agencies is required to cover the cost of a

competitive salary and benefit package for this new position. If the funding foundation from

the various contract agencies is not stable, any shared service initiative will likely fail.

Recommendation - Contracts:

Contract agencies collectively agree that the minimum contract life between a municipality/contractor and a fire department is no less than 3-years.

The contract initiation dates need to begin and end on similar dates. This will allow the fire

service departments to extend an employment contract to a training coordinator for a 3-year

term with funding guaranteed throughout the life of the contract. [Area examples of shared

services models already exist. The West Hennepin Public Safety Department can be used as

models when developing a shared services program within the various fire departments.]

Training Needs

Training is a mandatory aspect for any fire service agency. Due to the diverse and continually

changing types of service calls involving a response by a fire department, the need to prepare

personnel for the potential tasks and skills required is essential. Quality fire agencies build

training/drill time into their regular work schedules and focus a tremendous amount of

resources, both personnel and financial, into developing their staff. The risks involved with the

work done by fire service agencies is immense for both the firefighters and those they serve.

Many of the required skills are “low frequency/high risk” events that further complicate and

drive the need for quality and frequent training.

In the volunteer/POC environment, training goes beyond the aforementioned concerns. For the


volunteer/POC department, training serves not only to develop and maintain the member’s skill

set, but also to serve as a critical aspect of team building. Since volunteers/POCs do not share

the “shift work” of the career firefighter, the training environment works as a bonding

opportunity that is essential in bringing together the diverse backgrounds and varying life

experiences of the individual firefighters. This is needed to meld them into a singular team that

can respond and successfully operate together at an emergency incident.

Additionally, the need for professional training designed around the varying learning styles of

the personnel and that fits with the time constraints of work/life balance for volunteer/POC

personnel is an absolute must. Members today simply do not have the discretionary time to

waste on inefficient and non-quality departmental training. Departments who miss the

significance of these issues run a high risk of losing their valuable volunteer/POC assets.

The State of Minnesota was the first state in the nation to develop and implement a firefighter

licensure program. The Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE) is

the licensing agency for the State and is tasked with the responsibility for reviewing and

making recommendations on training, establishing standards for fire training educational

programs, setting requirements for the qualifications of fire service training instructors, and

establishing the standards under which reimbursement will be provided for firefighter training

and education.

Under the licensure statute, all full-time firefighters are required, as a condition of employment,

to hold and maintain a valid firefighter license. Volunteer, paid-on-call (POC), and part-time

firefighters are exempted from the requirement. However, many non-career departments

encourage their members to obtain and maintain their license due to the professional standards

and credentialing associated with possessing this base level of education. To that end, a

firefighter seeking licensure must complete an International Fire Service Accreditation

Congress (IFSAC) approved Firefighter II training course and successfully complete all

practical and written testing requirements. Once a license has been issued, each firefighter is

required to complete a minimum of 72 hours of MBFTE – approved continuing education over

a 3-year certification period.


Researching this issue further, the consulting team found that a number of Minnesota

volunteer/POC fire agencies look for certification of their personnel rather than licensure.

They put their personnel through the IFSAC Firefighter I & II training programs to obtain their

certifications, but focus little to no energy on obtaining the full license. This in essence

becomes the best of both worlds. Firefighters who are not full-time career personnel and have

no desire to move in this direction do not need to obtain and maintain the license (72 hours of

continuing education every three-years plus a $75 licensure fee). Yet, they have completed this

base level training and are able to function safely and efficiently within their volunteer/POC

departments.

All fire service personnel are required, regardless of full-time or volunteer/POC status, to

complete a number of basic annual training requirements as established by the Occupational

Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

These topics will apply toward the 72-hour continuing education requirement but must be

completed regardless of whether or not a member holds a firefighter license. In addition, the

MBFTE also provides as a recommendation the “11 Core Elements” to assist in designing an

annual training program that fits the requirements. These topics are not required but highly

suggested.

The required twenty-four hours of annual training needed to meet the OSHA and NFPA

refresher standards are as follows.

Table 3: Refresher Training Requirements

Refresher Training Requirements

Required Topics Frequency Training Requirements

Blood Borne Pathogens Annual No set hour requirement

Employee Right to Know Annual No set hour requirement

Confined Space Awareness Annual No set hour requirement

Respiratory Protection Annual No set hour requirement

Lock out / Tag out Annual No set hour requirement

Portable Extinguishers Annual No set hour requirement

Hazardous Materials Awareness Annual No set hour requirement

Confined Space Rescue Annual Train to proficiency

Hazardous Materials Operations Annual 8-hours annually

Fire Brigade Annual Train to proficiency


Refresher Training Requirements

Required Topics Frequency Training Requirements

Fire Ground Operations Annual Maintain skills / Annual skill

checks

Technical Rescue (auto extrication,

ropes, confined space, etc.)

Annual Maintain skills / Annual skill

checks

Emergency Vehicle Operations Annual Maintain skills / Annual skill

checks

Pump Operations Annual Maintain skills / Annual skill

checks

Incident Command Annual Maintain skills / Annual skill

checks

Emergency Medical Responder (First

Responder)

Over 2-year

licensure

period

16-hours

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Over 2-year

licensure

period

24-hours

Table 4: Training 11 Core Elements

11 Core Elements

Safety and Protective

A culture of a safe working environment

NFFF 16 Life Safety Initiatives

Personal protective equipment inspections

Bloodborne pathogens

Proper usage of personal protective equipment

in the work place

Chemistry of Fire and Fire Behavior

Fire behavior

Building construction

Fire tactics/strategies

Thermal imager utilization

Foam

Extinguishers

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus

Checks / recharging cylinders

Donning/Doffing

PASS device usage

SCBA usage and care

SCBA confidence course

Fire Stream

Attack below grade

Attack ground grade

Attack above grade

Hose

Types

Loads/lays

Coupling drills

Deployment techniques

Pumping Fire Apparatus

Responding (emergency vehicle operations)

Pumping

Drafting

Water supply to appliances


Ladders

Ladders

Deployment

Safety

Aerials

Rescue

Search

Self-rescue

Mayday operations

Rapid intervention

Extrication

Auto recognition

Highway safety

Tools

Airbags

Other cutting devices

Disentanglement

Other machinery

Farm equipment or mining equipment

Ropes

Rope types

Knots

Rope Use

First Aid

CPR

Forcible Entry

Tool identification

Forcible entry

Door

Window

Wall

Other

Ventilation

Horizontal

Vertical

Mechanical

Administrative/Command

Professional Development

Financial Management

Human Resources

Incident Command System

Training Reimbursement

Under the MBFTE program, a reimbursement stipend is paid for select training completed by

fire department personnel. This reimbursement program is of great importance to Minnesota

fire agencies. Under the reimbursement program, monies are appropriated annually by the

General Assembly to offset the cost of training personnel. Departments are provided a listing

of reimbursable training topics which include the OSHA required training as well as the hours

required for firefighters to maintain their emergency medical services certifications.


Reimbursement will also cover expenses associated with employee backfill and overtime, in-

house instructor wages (instructor must be a MBFTE qualified instructor), books/DVD’s,

conference/school registration costs and in some cases the initial certification fees. The

reimbursement program will not cover mileage, per diem, lodging and travel expenses, out of

state training, regular employee wages not associated with backfill, administrative costs

(salaries for training/administrative staff), certification renewal, licensing fees, equipment, or

training room supplies.

Many Minnesota departments view this reimbursement program as a necessary funding

component of their overall operation used to offset the cost of training. To receive these funds,

departments are required to submit a reimbursement form along with applicable

documentation. Many departments, however, do not submit and recover the available dollars

and, therefore, forfeit the money. The MBFTE throughout the year re-adjusts based on this and

typically makes more dollars available to participating/requesting agencies as the fiscal year

moves along.

Current Training Situation

All study departments submitted their respective training records along with certification

documents and annual training calendars. All four agencies currently manage their training

programs through volunteer training officers. Some training is conducted by in-house staff

while firefighter I & II, hazardous materials certification and a select few other topics are

contracted out to a private training agency. When reviewing the records, it becomes evident

that each department is working hard to provide quality training to their personnel while

meeting the MBFTE standards related to OSHA and NFPA.

That being said, training of fire department personnel is more than simply scheduling and

conducting a training class. The requirements are not that you hold a class on a specific topic,

but that all members participated and are signed off in each required topic area. In a

volunteer/POC agency this oftentimes necessitates several training dates for any given topic,

and it is not unheard of for training personnel to need to conduct one-on-one trainings in order

to work around the life demands of their personnel. Based on these challenges, the issue with


this group is not in the effort applied or the motivation behind the attempt, but rather the

number of hours needed compared against the hours available for both the volunteer/POC

instructor and the volunteer/POC members. Yet the requirement for the training and the

associated liability for not meeting standards still applies.

It would not be overstated to say that based on the number of firefighters each department has,

the required OSHA/NFPA topics, the other areas of department operation that require regular

training, and the relatively high call volume handled by each agency, that no matter the level of

commitment and dedication, these departments simply cannot meet their training needs using

the existing model.

Shared Training Coordinator

One of the two purposes of this study is to look at the need for and the feasibility associated

with a shared, full-time training coordinator. The consulting team first worked to identify and

review the current situation and then moved to gain an understanding of the training needs.

The next step has been to evaluate the feasibility of a shared training coordinator position and

whether this position has the potential to address and correct some of the current challenges.

As part of this analysis process, the consulting team led the chiefs through a workshop focused

on conducting a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) for the position

under consideration. The consulting team pushed the chiefs to detail the benefits and pitfalls

associated with entering into this type of shared services program. The chiefs worked hard

debating the issues and laying out the “whys” of how hiring a training coordinator is the best

overall solution. The below SWOT analysis chart along with associated narrative statements

were developed from this workshop.

Table 5: SWOT Training Exercise

Training Program Manager/Training Coordinator

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Seamless operations

of personnel at

Retention of Training

Coordinator may

The potential exists

to generate revenue

One department will

need to be the



emergency incidents

regardless of

department

affiliation.

prove challenging

due to the non-

consistent work

schedule required to

meet volunteer

availability

requirement.

to support the

position by

conducting area wide

basic firefighter

training academies

(Firefighter I & II

and Haz Mat

Operations), and

education and

training for school

districts, businesses,

and others in areas

such as CPR, first

aid, AED, fire

extinguishers, right-

to-know laws and

similar.

employer. Finding a

department that is

willing to add the

position as a full-

time employee and

take on all

responsibilities for

payroll, benefits,

pension, workers

compensation, and

oversight,

management and

evaluation of the

employee filling the

role may be

challenging.

Ability to cross staff

apparatus during an

emergency incident

(i.e. member of

Loretto operating

Maple Plain's aerial

apparatus).

Department member

buy-in for this

position along with

the functional

consolidation of

training and

operational

procedures will be an

essential aspect to

guaranty success of

the program.

Greater level of

functional

consolidation and

efficiencies. This

program has the

potential to be the

ground-breaking first

step that will lead to

a greater level of

participation that

could include joint

purchasing, better

alignment and

sharing of capital

assets, equipment

and apparatus,

Tendency to try and

pour on additional

responsibilities for

this full-time

employee beyond

just of the duties of

training coordinator

and possibly on-

scene safety officer.



staffing, etc.

Enhanced

communication and

interaction between

agency personnel due

to regular

interdepartmental

trainings and joint

emergency

operations.

Governing body

support for the

position, the benefits

associated with the

program and the

willingness to

provide long-term

financial support is

an essential aspect.

Recruitment and

Retention of the

position. The right

candidate for this

type of position will

possess a unique skill

and education level,

and will likely be

very valuable and

marketable to other

departments.

Recruiting the

candidate will likely

entail a State-wide

search and possibly a

national search.

Candidates who find

the position difficult

based on "the four

bosses concept" and

who have a high skill

set may find the job

frustrating which will

likely result in

position turnover.

Flexible training

schedules will allow

all personnel to

receive regular and

consistent training.

[By utilization of a

"Flip-flop schedule"

Cost of a full time

employee. To attract

and keep a training

coordinator with the

needed skill set and

experience level

required to manage

One of the original

departments no

longer wanting to

participate in the

program. The

leadership/fire chief

of the four involved



(Example: Monday

evening training

conducted at Mound

with the same class

repeated Tuesday

evening in Long

Lake), daytime

training, and

utilization of

technology where

possible to

accomplish training

needs.]

this type of endeavor,

their compensation

and benefit package

will need to be

similar to a senior

fire officer/training

officer within area

career departments.

departments ranges

from full-time career

to elected positions.

As departmental

leadership changes, a

potential exists for

changes in support of

this position and

willingness to

continue

participation.

Ensure compliance

with mandatory

training topics along

with appropriate

record keeping as

required by

certification and

employment

regulatory agencies

(MBFTE, OSHA,

etc.).

Reduction or loss of

individual

departmental identity

has the potential to

be problematic in

gaining member

support and on term

buy-in.

Similar to the fire

chief scenario, long-

term political support

(13 communities) of

program may vary

based on rotation of

elected officials and

associated

management staff.

Reduced workload on

departmental training

staff. [Recognizing

that current training

personnel are

volunteers with

multiple life

commitments, a

shared staff member

Likely requirement

that departments will

need to change or

modify training

night/schedule.

Department disagrees

with direction of the

area training.



dedicated to training

will assist in areas

such as records

management, course

development, when

needed course

delivery, training

oversight, etc.]

Qualified and

experienced training

coordinator. Training

at all levels

(operations,

administration, rules

& regulations,

employment laws,

etc.) will be enhanced

due to the knowledge

level and experience

of the person hired to

fill this position.

Department Chiefs

not agreeing on

tactical operations.

To make the program

successful

participating chief

officers will need to

come to an

agreement on

multiple aspects of

emergency

operations, training

techniques, policies,

rules & regulations,

etc.

The Training

Coordinator becomes

more aligned with

one department over

the others.

Retention of

department personnel

is expected to

increase due to

enhanced quality of

training and

flexibility in

administration of

training options.

Informal power

associated with

training coordinator.

Due to the fact that

the training

coordinator will be

dealing directly and

on a regular basis

with approximately

130-140 staff

Department

leadership unwilling

to compromise to

agree on tactics to be

taught by the

Training

Coordinator.



members, his/her

influence and

associated informal

power within the

shared service

departments has the

potential to become

tremendous and

overshadow the

formal authority of

the fire chief and

associated command

staff.

Differing equipment

manufacturers and

tools. A hurdle for

the training

coordinator and

associated instructors

will be the variations

in equipment and

tools (i.e. SCBA

models, hydraulic

rescue tools, etc.)

With the Training

Coordinator

assuming a large

portion of the

workload associated

with management of

training programs,

the potential exists

for volunteer

members to become

complacent and lose

their sense of

ownership over the

performance level of

the department.

After reviewing all aspects, it is the consulting team’s opinion that a shared training

coordinator position has the potential to be extremely effective and have a significantly

beneficial impact on all four departments.


Additionally, there has been some thought and discussion by the participating departments to

the fact that this position could also be used to conduct fire inspections, develop preplans and

assist with fire prevention activities, including call response when needed. After carefully

reviewing the workload associated with maintaining a sound training program including the

State of Minnesota required training standards, the consulting team strongly cautions the

participating departments about trying to combine too many job tasks into one singular

position. The hours required to develop, coordinate, oversee and maintain the appropriate

documentation for more than 140 personnel is more than a full-time position. Couple this

workload with the availability demands of the volunteer/POC personnel which will require

maximum work schedule flexibility, this individual will likely have little time to work on

projects beyond those assigned to the training division.

Recommendation – Joint Training Officer:

Based on the above analysis, the consulting team is recommending that the departments

enter into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to hire and share a joint training

coordinator. Further, all participating departments need to move to a shared records

management system to facilitate organization of training accounts and

certification/licensure requirements.

To that end, the following two options are recommended for consideration and/or action:

Option 1:

The new position can be a permanent employee of one of the four participating departments

and through the IGA share his/her services.

This option provides long term stability and makes the position very attractive to potential

candidates. Under this option, the job becomes that of a career firefighter position and brings

all of the associated benefits of a public safety position. The training coordinator would be

able to respond on emergency calls as established by protocol, conduct and participate in live

fire and hazardous training situations while being protected under a workers’ compensation

blanket as well as the Minnesota Public Safety Officer Benefit Program, and have all rights and

privileges granted to a public safety employee. The drawback is the associated salary and


benefit costs, the long term management of the employee, and consequences should the joint

funding program go away because one of the participating agencies no longer wants to be part

of the program.

Option 2:

Hire a contract employee and or agency to provide the desired services.

Under this option a private individual or fire training agency would enter into a contract where,

for a fee, they would provide the services outlined for an established length of time with an

option to end or renew the contract within a specified term. This contract could be agreed to

and managed by one of the participating agencies who would then extend the services to the

other agencies through the language of the IGA, or it could be managed as a component of the

IGA.

The consulting team believes that such a contract would likely need to be for no less than a 3-

year commitment. The contract could extend beyond this time period, but it is probably not

wise to extend out too many years in the event that the program does not work as planned or

the agencies are not happy with the contractor. The benefits of a contract are that it gives the

participating agencies a low risk option to try a shared services model and it does not tie any

one of the four agencies to a full-time employee. It also establishes a known cost throughout

the life of the contract. The potential disadvantage is the ability to find a quality candidate to

fill this unique position and give the shared service model the best chance for success. It also

limits the options to utilize the contract employee in capacities beyond what is spelled out in

the contract.

Recommendation – Training Coordinator Costs

The participating agencies need to equally share the cost of the program.

This is important in that the training coordinator, regardless of who actually “owns the

employee” as described above, understands that his/her allegiance is to all four parties and that

the work load and focus needs to be distributed equally. This equal payment model needs to be


part of the IGA. The IGA should also have an “out clause” providing protection to each of the

four parties to ensure funding for a period of time that allows the other agencies to find another

funding source and not be forced to shut down the program should one party want to withdraw.

The Position and Ideal Candidate:

To make this program work successfully, significant emphasis needs to be placed on hiring the

right candidate. The following bullet points outline a basic listing of needed skills and topics

for consideration in hiring and building a candidate job description:

The work schedule of this employee needs to have maximum flexibility in order to meet

the diverse needs of the volunteer/POC firefighters that they are tasked with training.

The candidate will need to have office hours that allow them time to research, develop

and write curriculum as well as coordinate training activities and drills. They will also

need to use this time to maintain training records and conduct administrative duties.

They will need to frequently attend the various trainings and drills conducted at the

individual departments and will be required to teach many of these programs.

They will need to have flexibility to meet with firefighters at off-hours to conduct

training and/or testing to ensure each of the 140 firefighters meet the standards

established by OSHA, NFPA and the four participating agencies. The consulting team

does not believe that this employee will meet the FLSA standards to be considered an

exempt employee and will therefore be subject to overtime for all hours exceeding 40 in a

given work week. Below is an excerpt related to Public Safety standards from the U.S.

Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division.

Police Officers, Fire Fighters and Other First Responders: Police officers,

detectives, deputy sheriffs, state troopers, highway patrol officers, investigators,

inspectors, correctional officers, parole or probation officers, park rangers, fire

fighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, ambulance personnel,

rescue workers, hazardous materials workers and similar employees (“first

responders”) who perform work such as preventing, controlling or extinguishing

fires of any type; rescuing fire, crime or accident victims; preventing or detecting

crimes; conducting investigations or inspections for violations of law; performing


surveillance; pursuing, restraining and apprehending suspects; detaining or

supervising suspected and convicted criminals, including those on probation or

parole; interviewing witnesses; interrogating and fingerprinting suspects;

preparing investigative reports; and other similar work are not exempt under

Section 13(a)(1) or the regulations and thus are protected by the minimum wage

and overtime provisions of the FLSA.

First responders generally do not qualify as exempt executives because their

primary duty is not management. They are not exempt administrative employees

because their primary duty is not the performance of office or non-manual work

directly related to the management or general business operations of the

employer or the employer’s customers. Similarly, they are not exempt learned

professionals because their primary duty is not the performance of work requiring

knowledge of an advanced type in a field or learning customarily acquired by a

prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. Although some first

responders have college degrees, a specialized academic degree is not a standard

prerequisite for employment.

The ideal candidate needs to be someone who understands the volunteer/POC fire

department culture and knows how to assess the individual motivational factors for each

firefighter in order to help them to be successful within their respective departments. It

needs to be understood that the wrong candidate in this position could quickly derail the

quality operations that currently exist and create huge tension and retention concerns

within the various departments.

The candidate needs to be personable, dedicated and committed to ensuring the success

of the program as well as knowing how to stretch the various firefighters to get them to

produce their absolute best.

The ideal candidate needs to have significant fire service experience, is a great instructor

and has strong administrative skills.

The candidate needs to have the ability to respond to calls for all four participating

departments in order to accurately assess overall training needs. Although the training

http://www.dol.gov/WHD/minimumwage.htm

http://www.dol.gov/WHD/minimumwage.htm

http://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime_pay.htm


coordinator will occasionally need to assist with operations due to available staffing

levels, their primary role will be to observe and assess the strengths and weaknesses of

the firefighters and the types of calls handled by responders so to determine focus areas

for refresher training and training enhancements.

Recommendation – Training Team

The Training Coordinator needs to build a system where each department continues to

have a training officer and instructors.

The consulting team recommends that the training coordinator build a training team consisting

of the training officers and instructors from the various participating departments. These

training officers and instructors will remain within the chain-of-command of their various

departments, but will report to the coordinator for all training concerns. This will allow the

training coordinator the ability to delegate/diversify the workload while working to allow the

volunteer/POC members to feel that they have ownership in the program and are continuing to

make a difference in how the department delivers its services.

The figure below illustrates how the training team concept might work:

Figure 1: Training Team Concept

Training

Coordinator

Long Lake

Training

Officer

Mound

Training

Officer

Loretto

Training

Officer

Maple Plain

Training

Officer


The participating departments collectively provided the following listing of their expectations of

the training coordinator’s focus area:

Develop and establish an overall training plan that provides consistency in training

between all four agencies.

Build a training system where firefighters from one department can attend a class at one of the other departments and receive the same education and experiences as they would

have received at their home department.

Develop and implement a plan that provides for all areas of departmental training including recruit/probationary, firefighter, apparatus operator, fire marshal, company and

chief officer training as well as education-focused on succession planning.

The coordinator will also need to provide a training schedule that provides for the

continuing education requirements needed to recertify EMS certifications, Blue Card, and

others as appropriate.

Focus significant attention on state certified programs that are funded by the Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education (MBFTE).

Coordinate safety, health, wellness and testing programs and ensure compliance with applicable OSHA and NFPA standards.

Provide training that is department specific as well as education on the policies and standard operating guidelines of the shared service program.

Provide training that meets or exceeds the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation – 16

Life Safety Initiatives.

Maintain department specific/shared services training records using a joint records management system and submit as appropriate all reimbursable applications and training

grant paperwork and documents.

Search Process for Training Coordinator

Based on the demands required and the unique skill set associated with this position, regardless

of whether it is a full public safety position attached to one of the fire departments or a contract

job, finding the right candidate will be challenging. The selection process will likely entail a

nationwide search and should involve a testing/applicant review process that is extensive with

multiple components focused on the identified needs/tasks. The process should involve

personnel from each of the represented departments. It would be wise to have members at


various ranks and levels of experience involved as well. The process should also include a

human resource professional with a strong fire service background.

Recommendation – HR Assistance

The departments reach out to their municipal contract agencies to illicit the assistance of

their human resource departments.

As a final word, due to the complexity of the job search along with the vetting process, if a

human resource professional is not available who holds the necessary fire services experience

to assist/manage the hiring process, it might be advisable to contract with a firm who has

executive search experience to help manage the details of the search and hiring process.

Staffing and Personnel Deployment

The purpose of this section of the study is to evaluate the need for a change in the current

volunteer/POC staffing model and whether this change might include a shared staffing option

between the four participating fire departments. In essence, the study is looking at whether it is

time to begin the transition away from a solely volunteer/POC model and move into a

combination/career model. If so, can the four departments make this transition together?

Making the transition from volunteer/POC to combination is a complicated process with no

“one size fits all” answer. Department and community needs vary and are extremely diverse.

What may be the driving force for one department may be very different from what drives

another. It needs to be clearly understood that there is no one single benchmark on when to

convert to paid staffing, nor is there one single option for what that staffing model might look

like.

Departments considering the move to add career personnel need to carefully evaluate all facets

of their operational needs to determine how best to proceed. Call volume is often the driving

force, but it is only one component of a much larger operational landscape. Departments who

are struggling to respond to calls and are, therefore, unable to provide their basic service to the

residents and businesses are in a problematic position. However, much more needs to be


analyzed in respect to the total organization besides just call volume. It has been the

consultant’s experience that most departments who are in a position to begin worrying about

missing calls are organizationally much further behind than just getting apparatus on the road.

The consulting team recommends that departments regularly conduct an organizational audit to

determine what needs to be done compared to what is actually getting done. The identified gap

gives the organization a starting point to determine their next steps. Things like vehicle and

facility maintenance, policies and procedures, compliance with standards, employee

handbooks, efficient and effective training, records management, public education,

participation in community events, etc. are all aspects that likely need to be evaluated and

analyzed.

The first step in the analysis process in determining what needs to be done is to evaluate the

department’s mission statement. This statement outlines the basic premise of why the

organization exists and becomes the reference point for the overall analysis. The next step is to

analyze what aspects of the mission are “critical risk” items. Figuring out where the

department lies on the continuum of failure to manage/perform on items of critical risk

provides a strong starting point to address needs. Critical risk items need to be addressed first

with all other concerns addressed in a descending order of importance from highest to lowest

priority.

As an example, if the department is struggling to respond to calls during the business day (8 am

to 5 pm), then options need to be evaluated and a plan for implementation developed to correct

this situation. If a department is not accomplishing their mission related to

inspection/prevention activities, then this area needs to be addressed. (The key is to make

informed decisions based on what actually needs to get done compared against the mission of

the organization in order to develop a well thought out plan.) A poorly conceived plan has a

strong potential to fix one problem but cause numerous others. It has been the consultant’s

experience that adding career staffing may fix one problem, but it will certainly generate

numerous other challenges that, if not managed correctly, can cause long term and irreparable

harm to the department.


In most cases, the decision to add career staffing to a volunteer/POC department needs to focus

on how to make the volunteers successful rather than replace them. Volunteer/POC firefighters

are a tremendous asset to a community and department and the loss of this valuable resource is

usually detrimental to the organization. Career staffing should be added (unless there is a

desire by the community to build a fully career department) so that they can address the issues

where the volunteers are having problems. As an example, can career staff manage the

maintenance of apparatus and facilities thereby freeing the volunteers to handle calls and attend

training? Could a career training officer work to build programs that help the volunteers meet

the standards instead of relying on a volunteer training officer to spend the incredible amount

of time needed to write curriculum and provide the training? Could a career fire chief assist in

managing the administrative aspects while supporting a volunteer response force? Lots of

variables exist when the focus is on support rather than replacement.

Types of Staffing Methodologies

Staffing methodologies vary with a number of options/models that can be used to operate a fire

department. Listed below is an overview of each:

Career Shift Employees

Career shift staffing ensures a certain level of immediate initial response for the emergency

incident. Although both career and volunteer/POC employees are professionals, the time

dedicated to the profession within each of the two categories of employees suggests that career

employees should be better trained and perform at a higher level than volunteer/POC

employees. This is not derogatory towards volunteer/POC personnel; rather, being on-duty for

extended periods of time provides career employees the opportunity to train when not involved

in emergency or other assigned duties.

Conventional wisdom suggests that having on-duty personnel will improve response time by

allowing emergency apparatus the ability to respond more quickly; it eliminates the time spent

waiting for volunteer/POC personnel to arrive at the fire station. Career employees add a

degree of safety to the emergency team inasmuch as the individuals work and live with each


other and have a greater opportunity to develop a team environment, which is especially

valuable on the emergency scene. Career employees are often more involved in the daily

activities of the fire department and can usually handle a variety of duties not suited for part-

time or volunteer/POC employees.

Having career personnel on duty on a daily basis allows the fire chief to develop strategic plans

as to how emergency incidents will be handled with known, available resources. This staffing

model ensures that a department will be able to immediately respond with a known quantity of

personnel and equipment to a reported emergency situation. In addition, a known (assigned)

number of personnel will staff each piece of apparatus.

A common concern with career staffing is that the twenty-four hour shift schedule is inefficient

and antiquated. Perhaps the most common staffing of career employees is a three shift

scenario, in which an employee works twenty-four hours on duty followed by forty-eight hours

off duty (there are variations to 24/48 schedules). The twenty-four hour shift schedule results

in each shift being assigned to work an average of 10.17 days per month, excluding any

additional time off for vacation, sick, etc.

To understand why the twenty-four hour schedule has evolved, one must understand the

economy the twenty-four hour shift brings in terms of affordability (not necessarily

productivity, but costs). If one were to magically convert the twenty-four hour employees to an

eight-hour per day schedule while maintaining the same staffing level, the number of

employees would be forty percent higher.

Volunteer/POC Employees

It is important to make a distinction between volunteer and paid-on-call (POC) members.

Although both are comprised of individuals who are highly dedicated and professional, the

difference lies in the fact that a true volunteer member does not receive any monetary

reimbursement; whereas paid-on-call members receive compensation most often on an hourly

basis or per-call basis (stipend). As such, paid-on-call members may be subject to the

requirements of federal wage and hour regulations. The members of the departments


participating in this study are technically paid-on-call members.

Volunteer/POC fire departments have been an intricate part of the fire service in the United

States for over 300 years. The key to success using this methodology is directly related to the

ability to find dedicated individuals who have the desire and time to become proficient in the

delivery of critical firefighting and other lifesaving services. Although many principles and

concepts are similar in career and volunteer departments, other aspects differ – particularly as

they relate to response times, personnel, and program management.

The economics of volunteer/POC firefighters is the number one reason some communities

embrace this type of organization. Elected officials/fire department boards are faced with

maintaining or increasing public safety services while revenues remain stagnate or diminished.

With that said, one must not assume that volunteer organizations are free.

Volunteer organizations are built on four basic premises – pride, exclusivity, influence, and

competition. The early volunteer organization had a tremendous amount of pride in the service

it provided. It was exclusive in that only a few were allowed to join. It had tremendous

influence, particularly in local political issues and elections. As a result of volunteer fire

departments “springing up” (often next door to one another), these organizations were in

competition with one another – primarily because of the number of volunteer companies in

many communities and the lack of coordination among them. Although we are 300 years post

development of the volunteer fire service, many of these same issues continue to exist today.

The volunteer/POC organizations face many challenges not found – or at least not emphasized

– in the career organization. Volunteer/POC organizations must spend considerable time and

effort in recruiting and maintaining its memberships. The recruitment process must become

one of “salesmanship.” Thus, organizational principles such as hierarchy, unity of command,

and span of control are placed on the back burner, while human relations and motivations are

emphasized. Once individual needs have been met and the volunteer is a part of the

organization, then organizational principles are taught and applied.


Managing volunteer/POC members is every bit as difficult as managing career employees – the

consulting team would suggest that it is more difficult. One must not forget that an essential

aspect of management involves responsibility, whether the department is a volunteer,

combination, or career department. These responsibilities include budget, discipline, legal

compliance, planning, delegating, establishment of policies and procedures, adequate service

delivery, etc. Fire chiefs of volunteer/POC departments must meet the needs of their members

while simultaneously managing the operational and fiscal responsibilities of the organization.

Most firefighters do not join and remain members of volunteer/POC departments for monetary

reasons. The reasons often range from a sense of community to the recognition of being a

firefighter. The fire chief must recognize these needs; find a compromise between members’

conflicting needs; and search for a way that the organization can meet individual needs. The

chief must also recognize when these methods need to change so the organization can retain

members while remaining within budgetary guidelines.

Volunteer/POC departments have a tendency to recruit members with very similar backgrounds

and values as the existing membership. Diversity is a major challenge in volunteer/POC

departments. Without a diverse pool of individuals, the basic operation and maintenance of the

department and equipment might depend on a chosen few or in some cases not be

accomplished at all. This becomes problematic because critical management issues often fall

through the cracks due to weaknesses within the skillset of the team members.

Volunteer/POC staffing presents several challenges. Organizing members into functional

companies becomes difficult due to the uncertainty of who will be able to respond to various

alarms. On the emergency scene, unity of command and span of control become difficult to

establish and maintain. This task is much different and far more challenging than in an

organization that relies on career personnel, who are assigned to regular shifts and working

hours.

Volunteer/POC organizations tend to operate in a more informal manner than career or

combination organizations. While this approach often seems to work quite well, it is not


always the most efficient. The department often finds it more difficult to control or set

performance expectations for volunteers due to its perceived lack of direct control.

Although the consultants have described challenges with volunteer/POC staffing methodology,

they highly recommend continuation of this staffing method until such time the call volume

exceeds the members’ ability to devote the time needed. Although there are advantages to

career staffing, this staffing methodology is associated with a whole new set of challenges.

Currently, ISO grades a department on its staffing by requiring three volunteer/POC members

to be the equivalent of one career employee.

Paid-On-Premise (Part-time) Employees

Paid-on-premise (POP) employees, also known as part-time employees, have been found to be

a highly successful method of staffing. Part-time personnel can be assigned to work shifts

based on departmental need and their own personal availability. Shifts can vary depending on

coverage requirements with the most common being 8, 10 or 12 hour blocks. Part time

personnel result in a significant reduction of salaries and avoidance of future pension liability

for the departments versus hiring full time career employees.

A distinct disadvantage of this staffing methodology is that a department typically needs more

part-time personnel to staff shift slots due to worker availability. The consulting team, working

with departments who utilize a part-time staffing component, typically find that the average

part-time firefighter works between 800-1000 hours annually. Departments also report high

turnover within this group in that many are looking for a full-time firefighter position and

utilize the part-time spot as a stepping stone to gain experience and training needed to obtain a

job with a career department.

Some volunteer/POC departments will allow their personnel to sign up and work shift coverage

as a compensated part-time employee. In this case, departments typically establish a base level

of experience and training needed to work these “shift slots” and thereby regulate and establish

a level of service provided by the paid/shift personnel. Personnel who work these shifts are


now likely considered part-time personnel for the purposes of wage and hour requirements.

This issue gets very confusing and complicated as the laws are applied within the guidelines of

the Fair Labor Standards Act. If departments choose to utilize this option for providing part-

time shift staffing, an attorney knowledgeable in fire service employment and labor practices

needs to be consulted to ensure that a department does not unknowingly operate outside of the

rules and bring on huge liability for back pay and fines.

There are significant advantages and disadvantages associated with utilizing part-time

personnel. That being said, the overall costs are still far cheaper than employing full time

career firefighters and the consultants are finding more and more departments utilizing this

staffing method.

Privatization/Contractual

The consultants have dealt with municipalities/districts that either do not have their own

firefighters or have a combination of their own employees and individuals hired through a

service (contract) that provides everything from personnel to apparatus and equipment.

The fiscal benefits are the most attractive reason to contract fire/EMS services. In this

scenario, the department reaches agreement with the service provider and has no additional

expenses. In other words, the cost of fire service becomes a fixed line item in the budget. The

department hires positions, not individuals; all overtime, sick, vacation (etc.) benefits become

the responsibility of the service provider.

The most commonly heard complaint about contractual employees is their tenure with the

service provider. Many individuals who take these positions do so until full-time career

positions become available in career departments, so turnover can be a concern.

National and State Staffing Methodology Comparison

For comparison in this section of the report, the consulting team utilizes data obtained through

the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NFPA was founded in 1896 to deliver

information and knowledge through consensus codes and standards, research, training, education,


outreach and advocacy. Current NFPA membership totals more than 60,000 individuals around the

world.

In a report published in January 2016 (using 2014 data), the NFPA looked at various facts on

four types of fire departments and the percentage of the US population they protect. This study

estimates that there are 29,980 fire departments nationwide operating with just over 1,134,400

firefighters. Of these firefighters, 31% are career and 69% are volunteer. The study compared

department staffing methodology to population served.

Table 6: Types of Departments & Percent of US Population Protected

The table below indicates how the population base compares to the staffing methodology.

Since the consultants are evaluating options for shared services, the population of all four

participating departments are totaled to get a clearer comparison model. The population

protected by the four departments is estimated to be around 40,000. The line highlighted in

blue represents the combined current population protected by these four agencies and how

this compares nationally for staffing methodologies.

Table 7: Types of Staffing Compared to Population - National

Type of

Department

# of Departments US Population

Served All Career 8% 46%

Mostly Career 7% 19%

Mostly Volunteer 19% 17%

All Volunteer 66% 19%

Population Career Mostly

Career

Mostly

Volunteer

All

Volunteer

Total

1,000,000 or more 81.8% 18.2% 0.0% 0.0% 100%

500,000 – 999,999 71.4% 21.4% 7.1% 0.0% 100%

250,000 – 499,999 85.3% 11.8% 2.9% 0.0% 100%

100,000 – 249,999 81.8% 18.2% 0.0% 0.0% 100%

50,000 – 99,999 70.3% 18.9% 10.8% 0.0% 100%

25,000 – 49,999 47.1% 24.2% 24.5% 4.2% 100%

10,000 – 24,999 23.2% 26.3% 37.4% 13.0% 100%

5,000 – 9,999 5.9% 6.7% 41.6% 45.7% 100%

2,500 – 4,999 1.3% 2.6% 21.1% 75.0% 100%

Under 2,500 1.0% 1.9% 4.8% 93.3% 100%


Source: NFPA 2016 US Fire Department Profile – 2014

NFPA also provides population comparisons of fire department staffing methodology for each

state. The table below shows the staffing methodologies compared to population for Minnesota

departments. Using the combined population of the four departments, a comparison is made

for staffing models. The line highlighted in blue represents the combined population to be

protected.

Table 8: Types of Staffing Compared to Population - Minnesota

Population Career Mostly

Career

Mostly

Volunteer

All

Volunteer

Total

25,000 > 20.80% 12.50% 66.70% 0.00% 100%

10,000 – 24,999 0.00% 0.00% 64.30% 35.70% 100%

< 10,000 0.00% 0.70% 13.10% 85.10% 100%

Source: NFPA 2011 Survey of the Needs of the US Fire Service - Minnesota

Other key findings obtained through the studies indicate the following:

Since 1986, the number of career firefighters per 1,000 population has been constant,

however the number of volunteer firefighters per 1,000 population has been decreasing.

15% of fire departments were all career/mostly career and protected approximately 2/3rd

of the U.S. population. Conversely, 85% of fire departments were all volunteer/mostly

volunteer and protected about 1/3rd of the U.S. population.

More than half the firefighters (52%) were between 30 and 49 years old.

Nationwide, 39% of fire departments provided no emergency medical services, 46%

provided basic life support (BLS) and 16% provided advanced life support (ALS).

(Hylton, J., Haynes, G., Stein, G.P., U.S. Fire Department Profile, NFPA 2016)

The above two charts and associated data provide an interesting comparison. Nationally,

departments serving a population base similar to the combined numbers of all four

departments, statistically tend to be fully career organizations. Yet the Minnesota numbers

indicate that this same population base is statistically served primarily by mostly volunteer

departments. When the consulting team considers the reasons behind this divergence, it is

believed to be based on the fact that Minnesota has fewer fire departments providing 911


ambulance transport services than in some other U.S. States. The call volume associated with

EMS response for departments providing these services is typically reported as 70% - 90% of

the workload. Not including this service as part of a fire department’s responsibilities

significantly lessons the call volume and allows departments to continue operating efficiently

with a volunteer or mostly volunteer staff.

Data Analysis – Participating Departments

The consulting team, using data provided by the four departments, conducted a 10-year

analysis of each department’s call volume. The team was surprised to learn that the overall

total call volume has fluctuated very little over the past 10-years. The Long Lake Fire

Department has seen the greatest rise, which is 4.2% over the period, with the Mound Fire

Department experiencing the least change, at only a 0.6% increase. Long Lake’s increase can

be attributed to the addition in 2007 of a service area previously covered by another

department.

Table 9: Ten Year Total Calls

Agency/Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total Average

Long Lake FD 326 482 423 394 446 423 395 426 353 413 4,081 408

% Change 47.9% -12.2% -6.9% 13.2% -5.2% -6.6% 7.8% -17.1% 17.0% 4.2%

Loretto FD 213 167 205 236 216 217 211 245 209 212 2,131 213

% Change -21.6% 22.8% 15.1% -8.5% 0.5% -2.8% 16.1% -14.7% 1.4% 0.9%

Maple Plain FD 268 280 240 284 244 257 269 291 284 309 2,726 273

% Change 4.5% -14.3% 18.3% -14.1% 5.3% 4.7% 8.2% -2.4% 8.8% 2.1%

Mound FD 530 559 533 551 577 615 554 558 525 550 5,552 555

%Change 5.5% -4.7% 3.4% 4.7% 6.6% -9.9% 0.7% -5.9% 4.8% 0.6%


Figure 2: Percentage Change in Total Calls

These low numbers are not consistent with what is typically seen nationally. In a report

published by the NFPA in 2014, the overall national fire service call volume has increased by

342% over the last 33 years. Medical aid responses are responsible for the largest portion of

this increase. EMS related responses by fire service agencies are up 236%. Of note however,

is the fact that overall fire responses are down by more than 1.7 million calls.

The relatively minor change in call volume experienced by these four agencies is likely due to

the diminishing number of fire responses coupled with the fact that the departments do not

respond on all medical calls within their respective districts. The Hennepin County 911

Emergency Communications System utilizes a priority based Emergency Medical Dispatching

protocol to determine level of response. These systems are designed to analyze the emergency

situation through a series of questions asked of the 911 caller. Dispatchers then make decisions

on the type and number of resources needed at the scene based on the information gleaned

through this rapid and systematic interview. Priority dispatch systems are highly effective and

typically work extremely well to ensure the appropriateness of responding resources.

In a study conducted by the Wisconsin EMS Association, less than 10% of all 911 calls for

medical assistance are true life threatening emergencies requiring a heavy response of assets


and personnel. Their report makes the following explanation:

While an emergency is often defined as a traumatic event or medical condition that the

patient or others at the scene deem to be an emergency, not all ambulance calls are life

threatening. Most ambulance services report that approximately 50% or more of their

calls involve non-life-threatening conditions requiring only Basic Life Support (BLS)

care. The remaining 50% require some form of advanced care (ALS), although the

additional care may only include starting an IV on the patient. Approximately 20% of

calls require the administration of one or more medications to the patient. Most

ambulance services report that less than 10% of their calls are true life and death

situations.

The consulting team is highly supportive of priority dispatch systems finding them

economically beneficial in helping to manage the overall cost of providing emergency services.

The team regularly encourages departments, when possible, to implement these type protocol

systems. (Note: A detailed analysis of the Hennepin County system was not conducted to determine whether or

not the respective fire departments are being dispatched appropriately and is beyond the scope of this study.)

The overall call volume breakdown between departments indicates that the Mound Fire

Department has the highest call volume, averaging 555 calls annually. This accounts for 38%

of the total responses for all four agencies. Long Lake has the next highest average call volume

at 408 (28% of total), while Maple Plain (273 calls – 19%) and Loretto (213 calls – 15%) have

the lowest.


Figure 3: 10 Year Total Emergency Responses

Types of Calls – Associated Challenges

Dissecting the call volume further, in the last 3-years using data provided by the departments

the greatest number of calls fell into the categories of Rescue/EMS, Good Intent, and False

Alarms. These categories are established by the National Fire Incident Reporting System

(NFIRS) with all departments required to submit report data to the United States Fire

Administration/Department of Homeland Security (USFA/DHS). Reports may be routed

through the State Fire Marshal’s Office, but ultimately are provided to USFA/DHS.


Figure 4: NFIRS 3 Year Total

The challenge in operating a volunteer/POC department where the call volume is becoming

less emergent and/or the calls being handled are less labor intensive requiring fewer personnel,

is the fact that the personnel find it more and more difficult to justify dropping what they are

doing or leaving work to run these type calls. At least two of the departments have instituted

“duty officer programs” to address this very issue. In these cases the on-call “duty officer”

responds to the calls without the assistance of an “all call” that would bring all available

department personnel. These type programs work well to address this particular concern, but

can also have a detrimental impact by reducing the number of calls where personnel get to

respond. Where used appropriately, these type programs do a nice of job holding off the need

to add full or part time staffing, but they can also, if not monitored and managed appropriately,

have an overall detrimental impact on morale.

Recommendation – Continue or Expand Duty Officer Programs

The departments should continue or expand the duty officer programs.

Clarification Point on EMS Service Delivery

A clarification point needs to be made here related to the level of emergency medical services

provided by the departments. When interviewing municipal officials and when reading

information provided by the departments to the consulting team, references have been made


several times to the level of EMS care provided by the departments. References (interviews

and in writing) have been made that departments provide both basic and paramedic level care.

For clarification purposes, the consulting team believes that the four departments respond on

dispatched EMS calls and provide medical care at the certified first responder (EMR) or EMT-

Basic level. Although some of the departments’ volunteer/POC members hold greater EMS

training certifications, with some being paramedics or greater, when responding on calls as part

of the department, regardless of individual certification levels, these personnel are only

authorized to operate at the provider level of the department. (Special Note: Mound Fire Department

has a retired volunteer/POC who is a physician. Although no longer active as a firefighter, he continues as the

department’s medical director and occasionally responds on serious injury accidents and some medical

emergencies. This individual has the right to practice medicine using equipment he might personally bring to the

scene as long as he is willing to assume responsibility for medical care until the patient is handed off to another

physician at the hospital.)

The consulting team does not believe, nor have we been shown information that conclusively

defines that any of the four departments are authorized to perform advanced level care (i.e.

manual defibrillation/cardioversion/cardiac pacing, advanced airway management, IV

administration, medications, etc.). We believe that the representation being made is that the

departments have personnel who are trained at the more advanced levels, but not that the

organization is authorized to operate at a level beyond basic medical care and that the

departments do not carry equipment to perform at this level.

This clarification is emphasized to ensure that municipal officials understand a difference exists

and that the departments’ first responder level of medical care is not at the same level as that of

the transport ambulance service (i.e. paramedic level). It is also imperative to understand that

if the departments provided a higher level of first responder EMS medical care, the consulting

team’s recommendation for staffing levels would likely be different and more complicated as it

relates to hiring/employee selection and training demands.

Analysis of Situation and Recommendations

Based on the evaluation of the call volume data along with the number of personnel reportedly


responding to calls, the consultants do not believe that a paid personnel deployment model is

currently justified.

That being said, the departments involved in this study should be applauded for their forward

thinking and strategic planning as it relates to this issue. The chart below looks at the time of

day in which calls for service are occurring. Of the three departments that provided this data,

all show that they respond to the greatest number of calls between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm.

This is significant in that these hours are the most challenging for volunteer/POC personnel to

cover and the timeframe highlighted by the chiefs as their greatest area of concern. It is very

likely that within the next 3-5 years, based on the anticipated changes within the

volunteer/POC ranks, that the departments will then be in a situation where a paid personnel

deployment model will be needed. Call volume in this case will likely not be the driving force

behind a need for change. The availability of volunteer/POC staffing in sufficient numbers

24/7 will probably be the greatest cause to justify a change in the current deployment model.

The most economical and efficient system to address a staffing change would be through a

shared delivery model. The shared training coordinator recommended earlier in this report will

be a good trial opportunity to see how a shared response and deployment model might work.

Figure 5: Calls by Time of Day


Recommendation – Shared Staffing & Personnel Deployment Model

The consultants do not currently recommend the development and implementation of a paid shared staffing and personnel deployment model.

Conceptual Shared Response and Deployment Model

In helping to set a vision for the future, the consulting team has provided a basic template of

what a shared response model might look like.

Deployment/Apparatus – A shared response team should be staffed with no less than 2-

personnel trained as both firefighters and emergency medical responders (EMR) or

emergency medical technicians (EMT). These personnel could staff a small response

vehicle (not a full sized structural fire engine) that could be equipped to provide medical

care, light rescue, and basic firefighting. A number of options exist from various

manufacturers for this type of apparatus. The consultants envision that the unit might be

built on an F-550 or similarly sized chassis that includes a pump and cabinetry. The City

of Los Angeles Fire Department has recently deployed two such vehicles with early

reports being very positive.


Personnel – Personnel assigned to staff this unit should be employed as part-time

employees. Volunteer/POC staff, who meet the base qualifications, could be allowed to

sign up and fill the shifts and receive the part-time hour-for-hour compensation.

Members from each of the represented departments should be cross trained and allowed

to staff the unit together. When working, they need to be compensated at the same hourly

pay rate regardless of which department they represent. (Note: Before implementing a program

that allows Volunteer/POC personnel to fill these shifts, a legal review needs to occur to ensure the

departments are operating within the rules of the Department of Labor and the Fair Labor Standards Act.)

Response – The unit should be stationed at a location that has easy access to all areas

covered by the four departments. The unit should be staffed for response during the

hours where the volunteer/POC personnel are not readily available. Based on the

analysis of the current call volume, this unit staffed with 2-personnel could easily handle

the bulk of the emergency workload with the volunteer/POC personnel responding with

the larger apparatus and additional manpower as needed.

Fire District Concept Plan:

As part of the Mound Fire Department annual report, reference was made related to the

formation of a joint fire district. The report stated:

The West Lake Minnetonka area Fire Chiefs met several times in 2015 and started

discussions about the possibility of forming a West Hennepin Area Fire District. The

discussions focused on feasibility of a fire district, solving staffing concerns, sharing

resources such as staff and equipment, and financial planning. This concept may be the

key to long-term success and cost effective fire protection services for the West Hennepin

Lake Minnetonka area. A Shared Services Study Grant was applied for and awarded in

2015.

The consulting team highly recommends that the departments and their contract agencies

further explore this concept. The potential for success of such an endeavor is likely but will be

dependent upon the individual entities’ willingness to set aside personal agendas and focus on

the most efficient system for providing fire and rescue services to the area. The consulting

team strongly believes that the initiation of a shared training coordinator program will be a


good initial “first step” to determine the potential stumbling blocks and challenges associated

with such an endeavor. A slow incremental process will likely work best. Steps may include

but not be limited to: enhanced joint training and automatic aid response, regular joint meetings

of department chiefs and command staff, joint purchasing, shared reserve apparatus, a shared

paid training coordinator and ultimately a shared response team. These steps will help to

systematically work toward a goal of a singular fire district.

Recommendation – Fire District Concept

Increase interaction and response capabilities that may include but not be limited to:

enhanced joint training and automatic aid response, regular joint meetings of department

chiefs and command staff, joint purchasing, shared reserve apparatus, a shared paid

training coordinator. Continue close monitoring to determine possible need to deploy a

future shared response team.

Establish as a joint strategic goal to conduct a study related to the feasibility of creating a West Hennepin Area Fire District through the consolidation and merger of the Long

Lake, Loretto, Maple Plain and Mound Fire Departments.


List of Recommendations in Priority Order

1. Chief Meetings: The chiefs of the represented departments need to schedule and commit to regular

meetings designed specifically to discuss and work through operational differences.

2. Recommendation – Agreed Upon Support by Administrators and Elected Officials:

Leadership at the administrator and elected official level will be needed to address the

service delivery challenges the departments are facing. Communities need to come

together at this level to find solutions collectively in order to address the areas of

concern within the current dynamics of the POC/volunteer fire service.

3. Contracts with Municipal Partners:

Contract agencies collectively agree that the minimum contract life between a

municipality/contractor and a fire department is no less than 3-years.

4. Joint Training Officer: Based on the above analysis, the consulting team is recommending that the departments

enter into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to hire and share a joint training

coordinator. Further, all participating departments need to move to a shared records

management system to facilitate organization of training accounts and

certification/licensure requirements.

a. Elicit HR Assistance The departments reach out to their municipal contract agencies to illicit the

assistance of their human resource departments.

b. Training Coordinator Costs The participating agencies need to equally share the cost of the program.

5. Develop Training Team The Training Coordinator needs to build a system where each department continues to

have a training officer and instructors.

6. Continue or Expand Duty Officer Programs The departments should continue or expand the duty officer programs.

7. Shared Staffing & Personnel Deployment Model The consultants do not currently recommend the development and implementation of a

paid shared staffing and personnel deployment model.

8. Fire District Concept

Increase interaction and response capabilities that may include but not be limited to: enhanced joint training and automatic aid response, regular joint meetings of

department chiefs and command staff, joint purchasing, shared reserve apparatus, a


shared paid training coordinator. Continue close monitoring to determine possible

need to deploy a future shared response team.

Establish as a joint strategic goal to conduct a study related to the feasibility of creating a West Hennepin Area Fire District through the consolidation and merger

of the Long Lake, Loretto, Maple Plain and Mound Fire Departments.

shared training services staffing and personnel deployment · the shared services initiative is...

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