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Introduction

NorthCharlestonFireDepartment(NCFD)provides thecommunitywith firesuppression,emergency medical services, basic and technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation,water‐relatedemergencyresponse,public fireand life safetyeducation, fire investigation,community risk reduction, and emergency management and preparedness to NorthCharleston,SouthCarolina’sresidents,businesses,andvisitors.Theagency isconsistentlyworkingtoachieveand/ormaintainthehighest levelofprofessionalismandefficiencyonbehalfof those itserves,andthus,contractedwiththeCenter forPublicSafetyExcellence(CPSE) to facilitate a method to document the organization’s path into the future via a“Community‐DrivenStrategicPlan.”ThefollowingstrategicplanwaswritteninaccordancewiththeguidelinessetforthintheCFAIFire&EmergencyServiceSelf‐AssessmentManual9thEd.,andisintendedtoguidetheorganizationwithinestablishedparameterssetforthbytheauthorityhavingjurisdiction.

TheCPSEutilized the community‐driven strategicplanningprocess togobeyond just thedevelopment of a document. It challenged the agency’s members to critically examineparadigms,values,philosophies,beliefsanddesires,andchallengedindividualstoworkinthe best interest of the “team.” It further provided the agency with an opportunity toparticipate in the development of their organization’s long‐term direction and focus.Members of the organization’s external and internal stakeholders’ groups demonstratedcommitmenttothisimportantprojectandremaincommittedtothedocument’scompletion.

Thisstrategicplan,withitsfoundationbasedincommunityandmembershipinput,revisitsthe organization’s pillars (Mission, Values, and Vision) and sets forth a continuousimprovementplanthatoffersaroadmapforajustifiableandsustainablefuture.

NORTHCHARLESTONFIREDEPARTMENTSTRATEGICPLANTableofContents

CommunityandOrganizationalBackground................................................................................1 OrganizationalStructure.......................................................................................................................2 Community‐DrivenStrategicPlanning............................................................................................3 ProcessandAcknowledgements........................................................................................................5 CommunityGroupFindings.................................................................................................................6 CommunityPriorities.........................................................................................................................6 CommunityExpectations..................................................................................................................7 AreasofCommunityConcern.........................................................................................................9 PositiveCommunityFeedback....................................................................................................10 OtherThoughtsandComments..................................................................................................13

InternalStakeholderGroupFindings............................................................................................14 Mission.......................................................................................................................................................15 Values.........................................................................................................................................................16 Vision..........................................................................................................................................................16 S.W.O.T.Analysis...................................................................................................................................16 Strengths..............................................................................................................................................17 Weaknesses.........................................................................................................................................18 Opportunities.....................................................................................................................................19 Threats..................................................................................................................................................19

CriticalIssuesandServiceGaps......................................................................................................20 StrategicInitiatives...............................................................................................................................21 GoalsandObjectives.............................................................................................................................22 PerformanceMeasurement...............................................................................................................29 TheSuccessoftheStrategicPlan....................................................................................................30 GlossaryofTerms,Acronyms,andInitialisms..........................................................................31 WorksCited..............................................................................................................................................33

2016 – 2021 Strategic Plan

NORTH CHARLESTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

CommunityandOrganizationalBackgroundNorthCharleston is the third‐largest city in SouthCarolina,with incorporated areas inBerkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. The city has experienced significantgrowth since its incorporation in1972,boasting apopulationofmore than104,000 in76.6squaremiles.

ThejurisdictionisborderedbytheAshleyRivertothewestandtheCooperRivertotheeast.Theterrainisgenerallylevel,rangingfromsealeveltotwentyfeetonthepeninsula,withgradual elevation toward inlandareas.Marshareas surround the riverbanksandlow‐lying areas, and roadways crossing those areas are limited. Interstate 26 and 526provideaccesstomanykeyareasinthejurisdiction,thoughtrafficcongestioncangreatlyhampertheuseofthoseinterstatesduringmorningandafternoonrushhours.

The first firedepartment serving the areanowknownasNorthCharlestonwas the St.Phillip's and St. Michael's Fire Department, founded in 1935. Just two years later, theNorthCharlestonFireDepartmentwasalsoformed.In1959,thedepartmentsmergedtobecome theNorthCharlestonConsolidatedFireDepartment.With the incorporationofthe city of North Charleston incorporated, the fire department became two separateentities ‐ the City of North Charleston Fire Department and the North Charleston FireDistrict‐butagainmergedin1996asthepresentdayNorthCharlestonFireDepartment.

Today, theNorthCharlestonFireDepartment (NCFD)serves from11 firestationswithmorethan250personnelrespondingtomorethan22,000emergencyincidentsannually.TheNCFDalsomaintainsafixedtrainingfacilityandanadministrativeheadquartersthatis located in city hall. A cadre of equipment is utilized to provide fire suppression,technical rescue, hazardousmaterials, first responder emergencymedical services andmarinerescueandshipboardfirefightingservicestothearea.



OrganizationalStructure



Community‐DrivenStrategicPlanningFormany successful organizations, the voice of the community drives their operationsandcharts thecourse for their future.A"community‐drivenorganization" isdefinedasone thatmaintainsa focuson theneedsandexpectations,both spokenandunspoken,ofcustomers,bothpresentandfuture,inthecreationand/orimprovementoftheproductorservice provided.1 In order to ensure that the community remains a focus of anorganization’s direction, a community–driven strategic planning process was used todevelopthisstrategicplan.

Astrategicplanisalivingmanagementtoolthatprovidesshort‐termdirection,buildsasharedvision,documentsgoalsandobjectives,andoptimizesuseofresources.Goodstein,Nolan,&Pfeifferdefinestrategicplanningas

“acontinuousandsystematicprocesswheretheguidingmembersofanorganizationmakedecisionsaboutitsfuture,developthenecessaryproceduresandoperationsto

achievethatfuture,anddeterminehowsuccessistobemeasured.2”

TheU.S.FederalBenchmarkingConsortiumStudyTeamgoesontoexplainthat,tofullyunderstandstrategicplanning,itisnecessarytolookatafewkeywordsinthestrategicplanningdefinition:

continuous ‐ refers to the view that strategic planning must be an ongoingprocess,notmerelyaneventtoproduceaplan;

systematic ‐ recognizes that strategic planning must be a structured anddeliberateeffort,notsomethingthathappensonitsown;

process‐recognizesthatoneofthebenefitsofstrategicplanningistoundertakethinkingstrategicallyaboutthefutureandhowtogetthere,whichismuchmorethanproductionofadocument(e.g.,astrategicplan);

guidingmembers‐identifiesnotonlyseniorunitexecutives,butalsoemployees.(Italsoconsidersstakeholdersandcustomerswhomaynotmakethesedecisions,butwhoaffectthedecisionsbeingmade.);

proceduresandoperations ‐means the full spectrum of actions and activitiesfrom aligning the organization behind clear long‐term goals to putting in placeorganizational and personal incentives, allocating resources, and developing theworkforcetoachievethedesiredoutcomes;and

how success is to bemeasured ‐ recognizes that strategic planning must useappropriatemeasurestodetermineiftheorganizationhasachievedsuccess.

1FederalBenchmarkingConsortium.(1997,February).ServingtheAmericanPublic:BestPracticesinCustomer‐DrivenStrategicPlanning 2Ibid



“Whatwehavetodotodayistobereadyforanuncertaintomorrow.”

PeterF.Drucker,ProfessorofSocialScienceandManagement

Effective strategic planning benefits from aconsistent and cohesively structured processemployed across all levels of the organization.Planning is a continuous process, one with noclear beginning and no clear end. While planscan be developed on a regular basis, it is theprocess of planning that is important, not thepublicationoftheplanitself.Mostimportantly,strategicplanningcanbeanopportunityto unify the management, employees, and stakeholders through a commonunderstandingofwhere theorganization is going, howeveryone involved canwork tothatcommonpurpose,andhowprogressandlevelswillmeasuresuccess.

TheCommunity–DrivenStrategicPlanningProcessOutline

1. Definetheprogramsprovidedtothecommunity.

2. Establish the community’s service program priorities and expectations of theorganization.

3. Identifyanyconcernsthecommunitymayhaveabouttheorganization,alongwithaspectsoftheorganizationthatthecommunityviewspositively.

4. Revisit the Mission Statement, giving careful attention to the services andprogramscurrentlyprovided,andwhichlogicallycanbeprovidedinthefuture.

5. RevisittheValuesoftheorganization’smembership.

6. IdentifytheinternalStrengthsandWeaknessesoftheorganization.

7. IdentifyareasofOpportunityfor,andpotentialThreatstotheorganization.

8. Identifytheorganization’scriticalissuesandservicegaps.

9. Determinestrategicinitiativesfororganizationalimprovement.

10. Establisharealisticgoalandobjectivesforeachinitiative.

11. Identifyimplementationtasksfortheaccomplishmentofeachobjective.

12. DeveloptheVisionofthefuture.

13. Developorganizationalandcommunitycommitmenttoaccomplishingtheplan.



ProcessandAcknowledgementsThe Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) acknowledges and thanks thecommunity’sandtheagency’sexternaland internalstakeholders fortheirparticipationand input into this Community–Driven Strategic Planning Process. The CPSE alsorecognizes Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow and his team for their leadership and

commitmenttothisprocess.

Initial development of this strategic plan took place in May 2016, beginning with ameeting hosted by representatives from the CPSE for members of the community(external stakeholders). Input received from themeeting revolved around communityexpectations and concerns, as well as positive and other comments about theorganization.Thosepresentatthemeetingwereasfollows:

NorthCharlestonFireDepartmentExternalStakeholders

NeilBailey EdBergeron KarenBrack RonBrinson

ShannonCook RobDewey GerindaDoctor TommyDoyle

SequoiaGrant TonyL.Hill KayHyman GeneIce

VirginiaWhiteJamison RhondaJerome LanceT.Johnson GaryKillough

JeremiahD.Lee ToddMusselman RashardPratt RyanReynolds

MikeSchnabel CharlynneSmith TawayneW.Weems MikeWindham

CharlesH.Yoho

External Stakeholders Work Session



CommunityGroupFindingsA key element of NCFD’s organizational philosophy ishavingahigh levelof commitment to thecommunity, aswell as recognizing the importance of communitysatisfaction. Thus, the agency invited communityrepresentativestoprovidefeedbackonservicesprovided.

CommunityPriorities

In order to dedicate time, energy, and resources to services most desired by itscommunity,thefiredepartmentneedstounderstandwhatthecustomersconsidertobetheir priorities. With that, the external stakeholders were asked to prioritize theprogramsofferedbytheorganizationthroughaprocessofdirectcomparison.Theresultswereasfollows:

CommunityIdentifiedPrioritizedProgramsoftheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment

PROGRAMS RANKING SCORE

EmergencyMedicalServices 1 130

FireSuppression 2 125

TechnicalRescue 3 86

CommunityRiskReduction 4 71

HazardousMaterialsMitigation 5 68

EmergencyManagementandPreparedness 6 65

Water‐RelatedEmergencyResponse 7 61

PublicFireandLifeSafetyEducation 8 58

FireInvestigation 9 56

External Stakeholders Work Session



CommunityExpectations

Understanding what the community expects of its fire and emergency servicesorganization is critically important to developing a long‐range perspective. With thisknowledge, internal emphasis may need to be changed or bolstered to fulfill thecommunity needs. In certain areas, education on the level of service that is alreadyavailablemay be all that is needed. To follow are the expectations of the community’sexternalstakeholders:

CommunityExpectationsoftheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment(verbatim,inpriorityorder)

1. Responsetime/Timelinessinresponsetofirecalls.Timely/quick/rapidresponseto911calls,schools,homes,public,etc.Rapidresponse tomedical/fireemergencies.Timelyemergencyresponsetoalltypesofcalls,withfullresources.(46.5)

2. Public Education: Educate/Train public [on] fire safety and first aid. More communitytraining.Community trainingonwhat todo in theeventofcertainemergencies.Public fireeducation. Help community in knowledge of how to prevent possible danger. Educate thepublic on themost current research and data related to fires and fire safety. Educate thepublicandschoolsonsafetyandfireprevention(i.e.:smokedetectors,flammablematerials,firstaid,responsibilitiesofcommunitytopreventseriousproblems)(24)

3. Firesuppression:Oneof thekeystoanyfiredepartment‐ thismustcomeaboveallelseastheprimaryinitiative.Putfiresoutefficientlyand[illegible]aspossible.(24)

4. InternalTraining/Education:Bestoftraining.Continuoustraining.Well‐traineddepartment,capableofhandlingall situations.Staffwell‐trained foranyemergency. Invest inpersonnelbycontinuingeducation,supplyingallsuppliesneeded.(20)

5. CommunityInvolvement:[including]withnon‐profitorganizations.Connectwithcommunitythrougheventsinschools,neighborhoods,etc.Bemoreinvolvedinthecommunityprojects.(18)

6. EMS.Lifesupport.Personnelabletoprovidelifesavingmeasurespriortoambulancearrival.Savelivesofthoseindanger.(13)

7. Resources and Maintenance: Every resource needed to do their work and the best ofequipment given and properly maintained. State‐of‐the‐art resources – equipment andtechnology. Have all necessary equipment needed for any emergency. Maintain reliable,functioning equipment. Keep vehicles maintained. Testing hoses and other equipmentregularly.(13)

8. Professional/Professionalism/Professionalbehavior–thattheservicesprovidedaredonesoby well‐trained, community oriented individuals. Quest for professionalism – informedleadership. Conducting oneself with the public as a highly‐regarded member of the city.(12.5)

9. Savelivesandproperty.Dothebestofabilitytostopfire/savelife.(11)



10. Keeppacewithgrowth:Establishfirestationsincloseproximitytopublic,addingstationsascommunities grow!North Charleston is growing very fast – One of the top priorities is tokeepupsoastocontinuetoprovidetheexcellentservicestheynowprovide.(9)

11. CodeEnforcement:Makingsurethecitizens/visitorsaresafethroughcodeenforcement.Usecommonsenseandpracticalitywhenenforcingcodes.(8)

12. Recruitment/Hiring/Retention: Hiring of qualified personnel. Recruiting and maintainingqualifiedstaffthatcareaboutpublicsafetyandworkwellwithothersfromallbackgrounds.Hiring bilingual staff and providing bilingual materials and education to the non‐Englishspeakingcommunity.(8)

13. YouthInteraction:Helpouryouththroughcadet/explorerprogramstobecomebetteradults,citizens.Beconcernedabouttheyouthofthecommunity.(7)

14. Fiscal Responsibility: That the services provided are done so at a cost that reflects goodstewardshipofresources(5)

15. Prevention:Workingwiththepublicandcommercialbusinessestomitigatestructural firesbeforetheyoccur.(5)

16. Respondtoallemergencysituations.(5)

17. SmokeDetectors:Continuetoprovidesmokedetectorstoresidents,especiallytheelderly–and install and check them. Continue to make sure each residence has working smokedetectors.(4)

18. Thattheservicesareconsistentwiththeidentifiedneedsofthecommunity.(4)

19. Courteousinteractionswithpublic.(4)

20. Service:“CustomerService”mindset.Servethecommunityinanyway.(4)

21. Gettingtoemergencyareasafely.(4)

22. Entrapmentresponse.(4)

23. FireInvestigation:Investigateallfires.(4)

24. Thatservicesareequitableforall,regardlessofincome,religion,orientation,etc.(3)

25. MoreCPRtrainingofferedtochurchesforfire(impactingmassesatonetime).(3)

26. Workwithschooldistricttoprovidetrainingandawarenesstostaffandstudents.(3)

27. ExternalRelationships: Goodworking relationshipwith other public entities.Relatingwellwithcommunitiesandallthepublic.(3)

28. Behelpfulincaseswhentheycan,notwhentheyhaveto.(3)

29. Regularsafetyinspectionsofpublicvenues.(3)

30. Alwaysbepreparedwhenonscene.(3)

31. The “Sofa Store Fire” will never happen (here again / never in North Charleston) – wellorganized,everyonedoingtheirpart.(3)

32. Respondtocallsforvehicle‐relatedincidents.(3)



33. Thattheorganizationreflectsthecommunitytheyserve.(2)

34. Communitypreparednessfordisasters.(2)

35. Helpresourceofficersinschoolsmorewithidentifyinghighschoolerswhowouldliketobefirefighters.(2)

36. Positiveattitudes–positivemorale.(2)

37. Make sure construction companies are completely forthcoming with all permitted work,makingsureownerispresentwithwalkthrough.(1)

38. Showgenuinecareforcommunity.(1)

39. Bewell‐preparedforterrorismanddisasters.(1)

40. Commitmenttojob.(1)

41. Bethefirstonthescene.(1)

AreasofCommunityConcern

Theplanningprocesswouldbe incompletewithoutanexpression fromthecommunityregarding concerns about the organization. Some areas of concern may in fact be aweakness within the delivery system, while some weaknesses may also bemisperceptionsbaseduponalackofinformationorincorrectinformation.

AreasofCommunityConcernabouttheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment(verbatim,inpriorityorder)

1. None. I have no concerns. No concerns – we continue to improve with new/increasedpersonnelandequipment.(20)

2. Growth:Keepingupwithcity’sgrowthanddevelopment–volumeanddiversity–structuresandpopulace.Withgrowthof the city, the infrastructureof thedepartments staysatpace.With the city growing, making sure there are enough fire stations. Maintaining rapidresponsetimesinthisgrowingcommunity.(16)

3. InternalTraining:Thatallfiremenareadequatelytrainedpriortofightingfires.Makingsurethateveryonehasenoughtraining.Trainingmaybetooeasy.(12)

4. TrafficImpactonResponse:IamextremelyconcernedthattrainandtrucktrafficintheParkCircle area is affecting response time. Traffic has gotten extremely bad due to roads notkeepingupwith thegrowthofNorthCharleston.Plans shouldkeep inmind that, howevergreatthefiredepartmentis,it’suselessifitcan’tgettowhereitneedstobe.(10)

5. Qualityofpersonnel.Qualityofhireesmaybe less than thebest,basedonsalaries thecityprovides.(6)

6. IstheresufficientpreparationinNorthCharleston?(5)

7. Notofferingfreefireinspectionsorfireextinguisherinspections.(5)

8. Blockingtrafficneedlesslyforfireorrescue.(5)

9. Thatthecitymaynotpurchaseallequipmentthatwillberequired.(5)



10. Adequateresources?Equipment?Technology?Manpower?(5)

11. Additionalstations.(5)

12. Spreadtoothin.Notenoughfiredepartments.(5)

13. Firstdueenginebeingrequiredto layasupply linewhentheextratimeisbetterservedattheincidentscene,whenpossiblymighthavealifesafetyissue.(5)

14. Thattheorganizationisadequatelyfunded.(4)

15. Drivinglikea“maniac”toanon‐emergency.(4)

16. Isthereenoughpeopleindepartmenttokeepeveryonesafe?(4)

17. Continuetruckreplacementschedule.(4)

18. Allfirestationsshouldbemodernized!(publicperceptionandresources)(4)

19. Notpaidwellenough.(4)

20. WorkingcloserwithdepartmentsotherthaninCharlestonCounty.(4)

21. Concernabouttheorganizationbeinginternallyfocusedasopposedtocommunityfocused–moreoutreach.(3)

22. Calling forunits that are fartherout, knowingadepartment closerhas the saidequipmentandmanpowerfortheincident.(3)

23. Iworrythatourfirepersonnelarenotsupportedfinancially/mentally.(3)

24. Thatpreventioneducationalservicesareadequatelyfunded.(2)

PositiveCommunityFeedback

TheCPSEpromotesthebeliefthat,forastrategicplantobevalid,thecommunity’sviewontheorganization’sstrengthsmustbeestablished.Needlesseffortsareoftenputforthin over‐developing areas that are already successful. However, proper utilization andpromotionofthestrengthsmayoftenhelptheorganizationovercomeoroffsetsomeoftheidentifiedweaknesses.

PositiveCommunityCommentsabouttheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment(verbatim,innoparticularorder)

TheNorthCharleston[FireDepartment]hasgreatcommunityadmiration.Theirparticipationincommunityactivitiesiswonderful,includingthe“CitizenPublicSafetyAcademy.”

Responsetimeexcellent.

Careforpropertyforminimaldamage.

Emergencymedicalfirstresponder(Great).

Providingsmokealarmsandannualchecksgreat.

Professionalismexcellent.

Greatleadership.



Excellentdepartment.

Representsthecityexcellent.

Veryqualified.

Notablequalityofleadershipatcommandlevels.

Professionalismisgrowing.

Prideinachievement.

Planningforfuture–keytogoodmanagement.

Publicapproval!

Doingafantasticjob.

Excellentwork–Icansleepwellatnightknowingwearesafe.

Payraises!

Updatedtrainingcontinuous.

Havenothadanyencounterswithfiredepartment.

Myinteractionswiththedepartmenthavealwaysbeenpositive.

Responsetimeshavealsobeengreat!TheEMSandfirealwaysarrivequicklywhencontacted.

EveryfirefighterthatIhavemetseemtoenjoytheirjob.

Firedepartmentgivesbacktothecommunity.

Makingtheefforttoconducttrainingthrumulti‐departmentdrills.

Beinginvitedtomeetings.

Closerworkingwithback‐fillingduringlargescaleoperations.

Thedepartmenthasbeen seenpublicly as going through ground‐up improvements over thepast10years,maintainthis.

Professional.

Upgradingequipmentforfirefightersafetyandresponse.

Atourschool,NCFDwascalledduetoafireextinguisherbeingreleased.Itgotintoventilation,etc.Theyweresoquicktorespondandveryprofessionalandkeptusverysafe.

Speakingaboutmyarea,they’regreat.

Iwouldliketoseethemmorewithourkidsbecausetheyaresorespected.

Departmentsarealwayscheckingequipment.

Departmentsalwaysseeminorder.

Firefightersalwaysseemtowanttoservetheircommunity.



Asaschoolrepresentative,IcanaffirmthequickresponsebytheNCFDtorequestsformedicalaidandforfirealarmsthataretriggered.

The NCFD is partnering with our school for an arts project. We appreciate the communitypartnership.

Welltrained.

Positiveattitudes.

Compassionate.

Greatcommunityoutreachforlow‐income,disabled,andelderlyfamilies.

WehopethattheNCFDcontinuestoshareandprovidesafetyandeducationalservicestothecommunity.

Continue to provide (lifesaving) free services/smoke detectors and preventative fireequipment.

ThedepartmenthasalwaysworkedwellwithDorchesterDistrict2.

Alwaysbeenavailableandabighelpwhenneeded.

Leadership.

Partnerships.

Thoughtfulprocesses–commitmenttoexcellence.

Willingnesstoexamineprocessesandmakeadjustments.

Respondstimelyandprofessionally.

IssupportiveofALLcitizens.

Alwaysprofessional(indressandpersonality).

Getsinvolvedwithlocalnon‐profits.

Codeofficersdoagreatjob.

Firefightersdoagreatjob.

Facilitiesalllookgreat.

Fortunately,Ihaven’tneededNCFDservices!

Wheninthecommunitytheyaregreatrolemodels.

Thecommunityworktheydoonsiteisgreat.

Goodpeopletoworkwithallaround.

MyexperiencewithNorthCharlestonFireandEMShasbeenverypositive.

Inspectionsalwaysdonecorrectlyandthoroughly.

AnyincidentsI’veexperiencedhavequickresponses.



Christmasparadeshowstremendouscare.

OtherThoughtsandComments

The Community was asked to share any other comments they had about NCFD or itsservices.Thefollowingwrittencommentswerereceived:

OtherCommunityCommentsabouttheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment(verbatim,innoparticularorder)

Thankyouforyourserviceandallyoudo!

Veryproudoftheamazingteamofprofessionalfirefighters.

NCFDisaverywellledorganization–kudostoChiefBulanowandstafffortheirexcellence.

Thefiredepartmentisdoinganoutstandingjob.

Excellentdepartmentwithhighlytrainedandqualifiedpersonnel.

NCFD has made great strides in operational performance, [illegible], professionalism andstrategicleadership!!

IhaveapersonalfriendinthefiredepartmentofN.C.andIamveryproudoftheirwork.Tome,everything is in order, just keep on doing what you are doing – constant improvement toalwaysbethebest!

Wouldliketoseeacomputerprogram(likethepolice“RAIDSOnline”)soasacommunityweknow why trucks are in our neighborhood and the type of call they respond to. I feelneighborhoodassociationscouldusethisinfotohelpwithintheircommunity.

Recruitmentandretentionofgoodpeopleisimportant.

Keepupthegoodwork.

Appreciate the high level of care the NCFD cares for its employees. The Coastal CrisisChaplaincyisconstantlynotifiedofhowwecanbehelpful.

Oneofthebestdepartmentsinthestate.

IliveandworkinNorthCharlestonandappreciateyouall!!

Weappreciatetheresponsethatisgiventoourareawhentheyareneeded.

Theyaregreat.

Wearepleasedwiththeservicesprovidedbythefiredepartment.

Imaynotbeawareofany,butIhavenotseenanycommunityoutreachprograms(Iamsuretheyexist). Iamalsonotawareofeducatingthe less fortunatecommunitiesonpublicsafety(this may require going into those communities due to high poverty rates). Also havingbilingualemployeesonsite.



InternalStakeholderGroupFindingsThe internal stakeholderwork sessionswere conductedover the courseof threedays.These sessions served to discuss the organization’s approach to community‐drivenstrategic planning, with focus on the agency’s Mission, Values, as well as theorganization’s perceived Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Theworksessions involvedparticipationbythebroadorganizationrepresentation inattendance,asnamedbelowandpicturedtofollow.

NorthCharlestonFireDepartmentInternalStakeholderRepresentatives

GreyAllredCaptain

AndrewBakerEngineer

CoreyBatesFirefighter DonaldBlakeleyEngineer

KarenBosartAdministrativeAssistant

BiancaBourbeauFire&LifeSafetyEducator/PIO

DonaldBowenCaptain

MichaelBowersCaptain

BroderickBrayboyFirefighter

BenjaminBrinsonFirefighter

AdamBrownEngineer

GregoryBulanowFireChief

JamesBurtonEngineer

NicholasBybeeFirefighter

SteveCoffinHazMatCoordinator BrandonCurranEngineer

RickDangerfieldComplianceOfficer

BryanDelaneyCaptain

StephenFeinbergBattalionChief

AndrewFrattaroliEngineer

ShaunGadsdenShiftTrainingOfficer

Captain

MichaelGayCaptain

MichaelGoossensShiftTrainingOfficerCaptain

TianGriffiethFirefighter

JohnGypinEngineer

DeanHatchellEMSCoordinator

JamesHeinzmanFirefighter

JohnHendersonCaptain

GaryHenryDivisionChief

NormanHritzIIICaptain

StephanieJulazadehCaptain

WilliamKennedyEngineer

CindyKilletteFireMarshal

MatthewMcDowellAssistantChiefofTraining

BrianMillerFirefighter

KyleMinickDeputyChiefofOperations

JosephMunnDeputyChiefofAdministration

PaxtonParrishCaptain

DavidPfauCaptain

RichardPorziaEngineer

TimothyPotterFirefighter

ChristianRaineyFirefighter

VinceRanucciCaptain DavidReindollarCaptain

MattRhotonDivisionChief

AnthonySaraceniFirefighter

GregSchelestIIIEngineer DonovanSnovelEngineer

NicholasSooterFirefighter

RebeccaSternerFirefighter

JohnWhetsellDivisionChief

AndrewWoodallFirefighter

JasonWooldridgeFirefighter



MissionThepurposeofthemissionistoanswerthequestions:

Whoarewe? Whydoweexist? Whatdowedo? Whydowedoit? Forwhom?

Aworkgroupmettorevisittheexistingmission.Afterpresentingarevisiontotheentireworkgroupanddiscussingtheoptions,theconsensuswastoadoptthefollowing:

TheNorthCharlestonFireDepartmentexiststoimproveandprotectthequalityoflifewithinourservicearea

througheducation,prevention,andemergencyresponse.

North Charleston Fire Department Internal Stakeholders



ValuesValues embraced by all members of an organization are extremely important, as theyrecognize the features that make up the personality of the organization. The agency’sinternalstakeholdersagreedtothefollowing:

Honor:Toliveuptoandcarryforwardthenobletraditionsofourprofession.

Courage: The physical and moral strength to venture,persevere,andovercomeadversity.

Compassion:Thedesiretoserveallinatimeofneed.

The Mission and Values are the foundation of this organization. The individuals whomake up the North Charleston Fire Department will be guided by them in theaccomplishmentoforganizationalgoalsandachievementofNCFD’sVision.

VisionInternal stakeholders collaboratedon a visionofwhere theorganizationwill be in thefuture,when this strategic plan is accomplished. This vision is intended as a target ofexcellencetostrivetoward,andprovidesabasisforNCFD’sgoalsandobjectives.

Weenvisionthatby2021theNorthCharlestonFireDepartmentwillprovideindustry‐leadingoperationalperformancethroughvalues‐basedserviceto

ourpersonnelandourcommunity.

S.W.O.T.AnalysisTheStrengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities, andThreats (SWOT)analysis isdesigned tohave an organization candidly identify its positive and less‐than‐desirable attributes.Internal stakeholders participated in this activity to record their strengths andweaknesses,aswellasthepossibleopportunitiesandpotentialthreats.



Strengths

It is important foranyorganizationto identify itsstrengths inordertoassurethat it iscapable of providing the services requested by the community and to ensure thatstrengths are consistentwith the issues facing theorganization.Often, identificationoforganizational strengths leads to the channeling of efforts toward primary communityneedsthatmatchthosestrengths.Programsthatdonotmatchorganizationalstrengths,ortheprimaryfunctionoftheorganization,shouldbeseriouslyreviewedtoevaluatetherate of return on staff time and allocated funds. Through a consensus process, theinternalstakeholdersidentifiedtheagency’sstrengthsasfollows:

StrengthsoftheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment

People(Diversity,Pride,Brotherhood) Interagencyoperability(autoaid)Apparatus GrowthFacilities CooperationInsurance(healthandsupplemental) TrainingOutreach OwnershipResponsetimes Self‐evaluationandimprovementSpecialOperations ProfessionalismandappearanceKindness,compassion,communityinvolvement‐presence OperatingexpertiseCommittees(inputfrommembers) DedicationReputation RespectRewardingexperience LogisticsandequipmentCommunityservice CommandpresenceRecognition Promotion/opportunityFlexibilityandchange SquadsAggressive FiresuppressionCompetitive Fireprevention/educationPassion Desiretoserve/helpReputation Leadership(alllevels)Passion Desiretoserve/helpReputation Leadership(alllevels)Mayor/CityCouncilrelationship/support AccreditationCulture(firefighterattitudesandresponses) RelationshipbuildingFiredepartmentmembersasawhole OurdispatchersS.O.G.(valueguidelinevsprocedure,canprovevalueofdecisionmakingprocess–autonomy)



Weaknesses

For any organization to either begin or to continue tomove progressively forward, itmust not only be able to identify its strengths, but also those areaswhere it functionspoorlyornotatall.Theseareasofneededenhancementsarenotthesameasthreatstobeidentifiedlaterinthisdocument,butratherthoseday‐to‐dayissuesandconcernsthatmay slow or inhibit progress. The following items were identified by the internalstakeholdersasweaknesses:

WeaknessesoftheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment

Morale(location‐dependent) Training‐inconsistencyamongshiftsUniforms Specialoperationsfundingandstaffing

Timemanagement(Toptobottom,prioritizing,managing,communicating,lastminuteevents/overlooking)

Morningschedule(events,etc.)NotenoughsquadsIncidentreports/Firehouse

Lackofpersonalresponsibility(takingownershipandpride)

Communication‐meaningfulfeedback–classes–scheduling(consistency)

Consistencyindisciplineandpraise(perception)

Documentation(reporting,streamlining)preplansandEMSreports

Evaluationprocess EventschedulingTeamwork(oneteam,allshifts–equally) LackofreserveunitsHiringprocess(bringinthosewhosharevalues)

Lackoftrustandrelationshipbetweenmanagementandlinepersonnel

Budgetrequests(process) LackoffollowthruWorkload‐management SocialmediapolicyPay(reward)specialassignments/specializedskillincentives

Probation/promotionalmanuals:process→re‐evaluationofbooks,timeliness→revision

Publicrelations:Staffing,Partnerships MicromanagementTransfers Freelancing

Committeeselectionorhiringboard–needtodefineprocessandcommitteemembersign‐up(i.e.1%activity)

LackofperceivedvalueinourjobsStationrepairsFasttrackingpersonnel

Lackofmeaningfulcritiques/hotwashes MaintenanceSometoxicpersonnel Stationsupplies(batteries)Professionaldevelopment CultureActiveandengagedleadership Informationsharing



Opportunities

The opportunities for an organization depend on the identification of strengths andweaknessesandhowtheycanbeenhanced.The focusofopportunities isnot solelyonexisting service, but on expanding and developing new possibilities both inside andbeyond the traditional service area. The internal stakeholders identified the followingpotentialopportunities:

PotentialOpportunitiesfortheNorthCharlestonFireDepartmentIncreasecoveragearea:AshleyRiver,OldFort,Lincolnville,C&B,WatsonHill,andHanahan

Improvemaintenancestaffing/schedulingandquality

Improveabilitytocommunicatewithnon‐Englishspeakingcommunity

Increasepayforpositionandhighereducation(incentives)

Increasetrainingopportunities:acquiredstructures,increasedfundingfortravel/training,multi‐jurisdictionaltraining

ReceivefeedbackfromEMS,concerningmedicalcallstoimproveourcareandforpersonalknowledgeofoutcome

Recruitmentthroughcommunitypartnerships IncreasewagesduetoincreasedtaxareaImprovemaintenancestaffing/schedulingandquality

Enhancerelationshipswithothercitydepartments(police,PW,etc.)

AdditionalPSA‐betterinfotocommunity,paidadvertisingandsocialmedia

Useourassetstoattracthigher‐profilepeopletoNCFD(regionalmeetings,training,etc.)

Technologyimprovements–softwareandtabletsforapparatus

Staffingincrease(training,PubEd,publicinformation)

CharlestonCountytrainingfacilities WorkscheduleExpandingrecruitschool ALSdepartmentNationalFireAcademyandSCFA ExpandingautomaticaidgroupCityallottingdepartment‐specificgrantwriters Youthandschooloutreach

Internal Stakeholders Work Session

Threats

By recognizing possible threats, an organization can reduce the potential for loss.



Fundamentaltothesuccessofanystrategicplanistheunderstandingthatthreatsarenotcompletely and/or directly controlled by the organization. Some of the current andpotentialthreatsidentifiedbytheinternalstakeholderswereasfollows:

PotentialThreatstotheNorthCharlestonFireDepartment

Budget/finances UnfundedmandatesIncreasedemandforservice,increasingcallvolume,needforsoonerapparatuspurchasing

Publicperception(misconceptions,cognitivedissonance)

Municipaladministration(politics) LackofsufficientretirementEMSshortstaffing/shuttingdowntrucks UnrealisticexternalexpectationsThreatofviolence ThreatstoretirementsystemDisparityofservicewithotheragenciesanddepartments(internalandexternal)

Growthandannexation,infrastructure‐>increaseresponsetime(roadways)

Lackofperceivedvalueinourjob Abuseof911systemGeneralcommunicationwithotherlocalagencies NegativepressRecruitmentandretention CyberattacksTerroristattacks WeakerbuildingcodesCrime PayscaleofotherdepartmentsIncreasesinbenefitcosts LackoffuturefundingIncreaseddepartmentaldemandsacceleratingwearingdownofapparatus/equipment

Internal Stakeholder Work Session

CriticalIssuesandServiceGaps

Followingtheidentificationandreviewoftheagency’sSWOT,separategroupsofinternal



stakeholdersmettoidentifythemesasprimarycriticalissuesandservicegaps.

RawCriticalIssuesandServiceGapsIdentifiedbyInternalStakeholdersCulture/Behaviors·Lackofpersonalresponsibility·Consistencyindisciplineandpraise·Hiringprocess·Activeandengagedleadership·Lackoftrustinmanagement·Lackoffollow‐through·Fast‐trackingpersonnel·Micromanagement·Lackofperceivedvalueinourjobs·Culture·Threatofviolence·Recruitmentandretention

Training·Staffing·Committee·Consistency·Useoftime·Multijurisdictional·Funding·ProfessionalDevelopment(andmanuals)·Streamlining/improvinguseofFIREHOUSE/reporting‐Sharinginformation‐EMS‐Inspections

·Evaluations·Probation·Lackofmeaningfulcritiques

ProfessionalDevelopment(personnel/culturaldevelopment)·Rewardandrecognition·Evaluation·Acting·Transfers·MicromanagementScheduling·Workload·Organization/planning·Publicrelationsevent·Acting·Transfers

Communication·Publicperception·Media·Internal·External·Consistencyofrecognitionanddiscipline,rewards‐Categories,levels,differentcriteria

·Firecalendar·Informationsharing·Municipaladministration(politics)‐positiverelationship·Disparityofserviceswithotheragenciesanddepartments·Publicrelations·Publiceducation

Useoftimeandresources·Traininguse·Reporting·Workloadandmanagement·Timemanagement·Payincentives·Staffingandpartnerships·Transfers(TDYandpermanent)·Committeeselection·Eventsscheduling·Stationrepairs·Specialoperations·Trafficimpactonresponse·Facilities·Annexationandexpansion·Benefits·Wearing‐downofapparatusandequipment·Unfundedmandatesandexpectations·Retirement·Abuseof911system·EMSstaffing/shuttingdowntrucks·Payscales·Lackoffuturefunding

Communication·Activelistening·Disconnectbetweenmanagementandline·Rigsoutofservice·Preplans·Hydrants·0830Events·Publicrelationsevents·Micromanagement·Free‐lancing·Training·Manpower(1crew,2apparatus)

JobSatisfaction/Personnel‐ HiringProcess‐ Recruitment(specialization,language)

‐ Retention‐ Workload‐ Uniforms/shorts‐ Payandbenefits‐ Additionaleducation‐Transferandactingassignments

CustomerServiceExpectations‐ Consistentservice‐ Education(PubEd,fireprevention,communityriskreduction,socialmedia,outreach)

‐ Staff(shiftPIO,shiftPublicEducator)

‐Growth(stations,traffic,emergencyresponseplanning)

OperationalPerformance‐Planning‐Growth‐Training‐ Communications

StrategicInitiativesHaving reviewed the agency’s critical issues and service gaps, the following strategicinitiativeswereidentifiedasthefoundationforthedevelopmentofgoalsandobjectives.



“Goalsallowyoutocontrolthedirectionofchangeinyourfavor.”

BrianTracy,Author

StrategicInitiativesDeterminedbyInternalStakeholders

InternalCommunications WorkforcePlanning ExternalCommunications

PersonnelDevelopmentandTraining GrowthandSustainability OrganizationalPlanning

GoalsandObjectivesIn order to continuously achieve themissionof the NCFD, realistic goals and objectiveswith timelines for completion must beestablished to enhance strengths, addressidentified weaknesses, provide a cleardirection,andaddress theconcernsof thecommunity.Theseshouldbecomea focusoftheNCFD’sefforts,astheywilldirecttheorganizationtoitsdesiredfuturewhilehavingreduced the obstacles and distractions along the way. Leadership‐established workgroups should meet and manage progress toward accomplishing these goals andobjectives,andadjusttimelinesasneedsandtheenvironmentchange.RegularreportsofprogressandchangesshouldbesharedwiththeNCFDleadership.

Internal Stakeholders Work Session

Goal1 Managetheworkloadtoincreasejobsatisfaction.Objective1A Conductaworkloadanalysisforoperationspersonnel.

Timeframe 1year Assignedto: DeputyChiefofOperations

CriticalTasks

Evaluatetheworkloadofoperationspersonnelandidentifytimeconsumingand/orlaborintensivetasks.

Evaluatethevalueofthesetasksanddetermineifthetaskscanbeeliminatedorthe



frequencyreduced. Identifymoreefficientwaystocompletenecessarytasksthroughprocesschangesorthroughtheuseoftechnology.

Evaluatethepossibilityofout‐sourcinglaborintensivetasks. Reduce,eliminate,outsourceorstreamlinetimeconsumingand/orlaborintensivetasks.

FundingEstimate

CapitalCosts:0PersonnelCosts:0

ConsumableCosts:0ContractServicesCosts:TBD

Objective1B Developparameterstoeffectivelymanagedailytasksandassignments.


CriticalTasks

Researchworkloadmanagementprocessesforoperationspersonnel. Researchprogramsandprocessrevisionsforleavereportingandassignmentnotifications. Evaluatevariousmodelsandproposeoptionstooperationsofficers. Developandimplementmanagedworkloadactivityscheduling.

FundingEstimate


ConsumableCosts:0ContractServicesCosts:0

Objective1C Developastandardizedprocessforactivityscheduling.


CriticalTasks

Reviewthecurrentprocessforactivityschedulinganddetermineinformationgaps. Identifyspecificinformationandunitsrequiredforeacheventwhenenteredintothecalendar.

DevelopanSOGforeventscheduling. TrainpersonnelontheeventschedulingproceduresandimplementtheSOG.

FundingEstimate



Objective1D Determineandmaintainsufficientin‐serviceunitstoachieveresponsegoals.


CriticalTasks

UtilizetheStandardsofCovertodetermineresponsegoals. Reportfindingsanddeterminethenumberofunitsthatareneededtostayinservicetomeetresponsegoals.

Establishguidelinesforwhenandhowunitsgooutofservice. Communicateandutilizetheseguidelinesandlimitswhenschedulingactivities.

FundingEstimate





Goal2 Developtheworkforcetoprovideoperationalperformanceinaccordancewithourvalues.

Objective2A Conductananalysisofthecurrentpositionswithinourorganizationalstructure.

Timeframe 1year–18months Assignedto: DeputyChiefofAdministration

CriticalTasks

Reviewjobdescriptionstodetermineiftheyaccuratelydescribecurrentduties. Researchotherstaffingpositionsthatareneededtoaccomplishourgoals. Identifystaffinggapsthatareneededtoaccomplishourmission. Developareportidentifyingneededjobdescriptionchangesandstaffinggaps.

FundingEstimate


ConsumableCosts:0ContractServicesCosts:Cityfunded

Objective2B Developaprogramtorecruitadiverseandstableworkforce.

Timeframe 1year Assignedto: DeputyChiefofAdministration

CriticalTasks

Identifybarrierstoeffectiverecruitingwithinourcommunity. Researchbestpracticesforeffectiverecruiting. Identifycommunitygroupsorindividualswhocanassistwithrecruiting. Createandimplementaprogramtorecruitcandidatestomeetourneeds.

FundingEstimate

CapitalCosts:0PersonnelCosts:TBD


Objective2C Developavalues‐basedhiringprocess.

Timeframe 6months–1year Assignedto: DeputyChiefofAdministration

CriticalTasks

Researchotherorganizationsthatareeffectiveinvalues‐basedhiring. Identifydesiredqualitiesforpotentialemployeesbasedonourvalues. Developamethodtomatchdesiredqualitieswithpotentialemployees. Revisehiringproceduresbasedonthesefindings.

FundingEstimate



Objective2D Utilizeyouthworkforcedevelopmentprograms.

Timeframe 2years Assignedto: DeputyChiefofAdministration

CriticalTasks

Identifyexistingyouthworkforcedevelopmentprograms. Determinewhichprogramswouldmeetourneeds. Utilizeexistingprogramsordevelopandimplementnewprograms.

FundingEstimate



Objective2E Developanemployeeretentionprogram.

Timeframe 2yearsandongoing Assignedto: DeputyChiefofAdministration

CriticalTasks

Identifyreasonsforemployeedeparture. Identifyreasonswhylongtermemployeeshaveremainedwiththedepartment. Researchsuccessfulretentionprogramsfromotherorganizations. Developandimplementaretentionprogrambasedonthesefindings.

FundingEstimate





Goal3 Improveinternalcommunicationtoincreasejobsatisfaction.

Objective3A Reorganizethecommunicationscommittee.

Timeframe 3months Assignedto: FireChief

CriticalTasks

Announcethereorganizationofthecommunicationscommitteeandtheprocessforselectingnewmembers.

Evaluatethevolunteersandselectrepresentativesfromthroughouttheranksofthedepartment.

Identifyaneffectivescheduleforregularcommitteemeetings.FundingEstimate



Objective3B Identifyinternalcommunicationgapsanddevelopanimprovementplan.

Timeframe 1year Assignedto: FireChief

CriticalTasks

Developasurveytodeterminebaselevelmeasuresandidentifycommunicationgaps. Evaluateresultsandformulatesolutionstointernalcommunicationgaps. Researchotherorganizationstoidentifyeffectivecommunicationpractices. Developaplantoimproveinternalcommunication.

FundingEstimate



Objective3C Implementtheinternalcommunicationsplan.

Timeframe 5years Assignedto: FireChief

CriticalTasks

Trainallpersonnelontheinternalcommunicationsplan. Implementtheplan. Conductafollowupsurveyannuallytodeterminetheeffectivenessoftheplaninrelationtothebaselinemeasures.

Implementrevisionsintheinternalcommunicationsplanifneeded.FundingEstimate



Objective3D Utilizetrainingprogramstoimprovethecommunicationskillsofpersonnel.

Timeframe 5years Assignedto: AssistantChiefofTraining

CriticalTasks

Utilizeexistingprogramsordevelopthecapabilitytoofferinternalcommunicationstraining. Schedule90%ofofficerstocompletecommunicationstraining. Provideopportunitiesforallpersonneltoparticipateincommunicationstraining.

FundingEstimate





Goal4 Improve communicationwith external stakeholders to enhance service toourcommunity.

Objective4A Developanexternalstakeholdercommunicationsplan.


CriticalTasks

DeterminecommunicationthemesandgoalsincoordinationwiththeCity. Researchexternalcommunicationsmethodsusedbyotherfiredepartmentsandorganizations.

Surveyexternalstakeholderrepresentativestodetermineinformationalneedsandpreferredmediumsforvariousaudiences.

DevelopanexternalstakeholdercommunicationplanincoordinationwiththeCity.FundingEstimate



Objective4B Implementtheexternalstakeholdercommunicationsplan.


CriticalTasks

Presenttheexternalcommunicationsplantodepartmentpersonnel. Identifypersonnelwiththeskillsanddesiretoimplementtheexternalstakeholdercommunicationsplan.

Developanexternalcommunicationsteamandimplementtheplan.FundingEstimate



Objective4C Reviseandenhancetheexternalcommunicationsplan.

Timeframe 3yearsandongoing Assignedto: Communicationsteam

CriticalTasks

Gatherfeedbackfromexternalstakeholderrepresentatives. Evaluatefeedbackandconsideradjustmentsforimprovementoftheexternalcommunicationsplan.

Implementrevisionsintheexternalcommunicationsplan.FundingEstimate





Goal5 Providepersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunitiestoincreasejobsatisfaction.

Objective5A Identifyandprovideprofessionalgrowthopportunitiesforallpersonnel.

Timeframe 2years Assignedto: DivisionChiefs

CriticalTasks

Developastandardizedprocesstoidentifytheindividualcareergoalsforallpersonnel. Identifythetrainingandeducationalopportunitiesthatareneededtoachievethesegoals. Identifythestation/apparatusassignmentsthatareneededtoachievethesegoalsanddevelopcriteriaandprocessesforassignmentrequests.

Identifytheproject,committee,specialteamassignmentsandotheropportunitiesthatareneededtoachievethesegoals.

Documentthesegoalsandtrackprogressonanannualbasis.FundingEstimate



Objective5B Aligncommitteeswiththecurrentneedsofthedepartment.


CriticalTasks

Identifyalldepartmentcommittees,currentmembersandrecentcommitteeactivities. Evaluatetheneedforeachcommitteebasedoncurrentgoals. Add,eliminateorrestructurecommitteestomeetourcurrentneeds. Definethecommitteeparticipationprocessandqualificationsforeachcommittee. Communicatecommitteeopportunitiesandtheselectionprocesstoallpersonnel.

FundingEstimate



Objective5C Communicatethepersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunitiesthatarecurrentlyavailable.

Timeframe 2years Assignedto: CommunicationsCommittee

CriticalTasks

Developacomprehensivelistofcurrentpersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunities. Developaprocesstoeffectivelycommunicatetheseopportunitiestopersonnel. Provideupdatesonanannualbasisandaspartofthenewhireprocess.

FundingEstimate



Objective5D Enhancepersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunities.


CriticalTasks

Surveypersonneltodeterminewhatadditionalpersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunitiesaredesiredorhowcurrentopportunitiescouldbeimproved.

Evaluateandprioritizetheresults. Researchthefeasibilityofprovidingtheseopportunitiesincludingassociatedcosts. Developareportofthedesiredopportunitieswiththecostestimates. Communicatetheavailabilityofneworimprovedpersonalandprofessionalgrowthopportunitiestoallpersonnel.

FundingEstimate





Goal6 Prepareforareagrowththoughastandardsofcoverstrategytoimproveoperationalperformance.

Objective6A Identifygrowthtrendsandestimatesfortheservicearea.Timeframe 3years Assignedto: AccreditationManager

CriticalTasks

Researchpopulationestimatesfortheservicearea. Researchtrafficpattern/congestionestimatesfortheservicearea. Identifyplanneddevelopmentfortheservicearea. Reviewfiredepartmentplansforfirestationlocationsandstaffinggrowth.

FundingEstimate



Objective6B Identifybestpracticesforapparatusandstaffingutilization.Timeframe 3years Assignedto: AccreditationManager

CriticalTasks

IdentifyunithourutilizationtrendsforNorthCharlestonforthepastfiveyears. Identifyunithourutilizationrecommendationsforthefireservice. Researchotherfiredepartmentresponsestrategiesandstaffingmodels. IdentifyadditionaloutofservicetimeutilizedbyNCFD. Developapparatusutilizationrecommendationsbasedonresearch.

FundingEstimate



Objective6C Communicatestandardsofcoverstrategytotheauthorityhavingjurisdiction.Timeframe 3years Assignedto: FireChief

CriticalTasks

Revisestandardofcoverstrategybasedonapparatusandstaffingutilizationresearch. Identifypotentialimplementationtimelinesandcosts. Communicatestandardsofcoverstrategytotheauthorityhavingjurisdictionforapproval.

FundingEstimate



Objective6DReevaluateareagrowthandfiredepartmentresponsestatisticstoensurecompliancewithstandardsofcoverstrategy.

Timeframe 3yearsandon‐going Assignedto: FireChief

CriticalTasks

Evaluateresponsestatisticsannually. Evaluateareagrowthanddevelopmentannually. Determinecompliancewithstandardsofcover. Communicatefiredepartmentresponsestatisticstotheauthorityhavingjurisdictionannually.

FundingEstimate





Ifyoudon’tmeasuretheresultsofyourplan,youcan’ttellsuccessfromfailure.

Ifyoucan’tseesuccess,youcan’trewardit.

Ifyoucan’trewardsuccess,you’reprobablyrewardingfailure.

Ifyoucan’tseesuccess,youcan’tlearnfromit.

Ifyoucan’trecognizefailure,youcan’tcorrectit.

Ifyoucandemonstrateresults,youcanwinpublicsupport.

ReinventingGovernmentDavidOsbornandTedGaebler

PerformanceMeasurementTo assess and ensure that anorganization is delivering on thepromises made in their strategic plan,the organization’s leaders mustdetermine performance measures forwhich they are fully accountable. Asoutput measurement can bechallenging, the organization mustfocus on the assessment of progresstowardachievingimprovedoutput.JimCollins states, “What matters is notfinding the perfect indicator, butsettlinguponaconsistentandintelligentmethod of assessing your outputresults, and then tracking your trajectory with rigor.”3 Organizations must further bepreparedtorevisitandrevisetheirgoals,objectives,andperformancemeasurestokeepupwithaccomplishmentsandenvironmentalchanges.

...successfulstrategicplanningrequirescontinuingreviewofactualaccomplishmentsin comparison with the plan . . . periodic or continuous environmental scanning toassure that unforeseen developments do not sabotage the adopted plan or thatemergingopportunitiesarenotoverlooked.4

In order to establish that the agency’s Strategic Plan is achieving results, performancemeasurementdatawillbeimplementedandintegratedaspartoftheplan.Anintegratedprocess,knownas“ManagingforResults,”willbeutilized,whichisbasedupon:

Theidentificationofstrategicgoalsandobjectives;

Thedeterminationofresourcesnecessarytoachievethem;

Theanalyzingandevaluationofperformancedata;and

Theuseofthatdatatodrivecontinuousimprovementintheorganization.

3CollinsGoodtoGreatandtheSocialSectors.Boulder,2009 4Sorkin,FerrisandHudak.StrategiesforCitiesandCounties.PublicTechnology,1984.



A“familyofmeasures”typicallyutilizedtoindicateandmeasureperformanceincludes:

Inputs‐Valueofresourceusedtoproduceanoutput.

Outputs–Quantifiableunitsproducedwhichareactivity‐orientedandmeasurable.

Efficiency‐Inputsusedperoutput(oroutputsperinput).

ServiceQuality ‐Thedegree towhichcustomersaresatisfiedwithaprogram,orhowaccuratelyortimelyaserviceisprovided.

Outcome ‐ Qualitative consequences associated with a program/service; i.e., theultimatebenefittothecustomer.Focusedonthe“why”ofprovidingaservice.

TheSuccessoftheStrategicPlanThe agency has approached its desire to develop and implement a strategic plan byasking for and receiving input from the community andmembers of the organizationduring thedevelopment stageof theplanningprocess.To assist in thedevelopmentofthisplan,theagencyusedprofessionalguidancetoconductacommunity‐drivenstrategicplanningprocess.Thesuccessofthisstrategicplanwillnotdependuponimplementationof the goals and their relatedobjectives, but from support received from the authorityhavingjurisdiction,themembersoftheorganization,andthecommunity‐at‐large.

Provided the community‐driven strategic planning process is kept dynamic andsupported by effective leadership and active participation, it will be a considerableopportunity to unify internal and external stakeholders through a jointly developedunderstandingoforganizationaldirection;howallvestedpartieswillworktoachievethemission,goals,andvision;andhowtheorganizationwillmeasureandbeaccountableforitsprogressandsuccesses.5

5Matthews(2005).StrategicPlanningandManagementforLibraryManagers

“Nomatterhowmuchyouhaveachieved,youwillalwaysbemerelygoodrelativetowhatyoucanbecome.Greatnessisaninherentlydynamicprocess,notanendpoint.”

GoodtoGreatandtheSocialSectorsJimCollins



GlossaryofTerms,Acronyms,andInitialismsAccreditation A process by which an association or agency evaluates and recognizes a

programofstudyoraninstitutionasmeetingcertainpredeterminedstandardsorqualifications.Itappliesonlytoinstitutionsoragenciesandtheirprogramsofstudyortheirservices.Accreditationensuresabasic levelofquality intheservicesreceivedfromanagency.

CFAI CommissiononFireAccreditationInternational

CPR CardioPulmonaryResuscitation

CPSE CenterforPublicSafetyExcellence

Customer(s) Thepersonorgroupwhoestablishestherequirementofaprocessandreceivesorusestheoutputsofthatprocess;orthepersonorentitydirectlyservedbythedepartmentoragency.

Efficiency A performance indicationwhere inputs aremeasured per unit of output (orviceversa).

EMS EmergencyMedicalServices

Environment Circumstances and conditions that interact with and affect an organization.Thesecan includeeconomic,political, cultural, andphysical conditions insideoroutsidetheboundariesoftheorganization.

Input Aperformanceindicationwherethevalueofresourcesareusedtoproduceanoutput.

Mission An enduring statement of purpose; the organization's reason for existence.Describeswhattheorganizationdoes,forwhomitdoesit,andhowitdoesit.

Outcome Aperformanceindicationwherequalitativeconsequencesareassociatedwithaprogram/service;i.e.,theultimatebenefittothecustomer.

Output A performance indication where a quality or number of units produced isidentified.

Performance Aspecificmeasurableresultforeachgoaland/orprogramthatindicates

Measure achievement.

PSA PublicServiceAnnouncement

SCFA SouthCarolinaFireAcademy

SOG StandardOperatingGuideline

Stakeholder Anyperson,group,ororganizationthatcanplaceaclaimon,or influencetheorganization's resources or outputs, is affected by those outputs, or has aninterestinorexpectationoftheorganization.



StrategicGoal A broad target that defines how the agencywill carry out itsmission over aspecific period of time. An aim. The final result of an action. Something toaccomplishinassistingtheagencytomoveforward.

Strategic Aspecific,measurableaccomplishmentrequiredtorealizethesuccessfulObjective completionofastrategicgoal.

StrategicPlan A long‐range planning document that defines themission of the agency andbroadly identifies how it will be accomplished, and that provides theframeworkformoredetailedannualandoperationalplans.

Strategic Thecontinuousandsystematicprocesswherebyguidingmembersofan

Planning organization make decisions about its future, develop the necessaryproceduresandoperationstoachievethatfuture,anddeterminehowsuccessistobemeasured.

Strategy Adescriptionofhowastrategicobjectivewillbeachieved.Apossibility.Aplanormethodologyforachievingagoal.

Vision Anidealizedviewofadesirableandpotentiallyachievablefuturestate‐whereorwhatanorganizationwouldliketobeinthefuture.



WorksCitedCollins,J.(2009).GoodtoGreatandtheSocialSectors.Boulder:JimCollins.

Commission on Fire Accreditation International. (2009). Fire & Emergency Service Self‐AssessmentManual.(8thEd.)

FederalBenchmarkingConsortium.(1997,February).ServingtheAmericanPublic:BestPracticesin Customer‐Driven Strategic Planning. Retrieved April 25, 2009, from GovInfo:http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/papers/benchmark/customer.html

Matthews, Joseph (2005). StrategicPlanning andManagement forLibraryManagers.LibrariesUnlimited.

Sorkin,Ferris,&Hudak.(1984).StrategiesforCitiesandCounties.PublicTechnology.

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