5.2. FSTFSR 08-15-2012 City of
E
MEMORANDUM
River
Fire Department
TO: Fire Service Task Force
FROM: T.John Cunningham, Fire Chief
DATE: August 15, 2012
SUBJECT: Item 5.2 — Command structure
At the July 18, 2012, meeting of the Fire Service Task Force (Task Force),we discussed
organizational structure with a focus on comparing the fire department's current structure to
that of similar cities and departments. The Task Force, over the past few months, has
identified a few key points,including,but not limited to:
• There is a need for a manageable span-of-control;
• A succession plan is important for both day-to-day operations and for long-term
operational and strategic planning;
• Clearly outlined job descriptions and duties/responsibilities for officers needs to be
completed;
• A strong leadership and management team is important for leading the organization
forward.
In reviewing organizational charts and position descriptions of other similar cities, a few key
points were identified at the last meeting:
• Training and/or safety officer/coordinator positions were included in the
organizational structure;
• Officers were often assigned to specific functions or areas of responsibilities (i.e.
operations, training, specific stations, trucks, team, etc.).
• Overall, additional workload for officers and command staff is expected of all
positions. Being on-call or participating in a duty officer type program was expected
as part of the position and not compensated separately.
Taking the above points into consideration, the Task Force drafted a proposed new
organizational structure at the last meeting creating a blueprint for future discussion. As you
recall, our focus was not on identifying individual tasks and responsibilities but rather
looking at the"big picture" on how the organization might look.
Attached,please find a copy of the proposed organizational structure. This is a recreation of
what was drafted at the last meeting.
POWERED R f
INATUI?I
The organizational structure includes a large black box around the top two-tiers of positions
for the Operations Division and the Training& Safety Division. Since the focus of the Task
Force is "big picture," I broke out these sections as they most directly relate to more senior
level command and leadership positions. More specifically, these are the positions that have
more specific areas of responsibility from an organizational management standpoint.
Action Requested
At the August 15, 2012,meeting, I would like to finalize the organizational structure so that
we may move forward to other topics. This would also enable staff to begin creating job
descriptions, taking into consideration existing position profiles/guidelines, best practices,
feedback and data from other cities. This structure will be included in the final draft report
and will still be part of the final review process,including comment periods from firefighters,
current officers, and City Council.
Among other things that may be considered are:
• What positions are proposed as on-call,part-time or full-time (either for 2013 or
future)?
• What positions will serve as deputy emergency managers?
• Are there opportunities for creating revenue funded positions (specifically Training
and Safety)?
•
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