bedford township fire department strategic plan department established seven initiatives with...

Bedford Township Fire Department

Strategic Plan

2015-2018

BEDFORD TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT

STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-2018

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Executive Summary

Strategic Planning is defined as a “continuous and systematic process where the guiding members

of an organization make decisions about its future, develop the necessary procedures and

operations to achieve that future, and determine how success is to be measured.” The Bedford

Township Fire Department has set forth to develop a dynamic strategic plan that would enable the

department to accomplish its mission to save, serve, and protect the citizens and their property

and reflect the department’s vision of being a model of excellence.

Following the concepts of a community-driven plan, the Bedford Township Fire Department

Strategic Plan involved not only the department personnel but also those in the community

affected by our services. External perspectives were obtained from citizens throughout the

Township, elected officials and local business leaders. This input provided valuable insight into

community needs, expectations, and department perceptions.

The Strategic Planning Team re-affirmed the department’s mission, vision, and core value

statements which are the keystones of organizational purpose, direction, and character. The

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (S.W.O.T.) Analysis identified key factors that

affect organizational performance. When compared to core programs, this analysis identified

critical issues and service gaps in department performance. From this analysis, Bedford Township

Fire Department established seven initiatives with corresponding goals and objectives. A

“gatekeeper” of the Strategic Planning Team was assigned a specific initiative to manage and was

tasked with establishing specific time benchmarks and performance measures to determine goal

progress and success.

The success of the plan will not be measured strictly by the implementation of goals and

objectives but rather from the realization of our vision, support received by the Township elected

officials, members of the department, and the community. This support will be realized by the

plan adoption, commitment of resources, department accountability, and continued community

involvement. This vested interest will ultimately enable the department to execute this plan as it

strives for organizational excellence.



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.

BEDFORD TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN:

2015 – 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction……………………………………………………………….………...….…….4

Organizational Overview………………………………………………….………...…….….5

Community-Driven Strategic Planning……………………………………………..….…….7

External Stakeholder Findings……………………………..……………………….…...…..10

Internal Stakeholder Findings…..…………………………………….…………… ..…..…..13

S.W.O.T. Analysis………………………………………….…………………………….…..15

Strategic Initiatives…………….…………………………………………………………….18

Performance Measurements..………………………………….………………………....….26

Strategic Plan Success ………………………………….…………………………………...27

Appendix A ….…………………………………………..………………………………….28

Appendix B……….……………….………………………….……………………..……....32



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Introduction

In July of 2014 the Bedford Township Fire Department began the journey of strategic planning to

set the course of the organization for the next three years. The process focused on the following

critical needs:

• Review and revise our department mission statement

• Identify our department values

• Create a department vision statement

• Identify our strategic initiatives

• Develop our strategic goals and objectives

• Identify gatekeepers and oversight committee

• Draft the strategic plan

The strategic planning committee was selected from citizen advocates within the community.

On August 5th the first stakeholder meeting was conducted and over the next five months team

members comprised of staff and community stakeholders reviewed our mission, vision, and

values. We use these as a foundation to outline the initiatives, goals, and objectives to guide our

organization through 2018.

Each initiative was assigned a “Gatekeeper” and a committee to complete the objectives through a

three month benchmark process. The gatekeeper will report the committee progress and provide

feedback for future use. An evaluation committee was selected and tasked with general review

and recommendations of the process.

The draft document was prepared and reviewed in December 2014. The final plan release and

implementation will occur in January 2015. The document will be reviewed on a regular basis by

the evaluation committee and each gatekeeper to provide progress reports and recommendations

for future success.



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The initiatives that were determine as a priority by the group of stakeholders are:

Training and Professional Development

Advanced Life Support

Facilities, Equipment and Apparatus

Community Engagement

Recruitment, Hiring and Retention

Service Delivery

Improved Technology

Organizational Overview

The department is made up of three stations. Station one is located on Temperance Rd. and was

established in 1945. Station two is located on Dean Rd. in Lambertville and was established in

1948. Station three is located on Lewis Ave. and was established in 2005. Bedford Township Fire

Department (BTFD) was founded as a volunteer fire department in the mid-1940's with one

station and a "home-made" fire truck, very much in the way that many departments began.

Over the years, we have grown as our community has grown into the busiest department in

Monroe County Michigan. We are a suburban fire department consisting of 54 Firefighters,

Medical First Responders, EMTs and Paramedics diverse in gender and ethnicity, located right on

the southern border of Michigan/Ohio near Toledo, Ohio.

Today, BTFD offers a myriad of services that includes fire suppression, Emergency Medical

Response, Fire and Life Safety Education, Fire Prevention, Code Enforcement, and Public

Relations. To carry out these services, the department maintains three front-line engines, one 75-

foot aerial ladder, a technical rescue vehicle, two transport ambulances, a first responder rescue

vehicle, two brush trucks, and various command/staff/utility vehicles. The department has

achieved a Class 4 municipal fire insurance rating (ISO) and responds to approximately 4,200

incidents per year as illustrated by the following table.



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Table 1: 2011 – 2013 BTFD Incident Response

Year All Fire

Incidents

EMS All Other Incidents

(includes illegal burns)

Totals

2013 32 (1.3%) 2098 (86.5%) 294 (12.2%) 2424

2012 46 (1.8%) 2085 (85.4%) 309 (12.8%) 2240

2011 44 (1.9%) 1801 (80.6%) 386 (17.5%) 2232

The department’s organizational structure reflects the administrative and operational divisions

required to manage and carry out the programs being provided. This structure has been approved

by the governing body and outlined in BTFD Policy and Procedures.



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Figure 1 - BTFD Organizational Chart

Community-Driven Strategic Planning

Public expectations demand that municipalities

provide programs and services that meet community

needs. Facing budgetary constraints and limited

resources, organizations must examine its operational

practices in order to find ways to become more

effective and efficient. It is these issues that drive

organizations to implement strategic planning as a

critical component of its management philosophy.

Strategic planning does not deal with

future decisions. It deals with the

futurity of present decisions. What we

have to do today is to be ready for an

uncertain tomorrow.

Peter F. Drucker

Professor of Social Science and

Management

FIRE CHIEF

Rudy Ruiz

FIRE INSPECTOR

Ron Whipple

DEPUTY CHIEFS

Kirk Keane- Fire

Tim Brooks- EMS

ASSISTANT CHIEF

Joe Keane

12 Firefighters

DISTRICT 1

Captain Bob Young

Lieutenant Jim Thompson

Lieutenant Sean Nagley

DISTRICT 2

Captain Doug Steinman

Lieutenant Phil Dale

Lieutenant Kathy

Bankowski

DISTRICT 3

Captain Scott Duvall

Lieutenant Jeff Brushaber

Lieutenant Chris Smith

18 Firefighters 11 Firefighters



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Strategic planning is a management tool offering a structured process for developing

comprehensive plans by providing organizations with inherent advantages that include short-term

direction, shared organizational vision, organizational goals and objectives, and optimized use of

resources.

In the Federal Benchmarking Consortium Study Report Serving the American Public: Best

Practices in Customer-Driven Strategic Planning (1997), Goodstein, Nolan, & Pfeiffer defined

strategic planning as a “continuous and systematic process where the guiding members of an

organization make decisions about its future, develop the necessary procedures and operations to

achieve that future, and determine how success is to be measured.” Within this definition are key

words that are important and must be understood. These words are:

continuous refers to an ongoing process where the end result is not merely to produce a

plan but rather a dynamic document that is flexible to change;

systematic recognizes a structured and deliberate effort with identified steps;

process recognizes the importance of thinking strategically about the future and how to get

there;

guiding members include not only the decisions makers but also employees and

stakeholders who are affected by the decisions being made;

procedures and operations define the actions necessary to implement and execute the

plan such as aligning organization efforts with clear goals and objectives, allocating

resources, and developing the workforce to achieve the desired outcomes; and

how success is to be measured recognizes appropriate metrics that are put in place to

determine success.

Public service organizations understand that community expectations dictate current services and

greatly influence future direction. Therefore, customer expectations must be considered in

strategic planning. The Federal Consortium Benchmarking Study defined customer-driven

organizations as those that "maintain a focus on the needs and expectations, both spoken and

unspoken, of customers, both present and future, in the creation and/or improvement of the

product or service provided." Again, key words must be understood:

focus means that organizations actively seek to examine its products, services, and

processes through the eyes of the customer;



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Needs and expectations focus on customers' preferences, requirements, standards for

performance, timeliness, and cost. These considerations are taken into consideration for

the programs and services offered by the organization;

Spoken and unspoken refers to not only the expressed needs and expectations, but also

information developed independently "about" customers. Their preferences, standards, and

industry will be used as input to the organizational planning; and

Present and future recognizes customers presently using the programs and services as well

as those that will in the future. Both groups factor into planning considerations.

The need for public service agencies to develop a community-driven strategic plan is readily

apparent. As noted, strategic planning offers a structured process to follow. CFAI’s Fire Service

& Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual identified these key steps as:

1. Define the programs provided to the community

2. Establish the community’s service program priorities

3. Establish the community’s expectations of the organization

4. Identify any concerns the community may have about the organization

5. Identify the aspects of the organization that the community views positively

6. Revise the Mission Statement

7. Revise the Values of the organization’s membership

8. Identify the Strengths of the organization

9. Identify any Weaknesses of the organization

10. Identify areas of Opportunity for the organization

11. Identify potential Threats to the organization

12. Identify the organization’s critical issues

13. Identify the organization’s service gaps

14. Determine strategic initiatives for organizational improvement

15. Establish realistic goals and objectives for each initiative

16. Identify implementation tasks for the accomplishment of each objective

17. Determine the vision of the future

18. Develop organizational and community commitment to accomplishing the plan



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By utilizing the community-driven strategic planning process, opportunities exist for the

organization to bring together management, employees, stakeholders, and customers through a

mutual understanding of where the organization is going, how everyone involved can work

towards that common purpose, and how success will be measured.

The Bedford Township Fire Department formed a strategic planning team to create and

implement a practical, useful blueprint to meet our community’s current and future expectations

for public safety. The following document is the end result of hours spent gathering information,

analyzing data, and developing goals and objectives to address identified gaps in service to further

organizational excellence. Members of this team included:

Table 2: Bedford Township Fire Department Strategic Plan Gatekeepers

Joe Keane

Assistant Chief

Ron Whipple

Fire Inspector

Kirk Keane

Deputy Chief

Tim Brooks

Deputy Chief

Bob Young

Captain

Scott Duvall

Captain

Phil Dale

Lieutenant

External Stakeholder Findings

Community-driven strategic planning requires input from external stakeholders and customers.

The Bedford Township Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in

the community that participated in the process that provided information instrumental in the

development of the Strategic Plan.

Table 3: BTFD Strategic Planning External Stakeholder Participants

Phil Koenigseker Lehr Welch Rick Steiner Annette Phillips

Jim Krieger R. Mark Ellsworth Drew Lindecker Peter Zaums

Roger Webb Todd Bruning Denny Steinman Robyne Bush

William Urbanski Jeremy Lestock Gene Stock David Abalos

R. LaMar Frederick Nancy Tienvieri Bob Tienvieri Denzil Bell

Nichole Willoughby



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This page left blank for community feedback results



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Internal Stakeholder Findings

The internal component of the strategic planning effort focused on BTFD’s Mission, Vision, and

Value Statements, Core Programs and Services as well as the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats (S.W.O.T.) Analysis.

BTFD Strategic Planning Team Work Session

Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Values

The Mission Statement defines the fundamental purpose of the organization, its reason for

existence. This statement describes:

Who we are

What we do

For whom

The BTFD members reviewed the department’s existing Mission Statement to determine its

relevance. Upon review, the members were in agreement that the new statement is consistent with

the above defining criterion:

Serving as a guide in fulfilling the department’s mission, the Vision Statement provides the basic

tenet of employee behavior and serves as inspiration for BTFD employees to be their best. The

Department members were in agreement of the following Vision Statement:

Vision Statement

We will strive to be a model of excellence in providing fire protection, emergency

services, fire prevention, public education, fire and emergency training, and any other

related services at the local, state, and national levels.

Bedford Township Fire Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Bedford Township Fire Department is to save, serve, and protect the

citizens and their property to the best of our ability.



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The BTFD members examined the department’s Values. Expanding upon the Vision Statement,

the core values clearly state the shared beliefs that drive BTFD’s organizational culture and

provide the basis in which decisions are made.

These statements provide the foundation for achieving organizational excellence while serving as

the moral compass in every facet of department operations. Every effort will be made to ensure

that each remains current. The Mission, Vision, and Value Statements are posted at each station.

All three statements are found in the BTFD Policies and Procedures Manual as well as published

on the department’s website.

Table 4: BTFD Strategic Planning Internal Stakeholder Participants

Kathy Bankowski Sue Beard Rob Calhoon Andrew Davis

Ken Kilman Greg Grant Doug Harmon Brittany Hill

Rod Hill Jason Lewis Joe Phillips Josh Shinaver

Josh Yelverton Aaron Yoakam Adam Horace Sean Nagley

Programs and Services

The Bedford Township Fire Department provides a myriad of programs and services to meet

community needs. The following tables list the core programs and services provided in addition to

entities and agencies that lend support.

Bedford Township Fire Department Core Values

The Bedford Township Fire Department values:

Teamwork

Integrity

Honesty

Competency

Knowledge



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Table 10: BTFD Core Programs

Fire Suppression Emergency Medical Services

Fire and Life Safety Education Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Technical Rescue:

● Auto Extrication

S.W.O.T. Analysis

The S.W.O.T. Analysis is most often used to align an

organization’s resources and capabilities to the environment in

which it operates. This analysis separates internal factors (strengths

and weaknesses) that organizations have control over from its

external factors (opportunities and threats) which it does not.

Strengths and opportunities are seen as being beneficial to the

organization while weaknesses and threats are seen as potentially

harmful inhibiting success. S.W.O.T. components include:

Strengths are the attributes and characteristics that distinguish BTFD and enable the

department to accomplish its mission. Organizations should focus its efforts towards

meeting community needs and providing core programs that match those strengths.

Programs that do not meet these conditions should be reviewed. Equipment, personnel,

programs and services offered, and customer goodwill are examples of organizational

strengths.

Weaknesses represent the qualities that prevent BTFD from achieving its mission or

reaching its full potential. Weaknesses are considered factors which do not meet

organizational standards. Department performance is greatly influenced by its ability to

identify and resolve weaknesses. Obsolete equipment, insufficient infrastructure,

inadequate or complex decision making processes, and high employee turnover are

examples of weaknesses.

Opportunities represent the external environment in which BTFD operates. Opportunities

present conditions that have the potential to have a positive impact in department



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operations in the next three years. Opportunities should be viewed as a chance to not only

improve existing services but also expand beyond its traditional service area.

Threats represent conditions or circumstances that have the potential to have a negative

impact on department operations. Threats jeopardize the reliability of the organization and

compound the vulnerability when it relates to specific weaknesses. To limit or reduce loss,

organizations must identify threats. Unrest among employees, changing technologies, and

economic downturns are examples of environmental threats.

The S.W.O.T. Analysis was completed using responses from the external and internal group

discussions.

Table 12: BTFD SWOT Analysis

The Strategic Planning Team developed the following strategic initiatives based upon the critical

issues and service gaps that were identified. The strategic initiatives serve as the basis for

establishing goals and objectives. The following table identifies seven strategic initiatives.

Positive Negative

Intern

al

Strengths

Condition of apparatus

Variety of Skills

Average age of firefighters

Current level of training

Weaknesses

Staffing

Condition of stations

Outdated equipment

No cost recovery

Technology

Extern

al

Opportunities

Fire Chief knowledgeable with

grants/ideas

Change in staffing

Training

Ability to “soft bill”

Community ownership

Threats

Specialized training

Economy

Bad public relations/lack of facts

Morale (bad)

Increased workload

Community partnerships

Time

Industrial risks



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Table 15: BTFD Strategic Initiatives

Facilities, Equipment, and Apparatus Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention

Training and Professional Development Community Engagement

Service Delivery Improve Technology

Advanced Life Support

Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives were developed using the strategic initiatives as a guide. Effective goals and

objectives will enable the department to achieve its mission. Goals were written following the

SMART principle; Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound. The Strategic Planning

Team established goals for each strategic initiative as well as identifying specific objectives,

critical tasks, and initial completion benchmarks.

The gatekeeper of each planning team was given one initiative to manage. This member is

responsible for all actions (i.e. selecting committee members, setting performance metrics,

establishing benchmarks and completion dates, etc.) related to that initiative. Once per quarter, the

Strategic Planning Team will meet to discuss goal and objective status. At this time, any changes

will be reflected on the Master Goal and Objective Tracking matrix. This matrix will be made

available to department personnel to provide a sense of accomplishment as well as to the general

public.



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Initiative 1 Facilities, Equipment, and Apparatus. Gatekeeper: Assistant Chief Joe Keane

Acquire and maintain facilities, equipment, and apparatus that are needed to support

department programs and services

Goal 1B Apparatus Replacement Program

Timeframe 3 months and continuing

Objectives Establish a need for such apparatus using data and call volume

Establish a cost for such apparatus by using a three bid request

for proposal program

Bravo 3 within 12 months for station #3

Engine or aerial within 24 months for station #3

Goal 1C Assemble a plan for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

Timeframe 6 months

Objectives Assess deficiencies of current SCBA and cascade system

Develop cost statement for replacing SCBA, face-piece, and

extra cylinder

Apply for the 2014 AFG grant to replace SCBA packs and

cascade system

Plan to set monies aside to purchase SCBA packs if grant fails

Goal 1A Conduct an analysis to determine current and future facility

needs

Timeframe 1 year

Objectives Assemble a building committee to replace stations 1 & 2

Assess deficiencies of current stations.

Detail renovations that would be needed to bring current

stations to sufficient status.

Develop cost statement for renovation of current stations.

Develop plan for new stations.

Develop cost for demo of existing stations and building new.

Assemble a neutral committee using fire personnel mixed with

citizens to create a feasibility study to determine the needs and

demands of the citizens in which we serve titled “Design the

new stations as a community” plan



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Initiative 2 Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention. Gatekeeper: Captain Scott Duvall

Align recruitment, hiring, and retention to support department services

Goal 2A Increase recruitment opportunity and diversity


Objectives The department will recruit and retain personnel by using the

different pools of people and different programs that are

available in Bedford Township,

Include the school, the explorers group, trade fairs, community

events and functions, even the summer classic car shows.

Use focus type marketing materials and firefighter

salesmanship to accomplish this task

The benchmark will be a 20 percent increase in department

personnel over a three year period

Goal 2C Utilization of Explorers as pipeline of invested recruits

Timeframe 1 - 3 years

Objectives Participate in local High School and Junior High to promote

career opportunities

Develop and implement a job shadowing program

Develop and implement a mentoring program

Goal 2B Focus Retention Goals of Candidates

Timeframe 2 years

Objectives During the interview process, the interview will include both

the candidate and spouse

At different periods of time during the personnel tenure,

informal meetings with both firefighter and spouse to make

sure that goals are still the same or similar to that from the

original interview

Each district will keep a visible log of all the achievements of

that district



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Initiative 3 Training and Professional Development. Gate Keeper: Deputy Chief Kirk

Keane

Enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of personnel to support department programs

and services

Goal 3A All Fire Officers shall be compliant to the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA) 1021 Standard for Fire Officer

Professional Qualifications according to their rank

Timeframe 1 year and continuing

Objectives Within three years all current BTFD Fire Officers will receive

the Fire Officer Certification training as outlined in NFPA

1021

Modify current BTFD Officer requirements to match NFPA

1021

Goal 3B Begin funding for 2-3 members to become certified Fire and CPR

instructors

Timeframe 1 year and continuing

Objectives Provide training for 2-3 members to become State Certified Fire

& CPR instructors

Provide training for up to three members to become American

Heart Association CPR instructors

Goal 3C Formal recordkeeping for all personnel and events/training

sessions

Timeframe Six months and continuing

Objectives To capture all employees training history and include that

information into the Firehouse Program

To capture ALL training that members of the BTFD

participate in and evaluate quarterly



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Goal 3D Provide training to handle low frequency/ high impact incidents

Timeframe 2nd year

Objectives Establish a committee to look at the Township high impact

areas and decide what kind of training may be needed. Within

the second year of the plan will present the ideas to the Fire

Chief to decide if the thoughts of the committee are capable of

being done



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Initiative 4 Community Engagement. Gatekeeper: Fire Inspector Ron Whipple

Continue to improve outreach and visibility in the community to extend the department’s

mission

Goal 4B School age student training

Timeframe 6-12 months and continuing

Objectives Contact surrounding fire departments to see what they do for

school age children education

Review NFPA fire education programs for schools

Meet with school superintendent and curriculum director to

discuss options

Goal 4A Senior living home safety

Timeframe 3-9 months and continuing

Objectives To leverage the BTFD employee's time by partnering with

community organizations both public and private, sharing and

comparing senior home safety information

To use the community partners so that seniors can be educated

on home safety by as many people and organizations as possible



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Initiative 5 Service Delivery. Gatekeeper Captain Bob Young, FO

Meet or exceed community and department expectations to improve response times

Goal 5A Improve response time to low end of national average for paid-

on-call department


Objectives Determine the legal risk of firefighters running lights and sirens

in personally owned vehicles

Determine if there could be liability coverage for firefighters

through the Township risk manager

Use public relation events to educate the public about firefighter

responding in personal vehicles

Educate on apparatus types and their varied response times

Measure by firefighter reports by simple “yes” or “no” whether

they had any issues from citizen vehicles while in transit

Goal 5B Staffing during low turnout times


Objective

Develop different staffing solutions using incentives.

Goal 5C Study of station locations for best response for Township needs


Objective Utilize the requirements of accreditation as a guideline to

determine our needs



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Initiative 6 Improve Technology. Gatekeeper: Lieutenant Phil Dale, FO

Review and develop the use of technology for administrative, emergency operational, and

support function needs

Goal 6A Utilizing existing response program

Timeframe 3-12 months

Objective To utilize and improve the existing I am Responding software, by

incorporating Central Dispatch Computer Aided Design and member

participation. This will decrease response times and reduce firefighter

fatigue and stress, as well as improve dispatch information to

responding units

Goal 6B Incorporate dispatch software

Timeframe 2-3 years

Objective Computer/iPads in vehicles to improve call efficiency. This will

provide more complete and accurate dispatch information

including incident location, directions, nature of call, scene

advisories, times, personnel, activity, and disposition

Goal 6C Increase utilization of FH Cloud software

Timeframe 3- 6 months and continuing

Objective Roll out product to all department members, increase data

entry in all categories, increase utilization of data and trends

resulting from increased data entry

Goal 6D Install tracking devices on apparatus

Timeframe 1-2 years

Objective To assist in dispatch decisions and improve accuracy of

dispatch, on scene, and clear scene times



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Initiative 7 Advanced Life Support. Gatekeeper: Deputy Chief Tim Brooks

Evaluate our ability to deliver advanced emergency medical services

Goal 7A Feasibility study for Bedford


Objectives By the first evaluation period we will provide supported

documentation for the feasibility to provide advanced life

support emergency medical service care in Bedford Township

by the Bedford Township Fire Department.

Personnel, with consideration to cost recovery, staffing,

medical control expenses, and other topics, that may present

themselves

Goal 7B Investigate Community with fire department based EMS


Objective Contact rural departments with similar demographics such as

response area, population, call volume, department size,

personnel, station coverage, equipment, and proximity to level

1 trauma centers

Investigate local EMS partnerships

Goal 7C Impact on local EMS services on remaining county


Objectives Ethical decision to overcome

Fear factor



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Performance Measurements

The effectiveness of strategic planning would be significantly

lessened without establishing some type of performance

measure that allows the organization to distinguish success from

failure. Performance measurements allow an organization to

“manage-for-results” using defined criteria reflecting:

How well an organization is doing

If an organization is meeting its goals

If customers of service are satisfied

If and where improvements are necessary

The Strategic Planning Team will track progress through the use of a metrics job aid. The team

will meet once per quarter to report on the status of each goal as well as provide annual progress

reports to the Fire Chief.

Financial Planning

The Bedford Township Fire Department recognizes that a commitment of financial resources is

necessary to accomplish this plan. The Township Board approves the current programs and

services offered by the department through the annual budget review and approval process. This

budget is established each year through revenue projections from property taxes.

The Fire Chief, with input provided by the command staff, allocates funding necessary to support

department programs and maintain the adopted levels of service. Each allocation is based on a

prioritized needs assessment remaining consistent with projected budget funding and the

department’s mission.

If you don’t keep score, you’re only practicing.

Vince Lombardi

American Football Coach and Motivator



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Strategic Plan Success

The success of the plan will not be measured strictly by the implementation of goals and

objectives; but rather from the realization of the department’s vision, the support received by the

Township Board officials, members of the department, and the community. This plan brought

together BTFD’s management and its firefighters, its customers, and various stakeholders in

working towards a common purpose. It is this vested interest and support that will ultimately

enable the department to carry forth this plan. It is with great pride that the Bedford Fire

Department presents this plan to Bedford Township and its citizens.

The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths to it are

not found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the

destination.

John Schaar

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to

miss the future.

John F. Kennedy

President of the United States



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Appendix A

BTFD External Stakeholder Survey

Citizen Survey

1. How do you view the Bedford Township Fire Department (circle your response).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Unfavorable Neutral Favorable

3. How important are the services the fire department currently provides?

4. Has the fire department ever responded to your residence? If so, please answer Question A,

complete Section B then proceed to Question 6. If not, please go to Question 5.

A. The department responded to my residence for (circle your response):

Emergency situation (such as a fire, medical, gas leak, etc.)

Non-emergency situation (such as a smoke detector installation, safety check, etc.)

B. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about our service?

Services Not Important Very

Important

Fire Suppression

1 2 3 4 5

Medical Response – Basic Life

Support

1 2 3 4 5

Fire Prevention / Code Enforcement

1 2 3 4 5

Fire & Life Safety Public Education

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Agree

The department responded in a timely

manner

1 2 3 4 5



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5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about our service?

6. What recommendations do you suggest that would improve department services and/or

programs?

The department acted in a professional

manner

1 2 3 4 5

Personnel were knowledgeable

regarding my situation

1 2 3 4 5

Personnel were helpful in handling or

solving my problem

1 2 3 4 5

The services that I received met my

expectations

1 2 3 4 5

The department provides services and

programs to meet community needs

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly

Disagree


Agree

The department responds in a timely

manner

1 2 3 4 5

The department acts in a professional

manner

1 2 3 4 5

The department is knowledgeable in

emergency and non-emergency services

/ programs

1 2 3 4 5

The department addresses fire related

problems in a timely manner

1 2 3 4 5

The department meets my expectations

1 2 3 4 5


programs that meet community needs

1 2 3 4 5



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Business Survey

1. My business had the following interaction with the department (circle your response[s]):

Emergency incident Code Enforcement

Business Inspections Public Education / Fire Safety

Non-emergency incidents

2. What is your impression of the department (circle your response).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Unfavorable Neutral Favorable

3. To what extent do you view the importance of the services the department currently provides?

4. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about our service?

Services Not Important Very

Important

Fire Suppression

1 2 3 4 5

Medical Response – Basic Life

Support

1 2 3 4 5

Fire Prevention / Code Enforcement

1 2 3 4 5

Fire & Life Safety Public Education

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly

Disagree


Agree

The department provides services in a

timely manner

1 2 3 4 5

The department projects a professional

image

1 2 3 4 5



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5. What recommendations do you suggest that would improve department services and/or

programs?

The department demonstrates knowledge

/ expertise regarding my situation

1 2 3 4 5

The department demonstrates a

willingness to help customers solve

issues / problems

1 2 3 4 5

The department makes information

readily available (services provided,

contact information, codes / fire

ordinances, etc.)

1 2 3 4 5

The services / interaction that I received

met my expectations

1 2 3 4 5


programs that meet community needs

1 2 3 4 5



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Appendix B

Bedford Township Fire Department (BTFD) Survey

Please rate each question on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

Facilities

Department facilities and buildings support services and operations

1- Strongly disagree; 2- Disagree; 3- Neither agree nor disagree; 4- Agree; 5- Strongly Agree

Department facilities and buildings are well maintained


Equipment

Department apparatus support services and operations


Department apparatus and support vehicles are well maintained


Support vehicles/trailers and team equipment effectively support fire suppression needs


Support vehicles/trailers and team equipment effectively support EMS needs


Training

I have been afforded opportunities to receive training


I have taken advantage of these training opportunities


I have received the training I need to effectively perform fire suppression operations


I have received the training I need to effectively perform EMS operations


The current training format is effective at maintaining skill and proficiency levels


The department has effective approaches to developing engineers




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The department has effective approaches to developing company officers


The department has effective approaches to developing command staff


Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures support administrative operations


Policies and procedures support fire suppression operations


Policies and procedures support EMS operations


Professionalism and Courtesy

BTFD personnel are professional


BTFD personnel treat residents in the community with respect / courtesy


BTFD personnel are service oriented


BTFD personnel are courteous to each other


BTFD personnel work effectively together as teams


BTFD personnel are motivated to do a good job


BTFD personnel have a positive outlook on their job




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The fire department does an excellent job of engaging / involving the community


BTFD has established high expectations for the performance of all employees


BTFD personnel are held accountable for their decisions and performance


BTFD employees receive the support they need to improve their performance


Services and Programs

BTFD provides effective fire suppression services


BTFD provides effective EMS services


The department’s Public Education programs have been effective at identifying and preventing

fire and life safety issues facing the community


The department’s code enforcement and business inspection programs have been effective at

identifying and preventing fire and life safety issues in the community


bedford township fire department strategic plan department established seven initiatives with...

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