Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 2.D
Meeting Date: July 22, 2026
From: Michael Contreras, Fire Chief
Title: Cathedral City Fire & EMS 2027-2029 Strategic Plan – Process Overview and Stakeholder Engagement Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file this report as an informational overview of the Cathedral City Fire & EMS 2027–2029 Strategic Plan development process.
BACKGROUND:
Cathedral City Fire & EMS serves approximately 53,000 year-round residents and an estimated 60,000 seasonal residents across 26 square miles from three fire stations. The department operates three medic fire engines, four medic ambulances, and a water tender, staffed by 60 sworn and four civilian personnel — 64 total. Cathedral City Fire & EMS is the only ambulance transport fire department in Riverside County.
In 2023 Cathedral City implemented its strategic plan over five years. Over the last three and a half years, the department has achieved a series of measurable operational and cultural improvements that establish the foundation for forward planning:
CPSE/CFAI international accreditation achieved in April 2025 — the first and only accredited fire agency in the Coachella Valley.
ISO Public Protection Classification improved from Class 3 to Class 2. Full staffing achieved in June 2025 for the first time in over a decade. Ambulance program expanded from two to four medic units with minimal impact to the General Fund; reimbursement increased to $5,429,466 in FY 25/26. Turnout time reduced by 42% approximately 44 seconds saved per call to 1:10. Training hours increased 138% from 10,936 in 2022 to 25,980 in 2024. Tropical Storm Hilary response in August 2023 included 60+ rescues with zero casualties.
These outcomes are documented, externally validated, and form the operational floor on which the next strategic plan will build. The 2027–2029 strategic plan is not a recovery plan; it is a growth plan.
Why Strategic Planning Now
Three converging factors make this the right window to develop a formal strategic plan:
Community growth: Cathedral City and the surrounding Coachella Valley continues to grow in residential, commercial, and seasonal population. The fire department's service delivery model must be evaluated against three-to-five-year growth projections rather than against the city as it existed when the prior plan was developed.
Budget cycle alignment: The FY 2027 biennial budget development cycle is the natural window to translate strategic priorities into funded initiatives. Aligning the strategic plan with the budget calendar ensures that capital, personnel, and operating asks are supported by a Council-adopted planning document rather than developed in isolation.
Operational maturity: With CPSE accreditation in place, ISO Class 2 achieved, full staffing reached, and the ambulance program at scale, the department has the operational stability required to undertake serious forward planning. With the foundation now in place, the priority shifts to where the department goes next.
DISCUSSION:
Cathedral City Fire & EMS is initiating a structured strategic planning process to guide the department for the 2027–2029 calendar years. The plan will align departmental priorities with the upcoming budget cycle, build on the operational and cultural gains of the last three and a half years, and establish a measurable framework across four high-priority investment areas: apparatus and fleet, training and professional development, technology and data systems, and personnel capacity and succession. The process follows a structured fourteen- step model adapted from established fire service planning practice, organized into four sequential phases running from April through November 2026.
Plan Horizon and Scope
The 2027–2029 Strategic Plan covers a three-year horizon with explicit visibility into a fifth year for capital and apparatus planning purposes. The plan is intended to function as the department's primary forward-looking document, guiding budget submissions, capital improvement planning, grant applications, personnel development, accreditation compliance, and Council reporting throughout the plan period.
Four-Phase Process Structure
The planning process is organized into four sequential phases running from May through November 2026:
Phase Timing Focus Stakeholders
Phase 1 May to August 2026 External stakeholder
engagement Community, City staff, City Council
Phase 2 August – September
2026
Internal stakeholder
analysis
Department personnel, admin &
ancillary staff, union liaison
Phase 3 July to September
2026
Plan development & goal
setting Command staff and division leads
Phase 4 September –
November 2026
Accountability, review, and
publication
Council adoption, public
publication, internal scorecard
Five Priority Investment Areas
Department analysis to date has identified four priority areas where strategic investment over the plan horizon will most directly support sustained service delivery and community growth.
Each priority area will be developed into specific initiatives with measurable goals and budget-aligned implementation tasks during Phase 3.
Priority Area Cathedral City Focus
Apparatus & Fleet
Establish a funded, phased apparatus replacement schedule aligned with budget cycles and growth. Includes engines, the four ambulances, the water tender, and reserve apparatus, accounting for current 18 to 36 month manufacturer lead times.
Training & Professional
Development
Build on the increase from 10,936 training hours in 2022 to 25,980 in 2024 with a structured, measurable training division supporting NFPA / ISO compliance, succession development for Engineer, Captain, and Battalion Chief ranks, and ongoing CPSE accreditation requirements.
Technology & Data
Systems
Modernize CAD, RMS, and data analytics capability. Build on recent investments in Tablet Command, PSEC radio integration, and the EOC audio-visual upgrade. Establish a KPI dashboard for Council and budget reporting.
Personnel Capacity &
Succession
Sustain the full-staffing achievement of June 2025 (first time in over a decade), develop the company-officer pipeline, formalize succession planning for senior ranks, and align personnel with continued ambulance program growth and CPSE compliance demand.
Expanded Response
Capabilities
Over the last 10 years, Cathedral City response capabilities and specialties have expanded significantly due to the needs of the community and the city.
Fourteen-Step Planning Model
Within the four phases, the department is following a structured fourteen-step planning model that ensures both external community input and internal organizational analysis inform the final plan. The model is adapted from established fire service strategic planning practice and is summarized below for Council awareness.
# Step Purpose
1 Multilingual community
feedback mechanism
Survey and meeting input from residents in English and
Spanish; geographic segmentation across the city
2 Identify community concerns
and positives
Focus groups with neighborhood associations and
business districts; Council perception input; review of complaint and compliment records
3 Revisit mission, vision, and
core values
Validate current departmental language against current
service delivery and community expectations
4 Survey organizational
membership
Anonymous survey of all sworn and civilian personnel;
union coordination on distribution
5 Internal SWOT — strengths
and weaknesses
Divisional breakouts across Operations, EMS, Training,
Administration, and Prevention
6 External SWOT —
opportunities and threats
Coachella Valley and regional growth, mutual aid
demand, technology trends, federal grant pipeline (AFG,
SAFER, FEMA BRIC)
7 Identify critical service gaps
Response time analysis by district; apparatus age and
out-of-service trends; training hour gaps; succession
exposure
8 Ensure all programs and
functions represented
Fleet/maintenance, administrative records, fire
prevention, EMS, and community risk reduction all
included in the analysis
9 Determine strategic initiatives Translate SWOT findings into defined initiatives tied to budget impact and community outcome
10 Establish measurable goals SMART goals for each initiative specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound tied to budget line items 11 Identify implementation tasks Quarterly action items with assigned ownership, resource requirements, and budget implications
12 Determine vision for the future Three-to-five-year vision anchor for Council and community communication
13 Develop organizational and
community commitment
Final plan presented to Council for adoption; published publicly; quarterly progress reporting cadence
14 Reassess on a regular basis
Monthly division-lead check-ins, quarterly command
reviews, annual plan review, trigger-based mid-cycle
review
Stakeholder Engagement
Broad stakeholder engagement is essential to producing a plan that reflects community priorities and is workable for the personnel who will implement it. The engagement plan covers external and internal stakeholders, with specific methods and timing for each group.
Stakeholder Group Type Engagement Method Timing
City Council One on
One External Briefings and final adoption
presentation
June, August,
November 2026
City Manager / Budget
Office External 1:1 meetings and budget alignment
sessions May – July 2026
Community Members External Public meetings and multilingual survey April – May 2026
Neighborhood and
Business Groups External Focus groups and partnership
meetings April – June 2026
Command Staff Internal Planning retreats and facilitated sessions June – August 2026
Company Officers
(Captains, Battalion
Chiefs)
Internal Divisional breakout meetings August 2026
Line Personnel Internal Anonymous survey June 2026
CCPFA Union /
AFSME Internal Liaison coordination and review
process August 2026
Fleet / Maintenance
Staff Internal Targeted interview sessions July 2026
IT / Technology Staff Internal Technical assessment sessions August 2026 City Manager / Budget
Office External 1:1 meetings and budget alignment
sessions November 2026
Community engagement has been conducted in English and Spanish, with surveys translated and distributed through City communications channels, in-person and virtual public meetings, and focus groups with neighborhood associations and business districts.
Engagement design has been informed by the department's existing community partnerships, including the Cathedral City Senior Center, Boys and Girls Club, Rotary Club, and College of the Desert.
Connection to FY 2027 Budget Cycle
Every strategic initiative developed in Phase 3 will be paired with a corresponding budget- line narrative for the FY 2027 submission cycle. The strategic plan will function as the formal justification document for capital, personnel, and operating budget requests originating in the Fire Department. Specifically:
• Capital budget asks will be tied to apparatus replacement scheduling, technology infrastructure (CAD/RMS), and facility needs aligned with growth. • Personnel budget asks will be tied to documented growth triggers, succession planning needs, and training officer capacity.
• Operating budget asks will address training program contracts, technology licensing and maintenance, fleet maintenance projections, and federal grant match requirements (including AFG and SAFER).
Accountability Structure
To ensure the plan is owned rather than filed, the department will implement formal accountability mechanisms upon Council adoption:
• Internal scorecard distributed to all personnel each quarter. • Designation of a Strategic Plan Coordinator at the command-staff level. • Division-level ownership of each plan objective with performance evaluation linkage. • Annual plan review with goal, timeline, and priority updates as conditions evolve. • Trigger-based mid-cycle review in the event of major growth events, budget changes, or significant operational developments.
Next Steps and Council Touchpoints
Following Council's receipt of this report on August 2026, the department will proceed on the following schedule:
•July 2026: Internal stakeholder analysis (Phase 2), including divisional SWOT sessions, anonymous all-hands personnel survey, and union coordination. •August 2026: Council touchpoint briefing — mid-process update on findings and emerging initiative direction.
•August – October 2026: Plan development, goal setting, implementation task definition, and budget alignment work in coordination with the City Manager's Office. •November 2026: Final plan presented to Council for formal adoption, followed by public publication and initiation of quarterly progress reporting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this informational report. The strategic planning process is being conducted in-house using existing department staff resources within the department’s adopted budget.
Budget asks resulting from the completed strategic plan will be developed and presented through the standard FY 2027 budget cycle and the upcoming biennial budget process for Council for consideration. Council will have the opportunity to review each individual budget initiative through normal budget deliberations.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
The 2027-2029 CCFE Strategic Plan will align with each category set in the City of Cathedral City 5 Year Strategic Plan.
Goal A – Safety
Goal B – Community Investment
Goal C – Fiscal Stability and Sustainability
Goal D – Innovation
Goal E – Safety
Goal F – Embracing, Inclusive Community
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2027-2029 External Stakeholder Survey – English/Spanish (internal working document available upon request)
2. 14-Step Stakeholder Engagement Matrix