CITY OF
RIVERSIDE
City Council Memorandum
City of Arts & Innovation
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JANUARY 17, 2023 FROM: FIRE DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: APPROVE A FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE RIVERSIDE FIRE
DEPARTMENT
ISSUE:
Approve a five-year Strategic Plan for the Riverside Fire Department.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council approve a five-year Strategic Plan for the Riverside Fire Department.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
The Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee met on November 16, 2022, with Chair Perry, Vice Chair Conder and Member Plascencia present, to receive an informational report on the Fire Department Strategic Plan 2023-2028. Following discussion and without formal motion, the Committee (1) received and ordered filed a report on the Fire Department; and (2) recommended that City Council receive and file the Fire Department 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.
BACKGROUND:
In September 2021, the Fire Department embarked upon a strategic planning process to ensure that the Department continues to provide a high level of emergency services and to better understand and address current and emergent organizational needs. The overall objective was to discover how to tailor Fire Department services to satisfy the changing needs of Riverside residents while aligning with the City's 2025 Strategic Plan, Envision Riverside, and the 10th Edition Commission on Fire Accreditation International Accreditation Model.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Riverside Fire Department's Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (Strategic Plan) was developed with extensive community and employee engagement. The Strategic Plan will assist the department produce decisions and actions that will shape and guide the organization for the next five years.
Fire Strategic Plan 2023-2028 • Page 2
The Strategic Plan was developed to align with the Department's Community Risk Assessment, Standards of Cover, and the 10th Edition Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) Accreditation Model to uphold the department's commitment to continuous quality improvement.
Additionally, the goals and action items identified within this plan compliment the Envision Riverside 2025 Strategic Plan allowing the Fire Department to provide the highest level of customer service while upholding the City's Strategic Priorities.
The flexibility of the Strategic Plan will allow the department to continue to evolve organization services to meet the changing public expectations, service demand, and the continuing need to provide transparency to our residents. To be successful in the future, it is dependent upon the department to position the organization to address our foresee changes.
A vital element of the City of Riverside Fire Department's (RFD) organizational philosophy is a high commitment to the community and recognizing the importance of community satisfaction.
To ensure feedback was received from the diverse Riverside community, the RFD utilized an online, social media-driven, community outreach campaign to petition input from the community.
Respondents were asked to provide a prioritized perspective of the programs and services provided by the department. Information was gathered regarding the community's expectations and concerns regarding the level of service that the RFD provides.
The community stakeholder's specific findings are attached to this report. The department's Strategic Plan Working Group utilized the full feedback from the community stakeholders in understanding the current challenges encountered within the organization. The feedback provided a process to ensure alignment with the work implemented in the organizational mission, values, vision, and goals for improvement.
Internal stakeholder feedback was gathered through the use of an anonymous Employee Engagement Survey sent to all RFD employees. The survey received an impressive 73.8% response rate. The employee engagement process utilized contemporary strategies to gather input on the organization's approach to community-driven strategic planning, focusing on the department's mission, values, core programs, and support services. Additional focus was on identifying the organization's perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
The Strategic Planning Working Group identified emerging trends and patterns from the data, when, aligned with the community engagement group findings, reinforced the organization's goal to improve the mission, values, vision, department goals, and objectives. Internal Employee Engagement Group findings are included as an attachment.
The Strategic Plan Working Group identified 25 unique categories that encompass the programs, services, and support functions that are critical for the success of the RFD. This document's strategic initiatives, goals, and objectives will be based on these 25 core categories: assessment & planning, goals & objectives, financial resources, fire prevention program, public education program, fire investigation program, domestic preparedness program, fire suppression program, EMS program, technical rescue program, hazardous materials program, wildland program, US&R program, physical resources plan/fixed facilities, apparatus & vehicle maintenance, tools/safety, & equipment, human resources, training & competency, water supply, communications systems, administrative support, information technology, external system relationships, occupational health, safety& risk, and wellness & fitness program.
Flre Strategic Plan 2023-2028 • Page 3
To continuously achieve the mission of the City of Riverside Fire Department, the department must establish realistic goals and action items with timelines for completion. These goals will serve to enhance strengths, address identified weaknesses, provide a clear direction, and address the community's concerns. Goals and action items will become the focus of the department's efforts, as they will direct the organization to its desired future while providing a roadmap along the way. Each objective has a leadership-established working group that will work toward completion and reports on timeline adjustments as needed. Regular reports will be made to RFD's leadership on the status of all strategic goals and objectives.
The 25 unique categories that encompass the programs, services, and support functions critical for the success of the RFD fall within the following three strategic goals of the Riverside Fire Department:
Goal 1 Enable the City of Riverside Fire Department to achieve its vision and mission by creating a comprehensive, connected, and sustainable administrative infrastructure.
Goal 2 Provide exceptional public safety and emergency services through continuous program evaluation and process improvement.
Goal 3 Ensure the department has appropriate support functions to meet the evolving needs of our community presently and in the future.
The Strategic Plan Working Group outlined 99 specific Action Items the department will focus on over the next five years. These Action Items are specific, assignable task for implementing the identified strategic goals. The action items are separated within the three strategic goals and assigned a lead. Each action item is then organized by time frame and priority level. RFD is committed to starting and/or completing each action item within the five years life span of this Strategic Plan. Regularly schedule meetings updating the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Performance Measurement Chart will ensure executive staff has a mechanism to ensure compliance and evaluate measurable outcomes.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority No. 2 - Community Well-Being and Goal No. 2.4 - Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust.
1. Community Trust - The development and subsequent adoption of the Fire Department Strategic Plan 2023-2028 will guide department decisions while incorporating community input and maintaining transparency.
• 2. Equity - The Riverside Fire Department provides public safety to all residents in the City of Riverside. By adopting a Strategic Plan, the Department has a decision-making tool to ensure equitable use of services. English and Spanish versions were utilized throughout the development and design process to promote access and inclusion.
3. Fiscal Responsibility - The strategic planning process provides a mechanism to ensure financial decisions are in the public's best interest.
Fire Strategic Plan 2023-2028 • Page 4
4. Innovation - The adoption and utilization of a Strategic Plan provides the department with a proactive roadmap to ensure the evolving needs of the community are meet.
5. Sustainability & Resiliency - To meet the community's current needs and to ensure the department is prepared for future challenges, the Riverside Fire Department adoption and utilization of a Strategic Plan is paramount.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the receipt of this report.
Prepared by: LaWayne Hearn, Interim Fire Chief
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Approved by: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Concurs with;
Jim Perry, Chair
Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee
Attachments:
1. Presentation
2. Fire Department Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (English)
3. Fire Department Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (Spanish)
4. Community Engagement Survey Results
5. Employee Engagement Survey Results