Elgin fire department unveils 5-year plan

The Elgin Fire Department's strategic plan outlines a variety of goals for the next five years as its top brass looks at plans for retirement.

The plan identifies seven goals to be implemented by 2020: developing community outreach services, enhancing internal communications, establishing adequate staffing levels, improving health and wellness, establishing a comprehensive fire prevention program, having educational programs for the community, and being prepared for natural and man-made disasters.

“This is really about the future, because we're working ... with succession planning. There is a good chance most of my top command won't be here in five years,” Fire Chief John Fahy said, adding he's coming up on his 30th year, while others have logged 28 to 36 years on the job.

The plan, released this week, was developed after soliciting feedback from more than 90 community members and more than 30 fire department members.

“It's harder to get buy-in when (a plan) is top-down, but this is really bottom-up,” Fahy said.

The strategic goals aren't ranked in order of importance, but some may take longer to accomplish than others, Fahy said.

For example, it's easier to enhance internal communications than to establish adequate staffing levels, the latter a process that will include analyzing data, costs and a timetable.

Firefighters listed EMS burnout and lack of staffing among the weaknesses of the fire department, but data shows otherwise, Fahy said.

The ambulance at Station 4, across from Elgin Community College, and the engine at Station 6, on West Chicago Street, are the two busiest units, logging an average of six to seven calls per day the last three years, Fahy said. That's a unit hour utilization rate of about 22 percent, which is below the industry average of 25 to 35 percent, data shows.

City Manager Sean Stegall praised fire officials for taking the initiative to create the five-year plan, a useful tool for any city department, he said.

The city council will have to balance any requests from the fire department with the city's overall budget planning and overarching strategic plan, Stegall said.

“Every departmental long-range plan, for fire, police or any other, is going to discuss the need for personnel,” he said. “I'm not saying they don't (need more staff), but I understand the departments are advocates — and are supposed to be advocates.”

A few years ago the city reduced from 36 to 34 the number of firefighters on shift after buying paramedic engines, which require less staffing than ambulances. The firefighters union had filed a grievance, but an arbitrator ruled in favor of the city earlier this year. The union is fighting that ruling in Cook County circuit court, Fahy said.

All fire stations have a workout room, and firefighters get free memberships to the Centre of Elgin and are reimbursed for gym memberships. However, the department will look at doing more in the areas of behavioral and nutritional health, Fahy said.

Establishing fire prevention and life safety programs could require hiring a part-time or full-time staff member, but could also be accomplished via nontraditional means including Web-based and social media, Fahy said.

Lack of diversity and lack of Spanish-speaking personnel were named by firefighters among the weaknesses of the fire department. Elgin is about 45 percent Latino.

Fahy, a member of the board of fire and police commissioners, said the board is considering modifying some of the hiring criteria in order to add diversity. Ideas include giving extra points to Elgin residents and graduates of the Fire Explorer program, and allowing applicants to test at age 19 — even if they only are eligible to start work at age 21 — to lock in their interest early.

The strategic plan — which cost about $25,000 including a consultant from the Center for Public Safety Excellence — shows community members rated EMS services as their top priority, followed by fire suppression, rescue, hazardous material mitigation, fire prevention, domestic preparedness, fire investigation and safety education, and community outreach.

Elgin will eventually need an eighth fire station to serve the far west side beyond Nesler Road, an expense of about $1.5 million in personnel, in addition to building costs, Fahy said. One option is to have a temporary fire station for the first few years, he said.