Carpentersville Fire Department to create long-term strategic plan
The Carpentersville Fire Department can check off the 10 items on a list of goals accomplished within 100 days, but Chief John-Paul Schilling says the hard work is far from over.
The "100 Day Plan" was implemented in July - shortly after Schilling began his new position June 28 - as a way to strengthen communication, improve training, collaborate with personnel and form working committees. The department made great strides by completing it, Schilling said, but the collaboration was never meant to end there.
"The '100 Day Plan' was the springboard to what's next," he said. "We have to have some follow-through. I want to ensure that the people on those committees take ownership of the committees and follow through with an end result."
Schilling's idea of an end result? A comprehensive strategic plan outlining the fire department's vision for future success.
The public document would include information about the department's finances, emergency responses and anything else related to its long-and short-term goals, Schilling said. It would be published online and updated annually to adjust for key factors, such as the economy.
Fire officials will also implement a program called Service Efforts and Accomplishments for measuring the department's performance. Those metrics, Schilling said, will allow the department's "internal and external stakeholders (to) see how well we're accomplishing those plans, both productively and financially."
So far, Schilling said, he believes his strategies for improving the department have been working. He said he's particularly noticed a boost in morale, for which he credits the fact that all members of the department have a say in its future.
"Any time you give your firefighters the opportunity to use their knowledge, skills and ability beyond just going out and fighting fires and saving lives on the ambulance ... they're going to be excited about that," he said.
Though Carpentersville officials and the firefighters' unions have had a historically contentious relationship, Schilling said they have begun strengthening ties and communicating more efficiently.
"Having buy-in and giving everyone a voice in the fire department will help achieve the many goals set forth," said Lt. Rick Nieves, president of IAFF Local 4790. "The community always wins in these situations."