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| Leadership at ECFR have put together a very detailed and ambitious 5-year strategic plan for the BCC's consideration... |
Two and a half weeks ago, top leadership of Escambia County met with me in the large conference room of the 4th floor.
It was a meeting they requested, and all the players were present, to include the interim County Administrator, Interim Fire Chief, Interim Director of Public Safety, Director of Budget and Finance, and multiple high-level members of Escambia County Fire/Rescue.
They wanted to give each commissioner an individual preview of the 5-year strategic plan they had worked up, and this was my turn to get the presentation.
The goal of the report and presentation was to provide a strategic five-year plan for the BCC's consideration, a plan that identifies critical funding needs for the fire service, alternative funding sources for the BCC to consider, and a mechanism by which fire protection and the ISO PPC for Escambia County could be improved.
The report and presentation went year by year, with each year's recommendations highlighted and fully explained. at the end of the presentation, the cost per year of implementation of the plan was reduced to a one page chart, with the significant increases marked on the bottom line.
Some Highlights from each year:
Year one (FY2019-2020):
-21 New Positions (12 Firefighters, 1 Fire Prevention Officer, 1 Recruitment Officer/Volunteer Coordinator 3 Training Captains, and 1 Fleet Manager, 1 Grant Writer, 2 Fire Inspectors
-Replacement of Pleasant Grove Fire Station
-Additional Training and
-Investment in New and Replacement Gear and Equipment (To include a fire boat)
Year two (FY2020-2021)
-24 New Firefighter Positions
-Fire Training Facility
-Fleet Maintenance Facility
-Increased funding for repair and maintenance of fire facilities
-Expanded volunteer retention and recruitment
-Expanded/specialized training
-Additional investments in new and replacement apparatus and gear
Year three( FY2021-2022)
-3 New Assistant Chiefs
-3 Fleet Technicians
-Conversion of 46 Existing Firefighters to Driver/Operator positions for specific designated apparatus
-2 New Fire Stations (HWY 97 at Kingsfield Road and Paradise Beach in South Western Escambia County)
-Expanded training and purchase of additional equipment and apparatus
Year four (FY2022-2023)
-24 additional firefighter positions
-4 Cadet positions
-additional facilities and training funding
Year five (FY2023-2024)
-15 Firefighter Positions
-Funding for additional training and recruitment and retention
-Funding for equipment and apparatus
The plan is ambitious and it would be expensive to implement as it is envisioned, without a significant new and recurring revenue stream for operational cost increases. Just the facilities/equipment costs which this plan contemplates being funded out of LOST, would cost $46,188,524 over the next five years alone--more than $9 Million a year.
While much of this plan makes great sense, I have significant concerns about some aspects of this plan that I look forward to discussing with my peers in a joint meeting with the county fire leadership and staff.
I'll discuss the total costs associated with this plan's implementation and my major concerns with the plan in Part II.
3 comments:
Where is the mentioned of the new beulah fire department? It's been promised by the bocc and fire chiefs for the last 4 years!
Sounds ridiculous.
Sounds like it was a wise decision to let union Nail walk. The budget discussion this morning made more sense. The vote of no confidence is still nor appreciated.
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