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What do you believe your role is in helping the department to achieve its priorities and goals?

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With which community partners should the CCFD focus on maintaining or strengthening relationships?

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What should the the top strategic priority or goal  be for the CCFD over the next 1-5 years?

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Please name the top one or two most notable CCFD successes over the past 2 years.

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Please identify the most critical area for improvement the CCFD should focus on over the next 1-5 years.

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What do you believe is the most significant threat to the CCFD in achieving its goals over the next 1-5 years?

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In your view, what has been the most significant challenge the CCFD has had to overcome during the past 2 years?

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CCFD will move from a single annual academy to multiple academies per year (minimally two for the foreseeable future).

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Lack of qualified candidates; competition with other agencies. A single annual academy negatively impacts hiring volumes in an already limited qualified candidate pool as applicants often accept employment to the agency that offers them the "earliest" start date, and several local agencies already host multiple academies/year. Generally, the net effect of this process results in CCFD often losing the best qualified candidates to other agencies.

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Sixth Floor Support - Improving Paramedic Volumes

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Sixth Floor Support - Improving Paramedic Volumes

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Currently, CCFD has a significant paramedic shortage (70+). CCFD's goal = 50% mix of FFs to medics; current CCFD FFs are ideal candidates to obtain paramedic certification but have limited availability to attend the required schooling due to their schedules (apprehensive to utilizing excessive leave to attend classes; associated backfill OT negatively impacts the Dept.). CC exec mgmt. has approved CC FFs to attend paramedic school while technically on their regular shift to incentivize enrollment (will ultimately reduce OT and burnout amongst paramedics).

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The pool of available paramedic candidates is extremely limited due to the general lack of availability of certified school "seats" allocated/available to CCFD. In addition, private EMS companies are offering significant signing bonuses (up to $50K) that CC cannot compete with. Today's younger generation tends to prioritize short-term wage compensation vs long-term salaries and benefits that are arguably richer in the public sector. This also results in changing employers more frequently.

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To resolve the limited "seat" availability in local paramedic schools, CC could potentially subsidize existing certification programs by paying for instructors dedicated to CCFD staff/candidates or, possibly, even stand up its own program. Either approach should inevitably allow the Dept. to reach its 50/50 FF to paramedic mix goal quicker than the current projection (5+ years from now).

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Another recession would inevitably materially impact CC revenues which, likely, in turn would negatively impact resource allocations to CCFD (i.e. stall hiring or subsidies to paramedic schools).

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Large bonuses by private sector paramedic employers, and even by other jurisdictions for both FFs and paramedics, creates an uncompetitive environment as CC would be reluctant to follow suit due to the "Pandora's Box" effect with all of its collective bargaining partners. This becomes even more challenging if a local agency initiates hiring bonuses (impacts not only the candidate pool but potentially existing employees as well).

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Staffing needs to be adequate/appropriate to support the local population and visitor volume.  Accordingly, there needs to be a strategic approach to staffing, equipment, and the location/timing of construction of fire stations.

OT and burnout needs to be addressed. Paramedics are foregoing their credentials ("patch surrender") at a higher pace than normal due to excessive mandatory OT shifts.

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Unofficial liaison between CCFD & Finance at the present time. Role is to review administrative (and some operational) processes and recommend potential improvements. The purpose of the assignment is to advise/consult CCFD c-staff, replicate successes from other departments, suggest new or expand existing funding sources, and relationship building.

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CCFD should further explore and expand upon its partnership with Social Services and related community partners to assist on calls for vulnerable or at risk residents (which may ultimately decrease CCFD calls for service). Additional opportunities may exist with LVMPD to further leverage joint response, training, etc.