Communities and organizations are constantly faced with dynamic and challenging issues every day. Sometimes these occur in a single dramatic form. However, often times these changes happen over periods of time and the recognition of their impact is overshadowed by day to day task completion.
An example would be the mission of the fire department in today’s society. In years past the role of a fire department was rather simple; the fire department extinguished fires. The service demands on today’s fire departments are much different. The scope of services that a fire department is expected to respond to and deal with is wide and varied. In addition to fires, the fire department now has to handle hazardous materials incidents, carbon monoxide calls, technical rescue that may include structural collapse, high angle, trench and construction mishaps, and motor vehicle extrications following collisions; utility emergencies involving gas or electric; natural hazard events such as flood, windstorm, ice and freezing conditions; power outages; and medical emergencies just to name some. Additionally, the expanded use of early warning fire detection has increased the fire service’s call volume and service demands significantly.
Technical Fire Services, Inc. has a unique approach to assist fire departments and local government entities in identifying and enhancing their fire service operations. The first step is through a detailed organizational effectiveness study where the entire operation or specific aspects of the organization’s operation are examined. Through an inclusive evaluation process that includes data analysis, survey instruments, personal interviews and focus groups, the study team compares current operations against nationally recognized criteria as well as state and federal regulation. The findings of the organizational effectiveness study become the springboard to complete a Fire Protection Master Plan that fire departments and local governments can use as a long term planning tool that enables them to better delivery the services needed by the community and improve the fire department’s operation and regulatory compliance simultaneously.