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0 °~ <br />p <br />0 <br />Item # 6. <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Mayor and City Council <br />FROM: T. John Cunningham, Fire Chief <br />DATE: January 9, 2012 <br />SUBJECT: Fire Service Task Force <br />Since 1881, the Elk River Fire Department has provided fire protection and emergenry response services <br />to the Elk River community. Just as the city and many of our surrounding communities have grown over <br />the past decade; the same is true of the fire department. Today, the depamnent covers 66 square miles and <br />serves over 35,000 residents in Elk River, Otsego, and Big Lake Township. In 2011, there were 469 calls <br />for service, a 35% increase over the past decade. The depamnent is run by a full-time fire chief and <br />responses are handled by thirty-one (31) part-time/on-call firefighters and nine (9) appointed part- <br />time/on-call command officers (in addition to the fire chief). The department also employs afull-time fire <br />marshal, fire prevention specialist, and, part-time office assistant. The fire chief is also the city's emergency <br />manager and safety coordinator. <br />Strategic Plan <br />'t'hroughout history, America's file service. has been dynamic and constantly evolving to meet the growing <br />needs of the communities ui which they serve. The fire service has largely been reactive to community and <br />demographic change. As townships and cities grow, emergency service organizations have to continue to <br />maintain and sustain services that the public expects. <br />Strategic planning is an important tool for setting the foundation for the futare, especially during times of <br />economic uncertainty. City and department leadership realize that difficult choices often have to be made <br />to ensure that limited financial resources would be used most effectively. <br />The purpose of establishing the Fire Service Task Force is to begin the strategic planning process in which <br />we can evaluate the organization and its core services, create a blueprint for the future and develop a plan <br />to accomplish the new direction and goals. <br />City Goals and Vision <br />In 2011, acity-wide visioning session identified a number of action steps for the City of Elk River.. During <br />the 2012 budget process, the fire depamnent set a number of strategic goals tied to the city's vision and <br />action steps, a partial list includes: <br />r~wi:RF® Er <br />N:V'ublic Bodies\City Council\Council RCA4lgenda Packet\01-09-2012iFiro Task Force.docx ~~~~~ <br />