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NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE <br /> The cornerstone of a first-class fire department is a strong leadership and <br /> organizational structure. Trained and prepared for often the most difficult and <br /> dangerous tasks, whether it be the result of a man-made or natural occurrence, <br /> firefighters are called to perform under the most adverse conditions. Professionalism, <br /> teamwork, personal discipline, dedication and loyalty are the personal characteristics <br /> that form the cultural foundation of the fire service. <br /> As a safety-oriented organization, we have adopted a paramilitary style organizational <br /> structure. Evidence of this is seen in the use of the National Incident Management <br /> System (NIMS) and the utilization of the Incident Command System (ICS) at emergency <br /> events. This type of structure provides for strategic and tactical level direction, <br /> ensures accountability and maintains an appropriate span-of-control. <br /> We are in the customer service business! <br /> While the ICS is considered the <br /> backbone of any incident response, a <br /> strong organizational structure is also Mitigation <br /> important for day-to-day operations. In <br /> years past, the fire service often had a <br /> limited mission, which was to suppress <br /> fires. Today, we are a full-service <br /> emergency and non-emergency Recovery Preparedness <br /> customer service organization that cares <br /> about the overall safety and well being of <br /> our community. <br /> The modern era fire service focuses on Response <br /> four specific service areas: mitigation, <br /> preparedness, response and recovery. <br /> This is reflected in the Elk River Fire Department's new mission statement. <br /> Planning for the Future <br /> As responsibility and demand increase, it is important that this department reviews its <br /> organizational structure to ensure that it appropriately meets the expectations of its <br /> stakeholders. <br /> The Fire Service Task Force spent considerable time reviewing the current <br /> organizational structure of the department, taking into consideration the recent <br /> merger of the building safety and code enforcement divisions. This review included <br /> looking at organizational structures of other departments (both large and small) and <br /> functional areas of responsibility outlined in job descriptions from other cities. <br /> Page 24 F <br /> River <br />