CC - Agendas - City Council - STUDY SESSION - 2/14/2023

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Community First - Courage, Grit, and Duty - Driven by Excellence Page 7 Letter from the Fire Chief The Prescott Fire Department is at a crossroads as an organization. The pressures created by community growth, an increased demand for services, and rising costs are impacting the department’s ability to meet the community's needs at the same level our stakeholders expect. Due to these factors, the organization has become more reactive in responding to this operating environment. However, this is the opposite of what such a challenge demands. This is further complicated by the fact that the city as an organization finds itself in a more complex policy environment than ever. Public safety services are a primary function of local government, but community issues extend far beyond public safety and solutions require collaboration and innovation. To reduce the community’s risk, this department intends to use this plan to allow city leaders to fulfill the duty of providing these services while also attending to a wide range of community issues. To respond successfully to such challenges requires leveraging unique features of our operating environment, forecasting the factors that could influence future success, and developing an agile plan to prepare for the future. This requires innovation and transitioning away from a one size fits all approach. The outcomes for citizens, rather than the solution itself, should drive decision making. This strategic plan calls for a significant investment into public safety infrastructure. In the five-year planning range, two new fire stations, renovations to existing stations, and increased resources in emergency medical services are proposed. However, community growth has outpaced the ability of the city to respond to the demand for services by using capital and response resources alone. Therefore, several initiatives are aimed at community risk reduction, particular in the areas of wildfire impacts, emergency management, and reducing low-acuity call impacts. We also intend to leverage technology to increase efficiency of existing resources and to invest into our firefighters to ensure they safely return home at the end of their shifts and careers. This strategic plan is a significant departure from prior planning efforts by utilizing a results-oriented methodology that measures the impact on the customers we serve. It enables us to objectively demonstrate how an improved resource allocation will benefit the community instead. By linking resource allocation to performance, the department can partner with the rest of the city, the council, and the community to have an objective and consistent conversation to help discern the most appropriate solution to adaptive challenges. Our volunteers, civilians, and public safety professionals share a common identity. It is a mindset that was affirmed as part of this strategic plan development, and you will see it reflected in all our interactions with our stakeholders. For the people of this organization, “Community First - Courage, Grit, and Duty - Driven by Excellence” is more than a slogan. It is the attitude and resolve that we face every challenge with. I am certain that this department, and the community, will look back at this being a time when the motivational energy created by adversity, coupled with a clear plan, became the roadmap that helped create truly impactful solutions that will endure. Thank you for joining us on the journey! Holger Durre Fire Chief 86