FDAC

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FDAC

• Planning

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10 Basic Steps to Planning

• Decide to plan (or being told to)
• Organize for planning (getting the information,
  people and systems in place)
• Collect and analyze data (RHAVE, NFIRS, Census
  Data)
• Define goals and objectives
• Define requirements, programs and systems

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10 Basic Steps to Planning (cont.)

• Define alternative programs and systems
• Select the best program and system (generally a
  political decision)
• Prepare the master plan
• Implement and evaluate the plan
• Update and modify the plan

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Need and Benefit of Planning

• Group Process
• Collaborative-problem solving
• Commitment
• Rational decision making
• Establishes priorities for spending and resources
• The process is 60 political and 40 technical

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3 levels of planning

• Strategic- broad based, policy oriented, long
  range (5 plus years)
• Operational- day to day, administrative
• Tactical- field level activities and tasks

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Standard Planning Cycle

• Planning/Organizing
• Organize resources
• Find an alternative method if required
• Set up control documents with checkpoints
• Controlling the Process
• Assign the work
• Record progress
• Overcome roadblocks in the process
• Complete the work

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Planning Control Tool
Fire Protection District Planning Record
Goal Date To Be Completed
Person/People Responsible Priority
Action Items
Resources Needed
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Standard Planning Cycle

• Problem-solving skills
• Define the problem
• Identify possible solutions
• Select the most promising solution
• Apply the solution

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Preparation and Approval

• Commitment from the Board Is there the will to
  plan?
• Multi-agency involvement- planning, water, law,
  building departments
• All strategies considered- what are you really
  trying to accomplish (justify existing, improve,
  redesign)
• Community involvement

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Agencys Situation Analysis The Key
Questions

• How well is Districts present strategy working?
• What are the Districts resource strengths and
  weaknesses and its external opportunities and
  threats?
• Are the Districts prices and costs competitive?
• How strong is Districts competitive position
  relative to rivals?
• What strategic issues does the District face?

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Question 1 How Well Is thePresent
Strategy Working?

• Two steps involved
• Determine current strategy of the District
• Examine key indicators of strategic and financial
  performance

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What Is the Strategy?

• Identify competitive approach
• Low-cost leadership
• Differentiation of District Services
• Focus on a particular market niche
• Determine competitive scope
• Stages of industrys production/distribution/servi
  ce chain
• Geographic coverage
• Customer base
• Identify functional strategies
• Examine recent strategic moves
• Should drive the Mission

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Key Indicators of Strategy Effectiveness

• Trend in market share
• Trend in budget
• Trend in living within budget
• Trend in growth
• Image and reputation with customers
• Leadership role(s) -- technology, quality, etc.
• Competitive advantages or disadvantages

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Question 2 What Are the Districts
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats ?

• S W O T represents the first letter in
• S trengths
• W eaknesses
• O pportunities
• T hreats
• Strategy-making must be well-matched to both
• Agencys resource strengths and weaknesses
• Agencys best market opportunities and external
  threats to its well-being

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Identifying Resource Strengths

• A strength is something a agency does well or a
  characteristic that enhances its competitiveness
• Valuable competencies or know-how
• Valuable physical assets
• Valuable human assets
• Valuable organizational assets

• Valuable intangible assets
• Important competitive capabilities
• Alliances or cooperative ventures
• An attribute that places a company in a position
  of market advantage

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Identifying Weaknesses.

• A weakness is something a District lacks, does
  poorly, or a condition placing it at a
  disadvantage
• Resource weaknesses relate to
• Deficiencies in know-how, expertise or
  competencies
• Lack of important physical, organizational, or
  intangible assets
• Missing capabilities in key areas

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Identifying a Districts Opportunities

• The opportunities most relevant to a company are
  those offering
• The best prospects for profitable long-term
  growth
• Competitive advantage
• Good match with its financial and organizational
  resource capabilities

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Identifying External Threats

• Emergence of cheaper/better technologies
• Introduction of better products by rivals
• Intensifying competitive pressures
• Revenue cuts

• Onerous regulations
• A rise in interest rates
• Potential of a hostile takeover
• Unfavorable demographic shifts
• Political upheaval

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Risk analysis

• Analyzing the statistical chance of danger from
  something.
• Is the risk acceptable?
• Even though it may not have been a conscious
  decision, the present risk and historical loss
  may be defined as acceptable risk and acceptable
  loss.

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Categories of Risk

• Life
• Property
• Essential Services
• Community Impact
• Environmental damage

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Risk Factors to Consider

• Who is endangered?
• What is endangered?
• When will the incident occur?
• Where will the incident occur?
• Why will the incident occur?
• How can the incident be managed?

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Kinds of Risk

• Fire
• Explosion
• Hazardous Material Emergency
• Sudden Illness
• Natural Disaster

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Risk May Cause Loss of

• Life/property
• Jobs
• Tax base/Revenue
• Essential services
• Environmental concerns
• Historic value

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Building Risks

• Type of construction
• Size and location
• Occupancy / Code compliance
• Built-in protection-active
• Built-in protection-passive (fire walls)
• Other factors, age, disability, etc.

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Documenting a Master Plan

• What is happening?
• Where is it happening?
• When is it happening?
• Who is causing it to happen?
• What is the impact?
• Who is impacted?

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Data

• Significant impact on planning
• Often incomplete
• Use your best judgment
• Needs to be addressed

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Categories of Data

• Population
• Land Use
• Traffic
• Incident volume, type and response data
• Geographic Information Systems (Smart maps)
• Water systems/water availability

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Sources of Data

• County/City General Plans
• Fire department records
• Planning department
• Building department
• Financial audits

• County sources
• The internet
• Regional Association of Governments
• CDF/USFS
• LAFCO
• Water agency

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Historical Data

• Illustrates past trends in a community
• Illustrates community changes
• Great source for previous emergency events
• Use care when analyzing historical data for
  anomalies (large winter storm, entering EMS
  transportation business, single major fire,
  finance change)
• Use at least 5 years of historical data

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Current data

• Shows existing conditions
• Details the demographics of the community and
  response area
• May show trends and changes

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Projections

• Five year projection is reasonable
• Anything more than Five years is unreliable
• Strategic plans 1-5 years
• Master plans 1- 20 years, not necessarily
  factually based

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Trend Analysis

• Shows proposed changes
• Outlines future land development or redevelopment
• Estimates population base
• Estimated financial stability

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Standards of Cover

• An internal document to evaluate the potential
  (risk) and capabilities of a fire agency
• NFPA 1710-1720- Suggested staffing patterns and
  response times for fire agencies- driving
  standards of cover planning
• Standards of cover are common documents in the
  European communities

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Standards of Cover

• Started as a tool for Self-Assessment
• Goal was to determine whether a fire agency was
  prepared to provide a level of service
  commensurate with its responsibilities and risks

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Standards of Cover 8 Components

• Existing deployment
• Risk identification
• Risk expectations
• Service level objectives

• Distribution
• Concentration
• Performance and reliability
• Overall evaluation

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Standards of Cover

• Standards of Cover document allows elected
• officials to articulate a base line of fire
• protection.

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Business Plan

• Document designed to establish business
  operations of the district.
• Includes finance, personnel, risk management and
  fixed asset management.
• Helps planning for long range expenditures.
• Useful for staff as a guide.
• Financial projections.

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Components of a Business Plan

• Mission of the Business or Organization
• List of facilities and other major assets
• Business goals, philosophies and values
• Summary of current finances
• Projections of revenues and expenditures
• Risk management
• Other major business impacts

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Components of a Business Plan

• Market Analysis
• Current demographics
• Future demographics
• Current call volume
• Future call volume
• Industry trends
• Competition

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Components of a Business Plan

• Products or Services
• Describe what you do and how those service costs
  are financed
• Describe what services could be done by someone
  else, or paid for in another manner
• Compare your strength and cost to your
  competitors

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Components of a Business Plan

• Marketing Strategy
• How do you currently market your services
• Are you doing things you shouldnt?
• What should you be doing that you currently
  aren't- because of cost, staff etc?
• How to you keep your costs current, do you have a
  plan and is that plan outlined and adopted?

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Components of a Business Plan

• Development of a management plan
• What is your business hierocracy?
• What checks and balances exist to ensure
  accountability?
• Do you know what your capital is worth?
• Is it properly insured, do you have a maintenance
  and repair schedule, have you planned for the
  replacement of your capital?

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Components of a Business Plan

• Do you have a long range plan to address things
  that wear out or need to be replaced?
• Apparatus- established a life span both first
  line and reserve
• What is the current replacement cost?
• Reasonable inflation rate for its replacement?
• Calculation of projected replacement cost based
  on inflation and years of expected service.

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Components of a Business Plan

• Financial Data
• Yearly financial statements and audits
• Financial projections- revenue and expenditures
• Explanation of capital projects or enhancements
  to service
• Use of taxpayers money

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Components of a Business Plan

• Fee schedule, including update process
• Outlines capital asset replacement/addition
• Outlines how to maintain or reduce services based
  on revenue

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FDAC