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Consultant urges unified Fire & EMS leadership, hires for interim and permanent chiefs
Summary
Global Solutions told supervisors an online survey of 59 volunteer and paid staff and multiple stakeholder meetings found opportunities in leadership, operations, training and data-driven planning; recommendations include forming a stakeholders group and hiring both an interim and a long-term fire chief.
John Edwards of Global Solutions presented findings from the county's Fire & EMS study, which included an online survey of 59 volunteer and paid staff and meetings with volunteer chiefs, firefighters, paid personnel and county administrative staff. The consultant found generally good service quality but identified cultural and governance challenges in integrating volunteer and paid staff, and recommended data-driven planning to align resources with operational needs.
Edwards recommended establishing a fire/EMS stakeholders group, hiring an interim fire chief to provide immediate unified leadership and recruiting a permanent fire chief for long-term organizational evolution rather than wholesale change. Operational recommendations included countywide standard operating procedures, stronger command-and-control, an incident review process, and expanded joint training, including pursuing a training facility.
