Fire Chief | Assessment Services Review

Public Safety Voices | Fire Chief Alan Ernst

Budgeting to meet the needs of the community.

“The biggest challenge we face in the Central Valley is our budget. It’s a constant struggle to maintain the resources we need to serve our community.

“One step we’re taking to address this is fire regionalization. Two other agencies are now contracting with the Modesto Fire Department for fire services, so we’ll realize some savings and see some revenue from that.”

Recruiting is not a problem here.

“We do well with recruitment. Interest in the fire service is strong in California. We provide potential firefighters many educational opportunities, and the job itself has a lot of natural publicity that comes with it.

“Modesto also offers an explorer program for students ages 16-20 that’s affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, and several of our employees have graduated from that program.”

It’s all about the moments.

“There’s no one rewarding moment in my career. For me, it’s all about the opportunities when you get to see that your actions affected someone’s life in a positive way. As the chief, I am honored to engage with the public and support our firefighters and the difference they make.”

The fire service is in my blood.

“I’m a fourth-generation firefighter. My great grandfather was a firefighter in Oregon, my grandfather served in Monterey, Calif., and my dad served in Sacramento. And, my son is now in the fire science program Sierra College.”

We hope the community recognizes the toll the job takes on us.

“This is a very demanding job. One concern of ours is that the community doesn’t recognize the toll it takes on us — the toll it takes on our mental health … Suicides outpaced line-of-duty deaths in the fire service last year. We see horrific scenes, and when you’re talking about a 30-year career, it just keeps building up.

“We’re paying a lot of attention to the mental health of our department. To that end, we’ve added a behavioral health specialist to our staff and instituted a health and wellness program to ensure everyone gets the help they need, whether it’s with home or work.”

Cancer rates are much higher for the fire service.

“We also started a cancer reduction program. There are many dangers that are visible, but it’s the dangers we don’t see that are really affecting us. The chemicals associated with the fires we go to are really dangerous, even at a house fire.

“As a result, the cancer rates are much higher for the fire service. We’re taking steps to reduce exposure, including emergency decontamination, cleaning equipment and clothing in an extractor, showering immediately after a call, etc.”

Getting kids involved.

“We also started a hands-only CPR program in which we taught every middle school kid in the city how to recognize the need for and initiate CPR. We’re now going to the high schools also.”

-Chief Alan Ernst, Modesto Fire Department, California

By Jenny Donovan|2019-08-19T15:22:33-04:00August 20th, 2019|Public Safety Voices|Comments Off

Public Safety Voices | Fire Chief Brian Fennessy

The volume of emergency medical service calls is increasing every year – to all our detriment.

“The increased volume of emergency medical service calls, especially in large metro departments, is a big topic of conversation everywhere. It continues to increase exponentially every year – so much so that the current trend is unsustainable. People who aren’t experiencing life-threatening emergencies are calling 911, which leaves our resources unavailable to respond to genuine emergencies. So we’re looking at our EMS response system and modifying how we respond to these calls.”

I can train just about anyone to be a firefighter, but I can’t train them to be a good person.

“Traditionally the fire service has not done a good job of preparing its future leaders; we’ve relied primarily on luck. The cost that comes from not developing your leaders can have huge ramifications.

“Many of our engine and truck companies are responding to calls for service nearly continuously each day. The ability to treat people with dignity when you’re tired and you’ve already run 30-plus calls can be a challenge for some, but it’s a critical part of the job. During the hiring process we do all we can to determine whether candidates share our organizational values and principles: I can train just about anyone to be a firefighter, but I can’t train them to be a good person. Someone who doesn’t have the right qualities can cause a lot of harm to the department and the public.

“We’re putting time into developing leaders at every level of the department (12 years ago we initiated a leader development program), and the results are clear. There are some amazing stories coming up about firefighters going above and beyond. For example, one of my engine companies recently responded to an elderly female who fell and cracked her head open on the hardwood floor in her home. After the crew had treated her and transported her to the hospital, they went back to the house, made entry, and cleaned up the area in her house where she had fallen (there was a lot of blood) so she wouldn’t have to return home to deal with cleaning that up all by herself.

Times of San Diego

“Another example came on a medical call – cardiac arrest. The engine crew responded quickly and took good care of the husband, as well as every family member there. The wife called me later that week to share how our crew had treated her husband and family with great care and dignity. I asked how her husband was recovering. She told me he had passed away. Even though she had just lost her husband of many years, she called to thank us for the care we gave him and her family. That says a lot about the quality and character of our firefighters.

“Statistics demonstrate that most people will never call 911 in their lives. However, when they do, they may be experiencing the worst day of their life. We have to remember that – to treat people well. The citizen and their family will remember that day forever. Those are the kinds of things that are most important.”

There’s no greater threat in San Diego than a wildfire.

“Wildfires are always a big concern here; there’s no greater threat to life and property in San Diego. It’s year-round, and climate change has only made it worse.

“Last year, more than 11,000 structures were destroyed in the state of California, and hundreds of thousands of acres were blackened. The average annual rainfall in the city is approximately 11 inches. We’ve received a fraction of that this year, meaning that we expect to experience critical fire conditions once again this year. And once the Santa Ana winds start blowing, we’re going to experience some fires that are uncontrollable.”

We show up ready.

“The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has some of the best trained firefighters in the country. We work hard and spend a lot of time and resources on training. We’re also fortunate to have the best equipment available and the latest technology at our fingertips.

“We do this so that when we do arrive, our citizens have some of the most highly trained firefighters in the country taking care of them. We take a lot of pride in that. We’re going to show up, solve your problem, do it quickly – and treat you with great care and dignity.”

–Chief Brian Fennessy, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department

By Jenny Donovan|2018-04-23T19:17:13-04:00April 10th, 2018|Public Safety Voices|Comments Off

Public Safety Voices | Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg

The city’s services and resources were overburdened by a relatively small number of people. We needed to come up with a better way to meet their needs.

“The most rewarding part of my career came very early on when I was a paramedic: Putting my hands on people we were called to assist, and making them better – or feel better – as a result of what I was doing. I believe that’s why we all get in it – to make a difference.

(Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)

“And now, as chief, I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to identify problems in the community and find solutions that work. For example, last year we launched the Mobile Integrated Health Office (MIHO) in response to a disconnect in care in our city.

“We have a number of people who are not necessarily getting the care they need, and were disproportionately using up the city’s resources (ambulance, ER, etc.) as a result. We’re nearing 20,000 calls this year [2017] – we need to be able to answer them all.

“Having spent the better part of a decade as a paramedic, I saw firsthand that we didn’t always have the tools to help them – at least we didn’t have the right tools in the right places. Now, with the MIHO, we’re able to track people with more complicated and complex needs; we’re able to design a more personal plan to address the needs of those who are higher users of the city’s resources.

“It’s so nice to be able to provide people with the care they actually need, and it frees up our services and resources to help the larger community through our 911 system. We’re starting to collect really great data on how it’s helping. In fact, the data is overwhelming. We’re changing lives.”

Our Mobile Integrated Health Office is changing lives.

“We were regularly being called to help a single mother with a child (early teens) who has a seizure disorder. The mother has some behavioral issues as well – issues with substance abuse. She had been caring for her child alone for many, many years – even carrying him up and down the stairs twice daily. This was far beyond her capabilities, so there were slip issues, and a number of falls. Furthermore, the child was not always receiving his medications because she didn’t understand how to administer them.

“MIHO did a home assessment; the team immersed themselves in their lives and connected the dots for this family. She needed some physical help – railings on the stairs and a lift assist. The child started getting the medications he needed, and the MIHO team educated people at his school about his conditions and needs as well, enabling them to help, too. It was life-changing for this family to receive help from someone who understood the system.

“Another person who stands out in my mind is a guy who had engaged the city and county systems – 911, ER, and jail – over 200 times in one year. In our integrated care approach, we were able to get his needs met and, as a result, reduced that number to one time in six months.

“Not long ago, a man came walking up to me in a suit and tie. He told me that our program has cleaned him up to the point that he had a job interview that day. It was the same guy. He’s now living a normal, functional life.”

We all share a genuine interest in the citizens we serve and their well-being.

“We take a great deal of pride in our work, and we really do care about all the things we take an oath over – to protect our communities, show compassion and care for the people we serve, and to serve honorably. We share a genuine interest in the citizens and their well-being, and yes, we’re as approachable as it seems.”

–Chief Erik Litzenberg, Santa Fe Fire Department

By Jenny Donovan|2018-04-23T19:22:29-04:00February 14th, 2018|Public Safety Voices|Comments Off

Public Safety Voices: Fire Chief Tom Jenkins

The Millennial workforce presents new challenges.

“Our primary challenge is how to deal with the youngest generation we employ: the Millennials. We’re used to hiring people who want to be career firefighters, and for the first time ever, our new hires are often not interested in a long-term career. So, how do we keep them motivated and retain them?

“We start by acknowledging that it’s not business as usual. This is just not the same group working here today; they’re not going to conform to what we believe are the best parts of the job. For example, it’s hard to get Millennials to work overtime – they enjoy their time off. We used to work 24 on, 48 off; now we work 48 on, 96 off.

“This generation is also focused on wanting to make a difference, to have an impact – to see and do different things. If things get stagnant or they get bored, then they’re unhappy and want to go elsewhere. So, to combat that, we created diversity in our assignments, e.g., running airport fire stations, special rescue and hazardous materials teams.

“At some point it begins to inch toward a crisis. We can’t compete with the private sector on pay. We offer a great pension, but they live in the now. They’re not thinking about the future.”

At best, fighting fires is only five percent of our job.

“The one thing people don’t respect enough is the wide scope of our business. Over 3,000 people die every year in a fire; it’s still a very real and tangible threat. But a lot of people think all we do is fight fire. At best, that’s five percent of our job.

“We’re the only 24/7 health care industry that still makes house calls. Car wreck, train wreck, chemical spill, chest pains, or a house on fire – we’re the first on the scene. We work to balance all the new and emerging things we do. It’s tough to advocate for so many different things, and be master of all.”

–Fire Chief Tom Jenkins, Rogers, Arkansas, Fire Department

By Jenny Donovan|2018-04-23T19:25:41-04:00January 17th, 2018|Public Safety Voices, Recruitment|Comments Off

Police and Fire Chief Selection

The Assessment Services Department would like to bring your attention to a new assessment tool developed in partnership between ICMA and IPMA-HR for the purpose of selecting police and fire chiefs. Read on for more information.

Police and fire chiefs are two of the most visible members of a manager’s executive team. Selecting the right individuals for the job is critical to providing the leadership necessary to make your community a safer and better place to live. Hiring the wrong people can damage staff morale and public trust and negatively impact your government’s agenda and your career. Ensure a successful selection by using an advanced process designed to maximize a positive outcome.

Chief Selection Advantage: A Data-Driven Selection Process

Chief Selection Advantage is a research-based assessment tool that you help your jurisdiction choose the right candidate for your next police or fire chief. This authoritative and data-driven process was designed in partnership by the experts at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR).

We don’t screen resumes. And we don’t make the selection for you. Instead, Chief Selection Advantage empowers managers, HR directors, and city council members with critical information needed to choose the most qualified candidate.

Using the ICMA/IPMA-HR Chief Selection Advantage will help your city or county:

Recruit your next police or fire chief by proving you with research-based assessment tools and a framework for the selection process
Identify the characteristics of a successful chief by pre-screening candidates against established core competencies
Determine whether candidates are capable of handling the unique issues facing your community.
Incorporate the buy-in of employees, elected officials, and citizens.
Streamline the selection process, saving you time and resources.
Allow your HR staff to successfully conduct chief recruitments in-house, giving you greater control over the process and keeping recruitment costs down.
Gain information to build an effective partnership between you and your new chief.

Don’t make a mistake in hiring your next police or fire chief. Visit ICMA for more information.

By Assessment Services Staff|2012-12-03T18:56:19-04:00October 24th, 2012|Announcements|Comments Off