A strategic plan would create a blueprint for future programs and provide a framework for evaluation of services and cost effectiveness.
The plan would address all areas of the department, including Emergency Medical Services, technical rescue, hazardous materials, wildland emergency response services, emergency preparedness, emergency operations center functions and administrative support services.
A plan is especially important in light of the current tough economic times when “resources are very limited,” Scoggins said. The department saw eight positions cut in last year’s budget process and had two more positions eliminated mid-year.
The funding will pay for consulting services to coordinate a public input process, Scoggins said. The department will also seek feedback from within other city departments.
“We want to hear from the community and what they would like to see in their fire department,” he said.
As part of the current budget process for next fiscal year, Scoggins presented a new plan for delivering emergency medical services that would pull two sworn officers from one ambulance per day and replace them with trained, non-sworn officers to go on less serious emergency calls.
The revised delivery model was projected to save an additional $800,000 a year.
While the City Council has yet to officially vote on the budget plan, the revised model appeared to gain traction, with Mayor Frank Quintero saying he didn’t think service was “going to suffer at all.”
Service demand has remained relatively constant for the period of July 2008 to April 2009 compared to a year earlier.
There was slight decrease of 3.6% in number of fire-related calls, from 1,386 to 1,336. Medical-related calls slid slightly 0.6% in same year-to-year period from 10,690 to 10,630, according to the Glendale Fire Department.
MELANIE HICKEN covers City Hall. She may be reached at (818) 637-3235.
