1A, Lake Johanna Fire Budget, Capital Facilities Need Study

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Comprehensive Management Study of the Saint Paul Department of Fire and Safety Services Final Report Six individuals report to the fire chief including two uniformed assistant chiefs who are at-will employees_ The span of control is reasonable in the supervisory and mid-management ranks; however, there is an opportunity to reduce one layer of upper-level managemenL Primary responsibilities of the three shift deputy chiefs include scheduling leave for shift personnel, coordinating personnel assignments, and coordinating callbacks and overtime; these tasks can be accomplished by shift district chiefs. Micro-management is a problem especially at the higher levels of the department and chief officers are performing routine duties that can be completed by supervisors and non- uniform administrative staff The organization lacks sufficient depth within some of the important functions like health and safety and planning is also a problem. To improve the organization we recommend the following changes: For Administration: . Creating a new position of director/ executive services and consolidating the functions performed by the administrative manager and the budget/ finance manager; Combining payroll and other budget-related activities under a civilian manager; Eliminating the assistant chief / human services position and transferring the responsibilities to a civilian manager; Creating a new position of public information officer, who would report to the fire chief; with personnel-related HR functions transferred to a civilian manger; Creating a planning unit by merging the information services technician position and the Firehouse analyst position_ . . . . . For Operations: . Eliminating the classification of assistant chief or deputy chief such that there is only one rank separating the fire chief from district chiefs; Eliminating three shift deputy chief positions; Creating a special operations chief (district chief) position to coordinate hazmat and technical rescue; Merging the EMS division under operations; Placing the training division under the new technical services assistant chief, and; Creating a health and safety officer position and placing it within the EMS_ . . . . . T riData, a Division of System Planning Corporation 6 March 2007