Fire Department Safety Officers Association-Strategic Plan

FIRE DEPARTMENT SAFETY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2022 - 2024

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM Philip Goglas Eastern Director Michael Johnson Eastern Director Doug Kelley Corporate Director, FAMA Richard “Rich” Maddox Past Chair Rich Marinucci Executive Director Trevor Shea International Director Terry Stewart Vice Chair Eric Valliere Chair

CONTENTS Message from the Chair

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Mission/Vision

5

Who we Are, Certifications & Classes

6

Organizational Review

7

Planning Approach

8-9

Lance Vinson Western Director

Internal SWOC Analysis

10-11

Scott Yurczyk Western Director

External SWOC Analysis

12-13

Focus Areas

14-15

Goals & Objectives

16-25

EXTERNAL STRATEGIC PARTNERS Rick Best Consultant, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Dave Dodson Response Solutions LLC; NFPA 1500 Technical Committee Member

Plan Implementation

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Bryan Frieders Chief Executive Officer, Firefighters Cancer Support Network Todd LeDuc Board of Directors, IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section

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LETTER FROM BOARD CHAIR ERIC VALLIERE The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) has been delivering cutting edge safety programs to firefighters and emergency responders for over 30 years. We have had, and continue to have, strong relationships and bonds with our membership and partner organizations such as the National Fallen Firefighters Association, Everyone Goes Home, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association and the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission, as well as amazing relationships with our vendors and corporate sponsors. We all share the passion for keeping our Firefighters and First Responders safe.

FIRE DEPARTMENT SAFETY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

MISSION Champion, influence and promote safety, health and wellness practices and standards for all emergency responders through education, certification, networking and strategic partnerships.

The FDSOA has historically managed its initiatives with action planning documents developed during our yearly Board of Directors planning meetings. These documents would set the actionable course for the year, ultimately driven by our mission. Although we have seen success with this process, as your Chairman I wanted more, and the Board agreed. Unanimously, the current leadership felt we must set a more robust course of action to build a more sustainable organization and make a bigger impact on our first responders’ safety. Hence, a strategic plan was developed with more powerful mission and vision statements that will steer this organization into the future.

Our strategic plan has been built on the 5 pillars: Membership, Leadership, Partnerships, Programs and Sustainability. These foundational pillars, driven by our revised mission and vision statements, will set the organization on a course for future success, growth and relevance. We must focus our energy on engaging our membership, outreach opportunities and more focused and innovative training opportunities that will increase the skill sets of members to better serve their organizations with a keen eye on keeping their people safe.

Although the global pandemic has challenged us to deliver in-person training and limited our ability to meet at conferences, this leadership team has taken this down time to begin researching and developing plans for the future to include new offerings of programs and some online training opportunities.

I would like to offer a very special “thank you” to our FDSOA staff, partners and Board that put so much time and focused energy into developing this powerful document. It is also very important to mention how thankful we, as a board, are to our membership and friends that make this organization so great to be a part of.

VISION Be THE first choice partner for emergency responders and their essential support services for premier safety, health and wellness education and programs.

As your Chairman, I am privileged to serve you and be a part of such an amazing group of leaders.

We welcome your feedback and pride ourselves in wanting a personal connection with all our members and partners. Please contact us at membership@fdsoa.org.

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Fire Department Safety Officers Association

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WHO WE ARE

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

The Fire Department Safety Officers Association was established in 1989 as a nonprofit Association, incorporated in Massachusetts. In 2013, the offices moved to Michigan.

Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue and emergency services community. The Association is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and has a small staff to handle the day to day operations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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CERTIFICATIONS & CLASSES

It is the Association dedicated to the issues that affect your critical role as Safety Officer in protecting and promoting the safety and health responsibilities you have to your department, your community and yourself. In fact, so critical is the role of the Safety Officer in every department in the country, that in a very short time in order to be a qualified Safety Officer, certification may be required. FDSOA works to help you achieve proficiency, promote the recognition of your skills and secure your future.

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Incident Safety Officer

Executive Director* *Under contract

MANAGEMENT TEAM - CONTRACTED

Office Manager

Financial Officer

Health & Safety Officer

Marketing

Certification Clerk

MEMBERSHIP

Emergency Vehicle Technician

The Five Reads

Traffic Incident Management Technician

Fire Department Safety Officers Association

The Fire Department Safety Officers Association has a strong presence in the United States and Canada and there are member fire departments, districts and organizations around the world, including Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates.

Eastern Region Western Region Canada & Int’l

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PLANNING APPROACH

SYSTEMS APPROACH

Strategic planning is a systematic, formal process that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources to ensure that all organizational members are working toward common goals. It establishes agreement around intended outcomes and assesses and adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment and fire service safety needs.

Fire Department Safety Officers Association has chosen to take a systems approach with the end in mind when developing its strategic plan. This systems approach incorporates strategic thinking, leading and leadership development, people, technology, processes, change management, effective communication, inclusion and transparency, internal and external stakeholder input and organization culture.

WHEN DONE EFFECTIVELY, STRATEGIC PLANNING:

Feedback loops are incorporated to promote continuous improvement and learning.

A periodic cycle (annually) is established to refresh the system. This approach can be demonstrated using the Lead-Think-Plan-Act (LTPA) rubric.1

•

Provides direction for where the Association is going and how it will get there.

•

Identifies the Association’s potential through identification of its strengths and weaknesses.

•

Facilitates a process that results in the best allocation of resources that provides the most benefit for Association members.

•

Ensures accountability to members and is based on credible data.

•

Provides an opportunity to question the status quo.

•

Provides direction and prioritization for annual budget development and short-range operational plans.

•

Creates a participatory process in which all Association leaders take on shared ownership of the plan.

•

Develops a coherent and defensible basis for decision making. Builds a shared vision for the Association that is mission and values based.

Lead

The strategic plan should be simple and straightforward.

•

The strategic plan should be based on open and honest dialog.

Analyze, understand and forecast the Association’s current and future internal and external environment.

Enable the leadership team to develop and execute an efficient strategic plan.

LTPA

Facilitated by the strategic plan consultant, the FDSOA Board of Directors met virtually a total of seven times during the period of January to July 2021, to discuss and develop the strategic plan.

The Board of Directors identified five principles that would guide development of the plan: •

Think

Act Implement and execute the plan. Reprioritize or adapt as necessary. Measure and report on a regular basis.

Plan Determine and clearly articulate the organization's strategy that includes exploring and analyzing options.

• The strategic plan will be able to pivot as necessary to react to health/wellness/safety issues as they emerge during the effective time period of the plan.

• The strategic plan must have an effective system for implementation and performance measurement.

The LTPA approach model:

• • • •

• There will be an accountability process in place for those responsible for the completion of the goals in the plan.

Promotes a strategic culture that results in continuous improvement Reinforces the Association’s mission Promotes communication throughout the organization Integrates risk management throughout the process

The virtual meetings included identification of strategic issues through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) analysis process; the development of foundational focus areas and the subsequent creation of goals and objectives.

The Board also took the strategic planning opportunity to redevelop FDSOA’s Mission and Vision statements. (p. 5).

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Fire Department Safety Officers Association

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Guide to the Strategic Planning and Strategic Management Body of Knowledge, Second Edition. Association of Strategic Planning. 2015.

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INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER SWOC ANALYSIS

S

Strengths • Good reputation

• Substantial goodwill and “credibility equity” • Broad spectrum of experience • Geographically diverse – membership is nationwide and includes Canada • Proven record of products delivered and engagement in the safety arena

W

Weaknesses

• Strategic direction previously set in annual intervals • Target audience not clearly defined • Limited product line and limited “stock on shelf” • Limited continuing education programs

• Strong customer base

• No current succession planning for Board or Operations Management Staff

• Diversity, passion and strong skill sets at the Board level

• No Continuity of Operations Plan for Association management

• Willingness and ability to solve big problems

• Missing opportunities to maximize data technology

• Valued pricing of training

• Limited ability to address emerging issues in a timely manner

• EVT program design and development

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Fire Department Safety Officers Association

As part of the plan development process, the Strategic Plan Team conducted a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) analysis. A SWOC analysis offers the opportunity for an organization to holistically and realistically appraise its current status and provides a mechanism for identifying strategic focus areas from which goals and objectives can be developed.

O

Opportunities

• Enhancing current partnerships and establishing new mutually beneficial partnerships • Increasing member benefits and memberships • Leveraging virtual/online opportunities • Expanding the target audience beyond safety officers to all ranks of the fire service • Recognizing and meeting unanticipated demands such as COVID-19 • Increasing the ability to utilize members’ input and participation

C

Challenges • Sustainability

• Ability to address members’ specific needs in their organization • Securing adequate resources to leverage opportunities • Competition for corporate sponsors • Future of revenues based on economic fluctuations • Retaining current members • Maintaining a high profile in the fire service

• Expansion of health/safety/wellness certification programs, training and information resources • Expansion of the EVT program

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Fire Department Safety Officers Association invited strategic partners (listed in Acknowledgments on page 2) to provide input during the strategic planning process. The partners completed a SWOC analysis from their unique perspectives. The external partners’ SWOC analysis along with their general observations were reviewed and incorporated into the development of focus areas and subsequent goals and objectives.

S

Strengths

W

Weaknesses

EXTERNAL PARTNERS SWOC ANALYSIS

O

Opportunities

• Quality of instructors – clearly subject matter experts

• Lack of succession plan – building the bench

• Additional public/private partnerships and leveraging current ones

• Strong courses and workshops

• Lack of virtual opportunities

• Strong and steady leadership

• Lack of continuing education program

• Expanding FDSOA’s target market beyond safety officers

• Current partnerships

• Not maximizing existing partnerships or creating new ones

• Good reputation • Strategically driven • Well-defined “lane” • Good “laser” focus

• Programs are undermarketed • Not maximizing social media communications • Not enough resources to keep up with growing needs/opportunities • Not focused enough on the health/ wellness aspect • Lack of awareness of new needs of the fire service • Too narrow of a “lane” of program offerings

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Fire Department Safety Officers Association

• More joint efforts at conferences/trade shows • Increase in all categories of memberships

C

Challenges

• Sustaining current memberships • Not filling growing needs – someone else will fill • Economy • Potential of losing partnerships and influence

• Expansion of course offerings

• Lack of presence and marketing program could cause customers to seek products/services elsewhere

• Online course delivery

• Overall sustainability

• Possible advisory board creation

• Fire apparatus/equipment sponsorship may be in jeopardy

• Comprehensive social media program • Structured PR/visibility program

• Becoming irrelevant

• Shortened courses for other fire service ranks/specific programs • More emphasis on Health/Wellness

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FOCUS AREAS

When developing Focus Areas, the Strategic Planning Team took into consideration external stakeholder input; results from the SWOC analysis process; discussions at team meetings and its commitment to the organization’s Mission and Vision. Each Focus Area is a pillar that supports Fire Department Safety Officers Association’s Mission and Vision.

Membership

Mission & VISION Vision MISSION &

M E M B E R S H I P

L E A D E R S H I P

P A R T N E R S H I P S

P R O G R A M S

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

Following the development of the five Focus Areas, the team developed goals and objectives for each of the areas. Goals and objectives are described in the following way:

Leadership

Partnerships

Programs

Sustainability

Members are the lifeblood of FDSOA. It is vital to ensure that we are meeting our members’ expectations.

Maintaining talented, committed and consistent leadership that possess a high level of passion for fire and emergency service personnel health and safety is a priority for FDSOA.

FDSOA recognizes that future success relies heavily on public and private partnerships to accomplish its mission.

Programs are the core deliverable of FDSOA. Continuing to provide high-quality programs and identifying new programs that meet health, wellness and safety fire and emergency service needs is critical to achieving its mission.

Supplemented by the other four focus areas, having plans in place that clearly articulate how FDSOA will remain sustainable are essential to achieving this critical focus area.

Goal – A goal addresses a focus area and significantly contributes to the Association’s mission. It is an outcome statement that describes a desired result and is typically broad and long term.

Objective – An objective is more detailed than a goal and is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). Each objective has an action plan developed by the objective leader that outlines in detail how the objective will be achieved. For the sake of keeping this document concise, action plans are not included.

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GOALS & OBJECTIVES

The strength of the team is each individual member.

The strength of each member is the team.

Focus Area 1 | Membership

—Phil Jackson

Goal 1A - Maintain current individual, department and corporate memberships.

Objective

Leader

Timeline

1A.1 Survey members to determine their expectations.

Executive Director

1st quarter 2022

1A.2 Analyze survey results and prioritize expectations.

Executive Director

2nd quarter 2022

1A.3 Develop and deliver adjusted membership benefits package.

Executive Director

3rd quarter 2022

1A.4 Develop and analyze exit survey data.

Executive Director

1st quarter 2022

1A.5 D evelop and implement personalized message urging for renewal.

Executive Director

1st quarter 2022

Leader

Timeline

Executive Director

1st quarter 2023

Goal 1B - I ncrease individual and department membership by five percent each year based on the current fiscal year baseline.

Objective 1B.1 Implement applicable section of marketing plan.

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GOALS & OBJECTIVES Focus Area 2 | Leadership

Focus Area 2 | Leadership Goal 2C - D evelop a continuity of operations plan (COOP).

Goal 2A - Refine roles and responsibilities of the Board.

Objective 2A.1 Finalize changes and additions to roles and responsibilities.

2A.2 C ommunicate the new version of roles and responsibilities to all board members.

Leader

Timeline

Board Chair

1st quarter 2022

Board Chair

1st quarter 2022

Objective

Leader

Timeline

2C.1 Define the scope of COOP.

Executive Director

4th quarter 2022

2C.2 Develop a section for daily operations.

Executive Director

2nd quarter 2023

2C.3 Develop a section for the Board.

Executive Director

2nd quarter 2023

Leader

Timeline

Executive Director

2nd quarter 2022

Goal 2B - L everage the strength of the membership to help develop programs and market FDSOA. Objective 2B.1 Implement applicable section of marketing plan.

Leader

Timeline

Board Vice-Chair

3rd quarter 2022

Goal 2D - C reate an outreach system for input.

Objective 2D.1 Implement applicable section of marketing plan.

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GOALS & OBJECTIVES Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.

—Henry Ford

Focus Area 3 | Partnerships Goal 3A - Strengthen existing partnerships.

Objective

Leader

Timeline

3A.1 Analyze and evaluate current partnerships.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

3A.2 Based on results from the first objective, put into action elements to strengthen relationships.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

Leader

Timeline

3B.1 Identify and evaluate new opportunities.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

3B.2 Prioritize new opportunities for development of partnerships.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

Leader

Timeline

Executive Director

1st quarter 2024

Goal 3B - S eek out new partnerships.

Objective

Goal 3C - D efine different levels or tiers of partnerships.

Objective 3C.1 D etermine what is the level of expectation from partnerships.

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GOALS & OBJECTIVES Focus Area 4 | Programs

Focus Area 4 | Programs

Goal 4A - Increase availability of online delivery of current programs.

Goal 4C - Explore the development of new course and certificate programs.

Leader

Timeline

Leader

Timeline

4A.1 Develop online Incident Safety Officer (ISO) course.

Western Director

1st quarter 2022

4C.1 P erform needs assessments for discipline specific service classifications.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

4A.2 Beta test ISO online course.

Western Director

2nd quarter 2022

4C.2 Perform a needs assessment for an accident/injury review process course.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

4A.3 Begin marketing efforts for online ISO course.

Western Director

1st quarter 2022

4C.3 Develop programs based on outcome of objective 4C.2.

Board Chair & Exec. Director

1st quarter 2023

4A.4 Begin actual online course delivery.

Western Director

2nd quarter 2022

4A.5 I f ISO online course delivery is successful, evaluate potential for online Health Safety Officer (HSO) course delivery.

Western Director

4th quarter 2022

Leader

Timeline

Executive Director

End of 2022

Objective

Goal 4B - D evelop a continuing education (CE) program for ISO and potentially for HSO and Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) programs.

Leader

Timeline

4B.1 Develop and deliver an ISO CE program.

Mike/Scott

End of 2024*

4B.2 Evaluate need for HSO CE program.

Mike/Scott

3rd quarter 2022

4B.3 If HSO CE need is identified, develop and deliver HSO CE program.

Mike/Scott

1st quarter 2023

4B.4 Evaluate need for EVT CE.

Mike/Scott

2nd quarter 2022

Fire Department Safety Officers Association

Goal 4D - P ut in place evaluative tool to measure program effectiveness.

Objective 4D.1 D etermine and implement a measurement tool for each program.

Objective

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Objective

*Ongoing with development of 4A.1 - 4A.4

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GOALS & OBJECTIVES Focus Area 5 | Sustainability Goal 5A - B egin operating from the new business and marketing plans.

Objective

Leader

Timeline

5A.1 In a joint effort by the FDSOA executive director and Board of Directors, develop an implementation process for the business and marketing plans.

Executive Director

1st quarter 2022

5A.2 Initiate the implementation of the business and marketing plan.

Executive Director

1st quarter 2022

5A.3 Develop and implement a performance measurement system for the business and marketing plans.

Executive Director

2nd quarter 2022

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

—Theodore Roosevelt

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PLAN IMPLEMENTATION This strategic plan is the result of many hours of work by members of Fire Department Safety Officers Association. Key to the success of this effort is having an effective system in place to ensure the strategic plan is implemented and progress is measured. The FDSOA Board is responsible for the oversight of the Strategic Plan and will act as the leader for each of the five goals. The associated objectives have been assigned to staff who will work together as a team to balance resources as FDSOA moves forward with the plan. Progress will be reviewed by the Strategic Plan Team at quarterly meetings.

These meetings will cover each of the goals and provide a forum to recognize progress and determine if timelines for any objectives need to be adjusted.

Communicate the plan internally and externally.

Annual update of the plan.

Prioritize projects with required budget funds.

Hold quarterly progress meetings.

Align daily work with plan.

Measure and monitor progress.

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Champion, influence, and promote safety, health and wellness practices and standards for all emergency responders through education, certification, networking and strategic partnerships. fdsoa.org

Strategic planning process facilitated by

ironwoodstrategicsolutions.com