Master Plan, CRA/SOC
Town of Southington, CT
Long-Term Opportunities & Short-Term Recommendations ESCI has identified six major Long-Term Opportunities that should become part of the foundation for the future success of the Southington Fire Department. Within each of identified Long-Term Opportunities, ESCI has further identified multiple specific Short-Term Recommendations that could be implemented to capitalize on the Opportunity.
Opportunity #1: Agency Management & Organization Recommendation 1.1: It is imperative that the Southington Fire Department determine its current identity. This report detailed the difference between “combination” and “dual” fire departments. A combination fire department is one where career and volunteer firefighters are “combined” into a single system to provide fire and emergency response to the community. A “dual” fire department is one in which career firefighters are segregated from volunteer firefighters and there is little cooperation and integration between the two. Although Southington Fire Department’s administrative team supports the volunteers and is working to restore continuity within the department as a combination system, the fact that firefighters have developed individual perceptions over time regarding their role within the department makes this an issue that must be addressed. Within the Management Components section of this report, ESCI highlighted the importance of establishing a current mission statement, values statement, and organizational values. As part of this process, it is imperative for the Southington Fire Department to determine its current and future identity. As the fire department is a dynamic environment, the Southington Fire Department will need to regularly evaluate, potentially update, and then reaffirm its mission statement, vision statement, and organizational values. The exercise of evaluating, updating, and reaffirming is necessary to ensure that limited resources are appropriately deployed to satisfy the priorities of the department. It is imperative that all levels of the organization, from the newest firefighter to the town’s elected officials, understand the mission and priorities of the department so that decisions made at all levels possess the same focus and priorities. Recommendation 1.2: Once the Southington Fire Department establishes its identity, it must then brand itself. A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and marketed. Branding is particularly important if the Southington Fire Department continues to be staffed by both career and volunteer firefighters; this arrangement must be effectively communicated to the public and leveraged to recruit both new career and volunteer firefighters. The Southington Fire Department should consider developing a new marketing strategy.
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