Jackson County Fire District 1
Three-Year Strategic Plan
2022
On behalf of Jackson County Fire District 1 (JCFD1), I am proud to present this Strategic Plan. This Fire District is poised for significant changes in the upcoming years. This plan will guide the Fire District through those changes. This Strategic Plan outlines both the strengths and weaknesses of our organization, as well as the challenges and opportunities that we anticipate facing in the next several years. This plan serves as a template of how we intend to focus our energy on growth and improvement.
JCFD1 is a combination paid/volunteer Fire District and an Ambulance Transporting Agency. The Fire District covers 77 square miles and the Ambulance Service Area covers 200 square miles, with a total population of 15,000. The Fire District includes 12 miles of Interstate 5 and 12 miles of the Rogue River. The river and the interstate bring a large uncounted population into the district daily that contribute substantially to the call volume.
JCFD1 ran 2734 alarms in the year 2021. That is a 34% increase in call volume from just five years ago. Three shifts alternate on a 48/96-hour rotation. Each shift has a Captain and three Firefighters, for a total of 12-line personnel. Minimum daily staffing is three Firefighters. The district operates on minimum staffing frequently to accommodate paid time off. Even though JCFD1 has seen a sharp increase in call volume, the minimum staffing level has remained the same for over twenty years.
Employee turnover is the biggest challenge currently facing JCFD1. Between 2019 and 2020 six line Firefighter/Paramedics equaling 50% of the line Firefighters, and the Fire Chief, left JCFD1 to accept employment at other agencies. The two biggest reasons cited by departing employees for leaving was pay and a dislike of being on an ambulance. For the first time, JCFD1 will be recruiting, testing, and hiring single role Paramedics to reduce the amount of time firefighters spend on the ambulance. Contract negotiations will begin in the Winter of 2022 and wages are expected to be a major topic.
The fire station was built in 1994 and is 27 years old. The fire station was paid off in 2014. The fire station is in good structural condition. The flooring is original carpeting that is in poor condition. The interior and exterior paint is also original and in poor condition. The parking lot was patched and sealed a few years ago and is in fair condition. Four out of six heat pumps have been replaced and one out of six furnaces have been replaced. The district sets aside money each year in the general fund to replace HVAC and other mechanical equipment as they fail. There is additional funding for building maintenance via a 10-year Capital Levy Fund approved by voters in 2014.
JCFD1 received a new Type one engine in 2020 and a new Type three engine in 2021. An additional Type one engine is 13 years old and in excellent condition. A Type six brush truck is twenty years old and in fair condition. Two water tenders are eighteen and twenty years old and in excellent condition. Three Advanced Life Support remounted ambulances are three, five, and eight years old and in good condition. Besides building maintenance, the Capital Levy that was passed in 2014 is earmarked for capital equipment replacement.
JCFD1 has very strong internal and external relationships. The community shows strong support of the district. Since 2000 the community has approved additional operational funding in a 50 cent/thousand Local Option Levy Fund. Since 2014 the community has approved additional capital funding in a 25 cent/thousand Capital Levy Fund. Relationships between the Board of Directors, Fire Chief, Union, Employees, and Volunteers are healthy and productive.
The district has strong and effective automatic and mutual-aid agreements with surrounding agencies. These agreements are exercised frequently on real alarms. The administrators of the fire departments, ambulance companies, and dispatch center meet monthly to discuss and strengthen these agreements.
The following goals, strategies, and timelines will guide JCFD1 through the next three years, ensuring that we stay on track. I would like to thank the Board of Directors and JCFD1 Employees for their efforts in developing this plan.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mike Hammond
Fire Chief
Jackson County Fire District 1
Strategic Plan 2022
Goals and Strategies
Personnel
Initiative
Maintain adequate staffing to ensure professionalism and excellence.
Goal
Recruit, hire, and retain the highest quality employees to serve the needs of the community.
Task 1 Increase wages to be competitive with comparable agencies.
Task 2 Hire one additional employee in Winter of 2022 and two more additional employees in Summer of 2022 to reduce burnout caused by our high call volume and overtime.
Task 3 Create the Single Role Paramedic position to reduce the amount of time firefighters must staff an ambulance.
Task 4 Implement the Lieutenant position. Test for the Lieutenant position in Fall of 2022.
Task 5 Increase minimum staffing from three to four to accommodate the increasing call volume.
Building
Initiative
Maintain modern facilities for the Fire District.
Goal
Improve and maintain the Fire District real property and equipment.
Task 1 Replace flooring in FY21-22.
Task 2 Paint the building interior in FY21-22
Task 3 Perform parking lot repairs, sealing, and striping in FY21-22.
Task 4 Paint the building exterior in FY22-23.
Task 5 Replace the main server in FY21-22.
Task 6 Replace the Springbrook server in FY22-23.
Task 7 Continue budgeting funds for HVAC and mechanicals replacement.
Operations
Initiative
Ensure efficiency of service delivery.
Goal
Provide modern equipment and stable funding to ensure effectiveness on alarm responses.
Task 1 Complete the Type Three engine upfit before fire season 2022.
Task 2 Purchase a rescue boat with donated funds in FY21-22.
Task 3 Remount one ambulance in FY22-23.
Task 4 Purchase a staff pick-up truck in FY22-23.
Task 5 Purchase a Type Six brush truck in FY-23-24.
Task 6 Renew the 10-year Capital Levy Fund in FY22-23 to begin in FY24-25.
Task 7 Renew the 5-year Local Option Levy in FY24-25 to begin in FY26-27
Task 8 Renew the Ambulance Service Contract in 2024.
Strategic Relationships
Initiative
Use internal and external relationships to strengthen the Fire District.
Goal:
Create and strengthen relationships that foster a positive work environment, the adoption of new ideas, community support, and effective operations with surrounding agencies.
Task 1 Use media, social media, and our website to keep the community informed on current Fire District activities.
Task 2 Promote Firewise and grant funding opportunities to the community to increase fire safe properties.
Task 3 Promote training opportunities with surrounding agencies.
Task 4 Develop strategies to increase collaboration with surrounding agencies.
Task 4 Promote constant communication and transparency between the Fire Chief and Board of Directors.
Task 5 Promote constant communication and transparency between the Fire Chief, Union, and Staff.
Task 6 Contribute as much as possible to our mutual/automatic aid requests.
Task 7 Contribute as much as possible to deployment requests.
