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Permalink Reply by Katherine on October 23, 2009 at 11:37am

It sounds like they need to combine the fire and EMS with a chief that has EMT experience to run it all with captains over each shift.

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Permalink Reply by Chief622 on October 23, 2009 at 11:44am

We dont have shifts. We are a total volunteer District. We have the two Station with a Fire Chief, Asst. Chief, 2 Captains, and 3 Lts at each Station. Then EMS Oversees both Stations and they have a Chief, Asst Chief, 2 Captains, and 2 Lts. Its way too many officers and we shouldnt have EMS Seperate in my opinion. Also i believe we should go to a District Chief, a District Asst. Chief, a Captain at each Station to oversee Fire, a Captain at each to oversee EMS, 2 Lts at each station to oversee Fire and 2 Lts at each station to oversee EMS. We have roughly 60-70 FF/EMTS. We have 2 Squads, 3 Engines, 2 Rescues, 2 Tankers, 2 Brush Trucks between the two stations.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on October 23, 2009 at 5:59pm

As the newly appointed Federal Fire Tsar, here is my opinion. A fire dept., or district, should only have 1, again I say 1, fire chief. Although possibly being a little top heavy, if that dept wants a AC at every station, I wouldn't have a problem with that. A better course of action would be to have a Capt. oversee a station.
I'm not a fan of having too many company officers. 1 piece of equipement, 1 officer. I was looking at your dept web site and it looks like 1 station has chief, ac, 2 capt and 3 lt. for 3 pieces of apperatus.(not inc. ambulances) Way too many officers.
If your 'fire dept.' want to be in the EMS business, that's ok. Do you want to have dual role, FF/EMT, or single role people. You can do both. But your organization will be different. My organization chart for you.

1 Chief for all three stations
1 Deputy Chief
1 AC for supression
1 AC for EMS
Each station get 1 Capt.
Each apperatus get a Lt.

This assumes a Fire/Rescue Dept. You don't have to do that. But it looks like you have 6 'kids'(3 fire-3ems) with no clear parent running the show.
Just my opinion from 2000 miles away. How you reorganize is up to you.

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Permalink Reply by Chief622 on October 24, 2009 at 7:50am

Jay i love that setup but we cant get anyone all the way up to the board of trustees to put a District Chief in place with an Assistant. Then have a Station Supervisior (1 Capt.) at each of the two and a Lt for every truck. WE have two Fire Chiefs, Two Asst. Fire Chiefs and 1 EMS Chief and 1 EMS Asst. Chief. This is VERY top heavy! Its like we have three seperate entities working under one District. Not Trying to boast my Station but we want combined Fire/EMS. The other Station wants just Fire. We also want less "Admin" and make it simple. I'm 110% more than willing to give my Officer Bugles up in order to see our station go to this structure (and actually willing if we dont!). Check out my Depts Wedsite i work for and see that there structure is excellent for their size. www.holmesfiredistrict1.org

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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on October 24, 2009 at 8:37pm

The problem your going to have is, although you may be willing to give up a bugle or two, those "CHIEF's" aren't.
3 depts. here just recently signed a JPA to share command/admin/supervision. This wasn't brought about because it was a better thing to do. It was just a money thing. I remember reading a thesis paper while I was in HS( too many years ago) that researched these very same depts consolidating. It always boils down to local control and good men not wanting to give up that title.

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