Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Strategic Plan 2021-2026

CLAYTON COUNTYFIRE&EMERGENCYSERVICES 2021-2026STRATEGIC PLAN Facilitatedby

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Message from the Fire Chief

Introduction Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) provides an all-hazards approach in protecting the lives and property of the residents, businesses, and visitors of Clayton County, Georgia. CCFES is consistently working to achieve and/or maintain the highest level of professionalism and efficiency on behalf of those it serves, and thus, contracted with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) to facilitate a method to document the department’s path into the future via a “Community-Driven Strategic Plan.” The following strategic plan was written with a basis in the Commission on Fire Accreditation International’s (CFAI) fire and emergency service accreditation model and is intended to guide the organization within established parameters set forth by the authority having jurisdiction. The CPSE utilized the community-driven strategic planning process to go beyond just the development of a document. It challenged the department’s members to critically examine paradigms, values, philosophies, beliefs, and desires, and challenged individuals to work in the best interest of the “team.” It further provided the department with an opportunity to develop the organization’s long-term direction and focus. Members of the organization’s community and department stakeholders’ groups demonstrated commitment to this important project and remain committed to the document’s completion and plan execution.

CLAYTON COUNTY FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN Table of Contents Organizational Background .............................................................................................................................................1 Organizational Structure...................................................................................................................................................2 Community-Driven Strategic Planning........................................................................................................................2 2016-2021 Strategic Plan Summary and List of Accomplishments ...................................................................4 Process and Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 10 Community Group Findings ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Community Priorities................................................................................................................................................. 11 Department Stakeholder Group Findings ............................................................................................................... 12 Mission.................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Values .................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Programs and Services.................................................................................................................................................... 14 SWOT Analysis.................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Critical Issues and Service Gaps ................................................................................................................................... 15 Strategic Initiatives........................................................................................................................................................... 15 Goals and Objectives ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Vision ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Performance Measurement........................................................................................................................................... 24 The Success of the Strategic Plan................................................................................................................................ 25 Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, and Initialisms......................................................................................................... 26 Appendix 1 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Community Expectations......................................................................................................................................... 28 Areas of Community Concern ................................................................................................................................ 30 Positive Community Feedback .............................................................................................................................. 32 Other Thoughts and Comments............................................................................................................................ 35 Appendix 2 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Strengths........................................................................................................................................................................ 37 Weaknesses ................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................................................... 39 Threats............................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix 3 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 41

Organizational Background Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services was first established in 1967. Previous to this development, six separate fire departments were providing varied responses to Clayton County, Georgia. By 1970, the department had grown to incorporate the Fire Prevention Bureau, five fire stations, and 61 firefighters who responded to more than 3,000 calls for service. The performance of the department’s men and women has earned accreditation by the fire service industry through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). In addition, the public protection services delivered by the department have been rated as “Class 1” by the insurance industry. Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services serves an approximate population of 300,000 residents, plus thousands more employed within the community. Growth and increase in population have and will provide specific risks for which Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services considers, prepares, and deploys its resources. Today, CCFES reflects on its history and remains committed to providing all-hazards emergency services and education to its community with honor, courage, and commitment. Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services continues to honor its community by providing quality services through its proactive focus on risks and deployment from 14 stations located strategically throughout the 122 square miles of coverage area. Staffed to support the community, CCFES embraces its future vision and excellence in service delivery. Page 1

Organizational Structure Community-Driven Strategic Planning For many successful organizations, the community’s voice drives their operations and charts the course for their future. A community-driven emergency service organization seeks to gather and utilize the needs and expectations of its community in the development and/or improvement of the services provided. A community-driven strategic planning process was used to develop this strategic plan to ensure that the community remains a focus of an organization’s direction. A strategic plan is a living management tool that provides short-term direction, builds a shared vision, documents goals and objectives, and optimizes the use of resources. Effective strategic planning benefits from a consistent and cohesively structured process employed across all levels of the organization. Planning is a continuous process, one with no clear beginning and no defined end. While plans can be developed regularly, it is the process of planning that is important, not the publication of the plan itself. Most importantly, strategic planning can be an opportunity to unify the management, employees, and stakeholders through a shared understanding of where the organization is going, how everyone involved can work to that common purpose, and how progression and success will be measured. Page 2

The Community–Driven Strategic Planning Process Outline 1. Define the programs provided to the community. 2. Establish the community’s service program priorities and expectations of the organization. 3. Identify any concerns the community may have about the organization and aspects of the organization that the community views positively. 4. Revisit the mission statement, giving careful attention to the services and programs currently provided, which logically can be provided in the future. 5. Revisit the values of the organization’s membership. 6. Identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization. 7. Identify areas of opportunity or potential threats to the organization. 8. Identify the organization’s critical issues and service gaps. 9. Determine strategic initiatives for organizational improvement. 10. Establish a realistic goal and objectives for each initiative. 11. Identify implementation tasks for the accomplishment of each objective. 12. Determine the vision of the future. 13. Develop organizational and community commitment to accomplishing the plan. Community Stakeholders Work Session Page 3

Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services 2016-2021 Strategic Plan Summary and List of Accomplishments The 2016 – 2021 Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Strategic Plan was built upon six strategic initiatives: Training, Workforce Planning, Physical Resources, Technology, Internal and External Communication, and Accreditation. The organization proudly highlights many accomplishments driven by this strategic plan. In 2020, fire and emergency services across the globe were shaken by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. For the last 18- months of this plan, managing response to COVID-19 vastly affected the agency’s ability to achieve training and professional growth goals and objectives due to quarantining, social distancing, and the inability to meet face-to- face. However, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services continued to provide the best and most efficient response to the beloved citizens of Clayton County. 2016-2021 STRATEGIC PLAN OVERALL COMPLETION PERCENTAGE COMPLETION %: 95 2016-2021 Strategic Plan 5% Strategic Plan Total 95% Not Complete To follow is a breakdown of the 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, showing percentages completed for every goal and objective. Additionally, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services highlights details of the major accomplishments for each goal. Page 4

GOAL 1: STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE TRAINING PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT COMPLETION %: 80 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 1A 99 20% Goal 1 Total 1B 35 97 80% Not Complete 1C 20 40 80 1D 1E 90 60 80 100 0 Completion Percentage A number of initiatives were undertaken to enhance Emergency Medical Services training. In 2018, the department’s paramedic training program was awarded initial accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The department collaborated with the Georgia Trauma Commission and the State Office of EMS and Trauma to host a trauma skills lab for emergency medical technicians and paramedics. A Continuous Quality Improvement Program was established to elevate the performance of pre-hospital providers. The arrival of the new Burn Building has presented enhanced opportunities for fire suppression training, such as multi-company live fire training and the National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) Live Fire Instructor course. Additional NPQ courses conducted by the Training Division include Fire Service Instructor, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Fire Apparatus Emergency Vehicle Operations. Page 5

GOAL 2: RETAIN STAFFING OF CERTIFIED EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMPETITIVE WAGES, ONGOING TRAINING, AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. COMPLETION %: 100 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 2A 100 2B 0% Goal 2 Total 100 100% Not Complete 0 20 40 60 80 100 Completion Percentage With the support of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services personnel have been provided with multiple avenues for competitive wages. During FYE’20, all personnel received an across-the-board pay raise, and starting salaries for new employees increased. In 2017, an educational incentive initiative was implemented that awarded additional pay increases for associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. The department’s Training Division has facilitated educational opportunities for career advancement through the National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) Fire Officer I, II, II, and IV courses; over 176 employees have participated in these courses since 2018. Page 6

GOAL 3: DEVELOP, CONSTRUCT, AND MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES AND FLEET. COMPLETION %: 94 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 3A 90 6% Goal 3 Total 3B 95 98 94% Not Complete 3C 90 95 85 Completion Percentage 100 On May 21, 2020, the department held the Grand Opening for its new multi-purpose Burn Building. The 73ft x 40ft building offers the capability for live fire training and training with theatrical-grade simulation smoke. Heat monitor systems are incorporated into the building to ensure safety during training. The building has a four-story tower that can be used to train on technical skills such as high-angle rope rescue. The department’s fleet has been revamped through the purchase of nine new Pierce Enforcer engines, one Pierce Mini-Pumper, and four Ford F-550 ambulances. In addition, a brand new 40ft x 14ft Mobile Health Clinic was added to the fleet. Page 7

GOAL 4: ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST DAILY OPERATIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT. COMPLETION %: 98 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 4A 95 100 2% Goal 4 Total 4B 94 96 98 100 Not Complete 4C Completion Percentage 100 98% 92 The technological capabilities of the department have been enhanced through hardware and software acquisitions. All the department’s apparatus are outfitted with Mobile Data Terminals (MDT). The MDTs allow E911 Communications to transmit information directly to units, provide the units with a navigation feature, and offer an electronic map of fire hydrant locations. In addition, each apparatus is issued an iPad for writing reports. The Emergency Management Agency (EMA) now uses Crisis Track software. This software affords an enhanced capability to perform storm damage assessments, a key element for reports submitted by EMA to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Page 8

GOAL 5: ENHANCE UTILIZATION OF COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT; IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO BETTER INFORM THE COMMUNITY. COMPLETION %: 98 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 5A 95 2% Goal 5 Total 5B 99 Not Complete 5C 100 98% 92 94 96 98 100 Completion Percentage The department maintains an active and robust presence on multiple social media platforms to facilitate up-to-date and ongoing communication with the community. Additional interaction with the community has also been achieved through participation in town halls, HOA meetings, health fairs, career fairs, fire and life safety education at schools, and many other events. Internally, the Chief Resilience Officer/Director, Fire & Emergency Services, holds an annual State of the department meeting to keep personnel informed about developments within the organization. GOAL 6: PREPARE FOR, PURSUE, ACHIEVE, AND MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION. COMPLETION %: 100 Total Goal Completion Completion per Objective Percentage 6A 100 6B 0% Goal 6 Total 6C 100 100% Not Complete 0 100 20 40 60 80 100 Completion Percentage Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services achieved accreditation agency status from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International on July 27, 2017. This achievement makes Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services one of only 288 fire departments to hold this designation. Page 9

Process and Acknowledgements The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) acknowledges and thanks the community and department stakeholders for their participation and input into this community-driven strategic planning process. The CPSE also recognizes Fire Chief Landry D. Merkison and the team of professionals that participated for their leadership and commitment to this process. Development of this strategic plan took place in May 2021, beginning with meetings hosted by a representative from the CPSE for community members (as named in the following table). The department identified community stakeholders to ensure broad representation. The community stakeholders were comprised of some who reside or work within Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services’ coverage area and some who were recipients of CCFES’s service(s). Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Community Stakeholders • Beverly Borne • Gail Davenport • Susanne Henry • Chrisper Lutt • Colin Slay • Antwonette Boyer • Charlotte Dupre • Authur Hughes • Mapillar Dahn • Chalonda Smith • Rhonda Burnough • Lisa Echelberger • Mary Keith • Tyan Morrison • Tori Strawter-Tanks • Ricky Clark • Pam Ferguson • Tonya Logan • Kevin Osbey • Keisha Thorpe • Don Connor • Valerie Fuller • Cathy Loving • Kevin Roberts • Xavier Crockett • Kim Golden-Benner • Barbara Lumpkin • Kim Schofield Community Group Findings A key element of the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services organizational philosophy is having a high level of commitment to the community and recognizing the importance of community satisfaction. Thus, the department invited community representatives to provide feedback on services provided by the department. Respondents were asked to provide a prioritized perspective of the programs and services provided by the department. Additionally, input was gathered during the meeting that revolved around community expectations and concerns (prioritized) and positive and other comments about the organization. Specific findings of the community stakeholders are provided in the appendix of this document. The department stakeholders utilized the full feedback from the community stakeholders in understanding the current challenges encountered within the organization. Additionally, the community stakeholders’ feedback provided a process to ensure alignment with the work completed on the organizational mission, values, vision, and goals for improvement. Page 10

Community Priorities To best dedicate time, energy, and resources to services most desired by its community, the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services needs to understand what the customers consider to be their priorities. With that, the community stakeholders were asked to prioritize the programs offered by the department through a process of direct comparison. The results were as follows: Programs Ranking Score Emergency Medical Services 1 185 Technical Rescue 2 155 Fire Suppression 3 148 Hazardous Materials Mitigation 4 137 Tactical Medic 5 123 Emergency Management 6 116 Fire Prevention 7 100 Community Treatment Unit Program 8 94 Fire Investigation 9 89 Fire / EMS Pathway Program 10 78 Public Fire and Life Safety Education 11 73 Office of Resilience and Sustainability 12 62 See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the community findings including expectations, areas of concern, positive feedback, and other thoughts and comments. Community Stakeholders Work Session Page 11

Department Stakeholder Group Findings The department stakeholder work sessions were conducted over three days. These sessions served to discuss the organization’s approach to community-driven strategic planning, focusing on the department’s mission, values, core programs, and support services. Additionally, focus was given to the organization’s perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The work sessions involved participation by a stakeholder group representing a broad cross-section of the department, as named and pictured below. Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Stakeholders • David Armstrong • Rich Elliott • Wendy Marlow • Prinitis Pettway • Michael Singley • Steve Bookman • Alex Hill • Steven McAfee • Casey Merkison • Joanne Southerland • Antonio Boone • Janel Harris • Sean Moran • LaShawndra Roberts • Kathleen Thompson • Ja’Nae Breda • Lionell Hollis • Ryan Morrison • Anthony Russo • Wesley Woodard • Steven Day • Lars Kuhr Department Stakeholders Page 12

Mission The mission provides an internal aspect of the existence of an organization and, to a degree, an empowering consideration for all department members. The purpose of the mission is to answer the questions: • Who are we? • Why do we exist? • What do we do? • Why do we do it? • For whom? A workgroup met to revisit the existing mission and, after ensuring it answered the questions, the following mission statement was created, discussed, and accepted by the entire group: Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services is committed to providing innovative emergency response, mitigation, and education with compassion and professionalism to create a safe place to live, work, and play for the community we serve. Values Values embraced by all members of an organization are extremely important, as they recognize the features that make up the personality and culture of the organization. A workgroup met to revisit the existing values and proposed a revision that was discussed, enhanced further, and agreed upon by the entire group: Honor: To serve with integrity and professionalism. Courage: To be transparent and overcome adversity through training and compassion. Commitment: To provide excellence through accountability and collaboration. The mission and values are the foundation of this organization. Thus, every effort will be made to keep these current and meaningful so that they guide the individuals who make up the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services to accomplish the goals, objectives, and day-to-day tasks. Page 13

Programs and Services To ensure a deeper focus exists in determining issues and gaps within an organization, there must be a delineation between core programs and supporting services. Core programs are those core deliverables provided by the department. Supporting services are the internal and external programs and services that help the CCFES deliver its core programs. The importance of understanding the difference is that issues and gaps may exist in core programs or supporting services, and the department’s strategic approach may bring forth different considerations for improvement. Additionally, supporting services may be internal or external to the organization and requires understanding how the difference impacts their location within the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats if identified. Finally, it is important that the department stakeholders understand that many local, state, and national services support its delivery of the identified core programs. Through a facilitated brainstorming session, the department stakeholders agreed upon the core programs provided to the community and many of the supporting services that support the programs. This session provided the sought understanding of the differences and the important key elements of the delineation. Department Stakeholders Work Session SWOT Analysis Department stakeholders participated in this activity to record CCFES’s strengths and weaknesses and the possible opportunities and potential threats. An organization candidly identifies its positive and negative attributes through a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). The SWOT analysis also provides an opportunity for an organization to evaluate its operating environment for areas it can capitalize on and those that pose a danger. Information gathered through this analysis guides the larger issues and gaps that exist within the agency. The information gleaned will assist the agency in finding its broader critical issues and service gaps. Appendix 2 consists of the SWOT data and analysis collected by the department stakeholders. Page 14

Critical Issues and Service Gaps Following the department’s SWOT identification and review, two separate groups of department stakeholders met to identify themes as primary critical issues and service gaps (found in Appendix 3). The critical issues and services gaps identified by the stakeholders provide further guidance toward identifying the strategic initiatives, which will ultimately lend direction for the development of goals, objectives, critical tasks, and timelines. Department Stakeholders Work Session Strategic Initiatives Based upon all previously captured information and the determination of critical issues and service gaps, the following strategic initiatives were identified as the foundation for developing goals and objectives. Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Strategic Initiatives Staffing Fleet Professional Development Equipment/Technology Recruitment Health and Wellness Goals and Objectives To continuously achieve the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services mission, realistic goals and objectives with timelines for completion must be established. These will enhance strengths, address identified weaknesses, provide a clear direction, and address the community’s concerns. These should become a focus of the department’s efforts, as they will direct the organization to its desired future while reducing the obstacles and distractions along the way. Leadership-established workgroups should meet and manage progress toward accomplishing these goals and objectives and adjust timelines as needs and the environment change. Regular reports of progress and changes should be shared with the CCFES’s leadership. Page 15

STRATEGIC PLAN LEGEND Clayton County Board of Commisioners Strategic Pillars GROWTH MANAGEMENT 1 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY 2 COMMUNICATION & IMAGE 3 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY 4 QUALITY OF LIFE 5 GOVERNANCE 6 CPSE 21st Century White Paper Critical Issue A: RE-IDENTIFICATION Critical Issue B: CULTURE Critical Issue C: ROBUST USE OF DATA Critical Issue D: HEALTH AND WELLNESS Critical Issue E: PARTNERSHIPS Critical Issue F: SUSTAINABILITY Critical Issue G: TECHNOLOGY Critical Issue H: INCLUSIVENESS Page 16

Goal 1 Create a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive workforce to increase retention. BOC Pillar: 2 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 1A Assess and identify trends related to employee attrition/retention. Timeframe 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, OPS Critical Tasks  Compile collected data on attrition/retention. Funding  Analyze the data to identify trends. Estimate  Prepare a report of findings. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 1B Develop and implement a plan to improve retention based on identified trends. Timeframe 2 years - ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, OPS Critical Tasks  Research industry trends related to attrition/retention solutions. Funding  Develop and tier potential solutions for identified trends. Estimate  Select and implement an evidence-based plan. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 1C Continuously evaluate and revise the plan as needed. Timeframe 12 months- ongoing Assigned to: Chief of Staff, Chief Financial Officer, OPS Critical Tasks  Review and evaluate the plan for effectiveness. Funding  Revise the plan based on evaluation findings. Estimate  Implement revisions as needed. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 17

Goal 2 Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services’ ability to maintain an appropriate fleet status to meet the needs of the department and community. BOC Pillar: 6 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 2A Identify current fleet maintenance status and needs. Timeframe 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: Chief Financial Officer, Logistics Critical Tasks  Determine the condition and functionality of the current fleet. Funding  Identify resources for maintenance and repair of the fleet. Estimate  Research current industry trends to determine future fleet needs. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 2B Review current policies and response packages to determine opportunities to improve fleet Timeframe status. Critical Tasks 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: Operations, EMS, Logistics Funding  Review policies surrounding fleet maintenance to determine if they are current, effective, and Estimate enforced.  Review response packages directly related to fleet utilization to identify areas of concern.  Analyze unit utilization hours regarding ALS vs. BLS transport, critical care transfers, CTU/mobile health response, public relations events, fire response, service calls, special operation response, mutual and automatic aid requests, and out of service units Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 2C Develop, implement, and evaluate an action plan based on the findings from objective 2A Timeframe and 2B. Critical Tasks 6 months-ongoing Assigned to: Operations, EMS, Logistics Funding  Draft any policy changes in fleet maintenance and response packages identified through the Estimate review process.  Implement innovative solutions for fleet needs and response packages.  Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions.  Create and disseminate a report of findings. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 18

Goal 3 Create and implement a professional development process promoting advancement, establishing a foundation for individual career paths, to produce highly trained employees for a healthy and safe County. BOC Pillar: 5 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 3A Identify and create career track pathways and skillsets of professional development for all Timeframe personnel to promote succession planning. Critical 6 months - ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, Training Tasks  Identify pathways and skillsets for a career track within each division of the department. Funding  Collect the findings for all divisions and staff. Estimate  Create a professional development process guidebook that includes each division. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 3B Revamp the current education and training model to align with the career track Timeframe guidebook. Critical Tasks 6 months - ongoing Assigned to: Training Funding  Compare the guidebook against the current training courses and schedule to identify needs. Estimate  Develop or enhance courses to provide needed skill sets, knowledge, and abilities identified in the guidebook.  Ensure the training schedule aligns with the guidebook. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 3C Implement the professional development guidebook, review it annually, and revise it as Timeframe needed. Critical Tasks Annually Assigned to: CDIO, Training Funding  Implement a professional development process. Estimate  Introduce the professional development process and make it available to all personnel and staff.  Review and evaluate the professional development process on an annual basis.  Revise the professional development process based on evaluation findings.  Notify personnel of any revisions. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 19

Goal 4 Enhance Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services’ service delivery model by implementing the latest cutting-edge technology and equipment, resulting in a progressive workforce. BOC Pillar: 4 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 4A Establish a baseline of the organization’s current equipment and technology to identify Timeframe needs. Critical 12 months Assigned to: IT, EMS, Operations, Training Tasks  Determine the condition and functionality of current equipment and technology. Funding Estimate  Identify improvement opportunities in current equipment and technology.  Document improvement opportunities. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 4B Assess current industry equipment and technology trends and identify the best options for Timeframe a progressive workforce. Critical Tasks 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: IT, EMS, Operations, Training Funding  Compare equipment and technology trends from similar agencies. Estimate  Conduct research on current industry best options.  Schedule equipment and technology demonstrations to narrow down the options.  Document suitable options that meet the needs of the community and organization. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 4C Develop a timeline for the purchase of equipment and technology identified. Timeframe 24 months - ongoing Assigned to: IT, EMS, Operations, Training Critical Tasks  Present previous assessment findings to department leadership. Funding  Identify funding sources to augment the upgrade and replacement initiatives. Estimate  Develop a timeline for the procurement of designated initiatives. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 4D Implement the department’s new equipment and technology and perform an annual Timeframe appraisal on effectiveness. Critical Tasks 36 months - ongoing Assigned to: IT, EMS, Operations, Training Funding  Introduce and train personnel on new equipment and technology. Estimate  Implement new equipment and technology.  Evaluate the effectiveness of the equipment and technology.  Compile results from the appraisal to determine future modifications. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 20

Goal 5 Revise the recruitment process to better attract and identify highly motivated and qualified applicants for employment to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce. BOC Pillar: 3 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 5A Evaluate the existing recruitment process. Timeframe 6 months- Ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, OPS, IT Critical Tasks  Evaluate the overall recruitment process. Consumable Costs: Contract Services Costs: Funding  Create a needs list based on the findings. Estimate  Categorize the data into patterns and trends.  Prepare a report and revise as needed. Capital Costs: Personnel Costs: Objective 5B Develop, implement, and monitor necessary changes to the recruitment process as Timeframe determined by the evaluation. Critical Tasks 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, OPS, Training Funding  Brainstorm and develop recruitment strategies to identify changes to the current recruitment Estimate process while fostering alignment between the community and the department to create a culture of diversity and inclusion.  Implement necessary changes to the recruitment process.  Perform an annual appraisal on the effectiveness of the recruitment process and continue to monitor changes in community demographics and culture. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 21

Goal 6 Expand and modify employee Health and Wellness programs to promote an inclusive culture designed to maintain or improve overall well-being, proper diet and fitness, mental health, and individual healthcare management. BOC Pillar: 1 CPSE Critical Issue: Objective 6A Develop a diet and fitness program to enhance employee performance, reduce injury, and Timeframe improve quality of life. Critical Tasks 12 months-ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, EMS, Training Funding  Establish a committee for the development of a diet and fitness program. Estimate  Collect data from varying demographics within the department to determine the diet and fitness needs.  Develop evolving programs for personnel to follow to achieve fitness goals.  Create and disseminate dietary information. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 6B Expand and modify employee-centered programs to increase mental health awareness, and Timeframe provide stress management support for all department personnel. Critical Tasks 24 months-ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, EMS Funding  Enhance the employee support initiatives, The BOX, FOR-U, and PACT. Estimate  Research and develop additional needs for employee support.  Establish a process for Critical Incident Stress Debriefing.  Identify the health risks of consecutive hours worked, sleep disruption and deprivation, and the impacts on employee health. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 6C Create a robust and convenient option for healthcare services designed to serve as an Timeframe additional benefit to employees. Critical Tasks 12 months - ongoing Assigned to: EMS, OPS Funding  Health and Wellness Committee will research current industry best practices for health and Estimate wellness.  Chief Medical Officer and clinic staff will provide physicals during the onboarding process.  Chief Medical Officer and staff will provide annual physicals and screenings for employees. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Objective 6D Continuously evaluate employee satisfaction and identify improvements to the health and Timeframe wellness programs. Critical 12 months-ongoing Assigned to: CDIO, EMS, OPS Tasks  Conduct an evaluation on each program to track progress. Funding  Identify improvement opportunities and implement corrective measures as needed. Estimate  Review annually and revise as needed. Capital Costs: Consumable Costs: Personnel Costs: Contract Services Costs: Page 22

Vision On the final day of the process, the CPSE presented a strategic plan vision of “Vision is knowing who you are, where the organization will be in the future if the strategic plan is where you’re going, and what accomplished. This is not to override the department’s global vision but will guide your journey.” rather to confirm the futurity of the work that the department stakeholders Ken Blanchard designed. This vision is intended as a target of excellence to strive toward and provides a basis for its goals and objectives. Clayton County Fire & Emergency Service’s 2026 Vision is to be known as an innovative department striving for continuous improvement and recognized for its international accreditation designation. As a forward-thinking department, we will employ and operate modern technology, equipment, and fleet designed to effectively meet the future demands on our service delivery. In recognition of our greatest resource of human investment, we will make every effort to develop, support, mentor, and prepare our members to be the best they can be. Our concept is to achieve this through appropriate staffing models, comprehensive health and wellness measures, and applicable professional development. We envision a department that recruits and welcomes new inventive members with expertise and demonstrative values of honor, courage, and commitment. We will be an initiative-focused department that builds a collaborative compassionate environment while holding each other accountable for delivering our mission, living our values, and making this vision a reality. Page 23

Performance Measurement • If you don’t measure the results of your plan, you can’t tell success from failure. To assess and ensure that an organization delivers on the promises made in its strategic plan, its leaders must • If you can’t see success, you can’t reward it. determine performance measures for which they are fully accountable. As output measurement can be challenging, • If you can’t reward success, you’re probably the organization must focus on assessing progress toward rewarding failure. achieving improved output. Organizations must further be prepared to revisit and revise their goals, objectives, and • If you can’t see success, you can’t learn from it. performance measures to keep up with accomplishments and environmental changes. • If you can’t recognize failure, you can’t correct it. Performance measurement data will be implemented and • If you can demonstrate results, you can win integrated into the plan to establish that the department’s public support. strategic plan is achieving results. An integrated process, known as “Managing for Results,” will be utilized, which is Reinventing Government based upon: David Osborn and Ted Gaebler • The identification of strategic goals and objectives; • The determination of resources necessary to achieve them; • The analyzing and evaluation of performance data; and • The use of that data to drive continuous improvement in the organization. A “family of measures” typically utilized to indicate and measure performance includes: • Inputs - Value of resource used to produce an output. • Outputs – Quantifiable units produced which are activity-oriented and measurable. • Efficiency - Inputs used per output (or outputs per input). • Service Quality - The degree to which customers are satisfied with a program, or how accurately or timely a service is provided. • Outcome - Qualitative consequences associated with a program/service; i.e., the ultimate benefit to the customer. Focused on the “why” of providing a service. Page 24

The Success of the Strategic Plan The department has approached its desire to develop and implement a strategic plan by asking for and receiving input from the community and organization members during the development stage of the planning process. To develop this plan, the department used professional guidance to conduct a community-driven strategic planning process. The success of this strategic plan will not depend upon the implementation of the goals and related objectives but on support received from the authority having jurisdiction, the members of the organization, and the community-at-large. Provided the community-driven strategic planning process is kept dynamic and supported by effective leadership and active participation, it will be a considerable opportunity to unify department and community stakeholders. This can be accomplished through a jointly developed understanding of organizational direction, focusing on all vested parties working to achieve the mission, goals, and vision. Further consideration must be made on how the organization will measure and be accountable for its progress and successes. Page 25

Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, and Initialisms Accreditation A process by which an association or agency evaluates and recognizes a program of study or an institution as meeting certain predetermined standards or qualifications. It applies only to institutions or agencies and their programs of study or their services. Accreditation ensures a basic level of quality in the services received from an agency. AEMT Advanced Emergency Medical Technician ALS Advanced Life Support BLS Basic Life Support BOC Board of Commissioners CFAI Commission on Fire Accreditation International CPSE Center for Public Safety Excellence CTU Community Treatment Unit Customer(s) The person or group who establishes the requirement of a process and receives or uses the outputs of that process; or the person or entity directly served by the department or agency. CVT Clayton County Television 23 Efficiency A performance indication where inputs are measured per unit of output (or vice versa). EMA Emergency Management Agency EMS Emergency Medical Services Environment Circumstances and conditions that interact with and affect an organization. These can include economic, political, cultural, and physical conditions inside or outside the organization’s boundaries. FMO Fire Marshal’s Office FNP Family Nurse Practitioner Input A performance indication where the value of resources is used to produce an output. Mission An enduring statement of purpose; the organization’s reason for existence. Describes what the organization does, for whom it does it, and how it does it. MOU Memorandum of Understanding Outcome A performance indication where qualitative consequences are associated with a program/service, i.e., the ultimate benefit to the customer. Output A performance indication where a quality or number of units produced is identified. RTC Regional Training Center SOG Standard Operating Guideline SRMC Southern Regional Medical Center Stakeholder Any person, group, or organization that can place a claim on, or influence the organization’s resources or outputs, is affected by those outputs, or has an interest in or expectation of the organization. Page 26

Strategic Goal A broad target that defines how the agency will carry out its mission over a specific period. An aim. The final result of an action. Something to accomplish in assisting the agency in Strategic Objective moving forward. RFS A specific, measurable accomplishment required to realize the successful completion of a SPLOST strategic goal. Strategic Plan Riverdale Fire Services Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Strategic Planning A long-range planning document that defines the agency’s mission and broadly identifies how it will be accomplished, and that provides the framework for more detailed annual Strategy and operational plans. SWOT The continuous and systematic process whereby guiding members of an organization UASI make decisions about its future, develop procedures and operations to achieve that future, Vision and determine how success is measured. A description of how a strategic objective will be achieved. A possibility. A plan or methodology for achieving a goal. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Urban Area Security Initiative An idealized view of a desirable and potentially achievable future state - where or what an organization would like to be in the future. Page 27

Appendix 1 Community Expectations Understanding what the community expects of its fire service organization is critically important to developing a long-range perspective. With this knowledge, internal emphasis may need to be changed or bolstered to fulfill the community’s needs. Respondents were asked to list, in priority order, up to five subjects relative to their expectations for Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services. Responses were then analyzed for themes and weighted. The weighting of the prioritized responses was as follows: if it was the respondent’s first entry, it received five weighted points. Weighting gradually decreased so that if it was the respondent’s fifth entry, it received one weighted point. The weighted themes were sorted from the highest cumulative weight to the lowest cumulative weight and listed below. The numbers in the parentheses are the cumulative weighted value that correlated with the theme identified. While the themes are listed in prioritized, weighted order, all responses were important in the planning process. The following are the expectation responses of the community stakeholders: Community Expectations of the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (in priority order) 1. To arrive promptly to my location. Responsive. Timely fire and emergency service response. Arrive on scene within 5 minutes when possible. Timeliness. Rapid response times. Quick response. Prompt response times. Expeditious fire suppression and EMS response. Fast, reliable response to emergencies. Quick effective response to fire and other emergencies. Public safety response time. (57) 2. Be properly trained to deal with any situation they are faced with. Trained. Continue with fire and life safety education. Adequately trained staff in both fire and EMS. Continuous training. Firefighters are properly trained for disasters, terrorist threats and actions, and everyday fires. Training so that everyone is aware of what to do when. Joint education endeavors with community partners. Highly trained fire and EMS staff. Make sure our firefighters and EMTs are trained. Continued education. Continued high level of training on the fire/EMS side. (41) 3. Public education. Customer service in an effort to have a recovery plan that helps educate the community on abuse of the EMS services. Community outreach - education. Safety outreach/training for the community. Community training academies. Teaching and outreach to the community. Educate stakeholders on all services provided. Community engagement to educate community on public health. Provide citizens with safety information. Provide education to the community on fire safety. (31) 4. Professionalism. Professionalism at all times. Professional. Be professional. Professionalism. (18) 5. To handle my situation in the manner they would want their family to be handled. Relatable. Service. How to handle situations better. Available to serve the community. (17) 6. Skilled personnel responding to calls for service. Respond to emergencies when called. Provide emergency services. (14) 7. Quality of care. High quality care. Effective process that supports public health. Continued driving force for life safety and standards of care. (14) Page 28

8. Medical services a top priority. Collaboration in providing medical services to the community. Enhance EMS. Provide effective EMS and transport. (13) 9. Community participation. Celebrate accomplishments together - shared gratitude. Be active in the community. Community engagement. Community visibility. Be present for community outreach. (12) 10.Transparent. Candidness, openness, transparency in a timely manner on all issues brought to the attention of Clayton County FES. Integrity and transparency. (11) 11.Continued growth and amicable collaboration with other county fire departments. Leverage combined resources to extend care into the community. Partnership in overlapping areas of mutual interest. Sustained progressive partnerships Clayton County Public Health with a focus on outcomes. (11) 12.State of the art equipment. Equipped personnel for fire medical calls. Life saving devices - techniques. (10) 13.Keep community safe through firefighting and EMS. Safety of the community. (10) 14.Open communication with healthcare partners. Strong community partner and communication with hospital serving county. (7) 15.Be open to new programs presented to CCFES to improve the department or community. Continue to stay at the forefront of innovation within the fire industry leading the department to be nationally recognized. (6) 16.Timely resolution to water drainage issues. Enforcement of codes pertaining to flood and water levels. (5) 17.Fire stations close to my neighborhoods. Adequate facilities and equipment so CCFES can quickly respond to emergencies. (5) 18.Make sure that buildings are inspected regularly and up to standard codes. (5) 19.Certification of individuals to assist neighborhoods on planning escapes during emergencies. (5) 20.Leadership to build morale, reduce attrition, build community confidence. Staff morale. (5) 21.Provide effective fire suppression services. (5) 22.Working/functional hydrants and equipment. (4) 23.Continue to interact with homeowners about our concerns and issues. (4) 24.Good tires on trucks and cars. (4) 25.Dual sessions with metro fire stations i.e., Riverdale, Morrow, Jonesboro, College Park. (4) 26.Honor trucks and cars when on the road. (3) 27.Innovate to decrease unnecessary utilization of resources. (3) 28.Seek diversification of funding to continue update all the stations in the county. (3) 29.Ensure competitive salaries. (3) 30.Reduced response times. (2) 31.Continue role improving health of county through disaster planning, training, education and investing in Clayton County youth. (2) 32.High survival rates. (2) 33.Search and rescue. (2) Page 29

34.Support for other government agencies. (2) 35.Lower insurance costs because of fire station location. The lowest possible fire insurance rates. (2) 36.Separate department for arson investigations. (2) 37.Shared data on fires, emergencies, etc. (2) 38.Diversity of employees. (1) 39.Financial stewardship. (1) Areas of Community Concern The planning process would be incomplete without an expression from the community stakeholders regarding concerns about the organization. Some areas of concern may be a weakness within the delivery system, while some weaknesses may also be misperceptions based upon a lack of information, understanding, or incorrect information. Respondents were asked to list, in priority order, up to five concerns they have about or for the department. Responses were then analyzed for themes and weighted. The weighting of the prioritized concerns was as follows: if it was the respondent’s first entry, it received five weighted points. Weighting gradually decreased so that if it was the respondent’s fifth entry, it received one weighted point. The weighted themes were sorted from the highest cumulative weight to the lowest cumulative weight and listed below. The numbers in the parentheses are the cumulative weighted value that correlated with the theme identified. While the themes are listed in prioritized, weighted order, all responses were important in the planning process. The following are the concerns of the community stakeholders prioritized and weighted accordingly: Areas of Community Concern about the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (verbatim, in priority order) 1. Communication and working with other Clayton County emergency units such as police. Coordinating agency resources. Collaboration with other county fire crews is an unknown. Communication during drought seasons w/CCWA and public. Alignment of efforts with competing agencies/organizations. Continue to work and partner with agencies. (24) 2. Them being short staffed. Sufficiently staffed. That we do not have enough firefighters. Do we have adequate personnel? Their ability to maintain adequate staffing, equipment, and facilities. (23) 3. Properly trained. Properly trained. Best training possible for EMS workers. Shared training and education opportunities not realized. Knowledge of different health issues that affect people that may not be well known. Ensuring we have all the resources to train the team. (17) 4. Retention (are salaries, OK?) Pay scale for our firefighters and staff. Proper benefits. Ensuring we are able to keep the highly trained individuals we currently have. (17) 5. Serving as the administrator of the flood water issues. Creeks maintained and grass cut back at creeks and on streets that protrude into the roadways. Continued working relationship on flood prone areas and stormwater management with CCWA. (11) Page 30

6. Flushing program, coordination with CCWA, and associated training on fire hydrants as to not negatively impact customers. Proper hydrant operations, training with Clayton County water - flushing. (10) 7. EMS staff discouraging or giving personal opinions e.g., which hospital patients should be transported to. Team directing patients to another facility stating SRMC is not where you want to go. (10) 8. Cost of equipment, personnel, and services. Lack of funding to do all the initiatives. (10) 9. Code enforcement is another entity that serves our community (they do a good job), there are houses on Bethsaida that need to be addressed. Inspections of building so there are no fire hazards. (8) 10.Availability of EMS units - response times. Addressing situation where EMS services are used for routine care. (8) 11.Firefighter safety (from hazardous materials used to put out fires). Safety. (8) 12.Mental health services for those in need. Mental health concerns on staff and community following unprecedented events. (8) 13.Internal promotions (diversity and inclusion). Equal engagement opportunities. (6) 14.Make sure resources are available to get the job done. Updated equipment. (6) 15.As a homeowner - numerous wild animals coming out of the woods. (6) 16.Would eliminate the FNP program and the high school FF/EMT program. (5) 17.Places where there are gray areas about who should answer the call. (5) 18.To know if each fire station has a clear understanding of area, they are responsible for. (5) 19.Having medical mobile unit with limited community engagement (understand Covid was an issue) need more visibility in the community. (5) 20.Address the health disparities of the population using the CTU units. (5) 21.Traffic. (4) 22.Are hydrants adequately marked so they can be located during an emergency. (4) 23.Open dialogue communications regarding strategic and tactical initiatives. (4) 24.Facility renovations and replacements. (4) 25.Not all EMS team members are aware of all services offered at SRMC. (4) 26.Medical director should have own division that supports the county as a whole. (4) 27.Environmental changes that contribute to hazards. (4) 28.Increase in overdose/overdose death from recreational drugs laced with Fentanyl. (4) 29.Do we have updated software? (3) 30.Shared revenues with police department, i.e., drug busts. (3) 31.Keeping CCFES on the cutting edge. (3) 32.That 911 operators are giving them the correct information. (3) 33. Recruitment of highly qualified personnel/candidates. (2) 34.Timeliness of flood plan issues. (2) Page 31

35.Inability to reach someone for questions on open fire burning in areas. (2) 36.More stations or mini offices within the community. (2) 37.We need early warning tornado alarm system for Clayton County similar to other counties. (1) 38.School involvement. (1) 39.Up to date equipment and funding. (1) Positive Community Feedback The CPSE promotes the belief that the community’s view on the organization’s strengths must be established for a strategic plan to be valid. Needless efforts are often put forth in over-developing areas that are already successful. However, proper utilization and promotion of the strengths may often help the organization overcome or offset some identified weaknesses. Positive Community Comments about the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (verbatim, in no particular order) • Open communication from the fire chief to the ER leadership. • Clayton County provides a great program, producing paramedics and EMTs with strong skills. • Always willing to help. They go above and beyond. • I have always gotten excellent response for both fire and medical emergencies. • I would love to see EMS paramedics on every truck. • I have two sons who are firefighters with different counties-you all are doing a great job. • Very supportive of community/neighborhood meetings. • Blood pressure checks. • Public education. • The fire department is community-focused. • Has a great rapport with internal departments. • Respected in the community. • Communication is excellent. • Provides internal training for other departments’ staff (COR, fire safety, etc.) • Clean facilities • Clean trucks and cars. • Being so willing to try new programs. • Out-of-the-box thinking. • Excellent working relationships with the community and community agencies. • Every time we have asked them to collaborate on a project, chief says yes. • The CCFD is a pleasure to work with. • They appear (so far) when they are called upon. Page 32

• Several times I have called the fire and emergency and they have responded. • They show that they are concerned and care. • The fire and emergency services have participated in our outdoor community events. • Educational information has been shared at community meetings. • Group meeting have been held at residents’ homes. • Timely response to fires in our neighborhood. • I have noticed that when emergency vehicles are going to a call, it is with caution and care. • Their response time. • They have a lot of events and include the community they serve. • Great at seeking community involvement. • Consistently trains, develops, and ensures their employees are trained and certified. • Visible in the community (at events, etc.) • Partner with community and other governmental agencies to ensure community success. • Friendly-community oriented. • Identifies hydrant issues and reports them. • Most are willing to listen and learn about hydrants. • Top-notch equipment. • Profession • Visible. • Dependable. • Citizen-friendly. • Partners. • Leadership is exceptional!! • Incredible facilities, including the training academy. • Good reputation throughout the metro, state, and nation. • Chief Landry is always speaking positively regarding his team, staff, county hospital (community) and is an eloquent speaker supportive. • Use of SPLOST funding is optimized by this department. • Creative ideas (i.e., grants for trucks, NP’s); ability to be proactive seeking grants. • Always have representatives at all county meetings/board of commissioners-i.e., engaged leadership. • Great leadership response. • Community partner-exhibit collaborative efforts with other county agencies. • Willingness to work towards flood mitigation; efforts to address flooding issues throughout the county. • Training and effectiveness. • COVID testing and training. Page 33

• Working in the communities. • Car 18-liasion that has been an incredible resource and active partner in day-to-day operations. • CC EMS leadership-visible, reachable, involved-thank you Chief Merkison and Dr. Reddy. • Ability to partner for good of the community COVID-19 vaccine rollout. • Strong community advocate. • Ongoing growth and advancement of the EMS agenda. • EMS and the fire department always respond to the community. • Assistance with COVID-19 testing and vaccines-excellent. • Having a medical director and mobile medical unit. • Training program in high school. • Use of resources in the community and collaboration. • Highly trained/educated staff. Positive and incredible relationship with the chiefs, PIO, etc.…and leadership at SRMC. • Can always count on CCFEMS to be there, be present at every stage of joint initiatives. • Incredible support of the hospital growth and goals. • Strong community engagement. • Professional leadership and employees. • Chief Merkison !!! • Forward-thinking • Lot of outreaches in the community • Utilizing all resources for the community as a whole. • Good training programs for all firefighters. • Good leadership. • Very engaged in the community. • Strong social media presence. • Opportunities for high school students to graduate with a career. • Great leadership. • Open to strategic partnership with local organizations. • The leadership is forward-thinking as the department embraces technology and new ideas. • The department creates opportunities for success in our high school through its criminal justice pathways. • Department is very visible at community events. • They are always prepared. • We have additional personnel with our nurses. • They are professional. • Great inter-agency communications and partnerships. Page 34

• CCFES has a great leadership team in place, which is a receipt for progression, innovation, and creativity. • Community programs-the fire department participates in community programs, I see the fire and EMS in the schools. • I have participated in the police and FD citizenship program, and it provided more appreciation. • The fire department and EMS are friendly and approachable. When I contacted them, I get the information I need and always learn more. • They are a visible presence in the community. • They have multiple individuals that are responsible to partner with the agency’s needs. It has been a breath of fresh air. • They have been willing to provide training experts to partner on a variety of topics. Other Thoughts and Comments The community was asked to share any other comments they had about the department or its services. The following written comments were received: Other Community Comments about Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (verbatim, in no particular order) • CCWA would like to build a closer partnership with CCFD. • CCWA has been working to develop a simple quick-flush guide to help. Rough draft provided. • Overall, I think CCFES is one of the best fire services in the nation-I brag about a lot, especially when someone is degrading Clayton County. • The Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services has been very engaged in the community. • I would like to see the first responders’ class for citizens continue. • Any youth programs would be appreciated. • Chief Merkison’s leadership has been visionary, positive, and resulted in some of the most innovative and creative programs I have seen. I hope CCFD never loses that attitude. • Drivers do not honor emergency services • One occasion when I was not sure about carbon smell-guys answering the call did not have the proper equipment to test to see if there was a problem-we determined it was not an emergency because of the age of the monitor. • Would like an org chart of ALL fire/EMS venues for Clayton County with names and numbers of leaders sent via email to this team today, so we are more in the know of who’s who with leadership, number of firefighters and EMS. • My issue is the creek around my home and the potential flooding and damage to my home, the fire and emergency services have had to come out several times. • This session is a very positive step, involving the community’s participation and awareness. Page 35

• These guys given the pay scale and equipment are working handicapped…yet doing a yeoman’s job. Thank you. • Thank you for asking for our participation. • Plan and partner with Probate County and the Sheriff’s department to get evaluations for those that are found to be a danger to themselves or others due to mental illness. • Have worked in partnership with many fire/EMS organizations in many states. The relationship between CCFEMS and SRMC is one of the strongest partnerships I have encountered. • I believe that fire/EMS has a great strategic vision in which many stakeholders can learn from. The visual to have a full-time medical director was innovative. I think taking this vision of this position to a county-wide level is needed, especially since COVID. • Looking forward to partnering with this organization to educate about health issues that predominantly impact the communities of color but get very little funding and awareness. • Community fire safety initiatives/ utilize local HOA’s and other community groups. • Rental assistance program for the community. • Summer citizenship program for youth aged 10 help them to understand what our community needs today and what they can do to stay fire safe. Page 36

Appendix 2 Strengths It is important for any organization to identify its strengths to ensure that it can provide the services requested by the community and that strengths are consistent with the issues facing the organization. Often, identifying organizational strengths leads to channeling efforts toward primary community needs that match those strengths. Programs that do not match organizational strengths or the organization’s primary function should be seriously reviewed to evaluate the rate of return on staff time and allocated funds. Through a consensus process, the department stakeholders identified the department’s strengths as follows: Strengths of the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Diversity and inclusion-race, gender, religion, age Competitive pay, incentives, good benefits EOC-EMA integrated within the department Fleet replacement and age of apparatus Updated infrastructure-equipment, software, hardware, etc. Medical director on staff, protocols, etc. Support from external resources-BOC, businesses, hospitals Social media presence Career path opportunities-paramedic, CTU, FMO, Officer I, Strong public perception, high confidence, II, III community donations Employee health initiatives-cancer, mobile health unit, Response packages-geographic packages, personnel prescriptive authority on-scene Progressive new leadership, visionary reorganization Chaplain (granola bars, accessibility, availability) Command staff stability, continuous leadership Television presence, interviews, public access The amount of community interactions and event The department’s degree program articulation participation the department conducts producing positive agreement with Columbia Southern, Southern community relations Crescent Community youth outreach-explorer, pathways Certified in-house repair center for SCBA In-house small engine repair UASI representation to federal grants Defined benefit pension/state pension/457 Elite/highly trained personnel Supported by BOC-other departments Communication-internal and external Training resources, inhouse training and outside training, Salary stability, no furlough days, merit raise, COLA training facilities, and burn building increase No LODD The BOX program for individual peer support Training building The department burn building Internal information technology The department’s internal CQI process Employee recognition Pride/ownership of stations and vehicles Strong FTOs Professional image Great administrative staff Educational incentive - Masters would be great, too Relocation incentive for housing Representation on state/federal committees Page 37

Weaknesses For any organization to either begin or continue to move progressively forward, it must identify its strengths and those areas where it functions poorly or not at all. These areas of needed enhancements are not the same as threats but rather those day-to-day issues and concerns that may slow or inhibit progress. The department stakeholders identified the following items as weaknesses: Weaknesses of the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Operational conditions and use producing Lack of internal program focused on unregimented preventative maintenance at stations maintenance/repair of engines and ambulances, and for equipment (Sat. clean up Mon-Fri) impacting turnaround time Lack of mission/ of CTU The need for more positions of AEMT/paramedic High turnover Insufficient reserve fleet Not enough personnel in operations Not enough personnel in communications Not enough office space Not enough training space Department cannot fill positions they currently have Lack of hazmat truck Lack of career development Lack of formal succession planning process. Lack of upgrades for hazmat and specialized The incomplete Lexipol updates to match department equipment codified SOG’s Medical protocols (ex. Pain medication, revise and Outdated website, info to the public and internal update to today personnel Lack of a second set of PPE for firefighters Lack of experience in operations Three different departments within operations, lack The dissemination and distribution of the of consistency department’s recruitment package information Lack of officer development Span of control is too stretched, need a third battalion Shift in values-based relationships, family Old stations do not support a diverse workforce atmosphere (female bathrooms and sleeping quarters) Personnel physical fitness/current evaluation Compression of salaries Lack of Lucas device Lack of bariatric transport New and upgraded stretchers Lack of employees (operational staff) Page 38

Opportunities The opportunities for an organization depend on identifying strengths and weaknesses and how they can be enhanced. The focus of opportunities is not solely on existing service but on expanding and developing new possibilities inside and beyond the traditional service area. The department stakeholders identified the following potential opportunities: Opportunities for the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Expand relationship with 10-8 to add additional mechanics Expand course offerings to generate revenue utilizing regional training center Expand service delivery to clinic/urgent care facility Integrate with RFS, add two stations, personnel to UASI funding for planning, organization, improve response times and level of service equipment, training, and exercises Expansion of pathways program to additional schools Grants (such as AFG) to assist with equipment The expansion of recruitment efforts of firefighters, Collaboration with mental health services for EMT’s, etc. via local schools and university internal employees and external clients Update 10-13 practice, procedure, transport Internship for field/operations The creation of a combination community and agency Partnering with local businesses and others that volunteer program to work events that could improve first could collaborate and enhance site-specific due reliability scenarios and exercises Creation of a process to relieve line personnel at hospitals Create a relationship with external university to that may reduce unit times out of service assist with college credit for employees Increase revenue streams (critical care transports, hazmat SPLOST funding for building and apparatus billing, film industry opportunities) Longevity pay (bonus for years of service) Expanding clinical opportunities (hospitals, doctors Restructuring of ALS and BLS response (BLS offices, morgues, clinics) ambulance, ALS supervisor) Page 39

Threats By recognizing possible threats, an organization can reduce the potential for loss. Fundamental to the success of any strategic plan is the understanding that threats are not completely and/or directly controlled by the organization. Some of the current and potential threats identified by the department stakeholders were as follows: Potential Threats to the Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services Economic change-funding, tax base Cyber threats, cyber terrorists, hackers Pandemic, COVID Natural disasters, storms, flooding Delay in police response and clearing scenes due to staff Increased call volume; too much demand and not shortage enough units Potential municipality annex/growth resulting in Unfunded federal and state policy changes, EPA financial impact to county/organization mandates, and DPH changes that impact the Recruitment, outside agencies, and incentives department’s ability to provide service Diversion status of local hospitals, longer transport Increase in cost for PPE, station supplies, building times, fewer units in service construction, etc. Vehicle repair, running units out of Tahoes Loss of personnel due to high job demand Increased crime (property security) Shortage of nurses, supplies, and fuel Lack of continuity between building codes in different Lawsuits from negligence, accidents, and improper municipalities training Preparedness, domestic terrorism, civil unrest Public perception and trust CBRNE event/prep Lack of police keeping scene safe Priority response-evaluation, lights, and sirens every call Lack of fencing and security at the stations Less experienced drivers-motor vehicles and engines Drug and human trafficking Diminishing geophysical infrastructure Improper utilization of EMS services Airport expansion/reduction in revenue streams Page 40

Appendix 3 The following information is the raw data comprised from the deliberation of the two workgroups. The information in each table is linked to a strategic initiative that the overall group, by consensus, determined was something that the department should pursue for change and continuous improvement. Critical and Service Gap Issues Identified by the Department Stakeholders Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 Staffing Staffing Staffing o Attrition o Attrition o Call volume o Recruitment o Compensation o Call volume o Scheduling o Burn out o Required certifications o Inability to obtain AEMT o External obligations o Funding o Internal competition for outside opportunities o Career development o Morale o Span of control o Hydrant maintenance o Roles of responsibility o Span of control o Training o Events o Holding time at the hospital o Lack of certified personnel o Growth of county/expansion o Out of service time for maintenance Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 Fleet Fleet Fleet o Accidents o Maintenance o Drivers training o Additional 10-8 staffing o Preventive maintenance o Reserve fleet size o Lack of mechanics o Supply chain o Turnaround time o Operator error o Operational environment o Relying on third-party vendors o Improper daily rig check Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 Professional Development Education Professional Development o Attrition o Lack of professional o Training-initial and continued education development o Succession planning o Personal motivation/initiative o Lack of pay incentives for non- o Workload sworn personnel o Personal growth o Pay incentive for specialized certifications Page 41

Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 Equipment Technology Recruitment Equipment/Technology o Funding o Reliability o Accessibility o Staffing o Outdated equipment o Troubleshooting-software/operator error o Damaged equipment o Internal/external divisions o Training o Cybersecurity o Maintenance o Streamlined technology platforms- o Storage o Availability condensing technology o Up to date info o Lexipol website o Digital media Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 N/A Recruitment o Lack of qualified candidates o Metric-driven advertisements o Competitive sign-on bonuses o Benefits o Better vetting process for candidates Initiative Link Group 1 Group 2 Health and Wellness Education Health and Wellness o Fitness policy o 911 usage o Mental health o Clinic/mobile health unit o Station equipment o Citizen fire institute training o CTV o Outgrowing the training space o Improving equipment to reduce injury The following information is the raw data comprised from the deliberation of the two workgroups. The information in each table is not linked directly to a strategic initiative but remains important. The department is best served to understand and embrace this other information as it moves forward for deliberative purposes and consideration of support of the strategic initiatives. Critical and Service Gap Issues Identified by the Department Stakeholders Topic Group 1 Group 2 N/A Response Response o Data analysis o Call volume o Unit availability o Diversion status o Wall time o Black areas o 911 usage o Policy o Alternate destination transport Page 42

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