Strategic Plan

Bath Township Fire Department Strategic Plan 2019 – 2022

This plan was developed with the assistance of Bath Township firefighters

and officers in conjunction with elected officials and community members.

Mission Statement:

The Bath Township Fire Department is committed to the preservation and protection of life

and property through professional service, education, and prevention.

Updated Core Values:

Integrity, Compassion, Service, & Professionalism

Strengths

Training

  • Continue robust new hire orientation program.
  • Continue to offer in house fire, EMS, Sp. Ops, & Hazmat CE.
  • Look for new ways to deliver continuing education.
  • Continue the 2:00 P.M. “Daily Drill” concept.
  • Work with the BTFD Foundation to make out of town conferences, seminars, etc., available.
  • Grow our internal staff off qualified fire & EMS instructors.
  • Explore partnerships with Apollo and Rhodes.
  • Work with Foundation to bring training programs to department.
  • Explore direct delivery of Ohio Fire Academy classes.
  • Encourage staff to obtain new certifications.
  • Encourage advanced degrees for all staff.
  • Ensure that supervisors receive regular and ongoing professional development.
  • Make leadership training available for all staff.

Equipment

  • Continue an aggressive PM program on all apparatus and equipment.
  • Maintain daily/weekly checks of all apparatus and equipment.
  • Explore a new fleet management solution.
  • Continue use of Work Request program with quick turnaround time on all repairs.
  • Continue medic unit lease-replacement concept.
  • Pursue state and federal grants to update apparatus and equipment.
  • Require all staff to be well trained to operate and maintain apparatus and equipment.
  • Replace Medic 1307 (2012 F 450 Ambulance) in 2021.
  • Purchase a second Lucas CPR device 2020.
  • Expand the use of thermal imaging cameras by purchasing additional equipment.
  • Continue regular purchasing of PPE to ensure safety of all staff and NFPA compliance.

Community Support

  • Continue our partnerships with business and industry and look for additional opportunities.
  • Continue our partnerships with schools and universities and look for additional opportunities.
  • Ensure that our website is properly maintained and current.
  • Continue to engage with our community via our social media platforms, and stay ahead of cutting edge

changes in this medium.

  • Explore “Citizens Fire Academy.”
  • Annual Open House events.
  • Look for ways to “share our story.”
  • Partner with non-profits and community groups when possible.

Safety

  • Track data and share information on employee injuries.
  • Strengthen our Safety Action/Review program.
  • Deploy “Safety Officer” on all major events.
  • Provide & inspect proper PPE for all staff.
  • Provide “Incident Safety Officer” certification training.
  • Conduct regular “After Action Reviews.”

Bath Township Fire Department – 2 – Strategic Plan 2019-2020

  • Participate in “Everyone Goes Home” program.
  • Participate in IAFC “Safety Stand Down” Week.
  • Investigate all injuries and make recommendations.
  • Hold a short safety meeting before all hands on training.

Professionalism

  • Hold all employees accountable to our mission and core values.
  • Provide ongoing leadership training for all staff.
  • Ensure that all staff have appropriate uniforms and follow uniform rules.
  • Conduct ourselves with a total focus on customer service.
  • Make our expectations of all employees clear.
  • Do not accept sup par performance or behavior.
  • Strive to be the “premier” fire department in the region.

Work Environment

  • Continue to provide an environment for employees that is free from bullying or any type of discrimination as

outlined in the employee handbook.

  • Promote an environment of mutual respect for all.
  • Follow the “Golden Rule.”
  • Never take our employment or our mission for granted.
  • Strive to limit gossip and complaining.
  • Treat all employees fairly.
  • Ensure a safe work environment at all times.
  • Keep our living areas clean, sanitary, and updated.
  • Recognize staff for job well done on a regular basis.
  • Share information via “Now Hear This,” Emergency Reporting, Employee Only Facebook Page, bulletin board,

Active 911, Plan It Fire, and face to face communication.

  • Ensure that employee expectations are clear.

Outreach

  • Look for ways to grow our outreach programs.
  • Study the need to hire a part time outreach coordinator.
  • Continue to publicize our outreach programs.
  • Study how outreach programs could possibly impact recruitment.
  • Expand 911 address sign program.
  • Explore ways to lower ISO rating.

Public Education

  • Continue all current programs and look for opportunities to grow and expand.
  • Ensure programs reflect our department data.
  • Target specific demographics and geographic areas based on data.
  • Consider making this a specific job classification.

Leadership

  • Bring all full-time staff up to Fire Officer I level by 2020.
  • Bring all Platoon Chiefs up to Fire Officer III level by 2020.
  • Send at least one Platoon Chief to FDIC annually.
  • Ensure all Platoon Chiefs are engaged with OFCA.
  • Require all Platoon Chiefs to be OFO credentialed by end of 2019.
  • Provide in house leadership training for all staff on regular basis.
  • Consider hosting an OFCA Maxwell training in 2020 or 2021.
  • Explore OFE or EFO training for Platoon Chiefs.

Public Relations

  • Ensure EVERY contact we have with the public is positive.
  • Create an inviting atmosphere for guests and visitors.
  • Continue to engage with our community via our social media platforms, and stay ahead of cutting edge changes

in this medium.

  • Work with local news media to share information with the public.
  • Ensure that our website is properly maintained and current.

Sharing County Resources

  • Stay active on Allen County Hazmat Team.
  • Cooperate with new MABAS programs with area departments.
  • Explore our own MABAS program.
  • Invite area departments to our training sessions.
  • Coordinate more joint training exercises.

Bath Township Fire Department – 3 – Strategic Plan 2019-2020

Weaknesses

Recruitment

  • Explore SAFER Grant opportunities.
  • Encourage our staff to help with recruitment via referrals.
  • Work more closely with Rhodes State College.
  • Work more closely with Apollo Adult Ed.
  • Partner with Apollo Career Center’s new high school program.
  • Continue to engage with our community via our social media platforms, and stay ahead of cutting edge

changes in this medium.

  • Explore opportunities with Ohio Means Jobs.
  • Participate in more career fairs.

Turnover

  • Ensure we are hiring the best candidates.
  • Review our current hiring policies.
  • Ensure that all staff have a full understanding of their pay/benefits.
  • Address pay rates. — Completed.

Limited Manpower

  • Explore our own MABAS program.
  • Ensure use of 2nd alarm and call back system.
  • Call M/A quicker and more often.
  • Study staffing levels and call volume data.
  • Study incentives for calling in off duty staff.
  • Study communication equipment needs.
  • Hire 5 new part time staff by end of 2019 and 10 more in 2020.

Wages/Pay scale

  • Completed

Staffing

  • Hire 5 new part time staff by end of 2019 and 10 more in 2020.
  • Explore SAFER Grant opportunities.
  • Complete an OAPFF/IAFF GIS Study in 2019.

Retention

  • Ensure we are hiring the best candidates.
  • Review our current hiring policies.
  • Ensure that all staff have a full understanding of their pay/benefits.
  • Address pay rates. – Completed.
  • Continue Employee Recognition Program and look for opportunities to grow program.
  • Ensure that our culture is that of a workplace where people want to stay long-term.

Mutual Aid Relationships

  • Cooperate with new MABAS programs with area departments.
  • Explore our own MABAS program.
  • Invite area departments to our training sessions.
  • Coordinate more joint training exercises.
  • A-B-C shifts meet with and train with their co-horts.
  • Offer assistance to volunteer departments.

Opportunities

More FD Influence in Middle/High Schools

  • Attend career days/fairs, support programs such as DARE, Interact, 4H etc.
  • Support athletic programs.
  • Study possibility of a BTFD Foundation scholarship.
  • Study a “Shadow Program” for high school students.

Community Paramedicine

  • Discuss this with local hospitals.
  • Explore idea with our medical director.
  • Monitor Ohio departments who currently have program in place.

Outreach CPR

  • Consider hiring a part time employee to coordinate CPR training.
  • Offer classes to the public.
  • Expand our current offerings to business/industry.
  • Update manikins and equipment.

Bath Township Fire Department – 4 – Strategic Plan 2019-2020

Apollo HS Program

  • Develop strong relationship with program director.
  • Explore ride along opportunities and station visits.
  • Off to guest lecture and assist with program.

Social Media

  • Continue to grow our social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snap Chat.
  • Look for ways to create more interactive content.
  • Incorporate live video and other methods to make posts more visible.

Traditional Media

  • Send press releases on all major events.
  • Notify media of positive BTFD projects and programs.
  • Hold press conferences as needed.
  • Update fire department website.

Lateral Transfers

  • Add a lateral transfer article to the IAFF contract. – Completed
  • Advertise lateral transfers in job postings. – Completed

National Testing Network

  • Subscribe to NTN to better advertise job openings.
  • Use the NTN to help attract and screen candidates.

Ohio Means Jobs

  • Advertise openings with OMJ.
  • Explore OMJ services and programs.

Threats

Loss of Leadership/Experience

  • Work toward making BTFD a competitive employer in the region.
  • Explore incentive programs to encourage long term employment.
  • Consider another level of supervision.

Loss of Industry/Lack of Commercial Growth.

  • Develop strong partnerships with local business & industry.
  • Recognize the potential impact of major industries closing/reducing on FD budget.
  • Work with the elected officials and AEDG to support industry growth and expansion.

Annexation

  • Recognize the potential negative impact on the budget that wide spread annexation could bring.
  • Work with elected officials to oppose annexation proposals.
  • Cooperate with non-withdraw annexation projects to ensure the agreements are in the best interest of the

department and Bath Township residents.

Loss/Lack of Funding

  • Explore a replacement levy in 2024.
  • Explore making the current 3.0 mill/5year levy permanent.
  • Explore the need for additional millage in the future.

Demands from Industry

  • Work closely with industry leaders; plans review, inspection process.
  • Evaluate adequate staffing.
  • Evaluate adequate response times.
  • Evaluate need for out-station locations.

Limited Resources

  • Strengthen mutual aid utilization.
  • Study automatic aid program.
  • Study need for additional personnel.
  • Study need for additional funding.

Cost of Living

  • Ensure our employees can afford to live in Bath Township.
  • Ensure cost of living wage increases are budgeted.

Older Population

  • Plan for additional EMS calls.
  • Study need for a third medic unit.
  • Study Community Paramedicine.
  • Consider updated sign off protocols.

Click Here to download the full Strategic Plan .PDF