Elgin FD invests in strategic planning

Elgin Fire Chief John Fahy is a big fan of the Yogi Berra quote, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” This saying has shaped his leadership style, and it's one of the reasons why the Elgin Fire Department recently unveiled its first-ever strategic plan, covering the years 2015 to 2020.

The plan was developed this spring with the help of The Center for Public Safety Excellence, who worked as consultants at a cost of around $15,000. It was officially released last week, marking Elgin as one of just 10% of fire departments nationwide that have created a formal strategic roadmap, according to Fahy.

Assistant Fire Chief Dave Schmidt played a key role in the process, working alongside 32 internal stakeholders — including firefighters and staff — to refine and shape the input gathered from 90 community members who attended focus groups. These sessions were part of an effort to bring in public perspectives and ensure the plan reflected real community needs.

Previously, the department had informal plans that often excluded frontline firefighters and lacked broader public involvement. With many top leaders nearing retirement, the new plan also serves as a framework for succession planning, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership in the coming years.

“By 2020, most of our current staff will likely be retired,” Schmidt noted, highlighting the importance of preparing for the future. The plan covers seven core areas: internal communications, external communications and community outreach, disaster preparedness, fire prevention, workforce planning and development, health and wellness, and public education.

In the past, fire chiefs could easily request equipment by simply asking city councils. But today’s data-driven environment demands more than just requests — it requires clear evidence of need and measurable benefits for both the department and the community. To gather insights, the department invited 130 community stakeholders to the focus groups, with about 90 attending, which impressed the consultants.

Fahy stayed largely out of the process, allowing firefighters to speak freely without feeling pressured by leadership. He believes this helped generate more honest feedback. Both he and Schmidt agreed that many strategic plans end up forgotten on a shelf, so this one includes specific objectives with timelines, tasks, and funding estimates.

One of the key goals focuses on workforce planning and development, analyzing current staffing levels and how they align with service demands. It also looks ahead to identify future staffing needs based on changing service patterns.

Firefighters across the country, including in Elgin, are seeing fewer structure fires due to improved building codes and home safety measures. In Elgin, about 75% of calls are medical-related, while the remaining 25% include fires, crashes, and hazardous material incidents. The strategic plan will guide how best to allocate resources to meet these evolving needs.

“In the end, we want to be a more efficient, better-trained, and more communicative department,” Fahy said, reflecting the long-term vision behind the plan.

Thanks Dan