blank. Message from the Fire Chief I am so very proud to share with our community and stakeholders the South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. The men and women at SMFR serve in one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States. Our challenge has been – and most certainly will continue to be – being proactive and innovative in staying ahead of change while continuing to provide exceptional service in all-hazards emergency response. I am honored to serve alongside what I believe to be the most compassionate and gifted caregivers and firefighters our noble profession has to offer. Our organization has undergone an incredible amount of change over the past few years through the unification of three long-standing, proud fire service organizations. We welcome the legacies of the South Metro Fire Rescue Fire Protection District, Cunningham Fire Protection District, and Littleton Fire Rescue, along with the tradition, pride, and service excellence that each organization brings to what is now our larger, culture-rich new organization. We brought these agencies together to form a single fire protection district with the vision of improving service, firefighter safety, financial stability, and long- term sustainability. Over the next five years, we will continue to strive to achieve this vision with the guidance of this strategic plan to keep us focused on the critical initiatives that will move us forward. As you will see in our major goals and objectives, we will be focusing on our rapid growth and the impact that it has on our ability to support our services, connect with our community, support our members, and prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future. We will do this by taking care of the physical and mental health of our firefighters and combat the conditions that lead to firefighter injuries and deaths; build the technical and leadership abilities of our members to identify future leaders and help our members to be at their best throughout their career; strengthen our foundation of connecting with our members and community, and holding ourselves to the highest level of standards through accreditation. There are many opportunities on the horizon, but we also recognize that there are challenges as well. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on the economy as well as the lives and well-being of our community, and we will continue to navigate through this with our men and women and our community members. In addition, we continue to set high standards for South Metro. Our members and board of directors will need to work diligently to ensure that our strategic path is set to get us to where we envision ourselves as a fire department five years from now, and we cannot get there without partnering with our strong community. We will continue to keep our community a top priority and will work to ensure that we embody our vision of being a best-in-class organization. Introduction South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) provides an all-hazards approach in the protection of the lives and property of residents, businesses, and visitors of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in Colorado. SMFR 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 in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Commission on Fire Accreditation (CFAI) Fire & Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual 9th Ed. and is intended to guide the organization within established parameters set forth by the governing body. 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 participate in the development of their 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 future plan execution. SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE 2021 – 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN Table of Contents Organizational Background ................................................................................................................................ 1 Organizational Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Community-Driven Strategic Planning........................................................................................................... 3 Process and Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... 4 Community Group Findings ............................................................................................................................... 5 Community Priorities ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Department Stakeholder Group Findings ..................................................................................................... 6 Vision .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Mission ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Values ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Programs and Services ......................................................................................................................................... 8 SWOT Analysis ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Critical Issues and Service Gaps ......................................................................................................................... 9 Strategic Initiatives .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Goals and Objectives .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Strategic Plan Vision ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Performance Measurement .............................................................................................................................. 22 The Success of the Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................... 23 Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, and Initialisms ............................................................................................. 24 Works Cited ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................................................. 27 Community Expectations ............................................................................................................................. 27 Areas of Community Concern ..................................................................................................................... 29 Positive Community Feedback ................................................................................................................... 31 Other Thoughts and Comments ................................................................................................................ 35 Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................................................................. 37 Strengths ............................................................................................................................................................ 37 Weaknesses ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 Opportunities ................................................................................................................................................... 39 Threats ................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................................................................. 41 Organizational Background South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) exists today as a result of several