Increasingly, consultants are being brought into fire and EMS departments to perform evaluations. These consultants come into a department to amass information as part of a report to outside agencies–municipalities, real estate developers, other fire or EMS departments, etc.
Ignoring, avoiding or placating outside consultants is not healthy, and can result in an unworthy, negative assessment of a department. The result: Your department appears uncooperative, less than proud of its operations or lacking in self-assessment and quality-control tools. But by taking the right attitude, preparing for the evaluation and providing the consultants with the information they need, you can have a successful evaluation. Following are some strategies to prepare for and manage an outside evaluation.
Who Are They & Why Are They Here?
Consultants are hired to provide an impartial and expert view of a department. Common situations that can stimulate such a review include:
- A municipality desires an evaluation of the service’s quality, efficiency, equity or management;
- Fire station location/re-location (deployment);
- Labor/management issues;
- EMS response/transport analysis;
- Conflict between departments;
- Career/volunteer staff issues;
- A recent incident or emergency response that has raised some major questions; and
- A proposed municipal geographical expansion.
The consultants who come to fire and EMS departments are typically from out of your area. They may even be from out of state. The act of bringing in consultants from out of state helps avoid an actual or perceived conflict of interest. The downside: The consultants may not be familiar with state or local law, codes and protocols, as well as the department’s history. These “out-of-towners” may, however, have a local friend or acquaintance whom they can call upon as a resource.
Consultants are either hired independently or through a consulting company. If possible, departments being evaluated should be included in the search and selection of the consultants. Select carefully, not quickly. Thoroughly review references and previous work performed by consultant candidates.
Large evaluations are typically performed by consulting companies, while smaller studies are usually done by independents. Independent consultants are often less expensive, as they don’t have the overhead costs consulting companies incur. Independents may also be less accountable, as their livelihood typically doesn’t hinge on continuous work; rather, they often do this work on the side or in retirement. Larger firms, on the other hand, must deliver a high-quality product to ensure their reputation remains solid. Either way, the actual people who perform the work must be well matched for the study. Consultants must be experienced with similar-size departments and in the “scope of work”–the term used to outline the specific areas to be examined in the study.
You should request and receive the detailed backgrounds of all people who will be involved in the study. Some consultants can pen a colorful bio, but lack the critical background for the work. Insist on seeing detailed resumes on the consultants as well as biographical sketches. In addition, departments must be careful not to fall for a bait-and-switch. This occurs when the consulting company wins the work by listing experienced consultants, but sends junior or less-experienced consultants to do the fieldwork.
What Will They Want?
Consultants performing a study should provide departments with ample time to assemble data and to prepare for a site visit. Rush jobs rarely produce a quality product. It’s likely the consultants will ask you for loads of data prior to their site visit. They will examine this data before they come to town. This data may be in a form that you use for management purposes, or it may require the design of new reports.
Even the smallest study requires departments to produce data including the following:
- Run numbers sorted in various manners, going back 5 years;
- Call analysis by day of week, time of day, etc.;
- Response times, which will include more than just emergency vehicle travel time;
- Staff numbers and job descriptions for each position;
- Business plans/strategic plans;
- Budgets;
- Any previous studies;
- Quality assurance tools; and
- Other data depending on the study’s scope.
Consultants prefer data to be in electronic form, if feasible. They will also work with you to schedule a timetable to tour your facilities and interview key individuals.
When gathering data, ensure the department’s definitions of terms are similar to the consultants. For example, what is an EMS call? Is it simply being dispatched? Or is it responding as well? Is it only when a patient is encountered? Similarly, you must agree on a clear definition of the term “response time.”
Occasionally, issues surface when departments are asked for data that they deem sensitive, compromising, may cast a poor shadow on the department or legally “un-releasable.” Individual personnel records, legal issues and quality review matters are all usually protected and should not be released. The department’s attorney should be consulted if these questions arise. Releasable data that may be deemed compromising is handled on a case-by-case basis.
The consultants may also gather data on your department from other sources, such as city or county 911 centers or GIS personnel.
What Should You Ask of Them?
The department being evaluated should request and receive several examples of similar previous work from the consultant. This will help the department get a better understanding of the process and analysis that takes place in a study.
Every consulting company advertises that they do not produce “cookie-cutter” studies. This refers to using a previous study as a model, replacing the department’s name where needed and simply “rehashing” existing studies. However, this is not to say that a department won’t be compared to other, similar-size departments, as these comparisons may be valuable. If your department will be compared to other cities, be critical of the cities selected, as these comparisons are sometimes the basis for recommendations.
Departments will also be compared to existing laws, codes and standards. Accord-ingly, you must be aware of any and all such laws, codes and standards that apply to your operations.
The Site Visit
Any department study includes the following steps:
- Get a feeling for the milieu
- Examine local issues
- Examine specific issues critical to the study
- Evaluate the data unearthed
- Compare data to pertinent comparables
- Make and justify findings and recommendations
The key to putting this all together: the site visit.
When consultants come to town, they will typically begin by meeting with the organization paying for the study. This meeting will review and discuss the scope of work, the study’s expectations, last-minute issues and the timetable for inspections and interviews.
Next, the consultants will typically touch base with the chief. This meeting is largely meant to pay respect, but it provides an opportunity to introduce the consultants to department members who will interact with them throughout the study. This is also the time to introduce the consultants to department members who will be interviewed, and ensure everyone understands the study’s purpose. Tip: Assign a senior officer to accompany the consultants for their visits–not to discourage the consultants from being free to do their work, but to expedite the visit, answer questions and monitor the consultant’s activities.
It’s at this first meeting that you set the tone for the entire study. Being open and honest is always the best course of action. Consultants are experienced, and thus not easily hoodwinked. If you disagree with the study being conducted, or the manner in which it is being done, state your opinion clearly and without animosity and provide the rationale for your position. Don’t fall into the trap of non-cooperation.
Wow Them
During any site visit, your members, your apparatus and your stations must shine, especially if the study is unwanted. The consultants will examine your operations both passively and actively. For example, even if the study doesn’t include reviewing the apparatus, the condition of said apparatus will speak volumes. If consultants see unclean apparatus, or a disorganized station, they may decide that other areas of operation are less than top-notch.
Consultants will likely want to talk with line personnel, officers, administrators, union representatives, neighboring chiefs and local elected officials. If GIS analysis is part of the study, as in a fire station deployment study, the consultants will also want to connect with the local city/county GIS people. The study’s scope will determine the people with whom the consultants will need to meet.
Departments must take accurate notes of all these meetings and follow up on delivering any materials the consultants ask for during their site visit. Prepare and present to the consultants a three-ring binder containing key pieces of the materials you sent to the consultants prior to their site visit. This will impress them and make the visit go much smoother by providing paper versions to work from. If you don’t have the data the consultants request, make every effort to provide it to them as soon as possible after they leave.
Consultants may also request to ride along on emergency calls. View this as another opportunity to wow them. Place them with experienced officers in command cars to make the observation more valuable, safer and less intrusive to emergency crews doing the work.
Consultants will spend between 1—3 days on site, depending on the size and complexity of the study. They will also want to take digital photography to add to the report, reinforce points they make in the study and to help them remember points to be made.
The Reports
Consultants should provide your department with an opportunity to review a draft version of the report. Be sure to read the draft report carefully and completely and make written comments, corrections and additions to the consultants as soon as possible. A department should challenge any information, conclusions or recommendations it knows to be inaccurate by providing supporting data. Remember: Consultants want to produce an accurate report that completely addresses the scope of work.
The final report should incorporate the department’s comments and corrections. It will be regarded as an accurate analysis of your department as it relates to the scope of work. This report should be used in future departmental master planning; other agencies, such as municipalities, will also use the report in their planning.
Conclusion
Having an outside consultant examine your department may be intimidating, time-consuming and daunting. It’s also an excellent opportunity to learn more about your department, improve internal quality measures and benefit from valuable benchmarking.
The key to a successful evaluation is preparation. Secure and study previous similar studies from the consultants. Consider asking a trusted individual to role-play as a consultant prior to their arrival. Finally, when the real consultants arrive, regard it as your occasion to shine.
