2. Department Name/Logo Date
Kick-Off Meeting for the Strategic Vision Guide An Action Plan Using the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
Department Name/Logo
Date

3. Agenda Ground Rules Presentation on Strategic Vision
Categories for our Strategic Vision
Surveys
Assignments and Deadlines
Communication to Department Members

4. 1. Ground Rules Confidentiality
Approaching conflict and difference of opinions respectfully
Commitment to attending and participating in the meetings
Letting go of the past
What else?

5. 2. Strategic Vision
Overarching Goal of this Strategic Vision Process: To provide a roadmap to incorporate the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives in a fire department to institutionalize the safety culture into their programs and processes.

6. Kotter’s “Leading Change”
Our process is based on John P. Kotter’s book “Leading Change” and Dan S. Cohen’s book “The Heart of Change Field Guide: Tools and Tactics for Leading Change in Your Organization

7. Three Purpose of Strategic Vision According to John P. Kotter
The Strategic Vision has the potential to break through “all the forces that support status quo and to encourage the kind of dramatic shifts found in successful transformations.” (Kotter)
Clarifies the general direction for change.
Fire Service uses the term “cultural change” referring to safety so frequently that it may have lost some concrete meaning. When do we know we have met the goal of cultural change? What does the end-product look like?

8. Motivates people to take action in the right direction…even if the first few steps are painful.
How to motivate people to take action that is out of their comfort zone, work with fewer resources and learn new behaviors and attitudes?
People may be uncomfortable but the outcome of a safer environment is critical so that we do everything we can to ensure that Everyone Goes Home.

9. Helps effectively coordinate the actions of many people.
The safety culture is often seen as the responsibility of the Safety Officer, or Chief Officers or the Department Chief.
The stakeholders meeting will help set the stage that it is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

10. Developing a Strategic Vision
Creating a vision helps direct the change effort
This approach is based on vision--a central component of all great leadership
Why vision is essential
“Vision refers to a picture of the future with commentary on why people should strive to create that future” (Kotter)

11. More often than not, people disagree with or are confused about the change and if it is even necessary
Serves to facilitate major changes by motivating action that is not necessarily in people’s short-term self interest
Vision helps to align individuals, thus coordinating the actions of motivated people in a remarkable and efficient way
With clarity of vision, managers and individuals can figure out for themselves what to do without constantly checking. Without a shared sense of direction, people can end up in constant conflict.

12. Effective Strategic Visions
Imaginable: conveys a picture of what the future will look like
Desirable: appeals to long-term interests of stakeholders
Feasible: realistic and attainable goals
Focused: clear enough to provide guidance in decision making
Flexible: allows for individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions
Communicable: easy to communicate; can be successfully explained within five minutes

13. A good vision can demand sacrifices, but never ignores, the legitimate long-term interests of the enterprise
A good vision is an exercise of both the head and the heart, it takes some time, it always involves a group of people, and it is tough to do well

14. Our Process Simplified Kotter’s 8-Step Process into a 4-Phased Process
Phase One: Initiating Strategic Vision
Phase Two: Creating Stratgic Vision
Phase Three: Implementing Strategic Vision
Phase Four: Monitoring
Simplified Kotter’s 8-Step Process into a 4-Phased Process

15. 3. Categories for Our Strategic Vision
Personnel (Focus: Safety, Health and Wellness)
Community (Focus: Community Risk Reduction)
Operations (Focus: Risk Management, Incident Management and Exposure Management)
External (Focus: Grant Opportunities and Research)
*Each of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives was linked to one of these four categories (next slide).

16. Strategic Vision Guide Component
FLSI
Initiative
Strategic Vision Guide Component
FLSI #1
Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.
Strategic Vision
FLSI #2
Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.
Personnel
FLSI #3
Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.
Operations
FLSI #4
All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.
FLSI #5
Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification ((including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform.
FLSI #6
Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.
FLSI #7
Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives.
External
FLSI #8
Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety.
FLSI #9
Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.
FLSI #10
Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.
External 
FLSI #11
National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed.
FLSI #12
National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed.
FLSI #13
Firefighters and their families must have access to counselling and psychological support.
FLSI #14
Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
Community
FLSI #15
Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.
FLSI #16
Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.

17. 4. Surveys
We will be using surveys to get feedback from department members.
Need the support of everyone to ensure that members take the time to submit the surveys.
Determine how best to distribute surveys.

18. 5. Assignments and Deadlines
Strategic Vision Guiding Team
Strategic Vision Guiding Team Leader
Change Leader for Operations
Change Leader for Personnel
Change Leader for Community
Change Leader for External

19. Discussion regarding team members for the individual categories of the Strategic Vision
Which categories need team members?
How many team members?
How will they be selected?
Discussion on how the meetings will be scribed (one person or rotating)

20. Specific Assignments
Survey Lead
Logistics for Stakeholders’ Meeting

21. Next Steps
Select date for next meeting (focus: Pre-Planning for Stakeholders’ Meeting)
Select person to communicate results of this meeting to department members
Anything else?