Strategic Planning And Change Management: The Watsonville Fire Department

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Strategic Planning and Change Management Student’s Name Institution’s Affiliation Abstract The fire department plays an important role in the promotion and maintenance of the safety and wellbeing of individuals within the community. Strategic planning, as an organizational management function, can be used to help the fire service department navigate changes and address pertinent problems and challenges. Through this paper, the Watsonville fire department is extensively examined with particular focus on the drivers of change, the challenges faced by the department, and recommendations going into the future. In addition, the paper also examines the department’s current strategic plan and assesses its chances of success. …show more content…

The world today is a highly dynamic place and the only constant for all types of organizations is change. An organization that cannot keep abreast of, adopt, and adapt to changes in its environment cannot be successful. Strategic planning allows organizations to effectively navigate changes by fostering continuous assessment and adjusting of organizational direction and priorities to conform to the changing organizational environment. The strategic plan is a document that communicates organizational priorities as well as the various actions needed to attain such objectives (Katsioloudes, & Abouhanian, 2016). This paper examines changes taking place within the Watsonville fire department, challenges faced, and the efficacy of the strategic plan. Drivers of Change within the Department The Watsonville fire department is operating in an environment that is rapidly shifting as a result of a combination of many different factors. The different drivers of change within the fire department include; i. A strong agricultural …show more content…

There is nothing that the department can do about the increase in population within the city but there is definitely something that they can do to address the inherent problems created by the increase in population density. To be able to better respond to the increased call volumes, the department should get more personnel, establish proper community collaborations, and adopt newer and more efficient technologies 2. The Watsonville fire department should also develop an ambitious plan to increase the fire units’ response times in the midst of increased traffic congestions within the town. The most effective way to accomplish this is by having units stationed in strategic positions across the town and its neighborhoods ready to respond to any emergencies. In addition, the department can also invest in other means of transport such as having helicopters to quickly beta traffic and transport units to incident locations 3. The department should also set-up a progressive recruitment function that regularly assesses the needs of the department and seeks out highly skilled and motivated individuals to enhance the staffing levels and ensure that the department has adequate personnel to respond to any challenge that is thrown its

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