DFRS Budget Clarification

Please read the e-mail and open letter, to all Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Personnel, below from Blaine R. Young, President, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County, Maryland

From: Young, Blaine
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 10:06 AM
To:
Subject: DFRS Budget Clarification

Good morning,

Thank you for your service to the citizens of Frederick County.

I have attached a letter related to DFRS spending.  Please share it with anyone who does not have access to email.   Please circulate the letter and post it in all stations.

As always, you can reach me by calling my office at 301-600-2336 or my cell at 301-748-3218.

I have included the letter below my signature for your convenience.

Thank you,

Blaine

November 7, 2013

To all Volunteer Fire and Rescue Personnel:

I wanted to contact you not only as the President of the Board of County Commissioners (Board) but also as the Commissioner Liaison to the Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association to dispel an inaccurate rumor that has been circulating. 

It has come to my attention that some individuals have been spreading a rumor that the new fire chief has a “blank check” to spend and operate as she pleases and that she has been expanding the budget for personnel in the Division of Fire and Rescue Services (DFRS).  This is NOT TRUE!

As a bit of background information, since Chief Pouget’s tenure began with DFRS, the upper management structure of the division has changed and the number of positions has been reduced.  Under the previous division director, there were three bureau chiefs and a director of Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services.  This consisted of four executive level management positions.  Under the current fire chief, there are now two deputy chiefs.  We now have two executive level management positions, a 50% reduction in management.  The Director of Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services position was eliminated, and one bureau chief position remains unfilled and will not be backfilled at that level; the level of the backfill depends on the results of the Classification and Compensation Study under way by Fields Consulting.

It should be noted that two short-term contractual individuals have been retained to prepare long term plans for the division.  One individual will be correcting major flaws in the procurement process and the other individual will be putting together a one year, a five year, a ten year and a twenty year plan for DFRS.  This type of long term planning has never been done in the division.

Previously, total senior management in the division comprised 14 individuals; 3 bureau chiefs, 1 director of Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services, 9 battalion chiefs, and 1 captain.  Under Chief Pouget we now have 12 individuals performing these tasks.  This now includes; 2 deputy chiefs, 9 battalion chiefs, and 1 captain.  The salary/position savings to the division and to the taxpayers totals $394,021.

This is a smaller, leaner and yet more effective organization.

Additionally, this Board finally has taken the responsibility to task a true director or fire chief to take action, be a pro-active manager, and expect results and accountability.  In order to allow the fire chief the flexibility to manage her agency we have instituted a new budgeting mechanism.  This is a form of zero based budgeting.

The fire chief will not receive additional budget funds, and will have to go through the same budgetary review and appeals process of every other government agency in Frederick County.  However, she will have the ability to start every budget category in the division at zero dollars, not to look at past budgets, but to build in funding on what she believes are the priorities to provide the most effective and efficient public safety agency possible!

This budget starts at a total funding level of the previous fiscal year.  There will be no budget increases built in to the division’s budget.  If there is a need for additional funding, the fire chief will have to go through the normal budgetary process and appeals.

If the Board is going to demand accountability and results, we must properly allow that agency to be run in a way that meets that requirement.

I hope that I have addressed this rumor and any concerns that anyone might have.  The volunteers are the backbone of our great fire and rescue services agency and we would not be able to provide the outstanding and quality public safety services to our citizens without your involvement.  The Board and I are appreciative each and every day for your dedication and commitment to Frederick County.

Sincerely,

Blaine R. Young

P.S. Please make this letter and email available to those who have concerns about DFRS spending. Thank you!