Page 26 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget

Business Plan

The Fire Department consists of Fire/Rescue Operations,
Fire Prevention Inspections/EOD Services, Medical
Operations/Public Health, Fire Training, Resource Management,
the Office of Emergency Management, 9-1-1 Dispatch/Public
Safety Communication Services, Office of Special Events,
Special Operations Groups, and Business Services. The
Arlington Fire Department team's mission is to meet and exceed
our community's needs and expectations by providing high quality
emergency response, life safety, and community support
services.

The Arlington Fire Department (AFD), Tarrant County College,
and the Arlington Independent School District (AISD) collaborate to provide a two year/college credit program for high school
students who wish to pursue a Firefighter/EMT career. The program allows students to graduate with a certifiable status in
Basic Fire Suppression from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) and a National Registry EMT certification, with
college credits and potential job opportunities. This initiative has served as a model for future AISD vocational credit career
programs. For the 2018-2019 school year, AISD will provide funding support for a dedicated Fire Academy Officer to coordinate
the program. To date, the Fire Academy has completed 7 total classes and ten alumni have been hired by the Fire Department.

In FY 2018, AFD was challenged to respond to a wide range
of community service demands beyond typical structure
fires and emergency medical services. Notably, the
Department’s Fire Prevention section and Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit saw a significant increase in
“suspicious package” calls in March and April of 2018 due
to the Austin serial bombing events. The Department’s
special events team hosted a wide range of concerts
including tours by Kenny Chesney, Ed Sheeran, and The
Eagles with special guest Christ Stapleton; and other major
events such as Monster Jam, Supercross, PBR Bull Riding
and American Rodeo, and the Cotton Bowl. On March 1,
2018, the City of Arlington was officially awarded the rank
of ISO Class 1 as the result of the superior efforts of AFD,
the Water Utilities Department, and City leadership. FY
2018 saw AFD sending several Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) units to assist with wildfires in several West
Texas towns including Fort Stockton, San Angelo, and Post, as well as multiple units to Houston and surrounding areas during
Hurricane Harvey at the end of FY 2017. In July of 2018 Chief David Stapp flew to our Sister City, Bad Königshofen, Germany,
to participate in the celebration of their Volunteer Fire Brigade’s 150 anniversary. During FY 2018, the Department also
th
welcomed a new member of Fire Prevention’s K9 team, a two-year-old, yellow Labrador retriever named Little; received two
new engines (Engine 1 and Engine 14), as well as brand new Tower 8; is in the process of acquiring a new Flashover Simulator
for training purposes; saw the reopening of the newly renovated Station 12; and will be completing the new Station 17 in the
Viridian community.

The Human Resources Department consists of Employee Operations, Employee Services, Workforce Investment, Risk
Management, and Civil Service. This Department is an organizational conduit to recruit, develop and retain quality employees
and volunteers that are the foundation for building a thriving community. These human assets deliver our core services in
alignment with Arlington values. Human Resources is also charged with minimizing organizational and community risk. In
previous years, this department has received awards for wellness programming, volunteer coordination, training and staff
development, and drug and alcohol programs. Recently, Human Resources was recognized by the International Public
Management Association for Human Resources Texas Chapter for its innovation and significant contributions to the Human
Resources field. Major accomplishments included implementation of Civil Service for the Fire Department, implementation of

2019 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 11 City of Arlington, Texas