MONROE — A year after an ad hoc committee completed its work on management and other issues within the Monroe Fire Department, the Monroe Common Council is now poised to tap an outside firm to develop a strategic plan for them.
City Administrator Brittney Rindy recalled the findings of the earlier ad hoc fire department group when she summarized the intent of the proposal in a memo to the Finance and Taxation Committee of the council: “On May 15, 2023 the City of Monroe Common Council considered and approved the Ad Hoc Committee — Fire Department Operations and Structure’s recommendations,” she said. “That included a recommendation to seek proposals for a third-party consultant to help the Monroe Fire Department develop and implement a strategic plan.”
The winning nearly $47,000 study proposal is from Shelton, Conn.-based MissionCIT LLC (Critical immersive Training and Testing). It was the top firm selected among the six others that submitted bids ranging from $15,500 to $49,700, with only one Wisconsin firm, Neenah-based McMahon Associates, submitting a bid.
“All of the team members who will be assigned to this project are current or immediate past fire and emergency services officers with vast experience,” the MissionCIT proposal read, in part. “They have managed departments serving populations of between 3,000 and 400,000, providing both fire and emergency medical services.”
A council vote on the proposal was scheduled for Monday, June 3, after the Monroe Times had gone to press. But City Administrator Brittney Rindy was among those who were optimistic in her communications to the council about the work that could be done by MissionCIT. Fire Chief Al Rufer also played a key role, officials said.
“MissionCIT has professional staff and resources to evaluate the gap between our current fire department services and the community needs or expectations, as well as ensure we have a plan for a sustainable future,” Rindy said. “They pride themselves on maintaining relationships with the departments they service to provide feedback on any implementation of recommendations or future challenges that might arise.”
The study will be funded across two budget years, according to officials. It will be split between the 2024 budget and 2025 budget year. The 2024 budget included $30,000 for this project, they added.
Commissioning the study was one of several recommendations of the ad-hoc committee that worked in 2023 on lingering fire department morale and leadership issues. The committee itself was created after the city had been without a full-time fire chief since April 2022 — when William Erb abruptly resigned three months into the job.
Rufer was named interim fire chief last October, having served two stints as interim chief.
Burlington, Vermont and Telluride, Colorado are among the fire departments MissionCIT has worked with on similar strategic planning efforts. And the firm, in its proposal, pledged to balance the need for spending on a given department, with the funding realities and impact on taxpayers.
“Realistic funding strategies will be important to ensure that fire department leaders and the community are clear on the approach, costs and timeframe,” said the proposal.