Carpentersville Fire Chief: ‘100-Day Plan’ Mended Fences, Improved Morale
Carpentersville officials and union leaders are praising Fire Chief John-Paul Schilling’s “100-Day Plan” to improve morale and heal rifts between management and union workers.
In a Monday (Oct. 24, 2016) Fire Department news release, Schilling and other officials described the plan as a collaborative effort between village administration, battalion chiefs and executive board members of the fire department’s full- and part-time unions, with a goal to prioritize objectives that Schilling would complete by mid-October.
Carpentersville Fire Chief John-Paul Schilling
“The 100 day plan set us up for success, as it has led to the alignment of management with the rank-and-file personnel,” said Village Manager Mark Rooney. “We will continue to build upon the trust that has been established between the fire department leadership and the union to address the needs of the department in a cooperative manner, which in turn leads to better services for our citizens.”
Battalion Chief Todd Middendorf said Schilling hit the ground running the moment he walked through the door of the Carpentersville Fire Department in June.
“We have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and we keep moving forward to better the department, village and community as a whole,” Middendorf said. “(Schillling) has encouraged all members of the Fire Department to put the past behind us and move on to the future.”
Schilling said the plan’s objectives include improving and increasing communication, training and safety, risk management and personnel collaboration, which are predominately accomplished through the creation of various committees.
“I want everyone included on how we move forward as a department,” Schilling said. “By creating committees for everything from training to awards and recognition, everyone has input on the future of our department.”
In an effort to continue the momentum, Schilling and battalion chiefs will meet with the newly created Strategic Planning Committee to discuss the past, present and future of the Carpentersville Fire Department and to identify and prioritize initiatives that will make up the department’s strategic plan.
Lt. Rick Nieves, who also serves as the IAFF Local 4790 president, said department personnel are participating in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis that supports teamwork and includes staff members at all levels.
“Having buy-in and giving everyone a voice in the Fire Department will help achieve the many goals set forth; the community always wins in these situations,” Nieves said. “Giving everyone an equal chance to participate in the SWOT analysis fully supports that concept.”
Schilling said he expects the strategic planning process to take about a year. It will consist of both short-term and long-term goals and will be revised on an annual basis based on operational changes, demographic changes, departmental needs and other factors.
In addition to the creation of a strategic plan as a continuation to the 100 Day Plan, the Carpentersville Fire Department’s other goals for 2017 include expanding the part-time firefighter program, re-establishing the department’s commitment to training, and working cooperatively with all Village departments in an effort to increase efficiency of public safety services delivered while also reducing costs to the residents of Carpentersville.
“The members of Local 4790 believe Chief Schilling’s fresh approach to handling situations internally and externally will benefit the community in far reaching ways,” Nieves said. “We must work together to find solutions to problems the community faces.”
Schilling said that he has seen a tremendous change in morale since he was hired back in June.
“I hear laughing. I see people excited to come to work again,” he said. “My vision from here on out is to stop looking at the past and start looking forward in order to take our department to the next level.”
SOURCE: Carpentersville Fire Department news release
