Citygate conducted a comprehensive community risk assessment, Standards of Coverage study, and facilities Master Plan for the El Dorado Hills Fire District to prepare for future needs based on nationally recognized guidelines and best practices, federal and state mandates, and pertinent local and regional operating procedures.

Citygate assisted the San Mateo Fire Chiefs Association and the fire departments in San Mateo County with implementing a fire department deployment analysis system to provide near real-time operational data to each fire department. Citygate provided project management and assistance in tailoring the end-user display screens and briefing materials to meet the needs of the collective agencies, as well as each individual agency. Citygate leveraged its current knowledge of the geography and County fire agencies’ needs for this effort, while also ensuring the system was configured properly for any ongoing analysis the agencies might request.

Citygate completed an expansive review of the organizational and operational components of the EMS program at the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A comprehensive strategic plan was also developed to guide the next three to six years of improvement in the Department’s EMS programs and allied support structures. This study and strategic plan addressed deployment, use of resources, best practices in pre-hospital medicine, organizational and personnel practices, and the use of information technology. Despite challenges faced, the Department is managing and implementing the delivery of successful programs and changes recommended in Citygate’s reports. Among those achievements, the Department hired a permanent Medical Director, improved relations with the EMS agency, implemented electronic patient care records, revamped the quality improvement program, completed back-logged EMS report scanning, and became the first Fire Department to go live with the implementation of the Safety Intelligence Risk Management Software tool.

Citygate updated the Standards of Coverage planning analysis (fire crew deployment study) for the City of Pasadena’s Fire Department. The original study was completed in February 2014. This update reviewed the adequacy of the existing deployment system from the current fire station locations and included updated statistics, supplemental geographic maps, and revised deployment recommendations.

Citygate provided consulting services to improve performance and accountability within the Fire Prevention Bureau for the City of Sacramento. Citygate provided technical work products, process re-design facilitation, inter-departmental agreements, fiscal and software reform advice, and project reports to executive management over the course of this one-year, $150,000 engagement. To better understand the workflow and integrated processes within the Bureau, Citygate worked with the client team to develop clear logic models identifying not only the various steps within the Bureau’s programs, but also their relationships with each other. The creation of job checklists, which were drafted with an engaged staff team, were most helpful to the client for building sustainable, improved effectiveness and efficiency.

Citygate conducted a large organizational review of the San Jose Fire Department. This review evaluated the delivery of Fire Department services, technological improvements as they relate to Department response time performance, and increases in Department efficiencies in operations. To accomplish this, Citygate conducted a detailed community risk assessment; a Standards of Coverage (SOC) review; an evaluation of the Department’s organizational climate and structure, including an online employee survey; an EMS Program review; a review of the Communications Center; and an assessment of fiscal impacts, phasing, and possible next steps of changes recommended by Citygate. The SOC review included an analysis of the impact of traffic congestion on response times.

Citygate Associates conducted rotating departmental management and staffing studies for the City of Corona, including the Public Works Department, the Utility Services Department, the Public Library, the Housing and Development Department, the Police Department, the Building and Planning Departments, the Fire Department, the Department of Management Services, Parks, and a Citywide Overview of Implementation Status. Each study evaluated management, staffing, organization structure, resource deployment, maintenance service levels, operations, equipment, technology, human resource management, training, management information systems, performance measurement, and policies and procedures. We recommended specific performance measures for use in several departments. As a part of each management audit, we surveyed a number of comparable cities to develop comparative data and to identify best practices. In a follow-up analysis, Citygate found that over 95 percent of our approximately 250 recommendations had been implemented.

Citygate facilitated two one-day workshops with the Salt Lake City Planning staff and Council staff on character-based leadership principles.

Citygate completed a two-phase study for the City of Vista’s Finance Department. Phase one included an organizational and process review of the Finance Department, including an evaluation of work processes, organizational arrangement, and staff/workload balance. Phase two included a review of the City’s MUNIS Software System to improve its functionality for the City.

Citygate completed a Fire Department planning study, which included a Standard of Coverage planning analysis designed to examine the levels of Fire Department service by occupancy type and land use classification. The study also included fire station and staffing infrastructure triggers; analysis of fire protection/prevention systems, specifically water supply and urban-wildland interface fire prevention strategies; and financing options for the Madera County Fire Department. Citygate has performed fire services deployment Master Plans for the City of Madera, in addition to the Madera County Fire Department. These included detailed response times and staffing plans that can be adapted to any county fire services provider.