Citygate performed a comprehensive operations and staffing assessment of the Police Department for the City of Minnetonka, Minnesota. This comprehensive assessment of the law enforcement services delivery system featured a review of Department functions, organizational structure, operational functions, staffing and service levels, and Department efficiencies to ensure current and future needs are met through efficient and effective operations. This study was coordinated with Citygate’s concurrent fire services study.

Citygate conducted an operational and physical asset study for the City of Minnetonka, Minnesota Fire Department. This study entailed a thorough review and analysis of services, staffing, apparatus, and facility options for the Department, including a comprehensive Standards of Coverage document analyzing resource deployment to determine whether the Department is properly deployed to meet the risks and expectations of its community. This assessment also included a staffing plan to meet the needs identified in the SOC analysis, a long-term apparatus plan, and a review of fire station locations with recommendations. The staffing analysis identified strengths and weaknesses, if any, of the current staffing plan.

Citygate conducted a comprehensive operations assessment of the City of Valdez, Alaska, Fire/EMS Department to assist the City and Department in identifying opportunities to improve the delivery of fire, emergency medical, and other technical emergency services. This assessment will include an analysis of deployment, including a community risk assessment and distribution, concentration, and historical reliability and effectiveness analyses, and a review and evaluation of the Fire/EMS Department, including the Department’s organizational structure, the Department’s capital assets and the City’s Capital Improvement Program, the Department’s training and fire prevention programs, the City support services the Department relies upon, and the level of community involvement.

Citygate conducted a public safety staffing study for the City of Woodbury, Minnesota, including a fire services Standards of Coverage and headquarters assessment and a police, fire, and emergency medical services integrated analysis overview.

Citygate performed a mitigation study of the impact on Fire and Emergency Response Service of the Tamarack Resort. The study is provided the District with 1) the information and recommendations regarding what is needed by the District to provide adequate fire protection and EMS services to the resort area, and 2) to recommend what mitigation, monetary or otherwise, should be provided by the Tamarack Resort to the District to cover Tamarack’s proportionate share of expenses expected to be incurred by the District in providing services to the resort area.

Citygate completed a staffing, emergency medical services, and response times study for the City of Eagan, Minnesota. The City desired a performance review of the delivery of all Fire Department services, analysis of staffing and response times delivered by the existing combination paid career/volunteer service model, development of a roadmap for a future staffing model, emergency medical services response options for the community, and an analysis of response times compared to relevant standards, similar departments, or both. Eagan was faced with the reality of decreased availability and retention of paid-on-call firefighters. This reality is the result of changes in America that cannot be avoided. Our recommendations helped the City identify a path forward to sustainable and reliable fire protection. Citygate’s Final Report was enthusiastically received by Fire Department and City personnel.

Citygate completed a project to implement a phased process designed to establish a blueprint for improving the County of San Diego’s regional fire protection and emergency medical system. The study assessed levels of service, identified future needs, provided options for a regional governance structure, and developed cost-feasible proposals to improve the region’s ability to respond to natural or manmade disaster, including wildfires, earthquakes, terrorism, and other multiple-hazard events; bolster day-to-day operations for local agencies; and enhance the delivery of fire and emergency medical services in the County. The study exceeded the County’s expectations and was very well received by the elected officials and stakeholders in May 2010. The County has since retained Citygate to provide ad hoc assistance with implementation of the study’s recommendations. More information on this study, including links to watch the final presentation, listen to a related radio interview with Stewart Gary, view study documents, and read local news articles, is available here: https://citygateassociates.com/Fire_San_Diego_County_Study.html. The Board of Supervisors voted 5–0 to adopt Citygate’s recommendations, and the County is now in the process of implementing the recommendations.

Citygate completed a Master Plan, including a Standards of Coverage planning analysis (fire station and crew deployment), along with an implementation study of non-response (administrative) services for the Napa County Fire Department. A special component of this project included an assessment of volunteer fire service organization, and the fiscal costs associated with the proposed Master Plan recommendations were also assessed.

Citygate completed a two-phase engagement for the City of Cloverdale. The first phase assessed key policy issues to help the City gain an understanding of the primary choices it has to make for the sizing of public safety services, including the City Fire Department (mostly volunteer staffed). Phase two provided a detailed, specific-issue analysis with recommendations for implementation, including the formulation of development impact fees.

Citygate conducted a high-level assessment of the feasibility of fire agency consolidation for these agencies: Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and the Oceano Community Services District. The partners desired an independent review of the current fire department service relationships to determine if a functional or a full consolidation of one or more departments would provide cost stabilization while maintaining effective services. Options explored include a City-owned fire department, a contract with CAL FIRE, or full consolidation. The study included a strong volunteer fire service component. The study used geo-mapping tools to briefly review fire station service areas and conduct an assessment of current expenses, and it included an examination of governance options. The City of Pismo Beach agreed with Citygate’s recommendations to remain with CAL FIRE. In early 2010, the other agencies established a JPA single fire agency along the lines of the Citygate recommendation.