Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
= Oversight of the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Program. As previously noted, training was
repeatedly identified as a major weakness within Nashua Fire Rescue. Placing the Training Safety
Division under the direction of the Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards will provide the
oversight that is necessary to establish and then achieve simple, manageable, achievable,
reasonable, and timely (SMART) goals to systematically improve the Nashua Fire Rescue Training
Program.
» Manage the promotion process in conjunction with Human Resources. ESCI recommended within
the Promotions Processes Section of this report that Nashua Fire Rescue re-evaluate the merits of
including the civilian Board of Fire Commissioners within the promotional process. It is ESCI'’s
suggestion that Nashua Fire Rescue may be able to improve the current promotional process by
allowing the professional human resources and fire department personnel to conduct the entire
process, thereby eliminating the potential political influence that could be introduced by the
inclusion of the elected board. The Assistant Chief of Uniform Professional Standards would be well-
positioned to facilitate this process on behalf of the fire department.
= Develop, implement, and manage a Professional Development Program for Nashua Fire Rescue.
Officers who fail to learn leadership skills are challenged almost immediately upon promotion. As
detailed in the Career Development section of this report, both Nashua Fire Rescue and its
employees stand to gain from the development and implementation of a Career Development
Program.
Emergency Services Division
lt takes an adequate and properly trained staff of emergency responders to put the appropriate emergency
apparatus and equipment to its best use in mitigating incidents. Insufficient staffing at an emergency scene
decreases the effectiveness of the response and increases the risk of injury to all individuals involved.
Staff Allocation of Various Functions
Nashua Fire Rescue allocates its staff to six fire stations with crew members assigned to engine and ladder
trucks. These stations are located based on the specific geographic requirements and service level needs of
the area.
The following figure depicts the emergency response staffing employed by Nashua Fire Rescue.
fj Emergency Services
ESC) Consulting International 74
