CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
• Arlington ’ s next fire chief must be ready for the demand and risk issues associated with a high-profile city of 400,000 citizens and its entertainment district that hosts an additional 15 million visitors through numerous special events .
• The department ’ s special event section has kept pace with the growth of the entertainment district for the last decade but there is some concern of keeping the special event model sustainable . This includes the department ’ s EOD team , as it has faced an evergrowing demand for services over the last decade . AFD maintains one of the region ’ s largest and effective EOD teams .
• The next Fire Chief will be responsible for the immediate rebuilding of two existing fire stations and possibly a new fire station within several years . The growing costs of construction is putting pressure on design and other construction issues .
• The department enjoys highly effective relationships with school districts , hospitals , county health agencies , sports franchises and event promoters . Maintaining federal funding through the Urban Area Security Initiative ( UASI ) grant is a major priority for the next fire chief as many of the department ’ s special event and special operations groups receive much needed funding from UASI .
• The 911 Center , managed by AFD , serves Police , Fire and EMS . Next generation 911 technology will soon be implemented in Texas , and the cost and training associated with Next Gen 911 is an ongoing concern from staffing , training and budgetary perspectives .
• The department is much younger today than in recent years due to retirements and a major influx of new members . This means the next Fire Chief must focus on training , safety and professional development . Maintaining the performance levels of generalized and specialized services is vitally important .
• The Arlington Fire Chief serves as the contract administrator for the Arlington EMS System . The EMS system is a “ failsafe franchise ” model , with AMR serving as the ambulance provider while the Fire Department operates as a first responder with a A-EMT minimum level of certification . Maintaining oversight and performance is a critical function for the next fire chief .
FIRE CHIEF | CITY OF ARLINGTON , TEXAS