由马克·华莱士（Mark Wallace）
我们都了解我们部门的细节以及我们工作的人的个性，但是大多数计划过程必须考虑其他因素作为您准备或修改计划。计划可能会从你的响应e to future emergency incidents to future expansion of the organization to meet anticipated demands for service. This article will briefly explore what I call a “community fingerprint.” Like a fingerprint, each community has its own unique set of characteristics that make it what it is as well as those that you must make part of every planning process.
Effectively planning for a community’s fire and emergency services involves knowing the community’s details and the variety of influences each detail will have on the total planning effort. Key factors such as understanding the time it has taken your community to get to where it is today, the driving forces and trends of its past, and what has influenced and is now influencing the community will help you effectively develop your organization’s plans. Many factors with your planning will be out of your department’s control; this does not make them any less impactful. Plans that have considered the community’s fingerprint provide an opportunity to be积极主动的—rather than reactive—in the years to come.
许多社区有一个人或群体，他们制定计划，以预测未来的增长，新的发展，并检查将积极或负面的因素影响the community’s future. Chiefs must be connected to these people and this information.
以下是您应该将某些因素视为社区指纹的组成部分：
Demographics
Demographics include statisticaldatarelating to a population and the particular groups within a community and are used in the analysis of a community’s characteristics. Factors include, but are not limited to, size, growth rates, land use density, age distribution, median income, educational levels, household, , and other “vital” statistics. This data is found within data sets maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau as well as locally within most government planning departments. Analyzing data collected over multiple years will help you analyze trends within a community. Understanding the past helps predict the future as long as you know that there will never be an exact equation. Demographics also allow you to compare your community with neighboring or competing departments to attract new employees and retain existing ones.
经济学
Your community’s financial condition distinctly impacts every plan. Local economics are a driving力量, positively and negatively. It is critical to constantly monitor your community’s economics as part of your planning process so contingency plans can be prepared during both good and bad economic times. What are the primary economic indicators for your community? Should you expect to receive the revenues your plan predicted for the fiscal year? Has the community’s general fund budget been balanced? Are there sufficient excess revenues to allow for “rainy day” funds to be set aside in reserve so that future lean years can be covered without having to undergo severe cutbacks or layoffs?
Environment
Environmental issues and creating a sustainable community have become key considerations in all aspects of the community including fire and紧急情况服务。从“绿色”清洁用品到压缩空气泡沫系统的使用以及社区中使用的其他灭火剂到建造新的新计划消防站。您的计划工作中的环境考虑清单将在未来继续增加。哪些力量和趋势“推动”您社区的经济？这些力量和趋势如何影响您的计划？
Weather
Weather条件会影响所有消防部门，并且必须全年包含在所有类型的计划中。天气状况极大地影响了许多消防部门的计划工作。
地形
当地地形可能会或可能不会显着影响您的计划。你会知道多少local在您的计划中要考虑的地形。
Culture
Every community and every fire department has a culture.Culture被描述为一种文明形式，包括其信念，习俗，艺术和机构，它们共同构成了社区或人群。规划师必须了解社区的文化以及消防部门的文化。随着其成员共同努力制定和维护有效的消防和紧急服务计划，文化如何影响消防部门？不幸的是，对于多元化的社区，从来没有一个“文化”。
Ethnic Influences
社区的族裔化妆将影响大多数计划过程，尤其是受到紧急响应影响的过程。一些种族习俗会给社区带来其他危害和风险。一些种族可能与社会和economic您的消防部门必须在计划中理解和解决。
Technology
Fire and emergency services and communities today are technology driven. Changes in technology continue to occur in rapid succession. Services considered “advanced” in years past such as GPS, AVL, Wi-Fi, broadband, and many others are now considered fundamental technologies in all but the poorest or most偏僻的communities. As fire and emergency services are expected to do more with fewer personnel, you must turn to technology to close the performance gaps. Planning for this rapid change will be among the greatest challenges of fire service planning teams for years to come.
其他因素
哪些其他因素和特殊功能构成了您的社区（机场，火车站，有限的通道，军事基地等）的指纹？您的社区在工作日增长还是“卧室”社区？
Whatever you plan, always consider your community’s “fingerprint,” and identify how these factors impact the development or outcome goals of your plans.
马克·华莱士（MPA，EFO，CFO，fifiree）是消防部门战略计划：创造未来的卓越。他是俄勒冈州的前州消防元帅，也是科罗拉多州和德克萨斯州的前酋长。他目前经营Fireeagle Consulting（www.fireeagleconsulting.com）。他在2014年秋季发行的第七版消防局手册中写了计划章节。
