ATLANTA FIRE RESCUE FOUNDATION INC

The three goals of the foundation include to, fund and enable professional development and personal growth across all levels at AFRD, to enhance public service capabilities, features and equipment of all AFRD stations and facilities and to enhance public safety awareness, education and community risk reduction efforts.

Focus Areas:
World Class Talent
Goal: Fund and enable professional development and personal growth across all levels at AFRD

Strategies:
• Stand up and coordinate executive mentoring program for top 3 ranks
o Board members to identify strong executive level business leaders (skilled at leading their organizations and being in the public eye) within their circles and obtain their commitment to participate
o Create simple strawman structure for the program
o Put together the pairings and kick off. Assign pairings midstream as personnel changes occur
o Annual joint breakfast event for all involved
o Annual survey to respective participants to measure value and effectiveness

• Support Rising Phoenix program by allocating funding and resources
o Facilitate volunteer host locations
o Fund lunch and refreshments if not provided by host
o Be a resource for speakers at the request of AFRD staff responsible for curriculum
o Provide consultative support to assure the program's effectiveness

• Fund and support morale boosting initiatives
o Sponsor and host a semi-annual luncheon for female AFRD recruits and firefighters
o Begin foundation budget line item that would be available to fund Chief requested and approved department unfunded special training or event requests
o All other strategic plan activities will positively impact morale with successful completion

• Expand Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
o Expand to include paramedic program
o Fully fund and utilize all budgeted TAP dollars
o Ensure program visibility through periodic communications, updates through department leadership, and by highlighting members who have successfully used
o Measure success at 70% awareness of the program
o Perform annual evaluation to ensure amount is attractive, competitive, compelling, and meaningful

• Expand AFRD Diversity recruitment campaign
o Identify PR firm to assist with diversity project
o Ensure AFRD Step Forward is utilized and leveraged
o Create and execute communication plan to disseminate assets created in FY18

• Initiate and fund AFRD pay study for City of Atlanta FY2020 budget planning
o Contract firm to complete market compensation study
o Solicit private and corporate support for pay study funding
o Present to Fire Chief by April 30, 2019


Strategies:
• Purchase Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) washer and dryers to retrofit all 36 stations
o Solicit private funding
o Determine eligible fire stations
o Purchase and install commensurate with funding

Board of Directors (14 Members)
2 Full Time Staff, Executive Director and Development Director
1 Part Time Staff, Accountant
Network

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation understands our collaboration with the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) is critical to the state of public safety in the city. By offering a comprehensive menu of programs that support workforce development, fire stations and the community, AFRF has been able to achieve the following accomplishments.

* AFRD Diversity Recruitment Campaign: With the goal of increasing diversity within AFRD, our organization helped launched the Step Forward campaign. Step Forward is a digital campaign intended to increase the recruitment and retention of three minority demographics, including, women, Latino and LGBTQ. The campaign resulted in a compilation of digital marketing assets that include a video and a series of digital billboards that are currently displayed throughout the city. To date, the campaign has successfully supported the recruitment of over 160 women and over 80 Latinos for the spring’s application cycle.

* Camp Ignite: Camp Ignite successfully graduated 15 young women, ages 16-18, from its inaugural session in February 2019. The camp has been formally recognized as the first and only single-gender fire camp in the Metro Atlanta region.

* Rising Phoenix Leadership Institute: a year-long leadership and professional development program that prepares future leaders for positions within AFRD. The program graduated 14 rising leaders in March of 2019, making it the second largest graduating class.

* Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): TAP offers a tuition reimbursement program offering up to $3,000 per year for members enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. In 2015, the program had eight application compared to the now 24 applicants who applied for the January tuition deadline. Firefighters participating in the program have successfully maintained an average of 3.8 overall GPA and are completing 2 courses per semester. This program has not only increased its utilization but it has created a culture of positive respect towards educational attainment in the fire service.