PALMER -- Matanuska-Susitna Borough Department of Emergency Services managers say a May audit that criticized the department as being "poorly organized and managed" was on target, but only in part.
"For the most part the Department of Emergency Services director and deputy director agree with the findings in this audit, although we disagree on some of the conclusions drawn," Dennis Brodigan, the department's director, wrote in a July 15 response to the May audit findings.
Top among these disagreements is with the auditor's view that the borough is "at great risk, not only operationally but from a liability perspective" because the department "appears to be poorly organized and managed and there is a general lack of monitoring of department administration, and corporate oversight."
The audit, conducted by California-based Dhillon Management Services for $49,700, was released May 2. Auditors reviewed both the emergency services department and the solid waste division as part of an Assembly plan to review operations in several borough departments.
The borough Assembly is considering the audit's findings for the solid waste division, such as reexamining the way the borough operates remote transfer stations.
Auditors criticized the emergency services department for what they said was a lack of policies for administering emergency services and for contradictory borough laws regarding emergency services. Auditors said job descriptions were outdated, an emergency operation plan was out of date and standard operating procedures for different departments in some cases did not exist.
Brodigan said on Tuesday that the plans need to be updated, but the conclusion that a lack of written plans put the department was at risk wasn't accurate.
"That we didn't have a written strategic plan doesn't necessarily mean our operations have no vision, that employees don't know what their mission is or are void of leadership at the top. We make up for a lack of what is written by communicating frequently with our responders," Brodigan said.
UPDATING POLICIES
Strategic goals are communicated within the department and operating procedures taught during training classes and in the field, Brodigan said.
That said, the department is in the process of updating policies and plans.
Brodigan said he plans to have several new plans in place by mid to late 2009.
The audit was based largely on documentation, not personal interviews.
Brodigan and others in the department criticized auditors for not spending more time interviewing employees about how the department functions.
"Even more disappointing is to reflect that, had they spoken to any of the borough's EMTs (emergency medical technicians), they would have been able to evaluate how widely disseminated and well understood the components of the plan are among those to whom they are relevant," wrote Bill Mackreth, emergency services training coordinator for the borough, in the department's written response to the audit.
TRAINING PLAN HIT
Auditors criticized Mackreth's emergency services training plan because, they said, it appeared the plan was "more a series of documents than a plan, and few of the documents show any form of authority for the training program, or are even on letterhead."
"I must observe that of all the potentially useful and beneficial suggestions I had hoped for, a more frequent use of letterhead was not what I would have expected, nor can I envision more letterhead substantially improving the nature of our training," Mackreth said in the department's response.
Borough manager John Duffy said despite a sense that the plan reached inaccurate conclusions, the audit brought to light several areas where the department can improve.
"I hope you don't feel that we are at odds with the auditors. We're not," Duffy told the Mat-Su Assembly.
"But the statement that the system is about to collapse, a lot of our responders took umbrage with that. We did too."
Find Daily News reporter Rindi White online at www.adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.
TO-DO LIST
Dennis Brodigan, department of emergency services director for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, said staff in his department are working to implement recommendations from a management audit completed in May. On his list are:
• Emergency Medical Services standard operating procedures plan revision
STATUS: Mat-Su Emergency Medical Services advisory board is working on this revision.
• Department-wide strategic plan to improve effectiveness and measure performance
STATUS: Draft plan being revised. Final plan expected to be delivered to borough administration by Aug. 1.
• Fire service area master plans
STATUS: Oklahoma State University interns are working with local fire chiefs to tailor service area strategic plans to fit into a master plan.
• Develop dispatch protocols
STATUS: A dispatch committee is meeting to develop protocols
• Renegotiate contract for emergency 911 dispatch service
STATUS: Brodigan is negotiating with the city of Palmer for a revised contract. The Mat-Su Assembly also directed him to negotiate with Wasilla.
• Address understaffing
STATUS: Brodigan said he plans to request additional personnel to address work overload problems identified in the report.
-- Anchorage Daily News
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By RINDI WHITE
rwhite@adn.com