25 - Fire Chief-EMS Chief PositionsItem No. 25
Memorandum
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager
SUBJECT: Fire Chief / EMS Chief Positions
City Charter Section 23
DATE: March 27, 2023
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The EMS Chief position has been vacant since January 2023. At that time, Thomas McMonigle,
Fire Chief, was selected to serve as the interim department head over the EMS Department. It
therefore became the task of the City Manager to determine next steps in filling the leadership role
of the EMS Department.
STATUS OF ISSUE:
Over the past three months, we have had an opportunity to observe how operations might work for
both Fire and EMS serving under one Chief. Much like how Public Works or Utilities operates
where you have multiple departments working in parallel, but reporting to one department head;
we have seen efficiency and opportunity present itself by having both the Fire Department and
EMS Department report to the same Chief. With this, it became the City Manager's task to
determine whether to return to the previous standard of having a Fire Chief and an EMS Chief,
separate from one another, or to try a new route of assigning the EMS Department to the Fire
Chief, possibly with the creation of a new Assistant EMS Chief to assist him much like the
Assistant Fire Chief does for the Fire Department.
The City Manager has met individually with our three EMS Deputy Chiefs, our Assistant Fire
Chief, our three Deputy Fire Chiefs; as well as spoken with our EMS Medical Director Dr. Sharon
Malone and Fire Chief Thomas McMonigle. Based on their input and all of our direct observation
of these past three months, the City Manager would like to recommend:
1. Elimination of the EMS Chief position.
2. Assigning the EMS Department to the Fire Chief.
3. Creation of a new Assistant EMS Chief.
We believe there is much opportunity for efficiency in operations including cross training and
improved communication by having one department head over both departments. The two will
remain separate departments — the logistics in creating a Fire -based EMS are beyond our ability at
this time, though at some future point (particularly through attrition), could be considered.
Although they will be separate, they will be linked together through one Chief. The creation of an
Assistant EMS Chief is critical as the volume of day to day operational work warrants assistance,
otherwise the Fire Chief role will become consumed nearly entirely with EMS matters. We would
advertise internally for this role first prior to considering an external advertisement.
I have every confidence that Thomas McMonigle will serve as an excellent leader for the EMS
Department. His management style will compliment their structure and support them in continuing
to operate as required under EMS regulations. All the while, Chief McMonigle will look for
opportunities to improve communication, teamwork, cooperation, etc., between the two
departments, thus providing our community a greatly improved product.
It should be noted that the City could always go back to having two separate Chiefs at some future
point. In fact, the creation of an Assistant EMS Chief might lend itself to this by preparing someone
to eventually be able to take on a department head level position. That is however not the City
Manager's intent at this time as the opportunities and benefits we believe to exist under one Chief
seem to outweigh the continuation of two departments under two department heads.
With this, we will need to amend City Code 7.02.001 which calls for the head to be known as the
chief of emergency medical service and replace it with fire chief.
BUDGET:
An adjustment to Chief McMonigle's pay will be made within his current step range as a Fire
Chief. As for the Assistant EMS Chief, the City now has available salary from the eliminated EMS
Chief position available to cover this without added expense to the budget. Our plan is to mirror
that of the Assistant Fire Chief pay range.
OPTIONS:
1. Approve an ordinance to amend 7.02.001 to now assign the EMS Department to the Fire
Chief.
2. Request additional information.
3. Disapprove of the elimination of the EMS Chief position and ask that the City Manager
work to fill this position.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve an ordinance to amend 7.02.001 to now assign the EMS Department to the Fire
Chief.
a. The creation of an Assistant EMS Chief will be done administratively by the City
Manager using existing budgeted funds.
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS,
AMENDING CHAPTER 7, ARTICLE 7.02, SECTION 7.02.001 OF THE CODE
OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS TO DESIGNATE THE FIRE
CHIEF AS HEAD OF THE EMS DEPARTMENT; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS
AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; PROVIDING A REPEALER
CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND DECLARING
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Chapter 7, Article 7.02, Section 7.02.001 in the City of Paris Code of
Ordinances creates the department of Emergency Medical Service ("EMS") and states that
EMS shall be headed by the Chief of EMS; and,
WHEREAS, due to a vacancy in the position of EMS Chief, for the past several months,
the Fire Chief has overseen the department; and
WHEREAS, having one department head overseeing both the Fire and EMS
departments creates opportunities for efficiencies in operations including cross training and
improved communication between the departments;
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that designating the Fire Chief as head of the
EMS department is in the best interests of the city and of its residents and businesses;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby
in all things approved.
Section 2. That Article 7.02, Section 7.02.001 of Chapter 7 of the City of Paris Code
of Ordinances shall be and is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 7.02.001- Department created
There is hereby created in accordance with Section 2-& 23 of the charter of the city the
department of emergency medical service, which may be abbreviated "EMS," whose
head shall be known as the Chef of emergency medical cervico the Chief of the Fire
Department."
Section 3. That all provisions of the ordinances of the City of Paris, Texas in
conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed, and all other provisions
of the ordinances of the City of Paris not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance shall
remain in full force and effect.
Section 4. That the repeal of any ordinance or part of ordinances affected by the
enactment of this ordinance shall not be construed as abandoning any action now pending
under or by virtue of such ordinance or as discontinuing, abating, modifying, or altering any
penalty accruing or to accrue, or as affecting any rights of the municipality under any section
or provisions of any ordinance at the time of passage of this ordinance.
Section S. That it is the intention of the City Council of the City of Paris that this
ordinance and every provision hereof, shall be considered severable, and the invalidity or
partial invalidity of any section, clause, or provisions of this ordinance shall not affect the
validity of any other portion of this ordinance.
Section 6. That this ordinance shall become effective on March 27, 2023.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 27th day of March, 2023.
Paula Portugal, Mayor
ATTEST:
Janice Ellis, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Stephanie H. Harris, City Attorney