Public Safety Reports

TABLE 6-1: The Five GASB Performance Indicators

Category

Definition

Input Indicators

These are designed to report the amount of resources, either

financial or other (especially personnel), that have been used for

a specific service or program.

Output Indicators

These report the number of units produced or the services

provided by a service or program.

Outcome Indicators

These are designed to report the results (including quality) of the

service.

Efficiency (and cost-

effectiveness) Indicators

These are defined as indicators that measure the cost (whether in

dollars or employee hours) per unit of output or outcome.

Explanatory Information

This includes a variety of information about the environment and

other factors that might affect an organization’s performance.

As CAL FIRE evolves it is critical that a series of measurements be established to track the

performance of all operations. Currently, under the terms of the service agreement with Morgan

Hill and Santa Clara County EMS, CAL FIRE is required to meet a series of performance measures.

These involve response times, fire inspection and plans review turn-around times, dispatch

services, and engine company inspection activities. Though these measures are viable their

application to the full range of fire, EMS, fire prevention and public outreach efforts are currently

limited. To be effective, a full range of performance measures should be utilized and these

findings should be published and shared with all the affected stakeholders, including the City

Council, the Mayor’s Office, the City Manager’s Office, the District, and CAL FIRE first responders.

CAL FIRE does not provide similar performance monitoring efforts to SSCCFD officials, beyond the

required EMS response time measures. Ongoing analysis and the monitoring of trends are most

useful to justify program effectiveness, direct training efforts, and to measure service delivery

levels.

Establishing a performance management system within the framework of an overall strategic

plan would help City and District management and elected officials to gain a better

understanding of what CAL FIRE is trying to achieve. Building any successful performance

management system that measures more than outputs requires a consistent model.

Recommendation: CAL FIRE should undertake a concerted effort to expand its current

performance measures in order to incorporate a comprehensive performance

management system that monitors a full range of performance outcomes.

The process of developing these measures should utilize input from CAL FIRE members, the

community, elected officials, and city administrators.

CPSM recommends that CAL FIRE undertake a concerted effort to develop a comprehensive

listing of performance measures for both emergency and nonemergency activities. The

following are a number of suggested measures that may be considered:

From Harry P. Hatry et al., eds.

Service Efforts and Accomplishments Reporting: Its Time Has Come

(Norwalk , CT: GASB, 1990).