Identifying the components of a community risk reduction ... · business location with the enhancement of the physical, social and economic environment of its neighborhoods” (City

Running head: IDENTIFYING THE COMPONENTS OF A COMMUNITY RISK 1

Identifying the components of a community risk reduction coalition for the City of Miramar

Ronald DeShong

National Fire Academy

Miramar Fire Rescue Department, Miramar, Florida


Certification Statement

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of

others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have

used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another.

Signed: ______________________________________________


Abstract

The City of Miramar is a diverse community located in southeast Florida which strives to

provide a full realm of public services. Various departments within the city government have

undertaken many initiatives to address community risks without a cohesive and community

guided approach. The problem was the City of Miramar does not have a coalition of

stakeholders to identify and address risks found throughout the community. The purpose of this

research was to identify the components of an effective community risk reduction (CRR)

coalition for the City of Miramar. The descriptive research method was used to answer the

following research questions. (1) What are the components of an effective CRR coalition? (2)

Who are the stakeholders interested the identification and reduction of community risk? (3)

What barriers are identifiable for the creation of a CRR coalition? (4) What is the purpose of a

CRR coalition for the City of Miramar? A review of the available literature was conducted and

specific individuals within the city government and academics were interviewed. The results of

the literature review and interviews were presented and the relationship between the results of

this study and the information presented in the literature review were compared. Based upon the

information derived for this study it was recommended that the City of Miramar create a

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Coalition. The initial steps for the creation of the CRR

coalition were suggested.


Table of Contents

Certification Statement ................................................................................................................... 2

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Background and Significance ......................................................................................................... 6

Literature Review.......................................................................................................................... 10

Procedures ..................................................................................................................................... 17

Limitations ................................................................................................................................. 20

Results ........................................................................................................................................... 20

Characteristics of an Effective CRR Coalition .......................................................................... 20

Stakeholders Interested the Identification and Reduction of Community Risk ........................ 24

Barriers to the Creation of a CRR Coalition .............................................................................. 27

The Purpose of a CRR Coalition for the City of Miramar ........................................................ 28

Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 29

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 31

References ..................................................................................................................................... 32

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 34

IDENTIFYING THE COMPONENTS OF A COMMUNITY RISK 5

Identifying the components of a community risk reduction coalition for the City of Miramar

Introduction

The City of Miramar is a diverse community located in southeast Florida. City leaders

seek to provide a full realm of public services, including parks, recreation programs, senior

citizens services, youth enrichment services, public utilities, and public safety. Over the years the

various departments within the city government have undertaken many initiatives to address

specific and perceived community risks without a cohesive and community guided approach.

City departments often embark on these initiatives without sufficient data to support the need,

without “buy-in” from the community, and often without involving important stakeholders.

While many of these initiatives are initially successful, many have a relatively short “shelf life”

and slowly fade away for lack of support or funding.

The problem is the City of Miramar does not have a coalition of stakeholders to identify

and address risks found throughout the community. The purpose of this research is to identify

the components of an effective community risk reduction (CRR) coalition for the City of

Miramar. The descriptive research method will be used to identify the components of a CRR

coalition. A list of components that are necessary for an effective CRR coalition will be

compiled using a literature review. Interviews of various city employees and academic leaders

will be conducted to identify possible stakeholders for the creation of a CRR coalition. A survey

of stakeholders will be conducted to identify barriers to the creation of a CRR coalition. A

review of the available literature and a survey of stakeholders will be conducted to determine the

suggested purpose of the CRR coalition.

The research will be used to answer the following research questions. (1) What are the

components of an effective CRR coalition? (2) Who are the stakeholders interested the


identification and reduction of community risk? (3) What barriers are identifiable for the

creation of a CRR coalition? (4) What is the purpose of a CRR coalition for the City of

Miramar?

Background and Significance

The City of Miramar is an ethnically diverse and growing municipality located in

southeast Florida strategically placed between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The city is not

located on the coast and does not have a seasonal transient population. Miramar has experienced

unprecedented growth over the past 12 years, increasing its population by more than 75% from

72,739 in 2000 to 128,729 in 2011 (United States Census Bureau, 2011). Located in Broward

County, Miramar is a long and narrow city, approximately 2.5 miles wide and 14 miles long

(http://www.ci.miramar.fl.us/cityclerk/about/). It is the fifth largest city in the county by

population and the third largest by land mass.

The city offers a full line of public services to the community, including parks, recreation

programs, senior services, inspection & code enforcement services, public works, utilities, and

public safety. These services are provided via typical operational departments within the city

government and overseen ultimately by a city manager form of local government.

The Miramar Parks and Recreation Department maintains 22 neighborhood parks, one

regional park, and ten community parks. Programming at the city’s parks includes athletic and

team sports activities such as the baseball, basketball, football, soccer, handball, racquetball,

tennis, volleyball, jogging, netball, cricket, track & field, and swimming. This department

oversees many events of a multi-cultural nature to accommodate Miramar’s diverse population.

The department also hosts the city’s early childhood programs which are nationally accredited by


the Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE) (City of Miramar,

Florida, 2014).

The Miramar Social Services Department offers youth and family outreach services,

senior services, and additional early childhood development programs. They focus on the

community by providing information, preventative education, and access to social service

resources. The department operates two senior centers where folks 55 years or older can gather

in a safe environment with people of similar experiences and age appropriate activities. The

senior program offers door-to-door transportation to the senior centers, assists with transportation

to shopping and doctor’s appointments, and offers health screenings and wellness checks.

Finally, to improve the quality of life for it aging citizens the Social Services Department offers

day trips, organizes parties and dances, and offers caregiver support and counseling (City of

Miramar, Florida, 2014).

The Miramar Community Development Department is responsible to enforce the city’s

building code, oversee growth and development, and ensure that the city maintains a safe and

aesthetically pleasing environment. The department maintains a staff of specifically trained and

licensed building, electrical, and plumping inspectors who regularly inspect new construction

and renovations of existing structures. The department issues permits for special events and

construction projects of all sizes and scopes (City of Miramar, Florida, 2014).

The city’s Economic Development & Revitalization Department is responsible to assess

economic opportunities for the city and “to balance Miramar's Economic position as a premier

business location with the enhancement of the physical, social and economic environment of its

neighborhoods” (City of Miramar Budget Department, 2013, p. 252). This department is

responsible for marketing and production of publications for citywide distribution. The


department also maintains a database of businesses within the city and is responsible for

identifying grant opportunities for various economic development purposes.

The Miramar Public Works department provides typical services to its residents including

solid waste (trash) pick up, storm water management, transportation services (community buses),

and facilities maintenance. The Utilities Departments provides waste water collection &

treatment, fresh water treatment & distribution, water quality testing, and waste water

reclamation programs. This department also is responsible to maintain the city’s utilities

infrastructure including two water treatment plants and a waste water treatment & reclamation

plant. The Utilities Department communicates important city information regularly through

mailing the utility bills.

Miramar boasts “outstanding Public Safety Departments with a full-time staff of

professionally trained and certified firefighters and police officers” (City of Miramar, Florida,

2014, p. About the City). The Miramar Police Department (MPD) consists of 198 sworn law

enforcement officers and approximately 70 support staff. According to their website the MPD’s

“mission is to provide a safe and secure environment by working in partnership with the

community…” (Miramar Police Department, 2012, p. About Us). The MPD is accredited by the

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Commission for

Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) and offers a full range of law enforcement and

other services. Additionally, the MPD oversees the Code Compliance Division which is

responsible to enforce the city’s municipal codes, including zoning, occupational licenses,

building ordinances, and other regulations. The Code Compliance Division has the power to

issue citations for code violations and is the primary enforcement arm of the city's code (City of

Miramar Budget Department, 2013).


The Miramar Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD) consists of 140 certified

firefighter/paramedics and 10 support staff. The MFRD operates five fire-rescue stations

strategically placed throughout the city. The department offers fire protection services,

emergency medical services (EMS), fire prevention, public education, building plan review, and

oversees the Emergency Management (EM) Division. The EM Division manages the

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program. CERT’s mission is to educate

members of the community about disaster preparedness and trains people in disaster response

skills, such as fire safety, search & rescue (light), and first aid. The CERT program provides a

cadre of trained citizens that can react to disasters and other events under the direction of the

Fire-Rescue Department to assist members of the community (Miramar Fire-Rescue Department,

2013).

Each of the above mentioned departments offer services to address various risks to the

community and the departments often collaborate to address specific risks, but there is no

standing committee or workgroup that examines data to identify and quantify risks that effect the

community. Furthermore, there is no organized and comprehensive effort within the city to

include non-employee members of the community in the six process steps for community risk

reduction (CRR) as identified in the March 2011 Vision 20/20 Community Risk Reduction

Planning Report. Those steps include (1) identify risks, (2) prioritize risks, (3) develop

strategies and tactics to mitigate risks, (4) prepare a CRR plan, (5) implementing the CRR plan,

and (6) monitoring, evaluating, and modifying the CRR plan as needed (Vision 20/20, 2011, p.

6).

This topic was chosen for an applied research project (ARP) because the community

within the City of Miramar will benefit greatly by identifying the components of an effective


CRR coalition, identifying the appropriate stakeholders within the community, identifying the

barriers to an effective CRR coalition, and by identifying the purpose of a CRR coalition. By not

having a CRR coalition the city will continue to “guess” at what the risks are facing the

community. This research problem relates to content of the second course in the Executive Fire

Officer Program (EFOP), Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction (EACRR) at the

National Fire Academy. Specifically, the problem relates to Unit 4: Leading Organizational and

Community Change, the Eight Stages of Successful Change, Stage 2: Creating a Guiding

Coalition (U.S. Fire Administration [USFA], 2012, p. 4-7). This project relates to the U.S. Fire

Administrations (USFA) Strategic Goal 1: Reduce risk at the local level through prevention and

mitigation (U.S. Fire Administration [USFA], 2010, p. 13).

Literature Review

This section contains a review of the available literature in order to identify the

components of an effective CRR coalition. Additionally, the available literature will be

reviewed in order to see what stakeholders have been identified by other researchers who are

interested the identification and reduction of community risk, and what barriers were identified

for the creation of a CRR coalition. Finally, research will be conducted as part of the literature

review to identify what other researchers have outlined as the purpose of a CRR coalition in their

communities.

Effective Coalitions

In order to establish what constitutes an effective CRR Coalition we must first define

what a coalition is. The Business Advocacy Network factsheet Building coalitions, identifies a

coalition as “an alliance or partnership of groups coming together in order to achieve a common

purpose or engage in a joint activity” (Business Advocacy Network, n.d., p. 1). The Prevention


Institute’s Developing Effective Coalitions: An Eight Step Guide adds “A coalitions is a union of

people and organizations working to influence outcomes on a specific problem” (Prevention

Institute, 2002, p. 1). The advantages of a coalition are numerous, including representing a

larger constituency, increased expertise or resources, improved consensus building, avoidance of

duplication of efforts, and can build a base for lasting change (Business Advocacy Network,

n.d.). Coalitions can conserve resources, achieve more widespread goals, and can accomplish

objectives that are beyond the capacity of a single agency. They often have greater credibility,

greater insight into issues, involve a wider variety of stakeholders, and can improve information

sharing more than single agencies (Prevention Institute, 2002).

The characteristics of an effective coalition include, having a lead agency; clearly defined

goals and objectives; defined time frames for achieving goals and objectives; an appropriate

representation of stakeholders; an appropriate number of members; a defined level of

commitment of the participants; an adequate meeting space, location, and time; adequate

financial resources; and adequate support from parent agency leadership (Prevention Institute,

2002). Having a lead agency is necessary because the lead agency will be responsible for

initiating the formation of the coalition. The lead agency will often be charged with establishing

the initial meeting times and locations, will be responsible for the record keeping, and will

usually be expending the most resources (staff time and money). The lead agency will usually

be responsible for data collection and dissemination, and initiation of activities prescribed by the

coalition (Prevention Institute, 2002). The lead agency will be responsible to create and sustain a

common vision for coalition activities, inspire members to actively participate in coalition

meetings and activities, demonstrate active participation as model to other coalition members,


prioritize responsibilities, provide direction for coalition members, and act as a liaison between

coalition members (Raynor, 2011).

A coalition with clearly defined goals and objectives will keep the focus on the reasons

for the formulation of the coalition, and will reduce or prevent individual member from hijacking

the coalition for their own agendas. Defined goals will limit the scope of the coalition and keep

members focused on the desired outcomes. Clearly outlined objectives will reduce the time

needed to settle issues and help maintain member involvement inertia (Prevention Institute,

2002).

An effective coalition must have defined time frames for achieving its goals and

objectives. No one wants to be part of a group that never ends and doesn’t accomplish anything.

Defined long-term goals must be set and intermediate or short-term objective must be

achievable. On page 13 of Developing Effective Coalitions: An Eight Step Guide the Prevention

Institute recommends identifying some areas that will result in short-term success. These

successes will serve to motivate the members and will enhance the coalition’s credibility and

perceived effectiveness (Prevention Institute, 2002).

Effective coalitions have an appropriate representation of stakeholders, an appropriate

number of members, and a defined level of commitment of the participants. Proper stakeholders

are critical to the success of a coalition. They can become advocates and cheerleaders or

detractors and distractors. The coalition should consist of a diverse group of stakeholders who

bring different skill sets, different points of view, and different resources, but have an interest in

achieving the goals of the coalition. Coalitions should be large enough to constitute an

appropriate representation of the stakeholders, while at the same time not being so large that

nothing gets accomplished. The Prevention Institute provides this tip: “A group larger than 12-


18 people requires more resources and will take longer to develop group identity and a common

purpose” (Prevention Institute, 2002, p. 11). The level of commitment of the various coalition

members will vary depending on many factors, but the success (or failure) of the coalition will

be a direct outcome of this commitment. Coalition members committed to the “mission” are

more likely to expend time and other resources in pursuit of the coalition goals and objective. It

is important to meld the objectives of the coalition members in order to develop trust and insure

that individual member goals or desires are met by participation in the coalition (Prevention

Institute, 2002).

In order for coalitions to be effective they must have adequate meeting space, a neutral

and accessible location, a regular and convenient time, and adequate financial resources.

Meetings should be held where individual members feel comfortable participating. Spaces that

are too small (or too large) may indicate to the participants that the coalition lacks significance or

support of the lead agency. Meeting spaces should have adequate handicapped access, tables and

chairs, restroom facilities, and electronic equipment (projectors, etc.). Locations for meeting

should be held at neutral locations to avoid perceived turf or other issues. Meetings should also

be held in locations that can be reached within a reasonable time. Members are less likely to

attend and participate if getting there is a chore. Coalition meeting should be held at times and

intervals of frequency that is convenient for the members. Coalitions that encompass a large area

where participants need to travel distances should be held less frequently (quarterly) than

coalitions that consist of individuals from the same area. Allowance for work schedules may

dictate that meeting be held in the evenings. Meetings should not last longer than one and a half

to two hours unless necessary and meetings agendas should be followed so that the time is used

efficiently. Finally, adequate financial resources are a must for effective coalitions. The level of


necessary financial resources will vary depending on the goals of the coalitions, but some

commitment for clerical help, meeting space rent, refreshments, research and data collection, and

public relations should be made by the lead or other agency (Prevention Institute, 2002).

No coalition can be successful without the support of individual member’s parent agency

or organization. In almost all cases coalition members have other jobs to attend to and

involvement in the coalition is often added to their already large burden. In order to be effective

participants members must feel supported when they “go home to their real job”. It is important

to make sure that the parent organizations understand how involvement in the coalition will help

them achieve their individual goals or mission (Prevention Institute, 2002).

Stakeholder Identification

This subsection will identify what stakeholders have been identified by other researchers

who are interested the identification and reduction of community risk. The stakeholders

identified by other researchers vary depending on the goals of the coalitions formed. In general

common stakeholders consist of the local fire department, police or sheriff’s department, and the

public health department. Kreger (2004) indicated that agencies in his community, Orange,

Texas, who had an interest in accidental death and injury prevention consisted of the local

hospital, local EMS provider, the American Red Cross, the local fire department, the local police

department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division (Kreger, 2004,

p. 18). In his EFO ARP Leland suggested that his agency, the Rochester (MN) Fire Department,

should become a member of a multi-agency coalition that addresses unintentional injuries within

the community. This coalition would consist of two local hospitals, the county health

department, the state agency on aging, the senior citizen center, the local ambulance company,

the police department, and local service clubs (Leland, 2005, p. 35).


Another EFO researcher, Mark Carr of the New Britain (CT) Fire Department,

recommends the development of a community partnership group consisting of neighborhood

groups, government agencies, religious groups, and health services agencies be constituted in

order to address community risk (Carr, 2006, p. 37). In Wolfeboro, NH a coalition consisting of

eight members was formed to address the problem of senior citizen falls and fires. Members of

this coalition included representatives from the Senior Citizens Club, the Lions Club (a civic

organization), the local hospital, the operator of two local senior housing facilities, a local

physical therapist, a facilities maintenance manager with a local retirement community, and a

ranking member of the local fire department as chair (Zotti, 2009, p. 16).

In summary of this subsection, the literature review indicates that inclusion of

stakeholders in CRR coalitions is necessary. These stakeholders consist of representatives from

the local hospital districts, community leaders or activists, members of the community with

specific expertise such as senior citizens injuries or building construction and maintenance

practices, the health department, the police or sheriff’s department, and the fire department.

Additionally, in some cases it may be necessary to involve state or county agencies in order to

acquire the proper statistics or other information.

Barriers to the Creation of a CRR Coalition

The literature identified some barriers to the creation of a CRR coalition might exist.

Specific barriers to the creation of a community risk coalition were found in an EFO ARP by

Chad Michael (2013). In his interviews and survey Michael’s participants reported

territorialism, lack of vision, lack of financial or physical resources, existing workload issues,

and finding times and dates for the coalition to meet as barriers to an effective CRR coalition

(Michael, 2013). Other literature concurs with these identifiable barriers to coalition formation.


As identified earlier the components that make an effective coalition can also be barriers if they

are not present. Lack of leadership, lack of clear goals and objectives, not involving the proper

stakeholders, too many members participating in the coalition, lack of commitment by coalition

members, inadequate financial support, and absence of support from parent agencies can all

represent barriers to effective CRR coalition building (Business Advocacy Network, n.d.;

Prevention Institute, 2002). Additionally, it is important to identify competitors and adversaries

to the coalition so that they do not become barriers to the coalition’s success (Prevention

Institute, 2002).

Purpose of a CRR Coalition

Most of the literature reviewed for this project indicated formation of coalitions to

address specific risks or specific populations. Leland (2005) and Zotti (2009) identify the

purpose of their CRR coalitions as addressing risks to older Americans. Kreger (2004)

recommends that a coalition be formed in his community to address the causes of accidental

deaths and injuries. Michael (2013) suggests that the lead agency, the fire department, establish

the mission, vision, and objectives for the CRR coalition. He suggests that this “will assist in the

process of moving the CRR coalition effort forward” (Michael, 2013, p. 52).

The EACRR Student Manual (2012) states that “the guiding coalition’s purpose is to

build a strategy for causing change to happen” (USFA, 2012, p. 4-8). In this view the general

purpose of the CRR coalition would be established by the lead agency, but the specific mission,

vision, goals and objectives would be formulated by the coalition itself. If the members of a

CRR coalition are allowed to participate in the formulation its purpose then there will be greater

buy-in by the members and the coalition may be more effective (USFA, 2012).


Procedures

The research for this project was conducted in three phases to answer the following

research questions. (1) What are the components of an effective CRR coalition? (2) Who are the

stakeholders interested the identification and reduction of community risk? (3) What barriers are

identifiable for the creation of a CRR coalition? (4) What is the purpose of a CRR coalition for

the City of Miramar?

During phase one a literature review was conducted to determine what information is

available pertaining to this topic. Phase two included designing an interview questionnaire that

would enhance the understanding of how a CRR coalition might impact the City of Miramar. In

phase three specific individuals within the city government and academics were identified to take

part in the interview process.

Phase 1—Literature Review

During the literature review specific components of an effective coalition were identified.

This research suggests that the formation of a coalition for almost any purpose would share

certain traits. These traits will be discussed further in the discussion section of this project.

Likewise, the literature review indicated that certain stakeholders would likely be common

across any coalition formed for the purpose of community risk reduction. These common

stakeholders will be discussed along with those identified through the personal interviews further

in the discussion portion of this project. The literature review indicated that certain barriers to

the creation of an effective CRR coalition are likely to exist. These “generic” barriers along with

the Miramar specific barriers are identified in the discussion section. Finally, the literature

review was used to create guiding/leading questions for the questionnaire. The concept of a

CRR coalition is foreign to many of the participants selected to be interviewed, so in order for


the interviews to determine an appropriate purpose it must ask the proper questions. Information

gathered from the literature review was used to suggest a possible purpose for the CRR Coalition

in the City of Miramar while leaving the specifics up the participants to suggest.

Phase 2—Interview Design

The interview questions created for this project were designed for two purposes. The

first purpose was to find out if the information derived from the literature review was also

considered important to the interviewees. The first set of questions was used to determine the

familiarity or lack thereof, of the interview participants with the NFA’s Community Risk Model

and the components of an effective CRR coalition. The second set of questions allowed

interviewees to see what important stakeholders were identified by the literature review and

asked them to add any that they thought were also important. The third interview question asked

participants to identify possible barriers to an effective CRR coalition. Finally, interview

participants were asked to suggest a possible purpose of a CRR coalition might be within

Miramar. Appendix A contains a sample of the interview sheet.

Phase 3—Participant Selection

The selection process for those individuals who would be asked to participate in the

interview was planned to occur in two phases. First, the interview was presented to the Miramar

Fire-Rescue Chief. During this phase it was determined that the participants should primarily be

high-level members of the department, academics familiar with CRR, or other city officials.

Through the interview with the Chief it was deemed important that the research not create an

expectation of future department program at this point in time. The Chief indicated that the

creation of a CRR coalition might be an issue that the department takes up in future years (L. K.

Tomey, personal communication, February 25, 2014).


The second phase identified the following personnel as important and willing participants

for the interviews. L. Keith Tomey is the Miramar Fire-Rescue Chief. He holds a Master of

Organizational Management, Bachelor of Public Administration degrees, Executive Fire Officer

(EFO) from the NFA, and Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation from the Center for Public

Safety Excellence (CPSE). He has more than 25 years of service with the City of Miramar and is

vary familiar with the internal political situation in the city (L. K. Tomey III, personal

communication, March 20, 2014).

Dr. Eric Smith is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration and the Academic

Coordinator for Emergency and Public Safety Management at Barry University. He has more

than 35 years of experience in the fire service, primarily in Baltimore-Washington corridor, but

he also worked in south Florida for a number of years before retiring from the fire service to

become a professor. Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Public Administration degree from Barry

University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University, a

Master’s degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and a

Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Dr.

Smith is also a graduate of the NFA’s EFO Program (E. Smith, Ph.D., personal communication,

March 20, 2014).

Randy Gonzalez is the Division Chief of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) for the

Miramar Fire-Rescue Department. Division Chief Gonzalez holds a Master’s degree of Public

Administration from Barry University, a Bachelor of Nursing degree, and a has more than 20

years of experience with the City of Miramar (R. N. Gonzalez, personal communication, March

20, 2014).


William Huff is the Division Chief in charge of Emergency Management for the City of

Miramar. He holds a Master’s of Public Administration degree from Barry University, is an

NFA EFO graduate, holds the CFO designation from the CPSE, and is an adjunct professor at

Barry University. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fire service with the City of

Miramar (W. Huff, personal communication, March 31, 2014).

Eric Watters is the Support Services Bureau Commander with the Miramar Police

Department. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Public Administration from Barry

University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Administration/Organizational Studies at

Florida Atlantic University. He has 16 years of service with the City of Miramar, and is an

adjunct professor at Barry University (E. Watters, personal communication, March 31, 2014).

Limitations

It is noted that certain limitations are inherent in the interview process used. First, the

questions are limited to those asked in the interview. Open-ended respondent comments were

allowed, but limited to the subject of CRR Coalition creation and effectiveness. Second,

interviewees were personally known to the researcher and selected because of their knowledge or

experience within the City of Miramar or with community risk reduction. Third, a larger

distribution of the interview questions or a survey was not able to be conducted due to Miramar’s

internal political and practical considerations.

Results

Characteristics of an Effective CRR Coalition

Answering the first research “What are the characteristics of an effective community risk

reduction coalition?” was accomplished through the literature review. The following

characteristics were identified as necessary for a CRR Coalition to be successful. An effective


CRR coalition must have (1) a lead agency; (2) clearly defined goals and objectives; (3) defined

time frames for achieving those goals and objectives; (4) an appropriate representation of

stakeholders; (5) an appropriate number of members; (6) a defined level of commitment of the

participants; (7) an adequate meeting space, location, and time; (8) adequate financial resources;

and (9) adequate support from parent agency leadership (Prevention Institute, 2002).

Lead agency.

Identifying and assigning a lead agency is a critical first step in the creation of a

successful CRR coalition. In most cases this agency will be the fire department or some other

public safety agency that is familiar with the risks facing the community. Additionally, these

agencies may have several of the critical resources for a successful coalition in place at time of

establishment. The lead agency should have the resources sufficient to establish a time and

location for the initial meetings, staff capable of data collection and dissemination, and staff with

the ability to keep records of the coalition’s minutes and actions. The lead agency must have

enough high-level support to inspire coalition members to actively participate, act as a

productive model for other members to emulate. The lead agency must provide leadership and

directions to the coalition, prioritize responsibilities, and act as a liaison between coalition

members (Prevention Institute, 2002; Raynor, 2011).

Clearly defined goals and objectives.

A successful CRR coalition will have clearly defined goals and objectives. Clearly

defined goals and objectives will allow the coalition to maintain focus on the reasons that the

coalition was formed. Defined objectives will provide direction and inertia for the coalition and

combat hijacking of the coalition for agendas that may be specific to certain members. Defined

goals will limit the focus to the desired outcomes of the coalition (Prevention Institute, 2002).


Defined timeframes for achieving the goals and objective.

Defined timeframes are a must for successful CRR coalitions. Defined timeframes will

create a sense of urgency and serve to motivate the members of the coalition. No member wants

to be part of a never ending non-accomplishing project. When setting timeframes for long-term

goals and short-term objectives the timeframes must be reasonable and achievable. Achieving

short-term objectives within the timeframes will demonstrate coalition success and enhance the

coalition’s credibility (Prevention Institute, 2002).

Appropriate representation of stakeholders.

Proper stakeholder involvement is important for the success of a CRR coalition. Good

stakeholders can be a significant asset to the coalition, just as bad stakeholders can be

detrimental. Stakeholders can create a “buzz” around the proposed coalition recommendations

and act as cheerleaders for coalition initiatives. CRR coalition stakeholders should include a

diverse set of skills and be able to provide different resources and expertise to the coalition. The

stakeholders should also be those persons who have an interest in the reduction of community

risks in Miramar (Prevention Institute, 2002). The recommended stakeholders for the City of

Miramar are identified in the recommendations section of this ARP.

Appropriate number of members.

The CRR coalition should consist of a manageable number of members and stakeholders.

The coalition should be limited to 12 to 18 members, but those members should be backed up by

staff or other personnel within their home agency to assist with making coalition’s goals and

objectives a reality. Groups that are too large will struggle to come to consensus and will have

trouble deciding on a specific direction in which to move. In certain circumstances it may be

better to have a smaller, more committed group of members than a bunch of folks that don’t


really care. That being said, proper stakeholder representation is still critical (Prevention

Institute, 2002).

Defined level of commitment of the participants.

During the early stages of development of the CRR coalition the level of commitment of

the members must be defined. Level of commitment in this case would be defined as the amount

of time and resources the member is willing or must commit to the coalition. At certain times

this level of commitment will vary among the members and certain members will bear a greater

burden than others because of the initiatives being pursued by the coalition. Disparity in member

level of commitment may cause resentment among the group and tend to drag the group down.

In order to insure that members are committed the coalition must strive to meld the needs and

desires of the members (or member’s parent agency) with those of the coalition (Prevention

Institute, 2002).

Adequate meeting space, location, and time.

Clearly one of the first and most important decisions for the CRR coalition will be

“Where will we meet, when will we meet, how long will the meetings be, and how often will the

coalition meet?” Meeting spaces should be comfortable with air conditioning and/or heat. They

should be large enough and have sufficient chairs and tables to accommodate the number of

coalition members. The meetings should be held at locations that are convenient for the bulk of

the members, while taking into account the travel time for certain people who may have to travel

longer distances. In certain cases “neutral ground” may be preferable so that certain members do

not become worried about turf concerns. The frequency, time of day, and duration of the

meetings should be decided by the coalition members at one of the initial meetings, but research

suggests that meetings longer than 1 ½ to 2 hours are ineffective (Prevention Institute, 2002).


Adequate financial resources.

Financial resources are necessary for a CRR coalition to be successful. One of the early

decisions for the coalition will be to identify potential sources of funding. This may include

grants, private contributions, non-profit organizations, and regular government funding through

the city’s budget process. The lead agency should not be expected to provide the entire breadth

of funding for the coalition’s initiatives, the lead agency should, however, commit sufficient

resources to provide for record keeping, meeting location upkeep, refreshments if necessary, a

certain amount of data collection, and information/meeting minutes dissemination (Prevention

Institute, 2002).

Adequate support from parent agency leadership.

Support for members participating in the CRR coalition from their parent agencies will

be a critical component of success for the coalition. Members will not feel empowered to

participate fully in the coalition if they are not supported by their bosses. Likewise, the parent

agency must be made to feel like the coalition’s goals and objectives jive with their own. Parent

agencies are not likely commit personnel or other resources to the coalition unless they think it

will enhance their own mission (Prevention Institute, 2002).

Stakeholders Interested the Identification and Reduction of Community Risk

The basic list of stakeholders likely to be interested in reducing community risk was

identified through the literature review and by looking at the City of Miramar’s organizational

structure. The obvious City of Miramar departments include the Police Department, the Fire-

Rescue Department, the Social Service Department (because of their involvement with the elder

community), and the Parks & Recreation Department (because of their children’s programs).

Other city departments include the Community Development Department (because of their city


building code enforcement responsibilities), the Economic Development & Revitalization

Department (because they may be able to identify funding opportunities and are responsible to

produce and disseminate the city’s publications), Public Works & Utilities Departments (because

of their responsibility to maintain roadways and rights of way), and the Code Enforcement

Division (because of their responsibility to enforce the city’s municipal code).

Finally, members of the City Commission will be valuable stakeholders and it will be

critically necessary to have their buy-in and support for any code changes or funding that may be

needed for the CRR coalition to be successful. The Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and City Commission

have a wide range of constituencies and may decide to add valuable members of the community

to the coalition to represent the elected official’s point of view.

Additionally, it was suggested by Division Chief William Huff that the coalition include

the someone from the City’s Grants Management Division because they are familiar with grant

opportunities and may be able to identify funding that other members are not aware of (W. Huff,

personal communication, March 31, 2014). Division Chief Randy Gonzalez suggested that the

coalition would benefit from access to the City Attorney’s Office. Early legal consultation may

keep the coalition from wasting time and resources on initiatives that are not able to be

completed because of existing laws or statutes. Legal advice may also indicate that existing laws

or statues may already be in place to accomplish the goals or objectives of the coalition (R. N.

Gonzalez, personal communication, March 20, 2014).

In addition to internal City of Miramar departments or divisions the literature suggested

that certain community based stakeholders be included in the CRR coalition. These stakeholders

include service organizations such as the Miramar-Pembroke Pines Kiwanis Club, the Rotary

Club of Miramar-Pines, and the Miramar Police Athletic League (PAL). The literature review


suggests including the local hospital district which in the case of Miramar would be the

Memorial Healthcare System or representatives from their local facility, Memorial Hospital

Miramar. Suggested stakeholders should include the several homeowners associations

throughout Miramar. No specific senior citizens groups or clubs were identified in Miramar.

Finally, Miramar has more than 20 primary and secondary schools located within its city limits,

therefore, the literature suggests that involvement from the local school representatives would be

helpful. The CRR coalition should invite the participation of a representative from the School

Board of Broward County.

Additionally, several of those interviewed for this ARP suggested the following groups

should be represented in a CRR coalition. W. Huff recommended that the Safe Kids of Broward

County Coalition, the Broward County Health Department Drowning Prevention Taskforce, and

Miramar’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) should all have some level of

involvement with a CRR coalition in Miramar (W. Huff, personal communication, March 31,

2014). Miramar Fire-Rescue Chief L. Keith Tomey suggested that the local television and radio

stations which have home bases in Miramar should be included. These include Clear Channel

Radio which broadcasts several radio stations from its location in Miramar, and NBC 6 the local

NBC broadcast affiliate who is also based in Miramar (L. K. Tomey III, personal


Barry University Professor Dr. Eric Smith recommended including the local Red Cross

and any animal rescue groups that may be identified. He also suggested identifying any non-

profit organizations that may be interested in participating in a CRR coalition in Miramar (E.

Smith, Ph.D., personal communication, March 20, 2014). Finally, R. Gonzalez suggested

including the Miramar-Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce has


contact with the local business community and may be able to elicit funding and other

participation from local businesses (R. N. Gonzalez, personal communication, March 20, 2014).

Barriers to the Creation of a CRR Coalition

The literature review suggests that the barriers to the creation of a successful CRR

coalition are primarily the absence or lack of the characteristics identified earlier in this ARP.

These include (1) not having a strong lead agency; (2) not having clearly defined goals and

objectives; (3) not having defined timeframes for achieving the goals and objectives; (4) lack of

appropriate stakeholder representation; (5) having too many or too few members; (6) not having

a clearly defined level of participation from the coalition members; (7) having inadequate

meeting space, location, or time (duration or frequency); (8) not having adequate financial

resources; and (9) not having the support of the members parent agency leadership. The absence

of any of these critical components can cause the coalition be become ineffective and may cause

members to drop out for lack of productivity.

Additionally, interviewee W. Huff suggests that lack of commitment, buy-in, or other

internal conflict within the City of Miramar may become a barrier to the coalition (W. Huff,

personal communication, March 31, 2014). In his interview Chief Tomey recommends that the

lack of specific ground-rules for the initial coalition meetings may become a barrier to its

success. He also suggested that if the goals are too large to be accomplished by the coalition as a

whole then then the coalition will need to create sub-committees to take on various tasks at a

lower/micro level (L. K. Tomey III, personal communication, March 20, 2014). R.N. Gonzalez

indicated in his interview that political pressure to move in a certain direction and opposing

personal agendas may become barriers to success for the CRR coalition. He also suggested that

certain seasons within Florida, such as hurricane season, may create a barrier to the frequency,


location, and times of the meetings. The CRR coalition meetings may be in conflict with other

meetings of a similar nature that require the attendance of the same stakeholders that are

committed to the CRR coalition (R. N. Gonzalez, personal communication, March 20, 2014).

The Purpose of a CRR Coalition for the City of Miramar

The literature review suggested that the most likely purpose of a CRR coalition for the

City of Miramar would be similar to those in other places. First, the coalition must undertake the

task of identifying the various risks to the community. Second, they CRR coalition must attempt

to identify the people or groups of people who are at risk. Third, the coalition must prioritize

these risks by importance and/or the ability to mitigate these risks. Fourth, the coalition must

develop a set of strategies and tactics that they think will mitigate the identified risks. Fifth, the

coalition must prepare a comprehensive CRR Plan. Sixth, the coalition must take action to

implement the CRR Plan. Finally, the coalition must monitor, evaluate, and modify the CRR

Plan as needed to insure that it maintains effectiveness.

Additionally, some of the people interviewed for this ARP had suggestions for inclusion

into the purpose of a CRR coalition for the City of Miramar. Emergency Manager W. Huff

suggested that the coalition include prevention, preparation, behavioral changes, environmental

adjustments, and training as part of its purpose (W. Huff, personal communication, March 31,

2014). Fire Chief Tomey agreed that the coalition should have a training aspect in its purpose,

and also suggested that the coalition have a “get out the word” process (L. K. Tomey III,

personal communication, March 20, 2014). Professor Smith recommended that the coalition

include strategies for the prevention of repeat incidents in its purpose (E. Smith, Ph.D., personal



Discussion

This section explores the relationship between the results of this study and the

information presented in the literature review. It will present an analysis of the study results and

provide organizational implications for the City of Miramar. The section is broken down into

four subsections aligned with the four research questions. (1) What are the components of an

effective CRR coalition? (2) Who are the stakeholders interested the identification and reduction

of community risk? (3) What barriers are identifiable for the creation of a CRR coalition? (4)

What is the purpose of a CRR coalition for the City of Miramar?

Components of an Effective CRR Coalition

Information pertaining to the characteristics of an effective CRR coalition was primarily

taken from the literature review. These characteristics were described extensively in the Results

section of this paper. One source for this information is the Prevention Institute’s Developing

Effective Coalitions: An Eight Step Guide (2002). Additional information for this analysis was

derived from Raynor’s 2011 report What makes an effective coalition? Evidence-based

indicators of success. The people interviewed for this study agreed that the characteristics

presented were all important characteristics, but also added that use of operational jargon, or

common language would be important to the success of the coalition (E. Smith, Ph.D., personal

communication, March 20, 2014). Setting of the ground rules and clarity of the coalition’s

mission was also mentioned by one of the interviewees (R. N. Gonzalez, personal


The organizational implications for these characteristics include deciding who will be the

lead agency and who the stakeholders for a possible CRR coalition are. These decisions will


drive the decisions of the other effective characteristics such as where will the meetings be held,

etc.

Identification of the Stakeholders

Several of the items presented in the literature review were integral in identifying the

common stakeholders for an effective CRR coalition. EFO ARP’s including Kreger (2004),

Leland (2005), Carr (2006) and Zotti (2009) allowed for the creation of a common, or near

common list of the obvious stakeholders. This common list was compared to the City of

Miramar organizational structure (City of Miramar Budget Department, 2013) and a Miramar

specific list of stakeholders was derived. The Miramar specific list was presented to the

interviewees and additional stakeholders were added and presented in the results section. The

interviewees agreed that the common list of stakeholders was important and added certain

suggestions that would also be useful participants/stakeholders in Miramar.

Barriers to an Effective CRR coalition

This study concluded that the primary barriers to an effective CRR coalition were the

lack of one or more of the characteristics of an effective CRR coalition. These barriers were

presented in the results section of this project. This information was based primarily on

information presented in the literature review which include Prevention Institute (2002), Raynor

(2011), and Business Advocacy Network (n.d.). The interviewees agreed with these barriers and

suggested several others that were not previously derived from the literature. This information is

presented in the Results section of this paper as well.

Purpose of a CRR coalition for the City of Miramar

The suggested purpose of a CRR coalition was derived almost entirely from the 2011

Vision 20/20 Community Risk Reduction Planning Report. Suggestions for additions to this


purpose were not recommended by the interviewees. This study indicated that the coalition

should determine its own purpose using the guiding principles as stated in the Vision 20/20

report.

Recommendations

Based upon the information derived for this study it is recommended that the City of

Miramar create a Community Risk Reduction Coalition. The initial steps should include

appointing a lead agency. The most logical lead agency for the City of Miramar would be the

Miramar Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD). The MFRD has sufficient financial resources, staff,

meeting spaces, and credibility among the other city department to initiate the coalition. Broad

support from the City Manager and the elected officials will be crucial during the early stages.

The coalition should include the following stakeholders or other high ranking designee

from the various city departments: (1) Fire Chief, (2) Police Chief, (3) Director of Social

Services, (4) Director of Parks & Recreation, (5) Director of Community Development, (6)

Director of Economic Development & Revitalization, and one or more appointees from the City

Commission to act as a champion. Additionally, representatives from Memorial Hospital

Miramar, the Broward School Board, and the Miramar-Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce

should be invited to attend. Finally, the local homeowners associations (HOA) should be asked

to select one or two members to represent the wishes of the other HOA’s.

The MFRD should be careful to make sure the barriers to an effective coalition as

identified in this study are avoided. These include not allowing the meetings to be hijacked by

individual members agendas, creating short-term success, and by attempting to meld the

objectives of the CRR coalition with those of the stakeholders and coalition members.


References

Business Advocacy Network. (n.d.). Building coalitions [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from

http://www.businessadvocacy.net/dloads/fsBuildingCoalitions.pdf

Carr, M. (2006). Developing a community risk reduction program. Retrieved from National Fire

Academy Learning Resource Center: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo40129.pdf

City of Miramar Budget Department. (2013). City of Miramar, FL Adopted Annual Budget for

Fiscal Year 2014. Retrieved from http://www.ci.miramar.fl.us/budget/annual-

budget14/Miramar2014.pdf

City of Miramar, Florida. (2014). http://www.ci.miramar.fl.us/

Kreger, K. (2004). Community risk reduction: The beginning. Retrieved from National Fire


Leland, J. R. (2005). Reducing unintentional injuries in Rochester, Minnesota’s elderly

population. Retrieved from National Fire Academy Learning Resource Center:

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo37910.pdf

Michael, C. (2013). Identifying the requirements for creating a Whidbey Island community risk

reduction coalition. Retrieved from National Fire Academy Learning Resource Center:

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo47301.pdf

Miramar Fire-Rescue Department. (2013). http://www.miramarfd.org/index.html

Miramar Police Department. (2012). http://www.miramarpd.org/about-us/

Prevention Institute. (2002). Developing coalitions: An eight step guide. Retrieved from

http://www.preventioninstitute.org/component/jlibrary/article/id-104/127.html

Raynor, J. (2011). What makes an effective coalition? Evidence-based indicators of success.

Retrieved from Minnesota Council of Foundations:


http://www.mcf.org/system/article_resources/0000/1297/What_Makes_an_Effective_Coa

lition.pdf

U.S. Fire Administration. (2010). U.S. Fire Administration: America’s fire and emergency

services leader: Strategic plan fiscal years 2010 – 2014 [Strategic Plan]. Retrieved from

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/strategic_plan.pdf

U.S. Fire Administration. (2012). Executive analysis of community risk reduction-student manual

[Student Manual]. Emmitsburg, MD: U. S. Fire Administration.

Vision 20/20 Community Risk Reduction Planning Report [Lessons Learned Symposium].

(2011). Retrieved from

http://www.strategicfire.org/images/userfiles/files/V2020%20CRR%20Report%20FINA

L.pdf

Zotti, T. J. (2009). Wolfeboro seniors: falls, fires, and facts. Retrieved from National Fire



Appendix A

Miramar Community Risk Reduction Questionnaire

Are you familiar with the NFA’s Community Risk reduction Model? Yes No

A community risk reduction coalition is broadly defined as a group of stakeholders assembled for the purpose of:

(1) identify risks, (2) prioritizing risks, (3) developing strategies and tactics to mitigate risks, (4) preparing a community risk reduction plan, (5) implementing the plan, and (6) monitoring, evaluating, and modifying the plan as needed.

The City of Miramar has many programs to address specific risks throughout the community, but currently does not have a community risk reduction coalition where members of the city staff gather with community leaders and other interested parties to comprehensively assess risks to the community. This questionnaire is presented to determine the feasibility of creating a community risk reduction coalition for the City of Miramar. Please circle the best answer to each question.

Characteristics of an Effective Community Risk Reduction Coalition

On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the not very important, and 5 being very important, please rank the following characteristics of an effective community risk coalition.

Characteristic 1 2 3 4 5 Having lead agency (schedules and runs the meetings, collects data, etc.) Having clearly defined goals and objectives Having defined time frames for achieving goals and objectives Having an appropriate representation of stakeholders Having an appropriate number of members (typically less than 10-12 members)

Having a defined level of commitment of the participants Having an adequate meeting space, location, and time Having adequate financial resources Having adequate support from parent agency leadership (coalition members will likely come from various departments and agencies, how critical is support from those agencies?

Other (please describe):


Stakeholders

On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the not very important, and 5 being very important, please rank the following stakeholder for community risk coalition in the City of Miramar.

City Department Stakeholder 1 2 3 4 5 Fire Department Police Department Social Services Department Parks & Recreations Department Community Development Department Economic Development & Revitalization Department Public Works Department Utilities Department Code Enforcement Division City Commission Members or appointees Other (please describe):

Community Stakeholder 1 2 3 4 5 Service Organizations (Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, etc.) Local Hospital District Homeowners Associations Senior Citizen Groups/Clubs Local PTA or School Representatives Other (please describe):






Barriers to an Effective Community Risk Reduction Coalition


Barrier 1 2 3 4 5 Not having lead agency (schedules and runs the meetings, collects data, etc.)

Not having clearly defined goals and objectives Not having defined time frames for achieving goals and objectives Not having an appropriate representation of stakeholders Having too many members (typically less than 10-12 members) Not having a defined level of commitment of the participants Having an inadequate meeting space, location, and time Not having adequate financial resources Not having adequate support from parent agency leadership (coalition members will likely come from various departments and agencies, how critical is support from those agencies?


Purpose of a Community Risk Reduction Coalition for the City of Miramar


Purpose 1 2 3 4 5 Identifying specific risks to the community Identifying individuals or groups who are at risk Prioritizing risks Developing strategies and tactics to mitigate risks Preparing a comprehensive community risk reduction plan Implementing a community risk reduction plan Monitoring, evaluating, and modifying the plan as needed Other (please describe):

Certification StatementAbstractTable of ContentsIntroductionBackground and SignificanceLiterature ReviewProceduresResultsDiscussionRecommendationsReferencesAppendix A

Documents

Identifying the components of a community risk reduction ... · business location with the enhancement of the physical, social and economic environment of its neighborhoods” (City