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Nowthen Mayor Pilon asked Mr. Kohner, should he get this position, what his plans for <br />developing leadership would be and how he would train others to move up the path in the way he <br />has done. <br />Mr. Kohner replied that succession training and officer development is a large part of fire <br />service. He provided an example of training that assists in officer development. He stated that <br />he has a strong support for continuing education, noting that in Fridley he currently has a <br />spreadsheet that lays out the steps firefighters would need to take in order to move up each of the <br />steps. <br />Mayor Strommen asked Mr. Kohner to identify the goals he would set in the first 90 days as Fire <br />Chief/Emergency Management Director and how he would integrate those goals into the <br />department during that time. <br />Mr. Kohner replied that he would evaluate the firefighters and operations to ensure the services <br />are being provided in the most effective and cost-efficient manner. He stated that he would like <br />to sit down with each firefighter to talk about their career, the path they would like to take, and <br />the steps they would need to follow to reach that goal. He stated that he would also like to meet <br />with elected officials and cooperative agreement partners to ensure needs are being met on all <br />sides. He stated that he would also want to ensure the emergency operations plan reflects the <br />growth the City has seen. He stated that he would work on firefighter engagement and retention. <br />He noted that in Fridley he provided the opportunity for firefighters to have input on a mission <br />statement and core values which are posted at the fire station, which creates a sense of belonging. <br />Councilmember Kuzma asked the greatest impacts Mr. Kohner has made on his organization, <br />community and job. <br />Mr. Kohner stated that he brings a sense of professionalism to the organization, and stressed that <br />the public perception of the Fire Department is very important and carries on to the City as a <br />whole. He stated that he has been complimented on the succession planning that he has done in <br />Fridley, which also provides a list of steps all the firefighters would need to follow to reach <br />higher ranks. He stated that he has a passion for fire safety and has brought that to each position <br />he has held. <br />Councilmember Shryock stated that the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director is expected. <br />to wear many hats, one of which is to provide input to the City Council. She asked Mr. Kohner <br />to describe his experience interacting with City Councils, both positive and negative. <br />Mr. Kohner stated that he has sat before the City Council on numerous occasions for each City <br />he has worked for. He provided a positive example which occurred in Forest Lake, when he <br />accepted a newly created position. He noted implementation items and adoptions that were <br />necessary and advised that he provided the information in a document with clear language the <br />City Council could understand and support without resistance. He provided a more negative <br />example which occurred a few years ago when he was asked to complete a space needs study for <br />a new fire station in Ramsey. He stated that the idea was to review the current condition of the <br />fire station and the growing needs for space in the department. He noted that the item was <br />City Council Work Session / February 23, 2016 <br />Page 3 of 8 <br />