Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)



Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 1-Assuming the Role of Company Officer

Test Review

▪ Company officers are held accountable for the team performance.

▪ The role of the first-level supervisor (company officer) is that of player/coach.

▪ Teams produce a synergistic effect in that the team can do more than an individual on the team.

▪ Performance problems from a skill deficiency can be corrected through training.

▪ Substandard performance due to lack of motivation or attitude requires progressive discipline.

▪ Success as a company officer requires learning your job, being loyal to the department, being aggressive with training, guarding speech on/off duty, leading by example, and accept criticism.

▪ Achievements in the fire department are only limited by the degree of personal commitment.

▪ Being loyal to the department requires advocating policies and procedures, being supportive of co-workers, and preserving the image of the department.

▪ When speaking, company officers should only speak of things which are correct and consistent with the department's position.

▪ Company officers must be honest, fair, and trustworthy in the discharge of duties.

▪ Assume all decisions are being evaluated and observed.

▪ Company officers should know the fundamentals of human resources management and how the laws apply in a supervisory role.

▪ Company officers must understand planning, inspection procedures, investigative techniques, and public education.

▪ The majority of on-duty time as a company officer will be spent using "people skills" in one form or another.

▪ Company officers deal with group dynamics, motivation, career counseling, and problem solving.

▪ Knowledge of legal responsibilities and personal liability as a fire officer can be important to the effectiveness as a supervisor.

▪ One of the most basic and most important responsibilities as fire officer is for the health and safety of subordinates.

▪ Company officers devise appropriate plans for a variety of contingencies (i.e.-company budget, natural disasters).

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 2-Fire Department Structure

Test Review

▪ Organizational structures provide a management framework which defines how to plan and operate to meet mission statements.

▪ Fire departments are either public (i.e.-city, county) which are more common, or private (i.e.-fire protection agencies).

▪ Private fire protection are agencies that server a limited area or those which serve single businesses, such as fire brigades.

▪ The most common ways to classify a fire department are by the type of jurisdiction and whether personnel are paid or staffed around the clock.

▪ Jurisdiction refers to the area served by a fire protection agency and to the authority that gives the agency the legal right to provide services and take action.

▪ Common fire protection jurisdictions include:  municipal, public safety, county/parish/borough, fire district, and fire protection district.

▪ The most common jurisdiction is municipal fire departments, which are a functional division of the lowest level of government.

▪ Most full-time fire departments have an organizational structure similar to the local government.

▪ The size of a public fire department depends primarily on population, area served, and level of service provided.

▪ Fire stations are sometimes called houses or halls.

▪ Larger departments have functional subdivisions such as districts, divisions, battalions, companies, and special squads or teams.

▪ Funding for full-time departments usually comes from taxes, however, some charge subscription fees.

▪ Another type of municipal fire protection agency is the public safety department, sometimes called fire bureaus, and are usually in charge of both fire and police protection.

▪ County, parish, and borough agencies are usually part of a mutual aid agreement with local agencies.

▪ Fire districts serve the same purpose as county fire departments but are not related to a single county, parish, or borough.

▪ Funding for fire districts may come from district taxes or subscription fees.

▪ Fire districts do not have support services provided by a municipal services center for apparatus/station maintenance.

▪ In some states, fire protection districts are less formal than a fire district in that they do not exist as a separate government entity, however, in other states, they are the same.

▪ Homeowners in unincorporated area typically summons an established fire department to act as their "fire protection district".

▪ Private fire departments consist of industrial complex, military, and private business departments, and are the smallest category of all fire protection services.

▪ Businesses such as oil refineries and airports maintain fire brigades or other response teams to provide fire protection and are termed industrial fire departments.

▪ Reasons for industrial fire departments include:  immediate response, special hazards, remoteness, reduced insurance, reduction of liability, and compliance (i.e.-FAA regulations at airports).

▪ Military fire departments may provide assistance off-base via mutual aid agreements.

▪ Some entities contract with commercial fire protection services to provide fire protection instead of funding a local fire department.

▪ Airport fire departments must provide both crash/fire/rescue services and structural protection for buildings.

▪ Private non-profit fire departments operate primarily on a subscription basis (non-subscribers charged a fee if services are provided).

▪ Firefighters that receive pay are commonly called "career" firefighters.

▪ The term professional applies to both paid and volunteer firefighters.

▪ Career fire departments are staffed around the clock and may have part-time employees to supplement peak periods.

▪ Most volunteer departments are independent from government agencies.

▪ Combination departments have both paid and volunteer employees.

▪ Paid-on-call personnel are paid per call, usually an hourly wage, but sometimes a set fee.

▪ Most or all paid-on-call department funding comes from local government agencies or associations.

▪ Public safety officers are similar to volunteer firefighters in combination departments since they are paid as police officers and cross-trained as firefighters.

▪ Fire protection agencies are responsible for providing equipment/service for a reasonable amount, conducting fire safety/prevention programs, investigation, providing adequate suppression systems, providing EMS, advising local government of fire/public safety matters, and coordinating mutual aid response.

▪ Fiscal limitations is of primary consideration for most departments.

▪ Common techniques used to further use of a budget include funding only the minimum number and types of resources needed to provide services and to use agreements with other agencies (mutual/automatic/outside aid) for larger incidents.

▪ Automatic aid is a formal, written agreement between fire departments that share a common boundary and is utilized when certain predetermined conditions occur (i.e.-fire along boundary of jurisdiction or in a high-risk facility).

▪ Mutual aid is a reciprocal agreement between two or more fire protection agencies and are usually utilized on an on-request basis.

▪ Requests for mutual aid may be denied if the resources are needed within the requested parties boundaries for other calls.

▪ Common reasons for mutual aid agreements include:  sharing of specialized resources, incidents exceeding resources, NFPA ISO ratings, quicker responses, to define boundaries between adjacent jurisdictions, and to define methods for fire response within a city's limits and in areas lying between jurisdictions.

▪ Mutual aid plans should define roles of each agency, establish operating guidelines, define communications, include terminology and compatibility of equipment, provide maps and information about response area, address insurance/legal concerns, and establish nonemergency items for training/communications.

▪ City policies/ordinances may have to be changed to allow for mutual aid agreements.

▪ Training between mutual aid agencies should address equipment and procedure differences.

▪ Outside aid is the same as mutual aid, however, the requested party is paid for their services (normally an annual fee).

▪ It is the Fire Chief's responsibility to articulate the mission of the department, identify goals and objectives, and establish an organizational climate within it, while the company officer's role is to see that his company does their part to achieve goals and objectives.

▪ Written operating guidelines are requires to ensure that members of the department work together effectively and should include behavioral and performance expectations.

▪ The most common principles of fire departments include unity of command, span of control, division of labor, and discipline.

▪ Organizational theory indicates that members should report to ONLY one supervisor to avoid conflicting orders.

▪ Violation of Unity of Command (reporting to one supervisor) results in confusion and frustration of subordinates.

▪ Unity of Command provides adequate direction and accountability of workers.

▪ Each member may only report to one supervisor, but they are still responsible to the Fire Chief indirectly through the chain of command.

▪ Chain of command is the pathway of responsibility from the top of the department to the bottom, and vice versa.

▪ Violation of Unity of Command is acceptable if members will be put in danger by following an order from another supervisor.

▪ A breach in Unity of Command, also called an "end run", is when a subordinate sidesteps the immediate supervisor and takes the problem directly to an officer higher in the chain of command, and is usually destructive to organizational unity and cohesiveness.

▪ To avoid sidestepping, officers should listen to subordinates' problems, consider them, and take action, or if problem cannot be solved, take it higher in the chain of command.

▪ Functional supervision is when subordinates are given permission to report to another supervisor other than their own (i.e.-when doing code inspections, report to code enforcement officer).

▪ Variables affecting span of control include:  ability/experience of supervisor and subordinates, nature of the task, proximity of subordinates, and consequences of a mistake.

▪ When tasks are simple and repetitive, supervisors can effectively manage the maximum number of subordinates.

▪ When tasks are complex, subordinates have little training on the task, and consequences are high, supervisors should  manage only the absolute minimum number of subordinates.

▪ Delegation of authority is necessary to complete all tasks.

▪ When delegating authority, objectives should be made clear and the overall goal and objective identified.

▪ Division of labor is the breaking down of large tasks into smaller tasks that are assigned to specific individuals.

▪ Division of labor prevents duplication of effort and results in specific, clear-cut assignments.

▪ In the division of labor concept, tasks are broken down into groupings which consist of the type of task, geographical area, and time (common groupings:  EMS, community services, departmental services).

▪ All positions in an organization must be clearly defined for division of labor to work.

▪ Specialization is an aspect of division of labor in which a company with special skills is assigned a task requiring those skills (i.e.-HazMat, Rescue).

▪ Discipline means setting limits and boundaries for expected performance and then enforcing them.

▪ Discipline can also be defined as a teaching method used to enforce the organizational limits.

▪ Scalar is defined as "having an uninterrupted series of steps" or a "chain of authority".

▪ A scalar organization is a paramilitary, pyramid-type organization with authority centralized at the top.

▪ Orders in a scalar organization start at the top, go through intermediate levels, down to the base of the structure and information is transmitted in a reverse direction.

▪ A true scalar structure is well-suited for emergency operations because span of control is maintained, information for decision-making is centralized, and functional chain of command is maintained.

▪ Line and Staff refers to the traditional organizational concept which separates personnel into two groups:  Line Personnel (those who deliver emergency services and staff), and those who support line personnel.

▪ In a traditional organization, typical staff functions include:  training, logistics, and personnel administration.

▪ With functional supervision, the staff officer must coordinate with the line supervisor before company-level personnel are assigned (i.e.-code inspections by companies).

▪ Authority refers to the legal ability of an individual to make and implement decisions for which the individual is held accountable.

▪ In centralized authority, decisions are made at the top, while decentralized authority decisions are made at lower levels.

▪ Centralized authority works well at the company level, however, with a larger organization, span of control is usually exceeded.

▪ Accountability for decisions made at any level in a structure are almost always centralized.

▪ As a general rule, no one, including Fire Chief, can avoid accounting to a higher authority in regards to decisions made.

▪ Decentralized authority is basically delegation of authority and means that authority is granted at different levels to accomplish specific tasks.

▪ Ideally, decision-making authority should be delegated at the lowest organizational level possible.

▪ With decentralized authority, the possibility of duplication of effort exists.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 3-Company Officer's Legal Responsibilities & Liabilities

Test Review

▪ Much of US and Canadian law evolved from English Common Law.

▪ Sovereign immunity is defined as "a sovereign is exempt from suit, not because of any formal conception or obsolete theory, but on the logical and practical ground that there can be no legal right against the authority that makes the law on which the right depends" (i.e.-King can do no wrong).

▪ In the US and Canada, the doctrine of sovereign immunity provided immunity to federal, state, and local governments from liability in tort (non-criminal) cases.

▪ Under sovereign immunity, a fire engine can run a red light and hit a car that had the right away and not be liable, except under statutory law.

▪ Governmental immunity laws vary greatly today from state to state, with some having immunity/partial immunity, some having legislative claims boards, and some with no immunity.

▪ Individual fire department members can still be held liable for gross negligence (plaintiff must show disregard for training/SOPs).

▪ Major sources of laws in the western world are common, constitutional, statutory, case, and administrative law.

▪ Common law is not enacted by a legislative body and is based on tradition.

▪ Many common laws become statutory laws.

▪ The federal Constitution is the "basic law of the land" and is enacted by Congress/Parliament, state/provincial legislatures, or local entities.

▪ The US Supreme court is the ultimate arbiter when it comes to Constitutional law.

▪ The legislative branch creates laws, executive branch implement/administer laws, and the judiciary branch enforces laws.

▪ The USFA, OSHA, EPA, EEOC, IRS, DOT, and OH&S are examples of groups which provide statutory laws.

▪ At the local level, examples of statutory laws are ordinances.

▪ Administrative law are rules and regulations by which governmental agencies must act when passing legislation.

▪ Case law comes by the way of court decisions that affect the way a particular statutory or administrative law is interpreted/applied (legal precedent).

▪ Criminal laws deals with rights and responsibilities of individuals toward society (civil=private rights/responsibilities).

▪ Criminal law is the means by which society protects itself with penalties being fines, jail, or both.

▪ Civil law is the means for individuals to seek monetary damages from others.

▪ Criminal actions (prosecutions) are brought by the government, representing the people, while civil actions (suits) are brought by an individual against another individual or group.

▪ Multiple individuals with the same civil complaint can file a class action suit against an individual or group.

▪ Criminal actions require the defendant's guilt be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt", while civil suits require only "a balance or probabilities" or "a preponderance of evidence".

▪ Criminal laws are codified in a criminal or penal code.

▪ Criminal laws protect against antisocial acts and those which put the lives/property of members of society in jeopardy.

▪ The basis for civil law is that anyone, even those in jail, have the right to sue anyone else.

▪ Punitive damages are intended to punish the offender, usually monetarily.

▪ Most civil actions against fire departments are related to tort liability which is a civil wrong or injury.

▪ The main purpose of a tort action is to seek payment for damages.

▪ Elements for a valid tort action include:  defendant must owe a legal duty to plaintiff (duty to act), must be a breach of duty, the breach of duty must be the proximate cause, plaintiff must suffer damages as a result of the breach.

▪ A proximate cause is one that in a naturally continuous sequence produces injury and without would have not occurred.

▪ Breach of duty in a tort action does not have to be the only cause.

▪ Negligence is the failure to exercise the same care that a reasonable, prudent, and careful person would under same or similar circumstances.

▪ Legal duty is proportionally greater with expertise of the duty.

▪ Negligence is judged my wrongful performance (misfeasance) or by omission of indicated performance (nonfeasance).

▪ If performance falls below a "Standard of Care", the person/organization may be held accountable for damages.

▪ Factors affecting standard of care include:  gravity of harm posed by the condition, likelihood of harm, availability of methods/equipment to mitigate the problem, usefulness of the condition for other purposes, and burden of removing the condition.

▪ Sources of information that help establish standard of care include:  agency policies/directives, directives of superior agency, guideline/policies of other agencies, guidelines/standards (i.e.-NFPA, OSHA), professional texts/journals, research publications, and opinions of expert witnesses.

▪ Anyone who violates the general duty of care may be held liable for damages.

▪ The "Fireman's Rule" doctrine holds that firefighters, rescuers, and other emergency responders know the risks; therefore they are not entitled obtain damages for injuries incurred from rendering duties on an owners property, unless a crime was committed.

▪ The major health and safety laws are those of OSHA, while major environmental law falls under EPA.

▪ The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created to enforce the Civil Rights Act provisions for employment.

▪ Affirmative action was intended to increase the number of women and minorities hired into "male-only" jobs.

▪ Disparate treatment, also called differential treatment, simply means treating an applicant or employee differently than another race, gender, religion, etc.

▪ Adverse impact occurs then an employer uses a test/screening device not intended to discriminate, but has adverse effects on one of the protected classes (i.e.-test written in English only).

▪ Overt sexual harassment involves unwanted/unwelcome sexual behavior toward a worker by someone who has the power to reward/punish the worker.

▪ Consensual sex between a worker and supervisor may still be sexual harassment if it was unwelcome.

▪ Profane language and dirty jokes can be considered sexual harassment.

▪ EEOC regulations require employers to accommodate their employees' differences (i.e.-gender, religion, etc.).

▪ Temporary disability, such as drug abuse or a broken limb, does NOT qualify under ADA regulations.

▪ "Public Accommodations", such as motels/hotels, restaurants, stores, and fire stations, must adhere to ADA requirements.

▪ ADA compliance may include entry/egress ramps, wide doors, lever door hardware, grab rails, etc.

▪ Company officers are bound by ADA employment regulations and can be held personally liable for failure to comply.

▪ The ADA does not require that unqualified or underqualified applicants be hired.

▪ Reasonable accommodation may mean changes in work environment, job descriptions, and even elimination of non-essential job functions.

▪ Under ADA, prospective employees cannot be asked about a disability, nature/extent of a disability, workers compensation history, or possible need to take time off for treatment, however, they can be asked if the job can be done without accommodation.

▪ Medical exams cannot be performed until a job offer is made.

▪ Fire department executive/administration (management) staff are not covered by FLSA.

▪ NFPA and ANSI provide most of the national consensus standards for the fire service.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 4-The Company As A Group

Test Review

▪ Many informal subgroups, limited only by a common interest, exist within each formal group.

▪ The informal subgroup within a formal group often has greater influence on productivity and success than any other factor.

▪ Fire companies are considered formal groups.

▪ Vital group image means to take pride in one's group.

▪ Esprit De Corps (positive self-image) is a French term meaning "a common spirit existing among members of a group that inspires enthusiasm".

▪ For a "sense of continuity", company officers must remind crews that they are part of a larger group, the department.

▪ Common values are part of the cohesive structure of most groups.

▪ Common values usually change gradually and are related to group acceptance of new members' differing values and values of the organization.

▪ In formal groups, the leader is usually assigned or elected, while leaders of informal groups are naturally selected by traits.

▪ It is desirable for the company officer to be the leader of both the formal and informal group.

▪ Role expectation is defined as performing duties based on what is expected of them.

▪ The ability for company officers to positively influence a group does NOT depend on being their informal leader.

▪ Using influence in a positive way allows company officers to be accepted as informal and formal leader of a group.

▪ When informal groups adopt their own rules, they must be much stronger than the formal rules (i.e.-tradition).

|MASLOW'S THEORY |

|Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that all human behavior|[pic] |

|is motivated by a drive to satisfy specific human needs | |

|(i.e.-satisfy lower priority needs before more important ones). | |

|With Maslow's Theory, people progress upward from one level to the| |

|next until they reach the apex (self-actualization), they accept | |

|their position, or they die. | |

|Survival needs include air, food, water, and shelter. | |

|Safety comes in the form of savings accounts, investments, retirements, etc. |

|Affiliation comes from relationships formed with formal/informal groups. |

|Esteem comes from ego fulfillment through professional achievement, recognition, and respect of peers. |

|When one feels they are doing what they are meant to do in life, Maslow terms this Self-Actualization. |

▪ Social needs are based on a person's needs to belong and to be accepted.

▪ The need for esteem and status may be defined as an individual's attempts to influence evens so that external feedback matches the individual's self-image.

▪ Motivated firefighters are more likely to take advantage of training opportunities, join professional groups, take on additional duties, and participate in other professional activities.

▪ Victor Vroom's V.I.E. theory of motivation, sometimes called the Expectancy theory, states three important elements (Valence, Instrumentality, Expectancy) combine to motivate people

▪ Valence or value is defined as the strength of an individual's desire to achieve a goal (V.I.E. Theory).

▪ Instrumentality is defined as the availability of a means to achieve a goal (V.I.E. Theory).

▪ Expectancy is defined as the strength of an individual's belief that a goal can be achieved (V.I.E. Theory).

▪ With the V.I.E. Theory, instrumentality is represented by the job, while value and expectancy are the operative elements.

▪ An example of low value/valence would be that a person sees that a job of higher rank demands more than it rewards (V.I.E. Theory).

▪ An example of low expectation would be that no positions are currently available for higher ranks (V.I.E. Theory).

▪ In behavioral psychology, a stroke is anything that acknowledges a person's existence.

▪ Strokes can either be positive (rewarding) or negative (punishing).

▪ Public praise for a job well-done is a powerfully positive stroke.

▪ Silence, lack of eye contact, or a frown can be termed negative stroke.

▪ Stamp collecting, also called "gunny sacking", is collecting of positive/negative strokes, then "cashing stamps in" to do positive (if many positive strokes are collected) or negative (retaliating against those which gave negative strokes).

▪ A firefighter's job is about performance, NOT age, race, gender, or religion.

▪ It is not the company officer's job to teach morals and ethics, however, it is part of the job to see that subordinates act morally and ethically while on duty.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 5-Leadership as a Group Influence

Test Review

▪ According to Webster, power is the "possession of control, authority, or influence over others."

▪ Reward power (i.e.-raise, promotion) is based on one person's perception of another's ability to grant awards.

▪ Coercive power (i.e.-reprimand, suspension) is based on the subordinates' perception of a supervisor's authority to punish.

▪ Identification power (i.e.-mimic a leader) is derived from someone's desire to identify with and emulate another.

▪ Expert power (i.e.-specialized knowledge) is based one person's perception that another's knowledge and expertise can help him in his endeavors.

▪ Legitimate power, also called "position power", is derived from one of three sources:  shared values, acceptance of a social structure, or sanction of a legitimizing agent.

▪ In the book, The Human Side of Enterprise, Dr. Douglas McGregor contrasted two attitudes toward leadership called Theory X and Theory Y.

|X Theory Beliefs |Y Theory Beliefs |Z Theory Beliefs |

|Average worker is lazy |Average worker likes work |Management focused on people |

|Workers must be coerced into performing duties |Workers perform without coercion |Close relationships with workers |

|Workers prefer to be closely supervised |Workers accepts/seeks responsibility |Economic success nurtures togetherness |

| | |Participative approach to decision-making |

▪ Few leaders use Theory X or Theory Y exclusively, most use both depending on the situation.

▪ Japanese firms use Theory Z management for high levels of commitment and production.

▪ Firefighters apply Theory Z concepts by counting on each other to perform tasks/goals.

▪ The Theory Z management principle makes change or deviation from established patterns difficult.

▪ McGregor's X and Y theories fail except when applied to specific individuals.

▪ Theory Z fails if workers do not exhibit total unity and commitment.

▪ In the book, The Managerial Grid, Blake and Mouton theorize that there are several basic types of leadership: Bureaucratic, Single-Issue, Middle-of-the-Road, and Dual-Issue leadership.

▪ Bureaucratic leadership is characterized by a low concern for production and low concern for people and are typically found in large, highly political organizations (i.e.-strong social ties).

▪ Single-issue leadership is characterized by an overriding concern for either production or worker needs, but not both.

▪ Single-issue leadership tends to produce high turnover rates when the Theory X belief is reinforced (i.e.-emphasis on production).

▪ In single-issue leadership where there is a high concern for people and low concern for production, self-motivated workers may not remain satisfied with their work environment.

▪ Middle-of-the-Road leadership involves a moderate concern for production and a moderate concern for workers.

▪ Middle-of-the-Road leadership typically produces mediocre results.

▪ Dual-issue leadership involves a high degree of concern for people and a high concern for production.

▪ Dual-issue leadership of most productive in non-emergency situations.

▪ Autocratic leadership invests all power and authority in the leader.

▪ Autocratic leaders often hold Theory X beliefs.

▪ In the leadership style described by scientific manager Frederick Winslow Taylor in The Principles of Scientific Management, the leader makes all the decisions for a group.

▪ An example of Frederick Winslow Taylor's theory is the military when the supervisor says "jump" and the worker asks "how high?".

▪ Democratic leadership is the general term used to describe employee-centered, participative leadership styles in which employees are allowed to question authority and encouraged to do so.

▪ Making/implementing decisions with the democratic leadership concept does NOT lend itself to emergency operations because of the time necessary to arrive at a decision.

▪ Laissez-Faire leadership (leadership by exception), is characterized by a hands-off approach by the leader and occurs when workers are highly trained, experienced, and self-motivated.

▪ Effective leaders make others feel strong, build trust, structure cooperative relationships, resolve conflicts, and stimulate/promote goal-oriented behavior.

▪ Effective company officers empower subordinates be thoughtfully evaluating performance and readiness for increased responsibility.

▪ Leaders build trust by consistently demonstrating their personal/professional integrity.

▪ Integrity can be defined as "obedience to the unenforceable."

▪ Cooperation to attain goals must not lead to excessive competition.

▪ Conflict abatement should focus on the issue or behavior, not on personalities.

|Clare Graves' Classifications (Values of) |

|Achiever |Involver |Choice-Seeker |Loyalist |Kinsperson |Loner |

|Ambitious |Equality |Individualistic |Order |History |Survival of the fittest|

|Materialistic |Hamrony |Knowledgeable |Duty |Tradition |Individual strength |

|Competetive |Skeptical | |Respect |Cooperation | |

| | | | |Survival | |

▪ Men tend to devise and attempt to hold a rigid schedule of activities, while women tend to be more flexible when scheduling activities.

 

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 6 - Elements of Supervision & Management

Test Review

▪ It has been said that workers (firefighters) work with tools, supervisors (company officers) work with people, and managers (chief officers) work with programs.

▪ Supervision is "directing with authority the work of others."

▪ The word supervision comes from two Latin words:  super, meaning "over or above," and vider, meaning "to watch or see."

|Major Theories of Supervision/Management of the 20th Century |

|Scientific Theory of |Created by Frederick Winslow Taylor. |

|Management |Closely relates to Theory X by McGregor in that workers are thought to be inherently lazy, irresponsible, and incapable |

| |of making decisions (motivated by rewards). |

| |Taylor's solution to Scientific Management was the assembly line. |

| |The aspect of "Job Breakdown" in Taylor's theory is the basis for all psychomotor (manipulative) lessons plans and serves|

| |as the basis for many SOPs used daily at the company level. |

|Human Relations |Based on the belief that a happy worker is a productive worker, |

|Theory |Major contributor to the theory was Elton Mayo of Harvard. |

| |Research found that with changes in scheduled breaks and illumination of the worksite, production increased because |

| |workers saw the changes as management caring about their welfare. |

| |Hewlett Packard uses this theory and calls it "management by walking around" where managers "walk around" instead of |

| |being tied to their desks. |

|Hygiene Theory |Developed by Frederick Herzberg. |

| |Increases in pay, time off, and benefits (hygiene factors) are only short-term solutions to productivity. |

| |The importance of work and accomplishment is the driving factor in the Hygiene Theory. |

|Theory X/Y |Developed by McGregor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. |

| |Company officers switch from one theory to the other as the situation dictates. |

| |Theory X relates to fireground work, while Theory Y relates to day-to-day activities. |

|Management by |Developed by Peter Drucker. |

|Objectives (MBO) |Showing workers the importance of their small individual goals and how they fit into the overall goal. |

| |Critics say the theory produces minimum performance and divided motivations. |

| |MBO is extensively used in the fire service for emergency incidents. |

|Leadership Continuum |Developed by Robert Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt. |

| |The "Continuum of Leadership Behavior" is a diagram showing the variety of leader/subordinate relationships that can be |

| |used when trying to balance control against the subordinates' need for autonomy. |

| |Leaders are highly motivated. |

| |Some subordinates have a strong need for autonomy, some do not, therefore delegation of authority decisions should be |

| |based on these needs. |

| |Emergency situations, where the cost of making a mistake is high, do not lend themselves to democratic style of |

| |leadership. |

| |On the fireground leaders may use the "TELL" side of the continuum, in non-emergency situations the "SELL" or "CONSULT" |

| |part of the continuum, and whenever possible, company officers should "JOIN" their subordinates in planning tasks (see |

| |picture below). |

| |[pic] |

▪ Modern management styles are known by different names such as Total Quality Management, Continuous Quality Improvement and Theory Z.

▪ Modern management is very participative and democratic.

▪ Modern management is based on a relentless pursuit of quality.

▪ Dr. W. Edwards Deming is considered the father of Total Quality Management (TQM).

▪ Total Quality Management (TQM), also called Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), is based on 4 elements:  customer identification/feedback, performance tracking, continuous improvement, and employee participation.

▪ Tracking performance requires a process orientation rather than a results orientation (how it gets done).

▪ Deming strongly advocated MBO as a management tool.

▪ Deming's TQM eventually evolved into what became to be known as Theory Z.

▪ The concept of quality circles (Theory Z) has little direct application at the company level.

▪ A Self-Directed Work Team (SDWT) eliminates layers of management and replaces them with mid-level managers/supervisors which work closely with teams of workers for a common mission.

▪ SDWT should be limited to non-emergency functions when implemented in the fire service.

▪ To "get the job done", company officers should:  carefully plan, schedule, and coordinate work, organize subordinates, delegate as much work-related authority as possible, and monitor/evaluate the quality/quantity of work.

▪ To "keep the work area safe/healthy", company officers should:  follow SOPs, set a good example, plan jobs with safety in mind, stress safety with new skill performance, and enforce all safety rules without exception.

▪ To "encourage teamwork/cooperation", company officers should:  communicate the organizational culture/goals downward to company members and identify member concerns/opportunities upward to administration.

▪ To "develop member skills", company officers should:  promote/reinforce members' performance through recognizing their achievements.

▪ To "keep records and maintain reports", company officers should:  produce accurate documentation to assist in determining organizational needs and for litigation purposes.

▪ Supervisory skills necessary for company officers include:  motivation, delegation, decision-making, communication, training, resource/time management, discipline, and coaching/counseling.

▪ Motivation can be accomplished by allowing firefighters to help plan company assignments, removing impediments to firefighters' success, soliciting ideas/suggestions from members, and reinforcing positive behavior.

▪ Things to consider in regards to delegation are:  What to delegate, To whom to delegate, When to delegate, and How to delegate.

▪ Questions to ask when decision-making include:  Is it the company officer's decision?, Is there enough information for a rational decision?, Has a decision already been made in regards to SOPs or laws?, and What are the consequences?.

▪ The decision-making process should define the problem, identify alternative solutions, evaluate alternatives, chose/implement the most promising alternative, and monitor results and adjust as needed.

▪ Items necessary to be an active listener include: share responsibility for communication, stop talking, empathize, ask questions, show interest, concentrate, listen for what is not said, reserve judgment, control emotions, react to message, separate facts from opinions, be honest, and don't make it personal.

▪ Physical resources that a company officer must manage include the fire station, apparatus, and equipment assigned to the station.

▪ Most of the company-level resource management involves preventative maintenance.

▪ (Time Management) Tasks should be prioritized by what MUST be done, SHOULD be done, and MAY be done, time permitting.

▪ Time management worksheets should list all tasks (by priority) with assignments delegated.

▪ Emergency calls fall into the MUST do category of time management.

▪ The vast majority of discipline is done to correct inappropriate behavior, not to punish.

▪ The word discipline comes from the root word disciple - a learner.

▪ Discipline within a fire company is designed to educate/train, correct inappropriate behavior, provide positive motivation, ensure compliance, and provide direction.

▪ Positive discipline, sometimes called "constructive discipline", results from management establishing reasonable rules of conduct.

▪ Negative discipline involves corrective action.

▪ Reasons why firefighters may break rules include resentment, boredom, ignorance, and stress.

▪ The "Skelly Rules" are based on a California Supreme Court decision that allows permanent employees a "property interest" in their employment and are entitled to due process to protect that interest by receiving a written notice of proposed action, reasons therefor, copy of charges, basis of material, and right to respond.

▪ The "Red-Hot Stove" rule by McGregor (author of Theory X/Y) states that: They had warning the stove was hot, They are burned immediately, the result is consistent (equal treatment), and result is impersonal.

▪ Coaching is usually done before the fact, while counseling is usually (but not always) done after the fact.

▪ The primary focus of coaching is helping someone to achieve the required level of competence.

▪ Coaching affords company officers an ideal opportunity to learn an individual's strengths.

▪ Substandard performance requires counseling.

▪ Corrective discipline may be appropriate with substandard performance instead of professional counseling.

▪ Career counseling does not involve performance deficiencies.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 7-Company-Level Training

Test Review

▪ Education means "the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, and abilities."

▪ Training, sometimes called drilling, means "the review and practice necessary to maintain knowledge, skills, and abilities over time."

▪ Highly technical or specialized information should be delivered by a specialist in that field.

▪ Preparation consists of the company officer preparing for class, making sure material is at the appropriate level for subordinates, and preparing them to learn by validating the information.

▪ Information presented should build on knowledge already obtained.

▪ Analogies should be made for new information that does not related to information already obtained.

▪ Presentations may involve lecture, demonstration, or a combination of the two.

▪ In the evaluation step, the test must reflect what was stated in the behavioral objective for the lesson.

▪ Competence is demonstrated during the evaluation step.

▪ In a manipulative skill, competence must be demonstrated.

▪ Training focuses on skills already learned (skill maintenance).

▪ Mastery learning should only be applied to small groups in which the skill could cost someone their life.

▪ Instructional techniques are based on the assumption that there is a direct connection between student aptitude and student achievement.

▪ With the mastery learning technique, some may learn faster, however, almost all learn what is required.

▪ Mastery learning help firefighters by utilizing small groups to learn and by tutoring or individualized instruction.

▪ Mastery definition is the same as the student behavioral objective in a lesson plan or the job performance requirements (JPR) of a NFPA professional qualifications standard.

▪ Breaking a complex skill down into a series of small, individual steps helps the trainee to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of mastering the entire skill.

▪ Learning efficiency is increased when skills are taught from simplest progressing to more complex (also called instruction order).

▪ Some skills must be taught in order regardless of complexity (also called production order).

▪ Positive reinforcement encourages trainees to advance to the next step.

▪ During formative evaluation, progress toward mastery is checked during each small step and is designated by either mastery or non-mastery.

▪ Corrective activities, also called remediation, is necessary when trainees fail to master a small step or unit of instruction.

▪ Summative evaluation consists of a comprehensive evaluation of all steps necessary for mastery of the entire skill.

▪ Traditional fire service training systems are process-based (i.e.-monthly training).

▪ Hours spent during traditional training are based on actually spending time on a subject (performing a skill incorrectly still counts as time spent).

▪ Prescriptive training systems consist of clearly defined and measurable performance standards for various skills necessary for a department to reach its goals (i.e.-SCBA, Defibrillators, Ladders).

▪ Any skill deficiencies a company officer observes in a crew's performance, also called "officer determined training" (ODT), can be addressed through prescriptive training.

▪ Prescriptive training is very efficient because it is a performance-based system.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 8 - Government Structure

Test Review

NOTICE:  CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT COVERED

▪ In municipal (city) government, officials are generally elected by eligible voters in the community, though some may be hired into office.

▪ In an at-large election, candidates can reside in any part of the city, with all eligible voters being able to vote for one or more candidates, and is intended to free legislators from undue influence (most common in small communities).

▪ Most cities use an at-large or ward form of representation.

▪ The council-mayor form of city government generally consists of one official elected at-large (the mayor), and a group of representatives who serve districts, wards, or precincts.

▪ Council-mayor governments may be classified as weak- (mayor has no vote, except with ties) or strong-mayor (most common, substantial influence) forms.

▪ It is often desirable to maintain a separation between political planning and day-to-day administration.

▪ In a council-manager government, a professional public administrator manages the daily affairs of the city.

▪ Often the fire chief reports directly to the city manager in a council-manager government.

▪ A commission government is similar to a council system and may or may not have a mayor.

▪ Each commissioner in a commission type government is like a city manager for that portion of the city's operations.

▪ Commissioners usually rely more directly on the fire chief and other department heads for the day-to-day operation and planning for their departments.

▪ Commissioners serve as advocates on behalf of those functions under their supervision.

▪ Township governments are generally commission-type bodies (board of trustees).

▪ Responsibilities for a township government are divided amongst the trustees.

▪ County and parish governments were originally formed in order to de-centralize state and provincial governments.

▪ County governments generally consist of county commission, county commission-manger, and county commission-executive types.

▪ The commission form of county government continues to be the most common form of county and parish government.

▪ In a county commission, commissioners/supervisors are elected at-large and assume responsibility for a specific set of operational functions OR the county is divided into districts, and commissioners are responsible for the operation of their represented districts and jointly for overall operation.

▪ The county commission-manger form of government is equivalent to the city form of the same.

▪ The county commission-executive form of government is the equivalent of the council-mayor with a strong mayor type of city government.

▪ Most fire districts operate under an elected board of directors.

▪ In most cases, the state or province will designate one of the existing agencies to oversee and coordinate the actions of fire districts.

▪ Local government impacts fire protection agencies by governing body decisions (allocating funds) and by oversight of agencies with which the fire departments work (policies, procedures).

▪ At the local level, legislation is enacted by the council, commission, or board that has jurisdiction.

▪ Local police and sheriff's departments may share the same department head or supervisor.

▪ Building departments are responsible for ensuring that building codes and fire codes are enforced during construction and renovation.

▪ Local water departments have the responsibility for the sewer and storm drain systems within a community (important with HazMat incidents).

▪ The zoning commission coordinates use of land within a community and determines the types of structures that can be located within a given area.

▪ Local street departments not only maintains roads, but they also keep fire departments informed of street repairs in progress that may impede emergency responses.

▪ The street department usually has a role in HazMat incidents on public roads.

▪ Local courts render decisions in cases of arson, insurance fraud, failure to comply with fire codes, and some proceedings may require appearance by fire personnel.

▪ The Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for preparing for and responding to disasters

▪ Civic groups (non-governmental) which assist fire departments include Chamber of Commerce, fraternal organizations, service clubs, and local businesses.

▪ (State Government) Legislative braches are responsible for enacting laws.

▪ (State Government) The head of a state's executive branch is call the governor who is generally given powers to veto or approve legislation, call the legislature into session, and serve as commander of the state's militia and law enforcement agencies.

▪ (State Government) The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting state constitutions and overseeing the state's court system.

▪ A key responsibility of fire marshals is that of advising the legislature or assembly of fire-related legislation and to oversee the fire prevention progam.

▪ Fire training programs often provide technical advice and planning assistance to local fire protection agencies.

▪ A few states establish fire commissions to conduct fire service training and certification (funding comes from legislature).

▪ Fire Chiefs Associations (normally non-governmental) meet to consider common problems and objectives.

▪ Firefighters Associations generally meet to influence legislative action, establish benefits, implement fire protection awareness/training, and promote efforts to improve public safety and working conditions.

▪ State police may assist with arson investigations that cross jurisdictional boundaries.

▪ The state fire marshals office is under the jurisdiction of the state police.

▪ Highway departments or turnpike authorities are generally responsible for roadway planning, maintenance, and control at the state level.

▪ Environmental Protection Agencies often assist in the development of response plans and frequently deploy to incident sites to support local response efforts.

▪ Health departments are responsible when a medical facility, food vendor, place of lodging, or public building is involved in an incident.

▪ The Forestry Department is often a mutual aid agency with which fire departments contract.

▪ For large-scale disasters, departments may work with higher-level agencies such as the Office of Emergency Preparedness or Civil Defense.

▪ Special interest groups such as the insurance commission may call on the fire department to assist in addressing special problems or situations.

▪ The President is the nation's chief executive and is responsible for enforcing federal laws, appointing federal officials, commanding armed forces, conducting foreign affairs, recommending laws to Congress, approving/vetoing laws, and serving as ceremonial head of the nation.

▪ A bill is the written description of the legislation that is presented to Congress.

▪ Bills are written by Congressional staff specialists called legislative counsels or by lawyers.

▪ Any bills dealing with taxes and spending must originate in the House of Representatives.

▪ Bills are assigned to a House Committee for review by the Speaker of the House and to a Senate Committee for review by the Senate Majority Leader.

▪ To "table" a bill means to take no action.

▪ Released bills are placed on the Congressional calendar for debate and vote by the members of the originating house.

▪ Bills approved by both houses go to the conference committee, which includes representatives of both houses of Congress and their job is to work out the differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill.

▪ Once a bill is approved by both houses, the Government Printing Office prints the final version and the bill is enrolled as an act (then sent to President).

▪ Citizens or groups can challenge legislation by presenting it to the courts to rule on constitutionality.

▪ The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an executive agency that serves as a single point of contact within the federal government for emergency management activities.

▪ FEMA's organizations structure reflects the functions of emergency management:  preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery.

▪ FEMA oversees operations of the US Fire Administration, Federal Insurance Administration, and Urban Search & Rescue (US&R).

▪ The USFA is headquartered in Emmitsberg, MD and administers an extensive fire data and analysis program and provides overall fire policy and coordination.

▪ The USFA coordinates with NIOSH on firefighter safety and health.

▪ The USFA administrator reports to the Director of FEMA.

▪ The National Fire Academy (NFA) is part of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC), co-located in Emmitsberg, MD.

▪ The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) provides training of civil defense forces through the NETC.

▪ EMI superintendents report to FEMA's Associate Director of Training.

▪ The fire protection programs of the US Department of Agriculture are aimed at fire prevention and education in rural areas which are carried out by the US Forest Service and Farmers Home Administration.

▪ The Farmers' Home Administration makes loans to public bodies and nonprofit corporations in rural areas for construction of fire stations, water supplies, and equipment.

▪ The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces rules regarding safety and durability of manufactured homes, including fire safety.

▪ The Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID provides logistic support for the USFS, BLM, NOAA, NPS, and Fish & Wildlife agencies.

▪ (DOT)  The Federal Highway Administration is responsible for interstate highways.

▪ (DOT) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for on-road vehicle safety hazards and accidents.

▪ (DOT)  The Urban Mass Transportation Administration is responsible for buses and subways.

▪ (DOT)  The Materials Transportation Bureau is responsible for HazMat.

▪ (DOT) The Transportation Safety Institute is responsible for safety/security management and training.

▪ (DOT)  The Transportation Systems Center is responsible for applied reasearch.

▪ The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) is under the direction of the Department of the Treasury and conducts arson investigation programs, including training and technical assistance to local law/fire agencies.

▪ The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for the Fire and Thermal Burn Program which investigates injury patterns, collects data, performs research, and enforces mandatory standards with respect to consumer products.

▪ The Congressional Fire Services Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the task of educating members of both houses of Congress on issues of importance to emergency services.

▪ The International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) is an accreditation system operated by member organizations.

▪ IFSTA's objectives are to develop training materials and visual aids, to add new techniques/developments, to delete obsolete methods, to validate training material, to provide student materials/instructors, and to upgrade the fire service through training.

▪ The IMSA produces a bimonthly publication called IMSA Signal Magazine.

▪ Objectives of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) include:  to unite for mutual benefit, to provide exchange of technical information, to further fire prevention through cooperation with agencies, to encourage high professional standards of conduct, and to continually strive to eliminate all factors that interfere with administration of crime suppression.

▪ The IAAI produces a quarterly bulletin called The Fire and Arson Investigator.

▪ The IAFF is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

▪ The sole objective of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the promotion of public safety through the conduct of "scientific investigation, study, experiments, and tests".

▪ UL has no capital stock and exists solely for the service it renders in the field of fire, crime, and casualty prevention.

▪ The Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC) conducts research and development in the field of property loss control.

▪ The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL), formerly the National Bureau of Standards' Center for Fire Research, conducts research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersberg, MD to improve codes and standards.

▪ The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) produces the SFPE Bulletin, the Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, and a series of "Technology Reports" covering technical developments of interest to the engineering community.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 9-Community Awareness & Public Relations

Test Review

▪ Local community factions may be divided by socio-economic, racial, ethnic, religious, age, or gender lines, or a combination of them.

▪ The majority of public contact occurs at the company level.

▪ Community awareness is when a department strives to become knowledgeable about the various factions within the community in order to serve them better. 

▪ Public relations is when a department strives to acquaint a community with the department's mission.

▪ Public education is one of the most cost-effective activities of any emergency service organization and is an ideal way for departments to enhance public image while providing valuable public service.

▪ Group presentation requests should be delivered by the department's public education specialists to ensure consistency of the message delivered.

▪ Broadcast media organizations are required to set aside a certain amount of time for public service messages and is an excellent opportunity for departments to relay fire safety messages.

▪ A citizen concern, sometimes called complaint, is an issue in which a citizen has a complaint/concern for something the department, district, or city has done (i.e.-burning regulations).

▪ One of the first skills required of the company officer when dealing with irate citizens is effective listening.

▪ Company officers should know organizational policies so that citizen complaints can be answered effectively.

▪ A method of receiving a customer complaint is:  apologize for the inconvenience, identify the nature of the complaint, ask customer how it should be resolved, and do it.

▪ If a customer's resolution to a complaint is unreasonable, they should be forwarded to the next highest level within the organization.

▪ Complaints involving an omission of service by a department member should be formally documented and investigated due to the possibility of litigation.

▪ Citizen concerns/complaints often begin with a seemingly straightforward inquiry.

|Phoenix, AZ Customer Service Philosophy |

|Model |Translation |

|Our essential mission and number on priority is to deliver the best |When someone has a problem, we come fix it |

|possible service to our customers | |

|Always be nice - treat everyone with respect, kindness, patience, and |Just be NICE while providing service |

|consideration | |

|Always attempt to execute a standard problem-solving outcome:  |Customers expect delivery of service from coordinated teams of |

|quick/effective/skillful/caring/managed |well-trained, managed, and motivated firefighters |

|Regard everyone as a customer |Treat everyone like family |

|Consider how you and what you are doing looks like to others |Create a lasting impression of professional image |

|Don't disqualify the customer with your qualifications |Do not show/tell customers they are "less qualified" in thier decisions|

|Basic organizational behavior must become customer centered |Decisions and actions of fire companies are oriented to the delivery of|

| |service to the customer |

|We must continually improve our customer service performance |Always redirect into a positive direction |

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 10 - Public Education Program Development & Implementation

Test Review

▪ Fire and life safety education programs are often simply called public education.

▪ Company-level personnel can provide input that is very useful in developing program goals and objectives for public education programs.

▪ The word hazard usually refers to the source of a risk, while a risk is the likelihood of suffering harm from a hazard.

▪ Examples of fire-related hazards include:  ignition sources (smoking materials) or behaviors (children playing with matches).

▪ Fire-related risk is often expressed in number of incidents, injuries, or deaths per capita.

▪ Education programs cannot change substances or devices (i.e.-cigarette lighter, flammability of gasoline), however, technology CAN.

▪ A education program goal helps to identify the needed resources.

▪ Presenting the "Design" concept to a sample audience is a good "reality check" for an education program and is sometimes used to determine whether the program is approved or revised.

▪ Company officers must tailor programs toward the attention span and educational level (apperceptive base) of the intended audience.

▪ Preschoolers are a high-risk group and are a major target of fire/life safety programs due to the lifelong attitudes and behaviors formed during preschool years.

▪ Implementation should be monitored for making on-going adjustments/refinements.

▪ The Implementation step is all about the actual teaching of the class/program.

▪ Presentations should follow a lesson plan that explains the information, uses supplemental training aids, and demonstrates methods/techniques.

▪ Communication is described as both a process that explains how people interact with each other and as a cycle of interchanged information.

|Communication Process |

|Sender |Message |Medium |Receiver |Feedback |

|Person who initiates the |Information being |Way the message is delivered|Intended recipient of |Way the communication is |

|communication |communicated | |message |verified |

▪ Negative feedback may be more valuable to an education program than positive feedback.

▪ An example of immediate feedback is asking open-ended overhead questions and gauging the response.

▪ Feedback may be obtained through asking questions, having participants fill out evaluation forms, and/or through a pre-test/post-test.

▪ Building a rapport with an audience can produce feedback.

▪ With older audiences, a didactic approach that increases their awareness of a problem may be more appropriate.

▪ Adults may respond to an information approach to program delivery.

▪ Long-term statistical data on a program's effectiveness may produce the most reliable evaluation, however, it is also the least useful as a basis for making day-to-day adjustments to a program.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 11 - Labor Relations

Test Review

▪ Labor relations is a general term for the contractual arrangements between a department's administration (management) and its rank-and-file members (labor).

▪ Some labor relations contracts are nothing more than bylaws, while other contracts consist of memorandums of understanding (MOUs).

▪ The Norris-LaGuardia Act made "yellow-dog" contracts unenforceable by any US court and made it almost impossible to get an injunction to prevent a strike.

▪ The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) guaranteed unions the right to collective bargaining.

▪ The Wagner Act was in response to the NIRA act being struck down and consisted of provision such as allowing workers to decide their bargaining representation by vote, establish a National Labor Relations Board, define unfair labor practices, prohibit management from interfering in employee gatherings, required employers to bargain with unions, and outlawed "yellow-dog" contracts entirely.

▪ The Taft-Hartley Act provided specific penalties for NLRB violations, including fines and imprisonment.

▪ The Taft-Hartley Act modified the Wagner act by giving workers the choice of seeking union representation, protected against unfair labor practices, specified bargaining procedures, regulated unions' internal affairs, and provided for NO strikes during national emergencies.

▪ The Landrum-Griffin Act included a union members' bill of rights which ensured unions were run democratically, a requirement that labor unions disclose assets, a set of guidelines for minimum qualifications for election of union officials, and amendment of portions of Taft-Hartley concerning secondary boycotts, union security, and rights to strike.

▪ Most career firefighter belong to the IAFF which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

▪ Unlike most private sector unions, the IAFF allows supervisors (company officers) to be members of the union and included in the bargaining unit.

▪ Contracts and agreements result from negotiations, sometimes called meet-and-confer, between union representatives and those of the jurisdiction.

▪ Elements of contracts and agreements include:  constitutional clauses, union security, management rights, grievance procedures, conditions of employment, and disciplinary procedures.

▪ Collective bargaining is the general term for what is most commonly referred to as "negotiations", or in some cases, the "meet-and-confer" process.

▪ A management team  of collective bargaining represents the entity and is usually lead by a high-ranking member of management.

▪ The labor team of collective bargaining is usually composed of a select group of union members and may or may not include the union President.

▪ Research has show that salary is not the main concern of most employees (hours worked is).

▪ Working conditions are viewed by firefighters in terms of fairness and self-worth.

▪ When layoffs/reductions in force are unavoidable, unions usually insist that cuts be made on the basis of seniority - last hired, first fired (management usually wants cost/benefits basis).

▪ Conflict communication should follow precise communications, have the awareness of the audience, and a two-way dialogue.

▪ Mediation, also called third-party mediation, involves hiring a neutral third party to meet separately with both sides to resolve conflicts that have caused impasse.

▪ Arbitration is either on the basis of best-offer on each issue or when an arbitrator must decide on a list of proposals in total (all or nothing).

▪ Fact-finding is similar to arbitration in that facts are looked at and solutions (non-binding) are suggested.

▪ The most widely known "job action" is a strike, while other types include slow-downs, sick-outs, and selective duty.

▪ Firefighters may participate in work slowdowns by following "work-to-rule" which consists of following every rule explicitly in every decision (results in slowdown).

▪ A "sick-out", sometimes called blue flu, is a job action tactic involving an organized campaign of a certain number of firefighters calling in sick each day (illegal).

▪ Selective duty is a job action tactic, sometimes called a "semi-strike" in which firefighters report to duty but refuse to do anything but respond to emergency calls.

▪ Strikes are drastic job actions that result from a complete breakdown in the negotiations process.

▪ Relationship-by-Objectives (RBO) is designed to improve relationships between labor and management by concentrating on the process by which labor/management work cooperatively.

▪ RBO programs guide participants by identifying viewpoints, conflicts, and concerns, formation of objective-based plans, and in some programs the development of skills to enable participants to work together to address concerns.

▪ The MFD model of labor management used by Mesa, AZ Fire Department is based on mutual respect between the representatives of both labor and management and encourages interaction and involvement amongst leaders.

|MFD Labor Management Model Philosophy (Mesa, AZ F.D.) |

|Understanding each other's roles |Put the good of the organization above all |

|Keeping promises |Leaders meet on a pre-scheduled basis |

|Proceed with issues even if disagreement is found |Maintain open, productive relationships |

|Commitment to the highest quality of service/product |Commitment to providing the best member support |

|Leaders work together to survive difficult times |Leaders share authority for decision-making |

|Collectively solve problems and plan for the future |Understand/accept each other's roles in the organization |

|Meet regularly to communicate needs/issues |Cooperatively participate on committees |

|Leaders proactively addressing issues/complaints |Focus on planning/problem-solving |

▪ In both the RBO and MFD models, there is an emphasis on shared responsibility for decision-making, conflict resolution, and direction-setting.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 12 - Budgeting

Test Review

▪ Citizens and citizen groups are concerned with budgets to see how their taxes are being spent.

▪ The budget of any public entity is a legal document.

▪ Capital budgets cover major purchases such as fire apparatus/equipment, fire stations, and training facilities, and purchases usually have to be justified.

▪ Many public entities have multiyear capital improvement plans (CIPs).

▪ (Capital expenditure) An example of justification for a new apparatus purchase might be that it will lower the ISO rating for the fire department.

▪ Unlike the capital budget used for one-time, long-term purchases, the operating budget is used to pay for recurring expenses of day-to-day operations such as salaries and benefits.

▪ Company officers are usually responsible for preparing budgets for their station or company, excluding personal services.

▪ For most company officers, their involvement in capital budgets is more limited and less direct than with operational budgets.

▪ The most commonly used types of operating budgets are line-item, program, performance, and zero-based budgets.

▪ Line-item budgets reveal very easily where the money goes by organizing expenditures into categories such as personal services and other expenses (two main categories).

▪ Personal services includes regular salaries, overtime pay, salaries of part-time employees, special pay for serving out of classification, vacation pay, sick pay, pension contributions, life insurance, and workers comp.

▪ Contract maintenance of apparatus and facilities, fuel supply contracts, laundry services, and other vendors fall under the "other expenses" category of a line-item budget.

▪ Program budgets are often a form of line-item budget that uses different categories than the classic line-item budget and are categorized by program or activity (i.e.-fire suppression, fire prevention, EMS, etc.).

▪ Similar to program budgets, performance budgets are categorized by function or activity, however, they are based on projected performance (i.e.-per inspection, per fire call, per EMS call).

▪ Organized similar to program budgets, zero-based budgets (ZBB) subject each and every function to scrutiny every year.

|The Budget Process |

|Stage |Process Details |

|Planning |The company officer's only involvement, if any, is limited to preparing estimates of the fees to be generated by the |

| |services provided by the department. |

|Preparation |Estimated revenues from all sources are translated into preliminary budget priorities by the governing body. |

| |The chief and staff must decide what services the department can and should provide during the upcoming year and at what |

| |levels. |

| |Company officers are likely to be heavily involved in describing programs and developing funding requests for each. |

| |Funding requests for capital items should be separated from operating expenses. |

|Internal Review |The fire department's budget request is reviewed by the organization's administrator and the chief. |

| |The chief may be required to explain and justify each request. |

|External Review |The final review that the budget request receives. |

| |Governing body schedules a public hearing so citizens of the jurisdiction can have input on decisions on the budget. |

| |When citizen concerns have been addressed and budget is balance, it is approved and becomes law. |

|Implementation |Once budget is adopted, the fire chief uses budgeted funds to implement programs and activities. |

| |The approved and adopted budget represents a plan for the department's operation for the fiscal year. |

| |Criticism of an approved budget can serve as a way to focus future priorities and performance within the department. |

▪ Many fire departments supplement their general budgets with grants and gifts from private or corporate donations.

▪ Service organizations in a community may provide monies for purchase of specific equipment not provided for in the department's budget.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 13 - Information Management

Test Review

▪ Company officers need to remember that e-mail is not a secure medium of communication.

▪ Reports are required to document most company activities such as training, emergency responses, fire prevention activities, fire investigations, and injuries.

▪ Reports that company officers submit keep the administration informed and provide data to base decisions concerning operations as a whole.

▪ Any report produced by a company officer is a reflection of the company and themselves.

▪ The majority of reports submitted by company officers only require filling out departmental forms and various logbooks.

▪ Reports are designed to provide factual and useful information.

▪ Reports should not include words that allow the reader to speculate.

▪ Most fire departments report their fire-related activity on either the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) or their state's version of NFIRS.

▪ Fires, EMS calls, and rescue calls may all be reported using NFIRS in some departments.

▪ To be consistent with the NFIRS format, reports should include:  location/address, date/time, number of personnel/apparatus responding, incident type, property type, level/area of origin, cause/spread factors (with fires), structure information, built-in protection systems, and damage/loss information.

▪ The narrative included in NFIRS reports should include:  description of overall operation, special factors involved, reasons for special/unusual actions (deviation from SOPs), and recommendations for follow-up.

▪ Where casualties are involved, the NFIRS report should include:  name of injured/deceased, home address, age, gender, firefighter or civilian, and next of kin or parent/guardian/spouse notification, and also a description and mechanism of injury and medical aid given.

▪ All injuries sustained by firefighters must be reported no matter how minor.

▪ A company report which details the operations of that company is sometimes called a run report.

▪ Run reports typically include:  company number, names of personnel, apparatus/equipment used, amount of water used, equipment lost/broken, and narrative of actions performed.

▪ A detailed narrative should be part of every incident report and should paint a verbal picture of the incident.

▪ Narratives should be prepared in chronological order, be thorough, include only known facts, and avoid using fire service jargon, acronyms, or technical terminology.

▪ A typical EMS report is a combination of an incident report, which is open to the public by law, and a patient care report, which is privileged information not viewable by the public.

▪ An EMS response report is open to the public and provides information about the response, its location, who responded, the general nature of the incident (car wreck, medical, etc.), how many patients were involved, and patient transport information (hospital).

▪ A patient care report (not open to public) contains very privileged patient information such as nature of the medical problem (fracture, diabetes, overdose, etc.), mechanism of injury, vitals, medical history, medications, allergies, and treatments.

▪ The two most common types of personnel reports are performance evaluations and work improvement plans.

▪ Some evaluations use a numerical scale, while others use a descriptive scale (outstanding to unsatisfactory).

▪ Performance evaluations inform the member and administration of how well the member is performing assigned duties, forms a basis for work improvement plans, and documents the members work history in case termination results from non-performance.

▪ Most evaluation systems require an annual formal review with informal progress evaluations at intervals between annual reviews.

▪ When performance is significantly below standard, a work improvement plan can act as a contract between the member and supervisor that identifies specific performance improvements that must be made by a specific date.

▪ If printed evaluation forms are used, a contrasting ink color should be used to fill out the form.

▪ Memoranda, also called "memos", are a form of letter usually reserved for internal communication only.

▪ Memo format includes the headings:  Date, To, From, and Subject.

▪ Memos are sometimes used to document face-to-face conversations or phone calls.

▪ Memos can be used to transmit the same information to several locations, provide written record of decisions, requests, or policies, and provide specific information concerning questions/requests in an informal manner.

▪ If memos are used for high-priority items, they should be followed up by a phone call.

▪ If a line or box on a form does not apply, it should be marked "N/A" (not applicable).

▪ All business letters should be on department letterhead.

▪ The main categories of record-keeping at the company level are maintenance, activity, and personnel records.

▪ Maintenance records are usually categorized by preventative or corrective maintenance.

▪ Examples of preventative maintenance are repair of roofs, changing apparatus oil, lubricating chassis, and treating wood handles with oil.

▪ Corrective maintenance can be needed at any time and includes items such as damaged SCBAs, EMS equipment, and rescue gear.

▪ An example of an activity record is a daily log detailing activities done for the day such as inspections, surveys, etc.

▪ A typical daily log sheet contains the department name, date, company/unit designator, and roster of personnel on duty.

▪ Items that are found to be out of service during daily checks, names of visitors to the station, emergency calls, and injuries sustained by personnel (most important) are all items that should be entered on the daily log.

▪ A daily log is a legal document and requires the signature of the company officer below the last entry for the day/shift.

▪ If an addendum is to be made after the company officer has signed the daily log, it should appear after the signature and be signed once again after the addendum.

▪ Personnel records are generally confidential.

▪ The most common computer operating systems are Apple Macintosh®, Microsoft Windows®, DOS, UNIX®, and several systems by IBM®.

▪ Mainframe computers can be as large as a minivan and are used to store data from many individual terminals.

▪ Desktop computer desktop units, also called personal computers, are small and run on Macintosh or Windows operating systems.

▪ Most personal computers are referred to as either Macs (Macintosh) or PCs (IBM PC Compatible).

▪ A clone is a computer from another manufacturer that has been licensed by the original manufacturer to produce hardware that looks and functions like the original products, but with a different label.

▪ If computers are stand-alone units, meaning they function alone and are not connected to a local area network (LAN), each one will have a central processing unit (CPU).

▪ On networked systems (LAN), stations will have a "dumb terminal" that is connected to a main frame computer.

▪ Peripherals are ancillary devices connect to, but not part of the computer such as printers, scanners, and zip drives.

▪ Software is the universal term for coded programs that make computers perform useful work.

▪ Spreadsheet programs are well-suited for budgeting, scheduling, tracking, forecasting, and tracking other activities and have the ability to perform mathematical functions (i.e.-totaling).

▪ Word processing programs allow use of a computer as if were a typewriter and allow correction of punctuation and spelling errors.

▪ IBM systems (more prevalent) were developed primarily for business applications, while Macs were developed to be a user-friendly personal computer.

▪ PCs use the same graphical user interface (GUI) as Macs, so they function the same and are both well-designed for word processing.

▪ Macs are clearly superior for creating complex computer graphics.

▪ The Internet is a means by which individual computer users can communicate with others from around the world.

▪ Users of the Internet can send electronic mail (E-mail), transfer data files, access special interest groups, download software programs, and participate in "newsgroups" and "bulletin boards".

▪ Web browser software is required to connect to the World Wide Web (WWW - Internet).

▪ Internet access providers include American Online® (AOL), CompuServe®, and Prodigy® which charge a monthly fee, however, there is no fee for using the WWW or a per-message fee.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 14-Fire Department Communications

Test Review

▪ Fire department communications can have a direct effect on the safety and efficiency of their crews.

▪ Communications is the process that exchanges ideas and information between two parties.

▪ All successful communications involves the task of exchanging information.

▪ Communication begins with the sender or message initiator.

▪ Each person in a conversation acts as both a sender and receiver.

▪ Persons use their background and personal experiences to interpret what they see and hear.

▪ Difference in perception of a situation is often a barrier to communication.

▪ A message is a collection of thoughts in an understandable package.

▪ Factors that lead to misunderstood communications include:  time of day, level of activity/ambient noise, apperceptive base, background/experience, personality, relationship, language/terminology, and cultural differences.

▪ The medium of communication is the channel, or method, by which a message is delivered between two parties.

▪ Selection of a medium includes factors such as available time, purpose, language, and type of information to be delivered.

▪ Company officers primarily use spoken word to communicate with firefighters and the public.

▪ The main forms of verbal exchange are either face-to-face, telephone, or portable radio.

▪ Company officers must always consider language barriers and misinterpretation of terminology when communicating.

▪ Body language is a non-verbal medium of communication.

▪ Non-verbal (body language) is usually a large part of how a message is received and interpreted.

▪ Examples of written communication include:  letters, SOPs, symbols, and training aids.

▪ Research shows that a person only takes in a fraction of what they hear.

▪ Learning is an active process.

▪ Hearing and understanding a message requires active listening which includes maintaining eye contact, facial expressions, posture, and asking questions.

▪ Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another's place, and being able to empathize is an essential skill of the company officer.

▪ Company officers must be aware that a listener's silence does not always mean the listener understands the message.

▪ Bias or prejudice can be a barrier to communication.

▪ Boredom can make people listen without really hearing.

▪ Good listening environments require low ambient noise, comfortable temperature, and importance of message.

▪ Policies and procedures are examples of "standing" or "repeat use" plans for dealing with recurring problems.

▪ A policy is a guide to decision making and is used to define the boundaries within which the administration expects company officers to act.

▪ Policies originate with top management and are disseminated to the lower echelons for implementation.

▪ Some policies arise from appeal to management for guidance in decision making for exceptional cases.

▪ Appeals are made upward until someone in the hierarchy has the authority to make a decision.

▪ A decision on a particular case may become policy or be made a precedence for similar cases.

▪ Unwritten policies, also called organizational norms or past practice, are a result of tradition within an organization.

▪ Implied policy applies where no clear policy exists and can have as much force as if they were written.

▪ Policies for fire departments may be imposed at the federal, state, and/or local level.

▪ Equal employment opportunity practices are imposed bt the federal government via the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act. (ADA).

▪ Written policies promote more uniform, consistent practices and more predictable outcomes in the field.

▪ Correct interpretation and application of policies may require consultation (through chain of command) with the administration.

▪ Company officers are obligated to inform superiors of any new law or regulation affecting the organization.

▪ A procedure is a written communication for a detailed plan of action.

▪ Procedures outline in writing, the steps to be followed when carrying out departmental policies.

▪ Names for specific, detailed information on how specific situations should be handled are called general operating procedures, general operating guidelines, or most commonly, standard operating procedures (SOPs).

▪ Development and use of SOPs allow organizations to make best use of their human resources.

▪ Specific SOPs reduce misunderstandings about techniques, responsibilities, and procedures.

▪ Standard operating procedures provide the direction on which specific actions are based.

▪ Orders are based upon the authority delegated to the officer to implement departmental policies and procedures, while directives are NOT.

▪ Orders and directives are both necessary to carry out departmental functions and may be either written or verbal.

▪ Because an order is based on a policy or procedure, compliance is mandatory.

▪ A directive is like a request, since it is not based on a policy or procedure.

▪ Properly given orders result in the need for less supervision.

▪ The reasons for controversial orders should be understood by company officers so questions subordinates have may be answered.

▪ Face-to-face, oral communications are generally the most effective means of conveying information.

▪ Problems that hinder effective face-to-face communications include:  officer-firefighter relationships, selective listening, semantics, emotional content, physical barriers, and cultural differences.

▪ A good way to build a positive officer-firefighter relationship is to have an open one-on-one dialogue.

▪ The two major reasons for selective listening are:  there is too much to hear or the listener does not like what is being said.

▪ Semantics is how the listener interprets what is being said based on experience and other factors such as age, gender, race, etc.

▪ The emotional state of an individual greatly influences communications abilities.

▪ Physical barriers to communications include noise levels and radio failure/problems which lead to shouting.

▪ Basic rules for effective spoken messages include:  being adaptive to audience, having a specific purpose, and being brief, focused, and clear.

▪ When communicating with victims, officers should reduce distractions and talk on the victim's level.

▪ Lack of language skills and fear are two of the biggest barriers when communicating with children.

▪ When communicating with a child, kneeling down to a child's level is helpful.

▪ Company officers should prepare for speaking engagements and know their material when speaking in public.

▪ Formal presentations must be prepared, rehearsed, and refined by knowing the material and practicing.

▪ Other modes of communication during presentations include:  visual aids, handouts, body language, tone/inflection of voice, and appearance.

▪ Some departments have designated public information officers to deal with media requests.

▪ There is no such thing as "off the record" when speaking to a reporter because items can be quoted by the reporter.

▪ If technical terms are used when talking to the media, explain its meaning.

▪ "What if..." questions asked by the media should not be answered.

▪ Politely correct false information if given by a reporter.

▪ News and press releases may be the responsibility of company officers if the department does not have a PIO.

▪ News or press releases may either be in outline form, leaving it to the reporter to flesh out, or in narrative form, like a script.

▪ The first sentence of news/press releases should summarize Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?.

▪ News/press releases should use the inverted pyramid style, putting most important facts first and least important facts last.

▪ All quotes used in news/press releases should give proper recognition.

▪ An informal system of communication is most often called "The Grapevine" and is a social communications network  that transmits the organizations social news, and often unofficial versions of official information.

▪ There is no method of ensuring confidentiality, completeness, accuracy, or clarification of information obtained through "Grapevine" communications.

▪ Company officers should couteract misinformation coming via "The Grapevine" with factual information whenever possible.

▪ The single most effective method of minimizing the effects of "The Grapevine" is for administration to provide an adequate flow of official information (i.e.-weekly/monthly bulletin).

▪ Information requiring the most attention in regards to "Grapevine" distortion are:  promotions, hirings/firings, layoffs, transfers, shift changes, disciplinary actions, equipment purchases, accidents, injuries, and personal information about co-workers.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 15-Fire & Life Safety Inspections

Test Review

▪ The most cost-effective way of protecting life and property is to prevent fires and other emergencies from occurring.

▪ One of the most effective ways to prevent fires and other emergencies is the adoption and enforcement of ordinances, codes, and standards.

▪ Enforcement of regulations is often done at the company level through an inspection program.

▪ Except during an emergency, firefighters may not enter private property without being invited by the owner/occupant.

▪ Under common law and most statutory law, presence of an unfriendly fire or other emergency constitutes implied permission to enter (exception-military installations).

▪ Permission to enter private property to conduct inspections must be granted by occupant or local ordinance.

▪ Ordinances should contain provisions for an inspection warrant to be issued for occupants who refuse entrance of inspection teams.

▪ The Uniform Fire CodeTM published by the International Fire Code Institute is used my some governing bodies instead of writing their own, sometimes with amendments for local conditions.

▪ Other codes adopted by governing bodies include the National Electrical Code (NEC), which is published by NFPA, the Uniform Building Code® (UBC), and the NFPA 101® Life Safety Code®.

▪ Firefighters have a duty to act when it comes to hazards found during inspection.

▪ Except for certain high-hazard occupancies (i.e.-public assemblies), the fire marshal or fire prevention officer will delegate inspections to personnel at the company level.

▪ Inspections should identify anything that could cause a fire or impede occupant egress.

▪ A violation such as a blocked exit must be corrected before the inspection team leaves the premises.

▪ The amount of time allowed for corrections of violations found during inspections varies depending on the nature of the violation and departmental policies.

▪ Follow-up inspections require notice in writing with corrective actions explained.

▪ The purpose of any fire & life safety inspection is to leave the occupancy safer than it was before inspection and to educate occupants about protecting themselves and their property from fire.

▪ Except new occupancies, the best information to gather prior to inspection is previous inspections paperwork.

▪ The NFPA Inspection Manual is a good source of general fire & life safety information and contains a large variety of processes, equipment and systems found in many businesses.

▪ The NFPA inspection manual contains information on fixed extinguishing systems, housekeeping, building construction, electrical, HVAC, welding/cutting, and hazards of flammable/combustible liquids, plastics, and combustible dusts.

▪ Some occupancies covered in the Uniform Fire Code (UFC) are:  Public Assemblies, Bowling Alleys, Repair Garages, Lumberyards/Woodworking Plants, Tire-Rebuilding Plants, Tents, Wrecking Yards, Shopping Malls, Dry Cleaners, and the processes of each.

▪ Some special equipment covered in the UFC are:  oil-burning equipment, industrial baking/drying ovens, and mechanical refrigeration units.

▪ Some special subjects in the UFC include:  compressed gases, cryogenics, flammable dusts, fireworks/pyrotechnics, flammable/combustible liquids, and hazardous materials.

▪ Pressure gauges or other special equipment may be needed to inspect certain occupancies.

▪ Hydrants, potential exposures, overhead obstructions, business name/address, and other items that may improve/impede operations should be photographed during the inspection drive-around.

▪ Before starting the inspection tour, the representative should look over past inspection forms for changes.

▪ The inspection team's primary concern is means of egress.

▪ Every room should be inspected by direct, visual observation.

▪ Rooms involving trade secrets must be inspected.

▪ If no floor plan exists, one should be drawn during the inspection tour.

▪ Common violations that may be found on inspection forms include:  access/egress, storage, housekeeping, waste management, processes, and fire protection.

▪ Inspection of access/egress includes visible business name/address and access with aerial apparatus.

▪ An area of refuge is defined as "a floor in a building, when such building is protected throughout by approved automatic sprinklers, or a space in a path of travel leading to a public way that is protected from the effect of fire whether separate from other spaces or by virtue of location.

▪ Exit doors must remain unlocked from the inside whenever a building is occupied and they must be openable from the inside with a single motion (cannot require a key or special knowledge).

▪ Exit doors may require panic hardware and/or to open in the direction of exit.

▪ Many industrial processes can start fires or contribute to the spread of fire.

▪ Storage of flammable materials and wastes must be kept separate from ignition sources.

▪ The requirements typical of assemblies relate primarily to occupant loads and means of egress.

▪ Day care facilities are considered educational facilities regardless of occupant load.

▪ Requirements for educational occupancies address construction features designed to separate students from areas most likely to be involved in fire (i.e.-boiler rooms).

▪ Using compartmentalization, health care facilities attempt to minimize the need for evacuation.

▪ Code requirements for detention/correctional facilities attempt to minimize the possibility of fire.

▪ Code requirements for residential occupancies include provisions for confining fire to room of origin, alerting systems, and egress accessibility.

▪ Transoms, louvers, or ventilating grilles are not allowed in partitions or above doors that separate internal corridors from guest rooms in "hotel/motel-type" occupancies.

▪ Hotel/motel guest rooms with doors opening to an interior corridor must have self-closing devices.

▪ Occupants of board-and-care facilities do not require chronic or convalescent medical/nursing care.

▪ Mercantile occupancies include buildings in which merchandise is sold or displayed (i.e.-auction rooms, malls).

▪ With mercantile buildings, the larger the occupancy, the more restrictive the requirements due to greater anticipated occupancy load.

▪ Egress requirements for mercantile are similar to assembly occupancies with comparable occupancy loads.

▪ Exit doors in mercantile buildings are generally required to swing in the direction of exit.

▪ Maximum allowable travel to reach an exit in a mercantile building can usually be doubled if building is fully sprinklered.

▪ Marking of exits is not required in smaller mercantile occupancies where exits are obvious.

▪ Business occupancies are allowed to have a single-dwelling residence above if occupants can exit without passing through the business area

▪ Industrial occupancies include factories of all kinds (i.e.-dry cleaning, hangars, power plants, mills).

▪ "General" industrial buildings contain ordinary and low hazard operations in a conventional building (large employee population possible).

▪ "Special Purpose" industrial buildings contain ordinary and low hazard operations in buildings designed for specific operations with the bulk of floor space occupied by machines (small employee population).

▪  "High Hazard" industrial occupancies contain high hazard materials, processes, or contents.

▪ Every high hazard industrial occupancy must have automatic extinguishing systems appropriate for the hazard (i.e.-explosion venting).

▪ Storage occupancies are used primarily for storing/sheltering goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals.

▪ Examples of storage facilities includes bulk-oil storage, cold-storage, freight terminals, and grain elevators.

▪ Special "Open Structures" are those not enclosed by walls (i.e.-oil refinery, power station).

▪ Special "Towers" are used to support elevated equipment or operations.

▪ Requirements for special structures and high-rise emphasize increased fire protection for occupants.

▪ Violations should be discussed at the end of the inspection tour with immediate threats corrected before departure.

▪ Inspection data may be used for state or provincial statistics.

▪ During the initial retesting period, a significant number of fire protection systems fail due to inoperative fire alarm systems and fire pumps.

▪ Fire protection system most often inspected by company-level personnel are:  Water Supplies, Stationary Fire Pumps, and Fire Detection/Signaling, Public Fire Alarm, Standpipe, and Fire Extinguishing Systems.

▪ Local alarm systems ONLY initiate an alarm on the premises in which they are installed.

▪ Local alarm systems may be activated manually (pull stations) or by sensors.

▪ Auxiliary alarm systems are connected to the municipal alarm system and transmit a signal to the fire department.

▪ Remote Station systems are NOT connected to the municipal alarm system, however, they do transmit alarms to the fire department, by a leased telephone line (most common) or over a specific radio frequency.

▪ Proprietary alarm systems protect large commercial buildings, high-rises, and commonly owned buildings (complexes) with each structure having its own system tied in to a main system (receiving point) at a remote location on site.

▪ Central Station alarm systems  are the same as proprietary systems, except, the receiving point (central station) is not on the premises and the person receiving the alarm is not an employee of the protected premises (i.e.-alarm company).

▪ Some departments require central alarm stations to be listed with Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

▪ Emergency voice/alarm communications systems increase the capability of communicating with occupants on the premises by one-way or two-way announcement systems.

▪ Company level personnel only determine how well private water systems are maintained (i.e.-rust, corrosion), NOT their adequacy.

▪ Public fire alarm systems are usually owned and maintained by municipalities and consist of street boxes connected to dedicated fire alarm circuits or utilize a dedicated fire radio frequency.

▪ Public fire alarm systems are either Type A (must be retransmitted to appropriate fire stations) or Type B (automatically transmit to appropriate fire stations).

▪ Wet-pipe sprinkler systems are constantly full of water under pressure.

▪ Wet-pipe sprinklers apply water onto fires faster than dry-pipe systems.

▪ In dry-pipe sprinkler systems, the piping is filled with air under pressure.

▪ In a dry pipe sprinkler system, the air in the piping is under greater pressure than the water to keep the main water control valve closed.

▪ In pre-action sprinkler systems, heat-sensing devices allow water to enter distribution piping and release through the activated (fused) sprinklers.

▪ Pre-action sprinkler systems are important where water damage must be minimized.

▪ In a deluge sprinkler system, heat-sensing devices activate ALL sprinklers in the system, so water damage is imminent.

▪ Dry chemical systems are used where rapid knockdown is needed and reignition is not likely.

▪ Dry chemical systems are either engineered (specifically calculated for the particular occupancy) or pre-engineered (calculated for a given amount of area for any occupancy).

▪ Dry chemical systems use the same agents as portable fire extinguishers, which are non-toxic and non conducting.

▪ Local application dry chemical systems direct agent onto a small area, while total flooding systems produce a heavy cloud of agent in the entire space.

▪ Items to be inspected on dry chemical systems include:  discharge nozzles, manual controls, fusible links, pressure gauge, and service tag.

▪ Wet chemical systems are designed for commercial range hoods, plenums, and ducts.

▪ Wet chemical systems typically use a mixture of water and either potassium carbonate or potassium acetate.

▪ Wet chemical systems are good for cooking applications because they react with animal/vegetable oils to form a non-combustible soap.

▪ Carbon dioxide systems are either local application or total flooding types.

▪ Total-flooding carbon dioxide systems must have a pre-discharge alarm due to the oxygen-exclusion nature of the system (alarm activates with both manual and automatic activation of the system).

▪ In automatic mode, carbon dioxide systems can be actuated by heat, rate-of-rise, smoke, or flame detectors.\

▪ Halogenated systems primary use is for "clean rooms" such as computer rooms.

▪ Most halon systems are engineered for a particular type of occupancy (pre-engineered systems also exist).

▪ Components of a halon system include:  agent tanks, piping, valve actuators, nozzles, detectors, manual releases, and control panels.

▪ Some halon systems have a dip-stick to check the amount of agent in the tank.

▪ Foam systems are used in applications where water alone may not extinguish a fire, such as flammable liquids storage/processing, aircraft hangars, and rolled paper storage facilities.

▪ Portable fire extinguishers should be inspected for clearly marked extinguisher locations, unobstructed access, signs of damage, service tags, safety seals, and pressure gauge.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 16 - Fire Investigation

Test Review

▪ One of the most important aspects of fire cause determination is preserving evidence.

▪ Overhaul and mop-up should not begin before the cause of the fire has been determined and any evidence protected.

▪ Important sources of information in regards to point of origin are those who reported the fire  and those who fought it.

▪ Applying general principles of fire behavior can assist in determining fire origin.

▪ Outdoor fires are affected by topography and weather.

▪ On interior fires, burn patterns tend to be vertical from the point of origin and are often v-shaped.

▪ Flammable liquids leave a distinctive burn pattern.

▪ The deepest char is usually at the point of origin.

▪ Fires that occur while being driven are most often due to mechanical or electrical malfunctions.

▪ Car fires due to mechanical malfunctions are most likely to be in the engine compartment, exhaust system, or wheel-and-brake assembly.

▪ Car fires due to electrical malfunction are most likely to be in the engine compartment or behind the dash.

▪ The longer a car is parked, the more likely a fire in that car is of incendiary origin.

▪ Wildland fires spread faster on uphill slopes and in finer fuels such as grass.

▪ The remains of fence posts, trees, and stumps will show the deepest char on the side from which wildland fire spread.

▪ Rope or barrier tape may be used to establish a perimeter for evidence protection or with small areas, use of a salvage cover or box may be indicated.

▪ Evidence should not be moved or handled until the investigator arrives, except to protect it.

▪ In the absence of an investigator, all evidence should be marked, tagged, photographed, and follow chain of evidence procedures.

▪ In most cases, the fire department has the authority to deny access to any building during fire fighting operations and for as long afterwards as deemed reasonably necessary.

▪ If persons are allowed to enter a scene, a written log with the person's name, times of entry and exit, and description of items taken should be kept.

▪ Rules of basic fire behavior should be used to determine the cause of a fire.

▪ Fires may be classified as accidental, natural, incendiary, or undetermined.

▪ Accidental fires are not intentional, however, may result in litigation if negligence is found.

▪ Natural fires result from lightning strikes, earthquakes, and other NON-human activity.

▪ Incendiary fires are deliberately set with malicious intent.

▪ The mere presence of a readily ignitable fuel and a competent ignition source does not establish a fire cause, instead it is the sequence of events that allowed the fuel and ignition source to combine.

▪ If doubt about a fire cause exists, an investigator should be called to rule out accidental or natural causes.

▪ The term suspicious should not be used as a fire cause determination and should not be used in fire reports.

▪ Friendly fires are those started intentionally, but for a legitimate purpose such as burning leaves and other refuse but get out of control and spread to adjacent combustibles.

▪ A significant number of accidental fires involve electricity and electrical appliances.

▪ When wood or other cellulose is subjected to a low level of heat over a long period of time, the material can be converted to pyrophoric carbon through pyrolysis (lowers ignition temperature).

▪ Common heat sources for pyrophoric ignition are steam pipes, flue pipes, and fluorescent light ballasts.

▪ Heat generated by electrical wiring can ignite adjacent combustibles.

▪ One of the most common causes of electrical fires is the misuse of an electrical system by building occupants often involves using lightweight extension cords, also called zip cords.

▪ Electrical fires commonly result from the use of multiple outlet devices, also called an "octopus".

▪ As long a liquid remains in an automatic coffee maker, evaporation will keep it from overheating.

▪ It is important to check the position of the power switch of any electrical appliance found in the area of origin.

▪ Clothes dryers (gas and electric) sometimes start fires because of a failure of the high-temperature control or timing device.

▪ Improperly installed electrical wiring can also cause fires.

▪ Lightning strikes can overload a buildings electrical system and cause many fires.

▪ Some of the most likely contact points for lightning strikes are roof peaks with metal flashing, any metal object of significant size, antennas, and electrical service weather heads.

▪ The movement of earthquakes can break pipes and cause electrical equipment to short out.

▪ Earthquakes can damage the terra-cotta flue liner of fireplaces and cause a fire at a later time when it is in use (requires extensive investigation).

▪ Examples of natural fires include lightning strikes, earthquakes, wind, and pool chemical reactions with rain water.

▪ Incendiary (intentional) fires are caused by the same combination of a competent ignition source and an ignitable material that causes accidental and natural fires.

▪ Differences between incendiary fires and natural/accidental fires are:  accelerant use, disabled fire protection/suppression systems, means of delayed ignition, and means of delaying fire department response.

▪ Possible indicators of incendiary fires include multiple points of origin, timing devices, trailers, chemicals, matches, flammable liquids, bottles, rubber items, glass, butane lighters, altered heating equipment, electrical appliances, tools, oily rags, newspapers, burn patters, highway flares (fusees), financial papers, valuable items replaced with cheaper ones, items present/missing, signs of forced entry, anything unusual or out of place, blocked bridges/access roads, and windows covered to delay detection (all require thorough investigation if present).

▪ Investigators may call on the company officer and subordinates to assist in investigations.

▪ Company level incident reports, sometimes called run reports must be submitted with completeness (detailing all involvement), clarity (proper word usage), and factuality (avoid assumptions).

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 17 - Pre-Incident Planning

Test Review

▪ Pre-incident planning allows the fire department to anticipate resources and procedures needed to meet special demands.

▪ Pre-incident planning provides the needed information to implement a successful Incident Action Plan.

▪ Pre-incident surveys and code enforcement inspections may be performed by the same personnel but should not be combined into one inspection.

▪ Code enforcement inspections focus on code requirements for that occupancy type.

▪ Pre-incident surveys focus on where fires are likely to occur, how they will behave, mitigation, and hazards.

▪ Pre-incident surveys are normally prioritized based on life safety risks, property values at risk, and likelihood of fire or other emergencies.

▪ Occupancies with the highest priority are called target hazards.

▪ Equipment needed for a building survey includes:  writing/drawing equipment and other equipment such as flashlight, water pressure gauge, camera, measuring tape, and PPE.

▪ Pre-incident surveys are usually conducted by company-level personnel because it allows visualization/discussion of how a fire would behave and allows for identification of critical conditions.

▪ Pre-incident surveys provide information gathering and training.

▪ Any serious fire/life safety hazards found during a pre-incident/code enforcement survey will have to be corrected immediately.

▪ The exterior facility survey focuses on the necessary information for the plot plan.

▪ Hydrants, valves, utilities, fences, landscaping, power lines, obstructions, sprinkler/standpipe connections, and locations of underground tanks should all be noted on the plot plan of a pre-incident survey.

▪ Items to cover during an exterior facility survey include:  ornamental facings, awnings, and marquees, and the locations of doors, windows, and fire escapes.

▪ Most companies prefer to start a survey at the roof level after the exterior survey is complete.

▪ Furniture should NOT be included on floor plans.

▪ The major considerations of a survey are life safety, fire control, and property conservation.

▪ Information regarding occupant protection that should be gathered during surveys includes:  the location/number of exits, elevators, escalators, windows, and areas of refuge, in addition to special evacuation considerations and flammable/toxic interior finishes/processes.

▪ Potential hazards to firefighters that should be noted during surveys include:  flammable/combustible liquids, toxic chemicals, reactive metals, radioactive materials, and dangerous processes.

▪ Physical conditions of structures to note during surveys include:  structural components, ornamental building features, unsupported walls, roof construction, high-piled storage, heavy objects on roofs/floors, large open area, dead-end halls, open pits, and maze-like divisions.

▪ In general, construction classifications are based upon materials used and upon hourly fire-resistance ratings of structural components.

▪ The primary concern for firefighter safety is a roof's susceptibility to sudden collapse.

▪ The combustibility of a roof is a basic concern to the fire safety of an entire community.

▪ Flat roofs are most commonly found on commercial, industrial, and apartment buildings.

▪ Flat roofs are often penetrated by chimneys, vent pipes, scuttles, and skylights, and may be surrounded by parapets.

▪ Flat roofs consist of wooden, concrete, or metal joists covered with sheathing, and often a layer of weather resistant material.

▪ The best way to determine the material from which a roof is made is through pre-incident planning.

▪ Pitched roof construction consists of timber rafters or metal trusses that run from the ridge to a wall plate on top of the outer wall to the eaves.

▪ Pitched roofs usually have a covering of roof paper (felt) applied on top of the sheathing before shingles are laid.

▪ Arched roofs covered with a ceiling can contribute to fire spread in the concealed space.

▪ Trussless arched roofs, sometimes called lamella roofs, are made up of relatively short timbers of uniform length.

▪ Lamella roofs exert a horizontal, as well as vertical, reaction on supporting roof components.

▪ In trussless arch roof construction, all parts of the underside of the roof are visible.

▪ Precast concrete roof slabs are hauled to the construction site, ready for use, and are extremely difficult to breach.

▪ A lightweight floor assembly can be made of gypsum plaster and portland cement mixed with fillers.

▪ Lightweight concrete roof decks can be poured in place over permanent form boards, steel roof decking, paper=backed mesh, or metal ribbed lath, and are relatively easy to penetrate.

▪ Light-gauge steel roof decks are most often supported on a framework of steel or wooden trusses.

▪ Light-gauge cold-formed steel sheets are primarily used for the roofs of industrial buildings.

▪ Unless the supporting members are damaged by fire, metal roofs may be less prone to collapse.

▪ In lightweight construction, plywood panels (panelized roofing) are supported by purlins between laminated wooden beams or gusseted wooden trusses that span from outside wall to outside wall.

▪ In lightweight construction, conventional subfloor construction has been replaced by open web trusses or wooden I-beams (unexpected collapse potential).

▪ In most modern commercial/mercantile buildings, the furnishings and other contents provide the major source of fuel for fires (fuel load).

▪ There is no need to test fire protection equipment during a pre-incident survey.

▪ Particular attention should be paid to fixed extinguishing systems, standpipe systems, and fire detection equipment during pre-incident surveys.

▪ Standpipe systems may allow firefighters to carry hose packs into the building instead of advancing long hoselines.

▪ A functioning sprinkler system may mean fewer hoselines will be needed.

▪ Water supply information to be gathered during pre-incident surveys includes:  required/available fire flow, location(s) of supply, reliability of supply, auxiliary supply, interconnections, and utilization methods.

▪ The sizes of water mains supplying a building should be determined to calculate available water supply.

▪ A major property conservation consideration is the use of water as an extinguishing agent.

▪ Floor drains can help prevent excessive property damage.

▪ Plot plans are used to indicate how the building is situated with respect to other buildings and streets in the area.

▪ Floor plans show the layout of the individual floors and roof.

▪ Elevation drawings are used to show the number of floors in the building and the grade of the surrounding ground.

▪ Most building details can be shown on a floor plan drawing.

▪ A field sketch is a rough drawing of the building prepared during the facility survey and should show general information, fire hydrants, streets, water tanks, and distances to exposures.

▪ Using graph paper for field sketches makes it easier to draw to scale.

▪ Report drawings are "polished" versions of field sketches and must be drawn to scale showing essential information.

▪ Report drawings should include standard map symbols and a legend to describe them.

▪ Photographs can be used to capture every detail when drawings would be too complicated.

▪ Some departments use programs such as CAMEOsm to manage data regarding HazMat.

▪ Programs such as FIREHOUSE® and Firesoft® can be used for managing data related to particular occupancies.

▪ One of the best ways to identify changes of pre-incident plans is to have local fire companies document/report changes they observe during daily activities.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 18 - Incident Scene Communications

Test Review

▪ The preferred method of communication is direct, face-to-face communication.

▪ Radio equipment is one of the most common forms of emergency scene communications.

▪ The advantages of radio communications include:  incident is quickly surveyed and evaluated, all parties involved can be informed/consulted, information can be relayed quickly to meet changing conditions, and personnel accountability.

▪ The Communications Center is the focal point for all emergency scene radio communications.

▪ Communications centers track all apparatus assigned to an incident.

▪ Most modern communications centers use some form of computer aided dispatch (CAD) with audio backup.

▪ The number of radio frequencies used at a particular incident depends on the number of resources involved and the size of the management organization.

▪ Small, rural departments normally function on a single frequency.

▪ Aircraft radios may be utilized during large-scale wildland fires.

▪ Base radios are usually operated from the jurisdiction's communications center.

▪ It is possible on large-scale incidents for the Base radio to be set up in the command post (CP).

▪ Mobile radios are those mounted in vehicles.

▪ Some pumping apparatus allow the driver/operator to operate the base radio from the pump panel.

▪ Most modern mobile radios are capable of scanning, transmitting, and receiving on hundreds of frequencies.

▪ Portable radios, sometimes called walkie-talkies or "portables", are handheld radios that allow firefighters to remain in contact with other personnel when away from their mobile radio.

▪ The range of a portable radio can be boosted by a repeater system which receives the signal, boosts it, then retransmits it to the receiver.

▪ Mobile radios in apparatus may act as a repeater when portables are used within a certain range.

▪ Some repeater systems are in fixed geographical locations.

▪ Pagers are most often used to notify volunteers, paid-on-call, and off-duty career firefighters, and staff officers to respond to the station or fire scene.

▪ Most fire service pagers are activated by a transmitter tone from the communications center.

▪ Alternative communications systems include:  CB/Ham radios, land-based phones, cell phones, FAX machines, computer modems, and satellite phones.

▪ CB radios are relatively inexpensive and are used by some rural jurisdictions.

▪ Disadvantages of CB radios include:  public can use same frequencies, quality of transmission, range, and they are not intrinsically safe.

▪ Ham radio operators can access repeaters, satellites, and telephone systems.

▪ An Ham radio organization called RACES is likely to understand the need of emergency providers.

▪ Telephones may be an effective alternative if radios break down.

▪ Telephones are most commonly used when the command post is in a permanent location with telephone service.

▪ Cellular phone calls are transmitted as radio signals between the phone and repeater/downlink equipment ("cell sites") that enter into the telephone system.

▪ Disadvantages of cellular phone use for communications includes:  increased traffic due to public using the frequencies (no service) and dead spots where the phone will not pick up service.

▪ Satellite telephone systems are independent of cellular and land-based phone systems.

▪ Fax machines may be used to transmit/receive situation reports, building plans, hazmat data, and weather update.

▪ A modem (modulator/demodulator) converts the signal from a computer to a form compatible with a telephone.

▪ Computer modems and fax machines may be attached to land-based or cellular phone systems.

▪ A geographic information system (GIS) is designed to provide a computer-readable description of geographic features in a particular area.

▪ A mobile data terminal (MDT) is a radio-operated data terminal that allows transmission/receipt of specific incident data (not typed messages).

▪ A mobile data computer (MDC) allows all the functions of an MDT in addition to two-way communications via a keyboard (to type messages).

▪ The Global Positioning System (GPS) was originally designed to track troop movement for the military.

▪ GPS is now used in some emergency vehicles with the use of an automatic vehicle locator (AVL) to track movement of emergency equipment (vehicles).

▪ The communications procedure must establish the use of specific common terms (clear text) and establish a system of transmitting progress reports.

▪ Communication by radio at an incident can be task-based or direct orders based on the IC's decision.

▪ All crew members should be trained in basic radio operation/maintenance, radio frequency assignments/usage, and departmental radio procedures.

▪ Radio messages should be clear and to the point, avoiding excessive air time use.

▪ To be concise, radio messages should be task-oriented, messages should be directed to companies, not individuals, and messages should be specific.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 19 - Incident Scene Management

Test Review

▪ Objectives of incident scene management are life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation.

▪ An important item related to life safety at an incident is personnel accountability.

▪ Protecting a roadway scene from oncoming traffic is one of the most important ways of protecting lives of emergency responders.

▪ Incident stabilization allows responders to work in an area free of interference from non-emergency personnel.

▪ Scene control can help to confine the problem to a smaller area.

▪ The phases of scene management are scene assessment and scene control.

▪ Two of the most important concerns in scene assessment are nature and size of the incident.

▪ Areas downhill/downwind of a hazardous material release may have to be evacuated.

▪ Fundamentals of scene management include:  traffic, perimeter, crowd, and witness control, and occupant services and evacuation.

▪ Law enforcement personnel usually handle traffic control.

▪ Protective clothing worn on roadway incidents should be brightly colored (fluorescent orange, canary yellow) and/or have reflective striping.

▪ Emergency vehicles parked out of the roadway should turn off their emergency lights and headlights.

▪ Proper placement of emergency vehicles at non-fire scenes depends on a number of variables, however, placement is generally opposite that of fire scenes.

▪ Emergency vehicles should be parked uphill/upwind of incidents when possible.

▪ Heavy vehicles should be kept away from open trenches (vibration).

▪ Perimeter control facilitates personnel accountability.

▪ The most common method of organizing an emergency scene is to establish operating zones (hot, warm, cold).

▪ The restricted (hot) zone is an area where mitigating the problem will take place.

▪ The limited access (warm) zone is an area immediately outside the hot zone used for personnel who directly support those working in the hot zone.

▪ The support (cold) zone is an area immediately surrounding the warm zone which may include the command post, PIO, staging areas, and backup personnel.

▪ The outer boundary of the cold zone is the crowd control line.

▪ It is preferable for law enforcement to perform crowd control.

▪ Persons who refuse treatment/transport should be asked to sign a release of liability form.

▪ Concerns for controlling individual involved with a scene include:  keep them from wandering the scene, keep uninjured from getting injured, provide accountability, obtain information, and separate witnesses.

▪ Relatives and friends of victims should be gently but firmly restrained from getting to close to the incident and they should be kept some distance from the actual incident, but inside the cordoned area.

▪ Witnesses should be separated from those involved in the incident AND from each other.

▪ Witnesses should be collected in the "cold" zone while waiting with a firefighter or other responsible person assigned to each witness.

▪ Leading questions tend to be closed-end questions (requiring only a "yes" or "no" answer).

▪ Occupant services involves firefighters seeing beyond the obvious physical impact of the incident and being sensitive to the mental and emotional impact of the witnesses.

▪ If those at a scene witnesses a death or serious injury, a CISD team may be called to the scene to deal with witnesses and victims.

▪ Pre-incident planning is an important element in successful large-scale evacuations.

▪ Fire departments should develop contingency plans for small-, medium-, and large-scale evacuations.

▪ During an evacuations, persons who do not comply may be placed in protective custody (arrested) and be forced to leave.

▪ Large-scale evacuations may require the use of churches, schools, auditoriums, municipal buildings, or hotels/motels.

▪ The evacuation needs of non-ambulatory persons must be anticipated during pre-incident planning.

▪ Company level personnel may be responsible for setting up a helicopter landing zone (LZ).

▪ The theory of sheltering, also called safe haven, is that there is too little time to conduct a full scale evacuation.

▪ Due to the American Disabilities Act (ADA), many new buildings now have areas of rescue assistance (used for sheltering in place).

▪ Areas of rescue assistance in buildings have minimum structural requirements and must have a means of communication.

▪ An example of sheltering in place is persons staying inside structures while a wildland fire passes.

▪ During a HazMat release, occupants may be better off staying inside until the vapor/gas cloud dissipates, however, they should be asked to shut down HVAC systems and close all windows, doors, and vents.

▪ The final period of incident scene control extends through termination of the incident and release of the scene.

▪ If an incident is large enough to require a demobilization unit, that unit will coordinate the recovery of loaned items such as radios, and document lost/damaged equipment/apparatus.

▪ The cost of equipment "abandoned" at a hazardous scene is recovered from the owner of the property, insurance, or government assistance.

▪ If a scene is still to hazardous after release of a scene, the owner may be required to post a security guard, erect a security fence, or both.

▪ Firefighters who had to deal with extremely gruesome and horrific incidents should be required to go through CISD and should not be optional.

▪ The CISD process should start before personnel enter a scene (prebriefing).

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 20 - Size-Up & Incident Plans

Test Review

▪ Addressing life safety issues may include evacuation, limiting exposure to hazards, or simply requiring full protective clothing.

▪ Life safety must always remain the first and highest priority.

▪ Reflex time, also called lead time, is the amount of time it takes for additional resources to reach the scene and achieve fireground objectives.

▪ The first-in fire officer must initiate the proper command mode, develop/implement an incident action plan, and maintain control of the incident.

▪ Size-up is the ongoing process of evaluating a situation to determine what has happened, what is likely to happen, and what resources will be needed to resolve the situation.

▪ Facts of a situation are items such as time, location, nature of the emergency, life hazards, exposures, fire, and weather.

▪ Probabilities of a situation are NOT known for sure, but are based on facts such as fire behavior and building or topography involved.

▪ The first-in officer's "own situation" is the numbers/types of resources already on scene and additional resources available at certain levels of delay.

▪ Information gathered in the size-up process helps to establish a plan of operation (incident action plan) which may be written (larger incidents) or spoken (small incidents).

▪ Emergency is defined as a situation that is "emerging" (getting worse until it is stopped).

▪ The size-up process actually begins before the incident is reported and continues throughout the incident.

▪ The information gathered in pre-incident surveys is used in size-up.

▪ When driving in to work, may items can be "sized-up" such as ice, snow, road construction, and other factors that may impede response.

▪ Amount, color, pressure, and movement of smoke from a fire can be observed to determine resource needs.

▪ The "candle/moth syndrome" is when an officer focuses exclusively on the fire and does not look at a scene as a whole during size-up.

▪ Except with extremely large scene, the first-in officer should take a quick walk around the scene and view it from all angles to accurately size-up the incident.

▪ On arrival, a decision must be made to operate in either a defensive, offensive, or rescue mode.

▪ An offensive mode may be chosen even if on-scene resources are insufficient to control and mitigate the problem, but are able to make a positive difference in the ultimate outcome.

▪ If a situation is gradually improving, but will take a long time to resolve, the IC should provide for crew relief and logistical needs.

▪ Priorities of an incident are basically the same for any incident:  life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation.

▪ Rescue may not be the first action taken by first-in crews because of hazards that must be mitigated first.

▪ Layman's RECEO acronym stands for Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment, and Overhaul.

▪ Rescue in terms of Layman's RECEO acronym includes all persons including firefighters and in many cases animals.

▪ Exposure in terms of Layman's RECEO acronym includes the need to limit the fire or other emergency to the property of origin.

▪ Confinement in terms of Layman's RECEO acronym includes the need to confine the fire to the smallest possible area within the property of origin.

▪ Extinguishment in terms of Layman's RECEO acronym includes extinguishment of fire, performing a rescue, stopping hazardous materials releases, or packaging/extricating victims of motor vehicle accidents (mitigation).

▪ Overhaul in terms of Layman's RECEO acronym includes restoring the scene to as nearly normal as possible.

▪ The initial action plan, also called incident action plan (IAP), is a written or unwritten plan for the safe and efficient disposition of an emergency incident.

▪ In terms of IMS, an IAP identifies the strategic goals, tactical objectives, and support requirements of an incident.

▪ The term operational plan is NOT used in either ICS or IMS.

▪ The IAP is based on information obtained during initial size-up by the first-in officer.

▪ In most fire departments, operational plans, also called pre-fire, pre-incident, or strategic plans, identify the specific resources needed to successfully deal with a variety of hypothetical incidents at a particular location/occupancy.

▪ Operational plans often include contingencies such as severe weather.

▪ Every incident requires its own action plan.

▪ Strategic goals are the overall plan for controlling the incident and are broad, general statements of the overall outcomes to be achieved.

▪ Achieving tactical objectives leads to the completion of goals.

▪ Tactical objectives are less general and more specific than strategic goals statements.

▪ Tactical objectives are statements of measurable outcomes.

▪ Examples of tactical objectives include:  safety of firefighters/occupants, containing the incident to a specific area, mitigation, and restoration of scene.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 21 - Action Plan Implementation

Test Review

NOTE:  Clear Text Terminology (pg. 290) is not included in notes.

▪ On arrival at an incident, the first-in officer usually names the incident and specifies the location of the command post in addition to reporting on-scene conditions.

▪ In general, defensive and offensive modes should not be mixed.

▪ The offensive mode often involves rescue.

▪ In rescue mode, sometimes called "all-hands rescue", search and rescue are the primary activities, and fire attack is only done to protect the rescuers.

▪ Operating in a defensive mode is intended to isolate or stabilize the incident.

▪ The defensive mode is usually, but not always, an exterior operation chosen because there are insufficient personnel to conduct a safe and effective offensive attack or that the building is heavily involved (unsavable/life not possible inside).

▪ Body recovery is a defensive mode of operation.

▪ When persons are likely to have expired (i.e.-heavily involved building), it is a recovery operation, not rescue.

▪ The Phoenix, AZ decision-making model states: each emergency is begun with the assumption that "they can protect lives and property", they will "risk their lives a lot, to save savable lives", they will "risk their lives a little to save savable property", and they will NOT risk their lives to save lives and property already lost.

▪ The offensive mode involves direct action to mitigate the problem.

▪ In a structure fire, the offensive mode usually means an aggressive interior attack.

▪ In a non-fire rescue incident, the offensive mode usually means deploying rescuers into the environment where the victim is trapped.

▪ The rescue mode, sometimes called "all-hands rescue" or "rescues in progress", is a tactic that focuses exclusively on the life safety priority.

▪ One of the most important requirements of a rescue is that it be declared over the radio.

▪ In fire situations, search and rescue teams take a charged line with them for life safety protection.

▪ Characteristics of all incident management systems include:  common terminology, modular organization, common communications, unified command structure, IAPs, manageable span of control, pre-designated incident facilities, and comprehensive resource management.

▪ The ICS system grew out of the California FIRESCOPE system.

▪ In ICS, a division corresponds to a geographical area with Division A being the nearest area, and working clockwise, naming areas B, C, D, around the perimeter.

▪ A group defines a functional assignment (i.e.-Ventilation, Rescue).

▪ In Phoenix Fire Department Fire Ground Command (FGC), the term sector is used interchangeably for both geographical and functional assignments.

▪ In IMS, which is a blend of FGC and ICS systems, any of the terms division, group, or sector can be used interchangeably if all personnel know in what context they are used.

▪ Both ICS and IMS provide for a modular organization, meaning the organization develops in a modular fashion based on the nature and scope of the incident.

▪ In most cases, the first-in company officers becomes the IC and directs both strategic and tactical operations.

▪ Fireground organization should grow only as much as needed to maintain span of control.

▪ Common communication is essential to maintaining control, coordination, and safety (i.e.-clear text, not codes).

▪ Separate radio channels may be assigned for the following: Command, Support, Safety, Ground-to-Air, Tactical, and Air-to-Air.

▪ Someone in each unit should be designated to monitor the safety channel at an incident.

▪ In a unified command structure, representatives from all of the affected entities share the command responsibilities and decisions.

▪ Beyond single or unified command, ICS does not define command options, while IMS does (nothing showing, fast attack, and command modes).

▪ In "Fast Attack Mode", which usually only lasts a short time, the officer directs crews to provide immediate action to save a life or stabilize the situation.

▪ Fast Attack Mode should continue until the situation is stabilized, the situation is not stabilized and officer must withdraw to set up command, or until command is transferred.

▪ Normally, there are 3 command mode options:  1) appoint a crew member as acting officer, give them a portable radio and an assignment (tactical objective), 2) assign a crew to work under supervision of another officer, or 3) use crew members to perform command staff functions.

▪ Command must NEVER be transferred to someone who is not on the scene.

▪ Information to relay when transferring command includes name of incident, incident status, safety considerations, action plan, tactical objective progress, assigned resources, and assessment of additional resources.

▪ Span of Control relates to the number of direct subordinates that one supervisor can effectively manage.

▪ The Command Post (CP) is the location from which all incident operations are directed.

▪ The Incident Base is a fixed location at which primary support functions are performed.

▪ Camps are locations at which minor support functions are performed on very large wildland incidents and are remote from the incident base and may be relocated as needed.

▪ Staging is the location at which resources are held in reserve.

▪ Helibases are locations where helicopters are parked, services, maintained, and loaded.

▪ Helispots are temporary locations where helicopters can land, refuel, and be reloaded.

▪ Single resources are individual pieces of apparatus and the personnel required to make them function.

▪ Once a task force's tactical objective has been completed, the task force is disbanded and reassigned or released.

▪ Strike teams are a set number of the same kind and type of resources staffed with a minimum number of personnel.

▪ Strike teams must have a leader in a separate vehicle and all team members must have common communications.

▪ Assigned means performing an active assignment.

▪ Available means ready for assignment (i.e.-resources in staging).

▪ Out-of-Service means not ready for assignment.

▪ Items to maintain personnel accountability include:  Check-in, the IAP, unity of command, span of control, division/group/sector assignment list, resource status, and the resource status unit.

▪ Check-in requires all responders, regardless of agency affiliation, to check-in and receive assignments.

▪ A Division/Group/Sector assignment list identifies resources with active assignments in the Operations section.

▪ The Resource Status Unit maintains the status of all incident resources.

Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)

Chapter 22 - Firefighter Safety & Health

Test Review

▪ Most departmental safety programs, policies, and procedures are based on applicable laws and standards.

▪ Laws are legislative mandates that restrict the conduct of all who are subject to them.

▪ Standards are criterion documents that are developed to serve as models or examples of acceptable performance or behaviors.

▪ Standards are not legal mandates unless they are formally adopted by the jurisdiction having authority.

▪ OSHA operates under the Department of Labor and furnishes employees a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause injury/death and makes employers comply with OSHA standards.

▪ Federal OSHA authority and regulations mainly apply to the private sector (general industry, construction, etc.).

▪ Exceptions to OSHA authority are self-employed persons, farmers, and those protected by federal statutes.

▪ Federal OSHA authority and regulations do NOT cover employees of state and local governments, including career and some volunteer firefighters.

▪ OSHA inspections are prioritized based on worker fatalities, multiple hospitalizations, employee complaints, and random inspections of high-hazard industries.

▪ NFPA, ANSI, NIST, ASTM, and NIOSH, all develop and publish safety-related standards.

▪ Departmental safety and health programs should begin with a declaration of policy from the highest ranking official within the department.

▪ A department's infectious disease control program protects firefighter's health and protects the department against related liability.

▪ Infection control programs must have a written policy statement, and exposure control plan, infection control SOPs, an information management system, and training/education program, a compliance/quality-monitoring process, and program evaluation system.

▪ OSHA regulations require employers, including emergency response agencies, to establish an exposure control program.

▪ Members must receive education on diseases, modes of transmission, and related topics.

▪ Periodic review and updating of the infection control program is required by OSHA.

▪ Communicable diseases may be transmitted by bloodborne and airborne pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and other harmful organisms.

▪ Airborne pathogens are spread when an infected patient breathes, coughs, or sneezes and tiny droplets are sprayed into the air.

▪ NFPA statistics show that the majority of firefighter injuries and the most serious injuries occur at emergency scenes.

▪ The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) is a source for fireground injury statistics.

▪ To reduce injuries, officers can have a personal commitment to reducing injuries, require all firefighters to use PPE, deliver effective training, follow all departmental safety/emergency SOPs, participate in physical fitness/weight control programs, promote individual wellness, and conduct investigations into time-loss injuries.

▪ Anytime firefighters are in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, they are in a space that is immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH).

▪ Anyone entering an IDLH atmosphere must wear appropriate respiratory protection.

▪ Improper lifting and slip-and-fall accidents are the two most common accidents that result in injury.

▪ Back strains are the most common injuries related to improper lifting techniques.

▪ Back injuries have proven to be the most expensive, single type of accident in terms or workers' compensation.

▪ Safe lifting requires the lifter to be as close to the object as possible with the back straight or slightly arched, and using the legs to lift.

▪ Ergonomics, also called "human engineering", is the process of designing the workplace to allow the worker to perform efficiently and safely.

▪ Slip, trip, and fall accidents generally are a result of poor footing and is caused by improper footwear, slippery surfaces, objects on walking surfaces, inattention to footing on stairs, uneven surfaces, and similar hazards.

▪ Non-skid strips/patches can be added to floors and stairs to reduce slip/fall accidents.

▪ In psychology, good stress is called eustress and bad stress is called distress.

▪ Current theory holds that most forms of acute stress do not cause permanent damage.

▪ In Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome theory, the alarm reaction stage is the initial reaction to the stressor resulting in a massive release of hormones, including adrenaline.

▪ In Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome theory, the resistance stage (flight/fight response) prepares the body to defend itself or remove itself from the stressor.

▪ In Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome theory, the exhaustion stage is when permanent damage as a result of a stressor occurs.

▪ Chronic stress is most associated with the exhaustion stage, and is linked to insomnia, heart disease, and cancer.

▪ Psychological stressors include sounds of alerting systems, interruption of meals/sleep, need for speed when responding to alarms, and potential dangers at scenes.

▪ Psychological stressors not specific to the firefighting profession include poor working relationships, poor work atmosphere, lack of promotions, lack of support/recognition by supervisors, and difficult work roles.

▪ Programs designed to reduce the risk of heart disease include annual medical checkups, fitness evaluations, weight-control programs, no-smoking regulations, and prescribed blood-pressure medications.

▪ Noticeable signs of dangerous levels of stress include general irritability, emotional instability, inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, and alcohol/drug use.

▪ Common methods of stress reduction include adequate rest, regular exercise, balanced diet, taking vacations, "quiet time", laughing, and relaxing or slowing down.

▪ Critical incident stress occurs as a result of a particularly traumatic or disturbing incident.

▪ Examples of critical incident stress causes include multiple casualties, gruesome injuries, firefighter deaths/injuries, death of rescue victim, and fatalities occurring even despite extraordinary efforts.

▪ Symptoms of critical incident stress include denial of situation, anger, doubts about performance, anxiety, frustration, and sense of hopelessness.

▪ Delayed symptoms of critical incident stress include guilt, restlessness, irritability, drug/alcohol use, sleep problems, flashbacks of incident, and decreased appetite.

▪ An informal discussion, sometimes called a defusing, is usually all that is necessary after most emergency calls to alleviate critical incident stress.

▪ After particularly stressful incidents, officers may place the company out of service temporarily to conduct a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD).

▪ When critical incident stress remains untreated, it can lead to a serious condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

▪ Most medical insurance policies and employee assistance programs will pay for alcohol/drug abuse treatment programs.

▪ Accidents occurring as a result of a sequence of events is sometimes called the domino effect.

▪ When an accident occurs, the "root cause" should be determined.

▪ Reasons for investigating workplace accidents include identifying behavior/condition that caused the accident, previously unrecognized hazards, additional training needs, improvements in safety policy/procedures, and facts that could have a legal impact on an accident case, in addition to PSOB death benefit eligibility.

▪ Human factors are an individual's attributes or personal characteristics that cause this individual to be in more or fewer accidents than others.

▪ In most cases, negative human factors can be mitigated by motivation, training, or technical revision.

▪ Human factors can be categorized as improper attitude (recklessness, laziness), lack of knowledge/skill (poor training, inexperience), or physically unsuited (weight/height).

▪ Questions to ask when analyzing accident/injury reports are:  Who was involved?, What was involved?, What were the circumstances?, and What was the root cause?.

▪ Not every safety problem can be solved by spending more money.

▪ Wellness programs are designed to maintain the occupational health of a fire department's personnel and should include a means of monitoring results.

▪ Wellness program monitoring should include results of medical exams and physical fitness tests, occupational illnesses/injuries, and HazMat and communicable disease exposures,

▪ Medical programs are designed to determine whether a firefighter can physically perform duties.

▪ A department's physical fitness program should be administered by the department's physician.

▪ Member assistance programs, also known as employee assistance programs (EAP), assist members with problems resulting from stress, substance abuse, and personal matters (i.e.-no- or low-cost counseling)

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