Managing Fire and Emergency Services

fireground objectives

1. Rescue (highest priority) 2. Exposure protection (2nd priority) 3. Confinement 4. Extinguishment 5. Ventilation (preformed at any point) 6. Salvage 7. Overhaul

preparedness

include all efforts- planning, equipping, training, educating, public communications, exercising, and like activities- directed towards ensuring readiness for a particular hazard. Ex: designating evacuation routes and shelter locations, stockpiling supplies

area consolidation

joint operations are performed in certain areas, such as residential neighborhoods, separate operations are performed in areas with higher service demands, such as central business district

Public safety consolidations

refer to a continuum of service delivery arrangements in which some element of service provision is shared among the traditional disciplines of law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services

impact and outcome evaluation

refer to how behaviors relate to risk and how loss data over time actually changed. Important to look at such measures over time.

prevention

refers to activities to identify, deter, disrupt, or defeat acts of terrorism before they occur, as well as to prevent other types of hazardous events. aspects include: info collection, info and data sharing, and public education

classification

refers to documents or information within a sensitive program

protection

refers to efforts and activities to secure people as well as critical infrastructure and key resources from terrorism and other threats

style

refers to manner and methods that a leader uses to interact with other people

vision statement

reflects long term objective or "end state" for the organization. should be clear and concise but unique to community

negotiator

represent the fire and emergency services department to other organizations and agencies and represent local government to other public or private entities

formative evaluation

research that is done before programs are implemented. purpose is to determine why problems exist. will help design and target efforts.

order

resources should be expended in the right places at the right times. "doing things right"

community ambassador

work with community, represent fire and emergency services department to the community

political strategest

work with elected officials and community leaders

lobbyist

work with state and federal governments to make decisions that effect the fire and emergency services responsibilities, capabilities, and resources

autocratic leadership

AKA authoritative, directing centralizes decision making at top of organization can be effective for time sensitive decisions, and when knowledge of strategic goals and relationships is critical to outcome

Wildland-urban interface

AKA intermix- expansion of urban areas into surrounding wildland areas with highly flammable vegitation

participative leadership

AKA permissive, democratic places decision making at lower levels of organization very effective when attempting to establish "buy in" with regular members

equity

based on freedom from bias- not fairness. is a business decision, not an emotional one. critical importance both inside and outside organization.

seven major roles of effective chiefs and managers

Community ambassador futurist political strategist negotiator lobbyist navigator Champion

comprehensive

Emergency managers must consider and take into account all hazards, all phases, all stakeholders, and all impacts relative to disasters

informal social influence

causes people to conform to group pressure out of need for direction and information

scalar chain

clear lines of authority from top management to entry levels

clarity of direction

clearly identify overall direction connecting it with specific goals and work

readiness

comprised of two dimensions: willingness and ability

management

considered a science people who do things right when good, ensures that service is efficient, effective, consistent, and of relatively high quality a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly important aspects include: planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling, and problem solving

transportation codes

cover road construction requirements

five basic forms of public safety consolidation (in order of occurence)

functional full administrative partial area

coordinated

emergency managers synchronize the activities of all relevant stakeholders to achieve common purpose

flexible

emergency managers use creative and innovative approaches in solving disaster challenges

SWOT analysis

Purpose of environmental scan is to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

Risk-driven

emergency managers use sound risk management principles in assigning priorities and resources

professional

emergency managers value a science and knowledge based approach

willingness

a combination of confidence, commitment, and motivation

model for disipline

ability to model the behavior, attitudes and traits consistent with vision, mission, and statement of values and goals

full consolidation

all administrative and operational functions are integrated into a single department of public safety (p97)

performance based codes

allow flexibility in construction practices. goals that can be met by more than one design solution for construction and development

unity of command

an employee should recieve orders from one superior only

clearences

applied to people and indicate the access level of a classified document or information that a person may be granted permission to see or hear

champion

booster of the fire and emergency services, the fire and emergency service department, and the local government without being self promoting

administrative consolidation

both departments maintain separate operations but administrative functions, such as budgeting and HR are combined

efficiency measures

demonstrate whether something is done quickly and at the lowest possible cost

response

describes the operational phase of reacting to an emergency to save lives, property and the environment. Ex: declaring an emergency, activating emergency operation plans, opening and staffing EOC, alerting and notifying the public and media.

recovery

describes the short and long term efforts to restore the normal activities of everyday life. Ex: repairing or rebuilding infrastructure and housing, reopening businesses, reestablishing social structures

ability

determined by amount of knowledge, experience, and demonstrated skill

workload measures

document the amount of work performed

focus of command

effective leaders know their limitations. limit degree to directly lead large numbers, share and delegate command

openess

effective leaders open to possibilities for more efficient, effective or safer methods of achieving goals

esprit de corps

effective managers must be able to promote team spirit, unity, and harmony within the organization. People contribute more when they feel part of the team.

centralization

effective only as it contributes to achieving the strategic goal. may be important for oversight and ensuring consistency

legislative leaders

elected officials balancing long term goals with short term results, and individual citizen's desires with what they see as best for the overall community

visionaries

elected officials developing long term goals and bring into focus a long term vision for the communities future

problem solvers

elected officials focusing on specific problems, and expecting quick and timely action by staff

crisis managers

elected officials responding to the phone calls and complaints of citizens by directing staff to take short term actions

progressive

emergency managers anticipate future disasters and take preventive and preparatory measures to build disaster resistant an disaster resiliant communities

collaborative

emergency managers create and sustain broad and sincere relationships among individuals and organizations

integrated

emergency managers ensure unity of effort among all levels of government and all elements of a community

Building blocks for prevention

engineering, enforcement, education, investigation

control

ensures that activities support the overall strategic goals of the organization

partial consolidation

fire and police departments are administratively consolidated, and most of their operations are integrated. Model uses combination of public safety officers, firefighters, and police officers.

navigator

first help others focus on the end results an desired outcomes, and then help them maneuver through obstacles in the community and the political arena

comprehensive emergency management

four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery

fire codes

generally designed to prevent fires from occurring and to minimize their effects once they have begun

building codes

generally establish the prescriptive requirements in building construction for safety purposes

normative social influence

group pressure people feel based on need for acceptance and approval

futurist

have there eyes on the horizon. Anticipate potential policy or political issues that may affect and should involve fire and emergency services

division of work

high levels of competence make employees more efficient allows individuals to increase their competence at specialized functions

initiative

important for members to clearly understand the extent to which they can be involved in an organizations success

planning codes

usually delineate density and zoning requirements- issues that can directly affect the need for fire department emergency response capabilities

motivation

leader must be able to cause others to do things they might not necessarily do and go places they might not otherwise go

singular focus

leader must focus on goal to be achieved and road towards that goal. past is only a reference point

incentives to lead

leader needs to pick personal incentives that can motivate his efforts

work design

leaders must design work that is clear and consistent with the goals and purposes of the organization

subjectivity

living with ambiguity refers to a leaders ability to use personal experiences and perceptions to form a course of action in situations that are not well defined or are outside normal circumstances

discipline

managerial culture is more effective when self control is combined with a set of clearly documented and consistent corrective actions that the organization can take in response to activities that do not support its strategic goals

subordination of individual interest to the general interest

managers must be able to take objective view of the goals of the organization. safety of all personnel should be an organizational goal

objectivity

managers role is to "do the right things right" and not focus on how others react. fact based goal oriented decisions.

environmental codes

may exist separately or be contained within broader codes. deals with sewage disposal, water supply, and water drainage

enforcement

mechanism used to obtain compliance with codes and laws during construction and afterward. Means regulating peoples behavior

process evaluation

monitoring and documenting PROCESS steps in program design, development and implementation. Helps demonstrate how programs were created and implemented

coordination of interest

must be coordinated to the extent that 'self-sacrifice" begins to resemble synchronicity. self interest must be served by the journy

influence

once leader has embarked on a course of action he must cause people to follow means convincing followers that the course not only meets needs of organization, but also personal needs

delegative style

passes the decision making process to the followers, leader or manager agrees to follow the collective will of the group

Leadership

people who do the right thing to take somebody somewhere to assume a position of authority to travel in front of; to go in advance of others to cause a certain result has responsibility to identify destination

last factor in conformity

peoples admiration for and desire to resemble certain reference groups or people

obedience

peoples tendency to go along with authority

at least 5 years

performance measures that look at effectiveness should be evaluated over a period of ...

effectiveness measures

show the impacts or outcomes of specific prevention efforts, and the relationship . ultimate _________ may be those that document loss reduction

stability

tenure of personnel should not be based on amount of time in organization, but competence in function, and degree to which person helps organization fulfill its goals.

maturity

the ability of the people being supervised to act independently, their desire for achievement, their willingness to accept responsibility, and their experience and ability in performing the task.

Functional consolidation

the departments may or may not be administratively consolidated, but some operational functions, such as communications, are combined

mitigation

the effort to reduce the overall effect of a hazard before an event occurs. Can include prevention efforts as well as protective efforts. Ex: reducing heavy fuel loads near houses in urban interface, or banning use of wood roof shingles

emergency management

the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters

politics

the processes that citizens use to make policy choices about how there communities are governed

strategic plan

the tangible outcome of the risk management process Written plan 1. assesses current environment 2. defines departments purpose and mission 3. describes what the organization wants to look like in 3-5 years 4. describes the environment in which the organization operates 5. defines goals 6. charts a course of action to achieve the goals set

unity of direction

there should be one head and one plan for a group of activities having the same objective

authority and responsibility

to be effective, managers must be able to compel action by others provides formal means to accomplish this

renumeration

to the extent that workers see personal benefit, they will support the goals of the organization. Unrealistic to expect individuals to work against what they perceive as their own interest

Low, R1

unable and insecure or unwilling