Ch. 3: Firefighters and the Fire Officer

Question 1

Fire officers should not complain about problems without proposing any solutions;

Answer 1

they need to think through problems and contribute to solutions.

Question 2

Who is responsible for the fire department mission through the efforts of the firefighters under their command?

Answer 2

A supervising fire officer

Question 3

Which three distinct roles did James O. Page divide the company officer’s duties into?

Answer 3

supervisor, commander, and trainer

Question 4

Which role does the fire officer function as the official representative of the fire chief?

Answer 4

supervisor role

Question 5

Which role is the fire officer expected to supervise the fire company in a manner consistent with the rules and regulations of the fire department?

Answer 5

supervisor

Question 6

When operating at a scene of an emergency incident, the fire officer is expected to function as a ________ and to exercise strong direct supervision over the company members.

Answer 6

commander

Question 7

Functioning as the initial ________ _________ on a major emergency is one of the higher-profile roles of a fire officer.

Answer 7

incident commander

Question 8

Developing a ________ _________ is a key part of mastering the art of incident command.

Answer 8

command presence

Question 9

To be a successful leader, the officer must convince others to follow by:

Answer 9

demonstrating the ability to take charge and make the right things happen.

Question 10

Which role establishes the fire officer to have the responsibility of making sure the firefighters under their command are confident and competent in their skills?

Answer 10

trainer

Question 11

What are the three activities that are necessary to ensure a good working relationship with a supervisor?

Answer 11

• Keep your supervisor informed.
• Make appropriate decisions at your level of responsibility.
• Consult with your supervisor before making major disciplinary actions or policy changes.

Question 12

What refers to the complex system of inherent attributes that determine a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions, including the quality of being honest?

Answer 12

integrity

Question 13

The fire officer should “walk the talk” and demonstrate the behaviors that he/she says are important.

Answer 13

The fire officer should “walk the talk” and demonstrate the behaviors that he/she says are important

Question 14

What is the fire officer demonstrating when they make decisions and models behavior consistent with the department’s core values, mission statement, and value statements?

Answer 14

ethical behavior

Question 15

What means the workforce should reflect the community it serves as it is applied to fire departments?

Answer 15

diversity

Question 16

What are employee behaviors that require an immediate corrective action by the supervisor?

Answer 16

actionable items

Question 17

Describe the fire officer’s basic tasks.

Answer 17

• Managing the work within the unit
• Most prominent is leading a team into challenging emergency situations.
• Much of the workday is routine daily activities

Question 18

Much of the workday is routine daily activities related to:

Answer 18

• Routine administrative activities for work group
• Assigned equipment
• The physical facility

Question 19

The fire officer is expected to ensure work unit will be prepared to function effectively & efficiently as needed by:

Answer 19

• Managing personnel
• Resources
• Programs

Question 20

Most important tasks you want a new officer to do well:

Answer 20

• Beginning of shift Report: (Most important)
• Notification: “no surprise rule”. (Second most important)
• Decision making: the third & fourth issue, (Problem Solving) are of equal importance.
• Problem solving: officers shouldn’t complain about a problem without a solution.

Question 21

Describe a typical fire station workday.

Answer 21

The starting point is a schedule that ensures all required tasks are completed in a logical order. The fire officer must anticipate that emergencies incidents will alter the work-day & require adjustments

Question 22

List 4 tasks a new officer should do well in order of importance.

Answer 22

1. The Beginning of Shift Report
2. Notifications
3. & 4. Decision Making = Problem Solving

Question 23

When should the fire officer give the Beginning of shift report to his chief?

Answer 23

This report is provided within the first quarter hour of the report time. It can be electronic, paper, or verbal.

Question 24

When should the fire officer submit the morning report?

Answer 24

Within 15 minutes of the start of the shift

Question 25

What should be in the Beginning of Shift Report?

Answer 25

• The report provides the on-duty staffing info, sick leave, and identify any positions needed to be filled for the shift.
• Also notes location and condition of apparatus.
• Finally provides the chief with any “must know” info, needing immediate attention.
• Some report include anticipated staffing for next shift.

Question 26

What is NOT included in the morning report?

Answer 26

Anticipated daily activities

Question 27

What is the “no surprise rule”?

Answer 27

Any info the chief need to know about when it is current, particularly before someone at a higher level calls to ask.

Question 28

When bringing up a problem what else should the officer propose?

Answer 28

The officer should propose a solution. The most valuable proposal would consider the larger picture on how the solution would affect the rest of the department.

Question 29

Where do the monthly goals show up for the fire officer?

Answer 29

The monthly goals show up as a planned activities on the fire company daily planner.

Question 30

How many time does in a fire fighter’s career dose he have major changes?

Answer 30

There are four times:

• Completion of Probationary training.
• Completes promotional process & works as a company commander.
• Advances to and works as a chief fire officer.
• When he retires.

Question 31

What was NOT identified as a time in one’s career when a change in the relationship to the fire department organizational structure occurs?

Answer 31

Promotion to driver/operator

Question 32

Does wearing an officer’s badge affect any actions or responses?

Answer 32

Wearing the fire officer badge enhances the effect and consequences of any action or response.

Question 33

Promotion to chief causes what change in the relationship to the fire dept. and members?

Answer 33

• A command officer has less hands-on role.
• Typically is responsible for several fire companies.
• Usually works outside hazard area & is responsible for whatever happens inside.

Question 34

What are the 3 roles James O. Page divides the officer’s duties into:

Answer 34

The Company officer’s duties are divided into:

• Supervisor
• Commander:
• Trainer

Question 35

What are unpopular orders & directives?

Answer 35

Even if the officer disagrees with the particular directive, the dept. requires & expects officer to carry out the directives.

Question 36

Where can an employee initially file a sexual harassment complaint?

Answer 36

With the:
 fire department, 
local government, 
or 
federal government.

Question 37

The compony level officer is responsible for ______________, ______________, and ________ of a crew of firefighters:

Answer 37

• Supervision
• Performance
• Safety

Question 38

What are the 3 things the company level duties are divided into?

Answer 38

• Supervisor: functions as the official representative of the fire chief.
• Commander: operating at the emergency scene, exercising strong direct supervision over the company members.
• Trainer: makes sure the fire fighters under his leadership are confident and competent in their skills.

Question 39

What makes an officer a successful leader?

Answer 39

To be a successful leader, the officer must convince others to follow by demonstrating the ability to take charge and make the right things happen.

Question 40

What is a skill set that an officer must have well-developed?

Answer 40

The ability to bring order out of the chaos of an emergency incident is an art that requirers a well-developed skill set.

Question 41

What is a key part of mastering the art of incident command?

Answer 41

-Developing a command presence, (defined as; the ability of an officer to project an image of being in control of the situation).

Question 42

A fire officer who is going to establish command upon arrival at an emergency scene should have a detailed knowledge of:

Answer 42

• Responding units
• Mastery of the local procedures
• Ability to issue clear direct orders

Question 43

A strong command presence does what to the team of firefighter who are aggressive, action-oriented people that can be obsessive?

Answer 43

Focuses the efforts of this action-oriented team in a constructive direction.

Question 44

Functioning as the initial incident commander, of a major emergency a fire officer arriving on scene needs to be:

Answer 44

The officer needs to be clear, calm and concise in the initial radio transmissions.

Question 45

What is command presence?

Answer 45

It is the ability of an officer to project an image of being in control of the situation.

Question 46

In the book, Effective Company Command, James O. Page’s duty as the trainer fire officer has which responsibilities?

Answer 46

• Making sure the fire fighter under his command are confident and competent in their skills.
• Responsible for the performance level of the fire company will perform at highest level possible.

Question 47

What 3 specific recommendations does Page make to assist the fire officer in the task of developing the fire company’s competencies?

Answer 47

• Develop a personal training library
• Know the neighborhood
• Use problem-solving scenarios

Question 48

Personal Library should have subjects matching which NFPA or curriculum?

Answer 48

• The subject tabs could match heading in NFPA 1001 from recruit curriculum or represent a personal list of important topics.
• Every time the officer attends a training event , the notes form that session are placed in the binder.

Question 49

When should an officer use his personal training library?

Answer 49

When the officer is preparing to present a class that covers a specific topic, his personal training library is the first stop.

Question 50

What does Leo D. Stapleton, retires fire commissioner who wrote, Thirty Years on the Line, advocate officers maintain?

Answer 50

Officers should maintain a personal journal where they record info about incidents they run and the issues they handled.

Question 51

When is it the best time to make entires to the personal journal per Stapleton?

Answer 51

These entries should be made as soon as possible, while still vivid in the memory.

Question 52

What does Page & Stapleton recommend officers to obtain?

Answer 52

In addition to storing info in a three-ring notebook or on a laptop. Officers should obtain personal copies of the textbooks & reference used for training firefighters & promotional exams.

Question 53

What should the officer take pictures of during his walkthroughs?

Answer 53

Significant details

Question 54

What are the aerial view especially valuable for?

Answer 54

Aerial photos are valuable for apartment complexes, business parks, and retail areas.

Question 55

In knowing the neighborhood, what can maps and photos be used for?

Answer 55

• Used to locate access routes.
• Plan the placement of first-alarm apparatus.
• Identify exposure problems.

Question 56

How would Page present facts-based situations and code to firefighters?

Answer 56

Instead of reading code regulations as training the fact-based situations and codes are used to solve problems.

Question 57

In Page’s problem-solving scenarios techniques forced the fire fighters to:

Answer 57

• Identify the occupancy use group
• Identify the issues
• Look up applicable regulations
• Make decisions

Question 58

What can the problem-solving techniques by Page useful for?

Answer 58

• Fire-ground hydraulics.
• Technical rescue scenarios.
• Incident management procedures.
• Pre-incident actions plans.

Question 59

What are three activities necessary to ensure a good working relationships with his supervisor?

Answer 59

• Keep your supervisor informed.
• Make appropriate decisions at your level for responsibility.
• Consult with your supervisor before making major disciplinary actions or policy changes.

Question 60

What are the symbols of power and authority given to a new supervisors?

Answer 60

Formal organizations provides new supervising officers with a badge, insignia and distinctive markings on the helmet a symbols of power & authority.

Question 61

What can make an officer ineffective and damages department?

Answer 61

An unethical and corrupt officer.

Question 62

What are attributes are inherent of integrity?

Answer 62

Integrity refers to the complex system of inherent attributes that determine a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions, including the quality of being honest.

Question 63

What is the usual level of authority of a supervising and managing officer’s cover?

Answer 63

Fire station level activities such as;

• maintenance
• training
• community outreach

Question 64

How should the officer demonstrate the proper and important behaviors?

Answer 64

The officer should “walk the walk” and demonstrate the behaviors that he or she says are important.

Question 65

How do formal organizations publish their expectations?

Answer 65

Formal organizations publish their expectations as a code of ethics. code of conduct or a list of value statements.

Question 66

How can integrity be demonstrated?

Answer 66

By a steadfast adherence to a moral code.

Question 67

How does the officer demonstrate ethical behavior?

Answer 67

The officer demonstrate ethical behavior by making decisions consistent with the department’s core values, mission statement, and value statements.

Question 68

What NFPA discusses the officer’s conduct?

Answer 68

The “Annex A: Explanatory Material” section of NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications.

Question 69

Who enforces civil rights?

Answer 69

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Question 70

Which civil rights, federal laws originally was establish to enforce workplace equal employment that included state & local government, schools, colleges and union?

Answer 70

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 covers state and local governments, schools, colleges and unions.

Question 71

What does Diversity, as applies to fire departments mean?

Answer 71

The work force should reflect the community it serves.

Question 72

What does an EEOC consent decree promise the courts from the fire departments?

Answer 72

It promises the courts that it will work to hire qualified individuals who reflect the community.

Question 73

List the habits for an officer to keep himself in check by Stephen McClure.

Answer 73

• Stay real
• Be fair
• Do right
• Listen
• Teach
• Get feedback
• Lead by example
• Lead by example
• Be fast to praise; be slow to discipline.
• Don’t ask anyone to do anything you wouldn’t do.

Question 74

What does Gravely recommend an officer focus on in reference to workplace diversity?

Answer 74

That a fire officer focus on actionable items and definition of a hostile workplace.

Question 75

What could the failure to act on an unacceptable behavior be interpreted as?

Answer 75

Case law has shown unacceptable behavior requires immediate response. The failure to act on the officer’s part may be seen as officially condoning or encouraging the behavior.

Question 76

What are employee behaviors that require immediate corrective action by the supervisor?

Answer 76

Actionable items

Question 77

EEOC amended what guidelines in 1999?

Answer 77

The guidelines on sexual harassment. Adding that a “reasonable person” in same circumstance would find intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

Question 78

What is the standard for evaluating sexual harassment?

Answer 78

Sexual harassment is unwanted, uninvited, & unwelcome attention and intimacy in a nonreciprocal relationship.

Question 79

EEOC guidelines states that verbal and physical conduct of sexual nature is harassment when the following conditions are present:

Answer 79

• Employee is made to feel that they half to endure the treatment to remain employed.
• Whether the employee submits to or rejects treatment is used when making employment decisions.
• The employee’s work performance is affected
• An intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment is present.

Question 80

What can the term “hostile work environment” be used to describe?

Answer 80

A range of situations in which an employee is subject to discrimination in the workplace.

Question 81

What’s a method of fostering the concept of on-duty speech or appropriate workplace behavior as in a non-hostile work environment?

Answer 81

• On method of fostering the concept of on-duty speech or appropriate workplace behavior is to have the firefighters develop their own set of rule to behaviors.
• Provide the source documents (fed, & municipal, codes & regulations), asking them to consider which words or behaviors they consider inappropriate at work.

Question 82

What are 3 ways a firefighter can initiate a harassment complaint?

Answer 82

They have 3 methods:
- Federal gov.
- Local gov. 
or
- Fire department.