Chapter 3: Firefighters and the officer Flashcards
Actionable items
Employee behavior that requires an immediate corrective action by the supervisor; dozens of lawsuits have shown that failing to act in the face of such behavior will crate a liability and a loss for the department.
Administrative fire officer
IAFC description of a person who has worked as a managing officer for 3-5 years, is certified at the NFPA Fire Officer 3 level, and has accomplished formal education equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
Diversity
A characteristic of a fire workforce that reflects differences in terms of age, cultural background, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. The workforce should reflect the community it serves.
Ethical behavior
Decisions and behavior demonstrated by a fire officer that are consistent with the department’s core values, mission statement, and value statements.
Four basic tasks that are considered vital for the new fire officer.
- Beginning of shift report
- Notifications
- Decision making
- Problem solving
The beginning of shift report
Fire officers should provide a prompt and accurate report to the battalion chief within the first 15min of reporting time. The report may be electronic, paper, or verbal, chiefs rely on this information to make staffing adjustments. The report provides the on duty staffing information, sick leave list, identifies any positions that need to be filled for that shift, the location and condition of all of the apparatus or rolling stock, and any must know information that will require immediate attention.
Notifications
Key notifications must be made promptly. Examples include any and all injury and infectious disease exposure reports, as well as any information the chief needs to know when it is current. Particularly before someone at a higher level calls to ask about the issue. Many chiefs call this the no surprises rule.
Decision making and problem solving.
Chiefs typically want new officers to make decisions within their scope of responsibility. Chiefs are available for consultation, but expect officers to run the fire stations. Officers should not complain about problems without proposing solutions.
The fire officer is considered to be
The fire chiefs representative at the work location.
The three distinct roles of the fire officer
Supervisor, commander, and trainer.
The role of supervisor
As the official representitive of the fire chief the officer will issue orders and directives and conduct business in a way that meets the chiefs objectives. The officer is expected to supervise the company in a manner consistent with the rules and regulations of the fire dept.
The role of commander
The officer is expected to exercise strong direct supervision over the company members. This will involve being the initial IC in a major emergency, in which case the officer must be clear, calm, and concise in radio transmissions. Developing a command presence.
The role of trainer
The fire officer has the responsibility of making sure the firefighter under his or her command are confident and competent in their skills.
James O Page’s three specific recommendations to assist fire officers in developing competencies within the company.
- Develop a personal library
- Know the neighborhood
- Use problem solving scenarios
Developing a personal library
- The library starts by creating a file, or binder with subject tabs that match the topic headings in NFPA 1001, come from the recruit school curricula, or represent a personal list of important topics.
- Every time the officer attends a training event, the notes from that session are placed in this file/binder.
- Leo D Stapleton advocates that officers maintain a personal journal where they record information about the incidents they run and the issues they handle.
- Obtain personal copies the textbooks used in your training and highlight, tab, and write in these books until they become your personal reference.
Knowing the Neighborhood
Walkthrough structures, take pictures, make detailed preincident plans, to know your response zone.
Use problem solving scenarios
In training, provide scenario based problems to force crews to think and identify solutions during an evolution. This can be used in review of preincident plans to create zone familiarization as well as scenario based training.
The fire officers supervisor
- Keep your supervisor informed
- Make appropriate decisions at your level of responsibility
- Consult with your supervisor before making major disciplinary actions or policy changes.
- No supervisor likes surprises.
Integrity
The complex system of inherent attributes that determine a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions.
The fire officers behavior
The fire officer should walk the talk and demonstrate the behaviors that he/she says are important. Officers are role models for the crews.
Verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature is harassment when
- The employee is made to feel that he or she has to endure such treatment to remain employed
- Whether the employee submits to or rejects such treatment is used when making employment decisions.
- The employee’s word performance is affected
- An intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment is present.
General guidelines to performing an initial investigation for an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint
- Keep an open mind
- Treat the person who files the complaint with respect and compassion
- Do not blame the person filing the complaint
- Do not retaliate against the person filing the complaint
- Follow established procedures
- Interview the people involved
- Look for corroboration or contradiction
- Keep in confidential
- Write it all down
- Cooperate with government agencies
The fire officer needs to consider the fire station a business work location. He/she accomplishes this by taking the following steps.
- Educate the employees on the workplace rules and regulations
- Promote the use of on-duty speech
- Be the designated adult, model appropriate behavior.
- Make it a habit to walk around the station various times during the work day. This is not intended to catch someone doing something wrong, but rather is intended to make sure that everything is functioning properly.
