Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FD for Change and Culture Modifications

Question 1

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p42-43

What are the five basic methods the author uses to identify functional fire companies and evaluating the success of suburban fire departments?

Answer 1

1. Personal observation-subjective, once you understand what company level success looks like your ability to spot functional fire companies becomes easier
2. Review of available data-baseline for comparing fire company efficiency and effectiveness
3. Parallel comparisons (suburban to suburban)-comparing yourself to other like departments allows you to take a measure of your department
4. Evaluation of commitment to internal standards-Evaluating department commitment to internal standards indicates their willingness to take advantage of ideas and opportunities. Fire departments commit to internal standards have done the work to see that the community needs are being met.
5. Evaluation of compliance with external standards-The other end of the spectrum departments that only work to achieve external standards. External standards fail to consistently meet the needs specific to your organization.

Question 2

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p44-46

What are the seven characteristics that Thompson used to evaluate departments of similar size based on what he believed influence the culture modification process and what change was needed for fire companies to become functional

Answer 2

1. Department size-matters because the size of the department affects the time required for change
2. Rapid growth-growth equals change, can look to survive or to take advantage of the growth to ensure necessary improvements, great opportunity for leaders seeking change
3. Department maturity-older departments are more established and set in their ways.
4. Chosen culture infrastructure-all the things that are in place/should be in place the directly influence the desired culture.
5. Intellectual infrastructure- confirm that the existing intellectual infrastructure supports the chosen culture
6. Support infrastructure- examining the support infrastructure will expose whether or not the department has the necessary resources to support the chosen culture
7. The change factors-combination of subjective and objective criteria geographical location, labor contracts, hiring/promotion etc. each can support change or detour change.

Question 3

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p44

How does the size of the organization affect its ability to undergo departmentwide changes? What size department are more receptive to change that occurs in one generation the leadership?

Answer 3

Larger, older department seem to struggle with departmentwide changes especially if the changes are belief and value-based as with culture muck modification.

Based on the research fire departments with 500 members or fewer seemed the most receptive to change that occurs within one generation of leadership.

Question 4

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p45

Rapid growth periods can offer a great opportunity for leaders seeking change. In a supportive environment with a learning culture how long does it take for fire companies,, formed during growth periods, to develop team chemistry and gain the experience training in working together to become fully functional?

Answer 4

Two years

Question 5

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p47-49

Thompson ranked departments he was studying according to his seven categories and put them in one of four categories:

Answer 5

1. Major metropolitan departments-biggest fire departments in the country, 500+ members, require 2+ generations of leadership for change
2. Suburban departments-500 or less, predominantly career in combination, less mature, can still experience change with courageous leadership
3. 1 Boomberg and baby-Boomberg-double-digit population growth in each census, fewer than 500 members, young less experienced company officers
4. 2 Hyper-growth departments-suburban departments that experienced growth so rapid their cities had difficulty keeping up across the board. Mentoring young officers.
5. Department struggling to survive- lack of basic financial resources to adequately fulfill the mission of saving lives and protecting property, large or small,

Question 6

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p48

In the category two: suburban departments what type of chief is usually more successful at instituting change?

Answer 6

Chiefs who are brought in from the outside of the organization typically have more success implementing change. Culture modifications result should be recognizable in the first 18 to 36 months.

Question 7

Chapter 3: Sizing-Up FDs for Change and Culture Modifications p49

In the category 3.1 Boomburgs and Baby Boombergs what age departments are best positioned for culture change?

Answer 7

Departments that had rapid growth at some point between the mid-1980s and 2017 our best position for cultural change.