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Company Officer > Chapter 4: Fire officer communications > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Fire officer communications Flashcards

1
Q

What does the fire officers rank insignia that features bugles represent?

A

The fire officers speaking trumpet, which was used at the turn of the 20th century to shout orders on the fire ground.

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2
Q

What are some reasons effective communication skills are essential for a fire officer?

A

They provide direction to the crew members, review new policies and procedures, and simply exchange information in a wide range of situations. Communication skills are equally important when working with citizens, conducting tours, releasing public information, and preparing reports.

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3
Q

Communication is a repetitive _____ process.

A

circular

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4
Q

Successful communication occurs whenever …

A

two people can exchange information and develop mutual understanding.

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5
Q

Effective communication:

A

Occurs only when the intended message has been received and understood.

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6
Q

What five parts does the communication cycle consist of?

A
  1. Message
  2. Sender
  3. Medium (with noise)
  4. Receiver
  5. Feedback
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7
Q

The Message:

A

Represents the text of the communication. The text of a message can be conveyed in many forms, for example: facial expressions can send a message as powerful as written or spoken words.

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8
Q

The Sender:

A

The person or entity who is sending the message. A sender can be a sign, a sound, or an image, as well as a person. The tone of voice or the look that accompanies a spoken message can profoundly influence the receivers interpretation, as well as body language, mannerisms, and other nonverbal cues.

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9
Q

The Medium:

A

Refers to the method used to convey the information from the sender to the receiver. Spoken or written words, pictures, symbols, and gestures are all examples.

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10
Q

When choosing the circumstances for transmitting a personal message, remember this guideline:

A

Praise in public; counsel, coach, or discipline in private.

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11
Q

The Receiver:

A

The person who receives and interprets the message.

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12
Q

Feedback:

A

The sender should never assume that information has been successfully transferred unless some confirmation is provided that the message was received and understood. This completes the communication cycle by confirming receipt and verifying the receiver’s interpretation of the message.

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13
Q

Effective communication should…

A

Contain all five components of the communications process; if one or more is missing, communication does not occur.

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14
Q

Active Listening

A

Listening in a face-to-face situation, is an active process that requires good eye contact, alert body posture, and frequent use of verbal engagement.

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15
Q

Techniques that may help improve listening skills.

A
  • Do not assume anything. Do not anticipate what someone will say.
  • Do not interrupt. Let the individual who is trying to express a point or position have a full say
  • Try to understand the need. Often, the initial complaint or problem is a symptom of the real underlying issue.
  • Look for the real reason the person wants your attention.
  • Do not react too quickly. Try not to jump to conclusions. Avoid becoming upset if the situation is poorly explained or if an inappropriate word is used. The goal is to understand the other person’s viewpoint.
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16
Q

Stay Focused

A

It is easy to get sidetracked and bring unrelated issues into a conversation. Directed questioning is a good method to keep a conversation on topic.

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17
Q

Ensure Accuracy

A

A fire officer needs to have up-to-date information on the departments standard operating guides, policies, and practices.

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18
Q

The fire officer needs to keep the chief officer informed about three areas:

A
  1. Progress toward performance goals and project objectives.
  2. Matters that may cause controversy.
  3. Attitudes and morale.
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19
Q

The Grapevine

A

A fire officer can often get clues about what is going on but should never assume that grapevine information is accurate and should never use the grapevine to leak information or stir controversy. In addition, a fire officer needs to deal with grapevine rumors that are creating stress among the fire fighters by identifying the accurate information and sharing it with subordinates.

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20
Q

Environmental Noise:

A

A physical or sociological condition that interferes with the message. Noise includes anything that can clog or interfere with the medium that is delivering the message.

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21
Q

Ways you can improve communication by minimizing Sociological environmental noise.

A
  • Do not struggle for power
  • Avoid offhand manner
  • Keep emotion in check
  • Remember that words have meaning
  • Do not assume that the receiver understands the message.
  • Immediately seek feedback
  • Provide an appropriate level of detail
  • Watch out for conflicting orders.
22
Q

The direct approach for communication in an emergency incident involves…

A
  • Asking precise questions
  • Providing timely and accurate information
  • Giving clear and specific orders. `
23
Q

Key points for emergency communications

A
  • Use plain English
  • Use common terminology that is recognized by NIMS, especially when interacting with multiple agencies and disciplines.
  • Try to avoid being in the proximity of other noise sources, such as running engines.
24
Q

What should the initial radio report describe?

A
  • What you have
  • What your are doing
  • Provide direction for other units that will be arriving.
25
Q

What does the communications order model do?

A

A standard method of transmitting an order to a unit or company at the incident scene. It is designed to ensure that the message is clearly stated, heard by the proper receiver, and properly understood. It also confirms that the receiver is complying with the instruction.

26
Q

What is the most common form of reporting?

A

Verbal communication

27
Q

What is the most effective means of conveying many types of information?

A

Face-to-face conversation.

28
Q

What information does a CAN report give?

A

Conditions, Actions, Needs.

29
Q

What information is provided by a routine written report?

A

Information related to fire department personnel, programs, equipment, and facilities. Most fire departments also require company officers to maintain a company journal or log book.

30
Q

What is the purpose of the morning report?

A

To make the administrative officer aware of any personnel or resources shortage as soon as possible.

31
Q

What does the monthly activity and training report do?

A

Documents the companies activity during the preceding month.

32
Q

What does the monthly activity report include?

A
  • The number of emergency responses
  • Training activities
  • Inspections
  • Public education events
  • Station visits
  • Some include details such as the number of feet of hose used and the number or ladders deployed during the month.
33
Q

Types of incidents that require expanded incident reports.

A
  • A fire with a civilian fatality or injury.
  • An incident that has become a crime scene or an arson investigation.
  • An incident involving an occupant rescue or other emergency scene activity that would qualify for official recognition, an award, or a bravery citation.
  • An incident involving an unusual, difficult, or high profile activity that requires review by the fire chief or designated authority.
  • A fire company activity occurred that may have contributed to a death or serious injury.
  • A fire company activity occurred that may have created a liability
  • A fire company activity occurred that has initiated an internal investigation.
34
Q

An incident report narrative should include…

A
  • Any observations that were made en-route to the incident or at the scene
  • All actions by FD personnel related to the incident
  • Pertinent negatives- elements noted not to be present to actions not taken.
  • Should provide a clear mental image of the situation and the actions that were taken.
35
Q

Types of infrequent reports that require an officers personal attention.

A
  • Firefighter injury report
  • Citizen complaint
  • Property damage or liability-event report
  • Vehicle accident report
  • New equipment or procedure evaluation
  • Suggestions to improve FD operations
  • Response to a grievance or complaint
  • Firefighter work improvement plan
  • Request for other agency services
36
Q

A supervisors first report of an injury be submitted within…

A

24-72 hours of the incident.

37
Q

When is written documentation required, and what do these resulting documents accomplish?

A

Written communication is needed to document both routine and extraordinary fire department activities, and the resulting documents establish institutional history and serve as the foundation of any activity that a fire department wishes to accomplish.

38
Q

Courts tend to assess liability based on which factors?

A
  • Systems in place to develop and maintain SOP’s/ SOG’s.
  • Compatibility with regulatory requirements and national standards
  • Consideration of unique departmental needs
  • Adequacy of training and demonstration of competence
  • Procedures used to monitor performance and ensure compliance.
39
Q

What is the goal of a decision document?

A

To provide enough information and make an effective persuasive argument so that the intended individual or body accepts your recommendation.

40
Q

What elements does a decision document usually include?

A
  • Statement of problem or issue: One or two sentences.
  • Background: Brief description of how this became a problem or issue.
  • Restrictions: Outline of the restrictions affecting the decision. Factors such as a federal law, state regulations, local ordinances, budgets or staff restrictions, and union contracts are all restrictions that could affect a decision.
  • Options: Where appropriate, provide more than one option and the rationale behind each option. In most cases, one option is to do nothing.
  • Recommendation: An explanation of why the recommended option is the best decision.
  • Next action: A clear statement of the action that should be taken to implement the recommendation.
41
Q

The four parts of a verbal presentation.

A
  1. Getting their attention
  2. Interest statement: Immediately and briefly explain why listeners should be interested in this topic.
  3. Details: Organize the facts in a logical and systematic way that informs the listeners and supports the recommended decision.
  4. Action: At the close of your presentation, ask the audience to take some specific action. The most effective closing statements are actions that relate directly to the interest statement at the beginning of the presentation.
42
Q

Chronological statement of events

A

A detailed account of the fire company activities as related to an incident or accident.

43
Q

Company Journal

A

A log book at the fire station that creates an extemporaneous record of the emergency, routine activities, and special activities that occurred at the fire station. The company journal also records any fire fighter injuries, liability creating events, and special visitors to the fire station.

44
Q

Environmental noise

A

A physical or sociological condition that interferes with the message in the communication process.

45
Q

Expanded incident report narrative

A

A report in which all company members submit a narrative on what they observed and which activities they performed during an incident.

46
Q

Formal communication

A

An official fire department communication. Such a letter or report is presented on stationary with the fire department letterhead and generally is signed by a chief officer or headquarters staff member.

47
Q

General orders

A

Short-term directions, procedures, or orders signed by the fire chief and lasting for a period of days to 1 year or more.

48
Q

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

A

Enacted in 1996, federal legislation that provides for criminal sanctions and civil penalties for releasing a patients protected health information in a way not authorized by the patient.

49
Q

Informal communications

A

Internal memos, e-mails, instant messages, and computer aided dispatch/ mobile data terminal messages. Informal reports have a short life and may not be archived as permanent record.

50
Q

Interrogatory

A

A series of formal written questions sent to the opposing side of a legal argument. The opposition must provide written answers under oath.

Company Officer (19 decks)

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