Chapter 6: Administrative Functions

Question 1

Why is the customer service concept valuable?

Answer 1

Customer satisfaction indicates how well an organization meets or exceeds the expectations of the community it serves.

Question 2

What are two main types of customers that fire and emergency services have?

Answer 2

• Internal Customers

- External Customers

Question 3

Who are the internal customers?

Answer 3

Employees and members of the organization including emergency personnel, administrative staff, and officers.

Question 4

Who are the external customers?

Answer 4

Members of the general population within the service area who are beneficiaries of the services provided and people responsible for providing the majority of the funds needed to operate the organization.

Question 5

What are some wants of internal customers?

Answer 5

• fair compensation
• position security
• safe working environments
• dignity that comes from respectful management
• sense of belonging
• reasonable benefits
• rewarding experiences
• ethical leadership
• appreciation and self-worth

Question 6

What are wants of external customers?

Answer 6

• lives and property protected from fires and other hazards.
• access to competent emergency medical care

Question 7

What is the passive approach on information gathering?

Answer 7

Organization waits for customer to express specific needs, wants, or desires.

Question 8

What is the active approach for gathering information?

Answer 8

Organization takes the initiative to seek out information on a regular basis from internal and external customers.

Question 9

What are the demographic characteristics a population is categorized into?

Answer 9

• age
• occupation
• sex
• family size
• education
• geographic location
• marital status

Question 10

What are characteristics that are used to define diversity?

Answer 10

• age
• gender
• sexual orientation
• ethnicity
• race
• religion
• politics
• socioeconomic level
• education

Question 11

What are the organization’s area of responsibility with a mobile and shifting population?

Answer 11

• individuals who commute into the area
• live in the area and work elsewhere
• reside in the response area temporarily such as students, tourists or migrant workers

Question 12

What is community risk reduction (CRR)?

Answer 12

A broad term that incorporates all programs that protect the public using protection, prevention, and education.
could also be known as fire and life safety program

Question 13

What are three important components of CRR?

Answer 13

• fire and life safety programs
• private dwelling fire and life safety surveys
• fire and life safety presentations

Question 14

What are fire and life safety programs?

Answer 14

• mentoring
• community education
• fire safety for elderly and children
• fire prevention
• health awareness
• disaster preparedness
• residential sprinkler systems

Question 15

What information does a private-dwelling fire safety survey provide?

Answer 15

the extent to which community members implement fire and life safety, and information about the amount and kind of safety equipment within the home.

Question 16

What are fire and life safety presentations>

Answer 16

To inform the public about unsafe behaviors and provide information on how to change those behaviors.

Question 17

What is the purpose of a public relations program?

Answer 17

To build a relationship with the community that is based on trust and commitment and is aligned with the organization’s mission and vision.

Question 18

What are some government sponsored community service organizations?

Answer 18

• Adult/Child protective services
• Services for people with access and functional needs
• Community centers
• Animal Control
• Public health clinics

Question 19

What is a policy analysis?

Answer 19

Determines if current policies are effective and enforceable, or if the lack of policies has caused problems.

Question 20

What are some indications that a policy needs to be revised?

Answer 20

• internal/external customer complaints
• increase in policy/procedure infractions
• injuries or property loss due to a failure of policy/procedure
• change in the resources used to accomplish task
• change in a problem that the policy was intended to solve
• new technology
• legal mandates

Question 21

What expected revenue sources and proposed expenditures does a budget include?

Answer 21

• personnel pay
• apparatus
• insurance
• benefits
• materials
• facilities
• utilities

Question 22

What revenue sources fund an organization’s budget?

Answer 22

• taxes
• fees
• fundraising
• private/corporate donations
• government subsides and grants
• cost recovery

Question 23

What are the two types of budgets public organizations use?

Answer 23

• capital budget (projected major purchases)

- operating budgets (recurring expenses of day-to-day operations)

Question 24

What is the largest single item in the operating budget of most organizations?

Answer 24

Personnel costs

Question 25

What are some other things within the operating budget?

Answer 25

- utilities - office supplies - apparatus and vehicle fuel - janitorial supplies - contract services for maintenance of apparatus and facilities - other items needed on daily basis

Question 26

What are the 6 major steps of the budget process?

Answer 26

1. Plan 2. Prepare 3. Implement 4. Monitor 5. Evaluate 6. Revise

Question 27

What potential revenue sources does budget planning for the next fiscal year use?

Answer 27

- projected taxes - expected grants and subsidies - expected fees for services - bond sales - funds from other sources

Question 28

What do budget preparation sessions take into account?

Answer 28

- fixed cost - discretionary spending - emergency spending

Question 29

What is a request for proposal (RFP)?

Answer 29

Defines the needs of the organization and allows manufacturers or authorized distributors to decide if they can meet bid specifications.

Question 30

What do bid specifications include?

Answer 30

specific equipment requirements and the AHJ's legal requirements

Question 31

What does the budget implementation identify?

Answer 31

Wether new personnel can be hired, if staff cuts will be necessary, vacant positions can be filled, and new equipment can be purchased.

Question 32

What are reasons for revisioning a budget during the budget cycle?

Answer 32

- decrease in revenue - increase in operating costs - underestimation of actual costs - change in labor/management agreements - unforeseen or catastrophic occurrences

Question 33

Define records management.

Answer 33

The systematic control of an organization's records to ensure quick access to information.

Question 34

What categories of information do personnel records include?

Answer 34

- training - performance - attendance - hazmat exposures - biological/medical exposures - medical history

Question 35

What two categories are maintenance records divided into?

Answer 35

- preventative maintenance | - corrective maintenance

Question 36

What is preventative maintenance?

Answer 36

Usually performed according to a predetermined schedule to prevent damage, reduce wear, and extend the useful life of and item, vehicle, or facility.

Question 37

What is corrective maintenance?

Answer 37

Often due to an unforeseen event. Damage may be caused by an accident, overuse, operator error, or even abuse.

Question 38

What are activity records?

Answer 38

The basis for planning and justifying budget requests. these records provide historical documentation of all events, incidents, and projects in which members of the organization have participated over a specific time period.

Question 39

What is the intranet?

Answer 39

Internal networks that link all the organization's computers together to improve communication and share software and files.

Question 40

What is Acts or Omissions?

Answer 40

A doctrine holding individuals responsible, ethically, for actions they may take (act) or do not take (omission), with foreseen results.