Chapter #9 Flashcards
All fire emergency service organizations have the following three types of customers.
Internal
External
Stakeholders
All fire officers must understand the basic concept of customer service. They must be able to perform the following actions.
– Define the customer base
– Identify what all customers need, want, and desire
– Monitor the delivery of the organizations service as it relates to these needs, wants. And desires
Information on the needs/wants/desires of customers can be gathered through a _______
method where the organization simply waits for a customer to express a specific need, want, or desire. This approach takes very little effort in terms of time and money.
Passive
A second approach is more active by taking the initiative and seeking information on a regular basis from internal and external customers and stakeholders. This approach may be accomplished in numerous ways including.
Periodic meetings
Surveys
Informal interviews
For the effective and efficient operation of any fire and emergency service organization and use of resources through standardized systems,____and____ are essential.
Written policies
Procedures
The following methods can be used to ensure policies and procedures are fully understood and complied with.
Distribute in written or electronic format
Communicate to all members
Post in a conspicuous place in all facilities
A ____ ____ determines whether current policies are effective and enforceable. It also determines whether resulting problems are caused by lack of policies.
Policy analysis
When it becomes apparent that a policy or procedure must be revised, replaced, or abandoned, the actual process steps can be based on the steps used in the decision-making process. The national fire Academy suggest using the following simplified model.
Define problem Collect information Generate alternative options Evaluate alternative options Select one option
____ are based on the authority delegated to the fire officer to implement organizational policies and procedures.
Orders
A ____ is not based on a policy or procedure it is more in the nature of a request
Directive
The term ____ can be defined as a planned quantitative allocation of resources for specific activities.
Budget
The budgets of government jurisdictions are more than lists of proposed expenditures and expected revenue. They perform three vital functions for government by
- Describing and identifying the relationship between different task.
- Providing assistance in the decision-making process
- Clarifying political power
Most budgets perform the following functions.
Anticipate future expenditures based on the goals and objectives of the jurisdiction or organization
Review the effectiveness of the past budget performance
Establish and reinforce governmental policy
Assign responsibility for accomplishment of goals and objectives
In general the following two phrases describe budgets.
Budget system
Budget type
Budget system_
Model or format to which a budget process conforms
Budget types_
Description of how costs or revenues are divided between capital and operational purchases
Line item budgeting_
Consist of list of revenue sources and proposed expenditures for the budget cycle
Zero-based budgeting_
Requires all expenditures to be justified at the beginning of each budget cycle.
Matrix budget_
Involves a variety of independent units assigned to a limited duration project.
Program budgeting_
Uses separate categories of programs or activities.
Performance budgeting_
Uses categories of function or activity based on projected performance.
Planning programming budgeting system_
Links planning and budgeting through program development
In general, two types of budget are used by public organization.____ and ____.
Operating and day to day operation
A ____ budget includes projected major purchases - items that cost more than a certain specified amount of money and are expected to last more than 1 year (usually 3 or more).
Capital budget
An organizations____ is used to pay for the recurring expenses of day-to-day operations.
Operating budget
The largest single item in the operating budget of most career organizations is____.
Personnel cost salaries and benefits
In many organizations personnel cost represent as much as ____ %
of the operating budget.
90
A____ is an account whose assets are managed by a trustee or a board of trustees for the benefit of another party or parties.
Trust
____ Trust our funds from which only income from capital may be expended
Perpetual trust
____ trust our funds from which both income and capital may be expended.
Long-term
____ trust our funds that are spent in the current year for some expressed purpose.
Short-term
An ____ fund is established to finance and account for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of government facilities and services that are entirely or predominantly self-supporting by user fees such as water and sewer services fees.
Enterprise
____ Funds are deposited into accounts that are created to receive money from a single source such as building or smoke detector inspections. Only the organization can withdraw funds from the account and it can only be used for a very specific expenses.
Restricted
A____ fund is on account that receives a specified amount of revenue that will be used in the future to pay off a jurisdictions indebtedness
Sinking
Currently the US fire administration through the Department of Homeland Security offers 3 types of grants to fire and emergency service organizations.
Assistance to firefighters Grant (AFG)
Staffing for adequate fire and emergency response Grant (SAFER)
Fire prevention and safety grants (FP&S)
The 6 steps involved in the budget process are
Planning Preparation Implementing Monitoring Evaluating Revising
Officers should keep in mind the following two types of spending that exist in any organization.
Fixed cost spending
Discretionary spending
____ mandated purchases of costs such as assessments to the sinking fund, personnel wages, and personnel benefits.
Fixed cost spending
____ spending that occurs after fixed costs are paid. May include the purchase of new equipment or the upgrade and /or implementation of a new program.
Discretionary spending
