fire and emergency services company officer — lesson 1 fire and emergency services company...

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 1

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4th Edition

Chapter 1 — Transition to the Role of Company Officer

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

1–2

Learning Objectives

1.Recall the importance of the company officer.

2.Select facts about the challenges a new company officer will encounter.

3.Indicate the types of expectations facing a new company officer.

(Continued)


1–3

Learning Objectives

4.Identify solutions that may need to be attained by a new company officer.

5.Recall the individuals or groups to which a company officer may be responsible.

(Continued)


1–4

Learning Objectives

6.Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II human resources management duties.

7.Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II community and government relations duties.

8.Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II administration duties.

(Continued)


1–5

Learning Objectives

9.Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II inspection and investigation duties.

10. Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II emergency service delivery duties.

11. Compare the Fire Officer Level I and Level II health and safety duties.


1–6

The Importance of the Company Officer as a Supervisor

• Provides leadership

• Acts as a role model

• Gives advice

• Provides representation for members to the administration

• Negotiates conflicts

• Applies counseling or coaching when necessary


1–7

The Importance of the Company Officer as a Subordinate

• Is responsible for the members of the unit and their actions and activities

• Controls the unit and effectively deploys it to complete assigned objectives

• Administers policies, rules, and regulations and enforces them when necessary

• Executes the orders of superior officers


1–8

The Importance of the Company Officer as a Public Servant

• Issues burning permits

• Inspects facilities

• Provides public fire and life-safety education

• Investigates suspicious fires

• Provides emergency care to victims of hazardous incidents


1–9

Challenges a New Company Officer Will Encounter

• Learning and applying concepts– Leadership– Ethics– Supervision– Responsibility– Authority

• Relationship changes between peers and friends (Continued)


1–10

Challenges a New Company Officer Will Encounter

• Perception changes that can cause relationship problems with personnel

• Group dynamics

• Personal factors


1–11

Overcoming Personal Challenges

• Commit to the responsibilities, duties, and requirements of the supervisory position

• Show loyalty to the organization

• Support all types of education and training

• Guard conversations(Continued)


1–12

Overcoming Personal Challenges

• Accept criticism graciously and accept praise, honors, and advancement modestly

• Lead by example

• Praise in public, discipline in private


1–13

External Expectations

• From subordinates, peers, family, superiors, and the public at large


1–14

Internal Expectations

• May cause an individual to improperly use the authority of the position, resulting in an abuse of power


1–15

Solutions to Overcoming Challenges and Expectations

• Communicate effectively

• Apply appropriate supervisory techniques

• Manage effectively

• Project a command presence

• Develop an appropriate leadership style (Continued)


1–16


• Show respect for others

• Be loyal to the company, organization, and community

• Be a positive and ethical role model at all times

• Live by a personal and professional code of ethics

• Set high yet attainable standards(Continued)


1–17


• Value diversity in people and situations

• Praise accomplishments

• Listen to others

• Commit to education and training

• Remain humble


1–18

Those to Whom a Company Officer May be Responsible

• Subordinates– Provide a safe work environment– Represent subordinate’s needs to organization– Provide:

–Ethical leadership–Fair and just supervision–Educational and training opportunities

(Continued)


1–19


• Organization– Administer properly all policies and

procedures of the organization– Represent the organization to members of

the unit and the public

(Continued)


1–20


• Public– Provide effective and efficient professional

service – Be conscious that the public provides the

resources to the organization and that officers are stewards of those resources

• Profession– Serve as visible representatives and role

models (Continued)


1–21


• Family– Listen to expectations and needs when

relying on families for support and understanding

– Communicate the new responsibility, authority, and requirements of the new position

(Continued)


1–22


• Themselves– Live by a set of ethical standards and

values that are based on the accepted moral values of the community

– Respect themselves and abide by their convictions


1–23

Human Resources Management Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Provide effective supervision for both emergency and nonemergency activities

• Assign tasks

• Evaluate personnel performance

• Provide company-level training activities

• Administer policies and procedures efficiently and equitably (Continued)


1–24

Human Resources Management Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Recommend actions when situations exceed their authority or ability

• Act as a project manager in certain situations

• Provide professional development opportunities for members

• Initiate or assist with personnel transfers, personal benefits, changes in those benefits, awards and commendations, disciplinary actions, and labor/management issues


1–25

Human Resources Management Duties – Fire Officer Level II

• All Level I duties

• Evaluate personnel performance and ensure that employees perform to the best of their abilities

• Prepare projects and divisional budgets


1–26

Community and Government Relations Duties

• Fire Officer Level I– Respond to citizen inquiries and complaints in an

efficient and courteous manner– Present public fire and life-safety education

programs for the benefit of members of the community

• Fire Officer Level II– All Level I duties– No additional duties


1–27

Administration Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Administer the administration’s policies, procedures, and orders at the unit level

• Observe the application of these administrative documents and recommends changes to them as necessary

(Continued)


1–28

Administration Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Maintain records of unit activities and prepare reports based on these records

• Assist with the preparation of the organization’s budget by monitoring the unit’s resources and documenting the consumption and cost of providing those resources


1–29

Administration Duties – Fire Officer Level II


• Develop budgets

• Evaluate the resource needs of assigned units

• Purchase materials and equipment that will meet the needs of the unit

• Maintain records on purchases


1–30

Inspection and Investigation Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• In initial fire cause determination or investigation process:– Secure incident scene– Preserve evidence– Interview witnesses and emergency

personnel– Notify a fire investigator when the situation

warrants it(Continued)


1–31

Inspection and Investigation Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• In incidents that involve criminal activity such as acts of terrorism or the operation of illegal drug laboratories:– Notify the appropriate law enforcement

agency– Designate the scene as a crime scene– Maintain security of the scene until fire

investigation personnel arrive


1–32

Inspection and Investigation Duties – Fire Officer Level II


• Conduct a preliminary investigation of a fire scene

• Analyze all available information

• Determine the point of origin and cause of the fire

(Continued)


1–33

Inspection and Investigation Duties – Fire Officer Level II

• Perform fire and life-safety inspections, including:– Understand building construction– Understand and apply the jurisdictions building

and fire codes– Identify types of hazards and fire-protection

systems– Apply fire and life-safety regulations to all types of

occupancies


1–34

Emergency Service Delivery Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Inspect all potential hazardous sites within the unit’s response area

• Create a pre-incident plan for each potential hazardous site

• Develop and initiate an incident action plan (IAP) and incident safety plan (ISP) upon arrival on-scene (Continued)


1–35

Emergency Service Delivery Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Establish the Incident Command System (ICS) upon arrival on-scene

• Conduct a postincident analysis following an incident (for incidents involving a single unit)

• Participate in a postincident analysis under the leadership of a command officer (for incidents involving additional resources)


1–36

Emergency Service Delivery Duties – Fire Officer Level II


• Develop pre-incident plans for multiunit operations

• Assign resources to effectively control incidents

• Conduct postincident analysis using information gathered from all responding units


1–37

Health and Safety Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Apply health and safety standards daily

• Implement safety-related policies and procedures

• Monitor personnel to ensure that safety guidelines are followed

(Continued)


1–38

Health and Safety Duties – Fire Officer Level I

• Report all situations that involve job-related injuries or fatalities

• Act as a role model by personally adhering to accepted health and safety practices


1–39

Health and Safety Duties – Fire Officer Level II


• Know and understand the jurisdiction’s health and safety policies, potential risks and hazards that result from unsafe practices, and methods for mitigating such risks and hazards

• Analyze unit accident and injury reports and recommend steps to prevent reoccurrence


1–40

Summary

• The company officer holds a position that is unique to the fire and emergency services and supervisory positions in general.

• As a member of a unit, the officer must perform the same tasks that other members perform. At the same time, the officer is a member of management performing the functions of a first-level supervisor.

(Continued)


1–41

Summary

• In each of these roles, the company officer must make decisions, act ethically, and apply supervisory and management skills to provide a professional service to the public and members of the unit.

• The company officer must understand and adhere to acknowledged standards of leadership.


1–42

Discussion Questions

1.Discuss the importance of a company officer as a supervisor, subordinate, and public servant.

2.Name one challenge a new company officer will encounter.

3.Define both external and internal expectations.

(Continued)


1–43

Discussion Questions

4.To whom or what may a company officer be responsible?

5.List one Level I and one Level II management duty.

fire and emergency services company officer — lesson 1 fire and emergency services company...

Documents

officer level

new company officer

role of company officer

continued slide

emergency care

necessary slide

learning objectives

safety duties