[embed height=\"560\" width=\"315\"]https:\/\/youtu.be\/LZRDhnV_ero[\/embed]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
The fire service is typically structured to deal with the service demands of both day and night shifts. Let\u2019s discuss some of the more typical activities in a typical fire department today.<\/p>\r\n \r\n
The \u2018Beginning of Shift\u2019 Report<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Officers should start their day with a report to the officer in charge, often a chief, to indicate the status of the crew and readiness of the station and equipment for the day\u2019s activities. The format of this report can be anything from paper to electronic to verbal, depending on the requirements of the department.<\/p>\r\n The report will commonly contain information such as on-duty staffing and unscheduled absences that will need to be filled for that shift. These positions are a priority as they may require someone who worked the previous shift to remain on duty until a relief person can be secured and arrive at work to take over the vacant position. Those called in to cover sick leave are often compensated at a premium rate of pay such or overtime at a rate of at least time and one half.<\/p>\r\n It will be important to report absences as soon as possible to ensure that the holdover firefighter can be relieved of duty and the overtime request to go out quickly to secure the relief firefighter. Sometimes, the holdover firefighter may end up staying longer than necessary due to the fact that the scheduled firefighter failed to report their absence or the station officer took a chance and waited too long for the missing firefighter to show up at work. The officer likely was attempting to cover for his crew member thinking that he or she simply slept in. The officer was likely well-intentioned but the final outcome could end up much worse than simply reporting immediately and dealing with a lateness or lack of communication issue later on.<\/p>\r\n Some departments use sophisticated online staffing systems such as TeleStaff, that provide real-time scheduling that conforms to departmental operational requirements. The chiefs rely on this information to make staffing adjustments at the beginning of the shift.<\/p>\r\n The morning report also deals with the location and condition of all of the apparatus or rolling stock such as a reserve pumper that has been loaned to another station.<\/p>\r\n Finally, the report provides the chief with any \u2018must-know\u2019 information that will require immediate attention.<\/p>\r\n Other information that will be a priority for the beginning of shift report include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Injuries<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Infectious exposure reports<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Other health and safety issues that cannot wait for Monday to Friday administrative staff<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n Ensuring that critical information is passed on to the appropriate personnel is a key responsibility for the company officer.<\/p>\r\n \r\n Let\u2019s now examine some examples of weekday activities in a typical career fire station.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n The supervising fire officer is responsible for accomplishing the fire department mission through the efforts of the fire fighters under his or her command - this requires a balance of management and leadership skills. As company officer, one must be able to accomplish the department\u2019s mission and complete goals in a safe, timely, and efficient manner. A typical day in the life of a career fire station might look like this:<\/p>\r\n 08:00<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shift change and equipment check<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Compete appropriate morning reports to the chief<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t clean the living quarters, empty trash and wash the dishes<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n 08:30<\/p>\r\n\r\n dust and vacuum all carpeted areas<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Sweep all tile or hard surface floors<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n 09:00 - morning coffee break<\/p>\r\n 09:30<\/p>\r\n\r\n Physical training and possibly some outside skills evolutions<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Once the priorities have been completed, head to the store to pick up groceries<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n 11:00 Heavy cleaning before lunch<\/p>\r\n\r\n Monday: Air out the dorm areas and clean all windows<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Tuesday: Clean utility rooms and shop area<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Wednesday: Tidy and inventory emergency medical supplies, self contained breathing apparatus and decontamination areas.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Thursday: Move recyclables outside for pickup then clean the weight room and lockers<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Friday: Wipe down and polish the kitchen and clean out the refrigerators<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n Noon: The officer and crew sit down for lunch<\/p>\r\n 13:30 \u00a0 Scheduled activities- for example -\u00a0 fire safety inspections, school visits, inside or outside training.<\/p>\r\n \u00a017:00 Prepare for shift change if on a 10 and 14 hour shift schedule<\/p>\r\n Here\u2019s and example of a typical volunteer duty night:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n 18:00 \u00a0 The evening duty crew has arrived and starts work with\u00a0 equipment checks<\/p>\r\n 19:00 \u00a0 Dinner, followed by kitchen clean-up. Run the dishwasher<\/p>\r\n 19:30\u00a0\u00a0 Classroom session - training or maybe a community outreach activity<\/p>\r\n 22:30\u00a0\u00a0 Remove all trash, tidy up and make a final pass through the kitchen. Empty the dishwasher<\/p>\r\n General station and apparatus cleaning as well as the formal company evolutions are conducted on weekends. The more significant cleaning tasks are scheduled throughout the year including deep cleaning of the apparatus bays and floors; steam cleaning of\u00a0 carpeted areas in the administrative offices; waxing of apparatus, etc.<\/p>\r\n It would seem that there are always important goals to complete whether you find yourself in a career, composite or volunteer fire department.<\/p>\r\n Transitioning from a firefighter to a fire officer<\/strong><\/p>\r\n There are roughly four times in a firefighter\u2019s career when the relationship with the department and coworkers change. The first is the successful completion of a probationary period. Sometimes this is a point where one receives a badge or a new helmet colour.<\/p>\r\n The second change is when a firefighter qualifies for a company officer\u2019s position - usually starting in an acting role. Once again, the helmet colour likely changes and stripes and collar insignia are worn to indicate the new level of authority in the department.<\/p>\r\n The third change is when the company officer is promoted to a chief\u2019s position. Yes, another helmet colour change and a much broader scope of authority and responsibilities.<\/p>\r\n This change in the scope of responsibility often requires the new officer to change some on-duty behaviours or practices. The new fire officer is expected to role-model the appropriate behaviours of an officer - behaviour that was acceptable for a firefighter may be unacceptable for an officer.<\/p>\r\n As and example, consider a firefighter who was known to be the last one out of a chair when there were station duties to complete. This reputation will likely walk through the door long before he or she arrives for the first day of duty as a company officer. The new officer can expect some push-back from the new crew as a result of the less-than-stellar reputation as a firefighter.<\/p>\r\n The fire officer\u2019s duties fall into three distinct roles - supervisor, commander and trainer.<\/p>\r\n Let\u2019s examine each of these roles separately:<\/p>\r\n The Fire Officer as a Supervisor:<\/p>\r\n In the supervisor\u2019s role, the officer functions as the official representative of the fire chief. This means to role-model appropriate behaviour and to supervise within the policies or regulations within the scope of the officer\u2019s job description.<\/p>\r\n On occasion, a fire officer may be required to issue and enforce unpopular orders. Even if the officer disagrees with a particular directive, the formal organization requires and expects the officer to carry out that directive to the best of his or her ability. A fire officer can improve his or her effectiveness in handling an unpopular order by determining background or history behind the order, which would enable the fire officer to put the directive in perspective when delivering it to the crew.<\/p>\r\n Any concerns that the officer may have about the directive should be discussed in private with the supervisor. The company officer can make suggestions for change or strategies for implementation and the supervisor may be able to authorize some flexibility or adjustments to assist the company officer in a more effective delivery of the order.<\/p>\r\n Telling the firefighters that their officer does not agree with an order undermines the officer\u2019s authority and supervisory ability. The fire chief expects an officer to perform the required supervisory tasks, and the firefighters must understand that the fire officer does not make all the rules or have a choice about which ones to enforce. Enforcing unpopular orders is part of the job.<\/p>\r\n The Fire Officer as a Commander:<\/p>\r\n When in command of an emergency incident, the fire officer is expected to function as a commander and to exercise strong, direct supervision over the company members. Functioning as the initial incident commander on a major emergency is one of the higher-profile roles of an officer.. The fire officer needs to be clear, calm and concise in the initial radio transmissions. The communication of incident size-up information must be consistent with the organization\u2019s requirements and Incident Management System.<\/p>\r\n Developing a command presence is a key part of mastering the art of incident command. Command presence is the ability of an officer to project an image of being in control of the situation - demonstrating the ability to bring order out of chaos.<\/p>\r\n To be a successful leader, the officer needs to convince others to follow - by demonstrating the ability to take charge and make the right things happen. A fire officer who is going to establish command upon arriving at an emergency incident should have a detailed knowledge of the responding companies, a mastery of the local procedures and the ability to issue clear and direct orders.<\/p>\r\n The Fire Officer as a Trainer:<\/p>\r\n The fire officer has the responsibility of making sure that the firefighters under his or her command are confident and competent in their skills. The company officer is responsible for the level of performance of the fire company and must establish a set of expectations to ensure that the company will perform at the highest level possible.<\/p>\r\n Everyone has a boss. Let\u2019s now discuss the relationship between the company officer and the fire officer\u2019s supervisor.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Every fire officer has a supervisor. In municipal fire departments, a company officer\u2019s supervisor is usually a command-level officer - often at a chief level. (battalion chief, district chief, platoon chief, etc.).<\/p>\r\n The supervisor also has a boss - likely a deputy fire chief or other senior officer that generally reports directly to the fire chief.\u00a0 Under the chain of command, the fire chief\u2019s orders and directives are passed down through the deputy to the battalion or district chief who then ensures that the company officers apply and adhere to those orders or directives.<\/p>\r\n Regardless of the organizational structure, every fire officer has an obligation to work effectively with a supervisor. Three activities are necessary to ensure a good working relationship:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Keep your supervisor informed<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Make appropriate decisions at your level of responsibility<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Consult with your supervisor before making major disciplinary actions or policy changes.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n Company officers should not hesitate to make decisions appropriate for their level of responsibility. This means that problems should be addressed and situations resolved where and when they occur. If a fire officer has the authority to solve a problem he or she should not wait for the supervisor to arrive to solve it.<\/p>\r\n Company officers are required to exemplify Integrity and Ethical Behaviour. <\/strong><\/p>\r\n Along with the symbols of power and authority that comes with an officer\u2019s uniform and turnout gear, comes the need to provide core values of integrity and ethical behaviour that, combined with the formal symbols of authority, create an effective fire officer.<\/p>\r\n The company officer and Integrity:<\/p>\r\n Integrity refers to the complex system of inherent attributes that determine a person\u2019s moral and ethical actions and reactions, including the quality of honesty. The fire officer should \u2018walk the talk\u2019 and demonstrate the behaviours that he or she says are important, If the company officer says that physical fitness is important, then the firefighters should see their officer performing physical fitness training during the workday.<\/p>\r\n Integrity can be demonstrated by a steadfast adherence to a moral code. Such a code combines a fire officer\u2019s internal value system and the fire department\u2019s official organizational value system. Many organizations publish their expectations as a code of ethics, a code of conduct, or a list of value statements.<\/p>\r\n The Company Officer and Ethical Behaviour:<\/p>\r\n The ethical fire officer makes decisions - and models behaviour consistent with the department\u2019s core values, mission statement and value statements.<\/p>\r\n Fire department activity in the community tends to be high profile, regardless of the task, Even a trip to the grocery store to pick dinner draws public attention. The fire officer should act as if someone is always documenting his or her actions when out of the fire station.<\/p>\r\n In summary, maintaining integrity and ethical behaviour are key to sustaining the professional reputation of your fire department and you in your role as the company officer.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[embed height=\"560\" width=\"315\"]https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-799439271\/chapter-2-firefighters-and-the-fire-officer\/s-9sZr1[\/embed]\r\n\r\nUse the download button in the upper right hand corner of the Sound Cloud player to download and play on your mobile device. Click these links to download the Sound Cloud app for\u00a0iPhone<\/a>\u00a0or Android<\/a>\u00a0.","rendered":" <\/p>\n\r\n \t
\r\n \t
\r\n \t
\r\n \t
\r\n \t
\r\n \t