Chapter 7 Fire Department Administration

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Chapter 7Fire Department Administration
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Introduction

• The fire chief must balance the needs of the
  community and the department with the resources
  available
• Personnel must be properly led and supported in
  performing their functions
• Administrative staff perform their duties to
  ensure that the personnel of the department are
  trained, equipped, and supplied with the
  necessary support services

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• PRINCIPLES OF COMMAND
• Are general guidelines
• Department should serve the needs of its
  jurisdiction
• Used in both emergency and non-emergency
  organizations
• Divided into six areas

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• UNITY OF COMMAND
• Each person has one boss
• Everyone has a clear understanding of who is the
  supervisor
• NIMS is based on unity of command structure
• Violation of unity of command leads to confusion

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• CHAIN OF COMMAND
• Formal path of communication though the
  organization
• Communication flows from top up and bottom down
• Cannot be violated unless extreme circumstances

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• SPAN OF CONTROL
• Can effectively only supervise a certain number
  of personnel
• Effective span is considered three to seven
• Decisions dispersed through chain of command
• Prevents information overload

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• DIVISION OF LABOR
• Work divided into specific areas
• Apply most appropriate resources
• Determine responsibility for completion
• Base on area, skill, and complexity
• Avoids duplication of effort

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
• Manager must delegate authority to subordinates
• Supervisor must ensure proper training received
• Responsibility is still managers
• Person assuming responsibility must ensure the
  function is going to be performed

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Learning Objectives 1, 4, and 5 Six Principles
and Chain of Command Fire Department
Organizational Chart

• EXCEPTION PRINCIPLE
• Person delegating authority wants to be informed
  of situations of major importance
• Certain situations arise that the supervisor
  needs to know about
• Personnel matters, major incidents, or incidents
  involving major expense to the department

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• MANAGEMENT CYCLE
• Problem-solving process to accomplish goals and
  objectives
• Objectives must be specific,
• measurable, attainable,
• Realistic, and timely

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• PLANNING
• Determining objectives and how to achieve them
• Requires the use of policies
• Course or method of action
• Procedures
• Particular way of accomplishing something

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• ORGANIZING
• Done after planning
• Managers bring together essential resources
• Framework is chain of command and table of
  organization
• Manager determines if positions can be filled

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• STAFFING
• The assignment of resources to the needs
• Determine adequate staffing
• Large departments may have rapid intervention
  teams
• Effective fire prevention requires enough
  personnel assigned to that function

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• DIRECTING
• Guiding and supervising efforts
• Accomplished through
• Rules
• Standard operating procedures
• Job descriptions
• Assigned duties

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• CONTROLLING
• Determining if organization is working toward
  goals
• Discrepancies require corrective actions
• Largest control is the annual budget
• Financial officer will keep fire chief up to date
  on yearly budget

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Learning Objective 2 Six Components of the
Management Cycle

• EVALUATING
• Determining whether goals and objectives are
  being met
• Must be measurable and attainable
• Evaluation is both internal and external
• Must be carried out objectively
• Is an ongoing process

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Learning Objective 3 Four Methods of Communication

• FOUR BASIC METHODS
• Face to face
• Most likely to be understood
• Radio/telephone
• Written
• Electronic

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• FIRE DEPARTMENT TYPES
• Type depends on needs and resources
• Vary in size
• Increase in size, and increase in complexity
• More than 30,000 fire departments across the
  United States involving 1.2 million firefighters

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS
• First departments in the U.S.
• Preliminary first step in fire service
• Common paid position in a volunteer
• department is a driver
• Not predetermined how many personnel
• will arrive at the scene

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• COMBINATION FIRE DEPARTMENT
• Large part of staff is paid
• Volunteers cover station when crew is on
  assignment
• Concept provides a force of reserves
• Reserves gain training
• Department gains personnel

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT
• Police and fire departments are under same
  department head
• Personnel are cross
• trained
• Increased
• productivity

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• CAREER FIRE DEPARTMENTS
• All personnel are paid a salary
• Too large to be performed by volunteers
• Jurisdiction has control over personnel
• Requires expert management
• Policies and goals

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Learning Objective 6 Identify Different Fire
Department Types

• INDUSTRIAL FIRE BRIGADES
• Manufacturing, refinery, or other location
• Personnel hired by the company
• CONTRACT FIRE PROTECTION SERVICE
• Private-sector companies
• Service by contract or subscription

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Learning Objective 7 Ranks and Their General
Responsibilities

• LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT
• Deputy chief
• Battalion or district chief
• Company officer

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Learning Objective 8 Customer Service, One
Department Concept, Team Building, and Incident
Effectiveness

• FIRE CHIEF ATTRIBUTES
• Educated in public or fire administration
• Advanced education, masters degree preferred
• Ability to communicate
• Needs to be a diplomat
• Interpret wishes of governing body

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Learning Objective 8 Customer Service, One
Department Concept, Team Building, and Incident
Effectiveness

• CUSTOMER SERVICE
• Public is the customer
• Customers needs must be met
• ONE DEPARTMENT CONCEPT
• Standardization
• Same procedures throughout the jurisdiction

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Learning Objective 8 Customer Service, One
Department Concept, Team Building, and Incident
Effectiveness

• TEAM BUILDING
• Willing to work together
• Each shift able to support the other
• INCIDENT EFFECTIVENESS
• Ability to function quickly and efficiently

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Summary

• We have looked at the importance of
  administration at all levels in accomplishing the
  mission of the fire department
• Administration is made up of people performing
  according to widely accepted concepts and
  standards
• Depending on the size of the department and its
  needs, the organization of the administration can
  vary widely
• The most important point is that without the
  support of administrative staff, the line would
  not function