Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 1

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

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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. Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Challenges a New Company Officer Will Encounter • Learning and applying concepts • Leadership • Ethics • Supervision • Responsibility • Authority • Relationship changes between peers and friends (Continued) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Challenges a New Company Officer Will Encounter • Perception changes that can cause relationship problems with personnel • Group dynamics • Personal factors Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Overcoming Personal Challenges • Accept criticism graciously and accept praise, honors, and advancement modestly • Lead by example • Praise in public, discipline in private Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

External Expectations • From subordinates, peers, family, superiors, and the public at large Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Internal Expectations • May cause an individual to improperly use the authority of the position, resulting in an abuse of power Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Solutions to Overcoming Challenges and Expectations • Communicate effectively • Apply appropriate supervisory techniques • Manage effectively • Project a command presence • Develop an appropriate leadership style (Continued) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Solutions to Overcoming Challenges and Expectations • 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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Solutions to Overcoming Challenges and Expectations • Value diversity in people and situations • Praise accomplishments • Listen to others • Commit to education and training • Remain humble Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Those to Whom a Company Officer May be Responsible • Organization • Administer properly all policies and procedures of the organization • Represent the organization to members of the unit and the public (Continued) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Those to Whom a Company Officer May be Responsible • 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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Those to Whom a Company Officer May be Responsible • 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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Those to Whom a Company Officer May be Responsible • 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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Administration Duties – Fire Officer Level II • All Level I duties • 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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Inspection and Investigation Duties – Fire Officer Level II • All Level I duties • Conduct a preliminary investigation of a fire scene • Analyze all available information • Determine the point of origin and cause of the fire (Continued) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Emergency Service Delivery Duties – Fire Officer Level II • All Level I duties • Develop pre-incident plans for multiunit operations • Assign resources to effectively control incidents • Conduct postincident analysis using information gathered from all responding units Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

Health and Safety Duties – Fire Officer Level II • All Level I duties • 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 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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. Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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) Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

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

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 1