100 Fire Service Authority

Question 1

It is the policy of the Midwest City Fire Department to limit its members to only exercise the authority granted to them by law.

Answer 1

100

Question 2

When exercising their authority, members shall observe and comply with every person’s clearly established rights under the United States and Oklahoma Constitutions.

Answer 2

100

Question 3

Any chief officer may relieve a member under his/her command from duty when, in his/her judgment, an offense committed is sufficiently serious to warrant immediate action.

Answer 3

100

Question 4

It is the policy of the Midwest City Fire Department to have a highly qualified Chief Executive Officer.

Answer 4

100

Question 5

Candidates for the rank of Fire Chief shall have at least three years of experience as a paid firefighter prior to appointment (11 O.S. § 29-102).

Answer 5

100

Question 6

The oath of office shall be filed as prescribed by law (51 O.S. § 36.3).

Answer 6

100

Question 7

Except where otherwise expressly stated, the provisions of this manual shall be considered as guidelines.

Answer 7

100

Question 8

The provisions contained in the Policy Manual are not intended to create an employment contract nor any employment rights or entitlements.

Answer 8

100

Question 9

Violations of any provision of any policy contained within this manual shall only form the basis for department administrative action, training, or discipline.

Answer 9

100

Question 10

The Fire Chief shall be considered the ultimate authority for the content and adoption of the provisions of this manual and shall ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Answer 10

100

Question 11

The Fire Chief or the authorized designee is authorized to issue Departmental Directives, which shall modify those provisions of the manual to which they pertain.

Answer 11

100

Question 12

Fire Code - 2018 edition of the International Fire Code as adopted and amended by the State of Oklahoma (OAC 748:20-4-1)., and adopted by Midwest City (Ordinance § 15-55)

Answer 12

100

Question 13

The Fire Chief shall assume responsibility for health and safety-related policy and program administration if there is no designee.

Answer 13

100

Question 14

An electronic version of the Policy Manual will be made available to all members on the department network for viewing and printing.

Answer 14

100

Question 15

Members shall seek clarification as needed from an appropriate supervisor for any provisions that they do not fully understand.

Answer 15

100

Question 16

The Fire Chief will ensure that the Policy Manual is periodically reviewed and updated as necessary.

Answer 16

100

Question 17

Members are responsible for keeping informed of all Policy Manual revisions.

Answer 17

100

Question 18

Each Assistant Chief will ensure that members under his/her command are aware of any Policy Manual revision.

Answer 18

100

Question 19

All department members suggesting revision of the contents of the Policy Manual shall forward their written suggestions to their supervisors, who will consider the recommendations and forward them to the command staff as appropriate.

Answer 19

100

Question 20

It is the responsibility of the Administration Major to prepare and maintain a current organizational chart.

Answer 20

200

Question 21

The Fire Suppression Assistant Chief may also oversee the management of Emergency Communications Center.

Answer 21

200

Question 22

To ensure effective organizational communication, members should generally adhere to the established chain of command unless there is a good faith and reasonable basis for utilizing an alternate channel of communication.

Answer 22

200

Question 23

The Fire Prevention Division performs inspections of businesses and occupancies as mandated by applicable law.

Answer 23

200

Question 24

The Midwest City Fire Department shall have a medical director who is a fully licensed, non-restricted Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy in the State of Oklahoma (OAC 310:641-15-13).

Answer 24

200

Question 25

The principles of unity of command ensure efficient supervision and control within the Department.

Answer 25

200

Question 26

Any supervisor may temporarily direct the subordinate of another supervisor where specifically delegated or if an operational need exists.

Answer 26

200

Question 27

Respect for rank is essential for administrative and operational efficiency.

Answer 27

200

Question 28

This supervisor/commanding officer is the first step in the organizational chain of command, followed by the next level of commanding officer as set forth in the department's organizational structure.

Answer 28

200

Question 29

In the event that no supervisory officer is available, rank will be determined by seniority in rank.

Answer 29

200

Question 30

Members of the Midwest City Fire Department shall generally conduct department business through the established chain of command.

Answer 30

200

Question 31

A member's decision to disobey an order that is believed to be unlawful is not a bar to discipline should the order be determined as lawful.

Answer 31

200

Question 32

If an issue is of a personal nature, involves a sensitive matter, is of significant importance to the Department, or involves other members or supervisors, the member may consult directly with the Assistant Chief, the Fire Chief, or a representative of the Human Resources.

Answer 32

200

Question 33

The Midwest City Fire Department is committed to preparing for natural or human-created emergency incidents and providing for the safety of its members and visitors.

Answer 33

200

Question 34

The Fire Marshal or designee will develop and maintain an EAP and FPP to provide for the safety of department members and visitors in the event of an emergency.

Answer 34

200

Question 35

The Midwest City Fire Department will, as necessary, issue Departmental Directives that will immediately modify or change and supersede the sections of this manual to which they pertain.

Answer 35

200

Question 36

Generally, the establishment of Departmental Directives is management's prerogative, but employee participation may be sought in the development of those policies.

Answer 36

200

Question 37

Whenever possible, the Department will use courses certified by Oklahoma State University - Fire Service Training, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or other accredited entities.

Answer 37

200

Question 38

It is the responsibility of the Chief of Training to maintain, review and update the training plan on an annual basis, ensuring that all mandated training is achieved.

Answer 38

200

Question 39

The Chief of Training will conduct an annual training needs assessment. The needs assessment will be reviewed by command staff. Upon approval by the Fire Chief, the needs assessment will form the basis of the training plan for the following year.

Answer 39

200

Question 40

Any member who becomes aware of the potential for a liability claim should forward the information to the Fire Chief and Midwest City's risk manager.

Answer 40

200

Question 41

The records custodian shall ensure that email messages are retained and recoverable as outlined in the Records Management Policy (67 O.S. § 207).

Answer 41

200

Question 42

For the purposes of clarity and to ensure appropriate distribution of written communications, all memorandums between department members shall utilize a standardized format.

Answer 42

200

Question 43

It shall be the policy of the Midwest City Fire Department to control the use of the name of the Department and the use of letterhead, and to ensure that official administrative communications follow a specific format and are released only by persons with the authority to do so.

Answer 43

200

Question 44

Personnel orders may be issued periodically by the Fire Chief to announce and document promotions, transfers, hiring of new personnel, separations, personnel and group commendations and awards, or other changes in status.

Answer 44

200

Question 45

Members of the Department may use letterhead only for official business and with approval of their supervisor

Answer 45

200

Question 46

A memorandum also may be written by line-level members to communicate information.

Answer 46

200

Question 47

If the recipient is of higher rank than the member’s immediate supervisor or is outside the Department, the information should be approved by the proper chain of command before being forwarded to the recipient.

Answer 47

200

Question 48

If staffing falls below minimum guideline levels for suppression personnel (20 suppression personnel), the Shift Commander shall have the authority to call back a sufficient number of personnel to fill vacancies.

Answer 48

200

Question 49

With prior authorization from the Assistant Chief or the authorized designee, a qualified Company Officer may act as the Shift Commander for a limited time.

Answer 49

200

Question 50

Staffing levels have been set to meet the Emergency Response Force recommendations of NFPA 1710 and the Midwest City Fire Department Master Plan (2017).

Answer 50

200

Question 51

The Company Officer is responsible for promptly notifying the Shift Commander in the event that the number of available on-duty personnel for their company falls below the recommended minimum staffing guidelines.

Answer 51

200

Question 52

Should a situation arise where an apparatus responds with less than the minimum number of qualified personnel, the officer in charge should notify Emergency Communications Center that the unit is understaffed and an additional unit must be assigned to any incident.

Answer 52

200

Question 53

The IC should informally analyze every incident to improve personnel, unit, and system performance. After every major incident or special event, the IC should develop a PIA to determine strengths, weaknesses and lessons learned about the incident operation.

Answer 53

200

Question 54

A PIA should be completed within 30 days of an incident and may result in recommendations for changes to procedures, staffing, equipment use, policy, and/or training to better enable the Department to serve the community.

Answer 54

200

Question 55

An incident “hot wash” should be performed at the incident scene prior to the release of equipment or personnel.

Answer 55

200

Question 56

An informal PIA is used following smaller multi-company incidents, such as structure fires, medical incidents, or special operations incidents. The IC or a designated representative should arrange for and conduct the informal analysis

Answer 56

200

Question 57

A company-level PIA is highly encouraged and should be a standard communication tool for all Company Officers.

Answer 57

200

Question 58

Company-level analysis promotes unity and teamwork, enhances communication, improves company performance, and is a useful tool for evaluating the health and welfare of crew members following certain traumatic incidents.

Answer 58

200

Question 59

The Shift Commander is responsible for notifications to all members of the shift who are scheduled to attend the PIA.

Answer 59

200

Question 60

All members should be notified within one week if a formal PIA is being arranged to allow them to prepare or gather any necessary documentation.

Answer 60

200

Question 61

A copy of all PIAs and AARs shall be forwarded to the Fire Chief for approval prior to distribution, including any determinations or conclusions reached through the PIA presentations.

Answer 61

200

Question 62

Petty cash expenditures should be limited to no more than $100.

Answer 62

200

Question 63

A requirement that the petty cash fund is audited by the Fire Chief's authorized designee at least quarterly and that the results of the audit are provided to the Fire Chief.

Answer 63

200

Question 64

Interdepartment transfers shall be documented through the inventory control and recordkeeping system implemented by the physical asset management plan.

Answer 64

200

Question 65

Maintenance requests and reports shall be recorded in the inventory control and recordkeeping system implemented by the physical asset management plan.

Answer 65

200

Question 66

Fundraising that occurs on public ways or near roadways will be coordinated with the responsible law enforcement agency for the protection of pedestrians, motorists, and event participants.

Answer 66

200

Question 67

All donors should receive a receipt for the amount of their donation. In efforts involving a less formal “drop” collection, receipts need not be issued unless requested.

Answer 67

200

Question 68

Physical assets slated for disposal should be evaluated for salvage value or transferred or disposed of in accordance with City policy.

Answer 68

200

Question 69

The Fire Chief should designate the Administration Major or Administrative Assistant to coordinate department purchases.

Answer 69

200

Question 70

The City Finance Department should ensure that a review of purchasing and procurement activities is conducted annually to determine compliance with any applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and requirements.

Answer 70

200