Chapter 4: Fire Service Success, The Basics

Question 1

Chapter 4: Fire Service Success, the Basics p53

What is fire service success?

Answer 1

The ability of the fire department organization to satisfy the physical demands and personal expectations of those they serve by adding value through aggressive education, prevention, and problem-solving efforts policy to the welfare of the people.

Question 2

Chapter 4: Fire Service Success, the Basics p55

Thompson keeps score, that is he tracks the metrics of the organization to determine how they’re doing. He notes wins don’t happen by mistake. What does it take to have a winning record?

Answer 2

A winning record requires leadership, coaching, and mentoring, the commitment to continual improvement, honest self-assessment, and constant feedback loop.

Question 3

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What are triggers?

Answer 3

Triggers are things that we can control in the firehouse and on the fire ground that lead to emotional health issues or destructive behaviors. Examples include bullying, harassment, destructive peer pressure, isolation, and the stress that comes with the job. We have to identify the causes in the firehouse and recognize the signs from the emergency scene: fix a toxic organizational cultures before we can find a cure for the fire service.

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Question 4

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What problems do departments run into when trying to determine the common denominators that lead to success?

Answer 4

Objectivity quickly turns into subjectivity, and discovery turns to validation.

Question 5

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What problem does Thompson have with the way other chiefs use success (low ISO PPC, completed accreditations, or establishing best practice programs)?

Answer 5

That none of these alone, or together guarantee success. Each is an achievement that positions the department, and hopefully each fire company, for success. But firefighters still have to successfully execute the policies, procedures, guidelines, systems, and best practices to be successful.

If an achievement doesn’t positively impact the organization on a company level, how much value does the achievement have in determining the overall success of the department?

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Question 6

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What are the 16 qualities for a functional fire company?

Answer 6

Fire-ready
Understands the job
Never gives up on a problem
Committed to duty
Team oriented
Insightful
Operationally prepared
Negates negativity
Always alert
Leaders intent is clear

Focused on the victim
Inspirational
Risk are managed
EMS proficient

Competent
Outstanding

Question 7

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How can people coming into your organization as well as people who have been in your organization for long amount of time help you evaluate the success of your department?

Answer 7

Those new to the organization have no point of reference for comparison.

Those that have been with your organization are the best positions to judge the effectiveness of the chosen culture. They are the ones who determine if the culture modifications work or not.

Question 8

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Why must saving lives, protecting property, solving problems, and providing hope for some type of recovery be a part of the discussion when defining fire service success?

Answer 8

Because this provides each member something very important – purpose.

Providing purpose and a sense of belonging is essential for retention.

Question 9

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What are the five positions that have the greatest influence on the organization?

Answer 9

1. Chief of the department- establishes standards, provides vision, controls the money, has the final say.
2. Training officer- develops relationship with each company, makes a job personal, builds confidence. If the chief doesn’t define operational philosophy training officer may have to do so.
3. Battalion chief- influences multiple fire companies, sets the standard at the battalion level, promotes the Chiefs a vision, creates vision for the battalion.
4. Company officer – provides vision at company level, to make the difference between success and failure, connects to the community, small group leadership, influence tactics, most connected to the greatest number of members.
5. Senior member – institutional knowledge, trust of the troops, knows a job, can be a role model.

Question 10

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What are the variables that can be controlled that lead to success?

Answer 10

– Updated policies, standards, systems
– Positive public and political interactions
– Minimal turnout time
– Minimal zero impact.
– Problem solved using sensible level of aggression
– Attitude
– Preparedness
– Conduct quality daily training
– Commit to a chosen culture
– Culture is managed daily

Question 11

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What is a success is imminent message?

Answer 11

These are messages that rally the troops and get each member of the team focused on common goals and a desired outcome.

Often the message, or quote about what it takes to succeed, is written on the company assignment board at the beginning of each tour duty and communicated to the company during roll call.

Question 12

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What does an inspiring success is imminent message do for the company officer?

Answer 12

It builds the team’s confidence in the officer. The company officers practicing leadership by using their successes immediate message to keep the company focused on what it takes to succeed.

Question 13

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Common reasons why fire department organizations and fire companies don’t achieve success

Answer 13

• Don’t know what success looks like
• lack vision and success is imminent message
• lack 2 way trust between administration & operations
• lack of effective supervision from CO/courageous leadership from FC
• lack performance, behavior, supervisory standards
• failure to manage internal and external risk
• failure to develop people
• lacking quality training
• tolerance of incompetence
• wrong people in the wrong place
• failure to address small problems before they become big problems
• neglecting the people and culture of the organization

Question 14

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There are a lot of views of success, but why is it important to include stakeholders?

Answer 14

Because they will judge you by your performance, your reputation, or by the numbers.

Question 15

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Dr. Carter author of “Position Your Fire Department for Success” states a successful fire department is one in which…

Answer 15

A successful fire department is one in which meets the needs of the community. Both actual and perceived. But you would be surprised at how many fire departments failed to satisfy their primary customer – the taxpayer.

Question 16

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When it comes to the citizen what must we remember?

Answer 16

To the taxpayer success of the city is often what directly benefits them this is one of the reasons why it’s so important for fire companies to be rock stars on every call it doesn’t take much at all to provide a positive service experience and by doing so we increase our value by positioning ourselves to be viewed as one remaining exceptional service provider.

Our success is greatly determined by what people witness, what they read, what they hear, and how they feel.

Question 17

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Results from the colonies citizen fire department expectation survey

What do you expect from your fire department?

Answer 17

– I want you here when I need you, quickly
– save my life and the life of my family
– protect my property from the fire
– give me a sense of security
– protect my quality of life
– protect my investment
– protect my employees jobs

Summary – Take care of people, Prevent problems, Solve problems, and Manage risk

Question 18

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How do elected officials view success?

Answer 18

Elected officials want to be responsive to their constituents.

Elected officials view success is getting the biggest bang for their budgetary buck while addressing as many of the voters requests as possible.

Question 19

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How do you get elected officials to prioritize your needs

Answer 19

The more accurate the information that you provide your elected officials, the more prepared they will be to prioritize your needs.

It’s always advantageous to have dependable data to back up your claim.

Question 20

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How do you illustrate the public officials the need for staffing?

Answer 20

All fires require that certain things be addressed to extinguish the fire.

Your capabilities will determine how quickly and how accurately you are able to address each of those things.

Adding one firefighter to a fire company increases your capabilities. Eliminating one firefighter is a limitation.

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Question 21

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How can fire departments convey value to elected officials?

Answer 21

Elected officials determine value using comparison with other municipalities, what they hear, what they see, and what they feel is right for the citizens.

Attending community events and they will see your value, deliver fantastic service and they will hear your value, share the company’s success in stress stories and they will feel your value.

Question 22

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How do city managers view success?

Answer 22

There are two ways to solve problems and create opportunity: spend money or lead.

City managers are very receptive to solutions that are achieved through leadership, management, and nontraditional practices. Leading through times of challenge builds trust and credibility

Question 23

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What is accomplished by defining success in selling that definition to elected officials and city leadership?

Answer 23

Fire chiefs are armed with specific indicators of success one of those being the number of functional fire companies.

Redefine how the fire department is viewed, and can expect money for the department

Question 24

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Members of the organization are going to have their individual views of what they believe that fire service success should look like.

Answer 24

Duty – organization is committed to saving lives in protecting property.
Title of firefighter – their ability to be what they believe a firefighter should be.
Learning – training, formal education, and professional development.
Community interaction – public education and community programs.
Brotherhood/sisterhood – firehouse environment
Promotional potential – ability to move up
Money – salary comparison with other fire departments being in their favor.
Doing nothing – no expectations or standards

Question 25

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Five common themes appear to represent modern thinking on what defines fire service success (how many ways are we can say the same shit)

Answer 25

1. Fulfillment of the mission – fulfilling a mission there represents the expectation of the taxpayer. Having a clear understanding of what the taxpayer wants not just what you perceive they want.
2. Meeting external standards – meeting standards that are developed for the fire department organization from outside the organization. External standards have value in the areas of risk management and addressing potential liabilities.
3. Experience-based interpretation – you know it when you see it, and these departments success was based on past experiences- explain their success in their culture or climate as the indicator.
4. Years of not failing – we are successful because this is the way we’ve been doing things for years departments. These departments never really experience an obvious catastrophic failure of their policies, practices, or systems they view this as successful.
5. Curb appeal – firetrucks look good sitting in the station means the department must be successful.

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