Chapter 2 Organizational Structure B

Question 1

Fire and emergency organizations formal structure does what?

Answer 1

Provide a management framework
Define how it will plan and operate to meet its mission
Determine how it will interact with internal and external organizations

Question 2

What are the principles of organizational structure?

Answer 2

Scalar structure
Line and staff personnel
Decision-making authority
Unity of command
Span of control
Division of labor

Question 3

What is the common organizational structure used in the fire and emergency services?

Answer 3

Scalar

Question 4

Define Scalar organizational structure

Answer 4

Organization that has uninterrupted series of steps or a chain of command

Question 5

Define chain of command

Answer 5

Order of rank and authority in the fire and emergency services

Question 6

Those who deliver services to the public or external customers

Answer 6

Line personnel

Question 7

Those who provide support to the line personnel or internal customers

Answer 7

Staff personnel

Question 8

Who are the internal customers for fire and emergency services?

Answer 8

Line personnel

Question 9

Define Authority

Answer 9

legal ability of an individual to make and implement decisions for which the individual is held accountable

Question 10

Relates to the empowered duties of an official to perform certain tasks

Answer 10

Authority

Question 11

Relates to the empowered duties of an official to perform certain tasks

Answer 11

Authority

Question 12

What are the two types of decision making models

Answer 12

Centralized authority and decentralized authority

Question 13

Where are decisions made in Centralized decision making model

Answer 13

by one person at the top

Question 14

Where are decisions made at in the Decentralized decision making model?

Answer 14

Lower level (basically delegation of authority)

Question 15

To make Decentralized making model work effectively for a fire department the Chief must ensure members understand what?

Answer 15

Direction
values
goals of the organization

Question 16

What from decisions need to be reported in decentralized decision making model?

Answer 16

details resulting from a decision do not but effects of the decision do need reported

Question 17

Define delegation

Answer 17

process of providing subordinates with the authority, direction, and resources needed to complete an assignment

Question 18

What should the company officer do when assigning a task?

Answer 18

Describe the task and its relationship to the overall goal or objective
Identify available resources
Identify time and safety constraints that apply to the assignment

Question 19

Define unity of command

Answer 19

each subordinate must have only one supervisor

Question 20

What does unity of command depend on?

Answer 20

use of chain of command and functional supervision

Question 21

Define chain of command

Answer 21

the path of responsibility from the top of the organization to the bottom and vice versa

Question 22

Define sidestepping

Answer 22

The process of going around a link in the chain of command to deal with an issue

Question 23

Define skip level notification

Answer 23

Notifying ones supervisor that one wishes to take an issue to the supervisors supervisor

Question 24

Steps to reduce sidestepping

Answer 24

be available to listen to their subordinates problems
listen to problems sincerely
take action and notify the employee of your actions
take a problem to the next level in the chain of command when it cannot be solved at your level

Question 25

Define functional supervision

Answer 25

organizational principle that allows workers to report to more than one supervisor

Question 26

Organizational principle that allows workers to report to more than one supervisor without violating the unity of command principle

Answer 26

Functional supervision

Question 27

What is it called when workers report to their primary supervisor for most of their activities but report to a second supervisor for activities that relate to an assigned function only

Answer 27

Functional supervision

Question 28

Define span of control

Answer 28

number of subordinates and or number of functions that one individual can effectively supervise

Question 29

What span of control ratio that NIMS-ICS model is based on?

Answer 29

one supervisor to three to seven subordinates

Question 30

What is the optimum span of control NIMS suggests

Answer 30

5

Question 31

Why is division of labor important?

Answer 31

assigning responsibility preventing duplication of effort making specific, clear-cut assignments

Question 32

Workgroups can be created based on what elements

Answer 32

``` type of task geographical area time of year or season available resources skills specialization ```

Question 33

Define Municipal

Answer 33

Functional division of the lowest level of local government

Question 34

The response area served by a fire and emergency services organization

Answer 34

Jurisdiction

Question 35

The authority that gives the organization the legal right to exist, provide emergency services, and take the actions necessary to ensure adequate protection

Answer 35

Jurisdiction

Question 36

Political subdivision of a state, province, or territory for administrative purposes and public safety

Answer 36

County

Question 37

Designated geographic area where fire protection is provided usually through a supporting tax or an area where fire prevention codes are enforced

Answer 37

Fire district

Question 38

Territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation whose rights are defined by a constitution

Answer 38

State/provincial

Question 39

National level of governments such as the us and canada

Answer 39

Federal

Question 40

Person whose primary employment is as a firefighter within a fire department

Answer 40

Career Firefighter

Question 41

Person who responds to fires and emergencies and is paid for the responses they make on a response to response basis

Answer 41

Paid on Call personnel

Question 42

Term that describes the government structure of Native American and Aboriginal Peoples of North America

Answer 42

Tribal

Question 43

Reciprocal assistance from one fire and emergency services to another during an emergency based upon a prearranged agreement, generally made upon the request of the receiving agency

Answer 43

Mutual aid

Question 44

Written agreement between two or more agencies to automatically dispatch predetermined resources to any fire or other emergency reported in the geographic are covered by the agreement

Answer 44

Automatic Aid

Question 45

Assistance from agencies industries or fire departments that are not part of the agency having jurisdiction over the incident

Answer 45

Outside Aid

Question 46

Aid that generally involves payment for services provided?

Answer 46

Outside Aid