The Causes of Fire Break Out and How to Capacity Build the Various Personnel - Term Paper Example

Running head: Critical reflection on work based learning Student name: Student number: Course title: Tutor: Date: Critical reflection Introduction This is the process of relating and analyzing the experiences with the broad context of issues for instance the issues related with curriculum activities, theories of learning, research methodologies, use of technology and also the social justice. The process of critical reflection can be subdivided and viewed in different dimensions according to different levels cum activities of reflection. This essay mainly deals with the critical reflection on the research done on the fire fighting and rescue service organization. It therefore entails critical thinking on the required leadership which is necessary for proper execution of the organization’s mandate. The essay tries to explain the causes of fire break out and how to capacity build the various personnel involved in the running of the organization. The emergency response warrants highly skilled and equipped personnel whose competency leads to effective performance of the organization. This is mainly because the fire fighting and rescue services mainly deals with the rescue of property and human life’s. Work based learning Work based learning is the integration of the daily learned knowledge and skills acquired in executing our daily activities. This involves making the daily related work learning, deliberate and conscious. Buckley (1967) argues that the human’s daily activities involves the encounter of very many exorbitant situations which warrants critical thinking especially in coming up with the solutions. The attempts to obtain the solutions therefore invoke the reapplication of the things already learned. The work based learning therefore entails the making of links between the strategic needs of the organization and the learning needs of the individual. The individuals working in organizations also strive to find the ways of applying their learning in their work. The work based learning is broad and involves for instance the learning which is gained from the job experience especially where the work content is used as the reference while performing the tasks. This is normally done in business organizations with respect to different roles and job descriptions of the employees. Work based learning also includes learning from the job sites whereby people get theoretical ideas which are later on exercised in practical real life situations. The training institutions embrace the work based learning especially in high school and post high school students. The interjection of the class room and work based learning capacity builds the students thus leading to production of highly skilled graduates with practical cum theoretical skills of the highest caliber. The colleges and the universities therefore have initiated the work placement services which mould and mentor their students in their quest to increase productivity in real life situations. The placement services foster and broadens the students critical analysis of situations which enables them prepare adequately for tough and demanding life challenges. The work based learning benefits the individuals, groups and the entire organization at large. It is from the work related learning that individuals get to learn of their strengths and weaknesses, thus enable them acquire technical expertise and broaden their minds especially in their bid to attain their preset targets. Work based learning is the only powerful tool which enables the staff members to cage and develop themselves as individuals thus enabling them put proper viable mechanisms in place to enable them realize their ambitions. The work based learning strategies depends on different individuals. This is because individuals have different learning styles. The nature of skills and the level of understanding also determine the strategy one can apply in his/her bid to acquire the work based learning. He strategies involved in work based learning includes the focuses group discussions, workshops and seminars, mentoring, critical or strategic questioning and the action planning. The application of the newly acquired skills cum knowledge or understandings drives one to the realization of the work based learning value. The essay highlights on the reflective learning basing on the research carried out in a fire and rescue service. The essay will try to integrate the theoretical and the practical skills especially in the approach of the real life situations. The work undertaken by the fire and rescue service will thus be critically evaluated and recommendations made to on how to better the performance of the rescue service team. The learning outcomes will therefore address so many issues which include: the detailed explanation of the leadership exercised in the fire fighting and rescue service as outlined in (Buckley 1967); the effective and the ineffective skills of the rescue service; and the benefits of the research especially in building the individual’s different capacities in job scheduling and performance. Explanation of the subject area The research specifically deals with leadership in fire and rescue services. The fire and rescue services involves saving lives and property. This one of the most demanding disciplines which requires the expertise of high competence and caricature. The personnel involved in executing the services should possess quality craftsmanship skills essential for the perfect dispossession of the rescue services. The research therefore explores the leadership and fire services including the organization management. Adequate supervisory skills are required of the leaders of the rescue teams. The leadership of the rescue team services should be able to provide their members the required and apt attire for effective performance of the rescue service institutions. The integration of the theoretical learned knowledge and the work based learning experience skills is required of the individuals involved in fire fighting and the rescue services. Scottish Executive (2006) Proper attire made of poor conductors of heat such as asbestos should be put on by the members of the fire fighting cum rescue service teams while discharging the duties. This is an aspect which should be well versed to everybody within the rescue service company from the theoretical point of view. The adverse effects of intensive radiation on human body should be well known from theoretical point of view. This effect includes the fatal mitigation which is hazardous and thus precautions should be taken to provide damage. All this is the responsibility of the leaders to give proper direction and to provide adequate skills in safety management cum first aid skills as demonstrated by (Tausch 2009). The fire breakouts are prone to wreaking havoc which normally leads to the loss of property and the human lives. It is the prerogative of the leaders to provide clear directions and remedies to causes of fire breakouts. This includes enlightening of people on different causes of fire, types of fire and the methods of control in putting out the different types of fires. Findings from the research The findings from the research showed that the efficiency of the fire fighting and safety services specifically depends on the leadership and management of the organization. However, some leadership styles do not adequately hold for proper management of the organization. Checkland (1997) explains that the strategic risk management should be implemented by all the stakeholders in the organization. Training of leaders through the initiation of regular capacity building workshops enables the leaders and all the stakeholders playing the key roles in the management of the organization to intersecting the practical skills and the theoretical skills. In exercising the leadership skills, the leaders of the fire and safety services should be well conversant with the legal rights pertaining to their field of practice. The fire fighting and safety services have four roles to play, these include: fire fighting, ensuring fire safety, control of road traffic accidents and the response to emergencies. The leaders therefore should equip their members on various emergency response skills and the requirements. The authority in charge therefore should make the provisions for the promotions of fire safety in their respective areas of management. This is done in accordance to the stipulated law to foster he rescue of property cum human beings incase of the fore breakouts. Methodology In carrying out the research, the quantitative research methodology was used, this worked well since the preparation of the questionnaires including the dissemination enabled the research team come up with viable conclusions basing on the varied opinions several dispersed respondents. The baseline survey was conducted along with the filling of questionnaires. This ensured that a wide range of consultations led to the achievement of divergent opinions from the respondents and ensured that their varied objectives were fulfilled. The collected data from the questionnaires and the baseline survey assisted in determining the kinds of leadership strategies which were required ad optimum for the realization of the objectives of the fire fighting and rescue service. The percentage of responses was analyzed from the collected data hence the generation of solutions to meet the orientation of the majority. The quantitative methodology therefore proved to be very effective since it incorporated the involvement and the consultation of the majority. This led to the implementation and enactment of viable policies basing on all inclusive decision making approach. However, the qualitative research methodology could not be effective in carrying out the research concerning the fire fighting and rescue service. This is because the qualitative research deals with why and not how. Basically the qualitative research could not hold since in doing the research into the fire fighting and rescue services, the interest lies on the methods of how the services are being rolled out on people including the methods of how to better the performance of the services. The opinions from most of the respondents according to the survey and the data from the questionnaires suggested and gave preference on Transformational mode of leadership other than the transactional leadership. This is because of the current dynamic world which warrants flexibility in leadership with regard to the changing situations. The adjustments are suitable to enable the organization o tackle the challenges at hand. This is indeed very efficient especially in uncertainties. According to (Scottish Executive 2006) the leaders of the fire fighting and rescue services should be flexible enough in all perspectives especially in responding to emergency issues. This is an inspirational kind of leadership whereby the employees are inspired by the leadership and the management of the organization. This kind of leadership warrants the workers appreciation, when workers are appreciated for the good work which contributes to the success of the organization; they get motivated and become self-driven in their quest to be part of the performing cum winning organization. In transformational leadership therefore the managers including the departmental leaders inspire their subordinates through actions and words other than rewards and punishments. However, according to the analysis of the collected data showed that most of the respondents were opposed to the transactional mode of leadership mainly because of so many reasons. This is mainly because this type of leadership (Beauchamp 2001) is commonly associated with, well-developed structures and which is inclusive of well defined rewards cum punishment thus does not augur well with the fire fighting cum rescue services. This is the kind of leadership which cultivates and instills the culture of hard work and discipline amongst the employees and the entire personnel involved in the development of the business. In as much as the leadership embraces hard work and discipline in the sense that, the productive employees are rewarded through promotions whereas the under achieving ones including those who do not stick to the organizations rules’ are given severe punishments which includes demotions, then it is deemed not appropriate since the nature of work in fire fighting and rescue services does not immensely depend on the efforts of the individuals within the organization. This is mainly because the fire fighting and recue service organizations are not profit oriented and are mainly geared towards the best delivery of services to the emergency situations. In this system of leadership therefore, the clear chain of command enables the system work best thus enhancing realistic achievement of the results. The reward and punishment is the key motivator to the organizations’ employees. In pointing out the transformational leadership as the preferred leadership of the organization, the collected data showed that the respondents attributed the necessary motivation and well being of the organization as being adequately catered for in the preferred kind of leadership. Benefits from the research The research clearly indicated that different types of leadership skills should be employed depending on the nature of the activities being undertaken by the organization. The leadership embraced by the non-profit making institutions is not the same as the kind of leadership preferred by the profit oriented institutions whose sustenance and targets in making optimum profits with fewer expenses squarely depends on the performance of the individuals within the organization (Checkland 1997). The research also shows that the consultations of the individuals is very necessary, thus the respondents preferences in handling of the matters related to the organization should be factored in by the leaders. The effective performance of the organization in rolling of its services builds the reputation of the organization thus marketing the organization. The behavior based model leadership molds the personality of the staff members in regard to the human rights and also with respect to culture and societal expected morals. This will therefore enable the workers of different organizations to uphold moral standards of the highest caliber at all times. Recommendations The fire fighting and rescues service teams should strategically locate themselves in various places on the basis of many parameters. The service teams is mainly focused on saving human life’s as well as property and therefore should strategically locate themselves at different places depending on the vulnerability or rather the susceptibility of the place to fire breakouts. Beauchamp (2001) argues that the areas containing the products which are highly flammable for instance should have the fire fighting and rescue service teams within its proximity. The fire fighting cum rescues services therefore should diversify and extend their branches in order to satisfy the needs of the majority. The strategic locations of the fire fighting and rescue services includes the roadsides since the huge trucks including the vehicles uses different types of fuel which are highly flammable, this are therefore likely to cause fire breakouts incase the road accidents occur. The vehicles ferrying the petrol tankers for instance often explode in the events whereby accidents occur. Conclusion In regard to the conducted research it is therefore very clear that efficiency of the fire fighting and rescue teams depends on the kind of leadership exercised by the organization. The data collected indicated that transformational leadership should be embraced by the fire fighting and rescue services owing to the dynamism in the nature of the occurrence of the fire break outs. The leaders of the fire rescue and service providers’ should be well versed with the legal requirements pertaining to the performance of their work. The work based learning, instills experience in an individual which plays a very important role in the career development of the individuals. The work based learning especially in fire and rescue services capacity builds the individuals executing the services. This fosters the integration of the theoretically acquired knowledge and the practical skills. The work based learning improves one’s flexibility in the approach of he encountered challenges especially in uncertainties. The work based earning is therefore very essentially and should be embraced in the world of academia since it leads to the production of quality graduates who can effectively tackle the challenges which comes along with the dynamic world. It is evident from the research that the approach required in handling the organizations dealing with the fire and rescue services is different from how the other organizations are being managed. This is mainly because the fire fighting and rescue services do not depend on the employee performance since it is not a profit making organization. The leadership of the fire fighting and rescue services therefore should take appropriate measures to ensure the legal requirements are well versed to all members of the organization. It is important for the workers of the fire fighting and rescue team to ensure that they are well equipped on different methods of putting out fires as outlined in (Scottish Executive 2006). This is because there are different types of fires which require different methods of putting out for instance the electric fires cannot be put out by spraying water on the fire. References Beauchamp, T 2001, Principles of Ethics and behavior, Oxford University Press, New York. Buckley, W 1967, Sociology and Modern Systems Theory, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Checkland, P 1997, Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. Mitchell, R & International Association of Fire Chiefs 2007, Fire Service Leadership: Theories and Practices, Jones & Bartlett Learning, London. Scottish Executive 2006, Leadership & development in the fire and rescue service: consultation paper, Scottish Executive, Scotland. Tausch, A 2009, The role of fire and rescue service management, Nova Science Publishers, New York Read More