Fires and Human Behaviour - Assignment Example

 STANDARDS OPERATING GUIDELINES FINAL PROJECT Contents Introduction 2 Overview of the SOG 3 Why this Communication and Dispatch Guidelines SOG is Important 4 Standard of Practice 6 Laws 7 Regulations 8 Standards 9 The Key Communication and Dispatch Guidelines 10 Confined Space 10 Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) 11 Driver Training and Approval Procedure 11 Duties of Company Crews 12 Fire ground Safety 12 False Alarms 13 Incident Reports 13 Evaluation Process for the Revision and Critique of the Guideline 13 Conclusion 14 Introduction The management of fire departments is a continuous process, which means that leadership within the departments is not permanent. Leaders come and go, just as staff members come and go. Meanwhile, Purser and Bensilum (2011) noted that in such departments that focus on the use of continuous processes, administrative and management continuity is very important. What means is that the procedures, systems and principles that are used in running such departments must remain as relatively same as possible, regardless of who is leading the department. There is also a very common scenario with the functioning of the fire departments, where they have to join their programs together with other emergency and safety services such as the police, ambulance, and community volunteers. Because the activities of each of these other services are independent of what prevails with the fire department, it is important that there will always be a common means to ensure that what takes place by way of the coordinated services is coherent and orderly. According to Bachtler and Brennan (1995), lack of continuity with what takes place within the fire department makes it difficult for the department to be assured of continual process improvement and a well coordinated relationship with the other services within the same community area to offer the best of service to the public. To ensure that there is such form of continuity and stability with the work of the fire department, the use of standards of operating guidelines (SOG) have been recommended for use by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In this paper, a comprehensive SOG is prepared that focuses on communication and dispatch guidelines for the fire department. As with all other forms of SOG, the communication and dispatch guidelines that will be prepared will focus on what is expected and required of personnel within the fire service during emergency response and non-emergency events, when it comes to communication and dispatching of resources (Annor, 2011). The guidelines are prepared in such an elaborate manner that they give the core mechanism through which all forms of communication including legal, administrative, organizational, and strategic planning communications should be effected among member within the department. The guideline is also prepared in such a holistic manner that it seeks to bind all stakeholders within the fire department into appreciating the need to take the source of their actions and operations based on it. Indeed the fire department can be described as one dynamic service that keeps changing with time. The changes come mainly as a result of the changing needs of the larger society in which the service belongs and serves (Charters, 2009). As the needs of society get complicated, the works and operations of the service must also follow same. The guidelines are therefore prepared with this core understanding that it has to be as dynamic and versatile to change as possible. It is also prepared based on the NFPA Fire Codes and apply to as many backgrounds of needs within the fire service as possible. It also comes with an evaluation process that ensures that critiquing and future revisions are possible. Overview of the SOG The NFPA defines or identifies a SOG to be an organizational directive that establishes a standard course of action. Indeed, this definition comes with a lot of implications for fire departments when it comes to the preparation and implementation of the SOG. Generally, the definition establishes the SOG to be a standard course of action, which means that the SOG is prepared to be a guide on what is expected and required in the performance of the duties of fire service personnel. The NFPA refuses to make the SOG a type of document that cannot be broken at all but must be followed in all cases. This is because Canter (2010) noted that every case or incident of fire and emergency is unique and cannot be approached in exactly the same way. Meanwhile, fire service personnel cannot approach cases of fire and emergency without any form of preparation. Consequently, it is important to have a guide that serves as a standard for what needs to be done in a very average situation of a fire or emergency event. At the field of work, the guideline serves as a more flexible system that allows fire service operatives to be innovative and dynamic, whiles doing well not to perform in a manner that cannot be said to be up to standard (Campasano, 2010). The issue of flexibility with the SOG raises another argument among most people in literature, who wonder whether the most appropriate name for the SOG should have been standard of procedure (SOP). However, SOG is mostly preferred, given the fact that procedures give indication to relatively inflexible instructions that can hardly be bent in any way (Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2008). Guidelines on the other hand welcome innovation by giving more discretion to the performance of a task. Based on this, the guidelines that are prepared in this paper are aimed at becoming a guide that leads to the promotion of innovative fire service that is backed by a universal standard that ought to be followed. Why this Communication and Dispatch Guidelines SOG is Important There are a number of factors and rationales that make the use of a communication and dispatch guidelines SOG very important. The first of this has to do with the fact that the SOG, in its well designed and structured manner gives clarification to service personnel on their job requirements and expectations. Because the SOG comes as a documented asset, it ensures that this form of knowledge on the job requirements and expectations of the fire service personnel come in a much readily applied manner (Pérezgonzález, 2005). meanwhile, once fire service personnel are made aware of their job requirements and expectations, all forms of delays and apathy towards work that results from lack of understanding of what needs to be done during very specific moments of a fire or emergency event is avoided. He, Fernando & Luo (2008) actually outlined the need for fire service personnel to be adequately resourced in terms of their knowledge of what is required of them to do so as to enhance and guarantee effectiveness at work. Kobes et al. (2009) also stressed on the fact that in the event of fire and other forms of emergencies, not knowing exactly what to do can lead to either under performance or over performance. Meanwhile, each of these two situations could bring very consequential outcomes for the fire department. As communication serves as an important part in the work of the fire service personnel, the SOG will be very important to making them know how to communicate their roles and dispatch their duties in a more elaborate and confident manner so as to achieve safety, performance and morale (Drysdale, 2004). There is a common saying that the faintest pencil is brighter than the sharpest mind. What this implies is that when something is documented, it gives better memory and recall than any mind can do. Indeed, this can be applied as one of the major importance and benefits of the communication and dispatch guideline SOP. This is because in a documented and written form, it is easier for all stakeholders concerned to refer to the guideline and know exactly what it expects them to do. This ultimately makes decision making process within the organization much easier (Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government, 2009). This is because for whatever reason that may bring about doubts and questions as to what needs to be done or what needed to be done, it is easy to refer to the SOG for clarification and decision making. It is not surprising that Frantzich (2007) mentioned that written documents as the SOG makes the human resource management process within fire departments easier. The reasons this is said is that most forms of organizational conflicts that arise from non-compliance with standards can easily be referred to for clarification and verification. What is more, the documented guidelines ensure that there is a mechanism of identifying changes that needs to be made in the operations and procedures of the service. This is because as constantly as possible, it is possible to apply both qualitative and quantitative evaluation and assessment to the way in which the department communicates and dispatches duties based on the SOG (Department of Communities and Local Government, 2006). It is not surprising therefore that the FEMA (1999) indicated that such SOG “identify needed changes, articulate strategies, document intentions, implement regulatory requirements, enhance training, and evaluate operational performance” (p. 6). Standard of Practice Hudson (2012) noted that one of the key reasons to have a SOG in place is to ensure that there is a means to allow for standardisation with what is universally accepted and documented. In line with this, the SOG for communication and dispatch that has been prepared has been made with the need to observe and input key standards of practice. Such standards of practice come from three major perspectives, which are laws, regulations and standards. In the work of the fire departments, there are laws, regulations and standards that guide their activities, which serve as the basis for which all other forms of guidelines must be prepared (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2010). Some of these are briefly reviewed below. Laws The FEMA (1999) noted that most laws in the United States that are applicable to the fire and EMS departments are prepared as statutory laws, which means that these laws are enacted by the legislative bodies of either Federal, state or local government. This is done to ensure that the laws that serve as rules, defining actions and conducts that are considered as acceptable behaviour are constitutional and fairly enforced (Kirchsteiger, 2011). There are therefore a number of such laws that that give precedents to the activities of fire and EMS departments, and consequently makes the need for the current SOG necessary in ensuring that the inputs of the laws are enforced. A list of the laws as given by FEMA (1999, p. 26) are listed below Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 OSHA General Duty Clause– 29 USC §654(a)(1) Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Michigan v. Tyler Michigan v. Clifford (Source: FEMA, 1999) Indeed each of these laws and constitutional provisions seek to ensure that the fire department goes about its duties in a way that is beneficial to all and helps in the protection and defense of the fundamental human rights of other people. As the Laws of the Land are supreme to all other laws and guidelines, it is expected that the preparation of any other guidelines would not be seen as contradicting or inhibiting the legal expression and excursion of the laws stated above. There are other laws that can be said to be the result of legal trends that have been provided and considered accepted by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Regulations Apart from the laws that may be seen as relatively general and ultimately supreme, there are regulations that are provided in the form of rules, promulgated by agencies that come under the larger umbrella of the fire department (Campasano, 2010). The FEMA (1999) noted that regulations are there to carry the weight of law by enhancing enforcement of the law. For the fire department, the preparation of SOG cannot be done in isolation from known regulations as compliance with regulations is considered to be mandatory and comes with punitive outcomes for refusal to comply. One reason that it is very important to be made aware of regulations that bind the actions of the fire department in the preparation of SOG is that these regulations serve as the foundation based on which the SOG can be evaluated for validity within the accepted code (McConnell, 2008). Like the laws, the regulations are made at the Federal, state and local government levels and are therefore expected to be considered as binding and obligatory. Some of the core regulations in practice in the United States and as given by FEMA (1999, p. 27) are as follows: OSHA 29 CFR3 § 1910.95, Occupational Noise Exposure OSHA 29 CFR §1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) EPA 40 CFR §311, Identical to HAZWOPER OSHA 29 CFR §1910.156, Fire Brigades OSHA 29 CFR §1910.132-1910.140, Personal Protective Equipment OSHA 29 CFR §1910.141, Sanitation Requirements OSHA 29 CFR §1910.146, Permit-required Confined Spaces OSHA 29 CFR §1910.147, Lock-out/Tag-out Requirements OSHA 29 CFR §1910.130, Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens OSHA 29 CFR §1926.650-1926.652, Trench/Collapse Rescue Operations OSHA 29 CFR §1910.1200, Hazard Communication OSHA 29 CFR §1977-1970, Discrimination Against Employees Under OSHA Act of 1970 DOT 49 CFR §178 Subpart (c), Compressed Gas Cylinder Guidelines (Source: FEMA, 1999) One important determinant about regulations as they have been spelled above is that they are made as the result of inputs from interested parties and stakeholders. Because of this, most guidelines are subject to change as society in general changes to meet some of its most pressing needs. But as long as there are no reforms or revised versions, the SOG is expected to cover the regulations given above. Standards In addition to the laws and regulations, there are standards that define the expected outcome of the works, programs and activities of the fire department. The Department of Human Services (2008) observed that the essence of these standards is to ensure that a relatively same level of outcome can be expected for the same scope of task delivered. In line with this, there are bodies in the United States that have been tasked with the role of coming up with standards that should guide the activities and actions of various departments, including the fire department. Two of these bodies that focus their work and activities on the fire department are the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Commonly, the work of the NFPA is seen to complement that of the ANSI, given the fact that the ANSI has a wider coverage and oversight responsibility in terms of the number of organisations they monitor. One of the uses of standards that make them so important for the current SOG is the fact that they establish operating norms and certification requirements for personnel, equipment and facility (FEMA, 1999). As the focus of the SOG is to deal on communication and dispatch, it is expected that the following codes which guide the operating norms of fire departments will be followed. NFPA 471, Standard on Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents NFPA 1001, Standard on Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications NFPA 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions NFPA 1404, Standard on Fire Department SCBA Program NFPA 1410, Standard on Initial Fire Attack NFPA 1470, Standard on Search and Rescue for Structural Collapse NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program NFPA 1521, Standard on Fire Department Safety Officer NFPA 1561, Standard on Fire Department Incident Management System NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program ANSI Z87.1, Eye Protection Standard (Source: FEMA, 1999, p. 29). The Key Communication and Dispatch Guidelines Confined Space This SOG identifies specific guidelines for communicating information and dispatching resources and personnel for performing confined space rescue operations. In line with this, the following guidelines must be noted: Confined space as used in the context of the department includes caverns, pipes, tanks, tunnels and other spaces with limited ventilation Confined space rescue should be communicated in a non-bureaucratic manner to facilitate speed in information flow. The needs of people within confined space should prioritized over those in open space Pre-incident planning must always precede confined space rescue The department needs to have a separate confined space rescue document based on which pre-incident planning will be based Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) The need to reduce the level of severity and duration to which personnel go through emotional trauma as a result of traumatic incidents associated with their work. This is needed to keep the personnel in shape to function regularly. The following guidelines are therefore provided to undertake CISD. There must be a CISD team in place to effectively communicate solace to affected personnel. CISD should focus on the provision of help with coping mechanism to personnel so they can understand their feelings and those of others Dispatching of the CISD team must be as rapid as possible as a means of minimizing extent of emotional damage. CISD should be carried out within 24 to 72 hours of incident All forms of deaths and multiple fatalities to personnel should be considered under the CISD Driver Training and Approval Procedure The work of drivers in disseminating and dispatching information and resources is considered to be very necessary and unavoidable. It is however expected that there will be the highest form of training so that quality outcome will not be compromised. The following guidelines must therefore be followed in their training and approval: A person must complete the Emergency Vehicle operations class given by the local council A person must have possessed a driver’s license for not less than 3 years A person must be conversant with the Ambulance Policies and Procedures A person must pass a Pumps Level I class issued by the local authority to operate engine company A person must pass the Aerial Ladders class of the local authority to drive a Ladder Constant personal training is needed for all personnel within the driving category Duties of Company Crews It is important that company crews will put their efforts together for form cross function that is aimed at efficiency within the fire department. To achieve this, the following guidelines are demanded: A semi-bureaucratic organizational structure is needed to make information flow both respected and easy flowing Whiles dispatching information and resources through the use vehicles, personnel shall wear their seatbelt Apparatus operators are expected to serve on the lookout for firefighters riding engines. The First Due Engine Company (FDC) is expected to link up with the aerial apparatus in a way that makes it possible to leave sufficient space in setting up ladder to buildings Front entrance to buildings is preferred for setting aerial equipment The Second Due Engine Company is to coordinate in an effective way with the FDC to ensure that the most immediate city hydrants are acquired to give support Fire ground Safety Safety observed at the fire ground is very important in avoiding fatalities to personnel and the public. The following guidelines must therefore be followed to achieve this: Limited number of personnel needed shall be sent to the fire ground in order to minimize potential risk There shall not be wandering around at the fire ground by either functioning or non-functioning groups No entry shall be allowed to the fire ground if no specific assignments have been communicated All personnel who have not been called to duty shall remain at the holding area instead of on the fire ground. All safety precautions need to be taken before dispatching personnel for exceptionally hazardous tasks within the fire ground False Alarms These guidelines apply to cases of false alarm False alarm includes all forms of malicious or accidental alarms that are enacted through such means as mechanical malfunction or improper operating procedures. The department will respond to alarms considered to be false in order to ensure maximum precaution Sanctions shall be in place for repeated false alarms Incident Reports For the sake of future references and assessment purposes, there will be incident reports produced under the following guidelines: All incidents require the filling of an incident report form Fire incident report forms need to be filled for cases of property damage There must be specially assigned people for the role of incident report evaluation. Evaluation Process for the Revision and Critique of the Guideline It has already been stressed that the SOG for communication and dispatch prepared allows for as much flexibility with its implementation as possible. This actually gives an inspiration for there to be revisions and critique of the guidelines. The revision and critique would however be based on a number of evaluation outcomes. It is for this reason that an evaluation process is needed for the guideline. The first factor that comes under the evaluation process is for there to be a quarterly review of the SOG based on current needs of modern society and the trend of fire and emergency events in the past quarter. Drucker (2014) emphasized that there are times that trends in fire and emergency events give very clear clues on how to carry out preventive fire fighting and fire suppression programs. The outcome of the quarterly review should thus make this possible. As part of the evaluation process also, it is expected that there will be an open ended approach to evaluation, whereby all personnel and their leaders will be given the opportunity of constantly writing and presenting to a suggestion box, major changes that they believe will be better for the SOG. Such suggestions are to be brainstormed during the quarterly review with the aim of selecting the best of them that works for the organization. What is more, it is expected that concluding outcomes of evaluation will be clearly communicated to the fire department to ensure that personnel are up-to-date with what to expect in their new lines of action. Conclusion The paper has been useful in outlining a new SOG to be used by the fire department. The SOG focused mainly on communication and dispatch guidelines. The reason for the selection of this area of attention emanates from the important role that communication and dispatch plays in the delivery and execution of the work of the fire service (Sphere project, 2004). As a guideline rather than a procedure, the whole SOG was prepared with the rationale of allowing as much innovation during the working of the fire department as possible. The SOG is however important in ensuring that whiles this form of innovation is being enjoyed, the fire department will not be given room to go beyond its core scope of operation. This is because the SOG comes in as standard of course of action as noted by the NFPA. The guidelines that were given covered a lot of areas as far as communication and dispatch is concerned. For example, the communication procedures expected of the fire department were clearly spelt out and indicated. This included a brief description of the organizational structure and hierarchy that must be used to deliver communications. The guidelines give a core appreciation of the need for communication to be both credible and free flowing. To this end, the SOG for communication and dispatch that has been prepared can be concluded to be one that adopts a semi-bureaucratic approach to communication and dispatch. What this implies is that the SOG gives room for ensuring that due process is followed whiles communicating within the ranks of the department. At the same time though, such due process must not be seen as an avenue to inhibit the free flow of communication. References Annor T. (2011). 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