Fire Services Departments Role in the UK and UAE - Case Study Example

Fire Services Departments Role in UK and UAE 6/7/2008 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 Historical Development of Fire Services 3 History and Role of fire services in UAE 3 History and Role of fire services in UK 4 Comparison of UK and UAE operational environments 5 General Management and Leadership theories 6 Leadership and management of fire services of UK 8 Conclusion 9 References 10 Executive Summary The paper discusses the history and evolution of the fire departments of the two countries, i.e. UAE and UK. The two countries are completely different from each other in terms of moral values, society, life styles, etc. The fire fighting history of UK dates back to the 16th century whereas in UAE it is a new phenomenon if we compare it with UK. The paper also discusses different leadership theories and where they should be employed. The paper examines the difference in the leadership characteristics of the two countries in terms of their fire services. The purpose of the paper is to examine the history, services, and the role fire fighting is playing. The cultural and environmental differences of the two countries make the comparison more interesting. Historical Development of Fire Services History and Role of fire services in UAE The establishment of the ministery of Civil defence took place in the UAE in 1976. The Civil defence imposed certain responsibilities on itself. Those responsibilities were, the protection of the citizens, the protection of the public and private properties, rescue of victims, transportation of citizens in a secure manner, protection of national wealth during war and emergency. Under the above mentioned responsibilities, the responsibility of providing fire services to the citizens came under the jurisdication of the Civil Defence. Therefore, the department of fire services emerged as one of the main organs of the interior ministery under the supervision of general directorate of Civil defence. The interior ministery was required to take all possible steps to ensure that the directorate of civil defence and the department officials perform their duties properly. The role of the fire department of the Civil Defence was to ensure protection of the citizens of UAE against fire. The basic aim behind the creation of the Civil defence unit was the protection of property and life of the citizens of UAE. That is why fire services play a very important part in fulfilling this agenda. The fire services department is required to take all possible measures to ensure safety exit of the citizens trapped in a fire. Their next priority then becomes ensuring the safety of the property and belongings of the citizens if possible. They are also required to take necessary measures for the installation of the necessary equipment and technology to ensure better protection and security. (Dubai civil Defence, 2007). History and Role of fire services in UK The natives of United Kingdom experienced the first organized fire fighting in 43A.D., during the Roman invasion. The fire fighting at that time was similar to the method fire is fought nowadays. People use to throw buckets of water or syringes that squirted water with pressure on the fire. In the year 1666, London experienced the most horrible fire ever, often referred as the Great fire of London. That fire changed the perspectives of many people regarding fire fighting and in the aftermath of the event, several different people came up with different ideas regarding fire fighting. All these events lead to the organization of the fire services to the extent it is now. The first act for fire services was introduced in 1947 and it became effective on 1st April 1948. The consequence of the act was 148 fire brigades operating under County Council and County Borough. The amalgamation of these fire brigades of County and City took place in 1974, because of the re-organization of the local government. Updates were made in the act very recently in 2004. Under a more recent action, several of the fire brigades have been taken away from the authorities of local government and given to private authorities. Currently, there are 63 brigade in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (UK Fire services resources group, 2007). Comparison of UK and UAE operational environments The major difference between the services of the UK and UAE fire departments is the fact that both of them operate under different jurisdictions. In UAE, the fire department is a member of the Civil Defense and that is why it’s responsibility is on the government. The act that governs it is the civil defense act that covers other aspects of civil security and protection of life and property. On the other hand, in England, the fire department is a private property running under different private authorities. However, a single act of 1947 governs them all along with the changes that have been made it over the years. Another difference between the fire services of the two countries lies in their experience with fire fighting. The fire department in England has grown with time and learnt by experience of facing situations; whereas the fire department of UAE has adopted techniques and methods of successful fire departments of different countries. Therefore, English fire service men would be professionals at what they do, whereas the UAE men are still in their learning process. (Leadership Theories, 2005) General Management and Leadership theories Contingency theory – This theory proposes that the effective leadership or management style is one that varies according to the circumstances and the situation at hand. An example of this theory is the managerial grid of Blake and Mouton that became very famous and successful in organization development practice. Instrumental theory – This theory argues that leaders should deal according to task and the person in order to gain effective performance from others. Inspirational theory – This theory supports that the leaders should be charismatic and transformational. The leader takes accounts of the visions and ideas of others and motivates others for changes and innovation by providing them with confidence. Path-goal theory – This theory presents the actions that a leader or a manager must do to motivate his people to perform well and at the same time be satisfied from their work. This theory has its foundation in the expectancy theory of motivation that includes four styles of leadership, supportive, directive, participative and achievement oriented. All of the above mentioned management and leadership theories have proved to be effective different situations and the choice of theory depends on the leader or the management and in what outcome they want to draw from their people. An effective leader is one who is able to derive an aspiring moral commitment and a great sense of appreciation from subordinates. The behaviors that can help a leader in reaching to this point are the sense of vision, passion to do be something, the ability of self-sacrificing, take the right risks at the right time, understanding behaviors, etc. Most of us when addressing leaders or managers do not account any difference between the two. In most organizations, the high managements performs the tasks of leadership as well, provided they have the authority to do so. Though, this method does not have any significant disadvantages, but in theory it is different from what is going on in practice. Theoretically, the responsibility of a manager involves the administration, maintenance, focus on the controlling and system, short-term perceptions. He is also responsible for asking how, when, from the leadership and keeps a close check of the bottom lines. On the other hand, leadership in theory is responsible for innovation, focusing on people, building trust, mutual work relationship. The leadership is also responsible for asking what and why, always keeps the long-term view in mind. Its focus is on the horizon (Leadership Theories, 2005). Another important point about these theories is that all of them do not take into account the cultural differences that effect the role of a manager or a leader for that matter. Different countries and societies have their own cultures and traditions. The working of any organization is also dependent on these traditions. Therefore, these theories might deviate a bit in different environments. Another point that these theories fail to address is the role of women in leadership and management. Women over the years have become involved in all types of departments and organizations. Their role in management and leadership is also missing from these theories. (UK Fire services resources group, 2007). Leadership and management of fire services of UAE The person at the top of the hierarchy in the Civil Defense is the general manager who has different responsibilities of monitoring involving all other departments of Civil defense. The Assistant director general is at the top of the hierarchy for the fire services department. Effective leadership could be analyzed by the quality of the work the subordinates produce under it. Proper planning and management are also important aspects. The fire services has been further divided into sub-departments. (Leadership Theories, 2005) The divison of departments into proper channels further indicates that all the aspects of fire and rescue are being taken care of. There is a risk analysis and monitoring system available for fire services responsible for proper analysis of risks and monitoring the devices and types of services provided by the fire departments. The leadership is obviously different from what we see in European countries. The reason is that the UAE and other countries of the Arab world are lead by Arabs and they come from an entirely different school of thought. Therefore, there are several problems with the leadership. New people need to take part in it so that they can come with new ideas regarding the improvement of the fire services and the country as a whole. Several people in UAE understand the need of the systematic development of leaders in all the departments of UAE. (onepine.info/lead1, 2008) Leadership and management of fire services of UK The fire service departments in Great Britain have evolved with time. They were among the first ones to introduce the concept of organized fire fighting. Therefore, the quality of leadership and management in these departments is based on experience and proper training. Moreover, since all the departments run under different private authorities but on same legal acts, there is competition among them as well. The leaders of the department motivate their service men by challenging the current method of doing things, comparison with competitors, introducing competition by innovating operating methods, systems, technological advancements, etc. They also set for themselves goals that all the team members want to achieve and all of them can relate strongly with the goal. They also have a set of shared values that drives the decisions and actions of not only the servicemen but also the leaders. The leadership and management along with the service work hand in hand on maintaining the integrity, teamwork, accountability, honesty and excellence of service of the department (Total Fire services, 2008). The society of England is also involved with the departments as the evolution of the fire services took place right in front of them and they are completely aware of the department and the services it provides. Therefore, the English fire services have the backing and support of its fellow citizens as well. (UK Fire services resources group, 2007). Conclusion In conclusion, if we analyze the evolution of fire services both in the UK and UAE we would notice several major differences between the two countries. The fire services in the UK took off very early when the whole concept of organized fire fighting did not exist. That is why we that not only the leadership but the whole department is more experienced, organized, and well-equipped; whereas, in the case of UAE it is a relatively new country itself. Therefore, all the departments are in experienced and so is their leadership. Moreover, the leadership theories in UAE are driven by the Arab concepts of leadership that are more authoritative than democratic. However, the fire services in UAE have also evolved with time and become more technologically advanced. (onepine.info/lead1,2008) References Dubai Civil Defence, Ministery of Interior. 2002-2007. Retrieved on June 7, 2008 from UK Fire services resources group, A brief history of fire services in the UK. 2007. Retrieved on June 7, 2008 from < http://www.fireservice.co.uk/history/ > Leadership Theories. People organization models concept. March 8, 2005. Retrieved on June 7,2008 from < http://www.onepine.info/lead1.htm > Total Fire Services. Fire Safety consultant. 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