A Project to Reduce the Number of Accidents Involving Fire Service Vehicles - Term Paper Example

A project to reduce the number of accidents involving fire service vehicles Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract This project is going to give a clear picture of fire and rescue operations. It looks at the aim of fighting and rescuing properties, people and animals. It also focuses on the objectives that it has to achieve where it encompasses the tasks to be performed and the costs of the total implementation of the project. All the cases of vehicle accidents can be minimized and even prevented once the project is practically performed on the field. Table of content Content page Introduction……………………………………………………………….3 Aim………………………………………………………………………..3 Objectives…………………………………………………………………3-4 Benefits……………………………………………………………………4 Costs………………………………………………………………………5 Business case………………………………………………………………5-6 Tasks………………………………………………………………………6 Precedence chart………………………………………………………….7 Staffing……………………………………………………………………8 Risk management plan……………………………………………………8-9 Document management plan……………………………………………..10 Conclusion…………………………………………………………..……10 Introduction Accidents involving fire and rescue vehicles have become notorious in most parts of the UK where they are destroying a lot of properties worthy millions of shillings. It is of great importance to come up with the best method to settle this problem because if not, then the accidents will be a liability in the states and this may bring the economy and businesses down. Various strategies can be set to deal with this problem and minimize its occurrence. However, the ultimate aim of this project is to come up with the best strategy to prevent accidents involving fire and rescue service vehicles. The projects contains its main aim, objectives, benefits, cost, business case, its tasks, precedence chart, staffing, risk management plan and lastly the document management plan. Aim The ultimate aim is coming up with a project to reduce the number of accidents involving fire service vehicles. Objectives By the year 2014, all the high-risks posed by the accidents that involves fire service vehicle will have come to zero. Proper use of the vehicles and other fire equipments to reduce the accidents. Implement the use of caller location software that will be locating on the map where the accidents have occurred in order to save lives of people involved. To have the best management ever that will ensure efficient running of the organization for quality and efficient services to clients. Make sure that the management is able to control and minimize the costs of the services once the project implementation has occurred in order to increase market. Benefits Minimization of property destruction in the state due to detection and putting off the fire. Save lives of people and animals lost through vehicle collisions Make good profits out of it and expand the organization due to various service demands and market. Targeted use of equipments and resources to achieve the strategic objectives Overall improvement of performance in terms of fire fighting and rescue operations Costs The costs refer to the total expenses needed for the project from the wages of employees to minor expenses (Fire Alarm System Categories, p29). Everything that requires or uses money from the project is put under the costs. The table below shows a sample of the organizations expenditure on wages of the employees for the first 12 months of establishment. Post/item period Amount (dollars) Organizational director 12 months 68000 Organization manager 12 months 64000 Organization secretary 12months 59000 Location caller leader 12 months 55000 Supervisors(3) 12 months 70000 Field employees (50) 12 months 220000 Extinguishing equipments 200000 Rescue equipments 100000 Other costs and fees 80000 contingency@ 10% 50000 Total 966000 Business Case The constabulary has embedded a change program with specific sets of targets to comprehend the establishment of the UK region feel secure in terms of fire outbreaks and accidents involving the fire fighting vehicles. Four major protection systems considered in this project are as follows. First, there is the CO2 fire suppression system whose main function is to protect unoccupied spaces. They contain high pressure cylinders used for total flooding of a volume of carbon dioxide that puts off the fire very fast. When accidents occur, they do not harm people by releasing the CO2 since they are well sealed and can never lick. Another one is the use of chemical fire suppression, which is able to protect a variety of industrial applications, which involves the use of chemicals. Moreover, there is the low expansion fire form extinguishing system that is an all hazard protection (Scientific American, p61). Lastly, there project also employees the water-mist system which suppresses fire in three ways; through absorbing energy from the burning material, lowering the temperature of the fire and by smothering the fire by the water and steam. For example, it uses the fire strobes that are visual indicators of danger thus even the deaf can know what is happening and evacuate the building. Other alerting systems employed in this project are the PA/VA voice evacuation systems and emergency lighting systems. All these systems can be employed at a fire scene during a fire outbreak which may be at the accident scene. To embrace our vision we will require major changes to be done in the style of leadership and leaders as well as the strategies. The existing management and leadership are not efficient enough to assure the public safety against accidents. Now that more developments are being made and the population increasing, there is need to change the safety modes of the properties, people and animals, therefore the constabulary needs to take control of its provision and to make sure that all the efforts focus on meeting our strategic aims. Lack of such advances is a very serious threat to the success of our strategies. The staff for this project are already undergoing training therefore there are no additional staff costs. It should be clear that the people who developed the project are the ones taking over the management once the project is implemented (Fire Alarm System Categories, p33). The implementation of new thinking in external events provided poses real cost. The specific some of money required cannot be found. However, the approximation for the total cost is around £ 970000 and is to be funded by the reallocation qualifications training budget of the support staff. Our argument is that the project is relatively cheap as compared to other projects. Therefore, it there is need to support the project for the better safety of the public.  Tasks The costs stated above depends on the tasks identified that have to be accomplished. It also depends on the length of time required and the number of the staff required to carry out the project. The grades of the staff require check up. There are many tasks in the field of fire and rescue operations and accident minimization; here are some of main ones; driving of the fire extinguishing vehicles, training the project team of the importance of the project. This requires a number of people, the water-mist system, and other equipments (Starr, p36). Manual handling which involves pushing and pulling of different materials to create space for the systems, working environment that encompasses the collapse of structure/water rescue/holes/confined spaces. There is the detachment of all vehicles, the use of computer software for scientific programming, combination of a set of main tanks and ensuring uninterruptable water supply at the fire-fighting scene. These are just but the main tasks in the fire-fighting scenes but there are other tasks in the offices and management that are not mentioned. All these work well to prevent accidents that may involve the fire fighting vehicles and the fire outbreak scene. All these tasks require skilled personnel with a lot of experience to minimize and control the occurrence of such accidents. The personnel at the accident scenes should have a supervisor who gives instructions to be applied in order to be able to minimize the accidents. The selection of candidates therefore means selecting people with high grades and degree who are able to learn and understand well all the procedures required for reducing the accidents. After considering all these tasks, it is possible to come up with the number of people required to work at the field. It is also possible to issue these people with jobs in accordance to their knowledge and abilities. For example, the supervisors should be very sharp people who think faster because at the accident scene it is upon the supervisor to give instructions on how to take control of everything and protect the people from being harmed. Precedence chart The precedence chart is simply a list of tasks arranged in order of their need to be completed (National Fire Protection Association, p67). It gives the management an opportunity to know the task that needs first priority, at what time and which to begin with as well as the one to end with. It helps the management to have the best and efficient use of the resources available and employ good preventive measures. The following is the precedence chart for this project that shows the dates that specific crucial tasks need to take place every month. Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 1, 11 22 2, 12 23 3 13 24 4 14 25 15 5, 26 16 6 27 7 17 28 8 18 29 30 9 19 10 20 Staffing Staffing contains a list of the staff members as well as the aim of having each member on the list. Each member has his or her tasks to perform that are why the costs were considered (National Fire Alarm Association, p78). However, maybe there is a need to argue about the list and the functions that each member does. It is here that such arguments come in. Here are the staff members and their works; Chief director- ensures that all departments are working efficiently and productively. Manager- Managing all the tasks on the ground Organization secretary- taking all the records of activities taking place in the field Location caller leader- coordinates all the calls that comes from clients and ensure that service is at their hands. Project coordinator-coordinates and ensures that the project is well implemented as discussed Supervisors- supervise the activities at the field Field employees-fighting fire, carrying equipments, rescuing people and animals, minimizing accidents. Risk management plan This refers to the risks involved in the project implementation process. The plan helps to alleviate those risks though this may involve further costing which should be added to the overall costs of the project. Some of the risks posed to the project are as follow; to begin with, the project may receive rejection by the union opposition. This in particular may be due to the changes that are made to the qualification training budget. When the project is rejected then it means that all was just but a waste of time seating down and coming up with great ideas to develop such a marvelous project. Besides, the support staff after hearing the business case may show no interest to the project meaning that they cannot fund it since it has not impressed them. When they show no interest then the project can be funded half or they may as well reject to fund it (National Fire Protection Association, p67). This problem may occur due to the changes made to the previous management, which may not impress the support team. It may be because of deciding to change management once the project is implemented. Lastly, there is the risk of central demand from the staff involved. The staff may demand for many benefits from the project. They may suggest a lot of money to be their wages that may not be possible since the project is just at the last stages before it is implemented. The problem is that they have already undergone the training and are ready to carry out an efficient job. If they seize to do it due to their demand, it will mean that the project is not implemented immediately. It has to train other employees in order to carry out the project and this is also an extra expenditure which may not be affordable. In general, the impacts of the risks posed to the project are very high and may affect the project badly (Starr, p48). Therefore, it is important to market the program to all organization members, pre-negotiation with the unions and other associations, weekly meetings are monitored, partial and full presentation of the project to divisional and departmental commanders. Documents management plan The constabulary project has all its documents numbered and titled and therefore any other document should as well be numbered and titled. Any new or amended documents are to be discussed and agreed on before they find their way to the system. The agreement is to be done during the weekly meetings (Arthur, p80). All the team members must appear at the weekly meetings in order for us to pass the amendments together without complains from members who are absent. Any absent member is to be charged for being absent unless he or she asks for permission with precise excuse. Anything discussed in the meeting is to be among members and not to be disclosed outside the meeting by anybody. The minutes are to be written during every meeting and kept well to be confirmed in the next meeting. The records are important for the implementation of the project. The project should have a project coordinator who is to take care of everything that happens at the ground. Conclusion The project to reduce the number of accidents involving fire service vehicles is very crucial in the parts of the UK because recently, there are a number of such accidents reported and are really causing deaths and destroying properties worth millions of dollars. Some of these fire outbreaks are as a result of vehicle accidents. This project is well organized with great ideas that should be put on the ground in order to reduce the accidents by the fire fighting vehicles. It has followed all the steps required to achieve a great outcome in the rescuing process and extinguishing of fire as well as minimization of accidents. The project has an aim that it ought to achieve, it has objectives that it has to meet, the cost of the whole project is as well calculated and all the performable tasks are stated. It only requires implementation and there will be great changes observed in the cases being reported everyday about accidents involving fire vehicles (National Fire Alarm Association, p56). However, there are a number of risks posed to this project. The major risk being rejection from the support team who are to fund the project and lack of interest on the project by the support team as well. These may cause the project receive rejection making the whole process to be a waste of time. The best thing to do is for the project associates to convince the supporting team to fund them for the implementation of the project. Bibliography National Fire Protection Association, (2001). NFPA 805 Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants. Chapter 3 Fundamental Fire Protection Program and Design Elements  Cote, Arthur E. (2000). Fire Protection Handbook eighteenth edition. National Fire Protection Association. pp. 5–8. ISBN 0-87765-377-1.  National FireAlarm Association, (2009). NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code - 2010 Edition. Page 118, Subsection 24.4.1 Fire Alarm System Categories. Sdfirealarms.co.uk. retrieved from http://www.sdfirealarms.co.uk/shop/firealarmsystems-a-7.html. Scott Starr, (2011). Wind system. Fire trace International, New York. Scientific American, (2008).When Fire Strikes, Stop, Drop and... Sing? - article about acoustic fire suppression Read More