Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 3 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4 th Edition Chapter 3 — Supervision

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 3

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4th Edition

Chapter 3 — Supervision

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer

3–2

Learning Objectives

1.Distinguish between supervision and management.

2.Recall the basic challenges common to most supervisory positions.

3.Identify responsibilities required of a company officer to ensure an efficient and stable unit.


3–3

Supervision

• Includes the process of directing, overseeing, and controlling the activities of other individuals and is basic to the successful completion of the duties assigned to a Level I Fire Officer


3–4

Management

• Refers to the administration and control of projects, programs, situations, or organizations.

• Level II Officers are often assigned management duties of administering a function such as public fire and life-safety education or logistics in a small department or managing an incident scene involving multiple units or agencies.


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Basic Challenges Common to Most Supervisory Positions

• Establishing priorities

• Anticipating problems

• Establishing and communicating goals and objectives

• Involving employees in the process of establishing goals and objectives

• Creating an effective team from the unit

• Creating job interest within a unit


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Establishing Priorities

• Are based on the mission statement of the organization

• Help an officer maintain a positive mental attitude

• Three levels:– Emergency response– Preparation for emergency response– Organizational duties

(Continued)


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Establishing Priorities

• Are met when the company officer considers the following preparation activities:– Mental preparation for emergency

response– Direct preparation for emergency response– Application of efficient organizational skills


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Anticipating Problems

• May involve resolving personnel disputes, scheduling resources, meeting deadlines, or dealing with the public

• Includes recognizing the potential for a problem, determining a fair and equitable solution, and applying appropriate principles to remedy the problem

(Continued)


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Anticipating Problems

• To do so means company officers must listen emphatically, know individual members, and be aware of symptoms of stress, jealously, harassment, dissatisfaction, anger, and disrespect for others


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Establishing and Communicating Goals and Objectives

• Involves establishing short-range objectives, based on established priorities, to meet the goals assigned to the unit; objectives should be attainable, clearly stated, measurable, and within the capability of the unit

(Continued)


3–11

Establishing and Communicating Goals and Objectives

• Can be accomplished:– Through group meetings where the

information can be passed on verbally– Through written task sheets provided to

each member of the unit– In graphs or timelines posted on a bulletin

board in the work area


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Involving Employees in Establishing Goals and Objectives

• Require employee to accomplish a specific task

• Delegate tasks

• Use democratic leadership principles


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Creating an Effective Team From the Unit

• Each supervisor is responsible for a unit based on the organizational function of the various divisions of the organization.

• The team unit includes all type of assignments, including fire suppression, search and rescue, or emergency medical services (EMS).

(Continued)


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Creating an EffectiveTeam From the Unit

• Other terms for units– Workgroups — Groupings of people with

the common purpose of completing specific objectives within the organization

– Team building — Process of overcoming inherent individual differences within the unit and empowering members to make decisions for the benefit of the group


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Developing an Effective Team

• Forming

• Storming

• Norming

• Performing

• Adjourning


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Basic Principles of an Effective Team

• Tell each of the members how they fit into the team, what is expected of them, what to expect of the leader, what the team’s objectives are, and how accomplishing the objectives will affect them.

(Continued)


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• Have frequent planning meetings with the team to determine progress, explain deviations from the plan, resolve problems, and celebrate accomplishments.

• Work with individual team members to establish personal goals and objectives.

(Continued)


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• Encourage team members to make suggestions or provide solutions for problems.

• Encourage team members to be open and honest in their comments to foster an atmosphere of trust and respect within the group.

(Continued)


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• Allow the team to establish measurements for success, which allow members to determine whether the team and team members are successful.

• Take advantage of the existing diversity of team members.

(Continued)


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• Be sensitive to the diverse nature of the team and understand the cultural background of each member of the team.

• Understand that team members have other concerns and obligations and recognize the effect those situations could have on employees.


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Creating Job Interest – Empowering Employees

• Allows subordinates to take responsibility for their actions and decisions

• Helps to build self-esteem and motivation within the employee

• Is based on the concept of giving decision-making power to employees instead of having the supervisor retain it

(Continued)


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Creating Job Interest – Empowering Employees

• Step 1: Identify the problem or decision that must be made.

• Step 2: State that all solutions will be considered but the best one will be adopted.

• Step 3: Explain the reality that outside forces may prevent the adoption of some results.


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Creating Job Interest – Rewarding Employees

• Although fire officers do not have authority to grant raises, give time off, or provide any type of monetary rewards for employees, that does not mean that they cannot provide rewards and incentives for good work within the unit

• Examples


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Creating Job Interest – Coaching Employees

• Is an informal process of giving motivational direction, positive reinforcement, and constructive feedback to employees in order to maintain and improve their performances and ensure successful performances

• Needs to be positive, immediate, direct, and frequent


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Creating Job Interest – Counseling Employees

• Is a formal process that involves activities that assist participants in identifying and resolving personal, behavioral, or career problems that are adversely affecting performance

• Should occur in private, and a record should be kept of the session

(Continued)


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Creating Job Interest – Counseling Employees

• Step 1: Describe the current performance

• Step 2: Describe the desired performance

• Step 3: Gain a commitment for change

• Step 4: Follow up the commitment


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Creating Job Interest – Mentoring Employees

• Prepares capable individuals for advancement within the organization through the direction of a positive role model

• Examples:– Provide role models for future leaders.– Provide guidance in career choices.– Assist in gaining specialized training.– Provide outside resources.– Make challenging work assignments.– Monitor the achievements of subordinates.


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Responsibilities Required to Ensure an Efficient and Stable Unit

• Set a clear and positive example for subordinates

• Define expectations

• Receive assignments and complete a task or objective efficiently and effectively

• Promote and maintain health and safety policies within the workplace (Continued)


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• Develop an environment of cooperation and teamwork

• Develop and maintain the company as an integral part of the organization

• Promote skills development, skills maintenance, and skills improvement in employees

(Continued)


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• Maintain discipline and ensure that policies and procedures are adhered to at all times

• Establish the perimeters of behavior

• Ensure that activities are directed toward organizational goals

(Continued)


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• Promote the pursuit of educational and professional opportunities

• Promote credentialing and certification as opportunities to enhance an individual’s professionalism

• Maintain files and records and prepare reports


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Summary

• Company officers must understand the principles of supervision of individuals.

• Company officers must know and be able to apply supervisory skills to gain the greatest advantage from subordinates and the unit.

(Continued)


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Summary

• The development of a team atmosphere and the application of leadership skills will result in the creation of an effective, efficient, and cohesive emergency response or administrative unit.


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Discussion Questions

1.Define supervision and management.

2.Discuss the ways to prepare for an emergency response.

3.What are some ways in which a company officer can anticipate problems?

4.Name one way to communicate goals and objectives.

(Continued)


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5.Describe ways to involve employees in the process of establishing goals and objectives.

6.What are the steps for developing an effective team?

7.Name the basic principles of an effective team.

8.What are the steps for empowering employees? (Continued)


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9.Describe three ways of rewarding employees.

10. Name the steps for counseling employees.

11. What are some ways in which an experienced supervisor can mentor?

12. What are some of the responsibilities required of a company officer to ensure an efficient and stable unit?

Documents

Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 3 Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4 th Edition Chapter 3 — Supervision