0. Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 7
Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4th Edition
Chapter 7 — Oral Communications

1. Fire and Emergency Services
Learning Objectives
1. Identify elements of the speech communication process.
2. Distinguish between interpersonal communication and speech communication.
3. Identify characteristics of effective speakers.
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2. Fire and Emergency Services
Learning Objectives
4. Match to their definitions the three types of formal speeches.
5. Select facts about the persuasive speech.
6. Recall the principles use din the informative speech.
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3. Fire and Emergency Services
Learning Objectives
7. Identify facts about various speaking opportunities available to the company officer.
8. Recall information about public relations speeches.
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4. Fire and Emergency Services
Learning Objectives
9. Place in order the steps of the speech preparation process.
10. Choose correct responses about the steps of the speech preparation sprocess.
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5. Speech Communication Process
Sender (speaker or source)
Receiver
Message
Medium or channel
Feedback
Context
Interference
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6. Comparisons Between Interpersonal and Speech Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Casual language
Casual nonverbal clues
Spontaneous
Roles between sender and receiver can change frequently
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7. Comparisons Between Interpersonal and Speech Communication
Formal language
Formal nonverbal clues
Intentional
Roles of sender and receiver are consistent and may not change
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8. Characteristics of Effective Speakers
Audience-centered
Good development of ideas
Good organization of ideas
Best choice of words
Good delivery skills
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9. Characteristics of Effective Speakers
Good research skills
Appropriate use of humor
Critical thinking skills
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10. Fire and Emergency Services
Types of Speeches
Persuasive
Informative
Entertainment
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11. Fire and Emergency Services
Persuasive Speeches
Most difficult to develop and at the same time the most important type of speech an officer can give
Intended to cause change by describing a problem and supplying a solution
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12. Fire and Emergency Services
Persuasive Speeches
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13. Fire and Emergency Services
Persuasive Speeches
Based on the theory called Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Pattern
Developed properly, Monroe’s sequence can be the basic outline for persuading a group to follow a desired course of action.
The sequence in not an absolute formula and may require modification based on an audience analysis.
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14. Monroe’s Motivated Sequence Pattern
Attention
Need
Satisfaction
Visualization
Action
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15. Fire and Emergency Services
Informative Speeches
Type used most often by company officers to perform the following functions:
Provide status reports.
Describe events.
Give project updates.
Provide unit-level training.
Educate the public and media.
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16. Informative Speech Topics
Ideas
Objects
Procedures
People
Events
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17. Informative Speech Principles
Adapt the topic to the audience.
Motivate the audience to listen to the speech.
Use redundancy.
Use simple-is-better concept.
Organize the topic in a logical manner.
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18. Informative Speech Principles
Use clear transitions to move the listener through the topic.
Use both verbal and nonverbal reinforcement of ideas.
Use an even flow to deliver the information.
Build on the familiar.
Use visual aids to emphasize the topic.
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19. Visual Aids for Informative Speeches
Make visual aids simple, direct, informative, and appealing.
Follow 6 by 6 Rule: Use a maximum of six lines down and six words.
Limit text to phrases and not complete sentences. Text helps audience focus on key points.
Create one heading for each slide or image.
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20. Visual Aids for Informative Speeches
Keep backgrounds simple.
Keep the color compatible with text and graphics.
Use transitions and animations sparingly.
Use variety.
Use parallel structure.
Use handouts of slides when necessary.
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21. Fire and Emergency Services
Speech Opportunities
Presentations or reports to governing boards
Public relations talks to community groups
Public information to media
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22. Fire and Emergency Services
Report Presentations
General purpose to provide information
Status report on a project
Proposed changes to a policy or procedure
May require persuasive speech skills
May involve presenting budget requests and persuading a governing board to adopt them
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23. Report Presentation Steps
Step 1 — Make immediate statement of purpose.
Step 2 — Explain how the information that the report is based upon was gathered.
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24. Report Presentation Steps
Step 3 — Present possible solutions to the situation.
Step 4 — Tell the specific benefits for and effects on the audience.
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25. Report Presentation Steps
Step 5 — Anticipate any objections or questions that might arise.
Step 6 — Provide a written copy of the report to the audience.
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26. Public Relations Speeches
Help maintain relationship with the community
May be informative or persuasive
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27. Public Information Speeches
Create a positive working relationship with the media
Speaking with the media
Media can be friend or enemy
Pubic Information Officer (PIO)
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28. Media Interview Guidelines
Remember that there is no such thing as off the record.
Remember that leading questions are a tactic to get a desired answer.
Avoid disagreements or becoming defensive.
Do NOT be led into answering questions beyond areas of knowledge or expertise
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29. Media Interview Guidelines
Avoid using esoteric fire service terminology.
Know that honesty is the best policy.
Do NOT answer hypothetical questions.
Politely discount misinformation and provide accurate information.
Do NOT volunteer information.
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30. Media Interview Guidelines
Be prepared.
Remove sunglasses during on- or off-camera interviews.
Be aware of what information is confidential.
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31. Speech Preparation Process
Step 1 — Select the topic.
Step 2 — Determine the purpose.
Step 3 — Generate the main ideas.
Step 4 — Develop the central idea.
Step 5 — Gather supporting evidence.
Step 6 — Organize the speech.
Step 7 — Rehearse the speech.
Step 8 — Deliver the speech.
Step 9 — Evaluate the speech.
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32. Fire and Emergency Services
Analyze the Audience
Demographics
Familiar group as audience
Unfamiliar group as audience
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33. Fire and Emergency Services
Audience Adaptations
Feedback lets the speaker know if the message is being heard and understood as intended.
Knowing the audience and developing (or adjusting) the speech to fit them is important in all types of presentations.
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34. Audience Involvement Indicators
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Restlessness
Nonverbal responses
Verbal responses
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35. Fire and Emergency Services
Select the Topic
Speech or presentation is usually a function of the officer’s position or duties.
Topic must be clearly defined before the speech is developed.
Examples
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36. Fire and Emergency Services
Determine Purpose
Purpose is likely to be a function of job responsibilities.
Understanding the purpose assists in creating the final speech.
Purpose statement needs to be clear and concise and included in the introduction of the speech.
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37. Generate the Main Ideas
Determine number of ideas required to support the specific purpose and list them.
Develop reasons for supporting the specific purpose of the speech.
Establish steps necessary to accomplish the specific purpose (may be chronological or actual step-by-step progression).
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38. Develop the Central Idea
Reason for the speech — Developed from the main ideas
One complete sentence — Must be a statement (not a question)
Specific language — No vague generalities
Relation to audience — Explains how the idea relates to the audience
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39. Gather Supporting Evidence
Central idea must be supported by facts and data that are easily understood by the audience.
Gathering data is the research phase of the speech.
Sources for data must be recorded in the speech.
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40. Gather Supporting Evidence
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41. Incorporate Supporting Data
Brief example
Hypothetical situation
Analogy
Statistics
Testimony
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42. Fire and Emergency Services
Speech Outline
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
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43. Fire and Emergency Services
Speech Format
Chronological
Topical
Spatial
Causal
Problem/solution
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44. Organization Strategies
Primacy
Recency
Complexity
Specificity
Soft-to-hard evidence
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45. Fire and Emergency Services
Writing the Speech
Develop outline into a form that can be followed in a presentation.
Write specific ideas, facts, and figures to be conveyed to the audience.
Create transitions from one main idea to the next.
Have someone else listen to or read the outline to ensure it is accurate, logical, and understandable.
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46. Fire and Emergency Services
Rehearsing the Speech
Practice in front of other staff members.
Record the practice on videotape.
Practice in front of a mirror.
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47. Overcoming Speech Anxiety
Knowing the audience
Being prepared
Being organized
Visualizing success
Focusing on the message and not the fear
Acting calm and confident
Doing deep breathing exercises before the presentation
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48. Forms of Speech Delivery
Reading the text
Memorizing the text
Impromptu delivery
Extemporaneous delivery
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49. Fire and Emergency Services
Nonverbal Delivery
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Gestures
Posture
Poise
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50. Vocal Delivery Elements
Hearing
Articulation
Pronunciation
Pitch
Inflection
Rate
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51. Fire and Emergency Services
Physical Appearance
People are judged by their appearance.
Uniforms symbolize knowledge and experience of fire and emergency services.
A uniform adds credibility to the speaker and topic.
A speaker should never dress more casually than members of the audience.
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52. Fire and Emergency Services
Evaluating the Speech
Evaluate speech based on three goals.
Speech must be understood by the audience.
Speech must achieve its intended purpose.
Speaker’s efforts must be ethical.
Determine effectiveness of the presentation.
Audience surveys (when possible)
Informal comments of members of the audience
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53. Fire and Emergency Services
Summary
Company officers make oral presentations, such as project progress reports, public relations media presentations, training sessions, or public information presentations.
Presentation success depends on practice and the officer’s understanding of types of speeches, the speech presentation process, and the characteristics of an effective speaker.
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54. Fire and Emergency Services
Discussion Questions
1. Name three types of formal speeches.
2. Discuss the speech presentation process.
3. Compare interpersonal communication to speech communication?
4. Name the six steps that result in successful reports.
5. Explain the difference between public relations speeches and public information speeches.
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55. Fire and Emergency Services
Discussion Questions
6. Discuss the elements used to analyze an audience.
7. Explain five basic formats for speech organization.
8. Discuss nonverbal and verbal delivery of speech.
9. What goals can a speaker use to evaluate the effectiveness of a speech?
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