Fire & Emergency Services Administration Chapter 12 The Future

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Persistent Sense of Urgency for Change Urgency for change may come from outside, such as OSHA regulations and NFPA standards. In many cases, change must be the result of competent leadership at the local level.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Measuring Performance To identify change, you need to know where you are today and how to measure performance. Most FES agencies and their members receive almost no formal scheduled performance evaluations. Now that a complete set of standards is available, performance can be judged using these benchmarks of service delivery.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Hiring and Promoting Team Players The future is in the hands of new members. To bolster a change, hiring or promoting members who are not believers may bring about failure in the future. In the past, the typical new member was a risk taker who was physically strong. These traits are still important, but compassion, open-mindedness, and being a team player are also essential now and in the future.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Technological Impacts on Fire and Emergency Services The world’s knowledge and technology are growing at an ever-increasing rate. Scientists have predicted that our collective knowledge will double every 5 to 10 years. Most changes in FES are relatively recent. –Federal fire focus of the U.S. Fire Administration and the NFA is slightly more than 20 years old.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Progressive Organizations Newest and best technology is only one part of providing quality services. Competency at the emergency scene is the result of three separate functions –Competent personnel, equipment, and command (SOPs)

Fire & Emergency Services Administration America at Risk Study was concluded before the terrorist attacks of September 11, –First time the concept of total risk management was discussed at the federal level Report notes that prevention efforts are very effective and must be expanded. Major topics are public education, national certification, fire fighter health, EMS, and diversity.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Higher Education True professionalism comes with formal higher education. –Informal survey indicates that more than 27% of fire chiefs had a bachelor’s degree or higher. –Same study indicates that 32.7% had no college background. When dealing with elected officials and the public, including union officials, there is no substitute for higher education in giving a chief officer the confidence to be successful.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration The Future of Fire Service Training and Education Most training systems have been developed independently, and many have different requirements. –Clearly, this is one area of emergency service that needs work and some type of consensus. –This consensus may be driven by the need for all FES agencies to work side by side at major terrorist events.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Homeland Security The war on terrorism seems to be driving contemporary changes in FES administration and operation. On March 1, 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security adopted NIMS. Many of the NIMS details are scheduled for study and adoption at a later date. –Specific typing of resources and personnel qualifications not yet developed