Fire Service Strategies - Math Problem Example

Running Head: Fire Service Strategies Your name Course name Professors’ name Date 1. a Vision is defined as a short, concise, and inspiring statement capturing what an organization intends to achieve in future. This statement is usually stated in competitive terms. Briefly, vision statement gives a description of future aspiration without the means or rather approaches that will be used to realise them. These qualities are evident in the vision statement of London Safety Plan 2008-11(p.4), “To be a world class fire and rescue service for London, Londoners, and visitors.” From this vision statement, the intentions are broad, all-inclusive, and forward thinking thus it inspires and inclines an organization towards its goal. Whist a vision statement gives a desired state of the future, strategic aims and objectives gives a definition of things that are indispensable in reaching the future. The aims are broad and should be reinforced by a range of specific short, medium, and long term objectives. In this regard, the six aims of London Fire Brigade would assist the organization realize its vision. Some of these aims address protection, response, and resources: Protection: Protect the people, property, and environment against harm through a process of regulating and influencing the already built environment Response: Preparing plans for emergencies that may occur and mounting quality, effective and resilient response. Resources: Management of resources by practicing flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in resource usage The vision statement and strategic aims are vital in a safety plan given that they set a direction and specify vital areas that London Fire Brigade will focus on. 1. b Leadership and prolific management, practiced by locally accountable elected leaders, are imperative for a community-based fire and rescue services. According to Northouse's (p.3), leadership is considered a process whereby a person influences a group of individuals with a view of achieving a common goal. Leadership skills and knowledge is vital for any leader. Apart from communication, trust and confidence are also crucial for effective leadership. Conversely, a manager is an individual who has been given the responsibility of planning, directing, and monitoring work of a given group of persons. Manager further take corrective actions when deemed necessary. A good manager should therefore practice positive communication, be open to innovative ideas, and respect other people’s opinion. These leadership and management qualities are essential in a community-based fire and rescue services. The effect of good leadership and management qualities is that the community will be engaged in shaping service delivery. The relationship with partners is strengthened whilst workforce employed is a representative of the population. 1. c Key performance indicators are primarily concerned with defining and measuring progress towards goals of an organization. It simply explains if an organization is registering success or failure. In this context, Key Performance Indicator measures success against strategic objectives consequently allowing fire and rescue service to scrutinize progress. One objective set out by the Lancashire fire and Rescue Service Risk Management Plan 2008-2011 (p.16) is to “Ensure a safe, Healthy, competent, and representative workforce.” A key performance indicator for this objective is that the workforce is skilled and can function in a safe and valuable manner. Additionally, the workforce should be reflective of communities served. This performance indicator captures legal requirements and appreciates moral and economic aspects of effective service delivery. In recognition of the fact that the staff will participate in a range of prevention, protection and emergency response services, Lancashire Fire and Rescue acknowledges the risk involved and will maintain a strong focus on staff safety by assessing risk, providing explicit information on safety, and maintaining competent staff. 6. a In the past, qualities of leadership gave a distinction between leaders and followers but this has changed overtime to include situational factors and skills level. Management leadership theories emphasize the role of supervision, organization, and group performance. The basis of the theories is on rewards and punishment systems. In a business set up, employees are rewarded when they are successful and reprimanded when they fail. Often, managers have a perception that goals are sourced from organizational agenda rather than from their own desires as leaders. The first quality of a manager is the tendency to solve problems by way of coordination, compromise, and coercion. On the other hand, leaders seek to motivate and create excitement. While managers are inclined to remain emotionally distant in their relationship with people, leaders are fast to express their emotions and subsequently reciprocate other people’s emotions. Moreover, managers become part of the people to control them but leaders are motivated by the need to separate themselves from the people. Other qualities of both a leader and a manager are summarized in a table as shown below. Leader Manager fundamental factor is change Fundamental factor is stability They lead people They manage work They have followers They have subordinates They facilitate decision process They make decisions They are proactive They are reactive For a modern Fire and Rescue Service, it is essential to strengthen leadership in all units of the organization to satisfy both the current and future challenges (Communities and Local Government, p.33). All aforementioned key attributes of good leadership must be considered and embraced so that the organization can move ahead. 6. b Leaders often face immense changes including globalization, disruptive technology, and a shift into green revolution and sustainable development (Burnison, 6). Leaders in various organizations are also facing unprecedented budge in demography. These numerous changes affect all aspects of an organization and the society. They are made even more complicated by the fact that some people in an organization want change to happen quickly while others do not want the change to take place. During a period of rapid change, leaders are powerless against this strong force. It is essential therefore, that staff training, and development is conducted so that they are enlightened on how the changes can affect them in the short and long term. Since fire and rescue services evolves, the changing demand of the operating environment means that future workforce will be required to take up new and different competencies where negotiation and communication is vital. Staff are trained and developed based on needs instead of historical precedents (Lancashire fire and Rescue Service Risk Management Plan 2008-2011, p.16). By doing this, an employee is equipped with skills and competencies that are needed in a period of change. Substantial investment in training and development of staff has the effect of building morale consequently making them feel valued. Additionally, discussions on how to make the community a safer place are encouraged during training and development. Works Cited Burnison, Gary. D. Leadership in a Time of Rapid Change. Los Angeles: The Korn Ferry Institute, 2008. Communities and Local Government. Fire and Rescue National Framework Document 2008-11. West Yorkshire: Communities and Local Government Publications, 2008. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Risk Management Plan 2008-2011. lancsfirerescue.org.uk. lancsfirerescue. n.d. Available at: . Accessed on 14 May 2011. London Safety Plan 2008- 2011. londonfire.gov.uk. London Fire. n.d. Available at: . Accessed on 14 May 2011. Northouse, Peter. G. Leadership Theory and Practice. Thousand Oak, London, New Delhe: Sage Publications, Inc, 2007. Read More