Development of an Organizational Statement for Sublette ...

Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT 1

Development of an Organizational Statement for Sublette County Unified Fire Department

Shad Cooper

Sublette County Unified Fire Department

Pinedale, WY

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT 2

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is

set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the

language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another.

Signed: Name


Abstract

The problem was Sublette County Unified Fire (SCUF) had not developed an explicitly defined

organizational statement. The purpose of the applied research project was to develop an explicitly

defined organizational statement for SCUF. Action research was selected as the most appropriate

research method. Three research questions were studied and answered. The first question asked

what are the relevant standards regarding the development of a fire department organizational

statement. The second question asked what elements should be included in an organizational

statement. The third question asked what organizational structure models other organizations use.

To answer these questions, an extensive literature review was completed, a Technical Specialist from

the National Fire Protection Association was interviewed, an informal questionnaire was developed

and distributed to the members of the Wyoming Fire Chiefs Association and the Wyoming Rural

Firefighters Association, a focus group analysis was conducted with officers from SCUF, and a

Lieutenant Colonel with the Wyoming Army National Guard was interviewed. First, the results from

the study indicate the NFPA 1720, NFPA 1201, and the NFPA 1500 standards, as well as the OSHA

Standard on Fire Brigades, §29 CFR 1910.156 all contain relevant information to developing

organizational statements. Second, an organizational statement should include the following: a

clearly defined the purpose and mission for the organization, the legal parameters formally

establishing the organization, a description of emergency services provided to the community, the

geographic and political boundaries, the duties, responsibilities, and training requirements for all

members, and a wire diagram illustrating the relationships between divisions and functional units.

Third, there are numerous organizational structure models available for adoption, however the linear

hierarchy for paramilitary organizations seems to be most appropriate for local adoption.

In the future, it is recommended to formally adopt the organizational statement and evaluate the

effectiveness after six-months of use.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Certification Statement ....................................................................................................................2

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................3

Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................4

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................5

Background and Significance ..........................................................................................................5

Literature Review.............................................................................................................................8

Procedures ......................................................................................................................................14

Results ............................................................................................................................................19

Discussion ......................................................................................................................................27

Recommendations ..........................................................................................................................31

References ......................................................................................................................................33

Appendices

Appendix A ..............................................................................................................................35

Appendix B ..............................................................................................................................42

Appendix C ..............................................................................................................................44

Appendix D ..............................................................................................................................50

Appendix E ..............................................................................................................................54

List of Figures

Figure 1: Organizational Statement .........................................................................................20

Figure 2: Standards Used to Develop Statement ....................................................................21

Figure 3: Organizational Statement Elements ........................................................................23

Figure 4: Functional Positions ................................................................................................25


Development of an Organizational Statement for Sublette County Unified Fire Department

A well-defined organizational statement provides the foundation of the comprehensive

planning necessary for a fire department to operate effectively. The guiding principles of

leadership, administration, and management for an organization are built upon this foundational

structure. The lack of an organizational statement can undermine a department’s ability to divide

and coordinate functional objectives between resources. The development of an organizational

statement for Sublette County Unified Fire will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of

membership, outline expected purposes of functional units, provide coordination between

supporting units, ensure an adequate span of control is provided, and establish a successional

career path for members of the organization.

The problem is Sublette County Unified Fire has not developed an explicitly defined

organizational statement. The purpose of this applied research project is to develop an explicitly

defined organizational statement for Sublette County Unified Fire. To research this problem,

action research has been selected as the most appropriate research method. The following

research questions have been developed to explore this problem:

1. What are the relevant standards regarding the development of a fire department

organizational statement?

2. What elements should be included in an organizational statement?

3. What organizational structure models do other organizations use?

Background and Significance

Sublette County Unified Fire is a new organization that was formally created January 01,

2015 through official resolution by the Sublette County Board of County Commissioners.

Sublette County Unified Fire (SCUF) was created by consolidating six separate and autonomous


fire departments into a single, unified organization. SCUF is now the sole jurisdictional entity

with legal responsibility to provide fire protection services in Sublette County; both for the

municipal areas, as well as for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Sublette County Unified Fire provides fire protection services for 4,936 square miles;

80% of which are public lands (Sublette County, n.d.). SCUF is a combination fire department

with one full-time Fire Chief, nine part-time employees, and 120 volunteer firefighters. The

original six separate fire departments have been reorganized into six battalions, working together

to share organizational responsibilities and resources. All six of the original fire departments are

now performing under a single operational budget with linear authority for management.

A situational analysis was conducted to examine how the problem affects the past,

present, and probable future impacts of the organization. The analysis determined that the

operational management of each of the battalions has been consolidated into a singular chain of

command. However, differences between the original management structures of the six fire

departments has created ambiguity since consolidation. Variations in personnel responsibility,

lines of authority, communications protocols, and the chain of command between each of the

original six fire departments has created administrative difficulties and confusion during incident

response. This has created an unsafe situation that could potentially cascade into a disastrous

situation if current ambiguity is allowed to persist.

During the consolidation process, numerous ideas and examples of possible

organizational statements were proposed for adoption for the new unified fire department. One

proposal was based on adopting an existing statement from one of the original six fire

departments. Other proposals related to adapting organizational statements from neighboring

counties. Still other proposals related to creating an entirely new organizational statement.


However, none of these proposals answered the deeper questions about what standards relate to

the development of organizational statements, what should be included in an organizational

statement, and what models from other organizational structures should be examined. These

unanswered questions are what led to the development of this topic as an applied research

project.

The development of an explicitly defined organizational statement for Sublette County

Unified Fire is expected to establish the foundation of a comprehensive and coordinated plan for

the organization. This research will directly impact the safety of our members by providing clear

guidance for the entire organization. Additionally, the research will help to coordinate the efforts

of individuals, functional groups, divisions, and administration to achieve a common set of

objectives for all members.

The fourth year course of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program is

Executive Leadership. This capstone course focuses on issues of personal effectiveness and the

four areas of professional, personal, community, and family life (U.S. Fire Administration, n.d.).

The selected topic of this applied research project is related to the focus of the Executive

Leadership course because of the expected impact the research will have on the personal

effectiveness and influence of the administration of the SCUF.

The United States Fire Administration Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2014

operational goals include the goal to improve local planning and preparedness (U.S. Fire

Administration FEMA, n.d.). The topic of the applied research project is related to this

operational goal because it will directly influence the planning and preparedness levels of

Sublette County Unified Fire. The research project results are expected to create a coordinated


plan for the new organization, improve local abilities to respond to future emergencies, and

enhance the overall preparedness levels for the organization.

Literature Review

A literature review was conducted to closely examine the problem and identify other

relevant literature regarding the issue. The National Fire Academy Learning Resource Center,

the Wyoming Library Database, and the Sublette County Library were used to conduct the

literature review. Sources were selected from these searches based upon relevance to the topic

and recency of the selected resources.

The first research question asks about relevant standards related to fire department

organizational statements. As part of the literature review for this research question, several

sources were examined. Specifically, the Municipal Management series of publications

produced by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) was analyzed. As

part of this series, the textbook titled Managing Fire and Rescue Services presents a detailed

discussion regarding policy issues, administrative issues, and decision making guidance for fire

department administrators (Compton & Granito, 2002). This text was closely examined during

the literature review in an attempt to identify relevant standards for fire department

organizational statements.

The Managing Fire and Rescue Services text emphasizes the importance for fire

departments to create an organizational statement identifying responsibilities and capabilities of

the organization, including information regarding the authority and accountability of selected

members and key positions (Compton & Granito, 2002). The text recommends the use of NFPA

1720, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations Emergency

Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments as a


guiding document when defining the objectives, functions, and deployment of volunteer fire

departments (Compton & Granito, 2002). Additionally, the Managing Fire and Rescue Services

text recommends the use of NFPA 1201, Standard for Developing Fire Protection Services for

the Public to ensure the fire department’s organizational statement aligns with the needs of the

community it serves (Compton & Granito, 2002).

The NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, Twentieth Edition was also examined as part of the

literature review for the first research question. Chapter twelve of this text contains information

regarding non-emergency fire department functions. The NFPA Fire Protection Handbook

explains that fire departments must be organized following a comprehensive and coordinated

plan to operate efficiently and effectively (Cote, Grant, Hall, Solomon, & Powell, 2008). The

text further explains the plan should outline roles and responsibilities of personnel, how

personnel interact with one another, and their relationship to the organization. The text also

stresses that when work is divided, it must be coordinated through organizational plans that

emphasize the relationships between each functional division (Cote et al., 2008). The text did

not explicitly provide information suggesting standards for fire department organizational

statements, however organizational charts with example structures for small, medium, and large

fire departments were provided. These example structures illustrated different functional

divisions and organizational management elements. This information was a useful resource to

examine standards and accepted best practices related to fire department organizational

statements.

The third and final reference analyzed as part of the literature review for the first research

question was the NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health

Program, 2013 Edition. The stated purpose of the NFPA 1500 Standard is to establish the fire


department’s minimum requirements for an occupational safety and health program (National

Fire Protection Association [NFPA 1500], 2013). Chapter four of the NFPA 1500 Standard

provides information related to the administration of fire departments. Specifically, section 4.1.1

explains that fire departments shall develop a written statement establishing the existence of the

fire department, the services the fire department performs, and the basic organizational structure

(NFPA 1500, 2013). Additionally, section 4.1.2 further states that fire departments shall prepare

written policies and procedures regarding the organizational statement, and the roles,

responsibilities, and training requirements of members (NFPA 1500, 2013). The NFPA 1500

standard also provides additional information regarding standards related to fire department

organizational statements in section A.4.1.2. This appendix section directs readers to find

additional information in the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, as well as in Managing Fire and

Rescue Services text.

The second research question asks what elements should be included in an organizational

statement. As part of the literature review for the second research question, several additional

reference sources were examined. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Standard on Fire Brigades, §29 CFR 1910.156 was selected to be analyzed as part of the

literature review for the second research question. This OSHA standard includes specific

information related to organizational statements. Section 1910.156(b)(1) of the OSHA

regulation explains it is the responsibility of the employer to develop a statement establishing the

existence of the fire brigade, the organizational structure, the training requirements for members,

the expected number of members, and the function of the fire brigade (OSHA Fire Brigades,

1980).


The second resource examined as part of the literature review for the second research

question was the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) published by the Insurance Service

Office. The FSRS provides fire departments and public officials with a useful benchmark to

measure the effectiveness of their efforts against an established nationwide measurement system.

The FSRS recommends three specific elements that should be included in an organizational

statement. First, the FSRS explains that fire departments must be organized under applicable

state or local laws (Insurance Services Office, 2012). Furthermore, the FSRS explains the

organization must include a single person responsible for the operation of the department, such

as a Fire Chief. The responsibilities of this person must be clearly defined. Finally, the FSRS

emphasizes the fire department must have definite boundaries with a defined service area of

protection (Insurance Services Office, 2012).

The third resource examined as part of the literature review for the second research

question was the NFPA 1201 Standard for Providing Fire and Emergency Services to the Public,

2015 Edition. The NFPA 1201 standard provides specific guidance regarding elements that

should be included in an organizational statement. Section 4.1.1 of the standard explains fire and

emergency service organizations must adopt a formal statement of purpose that describes the

types of emergency services provided, the geographic areas covered, and the legal delegation of

authority (National Fire Protection Association [NFPA 1201], 2015). Sections 4.5.3.3 and

4.5.3.4 of the standard explains fire and emergency service organizations must develop an

organizational plan that illustrates the operating line units and the relationship of these divisions

to the entire organization (NFPA 1201, 2015). Finally, section 4.3.5 of the NFPA 1201 standard

provides guidance describing the customer service orientated program objectives that fire and

emergency service organizations must provide (NFPA 1201, 2015).


While examining the Managing Fire and Rescue Services textbook as part of the first

research question, additional information was discovered that was relevant to the second research

question as well. The Managing Fire and Rescue Services text recommends that an

organizational statement should include “legal parameters for operating the fire department, the

mission of the fire department, the duties and responsibilities of all members, and the authority

and accountability of key members to direct the operations and services of the fire department”

(Compton & Granito, 2002, p. 56). The direct relevance of this literature source was noteworthy

and therefore included in the literature review for the second research question as well as the first

research question.

The third research question examined what organizational structure models other

organizations use. The literature review for this research question identified several additional

relevant sources. Specifically, the U.S. Army Command Policy AR 600-20 prescribes the

organizational polices and responsibilities of Active Army, Army National Guard and the U.S.

Army Reserve members (U.S. Department of the Army [U.S. Army], 2014). The Army

Command Policy describes the command policies for the military chain of command, the

personnel responsibilities for grades and ranks, and the relationships between organizational

command functions (U.S. Army, 2014). The organizational structure model used by the U.S.

Army is described in detail with a linear hierarchy from an entry level Private up to the General

of the Army. Additionally, comparable ranks are described for the other U.S. Military Services

including the Air Force, Marines, and Navy (U.S. Army, 2014).

An online article, Law Enforcement Chain of Command, published by the University of

St. Thomas – Minnesota in 2015 was included in the literature review for the second research

question. The article describes that in the law enforcement hierarchy, rank is used to establish


position within the organization (University of St. Thomas - Minnesota, n.d.). Furthermore, the

article claims that most law enforcement agencies use very similar organizational structures

where minor differences in title occur, but the essential job functions are generally the same for

nearly all law enforcement agencies. The most common titles assigned to law enforcement ranks

include: Police Officer, Corporal, Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and the Police

Chief/Commissioner. These positions sequentially increase in authority and responsibility from

the Police Officer through the ranks to the Police Chief (University of St. Thomas - Minnesota,

n.d.). A clear description of the job responsibilities for each rank and title was provided as part

of the online article.

The final resource included in the literature review for the third research question was an

article titled, The Rise and Fall of the Paramilitary Structure, written by Jay Shaw in an online

publication, Firefighting in Canada. This resource was included in the literature review because

it provides a somewhat contrary opinion to other references examined thus far. In the article, the

author alludes that traditional top-down organizational models in the modern fire service are

trending towards a more soft-skill human resource policy management style of organization

(Shaw, 2011). Shaw claims that these workplace changes are occurring due to technological

advances and societal demands. Generational differences can create organizational cultures that

are moving away from traditional hierarchal structures (Shaw, 2011). Shaw explains this trend

will continue in the future and fire service leaders must be prepared to handle and adapt to new

personnel situations (Shaw, 2011).

The findings included in the literature review as described herein were extremely useful

to the overall purpose of the applied research project. The references primarily influenced the


project by providing foundational knowledge that was later used to develop relevant research

questions and focus group content.

Procedures

The procedures selected to complete the necessary research for the applied research

project were chosen to examine each of the research questions in detail. The procedures were

selected to generate original data related to the research questions and accomplish the stated

purpose of the project. The following information describes the selected procedures and will

assist other researchers to replicate the selected procedures.

The first research question asks what standards are available related to the development

of a fire department organizational statement. The intent of this research question is to provide

guidance when developing the final program objectives to create measureable outcomes. The

results from this research question are intended to ensure the final product complies with

applicable codes, standards, regulations, or laws.

To answer the first research question, an extensive literature review was completed. The

results from this literature review will directly guide the development of the organizational

statement and ensure state and federal laws are followed as well as nationally accepted best

practices. In addition to the literature review, additional research for the first research question

was conducted as a personal interview with Ryan Depew, Technical Specialist for the National

Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Mr. Depew was selected to be interviewed because he is

the NFPA Technical Specialist for the NFPA 1201 Standard for Developing Fire Protection

Services for the Public. A telephone interview was conducted with Mr. Depew on June 18, 2015

at 9:00 AM. Three specific questions were asked during the interview. First, Mr. Depew was

asked about his background and specialty regarding the NFPA 1201 Standard. Second, Mr.


Depew was asked what NFPA standards reference the need for fire departments to develop an

organizational statement. Third, Mr. Depew was asked if he was aware of other standards,

codes, accepted best practices, or laws related to the development of a fire department

organizational statement. For more information regarding this telephone interview, see

Appendix B.

To fully examine the first research question, additional research was also completed in

the form of a questionnaire. An informal questionnaire was developed and distributed to all the

members of the Wyoming Fire Chiefs Association and to the members of the Wyoming Rural

Firefighters Association. The members of these two organizations were selected to participate in

the questionnaire because their administrative responsibilities are best suited to answer the

questions regarding organizational statement. Participants were limited to Wyoming fire

departments in an effort to produce results that are comparable to local conditions. In total, 108

members of these two organizations were emailed a request and instructions to access the online

questionnaire. Twelve percent of these total 108 participants responded to the online

questionnaire before it was closed. The questionnaire was hosted online using SurveyMonkey

because of the relative ease of use for participants to answer questions. Participants were asked

to complete five basic questions as part of the online questionnaire. First participants were asked

if their fire department has developed an organizational statement. Second, participants were

asked what references, standards, and guides were used to develop the organizational statement.

Third, participants were asked what elements were included in the organizational statement.

Fourth, participants were asked if they included the services provided and limitations of their fire

department in the organizational statement. Finally, participants were asked if they developed a


wire diagram or flow chart to graphically represent their organizational structure. For more

information regarding the questionnaire, see Appendix C.

The procedures chosen to research the first research question had inherent limitations.

The telephone interview conducted with Mr. Ryan Depew may have yielded unique results due

to the biases and experience of the interviewee. To minimize this limitation, it is recommended

to interview additional people and provide a broader basis to analyze. Additionally, the format

of the online questionnaire also contained limitations. Only participants with internet access

were able to provide feedback. This may have created unintended biased results. Finally, only

Fire Chiefs from Wyoming were targeted to participate in the questionnaire. A larger sample

may have yielded more accurate results in the questionnaire.

The second research question asks what elements should be included in an organizational

statement. Again, the literature review was critical in establishing foundational knowledge to

answer this question. The results from the literature review were used as a basis to develop the

questionnaire and to facilitate a focus group session intended to answer the second research

question in detail. A focus group discussion was facilitated as a research procedure to examine

the second research question in depth. All six of the Lieutenants and Captains of Sublette

County Unified Fire – Battalion One were asked to participate in the focus group and to discuss

the elements the participants thought should be included in an organizational statement.

Participants were asked to analyze existing problems within the organization and make

recommendations to design a program for improvement.

In total, six participants were included in the focus group discussion. These participants

were chosen because of the direct influence the results of the research project will have on their

work capacity within the fire department. The focus group discussion occurred on June 01, 2015


at 6:00 PM at the Pinedale Fire Station. The participants in the focus group discussion were

asked to discuss the following questions. First, participants were asked what elements should be

included in an organizational statement. Second, participants were asked what functional

positions should be included in an organizational statement. Third, participants were asked what

the roles and responsibilities should be for their selected functional positions. For more

information regarding the focus group discussion, see Appendix D.

In addition to the focus group discussion, additional research for the second research

question was completed as part of the same questionnaire used to examine the first research

question. Questions specific to the second research question were included in the questionnaire.

Because the format, procedures, and content of the questionnaire have already been described in

detail for the first research question, they were not repeated again here as part of the second

research question.

The procedures chosen to research the second research question contained additional

limitations. The participants selected to conduct the focus group discussion may have

unintentionally created unique biases that influenced the results from the focus group. Using a

larger pool of participants may help reduce this potential bias for future research. Additionally,

the limitations of the online questionnaire were also evident while examining the second research

question. These same limitations were already discussed while describing the first research

question procedures.

The third research question asked about the organizational structure models other

organizations use. Once again, the literature review was conducted as the first step to examine

this question in detail. The literature review provided insight to develop worthwhile procedures

to examine the research question. To fully examine the third research question, two additional


procedures were used. First an interview was conducted with Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bruce

Fisk of the Wyoming National Guard. In addition to the interview with Lieutenant Colonel Fisk,

further research for the third research question was again completed by using the same

questionnaire used to examine the first and second research questions. Questions, specific to the

third research question, were included in the online questionnaire. Because the procedures of the

questionnaire were already described in detail for the first research question, these procedures

were not repeated again here for the third research question procedures.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bruce Fisk of the Wyoming National Guard was selected to

be interviewed because he also serves as a Battalion Chief for Sublette County Unified Fire. As

an individual with an exceptional military background, as well as a strong background in the fire

service, he was ideally suited to provide an interview with questions related to both

organizational structures. The telephone interview occurred on June 21, 2015 at approximately

9:00 PM. During the telephone interview, Lt. Col. Fisk was asked three questions. First, he was

asked to generally describe the organizational structure of the U.S. Army. Second, he was asked

to describe any major similarities and differences between the U.S. Army organizational

structure and the paramilitary structure of the American Fire Service. Third, he was asked if

there are any elements from the U.S. Army organizational structure that should be included, or

avoided, during development of the organizational statement for Sublette County Unified Fire.

For more information regarding the interview with Lt. Col. Bruce Fisk, see Appendix E.

The procedures selected to examine the third research question also contained similar

limitations to the first and second research questions. As an interviewee, Lt. Col. Fisk has

unique background and experiences that may have created biased responses. These biases could

be minimized for future research by interviewing multiple people and increasing the total amount


of data provided. Additionally, the limitations of the online questionnaire contained the same

limitations that were already described as part of the first research question procedures.

Results

The results discovered while researching the first research question, relating to the

development of fire department organizational statements, indicate there are several standards

and regulations that contain applicable information. Specifically, the NFPA 1720 Standard for

the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations Emergency Medical

Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments, the NFPA 1201

Standard for Developing Fire Protection Services for the Public, the NFPA 1500 Standard on

Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, and the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration Standard on Fire Brigades, §29 CFR 1910.156 were all identified as

sources with pertinent information. Each of these referenced resources were discovered during

the literature review of the applied research project and were corroborated during the research

procedures. No additional references were discovered during the subsequent interviews, focus

groups, or questionnaires completed during research.

Two research procedures were used while examining the first research question. First, a

personal telephone interview was conducted with Ryan Depew, Technical Specialist for the

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). When asked about standards, codes, accepted best

practices, and laws related to fire department organizational statements, Mr. Depew, indicated

the NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program should be

the primary resource to guide organizational development because the intent of the standard is to

organize fire departments to ensure firefighter safety. Mr. Depew further explained the NFPA

1710 and NFPA 1720 standards would also contain information that could be used. Mr. Depew


explained the NFPA 1720 standard was designed for application by volunteer fire departments,

while the NFPA 1710 standard was designed for use by career fire departments. Otherwise, Mr.

Depew explained, the two standards are basic mirrors of each other. While explaining the

requirements other organizations may have, Mr. Depew explained the OSHA standards should

be researched separately. However, he did recommend researching if the International

Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Firefighters, or the National Volunteer

Fire Council have written any white papers regarding organizational statements.

Secondly, an informal questionnaire was distributed to the 108 members of the Wyoming

Fire Chiefs Association and to the members of the Wyoming Rural Firefighters Association

using SurveyMonkey. In total, twelve participants completed the questionnaire for a total of a

twelve percent response rate. Of the twelve respondents, 58.33% indicated their fire departments

have developed an organizational statement (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Organizational Statement


The results further indicate that 41.67% of the respondents have not developed an

organizational statement. Two respondents, or 16.67% of the respondents used the NFPA 1201

Standard for Developing Fire Protection Services for the Public, to develop their organizational

statement. One respondent, or 8.33% indicated their organization used the NFPA 1500 Standard

on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, to develop their organizational

statement. One respondent, or 8.33% indicated their organization used the NFPA 1710 Standard

for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations Emergency Medical

Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. One respondent,

Figure 2: Standards Used to Develop Statements


or 8.33% indicated their organization used the NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and

Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations Emergency Medical Operations, and Special

Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments. And one respondent, or 8.33%

indicated their organization used the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard on

Fire Brigades, §29 CFR 1910.156 (see Figure 2).

While examining the second research question regarding the elements that should be

included in an organizational statement, two research procedures were used. First, the same

informal questionnaire using SurveyMonkey was used as a research procedure to examine the

second research question. When asked what elements are included in their organizational

statement, 41.67% of the respondents indicated they have not developed an organizational

statement. One respondent, or 8.33% of the respondents, indicated their organization includes a

wire diagram depicting the personnel structure, line of authority, and chain of command. Two

respondents, or 16.67% of the respondents indicated they include the mission of their fire

department in their organizational statement. Two respondents, or 16.67% of the respondents

indicated they include the job description, duties, and responsibilities for all functional positions

of members in their organizational statement. One respondent, or 8.33% indicated their

organization includes the training requirements for functional positions in their organizational

statement. One respondent, or 8.33% selected ‘other’ in the questionnaire and indicated in the

narrative their organization includes both a wire diagram, and their mission statement in their

organizational statement (see Figure 3).


A focus group discussion was employed as the second research procedure examining the

second research question. When asked what elements that should be included in an

organizational statement, most of the six participants of the focus group discussion agreed the

following elements should be included:

• Wire Diagram depicting the personnel structure, line of authority, and chain of

command

• Description of specific services and limitations provided by the fire department

• Legal basis for operating the fire department

• Mission of the fire department

Figure 3: Organizational Statement Elements


• Job description, duties, and responsibilities for all functional positions

• Training requirements for functional positions of the organizational structure

• Minimum staffing requirements for expected duties

One of the focus group participants explained he did not believe explaining the legal

basis for operating the fire department should be necessary. A different focus group participant

explained he did not believe it is feasible to provide minimum staffing requirements for a

volunteer fire department. The other participants agreed the remaining elements should be

included.

When asked what functional positions should be included in an organizational statement,

the focus group participants agreed the following functional positions should be included:

• Operations

• Personnel

• Training

• Fire Prevention

• Public Education

• Recruitment

• Maintenance

• Communications

• Community Activities

• Battalion Social Activities

However, several of the focus group participants believed that some of the listed

functional positions could be combined or adjusted to fit the needs of the organization.

Furthermore, the group discussed the issue and expressed that they felt the community activities


and social activities should be managed by a formally appointed committee rather than an

individual.

Two research procedures were used while examining the third research question about

the organizational structure models other organizations use. First, the same informal

questionnaire using SurveyMonkey previously discussed was used to ask respondents what

functional positions are included in their organizational structures. Of the twelve total

respondents who participated in the questionnaire, 41.67% of the respondents indicated they

have not developed an organizational statement. Four of the respondents, or 33.33%, indicated

they include the operations section in their organizational statement. Two of the respondents, or

Figure 4: Functional Positions


16.67%, indicated they include the training section in their organizational statement. One

respondent, or 8.33% selected ‘other’ in the questionnaire and indicated in the narrative their

organization includes operations, training and prevention in their organizational statement (see

Figure 4).

As a second research procedure, a personal telephone interview was conducted with

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bruce Fisk of the Wyoming National Guard. During the telephone

interview, Lt. Col. Fisk was asked to generally describe the organizational structure of the U.S.

Army. Lt. Col. Fisk explained the basic organizational structure of the U.S. Army is based on a

triad form of supervision where three squads combine to create a platoon; three platoons

combine to create a company; three companies create one battalion; three battalions create a

brigade; three brigades create a division; generally there are three divisions in a corps; and

generally there are three corps that create an Army. Lt. Col. Fisk further explained that each of

these levels of supervision have a pre-identified title that establishes rank within the Army. Lt.

Col. Fisk explained the lowest squad level is led by a Sergeant; the platoon is led by a

Lieutenant; the company is led by a Captain; the battalion is led by a Lieutenant Colonel; the

brigade is commanded by a Colonel; the division is led by a Major General; the corps is led by a

Lieutenant General; and the Army is commanded by a four-star General.

When asked about any major similarities and differences between the U.S. Army

organizational structure and the paramilitary structure of the American Fire Service, Lt. Col. Fisk

explained the fire service basically uses the organizational structure from the military. The fire

service is built upon the company officer as the lowest level of supervision, which is similar to a

squad being supervised by a Sergeant in the Army. Lt. Col. Fisk explained the similarity

between the Army and the fire service is striking. For example, the military uses the triad form


of supervision that is very similar to the span of control identified by the fire service. Lt. Col.

Fisk explained that this format of supervision has been tried and tested in the military over

generations of combat and works well within the fire service as well.

Finally, when asked if there are any elements from the U.S. Army organizational

structure that should be included or avoided during development of the organizational statement

for Sublette County Unified Fire, Lt. Col. Fisk explained the battalion structure should be

included because it provides a very clear cut chain of command that fits very well with the

organization. However Lt. Col. Fisk also explained the fire department should avoid the no-

room-for-deviation, chain of command from the military. He explained the volunteer firefighters

may need more latitude in the application of the chain of command.

A draft copy of the final product from this applied research project has been included in

Appendix A. Based upon the results from this research project, the organizational statement

conforms to the requirements of the NFPA 1720, NFPA 1201, and the NFPA 1500 standards.

The organizational statement uses a linear hierarchy and is intended for adoption by a

paramilitary organization. The organizational statement includes a clearly defined the purpose

and mission for the organization, the legal parameters formally establishing the organization, a

description of emergency services provided to the community, the geographic and political

boundaries, the duties, responsibilities, and training requirements for all members, and a wire

diagram illustrating the relationships between divisions and functional units.

Discussion

While completing the literature review for the first research question, numerous examples

of relevant standards were discovered that related to the development of organizational

statements for fire departments. The Managing Fire and Rescue Services text recommends the


use of the NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression

Operations Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer

Fire Departments (Compton & Granito, 2002). The Managing Fire and Rescue Services also

recommends the use of the NFPA 1201 Standard for Developing Fire Protection Services for the

Public (Compton & Granito, 2002).

Both of the recommendations discovered during the literature review were corroborated

during the personal interview with Ryan Depew, Technical Specialist for the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA). Mr. Depew was asked what NFPA documents reference the

need for fire departments to develop an organizational statement. In response, Mr. Depew

explained about the importance of the NFPA 1720 standard and how it defines response times

and expectations for volunteer fire departments.

The information was further corroborated with information discovered as part of the

informal questionnaire distributed to the members of the Wyoming Fire Chiefs Association and

the Wyoming Rural Firefighters Association. The participants were asked what references,

standards, and guides were used to develop their organizational statement. The results indicate

that 16.67% of the respondents used the NFPA 1201 standard, 8.33% used the NFPA 1500

standard, 8.33% used the NFPA 1710 standard, 8.33% used the NFPA 1720 standard, and 8.33%

used the OSHA §29 CFR 1910.156 regulation. It must be noted that 41.67% of respondents

have not developed an organizational statement.

An evaluation of these results show a wide variety of information is available that can be

used to guide fire departments when developing an organizational statement. While the

importance of the organizational statement cannot be overstated, the specific reference appears to

be somewhat ambiguous in nature. The multiple standards seem to focus on different specific


areas, but the NFPA 1201 standard appeared to be the most relevant to the research question.

Therefore, Sublette County Unified Fire will primarily reference the NFPA 1201 Standard for

Developing Fire Protection Services for the Public. Additional information from the NFPA 1500

Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program will also be referenced.

The literature review for the second research question examined what elements should be

included in an organizational statement. The literature review examined the Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard on Fire Brigades, §29 CFR 1910.156, the ISO Fire

Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), the NFPA 1201 Standard for Providing Fire and

Emergency Services to the Public, 2015 Edition, and the ICMA Managing Fire and Rescue

Services textbook (OSHA Fire Brigades, 1980; Insurance Services Office, 2012; NFPA 1201,

2015; Compton & Granito, 2002) Collectively, these resources suggest the following common

components may be included in an organizational statement.

• A formal statement of purpose including the function and mission of the organization

• The legal parameters for operating the fire department and applicable state or local laws

• A description of the types of emergency services provided

• The geographic areas covered with definite boundaries

• The expected number of members of the organization

• The duties and responsibilities of all members

• The training requirements for all members

• An illustration of the relationships between divisions and functional units

The study results corroborate the findings discovered as part of the literature review.

During the focus group discussion, the participants of the focus group were asked what elements

should be included in an organizational statement. The resulting discussion suggested a very


similar list of requirements, with very little dissenting opinion. These results were further

corroborated as part of the informal questionnaire using SurveyMonkey; which also produced a

very similar list of requirements.

The interpretation of these results leave little room for debate. The final product

produced from this research will include the basic elements as listed. Local adoption may vary

to some degree as appropriate for local application.

The literature review for the third research question examined what organizational

models other organizations use. The U.S. Army Command Policy AR 600-20 described the

linear hierarchy organizational structure model used by the U.S. Army and comparable ranks for

the Air Force, Marines, and Navy as well (U.S. Army, 2014). A similar linear hierarchy was

described in the online article, Law Enforcement Chain of Command (University of St. Thomas -

Minnesota, n.d.). For comparison, a contrasting point of view was examined in the online

article, The Rise and Fall of the Paramilitary Structure (Shaw, 2011). The author of this article

alludes that modern generational differences and societal demands are driving a more soft-touch

management policy than traditional linear hierarchy organizational structures can provide.

The study results from the personal telephone interview conducted with Lieutenant

Colonel Robert Bruce Fisk of the Wyoming National Guard and the informal questionnaire using

SurveyMonkey align with the first two sources from the literature review. However, no evidence

was discovered that supported Jay Shaw’s article, The Rise and Fall of the Paramilitary

Structure.

The interpretation of the research results from the third research question indicate a linear

hierarchy organizational structure is traditionally accepted and practiced in most paramilitary

organizations. This structure format seems to work well to facilitate the flow of communications


and ensure an adequate span of control, while splitting functional responsibilities. Therefore, the

organizational statement developed as part of this research for Sublette County Unified Fire will

include a traditional linear hierarchy.

Recommendations

The stated purpose of this applied research project was to develop an explicitly defined

organizational statement for Sublette County Unified Fire. The recommendations result from

extensive research regarding organizational statements and are intended to produce an explicitly

defined organizational statement for Sublette County Unified Fire. As a result from this

research, a draft organizational statement has been developed and is included in Appendix A.

The final product provides guiding instruction to SCUF membership and the general public.

Most of the recommendations from each of the research questions have been

implemented in the final product. The newly developed organizational statement clearly defines

the purpose and mission of the organization. The legal parameters formally establishing the

organization have been provided. A general description of emergency services provided to the

community is included. The geographic and political boundaries have been defined. Duties,

responsibilities, and training requirements of all members and functional groups have been

described. A wire diagram illustrating the relationships between divisions and functional units

has also been provided. Each of the implemented recommendations were included in the final

product in an attempt to establish the comprehensive planning necessary for Sublette County

Unified Fire to operate effectively.

It must be noted that one recommendation discovered during the literature research

process was purposefully omitted from the final product. The decision to omit this element was

made after the issue was raised during the focus group discussion. Due to the fluctuation of


volunteer membership at a local level, the total number of expected members of the organization

was not included in the developed organizational statement. This omission will be reviewed

after six months and may be included later if it should prove necessary for administrative

purposes.

Sublette County Unified Fire will formally adopt and implement the newly developed

organizational statement on July 01, 2015. Further research will be necessary to evaluate the

effectiveness of the organizational statement and make recommendations for continued

improvement. It is currently planned to reevaluate the adopted organizational statement after a

six-month implementation period. The organizational command staff will participate in another

focus group session to conduct the necessary reevaluation.

In conclusion for this applied research paper, future researchers or readers who may wish

to replicate this study should focus on researching and implementing relevant NFPA standards

and OSHA regulations. Compliance with these standards and regulations will provide the

necessary guidance to begin developing an organizational statement. However, standards and

regulations alone are not sufficient to create an entire organizational statement. Future

researchers should also closely examine what other similar organizations use. While researching

other similar organizations, it would be worthwhile to not only examine what works well for the

organizations, but also what the organizations have removed from their organizational statements

because it did not work well.


References

Compton, D., & Granito, J. (Eds.). (2002). Managing fire and rescue services. Washington,

D.C.: International City/County Management Association.

Cote, A. E., Grant, C. C., Hall, Jr., J. R., Solomon, R. E., & Powell, P. A. (2008). Fire protection

handbook (20th ed., Vols. 1-2). Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association.

Insurance Services Office. (2012). Fire suppression rating schedule. Retrieved from

http://www.isomitigation.com/fsrs/Fire-Suppression-Rating-Schedule-Overview.html

National Fire Protection Association. (2013). NFPA 1500: Standard on fire department

occupational safety and health program (2013 ed.). Quincy, MA: National Fire

Protection Association.

National Fire Protection Association. (2015). NFPA 1201: Standard for providing fire and

emergency services to the public (2015 ed.). Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection

Association.

OSHA Fire Brigades, 1910.156 Code of Federal Regulations - C.F.R. § 1910.156(b)(1) (1980).

Shaw, J. (2011). The rise and fall of the paramilitary structure. Retrieved from

http://www.firefightingincanada.com/inside-the-hall/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-paramilitary-

structure-9848

Sublette County. (n.d.). Sublette County - About Us. Retrieved May 03, 2015, from

http://www.sublettewyo.com/index.aspx?nid=183

U.S. Department of the Army. (2014). Army command policy: Regulation 600–20. Retrieved

from http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_20.pdf

U.S. Fire Administration FEMA. (n.d.). USFA strategic plan: Fiscal years 2010-2014. Retrieved

from http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/strategic_plan.pdf


U.S. Fire Administration. (n.d.). Executive Leadership R0125. Retrieved May 03, 2015, from

http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/catalog/details/17

University of St. Thomas - Minnesota. (n.d.). Law enforcement chain of command. Retrieved

May 16, 2015, from http://www.stthomasonline.com/resources/law-enforcement/police-

hierarchy-and-rank


APPENDIX A

EFFECTIVE DATE LAST REVISED PAGES 07/01/15 05/05/15 1 of 1

SOG # SECTION GUIDELINE 1.2 ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT

PURPOSE The purpose of Sublette County Unified Fire shall be to protect lives and

property from the harmful effects of fire, hazardous materials, motor vehicle collisions, and acts of nature that may affect residents of Sublette County.

SCOPE The Organizational Statement has been written especially for Sublette County Unified Fire. This statement has been designed to be in compliance with NFPA 1500 for an Organizational Statement and to promote the safety and welfare of department members.

AUTHORITY By official Resolution #14-100260B, the Board of Sublette County Commissioners have created and authorized Sublette County Unified Fire to provide all fire-related services for the three incorporated towns in the County, as well as all fire-related services for the unincorporated areas of the County.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to provide the most efficient and professional community service possible in the areas of fire protection and emergency services. We will accomplish this by:

• Conducting ourselves in a professional manner. • Communicating openly and honestly. • Focusing on attention to customer service. • Dedicating ourselves to the latest training techniques and standards.

REFERENCES Sublette County Resolution #14-100260B

NFPA 1500 – 4.4.1 NFPA 1201 – 4.5.3.3 – 4.5.3.4

APPROVED

Fire Chief/Warden


EFFECTIVE DATE LAST REVISED PAGES

07/01/15 05/05/15 1 of 3 SOG # SECTION GUIDELINE

1.3 ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT PURPOSE This guideline is to establish an organizational statement for all members

of Sublette County Unified Fire.

SCOPE This organizational statement shall apply to all members of Sublette County Unified Fire.

PROCEDURE ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT

Sublette County Unified Fire operates under an organizational structure with the Fire Chief/Warden being the highest ranking officer of the department. Each position for the organization is described below:

Fire Chief/Warden – Highest ranking officer in the organization and takes direction from the Sublette County Commissioners. The Fire Chief/Warden administers all county policies and procedures, along with preparing and administering the fire department budget. The Fire Chief/Warden also evaluates the needs of the Department and plans for the acquisition, replacement, and maintenance of facilities, apparatus and equipment. The Fire Chief/Warden attends meetings of the County Commissioners, and may respond to major emergencies within the county. The Fire Chief/Warden is expected to be qualified as NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer III and STEN/TFLD qualified.

Deputy County Fire Warden – The Deputy County Fire Warden is the second highest ranking officer in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/Warden. The Deputy County Fire Warden assists the Fire Chief/Warden in the management of day-to-day operations of the organization. May act as Fire Chief/Warden in the absence of the Chief and may respond to emergencies within the county for incident supervision and/or command. The Deputy Fire Warden is expected to be qualified as NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer III and STEN/TFLD qualified. County Fire Prevention Officer – The Fire Prevention Officer is part of the Command Staff in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/Warden. The Fire Prevention Officer, (FPO), assists the Chief in the management of the Community Fire Wise Education program. The FPO is also responsible for coordination of fuel mitigation and modification activities in collaboration with the USFS, BLM, WSFD, and Emergency Management organizations. The Fire Prevention Officer leads the effort on updating the County Wildfire Protection Plan, (CWPP), and drives the community efforts in compliance to “Fire Adapted


Community” and “Ready, Set, Go” initiatives. The FPO is expected to be qualified as Fire Officer I or be working to obtain this qualification.

County Training Officer – The County Training Officer is part of the Command Staff in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/ Warden. The County Training Officer, in coordination with the individual Battalion Training Officers manages the Department’s training facility and training curriculum for all personnel of the organization. The County Training Officer is expected to be qualified as Fire Officer II and Fire Instructor II or be working to obtain these qualification. County Fire Investigator/Public Information Officer (FI/PIO) – The County Fire Investigator/Public Information Officer is part of the Command Staff in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/Warden. The FI/PIO position assists the Fire Chief/Warden in the management of the Department’s Fire Investigations and Public Announcements. The Fire Investigators role is to attempt to determine the cause and origin of fires. The Public Information Officer role is to develop and release information about incidents to the news media, incident personnel, and other appropriate agencies and organizations. The County FI/PIO is expected to be qualified as Fire Officer II, or be working to obtain this qualification. County Health and Safety Officer (HSO) – The County Health and Safety Officer is part of the Command Staff in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/Warden. The County Health and Safety Officer assists the Chief to develop and provide recommended measures for assuring personnel health and safety and to assess and/or anticipate hazardous and unsafe situations. The Safety Officer also develops the Site Safety Plan, reviews the Incident Action Plan for safety implications, and provides timely, complete, specific, and accurate assessment of hazards and required controls. The County Health and Safety Officer is expected to be qualified as Fire Officer I, or be working to obtain this qualification.

• EMS Coordinator - The EMS Coordinator is a volunteer position and serves as an advisory role to the Command Staff in the organization. The EMS Coordinator takes direction from and reports to the HSO. The EMS Coordinator assists the Battalion Chiefs to ensure all EMS equipment in each station is maintained in a state of readiness. Furthermore, the EMS coordinator assists the County Training Officer and Battalion Chiefs to review the training records of all firefighters. The EMS coordinator will ensure certifications are kept current. The EMS Coordinator is expected to be qualified as Emergency Medical Technician – Advanced or higher.


• The LAST Coordinator - The LAST Coordinator is responsible for serving on the Wyoming LAST team, ensuring all necessary documentation for Public Safety Officer’s Benefit (PSOB) is maintained, and managing the firefighter’s beneficiary designee information. Last Coordinator will report to HSO.

Battalion Chief (6) – The rank of Battalion Chief is the third highest ranking tier of officers in the organization and takes direction from the Fire Chief/Warden as well as Deputy County Fire Warden. The Battalion Chiefs are responsible for assisting the Fire Chief/Warden in planning, organizing & directing all operations, training, activities, and administration of the organization. Battalion Chiefs are expected to be qualified as NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer II, and ENGB qualified or be working to obtain these qualifications.

Captain (up to 2 per Battalion) – The rank of Captain is the fourth highest ranking tier of officers in the organization and take direction from their respective Battalion Chiefs. Each Captain is assigned specific responsibilities and manages up to two Lieutenants which in turn manage a squad of firefighters for administrative responsibilities and incident management. Captains respond to emergencies within the county as a company officer and may be assigned to an ICS supervisory role. Captains are expected to be qualified as NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer I, and ENGB qualified or be working to obtain these qualifications.

Lieutenant (up to 4 per Battalion) – The rank of Lieutenant is the fifth highest tier of ranking officers in the organization and takes direction from their Battalion Captains. Each Lieutenant assists his/her assigned Captain in managing a squad of firefighters and is assigned a specific responsibility such as training, facilities, apparatus maintenance, orientation, or other duties as assigned. The lieutenant position is a learning position. Lieutenants are expected to actively seek officer development courses and work towards certification as NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer I level and ENGB qualification.

Firefighter – Firefighters take direction from his/her Lieutenant. After Jan 1st, 2015, all new firefighters are required to complete the recruit academy and to be certified to the Structural Firefighter I level by the State of Wyoming along with being NWCG red card qualified (Wildland FFT2).

Roles and responsibilities can be changed at the discretion of the Fire Chief/Warden based on an individual training and experience to best fit into the command structure.

This Chain of Command shall be used at all times for all activities, duties, operations, and administrative items of the organization. Firefighters report to a Battalion Lieutenant, Battalion Lieutenants report to a Battalion Captain, the Battalion Captains report to Battalion Chief, who reports to


Deputy County Fire Warden who reports to the Fire Chief/Warden. Personnel must report to their direct supervisor first and not circumvent the Chain of Command. This could result in disciplinary action. During emergency response ICS protocols will be adhered to.

REFERENCES NFPA 1500 – 4.4.2 NFPA 1201 – 4.5.3.3 – 4.5.3.4

APPROVED

Fire Chief/Warden


EFFECTIVE DATE LAST REVISED PAGES

07/01/15 05/05/15 1 of 2 SOG # SECTION GUIDELINE

1.4 ORGANIZATION CHAIN OF COMMAND

Administrative Assistant

Training Officer

Fire Prevention Officer

Health & Safety Officer

Fire Chief/Warden

Fire Investigator Public Info. Officer

Deputy Fire Warden Operations Chief

Pinedale Fire Battalion #1

Big Piney Fire Battalion #2

Kendall Valley Fire Battalion #6

Boulder Fire Battalion #4

Daniel Fire Battalion #5

Bondurant Fire Battalion #3

Sublette County Unified Fire

Sublette County Board of Commissioners


Battalion Chief

Lieutenant

Captain Captain

Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant

Sublette County Unified Fire

Squad B Firefighters

Squad A Firefighters

Squad D Firefighters

Squad C Firefighters


Appendix B

Procedure: Interview with NFPA Technical Specialist, Ryan Depew Research Question 1: What are the relevant standards regarding the development of a fire department organizational statement?

• Interview NFPA Technical Questions Service • Interview was conducted on 06/18/15 at 9:00 AM.

Question 1: You are an NFPA Technical Specialist. What does this title mean? My name Ryan Depew – NFPA Technical Specialist. I am a staff liaison for the NFPA 1201 technical committee. As a specialist I can provide guidance and additional information regarding our standards. The standards stand alone and speak for themselves. The end-user is responsible to interpret the codes. Question 2: Can you tell me what NFPA standards reference the need for fire departments to develop an organizational statement? In a situation where an organization is creating a new department, a formal statement is trying to capture the mission of your organization. It should also identify what types of services your organization provides such as structural firefighting, wildland fire response, hazardous materials response, water rescue, EMS services. Additionally, the importance of the training requirements for your identified responsibilities is important. In an example where multiple organizations are consolidated, it can become extremely important to identify roles and responsibilities for each function within your department. This should give a clear picture to all members within the organization about the chain of command and how everyone interacts with each other. Question 3: Are there other standards, codes, accepted best practices, or laws that you are aware of that were referenced to develop the requirements in the NFPA standards you described? Yes there are numerous standards that are relevant to organizational statements. For example, NFPA 1500 is the occupational safety and health standard. There is a tremendous amount of information in this standard that would be relevant. Additionally, the 1582 standard discusses the importance of medical requirements to ensure the members are medically fit. The 1581 standard provides information about immunizations. The 1600 series of standards discusses pre-incident planning and this information may be relevant. The 1710 and 1720 standards are related to organizational deployment. These standards focus on things like response times, and staffing requirements. The 1710 standard is related to career departments. The 1720 standard is designed for volunteer fire departments. We are currently working on new organizational deployment standards for fire prevention and inspections too. The NFPA 1250 Standard focuses on risk management and may be important as well.


OSHA will definitely have an impact on workplace safety. The information there may have relevance to organizational development. It will have to be researched separately however. Additionally, the national organizations such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Firefighters and VCOS, NVFC may also have white papers or further guidance that will be relevant. I am not aware of anything specifically from the Federal Government.


Appendix C

FIRE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Has your organization developed a fire department organizational statement?

2. What references, standards, or guides did your organization use to develop the organizational statement?

What references, standards, or guides did your organization use to develop the organizational statement? N/A (No Organizational Statement)

NFPA 1201: Standard for Providing Fire and Emergency Services to the Public NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations,

Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments NFPA 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations,

Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments OSHA 1910.156 (b) (1): Fire Brigades - Organizational Statement Other (please specify)

3. What elements are included in your organizational statement?

What elements are included in your organizational statement? N/A (No Organizational Statement) Wire diagram depicting the personnel structure, line of authority, and chain of command Description of specific services and limitations provided by the fire department Legal basis for operating the fire department Mission of the fire department Job description, duties, and responsibilities for all functional positions Training requirements for functional positions of the organizational structure Minimum staffing requirements for expected duties Other (please specify)

4. What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

What functional positions are included in your organizational statement? N/A (No Organizational Statement)

Operations Fire Prevention Training Public Education


Maintenance Personnel Communications Recruitment Community Activities Fire Department Social Activities Other (please specify)

5. Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses)


QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS #1 COMPLETE

• Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link) • Started: Monday, June 08, 2015 10:20:56 AM • Last Modified: Monday, June 08, 2015 10:22:54 AM

PAGE 1: Fire Department Organizational Statement Questionnaire Q1: Has your organization developed a fire department organizational statement?

• Yes Q2: What references, standards, or guides did your organization use to develop the organizational statement?

• NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Mission of the fire department Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Operations • Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help

eliminate redundant responses) Answer Redacted #2 COMPLETE



• No Q2: What references, standards, or guides did your organization use to develop the organizational statement?

• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question #3 COMPLETE






• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question


#4 COMPLETE • Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link) • Started: Monday, June 08, 2015 10:47:48 AM • Last Modified: Monday, June 08, 2015 10:49:48 AM



• NFPA 1201: Standard for Providing Fire and Emergency Services to the Public Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Wire diagram depicting the personnel structure, line of authority, and chain of command Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Operations Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question #5 COMPLETE






• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question #6 COMPLETE

• Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link) • Started: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:15:40 PM • Last Modified: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:15:52 PM





• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question


#7 COMPLETE

• Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link) • Started: Sunday, June 14, 2015 11:28:53 PM • Last Modified: Sunday, June 14, 2015 11:29:44 PM



• NFPA 1201: Standard for Providing Fire and Emergency Services to the Public Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Job description, duties, and responsibilities for all functional positions Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Training Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question #8 COMPLETE




• OSHA 1910.156 (b) (1): Fire Brigades - Organizational Statement Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Job description, duties, and responsibilities for all functional positions Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Operations Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) n/a #9 COMPLETE






• N/A (No Organizational Statement) Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses)


#10 COMPLETE

• Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link) • Started: Monday, June 15, 2015 1:15:56 PM • Last Modified: Monday, June 15, 2015 1:18:53 PM



• NFPA 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Mission of the fire department Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Operations Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) Respondent skipped this question #11 COMPLETE




• NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Training requirements for functional positions of the organizational structure Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Training Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses) #12 COMPLETE




• Other (please specify)none used Q3: What elements are included in your organizational statement?

• Other (please specify)wire diagram & Mission statement Q4: What functional positions are included in your organizational statement?

• Other (please specify)Operations, training and prevention all included Q5: Optional: Please provide the name of your fire department. (This information will help eliminate redundant responses)


Appendix D

Focus Group Transcription Summary Topic: Organizational Statement Focus Group Analysis Purpose: Discuss the development and implementation of an organizational statement for Sublette County Unified Fire Date: June 01, 2015 Time: 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Location: Pinedale Fire Station Participants: Shad Cooper, Ron Ruckman, Brent Thomas, Kevin Mitchell, Sam White, Spencer Hartman, Justin Hamilton, The following information is a transcription summary of the Focus Group Analysis. Irrelevant discussions have been removed from the content. Content has been summarized from the meeting to focus on recommendations. Shad Cooper: Thank you everyone for being here. Please review the handouts provided (Sublette County Unified Fire SOPs, NFPA 1500 - Section 4.1: Fire Department Statement information, Organizational Statement Focus Group Analysis). The SOPs are a review of what has currently been adopted for our organization. The NFPA 1500 handout describes the requirements for compliance with the standard. The Organizational Statement Focus Group Analysis lists the questions our group will be asked to discuss. Please record your answers on the analysis so I can easily capture your feedback. Look at question number one with me. What elements should be included in an organizational statement? Spencer, what did you circle? Spencer Hartman: Everything except the minimum staffing requirements. Shad Cooper: Brent, what did you circle? Brent Thomas: Everything except the legal basis for operating the fire department. Shad Cooper: Sam? Sam White: I circled all of the options. Shad Cooper: Ron? Ron Ruckman: I circled everything. I also wrote down a note about the minimum staffing requirements. Do we need to have an officer before rolling a truck? Shad Cooper: Yes, it is my intent. However, when we are short-handed and no company officer is available, we can get on the radio and ask the incident commander if it is OK to roll. This will be on a case by case basis though.


Shad Cooper: Justin, what do you have? Justin Hamilton: I checked everything. It all seems helpful. Shad Cooper: Kevin? Kevin Mitchell: I circled everything. Shad Cooper: Ok, take a look at the second question. What functional positions should be included in an organizational statement? Please look a question three too because it builds on question two. Ron Ruckman: A lot of these listed positions could be combined too. Shad Cooper: Yeah, it is really up to us to decide what works best for our organization. Shad Cooper: Ok, what do you have for question two, Spencer? Spencer Hartman: Basically, they all are elements that will need to be done. I think it makes sense to combine the Personnel position with the Recruitment position. Also, I made note that the Communications position should include multiple forms of communications. Kevin Mitchell: Yeah, I thought the Prevention position could be combined with the Public Education position. Brent Thomas: Yeah, I did that too. Shad Cooper: Ok, so what positions should be combined? (Writes answers on white board based on group discussion and feedback from all participants)

1. Personnel Captain (combined with recruitment) a. Training Lieutenant b. Prevention Lieutenant (combined with public education, communications)

2. Operations Captain a. Equipment Lieutenant b. Apparatus Lieutenant

3. Activities Committee (Combined Community and Battalion Social Activities as

necessary) Shad Cooper: Ok, so based on those positions, what should the roles and responsibilities be of each of the selected positions? Ron Ruckman: Operations should oversee the operational readiness of all personnel and equipment. Personnel should work with Operations to enforce SOG’s as adopted.


Justin Hamilton: Training – self-explanatory, Prevention – same, Maintenance is a big job. It makes sense to separate specific areas of responsibility. Sam White: Recruitment should be accomplished as a group. The community and social activities should also be done as a group. Shad Cooper: Is there anything that we should avoid including? Sam White: The minimum staffing requirements. It seems this would be very difficult for a volunteer fire department to implement. General agreement was expressed by the group members. Shad Cooper: Alright, let me try to capture a few bullets under each of these headings to try and define general responsibilities. (Writes answers on white board based on group discussion and feedback from all participants)

1. Personnel Captain (combined with recruitment) a. Responsibilities

i. Ensure operational readiness of all members 1. Assign mentors

ii. Coordinate recruitment and retention efforts iii. Coordinate community and social activities

2. Training Lieutenant a. Responsibilities

i. Organize, implement, document and track training for all members ii. Coordinate with County Training Officer

3. Prevention Lieutenant a. Responsibilities

i. Coordinate with County Prevention Officer ii. Schedule school activities during Fire Prevention Week

iii. Issue Public Service Announcements iv. Manage Communications

1. Program Radios 2. Distribute summary information of meetings

4. Operations Captain

a. Responsibilities i. Ensure operational readiness of facilities, apparatus, equipment and all

issues not related to personnel ii. Enforces policies, procedures, and guidelines

5. Equipment Lieutenant a. Responsibilities

i. Coordinate maintenance needs with Apparatus Lieutenant ii. Maintain all tools and equipment (anything without an engine)

1. SCBAs 2. PPE


3. Extrication Tools 4. 4 Gas Detector 5. Facilities Repairs

6. Apparatus Lieutenant a. Responsibilities

i. Coordinate maintenance needs with Equipment Lieutenant ii. Maintain all apparatus and motors (anything with an engine)

1. Apparatus 2. Command Vehicles 3. Small Motors 4. Fans 5. Float-a-Pumps 6. Saws

Shad Cooper: Thanks everyone for all your hard work here. I think this is a lot of really great information that will really help us establish our organizational statement. END FOCUS GROUP ANALYSIS


Appendix E

Procedure: Interview with Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Fisk - WY National Guard Telephone Interview Conducted on June 21, 2015 9:00 PM Research Question 3: What organizational structure models do other organizations use? Interview Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Fisk - WY National Guard Question 1: As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Wyoming National Guard, you are familiar with the organizational structure used by the U.S. Army. Can you generally describe this organizational structure? The Army Structure is based on a 9 man squad that is led by a Staff Sergeant. The squad can also be broken further into two 4 man teams if necessary. Three squads combine to create a platoon. Three platoons combine to create one company. Three companies create one battalion. Three battalions create a brigade. Three brigades create a division. Generally there are three divisions in a corps. There are generally three corps that create an army. In the U.S. Army organizational structure, the lowest squad level is led by a Sergeant. The platoon is led by a Lieutenant. The Company is led by a Captain. The Battalion is led by a Lt. Col. The Brigade is commanded by a Colonel. A division is led by a Major General, which is a two star General. A corps is commanded by a three star Lt. General. An army is commanded by a General with four stars. Question 2: Can you describe any similarities or differences between the U.S. Army organizational structure and the paramilitary structure of the American Fire Service? The fire service basically uses the organizational structure from the military. The Fire Service is generally built upon the company as the lowest level of supervision. The company is usually led by a Lieutenant. This position is supervised by a Captain, who is supervised by a Battalion Chief. Many fire departments differ in the levels of responsibilities for these positions. The similarity between the Army and the Fire Service is striking. The Military uses the triad form of supervision that is very similar to what the Fire Service calls its span of control. The fire service organizational structure uses this format to ensure adequate supervision is always provided during emergency response. This format has been tried and tested in the military over generations of combat. The process parallels between the two organizations.


Question 3: Sublette County Unified Fire is currently developing an organizational statement. Are there any elements from the U.S. Army organizational structure that should be included or avoided during development? There are elements that should be included; specifically the battalion structure. It provides a very clear cut chain of command that fits very well with our organization based on our geographic area of coverage. Having a single commander in charge of the organization is critical to ensure a clear chain of command. We should also specifically avoid the clear cut, no room for deviation chain of command from the military. The volunteer firefighters may need more latitude in the application of the chain of command. If a volunteer’s direct supervisor is not immediately available, it should be acceptable to allow the firefighter to speak outside of the chain of command. This being said it is important to emphasize that supervisors should be empowered to resolve problems at the lowest level and firefighters should be encouraged to work within this structure to do so. With the military organizational structure, when you get into the higher echelons of the structure, there is a staff associated with each higher level of supervision. For example there are admin, intel, ops, logistics, and communications broken into S sections; S-1 through S-6. As you go further into the military structure when an element is commanded by a general, those elements become G sections instead of S sections. Locally, our fire department does not need these S sections for each battalion. Instead, the administrative office should be able to provide these staff responsibilities at the administrative level. It would be redundant to perform these responsibilities again at the Battalion Chief level. It makes sense to break each Battalion Chief into specific responsibilities though.

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