HELP - Policy and SOGs

[cclark1296]

Help!! - I recently took over as Chief of a small combination department in Ohio. When I was hired, the first thing that I found out was the Policy and Procedure Manual was missing and the SOG manual was very inadequate. I have obtained several copies of different SOG and Policy manuals and I'm trying to sort through everything. I'm looking to tap into the wisdom of some more experienced Chiefs. I have experience writing policy and SOG and have no probelm doing so, but would it be better for me to just adopt somone else's policy as a "quick fix" and then change them as needed - or should I just start from scratch and write them all myself? I have already started writing them, but I've been working for a month now and I don't feel like I'm making very much headway. What's your opinion???

[KenNFD1219]

That is a tough job. One of your considerations is when do you stop? At what point are SOP's too detailed. It is a balancing act between too little and too much with no easy answer.

Are you doing this on your own or delegating some to officers? This is a great way to get the department members involved instead of it appearing the SOP's are handed down from above.

I have written many SOP's from scratch, usually very department specific such as how to hire overtime or dispatcher procedures. On others I have recycled from other departments, such as respiratory protection, haz-mat, etc.

Chief Goldfeders site has links to SOP's.

There is nothing wrong with adopting an existing SOP to fit your department.

[tcrist]

Is the Policy & Procedures Manual "Missing" or non-existent? Can it be found? Start with anything that you already have in place - your members should already be familiar with them. Next borrow, steal, or plagiarize basic manuals from others and tweak them for your own needs. There are a lot of smart people out there who have already done the hard part so don't reinvent the wheel. This will be ongoing and changes will have to be made along the way.

BTW- I hope the Chief has subordinates doing most of the work and he (you) sets the policy and reviews what they have done.

Good luck!