This month's edition of The Leader's Toolbox looks at issues facing both volunteer and career fire departments. Host and Fire Chief Richard B. Gasaway offer sound advice in both situations - do your homework and have background data to backup your plans.
The first half of the podcast looks at a chief of a volunteer fire department whose rolls are dwindling while the number of alarms is increasing. Gasaway proposes various ideas to help increase the number of volunteer members while looking exploring the chief's idea on the feasibility of a combination department.
The chief of mid-sized departments is looking to raise the level safety in his department by implementing a safety officer 24 hours a day. During daytime hours, several staff chiefs respond to incidents to assist in various roles. Once the office closes, the cities three district chiefs are all that's left. Gasaway explores the chiefs options, including the opening a new position and the safety company or command support company concept.
Related Links
• VCOS Red Ribbon Report
• VCOS Blue Ribbon Report
• RichGasaway.com
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About the Author
Richard Gasaway
Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is an authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision-making processes that are used in high-stress, high-consequence work environments. He served 33 years as a firefighter, EMT-paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander. Gasaway's doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and affect high-risk decision-making. He authored six books, and his contributions on situational awareness and decision-making are featured and referenced in more than 400 publications. Gasaway's training programs have been delivered to more than 88,000 students.