The Accreditation of Saint Andrews
October 29, 2008
Fire Administration
Sarah E. S. Turner
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In this report, I will thoroughly document the steps that need to be taken for Saint Andrew’s Fire
Department to gain accreditation. This report will consist of two major parts. The first part will be the Project Definition Phase in which I will define the Project Statement, state the objectives on how to become accredited, detail a Work Breakdown Structure, and Complete a Resource Requirement Chart. All of which are necessary to describe exactly what I am trying to accomplish, why it needs to be accomplished, how it will be delegated among the members of Saint Andrew’s, and the approximate timeline for which our goal will be reached.
The second part of this report will be the Project Planning Phase in which I will develop a responsibility matrix based on my Work Breakdown Structure which was previously developed in the first phase of this report. Then, I will provide a graphic representation of my contingency plan. These will assist in making sure the goal is completed correctly, and a course of action if accreditation is not reached as defined in the Project Definition Phase.
In such a time of change at Saint Andrew’s, where we have a new fire chief, and we are reworking our operations and every other aspect of our institution, I feel that accreditation would provide us with standards we can work toward to improve our level of service to our customers, and to each other, and also provide us with evidence of why we need improvements in our budget in order to provide our community with the most effective and efficient services possible.
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PROJECT STATEMENT
Saint Andrew’s Fire Department will meet or exceed the required amount of performance standards as outlined by The Center for Public Safety Excellence to become an accredited department for a cost not to exceed twenty thousand dollars by January of 2011.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The ten categories that are evaluated by The Center for Public Safety; governance and administration, assessment and planning, goals and objectives, financial resources, programs, physical resources, human resources, training and competency, essential resources, and external systems relationships will meet or exceed the 77 required core competency performance indicators that cannot be failed. Accreditation will help our department realize what exactly our performance standards should be so as to serve the needs of our community. Accreditation for Saint Andrew’s Fire Department will take place by January of 2011 at the relatively low cost of twenty thousand dollars.
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WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
1.0 Form Committee to oversee and direct project
1.1 Find able members
2.0 Standard Identification
2.1 Identify the standards that must be reached
2.2 Identify how standards will be achieved
3.0 Establish relationship with The Center for Public Safety Excellence
3.1 Apply for Registered Agency Status through website at a cost of $350.00
3.2 Request all required materials and paperwork for entire project, and assistance
as needed
4.0 Budget for Accreditation
4.1 Training costs
4.2 Renovation or rebuilding of stations
4.3 Fees required by The Center for Public Safety Excellence
4.4 Updating equipment
4.5 Miscellaneous budget requirements as needed
5.0 Document
5.1 Strengths and weaknesses of our department
5.2 Training
5.3 Goals reached
5.4 Communication with The Center for Public Excellence
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RESOURCE REQUIREMENT CHART
WBSHUMANFACILITYEQUIPMENTMATERIALSMISC
1. Committee4Conf. roomPaper/Pens
2. Standard ID1PCPrintouts Internet
3. Relationship1PC/ PhonePrintouts Internet
4. Budget5Conf. roomPowerPointPrintouts Projector/PC
5. Document4 PC /Log BookPrintouts Internet
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RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX
WBS BATT CHIEFSASST CHIEFCHIEF SCHRADECOMMITTEE
1.0 Main TaskPut in Writing
1.1 SubtaskChoose Members
2.0 Main TaskPut in Writing
2.1 SubtaskPut in Writing
2.2 Subtask OverseeDevelop Plan
3.0 Main Task Initiate Communication
3.1 Subtask Take care of applicationsOversee
3.2 SubtaskProvide Materials to CommitteePeruse Material
4.0 Main TaskPresent to Commissioners
4.1 SubtaskGather info
4.2 SubtaskGather info
4.3 SubtaskContinue direct communication
4.4 SubtaskGather info
4.5 SubtaskGather info
5.0 Main Task Find adequate form of documentation
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5.1 SubtaskOversee Research
5.2 Subtask Document in Log
5.3 Subtask Document in Log
5.4 SubtaskAdvise of progress
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CONTINGENCY PLANNING CHART
POTENTIAL PSTRIGGERCAUSEPREVENTATIVE CONTINGENT
PROBLEMACTIONACTION
Budget notHHToo CostlySevere Extensive JustificationRe Assess
Approved upgrades req. Standard Priorities
Lack of MHNo PersonalLow Work Educate on Benefits Reward Committee
InvolvementReward Ethic of Accreditation
Miss DeadlineLMDate missedToo BusyOversee Progress Build Larger
Committee
POTENTIALPSTRIGGERCAUSEPROMOTINGEXPLOITING
OPPORTUNITYACTIONSACTIONS
Enhanced HHHard WorkPublicityAdvising customers Share Information
Reputationof progress
EnhancedHH Work towardsBetterVisible Training in Multi Jurisdictional
Mutual AidStandardsTrainingPublicTraining
New SourcesHMResearch Requested fromNetworking Exchange of Info
Of Info Accredited Depts.
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This concludes my Project Definition Phase and Project Planning Stage for the goal of making Saint Andrew’s an accredited department. Now is the perfect time for our department to aspire to such a high goal as new management, and the aftermath from the Sofa Super Store Fire proving to our community that our fire department needs upgraded, could use a map to our success outlined by the standards set forth by The Center For Public Excellence. By following the course of action outlined above, and delegating responsibilities to able bodied hard working individuals, Saint Andrew’s is setting their future up for success. With the achievement of accreditation comes the pride and satisfaction from the community and the employees of Saint Andrew’s Fire Department in all of the hard work and long hours spent upgrading every aspect of the fire department to international standards. With advertisement within our community on the achievements reached in becoming accredited, public opinion and trust in our fire department would increase substantially paving the way for continued support in times of need. Hopefully this course of action can be of some assistance to Saint Andrew’s Fire Department as to where to start once the decision to become accredited is made. Success breeds confidence, and confidence breeds success,both of which Saint Andrew’s is currently lacking.
In the next phase of this paper, I will attempt to compare and contrast operational and strategic planning. Both need to be clearly defined before a department can set forth with the goal of being accredited, as one of the requirements of accreditation is to have a strategic plan disbursed throughout the fire department and the community. Knowledge in the similarities and differences of the two types of plans will provide one with the parameters of what is required when writing either. When a strategic or operational plan must be written and submitted for approval by management, budget committees, or
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accreditation experts, it must be thoroughly researched what exactly is required in the writing for either type of plan so as to not face immediate dismissal and have to be reworked.
An operational plan can be defined as a measurable plan. This means that when an operational plan is created, a date for the completion of the plan is in mind. There is a set length of time it takes to reach the desired outcome or goal that is defined in the plan. Various benchmarks are used to define how much progress has taken place. An example would be completing a required physical task in fire academy on your way to receive your certification. In that case, the goal would be your certification, and a benchmark would be considered the various completed tasks and tests you complete on your way. “Operational plans are a combination of goals, objectives, and action plans (Module 3 Reading).” The project planning that I completed earlier in this assignment is an example of an operational plan as it has a defined deadline for when it is to be accomplished, and a reachable goal; to become an accredited fire department.
Operational plans are divided into various types by the length of time that it will take to achieve the final goal set forth. An action plan, therefore, is an operational plan that is set to be complete in a very short time frame. For example, in the fire service we use “Incident Action Plans” which are a plan of action to immediately attack the incident, such as a structure fire, at hand. The work on an action plan gets underway almost immediately and should be completed in under a year. Because action plans are a form of an operational plan, they consist of the same elements, a defined goal, tasks, and
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objectives. The definitive trait of an action plan is merely the relatively short length of time required for completion of the defined goal. (Module 3 Reading)
An action plan can be considered a form of a short range plan. A short range plan is an operational plan that is very specific in defining the intended outcomes and goals. Short range plans have a lesser length of time for completion, and as a result have more defined goals. (Module 3 Readings)
Medium range operational plans are those that are created to meet their outcome within five years. An example of a medium range operational plan would be that Saint Andrew’s is going to attempt to be accredited within the next four years. The shorter the time period given for a goal to be completed, the more likely it will actually be accomplished. This is because tasks are more definitively outlined in a shorter time period, as opposed to a longer time period where guess work becomes a factor in what will actually be required in the future to meet the goal of an operational plan. In a long term operational plan, planned goals can become out of date or not of use anymore. Not only can the goal be completely changed in a long period, but the entire operational plan can be forgotten as the tasks that must be achieved may become too far spread apart, and the plan goes stagnant. In my opinion too much guess work can be incorporated into a plan that exceeds the span of five years. How are we to know what our customers will need ten years from now? Saint Andrew’s Fire Department might be annexed by the City of Charleston by 2018, or even within the next few years, so how practical
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would it be for us to plan to meet the needs of our citizens over five years from now? (Module 3 Readings)
A long term operational plan almost falls into the definition of a strategic plan. A strategic plan is developed based on the continuing needs and issues faced by a fire department. Continuing needs are things such as the fact that a department must always be planning to meet the community’s needs in the future. There is no defined deadline in a strategic plan. This is the main difference between an operational plan as an operational plan has clearly defined goals. In a strategic plan, the goals are broad, and extend far into the future with no definitive date of completion. “Strategic plans are continuously updated, but are never completed (Module 3 Readings).” An example of a strategic plan would be for Saint Andrew’s Fire Department to continually meet staffing requirements needed to effectively and efficiently provide service to the department’s customers. Staffing is an ongoing issue that will never stop until the department no longer exists, and therefore, the plan for hiring procedures must continually improve and exist so as to keep an adequate amount of staffing. An operational plan, just to contrast the difference, when it comes to be hiring, would be; Saint Andrew’s Fire Department will hire ten probationary firefighters certified to IFSAC firefighter 2 by December 3rd, 2008. The goal here is specific and achievable in a timely manner.
Now that I have outlined and studied the various differences between an operational plan and a strategic plan, I can educate those who may take seats on the accreditation committee of what will be
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required when we are attempting to meet the standard of writing a strategic plan for the needs of the department and community of West Ashley in Charleston, South Carolina. A solid background in the dynamics of both a strategic plan and an operational plan will help the writer understand what exactly is expected of them when trying to plan for the improvement of our fire department.
With varied enhancement and elaboration of points in this paper, Saint Andrew’s has a basic map to the required actions of a fire department that is toying with the idea of becoming an accredited institution. I hope with this research I can motivate key members of Saint Andrew’s into putting effort into making this goal become a reality, and most importantly improve our abilities as emergency service providers.