Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition)
Chapter 1-11 Terms
2) Fire Department Structure / 8) Government Structure
3) Company Officer's Legal Responsibilities & Liability / 9) Community Awareness & Public Relations
4) The Company as a Group / 10) Public Education Program Development and Implementation
5) Leadership as a Group Influence
6) Elements of Supervision and Management / 11) Labor Relations
Administrative Law
Rules and regulations adopted by government agencies to implement the laws that these agencies are charged with enforcing.
Affirmative Action
Administrative law adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to implement the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Affirmative action programs are designed to make a special effort to identify, hire, and promote special populations where the current labor force in a jurisdiction or labor market is not representative of the overall population.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Voluntary standards-setting organization that examines and certifies existing standards and creates new standards for a wide variety of materials, products, processes, and procedures.
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Voluntary standards-setting organization that sets standards for systems, materials, and services.
Autocratic Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader makes decisions independently of others, informing others only after the decision has been made.
Bureaucratic Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader has a low degree of concern for workers and production.
Case Law
Laws based on judicial interpretations and decisions rather than created by legislation.
Citizens Band (CB) Radio
Low-power radio transceiver which operates on frequencies authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for public use with no license requirement.
Civil Liability
Legal responsibility for fulfilling a specified duty or behaving with due regard for the rights and safety of others.
Coercive Power
Power to punish or impose sanctions on those who fail to behave in a prescribed manner.
Common Law
Law not created by legislative action but based on certain commonly held customs, traditions, and beliefs within a particular culture.
Communication
Exchange of ideas and information that conveys an intended meaning in a form that is understood.
Constitutional Law
Law based on the constitution; all state/provincial laws must be consistent with the respective federal constitution.
Council of American Building Officials (CABO)
Umbrella organization for BOCA (Building Officials and Code Administrators), ICBO (International Conference of Building Officials), and SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International).
County
Political subdivision of a state, province, or territory for administrative purposes and public safety. Also known as Parish.
Criminal Law
Law intended to protect society by identifying certain conduct as criminal and by specifying the sanctions to be imposed on those who engage in criminal activity.
Delegation
Providing subordinates with the authority, direction, and resources needed to complete an assignment.
Democratic Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader is team-oriented and gives authority to the group; the group makes suggestions and decisions; also called participative leadership.
Discipline
To maintain order through training and/ or the threat or imposition of sanctions; setting the limits or boundaries for expected performance and enforcing them.
Division of Labor
Breaking down an assignment into its constituent parts in order to equalize the workload and increase efficiency.
Dual Issue Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader has a high degree of concern for both workers and production.
Expert Power
Sufficiently strong perception that a leader's expertise, knowledge, and abilities will produce a desirable outcome so others willingly follow that leader.
Factory Mutual System (FM)
Fire research and testing laboratory that provides loss control information for the Factory Mutual System members and others who may find it useful.
Functional Supervision
Organizational principle that allows workers to report to more than one supervisor without violating the unity of command principle; workers report to their primary supervisor for most of their activities but report to a second supervisor for activities that relate to an assigned function only, and both supervisors coordinate closely.
Identification Power
That which stems from the human tendency to follow or mimic those who are admired or respected.
Industrial Fire Department
Fire prevention/suppression force that operates within the confines of a given plant or industrial complex; usually trained to deal with the hazards associated with the particular industrial operations conducted in the facility.
Judicial System
System of courts set up to interpret and administer the laws and regulations.
Legitimate Power
That which stems from any or all of three sources: shared values, acceptance of social structure, or the sanctions of a legitimizing agent.
Line Item Budget
Budget that details the department's proposed expenditures line by line; the most common type of fire department budget.
Management by Objectives
Planning and control device used to organize resources and motivate personnel toward the fulfillment of specified objectives.
Middle of the Road Leadership
Leadership style characterized by a moderate degree of concern for both production and workers.
Military Fire Department
Fire prevention/suppression unit operated by the Department of Defense; jurisdiction is usually limited to the confines of a military base or installation.
Mutual Aid
Prearranged plan or contract whereby separate fire protection agencies assist each other on a reciprocal basis.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Nonprofit educational and technical association devoted to protecting life and property from fire by developing fire protection standards and educating the public.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
U.S. government agency that helps ensure the safety of the workplace and associated equipment by conducting investigations and making recommendations.
Negligence
Conduct that fails to meet the standard of care required by the law or that would be expected of a reasonable and prudent person under like circumstances.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
U.S. federal agency that develops and enforces standards and regulations for safety in the workplace.
Outside Aid
Assistance from agencies, industries, or fire departments that are not part of the agency having jurisdiction over the incident.
Paid On Call
System in which firefighters or emergency personnel are paid on an hourly or per-call basis.
Reasonable Accommodation
Legal requirement (under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) that employers make reasonable adjustments to an employee's work schedule or other job requirements to accommodate employee differences such as religion, gender, and/or physical or mental disability.
Reward Power
Based on the subordinate's perception of the leader's ability to grant rewards such as salary increases, promotions, and bigger budgets.
Sexual Harassment
Unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior toward a worker by someone who has the power to reward or punish the worker.
Single Issue Leadership
Leadership style that is characterized by an overriding concern for either production or people.
Span of Control
Number of subordinates that one individual can effectively supervise. This number ranges from three to seven individuals or functions, with five generally established as optimum.
Statutory Law
Law promulgated by legislative action.
Theory X
Style of leadership in which the leader believes that the average worker prefers to be directed and will avoid responsibility due to a general lack of ambition.
Theory Y
Style of leadership in which the leader believes that the average worker enjoys work, performs well with minimal supervision, will both seek and accept responsibility if given the opportunity, and will subscribe to organizational objectives if he associates those objectives with direct rewards.
Theory Z
Management style based on the belief that involved workers are the key to increased productivity and that there is a mutual loyalty between the company and the workers that often translates into lifetime employment and a close relationship between work and social life.
Title VII
Part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or gender.
Tort Liability
Liability for a civil wrong or injury; non-criminal acts or failures to act that result in physical and/or monetary damages.
Training
Supervised activity that helps workers develop and maintain required skills; also called Drilling.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)
Independent fire research and testing laboratory.