Diamantes, D. (2016). Principles of fire prevention (Updated 3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Select one of the following topics below for your PowerPoint presentation:
· The historical American fire problem and the current trends, or
· The history of American fire prevention from 1600 to 2000.
Once you have selected one of the two topics above, you must address the following:
· Define the national fire problem.
· Describe the history of fire prevention practices.
· Describe the philosophy and timing behind regulations for fire prevention, whether successful or not.
· Identify agencies and organizations that have been instrumental in forming fire prevention efforts in the USA.
· Compare and contrast the fire problem or prevention efforts to that which other nations have experienced.
Your presentation should be a minimum of 10 slides should be used for narration and five for graphics. This does not include your cover page slide (title, your name, and university name) or reference slide. Your slides need to be presented in chronological order from earliest to latest in terms of time. The presentation requires the inclusion of no less than three non-textbook sources (e.g., Internet, associated journals and magazines (non-Internet sources), and other related books (including associated textbooks), in addition to one source from the online library.
For this assignment, you will research your community, and calculate a rating similar to ISO/PPC though NOT using an ISO/PPC rating scale. For this project, you will be using our own rating scale, which is found in the grid below.
Emergency Communications System
Fire Department Structure
Water Supply System
Community Efforts Risk Reduction
0
No emergency call center
Non staffed
No public water supply
No programs or enforcement
1
Uses direct dial 7 or 10 digit number to reach either police or
Staffed by first responders only for
No public water supply; only “dry wells” or ponds,
Annual fire prevention activities limited to schools only
fire ; i.e. 222-1212 or 222-2323 or 901-222-1212 or 901-222-2323
EMS calls; stations are not open 24/7
lakes, and streams for drafting
2
County 911 system non Enhanced system; separate police & fire dispatching
Staffed by part-time paid-per-call EMS personnel only; one station open 24/7
Municipal fresh water treatment; no hydrants
Annual fire prevention activities limited to schools and senior centers
3
County E-911 (Enhanced) system with central police & fire dispatching
Staffed by full-time paid EMS personnel only; only one station open 24/7
Municipal fresh water treatment; hydrants spaced greater than 1,000 feet apart
Annual fire prevention
activities and daily fire inspections of high risk occupancies
4
Municipal 911 system; non Enhanced system; separate police & fire dispatching
Staffed by full-time paid EMS and fire suppression personnel; limited number of stations 24/7
Municipal fresh water treatment; fire hydrants spaced greater than 500 feet apart
Annual fire prevention and public fire safety programs for all audiences
5
Municipal E-911 (Enhance) system with central call intake center with central dispatch or police and fire dispatch on own after E-911 call is received
Staffed by full-time paid EMS and fire suppression personnel; stations positioned
Municipal fresh water treatment; fire hydrants spaced 500 or less apart; total community coverage
Staffed full-time Fire Prevention Division; annual fire prevention activities; fire inspections; fire investigations & code enforcements
For this project, you will conduct an ISO/PPC “like” analysis of your community. Using a five-point rating scale where 0 is the worst and 5 is the best, analyze and rate your community’s ability to address the four components used by ISO/PPC in its rating system. Keep in mind that this rating is similar to, but not the same as, the ISO/PPC rating scale.
Primary differences include: this scale is backwards in that 0 = worst and 5 = best, and greater details are not included in each of the four categories. Using the rating-scale grid from above, analyze your own community’s fire service capabilities. If you are a fire service employee, you will most likely know how your community operates and what services (emergency communications, fire department structure, water supply, and risk reduction) are in place.
If you are non-fire service employee, you will most likely be able to assess two categories, emergency communications and water supply, by simply knowing your emergency call system and seeing fire hydrants on the streets. For the two remaining categories, you will need to call your local fire department and speak to a firefighter, or fire officer, who should be pleased to answer your questions. You could also, time permitting, take a trip to the fire department and ask for a tour for answers to your questions.
To finish the project, you will need to construct a grid similar to the one above, or identify each of the four categories with their corresponding numerical rating number. Once you have analyzed your community and composed your numbering system, write a brief paragraph for each of the four categories that supports your number selection for each category.
There is no “right” or “wrong” response here, as every student may have a differently constructed community. Your final paper should be written in proper APA format, and include citations for sources as needed. You must have a title page, double-spaced, with only the following information written in the center: title of paper, your name, and university name. No reference page is required, no abstract is required, and no headers are required.
The finished paper should be a minimum of three pages of written grid/graph and narration; however, not more than four pages in length. This page requirement does not include your cover page.
Code Violations Paper
Background Information: You are to assume the position of fire prevention officer or manager. You are responsible for enforcement of fire and life safety codes within your jurisdiction (fire service personnel are likely to relate directly to the fire department’s Fire Prevention Division, while private sector personnel are likely to relate to your organizations Safety and Health Division). In your position as Fire Prevention Office/Manager, you have conducted quarterly inspections of all organizational buildings. During your most recent inspection you have discovered five code violations: one relating to electrical issues, two relating to structural issues, and two relating to ventilation issues. Specific details for each of the four issues found are as follows:
· Electrical: You find that the incoming supply service is badly worn and in need of immediate repair or replacement. All apparatus connected is on the organization’s “side” of the incoming power supply and is not the responsibility of the local power supplier.
· Structural: You find that three of the nine concrete support columns in the basement of the main operations floor (apparatus floor in fire service and production area in private sector occupancy) show signs of fatigue and spalling of concrete is wide-spread. The second issue is found to be visual cracks and oxidation of several of the steel trusses supporting the roof.
· Ventilation: You find that exhaust from apparatus or machinery (whichever applies) is collecting in the upper level area of the general working area, which has caused several personnel to experience symptoms similar to carbon monoxide inhalation. The second issue is the central heating and air conditioning unit, which you find has broken seals, worn electric wires, and clogged filters.
Task: The purpose of this paper is for you to apply the concepts and information that you have learned in this unit about the position of a Fire Prevention Officer/Manager. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response when compiling data that will be used for risk reduction within the community. You will compose a paper addressing all three code violations given above. You are tasked with the job of seeking repairs and/or replacements associated to each of the three components given above. The final paper will be presented to the board or body of your organization with the authority to provide funding for repairs and/or replacement of components found during your inspection. Your paper should be composed to support the need for funding to correct these violations.
Your paper should be a minimum of three pages, but no more than five (not including the cover page or reference page), and include the following:
· A minimum of one page should be devoted to your mission statement.
· A minimum of two pages should be devoted to three components: electrical, structural, and ventilation.
· Be sure to provide detailed narration to explain your plan to undertake each of the three components
Keep in mind that your narrative must be straight-to-the-point. Avoid long rambling narrations as these tend to distract attention and often lead to confusion and misunderstanding of purpose and functionality. Remember that you are the head of this newly formed bureau, and you want to impress your leadership with your knowledge, academic ability, and occupational experience.
You must reference your textbook, a credible website ending in .edu, .gov, or .org; therefore, a minimum of three sources should be referenced.
Note: Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any source, such as Wikipedia, that can be amended without educated review are not considered appropriate.
Read the case study below, and follow the instructions provided to complete the assignment in its entirety.
On September 13, 2014, you were appointed to your fire service organization (Fire Department) Fire Prevention Division (FPD). You have been with the department for 10 years—four have been as captain assigned to a fire suppression company. You were selected from among six candidates because you earned a college degree in fire administration and management. In terms of seniority, you are number three, with two above you and three below you. However, seniority was a qualification that was given low priority for appointment as the primary qualification was education and training. Prior to your appointment, the FPD was staffed by the senior-most captain of the department, who often did not have any formal education or training in fire codes, standards, or regulations. Rather, that person learned from on-the-job experience. The Chief of Department has decided to turn-a-new-page and appoint the captain having the highest degree of education. In addition to your college degree, you have also taken the initiative to obtain a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certification as a Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).
The outgoing Fire Prevention Officer (FPO), who held the position for nearly 20 years, bids you good luck. As he turns to leave the office, he offers these cryptogrammic words, “don’t rock any boats kid!” You settle into your new position with ease, though the division secretary is a bit uneasy having a new “boss.” You have assured her that “there will not be ‘major’ changes within the division.” Your first two weeks are filled with routine inspections and re-inspections, where you find no surprises or anomalies. In fact, most of the owners/operators of those occupancies that you re-inspected found you to be highly knowledgeable, relaxed, and very personable. They gave you high marks and look forward to having an opportunity to meet you again.
On Wednesday morning of your third week, you have a scheduled appointment for an annual inspection of a small industrial occupancy that is owned and operated by a highly respected member of the community. The firm has been in operation since the 1980s, and the owner is a member of nearly all the local business civic organizations as well as major contributor to charities. You cannot recall any negative press about this man nor his business. You arrive at the firm at the appointed hour of 9:00 a.m., only to find that the front door to the building is locked, and it appears that no one is on the premises. You call your office to double-check the appointment time with the secretary, who confirms the time; however, she ends her conversation with, “You know this man has never given us any trouble, so why not let the inspection pass?”
As you end the call, her words are somewhat disconcerting, leaving you with an onerous feeling that something is not quite right. You return to your vehicle deciding to wait a bit longer. While sitting in your vehicle, you review the historical file on this occupancy. Much to your surprise, you find that there has never been a single violation and that the company is a firm utilizing chemicals for cleaning automotive parts. In nearly 30 years of annual inspections, there is not even the slightest issue in the record. This is very unusual for a firm reported as storing large drums of volatile chemicals.
At around 10:15 a.m., a car enters into the parking area, parks near the front door, and a man in his mid-fifties or early- sixties emerges and walks to the front door. You exit your vehicle, walking toward the man who has not taken his eyes off you and whose facial expressions indicate that he does not recognize you. As you approach the man, you introduce and identify yourself as the newly appointed FPO of the department. He shakes your hand and asks, “Well now, what can I do to make your day run a bit smoother?”
You inform him that you are onsite to conduct the annual occupancy inspection. He sneers and states, “There isn’t a need for that! After all, I run a well-respected business here. Didn’t the other inspector tell you about me? He never had any issues with my firm, and he and I got along just fine. The place is clean, so why don’t we just call it a day and log me in as having passed the inspection? What do you say?” You cannot believe what you have just heard. You maintain your professionalism and inform the owner that you have to conduct annual inspections of all industrial occupancies and an appointment was made for today.
The owner scoffs at the “appointment,” telling you that the former inspector “made the appointment as a matter of record as he had done for years, but didn’t bother to come here, unless of course he had gotten complaints, which he never did! So why bother?” You inform the owner that this is your obligation and responsibility to inspect the firm as it is known to store highly flammable liquids, which abuts a residential area. For the safety of the firm and those who live nearby, an inspection must be completed.
The owner becomes indignant, and his demeanor changes from sociable to confrontational. He insists that his company has an excellent “track record” without incident or complaint by neighbors. Still, you apprise him that under local ordinance and state codes, you must conduct the inspection to ensure that any and all hazards are in compliance with established rules and regulations. After a bit of bantering back-and-forth, he concedes and allows you to enter into the premises. In short order, you commence your inspection of the occupancy. What you find is not only alarming, but unimaginable. There are open 55-gallon drums of petro-based liquids that, to the best of your ability, you identify as highly flammable and toxic. The ventilation system is inadequate for safe removal of vapors that are generated by the 15 cleaning process stations. You find that the local fire alarm system has been tampered with, so that interior early-detection devices are rendered inoperable. There is not an automatic fire sprinkler system, despite the fact that fire codes have required such a system in all industrial occupancies since 1975, and this building was built in 1982. You find only three handheld portable fire extinguishers, which are all dry chemical, that are outdated by four years.
As you continue your self-guided inspection tour, the owner continues his commentary that he has never had any complaints from workers or neighbors about how he has run his business. You are cautious and do not share your findings as of yet. Upon completion of your inspection, you have noted well over 45 violations of standards and codes applicable to this specific occupancy and operation. As you leave, you inform him that his firm is in violation of numerous regulations and that it may become necessary to shut the firm down until the occupancy is brought up to code. The owner of course becomes highly irate and states, “That’s what you think! I am well connected in this city! I put people into high places, and you aren’t about to close me down! We shall see who has the final word here!”
Shaken, yet very confident the law is on your side, you return to our office to prepare a series of documents necessary to begin the process of addressing the list of violations. You reconfirm that all violations can be cited by chapter and section of all applicable laws, regulations, and codes. You are now set to write the necessary documents, which will be distributed to individuals in both the public and private sector.
, you will need to pick one of the following options, and draft a letter.
· A letter of notification must first be sent to the owner of the firm, informing him of the individual violations and the required remedy for each violation. In addition, you must inform him that until all violations have been remedied, the firm is to remain closed and no one is allowed to enter the building.
· A letter of notification must be sent to the mayor of the city informing that office that you have ordered operations be halted at this firm due to your findings. (This letter is part of a city ordinance requirement).
, you will need to pick two of the following options, and draft two memos.
- A memo of notification must be sent to inform the Chief of the Department of your findings and the action you have taken.
- A memo of notification must be sent to inform the Chief of Police that the firm has been closed due to violations found during your inspection. You are also advising that patrol officers should take notice to report any activity around or inside the building, as the building has been placed off-limits until all violations have been remedied.
- A memo of notification must be sent to inform the City Building Inspector of the order to cease operations, citing your finding of numerous violations, though you do not need to itemize all violations.
There will be a total of one letter and two memos, all of which should be included in one Word document. Each letter should be written in a professional tone on a single page that is clear and concise to the reader. Each letter should have the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed to, your name and title of Fire Prevention Officer shall be affixed to the bottom. Your letters should be written in APA format. Each letter is to be written in left-aligned block format and without paragraph indentations. It is understood that the inclusion of violations need not be cited; therefore, in-text and reference citations are not necessary.
Community Fire and Risk Prevention Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is for you to apply the concepts and information that you have learned in this unit about the position of a Community Fire and Risk Prevention Officer. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response when compiling data that will be used for risk reduction within the community. You will need to consider several components or elements of research and data gathering.
The outcome of your research will provide you with two profiles: demographic and risk. In order to develop a course of action to be undertaken in an effort to reduce risk, you must first gather sufficient data relative to the demographics of your community. Once you have gathered and analyzed the demographics, you will move to the second component of identifying both types of risks: human-created and naturally-created. This project requires you to act in the position of Community Fire and Risk Prevention Officer. Your final analysis and narration should be written in a professional and educated format, as this paper might be presented to public and private organizations, which have input and/or responsibility for pre-planning, preparedness, and mitigation of potential risks and their outcome as it effects the community.
Part A: Identify your community’s demographic profile. In the center of the opening page, you will find a box with the title “Quick Facts.” Inside the Quick Facts box is a drop-down menu titled, “Select a state to begin.” Click on the drop-down menu, and select your respective state of residence. On the next page, you will find two drop-down boxes, one for all counties, and the other for all cities/towns in your state.
First, select your county of residence. Then, using a Word document, identify all of the characteristics of a Demographic Profile. There are three primary headings: Housing/Location, People, and Economic Information. Within these three, there are 16 sub-characteristics. Locate the data associated, or as closely associated, to each of the sixteen sub-characteristics, and create a demographic profile. Here is an example of how our outcome might look:
1. Housing/Location
- Owner or renter-occupied units
- Age and condition of structures
- Percentage of vacant/abandoned or blighted structures
You will repeat this format for each of the three primary characteristics, all of which should fit onto a single page. Remember to use the outline format. If the census data is not available for a specific characteristic, do not invent the data as doing so will skew the outcome and invalidate your data analysis. Once you have completed this portion, move on to Part B below.
Part B: Using the same webpage, click the drop-down menu, “Select a city,” and select your respective city/town. Following the exact same format as used in Part A, create a new page (best to append it to the previous page(s) by simply tapping the “enter” key, or holding down the “control” (ctrl) while pressing “enter,” advancing line spacing to begin a new page). Remember to address all three primary characteristics and all sixteen sub-characteristics. Once you have completed Part B, move on to the final segment-art C.
Part C: For this segment, you will need to rely on your personal knowledge of your community. You must identify as many potential risks that might adversely affect your community and how your fire prevention bureau could best alleviate the risks. You will need to first identify all possible risks that would be human-created risks then identify all possible naturally- occurring risks. You will itemize these risks under their appropriate heading on a new page. Again, you must utilize the outline format.
You do not need to identify human-created risks possibilities by company name, owner name, or street location. Simply identify the type of potential risk posed. Include the hours of operation (if possible), the type of risk being posed, and the area surrounding the location of the risk. Include information relative to potential life-threating risks such as nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and dense residential neighborhoods. Once completed, identify potential naturally-occurring risks associated to your specific geographical region. These are likely to be few in number and should be added to the end of the list from above.
Your paper must be a minimum of three full pages and not more than five full pages of written text. You must follow APA formatting. In-text-citations are not required, however, a properly written and formatted reference citation will be needed. Part C is understood to originate from your own knowledge of the community; therefore, no citations are warranted.
Fire Prevention Program
For this assignment, you will be developing a Fire Prevention Program that you will present via PowerPoint. You will draw ideas from both your occupational and educational experiences and knowledge. These are familiar surroundings, which are likely to aide in your development of a program of fire prevention and life safety. Provided below is a brief scenario to get you started.
Scenario: You have been a member of your organization’s Fire Prevention and Life Safety division for a number of years, and you have just completed several college level courses relating to fire prevention and occupational safety and health with an online university. You have presented your most recent grade records to your supervisor who is very impressed with your accomplishments. In light of your achievement in these courses, your supervisor has assigned you the task of creating a formal Fire Prevention and Life Safety Presentation to be composed for presentation to various civic organizations such as Lions Club, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and the local Elks Lodge. Your primary target audiences will be comprised mainly of adults therefore your presentation must be designed and geared for the adult learner.
Your supervisor asks you to put together a slide presentation using the Five-Step Program model given by Diamantes (pp. 168-170 of your textbook). Your final presentation will provide your supervisor details of your process used in assembling the presentation. A minimum of three slides must be devoted to each of the five-steps. Be innovative, creative, and remember this is the first step in the overall process of creating a presentation worthy of public viewing and interest. This presentation will be seen by ONLY your supervisor (at this time); however, you must make an impression that confirms you have the “right stuff” to venture out for formal presentations to civic organizations.
Keep in mind that your organization has never embarked on such a project. You are the first, and as such, you want to ensure that your supervisor views a clear and concise series of slides. It is intended that once you have mastered the concepts and mechanics of the five-step process, your supervisor will, in all likelihood, assign you the additional task of composing a formal slide presentation that will include specific elements relative to fire prevention measures intended to education the public in both civic organizations as well as the public-at-large.
Treat your PowerPoint slides like any research paper—provide in-text citations and a reference slide for any outside sources including direct quotations, paraphrased words or ideas, tables and data, and images.
Your completed presentation should contain the following:
· A title slide (title, your name, and your organization’s name);
· 12 slides detailing your Fire Prevention Program; and
· a reference slide (minimum of three references should be used to complete this assignment, not including the textbook, and be sure to utilize the Online Library).
Be sure to make use of the Notes area of each slide to contain your own narration, as each slide should be brief and concise. Notes are used during presentations and are not seen by the viewers.
Standard Operating Guideline Paper
Background Information: You have just been promoted to the rank of lieutenant (or bureau manager if serving in the private sector) and have been appointed to the Fire Prevention Bureau/Office as the new supervisor/leader. Your predecessor held the position for many years and had his or her own way of keeping, storing, and maintaining fire prevention records. You soon discover that records are in total disarray and very few records are properly stored, nor have the volumes of the records been properly maintained and protected from the environment in which they were stored. You have a bureau crew of four other employees who have had little involvement in the handling of records and you plan to change that.
Task: The purpose of this essay is for you to apply the concepts and information you have learned in this unit about the position of a Fire Prevention Officer/Manager. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response when compiling data that will be used for risk reduction within the community. You will compose a standard operating guideline (SOG) that should address the following components: provide an introduction into what this SOP is designed to accomplish along with the Mission Statement for this Division.
· Proper recording of bureau/office inspections, incidents, testing, re-testing, and re-inspections;
· Proper storage of all records gathered by the bureau/office; and
· Proper maintenance of all stored records for the required amount of time as set-forth by local, state, and/or federal rules and regulations.
You should be clear, concise, and ensure that the SOG addresses each of the three bulleted components given above. The final SOG packet must contain a minimum of one full page for each of the three components listed above; no component can have more than two full pages of text. Keep in mind that your SOG narratives must be straight-to-the-point. Avoid long rambling narrations as these tend to distract attention and often lead to confusion and misunderstanding of purpose and functionality.
Remember, you are the head of this newly formed bureau and you want to impress your leadership with your knowledge, academic ability, and occupational experience. Be innovative and creative; however, be sure to utilize a variety of sources that must include your textbook. Your final paper will become your SOG to be used and referred to in your day-to-day operations.
Your sources must be cited, and referenced in APA format.
This final project paper will utilize many of the sections of material you have studied during the duration of this course. You will make use of your own personal observations and occupational experiences to enhance both quality and quantity of the final paper.
Whether you are employed in the public sector of safety or the private sector of safety and health management, your expertise and knowledge of dealing with other human beings will provide you with ample value in producing the finished paper.
Task Part I
In your Introduction to this essay please discuss what you learned after completing the first seven units to include a description of the relationship between the contents of this course and your present occupational position or your desired future occupational position.
Your relationship between concepts and knowledge to your present or desired future occupational position should be limited to a minimum of one page but should not exceed two pages.
Task Part II
Discuss how the concepts and knowledge, along with standards and professional qualifications, you have gained in this course relate to the following professional occupational positions:
- · fire marshal,
- · plan examiner,
- · fire inspector,
- · life safety educator, and
- · fire investigator.
Your explanation of the concepts and knowledge related to the five positions should be limited to a minimum of two full pages but should not exceed three pages. Include specific references to specific topics found in the textbook (e.g., fire prevention and protection methods, fire protection systems, and record keeping and preservation). These are but a few of the possibilities. Do not limit your paper strictly to the example given.
Your paper should be in APA format and include both in-text and reference citations. Your sources should include: textbook, related journals or magazines, and related sources from the Internet.
