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Link to general program information
Link to ATCFO Course Dates
Link to download registration information in MS Word format
Link to Instructor Information

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FIRE 1552: Human Resource Development, 2 credits 32 hours

Course Goals
Course Objectives

1. Module 1  Internal Organizational Environment
2. Module 2  External Organizational Environment
3. Module 3  Community Diversity
4. Module 4  Managing Organizational Diversity
5. Module 5  Managing Workforce Conflict
6. Module 6  Managing the Workforce
7. Module 7  Supporting the Workforce
8. Module 8  Encouraging the Workforce

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Course Goal

The overall goal of this course is to provide a foundation of skills, knowledge, and tools for the newly promoted chief officer to effectively manage and develop the human resources in his or her command.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the students will possess a foundation of skills, knowledge, and tools in the areas of organizational environment, diversity, workforce management, and personnel support.

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MODULE 1: INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Objective

After completing this module, the students will be able to explain their roles as managers of human resources within fire service organizations.

Prerequisites

Student should have read Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leadership prior to beginning Module 1.

References

Heifetz, R. A. and M. Linsky. Leadership on the Line:
Staying Alive Through the Dangers of
Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School. 2002.

Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z Posner. The
Leadership Challenge. 2nd ed. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, Inc, 1995.

Technical Committee on Fire Officer Professional
Qualifications. NFPA 1021 Standard for Fire
Officer Professional Qualifications. 1997.

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7

Introduction

The role of the chief officer is significantly different from that of a company officer. Whereas the company officer is primarily responsible for a crew and a specific district of response, the chief officer must have a wider perspective. The chief officer must think not only in terms of a larger geographical and demographic response area, but must also be able to coordinate and access resources, often toward multiple goals simultaneously. The chief officer must have excellent administrative, leadership, and human resource management skills. He or she must be able to see the big picture, not only for purposes of response but also to be proactive in planning and lead into the future. This module focuses on the chief officer’s role in the internal organizational structure and his or her responsibilities in managing human resources.

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MODULE 2: EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Objective

After completing Module 2, the student will be able to:

References

Buckman, John, James Palmer and Louise R Wise.
Strategies for Marketing Your Fire Department
Today and Beyond Federal Emergency
Management Agency/United States Fire Administration.

Federal Emergency Management Agency/United
States Fire Administration/National Fire
Academy. Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Recruitment and Retention Manual.

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7

Introduction

The fire department is a service organization that can exist only if it has a community to serve. The more positive this relationship is, the better the fire department can fulfill its daily mission and receive help when external resources are In this module, the chief officer’s relationship with the service community is defined and examined. The benefits and necessity of the chief officer’s creation and maintenance of positive community relationships are also emphasized.

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MODULE 3: COMMUNITY DIVERSITY

Objective

After the completion of Module 3, students will be
able to state the importance of diversity within their
service community and demonstrate ways to capitalize
on the diversity in their community.

References

Federal Emergency Management Agency/National
Fire Academy. Managing In a Changing
Environment. September 1995.
Note: The following sources are from the World Wide
Web (WWW). They are provided without guarantee
of either reliability or currency, as WWW content and
site locations are subject to change without notice.
US Department of Commerce/US Census Bureau.
Profiles of General Demographic
Characteristics 2000. May 2001. 26 August
2002 <http://www.census.gov>
McInnes, R. “Workforce Diversity: Changing the
Way You Do Business.” Diversity World.
1999-2000. 26 August 2002
<http://www.diversityworld.com/workforce_div
ersity.htm>
Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Workforce Diversity
EEO ornl AA. 24 April 2002. 26 August 2002
<http://www.ornl.gov/HR_ORNL/WFD/wfd_p
b.htm>
Shurn-Hannah, Phyllis. “The Diversity Challenge –
Going Beyond Affirmative Action.” Cascade
Associates, Inc. 26 August 2002
<http://www.cascadehr.com/diversityarticle.html>

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

Introduction

The purpose of this module is to provide students with an expanded perspective of community diversity. This module covers aspects of diversity that are external to the organization globally, nationally, locally, and specifically within the chief officer’s service community.

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MODULE 4: MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY

Objective

After completing Module 4, students will be able to:

Prerequisites

Student should have read Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leadership prior to beginning Module 4

References

Federal Emergency Management Agency/United
States Fire Administration/National Fire
Academy. Managing in a Changing
Environment. Module 2. 1995.

Federal Emergency Management Agency/United
States Fire Administration. Many Faces, One
Purpose.1999.

Note: The following sources are from the World Wide
Web (WWW). They are provided without guarantee
of either reliability or currency, as WWW content and
site locations are subject to change without notice.

ITVS -Independent Television Service, and PBSPublic
Broadcasting Service. “Test of Courage:
The making of a Firefighter.” 9 August 2002.
<http://www.pbs.org/testofcourage/diversity3.html >.

McInnes, R. “Workforce Diversity: Changing the
Way You Do Business.” Diversity World. 1999-
2000. 9 August 2002
<http://www.diversityworld.com/workforce_diversity.htm>.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Workforce Diversity
EEO ornl AA. 24 April 2002. 9 August 2002.
<http://www.ornl.gov/HR_ORNL/WFD/wfd_pub.htm>.

Shurn-Hannah, Phyllis. “The Diversity Challenge –
Going Beyond Affirmative Action.” Cascade
Associates, Inc. 26 August 2002.
<http://www.cascadehr.com/diversityarticle.html>.

U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet #28: The Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Employment
Standards Administration Wage and Hour
Division. 26 August 2002.
<http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs28.htm>

Methodology

This module uses little lecture, discussion and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7

Introduction

This module provides an overview of diversity concepts and issues within the students’ organizations and the fire service. This module focuses on the internal aspects of diversity and encourages the student to see diversity as a positive resource. A historical overview of diversity to show the changing demographics within the fire service is given. The chief officer’s roles and responsibilities in managing a diverse workforce by overcoming challenges and maximizing the opportunities are emphasized through the use of scenarios and group discussions.

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MODULE 5: MANAGING WORKFORCE CONFLICT

Objective

After completing this module, students will be able to demonstrate basic conflict resolution and negotiating skills, using examples from the chief officer’s perspective.

References

Federal Emergency Management Agency, United
States Fire Administration, National Fire
Academy. Executive Development. Book One.
IG 6-25.

Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. Interest Based
Bargaining Workshop. Document
Fisher, Roger and William Ury. Getting to Yes:
Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New
York. Penguin. 1983.

Flint, James. Mending Labor-Management
Relationships. PM Public Management.
Washington. 84.7. International City
Management Association. August 2002

Note: The following source is from the World Wide Web
(WWW). It is provided without guarantee of either
reliability or currency, as WWW content and site locations
are subject to change without notice.

Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. Interest-
Based Bargaining: A Different Way to
Negotiate. July 2002. August 2002.
<http://www.fmcs.gov/pubinfo/Brochures/Interest-Based%20Bargaining.htm>.

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7

Introduction

This module provides you with specific skills and strategies for resolving conflict in the workplace. All organizations and chief officers will experience conflict. This module will provide useful techniques and applications for mitigating and resolving conflict. An overview of conflict resolution challenges and specific strategies for meeting those challenges with practice of related skills are given.

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MODULE 6: MANAGING THE WORKFORCE

Objective

Using examples from the chief officer’s perspective, the students will be able to state their roles in effective workforce management.

References

City of Boulder. Performance and Feedback
Document. April 1994

Cuffey, Cythia J., and Marilyn M. Helms. Effective
Employee Discipline: A Case of the Internal
Revenue Service. Washington: Public Personnel
Management. 2001

Kislik, Liz. Coaching CSRs to Win. Catalog Age: New
Canaan. PRIMEDIA Intertec. 2001

Nieman, Marica. Conducting Meaningful Employee
Evaluations. Fire Service Women’s Leadership
Training Seminar II, Tucson, AZ. June 1996.

Note: The following sources are from the World Wide
Web (WWW). They are provided without guarantee
of either reliability or currency, as WWW content and
site locations are subject to change without notice.

Office of Human Resource Management, National
Institutes of Health. Adverse Action Worksheet
Questions For Proposing/Deciding Officials. 27
June 2001. 3 September 2002.
<http://www1.od.nih.gov/ohrm/PROGRAMS/Empl-Rel/Empl-Disc/AdverseAction-wks.htm>.

Office of Human Resource Management, National
Institutes of Health. Employee Discipline An
Overview. 6 March 2002. 3 September 2002.
<http://www1.od.nih.gov/ohrm/PROGRAMS/Empl-Rel/Empl-Disc/Empl-Disc-intro.htm>.

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7
 

Introduction

Being promoted to chief officer brings with it many new roles and responsibilities. Probably the most important role and responsibility you have is managing the workforce. This module provides an overview of the role of the chief officer and issues surrounding effective workforce management, including positive discipline and coaching. Some basic principles, skills, and guidelines within the chief officer’s span of control of these areas are covered.

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MODULE 7: SUPPORTING THE WORKFORCE

Objective

After completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate basic skills needed for effective planning and scheduling in human resource management.

References

“Know Your Delegation Options”. Association
Management 53.9: 22.
Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People New York: Fireside-Simon & Schuster. 1989.

Doucet, Thomas A. and Susan W. Miller. “Get the
Right Balance.” Journal of Accountancy 194.1:49.
Federal Emergency Management Agency/United
States Fire Administration/National Fire
Academy. Leadership: Strategies for
Supervisory Success. January 1994.

Ochalla, Bryan. “Step Up to Delegating Assignments.”
Credit Union Management 25.7: 22.

Note: The following source is from the World Wide
Web (WWW). It is provided without guarantee of
either reliability or currency, as WWW content and
site locations are subject to change without notice.

SearchSystemsManagement.com. Gantt Chart.
TechTarget Enterprise. 22 April 2001. 4 September 2002
<http://searchsystemsmanagement.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid20_gci331397,00.html>

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

Overview

This unit covers how effective planning and scheduling relates to the administrative personnel support aspects of the chief officer role. The ability to plan and organize your own time and the time of others is more than just an administrative skill. Poor performance in this area reduces the chief officer’s credibility, even if he or she is knowledgeable and competent in other areas. These skills indicate that you value the time of others, which is key to valuing them as people.

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MODULE 8: ENCOURAGING THE WORKFORCE

Objective

After completing this module, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the chief officer can utilize formal and informal personnel support systems to encourage the workforce.

References

Atkinson, William. “Wellness Programs: Fit
Employees are Inexpensive Employees.” Textile
World 151.2 (2001): 68+.

Biech, Elaine. The 2001 Annual: Volume 1, Training.
Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. 2001. 30+

Barbian, Jeff. “Teaching Old Hands New Tricks.”
Training 39.8 (2002): 58+.

Cowlett, Mary. Learning to Bridge the Knowledge
Gap. London: Haymarket, 2002.

Dexter, William F., and Thom Lowther. “Continuing
Ed: Defining Professional Development.”
Consulting – Specifying Engineer 32.1 (2002):
16+.

Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Consequences of Terrorism. Eagle Systems and
Services, 2000.

Fracaro, Ken. “Mentoring: Tool for Career
Guidance.” SuperVision 63.9 (2002): 10+.

Heifetz, R. A., and M. Linsky. Leadership on the Line:
Staying Alive Through the Dangers of
Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School, 2002.

Nelson, Bob. “No-cost Employee Recognition.” ABA
Bank Marketing 34.7 (2002): 14+.

Rosal, Lorenca. “Re-recruiting Employees.” Executive
Excellence Inc 19.7 (2002) 11+.

Steinauer, Joan M. “5 Simple Steps.” Incentive, 176.6
(2002): 59+.

Thompson, Michael. “Worried About Stress?” Credit
Management. August 2002: 30+.

Note: The following sources are from the World Wide
Web (WWW). They are provided without guarantee
of either reliability or currency, as WWW content and
site locations are subject to change without notice.

Burns, Steve. How to Survive Unbearable Stress. The
Medical Basis of Stress, Depression, Anxiety,
Sleep Problems, and Drug Use. 1997-2001. 17
September 2002
<http://www.teachhealth.com>.

Davis, Joseph A. Providing Critical Incident Stress
Debriefing (CISD) to Individuals and
Communities in Situational Crisis. The
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic
Stress. 17 September 2002
<http://www.aaets.org/arts/art54.htm>.

Office of Human Resources Management. How Do I
Contribute to an Employee’s Career
Development? U.S. Department of Commerce.
18 September 2002
<http://ohrm.doc.gov/managers/how_contr_careerdev.htm>.

Methodology

This module uses lecture, discussion, and activities.

NFPA 1021 Standards

NFPA 1021: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7

Overview

This module enhances the chief officer’s understanding of formal and informal systems of support for personnel and how to recognize a need and then provide the appropriate This module will address formal systems that consist of employee assistance programs, critical incident stress debriefings, health and wellness programs, mentoring, and physical fitness programs. The informal support systems covered consist of recruitment, retention, employee recognition, professional development, diversity, stress management, and recognition of the differences between one’s role as chief officer and one’s identity as an individual.