Tech 454l - Mission, Vision and Values of Fire Departments Today

Running head: MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES                                                                    

Mission, Vision and Values of Fire Departments Today

Tech 454L

California State University of Los Angeles

Running head: MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES                                                           1

Mission, Vision and Values of Fire Departments Today

        Every fire department that serves in the United States of America has a purpose for its existence.  When the organization was being developed and put together during its inception period, a group of individuals needed to explain its existence through various statements that guide its employees in the common goal of the department.  These groups of statements are known as the mission statement, vision statement and the core values statement.  Each one of these is quite similar yet very different.  A mission statement of a fire department is the group of words that give the defined purpose of the department.  The purpose needs to be explained in a manner that those who read it, will understand what the reason was for the organizations development.  The vision statement of a fire department gives insight on the course and direction of where the department is headed in the future with a solid picture of the ultimate goal.  Lastly, the core values statement of an organization is what explains the rules and guiding principles on how the department will function while following the path set forth in the mission statement.

        The fire departments across the nation have all three statements which guide the department on a daily basis.  The Mission statement of the Redlands fire department is the following: “Our mission is to provide a safe, professional and courteous team that strives to exceed the expectations of the community and our organization. This mission requires our members to be part of a capable, aggressive, all-risk fire department that is focused on "Preserving the Past and Protecting the Future" of those we serve.”  What this statement tells me is that the fire department will always continue to train and excel in all aspects.  Whether on a call among the citizens or the internal goals of the

Running head: MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES                                                           2

organization.  It shows tradition because it is mentioning that the preservation of the future is just as important as the preservation of the past.  The standard of the department is also touched on when it states that the members are required to be aggressive and capable of all challenges that can arise and that this standard will be set for all that want to be a part of the organization.  I think this is a clear and concise statement that hits a lot of great areas in an understandable way.  The vision statement of a typical organization reads as follows:  “The vision of the fire department is to be a progressive organization that leads the community in public safety. The service we provide will be of the highest quality and recognized.”  These two sentences are telling me as a citizen that the department will constantly change as the fire service grows in technology and tactics.  The organization will grow in the manner that they will be leaders in innovation.  The vision is clear in giving the message that they will have the best quality and service throughout the fire service industry.  Lastly, is a core values statement that is a reflection of how most departments describe themselves.  “We will hold true to the core values of honor, loyalty, pride, and courage while pursuing the ideals of compassion, respect, efficiency and innovation to accomplish our mission”.  As a citizen, I understand that the department will always follow the listed core values as its backbone in customer service.  While holding true to those values, the members will strive to follow the mission statement while practicing compassion, respect, efficiency and innovation on a daily basis.  All these values need to be practiced constantly to master and better ones self which in turn betters the community. These three statements are very understandable, concise, and show where the department is going.  In review of these promises that are

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stated from typically every fire department, the core function always falls to the practice of basic customer service.  The fire service is built on customer service in every aspect.  When someone needs help, they call the fire department and the firefighters are there to provide a service.  Whether it is medical, rescue, public assistance for lifting a patient, or just a blood pressure check, it is a service that is taking place.  In order to have all the members of the department provide such services, they must believe in the mission, vision, and core values of the department. They must have loyalty to the organization and buy into the ideology of the culture.  

        Loyalty does not always describe a firefighter staying with the same department and retiring from the city.  It means that they believe in the culture and foundation of what the fire service is about.  The traditions that have been in place for years that include things like: washing the engines every single day regardless of the weather, checking out the equipment every day for top function even when it was not used the shift before, cleaning up after one’s self and taking pride in the station that one works at, being helpful and willing to work by doing more then what is asked from you, and even doing other people’s duties because they are out on calls and unable to get them done.  This is the mindset of a firefighter who is loyal to the occupation and culture.  True workers are hard to find as new generations come into the service with little mechanical skills, had people clean for them young adults, or lack many life skills that seem to be common knowledge years ago.  A firefighter is a person who can accomplish anything task given to them.  They might not have the tool but they will make it work and get it done.  They think outside the box because that is what it takes to fix emergency scenes.  It is not for

Running head: MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES                                                           4

everybody and in order to succeed, the loyalty to changing into what is needed and wanted must be present.  Learning new tasks, cleaning bathrooms, washing vehicles, or picking up trash all come with the job and the person must be willing to change and be loyal to this culture because the culture is in stone, the person must adapt to it.

        It is asked if loyalty has ethical components to it.  The answer is yes, the reason is because in this type of occupation, ethics has to do with every aspect.  A firefighter is a trusted person and role model to the citizens in the community.  They have a higher expectation and leadership role than a typical individual.  Firefighters are trusted to go into every home without question of theft.  Ethics plays into the fire department in more than just loyalty alone, it is a foundation to the person and the choices they make or the paths they follow.  It is what a leader carries inside to make the correct decision for the greater good, even if the choice is unfavorable to some.  It is doing the “right thing” with all different people and not just a handful of friends in order to help some succeed compared to others.  It is following the rules when people are not looking and being an example in an organization.  Ethics is part of the core values and morals of individuals and not simply just the one aspect of loyalty.  An ethical dilemma that is commonly asked in entry level interviews is the following: “Your IC orders you to enter a burning building that you feel is unsafe, structurally unsound, and may collapse. What do you do?”  There is multiple ways to answer and explain the problem here but I will touch on the basic idea of communication failure.  If a firefighter or captain is asked to go into a location that they feel is unsafe for any reason then this person must first follow the order and go to this location.  Look at the structure and the scene to see what is taking place and where