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Communications
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Knowledge Objectives (1 of 2)
• Recognize common communication problems
and understand how to mitigate them.
• Describe department-level communications
through policies, directives, and standard
operating procedures (SOPs).
• Describe when and why to hold a department
meeting.
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Knowledge Objectives (2 of 2)
• Discuss communications used for an
emergency incident.
• Discuss the electronic forms of
communication and how they impact the fire
service.
• Discuss the importance of record retention.
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Skills Objectives
• Communicate within a department through
policies, directives, and standard operating
procedures.
• Hold an effective department meeting.
• Implement electronic forms of communication
for both internal and external
communications.
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Introduction (1 of 3)
• Communications skills
are required for mission
accomplishment.
– Develop relationships.
– Consider audience and
tailor messages
accordingly.
© Birmingham News/Landov
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Introduction (2 of 3)
• Communication Directions
– Upward—from the individual to upper levels of
the organization
– Downward—from the center of power to the
individual
– Horizontally—from member to member
– Outwardly—to audience outside the organization
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Introduction (3 of 3)
• Communications model
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Common Communication
Problems
Noise—environmental distractions
Filtering—intentional editing of a message
Semantics—word meanings
Frame of reference—meaning of words is
different for sender and receiver
• Selective listening—hearing only what you
want to hear
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Department-Level
Communications (1 of 7)
• Policies—courses of action or procedures
• Directives—specific orders or instructions
• SOPs/SOGs—instructive and not intended to
have same scope as policies or directives
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Department-Level
Communications (2 of 7)
• Policies, directives, and procedures are
important written communications.
– Less opportunity for discussion
– Make sure your employees understand policies.
– Involve others in writing and reviewing.
– Linguistics can be complex.
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Department-Level
Communications (3 of 7)
• Department meetings
– Rules for conducting effective meetings:
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Have an agenda.
Ensure the right people are in attendance.
Assign facilitator, recorder, and timekeeper.
Be on time.
Thwart groupthink.
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Department-Level
Communications (4 of 7)
• Department meetings (cont’d)
– Rules for conducting effective meetings (cont’d):
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Refine any decisions or results.
Assign tasks and timelines.
Acknowledge effort of members.
Follow up on open items.
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Department-Level
Communications (5 of 7)
• Agenda preparation
– Clarify the purpose of the meeting.
– Agenda guide:
− Title
− Minutes of the previous meetings
− Old business
− New business
− Date of next meeting
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Department-Level
Communications (6 of 7)
• Agenda preparation (cont’d)
– Not all items are necessary.
– Avoid listing too many old business items.
– Assign a time limit for new business items.
– Do not discuss items that are not on the agenda.
– Leave time to receive feedback.
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Department-Level
Communications (7 of 7)
• Emergency
communications
technology
– Interconnect UHF, VHF, and
800 MHz radio with cell
phones, landlines, and
Internet.
– Bluetooth technology
– Portable computers
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (1 of 6)
• Leaders must become
adept at using a variety of
communications media.
• Suggestions:
– Use human voice whenever
possible.
– Let e-mail messages sit
before sending them.
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (2 of 6)
• Suggestions (cont’d):
– Never send a message when upset.
– Make sure the meaning of your words is clear.
– Search for the other person’s meaning.
– Make sure meanings of message are not lost,
hidden, or confused.
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (3 of 6)
• Suggestions (cont’d):
– Listen.
– Do not interrupt.
– Do not finish another person’s sentences.
– Restate what has been said.
– Understand that anything sent electronically can
end up anywhere at any time.
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (4 of 6)
• Chief officers must go over policies that were
once not even considerations.
– Social networking
– Cell phones
– Web-based communications tools
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (5 of 6)
• Policies should guide employees when they
post information online that involves their job.
– Photos in uniform or around apparatus
– Photos showing improper behavior of members
– Photos, videos, or information on incidents
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Communicating in an Electronic
World (6 of 6)
• Record retention
– Legal requirement of municipal and corporate
organizations
– What has to be kept and for how long depends on
the organization.
– Electronic records fall under the same
requirements as paper records.
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Conclusion
• Communication is about mutual
understanding.
• Always recognize your role in the
communications process.
• Do not assume the audience is actively
listening.
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Summary (1 of 3)
• Effective communications include speaking
and writing skills as well as listening skills.
• Present new ideas on broad concepts and ask
questions of others that solicit their input.
• One of the greatest challenges with all
communications is ensuring that what you
mean to communicate is what the receiver
understands it to be.
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Summary (2 of 3)
• Involve others in the development of policies
and procedures. Engage those affected by the
problem in a discussion of the policy.
• Make sure your expectations of employees are
communicated to them.
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Summary (3 of 3)
• The purpose of an employee corrective action
plan is to change behavior and improve
performance.
• Use the duties in the job description as the
basis of the performance evaluation.