Administration
Administration tests the officer's ability to prepare budgets, reports, records, and SOPs, and to use data for decisions. NFPA 1021 expects company officers to work within the department's administrative system, not create parallel ones.
Core rules
- Budget formats include line-item, program, zero-based, and performance; know which one your jurisdiction uses and justify requests with workload data.
- A purchase request needs a need statement, specification, cost estimate, funding source, and policy compliance; avoid sole-source language unless approved.
- Write SOPs in clear, enforceable language: purpose, scope, responsibilities, procedure, references, approval date, and review cycle. Use 'shall' for mandatory actions.
- Reports should be objective, complete, and timely: who, what, when, where, how, and what action was taken. Correct errors by addendum, not by altering the original.
- Retain records according to the legal schedule; incident reports, inspection files, training records, and exposure records have different retention periods.
Worked example
The chief asks for a thermal imager. The officer compiles 24 structure fires in 12 months, documents current equipment failures, obtains three quotes, and calculates cost per use. The request states the operational benefit and the budget line. Reasoning: the justification is data-based, competitive, and tied to the budget format-much stronger than simply asking for equipment.
Traps
Do not submit unsupported wish-list items, backdate or alter records, copy another department's SOP without adapting it, or ignore purchasing thresholds that require competitive bids.