Fire Officer III flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Span of Control

The number of subordinates reporting to one supervisor. In fire service command, 3 to 7 is the accepted range, with 5 as the planning figure; wider spans reduce supervision quality.

Just Cause Standard

A seven-part test for discipline: reasonable rule, notice, investigation before penalty, fair investigation, proof of violation, consistent enforcement, and penalty proportionate to the offense.

Weingarten Rights

A union-represented employee's right to request union representation during an investigatory interview reasonably believed could lead to discipline. The employer may stop the interview but cannot punish the request.

Progressive Discipline

An escalating sequence of penalties: documented counseling, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, termination. Each step requires documentation, notice of the specific violation, and an opportunity to respond.

FLSA 7(k) Work Period

A provision letting fire suppression employers use a 7 to 28 day work period instead of 7 days for overtime. A 28-day period allows 212 hours before overtime under 29 CFR 553.

Promotional Assessment Weighting

The fixed percentage each component contributes to a promotional score, typically written exam, assessment center, seniority, and education. Weights come from civil service rule or labor agreement.

Adverse Impact Analysis

A comparison of selection rates by protected group. A four-fifths rule violation occurs when any group's rate is below 80 percent of the highest group's rate.

Grievance Arbitration

The terminal step of most grievance procedures, where a neutral arbitrator hears the dispute and issues a binding decision. Timelines for filing are set by the labor agreement.

Open Meetings Law

A statute requiring that a quorum deliberating public business do so in a noticed public meeting. Serial one-on-one discussions among a quorum to avoid notice may violate it.

Public Records Request

A demand under state statute for government records, presumed open unless an exemption applies. Common exemptions cover personnel files, active investigations, and security plans; deadlines are typically days, not weeks.

Public Information Officer Role

The single designated release authority for confirmed facts during an incident. The PIO withholds patient identifiers, cause determinations, and tactical details until investigation completion.

Automatic Aid Agreement

A prearranged dispatch of outside resources without a request from the incident commander. It is a stronger measure of system capacity than mutual aid, which requires a request.

Community Risk Reduction

A data-driven program targeting the highest-risk populations and occupancies with prevention, education, and code enforcement, evaluated by comparing incident rates before and after intervention.

Political Activity Restriction

A limit prohibiting uniformed or on-duty members from engaging in political campaigning and barring use of the department's name, badge, or equipment for campaign purposes.

Fund Accounting

A system separating money into self-balancing funds such as general, enterprise, special revenue, debt service, and capital projects. Transfers between funds require governing-body approval.

Capital Improvement Plan

A multi-year schedule of major purchases and construction, typically five years, funded by bonds, grants, or impact fees. Items usually exceed a threshold such as $25,000 to $50,000.

Overtime Projection Formula

Hourly base rate times 1.5 times average overtime hours per pay period times number of pay periods. Validate the result against prior-year actuals before submitting the budget.

Full Cost Recovery

Setting user fees to cover direct costs plus an allocated share of indirect costs, using a documented indirect cost rate. Policy may deliberately subsidize some services.

Single Audit Threshold

The level of federal expenditures, currently $1,000,000, that triggers a single audit under federal uniform guidance. Below it, program-specific audits or no audit may apply.

Litigation Hold

A directive suspending normal records destruction when litigation or an investigation is reasonably anticipated. Destroying records under hold can result in sanctions for spoliation.

NFPA 921 Methodology

The systematic process for fire origin and cause determination: collect data, analyze, form hypotheses, and test each hypothesis while eliminating alternatives before classifying cause.

Incendiary Fire Classification

A cause classification requiring evidence of an intentional act and knowledge that the fire would occur. It differs from accidental, natural, and undetermined classifications.

Chain of Custody

A documented record of every transfer of evidence, including date, time, and handler. Gaps can render evidence inadmissible or undermine the investigation's conclusions.

Risk-Based Inspection Frequency

Scheduling inspections by hazard: assembly, health care, and hazardous materials occupancies annually or semiannually; lower-hazard occupancies every two to three years.

Code Enforcement Sequence

Inspection, written notice of violation with a correction deadline, reinspection, then citation or abatement through legal authority. Each step is documented and dated.

Fire Flow Formula

The NFA estimate: required gpm equals length times width times percent involvement in cubic feet divided by 100. Used for planning water supply, not for on-scene tactical decisions.

NFPA 1710 Response Time

The standard target of first-arriving unit travel time within 4 minutes (240 seconds) for 90 percent of calls in densely populated areas, measured from dispatch to arrival.

Effective Response Force

The total personnel and apparatus required to stop escalation of a given incident. Comparing actual first-alarm capacity with the required force identifies staffing gaps.

Unit-Hour Utilization

Committed unit hours divided by available unit hours. A common planning threshold of 30 to 40 percent signals that additional capacity or stations may be needed.

Unified Command

An incident command arrangement where multiple agencies with jurisdiction jointly set objectives through one command structure, each retaining authority over its own resources.

Two-In/Two-Out Rule

Under 29 CFR 1910.134, at least two members must be inside and two outside during interior structural firefighting. It is suspended only for an imminent life-saving rescue.

NFPA 1582 Medical Evaluation

The standard for medical requirements of firefighter candidates and members. A member unable to perform essential job tasks is referred for evaluation and possible accommodation.