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Identifying and Defining the
Problem In many decisions there are many problems to be solved. There however is usually one fundamental problem that wraps all others into a package. This usually describes complex decisions with many problems, variables, factors, alternatives, potential outcomes, and approaches. As a simple example: Engine Company Beta gets a "smells & bells" alarm. When the members arrive at the engine house, they find that the pumper has a flat tire. A) The fundamental problem here naturally is that the pumper has a flat tire and the entire company now has a problem. This of course requires a decision of whether to pump up, change and/or replace the tire. B) Another problem here that requires a decision involves how Engine Company Beta can respond to this alarm. If they have a decision making limit of capability, then they have a subsequent problem and decision of determining who is going to call dispatch back, advise of the flat tire, and advise that Engine Company Beta cannot answer this alarm, and certainly cannot do so promptly. C) It also may indicate that the company has a problem with their engineer and apparatus maintenance, which may require a decision. As another more complex example: Truck Company Delta needs a new Quint. Their old ladder truck just isn't cutting it anymore and it is out of service and in the shop, than it is in service and in the bay ready to roll. A) The fundamental problem here is that Truck Company Delta needs a new piece of apparatus. B) Other problems that may relate off of this might be that they need the money to buy it, they subsequently need someone to write the grant, someone to go to city council, etc. Each of these subsequent problems will each require in themselves a decision to be made as how to best solve these problems. As you can see sometimes a decision has many problems and many having related problems, although there may still be a fundamental problem requiring an immediate decision or some course of action. Another complex and very serious example: President Hopeless and V.P. Brownnose are sitting at the fire station with other members drinking beer and planning/dreaming/scheming to become the new fire chief and assistant chief. V.P. Brownnose is more than twice the legal limit and leaves the fire station with another young firefighter member as his passenger. V.P. Brownnose has an accident, which seriously injures his passenger causing medical bills in the thousands of dollars and the need for long-term care and rehabilitation. V.P. Brownnose is arrested and charged with a D.U.I. and a felony charge of reckless endangerment charge, as the result of the accident and injuries to his passenger. V.P. Brownnose's insurance is the bare minimum and insufficient to cover the medical bills of his passenger's injury and the injured passenger's insurance has paid most of the medical bills. All members who were at the department have failed to tell the truth as to where the excessive drinking occurred, when the criminal investigation occurred. The state where this matter occurs has a statute of limitation of three (3) years for criminal charges and five (5) years for civil litigation. A) The first obvious problem is the liability the fire department has because one of their officers is charged with a DUI, one or more felony charges, potentially other charges, and the department has subsequent civil liability; as the result of the injured young fireman's insurance company will no doubt investigate the matter, to subrogate the medical bills costs to another insurance company and this to include the fire department's liability carrier, who should have also been notified of the incident and the potential liabilities by the administrative officers of the fire department. B) The second problem is that the fire department appears to have unqualified administrative officers, who would be even more reckless as line officers. C) The third potential problem for the fire department may be that they need to recruit more members and more qualified members to subsequently become officers. D) Another problem for the fire department may be their policy, or lack thereof, on how much a member may consume beer, or any form of alcohol, on the fire department's property. E) Another problem for the fire department may be their public relations and public image, which as an incident such as this will no doubt catch the attention of the local newspaper and potentially TV station, may have an echo effect on the department's public image and ability to solicit donations from the community. F) V.P. Brownnose has an apparent criminal and a long-term civil legal problem, in addition to what may prove to be a problem with alcoholism. G) President Hopeless has what may be a criminal problem, because he had knowledge of V.P. Brownnose's crimes and failed to disclose his knowledge, when the police investigated the DUI and also when the insurance company pursues their civil claim, discovery and investigation in their attempt to subrogate the costs of the claim by the injured young firefighter. Also, a senior officer such as a president or fire chief have the ultimate responsibility and liabilities for matters relating to the fire company. Failing to disclose knowledge of a crime is a felony itself under the U.S. law of Obstruction of Justice (18 U.S.C. §1510). There may be other criminal and civil charges (certainly compounding the fire department's civil liabilities) because of fraudulent concealment and this to include state statutory violations. If President Hopeless bullied or threatened others who had knowledge of the crime/accident to keep quiet, this would be another felony of "Tampering With a Witness or Informant" (18 U.S.C. §1512) If President Hopeless had any special training or experience in legal matters or law enforcement, then further knowledge and liabilities are imputed upon him and the fire department. H) Another potential problem for all, including: President Hopeless, V.P. Brownnose, the injured firefighter himself, and the fire department generally could be in the form of criminal and/or civil charges of conspiracy; given that more than one person acted in concert with others to fraudulently conceal material facts from police and insurance investigators; wherein it could be declared that all "knew, should have known, or reasonable foreseen at all material times" that V.P. Brownnose was too intoxicated to drive and usually is. Likewise per any potential criminal conspiracy actions, it could be therefore clearly shown that all "knowingly, willfully and with malice aforethought" acted in concert to fraudulently conceal material facts from the police in a criminal investigation. What may be the fundamental problem requiring a decision? Are there any other potential problems, which may require an immediate or a subsequent decision? Exercise 1: Combined Company Charlie needs to file tax information on their paid employees and send the amount of withholdings to the IRS by next week. Unfortunately, the external company, an accounting service, had a small fire in their office and the payroll records for the past quarter were lost. A) What is the problem requiring a decision? B) Who all may share this fundamental problem? C) What other problems may exist, which may require a decision, and who may have these problems. Exercise 2: Engine Company Alpa's Chief Competent announces that as the result of the latest membership drive, that he has what some may consider to be good news and what some may consider to be bad news. Good news first. One of the potential new members has previous volunteer firefighting and EMS experience. They have Firefighter I, Advance Rescue, and current EMT certifications; along with about 7 years experience and 2 of which were as the secretary of EMS/Rescue Company Epsilon. The entire membership of Engine Company Alpha applauds and cheers. Now for what some may consider to be the bad news . . . this highly skilled and qualified candidate is a woman. This announcement prompts V.P. Brownnose to jump up and emphatically point out that if they don't accept this candidate as a new member, they can't accept any of the others because of EEOC. V.P. Brownnose further advises that if the company accepts a woman member, then they'll have to take all of the pornographic photos and links to porno chats and all of the links to porno sites off the members' common use computer; they'll have to cut back on the use of foul language & dirty jokes, and they may have to limit the amount of beer a member can drink at the firehouse. V.P. Brownnose further points out that he'll lose thousands of these carefully selected photos, because he can't take them home to put on the computer there, since this is his parent's computer and his mom is on it daily. V.P. Brownose then proclaims to all that Chief Competent should have never given this woman candidate an application, and that he intends to run for fire chief himself next election, because he'll do a better job. A) What is the fundamental problem the company must solve, which requires a decision? B) Identify some of the other problems that the company has that may require a decision. C) In addition to the fire department generally, who all my have problems to solves, requiring a decision? Exercise 3: Identify five (5) problems occurring within your fire department which requires a decision and who must make these decisions. Last modified: September 21, 2008
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