|
VFD Resources
Special Announcements |
|
|
|
|
Grant Writing
General Consulting
|
Looking for Alternatives If decisions are choices, then decisions have alternatives. Even with the five methods of decision making, you have alternatives/choices. You can choose to do nothing (default), you can choose to do what others are doing or have done (imitation), your can choose to do what you've always done (habit), or you can choose to follow a strategy. Thus even with using these four of the five methods, you have choices and alternatives. In gathering your information, once you have a problem defined (even if it isn't the fundamental problem) and you start gathering your information, you have to look at all of the alternatives, both positive and negative. There are always at least two alternatives, however, if you really do your homework, you'll find that there are many more. In using the strategy method of decision making, you will need to identify as many alternatives as you can, because without doing so, you not only limit your decision; but you also limit looking at all of the potential outcomes and identifying the risks, which are the two following phases of your decision making and problem solving process. EXAMPLE 1: Treasurer Beancounter of Engine Company Alpha has taken over the Treasurer's office/position for the past few months and after really looking over the books he/she finds a glaring problem with the revenue generation of the company. It just isn't enough (General Problem). Upon closer inspection they find that one of the biggest areas where they have a revenue generation problem is with their bingo. It seems that Engine Company Alpha's Wednesday night bingo game is losing the competition with the Sunday night bingo that is held by Engine Company Beta. Engine Company Alpha tried raising the jackpot to compete, but in the past 6 weeks they actually lost money on bingo nights in 2 of them. It seems all of the grandmas on fixed income, who can only afford one bingo per week, prefer Engine Company Beta's bingo and they all meet there for it, as also part of their social time together. The outcome of the previously tried alternative (raising jackpots) failed miserably...no wonder Treasurer Beancounter replaced Treasurer Trash. Thus, Treasurer Beancounter sees a new problem (competition) and trying to get the same grandmas to Engine Company Alpha's bingo just isn't going to work. Thus more alternatives need to be explored, to bring to the company for a decision vote. 1) One alternative (negative) is to completely shut down the bingo and not pursue any form of replacement revenue generation activity. 2) Another alternative (positive) may prove to be shutting down the Wednesday night bingo and replace it with a Sunday night 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. alternative gambling/entertainment/social event for all of the grandpas, who drop off grandma at Engine Company Beta's bingo, who then go to the Legion for a beer, or back home and bored to wait on grandma to finish playing bingo. At this new event, Grandpa can drink his beer (same price or even a little less than at the Legion), participate in chuck-a-luck wheels, money wheels, strip tickets, hourly 50-50 drawings (using roll tickets, which are cheaper than bingo paper specials), and also he will be able to buy food such as burgers, fries, sausage sandwiches, chips, pretzels, pizza and buffalo wings. 3) A subsequent or addition to this alternative may be to open this event up to younger males and females over the age of 18, having an ink hand stamp to identify those over 21 and of legal beer drinking age, and to hire a small band to have a dance; because rather than trying to compete with Engine Company Beta's bingo for one limited age cohort/gender/population, this alternative targets the bored Grandpas, younger males and females, thus an even larger potential target population pool (and revenue generating potential) exists. Attracting the younger males may also help Engine Company Alpha with their recruiting needs, because these younger males, just like Grandpa, will go where the young girls are dancing, certainly when they can drink beer, eat, and gamble at the same time. There are other alternatives that Treasurer Beancounter might consider. Identify two more. EXAMPLE 2: Chief Competent needs to recruit some new members. Putting this request on the sign in front of the fire department has yielded zero (0) applicants. He needs to try alternative methods. 1) He considers one alternative to be putting an article in the newspaper showing how many alarms and activities the company has had in recent months. 2) He considers contacting the local radio and television station and having them run some recruitment ads for him, to meet their public service announcement (PSA) requirements. 3) He considers putting out flyers on car windshields at the mall and around town. 4) He considers doing alternatives 1, 2, & 3. 5) He considers an alternative to be closing down the department and merging with another department. What other alternatives (both positive and negative) might Chief Competent have to meet his recruitment needs and goals? EXAMPLE 3: In the on-going "Monkey Business" at Engine EMS/Rescue Company Epsilon, President Paininthefanny continues to be viciously jealous of Chief Competent and wants to replace him as fire chief, so that he has more power. Although Paininthefanny has performed absolutely miserably in his current position, he blame projects all of this on others, the situations generally and on Chief Competent. He also bad mouths the chief behind his back, undermines him with others, and sabotages things the chief has tried to do for the good of the department. A) Identify the decisions that exist for both Chief Competent and President Paininthefanny. B) What are the decision making limits and the decision making levels of control which exist for both Chief Competent and President Paininthefanny? C) Identify the problems that exist for both Chief Competent and President Paininthefanny. D) Identify three (3) positive alternatives and three (3) negative alternatives for both Chief Competent and President Paininthefanny. EXAMPLE 4: Chief Competent realizes that he needs to replace his main pumper due to age, continuing maintenance issues, and concern for firefighter safety as of the result of the lack of reliability and certification of the apparatus. All of those 10-45 MVA calls have put serious wear and tear on the aged apparatus. She's been a dandy for years, but she's just wore out and too old. As alternatives, the Chief has: A) Replace the apparatus with a new apparatus that might also win next year's Fourth of July Parade "Best of Parade" trophy, B) Replace the apparatus with a used apparatus, that is more reliable and newer than the older existing apparatus. C) Replace the apparatus with a used, but newer apparatus, while also replacing the squad, that carries personnel but no equipment, with a used first responder truck that has a 5-man crew cab to handle most of the 10-45 calls. D) Initiate one helluva membership recruitment campaign for a bucket brigade. EXAMPLE 5: Chief Competent realizes that no matter which alternative he chooses from this decision in EXAMPLE 4, that he's got to come up with the money to pay for his three (3) most viable alternatives. To come up with the funds, the Chief has as alternatives: A) Go cry to the municipality to buy the new apparatus or both new pieces of apparatus, if they have the money. B) Apply for a state and/or federal grant, which he may or may not get, and wait for months on their decision and hope he gets a grant. C) Apply for a lease purchase for the new pumper or both pieces of apparatus and hope he can get it and a decent interest rate. D) Contact VFD-Funding or another professional consultant to review the options, help write the grants, help secure the lease/purchases and to look at all viable means of funding the acquisition(s). EXERCISES: 1) Think of a problem in your personal life and identify at least two (2) positive and two (2) negative alternatives. 2) Think of at least three (3) problems occurring at your fire department and identify at least three (3) positive and three (3) negative alternatives for each. Last modified: September 21, 2008
© VFD-Funding 2005, All Rights
Reserved |
Grant Writing
Firefighting Facts |
|
Please use the convenient
Feedback
form or send mail to
webmaster@VFD-FEMS.com |
