Application of Principles of Management of Financial and Physical Resources in the Fire Services - Coursework Example

List of contents 1- Introduction 2- The Principles of Resources Management 3- Application of Principles of Management of Financial and Physical Resources in the Fire Services 4- Procurement Process in the Fire and Rescue Services 5- Operational Assurance and evaluation 6- List of sources Abu Dhabi is an oil rich state of the Unite Arab Emirates. There are scores of business centers, high rising buildings and other facilities which are situated very close to each other (www.gulfnews.com). The temperature in summer goes very high and the electric short circuiting sometimes becomes a major cause of fires in city. This report is intended to critically assess the principles of resource management, especially human resource management in the fire and rescue service. The principles of management of financial and physical resources as applied in the fire service are also discussed in the report. More over procurement process of different vehicles in the fire and rescue service are also properly analyzed. The operational assurance and evaluation principles have also been discussed in the report. A whole perspective of fire and rescue service in the Abu Dhabi is given in the back ground. The Principles of Resource Management Resources are always limited in an organization. It always depends upon the management techniques and the principles of resource management on the basis of which we can take maximum benefit. The efficient resource allocation is the basic principle on the basis of which the given resources can be efficiently used (Dennis Compton. 2009). The resources are vested in the capital goods like land building, machinery and equipment, the cash and bank and the other incomes etc. the most important resource is the human resource. The efficient use of the resource is much more important than anything else (www.jcu.edu.plicyresources.html). But for the sake of convenience a general overview of the broad resource management principles are given as below; 1- Operating funds have to be maintained and improved for ongoing service delivery. The availability of funds in an organizational outfit is not enough. The operating funds have to be maintained and utilized for the best possible ongoing service delivery. Being the first and foremost important principle of resource management the principle has to be allied and observed in spirit in an organization like fire service and rescue operations in a resources rich emirate like Abu Dhabi. 2- Each of the division in an organization has to perform as an integrated set of complete operations. The disintegrated and disjointed services of on organization are not at all capable of delivering the results in emergency situations like the fire and rescue operational activities. Since the Abu Dhabi is a site where oil resources are worked with, therefore the well integrated approach in the resources management can work very well, when implemented in total and entire form of the organization. 3- The work loads have to be balanced in order to meet the emerging priorities. Resource management requires as its basic principle that the work loads on the financial assets, capital resources and human resources should be adequately and reasonably distributed in different sectors and departments in the best possible manner, so that the best and efficient service delivery can be achieved in the fire and rescue services of the country’s states like Abu Dhabi. 4- The operations where capital investment or improved technology has to be used need to be identified for the ongoing operational savings. The capital investment is always required in the processes of operational improvement through technological innovations and improvisations. Therefore it is naturally important that the operations and technology must remain not only at par with the modern trends but also ahead of other contemporaries in view of the significance of the Abu Dhabi emirate’s fire services sectors. 5- All the positions and vacancies have to be examined where better and efficient use of funds can be achieved. The important positions must never to left vacant because all the important decisions making processes take place at their level. Therefore , as a basic principle of the resource management principles it is very important that all the significant human resources must remain available all times to the departments and organizations like fire services and rescue operations in the economies such as Abu Dhabi. 6- The opportunities that arise frequently have to be rebalanced with staff and other resources with relative growth of demand services. The monotony in the work place is always an unhealthy position and it must be avoided as a basic important principle of resource management in the fire and rescue services. 7- In order to meet the necessary contingencies a proper funding at every divisional level is maintained. The contingencies have to be catered for in all respects and at every level to be the best of the possibilities. The contingency plans are always helpful within the resource management programmed. Therefore, in view of the broad frame work of resource management it is determined that the financial resources of a fire and rescue operation organization have not only to be very prudently utilized at an equitable basis for all the divisions of the organization, but also the priorities have also to be funded for. The new income resources have to identify and the best people have to be put on the right jobs with frequent and regular reshuffling and rebalancing of staff in every division of the organization. John Granite, 2007 elaborated that human resource management in the fire and rescue services of Abu Dhabi is one of the most critical and important aspect of this service. There are certain aspects of human resource management in the fire and rescue services which can be gauged from the following points; 1- Performance measurement of the staff. This is regular and periodic requirement and it must be done and conducted with the prime concerns in the organization. Performance evaluation can be done in the best possible manner when the recruitment, selection and training of staff is done in the best professional way by the human resources experts at all levels. 2- Fire prevention and life safety education of staff. The human resource management principal requires that the life safety education of staff should be given the top priority (Humera 2006). 3- The management of technology and information for the staff. Staff have to be technologically well equipped. And the staff have to remain well informed at the same time. 4- Preparedness of staff for terrorism and disaster. All these aspects have to be well inculcated in the staff. 5- Preparations of the staff for inter-governmental cooperation. This is another most important aspect to be covered for the well integrated work in the fire service of the countries like Abu Dhabi. 6- Preparedness of staff for risk management. The Fire service itself is a risk management service and the staffs have to prepare for this risk management expertise. 7- Information and readiness of staff about legal, liability and regulatory issues. Since these issues are crucially important, therefore staff need to be prepared for all these aspects for a perfect delivery in the fire and rescue services. 8- Health and well being of the staff. This is the most critical and basic principle of the human resource management, keeping in view the risk oriented requirements of the fire and rescue services. In view of the above management of the fire and rescue service covers all the parts of the organization and resource allocation that aptly covers the organizational structure, location and planning of fire station along with replacement of vehicles and equipment. However in particular view of human resource management in the fire and rescue services of Abu Dhabi the aspects of recruitment, selection, labor relations, employees improvement and change implementation by the leadership cannot be over looked. Application of Principles of Management of Financial and Physical Resources in the Fire Services These principles include assessing current fire department services and mutual aid agreements with the other departments, calculating budget costs, planning prevention training and education, and prioritizing risk management strategies. This aspect also improves performance measurements and bench- marking of different financial performers in the organization. It is vary important to mention that separate policy agenda for Abu Dhabi was announced for 2008. This policy agenda for Abu Dhabi was inclusive of the policy statements for health and safety issues and police and emergency services. This policy announcement of Abu Dhabi was in view of the most rapid economic growth that necessitated the development and mushrooming of high rise buildings in the city including office complexes, housing flats and apartments and big hotels on the beach side. This was for such emergency requirement that the government of Abu Dhabi improved rescue plans as a result of 2008 policy agenda. http://www.government.ae/gov/en/biz/resources/sites.jsp have further elaborated that there are various issues which emerge from the development of new agenda of fire safety regulation of Abu Dhabi in 2008. The globalization of economic growth and rapid foreign direct investment in Abu Dhabi from all over the world especially from Europe America and Asia has brought in a lot of capital investment in Abu Dhabi in the last decade. The investors are more interested in the real estate development of the hotel industry and housing units. This phenomenon was unprecedented during the period just before the recession in Europe and America. The investors had lost interest in investing in Europe and America and they brought in their money to invest in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Thus this process of globalization of businesses necessitated the fire safety regulations announcement in Abu Dhabi in 2008. Procurement Processes in the Fire and Rescue Services; www.communities.gov.uk has explained that a rescue service is not an ordinary process. It is said that fire prevention is an extremely important service not only today but will also continue to remain important with the purpose of cutting down the fire deaths. Shiva Larkin, 2004 illustrated that In order to achieve an efficient fire service delivery the procurement of proper and efficient equipment is extremely important. The equipments for the fire service include 1- fire service helicopters 2- fire service trucks 3- fire staff cars and jeeps 4- fire extinguishers 5- head gears for fire staff including helmets and gloves 6- fire fighter uniforms including special boots 7- fire fighting water pipes, pressure pumps and sand pales All the above is not used for ordinary purposes. Therefore, before procuring these it is extremely important that the quality, brand, make, model, efficiency, guarantee, warranty, temperature resistance, duration, toughness, materiel combination etc needs to be identified, verified and check repeatedly to make sure that the equipment will work well in the consequence of an emergency, disaster or terrorism . However in order to make sure that all the above needs of procurement are satisfactorily met, it is necessary that enough, adequate and timely funds are made available to the purchase department and administration division of the fire fighting services in a hot and oil rich state of Abu Dhabi. It is a fact that all the necessary equipment for the fire service operations is not necessarily available in one country or one source of sale. It is therefore necessary that the orders for procurement of such equipments may be placed through an international tender process through websites so that international manufacturers and sellers of these products should come up with their best available products. In this regard it is important to note that Italian and German equipment (ww.bestfireequipment.com) in the fire fighting services are superior in their performance. American trucks and helicopters are much better than others in the fire rescue operations. Similarly fire ladders, buckets and other small equipments from France, Germany and England are more efficient. In view of above it is necessary that the procurement process for fire service equipment should not only be transparent but also efficient, timely, well thought out and efficacious. Operational assurance and evaluation; Humera Naz, 2008 said that as per policy of Abu Dhabi fire and rescue service, the operational assurance and evaluation is conducted through operational audits which is based upon “a guide to measuring health and safety performance”. The training needs are assessed on bimonthly basis. The operational incidents are accordingly checked and rectified. The area managers, the group managers and the heads of the fires stations are responsible for operational assurance; they make regular and frequent visits and give their feed back to the watch managers. The fire service manual is kept at each station which is filled and marked by the in charge of the station on daily basis. It is a prerequisite that private hospitals must have one formal fire audit in a year and must have one snap fire inspection in one year. The new housing blocks, hotels and the hospitals are required to have the fire safety inspections. There are different forms that are required to be filled on formal and informal visits of the fire system inspectors and these inspected buildings are not essentially required to report fire alarm faults etc. as far as fire safety in homes is concerned, this due to the cultural considerations, burning of small strips of wood and installation of smoke and fire detectors is not considered viable. Similarly all the equipment and vehicles are necessarily checked and kept afresh and operational at all the times. The real evaluation technique depends upon the number of rescued lives and properties in an area on periodic basis. The evaluation is also done by the alert and rapid responses to the fire incidences and preventing them from happening. The performance evaluation of staff and equipment depends upon the minimum time and maximum efficiency of a fire staff and equipment. Environmental agencies also have a major regulatory role in all the safety requirements of these states, for instance fire suppression devices such as fire doors, alarms etc. the fire safety certificates for new buildings are issued by these departments jointly under the head of fire safety departments. Therefore, it can be rightly concluded that fire and rescue service of Abu Dhabi is one of the best in the Asia; however there arises need for the improvement of the same on the lines of modern trends and ever changing needs in the emirates due to its peculiar resources and economic features. Suggested ongoing improvement is absolutely necessary. Sources 1- Dennis Compton. 2009. Managing fire and rescue services. Bookstore home. ISBN 34567643 2- John Granite, 2007. Human resources Management in fire and Rescue operations . Book store home. ISBN 34567832 3- www.jcu.edu.plicyresources.html 4- www.resourcemanagement.com 5- www.communities.gov.uk 6- http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_companylist 7--http://www.government.ae/gov/en/biz/resources/sites.jsp 8- Humera Naz, 2008, “A detailed survey of Fire safety legislation in Middle East”, First edition. Egypt Book centre Cairo. ISBN 34578765 9- www.gulfnews.com 10- Shiva Larkin. 2004. Evaluation and policy assurance in procurement in the fire services. 3rd Edition. Indian Book House. Bombay new Gate. India 11. www.bestfireequipment.com Read More