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The Kitchen Table Debrief – MAYDAY! The Goodness Spec
Featured Author:
Ed Raposo
Contributing author, Ed Raposo is a retired Fire Chief with the Nasonville Fire Department in Nasonville, Rhode Island. He joined the department in 1991 as a firefighter and became an EMT in 1992. He received his Firefighter Level I in 1994 and Firefighter Level II in 2001 from the Rhode Island Fire Academy. Along with attending numerous training courses, including courses at the National Fire Academy in MD, Chief Raposo also participated in ride-alongs with the Providence Fire Department and spent time in Northern California observing, drilling, and going on calls with CAL FIRE during the record breaking wildland fire season of 2008.
He is currently a State Fire Academy Instructor and has held the positions of: Safety Officer, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Captain, Fire Chief, Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal for Nasonville. While Captain, he was also the Training Officer for several years. After his retirement as Fire Chief he was asked to take the position of Assistant Chief where he continues to make contributions to the ongoing refinement of the department.
Along with his time in the Fire Service, Chief Raposo has also held management and leadership positions in Information Technology and Business since 1980.
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More articles from this author:
In this article I have outlined what are, in my opinion, the five most detrimental obstacles to good Department SOPs. I have also included suggestions to address them when you see them in your department.
Another consideration you may want to introduce is to make your SOPs the Department “Goodness Specification”. Once you are happy with your guidelines, have a group of people from all ranks and job functions look them over. If they agree with what is written, let them sign-off on the document. Include their signatures in the officially released document to show their support.
If someone (anyone) has a suggestion for any portion of the “Goodness Spec”, listen to his/her issue: They may just make the end product a little better!
Fire Departments have changed a lot since I started back in 1991. “200 years of tradition unhampered by progress”? Hardly! We keep getting better all the time!
Thank you for giving me your attention!
Stay Safe!
Chief Ed Raposo, (Ret.)
This series of articles takes on a very informal approach of discussing key aspects of Fire Service issues relevant to today’s firefighters and officers. Similar to a post-incident debriefing back at the firehouse, this series, titled “The Kitchen Table Debrief –
” will hopefully foster discussion, and possibly, we all may learn something along the way!</p>
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