Profession chief fire officer
Chief fire officers supervise a fire department. They coordinate the operations of the department, and supervise and lead the fire and rescue staff during firefighting and rescue activities to ensure the safety of the staff and limitation of risks. They perform administrative duties to ensure record maintenance, and implement policies to improve the department's operations.
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Personality Type
- Enterprising / Investigative
Knowledge
- Fire-fighting systems
The devices and systems used to extinguish fires; the classes and chemistry of fire.
- Fire prevention procedures
The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.
- Fire safety regulations
The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.
- Pyrotechnic articles legislation
The legal rules surrounding pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic materials.
- First response
The procedures of pre-hospital care for medical emergencies, such as first aid, resuscitation techniques, legal and ethical issues, patient assessment, trauma emergencies.
Skills
- Delegate activities
Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it.
- Extinguish fires
Extinguish smaller fires such as electrical fires, oil fires, or propane fires, using the adequate portable fire extinguisher. Extinguish larger fires with water, using jet and spray nozzles. Extinguish fires with foam, powder or other chemical agents. Enter and pass through, with a lifeline but without breathing apparatus, a compartment into which high-expansion foam has been injected. Fight fire in smoke-filled enclosed spaces, wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus. Extinguish a fire in a simulated engine room with heavy smoke. Perform rescue operations in a smoke-filled space, wearing breathing apparatus.
- Manage emergency care situations
Manage situations in which decision making under time pressure is essential to save lives.
- Use geographic information systems
Work with computer data systems such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Manage major incidents
Take immediate action to respond to major incidents that affect the safety and security of individuals in private or public places such as road accidents.
- Lead a team
Lead, supervise and motivate a group of people, in order to meet the expected results within a given timeline and with the foreseen resources in mind.
- Ensure public safety and security
Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.
- Work as a team in a hazardous environment
Work together with others in a dangerous, sometimes noisy, environment, such as a building on fire or metal forging facilities, in order to achieve a higher degree of efficiency while heeding the co-workers' safety.
- Use different types of fire extinguishers
Understand and apply various methods of firefighting and various types and classes of fire extinguishing equipment.
- Manage staff
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.