EDITOR’S COLUMN
This month’s feature takes a number of big themes – leadership, development, simulation training, IPDS, cultural change, drug and alcohol misuse, and achieving excellence – and also offers some refreshing views on the recurrent theme, change. Derbyshire’s aspiration to be described as a ‘top quality’ organisation, detailed in a five-year plan, sets the tone for a Service that is indeed aspiring to move forward.
Key to that, argues regular contributor Martin Shervington, is how leadership shapes the culture of the organisation. The Transformational Model, in which a learning environment is fostered and inspiring and supporting others is engrained, establishes a pattern of continuous improvement.
The Fire Service College’s Aspire leadership model aims to enthuse leaders at all levels to pursue their personal development. We are assured that a key part of the Centre for Leadership’s role includes the revision of the Incident Command System Manual. There we have it again, the IC words. No mention of leadership in the Service is complete without bringing up the old chestnut. Ex-Army Lieutenant-Colonel DCFO Richard Hewitt, Suffolk, gives a fascinating glimpse into his transfer from green to red, picking up the incident command baton as comfortably as chauffeurs used to salute chief officers in the old days. Refreshingly, Richard simplifies the leadership debate to the core issue of saving people; FIRE likes it when contributors de-clutter and talk about the heart of the matter! Elsewhere, a solution is proferred to alcohol and drug misuse as consultant Simon Truelove presents a six-step model for tackling this growing problem.
Aspiring to excellence in Derbyshire
CFO Brian Tregunna presents an overview of the organisation’s ‘Achieving Excellence’ five-year development programme
Leadership is the key to cultural change
Organisational Psychologist Martin Shervington looks at how leadership can shape the entire culture of an organisation
From green to red
Suffolk DCFO Richard Hewitt gives an account of his move from the Army to the Fire and Rescue Service
Leadership training is key to Fire Service transformationEmployment consultant John Roylance says that while there are things left to accomplish the Service has come a long way in developing leadership skills at all levels
Aspiring to lead The Fire Service College’s Leadership Development Consultant Bridgette Schneider Browne discusses Aspire, the new leadership model for the FRS
Drugs and alcohol at workGrendonstar consultant Simon Truelove looks at a six-step strategy for solving the growing problems associated with drug and alcohol misuse
IPDS – from concept to reality in the West Midlands regionPeter Miles describes how the West Midlands region organised a number of projects to deliver the modernisation agenda
All too real Stephen Prendergast reports on what happened when Lothian and Borders and VectorCommand combined to stage an incident exercise simulation for senior commander selection |
