Term Paper on "Fire Science Risk Management"

Term Paper 6 pages (1618 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Fire Science -- Risk Management

Risk Management within the framework of a fire department does encompass the safety regulations that are in effect within all emergency evacuation situations. The following are departments and response units that have a specialized risk management protocol when responding to emergencies:

Fire departments

Rescue squads

Emergency medical services

Other related organizations

Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service (FA-166/December 1996)

Risk Management is a field comprised of the elements that envelop the measures of risk which can accentuate a dangerous situation into an emergency situation. There are often a variety of risks within settings in the environment to where a large number of civilian populations engage in every day. The management aspect however does focus on mitigating the level of risk when a disaster or emergency situation does arise which is required to reduce the level of damage and exposure of lethal elements of such a situation to the public.

There are 3 levels of risk management. These levels include the following:

Administrative: These are the procedures and training requirements established by the risk management team to identify safe work practices and the organizational regulations and operational standards that requisite safety within the operations of the organization.

Engineering: Not all organizations have engineering systems as an identifier in the risk management practice however there are hazards associated with these systems including apparatus design, mechanical ventilation, and lock-out and tag-out of electrical hazards (Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service, FA-166/December 1996)

Personal Protection: The occupational hazards require that risk management identify the proper clothing materials and procedures as mandated by oversight and regulatory authorities such as OSHA. Therefore, proper equipment, clothing, and safety devices, which enable protection of the worker. These devices include helmets, gloves, SCBA, and tools (Risk Management Practices in the Fire Services, FA-166/December 1996)

Source: Risk Management Practices in the Fire Services, FA-166/December 1996

Organizational Risk Management: Establishing risk mitigation practices and an administrative set of rules to follow as protocol during emergency situations. Organizational risk management is established to reduce the risk of injury and death to organizational workers during emergency situations that directly affect the health and well-being of organizational members.

Operational Risk Management: Operational Risk Management are specific responses to emergency situations involving the use of chemicals and other operational hazards resulting in a materials mitigation problem requiring a measure of containment and/or decontamination. Operational risks are exhaustive to list but do encompass all variables that inherently are associated with organizational operations.

Managing Information: Information management is a function of risk assessment such that data regarding the organization can be disseminated and in turn produce information with regard to the organizational assessment that will reveal risk assessment hazards that need to be addressed. Risks which are measured, assessed, and analyzed via information management from internal data that directly affects the organizational risk hazard probability the level of response planning and mitigation planning increase to a level necessary to systematically address all threats that could possibly face the organization.

Source: Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service (FA-166/December 1996)

Risk is measured as a relative level of exposure to occupational hazards and other potential disasters that can afflict an organization, such as flooding or a radiological disaster. Insurance companies are in the business of insuring businesses against such hazards, often which include fire due to an electrical malfunction or due to worker accident. Risk levels are analyzed and assessed against actuarial data to determine the extent of exposure and probability of emergency related damages that the organization has exposure to.

The assessment is important as the monetary level of risk is identified and an insurance policy is provided to protect the assets of the organization against the risks identified by the risk management team. The insurance policy is required to protect the organization from hazards and risks that could render the organization inoperable. Without proper risk management assessment practices in place, there will likely be holes in identifying the requisite risk variables that are specific to the operations of the organization and to which there needs to be insurance coverage to hedge against operational risk exposure.

Relative risk is different from insurance risk. The organization can take steps to protect its assets from insurance risk but relative risk is a function of untenable fallout from emergency events that are difficult to establish a clear protocol. The secondary exposure to relative risk occurs after there has been a primary event to acknowledge that the organization has exposure to the risk. Relative risk would be the modus of probability of the event outcome as well as the mitigation response to further prevent the risk from occurring a second time.

According to Akhter (2010), "Risk is the chance of happening of something that will have an impact on our objectives. It is measured in terms of likelihood and consequences" (GOWA, 2002). Traditionally, concept of risk has been associated with uncertainty of events in the future. Higher the uncertainty of events, higher is the risk. In insurance, risk is the amount of loss associated with property or life. Risk to property can be a loss or damage to car, building, house, etc. Risk to life can be described as poor health, premature death, bodily injuries as a result of accident etc. (Rejda, 2006; p. 23.)

According to McCafferty (1977), "Risk Management is the application of a logical system of thought to handling the risk of loss to physical assets, as well as protection against legal liabilities, diminution of income, and disability or death of key personnel. Actually, the elements of risk management are now new, but have, through the ages, gradually evolved into a formal systemized method of analysis, and that is what the modern manager should understand. He should be able to evaluate accidental or "pure" risks; risks that produce a chance for loss, but no chance for gain." (McCafferty, 1977)

The recognition of accidental or "pure" risks is the primary focus of the risk management professional. The identification of these risks that have the potential to produce a real financial (capital) loss for the organization is at the forefront of risk management. Indeed, this assessment is to include the potential for loss of life as well. Unfortunately, loss of life is also perceived to be a capital investment as intellectual human capital has value and is insurable. The life of many workers continue to be insured by their organization without the employee knowing about it.

There are risk control techniques available to prevent the exposure to risk variables from becoming unwieldy. According to McCafferty, 1977), "After we have determined our exposure to loss, our next step is to establish a technique by which we will handle risk. There are two broad techniques: risk control and risk financing. The risk control techniques are designed to minimize, at the least possible cost, the losses that strike a firm. They are:

Avoid the risk

Prevent the loss

Reduce the loss once it takes place

Combine exposures to loss

Transfer the risk of loss through some means other than insurance

Source: McCafferty, 1977

Mitigating risk within the community is a penchant of risk management practices, most notably the fire department risk management protocol is to address community safety in their neighborhood. Often times, there will be practice runs to determine how quickly the fire department can respond and arrive at an emergency scene on the other side of town but within the jurisdiction.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are first responder services that ensure the viability of the health and welfare of a community's citizens. EMS ensures community protection against emergency management issues that include a variety of threats from natural disaster emergency response to critical health related maladies.

Risk Management activities are designed to identify and address specific risk management issues that pertain to reducing threats… READ MORE

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