This case study introduces us to the risk, safety measures, and issues involved in fire fighting. The title of the case study is Risky Business: Consent Safety and fire fighting Culture. The case discusses the Bay City fire fighting department which is known “as one of the most advanced in the country” (2010). The case highlights the fact that though the department has one of the most highly trained fire fighters in its team, the chief is concerned about some security issues which were due to result of negligence and disobedience on the behalf of the firefighters.
There are several examples given in the case which include deaths of both the fire firefighters and the clients who they are supposed to serve and rescue. The management staff believes that these incidents could have easily been avoided if the fire fighters would have been a little more responsible on their behalf by not violating policies and rules that are set forth for them. “In the culture of the fire service, a disfigured helmet is a sign that one is a “real” firefighter because he or she can “take it””. (2010) Therefore, more than the traditional physical and technical training, these fire fighters also need to learn the fact that putting themselves into unnecessary dangerous situations they are not only risking their lives and the lives of the fellow firefighters, but also the lives of those they are attempting to save.
The organizations communication style, the classical method, is pretty straight forward and there are no such problems in directing or receiving orders from the top. However, the problem lies with the responsiveness from the fire fighters. The chief gives out orders to the fire fighters and issues policy and rules, the fire fighters are supposed to obey all orders that they get from the chief, and if they don’t, communication cannot be blamed for that.
It is obvious that the training process is one of the best in
References: Eisenberg, E. M., Goodall Jr., H. L., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational Communication Balancing Creativity and Constraint. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's.