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Part-Time Firefighters
ANNEX 2 - TOPIC GUIDES
Topic Guide
Depths with Stakeholders
The following question areas have been developed to provide a framework for discussion. All topic areas of relevance should be covered at some point in the discussion and should be addressed in an order which facilitates easy and relaxed conversation. Be sure to allow opportunities for respondents to raise new or different issues which they consider significant to the core subjects.
Background
- Details of respondents - what are their current role and responsibilities; how long they have been in this role; how long have they had an involvement with the fire service
Merger of 'volunteer', auxiliary' and 'retained' firefighters
- What variations currently exist between different categories (volunteer, auxiliary and retained) of part-time firefighters and what impact do these variations have on maintenance of a fire service, (probing on, initial training, equipment levels, ongoing training and skills development, attitudes towards fire service and their brigades expectations of them etc); what are the advantages and disadvantages of these variations and how can disadvantages be overcome; what barriers are created by these variations and how can these be overcome
Training and medical standards
- Reactions to the concept that part-time firefighters should operate to the same levels of competence as whole time workers (no differentiation;developed to a similar level of competence); their view of whether this is feasible and if so, what problems need to be overcome for this to be effective - probing on, acquisition of knowledge, skills & understanding, ways to achieve parity in personal development and training, effective channels for delivery of training (including non traditional methods such as on-line training / distance learning), maintenance of competence; resistance from firefighters, relationships between different types of firefighter; professionalism within the service, etc
- what would be the advantages and disadvantages of this concept and how can disadvantages be overcome
- what practices need to be adopted for effective implementation (e.g. provision of rotas, changes to training e.g. Approved to Ride scheme, flexibility in delivery of training across different Brigades etc)
- reactions to Integrated Personal Development Systems (IPDS), including an assessment of their perception of how it will fit part-time firefighters - provide respondents with explanation of IPDS if required
Interchangeability and Flexibility
- Reactions to concept of changes to staffing arrangements for appliances / job share for part-time firefighters / other part-time roles being offered to part-time firefighters / what roles would sit best with part-time firefighters e.g. adoption of community safety role / control room duties / shift away from heavy involvement in firefighting towards fire prevention
- what are the advantages and disadvantages of these options; how could each be effectively implemented; what further changes / modifications would respondents make for effective interchangeability, together with reasons
- what actions would need to be taken by fire brigades to implement this system; what differences between fire brigades, if any, need to be taken into account and how would these differences impact on implementation
Summary
- In an ideal world, what would respondents do in order to bring about a merger between different categories of part-time firefighters in order to create a more homogenous group of firefighters
- What issues and practicalities should be given priority, together with reasons
- Reactions to pilots in Norfolk / South Wales, probing on any knowledge of / feedback on / information (PROVIDE BRIEF OUTLINE OF EACH IF NECESSARY) - what benefits and barriers to these pilots are identified by respondents; what elements of each pilot fit with the ideal situation and what changes would respondents want to make for effective implementation for all part-time firefighters in Scotland, together with reasons
Final Topic Guide
Groups - Firefighters
The following question areas have been developed to provide a framework for discussion. All topic areas of relevance should be covered at some point in the discussion and should be addressed in an order which facilitates easy and relaxed conversation. Be sure to allow opportunities for respondents to raise new or different issues which they consider significant to the core subjects.
Background
- Details of respondents and their job history within the fire service - what are their current role and responsibilities; how long they have been in this role; how long have they had an involvement with the fire service; in what ways do they come into contact with part-time firefighters
Merger of 'volunteer', auxiliary' and 'retained' firefighters
- How would respondents describe the basic differences between wholetime and part-time firefighters, probing on logistical issues (initial training, ongoing training and skills development, equipment levels, career development, employer support, etc) and emotional (commitment to service, conflict with family life, expectations of fire service, cultural attitudes etc) ; what are the advantages and disadvantages of these variations and how can disadvantages be overcome; what barriers are created by these variations and how can these be overcome
- What variations currently exist between different categories (volunteer, auxiliary and retained) of part-time firefighters and what impact do these variations have on maintenance of a fire service, (probing on, initial training, equipment levels, ongoing training and skills development, attitudes towards fire service and their brigades expectations of them etc); what are the advantages and disadvantages of these variations and how can disadvantages be overcome; what barriers are created by these variations and how can these be overcome
- Explore the relationship between whole time and retained - particularly in relation to how wholetime fire fighters would feel about working with retained firefighters on the same fire appliances etc
Training and medical standards
- Reactions to the concept that part-time firefighters should operate to the same levels of competence as whole time workers (no differentiation; developed to a similar level of competence); their view of whether this is feasible and if so, what problems need to be overcome for this to be effective - probing on, acquisition of knowledge, skills & understanding, ways to achieve parity in personal development and training, effective channels for delivery of training (including non traditional methods such as on-line training / distance learning), maintenance of competence; resistance from wholetime firefighters, relationships between different types of firefighter; professionalism within the service, etc
- what would be the advantages and disadvantages of this concept and how can disadvantages be overcome
- what practices need to be adopted for effective implementation (e.g. provision of rotas, changes to training e.g. Approved to Ride scheme, flexibility in delivery of training across different Brigades etc)
- reactions to Integrated Personal Development Systems (IPDS), including an assessment of their perception of how it will fit part-time firefighters - provide respondents with explanation of IPDS if required
Interchangeability and Flexibility
- Reactions to concept of changes to staffing arrangements for appliances / job share for part-time firefighters / other part-time roles being offered to part-time firefighters / what roles would sit best with part-time firefighters e.g. adoption of community safety role / control room duties / shift away from heavy involvement in firefighting towards fire prevention
- what are the advantages and disadvantages of these options; how could each be effectively implemented; what further changes / modifications would respondents make for effective interchangeability, together with reasons
- what actions would need to be taken by fire brigades to implement this system; what differences between fire brigades, if any, need to be taken into account and how would these differences impact on implementation
Summary
- In an ideal world, what would respondents do in order to bring about a merger between different categories of part-time firefighters in order to create a more homogenous group of firefighters
- What issues and practicalities should be given priority, together with reasons
- Reactions to pilots in Norfolk / South Wales, probing on any knowledge of / feedback on / information (PROVIDE BRIEF OUTLINE OF EACH IF NECESSARY) - what benefits and barriers to these pilots are identified by respondents; what elements of each pilot fit with the ideal situation and what changes would respondents want to make for effective implementation for all part-time firefighters in Scotland, together with reasons
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