Fire Science and Technology Model

Units:

Tags

Lesson Plan Industry Sector
No Industries

Lesson Plan Originally Created By: Jose Rios

Discipline

Part of Unit: Fire Science Organization and Responsibility

Lesson Plan Overview / Details

This lesson will discuss characteristics and behavior of firefighters, self discipline, conduct and misconduct, substance and alcohol abuse, and employee assistance programs.The students will see and work as a group in discussing these skills throughout the lesson.

I believe the most important part of this lesson is that the students recognize these soft skills are not only sought out by employers, but can be valuable through a career and a lifetime. 

Lesson Time

Class Period
3 Hours

Objectives and Goals

  • Students will observe and read titles on a video regarding soft skills on the behavior of firefighters.
  • The students working in a group setting will evaluate and describe the conduct of firefighters using soft skills in a non-fiction scenario.
  • The students working independently will evaluate and express their answers of a firefighter in a fictitious scenario.
  • The students will independently and in a group setting be challenged in scenarios to manage their own behavior and support their actions.

Activities in this Lesson

  • Activity #1 - Hooks / Set

    Show the video of recruits at a fire academy (6:15). Follow with discussion of video by asking the students a few questions:

    • Do you think the fire recruits in the video displayed integrity?
    • Did the recruits look professional?
    • What was your interpretation of their behavior?
    • How valuable do you think integrity is over the course of a career?
    • What could a lack of integrity lead to?

     

     

  • Activity #2 - Lecture

    Lecture on items below

    • Open and print out attachment (instructor's reference material) for IFSTA Essentials Manual 5th Ed., chapter 1, pages 13, 14, 20, and 21.
    • Print and hand out  copies of IFSTA Essentials power point chapter 1, slides 16, 17, 23, and 24. The entire power point for chapter one is included, but these are the recommended slides for the lesson.
      • Show slides
    • From the IFSTA Essentials Manual document read the difinitions for the characteristics and behavior of a firefighter:
      • integrity, moral character, work ethic, pride, and courage. As you lecture have the students write the definitions for each item on their power point handout (slide #16).
    • Definition of discipline in the fire service, discipline can be negative or positive, preventive or corrective, and (self-discipline) or imposed on a subordinate by a supervisor or manager.
    • Continue discussion on substance abuse, alcohol, and tobacco. Ask the students:
      • How do  these issues affect the behavior or ability of the firefighter?
      • The safety of other firefighter,
      • The service and safety for the public.  

    Let’s add another variable employee assistant program (EAP).   In many jurisdictions the EAP is offered to employees who have come forward and admitted to having an alcohol or substance abuse problem. The services of the EAP is confidential and may be available to employees under certain circumstances. Certain condition of employment may also apply to the employee. These conditions may exist as a contract to employment.       

  • Activity #3 - Demo / Modeling

    Print and hand out copies of the news article of a firefighter who is accused of driving a fire engine under the influence of alcohol. Read the article aloud and have the students follow along. Ask the students, if the firefighter is found guilty did he follow or not follow the characteristic and behavior of a firefighter as discussed in the power point?           

    • CTE Student Group Worksheet Discipline News Article.docx [ Download ]
  • Activity #4 - Check Understanding

    To check the students for understanding this activity is a review of characteristics and behavior of firefighters. Ask the students for the following definitions and allow them to use their notes:

    • Integrity
    • Moral Character
    • Work ethic
    • Pride
    • Courage

    The student should also use this opportunity to complete their writing of these definitions on their IFSTA powerpoint handouts.

    Use the IFSTA Manual document in Activity #2 for reference.

  • Activity #5 - Group Work

    Discipline Activity #5 From each group each student will pick a different question to answer.docx The students will have 10 minutes to work on this activity. Hand out the activity sheet. Break the students into groups of four each. Each group will pick a question to answer. The students will discuss their answers within their group and prepare to give a presentation in front of the class. Here are the questions from the activity sheet:

    1. What actions would the students had taken if they were in the station with the firefighters in the article? 


    3. How does the conduct of the firefighters reflect on their department? How does their conduct reflect on firefighters everywhere?


    5. Should the firefighter be disciplined? If so how? When?


    7. Do the firefighters face criminal action? What would the charges be? 


    9. Do you believe these firefighters are candidates for EAP? Why or why not?    

     

    For the presentation the students are to:

    •           State the question by number they will answer.
    •            Read the question.
    •           Give a complete answer.
    •            All the students in the group should be ready to answer any follow-up questions by the teacher or students.
    •        Complete the handout and turn it in after the presentation. 

     

        

    • Discipline Activity #5 From each group each student will pick a different question to answer.docx [ Download ]
  • Activity #6 - Projects

    The next exercise is an old oral interview question. The students may actually see some variation of this question in their quest for employment in the fire service.

    Hand out the worksheet that contains the following scenario. You are out with your fire company conducting a fire inspection in a grocery store. You see a fellow firefighter put a snack from the shelf into his pocket. The firefighter tells you don’t worry about because the storeowner does care what we take. The firefighter offers you to take something too.

    What do you do next? Do you believe him or should you report this to you captain? What are your actions based on? Do any of the characteristics and behavior of a firefighter apply? If so which one(s)?

    • CTE Student Worksheet Discipline.docx [ Download ]
  • Activity #7 - Closure

    A review and discussion of the two scenarios and how the characteristics and behavior of firefighters apply to both. This should be a good opportunity for student discussion. Here are a couple questions to end with:

    • Were firefighters in either scenario using good jugement in regards to moral character and integrity?
    • How does courage become a factor in both scenarios? Courage to not follow peer presure. Courage to do the right thing.

Assessment