Fire Company Organizational Structure
The Fair Haven Fire Company consists of the following five specialized organizations, all operating under one command structure:
- Fire Department
- Emergency Medical Services (First Aid Squad)
- Fire Police
- Water Rescue Unit
- Auxiliary
- Future Firefighters
Each of these units has parallel lines of organization:
- Line Officers who are responsible for all aspects of their organization’s operations, including prevention, training, and policies and procedures relating to emergency responses.
- Executive Officers who are responsible for the business and social aspects of their organization’s activities, including fund-raising, budget management, members’ benefits and well-being.
You can learn more about the history and the officers of each of these units by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page.
Incident Command
Each unit of the Fair Haven Fire Company uses the National Incident Management System (NIMS), or otherwise known as the “Incident Command System.” This is where the first or highest-ranking line officer to arrive at the scene of an emergency, assumes command of the incident, including assessing the situation, creating an action plan and strategy, determining what additional resources may be needed, assuring that each member is accounted for throughout the incident, and directing the firefighting or other emergency operations. All active members of the Fire Company are trained in the Incident Command System procedures, and all members are issued personal identity cards, which they must wear during an emergency operation.
The Incident Commander is automatically assigned according to the nature of the emergency. For example, if the incident is a medical emergency, the First Aid Squad Captain will assume command. If the incident is a fire or rescue, the Fire Department Chief assumes overall command of all units, including Fire, EMS, Fire Police and Auxiliary.
Since the Fire Company is all-volunteer, there may be times when the ranking line officer is not in town to assume command. Ordinarily, the next in-line officer takes command. In the rare occurrence when no active line officer is in town, a long-standing protocol is used in which the former officers with the relevant experience automatically assume Incident Command.