Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4 Edition

Fire and Emergency Services
Company Officer — Lesson 8

Company Officer, 4th Edition
Chapter 8 — Written
Communications
Learning Objectives
1. Match to their definitions terms associated

with written communication.
2. Identify parts of an outline.
3. Identify common paragraph transitions.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–1
Learning Objectives
4. Identify generally accepted writing

guidelines.
5. Select facts about writing memos and

e-mail messages.
6. Select correct responses about writing

letters.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–2
Learning Objectives
7. Given scenarios, write a letter, memo, and

e-mail relating to the fire service.
8. Identify guidelines to follow when writing a

press release.
9. Given a scenario, write a news release

over a fire and emergency services event.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–3
Learning Objectives
10. Select facts about various types of reports.
11. Write a report on a specific fire department

topic.
12. Select facts about executive summaries,

agendas, and minutes.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–4
Learning Objectives
13. Identify basic information to be included in

a policy or procedure.
14. Recall information about requests for

proposals (RFPs) and bid specifications.

Company Officer
8–5
Audience
• Individual — Supervisor or subordinate

• Internal group — Staff member or labor
representatives
• External audience — The municipal
governing body or the readership of a
national trade journal
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–6
Scope
• Subject or topic
• How broad or narrow the coverage is
• Stated in the thesis statement
• Similar to the central idea of a speech

Company Officer
8–7
Purpose
• Reason the document is written

• Establishes what the writer wants to
accomplish; examples:
– Informing the audience of an event
– Describing a new method or procedure

Company Officer
8–8
Parts of an Outline
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–9
Parts of an Outline

Company Officer
8–10
Document Writing Guidelines
• Paragraphs
– Have visual reference points that indicate a
subdivision of the topic
– Contain topic sentences that announce
and control the content of the paragraph
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–11
Document Writing Guidelines
• Paragraphs
– No rule for exact number of words or
length — Depends on number of
subdivisions in the outline
– Average length is 75 to 125 words

Company Officer
8–12
Paragraph Transitions
• Tie paragraphs together to maintain flow and

rhythm of document
• Come at the end of one paragraph and then

at the beginning of the next paragraph
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–13
Paragraph Transitions
• At the end of the paragraph

• At the start of the paragraph
– Show contrast or qualification
– Indicate continuity
– Show cause and effect
– Indicate exemplification

Company Officer
8–14
Generally Accepted Writing
Guidelines
• Be clear.
• Get to the point.
• Use a minimum of words to convey the
message.
• Write in a conversational tone.
• Use a friendly and positive tone.
• Avoid archaic language.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–15
Guidelines
• Avoid jargon.
• Avoid long sentences and the use of
numerous commas.
• Write in an active voice.
• Use parallel structure.
• Always proofread a document before
finalizing it.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–16
Guidelines
• Use bullets, numbers, and other indicators for

key points.
• Use appendices for additional information.
• Retain a copy of the written document.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–17
Memos
• Quick and relatively simple way of

transmitting a message within an organization
• Brief written document that describes what,
where, when, who, why, and sometimes how
• Valuable

Company Officer
8–18
Memos and E-mail Messages
• Memos are generally sent by electronic

means.
• Methods for writing memos and e-mail

messages are generally the same.
• The one purpose of a memo or e-mail is to

accomplish a task.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–19
Reasons for an E-mail Policy
• Professionalism
• Efficiency
• Liability protection

Company Officer
8–20
Parts of a Memo or E-mail
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

Company Officer
8–21
Memo and E-mail Value
• Correct spelling
• Correct punctuation
• Correct grammar
• Neatness
• Consistent format
• Concise/accurate content

Company Officer
8–22
Memo and E-mail
Cautions About Content
• Never put into writing anything that cannot be

made public.
• Do not use memos or e-mails for criticisms,
reprimands, or personal communications that
are best communicated in person.
• Never use sexist, racist, or inappropriate
language in memos or e-mails.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–23
Memo and E-mail
Cautions About Content
• Delegate memo or e-mail writing to a member

of the organization who can effectively write
them if the company officer cannot.
• Have memos and e-mails proofread.
• Remember that e-mails cannot be withdrawn
once they are sent and will exist forever.

Company Officer
8–24
E-mail Tips
• Be concise and to the point.

• Answer a question fully when responding.
• Always use proper spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
• Make the message personal.
• Use templates for frequently used responses
to save time.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–25
E-mail Tips
• Answer all e-mails (like phone calls) quickly.

• Do NOT attach unnecessary files.
• Always use proper structure and format.
• Avoid the use of all capital letters, which
indicates the writer is angry or yelling.
• Read the message before sending to ensure
that is it complete and correct.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–26
E-mail Tips
• Do NOT use the reply to all function if only

one person is the intended recipient.
• Avoid abbreviations and emoticons (symbolic
pictures made from keyboard characters)
because they are not professional.
• Format the message so that it is easily
readable.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–27
E-mail Tips
• Avoid the use of color or fonts that make the

message difficult to read.
• Do NOT create or forward chain letters.
• Do NOT request deliver and read receipts
unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Do NOT copy and send a message or
attachment without permission.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–28
E-mail Tips
• Do NOT discuss confidential information.

• Write in the active voice rather than the
passive.
• Use a meaningful subject line to indicate the
contents to the reader.
• Stay with one general subject per message.
• Use short sentences.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–29
E-mail Tips
• Never send or forward messages containing

libelous, slanderous, defamatory, offensive,
racist, sexist, or obscene comments or
statements.
• Never reply to or forward spam.
• Do NOT use a signatory line at the end of a
memo; it is not necessary.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–30
E-mail Tips
• Keep records of communications by saving

e-mails in both electronic (compact disc-read-
only memory [CD-ROM] or diskette) and
hardcopy forms.

Company Officer
8–31
Writing Letters
• Usually written to persons, groups, or

agencies outside the organization
• Longer and more formal than memos
• Tend to represent the entire organization

Company Officer
8–32
Letter Format
• Heading
• Opening
• Body
• Closing
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–33
Letter Format

Company Officer
8–34
Letter Types
• Problem
• Denial
• Customers
• Promotion
• Praise and evaluation
• Persuasion
• Thank you
• Form
Company Officer
8–35
Letter Writing Considerations
• Consider the tone of the letter.
• Be sincere in the message.
• Make the letter reader-centered.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–36
Letter Writing Considerations
• Express praise easily and always say

“please” and “thank you.”
• Admit mistakes and take responsibility.
• Make the letter personal when possible.

Company Officer
8–37
Preparing a Press Release
• Summarize the information by answering

who, what, when, where, and why.
• Use the inverted-pyramid style or
organization by putting the most important
facts first and least important ones last.
• Limit sentence length to no more than 20
words.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–38
• Write no more than four or five lines per

paragraph; one sentence paragraphs are
acceptable.
• Use active voice.
• Write clearly and concisely. Avoid flowery
language and technical terms or jargon.
• Be sure that all direct quotes and
paraphrased statements are properly
attributed. (Continued)
Company Officer
8–39
• Proofread the document and then proofread it

a second time.
• Have someone else proofread the document.
• Include any photo opportunities there might
be and when they will occur.
• Keep to no more than two pages in length.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–40
• Keep short, concise, and easy to read.

• Provide information to the public information
officer (PIO) to write press releases when the
company officer is not responsible for writing
them.
• Check standard operating procedure for
press release format and release criteria.

Company Officer
8–41
Form-Based Reports
• Designed to place specific information into

spaces or fields
• Used for incident reports, injury reports, fire
investigation reports, internal or external
inspection reports, attendance reports, etc.
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–42
Form-Based Reports
• Considered legal documents that may be

needed in a court of law; should be:
– Legible
– Accurate
– Complete
– Objective

Company Officer
8–43
Narrative Reports
• Result of a form report or generated as part

of al project or analysis and includes a brief
review or executive summary
• Types
– Justification
– Recommendation
– Progress
– Progress and justification
– Description (Continued)
Company Officer
8–44
Narrative Reports
• Determine purpose.
• Determine format.
• Research topic. (Include source citations in
the form of footnotes or endnotes.)
• Develop outline.
• Write report (no matter what type) in the basic
format: introduction, body, and conclusion,
and executive summary.

Company Officer
8–45
Executive Summary
• Brief review of key points attached to front of

report
• Provides audience an opportunity to
understand the main points without having to
read the entire document
• Ensures essential information contained in
the report is read
• Acts as an attention-getter that may spur
audience to read the full report (Continued)
Company Officer
8–46
Executive Summary
• Format
– Main topic statement of the report
– Bullets denoting main points
– No longer than two pages
– Conclusion of summary is the
recommendation or suggested action
found in the report.

Company Officer
8–47
Agenda
• Outline of activities proposed for a meeting or

event
• Specific
• Sequential
• Includes the main points that are to be
addressed during the meeting
• Basic framework for the minutes of the
meeting

Company Officer
8–48
Meeting Minutes
• Provide accurate records of the topics

covered, decisions made, and assignments
given during a meeting
• Establish who, what, when, where, how, and
why of a meeting
• Provide paper trails in the event of legal
actions
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–49
Meeting Minutes
• Focus on the key points of a meeting
• Need to be accurate, brief, and easy to read
• Things to include

Company Officer
8–50
Policies and Procedures
• Included documents
• Basic document format
• Page format
• Revisions

Company Officer
8–51
Request for Proposal
• Defines the needs of the department or

organization
• Allows manufacturers or their authorized

distributors to decide if they can meet bid
specifications
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–52
• Proposals
– Have a specific schedule outline, delivery dates,
provisions for supplying units for scheduled
evaluations, and training dates for technicians and
officers
– Allow jurisdiction control over the companies that
can bid
(Continued)
Company Officer
8–53
• Proposals (cont.)
– Eliminate from consideration companies that
– Cannot meet delivery deadlines
– Cannot provide the required performance
bonds
– Lack established financial support to complete
the contract
– Have documented history of contract violations
– Reduce number of bidders to those capable of
meeting the bid specifications
Company Officer
8–54
Bid Specifications
• Bid specifications
– Include specific equipment requirements plus the
legal requirements of the finance or purchasing
officer which may include:
– Attendance at prebid meetings
– Warranties
– Liability or performance bonds
– Specified delivery times
– Payment schedules
– Financial statements (Continued)
Company Officer
8–55
Bid Specifications
• Bid specifications (cont.)

– Include detail of the design requirement with
nothing assumed
– Use sample bid specifications forms as a guide
but be aware that they may be written in such a
way that only one manufacturer can meet them.
– Get bid specifications approved by jurisdiction’s
finance or purchasing officer, who will issue bid
requests and forward returned bids to the
purchasing department for evaluation.
Company Officer
8–56
Summary
• Written communications are basic to the daily

operation of a modern fire and emergency
services organization.
• The company officer will be expected to
provide written reports, official letters, policy
recommendations, RFPs, bid specifications,
and other documents that become the basis
for decision-making on the part of superiors.

Company Officer
8–57
Summary
• Accuracy and professional appearance are

critical elements of all written
communications. In the end, they provide a
record of the activities of the officer and the
organization.

Company Officer
8–58

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Fire and Emergency Services

Company Officer — Lesson 8