Project Horizon
How many times in a large organization do we hear someone wonder “What’s going on down at headquarters?”
The Philadelphia, PA, Fire Department, under Fire Commissioner William C. Richmond, has instituted a series of programs aimed at answering that question by increasing awareness at all levels of department operations.
One of the newest programs, Project Horizon, is designed to introduce individual firefighters to the intricacies of the Philadelphia Fire Department by having the member spend 10 weeks in various areas of the operations and staff services sections.
According to Deputy Chief Gary Appleby, head of support services and the designer of Project Horizon, “The role of the professional firefighter in 1984 mandates this type of training. We saw a need in the department to create a heightened awareness of the line/staff concept, and to provide better insights into how problems are managed.”
Department members selected for Project Horizon are chosen from the fire suppression forces. All ranks are eligible to apply, with firefighters being especially encouraged to participate.
A member selected for the program spends the 10 weeks working “hands on” in all areas of operations and staff services within the department. The schedule provides flexibility to compensate for any previous experience that the participant may have had in these areas.
“We went to-the head of each section of operation and staff services and asked them to develop a lesson plan for their allotted time in the project,” says Chief Appleby.
“We felt each section head would know best the important areas of their command that should be covered.”
Scheduled tours include the fire academy, support services, fire prevention, and the fire marshal’s office among others. Major categories such as support services (four of the ten weeks) are further subdivided with a week each spent with the apparatus officer; the emergency medical services staff; the fire communications center; and the general staff of the research and planning section. Interspersed with week long tours are selected days spent in the field with such specialized units as an airport company, a marine unit, and the hazardous chemical task force.
“We want the program to be as ‘hands on’ as possible,” says Chief Appleby. “For example, the research and planning unit has many projects that are always starting up. These can last from a few hours to several months. Participants in Project Horizon will be assigned one of the smaller projects and will be responsible for related research and report writing, just like members of the assigned staff.
“One of the strongest attractions of this program is the chance to work with the fire marshals. Everybody wants to see what goes on in the fire marshal’s office. The two or three weeks spent with the fire marshals will find the participants crawling through the rubble with our investigators and learning firsthand how an investigation is conducted. They’ll also spend time in the crime lab and sit in during court appearances.”
Positions in the program are limited, and applicants are selected via written requests that are reviewed by a fivemember Horizon Selection Committee who make the final selections. The committee is comprised of one member chosen from each rank in the department: firefighter, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, and division chief. A broad-based review panel made up of a member from each department rank provides a better overall selection of candidates for the program.
Once selected for Project Horizon, a member foregoes his regular work schedule and begins 10 weeks of Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. day tours. This exposes participants to the various segments of the operations and staff services sectors, which work a routine five-day schedule.
“When completed, Project Horizon should be a rewarding experience for both the selected member and the department itself. It should be an experience that will pay dividends long after the ten weeks have passed,” says Commissioner Richmond.
Chief Appleby sees an additional, indirect benefit from Project Horizon. “This project will give the participants a greater insight into what the jobs in operations and staff services entail. As participants return to the field, the firefighters’ grapevine will spread the word that this is what ‘really’ goes on in headquarters.”
