Understanding discipline in the uniformed public services
Need for and role of discipline in the public services
The uniformed services
The uniformed public services have a hierarchical structure, with each rank having clearly defned roles and
responsibilites within the service. Below, the rank structure for most of the uniformed public services is noted
and described. Hierarchy plays a big role in enforcing discipline, as each rank has somebody to report to and
somebody to receive instructon and order from. This ensures organisaton, structure and efciency within the
services.
Fire service: The duty of the fre service is to protect life and property from fre and Brigade Manager
other hazards by preventng the escalaton of hazards and carrying out rescues and Area Manager
Group Manager
risk assessments. It is also their duty to advise the public and enforce safety
Staton Manager
legislaton. Within the fre service, there are crews which are made up of about six Watch Manager
fire-fighters. They respond to fre emergencies, foods, terrorist incidents, road and Crew Manager
rail disasters, bomb alerts, and dangerous spills. They also test hydrants and ensure Fire-fghter
emergency water supplies are ready to go. Each crew has a crew manager, who is stll as fre-fghter but one
who has the extra responsibility of supervising the crew with their knowledge and experience. When multple
crews are working at once, they are called a watch. The watch manager is responsible for a single watch.
Multple watches operate from a single fre staton, and they all report to the staton manager who is in charge
of all the watches (there are usually around fvee operatng from that staton. The staton manager is usually
the one in charge of incidents unless it is a very extreme incident. In this case, a group, area, or brigade
manager would be responsible for assessing the situaton and deciding what to do. They would direct crews
and also produce a report of the incident.
Ambulance service: The Ambulance Service is accountable to the NHS Chief Executve
Director
and has the duty of preserving life by providing accident and
Assistant Director
emergency cover in response to 999 emergency calls. They also Locality Manager
Customer Relatons Manager
transport patents in non-emergency setngs, and this is done by
Paramedic Practtoner
ambulance healthcare assistants. As just mentoned, they are Clinical Team Leader
responsible for transferring patents to and from hospital setngs in Paramedic
Emergency Medical Technician
non-emergency situatons, for example a patent who is unable to Emergency Medical Dispatcher
reach hospital themselves and needs regular kidney dialysis would be Ambulance Healthcare Assistant
transported by this kind of personnel. An emergency medical dispatcher is able to handle and grade calls that
are received and send out the appropriate response. Emergency medical technicians respond to general
emergency incidents and they can provide some medical care. They are usually teamed with a paramedic who
is more qualifed and able to provide more medical care at an emergency scene. Clinical team leaders ensure
1
Need for and role of discipline in the public services
The uniformed services
The uniformed public services have a hierarchical structure, with each rank having clearly defned roles and
responsibilites within the service. Below, the rank structure for most of the uniformed public services is noted
and described. Hierarchy plays a big role in enforcing discipline, as each rank has somebody to report to and
somebody to receive instructon and order from. This ensures organisaton, structure and efciency within the
services.
Fire service: The duty of the fre service is to protect life and property from fre and Brigade Manager
other hazards by preventng the escalaton of hazards and carrying out rescues and Area Manager
Group Manager
risk assessments. It is also their duty to advise the public and enforce safety
Staton Manager
legislaton. Within the fre service, there are crews which are made up of about six Watch Manager
fire-fighters. They respond to fre emergencies, foods, terrorist incidents, road and Crew Manager
rail disasters, bomb alerts, and dangerous spills. They also test hydrants and ensure Fire-fghter
emergency water supplies are ready to go. Each crew has a crew manager, who is stll as fre-fghter but one
who has the extra responsibility of supervising the crew with their knowledge and experience. When multple
crews are working at once, they are called a watch. The watch manager is responsible for a single watch.
Multple watches operate from a single fre staton, and they all report to the staton manager who is in charge
of all the watches (there are usually around fvee operatng from that staton. The staton manager is usually
the one in charge of incidents unless it is a very extreme incident. In this case, a group, area, or brigade
manager would be responsible for assessing the situaton and deciding what to do. They would direct crews
and also produce a report of the incident.
Ambulance service: The Ambulance Service is accountable to the NHS Chief Executve
Director
and has the duty of preserving life by providing accident and
Assistant Director
emergency cover in response to 999 emergency calls. They also Locality Manager
Customer Relatons Manager
transport patents in non-emergency setngs, and this is done by
Paramedic Practtoner
ambulance healthcare assistants. As just mentoned, they are Clinical Team Leader
responsible for transferring patents to and from hospital setngs in Paramedic
Emergency Medical Technician
non-emergency situatons, for example a patent who is unable to Emergency Medical Dispatcher
reach hospital themselves and needs regular kidney dialysis would be Ambulance Healthcare Assistant
transported by this kind of personnel. An emergency medical dispatcher is able to handle and grade calls that
are received and send out the appropriate response. Emergency medical technicians respond to general
emergency incidents and they can provide some medical care. They are usually teamed with a paramedic who
is more qualifed and able to provide more medical care at an emergency scene. Clinical team leaders ensure
1
