Comments on: Process Firefighting http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Greg http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3611 Greg Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:13:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3611 The term I have always used is "putting out fires." As Dan pointed out, firefighting is much, much more.<br/><br/>Two reasons I am aware of for managing this way:<br/><br/>1) It is easier to manage by "emergency." Rather than plan, make decisions, and execute. To make a novice analogy to firefighters, when actually putting out a fire, all resources are channeled to that moment. Things such as planning, budgeting, training, etc. are set aside until the fire has been put out.<br/><br/>2)Demonstration of worth. In any are that requires maintenance, the end users often see no value if they do not encounter the occasional emergency. Again, with the firefighter analogy; if all firefighters educated and prevented so well that fires were a rarity, some genius would decide to shut down all the fire stations (and wonder why their city burned to the ground after they completely got rid of the fire fighters). The term I have always used is “putting out fires.” As Dan pointed out, firefighting is much, much more.

Two reasons I am aware of for managing this way:

1) It is easier to manage by “emergency.” Rather than plan, make decisions, and execute. To make a novice analogy to firefighters, when actually putting out a fire, all resources are channeled to that moment. Things such as planning, budgeting, training, etc. are set aside until the fire has been put out.

2)Demonstration of worth. In any are that requires maintenance, the end users often see no value if they do not encounter the occasional emergency. Again, with the firefighter analogy; if all firefighters educated and prevented so well that fires were a rarity, some genius would decide to shut down all the fire stations (and wonder why their city burned to the ground after they completely got rid of the fire fighters).

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]]> By: Seth http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3608 Seth Fri, 30 May 2008 15:31:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3608 Anita Tucker has a great series of publications on the 'fire fighting' phenomenon in hospitals, but calls it 'first-order problem solving.'<br/><br/>http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/~tuckera/pubs.html Anita Tucker has a great series of publications on the ‘fire fighting’ phenomenon in hospitals, but calls it ‘first-order problem solving.’

http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/~tuckera/pubs.html

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]]> By: Erik http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3606 Erik Thu, 29 May 2008 19:08:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3606 We have never used the term process arsonist, but there are always these little workarounds, in German - kleiner Dienstweg. The thing you have to do is ask why are we bypassing the system? Either because the system is broken and should be fixed or more often someone is too lazy and doesn't do their required work and push it down stream in hopes that someone else will do their work. We have never used the term process arsonist, but there are always these little workarounds, in German – kleiner Dienstweg. The thing you have to do is ask why are we bypassing the system? Either because the system is broken and should be fixed or more often someone is too lazy and doesn’t do their required work and push it down stream in hopes that someone else will do their work.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3605 Mark Graban Thu, 29 May 2008 15:04:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3605 Dan, thanks for the comment. I figured we were selling firefighters short in that analogy! Dan, thanks for the comment. I figured we were selling firefighters short in that analogy!

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]]> By: Dan http://www.leanblog.org/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3604 Dan Thu, 29 May 2008 14:55:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/05/process-firefighting/#comment-3604 Hey Mark, I was a firefighter for awhile and I can confirm that yes, in addition to actual fire suppression activities firefighters also do fire investigation after the fact. There are "fire watch" crews that will stick around after the fire has been knocked down to prevent the fire from flaring up again (depending on the departments manpower).<br/><br/>Additionally, most fire departments will do preventative work such as public education and (in woodsy areas like mine) brush abatement (where we send crews out to do controlled burns, and good old pick and shovel work to clear ground). Hey Mark, I was a firefighter for awhile and I can confirm that yes, in addition to actual fire suppression activities firefighters also do fire investigation after the fact. There are “fire watch” crews that will stick around after the fire has been knocked down to prevent the fire from flaring up again (depending on the departments manpower).

Additionally, most fire departments will do preventative work such as public education and (in woodsy areas like mine) brush abatement (where we send crews out to do controlled burns, and good old pick and shovel work to clear ground).

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