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Chapter 7. Training and Education. Overview. Administrators are responsible for efficient and effective emergency operations. There are no shortcuts to having members who are well trained.
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Chapter 7 Training and Education Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Overview • Administrators are responsible for efficient and effective emergency operations. • There are no shortcuts to having members who are well trained. • Members should be trained, beginning with an intense recruit school, and should receive updated training regularly. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
In-service Training • Must be high priority. • Use NFPA 1500 as a template. • Training should involve teams when doing fireground operations. • The best retention comes when applying the knowledge to an actual incident or training exercise. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Higher Education • Most programs are offered at community colleges, with a few universities offering bachelor’s degrees. • Most Bachelor degree programs are Internet based. • This method requires great self-discipline. • When researching programs, make sure they fit your needs. • Is the college fully accredited? • Will the offered courses transfer to other schools? • What is the official degree title? Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Professional Development • Many excellent seminars and conferences with outside experts exist. • Members attending outside programs should be required to present the knowledge to their department. • Be selective—many presentations are not founded on knowledge that would stand up to peer review. • Training and professional development is a never-ending process. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Recertification • Currently there are no recertification or continuing education requirements. • Each department should create a standard training program and schedule. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Standard Operating Procedures • SOPs are needed due to the nature of emergency services. • Split-second decisions must be made by first arriving companies. • They provide a margin of safety. • They can have a huge effect on the final outcome. • For consistency and reliability, they should be followed with few exceptions. • Must be reviewed and practiced frequently. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Developing SOPs • Developing SOPs can be a very contentious process. • Best done on a regional basis. • Don’t reinvent the wheel! • Always include the option for the company officer to deviate at his or her professional judgment. • Include a critique process for each deviation. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Regional Approaches to Training • Greatest need is for multi-company drills and entry-level Fire Fighter I and II. • Many smaller departments struggle with finding the opportunity to train on even a typical house fire that needs multiple companies. • For more specialized training, regional cooperative approaches are very effective and affordable. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Hazardous Materials Teams • Hazardous materials emergencies have required a rethinking of many of the traditional approaches. • In the past two decades there has been a huge increase in the number of hazardous materials teams in the public sector. • Many communities have found that these specialized teams are used rarely, if at all. • With so few calls, there is little chance to test the teams’ training and increase their experience. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Initial Fire Attack: Training Goals • NFPA 1410, Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations, outlines typical fireground evolutions and recommended completion times. • If times are inadequate, evaluate the following: • Frequency of training sessions • SOPs • Staffing Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Company Officer Education and Training • Either a lieutenant, captain, or a chief in a one- or two-station department • Based on the NFPA professional qualifications standards for Fire Officer I and II Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Chief Officer Education • Chief officer should look at formal education as a tool to be effective at his or her job. • Many other agency heads will have at least a bachelor’s degree. • Bachelor’s degree should be in relevant major such as fire science, management, or administration or public administration or policy. Fire & Emergency Services Administration
Quality Service • Training and education are crucial for quality service. • Higher education is the key to the door of opportunity both personally and professionally. • Education puts the fire officer on equal ground with contemporaries and elected or appointed officials. • Education will give the fire officer the tools needed to be a change agent. Fire & Emergency Services Administration