Tim’s Training Toolbox

With Summer being in full swing all across the U.S.A., it has become the time of year where “taking a short cut” becomes an acceptable practice in the fire service.  Whether you want to discuss training evolutions or small incidents “Taking a short cut” should not be part of the conversation, and should not be part of the planing process.

What do I mean by “taking the short cut”?  To put it simply when the department allows a behavior or action to happen, and uses the summertime weather as rationale is “taking the short cut”.  Still don’t get it here is an example…”Well since it is hot and sunny out today we wont require firefighters to wear PPE for today’s Pump Op drill”.  This example, which most know it happens often, could lead to an avoidable injury and creates bad habits.

How does allowing short cuts lead to injury?  Well, not only are you exposing the firefighters to potential injury without their proper PPE at the incident/training where the short cut was made but also in the future.  Once the short cut is introduced, it becomes learned behavior meaning the firefighters know that is was alright during training to take the short cut, it is ten degrees hotter today so it should be okay today too.

Which leads this conversation right into bad habits.  Bad habits are hard to break, that we will all agree on.  Do bad habits blemish the public image of the fire service?  Do bad habits lead to injuries?  And are bad habits often the result of a good intention?  The answer is yes to all of it.  As part of the Fire Service we are professionals and should conduct ourselves accordingly at all times the public is always watching, everyone goes home, and your officer may come off as a hard a** but it is for the good of all.

Training takes timing...what does that statement mean? When I first started as a department training officer, 

I spent the time planning training but never put much thought into when to hold the training. 

As I have developed as a trainer over the years I have improved the timing of when I conduct certain training.

As common sense as it sounds you don't want to have brush fire training in January if you are in an area that receives snow then and doesn't see a brush fire till April or May.

 In New York state a good time to conduct brush fire training would be February 15 through March 30. So you may ask, why then? 

If you are going to conduct training that may only be needed certain times of the year, you are going to want to conduct that training before it will be needed. 

However you do not want to hold the training so far in advance that the information is not fresh in the minds of the responders. 

Holding the training just before it may be needed will keep the information fresh, 

and allow for the review of new practices or procedures hopefully before the first call for that type of incident is encountered.

If the training is scheduled and a call happens before the training, use the incident as a teaching tool.  

What happened that went correctly, and was executed properly.  Follow with what went wrong, and what was executed poorly.  

Finish with revisiting what happened correctly and was done properly, while adding the corrective actions needed to correct what was done wrong and poorly.

When planning training, remember, the proper timing of the training you offer will have an impact on it's effectiveness. 

I have put together an OSHA Refresher in-service training that is 6 hours in length, but can be made longer if needed.  Using PowerPoint, I have a put together over 110 slides with instructor’s notes that can be printed book style. This was written for the fire service in New York State, but is general enough for any location that is guided by NFPA. 

The content includes; Response Safety, Fire Scene Safety, Fire Station Safety, Personal Protective Equipment, Understanding Mutual Aid, Too & Equipment Safety, Radio Communication, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus.  Also included is a quiz for Response Safety, photo scenarios for Fire Scene & Fire Station Safety, a P.P.E. inventory and condition worksheet, as well as information to include “Right to know” training into the Fire Scene Safety segment.

This program has been run twice since being completed in January, and will run two times in February.  In March the program will be made available for sale using           e-bay.  If you interested prior to the release in March contact me at tjwolverton@gmail.com and I can work up pricing and specific information.  I am also looking to schedule dates to locations where I come in and present the material.  Significant promotional discounts are in effect until May 2010 in order to promote this great training product.  Currently this offer only applies in New York and parts of PA, OH, MA, VT, and Ontario-Canada