FF/EMT Training question

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Hey y'all, I wanted to pose a question related to FF/Medical training and seek some feedback. This is a cut and paste of the question I asked on another site, and it's slanted more toward the FF side of the job, but since I am beginning the process of moving into the EMS life full time I thought it may be appropriate here.

Thanks for your feedback!

Good day,

I am new to this forum, and I am a relatively new firefighter (9.5 months), and I wanted to solicit some feedback from the more experienced FF and medics out there.

I am a VFF in a district serving 3,500+ residents, covering 34 sq. miles, and running ~275 calls a year. I have been privileged enough to have the Department send me to get my FFI/II/HAZMAT OPS and reimburse EMT training. I consider it an honor to serve my community; I run as many calls as I can, and attend every training opportunity I can (even at cost out of my pocket or losing hours at work). I’ve learned the lesson that as a probie I should sit back, keep my mouth shut, observe, and learn.

Learning. There’s the rub, as The Bard says. While we have our regular drill and training nights at the department there is not an organized training program for new firefighters, and I think it would be very beneficial to have a training methodology for our newer members; I have found myself instructing members of our department that have been around longer than I on some of the equipment or techniques, and it strikes me that we have reversed the teacher/mentor roles in some cases.

So I know I am a probie and that I only have a few months until I am sworn-in as a full-fledged member of the Department and I should (will) keep my mouth shut, so here are my thoughts/questions:

1. How do some of y’all’s departments handle training of new FF/EMTs? Do you assign a trainer/mentor? We have a TO in our department and this individual runs some pretty good classes, but the one-on-one training for newbies is quite lacking, IMO. (As a bona fide I’ll share that I have spent 10+ years hiring and training employees in a fast paced/high stress line of work)

2. How have folks approached making changes like this in their departments? I don’t want to jump the chain of command, but if we want to live the mission of “Excellence is my responsibility” then I think one of our first duties is to onboard and train the best FF/EMTs we can, whether completely new to the job or coming from a different department (our SOP’s/SOG’s vs. former dept). While a FF/EMT can learn technique in school applying those fundamentals in a high stress and realistic training environment will surely help us be successful when you hear the tones at 0300 during a monsoon.

3. Regarding training skills and demonstrating proficiency can y’all give me some examples of what you do? While I feel we run a skilled department I also feel like there is not a lot organization in the training department.

Thank you in advance everyone for your thoughts and advice.

 

[redundantbassist]

Hi, im Ken. Welcome to the forum.
I was a volunteer firefighter for a few years, but my life got busy and I requested to be moved an associate membership. Now I'm working part time EMS only in a pretty good agency. I'll do my best to answer your questions, but please keep in mind that SOGs and policies vary greatly from department to department, and my input, or that of other members might not meet the best practices of your department.

1. All formal training classes would be conducted through the county, by state certified instructors. Classes be available to any member who was interested and met the prereqs, and would be up to the individual to sign up for those classes. New members would recieve an informal orientation at the weekly trainings.

2. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the training officer to ensure depertment trainings are quality and run smoothly. You may want to respectfully share suggestions for trainings to him.

3. Our department would conduct a monthly drill at our training tower to practice handline advancement, search, ventilation, mayday/RIT etc. All the other trainings of the month would include basic skills such as drafting, pump ops, ladders, etc. The med team would have it's own seperate trainings twice monthly to practice skills.

 

[Jim37F]

I have found myself instructing members of our department that have been around longer than I on some of the equipment or techniques, and it strikes me that we have reversed the teacher/mentor roles in some cases.

I worked as a single role EMT-B for an ISO Class 1 fire department here in So Cal, and they commonly did this. New rookie firefighters and us Ambulance Operators would be assigned "Company Schools" on a given subject (as an AO we were generally only given those pertaining to EMS, the ambulance and it's equipment while the rookie FFs could be expected to give a company school on any Engine or Truck company equipment or operations). Say the rookie was assigned to do a school on the rotary saws, they'd basically "teach" the saw to everyone else in the station on the assumption that no one knew anything whatsoever about said saw. The experienced firefighters would pepper the class liberally with all sorts of questions about the saw, basically looking for the rookie to demonstrate full knowledge of everything about the saw, it's uses, when not to use it, it's maintenance, how all the inner workings worked, etc. (In this way the rookies were expected to ultimately give these company schools on basically every piece of equipment in their apparatus before they can clear probation).

Hopefully that's more of how your dept is doing it, rather than just "oh yeah, I've been here for 10 years but only use the saws 3 times a year, I forgot so much about it, good thing the newbie gave a class on it!"

 

[redundantbassist]

I worked as a single role EMT-B for an ISO Class 1 fire department here in So Cal, and they commonly did this. New rookie firefighters and us Ambulance Operators would be assigned "Company Schools" on a given subject (as an AO we were generally only given those pertaining to EMS, the ambulance and it's equipment while the rookie FFs could be expected to give a company school on any Engine or Truck company equipment or operations). Say the rookie was assigned to do a school on the rotary saws, they'd basically "teach" the saw to everyone else in the station on the assumption that no one knew anything whatsoever about said saw. The experienced firefighters would pepper the class liberally with all sorts of questions about the saw, basically looking for the rookie to demonstrate full knowledge of everything about the saw, it's uses, when not to use it, it's maintenance, how all the inner workings worked, etc. (In this way the rookies were expected to ultimately give these company schools on basically every piece of equipment in their apparatus before they can clear probation).

Hopefully that's more of how your dept is doing it, rather than just "oh yeah, I've been here for 10 years but only use the saws 3 times a year, I forgot so much about it, good thing the newbie gave a class on it!"

Thats actually a really good idea having the rookie demonstrate competence, rather than having everyone crowd around the training officer doing a half-assed demo "this is a k12, this is how you turn on and off." A lot of these skills are only learned by doing them multiple times.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Hi, im Ken. Welcome to the forum.
I was a volunteer firefighter for a few years, but my life got busy and I requested to be moved an associate membership. Now I'm working part time EMS only in a pretty good agency. I'll do my best to answer your questions, but please keep in mind that SOGs and policies vary greatly from department to department, and my input, or that of other members might not meet the best practices of your department.

1. All formal training classes would be conducted through the county, by state certified instructors. Classes be available to any member who was interested and met the prereqs, and would be up to the individual to sign up for those classes. New members would recieve an informal orientation at the weekly trainings.

2. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the training officer to ensure depertment trainings are quality and run smoothly. You may want to respectfully share suggestions for trainings to him.

3. Our department would conduct a monthly drill at our training tower to practice handline advancement, search, ventilation, mayday/RIT etc. All the other trainings of the month would include basic skills such as drafting, pump ops, ladders, etc. The med team would have it's own seperate trainings twice monthly to practice skills.

Thanks Ken,

This is pretty similar to how our department trains, although medical training is department-wide as we don't have a seperate medical team. I don't know what the "standards" are for medical practice for paid or volunteer departments across the country, but in our department we are only able to respond as EMR's even if you hold a more advanced license. (Our local service runs Medic/Medic rigs)

One thing I wish we had was that orientation, once I am off probation I think that I may ask the TO if we can develop something like that, and assign each new employee a mentor to work with them.

 

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I worked as a single role EMT-B for an ISO Class 1 fire department here in So Cal, and they commonly did this. New rookie firefighters and us Ambulance Operators would be assigned "Company Schools" on a given subject (as an AO we were generally only given those pertaining to EMS, the ambulance and it's equipment while the rookie FFs could be expected to give a company school on any Engine or Truck company equipment or operations). Say the rookie was assigned to do a school on the rotary saws, they'd basically "teach" the saw to everyone else in the station on the assumption that no one knew anything whatsoever about said saw. The experienced firefighters would pepper the class liberally with all sorts of questions about the saw, basically looking for the rookie to demonstrate full knowledge of everything about the saw, it's uses, when not to use it, it's maintenance, how all the inner workings worked, etc. (In this way the rookies were expected to ultimately give these company schools on basically every piece of equipment in their apparatus before they can clear probation).

Hopefully that's more of how your dept is doing it, rather than just "oh yeah, I've been here for 10 years but only use the saws 3 times a year, I forgot so much about it, good thing the newbie gave a class on it!"

I LOVE this approach!!!

As a newbie I understand that I have a lot to learn, but after speaking to some of my fellow students during fire school I think that there is a tendency among the volunteer organizations in our area to function more on the level of the second part of your reply: "BTDT, I don't run calls anymore, I don't go interior." etc

More opportunities for me to train and learn I guess.

 

[CALEMT]

I worked as a single role EMT-B for an ISO Class 1 fire department here in So Cal, and they commonly did this. New rookie firefighters and us Ambulance Operators would be assigned "Company Schools" on a given subject (as an AO we were generally only given those pertaining to EMS, the ambulance and it's equipment while the rookie FFs could be expected to give a company school on any Engine or Truck company equipment or operations). Say the rookie was assigned to do a school on the rotary saws, they'd basically "teach" the saw to everyone else in the station on the assumption that no one knew anything whatsoever about said saw. The experienced firefighters would pepper the class liberally with all sorts of questions about the saw, basically looking for the rookie to demonstrate full knowledge of everything about the saw, it's uses, when not to use it, it's maintenance, how all the inner workings worked, etc. (In this way the rookies were expected to ultimately give these company schools on basically every piece of equipment in their apparatus before they can clear probation).

When I was a explorer we did this ALL the time. Even when I was a seasonal firefighter for CAL FIRE we (new ff's) did this. In my opinion its the best way to learn about a subject/ tool. It promotes extensive research to give the best presentation, plus the more experienced members "play dumb" and ask intelligent question on said subject/ tool. All in all its a great way to learn and also maybe give some new info to the more experienced members.

 

[DesertMedic66]

See one, do one, teach one.