Guidelines for Establishing Successful Training Program
departments
The Volunteers Corner
More than anything else, training determines how well any fire department accomplishes its major function—extinguishing fires. Therefore, every fire department must have a successful training program to be effective.
Before you can develop a training program worthy of the name, you have to follow some basic rules. Many small fire departments have had many training programs over the years that have lasted only briefly. Some larger departments have had training programs that can claim longevity, but they have become mired in boredom. How do you avoid these failures?
First of all, the instructor must learn to start his classes on time—whether they be hands-on training or classroom sessions. Don’t wait for anyone. Start at the designated time and expect that everyone will have full turnout gear on at the starting time for training classes requiring such gear.
The corollary to starting on time is ending on time. When fire fighters report for training on time, they have a right to expect to be released on time. When they meet their obligation at the start of the class, you, as an instructor, have both a moral and practical duty to meet your obligation. When the training involves lengthy cleanup and storage of equipment, it should be understood at the start whether the time for this is part of the training period or in addition to the scheduled training time.
Continuity of training: In developing a training program, make every effort to schedule sessions in a logical time sequence without any breaks. For example, in a volunteer fire department, a specific night of the week should be selected for training and then training should be conducted on that night every week. Holding to such a schedule allows the members to arrange their other activities so as not to conflict with their training. The scheduled training should be canceled only for major holidays. In paid departments, company training sessions should be conducted at specific hours—both day and night. Companies should be scheduled to report to the drill ground at specified intervals—weekly, monthly or longer—depending on the size of the department, number of platoons, and the drill ground staff and facilities.
Continuity is particularly important when a state or other outside instructor is conducting a course in a volunteer department. Whether sessions are scheduled once a week for a number of weeks or on two or more consecutive weekends, there should be no deviation from the schedule. Postponing even one session to another day of the week or skipping one week and adding that session to the end of the course will result in a loss of attendance.
If a volunteer department is committed to an activity that will interrupt the continuity of a course, make that known to all participants before the course begins. If this is done, you can usually live with such an interruption. On the other hand, it is vital that the instructor—or instructors—be able to attend every session to maintain continuity. When different instructors will handle one or more sessions, this should be made known at the scheduling of the course.
Lesson plans: Every training session should be presented in accordance with a lesson plan. Only by following a lesson plan can you present the most important information about a subject within the allotted time. Canned lesson plans can be obtained from a number of sources—your own department, your state or regional training facility, or a nearby large fire department training division.
However, keep in mind that what you need to teach is what your fire fighters need to know. It is absurd to spend time on the use of standpipes in East Hayfield and conversely, it’s just as foolish to talk about brush fires in Upper Skid Row. These would be at the bottom of the priority scale and discussed in the area cited only when you’re preparing fire fighters for certification. Interest in training sessions is directly related to the usefulness of the evolutions and information in the trainees’ own communities.
If you develop your own lesson plan, check it against other lesson plans. If you plan to use a canned lesson plan, take a critical look at it to see if it fully meets the needs of your department. Remember the objective of all your training is to make your department— not some other department—more effective in your community.
Conducting sessions: A lesson plan on 81/2 X 11 paper is fine for classroom use, but such a format is awkward for drill ground use. Know the lesson plan well enough so that a condensed version on 3 X 5 file cards is adequate. You will find this format easy to carry in a pocket and easy to refer to during the drill.
You should have a list of all the equipment needed for a training session at the top of the lesson plan. Before starting the training session, have all this equipment arranged at the training site so that it is readily available as it is needed. This avoids interrupting a drill to send men for equipment—an action that is sure to break the interest of the trainees.
Perhaps one of the greatest problems of an instructor is lack of time. Develop your lesson plan so that you can complete it in the time available. Teach fewer evolutions, but teach them well. Explain what is useful and necessary to know, but omit the trivial detail that shows only how smart you are. Be even smarter and complete what you intended to do in the time you intended to take.
