RECRUIT TRAINING LOGISTICS, PART 1
TRAINING NOTEBOOK
Whether you’re training a firefighter recruit class of six or 60, an orderly system of scheduling and logistics is necessary to ensure a complete, smooth-running operation with a minimum of “downtime.” We used such a system at the Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department Training Academy during the training of two 12-week recruit training cycles this past year. If we had not used the ideas presented in this article, we would not have been able to handle a cycle of SO recruits followed three weeks later by a cycle of 46 recruits—it simply would have been a logistical nightmare.
PREPARING FOR THE CUSS
Develop in advance a list of items that must be accomplished prior to, during, and after the recruit class begins. The chief of training assigns each task a priority designation (number) and assigns it to an action officer/ firefighter for completion. Place this and other important documents on a status board (a fourby six-foot piece of 1/2-inch plywood works well) in your training office so everyone can review the board to determine the class status, This board also is handy when you arc making scheduling or instructor changes. We installed long telephone cords so we could reach the board while on the phone to relay information or make changes to the status board.
Whatever your training requirements are (length of time/cycle length), put this information on a computer calendar program (many commercial programs are available) so you can manipulate it during pretraining meetings and during training cycle weekly staff meetings. Keep your training calendar flexible: Allow enough time for inclement weather, outside training agency cancellations, multiple-alarm interruptions, instructor illnesses, and scheduled vacations.
If possible, try’ to develop a budget for the training cycle, to anticipate any financial problems beforehand.
When you develop calendars and priority lists, pay careful attention to the sequence of the training. For example, don’t schedule a search and rescue exercise in the smoke tower before your class satisfactorily completes SCBA training.
Depending on class size, you might have a problem obtaining 50 copies of a firefighting manual from your local fire service book supplier on very short notice. Research alternate sources of such texts well before training is to begin. Also determine the cost and your department’s approved method of payment to avoid delays.
Adjunct instructors must have a completed copy of your approved lesson plans and audiovisual aids. Give them time to review the material and conduct a practice class or two before they present it to the recruits.
Your training must conform to accepted guidelines and standards. Many new training guidelines and objectives have been developed in the past few years. Be sure to follow the guidelines that have been proven and accepted.
During our training cycles we held weekly staff meetings, on Wednesdays, to discuss progress, problems, and strategy. Conducting these sessions midweek enabled the staff to react to unforeseen situations and adjust the training schedule accordingly for the following week(s).
ORIENTATION WHEN STUDENTS ARRIVE
Develop, review, and have approved by the chief of training the rules and regulations pertaining specifically to the firefighter recruit during probationary training. Remember, the rules and regulations will be slightly different for the line firefighters than for the probationary’ firefighters. Have a block of instruction (one of the first) to explain the rules and solicit questions, to avoid misunderstandings during the training cycle.
Decide beforehand what the classroom, physical training, and outdoor activity uniforms will be. Uniformitywill be a good training tool for the paramilitary atmosphere of the firefighter training environment. Determine where these uniforms will be purchased and if the local supplier can deliver the number needed —and quickly.
RECRUIT TRAINING
Try to keep class sizes to a manageable level. Your ability to do this will depend on your full-time and/or adjunct instructor staff, facilities available, department size, and budget.
DURING TRAINING
Length of classes/attention span. Limit classes to three-hour blocks with appropriate breaks. This keeps the students’ span of attention within accepted standards. This guide may vary —for example, if the class is being given outdoors in weather extremes or if the subject matter is very dry, a shorter class may be necessary.
Be prepared to adjust when apparatus, adjunct instructors, and additional line firefighters are abruptly taken from your training site to respond to multiple-alarm fires and other emergencies.
Safety. Before each day of training begins, conduct a safety briefing to reinforce the safety practices for the day’s training activities. This will be cost-effective; for the long run, it will prevent injuries and get recruits in the habit of positive safety practices for the rest of their fire service careers.
Follow your department’s guidelines for physical training. Have guidelines for weather safety factors, such as humidity, wind chill, electrical storms, wind, snow, and so on. Brief all instructors on these weather training guidelines.
CPR training. Lcx>k into your department’s requirements for the degree of CFR training needed. This type of training is very’ time-consuming and expensive (up to S70 per person) if conducted by an outside instructor. Make sure well before the recruit class begins that one of your full-time instructors is qualified, or you must make arrangements for an outside instructor to conduct the training. A good source of first-aid, advanced first-aid, and first-responder training is your local EMS or local hospitals.
Breaking up into groups. When conducting training at a field site on or off your facility, keep the ratio of instructor to recruits at acceptable levels. Depending on the type of training, one instructor to five to seven students is acceptable.
Driver’ training. State police and insurance companies are good sources of defensive driver and emergency vehicle driver training. Designate a substantial amount of time for explaining local motor vehicle laws that pertain to emergency vehicles and their operators while responding to and returning from emergencies. Contact the local police department, port authority, or parking authority to borrow traffic cones for your driver training course.
The use of video. Video presentations are effective for training in most subjects. Try to limit their use to 10to 15-minute sessions—if they are any longer, you may hear strange sounds coming from the darkened classroom. If a video warrants a longer period of time, interrupt it periodically for discussion and review of the subject matter.
Visiting the firehouse. Toward the end of the training cycle, we found it very informative for the recruits to report to a fire station. There they can meet the company commander and line firefighters, who will take them through the everyday routine of a fire station. They work with the assigned chauffeur or apparatus supervisor on preventative maintenance checks and services of the apparatus, equipment inventories, and any other assignments. This experience makes their first tour of duty after graduation a little less intimidating because they know a little more about w’hat to expect.
Right to-know laws. Let the rightto-know’ representative know well in advance to schedule this class. Some restrictions apply on the number of individuals allowed in each class, so you may have to schedule multiple class days.
More logistics next month *
