By ALAN RUFER
Developing a volunteer recruit training program is not an easy task. Training officers often become frustrated when their research results in a “buffet” of recruit training programs located in their county, region, or state. For example, the officers may find that one department has a highly detailed recruit training program that has internal and external requirements while a neighboring department may only require its recruits to meet the minimum standards set forth by its state.
Lack of time and lack of resources are common reasons cited for not having an internal recruit training program. I often hear that departments find it easier to send the recruits to a local technical college or a regional fire academy to complete a curriculum that meets their state’s minimum training requirements than it is to design their own recruit training program. Although technical colleges and regional fire academies are great resources for managing and delivering a recruit training program, most often, these programs are generic by design. The program curriculum is often built around the job performance requirements (JPRs) listed in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications. The process and number of hours required for completing a recruit training program often vary from state to state and may or may not require passing a written and/or practical exam.
For example, in Wisconsin, a firefighter is required to complete a 60-hour training program prior to participating in interior firefighting operations. This is a noncertification program that does not require passing a written or practical exam. An additional 36 hours of training and the successful completion of a written and practical exam are necessary to receive certification but are not required by the state.
Regardless of whether the training is delivered through a technical college or an external source, these programs are designed to provide the basic knowledge and skills to perform on the fireground and meet the state requirements. Where these “canned” programs fall short is in preparing the recruits to operate/function on “your” fireground. Ultimately, as a profession, we share a common goal-get the water on the fire as quickly as possible. However, as individual organizations, we have the autonomy to decide how we will achieve that goal. Because departments tend to mold their methods/standard operating guidelines to fit their particular strengths and weaknesses, it is important to have some form of internal recruit training program in addition to the external program used to meet mandated requirements.
Internal Recruit Training Program
An internal recruit training program integrates new members into your operations. To help training officers overcome what can be an intimidating and overwhelming process, I want to share some effective techniques for designing and implementing a recruit training program for volunteers.
Much like the incident command system, the following ideas can contract or expand to fit your individual needs. As I mentioned earlier, training officers often tell me that they don’t have the time or resources necessary to develop or implement a recruit training program. My first tip is to not make developing a recruit training program more difficult than it needs to be. The very basic recruit training program can be broken down into three parts: curriculum, evaluation, and graduation.
Curriculum
Don’t spend your time reinventing the wheel. Make a list of the training lessons you already have, modify them to meet the instructional and learning levels of a recruit, and then compare the list to the JPRs provided in NFPA 1001. Often, most of what you need to accomplish already exists in your department’s regular training program; simply add the skills that may be missing, and put them on paper.
Although a written syllabus with objectives and teaching outlines is nice, it is certainly not required prior to implementing a recruit training program. A fellow training officer once said to me that he was “not very good at writing a syllabus.” I encouraged him to begin by breaking it down into four parts: the What, When, Who, and How for delivering the training. If you tackle these parts individually, the task of writing a syllabus becomes less intimidating.
After determining what will be in the recruit training program, you need to decide when, who, and how it will be delivered. Decisions such as whether the recruit training will be in conjunction with or in addition to your regular training schedule will affect how quickly the recruits will be ready to function on the fireground.
Including the new members in your department’s regular training provides them with the opportunity to develop relationships with the other members. The downside is that it lengthens the time it takes for them to complete the recruit training process and respond on the apparatus.
You must consider the recruit’s and the instructor’s competing interests such as work, family, and social commitments when planning the training schedule. A training schedule that is too aggressive can burn out the recruits and instructors. However, recruits often lose interest when training programs are too drawn out, and this can lead to increased turnover. It’s important to strike a balance between what kind of time the recruit can give and what the department needs. It is best to address these time commitments before bringing a new recruit on board.
After determining what you are going to teach and when you are going to teach it, you can begin scheduling who is going to deliver the training. Trying to do it all is a common mistake among training officers. Although I am an advocate for using certified instructors, the reality is that many volunteer departments simply don’t have those resources. Outside instructors can be helpful, but they are often unfamiliar with the inner workings of your department.
Don’t let these obstacles prevent you from moving forward in developing a recruit training program. Identify those members who understand what you want to teach and who have the patience to work with new recruits. It is important that these instructors understand that each recruit will learn at a different pace, and some may have many questions. I highly recommend maintaining a low student-to-instructor ratio; a 3:1 ratio for practical exercises provides the one-on-one attention that many recruits need to be successful.
(Note: Don’t limit yourself to subject matter experts or measure an instructor’s qualifications based on his number of years of experience in the fire service. I know many exceptional firefighters who are not good instructors, and I know many senior firefighters whose skills do not reflect the tactics of today’s fire service.)
Identify high-performing members who have the communication skills to explain and demonstrate the tasks step by step. Enlisting several instructors will reduce the workload, expose the recruits to different perspectives and teaching styles, and create buy-in among the membership.
Finally, identify how you are going to deliver the program. Will lessons be taught in the classroom, through hands-on training, or a combination of both? Keep the class format in mind when assigning instructors. You don’t want to assign to a classroom lesson someone who is nervous speaking in front of students.
We have all endured the pain of a training seminar where the instructor repeatedly used words such as “Um,” “You know,” and “Ah.” Avoid this by selecting an instructor who has experience speaking in front of groups and giving him ample time to prepare. Also, give thought to how much of the recruit training program will be practical exercises, self-study, and supplemented with video or other resources. Short video clips immediately followed by practical exercises are more effective than videos by themselves.
Also, videos of your own people performing tasks unique to your department are very helpful in training new members. Videos are also great for preparing the instructors for the lessons they are going to teach; they contribute significantly to program consistency.
You can use many methods to capture video and even more programs for editing it. But, you don’t have to purchase expensive equipment to get started. We began with a smartphone to take the pictures/video, and then we used free software to edit it. The key is to take the time and think about what you want to do and what it is going to take to do it. Rome was not built in a day, and something is better than nothing. If you don’t have “techie” people in your organization, check with your neighbors or ask the local high school for some help with the editing.
Evaluation
Use objective and measureable criteria for testing recruits’ skills. Make clear what constitutes the passing or failing of a particular test station. Take the time to sincerely consider where you will set the bar. Set it too low, and you will get recruits with weak skills. Set it too high, and you may experience a high failure rate. Everyone must be held to the same standard; it is the only way for the recruit program to maintain its integrity.
Don’t overlook the need to evaluate the recruit training program as a whole. Formal and informal conversations with department members can provide valuable insight into how the program is working or, at least, how the membership perceives it. Although subjective in nature, this part of the evaluation process is important in gaining the necessary buy-in from the members.
Focus on the feedback as a whole and not any one individual comment. Identify commonality among the responses, and be willing to accept the positives as well as the negatives. As a note, two surefire ways to kill the feedback loop are failing to act on the information provided and levying repercussions for negative feedback-real or perceived. It is imperative that you are sincere in your solicitation of feedback.
Evaluating the program is an ongoing process. I recommend creating a daily log that is completed after each training session. This log should include the topics covered, the duration of the training, who taught the training, and a section for what went right and what went wrong. Don’t wait until the end of the training program to go back and evaluate each lesson; by the time you are done, you most likely won’t remember most of the important events.
Resist the urge to make changes to the program “on the fly” unless they are related to safety or are significant to the program’s success. For example, a near-miss during ladder evolutions may justify changing the techniques being taught for safety purposes. However, a classroom lesson on fire extinguishers that left recruits confused over the difference between a class A and a class B fire extinguisher may reflect the delivery or instructional preparation rather than program design.
Making adjustments on the fly will create ambiguity in the program and result in recruits becoming confused and frustrated. Instead of making incremental changes, take notes, review the daily logs, and make the necessary changes at the end of the program. This will allow you to better analyze the cause and effect the changes may have.
Graduation
The graduation ceremony is a time to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of your new members. It is also a time to recognize and welcome them as official members of your fire department family. It represents their transition from a probationary member to a regular member.
The graduation ceremony does not need to be extravagant or expensive. We hold ours in the apparatus bay of the fire station. The ceremony is scheduled in place of a regular training session so members don’t need to add another event to their already busy schedules. Members wear dress uniforms, and their families are invited as well as city officials and members of the media. We serve a potluck-style meal; a badge pinning ceremony follows.
The formality of the ceremony is not as important as the ceremony itself. This is an event that recruits will remember for the rest of their careers. The single greatest thing you can do to retain members is to show that you appreciate their time and commitment. A graduation ceremony is the perfect place to start.
The number-one goal of any recruit training program should be to “put bodies in the trucks.” A wise old chief once said to me, “Those are just trucks out there in the bay. They don’t become fire trucks until we get on them.”
Firefighters are active go-getters by nature. A bored firefighter will soon be a retired firefighter. Firefighters left standing around, unable to participate beyond washing the trucks, will soon find somewhere else to volunteer their time. Designing an internal recruit training program will get them on the trucks and provide them with the skills necessary to make a positive contribution on your fireground.
ALAN RUFER is the division chief of training for the Monroe (WI) Fire Department. He has an MBA in organizational development, is enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program, and is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Company Officer Leadership Committee. Rufer authored the book Help Wanted. He is a frequent speaker at local, regional, and national conferences.
Recruitment + Training = Retention
Paid Two-Week Training Spurs Retention and Recruitment
Keys to Recruitment and Retention
