“Since operating in the fire service today is much different than in years past, firefighters are fighting fires that burn much hotter and faster, and the required skill set for firefighters is much broader than simply putting out fires, the fire service must change the way it instructs its members,” stresses Lt. Scott Kraut, Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue. The instructor for the “Modern Training Techniques for Tactical Success” workshop on Monday, explains: “When considering the low-frequency/high-risk model in all of the tasks that fire service members respond to in today’s world, training has never been more important.”
Kraut demonstrated “instruction for today’s fire service” that takes into consideration “barriers” that may interfere with students’ learning, including generational gaps, gender-specific learning abilities, and cultural vernacular.
Instructors, he cautioned, must not ignore the physiological and psychological stressors that affect all in the fire service. In addition, Kraut emphasized the need for mastery in all areas of performance. “Our chosen profession carries with it far too much responsibility for mediocrity. Don’t fake the funk!” he warned.
A portion of the workshop was devoted to “stress inoculation,” a term derived from a military and law enforcement training methodology that involves identifying stressors that prevent firefighters/military personnel from succeeding in a chaotic environment and inoculating the brain against those stressors–much like we inoculate our immune system for a flu virus,” Kraut explains.
“Without an understanding of the physiological and psychological influences (stressors) inherent in our profession, we will never truly achieve mastery and certainly will not be successful in teaching others,” Kraut asserts.
Lieutenant Scott Kraut, Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue
Students will be taken through a seven-year building process for a successful training program that effectively trains 1,400 members annually. They will learn what it takes to achieve success with limited resources and the psychology behind training adult learners. The building blocks behind the training program–needs analysis, course outline, instructor selection, venue selection, course delivery, and leadership concepts–are discussed. The course also delves into how “stress inoculation” fits into the training environment.
