A New Era in Firefighter Training: Setting Up a Training Video Library

BY SHELLEY WHEELER

Training is the heart and soul of what fire departments do. We are not just fighting fires anymore. The modern fire service has evolved into an all-hazards organization that must be ready for anything. Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) prides itself as a learning organization that is dedicated to training. And, while budget constraints can—and often do—limit training, we must find ways to make it happen.

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The motto “Perform the basics perfectly” has laid the foundation and expectation of excellence in all we do. As with most fire service organizations, training sets the tone and expectations for how we operate. MCFRS has a long-running in-service training program. In the past, the program typically focused on a single topic that related to issues the department faced. The training took place once a year with the goal of getting everyone in operations to complete the program within a certain period.

However, the pandemic led to changes, and training was threatened by far more than budget constraints. Training as we knew it came to a halt.

A New Perspective

This challenge required more than just good ideas. To start, we needed to understand the barriers that led to training deficits in the first place. When I assumed the role of the in-service training coordinator, life was just getting back to “normal.”

Our most significant issues included a slow return to standard operations, money, and the mindset of “This is how we’ve always done it”—the quintessential fire service response to change. The solutions were not going to be easy, and they would not happen overnight. Once I realized that many of our current training programs could be improved with some creative reorganization, it took roughly two years to get them up and running.

Combining a deeper understanding of what it takes to run existing programs with creative thinking allowed for innovative restructuring. With a strained budget and a shorthanded training staff, success depended on collaboration and teamwork. The success of our programs is the result of the collective effort of the training chief, assistant training chief, and motivated and dedicated personnel. The results we’ve seen also prove that leadership and teamwork pave the road to success.

Some of our existing programs include the following:

• A training video library.
• Acquired structure training.
• Flashover training.
• Hands-on training, aka H.O.T.
• Collaborative training with surrounding jurisdictions.
• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)-sponsored training.

This fresh look at existing programs has helped us create quality training that does not necessarily break the bank.

The First Initiative: a Video Library

One of the first initiatives the training academy took on was a revamp of monthly basic training (MBT), which was an existing program. MBT started with identifying important departmental topics and creating videos that the operations personnel could watch in the firehouse and then transfer to company-level training. Some topics were better than others, but it was a start. However, enhancing tactical considerations and exercising and honing crucial skills required for mitigating a multitude of incidents involve much more than sitting on a couch and watching a video. The platform did not foster much excitement. 

A Fresh Start

The idea of MBT was to offer monthly video training. However, creating a video library of training that people could access at any time seemed like a stronger idea. The platform was easy to deal with and this approach would encourage companies to train even as people were still hesitant about gathering.

The “micro” training route felt like an excellent platform to consider and a good way to keep trainees’ attention. A micro learning platform provides and enhances ideas for training on relevant concepts, including basic training topics for company-level operations, special operations, and other important topics. Micro learning gives firefighters a succinct and straightforward way to train. It also offers a unique level of control to the trainees, allowing them to choose where and when they engage in training. Ultimately, this allows for deeper understanding, stronger application, and better chances of retention.

The Challenge of Getting Buy-In

We needed to figure out how to get buy-in from the operational personnel. The solution came from a simple question: How could we create relevant training?

It made sense that the people running the calls would have the best input into what training they need to do their jobs better and more safely. After all, they’re the ones in the field on all day-to-day operations.

Battalion and station have certain unique circumstances to consider, such as target hazards and different styles and ages of buildings. With that in mind, we figured we could get stronger buy-in if we included the station officers and their crews in the development, creation, and delivery of the trainings. This would get them excited and it would give the end users ownership over the project.

I started out by talking to many firefighters and officers about their unmet needs. Based on the feedback, the transition from MBT to basic training minutes (BTM) was underway. The overall change was not a massive overhaul of the program but rather a tweak in methodology and delivery to ensure buy-in, ownership, and collaboration from everyone involved. 

The Library

I contacted a friend and well-respected officer, Captain Justin Meyer, to schedule a date with our digital media production crew. This group of firefighters and officers with extra talents helped us plan our first video session. The final product was divided into videos, each under 10 minutes in length. The idea of this approach was to keep each training short and sweet. The viewers could click on the training that they want and plan company-level training for their crews.

We moved away from the tedious video voice-overs of the past. And we cut out irrelevant topics. As a result, we had a product created by operational personnel for operational personnel.

The platform itself is nimble: Companies can view other companies’ videos and then use them as-is or adapt the content to their specific needs. The platform also serves as a great marketing tool for the program. It encourages and even challenges others to create their own training. And every time a department creates a new training, the overall video training library grows.

The First Training

The first training consists of four short videos (Figure 1):

1. Introduction and engine company multitasking (5:29).
2. Ladder carries and techniques (4:01).
3. Application of the training to real-world incidents/operations and conclusion (2:50).
4. A real-world video via a helmet-cam with a voice-over explaining how the training was applied on a working incident (2:53).

Recorded by the digital media production crew in the field, the first video’s entire filming process took about two hours. The training took place at a garden apartment structure in Company 18’s area and their firehouse. We broke the training videos into short clips so end users can view them as they wish.

Video 1

Introduction and Engine Company Multitasking demonstrates how Company 18 trains to simultaneously accomplish multiple tasks on the fireground. The scenario focuses on the third-due engine of a border company.

Per our policy, the third-due engine company and second-due truck report to the C side on arrival. Border companies or firehouses that border another county may have a significant delay on the second-due truck’s arrival. As a result, they must use all available resources on the engine company including ladders.

The video shows how a single four-person engine company can deploy a long line to the C side of a garden apartment. It also shows how the company can use its ladders (a 14-foot straight ladder and 24-foot extension ladder) to effect rescue, provide egress for suppression operations, allow the officer to complete a circle check, and allow the driver to establish water supply when the truck company may be delayed.

Whether the truck company is delayed or not, this video makes a great case for thinking outside the box and not backing ourselves into a corner on the belief that the engine company’s sole purpose is pulling lines. The fact of the matter is we never know what we may be faced with. Good training helps us prepare for those moments. If we carry it, we should train on it.

Video 2

The second video takes place at Company 18’s firehouse, outside the engine bay. Rapid deployment of ladders requires good training regarding removing and carrying the ladders. Meyer used his crew to demonstrate various ladder carries and techniques to increase efficiency of removal and carrying of engine company ladders such high shoulder carry, low shoulder carry, marrying and carrying two ladders as a team, and ladder drags.

Breaking the videos down keeps the training simple and to the point. This approach gives the viewers options on how they want to set up their own training based on their needs.

Video 3

The third video is a short conclusion, less than three minutes long. It explains how the training applies to real-world incidents and operations. Meyers uses specific incidents that we have responded to over the years to demonstrate the training’s relevance. He also makes the case for ongoing training and challenges others to use this platform to share their own approaches.

Video 4

The fourth and final video of the series uses helmet-cam video that captures engine company operational efficiencies in action. The video shows a third-due engine company responding to a mutual-aid fire (border company) in a garden apartment taking their position on the C side.

The fire was on the second floor from the C side view. The crew deployed a long line and simultaneously threw a ladder to advance the line up the ladder to put the fire out. Our video production crew kept the video under three minutes and added a voice-over explaining how the crew achieved operational efficiency by using available resources.

This video was a great find as it was not something that I considered when I put the program together. From buy-in to increasing budgets, we will always benefit from demonstrating what training can offer (Figure 2).

How the Program Works

The following key principles serve as the basis for this program:

• Relevancy of the training subject.
• Short run time.
• The ability to select specific areas of interest.
• The ability to let the field guide and create the training.

Establishing a process to facilitate the creation of the BTM library was paramount. Although the production crew still assists with the training videos, a plan to cut down the production crew’s assistance was necessary, as the demand for their services increased.

As a result, we created an IAFF document explaining how to successfully take video using a smartphone (Figure 3). The other steps include the following:

• I receive each completed video. (We are working with county technology to create a cloud account for direct upload, which I recommend.)
• Our video production crew edits the video and uploads it to our unlisted YouTube account.
• The edited video is uploaded to the BTM video library, located on our training academy site, under the appropriate training topic. (Topics include engine, truck, rescue, special operations, and miscellaneous.)
• The uploaded videos are available to all personnel for individual, company-level, or battalion-level training.

The current program allows anyone to participate in creating a training video while still having oversight of appropriate training practices by submitting a request via a JotForm on the Basic Training Minutes page on our Web site (Figure 4). The request requires information such as name, station assignment, contact information, and an outline of the training goals and objectives. This can also be set up as a Google form.

Looking Ahead

To help get the word out, we recently launched a training academy social media page where we plan to advertise BTM as well as other new programs. We also have other monthly video productions including Challenges in the Streets, Boss Talk, and From the Command Post. On each of these, we offer training tips and discuss incidents from company officers’ and chief officers’ perspectives, talk about where we will market the BTM program, and encourage people in the field to get involved.

Basic Training Minutes (BTM) Video Library

We also receive facility requests for trainings from other companies and special operations. When those come in, I ask that companies using our training academy grounds consider videoing the training for BTM. This approach helps the library continue to grow, and we have several videos on the way. The keys to growing this program are patience and perseverance.

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SHELLEY WHEELER is a captain and the in-service training coordinator for Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service. She has a bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management, a master of business administration with a specialty in organizational leadership, and a doctorate in business administration with a specialty in leadership. Prior to the fire service, she served in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she performed search and rescue, law enforcement, and aid to navigation missions as a certified boat coxswain.