VOLUNTEERS CORNER | By THOMAS A. MERRILL
In many volunteer fire departments, one responsibility assigned to line officers is to conduct the training drills. It’s not unusual for a firefighter to be elevated to an officer’s position either by appointment or (the dreaded) volunteer fire department election and, within a very short time, be assigned the task of conducting a drill. The new officer may be knowledgeable and even skilled with various tools, tactics, and equipment, but that does not necessarily mean he can get in front of his peers and successfully instruct them.
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When I became a lieutenant, I was immediately assigned a drill to teach. I was given a topic, and that was it—no other guidance, suggestions, or tips to help me out. What prepares the new officer for such an assignment?
A drill may be hands-on, done outside, or conducted as a lecture inside the confines of the firehouse. Either way, the officer conducting the drill should understand how to properly prepare for as well as effectively deliver it. The drill must benefit the members in some way, but it should also engage them and hold their interest. Done correctly, it will have them wanting to return for other training drills.
Many departments do a poor job teaching their subject matter experts how to properly teach and pass on the information during a training drill. This article will focus on the in-house drill—that is, the sit-down, lecture-type drill conducted inside the firehouse.
Drill Setup Do’s and Don’ts
First, officers should be eager to present a drill. It provides an excellent opportunity for them to get out in front of their fellow members and display their passion, knowledge, competency, and dedication firsthand.
Over the years, I have heard some officers say they do not like teaching; they do not like getting in front of others and taking their time to formally train others. However, part of being a good officer involves learning to instruct and being comfortable speaking in front of others. Most likely, a member was elected or appointed to serve as an officer because his peers had confidence in him. Perhaps he displayed great skills and is well-versed in department operations. As an officer, these strengths will now be exposed and out in front to a much larger group, leading members on scene or on the training ground.
As much as their strengths are exposed to a much larger group, so are their weaknesses. And, if the officer fails to conduct a well-organized, engaging, and informational drill, it’s there for all to see. Like it or not, the attendees are sizing up the person giving the drill (heck, you probably do it yourself when listening to an instructor). Those in the audience are judging whether the instructor is prepared, knowledgeable, comfortable, and passionate about the subject matter. They also notice if he is calm, patient, and able to communicate clearly, all of which impact the instructor’s credibility.
The officer must also put in the required time necessary to prepare the drill. Far too often, he starts the night before or even the day of the drill. I used to tell my officers that there is nothing wrong with gathering material and putting drills together months ahead of time, even with no specific target date. In fact, I would often prepare drills and put them in what I called “the hopper”—drills that were prepared well and ready to go that could be inserted in the schedule easily. It wasn’t unusual for me to have five or six drills in the hopper.
Electronic slide programs are popular choices when putting together indoor lectures. Although nobody is a fan of “Death by PowerPoint,” it can still be used to help deliver a successful and impactful presentation. However, there are a few considerations when using these formats:
- When preparing the slides, use less text and more photos and graphics. There is some debate as to whether it’s better to have photos only or if some words are okay. For me, a balance of photos, graphics, and wording is best. The slides should serve to supplement, but not be the main source, for the message being delivered; this is the responsibility of the instructor. The instructor should think of himself as the words.
- When adding text to a slide, make sure it’s legible to the audience. As much as we don’t want to use a small font, requiring binoculars to read, we also don’t want to put so many words on a slide that the message is confusing and lost on the audience. This also leaves the audience reading the slide and not paying attention to what the instructor is saying.
- Avoid the use of unnecessary slide transitions and animations. Back in the day, they were new and pretty cool and grabbed attention. But today’s audiences are more educated and not as easily amused with flying sentences and graphics that fade in and out. Concentrate on keeping the presentation clean and neat with straightforward photos and text.
Once you complete the presentation, review it to become familiar with the material, the slideshow’s progression, and other nuances associated with it. Also, make sure it flows smoothly, and check it over for spelling and grammatical errors.
Delivering the Message
As important as it is to prepare the material ahead of time, it’s just as important to practice delivering the presentation thoroughly. If you appear uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the material, your credibility will be damaged and your reputation will suffer. I recommend rehearsing more than once. It also helps to review small sections at a time to become more familiar with the presentation’s ebb and flow. Often, a lack of preparation will leave you nervous and fidgety; you will be more confident and relaxed by taking the time and putting in the effort to rehearse.
There is nothing wrong with picking a drill topic (or being assigned one) that you don’t know much about, but it’s still your responsibility to ensure that the correct and pertinent information is passed on. Preparing a drill presentation properly is a great way for any firefighter to become more educated on any topic. This may mean doing some research and preparing for the topic the night before the drill.
An instructor, especially if he is a new officer, does not have to be an expert, either; he can explain the in-house department drill to the audience, with which he has a certain understanding. And, even when the officer is new to the rank or presenting for the first time, his effort in preparation and rehearsing will make it obvious to the audience that he is comfortable with the presentation’s progression and material. This is how the instructor builds credibility, solidifying his reputation of being knowledgeable and capable.
Years ago, when I was a young lieutenant, the chief assigned me to teach a drill on foam. Despite attending some in-house foam drills, I was not very familiar with my department’s foam operations. Now, I was the one who had to do the instructing, so I brushed up on our foam standard operating procedures, examined and made sure I understood how to use all our foam equipment, and asked some of our senior officers and members for their input and suggestions regarding the subject.
When I delivered the presentation, I told the audience I was learning as well but eager to pass on the important information. And, although it was the first time I presented the material and was relatively inexperienced, the drill was received favorably because I properly prepared for and understood the presentation’s progression. Not only did I become more familiar with our foam operations, but my credibility as an officer and instructor was enhanced as well.
Being properly prepared also means testing everything ahead of time to ensure all is in working order. It amazes me to see instructors running around trying to hook up their laptop to a projector or troubleshoot some IT issue two minutes before the training drill is set to begin. When this happens, it impacts the instructor’s reputation. Of course, unanticipated problems can occur, but the issues and problems could have been solved easily if the presenter had arrived early to make sure everything was operating correctly.
For example, does the presentation have video? Make sure it plays. Does it have audio? Make sure it can be heard through the speakers being used. Do you need any special adapters to connect your laptop to the projector? Or, if you’re using the department’s laptop, is it available and ready to go? There are a lot of things to check, and it’s best to do it ahead of time.
As the instructor, if it’s not possible to arrive early on the day of, you may need to do it a day or two ahead of time. We cannot waste the time of members who may have to arrange for a babysitter or miss their kid’s baseball game to be there; if they feel their time is wasted because the instructor is not prepared, they most likely will not be attending the next presentation.
It’s not uncommon to be nervous when standing in front of your peers and delivering a presentation. Being comfortable takes practice, and the more you practice, the better you will get. However, if you have spent the necessary time putting the presentation together, practicing it, and maing sure everything is in working order, you are halfway to delivering a successful presentation.
You can also become a better presenter by observing other instructors and paying attention to what they do to hold their audience’s attention. So, at the next presentation you attend, watch the instructor’s styles and mannerisms, and see what works and what doesn’t. Some instructors can keep the audience engaged, and they leave you “fired up,” highly motivated, and wanting more. Others leave the audience staring at the clock, and they can’t get out of the classroom fast enough. Take lessons from both experiences and use them to become a better presenter.
When instructing, do not turn your back to the audience when reviewing a slide, and never read the slide word for word. Remember, the slides are not a script to be read verbatim; they exist to supplement you and serve as a prompter for what will be discussed. That’s why many prefer photos and graphics to written words on their slides. How the presentation is delivered often makes more of an impact than what is even said.
Video clips always liven up a presentation and help to keep the audience’s attention. However, as much as we talk about “Death by Powerpoint,” there can also be “Death by YouTube” as well. There has been an overreliance on video clips by presenters—especially those relatively new to instruction—to simply fill a time slot. They know they must present a two-hour drill presentation, and they try to fill a large portion with video, which takes less time than putting together other slides, hoping the video does the talking for them; it can fill up a large chunk of the allotted timeframe.
Certainly, videos are a great resource and serve to not only change up a presentation but also better engage the audience. However, if they are overused and too long, they can quickly bore the audience. It’s best to use video snippets to supplement the message being delivered and couple it with more hands-on and personal instruction.
Take the Topic Seriously
I have noticed that instructors of all experience levels hurt the impact of their presentations by downplaying the importance of the topic being discussed. This often happens if the topic is basic or a routine review that is done every year such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s refresher training. The instructor will immediately make light of the topic or even make fun of it. Sometimes, he will look at a veteran group and say, “I know you don’t need this” or “I know this is boring for you, but …” and that sets an immediate, negative tone. Remember, the instructor sets the mood through his words and mannerisms, and it’s up to him to make the drill interesting.
Even the most mundane or basic subject can come alive with the right instructor. Chances are, even with a group of veterans in the room, some of them will benefit from a good, thorough topic review, even if they won’t admit it. The fact that veteran members are in the room on training night means they take training seriously, so they want the instructor to spend time on the subject. For the experienced and knowledgeable veterans, a simple reminder that even World Series champions and Gold Glove winners practice fielding before every single game is enough to make the point that everybody benefits by practicing and reviewing the basics. Most likely, there will be at least one new person in the room hearing the information for the first time, so rushing through or making light of the material isn’t doing them any good. So, be fired up, passionate, and thorough with the material being presented.
Asking questions is a great way to gain audience participation and engagement. However, it’s important to avoid the “yes” and “no” answer questions. Be sure to ask questions that lead to meaningful and informative discussions. Done correctly, it can also lead to conversations between audience members, so the instructor isn’t the only one doing the talking; this keeps the audience tuned in and paying attention. Be sure to repeat any questions that are being asked and spend time reviewing the question’s answer.
Far too often, I have seen instructors toss out a question that was answered quickly by a veteran member in the group. The instructor simply acknowledged that it was the correct answer and moved on. Any newer or unaware member can miss out on the intent of the question and why it was important to the topic.
Sometimes, the instructor will downplay the very question he is asking because it is so basic. He answers quickly without properly explaining the answer, and again, newer members in the audience are not given the benefit of an explanation for the correct answer. Often, even veteran members in the audience would like to see the question discussed in more detail. They might be too embarrassed to ask because, as a veteran member, they might be expected to know the answer. Avoid simply tossing out questions without spending quality time on the answers.
It’s critically important to schedule breaks during any presentation. It’s well known that the mind begins wandering and stops processing information after 45 minutes to one hour. I schedule breaks every 45 minutes and, even when that isn’t possible, certainly at the one-hour mark. Remember, your audience appreciates timely breaks. Even when time is tight and it’s difficult to schedule a 10- to 15-minute break, you can still pause briefly and allow the audience to stand for a minute or two and stretch a bit. I have seen this done several times, and the audience certainly appreciates it.
Conducting a successful sit-down training drill is an important task for many fire department officers and can serve as a huge credibility builder. However, if not properly prepared or delivered, it can also harm their reputation as well as the organization, leaving members poorly trained, uninspired, and unmotivated to attend future training drills. Your volunteer members only have so much time to give to the organization. Instructors need to make the most of that precious time by being properly prepared and comfortable and delivering a presentation that is informative, beneficial, and engaging.
THOMAS A. MERRILL is a 40-year member of the Snyder (NY) Fire Department. He served 26 years as a department officer, including 15 years in the chief officer ranks and five years as chief of department. He has conducted various fire service presentations throughout the Western New York area as well as at FDIC International. He also is a professional fire dispatcher for the Town of Amherst Fire Alarm Office.
