How Much Training?
Volunteers Corner
Many states and local jurisdictions have adopted requirements for firefighter certification. In many areas, these are voluntary, not mandatory, and the time and subject matters required vary considerably.
But in truth, the classroom time specified isn’t critical. The bottom line is the production of a firefighter trained to do the job proficiently. A firefighter must react almost without thinking to perform the evolutions quickly and correctly. Someone’s life may depend on it.
Every person has a different learning rate and learns in different ways. So how long it took for the firefighter to become proficient is of little consequence. However, repetition is necessary to understand, learn, and reinforce many of the tasks involved in firefighting.
Some individuals may have trouble learning to tie knots, while others may find that becoming acclimated to breathing apparatus is a major physical and psychological hurdle. With constant training, drilling, and practice, though, both evolutions can be accomplished. The key is that in the end, the firefighter must be proficient at all the required skills.
Whatever time that takes, a training program must address some specific needs to be sure the time is well spent.
A major deficiency in training programs of many smaller fire departments is at the entry level. A new person reports to the station and is given protective clothing, instructed on how alarms are received, shown the location of tools and equipment on the apparatus, and declared a firefighter. Our new “firefighter” will now proceed to on-the-job training, regularly scheduled training sessions, and observation of others, who may or may not be performing safely and correctly.
Before firefighters are allowed to respond on apparatus or work on the fireground, they must be sufficiently trained and tested to ensure that they won’t injure themselves or others, can operate tools, and know basic procedures.
Following entry-level training, there must be regularly scheduled station drills and classes. These will further inform, educate, and train the new firefighter and will provide older members with a review of the basics as well as information on new innovations.
Any skill that’s used infrequently on the fireground will need more practice during training sessions. Otherwise, through the process of skill degradation, it will become more difficult to perform and the skill may be lost entirely. Although many departments require initial certification, few, if any, require recertification on a regular basis for anything other than emergency medical technician skills, which must be recertified every three years. It’s time the fire service developed good refresher courses to address the problem of firefighting skill degradation.
Recently, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has added to the urgency of fire department training requirements. Because the fire service responds to hazardous materials incidents, fire service organizations are required to provide documented haz-mat training monthly, which must total 24 hours per year.
To ensure compliance with this OSHA rule, training officers need to review and modify their programs accordingly. Many standard subjects, when adapted to haz mats, will meet the rule’s intent. There is continued emphasis on breathing apparatus, and subjects such as pre-incident planning and hose handling at incidents can be included.
At all levels and in all subjects, testing is necessary to check that the training is effective. This must take the form of both written and practical tests. Only with a thorough, fair, and job-related examination can the department be sure the firefighter has and is retaining the necessary skills and knowledge.
Proper, frequent, and dynamic training is the solution to many operational problems within our fire service. It’s not how many hours we’ve trained, but how well we can perform in an emergency situation as a result of the training. Strive to create an efficient team of proficient firefighters with continuous new and review training classes.
