By Thomas A. Merrill
In my previous article, I discussed the importance of well-planned-out drills and offered ideas on how training officers can communicate effectively and work together as a team as they prepare and work on their company training drills. Once the drill is planned, it still needs to be delivered. If it is not delivered properly, confusion and dysfunction can reign over the training ground, leading to anything but a professional operation.
Scenario: Drill night (or day) has arrived, and the instructors have met and planned out the drill. They communicated effectively, ensuring they all understand the points of emphases and are all on the same page. Now what? Be ready!
When the firefighters arrive at the firehouse, the instructor(s) should have things set up, tested, and ready to go. Any training aids and equipment needed for the drill should be in place and working properly. If it’s an indoor drill, have the training room ready, the tables and chairs in place, and the audio/visual (AV) equipment tested and operational. The instructor should also be comfortable with the material. The time for the instructor to review the presentation or to familiarize themselves with the tools is not when the drill begins.
Firefighters showing up for drill should not see instructors arriving late, running around trying to set things up, or discovering that the computer isn’t playing their video or audio clips. When things like that happen, the drill gets off to a bad start, and this ends up being a distraction that inhibits the learning process.
It is totally understandable as volunteers that sometimes “things happen” and we get delayed or run into unforeseen circumstances that cause a training drill to get off to a poor start. We never know when that emergency call is going to come in, and it never fails to happen when we are setting up the training room. Sometimes, we get stuck at work, something happens on the home front, or any other number of other things can surface at the last minute, delaying our arrival at the firehouse or on the training ground. Indeed, I have four daughters all going in different directions, and that certainly challenged my preparation skills over the years.
To help prevent unforeseen delays, I would do some of the setup ahead of time. If I was at the firehouse for a call or meeting, I might test my slide presentation and AV equipment while up there a day or two before. If I knew we were using certain tools or equipment, I would check them over ahead of time as well. That way, if I was unexpectedly delayed, I could at least be confident that the necessary equipment was operational.
Good communication practices play a role here as well. (It seems like we can never avoid the importance of good communication.) If the instructor has an assistant or co-instructor, setting up for the drill and testing the equipment can be divided between them ahead of time. If somebody is running late, the other can help cover and start things because it was communicated to him ahead of time, and each instructor knew the drill’s goals and objectives.
The bottom line is—set up and be ready by the time your firefighters arrive.
As firefighters arrive at the firehouse, begin gauging the attendance’s demeanor. Hopefully, when preparing the drill, the instructor(s) planned for the attendance. Although attendance may not matter much for a sit-down lecture or presentation, it can be a big deal for a hands-on training evolution planned for 20 firefighters and 10 show up. Make drill evolutions flexible enough to accommodate fluctuating attendance.
Drill planning should also take into account the various experience levels of the attending firefighters. Plan for the seasoned veterans as well as the newest probie. The main training objective can still be delivered even though different groups of firefighters are accomplishing different tasks. For example, at a live fire attack drill, while some crews are practicing fire attack, have the exterior, nonstructural firefighters review their duties, which may include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) maintenance, ladder work, and engine or ladder truck operations, among others. At the same drill, have a trainer take the newest members off to the side and review the department standard operating procedures (SOPs) as they relate to the drill as well as review other introductory information with them. The point is to try and include all members in the drill so you achieve the maximum benefit.
For an outdoor drill, keep people involved and engaged. There always seems to be those wanderers who drift around and easily get lost in the crowd. Hold their attention by speaking loudly and clearly. Make eye contact. It may be best to break into small groups for more direct interaction.
For an indoor presentation, be sure to take regular breaks. It is recommended to break every 45 to 50 minutes. Remember, if it’s the average night training session, most firefighters attending have worked all day and rushed to the firehouse. They will need regular breaks to keep them fresh and attentive. That’s also another reason that drills need to be well-prepared and competently delivered.
All trainers need to be passionate about their topics. Even if teaching the yearly blood borne pathogen drill, exhibit enthusiasm. If the instructor speaks in a monotone, mundane manner and appears bored with the topic, the audience will lose interest very quickly.
Department leaders need to be “fired up” about training as well. Passion is a huge motivator for our members. As I said, if our instructors are fired up about training, it can very quickly trickle down to everyone else. The same applies for our leaders. Leaders on the training ground need to be interested and observant. Firefighters are watching every action and every mannerism of department leaders. If leaders are disinterested or act as if the training is not important, firefighters will soon act the same way.
One point I liked to stress to my officers is if they are not involved in teaching a drill, they are students. Certainly, they can mentor and pass on information, but if they are not a lead instructor or an assistant for the drill, they should blend into a group and work alongside the other firefighters. There should be no special dispensation for a member to simply wander around the training ground and not participate simply because he is an officer.
Remember, the training ground is the time to identify your department’s strengths and weaknesses. Repetition is one of the best ways to train to a competent level. There is nothing wrong with repeating drill evolutions time after time so our members excel.
In one instance, our department didn’t have a good night on the drill ground. We were struggling with what we were trying to accomplish. Rather than accepting this mediocre performance and moving on to a training topic the following week, department leaders elected to cancel the next planned drill and have a “do-over.” Lessons learned from the previous week were reviewed and evolutions were repeated, and the result was a much better performance. That better performance would translate into a better emergency scene operation. Train as you will fight and you will fight as you have trained.
Delivering high-quality, regular training is an important part of a fire department’s operation. Trainers need to be prepared, communicate effectively, and engage all participants while delivering energetic and informative drills. It will pay huge dividends for the professional volunteer fire department.
Thomas A. Merrill is a 30-year fire department veteran in the Snyder Fire Department, which is located in Amherst, New York. He served 26 years as a department officer, including 15 years in the chief officer ranks, and recently completed five years as chief of department. He also is a professional fire dispatcher for the town of Amherst fire alarm office. He can be reached at tamerrill63@aol.com.
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Planning That Drill
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Get the Word Out
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Social Media
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Customer Service
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: The New Member
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Honesty, Integrity, Honor, and Dedication
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Radio Communication
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Preplanning
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: Physical Fitness
- The Professional Volunteer Fire Department: History, Heritage, and Pride
