Training New Pump Operators

BY MICHAEL KENNEDY and GREGORY MOWBRAY

Fire departments do not always fully recognize just how vital the contributions of drivers, pump operators, engineers, chauffeurs, or whatever they are called in your department are to effective fireground operations. No matter how skilled the nozzle team is at stretching and advancing the line to the seat of the fire, if continuous water fails to flow at the proper pressure when the nozzle bail is opened, the fire attack is surely doomed. What started as a small room-and-contents fire may rapidly escalate into a Mayday situation if the nozzle team is overtaken by fire.

As a suburban fire department with predominately on-call firefighters, we have a rigid training process for new recruits that starts at the academy and continues all the way through to an on-the-job training program. Additionally, fire officers undergo an extensive, competitive selection process and then must take numerous courses to assist them in their new role.

We noted, however, a large operational deficiency when it came to our pump operators. The path from firefighter to pump operator was not clearly defined or objective. This led to internal strife and unqualified people filling a critical position. Unfortunately, there is no better lesson for verifying the importance of a qualified pump operator than suffering on the end of a poorly pumped hoseline.

ISSUE

In the absence of an established process, firefighters who were not ready for the new position were arbitrarily appointed as pump operators without having the skills necessary for this role. This created a significant safety issue. In addition, liability issues arose from claims of discrimination relative to the way firefighters were promoted to pump operator status. To resolve these issues, the Training Division established a training, testing, and promotional process for pump operators.

THE PROCESS

The following process has streamlined the transition from firefighter to pump operator. The system is time consuming, but it has worked extremely well to provide an objective, equitable process.

Selection Criteria

We began by determining the level of training and experience the department deemed necessary to fulfill the pump operator’s roles and responsibilities. The trend for new firefighters is to possess more technical ability than mechanical aptitude. Gone are the days when you could teach most students, “When you hear this noise, the apparatus is doing this.” Students now want to visualize it on a gauge or a panel display, and this shift played a role in setting the criteria for our training.

Recommended Criteria

We established the following criteria for a pump operator:

• Completion of all firefighter training requirements

  —Firefighter I & II

  —Medical First Responder

  —Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations

  —Departmental recruit firefighter on-the-job training program

• Completion of the state-mandated Emergency Vehicle Operator course (driver training)
• A minimum of three years of fire service
• Captain recommendation

Formal Training: “Engineer Trainee”

The training starts in the academy when the cadet successfully completes the Emergency Vehicle Operator course. After graduation, cadets must complete 10 hours of nonemergency driving on different apparatus chassis under the supervision of a certified engineer. These drive hours are logged and submitted quarterly to the training officer. Once the 10 hours have been completed, the results are recorded in the cadet’s personnel jacket. It is up to the individuals to maintain their driving skills until they are eligible to take the department’s Pump Apparatus course.

(1) Instructors work to build an engineer candidate’s knowledge through lecture and practical sessions. (Photos by Gregory Mowbray.)

Candidates next take a department-sponsored 40-hour Pump Apparatus course. We use a State of Michigan-endorsed national curriculum. Students are issued their own book along with a course pack consisting of trade journal articles, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports, and department-specific material. The course is a balance of lecture and practical activities covering the Job Performance Requirements outlined in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1002©, Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications. An instructor cadre teaches different modules to provide the students with a diverse perspective on pump operations. Neither a written nor a practical exam is administered during this course. To pass, students must attend all lecture modules and actively participate in all practical modules. The testing process comes later in the program. Students who successfully complete the class requirements receive the title of “Engineer Candidate.”

Hands-on Practice

On completion of the formal training course, engineer candidates are issued a Practice Evolution packet, which consists of topics identified as essential core competencies. The evolutions were developed after assessing routine situations our current pump operators must tackle. It is one thing to pump a hydrant in the station parking lot but another to pull a draft out of a river from a bridge. The engineer candidate must schedule time with an officer or a pump operator to work on these evolutions. The officer or pump operator will sign off on an evolution when the engineer candidate has successfully completed it without assistance.

Practice Evolutions

The practice evolutions include the following:

1. Drafting.

2. Static hose/preconnect hose loads.

3. Master stream devices.

4. Foam.

5. Equipment maintenance and operation.

6. Large-diameter hose/hydrant connections/relay pumping.

As many of our engineer candidates have learned, sign-offs do not come easily. It may take several times of doing one evolution prior to achieving a sign-off. Our officers and pump operators are instructed to challenge the engineer candidate in even the most mundane activity to ensure that they demonstrate mastery of the skills. These practice evolutions are not timed events. However, engineer candidates are encouraged to work toward proficiency, then speed. Officers and pump operators evaluating the practice evolutions are encouraged to send e-mails to the training officer and engineer candidate’s captain to advise of progress.

(2) The practice evolutions consist of scenarios engineer candidates will encounter as pump operators.

Trainees must finish the packet within six months of completing the Pump Apparatus Operator class. If the process exceeds six months, the engineer candidate must start the entire process over. At the other extreme, an engineer candidate’s completing the packet within one month also throws up a red flag. Unfortunately, rapid completion often means the form was “pencil whipped.” The usual completion time frame is three months.

Testing

When the Practice Evolution packet is completed, the engineer candidate’s captain does an initial review and then forwards it to the Training Division. The training officer then makes a final review of the engineer candidate’s driving log and Practice Evolution packet. Our response area entails limited-access highways, mobile home parks, a historic district, dirt roads, big box stores, townhomes, light industrial areas, and residential areas. The engineer candidate must have displayed proficiency traversing these areas under Michigan’s various seasonal conditions. If the engineer candidate’s drive time was completely logged in July, the engineer candidate will have to log additional hours in snow conditions.

If the driving log is acceptable, the engineer candidate is scheduled to take a 50-question multiple-choice examination, which is based on departmental standard operating guidelines and material from the pump apparatus operator. An 80-percent score is necessary to pass, and only one retake is permitted.

If the engineer candidate also fails the retake exam, the candidate must retake the Pump Apparatus Operator course. If the written exam is passed, a practical exam is scheduled. This exam is administered by one of the instructors who taught the Pump Apparatus Operator course. The practical exam is comprised of eight skill stations that test the engineer candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The practical exam is mentally and physically challenging. All skill stations must be successfully completed within the allotted time to pass. If the engineer candidate fails to successfully complete the retest of the failed skill stations or fails a third station, the practical exam is ended with a failing score. The skill stations must be completed in order, and a skill station must be successfully completed prior to moving to the next station. If the engineer candidate fails the initial examination, one retest is permitted within 30 days of the first practical examination.

BENEFITS

This process has added credence and objectivity to the pump operator selection process. It ensures that only trained and competent personnel operate our apparatus. It has also eliminated a host of human resource issues. However, the primary benefit is that the engineer candidates are in control of their success or lack thereof. This has helped to establish an immense sense of pride and accomplishment in those who are successful.

MICHAEL KENNEDY is a 16-year veteran of the fire service, a Michigan Fire Fighters Training Council instructor, and a firefighter with the Brighton Area (MI) Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a master of public administration degree from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

GREGORY MOWBRAY, a 13-year veteran of the fire service, is a captain with the Brighton Area (MI) Fire Department, where he also serves as the department’s training officer. He is a United States Navy veteran (MM3/SS), having serving aboard two nuclear-powered fast attack submarines as the lead damage control petty officer. He is a State of Michigan Fire Fighter Training Council instructor and a class coordinator/lead instructor with the Livingston County Firefighter Training Academy.