By Matthew Clark | 06/12/2024
To save lives, firefighters must be masters of their craft. No matter what the emergency, they are expected to arrive on scene and mitigate a situation as quickly as possible.
To do so, firefighters must be versatile. On any given day, they could be faced with responding to multiple incidents, including the handling of hazardous materials, conducting rescue operations, engaging in structural firefighting, performing emergency medical operations, as well as countless other situations.
With so many responsibilities, the challenge for fire services is to determine how to efficiently and effectively train firefighters so they can perform life-saving measures and meet the growing needs of their area.
All fire departments need to spend a considerable amount of time in developing a structured annual training plan. Planning sets the standard for what training should be conducted throughout a fiscal or calendar year. Building out a program allows a department to meet specific training requirements and effectively track training hours.
Developing a Fire Department Annual Training Plan
To build a successful training plan, it is critical to develop it in a systematic and functional manner. Training occurs in the fire service to improve the skills of firefighters and the department’s response capabilities while meeting national standards. Therefore, it is critical to build a structured plan that meets all these criteria.
When developing a formal training plan, the first step is to evaluate and build upon existing training standards already established in the department. Fire services around the country are structured differently in order to serve public needs, so training programs must also be tailored to each organization.
Knowing the Regulations
During the development stages, fire leaders need to research the requirements of the regulatory agency for the department. For instance:
- What training program is required annually?
- How many training hours are required for each firefighter?
- What certifications are needed and how are they maintained?
Many departments want their training to meet the requirements of the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The ISO establishes safety ratings for communities, based on what fire protection measures are in place such as the number of fire apparatus, the number of fire stations, and the capacity of the water supply system within the response district. The higher the rating a department receives from the ISO review, the lower the insurance premiums are for the community.
In order to receive a specific rating, the department must have a minimum amount of training hours. Understanding such requirements from the outset means that departments will know the minimum training required to meet these regulatory standards.
Understanding Local Needs
A department must also develop its training based on the specific needs of the community. For example, one area with a lot of industrial sites may have large quantities of hazardous materials. As a result, firefighters must have specific training based on the quantity and types of chemicals stored in their response district.
Building a Template
Another step involves department members building a functional training template. It is critical to have a template that all parties can understand and easily duplicate each year.
Most departments use a calendar format because it allows training officers to develop a progressive regimen month by month. A department can plug in the different shifts and then assign the training accordingly. Different months can then be curtailed on the training calendar to adjust to different seasons and then designated by certain objectives.
A common theme is to designate different months in the training calendar as hazmat, rescue, structure, or a specialty of choice. This type of training calendar presents continuity from year to year and allows a training officer to make adjustments according to seasonal changes.
Ensuring Good Content and Continuity
After the template has been established, it is time to start filling in the blanks. The content of the training program must apply to the needs of the department and the community.
It is critical to tailor the training from month to month to your specific type of organization. For example, a training program for the New York City Fire Department would not work for a small, rural volunteer fire service in Ohio, which may not have as many resources as an urban area.
Creating Progressive Training
Training plans must progressively build on the skills learned by firefighters. A common flaw with training plans is that the same training is taught from year to year. Instead, it is important to teach the basics to firefighters and then build on that fundamental knowledge.
Breaking the year into sections is often a successful option. The trainers can help firefighters to develop skills and teach basic concepts in the first quarter of the year, then switch to other topics for the remainder of the year. By the end of the year, a department can go from single-company response training to a multi-company or multi-jurisdictional response team.
As an organization works from month to month building the training plan, it should prioritize including the nationally required minimum training hours. Then, region-specific training can be inserted into the training plan to ensure that minimum requirements are met. Once the titles and ideas for each month are developed, the content can then be designed.
Including Course Information from the Beginning
It is critical to build, at a minimum, course descriptions for the monthly training. At a basic level, this practice dictates the confines of the training. If just the titles of the classes are plugged into the training plan, that tends to leave a lot of room for misinterpretation.
For example, if the word “Ladders” is placed on the training plan, one shift may give a class on the parts of a ladder, whereas another shift may give a class on raising ladders. Prebuilt course descriptions dictate the training and what goals trainers are expected to accomplish.
The course descriptions ensure continuity across the organization and specify what objectives must be met. However, it is crucial not to stifle the creativity of the company officers during the development of the plan.
Officers’ choice training is something that should be incorporated throughout the year. This tactic allows for officer growth and helps build the department at every level, in addition to improving safety for everyone.
Seeking Input
If it’s necessary for a department to build a training plan from scratch, creating the plan should be done with input from all levels of the organization. The individuals tasked with building the plan should ask company officers what training they would like to see.
Plan developers should discuss different training options and identify what resources are available, which helps them develop a sense of ownership and ensures a variety of training is conducted.
Regularly Revisiting and Updating the Plan
When the training plan is completed, the organization's leaders can begin to prepare for the training according to the calendar. It is wise to gather necessary training resources months in advance, so the training is as comprehensive as possible.
After the training is completed according to the schedule, leaders should make notes of what worked well and what didn't. They should also consider what is needed to build on training in the future. Ideally, they should save the training details, compile contacts, and use the information to produce better training year after year.
At the end of the day, the responsibility of a fire service is to save lives, stabilize incidents, conserve property, and maintain public safety. These goals are accomplished through effective and structured training prior to the time of need.
A well-developed annual training plan will ensure continuity across a department and will help firefighters to build progressively upon the skills they learn. Firefighters and fire leaders must take it upon themselves to continually improve their tactics and ensure new fire service members are thoroughly trained so the department can respond effectively to any emergency.
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- Fire prevention strategies
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Editor’s Note: This article is based on the author’s capstone thesis project required to complete his graduate degree in public administration.