This year, Firehouse Expo runs Oct. 8–12, 2019 in Nashville, TN. During the week, attendees will have the chance to experience more than 250 exhibitors on the show floor, gain new skills through our Hands-On Training classes and educational sessions, and network with industry experts. Can’t make it to this year’s show? Follow along at Firehouse.com and on social media using #FHExpo19.
Preparing for Success: Battalion Training Driven from the Middle Down
By Demond Simmons
Firefighter safety and competency is predicated on many important factors—proper equipment, relevant resources, proper staffing levels, cognitive acquisition and sufficient psychomotor/hands-on training to master the abundance of task level skills firefighters are required to perform for successful hazard zone management. All are interdependent with control varying from the company officer to city/county officials. High-performing company officers ensure crew success by ensuring education and training takes place continuously at the company level. Some describe this as a bottom-driven strategy to firefighter success.
A second strategy that leads to firefighter safety and competency involves a middle-down approach. This strategy relies on the intense involvement of the battalion chief to assist in orchestrating training and education. When this strategy is taken, it ensures that all members across all battalions/shifts within an organization receive some level of continuous training/education in order to perform his/her expected duties.
The middle-down strategy results from a number of approaches. The approach that I use is one that is based on collaboration and a keen focus on basic firefighter skills that are commonly executed in the hazard zone.
The collaboration part requires involvement by the company officers, and his/her crew. Company officers seek input from their subordinates on drill/exercise types that can be incorporated into both company and battalion level training. I facilitate battalion training monthly on weekends. Company officers are expected to provide training and education at minimum during shifts that fall on weekdays.
The second component involves an assessment of potential hazard types in a particular battalion. This assessment encompasses structure types and specialty resources that are part of the battalion. I work in a “downtown” battalion that encompasses all types of structures from single-family dwellings to high-rise structures. The battalion also includes a port, above/below-grade train system, wildland/urban interface, and a rail system transporting both people and a multitude of commodities daily with an origination point at farthest end (port hub) of the battalion.
The third and final component involves a review of trends and salient topics associated with the profession. These trends and topics revolve around health issues in the fire service (cancer and PTSD), modern fire-behavior research, latest trends in building construction, and recently released LODD reports. Articles and reports are sent to company officers at the beginning of each month. During roll call, company officers are expected to hold short discussion sessions on a given report/article.
As company and chief officers, it is our responsibility to ensure that our people are properly prepared to carry out their responsibilities as professional firefighters. This is not the responsibility of the fire chief, mayor or city council! Start with a plan, expect some resistance; however, stay focused on the mission and always explain the “why.”
Demond Simmons is a battalion chief with the Oakland, CA, Fire Department. Simmons has an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor’s in marketing, an MBA and a doctorate of business administration.
Crew Resource Management
By Allen Richards
Crew Resource Management (CRM) is not about technical knowledge and the skill of flying an aircraft or driving a heavy apparatus. It is the interpersonal and communication processes of situational awareness, problem solving, decision making and working as a team. This involves listening on a more effective level and interpreting what each crewmember is stating to ensure a successful outcome.
There are times when decisions have to be made quickly; an absolute necessity to avoid serious injury to a firefighter. In these instances, you must fall back on training and procedures. Have you discussed with your crew the possible scenarios on the way to the call? Are all members of the crew read in on the “big picture” and know what actions to take in your absence? Maintaining a sterile environment en route to a call allows for discussion of various alternatives that include pertinent knowledge, prior experiences and concerns to be heard and acknowledged.
As automation improves in our industry, distractions (cell phones, mobile data terminals) along with environmental issues and irrelevant conversations, prevent fire crews from discussing unknown factors that could be found upon arrival to the scene. Leaders should encourage open discussion and cultivate an environment where the crew provides input on every emergency response. Every opinion, thought and discussion, no matter how trivial, should be regarded as necessary dialogue to prevent injury or death.
Allen Richards is a retired U.S. Army aviator with 25 years of service and a retired fire chief with 20 years in fire and emergency services.
Fire and EMS: Cross Training to Improve Real-World Functionality
By Joseph Edwards
Like any good team knows, practice is essential to becoming an effective team. Training divisions are being tasked with development of scenario-based activities to enhance their department’s capabilities. The times today require an all-hazard mentality when it comes to responses across our nation from complex incidents involving hazmat, auto extrication, mass casualty events and modern fire attack.
Responders for decades have strived for a universal training regimen that allows cross training to be more effective for understanding resources, capabilities and structure. This presentation expresses the importance of situational training so that responders have the ability to understand key components such as unified command and inter-agency resources. This lecture provides a better understanding of requirements of an effective training plan plus the ability to recognize the importance and need to train using a multi-agency response. It is time for training divisions to incorporate real-world practicality when it comes to developing our workforce.
Joseph Edwards is the campus supervisor of the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy. He is in charge of the daily operations of the State of Tennessee’s leading fire service training institution.
