Technique or Time to Finish Evolution

I am curious. What do you feel is more important in training? Is technique or the time to finish an evolution more important? Also, when a superior tells the group that if you don't make any improvements in your time that you will have issues with him and the Chief, and that if improvement does not continue you may be looking at losing your job, do you consider this ethical? Is not the idea of training to help any individual to improve without the fear of losing his or her job?

Myself, I have always felt that technique is more important and that when technique is learned speed will automatically follow. Most everyone wants to improve thier performance anyway. I do not feel that threatening a person is a good way to get what you want accomplished. This job is stressful enough we don't need any added stresses.

That is how I feel, so I would like to hear what others think on the subject. Thanks.

I agree, training is getting it down and then working on time after it has become next to habit. Threatening your job is stupid. Does it say somewhere in the policies and procedures that a certain drill has to be under a certain time frame. If it was a motivational speech then it sounds like it didn't hit the target.

Just had this discussion with a member the other night as we are going through our annual SCBA recertification. We're using 1 minute as a gauge on competency. A guy said why would it matter if it takes me 9 minutes to get it on, as long as it's on correctly, what's the harm? So I explained you need to have a mix of both. It needs to be done correctly, but also timely. Would I throw someone out or fire them over it? Nope, but it gives me a good idea on who has to train more on it.

There needs to be standards and they have to be followed, otherwise you will accomplish nothing.

Thanks to those who responded. I agree there needs to be some way to gauge how well you are doing. As far as packing up in 9 minutes that is a bit to long. The one minute rule is an accepted standard. The drill I am talking about starts at a coupling, you have to figure which way to follow the hose to get out, simple enough. Then follow it till you reach a mock up of rafters and cross safely and spreading your body out to distribute the weight. The next item is to go through a mock up of a window. Some can get through with pack on and some can't. Then to the tunnel that some call the torture chamber. You have to crawl up a ramp and enter through an opening that is barely big enough for me to fit through without a pack. Being a large person there is not enough room in the tunnel for me to don the pack after I am in so I must carry my pack with me. Then you have to go up through a trap door to the next level. Another trap door will lead you back down to the level you were at. One must roll head first through this hole landing on your back or neck as I did the first two times. Then make your way to the end where you go down again to another level and making a 90 degree turn to go through three 55 gallon drums with the end cut out. Once out your not done, you have to use a sledge hammer to drive a railroad tie so many inches. It is not all that bad except for landing on my neck, but since I must carry my pack the whole way by the time I reach the railroad tie my arms are pretty much shot. True I know I need to work on the endurance more, I am strong enough to pull my 275lbs through the tunnel, not counting the extra weight of gear, but it does test ones endurance.

What I have a problem with is the emphasis being put on, improve or get another job. We do need to get into better shape because heart attacks are still the number one killer of firefighters. The added stress of being told you could loose your job is uncalled for.

Keep carryn' the ax with pride my brothers and sisters.