Ever wonder whether you could put your members behind the wheel of an apparatus and have no fear of damage or harm? How about letting rookie responders hop behind the wheel of your custom ladder truck or heavily filled tanker with zero experience? This is exactly what many training divisions and academies have created with advanced driving simulators.
Simulation has become a leader in training personnel for driving, pump operations and incident command. Simulation allows students to safely interact with hazards and risks, all while being in a controlled environment. Training personnel in these situations eliminates the burden and liability on both members and their respective departments.
Because technology has evolved through the years, simulation has become one of the most go-to options for training firefighters and members of other agencies, such as EMS and police. Simulators can be mounted in an enclosed trailer, which provides the capability to move them to different locations. This creates opportunities to train more personnel and mutual-aid agencies.
Inside, most simulators have two stations that have diverse uses, such as a command vehicle and as an apparatus atmosphere. With these exclusive set-ups, departments are able to train more than just fire personnel. As for the scenarios, the sky is the limit. These situations can be set from dawn to dusk, from heavy snow to bright morning sunshine. They can include other moving vehicles, intersections and automobiles that are speeding to try to beat the yellow light, all while under the circumstance of responding to a working fire. It’s a significant and intense training moment.
Triple play
There are three elements to driving an emergency vehicle: knowledge, skill and judgement/attitude. Grasping the concept of simulation-based training might have you wonder how this creates a more skilled driver. Obviously, you can’t replace experience and real driving time. However, the fact that simulation training touches upon judgment/attitude is crucial. Arguably, judgement/attitude is of greatest importance for keeping the crew safe. Knowledge and skill are both cognitive and psychomotor learning domains, but judgement falls into the affective domain. Simulation training is a tool for instructors and evaluators to gauge personnel on their judgement and how they react to certain things. Allowing students to be challenged all while learning from the simplest of mistakes makes for lasting impacts in the member’s mind.
(By the way, this also is where personnel accept the value in the training, because there are no real-world ramifications—no damage, no wear and tear on apparatus, and, particularly, no death or injury.)
As many emergency responders know, the second leading cause of death in the fire service is emergency vehicle operations. Many firefighters might never give it a second thought, but responding and returning from calls is extremely dangerous. Furthermore, in many cases, an incident that involved an apparatus could have been prevented. Although real driving does improve the driver’s understanding of vehicle dynamics, it doesn’t allow for mistakes, and members can’t perform tactics to correct issues on the fly. Simulation develops that behavior modification while also granting concepts and experience through interaction of the events that take place. The capability to change an emergency vehicle operator’s behavior while gaining experience in a nonpunitive environment is essential to developing current and future drivers.
Primacy, recency, intensity
As you modify the training in regard to emergency vehicle operations—and you should—make sure to follow many of the laws of learning of Edward Thorndike and his contemporaries that you were taught as an instructor and officer.
The law of primacy speaks to the fact that what you first teach your personnel, they’ll remember. So, starting off right and teaching sound methods is the greatest effect that you can have. The alternative to this: Responders developing bad habits because they were taught the wrong way first. Unfortunately, this is what I have seen throughout my career and in training.
The law of recency dictates that practice results in more effective performance. In other words, have personnel master areas in vehicle operations, such as inspection, mirror use, braking and backing. Practice culminates in a well-rounded individual regarding the operation of the apparatus.
Lastly, use the law of intensity. The more senses that are stimulated during the training, the more likely personnel will change their behavior for the good. This is particularly useful in simulation training because of the variety of elements, such as weather, sirens and the actual incident. In many cases, I saw personnel make small mistakes but with large negative effect, such as not clearing all lanes of traffic. As many of you know, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the emotion of the circumstance and make errors. Doing so in training is at the root benefit of the law of intensity.
Due regard, notice of approach
Throughout the many years of my career, I have noticed operators who drive apparatus with no due regard and without notice of approach and, thus, put themselves and their crews at huge risk. Due regard describes a reasonably careful person who performs similar duties under similar circumstances and acts in the same manner. Many operators fail to realize that, under their state law, they only are allowed to exceed 10 mph over the posted speed limit during an emergency situation. Anything more than that potentially exposes them and their department to enormous liability in the event that injury or death occurs. These operators can be found criminally or civilly liable for such actions.
As for notice of approach: Have you ever seen emergency vehicles fly right up behind traffic and expect them to hastily get out of the way? These are situations where judgement/attitude plays a significant role. I hear emergency vehicle operators say, “They won’t get out of my way. Can they not see this huge truck?” I hear civilians say, “They got right on my bumper and weren’t giving me time!”
To set the record straight: Emergency vehicle operators must give notice of approach to oncoming traffic by scaling back on speed and changing siren cadence appropriately. This allows civilians to recognize, process and react to what’s taking place, so they can move out of the way of the emergency vehicle. As emergency vehicle operators, we must receive the right of way before proceeding through traffic.
Risk management
The simulation training for emergency responders is evolving and giving incredible opportunities for agencies around the world. The major benefit is the elimination of endless presentations and tiresome lectures over the same topics year in and year out. Having the capability to belt an inexperienced member into an apparatus setting and to allow the person to drive emergency traffic with many unforeseen conditions coming his/her way is invaluable. It trains the person’s mind better through behavior and forces decision-making skills that are unlike any other didactic or psychomotor skill that you could put upon them.
Much of the technology of these simulations allows the evaluator to change conditions on the spot to see how the member will handle events. A training division typically finds that lane clearing and apparatus placement are the behaviors that are corrected most often. Lane clearing is one of the most dangerous dynamics that operators face. Having the ability to practice this feat in a hazard- and ramification-free setting makes it an ideal component of the training.
As for placing the apparatus in areas to correctly serve the mission and to keep responders safe: Finding this component in training is the exception rather than the rule. Training that incorporates this into the mix distinguishes the training well beyond most.
Decide on decision-making
For an industry that’s filled with pride and tradition, the time has arrived to create an emphasis on the safe operation of our emergency vehicles. Nearly 70 percent of accidents that involved emergency vehicles that were fatal had one common denominator: emergency traffic. That said, when training personnel, clearly, decision-making training must be included with the traditional methods. Emergency traffic generates a multitude of concerns that are well out of the control of any member who is in the vehicle. These include civilians who aren’t paying attention, loud music, drivers who are distracted by devices, speeding and blind spots. These situations are tremendously daring, but they are the reality that we face. Despite whichever training that you select to improve your personnel, keep them involved and nurture their desire to become the safest person in the department. This mentality will make them mini risk managers who constantly evaluate their circumstances and conditions.
Enormous respect goes to the individuals in this profession for leaving it in a better place than which they found it. From the technologists who helped to create such devices for us, to the instructors worldwide who preach this same message continually, you don’t go unrecognized for your efforts. Slowly but surely, this work will have effect. The reality that we leave through our quality education and enhanced hands-on training will bring passion and desire to younger members. Being unorthodox and unconventional helps to form interest and to create questions that need to be answered.
Technology has given emergency vehicle training the mechanisms that it needs to be effective; now is the time for it to be implemented.
Line-of-Duty Deaths that Involved Emergency Vehicles
During the time frame of 2015–2018, 51 firefighters lost their life in conjunction with apparatus/vehicles.
Nearly 59 percent of those LODDs came among the volunteer ranks; 13.7 percent were career; 7.8 percent were full-time wildland; 5.9 percent were contract wildland; 5.9 percent were paid part-time; 3.9 percent were paid on-call; 3.9 percent were part-time wildland.
Forty-eight percent of the emergency-vehicle fatalities occurred while the firefighters were responding to a call; 26 percent occurred while otherwise on-duty; 8 percent occurred when the emergency vehicle was on scene of an incident other than a fire; 6 percent occurred during the vehicle’s return to the station; another 6 percent occurred during training; and 6 percent occurred when the emergency vehicle was on scene of a fire.
The largest percentage (33.3 percent) of type of incident was not incident-related; 17.6 percent of the incidents were a motor vehicle accident; another 17.6 percent involved a wildland incident; 11.8 percent involved an EMS run; structure fires accounted for another 11.8 percent; 3.9 percent were associated with a false alarm; and 2 percent each were related to an outside fire or a technical rescue.
Trauma accounted for the overwhelming majority of fatalities (88.2 percent), followed by asphyxiation (5.9 percent), crushing (3.9 percent) and other (2 percent).
Joseph Edwards
Joseph Edwards, CTO, is the deputy fire chief for the city of Mt. Juliet, TN. He works jointly in administration functions as well as operations. Edwards holds numerous national certifications and degrees, including Fire Officer IV, and is an active member on multiple committees that deal with emergency services, training and curriculum on national standards. He is credentialed by the Center for Public Safety Excellence as a Chief Training Officer. Edwards is an advocate for transformational leadership and building a culture that's centered on customer service in emergency services.
