The most common question asked of training officers is “What’s next?” Be careful how you answer, and know your answer before the question is ever asked. This answer sets the tone for the next training as well as the attitudes toward training in your department. Whether you’re a new lieutenant responding to your crew or a seasoned training officer answering to the chief, your answer is critical to training success.
Start Where You Stand
There are as many ideas for training as there are training officers. Just as mediocre and exceptional trainers exist, mediocre and exceptional training strategies exist. Our company officers hold the most important ‘training’ job in the fire service. The crew is a reflection of how seriously the officer takes this responsibility. No matter the strategy driving long-term training at the department, the company officer must start with proficiency for themselves and their crew. The key element here: Start where you stand.
The foundation for success in training is extraordinary execution of the basics. After all, why discuss strategy and tactics, or the merits of transitional attack, if you can’t advance the first hoseline? NFPA 1001: Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications outlines the skills we all must possess to be a starter on the team. The best trainers include the 1001 skills in each and every training day–and never forget that every day is a training day. We know from research that what we don’t use, we lose.
Beyond these individual skills, companies must know what is expected of them on the next emergency response. It is the job of the incident commander (IC) to clearly communicate these expectations. Sports teams communicate through a playbook; your department should have a playbook for your most executed maneuvers. (On this topic, check out Homer Robertson’s article “Developing a Department ‘Playbook.'”)
Meeting Standards & Hitting Benchmarks
If your agency doesn’t have a set of standard evolutions, get one. The good news is the prep work is done for you. NFPA 1410: Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations outlines the expectations of first-arriving companies. Simply Google “NFPA 1410” and you’ll see dozens of iterations of the basic 1410-related drills. This standard includes suggested evolutions and the times it should take to execute each maneuver. Meeting these guidelines ensures crews are performing at standard.
It’s important to practice standard evolutions often and to set benchmarks. Though the American fire service is not nationalized, departments will constantly be scrutinized against the 1410 suggested times. Additionally, take a look at the recent National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) residential fireground research to establish your department’s benchmarks.
Get Specialized
If your department has unique equipment or special hazards, you may need to develop your own set of “1410s.” In my department, swiftwater rescue is a typical summertime call. Through drill and practice, we can deploy a pre-rigged boat down a 40′ steep bank and into the river in two minutes. Prior to designing this evolution, it often took more than two minutes to just get the boat off of the rig. Knowing the expectations, setting benchmarks, and drilling on standard evolutions made all the difference for us.
Form Perfect Circles
Like ripples from a stone cast in a pond, drills build individual, company, multi-company and department proficiency. If the inner circle of the ripples is lacking, each subsequent ring will reflect and amplify this deficit.
So how do you form these perfect concentric circles? Assessing the final outcomes or performance on the fireground helps identify deficiencies in the core competencies. Review fireground performance, searching for opportunities for growth, and chase these problems back to their genesis. As Yogi Berra once said, “You can see a lot just by observing.”
Just as the NFL teams typically spend each Monday reviewing game films, we need to discuss our game day performance. Look at performance with a critical eye. Ask yourself, your crew and your department:
- What went well?
- What went poorly?
- Were the “standard evolutions” executed correctly?
- Did the department respond appropriately to the unique situations on the emergency scene?
Hopefully these questions are each answered honestly and with a passion for improvement. It’s unrealistic to think scripted plays can address every evolving emergency in its entirety. Knowing the playbook assists in everyone knowing what is expected of them and what they can expect of others.
More often than not, mastery of the basics set the tone for success. We should never forget the mantra from our recruit academy: “The fire goes as the first hose goes.” When evolving situations require innovation, the IC calls an audible. By knowing the playbook, audibles are easily recognized and more successfully executed.
In your after-action reviews (AARs), identify the core incident objectives. Honestly answer how, and if, those objectives were met. Next break the operation into sections, namely engine, truck and command skills. It’s usually easy to see where the problems lie in an AAR. And instead of placing blame, use the AAR as a diagnostic tool. These sessions are too often watered down and full of praise. By being transparent and honest, we can more fully celebrate our successes and identify our weaknesses.
Make Your Job Easier
So boss: What’s next on your training agenda? Answer the question with enthusiasm and a solid foundation of why. As an officer, you hold the key to fireground success, decreased injury and reductions in line-of-duty deaths. We’ve all heard that success is that juncture of preparation and opportunity. So make sure each ripple in your pond is a perfect concentric circle. By drilling on the standard evolutions and conducting honest AARs, your job just got a lot easier.
