For the past 27 years Action Training Systems (ATS) has been known for the superior quality of their fire and EMS training programs. President, George Avila, took his love for video production and matched it with his desire to make a difference in the emergency response world. Over the years he has hired a highly qualified production team and worked with countless industry subject matter experts to develop the highest quality multi-media training programs on the market.
In the early years Action Training Systems (ATS) Programs were strictly video based. As a company always looking to explore the advances and changes in education, they discovered that incorporating interactive training proved to be more engaging for students and significantly increased their level of comprehension. A recent study by Kaltura titled, The State of Video in Education 2015, emphasized how video is permeating our education institutions, transforming the way we teach, learn and study. The study highlighted the increase in video being used as a training resource but more importantly focused on the need for the video training to be integrated into a Learning Management System (LMS). Action Training Systems has taken into account the advances in education and believes using their video and interactive training in an online format is the best way to prepare students in the emergency response field for hands-on training drills and real life emergency incidents. They have continued to stay ahead of the curve in terms of visually stimulating video and engaging course material, all while adhering to current industry standards.
Departments worldwide are using Action Training Systems online interactive training as a tool in and out of the classroom. There has been a shift in classroom training with the implementation of online training. Not to say that traditional forms of training are ineffective, but online training has proven to be more effective in terms of time management and student engagement. When instructors can assign their students with various course modules prior to classroom training, students come to class better prepared and need less time in the classroom prior to hands-on training.
“We really love how the ATS videos prepare us for hands-on training because we get our learning and theory done ahead of time instead of spending 3 hours during drill night simply listening to me lecture. We now go over SOG’s and SOP’s and cut straight to the practical application of skills. The content offered has really revolutionized training for us. The information is current and consistent across the board, and in accordance with the NFPA”, says Cory Moss, Training Officer for Greater Madawaska TWP Fire Department.
ATS interactive training programs incorporate essential fire and EMS standards into a combination of video, interactive questions and section quizzes. Students are required to watch a video segment and are then asked essential questions to ensure understanding of subject matter. If they answer an interactive question incorrectly, the program stops, backs up, shows the video clip with the correct information and re-asks the same question. The learner must answer the question correctly to move ahead so they can’t continue through the course with a misconception. This type of learning has been proven to increase learner comprehension. Rather than having their students merely read through training manuals, instructors can have their students log on and take the fire and/or EMS courses that coincide with their current lesson plan.
In a recent interview, Terry Haughian, Training Chief of Grand Prairie Fire Department explained how his department has been incorporating ATS online courses as part of his department’s quarterly assigned lesson plans. He is pleased with the success his department is having with ATS Online. They now have the material to train based on “specific skills and core material” in addition to the training captain’s experience. “Our department members have a lot of flexibility with ATS Online. We can assign course modules to take prior to hands on training and also able to incorporate ATS programs into our ongoing lesson plans. Instructors and students alike, find the programs to be engaging and beneficial to the department’s overall training success”, says Haughian.
ATS offers over 200 fire and EMS interactive courses that comprise a library of 4 complete catalogs to fit your training needs. These programs are also available on DVD or as streaming video online (The same DVD content available online). There are many delivery and pricing options to fit the need of varying department training styles. To find out more information, click here.
