Guest Blog for ATS by Robert Avsec
“Training teaches what Operations does, and Operations does what Training teaches.”
That’s the Training and Safety Division’s motto for the Chesterfield County (Va.) Fire and EMS Department where I served for my entire 26-year career. The motto is on a large banner that hangs in the main hallway of the Fire Training wing of the County’s Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center.
From my experiences, which included serving as the Chief of the Training and Safety Division for 3+ years, such a motto should be the starting point for any fire chief that wants to have a successful training program. For too long, too many young firefighters have heard this (or something similar) from senior department members and even their supervisors, “Forget what they taught you at the academy. This is how we do it in the real world.”
Such remarks only serve to underscore the importance of good lines of communication between those officers tasked with developing and delivering training and those officers with the responsibility for delivering emergency services.
Types of Training Programs
Generally, fire departments deliver training and education to their employees or members in one of two ways:
• Through a holistic and on-going training program that includes: entry-level training; continuing training of incumbent staff; and professional development training, e.g., officer training; or
• Through a stand-alone training project that addresses a short-term training requirement. Examples could include: training on a new piece of apparatus or equipment; a new training requirement from a regulatory body, e.g., OSHA; or training mandated by the authority having jurisdiction, e.g., preventing workplace violence, response to an active shooter incident, or prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Though each of these has some different characteristics, one being time, they have more in common than they do dissimilarities. Those similarities include answering the following questions (BTW, you do know that about 80 percent of the time a question is a statement in disguise, right? Just checking!).
#1 – Why is training needed? In too many cases, the “answer” to an identified problem is “provide training for…” More often than not, the problem may be inadequate or outdated work procedures, new equipment, or lack of employee motivation. Be sure that the problem you’re looking to address can be solved with training.
Department leaders should ask themselves, “Could the employee do the job if he or she wanted to?” If the answer is “yes”, then training may not be the answer (but it might still be useful).
If the answer to that question is “no”, then the next question should be, “Does the employee have the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to perform their job or use the new equipment?” If the answer to that question is “no”, then training will probably benefit the employee.
#2 – What training is needed? The purpose of training should be to ensure that the employee or member will be able to perform their job safely, effectively, and efficiently. Some questions to help identify training needs are:
• Does the employee or member have previous experience?
• Does the employee or member possess the KSAs needed to perform the tasks?
• Does the employee or member know how to perform the tasks?
#3 – What are the goals and objectives for the training? When developing your goals, you should know exactly what you expect your employees to do:
• Meet their job responsibilities;
• Improve their job performance, or
• Improve their on-the-job behavior.
Objectives are the steps you will outline for employees to reach the organization’s goals. Objectives need to be well thought out and planned for the training to be successful. Therefore, objectives should be clear, concise, measurable, and shared with the employees. Consider the following elements when drawing up your objectives:
• Who needs the training?
• Are there any applicable standards that should be followed, e.g., NFPA training standards?
• What are the desired post-training behaviors?
• Under what conditions will the desired actions be performed? What materials and equipment will be used?
• How will success be measured?
NFPA 1410: Standard on Training for Emergency Scene Operations is just one of several NFPA standards that address various types of fire service training. Annex A (Explanatory Material) and Appendix B (Evaluation Outlines and Instructions) of NFPA 1410 are valuable resources that should not be overlooked. (For more training standards, visit www.nfpa.org).
As you develop your objectives, ask yourself these questions, “Will this help the employee reach the goal? Is it designed for the employee to be successful?”
#4 – What training delivery method will be used? How are you going to get your employees or members the KSAs they need?
The availability and affordability of on-line fire service training have both progressed rapidly in the last couple of years. For many departments, on-line training can be a more cost-effective method for delivering the needed KSAs while conserving instructor resources for hands-on practical skills training. Set up a training portal for your employees or members so that they can get the required training anytime, anywhere. Traveling to learn is so 20th century.
If you decide that you need to use instructor-led training, prepare your training materials and aids after deciding on the learning activities. Arrange objectives and activities in the sequence that corresponds to the tasks performed on the job, and if possible, use hands-on demonstrations. Employees will retain training information better if it is related to their job tasks.
• Determine your training method, e.g., lecture, role-play, simulation, case-study, self-instructional, on-the-job, discussion, hands-on, homework, games, or a combination;
• Select teaching media, e.g., references, easel charts, diagrams, or videos; and
• Plan guides and tests, e.g., instructor’s guide, student’s manual, pre-test, and post-test. Select the training methods best suited for your audience and their training needs for the best learning and retention.
See Related: 5 Characteristics of Effective Instructor Leadership
#5 – How will the training be delivered? Any training activity should begin with a short review of the key training goals and objectives. After each objective is taught, draw a relationship between the employee’s goals, interests, and experiences to the objective. Reinforce what the employee has learned by summarizing objectives and key points.
An effective training program allows employees to participate in the training process and to practice their new skills and knowledge in a safe environment where they can:
• Participate in discussions;
• Ask questions;
• Share their knowledge and expertise;
• Learn through hands-on experience; and
• Participate in role-playing exercises.
See Related: Time Management for Training
For on-line training delivery, determine how you will monitor student progress toward meeting the training objectives. Look for on-line training delivery systems that include an Administrator’s Dashboard feature that allows authorized training personnel to set up learning benchmarks, e.g., what on-line learning needs to be completed before the student can move on to practical skills training. The dashboard should also allow those authorized personnel to monitor individual student progress and send electronic messages to students who are not keeping pace.
#6 – How will you evaluate the training program? A training program is successful only if members learn from it, accomplish the established objectives and reach the stated goals. Without evaluation, you will never know. Program evaluation should seek to answer these questions:
• How well were the learning goals and objectives met?
• For on-line training delivery, were students able to effectively and efficiently get the required training? Were the training system administrators able to effectively and efficiently monitor student progress and provide feedback?
• For instructor-led training, were instructors able to effectively and efficiently use the prepared training lesson plans and teaching materials?
From the evaluation, you can determine if improvement is needed for the training delivery process. If employees or members achieved the desired results, then the training should be offered in the future. If there is no change in behavior on the job, then the training content or delivery method needs to be improved.
Methods for training evaluation can include:
• Conducting written or performance-based tests either at the end of the training or several weeks later;
• Having students complete written post-training evaluations;
• Having supervisors observe or interview the employee to determine if their job performance has improved or the newly acquired KSAs are working following the training; and
• Conducting a “post-training analysis” session with students after training.
#7 – What can we do to improve the program? Training managers should use the information gained from Step #6 for data-driven decision-making to continuously improve the training program. For example, revisions may be made in the program if the evaluation indicates that training materials were confusing, procedural steps were missed, or the employee failed to retain the information.
Any training program needs to be dynamic. Training managers should be constantly on the lookout for emerging training needs or training program modifications driven by:
• Changes in job responsibilities within the organization;
• New apparatus or equipment; and
• New department policies or procedures or revisions to current ones.
See Related: Fire Training: How to Create a Positive Learning Environment for Adult Learners
References
Electrical Construction and Maintenance. Ten Tips for An Effective Training Program. http://ecmweb.com/content/ten-tips-effective-training-program
Canadian Occupational Safety. 8 key elements of an effective training program. http://www.cos-mag.com/columnist/gjones/archive/2014/06/16/8-key-elements-of-an-effective-training-program/
Viswanathan, B. 7 Key Elements of a Successful Corporate Training Program. NalandaU.com. http://www.slideshare.net/vvbalajiviswanathan/10keythingscorporatetraining
Texas Department of Insurance. Safety Training Program Development. http://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/videoresource/stptrainingprod.pdf
