Best Practices to Transform Your Training Program with Technology

In the fire service, doing more with less is a constant reality:  

• Provide services to a growing population but do it without additional staffing. 
• Improve your ISO score but do it without increased budgeting.  
• Ensure proper coverage but do it without paying overtime.  

The list goes on and on. The training your personnel need to stay safe is one area that cannot be negotiated, but how you do it can be. Here are some key areas to focus. For more information, please download our new guide, The Ultimate Checklist to Uplevel Your Training Program. 

Increasing Administrative Efficiency

Paper-based systems and manual processes may have worked in the past, but today's fire and EMS leaders have the advantage of digital tools and solutions to simplify, automate, and streamline many of these daily administrative tasks.

For example, a new hire means a new round of onboarding, initial training, and other tasks while the recruit gets up to speed. Online solutions, like a training management system (TMS) built with the fire service in mind, can help fire and EMS leaders ensure all new personnel receive the training they need to be successful, regardless of how many new hires you have.

From the smallest rural department to the largest metropolitan agency, fire and EMS leaders do their best to stretch their training budgets as far as possible. By investing in the right technology, your agency can reduce costs and make every dollar count.

Ongoing Training and Continuing Education

Once past the initial training and onboarding period, firefighters and EMS personnel have plenty of ongoing training and continuing education to keep them busy. With a TMS, training coordinators and agency leadership can simplify providing every member with the training they need to be safe and effective.

The right solution can also support retention and recruiting efforts. Like other public safety agencies, fire and EMS departments are dealing with significant staffing shortages. Offering comprehensive training and professional development opportunities can help attract new recruits, incentivize them to stay in the profession longer, and when the time comes for a leader to step down, support succession planning and make choosing someone to fill those big shoes easier.

Improved Performance

Firefighters and EMS personnel are used to working under pressure and in high-risk scenarios. Mitigating those risks is the job of agency leadership. With a comprehensive training program supported by an industry-leading TMS, fire and EMS leaders are better equipped to keep their people safe and safeguard their careers.

To take it a step further, agencies in highly populated or wildland areas where fire and EMS departments depend on mutual aid can take advantage of using the same TMS to build training consortiums, bridge the gap between training and operations, and support interagency cooperation.

To learn more about utilizing technology to streamline and simplify various aspects of your training program, please download our guide, The Ultimate Checklist to Uplevel Your Training Program. 

The Ultimate Checklist to Uplevel Your Training Program