Company drills play a major role in the training of modern firefighters. One reason for this is the fact that only four percent of total calls for firefighters are for working fires. Firefighters, therefore, rely mostly on training to develop their skills.
To help address this need for comprehensive education, TargetSolutions offers a 14-course bundle in video format that presents firefighting techniques in an innovative and easy-to-follow manner. These drills are based on NFPA 1410 Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations. Their purpose is to give departments a training tool, often used for pre-training coursework prior to the drill-yard, to help prepare personnel for initial attack operations.
Advantages of Online NFPA 1410 Training Prior to Hands-On Exercises
TargetSolutions’ NFPA 1410 Fireground Evolutions training series represents a breakthrough in firefighter training and has the potential to change the way firefighters train. It utilizes the latest technology and takes into account the way people actually learn. The series was developed to include three major psychometric areas:
- Cognitive - Material is explained in a way that makes it clear how and why everything is done.
- Psychomotor - Skills are built through repetition.
- Affective - Video format lets people see why actions need to be taken.
When firefighters hit the drill ground and go through the NFPA 1410 checklist of drills, they are well prepared for the scenarios they can encounter during exercises and on the job.
Essential Steps for Developing Fire Drills & Measuring Performance
When developing a company standards program, you need to follow certain guidelines, such as standards created by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). It's important to be able to measure standards so you can evaluate results. Here are the essential steps needed to develop such standards for your department:
- Identify Performance Standards - Determining the performance standards or procedures for your department is the first step. Some of the resources you can consult for this include Firefighter Skills Manuals l and ll, state testing and evaluation procedures and NFPA 1410: Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operation. You need to identify Individual, Single-Company and Multiple-Company performance standards.
- Develop a Standard Format - After identifying the performance standards to evaluate, you need to create a standard format for the MCS program. This includes performance objectives, description of actions, resources used to develop the MCS, NFPA standards, evaluation criteria, safety measures, step-by-step procedures and the method of documentation and scoring.
- Develop the Training Program - Once you have the standards and format, it's time to actually develop your training program that outlines the procedures needed to complete performance standards. You should have walk-throughs of all performance standards, time constraints, evaluation criteria and applicable safety precautions.
- Test the Program - In order to ensure that the program meets your expectations, it's necessary to test it with pilot evaluations. You should then make any revisions you deem necessary based on feedback and observing the process.
- Develop a Timeline -You need to decide on a timeline for MCS evaluations. Quarterly evaluations are typical for most departments.
TargetSolutions is a Leader in Online Training for Fire Departments
TargetSolutions, the industry’s leader in online continuing education for the fire service, is proud to offer the NFPA 1410 14-course bundle which will help firefighters complete these basic evolutions in a reasonable amount of time and ensure they acquire the skills they need to do their jobs with confidence.
