Additional Training for Officers

[DOC22 1]

Here's a question. How many Volunteer Departments rquire additional training for Officers? More Requirements the higher rank attained?

[HFD750 6]

As for my department you need certain classes to become 1st and 2nd LT. Then more classes to become Capt. For the 1st 2nd and head chiefs spot you need to take even more classes. I'm not sure of the total but heres a quick run down.

firefighter essentials(firefighter1)

commanding the initial response

Haz-Mat first responder

pump ops

fire behavior&arson awarness

building contruction

truck company ops(laddder ops)

AVET

EVOC

intro to fire officer

fire officer1

firefighter survival

responding to gas emergencies

And now everyone needs NIMS.

I think that's it.

Edited December 15, 2006 by HFD750

[Arrowxt 8]

Here's a question.  How many Volunteer Departments rquire additional training for Officers? More Requirements the higher rank attained?

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Mine does for each level. Caps and Lues are considered Junior officer positions Asst. chiefs the next all the way to Chief. Kinda takes the popularity contest out of it.

Arrow

[Guest]

ISO requires 12 additional hours of training each year for line officers. Just something to think about if you are trying to improve your ISO rating.

And, OSHA wants to see training standards for line officers higher than that for the department standard for firefighters.

So, there are certainly good reasons to perform this additional training.

[firecapt32 282]

there you go if osha and ISO want them then we should al be striving for them in our departments.

better question is how many departments DONT have qualification for line officer or chief?

[HFD750 6]

better question is  how many departments DONT have qualification for line officer or chief?

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I wonder how many people would admit that one... Our board of fire commissioners are pretty hard on us so we have to keep up with training which is not a bad thing.

[ajsbear 11]

I know Garrison uses the posted standard on the PCBES web site as a minimum

[DOC22 1]

We revised our Constitution and Bi-Laws this year and that is now a part of them. It IS something that should be done, and probably should have long ago.

[HFD750 6]

We revised our Constitution and Bi-Laws this year and that is now a part of them. It IS something that should be done, and probably should have long ago.

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Tell me about it we just did that also... How fun was it for you?

[DOC22 1]

Iwasn't on the committee, but it took them a year or so of research to come up with it. So yeah it involves a LOT of time and energy.

[firecapt32 282]

Still a a lot of departments are antiquaited in their way of electing line officers and chiefs of department. What good is a line officer in a department that cannot lead or make a lesson plan or figure out how much water he might need to put out a fire.? Can you trust him to make life and death decisions??

All departments should be looking foward its not going to get any easier. Lets prepare for the future not dwell in the past.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

In addition to having standards, just as important is updating them reflect current fire service/departmental/societal/training curriculum changes and needs. I know of some departments that have requirements listing courses that haven't existed for years.

Just as important to fire service courses are courses/classes that deal with group dynamics, basically how to deal with people in a efficient and motivating way. Anyone can manage and everyone should be a leader. Being a manager who is a leader can be a lonely, lonely place.

[Guest]

You make an excellent point. The fire service does an excellent job of teaching us how to fight fires, and through officer level training, on the operational aspects of running a fire department. But, it falls woefully short of teaching management and leadership skills.

And, most firefighters will never be officers. It is a very flat organization. Therefore, it is hard to learn these other skills. However, there are plenty of management development courses out there. These are what corporate america use. It is just as critical for line officers to have this training as it is to have operational training.

For those people into reading, Chief Salka has an excellent book on leadership. I liked it so much that I bought it for all of my line officers.

[Monty 35]

We don't have any requirements to be a line officer, other than two years and 'active'. Our company bylaws have all sorts of regulations for officer responsibilities in the fire house, very little on the fireground though. Mind you, the line officers don't really seem to do anything on the fireground anyway, it's the chiefs and everyone else.

[AFS1970 504]

Electing officers in and of itself is not a bad thing, this can and often does provide a confidence vote as a sort of check and balance system. The key is to making it so that only qualified candidates are eligible to run for office. I would rather work for a well trained elected boss than a poorly trained appointed boss.

There are of course professional/Industry standards like OSHA or NFPA which require additional training, but how many departments make this available or enforce this when it is made mandatory? There is a flip side to this, no matter what requirements you adopt, you have to make it possible for your membership to obtain them. Requiring Fire Officer 1 is all well and good, but if there are no classes in your area, then you will quickly run out of viable candidates. If need be, a department must be willing to host whatever classes they feel are appropriate requirements.

[firecapt32 282]

BFD the county does a very good job at scheduleing classes we are under a mandate to provide firefighter one classes and we have produced 12 of them for the year 2006 thats the most in the State of New York. If you need classes ask for them. The county will do their best to get them on the schedule.

[PFD165 1]

Peekskill just rewrote their department rules to reflect current standards and the Line Officers and Chiefs now have increased requirements for classes to take to hold those positions.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Now here's another question in regard to this: How many of these departments that have "class requirements" for officers actually "enforce" them? It's one thing to have it written down. But it's another thing to see them enforced. Has anyone else seen this "done"?

[Guest]

Everyone presents very valid points. I'm kind of summerizing here rather then quote everyone....

For us, we have progressive training requirements through chief and require all officers to basically go for CEU's over a 2 year period. There is a minimum number of course hours required.

Additionally, we have a nomination committee that reviews all candidates records (Training/performance/certifications) and presents results to dept prior to elections. People have been kept from running for not meeting the minimum standards.

Like all elections, not always the best person wins. At worst, a poor candidate is "Removed" after a year if they have not proved themselves. We have elections annually for all positions so it kind of works as an annual review of sorts.

We have run this system for approximately 8 years.