How often does your station have hands-on drills?

[LineCapt 134]

After seeing this poll elsehwere online, I was just curious. How often does your station conduct hands-on, practical drills? And no, I don't mean a videotape or lecture, I mean get out there and do it.

With my guys, I generally try to do something each shift....whether it's something as simple as tying knots, or as involved as FAST team and survival. You can never practice enough. Keeps it fresh and ready in ones mind, in my opinion.

It irritates me that people use the excuse of "its winter" or "we have a company meeting tonight" or "we've dont that already" or the worst yet...."we've got a social funtion to go to", etc to get out of these things. Drill often, and drill always.

Edited November 26, 2005 by LineCapt

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Our department conducts a drill three times a month. In the winter we do have some problems with conducting drills due to the temperatures. But we try to refrain from having a "video" night. Often we will take the hands on training inside pulling the apparatus out or making a space and pulling a demo car in and conducting an extrication drill inside the house.

I try to have all of out recertification stuff during the winter. Our First Aid classes, OSHA refresher and Driver Safety classes. This will knock out these classroom dominated things to free you up for more outsied drills in the good weather months.

[Guest]

In Mahopac Falls, we have "hands on drills" every Wednesday night of the year. Its amazing some departments never drill. Although we are not a very busy dept., we are always staying prepared which shows at heavy jobs.

[Guest]

In my Dept. it is only once a month...

[JohnnyOV 2]

Every monday night drill is "mandatory." Once a month however it is not hands on, but strictly a mantience night where the details of the appatratus are covered.