FireRescue1 Academy has added new fire rescue training courses to our learning management library. With 1 new full-length course on the topic of wildland fires and 6 FireRescue1 Reality Training single videos, first responders now have additional training available to meet annual requirements. These new courses, and more, are available on-demand at any time from your computer or mobile device, allowing for flexibility in a fast-paced environment.

New Training Courses

• Wildland Fire Observations & Origin Scene Protection– (1 hour)
  Last year, our country suffered from 71,499 wildfires. The number of acres burned was higher than the previous 10-year average. Studies show an increase in future wildfires due to more frequent unexpected weather patterns. With these figures in mind, fire investigation has become more important than ever, It must start at the time a fire is reported or discovered. First responders play an important role in protecting evidence, so it is vital for the origin and cause investigator to help train all first responders to identify and protect the area of origin of the fire. In this course, we will focus on two main aspects that are weaved into fire investigations: wildland fire observations and origin scene protection.

Did You Know

FireRescue1 Academy includes access to more than 450 short videos. We’re seeing a dramatic increase in the use of video-based training due to its ability to drive greater consistency and transparency within departments. Below are the latest courses available:

• Fire Reality Training: Don’t let your Adrenaline drive your tactics (10m)
• Fire Reality Training: Interference on the Job (10m)
• Fire Reality Training: Preparing for the MAYDAY (10m)
• Fire Reality Training: Train the Way You Fight (10m)
• Fire Reality Training: What is your COOP? (10m)
• Fire Reality Training: The Right of the Patient and HIPAA (10m)

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

FireRescue1 Academy has added many new system features and functionality this year, continuing to improve our training management solution for fire departments and EMS agencies. Most recently, we turned our focus to our course library and making it easy for administrators to find exactly what they’re looking to assign to personnel. As a result, we’ve re-organized our set of available course topics. Our content development and accreditation teams works hard to ensure we continue to offer the most relevant training topics for the safety and preparation of our first responders, as well as provide the best user experience in our learning management solution.

On January 11, 2019, the new categories will go into effect and will be available to administrators in the ‘Topics’ drop-down menu within FireRescue1 Academy. Some of the topics will look familiar and will not have changed. There will also be a new set of topics not previously offered. All courses, including any custom courses you may have created within the system specific to your department, have been moved accordingly to the most appropriate topic.

An added bonus? As we overhauled the categories used across our nearly 3,300 courses at Praetorian Digital, we identified nearly 125 courses that cover highly-requested professional development needs like Human Resources, General Safety, Professional Skills and more, which we’ll be adding to department accounts when we make the change later this month. All courses are in the process of being submitted to the appropriate accrediting bodies for review for possible credit towards license requirements. Additional details will be provided as they become available.

A full mapping of the topic changes are included below for easy reference. You can always contact your Customer Success Manager with any questions you may have as well.

Fire Courses Topics

EMS Course Topics

Research shows that without continued training and reinforcement, drivers potentially drift into bad habits without effective management.

Did you know? – Each year, more than 4,500 collisions involving ambulances and 30,000 involving fire apparatus have the potential to injure firefighters, EMS providers, their patients and members of the community.

It is important for emergency responders to learn their response district, common routes, how to perform 360-degree walk-arounds of the vehicle, how to use lights/sirens to request the right of way and other important safety operations. These are just some of the many training practices that new drivers need to become familiar with before getting behind the wheel of an apparatus.

With FireRescue1 Academy, fire and EMS agencies have access to Emergency Vehicle Operator Courses (EVOC) that promote driver safety – along with a library of 350+ fire and EMS training courses – that follow NFPA standards, promote firefighter safety and help your personnel meet annual requirements.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

Online learning is becoming a popular training and organizational tool for fire departments. Learn why online learning should be your department’s next investment.

Many people associate online learning with college courses but are unfamiliar with its applications outside of attaining a college degree. While online learning is a fast-growing training and organizational tool for a variety of businesses, it is particularly well-suited for fire rescue given the nature of the job – which includes a heavy training requirement, regular policy updates and firefighters working varied schedules around the clock.

Online learning management systems are highly flexible, accessible anywhere, offer a wide variety of content, and can streamline processes for the entire fire department.

Here are six reasons why you should consider implementing an online learning platform at your department.

1. REDUCE TRAINING COSTS

Online learning can replace or reduce in-person training costs by allowing training coordinators to assign pre-course work before a classroom session. Firefighters can read policies or memos, as well as watch lecture videos before arriving to class lectures which can help improve the effectiveness of hands-on training.

For example, before bringing firefighters into a training simulation, have them watch a video, assigned to them for completion in the learning management system, that introduces how the simulator works and read a training bulletin about the learning objectives for the simulation session. When firefighters arrive, they can immediately receive the scenario briefing and begin the hands-on training experience, foregoing a lengthy lecture.

Further, online training is ideal for annual training updates, such as a bloodborne pathogens refresher, that often require hiring an outside trainer or assigning an employee to deliver bloodborne pathogens training throughout the organization. Either route is time and budget consuming. A bloodborne pathogens course, loaded into the online training system, can be used for several annual training cycles and completed by firefighters without bringing them to a classroom or an instructor to them.

Additionally, by decreasing the amount of off-site training required, departments can cut down
overtime costs as well as costs for travel and shift coverage during off-site training.

2. ACCESS COURSES WITH EASE AND FLEXIBILITY

For most departments, training is a burden because it’s not always accessible; Firefighters need to travel to training, or a fire department needs to coordinate with an in-person trainer. And apart from expenses, it’s often inconvenient.

With online learning, training is available anytime, anywhere on the following devices:

• iPhone and Android powered smartphones
• Desktop computers
• iPads, Kindle Fires, and Android powered tablets

This 24/7 accessibility means that personnel can access the online training system – a knowledge base of courses, policies, and resources – to complete training while on shift, during downtime or even during their off time if allowed by their department. Off-duty training is especially well-suited to part-time firefighters, volunteers or personnel who work at more than one department.

Online learning also opens the doors to a newer concept called microlearning. Training doesn’t need to happen in only 1-hour, 4-hour or 8-hour increments. Fifteen minutes during briefings might be enough time to quickly update firefighters on a policy revision or to view a short video on a feature update to the tracking software.

Unlike in-person training, online learning can be broken into smaller sessions that can be paused and restarted over multiple sittings.

3. PROVIDE THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES MILLENNIALS EXPECT

According to Pew research, millennials are the largest cohort in the U.S. labor force. If your department’s ratio of young firefighters to veteran personnel hasn’t shifted yet, it soon will.

And millennials have different expectations from their employees than generations past.

Harvard Business Review released a study in 2017 about what millennials want in a work environment. The study spanned multiple industries, but the results were strongly focused on generation versus occupation. One of the primary outcomes was the millennials look for the opportunity to learn and grow within their occupation more than any previous generation.

Appealing to millennials’ desire for educational opportunities, through cutting-edge technology, is a great tool for recruitment and retention.

In addition to assigned courses, leverage the learning management system (LMS) vendor’s course library to offer optional or elective courses to all personnel. Promote the availability of these courses, especially to millennials, who want to continue learning on the job and broadening their skill set.

4. IMPROVE TRACKING OF TRAINING

A combination of online training features like ease of use and high volumes of courses helps firefighters with retraining and recertification.

Firefighters have access to accredited courses that can be utilized more frequently than off-site or in-person training schedules allow. Digital time tracking means more training hours are counted, too. An online training system makes it easy to earn and document training hours for:

• Attending shift briefings
• Completing pre-course work before a hands-on training event
• Documenting participation in an inter-agency training exercise like an active shooter response drill

How does your fire department currently track these hours and apply it toward annual requirements?

Can you make the process stronger? When the Oak Park Fire Department starting tracking their training with more efficiency and increased their volume of content through online learning, they noticed a substantial increase in operations training time.

5. INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR REQUIRED CERTIFICATION

With online learning, training is tracked and progress is easily monitored by administrators, which means credentials are less likely to expire and compliance requirements are more easily adhered to.

In the event that a lawsuit arises, training records are subpoenaed or a regulatory audit occurs a training management system provides tracked, centralized documentation to report firefighter department-required credentials. This ability to track and grant credentials reduces liability.

6. ELEVATE FIREFIGHTER SAFETY

As any chief knows, training is a sound foundation for a firefighter’s career, but continuing education beyond minimum requirements for these topics — and addressing a wider-breadth of issues — is imperative for a firefighter’s overall effectiveness and on-the-job safety.

Finding an online solution provides your firefighters access to these critical training topics, as well as topics more specifically related to your community.

For example, if the opioid epidemic is currently plaguing your jurisdiction, online learning tools can provide your department continuous access and up-to-date education to help keep your first responders safe and effectively responding to overdoses and investigating narcotics trafficking.

When Gaines Township Fire Department implemented a better training program, it not only helped retain their firefighters because they felt more equipped to handle their job, but their training coordinator described how improved training about safer firefighting saved their lives.

Learn how FireRescue1 Academy can help your department.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

FireRescue1 Academy continues to keep our fire and EMS training content fresh and up to date, to ensure your department and personnel have the latest and greatest in fire training. Our Content and Accreditation team has worked diligently to overhaul our fire training series for both Fire Fighter 1 and 2 and Fire Officer. Our online platform now includes these updated NFPA-based courses, along with other fire training courses that can be assigned to your team at any time.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

FireRescue1 Academy recently released new fire courses, expanding our training library of quality, high-liability topics that address today’s fire related incidents. With a subscription to FireRescue1 Academy, we offer exclusive access to some of the best fire and EMS training online.

With nearly 350 NFPA-based fire course, personnel and first responders have access to training 24/7, in multiple formats, to meet compliance and credential requirements. Along with new and updated courses released regularly, our training solution offers features that simplify department training, like course tracking, policy management, custom course creation, and more.

New/Updated Courses Released

• Firefighter Cancer: Prevention and Health
  Many firefighters face hazards that are easily visible such as structural collapse, hazardous materials, and high heat environments, but it is the unseen hazards that are most dangerous to firefighters today. In this course, sponsored by Globe, we will explore the common cancer-causing agents firefighters will face on the job as well as the importance of wearing proper PPE and using decontamination techniques to increase firefighter health and quality of life.
• Fire Reality Training: Incidents in Limited Access Buildings
  In this short training video, Chief Rob Wylie explains possible tactics when dealing with limited access areas and how to handle to siutation safely.
• Fire Reality Training: Media Outlets and the Firehouse
  Inviting the media is inviting scrutiny. Watch this video segment to be sure your department is ready.
• Fire Reality Training: Recruitment
  Chief Rob Wylie presents strategies on how your department can find diverse and qualified personnel.
• Managing Chronic Care Patients (ALS/BLS)
  This one-hour Medic Monthly course provides instruction on managing chronic care patients and their overuse or abuse of the EMS system.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

With budget cuts and staffing issues plaguing many departments, finding the bandwidth to meet, manage and document required fire and EMS mandated training can be an uphill battle. As a response, firefighters have begun to turn to online learning as an ideal training solution.

Training online offers inherent advantages. It’s cost-effective, it’s always available and it’s easy to track and manage. Online learning can also reduce risk.

Here are a few ways your online learning provider should help your department meet its annual training requirements and decrease liability.

1. ONLINE TRAINING CATERS TO STATE REQUIREMENTS

   Online learning is customizable. So whether your department needs to adhere to CAPCE (Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education) guidelines for EMS recertification, state-specific fire training requirements or internal policies, you can ensure your program is compliant.

   Your online learning provider should work with you to help you meet requirements in your state, regardless of how quickly mandates change. For example, our FireRescue1 Academy Platform is an organizationally accredited online education provider by CAPCE, approved in a handful of states for fire continuing education, and continually adds and updates new courses to be in line with the latest industry standards.

   Additionally, many modern online training solutions can deliver content on smartphones, tablets, or desktop computers, making them available anywhere, at any time. Tracking time, even if it’s short bursts during the day— like 15-minute videos with tests—can help your personnel reach annual certification requirements.

   For many fire departments, personnel must complete annual fire and EMS continuing education to maintain certification. It can be difficult to accommodate coverage for each firefighter when you have an understaffed department. Thanks to the accessibility of online learning, departments can increase the number of training hours while reducing the number of hours a responder is absent.

   “Previously, we had been searching for an online training platform that not only ensured cost-savings, but offered a strong content library and custom course builder that would allow for our department to add specific training content. Since implementing FireRescue1 Academy, we are taking full advantage of this modern day training solution for applied learning, which has led us to maintaining our ISO 2 rating.” – Oak Park Fire Department.

2. ONLINE COURSES CAN HELP FILL TRAINING GAPS AND DECREASE LIABILITY

   It’s likely your department needs to meet a number of specialized training requirements or state-specific mandates. You may currently be on the hook for identifying—and paying for—a range of instructors to conduct multiple, in-person training sessions. Online learning can greatly ease if not eliminate this burden.

   An online learning provider with a comprehensive course library can efficiently deliver training for a large number of specialized, fire and EMS topics that might prove costly to provide in a classroom setting.

   In addition, by offering increased training opportunities, you are reducing liability costs at your department, too—which can take a huge bite out of your department’s budget. For example, according to the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, fire truck crashes occur at a rate of approximately 30,000 crashes per year. Due to civil liability, local governments can pay anywhere from $100,000 and up in settlements and legal fees.

   High-liability categories, which are all offered on the FireRescue1 Academy platform, include:

   • Firefighter 1 & 2
   • Fire Instructor
   • Emergency Vehicle Operations
   • Pediatric Emergencies
   • Trauma

   Having access to a broad library of online training courses is a viable solution to help improve firefighter safety, productivity and performance and decrease risk while staying within budget.

3. REPORTING AND TRACKING PROGRESS MINIMIZES RISK

   Maintaining accurate training records is as important as actually taking the required courses. Without proof of course completion and department compliance, one audit or legal issue can completely disrupt your department.

   One of the benefits of online learning is the streamlined electronic record of your department’s training activity. A learning management system (LMS) enables departments to eliminate any makeshift or paper processes currently in use. This improved workflow benefits everyone, from personnel to the administration and leadership divisions.

   For instance, if a firefighter is unable to complete training in one sitting, courses can be bookmarked and completed at a later time. Training administrators and leaders can easily monitor the progress and the completion of assigned tasks. Then, anyone within the department can easily pull a report for compliance in the event of an audit. Digitally organizing and tracking your department’s compliance and ISO training can also reduce liability in the case of a lawsuit.

 

4. AN ONLINE TRAINING SOLUTION LESSENS BUDGET AND TIME COMMITMENTS

   Often, department budgets don’t align with the resources and time needed for first responders to meet annual training requirements. This becomes a challenge for the Chief or Training Coordinator as a firefighter cannot be on call and scheduled for in-person training at the same time. So will your department plan training during work hours? Or will you pay for overtime?

   What if some of those training sessions are only available in particular regions in your state and your personnel have to travel? Additionally, managing work schedules when firefighters are away at training adds another layer of complexity.

   An online training platform can be the solution to these problems. The flexibility opens the doors to allowing first responders to complete training in between calls while on call, which cuts overtime costs and keeps your department compliant. Further, it provides administrators with a tangible return on investment from both a time and monetary perspective.

   Today’s fire departments are faced with complex training requirements and need cost-effective ways to ensure personnel is compliant with state standards. An LMS that offers high-quality courses and tracking can meet those needs.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

FireRescue1 Academy’s online learning platform offers a course library that has been developed to meet the educational needs of departments looking to train personnel on high liability topics. These topics and more are available in our learning management solution, which provides a flexible system for you to maintain compliance based on your department’s specific needs.

We are regularly evaluating our course content to ensure we are providing the topics that our clients can get the most value from. In our recent review of our top courses completed by clients, we have noticed that departments are finding it useful that we have training on a variety of fire and EMS related topics.

The courses listed below can be taken to meet CEU requirements or for credit toward state and/or national certifications and credentials.

Top 5 courses completed:

• Bloodborne Pathogens for First Responders
  The First Responder must have knowledge of the appropriate personal protective equipment when responding to an emergency to protect the first responder against airborne and bloodborne pathogens. In this course, learners will review the different airborne and bloodborne pathogens they will most commonly be exposed to with discussion of a new bloodborne pathogen as well as the equipment and preventative measures that should be taken for those pathogens.
• Ventricular Assist Devices: Assessment & Treatment Considerations
  This one-hour Medic Monthly course provides instruction on Ventricular Assist Devices: Assessment and Treatment Considerations. This course presents versions for ALS responders.
• HazMat First Responder Awareness
  This Hazmat First Responder Awareness course assists the First Responder in recognizing the hazardous substance and understanding how to respond.
• Sexual Harrassment
  Sexual harassment in the workplace can happen to anyone, male or female, regardless of sexual orientation. While sexual harassment may have been overlooked, ignored, or excused in the past, that is no longer the case. Recognizing what sexual harassment is, both the subtle cues as well as the overt advances, will help you to identify potential warning signs and take the necessary steps to report sexual harassment. There are a number of preventive measures that can be employed as well as recommendations of what to do if you or one of your employees have been or are the victim of sexual harassment.
• Emergency Vehicle Driving Dynamics
  Driving and operating emergency vehicles is very challenging and one of the most hazardous duties performed by emergency response personnel every day. It requires a complete understanding of how the forces of nature and physics work both for and against the safe operation of emergency vehicles. In this 1 hour course, learners will study the dynamic effects of forces like inertia, friction, and mass to better understand how the laws of physics are always in control of an emergency vehicle.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

How Much Can You Save on Online Fire Training?

Recently, FireRescue1 Academy built a new tool to help fire departments determine their cost savings by transitioning part of their required annual training to an online learning solution. Our ROI calculator estimates your current spend on training versus how much you can save on online fire training with FireRescue1 Academy’s platform.

The goal for this estimation tool is to demonstrate how moving part of your annual training to an online solution can positively impact your bottom line and reduce budget spending.

With our potential savings estimator, your department can:*

• Evaluate the cost/benefit of purchasing an online solution
• Determine the time saved on tracking and reporting training
• Compare existing training procedures to our features & functionality

*Disclaimer: To receive your potential savings calculation, you must complete a demo of FireRescue1 Academy with a sales representative.

For more information on FireRescue1 Academy, click here to schedule a demo, email our Customer Success Team or call 800.671.9411 to speak with one of our FireRescue1 Academy representatives.

EVOC: Emergency Vehicle Operator Course Series

FireRescue1 Academy has released a new course series, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC), which is designed to enhance the ability for fire fighters to identify the importance of proper training for emergency vehicle operations. With this series, students will deal with the many dynamic forces of nature and physics, which will work both for and against the safe operation of emergency vehicles.

This eLearning experience provides personnel with the knowledge necessary to operate and mitigate the many risks associated with driving emergency vehicles. These training courses have a variety of requirements and opportunities out there for any driver or department with a desire to promote safety and effectiveness.

EVOC is a five-part series that includes the following courses:

• Emergency Vehicle Driving Requirements

This 30-minute course explains the importance of emergency vehicle driving, the impact of vehicle accidents to you and the organization, responsibilities for safe emergency vehicles operations, and the factors that contribute to an incident involving emergency vehicles. Learners will take away an essential understanding of the complexities of driving under emergency conditions, the hazards of intersections and finally the risks of backing apparatus and vehicles.

• Selecting the Proper Personnel for Driving Emergency Vehicle

This 30-minute course will explain that proper personnel selection procedures are the first steps in developing an effective, safe emergency vehicle driver program. It will also define the legal aspects of emergency vehicle operations. And why it is necessary to have standard operating guidelines.

• Emergency Vehicle Characteristics

This 30-minute course will focus on vehicle features that the Emergency Vehicle Driver should know. The course will define the various types of Emergency Vehicle Inspections and maintenance programs a department must have set-up. The course will also focus on the different weight distribution factors and center of gravity when driving these emergency vehicles.

• Emergency Vehicle Driving Dynamics

This course will focus on the dynamics of how to drive an emergency vehicle and stay safe in the process. It will focus on how to prevent Emergency Vehicle Roll Over and Vehicle Dynamics and Physical Forces effect the operation of these types of vehicles.

• Emergency Vehicle Driving Techniques

This 1-hour module will cover all the techniques needed to maintain the highest level of safety possible. It also includes how to prepare for unexpected situations and conditions which can adversely affect emergency vehicle operation. As well as defensive driving techniques that include space management, following distance and rate of closure, hazard identification and correct braking techniques to name a few tactical skills.