Client Success Stories
Gaines Township Fire Department, MI
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Background
Stationed in the state of Michigan, Gaines Township Fire Department needed an alternative solution to training their personnel because the cost of books and training videos were becoming costly. They needed to figure out a way to train the members of their department, without exceeding their annual budget, which is when they began to search for an online training solution. With 30 personnel serving a population of 6,941, it was important for their department to have up to date training material and a simplified process for tracking state requirements.
How FireRescue1 Academy Impacted Gaines Township’s Training Program
- Our department took full advantage of the ability to create custom courses, using training videos found online, and building lessons to meet Michigan state requirements.
- It used to be time consuming to manage the training given to personnel and track offline classroom training, but with the ability to record outside training for credit within the system, it’s much easier to manage documentation.
- Our Training Lieutenant found value in the system’s functionality to track member progress, run automatic reports, and communicate Michigan state updates internally to personnel. The ability to send SOG/SOP updates and print course completion certificates is also a plus.
Quality of Courses
- FireRescue1 Academy’s platform consistently meets our department’s needs by offering accredited training courses. The number of courses available allow us to assign training on various topics.
- Our department was using old books and out-dated videos to train our personnel. We found new books to be costly, so moving to an online training solution reduced our training spend but also kept our first responders in compliance.
- Because we have EMS personnel, it was great to be able to provide continuing education training for credit.
Cost and Time Savings
- With an online training solution, we eliminated the need for our first responders to have to complete training outside of the department. It was also easier to manage credentials and track personnel progress in one place.
- By streamlining our ISO tracking, it is easy for us to document and record what’s required in preparation for reviews.
- The administrative functionality allows our training coordinators to send notifications to personnel, automate reports to track completions, communicate state protocol to members and maintain compliance.
“Today, the department streamlines their fire and EMS training to include their own custom courses, reduce risk and mitigate liability with the ISO tracker, and meet compliance and credential requirements for state approval.”
Conclusion
Gaines Township continues to find success in partnership with FireRescue1 Academy, allowing first responders to meet their training needs. With a reduction in training cost and by improving internal communication, Gaines Township’s department is able to easily manage documentation across the board, meeting state requirements and maintain annual fire and EMS compliance standards.