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A National Fire Academy Sponsored Activity
August 29, 2013
In This Week's TRADENET
1. IAFC FSTAR project request
2. Water tender specs request
3. Fire Chief evaluation form request
EMS.com: A Content-Rich Resource
The Ohio Fire and EMS Expo/Conference
Resuscitation Academy
Free Training: Firefighters Support Foundation Inc.
Critical Thinking: One Leg in the Foundation of Competency
- National Events Calendar
- TRADE Regional Pages
- TRADE Regional NFA Course Calendar
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- Journal and Text Publishers Page
Member Requests for Information
If you have a question or comment for inclusion in the weekly TRADENET newsletter, please send it and your contact information to FEMA-trade@fema.dhs.gov. Please be sure and include your Department or Organization name, your e-mail address, and your preferred method of receiving feedback. USFA reserves the right to edit content or reject any material submitted.
Fire Services Page
1.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is working on a new Firefighter Safety through Advanced Research (FSTAR) project. The FSTAR project—which was developed out of the “Changing Severity of Home Fires Workshop” conducted by the U.S. Fire Administration in December 2012—will help the fire service translate scientific research on fire behavior in modern building construction into useful, updated, and appropriate firefighter tactics.
The IAFC will work in partnership with representatives from the research and fire service communities to develop a simple, straightforward approach to implementing new and updated training concepts based on the scientific research of organizations like UL and NIST. The project will also result in a ‘toolbox’ of supportive resources to help fire service leaders drive change within their department.
The FSTAR project’s Working Group is looking for case studies or examples of fire departments that have used the results of scientific research to update or implement new departmental procedures or tactics.
The ultimate goal of this project is to keep firefighters safe through the better application of scientific knowledge. If your department is willing to help, please provide a copy (electronic if possible) of the Operational Procedure, Standard Operating Procedure, Standard Operating Guideline that has been implemented as result of a recent study or project.
Please send information to:
Richard Miller,
Training Coordinator IAFC
Or mail to:
Richard Miller
International Association of Fire Chiefs
4025 Fair Ridge Dr.
Fairfax VA 22033
703-537-4846
2.
Greetings,
Looking for Bid Specifications for a 2013-2014 Ford F250 Super Duty XLT model for a Battalion Chief's truck and if anyone has written specifications for a water tender. We will be purchasing these this current year.
If you could share with me I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Frank Ricci
Battalion Chief
Casa Grande Fire Department
119 E. Florence Blvd.
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
fricci@casagrandeaz.gov
3.
I’m looking for an evaluation form used for evaluation of the fire chief. Please reply to this email address with any relevant documents.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Desmond Cowan, EFO
Fire Chief
Arcata Fire Protection District
631 9th Street
Arcata, CA 95521
707-825-2000 (o)
707-498-5781 (c)
707-822-7951 (f)
Emergency Medical Services Page
There are no EMS related requests this week
EMS.com: A Content-Rich Resource
Information printed in this article are solely the opinion of the editor and do not constitute an endorsement by the DHS, USFA or NFA. This information is presented as a training resource only.
As editor of this newsletter it is my honor to pass along information regarding training, education and anything that will assist you, our readers, in your pursuit of professional excellence.
I found a website that caters to EMS volunteers and paid professionals. “EMS1.Com” is a free website that provides free and instant access to breaking news, expert columns, new product information, job postings, videos and more on EMS1.Com and ParamedicTV.com.
I conducted a search for grants within my home state (Pennsylvania) and found four state and 20 federal EMS related grant opportunities listed. This is but one example of the free services provided by this web site.
Ever wonder what the top ten signs that you have been in EMS too long are? Check out this website for the answer.
Enjoy life and be safe!
READ MORE: http://www.ems1.com/
USFA Now on Facebook
The U.S. Fire Administration gets social! You can now find us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/usfire) as well as Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/usfire)!
Be sure to “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for all the latest happenings at the National Fire Academy, new reports from the National Fire Data Center, and safety and prevention messages you can repost to your social media accounts.
Log on and check us out!
Featured This Week
The Ohio Fire and EMS Expo/Conference
In Partnership with Firehouse
Hands-On Program Internet Special
September 25, 2013
Columbus Division of Fire Training Academy
• Advanced Airway Procedures
• Beyond The Academy: Forcible Entry Operations
• Vent, Enter, Search
HANDS-ON PROGRAM $295 per person before Sept. 5 for groups of three or more. Each attendee has the option to choose their own class. This price also includes a Full Conference pass and lunch the day of the hands-on program. Regularly $375 per person.
The exhibit hall is FREE on Sept. 26 – 27 to all attendees thanks to MedFlight of Ohio.
Go to www.ohiofireexpo.com to register or for more information.
Questions? Email ohiofireexpo@gmail.com
DOWNLOAD THE ATTACHED FLYER
Resuscitation Academy
A two-way exchange of information
The Resuscitation Academy is offered tuition-free and attendees come from throughout the country (and world). The small class size allows for a two-way exchange of information. The faculty provides evidence-based information and tools to improve cardiac arrest survival and the attendees share the real-life challenges they face. Every community has a different constellation of culture, leadership, resources, and opportunity. Above all, we (the faculty) have learned that change is very challenging and one should never assume that just because someone comes along with a good idea that it will be embraced and implemented.
The tool kits are not exactly recipe books with specific steps for each program. Rather, they provide the information, background, training materials, sample letters, sample forms, references and resources, and a general approach to achieving buy-in from directors and managers, as well as the dispatchers, EMTs, paramedics, and police. Although they provide important tools, the contents of each kit must be applied and/or modified based upon resources and leadership within the attendee’s community.
Although most of the kits are directed toward the chain and frame of survival, there are two kits that provide supplemental information. One is on End of Life Issues, and the other tackles the challenging matter of raising funds. Most EMS programs face increasing demand for services and programs while grappling with decreasing resources. When EMS personnel are being laid off, it seems hardly the right time to take on new programs requiring new staff or additional resources. But we think there are ways to create additional resources. Call it the margin of excellence to make the system better, even in the face of difficult economic conditions.
One of the tool kits specifically addresses how to establish a local foundation or partner with an existing foundation and engage in fundraising. Several communities have used the information in this kit to find resources for new equipment and fund additional staff time for QI activities.
The tool kits are publicly available on the Resuscitation Academy website. Tool kits may be downloaded free of charge in a PDF format. All the information on the website is free.
READ MORE: http://www.jems.com/article/training/resuscitation-academy
Free Training: Firefighters Support Foundation Inc.
These free firefighter training programs usually include a video and a PowerPoint presentation. Many address advanced fire service topics or topics that are not often covered. Others reinforce the basics. They are targeted at both agency trainers and individuals.
Turnkey training. Agencies can use the programs by using the PowerPoint slides as distributed notes, running the video presentation, and pausing the video frequently to discuss the material presented. In this way, the training is consistent from session to session, trainer preparation time is greatly reduced, and the training is completely documented.
READ MORE and ACCESS THE TRAINING: http://www.fireengineering.com/training/ffsupport.html
Critical Thinking: One Leg in the Foundation of Competency
Ed Note: I hope the following editorial encourages you and your students to further research the benefits of a life-long committment to professional development. Mike
The world of professional development is buzzing with phrases such as “critical thinking”, “deductive reasoning” and “inductive reasoning”. To most of us who are not psychologists, the subtle differences between deductive and inductive reasoning and how they relate to critical thinking are dauntingly vague. Suffice it to say that both forms are important to the processes that bring critical thinking to competency.
Critical thinking can be defined as the active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends.
Alex Fisher, Critical Thinking: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2001.
So, critical thinking can be described as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication. It is a guide to belief and reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to do or believe. The aim of creative thinking is to stimulate curiosity, imagination, and promote divergence. In other words it gives us the ability to see other options (thinking outside of the box) in problem-solving and conflict resolution.
There are many individuals who are truely gifted incident commanders, but get overwhelmed when it comes to the business and management of a modern response company. On the other hand we have folks who are business and politically astute and can "charm the socks off a snake", but have trouble estimating the danger hidden in a wind-driven fire.
So, where does competency and critical thinking come from? I am pretty sure we are not born with them. If we take a close look at the definition (above)you may surmise that it is supported by the four pillars of professional development:
- Education
- Training
- Experience
- Designation/Certification
Emergency responders are, by nature, flexible when it comes to strategic planning. But, “flexibility” does not assure “mastery”. For the most part we are good at finding solutions when the incident at hand does not flow as we anticipate it. But how do we handle those occasions when we get inundated with data or the situation overruns our well-thought IMP? Some folks may shout down, some may over think the situation, some may get so focused on only the change that they lose site of the big picture. Those who have attained competent “mastery” have the ability to adapt and successfully overcome. They anticipate change and start gathering their mental tools early.
We owe it to ourselves, our crews and the people we serve to commit to a life-long process that keeps our competencies fine-tuned. Here are some suggestions:
-
Seek out educational opportunities that require investigative (inductive cause and effect reasoning) thought and research processes. Research tells us that, like anything, if we do not exercise the cognitive skills we learned through higher education we lose the edge in applying analysis and synthesis to competent decision making. These days you can even attend standardized courses more cost and time-effectively in the online world.
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Keep training alive! Most of the time the redundancy of years of doing the same thing dulls our acuity to real-time situational awareness. We experience a negative effect that lulls us into a false sense of security. H.W. Heinrich’s 1931 research showed us that the foundation of a single fatality or major injury is preceded by 29 minor injuries and 300 no-injury (near miss) incidents while accomplishing the same tasks. Just because we “got away” with a potentially unsafe act once or twice, does not mean we did it right. So, vary the training scenario and once you have it down, teach it to someone else, even if they are not in the service, with a new spin on it. Remember: if practice makes perfect, then perfect practice helps make competency.
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Value and share experiences. It is always a good idea to chronicle our experiences. While you’re writing it down ask yourself: “What went right? What went wrong? How can I do it better? What can I teach others?” Experiences fortify our deductive reasoning (logical sequencing based on provable reality). Be sure to keep up with current best practices reading. Learn from your peers. Also expand your horizons by seeking out new facets of your career. Remember as time goes on your interests might change from operations to training or administration.
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Test yourself and grow through various certification and designation programs available to us. Many of these opportunities bring network-sharing (group-think) and research practice. Cooperating, collaborating and competing with peers are yet other ways to explore options and exercise decision-making. No one is an island unto themselves. An old axiom reminds us that if you are travelling down a country road and see a turtle on a fence post, the chances are pretty good he did not get up there by himself.
How you go about evolving your career is entirely up to you. We are truly fortunate to have so many professional development tools and programs available to us. As the knight told Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade (1989): “Choose wisely!”
Find This Paul Combs Original Illustration in this month’s Fire Engineering Magazine at http://community.fireengineering.com/profile/PaulCombs
National Events Calendar
- The Ohio Fire and EMS Expo/Conference, Columbus Ohio: September 26-27, 2013
- ISFSI Fall Conference - South Carolina Fire Academy: October 18-20. 2013
- National Fire Academy 2nd semester registration opens: October 15, 2013
- National Fire Academy 2nd semester registration closes: December 15, 2013
- FESHE Higher Education Recognition Window (3rd Quarter) Closes October 31, 2013
TRADE Regional NFA Course Calendar
Free National Fire Academy Courses in your Area
The National Fire Academy offers free, high-quality fire and EMS training for the fire and emergency services and allied professionals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our off-campus training courses will help you to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies, while providing you with the perfect opportunity to network with peers from across your state and region.
Our entire off-campus schedule is available at apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/main/schedule/off-campus
For information on upcoming free courses offered in your state and training points of contact, select a link below.
All two-day off-campus courses, and most six- or ten-day off-campus courses, are delivered through the state fire training systems. For more information, or to schedule additional NFA courses, contact your state fire training system. The point of contact for each state can be found at www.usfa.fema.gov/pocs/.
Through its courses and programs, the National Fire Academy – part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's U.S. Fire Administration – works to enhance the ability of fire and emergency services and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies. Courses are delivered at the resident facility in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and throughout the United States in cooperation with state and local fire training organizations and local colleges and universities. Learn more about the National Fire Academy »
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