By Michael K. Anderson
Firefighting inherently carries significant risks due to the multiple tasks that firefighters are required to perform. In this context, the adage “You do best what you do most” holds considerable weight. It underscores the importance of practice, reiteration, and familiarity in enhancing performance. The more often firefighters engage in specific tasks, the more proficient and instinctive their responses become, ultimately reducing the likelihood of errors in high-pressure situations. In short, your focus and practice can significantly enhance your performance and safety on the fireground.
Two primary factors contribute to this dynamic. The first involves the ability to dissect and concentrate on the individual components of a task, which is essential for effective and safe execution. The second factor pertains to the frequency with which these firefighting tasks are instructed and practiced. The goal is to cultivate proficiency in critical firefighting operations, allowing them to be performed almost instinctively and safely without any thought. This is particularly vital in emergency scenarios where quick decision-making is crucial. Even seasoned firefighters can overlook vital cues on the training grounds and the fireground if they are preoccupied with the task’s mechanics. This oversight can lead to potentially catastrophic outcomes, underscoring the urgency and importance of the issue.
The American fire service faces a persistent challenge in acquiring leadership, training, skills, and knowledge. As efforts are made to enhance training methodologies, two key recommendations emerge: the importance of honing one’s focus and increasing the number of safe practice reiterations. By prioritizing these elements, firefighters can improve their situational awareness and response times, thereby minimizing the risk of accidents. It is essential to foster a culture of continuous learning and practice within the fire service to ensure the proper training and safety of firefighters and their communities. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of every leader in the fire service, empowering them to significantly impact the safety and performance of their teams.
Knowledge vs. Application
To address the challenges associated with learning, we must first analyze our approaches to learning. Generally, we can differentiate between training and education when acquiring expertise in a particular field. Training is primarily defined by its emphasis on immediate, practical, and task-oriented activities aimed at rapidly improving performance. This method involves a targeted effort to cultivate the skills required for effectively carrying out job responsibilities.
In contrast, education encompasses a broader learning spectrum that is not confined to short instructional periods or performance metrics. It emphasizes critical thinking, decision-making, and conceptual understanding, allowing individuals to grasp their field’s underlying principles. This method fosters a more profound comprehension of complex ideas. It encourages a more holistic view of the subject matter, which is essential for long-term growth and adaptability in various professional contexts.
The ongoing debate surrounding the merits of training versus education highlights the necessity of both in our professional development. Different roles demand varying degrees of practical skills and cognitive reasoning. For instance, while the physical act of interior attack is rooted in training, comprehending the implications of nozzle stream dynamics on fire behavior requires a solid educational foundation. Therefore, it is crucial to embrace training and education as complementary elements of a continuous learning process, ensuring a balanced approach that enhances practical skills and theoretical knowledge, giving you a complete and well-rounded professional development.
Instinctive Behavior
Fire instructors understand that authentic learning is evidenced by a change in behavior, specifically the application and practice of new skills or knowledge. After training at the academy, firefighters refine their skills and gain expertise through practical drills and real-world experiences. Consequently, the knowledge acquired during training sessions, regardless of its realism, is fully assimilated into the practical application once it is actively rehearsed. Essential skills—such as putting on personal protective equipment, deploying ladders, ventilation, and auto-extrication—often require repeated practice to become intuitive and automatic in high-pressure situations.
Practical experience on the fireground cannot replace the necessity of formal training and drills. Firefighting skills can deteriorate if they are not regularly practiced or thoroughly incorporated into routine operations. This phenomenon is especially noticeable among novice firefighters. For example, how frequently must they rehearse vertical ventilation on a working structure fire when there is a high probability of backdraft situations to achieve proficiency and efficiency? Consistent practice is vital to maintain the effectiveness of specific firefighting techniques. Additionally, one must consider the impact on their performance and situational awareness when multiple suppression skill sets are executed in succession.
- On the Line: Pursuing Perfection and Catching Excellence
- The Importance of Realistic Firefighter Training
- Fire Department Training: Changing the Culture
Develop Concentration Skills
The fire service has made significant strides in defining the competency standards required for the diverse roles and responsibilities that firefighters are expected to fulfill. These standards serve as a foundation for training and performance evaluation, ensuring firefighters have the necessary skills to respond effectively to emergencies. However, a pressing question emerges when we integrate critical functions such as fire suppression and emergency medical services (EMS). Specifically, what are the competency requirements for these multifaceted roles, which often overlap in real-world scenarios?
The inherent complexity of a firefighter’s job introduces uncertainties regarding the number of distinct roles and the array of skill sets that can be effectively managed at any given time. This complexity underscores the need for further exploration and research in firefighter competency. For instance, a firefighter may be required to switch between extinguishing a fire, providing medical assistance, and handling hazardous materials within a single incident. It’s appropriate to be concerned about the potential decline of existing skills when new responsibilities are taken on. What becomes of firefighting skills that are not regularly practiced or applied? Infrequently used skills may atrophy over time, leading to a decline in proficiency and confidence when they are needed most. This gap in understanding underscores the necessity for further exploration and research in this area, as it is vital to ensure that firefighters are competent in their primary roles and capable of seamlessly integrating additional responsibilities without compromising their effectiveness.
In the interim, we must bolster our capacity to focus, particularly considering the myriad distractions that firefighters encounter on and off the job. These distractions can have severe consequences, potentially jeopardizing the firefighters’ safety. Mastering the ability to concentrate on tasks that require and benefit from cross-functional multitasking is no small feat. Firefighters are expected to wear multiple hats, functioning as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), rescue technicians, maintenance personnel, and more, all within the same shift.
While the psychology of focus may not be my area of expertise, my extensive training, education, and experience have led me to practical strategies for enhancing concentration. These are crucial for improving the effectiveness of firefighters in their multifaceted roles. The first strategy is to focus on one task at a time, and the second is to eliminate distractions. By homing in on a single job, firefighters can significantly reduce the impact of distractions and improve their overall effectiveness. It is essential to recognize that while we may not always have control over the demands placed upon us, we do have the power to avoid the trap of overextending ourselves.
Reiteration
Firefighters typically initiate their skill acquisition by participating in a meticulously designed series of tasks that are practiced repeatedly in a controlled and safe training environment. This systematic method enables them to refine their skills until they can perform each task with precision, safety, and confidence. Mastery of firefighting techniques extends beyond theoretical knowledge; it necessitates ongoing practice to maintain reliable performance in various challenging scenarios. Firefighters must be equipped to function effectively under diverse weather conditions, fluctuating visibility, and numerous fireground obstacles, all while managing the intense pressure of time constraints.
This comprehensive training regimen is crucial, as it is through repeated practice that firefighters cultivate the muscle memory and cognitive reflexes essential for decisive action in high-pressure situations. The underlying principle is straightforward: increased frequency of skill practice leads to more excellent proficiency. There are no shortcuts or alternatives to this rigorous training process; it is the cornerstone of a firefighter’s competence and effectiveness.
How firefighters allocate their time and energy during training sessions reflects their priorities and highlights the areas in which they will likely excel when confronted with real-life emergencies. Possessing theoretical knowledge of a skill only sometimes translates into the ability to perform that skill effectively in practice. Skills can deteriorate without regular reinforcement, so firefighters must continually invest focus and effort to maintain their proficiency. Numerous incident reports underscore the dangers of new firefighters stepping into unfamiliar roles, such as apparatus drivers, without adequate practical experience. While academy training lays the groundwork by providing essential knowledge and education, it often fails to prepare new firefighters or officers for the hands-on complexities of basic and advanced strategies and tactics unless they have engaged in additional, targeted practice. This gap in experience can lead to critical mistakes in the field, emphasizing the urgent need for ongoing training and skill refinement.
Identify which skills you must prioritize in training, particularly those that carry significant risks to the firefighter and others if not executed correctly. From my perspective and experience, the frequency with which a task is performed is less important than the quality of execution achieved during that performance. A firefighter who can instinctively carry out a vital task while maintaining situational awareness and effectively communicating with team members demonstrates they have achieved sufficient practice. This intuitive ability is a hallmark of a well-trained firefighter, indicating they can respond appropriately in dynamic and potentially dangerous environments.
Remember, skills can become rusty without regular reinforcement, and the potential risks of not executing skills correctly should always be at the forefront of a firefighter’s mind.
MICHAEL K. ANDERSON is a paralegal, an expert witness, and a consultant specializing in fire/emergency medical service (EMS) law in Ruston, Washington. He served 41 years in the fire/EMS service and 13 years in law enforcement. He is a certified crime scene/medico-legal death investigator and forensic written statement analyst. Anderson has provided expert witness opinions on several fire/EMS-related cases.
