On a recent flight to Washington, D.C., I sat next to the security director for a West Coast seaport. He mentioned that he views his security force as first responders since they could be first on scene at a seaport incident. But he said he believed the fire service would always take the lead on any hazardous situation because “nobody knows how to put all that special equipment to work like the fire department.” All that takes a lot of training, he added, so much he couldn’t imagine how they keep up with it all.

The old image of firefighters just sitting in front of the station is long gone from most departments. Yet when I drive by most fire stations, I don’t see a lot of activity outside – no climbing ladders, no cutting up cars. Are they training inside or off-site? What percentage of training is done outside the station these days?

In his article in the December issue of FIRE CHIEF, Ron Coleman says he believes fire departments are turning more to videos, CD-ROMs and computers for training.

Our sister company, Primedia Workplace Learning, has offered the Fire & Emergency Training Network (FETN) for more than 10 years. It now offers 24/7 satellite television programming for fire and EMS services. FETN frequently repeats its primarily training-based programs to accommodate shift-changes as well as access for the volunteer sector. The same training programs are then available on videos through American Heat (for fire services) and Pulse (for EMS).

Now before you think this is an infomercial for FETN, there’s another reason I bring this up. I’d like to know what portion of your department’s training is conducted via satellite, video, Web/internet, CD-ROM or any other electronic method and how effective that training is.

Please e-mail us a brief description (no more than one page) of your department, including type and size, and what methods you use in your training program. If you use FETN, please indicate this in your response.

Tight budgets have reduced travel expenses. Complex new responsibilities have been thrust upon the fire service. Volunteers have less time for much-needed training programs. It’s time to take a serious look at distance learning. We need to know what works and what doesn’t.


Janet Wilmoth