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Recruit Training
Sandy city re department

2014"

TRAINING PROPOSAL

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New Recruit Training program

Standardizing training

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Opportunity to improve
In the las ten years Sandy Fire department has hired 30 recruits. This is an amazing feat. At a time when unemployment rates sky rocketed, we were able to maintain our stafng numbers. The 30 new employees lled our ranks, with various training programs. Ranging from putting recruits on our front line their rst day on the job, to 16 week long recruit academy's. These various programs had there place and time. Now a recruit training program is the gold standard that we must live up to.

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The gold standard is going to come from looking at similar departments in our geographical area. The two largest departments in the valley (also the two with the largest budgets) require a 16 week recruit training academy with no preference to recruits with experience. The smaller volunteer departments typically require that a simple course be taken to obtain the basic skills needed. These a two examples are the extremes, and I think our answer lays somewhere in the middle.
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The departments that most closely resemble Sandy Fire have varying curriculums when it come to their recruits. One way to is to rely on simple on the job training. This type of training can be very effectiveness cost efcient. However, it has it's drawbacks. On the job training exposes inexperienced personnel to the real life hazards. The lack of situational awareness can prove to be risky. Furthermore the experienced members of the crew spend more attention on scene watching these recruits. This distracts from their own safety.

I would like to propose that our standard would be a two week recruit academy. In these two weeks, recruits would build on the fundamentals that they have already learned. Followed by a 12 month on the job training with a mentor. This exceeds the gold standard for recruit training.

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We need to nd a happy medium in a training program. The areas that would be the focus of our new training program would be: Safety Consistency Cost effective Efcient Meets the gold standard

TRAINING PROPOSAL

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Our department runs 8,000 calls a year. Our recruits are put into any number of those emergencies. Most have at least one hazard if not more. We are dodging 8,000 bullets every year.

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Our department is very dynamic and requires recruits to work in a changing environment. Consistent training will produce consistent results. Our recruit program would require two 8 hour call back shifts, for ten days. Costing an estimated $4,000. This extra stafng would be needed for the instructors. I would like to see self motivated and qualied instructors. These instructors must possess a desire to make our department and recruits better.

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With a two week training program with a low cost to the city, our program would be run very efcient. Our liability would be decreased. Our recruits will be safer on scene. This will make them a greater asset to the community. They will be better trained to face the challenges of an active duty reghter. It is our responsibility to look out for the safety of our own. It is also our responsibility to ensure that the citizens are getting the best value for their hard earned tax dollars. This training program has a place here and now.

TRAINING PROPOSAL

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