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The Training Division is responsible for facilitating all
classes in the fire service. This is accomplished through PA State
certified instructors from within the department or outsourcing the
classes through the Butler County Community College. |
| Keeping with the Erie Fire Department's motto "Trained to Save, Committed to Serve", the Training Division's Goal is to provide every firefighter with the skills and decision making information necessary to protect themselves and all the occupants with in the City of Erie's Fire Protection District. The primary goal of saving lives and property must be done in such a way that the EFD not only reaches out to serve the community, but also affords a high level of protection to the firefighter, regardless, if the response is for Fire, EMS, Water or Ice Rescue, or Confined Space Rescue. To that end the Training Division's goal is to instill in each firefighter the knowledge of the limits of their protective equipment, the structures they work in, and themselves. This training develops the confidence necessary to make informed decisions about the dynamic and hazardous situations to which all firefighters respond. |
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The Training Officer or Training Program Manager has responsibilities in the following areas:
The Structure of the Training Division:
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Training is on going each day in the Erie Bureau of Fire in so much that several hours a shift are set aside to review skills and procedures pertaining to the fifteen topics mention above. Instructors deliver certified programs and Con - ED, but all levels contribute to the decimation of information commensurate with their responsibilities. The TPM endeavors to provide training materials to accomplish this end. The scope of the training presented falls into four levels: Local, County, State, National; with the inter action of Manufactures and inter departmental Rescue Skills Training, and Train the Trainers conducted at Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), Pennsylvania State Fire Academy (PSFA), National Fire Academy (NFA). This allows PSFA classes to be delivered on site, and to gain certification for NFA classes offered through the PSFA. Training in the EFD is an on going process starting with an eight weeks Fire Academy conducted here in Erie with our on site staff. The Academy consists of four weeks of Fire Fighting related training, and four weeks of EMS training. The Fire training is broken down to Introduction to EFD regulations, Essentials, Accountability, Respiratory Protection I, Basic Rigging for Rope Rescue, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. The EMS portion provides recruits with certification to the EMT-B level. Training does not stop when you leave the training division, after assignment to one of the department's six Engines or two Towers the real work begins. Under the watchful eye of the Deputy Chief, and the helpful eye of the company officer a recruit is introduced to: apparatus, streets, construction in the district, fellow Firefighters names, hydrant locations, water distribution systems, and the use, cleaning and maintenance of new equipment. There are also procedures for Call Back, Accountability, Rehab at Fires, Body Substance Isolation, and Decontamination, not to mention the thermal imaging camera, four gas meter, CO meter, high rise pack, special lighting and breathing apparatus, the AED, water rescue gear, and the Rescue Air II, Fast Team Staging and equipment. All this and they have not been in the front seat to drive the apparatus yet. After a year of working in the field and at the end of the probationary period Firefighters are given an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course, which consisting of lecture, driving course, and on street practice over the second year of employment. During this time pump operations are introduced by the company officer. The Training Division presents yearly evaluations and additional training in the fields of rope rescue, confined space rescue, WMD, EVOC, water rescue, ice rescue, vehicle extrication, and nine hours a year of continuing education for EMT certification. Physical fitness is a new area for the Training Division in 2002. In conjunction with Hamot Medical Center the EFD has started the Joint Labor Management Wellness / Fitness Initiative. This a program developed by the International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs which addresses the issue of physical performance in the Fire Service. This Program involves yearly physicals and stress tests to develop and maintain a physical fitness prescription for each Firefighter. Other components of the project include workouts, nutrition, back safety, smoking cessation and counseling. A part of the Wellness Initiative and a major segment of the training Divisions work for the year 2001 was the CPAT Program adopted by the City of Erie Human Resources in April of 2001. CPAT stands for Candidate Physical Ability Test. The CPAT initiative was defined at the Redmond Symposium in Phoenix, AR which led to the research, ordering of the equipment, building props, and implementation of the CPAT standard. This is a valid test that is not age, racial, or gender biased. The goal of CPAT is to raise the level of fitness in the Fire Service by raising the level of fitness of recruits applying for a position as Firefighter. CPAT is a standard excepted and validated throughout the country. Speed and the strength to move in a emergency are a safety issue and with this in mind, the EFD not only worked with and trained 40 recruits, but also, trained 30 proctors. This was done to help run the test, and for other Fire Departments interested in elevating the level of safety for their employees. |
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Emergency Medical Services Training Objective: To enhance the department’s delivery of emergency medical services by assessing the needs of the department, developing a plan to implement necessary changes, and deliver appropriate training programs. Goals: Short Term:
Long Term:
The training division is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the department’s AED program – including training, record keeping, and coordinating with the program Medical Director.
Classes provided:
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