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Education and training: we should never stop learning |
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Written by James Haley
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from the editor
Never has education and training been more important to firefighters and other emergency service providers. No longer is it possible for a young person with a interest in the fire service as a career to be hired off the street. Most fire departments now require a certain level of pre-employment training before they will even consider a candidate.
Inside this issue we once again present our Education and Training Guide to institutions and companies who offer various levels of training. If you know of one that is not listed please let us know so we can include them in updates and future editions.
As well, in this issue for the first time we have included an Emergency Medical Services Suppliers Directory, a resource guide for those fire departments and other organizations who offer EMS. We invite your comments on how to improve this section for the future.
Jeff Weber in his training column this month points out a predicament to the fire service at large -- we are losing a large cadre of experienced firefighters to retirement. These are the firefighters who gained their education on the job, when there were more fires 30 years ago than today. They’ve been mentors to the firefighters coming up, teaching them from their experiences. Without these experienced firefighters to pass along their knowledge to the younger generation -- who don’t see fire nearly as often -- then we have to have better and more intense training. And keep on training. If we don’t, then we are a danger to ourselves, our fellow firefighters and the public. Even the most mundane of tasks should be practised regularly. Yeah, it can be boring but you might also realize there are parts of tasks that you have forgotten or are rusty at completing. And the training also gives you the opportunity to work with your teammates – maybe it’s a boring review for you but it also allows you to get to know your colleagues and for them to get more familiar with you. You might even learn something new from each other.
Finally, but not least, the deaths of two paramedics in the line of duty recently in British Columbia hammer home the dangers inherent in any emergency responder’s role. We will always remember paramedics Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier, who died while doing their duty, helping others.
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