Mini Drills
As an instructor, I place a premium on training and firmly believe that training does not have to be confined to once-a-week drills like the format used by most volunteer departments. Training does not also have to be at the request of or creation by an officer as anyone within your department should be able to request a training opportunity. Training and drills can also be the result of perishable skills that need to be worked to establish or re-establish mastery. In many cases, the skills for mini drills are ones we take for granted, ones that we have done over and over but for some reason need a refresher.
Just recently as I was getting out of the apparatus, I got my MMR caught in the seat belt. Let me describe the scene a little more in detail. In many cases, as with many volunteer departments there are open seats during the day. As such on this particular call on the way I reached for the air pack across from me instead of the one behind me (that was arguably mistake number one) and put a mask on the MMR.
When we arrived at the scene, I pulled the cylinder out of the seat and swung it around my back not noticing the entanglement of the seatbelt and the MMR. I didn’t notice the entanglement until after the air pack was on my back and making strap adjustments at which time it was dam near impossible to get untangled without taking the pack off and starting over. Since the call was an alarm set off by a contractor who was on site my two partners easily dispatched the call but I had barely gotten out of the rig. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here by saying that this type of problem has happened to all of us at some point but that said I think we can all agree that is unacceptable on my part.
After discussing with my colleagues over the next day or so we decided to run a mini drill to once again establish muscle memory with the objective being getting out of the apparatus efficiently. This is an important step in that mistakes on the fireground cannot simply be discussed – they must be performed so that excellence can once again be ascertained. It is actions of this caliber that must be second nature and performed smoothly and without thinking.
This drill literally took about 20 minutes but the reestablished skill was immeasurable. We then took an apparatus out and in full turnout gear simulated a call from start to finish. We tried this from different seat positions and with an officer providing different circumstances for me to react to.
Here are the steps:
1) Alarm sounds – get full turnout gear on and enter the rig.
2) Put on my flashlight, tic and radio.
3) Click a mask into the MMR (on the air pack behind me)
4) Put on my headset.
5) Rig stops and I make sure to check my MMR for entanglements.
6) Get out of the rig with appropriate tools.
Whereas being part of a daytime crew as a station keeper provides me with an advantage of establishing and participating in mini drills there isn’t any reason to deny a firefighter additional training when necessary and requested. Keep in mind that launching mini drills is a two-way street. If a firefighter thinks they need additional training, then they have to approach an officer or chief to get it done but it is also the responsibility of those two groups to notice and recognize that additional training is necessary.
Some examples of mini drill topics would include: Donning and Doffing gear
Tying knots
Folding tarps correctly
Entering and exiting an apparatus Tapping a hydrant
Deploying ladders
Deploying hose lays
Of course, there is no reason that a couple of firefighters can’t display some ambition, get together on their own and complete a drill like the one described here as it can be accomplished without the apparatus in motion. Lastly, this article describes a situation where a problem came up and a mini drill was designed and implemented to correct the problem but firefighters can also get ahead and shore up their skills by assuming the role of instructor (by possibly assisting an Explorer Post drill) because teaching a particular skill to the next generation of firefighters also works in reverse and helps the instructor improve as a firefighter as well.
No information from the author.
