Download PDF: Issue 32 - New Zealand Fire Service

It’s been in the making for a while,
and it’s just hit that finish line. Now
the TAPS programme will be rolled out
nationwide and career firefighters will
benefit greatly.
Just what TAPS is, is best left defined by the brochure
being distributed to every career fire-fighter in the country:
“The Fire Service Training and Progression System (TAPS)
for career fire-fighters is, as the name suggests, a system
governing the career progression of every fire-fighter
through the ranks, from the newest recruits to chief fire
officers and beyond”.
As soon as someone is recruited as a career fire-fighter
they are started in the TAPS course with an eleven week
recruitment programme before starting up the ladder with
the Qualified Firefighter (QFF) programme.
TAPS is being championed by Brendan Nally, the
implementation coordinator, Brendan told Fire & Rescue
“the old system was a bit archaic, it was attendance based
and then exams, but with TAPS, there’s a structure in
place to support those taking part.” For example, if you
fail any of the assessments, then there’s a re-assessment
but there’s also remedial training in place to help. “That’s
a fairly big thing, the old way of doing it didn’t have that
learning support.”
The system has been in the making for six years, in that
time programme trainers have been qualified and assigned,
markers prepared and a rigorous set of training programmes
and learning modules drawn up. “The other new part”
said Brendan “is that TAPS is an NZQA accredited system,
so firefighters can apply what they gain with us, outside of
the fire service, something unheard of previously”.
Some elements of TAPS have been running prior to the
national rollout; for example, the career recruitment
programme is part of the TAPS course as well as some of
the practical exercises in the SO programme so when
roll-out occurs it will not be a complete wipe-out of the
old, Brendan still sees some challenges ahead though.
“The biggest difficulty we face will be getting the
information out there so everyone understands, that’s
why we released the brochure, and that’s why we’re
using other media to get people in the know”.
Training
Turning on the TAPS
TAPS
TRAINING AND PROGRESSION SYSTEM
At the moment there is limited information available on
Firenet, under Training on the side-panel, then TAPS
there is a Frequently Asked Questions page and a section
on Student Guides and Support.
On 6 August this year, the collective agreement was
ratified, meaning it’s now time to tap into the good stuff.
The New Zealand Fire Service Magazine August 2007
9