annual report-2008.pdf - The City of Titusville, Florida

A firefighter’s job requires numerous training hours, both practical and classroom, to maintaincompetency levels in the most dangerous profession in the United States.Professionalism and firefighter safety can only be attained through diligent training—learning newskills and undergoing refresher training for previously mastered skill sets. State and federalrequirements also mandate continual training in the diverse areas that now comprise theresponsibilities of Titusville’s modern firefighter.We are called upon to do much more with fewer people and fewer budgetary resources. Weendeavor to overcome these challenges through a variety of initiatives. Department administrativetraining and support personnel and our field members are partners in our training and educationalprograms. Training initiatives run the gamut from formal classroom and field training byspecialized instructors, to battalion and crew training by the EMS/Training Officer, battalion chiefsand station lieutenants, to individual-driven training.The training calendar, developed by the EMS/Training Chief, is published annually and delineatesthe major training subjects and requirements for the year. We have been fortunate in securingtraining through cooperative agreements with other fire departments, outsideagencies and specialized private instructors.Helicopter Transport TrainingWater Rescue TrainingWherever possible, we havealso replaced expensive outsideinstruction with web-basedinteractive learning tools thatallow for self-paced individualfirefighter training. These havebeen very successful in meetingcompetency-base requirements,especially in meeting recertificationC.E.U. requirements.Time itself has also become apremium. As our emergencycall volume continues toincrease and additionaltraining mandates are added,the available hours in which totrain are continuing to beadversely affected.Live Fire TrainingPhysical ConditioningDriver-Operator TrainingWater DraftingFirefighter Rescue Training16