Comments on: “Get With The Program” - FossilMedic http://www.firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/ Hottest Fire Blog On The Web Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:03:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: William Carey http://www.firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/comment-page-1/#comment-16166 William Carey Wed, 21 May 2008 14:20:40 +0000 http://firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/#comment-16166 This is was a very well written and provoking piece. I believe that the fire service is reaching the point where professional standards, for both career and volunteer firefighters and officers, are going to have to take into account how people learn. Instituting change, especially in personal behavior, is going to take more than the typical NIOSH report and will have to be personalized by any department that desires to learn. With the technology today members can read of a LODD and have nearly all the most probable causes and armchair corrections, all within the same day. The challenge is to capture that attention and direct it not just to what the fallen may or may not have done, but to the reader's own department and members, with the same scrutiny. I wonder how many readers have contributed comments about Charleston in the various forums, yet have not gone out to identify their own Sofa Store, or look into their municipal fire and building codes. If we take a deeper look at the behavior of individuals, we should see that in some cases all the standards in the world will not change the outcome. I believe that before too long and after more LODDs (especially regarding seatbelts, driving and personal health), involved fire departments will begin to see financial penalties as part of the review and after-action process. A department that may have received a federal grant for training or equipment for example, and suffers a LODD, may eventually be called before Congress to explain, why after funding to help prevent such tragedy, was one allowed to occur. When deaths begin to impact the financial future, we well see a greater, faster change. As it stands now, NIOSH reports have become simply another monthly fire service periodical to some on the job. This is was a very well written and provoking piece. I believe that the fire service is reaching the point where professional standards, for both career and volunteer firefighters and officers, are going to have to take into account how people learn. Instituting change, especially in personal behavior, is going to take more than the typical NIOSH report and will have to be personalized by any department that desires to learn. With the technology today members can read of a LODD and have nearly all the most probable causes and armchair corrections, all within the same day. The challenge is to capture that attention and direct it not just to what the fallen may or may not have done, but to the reader’s own department and members, with the same scrutiny. I wonder how many readers have contributed comments about Charleston in the various forums, yet have not gone out to identify their own Sofa Store, or look into their municipal fire and building codes. If we take a deeper look at the behavior of individuals, we should see that in some cases all the standards in the world will not change the outcome. I believe that before too long and after more LODDs (especially regarding seatbelts, driving and personal health), involved fire departments will begin to see financial penalties as part of the review and after-action process. A department that may have received a federal grant for training or equipment for example, and suffers a LODD, may eventually be called before Congress to explain, why after funding to help prevent such tragedy, was one allowed to occur. When deaths begin to impact the financial future, we well see a greater, faster change. As it stands now, NIOSH reports have become simply another monthly fire service periodical to some on the job.

]]> By: Mike "fossilmedic" Ward http://www.firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/comment-page-1/#comment-16096 Mike "fossilmedic" Ward Tue, 20 May 2008 21:59:02 +0000 http://firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/#comment-16096 The Housewatch: Thanks for your generous remarks, I am going to keep working on the critical thinking piece. Patrick: I appreciate your post Formal education *may* be a factor, the challenge is in your statement that "...our officers think like professionals and can critically read and write." Going to college does not assure that critical thinking occurs. I KNOW that we can develop this skill, thinking about how to do it. details in future columns Mike The Housewatch:

Thanks for your generous remarks, I am going to keep working on the critical thinking piece.

Patrick:

I appreciate your post

Formal education *may* be a factor, the challenge is in your statement that “…our officers think like professionals and can critically read and write.” Going to college does not assure that critical thinking occurs.

I KNOW that we can develop this skill, thinking about how to do it.

details in future columns

Mike

]]> By: Patrick http://www.firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/comment-page-1/#comment-16054 Patrick Tue, 20 May 2008 18:18:02 +0000 http://firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/#comment-16054 I think what we need to emphasize is formal education in officer selection and promotion. Houston has provisions in their contract that will require different ranks to have different levels of education at a certain future date, including bachelor's degrees for some company officers. In my opinion, until we find a way to ensure that our officers think like professionals and can critically read and write we'll never make any progress. The best way to ensure they can do that and think like that is to see to it that they have a college education and are, in fact, professionals. While it won't make sure that all our officers are critical readers and thinkers, it will go a long way in the direction of eliminating the guys who know nothing beyond the IFSTA and PennWell books they read for the promotional tests. I think what we need to emphasize is formal education in officer selection and promotion. Houston has provisions in their contract that will require different ranks to have different levels of education at a certain future date, including bachelor’s degrees for some company officers. In my opinion, until we find a way to ensure that our officers think like professionals and can critically read and write we’ll never make any progress. The best way to ensure they can do that and think like that is to see to it that they have a college education and are, in fact, professionals. While it won’t make sure that all our officers are critical readers and thinkers, it will go a long way in the direction of eliminating the guys who know nothing beyond the IFSTA and PennWell books they read for the promotional tests.

]]> By: thehousewatch.com http://www.firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/comment-page-1/#comment-16052 thehousewatch.com Tue, 20 May 2008 15:35:24 +0000 http://firegeezer.com/2008/05/20/get-with-the-program-fossilmedic/#comment-16052 Well put Brother, That's the critical thinking that is so desperately needed by those who ACTUALLY read reports and make inferences about them. Keep up the good work, The Housewatch Well put Brother,

That’s the critical thinking that is so desperately needed by those who ACTUALLY read reports and make inferences about them.

Keep up the good work,

The Housewatch

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