Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Training Policy FR-T-201 PDF

TO: ALL PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL FROM: PATRICK J. KENNEDY FIRE RESCUE ADMINISTRATOR PREPARED BY: FIRE RESCUE PPM COMMITTEE SUBJECT: TRAINING PPM #:...

TO: ALL PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL FROM: PATRICK J. KENNEDY FIRE RESCUE ADMINISTRATOR PREPARED BY: FIRE RESCUE PPM COMMITTEE SUBJECT: TRAINING PPM #: FR-T-201 ISSUE DATE EFFECTIVE DATE March 1, 2022 March 29, 2022 PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to identify guidelines for scheduling, delivering, and documenting training to personnel and delineate the roles of the Training and Safety Division. UPDATES: Future updates to this PPM are the responsibility of the Division Chief of Training and Safety, in conjunction with the PPM Committee, under the authority of the Fire Rescue Administrator. AUTHORITY:  Fire Rescue Administrator  NFPA 1403  PPM FR-T-204 EMS Continuing Education  PPM FR-T-401 Equipment Video and Vehicle Loan, as may be amended. SCOPE: This policy applies to all Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel and reservists. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A: Drill Safety Plan Attachment B: Observer Release Attachment C: Student Registration Agreement Attachment D: Medical Monitoring Form POLICY: Fire Rescue requires personnel to participate in training activities that are designed to improve and enhance their job knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is the responsibility of each person involved in every training exercise to ensure their safety of themselves and their others. This policy assists personnel in the development and delivery of safe training programs. PROCEDURE: All personnel are expected to maintain a high level of preparedness through regular training and individual study. This includes keeping current on Fire Rescue services and changes, and notifying their Supervisor of their training needs. Firefighters are responsible to participate in an aggressive, safe and positive manner in all classroom and practical training. FR-T-201/Page 1 of 8 1. Training and Safety Division: a. The Training and Safety Division is responsible for the coordination of all training ventures which pertain to Fire Rescue personnel. The Training and Safety Division makes every attempt to forecast the training needs of all personnel, regardless of assignment or job function. The Division Chief of Training and Safety is responsible and accountable to ensure that Fire Rescue training activities are current and consistent with applicable standards and practices. b. The Training and Safety Division is responsible for: i. Providing identification of training needs ii. Development and delivery of training programs iii. Evaluation of training programs iv. Training records management c. The Training and Safety Division shall make every effort to provide classes at no cost to the Fire Rescue employees and reservists. Generally, the classes are scheduled through a variety of vendors who do expect payment for all registered students. Therefore, once an employee or reservist is registered for a class, failure to cancel with the Training and Safety Division by the date specified on the class announcement, or failure to successfully complete the course, shall require the student to reimburse the County the registration cost identified on the class announcement. i. Due to extenuating circumstances, if an employee is not able to cancel their registration within the timeframe provided, they may submit in writing their reimbursement appeal to the Division Chief of Training and Safety. A determination shall be made on a case by case basis. ii. The employee shall have 30 days to reimburse the County for failed (must receive a C or better) or classes not attended. The reimbursement must be in the form of a personal check or money order, payable to the Board of County Commissioners for the amount owed. Employees shall not be eligible for any Fire Rescue class registration while they still owe the County for a previous class. iii. All class registration forms shall identify the cancellation process and amount of potential reimbursement. d. For courses eligible for college credit provided by the Training and Safety Division, Fire Rescue shall utilize the Florida State Fire College grading scale of: i. 100 – 93 = A ii. 92 – 85 = B iii. 84 – 78 = C iv. 77 – 70 = D v. 69 – 0 = F e. The Training and Safety Division maintains information and resources on Fire Rescue’s SharePoint site, under the Training and Safety Division heading. Information and resources maintained on the SharePoint site include the DSP’s, Training Documents, Online training sites, Florida Health Paramedic/EMT recertification link and the Training Menu. 2. Training Allowed On Duty: a. Personnel assigned to a twenty-four (24) hour tactical assignment shall be allowed to attend Fire Rescue required training while on duty according to the following guidelines: FR-T-201/Page 2 of 8  i. Recurrence training or additional training requirements shall be Fire Rescue’s responsibility. Employees may be allowed to attend while on duty based on Fire Rescue’s approval. ii. EMS Captains, Battalion Chiefs and above shall be permitted to attend non- Fire Rescue required training while on duty. 1. Attendance shall be allowed with the approval from the appropriate Division Chief. 2. Approval shall be from a Supervisor of higher rank than that employee requesting. 3. Scheduling, to allow for training, shall be coordinated with the Fire Operations Officer to provide coverage and time for the employee to attend requested training. 3. Training NOT Allowed On Duty: a. Personnel assigned to a twenty-four (24) hour tactical assignment shall not be allowed to attend Fire Rescue training while on duty according to the following guidelines: i. Employees needing to complete minimum requirements, the result of an awarded bid. The affected employee must arrange for their own time off (i.e., utilizing vacation, exchange of time, etc…). The only exception shall be employees assigned to ARFF as a result of a bid award or voluntary/involuntary assignment and newly assigned personnel in Special Operations attending SOCS course. ii. EMS Captains, Battalion Chiefs, and above shall not be permitted to attend non-Fire Rescue required training on duty if their vacancy creates an overtime occurrence or if assigned to work OT. If the employee has received approval prior to the planned training, based on no overtime needed, and scheduling subsequently does not support the vacancy the employee may be required to provide coverage to attend the training. iii. With the exception of department assigned classes mandated for a person’s bid such as but not limited to: SOCS 4. Station Training/Company Training: a. It is the responsibility of the Lieutenant or Operational Captain to complete station level training on a daily basis. All station level training: i. Should be accomplished through in-service means. The Battalion Chief must approve any units that require out of service status to accomplish training needs. ii. May include designated in-service training modules (i.e., Quick Skills, DVD’s on-line emergency medical training, or any approved Fire Rescue training/records program etc…). iii. That requires minimal risk and resources (and as long as units remain in- service) does not require prior approval by the Training and Safety Division. b. It is the responsibility of the Lieutenant or Operational Captain to enter all station level training in the Fire Rescue approved training records program (refer to Staffing, Unit Staffing, PPM FR-O-101). c. It is the responsibility of the Battalion Chief/Supervisor to verify that all station level training is accomplished and documented correctly on a monthly basis. FR-T-201/Page 3 of 8 5. Scheduled Out of Service Training: a. The Training and Safety Division is responsible for the development and delivery of department wide training and shall schedule the units out of service to attend such classes. b. It is the responsibility of the Training and Safety Division to block enough space to cover all scheduled out-of-service training in the Fire Rescue approved staffing program (refer to Staffing, Unit Staffing, PPM FR-O-101). This will allow the Battalion Chiefs/supervisors to properly schedule their personnel. 6. Increased (High) Hazard Training: a. Any of the following training must be coordinated, and approved, through the Training and Safety Division, regardless if the training is accomplished in-service or out-of- service: i. Below or above-ground atmospheres ii. Confined spaces iii. Trenches iv. Smoke environments v. Fires vi. Or environments that could be interpreted as Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) b. All increased (high) hazard training requires a dedicated Incident Commander and Incident Safety Officer. The Lieutenant or Operational Captain must complete the Drill Safety Plan (FR-T-201 Attachment A) on the intranet and obtain approval from the Training and Safety Division prior to the training occurring. In addition, the Training and Safety Division shall determine if an Incident Safety Officer is also required. c. Any training site used for increased (high) hazard training must be pre-approved by the Training and Safety Division. 7. Regional Training Center a. Field units must schedule use of the non-live props (tower) in advance with the Training and Safety Division. The officer must complete the Drill Safety Plan (FR-T- 201 Attachment A) on the intranet and obtain approval from the Training and Safety Division prior to the training occurring. b. Special Operations units must schedule the use of the non-live props (confined space, etc.) in advance with the Training and Safety Division. All increased (high) hazard training evolutions also require the Incident Commander (a.k.a. Instructor-in-Charge) and Incident Safety Officer to be identified and approved by the Training and Safety Division. The Officer must complete the Drill Safety Plan (FR-T-201 Attachment) on the intranet and obtain approval from the Training and Safety Division prior to the training occurring. c. The training grounds are tobacco free no smoking or use of any tobacco products is permitted. d. Certified firefighters who are not employees of Fire Rescue may attend courses if the student registration fee is paid. Courses that entail a practical portion that requires wearing safety gear, shall require completion of a: i. Medical Monitoring Form (FR-T-201 Attachment D) ii. Student Registration Agreement (FR-T-201 Attachment C) FR-T-201/Page 4 of 8  e. Observers may watch courses that entail a practical portion where the students are wearing safety gear, must sign the waiver (Release, Indemnification and Assumption of Risks Agreement). 8. Mandatory Training a. PBCFR requires the following annual training for all operational personnel: i. Company Training 192 hours annually. 1. Company Training is defined as fire training at the station level to include: structural firefighting skills, drills, techniques, or scenarios. ii. Facility Training 18 hours annually. 1. Facility Training is defined as fire training completed at a facility, including HQ training grounds or Palm Beach Gardens training grounds iii. Officer Training (Officers only) 12 hours annually 1. Assigned to all officers by the Training and Safety Division iv. Driver Training (Drivers only) 12 hours annually 1. Assigned by the Training and Safety Division v. HazMat Training 6 hours annually 1. Assigned by the Training and Safety Division vi. EMS Training 30 hours annually to include 2 hours of pediatric training. 1. EMS Training (protocol review, ACLS, BLS, CPR, PALS, medical equipment, scenarios etc.) 2. The Medical Services Division will provide training on new equipment, ACLS, BLS, CPR, PALS, and updates through our approved fire rescue training/records program. vii. Palm Beach County required training (Active Shooter, Alcohol/Substance Abuse, Code of Ethics, Sexual Harassment, etc.). These classes are assigned in the approved Fire Rescue training records program, completed in the first quarter of each year. b. PBCFR has a multitude of specialty assignments (Special Operations, ARFF, EMS Captains, Dive, Trauma Hawk, etc.) that may require training hours (task books, recurrency) in addition to the mandatory hours noted above. c. The Training and Safety Division will assign six two-hour training blocks monthly to all operational employees. d. It is the responsibility of the Lieutenant or Operational Captain to enter all station level training in the Fire Rescue approved training records program. Refer to Staffing, Unit Staffing (PPM FR-O-101). e. It is the responsibility of the Battalion Chief/Supervisor to verify that all station-level training gets completed and documented correctly monthly. 9. CEU Approval: a. The Training and Safety Division shall coordinate with the Medical Director(s) to ensure all medical related training is reviewed and approved for continuing education units (CEU). b. Employee requests for CEU’s should be routed to the Training and Safety Division, in accordance with EMS Continuing Education (PPM FR-T-204). c. All training that is considered for CEU’s shall be reviewed by the Training and Safety Division, and submitted to the Fire Rescue Medical Director(s) for approval. FR-T-201/Page 5 of 8  d. The employee shall be notified in writing within 30 days of their approval, or rejection, for CEU’s. 10. Records Management: a. The Training and Safety Division is responsible for ensuring student rosters are maintained. Information from the student roster shall be entered into the Fire Rescue approved training /records program (refer to Staffing, Unit Staffing, PPM FR-O-101) for all courses that are provided by Instructors representing the Training and Safety Division. b. Only the Training and Safety Division has the authorization to enter CEU information into the Fire Rescue approved training log program (refer to Staffing, Unit Staffing, PPM FR-O-101). Lieutenant or Operational Captains are responsible for entering the student rosters into the Training Records for all courses that are provided at the station level 11. Vendor Selection Process a. Each class that is implemented from the Training & Safety Division (TSD) shall employ the following vendor selection process without exception: i. The first step in selecting a vendor for a training course, class or program is to send out the official TSD Request for Proposal (RFP) to training vendors, approved through Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, that offer the required training desired. ii. A deadline will be announced for vendor response, review, and selection iii. Each class is assigned a categorical risk assessment for the RFP to include (Low risk for the classroom setting and High Risk for fire ground skills/training) iv. A pre-vendor selection meeting is conducted with the Chief of Training and the appropriate Training Coordinators listed below, specific to the course: 1. Recruit Academy Coordinator 2. Specialty (Special Ops, Hazmat, LE) Training Coordinator 3. Driver Coordinator 4. Compliance Coordinator (ACLS courses, CPR renewals, etc.) 5. Aerial Coordinator 6. Dive Rescue Coordinator 7. Fire Training Coordinator 8. Professional Development Coordinator v. A review of the respondents is conducted based on the following criteria: 1. Three KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) for the Vendor a. Customer Service i. Any documented complaints against the vendor ii. Customer Service history with Fire Rescue iii. Customer Service history with Instructors based on feedback b. Cost i. Form of payment 17028,35,831 1. Methodology of instructor payroll (W2/1099) ii. Timeliness of payment c. Communications Efficiency FR-T-201/Page 6 of 8  i. Ability to resolve issues. ii. Available and responsive to email and phone communications. iii. Timely and appropriate responses to Fire Rescue requests based on needs and demands. 2. A selection is made based on the above criteria and a review of the conditions is confirmed with the selected vendor. 3. A course syllabus and instructor schedule is completed by Fire Rescue based on the following: 4. Subject matter 5. Complexity and risk assessment (e.g., Live Fire Training, technical rescue, etc.) 6. Instructor availability 7. Instructor performance (No complaints on file) 8. Instructor credentials (state requirements, certifications, etc.) 9. Instructor compliance a. Must maintain a valid Annual Instructor Code of Conduct form on file b. Pre-requisite training in areas of human resources, generational delivery, sexual harassment, alcohol and drug abuse, workplace violence and other workplace training requirements. 12. Recruit Academy: a. The Recruit Academy is under the direction of the Division Chief of Training and Safety and the Recruit Academy Coordinator. b. Such training is designed and performed in accordance with applicable Fire Rescue rules and regulations, National Fire Protection Standards (NFPA 1001, 1403, 1500, etc.), and current standards of care and practice for out-of-hospital emergency medical services. 13. Video Productions: a. Video Productions produces video programming for station training and airing on Channel 20. b. Divisions requesting the use of Video Productions shall follow Video Section Video Production (PPM FR-T-402) c. The Training and Safety Division maintains a resource library of books and outlines on a variety of subjects. d. The Training and Safety Division also maintains the Video Lending Library. Many of the videos include instructor outlines and other supplemental information. e. The above items are available for loan through the procedure outlined in Equipment Video and Vehicle Loan (PPM FR-T-401). 14. Training Attendance While on Leave: a. Personnel may attend classroom lectures or courses while assigned to Light Duty with the permission of the assigned District Chief and Division Chief. b. No person on Light Duty may attend a class or course that entails a hands-on training component. FR-T-201/Page 7 of 8  c. Personnel on Light Duty must use approved leave (i.e., Vacation) for classroom attendance. d. Personnel on the following leave types may not attend any classes or courses of any type: i. Workers Compensation Leave ii. Extended Leave iii. Sick Leave iv. Administrative Leave ______________________________ PATRICK J. KENNEDY FIRE RESCUE ADMINISTRATOR Supersession History 1. PPM#FR III-04, issued 11/01/2001 2. PPM#FR III-04, issued 10/12/2011 3. PPM#FR T-201, clerical 03/01/2018 4. PPM#FR T-201, revised 03/01/2022 FR-T-201/Page 8 of 8