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Archive for August, 2013

FIRE: The Core Four To Success for Every Firefighter

Blog by Will Anderson
Platoon Chief with the Euclid Fire Department in Ohio

There are many things that make the fire service a great profession. Tradition, pride, culture, a family atmosphere, they all contribute to make our profession great. In fact, some believe it’s the most prestigious profession in the world.

So what exactly makes our profession so admirable and respected? What makes one department more successful than another? I believe these answers rest in our values and the values of the department.

Most would agree the family atmosphere of the fire service is what makes it so special. By spending nearly one-third of our lives with each other, we develop a cohesiveness that is virtually foreign to most other occupations. Merriam-Webster defines family values as values of a traditional or conservative kind which are held to promote the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric of society. This definition fits perfectly into what the fire service is all about: tradition, family, and public service.

So which values make this happen? That’s a question that could elicit 10 different answers from 10 different people. I know my Core Four that I try to live by at all times, both professionally and personally. They include the following:

Fidelity: Simply put, being faithful. As firefighters, as parents, and as spouses we have a duty and obligation to be faithful to our families, to our department, to the job, and to our communities.

Integrity: The word stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete). To me, it means doing the right thing. I’ve learned what is popular, may not be right; and what is right, may not be popular. That’s the true test for all of us. The fire service will always need people of the highest integrity since were entrusted to care for people and their possessions.

Respect: In today’s fire service, many of us work with, and serve people of different cultures, races, and ethnicities. Above all, treating each other with respect and dignity, while being non-judgmental, helps us achieve our duty of honorable and dedicated service to the community. We also need a strong degree of self-respect. If we don’t respect ourselves, it’s unlikely we will be respected. Maintaining physical fitness and being a student of the job are critical to being a productive, trusted co-worker. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Don’t be the weakest link in your crew’s chain.

Excellence: By adhering to the first three values in this article, the fourth will occur naturally. It would be nice if there were such thing as a perfect fire department. Unfortunately, there isn’t. Despite this, we can still strive for perfection. While striving, well eventually reach excellence and excellence in this profession means our members go home safe at the end of their shift, and more importantly, at the end of their career.

These four values will strengthen ourselves and our members, but ultimately our departments and communities. Each of us is responsible for our own success. It’s up to us to make the job better than it was when we started. A wise firefighter once told me this job owes us nothing, but if we devote ourselves to it, it will give us everything.

Be smart, and thanks for reading!

About the Author
Will Anderson is a platoon chief with the Euclid Fire Department in Ohio. He’s in his 18th year in the fire service and is certified as a State of Ohio Firefighter 2, Fire Instructor, and Paramedic. He recently completed his Fire Officer 1, 2, and 3 training in addition to his Blue Card certification. Follow him on Twitter @c2anderson.

 

Enhancements Being Made to TargetSolutions’ NFPA Training Course Catalog

TargetSolutions features more than 60 hours of NFPA training, including Bloodborne Pathogens Safety.
Fire departments using TargetSolutions online fire training system to supplement their hands-on, drill-yard activities will be thrilled to learn about recent upgrades to TargetSolutions’ NFPA training course catalog.

TargetSolutions is implementing new, engaging elements into its NFPA 1500 Series, as well as many other titles in its expanding catalog. These new updates include compelling interactions and reference buttons that reinforce learning.

Several popular course titles from TargetSolutions’ NFPA training catalog, including Bloodborne Pathogens Safety and Driving Safety, have already been updated to reflect the new features. These fire department training courses now have dynamic functionality that provides feedback to incorrectly answered questions during end-of-lesson quiz interactions, definitions for keywords, and a helpful reference tool that alerts users to critical information related to specific NFPA standards.

“We hope that incorporating the actual verbiage from the NFPA standards will help bridge the relevance of the course to a firefighters work in the field,” said Lauren Hardcastle, Content and Compliance Manager for TargetSolutions.

TargetSolutions course catalog delivers more than 250 hours of Fire and EMS recertification courses for emergency responders. More than 60 of those hours are from TargetSolutions’ NFPA 1001 (Firefighter I & II), NFPA 1021 (Company Officer) and NFPA 1500 Series titles.

All of TargetSolutions’ NFPA courses are based on the NFPA codes and standards. Courses in the 1500 series were developed in conjunction with the NFPA as content experts at the NFPA participated in their creation. Here is a list of TargetSolutions courses in the NFPA 1500 Series:

  • Advanced HAZWOPER Awareness (Modules 14)
  • Bloodborne Pathogens Safety
  • Combustible & Flammable Liquids
  • Compressed Gas Safety
  • Confined Space Entry
  • CPR Academic
  • Driving Safety
  • HAZMAT Spill Prevention & Control
  • HAZMAT Transportation
  • Laboratory Safety
  • Materials Handling, Storage, Use & Disposal
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Right to Know (Hazard Communication)
  • Welding Safety

TargetSolutions has a complete library of NFPA 1001 training covering Firefighter I & II awareness and refresher-level courses based on NFPA codes and standards. Here is a list of courses in the NFPA 1001 Series:

  • Building Construction
  • Fire Behavior
  • Fire Control
  • Fire Department Communications
  • Fire Detection, Alarm & Suppression Systems
  • Fire Hose
  • Fire Prevention and Public Education
  • Fire Streams
  • Firefighter Orientation and Safety
  • Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment
  • Firefighting Foams
  • Forcible Entry into a Structure
  • Ground Ladders
  • Loss Control
  • Portable Extinguishers
  • Protection of Evidence of Fire Origin & Cause
  • Rescue and Extrication
  • Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
  • Vehicle Extrication
  • Ventilation
  • Water Supply

In addition to NFPA 1500 and NFPA 1001, TargetSolutions has also developed a complete line of company officer awareness and refresher-level courses to meet NFPA 1021’s codes and standards. Here is a list of courses in the NFPA 1021 Series:

  • Action Plan Implementation
  • Assuming the Role ofCompany Officer
  • Budgeting
  • Community Awareness
  • Company-Level Training
  • Elements of Supervision and Management
  • Fire and Life Safety Inspections
  • Fire Department Communications
  • Fire Department Structure
  • Fire Investigation
  • Firefighter Safety and Health
  • Government Structure
  • Incident Response Safety
  • Incident Scene Communications
  • Incident Scene Management
  • Information Management
  • Labor Relations
  • Leadership as a Group Influence
  • Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities
  • Pre-Incident Planning
  • Professional Ethics
  • Public Education Programs

In addition to NFPA 1001, 1021 and 1500 Series, TargetSolutions features two more NFPA online fire training courses: NFPA 1584 Firefighter Rehabilitation and NFPA 1403 Live Fire Training Evolutions. 

If you have any questions about TargetSolutions online training course catalog, or courses specific to NFPA codes and standards, please contact us today at (800) 840-8048.

 

About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions is the leading provider of web-based technology solutions for fire and EMS organizations. These solutions enable organizations to maintain compliance, reduce losses, deliver curriculum, and track all station-level tasks, certifications and training activities.

Easily Upload Files into Records Management System

Did you know users can upload files into the TargetSolutions records management system? The Request a File component enables platform managers to retrieve certificates of completion from outside sources. This is especially helpful when tracking training completed offline outside of TargetSolutions in which a certificate was received.

The first step for platform managers is to create an activity with the Activities Builder application. Make sure to select the Request a file component, which allows users completing an activity to submit a file into their completion record. While completing the activity, the user will receive instructions explaining what type of file is needed. From there they will be able to select the file from their computer.

Platform managers are able to access the uploaded files by running completions through the Generate Reports application. This process saves platform managers from having to round-up each certificate the old-fashioned way. Easy file uploads is just another example of how organizations are simplifying records and information management with TargetSolutions.

If you have any questions about TargetSolutions online training or how to upload files into the records management system, please contact us today at (800) 840.8048.

Searching Techniques for Rescuing One of Your Own

The need for rapid intervention to be RAPID cannot be overemphasized. As members of a Rapid Intervention Crew, your mission to rescue a firefighter victim will come without warning.

Blog by Ed Hadfield
www.firetowntrainingspecialist.com

Searching for a lost, down or trapped firefighter is different than searching for a civilian. Since a significant event has taken place that has already put at least one firefighter in danger, the Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) faces many obstacles and adverse conditions. The following are recommendations that can be used to help search and locate the firefighter, protect the firefighter in place, or extricate them.

The need for rapid intervention to be RAPID cannot be overemphasized. As members of a Rapid Intervention Crew, your mission to rescue a firefighter victim will come without warning. Factors such as the time a member has been on air, or a delay in the notification that a member is in need of rescue, will significantly reduce the amount of time a RIC has to conduct a successful rescue.

The Golden Time is the period of time a missing or trapped member has the greatest chance of survival if in need of rescue. Longer rapid intervention evolutions, or even the slightest delay in deploying RIC, could impact rescue attempts.

The Golden Time and the fact your rapid intervention mission comes without warning are reasons you must accept this mission with all seriousness. Getting involved in the fire ground operations, not focusing on your mission, and not knowing Rapid Intervention Standard Operating Guidelines may jeopardize someone’s life!

Crew discipline is an important factor in the overall management and effectiveness of the ICS and will prevent the need for rapid intervention rescue operations at an incident. Following the direction of company officers and communicating conditions are important duties for rapid intervention. This is all critical in rescuing a member when called upon.

It is important to understand the principle of potential rescuers becoming victims. This phenomenon is seen in many technical rescues, as well as ill-advised rescue attempts in other emergency operations, such as hazmat and trench rescue.

When operating on the fireground, and notification for rapid intervention rescue operations becomes apparent, company officers, or members in the immediate area of the situation, should take whatever action is necessary to impact a rescue without compromising fire attack. Companies working nearby may have the best opportunity to affect a quick rescue.

Search and Locate the Firefighter
The goal of searching and locating a firefighter is:

Conducting a planned, rapid and effective search if the firefighters position is not known.
Gaining access to the firefighter in a way that can be tracked and monitored from the point of entry.
Gaining access in a way that can be followed easily by subsequent incoming search teams.
Removing obstacles so the search for the firefighter is facilitated.

To establish an anchor point for search operations, it is recommended to initiate at the entry point. This entry/egress location should provide RIC with vital RECON information via the RIC status board. Also, understand that typically there are additional egress sites or potential egress sites (wall or window breech) that may be used for a quicker extrication process.

The main entry point used for initial operations will have deployed hose lines that will aid in tracking the location and area of the victim(s). If there are no hose lines in place, RIC can either utilize a RIC pre-connected hose line, or a large area search line/rope (attached at the entry point), to initiate RIC search operations.

Searchers must maintain contact with the hose, search line, attachment by drop bag/personal rope, or by voice contact (not radio) with another member who is physically on the hose or rope.

The search is conducted based on available information on the most likely location of the downed firefighter. The TIC should be used. Searchers must remain alert to relay and mark, if possible, any significant hazards, changes in conditions, or obstacles that would affect the intervention. The RIC may need to wait for more RIC teams if additional resources are required to continue progress.

Intervention resources should be aware of the possibility that there may be multiple firefighters in need of assistance. When the downed firefighter is located they will be removed, if possible. If removal is not possible, due to entrapment or the search team is running low on air, the hose or search line should be secured to the downed firefighter. This will expedite the search time of subsequent RIC Teams arriving to remove the firefighter. Operating PASS devices should be silenced in order to hear other devices sounding in the area.

Once the downed firefighter is found, the primary objective is to support them with breathable air. This may be done by either transfilling their SCBA, if their SCBA mask and cylinder are still intact, or by placing the mask from the RIC bag on them, allowing them to breathe from the RIC bag air cylinder.

The RIC leader will supervise the entire operation, and keep the IC informed of PPPNs. This information should include distance and direction of travel, significant landmarks or hazards, structural stability, and any pertinent information reported by initial RIC operations. It is recommended that the officer NOT get involved with the actual extrication process. It is imperative that the RIC Leader stay in a heads-up position, responsible for fireground LCES and situational awareness.

In cases where locations such as basements, hospitals, X-Ray rooms, tunnels (confined space), vaults and other known radio trouble areas present communication issues, RIC members should consider using rope lines.

Large Area Searches
Searching a large area presents unique problems for the RIC. The method of using a hose line or search line with two tag lines can cover a large amount of space in a relatively quick amount of time. This SYSTEM relies on strict cohesion of crew responsibilities and assignments. Equipment will consist of: Full PPE, radios, hoseline or large area search system with drop bags, TIC, RIC bag and forcible entry tools.

RIC Leader (Officer): Coordinates rescue operation, Fireground LCES, TIC operations
RIC Member No. 1: Point Man. TIC initiated search forward progression
RIC Member No. 2: Sweeper or hound, move obstacles, rescuer
RIC Member No. 3: Sweeper

In-Line Position: A three-person search pattern that maintains contact with a reference point (escape route) while conducting the search. The first person (RIC Leader w/ TIC) on the line is responsible for leading the company and maintaining contact with reference point(s). The RIC Leader is also the person tethered (webbing or drop bag) to the outside with anchor line.

Parallel Position: This configuration allows members to temporarily reposition their position (orientate right), to increase their area of search. This technique requires the RIC Leader to remain in contact with the tether, which is anchored to the outside. To maintain contact, the RIC is using a tether.

Tether Between Personnel: There are several methods used to tether between personnel, utilizing webbing or strap. Below illustrates the utilization of a half-hitch around the palm of the hand, (allows to grasp and release as necessary) and the half-hitch around each wrist.

Carabineers secure RIC members to the RIC leader. The use of carabineers allows for a quick detachment should any of the RIC members become entangled. If a rope system is used (rings and knots), carabineers are connected to the rings. Rings also indicate the exit direction, while the knots indicate length (typically 25 feet per knot).

Hose/ Rope Line Fan: This is an effective method when following a hoseline or main search line. Tethers or drop bags can be attached to either the RIC Leader, hose line or main search lines. Remaining RIC members then fan out the length of tether and together the company searches the area around the hoseline and advances towards the nozzle.

Nozzle Fan: This procedure requires RIC to conduct a search using a nozzle as a reference point. First, RIC follows a hoseline (hose fan) to the nozzle end. The RIC leader stays at the nozzle to maintain a point of orientation. The RIC leader then utilizes nozzle fan with drop-bags. If a search system is used, the large area bag can be secured to the nozzle and extended the length of the bag by the RIC Leader.

Approach of the Down FirefighterRIC Leader Coordinates All Operations (PPPN)Unless Needed to Assist in Rescue
Have sufficient resources (extraction team) and ALS resources at the exit portal for immediate ALS intervention and transfer of downed member(s) to hospital. Prior to the actual extrication of a downed firefighter, the following procedures should be accomplished if conditions permit:

RIC Leader: Advise RIC group supervisor/IC contact has been made, location and landmarks, condition of mayday firefighter, stabilize the area (any immediate hazards) and assess ALL needs. Allow members to view extrication scene through the TIC if visibility is poor or non-existent. Maintain PAR within the immediate area and prioritize air management and search-line management (secure all tag lines) to prevent entanglement. Request rescue support from all other fireground operations, (fire attack, search groups and ventilation groups). If possible, create a defensible area between all hazards and threats to the rescue/extrication area.

RIC Member: Remove possible hazards, entanglements or fallen objects from the immediate area. Assist with victim packaging. During extraction, clear debris for rapid egress.

RIC Member (Air Person): Prepare RIC bag prior to getting hands-on with the firefighter.
Get assessment from RIC Leader, via TIC on whether the transfill or mask replacement procedures are needed.
BE AWARE that the downed firefighter may panic and reach for your mask!
If firefighter is conscious, maintain verbal instructions, calm the situation
Shut down P.A.S.S. device and reset

Assess the firefighter for the following:
Breathing/conscious/air supply (assess by operating the red bypass valve on second stage regulator). If unconscious, assure that the mask is fully functional.
Make sure that the members waist strap is secured to the members waist, if not; try to reposition the waist strap so as to capture one leg.
If the member is conscious but trapped, contact the rescue group supervisor and depending on the time needed for extrication, connect the rescued member into the RIC Bag, one-hour air supply.

A helpful acronym used to assist in a rescue deployment operations is A.W.A.R.E.
Air: SCBA with extra bottles
Water: A charged handline to enforce a defendable space/area for victim(s)
A & R: A portable radio for members and assess victims ability to communicate
Extrication: Necessary tools/equipment needed to remove victim

About the Author
Ed Hadfield has more than 26 years of fire service experience after rising through the ranks from firefighter to division chief. He is a frequent speaker on leadership, sharing his experiences within the fire service and also with corporate and civic leaders throughout the United States. For more on Hadfield, please check online at www.firetowntrainingspecialist.com.

Departments Find Success Using TargetSolutions as Pre-Training Preparation for Hands-On Training

Some might think an online training platform is intended to replace hands-on training. But that could not be further from the truth, TargetSolutions’ clients say. In fact, TargetSolutions’ web-based pre-training activities are designed to enhance offline training activities.

TargetSolutions allows departments to pre-load didactic education materials before personnel arrive at one of the agency’s designated training centers. The idea is for personnel to complete pre-training activities ahead of time, maximizing time spent in the field.

“We use TargetSolutions to allow our crews to review didactic course information before we do hands-on training,” said Brian Carlson, who is an assistant chief with the Burnsville Fire Department in Minn., which has been a client of TargetSolutions since October of 2011. “When (personnel) arrive at training, they know all the background information and we can jump right in.”

Michael Baker, who serves as the director of EMS for the Tulsa Fire Department, has seen increased efficiency in hands-on training when it is preceded by TargetSolutions’ online coursework.

“We ask our members to review an online TargetSolutions PowerPoint and video embedded presentation, and take a test afterward to prepare themselves for when they arrive at an in-service or a training event, to do the skills portion,” said Baker. “This has allowed us to take something that would normally be two hours long and condense it down into an hour.”

Eddie Buchanan, who previously served as president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, believes online training as a complement to hands-on training is the way of the future. After all, technology is going to continue evolving and improving the way education can be distributed to students, including those in the fire service.

“What used to be homework is now pre-work,” Buchanan said in an article for TargetSolutions. “Before the class session, a student can do pre-work at home, which is now the lecture, and the technology is the vehicle to get that information to them before they go to the classroom. Now, when the student physically shows up, they can focus on discussion or hands-on application of the new material.”

 

Memory and Recall Foundations of Situational Awareness

Blog by Dr. Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
Retired Fire Chief and Web Master for Situational Awareness Matters

Your brain has multiple memory systems. One of the most important for first responders is declarative memory, which is the memory of those things you can declare as facts such as the color of your fire engine or the score of last night’s hockey game. To develop strong memory and recall foundations of situation awareness, it is critical that first responders be able to store, remember and recall critical information. This article discusses how you store knowledge, a vital component to developing and maintaining situational awareness.

Our environment is chocked full of stimuli sights, sounds, touch, tastes and feel. Our senses are bombarded with a ridiculous amount of sensory input. What gets stored into memory (and what doesn’t) is only partially under your control.

Encoding
The stimuli you encounter is sent from your sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin) into your brain via electrical impulses. Some of this information is within your conscious awareness. Some is not. The information within your awareness is said to reside (temporarily) in your working memory sometimes called short-term memory.

Research has revealed the desktop of your working memory is not very big. For the average person, it can store about seven pieces of unrelated information (give or take two) and the information doesn’t stay there long. If something isn’t done to convert the short-term memory into a long-term memory within 30 seconds, the information is subject to be forgotten. Information gets into long-term memory stores through encoding.

Effortful Encoding
There are certain things in your life you commit to memory intentionality. You want to remember your home address, the names of loved ones, important birthdays and anniversaries, etc. This important information is stored using repetition, emotion and rehearsal. You know, with confidence, the information will need to be recalled and may even understand the potential consequences if you are not able to recall it (such as forgetting an anniversary). You commit this information into our long-term memory stores.

There are a variety of ways to aid effortful encoding. Some examples include: writing the information down; using repetition (being physically exposed to the information multiple times or through mental rehearsal); and association tying new information to previously existing information (i.e., you meet someone for the first time and their first name is the same as your father so you remember them by associating them to your father).

Automatic Encoding
Much of what your brain stores, however, is actually outside your conscious awareness. Of course, you don’t know this because, well, it is outside your conscious awareness. Your senses can take in, process and store information that you didn’t even know was happening. Of course, paying attention to something vastly increases the chances of storage. However, some of what are not paying attention to is also stored into memory. This is non-declarative memory. One example is the muscle memory of how to perform certain tasks (e.g., how to drive a car or how to ride a bicycle).

Magic Knowledge
When you recall what you have remembered using effortful (or purposeful) encoding, you’re not surprised. In fact, it can be very frustrating when you cannot recall what you know you once knew. However, much of what you know was never purposefully taught to you and you never stored it with purposeful intent. Yet, you know it. In science, this is known as tacit knowledge (unconscious knowledge). For the sake of this article, I’ll call it magic knowledge. It’s the knowledge you possess that you were unaware of.

The outward manifestation of tacit knowledge is intuition sometimes called the gut feeling you may experience in certain situations. Your magic knowledge is a critical component in the formation of your situational awareness. When operating in stimulus-rich, dynamically changing environments (e.g., emergency scenes) you are bombarded by information, some is noted consciously, much is not. Your brain uses both the conscious awareness and tacit knowledge to help you comprehend what is happening.

About the Author
Dr. Gasaway is widely considered to be one of the nation’s leading authorities on situational awareness and decision making processes used by first responders. In addition to more than 30 years in the fire service, including 22 years as a fire chief, Dr. Gasaway has a second passion: Uncovering and applying research in brain science for the benefit of first responders. His website, Situational Awareness Matters (www.SAMatters.com), has enjoyed more than a million visits since its launch in October 2011.

TargetSolutions to Demonstrate Online System’s Capabilities at Fire-Rescue International

The annual Fire-Rescue International conference is underway in Chicago and TargetSolutions is excited to be on hand, showcasing its web-based platform for online training management at booth No. 4954 during the conferences exhibit hours (10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday).
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to speak with people who would like to learn more about TargetSolutions,” said Executive Vice President Thom Woodward. “We’re capable of providing live demonstrations of our platforms wide-ranging capabilities, and we’re also happy to provide help to clients who come by our booth. Everyone is welcome to stop by and ask questions.”
Not only will TargetSolutions be demonstrating its web-based platform, which features more than 1,000 online training courses and powerful, easy-to-use applications for scheduling, delivering and tracking all types of training assignments, but Product Specialist Tim Riley will be conducting a special training session at FRI on Friday (Aug. 16).
Rileys class, titled “Using Technology to Track Training and Improve ISO Rating,” will cover the Insurance Services Offices updated training requirements, as well as best practices for documenting training to meet required training hours and structuring reports perfectly for ISO’s reviewing process.
The session is scheduled Friday from 3-4:30 p.m. and the program code is OPS-16. If you would like more information on Riley’s session, please click here.
If you would like more information on the TargetSolutions platform, please contact us today at (800) 840-8046.
About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions is the leading provider of web-based technology solutions for fire and EMS organizations. These solutions enable organizations to maintain compliance, reduce losses, deliver curriculum, and track all station-level tasks, certifications and training activities.

TargetSolutions to Attend CAJPA’s Annual Conference in Lake Tahoe

The CAJPA Annual Fall Conference & Training Seminar will be held Sept. 10-13 in Lake Tahoe. If you’re attending, please stop by booth No. 418 and say hello to representatives from TargetSolutions. This conference offers a great opportunity to learn more about TargetSolutions online training management platform.

In fact, this year’s conference is focused on innovation, so if you have any questions on how your organization can more effectively use TargetSolutions powerful loss prevention tools and technology, this is a great opportunity to learn more.

“Every year we are really excited to attend CAJPA,” said Kelly Zielinski, Business Unit Manager for TargetSolutions. “This conference provides a wonderful opportunity to spend time with clients, as well as meet new pools and partners. We love to explain what is new with our training management platform and how it can help organizations reduce risks.”

In addition to the conference, TargetSolutions will also be hosting a hole-in-one contest on Sept. 10 during CAJPA’s Annual Frank James Invitational Golf Tournament.

Well see you on the links! And if you have any questions about TargetSolutions, please contact us today!

Changes Made to Credentials to Reflect Florida’s New Recertification Requirements

The state of Florida recently released its EMS and Fire updated recertification requirements. As a result, clients in the sunshine state may notice TargetSolutions has updated its certified credentials topics to reflect these changes.

For EMS credentials, the state of Florida has eliminated the HIV Awareness requirement and reduced the number of required hours to 30. TargetSolutions has removed the HIV Awareness topic and moved the HIV Awareness course into General Requirements, ensuring users will still get credit for completing it.

The state has also altered its requirements for Fire recertification. Most notably, the recertification hours for the Firesafety Inspector I credential has increased from 40 hours to 54 hours.

Additionally, the Firesafety Inspector I and the Instructor certifications have all changed from a three-year recertification cycle to a four-year recertification cycle.

Please keep in mind, for both the Inspector and Instructor credentials, platform administrators will need to change the expiration dates for their users in order to reflect the cycle change.

If you would like information on how to make these changes to your departments credentials, please check the help system, or contact TargetSolutions today.

Updates to ISO’s Training Requirements Impact Clients Using TargetSolutions’ ISO Training Tracker

iso-fire-department-training-trackerThe Insurance Services Office (ISO) has made revisions to its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, including changes to required training for fire departments. Clients managing their ISO requirements through TargetSolutions will need to make adjustments inside the Credentials application to update their departments ISO Training Tracker.

These modifications impact the number of hours needed for ISO-related training topics, making it critical for departments to address their ISO Solution inside the TargetSolutions platform and ensure they are meeting ISO’s new expectations for training compliance.

If you would like detailed instructions on how to implement these changes inside your departments TargetSolutions site, please go to “Browse Administrator Support” inside your platforms Help section and search for “2013 ISO Changes.”

Here is a breakdown of ISO’s new requirements:

Company Training: ISO is now calling for 16 hours per month for a total 192 hours per year. This is a reduction from 20 hours per month and 240 hours per year that were previously required.

Hazardous Materials Training: ISO is now requiring six hours per year, which is up three hours from previous years.

Driver Training: There have been no changes to the number of hours required for this category. Departments are still expected to have personnel complete 12 hours per year.

New Driver Training: ISO has added 20 hours of training to this category. Personnel now are in need of 60 hours per year, up from 40.

Officer Training: The Officer Certification Requirement remains steady at 12 hours per year.

Recruit Training: Personnel, who automatically get credit if their department requires state certification as an employment pre-requisite, are required to complete 240 hours. This number is unaffected by ISO’s recent changes.

Facility Training: This category, referring to training done at a training facility, is no longer called “Training Drills.” Personnel now are required to complete 18 hours per year, which was reduced from 24 hours.

Pre-Planning Review: ISO is now requiring one review per year. In previous years, this was a bi-annual requirement.

ISO’s revisions are now more aligned with NFPA standards, according to TargetSolutions Product Specialist Tim Riley.

“ISO has really done a great job creating a standard that everyone will be able to follow,” said Riley, who was instrumental in the creation of TargetSolutions’ ISO Solution. “It’s important for clients to understand these changes and make the appropriate updates inside the platform. Its pretty straight forward, so clients should have a smooth transition keeping up with ISO’s standards with TargetSolutions.”

With TargetSolutions, departments are able to efficiently assign their personnel with ISO-specific training bundles. After training both online courses and hands-on activities are completed, TargetSolutions one-of-a-kind recordkeeping system automatically tracks completions and generates detailed reports structured perfectly for ISO’s reviewing process.

ISO’s changes were announced earlier this year and are now in effect in most states. For more information specific to your state, please check online at www.isomitigation.com. And if you have any questions about TargetSolutions ISO Training Tracker, please schedule a demo today.

iso training requirements
With TargetSolutions, fire departments are able to deliver ISO’s new training requirements and track the results. Please click here to learn more about TargetSolutions’ ISO Fire Department Training Tracker.

About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions is the leading provider of web-based technology solutions for fire and EMS departments. These solutions enable organizations to maintain compliance, reduce losses, deliver curriculum, and track all station-level tasks, certifications and training activities.