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Archive for March, 2014

Credential Status Feature Helps Platform Managers Organize Credentials When Generating Reports

Have you ever run a credentials report inside TargetSolutions’ online training management system and wondered what the Credential Status selection indicates?
Currently, there are four available reporting statuses: Active, Inactive, Expired, and Complete. These are available to help you produce results in a certain order, and also for organizing credentials when generating reports by credential status.
Active: This designation pertains to credentials that have not expired and have not reached completion status based on the required training.
Inactive: This status applies to any credential that has been inactivated for a specific user. After being inactivated, users will no longer see it in their site. However, administrators can still determine if it was previously tracked for a user via the report.
Expired: This status is used for any credential that has passed its expiration date and has become overdue.
Complete: This selection refers to a credential that has fulfilled 100 percent of the minimum requirements. Even if the credential has not yet reached its expiration date, it will list a “complete” status if the minimum required training has been completed.
Please note credentials only pertain to one-fourth of the status selections. So if you have a credential that still has not yet expired, but you have completed all of the training that applies, it will fall under the “Complete” status.
If you have any questions about this records and information management reporting feature, please contact TargetSolutions’ support team today at (800) 840-8048.

The Criteria to Command

Blog by Dr. Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
Retired Fire Chief and Web Master for Situational Awareness Matters
There is a lot of emphasis these days on the need for strong incident management. In fact, when things go wrong one of the contributing factors often cited is the lack of command presence or issues with the quality of command. This is critical because the inccident commander is the “big picture” person – the person charged with developing and maintaining strong situational awareness for the entire incident (versus at a company level).
What does it take for a person to effectively command an incident? This is a question I get asked often, and the answer may be easier than you think. Based upon my experience in firefighter safety, coupled with my education in neuroscience, here are the criteria I would recommend. The person who is going to serve as the incident commander should:
Training: Receive training in how to command an incident. This goes beyond training on how to perform line tasks. The skill set required to command is very different than front-line skills. To be effective, commander training is essential.
Experience: Gain experience through commanding training incidents and having a mentor while at real incidents. Build the skill set at a pace that allows confidence to build.
Hands Off: The cognitive capacity (i.e., brain power) needed to command an incident with multiple companies working is huge. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it requires the cognitive horsepower of at least two people. It takes a lot of brain energy (and attention) to process and understand all the information coming into a commander’s eyes and ears. If the commander is hands-on (i.e., performing firefighting duties), there simply isn’t enough capacity to effectively do both jobs. The hands-on task of firefighting will override the cognitive task of commanding.
Big Picture: To be effective, the commander must be in a position to capture, process, comprehend and recall critical clues and cues on the macro (big picture) level. The closer the commander is to the action, the harder it is to see and hear the critical clues and cues.
Working Command
In some agencies, the first arriving officer establishes a working (or mobile) command and joins the firefighting crew. It is not for me to judge if, or when, this may be an appropriate action as there are so many factors that could influence this decision. However, it is indisputable that the officer who chooses to go hands-on and focus at the task-level (versus the big picture) cannot effectively develop, or maintain, big picture situational awareness. It’s equivalent to being on an airplane where the pilots set the automated flight management system and then come off the flight deck to serve drinks and snacks to the passengers. When no one is flying the plane, bad things can happen. When no one is commanding at the big-picture level, bad things can happen. Do whatever you think is best under the circumstances you face. Just understand the risks involved to both yourself and others when no one is serving as the big-picture, hands-off commander.
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 1 million visits since its launch in October of 2011.

Communicate with TargetSolutions’ EMTs Live with the New ‘Ask an Instructor’ Feature

In May 2013, TargetSolutions’ Content team members Lauren Crosby and Christina Valenti completed their EMT certification through San Diego’s EMSTA College and successfully passed their National Registry exams. Although they really enjoy working in the field whenever they get a chance, their primary motivation was to serve clients using TargetSolutions’ online EMS training system.

  Lauren Crosby

TargetSolutions is putting Crosby and Valenti’s knowledge to use with an exciting new feature inside recently revised EMS recertification courses called “Ask an Instructor.” While taking an EMS refresher course, users can ask questions about the content of the course “live” as they’re taking it, and the EMTs are logged in ready to answer.

Crosby and Valenti will be logged in to this live chat feature Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST) and on Friday from 8 a.m. to Noon (PST). In the event they are not logged in to answer a question immediately, the question will be submitted to a queue and users will receive an answer within 24 to 48 hours.
Christina Valenti
“Ask an Instructor is not only a great way for users to get answers regarding content quickly, but it also allows us to communicate with our users about best practices and protocols in the EMS industry,” said Valenti.
This feature will appear in EMS courses as they are revised. For TargetSolutions’ ALS course offerings, or questions beyond the EMT’s scope of practice, the content team has a Medical Director on staff to provide expertise and ensure the information supplied is accurate. If you have any questions, please contact us for more information.

TargetSolutions Forms EMS Program Committee to Help with Development & Upkeep of EMS Continuing Education Courses

EMS Continuing Education Training

Last Updated August 2019

TargetSolutions is excited to announce the creation of the EMS Program Committee. The seven-member panel has been formed to deliver TargetSolutions’ Content team with valuable recommendations to improve existing EMS continuing education courses, as well as review new training material during the development process.

With more than 250 hours of accredited EMS continuing education courses available on TargetSolutions’ online training system, the committee has a unique opportunity to influence existing courses, as well as future EMS refresher training that can be scheduled, delivered and tracked through the industry’s leading computer-based training platform.

TargetSolutions took careful consideration during the selection of members for the committee. This diverse group of experienced individuals comes from a wide range of settings across the EMS industry.

Read more

Deliver Custom Training Content with TargetSolutions’ Fire Department Software

Recent Platform Enhancements Include the Ability to Easily Add SCORM Courses to Certified Credentials
TargetSolutions features a collection of online fire training courses and applications built to help training departments operate more efficiently. Some might say, however, the real magic happens when the platform’s various applications mesh together for the delivery of custom content.
In the latest round of platform enhancements, TargetSolutions has created the ability to add SCORM courses to certified credentials. After uploading SCORM courses and attaching them to a certified credential, platform managers can then add a CE provider name and number to those custom courses.
“Departments and providers who have established provider numbers are now able to customize training that has already been certified by an accrediting agency,” said Software Engineer Manager Dustyn Borghi. “This gives platform managers the ability to tailor credit tracking for their organization. This type of custom training is becoming more and more popular. That’s why we wanted to open our credential engine to customized SCORM content.”
With TargetSolutions’ computer-based fire department software, platform managers can create content with third-party software (Articulate, Storyline, iSpring, etc.) and then deliver it to users through TargetSolutions’ SCORM engine. If they have a CE provider number, it’s now possible to add it to courses that have been created with an outside e-learning tool, however a CE provider number is not mandatory for delivering SCORM courses.
fire department software
Delivering Custom Content with TargetSolutions’ Fire Department Software
Certainly, the ability to deliver SCORM content makes TargetSolutions even more valuable. But that’s just the beginning of TargetSolutions’ ability to deliver custom content. Whether it’s a test from Test Builder, a shared resource from Community Resources, or an SOP stored in the File Center, a platform manager can attach it to an assignment created with the Activities Builder and deliver it to personnel.
Here are some of the other ways departments are delivering custom content with TargetSolutions:
Custom Certs: Platform managers can attach departmental CE provider information to a activity that exists inside a certified credential with the Manage Credentials application.
Custom and Certified Credentials: Platform managers can create credentials to track and maintain specific certifications that are not certified (no CE provider number). These credentials can have any set of courses and/or activities a platform manager considers necessary.
Custom Tests: Platform managers can create and deliver their own automatically graded tests. Once created, these tests can be attached to any activity and assigned to users.
Files from Community Resources: Platform managers are able to import and distribute training videos, organizational policies, inspection forms, and more through Activities Builder.
Platform Solutions: Platform managers can utilize TargetSolutions’ ready-made activities that have been built to manage and track critical fire department training and tasks, including fire department ISO training hours, pre- and post-incident reports, inspection forms, drill ground training activities, and much more. These activities can be customized to meet your department’s specific needs.
“(TargetSolutions) allows you to add your own personal content and distribute it with the push of a button and get accurate reporting on who has completed it,” said City of Corona (Calif.) Fire Department Captain Jeremy Verderber. “We utilize it to send SOGs. We can create a new SOG and then send it out as an activity. They review the new SOG and check the box to submit it. It makes it really easy for captains to disseminate the information.”
Video-Based Training Presentations: With Activities Builder, departments like Verderber’s are able to easily deliver a video or PowerPoint presentation through an activity.
“We can have all the crew watch it,” said Verderber. “We load it, send it out as an activity, say ‘watch this video,’ and now it’s on there and anyone can pull it up and watch it.”
If you would like more information on delivering custom content with TargetSolutions, please click here or contact TargetSolutions at (800) 840-8048.

 

Perform a Needs Assessment to Determine the Right Topics for Your Fire Department Training

Blog by Jacob Johnson   
Lieutenant with Pearland Fire Department in Texas 
It’s natural for a fire service instructor to wonder if they are delivering the right firefighter training for their personnel. They may wonder if they are focusing on the right things. The answer is simple: As training administrators, we need to focus on what needs to be covered, as well as what our personnel are requesting us to cover.
This can be accomplished by performing a “needs assessment” for fire departments that center on training “needs” vs. training “wants.”
The most important question instructors face is what type of training should they deliver? They may wonder, “Should I focus on the basics or should I focus on advanced training?” Here is my stance: Are the basics of firefighting important? Yes, they are very important and much needed to survive in this profession.
The fire service, however, is prone to focusing too much on the basics and not nearly enough on the more challenging firefighter training or skills we need to improve. By completing a needs assessment for fire departments, you can use those results to determine whether you should be focused on the basics, or pushing into the more advanced training material.
My personal goal as an instructor is to give a firefighter training class that is challenging to my audience and makes a difference in their performance. If that goal is accomplished in every class, everyone is happy. Now, sometimes a simple building construction class is challenging to some members of the department. But at the same time, it is taken as a refresher for some of the other members and not really much of a learning experience. It’s important to remember training is all about learning and what new skills your students can extract and spread to the rest of their crew or department.
Unfortunately, many instructors don’t train enough themselves. They become so confident and comfortable teaching the “basics,” they become lazy and even begin to think they will look bad if they teach outside of their comfort zone. They may be afraid they won’t have all the answers to all the questions, or they may be challenged by someone more up-to-date, making them look bad.
We can’t let ourselves become “paper-stack instructors.” Meaning, we can’t become an instructor who piles up certifications (aka: a paper stack) and then forgets what we were taught, and even worse, didn’t bother to learn more.
In order to give a challenging fire department training class, which will truly benefit our students, we must take classes that challenge us and make us better – giving us the confidence and knowledge we need to be effective. After all, it’s on us, as instructors, to make firefighter training as impactful as possible.
About the Author
Jacob Johnson works for Pearland Fire Department (Texas) as a driver/operator. He has been in the fire service for more than 11 years. He has taught at extrication schools, recruit academies, and several suppression schools. His certifications include: FF Intermediate, Driver/Operator, Fire Officer 1, Fire Instructor III.