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Archive for December, 2015

Streamline the Hiring Process with TargetSolutions’ New Hire Onboarding Solution

Did you know the majority of employees who go through a structured onboarding process are more likely to remain long-term with an organization? It’s also a fact that losing a first-year employee can cost a company up to three times their annual salary, according to a report by the Wynhurst Group.

Mountains of paperwork, checklists, and mandatory training are a few of the burdens hiring managers face on a regular basis. While it’s easy to get lost in the clutter of hiring new employees, TargetSolutions’ online training management system simplifies and streamlines the process.

TargetSolutions’ New Hire Onboarding Solution combines various features inside the platform, including the File Center, the Activities Builder and the Manage Credentials application, to streamline the delivery, completion and documentation of all assignments. Automatic alert notifications, e-signature accountability, and real-time assignment monitoring, ensures new hires and managers alike can enjoy a simplified and efficient onboarding process.

“Using TargetSolutions for your new hire onboarding process can help you save both time and money. It helps you reduce the amount of hours that you spend manually tracking down all of the requirements that are necessary for new hire onboarding.”

Jennifer Jones, Client Services Manager, TargetSolutions

“The biggest hit for an organization is they’re able to take their online training content through TargetSolutions and couple that with the records management piece,” said Jones. “So they’re able to do both training content as well as manage things like new hire paperwork, meetings, and things of that nature.”

If you are looking to simplify your organization’s onboarding process, please contact TargetSolutions today at (800) 840-8048.

City of Roseville Describes How TargetSolutions Helps Streamline Training Management

The City of Roseville is using TargetSolutions’ online training management system to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver mandatory training to employees.

The City of Roseville, located in the Greater Sacramento Area of Northern California, utilizes the TargetSolutions platform across all of its public agencies, including fire, police and water. During the inaugural TargetSolutions Risk Summit this past November, the City of Roseville’s Lorrie McClain was presented with the Power User award for the city’s impressive utilization of the online training and management system. TargetSolutions had the opportunity to speak with McClain about how her city is using the platform.

Here is a transcription of the interview:

Which departments of the City of Roseville use TargetSolutions?
We are a full-service city. We have fire, police, we have our own energy plant. We have water, wastewater, public works. Every single department uses TargetSolutions.

How many different users are on the system?
At any one time we have 1,046 regular employees and then we have up to 800 temporary and seasonal employees, at any one time. Mostly in the summer months.

Tell me a little bit about the biggest challenge that you had before TargetSolutions and how the platform is helping you solve it.
It’s really hard to organize and afford in-person training and to get to the masses because a lot of our employees are in the field rather than in an office environment or in front of a computer or have the ability to go somewhere for in-person training. This allows us to bring the training to them at a more appropriate and convenient time whether it’s online training in front of the computer or reading admin’s regs or doing specific training. That could include TargetSolutions courses or courses that we create, or maybe they do tailgate settings where they do it as a group and then we go ahead and record the training later.

Tell us some of the ways you guys are using TargetSolutions to get the most out of it.
I think the most important thing we did is develop a core team where we have a representative from every department so that each department’s needs are utilized. We work together to create content and see what everybody needs so we could get every department on board and actually use it. We started out doing a presentation to all of the department heads saying “hey, this is what the product is, this is what we want to use it for, will you buy into it?” and they all agreed to buy into it. It then trickled down to their managers and supervisors that this is our learning management system, this is city-wide adopted, this is what we’re using as a learning management system, so then different departments weren’t off doing their own thing. We were all using the same system and that’s what basically the city mandate was.

Talk a little bit about all the different types of training you’re delivering with TargetSolutions.
We do everything from the supervisor-mandated sexual harassment training that has to be done every two years to the 700 training for those that it applies to. Police officers have specific training that’s geared toward them, whether it’s code 3 driving or canine training that all officers need to know about, it’s done on a weekly basis. The electric department does very specific NERC training for our power plant users that covers anything from simple administrative regulations and updates that are mandated by the city’s manager’s office for all employees to reading and acknowledging a document. That gives us documentation of the mandated training, either state or federal, that is required to be done every two or three years annually.

For more information on the TargetSolutions platform, please contact us at today at (800) 840-8048.

 

TargetSolutions to Host Special Networking & Training Workshop During Firehouse World

Is your organization using TargetSolutions to manage fire department training? Or are you still searching for the right tool for streamlining training management?

Either way you will want to circle Tuesday, Feb. 2 on your calendar as TargetSolutions has scheduled its annual networking and training workshop during Firehouse World in San Diego.

WHEN:
Tuesday, Feb. 2
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE:
Marriott Gaslamp Quarter
Altitude Sky Lounge
660 K St. San Diego
Register Today!

Please join us atop the Marriott Gaslamp Quarter at the Altitude Sky Lounge between 2 p.m and 5 p.m. for this special event. Come learn from TargetSolutions account managers about the platform’s powerful capabilities for scheduling, delivering and tracking training.

In addition to one-on-one training and a platform discussion, attendees will have the chance to network and hear directly from other agencies that are utilizing TargetSolutions for fire department training.

“This is a great opportunity for training officers, chiefs and captains to meet with TargetSolutions representatives and learn more about the platform. Attendees will also be able to meet with peers who are using the system and hear how they are able to maximize the platform. It’s always amazing how much learning takes place when the ideas start to flow during these events.”

Phil Coons, Sales Director, TargetSolutions

This special event will also feature complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres served from one of San Diego’s most scenic downtown locations, the Marriott Gaslamp Quarter’s Altitude Sky Lounge.

Please click here to reserve your seat for the TargetSolutions Networking & Training Workshop. If you have any questions, please contact us today at (800) 840-8048.

TargetSolutions’ Firefighter Training Online Courses Accepted for Credit in Three New States

Minnesota, Kentucky and Missouri’s Regulatory Agencies Approve TargetSolutions for Firefighter Training Online

SAN DIEGO – TargetSolutions, a leading provider of online training for public safety agencies, has secured accreditation for firefighter training in three new states. Firefighters in Minnesota, Kentucky and Missouri can now complete various portions of their state-mandated training using the industry’s leading online training management system.online firefighter training

These approvals give TargetSolutions 11 states that accept its online firefighter courses for recertification, with others in the approval process, as well as 50 states that permit utilization for EMS continuing education. The 11 states that currently accept TargetSolutions for firefighter training online are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas.

“Throughout 2015, we have been working with various governing bodies to ensure TargetSolutions’ online training courses for firefighters are approved for continuing education,” said TargetSolutions’ Content and Compliance Manager Lauren Crosby.

“We are excited each agency in these states has reviewed our content and determined we are delivering the type of quality training material firefighters need to stay safe and effective. We look forward to securing even more approvals in other states in the various industries we serve.”

TargetSolutions offers more than 1,000 online training courses, with more than 250 hours of accredited continuing education for Fire and EMS. The catalog features more than 60 hours of courses written to the NFPA’s codes and standards, including titles for NFPA 1001, NFPA 1021, NFPA 1403, NFPA 1584, and NFPA 1500 Series.

 

“TargetSolutions has been providing emergency responders with online training since 1999. Over the years we have worked hard to create a comprehensive catalog that is regularly updated and features engaging, dynamic content.”

Jeremy Lynch, Director of Content, TargetSolutions

 

Here is a breakdown of how much online fire training from TargetSolutions each state will accept for credit:

Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education: Approved 70 hours of training. Career firefighters in Minnesota, who need 72 hours of continuing education every three years, can now meet 100 percent of their recertification requirements with TargetSolutions.

Kentucky Fire Commission: Approved 81.5 hours of training. Firefighters in Kentucky can now choose from TargetSolutions’ library of training to meet 25 percent of their recertification requirements. Career firefighters in Kentucky need 100 hours annually to meet Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Fire Inspector and Fire Instructor certification levels.

Missouri Division of Fire Safety: Approved 26 hours of training. Fire Inspectors and Fire Investigators, who need 30 hours of training every three years, are able to meet 86 percent of this requirement using TargetSolutions; while Fire Service Instructors, who need 24 hours of training, can complete half with TargetSolutions.

If you have any questions about TargetSolutions’ accreditation status in your state, please contact us today at (800) 840-8048.

 

About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions delivers cutting-edge software applications, engaging online training courses, and world-class customer service. The company was founded in 1999 and today there are more than 2,000 organizations across the country using TargetSolutions’ technology to solve their training challenges. TargetSolutions is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, find us online at www.targetsolutions.com or call us at 1 (800) 840-8048.

 

Cardiac Emergencies Advanced Course for EMS CEs Features New Multimedia

TargetSolutions’ Cardiac Emergencies Advanced course has been enhanced with new multimedia content. The course features 15 learning modules and a 10-question exam.

With a comprehensive focus on all aspects of cardiology and cardiac emergencies, TargetSolutions’ Cardiac Emergencies Advanced course is a must for those in the EMS profession. With nearly half of the 600,000 cardiovascular-related deaths occuring before the patient reaches the hospital, emergency care associated with cardiac diseases is an integral part of training.

This course, which touches on the signs, symptoms, and the emergency medical care required for patients experiencing a cardiac emergency, has received updated content, enhanced multimedia, and a brand new audio track.

“Cardiology is important for EMS because as a nation we’re getting sicker, not healthier,” said Lauren Crosby, TargetSolutions’ Content and Compliance Manager. “The more we can push out information and awareness and keep our providers at the top of their game is really important.”

For more information on this course or others in TargetSolutions’ catalog for emergency responders, please contact us at (800) 840-8048.

University of Colorado Boulder Simplifies Training Management with TargetSolutions

University of Colorado Boulder utilizes TargetSolutions’ online training management system to effectively track training records.

With training hours logged into a cluster of spreadsheets across multiple departments, the University of Colorado Boulder knew there had to be an easier way to streamline recordkeeping.

“We had people tracking training credentials and certificates in every department,” recalls Christopher Cox, the University’s facilities safety manager. “We had separate spreadsheets in every department and no one ever came together. We didn’t have a central location.”

In early 2014, the University turned to TargetSolutions as its go-to training program – and everything fell into place. Training records became centralized and compliance was simplified thanks to powerful training management features.

Utilizing TargetSolutions’ ground-breaking Manage Credentials application, the University has consolidated state-mandated training subjects into one credential, called Core Training, to more effectively schedule, deliver and track required training.

“TargetSolutions offered the best platform for what we needed,” said Cox. “The user-friendly part of it was huge and the customer service was great. The ability to do more than just track training…really took our attention and that’s why we decided to use TargetSolutions over the other companies that do the same thing.”

Would you like to learn more about TargetSolutions? Contact us today at (800) 840-8048.

How to Operate TargetSolutions More Effectively: A Guide to the Platform

Those seeking to enhance their knowledge of the TargetSolutions platform will find a great deal of information in this overview guide, “Tech Talk: Your Technical Information Guide to TargetSolutions.”

Distributed to attendees at the inaugural Risk Summit in early November, Tech Talk covers the far reaches of the platform, including site implementation, troubleshooting, and managing user data. The brochure is meant to serve as an administrator’s guide featuring tips on how to effectively operate TargetSolutions’ online training management system.

Divided into five chapters, plus a glossary, the topics discussed in the Tech Talk document are designed for administrators across numerous industries.

Please click here to download the entire Tech Talk document and get the most out of your platform today!

Why Firefighters Should Complete a Thorough Size-Up at Every Fire Incident

Completing Fire Incident Size-Ups
Performing a size-up during a dynamically changing event like a structure fire is essential. Information is changing so rapidly that your brain can quickly become overloaded while trying to process and comprehend information.

Blog by Richard B. Gasaway, CFO, EFO, Fire Chief (ret.)
www.samatters.com

During my fireground situational awareness classes, I talk about the process for making high-stress, high-consequence decisions. The first step in this process is initially performing a rapid size-up. When I ask participants how long they take to size-up a single-family residential dwelling fire with no exposures, the answer I get ranges anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds.

Then I challenge the group why they don’t take 5 to 10 minutes to make such a critical, high-risk decision. The answer I most typically get is “Because the building will burn down.” This may be true. From the perspective of brain science, the timeframe is the same, but the explanation is much different.

Performing a rapid size-up during a dynamically changing event like a structure fire is essential. Not because the building will burn down if more time is taken (though, as I noted, that may happen). Rather, it’s because in a dynamic event, the information is changing so rapidly that your brain will quickly become overloaded trying to process and comprehend information.

Think about it this way: If I gave you a sequence of seven random two-digit numbers over the course of a thirty second period of time, and asked you to recall the fifth number in the sequence, you’d probably be able to recall it with ease.

But, if I gave you a list of seven different, random two-digit numbers numbers every 30 seconds over the course of five minutes, and then asked you to remember the 18th number I gave you, your performance would likely be abysmal. Why? Information overload. Under stress, you’ll do better when you process small amounts of information versus large amounts of information over a longer period of time.

Think back to the early decision maker of our species, the cave dweller. Their genetic encoding of how to survive in high-stress, high-consequence environments is the same genetic encoding you have in your DNA. Imagine the cave dweller is out on the daily hunt for food. A predator is fast approaching and it’s game on. The “Fight or Flight” response engages.

The cave dweller is going to have a bunch of clues and cues to process in a compressed amount of time. But there’s really only a handful of clues that are going to be important to survival, perhaps five to seven, but definitely not dozens or hundreds. And while the scene is rapidly unfolding, it’s all going to be over quickly … perhaps in 10 to 30 seconds. The size-up must be rapid and accurate. Sounds a lot like a fireground size-up, doesn’t it? Your genetic engineering is working in your favor when it comes to making an accurate, timely incident scene size-up.

The secondary size-up is as important as the primary. Again, there is a misconception the secondary size-up is to capture what may have been missed in the primary. And while this may have an element of truth, from the perspective of situational awareness, the secondary size-up serves a completely separate, yet critically important role.

The secondary size-up should take considerable more time. Two to three minutes is not out of the realm of possibility. In addition to capturing clues and cues that confirm or refute the intuition of your initial size-up, the secondary size-up is your first opportunity to develop “Level 3 Situational Awareness” and predict future events.

The ability to predict future events is a catastrophically important the skillset for a commander or company officer. To predict where the event is going, and how fast it’s going to get there, you must first understand the SPEED at which the incident is moving. And every dynamic incident scene has a speed.

The secondary size-up, conducted over a minute or two, allows you better assess the speed of the incident, as you watch conditions change over a minute or two. Armed with that information, you can now make reasonable predictions as to whether the resources you have on hand are going to be able to outmaneuver the incident based on it’s speed.

About the Author

Dr. Gasaway is widely considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on situational awareness and the human factors that complicate first responder decision making. In addition to his 30-plus 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) welcomes 50,000 visitors a month from 156 countries. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].