“TargetSolutions has created a records system that clearly allowed our organization to comply with our scheduled ISO audit in September 2010. The process of completing the training section of the report for ISO was seamless.”Guy Keirn, Training Chief, Pinellas County Training Group
“TargetSolutions is a very strong platform for tracking certifications, hours and all of the things you need from a certification standpoint. It’s also a great way to keep track of records for ISO compliance.”Bob Olme, Assistant Chief, Wheat Ridge Fire Department
“It will definitely improve our ISO rating. It only takes 10 minutes to generate reports for every shift captain to let them know exactly what they need to do for ISO by the end of the year. The speed is amazing.”Kim Miller, Captain, Haines City Fire & Rescue
TargetSolutions’ online fire training system offers fire departments a ready-made solution for efficiently tracking various types of ongoing daily drill-yard training. These are the types of activities every department regularly completes, but might not regularly log.
Whether it is ladders, hoses, or any other firefighter training activity you can imagine, it needs to happen regularly for firefighters to be prepared. With that in mind, TargetSolutions features customizable electronic forms that cover most departments’ daily checklist. These lists are broken into specifications, ensuring all fire department training, no matter how minimal, is tracked and recorded.
“By utilizing our daily activities, firefighters will be able to record the drills and other hands-on training that they are already doing easily and efficiently,” said Jenny Fergason, who serves as TargetSolutions’ Director of Client Services. “We’ve put together some templates on the most commonly completed drills, but we also provide platform managers with the ability to customize our templates to fit their department’s own unique needs.”
After years of documenting routine training the old-fashioned way, Mike Linkins of Polk County Fire Rescue in Bartow, Fla., was amazed to learn just how much training went uncounted toward employee training records before signing on with TargetSolutions, which features a suite of powerful tools that simplify training and operations.
“Our people were doing their training, but not recording it,” Linkins said. “The numbers we were expecting were consistently lower than our expectations. When we saw how you could track training with TargetSolutions, we were astonished.”
Course Description:More than 30 million workers are exposed to one or more chemical hazards across various industrial sectors. And with hundreds of new hazardous chemicals being introduced annually in addition to the estimated 650,000 already existing hazardous chemical products, risk for employees’ health and safety is on the rise.With this in mind, employers must ensure that information about these dangers is shared with those who need to know. This course covers OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard and emphasizes what it is and how to comply. After completion, employees will be able to:
- Explain the need for hazard communication in the workplace
- Describe employers’ responsibilities under the Hazard Communication Standard
- Determine whether a substance is classified as a hazard based on physical and health hazard criteria
- Read an SDS and label to obtain hazard information for a chemical
- Protect themselves from hazardous chemicals
If you would like more information on this course, or any other course in TargetSolutions’ industry-leading library, please contact us today.
Located in Kingsland, Ga., Camden County Fire Rescue serves a population of approximately 53,000 people across 613 square miles. The department is committed to providing its community with the very best service possible. To do that, the department’s emergency responders need to effectively meet EMS continuing education requirements. That was the original reason it signed up with TargetSolutions.
In the end, however, TargetSolutions’ fire department software applications have made the biggest difference.
“The training was always being completed,” said Training Division Officer Robbi King. “What TargetSolutions has allowed us to do is easily track it and review that it has been completed. It makes it easier as administration.”
While Camden County was pleased to realize TargetSolutions’ full capabilities, its initial needs were also fulfilled. Completing EMS recertification remotely with TargetSolutions has made training more efficient and cost effective, King said. It’s as simple as assigning online EMS training for academic work and brining everyone to a centralized location for the hands-on, didactic activities.
“We no longer have to bring in EMS providers – and deal with who is on-duty, who is off-duty – to complete monthly training,” said King. “Training is completed online during shifts, saving us overtime and instructor costs.”
Tracking all types of training is possible with TargetSolutions, and when it comes to its upcoming fire department ISO inspection, the department will have all of the information it needs to provide the ISO inspector.
“With TargetSolutions, we’re going to be able to provide ISO with the information they want, in the format they want. Giving that information to the inspector in the format they need and it will make the entire process easier for everyone.”
Robbi King, Training Division Officer
Whether it’s pre-course, online EMS training that keeps units in service, tracking and reporting fire department ISO training, or maintaining overall department compliance, TargetSolutions has Camden County Fire Rescue covered. King says the department has made great use of TargetSolutions’ powerful applications, especially the Manage Credentials application, which has improved the way employee training records are tracked for the entire department.
By creating one comprehensive credential that looks at all of the training needed over a two-year cycle, King can decide how and when each type of training will be completed each month, lessening demands on the department’s emergency responders, while making sure all requirements are completed.
“We’re able to run one report that shows everything,” said King. “We know all of the training is being completed and we don’t have to worry about anything slipping through the cracks.”
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’ innovative technology to solve their training challenges.
Record Completions and Generate Reports Now Runs Faster Than Ever After Platform Upgrades
Alert Notification System Takes Huge Step Forward in 2013
Polk County Fire Rescue is one of the largest fire departments in the state of Florida. With 45 stations and more than 600 personnel members, the department responds to more than 83,000 calls each year. In order to provide the surrounding communities the most excellent service possible, the department looks to train and educate its members in the most effective way possible.
With such a large department and needing to meet critical training requirements, Polk County is unable to rely on old-fashioned methods for tracking employee training records. Deputy Chief of Safety and Training Mike Linkins is a 28-year veteran of the fire service who realized having members submit paperwork to document training was no longer the answer.
“Our people were doing their training, but not recording it,” said Linkins. “The numbers we were reporting were consistently lower than our expectations.”
In March of 2009, Polk County Fire Rescue turned to TargetSolutions’ easy-to-use online fire training system to enhance the entire process of tracking training. The results were tremendous, Linkins said. “When we saw how you could track training with TargetSolutions, we were astonished,” said Linkins. “The numbers went through the roof.”
In addition to tracking training records, TargetSolutions helped Polk County eliminate costly and less efficient classroom and lecture training without getting away from hands-on firefighter training. Instead, the department sends its personnel TargetSolutions’ online coursework, which ensures all of the background information and education culminates in a hands-on training session. Previously, Polk County spent hours reviewing didactic information before actually beginning hands-on drills. Now, when there are live drills and other hands-on training, there is no wasted time before starting.
“TargetSolutions allows us to pre-assign all of that information so that everyone is ready to go once we arrive on-site. It has helped us maximize the effectiveness of our hands-on training. It’s really been a morale booster for us.”
Mike Linkins, Deputy Chief of Safety and Training
A major component of the TargetSolutions platform is the fire department ISO solution, in which Polk County Fire Rescue was an instrumental part of creating. Now, the department is able to utilize the ready-made training template to track the training exactly the way ISO wants. Linkins expects utilization of TargetSolutions’ ISO tracking and reporting tools to help the department achieve a fantastic score in the training section of ISO’s next inspection.
“We set internal ISO goals for training and we report to our Battalion Chiefs on a monthly basis,” said Linkins. “This allows us to see who is on target and who is not. It has really helped us keep the organization on track.”
Polk County Fire Rescue’s dedication to service and innovation has resulted in tremendous utilization of TargetSolutions. Everyone in the organization, including non-emergency responding employees from civilian departments, uses the platform.
“We are a 100 percent TargetSolutions organization,” said Linkins. “If you are a member in any capacity, you get a TargetSolutions account.”
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’ innovative technology to solve their training challenges.