‘Training is the process of learning the skills that you need for a particular job or activity.’1
For the modern firefighter, is skills acquisition enough to meet the needs of their role and professional identity? I would argue not. Firefighters today face a variety of complex challenges which require continued development, resilience, problem solving and community engagement. Their ‘training’ needs to reflect this.
The recent White Reform Paper, entitled ‘Reforming Our Fire and Rescue Service’ has had a significant impact on Fire and Rescue Services in the UK, challenging them to show enhanced professionalism, with an enhanced focus on people, culture and community. Skills-based training alone misses an opportunity to engage, empower and enable firefighters today to meet this professional challenge.
Here at the Fire Service College, we are moving away from traditional training practices to focus on providing meaningful learner-centric experiences that develop not only skills but also knowledge, values and behaviours that will support firefighters in their professional roles and drive continued development.
The transformation of our Firefighter Development Programme is a prime example of our work towards learner-centric experiences. This programme is now being delivered using a ‘flipped classroom’ approach, which consists of two parts: introduction to theory and key principles outside of the classroom (typically online), followed by interactive and collaborative exercises in person, which build on, apply and consolidate theory and principles. This type of constructivist learning approach allows learners to build their understanding of foundational theory and principles in their own time, making their interactions with the instructors more meaningful and aligned to their learning needs. It also enables us to place a greater emphasis on the values, behaviours and attitudes they need to problem-solve in the face of more complex, large-scale incidents and threats introduced by terrorism and natural disaster.
We have invested in a variety of learning technologies to support this pedagogical approach. Our virtual learning environment, Ignite, acts as a vital hub to scaffold the learner journey and host their online learning. It also offers the ability to track the learner’s development throughout the course, so we can offer tailored feedback and support to enable them to succeed.
We also leverage the benefits of emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to deliver quality learning experiences that support a staged approach to learner development. The use of technologies such as the FLAIM Trainer, FLAIM Extinguisher, RiVR Investigate and RiVR Link, allows learners to be immersed in virtual but authentic scenarios to build the required knowledge, skills, values and behaviours in a safe and supportive environment. This approach allows for more real-time discussion and feedback during the experience than a live fire scenario could. In this environment, learners can make mistakes and discuss the implications, be vulnerable and experiment with different approaches to see the impact, which could not be achieved in a safety-critical live fire scenario.
While there is no substitute for true experience, and we acknowledge that firefighters need to be able to perform and be resilient in real authentic situations, for the first time we’re able to bridge the gap between the classroom and the incident ground. Virtual reality is not the ‘solution’ or replacement but when used as part of the journey it can accelerate and support learning in a meaningful way.
The other challenge faced by modern firefighters is their health and safety. The link between certain cancers and repeated exposed to elevated levels of toxic chemicals present during and after a fire is a particular contemporary concern. Now, with support from the right learning technologies, learners can undertake a range of simulations without the associated risk from exposure to toxic effluents and carbon emissions.
Added into the mix are growing concerns about the well-being and resilience of modern firefighters. Learning can be a vulnerable experience, especially when we are challenging values and behaviours to drive growth and unlock value. So, it’s crucial that we provide a safe, inclusive space for all. We invite learners to tell us about additional support needs before their arrival onto the course and have dedicated staff on hand to provide the support needed. We also recognise that our staff need to reflect those attending courses, so we are working to increase the diversity of our workforce to do that. At the college we host learners from across the globe, from different cultural backgrounds, with different values which influence their view of the world, so we’re keen to foster the level of cultural curiosity we need for learners to trust us with their vulnerability to develop.
For the modern firefighter, traditional training methods are just not enough to meet the needs of their role and professional identity. To build professional identity you need to shift the emphasis from ‘doing’ to ‘being’, so learning experiences need to reflect this. At the Fire Service College, we continue our transformational journey to develop learner-centric experiences which unlock value to meet the current and changing needs of Fire and Rescue Services globally.
Reference
1. www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/training
About the Author
Pippa Steele
Pippa Steele is Head of Teaching, Learning and Digital Innovation at Capita, Fire Service College. She is applying her extensive knowledge and experience from her previous role in academia to transform curriculum design and pedagogical approach at the college, incorporating innovative learning technology and delivery. Pippa is studying for her PhD exploring professional identity formation.
