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San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Training Division
The most important non-emergency related activity for any fire
department is the training of its personnel. The San Ramon
Valley Fire Protection District's Training Division provides
innovative and continuing training to front line suppression/ambulance personnel, volunteer firefighters, and managerial
staff. One Division Chief, Derek Krause, three Fire Captains,
Jim Selover, Dan McNamara, Ame Blackshear and Senior Office Assistant Renee Vetter staff the Division.
Training
Organization and Goals:
The District's training program is planned on a
fiscal year. The process begins in early March with a meeting of
the managerial staff to determine the training needs of the
District. While programs such as Hazardous Materials and
Emergency Medical Technician re-certification are mandated
programs, the management staff plans the direction of the next
year's training program based on operational needs. Training
suggestions are requested from all employees of the District and
are evaluated at the annual meeting to further determine
District needs.
All full time paid firefighting personnel must
participate in specialized in-house training. This training
reinforces existing skills and conveys new concepts and
techniques required to maintain the District's high skill level,
as well as keeping up with modern advances in the emergency
service field. Various programs are included in this area of
training, including new programs mandated by State and/or
Federal law. Specialized training programs can cover such
diverse topics as Urban Search and Rescue, OSHA Mandated
Confined Space Training, Disaster Preparedness, Hazardous
Materials, and Rescue Operations utilizing the "Jaws of Life" as
well as other auto extrication tools and techniques.
The District is fortunate in having several
outstanding State Certified and trained instructors who are also
full time District employees. However, at times it is necessary
to retain outside experts to augment instruction in specialized
fields.
Training
Academy
The Training Division coordinates and provides
instruction for all new firefighters through its own in-house
Firefighter Academy. All new suppression personnel are taught
new skills to effectively function within the District
organization and as part of an emergency services team through an advanced firefighter academy. Individual skills are
honed to a high level, naturally leading to superior
teamwork within a fire company. In 1995, the District conducted
the 95-1 Recruit Academy, appropriately named the "Pathfinders."
This was the District's first Firefighter/Paramedic recruit
academy, lighting a new path in engine company paramedic
service.
DMV Driver Training
The Training Division participates in the State of
California's Department of Motor Vehicles Employer Testing
Program. This program enables the District to train and test, to
DMV standards, all personnel that operate fire apparatus. By
conducting in-house driver testing, the District saves a great
deal of time and money.
Emergency Medical Training
The District is recognized within Contra Costa County
as a Continuing Education Provider for Paramedics and Emergency
Medical Technicians. The Training Division coordinates with the
District's Quality Assurance Nurse to meet all County and State
requirements for paramedic personnel. In addition, the District
is an American Heart Association recognized training center,
providing CPR and CPR Instructor training to fire and medical
personnel as well as the public. In 1995 alone, over 300
citizens participated in District sponsored CPR training.
Video Production
Driven by the needs of the district, the training
division has become more involved in in-house video production.
Informational videotapes featuring new equipment and apparatus
have been produced to augment the manipulative training. In
January of 1998, the first edition of the Video Fireline was
distributed to the stations. This is a video-based method of
disseminating administrative and training information to the
suppression and fire prevention personnel. Future projects
include training videos to assist in promotional testing
processes and other training activities.
Entry Level
and Promotional Testing
The Training Division is an integral part of the entry level
testing process. Working directly with the Assistant Chief of
Administration, the Training Division staff works as a key
resource in the preparation and delivery of this exam. The
development and the administration of the entry-level physical
agility test is coordinated by the training division staff. The
Fire Training Officer is the coordinator of the Engineers
Promotional Practical Exam. This includes the coordination of
all-applicable apparatus and personnel to administer the exam.
District Committees
The Training Division is very active in District committees. The
Division Chief of Training is the Chairman on the Districts
Safety Committee. He is also the Director of the Hazardous
Materials Team. The Fire Training Officer is required to be the
Chairman the Engineers committee, as well as a member of the
Medical Dispatch Review Committee.
Cooperative Training
The Training Division is very active in coordinating cooperative
training with many local agencies, such as the Town of Danville,
the City of San Ramon, Mt. Diablo State Park, and the California
Department of Forestry. The District is a member of the Diablo
Valley College Training Consortium that delivers management and
computer training classes. Technical assistance and instruction
is provided by District personnel in the areas of Hazardous
Materials, Emergency Operations Center Training, CPR
certification and recertification, First Aid and Disaster
Preparedness.
California Joint Apprenticeship
The Training Division coordinates the training requirements for
the firefighter / paramedics enrolled in the Joint
Apprenticeship Program. This is a cooperative program with Labor
and Management working together to provide high quality training
to new, as well as current employees. The California
Professional Firefighters and the California State Fire Marshals
Office administer the program. The District entered into this
program in March of 1998.
Donate a Structure Program
The Training
Division is looking for residents and business owners to donate
their building prior to it being demolished. Click here for
more info:
Donate a Structure
Conclusion
The Training Division of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection
District provides innovative and high-quality training to
employees as well as citizens. The Division is constantly
evaluating firefighting and emergency medical skills to ensure
the highest level of service to the community. Remaining active
in local, regional and national training organization keeps the
district current on future trends in emergency service training
needs.
Questions regarding the
Training Division and its activities can be directed to:
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