With over 30 years of experience in the fire service, Paul has obtained an extensive insight in technical rescue instruction, operations, and administration. This full spectrum of commitment formulated the foundational elements of the Training, Assessment, Competency System.
TAC provides a cyclical planning structure moving from one elemental construct to another. At the completion of a TAC cycle, the process is repeated to assess success, identify training modifications, and measure competencies to validate achievement of the desired end-state.
Our T.A.C. "technical rescue program development system" provides a suite of services to assist you in developing your technical rescue program concept of operations, with the definitive aim of achieving your organizations required operational end state.
NFPA 1006, Standard for Technical Rescue Personnel Professional Qualifications, provides complete job performance requirements for fire service and other emergency response personnel to help instill the confidence that you have the knowledge to get the job done safely and efficiently.
NFPA 1670/2500: Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents states: “The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) shall establish levels of operational capability needed to conduct operations at technical search and rescue incidents safely and effectively.”
With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a non-profit organization that promotes voluntary conformity standards in the United States. ANSI also represents the United States in international standards organizations, helping to create guidelines that are universally accepted in multiple industries.
Prior to selecting a class in a particular rescue discipline, administrators, and operational managers, should initiate a full risk ASSESSMENT and hazard identification to determine the organization’s level of operational capability required to conduct safe and effective technical rescue operations. This process evaluates and analyzes both external and internal factors.
The first, external factors, studies environment, physical aspects, scope, history, frequency, and magnitude of technical rescue incidents within their authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
Once these have been fully assessed and analyzed, the organization evaluates the internal factors of personnel, equipment, training, response plans, standard operating procedures (SOP’s), fiscal constraints, and agreements, to appraise the alignment of threat to capability and operational response thresholds.
Upon completion the organization examines the assessment data to identify any “gaps” or disparities between the two factor sets.
Concept of operations plans can then be developed and implemented to bring alignment to any identified gap(s), performance expectations, or goals, pursuant to industry best practices, standards, or standard operating procedures.
We have the experience and expertise in conducting, or assisting you with the hazard assessment, and development of your concept of operations plans.
Upon completing their hazard identification and risk assessment, organizations can now ascertain the required TRAINING essential in achieving optimal operational success.
The scope of any training program should first address the specific rescue threats and hazards outlined in the assessment.
Engagement of training activities necessitates a focus on the assessed threat(s) and identified mitigations, specific to the organization’s requirements and constraints. It is recommended organizations refrain from the “one-size fits-all” approach to their training.
For example, the job performance requirements for an industrial rescuer may have some similarities with those of a volunteer search and rescue group, however, the tools and techniques can be vastly dissimilar.
Therefore, customization of a training program is an essential consideration and is an indispensable tenet to the T.A.C. suite of services. We can develop, or assist you in developing, your training scope, syllabus, and schedule, as well as deliver the training class or program.
Training does not equate to COMPETENCY. Nor is competency achieved solely by completing a technical rescue course.
Training exposes the rescuer to new information. Individuals are faced with transferring this information from short-term to long-term memory.
Competency development strives to recall this information and apply it in a correct and timely manner within the demands of the emergency environment. It is an operational imperative initial training is promptly reinforced to achieve the target of individual and team-based competencies.
Research has shown that students forget 70% of what they were taught within 24 hours of the training experience.
To offset this information and skill degradation,we offer comprehensive monthly continuing education programs supported with task books, and job aids. These are fortified with quarterly scenario-based exercises focusing on the application of the previous months continuing education curriculum information.
At the end of the year, we can provide an objective third-party individual and/or team-based proficiency assessment specific to your agencies standard operating procedures, industry best practice, or standards (NFPA /OSHA).
