Recommended Best Practices for Fire Department Training

Program and Annual OSHA Training

Eileen Franko, DrPH, Director DOSH, DOL

OFPC

Jerry DeLuca Executive Director & CEO NYS Association of Fire Chiefs

Firefighter Fatality

• January 2013 – firefighter fatality

• PESH investigation

• Notice of Violation for 1910.156(c)(1)

• Reasonable abatement period provided

• Question came up of what is required for the violation to be considered abated

Firefighter Training Workgroup• DOL convened a workgroup to provide the

answer

• Office of Fire Prevention and Control

• Firemen’s Association of the State of NY

• NYS Association of Fire Chiefs

• Association of Fire Districts of NYS

• County Fire Coordinators Association of the State of NY

What This Session Will Address

• The Recommended Best Practices for Fire Department Training Program

• Insights from the Workgroup Participants

• Annual OSHA Training

• PESH Inspections

• Notice of Violations

• Questions

The Recommended Best Practices for Fire Department

Training Program• Exterior Firefighters

• Interior Firefighter

• Apparatus Operator

• Incident Commanders

• Fire Training Instructors

Not A Mandate

• Can Obtain Training From Various Sources– OFPC– Other Jobs– Drills– Community College– Document –Document - Document

Exterior Firefighter

• Basic Exterior Firefighter Operations

• Hazmat First Responder

• ICS 700 and ICS 100

• CPR Basic First Aid

Interior Firefighters

• Firefighter 1– Equivalent

• EF, IFA, (Basic and Intermediate)

• Training and Experience

– I 100/I700 – CPR /First aid

Apparatus Operator

• Exterior or Interior

• EVOC

• Departmental Training

• Pump Operations

• Knowledgeable of equipment and limits

Incident Commander

• Not always a Chief Officer

• Training Superior to the General Membership

• Interior FF

• General Knowledge of apparatus/pump operations

• Knowledge and Training in Incident Command

Demonstrated Knowledge and Experience

Supervision Safety Principals

Communications Familiar with building construction

Scene Evaluation / Size-up Situational Awareness

ICS / Incident Action Plan Safety Principles

Strategy and Tactics FF Health and Wellness

Situational Awareness RIT/FAST Operations

Scene Security and Evidence Mayday Procedres

Fire and Emergency Ops

• Knowledgeable of Fire Suppression

• Vehicle Extrication

• Special Ops of FD

• FD equipment and its limittions

Fire Training Instructor

• Must be more knowledgeable than those they are training

• More highly trained

Insights from the Workgroup Participants

Not a mandate

Jointly developed by

DOL, OFPC, NYSAFC, FASNY, AFDSNY, NYSFCA

Reasonable Expectations – For the safety of firefighters.

Annual OSHA Training

• Used to be 15 for new firefighters and 8 hour refresher – HISTORY

•Designed to maintain proficiency, knowledge, skills and abilities

•Reference best practices for competencies

•Required annual training

Annual Training Requirements

•Hazardous Materials/Emergency Response

•Respiratory Protection

•Blood Borne Pathogens

•Right to Know

•Workplace Violence

•Fire Extinguishers (if required to use)

Other Topics• Hazard Recognition

• Fire Station Safety

• Response Safety

• Fire Scene Safety

• Protective Clothing

• SCBA use

• Tools

• Equipment

How to Select Other Topics

• Injury and illness logs

• Interviewing firefighters

• Something different from the norm

• Near misses

What is the Training Intended to do?

•Relate to expected duties and assignments of the firefighters

•Provide a means to refresh or evaluate the competencies of the firefighters

•Increase the level of safety for the firefighters

What is the Time that Each Training Topic Should Take?

• There is no specific timeframe

• It depends on the topic

• It depends on the audience

• It depends on if the attendees understand

• It depends on the need

PESH Inspections

•Fatality

•Complaint

•Referrals

•Follow-up

•Programmed

During the Investigation

• Opening Conference

• Walk around of the facility

• Private Interviews

• Questions on training

• Documentation of when the training was and who attended

• Good to attach a training agenda and length

Notice of Violations

• Issued if you are out of compliance

• You will be given a specific time frame to come into compliance

• Never hesitate to ask for assistance

• Document, document, document and when in doubt document!

Thank You For Your Interest

Questions?