Press Release: West Virginia State Fire Commission Approves Silverton Fire Department Computer Based Training

GOLDEN, Colo. (Nov. 8, 2006) -- Some fire service trainers see computer-based training (CBT) as a threat to hands-on training. The contrary is true, says Kevin Milan, division chief and training officer of the City of Golden Fire Department. His department’s investment in CBT by ACTION TRAINING SYSTEMS, Inc. (ATS) has significantly increased hands-on training.

Golden launched Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Pumping Apparatus Driver/Operator and Fire Service Rescue -- a total of 50 ATS multimedia, interactive CBT programs -- in January 2005 on the ILUMINAR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ILMS). The system resides on the city’s secure server and delivers courses over a network to eight laptop computers in a former training room.

Milan lists many benefits of the system, but says the department has realized the most “bang for the buck” in the increased time for hands-on training. “Without increasing our overall training time, we’ve shortened our classroom instruction enough to spend 30 percent more time in hands-on drills,” he says. “This is re-energizing both our instructors and our firefighters.”

Officers assign precourse work for training sessions on the CBT system. Firefighters enjoy being able to study independently when it fits their schedule, Milan says, and officers get firefighters who arrive more prepared for the drills.

A long-time customer of ATS programs, Golden’s trainers were already sold on the quality ATS’ NFPA-standards driven, instructionally designed content. “The content matches the NFPA standards, making it a great tool to prepare for state certification examinations. The contemporary apparatus and equipment in the visuals give the content relevance,” says Milan.

But the CBT system provides many new abilities. Training is more customized according to department and student needs. Firefighters are welcomed to the system with a custom start-up screen; one course can be delivered in several different levels; and trainers can provide access to the particular programs students need, whether they’re a new recruit, taking refresher training, or preparing to qualify for career advancement.

An important feature is the ability to insert department-specific equipment into the modules, he says. “We cover the Coors/Molson Brewery, the largest single brewing facility in the world, so we have a heavy element of industrial firefighting,” Milan says. “A lot of our hoselays are specific to Coors. We use a three-inch hose, a water thief for an industrial lay, as well as other items you don’t find in off-the-shelf training programs. We also have an incredibly diverse district, with numerous high-angle and swift-water [rescue] calls.”

Golden, population about 20,000, is an 18-square-mile suburban city in the Denver Metro Area. The department has four stations staffed by 48 volunteers and 12 career employees.

“We’re definitely a department in transition. For a training officer, that creates a whole new set of challenges. We have to design training that can be delivered on the firefighter’s schedule, not necessarily on our schedule.” With so many new mandates for training firefighters, that challenge is growing all the time.

Milan, winner of a 2005 National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program Outstanding Research Award, says technology can help. His research project evaluated the effectiveness of Electronic Student Response Technology in a National Incident Management System course.

“I’m certainly not the only one out there doing this sort of stuff,” says Milan, “but if I do have a message, it’s that technology can help us be better trainers. It’s not a threat to what we do.”

For more information, contact Milan at KMilan@cityofgolden.net or call 303-215-8888.

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