Training and Development of Fire and Rescue Staff - Research Proposal Example

Training and Development of Fire and Rescue Staff Name Tutor Course Date Training and Development of Fire and Rescue Staff Introduction The Fire and Rescue Service is an operational fire fighting and rescue organization whose main task is to deal with threats associated with fire hazards. Specifically, the Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for fire prevention and fire safety to the community. The service also has the mandate of providing information to the public and encouraging the public, both individuals as well as businesses, to take part in risk assessment. Emergency services offered by the Fire and Rescue Service are free to the public, but there are specific services that are chargeable. The United Kingdom Fire Service is one of the most highly regarded Fire and Rescue Services in the world. According to the Fire Service website, the United Kingdom Fire Service is made up of several Fire and Rescue Services including the London Fire Brigade, Avon Fire and Rescue, Humberside Fire and Rescue, Cumbria Fire and Rescue, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, East Sussex Fire and Rescue, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue, and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services among others. The various Fire and Rescue Services all rely on highly trained professionals in order to achieve their objectives. Training and development of the firefighters is therefore a vital aspect to ensure that the departments are up to the tasks of dealing with the constant threats. The tasks of the firefighters are broad from dealing with fire emergencies and rescuing people from fire emergencies to dealing with “distressed and confused” persons to dealing with road traffic collisions and chemical spillages (UK Fire Service, 2009). This research intends to evaluate the training and development of the Fire and Rescue Staff with respect to the existing and emerging fire and fire related threats in United Kingdom. The responsibilities of the Fire and Rescue Staff are broad and the staff is required to be ready to perform the responsibilities. The training and development programmes that the Fire and Rescue Staff are taken through should hence be able to prepare the staff for the tasks ahead. The research will also look at the ability of the Fire and Rescue Staff to deal with physically and emotionally affected victims that they encounter and how it relates to the training that the Fire and Rescue Staff are given. Objectives The general objectives of the research will be to evaluate the training and development offered to new and existing Fire and Rescue Staff. Specifically, the research aims at: Accessing the fire and fire related risks in the United Kingdom. Evaluating the preparedness of the fire and rescue staff to emergencies. Evaluating the levels of training and development offered to the staff. Evaluating the existing and emerging threats that the fire and rescue service is expected to deal with. Evaluating the training and development offered to the staff in relation to the threats and hence the effectiveness and the suitability of the training and development programmes in place. Literature Review The fire service in the United Kingdom has changed over the years adapting to the changes, new threats and challenges. The roles and responsibility of the fire service have also increased and changed throughout the history. According to the UK fire service, the role of the firefighter includes: To assess risks and prevent fire and accidents from occurring. Create awareness within the community. Actively seek to understand diverse persons and groups as well as adding value. The UK fire service notes that the fire fighters are expected to work closely with the society not only in emergencies but also in creating awareness to identify and prevent fire emergencies. This requires the firefighters to have effective communication skills in addition to the regular fire fighting and rescue skills. The personal qualities and attributes that are required of the fire and rescue staff to be able to fulfill their tasks include resilience, confidence, problem solving skills, situational awareness, integrity, adaptability, and commitment. The UK fire service notes that the personal qualities and attributes are fundamental and it is these attributes and qualities that the technical, operational, and procedural skills are built upon. The UK fire service notes that the firefighters are taken through continuous training programmes that are delivered through lectures, practical training sessions, exercises, and other methods to ensure that the firefighters remain competent to deal with their challenging tasks. The fire service relies on the firefighters taking upon themselves to develop and continuously improve their skills as well as their fitness levels to ensure that they remain ready physically and mentally. To ensure the safety of the fire and rescue staff as well as the safety of other people especially the victims, the UK fire training (2009) notes that the staff undergoes basic fire safety training upon joining, and the basic training is strengthened by regular refresher courses. The basic training includes basic fire prevention, emergency plans and protocols, use of fire equipments, location and operation of exit and emergency points, handling of special persons such as the elderly during emergencies, and general safety information. According to the fire training college (2009), some of the follow up training offered to the fire and rescue staff include Incident Command Training, Civil Resilience Training, Hazardous Materials Training, Train the Trainer Training, Fire and Community Safety Training, Fire Safety, Community Safety, and Rope, Water and Associated Rescue Skills among other programmes. Methodology The methodology of data collection to be used will be qualitative. The research will obtain two sets of data; primary data and secondary data. It will obtain primary data through interviews and surveys, and use of questionnaires. The survey will be done in one region to determine fire and other emergencies where the fire and rescue staff expertise were required in the last 12 months. The surveys will establish the risks involved and the skills and training that were required to effectively handle the situation safely and professionally. The surveys will also seek information on the public perception of the efforts of the fire and rescue staff during those incidences. The study will also utilize questionnaires to gather information from the fire and rescue staff on the training and development programmes offered, duration of the programmes, content of the training and development programmes as well as the refresher training offered, the interval between the refresher courses, and the content of the refresher courses. Secondary data will be collected on emerging threats that the fire and rescue staff are expected to deal with. Such threats will include terrorism activities and natural disasters. The data collected will be analyzed to determine whether the training and development programmes offered to the fire and safety staff are relevant to the risks and situational hazards that the staff encounters in their day-to-day activities. Ethical Considerations The research will be conducted in line with the established ethical regulation. The researcher will seek approval from the (Institutional Ethics Review Committee/Board) to conduct the surveys and interviews. In additional to the institutional approval, the researcher will seek approval from (region of interest) authority to conduct the surveys within the area. The researcher will also seek the permission of the respondents prior to starting the interviews and surveys. The researcher will inform the respondents that they are not obligated, legally or in any other way to answer any of the questions and that their participation is entirely voluntary. Topics that may result into physical and emotional harm to the respondents will be avoided. If respondents feel that they are not comfortable while answering some questions, the researcher will not press any further. Anonymity will be maintained during and after data collection. All the data and information gathered in the research will be used entirely for the purpose of the study. No part of the data collected will be used for any other purpose other than the study in question. Objectivity will be maintained throughout the study. Personal opinions and biases will be avoided. The observations and results obtained by the research will be presented accurately without alterations. Timescale The research is expected to last for (duration in months), beginning (start date-month) to (end date-month). The table below summarizes the expected timescale for the research. 2010 Duration Proposal Development Proposal Presentation Material Preparation Data Collection Data Analysis Report Writing Report Presentation Bibliography Fire Training College. 2009. UK Fire Service Training. Retrieved 23 May, 2010 UK Fire Service. 2009. Fire Fighter. Retrieved 23 May, 2010 UK Fire Training 2009 Staff Fire Training Requirements. Retrieved 23 May, 2010 Read More