The Influence of International Training on Firefighters' Training Performance Outcomes - Dissertation Example

As an attempt to decrease the unfavorable outcomes among firefighters, majority of fire departments incorporate these fire training regimens, including physical training programs that will ensure the competence and physical fitness of firefighters when in duty. Firefighters obtain learning through a combination of classroom and practical training that enables these individuals to maintain or further enhance such competences. The importance of providing training and development opportunities for firefighters has been signified by the implementation of policies and considerable amount of resources invested for workers to acquire learning and knowledge.

However, it has been asserted by Moats, Chermak, and Dooley (2008) that for training systems to yield positive outcomes, its effectiveness must be assessed as well. Many organisations have been known to lack the resources for providing training that is not measured with regards to its significance in the attainment of organisational goals. According to Brinkerhoff (2005), training and development of workers must be in adherence to the accomplishment of long-term objectives. Effectiveness is a major aspect of worker training and development for any organisation due to the fact that this enables workers to attain and enhance the necessary skills and knowledge for successfully carrying out their duties.

For these organisations to establish and maintain efficient programs, it is highly significant for these training systems to be evaluated to ascertain its consistencies with the overall strategy of the former. Exploring the related procedures and decisions that are carried to ensure training effectiveness is equally important as well (Mitroff, 2005). While organisations who require workers for increased security, including the use of fire departments, have allocated a significant amount of money for developing well-trained and competent workforce members, there remains a need to look into their efficiency in carrying out these services.

Therefore, this study places an emphasis on the training programs provided to firefighters, particularly in the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), to evaluate these activities and programs and their outcomes on both the organisation and the firefighter themselves. Saudi Aramco is known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Company that is a state-owned oil company in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be the most valuable company that is privately-owned in the world. Aside from maintaining a large hospital and offer health insurance for workers, Saudi Aramco is also known for having a number of fire stations that provide both residential and industrial services.

Its industrial security was established twenty years ago as a means of ensuring the safety of the industrial and residential vicinities within and surrounding the company. However, a major challenge for the company is to provide satisfactory fire protection with which both the hard and soft infrastructure should be emphasized (Shelley and Smith, 2008). While the hard infrastructure is comprised of the facilities, its soft counterpart focuses on the individuals who carry out the work. It has been a concern for the Saudi Aramco to enhance their fire protection services as well as the safety of their own firefighters by