BY J. SCOTT THOMPSON
In search of fire service excellence, I have concluded that nothing contributes to our success and survival more than training. However, training by itself is only half of the equation; there is a direct correlation between training and experience and the success and survival of firefighters. Training and experience must go hand in hand; the benefits of each cannot be fully realized independently. When we fight a fire from which nothing is learned, that fire is merely an event. Training that does not connect to reality is useless.
It is a common belief in the fire service that time in rank equals experience. This is not totally true. Too often, the assumption is that because someone has been going to fires for 20 years, that person has 20 years of experience fighting fires. A similar assumption is made about training: Because a person has completed the training, he has acquired the knowledge necessary for success. Nothing could be further from the truth. Experience is the sum of knowledge, practice, understanding, and proficiency. Training should have the specific goals of improving capabilities, confidence, and performance. In terms of training firefighters, the training must also be reality based and personal. These are very basic criteria for training and experience; anything less should be unacceptable.
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