University of Maryland Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. Report To. Maryland State Firemen s Association Executive Committee

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Carol Byrd
5 years ago
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1 MFRI Saturday, April 20, 2013

2 University of Maryland Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute Report To Maryland State Firemen s Association Executive Committee The following report is a synopsis of significant events that have occurred within the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute since our last meeting. MFRI Distance Education Programs MFRI over the next several years will implement the concept of including at least six to nine hours of instruction for the majority of MFRI courses in an online format. The goal is to reduce the class hours that require attendance in a classroom setting. For example, currently Fire Officer I is 63 hours in duration and under the new concept this course would be either 54 or 57 hours in duration with six to nine hours online. We would propose to do this for the majority of MFRI classes thereby reducing the time requirements for all and increasing flexibility for students. MFRI will begin this process with the following courses and convert other courses to this format as they are scheduled for revision: Fire Officer III Fire Officer IV Firefighter I Firefighter II Haz Mat Technician ALS Paramedic Transitional Course The benefits of this new approach are multiple: Reduced travel time to class for students Better flexibility as to when a student completes the lesson Exposure of all MFRI students to distance education technology Improved consistency of instruction 1

3 The University of Maryland has recently implemented a new Electronic Learning Management System (ELMS) for its distance education opportunities. The new system is called CANVAS, it has the latest technology, and capability, including a 24 hour help desk. It is a great opportunity for MFRI to be part of this new learning management system. New EMT Course Fall Semester Results MFRI began instructing the new EMT Course in July of 2012, with the majority of EMT classes beginning in the August/September timeframe. Due to the length of the new EMT course at 165 hours, many of the courses will not end until January/February 2013 timeframe. The following analysis has been completed indicating the results of the first semester on this new course. EMTB FY12 Comparison with EMT FY13 Fall Semester Year Number of Classes Number of Students Enrolled Drop or Incomplete Fail Module Exam Completed FY % % % Fall FY drop 6% 55 inc. 9% 94 15% total % % Student Success: Fall FY13 semester indicates that 62% of the failures occurred in Module 1 Fall FY13 semester indicates that 33% of the Incompletes occurred in Module 1 Fall FY13 semester indicates that 60% of the Drops occurred in Module 1 2

4 EMT Module 1, entitled Foundations, includes the following 3-hour sessions for a total of 21 hours: 1. Introduction to EMS 2. Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues 3. Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology 4. Anatomy and Physiology Continued and Life Span Development 5. Principles of Pathology 6. Lifting and Moving Patients 7. Module 1 Written Exam Was there a student transition from EMT to EMR in the Fall semester? Fall of FY12 there were 9 First Responder classes with 130 registered students. Fall of FY13 there were 4 Emergency Medical Responder classes with 60 students Preliminary Conclusions: New EMT Course includes 45 additional hours of new instruction and testable material New EMT Course includes material that requires a higher level of academic ability, especially regarding anatomy and physiology Student pass rate for new EMT vs. EMT-B is the same Vast majority of failures are occurring in Module 1 o MFRI has online assistance for this on the MFRI Student Zone o MFRI will attempt to develop other student assistance for this Module It appears as though students who previously failed EMT-B at a later date are now failing out in Module 1, as noted the overall pass rate is the same o Students who have the academic ability to pass EMT-B, also pass EMT Student drop-outs and incompletes are the same for EMT-B and EMT MFRI instructed 84 EMT classes in FY 12, but only 27 classes in the Fall of FY 13 o MFRI does not know the reason for this and needs feedback from the local jurisdictions o It is possible that due to the length of the course that some students are opting out and not registering for these courses No student transition from EMT to EMR courses 3

5 MFRI in conjunction with MIEMSS will continue to monitor these classes very carefully and will complete a full one year report at the conclusion of the spring semester of classes. Mobile Incident Command Simulation Lab The MFRI Mobile Simulation Lab will be an extension of the very popular and successful Incident Command Simulation Center (ICSC) at the MFRI College Park facility. While students from many parts of Maryland and other nearby areas have attended the College Park facility, there are times that the location prevents students from taking advantage of the training. The new mobile lab will allow us to reach additional students from within and outside the fire service. One of the major advantages is making the trip required to access training shorter. This new system will be able to access include many more of the state s fire service members. Training can be delivered at the MFRI regional centers or potentially at other suitable sites. Though the experience at the remote sites will not be identical to that at the ICSC College Park, we will be able to deliver high quality, relevant training to the students. In addition, by making the training mobile, MFRI will be able to meet one of our industrial clients often-voiced needs. Frequently, we have had potential clients show interest in the training we can provide, but back away when told of the College Park location. Clients have told us many times that they cannot commit to training at College Park, but would be interested if we could deliver similar training to them at their facility. Training The Mobile Sim Lab will allow MFRI instructors to deliver training of many kinds. The National Incident Command System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) can be taught to every audience from the novice to the experienced. By using scenarios and teaching points appropriate for the audience, MFRI can meet the needs of all. Exercises can address the needs of any individual discipline or can be used to train multi-discipline groups. 4

6 In addition to command principles, fire service students can also learn safety, size-up, initial line placement, tactics, communications, etc. and practice those important components of emergency operations. Again, training can be tailored to the needs and experience of the students. The Mobile Sim Lab can be used to assist in the delivery of the Fire Officer I and Fire Officer II practical exercises as well as many other MFRI courses. Capabilities The Mobile Sim Lab will be stored at College Park and transported in a number of protective cases. Included will be portable radios and chargers, laptop computers with the simulation program software installed, a wireless router, and projectors. Portable screens will be available for those locations where they are needed. The kit will include vests to identify participants, incident command boards of several types, maps, and assorted supplies (markers, clipboards, etc.). Only those materials needed for a particular training need be sent. Qualified, carefully selected instructors will be trained and will accompany the mobile SIM Lab to run the simulations and/or instruct. Our goal will be to have trained Sim Lab instructors in every MFRI region. Fire Service Certifications for 2012 The Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualifications Board (MFSPQB) is to be commended for a record year with respect to NFPA Professional Qualification Standards. There is no question that the ability to be nationally certified helps to drive MFRI training programs throughout the state. This year the MSPQB added the previous edition option to allow those who bypassed certification in the past an opportunity to become certified based on previous approved training courses. This option has been very well received on a statewide basis. The total Maryland fire service professional certifications for calendar year 2102 are as follows: Total Certifications - 9,460 Number of previous edition within the total - 1,872 5

7 MFRI National Staff and Command Course This year marks a significant hallmark regarding the MFRI National Staff and Command Course in that it is the 50 th Anniversary of this course that began in There are no other national training programs that I am aware of that have existed for fifty years. This is tribute to the dedicated MFRI faculty and staff as well as the quality of this program over an extended period of time. This course is presented by MFRI in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and will explore current and evolving concepts in fire service management, leadership, and administration. The National Staff and Command Course is designed for current chief officers and those aspiring to be chief officers. The location for this year s program was at the Sheraton Baltimore North in Towson. The dates were March 17 th to March 23 rd and 70 students attended representing 24 different states. Maryland Chief Officers Seminar The Maryland Chief Officers Seminar was conducted on March 9 th and 10 th at the University of Maryland Shady Grove Conference Center. The audience for this seminar is personnel having emergency services line or staff officer responsibilities. This seminar will provide insight into modern concepts of emergency organizational management through lecture and group interaction. This year s program focus was on Fire Service Technology in the 21 st Century. Several fire service organizations work in a partnership to present the Maryland Chief Officer Seminar in a cooperative and cost effective manner. They are to be commended for making this educational event possible. Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute Maryland Fire Chief s Association Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Maryland Fire Service Personnel Qualifications Board Maryland Council of Fire and Rescue Academies Overall attendance for the program was 183 students, representing 100 Fire Departments. A total of 157 students completed both days and 26 students were in attendance for one day only. In addition, 24 students were walk-ins and 31 of the students on the pre-registration seating list were no-show. 6

University of Maryland Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. Report To. Maryland State Firemen s Association Executive Committee

MFRI Saturday, February 23, 2013 University of Maryland Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute Report To Maryland State Firemen s Association Executive Committee The following report is a synopsis of significant