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 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
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 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 preliminary analysis was completed in December of 2012, so it is not a complete summary of the course for the first semester. However, I did want to share some of the preliminary data with you and a complete report will follow when all of the final grades are in. EMTB FY12 Comparison with EMT FY13 YTD Year Number of Classes Number Students Enrolled Drop or Incomplete Fail Module Exam EMT - B 84 2184 15 % 27 % 58 % Completed EMT 30 690 19 % (+4%) 26 % (-1%) 55 % (-3%) A sampling of this year s classes reveals that many of the failures occur in the first one or two Modules of the EMT course. Module 1, entitled Foundations, includes the following lessons: 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 2
It appears at this time that failures in the remaining modules are fairly well distributed. In addition, the pass rate is slightly improved with the new EMT course, but the dropout rate is higher. More analysis will be required before any conclusions can be reached regarding the new EMT Course. 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. 3
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 4
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 1963. 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 will be at the Sheraton Baltimore North in Towson. The dates are March 17 th to March 23 rd and will incorporate a newly designed compressed schedule as compared to previous years. Maryland Chief Officer Seminar The Maryland Chief Officer s Seminar will be 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 will focus 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 5
Maryland Weekend at the National Fire Academy The Maryland Weekend at the National Fire Academy was held January 26-27, 2013 at the NFA in Emmittsburg. There were some complications this year with respect to the NFA cancelling some of the courses after we had advertised them, but the students were given a choice of changing to a different class. A total of 110 students attended the Maryland Weekend at the NFA and we are working with the NFA to resolve some of the logistical issues that occurred. 6