JAHEZIYA and Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy collaborate for fire safety and maritime training

by Featured NewsMENATraining

JAHEZIYA, a single-stop service provider for defence solutions and emergency response services, and Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy (ADMA), a world-class maritime education and training institute, part of AD Ports Group, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand regional fire safety and maritime training programmes.

As per the MoU, both parties will jointly market and introduce a comprehensive range of fire safety and maritime training courses within the UAE and beyond.

The collaboration will enable each organisation to promote, develop and deliver the training, as well as conduct research for the development of new technologies that serve the maritime industry.

JAHEZIYA CEO Talal Al Hashmi commented: “With our state-of-the-art facility and expansive team of in-house experts, JAHEZIYA is fully committed and adeptly prepared to deliver fire safety and maritime training programmes with the highest industry standard and best practices, fully enhancing students’ skills and knowledge. As an industry leader in maritime education, our collaboration with ADMA will certify strong maritime educational course programmes and reinforce UAE maritime capabilities.”

Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, Acting CEO – Maritime Cluster and SAFEEN Group, AD Ports Group, said: “We are pleased to work with JAHEZIYA to further develop world-class fire and safety maritime training programmes through the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy, which works to guide the next generation of maritime industry professionals in the Middle East. JAHEZIYA’s goals are aligned with our own, to build the nation’s maritime capabilities, and we look forward to witnessing the successful upskilling of students through the Academy, so that they may be qualified to respond to complex emergency situations quickly, safely and effectively.”

JAHEZIYA is the region’s leading provider of emergency firefighting and rescue services, comprehensive military training, military logistics services, systems engineering and technical project management services, inclusive of systems integration. It is part of the Trading & Mission Support cluster at EDGE, an advanced training and technology group for defence and beyond, which ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

A premier initiative by AD Ports Group for the advancement of the maritime industry, Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy provides world-class maritime education and training for the next generation of maritime industry leaders in the UAE and the region.

NFPA online training receives top honour for approach to e-learning

by Featured NewsTraining

Two of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s online training programs, NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting and NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations, have been awarded top honours in 2022 for their creative educational approach to e-learning.

NFPA received the honours from The Brandon Hall Group, Horizon Interactive, Summit Creative, and the Davey Awards.    

The training offerings, designed and developed with input from industry experts, help support fire service practitioners who must critically think about codes and standards and how to apply the guidance found within these key documents to their everyday work tasks.

NFPA firefighter training programs receiving honours this year:

  • NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting Online Training: Gold Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Use of Games or Simulations for Learning for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting Online Training: Gold Horizon Interactive Award in Best in Training / E-Learning category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Use of Video for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Association Professional Development Program for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Summit Creative Award in Best in Education Websites category.
  •  NFPA Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Davey Awards in Features-Best User Interface for Websites category

Bartholomew Jae, NFPA director of education and development commented: “NFPA continues its focus on delivering high-quality, online learning experiences for professionals who want to improve their job performance and ensure a culture of safety in the workplace. t is an honor to be recognized; the awards serve as a reminder that the work we do plays a crucial role in the success and well-being of first responders and the public.”

Competency Frameworks for Community Risk Management Planning Launched by NFCC

by Featured NewsTraining

The National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Community Risk Programme (CRP) has launched competency frameworks for community risk management planning covering senior leader and risk analysts/implementation levels. 

The frameworks detail the competencies (behaviours, skills, knowledge, experience, and techniques) needed to develop and oversee an effective community risk management plan and provides a template which FRS can use to audit themselves and to identify any gaps in their current workforce capabilities, either at senior leadership level or risk analysis/implementation level.  

The framework has been developed by expert consultants, through consultation with fire and rescue services and can be used in conjunction with other products developed by the NFCC Community Risk Programme. 

Gavin Ellis, DCFO for Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service and Project Executive for the Competency Frameworks for Community Risk Management Planning Project commented: “I’d like to thank all those who have been involved in the production of this product including Dianne Thomas and Liz Asser of Exact Consulting, the Project Board and Programme Board, and all those who took the time to respond to requests for information throughout the life of the project as well as to the final consultation.” 

He continued: “The competency frameworks will assist with ensuring consistency in community risk planning and allow fire and rescue services to understand the competency of their staff which will assist with training, workforce development and recruitment.” 

Find out more about the frameworks in this video:

BESA welcomes government funding for energy efficiency and heat pump training

by Featured NewsTraining

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has said the £9.2 million in government funding for energy efficiency and heat pump training announced last week is a welcome boost for green skills. 

The new money is designed to support 8,900 training courses across England and was awarded by the department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) following its Home Decarbonisation Skills Training competition. 

The share allocated to BESA’s will allow it to deliver 400 free training places for qualified heating engineers looking to upskill to become MCS accredited heat pump installers and extend its existing network of specialist training providers.  

This will be the next phase of the programme the Association runs in partnership with MCS and heating equipment manufacturer Worcester Bosch that has already provided free training for 1,000 installers. The training will be delivered through the Association’s online training Academy and the new courses will run until the end of March 2023. 

A shortage of skilled workers has been identified as one of the biggest barriers to the government’s goal of achieving a net zero carbon economy by 2050 and a recent study found that the industry would need to train 46,000 workers and invest £150bn in the South East alone to get homes up to the necessary standards of energy efficiency. 

BESA said this next round of funding was a much needed “shot in the arm” for the training needed to grow the low carbon heating industry.

“There is huge and growing demand for this type of specialist skill,” said BESA’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet. “However, getting access to quality heat pump training continues to be challenging for several reasons. 

“There is a shortage of trainers and only limited facilities equipped to the right level in places installers can easily access while juggling busy day jobs. And while market demand is clearly growing, it is still not at the level where many SMEs feel able to justify taking their valuable installers off the job for training days to upskill on new technology. We need to make the process easier and more cost effective for them.”

US Fire Administration to lead Arson Investigation Program in Dubai

by Breaking NewsMiddle East - Breaking News

The US Fire Administration and National Fire Academy have announced they are set to train and lead an arson investigation program in Dubai.

US Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  The Administrator conducted introductory meetings with the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Dubai and met with the Dubai Police Department to prepare for the formal launch of the U.S Arson Investigation Training program in Dubai.

The training program is expected to launch in 2023. At the Dubai Police Department meeting, the Administrator met with senior officials and toured the facility where the trainings will take place.

As part of the training program, the US Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Academy (NFA) will send qualified instructors to the UAE to train 50 new investigators.

Dr. Moore-Merrell commented: “This partnership with the Dubai Police Department is an example of how our two governments can work together to better protect our communities. We appreciate the opportunity to train the Dubai Police Department’s arson investigators and share best practices to enhance their capabilities, scale their expertise and increase overall security against bad actors.”

FEMA, through the USFA, continues to strengthen its international relationships and identify new opportunities to share ideas and information to protect the communities of firefighters across the nation and world.

Alabama to add peer support training to firefighter recruit curriculum

by Featured NewsTraining

The Alabama Fire College, Alabama will be the first state to include peer support counselling training in its fire recruit school training thanks to funding from the Alabama Department of Mental Health and strong support from the Professional Fire Fighters of Alabama (PFFA).

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Edward Kelly called adding behavioural health and peer support counselling training into the recruit curriculum is ground-breaking work: “Fire fighters in Alabama will be trained to not only recognize the signs and symptoms that someone needs behavioral health assistance, but they will also be equipped to counsel someone who is in crisis. Congratulations to the PFFA, its members, the Alabama Department of Mental Health, and the Alabama Fire College making this possible.”

The statewide peer support program has been in development since the PFFA hosted an IAFF Peer Support Training session in Birmingham in 2018. Hoover Local 4035 member Toby Rigsby and Pelham Local 5049 member Jim Terrell were inspired by the training and with the support of the PFFA began working with the Alabama Fire College on the program’s infrastructure (e.g., centralising dispatch, creating a website with program resources and information).

Rigsby commented: “The funding from the state’s Department of Mental Health has enabled us to develop, organise, and expand the peer support program more efficiently. Now, all fire fighters in the state will have increased access to counsellors who truly understand what it is like to be a fire fighter and the challenges we face.”

To date, more than 120 PFFA members have been trained in peer support. Training all new fire fighters in peer counselling will help maintain the number of counsellors needed to meet the demand for behavioural health services in the fire service.

The curriculum will first be given to peer support providers who already have some training. Those trained in the curriculum will then deliver it to the fire recruits.

PFFA President Dave Harer said they were pleased that the Department of Mental Health and the fire college are working with us to meet this critical need: “With more trained peer support counsellors, the Alabama First Responder Peer Support Program will be better able to provide behavioral health assistance, including help with substance abuse, critical intervention, and referrals.”

The PFFA hopes to soon have a peer support regional director in each of the state’s 10 regions. Those directors will manage a team of counsellors in the region able to respond to behavioural health situations at a moment’s notice.

ASFP updates General Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection

by Featured NewsPassive

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has updated its General Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection, which provides a basic overview of passive fire protection (PFP) and its role in the overall fire strategy of a building.

In addition a new version of the course, Online Introduction to Passive Fire Protection (Installation) has been developed with new content specifically designed to cover the particular needs of passive fire installers.

The updated Online Introduction course covers key elements of design, installation and inspection. It is intended to provide a first step for those considering a career in the passive fire protection industry.

The learning modules covered are: Putting passive fire protection in context, The basics of structural fire protection, Introduction to fire resisting walls and floors, Introduction to cavity barriers, Introduction to fire resisting doors and glazing, Introduction to fire resisting ductwork and dampers, Introduction to firestopping, Introduction to fire testing and certification.

The new Online Introduction to PFP (Installation) course has taken the content from the general introduction course and specifically tailored it for those who undertake installation activities. The course contextualises the information in the generic introduction course and provides information on particular features and concerns to consider during the installation of passive fire protection systems.

Both courses use images, animations, audio, and video, enhancing the learning experience and introducing the key features of each type of passive fire protection systems. AFSP said that each version of the course takes around three hours to complete but can be undertaken at a time to suit, stopping and starting as necessary.

Successful completion will provide learners with a sense of what good fire protection in buildings looks like, allowing them to better understand the role of the various fire safety measures in the built environment, and in particular passive fire protection.

ASFP Training Manager Chris Sharman commented: “ASFP is pleased to offer this new and improved Introduction course, which has been developed in partnership with Milford and Marah, an experienced training consultancy. This partnership has enabled us to create a new industry-leading course which offers an enhanced learning experience, delivering expert knowledge in a clear, concise and engaging format.

“The improved modular format will also enable us to tailor the course to particular industry sectors, as exemplified by our new version targeted directly at installers.”

Operational training guide for fire departments released

by Featured NewsTraining

A new operational training guide for firefighters has been released. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS), and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) joined together to create Training Volunteer Firefighters to Be Combat Ready 

The guide is designed to help fire departments develop a training program that meets the needs of the community and the individual firefighter with safety and relevancy at the forefront.

NVFC said that the guide recognises that training can be a constant challenge for volunteer and combination departments as it requires planning, commitment, and time to make sure it is done correctly.

The new guide is an update and expansion of a training white paper released by NVFC in 2012, incorporating key considerations and specific best practices to form a blueprint for a successful training program.

Authors from the NVFC, VCOS, and ISFSI contributed their expertise and insights to help direct department leaders in creating a strong foundation for fire department operational training.

Chief Brian McQueen, co-author and NVFC board member commented: “So much has changed in the 10 years since the NVFC released the original training white paper. We needed a new document that reflected the advances and knowledge that today’s firefighters need to know to be operationally ready when the next fire call comes. It is through proper training that firefighters can respond safely, effectively, and appropriately when it matters most.”

Chief John M. Buckman III, co-author and member of VCOS, said: “Training is a critical responsibility of all fire departments. Departments must ensure that training is relevant as well as interesting and fun so that firefighters will remain active and engaged. Everyone plays a part. We strongly encourage all fire department leaders to use this guide to make sure their operational training program best serves their firefighters and the community.”

The new guide contains 10 sections that cover the following topic areas: Training delivery and engagement methods; Surviving the job; Why training is important; Roles of the training officer, instructor, and student; Planning training; Training policies and procedures; Assessing firefighters’ capabilities; NFPA standards and OSHA regulations; Developing and implementing training best practices; and first due recommended firefighter performance criteria.

In addition to the core subject areas, seven appendices provide additional resources, insights, and sample documents that departments can use when developing or enhancing their training program.

Training Volunteer Firefighters to Be Combat Ready can be downloaded from the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org, the VCOS web site at www.iafc.org/about-iafc/sections/vcos, and the ISFSI web site at www.isfsi.org.

Alberta reinstates fire service training grants

by Featured NewsTraining

Alberta’s government has reinstated fire services training grants to help fire departments across the province better protect their communities.

Alberta’s government said it recognises the important work done every day by firefighters and is committed to helping them perform their duties and protect the public. Fire Services Training Program grants are being reintroduced as a key way to support the safety of both firefighters and the public.

A total of $500,000 a year in grants will help fire services personnel gain the knowledge and skills essential to protect Albertans, their property and the communities they call home.

The Fire Services Training Program grants are intended to supplement training supports already provided by municipalities, First Nations and Metis Settlements to their fire services departments.

Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Municipal Affairs, said: “Public safety is a priority for our government. While fire services is a municipal responsibility, these training grants can help ensure the availability of emergency services in some rural communities, especially as we work to reduce rural emergency response times.”

Randy Schroeder, president, Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and fire chief, County of Lac Ste. Anne, commented: “On behalf of the members of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, I am pleased with the return of the Fire Services Training Grant in the amount of $500,000 annually. This announcement serves to reinforce Alberta’s commitment to support municipalities in providing this essential service.

“The AFCA sees this as a step in a positive direction of strengthening stakeholder relations. The AFCA anticipates the needed support will be highly sought after and strongly encourages a long-term program that is monitored, fostered and supported to meet the future needs of our communities.”

Women in the Fire Service partners with Fire Knowledge

by Featured NewsTraining

Women in the Fire Service (WFS) has announced that it is in partnership with Fire Knowledge in an alliance focused on developing diverse, talented and motivated workforces.

WFS said it has committed to supporting the Practice to Progress Fire Partnership (P2P Fire) through the provision of highly skilled and passionate coaches from its network, who will take on the role of P2P Assessors, supporting selection and career progression coaching.  

Formally launched at the Emergency Services Show in Birmingham in September 2022, the a partnership is with Fire Knowledge UK, Practice to Progress, and the Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) and aims to support the UK Fire and Rescue Service.

WFS associated professionals, in their new roles as P2P Fire Assessors, will help develop and prepare people at all levels to achieve their goals and to confidently take the next steps in their careers.

This includes preparation for reapplying to enter the service or internal promotion, point-of-entry selection tests, initial wholetime and on-call firefighter recruitment, support for under-represented groups, and promotion into wholetime managerial roles.

WFS Chair, Jules King said: “The alliance will work together to design and deliver training to prepare candidates for initial selection or promotion assessment. Our initial commitment is to provide six assessors who will be trained to ensure consistency, along with six assessors from AFSA. Our highly experienced assessors have been selected to enrich the experience and meet the diverse needs of organisations and individual candidates.”

“We believe that Women in the Fire Service and the Asian Fire Service Association have the power to make a significant difference in driving positive change through this partnership. Something we are all passionate about is providing safe spaces to practice, learn and develop. This is a unique opportunity to allign with other organisations and Services, to share our extensive experience and to work with future firefighters and supervisory managers.”