Training THE NeXT GENERATION OF emergency responders

Revision Date: March 1, 2013 1

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

EMERGENCY RESPONDERS

Ken Evans

Illinois Emergency Management Agency


Training: The Challenge

Busy schedules seldom allow adequate time for training

Lack of training is frequently cited as a reason for poor performance

New employees must be trained quickly and effectively but often have inadequate training time


THE CHALLENGE (CONT.)

More changes are occurring now than in the last 30 years

New technology platforms are being implemented

Post Fukushima, it is expected that there will be more requirements, material and technology to train on


Motivation for Change Our old training program relied on the

experience of seasoned staff Because Illinois has six nuclear sites there

are many opportunities for practice A large number of retirements in a short

amount of time meant that significant new personnel had to be hired and trained

The large number of new personnel required a re-examination of training methods


What was Decided

Review of entire training program for all Radiological Task Force (RTF) positions

Break down training requirements by individual position

Clearly define prerequisites Break down training requirements into

several categories


Why the Changes

After Fukushima we Performed a Self Assessment of our activities

It was recognized that training credentials needs to be defensible

Standards for proficiency must be well established


THE PROCESS

A team of experienced staff was used to develop the position requirements

This team represented a cross section of all skills that were required

The team performed an individual analysis for each position


PROCESS CONTINUED

The individual analysis accomplished the same goals as a formal position task analysis with less resources

The first step was clearly defining the position prerequisites as that limits the need for training

Each organization must weigh the pool of people available when setting minimum standards


PROCESS CONTINUED

Required Training was divided into online FEMA courses, classroom and self study materials

Required Training is defined as having some demonstration of competency, i.e. test (written or oral)

The main change in required training was to minimize general subject based training and to focus on based task based training


PROCESS CONTINUED

Procedures were reviewed to identify the tasks, that required a demonstration of proficiency

While this may seem simple in principle, it is a change from testing on memorization to testing on the understanding of those same tasks that would be performed in an emergency


Qualification for Health Physics Specialist Below is an example of the position

qualification form that the Health Physics Specialist candidate would complete for their qualification

(link for HP Qual here)


Dose Assessment Procedure As an example there is an RTF

procedure for RASCAL To demonstrate proficiency students

must successfully work several sample problems in RASCAL


Knowledge Based Procedure Protective Action Recommendations This type of procedure requires certain

basic knowledge Proficiency is demonstrated by

completing an examination administered by a Subject Matter Expert (SME)


PROCESS CONTINUED

A new section was added for Seminar/Required Reading

There is no proficiency required for this section and the advantage is no instructor time is needed for most of the material

It should be pointed out that most of the time spent in discussions centered around whether this was the appropriate section for some tasks


PROCESS CONTINUED

The final section is exercise participation The purpose of this is for the individual

to be evaluated in their position or to observe another emergency response facility

This is the final piece in certifying an individual


LESSONS LEARNED

Developing proficiency standards turned out to be more time consuming than first thought

While flexibility is gained by allowing proficiency to be completed separate from the training, it can lead to procrastination

Tracking Training required integration with an existing system that tracks FEMA online training


LESSONS LEARNED CONT The time to qualify new individuals is

constrained by drill schedules and personnel work schedules

Most individuals have to participate in at least 3 drills before they feel comfortable

Classroom time may be minimized but this does not always translate into minimizing qualification time due to individual schedules


SUCCESS STORIES New individuals can get started on training

sooner as online courses can be completed anytime

More clearly defined selection criteria make it easier to identify new replacement candidates

Although still early in the new process, training appears to be effective

Management’s job was simplified as they now had a selection tool for potential candidates


COST SAVINGS The substitution of online training such as

NRC and FEMA training courses saves instructor costs

The transition from subject based training to procedure based training also saves instructor time as most of the material can be self study

By splitting requirements into awareness and knowledge/performance based components, they can be demonstrated separately


OTHER COST SAVINGS

To save travel expenses a fictional EPZ has been developed close to main IEMA offices

This is used for field team deployment in training and drills

Maps and monitoring points have been developed for this EPZ

Care must be taken when integrating this fictional EPZ into play with other facilities


REQUALIFICATION TRAINING The first question always asked is what

should be the frequency of requalification training

One size does not fit all Some of the same principles used for

initial training were applied to requalification training

As an example, infrequently performed tasks will require a greater frequency of training than routine tasks


REQUALIFICATION TRAINING CONT Likewise some tasks that are continually

demonstrated in drills may not require requalification training

In general requalification training is a small subset of initial training because proficiency in most tasks is maintained by participation in drills

In Illinois we currently have nine opportunities per year for drill participation


HOW CAN THIS WORK FOR YOU? All states are different in resources, time

and opportunities for training Most states probably have less staff to

train than Illinois The first step in using this program is to

develop realistic selection criteria that will provide adequate staff for each position, i.e. shift changes, sick personnel, vacation, etc…


MAKING IT WORK

Only after the selection criteria is developed can you determine training requirements

The objective is to list the training requirements that ensure all tasks for a position can be performed adequately by a trained individual

Take advantage of FEMA online training courses and other NRC and FEMA offerings


MAKING IT WORK CONT

The IEMA model is based upon minimizing instructor time as we do not have dedicated instructors

Be creative wherever possible in identifying resources, a qualified mentor can be used for the majority of the training

Maximize the resources available online to save instructor time and provide flexibility for new employees


PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Obtain management support Recognize training does take time and

resources Be honest in developing estimates of

resources and personnel capabilities Work with Human Resources to ensure

position descriptions for employees include not only the emergency position but training time


SUMMARY

The goal of this training program is to train new personnel in a short period of time to be proficient in their emergency position

The training program must stand on its own and not assume previous knowledge or experience

Each position will have a minimum selection criteria by defining prerequisites


SUMMARY CONTINUED

Use all available means to minimize instructor contact time

Allow flexibility for more seasoned veterans to quickly complete training requirements or complete waiver paperwork

Make maximum use of drills and mentors Requalification program recognizes drill

opportunities


CONCLUSION

Training is necessary and required Training is at best a secondary priority

for most This system is designed to help ensure

adequate training is accomplished and documented

Use drill performance to evaluate your training program and modify as necessary


CONTACT INFORMATION

Ken Evans 217-785-9912 [email protected]

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Training THE NeXT GENERATION OF emergency responders