NA TIONAL FIRE ACADEMY

INSTRUCTIONAL
TECHNIQUES
FOR
COMPANY
OFFICERS

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR COMPANY OFFICERS -

NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER

 FEDERAL F)otERGENCY AGENCY
MANAGEMENT

NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER

NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY

FOREWARn

The Federal Emergency Management A~ency (FEMA) was established

in 1979 and is now directed by The Honorable Julius W. Becton.
FEMA's mission is to focus federal effort on preparedness, miti-
gation, response, and recovery of emergencies encompassing the
full range of natural and man-made disasters.

FEMA's National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Mary-

land, includes the National Fire Academy, the United States
Fire Administration, and the Emer~ency ~~nagement Institute.

To achieve the Academy's legislated mandate (under Public Law 93-

498, October 29, 1974) "to advance the professional develop-
ment of fire service personnel and of other persons engaged in
fire prevention activities," the Field Programs Division has
developed an effective program linkage wtth established fire
training systems which exist at the state and local level. It
is the responsibility of this division to support and streng-
then these delivery systems. Academy field courses have been
sponsored by the respective state fire training systems in
every state.

The National Fire Academy functions as the national focal poin~

for fire prevention and control training, providing volunteer
and career fire service professionals access to advance train-
ing in fire service technology, fire incident management, fire
protection and risk mana.e;ement, and fire service or~anizationa1..
management. The Academy also trains allied professionals, in-
cluding code enforcement officials, architects, city managers,
administrators, and planners, to name but a few. Through sys-
tematic research, analysis of student critiques, and consulta-
tion with fire service organizations and leaders, the Academy
continually revises, improves, and expands its curriculum to
meet the training needs of the Nation's fire and rescue commun-
ity.
Although on-site programs enhance the professionalism of the
fire service, the Field Programs Division (FPD) outreach activ-
itya1so serves as an essential programmatic element of the
Academy. To achieve the Academy's legislated mandate of ad-
vancing the professional development of fire service personnel,
the Field Programs Division coordinates an effective pro~ram
delivery network, working with and through the established fire
trainin~ systems at the state and local level. The Academy's
Field Division has primary responsibility for development and
maintenance of this national/state pro~ram linkage, and in so
doing, supports, strengthens, and complements fire trainin~ at
the local level.

The purpose of the Academy's outreach system is the development

of fire training courses which are ultimately handed off to
state and local fire trainin~ a~encies. The Field Programs
Division operates an extensive system to deliver these courses
in many locations throughout the United States. The delivery
of these courses provides the opportunity for nationwide eval-
uation by students, sponsors, and adjunct faculty for course
revision and refinements prior to hand-off. The end result, a
process called Train-the-Trainer (TtT), places these nationally
developed course packages in state and local fire training
organizations.

Academy field courses have been offered in every state in the

Union since 1981. The courses are sixteen hours in duration,
and are normally conducted on weekends to accommodate volunteer
and career firefighters who find weekday attendance difficult
to schedule. The courses are short-term, intensive trainin~
experiences, designed to provide a maximum opportunity for stu-
dent participation near their departments. Field courses are
cooperatively selected and cosponsored by the National Fire Acad-
emy and state fire trai~ing a~encies.

The Academy is committed to working with and through the iden-

tified focal point for fire training in each state. The states
select the courses they want taught, as well as the dates and
locations for field deliveries. They work with local fire depart-
ments, college-level fire programs, and/or state fire associations
and advisory bodies to determine those courses best suited to
meet the needs of fire service communities within their respec-
tive jurisdiction. At the local level, the host provides the
classroom, audio/visual equipment, and a variety of course sup-
port functions, inc1udin~ aajunct faculty local ground trans-
portation. The federal/state/local relationshIp enhances coop-
eration and stimulates professional ~rowth for all or~anizations
involved in fire training. Working together, they have forged
an effective fire related training and education partnership.

Each course undergoes an extensive two-year test period, prior

to TtT hand-off. The evaluation of students, sponsors, and
adjunct faculty during the thirty to fifty nationwide deliver-
ies of a specific course form the basis for course revision and
refinements. The participating students, sponsors, and adjunct
faculty are developmental partners with the National Fire Academy.
Each plays an important role in the field testing and refinement
of Academy prototype courses being developed as model educational
packages.
The Train-the-Trainer pro~ram as the culmination of the Acadmey's
outreach effort, also supports and complements existing state and
local fire training pro~rams. This phase trains state and local
personnel to deliver the courses that have been developed and
field tested through the outreach system. The Academy has the
resources to develop quality training packages that address
national priorities, but lacks the resources for massive direct
delivery of those courses to the Nation's fire and rescue services.
The state and local fire training agencies, on the other hand,
have delivery systems that can literally reach every fire station
in the Nation, but generally have -limited resources to develop
training packages and programs.

After bein~ handed-off to the state and metropolitan fire training

agencies via the TtT program, the courses are taught by the
Academy for one more year, providing state/local systems the time
and opportunity to work these new courses into their training
schedules. Future delivery of these courses becomes the sole
responsibility of the state and metropolitan training systems.
Each year two courses are handed-off and two or more new courses
come on line to be taught in the outreach system.
The staff of the Training and Fire Pro~rams Directorate is proud
to join with state and local fire agencies in providing educa-
tional opportunities to the members of the Nation 8 fire services.
 DEDICA TION

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR COMPANY OFFICERS

NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER
NA TIONAL FIRE ACADEMY

TABLE
OF CONTENTS

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR COMPANYOFFICERS

NA TIONAL EMERGENCY
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword.
.............. v

Dedication.
............. ix

Tableof Contents.. . . . . . . . . xiii

Acknowledgements.
. . . . . . . . . . xvii

Preface.
.............. xxi

Standards.
............. . . . . xxvii

Bibliography
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxi

Schedule.
. . .. . ... . .. . .. xxxv

Course
Goals andObjectives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxix
Unit One
Overview.
............. 1-1

Note-takingGuide. . . . 1-3
Activities 1-9
Text. . 1-25
Unit Two
Overview.
....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Note-taking
Guide.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Unit Three

3-1

Note-taking Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-U

~
 STANDARDS

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR COMPANY OFFICERS

.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER
 STANDARDS

The Instructional Techniques for CompanyOfficers course can be used as

a first step by the junior officer in meeting the National Professional
Qualifications Standards established qy the Joint Council of National
Fire Service Organizations.

The !ational ~re !rotection ~sociation 1041, lire Service Instructor

!rofessional gpAlifications ~tand&rds were used extensively during the
design and development of the course. A primary emphasis was placed on
the Instructor Level I, although other levels were looked at and sometimes
used. The Level I instructor is defined as "A fire service instructor who
has developed the knowled~ of and abilit¥ to conduct instruction from
prepared material which is predominantly skills-oriented" (t 1-4). It
should be understood, however, that the course was not intended to -et
all the requirements for aqy particular level, nor to certify instructors.
With additions of time, added content material, and increased student
applications the above goals can be reached.

The logic for content design was based on the four-step teaching technique
identified in 3-9.1 of the 1041 standard.

Specific Standards Addressed By Unit Topics

Unit 1 - Preparation
Adult Learning.. . . . . . . . . . .3-4 (Concepts
of Learning)
TopicsandGoals.. . . . . . . . . .3-8 (TheLessonPlan)
4-3 (Lesson Plan Development)
Objectives.. . . . . . . . . . . . .4-2 (BehavioralObjectivesor
PerformanceObjectives)
Places and Things. . . . . . . . . 3-7 (Organizing the Learning
Env1ron~nt)

Unit 2 - Presentation

Teaching Methods. . . . . . . . . . .3-3 {Communications}

11-7 {Metmds ot Instruction}

Teaching Aids. . . . . . . . . . . .3-6 {Instruction~ Materials}

Classroom Qynam1cs. . . . . . . . . .3-5 {Human Factors in the Teaching/

Learning Env1ro~nt}

Unit 3 - Application

Skills Checklist. . . . . . . . . . .3-9 (The Teaching Technique)

3-l0(Testing and Evaluation)

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR COMPANY OFFICERS

NATIONAL EMERGENCYTRAININGCENTER xvii