...continued from the June 2009 Newsletter click here to view

 

The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority—the Successful Merger of Two Colorado Training Departments
"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." -Abraham Lincoln

 

By Barbara Doepping    contact writer contact writer
Interact Business Group

May 1, 2008, by intergovernmental agreement, the South Metro Fire Rescue and the Parker Fire Protection District, located in the 176 square mile area of the Arapahoe and Douglas counties in Colorado, consolidated their agencies to form the new South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA).

The purpose of this article is to share the vision and on-going transition of the Parker/South Metro’s Training Bureau, as experienced and envisioned by J. Michael West, Training Chief.  (We wish to thank and acknowledge the Chief for providing the Interact Business Group with the content contained within this report.)


SMFRA graduated its first academy class of 19 new members in December 2008- Photo by Eric Hurst of 5280fire.com

Andy Grove once said, "There is at least one point in the history of any company when you have to change dramatically to rise to the next level of performance.  Miss that moment (author’s underscore) and you start to decline."  These two accredited fire departments (recognized by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International), following a project feasibility study, made the choice to act, and grow, by merging.  Consequently, they, as well as the approximate 198,000 people who live in their area, have benefited.

For those of you who are familiar with us, the Interact Business Group, our focus is and will always be to improve training opportunities for public safety agencies by assessing and recommending the best course of action as presented in a Strategic Business Plan for public safety training centers.  Our hope is that by sharing the successful efforts of the Parker/South Metro’s Training Bureau, other fire agencies across the country will catch their vision, benefit, and grow.


SMRFA’s training facility includes a burn building and tower with plans for future expansion- Photo by Eric Hurst of 5280fire.com

“In order to build a viable, realistic plan, the SMFRA training officers called on the expertise of those in the know.  The team received valuable input from other departments who had been through similar consolidations, from departments that matched the new demographics of the merged organization, as well as from the internal customers who the training bureau serves.  “Their collective past experience helped me clarify my beliefs as I put this vision into words.”  His words resulted in a mission statement, stated values and a three-year plan.  “Training is, in my view, one of the first things the members will see as ‘ours.’  Not theirs or his or hers, not the east side or west side, not Parker’s or South Metro’s . . . it will be ‘ours.’”  The commitment: shared vision, shared ownership, shared success.


Training and team building efforts paid off at this recent structure fire- Photo by Eric Hurst of 5280fire.com

Right off the bat in 2008, it was necessary to: a) address the 2009 budget, b) combine the Agencies’ Records Management Systems (RMS) and c) combine Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) of both organizations.

 

  1. The Budget—“Early efforts in the Bureau must be concentrated on laying a foundation of solid training principles and building trust and teamwork in the new organization.  The budget must be developed with these goals in mind while maintaining fiscal responsibility as we demonstrate to the citizens the benefits of this consolidation.”

  2. The RMS—Parker and Metro were using the same software for record management, but different codes and methods to determine their Job Performance Requirements.  These methods have now been combined.

  3. The SOG—The Training Bureau would rewrite / combine and develop Training Standard Operating Guidelines procedures for sanctioned training, record keeping and school requests policies, along with member rehabilitation, training safety procedures and the use of the Joint Services Facility and Metro Fire Training Center.  This has been accomplished at this time, and is blended overall. 

In order to meld the two agencies into one Training Bureau, Chief West realized the importance of a positive, global mindset in order to provide a fresh start.  It was his belief that the six following values were, and are, paramount to the success of the merger:

  1. Customer Service—the public deserves the best service; only measurable, quality training is acceptable and is to be taught by experienced, credible trainers

  2. Collaboration—an open, on-going communication system between departments is necessary to guarantee knowledge of potential training opportunities and to be ready to meet training needs

  3. Consistency—the Training Bureau has a responsibility to research and provide clear and consistent training content in order to establish best practices for members of the fire service

  4. Coach / Consultants—trainers will act as positive mentors and consultants to encourage staff.  “By catching people doing it right, providing positive reinforcement, and passing on those lessons, we serve our members, increase our ability to help our department grow, and raise the bar.”

  5. Communication—the better the communication, the better the department—that starting with administration down through line staff.  Bringing in past experience is encouraged from both agencies and will help build a stronger framework for the new agency and build a new, cohesive service-oriented culture. 

  6. Cutting Edge—consolidating the knowledge base will lead to today’s best practices in the fire service and serve to set the groundwork for future training.   This will come about via evaluations and recommendations, orientations and repetitive and hands-on training scenarios.  Lessons will be available via television that can be viewed at the department or home. Power-Point and videos will be made available by way of the PFD-TV system (intranet video library).  Virtual reality programs and simulators, similar to those used in Los Angeles, may be purchased to improve safety and reduce accident rates.  Satellite training can take place at existing firehouses and the purchase of portable towers / burn trailers and the construction of training facilities assessed.

The training Plan over the course of two / three years must remain flexible and be reevaluated as the organization grows in order to meet department goals and objectives.  For instance, In order to meet the needs of the 2008 Recruit Academy, Probationary Training Manuals had to be merged.  According to Chief West this has taken place and is going “really, really well.”
Two additional changes include:

  1. The Shift Training Officer (STO) position is under reevaluation to determine whether or not to reimplement the position in 2010.  The Chief commented that at the present time it appears they may head in another direction; as they are finding that the STO position is currently working quite well as an on-call position.

  2. The Shift Training Technician (STT) positions that were originally designated for recruits have evolved into those of Project Managers / Coordinators. 

Another important aspect the Training Bureau faces is making sure the engineers handle the machinery properly, for their own safety and best practices, according to NFPA standards.  Four categories that would have to be taught to both new and seasoned personnel include: Driving Operations, Pumping Operations, Aerial Operations and Strategy and Tactics.  In order to reduce new driving accidents, the consolidation orientations would also include accident awareness training by way of case study.
Other important aspects to be covered this year include:

The 2010 goal is to have created an organization that can serve as a regional model for other agencies by being accredited and having an ISO rating of three or below.  The concept of sharing that began as a basis between the merger of Parker and Metro fire departments will now reach out to other agencies in the region.  The more props, plans, lesson plans, facilities, shared; the greater the regional knowledge base, and the better the public service.  The Training Bureau of the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority wants to be the leader in this vast effort.  “The culture of the fire service in general and South Metro specifically, is that Training Bureaus are most concerned with emergency and operation training.  We have a great chance to change the model and bring all areas together and coordinate training that supports the entire mission….”
The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority Training Bureau is located at 9195 E. Mineral Avenue, Centennial, Colorado, 80112. Their new phone number is: 720-989-2360.  You can also learn more about the new venture by visiting their website www.southmetro.org/  for current classes, a newsletter update and on-going merger information.  We hope you will join us in wishing the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority the best of success in the development of their new endeavor.