EMC348 Training Ideas 02A
To:   Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
To:   Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
By:   Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the
      California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

EMC348 Training Ideas 02A                  Release 7/1/02 

Ideas for training are an often sought topic, so let's try a
different approach and see how it helps.

First, let's ask: What is the purpose of the training?

Is the "training" just to have something to do, to fill a net, an
exercise or a meeting? Or is it to increase readiness of a vital
aspect of the unit, or individual responder, preparedness?

If it is to increase readiness for actual use _in_ an agency, or
a field response _for_ an agency, then consider what is it that
unit participants are likely to encounter when _in_ that agency.

If it is to an EOC, consider what they may actually be tasked to
do _in_ or _at_ that EOC. On the other hand, if the use may be
responding _to_ the field, or _at_ a field assignment, what will
they encounter? And, in what order will they encounter what?

To whom - and where - will they report? What systems will they be
expected to know or use? What personnel in what positions must
they be able to visually identify and understand their authority
and responsibility? What policies are they likely to need to
know? How much do they need to know about the geography and
physical conditions and routes to possible field assignments? On
arrival what protocols must they follow before then can be
utilized, and finally, _how_ are they likely to be utilized?

At this point, if I guess correctly, you are probably asking
yourself this: "Why is he asking these questions instead of just
detailing training that we can do?

The answer is simple, yet complex because these bulletins reach
hundreds of different units with scores of variations in their
size, need, concepts, philosophy and readiness as well as a wide
spectrum of served agencies.

So, the purpose here is to help the thought processes. Ask what
are the systems that the trainee is expected to become proficient
with, and why?

Systems? Yes. As the functional systems of agencies served by
emergency communicators become more complex, there is a need to
train intermittent users. Failure to do this can have adverse
consequences.

Take the telephone as a prime example. Telephone instruments in
use today range from the basic rotary or push button set to ones
requiring an intensive learning curve due to the many functions
they _can_ perform. Paid staff that use the instruments day-to-
day eventually learn most or all of the functions. However, as we
learn of their difficulties with complicated telephone systems, it
becomes obvious that intermittent users can face a real problem.

Continues next bulletin, next week.

                           --------- 
If you have ideas or topics that can help others in EMCOMM unit
operations or management please share them with this writer for
use in future bulletins. Send suggestions, topics or articles
to cary.mangum@macnexus.org or cary_mangum@oes.ca.gov

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