The Nest — #Instructor

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? According to Paul Hasenmeier, the answer is yes. In his FDIC session “Train As If Your Life Depends on It,” Hasenmeier, a lieutenant with the Huron (Ohio) Fire Department, offered some useful tips for how to ensure that every member of your department—from the most seasoned “old dog” to the greenest rookie—gets the most out of training. In fact, he explained that what may initially seem like a training problem—having members with such varied levels of experience—is actually a quite beneficial, because all groups bring something unique to the table. Consider this:...

Notice the title is not “How to be a good fire instructor.” There is a distinct difference and the definition of “good” is relative anyway. You may be thinking that as an instructor, you have already taken all the classes and have become a subject matter expert, but have you really?   Let me be clear on something first and foremost; for those of you who believe that because you have achieved a certification in a particular discipline (i.e. technical rescue, hazmat, EMS, etc…) that means  you have nothing to prove to anyone, and because you are certified that makes you...