WINTER 2019, Volume 20 Issue 1 To Subscribe: To subscribe to the UFRA Straight Tip magazine, or make changes to your current subscription, call 1-888-5487816 or visit www.uvu.edu/ufra/about/ magazine.html. The UFRA Straight Tip is free of charge to all firefighter and emergency service personnel throughout the state of Utah. UFRA Customer Service Local (801) 863-7700 Toll free 1-888-548-7816 www.uvu.edu/ufra UFRA Straight Tip (ISSN 1932-2356) is published quarterly by Utah Valley University and the Utah Fire & Rescue Academy and distributed throughout the state of Utah. Reproduction without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send inquiries or submissions to: UFRA Straight Tip magazine 3131 Mike Jense Parkway Provo, Utah 84601 Phone 1-888-548-7816 ufrastraighttip@uvu.edu Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the UFRA Straight Tip are those of the authors and may not be construed as those of the staff or management of the UFRA Straight Tip, Utah Fire & Rescue Academy, or Utah Valley University.
2 | UFRA Straight Tip
Message from UFRA Help Us Out—Return Borrowed Books by Dave Owens, Assistant Director, Operations and Training
As we travel around the country and meet with our counterparts at other state-run training organizations, we find that most of them are surprised by the number of classes we deliver each year, the quality of our winter fire schools and regional fire schools, and the low cost and convenience of our training—most of our training is free of charge, and we practically bring it to the doorstep of Utah firefighters. In my opinion, we have one of the best training programs in the country, and most of the subject matter experts (SMEs) we bring in from around the country agree. The only event we charge for is winter fire school, which costs $40 for a two-day training seminar—a nominal fee in comparison to surrounding states, where the fees for similar training events range from $150 to $350 per day per student. Since most of the training we offer is free, we strive to use our funding prudently. One of the ways we have chosen to use that funding and to keep the training free for students is to purchase and loan students the textbook for most* of our classes. Which brings me to the reason for this article. From the moment I started working as a UFRA program manager in 2009, books have been a constant problem. We spend much more time and money than we should buying new books or chasing down books that should have been returned at the end of a class. Of course, we expect to buy books occasionally when they wear out, if a few get lost, or if a new edition comes out and the old books become obsolete. However, most of the time we are buying books because they were not returned from a prior class. In the past, our program managers (PMs) had a few days, or a week or two, to round up the books from a previous class, but those days are in the past. UFRA has seen a 62% increase in the number of classes we deliver annually. The books are literally moving from a class that tested on a Saturday to another one starting the following Monday or Tuesday. For about three years now, we have had a book return system, which we have stressed in annual instructor/tester seminars. But we still have instructors and testers who don’t know it. Consequently, we plan to make sure every tester and instructor know the system and are held accountable for using it. The system is as follows: • Each box of books will come with a book sign-out sheet. When books are passed out to the students, either before the class starts or on the first night of the class, everyone receiving a loaner book from UFRA will sign the book sign-out sheet with their contact info (name, phone, email, and department). The sign-out sheet also includes a column to mark when the books are returned. • If the books are delivered to a training officer or some other point of contact, that person will account for the books they deliver. Example: If the training officer from a department is given the box of books and four go to XYZ department and six to ABC department, that should be noted on the book sign-out sheet. • On the first night of class, the lead instructor will make sure that every student that borrows a UFRA book has their name on the book sign-out sheet. The instructor should reconcile who from ABC and XYZ departments have books and get their contact info and add it to the sheet.