IN-SERVICE TRAINING

from CSPFD 2021 Annual Report

IN MEMORIAM

Division Chief Michael Caldaro

The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department has strived to maintain the highest level of training and over the past year we have continued to prosper. Our philosophy of safe and functional company training has bolstered the levels of confidence of each member making them more proficient in their personal skills which is a testament to the dedication of our membership and our Training Division.

The Training Division has a multitude of responsibilities outside of the development, delivery, and oversight of daily, weekly, and monthly requirements for in-service training to our members. The Training Division recognized the need to restructure to streamline communication and define roles and responsibilities within the division. With the promotion of Michael Caldaro, Captain Anthony Gonzalez was promoted to Battalion Chief assigned to Operations Training. Captain Jonathon Robbins and Lieutenant Johana Cinque were assigned as Training Officers to the Training Division to bring consistent best practices to our members.

2021 would follow the path of 2020 and still prove to be a challenging year for the Training Division as COVID19 continued its path across the nation. The Training Division in collaboration with the Safety, Health, and Wellness Division was able to resume “in-person training” ensuring that members trained within the confines of the COVID-19 policies set forth by the division.

The role of the Training Officer is constantly changing, and the members of this division must be ready to pivot their attention at a moment’s notice. Fire service training is no longer simply fire based, nor solely decided on a local level. Fire departments are now guided, in part, by national fire service standards, accreditation, certification, and continuing education requirements. There are also increased societal and financial influences with emphasis on topics of firefighter safety, health, and wellness, emergency medical service, expanded roles, large incidents, incident management, current affairs, cultural diversity, ethics, legal issues, and the use of mutual aid and regionalization.

The Training Division is focused on implementing the best practices, and creating a workforce that is flexible and proactive, and identifies, reduces, and eliminates redundancies. The Administration’s expectation is our workforce always be well trained, innovative, and 40

ethical as well as well prepared. Employee development for the membership and new employees, as well as officer training and leadership mentorship, is essential over the next five years.

The Department is prepared to carry out the daily mission and values with readiness and training:

Readiness: At any given moment we are ready to respond efficiently and effectively to change the outcome of an emergency from negative to positive to the best of our ability.

Training: Provides the foundation to be ready. This includes hands-on evolutions (drills) conducted regularly to support the capabilities of the department. It allows everyone to understand the capabilities of the department and what resources are needed to be brought in for additional support. This is done via company training that falls within Insurance Services Office (ISO) Guidelines and includes:

• Preplanning Training conducted with Community Risk Reduction • State Fire Classes • Countywide & Regional Mutual Aid Drills

Battalion Chief Anthony Gonzalez

Anthony Gonzalez is the Training Battalion responsible for department-wide training and standards. The position works closely in collaboration with the Division Chief of Training, and the Deputy Chief of Operations. Chief Gonzalez is responsible for the coordination, implementation, scheduling, monitoring, training, and documentation of all training activities for the fire department. Anthony also oversees the Field Training Officers, The New Hire program, and Promotional Testing and Development Programs. Chief Gonzalez is focused and committed to providing “realistic” training has been widely accepted throughout the fire department. Chief Gonzalez works closely with our Mutual Aid partners in coordinating training so that our members work cohesively at emergency scenes.

Captain Jonathan Robbins

Jonathan Robbins is currently assigned as the Fire Training Captain responsible for department-wide training and standards. He works closely in collaboration with the members of the Training Division to coordinate the daily, monthly, and yearly training requirements. Captain Robbins is responsible for creating, conducting, and recording training topics that are realistic and maintain the department’s Class 1 ISO rating. He oversees the release of new equipment and ensures members are well trained prior to implementation in the field. Captain Robbins has taken over the coordination and development of the New Hire training schedule and is instrumental in the screening, processing, and teaching the recruit classes. Captain Robbins is deeply involved with the dive team and is currently transitioning the department’s dive team to a new and improved program. He investigated and launched new dive equipment which will move the team to a RIT style approach to further the safety of our members, should one of our divers have their own emergency while deployed. Captain Robbins has taken a significant role in the department’s promotional process and assists with the test preparation and candidate interviews.

Lieutenant Johana Cinque

Lieutenant Johana Cinque is currently assigned as the EMS Training Officer responsible for department-wide training and standards. The position works closely in collaboration with the Division Chief of Training, the Division Chief of EMS and the fire department’s Medical Director. Lt. Cinque is responsible for all annual EMS training including ACLS and BLS re-certifications, and protocol review. She is also heavily involved in the research, development, and implementation of new equipment. Lt. Cinque is also responsible for teaching and assisting the recruit classes, and she works with the QA/QI program members, area hospital liaisons, and various fire department command officers as well. Lieutenant Cinque’s commitment to EMS Training is a significant development for the department and allows a more comprehensive approach to deliver quality EMS training year after year to the personnel that protects the city and its citizens.

Administrative Assistant Linda Meyer

Linda Meyer works closely with the Training Division Chief and his staff to ensure all training documentation is compiled and maintained according to the various state and federal rules and regulations. She manages the department’s online training platform, maintains all documentation and data necessary to comply with ISO (Insurance Services Office) requirements. She collects, analyzes, and prepares data for benchmarking Target Solutions reports along with preparing performance measures to ensure improvement of organizational training efficiency and effectiveness. Linda manages employee continuing education credits, fire certifications and member credentials. She tracks employees’ ISO training progress, completed and overdue training activities, recruit evaluations and all non-credit course applications.

Linda assists the Training Division with teaching members of the Fire Department how to use and maneuver through the fire department’s online training platform She trains employees at the stations and meets with the members individually when requested.

The Training Division conducted the following training and member development in FY2021:

• High Rise, Portable Standpipe Evolutions, Hose line advancement, Bailout Training, Search and

Rescue, Fire Behavior, water supply and tactical considerations for the Company Officers. • EMS training, which included Delayed Sequence Intubation, Pediatric Training (Handtevy), EKG 12

Lead Training, Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER), protocol updates including the implementation of Antibiotics and whole blood products in the field, new Burn Gel Pads, and the deployment of new Zoll cardiac monitors. • Joint Training with the Florida Division of Forestry • Incident Management Training – ICS 300/400 classes through the City of Coral Springs Emergency

Management • Wildland S-130/190 Wildland Firefighter for the Tri-County Area • Wildland FL-215 Fire Operations in the Wildland/Urban Interface for the Tri-County Area • Forcible Entry Training: Breaching doors and increasing means of egress. • Extrication & stabilization training. • Dive-Rescue Training • One (1) New Hire Orientation Program (up to 10 weeks of training) with a total of 4 new hires. • Emergency Medical Training for Community Risk Reduction • Assisted the Communications Center with Emergency Medical Dispatch training

• Granted approval for 80-hour Battalion Chief Officer Development course through the State Fire

College • Annual Emergency Vehicle Operations training including UTV (detail units) • Training tracking for ISO with Company Officers • Haz-Mat Awareness & Preplanning with crews • Standardize Tactical Worksheets/Book for High Risk/Low Frequency events for first-arriving officers and Command Staff – established standard command bag & officer development program received updates. • Expand travel assistance for conferences and workshops – non-educational tuition reimbursement process implemented. • Training conducted on new technology – (ex., ESO, Zoll, SEEK Thermal Imagers, Bailout Kits). • Contributions to media outlets – established workplace site for Training Division. • Joint Training with CSPD/Human Resources/Risk Management – (hazmat awareness, Stop the

Bleed, benefits & services overview, situational awareness for professional agitators). • Involvement with Incident Management Team – Provided ICS classes to members to cross-train in areas for command staff positions (i.e., EOC) • Ensure SOPs are up-to-date and reflect training requirements – EMS Protocol training updates completed. • Career Counselor – established resource list & contacts for advancements (coincides with noncredited courses). • Officer Development Programs – 13 different outside SME’s & off-site visits • Captains: 9 members • Lieutenants: 4 members • Implemented the following positions in Training - Division Chief, two (2) Training Officer temporary bid positions.