My video-making experience began in 2014, when I was assigned as a technician at the Rocky Mountain Fire Academy in Denver. In addition to being an instructor, I was assigned the task of creating a graduation video for Denver’s Recruit Class 2014-01. My division chief wanted a 12-minute video that highlighted the recruits in action during their 18-week academy. This video was going to be shown to graduates, their family members and friends, and distinguished guests at the ceremony. It was a tall order to fill, as I had no experience in creating videos. I was assigned a camera, camcorder and laptop computer. I started to take pictures, videos and gathering music. I ended up with hundreds of photos and hours of video and music. After many hours editing, and then adding music, subtitles and transitions using Microsoft Movie Maker, I completed my first video. It was well received. I have now produced five graduation videos and several other instructional videos.
Going through this process showed me the value of creating customized videos for a department—particularly videos that can be used for training purposes.
Establish the “why” and “who”
As I was preparing to teach, “How to Make Training Videos” for Firehouse Expo, I quickly realized that you must have clear directions prior to making the video—and this involves understanding the “why” and “who” pieces of the puzzle prior to starting the process. I will point out some factors to help answer these questions before you try to make a video.
To answer the “why”—as in, “why does this video matter?” or “why am I creating this video?”—think about whether you are creating a video to entertain, a video to educate or perhaps a combination of the two?
As for the “who,” consider your target audience. Is your audience going to be civilians, adults, children, new recruits or seasoned veterans? A video designed to entertain an audience of civilians should showcase the hard work and dedication of firefighters with age-appropriate graphics and audio. When you are making a video to educate, consider what level of experience your firefighters have. Do you need to provide step-by-step instructions for introduction to a new drill or can you simply provide a brief overview of the process?
Video benefits
Videos offer consistency. As an instructor, I sometimes struggled with giving the same lecture and instructions to different groups of students. In addition, I was sometimes not available to teach all the students. With a basic training video, lesson plan and established timeline of expectations, you, the other instructors and the students will be on same page.
In addition, videos offer accountability for both instructors and students. Instructors will be accountable to providing the same basic instructions to all students. The students will be held accountable to learn the material and demonstrate their knowledge with follow-up tests and quizzes on demonstrations. If the student struggles to comprehend or retain the skills, they can review the videos and instructions again. If that student continues to fail at proficiency and warrants dismissal, the video—along with documentation, quizzes/test and hands-on review—can be used as evidence for termination.
As important as videos are, they should not be a replacement for hands-on training. Rather, videos are teaching aids that allow for constant and repeatable training. I believe and advocate training videos, but these videos should only complement and inspire hands-on training. Further, videos provide a safe environment in which students can learn the groundwork for the training before being placed into the actual environment. Watching a video and reviewing instruction prior to training under a controlled environment, where variables can be constant for all students, will benefit all involved.
Successfully completing this type of training can and will build confidence. It can also inspire new and improved ways to complete a task.
Video training is also great for departments with limited budgets. You can produce a video with very little cost. Simply using pictures and videos from a cell phone or other device and a free download of Microsoft Movie Maker from Microsoft.com, and you are on your way.
Movie Maker basics
Movie Maker is easy to use. The program utilizes different tabs that allow you create different aspects of your video. Some of the most-used features of each tab are:
Home—Add videos and photos, and add text for title and credits.
Animations—Create transitions between clips; pan and zoom is ideal for photos.
Visual Effects—Change the color of your images.
Project—Change the audio levels for the downloaded video and music through the Emphasize tool.
Video Tools—Eliminate unwanted background noise or language that was recorded with the Video Volume tool. Trim is used the edit just the portions of raw video you want.
Music Tools—Set the start and stop time of the particular song. It also allows you to fade in and out of the song.
Text Tools—Change the size, color and font of your text. It also gives you options on how the text will appear during the video.
Home—Save your work and publish your completed video.
Point of caution
These videos will most likely end up on the Internet for the world to watch. In fact, after posting Recruit Class 2015-02 on the Colorado Firefighters Lacrosse Club's Facebook page, I had thousands of "post views" and "likes" from people all over world, including Saudi Arabia, Chile, Germany and Thailand. As such, keep in mind you can and will be held accountable for your actions. In this day and age, negative images can and will be used to discredit you, your department and the fire service. Be sure to protect yourself and comply with your department's guidelines and regulations.
In sum
Making videos can be a fun, rewarding, educational and cost effective. Training videos should be a gateway to stimulate, create and improve ways to protect each other and the public.
Jamie Markham
Jamie Markham was hired by the Denver Fire Department (DFD) in 2003 and is currently a member of DFD Wildand Team and assigned as a technician at Denver Fire Dispatch. He is the Colorado Director to the International Firefighter Cancer Foundation and is an IAFF Peer Fitness Trainer.
