VDFP Training and Operations Bends Learning Curve During Pandemic

Most fire service related training is a blend of classroom (didactic) time and field  (demonstration and application) time. At the end of March, the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) made the difficult decision to suspend in-person funded training due to the upstream effects of COVID-19. To some, the decision gave the perception that all fire training across the Commonwealth was placed on hold, but that was simply not the case. As a state government agency whose main charge is to provide training and curriculum delivery for Virginia’s Fire Service, the quick response skills were put to the test.

A complete shutdown was not practical as certified firefighters were still needed on the front lines. Career and volunteer recruit academies, unfunded training, EVOC, and many other training endeavors continued in support of frontline training needs. When called upon to provide assistance, VDFP Training and Operations took the posture that we would work to say yes. In a few cases, that meant working with localities and stakeholders in finding creative solutions to meet the training requirements, implementing CDC, VDH (Virginia Department of Health), and other regulations, ensuring certification standards were maintained, and dealing with limitations associated with technology and user familiarity.

Transitioning to a Remote World

Within the agency, after addressing some of the technological challenges (lack of laptops, VPN access, etc.), VDFP Training and Operations found that it could function at an almost 100% efficiency rate in a remote environment. The limitations on travel, meetings, and gatherings meant that few people would be coming to Division Offices, stakeholder meetings were cancelled, and general business needs could be met in a telework environment.

One significant challenge was the pace at which the VDFP Divisions had to adapt. The first reported positive case of COVID-19 (in Division 5 – Hampton Roads) led to an immediate and complete shutdown of all state offices in the VDH Peninsula Health District. It took some time to figure out the overall impact and how VDFP could continue to support its stakeholders. As we soon found out, the immediate COVID-19 situation would continue to deteriorate and in short time, all VDFP Divisions were impacted.

As the situations continued to evolve, and the need to support training at the locality level continued, VDFP worked with our stakeholders with the rapid integration of technology into VDFP supported programs. What would have normally taken a few years to test and implement, took less than six months. In an effort to reduce the number of individuals present in the class or on the drill ground, a career academy in Division 6 (Roanoke) implemented the use of Zoom for remote learning to 50% of the students on any given day. The same held true for practical skill based days with only 50% of the students present at any one time. Of course, social distancing and the use of PPE to include masks, gloves and enhanced disinfecting/sanitation procedures became the norm.

For more advanced programs, such as Officer Series courses, the use of Navigate to support the Jones and Bartlett curriculum was supported. Several instructor programs utilized web-based presentation programs to address the JPRs (job performance requirements) that students deliver a presentation as part of the curriculum. Others utilized the Google Meet platform to support continued delivery of programs.

The Digital Divide in Virginia

The rapid integration of technology did identify several key challenges that we must address as we move forward. There is still a great digital divide that exists in the Commonwealth and that is an impediment to a more across-the-board adoption of distance learning.

While most fire stations have internet access, the homes of some members of the fire service do not. With the imposition of limitations on fire station occupancy (only allowed to be on-site for actual calls) this severely limited technology integration into training programs. Many members of the fire service with no home based internet access did not see or have a need to have a PC or other device at home. This meant that the only computer access that they may have had was at the fire station, and that was now prohibited. Budgetary impact, the commercial availability of laptops, desktops, etc., and network security concerns were other issues that impacted perhaps a more seamless transition.

The Trainers are Trained

Several lessons learned and best practices have come out and continue to come out from the COVID-19 pandemic:

• The transition from desktops to all laptops has dramatically improved telework functionality.
• We are still a ways away from being able to support distance learning in all parts of the Commonwealth. Effective fire service training in a virtual format is still being evaluated. Future testing results may highlight areas for improvement and/or limitations to this platform.
• Once properly equipped, VDFP Training and Operations staff proved that they could function in a remote capacity.
• It is highly likely that a digital solution exists to close technology gaps. For example, the Jabber software enables VDFP staff to forward and answer their office phones from their laptops enabling them to maintain contact with stakeholders with concerns and needs. Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows access to files and allows the continuation of business practices and needs, in a seamless way.

VDFP Training and Operations has learned a lot and continues to learn from this experience. We are internally asking questions as to why we have historically done things in a certain way and why certain criteria exist. We are listening to our stakeholders and realize that the Commonwealth and its fire service is diverse and the ‘cookie cutter” approach of one size fits all is not practical. We look forward to continuing to work with our peers, stakeholders, and others to improve access to quality training in the environmental challenges of today, as well as the future.