Blog
CI Donates Training Tank Car to Mississippi State Fire Academy
| Robyn Kinsley, Vice President, Transportation, Emergency Preparedness, & Regulatory Affairs
In 2014, CI put a training tank car into service to enhance the experience at CI’s hands-on emergency response training events. This tank car has served its purpose well for the last ten years and has finally reached its time to retire. CI’s Emergency Preparedness Issue Team chose to donate the training car (ERTX 1017) to the Mississippi State Fire Academy (MSFA), which has been an incredible partner in hosting CI’s annual CHLOREP Team training every year since 2007. ERTX 1017 arrived at its final resting place earlier this month. MSFA is very grateful for this significant contribution, and this donation further strengthens CI’s relationship with the academy. MSFA can now use this equipment in their hazmat training classes for first responders, as will industry teams that also train at the academy. In addition, CI will have continued use of the tank car during the annual CHLOREP Team Training. 2025 CHLOREP Team Training students will get the first opportunity to be hands-on with the training car as part of the CHLOREP Training curriculum since its arrival at MSFA.
Solutions for the Fire Service: Recruitment and Training in Modern Times
| By Ken Willette, Executive Director, North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD)
We are currently facing a significant challenge within the fire service - recruiting and retaining qualified firefighters. When I speak with Metro chiefs, they express that in the past, they received hundreds of applications for job openings. Now, they're lucky if they receive dozens. Similarly, my fellow chiefs from mid-sized combination departments used to have dozens of applicants, but now they're down to just a few. On the other hand, chiefs of volunteer departments and rural communities are grappling with a lack of applicants for vacant positions and an aging workforce. The uncertainty looms over us as we wonder when this situation will improve and when we can once again expect a pool of qualified candidates.
Is it Worth the Risk?
| Tom Miller, TRANSCAER West Virginia State Coordinator
First Responders are used to facing and taking risks every day – that is a part of the job description. We use our knowledge, training, and experience to make critical decisions in often challenging situations. We often rely on communication centers, on-scene resources, and other available intelligence to help us make those decisions. Effective risk assessment, management and planning can help prevent bad situations from getting worse and decrease the threat potential (life, property, environment) posed by an event.
New Opportunities in Hazmat Transportation Safety Education: The TRANSCAER Augmented Reality App
| Erica Fischer, CHEMTREC, Director of Training and Community Outreach
In an era of technological advancements, the transportation industry is no stranger to embracing innovative solutions for enhanced safety. One example is the TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness Emergency Response) Augmented Reality App. This cutting-edge tool offers new opportunities in hazmat transportation safety training by blending augmented reality elements with real-world scenarios, empowering users to gain knowledge and skills in an interactive and engaging manner.
Beyond a Buzzword: The Importance of Resilience Building and Tools to Build it
| Bethany Elliott, Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, CHEMTREC
Resilience was the word of the year in 2022, according to the Harvard Business Review (Amico, 2022). While resilience is crucial in any field, certain fields require a higher level of resilience, such as first responders. The responder community has long recognized the need for increased resilience to accommodate the high-pressure nature of work, but there needs to be more of a focus on preventative resilience building. In this article, we will define personal resilience, discuss its importance to the responder community, and provide tangible tools that you can use to boost your levels of resilience.
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