ARFFS Training certainly has its challenges! The world has definitely changed. The days of training with environmentally toxic and expensive firefighting foam to extinguish large “B Class” fire producing thick plumes of dark smoke have all but gone. Live fire training accounts for more firefighter injuries than actual responses, therefore many organisations are shying away from the risk and expense of this type of training. Major incidents at airports are thankfully rare, but when they do occur the potential for significant loss of life, extreme collateral damage, and airport-wide disruption to services is real.
Skills decay is a real issue amongst firefighters whose long careers may never involve responding to a real aircraft crash. Aircraft rarely crash, but when they do, it has the potential to thrust your firefighters into the most complex and confronting incident possible. ARFF departments must overcome perceived constraints and provide continuum of training through engaging, immersive, and relatable training programs, using modern blended styles to combat skills decay. This will ensure your responders are the best they can be when they’re needed most. The lives of the travelling public depend on it!

This is an interesting question. The fact is a single overarching training framework that is adopted by ARFF departments around the world simply does not exist, and nor should it. There is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to ARFF training. Of course, training programs should always be underpinned by the core ARFF lifesaving objectives but must be founded with a comprehensive Training Needs Analysis which considers site-specific risks and the operational landscape.
The Qual-eFire training framework incorporates the requirements set out by ICAO and the NFPA, but also allows integration of site-specific elements to ensure everything is covered and highly contextualised for your teams.

Unlike many of our firefighting colleagues working in nearby city departments, ARFF personnel are not generally responding to a large volume of incidents. Therefore, ARFF personal must rely on regular, meaningful training to maintain the high-level of competence expected of their role.
How ‘regular’ is enough? ARFF personnel must be masters of their trade. This means rehearsing a skill even after there is no ‘improvement’ possible. This is often referred to as ‘over-learning’. Over-learning involves studying material and practicing skills beyond a predetermined level of mastery.
Defence force personnel spend a lot of time repetitively disassembling and reassembling their weapons. This is an example of over-learning. When a behaviour or skill is overlearned, it becomes automatic even under the most stressful situations such as an aircraft crash.
Improving firefighter skill performance sometimes requires that old habits are quashed, and new, more effective habits are learned. New habits require new physical connections in the brain, which comes from structured repetitive training. ARFF training instructors should facilitate training exercises until students can demonstrate mastery of the skill. Then the skill must be continually practiced until it displaces any remaining old habits.
Repetition of skills is what will make the difference between life and death performance in highly stressful and life-threatening situations.