This month, FireEngineering.com’s “Roundtable” posted responses to the question of how funding cutbacks affect training budgets. Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel from a mix of departments offered ideas and solutions on how to maintain training despite constrained resources. Their ideas included no-cost solutions such as awareness training acquired through on-duty walkthroughs of high-hazard occupancies, and setting up a National Fire Protection Association apparatus driver obstacle course in a nearby parking lot. Many respondents discussed the cost-saving advantages of joint training with local and/or regional partners, saving travel expenses by collaborating to bring national speakers to a local or regional venue, sending a few members to training who can return to train others, videotaping training sessions for those unable to attend, and taking advantage of nearby educational institutions, distance learning, and relevant online portals. (http://www.fireengineering.com/display_article/358787/25/none/none/BRNIS/April-Roundtable:-Training-and-the-Budget?cmpid=EnlFireEngineeringApril222009)

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) also learned of additional no-cost sources of online training available from the Police Officers Safety Association (POSA) and the Firefighters Support Foundation (FSF). POSA offers training programs, training videos, and video tips. A recent addition, “Responding to Bomb Threats, Bombing Incidents, and Suicide Bombers,” includes a PowerPoint presentation of 100+ slides, guides, and checklists. Among its training videos are topics such as Basic Crisis Entry and Basic Close Quarters Shooting, and more than 50 video tips, all of which can be accessed at

http://www.officer.com/posa/posa_videos.jsp?siteSection=30.



FSF training videos are set up in modules to enable viewing in short blocks of time, or for roll-call or in-service training. The EMR-ISAC viewed clips that focused on working with outside agencies and working with law enforcement agencies. There are 20 available clips at

http://flashovertv.firerescue1.com/GroupVideos.aspx?grId=637B6BDFF1ECC08D.