Abstract:

The topic of this article is training and practice in operational teams in the fire service. Based on their unique organization, it was interesting to investigate how team training and practice were implemented, and whether it had any effect on their performance. Our research question was: How does team training and practice affect the efficiency of teams in the fire service? We chose break the research question down into different themes: organization, training and practice, groups and teams, and learning and we therefore posed the following four sub-research questions. 1. Is there a focus on team training in the fire service? 2. Will the new vocational school in fire and rescue have a positive impact on teamwork? 3. Do team training and exercises have a positive effect on teamwork? 4. Does the percentage of staff positions affect the performance of teamwork in an emergency service? We used a qualitative research design and conducted in-depth interviews with constables at a local fire department. The fire department we chose has a mix of full time and part time fire constables, and we interviewed four fire constables that were strategically chosen because they could provide answers to our research question. The answer to our research question was that team training and practice generally have a positive effect on teamwork. We found that there was no direct focus on team training, and this was something that some constables seemed to miss. We saw a difference between part-time and full-time employees, where the full-time employees were satisfied, while the part-time employees missed more focus on this. Regarding whether the new vocational school in fire and rescue will have a positive impact on teamwork, the perception was a bit mixed. The new vocational school was perceived to have a number of positive effects, such as making the education programme the same for everyone, providing a more encompassing education and will be very good when viewed directly in relation to the fire service. But it will also mean that fire constables will lose some of their secondary expertise in other disciplines. In addition, the location of the school was seen by everyone as a challenge as it will become difficult to recruit people who may have families. Our informants had only positive feedback on the question of whether team training and exercises have a positive effect on teamwork. However, there was some uncertainty of how teamwork would be affected when fire constables from the new vocational school are gradually implemented into an already existing structure at the fire stations. Regarding whether the percentage of staff positions affect the performance of teamwork in an emergency service, we found that while part-time employees can participate in drills and training, there will always be a difference in the amount of time and resources available to full-time employees. This can lead to part-time employees being left with a feeling of not being fully prepared for the challenges that may arise in an emergency. Overall, the differences in staffing ratios between part-time and full-time employees can affect the efficiency and co-operation of an emergency service. It is therefore important to find ways to ensure that all employees have equal access to training and development opportunities, regardless of their employment percentage or employment status.

Keywords:

Training, practice, fire service, teamwork, vocational education, performance.