Burning issues top 5

[Tom W]

I was merely poitning out to Piglet that if you tested a Firefighter alongside an accountant about fire safety the firefighter would be more knowledgeable.

A fairer comparison would be to take a non operational expert on fire vs a firefighter (As the thrust of the argument was based on the competency of fire professionals who hadn't been operationalfirefighters)

You have misunderstood me then. I was the one saying if you tested a FF and an accountant the FF would be more knowledgable. And I wasn't talking about fire professionals as a whole. Of course an expert on fire would be better than a fire fighter?! I never denied that.

My point orginally was saying that from my experience the best FSOs I have come accross have come from ops. I then went on to say that the best candidate in my eyes for a FSO position would be someone who has been in ops. Which Civvy then went onto argue the point saying in fact a store manager would be a better candidate.

Then I said Kurnal and Colin were starting an F1 team.

[Big A]

What about getting your toes crushed by the wheeled escape?

Absolutely vital

[kurnal]

Then I said Kurnal and Colin were starting an F1 team.

And I hope you would agree that I would more likely be the No 1 driver because I can double declutch a Dennis F15 and have had more practice at driving on blue lights and in any case would look far better in the press photos.

[kurnal]

I attend nearly all CPD days that I can. I am starting to feel that the industry needs to do more however.

All providers are doing a great job at the moment and the major topics are all covered by the FRACS /FIA / IFSM/ IFE days offered. But there is a temptation to try to cram too many topics into a single day and as a result we only get a superficial skim of the surface of any topic. Yes it keeps us up to date and reminds us of our need for self study, on the other hand I think now we have all covered the basics and some duplication is taking place. For example 40% of the Fracs day was covered on the last FIA day.

I propose that we should pick a topic and spend at least half or a full day on that topic. FIA are doing this with Water mist systems in October and PEEPS in November (Mist is free of charge grab it while you can) and I think this is the way forward.

I do leave current CPD days with my eyes widened and the feeling I have learned only that  there is even more I dont know.

[Eli]

Kurnal, if you want a discount just ask for one! As it’s you I'll knock the vat off; if the 40% is exactly the same and you gain nothing from the presentations you think you may have seen before.

All I can say is that the FRACS day is one of many CPD days and not many people will be at all events as many assessors will not quite have the thirst you have for professional development. We have moved the event this year to reach out to the assessors in the South East who didn't attend last years event, plus we do ask that the presenters don't cover the basics but pitch at the higher end of their subject knowledge. We can't batter them too hard for content as they are all speaking for free, but we do offer guidance notes encouraging them to stretch the audience. The reason being; that the FRACS assessors are very competent and things need to be pitched at a high level with a very specific risk assessment focus to give them added value.

Who is to say that on your full day seminar on one topic, that you won’t know 60% plus of the subject anyway! I know you want to know what the experts know but I do think that bespoke training like that is difficult to put on and thus is costly and difficult to fill.
I hope that David Ware will be able to offer you something that you need and want at the level you desire. 

I look forward to seeing you on the day and we do listen to constructive feedback. We have changed a few things for this event based on last year’s feedback.

[Tom W]

So what do you do for Warrington Eli?

[Eli]

So what do you do for Warrington Eli?

 I am just in the maintenance department!
But I do like to keep up to date with fire safety issues which affect my work colleagues, I am hoping to work my way up to ‘commercial director’ one day soon.

What’s your position at Fireco?