Create a task book for firefighters temporarily 'roved' into ladder work

摘要

Staffing issues on the ladder truck challenge many departments. Truck work is a specialized skill set that requires all four members be up to par on their tasks. Although some cities have set requirements that recognize truck work as a specialty, having someone just "roved" in for the day is a common occurrence that usually starts out with this: "I haven't worked over since I was a boot, so don't expect me to do much today." Although departments won't fix this staffing issue over night, training is the key to making truck work more tolerable for the rover and keeping all the tasks from being overwhelming. To keep things consistent and organized, I suggest following a process that Mesa (Ariz.) Fire Department developed: We compiled a "Ladder Task Book" designed to identify the basics of ladder operations. Firefighters use the book to learn the skills and are eventually "signed-off" on each related task.