Question And Answers from February 20th, 2009
Question 1
With changes to the Fire Officer program, could you please outline the changes and timelines for these to occur?
Last year we undertook a review of our Fire Officer Programs and Fire Service Leadership Diploma in response to feedback we have been receiving from our students and fire service clients. As a result of this review, we are revising our Fire Officer I and II Programs to more closely align them with the NFPA 1021 - Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. The revised Fire Officer I and II Programs will be shorter in length, more focused, accessible, affordable and flexible to meet our customer’s needs.
The JIBC Fire & Safety Division will be hosting a number of information sessions throughout the Province starting in March and will be attending the BCFTOA Zone 2 meeting to provide more detailed information about the revision to Fire Officer I and II. Also, we will be seeking your input into the complete revision of the Fire Officer I-IV Program. We will be delivering a session as part of the BCFTOA annual conference to get feedback from members of this association and the BC Fire Service on the future direction of our programs.
The target date for piloting the new Fire Officer I and II Programs is the Fall 2009 Term. There will be two streams of delivery (face-to-face and on-line) with flexible options built into the programs. Another exciting component of the Fire Officer I-IV Programs is our partnership with the JIBC Emergency Management Division to incorporate ICS 100-400 within our programs.
Watch for dates and locations of information sessions in your area as we encourage the BCFTOA members to attend to provide your input on the revision of the Fire Officer I-IV Program.
Question 2
How many Regional Weekends are planned for 2009, what are the locations and subjects that are going to be presented?
Once again we are pleased to announce a full schedule of regional training weekends for 2009. Below is the schedule for this year and we are currently working closely with our customers in each of these areas to ensure that the training is tailored to meet their needs. It is our goal to respond to the specific needs of our customers in different areas of the province and deliver the training they both want and need at an affordable price. We will announce the courses to be offered for each regional weekend once they have been determined. Your members can also check our web site, http://www.jibc.ca/fire/index.htm for a full regional training schedule.
Comox Regional (Courtenay/Comox) April 3,4,5 Courses TBA
Southwest Regional (Maple Ridge) May 22,23,24 Courses TBA
Cariboo Regional (100 Mile House) June 12,13,14 Courses TBA
Salt Spring Regional July 10,11,12 Courses TBA
Fort St John Regional Sep 11,12,13 Courses TBA
Northwest Regional (Kitimat/Terrace/Thornhill) Sep 18,19,20 Courses TBA
Okanagan Regional (Kelowna/Vernon area) Oct 2,3,4 Courses TBA
Questions 3
The BCFTOA is please to have the Fire and Safety Division as a partner once again for the 2009 Conference. Could you please describe to our membership the importance of the relationship with the BCFTOA and specifically the Conference.
We are pleased and excited to once again partner with the BCTOA and co-host its annual conference. There are many facets to this event which are the result of many months of careful planning with the BCFTOA and the coordinating team. While the FSD has the facilities to co-host this event, the experience gained by working closely with our partners such as the BCFTOA is invaluable. We are pleased to provide opportunities and our facilities for the BCFTOA to offer training that meets its members needs and focuses on efficiency and quality.
Question 4
Could you answer for the membership where the delay for the Basic and Fire Fighter I and II results has occurred and the remedy to speed up the process.
We recognize the increasing backlog and turn-around time associated with the Basic Firefighter and Firefighter I-II programs. We have experienced tremendous growth in each of these program areas and enrollment has increased 124 percent from 2007 to 2008. Needless to say, we were not prepared for such an increase, and as a result, the times for completing the results have increased accordingly. We have identified this as a priority for 2009 and will be looking at different options, including on-line self marking exam availability where the student/evaluator will be provided with immediate results upon completing the exam.
Thanks
Dean Colthorp - CFO
Deputy Fire Chief – Training
Wayne Stevens was asked three questions in an email from Dean Colthrop. Here is what he had to say.
1. As the New Director of the Fire and Safety Division what are your plans for your first 9 months-12 months?
The core business of the Fire & Safety Division (FSD) is to develop and deliver training in support of British Columbia’s firefighters. BC’s fire service is our key customer and central to everything we do – serving BC’s fire service and supporting provincial priorities. In order to meet this challenge, FSD provides a comprehensive range of both practical and theoretical training courses and programs. We will be undertaking a review of our courses and programs to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate, meet the applicable standards and meet our customers’ needs. Part of the review will look at making our courses more accessible. In August, we initiated a comprehensive review of our Fire Officer Program based, in part, on input we received from our customers who told us they wanted fire officer training to be more focused, accessible and affordable. We anticipate having a framework for the revised program ready for review and discussion in November and will be asking the BCFTOA to participate and provide input and feedback as a key client.
We have also identified four (4) challenges to providing effective training.
- Enhance our relationships with customers
- Improve access to training
- Ensure standards are maintained
- Provide value for money
Over the next few months, we will be developing strategies to address these challenges.
We will also continue the implementation of our Bachelor of Fire and Safety Studies Degree. The Degree is designed to advance the career and educational goals of fire-service members in British Columbia and to promote increased professionalism for the fire service in the Province. British Columbia is increasingly being seen as a leader, with the Bachelor of Fire and Safety Studies recognized as the pre-eminent fire-related degree in Canada. Students from eight provinces, one territory - as well as international students - are now enrolled in the program. Last June saw the first convocation, with three members of the British Columbia fire service among the graduates of the program.
2. I see that there is a posting for a Program Coordinator, Program and Curriculum Development position at the New Westminster campus….what will that individual be working on and how will it effect the Fire Service and specifically the BCFTOA?
The Fire & Safety Division is pleased to welcome Barb Kidd back to the JIBC in the position of Program Coordinator, Program and Curriculum Development. Barb will be working with FSD staff, faculty and BC Fire Service to revise courses and programs to meet the most current version of the applicable NFPA standards and meet the training/education need of our customers. One of Barb’s first priorities will be to update our Hazmat courses to meet the new NFPA 472 (2008 Edition). We are also in the process of reviewing our Fire Officer Program and Fire Service Leadership Diploma to ensure it meets the needs of the BC Fire Service and reflects the 2009 version of NFPA 1021. Barb will be leading the development and revision of our curriculum once a full review has been completed.
As Canada's leading public safety educator, we are committed to providing current, innovative and experiential learning to the BC Fire Service. In order to fulfill this mandate, the Fire & Safety Division is committed to providing quality curriculum delivered by experienced instructors. We are researching and exploring various education delivery methods and the use of technology in order to ensure our programs are open and accessible to BC’s fire service.
3. Recently, I have requested a fire department member’s transcript and was directed to complete the JI Student Release Form. Could you explain why fire departments need to complete this requirement when dealing with student records?
We recognize the importance for each fire department to maintain current and accurate training records for their members. In order to access this information, however, the student must provide written permission. This information will be released only to individuals or agencies authorized by the student.
At FSD, we regularly receive requests from fire departments for information about their member’s training and student records. Even though this is a valid request, the information which we can provide must comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The purpose of the Act is to protect the privacy of all students that are enrolled and take courses through us. This applies to all student records, whether they are in print or electronic form and wherever in the Institute they are located. All information obtained about an applicant or a student as part of any Institute business process including, but not limited to, application, assessment, enrollment, examination, counseling, appeals and library use is confidential information. Institute employees, seconded-staff and contractors have access to student records on a need-to-know basis only, and must respect the confidentiality of student records at all times.
If a department wants to access the training records for its members through the FSD, there are three possible ways of attaining this information.
1. Request each member to print and submit an unofficial transcript to your department’s training office. Students can access their own training records and student information by following the link to the JIBC website - http://learning.jibc.ca/TP2005/tp2000web.dll/TP2005. The student will enter their JIBC student number as their user name and their birth date (year/month/day) with no spaces or breaks (i.e. 20080425).
2. Request each member to submit a copy of their official JIBC Transcript to your department’s Training Office. Your members would need to submit an application for an official transcript and pay the applicable fee ($5.25). An application can be printed from the JIBC website at http://www.jibc.ca/registration/services.htm#t2202.
3. Request each member to sign the Permission to Release Student Records Form granting permission for your department to receive a copy of the member’s unofficial transcript. This form can be printed from the JIBC website at http://www.jibc.ca/registration/services.htm#t2202. Depending on the volume of these requests, a processing fee may be implemented.