Training THE NeXT GENERATION OF emergency responders

1. Ken Evans Illinois Emergency Management Agency Training THE NeXT GENERATION OF emergency responders Revision Date: March 1, 2013

2. Training: The Challenge • Busy schedules seldom allow adequate time for training • Lack of training is frequently cited as a reason for poor performance • New employees must be trained quickly and effectively but often have inadequate training time Revision Date: March 1, 2013

3. THE CHALLENGE (CONT.) • More changes are occurring now than in the last 30 years • New technology platforms are being implemented • Post Fukushima, it is expected that there will be more requirements, material and technology to train on Revision Date: March 1, 2013

4. Motivation for Change • Our old training program relied on the experience of seasoned staff • Because Illinois has six nuclear sites there are many opportunities for practice • A large number of retirements in a short amount of time meant that significant new personnel had to be hired and trained • The large number of new personnel required a re-examination of training methods Revision Date: March 1, 2013

5. What was Decided • Review of entire training program for all Radiological Task Force (RTF) positions • Break down training requirements by individual position • Clearly define prerequisites • Break down training requirements into several categories Revision Date: March 1, 2013

6. Why the Changes • After Fukushima we Performed a Self Assessment of our activities • It was recognized that training credentials needs to be defensible • Standards for proficiency must be well established Revision Date: March 1, 2013

7. THE PROCESS • A team of experienced staff was used to develop the position requirements • This team represented a cross section of all skills that were required • The team performed an individual analysis for each position Revision Date: March 1, 2013

8. PROCESS CONTINUED • The individual analysis accomplished the same goals as a formal position task analysis with less resources • The first step was clearly defining the position prerequisites as that limits the need for training • Each organization must weigh the pool of people available when setting minimum standards Revision Date: March 1, 2013

9. PROCESS CONTINUED • Required Training was divided into online FEMA courses, classroom and self study materials • Required Training is defined as having some demonstration of competency, i.e. test (written or oral) • The main change in required training was to minimize general subject based training and to focus on based task based training Revision Date: March 1, 2013

10. PROCESS CONTINUED • Procedures were reviewed to identify the tasks, that required a demonstration of proficiency • While this may seem simple in principle, it is a change from testing on memorization to testing on the understanding of those same tasks that would be performed in an emergency Revision Date: March 1, 2013

11. Qualification for Health Physics Specialist • Below is an example of the position qualification form that the Health Physics Specialist candidate would complete for their qualification • (link for HP Qual here) Revision Date: March 1, 2013

12. Dose Assessment Procedure • As an example there is an RTF procedure for RASCAL • To demonstrate proficiency students must successfully work several sample problems in RASCAL Revision Date: March 1, 2013

13. Knowledge Based Procedure • Protective Action Recommendations • This type of procedure requires certain basic knowledge • Proficiency is demonstrated by completing an examination administered by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Revision Date: March 1, 2013

14. PROCESS CONTINUED • A new section was added for Seminar/Required Reading • There is no proficiency required for this section and the advantage is no instructor time is needed for most of the material • It should be pointed out that most of the time spent in discussions centered around whether this was the appropriate section for some tasks Revision Date: March 1, 2013

15. PROCESS CONTINUED • The final section is exercise participation • The purpose of this is for the individual to be evaluated in their position or to observe another emergency response facility • This is the final piece in certifying an individual Revision Date: March 1, 2013

16. LESSONS LEARNED • Developing proficiency standards turned out to be more time consuming than first thought • While flexibility is gained by allowing proficiency to be completed separate from the training, it can lead to procrastination • Tracking Training required integration with an existing system that tracks FEMA online training Revision Date: March 1, 2013

17. LESSONS LEARNED CONT • The time to qualify new individuals is constrained by drill schedules and personnel work schedules • Most individuals have to participate in at least 3 drills before they feel comfortable • Classroom time may be minimized but this does not always translate into minimizing qualification time due to individual schedules Revision Date: March 1, 2013

18. SUCCESS STORIES • New individuals can get started on training sooner as online courses can be completed anytime • More clearly defined selection criteria make it easier to identify new replacement candidates • Although still early in the new process, training appears to be effective • Management’s job was simplified as they now had a selection tool for potential candidates Revision Date: March 1, 2013

19. COST SAVINGS • The substitution of online training such as NRC and FEMA training courses saves instructor costs • The transition from subject based training to procedure based training also saves instructor time as most of the material can be self study • By splitting requirements into awareness and knowledge/performance based components, they can be demonstrated separately Revision Date: March 1, 2013

20. OTHER COST SAVINGS • To save travel expenses a fictional EPZ has been developed close to main IEMA offices • This is used for field team deployment in training and drills • Maps and monitoring points have been developed for this EPZ • Care must be taken when integrating this fictional EPZ into play with other facilities Revision Date: March 1, 2013

21. REQUALIFICATION TRAINING • The first question always asked is what should be the frequency of requalification training • One size does not fit all • Some of the same principles used for initial training were applied to requalification training • As an example, infrequently performed tasks will require a greater frequency of training than routine tasks Revision Date: March 1, 2013

22. REQUALIFICATION TRAINING CONT • Likewise some tasks that are continually demonstrated in drills may not require requalification training • In general requalification training is a small subset of initial training because proficiency in most tasks is maintained by participation in drills • In Illinois we currently have nine opportunities per year for drill participation Revision Date: March 1, 2013

23. HOW CAN THIS WORK FOR YOU? • All states are different in resources, time and opportunities for training • Most states probably have less staff to train than Illinois • The first step in using this program is to develop realistic selection criteria that will provide adequate staff for each position, i.e. shift changes, sick personnel, vacation, etc… Revision Date: March 1, 2013

24. MAKING IT WORK • Only after the selection criteria is developed can you determine training requirements • The objective is to list the training requirements that ensure all tasks for a position can be performed adequately by a trained individual • Take advantage of FEMA online training courses and other NRC and FEMA offerings Revision Date: March 1, 2013

25. MAKING IT WORK CONT • The IEMA model is based upon minimizing instructor time as we do not have dedicated instructors • Be creative wherever possible in identifying resources, a qualified mentor can be used for the majority of the training • Maximize the resources available online to save instructor time and provide flexibility for new employees Revision Date: March 1, 2013

26. PUTTING IT TOGETHER • Obtain management support • Recognize training does take time and resources • Be honest in developing estimates of resources and personnel capabilities • Work with Human Resources to ensure position descriptions for employees include not only the emergency position but training time Revision Date: March 1, 2013

27. SUMMARY • The goal of this training program is to train new personnel in a short period of time to be proficient in their emergency position • The training program must stand on its own and not assume previous knowledge or experience • Each position will have a minimum selection criteria by defining prerequisites Revision Date: March 1, 2013

28. SUMMARY CONTINUED • Use all available means to minimize instructor contact time • Allow flexibility for more seasoned veterans to quickly complete training requirements or complete waiver paperwork • Make maximum use of drills and mentors • Requalification program recognizes drill opportunities Revision Date: March 1, 2013

29. CONCLUSION • Training is necessary and required • Training is at best a secondary priority for most • This system is designed to help ensure adequate training is accomplished and documented • Use drill performance to evaluate your training program and modify as necessary Revision Date: March 1, 2013

30. CONTACT INFORMATION • Ken Evans 217-785-9912 • ken.evans@illinois.gov Revision Date: March 1, 2013