10.17.2011 - It's time to train!

It has been said that “10,000 hours of deliberate practice is what makes you an expert”. While practice makes perfect an indiviuals expertise is based on the “nature and nurture” philosophy. What this is saying, some people have natural abilities while they need to nurture other skills. Both are common denominators in the Fire Service.

Firefighters must become proficient in many skills. These skills are natural to some while others will need to nurture these skills. In each case the deliberate practice may come in the form of repetition or deliberate practice. Examples are operating the apparatus. Behind the wheel time is needed for both natural operators and those that need to nurture that skill. The key difference is the naturally skilled operator needs to be cognitive that he still needs to reach that 10K hour mark to be an expert. Those 10k need to be deliberate. While the nurture style of learner will actually achieve that mark by ensuring they practice till perfect. This also takes the form of we “perform how we practice”. When we practice poorly or at a level less than we need to perform, we can only expect to achieve that level of result. Every skill set or ability in the Fire Service must be regarded in this way. Our performance is the sum of our desire, training and experience. The individual will control their desire. The team controls the training. We cannot control what experience we will receive because we do not get to choose what calls we respond to. The experience we can control is in the nature and nurture form. Natural skills must be regarded as if they need nurturing. Nurtured skills practiced till proficiency, and practiced at an expert level. The end factor is an improved performance.

The Fire Service must have indiviuals who will practice till perfect. When the time comes to use a particular skill the performer must get it right the first time, as if life depends on it, after all it does.