Washington Contract Firefighters Association
Training Committee Meeting
Saturday, January 23, 2021 @ 1000
Meeting was called to order at 1004 by Danielle Sims. Todd Graves, Saul Labanauskas, Tim Logozzo and Dave Rains were all present. Will Judkins joined the meeting at 1129.
The agenda was reviewed and gone over in the order presented. There were not minutes from a previous TC meeting.
We shared about the Covid-19 guidelines the WCFA currently has in place; to provide hand sanitizer and masks (just in case) and maintain 6’ spacing. We discussed handling class papers (leave in a pile) and class pens and other class materials. The reusable items would be gathered up and placed in a zip lock bag with some sanitizing mist until the next time they are needed. Fire shelters would be sanitized between uses with some sort of sanitizing spray and clean wipes. Student will be required to bring masks, work gloves, hard hat and pen/pencil. We prefer masks but realize that some would need a face shield. Instructors will clean class space as required by facility. Common sense is the best practice from what we all have learned over the past year.
The order from the Forest Service is that all firefighters will need to take RT-130, deploy a shelter and take a pack test. WCFA will offer the following options to facilitate this: RT-130 Online, RT-130 in Person. In-person classes will have to remain small as we start to meet the 25% of capacity guidelines issued by the state. We figure most will be able to do 10-15 students. We plan to reuse last year’s refresher for the most part and just change needed units to freshen it up and make it current.
Online RT-130 classes will need a shelter class to complete the course. The Training Coordinator (TC) purposed having a separate class at a later date that could accommodate several students and take between 1-2 hours. Students could wait their turn in lines with masks and 6’ spacing. There would be a separate class listing they will sign up for in the database then they would come to an existing class around noon, with mask and work gloves, and join in as appropriate.
(A few days after the meeting, during a separate conversation, the TC spoke with President, Todd Graves about these shelter classes. He and the TC decided a more streamline way to do the shelter classes would be to just add the students to an existing RT-130 class like we do when we add online FFT2 students to a Field Day. The amount of students allowed to join each class would be determined by the TC and the instructor. The instructor would be paid the additional per student fee that will be discussed later in these minutes.
We also discussed a price increase from $35 to $45 to cover the additional shelter class and other daily/monthly costs associated with the RT-130 class, ZOOM $17, Electronic Documents $34 and set up $24. The increase of $10 will pay instructors $5 per student for shelter classes and the WCFA will retain the other $5 for admin and overhead cost. Only students who took the RT-130 with us will be allowed in these classes. The class fee for RT-130 and separate shelter class will be paid on the RT-130 sign up page. The certificate will only be available once the student has successfully completed the shelter portion at which time the TC will make the RT-130 class passed and the certificate will become available.
Another consideration for raising the cost is we will have to host twice as many RT-130 to train the typical 30+ person class. With 25% capacity restrictions we will only be able to train about 12-15 students per class. (I.e. Instructor fee was $250 in 2019 to teach 30+ students, in 2021 instructor fee 2 xs $250 – $500 to teach 30+ students.
We are considering letting company owners who meet the following guidelines teach the practice shelter deployments. The must meet the Independent Contractor rules of having a UBI number, business license, business history, and they must also meet the requirements to teach RT-130 which is being an SRB and having 5nyears experience in the field.
These additional instructors would have to file an Instructor agreement and a W-9 with the WCFA. They will be paid like our other instructors at the rate listed above. They can choose not to be paid if they like. The classes will be conducted as a private class and be posted on the class calendar after the event.
The instructor will have to get release forms signed by all students and a class roster filled out. Their signature will be on the certificates. They will not be required to teach more than for their own company. The company owners will borrow shelters when they are not being used by the WCFA from the closets instructor to them. They must be sanitized prior to return. They must be returned within a few days of their event as determined between them and the Training Coordinator/Instructor upon borrowing them. Class instructions, forms, IRPG, COVID guidelines will be provided to the instructor prior to the class. Notification of class has to be sent 7 days in advance to the Forest Service.
Saul Labanauskas asked if we could reduce the online class hours since we aren’t doing the shelter training. After much discussion the TC shared that the last year’s online classes took about all the 5 hours offering. Complications with staying connected, delay in video and more student interactions, waiting for online forms to be filled out, etc…take up the full time. We all agreed to leave the class at 5 hours. It was also noted that since there won’t be a separate certificate with those hours staying at 5 to cover both was best.
Teaching FFT2 – All classes are posted in the NWCG Training Catalog (Replaces FMCG) (nwcg.gov/publications/training-courses)
S-190 is only available from NWCG Training Catalog
Units must be downloaded (PPT and Inst Guide)
Can be classroom taught – 7 hours
S-130 has been redone in a “Field Version”. Updated course that they want feedback from at the end. Units must be downloaded (PPT and Inst Guide)
No Student workbook, IRPG and Handout – 29 hours
L-180 is the same version. Classroom materials are the same as what everyone has. – 4 hours
Materials ordered through CacheDo we need a price increase? How should we move forward to teach FFT2? After comparing costs of FFT2 classes with other providers and the new curriculum required this year. (Cost of downloading, copying and send to instructors) We are recommending an increase in the cost of the related classes and additional offerings: FFT2 full 4 days – 40 hours – change from $130 to $150 – Instructor is paid for 50 hours (40+10 hours prep) (12 minimum). S-130 + Field Day 3 days – 29 hours – New class offering $130 – Instructor is paid 37 hours (29+8 hours prep) (12 minimum). S-190 – 7 hours – New class offering $50 – Instructor is paid (7 hours + 2 prep) (8 minimum). L-180 – 4 hours – New class offering $35 – Instructor is paid (4 hours + 2 prep) (10 minimum).
TC could not get in touch with Wendel Wench at Boise Training Center to see if the online courses have been fixed. Other classes are as follows: S-131 – No change – 12 hours, 10 max – In person only – Offer in June (Inst 12 + 4 prep), S-230 – ZOOM worked last year. Possibly the same this year, S-290 – Online only
We also discussed classroom options. We need to stay fee free if possible to even break even for our classes. We need to currently maintain 25% of capacity according to state regulations. Dave Rains can do (10-12), Tim Logozzo in Yakima (12-15), Cove in Twisp (12-15) , members who might have a space for their own students. Need a Wenatchee location – I will check with Fire Hall. (Update, the Wenatchee space is available)
Dave left the meeting at 1129 and Will joined, the TC reviewed the topics from the meeting that Will missed. Saul asked if there was a way to get training for ZOOM. Will offered to teach a ZOOM class next Tuesday, January 26 @1300-1500. Most said they would like to join. TC will send notices to a couple of other instructors that might like to join in.
Todd adjourned the meeting at 1153.