Train the Trainer - Fire Safety

[Year]

Table of Contents

Section                                                                                                               Page

Training Needs Analysis.............................................................................3-4

Session Plan................................................................................................4-5

Training Session......................................................................................... 5-7

Review & Evaluation................................................................................. 8-9

Improvements and Modifications.................................................................9

Appendices..................................................................................................10

                                                                                                                          

Training Needs Analysis

The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) was carried out before the course commenced thus, I the Trainer, was better equipped to design the training programme. It gave Trainees the power to predetermine what they wanted to learn. This was done by asking four pertinent questions which would establish the following:

1.      Who are the Trainees?

The seven Trainees’ profiles are members of the general public who are interested in attending the training course “Fire Safety in the Home.” Some of the Trainees were understandably nervous as they had not attended an educational training course since attending school. There was no pre-requisite for attending this course. It will be a challenge to work effectively with a range of learner groups. Consideration was given to the fact that a number of the Trainees divulged the fact that they had a past negative experience to courses which were not training led but delivered in a lecture/presentation style. I also attached a Honey and Mumford style learning quiz and I told them to return it to me via mail or email. I received them all fully completed and they displayed a wide variety of preferred learning styles. I would have to take these into account when designing and developing the course.

2.      Why do they need training?

Overall, the Trainees expressed their desire to make their homes safer and less likely to be a fire hazard. They wanted to be informed and more confident around fire detection equipment and the types and quality available on the market. They stated that they wanted to become confident on what to do if there is a fire in their home. They also wanted to know what kinds of fire extinguishers are available and their effectiveness’s on different sources of fires. They also wanted demonstrations on how to use the fire extinguishers.

3.      How much do they know?

Most of the Trainees said they have a basic knowledge, some said that they did fire extinguisher training when they were in secondary school which was now long forgotten. One of the Trainees has a very high academic achievement but it is not related to fire safety so everyone is at a basic/foundation level of fire safety knowledge.

4.      What do they need to know or be able to do?

The structure of the course will be based on the information received by the trainees. They want to know the following:

Ø  To be able to list the different types of fire detection tools most suitable for household use; they will in turn be able to determine what best suits their needs;

Ø  To be able to list the five steps of raising the alarm;

Ø  To be able to identify the four types of fire extinguishers;

Ø  To be able to demonstrate how to use a fire extinguisher;

Session Plan

Training Objective: At the end of this course trainees will be able to identify the four main types of fire extinguishers. This objective was both observable and measurable with the aid of the quiz.

The total time allowed for this particular training session was ten minutes. To meet the set objective I needed to have a clear plan which allowed me to cover all the relevant and most important details in such a short time frame.

Structure and content of the training course:                          Time allowed (minutes)

Welcoming back and review of last session                                       1

Introduce topic and training objectives                                              2

Explain the colour coding of each extinguisher                                  1

Explain each individual extinguisher                                                  4

Summary and question and answer session                                        1

Hand out quiz and training evaluation sheet                                      1

Total time taken:                                                                                 10

Training Session

I prepared materials for different levels and interests:

I welcomed them to the class; I posed a number of questions to the trainees this made the review task orientated. I did this by posed a number of questions to them, these questions allowed them to realise the foundational work they covered last week and that they were building on this knowledge.  I hoped it would make them more comfortable interacting with me and the group as whole would be more cohesive.

I told them:

 I told them the sequence of events and what they would be learning to do. I told them that this weeks’ session was about the four main extinguishers. I invited them to ask questions; “As always please ask questions if you are unsure of anything. There is no such thing as a silly question”. I drew the Trainee’s attention to the fact that they course notes were in front of them and I also made them aware that they were free to make their own notes. (These notes were the power point presentation printed three slides per page the printing options also allowed space to make notes). I handed one of the Trainees a Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher. I told them that their full attention should be focused on the label which was a blue colour. I drew attention to the fact that I would explain strengths and limitations of this extinguisher later in the course. This, I felt, was a good way to physically introduce a fire extinguisher and get comfortable holding it which would be important for the next session. I set out the training objective: “At the end of this training session Trainees will be able to identify the most appropriate fire extinguisher for a fire”. I explained the information contained within the power point presentation and I used my hands to emphasise the important additional information.

I told them what I said I would tell them:

I went through the power point and I also added some ultra important information such as the following:

Water: the cheapest and most widely used fire extinguisher. I set the following question to the trainees who were unable to answer: “Why can we never use a water fire extinguisher on an oil or electrical fire”? I told them that it did not matter that no one knew the answer, “that we were all here to learn”. I think this helped the trainees feel that they were in a safe environment where learning and participating are encouraged.

Foam: more expensive than water but more versatile.

Dry powder: often termed the multi-purpose fire extinguisher. I told them what I said I was going to tell them earlier in the class when I handed out this particular fire extinguisher. I also sold the benefits of knowing the different colours of the fire extinguishers and the perils of using an inappropriate fire extinguisher on a fire for example using a water fire extinguisher on an oil based fire....”the fire will spread faster and they will only have exacerbated the problem!!”. This tied in with the point I had made the previous week about the importance of assessing the fire and not playing the hero if they are any way unsure of the fire extinguishers use or the source of the fire itself

I told them again:

Repetition is so important from a training point of view because it gets the trainees familiar with the information and more importantly only the most relevant information gets told. From a psychological point of view it means that the trainees are not overloaded with information in their short term memory, repetition allows it to be stored in the long term memory, stored and “filed” away in their mind where hopefully when it is needed it will come to the fore.

I did a quick recap of the course again, this time I held up colour cards to emphasise the importance of colour in relation to labelling. It also feed into the visual aid of some of the trainees as this may be some of their visual learning style and helps to retain the name of the fire extinguishers and they colour coding associated with them. I also allowed time for a question and answer session.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the course and the training objectives I handed out a quiz. I explained to the trainees that I wanted them to fill it and I also told them that there was an explanation on it and they simply had to mark if true/false and make it using T/F. The quiz allowed me the Trainer to insure that the trainees knew how to identify the correct label to the colour or contents. It was observable and measurable.

The second form of evaluation was in the form of a feedback form.  Only the most important questions in direct connection with the course were asked. It had six questions which required a direct answer by ticking the appropriate level between Strongly Agree – Strongly Disagree. I allowed space at the end of the page for Trainees to make their own comments and views known. They may spot an area for improvement that I overlooked. Again this allowed me to focus on what the trainees hoped to get out of the course, hopefully I would have covered what they wanted by carrying out the TNA before the design stage but if there was an oversight it would allow me to rectify it and as a result improve the effectiveness of my training.

While the trainees were completing the feedback sheet I told them that we would be continuing on with the fire safety course next week by looking at and examine the mechanisms of a fire extinguisher and how to physically put out a fire. I thanked them for their attention and cooperation and that I looked forward to seeing them all next week.

Review and Evaluation

I had no prior experience of giving a training session. My aim for attending the Train the Trainer course was to learn how to deliver a training session that would be interactive and allow for trainee participation. I feel that at the end of the course I could do this. The Fire Safety course delivered by me really highlighted that I could achieve what I set out to do. The TNA allowed me to set the pace of the entire training course. For this particular module it was clear that the trainees needed to know the very basics. It allowed me to respond to their aspirations and goals as a group. It also allowed me to apply my learning from Train the Trainer to this session delivery. They needed to be clear on the colour coding of the four extinguishers. Consequently, I was prepared to rephrase a misunderstood question or clarify on any of the detail contained with the presentation or the extra information I told them in relation to each extinguisher.

There was a good atmosphere because of the physical layout of the room which allowed me to easily interact with the trainees and they could interact with each other if we needed to start a debate or discussion. I was able to observe everything that was happening and gauge that the trainee’s interest in the topic was high if it was a case where their interest had dropped I would try and strengthen it by splitting them into groups and getting them to do a task, luckily I did not have use this tactic . I changed around their seating from last week by placing their name cards in a different order so that the trainees to get to know other people in the group.  The rules and code of conduct were already established from the first lesson and I put this sheet up on the wall, this also helped me to control challenging behaviour and it made the trainees feel safe and secure in the knowledge that any information they shared would remain confidential. This in turn created a supportive overall learning environment. It is important that I give the trainees constructive feedback on the quiz at the next session they completed for this lesson. This will allow them to learn from their mistake which in reality could cost them their life, for example, mixing up the colour coding and then accidentally using it on the supposedly correct source of the fire. Their evaluation will help me to adopt my delivery style and assessment methods accordingly. If the trainees are not doing well it is because my training sessions are failing them. As it is my duty to give them the knowledge and skills to be able to correctly identify the correct fire extinguisher for the different sources of fire. I had a flip chart prepared as a contingency plan; I thought this was a good idea because it is very easy for technical equipment involved with a power point presentation to fail a flip chart is not something which is good planning and foresight for a short course.

Improvements and Modifications

Upon reflection, if I had more time available I would have prepared a physical exercise to take into account Honey and Mumford’s different styles of learning by handing out five pictures of different sources of fires. I would have given them a red, cream, blue and black sticker. I would have added the additional difficult picture to examine if the trainees fully understood the training session. By getting them to participate it would drive home the importance of being able to identify the fire extinguisher under time pressure constraints of two minutes this would make them realise that if there is a fire in their home they will be in shock and they will need to remain calm and in control of the situation. It would stimulate their minds and help them store it in the long term memory hopefully this will aid them in a crisis. The physical element of learning will be utilised in next weeks’ training session as I will be demonstrating how to use a fire extinguisher correctly and then the trainees will each have to do it in their turn.

APPENDICES

1.      Copy of power point presentation and handouts for the delegates

(These handouts were the same as the power point presentation I just printed off three slides per page which automatically added space for note taking);

2.      Course feedback form;

3.      Copy of quiz which measured the success of the learning objectives.

Rory and Ita

Rory and Ita

Author: Roddy Doyle

This is marvellously written by Rory and Ita’s son Roddy. He captures their individual lives from the time of being children, through their teenage years which they both stated didn’t exist to the extinct we know the term teen to mean.  Finishing school and progressing onto their working lives, how they meet and their married life together. Theirs’ is a story of the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows that would be experienced by a majority of people. Their story is not unlike many others of their generation, however reading about their experiences I realise as a twenty-something living in the twenty-first century that my life could not be more different to theirs’ at the same stage of life they were planning on marrying and settling down. Their whole outlook and experience of life is completely different.

Overall, I found it very enlightening and I realise how privileged I am to have been born into a time of luxury in comparison to decades gone by where the bare necessitates was all there was. This book is an invitation into their private lives’; the reader is stepping into their world and their reality which was based in a certain place in time.

 As children both of their respective homes were simply furnished with essential items. It is a considerable difference to a lot of homes today where they are filled to capacity with every piece of furniture and technology imaginable. Materialism does not equate to happiness and neither does trying to keep up with the Joneses, when did we lose our way? When did materialism begin to mean so much? I found Rory’s honest disclosure of washing his face by licking his fingers and rubbing them to his face very endearing. Yes, hygiene is extremely important but again this harps back to a time when things were simpler and there wasn’t mass hysteria around germs. Looking into my bathroom cabinet I realise I have far too many lotions and potions and maybe, I too, have a germ phobia?

They both touched on the importance of putting their best foot forward, in terms of their personal presentation, in how they present and represent themselves to the outside world. Their financial situation dictated their quality and quantity of clothing they were able to purchase. This was highlighted by both, as Ita could vividly recall the moment when she purchased her first fine coat and the same feeling of pride could also be felt by Rory when he bought his suit. Such items of clothing did not come cheap and they were seen as a substantial buy due to their cost in relation to their wages. It was almost like their rite of passage into adulthood.

The book is so well written, it is as though I was watching them go through their lives. I got to see them as a young couple and later as a family unit. I watched as their family life transformed and grew with each child. They also shared intimate details of still birth and miscarriages and how it affected them individually and collectively. It also demonstrated how their priorities changed as they got older and how this changed the dynamic of their working lives as their children grew up. They gave details of the different people who moved in and out of their lives some were neighbours who moved away and others were family members like Ita’s brother Joe who died at the age of fifty. At the end of the book or their life story to date, it gave a synopsis of what they thought were the highlights of their life, I thought Ita’s was particularly sad as she spoke of her son Shane who died a few days after birth. I am sure there are many parents who have children that died, who hold the same thought of a great sense of loss.

I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone, I felt it was a fantastic read and it is like a history book come to life. It is a wonderful present to give to any parent and I feel Rory did that by copper fastening his parents’ story.

Come Dine With Me

Starter

Chicken Satay

3 chicken fillets

1 oxo chicken cube

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp pepper

Cup crunchy peanut butter

2tbsp oil

1 scallion

20g brown sugar

2 cloves crushed garlic

200ml coconut milk

½ lime (juice)

1 tbsp red curry paste

Cut the chicken fillets into cubes and place in a roasting tin. Heat oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 6.

 Drizzle honey over the chicken; add soya sauce, chilli powder and pepper. Dissolve an oxo cube in 100ml of hot water. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven, it will take approximately 30 minutes to cook.

Heat oil, wash and chop scallion. Add to the pan along with three tablespoons of water. Add in peanut butter, sugar, garlic, and coconut milk. Add soya sauce and mix well. Keep stirring until it forms a sauce consistency. Serve the peanut satay sauce hot with the chicken.

Note: I made the mistake of pre cooking the chicken. When I tried to re-heat it I really burned the bottom of the chicken, I blame the oven for that one J

Main course

Baked Chicken Mozzarella

2 chopped garlic cloves

1 can crushed tomatoes

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp oregano

3 chicken fillets cut into cubes

¼ tsp brown sugar

2 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp vinegar

¾ cup of breadcrumbs

1 cup of mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp melted butter

Heat the garlic and oil together over a medium high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar and pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens this will take 10-12 minutes approximately. Taste sauce, adjust seasoning if required, cover and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Whisk together mustard, vinegar and pepper in a large bowl; add chicken pieces, tossing to coat well.

In a separate bowl, mix together bread crumbs cheese and melted butter. Transfer to a shallow plate. Pop in the chicken pieces and cover them with the breadcrumb mixture. Place on an oven baking sheet. Place in the middle of the oven and cook until golden brown and cooked through, approx. 30 minutes.

Serve with boiled pasta ladle over the sauce.

Note: I served this chicken dish with boiled potatoes with melted butter and a dash of sweet chilli sauce, on reflection potatoes really do not compliment the dish and pasta would be a better fit. Be careful when heating the garlic there is a fine line between soft and burned...I learnt the hard way.

Desert

Chocolate and Pine Nut Roulade

20g pine nuts

110g melted butter

225g icing sugar

75g melted milk chocolate

1tbsp boiling water

4 eggs

11g brown sugar

110g self-raising flour

25g hot chocolate

Mix the icing sugar and butter in a bowl, keep stirring until it is fully mixed. Add icing sugar, water and melted chocolate. Keep in the same bowl and cover with cling film. (This will be used for the filling and coating the outside of the roulade).

Place grease proof paper on a baking sheet, pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. In mixing bowl beat eggs and sugar. It should become light and aerated. Gently fold in flour and hot chocolate with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Ensure the mixture is evenly spread over the tin, tilt it from side to side and use the back of a spoon. Place into the middle shelve of the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes until the sponge is well risen and springy to touch. This should then be taken out of the oven, carefully prise it away from the grease proof paper and let cool down.

Take out the butter icing and spread it on one side of the sponge and sprinkle on some pine nuts. Gently and evenly roll the sponge from the longest side.

Spread the remaining butter icing on the outside of the roulade. Decorate with the pine nuts. I got a handful and dabbed them onto the sides.

Bon appetite!

Note: I cooked this the night before and it was perfect the next day, it also relieved a bit of pressure. Milk chocolate can be substituted for dark chocolate. Personally, I prefer milk chocolate although dark chocolate gives it a better richer colour. I served this with vanilla ice cream and strawberries.

Hearing Impaired Older Person

This report was created for the Care of the Eldery course

Project

Background and Introduction

Michael is a seventy year old retired Soldier. He lives with his wife Ann who works as a Teacher in the local secondary school. They have one adult son James who is married to Hannah, they have two young children. They come to visit Michael and Ann on a weekly basis. Michael is physically active and walks a mile every day.

Michael suffers from a moderate hearing impairment. It was caused by both his age and work related (noise induced) hearing loss from years of shooting with little or no hearing protection being used. This means that Michael experiences difficulty hearing others speak especially if when two or more people are talking.

Psychosocial Impact

Michael’s hearing loss deprives him, his family and friends of easy communication. Hearing loss has affected his ability to speak clearly because his own voice sounds distorted and this is an additional impediment to communication. He has a sense that others seem to mumble. This has resulted in him being embarrassed to use the telephone and he shy’s away from socialising. He also has difficulty hearing the TV and radio. Due to a lack of being able to communicate he displays and expresses the following emotions: loneliness, frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger.

Michael feels that his relationship with Ann has been negatively affected because they can no longer have long discussions/conversations and debates. This important part of their relationship no longer exists. Michael feels he is under a lot of strain but feels powerless to change because of his lack of communication.

He also feels ignored by his grandchildren because they are still too young to fully understand the full repercussions of his hearing impairment.

Maintaining independence is critical; Michael naturally does not want his lack of hearing to interfere with his day to day living. He could learn to lip read

He could take a bus trip to Dublin to visit Collin’s Army Barracks Museum (he is entitled to a free pass on the bus as he is a pensioner).

He could be encouraged to visit the day care centre where he could meet other people and do activities such as cooking, reading, art, etc.

Improving Interpersonal Relationships

The Home Carer should be encouraged to talk to Michael. She was afraid that if she spent more time talking to him she would be labelled a dosser or lazy. She should be encouraged to talk to him as much as possible and that it is a part of her role as a Carer which is valued by both Michael and the Home Help Company she is employed by.

Michael needs to be looked at as a whole person not just at his disability. From his time as being a Soldier in the Army Michael is used to getting up at 6am daily. He should be encouraged to keep up this routine if he wants to and not have to change it to suit the needs of others. The Home Care Company could be contacted in order to change the Carer’s start time from 9am to 6am to facilitate Michael’s personal requirements. This means his preference and wishes should come first and foremost out of respect.

Michael could be encouraged to physically interact with his grandchildren by taking them along on his daily walks or he could play soccer with them. When these two options are not suitable due to poor weather conditions they could play the wii together. This will help them improve their relationship as it will not be based purely on the ability to communicate. They are also great forms of exercise.

Specific Recommendations

I envisage that this information will assist Michael’s communication with people he comes into contact on a daily basis. Ultimately, it will improve his social interactions. The following are some simple techniques that can be used: (It is important to note that talking should be encouraged first before moving on to other forms of communication).

Ø  Direct Communication

·         Gain Michael’s attention and let him know that you wish to communicate with him;

·         Face him and talk clearly;

·         Do not shout;

·         Turn down the volume of the television, radio and block the talk of any other person in the area;

·         Ask him to point to what he needs or wants; he will develop a repertoire of pointing for such daily items as the television remote, newspaper, eye glasses, radio etc:

·         Rephrase a misunderstood sentence;

·         Use facial expressions or gestures to give useful cues;

·         Move away from background noise;

·         Stand in the light facing Michael;

·         Do not obscure your mouth with a cigarette or hands and do not chew food while speaking;

·         Offer a pencil and paper. While writing a message, do not talk, a hearing-impaired person cannot read a note and your lips at the same time. Prompt cards could be used and he could be given a board;

·         Include Michael when talking, talk to him not about him, when you are with others. This helps keep Michael from feeling alone and feeling excluded;

·         Ask Michael what you might do to make conversation easier;

·         Be patient, understanding, stay positive and relaxed;

Additional recommended Actions

It is also important that Michael knows his rights and ways to access services. His local Public Health Nurse should be the first point of call.

He could use telephone amplifiers or pictorial signage

Could use subtitle for the English version on the television by pressing 888 on the remote.

There are many different types of hearing aids available. Michael’s General Practitioner or an Audiologist will be in a better position to advise the most appropriate one which will be determined after a hearing evaluation. AM and FM and infrared amplification devices transmit sound directly from the speaker or other source to the listener, thus reducing interference caused by background noise.

Effective Implementation of Health and Safety Measures

Health and Safety challenges faced by the hearing impaired can seriously affect personal safety.

1.      Position a light/strobe light over his bed in case there is a fire as he will not hear the alarm. Plan and practice the escape route once a month.

2.      Amplify phone ringer signaller to alert Michael to the phone ringing.

3.      A motion detector/transmitter will notify the resident of unusual motion such as an intruder.

4.      For carbon monoxide there is a silent call detector with a visual alert.

5.      Keep a telephone next to the bed along with emergency numbers and hearing aid (if necessary).

Summary

First and foremost, Michael wants and needs to feel that he is accepted by his family and the wider community. At this present time he feels cut-off due to his inability to communicate effectively with others. As a result, he has become depressed and is not making any effort to communicate as he feels it is pointless.

The suggested recommendations are primarily to increase his communication levels. This in turn will have a very positive effect on his personal relationships with Ann, his family, friends and others. It will also allow him the freedom to socialise and develop stronger social bonds.

References

Course notes: Care of the Older Person

www.medlineplus.com