WFSTAR, Facilitator Tips & Tools

Facilitator Prerequisites

Lead Facilitators (Must be at least Single Resource Boss qualified)

Responsibilities:

• Reviewing the module video and Module Tools
• Reviewing the additional resources for the module
• Identifying & use necessary equipment, materials, and supplies
• Recording attendance/ensuring input into IQCS
• Determining the appropriate amount of time needed to
  • Meet agency requirements for refresher hours
  • Include ALL Core Components of refresher
  • Facilitate a module
  • Sufficiently practice fire shelter deployments

Unit Facilitator (Must be at least Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) qualified)

Responsibilities:

• Reviewing the module video and Module Tools
• Reviewing the additional resources for the module
• Identifying & use necessary equipment, materials, and supplies
• Facilitate quality discussions/scenarios

Facilitating a Fireline Refresher

YOUR GOAL:

1. Lead a quality refresher by engaging all students through meaningful discussion no matter their qualification or firefighting experience.
2. Meet the objectives of each module being taught.

Classes with a wide array of experiences and qualifications can provide an excellent mentoring opportunity for the less experienced and for the more experienced to rethink old habits. But to facilitate a refresher well, you will need to spend some time to prepare.

Preparation

• Review the module resources and video (when supplied) prior to delivering a class
• Become familiar with the classroom space and practice the technology
• Prepare any handouts, flipcharts, or visuals used in the module
• Know your audience
  • What are their incident management roles?
  • What agencies and regions are the audience from?
  • What questions might you anticipate from the audience?

Equipment and Materials

This is a list of equipment and materials that you will need to facilitate a RT-130. If there are additional items needed, that will be in the Module Tools section below the videos you choose.

• Desktop computer, laptop, or tablet with:
• Internet
• Ability to download modules from WFSTAR website
• Ability to play media files
• Large screen or projection device for classroom visibility
• Flip chart(s) or dry erase board with markers
• Facilitator Guide available within Module Resources on the module page
• IRPG (Incident Response Pocket Guide) for each student
• Sign-in sheet/training documentation form
• Optional: New Generation Fire Shelter video, NFES #2711
• Optional: The New Generation Fire Shelter booklet, NFES #2710
• Optional: Materials for games which may be utilized to enhance refresher

Tips

• Answers to questions should align with the standards, policies, and guidelines. Good idea to have an IRPG and Redbook handy during the refresher.
• Ask open-ended questions to facilitate a deeper discussion. Questions in a closed-ended manner typically result in either a “Yes” or “No” answer
  • Example:
    • Closed-ended, “Do you think it will rain?”
    • Open-ended, “What is the likelihood we will see rain today? Why?”
• Establish some ground rules and also ask the class for ground rules.
  • Example:   “What is said in this room stays in this room.”
• Participation is key! If you are talking more than 40% of the time, reduce your talk time and make more time for audience participation.
• After asking a question, wait 10 seconds for responses
• Asked to be mentored by a respected, experienced facilitator

Module Summary

The module summary is a valuable moment to reinforce why the module information should be important and relevant to the students.

Summarize a module by:

• Reviewing the key points of the refresher
• Asking the students to summarize why THEY thought the information was important to them
• Asking for questions
• Providing ideas for continued self-development on the module topic