A success story – embedding research into training

For all those people out there who may be thinking “where does all this research go? What happens to it? What do we do with it?” Well, here’s a story of what happens....

Two of the research projects from the first seven years of the Bushfire CRC were Safe Behaviour and Decision Making, led by Dr Mary Omodei of Latrobe University, and Enhancing IMT effectiveness and organisational learning, led by Dr Christine Owen of the University of Tasmania.

In addition to research publications, the research teams, with the support of the Bushfire CRC, produced a number of Fire Notes in an effort to make the research more approachable to a broader audience of people in our industry.  Both Mary and Christine have been actively engaging with end-users through presentations, seminars and professional development workshops. And industry has responded in possibly the most lasting way possible – by embedding the pertinent research findings into national industry training.

I won’t paraphrase – the following is a word for word extract from the January AFAC newsletter:

New AIIMS training resources kit

The new AIIMS Training Resources Kit (TRK) has been completed and will be available in early February 2012. The redrafted AIIMS TRK incorporates learning from significant events, recent changes and enhancements to the system of AIIMS, and forms a key strategy in building understanding and awareness of the principles of AIIMS. It is a robust resource for training personnel in the application of the system across all hazards.

A significant component of this new TRK is the inclusion of the research findings from the Bushfire CRC. These findings have resulted in five additional sessions being included in the Kit to address the topics of:

1.         Human Factors and Incident Management

2.         Opening up the Lines of Communication

3.         Incident Information

4.         More Thinking

5.         Leadership and Teamwork

The TRK contains a diagnostic test of the theory underpinning the principles of AIIMS, Facilitator Guides, Participant Workbooks, a Slideshow and an Assessment resource. Within the Participant Workbooks are case studies, practical exercises and assessment activities.

A copy of the new AIIMS TRK is now available to purchase through the AFAC shop online.