Evaluation of Fire Service Command Unit Trainings

The lack of routine and training of command units and emergency managers is among the main causes of suboptimal decisions and could lead to serious consequences. To ensure optimal standards of emergency management training, specific and valid evaluation tools are needed—but are lacking. Thus, the pr...

Verfasser: Thielsch, Meinald
Hadzihalilovic, Dzenita
FB/Einrichtung:FB 07: Psychologie und Sportwissenschaft
Dokumenttypen:Artikel
Medientypen:Text
Erscheinungsdatum:2020
Publikation in MIAMI:13.04.2021
Datum der letzten Änderung:13.04.2021
Angaben zur Ausgabe:[Electronic ed.]
Quelle:International Journal of Disaster Risk Science 11 (2020) 3, 300–315
Schlagwörter:Command post exercise; Command staff; Crisis management; Emergency management; Rescue forces; Vocational training evaluation Forschungsprojekt FIRE
Fachgebiet (DDC):150: Psychologie
Lizenz:CC BY 4.0
Sprache:English
Format:PDF-Dokument
URN:urn:nbn:de:hbz:6-97099500930
Weitere Identifikatoren:DOI: 10.1007/s13753-020-00279-6
Permalink:https://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:6-97099500930
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Onlinezugriff:10.1007_s13753-020-00279-6.pdf

The lack of routine and training of command units and emergency managers is among the main causes of suboptimal decisions and could lead to serious consequences. To ensure optimal standards of emergency management training, specific and valid evaluation tools are needed—but are lacking. Thus, the present study’s purpose is to validate instruments for the evaluation of tactical and strategic leader trainings, in particular command unit trainings, based on survey data of n = 288 German Command Unit members. Resulting questionnaires were named “FIRE-CU” (Feedback Instrument for Rescue forces Education – Command Unit) and “FIRE-CPX” (Feedback Instrument for Rescue forces Education – Command Post eXercise scale). Results of confirmatory factor analyses show a good fit for the postulated four-dimensional structure of process scales in the FIRE-CU (trainer’s behavior, structure, overextension, group), for the two-dimensional structure of outcome scales in the FIRE-CU (self-rated competence, transfer), and for the one-dimensional structure of the FIRE-CPX. Further, strong evidence is found for reliability as well as for convergent, divergent, and concurrent validity of both the FIRE-CU and FIRE-CPX. Implications for research and practical application are also discussed to enable broad applicability in various educational programs for public security and crisis management.