Request for help-RE: Command Simulation Training

November 22, 2008

Dear Fire Service Colleague;

I am presently researching command simulation training and command training centers.

I am a Fire Captain with the San Jose, California Fire Department.

I am also a student at the National Fire Academy (NFA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The NFA is part of the United States Fire Administration, which is under the Department of Homeland Security.

I am enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer Program, which is a four year program. This program requires its participants to attend four specific courses over four years at the NFA. After the completion of each course participants are required to write an applied research project (ARP) for submission to the NFA. The ARP is similar to a Master’s thesis.

I am presently writing this ARP for my recently completed fourth year course, Executive Leadership.

If possible, would you please complete a web-based survey regarding command simulation training and how your agency uses this type of training and/or has implemented a command training center/officer development center. This will assist me answering one of my research questions for this project: What knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) are developed or reinforced by command training center (CTC)/simulator environments? How do KSA’s developed in CTC/simulator environments correspond to the specific KSA’s required for each level of fire professional? How do other industries use simulator environments to develop or augment professional KSA’s? What national standards and/or recommendations exist for fire command training center/simulator development? How are the KSA’s developed by simulators evaluated beyond the actual simulation?

You may access the survey via the web-based survey company, Survey Monkey at the following access link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=K1tDc_2bGXKbvAnVNv19vMpA_3d_3d

Any information you can offer will be of great help to my department and for the fire service.

I can be reached at 510-325-6016 or at allisoncabral@yahoo.com. Please complete your entry by December 6, 2008. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Allison J. Cabral, M.S., EMT-P
San Jose Fire Department
Fire Captain, Engine 35 B
Bureau of Field Operations