Retained Training Compared to Wholetime

[Airze]

What retained training was like compared to full-time, for those who did the actual retained not full-time training? As I know it's split into evenings generally for those who have a job in the day etc. My local brigade do it mostly through evenings and only one actual week during the day etc.

[TandA]

It is going to be very dependent on the service you join.  A new on call recruit here does 11 days on pumps, ladders and the equivalent of 5 follow up days on RTC.  Assuming they pass the assessments at the end of that, they can ride as a 5th rider.  They then do another 11 days BA and hot fire to ride BA and a 3 day guidelines, 2 days PPV and 2 days trauma course to complete their basic courses.  That works out as 34 days in the first 18 months or so.  Of course drill nights are extra to all this.

[HB2016]

It is as @TandA says, going to vary wildly.

In my service you will do an 8 day Module A course, consisting of pumps and ladders. Once you complete this, you are able to ride.

With the following modules in no particular order - as and when they come up and you can make them:

Mod B - BA course 2 weekends followed by two weeks, covering BA, live fire and tac vent. Not sure about guidelines as our RDS no longer allowed near them.

Mod C - Immediate emergency care. 5 days

Mod D - RTC 5 days.

With drill nights compromising of the MOC scheme and your development booklet and a 'development firefighters' night once a month (in lieu of a drill night).

The basic content is the same as the wholetime minus the exercises. The main benefit to the wholetime is that they get to put all of the things they've learned into practice at mock up scenarios which helps bring it all together.

However, most trainees weather RDS or WDS are as useless as each other when they rock up on station 😉😂 (I'm kidding!)

[Airze]

Thanks for that 👍🏻

[Oncall-Newbie]

So i finished my initial training 8month ago now for “on call” 

I did initially 

• 2 weeks comp & basic skills 
• 2 weeks BA
• 2 days PPV
• 6 days RTC
• 4 days Trauma care 

On Run from that, then obviously booked on for further development such as water rescue, pumping etc in coming months

[Highlander]

The exact requirements depend on service, but Scottish F&R are as follows:

• 2 weeks comp & basic skills 
  • You can go to incidents, but not counted as a "number"
• 2 weeks BA
  • You can now wear on a job with a competent FF
• 1 day working at height
• 1 week RTC
• 2 days trauma care

That bulk should ideally be done in the first year. But not 100% essential. You have competency assessments at Y1, Y2 and Year 3 is your final competency assessment.

On top of that you could do:

• 1 week LGV
• 1 week Blue light driving