Ask about the city of Los Angeles fire department and you’d be forgiven if your mind immediately jumped to wildfires. But one of the largest cities in the world has one of the largest fire departments in the world. And LAFD still has to keep its eye on all the other balls, even when wildfires are demanding the most attention.
So you’d forgive Jim O’Conner if his mind immediately jumps to firefighter training, and more specifically, hazmat training. O’Conner is an LAFD training officer with more than 25 years on the job. He sat down with Hazmat Nation to discuss how he delivers hazmat training to keep LAFD’s hazmat team ready for whatever comes their way. And here’s more on LAFD’s hazmat team and its resources.
Describe the type of students you train and the training facilities you use.
We base our training on the specialized curriculum from California’s top training institutes for hazardous materials technicians and specialists. The training takes place at a hands-on facility right by the harbor, where we’ve got real props like rail cars, tanks, chlorine cylinders, and more. With six different setups at the site, it gives our trainees a chance to practice dealing with hazardous materials in real-world scenarios.
How do you mix up the training scenarios so they don’t become predictable or stale?
The scenarios are always changing, keeping things fresh and challenging for our trainees. For example, one day they might tackle a pipe tree with an acid spill, and the next it could be a leak from a drum containing a solid. There’s also basement training, where they practice using a 4-gas meter to handle a carbon dioxide leak scenario. On top of that, trainees get experience with high-risk situations like a third- or fourth-floor tower drill, where they’ll respond to dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in an apartment complex. Each scenario is designed to give them real-world skills and prepare them for anything they might face on the job.
SEE ALSO – HazSim Training Exercise: Propane Leak
What’s the key to best preparing responders to handle real scenarios outside of the controlled training environment?
To ensure the training is as realistic as possible, we base it on real incidents we’ve encountered, where we understand both the outcomes and the reasons behind them. This approach allows us to focus on positive results achieved by properly using the right instruments to identify and solve the problem. A key part of this training is the use of the HazSim device, which helps responders accurately assess and interpret the situation, ensuring they’re well-prepared for real-world challenges.
What is your biggest obstacle when conducting hazmat training?
Effective training requires both time and qualified instructors. We follow the curriculum from California Training Institutes for our technician classes, which means we need to challenge our students while ensuring there are enough instructors to maintain a productive learning environment. With a growing number of students, we’re focused on organizing the region to bring in more instructors. However, like many programs, budget constraints can make this a challenge, and we’re actively working on solutions to address that.
What wicked training problem keeps you up at night?
Not delivering a successful class — when a session doesn’t go as planned or doesn’t meet the expectations I set.
HazSim Training Exercise: Sulfur Smell
What would it take to solve it?
Time. The teacher’s thought process, how you facilitate the class, and logistics. Setting up equipment, ensuring everything is ready for the class, and making sure all the details are in place — like refilling air bottles, repairing suits, and calibrating instruments — all play a significant role. Another key challenge is having enough instructors to effectively train larger groups, such as a class of 24 students. This often means splitting the class into smaller groups, each working through different scenarios. Firefighters, in particular, wear many hats during training, from teaching decontamination procedures to ensuring the proper calibration of instruments. It’s all about balancing these moving parts to create a smooth, productive learning experience.
What devices do you rely on most for realistic training?
For realistic training, we rely on a variety of devices and props to simulate real-world situations. Key among them are our 1-ton props, which provide hands-on experience with large-scale hazardous materials. We also use pipe trees to recreate complex scenarios involving leaks or spills. Props like these are crucial for making training as realistic as possible. Additionally, we partner with businesses, such as refineries, that have the necessary plumbing systems to simulate real industrial environments. Hospitals with liquid oxygen lines and scenarios involving carbon dioxide leaks are also part of our training, helping responders gain experience in diverse settings and better prepare for emergencies.
How, if at all, do you alter training for new responders versus seasoned veterans?
We keep the training consistent for both new responders and seasoned veterans. While a 20-year veteran might already know how to set up an ERG, a newer responder, still fresh off probation, may not be familiar with it. However, regardless of experience level, everyone goes through the same training process. We believe it’s important that all responders, whether they’re just starting out or have years of experience, are equally well-prepared with the skills and knowledge they need to handle real-world situations.
How do you keep the classroom portion of hazmat training fresh?
Don’t take it so seriously, have fun. Challenge the class in a good way and respect the class.
What’s the optimum class size and why?
Twenty-four students with two teams, having each team do different exercises. More students, more suits, more breathers, more masks. Keeping everyone busy with a job.
As a hazmat instructor, what’s been your biggest “ah-ha” teaching moment?
When I followed under the instruction of another. I was trained by a fantastic instructor himself, and watching how he taught made me realize the power of learning from the best. And now I am capable of training others.
What role does technology play in how you teach hazmat and what do you think the future holds for it?
Technology definitely plays a big role in how we teach, but it’s not always our friend. We rely heavily on instruments, and when those instruments fail, it can really throw off the entire operation. That’s why we emphasize the importance of being able to identify a substance’s physical properties, like “What is the chemical on the ground?” We teach responders to have backup plans, especially when they can’t get a reading from their devices. For example, if they can’t get a reading on a liquid, they’re trained to take a sample and perform a chemical analysis using wet chemistry techniques.
While technicians today often rely on advanced instruments, we still make sure they’re grounded in the basics, like wet chemistry, which they’re trained in early on. A crucial part of the course, as required by the state, is a mandatory three-week chemistry module before they even begin training with instruments.