South Ogden Fire Department
When the stranger first walked through South Ogden Fire Department’s doors, Battalion Chief Clinton Miner had no idea that encounter would change the future of his department’s training.
The stranger was a business development manager with CareerCert. As the two began discussing South Ogden FD’s goals and training challenges, Battalion Chief Miner began considering new solutions for his department.
“The biggest challenge for our department was organization,” Battalion Chief Miner says. While South Ogden FD provided educational hours at the station, it was difficult to ensure the firefighters received all the training they needed to fulfill recertification requirements.
Many of the firefighters accessed additional training online or through other organizations. About this training, Battalion Chief Miner notes, “Another challenge was quality of content. When crews were accessing training on their own, some of the content wasn’t accredited or went against some of our protocols.”
Battalion Chief Miner needed a way to keep his department organized, compliant, and prepared to best protect South Ogden against loss of life or property.
And CareerCert offered the perfect solution.
Engaging, Quality Education
Battalion Chief Miner vividly remembers his reaction when he first attended a CareerCert course. His first thought was, “Oh no. Here we go.” The instructor was past middle-aged, and Battalion Chief Miner expected to hear the same tired lecture he had heard countless times before.
But the content caught him by surprise.
“It was actually really, really well done,” Battalion Chief Miner says. “The presenter added humor and made the hard things that you find in textbooks seem interesting. I was very impressed. The technology and material are up to date and it was very interactive.”
When switching from in-person to virtual training, Battalion Chief Miner worried the education might not be as personable or effective. His fears were quickly allayed. “I found I could get more out of the courses and pay better attention online,” he says. “This platform helps hold each individual accountable, and the content is updated all the time.”
He adds, “We don’t have to force everyone to come in on a Tuesday at 9 o’clock. When they are ready to learn, when they are fresh, then they can do it. That has been very beneficial, and I think people have gotten more out of it because of that aspect.”
Noticing a Difference
With over 300 online courses his personnel can access on CareerCert, Battalion Chief Miner no longer worries about his personnel finding the quality, accredited courses they need to fulfill state and national requirements.
In addition, his personnel can receive critical department-specific information at their fingertips.
Together with South Ogden FD’s medical director, Battalion Chief Miner will assign specific courses for his personnel to review using the CareerCert platform. “Then, if there is anything I want to add or the medical director wants to add, we can do that with notes and streamline the education,” he says. “It is phenomenal. It helps our team be more organized but also get this education done in a timely manner and an effective manner.”
Battalion Chief Miner began noticing the impact CareerCert’s training had on his personnel almost immediately. “The first couple of topics that we sat down as a training division and assigned to our crews really helped our personnel. I saw how they applied what they watched, what they studied, to their day-to-day work,” he says. “I have noticed in their reporting and charting how they have applied verbiage and education that I know they have learned from CareerCert.”
Increasing Organization, Decreasing Stress
About his experience with CareerCert, Battalion Chief Miner shares, “My favorite part about CareerCert is that it has made my job and our department’s education so much easier. I can put more energy into actually training our personnel.”
From assigning training to tracking completions, Battalion Chief Miner notes how CareerCert’s online tools make it simple to stay organized and up to date. “It is super user friendly,” he says.
With CareerCert, South Ogden FD has been able to stay compliant by providing its personnel with EMS certifications, emergency vehicle operations training, and more.
No matter what training his department is working on, Battalion Chief Miner knows he has support from the CareerCert team. “The customer service with CareerCert has been phenomenal. If I have a question, I can email my point of contact and I hear back within minutes. They understand the culture in this area and also the national culture, too, to make everything streamlined—from state certifications to the national registry certifications.”
He adds, “I know that if I have a question that it is going to get answered very quickly and that we are going to be taken care of, and that has really helped my stress levels.”
About his experience overall with CareerCert, Battalion Chief Miner says, “It has been very worth it. We have better organization and accountability, and we see that through patient care and reporting.”
