Why do we train so much?

  I honestly thought about deleting this whole blog, I didn't think people would want to read about what was on MY mind, so why bother.  Then I read one of my own rules.  Awesome is, as awesome does!  On other non-firefighting websites, I've been told I'm a great story teller.  In other venues of my life, I've been told I'm a great leader.  So why delete this blog?  If one person learns something from it, it's worth it.  It's out there on the internet with millions of people that have access to it, but I write it for YOU.  Yeah, I'm talking to YOU.  I don't think about large crowds when I write, I try to connect to the reader.  YOU!

  So I sat down today to take an online course to help me along with my pilot's license.  Holy cow, what a ton of information to absorb.  So I figured the best way to understand that information is training, and I signed up and took the course.  Passed the test with a 100%, thank you!  Then I got to thinking about the process.

Train, train, train. Read, DO, read, listen to others, DO, read, train, train, learn. 
Write that down!  Does that sound familiar?
 
  Sounds a lot like what we do in the fire service!  Down time affords opportunity to train and hone skills!

  If you want to be a Warrior, like I do, then you need to read and follow Chris' site, www.fireservicewarrior.com.  I'm not gonna repeat what he says, just hopefully add to it.  I honestly believe, accept, and live this way of thinking about my duty as a professional fireman.  I can call myself a "fireman", but I do not consider myself a Warrior yet. YET.  Read his blogs, you'll understand.  But, if you want to be a Warrior, or at least a fireman, then the answer is TRAINING.  I keep thinking about the Blackfoot song "TRAIN, TRAIN!", but in a different light.

  So, why DO we train so much?  There is no way in hell I'm going to remember all the things I've learned about in training over 20 years.  I think of my brain as a hard drive on a computer, once it's full, I have to "forget" something in order to learn something new.  I hope I never forget where I live, or something important!

  The answer is super simple, but complicated at the same time.  Your brain stores EVERYTHING you have ever seen and done!  From the time you were born, to the time you started reading this blog, it's all stored in YOUR brain!  How cool is that?!?!!!  Not so fast....

  Unfortunately your brain stores this information into areas that are not necessarily accessible on a moments notice.  Did you ever "know" something, but not know WHY you knew it?  Answering that double Jeopardy! question comes to mind!  That's called Tacit Knowledge.  And it's basically your brain recalling something you've seen or learned in the past, but your brain has stored it in an area that your conscious thoughts can't access, so you get a "gut" feeling about the correct answer.  Ever taken a test in school, and discovered that your first "gut feeling" was right, but you changed the answer and got it wrong?  Tacit Knowledge.

  Let me explain this into a little more detail, an article I read in Fire Engineering is the best way to put it, so I'm quoting the author Richard Gasaway here.  And guess what folks, this ALL falls into SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.  Write that down.

  "Your judgement system becomes more intuitive when you are under stress.  When you are under stress and making intuitive decisions, your brain (at the subconscious level) is scanning all the images you have stored there.  Those images represent the connection of your life's experiences stored in your brain.  Your brain searches these images, looking for a similar experience it can draw on to help you know what to do.  If you have had this experience before (or one similar to it), your brain will identify a pattern match to the previous event, and you will either become consciously aware of what to do (recall), or you will get a gut feeling (intuition) that tells you what to do in ways that you may not be able to explain how you knew it-you just knew it."


  THAT my friends, is Tacit Knowledge!  Have you ever had your life "flash before your eyes"?  That is your brain searching all the images you have stored over the years, looking for a similar situation to give you the answer!  If your brain finds a pattern match, it automatically puts it into your conscious brain, and you have the answer.  If it can't find a match, you think about Grandma's 3rd wedding, and a visual of that is put into your conscious brain.
 
  SO, why do we train so much?  This is the simple part!  Your brain doesn't know the difference between real life experiences, and training scenarios!

  Anything, and everything you see, learn, and do in training is ALSO stored in your brain!  Filed away for future use.  The more times you train on a certain subject, the more pattern matches on that subject your brain has an opportunity to match with when it really counts.  Tired of ladder drills? So am I.  But when it gets right down to it with a citizens life on the line, don't you want to know everything you can about that ladder?  Yup! So do I!

  Like I said before, Situational Awareness is paramount.  This blog falls into that theory, but maybe put a thought or two in your head that gets you over to our way of thinking.  I could go on for days about this, but this is a blog, not a cable TV show.  Think about it, and go train!  Tie some knots, put your SCBA on, know that thing inside-outside-upside down.  Look at the nozzle settings, read your pump manual.  It's ALL good!

  STAY SAFE OUT THERE MY BRUTHAS!  It's a jungle!