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I took on the training officer role for Brecon Mountain Rescue in 1994, and expectations of a training officer were very different. Every six months I would produce a training timetable that listed general subject matters for our weekly training and a location for the monthly session. I would then allocate a team member to run the session, and what/how they covered the session was up to them. The concept of training records was ‘relaxed’ and standards were fluid.
Through the following years expectations from within the team, the national body and partner agencies were changing. In 2009 a team member, produced a basic training platform that would help keep track of the ever-growing list of training required by the team. We were now training in nationally recognised training qualifications so keeping adequate training records on a spreadsheet, in an increasingly professional organisation, was unrealistic.
Over time, the original platform was no longer keeping up with our needs, I started looking around at what other teams used and was told the software they were using was ‘Okay, but…’. After trialing a few options, Jason, former team member of Brecon Mountain Rescue and currently Chief Architect of TIER, finally agreed to create a new SarTIER to suit our needs in 2016.
Training, incidents, equipment and reporting
SarTIER has delivered a dashboard designed to meet our specific needs, providing team members with comprehensive information about their training, incident details, and equipment.
For training, the system schedules sessions with details such as date and time, venue location (including links to Google/Apple Maps), facilitator, attendees, and the modules to be trained. This information can be viewed either as a list or in a calendar format.
Training modules are assigned to specific roles, enabling both role-specific training sessions and combined team sessions that acknowledge different roles. The system distinguishes between ‘Attendance’ and ‘Assessment’ definitions, indicating whether a module can be completed merely by attending or if a certain standard must be demonstrated. Additionally, modules can be linked to external resources for online training.
Team members can attach certificates to modules, and each member has access to their certificates from any internet-enabled device. This feature has proven invaluable during inter-agency operations, allowing members to quickly demonstrate their competency in the field.
The administration interface is user-friendly and learns which training sessions are typically delivered together. SarTIER can then predict up to five years of training needs to ensure our team remains operational.
The incident element of SarTIER has been designed to efficiently collect information related to incidents and allows us to integrate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with callouts. This integration reduces the training burden on individuals while capturing activity related to incidents.
In addition to managing all fire protection equipment (FPE), as well as personal and team equipment, SarTIER’s equipment management system offers significant benefits. It links training records to equipment access, enabling restrictions on specialised rescue gear based on real-time competencies.
The maintenance tracking capabilities of the system provide scheduling for routine checks, notifying equipment managers of any damaged or lost items, as well as equipment flagged for maintenance. This feature not only helps prolong the lifespan of our equipment but also ensures that it is in safe working order when deployed in an emergency.
SarTIER includes built-in reports that cover the most common reporting needs, and it also allows for the creation of custom reports based on any information stored within the system. Reports can be generated, printed, or exported in various formats, including CSV, HTML (Excel compatible), Excel, or PDF.
SarTIER’s developers are also willing to integrate their software with our existing incident management systems, such as SARCALL and iSAR, to enhance autonomy. Additionally, they offer onboarding services for our data to streamline the transition to their platform.
In conclusion, the shift from paper schedules to sophisticated software like SarTIER has not only saved me and the team in Brecon MRT countless hours in administrative tasks, but has also enhanced our operational readiness.
In 2018, MREW Peer Review described our record keeping on SarTIER as ‘highly developed’. It’s now time that we help share it’s capabilities with the rest of the SAR community. As we continue to embrace these technological tools, we are confident that with our commitment to saving lives comes an ability to demonstrate a high level of compliance and standards in our management of training, equipment and incident record keeping thanks to SarTIER.
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