DHS Emergency Responders Use Plateau for Critical E-Learning Initiatives

  • Aug 14, 2007

Plateau Systems, a provider of talent management software, content and services, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) United States Fire Administration (USFA) is now running Plateau's talent management solution to support its National Fire Academy (NFA) training efforts for fire and emergency responders. Powered by Plateau's learning management system (LMS), the NFA's Web-based online training system,NFAOnline, (www.nfaonline.dhs.gov) maximizes the training and education experience for external users, while extending collaboration and information-sharing throughout the fire and emergency services community.

Through its courses and programs, the NFA works to enhance the ability of fire and emergency services and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and all hazard emergencies. Plateau Learning's closed-loop process enables the NFA to fill performance and development gaps with targeted learning activities, and provides centralized training delivery and tracking for an increasing number of online courses, including "Incident Management ICS 100 and ICS 200," "Emergency Response to Terrorism" and "EMS Operations at Multi-Casualty Incidents." With Plateau, NFA can extend its distance learning initiatives beyond the walls of the NFA campus and expand its curriculum to include digital information and materials, thereby increasing training opportunities for users.

NFAOnlineprovides an easy-to-use, one-stop Web site where fire and emergency services personnel and the general public can access free training and education programs to complete at their own pace. The primary effort ofNFAOnlineis to make training and materials available for the fire service, particularly those preparing to attend resident courses in Emmitsburg, Maryland. By hosting distance learning courses throughNFAOnline, Plateau Learning provides NFA the opportunity to train students anywhere, and at any time. With Plateau's robust LMS, NFA can track student completions and assign course content to targeted learning groups.

By implementing Plateau, USFA is supporting DHS' strategic plan for a common LMS platform across the Department. DHS previously deployed Plateau Learning to deliver and track training for the Department's internal audience (DHS' employees), and now USFA is using the fully hosted solution to train its external audience (fire and emergency responder personnel). Plateau provides DHS with a "one-stop shop" with a common look and feel for training the entire "Preparedness" community.

"NFA's extensive training programs are critical for reducing the effects of fire and hazard emergencies," said Paul Sparta, Chairman and CEO of Plateau. "As a blended learning tool,NFAOnlineeffectively compliments and augments the Academy's popular resident course line-up and expands the Academy's independent study web-based distance learning courses. By supporting the Academy's traditional resident and distance learning training courses, Plateau is extending NFA's training programs and improving the delivery of state and local fire and emergency services across the nation."

As an entity of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the mission of the USFA is to reduce the costs in human lives and to avert the economic losses incurred as a result of fires and related emergencies. Through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support, USFA serves the nation independently, coordinating its efforts with other Federal agencies and in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities; and, with a commitment to excellence, USFA provides public education, training, technology, and data initiatives in this vital area of public safety.

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