The Brigade Training System (BTS) is a national program intended as a means of providing the opportunity for the Brigade member to:

• maintain a minimum standard of expertise in keeping with the expectations of the public served by the Brigade;
• undergo an annual evaluation of skills and knowledge which will show areas of strength as well as areas which need study and improvement;
• gain increasing levels of skill and knowledge in keeping with the interests and abilities of the members and the requirements of the local community in which the member serves.

The BTS is designed as a cyclical process which provides for the acquisition of skills by Brigade members in an efficient but flexible manner. The entire cycle of training can be carried out during divisional training meetings. However, the program can be adapted for delivery in other ways, such as: on weekends, home study sessions, combined training sessions with other divisions, or training carried out by other levels of the organization.

Training Levels

There are four levels to Brigade Training, each one different in some ways from the one before it.

• Level 1 is the basic training cycle, consisting of all aspects of the traditional subjects of Standard First Aid, Health Care and Level C Basic Rescuer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. This is considered as the minimum retained standard of expertise for all Adult Brigade members wishing to perform independent unsupervised patient care service. Although members are encouraged to develop their skills and expertise as far as they can, Level 1 training remains the basic required standard for all members.
• Levels 2 and 3 provide for a review of the basic skills and set out the standards for optional advanced training which may be undertaken to meet the specific requirements of divisions or members. Level 2 and 3 training is based mainly on the Association Advanced Level II course and, in the case of Brigade divisions, may be carried out in whole or in part on a modular basis.
• Level 4 consists entirely of Brigade Specialized Training Modules, each one carrying its own prerequisite qualificaions, performance standards, requirements for certification and recertification, and regulations for application. Oxygen Administration is an example of a Level 4 subject.

What kind of examinations take place?

As in any good training program, there are built-in checks as you go along. The CPR component will be "tested" at the time that it is learned. The formal testing process for the BTS is called the Brigade Assessment Process (BAP). To maintain your status as an independent patient care provider, you must successfully complete the BAP for Level 1 in each calendar year. If you hold qualifications at a higher BTS level, you will take the BAP for the appropriate level.

How does the brigade assessment process work?

Your Training Officer will organize the BAP at appropriate times during the training cycle. The BAP consists of two stages. The first is a comprehensive theoretical test consisting of questions identical to those used by the Association, but covering all of the BTS material in the same general order as it is presented in the BTS.

The second stage is an individual objective practical assessment in which you will deal with a patient situation. Your performance will be assessed using the total patient care concept. The testing standards and all the required materials are set by National Headquarters and issued through the Provincial Training Officer.

What if i m not successful at the BAP?

Don t Panic! You will have another chance. However, it is important to find your areas of weakness and work on them. You do this with the help and advice of your Training Officer. Together, you set up a suitable remedial learning process. Arrangements will be made for you to try again. If you do not successfully complete the Level 1 (or higher) BAP in a given year, you will not be permitted to perform independent patient care service, until such time as you are successful in a Level 1 BAP. Provided that you do hold a valid Standard First Aid certificate, you may accompany another (Level 1 or higher) qualified member on assignment under their supervision.

There is no set limit to the number of times you can retry the BAP, but there will obviously come a time when you and your Training Officer will want to discuss your future role in St. ohn with the Division Superintendent and/or other Officers.

What is meant by "independent patient care service"?

"Patient Care" service assignments are those assignments where the Brigade is present for the purpose of responding to situations involving illness or injury. These make up the majority of what the Brigade in Ontario currently does. "Independent" refers to the situation in which a member is detailed as an individual to take responsibility for a patient care assignment or part of an assignment where there may be no other qualified individual present.

What type of certification and recognition accompany the BTS?

There is a St. John Ambulance certificate for each level of the BTS. Each year that you complete the BTS and BAP successfully, a Brigade Training System certificate is issued, indicating the date of issue and the level of the BTS and BAP completed. The certificate is considered valid for the year in which it is issued and for the following year.

The level of certification is indicated on the Brigade uniform by the wearing of a coloured pin. You wear the pin indicating your current level of qualification only while holding a valid certificate as described above.

Is the BTS Level 1 certificate equivalent to Standard First Aid?

Yes, and more. The BTS Level 1 certificate exceeds the requirements for a Standard First Aid certificate and it replaces the Standard First Aid certificate for Brigade members. The certificate carries a written statement to this effect. For members who require a Standard First Aid certificate for other purposes, it is possible to make application for a certificate. They are not routinely issued, and there may be a small fee for this service. The CPR component of the BTS carries its own, separate certificate, as applicable.

What happens to members who do not have access to divisional training?

Keep in mind that the BTS and BAP are designed to ensure the competence and confidence of the vast majority of Brigade members, the ones who provide the basic patient care services to the community. For these membrs at the Divisional level, the regular divisional meetings provide the opportunity and the mechanism for completion of BTS and BAP Level 1 requirements.

For members whose roles in the Brigade are purely managerial, administrative or supportive, it may not be necessary for them to do any more than maintain a Standard First Aid certificate, realizing that these members will not be performing any patient care service.

For non-divisional members of the Brigade who need or wish to maintain a BTS/BAP Level 1 qualification, there are several ways in which this might be done, depending upon local circumstances:

• attend training sessions at a local division
• attend specially packaged training sessions provided by Area
• complete comparable training through other means and "challenge" the Level 1 BAP

How does a member "challenge" the BAP?

First, let s be clear that the "challenge" option is an exception to the rule, and that most Brigade members will qualify through the normal Brigade Training System and BAP. If you wish to challenge the BAP, approach your Training Officer. If your Training Officer decides that your qualifications are equivalent or superior to the BTS Level l, arrangements will be made for a Comprehensive Challenge Assessment (CCA). The CCA consists of a full battery of theoretical questions and a minimum of three practical scenario assessments encompassing all of the major skills of the BTS Level 1. The estimated time to complete a CCA is three to four hours. You may attempt a CCA only once in a calendar year.

The only level of the BTS/BAP which may be challenged is Level 1. In order to achieve accreditation at BTS Levels 2 and 3, a member must complete the training with a Brigade Unit.

Do my additional St. John and other qualifications count for anything?

Certainly! Remember that the basic requirement for all Brigade members performing independent patient care service is BTS/BAP Level 1, regardless of other qualifications. Additional qualifications (Instructor, Advanced First Aid, Ambulance Officer, Registered Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Physician, etc.) are recognized and valued in their own right in addition to the Basic Level 1 BTS/BAP qualification.

Instructors

Instruction for various aspects of the BTS is carried out by suitably qualified individuals. Instructors may include the following:

• Qualified First Aid, CPR and Health Promotion Instructors
• Nursing Professionals
• Physicians
• Ambulance Officers, Emergency Care Specialists
• Respiratory Technicians
• Other suitably qualified professionals