Training

Once a volunteer has been signed up under an agreement, they need orientation and training before starting service. Make sure you track how many volunteers you train, the number of hours you spend training volunteers, and the volunteers' accomplishments. This data will be helpful the next time you request resources and funds for training volunteers.

Orientation

An orientation gives volunteers an opportunity to learn about the Forest Service and why their service is important to the mission. As a coordinator, it gives you an opportunity to teach volunteers the importance of safety, how to maintain communications, and how to deal with emergencies. An orientation can range from a one-on-one session to organized classroom training. The topics experienced coordinators feel are important to discuss with new volunteers include:

• Forest Service history and mission
  
  
• Forest Service organization
  
  
• Information about activities on the forest or in the region
  
  
• Volunteer opportunities
  
  
• Health and Safety Code Handbook, JHA, and PPE
  
  
• Emergency evacuation plan (include communication information, such as radio protocol)
  
  
• Timesheets
  
  
• Attendance and punctuality
  
  
• Reimbursement procedures
  
  
• Ethics and conduct
  
  
• Volunteer rights and responsibilities
  
  
• Civil rights information (include diversity, cultural awareness and sensitivity, the Anti-Harassment Policy, USDA Nondiscrimination Statement and the program complaint process, and customer service)
  
  
• Tour of buildings and introduction to employees and other volunteers
  
  
• List of volunteer coordinators
  
  
• Office phone list, contact numbers after normal working hours, and emergency numbers

Some coordinators use a checklist to make sure they have addressed all the items. For an example of a new volunteer checklist, see appendix C.

Skills and Safety Training

Many of your volunteers will need skills and safety training before beginning service (figure 29).

Figure 29—A stream survey lesson at Watershed
Watchers, a Methow Valley conservation education
project for the NatureWatch program. Courtesy of
Becky Studen, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests

Training Plans

Sit down with volunteers and discuss the tasks they will be doing and their current skills (FSH 6709.11). After determining the skills and safety practices they need, develop a training plan.

Finding Training Opportunities

When looking for training, first find out what employee courses are offered in your area. In many instances, these courses will be available to volunteers at no cost. Next, check out the training opportunities available in your community. Many local organizations, colleges, and volunteer groups offer lectures or provide safety training at little or no cost. Some partners that sponsor Forest Service courses in leadership, trail building, and chain saw/crosscut saw certification can enroll additional volunteers from other Forest Service volunteer programs. Some of these organizations have their own curriculums and training centers.

You should also check the Internet for training opportunities. Many organizations have online courses available. If you have long-term volunteers, AgLearn is a good source of training. If none of these training options fit your needs, you will need to design and arrange your own training sessions.

Creating an AgLearn Account for Volunteers

To obtain an AgLearn account, volunteers need to follow the steps below on how to create an e-authentication account and register in AgLearn. The volunteer will need an e-mail account (any type of e-mail account will do), the name of the USDA agency sponsoring the AgLearn account, and the names and e-mail address of their point of contact with the agency.

Training Methods

If you plan to develop your own training, here are a few methods experienced volunteer coordinators have used successfully. Classroom training and evening lectures are easy to arrange and do not require many facilitators. They provide a large amount of information to a group quickly. You can do the training yourself or have other employees and volunteers help out. To make the training more interesting, many coordinators have guest speakers present the training during evening sessions.

Demonstration training allows volunteers to watch experts perform a task before getting a chance to practice it. A set of demonstration stations may be helpful. This type of training allows a large number of volunteers to be trained at once and gives trainers an opportunity to evaluate performance

Scenario training takes advantage of actors and props to stage a scene for volunteers to approach and manage. This training exposes volunteers to a variety of situations they may face and gives them an opportunity to manage situations in a safe environment.

Mentoring is where other employees or experienced volunteers work with a new volunteer over several service periods until the volunteer can serve independently. Long-term volunteers are especially good mentors.

Select mentors who are experienced, knowledgeable, and personable. You also need someone who is patient and has time to work with volunteers. Once the volunteers are trained, you or the mentor will need to stay in contact with the volunteers and occasionally work with them to reinforce standards and safety practices.

Finding Trainers

When looking for trainers, keep your options open. Ask your fellow employees for help to reduce the burden on you. Also ask management to encourage other employees to help you train volunteers.

Experienced volunteers are another good source of trainers. They will see your request as a reflection of your appreciation and confidence in them. Community members are also a valuable source of trainers. Contact local civic organizations, clubs, and colleges.

If you still can't find enough trainers, you might need to hold a train-the-trainers session to get the help you need. You might also need to consider combining your training sessions with sessions for another ranger district or several other districts if the distances aren't too great (this can work especially well for chain saw/crosscut saw training). If one of the districts has free camp sites or bunkhouses available, costs could be kept to a minimum.

Limiting Days and Times

To avoid burning themselves out, many coordinators limit the number of training sessions they offer throughout the year. You may find it tempting to constantly accommodate individual training requests, but you will wear out quickly. Remember, you are the manager of your program and can determine the time, scope, and scheduling of volunteer training. Think long and hard about the number of days you can dedicate to training in a year. If you have only 15 days to train volunteers, stick to your limit. To help accommodate your volunteers’ schedules and allow for maximum participation, make sure you plan ahead and get the word out early. If you have more volunteers than you can train, you may have to consider cutting your program back to a more manageable size.

Experienced coordinators hold the majority of their training sessions during the day. Coordinators have exhausted themselves when they have held too many evening and weekend training sessions—in addition to working a full week. Because most volunteers donate their time during the day, experienced coordinators believe volunteers should be able to attend training sessions during the day. Some training may have to be done in the evenings and on weekends, but training will be more manageable if it is scheduled during the day.

Refresher Training

Many coordinators hold refresher training for returning volunteers. These sessions are short, but remind volunteers of safe practices and protocols. They give coordinators an opportunity to get volunteers up to date on current activities and changes in policies.

Fire Training

Volunteers are not allowed to fight fire, but may attend classes to meet the requirements that allow them to be hired as an administratively determined (AD) firefighter for emergency firefighting.

To receive fire training, volunteers must already be signed up and the training must be incidental to their volunteer assignments. Individuals cannot be recruited as volunteers solely to provide them firefighting training.

Volunteers who are likely to end up in fire positions should have the following statement on their volunteer agreement:

"If the volunteer is converted to an AD firefighter, this agreement will be suspended during that time period. After each period of casual firefighting, this agreement will again be in full effect."

If you have international trainees or visitors, check the current rules to see whether they are eligible for fire duty.

Avoiding Burnout: A Sample Training Program

One of the biggest challenges coordinators face is providing constant training for volunteers. With a wide assortment of volunteers and frequent turnover, many coordinators are frustrated by the amount of time they spend training. They feel all they do is train new volunteers on the same "old" topics. Several coordinators believe the amount of service they get from volunteers does not justify the amount of time it takes to train them.

To overcome these frustrations and to prevent cutting corners, here are some ways experienced coordinators train volunteers without burning themselves out.

Short-Term Volunteers

Many volunteers donate their time for a short-term project such as a trails day (figure 30), seedling planting, or trash cleanup. These projects are task orientated and volunteers need to be trained in specific skills. Coordinators do not conduct training before these projects. Instead, they wait until the individual or group is ready perform the tasks. Then they discuss the following topics:

• Description of the project
• Goals for the day
• Skills instruction
• Proper use of tools
• Safety and the JHA
• PPE
• Emergency evacuation plan (including radio protocol and contact information)

This training doesn't take long, and the entire group is trained at once. Because the training is minimal, the volunteers won't be able to serve independently. You or another supervisor will have to work with them to ensure safety and that the tasks are completed correctly.

Figure 30—A local Boy Scout helps restore wildlife
habitat, a National Trails Day habitat restoration project
for the NatureWatch program. Courtesy of Heather
Hundt, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Long-Term Volunteers

Many volunteers donate their time over the long term (figure 31). These individuals fill regular positions, participate in lengthy projects, or perform regular maintenance. Examples include campground hosts, front liners (persons who are first to contact the public), archeology technicians, and adopt-a-trail workers. These volunteers take more training and require more of your time and attention.

To avoid training burnout, many coordinators have cut down on the number of trainings they hold each year by using a stepped curriculum. Under this program, the volunteers are trained in stages and become qualified to do more tasks as they progress through the training. The volunteers are required to meet the coordinator's training schedule instead of the coordinator tailoring the training schedule to meet all the volunteers' needs. Unfortunately, a stepped program cannot eliminate all of the "on-the-spot" training you will have to do, but it should greatly reduce it.

Figure 31—The former director of the Forest Service’s
International Institute of Tropical Forestry has been
a volunteer since retirement. He assists in retrieving
information from the library and research files and
consults on forestry matters. Courtesy of Elizabeth
(Liza) Hernandez, Forest Service, International
Institute of Tropical Forestry

To set up a stepped program, first develop a curriculum. Usually, the first step is the orientation, which may be all the training some volunteers need before starting service. Most coordinators who use a stepped program hold an orientation session anywhere from once a month to once every 3 months.

The second step of the curriculum consists of mandatory and introductory classes to learn particular skills. For example, a trails program may offer "trail maintenance 101" and "defensive driving" while the OHV patrol program may offer two courses, "good host training" and "OHV operator training." Under the stepped program, these courses are usually offered every 3 to 4 months.

Once volunteers have completed the mandatory and introductory courses, they are qualified to perform some or all of the tasks for the position or project. If volunteers want to continue building skills, they must gain experience at their current training level and sign up for additional courses.

The third and final step in this type of curriculum is reserved for more advanced training. For example, the trails program may offer "trail building" and "chain saw certification," while the OHV patrol may offer "compliance checks." Experienced coordinators who use the stepped curriculum usually don’t offer advanced courses more than once or twice a year.

Additional Resources

There are many different ways to conduct training. For additional techniques and successful programs, check your local library or bookstore for reference materials.