I spent last week in Indiana at a training event for my disaster response job. I am part of the logistics team and my specialty is setting up, maintaining and monitoring the electronic medical records system, the computer networks and the radio communications systems that are used within the team.
On a deployment I tend to operate in what I think of as a “95-4-1” model. 95% of the stuff is easy, 4% of the stuff is “give me a minute to figure it out” and that 1% is the stuff of legends and war stories.
The purpose of the training is to make sure the things that belong in the 95 category actually stay there. Setting up a computer network should be easy, but if this is the first time I’ve seen the equipment, I’m likely mumbling to myself, “#(#@! Where’s the book?” and telling everyone else, “Give me a minute to figure it out”. Training fixes this.
Also, we get together to see if there is anything in the 4 category that happens often enough that it would be worthwhile to update the training so that “whatever it is” gets pushed into the 95 category.
As for the 1 stuff. There really is no training for it. Successfully dealing with the 1 stuff is an attitude combined with knowledge, experience and creativity. It’s the ultimate form of engineering and “fun” and exhausting.
Random thoughts 