Online Training

LIVE ONLINE TRAINING!

We are now offering our traditional open-enrollment classes online, plus we can now deliver the high-quality customized training for your department on a contract basis remotely.

For the contract classes, attendees can participate as a class on a large screen, in small groups at various firehouses, or even individually on a computer, tablet, or even a smartphone (social distancing). Because the classes are live, questions can be asked and answered real time!

Classes can be customized subject-matter wise and time-wise to meet your department’s needs!

Best of all, training that not that long ago may have been too costly because it could only be delivered live-in-person, may now be within your reach!

Here are some of the topic areas:

Digital Imagery and Social Media Challenges in the Fire Service
Facebook and the First Amendment
Contemporary Legal Issues for Fire Officers
Firefighter Misconduct: the Fire Officer’s Role and Responsibility
Fire Officer’s Legal Toolbox
Leadership Case Studies: Respect in the Workplace
Leadership Case Studies: YCMTSU
Emails, Electronic Communications and Workplace Privacy
Hazing, Pranks and Bullying
Report Writing and Documentation
FMLA
HR issues for Fire Officers

Half-day, one-day and multi-day deliveries are available. Evening and weekendclasses are also possible. Custom topics can also be developed.

For those interested in my two-day classes, they are also available for live online delivery:

Managing Disciplinary Challenges in the Fire Service
Drafting Effective Fire Department Policies and Procedures

Email me at: curtvarone@gmail.com for more information.

Webinars: Advanced Disciplinary Series

Advanced Garrity Issues: Firefighters and the Right to Remain Silent

This program is intended for fire service leaders, firefighter union representatives, HR managers and attorneys who play a role in firefighter discipline. If you are responsible for overseeing firefighter discipline, conducting investigations or representing firefighters accused of misconduct, and you are not sure when a firefighter has a right to remain silent, this program is for you.

This program will dissect the Garrity Rule, explaining it in simple terms. The leading firefighter Garrity cases will be discussed, and copies of the cases will be provided. The reality is that firefighters have a right to remain silent under certain circumstances, and those asking the questions as well as those advising the witness, need to know when. Mistakes – even well intentioned – can cost firefighters their jobs… or worse.

This program may be of interest to those involved with other public employee disciplines including police officers, teachers, and public works, but the discussion will focus primarily on firefighters.

Among what you will learn:

The two aspects of Garrity: How understanding the difference clears up so much of the confusion that surrounds Garrity!
Shades of Grey: Garrity and Off-Duty Misconduct
Garrity and Weingarten: What is the difference and why smart union reps NEVER allow both to become an issue in the same case
How compelled is compelled?

And then there’s California: Spielbauer I, PFBOR, Spielbauer II (if this does not make sense to you, welcome to California)

Advanced Disciplinary Issues: Credibility Determinations

Making a credibility determination is a necessary part of most workplace investigations. The failure to document the grounds upon which a credibility determination is made can compromise the objectivity and fairness of the investigation, opening the door to unnecessary appeals and litigation, not to mention poor outcomes.

This program explains the process for conducting credibility determinations as part of internal disciplinary investigations. Learn what is required so that arbitrators, civil service commissions, the EEOC, and courts will affirm rather than reverse disciplinary decision making.

Investigating workplace misconduct and handling disciplinary matters requires a number of skills, many of which are not developed in a traditional career-path for firefighters. However, these skills are not beyond the capabilities of most firefighters, and are easily acquired. Conducting an effective credibility determination is one of those skills.

How do we assess the credibility of witnesses? Whether we admit it or not, we are constantly making credibility determinations. We typically make these determinations subconsciously, in a manner that can leave us unable to explain why we believe one person and not another. When we couple those subconscious determinations with a negative impact to a firefighter (be it not investigating a firefighter’s claim of harassment, or punishing a firefighter based upon conflicting accounts by witnesses), it can appear we made a bad decision.

Over the years, credibility determination factors have been developed and approved by courts. They offer objective, legally defensible criteria that can be relied upon when making difficult workplace decisions.

What you will learn:

How should fire departments handle the literal “he-aid-she-said” situation?
The three-workplace situations where credibility assessments are necessary
The major credibility assessment tools
Recognizing and avoiding bias in investigations
Proven strategies for evaluating credibility that the EEOC, arbitrators, hearing officers, and courts will accept

Advanced Disciplinary Issues: Toxic Employees

Managing a toxic employee is one of the most difficult challenges an officer will face. At risk are the effects of the employee’s toxicity on coworkers and the workplace, while at the same time the likelihood that the employee will respond with grievances, lawsuits or perhaps by attacking those trying to do the right thing.

The problems associated with toxic personalities transcend the fire service, but our unique culture combined with the realities of public employment make handling toxic employees all the more difficult. Toxic bosses can complicate matters even further. This program focuses on how to recognize and manage toxic employees. Included will be:
• Recognizing toxic employees
• Toxic behaviors and bias
• Common traits that lead to workplace problems
• Legal obstacles: FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and Hostile Work Environment
• Public sector obstacles: civil service, due process and just cause
• Common Mistakes
• Solutions

Toxic employees are a problem. They cost us millions, demotivate the workforce, hurt morale, and divert organizational attention from more pressing issues. It should come as no surprise that disciplinary issues and employment-related lawsuits do not occur randomly among workers. A small percentage of your personnel account for a large percentage of disciplinary infractions, grievances, and civil suits. Let’s take a serious look at how to recognize and manage toxic employees while blunting the impact of their toxic behaviors.

Live Webinar Open-Enrollment Classes: See COURSES tab

EZ SCHEDULE

E-Z Three-Day Delivery

5 ½ hours a day delivered over three days

Eastern 11am-4:30pm
Central 10am-3:30pm
Mountain 9am-2:30pm
Pacific 8am-1:30pm

EZ Four Day Delivery Schedule

6 hours a day delivered over four consecutive days

Eastern 11am-5pm
Central 10am-4pm
Mountain 9am-3pm
Pacific 8am-2pm

EZ 2PLUS2 Delivery Schedule

6 hours a day delivered over four days – 2 days one week (Tues. & Thurs.) & 2 days the following week (Tues. & Thurs.)

Eastern 11am-5pm
Central 10am-4pm
Mountain 9am-3pm
Pacific 8am-2pm

Cancellation and Refund Policy for Online Classes

We all know that sometimes plans must change. If you find you can no longer attend a program, please contact me at curtvarone@gmail.com. Among the options are:

providing a full or partial refund
transferring your registration to a colleague
providing credit toward a future program

If you are seeking a refund, provided you notify me at least 30 days prior to a scheduled event, a full refund will be provided, minus any charges imposed by the registration provider (eg EZRegister), credit card service, or bank. If notice is provided less than 30 days prior to the event, a refund of 50% will be provided unless notice is provided less than 10 days prior to an event in which case a refund will not be provided. An exception will be made in the event that a class is sold out and your seat can be re-filled, in which case a full refund will be provided.

If you cannot attend you can always (1) transfer your registration to a colleague or (2) take a credit toward a future delivery of the same program. No-shows without cancellation prior to the start of class are not eligible for credit.

If a training class is cancelled due to any unforeseen circumstances, the class will be rescheduled and registered attendees will be entitled to attend the rescheduled course or receive a refund, minus any charges imposed by the registration provider (eg EZRegister), credit card service, or bank.

THIS POLICY DOES NOT APPLY TO DISCOUNTED REGISTRATIONS. All sales are final with discounted registrations.

Note: Cancellation policy for live in-person classes will be stated on the registration form.