Compétences collectives et formation à la conduite d’engins de secours dans un contexte de spécialisation des sapeurs-pompiers en France

• Main Authors: Christine Vidal-Gomel, Catherine Delgoulet, Céline Geoffroy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail (IRSST) 2014-11-01
• Series: Perspectives Interdisciplinaires sur le Travail et la Santé
• Subjects: heavy truck driving; emergency service; collective skills; work activity analysis; training
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/pistes/4289

This study was conducted in France at the request of a regional fire-fighting school. Based on ergonomics and professional teaching approaches, the study’s aim was to carry out a work activity analysis to improve the specialized training of drivers of heavy rescue vehicles working in emergency situations. Interviews, video recordings of emergency departures, and self-confrontations were conducted. We showed that driving a fire truck is a multidimensional, collective work activity and identified different driving strategies which are organized by the pragmatic concept of “driving fluidity.” These strategies made it possible to achieve the twofold goal of an emergency departure : arriving as fast as possible and avoiding road accidents. The results highlighted the limits of the current training program and the pitfalls of the drivers’ specialization.