A special version of the Linton Staff Ride (LSR) is held each year for CFA people from all over the state who are part of the Captains Peer Mentor Program (CPMP).
The Linton Staff Ride provides an opportunity for participants to walk in the shoes of those involved in the Linton fire, which claimed the lives of five Geelong West firefighters - Matthew Armstrong, Jason Thomas, Chris Evans, Stuart Davidson and Garry Vredeveldt in 1998.
It is one of the most powerful learning experiences available in CFA.
The staff ride includes a frame-up session to familiarise participants with the tragedy, followed by a facilitated field-based exercise to re-visit the site of an incident to learn lessons for the future.
During the field-based exercise, participants stop at multiple checkpoints (called Stands) where they are exposed to the decision-making process of those involved in the original incident.
They are then presented with the factors that may have influenced decision making at the time. This helps to bring into focus details that might normally be overlooked.
During the staff ride, participants were exposed to the real experiences and emotions of those involved.
The staff ride uses experience-based learning to enhance participants' decision-making capabilities based on a real-life operational situation.
Along with the learnings from the staff ride, CPMP participants were also given time to network and learn from their peers.
This year's group included an Operations Manager, a Commander, and a VST staff member.
