Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the FireRescue1 industry report, “What Firefighters Want in 2026: Time to Train.” Explore our full coverage in the What Firefighters Want resource hub.
Every fire department says the same thing: Training is a priority. It shows up in mission statements, gets emphasized during promotional processes, and becomes a talking point in staff meetings and conferences. And to be fair, most departments genuinely believe it. The intent is there. The expectation is clear.
But when firefighters were asked what would actually make training easier, both on duty and outside the department, their responses were simple, direct and consistent. The most common answer was just one word: “TIME!”
Time to train
Approximately 60% of respondents identified lack of time as their biggest barrier to training — a response might seem almost too obvious, but it carries weight when you look at the volume and tone behind it. Firefighters aren’t saying they need better ideas or more motivation. They’re saying the day is already full. Among the EMS calls, inspections, maintenance, reporting requirements and everything else that fills a shift, training doesn’t get ignored because it isn’t valued. It gets pushed aside because something else takes priority in the moment.
When one respondent said, “MORE TIME IN THE DAY!!! MORE DAYS IN THE WEEK!” it wasn’t sarcasm; it was frustration. That frustration reflects an operational reality where training is constantly competing with immediate demands — and immediate demands usually win.
Staffing challenges
That lack of time is closely tied to staffing, which 45% of respondents put in their top three training barriers. Many departments are operating at or near minimum staffing levels as a baseline, which means every person on duty is essential to maintaining coverage. In that environment, stepping away to train isn’t just a scheduling decision, it’s a risk calculation.
Respondents repeatedly pointed to this issue in their comments, noting that “better staffing” or “additional staffing” would allow crews to take apparatus out of service long enough to complete meaningful training. Without that flexibility, training becomes something that has to fit around operations instead of being treated as part of operations. The result is predictable: Crews stay available. Training gets shortened. And over time, it becomes inconsistent or incomplete.
Dedicated training time
Even when time is carved out, another challenge quickly emerges: interruptions. Firefighters understand that calls come first. That’s the job. But the cumulative effect of constant interruptions is that training is rarely completed in a meaningful way. Respondents described starting drills only to break away for calls, sometimes multiple times in a single session. What would make it better? “Being able to focus on the training, and not having to interrupt training for routine calls.”
What’s left is a version of training that feels fragmented. Instead of running a full evolution from start to finish, crews are piecing together parts of it whenever they can. That might check a box, but it doesn’t build confidence in complex, high-risk situations where continuity matters. Real incidents don’t pause halfway through. They don’t reset. And when training never gets the chance to mirror that reality, its effectiveness starts to erode.
That’s why one of the strongest themes in the responses was the need for dedicated, uninterrupted training time. Firefighters weren’t asking for less responsibility or fewer calls. They were asking for intentional space to train the way they actually operate. Multiple respondents emphasized the importance of being able to go out of service for the duration of a drill and stay out of service long enough to complete it properly: “Take the crew out of service to conduct training!”
That request can be uncomfortable for departments, especially those already stretched thin, but it highlights a larger point: Training isn’t just another task on the list. It underpins operational readiness and supports everything else the department is expected to do. If crews never get the chance to fully engage in it, the long-term risk shifts from temporary coverage gaps to potential performance gaps on the fireground.
Training realism
Beyond time and staffing, firefighters also pointed to structural limitations that affect training quality. Access to facilities, props and realistic training environments came up repeatedly in the responses, and 33% of respondents identified this as a key training barrier. After all, there’s only so much you can simulate in a parking lot or apparatus bay before the training starts to lose its connection to real-world conditions. “We need more training props or actual training facilities,” one respondent stated.
Towers, live-fire props and scenario-based environments provide a level of realism that can’t be replicated through discussion or demonstration alone. When those resources are limited or unavailable, training becomes less immersive and, over time, less effective. It’s not that firefighters won’t engage, it’s that they recognize the difference between going through the motions and building meaningful skill.
Budget pressure
Funding is the backdrop to many of these issues, whether it’s directly acknowledged or not. Training requires resources, and resources cost money. Overtime, backfill staffing, facilities, equipment and instructors all come with a price tag.
Respondents were direct about this, citing budget as an ongoing training barrier — “More funding and call coverage.” When budgets tighten, training is often one of the areas that gets reduced, sometimes gradually and without a clear decision point. The department still values training, but fewer resources are available to support it. Over time, that gap becomes more noticeable, especially when expectations remain the same but the ability to meet them declines.
Culture and leadership
Some firefighters expressed frustration with leadership priorities, noting a perceived lack of support or emphasis on training: “We need the chiefs to actually give a damn about training.” But when viewed alongside the other themes, it becomes clear that this isn’t just about attitude or messaging. Culture matters, but it can’t compensate for structural barriers. A motivated crew still needs time, staffing and resources to train effectively.
Leadership also plays a critical role, not just in setting expectations, but in shaping the conditions that make those expectations achievable: “We need better organization and support from admin.” That means looking beyond reminders and directives and focusing on removing the obstacles that consistently show up in feedback like this.
External training time
When the conversation shifts to external or non-departmental training, the same issues appear again, but with added complexity. The most common response for what would make external training easier was funding: “Budget cut reduces training opportunities.”
Unlike in-house training, external opportunities often come with significant costs, including tuition, travel, lodging and the need to backfill positions while personnel are away. For many departments, especially smaller or rural ones, those costs create a barrier that limits participation. That reality forces departments to make decisions about who gets to attend and how often, which can lead to uneven access across the organization.
Compensation adds another layer to the issue. Many firefighters noted that external training often takes place off duty, meaning participation requires a personal investment of time without guaranteed pay or reimbursement. Some are willing to make that investment, but not everyone can, especially when it involves travel or multiple days away from home. “Compensation/reimbursement for our time would greatly incentivize our members,” one respondent noted.
Over time, that dynamic can create disparities in training and development, where access depends as much on personal circumstances as it does on professional need. If the goal is to build a consistently trained workforce, relying on individual sacrifice isn’t a sustainable strategy.
Time continues to be a factor outside the station as well. Attending external training means balancing work schedules, family responsibilities and, for volunteers, full-time employment. Even when funding is available, finding the time to attend can be just as challenging. That’s compounded by travel distance, which several respondents identified as a significant barrier. Long drives, overnight stays and extended time away from home all add to the commitment required. In some cases, the opportunity itself isn’t the issue. It’s the logistics surrounding it: “We need more time off!”
Finding solutions
Bringing training closer to departments, increasing regional opportunities, or expanding online and hybrid options can help reduce some of the barriers tied to travel and scheduling. These approaches don’t replace hands-on training, but they can supplement it and make professional development more attainable for a broader range of personnel. In a field where consistency matters, expanding access can have a meaningful impact on overall readiness.
One of the more overlooked themes in the responses was awareness. Several firefighters noted that they simply aren’t aware of the training opportunities that exist. In an environment where information is constantly moving, it’s easy for announcements, emails or postings to get lost. Without a clear and consistent way to share opportunities, access becomes limited not by availability, but by communication. Compared to funding or staffing, this is a more manageable problem, but it still requires attention. Creating centralized, reliable ways to distribute training information can help ensure that opportunities reach the people who need them.
Taken together, the respondent feedback about training barriers spotlights a consistent message: Firefighters are not asking for less training or lower expectations. They are asking for the conditions that allow them to meet those expectations. Time, staffing, funding, access and communication all play a role. When any one of those pieces is missing, training becomes more difficult to sustain. When several are missing at once, it becomes nearly impossible.
Key takeaways
The takeaway for departments isn’t complicated, but it does require a shift in perspective. Training isn’t something that happens after everything else is done. It has to be built into the system in a way that acknowledges the realities firefighters are describing. That might mean rethinking how time is allocated, how staffing models support or limit training, or how resources are prioritized. It might mean making difficult decisions about when and how to take units out of service. It might mean investing in facilities, instructors or new delivery methods. None of those solutions are easy, but they all move in the same direction.
Ultimately, firefighters want the opportunity to train in a way that reflects the job they’re expected to perform. They want the ability to focus, to complete what they start, and to build confidence through repetition and realism. They want access to opportunities that don’t require sacrificing their personal lives or financial stability. And they want training to be treated as an essential part of the mission, not something that happens if time allows.
