A fire department does not know when it will have a line-of-duty death or serious injury. Does it have aplan in place? Are personnel records current? Does the department know how to make timely and propernotification to the survivors? Fire chiefs and survivors tell us that most fire departments are not preparedfor a line-of-duty death. “Taking Care of Our Own” provides specific information and valuable insights.

A fire department does not know when it will have a line-of-duty death or serious injury. Does it have aplan in place? Are personnel records current? Does the department know how to make timely and propernotification to the survivors? Fire chiefs and survivors tell us that most fire departments are not preparedfor a line-of-duty death. “Taking Care of Our Own” provides specific information and valuable insights.

This course deals with the basic construction of cars, vans and pick-up trucks and how to safely take them apart using hand tools and some small power tools – not hydraulics. Airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners, hardened steels and other aspects of modern vehicles are discussed along with a basic discussion of hybrid vehicles. Field work will consist of proper stabilization, window, door and roof removal techniques, and seat, steering wheel and dash displacements. The majority of vehicles will be on their wheels for this class. This is a full weekend 2-day course, both Saturday and Sunday. Full turnout gear, NO SCBA, is required.

Course Overview

This course provides foundational and advanced training in fire communications for emergency dispatchers and fire responders. Through real-life examples, discussions, and scenario practice, participants will learn to effectively manage fire service communications from call intake to incident resolution.

Learning Objectives

Understand the lifecycle of a fire call from intake to dispatch.

Differentiate between calltaking and dispatching functions.

Apply proper radio etiquette and terminology.

Identify and overcome common communication challenges.

Discuss effective scene size-ups and maintain clear incident communications.

Coordinate mutual aid responses efficiently.

Appropriately utilize and request dispatch resources.

Demonstrate learned skills in simulated scenarios.

Each year, we continue to lose approximately 100 firefighters in the line of duty. Running out of air after becoming lost and disoriented, while performing a search, is the second leading cause of firefighter deaths and injuries while operating on the fireground. Most of the time the event occurs in the first 20 minutes of being on scene and is associated with the stretching of the initial handlines. The search of a burning structure is a firefighting basic and falls into the category of subject areas that firefighters should spend a majority of their training time.

Modern environments deal firefighters a much different look than what environments presented thirty, twenty or even ten years ago. This session will review the basics of conducting primary and secondary searches in today’s structures. The changing dynamics of contemporary structures and the challenges they pose to response personnel will be discussed. The modern day environment is poses more problems than are addressed in an ordinary firefighter book. We have to look at the ever changing products and materials they are made of. Training and strategies for performing and managing effective and efficient searches under extreme conditions in contemporary structures will serve as a focal point for this dynamic and challenging program combining lecture and complex tactical scenarios for learning application. 

As the job of firefighting changes, performing aggressive searches for trapped occupants is becoming more of a high risk potential. The subject areas of risk versus benefit analysis and size-up are directly related to the effectiveness of search efforts on the fireground. This power packed program will focus on their importance but will try to concentrate on the actual operations and hazards faced by firefighters on a search operation once committed to the interior.

Day 1:  Lecture in AM and

Skills and Practical in PM

Day 2: Scenarios in AM

Students:

Need to be firefighter 1 or signed off by chief 

Have full PPE with SCBA and spare cylinder

This 2 day class is an introductory course on the basic theory and operation of centrifugal pumps. The course is designed to instruct the student in the various aspects of operating a pump, including the use of primers, relief valves and the various controls on a pump panel. The class will also touch upon some aspects of friction loss, relay pumping and flowing water to both hand lines and master streams. Topics will also cover working from both a draft and pressurized systems. Each student will be given an opportunity to use the skills learned during actual pumping conditions. 

Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday will be in the field in order that participants can get hands on experience in the operation of pumps.

PPE: Bunker Gear. No SCBA.

In this presentation, we will review the seven drug categories, providing examples of the types of drugs that fall under each category, and delve in-depth into understanding the clues and indicators of drug/alcohol impairment that a Firefighter may encounter at scenes they respond to. At the conclusion of the presentation, there will be time for a Q&A.

This 2 day class is designed for rookie firefighters and cadets who have not taken Firefighter One.  The course will help you become knowledgeable and helpful on the fire scene. The course will cover: Ladders, Hose loads, Ropes and Knots, Hose Streams and Hose handling, hand tools, PPE, changing air tanks and helping at staging.  The course will be classroom and hands on.

PPE: Bunker Gear. SCBA if possible.