Addison County Regional Fire School

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