Clear communication on the fireground is critical for effective fireground management and firefighter safety. A breakdown in communication can lead to delays in operations and inefficient uses of resources.
Although communication principles and practices have improved over time, communication issues continue to be cited as contributing factors in fire scene fatalities. As with any skill that helps fight fires, proper communication skills benefit from practice and ongoing training.
This program will discuss effective radio communications utilizing the incident command system, outline best practices for radio communications, and review why these best practices should be used for all communication among fire crew members, and with other departments or agencies, including dispatch.
Featuring: Alan E. Joos, EFO MS, (ABD), FIFireE
Interior Structure Fires
An interior fire attack is an offensive strategy that allows firefighters to fight the fire at its source, giving them the greatest chance of extinguishing the blaze at its earliest stage.
However, an interior attack on a burning structure poses significant threats to firefighter safety, exposing firefighters to risks such as flashover, backdraft, structure collapse, and exposure to flame, intense heat, and toxic gases.
This program will cover the essential elements of an interior fire attack, including scene sizeup, entry, hose line advancement, and critical safety considerations.
Featuring: Bob Leonard, Fire Captain San Jose Fire Department
Utilities Shut Off
When arriving at the scene of a structural fire, firefighters need to quickly assess any circumstances that represent a threat to their safety or the safety of fire victims during fire suppression operations. This includes assessing the status of any utilities connected to the structure. Ignition of a gas line or electrocution from an active source of electricity
can result in injury or even death to a firefighter or citizen, while flooding from an uncontrolled water source might cause excessive damage to a structure. The primary focus of this course is to review why and how utilities should be shut off prior to fire suppression or rescue operations at the scene of a residential house fire.
Featuring: Reginald Freeman, MS, CFO, FIFireE, Assistant Fire Chief, Hartford, CT
Vertical Ventilation – Pitched Roof
Removing heat and smoke through vertical ventilation is an effective fireground tactic when safely and properly executed by well-trained crews. Understanding why, when, and how to open roofs for ventilation, combined with hands-on training and practice, will lead to greater confidence, efficiency, and safety on the fireground. This program is intended to strengthen the firefighter’s understanding of roof construction and procedures for vertically ventilating a pitched roof.
Featuring: Captain Scott A. Gray Ladder Co. 13 Seattle Fire Department
RTG Rapid Fire Progression and Suppression
This course aims to address what the fire service can do to put water on the fire faster, and in the most effective way possible, to prevent hostile fire events. More specifically, how to deploy fast water, when and where to apply water most effectively, communication on the fireground to ensure a coordinated attack, and that smart firefighting does not mean being risk averse.
RTG Fireground Predictions (Part 3): The 360
During a structure fire, a 360 provides critical intelligence as firefighters initiate and develop an emergency response strategy. More importantly, the risk to firefighter safety increases significantly when there is a missing or incomplete 360.
Yet these processes are rarely codified in fire department policy or training and practice varies within and between departments. This training will establish a regional standard for structure fire 360s that will lead to better informed tactics and improved interoperability throughout the region.