Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Captain Bill Gustin will be teaching the workshop “Intelligent Firefighting” at this year’s FDIC.
This thought-provoking workshop will examine how changes in building construction and design, increased fire loads, recent research on fire dynamics, and reduced fire company staffing may call for a change in some traditional firefighting tactics. Learn why one of the biggest mistakes a small and understaffed fire department can make is to try to emulate and operate like a big city department. The workshop will examine why it is a rare event when any action on the fireground takes priority over getting water on the fire. Also, directing a stream from the outside when an interior attack is delayed is always better than allowing a fire to burn out of control. Several fire case histories will be reviewed to identify and avoid the most common “Mayday” situations and to see that wind-driven fires are not just a high-rise hazard. Students will also learn factors to consider in an ongoing size-up and learn why a red flag should go up when size-up from inside and outside a fire building are not in agreement. This is for command officers, company officers, and firefighters aspiring to be company officers.
BILL GUSTIN is a 41-year veteran of the fire service and a captain with the Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department. He conducts firefighting training programs in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. He is a lead instructor in his department’s officer training program, is a marine firefighting instructor, and has conducted forcible entry training for local and federal law enforcement agencies. He is an editorial advisory board member of Fire Engineering and an advisory board member for FDIC. He was a keynote speaker for FDIC 2011.
MORE BILL GUSTIN
- Structural Firefighting Q&A: Bill Gustin on Hoselines in Multi-Family Occupancies
- Changes in High-Rise Buildings: Is It Time to Change Your Procedures?
- Hoarder House Fire
- Miami Warehouse Fire
- Fire Tactics for Attached Garages
- Avoiding The Hazards of Overhangs
