BY KEN BRENNAN
So, you’ve been assigned to deliver an instructional program. Now what? How can you make your presentation most effective? Where do you begin?
If the program is to be presented outside your department, you must establish specifics such as the program’s objectives, the curriculum to be followed, the expected number of attendees (for safe and meaningful instruction, it may be necessary to schedule more than one program depending on the number of participants anticipated), and any needed prerequisites (usually protective clothing and SCBA; prior training; insurance coverage; and compliance with local, state, and federal requirements). You can arrive at a better understanding of what will be needed if your initial meeting (or telephone conference) includes, in addition to the host department’s contact individual, several other members of the host department. Firefighters in the field may have a different perspective than the officers.
THE CONTRACT
The written contract or setup may vary from organization to organization. Some may list very broad objectives; others may break down every objective into enabling goals. Still others will list only the title of a stock program. More and more, contracts for instruction in the areas of hazardous materials, confined space rescue, technical rescue, and the like contain basic similarities; the local instructional objectives are met by addressing the jurisdiction’s site-specific issues.
Resources needed for the program generally are listed in the contract, usually in the form of a laundry list of the big-ticket items needed to run the program. (The suggested resources for specific programs are discussed below.) Don’t take anything for granted. Cover all areas that could affect the quality of the learning experience and instructors’ and students’ comfort. On one occasion, I took for granted that the classroom would be heated and did not bring it up during the initial meeting. When I arrived early to set up the room, it was pretty cold. By the time the station was sufficiently heated, the class was over. Since then, I always mention it. It could take three hours or longer to adequately heat some facilities-one of the things you don’t learn in instructor’s school.
TYPES OF RESOURCES
Resources can be broken down into the following areas:
- curriculum and student handouts;
- classroom facilities and audiovisual support;
- mobile equipment: fire apparatus, support vehicles, cascade service, and so on;
- personal protective equipment, team equipment, and technical equipment;
- training site(s);
- assistant instructor(s) and support personnel; and
- pre- and post-technical information.
PREPARATION
The program must be promoted. Notices may be posted on bulletin boards throughout the host department, and announcements may be sent to local newspapers and cable stations.
Host department members should be given enrollment priority. If openings still exist after department members have enrolled, the classes can then be opened to other departments and companies. In my area, combining several mutual-aid companies or departments that work with each other regularly has worked well. Training together fosters better communications, familiarity, and trust. All participating companies and departments should be involved in the setting-up process and given an opportunity to discuss their concerns and desired objectives.
INSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS
To formulate an appropriate program, you, as the lead instructor, must get a good sense of what the company or department is doing. During the meeting/conference call, ask questions pertaining to the types and levels of training the members have received and will need to effectively deliver services. Ask what these services are. Consider also demographic issues such as the size of the jurisdiction, the size of the population served, response and staffing levels, and the character of the community (urban, suburban, rural, or wilderness, for example). This information is needed to ensure that the educational program developed will meet the host department’s desired objectives. There have been occasions when programs developed and presented according to criteria established in the host company’s contract turned out to be “not what the chief wanted.” Discussing these topics should eliminate misunderstandings.
Next, determine which resources the host organization will provide and those for which you will be responsible.
SCHEDULING
Schedule the program in accordance with member availability. A volunteer or call department may necessitate that classes be scheduled for weekday nights and weekends, whereas a program may have to be presented to each suppression shift in a paid department. Flexibility in scheduling is the key to ensuring maximum attendance. As an example, scheduling options for a 16-hour program include offering four four-hour night classes; two four-hour night classes and one eight-hour day class; or two eight-hour day courses.
Following are some observations pertaining to specific instructional areas that have helped make my classes more meaningful and safer.
Fire Attack
Training in fire attack or suppression operations usually takes place in a fixed smoke or burn building or in an acquired structure. The fixed training facility, particularly the newest generation of burn facilities, lessens preparation time considerably. Operations in a well-built and -managed building should be conducted using standard operating guidelines that cover all safety considerations. Planning for safe operations in an acquired structure while burning the building from room to room takes much more preparation time.
In the northern New England area, there is no shortage of property owners willing to give their structures to the local fire department for training purposes. Many property owners now find that it is quite expensive to get rid of that old farm house or shack on the property on which they want to build. Many fire departments don’t have the time or resources to support the number of owners who want to donate buildings. It’s now common to charge a fee to cover the costs of personnel to conduct the burn and maintain staffing for day-to-day operations. My department asks for $5,000 for an average 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot structure, after the property owner has obtained all necessary permits and has abated any hazards present on the property.
Regardless of where the training is conducted, it’s mandatory that only those who have had the prerequisite training be allowed in the smoke or burn building or acquired structure during training evolutions. The preburn checklist would be the same whether the students are seasoned firefighters or recruits on their first burn, even though the needs may be different.
Considerations
It is critical that you thoroughly review National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1403, Live Fire Training Evolutions-1997, to establish all of the requirements applicable to your live burn.
The following items apply primarily to acquired structures; however, some are applicable to fixed facilities as well.
- Site selection and hazard assessment. When using acquired structures, survey all exposures and abutting properties. Concerns of the owners of the abutting properties may prevent you from using the structure for training. Other factors that must be considered include the following: proximity to other structures; the creation of smoke conditions near facilities that can’t be evacuated or that will obstruct visibility in the area; proximity to utility wires, particularly cable television trunk lines and fiber optic telephone lines; suppression water runoff into nearby wetlands; and insufficient water supply. All necessary paperwork and releases must be signed.
All utilities must be disconnected and secured by the appropriate companies.
Notify area residents of the upcoming operation through door-to-door canvassing; it is also a good idea to place a notice in the newspaper or to have it announced over the radio or television. Before the event, explain to area residents, in a letter, issues such as the discoloration of their water (give the reason and the length of time) and the drifting of smoke over to their properties. This notification will give residents with health concerns enough time to plan to leave their residence for the day. Some departments give residents gift certificates to area restaurants.
- Water supply. You must have sufficient water available to handle the tasks involved. Many organizations will burn room to room over a period of time in acquired structures. This can be tricky. Plan the burning, overhauling, Class A foam application, and security operations to maximize safety and the training opportunity. Again, calculate the fire flow needed for the operations. A redundant water supply is needed during the fire attack phase and, depending on exposures, during the final burndown.
For one of my department burns, contingency plans included having an additional water tanker/tender available. Construction crews were excavating alongside our primary water line; a misjudgment on the excavator’s part could have taken out our water supply.
- Hoselays. Choose the site, and position the apparatus so that it is safe to park and the hoselays will be reasonable.
- Climate. Consider whether the burn operation could be instrumental in causing a wildland fire. If the burn site is in an area that interfaces with the wildland, the burn will have to be postponed or cancelled if the prevailing climatic conditions could precipitate a wildland fire. My department has had to postpone scheduled burns because of the high fire danger. Consult with the Forest Service, which uses a scale to determine the degree of the fire danger: The scale runs from one to five, with five representing the greatest danger level. In situations where the delay in scheduling the burn will interfere with the initiation of the construction project for the burn site, the owner may withdraw his permission to the fire department and have the structure demolished by a contractor. If required in your area, be sure to obtain the necessary burn permit(s) from your local fire warden, state forest ranger, or other designated agency.
Building Preparation
Physically preparing a building for suppression operations is time-consuming; however, it can add to the learning experience. Removing carpeting and vinyl flooring, undercutting the chimneys, venting the vertical and horizontal openings, breaking up heating vessels, and the like are good training activities for recruits. Tanks containing fuels (oil, propane, and kerosene) must be drained and properly disposed of by trained professionals. Survey the area around the structure for wells, leach fields, belowgrade storage tanks, previously filled-in cellars, and other hazards that could trap firefighters or cause apparatus to get stuck or fall belowgrade.
Safety
All participants must have the required training. Check gear to ensure that it complies with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and is operationally ready. Garments must be intact and have no holes, no signs of degradation, or any other damage. All components must be in place-footwear with sufficient tread, gloves and backup gloves, helmets, hoods, personal lighting, and SCBA and PASS devices that have been inspected and are operationally ready. (Refer to NFPA 1403.)
A five-to-one student-to-instructor ratio is recommended for suppression operations. Additional instructors will be needed, including a safety officer.
The operation must be conducted within an incident command or incident management system framework; safety must be paramount. Developing standard operating guidelines based on NFPA 1142, Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting-1999; NFPA 1403; NFPA 1410, Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations-2000; NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program-1997; and NFPA 1561, Emergency Services Incident Management System-2000 as a foundation would be a good start.
The safety officer must draw detailed floor and plot plans and list primary and secondary means of egress; this information should be presented in the safety briefing.
It is critical that all students and instructors walk through the structure prior to conducting evolutions.
Fire attack and backup lines must come off separate engines and water supplies. A third handline(s) should be charged and ready to go and be kept in reserve so it will be available to move up if the training exercise does not go as planned.
Check all companies’ radios before the firefighters enter the building to ensure that the radios are working properly and that everyone is ready to go. There have been occasions when the fire had been ignited and the companies weren’t ready for attack.
Rapid intervention companies are now more commonplace on the fireground and for other situations in which firefighters may need assistance to egress. The training ground is just another opportunity to practice these skills if the need arises.
APPARATUS TRAINING
Here, training in fire apparatus means comprehensive training as opposed to training given at the company level. Giving members a brief demonstration and explanation of a fire pump so they understand what’s going on isn’t comprehensive training. Generally speaking, apparatus training is broken down into the following segments:
- Familiarization with the apparatus in general-the power train, the transmission, the electrical system, and so on.
- Basic and advanced fire pumps-theory and practical applications.
- Basic and advanced aerial operation-theory and practical applications.
- Apparatus driving-routine and emergency operations, positioning, and so on.
These programs are typically delivered by larger fire department training divisions and county, regional, and state fire training organizations. The format of these programs is pretty straightforward; you need to follow the regular routine for all programs.
Use only apparatus that’s mechanically sound and that has been maintained and tested per the applicable NFPA standard. Select hydrant and drafting sites, the building for positioning apparatus (aerial), open areas for emergency driving programs, and so on. Conducting the practical portion of emergency driving courses at unused airfields or airports works very well. Keep in mind that drafting in the wintertime may be hampered by problems such as ice that is too thick to cut through to sink a sleeve or by inaccessible dry hydrants.
Use standard curriculum packages, or create a program based on local needs such as Pumps 1, Pumps 2, Basic Aerial, and the like. When preparing for a class on aerial apparatus, I make it a point to obtain the latest information to ensure that the students will be able to operate the apparatus in their department as safely as possible, regardless of whether the apparatus were built by companies still in business or no longer in business. It doesn’t matter if the apparatus is a 30-year-old tiller or a six-week-old tower ladder. There are some really old aerials in service in the Northeast; many of their manufacturers are no longer in business. Sometimes, the operating manual has little to no information, or the manual may have been lost. I obtain the information by contacting maintenance, refurbishing, design engineering, and retrofitting companies.
I also call manufacturers of recently delivered, brand-new aerials to see if there are any safety concerns and to follow up with any questions the purchaser-department may have. Today’s apparatus have new electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems never before available. A number of students in your classes will have to be trained on these new gadgets instead of in the “water in, water out, throttle up” school. There’s something to be said for blending these two schools of thought.
I have seen instances where operators of new aerials were able to switch to aerial power even though the jacks were a foot in the air or had been undermined. The instructor must constantly pay attention to and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to correct the situation at hand. Develop standard operating guidelines using NFPA 1002, Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications-1998, and NFPA 1901, Automotive Fire Apparatus-1999.
RESCUE
The rescue area has many disciplines within it, particularly in light of NFPA 1670, Operations and Training for Technical Rescue Incidents-1999, and how it may affect fire service training managers. Here, we will look at Permit Required Confined Space operations (29 CFR 1910.146). This standard was developed to provide the framework so that employees can enter and work safely in these spaces. Some chiefs don’t provide confined space rescue services because they believe private industry must address this problem.
The reality is that employees all over the country enter confined and permit-required confined spaces every day and that some day simple medical aid inside a confined space may become your problem.
Appendix F in 1910.146, effective in February 1999, clarifies issues involving rescue services from on-site and off-site rescue service employers and provides some answers to common compliance questions. The Appendix stipulates that the employer of the entrant(s) must evaluate the prospective rescue team it will use for permit-required confined space rescue. No longer can a business in your community just put 911 on the permit and assume that the local fire department has the ability, equipment, and availability to respond and then assess, set up, access, and retrieve a victim(s) safely in a timely manner.
You can’t just have a nicely equipped medium- or heavy-rescue vehicle and call yourself a confined space rescue team. More and more private industry concerns are reconfiguring their industrial fire brigades or creating new emergency response or confined space rescue teams to address their compliance needs. The bottom line for these proactive companies is that the local fire department has said it will not provide standby rescue services or there isn’t much of a fire department presence outside the front gate of the facility.
Employers who puts their employees into a permit-required space must perform an initial evaluation of the designated rescue team and ensure that they can provide the service. Then the employers must evaluate this team by conducting a performance-based evaluation designed to see if the team can do what it was organized to do. One problem is that some businesses take for granted that the local fire department can provide rescue services, particularly the larger departments. If a business calls the local fire department, it typically finds out it can’t commit those types of resources for day-to-day operations. Employers have several options, including contracting out to a private company or an organized team for standby services for specific entries.
Many fire departments generally say that they will respond and take appropriate action if there is a confined space or a permit-required confined space emergency. This presents an operational and training nightmare for the responders. Many other issues, beyond the scope of this article, are involved in addition to those mentioned below. Within your jurisdiction, there may be countless confined and permit-required confined spaces in which employees could encounter difficulties and may need help egressing.
Spaces and their overall characteristics can be classified as follows: internal configuration, elevation, portal size, and space access (horizontal or vertical). I distinctly mention confined spaces and permit-required confined spaces for the simple reason that a rescue plan is required for permit-required confined spaces and not confined spaces. However, incidents in confined spaces can turn deadly and therefore necessitate the same amount of effort to rescue/recover a victim(s)-for example, if an engineered-in ventilation system in a wet well fails and the entrant isn’t paying attention. Another consideration to remember, even if your department says it doesn’t handle industrial permit-required confined space rescue services, is that you still have many other community-based hazards that may require your services. The local fire department must still assess and plan for things such as a child’s falling into a well or another similar incident. That type of incident will have many of the characteristics of a permit-required confined space rescue situation.
Look at the particular occupancy/industry/process when classifying or assessing potential spaces or hazards that you may encounter. This is important in developing your plans and identifying local training opportunities. The industry aspect is important because each has its own operating anomalies that affect how often your department gets into a space and encounters potential hazards that must be abated. If the employer is on the ball, its employees and subcontractors who enter the permit-required confined spaces would be appropriately trained and equipped. This is not always the case; therefore, the potential harm to entrants and rescuers is increased. Some types of industries for which training programs should be developed include nuclear power, pharmaceuticals, medical research, wood/paper mills, waste water treatment, chemical manufacturing, and petroleum storage.
If you’re in the rescue services business, you need to train in representative types of spaces; however, that may be easier said than done, depending on the type of spaces in your jurisdiction and when they might be available for training purposes. Rescue training typically takes place in the wood/paper mills during scheduled outages for maintenance and cleaning. Also, full-scale brigade training may not be available because production positions must be staffed at all times. If your team wants to train in a mill, contact the brigade, if one is present. If you’re the contracted team, you may have to adjust your training schedule according to the facility’s production schedule.
Many training facilities, such as fire academies, are constructing training mockups to simulate some of the more common confined spaces in which rescuers may have to operate. Although some are pretty elaborate, they are not that expensive to construct. Using donated utility inverts, piping, and other types of vessels, you can construct a safe and challenging training prop. Mobile mockups are also available and may be an option for larger training organizations. They can be constructed or purchased commercially. Training should be done under standard operating guidelines based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 (hazardous waste operations and emergency response), 1910.134 (respiratory protection), 1910.146 (permit-required confined spaces), and 1910.147 (control of hazardous energy-lockout/tagout) and NFPA 1001, Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications-1997, NFPA 1500, and NFPA 1670.
A comprehensive training program takes a great deal of setup time and effort. Depending on the subject and its degree of complexity, many parts must come together for the program to work. Each training program is a learning experience for the lead instructor as well as the assistant instructor(s). Each time you go out, you pick up something that you may be able to share down the road.
KEN BRENNAN, a 21-year veteran of the fire service, is a captain with the City of Dover (NH) Fire and Rescue and the commander of “A” shift operations. He is a New Hampshire- and Maine-certified instructor and a member of the editorial advisory board of Fire Engineering. He is the author of Rope Rescue for Firefighting (Fire Engineering, 1998).
