Firefighter training drill by Forest Reeder
SCBA donning is a skill required of any firefighter assigned to interior or IDLH fireground operations. NFPA 1410 identifies this as a truck company skill, however all members must be trained and remain proficient in this essential skill.
A baseline of 60 seconds or less (NFPA 1001) is referenced, but your department may specify a performance-based evaluation or a faster time for its standard. Work on improving your individual and company SCBA donning skills.
Download this drill as a pdf HERE.
MAD Training and Response Solutions
Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1978 and retired as fire chief of the Tinley Park (IL) Fire Department in 2021. He has worked extensively in the areas of instruction, firefighter safety, and officer development and earned his Master of Science Degree in Public Safety Administration in 2004. He is the author of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer 4th edition (2025) and co-author of Fire Service Instructor Principles and Practices, now in its 3rd edition. Forest presents nationally on fire service leadership, safety, and instructor development. He was inducted into the Moraine Valley Community College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020 and awarded the Distinguished Alumnus award in 2021. In 2008, he received the ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year, considered to be the highest recognition for fire service instructors in the nation.
