Firefighter training drill by Forest Reeder
As a newly promoted fire officer (or an officer trying to reset or redirect their company), try this handy exercise. You may have a formal process in your organization to help you, but in general, the questions on page 2 will help guide this opening company discussion. Using a role-playing scenario, assume that the next shift or work day that you are to report, you have earned a promotion to the next rank from where you are today.
Scenario: You have just earned a promotion to the next rank. You are scheduled for duty on your next work day and have begun to think about your new responsibilities of your position. You want to develop an outline that details your expectations and standing orders of your crews (Refer to Officer Development drills for more information on these areas.) What you are attempting to define is: What will the first hour of my newly promoted position look like?
Download this firefighter training drill as a PDF HERE.
- Firefighter Training Drill: Officer Development: Standing Orders
- Firefighter Training Drill: Officer Development: Expectations
Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1979. He currently serves as Division Chief of Training & Safety for the Des Plaines (IL) Fire Department. He is a past recipient of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) prestigious George D. Post Instructor of the Year award and has been responsible for the design, implementation and coordination of in-service firefighter training activities as well as a full-service fire training academy program. Forest holds numerous Illinois fire service certifications and holds a Masters Degree in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University.