(Photo by Tony Greco)
In this collection of firefighter training drills, Forest Reeder takes a look at the various roles and responsibilities that fall to the incident safety officer on the fireground.
Even if you are not the designated safety officer for your fire department, almost the entire content of the drill will apply to officers and firefighters alike.
After an incident safety officer identifies a hazard, it must be evaluated in relation to how urgent the management of the hazard is.
This training drill puts you in a face-to-face meeting with the incident commander (IC) and asks you to establish an understanding of a number of incident factors.
Drill: Monitoring Incident Communications
This installment discusses the importance of monitoring radio communications as an evaluation tool of imminent and potential safety hazards.
Drill: Monitoring Scene Operations and Conditions
This drill will discuss some basic incident scene and operational hazards that need to be evaluated.
Safety Officer Drill: Incident Communication Red Flags
Firefighters are asked to review the sample incident communications and complete the questions based on their experiences and options.
Drill: Monitoring Crew Progress
What observations and information do you need to monitor the progress of crews working at an incident?
For the safety officer, exterior operation duties have specific hazards that extend beyond establishing and protecting collapse zones.
The incident safety officer can perform several critical safety observations relating to time.
Drill: When Is a Safety Officer Due to Respond?
Fire department policy and procedure should identify specific types of incidents in which a safety officer is due to respond or should be assigned by the IC.
Drill: Safety Officer Responses
Qualifications for the safety officer need to be defined as part of your policy but, in general, the safety officer must be trained to at least the same level of those who are operating at the incident.
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.
