Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Captain Rick McCurdy on November 21, 2007 at 9:02am

I picked up a book at FDIC several years ago that is great. It's published by "Fire Engineering" and it's titled "Volunteer Training Drills, A Year of Weekly Drills" by Howard A. Chatterton. It has everything from EMS to Haz-Mat. Check it out.

Permalink Reply by ee779 on November 29, 2007 at 3:08am

We just tried something new tonight and I thought I'd pass it along, because it was fun and involved everyone. We put an officer outside the training room with a picture from Firehouse Magazine, of a fire scene. Had him give a size-up as he would, by radio, when arriving on scene. From his discription everyone in the training room had to draw what they thought he was looking at. Needless to say, there were some very interesting drawings, but it gave everyone an idea of how to look at the "big picture" and describe it in as little time as possible.

Permalink Reply by Moose on December 5, 2007 at 3:46pm

I would like to stress the importance of what a few of you touched on, and thats having drills for the officers too. A lot of the drills are geared for firefighters and the officers are usually just "Hanging out" in the back ground watching, instead of participating. When I was Lt of my old department, I came up with a drill for "Stretching the Initial Attack Line". It was indoors at the station. At the back of our truck room was a door leading to a hall with the radio room, chiefs room, bathrooms, and a closet, than further down into the meeting room. So we laid out a handline in the truck room, and I had each firefighter aproach the door as if it was the front door to a structure fire. HALF of them simply approached and opened the door without "feeling" for heat and they ended up across the street in the neighbors living room. But as Lt. I went through it with them, and had another Lt give me a scenario so I could go through it as well.
Another good one is a "Table Top" discussion with pictures and maps, make up a scenario and have the firefighters and officers discuss what they would do. We have two way radios, like hunters use, that we use for the Fair EMS Booth in the summer, about 16 of them, so we use those as "Portable" radios and we work on the size-up and radio report. Than we practice mayday transmissions.
Good Ideas here!!
Nice group Captain Jenner!!
Moose

Permalink Reply by Oldman on December 7, 2007 at 4:18pm

On those cold or rainy days/nights, or for something different, how about Firefighter Jeopardy? It is played just like the TV game show except the answers are taken from IFSTA, Jones and Bartlet, Delmar, Brady, AHA, well you get the idea. "I'll have Fire Streams for 200 Alex. I have done this a couple of times with my people and the first time, they initially looked at me like I was from mars. Until they started playing, and then it gets to be pretty competative. It's a good review for us old timers that haven't looked at a book in years, as well as the young pups who are learning.

Permalink Reply by Heather Langston on December 8, 2007 at 5:32pm

Thats a great idea. We have a lieutenant who does that, we have a question bank saved on the server. It can be used for Special Ops, EMS, Fire...just about anything.

Permalink Reply by Oldman on December 12, 2007 at 8:09am

If you really want to get strange looks from your people, how about SCBA basketball. It is played just like regular basketball except it is done in full gear, including breathing air. Ever try to dribble a basketball with fire gloves on? Divide up into two teams of five. Play four, five minute quarters, and the team with the most points wins. Instead of foul shots, a foul cost the team two points. If a team member runs out of air, that team loses five points. There are several lessons being taught. First and foremost, is teamwork. It teaches air conservation. It simulates the working environment on the fire ground. It can be used to develop a baseline "normal" value of vital signs for each member before the exercise begins, which would be useful in rehab to determine whether a firefighter may be released to return to active fire ground activities. The guys/gals are learning and are not even aware of it.

Permalink Reply by Todd Duncan on January 7, 2008 at 3:37pm

We have done a good bit of forcible entry training lately. look at www.vententersearch.com. it is a very good site for training ideas and videos.

Permalink Reply by CJ on January 12, 2008 at 3:08am

I went around and collected several large pallets and smaller pallets from local industries. We were able to build a simulated roof with an average pitch and used smaller pallets with plywood sheathing to make a "cutting roof". The picture shows myself and a couple of my crew practicing making roof cuts. It was a real eye opener for some members as to the hard work involved when in full PPE, balancing and fighting the saw. Each member learned their job and that sometime you need to trade off. We also were able to use the pallets to simulate a weakend floor and practiced sounding the floors. I plan to add a forcible entry door and a window opening to the peak of the "roof" to practice window/ladder techniques, firefighter removal from a window and ladder bailouts. Anybody have plans for a homebuilt training tower that is budget friendly?

CJ

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Kaye on March 13, 2008 at 4:56pm

For some indoor multi-company training, check out the free simulations at Fire Engineering (I think free registration is required, though), with more to come!

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