Northwest Florida Volunteer Firefighter Weekend

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Course Descriptions

AHA BLS Healthcare Provider CPR

This is an 8-hour course allowing the student to obtain their AHA BLS Healthcare Provider CPR card.  (New students.  Class size limited to 18.)

AHA BLS Healthcare Provider CPR/AED Recertification

This is a 4-hour course allowing the student to renew their BLS Healthcare Provider CPR card under the new guidelines of the American Heart Association.  (Class size limited to 18. Must have current BLS Provider card.)

Beyond Hoses and Helmets - Strategy and Tactics of Leading a Volunteer or Combination Fire/Rescue Organization (16 hour)

Pierce Fire Apparatus and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs are pleased to offer an educational training course designed by practicing chief officers that delivers real world expertise through an interactive educational experience.  This 16-hour course will offer instruction on the following topics:  problem solving, marketing, recruitment, retention, leadership, team building, training development, conflict resolution, principles of negotiations, and verbal communications.

Calling the Mayday: Hands-On Training for Firefighters (NFA H-134)

This is an 8-hour training course that requires the students to meet the psychomotor skills requirement to call a Mayday over their radio system. The firefighter must demonstrate the ability to call Mayday under various emergency situations (lost, collapse, entanglement) a firefighter may find himself or herself in. These conditions will be simulated using props with the firefighter in full PPE, SCBA, and portable radio in a blacked-out face mask. (Minimum Firefighter I certified.  NFPA approved bunker gear and SCBA required)

Cause and Origin

This is a 16-hour course that will review the skills necessary for the Company Officer to detect and determine the origin and cause of a fire.

Courage to Be Safe (National Fallen Firefighters Foundation)

This 4-hour provocative and moving presentation is designed to change the culture of accepting the loss of firefighters as a normal occurrence. Building on the untold story of LODD survivors, it reveals how family members must live with the consequences of a firefighter death and provides a focus on the need for firefighters and officers to change fundamental attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent line of duty deaths. The central theme promotes the courage to do the right thing in order to protect yourself and other firefighters and ensure that "Everyone Goes Home" at the end of the day.

Emergency Vehicle Operation Course

This is a 16-hour course that includes classroom discussion on safe driving, state laws, physical forces that effect driving. The practical portion includes driving an apparatus through a course designed by VFIS.

Engine Company Operations

This is an 8-hour course that will introduce the student through lecture and practical evolutions to engine company operations on the fire ground and ventilation techniques.  The topics that will be discussed will be choosing the proper nozzles, nozzle placement, offensive and defensive attack, ladder placement, ventilation techniques, RIT, and safety on the fire ground.  (NFPA approved bunker gear and SCBA required)

Farmedic

This is a 16-hour course that will discuss appropriate responses to chemical, mechanical and structural accidents and logistical, rescue and EMS problems that can occur in agribusiness and related environments.  (NFPA approved bunker gear required)

Fire Service Course Delivery – 40 hour

The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts, theories, materials, principles and practices for active training programs in the fire service.  The class format will consist of lectures, class discussion of the text, group exercises, Power-Point presentations, and research assignments.  The class sessions will be interactive, therefore attendance and completion of the required reading are very important. Students need to bring to class a genuine attitude for learning, and to be prepared to answer questions and present their projects when called upon.  Text books will be provided for use during class.   

First Responder Skills Review

This is an 8-hour course that will review A, B, C’s, medical/ trauma emergencies, patient assessment, bandaging, splinting and allow the students to practice their skills.

Highway Safety Operations

This 4-hour course offers proactive measures that can be implemented to reduce the chances for death and injury of personnel operating at vehicle-related incidents on streets, roads, and highways.  The curriculum is designed by VFIS.

Hydraulics – 16 hour

This course presents the basic concepts of water supply with emphasis on the ability to accurately and quickly make water flow calculations in the field from the perspective of the volunteer firefighter/pump operator. The course includes pump and hydraulic theory with concentration on "tricks of the trade" and simplified calculations hopefully taking away some of the fear and discomfort of applying practical hydraulics to real world situations. Hands-on and field work is included in the course.

ICS/Tactics with Role Play

This is a 4-hour course that includes a review of the Incident Command System, Roles and Responsibilities of the Incident Commander, and fire ground tactics.  The student will also participate as the Incident Commander in an interactive role-play scenario using a computer simulator program.

I-300, Intermediate Incident Management System

This is a 24-hour course.  The student must be able to list and describe the duties of various positions within the incident command system, construct and incident management organization for given incident or event, including appropriate procedures for establishing command, transferring command and terminating and incident.   The student must be able to demonstrate knowledge of efficient incident resource management including logistics, finance administration, and record-keeping, demonstrate a familiarity with air operations, and demonstrate knowledge of incident planning processes. (PREREQUITES: I-200 and I-700, these courses are available online at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp)

Live Fire Evolutions

The students will participate in live burn evolutions.  There will two burns on Saturday morning and two different burns on Sunday morning.  The evolutions will consist of an exterior Class ‘A’ fire, vehicle fire, grade “room & content” fire and below grade “room & content” fire.  The Firefighter I candidate will be required to complete all four burns to complete the requirements for Firefighter I Live Burn.  The student must complete the prerequisite training form and fax it to Chief Frank at 850-678-4553.  (NFPA approved PPE and SCBA are required) 

NFA Incident Safety Officer

This 16-hour course examines the Safety Officer's role at emergency response situations. A specific focus on operations within an incident command system as a safety officer is a one of the main themes. The students will be able to identify and analyze safety concerns as they relate to all hazards scene evaluation and communicate recommended solutions to the Incident Commander. Presented will be Firefighter Injury and Fatality data, Principals of Risk Management, Safety Responsibilities, Current Issues and Operational Risk Management. Numerous student activities will allow the students to increase their skills as a potential Incident Safety Officer. 

NFA Strategies and Tactics for Initial Company Operations

This is a 16-hour course designed to meet the needs of Company Officers responsible for managing the operations of one or more companies during structural firefighting operations and to develop the management skills needed by company officers to accomplish assigned tactics at structure fires.

Pump Operator – 16 hour

The classroom portion of the course covers the laws, rules for emergency vehicles, as well as a review of fire service hydraulics. Fire ground evolutions make up the practical part of the course. The evolution portion of the course includes the use of pre-connected lines, drafting, relays and master streams. The student should have a basic understanding of fire stream hydraulics prior to entering this course. Students must bring gloves and proper attire for water pumping exercises.

Rapid Intervention Company Operations

This is an 8-hour course that will give the student the necessary background knowledge, training, and guidance for improving the survival rate of your fellow firefighters, as well as for self-survival.  This course will include lecture as well as intense physical practical scenarios.  The topics that will be discussed include understanding rapid intervention, managing the Mayday, firefighter self-survival skills, and emergency escape maneuvers. (Rapid Intervention Company Operations, Michael R. Mason & Jeffrey S. Pindelski.  NFPA approved bunker gear and SCBA required)  

Rehab Operations

This is a 4-hour course that will review NFPA 1500 and NFPA 1584.  Students will setup and function as an actual rehab during the Engine Company Operations course. 

Safety

This is a 2-hour review of safety issues surrounding the 2005 fire death reports from US Fire Administration.  Also included is a review of Florida Firefighter OSHA. 

Search and Rescue Techniques

This is an 8-hour course that will teach the students basic fire ground search and rescue techniques operating as a team.  The course consists of lecture and practical evolutions with a smoke filled maze. (NFPA approved bunker gear and SCBA required.  The student must have prior training on the proper use of SCBA’s.)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

This is an 8-hour course that is designed to train firefighters in the basic fire behavior factors that will aid them in the safe and effective control of wildland fires. 

Volunteer Company Officer

This 16-hour course will give the student the basic knowledge, skills and abilities of what is required to become a company officer.  Challenges of the company officer, effective communications, roles within the organization, management and leadership principles, and safety are topics that will be discussed during this course.  (Company Officer, Clinton H. Smoke, 2nd edition; NFPA 1021)