170 Hours of Anytime EMS & Firefighter CEUs

Basic Fire Streams
A fire stream is the water, or water in conjunction with another agent, as it leaves the nozzle and heads to the fire. Course reviews different types of fire streams and their most effective application.

Basic Fireground Communications

Clear communication on the fireground is critical for effective fireground management and firefighter safety. A breakdown in communication can lead to delays in operations and inefficient uses of resources.

Although communication principles and practices have improved over time, communication issues continue to be cited as contributing factors in fire scene fatalities. As with any skill that helps fight fires, proper communication skills benefit from practice and ongoing training.

This program will discuss effective radio communications utilizing the incident command system, outline best practices for radio communications, and review why these best practices should be used for all communication among fire crew members, and with other departments or agencies, including dispatch.

Basic Pump Operations
Course describes the basic principles of pump operations on fire apparatus and how to solve basic hydraulic calculations for fire pump operations based on hose and nozzle selection.

Basics of High-Rise Firefighting

High-rise fires make up only three percent of all structure fires in the US, yet they present many unique challenges, including evacuation and rescue of trapped victims.

This program discusses the proper techniques and procedures for search and rescue, suppression, ventilation, evacuating, and rescuing victims of a high-rise fire.

Basic Hoisting Operations

The ability to hoist and lower tools and equipment to various levels at an emergency scene is a fundamental firefighting skill; it can reduce the risks of firefighter injury when transporting these items and improve the efficiency of some response operations.

Like all basic firefighting skills, hoisting operations requires practice or accidents can happen. As with any operation on an emergency incident, safety must take first priority. When proper safety precautions are taken to protect firefighters and civilians, the ability to correctly and effectively hoist equipment has significant advantages for emergency operations.

Proper hoisting technique may speed the tempo of operations and expose responders to less heavy, awkward lifting off ladders and stairwells, thus helping to mitigate the emergency situation more rapidly.

Breaching Masonry Walls

Breaching walls is an important skill in searching for hidden fires, creating ingress and egress points, facilitating civilian and firefighter rescue operations, and performing self-rescue through wood-framed construction covered in drywall.

This program provides a basic knowledge of this critical technique.

Building Construction Awareness
This course reviews common construction practices, their influence on suppression activities, and the noteworthy safety concerns presented by the most common types of structures.

In addition, the basics of building construction influence the use of fire protection systems, exposure considerations, and resource application such as roof ventilation or RIC activations.

Care and Maintenance of Forcible Entry Tools
Well-maintained tools and equipment are critical to a timely and effective response to emergency situations. Firefighting tools are vulnerable to damage from impact, heat, moisture, and exposure to ultraviolet effects, as well as wear due to regular use.

This course describes how to keep forcible entry tools in top condition for use when needed, with a special focus on the parts of common handheld tools that must receive regular care and maintenance.

Cold Weather Operations

Cold weather operations pose a number of challenges to firefighting, including water freezing on the ground, hoses, firefighters, and other surfaces. Course describes effects of cold weather operations and how to function effectively under such conditions.

Elevator Safety Response Awareness

This program helps firefighters identify challenges and risks involved in hydraulic and traction elevator rescues. Course reviews types of elevators and the equipment involved in response, as well as certain key strategies for dealing with stalled elevators.

Driver Operations

This course addresses the issues associated with safely responding to, and returning from, emergency incidents, considering vehicle characteristics and stress factors from the emergency scene and those encountered on the roadway.

Extrication Update: Newer and Hybrid Vehicles

This program focuses on newer and hybrid vehicles, identifying what is required for establishing a safe working area on the scene of a rescue, as well as the specifics of high-voltage wiring, batteries, and vehicle construction.

Course also covers how specific technology and manufacturing processes affect essential rescue operations.

Firefighter Rehab

Firefighting is an inherently dangerous profession with physical and mental demands similar to, and often greater than, those faced by performance athletes. Rehab allows firefighters to work more safely and effectively with fewer mistakes and injuries.

This program explains the NFPA 1584 Standard and shows how to integrate rehab into your department.

Fireground Hydraulics: Basic Concepts

Water remains one of the most basic tools of firefighting. Motion, pressure and flow rate will affect how water behaves in fire suppression. This course discusses the science of hydraulics and ways to effectively move water to and on the fireground to overcome the forces working against its motion.

Ground Ladders

Whether rescuing victims, accessing roofs for ventilation, or applying fire streams, fire crews must select, carry, place, and work from portable ground ladders in a timely manner.

This training reviews types of ground ladders, their safe placement, ascending and descending the ladders, and routine maintenance.

Hazardous Materials Identification

Hazardous materials can be present at any scene. Approach every incident with caution and awareness of possible hazardous materials. Never take action that exceeds the scope of your training.

HazMat Operations Update

This course helps Fire Service members trained to the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) operations level understand their roles, responsibilities, and function in the overall response to HAZMAT, including natural and technological, accidental, and intentional.

Home Safety Surveys

Although designed to promote residential fire safety, home safety surveys also benefit fire departments with good public relations between fire personnel and citizens. This program discusses the steps involved in performing a residential pre-incident survey, and how home safety surveys allow firefighters to obtain information about specific uses that would be valuable in the event of an emergency.

It also offers an opportunity for a visible presence of the department in the community, and gives citizens the opportunity to acquire fire safety information outside of the code enforcement process.

Hose Appliances

An essential, yet often overlooked component in the fire company’s arsenal are the appliances used in conjunction with hose lines. These tools allow firefighters a variety of on-scene options for fireground operations, including extending current attack lines or adding additional lines, changing the diameter of a hose or prepiped system, and controlling the direction and amount of water provided to various resources.

This course discusses essential firefighter knowledge of tools and tactics, especially regarding hose lines, water supply, and basic pumping concepts.

Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide Awareness

Invisible and deadly, hydrogen sulfide has become an important on-the-job consideration for emergency professionals as a growing trend of suicide by hydrogen sulfide gas emerges.

Its accessibility and increasing use in suicide attempts gives it the potential to unintentionally harm or kill firefighters, other emergency responders, or bystanders. This program covers what hydrogen sulfide is, how to detect it, and ways to safely handle an incident involving this deadly gas.

Interior Structure Fires

An interior fire attack is an offensive strategy that allows firefighters to fight the fire at its source, giving them the greatest chance of extinguishing the blaze at its earliest stage.

However, an interior attack on a burning structure poses significant threats to firefighter safety, exposing firefighters to risks such as flashover, backdraft, structure collapse, and exposure to flame, intense heat, and toxic gases.

This program will cover the essential elements of an interior fire attack, including scene sizeup, entry, hose line advancement, and critical safety considerations.

Introduction to Forcible Entry

Forcible entry should be used with caution in some situations; under other circumstances, the need for forcible entry is apparent. Course distinguishes the basic methods and challenges of forcible entry and which method works best for various situations.

Introduction to NIMS-ICS

This program reviews the history and use of the incident command system with a focus on the National Incident Management System Incident Command System as it applies to initial fire and emergency scene operations.

Introduction to the Wildland Urban Interface

Wildland-urban interface areas, where human-made improvements mix with wildland fuels, present a dangerous and demanding challenge to wildland and structural firefighters. Course reviews the different tactics, equipment, and mindsets required to manage these unique fire situations.

Mass Decontamination: The Basics

This program provides an overview of the concepts and principles of mass decontamination by and for first responders, including reasons for decontamination and health and safety considerations for first responders during decontamination operations.

The course offers an overview of mass decontamination strategies and tactics, as well as reviewing the proper use and implementation of mass decontamination.

NFIRS & Documentation

This program discusses the importance and role of the National Fire Incident Reporting System as well as the importance of proper documentation for legal situations.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

Always consider if you can make an early stop on a fire before it gets out of control and causes more damage. Follow local protocols and when circumstances allow, use a portable fire extinguisher to put out a fire before it moves beyond the incipient stage.

These training evolutions review how to identify classes of fire and the technique to properly use a fire extinguisher.

Overview of Aerial Operations

Course describes various types of aerial apparatus as well as best uses, safety measures, placement, and routine maintenance of this critical equipment.

Portable Ground Ladder Rescues

Responders arriving at a fire scene have many critical decisions to make, one of which is whether or not to deploy ground ladders to rescue building occupants.

This course discusses the decision-making process that company officers should use to determine the need for ground ladder rescues. Also reviewed are tool selection, ladder placement, staffing and resource needs, fireground tactical considerations, and safety for occupants and responders.

Positive Pressure Ventilation

PPV is the tactical application of air flow from mechanical devices to ventilate heat and fire gases from a burning structure. Course reviews using PPV in fire suppression activities, including applicability, contraindications, safety considerations and set up, as well as crew coordination.

Safety on the Fireground

The nature of the Fire Service requires emergency personnel to respond quickly to the location of a call, use a multitude of advanced tools, and work in dangerous environments.

Despite the best intentions, accidents will occur. This program will look at how to improve firefighter safety.

Safety: Firefighter Fitness Basics

This program identifies current health risk factors facing firefighters, including cardiovascular risks, stress-related symptoms, and injury caused by placing monumental physical strain on ill-prepared bodies.

It examines a shift in fitness philosophies; from “bodybuilding fitness” to training firefighters for the tasks they will face on-scene.

Safety: Rapid Intervention Crews

Given the amount of unknown variables involved, any emergency scene is subject to drastic, and occasionally instantaneous, changes. This course reviews the role of employing a Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) when responders are operating in hazardous conditions.

Safety: Respiratory Protection & SCBA

This program is designed to accomplish firefighters’ annual refresher training in respiratory protection. It discusses the proper selection of a respirator based on the environment, fit testing, daily inspection, and proper donning and use of respiratory protection equipment.

Safety: Responding to Violence

Because responders enter hostile areas as a part of their service, it is paramount that they be trained to recognize, evade, and report questionable actions aimed at injuring them or others.

The course discusses the verbal and non-verbal forms of interaction between responders, patients, and bystanders that help reduce confrontational behavior, reviewing the immediate actions responders can take in the event that they find themselves under attack in a hostile environment.

Safety: Water Emergencies

Water has the capability to engulf, entrap, act as a simple asphyxiant, and carry potentially toxic substances.

This course provides an overview of the hazard recognition skills rescuers need and the varying water environments that rescuers may encounter during an emergency.

Salvage and Overhaul

Both salvage and overhaul are vital processes to protect personal belongings and to investigate the total extinguishment of a fire. When engaging in salvage and overhaul, firefighters face inherent physical dangers and health-related risks.

The focus of this course is to create an overall awareness of the dangers and risks to firefighters associated with salvage and overhaul operations and describe the process of conducting salvage and overhaul properly and safely. In addition, the need for public relations, security, and documentation within the context of salvage and overhaul will also be presented.

Scene Lighting

To maximize the safety of firefighting operations, all firefighting personnel need to evaluate light placement and use when responding to an incident. These training evolutions are designed to teach firefighters the appropriate tactics to use when lighting different types of incidents.

The evolutions will help familiarize firefighters with their department’s lighting resources, alternative sources of lighting for large incidents, and the lighting challenges particular to their district, with an emphasis on safe operations.

Search and Rescue

Since search and rescue is a primary function of the fire service, firefighters have a responsibility to the public, fire victims, and fellow firefighters to know how to perform safe and effective searches. A primary cause of firefighter fatalities during search operations is the failure to recognize rapidly changing fire conditions and the disorientation that can easily occur in low visibility situations.

Employing a specific search technique, such as an oriented search strategy, can mitigate these factors and others that put the lives of citizens and firefighters at risk. This course outlines the basics of search, reviews the different types of search methods, and focuses on oriented search as a way for firefighters to most effectively and efficiently search a residential structure.

Search Operations: Building Fires

This training program reviews proper search protocols, site-specific search considerations, scene size-up, and calculating responder risk. Also discussed are common search methods that can be applied in a wide variety of incidents.

Utilities Shut Off

When arriving at the scene of a structural fire, firefighters need to quickly assess any circumstances that represent a threat to their safety or the safety of fire victims during fire suppression operations. This includes assessing the status of any utilities connected to the structure.

Ignition of a gas line or electrocution from an active source of electricity can result in injury or even death to a firefighter or citizen, while flooding from an uncontrolled water source might cause excessive damage to a structure.

The primary focus of this course is to review why and how utilities should be shut off prior to fire suppression or rescue operations at the scene of a residential house fire.

Vehicle Fires

Hands-on training is essential to smooth operations in the event of a vehicle fire. Vehicle fires often have fewer visible flames than a structure fire, but pose significant hazards to the safety of responders who approach. Some vehicle parts can explode when exposed to heat and flames.

Review the parts of a vehicle that can pose a risk to responders and how to approach a vehicle safely in order to extinguish a vehicle fire.

Vertical Ventilation: Pitched Roof

Removing heat and smoke through vertical ventilation is an effective fireground tactic when safely and properly executed by well-trained crews. Understanding why, when, and how to open roofs for ventilation, combined with hands-on training and practice, will lead to greater confidence, efficiency, and safety on the fireground.

This program is intended to strengthen the firefighter’s understanding of roof construction and procedures for vertically ventilating a pitched roof.

Water Supply & Tender Operations

Access to abundant water for fire suppression is an ongoing concern not just for rural fire departments. Many towns and cities, even those with hydrants on every corner can have water system failures.

This class shows departments how to locate strategic water sources and develop procedures to transport water efficiently and safely.