Monthly Archives: August 2013

Modern Suburban Firefighting

Overview of Program Captain Gustin’s Modern suburban firefighting class includes subject matter covering: Dispelling myths pervasive in today’s Fire Service. Size up: “Know before you go” and the Benefits of a “360” initial size up. Apparatus Positioning Stretching the initial attack hoseline: Proper Size and Length, Hose management and more. Nozzle Selection: Fog vs. solid stream and GPM vs. BTU Tactics for modern suburban homes: “Mc Mansions”, attaches garages, basements and fires involving decks and porches. Firefighter Safety: Adapting strategies and tactics to reduce …

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Florida residential firefighting

The construction and design of residential structures in this state present Florida’s firefighters with    challenges and dangers that may not be encountered by their brothers and sisters in Northern states.  This presentation will examine why Florida firefighters may have to adapt their tactics when fighting fires in modern lightweight “engineered” construction that is heavily insulated and required by code to withstand hurricane-force winds.  Most fire departments in this state are suburban, seriously understaffed and heavily involved with EMS; consequently they …

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Hoseline operations for fires in multiple family occupancies

This class was developed for suburban fire departments that typically do not have sufficient staffing or hose load configurations to rapidly perform a conventional stairway stretch to the upper floors of residential buildings that are not tall enough to be required by code to have standpipes. Students attending this class will learn: Methods and techniques for rapidly positioning a hose line with a minimum of personnel to the upper floors of apartment buildings, town houses and hotels. Locating a fire …

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Intelligent fire operations be aggressive but dont be stupid

This thought provoking workshop will examine how changes in building construction and design, increased fire loads, recent research on fire dynamics and reduced fire company staffing may call for a change in some traditional firefighting tactics. Participants will learn: Why size up is an on-going process that isn’t just performed upon arrival Why size up must be performed from two perspectives; inside and outside a fire building Why a red flag should go up when the  inside size up and …

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