Week 3 Forum – Training & Certificati

Week 3 Forum – Training & Certification and Medical & Physical Fitness

Since there are 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives and only eight weeks of class, we are going to discuss two initiatives per week in the forums.

Along with the required weekly readings, you should be using the website Everyone Goes Home.  The website is an excellent source of information, for you, that is devoted to the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.  When using the Everyone Goes Home website, be sure to look at each of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives sections.  Also, be sure to click on theResources section of that website as it contains downloadable text and video resources that will provide you with additional information to answer the forum questions.

Initiative 5 – Training and Certification

Training is an everyday occurrence in the fire service but how do we see that training as credible?  We do so by ensuring that the training is done in accordance with national standards and that the results are certified by an independent body or organization.  It is with this training that we look to reduce the number of firefighter injuries and line of duty deaths.  The 5th Initiative asks us to develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform.

After reading the required weekly readings, and reviewing the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives section regarding Training & Certification on the website Everyone Goes Home, write a post that achieves the following:

1. Please read the case study below and answer the following questions:

Case Study:  After knocking down the fire on the front porch, you start to advance through the front door and feel the pressure increase on the hand line.  It quickly drops back to the original pressure, and you hope that the change was due to the pump operator from Engine 265 switching from tank water to hydrant supply.  You note that the main body of fire is in the rear of the structure, probably the kitchen.  Your lieutenant tells you to hold the fire so he can check the stairway for victims.  There’s a good chance that if they are alive, they will be upstairs.  You begin to consider that a positive pressure fan might have some benefit for helping fire victims in this situation, but quickly dismiss the idea.  You know your lieutenant hates the idea of fans, along with most of the theories and tactics introduced in the past 10 years.

A. What kind of generational gaps can we find in training and education?

B. How do these compare to the geographical gaps that can exist?

C. What benefits exist with standard training and continuing education?

Initiative 6 – Medical and Physical Fitness

Although talk of improving health and fitness is nothing new to emergency response providers, there are signs that it has now been moved to the front burner.  As a result of the unacceptable number of line-of-duty deaths every year, movements have come from different directions to ensure that health and fitness standards are developed that apply to what we really do.  The 6th Initiative asks us to develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.

After reading the required weekly readings, and reviewing the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives section regarding Medical & Physical Fitness on the website Everyone Goes Home, write a post that achieves the following:

1. Defend the need for annual medical evaluations and the establishment of physical fitness criteria for emergency services personnel throughout their careers.
2. Please read the case study below and answer the following questions:

Case Study:  As you continue to darken down the fire in the kitchen, your lieutenant from Engine 265 makes his way to the stairway to check for victims.  He immediately calls the incident commander for additional help.  At the same time, you hear another crew coming in the front door with a backup line, so you tell them to attack the fire with their hose line while you back up your lieutenant on the stairs.  As you climb the stairs, you find him yelling for help as he struggles to drag a fire victim from the landing.  You drop your line to help, and your lieutenant steps out of the way.  You see him lean forward with his hands on his knees, and you can hear him breathing hard and fast through his mask.  You wonder if he is okay.

A. What level of physical conditioning does it take to complete the tasks of a firefighter?
B. What is expected of you in this situation, and what is expected of your lieutenant?

Forum Requirements

Grading:  Forum posts are graded on timeliness, relevance, knowledge of the weekly readings, the quality of original ideas, the conversational exchanges with other students, and the attribution given to the authors or creators work.  Refer to the Forum Rubric for additional details concerning grading criteria and the Forum Expectations for a more detailed explanation of what I expect out of the forums.

All forums will be scored according to this Forum Rubric.
Please click here for additional information on the Forum Expectations.

Initial Post:  Your initial post must be a minimum of 300 words and should fully use the materials that have been provided to you in order to support your response.