TWO DAY CLASSES

1 – ROOKIE Class     Student Limit - 32

This course addresses the needs of new firefighters in their duties, obligations and requirements necessary for basic firefighting, and instructs them in the tactics, equipment and safety of fire ground operations. Applicants shall be new recruits in the fire service with less than one year’s experience and no prior training. (Minimum age: 16.)

Full protective gear and SCBA required. 

2 – BASIC VEHICLE RESCUE Class      Student Limit  - 20

Students will learn the basics of vehicle extrication dealing with new and old cars, vans and pick-ups. Some discussion will cover hybrid vehicles as well. Field work will consist of stabilizations techniques, using hand tools such as haligans, axes, wrenches, reciprocating saws, and hand jacks to remove doors, roofs, sidewalls, and perform dash rolls.

Full protective gear including safety glasses is required – no SCBA 

3 – ADVANCED VEHICLE RESCUE       Student Limit  - 20

This 2-day hands-on course builds on the fundamentals learned in basic vehicle rescue and rapid extrication courses. Students will learn the latest in vehicle rescue tools and techniques, new vehicle technology, and will formulate vehicle rescue action plans given various vehicle rescue scenarios. This course uses reciprocating saws, hydraulic rescue tools, air bags, and pneumatic rescue tools to perform complex practical evolutions such as safely removing patients from vehicles on their side and from cars that have overturned. Basic understanding of vehicle rescue, protective clothing, and a desire to work are required.

Full protective gear, including safety glasses is required – no SCBA. 

4 – CISM: GROUP CRISIS INTERVENTION       Student Limit - 16

Group Crisis Intervention course presents the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic multi-component crisis intervention curriculum. The two-day course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services including pre and post incident crisis education, significant other support services, on-scene support services, crisis intervention for individuals, demobilizations after large scale traumatic incidents, small group defusings and the group intervention known as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The course specifically focuses on several of the interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusings and the CISD. The need for appropriate follow up services and referrals when necessary is also described. The CISM: Group Crisis Intervention course is designed to specifically teach crisis intervention and Emergency Mental Health skills such as demobilizations, defusing, and CISD. 

5 – INTRODUCTION TO PUMPS       Student Limit - 30

Introduction to Pumps is an entry-level pump operation course. The intent of the class is to provide the student with the basic mechanical and theoretical knowledge needed to become a pump operator. The class will help the student develop an understanding of the basic theoretical, mechanical and operational concepts that govern the use and operation of a fire pump. Emphasis is on the practical application of pump operation theory. Course content is a balance of NFPA / IFSTA published guidelines and the practical real world experiences of the instructors and past students. The class includes approximately 4 hours of classroom instruction and 8-10 hours of hands on exercises. Each exercise is specifically designed to simulate operations actually performed on fire scenes. The short evolutions are designed to provide maximum pump panel time for the students. There will also be several demonstrations of advanced operational techniques.

Full protective gear will be required – no SCBA. 

6 – BUILDING SEARCH & RESCUE     Student Limit - 16

This course offers students the basics of searching for and rescue of victims in residential structures. Instructors will cover incident command, rescue size-up, risk analysis, rescue strategies and techniques, rescue over ladder, and rescue team effectiveness within the context of overall fireground operations. Students will utilize search and rescue techniques in low – zero visibility search evolutions. Students must be qualified in the use of air packs by their organization and have had a minimum 12-hour SCBA course.

Full protective gear, including SCBA unit and spare cylinder is required. This course is physically demanding; it is recommended to bring knee pads and water bottles. 

　

7 – FARMEDIC       Student Limit - 20

This course will orient students to the activities and hazards found on today’s farms and the injuries, illnesses and extrication techniques associated with them. Students will visit a farm to identify conditions, scenarios, livestock and machinery they may experience during an actual call. Hands-on practice may include disentanglement from farm machinery, tractor run-over, hazardous materials or high angle rescue situations. The course uses lecture/discussion, video/slides and farm tour/practical situations.

Full protective gear will be required. 

8 - MEDICAL FIRST RESPONSE      Student Limit - 14

Learn or refresh basic CPR with new guidelines. Baby, child and adult CPR techniques, use of automated AED's, patient assessment and related traumas. The use of oxygen and immobilization techniques for patients of all ages will be covered. There will be a practical portion to this course so students are expected to dress comfortably as they will be physically challenged.

9 - SWIFT WATER RESCUE AWARENESS / OPERATIONS      Student Limit - 16

This course will stress personal as well as team safety and meets NFPA 1760 awareness and part of operations. Day one will include classroom and hands on rope work. Day two will be water training and drills. All required gear will be provided by the Saranac Fire Department. Students should bring a change of clothes on the second day. Swimming skills are helpful, but not mandatory. Training will be physically demanding, therefore good health will be a must. 

10 - INCIDENT COMMAND      Student Limit  - 30

This sixteen-hour course is designed to develop an understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS) and its application in both emergency and non-emergency situations. This course addresses the need for an ICS, an overview of the structure and flexibility of ICS, and an understanding of the command skills necessary to function effectively in an ICS structure. Compliant with National Incident Management System requirements, this course is the fire service equivalent to NIMS 100 Introduction and 200 Basic. The classroom encompasses a power-point presentation and table top practical activities. 

11 - PROPANE GAS EMERGENCIES       Student Limit  - 35

This program is designed to help fire service emergency responders develop the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and effectively manage propane emergencies. Substance covered includes: physical and chemical properties of propane, container designs and features, emergency response procedures and guidelines, product removal and recovery. The second day will include several field evolutions. Full protective gear will be required for the second day- no SCBA. 

12 - FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND SURVIVAL      Student Limit  - 20

This intense course will orient interior fire suppression personnel to the basics of rapid intervention. The following subjects will be incorporated in self-survival: basic equipment needs, buddy-breathing, entanglements, replacing SCBA bottles alone in the dark, fire fighter drags, disorientation, mayday drills and forms of egress. This course will educate fire suppression members who will potentially be assigned the role of rescuers in a collapse situation. It will specifically cover responsibilities, considerations and successful actions of proficient rapid intervention companies. The course will be both physically and mentally demanding with a concentrated emphasis on rescuing fire fighters in distress and self-preservation techniques. Note that PPE damage may occur. Full protective gear, including SCBA unit and spare cylinder is required. 

13 - INCIDENT SAFETY OFFICER       Student Limit - 30

This 2-day course examines the Incident Safety Officer's role at emergency responses. A specific focus will be on operations within an Incident Command System (ICS) with the Safety Officer as a main theme. Response to all hazardous types of situations will be emphasized. This is an NFA course. 

　

14 - ROPE RESCUE AWARENESS & LOW ANGLE OPERATIONS      Student Limit  - 20

This course will introduce rescuers to basic rope theory and the use of equipment, knots, stretchers and anchors. This knowledge will be applied to low angle operations in the field where practical applications of lowering and raising will be applied. This course will work closely with the Swift Water Awareness / Ops course for practical exercises.

PPE required will be helmet, gloves and proper footwear. 

　

ONE DAY     

15 - INITIAL FIRE RESPONSE AND ATTACK  Student Limit - 20 Per Day (Offered both on Saturday & on Sunday)

This class is designed to make firefighters and officers look into their response to fires with limited man power and a single engine company. Once on scene we will discuss the rapid attack and the deployment of resources. Discussion & practical applications as to what types of hose loads may deploy faster and safer than others.

Full firefighter gear required - no SCBA.

16 - STRATEGY & TACTICS - BASEMENT & ATTIC FIRES Student Limit -25 Per Day (Offered both on Saturday & on Sunday)

The classroom course will depict and explain the most common causes of injuries and deaths firefighters encounter while operating in basement and attic fires. Topics will include the importance of the three phases of Size Up: Command Sequence, Logical Thought Process for Decision Making and Action Planning the Outcome of Incident Priorities. The course emphasizes the importance of using the Command Sequence during various scenarios. Selecting tactics and implementing the Action Plan while using Effective Communications and Delegating Assignments to implement the Action Plan. Incident command system, Incident Management Functions and Staging Areas defined. The goal is to give students an appreciation of how serious the problem of firefighter’s injuries and death really is to each individual.

17 - FIRE INVESTIGATION FOR THE FIRST RESPONDER Student Limit - 25 (Saturday ONLY)

The course provides the student with basic Fire Investigation knowledge and skills that will aid them in what to look for and preserve during fire suppression and overhaul operations. The student will also learn the statutory obligations given to the Chief of their Departments and the Fire Service as a whole relative to Origin and Cause determination. Obviously not everyone attending will be from a Vermont Fire Department, but the information may be used to aid them in finding what State or Provincial requirements they have back home.

18. OUTDOOR SEARCH SYSTEMS Student Limit- 30 (Sunday ONLY)

This course will use the Care Trak system to instruct searchers in the use of specialized tracking devices for persons with mental health issues, such as Alzheimers, Autistic, Dementia and Downs Syndrome. This course will explain the roles that firefighter and rescue personnel play in these rescues and will incorporate GPS / Cellular triangulation vs. Telemetry Locators for the location of objects vs. people. Students are advised to dress for rough outdoor areas.