Firefighter training drill by Forest Reeder
This very basic drill has been pushed to the forefront of our awareness recently as a result of civilians and firefighters being struck and injured and killed by apparatus backing up. The use of spotters is part of NFPA 1451, Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operator Training Program, and is a best practice for all fire departments to follow.
- Back-to-Basics Firefighting: Driver Duties
- The Roles of a Proactive Driver
- Training Minutes: The Heads-Up Engineer: At the Fire
- Training Minutes: The Heads-Up Engineer: At the Station
Before any apparatus or vehicle operator places the unit into reverse, a spotter must be correctly positioned, identified, and eye contact be made between the driver and the spotter. Multiple spotters may be required in certain areas and all members performing spotting duties should be aware of traffic hazards in the backing area and never position themselves between any object and the backing apparatus. Spotters should never ride the tailboard while spotting and back-up cameras should be used to assist in backing but not as a replacement for a spotter. Review your department’s standard operating guidelines (SOGs) as part of this training and complete a hands-on drill with your apparatus to practice these positions and duties.
Download this week’s firefighter training drill as a PDF HERE.
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Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1978 and retired as fire chief of the Tinley Park (IL) Fire Department in 2021. He has worked extensively in the areas of instruction, firefighter safety, and officer development and earned his Master of Science Degree in Public Safety Administration in 2004. He is the author of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer 4th edition (2025) and co-author of Fire Service Instructor Principles and Practices, now in its 3rd edition. Forest presents nationally on fire service leadership, safety, and instructor development. He was inducted into the Moraine Valley Community College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020 and awarded the Distinguished Alumnus award in 2021. In 2008, he received the ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year, considered to be the highest recognition for fire service instructors in the nation.
