Firefighter training drill by Forest Reeder
For the incident safety officer, exterior operation duties have specific hazards that extend beyond establishing and protecting collapse zones. In conjunction with the incident commander and division, group, and company Officers, many injuries and fatalities can be avoided by enforcing specific safety procedures. The safety officer must proactively and quickly determine where the most hazardous operations are going to occur and work outward from that point.
COLLAPSE INDICATORS DURING OPERATIONS
Consideration of the following major areas will help identify the safety officer duties during defensive firegrounds.
- Collapse zones
- Water supply and fire stream impact on structure
- Exposure protection (consider offensive tactics in those areas)
- Environmental hazards
- Longterm rehab, rotation, and relief operations
- Operations after fire is under control
Review these factors and hazards that occur during defensive fires and discuss roles and responsibilities of the safety officer.
Download this firefighter training drill as a PDF HERE.
ALSO IN THIS SERIES
- Safety Officer: Basic Duties
- Safety Officer: Prioritize Hazards
- Safety Officer: Initial Scene Duties
- Firefighter Training Drill: Safety Officer: Monitoring Incident Communications
- Safety Officer Drill: Monitoring Scene Operations and Conditions
- Safety Officer Drill: Incident Communication Red Flags
- Safety Officer Drill: Monitoring Crew Progress
Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1979. He serves as Division Chief of Training & Safety for the Des Plaines (IL) Fire Department. He is a past recipient of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) prestigious George D. Post Instructor of the Year award and has been responsible for the design, implementation and coordination of in-service firefighter training activities as well as a full-service fire training academy program. Forest holds numerous Illinois fire service
