Effective Fireground Command: A Practical Approach from the Cab to the Car

Course Description: Effective fireground command doesn’t have to start once a chief officer gets on scene. Effective command and control starts with the first arriving company and continues throughout the duration of the incident. This program reinforces the need for strong command and control from the moment the first air brake hits until demobilization. Focus will be on understanding how to establish appropriate strategies and reinforcing those strategies with sound tactics. We will dive into size up, command presence, communications, resource allocation, risk management, and building out an ICS structure in a practical way. The goal of this program is to give incident commanders of all ranks the tools and knowledge to run effective firegrounds that support decision making at the lowest level, and not micromanagement from the highest.

Purpose: The sole purpose of this program is to give incident commanders of any rank confidence in their role and help them understand the important elements that exist in effective fireground command. Simply put, I want to help people get better. The purpose of this class is to offer realistic and practical approaches to running a god fireground. Lastly, I want to reinforce to all attendees that this is a team sport. That fireground command doesn’t start when the chief arrives. There is a relationship between the officer in the cab of the fire truck and the chief in the car. Their needs to be synergy between them, understanding of each other’s roles, and a common desire to start the command process of on the right track, and to maintain it properly for the duration of the incident.