Twenty-first Century Firefighting: Fire Dynamics and Tactics for the Modern Fireground
At no time in history have firefighters had so much information at their fingertips, with organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) performing fire research and releasing their findings, there is a ton of information regarding operations and tactics for chief officers and firefighters to review and incorporate into their operations. In this class, students will be introduced to how modern fire research is conducted and will be given a behind the scenes look at how experiments are designed, carried out, and evaluated. The instrumentation used in these experiments will be introduced and explained so that firefighters can better understand the information found in the studies. The class will begin with an in-depth look at fire behavior, covering material that cannot be found in any fire academy textbooks. With this new knowledge as a base, we will examine studies that have been performed by UL and NIST and how firefighters can best mitigate the hazards of the modern fireground including flowpath, modern fuels, basement fires, etc. Case studies from departments across the country will be used to illustrate the importance of incorporating modern fire research into your department’s operations. Using experience and multiple studies, best practices will be introduced regarding PPE, SCBA, and portable radios, to keep your firefighters safe. Topics such as size up, nozzle selection, and VEIS will also be covered during this interactive course.
Instructor: Jake Hoffman – Toledo, Ohio Fire Department
Jake Hoffman is a firefighter for the Toledo (OH) Fire/Rescue Department where he teaches recruit training and Special Operations topics. He serves on the technical advisory panel for the UL fire attack study. Additionally, Jake is a part time firefighter with Perrysburg Twp. Fire/EMS. He is a member of the Northwest Ohio Region 1 HAZMAT and USAR teams and is a lead fire instructor for Four County Career Center and an adjunct fire instructor for Owens Community College. He is a co-owner of Squad 5 Fire Training, LLP