Taking Full Responsibility

Acting as a group leader in a live-fire training evolution many years ago, I was advancing my group down the stairs into the fire room during a basement fire attack exercise. The firefighter student on the nozzle got to the bottom of the stairs, looked at me through his facepiece and said he was going to be sick. I thought he was kidding at first, but I quickly realized that he was serious. I instructed him to leave through the exit door behind me, handing him off to the exterior safety officer. After radioing the firefighter’s status and location to command, I then gave direction for the second person on the attack line to assume the role of the nozzleman, completing the exercise as required.

Fortunately, everything turned out OK. We had discussed emergency exits, what to do if something went wrong while inside the building, and how it would be handled. All of the students were aware of the layout of the fire building from the walkthrough at the very beginning of the training, and knew exactly how the evolution was to be completed before it ever began. I do not believe the situation would have turned out as it did had we not communicated all this information to the student during the safety briefing beforehand.

Individual Responsibilities
As the example illustrates, a comprehensive safety briefing is a must when conducting any type of training, particularly live-fire training. Firefighters have a different reaction to live-fire training than any other type of drill; they are often excited to be involved and can be anxious to demonstrate their ability. As such, a strong command presence and a solid organizational structure must be present throughout the exercise. With that in mind, let’s review a breakdown of individual responsibilities during a live-fire training safety briefing.

Command
NFPA 1403: Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions designates the instructor-in-charge as the individual responsible for overall compliance to the standard and for ensuring all levels of safety on the fireground. This individual will serve as the incident commander during the training evolution and will build their command structure to reflect a safe and effective environment.

Initially, the instructor-in-charge must brief the training team, including all instructors and safety officers who will be participating in the evolution. This briefing should cover a detailed list of their responsibilities, assignments and expectations during the training. The safety officer will be given an opportunity at this time to discuss all safety concerns they may have identified. A safety briefing at this level not only reinforces the safety of all members on scene but also shows the commitment of the organization to ensuring that everyone completes the training without any injury or death.

Instructors
Individual instructors assigned as group leaders have the most important role when it comes to providing a safe training environment. These group leaders are assigned a number of firefighters to oversee, not to exceed five per instructor. This span of control gives the instructor a chance to evaluate the students’ mental and physical conditions as they gather for a briefing.

The instructor should bring the group together and discuss the day’s events and how the training will be conducted. All evolutions should be discussed thoroughly, addressing any safety concerns that may arise during the exercise while completing the walkthrough of the fire building. This safety briefing gives the students a chance to ask questions and make sure they understand what will be expected of them during the training. The instructor should identify all elements of the fire building: entry and exits points, different rooms that will be entered during each exercise, and what rooms will not be entered. Most importantly, they should discuss emergency situations, and students must understand how to exit the building if something unexpected happens during an evolution.

Additionally, the instructor should take this time to get to know the student firefighters’ experience and skill level. They should ask questions like, “Have you ever been involved in this type of training before and, if so, how long has it been since that training was conducted?” Further, what are the physical and mental conditions of the student? Does the student seem comfortable with the training or do they appear apprehensive? Sometimes even the most senior firefighter will be nervous, as it may have been a considerable amount of time since they were last in a fire building.

Evaluate the condition of the student’s PPE. Have them put it on, including their SCBA with the facepiece in place. Can they move around in it without issue? Have the group (in full PPE) crawl and demonstrate emergency breathing procedures as if they were to encounter this inside the building.

Student Firefighters
Students must be briefed on their responsibilities during the training to ensure that they follow instructions, and to understand that if they do not, it can put other’s lives at risk as well as their own. This responsibility may require them to speak up and say that they cannot perform at times, but this shows their pledge to their safety and that of their fellow firefighters.

Member Safety
The safety of our firefighters, young and old, is our most important priority. Conducting a comprehensive safety briefing at training exercises must go well beyond simply telling everyone to “be careful,” and assuming that members know what they are doing. Training officers are tasked with keeping their members safe and prepared to perform their jobs, and they should never deviate from that responsibility.