Ask any firefighter what they look for in a high-quality training program and most will respond without hesitating: realism. Training should not only be challenging, but should represent the situations that a firefighter will encounter.
One class that has met this challenge and provided thousands of firefighters with advanced SCBA training is called “Smoke Divers.” Using a combination of individual exercises and crew-based scenarios, the Smoke Divers program enhances individual confidence and endurance in the use of an SCBA. The rigorous nature and the strict discipline of this course are designed to better prepare experienced firefighters of all ranks for the fireground, both mentally and physically.
Unfortunately, training of this nature is not without risk. On Sept. 16, 2012, Captain Neal Wade Smith of the Atascocita (Texas) Fire Department died while participating in the Texas Smoke Divers program. The investigative report produced by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office (www.tdi.texas.gov/reports/fire/documents/fmloddsmith.pdf ) cited numerous problems with the course, including lack of medical monitoring, rest and rehab procedures, and excessive pressure to complete the course as a rite of passage. The report also calls into question whether Captain Smith was physically prepared for such training.
As a 1997 Smoke Divers graduate, I read the investigative report with a personal understanding of the mental and physical challenges of this program. I can clearly remember participating in the evolutions described.
Although the Smoke Divers program unquestionably made me a more confident and better trained firefighter, the competitive nature and performance requirements of this course highlight one of the greatest challenges we face as instructors: How do you train a firefighter with the intensity and discipline of the Marine Corps and expect them to play well in the Peace Corps? Cortez Trotter, a former commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department, made this statement at the Wingspread Conference in Atlanta in 2006, and it’s a question that I’ll never forget.
Firefighters are competitors by nature; we don’t subscribe to the idea of quitting, tapping out or leaving a task undone. We vow to uphold the motto of the Marine Corps–”No one gets left behind.” Yet we teach with a much different expectation. We expect the student to speak up if something is unsafe, or to quit if they’re physically unable to complete the tasks. These two expectations are often seen as in conflict–but in fact they don’t have to be.
Although the hot weather is perhaps the most publicized factor behind what went wrong on Sept. 16, 2012, the lessons learned from the tragic loss of Captain Smith are far more reaching than the need to monitor for heat stress and follow mandatory requirements for rest, rehab and fluid replenishment during training. It’s about us–firefighters and fire officers–subscribing to the true meaning of the phrase, “No one gets left behind.”
The Smoke Divers program is NOT a recruit-level training program delivered with the intention of identifying whether an individual has what it takes to be a firefighter. It’s designed to teach experienced firefighters to understand their physical and mental limitations while using SCBA, while safely pushing themselves to a level beyond what they’ve experienced in the past.
If we truly subscribe to the phrase “No one gets left behind” when teaching a course of this nature, then we must accept responsibility and commit to the following:
As a student/firefighter, I vow to prepare myself mentally and physically each day. I won’t wait for a directive to maintain my health and fitness; instead, I will routinely seek medical evaluations. When faced with situations for which I lack the physical ability, training or mental competency, I will alert my supervisors of my limitations and refrain from participating.
As an instructor/training officer, I vow to offer the safest, most effective training possible, with the understanding that every student has strengths and weaknesses, and that it’s my responsibility to help each of them achieve a level of success. I will not subscribe to nor tolerate the belittlement of an individual for speaking up or taking action to prevent an unsafe act.
Training the modern-day firefighter is not a responsibility any of us should take lightly. The success of any program begins and ends with the safety of those who provide the instruction and those who participate. Let us remember Captain Smith by ensuring that every class we teach begins and ends with the goal of ensuring that “Everyone Goes Home.”
