New Online Training Available: Prerequisites for Live Fire Training Participants
The new Prerequisites for Live Fire Training Participants online course prepares firefighters with the foundational knowledge to participate in live fire training. Available through the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) Fire Safety Academy (FSA), this course serves as the first checkpoint for any firefighter before stepping into their gear and onto the training ground.
Firefighters rely on live fire training to learn how to fight fires in a controlled and supervised setting. However, live fire training can be risky. Adequate preparation is needed to ensure that firefighters get the most out of this experience and can apply what they have learned in the classroom while maintaining their safety. Based on the standard NFPA 1403, this course helps firefighters meet the prerequisite requirements for participating in live fire training, as outlined in section 4.3.2 of the standard.
After taking this course, firefighters will be able to apply foundational knowledge of the following topics to make safe decisions on the fireground:
- Fire dynamics;
- Fire behavior and development;
- Firefighting tactics; and
- Firefighter health and safety.
“This course helps mitigate the risks to firefighters because it sets them up for understanding what they’re going to experience before they physically experience the heat and lack of visibility in a live fire training.”
-Charlie Dall, Battalion Chief of Training, Parker County Emergency Services, District No. 1, Texas
Recap and key benefits of the Prerequisites for Live Fire Training Participants online course.
“We know that complacency kills. Repetition is the best weapon that we have to fight complacency, and that’s why we start from the beginning and consistently teach that foundational knowledge over and over again.”
- Norm Bemis, Division Chief of Training, Palatine Fire Department, IL
As the first educational resource to launch in the updated FSA, this course provides the fire service with a host of new features and functionality. The course is broken down into 3-to-5-minute lessons, which allows students to learn at their own time and pace. These micro-lessons also enable instructors to either teach a single concept or group a subset of lessons together to deliver a customized curriculum. Instructors can also download the lesson video and an accompanying lesson plan to support the delivery of the course. To further enhance learning, each lesson concludes with additional student resources. These resources include practice questions, links to other content, and a “Notes From the Field” section to bring the content to life.
By imparting comprehensive evidence-based knowledge via our user-friendly platform, this course prepares both early-career firefighters and seasoned professionals to be safe and effective firefighters during live fire training and beyond.
