2019 will be a demanding training year as we prepare for our November ISO Inspection.  It is important that we strive toward reaching our individual hours, and enhancing our collective crew firefighting and rescue capabilities.  

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Enclosed is the tentative training schedule for the first six months of 2019.  As you can see, we are back to four drills per month.  This is necessary to make our required training, and for individual firefighters to achieve their hours.

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Rather than dictate a weekly knot, protocol and training subject, there is a monthly focus which outlines what the day and night crews must accomplish during the month.  This allows leeway for the officers to schedule these events.  Subjects for the month include single engine benchmarks, knots that support rescue operations and technical rescue skills.  The monthly focus applies to both day and night crews.

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As previously executed, we will do the multiple engine benchmark drills on Thursday nights.  This strategy provides sufficient manpower to do the “large muscle movements”, and ensures sufficient engineers to drive and pump our rigs.

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The last Thursday of the month will be a Captain’s Drill.  This opportunity allows each duty night to conduct individual and collective training with their crews.  Please note that rigs have been assigned.  If crews desire to work together during these drill nights, feel free to do so.

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We will conduct live fire operations at the Airport Training Facility (ATF) during February, March and April.  These events are scheduled on Saturdays, and will take most of the day to complete.  We have paired duty nights to ensure sufficient firefighters will be available to meet the fireground operational demands.  Day crews will conduct their live fires with FFD.  Their schedule will be forthcoming.

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During the first week in March, we will have the ventilation/forcible entry trailer at Station 13.  If you look at the schedule, the corresponding ventilation benchmark is part of the monthly focus.  Also during March, we will have the car fire prop for live fire operations.  Utilize these opportunities to the maximum. 

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Being the best requires effort.  We need to give way together and accomplish our training tasks in preparation for the ISO Inspection.  There’s a method to the madness of this schedule.  Let’s stay the course, and work together safely and efficiently!

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Assistant Chief K. Murphy – Training Officer

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January 2019

Focus for the Month:

Benchmark 1.  Square knot, bowline, butterfly knots. 

 

3 January – Johnson Sr. “The Way Ahead For 2019”

Stewart/Kline.  1351’s emergency hydraulic system.  All aerial operators require this training.

 

10 January Murphy/Belcher.  Benchmark 2

 

15 January – EMS CONED

 

17 January S. Johnson/Buie.  Rescue Jacks and Air Bags

 

24 January Hanzal/Pomales/Gorman.  Multi-Unit Drill.  Benchmark 7 with Hope Mills/Cumberland Road/Rockfish/Puppy Creek/Cotton/FFD.

 

31 January Captain’s Drill. 

Monday night has 1331

Tuesday night has R-13

Wednesday night has 1351

Thursday night has 1332

Sunday night has 1333/1932

 

February 2019

Focus For the Month:

Benchmark 3.  Figure 8 series of knots.  High-Lift, bottle jacks and Porto-Power operations.

 

7 February Brown/Swartz.  Benchmark 5

 

14 February Kline/Regenhardt Benchmark 9

 

21 February Clary/Fitzpatrick Stokes Basket Evolutions with 1351

 

23 February Murphy/Johnson Jr.  Live Fire Operations at ATF.  Sunday and Monday nights.

 

26 February EMS CONED.

 

28 February Captain’s Drill. 

Monday night has R-13

Tuesday night has 1331

Wednesday night has 1332

Thursday night has 1333/1932

Sunday night has 1351

 

March 2019

Focus for the Month:

Ventilation Simulation/Forcible Entry Prop Week of 3 March.  Benchmark 6.  Review car fire operations.  Z-drag set up.

 

7 March Johnson Jr/Clary Hose Rodeo

 

9 March Johnson Sr./S.Johnson.  Live Fire Operations at ATF.  Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

 

14 March Austin/Hanzal Car Fire Simulator

 

21 March S.Johnson/Belcher Ground Ladders

 

26 March EMS CONED

 

28 March Captain’s Drill

Monday night has 1351

Tuesday night has 1333/1932

Wednesday night has 1331

Thursday night has 1332

Sunday night has R-13

 

 

April 2019

Focus for the Month:

Highline rigging.  Butterfly, 3-1 and 4-1 mechanical advantage.

 

4 April Murphy/Hughes. Drafting Operations

 

11 April Fitzpatrick/Buie.  Jinga (Using Jaws/Rams).  Bryn, coordinate w/your neighbors to get the big Jinga set)

 

13 April Murphy.  Live Fire Operations at ATF.  Thursday and make up for other duty night crew members. 

 

18 April Regenhardt/Belcher.  High line operations at Lake Upchurch Dam with Cotton and FFD R-2

 

23 April EMS CONED

 

25 April Captain’s Drill

Monday night has 1331

Tuesday night has 1332

Wednesday night has R-13

Thursday night has 1351

Sunday night has 1333/1932

 

May 2019

Focus for the Month:

Boat operations. (Boats will be at Station 13 for crew familiarization).  Review wildland firefighting operations.  Make up for any single engine Benchmarks your crew needs.

 

2 May Murphy.  Active Shooter

 

9 May Austin/Brown.  Wilderness Search and Rescue

 

16 May S.Johnson/Swartz/Pomales.  Vehicle extrication at the junk yard.

 

21 May EMS CONED

 

23 May Belcher/Hughes.  Water points. 

 

30 May Captain’s Drill - Swim test at Permistone Lake (alternate is Lake Upchurch)

 

 

June 2019

Focus for the Month:

Review and practice active shooter formations and operations.  Review combat trauma management.  Review water rescue tactics, techniques and procedures.

 

6 June Hanzal/Fitzpatrick.  Boat operations on Lake Upchurch (alternative Lake Rim) with Cotton and FFD.

 

13 June Murphy/Buie/Clary.  Active shooter exercise at JBHS (alternate Stoney Point Elementary) with CCSO. 

 

18 June EMS CONED

 

20 June S.Johnson/Regenhardt.  HAZMAT with FFD. 

 

27 June Captain’s Drill. 

Monday night has 1332

Tuesday night has 1333/1932

Wednesday night has 1331

Thursday night has 1351

Sunday night has R-13