Easily Prevent Any Heated Accidents with this Firefighting Course

• 1 September 2021

Throughout history, a household fire may be one of the worst experiences that any family can go through. Not only is absolutely every family member, pets included, put at risk of a serious injury or even death, but so are all the memorabilia, furniture, and other household appliances too.

This is especially true in our modern-day as the construction of the average house is far more expensive alongside the abundance of furniture, appliances, and family heirlooms, which can all be reduced to ashes within almost no time at all. You can reduce your risk of experiencing this nightmare first-hand by applying for an EmCare’s firefighting course after simply reading this brief article within just a few short minutes.

The Basics of Practically any Firefighting Course

The mission of any sworn firefighter is to protect the life and property of those around them. It is due to this mission that Search and Rescue (SAR) operations are always placed on top priority when a call regarding any form of structure fire is answered. This SAR protocol has become dramatically more important as a direct result of how a majority of modern buildings are constructed, using lightweight building methods that utilize synthetic materials that provide less structural support in general. This is why applying for a firefighting course may be in everyone’s best interest, as it equips you with the knowledge and physical ability needed to help those in danger whenever the situation arises.

Before you even think about entering yourself into a firefighting course, it is crucial that you first make the effort to familiarize yourself with a few SAR standards and definitions. Doing so will allow you to move forward with your training with a firm grasp of what needs to be expected in the field, and what exactly is expected of you too.

According to the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), the beginning of any SAR operation is defined as a “rapid, but thorough, search that is performed before or during fire suppression”. Alongside this, it is important that you never forget about the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) overarching message regarding the survival of anyone entering themselves into a firefighting course, “Our goal as firefighters is to save lives, the Fire service has a long history of aggressive SAR operations as an initial priority of fire companies that are first to arrive on the scene. History, as well as the firefighter fatalities throughout, shows that firefighters are exposed to a risk of danger and death far greater than the average person, during any primary SAR operation.”

To help you commence with your firefighting course, here are a few SAR-related definitions to help you acclimate yourself to the environments most often seen by the brave firefighters that protect our homes and families. First off, we have:

Situational Awareness

The success of any and all SAR operations is entirely dependent on the firefighter’s situational awareness. Referring to the firefighter’s ability to take note of the details within the scene, while still being fully aware of the scene as a whole, which stands in stark contrast to tunnel vision on the opposite end of the spectrum. To increase your situational awareness when needed, a firefighting course will advise that you start asking direct but simple questions regarding the situation from the moment that you arrive on the scene. Asking questions that are as simple as, “Where’s the fire?” or “How many people are still inside?” can be the first step towards executing a successful and flawless SAR operation.

Alongside this, it can also be invaluable to become fully aware of the building’s various characteristics, such as where the ventilation, as well as extinguishing equipment, is located too. This knowledge, while not always accessible, can usually be gathered by simply communicating with on-scene personnel. With communication, a clear plan for entering and moving within and out of the burning structure is undeniably important for the wellbeing of firefighters as well as those that they are rescuing.

Firefighter Orientation

One of the most important pieces of information that are given by any firefighting course is that you need to remain fully orientated about where you are in any giving building. While moving through the scene of the fire, the ability to remember where you are and how you got there can be the difference between a successful SAR operation or a devastating failure. To make this simpler for those applying for a firefighting course, the Incident Command System (ICS) recommends that buildings are labelled using a different letter on each side.

This is done from side A to side D for buildings that use a square base, with side A being the side facing the street, which would then move clockwise until reaching side D. This simple method of referencing has made the lives of firefighters across the world far easier and less dangerous while in the field. While using building plans and compass points can be incredibly valuable for even the smallest house fires, this simple ICS method negates their immediate use by providing firefighters with a universal understanding of their environment, even promoting the collaborative effort of firefighters from various agencies to still be able to work together.

Size-Up

Before entering the burning building is even thought of, it is vital that a complete size-up is made, allowing the firefighter and surrounding personnel to be given as much information about the situation as possible. By performing a simple walk-around the structure in question, an officer can become fully aware of the type of building that is on fire, the various locations of accessible doors and windows, and the number of people still inside the building. This is often achieved while the officer still predicts the location of the fire and general movement from inside the building by observing the conditions of the smoke being emitted from the flame.

Once this invaluable information is given to the firefighters, an analysis that conveys any risks and benefits of the given situation is conducted, allowing a series of important decisions to be made regarding how the SAR operation will commence, such as whether or not a search should be made before, during, or even after the flames have been suppressed. If any hints are given as to the number of occupants that are still in the burning building, such as witness accounts, type of occupancy, time of day, or even if there are any surrounding vehicles, then a SAR operation is placed on top priority, usually being coordinated alongside a simultaneous fire attack if enough resources are available.

One of the most important pieces of information to look out for, before and after you have completed your firefighting course, is to determine the number of occupants within the building. An apartment building, for instance, will likely have its occupants be in their rooms during the late evening, with bathrooms and basements being the most likely location to congregate to during times of panic.

What Firefighters Tend to Look Out for When Inside of Any Burning Structure

When the IFSTA’s definitions of SAR operations are brought up during a firefighting course, instructors will often use terms along the lines of “fast and furious”, as this perfectly describes the ideal nature that any firefighter should attempt to achieve during the call to action, while still maintaining a clear head that is free of excess stress and worries. Amongst the chaos that is often seen during building fires, firefighters would still need to remain on the lookout for:

• Any life hazards
• Building construction
• The size of the fire and the extent of the damage being caused
• Occupant survivability/accountability
• Available equipment
• Established water sources

In an ideal situation, the information listed above, alongside other valuable hints, is given to the firefighters before entering the building, though this information can only be as useful as the individual firefighters that are conducting the search. An inexperienced firefighter may not always be aware of any signs of potential danger, while a firefighter with a rich history in the field may just intuitively know what, when, and where their attention needs to be placed in almost any given situation.

When the risk vs. reward factor is high, an experienced firefighter may know exactly how aggressive they would need to be during the given SAR operation. It should be stated that this form of aggression does not refer to an operation that is played quickly and loosely, as this can lead to further damage to the structure as well as an increased risk of completely skipping past trapped occupants. Such recklessness can quickly lead to the injury or death of the occupants as well as the firefighters conducting the search. Instead, an aggressive firefighter is one that is able to conduct his or her job in a manner that is controlled, thorough, methodical, and deliberate.

This ability is only able to come to those that are willing to put in the time and effort, as the dangers that are often faced by firefighters can oftentimes be too great for any newcomer to tackle successfully on a first run-through. By making sure to wholeheartedly practice and familiarize yourself with the manoeuvres, definitions, and expectations of the average firefighter, you can remain fully prepared, mentally and physically, to pull off even the most intense SAR operations while keeping excess damage, as well as casualties, to an absolute minimum, something that is strived for by firefighting agencies across the world.

Where You Can Go to Apply for a High-Quality Firefighting Course

As has been stated throughout this very article alone, a fire is not something to be taken lightly, even when started in a controlled environment. By acting carelessly, a simple braai on the patio with your family can easily lead to more than just your food getting burned, so why not think ahead and start applying to EmCare’s firefighting training course. With 7 branches that are located throughout the country, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Durban, you are never too far away to start your safety training courses.

EmCare does not only provide you with the chance to enter into a firefighting course, but they even provide access to:

• Emergency and medical courses
• Health and safety courses
• Healthcare courses
• Rescue courses
• Hand tool operator courses

It is because of the care and attention that EmCare has been applying to all their courses that has allowed South Africans across the country to remain safe as well as mentally and physically prepared at a moment’s notice. Start your course today by completing an inquiry form on EmCare’s “Contact Us” page. Within almost no time at all, you can expect to provide your family with the fire safety you wouldn’t otherwise dare, all with help provided by EmCare.