DEPARTMENT: Fire
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Charles N. Hood
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Professional Services Contract - Hazard Zone Incident Commander Certification
SUMMARY:
The San Antonio Fire Department has acquired a web based incident command training system (Blue Card) that will address several of the findings of the State Fire Marshal's investigative report concerning the Line of Duty Death of firefighter Scott Deem.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
After the Line of Duty Death of firefighter Scott Deem the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office determined that the San Antonio Fire Department was in need of a formalized, best standard practice incident command training program. The Blue Card training program was selected as the program that best suited to address this need.
The Blue Card training program provides online interactive scenario training through a 4-day course in which all participants are required to sit in the different command positions. Each student is evaluated in the role of the initial arriving Incident Commander (Engine 1 officer) and as the second arriving Incident Commander (Battalion 1 response chief) during the evaluation process. The student must fill both of the Incident Commander roles for each of the programs 5 basic building types. The 5 basic building types are: residential, multi-unit residential, strip malls, commercial buildings, and big box structures. By the end of the course, participants are more prepared and confident to take command of fires and emergency situations. The Blue Card program also comes with Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure consistency in regards to fire-ground organization, terminology, methodology, as well as tactics and strategies concerning dangerous occupancies like high-rise and commercial fires.
The four main components of the Blue Card Training and Certification program include:
* Completion of the 40-50 hour online training program (cognitive portion of the program)
* Com...
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