TRAINING UPDATE: Two BEFO Courses Announced

 

COURSE STATUS UPDATES:

The training schedule has been updated at www.erie.gov/fire to reflect these course announcements: 

 

NEW:

• 1R17001 Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations with HazMat (BEFO w/ HMFRO) at Newton Abbott hosting for the Hamburg Fire Control on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays starts 1/31/17.
• 1R17002 Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations with HazMat (BEFO w/ HMFRO) at Grand Island hosting for the Tonawanda Fire Control on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays starts 2/2/17.
• 1S17002 Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA-Firefighter 1 at Grand Island hosting for the Tonawanda Fire Control on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays starts 4/11/17.

 

CHANGED:

1S16008 Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA-Firefighter 1 originally scheduled at Newstead has been moved to the Training & Operations Center to accommodate students from across the county. The schedule has not changed and this is now an open enrollment course (no seating preference given to any area or organization). There are still openings and we hope to maximize participation to create the best learning opportunity available. Please advise all affected students.

 

UPDATE:

We have received several applications for the Fire Service Instructor 1 regional delivery starting on March 14. However, several application packages received are incomplete and not all of the appropriate applications or appropriate payments are being submitted. Please pay close attention to the registration details as identified at: http://www2.erie.gov/fire/index.php?q=press/erie-county-host-fire-service-instructor-1-course and feel free to call our office with any questions.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

• Please read all of the notes below, download the appropriate documents and share them with your recruits and firefighters. Start submitting standard training course applications and NYS OFPC training authorization forms immediately.

• As always, the training schedule is a “living document” with frequent updates. PLEASE NOTE THAT MORE COURSES WILL BE FORTHCOMING SOON

 

IMPORTANT FIREFIGHTER 1 COURSE CLARIFICATION:

 

As previously shared, the Firefighter 1 course no longer exists as a single course in its entirety, effective September 1, 2016.

 

The New York State OFPC Firefighter-1 certification will now be delivered in two (2) separate courses:

1. BEFO w/HMFRO: ALL students must begin with Course#1R-Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations with Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (Most often represented as “BEFO w/HMFRO”).

 

This course is designed to prepare students to respond to emergencies as EXTERIOR FIREFIGHTERS to accomplish the objectives of OFPC’s “Recommended Best Practices for Fire Department Training-Exterior Firefighter” (http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/training/firefighting-best-practices.cfm) objectives. (See attached.) Portions of the NFPA 1001 and NFPA 472 will be covered to train the entry level member as an Exterior Firefighter as defined by OSHA regulation 1910.156 Fire Brigade Standard. Training on OSHA’s 1910.120 Emergency Response to Hazardous Materials regulation, 1910.146 Confined Space regulations (awareness level) and the 1910.147 Control of Hazardous Energy regulation will also be covered during the course.

 

Students attending this course will not be trained to wear an SCBA nor be trained to function in IDLH atmosphere. BEFO graduates should be committed to exterior operations ONLY and should not be placed in the HazMat warm or hot zone operations, interior structural fire attack, roof and/or ventilation operations and should not be in situations requiring them to come in contact with IDLH atmospheres nor the possibility of breathing smoke or contaminants.

 

This course is 79 hours long, delivered in 25 units, including 4-4 hour HMFRO units. The completion certificate for this course will state: “Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations w/HMFRO”.

2. SCBA/IFO: Students seeking to be trained as an Interior Structural Firefighter who will wear a self-contained breathing apparatus must then progress into Course#1S-SCBA/Interior Firefighting Operations course (Most often represented as ”SCBA/IFO or SIFO”) following successful completion of the BEFO w/HMFRO course.

 

If the student does not intend to be trained as an Interior Structural Firefighter they will stop at the successful completion of the BEFO w/HMFRO course.

 

This course is 50 hours long, delivered in 16 units, including two (2) 4-hour structure fire skills units. The completion certificate for this course will state: “SCBA/Interior Firefighting Operations-Firefighter 1”.

 

View this video to see a sample schedule and hear how the new delivery method will enhance the learning experience: http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/training/videos/firefighter-1.cfm

 

NOTE FOR STUDENTS WISHING TO BRIDGE FROM LEGACY COURSES:

Students who previously completed either the 2015 BEFO; SSO-Scene Support Operations; Basic Firefighter or Firefighting Essentials curriculums can now bridge into the SCBA/IFO by first attending a series of 2016 BEFO curriculum classes. See the attached document for details. http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/training/videos/documents/legacy.pdf

 

AIR CONSUMPTION TEST: IFO-Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA and FIREFIGHTER 1

All Task Oriented Air Consumption (TOAC) tests are held at the Erie County Emergency Services Training & Operations Center in Cheektowaga.

 

If you plan to be or are enrolled in an Erie County IFO-Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA - Firefighter 1 Class, watch this video to learn what will be expected of you and what you should start practicing for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRo2SnrR9cg&feature=youtu.be

 

The air consumption test is not a race, but a test of physical abilities and endurance that establishes a personal benchmark for you to understand just how long a nominal 30 minute air bottle may last you under firefighter working conditions. Instructors will work with you to prepare you to be successful in this training scenario.

 

It consists of eight (8) stations that simulate real firefighter tasks to be completed on the fireground:

1. Hose Carry/Stair Climb

2. Hose Stretch & Hose Pull

3. Tool Lift/Carry

4. Ladder Raise

5. Forcible Entry

6. Search

7. Rescue

8. Ceiling Push/Pull

 

Recruit Firefighters must complete all eight (8) stations and stay on breathing air for a minimum of 10 minutes. Once all eight (8) stations are completed and the student still has air left in their SCBA cylinder, they will continue to rotate through each station until such time that their air is completely breathed down from their bottle. Each firefighter is partnered with a shadow/escort who monitors them frequently and records their air consumption and time after each station.

 

Review the attachment, check out the video and start preparing. Please share with all existing and future Firefighter 1 students.

 

STUDENT BOOK required for all BEFO-Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations, IFO-Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA, Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 classes:

The new Firefighter 1 (and Firefighter 2 and BEFO-Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations courses) curriculum are based on the IFSTA/Brady Essentials of Firefighting and Fire Department Operations-6th Edition. This book is required at the first class and they may be purchased at the Fire Safety Office at a cost of $85 each. Your fire company or fire district will be billed by the Erie County Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Organization. If you are purchasing elsewhere – be sure that you are buying the version that includes “Fire Department Operations.”

Be sure to include your e-mail address and cell or other phone number on your application to ensure effective communications as the roster is posted and important course information must be distributed.

 

TRAINING TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF FIREFIGHTER 1:

View this physical fitness training tip from SFI Scott Janowski at http://www2.erie.gov/fire/index.php?q=content/training-tips-preparing-success-firefighter-1 or download and share this Training Tip with your Chief/Training Officers and Firefighter 1 Candidates.

 

APPLYING FOR TRAINING COURSES:

Please download the current version of the Standard Training Course Application (see below) and destroy all old copies. Course hosts have one week after the schedule is published to submit their course applications after which time, applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

A completed and signed NYS OFPC Training Authorization Form should accompany applications for ALL hands-on/live fire courses.

 

ROSTERS:

Rosters are posted to www.erie.gov/FIRE as student registrations are compiled for the particular class, and only after the minimum number of registrations have been received. Rosters are updated periodically as registrations are received, as a course is full, or as the registration deadline has passed.

 

TRAINING SCHEDULE FORMATTING:

Please note that a new column has been added to the training schedule to indicate the status of a course.

 

STATUS:

• N=New Course Announcement since last update

• O=Open-Accepting Applications

• F=Full-No longer accepting applications-All Confirmed and Alternate spots have been filled

• A=Accepting Applications for Alternate Spots Only

• R=Course at Risk of Not Running if 10 applications are not received by posted deadline

• C=Information Changed since last update

• P=Course In Progress