Advanced Fire Fighting Course

Lesson 1 • Smoke and Gas Dynamics

Analyses toxic gas production, smoke stratification, and neutral pressure planes. Directly informs ventilation strategy and entry point selection.

Lesson 2 • Fire Development Stages

Traces incipient, growth, fully developed, and decay phases with measurable indicators. Enables firefighters to identify stage transitions during active incidents.

Lesson 3 • Heat Transfer Mechanisms

Examines conduction, convection, and radiation as fire spread pathways. Links heat transfer modes to tactical decisions on exposure protection.

Lesson 4 • Chemistry of Combustion

Covers the fire tetrahedron, oxidation reactions, and fuel classifications. Provides the chemical foundation for all subsequent fire behaviour analysis.

Lesson 1 • Structural PPE Components and Standards

Details helmet, hood, coat, pants, gloves, and boots construction and thermal protection ratings. Establishes baseline knowledge for proper ensemble selection.

Lesson 2 • SCBA Systems and Components

Covers open-circuit SCBA cylinder types, regulators, masks, and PASS devices. Prepares students to inspect and operate breathing apparatus before entry.

Lesson 3 • Donning and Doffing Procedures

Trains timed donning sequences for structural and SCBA ensembles under stress. Reinforces muscle memory critical for emergency deployment.

Lesson 4 • PPE Inspection, Cleaning, and Retirement

Establishes inspection intervals, decontamination protocols, and retirement criteria for all PPE components. Ensures sustained protection throughout equipment lifecycle.

Lesson 1 • Fire Hydraulics and Pump Calculations

Applies friction loss formulas, elevation pressure, and engine pressure calculations to real hose lays. Enables accurate pump operator support for attack crews.

Lesson 2 • Water Supply Establishment

Covers hydrant connection, drafting from static sources, and relay pumping operations. Ensures uninterrupted water supply during extended operations.

Lesson 3 • Nozzle Types and Fire Stream Selection

Covers smooth bore, combination, and foam nozzles with flow rates and reach characteristics. Links nozzle selection to fire stage and compartment geometry.

Lesson 4 • Hose Types and Construction

Differentiates attack, supply, and forestry hose by diameter, jacket, and pressure rating. Provides selection criteria applied in all subsequent hose evolutions.

Lesson 1 • Overhaul and Loss Control

Trains systematic overhaul techniques, hot spot detection, and property preservation methods. Reduces rekindle risk and minimises secondary damage after suppression.

Lesson 2 • Size-Up and Incident Priorities

Applies the RECEO-VS model and 13-point size-up to gather actionable intelligence on arrival. Establishes the decision framework used throughout all tactical operations.

Lesson 3 • Offensive Interior Attack

Develops hoseline positioning, door control, and nozzle technique for interior suppression. Builds crew coordination skills essential for safe offensive operations.

Lesson 4 • Defensive Exterior Operations

Covers master stream deployment, collapse zones, and exposure protection for defensive mode. Prepares crews to shift modes safely when interior conditions deteriorate.

Lesson 1 • Ventilation in Special Occupancies

Adapts ventilation strategies for high-rise, basement, and large-area buildings. Reinforces that standard techniques require modification in non-residential structures.

Lesson 2 • Positive Pressure Ventilation

Covers fan placement, inlet-outlet sizing, and pressure cone optimisation for PPV. Trains crews to deploy PPV without creating adverse flow paths.

Lesson 3 • Negative Pressure and Hydraulic Ventilation

Trains ejector fan placement and fog nozzle technique for negative pressure and hydraulic ventilation. Provides alternatives when PPV is contraindicated.

Lesson 4 • Ventilation Theory and Timing

Explains how ventilation affects fire growth, smoke movement, and victim survivability. Establishes the decision criteria that govern all ventilation technique selection.

Lesson 1 • Breaching Walls and Floors

Develops techniques for breaching drywall, masonry, and wood-frame walls and floors. Applied when conventional entry points are blocked or tactically disadvantageous.

Lesson 2 • Building Construction Types

Classifies Type I through Type V construction with associated fire resistance and collapse timelines. Provides the structural literacy required for safe tactical decisions.

Lesson 3 • Structural Collapse Indicators

Identifies visual and auditory warning signs of imminent structural failure during fire operations. Enables early withdrawal decisions that prevent firefighter fatalities.

Lesson 4 • Door and Window Entry Techniques

Trains inward and outward swinging door attacks, lock bypass, and window entry methods. Develops speed and control to minimise entry time and structural damage.

Lesson 1 • Toxicology and Health Hazards

Covers routes of exposure, dose-response relationships, and IDLH values for common hazmat classes. Enables risk assessment for personnel protection decisions.

Lesson 2 • HazMat Recognition and Identification

Uses placards, labels, shipping papers, and ERG to identify hazardous materials. Establishes the identification skills that drive all subsequent response decisions.

Lesson 3 • Incident Zones and Isolation

Establishes hot, warm, and cold zone boundaries using ERG initial isolation distances. Prevents secondary contamination and controls scene access.

Lesson 4 • Defensive Hazmat Operations

Trains absorption, damming, diking, and diversion as defensive containment actions. Limits environmental impact without requiring entry into the hot zone.

Lesson 1 • Rapid Intervention Team Operations

Trains RIT assembly, standby positioning, and firefighter rescue techniques. Provides the last line of defence when a firefighter becomes trapped or lost.

Lesson 2 • Mayday Procedures and Survival

Develops Mayday transmission, LUNAR reporting, and self-rescue techniques for trapped firefighters. Maximises survival probability during entrapment or disorientation events.

Lesson 3 • Personnel Accountability Systems

Trains passport, tag, and electronic accountability methods with PAR reporting intervals. Ensures all personnel are tracked throughout incident duration.

Lesson 4 • Incident Command System Structure

Establishes ICS organisational components, span of control, and unified command principles. Provides the command framework applied in all multi-unit fire operations.