HELP 2020-2021 Course Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Print this Page Facebook this Page (opens a new window) Tweet this Page (opens a new window) Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)

FIR 400 - Emergency Safety & Survival

1. Define and describe the need for cultural and behavioral change within the emergency services relating to safety, incorporating leadership, supervision, and accountability and personal responsibility.
   1. Define Culture.
   2. Discuss the need for culture change in the fire service relating to safety.
   3. Discuss the aspects of a safety culture within fire and emergency services.
   4. Discuss the gaps between a safety culture and the existing culture of emergency services.
   5. List examples of how an organization can use change to its advantage.
   6. Discuss ways to use the successes of other industries as a catalyst for advocating a safety culture within fire and emergency services.
2. Explain the need for enhancements of personal and organizational accountability for health and safety.
   1. Define personal and organizational accountability and list their advantages.
   2. Discuss ways that accountability can affect health and safety within fire and emergency services.
   3. Explain the process of using NFPA 1500 to improve the accountability related to health and safety of an organization.
   4. Discuss implementing the combination of accountability and no-fault management together.
   5. Discuss the need to create health and safety parameters for organizational accountability.
3. Define how the concepts of risk management affect strategic and tactical decision-making.
   1. Define risk management and why it is important component of incident management.
   2. Describe a risk-benefit analysis and its application to emergency services.
   3. Apply the United States Coast Guard’s risk management model to emergency services.
   4. Identify the features of recognition-primed decision making (RPD).
   5. List five safety features of the incident management in the incident action plan.
   6. Describe OSHA?s “two-in, two-out” rule and its effect on rapid intervention.
   7. Identify risk management practices at the strategic, tactical, and task levels.
   8. Explain the components of effective communication from the aviation industry.
4. Describe and evaluate circumstances that might constitute an unsafe act.
   1. Define what constitutes an unsafe act.
   2. List some examples of energy conversion and how they cause injury.
   3. List some of the perceived problems with using PPE.
   4. List examples for each of the four categories of unsafe acts.
5. Explain the concept of empowering all emergency services personal to stop unsafe acts.
   1. Explain empowerment and how it relates to the fireground.
   2. List examples of using education, engineering, environment, and enforcement to prevent injuries.
   3. Describe the differences between training fires and real fires, and why it’s important to understand them.
   4. Describe ways to address a safety concern with your supervisor.
6. Validate the need for national training standards as they correlate to professional development inclusive of qualifications, certifications, and re-certification.
   1. Explain national standards for training, qualifications, and certification.
   2. Describe the purpose and advantages of credentialing for emergency responders.
   3. Identify ways to use cognitive learning skills and apply them to an effective psychomotor lesson plan.
   4. Explain the advantages of the professional qualification standards with regard to safety.
   5. List the components of a job performance requirement.
   6. Describe some of the differences in training requirements between volunteer and career firefighters, as well as state to state and the effects on safety.
   7. Describe how methods of training should be adjusted for various risk scenarios you may encounter.
7. Defend the need for annual medial evaluation and the establishment of physical fitness criteria for emergency services personnel throughout their careers.
   1. Discuss what national medical and physical fitness standards are and the relevance to fire and emergency services.
   2. Explain why improving the health, wellness, and fitness of emergency responders is important.
   3. List the reasons heat dissipation is difficult for firefighters.
   4. Explain maximum heart rate and the influence that emergency responses have on it.
   5. Describe the importance of a responder?s ability to use oxygen.
   6. List the components of a firefighter?s criterion task test, such as CPAT.
   7. Describe the difference between wellness and fit-for-duty.
   8. Identify the NFPA standards developed for medical and fitness application.
   9. Explain the application of maintenance versus repairs when discussing health.
8. Explain the vital role of local departments in national research and data collection systems.
   1. Explain what a data collection system is and how it relates to the 16 initiatives.
   2. Explain how research and development could be used by emergency services to add another element of safety.
   3. Describe some ways research can benefit risk management.
   4. List some of the dangers of implementing changes without research.
   5. Explain the uses of statistical data from incident reports and the importance of accuracy.
   6. Discuss the differences between qualitative and quantitative data.
   7. Identify the effective components of hypothesis, and how it can be used in research.
   8. Discuss the unique problem of “exposure” as related to injury and LODD data.
   9. Explain how data collection, analysis, and utilization are used in conjunction with each other.
9. Illustrate how technological advancements can produce higher levels of emergency services safety and survival.
   1. Describe how technology can produce higher levels of health and safety.
   2. Describe some safety improvements that have evolved since the introduction of newer technologies in the fire service.
   3. Explain the problems that can arise by over relying on technology.
   4. Discuss the use of technology in improving the medical monitoring of personnel.
   5. List the ways technology can be adopted from other industries to reduce injuries and deaths from motor vehicle crashes.
   6. Explain the theory of using time, distance, and shielding to prevent injuries.
   7. Discuss the design aspects of simulators that are necessary to improve training systems.
   8. Describe the application of robotics to improve safety.
10. Explain the importance if investigating all near misses injuries and fatalities.
    1. Explain the reasons for thoroughly investigating firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near-misses.
    2. List the two reasons for thorough investigation.
    3. Describe the causes for injuries and explain how it affects events that have already occurred.
    4. Explain the advantages of indemnity in the near-miss reporting process.
    5. Explain the disadvantages of voluntary reporting as it applies to near-miss reporting.
    6. Describe the process of near-miss reporting, and the information needed.
    7. List the five leverage points that can be used when implementing a safety system.
    8. Explain how sharing information can reduce future injuries and LODDs.
11. Describe how obtaining grants can support safety and survival initiatives.
    1. Explain the importance of safe practices as an eligibility requirement for obtaining a grant.
    2. List the advantages of using community organization for finding opportunities.
    3. Name some of the companies that support the fire service on the national level.
    4. Explain the benefits gained by using research and education grants to firefighter safety.
    5. Describe how a program seed grant can benefit for volunteer recruitment.
    6. Illustrate the importance of compiling a list of FLSI 16- registered organizations.
    7. Explain the relationship between developing effective grant requests and grant priorities.
    8. Explain the influence of an effective grant narrative in being awarded a grant.
12. Formulate an awareness of how adopting standardized policies for responding to emergency scenes can minimize near-misses, injuries, and deaths.
    1. Define a standards developing organization (SDO) and how it can affect safety.
    2. Explain the importance of terminology in policies and procedures.
    3. Differentiate between standard operating procedures (SOP) and standard operating guideline. SOG).
    4. List seven components of an effective procedure or guideline
    5. Explain the differences among the three series of procedures.
    6. Discuss the assembling, modeling, and adoption of procedures.
    7. Explain how safety would be improved with national standards
13. Explain how the increase in violent incidents impacts safety for emergency services personnel when responding to emergency scenes.
    1. Explain the difference between terrorism and other violent events such as riots.
    2. Describe the similarities between standard procedures developed by journalists in dangerous areas and procedures that can be developed for emergency services.
    3. Explain the importance of establishing better training to be prepared for violent incidents.
    4. List specific types of violent incidents that should have national standards.
    5. List the reasons fire and EMS uniforms should be professional yet unique.
    6. Explain the benefits if using Level II staging for violent events.
    7. Describe a situation in which “staging for a safe scene” is not an opinion.
    8. Describe how to best prepare for violent incidents.
14. Recognize the need for counseling and psychological support for emergency services personnel, their families, as well as, identify access to local resources and services.
    1. Compare the effects of physical and psychological stresses of a critical incident on health and well-being of responders.
    2. Explain the myths of relying on alcohol or drugs to cure depression.
    3. List the differences between critical incident stress am post-traumatic stress disorder.
    4. Compare the components of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting and a critical incident debriefing.
    5. Define psychotherapy and how it is normally applied to fire and emergency services.
    6. Explain the differences between demobilizing, defusing, and debriefing in critical incident stress management.
    7. List some of the ways individual therapy is offered to emergency responders.
    8. Explain the features of an effective chaplaincy program.
    9. Describe how technology influences confidentiality for psychological support.
15. Describe the importance of public education as a critical component of life safety programs.
    1. Discuss why public education must receive more resources in order to be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
    2. Discuss the difference between prevention and preparation.
    3. Describe the advantage of using local statics to develop a fire and life safety program to address a need.
    4. Describe what resources are available for public education in relation to fire and life safety.
    5. Explain the purpose of using an action plan to ensure safety during equipment demonstrations.
    6. List the components of NFPA’s Champion Model and how they can be applied to project management while building major programs.
    7. Describe the link between fire and life safety education and firefighter safety.
16. Discuss the importance of fire sprinklers and code enforcement.
    1. Discuss the importance of code enforcement and home fire sprinklers.
    2. Cite some examples of how NFPA 13D makes it easy to comply with.
    3. Discuss some of the arguments against residential sprinklers.
    4. Explain how fire and life safety education can promote the message and importance of residential fire sprinklers.
    5. Discuss the advantages of partial systems in addressing immediate safety concerns.
17. Explain the importance of safety in design of apparatus and equipment.
    1. Discuss why safety should be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.
    2. List some of the groups responsible for originating safety.
    3. Describe how manufactures can improve safety thus better serving the fire service.
    4. Discuss the advantages of creating a fire-based safety invention clearinghouse.
    5. Compare the level of safety when designed into equipment versus safety that is retrofitted into it.
    6. Explain how a cost-benefit analysis can justify investing in safety techniques.
18. Explain the safe use of various exercise equipment and techniques.
    1. Examine the use of exercise equipment and techniques.
    2. Describe the purpose of each exercise.

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