FIRE 210 Fire Department Safety Officer

This course examines the evolution of the fire department safety officer with emphasis on the qualifications and authority including risk management plans and planning responsibilities, and safety officer responsibilities. Topics covered include critical incident stress management, facility safety responsibilities, equipment safety and apparatus maintenance, training delivery, compliance assessment components, incident scene safety, injury and fatality factors, and reducing injuries and fatalities.

Credits

3

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. 1. Describe the emerging role of the safety officer in fire departments.
2. 2. Explain the balance of theory and reality as it pertains to safety concepts from a training,
   operational, and risk management perspective.
3. 3. Identify the regulations, codes, laws, and publications that are used to develop standards
   and procedures that guide the safety officer.
4. 4. Explain the importance of designing an effective incident safety officer program.
5. 5. Discuss the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for the professional development and
   mastery of an incident safety officer.
6. 6. Describe the key topics used in analyzing buildings as they pertain to the various building
   classifications for predicting structural collapses.
7. 7. Describe how utilizing the process of reading smoke to identify its attributes can provide a
   better understanding of fire behavior and aid in identifying the warning signs of a hostile fire
   event.
8. 8. Define situational awareness and its relationship to reading risk at an incident during the
   decision-making process.
9. 9. Define hazardous energy and describe the forms of energy that present a hazard to
   firefighters.
10. 10. Discuss the effects of overexertion and the ergonomic and physiological factors that can
    produce injury to firefighters and describe the strategies to mitigate them through firefighter
    rehabilitation.
11. 11. Explain the importance of integrating the incident safety officer function within the Incident
    Command System and the triggers and traps that could impact the effectiveness.
12. 12. Describe the basic approach to incident safety officer duties.
13. 13. Outline the duties of the incident safety officer, action model and considerations at structure
    and wildland fires, and hazmat and technical rescue incidents.
14. 14. Describe the post-incident responsibilities of the incident safety officer and explain the role
    in accident investigation.
15. 15. Explain the Emergency Services Occupational Safety and Health program.
16. 16. Describe the safety-related regulations and standards.
17. 17. Discuss risk management and the process for risk identification, evaluation, and control.
18. 18. Outline the components of a pre-incident safety program.
19. 19. Describe the roles and responsibilities of personnel involved in implementing risk
    management and safety programs.
20. 20. Describe the essential elements of developing and managing a safety program.
21. 21. Explain the safety program evaluation process.
22. 22. Describe the purpose and process of information management.
23. 23. Define the legal, ethical, and financial issues related to Emergency Services Occupational
    Safety and Health.

Course Objectives

1. 1. Describe the emerging role of the safety officer in fire departments.
2. 2. Explain the balance of theory and reality as it pertains to safety concepts from a training,
   operational, and risk management perspective.
3. 3. Identify the regulations, codes, laws, and publications that are used to develop standards
   and procedures that guide the safety officer.
4. 4. Explain the importance of designing an effective incident safety officer program.
5. 5. Discuss the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for the professional development and
   mastery of an incident safety officer.
6. 6. Describe the key topics used in analyzing buildings as they pertain to the various building
   classifications for predicting structural collapses.
7. 7. Describe how utilizing the process of reading smoke to identify its attributes can provide a
   better understanding of fire behavior and aid in identifying the warning signs of a hostile fire
   event.
8. 8. Define situational awareness and its relationship to reading risk at an incident during the
   decision-making process.
9. 9. Define hazardous energy and describe the forms of energy that present a hazard to
   firefighters.
10. 10. Discuss the effects of overexertion and the ergonomic and physiological factors that can
    produce injury to firefighters and describe the strategies to mitigate them through firefighter
    rehabilitation.
11. 11. Explain the importance of integrating the incident safety officer function within the Incident
    Command System and the triggers and traps that could impact the effectiveness.
12. 12. Describe the basic approach to incident safety officer duties.
13. 13. Outline the duties of the incident safety officer, action model and considerations at structure
    and wildland fires, and hazmat and technical rescue incidents.
14. 14. Describe the post-incident responsibilities of the incident safety officer and explain the role
    in accident investigation.
15. 15. Explain the Emergency Services Occupational Safety and Health program.
16. 16. Describe the safety-related regulations and standards.
17. 17. Discuss risk management and the process for risk identification, evaluation, and control.
18. 18. Outline the components of a pre-incident safety program.
19. 19. Describe the roles and responsibilities of personnel involved in implementing risk
    management and safety programs.
20. 20. Describe the essential elements of developing and managing a safety program.
21. 21. Explain the safety program evaluation process.
22. 22. Describe the purpose and process of information management.
23. 23. Define the legal, ethical, and financial issues related to Emergency Services Occupational
    Safety and Health.