Fall Fire 2020: The Art of the First Due & First Due Boss **CANCELLED**

Due to the change in Connecticut’s COVID-19 travel restrictions, this event has been cancelled.

The New England FOOLS along with the Charter Oak FOOLS Present:

Fall Fire 2020: The Art of the First Due & First Due Boss
November 14 – 15, 2020

Fall Fire First Due Boss 2020 Application

Initial operations that are crucial to every successful fire attack.

A wise Fireman once said, “The fire goes as the first line goes”, and truer words have never been spoken. With that, there is so much more to a successful fire attack than just stretching a proper line. As we all know, if something goes sideways at the outset, it generally makes for a long day on the fireground.

There are two parts to this weekend program: The Art of the First Due and the return of our popular First-Due Boss program.  This program will introduce and reinforce some tenets of basic firemanship while addressing and acknowledging the reality of our every-day staffing.

The hands-on portion of the program will take us to the simulated fireground where we will first perform various skill stations including stretching hand lines, forcible entry, throwing ladders, vertical ventilation and search. We will also put these together in real-time evolutions where the students will “respond” and act as the first-in and first-due companies on a residential structure fire.

In addition to the HOT skills, we will discuss broader topics such as apparatus positioning, initial responsibilities of all responding members and apparatus, order of firefighting operations, all while taking into account how we are forced to operate with our limited and minimal staffing on most first alarm fires.

The First Due Boss course is designed to teach and enhance the skills of those Firefighters and Fire Officers who are responsible for initial command actions on the fire ground.

DAY 1: The students will be learning and reviewing skills in the subjects of; Incident Size-up, Building Construction, Incident Stabilization Priorities and Effective Command Tactics.

DAY 2: The students will be acting in various command roles as part of firefighting teams operating in the live fire portion of the weekend. Students will rotate through the positions of a First Due Company Officer, Sector Officer and Command Staff.

Program cost is $165 for non-FOOLS members, $150 for FOOLS members. Single-day $125. Lunch included both days. Check, money order, municipal purchase order, PayPal and Venmo accepted. First Due Boss program will be limited to the first dozen (12) PAID registrations received.

For pandemic purposes, there will be NO lecture this year. Strictly hands-on. Face coverings will be a must when not in SCBA. We will adhere to social distancing guidelines as best as we can within our scenarios. Hand-washing will be available and encouraged, and equipment will be wiped down between evolutions.