Fire Team Leader Training Course

1. Fire Team Leadership Foundations

1.1. Leadership Role and Responsibilities

• Command authority including (decision-making power, direction authority, and accountability)

• Legal responsibilities including (duty of care, standard of performance, and compliance oversight)

• Team management including (personnel supervision, performance evaluation, and development)

• Organizational integration including (management liaison, information conduit, and policy implementation)

• Introduction to NFPA 600 and NFPA 1041 standards for fire brigade leadership

1.2. Leadership Styles and Applications

• Directive leadership including (clear commands, direct control, and explicit instructions)

• Participative leadership including (team input, collaborative planning, and shared decision-making)

• Situational leadership including (style adaptation, condition assessment, and appropriate response)

• Transformational leadership including (team development, motivation techniques, and performance enhancement)

• Leadership transitions including (command transfer, responsibility assumption, and continuity)

2. Advanced Fire Behavior and Risk Assessment

2.1. Complex Fire Behavior

• Fire development stages including (incipient, growth, fully developed, and decay)

• Building factors including (construction type, fuel load, and ventilation effects)

• Ventilation-controlled fires including (limited oxygen, smoke indicators, and tactical considerations)

• Fire spread mechanisms including (conduction paths, convection currents, and radiation effects)

• Risk indicators including (smoke behavior, thermal layering, and structural response)

2.2. Risk-Based Decision Making

• Risk assessment matrix including (probability evaluation, consequence analysis, and risk level determination)

• Risk-benefit analysis including (potential gains, likely losses, and acceptable risk)

• Go/no-go decisions including (entry criteria, withdrawal parameters, and tactical limitations)

• Resource risk including (personnel exposure, equipment commitment, and capability limitations)

• Property conservation including (value assessment, damage potential, and protection priorities)

3. Incident Command System for Fire Team Leaders

3.1. Command Establishment and Structure

• Initial command including (assumption protocols, position establishment, and announcement)

• Command post including (location selection, equipment needs, and functional arrangement)

• Command structure including (single command, unified command, and expanding organization)

• Span of control including (supervisory limits, sector division, and functional grouping)

• Command progression including (initial operations, extended operations, and multi-agency coordination)

3.2. Command Functions and Responsibilities

• Tactical priorities including (life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation)

• Incident action planning including (objective setting, strategy development, and tactical assignment)

• Resource management including (personnel tracking, assignment documentation, and accountability)

• Safety oversight including (risk monitoring, intervention authority, and protection measures)

• Information management including (size-up reporting, progress updates, and status tracking)

4. Strategic and Tactical Planning

4.1. Size-up Process

• Systematic assessment including (occupancy type, construction features, and fire conditions)

• Resources evaluation including (available personnel, equipment capabilities, and mutual aid)

• Time factors including (fire development, rescue window, and response timeframes)

• Special considerations including (weather effects, time of day, and facility operations)

• Continuous reassessment including (changing conditions, tactical effectiveness, and plan modification)

4.2. Strategic Decision Making

• Offensive strategy including (interior attack, rescue operations, and direct fire combat)

• Defensive strategy including (exposure protection, master stream operations, and containment)

• Transitional approaches including (initial interior followed by exterior, phased withdrawal, and tactical retreat)

• Strategic modes including (investigative, fast attack, and full assignment)

• Strategic communication including (clear intent, mode announcement, and understanding verification)

5. Tactical Operations Management

5.1. Resource Deployment

• Task prioritization including (critical needs, sequence determination, and objective importance)

• Assignment distribution including (team capabilities, skill matching, and balanced workload)

• Equipment allocation including (appropriate tools, specialized equipment, and support resources)

• Geographical responsibility including (area division, sector assignments, and boundary definition)

• Functional responsibility including (specialized tasks, specific objectives, and focused operations)

5.2. Tactical Coordination

• Attack coordination including (entry timing, ventilation synchronization, and team positioning)

• Search integration including (rescue priority, area coverage, and progress tracking)

• Support function management including (water supply, equipment staging, and medical readiness)

• Progress monitoring including (benchmark achievement, time tracking, and objective completion)

• Tactical adjustment including (effectiveness evaluation, approach modification, and resource reallocation)

6. Communication Leadership

6.1. Command Presence

• Vocal techniques including (projection, clarity, and tone management)

• Physical presence including (visible positioning, confident demeanor, and authoritative stance)

• Message delivery including (precise instructions, priority emphasis, and understanding verification)

• Stress management including (controlled communication, emotional regulation, and focus maintenance)

• Non-verbal communication including (body language, eye contact, and gesture utilization)

6.2. Information Management

• Critical information identification including (essential elements, priority data, and decision factors)

• Information flow including (reporting chains, update frequency, and notification protocols)

• Communication systems including (radio networks, face-to-face briefings, and status boards)

• Message discipline including (brevity enforcement, clarity emphasis, and relevance focus)

• Documentation including (command worksheet, decision recording, and incident timeline)

7. Team Supervision and Management

7.1. Performance Management

• Task assignment including (clear objectives, performance expectations, and completion criteria)

• Progress monitoring including (regular check-ins, milestone verification, and time awareness)

• Performance feedback including (immediate correction, positive reinforcement, and improvement coaching)

• Intervention decision including (under-performance recognition, correction timing, and appropriate action)

• Stress recognition including (performance indicators, fatigue signs, and psychological impacts)

7.2. Team Dynamics

• Team composition including (skill balance, experience distribution, and capability matching)

• Crew resource management including (team input, expertise utilization, and collaborative problem-solving)

• Conflict management including (disagreement resolution, tension diffusion, and focus restoration)

• Morale maintenance including (psychological support, encouragement provision, and team cohesion)

• Leadership presence including (appropriate involvement, supervision level, and delegation balance)

8. Safety Leadership

8.1. Safety Officer Functions

• Hazard recognition including (risk identification, danger assessment, and warning communication)

• Intervention authority including (unsafe operation stoppage, exposure limitation, and alternative direction)

• Safety perimeter including (establishment, enforcement, and adjustment)

• Personal protective equipment including (appropriate selection, proper usage, and compliance enforcement)

• Accident prevention including (near-miss recognition, trend identification, and preventive action)

8.2. Crew Safety Management

• Personnel accountability including (entry control, position tracking, and regular accounting)

• Rehabilitation including (work/rest cycles, physiological monitoring, and recovery management)

• Emergency evacuation including (withdraw criteria, notification procedures, and assembly verification)

• Mayday response including (distress recognition, rescue mobilization, and focused intervention)

• Exposure control including (contamination limitation, decontamination procedures, and medical monitoring)

9. Specialized Incident Leadership

9.1. Hazardous Materials Incidents

• Recognition and identification including (material assessment, hazard determination, and risk evaluation)

• Initial response actions including (isolation distances, evacuation needs, and exposure prevention)

• Resource requirements including (specialized equipment, technical expertise, and support capabilities)

• Incident management including (specialized sector establishment, technical liaison, and expert integration)

• Termination considerations including (decontamination needs, disposal issues, and scene restoration)

9.2. Technical Emergencies

• Confined space emergencies including (rescue coordination, atmospheric monitoring, and access planning)

• Machinery entrapment including (stabilization requirements, extrication techniques, and medical integration)

• Structural collapse including (safety assessment, stabilization needs, and search coordination)

• Electrical emergencies including (power isolation, approach limitations, and specialized tactics)

• Elevated operations including (fall protection, access methods, and rescue considerations)

10. Facility-Specific Leadership Considerations

10.1. Critical Infrastructure

• Process areas including (production impact, shutdown procedures, and restart implications)

• Utility systems including (isolation requirements, backup systems, and cascading effects)

• Control systems including (monitoring capabilities, automated responses, and manual overrides)

• Data/communications including (protection priorities, redundancy systems, and preservation methods)

• Specialized equipment including (high-value assets, replacement challenges, and protection strategies)

10.2. Occupancy Concerns

• Population management including (evacuation coordination, assembly verification, and special needs)

• Business continuity including (critical operation protection, essential function maintenance, and recovery planning)

• Security integration including (access control, sensitive area protection, and information safeguarding)

• Multi-tenant considerations including (diverse operations, varying hazards, and coordination complexity)

• Public impact including (external effects, community protection, and reputation management)

11. Multi-Agency Coordination

11.1. Unified Command

• Command transfer including (information exchange, responsibility transition, and authority handover)

• Municipal fire department integration including (capability differences, protocol variations, and role delineation)

• Support role transition including (assistance provision, information sharing, and resource offering)

• Information transfer including (facility knowledge, action taken, and situation briefing)

• Continuing involvement including (facility expertise, system knowledge, and recovery assistance)

11.2. External Agency Interaction

• Law enforcement coordination including (security assistance, investigation needs, and access control)

• Emergency medical services including (patient information, treatment priorities, and transport decisions)

• Specialized teams including (hazmat units, technical rescue, and subject matter experts)

• Utility companies including (service control, restoration priorities, and safety verification)

• Regulatory agencies including (reporting requirements, investigation support, and compliance demonstration)

12. Extended Operations Leadership

12.1. Operational Sustainability

• Resource rotation including (personnel cycling, fatigue management, and effectiveness maintenance)

• Logistical support including (equipment maintenance, supply replenishment, and resource acquisition)

• Shift planning including (operational periods, handover procedures, and continuity management)

• Documentation continuation including (incident recording, decision tracking, and action logging)

• Leadership endurance including (command resilience, sustained focus, and performance maintenance)

12.2. Incident Termination

• Termination decision including (completion criteria, safety verification, and stability confirmation)

• Resource demobilization including (systematic release, equipment accounting, and personnel return)

• Scene transfer including (responsibility handover, property release, and authority transition)

• Documentation finalization including (report completion, record organization, and file management)

• Return to readiness including (equipment restoration, personnel recovery, and operational reset)

13. Post-Incident Leadership

13.1. Debriefing and Analysis

• Hot wash including (immediate feedback, key observations, and critical discoveries)

• Formal debriefing including (systematic review, comprehensive analysis, and inclusive participation)

• Performance evaluation including (objective assessment, effectiveness measurement, and outcome analysis)

• Root cause identification including (contributing factors, systemic issues, and fundamental causes)

• Documentation including (analysis findings, conclusion development, and recommendation formation)

13.2. Continuous Improvement

• Corrective action planning including (deficiency resolution, vulnerability addressing, and weakness correction)

• Implementation management including (change introduction, improvement tracking, and effectiveness monitoring)

• Training needs including (skill development, knowledge enhancement, and capability building)

• Procedure revision including (protocol updates, guideline modification, and process improvement)

• Organizational learning including (knowledge sharing, experience distribution, and collective advancement)

14. Administrative Leadership

14.1. Regulatory Compliance

• Standards application including (NFPA requirements, OSHA regulations, and industry practices)

• Documentation maintenance including (training records, inspection logs, and incident reports)

• Audit preparation including (record organization, compliance verification, and demonstration readiness)

• Deficiency management including (correction tracking, resolution verification, and prevention planning)

• Continuous monitoring including (requirement updates, regulatory changes, and standard revisions)

14.2. Training Leadership

• Needs assessment including (performance gaps, skill requirements, and knowledge deficiencies)

• Program development including (training objectives, content creation, and delivery methods)

• Exercise design including (scenario development, realistic challenges, and objective measurement)

• Performance evaluation including (skill verification, competency assessment, and certification maintenance)

• Improvement tracking including (development progress, capability enhancement, and readiness advancement)

15. Leadership Development

15.1. Personal Leadership Growth

• Self-assessment including (strength recognition, weakness identification, and development needs)

• Knowledge expansion including (continuous learning, technical advancement, and professional development)

• Decision-making improvement including (analytical skills, judgment enhancement, and problem-solving approaches)

• Stress management including (personal resilience, pressure performance, and emotional regulation)

• Mentorship including (guidance seeking, relationship development, and experience leveraging)

15.2. Team Development

• Talent identification including (potential recognition, capability assessment, and succession planning)

• Skill building including (training opportunities, experience provision, and deliberate development)

• Empowerment including (responsibility delegation, authority granting, and growth opportunity)

• Feedback provision including (performance coaching, constructive criticism, and improvement guidance)

• Team culture including (values reinforcement, expectation setting, and excellence promotion)

16. Case Studies & Group Discussions

• Complex incident leadership including (challenging scenarios, decision points, and outcome analysis)

• Middle East facility fires including (regional considerations, environmental factors, and cultural aspects)

• Leadership successes including (effective command, positive outcomes, and exemplary performance)

• Learning opportunities including (challenging incidents, unexpected developments, and improvement lessons)

• The importance of proper leadership training in successful emergency operations