Drill of the Week: Safety & Survival

By Forest Reeder

Each member of the fire service is empowered to take steps to ensure their individual and their crews safety and survival by applying basic principles to every operation (See National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Life Safety Initiatives #1-4).

The following list of tried and true principles, skills, philosophies help make these goals a reality. You must take steps to ensure that Everyone Goes Home. As a firefighter, review this list and discuss the importance of each in your safety and survival. Add as many personal experiences and tips to this list as possible and make this a living document that reinforces the basics of operational safety and survival.

Download this week’s drill as a PDF HERE.

Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1979. He currently serves as Battalion Chief / Director of Training & Safety with the Pleasantview (IL) Fire Protection District (www.plvw.org) and is the Director of Training for Southwest United Fire Districts (www.sufd.org). In these capacities, he is responsible for the design, implementation and coordination of in-service training activities as well as a full-service fire training academy program. Forest holds numerous Illinois fire service certifications and holds a Masters Degree in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University.

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