Responsibilities Of A First In Fire Officer in Florida

At most fires the fire engine is the first vehicle to arrive on the scene and the fire officer in charge of the engine company automatically assumes the role of commander in the absence of anyone more senior. Their responsibility is to analyze the situation, work out a strategy and the tactics for fighting the fire and then issue commands accordingly. Then they need to make sure those commands are being carried out effectively and efficiently and that objectives are being achieved.

The chief officer of the first in fire truck also has a number of very critical roles to attend to. Their first priority is to find the fire then work out the best route to get the first hoseline into position and pass this information along to the engine crew so that they know where to deploy the hoselines. Once the first hoseline is in place and operating the next task on the list is conducting a search to make sure no one is trapped, that there are no extensions of the fire and to find any other exits.

A Great Fire Fighter Makes A Good Fire Officer 1 And Beyond

Personally, I believe that being a good fire officer is not just about being able to supervise. It’s also about being, first and foremost, a top notch, experienced fire fighter and this is something that only comes with first hand experience out in the field fighting fires. It isn’t something you learn at officer school or by taking online fire officer classes.

Good fire officers can also efficiently and comfortably perform every task carried out by their team. For a fire truck officer this entails knowing how to read smoke, knowing about ventilation, fire dynamics, fire flow paths and how to calculate fire travel. It means having proficient search skills and being able to make an effective and safe forced entry. They need to be able to operate all the equipment on their trucks including the ladders, be proficient at working on roof tops, know about building construction related to the fire service and possess good rescue and self survival skills.

In short, the chief officers of the first truck and first engine to arrive at a fire must know what their responsibilities are and they must be able to dispatch these responsibilities quickly, efficiently and effectively because this is what makes for a successful fire attack.

Become An Officer By Taking Fire Officer Classes Online

If you think you have what it takes to become a great fire officer, there are approved Florida State Fire College classes available through either the college itself or as online modules through independent training institutions like the Ricky Rescue Training Academy. These courses form part of the curriculum for Fire Officer certification here in Florida and will provide you with the skill sets you require to become a highly efficient fire officer 1 on top of the skills you’ve acquired as a fire fighter.

Take your career to the next level; enroll in Fire officer classes online and get your Fire Officer certification in Florida.

Vicent Feldman is an Australian journalist specialized in writing rich, unique, relevant and interesting niche articles.