Hoses are an integral part of the fire service. Understanding the similarities and differences of all the different types of hoses is critical. Equally as critical is the need to understand all the different physical ways to manage hoses. As cadets participate in the Emergency Response they are exposed to both the didactic information and the physical skills.
A large part of the Emergency Response program and being a firefighter is being physically component with the equipment. The skills my cadets are expected to master come directly from the International Fire Service Association (IFTSA) manual. The IFTSA manual is used by most of the fire departments and fire academies to train their firefighters and cadets. My cadets have a task took they get checked off as they demonstrate physical competency.
Firefighting is as much about the knowledge as it is about the physical ability to perform the task. Having access to hoses will allow all the cadets to use their gained didactic knowledge and then perform the physical tasks related to the knowledge. Knowledge combined with physicality is the backbone of the fire service.
Hoses are integrated into many of the units covered in the Emergency response program. Hoses are discussed and manipulated during the Hose Unit, Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) Unit, Knots Unit, and Wildland Unit. During the hose unit, the cadets learn about the different types of hoses, the charging of hoses and nozzles used for fire attack, how to care for hoses, how to roll hoses, and how to deploy hoses. During the RIC unit, the cadets learn how to use the hoses for ingress and egress and how to tell how far into the structure they are based on the hose. I also cover how to use the hose as a rescue tool. During the Wildland Unit, the cadets expand their knowledge with hose rolls, deployment, and more specific use to wildland operations. Many cadets are surprised to learn how complex hoses are and how many other uses and information hoses can give firefighters.
The equipment is not shared directly with other classes in the district, however before COVID, the equipment was shared in other ways. The cadets and I have shared equipment at CTE events, within the district and for the public, allowing participants to touch and manipulate the equipment.
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