IAFF Local 416 Fire Ops 101
18 elected and appointed officials, from Marion County and the State of Indiana, were put to the test as Indianapolis Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 416 President Hanks Harris, Vice President Shannon Whiteley and executive staff, hosted the highly anticipated #IAFF FIRE OPS 101 program.
The day long program, 7:30 am - 2:00 pm, included hands-on firefighting and rescue operations, conducted under controlled supervision by area professional firefighters and paramedics.
Participating agencies included the Indianapolis Fire Department, Wayne Township, Decatur Township, Pike Township, City of Speedway, City of Lawrence, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS), and the Indianapolis Airport Fire Department.
Participants in the program learned the everyday challenges our firefighters face, in keeping our communities safe.
The workshop demonstrated aspects of fire and emergency medical service operations, including suiting up in personal protective equipment (PPE), extinguishing a live fire, ascending a fully extended aerial adder, and searching a structure under smoke conditions. Each participant learned how to use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), essential to breathing in heavy smoke. Participants also operated extrication tools used for vehicle accidents. The final evolution, an EMS event, consisted of a simulated cardiac arrest and patient transport to a "hospital" on the training grounds.
Each of the four scenarios gave officials the opportunity to see what firefighters and paramedics face on a day-to-day basis, including instruction on how to respond to facets of fire behavior such as flashover.
The event was held at the new IFD Training facility at 9050 E. 33rd St. showcasing the state-of-the-art burn and training tower. The main building adjacent to the exterior portion used for the FIRE OPS 101, is entering the final phase of set up and will officially open later this year.