Multi-day Tracks
Thursday through Sunday - September 29th through October 1st
Rookie Track: LIMIT 24 STUDENTS
4 Day - Thursday September 28th - Sunday October 1st 0800 - 1700 (Th-Sat, Sun Half Day)
Track Cost: $425
Course Description:
Rookie Track has served as the core class for the Colorado Firefighters Academy for decades now. Over time it has evolved along with the industry and as access to facilities have changed. Rookie track is meant to teach the fundamental task level skills required of a structural firefighter and provide experience completing those tasks in live fire situations. Rookie track closely follows the JPR’s required to obtain a Firefighter 1 certification. This class caters to students’ level of experience allowing a safe learning environment from those who have never been in a live fire to those who have taken Firefighter 1 and are attending to gain more experience. The team of instructors who students will learn from over the course of this track are among some of the best firefighters and trainers in the Four Corners region.
In addition to instruction of skills, students gain valuable knowledge from instructor’s experience. Those who successfully complete the course who hold current certification as Firefighter 1 in Colorado will receive JPR checkoffs for future renewal. The JPRs covered within Rookie track include: 1A Donning PPE, 1D Doff PPE, 3A Don SCBA, 3B Respond on apparatus, 3C Scene Safety, 3D Forcible Entry, 3E Exit a Hazardous Environment, 3F Ladders, 3H Class A Fire, 3I Search and rescue, 3J Horizontal Ventilation, 3K Vertical Ventilation (discussed not practiced), 3L Overhaul A Scene (discussed not practiced), 3M Salvage
(discussed not practiced), 3N Water Supply, 3Q Utilities, and all live fire JPRs. Complete NFPA Compliant structural firefighting gear and SCBA required. Recommended that students bring a second SCBA bottle if they can. Students should be clean shaven and have a current SCBA mask fit test.
Intermediate Firefighter Track – LIMIT 16 STUDENTS
4 Day - Thursday September 28th - Sunday October 1st 0800 - 1700 (Th-Sat, Sun Half Day)
Track Cost: $425
Course Description:
The Intermediate Track curriculum has changed to a new class this year. The former curriculum that has
been instructed by Justin Wickes has changed to Advance Track. The new curriculum for Intermediate Track is meant to be a continuation of Rookie Track. While Rookie Track teaches task level skills and closely follows the Firefighter 1 JPRs, the new curriculum for Intermediate Track starts to shift the students from task level to tactical level firefighters following the Firefighter 2 JPRs related to Structural Firefighting. Students will begin in the classroom where they will get education on SLICE-RS, reference to “The Art of Reading Smoke”, IMS/ICS for Type 5 and Type 4 incidents, Communications on the fireground, scene size-up, determination of strategy/tactics/tasks, progression of command, mayday operations, evidence/cause/origin, pre incident surveys, maintaining equipment, senior firefighter leadership training, and crew integrity/accountability. After the classroom, students will get the opportunity to practice in live fire evolutions as team leaders for the Rookie Track students. JPRs
completed for those holding current State FF1 and FF2 certifications are FF1-2A initiate a response, FF1- 2C Transmit on radio, FF1-2D mayday operations, FF2-1A Implement the Incident Management System, FF2-2B Communicate need for team assistance, FF2-3D Protect evidence of cause and origin, FF2-5C Pre-Incident Survey, and FF2-5D Maintain Power Equipment. Recommended that students have completed Rookie Track prior to attending Intermediate Track. Complete NFPA Compliant structural firefighting
gear and SCBA required. Recommended that students bring a second SCBA bottle if they can. Students should be clean shaven and have a current SCBA mask fit test.
Advanced Firefighter Track - LIMIT 16 STUDENTS
4 Day - Thursday September 28th - Sunday October 1st 0800 - 1700 (Th-Sat, Sun Half Day)
Track Cost: $425
Course Description:
Course is designed to provide the basic firefighter more advanced skills on the fire ground. Course will include: VEIS, Downed Firefighter rescued by closest crew, Roof operations, Single firefighter ladder skills. Hose handling. Basement fires. Stand Pipe operations. Students must adhere to NFPA 1403 Standards and be clean shaven. Students will need full turnout gear and SCBA with mask and regulator (recommended students bring a spare cylinder). All classes are held at the burn tower.
Full Day Class
Fire Investigation Basics: LIMIT 20 STUDENTS
Thursday September 28th 0800 - 1700
Cost: $200
Rural Water Tender Operations: LIMIT 15 STUDENTS
Friday September 29th 0800 - 1700
Cost: $200
This a driving class with emphasis on managing the risks of operating Fire Service Water Tenders.
Emphasis will be on the disproportionate incidence of wrecks and injuries involving Water Tenders and
how to avoid becoming a statistic. Driver training, maintenance, construction, and operational
guidelines for establishing or reviewing a District’s/Department’s Tender operations are key subjects.
Lead Instructor: Chief Todd Holzworth, East Grand Fire Protection District. Todd has been the Fire Chief,
East Grand Fire District since 1995. Cover a 208 square mile Fire District, between 9,000- and 11,000-
feet elevation, in Grand County’s Fraser Valley (Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash). Includes a major resort
including high rises, rural areas with large residential and commercial developments, and the main line
of the Union Pacific through the mountains. Have the first accepted ISO rural water delivery system for
the Rocky Mountain ISO Region receiving that rating in 1989. Continue to update and improve our
Tender delivery system by changing to Tactical Tenders for improved wildfire capabilities as well as
better mobility for winter operations. Graduate from Western State College and enjoy almost anything
involving water-boating, rafting, sailing, SCUBA diving, and Water Tender Operations!
Heavy Vehicle Rescue/Extrication Class: LIMIT 15 STUDENTS CANCELED
Saturday September 30th 0800 – 1700
Cost: $200
This course is intended to train the student on the basic principles of extrication as it pertains to heavy vehicles. Instruction will cover a variety of techniques to lift and/or stabilize accident scenes to safely rescue victims and offers tactical considerations in addition to concepts for safely performing extrication beyond the typical passenger car/truck. This is a hands-on class requiring participants to bring their own PPE to include, helmet with eye protection, gloves, turnout coat and pant, boots with approved safety toe.
The Art of Reading Smoke: LIMIT 20 STUDENTS
Saturday September 30th 0800 – 1700
Cost: $200
Often, smoke issuing from a building is the only clue available to predict fire behavior and the likelihood of a flashover or rapid fire spread. First-arriving officers, Incident Commanders, and Safety Officers MUST know how to rapidly read smoke – this class explains the reading-smoke process and gives participants practice using actual fireground video.
The course outline includes:
• The “Advanced” Basics of Smoke and Fire Behavior
• Hostile Fire Events and Warning Signs
• The 3-Step Process
• Rapid-Read “Short Cuts”
• Video Practice
Lead Instructor: Dave Dodson
Dave Dodson, lead instructor and course developer for the reading smoke curriculum, is a 34-year fire service veteran, starting his Fire Service Career with the U.S. Air Force. He served at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska and spent two years teaching at the USAF Fire School. After the USAF, Dave spent almost seven years as a Fire Officer and Training/Safety Officer for the Parker Fire District (CO).
He then became the first Career Training Officer for Loveland Fire & Rescue (CO) and rose through the ranks including time as a Company Officer, HazMat Technician, Duty Safety Officer, and Emergency Manager for the City. He accepted a Shift Battalion Chief position for the Eagle River Fire District in Colorado before starting his current company, Response Solutions, which is dedicated to teaching firefighter safety and practical incident handling.
Dave is the author of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer – the first book to address the specific needs of fire officers assigned the duties of an Incident Safety Officer. Dave has also authored many published articles and lessons on Firefighter Safety & Survival and First-Due Officer procedures.
Chief Dodson has served as the Chairman of the NFPA 1521 Task Group (Fire Department Safety Officer) and served on the Fire Service Occupational Safety Technical Committee for NFPA. Dave is also a Past President of the Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association, and in 1997, won the George D. Post Fire Instructor of the Year. His “Art of Reading Smoke” class has been presented to over 70,000 firefighters in the USA and Canada.
Doll House: LIMIT 20 STUDENTS
Sunday October 1st 0800 – 1200
Cost: $100
Students will begin with a classroom session intended to teach fire behavior in compartmentalized spaces, building construction, as well as tactics and strategies for Structural firefighting. Using multiple small scaled fire props or “Dollhouses” the students will then get to observe real fire behavior, smoke conditions, flowpaths, flashover, and backdrafts. This class will reference “The Art of Reading Smoke” by Dave Dodson as well as “Principles of Modern Fire Attack” developed by International Society of Fire
Service Instructors (SLICE-RS) throughout the class to give students the opportunity to learn, discuss, and then observe tactics and strategies used on the fireground. This class will also contain information for people who conduct trainings within their own fire departments and who would like to use “Dollhouses” to teach this subject. Those interested will be provided plans, supply lists, budget considerations, tools, construction tips/tricks, safety considerations, and demonstration procedures.