This could be the most important drill we hope you never have to use. The reality is that firefighters do get into trouble for many reasons on the fireground. In order to launch a successful rescue attempt, firefighters must provide critical information to the incident commander and RIT.
This drill is designed to help you identify the situations that would require a Mayday message and evaluate your skills in doing so. To facilitate this drill, distribute page 1 to each member participating in the drill and have them indicate reasons for a Mayday message. Page 2 may provide some sample situations for calling Mayday that can be used in the evaluation checklist on page 3.
Assign members to conduct the practical training and provide them with a Mayday situation from the previous steps. They should include their emergency situation in their situation report. As always, consult with local SOG for terminology and procedures for completing this training session.
Download this week’s firefighter training drill as a PDFHERE.
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.
