Hands on Training Details

Hand in Hand Engine School (3-day)

Using an acquired structure, the Hand in Hand Engine School will discuss all that is Engine. From the rig to the door, to the fire room and all that falls in between, this class will educate firefighters in the most important art of the trade: Engine Work. This course will be an intense advanced course in engine work that will leave students will an in depth understanding of the “Why” of all engine operations. The course will include hose loads, line staging, flowing and moving, forcible entry, and will culminate with drills using realistic scene situations to simulate an actual fire ground. 

Lead Instructor: Jonah Smith (Charlotte Fire)

January 26-28, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Acquire Structure  – 3210 Fernandina Rd (Look for parking signs)

PPE: Full Full Structural PPE Required to include SCBA. Shorts, sleeveless shirt and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classroom and on the training grounds.

Pre-Requisites: Firefighter I

Truck Company School “This Isn’t Engine Work” (3-day)

Using an acquired structure, this program offers firefighters an opportunity to either sharpen their current skills or learn new and efficient skills for all the various tasks required of truck company members. This program is a hands-on program with topics including riding assignments, efficient ground ladder operations, forcible entry for residential and commercial construction, proper horizontal and vertical ventilation, fireground search and rescue.

Lead Instructor: Greg Nicholson (Charlotte Fire)

January 26-28, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Acquire Structure at 156 Jamil Rd, Columbia, SC

PPE: Full Structural PPE Required to include SCBA.  Shorts, sleeveless shirt and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classroom and on the training grounds.

Pre-Requisites: Firefighter I

The Effective Command Process: Practical Incident Command For Type 4 and 5 Events (3-day)

This course will provide members with a standard process and established practices to successfully manage NIMS Type 4 and 5 events through simulation and live scenario field training experiences. The intimidating and overwhelming “Command Organizational Structure” will be traded in for a more practical approach to command, accountability, and safety that is practical at the local level. Begin your journey now, to develop that strong command presence that your firefighters crave and rely on.

Lead Instructor: Nicholas Ray

January 26-28, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Day 1, 2, 3AM – SC State Firefighters’ Association Office (111 Westpark Blvd. Columbia, SC 20210)  Day 3 PM– Acquired Structure 1

PPE: Structural Firefighter Helmet 

Pre-Requisites: The only requirement that we suggest would be that members enrolling in the program be in a position within their department to command incidents within your department. We are teaching members to command fires from a command post that is isolated from the tactical and task engagements on the fire scene. Typically, this would involve members from the rank of Lieutenant and above.

How To Assess Wildfire Risk in Your Community (2-day)

This workshop will help students develop the skills necessary to identify, evaluate and mitigate the wildfire risk associated with their community. They will be given access and training on programs such as SouthWRAP and Community Assessor that can be used to determine risk and vulnerability in a given area, as well as focus mitigation efforts to reduce wildfire hazards. This workshop will also give a hands-on lesson in completing wildfire risk assessments for structures which can be completed for individual homeowners throughout their communities to ensure that residents can reduce their risk as well. We will also look a Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) to ensure the students understand the importance of these plans on a broad spectrum and discuss grant opportunities that can support the development of these plans. After this workshop is complete, the intent is for these fire professionals to return to their home units and work along with our agency as a cooperator to not only develop and implement CWPPs, but to also help educate, mitigate, and ultimately prevent wildfires across South Carolina.

Lead Instructor: Drake Carroll

January 26-27, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Harbison State Forest, 5600 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29212

PPE: Bring Laptop, Weather Appropriate Clothing. Shorts, sleeveless shirts, and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classroom and on the training grounds

Pre-Requisites: None. Students will be provided information to request access to SouthWRAP (Completing this will allow students get them an account for SouthWRAP setup ahead of time and save time during the course), complete a pre-course Survey, and bring a map of their fire district/county/city (This could be a shapefile if they have access or could be a paper/virtual map. It will be used to build upon during the workshop. 

Everything VES (2-day)

Over a two-day training period, students will get in-depth training on up-to-date VES skills necessary for the fire ground in today’s world. Working in small groups, students will complete intense skill stations to include 1 person VES tactics, 2 person VES tactics, and 2 person VES tactics – beyond the door in a two-story residential acquired structure. Final scenarios will highlight the conclusion of the class.

Lead Instructor: Randy Arant

January 26-27, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Day 1 (AM): 108 saluda Point Ct, Lexington SC 29072, Day 1 (PM) & Day 2: 1525 Fairhaven Dr, Columbia

PPE: Full Structural PPE Required with SCBA. Shorts, sleeveless shirts and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classrooms and on the training grounds.

Pre-Requisites: Firefighter I

Elevator Rescue (2-day)

A two day hands-on course covering the basic types of elevators, construction and components of elevators, and standards for elevator rescue of trapped individuals and patients.

Lead Instructor: Daymon Spann

January 26-27 , 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Kay and Eddie Floyd building at Williams Brice Stadium (1125 George Rogers Blvd, Columbia, SC 29201)

PPE: NFPA approved structural firefighting gear or extrication jumpsuit / technical rescue gear, helmet, secondary eye protection, leather type gloves or extrication type gloves, hard sole shoes preferably steel toe or any NFPA approved type boot.  Shorts, sleeveless shirts and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classrooms and on the training grounds.

The Down and Dirty of RIT (2-day)

The course will apply skills in a unique way to rescue our own. The first day will be spent sharping skills to accomplish the mission to include breaching walls, entanglement, packaging, drags and carries. Day two will consist of scenarios, where teams will have the opportunity to be deployed as a RIT Team. Each scenario will have an Incident Commander along with other Command roles to complete each scenario.

Lead Instructor: Brady Norris

January 28-29, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Acquired structure at 3202 Fernandina Rd, Columbia (Parking in rear)

PPE: Full bunker gear. Shorts, sleeveless shirts and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classrooms and on the training grounds.

Pre-Requisites: Firefighter I

National FARMEDIC Rescue (2-day)

The National FARMEDIC program is a two-day course intended to offer students education on the hazards associated incidents at agricultural operations. The initial lecture begins with general familiarity and review of farms and ag operations and their hazards, then focuses on specific processes that students are likely to find in their area. In the last phase of the course, we turn to technical rescue in an agricultural setting and review strategies and tactics associated with rescue and treatment of victims of agricultural incidents. During practical skills evolutions we rescue simulated victims from various scenarios including tractor run-over and roll-over incidents and entanglements in agricultural machinery and implements.

Lead Instructor: David Dennison

January 28-29 , 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: Day 1 (AM) Lexington County Training Center (436 Ball Park Road Lexington, SC 29072, Day 1 PM & Day 2 – WP Rawl (3215 Augusta Hwy, Gilbert)

PPE: All students participating are required to be wearing appropriate PPE for technical rescue including head, eye, hand and foot protection and appropriate coveralls or structural turnout gear.  Shorts, sleeveless shirts and open toe shoes are prohibited in the classrooms and on the training grounds.

Prerequisites: Students participating in this course should be proficient with vehicle stabilization and victim extrication techniques. All should be competent in scene size up, use of the ICS, hand tool use, cribbing and stabilization, and best practices relating to safe incident operations.

UAS Intermediate Drone Flight Course (1-day)

This one-day program involves a classroom lecture covering Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) part 107 fight requirements, to include basic operation and record keeping. Students will become familiar with UAS flight. They will also learn to hover in place, land at a distance, rotate the quadcopter, fly at angles, and fly in different patterns. Airworx Unmanned Solutions is providing the equipment for this course. Students may bring their UAS; however, they will be responsible for it and must have at least 1.5 hours of battery life. Charging stations will be available.

Lead Instructor: Lenny Busby

January 29 , 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: TBA

Prerequisites: Recreational UAS Safety Course/Test (TRUST).  Students take the free online test through any of the test administrators listed on the website below. Upon completion of the TRUST, students will receive a completion certificate. Click here to learn more and take TRUST Exam.

Students must submit a copy of the TRUST Certificate at registration. 

The Effective Command Process: Mayday Event (1-day)

As an officer, you face challenging situations every day – from managing citizen complaints, dealing with endless personnel issues, or satisfying mandates from your superiors. But when your day takes a sharp downward turn and you’re faced with a Mayday, are you prepared to go to work? This class will take a deep dive into the challenging responsibility of managing a Mayday in a practical and realistic way with discussion on management practices and techniques with the support of predictive data and fireground clues. This class is focused on driving Incident Commanders into focused, purposeful action by taking a simplistic approach to saving our own. Begin your journey to develop that strong command presence that your firefighters crave and rely on.

Lead Instructor: Nicholas Ray

January 29, 2023
9:00AM-5:00PM

Location: SC State Firefighters’ Association Office (111 Westpark Blvd. Columbia, SC 29210)

PPE: Structural Firefighter Helmet 

Pre-Requisites: The only requirement that we suggest would be that members enrolling in the program be in a position within their department to command incidents within your department. We are teaching members to command fires from a command post that is isolated from the tactical and task engagements on the fire scene. Typically, this would involve members from the rank of Lieutenant and above.