RV Emergencies – Unhappy Campers
Paul Watlington
Thursday, June 13, 2024
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
This class is designed for all members of the fire service to discuss the many different tactical considerations for RV emergencies. The camping industry has skyrocketed since the COVID pandemic and seen increase percentages in the hundreds. From roadway emergencies to campground emergencies, RVs present many different challenges to emergency responders and there are simply many more on the roads and in use. Discussions will include the different types of recreational vehicles, tactical consideration, mitigation techniques as well as dangers presented to emergency responders. Many do not consider RV’s to be of much concern. In most cases they are even overlooked when parked at a residence in storage. What some fail to consider in a scenario such as this is that it may be serving as a guest house for weekend visitors. Scenarios like this will be discussed as well as other perspectives of the RV world. People die each year in RV emergencies from travel to parked emergencies. Awareness of these possibilities will help all responders operate more effectively and safer when mitigating an RV emergency.
Paul Watlington
Paul is a 23-year veteran of the American Fire Service currently serving as the Chief of Training for the City of Burlington Fire Department in North Carolina. He the owner of Impact Fire Training, LLC. and certified by the state of North Carolina in multiple fields of study including NC State Instructor III as well as state qualified to teach Firefighter, Driver Operator Pumps, Driver Operator EVD, and Driver Operator Aerial. I hold the designation of Chief Training Officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence. I have an associate degree in Fire Protection Technology and am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in emergency and Disaster Management. I am an author for Fire Engineering and Fire Rescue magazines. I have presented classes for multiple community college systems, fire departments and conferences such as the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo (SAFRE) and Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC).
