Providing Rescue Services?

Does your fire department provide rescue services? Your response would most likely be yes; doesn't every fire department in Minnesota provide rescue services? When a patient needs extrication from a vehicle the fire department is called, when the side of an excavation gives way trapping workers the fire department responds, if a utility worker goes down working in a manhole the fire department is dispatched. "Of course, you say, our fire department provides rescue."

Many fire departments in Minnesota have seen the need to train and perform to a defined level of proficiencies. In doing so departments have set NFPA 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications as the benchmark when training new recruit firefighters to perform fire suppression activities. Would the next step in this progression then be to train firefighters that were going to engage in rescue activities to the rescue standard? Do your staff have competencies/skills corresponding to those listed in NFPA 1006 Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications?

Several fire departments across the state have seen the need to do just that. To be competent in the field of technical rescue, firefighters need skill sets not taught as part of the Firefighter I and Firefighter II curriculums. Those competencies are found in the Rescue courses based on NFPA 1006. As training had been taking place, the groups also saw a need to complete the education process by evaluating staff to insure firefighters were performing skills at predetermined levels.

A group of subject matter experts (as the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board refers to them) got together and based on the NFPA 1006 standard put together a measurement instrument. The Certification Board now offers certifications in Ropes I and II, Confined Space I and II, Trench Rescue I and II, Vehicle and Machinery I (with a focus on passenger vehicles) and Vehicle and Machinery II (with a focus on commercial vehicles). Per the standard there are prerequisite skills a rescuer must have. These skills are described in the Technical Rescuer portion of the standard, and will examined prior to proceeding to the above mentioned levels.

The Certification Board is in the final stages of receiving accreditation from the Pro Board and IFSAC for these levels. Certification exams will be available after the first of the year. Call Theresa to set up an exam or if you have any questions. If you do provide rescue services, why would you not insure that your staff be operating at the level of service described as the benchmark, NFPA 1006.