Gordon Graham
Category: Fire & Rescue

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for firefighters and it deals with conducting live–fire training in compliance with NFPA Standard 1403. 

Know what NFPA 1403 requires for your specific training burn. There are different requirements for fixed training facilities and acquired structure burns.  

Thankfully, the number of fires that occur every year is going down. And live-fire training is an effective way to help keep the crew’s skills sharp. But, regrettably, firefighters have been injured and even killed during live-fire training.  

There are some important issues to consider before you light your next training fire: 

Know what NFPA 1403 requires for your specific training burn. There are different requirements for fixed training facilities and acquired structure burns.  

All training burns require planning and inspections, prior to the burn. This ensures the facility is safe for training and that everything is in place for a safe training day. 

Key positions must be staffed to effectively manage the training. These include the Instructor-In-Charge, Safety Officer, Ignition Officer, and Instructors. They will stop the evolution at the first sign of an unsafe condition.  

Another important part of safe training is the “go/no-go” sequence before every burn evolution. This is a pause to ensure everyone is ready before a fire is initiated. It seems simple enough but the “go/no-go” sequence verifies that every position is staffed and ready to train. If any of the positions are a “no-go”, then the evolution stops. The unsafe condition is corrected. And the “go/no-go” sequence begins again.  

Live-fire training is an important part of making sure that you and your crew are ready. And following NFPA 1403 will help ensure your safety as you train. 

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.