This document discusses safety guidelines and regulations that instructors should follow when planning training, with a focus on live-fire training using acquired structures. It identifies organizations that establish safety standards like OSHA and NFPA. Instructors must inspect acquired structures according to NFPA 1403 before conducting live-fire training to ensure safety. Live-fire training requires strict safety protocols and only structures that can be made entirely safe based on their condition are suitable. Instructors must also obtain necessary permits and owner permission before conducting live-fire training in an acquired structure.

1. Fire and Emergency Services
Instructor
Ninth Edition
Chapter 8 — Skills-Based Training Beyond the Classroom

2. ‣ Discuss agencies and organizations
where instructors can find the most
current information about safety
guidelines and regulations.
Learning Objective 1

3. ‣ In North America, are responsible for developing,
regulating, and ensuring safe workplace policies
‣ National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH)
‣ Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA)
‣ Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
(CCOHS)
‣ National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST)
Federal Government Agencies

4. ‣ Other organizations may have more specialized
regulatory information that instructors may need to
seek out for specific training situations
Federal Government Agencies

5. ‣ Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
‣ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
‣ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
‣ Department of Transportation (DOT)
‣ Department of Defense (DoD)
Resources: Safety Guidelines,
Regulations, and Information

6. NOTE
‣ Agencies in both Canada and the U.S.
share information and materials. Some
Canadian safety regulations are based
on or modeled after NFPA standards
and OSHA regulations.

7. ‣ States/provinces and local governmental occupational
safety and health agencies often include review and
enforcement functions
‣ In Canada and the U.S., states/provinces or local
agencies may have to follow regulations that differ from,
expand upon, or exceed national rules
‣ May also have to follow additional regulations not
addressed at federal level, such as those
mandated by state/provincial environmental
agencies
State/Provincial and Local Safety
and Health Agencies

8. ‣ Instructors should know federal, state/provincial, local
regulations are likely to impact training evolutions or
how to contact appropriate agencies regarding
applicable regulations, but not limit inquiries to fire
and emergency services regulations
‣ State/provincial and local agencies may also have
safety regulations written for other industries or
organizations that apply to fire and emergency
services training
State/Provincial and Local Safety
and Health Agencies

9. ‣ Regulatory agencies may have consultants or
educators who can review pertinent safety regulations
with instructors who are planning a training curriculum
or course
‣ Health departments or agencies can also provide
‣ Statistical data and safety programs
‣ Information on diseases and their prevention
State/Provincial and Local Safety
and Health Agencies

10. ‣ Standards-writing organizations develop and issue
operating procedures and design requirements for
various industries, including the fire and emergency
services; these organizations
‣ Arrange for a committee, composed of industry
representatives, to build an overall standard as
members develop a consensus on individual topics
‣ These standards do not become law until a
government authority adopts them
Standards-Writing Organizations

11. Primary Standards-Writing
Organizations Involved with Fire Service

12. Professional and Accrediting
Organizations

13. Instructor Associations and Safety
Organizations

14. National Accrediting Organizations

15. ‣ Describe the responsibilities of the
instructor as a safety role model.
Learning Objective 2

16. ‣ In addition to describing safety guidelines, instructors
must demonstrate and reinforce these guidelines
equally with students and staff
‣ Following safety guidelines or plans has a
significant effect on reducing injuries and
fatalities in training and at emergency incidents
‣ Instructors must be empowered to plan, change,
and present courses that follow safety
requirements
Instructor as Safety Role Model

17. CAUTION
‣ If a policy is in place and you, as an
instructor, do not follow its guidelines,
you may be held liable for injuries to
students.

18. ‣ Instructors must devote appropriate time to discussing
aspects of safety
‣ Safety provisions and briefings should be planned well
before the activity starts and reflected during the
training session through awareness and practice
Instructor as Safety Role Model

19. ‣ Describing applicable safety requirements or
procedures to students
‣ Creating a training and safety plan for any high-hazard
drill or application, and briefing all instructors and
students on the plan before training begins
‣ Planning carefully for training scenarios
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents: Actions Before or During Training

20. ‣ Ensuring that appropriately trained personnel assist in
supervising scenarios
‣ Inspecting and repairing tools, equipment, props, and
apparatus before starting training sessions
‣ Assigning a safety officer to each training scenario
based upon a prepared training and safety plan
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents: Actions Before or During Training

21. ‣ Assigning additional personnel (more than the
minimum) for safety positions depending upon the
scale of the training evolution and the severity of
danger
‣ Describing the proper safeguards and equipment used
for preventing accidents
‣ Describing possible hazards and explaining the
necessary precautions
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents: Actions Before or During Training

22. ‣ Assigning additional personnel (more than the
minimum) for safety positions depending upon the
scale of the training evolution and the severity of
danger
‣ Describing the proper safeguards and equipment used
for preventing accidents
‣ Describing possible hazards and explaining the
necessary precautions
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents: Actions Before or During Training

23. ‣ Reviewing emergency procedures, emergency
evacuation plans, and verbal or alarm alerts with
students before the evolution
‣ Modeling and reinforcing safety policies and
procedures by personally adhering to them
‣ Watching for behaviors that can contribute to unsafe
conditions, such as improper attitude, complacency, or
lack of knowledge or skill
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents: Actions Before or During Training

24. ‣ When planning practical training evolutions, instructors
must identify and eliminate potential hazards
‣ Instructors must also plan to address the necessary
precautions to prevent injury while training, train
students to recognize job hazards, and teach them
how to control or eliminate these hazards
‣ These precautions help minimize the level of risk
and prevent injuries
Increasing Awareness and
Preventing Accidents

25. ‣ When planning high-hazard training evolutions, the
instructor should appoint another qualified individual
as the safety officer for the training evolution
‣ The safety officer must be familiar with the
logistics involved in the evolution including the
purpose and scope of the training, and what may
happen at any given time
Increasing Awareness and
Preventing Accidents

26. ‣ Fire and emergency services programs often train
nonemergency services employees
‣ Although these students may not be required to
perform all aspects of the curriculum on their jobs,
instructors must enforce all safety procedures as these
employees participate in the course
‣ Regardless whether all training procedures apply to
these students, they must still follow safety guidelines
Increasing Awareness and Preventing
Accidents

27. NOTE
Establish and use training and safety
plans during all types of emergency
incidents and high-hazard training
evolutions. Also include use of a
personnel accountability system.

28. ‣ Identify ways that instructors plan for
safe training.
Learning Objective 3

29. ‣ Instructors should be honest with themselves about their
own ability levels and knowledge
‣ An instructor certified to a proficiency level in a skill
may find he or she needs to relearn the skill if it has
not been actively used; some skills change over time
‣ An instructor having the appropriate certifications but
not confident in his or her competence in teaching the
skills should gain current skills or recommend a better
qualified instructor to teach the course
Verifying Instructor Skill Level

30. ‣ An instructor may be capable of teaching skills at the
appropriate level, but may not have the appropriate
certifications to teach a topic; should work with
supervisors to update certifications whenever possible
‣ Training cannot continue without an available instructor
who has the appropriate skills and qualifications
‣ Instructors should take advantage of continuing education
opportunities that will benefit their ability to offer timely,
accurate, and safe training
Planning for Safe Training: Verifying
Instructor Skill Level

31. ‣ Equipment evaluation and inspections ensure that
class props and other instructional technology tools are
available and in working condition before a class
session begins
‣ If equipment is unsafe or damaged, the
instructor should report this to the AHJ
‣ Session may be rescheduled, adjusted to exclude
the type of equipment, or moved to another
location with equipment in functional repair
Inspecting and Repairing Facilities
and Props

32. Inspecting and Repairing Facilities and
Props: Entry-Level Recruit Assignments

33. Inspecting and Repairing Facilities
and Props: Inspection Time Schedule

34. Inspecting and Repairing Facilities
and Props: Records

35. Inspecting and Repairing Facilities
and Props: Records
‣ Provide basis for
‣ Developing accurate
operating budget
‣ Justifying repairs or
replacements
‣ Assessing equipment’s
overall value

36. ‣ Instructors should be familiar and comfortable with
prepared lesson plans, the training facility, any training
props, and the skills and hazards involved in the
evolution to be conducted
‣ Students should be informed during the training
briefing of hazards they will face as part of training
‣ Instructors will need to modify the lesson plan to
include appropriate safety instructions
Identifying Training Hazards

37. ‣ Describe the information given by an
instructor during a psychomotor skills
demonstration.
Learning Objective 4

38. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations

39. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations

40. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations
‣ At this point students are ready to practice the skill
themselves
‣ Slow-speed demonstration is the transition between
the presentation step and the application step

41. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations
‣ Instructor should guide and coach students as they
practice
‣ Have students critique and coach each other as they
practice in small groups
‣ Once or twice during a practice session, instructors
may need to demonstrate the entire skill

42. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations
‣ Instructors must show the skill steps correctly and in
sequence; the end of the session is a good time to do
this
‣ Students should be encouraged to practice skills during
rest breaks, during free time, and at the beginning of
the next training session
‣ When students perfect the skill, they are ready for
evaluation

43. Psychomotor Skills Demonstrations
‣ Planning, preparation, and practice are essential to a
successful skills demonstration
‣ The instructor who does not appear proficient at a skill
will lose credibility with students and waste valuable
training time by having to repeat or correct skill steps

44. ‣ Identify the elements of evolution
control.
Learning Objective 5

45. ‣ Practical training evolutions must be controlled,
regardless of their size and complexity
Evolution Control

46. Controlling an Evolution: What is
Involved

47. Evolution Control:
Student-to-Instructor Ratios

48. ‣ Explain a simple training evolution.
Learning Objective 6

49. ‣ Simple training evolutions share some training
techniques in common with psychomotor skills training
‣ The main difference is the number of students
involved and the training location
‣ Psychomotor skills training is often conducted in a
classroom or lab, with the potential for a large number
of students learning at the same time
Simple Training Evolutions

50. ‣ Simple training evolutions involve small numbers of
students performing a single skill that requires only a
few tasks
‣ Training evolutions typically take place on a fireground
or other outdoor learning environment regardless of
their size or complexity
Simple Training Evolutions

51. Simple Training Evolutions: Examples

52. Simple Training Evolutions: Examples

53. Simple Training Evolutions: Teams
‣ Instructor should inspect and be familiar with tools and
equipment
‣ Evolutions may involve small groups and require one
or two instructors
‣ Students repeat the evolution, rotating positions to
experience and practice each part of the skill until they
able to perform the evolution without error

54. Simple Training Evolutions:
Beginning an Evolution
‣ Explaining the purpose of the evolution
‣ Emphasizing the safety requirements
‣ Demonstrating the evolution
‣ Relating the evolution to the classroom lecture
‣ Monitoring student performance

55. NOTE
‣ Remember to use positive
reinforcement when applicable.

56. ‣ Training evolutions should be performed as though
students were responding to an actual emergency
incident including typical staffing levels and
appropriate PPE
‣ All applicable policies and procedures must be
followed, including using the NIMS-ICS
Simple Training Evolutions

57. ‣ Identify types of increased hazard
exposure training.
Learning Objective 7

58. Increased Hazard Exposure Training:
Examples

59. Increased Hazard Exposure Training
‣ Increased hazard exposure training is dangerous even
under the very controlled conditions found at
permanent training facilities
‣ NFPA 1041 requires that a Level II Instructor supervise
both students and Level I Instructors during this type
of training

60. Increased Hazard Exposure Training:
Instructors
‣ Must be prepared and qualified
‣ Should learn the qualifications that state/province and
municipality requires and ensure qualifications are met
before continuing the training
‣ If instructor has any doubts about his or her qualifications
or experience, training should be postponed until
instructor has gained proper qualifications and become
more knowledgeable about the standards and regulations
that apply

61. WARNING
‣ An instructor can be held liable for
injuries and fatalities on a fire ground.

62. ‣ Entry-level personnel learn new skills and experienced
personnel develop their existing skills
‣ The decrease in actual fire fighting incidents, the
increase of internal hazards in fires involving modern
lightweight and/or synthetic materials, and the
assignment of entry-level personnel to EMS duties
have resulted in fewer opportunities for personnel to
experience live-fire situations; live-fire training
evolutions may be the only experience some personnel
receive
Live-Fire Training: Importance

63. ‣ To ensure the highest level of safety, all live-fire training
evolutions must meet requirements of appropriate
sections of most current edition of NFPA 1403, Standard
on Live Fire Training Evolutions; this standard
emphasizes strict safety practices for structures selected
for live-fire evolutions
‣ While this standard is not legally mandated in all
jurisdictions, noncompliance with the standard has
resulted in injuries and fatalities for which instructors
were held criminally and civilly responsible
Safety during Live-Fire Training
Evolutions

64. ‣ In November 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) from U.S. National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued a
Workplace Solutions document, titled “Preventing
Deaths and Injuries to Fire Fighters during Live-Fire
Training in Acquired Structures,” that outlines
precautions to take when engaging in live-fire training
‣ Any instructor leading live-fire training should make
every effort to prepare and instruct based upon the
NFPA and CDC guidance
Safety during Live-Fire Training
Evolutions

65. ‣ Are usually in deteriorating condition and may have been
scheduled for demolition
‣ Environmental laws may prohibit the burning of a
structure because of its location
‣ May have been designated as a historical landmark
‣ May have lightweight construction elements that cannot
withstand fully involved fire conditions
Acquired Structures: Factors of Use

66. ‣ After a structure is acquired, an instructor may be
assigned to oversee live-fire evolutions
‣ When a jurisdiction intends to use an acquired structure
for live-fire training, safety protocols must be followed
Acquired Structures

67. NOTE
‣ Refer to NFPA 1403’s Live Fire
Evaluation Sample Checklist (Annex B)
for information on conducting safe,
legal training at an acquired structure.

68. ‣ The building must undergo a complete and thorough
inspection, and may require permits
‣ If the instructor is not qualified to perform this
inspection, a trained inspector should be brought in
to perform this task
‣ The authority having jurisdiction must apply for and
obtain any necessary permits to conduct live-fire
training evolutions
Acquired Structures

69. ‣ Acquired structures that are used for live-fire training
must meet the safety requirements of NFPA 1403, which
may require that improvements are made to the
structure before training
‣ An instructor should consider the cost of making the
acquired structure safe enough for the proposed type of
training
Acquired Structures

70. WARNING
‣ Any structure that cannot be made
safe cannot be used for interior
structural fire fighting training.

71. Acquired Structures: Lower-Hazard
Evolutions

72. Acquired Structures: Factors
Establishing Limits of Types of Training

73. Acquired Structures: Issues to
Consider

74. Acquired Structures and Extreme
Weather: Climate Considerations

75. Acquired Structures and Extreme
Weather: Structure Considerations

76. ‣ Acquired structures must comply with NFPA 1403,
specifically the Structures and Facilities section of its
Chapter 4
‣ Before conducting live-fire training, the structure must
be inspected to determine whether repairs are necessary
to comply with the standard
Acquired Structures:
Structural Condition

77. ‣ Environmental laws, for example, may prohibit the
burning of a structure because of its location
‣ The structure may also have been designated as a
historical landmark
‣ If live-fire training is not possible, the structure might be
suitable for forcible-entry training, ladder evolutions,
search and rescue operations, or a class on building
construction
Acquired Structures:
Training Possibilities

78. ‣ Must have written permission from the rightful owner of
the property in order to burn a structure
‣ Must also apply for and receive the appropriate permits
from the local jurisdiction
‣ Having these permits on display is an important part
of public relations, demonstrating to citizens that the
fire and emergency services organization adheres to
the same restrictions as the rest of the community
Acquired Structures:
Permits and Inspections

79. ‣ Distribute a notice (letter or brochure) to each resident
living within a reasonable distance of the structure,
informing them of the date and time of the training
event, a description of the training activity, and its effect
(such as street closures) on the surrounding area
‣ Plan the placement of hoselines and apparatus carefully,
and consider how they may least restrict access to the
neighborhood
Acquired Structures:
Notice and Documentation Actions

80. ‣ Notify the water department when hydrants are involved
‣ When an acquired structure is located in an area with
limited water flow, flush water mains so that rust and
sediment do not cause problems for pumping operations
or surrounding households
‣ Prepare water supply and flow analyses; Instructors
must know the required fire flow for the structure,
including safety margins
Acquired Structures:
Notice and Documentation Actions

81. ‣ Video or photograph surrounding structures, vehicles,
and grounds
‣ Hold a briefing with all participants to explain the training
evolutions
‣ Take all participants on a walk-through inspection to
familiarize them with the structure’s layout and exits
Acquired Structures:
Notice and Documentation Actions

82. ‣ Misuse of fuels is a contributing factor in many live-fire
training incidents
‣ Following the NFPA 1403 requirements regarding fuel will
lessen the possibility that students or instructors will be
injured
‣ There may be additional requirements for fuel usage in
the state’s OSHA regulations that the instructor should
adhere to
Acquired Structures: Fuel Materials

83. ‣ Safety is always the primary concern during live-fire
training exercises
‣ It is generally safe to use propane torches or fireplace
lighters to ignite the fuel and then remove the igniting
device from the structure once the fire has started
Acquired Structures: Fuel Materials

84. ‣ All fuels must have burning
characteristics that are
known and controllable
‣ Never use unidentified
materials, such as debris
found around or in a
structure; remove all such
materials before training
takes place
Acquired Structures:
Fuel Materials Requirements

85. ‣ Never use pressure-treated materials or any materials
containing pesticides or harmful chemicals
‣ Use only enough fuel to create a fire of the desired size
— Never use more than this amount
‣ Control the structure’s fuel load to prevent flashover or
backdraft conditions
Acquired Structures:
Fuel Materials Requirements

86. ‣ Never use flammable or combustible liquids (accelerants)
in live-fire training at acquired structures
‣ Assess all factors in the fire room that could affect the
growth, development, and spread of the fire, in order to
predict fire behavior
‣ Remove all highly combustible materials from the
structure, including carpets, floor coverings, foam
mattresses, and furniture
Acquired Structures:
Fuel Materials Requirements

87. ‣ Document and check against the materials and
construction requirements allowed in a live-fire training
evolution per NFPA 1403
‣ Document the dimensions of the fire room
‣ Ensure that a safety officer supervises while a designated
ignition officer ignites the fire
Acquired Structures:
Fuel Materials Requirements

88. ‣ Water supply requirements for fire fighting in rural and
suburban areas are provided in NFPA 1142 and should
be applied to fire attack during live-fire training
evolutions
‣ There must be reliable water sources for the duration of
any live-fire evolution
‣ In this sense, water supply operations during a
live-fire exercise represent the equivalent water
supplies needed at actual fires
Acquired Structures: Water Supply

89. Acquired Structures:
Inconvenient Water Sources
‣ Many acquired structures are in locations that are
not convenient to hydrants or other water sources

90. Purpose-Built Structures
‣ Usually found at permanent
training facilities
‣ Typically have temperature
sensors
‣ Fuel sources may be LPG,
natural gas, or Class A
materials such as untreated
lumber or straw

91. Purpose-Built Structures
‣ All interior structural fire training evolutions must meet
the requirements of NFPA 1403
‣ Safety requirements from NFPA 1403 that apply to
acquired structures also apply to purpose-built
structures with the following exceptions
‣ Multiple fires can be lit in purpose-built structures
‣ A single water supply may be used

92. Purpose-Built Structures
‣ Take extreme caution that complacency does not
occur in terms of recognizing the potential for collapse
of the building, the structural condition, the heat in the
building, and the ability of fire to spread in ways we
cannot predict
‣ The instructor must combat a complacent attitude and
reinforce the need for situational awareness

93. Exterior and Wildland Fires: Exterior Fire-
Suppression Training Evolution Simulations

94. Exterior and Wildland Fires: Exterior Fire-
Suppression Training Evolution Simulations
‣ Depending on training location and type of fuel used,
there may be environmental requirements that should
be met
‣ Instructors should check with the AHJ that enforces
the federal environmental regulations
‣ In addition, many exterior fires such as those with
exterior props or Class B materials may be governed
by requirements in NFPA 1403

95. Small Prop Fires
‣ Used to train entry-level students
and industrial fire brigade
members how to use portable
handheld extinguishers to control
all classes of fire
‣ Training evolutions usually take
place outdoors, in an area where
spread of fire is limited or
nonexistent and they involve
small quantities of fuel

96. Small Prop Fires
‣ Instructors demonstrate the appropriate procedure
based on the type of fuel and extinguisher, and
students then repeat the procedure, practicing it until
they are proficient
‣ In all cases, a backup extinguishing system must be
present, usually in the form of an experienced crew
with a charged attack hoseline

97. Medium to Large Prop Fires
‣ Use permanent training props that are contained in burn
pits
‣ Typically fueled by Class B materials such as LPG, natural
gas, or other flammable/combustible liquids
‣ Valves located outside the pit, supervised by a fuel-control
officer, are used to turn off fuel supplies
‣ Designated ignition officer starts the fire with approved
device

98. Medium to Large Prop Examples

99. Medium to Large Prop Examples

100. Flammable/Combustible Liquid Fires
‣ Simulating fires in flammable/combustible liquid, LPG, and
natural gas storage, production, and pipeline facilities is
usually restricted to purpose-built props in permanent
training facilities
‣ Require piped fuel supplies, control valves, product-
and water-containment diking, high-capacity water
supplies, and water-decontamination capabilities
‣ Generally involve multiple-company training

101. Wildland Fires
‣ Training fire personnel to control wildland and/or
wildland/urban interface (areas where structures abut
wildland fuels) fires can take the two approaches
‣ Specialized training for organizations that are
responsible only for protecting forests and wildland
areas
‣ General training for structural firefighters who may be
responsible for limited areas of wildland, or areas that
include the wildland/urban interface

102. Wildland Fires
‣ In some areas of North America and Canada, the training
for both groups focuses on the extreme dangers that
wildland fires can pose
‣ In other areas, structural firefighters may only receive
limited training, involving off-road driving and pumping
skills, fire attack, and exposure protection

103. Wildland Fires
‣ Training evolutions vary, depending on the skills required
to meet the local dangers that wildland fires create
‣ The nature of wildland fires makes them unpredictable
and highly hazardous

104. Wildland Fires
‣ Training students on safety is even more of a concern
during this type of training because a controlled burn can
be affected by
‣ Weather
‣ Wind direction
‣ Other factors beyond the instructor’s control

105. Wildland Fires
‣ The National Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG)
provides national standards for wildland training

106. Increased Hazard Exposure Training
Types
‣ Hazardous materials technician skill exercises
‣ Emergency vehicle operations
‣ Vehicle and machinery extrications
‣ Power tool and equipment operations
‣ High-angle rescue operations

107. Increased Hazard Exposure Training
Types
‣ Confined-space entry rescue operations
‣ Trench shoring and rescue operations
‣ Building collapse search and rescue operations

108. Increased Hazard Exposure Training
Types
‣ Surface
water, swift
water, and
dive rescues
‣ Ice rescues

109. ‣ Identify types of legal liability for
which instructors and/or organizations
may be held accountable.
Learning Objective 8

110. ‣ A person or organization can be held liable for acts they
take and actions they fail to take
‣ Act of commission — Wrongful act resulting in harm and
the person or organization who commits such an act is
responsible for correcting it
‣ Act of omission — Neglecting to take an action that could
have prevented harm and the person or organization who
failed to act is responsible for the consequences
Legal Liability

111. ‣ Providing incorrect information or instruction
‣ Failing to instruct in a topic they are responsible for
teaching
‣ Teaching a topic they are unqualified to teach
Legal Liability: Acts

112. ‣ Being aware of expectations
‣ Teaching to the established standards
‣ Teaching only topics for which they meet all
qualifications
‣ Providing a safe learning environment
Legal Liability:
Reducing the Potential

113. ‣ Instructors are expected to foresee (predict) potential
injuries that could happen during training events and
prevent injuries while training personnel for
appropriate performance on the job
‣ Students are trained in a nonemergency environment
for skills that will take place in an emergency
environment and are learning how to perform high-
hazard activities that they are initially not fully
competent to perform
Legal Liability

114. ‣ Instructors must foresee instructional problems and
ensure that they can appropriately perform and
demonstrate the skills in a thorough step-by-step
introduction and then properly supervise the practice
of those skills
‣ Training should be realistic but controlled; instructors
who fail to properly control hazards during training
leave themselves and the training organization liable
for any injuries that result
Legal Liability

115. NOTE
‣ Injuries that result from emergency
scene situations have special legal
defenses that do not apply to training
environment situations.

116. ‣ Training in the fire and emergency services will always
carry an element of risk, so even if the instructor takes
every possible precaution, students may still be injured
‣ However, if the instructor has done a good job of
controlling risk, these injuries will likely be the result of
unavoidable accidents or student misconduct, not of
negligence
Legal Liability

117. Legal Liability: Planning Questions

118. ‣ The liability placed on the employer for acts and omissions
of employees during the normal course of employment
‣ For instructors, the liability is placed on them for acts and
omissions of students
‣ In training, individuals are responsible for their own
negligent actions that cause injury to themselves or others
if and only if it can be shown the instructor made every
effort to prevent actions through proper training before
actions were taken
Vicarious Liability: Blame For Actions of
One Can be Placed on Another

119. ‣ Legal concept that reasonable people should be able
to foresee consequences of their actions and take
reasonable precautions; failure to take reasonable
precautions could be considered negligence
‣ For instructors, this means based on their knowledge
of hazard/risk analysis, they should be able to predict
hazardous training conditions and take steps to reduce
the risk of injury; if not, they may be liable for any
resulting injuries
Foreseeability

120. ‣ Foreseeability also applies to the risks that students
face once they have left the training environment and
perform their daily jobs; instructors must foresee the
risk students will face there and prepare them to
properly handle that risk
Foreseeability

121. ‣ Generally speaking, the best way to reduce liability for
any individual training scenario is to develop a training
and safety plan, then follow it during training
‣ If necessary, a safety or planning committee can help
the instructor to develop the plan
Liability Reduction

122. ‣ Maintain written objectives and document each
training session
‣ Provide students with a written course syllabus so they
can understand all requirements
‣ Train all students how to safely operate equipment
‣ Do not leave students unattended while they are
practicing potentially dangerous skills
Liability Reduction

123. ‣ Do not exceed personal skill level when training
students or working with other instructors
‣ Do not ignore, shortcut, or exceed protocols or policies
‣ Use as many ways as possible to ensure that students
understand the intent and outcome of all directives or
instructions, as well as the consequences for not
following procedures
Liability Reduction

124. ‣ Do not joke about serious situations or belittle the
actions of others in any learning or service situation
‣ Never disclose personal information (except to
appropriate authorities) about students, other personnel,
or any victim or patient who required emergency services
Liability Reduction

125. ‣ Follow your organization’s policy on disclosing
information; these policies also apply to issues that have
the potential to be litigated
‣ Insurance companies
‣ Hospital personnel
‣ Legal representatives
‣ News reporters
‣ Other persons who want information about ongoing
litigation
Liability Reduction

126. ‣ Maintain current certifications through credible refresher
courses; I didn’t know is never an acceptable defense
‣ When in doubt, seek advice from a higher authority;
never attempt to make decisions that are beyond your
personal knowledge or authority
Liability Reduction

127. ‣ Accurately document all issues of
‣ Discrepancy
‣ Complaint
‣ Injury
‣ Including details on dates, times, conversations,
suggested resolutions, and follow-up plans
Liability Reduction