Bristol-Kendall Fire Becomes Blue Card Command Training Center

provided the following news release:

The Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District has officially been designated as a Blue Card Command Training Center.

It took months of preparation to transform an empty classroom into an audio- video learning lab which included computers, video monitors and communications equipment.

Training Officer Assistant Chief Scott McCarty recently completed his Blue Card Instructor course to attain instructor status. The first certification class will be delivered in a three day session in the month of January 2012. The Blue Card Hazard Management Program is designed to allow all Officers on the fire ground to effectively communicate utilizing a common understanding of the Blue Card Command System.

That is achieved by participants successfully completing 60 hours of on-line training, learning the principle components to the Blue Card Incident Command approach to hazard mitigation. After the completion of the on-line course the utilization of a fire ground simulation lab gives the students the ability to practice and be tested to demonstrate the ability to command a fire incident.  It has been cited; in numerous NIOSH Firefighter Death Reports that there was a lack or delay of implementing an Incident Command System which contributed to the firefighter loss of life.

It is the goal of the Bristol Kendall Fire Department to not only train its own officers but to also have the Blue Card Training Center available to other area fire departments. When multiple fire departments are working together on a fire scene it is imperative that the officers have the ability to share a common understanding of the incident command system that is in place.