WORKSHOP INFORMATION

Risk Management at the Company Level

This workshop utilizes the latest human factors findings to enhance decision making, error recognition, and communications. The proven Risk Management process adopted from the wildland firefighting discipline is broken down into an easily understood format to create fast and workable tools to assist the structural fire fighter with managing risk. Communication among company members is enhanced throughout the workshop by engaging them in a number of case studies, briefing format exercise, and culminates with risk management exercises. Leadership and followership skills are stressed through out which makes this workshop an excellent venue for firefighter and company officer development.

The workshop outline includes:

History and Culture
Decision Making and Error Recognition
Risk Management Process
Structural Watch Out Situations and LCES
The 5-Step Briefing Process

Full-Day Workshop:

The workshop consists of 2 modules: These can be presented concurrently, or in two 4-hour sessions (see in-service company options below).

Module 1: History, culture, decision making, and error recognition.

Module 2:Risk Management process (situational awareness, hazard recognition and mitigation, decision and evaluation), communications (tactical and crew briefing), and command climate.

In-Service Company Options:

Option A: Full-Day Workshop broken into two modules. This option allows a large number of on-duty-companies the benefit of attending the full day workshop, while keeping the class size to the recommended number.

Option B: This Half-Day Workshop is offered for those departments who are unable to utilize option A, but wish to rotate in-service companies through the material. The shorter workshop unfortunately does not allow the time to build a well established foundation for which the remainder of the class relies on. This workshop contains most of the "solutions", but less time is devoted to the exercises.

Instructional Aids:

Open Communication Forum Between Facilitator and Participants
Detailed PowerPoint Presentation containing numerous video clips
Error Recognition Exercises - Groups
Watch Out Exercise - Groups
Briefing Exercise - Groups
Risk Management Exercise - Groups

Conference Session:

A one and a half hour (1.5 hr) overview session is available. This touches on the overall concept of the workshop and highlights a couple areas which provide solutions.

The workshop addresses many of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
set forth by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Structural Firefighter Safety in the Urban Interface

This workshop is designed to enhance safety by exposing all fire fighters to basic fire predictions and decision making processes. Both road and topographical maps are utilized to show predicted fire movement and more importantly predicted extreme fire behavior. Extreme fire behavior in its most basic form is represented by the alignment of slope, aspect, and wind direction. The prediction helps to highlight where is safe to operate and where is not. Trigger points, disengagement procedures, escape route viability, and safety zone size determination are then identified to the whole crew which helps to more easily withdrawal from a hazardous situation.

The predictions are coupled together with human factors information (decision making, error recognition, and communication skills) with the proven wildland Risk Management process used as the back drop for decision making. Strong leadership and equally important followership skills are stressed throughout. By distributing the error and hazard recognition load amongst crew members, chances are life threatening situations will be recognized as such and mitigated early on.

This workshop is unlike any other wildland interface firefighting course!

This workshop is currently under development. Contact IFS for further information.

Workshop Logistics:

The following checklist items are the responsibility of the hosting agency to provide.

Chevron table configuration, if possible. (Participants will be placed into groups of 3 to 5)
AV projector and screen. (Instructor will provide the laptop)
- If your set-up is computer and projector in one, I can bring a memory stick or CD.
Area to hang three (2' x 3') posters. Easels or wall space.
Participant handouts. Document provided by IFS in advance.
Sign-in sheet.
Name tags for table display. Can be just heavier paper stock.
Scratch paper. 2 or 3 pieces per participant.
Extra writing pens. There is always someone without...
Refreshments.
Lunch: Full-Day workshops please have a plan for lunch. Will everyone be fed on-site or are the participants on their own? Lunch break should be limited to 1 1/2 hours.

Details:

It is highly recommended to reserve a date early; all requests are first-come, first-serve.
The recommended class-size should be limited to 30 participants.
Course certificates are provided by IFS.
The host may charge participants any amount, which can be done to recover costs.
Instructional fees are negotiated individually based on needs, schedule, and incurred expenses. The per teaching day cost as of June 1, 2008 is approximately $1500 depending on the venue (single or multiple days). Travel costs are in addition (air, hotel, ground transportation, and per diem).
Payment is due upon completion of the course unless previous arrangements are made.

Contact Info:

Quinn MacLeod, President/Lead Instructor
(303) 810-5739
Integrated Fire Solutions, LLC
Boulder, Colorado 80304
Email: quinnmacleod@msn.com
Web: www.integrated-firesolutions.com

Instructor Info:

Quinn MacLeod is the president and lead instructor of Integrated Fire Solutions. He began his fire service career in 1985. His professional fire service career includes 20 years on the line with Parker Fire Protection District in Parker, Colorado. He retired at the rank of Engineer / Acting Company Officer. In addition, he managed the Wildfire Program which led to the development of a system for fire fighters and chief officers to gain large wildfire and incident management team experience from incidents across the country.

Mr. MacLeod has worked his way up through the NWCG wildfire qualification ranks and is currently qualified at the Division / Group Supervisor level. He has worked in wildfire suppression in 12 states with numerous Type 1 and Type 2 incident management teams across the nation. He holds an Associate's Degree in Fire Science, Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, and numerous other state and national certifications in wildland and structural fire operations.

Quinn served as the Pueblo Zone Interagency Training Representative for four years, which included a position on the Rocky Mountain Region's training working group.

Post fire service has Quinn contract instructing leadership courses as a part of a three person cadre on a national and international level. In addition he still works as a Division Supervisor on wildfires across the country.

Quinn has authored articles for structural and wildfire publications. The conference session version of "Risk Management at the Company Level" was presented at the 2008 Firehouse World in San Diego.

In his personal life Quinn is an avid mountaineer and cyclist, and he enjoys spending time with his wife and dogs in Boulder Colorado.

"If the assignment cannot be carried out safely and safety concerns cannot be mitigated, tactics must be adjusted."