Bobby
Halton
CPTC Board Member

To Hell & Back - Introduction

CPTC experts have created a comprehensive program that will train your department to reduce health related deaths and injuries related to one common element all firefighters are exposed to -
SMOKE. Understanding how to prevent SMOKE related deaths or injuries requires:

* a basic understanding of modern day fire smoke;
* how to prevent exposure through air management; and,
* how to care for your PPE to eliminate skin absorption beyond the fireground.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Firefighters sponsor 2010 Fire/EMS Safety, Health & Survival week (Safety Week). The theme this year is "Fit for Duty" and covers a variety of extremely important topics relative to health and fitness. During Safety Stand Down departments are also encouraged to support educational programs that build and maintain medically and physically fit personnel to reduce health and fitness-related deaths or injuries, which is what this program will do - providing you use it! If your department is not able to train during Safety Stand Down - then pick another day or another week. What matters is that you train to prevent death and injury.

Chapter 1: To Hell and Back Cyanide Poisoning (Fire SMOKE Awareness)

* Instructor Outline
* Pre-Test
* To Hell and Back Cyanide Poisoning (video - 25 minutes)
* Post-Test
* THB Test Answers
* Long Term Health Effects (Audio), Asst. Chief Bruce Evans, North Las Vegas Fire

Chapter 2: Air Management

(Note: The CPTC selected the Wayne Township Fire Department as a partner to create a national model for HCN relative to awareness, prevention, protection, detection, diagnosis and treatment. You will hear from Amber, a firefighter and paramedic, about "back to basics" air management - this is not to be missed!)

* SCBA Confidence Course (courtesy of The Seattle Guys, www.ManageYourAir.com)
* Rules of Air Management (ROAM) - Basic (courtesy of The Seattle Guys, (www.ManageYourAir.com)
* The ROAM and Company Operations - Intermediate (courtesy of The Seattle Guys, (www.ManageYourAir.com)

Chapter 3: Take a Shower & Wash Your Gear!

Now that you have accomplished the above, the only tasks left to complete are to shower the toxins off of your body and wash your gear. Let's face it, if you were dispatched to a HazMat scene involving hydrogen cyanide exposure, you would most certainly detox your gear and body! Do yourself a favor and consider every fire a HazMat scene and you stand a much better chance of living a healthy retirement!