Urban Search and Technical Rescue

The firefighter is able to fight all types of fires, recognize and respond to hazardous materials incidents, perform vehicle extrication, function as a member of a rapid intervention crew, and rescue injured or trapped victims in the low angle environment. Classes in this area meet California State Fire Marshal and IFSACrequirements for Firefighter I Certification.

The typical pass rate for the courses contained in this degree is 91.0%. Our average class size for this degree is 40-45 students.  Of those students, it is expected that 6 students complete this degree annually.

The Fire program is designed to train students to learn all types of rescue skills.  When a student completes the fourteen (14)required classes Fire 61A, Fire 61B, Fire 61D, Fire 61E, Fire 61H, Fire 61J, Fire61K, Fire 61L, Fire 51A, Fire 66, Fire 67, Fire 82A, Fire 82C, and Fire 86 they will have the entry-level skills, testing and mandatory training hours qualifying them to function as a member of a USAR Team, USAR Task Force, Regional Task Force, or Heavy Rescue Unit. Upon successful completion of the work experience requirement and task book, students will receive certification as a Technical Rescuer.   Students earning this degree will have completed all necessary course work to function as a professional firefighter in an all-risk fire department’s Rescue Team

Fire 61A

This course is designed to enable and equip the student with the information, techniques, and methods necessary in performing rescues using rope, lifting and moving heavy objects, search and rescue and building shoring. This course is designed but not limited to firefighters or any student interested in rescue.

Fire 61B

Designed for all fire service personnel. This course provides instruction in identifying a permit and non-permit-required confined space, the hazards associated with confined spaces, target industries and hazards, state regulations, communications, and equipment requirements. This course does not qualify participants to make permit required entries OSFM-SFT certification. Material and FSTEP Certification Fee.

Fire 82A

This course provides the students with a fundamental knowledge of the factors affecting operating procedures at a Hazardous Material Incident. This course will improve the capabilities of the first responder to respond to a HazMat event in a safe and competent manner, within the typical resource and capability limits at the "operational" level. This course meets the First Responder Operational HazMat Emergency Response certified course requirements of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 19, Division 2, Chapter 1, Subchapter 2, Sections 2510-2560. The course includes the CSTI Hazardous Materials First Responder Operational Certification as well as the State Fire Marshal Hazardous Materials Skills for Firefighter I.Pass/No Pass

Fire 66This course introduces students to the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS) associated with incident-related performance. Topics include leadership and management, the delegation of authority and management by objectives, functional areas, and positions, briefings, organizational flexibility, transitions, and transfers. CSFM FSTEPCertification. Recommended preparation: Federal Emergency ManagementInstitute's ICS-100. Pass/No Pass.

Fire 61E
The first part of this course was developed in the continuing effort to reduce the number of firefighter injuries
and fatalities that occur on an annual basis and provide a greater understanding of how to avoid committing fatal errors on the foreground. Avoiding situations that could cause you to become lost, trapped, or injured is the best way to prevent tragedies at a fire scene. Topics include firefighter survival terminology, developing a survival attitude, increasing situational awareness, and being trained in problem-solving techniques so you can become more self-reliant in an emergency. Case studies will be reviewed to outline factors common in many line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) Across the nation the RapidIntervention Crew Operations course trains firefighters to rescue a downed firefighter in an immediately dangerous to life and health environment. In the continuing effort to reduce the number of firefighter injuries and deaths that occur regularly, this course focuses on self-survival and a survival attitude. Students train using evolutions and scenarios based on tragedies suffered by fellow firefighters from departments across the country. Students receive information on how to locate and use these LODD studies as training and prevention tools throughout their careers. The second part of this course focuses on the three phases of RIC operations: 1) pre-deployment, 2) deployment, and3) rescue. During the class, you will also gain a greater understanding of RIC operations terminology and the RIC mindset.

Fire 82C
This course introduces the student to the basic concepts for first responder operational procedures at the scene of a potential or actual terrorist incident and discusses safety and survival tactics. Pass/No Pass.  Prerequisite: FIRE 82A or CSTI Haz-Mat First Responder OperationalCertification. (Formerly Fire 4B)

Fire 61H
This course is designed to equip the student with the information, techniques, and methods for utilizing rope, webbing, hardware friction devices, and litters in low angle rescue situations. Topics include rope and related equipment, anchor systems, safety lines, stretcher lashing and rigging, mechanical advantage, single line, and two-line rescue systems. This course is designed for the firefighter student with essential fire fighting skills.  Recommended preparation: FIRE 11B, 66 and 95. Pass/No Pass.

Fire63A
Provides hands-on experience in the procedures and systems utilized during an automobile extrication. Subjects covered include Auto Extrication, types of hand and power tools, removing windows, opening doors, removing windows, opening doors, removing roofs, pulling steering wheels, moving foot pedals, raising dashboards, pulling seats, stabilization of vehicles, and simulated rescues of trapped victims.

 Fire 61D
This course is designed for personnel who in the discharge of rescue duties find themselves working in "immediately dangerous to life and health environments." This is 40 hr. California State Fire Marshal course required for USAR Team members

Fire61J
This course is designed for personnel who in the discharge of rescue duties will engage in missions that encompass numerous hazards such as those involving confined spaces, energized electrical services, hazardous materials, adverse weather, unstable structures, high technology rescue tools, emergency building shoring, breaking, breaching, burning and cutting, and lifting and moving heavy objects

Fire61K
Bridges the training gap between the California State Fire Training RescueSystems 2 Advanced Rescue Skills course and the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency Structural Collapse Technician course. Key topics include: power actuated tools, pneumatic shores, additional tools and techniques for breaking and breaching, cutting a tensioned cable, the "O" course, rigging, and crane operations

Fire 67
This three day (24 hours) course will take you from classroom discussion to working safely and efficiently in a trench rescue environment. This hands-on training program will cover topics that include: Trench and ExcavationRegulations, Understanding Soil, Trench Configurations, Trench Hazards, Rescue TeamPreparation, Incident Response, Initial On Scene and Pre-Entry Operations, Shoring Systems and Components, Installation of Shoring Systems, Victim Rescue and Recovery and Incident Termination

Fire51A
This course is the field externship portion of the FIREFIGHTER I Academy. Students will spend lab hours in the field with an all-risk fire department performing the duties of a Firefighter/EMT.

Fire86
This course provides training on resources for personnel who require advanced application of the Incident Command System (ICS). The target audience for this course is for individuals who may assume a supervisory role in expanding incidents or Type 3 incidents. These incidents may extend into multiple operational periods. This course expands upon information covered in the ICS-100 and ICS-200 courses. This course will include but not be limited to a unified command, incident/event assessment, and objective development, the ICS planning process, incident/event resource management, transfer of command, and demobilization.

Program 1:  Winter start 

Winter – Fire61B, Fire 61E, Fire 66, Fire 86, Fire 61J, Fire 61K

Spring – Fire61A, Fire 61D, Fire 61H, Fire 61L, Fire 82A, Fire 82C, Fire 67, 
Summer – Fire 51A

Program 2:  Summer Start

Summer – Fire61B, Fire 61E, Fire 82A, Fire 66, Fire 86

Fall – Fire61A, Fire 61D, Fire 61H, Fire 82A, Fire 82C, Fire 67, 

Winter – Fire61L, Fire 61K, Fire 51A