Building Construction

Few would disagree that it is impossible to become a competent fire officer without a solid understanding of the structural fireground anatomy: Building Construction. Fireground 'anatomy' includes beams, columns, trusses, walls, floors, masonry, steel, and concrete. Just as human anatomy and physiology provide the foundation of medicine, building construction serves as the foundation for developing fireground strategy and for making informed fireground decisions.

This two day multi-media workshop is designed for fire service officers responsible for emergency incident management in the structural fireground. Our instructor uses a series of modules designed to assure student success by building on lessons learned through life and classroom interaction.

The course will provide a comprehensive overview of building classifications and their related characteristics and the engineering principles of building construction. Significant course time will concentrate on significant differences between the various methods, techniques, and materials of building construction and how they perform when exposed to fire conditions.

Special attention will focus on a strategic comparison of conventional (legacy) and lightweight (contemporary) building construction with detailed analysis and application of UL/NIST research. For pre-incident surveys, buildings will be classified strategically, including features and characteristics that should influence fireground awareness and decision-making.

Mark's classes provide a rewarding, highly interactive environment where students reinforce their own skills and learn from the instructor as well as the other students. Students rate the instruction and training as outstanding and essential for career development. The class can be tailored and scheduled for the volunteer, career and combination departments.