Course Description: Many suburban and rural areas have seen a major increase in population, industry, infrastructure, public transportation, housing, retail, and traffic over the last 30 years. Rural areas have become suburban while suburban areas have become metropolitan areas outside of urban areas or big cities. Many fire departments that were once all volunteer organizations producing low run numbers have now become career or combination departments as the number of fire and rescue calls (and tax base) have increased. They have also added technical rescue, special ops and EMS to provided services. 

These departments range from 24/7 fully staffed to understaffed during the night and weekends, some covering a large district spanning many square miles. One department may only be staffed Monday-Friday during the day while others are staffed with only paid drivers or a two-person crew. Some volunteer departments offer a "duty crew" stipend at night or a live-in program for quicker response times. 

Suburban departments have essentially become city departments with city problems. Outside of numerous vacant dilapidated abandoned buildings, skyscrapers, subways, project apartments, and shootings, suburban departments are now dealing with more high-rises, mid-rises, elevators, garden apartments, condominiums, townhomes, estate homes, strip malls, big box stores, modern building construction, high speed and light rail trains, high traffic volume-rescue incidents, and an increased population creating far more run numbers than 20-30 years ago. But unlike the cities where there are dedicated truck, squad, rescue, and engine companies fully staffed with 2-6 members on each apparatus 24/7 every several blocks, most suburban, volunteer, combination departments may be riding short staffed and relying on mutual aid. In addition, as call volume increases, volunteer numbers have declined dramatically over the years resulting in less members responding, and some riding members may lack training or experience. Consider budget issues, and longer response times waiting for members to respond to the station on a weekday when many have full time jobs. For fires, this can be dangerous because of longer burn times. How can we overcome some of these issues? What common emergencies do urban and suburban firefighters respond to on a daily basis, and how do we accomplish more with less?  

This customized course focuses on the common strategy and tactics that urban, suburban, and metropolitan departments all face but with different apparatus and staffing levels.