Curriculum System
Operational Readiness
Practice
Curriculum Overview
DRILL is the operational training curriculum of the Falls Training Complex, focused on building and maintaining the skills firefighters need to perform effectively in all-hazards emergency environments. Hands-on training is the primary focus, supported by classroom instruction when it directly contributes to operational knowledge and performance.
DRILL encompasses firefighting tactics, technical rescue, dive and water rescue, hazardous materials, emergency vehicle operations, and other operational disciplines of the modern fire service. Programming ranges from focused company-level training and realistic tactical evolutions to multi-day state certification courses such as Firefighter I and II.
Whether developing an individual skill, coordinating a company, or operating within a larger incident strategy, DRILL is designed to improve performance on the emergency scene.
Primary Training Areas
Firefighting Operations
- Engine Company Operations
- Truck / Ladder Company Operations
- Search
- Forcible Entry
- Ventilation
- Fire Attack
- Water Supply
- Pump Operations
- Firefighter Survival
- Mayday
- Rapid Intervention
- LIVE FIRE
- Multi-Company Operations
Technical Rescue
- Rope Rescue
- Confined Space
- Trench Rescue
- Structural Collapse
- Machinery / Vehicle Rescue
- Other technical rescue disciplines
Dive & Water Rescue
- Dive Operations
- Surface Water Rescue
- Ice Rescue
- Water Rescue Operations
- Team Operations
Hazardous Materials
- Hazardous Materials Operations
- Hazardous Materials Technician
- Detection / Monitoring
- PPE
- Decontamination
- Tactical Haz-Mat Operations
Emergency Vehicle Operations
- Emergency Vehicle Operations
- Driver Training
- Apparatus Placement
- Pump Operations
- Aerial Operations
- Driver / Operator Development
Certification
- Firefighter I
- Firefighter II
- Firefighter I & II
- Hazardous Materials
- Technical Rescue certifications
- Driver / Operator certifications
A course is identified as providing certification only when the course record and provider confirm that certification.
Curriculum Scope
Hands-on training is the primary focus of DRILL, though courses may include classroom instruction, lecture, demonstration, tabletop preparation, tactical discussion, skill stations, practical evolutions, scenario-based training and evaluation when those components directly support operational performance. DRILL is not the primary curriculum for leadership or officer development, administrative professional development, EMS, clinical education or patient care — those belong primarily to LEAD or PULSE. Rank does not determine curriculum: an officer participating in fireground tactics, technical rescue, LIVE FIRE or another operational evolution is participating in DRILL.
Primary Courses
Representative programming within Drill. Scheduled offerings appear in the current course catalog below.
Engine Company Basics
Stretching, advancing and operating handlines with attention to crew position, water application and fireground communication.
Ladder Company Basics
Truck-company assignments including ladders, ventilation, forcible entry and search support.
Search Operations
Oriented and vent-enter-search technique, victim removal and search coordination under realistic conditions.
RIT Operations
Rapid intervention team deployment, air supply, packaging and removal of a downed firefighter.
Mayday / Firefighter Survival
Self-rescue skills, mayday procedure, entanglement and disorientation drills that build individual survivability.
Ropes I
Knots, anchors, mechanical advantage and low-angle rope systems for company-level rescue support.
Ropes II
High-angle systems, litter attendant operations and complex rigging for technical rescue personnel.
Dive Rescue
Water-rescue and dive-team proficiency including search patterns, tenders and surface-support roles.
Driver / Apparatus Operations
Apparatus handling, positioning, response considerations and operational readiness for driver-operators.
LIVE FIRE — Engine Company Evolutions
Live-fire evolutions conducted under instructor control, applying engine-company skills against real fire conditions.
Current Course Catalog
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