CLASSROOM SESSION

Synopsis

"Truck Company Operations: The non-traditional truck companies"

A large percentage of small fire departments have deficiencies in operating dedicated truck companies and have challenges accounting for all truck functions. Does that mean truck work doesn’t happen? Truck company operations are essential, and these agencies need a system. 

This workshop focuses on consistently implementing a coordinated fire attack even with a resource deficiency and delivering all essential truck company operations associated with facilitating and supporting the coordinated fire attack and lifesaving operations. Students see how “circumstances dictate action on the fireground” and that not having a dedicated truck company does not justify substandard tactics and decreased truck company operations. That’s when they employ “The Non-traditional Truck Company,” identify essential components of the coordinated fire attack, prioritize functions, and implement them for complete accountability.

 Developing agency specific standard operating guidelines (SOGs) is addressed, as is the functional and the positional SOG. The importance of attitude, training, understanding modern fire behavior, and developing experienced street-smart tactics to define the role of truck company operations in the pursuit of consistent fireground success are also discussed.

Bio

Jim Silvernail is the Fire Chief of the Kirkwood Fire Department of St. Louis County, MO with over 23 years of operational experience and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy EFO Program and is international accredited as a “Chief Fire Officer” (CPSE). He is the author of Suburban Fire Tactics and the coauthor of Suburban Fire Tactics from the Right Seat video and has written numerous articles for Fire Engineering magazine. He is a workshop instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) (2011-2020) and presents at various regional deliveries. 

Chief Silvernail served as a principle member of NFPA technical committee 1710 and is a Western Regional Director of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.Jim was a lead instructor at the St. Louis County Fire Academy, specializing in truck company operations. He also served as a member of MO-TF 1 (a FEMA Urban Search & Rescue team), serving as a Planning Team Manager. 

Chief Silvernail’s formal education includes: an AAS in Fire Protection Technology, a BA in Business

Administration, and an MS in Human Resource Management.