Click here to begin the IAFF Fire Ground Survival Awareness Course

The IAFF Fire Ground Survival (FGS) program is the most comprehensive survival skills and Mayday prevention program currently available and is open to all members of the fire service. Incorporating federal regulations, proven incident management best practices and survival techniques from leaders in the field, and real case studies from experienced fire fighters, the FGS program aims to educate all fire fighters to be prepared if the unfortunate happens. The IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program will provide participating fire departments with the skills they need to improve situational awareness and prevent a Mayday. Topics covered include:

• Preventing the Mayday: situational awareness, planning, size up, air management, fitness for survival, defensive operations.
• Being Ready for the Mayday personal safety equipment, communications, accountability systems.
• Self-Survival Procedures: avoiding panic, mnemonic learning aid GRAB LIVES—actions a fire fighter must take to improve survivability, emergency breathing.
• Self-Survival Skills: SCBA familiarization, emergency procedures, disentanglement, upper floor escape techniques.
• Fire Fighter Expectations of Command: command level MAYDAY training, pre-MAYDAY, MAYDAY and rescue, post-rescue, expanding the incident command system, communications.

This year's Safety Week will focus on delivering the online Fire Ground Survival awareness training course to all fire departments.