FFII (2012)

This post is in reply to a post on Backstepfirefighter wanting input how soon after FFI should one pursue FFII. I assumed the situation was referring to new(er) firefighters, and not members that are “catching-up” on certs. Enjoy, and by all means, what do you think?


I am currently finishing a FFII class and spent all day yesterday on the drill ground. The class is being taught with the mentality that the people qualifying at FFII will be able to or are sitting as a company officer. Many of the students are taking the class because it is the first locally held class for FFII that has been made available in a great many years. Quite a few of us taking the class are already in company officer positions and are simply “catching up” with certifications.
A small handful are attending having just complete their FFI acadmeny in June. Comments made by most of them are very similiar, “I should have waited a year or more. It would have been easier if I had more fireground experience”.
Now, I personally have to applaud them for their desire and initiative. In the area we work, and being predominately volunteer based organizations, it very well may be a looooong time before they see another opportunity for a FFII class. There are enough of us senior members involved, both in the class and in the respective departments, to lend the mentoring hand to these less experienced brothers and sisters. The skills and knowledge they gain will undoubtedly help them in the years to come. With limited volunteer staffing, there is a potential one of these members could feasibly find themselves in a supervisory role. I believe that as leaders, our role is to help them understand that they still have limits and that our expectations include them making some mistakes along the way.
Ideally, a waiting period that is complimented with progressive on-the-job training would be great. Unfortunately, for the masses, this is simply not logistically and financially practical. The majority of us take what we can get, making the most of what is available. Besides,true firemanship isn’t learned from an IFSTA manual, tested with bubble sheets, and evaluated on a “make-believe” fireground. It is coached and taught and passed on from generation to generation, shared freely to all.