Combined Evolution's

This week I am suggesting you be a little more creative and put together all of the individual pieces or segments of training into practice using combined evolution's.

This should work with an existing training tower, training building, or acquired structure, because at this point I am not suggesting any live fire whatsoever and for the first couple evolution's I am not even suggesting using a smoke machine either.

There are some simple rules involving the design of combined evolution's and you should keep these in mind when planning the event and then create multiples of these.

Some simple objectives of combined evolution's could be as follows:

* Using multiple companies stretch two lines into an upper story of a building. This would promote teamwork, hose handling, and communication. Have a goal do not just make this a test that everyone always fails. I would also suggest allowing for enough time to complete the evolution completely twice. This would allow for 1 evolution, regroup, repack and rehab, small constructive critique, and then re-perform the evolution so that learning and improvement can take place.

* Evolution's can be timed to see if there is any improvement. Timings also allow incident commanders to see if the existing tactical plan will even be feasible if it would be implemented.

Some combined evolution ideas:

* Stretch two lines into a third floor area. One line up the interior stairs, the second line over a ground ladder to the second, then up the stairs as a back up to the first. Drill would stop after both lines flow water out of a third floor window. Promotes teamwork, hose handling, throwing of ground ladders etc.

* Two lines into the building stretched in any manner, a call for evacuation via sirens and airhorn blasts and have the primary stairway blocked so ladders have to be requested, thrown and evacuation takes place over ground ladders. Promotes, communication, survival skills, and building emergency evacuation training.

* Stretching a charged 2 1/2" handline into a building. Not done that often, very manpower intensive and needs much coordination.

* Stretch one line in by conventional means, have a second crew go in call for another line and have it pulled up by rope.

There are any number of variables that you can create. The keys to successful combined evolution's are have a specific objective or main teaching point, have a critique in the middle so behaviors will change and learning takes place, have an opportunity to recreate the same scenario a second time, and even if timing is used, make sure all operations are performed safely.

All evolution's should be in full gear and SCBA under air when appropriate. Do it just like the real thing.