The South Milwaukee Fire Department Training Bureau is managed by the Department Training Officer whose primary responsibility is to organize, develop and schedule training for all department members in compliance with federal, state or local requirements.The goal of the training bureau has been and will continue to be to provide all employees with quality training that is specific to their job description and needs yet provides them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to fulfill the mission of the department. Funding for training is provided by a budget line-item that not only reflects the City's commitment to maintaining well trained employees, but the department's dedication to providing the best trained "customer-service" delivery force available.
Training is provided to all shifts on a Monday through Saturday basis by their respective Captain, Lieutenant or other carefully chosen "expert" in the topic. Much of the training information is taken from the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) texts are based on NFPA standards and locally or nationally recognized acceptable practices. Because of the unique cross-staffing situation utilized by the department, all department members are cross-trained in all aspects of every position.
"Big 5" Training Priorities
With the role of the fire department expanding every day into areas such as homeland security, weapons of mass destruction and technical rescue, the basic tasks of firefighting are often times overlooked. To assure that all department members maintain proficiency in "the basics" of firefighting, training is conducted to address the "Big 5" training priorities:
- Firefighter Safety
- Hands-on Training
- Hose Handling
- Raising Ladders
- Using Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus