Forcible Entry Weekend!

more confidence at the door, and a better understanding of how forcible entry fits into the bigger fireground picture.

This two-day class is built for firefighters who want more time on the tools.

Students will work through inward- and outward-swinging doors, garage doors, tool placement, striking, body position, and coordinated two-person operations. We will focus on reading the door, choosing the right approach, recognizing when something is not working, and making the adjustment without wasting time or energy.

The class will also cover masking up at the point of entry and how to stay organized while transitioning from exterior work to interior operations. Students will practice working with limited space, maintaining control of their tools, communicating with their crew, and preparing themselves before committing through the opening.

Forcible entry does not stop once the door is open. Students will work through victim-removal problems that may require widening an opening, controlling the door, moving around obstacles, and getting a victim through a tight or difficult access point. The goal is to understand how entry decisions can affect search, movement, rescue, and the crews working behind you.

Live-fire evolutions will bring the skills together under heat, smoke, limited visibility, noise, and fatigue. Students will also learn why understanding the building layout matters before and after entry. Door location, room arrangement, hallways, stairs, access points, and possible victim locations can all affect how a crew forces entry and moves through the building.

Training topics include:

  • Inward-swinging doors

  • Outward-swinging doors

  • Garage-door entry

  • Halligan and striking-tool operations

  • Tool placement and body positioning

  • Masking up at the point of entry

  • One- and two-firefighter forcible entry

  • Crew communication and coordination

  • Victim removal through forced openings

  • Working through tight or restricted spaces

  • Building-layout awareness

  • Live-fire forcible entry evolutions

  • Realistic problem-solving under pressure

This is a working class. Students should expect plenty of repetitions, honest coaching, realistic problems, and two full days of learning what works, what does not, and how to get better.

This class will be hosted by:

Westarea Volunteer Fire Department
8716 E Reeves Bridge Rd, Linden, NC 28356.