Technical Rescue Training

Rope Rescue Operations

You will learn the fundamental skills and techniques required for a safe and efficient rescue. The field exercises will help you gain practical hands-on experience in basic rope rescue evolutions. The course will be delivered using a combination of classroom instruction and extensive field exercises.

This course is a prerequisite for:

• Collapse Rescue Operations
• Confined Space Technician
• Rope Rescue Technician
• Swift Water Rescue Technician
• Trench Rescue Technician

Course Details

• Total hours: 40
• Time: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Cost: $385 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • A background in public safety operations
• Requirements:
  • Leather gloves
  • Long pants
  • Soft-soled shoes or boots
• 2024 dates:
  
  • November 11–14
• 2025 dates:
  • January 6–9
  • February 17–20
  • June 3–6
  • November 10–13

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Rope Rescue Technician

This course builds upon the techniques covered in our Rope Rescue Operations course.

Instruction will include advanced skills and techniques required to perform technician-level rope rescue. The course will be delivered using a combination of classroom instruction and extensive field exercises that allow you to gain practical hands-on experience in advanced rope rescue evolutions.

Course Details

• Total hours: 40
• Time: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Cost: $385 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • A background in public safety operations
  • Our Rope Rescue Operations course
• Requirements:
  • Leather gloves
  • Long pants
  • Soft-soled shoes or boots
• 2024 dates:
  
  • December 16–19
• 2025 dates:
  • January 21–24
  • April 21–24
  • September 2–5

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Confined Space Technician

This course builds upon concepts covered in our Rope Rescue Operations course.

Instruction includes classroom lecture and demonstration as well as a strong emphasis on practical field exercises. We’ll also cover governing regulations, team operations, equipment familiarization, and practical rescue techniques

Course Details

• Total hours: 40
• Time: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Cost: $375 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • Have taken a Rope Rescue Operations course within the last 2 years
    or
    Provide a letter from your chief stating you have sufficient experience in this area
• Requirements:
  • Gloves
  • Long pants
  • Soft-soled shoes or boots
• 2024 dates:
  
  • December 3–6
• 2025 dates:
  • January 13–16
  • May 19–22
  • December 1–4

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Vortex (Artificial High Directional)

This course focuses on the use of the Arizona Vortex Multi-Pod System and the Aztek set of fours.

You will learn advanced uses of multi-pod system, including the tripod, easel, side a-frame, and the a-frame bipod. You will also learn advanced anchoring, knots, and equipment selection.

Course Details

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $350 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • Have taken a Rope Rescue Technician and Confined Space Technician courses within the last 2 years
    or
    Have certification through the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) or the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA)
• 2025 dates:
  • April 8–10
  • June 10–12
  • September 29–October 1

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Blue Card IC

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $150 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • 50-hour online Blue Card training course
• 2025 dates:
  
  • February 3–5
  • August 18–20

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Command & Control: COST / Managing Disasters

This 4-day course is designed for incident commanders who manage large-scale, complex incidents.

You will learn to develop standard Incident Command System (ICS) Forms to produce a written Incident Action Plan for fire department operations at natural and man-made disasters.

The primary focus is the operational component of a fire department’s response to civil disturbances, fires, hazardous materials releases, tornadoes and planned events. This course emphasizes command and control decision-making skills as well as the interrelationship of the operational function to hazard preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.

Areas covered include:

• Operational applications of the ICS
• Command and control
• ICS / Emergency Operations Center interface
• Evacuation
• Sheltering
• Communications

The interactive course uses lecture, simulations, scenarios, and student participation as instructional methodologies.

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $250 per student
• 2025 dates:
  • March 31–April 3

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Command & Control: Managing Multi-Alarm Incidents

This 4-day course is interactive, using lecture, simulations, post-incident reviews and student participation as instructional methods. It focuses on the command officer’s responsibility while conducting major operations involving multiple alarms.

Areas covered include:

• Command and decision-making process
• Advanced incident command
• Command and control
• Safety
• Personnel accountability
• Communications

Through the use of simulations and debriefing, students are taught to apply standard processes for command and communication to various types of complex emergency incidents. A broad range of simulations are used to duplicate emergency incidents that require the student to evaluate multiple hazards, such as fire department emergencies involving multi-family occupancies, hotels, commercial occupancies, large shopping malls, and high-rises.

The interactive course uses lecture, simulations, scenarios, and student participation as instructional methodologies.

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $250 per student
• 2025 dates:
  • February 17–20
  • August 11–14

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Command & Control: Strategy & Tactics

In this 4 day course, fire officers review leadership concepts, reading smoke, UL fire research, and command best practices. All ranks are welcome; however, the target audience is first-on-scene incident commanders and first-on-scene battalion chiefs.

The focus is command and communication processes as applied to structure fires ranging from small, residential structures to multi-occupancy, commercial complexes.

Topics covered include:

• Command presence
• Decision-making and fire command
• Effective delegation through Groups and Divisions
• Incident management
• Arrival reports
• Development of strategy, tactics, and action plans

Special emphasis is placed on a consistency in command process and communication.

This course is designed to develop the management skills company officers need to accomplish assigned tactics during emergency response. This course lays the foundation for effective response to still alarms and building the initial Incident Command System (ICS).

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $250 per student
• 2025 dates:
  
  • January 6–9
  • July 29–August 1

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Structural Collapse Rescue

• Total hours: 50
• Time: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Cost: $1,350 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • Rope Rescue Operations
• 2024 dates:
  • November 18–22
• 2025 dates:
  • May 5–9
  • November 17–21

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Swift Water Rescue Technician

This course includes classroom sessions that identify different types of swift water incidents and their hazards, rescuer safety, size-up, site safety, shore based procedures, wading rescues, and boat based rescues.

You’ll learn defensive swim techniques, throw bags, tension diagonals, shore based rescue systems, boat based rescue systems and boat powered rescues.

Course Details

• Total hours: 40
• Cost: $480 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Have a background in public safety
  • Be in good physical condition
  • Be able to swim
  • Have taken a Rope Rescue Operations course within the last 2 years
    or
    Provide a letter from your chief stating you have sufficient experience in this area
    • If you did not take the Rope Rescue Operations class at TCC, you must provide documentation showing the place and date of your Rope Rescue Operations completion
• Requirements:
  • Towel
  • Wet suit (optional)
  • Gloves
  • Water shoes
  • Whistle
  • U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Type III or V Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
• 2025 times:
  • Days 1, 2, 3 & 5: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
  • Day 4: 3–11 p.m.
• 2025 dates:
  • March 31–April 4
  • May 12–16
  • June 23–27
  • July 7–11
  • July 28–August 1
  • August 18–22
  • September 15–19
  • September 29–October 3

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Swift Water Tech Refresher

This course provides continuing education for Swift Water Rescue Technicians.

Course Details

• Total hours: 8
• Time: 3 p.m.–11 p.m.
  • This course is 1 day only and includes a night drill
• Cost: $80 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Swift Water Rescue Technician certification from a recognized certifying entity
• Requirements:
  • Towel
  • Wet suit (optional)
  • Gloves
  • Water shoes
  • Whistle
  • U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Type III or V Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
• 2025 dates:
  • June 16, 18, or 20
    • Select 1 day
  • July 14, 16,  or 18
    • Select 1 day

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USAR Boat Operator

This course—which is designed to train rescue personnel in handling motorized boats during flood operations—is the combination of the Flood Boat Operator and Swift Water Boat Operator.

Topics covered include:

• Types of motorized boats suitable for water rescue
• Boat handling on still or slow moving water
• Crew roles
• Boat safety
• Problem solving

You will then put techniques to work by operating a motorized boat in dynamic water rescues, doing searches in flood environments, retrieving stranded victims, and rescuing conscious and unconscious persons.

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $350 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Be certified Swift Water Technician
  • Have Texas Parks and Wildlife Boater Safety Education Certification
• Requirements:
  • Motorized Inflatable Rescue Boat with tiller control (no center console)—limited to 3 crew members per boat
  • U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Type V Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
  • Helmet
  • Footwear
  • Optional:
    • Wet or dry suits
    • Gloves
• 2025 dates:
  • April 7–10
  • April 28–May 1
  • June 9–12
  • October 6–9

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Trench Rescue Technician

This course covers advanced techniques and incorporates all levels of readiness, response, arrival and mediation of trench rescue incidents. Topics include equipment familiarization, soil types, utilities, benching and backfilling. Aspects of shoring equipment, timber, hydraulic and pneumatic shoring are also covered. You’ll be working in straight and intersecting trenches (T&L) in depths up to 12 feet.

Course Details

• Total hours: 50
• Time: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Cost: $425 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • A background in public safety, in addition to having taken a Rope Rescue Operations course within the last 2 years
    or
  • A letter from your chief stating you have adequate experience in this area
• Requirements:
  • Helmet
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Long pants
  • Comfortable shirt
• 2025 dates:
  • March 10–14
  • March 24–28
  • October 20–24
  • October 27–31

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Common Passenger Vehicle Rescue Technician

This course is a prerequisite for Heavy Vehicle Rescue Technician.

Course Details

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $375 per student
• Requirements:
  • Helmet
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Structural bunker gear or lightweight extrication bunker gear
• 2024 dates:
  • October 29–31
• 2025 dates:
  • January 28–30
  • April 29–May 1
  • July 22–24
  • November 24–26

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Heavy Vehicle Rescue Technician

About The Course

This course includes classroom sessions that identify the hazards and procedures associated with the complex environment of vehicle and machinery rescue, including detailed information on the latest vehicle safety systems.

The majority of the class involves hands-on applications of rescue techniques that use a variety of heavy rescue equipment. Some of the topics covered are extrication techniques, advanced stabilization techniques, air bags and mechanical lifting devices. We also incorporate scenarios involving automobiles, trucks and machinery.

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $300 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Basic Firefighter Certification
  • Rope Rescue Operations
  • Common Passenger Vehicle Rescue Tech
• Requirements: Structural bunker gear or extrication gear
• 2024 dates:
  
  • November 4–7
• 2025 dates:
  • February 10–13
  • September 8–11
  • November 3–6

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S-130/190 Basic Wildland FF

This course is a prerequisite for all Wildland courses.

This course includes I-100 & L-180:

• Firefighter Training
• Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
• Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service

S-130 is designed to provide entry-level firefighter skills.

S-190 teaches the primary factors affecting the start and spread of wildfire and recognition of potentially hazardous situations. S-190 is designed to meet the fire behavior training needs of a Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) on an incident as outlined in the NIMS: Wildland Fire Qualification System, PMS 310-1, and the position task-book developed for the position.

Also included as part of this course is a version of L-180, which is designed for unit-level supervisors to use when delivering orientation training to new crew members.

Course Details

• Total hours: 40
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $230 per student
• 2024 dates:
  • November 18–22
• 2025 dates:
  • January 6–9
  • November 17–21

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Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

RT-130 Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

This is the required annual refresher course for all wildland firefighters.

Included in this 8-hour course:

• Case studies
• Lessons learned
• Local needs & resources
• Communications
• Decision-making
• Fire shelters

Course Details

• Total hours: 8
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $125 per student
• Prerequisite: S130/190 Basic Wildland FF
• 2025 dates:
  • February 17 or 18
  • February 24 or 25

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Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-131 Wildland Firefighter Type 1

This 12-hour course is designed to meet the training needs of the Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) and / or Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5).

Topics include:

• Operational leadership
• Communications
• Lookouts-Communications-Escape routes-Safety zones (LCES)
• Tactical decision-making

Classes are interactive and involve discussions in addition to tactical decision games designed to help you achieve the learning objectives.

Course Details

• Total hours: 12
• Time:
  • Day 1: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
  • Day 2: 8 a.m.–noon
• Cost: $125 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • S-130/190 Basic Wildland FF
  • Qualification as Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2)
• 2025 dates:
  • June 9–10
  • September 8–9

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-211 Portable Pumps & Water Use

This 16-hour course focuses on portable water delivery systems. You will lean how to design, set up, operate, troubleshoot, and shut down portable pumps.

This course does not address water delivery for engines.

Topics covered include:

• Portable water delivery systems
• Equipment
• Roles and responsibilities
• System design and hydraulics

You will also participate in a field exercise where you will apply what you learned in the classroom.

Course Details

• Total hours: 16
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $125 per student
• Prerequisite: S-130/190 Basic Wildland FF
• 2025 dates:
  • April 14–15
  • November 3–4

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws

This instructor-led course is intended to be presented at the local level.

The course lessons will introduce you to the function, maintenance, and use of internal combustion engine-powered chainsaws and their tactical wildland fire application.

Field exercises support entry-level training for firefighters who have little to no previous experience in operating a chainsaw. You will gain hands-on cutting experience in surroundings similar to fire-line situations.

Course Details

• Total hours: 32
• Time: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Cost: $150 per student
• Prerequisite: S-130/190 Basic Wildland FF
• Required equipment:
  • You are responsible for bringing your:
    • Full fire-line Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
    • Approved chainsaw chaps
    • Hearing & eye protection
    • Gloves
• 2024 dates:
  • December 2–5
    • December 3, 4 & 5: Saws CE (cutting only) available
• 2025 dates:
  • April 21–24
    • April 22, 23 & 24: 8-hour Cut days available
  • December 8–11
    • December 9, 10 & 11: 8-hour Cut days available

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

RT-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws Safety Refresher

This instructor-led course is an update and review of risk management, policy, and operations for chainsaw operators.

The course includes 1 class day and 1 field day—you must attend both days.

Course Details

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $75 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Qualification as Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2)
  • S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws
  • Completed Faller III Task Book
• Required equipment:
  • You are responsible for bringing your:
    • Full fire-line Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
    • Approved chainsaw chaps
    • Hearing & eye protection
    • Gloves
• 2024 dates:
  • December 6–7
• 2025 dates:
  • April 25–26
  • December 12–13

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-215 Wildland Urban Interface

This instructor-led course is intended to be presented at the local level.

Instructional units include:

• Firefighter safety in the interface
• Managing human factors in the interface
• Pre-incident planning
• Size-up and initial strategy
• Structure triage
• Structure protection overview
• Tactics in the interface
• Tactical operations and resource use in the interface
• Action assessment
• Plan update
• After-action review

Course Details

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $150 per student
• Prerequisite: Qualification as Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1)
• 2025 dates:
  • May 5–7
  • September 22–24

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-219 Wildland Firing Operations

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of firing operations on wildland fires. You will also learn the roles and responsibilities of team members who engage in these operations.

For more information, see the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) S-219 course description.

Course Details

• Total hours: 24
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $175 per student
• Prerequisite: S-130/190
• 2024 dates:
  
  • November 4–6
• 2025 dates:
  • April 16–18
  • November 5–7

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-230 Crew Boss

This classroom course is designed to teach you to be proficient in performing duties associated with the Single Resource Boss position—from initial dispatch through demobilization to the home unit.

Topics include:

• Operational leadership
• Preparation and mobilization
• Assignment preparation
• Risk management
• Entrapment avoidance
• Safety and tactics
• Offline duties
• Demobilization
• Post-incident responsibilities

Course Details

• Total hours:16
• Time: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Cost: $150 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Qualification as Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1)
  • Successful completion of S-290 Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior
  • Satisfactory completion of online S-230 course work
• 2025 dates:
  • March 24–25
  • October 6–7

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-231 Engine Boss

This skill course is designed to teach you to be proficient in performing duties associated with Engine Boss, Single Resource (ENGB).

Topics include:

• Engine and crew capabilities and limitations
• Information sources
• Fire size up considerations
• Tactics
• Wildland urban interface

Course Details

• Total hours: 16
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $125 per student
• Prerequisites:
  • Qualification as Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1)
  • Successful completion of S-230 Crew Boss
• 2025 dates:
  • March 26–27
  • October 8–9

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.

S-270 Basic Air Operations

This 16-hour course covers:

• Aircraft types and capabilities
• Aviation management and safety for flying in and working with agency aircraft
• Tactical and logistical uses of aircraft
• Requirements for helicopter take-off and landing areas

Check with Your Local Agencies

This course addresses the regulations, procedures, and policies that are primarily applicable to federal agency and incident command system (ICS) operations.

State, county, or other political subdivisions using this course will need to consult the agency that has jurisdiction over their regulations, procedures and policies.

Refer to the Interagency Aviation Training (IAT) Guide for IAT A-course equivalencies.

Course Details

• Total hours: 16
• Time: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Cost: $125 per student
• Prerequisite:
  • Successful completion of assigned pre-course work
• 2024 dates:
  • November 7–8
• 2025 dates:
  • February 3–4

Request your seats

Register for your Wildland class at Texas A&M Forest Service Training.