Fire Strategy and Tactics Training for Industrial Response
Total Group lists Fire Strategy and Tactics Training as an on-site course for industrial, municipal and emergency response personnel. The course topic covers fire behaviour, suppression methods, incident command and risk assessment for high-risk fire scenarios. [1]
What this training addresses
Fire strategy sets the overall incident objective. Tactics are the coordinated actions used to reach it. A sound decision starts with a current size-up, clear communications, known hazards and a plan that matches the building, fuel load, water supply, crews and changing conditions.
Ontario firefighter guidance identifies modern fire science, smoke and fire indicators, water application, hose and nozzle operations, flow-path control, door control and coordinated ventilation as topics that support safer structural firefighting decisions. [2] NFPA 1700 is an issuing-body guide on structural firefighting strategy, tactics and tasks supported by science-based research. [3]
Practical workplace application
Participants can use the training to examine how their team receives an alarm, completes a size-up, identifies exposures and collapse indicators, selects an initial strategy, assigns crews, protects egress and updates the plan as conditions change. In an industrial setting, the discussion should also connect the fire plan to site hazards, process equipment, isolation arrangements, emergency communications and the authority having jurisdiction.
Useful exercises may include a command-board scenario, a radio and accountability drill, a water-supply and hose-line decision exercise, or an instructor-led review of a site emergency response plan. The public course listing mentions real-world fire scenario training, but it does not state whether a specific delivery includes live fire, simulation, tabletop work or field evolutions. Confirm the planned practical elements before enrolment.
This course does not replace workplace qualification, supervised operational experience, a department competency process or a jurisdiction-specific credential. Classroom or online theory can explain concepts. It does not, by itself, prove that a worker can safely lead an incident, operate in an IDLH atmosphere, use breathing apparatus or perform a fireground task. Those abilities require the employer or fire department to define prerequisites, equipment, supervision and observed evidence.
Safety controls for practical fire training
Where a session includes live-fire work, the training plan needs controls that match the facility and exercise. Ontario’s official guidance recommends a written training safety plan, qualified or competent trainers, a safety briefing and walk-through, appropriate and inspected PPE, incident command, accountability, entry control, radio checks, emergency evacuation and firefighter-rescue procedures. It also calls for medical and rehabilitation arrangements, decontamination, adequate SCBA air, water supply and safety officers with authority to alter, suspend or terminate dangerous operations. [4]
Those controls are planning points, not a claim that every Total Group session uses live fire. The site owner, employer, instructor and applicable authority must confirm the facility rules, risk assessment, emergency arrangements and legal requirements. In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires an employer to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for worker protection under clause 25(2)(h). [5] Other provinces, territories, federal undertakings and client programs may apply different requirements.
Choose the suitable training level
Ask what the learner must do after training. A foundation or awareness session may suit workers who need to understand fire behaviour, site hazards, alarm actions and their role in the emergency plan. A tactical or supervisory session is more suitable for personnel who make assignments, assess changing conditions, coordinate resources or brief an incident commander. A practical skills session is needed when learners must demonstrate equipment use, communications, accountability or task performance under observation.
Do not select an ICS course level, fire officer qualification or other credential from this page alone. Alberta’s official ICS information states that course prerequisites apply and that only approved providers may deliver ICS training to industry or private organisations in Alberta. It also states that certain self-study certificates are not accepted as prerequisites for advanced ICS training. [6] Confirm the governing jurisdiction, employer role, credential owner, provider approval and assessment method before treating any course as a qualification.
Questions to prepare before contacting Total Group
- Where will the training be delivered, and which province, territory, federal framework or client standard governs the work?
- Will the session be theory, tabletop, simulation, live fire or a combination?
- What duties must each participant perform, and what prior fire, PPE, SCBA or command experience is required?
- Which site hazards, emergency plans, communications systems and response arrangements should the instructor use?
- What practical evidence will be observed, documented or assessed?
Plan the right session for your team
Contact Total Group with your worksite or department type, learner roles, operating jurisdiction, target outcomes and any existing emergency response plan. Total Group can then confirm the proposed delivery method, practical scope, prerequisites, schedule, class arrangements, assessment approach and any applicable provider or credential requirements. The course hub provides the contact route; no separate product or enrolment URL was verified for this course at the time of research.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an online fire strategy course?
No. Total Group’s hub places this entry under on-site courses and workshops. The listing does not publish an online version, duration or delivery schedule. Ask Total Group to confirm the available format for your team.
Does completion provide NFPA certification or an ICS certificate?
No such outcome is verified for this course. NFPA 1700 is a guide, not evidence that this listing issues NFPA certification. ICS certificates depend on the approved course, provider, jurisdiction and prerequisites. Confirm any credential directly with Total Group and the relevant issuing authority.
Does the course replace live-fire or workplace competency training?
No. Training content can support planning and decision-making, but employers and fire departments must determine the practical training, supervision, equipment and observed competency needed for the role. Confirm whether the proposed session includes any practical evolution.
References
- Total Group, Training hub, Fire Strategy and Tactics Training listing.
- Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Firefighter Guidance Notes 6-26, “Structural firefighting tactics”.
- National Fire Protection Association, NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Firefighting.
- Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Firefighter Guidance Notes 7-8, “Live fire training”.
- Ontario, Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 25(2)(h).
- Government of Alberta, Incident Command System courses.
