Blackmer Training

Professional Training for Public Safety, Industry & Community Organizations

Blackmer Training provides practical, experience-based training designed for professionals who operate in environments where preparation, sound judgment, and effective decision-making matter. Programs range from fireground operations and MFFTC certification courses to fire officer development, technical rescue, active-threat response, workplace safety, and community preparedness.

Training can be delivered as individual courses, certification programs, department-wide professional development, or customized programs developed around the specific needs of your organization.

Fire Operations & Modern Fireground Tactics

Advanced, science-driven fireground training focused on modern construction, contemporary fire behavior, operational discipline, and effective decision-making under pressure. Programs incorporate current fire research and recognized operational best practices.

Fireground Operations

• Modern Fire Dynamics & Fire Behavior: Understanding contemporary fuel loads, heat release rates, fire development, and the impact of modern construction.

• Reading Smoke (VVDC): Using Volume, Velocity, Density, and Color to evaluate fire conditions, predict fire behavior, and identify changing hazards.

• Flow Path Identification & Management: Understanding and controlling air tracks, door position, ventilation openings, and flow paths during structural firefighting operations.

• Tactical Ventilation: Coordinating horizontal, vertical, and positive-pressure ventilation with fire attack and search operations.

• Engine Company Operations: Hose selection, deployment, water application, fire attack, positioning, and coordinated engine company tactics.

• Truck Company Operations: Search, ladders, forcible entry, ventilation, utilities, and coordinated support of fire attack operations.

• Search & Rescue Operations: Primary and secondary search strategies, victim removal, firefighter orientation, and coordinated search operations.

• Mayday & Firefighter Survival: Air management, self-rescue, emergency communications, disorientation hazards, and Rapid Intervention Team coordination.

• First-Arriving Officer Strategy & Tactics: Size-up, 360° assessment, command establishment, tactical priorities, resource deployment, and risk-based decision-making.

• Incident Command & Resource Management: Developing effective command structures, accountability, communications, resource management, and operational coordination.

• After-Action Reviews & Incident Debriefing: Using structured post-incident analysis to improve individual and organizational performance.

MFFTC Certification & Professional Development Programs

Certification and professional-development programs aligned with applicable Michigan Firefighters Training Council and Michigan Bureau of Fire Services requirements.

Firefighter & Foundational Programs

• Firefighter I

• Firefighter II

• Firefighter I & II Academies

• Hazardous Materials First Responder – Operations

Fire Officer Programs

• Fire Officer I

• Fire Officer II

• Company Officer Development

• First-Line Supervisor Development

• Command & Decision-Making

• Officer Leadership & Accountability

• Ethics & Professional Responsibility

• Communication & Conflict Management

• Managing Difficult Conversations

• Mentoring & Developing Future Officers

• Succession Planning & Leadership Development

Programs can be customized for newly promoted officers, aspiring officers, experienced company officers, or department-wide officer development.

Fire Service Instructor Programs

• Fire Instructor I

• Fire Instructor II

• Training Officer Development

• Adult Learning & Instructional Techniques

• Hands-On & Scenario-Based Instruction

• Lesson and Training Program Development

• Student Evaluation & Performance Assessment

Instructor programs are designed to strengthen both individual instructional ability and the overall effectiveness of departmental training programs.

Apparatus & Driver Training

• Pump Apparatus Operator

• Apparatus & Pump Operations

• Emergency Vehicle Operations

• VFIS Driver Training

Technical Rescue & Specialty Training

Technical rescue programs provide firefighters and emergency responders with the knowledge and practical skills required to safely operate at specialized rescue incidents.

Rope Rescue

• Rope Rescue Awareness

• Rope Rescue Operations

• Rope systems, knots, anchors, mechanical advantage, raising and lowering systems, and victim movement.

Confined Space Rescue

• Confined Space Awareness

• Confined Space Operations

• Confined Space Rescue Attendant

• Hazard recognition, atmospheric monitoring, entry procedures, communications, retrieval systems, and rescue operations.

Water & Ice Rescue

• Surface Water Rescue Awareness

• Surface Water Rescue Operations

• Ice Rescue Operations

• Rescuer safety, victim contact, shore-based operations, specialized equipment, and coordinated rescue operations.

Hazardous Materials Response

• Hazardous Materials Awareness

• Hazardous Materials Operations

• Hazardous Materials Technician

• Hazard identification, protective actions, PPE, decontamination, containment, control, and incident operations.

Technical rescue and hazardous-materials programs are developed around applicable professional standards and the operational needs of the requesting agency.

Fire Officer, Leadership & Organizational Development

Effective emergency-service leadership requires more than technical competence. These programs address the human, ethical, administrative, and organizational responsibilities that accompany leadership positions.

Leadership Development

• Leadership at Every Rank

• Transitioning from Firefighter to Fire Officer

• Building Organizational Trust

• Ethical Leadership & Decision-Making

• Communication & Conflict Management

• Accountability & Performance Management

• Command Presence & Decision-Making Under Pressure

• Mentoring & Coaching

• Developing Future Leaders

• Organizational Culture

• Leading Organizational Change

• Succession Planning

• Professional Development Planning

• After-Action Reviews & Organizational Learning

Leadership programs can be delivered as individual workshops, conference presentations, officer-development series, or customized department-wide programs.

Active Threat & Integrated Response

Reality-based preparation for high-risk, low-frequency incidents emphasizing coordinated law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, and organizational response.

Responder-Focused Programs

• Rescue Task Force (RTF) Operations: Developing integrated teams capable of providing rapid casualty care within warm-zone environments.

• Law Enforcement / Fire / EMS Integration: Establishing common terminology, communications, command relationships, and operational expectations.

• Warm-Zone Medical Operations: Providing point-of-injury medical intervention in elevated-threat environments.

• Tactical Triage & Casualty Management: Rapid triage, hemorrhage control, casualty collection points, extraction, and patient movement.

• Unified Command for Active-Threat Incidents: Coordinating multiple disciplines and agencies during complex incidents.

• Active-Threat Tabletop Exercises: Scenario-based exercises designed to evaluate plans, communications, command structures, and organizational readiness.

Workplace, School & Community Preparedness

Customized programs help organizations prepare employees, staff, leadership teams, and community members to respond effectively during emergencies.

Active Assailant & Workplace Preparedness

• Active Assailant Awareness & Threat Response

• Options-Based Response / Run, Hide, Fight

• Workplace Threat Response

• School Emergency Preparedness

• Emergency Action Planning

• Evacuation & Accountability Procedures

• Threat Recognition & Situational Awareness

• Tabletop Exercises & Emergency Drills

Faith-Based Organization Preparedness

Customized programs for churches and other faith-based organizations may include:

• Active-threat awareness

• Facility security planning

• Usher and greeter awareness

• Emergency communications

• Medical response planning

• Evacuation procedures

• Children's ministry emergency considerations

• Emergency action plan development

CPR, First Aid & Community Safety

Hands-on emergency-care programs designed for workplaces, schools, churches, community organizations, and members of the public.

• Adult First Aid

• Adult CPR & AED

• Pediatric First Aid

• Child & Infant CPR

• Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED

• Stop the Bleed®

• Severe Hemorrhage Control

• Emergency Medical Preparedness

• Community Emergency Response Preparedness

Applicable courses include recognized certification upon successful completion.

Industrial & Workplace Safety Training

Practical workplace safety programs help organizations strengthen employee preparedness, meet applicable regulatory requirements, and reduce operational risk.

OSHA & Workplace Safety

• Hazard Communication

• Personal Protective Equipment

• Lockout/Tagout Awareness

• Confined Space Awareness

• Emergency Action Plans

• Fire Prevention & Workplace Fire Safety

• Emergency Evacuation Procedures

• Workplace Emergency Preparedness

• Safety Leadership & Supervisor Development

Hazardous Materials & HAZWOPER

Programs can be developed around applicable OSHA requirements and the responsibilities of participating personnel.

• Hazardous-material awareness

• Hazard recognition

• HAZWOPER-related training

• PPE selection and use

• Decontamination

• Emergency response procedures

• Incident command

• Hazardous-material emergency planning

Customized Training Programs

Not every organization needs an off-the-shelf course. Blackmer Training can work with departments, municipalities, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations to develop training around specific operational challenges.

Customized programs may include training-needs assessments, department-wide training plans, officer-development programs, scenario-based exercises, tabletop exercises, multi-agency training, policy-based training, leadership workshops, and organizational professional development.

Programs can range from short presentations and workshops to multi-day courses and long-term professional-development programs.

Bring Blackmer Training to Your Organization

Whether you are developing firefighters, preparing your next generation of officers, strengthening technical-rescue capabilities, improving workplace safety, or preparing your organization for a high-risk event, Blackmer Training can develop a program around your needs.

Phone: 810-479-7024
Email: terry@blackmersolutions.org
Web: blackmersolutions.org