Firefighter EMS Course

Lesson 1 • The EMS System and Firefighter Role

Defines EMS system components and the firefighter's position within the chain of survival. Provides context for all subsequent clinical and operational training.

Lesson 2 • Medical and Legal Responsibilities

Covers consent, refusal of care, confidentiality, and duty to act. Grounds students in the ethical and legal framework governing pre-hospital interventions.

Lesson 3 • Medical Terminology and Anatomy Overview

Introduces directional terms, body planes, and major organ systems relevant to emergency assessment. Builds the vocabulary needed to communicate findings accurately throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Personal Protective Equipment

Identifies PPE types required for medical emergencies and proper donning and doffing procedures. Ensures responder safety before any patient care skill is practised.

Lesson 1 • Manual Airway Techniques

Teaches head-tilt chin-lift and jaw-thrust maneuvers for opening obstructed airways. These manual skills are the first-line response before any adjunct is applied.

Lesson 2 • Bag-Valve-Mask Ventilation

Develops skill in one-person and two-person BVM ventilation for apneic and inadequately breathing patients. Correct technique prevents gastric inflation and ensures effective tidal volume.

Lesson 3 • Supplemental Oxygen Delivery

Identifies oxygen delivery devices, flow rates, and indications for each system. Ensures appropriate oxygenation for hypoxic patients across varying clinical presentations.

Lesson 4 • Airway Adjuncts

Covers sizing, insertion, and contraindications for oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways. Adjuncts maintain patency when manual techniques alone are insufficient.

Lesson 1 • Team Resuscitation and Roles

Assigns and practises team roles during multi-rescuer resuscitation to reduce errors and delays. Structured team dynamics improve performance under the stress of real cardiac arrest.

Lesson 2 • Automated External Defibrillator Use

Covers AED operation, pad placement, and safe shock delivery for shockable rhythms. Early defibrillation combined with CPR dramatically improves cardiac arrest outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Cardiac Arrest Recognition

Identifies signs of cardiac arrest and differentiates it from respiratory arrest and altered consciousness. Rapid recognition triggers the correct resuscitation sequence immediately.

Lesson 4 • High-Quality Chest Compressions

Teaches correct hand placement, compression depth, rate, and full recoil for all age groups. Compression quality is the single greatest determinant of CPR effectiveness.

Lesson 1 • Scene Size-Up and Initial Impression

Applies scene safety principles to form an immediate general impression of patient condition. Links environmental findings to the assessment pathway selected.

Lesson 2 • Patient Monitoring and Reassessment

Establishes intervals and methods for ongoing reassessment during transport and on scene. Detects deterioration early and adjusts care priorities accordingly.

Lesson 3 • Vital Signs Measurement

Covers accurate measurement of pulse, respirations, blood pressure, skin signs, and pupils. Provides the objective data baseline required for ongoing patient monitoring.

Lesson 4 • Primary Survey and Life Threats

Teaches the ABCDE approach to identify and manage immediate life threats before detailed examination. Prioritises interventions that prevent death in the first minutes of care.

Lesson 1 • Pathophysiology of Shock

Explains the cellular and systemic effects of inadequate tissue perfusion across shock types. Understanding shock progression enables earlier recognition and intervention.

Lesson 2 • Shock Management and Transport Priority

Applies positioning, oxygen, warmth, and rapid transport decisions to shock patients. Correct field management bridges the gap until definitive surgical care is available.

Lesson 3 • Shock Recognition and Assessment

Identifies early and late shock signs using vital signs, skin findings, and mental status changes. Timely recognition allows intervention before irreversible organ damage occurs.

Lesson 4 • External Hemorrhage Control Techniques

Teaches direct pressure, wound packing, pressure dressings, and tourniquet application. Mastery of these techniques stops the most common cause of preventable trauma death.

Lesson 1 • Head and Spinal Trauma

Covers assessment and management of traumatic brain injury and suspected spinal cord injury. Correct immobilisation and airway management prevent secondary neurological damage.

Lesson 2 • Chest and Abdominal Trauma

Identifies life-threatening chest injuries and abdominal trauma requiring urgent intervention. Recognising tension pneumothorax and evisceration guides immediate field treatment.

Lesson 3 • Burns Assessment and Initial Care

Classifies burn depth and estimates total body surface area using the rule of nines. Initial cooling, dressing, and fluid considerations prevent burn wound progression.

Lesson 4 • Trauma Mechanisms and Kinematics

Analyses energy transfer in blunt and penetrating trauma to predict injury patterns. Kinematics knowledge directs the physical exam toward likely hidden injuries.

Lesson 1 • Cardiovascular Emergencies

Covers recognition of acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, and hypertensive emergencies. Early recognition and oxygen support improve outcomes before ALS-level interventions.

Lesson 2 • Altered Mental Status Emergencies

Differentiates causes of altered mental status including hypoglycemia, seizures, and overdose. Systematic assessment prevents misidentification and guides appropriate field treatment.

Lesson 3 • Environmental and Toxicological Emergencies

Covers heat stroke, hypothermia, drowning, and common poisoning presentations. Field interventions focus on removing the cause and supporting vital functions.

Lesson 4 • Abdominal and Genitourinary Emergencies

Identifies acute abdominal pain presentations and urological emergencies requiring urgent transport. Assessment findings guide positioning and transport priority decisions.

Lesson 1 • Obstetric Complications and Neonatal Resuscitation

Identifies prolapsed cord, placenta previa, eclampsia, and breech presentation requiring urgent action. Neonatal resuscitation skills address the non-breathing newborn immediately after delivery.

Lesson 2 • Normal Pregnancy and Obstetric Assessment

Reviews pregnancy physiology and normal labour stages to prepare for field delivery. Understanding normal progression allows recognition of complications requiring urgent intervention.

Lesson 3 • Normal Field Delivery

Guides preparation, delivery assistance, and immediate newborn care for uncomplicated births. Competent field delivery skills ensure safe outcomes when transport is not possible.

Lesson 4 • Geriatric Assessment and Emergencies

Addresses age-related physiological changes that alter presentation of illness and injury in older adults. Modified assessment prevents underestimation of injury severity in this population.