District Fall Fire School

3-Hour Hands-On Morning Class: Limit 25 Firefighters 

Instructor: Chief Anthony Gaul from Sergeant Bluff Fire Rescue

• Over 35 years in the fire rescue service 
• Training Specialist for the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau

Every alarm panel tells a story. Every valve controls the outcome. Every button matters.

When the tones drop for a commercial structure fire, automatic alarm, or high-rise emergency, your ability to understand the building's systems can make the difference between a quick knockdown and a dangerous situation.

This isn't a lecture—it's a hands-on, interactive experience designed to put you in control of the systems you'll encounter on the fireground.

You'll get behind the panel, operate real fire alarm systems, identify and manipulate sprinkler components and control valves, and learn how to safely place elevators into both Phase I Recall and Phase II Firefighter Service. More importantly, you'll gain the confidence to recognize what these systems are telling you and how they can work for—or against—your operation.

Whether you're a new firefighter building a strong foundation or a seasoned veteran looking to sharpen your skills, this class delivers practical knowledge you can take back to your department and apply on your very next call.

You'll Learn:

• Fire alarm system basics and panel operations

• Fire sprinkler system components and valve identification

• How sprinkler systems function during emergency incidents

• Phase I & Phase II elevator operations

• Fireground decision-making involving building systems

• How to improve firefighter safety through system awareness

Master the systems. Build your confidence. Own the fireground.

Because when you understand the building, you're one step ahead of the emergency.

3-Hour Leadership Development Morning Class

Instructor: South Sioux City Chief Doug Koopman:

• Paramedic for 42 yrs including Flight Medic, and Tactical Medic Las Vegas Metro SWAT Team
• Over 35 yrs of firefighter experience: notable calls include Pepcon Explosion, Henderson Chlorine Leak, 472 apartment units on fire, Route 91 Shooting.

Great firefighters don't just react to change—they lead it.

Every department faces challenges. Changing expectations. Recruitment and retention. New firefighters. New officers. Tough decisions. The departments that thrive aren't the ones that avoid adversity—they're the ones that prepare for it.

This high-energy leadership class challenges firefighters and officers to think beyond the next call and begin building stronger people, stronger teams, and stronger organizations.

Discover how to lead through change, create a culture of accountability, and develop the mindset needed to overcome obstacles before they become emergencies. You'll also explore the concept of training for failure—preparing yourself and your department for the moments when things don't go as planned. Because the fireground doesn't reward perfection... it rewards preparation.

Whether you're a firefighter, company officer, chief officer, or aspiring leader, this class will provide practical strategies you can immediately put into action within your department.

You'll Learn:

• Leading through personal, professional, and organizational change

• Building resilient teams that embrace growth

• Developing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

• Why departments must train for the unexpected—not just the expected

• Decision-making under pressure and learning from failure

• Leadership tools to strengthen your department for the future

Leadership isn't a rank. It's a responsibility.

Step up. Challenge your mindset. Build a stronger department. Because when leaders grow, everyone goes home better prepared for the next call.

6-Hour Hands-On Morning Class: Limit of 25 Firefighters 

Instructor: North Sioux City Fire Chief John Hoggard

•  18 years of public service experience in Fire, EMS, and the military.
• Type II Wildland Firefighter, Firefighter/EMT, Firefighter/Paramedic, Division Chief, Assistant Chief of Training, and  a 13A Field Artillery Officer in the Mississippi Army National Guard
• Bachelor of Science in Forest Management and an Associate of Science in Paramedicine

When the ground ends, your training begins.

Not every rescue happens on solid ground.

From steep embankments and riverbanks to construction sites, ravines, and confined spaces, firefighters are often called to incidents where ropes become one of the most valuable tools on the truck. The question is... will your crew be ready?

This hands-on introduction to rope rescue is designed to build confidence in the essential skills every firefighter should know before the next technical rescue call. Through practical instruction and real-world scenarios, you'll develop the foundational techniques needed to work safely, efficiently, and as part of a rescue team. You'll start by mastering the fundamentals—learning the basic knots every firefighter should know, constructing reliable anchors, building simple mechanical advantage systems, and properly packaging patients for rescue.

Then it's time to put those skills to work. In the second half of the class, you'll descend over the edge with rappelling, apply your new skills during realistic rescue scenarios, and experience firsthand how preparation, teamwork, and communication make the difference when every second counts.

• Essential rope rescue knots and their fireground applications
• Building safe and effective anchor systems
• Basic mechanical advantage systems
• Patient packaging and preparation for rescue
• Safe rappelling techniques
• Realistic rope rescue scenarios
• Team communication and operational safety

Whether you've never tied a rescue knot or you're looking to strengthen your foundation, this class is built to prepare firefighters for the technical rescue incidents they may encounter in their communities.

Master the basics. Own the fireground.

Because when the rescue takes you over the edge, your training is the rope everyone is counting on.

3-Hour Hands-On Morning and Afternoon Class: Limit of 25 Firefighters 

Instructor: Ryan Baker

• Lieutenant Sioux City Fire & Rescue, 14 years
• 185th ARW Fire Dept, 25 years

Instructor: Devan Schipper

• Lieutenant Sioux City Fire & Rescue, 12 years
• LeMars Fire, 14 years

Instructor: Carson Gaul

• Firefighter Sioux City Fire & Rescue, 3 years
• Sgt Bluff Fire Rescue, 9 years

Instructor: Nate Sturgeon

• Paramedic FF Sioux City Fire & Rescue , 2 years
• Aberdeen Fire, 13 years

Speed. Water. Aggression. Precision.

The first handline is the most important line on the fireground. How you stretch it. How you move it. How you flow it. How you work as a team. Those first few minutes can determine the outcome of the entire incident. This isn't a classroom lecture—it's a fast-paced, high-repetition, hands-on training experience built around the nationally recognized Nozzle Forward curriculum. If you're ready to move faster, work smarter, and become more effective on the attack line, this class is for you. We will break down the why behind today's low-pressure attack line packages. You'll learn how they work, why departments across the country are making the switch, pump operation considerations, and what it takes to successfully implement these hose packages in your own department.

Then it's time to get to work.

You'll be stretching hose, flowing water, and building muscle memory through repetition. Instructors will coach firefighters through modern hose advancement techniques designed to improve speed, communication, and efficiency under real fireground conditions. You'll master firefighter positions, attack line commands, and proven advancement techniques including Hit and Move, Flow and Move, heel work, and loading hose into a structure—all while working as a coordinated engine company.

• Understanding low-pressure attack line packages
• Pump operations and implementation considerations
• Firefighter positions and engine company communication
• Nozzle Forward hose advancement techniques
• Hit and Move and Flow and Move tactics
• Heel work and coordinated hose movement
• Loading hose into a structure
• High-repetition drills that build confidence and muscle memory

Recommended Equipment:
This is a physically demanding class. Participants should wear appropriate PPE for live training and are strongly encouraged to bring knee pads.

Master the basics. Own the fireground.

Because fires don't wait for perfect conditions—and neither should your attack line. Stretch faster. Flow sooner. Knock it down.

3-Hour Hands-On Forcible Entry Afternoon Workshop: Limit of 25 Firefighters 

Instructor: Chief Anthony Gaul from Sergeant Bluff Fire Rescue

• Over 35 years in the fire rescue service 
• Training Specialist for the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau

Three hours. One mission. Stay safe. Get in. Get the job done.

When lives are on the line, waiting isn't an option.

Every door is a decision. Every entry is a test of your skill, teamwork, and determination. Whether you're forcing the front door at a residential fire, gaining access during a medical emergency, or searching for trapped occupants, your crew needs to be fast, efficient, and in control.

This isn't a sit-down lecture—it's a high-energy, hands-on workshop designed to build confidence through repetition and real-world practice.

From choosing the right tool for the job to controlling the door after entry, you'll train on the techniques firefighters use every day. You'll swing the tools, force the doors, master through-the-lock techniques, sharpen your ceiling-pulling skills, and learn how proper door control can improve fireground safety and fire behavior management.

And before you leave, you'll build your own firefighter door chock to take back to your department—a simple tool you'll use on countless calls.

You'll Get Hands-On Experience With:

• Selecting the right tools for the job
• Conventional forcible entry techniques
• Through-the-lock entry methods
• Door control and flow path management
• Pulling ceilings safely and effectively
• Building and taking home your own firefighter door chock

Master the basics. Own the fireground.

Because every successful fire attack starts with one thing...

Getting through the door.

3-Hour Interactive Hands-On Afternoon Class - EMS Hours

Instructor:  Madi North Paramedic North Sioux City FD

• Paramedic in Colorado Springs working for AMR

The toughest firefighter on the scene can become the next patient. Will your crew know what to do?

Every emergency pushes firefighters to their limits. Heat, dehydration, exhaustion, burns, traumatic injuries, and overexertion can turn a routine incident into a firefighter emergency in seconds. Recognizing the warning signs early—and knowing how to respond—can save a life.

This hands-on class goes beyond the basics of firefighter rehab. You'll learn when rehab is needed, how to recognize firefighters who are no longer fit for duty, and when immediate medical intervention is critical.

Through realistic scenarios and practical skill stations, you'll gain the confidence to assess injured firefighters, provide initial care, safely remove bunker gear from an injured firefighter, and prepare them for rapid transfer to Advanced Life Support (ALS) providers.

You'll also work through common firefighter injuries, including burns and major trauma, while practicing the essential skills needed to safely extricate a firefighter from the incident scene and deliver them to a higher level of care.

You'll Learn:

• The fundamentals of firefighter rehab and why it matters

• Recognizing when firefighters need rehab—and when they need immediate intervention

• Assessing firefighters for heat stress, dehydration, overexertion, and medical emergencies

• Safe removal of bunker gear from an injured firefighter

• Basic first aid techniques for firefighter injuries

• Treatment priorities for burns and major trauma associated with firefighting

• Patient packaging and extrication techniques

• Preparing firefighters for transfer to ALS providers

Whether you're a firefighter, EMT, officer, or incident commander, this class provides practical, real-world skills that can make the difference when one of your own is injured.

Master the basics. Own the fireground.

Because every firefighter is trained to rescue others—but every firefighter should also be prepared to rescue one of their own.