ACT Fire & Rescue Community Fire Units Communications Drills File found at
G:\ACTFB\OPS SUPPORT\TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT\FB TRAINING\STATION DRILLS\CFU DRILLS\FINAL COMMUNICATIONS
DRILLS\COMMUNICATIONS DRILLS 2011 ‐ 12.DOC
2011/12 Version
Contents Background: ........................................................................................................................................3
How to use this guide: ........................................................................................................................ 4
Safety checklist ...................................................................................................................................5
Hand signals ........................................................................................................................................6
Radio Communications with COMCEN ............................................................................................... 7
Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN .......................................................................... 8
Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN – reporting a fire..............................................
9
Radio Communications with CB radios within your unit .................................................................. 10
Recording ..........................................................................................................................................11
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Background: ACT Fire & Rescue recognises need for consistent drill for all CFU members. These drills
build on the initial recruit and skills maintenance drill series and are recommended for those
members who have undertaken and are proficient in the basic drills.
How to use these drills:
The drills in this guide can be used in a number of ways.
1. By Team Leaders and trainers to maintain the skills of the members of their CFU
2. By CFU members and ACTFB pumper crews when undertaking joint training.
Safety and safe working practices:
Equipment: All CFU recruits and members will wear appropriate clothing when participating
in these drills. CFU members who have been issued with personal protective clothing will
wear the issued uniform. Appropriate clothing includes long pants, long sleeve shirts, sturdy
boots and gloves. A photo of typical clothing is shown below:
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Communications: Part of good communications is to ensure all members understand their
roles and are capable of performing them. The buddy system is always used to ensure
people work together and are safe.
Hydration: All CFU recruits and members participating in these drills should be aware of the
need to constantly drink water when undertaking these drills.
Restoring Operational Capability: At the completion of any drill session, all CFU
equipment must be made available for the next activation.
How to use this guide: Before commencing any drills, please review the safety checklist on page 5. This checklist
will help you to ensure all reasonable measures are taken to keep your training area and
participants safe.
Undertake the drills as detailed in this guide.
Record who attended the drills in your occurrence book, or if the drills were undertaken by a
recruit, track which drills have been attended on the recording sheet on page 16. Once a
CFU member has completed all drills, remove the recording page and post it to the ACT Fire
& Rescue CFU Coordinator c/o GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601.
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Safety checklist Consider external factors
Weather conditions
o TOBANS
o Inclement
Operational impact
Community impact
Costs
Stores required
Environmental
Water recycling
Run off
Safety
Risk assessments
Note book
Formal
Dynamic during drill
Clean up
Clean up drill area
Return all appliances to operational capability
Reporting
Notify CFU and neighbours
Other CFU’s
Nearest ACTFB station
COMCEN if required
CFU coordinator if required
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Hand signals Objective : To demonstrate appropriate hand signals used during fireground operations.
Water on
o Indicate water on by raising and lowering the arm in a deliberate
chopping motion
o Ensure the CFU member turning the water on returns the same signal to
indicate the water has been turned on
o Back up the visual signal with a loud voice signal
Water off
o Indicate water off by a deliberate chopping motion across the body
o Ensure the CFU member turning the water off returns the same signal to
indicate the water has been turned on
o Back up the visual signal with a loud voice signal
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Radio Communications with COMCEN Objective : To demonstrate that radio communications can be established with COMCEN.
Remove hand held radio from CFU trailer
Turn radio on and check battery strength
o If battery does not have enough charge, follow procedures to replace battery
Select correct radio talkgroup (channel) for the area you are located in
Activate press to talk (PTT) button and repeat the following
COMCEN this is Foxtrot (unit number) yellow
o COMCEN will reply acknowledging your request to send a yellow message, if
COMCEN do not reply, either repeat the message or ring COMCEN and
advise them your radio message was not acknowledged. When COMCEN
acknowledge, relay the following message:
COMCEN, Foxtrot (unit number) requesting radio check, how do you receive?
o COMCEN will reply advising you how they received your radio message, you
will then reply;
COMCEN, Foxtrot (unit number) received, Foxtrot (unit number) out.
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Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN Objective : To demonstrate that emergency radio communications can be established with
COMCEN.
Note: The use of this drill is only to be done under supervision of a member of the ACT Fire
& Rescue, and COMCEN MUST be notified before this drill is undertaken. Any radio
communications must be prefaced by a comment that this is for drill purposes only.
Remove hand held radio from CFU trailer
Turn radio on and check battery strength
o If battery does not have enough charge, follow procedures to replace or
charge battery
Select correct radio talkgroup (channel) for the area you are located in
Activate press to talk (PTT) button and repeat the following
COMCEN this is Foxtrot (unit number) RED RED RED
o COMCEN will reply acknowledging your request to send a red message
o If COMCEN do not reply, repeat the message
In the event of an actual fire or emergency ring COMCEN on 000
Any of these scenarios can be used for this drill
COMCEN, Foxtrot (unit number), for drill purposes only, we require urgent assistance
at (add detail)
o COMCEN will reply advising you they received your radio message, and may
request further details
COMCEN, Foxtrot (unit number), for drill purposes only, we require an ambulance at
(add detail)
o COMCEN will reply advising you they received your radio message, and may
request further details
Note: This drill can be done using CB radios, with a member of ACT Fire & Rescue
acting as a COMCEN operator, however be aware that other members of the public
can hear the CB radios.
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Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN – reporting a fire Objective : To demonstrate that emergency radio communications can be established with
COMCEN.
Note: The use of this drill is only to be done under supervision of a member of the ACT Fire
& Rescue, and COMCEN MUST be notified before this drill is undertaken. Any radio
communications must be prefaced by a comment that this is for drill purposes only.
Remove hand held radio from CFU trailer
Turn radio on and check battery strength
o If battery does not have enough charge, follow procedures to replace or
charge battery
Select correct radio talkgroup (channel) for the area you are located in
Activate press to talk (PTT) button and repeat the following
COMCEN this is Foxtrot (unit number) White
o COMCEN will reply acknowledging your request to send a white message
o If COMCEN do not reply, repeat the message
In the event of an actual fire or emergency ring COMCEN on 000
COMCEN, Foxtrot (unit number), for drill purposes only, there is a fire at (add detail)
o COMCEN will reply advising you they received your radio message, and may
request further details
Note: This drill can be done using CB radios, with a member of ACT Fire & Rescue
acting as a COMCEN operator, however be aware that other members of the public
can hear the CB radios.
9
Radio Communications with CB radios within your unit Objective : To demonstrate that radio communications can be established within your unit
using CB radios
Remove CB radio from CFU trailer
Turn radio on and check battery strength
o If battery does not have enough charge, follow procedures to replace battery
Ensure all CB radios are on the same channel
Make sure you know the limits of your radios i.e. distance between radios
Activate press to talk (PTT) button and communicate between radio users
o Note
 There are no limits on using CB radios apart from public decency
Try using the CB radios for activities like
o Requesting water on
o Requesting water off
o Asking for more hose
o Advising the team leader that a fire truck has arrived
o Anything that needs to be communicated and can’t be done face to face
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Recording Communications drill log Drill 1 Hand signals
Drill 2 Radio communications with COMCEN.
Drill 3 Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN
Drill 4 Emergency Radio Communications with COMCEN – reporting a fire
Drill 5 Radio communications with CB radios within your unit
CFU Member Name: __________________________ Number: ______ Date: __________
CFU Team Leader Name: __________________________ Number: ______ Date: __________
Recording Forwarded to CFU coordinator
Forwarded to Fire-fighter development
Recorded in VETRAK
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