Northeast Indiana Command Training Center
The Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana and the Fort Wayne Fire Department have spent months planning and designing this state-of-the-art incident command training center (CTC) which was funded by several grants. The CTC is now available to first responders from across the country.
One of the courses offered at the Center will be the "Blue Card" certification program. The training is based on retired Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini's Fire Command book and is designed to manage NIMS Type 4 and 5 incidents - which account for more than 99 percent of a department's incident activity. Company officers can be trained and tested in realistic conditions and then certified as Incident Commanders. The program provides the individual or department with a training and certification system that defines the best standard command practices for common, local, everyday strategic and tactical emergency operations (NIMS Type 4 & Type 5 events). This training and certification program produces Incident Commanders that make better decisions; thereby reducing costly mistakes that cause injury, death, and unnecessary fire losses in the local response area. IDHS and IFSAC accreditation for this certification is currently underway.The Blue Card local command standard requires that each student taking the course receive no less than 40 hours of online training and instruction on the 8 Standard Command Functions and 8 hours of training on Incident Safety Operations. The on-line program is followed by an additional 24 hours of hands-on training at a regional CTC. Because the program is certification based, it requires 12 hours of CE/field command experience (documented) each year with a recertification test and evaluation given every 3 years, http://www.bluecardcommand.com/ will be offering Continuing Education modules starting in 2010. For more information on the Northeast Indiana Command Training Center contact Training Chief Michael Miller at (260) 427-1246.