Lights, camera, doctrine
Members of Operational Doctrine and Training completed a successful day of filming at VEMTC Bangholme, creating new video resources for the course CFAODI Operational Doctrine in Practice.
The project brought together an experienced incident controller, a dedicated crew of CFA volunteers and operational staff to simulate a realistic fire incident using the VEMTC’s fire attack building.
The scenario was designed to explain key concepts of size-up, RECEO, DRA and SMEACS-Q, then demonstrate this in action for a scenario where a car was on fire adjacent to a two-storey building, with possible casualties inside the building.
With support from the VEMTC team and careful coordination, the day ran smoothly from start to finish. A roaming camera followed the incident controller’s movements throughout the simulated response, offering a dynamic view of their actions and decisions in real time.
GoPro cameras were also worn by both the incident controller and crew members, capturing immersive, first-person footage from multiple angles. A drone provided aerial coverage, adding an extra layer of situational awareness to the visual storytelling.
In addition to the practical demonstration, videos were recorded with Deputy Chief Officer Brett Boatman, Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Training Delivery David Maxwell, and volunteer Kimberly McMahon offering valuable insights into how doctrine applies in the field and reinforcing key learning points.
These new video resources will be incorporated into training to support volunteers undertaking the Operational Doctrine in Practice course. They are designed to give learners a clearer understanding of how this doctrine translates into real-life decision-making during incidents.
A huge thank you goes to all those involved in making the day a success. To the volunteers who gave their time and energy to participate, the staff at Bangholme who ensured everything ran safely and efficiently, our operational colleagues who contributed their expertise, and the members of the ODT team who brought it all together — your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Stay tuned for the release of the new training materials, and thank you for your continued commitment to learning, development and operational excellence.
Chest camera shows crew in back of truck receiving a briefing on the way to the incident-
Cabin camera provides an example of what kind of information an Incident Controller would give to a crew before arriving at an incident.
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Incident Controller giving an example of a sizeup of the building prior to further briefing of crew.
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Incident Controller briefing the crew.
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Chest camera shows crew knocking down fire as instructed.