02 - Positioning Apparatus

Positioning Apparatus is the second title in Action Training Systems' Pumping Apparatus series, and SkillsTrain, the authorised Action Training Systems (ATS) distributor in South Africa, supplies it locally as part of that series. It follows Safe Operation of Emergency Vehicles, so the driver has already covered safe apparatus handling before this title turns to where the pumper actually stops and sets up on scene.

The title works through how a driver or operator decides on the best spot for an attack pumper, how to place a pumper that is feeding the water supply, and how positioning changes for special situations. It demonstrates staging procedures for arriving apparatus, and it gives particular attention to the tactical and safety considerations of working on limited access highways, where traffic and space make placement a real hazard rather than a convenience. The emphasis throughout is on judgement: choosing a position that supports the attack, protects the crew, and leaves room for the apparatus that follows.

Content is built to the fire apparatus driver and operator professional qualifications set out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in NFPA 1002. It uses the same teach, test and track model as the rest of the ATS range: a learner is assessed as they move through the title, and any section answered incorrectly is replayed before they are allowed to continue. The programme runs about 19 minutes.

Within the same five-title Pumping Apparatus series, SkillsTrain also supplies Safe Operation of Emergency Vehicles, Operating Fire Pumps, Apparatus Inspection and Maintenance, and Water Shuttle and Relay Pumping, so a department can run the full pumping pathway from one source. It is supplied on USB or as a classroom streaming option, individually or as the complete series.

Who it is for: pumping apparatus driver operators and engineers moving from safe driving into correct, safe placement of the apparatus on the fireground.