Free Firefighter and EMT Study Guides (some info specific to Wisconsin)
EMS Alpha was a "hobby" corporation that I ran that sold some Fire/EMS gear along with a bunch of cool other stuff. Now this exists to provide you with FREE study guides I created through the course of taking classes and some other resources.
During the course of becoming professionally educated as a firefighter, I personally developed these study guides for various classes.
These were made around the 2013 to 2016 timeframe so some of the content may be outdated or have changed. I spent hundreds of hours between them all and I hope they can be used as a resource. These are for educational and training purposes only.
I am not responsible for any errors or omissions but the info was pretty accurate at the time they were created.
Some of them contain "Wisconsin" specific information which also may have changed but these should provide value as a reference for students and professionals alike.
These are provided free of charge for your use. Feel free to print them and use them at your department or class. I suggest printing them borderless and double sided, perhaps on card stock paper and laminating them.
You may print them and use them for free and many people have found them to be valuable training aids.
If you are so inclined you can make a donation via credit card at the button or QR code below.
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Enjoy,
Bob Lindquist
Certified Firefighter I
Certified Firefighter II
Certified Driver/Operator-Pumper
Certified Fire Officer I
Certified Fire Inspector
Certified Fire Instructor (expired)
NREMT EMT (expired)
This contains the important points for the EMT practical exam and all the stations and critical fail points as of 2014 or so.
I heard they are going more "scenario" based and running you through exercises like they used for medic class but this covers the basic skills as they were for EMT. (May be outdated)
This contains the stations and instructions and critical fail points for the Firefighter I practical. These were the stations in 2014. Contains critical fail points. Remember, call it out loud when you perform a task. Verbalize anything important like "checking for overhead obstructions" and say it loud. (May be outdated)
This contains the stations and instructions and critical fail points for the Firefighter II practical around 2015. Call out your steps and communicate loudly with your teammates and evaluator. (May be outdated)
This contains all the stations from the Certified Driver/Operator practical in Wisconsin from around 2015. I highly recommend this class as it kind of brings it all together after Fire 1/2. (May be outdated)
This contains all the relevant formulas and some handy charts. More math than most firefighters even want to know! On the actual written exam the question you get usually requires simple addition and subtraction but if you are really trying to figure things out this is useful. (Should be current as laws of physics don't change much)
This contains many important general rules for command as well as some Wisconsin specific training requirements on the back. Good general guide for incident command and officers. Also contains a chart of Wisconsin specific yearly training requirements as of 2016 or so. (May be outdated)
This is a checklist for doing a proper vehicle inspection at the start of your shift or at whatever interval your department does it. You need to prepare a document like this for Driver/Operator-Pumper certification.
This spreadsheet contains a bunch of calculated pumper info for various hose lays. You will need to modify it to your needs. Many of the fields calculate themselves. Columns B and C may be changed and the rest of the row MAY provide correct data for you. Feel free to customize and use as your own and adapt it to your needs as a department. Don't rely on it unless you know what you are doing editing spreadsheets. I did this for our engine at the time and the values were accurate for our standard hose lays.
Some important standards to be aware of that may be adopted in your state or municipality. Usually on any written test you are asked a question or two where you have to tell which standard applies, especially knowing the standard for the level of class you are taking. Most people probably do not need to know them all but you should know the ones related to your specific training.
Everyone likes to have some toys. Don't wear a batman belt or the other firefighters will make fun of you but there are some things you might find useful. A couple tools can save a lot of trouble along with your standard issue gear. Turn off gas, cut a battery cable, etc...
Notes for the Wisconsin Fire Inspector Practical Exam from around 2015. Covers the stations and some important things to know. The practical is pretty straightforward but you do have to know a couple things and take some notes as they show you slides. (May be outdated)
Useful links to Other Resources (Not responsible for external content). Links should open in new tab.
Many events we are all called to are caused to or linked to the weather. It is worth spending some time trying to understand how it all comes together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdDuHxwD5R4 Video on the April 17, 2013, fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, which resulted in 15 fatalities, 260 injuries, and widespread community damage.
The first video is a camera from someone who was inside and escaped. This video shows the ignition of the fire through the exits not being able to accommodate the safe escape of the victims. This video shows a tremendous loss of life and may be upsetting to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
The second video is a recreation of the event by NIST with no sprinklers (as the event occurred).
The third video is a recreation of the event by NIST with sprinklers. Sprinklers save lives.
