The Art of Reading Smoke Presented by Dave Dodson

I. Why do we Read Smoke?

II. The "Advanced" Basics of Reading Smoke

III. Hostile Fire Events and Warning Signs

IV. The Four-Step Process

V. Video Practice

Dave Dodson is the Owner and Lead Instructor for Response Solutions. He has over 24 years as a Fire & Emergency Service Responder and has served as a Battalion Chief, Safety Officer, and Emergency Management Coordinator. Dave is a nationally-recognized author and lecturer on safe emergency operations and is the course developer for popular programs including "The Art of Reading Smoke," "The Art of First-Due," and the "Incident Safety Officer Academy." Response Solutions professionals have taught and consulted with hundreds of fire departments, agencies, and corporations including Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Fort Worth Fire Department, Lake County MABAS Divisions, Toronto Fire Services, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Hewlett-Packard, Wal-Mart Distribution, QWEST Communications, and the United States Air Force. The Company’s approach is lauded as practical, street-wise, and effective.

Often, smoke issuing from a building is the only clue available to predict fire behavior and the likelihood of a flashover or rapid fire spread. First-arriving officers, Incident Commanders, and Safety Officers MUST know how to rapidly read smoke – this class explains the reading-smoke process and gives participants lots of practice using actual fire ground video.