TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Topeka Fire Department (TFD) has received approximately $170,000 in federal funding to expand specialized incident-command training for all department firefighters.
The grant, awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, will fund Blue Card training. This is a nationally recognized incident command system designed to help emergency responders manage complex scenes and make critical decisions during emergencies.
TFD leaders said the training has traditionally been provided to senior personnel, but the new funding will allow firefighters of all ranks to participate. TFD Lt. Zach Bradford said the training is valuable because emergency situations can change rapidly once crews arrive on scene.
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“It was right here when I was on the job for four months,” Bradford said while recalling his first fire response. “My heart was racing from the moment I got out of the truck. The house had completely changed from what I saw pulling up, so it changed our dynamic a little bit.”
Officials said Blue Card training helps firefighters organize resources and establish command structures during emergencies.
“Make sure that everybody is organized that’s going to be on scene, which helps out a lot,” Bradford said. “I’m excited to finally get the full entire course.”
The program includes 40 hours of online coursework and simulation-based exercises that place firefighters in realistic emergency scenarios. Participants are evaluated on communication, decision-making and incident management while working through virtual emergencies.
Division Chief of EMS Ty Forshee said the simulations are designed to expose firefighters to the stress of making high-pressure decisions before they face those situations in the real world.
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“This job is extraordinarily stressful,” Forshee said. “Making decisions that determine the potentiality of someone else’s life and what might happen to them is very stressful too. We try our hardest to get them as much exposure to that as we can before they ever get put in those positions.”
Forshee said the simulations allow instructors to identify mistakes and review decision-making in a controlled environment before firefighters encounter real emergencies.
“If they don’t commit their resources in the right way, they may have to remove everything from the building, and we lose it virtually,” Forshee said. “When we have to do that in the real world, someone loses their home.”
Department officials said the expanded training will help firefighters respond more confidently and effectively when protecting lives and property throughout the Topeka community.
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