ELIZABETH, NJ — April 7th — The National Fire Academy offered a 16-hour Incident Safety Officer course to fifteen existing and prospective officers from the Elizabeth NJ Fire Officers IAFF Local 2040. The two-day course, which was held locally, included hazard identification, fireground risk management, and the duties of the Incident Safety Officer in the incident command structure. President Bialas and Brother Wirkus led the instruction, reinforcing decision-making on ongoing crises through case studies and real-world scenarios.

The training supports future revisions to the New Jersey Incident Management Regulations and is consistent with national standards. In complicated events, initiatives such as these continue to support officer development, enhance on-scene accountability, and encourage safer operations for both firefighters and the public.