Fire Service Personnel

Fire service personnel often train on low-frequency, high-risk skills. Driving is a daily skill that is high risk, high frequency. The need to train and develop safe driving skills and habits are essential to the safety of the fire professional, as well as, the public. Tactical driving skills and awareness are necessary in mitigating dangerous distractions that accompany code 3 driving. The driver must have the training, skill, and confidence to make instantaneous driving decisions.
At DSS, a full-time staff of driving instructors provides expert instruction in defensive driving, skid pan, accident avoidance, braking techniques, and commercial placement.
DSS offers a variety of courses for the fire professional of all skill levels. The fire professional that is in the beginning stages of their career, as well as, the seasoned veteran who have some experience driving and want to improve their skills and understanding of vehicle dynamics. All of our courses are intensive and skill based that build upon each other developing your driving skill and improving driving awareness.
Courses include:

Emergency Vehicle Driver Training ($450/day)
Off Road / Vehicle Recovery ($450/day)
Commercial Vehicle Training ($450/day)
Driver Instructor Training (call for quote)
Driver Remedial Training (call for quote)
In-Service Training

At DSS, you will receive fire service specific driver's training from the top professionals from the Sacramento Fire Department (SFD). SFD is nationally recognized as the leader in fire services drivers training. SFD started EVOC training in 1994 concurrently with it's Advanced Life Support (ALS) program. The Accident Frequency Rate (AFR - Number of chargeable accidents for every million miles) for 1994 for SFD was 46.2 for all vehicles and 88.0 for medic units. The national average for fire departments in that same year was 28. By 1999 SFD's accident frequency rate was 18.5 for all vehicles and 14.4 for medic units, and through 2018 has averaged around 10-12 for all vehicles.

All of SFD's fire personnel must complete training in skid pan, accident avoidance, braking, lane change, commercial placement, interference drills and high speed corning prior to completing the fire academy. Once they are on line they must complete EVOC every 2 years. DSS facilities are partnered with the Sacramento Regional Driver Training Facility.