Fires in commercial properties are a low frequency events in most communities. As a result, they may not be the highest priority for training. However, recent headlines tell a different story. Multiple 1 million+ sq. ft. mega-warehouses with hundreds of employees have been destroyed with nine-figure economic losses. Fires at key manufacturing plants have triggered mass evacuations, school closures, air quality alerts, supply chain disruptions, and economic hardship because a major employer has shut down. Fires at multiple specialized energy storage and battery manufacturing facilities have burned for days, released toxic gases, and compromised the local power supply. Even small facilities can become high-hazard responses. Ask the firefighters who were trapped in a roof collapse at a North Carolina auto repair shop.

As you respond to an alarm in a commercial property, you never know what you will be facing. Will it be a false alarm? A working fire? Will you find something unexpected, like a change of occupancy or unknown contents or something you didn’t know was there? What if what you find isn’t what you expected? Given these uncertainties, how can your department be better prepared for incidents at commercial properties?

The FM Fire Service Learning Network delivers free training from experts that helps fire departments pre-plan and respond to these properties. From the basics in how automatic fire protection systems work to the nuances of pre-planning for commercial properties to the advanced knowledge needed to respond to special hazards, the FM Fire Service Learning Network’s training gives you a tactical advantage when you pre-plan for and respond to these properties. Based on your department’s commercial property response training needs, pick a path.

Need basics? Start here. → Fighting Fire In Sprinklered Buildings Certificate

Does your pre-planning need strengthening? Learn how. → Pre-Incident Planning for the Fire Service Certificate

Do you have first due properties with special hazards? Get prepared. →

Rooftop Solar Arrays

Fire Protection in Lithium-Ion Battery Facilities

Top-Loading Automatic Storage and Retrieval

Not sure where to start? View all the Available Programs and decide what’s right for you.

If you are responsible for training in your department, take a look at the Group Registration program to quickly and easily register your shift, class, station, or entire department to take this critical training from the FM Fire Service Learning Network.