Realities of Search

Featuring Sean Duffy + Build Your Culture Cadre

Join us for Realities of Search, a two-day event designed to push your thinking on search tactics, decision-making, and victim rescue through a combination of lecture, roundtable discussion, and hands-on training. Led by Sean Duffy and the Build Your Culture cadre, this course blends real-world data, experiential insight, and practical application.

Dates & Location

• Feb 20 – Lecture / Roundtable Discussion, 18:00–21:00 @ CFB Esquimalt “Rainbow Room”
• Feb 21 – Hands-On Practical Training, 08:30–18:30 @ CFB Esquimalt USAR Grounds
• Cost: $50 for lecture only | $325 full (includes Friday lecture + lunch on Saturday)

Expect more than a one-way presentation: our evening session will be structured as a roundtable discussion, with Sean and other cadre members sharing their own search / rescue experiences, successes, and lessons learned. Topics include:

• Foundational decision-making in search
• Risk management, orientation, and situational awareness
• Case studies from recent fireground rescues
• Using context, flow, and environment to guide search strategy
• Comparative viewpoints on doctrine, tactics, and adapting to evolving conditions

You’ll get to engage directly—with opportunities to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and hear multiple perspectives.

We move from theory to action. You’ll train in realistic environments with the cadre, applying the principles discussed in day 1. Exercises include:

• Size-up and search planning
• Entry, movement, and navigation under stress
• Victim removal techniques
• Search operations off a hoseline
• VES (Vent-Enter-Search) operations
• Use of ground ladders of various lengths for effective rescue and removal

This training is grounded in both practical experience and empirical data—expect every movement to demand critical thinking, not rote repetition.

One of the defining features of Realities of Search is the integration of insights from the Firefighter Rescue Survey. This dataset—based on thousands of real rescues submitted by firefighters—offers us a unique window into what’s working, what’s failing, and where opportunities lie in modern search/rescue operations.
For example:

• The survey data indicates that in 89 % of successful rescues, search was initiated prior to fire knockdown — and early search correlates with improved survivability. Firehouse
• There is a critical time window from arrival to victim location (often on the order of 8 minutes) that strongly influences outcomes. Firehouse

Throughout the lecture and practical portions, the cadre will refer to this data—dissecting it, critiquing it, and showing how it can inform tactical decisions in your jurisdiction.

Sean Duffy brings over 20 years of fire service experience and is co-founder of Build Your Culture. His training style emphasizes realism, intensity, and deep critical thinking. Sean has authored or contributed to multiple trade publications (Fire Engineering, Firehouse, The Book of Search) and has been appointed to key research initiatives (such as UL’s Multi-Story Residential Tactics project). Joining Sean will be members of the Build Your Culture cadre from all across the United States—experienced practitioners who each bring their own domain of expertise in search, VES, rescue ops, and fireground tactics.

This course is ideal for career and volunteer firefighters and chief officers who want to improve the level of service they provide to their citizens. Whether you’re refining existing skills or adopting new perspectives, you’ll leave with:

• A tactical mindset sharpened by data and real experiences
• Practical techniques tested against real-world constraints
• Sharpened decision-making skills under time pressure
• Networking and discussion with instructors and peers
• Insights that you can immediately apply in your department

Space is limited. Register soon to secure your spot!

Participants must supply their own structural PPE and SCBA. There will be no live fire conditions. By registering, participants certify they are physcially fit and capable of participating in the training, and waive all liabilty of personal injury, death, equipment damage, etc. Registrations are non-refundable.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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