UL Research Institutes Updates Search & Rescue Training with New Tactical Considerations

The updated course from ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute draws on the latest research to deliver three new tactical considerations and supplemental training resources for the fire service.

April 14, 2026 (COLUMBIA, Md.) — UL Research Institutes and its Fire Safety Research Institute today announced a new version of its free online training course, Search and Rescue Tactics in Single-Family Single-Story Residential Structures, on the Fire Safety Academy. This course reflects the latest research findings from full-scale burn experiments and includes three new tactical considerations.

The updated course builds on the original Search & Rescue course by connecting fire dynamics to search, suppression, and ventilation outcomes and introducing a dedicated lesson for each of the new tactical considerations:

• Provided sufficient resources, upon arrival of a fully developed fire with extension to the exterior, consider conducting simultaneous execution of exterior and interior suppression operations. Lesson focus: Explain how simultaneous interior and exterior suppression can improve conditions in post-flashover environments.
• Consider locally ventilating compartments remote from the fire area as soon as possible. Pre‑suppression, this would include isolation of the compartment prior to ventilation. Lesson focus: Describe why spaces remote from the fire still require ventilation before and after suppression to keep conditions survivable for potentially trapped occupants.
• Immediately post‑suppression, consider conducting hydraulic ventilation to increase the rate at which combustion gases exhaust from the structure. Lesson focus: Explain how hydraulic ventilation improves the removal of residual combustion gases after suppression, and how its effectiveness increases when coordinated with horizontal ventilation or when multiple hoselines are used.

“The re-launch of this course builds on years of research and ongoing collaboration with the fire service to meet their training needs,” said Meghan Maloney, manager of education and training for the Fire Safety Research Institute. “On the fireground, every decision and every minute matters, and our free training helps firefighters at all levels be better prepared to make smarter, safer decisions that influence occupant survivability and firefighter safety.”

Firefighters who take this course will be able to:

1. Identify how isolation and ventilation impact occupant survivability and firefighter safety during various search and rescue operations.
2. Describe how the timing of suppression actions impacts search and rescue operations, occupant survivability, and firefighter safety.
3. Explain how occupant survivability may be influenced by differing removal tactics and timing.

For training officers and instructors, the updated course includes new, ready-to-use materials, including:

• Scenario‑Based Drill Sheets: Five drill sheets reinforce decision‑making and coordination across search scenarios and victim removal, with clear objectives, safety reminders, and adaptable variables such as visibility, fire location, and occupancy status.
• Time-to-Task Sheets: A simple tracking tool to measure how long crews take to complete key actions — forcing entry, single-room search, and drag-and-carry. Compare drag-and-carry results to fire service-developed benchmarks to identify training and staffing opportunities.
• Continuing the Conversation Guides: A set of discussion guides with reflection questions designed to spark conversation after drills or at the kitchen table, helping reinforce learning and improve retention.

The Fire Safety Research Institute is committed to bridging the gap between research and practice, improving firefighter safety and operational effectiveness with training resources and tools for the fire service. The Fire Safety Academy offers free, research-backed and self-paced training, ensuring the fire service has access to high-quality training materials on a range of topics, including fire dynamics, firefighting tactics, firefighter health, lithium-ion batteries, WUI fires, and more. Visit training.fsri.org to get started.

About Fire Safety Research Institute

UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute advances fire science and fire safety knowledge to reduce risk, save lives, and protect property. We conduct rigorous research, outreach, and education in collaboration with the fire service, fire safety professionals, policymakers, communities, and an international network of partners. Together, we develop tools, resources, and strategies that improve fire safety outcomes worldwide. To learn more, visit fsri.org. Follow FSRI on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About UL Research Institutes

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing public safety through scientific discovery. Since 1894, our research has advanced our mission toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Focused on global risks from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, we conduct rigorous independent research, analyze safety data and partner with experts to uncover and act on existing and emerging risks to human safety. Discover more at UL.org.

Press Contacts

Laura Zilverberg
ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute
@email