18 drills you can run in 15 minutes or less

Command & ICS

• Scene size-up call-out

  Command & ICS · 10 min

  Arrive, stop, and say it out loud: hazards, number of patients, resources needed, access and exit routes. Repeat until the whole call-out takes under 30 seconds.

• Medical plan brief-back

  Command & ICS · 15 min · Foundation

  A short pre-operation check: any team member can say the hospital, the collection point and who carries the medical kit.

Communications

• Radio report reps

  Communications · 10 min

  Practice short transmissions: who you are calling, who you are, your message, then a read-back. Keep it under ten seconds.

Decision-making

• Observation and recall

  Decision-making · 15 min · Foundation

  Study a scene or photo for a short time, then recall as many details as possible.

• Tactical breathing reset

  Decision-making · 5 min · Foundation

  Practice four-count box breathing until it is automatic, then use it right after a burst of effort, the way you would before a stressful task.

Fireground

• Air management check-ins

  Fireground · 15 min

  Call your air at each third of the cylinder and state your exit plan before the low-air alarm sounds. Run it during live evolutions.

• Mayday LUNAR call-out drill

  Fireground · 15 min

  Simulate low-air or entrapment: immediately key the mic, state LUNAR (Location, Unit, Name, Assignment and air, Resources) the way your agency teaches it, activate PASS, and control breathing.

• SCBA donning on the clock

  Fireground · 10 min · Foundation

  Timed SCBA donning, from the pack on the ground to breathing air with the facepiece sealed, checked by a partner.

Hazmat & safety

• Gear readiness check

  Hazmat & safety · 15 min · Foundation

  Run a fast, standard gear check with a partner before a callout or training day.

Medical

• Tourniquet speed drill

  Medical · 15 min

  Apply a tourniquet to an arm and a leg on a trainer, one-handed, in under a minute. Finish each rep by checking that the bleeding has stopped.

• Push-dose pressor and airway prep

  Medical · 15 min

  Calculate and verify push-dose epinephrine or phenylephrine concentrations under a simulated timer while setting up advanced airway backup gear.

• Medication cross-check

  Medical · 15 min · Foundation

  Two providers verify every training medication out loud before it is given, using your agency's rights checklist.

• Two-minute compression check

  Medical · 10 min · Foundation

  Two-minute rounds of chest compressions on a feedback manikin, checking rate, depth and recoil against the current guidelines.

• Wound packing reps

  Medical · 10 min · Foundation

  Pack a wound trainer until no more gauze fits, hold firm pressure for three minutes, then secure a pressure dressing.

• Hypothermia prevention package

  Medical · 15 min · Foundation

  Wrap every trauma casualty against heat loss early, even in warm weather, because cold makes bleeding worse.

• Penetrating eye injury shield

  Medical · 15 min · Foundation

  Protect an injured eye with a rigid shield and no pressure, as TCCC teaches, and keep the casualty from rubbing it.

• IFAK layout and blind access

  Medical · 15 min · Foundation

  Check every member's individual first aid kit is complete, the same layout, and reachable with either hand without looking.

Tactics & movement

• High-risk vehicle stop comms

  Tactics & movement · 15 min

  Practice verbal commands, passenger-side approach protocols, and coordinated backup positioning for a felony traffic stop.

How to get the most from a short drill

• Pick one skill and one standard. A 10-minute drill that hits one thing well beats a 30-minute drill that touches five.
• Set up before you call the crew over, so the whole time goes to reps.
• Time it. A clock turns practice into a standard people remember.
• Ask two debrief questions, then stop. Log it so the hours count.