VentEnterSearch, a training group out of Florida, has carved out a reputation for delivering high-impact, hands-on instruction centered around truck company operations. But as co-founder Eric Wheaton explains, their training is useful for every firefighter.
“Although we target those assigned to or aspiring to be assigned to a truck company, our classes cover foundational firefighter skills,” Wheaton says. “This means, no matter your rank or assignment, these skills are critical to have when serving communities.”
VentEnterSearch’s training covers a wide range of tactics, including aerial operations, water can tactics, search, vent-enter-search (VES), laddering, and forcible entry. “Each of these elements has a very unique training methodology that optimizes student comprehension,” Wheaton says.
One of the group’s core values is realism. Wheaton emphasizes the importance of making training environments feel like the actual buildings firefighters will encounter. “Make your training grounds look and feel as if they are real buildings in the community you serve,” he advises. “This advice will keep the training at a high level.”
His goal as a trainer is to make training “specific, consistent, and relevant” sot that students come away with real-world applications.
That commitment to realism, relevance, and consistency is part of what defines success for Wheaton as a trainer. He says that for him, success is “seeing students have comprehension, having a student take a skill you taught and use it for a successful outcome on the fire ground, sitting back and watching a class we developed run smoothly, and seeing others in our cadre flourish in their own teaching styles.”
But it’s not just about tactics; Wheaton takes great pride in the people behind the tactics. “When students and departments compliment our group’s cohesion, positive attitude, and personalities, it makes me feel very proud of the work we are doing,” he says. “VentEnterSearch is a relatively small group, and that is very deliberate—keeping the quality of our group high.”
As a firefighter himself, Wheaton finds deep meaning in the job. “I love being a firefighter because of all the life lessons this job teaches you, the excitement of good calls, and the bonds made at the firehouse kitchen table,” he shares. “It has just been a great career for my family and me.”
And while he’s passionate about training others, Wheaton also carries a personal reminder from his mentor that keeps him grounded: “Don’t forget about your family.” That advice hit home when his first daughter was born. “As trainers, we often never say no, causing us to focus on the job more than family,” he says.
VentEnterSearch continues to shape firefighters across the country, not just by teaching skills, but by building a culture of excellence, humility, and heart. No matter what your role is on the fireground, the lessons from Wheaton and his team are clear: train with purpose, serve with pride, and never stop learning.