This course will provide each attendee with insight into what to expect if he or she is ever called to testify as a witness or is personally sued because of his or her affiliation with the emergency services community. The course will take attendees through the pre-trial and trial process, what a party to lawsuit can expect and the rigors of testifying at trial. Students will also be provided with insight into the legal process of a court case by defining the similarities and differences between criminal and civil trials, and emphasizing the elements of trial testimony of both lay and expert witnesses. This course is for all members of the emergency services community, with a special emphasis on fire officials, fire inspectors, training officers and superior officers.