eighty-nine years of training the fire service

Transcription

PRELIMINARY BROCHURE
EIGHTY-NINE YEARS OF TRAINING THE FIRE SERVICE
APRIL 18-23, 2016
INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER | LUCAS OIL STADIUM
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | WWW.FDIC.COM
WHERE LEADERS COME TO TRAIN
PRESENTED BY
OWNED & PRODUCED BY
www.fdic.com
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PRELIMINARY BROCHURE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Schedule of Events
4
FDIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
FDIC Education Letter
5
Eric J. Schlett
Vice President - Executive Director
erics@pennwell.com
General Information
6-7
Attendee & Exhibitor Demographics
8-9
EDUCATION
Official Publications
10
Bobby Halton, Education Director
roberth@pennwell.com
Mobile App
12
Mary Jane Dittmar, Conference Manager
maryjd@pennwell.com
What’s Happening/Special Events
14-15
Event Planner
16
Sponsor Logos
18-20
Certificate of Attendance
21
Educational Advisory Board
22
SALES AND MARKETING
Hands-On Training Evolutions
24-31
Susie Cruz, Exhibit and Sponsorship Manager (A-J)
scruz@pennwell.com
Courage & Valor Award
32-33
Nanci Yulico, Exhibit and Sponsorship
Manager (K-Z)
nanciy@pennwell.com
Pre-Conference Workshops
34-50
Jared Auld, Team Manager of Exhibitor Services
jareda@pennwell.com
Classroom Sessions
Lauren Brenner, Exhibitor Services Manager
laurenb@pennwell.com
Opening Ceremony/General Session
51
52-86
Cursos en Español
86
Approval to Attend
87
Rod Washington, Exhibitor Services Manager
rodw@pennwell.com
Event Registration Forms
88-92
Eric West, Senior Event Marketing Manager
ericw@pennwell.com
Hotel Registration Forms
93-95
Lila Gillespie, Official Program and Special
Projects Manager
lilag@pennwell.com
Shuttle Schedule
Allison Foster, Director of Event Operations
allisonc@pennwell.com
FOUR WAYS TO
REGISTER TODAY
Emily Moreau, Senior Event Operations Manager
emilyg@pennwell.com
1. Online: PENNWELL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
2.Fax to: +1-888-299-8057 or
+1-918-831- 9161
June Griffin
Vice President, Audience Development & Marketing
juneg@pennwell.com
www.fdic.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
3.Email: FDICregistration@pennwell.com
4.Mail to: PennWell / FDIC16
Registration Department
P.O. Box 973059
Dallas, TX 75397- 3059
EXHIBITOR LIST
MaryBeth DeWitt
Sr. Vice President/Group Publisher
marybethd@pennwell.com
96
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
EVENT OPERATIONS
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Ginger Mendolia, Conference Coordinator
gingerm@pennwell.com
HANDS-ON TRAINING
EVOLUTIONS
Diane Rothschild, Conference Director
dianer@pennwell.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Questions? Please call: +1-888-299-8016 or +1918-831-9160
Registration Forms are on page 88-92
1
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016
3:00PM – 7:00PM
Registration, Indiana Convention Center
MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016
6:00AM – 5:00PM
6:30AM & 12:00PM
H.O.T. Evolutions Staging/Bus Loading, Indiana Convention Center/Wabash Lobby
8:00AM – 5:00PM
H.O.T. Evolutions
8:00AM – 5:30PM
Pre-Conference Workshops, Indiana Convention Center
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016
6:00AM – 5:00PM
6:30AM & 12:00PM
H.O.T. Evolutions Staging/Bus Loading, Indiana Convention Center/Wabash Lobby
8:00AM – 5:00PM
H.O.T. Evolutions
8:00AM – 5:30PM
Pre-Conference Workshops, Indiana Convention Center
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
7:00AM – 6:00PM
Registration, Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium
8:00AM – 10:00AM
Opening Ceremony, Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom
10:30AM – 7:15PM
Classroom Sessions, Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016
7:30AM – 6:00PM
8:00AM – 10:00AM
General Session, Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom
10:30AM – 5:15PM
12:00PM – 6:00PM
Exhibit Hall Open, Lucas Oil Stadium & South Street
1:00PM – 6:00PM
Exhibit Hall Open, Indiana Convention Center
1:00PM – 3:30PM
Firefighter Combat Challenge, South Street
6:00PM
Courage and Valor Fun Run, White River State Park
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
8:00AM – 5:00PM
8:30AM – 12:15PM
9:00AM – 5:00PM
Exhibit Hall Open, Lucas Oil Stadium& South Street
FDIC INTERNATIONAL 2016 | FDIC.COM
10:00AM – 5:00PM
4
Exhibit Hall Open, Indiana Convention Center
1:00PM – 3:30PM
1:30PM
NFFF 9/11 Stair Climb, Lucas Oil Stadium
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016
8:00AM – 2:00PM
9:00AM – 2:00PM
Exhibit Hall Open, Indiana Convention Center, South Street & Lucas Oil Stadium
10:00AM – 12:30PM
**Times are tentative and subject to change
FDIC EDUCATION LETTER
Friends,
GENERAL INFORMATION
Welcome back to the 89th FDIC International. Thank you for your dedication, loyalty, and passionate service. It is meaningful to gather and
share again the many ideas, concepts, and thoughts we have been developing and considering over the past year. The fire service has continued
to evolve and grow, and this year was remarkable. Our efforts to better serve our communities and our nation are being recognized and aided
by many outstanding partners. We were rewarded with amazing work being done regarding every aspect of our beloved calling. From the
cardiovascular aspects of our mission to the mental health challenges of stressful work, the fire service has made discoveries and developed
responses from many different viewpoints and positions. It is significant that some of these positions differ—some significantly, some slightly. It
is significant that experienced firefighters and dedicated firefighters are interested in all points of view and not just those that resonate with us
as our own local point of view.
I can’t take credit for the quote and don’t know who I should credit it to, but it goes like this: “The most dangerous man is the man who has read
one book.” The point is, wisdom comes from the thoughtful consideration of many aspects of an issue. Here at FDIC International, wisdom is in
plentiful supply. Your thoughts and opinions matter here; your very presence here indicates that you truly are interested and motivated to learn
and grow. Firefighters understand that learning requires an open mind. Learning requires that we suspend our ideologies and make ourselves
receptive to new messages, different points of view, and other methods and practices. We know this year’s FDIC International will provide you
with those opportunities.
Those opportunities begin with Hands-on Training and continue with the Opening Ceremony. Please make sure that you hear the inspiring
words of the current president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, Steve Pegram, on Wednesday, followed on Thursday
by the incredible depth and wisdom of LA County assistant chief Derek Alkonis. 2015 reminded all of us how dangerous our work can be, how
unforgiving an environment we operate in, and how quickly things can go tragically wrong. We will engage on Wednesday morning in a respectful
and inspiring commemoration of the service and commitment of all our fallen firefighters.
The fire service is one family, whether the firefighter is from Canada or Brazil, Sweden or the United States; we have things to share, things to
debate, things to argue over, and things to celebrate. At FDIC International, we will do all of these things respectfully, diligently, and intelligently—
always with the hope that these discussions, these exchanges will enable us to bring back to our communities a higher level of service.
The FDIC International Advisory Board members hope that their diligent and focused efforts do not fall short of your expectations. They hope
that their energy and talents will provide you with the greatest training and educational experience of your fire service career so far.
Please join us at the incredible special events: Tuesday at the comedy night sponsored by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Wednesday at
the Fools Bash, Thursday at the 5K Courage and Valor Fun Run and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Stop Drop Rock ’n Roll, Friday at
the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and the Union block party, and many many more special events—too many to mention.
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your FDIC International experience better in the future. Thank you again for your
support and dedication.
Fraternally,
Chief (Ret.) Bobby Halton
Education Director, FDIC
5
GENERAL INFORMATION
START PREPARING NOW!
SEARCH FOR AND DOWNLOAD THE
FDIC INTERNATIONAL
MOBILE APP
Scan for iPhone
Scan for Google Play
Search for “FDIC” in iTunes, “FDIC” on Android,
or scan the appropriate QR code
REGISTRATION HOURS
EXHIBIT HALL HOURS
INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER CAPITOL STREET &
WABASH LOBBY
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Indiana Convention Center
Monday, April 18, 2016
6:00 AM – 5:00 PM
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
6:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, April 21, 2016
7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday, April 22, 2016
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, April 23, 2016
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Lucas Oil Stadium & South Street
Lucas Oil Stadium & South Street
Indiana Convention Center
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016
Indiana Convention Center, South
Street & Lucas Oil Stadium
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
LUCAS OIL STADIUM - PLAZA LEVEL
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
OPENING CEREMONY / GENERAL SESSION
7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
6
HANDS-ON TRAINING EVOLUTIONS &
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
10:30 AM – 7:15 PM
10:30 AM – 5:15 PM
8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Bus loading starts promptly at 6:30 am Monday and Tuesday for
morning evolutions and promptly at 12:00 pm Monday and Tuesday
for afternoon evolutions at the Indiana Convention Center
8:30 AM – 12:15 PM
BOOKSTORE & MARKETPLACE HOURS:
The cyber café is available outside Hall D in the Indiana Convention
Center. Attendees can access complimentary Internet to send an
email, obtain information about vendors and products or print
classroom certificates.
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
SPEAKER READY ROOM
Speaker Ready Room – is located in Room 140 of the Indiana
Convention Center
GENERAL INFORMATION
CYBER CAFÉ – SPONSORED BY
INTERNATIONAL LOUNGE
PARKING
Parking- There is limited parking behind Lucas Oil Stadium for $15
per day. Other downtown garages are also available.
ONSITE EXHIBITOR SERVICES
Onsite Exhibitor Services located in room 116-117 of the Indiana
Convention Center or inside the Lucas Oil Stadium Exhibit Hall. If
you need assistance at your booth, you may call 321-228-8958.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, April 17, 2016
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
All international attendees are invited to take advantage of the
official FDIC International Lounge, located in
Room 111/112 in the Indiana Convention Center.
Translators, conference and event information,
local area information, etc. will be available.
Indiana Convention Center, Room 111/112
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING EVENT
Join fellow international attendees and exhibitors for an
evening of cocktails and appetizers.
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Indiana Convention Center – Room 111/112
ON-SITE RADIO SHOW
SPECIAL EVENTS
Special Events – detailed listings for special events at the Special
Events Stage at Lucas Oil Stadium or other events during FDIC can
be found on page 12-13
PHOTO BOOTH
Daily recordings for the Fire Engineering Radio Show will be held in
the Indiana Convention Center, Room Show OFFICE I.
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Photo Booth- Stop by the photo booth in the Lucas Oil Stadium
connector and take a few pics while at FDIC. Tell us why you attend
FDIC and find your pic posted to the official FDIC Facebook page.
7
ATTENDEE DEMOGRAPHICS
LARGEST FIREFIGHTER
95%
CONFERENCE & EXPO
IN NORTH AMERICA
ATTENDEE SURVEY RESULTS
e they want to atte
nd
FDIC Internationa
l 2016
* TurnKey Survey 2015 On-Site & Post-Event Survey Data
What type of department
do you work in?
OF 2015
ATTENDEES
stat
What is your rank/title?
CERT 1.2%
Chief of Department 11.8%
Company/Other Officer 34.7%
Firefighter (all levels) 35.5%
Medic (all levels) 2.4%
Staff/Fire Chief 6.6%
Training Officer 7.7%
Paid 31.8%
Volunteer 35.8%
Combination Volunteer/Paid 26.6%
Other 5.7%
98%
What is your highest
purchasing responsibility?
Approve 19.8%
Purchase 14.9%
Specify with purchasing power 8.2%
Specify WITHOUT purchasing power 8.4%
Recommend with purchasing power 13.0%
Recommend WITHOUT purchasing power 18.1%
None 17.6%
of attendees rated the registration
fee “fair to excellent” for the value
and personal benefit
How would you rate the quality of exhibiting companies?
Excellent
56.24%
Good
8
38.62%
Average
Poor
Very Poor
No Opinion
0
3.51%
.14%
.06%
1.43%
25
50
EXHIBITOR DEMOGRAPHICS
of attendees rated the quality
of exhibiting companies as
“GOOD/EXCELLENT”
of 2015 attendees state
that they want to attend
FDIC INTERNATIONAL 2016
of attendees state that they
have or will make a purchase
from an FDIC exhibitor
EXHIBITOR SURVEY RESULTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
94% 89% 95%
* TurnKey Survey 2015 On-Site & Post-Event Survey Data
Please indicate your primary reasons for exhibiting at FDIC:
Establish market presence
42.1%
Monitor competitor activity
33.8%
Networking
46.8%
New business contacts
52.8%
Sell products/Services
44.0%
Support existing clients
44.0%
Support local agent
9.3%
0
50
100
Approximately how many sales leads have you generated or do you expect to generate from this FDIC
trade show?
None
8.4%
1-2
12.1%
3-5
15.0%
6-9
10 - 12
17.8%
7.5%
More than 12 leads
0
98%
65%
90%
39.3%
25
50
of exhibitors rated the floor traffic as “average to excellent”
of exhibitors stated they received/expect over six sales leads generated directly from
this event. 39% stated they received more than twelve sales leads
of exhibitors stated they will probably/definitely exhibit at FDIC INTERNATIONAL 2016
9
OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS
PHILLY AMTRA
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Fitting Apparatus
Fitting new apparatus
into old firehouses
can be a challenge.
24
KME PRO
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Delivered to Good
Intent Fire Company in
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| ENGINE COMPANY
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| TREATING SPORTS INJUR
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FOR 138 YEARS
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“Scene Lighting Viewed
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TOTAL MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
(PRINT+DIGITAL)
®
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Source: data based on respective independent audit agencies for each publication and publisher statements
92%
OF OUR AUDIENCE IS
OVER 31
YEARS OLD
PURCHASE POWER
52%
11%
23%
15%
$25,000 and over
$10,000 – $24,999
$1,000 – $9,999
Under $1,000
97%
OF OUR AUDIENCE HAS
OVER 10 YEARS
OF INDUSTRY SPECIFIC
EXPERIENCE
SCAN
SALES CONTACTS
10
TED BILLICK
National Sales Manager
tedb@pennwell.com
+1 (801) 870-1768
ERIN HERRETT
Media Sales Consultant –
Western Region
eherrett@pennwell.com
+1 (208) 309-2747
JOE PORTER
Special Accounts
JoeP@pennwell.com
+1 (215) 385-1550
ANTHONY MAGLIONICO
Northeast
AnthonyM@pennwell.com
+1 (215) 495-4664
DIANE GIUFFRE
Media Sales Consultant – Midwest
DGiuffre@pennwell.com
+1 (908) 500-8231
TIM TOLTON
Southeast
TTolton@Pennwell.com
+1 (404) 277-3133
THE QR CODE &
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY
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MOBILE APP
STAY CONNECTED
Your
Social Media Sources:
FACEBOOK
http://facebook.com/fdicevent
Like us on Facebook and let us know how your week
is going at FDIC. Write on our wall, post pictures or send
a message!
LINKEDIN
Join our networking group on LinkedIn to start connecting
with attendees and exhibitors. Start a discussion on the
latest conference session you attended or the newest
product you viewed on the exhibit floor.
TWITTER
http://twitter.com/fdic
Follow us on Twitter and we’ll provide you with quick
updates and event happenings. Participate in trivia games
for your chance to win prizes. Hint: you’ll want your show
guide handy to play. Use the official hashtag at any time
during the event: #firefighters
YOUR OFFICIAL FDIC INFORMATION APPS
Scan the Code or Text “FIREAPPS” to 80464
to download these apps today!
12
No other media partner offers more reach & engagement!
MORE
THAN
5.4 MILLION
*Combination of web and mobile traffic, social media audience, valid emails, and magazine subscribers
AUDIENCE
TOUCH POINTS
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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT FDIC?
SCOTT FIREFIGHTER COMBAT CHALLENGE®
For the fifth year, the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge® will take
place at FDIC 2016. Wearing “full bunker gear” and the SCOTT Air-Pak
breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they
simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a
linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting,
chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. “victim”
as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock. The
Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the
profession’s rigors to the public.
9/11 MEMORIAL STAIR CLIMB
Lucas Oil Stadium
Fire service members convene in high-rise buildings across
the United States to climb 110 stories as a tribute to their fallen
brothers . The 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb is not a race, but an
opportunity to honor and remember the 343 FDNY members
who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live.
NINTH ANNUAL FDIC COURAGE
AND VALOR FUN RUN
14
The ninth annual FDIC Courage and Valor Fun Run will take
place at the White River State Park located just a short walk
from the Indianapolis Convention Center. The scenic, flat,
fast course winds around the canal and provides runners
with an absolutely safe (no traffic crossings) opportunity to
enjoy a brisk fun run with their fellow firefighters. Timing and
management of the run are going to be handled by Tuxedo
Brothers for the more serious runners. It’s a chance for
everyone to get out and show a commitment to good health and
well-being. All proceeds go to help sponsor the Ray Downey
Courage and Valor Medal and Award presented each year at
FDIC. All are welcome to participate.
GENERAL INFORMATION
FIREFIGHTER THROWDOWN
The Firefighter Throwdown is NOT for the uninitiated, the weak or soft. Four
diverse, torturous WODs, have been created to be in keeping with Functional
Fitness, but also, mirror the physical activity a firefighter experiences on a daily
basis. This is guts and glory and you need to be in top physical shape to be
considered as a competitor.
Being an invitational event, ONLY 100 ATHLETES WILL BE CHOSEN to compete.
Visit www.firefighterthrowdownusa.com for more information.
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Are you a firefighter with a band? Do you like cash?
Want to earn a trip to FDIC 2016 in Indianapolis?
Good news!
FDIC is once again partnering with Paul Conway
Shields to showcase your talents in our 2016 Battle
of the Bands contest. Winners will perform live at
FDIC 2016 and receive a cash prize of $5,000.
Visit www.FDIC.com to submit a video and vote
on your favorite band!
AMERICA’S FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS
Meet some of the 2016 featured calendar models, on the FDIC Special Events Stage
located in the Lucas Oil Stadium.
Visit americasfemalefirefighters.com for more information and ways you can help
their cause!
OTHER FDIC INT’L SPECIAL EVENTS
(SEE THE “SPECIAL EVENTS” PAGE ON FDIC.COM FOR DATES, TIMES & LOCATIONS)
• INDYMETRO F.O.O.L.S. BROTHERHOOD BASH 2016
• NORTH AMERICAN FIRE TRAINING DIRECTORS (NAFTC) MEETING
• COMEY NIGHT: FCSN’S COMEDY VS. CANCER 2016 AT FDIC!
• NFAAA MEETING
• NFFF STOP, DROP, ROCK ’N’ ROLL
• ISFSI MEMBERSHIP SOCIAL
• NATIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT HONOR GUARD COMPETITION
15
MY EVENT PLANNER FOR ATTENDEES
PLAN YOUR EVENT WITH MY EVENT PLANNER
BUILD AND ENHANCE
YOUR EVENT EXPERIENCE
Use FDIC online MY EVENT PLANNER to
pre-plan for the exhibition!
Building your profile only takes a minute and
gives you the ability to:
•Search and compare exhibitors, products
and services
•Bookmark exhibiting companies that
interest you
•Print an exhibit floor plan that includes
your saved exhibitors highlighted
INFORMATION ON-DEMAND
It’s Quick. It’s Easy.
Visit www.fdic.com/attend for more details and follow these steps to
get started:
Click “Login” in the upper right corner of the page (you will be
prompted for your password if you’ve already signed up. You will be
prompted to create an account if you are a first-time user).
1. Update your profile.
2.Close out of the Login/Update Profile component and click “HOME”
in the upper right corner of the page.
3.Now, you will be prompted to begin building your itinerary.
Get instant access to detailed exhibitor
information, including:
• Press releases
• New products / services
•Show specials / contests / giveaways
• Watch product videos
•Connect with your favorite
brands’ social networks
f
in
NEW HELPFUL FEATURES
Instant Listings
Instant Listings are available by the click of the mouse on any
booth when viewing the floor plan.
16
View/Edit Your Plan
View/ Edit your plan anytime from the MY EXPO PLAN.
Print Your Plan
Print your plan straight from the exhibit floor. Forgetting to print
is no longer an issue.
QUESTIONS?
For more information, contact:
a2z Help Desk: eventmap@a2zinc.net
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SPONSORS
AS OF 11/2/15
CUSTOM SPONSOR/INTERNATIONAL LOUNGE
CUSTOM SPONSOR &OFFICIAL T.I.C. SPONSOR OF H.O.T.
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
18
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
FDIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SPONSORS
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM RESTAURANT & BAR SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM CARPET OVERLAY SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
GENERAL INFORMATION
FDIC KEY CARD & OFFICIAL SCBA SPONSOR OF H.O.T.
19
SPONSORS
20
AS OF 11/2/15
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION SPONSOR OF FDIC
CUSTOM SPONSORSHIP
The FDIC 2016 Sponsorship Program features a variety of sponsorship packages designed to maximize your company’s
visibility. Whether you choose one of our exclusive packages or work with our team to create a package customized to
fit your specific needs or desired investment level, our Sponsorship Program will help you focus directly on your target
audience. Each package promotes your leadership in the fire industry and provides maximum branding, recognition and
return on investment.
For more information on a custom sponsorship, please contact:
NANCI YULICO
(973) 251-5056
nanciy@pennwell.com
SUSIE CRUZ
(973) 251-5059
scruz@pennwell.com
CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE
GENERAL INFORMATION
YOU MUST SAVE YOUR BADGES FOR
CERTIFICATES OF ATTENDANCE
Your personal certificates will be available both
on site during the show (look for kiosks) and online at www.FDIC.com as of Monday, April 18, 2016.
If going to the Web site, click on the “certificate of attendance” link.
You will be asked for your registration number from your badge, and you will be able
to print a certificate for each of the classes you attended.
NOTE: You can check on CEU information for each state at www.FDIC.com.
If you have any problems, please contact Virginia Mendolia
at (973) 251-5051, or e-mail her at virginiam@pennwell.com.
Attention Full-Conference Registrants:
There is no CD of conference proceedings. All conference proceedings
handouts will be online after the show for downloading. Full-conference
attendees only can check their badges for a password and directions to
obtain this information.
REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR BADGES!
Sponsored by:
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2016 FDIC EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
22
Anthony Avillo
Deputy Chief (Ret.), North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue
David Bernzweig
Battalion Chief, Columbus (OH) Division of Fire
Alan Brunacini
Chief (Ret.), Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department
Eddie Buchanan
Division Chief, Hanover (VA) Fire-EMS Department
Michael N. Ciampo
Lieutenant, Fire Department of New York
Larry Collins
Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department
Glenn Corbett
Associate Professor of Fire Science, John Jay College, New York, NY
Jim Crawford
Assistant Chief, Midway (SC) Fire Rescue Department
Paul Dansbach
Fire Marshal/Fmr. Chief, Rutherford (NJ) Fire Department
Rommie Duckworth
Lieutenant, Ridgefield (CT) Fire Department
Michael Dugan
Captain (Ret.), Fire Department of New York
Rick Fritz
Battalion Chief (Ret.), High Point (NC) Fire Department
Eriks Gabliks
President, North American Fire Training Directors
Mike Gagliano
Captain, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
William Goldfeder
Deputy Chief, Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department
Bill Gustin
Captain, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue
Steve Hamilton
Lieutenant, Fort Jackson (SC) Fire Department
Jason Hoevelmann
Captain/Training Officer, Florissant Valley (MO) Fire Protection District
Leigh Hollins
Battalion Chief (Ret.), Cedar Hammock (FL) Fire Department
Rudy Horist
Deputy Chief, McHenry Twp (IL) Fire Protection District
Angela Hughes
Lieutenant, Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department
Brent Hullender
Captain, Atlanta (GA) Fire Department
Ron Kanterman
Chief, Wilton (CT) Fire Department
Steve Kerber
Director, UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute
Rick Lasky
Chief (Ret.), Lewisville (TX) Fire Department
Dan Madrzykowski
Fire Protection Engineer, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Ray McCormack
Lieutenant, Fire Department of New York
Candice McDonald
Firefighter, Winona (OH) Fire Department
Mike McEvoy
EMS Coordinator, Saratoga County, NY
Dave McGrail
Assistant Chief, Denver (CO) Fire Department
Jack Murphy
Fire Marshal (Ret.)/Fmr. Deputy Chief, Leonia (NJ) Fire Department
Michael Nasta
Deputy Chief, Newark (NJ) Fire Department
Robin Nicoson
Deputy Chief (Ret.), Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department
Gregory Noll
Senior Partner, Hildebrand & Noll Associates, Lancaster, PA
P.J. Norwood
Deputy Chief/Training Officer, East Haven (CT) Fire Department
John O'Connell
Firefighter (Ret.), Rescue 3, Fire Department of New York
David Owens
Chief, Homeland Security, Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department
Steve Pegram
President, International Society of Fire Service Instructors
William Peters
Battalion Chief (Ret.), Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department
David Rhodes
Battalion Chief, Atlanta (GA) Fire Department
Frank Ricci
Lieutenant, New Haven (CT) Fire Department
Erich Roden
Battalion Chief, Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department
Rob Schnepp
Division Chief of Special Operations, Alameda County (CA) Fire Department
William Shouldis
Deputy Chief (Ret.), Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department
Cynthia Ross Tustin
Chief, Essa Fire Department, Ontario, Canada
Becki White
Assistant Chief of Training and Prevention, Eden Prairie (MN) Fire Department
Andrea Zaferes
Head Instructor Trainer, Lifeguard Systems, Inc., Shokan, NY
AD
HERE
HANDS-ON TRAINING EVOLUTIONS
4-HOUR EVOLUTIONS
MONDAY AND TUESDAY, APRIL 18-19
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Advanced Vehicle Extrication: Real-World
Challenges
Engine Company Essentials: Getting Water on
the Fire
Lead Instructor: Battalion Chief (Ret.) Leigh
Hollins, Cedar Hammock (FL) Fire Department
Instructors present real-world, challenging,
difficult extrication scenarios that necessitate
advanced skills to stabilize the vehicles, gain
entry, and remove patients entrapped and
entangled in the wreckage. All students will experience “lot’s of
tool time.”
ADVANCED
Conventional Forcible Entry
Lead Instructor: Firefighter Chris Minichiello,
Fire Department of New York/East Coast
Rescue Solutions
Forcible entry can be a challenge for all
departments, large and small. This class covers
topics that include door and lock size-up with
proper tool placement. Each student will get multiple forces
on inward-/outward-swinging doors in scenarios with varying
degrees of difficulty, including restricted space and limited
visibility. Students will also learn how to size up doors and locks
with proper tools, size up and cut various types of commercial
roll-down gates, and defeat residential garage doors using several
methods. At the end of the class, all students will have hands-on
time cutting the various gate/door types, forcing doors, pulling
hinges, pulling and manipulating locks, and defeating carriage
bolts to gain real-world experience.
ALL LEVELS
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Lead Instructor: Lieutenant Anthony Piontek,
Green Bay (WI) Fire Department
It’s all about creating the most efficient and
most effective tool on the fireground—the
engine company! Students rotate through
realistic scenarios. Handlines and Stretches:
Students gain an understanding of the usefulness and limitations
of preconnected and static loads. Loads and stretches reinforce
pre-entry operation principles and discipline. Work as attack/
backup teams to provide experience and problem solving for
pinch areas, short stretches, loss-of-water issues, line placement,
and stretch estimation. Gallons per Second: Discussion and
demonstrations on innovative tactics for both offensive and
defensive operations and water supply. Students deploy largediameter hoselines and explore techniques to maximize the
effectiveness of personnel and equipment. Standpipe Operations:
Students engage in initial hookup and standpipe operations; fold/
deploy/stretch hose packs; and function as members of the attack
team, working through nozzle, backup, door, control, and officer
positions.
ALL LEVELS
Engine and Truck Placement: Gaining the
Tactical Advantage
Lead Instructor: Lieutenant (Ret.) Michael
Wilbur, Fire Department of New York
Students will learn the principles and
techniques for safe and effective placement
and operation of aerial, tower ladder, and
engine apparatus on the fireground. Topics
include placing aerial apparatus, safely operating an aerial
device and maximizing the apparatus potential through the
use of ground ladders, and differing hose complements and
apparatus configurations. Students will learn how to calculate the
operational footprint of the apparatus and the true working length
of the aerial to facilitate proper placement of aerial apparatus
to maximize the scrub area and learn and practice techniques
for mastering positioning the engine apparatus effectively to
facilitate water supply, stretching the initial attack line, and
allowing optimal aerial apparatus placement. Every student will
get limited time to operate both an aerial ladder and a tower
ladder and to participate in interactive apparatus positioning and
ground ladder and hoseline drills.
ALL LEVELS
Farm Machinery Extrication
Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
Lead Instructor: Coordinator Mark Baker,
Stateline Farm Rescue
This intense hands-on course deals with the
special challenges of rural farm and agricultural
emergencies. Hands-on stations include
grain bin engulfments, grain panel cutting
procedures, auger and PTO entanglement, and tractor overturns.
Instructors guide the students in safely performing and mitigating
these types of emergencies. Students will gain the practical
knowledge to efficiently deal with these type of situations back in
their jurisdictions.
Firefighter Bailout Techniques
Lead Instructor: Captain/Training Officer Jason
Hoevelmann, Florissant Valley (MO) Fire
Protection District/Engine House Training, LLC
As firefighters, we must train and be prepared
for the worst-case scenario. Changes in
building construction, content load, and
improved personal protective equipment are all factors that
can lead to rapidly changing fire events that could trap us in
a fire building. Firefighters must not only carry some type of
system to self-extricate from an elevated position but must
also be extremely proficient in the use of that system under the
worst of conditions. The keys to a successful “bailout” from an
elevated location are to have proper equipment and training—and
repetition. Often, firefighters will purchase equipment for bailout
but will not have a solid foundation of training for using it in
high-stress situations. This course provides firefighters with the
skills they need to successfully perform a safe “bailout” from an
elevated location. Students will also learn how to use props and
equipment to safely maintain their level of proficiency once back
at their own department.
ALL LEVELS
The presence of rich fuels has changed today’s
fireground, and newly reported information on
controlling flow paths is influencing the tactics
used to fight these fires. Firefighters must
adapt their firefighting to overcome the hazard of accelerated,
deadly flashovers on the fireground. Students are exposed to
different environments—through PowerPoint®, video, dollhouse
flashover simulators, and full-scale flashover simulators—that
show close up how these modern fuel packages and flow paths
drive the changing fire environment to create the deadly flashover
phenomenon. Students will observe how factors like door control,
ventilation control, flow path, time, and fuel drive and change
a flashover. Students will gain a more thorough understanding
of how deadly these flashovers are occurring and why they are
occurring more often. The four warning signs of flashover are
discussed, and you will learn techniques for staying safe or
buying time so you can escape before the event occurs.
HANDS-ON TRAINING
EVOLUTIONS
ALL LEVELS
Lead Instructor: Battalion Chief Joseph
Berchtold, Teaneck (NJ) Fire Department
ALL LEVELS
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Auto Extrication Hand
Tools Only
Lead Instructor: Lieutenant Jeff Pugh, Central
Pierce (WA) Fire & Rescue/PXT
Extrication station rotations focus on stabilizing
the vehicle in its physical orientation, providing
new and modified old extrication techniques
for gaining access to patients. The emphasis
is on making every movement, cut, and relief count in the
“Art of Making Space” quickly and efficiently. The systematic
approach focuses primarily on using hand tools—mechanical,
electric, or pneumatic—to illustrate the following objectives: seat
displacement/removal, door displacement/removal, maxi doors or
side blow-out B-post displacement/removal, dash displacement,
push/lift roll steering column displacement, pull third door
conversions hood, trunk access and removal, and lock mechanism
bypass through floorboard access.
ALL LEVELS
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4-HOUR EVOLUTIONS
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Heavy-Vehicle Extrication
Real-World, Street-Smart Extrication
Lead Instructor: Battalion Chief Todd Taylor,
Wayne Township (IN) Fire Department
An introduction to incidents involving heavy
vehicle accidents on the roadways. Students
will have the opportunity to get hands-on
experience with props that include a semi cab,
tour bus, and a semi trailer—props not available in most fire
departments because of their cost. Students will gain hands-on
experience doing the following: lifting a tour bus off a car using
lifting struts and cribbing, rotating a wrecker to lift a trailer off
a vehicle and to extricate a mannequin from the entrapment,
using rescue tools to perform extrication techniques on a semi
cab, and working with vehicles trapped under the side of a semi
trailer. Students are afforded the chance to work in a training
atmosphere before having to respond to these types of accidents
on the roadway.
ALL LEVELS
Man vs. Machinery
Lead Instructor: Special Operations Lieutenant
Isaac Frazier, St. Johns County (FL) Fire
Rescue/Tactical Advantage Training
Many times, the most important aspects of
extrication are overlooked. Many departments
get fixated on the advanced portions of
extrication while the extrication skills that are most commonly
used nationwide are misunderstood and, therefore, lack
effectiveness. This program hits many important portions
of vehicle extrication—vehicle on side, side outs to dash
displacements, objects on a vehicle, steering wheel displacement/
de-ringing, seat notching, guardrails, and much more. When we
understand the “whys” of each method, we can understand the
“hows” when Plan A doesn’t work.
ALL LEVELS
Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the
Fireground
Lead Instructor: Firefighter Joseph Alvarez,
Lead Instructor: Captain Mark Gregory,
Fire Department of New York
Students are instructed on the methods that
can be employed to disentangle victims from
various forms of machinery. Basic techniques
in ring removals are addressed. Evolutions
progress in complexity as operations come to involve snow
blowers, impalements on fencing, and hands stuck in machinery
(meat grinders). The focus is on finding the least complicated
method of performing instead of “overthinking” the situation.
Students are rotated among these stations: Ring Removals and
Tool Usage, Ladder Lift with Car, Impalements, Hand Caught
in a Meat Grinder, Torch Use, and Large-Scale Machinery
Entrapments.
ALL LEVELS
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Maplewood (NJ) Fire Department
Students participate in five stations: Mask
Confidence, Large Area Search (Managing the
Mayday), Cutting Bars Off Windows with Saws
and Torches, Removing a Down Firefighter from
a Second-Floor Window, and Window Extensions.
ALL LEVELS
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS) and Victim
Removal
Lead Instructor: Chief of Safety and Training
Charlie Fadale, Fishers (IN) Fire Department
Lead Instructor: Lieutenant Sean Gray, Cobb
County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services
This hands-on live fire behavior class
demonstrates how to operate safely on today’s
fireground. Experienced instructors provide
students with a visual demonstration of
rollover, flow path, and the effects of ventilation. Instruction is
given on interior and exterior fire attack, door control, and fire
behavior based on Underwriters Laboratories Firefighter Safety
Research Institute research. There will be separate rotating
stations of fire behavior, interior fire attack with an emphasis on
door control, and a third one for interaction with experienced
UL-FSRI advisory board members on these tactics. Students learn
how to implement the information into fireground operations
within their departments.
HANDS-ON TRAINING
EVOLUTIONS
The focus is on the techniques of single-story
and multilevel structure vent-enter-isolatesearch (VEIS). Firefighter safety is stressed
during all scenarios. Basic search techniques
are reviewed, and students search furnished rooms. After the
beginning briefing presentation, students will be divided into
groups and will perform in all positions of the ground-floor and
second-story VEIS stations, including simulating clearing the
window, ladder placement, entry, isolation and controlling the
room environment (flow path), search, and victim removal.
A new station this year covers techniques of victim removal
through windows. Multiple stations of each technique will run
concurrently so all students will get the opportunity to perform
the skills. Another victim-removal station has been added for
additional concentration on victim removal. Attendees will receive
a copy of the lesson plan.
Working in the Fire Flow Path
ADVANCED
ALL LEVELS
West Coast Firetown Vertical Ventilation
Operations
Lead Instructor: Chief Officer Ed Hadfield,
Santa Maria (CA) Fire Department
Students gain experience in the enhanced skill
sets used in vertical ventilation operations
typically employed in the Midwest and on the
West Coast. These efficient and aggressive
vertical ventilation operations greatly reduce the chances of
hostile events in the interior of occupancies while increasing
tenability for interoperations and survivability for occupants
trapped inside. Much misinformation and many urban myths
have been associated with the danger and effectiveness of
vertical ventilation. This course dispels this misinformation while
demonstrating the proper manner in which vertical ventilation
operations on engineered wood construction features can and
should be performed to rapidly improve conditions for interior
operations and coordinated actions on the fireground. The need
for coordinated and enhanced vertical ventilation operations has
never been greater.
ALL LEVELS
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8-HOUR EVOLUTIONS
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Building Collapse and Void Search
Lead Instructor: Firefighter (Ret.) Michael
Davis, Fire Department of New York
Tornados, hurricanes, and other weatherrelated incidents—the past few years have
seen an increase in these types of events
that have required the quick action of first
responders. The focus is on training for and understanding the
magnitude of these events. Students learn the initial skills rescue
personnel need to remove victims early in the collapse operations.
A significantly damaged building is used to simulate a building
collapse. Manikins are used as victims trapped in the structure
awaiting “rescue” by the students.
ALL LEVELS
Live Fire: First Due
Lead Instructor: Lieutenant Doug Stephenson,
Johns Creek (GA) Fire Department
A five-station, hands-on training event that
incorporates live fire, interior fire attacks, basic
search and rescue, hose selection/placement/
management, and buddy rescue techniques.
The focus is on the initial actions of the first-arriving crews at
fires involving structures and exposures.
BASIC
NFPA 1403-Compliant Live Burn Training in
Acquired Structures
Lead Instructor: Captain (Ret.) Gregory A.
Fisher, Champaign (IL) Fire Department
The live fire training evolutions adhere to
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions.
Safety hazards in live burns are minimized
to students, instructors, and bystanders. Students are closely
monitored while working in live fire scenarios and are mentored
relative to the instructor in charge; fire control; safety; water
supply; accountability; and positions such as attack, backup,
search, vent, and rapid intervention for each evolution. Students
must meet NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional
Qualifications, basic firefighter job performance requirements
and review self-contained breathing apparatus operation
procedures supplied by FDIC sponsors prior to live fires.
Students are briefed in eight to ten live fire evolutions on a site
safety plan, drill objectives, an emergency evacuation, and any
relevant information regarding safety for each live fire scenario.
Participants gain a better understanding of NFPA 1403 and
meeting objectives applying to instructor credentialing in live
burns in acquired structures.
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Nozzle Forward
Lead Instructor: Firefighter Aaron Fields,
Seattle (WA) Fire Department
This class is for firefighters and company
officers. It is the product of many hours of both
fireground and drill experience. Its goal is to
help craft more efficient engine companies
by increasing the individuals’ competency with their tools and
expanding on the conceptual aspects of the fire environment.
ALL LEVELS
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Rapid Intervention Team Combat Drills
Lead Instructor: Assistant Chief James
Crawford, Midway (SC) Fire Rescue
Department
Lead Instructor: Lieutenant Michael Ciampo,
Fire Department of New York
Students rotate through a series of stations
to get a “taste” of truck company operations
in this interactive class. At the Forcible Entry
station, each student learns how to force
inward- and outward-opening doors and how to cut simulated
window bars and roll-down gates. At the Ladders station, they
learn portable ladder operations that include new leg lock
maneuvers and perform simulated rescues and removals. At
the Ventilation station, they perform horizontal and vertical
ventilation on the acquired structures. At the Search station, they
conduct primary search, learn vent-enter-search tactics, and
perform overhaul skills when searching for fire extension.
HANDS-ON TRAINING
EVOLUTIONS
Rapid intervention team (RIT) training should
be realistic and to the point. When a RIT
deploys into a burning building for a Mayday,
each team member will be taxed to the limit both physically and
mentally. Students are trained and evaluated in performing RIT
duties under realistic conditions. Assembled into teams and
deployed into rescue scenarios, students encounter numerous
problems that must be solved as a team. Rescue scenarios
include a lifting rescue, a deployment rescue, a lowering-system
rescue, and the Pittsburgh drill rescue. Each team must maneuver
the rescue course to a down firefighter victim, assess the victim,
complete any extrication, package the victim, and initiate removal.
The team must remove the firefighter victim back through the
scenario course to safety. Scenarios are to be completed within a
specified time.
Truck Company Essentials
ALL LEVELS
Urban Essentials
INTERMEDIATE
Lead Instructors: Lieutenant Ray McCormack,
Fire Department of New York; and Battalion Chief
Erich Roden, Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department
Here is an opportunity to experience a variety
of tactical challenges and techniques used
by America’s urban firefighters. The evolution
is divided into multiple segments and groups
and offers a balance of verbal instruction,
demonstration, and hands-on proficiency.
Steeply pitched roof ventilation, C side forcible
entry, commercial roof operations, cutting
and size-up, HUD windows, vacant property
security systems, cutting, and breaching and prying are all part of
the day’s events. Bring your A game. We’ll match it!
ALL LEVELS
3-DAY HOT EVOLUTION
Preparing for the Acquired Structure Burn - Completing the Task List (Saturday and Sunday)
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
} 14 students
(first 7 of those students assigned to Monday)
(second 7 of those students assigned to Tuesday)
Lead Instructor: Captain (Ret.) Gregory A. Fisher, Champaign (IL) Fire Department
This is a three-day practical application class with students completing components of the International Society of Fire Service
Instructors’ (and others’) Live Fire Training Instructor task book for Acquired Structure and Instructor-In-Charge. Conducting live
fire training in acquired structures while maintaining compliance with NFPA 1403 can be a daunting task and difficult to accomplish.
Through the skills, knowledge, and resources presented in this class, you will be prepared to meet the responsibilities of the
Instructor-In-Charge for this training and safely conduct the drills in a realistic and relevant manner. NOTE: Prerequisites – NO
EXCEPTIONS: International Society of Fire Service Instructor Live Fire Instructor - Fixed Facility Certification and Live Fire Acquired
Structure Training class (online), Instructor-In-Charge class (online).
ADVANCED
29
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR ALL HANDS-ON TRAINING ATTENDEES
1. Students must bring their own NFPA-compliant bunker or technical rescue gear. FDIC will not supply it.
2. Bunker gear ensemble includes NFPA-compliant turnout coat and pants, helmet, hood, firefighting boots, and gloves.
3. T
echnical rescue gear ensemble includes jumpsuit or BDUs, compliant helmet, steel-toed boots, compliant eye
protection, and gloves.
4. Bunker gear is required for all evolutions; technical rescue gear as listed above is required for students attending
Building Collapse and Void Search.
5. FDIC will supply SCBA for students as required. Students must bring bunker gear and hoods for NFPA 1403-Compliant
Live Burn Training in Acquired Structures, Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training, Live Fire: First Due, Rapid
Intervention Team Combat Drills, Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the Fireground, and Working in the Fire
Flow Path.
6. All students are required to submit the FDIC Hands-On Training Liability Waiver signed by the chief of department.
7. Thousands of firefighters participate in evolutions on each of the Hands-On Training days. The transportation and
logistics of these large numbers require that we respect our fellow participants and instructors. As a courtesy to your
fellow brothers and sisters and to FDIC, we require that you arrive on time with all of your equipment and physically
ready to work hard both Monday and Tuesday mornings.
8. Buses will load at 6:30 a.m. Regardless of the scheduled class start time, buses start loading at this time. In the past,
we have lost precious training time because latecomers delayed morning bus-loading operations.
9. Please arrive at the convention center on time, paperwork completed, equipped, and ready to train.
30
HANDS-ON TRAINING
EVOLUTIONS
31
REMEMBER FOREVER: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 … AND BEYOND.
The Fire Engineering Courage and Valor Foundation was created to ensure that
we as Americans “Remember Forever” the fallen firefighters of September 11
and in their memory recognize other firefighters who demonstrate that same
courage and valor in rescue missions.
For more information visit
www.courageandvalor.org
FIRE ENGINEERING
COURAGE AND VALOR
FOUNDATION
3300 First Place Tower
15 East Fifth Street
Tulsa, OK 74103
(P) 918.831.9563
(F) 918.831.9476
info@courageandvalor.org
The Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award commemorates the life and career achievements of Deputy Chief
Ray Downey, who lost his life while commanding rescue operations at the World Trade Center attack on
September 11, 2001. Deputy Chief Downey was chief of rescue operations and a 39-year veteran of the Fire
Department of New York. He was the most highly decorated firefighter in the history of FDNY. Deputy Chief
Downey commanded rescue operations at many difficult and complex disasters, including the Oklahoma
City Bombing, the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, and many natural disasters worldwide.
For his lifetime of unparalleled service to firefighters and citizens alike, and in remembrance of the courage
and valor exemplified many times throughout his life, it is fitting that the Courage and Valor Award, presented
to one extraordinarily courageous American firefighter each year, bear the name of Ray Downey, a truly
extraordinary man.
Keep the tradition alive —
Nominate your candidate for the 2016 Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award now.
RAY DOWNEY COURAGE AND VALOR AWARD
2016 NOMINATION FORM
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PERSON SUBMITTING NOMINATION FORM:
Name:
Address:
city
state
zip code
city
state
zip code
Phone:
Email:
Relationship to Nominee:
NOMINEE INFORMATION:
Name:
Title/Rank:
Fire Department:
Years of Service:
Home Address:
Home Phone:
Qualifications/Distinguishable Traits:
1. P lease give a brief history of the nominee.
2. Describe the event or circumstance for which you feel the nominee displayed unparalleled courage and valor and is deserving of the 2016 Ray Downey
Courage and Valor Award.
3. Describe in detail why you feel the nominee went above and beyond the call of duty during this event.
Important Details:
• Answers to questions 1-3 should be typed on separate 81/2 x 11 pages and attached to the nomination form.
• The incident/meritorious act described in this nomination form must have occurred between December 1, 2014 - November 30, 2015, and must have
been part of an official fire department response to an emergency incident.
• The award is open to all firefighters in the United States, regardless of rank or department type.
• The recipient of the award may be living or deceased.
• The recipient will receive a cash award of $35,000 and a medal.
• The award will be presented at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, April 20, 2016.
• Nomination forms will be published in Fire Engineering magazine and on its Web site.
• Incomplete nomination forms will not be considered.
• Forms must be received by January 7, 2016 for consideration of the 2016 Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award.
Signature
In remembrance of Ray Downey and all fallen firefighters, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Fire Engineering
Courage and Valor Foundation.
Please send nomination forms to: Fire Engineering Courage and Valor Foundation Nomination Committee
Attn: Diane Rothschild
PennWell Corp.
21-00 Route 208 South, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
DianeR@pennwell.com
4-HOUR PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
MONDAY, APRIL 18
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
10 Keys to Company Success on the Fireground
Developing Tactical Decision Games
Captain/Training Officer Brian Zaitz, Metro West (MO)
Fire Protection District
Chief of Emergency Operations Brian Ward, Georgia Pacific Madison, GA
The relationship between the concept “Every Day’s a Training
Day” and the overall company mission is explored. The focus is on
the single company and its role on today’s fireground. Students
will break down today’s building construction and fire science and
learn how to relate them to proven fireground tactics and decision
making. The issue of water supply is reviewed, specifically the
concept of sufficient vs. sustained. How to set up modern fire
apparatus for improved fireground functionality is also covered.
Students will gain knowledge that will help them improve their
company’s ability to perform safe, effective, and efficient
fireground operations on the next alarm. ALL LEVELS
Developing tactical decision games for all incident scene
operations is the focus. Components of meaningful training are
identified and discussed from the perspective of the Recognition
Primed Decision Making mental model. Students will actively
participate in exercises with differing levels of complexity, learn
how to add realism and stress factors for the “hot seat” student
application on return to their departments, and develop their own
tactical decision game in class with guidance. BASIC
A Tactical and Strategic Look at PrivateDwelling Fires
The Four Steps to Success—Plan, Prepare, Present, Post
(exercise analysis)—are examined in detail. In addition, the
course includes the engagement of neuro-pathways, motormemory, and the appropriate use of induced stress in the learning
environment. Students delve into needs assessment and skill
development and learn how to avoid the trap many instructors
and trainers fall into and to design training that incorporates the
expectation of success, not failure. They leave with the realization
that the trainer who approaches lessons with achievable and
progressively more difficult objectives builds a confident;
competent; and, eventually, master technician. ALL LEVELS
Battalion Chief/Shift Commander Jim Duffy, Wallingford (CT)
Fire Department
Private dwelling fires are the most common structure fires in
North America. More than 2,500 civilians die in residential
fires every year. Historically, more than 75 percent of the
civilian fire deaths occur in residential dwellings. In addition,
about 47 percent of firefighter combat deaths occur in these
residential structures. It is no secret that the fire environment
has changed. Buildings are more energy efficient, structural
members are lighter and cheaper, and fuel loads have higher heat
release rates. This highly interactive and challenging workshop
explores fire dynamics, command, fire attack, ventilation, and
search in private-dwelling fires. Topics include the importance
of coordinating all fireground tactics safely and efficiently with
today’s staffing and how current scientific studies may or may not
relate to your tactics. Some of the lessons learned can be applied
in other types of structure fires. ALL LEVELS
Constructing a Successful Training Program
Lieutenant Scott Kraut, Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue
34
Students are taken through what has been a decade of
constructing a successful training program that effectively trains
1,400 members annually. Attendees become acquainted with
methods for achieving success with limited resources, become
familiar with the psychology behind training adults, and are
made aware of the role of “stress inoculation” in the training
environment. Training program building blocks—needs analysis,
course outline, selecting instructors, selecting venues, delivery of
the course, and the leadership concepts needed for an effective
course—are part of the discussions. ALL LEVELS
Drill Development: The Next Level
Captain Bob Carpenter, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue
Effective Command and Operations
Battalion Chief Joseph Jardin, Fire Department of New York
This workshop focuses on the importance of communications
and how it affects fire and emergency incident command. Fire
and emergency operations depend on effective and efficient
communication between company officers and the incident
commander, firefighters and company officers, and among
established sectors/divisions/groups at expanding operations
and interagency partners. Strategic and tactical decisions
employed on the fireground are directly related to the information
transmitted and received from all levels of command. As
incidents become more complex, incident commanders must
be prepared for the unexpected events. How do we manage
the firefighter emergency or Mayday? Who oversees/controls
the rescue operation? Case studies on successful methods of
managing an unexpected event are used to highlight the need
for clear communications and the delegation of responsibility.
Fire Dynamics for Fire Officers: A Review of the
2015 NIST/UL H.O.T. Class
Fire Officer as Coach: Improving Firefighter
Performance
Fire Protection Engineer Daniel Madrzykowski, National Institute
of Standards and Technology
Chief (Ret.) Brian Crandell, Rae and Sourdough (MT)
Fire Department
In 2015, a 6,000-sq.-ft. home was instrumented and burned as
part of an FDIC National Institute of Standards and Technology/
Underwriters Laboratories H.O.T. class. This workshop combines
the video and data collected from both days of the 2015 class.
Students have the opportunity to see how structure fires develop
and how the fires react to ventilation control and exterior
suppression tactics. The concept of flow path and the tactic of
door control are described and demonstrated with video and data.
Door control can play a significant role in limiting the growth
and spread of the fire. This can be most important for a vententer-isolate-search (VEIS) operation. Each burn also featured
a segment on fire suppression. Exterior attack as an initial tactic
to “reset the fire” was used to examine if conditions get worse
because of “pushing fire” or filling the structure with steam or if
they improve in terms of reduced temperatures. ALL LEVELS
This interactive multimedia discussion addresses the most
effective, evidence-based coaching methods fire officers use to
improve firefighter performance of real-world skills and tactics.
The program focuses on specific coaching and supervisory
techniques that do not necessitate additional costs. The methods
are based on current research findings that clearly identify how
firefighters learn to perform and apply supervisory actions.
Coaching methods discussed work for entry-level firefighters as
well as seasoned company and command officers whether career
or volunteer. ALL LEVELS
Firefighting in Underground Transportation
Facilities
Markus Vogt, Head Consultant (and Instructor), International
Fire Academy, Switzerland International Presenter
Firefighting Is the Ultimate Team Sport: Build a
Better Team
Battalion Chief Jerry Wells, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department
A program for all—from the new recruit to the chief officer! We all
have one thing in common: We have experienced the anticipation
and excitement of the firehouse. But do we still have them? If
not, where did they go? This entertaining program uses firehouse
stories, off-the-wall videos, and examples from a successful
football program to stir that emotion you may have lost. Come
get inspired and challenged. See how the fire service team is like
a sports team and the roles that leadership, teamwork, training,
character, and personal responsibility play in creating success
and maintaining a winning attitude. You will be introduced to the
concepts “Be Here Now” and “How Are YOU Marketing MY Fire
Service?” ALL LEVELS
Assistant Fire Marshal Dan Kerrigan, East Whiteland Township
(PA) Fire Department
Over the past 10 years, the fire service has suffered more
than 1,000 line-of-duty deaths (LODDs). Unfortunately, more
than 50 percent of these LODDs were attributed to cardiac,
cerebrovascular, and other medical causes. Learn a holistic
and practical approach to improving fireground performance
and reducing risk of injury and LODD. Students will be taught
the importance of functional fitness and how to apply it to their
lives through incorporating these four fundamentals: Flexibility/
Core Strength, Cardiovascular Capacity, Strength Training, and
Nutrition/Lifestyle. At the end of the day, our exercise regimens
and lifestyle choices must reflect the fact that too many lives are
affected by our personal level of fitness—our citizens; our fellow
firefighters; and, most importantly, our families. ALL LEVELS
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Training in tunnels under realistic conditions is the daily business
of the International Fire Academy and its instructors. Tunnels are
among the safest sections of all fast roads; however, incidents
can occur in tunnels, and time is a significant factor when
managing incidents in tunnels. Therefore, responders must
receive education and training in these incidents to be fully
prepared. Reconnoitering, firefighting, and search and rescue,
the three major components in managing incidents in tunnels,
are addressed. The focus of this workshop is to prepare students
to manage incidents in a road or rail tunnel or underground
transport facility. The St. Gotthard accident of October 24,
2001, will be analyzed from the perspective of identifying and
addressing many questions that usually arise in mitigating a
tunnel incident. ALL LEVELS
Fundamentals of Firefighter Functional Fitness
ISFSI: Principles of Modern Fire Attack - Train
the Trainer
Battalion Chief Brian Kazmierzak, Penn Twp. (IN)
Fire Department/ISFSI
This train-the-trainer program was developed by the International
Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) to prepare instructors
to teach the principles of modern fire attack, using Underwriters
Laboratories/National Institute of Standards and Technology
(UL/NIST) fire behavior research data. The ISFSI and UL/
NIST partnered on the Spartanburg Burns to obtain these data.
Funding for the project was an Assistance to Firefighter Grant.
ALL LEVELS
35
MONDAY, APRIL 18
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Kill the Flashover: We Test. We Demonstrate.
You Decide.
Responding to and Preparing for Acts of
Violence
Chief Shawn Oke, Albemarle (NC) Fire Department
Lieutenant Steven Hamilton, Fort Jackson (SC) Fire Department
The focus is on the three legs of the Kill the Flashover (KTF)
stool: Tactical Air Management, Enhanced Water Streams, and
Tactical Thermal Imaging. Students share many of the lessons
learned through experience in Kill the Flashover. They will acquire
the resources to prepare them to apply the KTF Stool in their
organizations. INTERMEDIATE
This presentation discusses fire service response to all aspects
of violent scenes—from the single-company response to a victim
of domestic violence to the multiagency active shooter response.
Elements of terrorism response are evaluated. Various scenarios
are covered: violence, terrorism, active shooter, mass shootings,
domestic violence, and suicide by secondary means. Covered
are preincident planning, policies and procedures for response
to such incidents, case history analysis, as well as reporting and
documenting violent incidents involving responders. Statistical
data are examined to support the hidden dangers emergency
responders face at violent incidents. ALL LEVELS
People, Politics, and Problems: The Job
Description for Chief Officers
Chief Richard Marinucci, Northville Township (MI)
Fire Department
As individuals ascend the ranks, the vast majority of the job
involves dealing with people, engaging in politics, and solving
problems. Generally, most firefighters and officers do not get
much training and education in these areas. However, like most
aspects of the job, these are skills that can be learned and
honed so that performance is improved. This session explores
basic theories and concepts and injects real-world examples for
discussion and exploration. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Rapid Course Design
Command Trainer Ted Nee, Sandia National Labs
In this interactive workshop, the instructor shares the secrets of
rapid course development and design culled from more than 30
years of experience in the classroom. The goal of the course is
to demonstrate proven techniques to work smarter rather than
harder. Learn how to create effective learning objectives; develop
hands-on activities that support the learning objectives; rapidly
design and develop presentations; develop skill sheets that serve
as both a learning aid for students and an assessment tool for the
instructor; and design job aids that support student performance
in the field. All students will receive access to a detailed instructor
guide, handouts, and the workshop presentation to take back to
their departments. ALL LEVELS
36
The Fire Department Assessment Center: The
Boot Camp
District Chief Michael Barakey, Virginia Beach (VA)
Fire Department
Fire Department Assessment Centers are challenging. Most fire
departments offer promotional assessment centers annually;
some offer them every two years. Assessment centers are
used for all ranks, from first-line supervisors to mid/senior
level officers. Many departments are contracting with vendors
or delegating the assessment center to city/county Human
Resources departments. These assessment centers are designed
by nonfirefighters, yet the only way to be promoted, especially in
civil service, is by winning at your assessment center. This class
prepares you for the grueling assessment center process and
provides you with the opportunity to know “how” and “why” they
assess you using these methods. The process is predictable and
learnable. This class and a strong desire to study will prepare you
to be successful in your next assessment center. BASIC
We’re Only Human: Understanding Fireground
Behavior
Wood-Frame Building Construction: Past
and Present
Deputy Chief Thomas Dunne, Fire Department of New York
Fire Marshal Paul Dansbach, Rutherford (NJ) Bureau of
Fire Safety
Learn how people think, and you will be able to think like a more
capable firefighter! We’ve all learned how to fight the fire, but
how many of us are able to accurately predict the behavior of the
people affected by the fire? An understanding of their responses
can be a great asset in sizing up a fire, organizing a building
evacuation, or managing a catastrophic event. This class teaches
how civilians typically react to the stress and uncertainty of a
fire or other threatening situations and provides firefighters
with a guide to safely managing them. Videos, case studies, and
personal fireground experiences highlight the genetic and social
factors that determine human responses to danger. Practical,
hands-on tactics designed to facilitate search and evacuation,
improve fire alarm response, guide people in smoke conditions,
and enhance safe crowd control are discussed along with highrise challenges and means of improving stairway movement.
This workshop presents information that will enhance firefighter/
fire officer understanding of wood-frame buildings, from
older buildings of legacy construction to the modern buildings
constructed with lightweight building materials. The focus is on
safe strategy and tactics based on knowledge and understanding
of how fire develops and spreads in wood-frame buildings and
the collapse potential of these buildings. The class includes case
studies of fire incidents, collapse incidents, and National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health line-of-duty death reports
to reinforce the information presented. Students will develop
case studies involving buildings and local incidents they can
use to share what they learned back home. Class discussion is
encouraged. INTERMEDIATE
ALL LEVELS
What About the Victim? Fire Research and
Victim Survivability
Research Engineer Robin Zevotek, UL Firefighter Safety
Research Institute
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
The focus is on how fire department operations impact the
potential survivability of victims and operational suggestions
that can help improve victims’ chances of survival. Three major
research projects relative to the fire dynamics associated with
ventilating a residential structure fire and corresponding tactical
considerations are discussed from the perspectives of horizontal,
vertical, and positive-pressure ventilation; temperature; and
gas velocity, pressure, and concentration. Data recorded after
fire department arrival and also during the growth of the fire are
reviewed. ALL LEVELS
Why We Must Understand Vent-Enter-IsolateSearch (VEIS)
Captain (Ret.) Michael Dugan, Fire Department of New York
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search is a tried and true tactic of the fire
service. Because of the studies and science available, it has
been placed lower on the spectrum at some fires. This tactic
is still useful and has a place on the fireground of today. An
understanding of it and the science will make it a more efficient
and safer skill set at a fire. ALL LEVELS
37
MONDAY, APRIL 18
1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury
and LODDs
Battalion Chief Dan Shaw, Fairfax County (VA) Fire &
Rescue Department; and Lieutenant Doug Mitchell, Fire
Department of New York
Statistically, the residential building is where the majority of our
operational line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) and civilian casualties
occur and where we most frequently fight fire. These facts
alone reinforce the need for all firefighters to have a thorough
knowledge of the residential building, know how to execute sound
fireground strategies and tactics, and know how to develop
and implement relevant training. This dynamic and interactive
program addresses 25 critical firefighting concerns common to
these deadly buildings and provides numerous tips and drills you
can implement today to change the trends. The 25 points are
grouped into the four sections: Combat Readiness, Mastering the
Environment, Engine Operations, and Ladder Operations. Each
section discusses proper preparation, effective communications,
and all the keys to successful operations. ALL LEVELS
Aggressive Command and Tactics
Battalion Chief Anthony Kastros, Sacramento Metro (CA)
Fire District
A high-energy, intense, and one-of-kind workshop you can’t miss.
The focus is on what went right for a change. We must get back
to rescuing civilians in the context of modern fire behavior and
building construction. Students are taken inside the incident
command post (ICP) with amazing new video and bone-chilling
radio traffic of live rescues, fatalities, Maydays, multibuilding
fires, and other incidents and share in the behind-the-scenes
lessons learned from fires and rescues in apartments, homes, and
motels. Dialogue between the incident commander (IC) and other
officers inside the command post is analyzed. Helmet camera
footage from the same incidents is also used to link the ICP and
company (strategic/tactical/task levels). Situational awareness
and true aggression from the IC down to the lowest senior
firefighter on the fireground are emphasized and discussed.
ALL LEVELS
38
Blink: Making Critical Fireground Decisions
Battalion Chief Jeffrey Johnson, Kansas City (MO)
Fire Department
Classroom participation, PowerPoint®, video, and case studies
encourage participants to examine how and why we make the
decisions we do on the fireground. Participants are taught the
cutting-edge science of the psychology of making decisions and
then are given a better understanding of how we make those
decisions. With this foundation, participants are led through
factors and issues that have to be considered when making
decisions. ALL LEVELS
Building Better Teams Through Personal
Leadership
Creative Director David Conley, LDC LLC
This workshop is designed to teach first responders a principlefocused approach to fire safety. Participants learn seven basic
principles that work to enhance practical fire safety training. First
responders internalize these principles and, by living them, create
an improved brand of principle-focused fire safety professionals.
ALL LEVELS
Compartment Fire Behavior Training: “Driving
the Change”
PhD Research Student (Group Commander Ret.) Bill , Coventry
University, UK International Presenter
Underwriters Laboratories/National Institute of Standards
and Technology research challenges previous reliance on
traditional training, tactics, and techniques in the U.S. fire
service. Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) has
developed over a 25-year period in Europe, the United Kingdom
(UK), and Australasia, and provides alternative approaches that
complement existing standard operating procedures. Given by a
multinational collaborative of presenters who have performed in
strategic, tactical, operational, and training roles, this workshop
provides an overview and insight into the evolution of CFBT and
firefighting procedures in the UK, Europe, and Australasia. Critical
incidents and line-of-duty deaths that have influenced policy
development are discussed, critiqued, and evaluated. A simple
model with the potential to encourage safer decision making and
its implementation in a UK fire service is discussed. Students
receive a foundation that enables them to progress through a
series of training and tactical workshops and further explore
implementation of CFBT at a departmental level. ALL LEVELS
Fire Academy 101: Building Better Firefighters
Through Quality Training
Human Behavior and Positive Psychology:
Tools for the Firehouse
Captain Jonathan McIvor, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
Chief Cynthia Ross Tustin, Essa Fire Department, Ontario, Canada
International Presenter
This course is built around the lessons learned from the
development of the Virginia Beach Fire Academy. Our modular
approach to developing a training schedule is very adaptable for
both volunteer departments with weekend/limited training hours
and career departments with a full-time academy. Students learn
how having a scalable framework in place allows for greater
safety and efficiency and getting the most training for their
department’s time. The focus is on how to set up the initial course
schedule. Topics include training props, day-to-day activity
schedules to standardize learning objectives, and capitalizing
on training time with instructor guides so the courses are
presented with a unified voice. Students see how taking a detailed
progressive approach to designing the training program allows
for the best use of time and resources and the greatest results for
students. ALL LEVELS
Fire Investigation Essentials: The Complete Fire
Scene Examination
Det. Sgt. (Ret.) Adrian Cales, Bergen County (NJ) Prosecutor’s
Office; Operations Systems Manager, Public Service Enterprise
Group
ALL LEVELS
ISFSI Instructor Development Workshop
Forest Reeder, Eastern Regional Director, ISFSI
This International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI)
instructor development workshop is aimed at helping you
to become a better fire service instructor. The focus is on
presentation skills, preparing effective visual aids, and working
with different types of students in hands-on and classroom
sessions. New and experienced instructors will benefit from
this workshop and will leave with increased confidence in
their presentation skills. Students will immediately apply their
newly acquired skills by practicing developing and delivering
presentations in the class. ALL LEVELS
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
This program demonstrates that a complete, thorough, and
comprehensive investigation of each fire scene is of paramount
importance and that all fire scenes, large or small, need to be
investigated with the same degree of thoroughness in accordance
with applicable National Fire Protection Association standards.
NFPA 921, Standard Classifications for Incident Reporting and
Fire Protection Data, is the outline for the presentation. Emphasis
is also on the necessity of adhering to NFPA 1033, Standard for
Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator, and NFPA 1037,
Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Marshal. These
standards are being increasingly referenced and called into
question in so far as “who is this investigator” and what are his
credentials? From start to finish, the fire investigator, no matter
at what experience level, needs to have developed a process to
follow every time to ensure the scene is properly investigated
and documented and that the fire scene origin and cause report
is comprehensive enough to provide an accurate record of the
investigation for later use in a criminal or civil proceeding.
What can science teach about managing the workplace? An
understanding of human behavior and positive psychology can
help you successfully and ethically move people toward saying
“yes.” There are many valid studies about moving people forward,
motivating, enlisting cooperation, and creating loyalty. Aren’t
these the kinds of ideas for which we fire service leaders are
looking? How we as leaders go about forming our teams, our
processes, and our work environment is essential to our dayto-day business of serving the public. This workshop presents
practical techniques for building better relationships in your
firehouse and explains why they work. The material presented
has real-world application and is used in the business community
every day. ALL LEVELS
Leadership in the Real World
Battalion Chief (Ret.) Robert Burns, Fire Department of New York
Effective leadership is not just a function of understanding
academic theories and textbook definitions. Real leadership takes
courage, motivation, and skill to translate theories into real-world
actions that are effective in today’s fire service culture. Unlike
many leadership programs that describe only the characteristics
and traits leaders should possess, this workshop combines
cutting-edge theories with skills and behaviors that students will
be able to use “on the job” in their departments every day. The
curriculum is modeled after the time-tested leadership training
programs attended by officers in the Fire Department of New York
on promotion to lieutenant and captain.
ALL LEVELS
39
MONDAY, APRIL 18
1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Peer Support Team: Understanding and Creating
a Firefighter
Safety and Tactics for Newly Promoted Company
Officers
Program Director Matt Olson, Illinois Firefighter Peer Support
Captain Bill Gustin, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue
The objective of this course is to ignite the passion we have for
this work within others so that peer support programs become a
part of the fabric of the fire service culture. The focus is on the
concepts related to peer support. This idea has been within the
fire service since its inception under the terms of brotherhood
and sisterhood. Peer support is about allowing members to share
in the support they have when they run into a burning building or
work with their partner on the ambulance. That connection and
trust felt in “working” together also need to be felt in the ways
in which responders support and care for the other parts of that
ax-wielding, IV-starting, and hose-pulling person. The fire service
is about caring for others, but it can also be about caring for one
another. Students learn the “Ws” of caring for each other and why
the fire service as a whole might stumble if we ignore them.
This workshop is a condensed version of the tactics and strategy
portion of a two-week Company Officer Development Program.
It is intended to give newly promoted company officers the
leadership skills and confidence to manage their company
when responding to alarms; operating at roadway incidents;
and when arriving first at fires in private and multiple dwellings,
commercial occupancies, and vacant and abandoned buildings.
ALL LEVELS
Public Information Officer 101: Command
Function to Community Relations
Public Information Officer, Engineer/EMT Michael Fronimos,
Hebron (KY) Fire Protection District
The public information officer (PIO) assists the chief, staff
officers, and incident commanders (ICs) with providing correct
and factual information to the general public, other government
agencies or departments, and the news media when requested.
The PIO, an important part of the incident command system
and integrated emergency management system, coordinates
the movement of the media on fire department property and at
emergency incidents and releases information approved by the
chief or ICs. Students acquire classroom and hands-on training
in interview techniques, writing press releases, media relations,
building relationships, and preplanning media operations. In
addition, students are guided in the process of selecting an
official spokesperson for their agencies. ALL LEVELS
Right-Seat Leadership 2016
40
Dave Casey, Director, Louisiana State University Fire &
Emergency Training Institute
This is a scenario-driven interactive class that involves
participants in the decision-making processes officers need
to handle interpersonal events. It uses recorded scenarios
portraying real-world situations in the firehouse, in the public,
and on the fireground to discuss decision making and the “timetested truths” of the company officer. Methods of “learning”
leadership are explored. INTERMEDIATE
INTERMEDIATE
Teaching Fire Science to Firefighters
Battalion Chief Lars Ågerstrand, Värnamo Fire & Rescue Service,
Sweden International Presenter
There has never been as much fire research as today. The
progress of organizations like the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and Underwriters Laboratories is pushing that
knowledge frontier further every day. But understanding the
results and drawing correct conclusions from those studies are
difficult without a strong basic understanding of science. In this
class, we will deconstruct the full-scale tests and make them into
more useful learning opportunities. ALL LEVELS
The Art of Go/No-Go
Captain Mike Gagliano, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
This class guides students in creating a framework for the
toughest decision company officers will ever have to make:
whether to go interior or not—Go/No-Go. The framework
incorporates four profiles: Rescue, Fire, Building, and Tactical.
It will allow you to build on your and others’ experiences and
develop an intuitive approach that will grow with you throughout
your career. This is not a magic class; no one becomes a great
decision maker by attending a few classes and watching a few
videos. This four-profile framework will help you to keep focused
on your decisions and enable you to draw on what you’ve learned
and react to changes in the dynamic fire environment. Students
note in their own notebooks their reactions to what they see and
learn from what they hear from other students. They leave with a
model that is easy to replicate in their firehouse and department.
ALL LEVELS
The Art of Reading Smoke
Battalion Chief (Ret.) David Dodson, Response Solutions, LLC
This is the original FDIC “standing room only” class considered
a must for any first-time FDIC attendee. Today’s structure fires
can move through six phases, release more energy, and trap
firefighters at a rate never seen in previous decades. Often,
smoke issuing from a building is the only clue available to predict
fire behavior and the likelihood of a flashover or rapid fire
spread. It is absolutely critical for first-arriving officers, incident
commanders, and safety officers to master this essential skill. The
reading-smoke process is explained, and participants practice
using actual fireground video. ALL LEVELS
The Courage Within (Tactical Resiliency
Training)
Firefighter Ric Jorge, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue
The First Five Minutes
Firefighter Mark van der Feyst, Woodstock (Ontario, Canada)
Fire Department International Presenter
The first five minutes of any residential structure fire are critical
in terms of setting the stage for a successful outcome. Modern
day fires are increasingly becoming a time-sensitive race against
the fire department’s ability to respond with effectiveness and
efficiency. No matter what the size of the department or the
number of responding personnel, the first five minutes of the
first-arriving apparatus are going to be crucial for the officer in
deciding on what to do and how to do it. This interactive workshop
focuses on the importance of a proper size-up and how the
information shared on arrival and during the first five minutes of
an incident can impact the remainder of the call. Topics include
the stages of the first five minutes in terms of the officer’s duties,
strategies, tactical decisions, information gathering, being combat
ready, using case studies and scenarios to practice concise
communication that will enhance the flow of information on the
fireground. ALL LEVELS
Captain/Training Officer John Shafer, Greencastle (IN)
Fire Department
This is a concentrated examination of current and future trends
and methods in modern airtight building construction with an
emphasis on the green construction building materials, energyefficient construction methods, and engineered structural
and construction systems and their direct relationship on
structural firefighting operations. Topics include inherent modern
construction features and hazards that directly influence effective
risk management, decisive strategic and tactical considerations
with a focus on key modern features, and construction systems
relative to how they are affected by fire dynamics and how they
affect fire behavior and tactical operations. If you have been in
the fire service for more than five years, this class is a must for
you to stay alive in this modern environment! Much of the material
in this program is not common knowledge to most fire service
personnel because past and current teaching practices address
only traditional building construction. ALL LEVELS
View from the Street: Chief and Company
Officer Workshop
Deputy Chief Thomas Richardson, Fire Department of New York
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Are you prepared to handle a situation when everything is going
wrong and your people are panicking? Can you identify the
markers of stress? Can you identify the people who are prime
candidates for reactions to “fire service” stress? Are you prepared
to help in these circumstances? The information provided in
this class can improve your profile for survivability and help you
develop a more healthful lifestyle that may extend throughout
your career. Learn how to identify problems you could potentially
face on the job and how to overcome them. Recognizing and
overcoming problems are tied to the mental, physical, and
psychological aspects of conditioning. Conditioning is covered
in five categories: Physical conditioning, Mental conditioning,
Psychological conditioning, Nutrition, and Rest. Each area has
subsets that are elaborated on in this workshop. ALL LEVELS
Today’s Fire Structures: Airtight and Plastics
Galore!
This workshop is presented in two modules: Module One consists
of a presentation and discussion on leadership and command
philosophy. Students participate in identifying the keys to success
in leading a fire company or battalion in the fire station and on
the fireground. Module Two focuses on fireground strategy and
tactics. Using computer-generated fire simulations, the students
are tasked with recognizing, evaluating, and implementing the
strategies and tactics necessary to conduct a smart and efficient
fireground operation. From the initial size-up to the conclusion of
the operation, students will be presented with various fireground
problems ranging from the loss of water to the missing member
Mayday. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
41
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks
on the Modern Fireground
Developing and Implementing Fire Behavior
Training Programs
Director of Research Gavin Horn, Illinois Fire Service Institute
Firefighter/Lead Fire Behavior Instructor and Program
Coordinator Ian Bolton, District of North Vancouver, BC
There is a startling lack of sound information on the effects of
firefighting in realistic fire scenarios on the acute risk of sudden
cardiac events and the chronic risk of certain cancers. To
address this gap in knowledge, the Illinois Fire Service Institute
(IFSI) in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) and the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted
the recent study “Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks in
Modern Firefighting.” The vast majority of research investigating
the physiological responses to firefighting has been done in
training structures using wood and straw (Class A materials)
as fuel or in laboratory conditions, not today’s buildings
constructed of modern materials and filled with polymer-based
furnishings that increase temperatures more rapidly than legacy
furnishings of natural materials. In addition to rapid changes
in temperature, the modern fire environment also produces
products of combustion containing hundreds of chemicals as
gases or particles with different potential toxic effects on the
body. Meaningful integration of research on fire dynamics,
cardiovascular strain, and toxic exposures has been lacking to
date. Students will be given an overview of the IFSI, UL FSRI, and
NIOSH study and preliminary results on measurements of fire
behavior, thermal and cardiac strain, and firefighters’ exposure
to products of combustion. In addition, the issue of sufficient
recovery time from firefighting will be discussed, including
how riding assignment and tactics affect recovery time and
establishing a timeline for returning a firefighter to service after a
fire. ALL LEVELS
Dealing with Difficult People and Their
Organizational Impacts
Chief Jerry Streich, Andover (MN) Fire Department
42
Students learn to better define, understand, and deal with
difficult persons. They learn how to identify people who may pose
problems for the organization and how to defuse the problems.
How to change the behavior of the team to overpower the person
causing all the trouble is also addressed. Students are presented
with ideas on how to improve engagement of the negative
workforce and are given the motivation to achieve this. The class
speaks loudly of the expectations placed on firefighters and asks
who they want coming to their door. ALL LEVELS
Students work to identify the challenges and solutions in
successfully implementing a fire behavior/dynamics training
program in their departments. Various primary logistical, culture,
and training challenges are discussed and explored in detail. Core
educational concepts are examined. Students will receive a twoday fire behavior training program curriculum and presentation
and other resource materials to take back to their departments.
ALL LEVELS
Dynamic Decision Making and Reading the Fire
Station Officer Shan Raffel, Queensland Fire
and Emergency Service International Presenter
In Part 1, Decision Making, students will determine what is
driving their actions, come to recognize the roles that emotion
and expectations play in the decision-making process, use fire
dynamics indicators to make safe and effective decisions based
on risk vs. benefit analysis, and learn how to maintain situational
awareness by using crew resource management principles. In
Part 2, the BE SAFE fire dynamic risk assessment model is used to
determine the context of risk assessment in terms of the building
construction and environmental factors, determine the stage of
fire development, determine the likely direction of fire spread,
and recognize the fire behavior indicators. In Part 3, students
will use this information to develop a strategic approach to a fire
incident using the RECEO mode and develop tactical options and
an incident action plan, using the PACT model. In Part 4, case
studies will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of strategy,
tactics, tools, and techniques. ALL LEVELS
Essentials of Honorable Leadership
Fire Commissioner Mark Emery, King County, Washington;
ISFSI Western Director
What does leadership look like in your life and in your fire station?
If you cannot articulate what leadership looks like, this program
offers a compelling leadership development opportunity. If all
learned skills must begin with the fundamentals, what are the
fundamentals of leadership? You will discover a template of
fundamentals essential for establishing a legacy of honorable
leadership for yourself, your family, your crew, and your fire
department. You will know what honorable leadership looks
like. As a bonus, you will discover the secret for genuine and
meaningful success. ALL LEVELS
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Fire Officer Survival
Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire
Department; and Gordon Graham, Graham Research Consultants, CA
Are you or do you want to be a fire officer? How about command?
OK. We’ll give you command—and all that comes with it. Sadly,
people of all ranks in our profession suffer from arrogance,
ignorance, and complacency, leading to some very unhappy and
life-altering endings. This class will help you to not become one
of them! Students will review recent incident case studies in
which firefighters were critically injured or killed in the line of
duty and determine what went right and what went wrong—and
why. Regardless of rank, students will be able to take the lessons
learned back to their departments and apply them. Also covered
are the personal and professional legal aspects of the command
role and the importance of solid, realistic, ongoing, and verifiable
training at every level. ALL LEVELS
Assistant Chief Ronald Spadafora, Fire Department of New York
Students gain an overview of the multiple sustainable design
issues firefighters are confronted with in the modern world.
Topics include alternate fuels and energy technologies (wind
turbines, fuel cells, microturbines, and solar panels); passive
construction techniques; green and blue roofs; storm water
management; lightweight construction materials; exterior
insulation and finish systems and structural insulated panels; low
volatile organic chemicals furnishings; daylighting techniques
(clerestory windows, deadlights, sawtooth roofs, light shelves,
light tubes, and roof monitors); and recycling materials.
Battalion Chief Jim Silvernail, Metro West (MO) Fire Protection
District
The focus is on creating effective, safe fireground solutions for
officers operating in a suburban setting. PowerPoint®, lecture,
and discussion are employed to identify the fireground factors
that affect decision making and create challenges. Company
officers will implement actions based on safety, effectiveness,
and efficiency. Scene size-up; situational awareness; anticipating
future events; and the elements of a safe, coordinated fire
attack are discussed. Students will create and implement
sample standard operating procedures to consistently organize
prioritization of functions and will consider essential elements
that the support agency must consider in decision making such
as developing training programs and implementing evaluation
benchmarks. INTERMEDIATE
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Firefighting in the Modern World: Sustainable
Green Design and Construction
Fireground Decision Making for Suburban
Company Officers
Flawed Situational Awareness: The Stealth
Killer of First Responders
Chief Scientist Richard Gasaway, Situational Awareness Matters
Flawed situational awareness is consistently identified as one
of the leading contributing factors in first responder casualty
reports. The purpose of this program is to help responders
understand why and how situational awareness can be flawed.
The program shares the findings of extensive doctoral-level
research conducted by the presenter that uncovered more
than 100 situational awareness barriers. Intuitively, many first
responders understand that situational awareness is important.
However, very few responders have ever been taught what it is,
how it is developed, how it can be lost, and how to regain it once
it has been lost. This void in training has consistently proven over
time to have catastrophic consequences. ALL LEVELS
Hazmat: Initial Approach and Actions
Assistant Chief Kristina Kreutzer, Mill Creek (DE) Fire Company
Understanding a hazardous material is like understanding
the nature of fire. Students learn how to break down material
behavior into probability of contact and the consequences
of contact, and how to plot these two parameters together to
obtain a tool that can help them visualize the relative hazard of a
material that they can use for tactical guidance. Systematically
plotting the key physical and chemical properties of a material
will yield them a quick assessment of the environment, the first
point assessed in an incident. The first priority is identifying the
life hazard, especially the proper approach; staging; and safety of
responders. ALL LEVELS
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Leading from the Top
Rehab Revised: What’s New in NFPA 1584?
Chief Steven Kraft, Richmond Hill (Canada) Fire & Emergency
Services International Presenter
EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Saratoga County, New York;
EMS Technical Editor, Fire Engineering
The focus is on leadership behaviors and the characteristics
of great leaders (honesty, forward looking, inspiring, and
competent). Students will engage in an exercise that will identify
their dominant personality style. Interactive discussions will focus
on what makes a great leader and reviewing examples of poor
leadership. Videos will illustrate points; breakout sessions will be
used to obtain students’ perspectives on leadership. Each student
will complete a behavioral pattern inventory that will enable them
to understand why they view the world as they do and why other
people view things differently. ALL LEVELS
This session reviews the fire service rehab experience and
developments in sports medicine that have changed our
understanding of hydration, nutrition, cooling, and exercise
physiology. Shifting emphasis away from sports drinks, the
reintroduction of caffeine, and a new ban on the use of energy
drinks by firefighters are covered. Gain important insight into new
evolving strategies for passive cooling of firefighters and practical
methods for rest and recovery in rehab. Learn about changes in
vital signs and new assessment parameters for use in rehab.
Main Street Tactics and Strategies:
Are You Ready?
Safety Leadership
Captain Joseph Pronesti, Elyria (OH) Fire Department
Who is responsible for firefighter safety? How do you build and
maintain a safety culture in your department? Delve into the
“safety” responsibilities across all disciplines and ranks of the
fire service in terms of leadership roles. Gain insight into how
to teach and demonstrate proper safety “thinking” and methods
for successful outcomes. The safety culture is still under
construction in the U.S. fire service; this class reinforces its
foundation. ALL LEVELS
This program addresses leading insights and operational
considerations for fires in buildings and occupancies of ordinary
masonry, heavy timber, and loft construction that comprise the
Main Streets of America. A much neglected topical area, this
program brings into focus the broad issues and operational
issues affecting historical construction characteristics,
inherent hazards, building systems and components, and the
corresponding strategic and tactical considerations that must
be formulated based on the building’s defining age, use, and
conditions on arrival. This highly interactive presentation
uses extensive case studies, field examples, interactive group
simulations, and discussion points to provide the knowledge and
skill set insight to operate in these building types efficiently and
safely. ALL LEVELS
Mastering the Instructor’s Tools of the Trade
Captain Chuck Baird, Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency
Services
This workshop, for the new and veteran instructor, begins with a
presentation on the most important pieces of “equipment” in the
learning environment, the mind of the student and the instructor.
Attendees are divided and rotated in small groups through three
skill labs. They are guided through the neuroscience of learning
as it applies to the delivery of lifelong learning; they enhance their
instructor skills in using instructional tools and delivering classes
that engage students and lead to life-long learning. ALL LEVELS
44
More Drills You’re Not Going to Find in the Books
Captain Raul A. Angulo, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
This class is a collection of more than 100 drills for the company
officer. The drills, which go beyond the basic Firefighter I and II
practices, include a wide variety of engine and ladder company
evolutions, as well as individual firefighting skills. PowerPoint®
slides and video are featured. Many of these drills are based on
line-of-duty deaths or near-miss case studies.
ALL LEVELS
Chief Ron Kanterman, Wilton (CT) Fire Department
The Intelligent Interior Attack
Assistant Chief Peter Van Dorpe, Algonquin-Lake in the Hills (IL)
Fire Protection District; Chief of Training (Ret.), Chicago (IL) Fire
Department
For several years, Chief Van Dorpe has been bringing the science
of the UL and NIST research to the street level officer and
firefighter. Each year, more information and more experience
on both the training ground and the fireground lead to a better
understanding of the modern residential firefight. Lightweight
buildings, more fuel, and less experienced firefighters are
creating unacceptably dangerous firegrounds, but we CAN do
something about this. There is a lot of “real estate” between the
so called “aggressive” interior attack and “surround and drown.”
Identifying this real estate and learning how to occupy are the
keys to mounting an interior attack that accomplishes our mission
without sacrificing firefighters. Students can make the best use
of the UL/NIST research for developing new standard operating
guidelines and for mounting intelligent fire attacks in modern
structures. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
The Professional Volunteer Fire Department
Past Chief/Firefighter Thomas Merrill, Snyder (NY) Fire
Department
The presentation’s message is, “Being a professional firefighter
has nothing to do with earning a paycheck but has everything
to do with attitude, appearance, commitment, and dedication.”
It includes how members approach the job, how they prepare
and train, how they take care of their equipment, how they treat
the public and their own members, and how they behave and
interact with the public both on and off duty. Firefighters simply
cannot say, “I am just a volunteer,” and use that as an excuse
for poor performance, being unprepared, poor judgment, or
lack of participation. The presentation also creates awareness
of the increased scrutiny firefighters are under today from
not only government officials but the public as well and how
expectations have changed over the years. Our communities
expect professional and competent service whenever they call for
help. ALL LEVELS
Chief Scott Thompson, The Colony (TX) Fire Department
Assistant Chief of Operations (Ret.) Lawrence Schultz,
Washington (DC) Fire/EMS Department
This no-nonsense, no-excuses session discusses in detail the
enhanced predictability of fireground risk and the most commonly
repeated fireground failures and provides students with tangible
corrective actions that fit any department regardless of size or
staffing. Red flags are a nationally recognized symbol used to
identify some form of predictable hazard. The analysis of National
Institute for Occupational and Safety Health fatality reports,
Underwriters Laboratories/National Institute of Standards and
Technology fire behavior studies, a greater understanding of
building construction, and the personal experiences of firefighters
have made the potential risks/hazards of our firegrounds highly
predictable (made them “red flags”). In spite of this increased
awareness, we continue to see dysfunctional fireground
performance, resulting in needless injuries and deaths on a
regular basis. This class focuses on the critical relationship
between the incident commander and the company officer and
assists firefighters and their departments in proactively avoiding
preidentifiable fireground pitfalls. ALL LEVELS
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Training Basics and Essentials for the
Fire Service
Waving Red Flags on the Fireground 2.0:
“Stop the Madness”
The focus is on five areas essential for training success: Defining
Success, Establishing Standards, Assessing Needs, Mastering
the Basics, and Making Training Personal. Participants are led
through an organized thought process for developing successful
training specific to the fire service. They are encouraged to apply
each of these areas to their department as they are discussed.
ALL LEVELS
Training Officer and Instructor Graduate School
Division Chief/Training & Safety Forest Reeder, Des Plaines (IL)
Fire Department
The next level of the Training Officer Bootcamp is here! Graduate
school will challenge the most experienced instructors to move
their programs up to the next levels by experiencing a best
practice approach to the design and delivery of an effective
and efficient training program. Current and newly appointed
instructors and training officers will benefit from this interactive
workshop. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
45
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Building Construction for the Street-Smart
Fire Officer
Creating Tactical Visionaries: Seeing the
Fireground Clearly
Deputy Assistant Chief (Ret.) John Norman, Fire Department
of New York
Deputy Chief Phil Jose, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
The focus is on the risks the building creates for fire officers
and other personnel. Topics covered include flashover and flame
spread hazards, fire-related causes of collapse, indicators of
potential collapse, categories of buildings and their resistance
to collapse, building alteration hazards, truss failure, and case
histories. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Building the Ladder: Officer Development
Programs
Deputy Chief Rudy Horist, McHenry Township (IL) Fire
Protection District
The answer to successful officer training, both initial and ongoing,
lies beyond just the National Fire Protection Association 1021,
Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, certification.
Successful programs, although based on professional standards
and references, are also tailored to the specific needs of the
department. This workshop links certification training with
realistic job requirement training. Rather than teaching one
version of officer development, this class presents a step-bystep process for completing a needs assessment and then
building a framework for officer training for both entry-level and
experienced fire officers. Workshop participants will receive
guidance, practical examples, and multiple opportunities for
in-class application. The workshop is applicable to volunteer and
career fire departments, regardless of size. INTERMEDIATE
Buildings on Fire: Lessons from the Fireground
2016
46
The focus is on having your responders see the challenges and
opportunities with a common vision to create a cohesive and
an effective response team—seeing a problem with the vision
to understand how the incident commander sees it, how the
company officer sees it, and how the firefighter sees it. Strategy
is built on vision, supported by tactics, and achieved by task. This
class provides leaders with the skill set to take tactical problems
and create a common vision of how to achieve success through
the team. Understanding how others create their tactical vision
is achieved through a questions-based approach to teaching. Do
your people see what you see? Learn how to answer that question
with a YES! INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Fireground Strategies: from the Textbook to
the Street
Deputy Chief (Ret.) Anthony Avillo, North Hudson (NJ) Regional
Fire and Rescue
This class visits case studies, lessons learned, and other
issues related to strategies on the fireground. Discussed are
the importance of policy to create a safer and more organized
fireground and of the “nothing showing environment” and its
impact on the “something showing environment.” Additional
areas covered are risk assessment in the modern environment,
additional alarm considerations, decentralization, exposure and
water supply considerations, as well as cues to initiate strategic
change. Further, command considerations for renovated and
vacant structures as well as observations and operational
suggestions for high-rise fires are addressed. The class will be
sprinkled with case studies and lessons learned from some of the
most challenging fires the instructor has commanded.
Chief of Training Christopher Naum, Command Institute,
Washington, DC
ALL LEVELS
Elements of effective and adaptive fireground leadership and
the hard lessons learned are presented in this highly interactive
program. Extensive case studies are reviewed and applied
to identify vulnerabilities and commonalities and learnings.
Integrated in the program are discussions on emerging research
and its effect on future strategies and tactics. Students are
made aware of actions all fire departments and personnel must
implement into their fireground operations to reduce operational
risks and improve operations at structure fires. ALL LEVELS
Five-Alarm Leadership: Real Leadership with
Real People
Battalion Chief (Ret.) John Salka, Fire Department of New York;
and Chief (Ret.) Rick Lasky, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department
This program describes and explains the value and importance
of effective leadership skills in the fire service. Many of today’s
problems in the firehouse and on the fireground can be traced
to insufficient and ineffective leadership skills. Issues such as
integrity, intensity, innovation, and interest are among the topics
discussed. ALL LEVELS
High-Rise Operations: Strategic, Tactical, and
Task Level
Implementing Compartment Fire Training
Programs in Your Department
Assistant Chief David McGrail, Denver (CO) Fire Department
Benjamin Walker, United Kingdom, Fire & Rescue Services
High-rise firefighting is exponentially more complicated and
dangerous than most other fireground operations. From a
room-and-contents apartment fire to the well-involved fire
floor of a commercial high-rise to the ever-present threat of a
terrorist attack, you must be prepared! This workshop helps
prepare you for battle. It addresses the challenges and provides
real-world solutions. The ultimate goals are firefighter survival
and operational success. From strategic command and control
to company-level tactical operations to task-level firefighter
evolutions and procedures, all of these critical, interrelated areas
are explained. Lessons from past high-rise case studies provide
guidance for today’s “best practices” operational procedures and
the recommended equipment. Attendees will apply these past
lessons and new procedures to solve scenario-based high-rise
fire problems. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
How to Be a Dynamic Instructor
Lieutenant Steve Crothers, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
Medical Response to the Firefighter Mayday
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
Significant learning creates passion, passion attracts attention,
and attention leads to action. A dynamic instructor who is a
subject matter expert in his field is essential to an effective
learning environment. So much more goes into being a successful
teacher than just knowing the material. This class focuses on
elevating average instructors to a higher level of teaching by
concentrating on how to become passionate and engage with
the students. This course uses motivating and interactive video
examples to demonstrate “teach-back” techniques. The inductive
teaching method is also examined and demonstrated to show how
it encourages participation and reinforces student observations
and understanding. The importance of building critical
relationships within a classroom environment is discussed;
participants will be challenged to evaluate their own effectiveness
as instructors through self-assessment. ALL LEVELS
Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) has been developed
over a 25-year period in Europe, the United Kingdom (UK), and
Australasia. Recent research by Underwriters Laboratories/
National Institute of Standards and Technology (UL/NIST)
has identified that we must challenge previous reliance on
traditional firefighting training, tactics, and techniques in the
North American fire services and develop alternative approaches
to complement our existing standard operating procedures.
This presentation takes the viewpoint of both the implementing
instructors/training department and also acknowledges the
problems encountered and mistakes made in other parts of the
world when developing these training programs through case
studies, reviews, and personal experience. Science is reviewed,
prioritized, and discussed from the perspectives of what is
most critical and relevant to operational firefighters. Interactive
presentations of rapid fire developments highlight hazards.
Videos of CFBT training evolutions show implementation of safe
effective training. The link to UL/NIST research and the impact on
CFBT is discussed. ALL LEVELS
Firefighter/Paramedic David Mellen, Reno and Sherman Township
(KS) Fire Department
Most current Mayday programs focus solely on finding and
rescuing down firefighters, not treating them. This class focuses
on both advanced life safety and basic life safety patient care
of the firefighters from the second they are found. From smoke
inhalation to burns, trauma to medical emergencies, many
aspects of the Mayday patient are examined. Students will use
National Fire Protection Association standards, case studies,
and hands-on scenarios to develop a better understanding of the
medical care needed for a down firefighter. ALL LEVELS
Must-Have Policies for Every Fire Department
Assistant Chief/Attorney at Law Bradley Pinsky, Pinsky Law
Group, PLLC
A review of the top policies every fire department must have to
prevent liability, firefighter injuries, and public embarrassment.
The suggested policies are derived from Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements and National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommendations and
case studies on poor outcomes in fire departments that lacked
sufficient policies. Attendees learn how to create vital policies to
protect their personnel and the department and how to conduct a
risk analysis of their operations to determine if there are policies
they must implement immediately. Among the topics addressed
are the OSHA Operational Statement, physical fitness, carrying
firearms, photography, training requirements and skill testing,
health and safety, and drug testing. ALL LEVELS
47
48
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
No-Brainer Management
The 7 C’s of Fire Officer Trust
Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department
Battalion Chief John Alston, Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department
In this highly interactive training session, Chief Brunacini
discusses organizational alignment and how organizational
structure can affect fireground operations, decision making, and
fire department day-to-day functions. ALL LEVELS
The skills that make good fire officers of all ranks are the focus.
Students are led through each component and interact in groups
to determine how to acquire and develop such traits. Components
of the National Fire Academy “Shaping the Future” course are also
addressed. ALL LEVELS
Railroad Incident Safety, Planning, and
Operations in the Crude Oil Unit Train Era
Captain Jeffrey Moran, Woodbridge (NJ) Fire Department
SLICE-RS: from the Beginning
Division Chief Eddie Buchanan, Hanover (VA) Fire-EMS
Participants are walked through the implementation of fire
dynamics research in their department, the reasons for the
tactical change, and best practices to achieve consistent
performance on the fireground in a manner that is aggressive and
effective. They learn what they need to manage the resistance
to change and the tools they can use to get their department
operating effectively as soon as possible. ALL LEVELS
Battalion Chief (Ret.) John Mittendorf, Los Angeles (CA)
Fire Department; and Battalion Chief (Ret.) David Dodson,
Response Solutions, LLC
This overview on reading buildings focuses on four elements:
(1) class, (2) age, (3) size, and (4) type. Once a foundation is
established, video of practical examples is used to allow the
students to use the preceding information to read various types
of buildings to evaluate their strengths and hazards for fireground
operations from a perspective of operational tactics and safety.
PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
The course establishes a foundation of knowledge in the area
of railroad safety, planning, and operations for emergency
responders. PowerPoint® slides, video segments, lecture, and
case studies highlight discussion. The safety aspect covers
general railroad safety including terminology, operations on/
near tracks, rail equipment, wreck scene hazards and health,
and fire and environmental concerns specific to crude oil. The
planning portion covers interaction with railroads; the scope and
magnitude of a wreck; preparing for a large-scale, long duration
operation including evacuations; the need to establish track
access; high-volume water supply; specialized equipment and
supplies; and identifying who is responsible for the tracks. The
operations segment brings safety and planning together to set
strategy and tactics for a wreck. This workshop culminates with
attendees participating in a tabletop exercise. ALL LEVELS
The Art of Reading Buildings
ALL LEVELS
The Privilege of Leadership
Vice President of University Relations Billy Hayes, Columbia
Southern University
This program reflects on effective leadership behaviors that can
be demonstrated when the situation calls for strong leadership
presence. People don’t always need permission to step in and
lead when circumstances require it, but when good leaders are
given an opportunity to be in charge, they firmly take charge and
recognize that leadership is indeed a privilege. Students will look
at historical leaders, the challenges they faced, and the actions
they took when given the privilege of leadership. Students become
aware that the cornerstone of exercising effective leadership is
having a clear understanding of the definition of what a leader
is and doing leadership things instead of only saying leadership
things. ALL LEVELS
Specifying Fire Apparatus, Back to Basics
Battalion Chief (Ret.) William Peters, Jersey City (NJ) Fire
Department
This class covers apparatus replacement justification; types
of apparatus and what will best suit the purchaser; how to
use National Fire Protection Association 1901, Standard for
Automotive Fire Apparatus; conducting research; how to write the
all-important general requirements (boilerplate); how to convert
manufacturers’ sample specifications into your own; conducting
factory inspections; and acceptance and delivery of your new
apparatus. ALL LEVELS
49
Using Human Error as a Tool to Build a Safety
Culture
Volunteer or Combination Fire Department
Managers Academy
Research Coordinator/Lecturer Shawn Pruchnicki, The Ohio State
University
Firefighter Michael Dallessandro, Grand Island (NY) Fire
Company
On the surface, firefighters make choices that in hindsight
appear to be dangerous or to not make sense. Sometimes, these
decisions may be casually noticed while on the fireground after
an incident or, worse, after an accident. The accident rate in
our business is not dramatically decreasing because of how we
examine these events and a culture that remains pervasive to
change. An aviation expert and former firefighter, the presenter
walks you through a more productive way to view human error
and ways to better understand and manage these “erroneous-inhindsight to” decisions during debriefing settings. Benefit from
the presenter’s experiences of investigating numerous major
airline accidents and hundreds of incidents across numerous
fields by becoming more proactive with regard to the problems
facing your department. ALL LEVELS
In most cases, today’s leaders of volunteer or small combination
fire departments rise through the ranks one year at a time, gaining
their knowledge through fire service course work or handson experience. Often, they do not receive training specifically
relating to management concepts and principles based on
business strategies and philosophies. This workshop provides this
type of introductory training through mini-modules in each of the
following topics: understanding fire department studies, reviews,
and long-range planning; managing fire service resources through
GIS mapping; fire department facilities, needs, maintenance,
and long-range planning; fire department vehicle and fleet
management and needs assessments; and understanding
National Fire Protection Association 1720, Standard for the
Organization and Deployment of the Suppression Operations,
Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the
Public by Volunteer Fire Departments. Any attendee can benefit
from this session; however, this is a must-have workshop for new
or future officers especially fire service emerging leaders ages
18-28. BASIC
Why Fire Prevention Education Doesn’t Work
in Today’s Fire Service
Assistant Chief of Training and Prevention Becki White, Eden
Prairie (MN) Fire Department
There has been a larger focus on fire prevention and community
risk reduction, but there is little information on how to evaluate
risks and develop programs beyond the one-size-fits-all messages
that don’t necessarily meet the needs of all communities. The
fire service is taking a fresh look at tactics, but our prevention
messages, in many cases, haven’t changed in decades. We
need to align the current fire environment and risks with our
communities in the messages we’re delivering. ALL LEVELS
50
OPENING CEREMONY
GENERAL SESSION
GENERAL INFORMATION
Celebrate the unique and time-honored tradition of the
Opening Ceremony and General Session at FDIC 2016.
This year’s moving presentations include the following:
• Video highlights from the Hands-on Training (H.O.T.) evolutions that took place the days before.
• Tribute to the 2015 U.S. and Canadian fallen firefighters.
This year’s keynote speakers will jump-start your FDIC experience as you begin the
classroom portion of the week. Wednesday’s keynoter is Chief Steve Pegram, Goshen
Twp. (OH) Fire Department, and president of the International Society of Fire Service
Instructors. Thursday’s keynoter is Assistant Chief Derek Alkonis of the Los Angeles County
(CA) Fire Department, who, over his 25-year career, has been instrumental in establishing
his department as a leader in fireground safety and fire service wellness-fitness. A firm
proponent of training, he has developed and implemented innovative programs supporting fireground tactics, survival, and
firefighter health.
Presentation of the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award. Nominations for this award are accepted until January 7, 2016,
for someone who performed a meritorious act at an incident that occurred between December 1, 2014, and November 30,
2015. The recipient receives a cash award of $35,000 and a medal.
Presentation of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award to Fire Department of New York Battalion
Chief (Ret.) Jerry Tracy and a look at previous winners, including such fire service legends as Alan
Brunacini, Ray Downey, Denis Onieal, John Norman, Vincent Dunn, Francis Brannigan, Bill Peters, and Ron
Siarnicki. This award is named for Fire Engineering Editor in Memoriam Tom Brennan, who embodied a
lifetime of achievement in the fire service.
Presentation of the George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award. This award, formerly the Fire Engineering Training
Achievement Award that was given to such well-known fire service trainers as Andy Fredericks, Mike Lombardo, John
Salka, Scott Millsap, Forest Reeder, and Tracy Raynor, is given in conjunction with the International Society of Fire Service
Instructors (ISFSI). It recognizes individuals for extraordinary accomplishments in fire service training. Nominations must
be received by December 31, 2015.
These dynamic morning sessions, held Wednesday, April 20, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m., and
Thursday, April 21, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m., are always motivational and are not to be missed!
51
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Real-World Hydraulics
Combined Fire Attack
Chief Kirk Allen, Kansas (IL) Fire Protection District
Fire Officer Arturo Arnalich, European Organization for Nuclear
Research International Presenter
Are you tired of being told something, taught something, or sold
something with claims of performance, only to find out after the
fact that the claims were less than promoted and, in some cases,
completely erroneous? The focus is on flow testing—the major
issues uncovered that few are aware of—from the water main in
the ground to the fire hose in your hand. Knowing the problem is
only half the battle. The other half is becoming acquainted with
the simple solutions proposed in this class. ALL LEVELS
Cultural Competence for the Fire and Emergency
Services
Deputy Chief Michael Allora, Clifton (NJ) Fire Department
Strategies for engaging multicultural communities to maximize
effectiveness in providing services such as risk reduction, public
education, disaster management, and emergency response to
diverse communities are the focus. ALL LEVELS
Volunteer or Career: the 12 Keys to Becoming a
Professional
Assistant Professor Paul Antonellis, Merrimack College, North
Andover, Massachusetts
Battalion Chief Bob Atlas, Contra Costa (CA) Fire Department
Fire and Crash Response to High-Voltage
Vehicles
Assistant Chief (Ret.) Brock Archer, Hopland (NC) Fire District
Understanding how to safely interact with high-voltage
vehicles is a must for the modern rescuer. Learn the universal
procedures to safely “shut down” and “make safe” all hybrid
and electric vehicles. The instructor has developed, based on
research studies, operational considerations and tactics for
extinguishment, overhaul, release, and transport of these vehicles
when they have been involved in fire incidents.
ALL LEVELS
How Diversity and Politics Influence Change
Management
All organizations are built around political, ethical, and social
forces and differences in beliefs and values that help shape
the culture within the organization. This class examines how
diversity and politics can influence change management in an
organization and what steps you can take to include all members
in open, honest, and respectful communication to ensure that the
organization is operating at peak performance. ALL LEVELS
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A proper combination of tools, techniques, and tactics (3T)
allows for safer, more efficient, and more effective firefighting
operations. It’s all about timing and coordination. Given the
same fire scene and context, different fire services approach the
situation using divergent tactics, often with opposite approaches.
The combined fire attack is one of many examples of a tactics
combination that brings together the advantages of transitional
attack, positive-pressure attack (PPA), and the traditional
European antiventilation and gas-cooling techniques. One of
the biggest disadvantages of PPA is the rapid fire development
in today’s ventilation-controlled fire environments. Softening
the target and using gas cooling before and during interior
progression prevent fire development while the positive-pressure
ventilation fan enforces the desired flow path and prevents
steaming of the attack team during the transitional attack.
Are we professionals, or is that just what we call ourselves?
A professional prepares and trains to a standard well above
the amateur. Your personal implementation of standards and
training prepares you to become a professional. In today’s fire
service, those who seek professionalism will be rewarded with
an incredible sense of accomplishment and success. This class
examines 12 “keys” to professionalism for career and volunteer
firefighters, officers, and chief officers. Among the topics
covered are strategies and tactics for putting the customer first,
organizing your career action plan, and embracing change.
ALL LEVELS
Effective Roof Operations: Lessons Learned
from East to West
Chief Ken Bailey, Travis County (TX) Fire Rescue
Roof operations vary from the East Coast to West Coast. Students
gain an understanding of vertical ventilation techniques from
across the country and are shown how to blend best practices
for safe, predictable, and effective roof operations. The course is
based on firsthand experience of training with firefighters from
coast to coast and cutting countless roofs in training and on the
fireground. Among the topics covered are tool selection, roof
techniques/tricks of the trade, building construction, and roof
diagnostics; all of this is compared and contrasted with what the
new science is saying about traditional ventilation practices.
ALL LEVELS
105 Tactical Extrication Tips in 105 Minutes
Engineer Paramedic Leslie Baker, Charleston (SC) Fire
Department
This high-tempo presentation covers the extrication process from
preparation to termination and includes 105 tactical-level tips
that better prepare students to respond to today’s motor vehicle
collisions. Establishing command, sizing up the incident, and
formulating a plan based on good strategies are among the topics
addressed. The street-level tips are presented through case
studies with photos and videos and can be implemented in any
department. ALL LEVELS
The Assessment Center Process: How To Be
Successful
Battalion Chief Lisa Baker, Oakland (CA) Fire Department
Students are guided in the assessment center process and how
to achieve higher scores. PowerPoint® will be used to present
exercise questions. The focus will be on recognizing good
responses and those that need improvement. Students are guided
in the components of a better-than-satisfactory response and
receive pointers on how to do well in each aspect of the test.
ALL LEVELS
Assessing Your Comunity for the Wildland Urban
Interface Threat
Captain/Training Officer Seth Barker, Big Sky (MT) Fire
Department
Firefighter/Paramedic Freddie Batista, Fort Lauderdale (FL) Fire
Department
Walk through the process of choosing the right learning
management system for your fire department. Fire department
training has evolved. With shortages in staffing and the inability
to send personnel to conferences or out-of-state training,
departments need to look at another avenue for facilitating their
training. The focus is on selecting the learning management
systems (LMS) that will work best. Students are guided in
creating a checklist of questions to ask when shopping for the
most efficient and effective system. ALL LEVELS
Treating the Injured Firefighter
Captain Jason Blake, Montgomery County (MD) Fire/Rescue
Emphasis is on developing proactive and engaged officers who
facilitate training in the firehouse, on the street, and at the
academy so that fewer firefighters are killed and injured during
firefighting. Incumbent training is as important as initial training
and, many times, is an excellent opportunity to learn from the
near misses that occur almost every day. Students become
acquainted with the ideas of officers and instructors and proven
programs used in a combination department to teach firefighters
how to learn from past events and recent case studies. They
will see how lessons learned were the driving force for writing
objectives and building training props to deliver a high-intensity
training schedule to in-service units over a short time.
ALL LEVELS
View from the Street: The First 20 Minutes
Battalion Chief Richard Blatus, Fire Department of New York
It’s the middle of the night. Your pager goes off; it is reporting
smoke from a dwelling in a remote area of town. What runs
through your mind as you rush to get to the scene? What
information have you gathered? If you arrive first, what actions
will you take to establish safe and effective operational tactics?
This interactive program places you in the role of the incident
commander. Fireground operations are based on the information
gathered from the transmission of the alarm. Addressed are
topics such as what you could/should rely on if you are unable to
obtain the information you need to make safe/sound operational
decisions and what critical actions you can take to avoid some
of the pitfalls that can occur during the first 20 minutes of an
operation. ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Getting back to the basics with a wholistic approach to assessing
a community and the real-world challenges responders
face with the imminent threat of a wildland fire in the urban
interface are the focus. This approach includes identifying
target hazards, accurately creating an incident action plan, and
developing an overall strategy for the local fire department and
responding agencies. Specific topics include how to adequately
prepare to perform techniques for mitigating the hazards in
their communities; educating local agencies and community
stakeholders about what it means to fight wildland fires,
mitigate hazards, and develop real response profiles; mapping
the community’s capabilities; ensuring that the customers
understand how much danger they are in and how to better
combat that danger in the future; and ensuring that all are fully
informed on all major threats to the fire district. ALL LEVELS
eLearning in the Fire Service: Choosing the Right
Learning Management System
53
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Special Operations in Small Departments
The Fire Service Harness: a Multipurpose Tool
Captain Art Bloomer, Kearny (NJ) Fire Department
Firefighter Chris Botti, Fire Department of New York
Many departments across the nation respond each year to
incidents that require specialized rescue equipment and the
proper training to operate it and quickly get in over their heads,
sometimes with tragic results. Every department should have at
least a basic knowledge of special operations. Learn about all of
the potential issues you may face when responding to these types
of incidents, how to identify the pitfalls, the laws and regulations
involved, and preparing for your next rescue response. Among
the topics addressed are the required training, the specialized
equipment needed to mitigate such incidents, “sizing up” your
response area to find sites prone to these types of incidents,
and getting these industries to aid you in training and obtaining
equipment. In addition, you will learn about other resources that
may be in your area, such as regional USAR teams, and how to
access them. ALL LEVELS
The fire service harness is more than just something to which you
attach your firefighter escape system. It is a multipurpose tool
that can be used for self-rescue, the rescue of civilians, and the
rescue of down firefighters. Students will gain an understanding
of how to use their fire service harness to its fullest extent.
Reviving Your Volunteer Program
Chief Scott Blue, Carroll County (GA) Fire Rescue
An overview of how one department rebuilt its volunteer
firefighter program. Carroll County is a combination fire
department that at one time had more than 200 volunteer
firefighters. Over the years, this number continued to decline. In
2014, the department reached an all-time low of only 18 active
volunteer firefighters. At this point, a new administration placed
emphasis on rebuilding the volunteer program to supplement
career staff. Over the next 16 months, the number of active
volunteers increased by more than 300 percent. The lessons
learned throughout this process are presented and discussed.
ALL LEVELS
Fostering an Atmosphere of Operational
Resilience
Firefighter G. Howard Blythe, Fire Department of New York
This presentation outlines a model of tactical characteristics,
training structure, and administrative philosophy that has the
potential to create an environment and culture of operational
resilience. This trait is one of the five characteristics of high
reliability organizations and is the cornerstone of efficient and
quick reacting operating organizations. In environments of high
consequence and constantly evolving conditions, operational
resilience is a principle that allows for greater organizational
success and individual performance. ALL LEVELS
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ALL LEVELS
A Broader View of “Science” and the Fireground
Major Jason Brezler, USMC/Fire Department of New York
The focus is on a broader view of science as it relates to the opensystem fireground. Valuable academic concepts are reinforced
with anecdotal and empirical evidence. The fire service has made
great strides in conferring with the scientific community in recent
years, but the application of “science” has been narrow. The most
significant scientific disciplines, those that center on the human
element, have been neglected. The human element plays the most
critical role in determining outcomes. ALL LEVELS
Bruno and Norman “Unplugged”
Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department; and
Deputy Assistant Chief (Ret.) John Norman, Fire Department of
New York
An opportunity to see, hear, and interact with these two fire
service luminaries. Glean the lessons learned from their illustrious
firefighting careers. Share their observations and perspectives in
an informal and entertaining atmosphere. Available only at FDIC.
ALL LEVELS
Gaining Relative Superiority: the 2 1/2-Inch
Attack Line
Firefighter Brian Brush, Edmond (OK) Fire Department
Students learn that a cut in staffing does not automatically have
to mean a reduction in the size of the hoseline used. A threeperson engine is far and away the most common firefighting unit
in the country. On paper, this appears appropriate: an officer, an
engineer, and a firefighter. The real-world translation at a working
fire is pump operator and two firefighters. Many organizations
use this perceived staffing deficiency to explain away their ability
to place anything other than a 1 3/4-inch hoseline into service. The
fallacy is that the 2 1/2-inch line necessitates more people or is
more complicated. In many situations, this is not true. Operating
as a 1 3/4-inch-only department is a choice; operating as a one-line
engine is a result of staffing deficiencies. They are independent.
The 2 1/2-inch handline is a larger line, but it is still a single line.
Through training, education, and proper tool selection, your
company can effectively deploy and initiate an attack with the
bigger weapon. ALL LEVELS
Preparing You for Survival: IAFF/IAFC Wellness The Changing Nature of Large-Vehicle Fire
Fitness Initiative/Candidate Physical Ability Test Operations
Lieutenant Michael Cacciola, Fire Department of New York
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)/International
Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire Service Joint LaborManagement Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI) is the fire serviceaccepted program to build and maintain fit uniformed personnel.
Fitness—medical, physical, and mental—necessitates than an
effective wellness program be available to recruits, incumbents,
and retirees. This program offers a step-by-step approach to
implementing the entire WFI. It has now been more than 10 years
since the release of the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT).
More than 1,000 jurisdictions have successfully implemented this
valuable program. This class provides data to demonstrate the
successes in this program, especially as a fair evaluation system
for the selection of firefighters to ensure that all firefighter
candidates possess the physical ability to complete critical
tasks effectively and safely as well as provide for increased fire
department diversity. ALL LEVELS
Captain/Fire Prevention Officer Robert Callahan, Bossier Parish
(LA) Fire District 1
Much like today’s structure fires, fires involving large highway
vehicles, including 18-wheelers, buses, and recreational vehicles,
have undergone a radical change in the past several years. New
hydrocarbon-based solid fuels in greater quantities have led to
faster burning, hotter, and more dangerous fires that can easily
challenge a department’s response capabilities. The changing
nature of these fires presents personnel, operational, and
logistical challenges that were not issues in the past but now
challenge even the most well-staffed volunteer, combination,
and small career departments. These challenges are discussed,
and students learn how to solve them through preplanning,
using mutual aid, and employing tactical changes that include
using heavy-flow initial lines on the fireground that will allow
the balance of power to tip back into the favor of the responding
departments. ALL LEVELS
Common Principles of Firefighting (Conceptos
Comunes del Combate Contra Incendios)
In for the Long Haul: Introduction to Firefighter
Mental Resilience
Captain Pedro Cáceres, Wayne Township (IN) Fire Department
This Class Is Taught in Spanish
Assistant Chief of Chaplaincy Steve Calvert, Coppell (TX) Fire
Department
Firefighting often differs from one department to another, from
one region of the country to another, and definitely from one
country to another. At the same time, several principles are
constant for all good firefighting, even at the international level.
Teamwork, command presence, training, situational awareness,
and fitness and are all factors that can improve the fire service
regardless of its location. This class reviews these principles by
using case studies that illustrate the need for and importance of
sound firefighting principles and includes the sharing of lessons
learned and supporting research and data. ALL LEVELS
Consider the information shared “bunker gear for the mind.”
The focus is on the safety aspects of mental resiliency (National
Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Life Safety Initiative 13) and on
actions firefighters can take to build awareness and safeguards
against distractions that can negatively affect their safety on the
fire line. ALL LEVELS
See description in Spanish on page 86.
Battalion Chief Dane Carley, Fargo (ND) Fire Department
Achieving Success Isn’t an Accident: the Higher
Reliability Organizing Path
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The focus is on higher reliability organizing (HRO). Students
learn how to recognize and adapt to changes brought about by
the constant flux in today’s environment. HRO, used by other
industries, is a resource that can help the fire service to use
its members to recognize threats and opportunities and create
new ideas that can lead to potential solutions. The system is
applicable to day-to-day operations as well as emergency scenes.
HRO develops advantageous behaviors in members, which makes
it part of the culture and fosters an expectation of performance.
ALL LEVELS
55
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Initial Size-Up Reports for First-Due Company
Officers
Lead from the Front: Fireground Tactics and
Leadership
Deputy Chief of Operations Leonard Carmichael Jr., Trenton (NJ)
Fire Department
Deputy District Chief (Ret.) Steve Chikerotis, Chicago (IL) Fire
Department
The initial on-scene size-up for the first-arriving officer at various
types of incident responses is the focus. This course addresses
Goals 3 and 4 of the United States Fire Administration’s
Emergency Services Leader Strategic Plan. The framework is
established for the entire fireground experience from assessing
the incident scene arrival information to setting up an incident
management system. Through lecture and individual scenario
assessment, students use a systematic mental checklist
(Command, Actions, Size-Up, and Help—CASH) for on-scene
size-up reports that can be applied to all incidents. Topics include
the establishment of command, the 13 point size-up factors,
actions of the first-due companies, and additional resources that
will be needed. This class is a plus for promotional exams.
Leadership principles to fireground tactics are covered. Students
share in leadership lessons learned by the instructor during his
36-year career in the Chicago Fire Department. Modern tactics
are compared with traditional tactics from the perspectives of
what has changed and why. Audiovisuals reinforce powerful
lessons learned. Among additional aspects covered are team
building and leadership, earning respect, motivating other
firefighters, risk management, fireground tactics, communications
and accountability, critical incident decision making, and
achieving your goals. ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
Running a Volunteer Fire Department
Harry Carter, Chairman, Board of Fire Commissioners, Howell
Township, New Jersey
The majority of the fire departments in the United States and
North America are volunteer organizations. This class will help
members of volunteer departments of all sizes to understand
their organization and how it works. Organizational design,
leadership, management, training, recruiting and retention, and
ethical behavior are addressed. Attendees will be able to use
the information to make their organizations more dynamic and
effective. ALL LEVELS
Fire Research and Victim Survivability: What
About the Victim?
Firefighter John Ceriello, Fire Department of New York
56
Three major research projects have been conducted looking at the
fire dynamics associated with ventilation of a residential structure
fire. The impact of horizontal, vertical, and positive-pressure
ventilation on the residential fire environment was tested with
results indicating how fire department operations impact fire
dynamics. Hundreds of thousands of data points for temperature,
gas velocity, pressure, and gas concentrations were recorded and
analyzed to identify tactical considerations. In all the experiments,
these data were recorded not only after fire department arrival
but also during fire growth. This class reviews these data while
emphasizing what it means for potential victims in these types of
structures. How fire department operations impact the potential
survivability of the victims is discussed, and veteran fire officers
will explain what this means on the street and offer operational
suggestions for successful victim rescue. ALL LEVELS
Tower Ladder Tactics and Tips
Lieutenant Michael Ciampo, Fire Department of New York
More and more fire departments are purchasing tower ladder
apparatus for the overall safety of their firefighters. Many
departments and firefighters transferring to a tower ladder
company don’t understand all of the apparatus’ uses and
capabilities. This class covers everything from training to setup,
tactical tips, and overall operations, including street smarts for
the tower ladder operator. ALL LEVELS
Developing the Next Generation of Fire Service
Leaders
Assistant Chief Douglas Cline, Horry County (SC) Fire Rescue
The focus is on creating a professional development model for
your organization. This model consists of a planned, progressive,
and lifelong process of education, training, self-development,
and experience. Professional development is a critical element
of leadership. When you step up to accept the responsibility
of leadership, you also accept an obligation to continue your
training, education, learning, and personal experience so that
you improve your effectiveness. Fire service organizations must
provide continual guidance to their personnel through a carefully
crafted professional development plan that meets the specifics of
the organization. ALL LEVELS
What Would You Do?
Assistant Chief (Ret.) John “Skip” Coleman, Toledo (OH)
Department of Fire and Rescue
Every firefighter riding the seat of a fire apparatus, regardless of
rank, could be called on to establish command at a fire or other
incident. This class will help you to develop the skills necessary to
initially assume command at an emergency incident. Students will
be walked through the command process at scenarios presented.
ALL LEVELS
Drawn by Fire: the Art of Making a Difference
Editorial Cartoonist Paul Combs, Fire Engineering
Paul Combs has been creating fire service editorial cartoons for
more than a decade and has the stories, successes, failures, and
backlash scars to show for it! Get an inside look at his creative
process and see what makes one of his zany cartoons come
to life. He will also show a selection of work that has made a
difference in his career and share the cartoons that have evoked
the strongest reactions—good and bad. You will be encouraged
and motivated to find your own voice to make a positive
difference in the fire service by exploring your own tools (skills).
ALL LEVELS
Firefighter Free Speech
Chief David Comstock, Western Reserve (OH) Joint Fire District
The interaction between a firefighter’s First Amendment right
of free speech and a governmental employer’s right to maintain
order and discipline within the fire department is explored.
Federal rules and regulations and court cases that have
addressed many of the repeating conflicts that occur within the
firehouse, including criticisms of fire officials, retaliatory action,
preemptory gag orders, participation in public demonstrations,
and contacting city officials outside of the chain of command,
are reviewed. Precedent court case rulings are applied to recent
controversies involving social media rants and raves. ADVANCED
Zero to Hero: Leadership Habits Before the
Emergency
Captain Larry Conley, St. Louis (MO) Fire Department
The focus is a principle-based approach to emergency services.
Participants learn the details of the EMPOWER model. By
internalizing this model, they learn to improve their personal
leadership qualities and, consequently, to build stronger teams.
Toothpick Towers: a Fire Officer’s Guide to
Operating in Lightweight Wood-Frame Multiple
Dwellings
Associate Professor Glenn Corbett, John Jay College, New York
City; Technical Editor, Fire Engineering
This course covers the evolution of lightweight Type V
construction and the variety of dangers it poses to firefighters.
Attendees will become acquainted with specific tools for dealing
with these buildings from the planning stage blueprint through
the major nightmare fire. Most fire departments across the
United States have lightweight Type V construction apartments,
townhouses, and hotels in their jurisdictions. Although lightweight
wood-frame construction has been in existence for more than
40 years, recent changes to codes and new technologies have
conspired to make them one of the most significant challenges
the fire service faces today. ADVANCED
Director (Ret.) Anthony Correia, Bucks County (PA) Rescue Squad
Dealing with vehicle extrications and complex highway incidents
involves the coordination of multiple agencies, whether a one-car
motor vehicle collision that ties up traffic on the New Jersey
Turnpike on a holiday weekend or a multiple-casualty incident
(MCI) with a school bus on a weekday. The dynamics related to
these incidents create chaos surrounding issues such as who
is in charge and how to properly manage and use resources at
these types of incidents. Attendees actively participate in teambuilding exercises related to managing people, vehicles, egos,
and the scene through proper size-up and use of the incident
command system. Topics include crew resource management,
communication, situational awareness, teamwork, decision
making, and barriers to implementing these functions. Students
will practice these skills in exercises to improve their operational
effectiveness at these types of incidents.
Community Risk Reduction: the Future of the
Fire Service
Fire Marshal (Ret.) Jim Crawford, Vancouver (WA) Fire
Department
The participants gain an understanding of community risk
reduction as it is truly defined—an integrated approach to risk
management for local communities. They learn how it blends
emergency operations and prevention strategies at the station
level and review case studies from around the world that show
it produces measurable results and improves community
relationships. ALL LEVELS
IAFF/IAFC/ACE Peer Fitness Training and
Rehabilitation Program
Battalion Chief George Cruz, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire
Department
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
ALL LEVELS
Successful Management of Extrications and
Complex Roadway Incidents
Firefighting continues to be one of the most demanding
occupations in the United States and Canada. Research reveals
the need for high levels of physical fitness to safely perform the
necessary duties within the fire service career. Students become
familiar with the new third edition of the International Association
of Fire Fighters (IAFF)/International Association of Fire Chiefs
(IAFC)/ACE® Peer Fitness Training (PFT) program, which has
been revised to place emphasis on overall health and wellness
both on and off the job. The focus is on the fire department’s
taking the lead in ensuring that uniformed personnel are properly
rehabilitated. During rehabilitation, clinicians familiar with
firefighting job requirements or essential job functions should
determine uniformed personnel’s functional capacities and
readiness to return to full duty. In short, the fire department must
facilitate the process from beginning to end, and the revised PFT
program focuses on aiding personnel to be physically prepared for
returning to full duty and thereafter. BASIC
57
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
“Drive to Survive”: the Art of Wheeling the Rig
Firefighter/EMT (Ret.) Christopher Daly, Goshen Fire Department,
West Chester (PA)
Countless hours are spent training on topics such as fire
suppression, vehicle extrication, and mass-casualty incidents, yet
these skills are used few and far between. But, every emergency
incident, no matter how minor, requires drivers to use their driving
skills, and little attention is paid to driver training. Although nearly
25 percent of firefighter and EMS fatalities are the direct result
of motor vehicle crashes, few agencies train their members on
the safe operation of emergency apparatus. This class teaches
members that no matter how long they have been driving or how
“good” they think they are, there are limits to the safe operation
of an emergency apparatus or personal vehicle. Using the same
techniques used by crash investigators, the seminar is designed
to provide a better understanding of important topics critical for
the safe operation of an emergency vehicle. ALL LEVELS
The Three Cs of Fire Operations
Battalion Chief Sean DeCrane, Cleveland (OH) Fire Department
Students are introduced to a system that uses the “Three Cs”
on the fireground and incorporates the “Four Ws of Ventilation”
to facilitate making the fireground safer. Research and live fire
scenarios are used to illustrate the importance of implementing
these concepts on the fireground. There have been many changes
in the fire service over the past 20 to 30 years. These changes
have required that the fire service adapt, change, or modify
its approaches to battling fires: We have implemented rapid
ventilation tactics to permit engine companies to enter structures;
we ventilate to create a more tenable atmosphere for occupants.
Have we made things safer and better? ALL LEVELS
Leadership Panel on Firefighter Addiction,
Mental Health, and Recovery
Battalion Chief Daniel DeGryse, Chicago (IL) Fire Department;
Chief Patrick Kenny, Western Springs (IL) Fire Department;
Captain/Chaplain Jeremy Hurd, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire
Department; Firefighter (Ret.) John Walters, Fire Department
of New York; Captain (Ret.) Jeff Dill, Palatine (IL) Rural Fire
Protection District; and Firefighter (Ret.) Dr. Beth Murphy,
Bellevue (WA) Fire Department
58
The mental health and well-being of the men and women in the
fire service are the focus of this forum. With growing awareness
and discussion on topics such as suicide, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse, fire service
personnel are looking for venues that provide information and
direction on such topics. The experienced professionals on this
panel have presented on these topics across the United States.
They will share some of their experiences and field critical
questions surrounding these issues. ALL LEVELS
Turning the Corner on Behavioral Health in the
Fire Service
Battalion Chief Daniel DeGryse, Chicago (IL) Fire Department
This class is an overview of behavioral health awareness in the
fire service. The focus is on substance abuse, mental health,
and suicide. Student participation will be encouraged for a safe
discussion on these issues and to see what is trending across
the nation. The stress response “flight or fight” all firefighters
experience over their career and its benefits and adverse affects
will be addressed. Learn some important resources available to
firefighters for treatment of these issues. ALL LEVELS
The Tyranny of the “Or”
Chief Tom DeMint, Poudre (CO) Fire Authority
This interactive class explores the trap in which the concept of
“or” puts organizations and cultures at odds with their values,
vision, and mission. The focus is on strategies for differentiating
between opposing forces that are absolute (wear your seat belt/
self-contained breathing apparatus) and those that artificially
indicate there is a single choice and on strategies for integrating
the genius of “and.” In today’s fire service, we often find ourselves
trapped in comments or arguments such as “Do we fight fire
aggressively, ‘or’ do we reset the fire from the outside?” “Do
we honor tradition, ‘or’ do we become a progressive profession
responding to the ever-changing needs of our community?” F.
Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is
the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time
and still retain the ability to function.” ALL LEVELS
Understanding Mentoring in the Fire Service
Firefighter/Special Operations Technician Eric DePoto, Charlotte
(NC) Fire Department
The true meaning of mentoring, the characteristics that make
effective mentors, improving your already adequate mentoring
skills, and the effects of mentors (good or bad) on firefighters
are among the topics discussed. Students will critique the
mentoring styles and performances of individuals presented by
the instructor. ALL LEVELS
Saving Those Who Save Others
Captain (Ret.) Jeff Dill, Palatine (IL) Rural Fire Protection District
This class is dedicated to educating firefighters on suicide
awareness/prevention. It involves information gathered by the
Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance relative to firefighters’
ages, work status, reasons behind the suicide, and much more.
Attendees learn about signs/symptoms, behavioral health,
policies, procedures, training, resources, and how to become
involved with their employee assistance or chaplain program. The
class features role-play that involves real-life situations.
ALL LEVELS
Normalization of Deviance: How to Overcome
Complacency
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search: a New Approach
Lieutenant John Dixon, Teaneck (NJ) Fire Department
This course was developed with the modern fireground in mind.
Vent-enter-search is a time-tested and valuable tactic. The
modern fireground is much different from the firegrounds of 20 or
30 years ago. This class addresses the differences in fire growth,
thermal layering, ventilation-limited fires, flashover, lightweight
construction, fire loading, building configuration, and flow paths
on the modern fireground. Students see why vent-enter-isolatesearch (VEIS) needs an updated approach. Techniques for
carrying out a safe, effective, and efficient VEIS on the modern
fireground are covered, as is a review of tools and personnel
responsibilities. ALL LEVELS
The focus is on the “Normalization of Deviance” phenomenon,
which highlights all aspects of complacency on and off the
fireground. Emphasis is on organizational learning and leadership
and strengthening personal leadership qualities to navigate
through the “Drift into Failure” process. This is not solely a theory
or thought-laden class. The “how to” is stressed as students learn
to become more self-aware; recognize the signs of “drift”; and
learn to avoid, overcome, and battle this process by employing
actions that can help prevent firefighter injuries and deaths.
ALL LEVELS
Reading Smoke
Battalion Chief (Ret.) David Dodson, Response Solutions, LLC
The instructor uses a “walk-the-walk, talk-the-talk” approach
that does not include slides, note reading, or a teleprompter.
First-timers will benefit from an introduction to the reading smoke
principles using fireground video from real-world incidents (no
simulations). Returning participants benefit from several new
video examples that allow them to practice/maintain their reading
smoke skills. ALL LEVELS
A History of Boston’s Ladder Culture
Lieutenant Shawn Donovan, Boston (MA) Fire Department
The House on the Hill: Topographically
Challenged Firefighting
Lieutenant Danny Doyle, Pittsburgh (PA) Bureau of Fire
Learn the tactical challenges associated with structures built on
hillsides. Finding on your arrival at the scene a two-story, singlefamily structure on side A that transverses to five stories on side
C will dramatically affect your operation and firefighter safety.
Challenges are identified and countered with fireground-proven
solutions and innovative recommendations. Topics covered
range from the importance of size-up and detecting above- or
below-grade divisions and apparatus positioning for access to
tactical advantage to twists on basement fire tactics because
there are multiple floors below grade. Discuss street-smart tips
for company operations and the need for situational awareness,
survival skills, and escape systems. ALL LEVELS
Extrication and EMS: Coordinating Team
Delivery of Critical Care
Lieutenant Rommie Duckworth, Ridgefield (CT) Fire Department
Good vehicle extrication demands a unique collaboration between
rescue and emergency medical personnel. The objectives are
to increase situational awareness and improve your strategic
and tactical plans for extrication by incorporating key medical
information in the decision-making process. To save a victim
(not just chop up a vehicle), you need command, coordination,
communication, and care. A real-world approach incorporates
advanced life support considerations in the extrication strategy
and shows how basic life support first responders can manage
quickly and effectively a great deal of critical trauma care.
Students learn how to deliver immediate life-saving treatment
more safely and efficiently, reduce time from patient contact
to patient surgery, and improve the lives of the people they are
protecting. ALL LEVELS
This House Rocks: Firehouse Excellence
Captain (Ret.) Michael Dugan, Fire Department of New York; and
Captain Michael Gagliano, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The focus is on the ground ladder as a proven effective life-safety
tool. Students journey through the history and evolution of the
ground ladder in Boston, Massachusetts. Included are Boston’s
fire academy practices and drills, field drills, standard operating
procedures and standards relevant to ground ladder work, ground
ladder tactical considerations, and various ladder throws and
methods. Also featured are many documented incidents of how
ground ladders were used to effect life safety. ALL LEVELS
Lieutenant Eric Dreiman, Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department
A review of skills and tactics for dealing with issues and problems
common to firehouses and departments. The focus is on the five
key characteristics that make the difference between a firehouse
in which everyone wants to work vs. one where nobody wants to
go. These five “markers” are: (1) a compelling vision, (2) individual
responsibility/house pride, (3) teamwork, (4) prepared to get the
job done … whatever the job may be, and (5) have fun!
ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Emergency Responses to Alternative Fuel
Vehicles
Line-of-Duty Deaths While Training in Rope
Rescue/Rappelling
Captain Jason Emery, Waterbury (CT) Fire Department
Rescue Training Coordinator Christopher Feder, Montgomery
County (PA) Department of Public Safety
Recent trends in the transportation industry have shown that
the number of hybrid and electric vehicles as well as gaseous
fuels and fuel cell vehicles on the world’s roads continues to
grow. Students are given an overview of vehicles using these
types of alternative drive systems and the impact on emergency
operations. Among the topics covered are identification methods,
vehicle systems and hazards, and response procedures. Buses
and other commercial vehicles now gaining in popularity are
included. Attendees learn how to safely work around these
vehicles. ALL LEVELS
Efficient Rural Water Delivery: Accomplishing
More with Less
Firefighter Jason Estep, Morrisvale (WV) Volunteer Fire
Department
Water and personnel are the most valuable resources fire
departments have in controlling fire in rural America. However,
both seem to be in short supply and are cited as reasons for the
ineffectiveness of rural departments. There is a better way. The
focus of this class is on the challenges for rural fire departments
and ways to address them through training. Among these issues
are the following: (1) Fire departments are failing to set the
dump tank. Nurse tanker operations are ineffective and do not
support the fire flows that today’s modern construction demands.
(2) Firefighters have lost the ability to recognize usable water
sources. (3) We are very inefficient in fill site operations, and
they are very labor intensive. Among solutions discussed are the
vacuum tanker, which greatly enhances fill operations, improves
fill time, and saves personnel, and fill site operations, which are
measured in a metric of gallon per minute per firefighter, which
gives a good rating of the efficiency of an operation.
ALL LEVELS
When it comes to training, safety should always be paramount.
We should have full control over training and drills to ensure
participants’ health and safety at all times. Occasionally,
firefighters get injured and, in some cases, die in training. If
we look at a few line of-duty-death (LODD) investigations, we
see that many of these incidents were, in fact, preventable.
This program reviews case studies in which a line-of-duty
death occurred while the victim was engaged in some type of
rope rescue/rappelling training. Students are guided in writing,
updating, and re-evaluating their departmental standard
operating procedures to increase safety and decrease risk to
firefighters. Topics addressed include equipment and personal
protective equipment, training facilities, curriculum and drill
design, instructor requirements, applicable National Fire
Protection Association standards, and recommendations.
ALL LEVELS
Real-World Counseling in the Assessment Center
Setting
Deputy Chief Freddie Fernandez, Miami (FL) Department of Fire
Rescue
Human resources are the most valuable assets fire officers
manage; therefore, excellent interpersonal skills are mandatory
to be a thriving leader. The focus is on counseling subordinates
and the effects of personal problems on workplace performance.
Addressed are developing and implementing an achievable
performance improvement plan, strategies for uncovering
underlying personal issues that may be affecting personnel
performance, and tips for enhancing the effectiveness of a
counseling session. Students are guided in methods for obtaining
input from the subordinate for the improvement plan and in the
potential consequences of action or nonaction. ALL LEVELS
Drilling for Function: an Examination of Methods
and Culture
Firefighter Aaron Fields, Seattle (WA) Fire Department
60
The focus in on the nuts and bolts of creating and implementing
drills and training programs. The methods within the program are
scalable, allowing individuals to create individual and company
level drills up to departmentwide training and curriculum
development. The program uses “Nozzle Forward” as the model,
but it is focused on the methods used for instruction within the
program, which provide a template for any skill set. In addition,
the program addresses common educational mistakes, pitfalls,
and misinformation often found in fire service training circles.
ALL LEVELS
Firefighter Training Programs: a New Approach
Lieutenant Robert Finger Jr., Manlius (NY) Fire Department
Learn a new approach to training in these busy times: the “Do the
skill or do the drill” model. Members do not have enough time to
get the training they need. Maybe 10 people show up for drill, but
20 do not! How do you know that everyone has the skills to be
safe and efficient? Receive a complete training program, including
skills sheets and lesson plans. INTERMEDIATE
Quint Considerations for the Single-Truck
Suburban Department
Lieutenant Rob Fisher, Snohomish County (WA) Fire District #7
Many departments of varying sizes use quints, but how
departments use them differs according to the resources
available. The primary focus is on the importance of traditional
truck work from the perspective of working on a nontraditional
truck from which you can stretch a hoseline. The big question
is, when do you stretch the line and work as an engine and when
do you decide to position and work as a truck? The pros/cons
of operating quints and the lessons learned by others who have
worked on them are also discussed. INTERMEDIATE
Fire Operations in Protected Structures
Lieutenant Brad French, Dayton (OH) Fire Department
Meth Lab Fire; Now What?
Captain Tobias Frost, Lafayette (IN) Fire Department
Meth labs are everywhere, even on TV. What are our hazards?
What is the myth vs. the science? How do we decontaminate
responders and limit on-scene time? How can we handle these
labs, and what do we need to watch out for? These are among the
questions addressed. In addition, several production methods are
evaluated along with a new response model that pairs fire-based
hazmat response with police-based lab processing for faster,
more efficient scene processing. Several case studies are used to
help identify some of the hazards associated with illicit labs.
ALL LEVELS
Chief Kriss Garcia, American Fork (UT) Fire & Rescue
Amidst all the studies, hype, and hysteria, there are proven
methodologies for putting positive-pressure attack into operation
safely and effectively. This class looks at the decades worth of
practical application of using fans for ventilating fire structures.
It drives home that firefighter safety and victim survivability
necessitate controlling the fire environment. ALL LEVELS
They Are Us: Fireground Size-Up, Command,
Control, Accountability, and Survival
Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire
Department
It happened to them ... but when will it be us? We turn out day
in and day out, normally expecting what to expect, but that’s not
always the case. Sometimes, things don’t go as we thought they
would. Sometimes, it goes far worse. Success and survival on
the fireground have no guarantees; sometimes things go horribly
wrong, even when we do our best. Other times, things go horribly
wrong, and all the warning signs were there on the scene well
before the fire even started. These are the fires we must learn
from. The focus is on the proven facts of some recent fires.
The lessons learned are taught with the resolve to honor those
involved by not repeating fireground history. ALL LEVELS
The Hearthwood Condominium Fire: the Good,
the Bad, and the Ugly (Firefighter Fatality)
Deputy Chief Stuart Grant, Grapevine (TX) Fire Department
This presentation addresses the good things that happened at
the Hearthwood Condominium fire—the rescues that were made,
the tactics that were instituted, and the rapid intervention team’s
actions. It also examines the bad things that happened that night:
the confusion that existed at the command post and the ugly
things that happened that took Dallas Firefighter Stan Wilson’s
life. The class concludes with lessons learned. ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Do you really know the buildings in your first-due? Various
concepts of fire protection systems, some of which can be quite
complicated or intimidating, are brought down “to the street” for
firefighters. Significant knowledge of standpipe and sprinkler
systems, fire pumps, elevators, fire alarm control panels, smoke
control systems, and other building safety features is often
reserved for fire prevention or code enforcement personnel.
Students gain an understanding of complex fire protection system
components that will enable them to apply the easy-to-remember
principles on incidents. They are also guided in developing a
realistic preincident planning process. Case studies involving
line-of-duty deaths and high-dollar-loss fires that occurred
in buildings despite fire protection systems being in place are
examined. ALL LEVELS
Rules of Engagement for Positive-Pressure
Attack
Attack from the Burned Side
Lieutenant Sean Gray, Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency
Services
There are many tactics for attacking structure fires. For years,
the fire service has been preaching to attack from the unburned
side. However, there are times when this isn’t always the best
tactic. Students will learn tasks and tactics they can use to
extinguish fires that originate on the exterior and extend into the
attic. Using case studies and with practical experience, students
analyze how the “unburned side” fallacy and other fallacies have
led to firefighter injuries and deaths. Recent research data are
discussed in detail, and students learn how to apply this research
to the fireground to make it safer, smarter, and more efficient.
This class is against the grain of traditional firefighting and offers
an innovative approach to fighting today’s fires.
ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Surviving the Insult: 2016 Interior Benchmarking Mitigating New Vehicle Technology Rescue
Challenges: Tomorrow’s Cars Are Here!
Lieutenant William Greenwood, Keene (NH) Fire Department
Making educated decisions in today’s hostile fire environment
is critical for firefighter health and safety. This class helps to
make sense of the science and help students understand why
bad things are happening to good firefighters every day. The
latest fire dynamics studies, an in-depth look at interpreting the
findings of a thermal imaging camera for safer decision making,
and a review of how your personal protective equipment protects
from burn injuries are discussed. Students will examine damaged
turnout gear firefighters were wearing when they suffered burn
injuries and will receive the five-step situational awareness
model “Interior Benchmarking,” an easy-to-remember systematic
process for benchmarking interior conditions as you operate on
the inside. These benchmarks (What do I see? What do I hear?
What do I feel? Where exactly am I? How long did it take to get
here?) will provide the interior firefighter with information for
making educated-aggressive decisions on “go or no go.”
ALL LEVELS
Deputy Chief (Ret.) Carl Haddon, North Fork (ID) Fire Department
The message is that vehicles have changed and will continue
to change, as will the challenges and dangers they present at
extrication operations. Reevaluating traditional methods, tactics,
and equipment is a recurring theme in this class. Metallurgy,
design, construction, new 2017 glass standards, and safety
system changes are addressed. Additional topics include
challenges from hybrids and lithium ion battery-powered vehicle
fires and changes, advances, and limitations in current rescue
tool technology. This program is based on the first-hand, ongoing
relationship between the instructor and automotive engineers
from major automakers.Visual aids and vehicle photos are based
on donated tough new vehicles. ALL LEVELS
Fire-Law Enforcement Response: Command
Concepts for This “New Normal”
Chief Officer Ed Hadfield, Santa Maria (CA) Fire Department
Man vs. Machinery: Are You Prepared?
Captain Mark Gregory, Fire Department of New York
Machinery entrapments occur all across the United States
and Canada. Is your department capable of handling one?
The objectives of this program are to provide responders with
the knowledge to help manage incidents involving extrication
of patients from various types of machinery. Both common
machinery and machinery specific to locations within your
response area are discussed. This is a highly specialized skill set,
and caring for victims/patients entrapped in machinery requires
providers to be trained in specific treatment modalities and the
possible complications that may arise. Tool selection, patient
stabilization techniques, and crush injury syndrome are discussed
as well as several case studies.
ALL LEVELS
Standpipe Operations
Captain Bill Gustin, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue
The class examines standpipe firefighting tactics and strategy,
various types of standpipe systems and components, supplying
fire department connections, and methods of stretching and
advancing hoselines from standpipe outlets. ALL LEVELS
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The “new normal” is that both fire and law enforcement must work
in a unified command on a daily basis. The focus is on developing,
executing, and evaluating current command operations from the
perspective of a unified manner with fire and law enforcement
during day-to-day operations, not just active-shooter events.The
one-team command operation is used in patrol-level responses
to enhance officer safety and establish a command structure
that will rapidly escalate tactical environments to keep response
personnel safe and citizens protected. INTERMEDIATE
Quick Drills for the Driver/Operator
Captain Eric Hankins, Yuba City (CA) Fire Department
The role of the driver/operator is arguably one of the most
important functions on the fireground. From safe transportation
to and from the emergency scene to operating an engine or
a ladder truck at the scene of a multialarm fire, a competent
and proficient driver/operator is critical to the success of the
operation. This interactive class includes quick drills that can
be held at the firehouse or in the response district. They include
10-minute fireground hydraulic drills to complex troubleshooting
of a fire pump and how and when to short-jack a tower ladder or
position aerial master streams without personnel in the bucket.
ALL LEVELS
Incident Scene Safety for Fireground Operations
Assistant Chief Todd Harms, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department
The focus is on the incident commander’s (IC’s) operational and
safety responsibilities on the scene of a structural fire; the IC fills
the command and control role for the overall incident. Attendees
learn how to apply the eight functions of command and 11 safety
considerations discussed in class to fulfill these IC roles. The
objective is to decrease firefighter deaths and injuries on the
Construction Concerns: Modern Materials
Science in the Big Room
Deputy Chief (Ret.) Gregory Havel, Burlington (WI) Fire
Department
Panel: Director Stephen Kerber, UL Firefighter Safety Research
Institute; Fire Protection Engineer Dan Madrzykowski, National
Institute of Standards and Technology; Battalion Chief (Ret.)
Jerry Tracy, Fire Department of New York; and Assistant Chief
Derek Alkonis, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department.
Moderator: Battalion Chief Erich Roden, Milwaukee (WI) Fire
Department; editor in chief, Fire Rescue
Students are made aware of the characteristics of today’s
construction materials, the risks they pose for firefighters, and
ways to increase responder safety. At most fires, we assume
that immediate structural collapse will not happen. Today’s
manufactured building materials have little fire resistance and
collapse rapidly in fires. Prefire plans, operational procedures,
and size-up help us make informed decisions and can help us
work safely. Steel studs and trusses, laminated wood, and gypsum
board were developed to save time and skill; they are part of
most new and renovated buildings. Changes in construction
methods and materials mean changes in fire behavior and
firefighting. Firefighter survival requires prefire planning,
incident size-up and action plans, and changes to operating
procedures. Builders prefer manufactured products to natural
wood since the performance is more predictable under normal
conditions. Firefighters are concerned with the performance of
these products under abnormal conditions. We must know our
buildings: their construction, changing use, deterioration, and fire
resistance. INTERMEDIATE
Command and Control of Fireground Operations
The fire service continues to drive the movement for science-based
research to better understand the fire environment and how tactics
influence the fire conditions. Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
continue to partner with the fire service with laboratory and field
fire research. UL is in the process of more closely studying fire
suppression to educate the fire service in respect to the most
appropriate use of suppression appliances and techniques. The
most current information on this ground-breaking study will be
explained and discussed. NIST is also continuing its efforts to
answer questions that the fire service needs answered. NIST is
currently looking at some line-of-duty death incidents to recreate
the incident and test possible tactics that could possibly avert
similar future tragic events. Implementing tactical changes in
standard operating procedures and on the fireground will be
discussed and illustrated. ALL LEVELS
Battalion Chief George Healy, Fire Department of New York
Firm command and control of fire operations are critical to safely
mitigate the hazards encountered at the fire scene. All too often,
command fails to recognize or adjust to the current hazards units
are faced with at an incident. A confident fireground commander
is critical to ensuring the safety of operating units. An incident
commander is constantly growing and maturing as a leader with
each incident. Students share in lessons learned and tactics the
presenter used to control the fire scene during his 10-plus years
as an incident commander. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Big Box Store Firefighting Strategies and Tactics
Captain Aaron Heller, Hamilton Township (NJ) Fire District #9
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
This presentation is for any fire department that will potentially
respond to incidents involving these challenging structures. The
various aspects of box store building features, engine company
and truck company operations in these structures, large-area
search considerations, and firefighter safety and survival as
applicable to these large commercial buildings are among the
topics covered. Included are considerations for the incident
commander and the company officer. ALL LEVELS
Forcible Entry Wins Are in the Details
Lieutenant Samuel Hittle, Wichita (KS) Fire Department
Why are some forcible entry attempts efficient while others
are embarrassing? The answer is in the details. Setting forks,
running a saw, and merely striking are not enough to ensure a
win. Success requires knowledge of the system being defeated,
familiarity with potential tools, and understanding basic physics
concepts (levers, force multipliers, torque, impulse, inertia,
vectors). This class will demonstrate nonevasive and evasive
methods for windows, residential and commercial doors, overhead
doors, hinges, padlocks, magnetic locks, high-density commercial
systems, window bars, glass block, shearing, boarded openings,
and more. Techniques include hand tools only, saws, and singlefirefighter and company operations. Numerical evidence and
video will justify why details like body positioning, tool placement
and alignment, striking techniques, and exploiting system flaws
matter. ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
10 Commandments for the Company Officer: a
Guide for Success Off the Fireground
Captain Jason Hoevelmann, Florissant Valley (MO) Fire
Protection District
Just as it is true on the fireground that as the first line goes, so
goes the fire, it is also true that in the firehouse, as the company
officer goes, so goes the crew! You can look at any company or
house and tell a great deal about the attitude and competency of
its company officer. Learn 10 basic competencies for company
officers to get the most out of themselves and their crews. The
focus in on creating a firehouse environment that fosters and
mandates professionalism, effectiveness, and teamwork—
qualities also vital for effectiveness on the fireground. Emphasis
is on officers’ mastering the basics of leadership, motivation, and
empathy to a positive environment so company members can
flourish and grow. INTERMEDIATE
Instructing on the Drill Ground: Getting Your
Assignments Right
Help! This job Is Killing Me!
This highly motivational presentation examines the three primary
roles of the drill ground instructor: observation, evaluation, and
certification. It “challenges” attendees to identify the successful
elements of the primary roles and examines the consequences of
failing to properly perform each one. Attendees get an opportunity
to balance ethics and integrity when confronted with meeting
administrative and regulatory requirements for providing realistic
training in simulated structures. ALL LEVELS
Doing More with Less: Cross-Staffing Apparatus
Battalion Chief Chris Hubbard, Hanover (VA) Fire EMS
With many departments facing budget cuts and increasing
demands for emergency medical services (EMS), the fire service
has been forced to evaluate the possibilities of cross-staffing
EMS and fire apparatus with minimal staffing. Attendees learn
from several tricks of the trade to ensure they are meeting the
community’s expectations. This program provides a brief overview
of how the fire service began cross-staffing apparatus and how
this is quickly becoming the norm across the country and the
views of local government administrators. The program also
discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges some
departments are facing. ALL LEVELS
Lieutenant Angela Hughes, Baltimore County (MD) Fire
Department
This class is based on a near miss that could have cost two
firefighters their lives. A simple incident that started with a chair
on fire led to a fully involved basement. The firefighters were put
into a situation where they were part of the flow path. The interior
crew experienced all of the warning signs of high heat and low
visibility. The nozzle firefighter suffered second-degree burns to
her neck, ears, and face. The backup firefighter suffered firstdegree burns. Why did they stay in? This part of this lecture goes
beyond strategy and tactics. They were working with a group that
believed in the firefighting tactics of long ago. They felt they had
something to prove—something to prove, especially being women.
The lessons learned go far beyond that of general fire behavior
and changing tactics on the fireground. Feeling the need to prove
yourself, to be aggressive, could be a fatal mistake. ALL LEVELS
Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Hopson, Ocean County (NJ) Office of the
Fire Marshal
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Beyond the Burns: Lessons Learned
Captain Jeremy Hurd, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue
The focus is on how firefighters and emergency medical
services personnel cope with calls that are “out of the norm.”
Students learn how to prepare for these types of incidents, how
to interact with survivors and coworkers, how to give difficult
death notifications, and how to ensure that our personnel are
not negatively affected long-term by running these types of
calls. There will be lecture, discussion, role playing, and A/V
presentation tools that will help prepare students for the next
difficult death call each student will run. Behavioral health of
firefighters is also emphasized, including how to monitor the
individual’s behavioral health and the health of fellow firefighters
so that we can prevent the negative results that often come from
these types of calls. ALL LEVELS
Engine Company Operations: “Gallons Per
Second”
Battalion Chief Curt Isakson, Ecambia County (FL) Fire Rescue
This class covers the fire alarm assignment and where to stretch
the first three lines at a private-dwelling fire to stop fire spread
and search for trapped occupants. The focus is on aggressive
interior operations to save lives and stop property loss. Today’s
accelerated fire growth necessitates rapidly applying water in
terms of gallons per second and stopping fire growth while still
considering the trapped occupants. Nearly 3,000 Americans
trapped inside private dwellings during a fire die every year.
ALL LEVELS
Firefighting Operations in Mega-Mansions
The “Combat Ready” Engine Company
Past Chief Greg Jakubowski, Lingohocken (PA) Fire Company
Chief Tony Kelleher, Kentland (VA) Volunteer Fire Department
Today’s homes are being built larger than ever in all community
settings from rural to suburban to urban. These residential
occupancies present many significant risks and operational
challenges to commanders and fire companies. Building
construction, engineered systems, and design configurations of
common mega-mansions—ranging from 4,000 to 20,000 square
feet—are the focus. Topics include predictability of building
performance; occupancy risk and reading the building; and
strategic factors and tactical methodologies integrating the latest
on fire behavior, flow path, and compartment control with insights
on accessibility, limited water supply factors, and coordinated
operational and incident management principles. Firefighting
operations in these homes necessitate significantly different
operational models than those used in the conventional home;
these “new” models must ensure that command and company
officers and firefighters have the additional knowledge and skill
sets for safe operations. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
With the “Combat Ready” mindset as the foundation, this
multimedia, interactive class brings back the basics of engine
company operations and teaches attendees how to use those
basics to overcome obstacles, think outside the box, and prepare
for any operational task that needs to be carried out.
Death of a Member During a Training Exercise
Deputy Chief David Jephson, Terrace (British Columbia, Canada)
Fire Department International Presenter
Rescue Company Tools: the Must Haves and the
Nice to Haves
Lieutenant Thomas Kenney, Hyannis (MA) Fire Department
The class covers the tools available for rescue companies.
Tool groups are broken down into packages such as manual,
mechanical, electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic. Among the topics
discussed are which tools always work, must-have tools on the
rig, and buying into package tool systems. ALL LEVELS
Mayday for Mental Health
Chief Patrick Kenny, Western Springs (IL) Fire Department
The cultures inside and outside of the fire service as they relate
to mental health awareness, the history of how we have dealt
with traumatic incidents in the past, and some basic definitions of
common mental health conditions are part of the discussion. The
session addresses how volunteer and combination departments
that do not have access to the Employee Assistance Programs
(EAP) deal with this issue. Even if those programs are available,
are the firefighters referred to the EAPs courageous enough to
come forward? The presentation is delivered from a very personal
perspective of chief and the turmoil that naturally evolves from
trying to maintain the “super” image of the department leader vs.
the image of a father who is struggling to keep his son alive.
ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The mission is to stress to trainers that they need to be diligent
during all training exercises and not deviate from set course
guidelines just to make the class cool or sexy. This class is a
push to improve safety for our members. During a training/call
in a river in British Columbia, a search and rescue volunteer fire
department member died because the group was not directed
to focus on safety. During the exercise, which involved using a
highline system, the member was pulled out of the boat by a cable
and died in the river. Not that that was not enough, but there also
was no safety plan in place, and attempts to save the member
stopped after 18 minutes. Since that day, the presenter has been
discussing training and safety issues that he has learned from
this call as well as been an expert witness on the inquiry. Among
the topics covered are rapid intervention teams, backup crews,
accountability, and much more. ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
Top 20 Tactical Considerations from Firefighter
Research
Director Stephen Kerber, UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute
Tilt-Up Construction: Fortress or House of
Cards?
Firefighter James Johnson, Vancouver (British Columbia,
Canada) Fire and Rescue Services International Presenter
An in-depth look at the construction process of tilt-up buildings:
their construction and their materials and components. Students
will learn how to identify a tilt-up structure and the reasons this
type of structure is inherently dangerous for firefighters. Student
participation is encouraged. ALL LEVELS
Over the past several years, the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
have been working with the fire service to examine fire dynamics
and firefighting tactics. More than a hundred experiments have
examined the changes in the fire environment over time, the
impact of ventilating ventilation-limited fires, and the implications
of flow control and effectiveness in suppression tactics. These
experiments were conducted with firefighters from across the
country from departments of different types with varying levels of
staffing, resources, and operating procedures. The NIST and UL
studies have produced tactical considerations that have become
common themes over several studies that may change the way
you view your standard operating guidelines. ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Engine Company Operations: Avoiding Failure on
the Fireground
Initial Company Search and Rescue Tactics for
Tornado Events
Captain Mike Kirby, Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department
Lieutenant Scott Kleinschmidt, Wichita (KS) Fire Department
A review of the cultural, mental, and physical factors involved
in engine companies failing on the fireground. Poor fireground
operations, inadequate training, and multiple other factors can
lead to serious injury or death on the fireground. Firefighters and
company officers can effect change in the fire service. This class
will reenergize you and show you ways to be successful on the
Search and rescue operations related to tornado events are
not confined to any particular geographical location within the
United States. These violent acts of nature can strike anytime
and anywhere; lightweight residential and commercial structures
are at high risk for catastrophic damage. Often, these storms
strike in areas that might not have the specialized rescue
equipment of larger departments, leaving personnel to perform
these rescues under marginally safe conditions at best. Even
the biggest departments can find their resources maxed out,
leaving them in the same situation. This class focuses on how
to safely perform search and rescue operations in and around
these types of structures. Emphasis is on basic rescue operations
and techniques that can be safely performed using equipment
found on most engine and truck companies before specialized
equipment arrives from regional, state, or federal teams.
How to Start and Run a Certified Fire Academy
Through a High School
Lieutenant Tom Kiurski, Brighton (MI) Fire Department
Howell High School began teaching a state-certified fire academy
during school for the 2013-14 school year for the first time.
The course is the first successful fire academy taught in a high
school in Michigan. The instructor will discuss the arrangements,
challenges, and state participation and student/cadet issues you
should know about before you undertake this type of program.
This can become a great way to recruit and train firefighters who
know they want this at an early age. This program is a success.
Find out why! ALL LEVELS
The Illicit Manufacture of Butane Hash Oil:
Dangers to First Responders
Captain Siegfried Klein, Aurora (CO) Fire Department
The focus is on the chemicals, dangers, and risks for first
responders associated with the manufacturing of butane hash oil
and safe practices when encountering these labs. Students are
shown demonstrative evidence seized by Aurora Fire Department
fire and explosive investigators. On January 1, 2012, the State of
Colorado enacted Amendment 64, which made recreational use
and possession of marijuana and hash oil legal for people 21 years
of age and older. As a consequence, many people in Colorado
have been manufacturing this lucrative and potent oil, which has
led to several explosions in private and multifamily residences
in Aurora and throughout Colorado; in 2014, there were 32
explosions and fires in the state. ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
Stranded Energy and Firefighters: from Electric
Vehicles to Photovoltaic Systems
Senior Project Manager Andrew Klock, National Fire Protection
Association
Firefighters nationwide are responding to incidents involving a
new, evolving technology: sizable, high-power energy storage
systems (ESS) involving large high-voltage battery systems,
as found in electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems. These
ESS are being installed nationwide to act as electrical backup
systems and store excess solar and wind farm energy. A
2014 U.S. Department of Energy report showed substantial
gaps in responder knowledge in fire suppression, commodity
classification, verification and control of stored energy, postincident response and recovery, and first responder awareness
and response practices. This presentation addresses responder
safety awareness and focuses on the risk of shock, stored energy
release, cascading failure of high-voltage battery cells, water
exposure, toxic and flammable fume release, hazardous materials
leakage, and thermal runaway fires. BASIC
Aggressive Fire Attack at Modern House Fires
Training Officer Jerry Knapp, Rockland County Fire Training
Center, Pomona, New York
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The focus is on fire suppression. Attendees are challenged to
review their current fire suppression strategies/tactics based on
construction; overcrowding (migrant workers, college towns, high
cost-of-living areas); the earlier occurrence of flashovers; increased
security; and the new residential fire curve impact on search and
ventilation. Interactive computer-generated simulations cover key
topics. Case histories and intended/actual outcomes are discussed,
and tactical solutions are presented. Also addressed are RECEO-VS
and SLICE-RS; residential flashover and warning signs, near misses;
and water delivery by the engine, selecting and testing handlines for
target flow, and proper nozzle selection. ALL LEVELS
Fighting Fires in Fast-Food Restaurants
Rapid Intervention Team Gone Wrong
Chief Joseph Knitter, South Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department
Chief (Ret.) Rick Lasky, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department; and
Battalion Chief (Ret.) John Salka, Fire Department of New York
Based on extensive research and a photo library of “behind-thecounter” and actual incident pictures, this program highlights for
company officers and firefighters the dangers of this common
form of free-standing construction that can be found in nearly
every fire department’s response area across the country. Topics
covered include the common causes of fires in these structures,
common construction features, and operational considerations
for grease duct fires. Spurred on by the tragic loss of two
firefighters in an intentionally set fire at a McDonald’s restaurant
in Houston on Valentine’s Day 2000, this program takes a firsthand look at the building construction and design characteristics
and the associated hazards that pose deadly threats to fire
suppression personnel. ALL LEVELS
Atmospheric Monitoring on the Fireground
Special Operations Chief Jason Krusen, Columbia (SC) Fire
Department
Participants learn why atmospheric monitoring is needed on the
fireground. The focus is on products of combustion and detecting
some of the most dangerous gases commonly present at all fires.
Recent findings and common practices are also discussed.
ALL LEVELS
Issues and Challenges in Today’s Fire Service
Chief (Ret.) Rick Lasky, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department; Battalion
Chief (Ret.) John Salka, Fire Department of New York; and Chief
(Ret.) Bobby Halton, FDIC Education Director/Fire Engineering and
Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editor in Chief
ALL LEVELS
Alternative Fuel and Hybrid Trucks and Buses
Are Here Now!
Rescue Instructor (Ret.) Billy Leach, Ash-Rand (NC) Rescue & EMS
It was only a matter of time before alternative fuel (AF) and
hybrid trucks and buses began appearing on American roadways.
Responders need to prepare for them. Students are introduced
to AF and hybrid heavy vehicles, how they work, and their
associated hazards and will learn a “simple” strategy they can
employ to make these vehicles safer for responders. Hazard
mitigation tasks are also included. ALL LEVELS
Fireground Deconstructed
Firefighter Paramedic Nick Ledin, Eau Claire (WI) Fire
Department
This class in not a boring fire behavior lecture, nor is it a
disconnected, subjective strategies and tactics class. It is a
hybrid that combines the best of both of these fundamental
topics and allows students to actively participate.Tom Brennan
said it best: “You can never know enough about something that
can kill you.” This truth is the theme of the class. More than half
of the class time is spent deconstructing the fire triangle using
the laws of physics and mathematics; then, we will dissect our
tactics with the same tools. A simplified fireground flowchart is
introduced to guide thinking. Students may consult the flowchart
when discussing the pros and cons of specific actions (inactions)
portrayed in videos of firegrounds. ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The fire service is faced with a vast array of issues and
challenges. For the past 88 years, FDIC has been the place where
honest discussions have led to workable solutions to these issues
and challenges. This session features three of North America’s
most outspoken and informed practitioners. Join them as they
tackle the most critical issues facing the fire service today in
a no-holds-barred session. From pike poles to pensions, from
VES (vent-enter-search) to VSP (victim survivability profiling),
and from staffing to science, join the chiefs as they discuss the
biggest issues in frank, open, and straightforward language.
An examination of the many issues related to rapid intervention
operations with a focus on previous rapid intervention team
(RIT) operations that were not successful. Students discover
the elements of the operation that contribute to failure. Topics
covered include RIT leader training, lack of follow-up, RIT training
for firefighters, RIT bags (air) overloaded, complicated RIT drills,
unrealistic Mayday procedures, evacuating the building during
RIT operations, changing channels for RIT operations, and more.
Whether your department already has RIT/Mayday guidelines or
has operated at a RIT/Mayday operation, you will find some solid
and interesting information in this program. ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Managing Church Fire Operations
Battalion Chief Frank Leeb, Fire Department of New York
Successful tactics for combating church fires are discussed. The
fire service has few standard operating procedures for managing
fires in places of worship, specifically structures of the Gothic
type. Among topics covered are the unique construction features
that company and chief officers must address to operate safely
and successfully, hoseline selection and placement, apparatus
positioning, and ventilation tactics.
Wye Operations: Hydraulic Implications
Lead Consultant Dennis LeGear, LeGear Engineering FD
Consulting
Students gain an understanding of the term “flipped training”
and see how it can greatly improve department training. The
instructor shares the story of how a failing training division was
transformed into a successful program that has become the
model for many agencies across the country. It meets the learning
needs of all four generations in today’s fire service and improves
how information is learned and retained. These techniques can
be used by any size department or agency. Attendees are given
a detailed roadmap they can follow to achieve amazing results at
their departments right away. ALL LEVELS
Dead Men Do Tell Tales: Crime Scene
Preservation for Fire and EMS Personnel
Helping Firefighters Manage Stress: Courses,
Counseling Units, and Case Studies
Survivability Profiling 2016: a Proven, LifeSaving Process for Firefighters
Captain Frank Leto, Fire Department of New York
Captain Stephen Marsar, Fire Department of New York
Behavioral health support for firefighters is the focus. The
instructor explains the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s
Stress First Aid program and other behavioral health programs
available for free on the Fire Hero Learning Network and the
Counseling Service Unit of the Fire Department of New York
and elements of the program that can be applied to other
departments. Case studies of the three most frequent scenarios
that a peer counseling unit encounters are discussed.
Applying the concept of survivability profiling to making informed,
intelligent decisions differs from basic risk vs. reward. It goes
beyond the tendency to justify risk whenever we respond to an
occupied building. Size-up components, situational awareness,
and determining if civilians are savable before committing
firefighters are discussed. The concept is compared and
contrasted with basic size-up strategies. Videos are used to
demonstrate today’s rapid fire progression as a precursor to
human survival limits. The 16 Life Safety Initiatives and Rules of
Engagement are referenced as participants are guided through
the Duty To Die Syndrome. Fire scenarios and case studies
provide examples of incidents at which the concept was used.
Students get practice in applying and an opportunity to discuss
the concept. ALL LEVELS
Developing a Field Training Officer Program
District Chief Walter Lewis, Orlando (FL) Fire Department
Assistant Training Officer Frank Lipski, Florissant (MO) Fire
District
Modern flows of 160 to 185 gallons per minute (gpm) in 1 3/4-inch
hose and wye operations are a troubling pair in 2 1/2-inch trunk
line hose, even when the rules of equal leg lengths and matched
nozzle pressure and gpm are followed. Problems can be very
significant—from an uncontrollable nozzle to a substantial drop
in attack flow from both legs of 1 3/4-inch attack handlines.
Discussed in detail are the additional specters of line
commitment, line selection, line identification, dual line failure,
stretching, wye shutoff/on tying, and extra connection issues that
exist tactically and cause many potential problems during wye
handline operations. ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
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Flipped Fire Training: Meeting the Demands of
Today’s Fire Service
Many of today’s fire departments’ most experienced members
are preparing to retire or have already retired. There is a need
to “capture” and pass on to today’s youthful fire service officers
and members the knowledge these veterans possess. This class
focuses on developing and implementing a field training officer
program that stresses mentoring and other methods to ensure
that experienced members pass on their knowledge before they
leave the department and the fire service. INTERMEDIATE
Chief Gary Ludwig, Champaign (IL) Fire Department
Students are shown how to preserve evidence at a crime scene
even while performing life-saving techniques. Unfortunately, fire
and EMS personnel are notorious for destroying evidence on the
emergency crime scene. EMS and fire personnel can damage or
alter forensic evidence when entering the scene. The instructor,
a 37-year veteran, shares his expertise in this class; audiovisuals
illustrate much of the information. ALL LEVELS
Strategies and Tactics in Subdivided SingleFamily Dwellings and Single-Room Occupancies
Firefighter Aaron Martin, Fire Department of New York
The concept of subdividing single-family dwellings began in the
urban areas and matriculated into a nationwide dilemma for
firefighters. This growth was caused in part by the rising cost of
housing and expansive job cuts. This has been a dangerous and
potentially fatal trend for firefighters. This class focuses on the
inherent hazards associated with modifying the structure or floor
plan and adding occupancies. ALL LEVELS
Effective Use of Tower Ladders in Tactical
Operations
Battalion Chief Nicholas Martin, Columbia (SC) Fire Department
This class is for departments with tower ladders and those
without tower ladders. The popularity of tower ladders has
grown, but they are still less common than traditional “straight
stick” aerial apparatus, and their optimum use is not always
understood. To obtain maximum benefit from this versatile
apparatus, firefighters, officers, and incident commanders must
understand their capabilities and how they can most effectively
be integrated into the fireground. The focus is on the proper
use of tower ladders in several fireground scenarios including
firefighter access, rescue of civilians or firefighters, elevated
master streams, and technical rescue. Rear-mount and midmount devices are also discussed, and “ladder towers” and
“tower ladders” are compared. In addition, the pros and cons of
using tower ladders and straight aerials in various scenarios are
discussed. INTERMEDIATE
Winch Operations 101
They Fought for Each Other
Assistant Engineer E. J. Mascaro, Charleston (SC) Fire
Department
This presentation is based on “Blood Brothers,” the awardnominated series that ran in Army Times about the a courageous
military unit that sacrificed their lives to change Adhamiya,
Iraq. Personal experiences from the hardest hit and most
decorated unit in the U.S. Army since Vietnam are discussed, as
are successful strategies and techniques for good morale and
cohesive units from the Army to the fire service. The fire service
seems to have lost sight of the task at hand. Many firefighters feel
that what they are currently doing is not what they signed up to
do. We all get caught up in social media, but how can we ensure
that we aren’t being affected? Not only do we have to look after
one another, but we have to look after ourselves as well. Students
will learn of proven successful strategies and techniques for
maintaining morale and teamwork in situations where quick
decisions must be made. ALL LEVELS
Surviving the Strategic and Tactical Firefight
Lieutenant Mike Mason, Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department
An in-depth look into the world of strategic and tactical
considerations for surviving the different aggressive postures in
firefighting. Among the areas covered are defining and redefining
committing firefighters to interior operations, strategic and
tactical postures, spirited aggressive actions with sound decision
making, transitional dynamics, preventing and surviving Maydays,
staffing and fireground behaviors, fighting fires in conventional
and lightweight construction, interior operations relating to room
orientation, tactical air management and practices in interior
firefighting, recognizing the attack progress, establishing exit
strategies, and managing Maydays. ALL LEVELS
Instructor Stephen J. Martin, SE-WY-CO (PA) Fire Company
Field High-Rise Technical Training
Curtis Massey, Founder, Massey Enterprises, Inc.
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Have you ever been properly trained on the safe operation of
your winch? Just about every fire department has some type
of winch in its equipment arsenal. Few have ever been trained
to use it. This interactive training program was designed to
meet the rescuer’s needs and provides the proper procedures
and techniques for using vehicle-mounted or portable winches.
Maintenance, use, and safety aspects of a winch and its related
equipment are among the topics covered. The participant learns
how to hold loads, pull loads, and secure vehicles for stabilization
and techniques for inspecting the winch for safe, efficient, and
effective rescue operations. Participants learn to use a simple
formula to calculate how to safely operate a winch to prevent
injury to personnel or damage to equipment. ALL LEVELS
Chief officers, company officers, and firefighters can glean an
invaluable amount of knowledge on fighting fire in these highly
unique structures. This “walk-about” of sorts allows students
to gain a very thorough understanding of building features
and systems, in addition to many tips that can provide crews
a strategic edge in those first few minutes—when most of the
critical decisions are made. Attendees rotate among stations at
an actual high-rise and extract key nuggets of knowledge from a
veteran major city chief and a Virginia-based instructor who has
been training big city departments for more than 20 years. Among
topics covered are fire department connection pump operations,
lobby control, stairwell/fire attack operations (including the use
of large-diameter hoselines), elevator operations, understanding
“air balancing,” and base building systems that must be resourced
during a working fire. INTERMEDIATE
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Fire Investigation: Case Study of a Fire Involving
Interagency Cooperation, the Media, and the
Scientific Method
Chief Fire Marshal Arthur Mastrangelo, Fire Department
of New York
Early in the morning of July 22, 2010, fire erupted in a residence
in Staten Island, New York. The fire eventually rose to a third
alarm; it, tragically, claimed the lives of five occupants. Based on
erroneous information “leaked” to the press, the fire was blamed
on the teenage occupant of the apartment. However, after a
thorough investigation involving numerous agencies over the
course of five days, it was revealed that the mother of the children
was responsible for the murders and the subsequent fire. The fire
and resulting investigation highlight the importance of working
with the media but also limiting the type of information released
to the press until a formal, thorough investigation has been
completed. Among other topics highlighted are preserving a crime
scene immediately following fire suppression; identifying signs of
arson, particularly when there is a loss of life; and the detrimental
effects that “leaked” information has on the investigation and the
public. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Down and Dirty Mayday
Firefighter Justin McCarthy, New Haven (CT) Fire Department
On this job, your life can change in a tenth of a second. An indepth look at one of the most stressful situations firefighters
face, a Mayday. Instantly, a Mayday can send an already chaotic
situation into a tailspin. This program is for large and small
departments. The focus is on the basics and some proven
techniques to help ensure a successful rescue. The class goes
beyond the incident commander and the firefighter in trouble.
Included are the roles and responsibilities of everyone operating
on the fireground, including the rapid intervention team,
dispatch, tactical reserve, fire attack, and ventilation. Lessons
are reinforced with case studies, group discussions, and new
approaches for mitigating Maydays being used around the
country. ALL LEVELS
The Chief Officer’s Role in Creating Enhanced
Engine Operations
Lieutenant Ray McCormack, Fire Department of New York
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Chief officers need to look at the big picture and maximize the
capability and effectiveness of their engine companies. More
than just directing fires, engagement begins with evaluating
and modifying hoseload configurations, surveying the response
area, developing quicker stretches, effectively tasking personnel,
streamlining water delivery, and developing extinguishment
tactics. When you design winning engine company layouts and
strategies, you enhance both community and firefighter safety.
INTERMEDIATE
Preventing Member Derailment and
Embarrassment in the Fire Service
Firefighter/EMS Officer Candice McDonald, Winoan (OH) Fire
Department
Just as they prepare for emergencies, departments need to train
to prevent and manage unexpected threats to their reputation.
The focus is on research-based strategies for safeguarding the
firehouse against members’ damaging behaviors while protecting
the integrity of the fire service. Among topics covered are social
media, theft, discrimination, and poor behavior.
Living Through My Mayday
Captain Ryan McGovern, Boston (MA) Fire Department
In November 2013, the instructor became trapped in a structure
during suppression operations. He had fallen through a floor
and was hanging between the first floor and the basement. He
tried numerous times to call a Mayday, but no one heard his call
for help until he activated the emergency alert button on his
portable. While awaiting the rapid intervention team, he was able
to self-extricate out of the structure. As a result of his becoming
trapped, he received second- and third-degree burns to his lower
extremities and spent a short stint in the burn unit. Students are
taken through the steps that led up to this incident. The focus
is on dealing with this type of incident more effectively and
preventing it altogether. ALL LEVELS
First-Due Tactical Considerations for Wildland
Urban Interface Operations
Chief Todd McNeal, Twain Harte (CA) Fire & Rescue
Company officers and firefighters are introduced to the current
tactical information necessary to accurately assess the fire’s
potential impact on the threatened structure and the safety of
the engine company. Critical fire behavior and the most effective
and safest initial tactical actions for the first-arriving responder
or the company officer in the dynamic wildland urban interface
(WUI) are addressed. The primary focus is on rapid recognition
of fire threats and correctly selecting the most appropriate action
from a variety of tactical actions to begin managing the incident
by improving students’ understanding of the dynamics of wildland
fire behavior. ALL LEVELS
Training for Proficiency: Task Books and
Qualification Programs
Assistant Chief Kevin Milan, South Metro (CO) Fire Rescue
Authority
The class focuses on increasing fireground proficiency through
direct and deliberate training programs and on methods for
prescriptively determining training needs. Task books and
position qualification manuals are explained; attendees receive
templates for producing training materials and examples of tried
and tested resources. Students receive assessment tools and a
toolbox to create scenario-based training based on standards and
standard operating procedures. Students will receive a complete
task book-based training program. Electronic resources are
customizable for any department. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
The Essentials of High-Rise Firefighting: What
You Need to Know Before Going into Battle
Firefighter (Ret.) John Miller, Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department
Nearly every sizable community possesses multistory buildings.
From low- to high-rise, as structures rise away from terra firma,
they become more challenging and perplexing to first responders.
These buildings can be unforgiving of mistakes in a fire. The
stakes are high. Be it single or mixed-use, it is imperative that you
fully grasp all the nuances involved with fighting fires in these
occupancies, many of which are “contained vessels” holding large
populations. This class explores the facts and mysteries involved
in these types of fires. The need to interface with base building
systems that are ever-changing and evolving and the demand
to adapt to these changes through new tactics and strategies
compel today’s incident commanders and line firefighters to stay
on top of their game. INTERMEDIATE
First Due! Residential Fire Concepts for Engine
and Truck Companies
The focus is on the mission-critical incident actions for engine
and truck companies at residential fires. The class highlights
the “must-have” roles and responsibilities for each unit and
showcases elements that are imperative to establishing an
efficient and effective fire attack. Successful fire suppression and
rapid victim rescue rely on a deliberate balance of coordination
and communication among all operating members. This class
covers preincident readiness, radio reports, and tactical resource
deployments for “both sides of the floor.” Although the application
of water still extinguishes fire and searches still locate trapped
civilians, what is being questioned is the art and science behind
how, when, and why we mount the attack. We must be ready to
answer these questions! The first-arriving company’s actions
can make or break the operation. Is your team best prepared to
operate in the modern residential environment? Don’t think so—
know so. ALL LEVELS
Director of Fire and Emergency Services/Chief Michael Molloy,
Meaford and District (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department
The focus is on how adverse events on the fireground can
result in legal proceedings with charges levied against the fire
department—in this case, by the Ministry of Labor [Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)]—and how such
events impact the department. Students hear a first-hand
account from the individuals involved from both a personal and a
corporation’s perspective. The incident was a working structure
fire at a restaurant that had an apartment on the second floor.
Two firefighters entered the structure after the owner’s girlfriend
reported that an individual was inside. During the search, a
firefighter reported a low-air alarm. As he and another firefighter
were exiting the structure, they became disoriented and ended up
in a room that was not observed on their way in. The two began
buddy breathing. A rapid intervention team (RIT) located and
extricated the first firefighter; the second was still in the building.
A second RIT located the down firefighter, whose vital signs
were absent. Fire and emergency medical service staff initiated
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both firefighters survived. The
Ministry of Labor levied six charges against the department.
The department pleaded not guilty to all six charges. After three
weeks of trial over a period of two years, a not guilty verdict was
rendered. ALL LEVELS
Overhead and Underground Electric Emergencies
and Fires: What You Need to Know
Battalion Chief (Ret.) Frank Montagna, Fire Department
of New York
When responding to electrical emergencies and fires, you may
have to make life-and-death decisions before the utility experts
arrive. This course gives you the “need-to-know” information
that will help you make those decisions and keep yourself,
other firefighters, and the public safe. Responses to electric
substations and to overhead and underground electric incidents
are the focus. You will be alerted to the potential hazards inherent
in these responses and introduced to the strategy and tactics that
can keep you safe. BASIC
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Lieutenant Doug Mitchell, Fire Department of New York
Not Guilty; Now What?
How to Introduce CAFS to Your Department
Training Captain Olan Morelan, Springfield (MO) Fire Department
An inside look into the trials and tribulations of implementing a
new firefighting tool, specifically compressed air foam systems
(CAFS). The course is taught from the perspective of a training
officer who is or could be tasked with completing training with
or without the manufacturer’s guidance. Topics includes the
predelivery prep work, tips on working with the manufacturer’s
training representatives, writing and establishing policy, tactical
discussions from lessons learned, and a layout for the most vital
portion—retraining. ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
NFPA 1403: the Fire Instructor’s Risk
Management Tool
Training Program Manager Walter Morris, Maine Fire Service
Institute
Recent live fire training incidents in both acquired structures
and fixed training centers have resulted in line-of-duty firefighter
injuries and deaths. All fire service instructors must be familiar
with NFPA 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, which
provides a risk-management tool for conducting live fire training
in a safe manner. BASIC
Firefighter Mental Health: Skills for Helping
Yourself and Your Firehouse Family
Firefighter (Ret.) Beth Murphy, Bellevue (WA) Fire Department
Behavioral health continues to be an area that needs focus in
the fire service. Firefighting is the most stressful job of 2015,
as identified by CareerCast.com. The evaluation was based on
the typical demands and crises inherent in the job and did not
include the intersection of job demands with the firefighters’
personal lives. The complexity of stressors both on and off the job
firefighters experience contributes to varying degrees of mental
health struggles. Untreated, the effects of these stressors can
lead to a loss of career or, worse, suicide. This class provides
a brief overview of the problem and, then, through discussion,
demonstration, and role-play, attendees learn the skills that help
them become more comfortable with recognizing and helping
individuals who are struggling with mental health issues.
ALL LEVELS
Building Intelligence for Initial Operations and
Beyond
Fire Marshal (Ret.) Jack J. Murphy, Leonia (NJ) Fire Department
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The focus is on the levels of building intelligence: Basic
for initial operations; Intermediate for strategy and tactics;
and Comprehensive as the incident is unfolding. Gain an
understanding of real-time building construction projects and
fire protection system impairments. Although many departments
are rich in knowledge of construction/occupancy types and fire
protection systems, they lack information as to specific building
components as well as firefighter safety and precautions. As
construction moves forward with lightweight materials and other
industries are installing energy storage systems and residential
ion-lithium batteries, and so on, firefighters need to ask, “Do I feel
comfortable reading the outside of the building?” and embrace a
military mentality when analyzing the fireground. ALL LEVELS
Training Liabilities: Preventing Legal Jeopardy
Deputy Chief (Ret.)/Attorney at Law John Murphy, Law Office of
John K. Murphy
Fire departments are continually under the threat of litigation
from the public and, at times, from our own firefighters or their
families. At times, a training accident will prompt litigation against
the fire department and the training staff. The focus of this
class is to make training officers, chiefs, and firefighters aware
of the legal risks of providing training. Applicable National Fire
Protection Association training standards, National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health investigations of firefighter
deaths caused by training, and current national incidents that
involved firefighter fatalities and injuries on the training ground
will be reviewed. Current case law related to training fatalities will
be analyzed from the perspectives of risk analysis, best practices,
and measures for preventing litigation. ALL LEVELS
Pump Panel Pointers for Training and Operations
Chief Jerry Naylis, Bergenfield (NJ) Fire Department
This class prepares pump operators to use a variety of techniques
including tools, job aids, and pointers to ensure the proper
flow and pressure while operating a pump during fireground
operations. Successful delivery of water is stressed. Fire
operations in urban, suburban, and rural settings are addressed.
Case studies are used to demonstrate how one or two simple
changes would alter the water supply and enhance the operation
from the pump panel. Practical training session setups are
provided to demonstrate how to conduct pump training exercises
using readily available apparatus, equipment, and appliances.
ALL LEVELS
Rapid Intervention for Volunteer and Other
Nonurban Fire Departments
Firefighter (Ret.) Joe Nedder, Uxbridge (MA) Fire Department
So many times when reading line-of-duty fatality reports, we learn
that a rapid intervention team (RIT) was not staged and ready at
the scene. Worse yet is the fact that so many of the crews staged
at many fires are just there to fulfill the National Fire Protection
Association requirement. Many of these teams have little, if
any, RIT skills training; they are not really ready to save a fellow
firefighter. The reasons for these conditions vary. However, a
skilled and capable RIT is even more necessary in the volunteer
fire service than in larger urban organizations because most
urban organizations have many more firefighters on scene; they
have the numbers to support a personnel-intensive operation.
The focus of this class is to prepare students from volunteer
departments, particularly those with staffing issues, so that they
will be capable and efficient and fully understand what their job
is if they are needed to make a valiant effort to save a fellow
firefighter who is lost, trapped, or unaccounted for. ALL LEVELS
Special Needs Fire Prevention and Response
Awareness
Battalion Chief Craig Nelson, Fargo (ND) Fire Department
Attendees are introduced to important issues relating to fire
prevention and emergency response when people with disabilities
are involved. The class provides an introduction to some of the
common disabilities responders may encounter, a description of
each, and ways in which responders can best help. Proactive fire
prevention methods are also discussed. ALL LEVELS
Fireground Commander’s Intent: Coordinated
Actions for Mission Success
Battalion Chief Sid Newby, Wichita (KS) Fire Department
The focus is on the importance of meeting a commander’s
expectation on emergency scenes and a framework within which
the company officer can act. Fire companies are the linchpins for
a successful emergency scene operation. Synchronized small unit
(engine and truck company) tactics are discussed. Students see
that following the commander’s intent is critical to a successful
mission and that emergency operation outcomes are the results
of many small unit outcomes and that if one small unit fails to
perform its task, the whole operation could have a negative end
result and change the commander’s strategy. The principles
discussed are reinforced by applying the information through
interactive discussions and video demonstrations. ALL LEVELS
The Right Seat: a Volunteer’s Perspective
Operations Deputy Chief Christopher Niebling, Mantoloking (NJ)
Fire Company
Hybrid Search Techniques
Lieutenant Keith Niemann, Wichita (KS) Fire Department
Far too often when rope or thermal imaging cameras (TICs) are
used during searches, the process is slowed down instead of
speeded up. The focus is on increasing accountability and speed
when adding TICs or rope to the proven methods of traditional
searches. Some of the pitfalls of rope-assisted search and
incorporating a TIC in the search are discussed. Company level
drills to reinforce good search habits when using these valuable
tools are presented. ALL LEVELS
Deputy Chief/Training Officer P.J. Norwood, East Haven (CT) Fire
Department
The information learned from the Underwriters LaboratoriesFirefighter Safety and Research Institute (UL-FSRI) technical
committee on exterior fire spread and attic fires is the focus.
Students get an in-depth look at the testing, the results, and the
tactical recommendations. UL-FSRI video and data help students
to understand more thoroughly attic fires, the tests, and the
tactical recommendations for increasing safety and decreasing
property loss through rapid extinguishment. ALL LEVELS
Perceptual Distortions on the Fireground
Battalion Chief Eric Nurnberg, Iowa City (IA) Fire Department
The fire service increasingly embraces the application of research
and scientific principles on the fireground. For the first time in
the modern fire service, the scope of firehouse debate rooted in
physical sciences grows exponentially with each passing day.
While we talk at length about how any number of physical factors
affect our fire scene for better or worse, we largely neglect the
science and research that have the most significant influence
on tactical performance and mission outcome: human factors
science. This class clearly demonstrates that every performance
metric is predicated on a resilient mindset and that it is important
to conduct training that enhances mental performance under
stress. The primary focus is on how stress diminishes mental
performance, causing perceptual distortions such as inattentional
blindness and auditor exclusion. ALL LEVELS
Aircraft Down and You Are First Due
Firefighter Nick Palmer, Haughton (LA) Fire Department
This class brings high risk, low frequency to a new level. An
emergency involving hundreds of victims; 50,000 gallons of
burning jet fuel; unexploded ordnance; jagged metal; and a
pinch of structure fire mixed in for good measure is a recipe for
chaos and confusion. At any given time, your district is at risk of
experiencing an emergency involving a down aircraft. As first due,
are you ready to handle the complications of such an incident?
Do you know the hazards associated with this type of incident
and how to mitigate them? Students get an in-depth look at the
types of aircraft flying over their jurisdictions, the many systems
aboard those aircraft, and the hazards they present. Case studies
involving municipal responses to aircraft crashes involving
commercial airliners, general aviation aircraft, and military
aircraft are discussed. ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The focus of this class is on the unique problems associated
with the volunteer ranks discussed from the perspective of the
volunteer fire officer, not the many issues fire officers in career
and volunteer departments face in common when dealing with
personnel in their stations. ALL LEVELS
Attic Fires: UL-FSRI Technical Panel Results
73
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Volunteers: Doing the Job with Limited
Resources in Small Departments
Preplanning and Inspecting Manufacturing and
Industrial Facilities
Captain Todd Parker, Ward (LA) Fire Protection District #1
Second Assistant Chief Benjamin Peetz, Napoleon (IN) Volunteer
Fire Department
Volunteers provide fire protection to more than 70 percent of
America. Today, the number of volunteers is dwindling, and
volunteer firefighters are faced with limited personnel and
resources to handle structure fires. Beginning with the response,
arrival, size-up, and extinguishing of the fire, attendees will be
challenged to use the limited resources to perform all firefighting
tasks on scene. On-scene responsibilities, training, and use of
partnerships, which reflect the real-world experiences of the
attendees, are highlighted. Attendees are encouraged to share
their ideas and solutions. ALL LEVELS
Fundamentals of Writing Assistance to
Firefighters Grant Applications
Branch Chief Catherine Patterson, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Washington DC
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance
to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) provides more than $340
million worth of grant funding directly to fire departments each
year. AFG provides funding for equipment, training, vehicles,
personal protective gear, and other life safety initiatives. This
session provides attendees with the tools necessary to maximize
their opportunity to submit a competitive grant application.
FEMA staff will provide information on program updates, funding
priorities, and grant requirements. BASIC
First On Scene Water Rescue Operations
Lieutenant Josh Pearcy, Oklahoma City (OK) Fire Department
The focus is on giving the first-in company to water rescue
incidents the tools and information to help make time-critical
decisions. A wide range of water responses ranging from
static water drowning to high-risk, low-frequency swift/flood
emergencies are covered. Scene size-up techniques, response
considerations, and interviewing witness techniques are
addressed. PowerPoint® is used. Students are encouraged to
prepare for water-related emergencies and to move water rescue
into every company’s regular training schedule if it is not now
included. ALL LEVELS
74
Investigations following fires and explosions in manufacturing
or industrial facilities often point to areas that fire personnel
might never have considered threats. Additionally, catastrophic
losses can be compounded by a fire department’s lack of
proactive prevention efforts and a poorly planned response when
an event occurs. From combustible dust explosions to highvoltage electrical fires, firefighters must understand what makes
industrial facilities very different from a typical single-family
dwelling. To reduce and prevent personnel and property losses
before and after a fire occurs at a manufacturing or an industrial
facility, we must know and understand what goes on inside. The
focus is on being prepared for when a high-risk, low-frequency
fire or other emergency that extends well beyond the scope of a
room-and-contents or other bread-and-butter response occurs,
as it likely will one day. ALL LEVELS
The First 365 Days as a Newly Promoted Chief
Officer
Chief Steve Pegram, Goshen Township (OH) Fire Department
Drawing from his experience of being “the new chief” four times in
his fire service career, the instructor shares how he successfully
transitioned into the role. The focus is on how to prepare
yourself, how to integrate yourself, and how to be successful
in the new role without rocking the boat too much or creating
enemies. ALL LEVELS
Hoarder Homes: Using Offensive Tactics on
Traditionally Defensive Fires
Fire-Medic Ryan Pennington, Charleston (WV) Fire Department
Compulsive hoarding disorder, a growing issue facing firefighters
worldwide, is the focus. The number of people afflicted with this
disorder has been steadily climbing. Very little research on fire
attack has been documented. Traditionally, many firefighters
use the mentality, “We won’t go in.” This can be a solid choice,
but it is not the only option. Commonly, hoarding is found in
ventilation-limited conditions that may produce smoldering fires
that can be extinguished easily. Education is essential to identify
the presence of cluttered conditions, understand the fire dynamic
variables, and apply appropriate tactics. All hoarding fires do not
fall into defensive-only tactics. Attendees are introduced to the
cues and clues of hoarded environments, exposed to fire dynamic
variables, offered solutions to search orientation, and presented
with potential solutions. ALL LEVELS
What You Should Know as a Fire Officer and
Nobody Tells You
Commanding the Incident from the Front Seat to
the Chief’s Buggy
Deputy Chief Chris Pepler, Torrington (CT) Fire Department
Battalion Chief David Polikoff, Montgomery County (MD) Fire
Department
There is more to being a good officer than being efficient at
fighting fires. This dynamic and interactive workshop is designed
for prospective and seasoned officers looking for the tools to
square themselves away and become the best officers they can
be. The officer’s role, organizational accountability, personnel
management, knowing the business, and working with the
media are among topics covered. This workshop covers the
issues nobody wants to talk about—mistakes most officers
make. Attendees will be involved in role-play scenarios that
include personnel issues, conflict resolution, and surprise media
interviews. ALL LEVELS
Planning Your Leadership Journey
Firefighter Tim Pillsworth, Washingtonville (NY) Fire Department
Leadership is the most difficult skill to learn. With more than 75
percent of our country protected by volunteers, the need for more
training for leaders is increasing. As with all journeys, it is all in
the planning. “Failing to plan is planning to fail” holds true in the
journey called leadership. Creating a list of the tasks as goals that
meet the requirements of the position and mapping/planning your
way through the journey to completion will allow for a smoother
trip, greater success, and less stress. This class reinforces the
message that officers need a plan with known tasks and goals,
or they will not be able to accomplish anything. You will learn a
simple way to plan your journey through your entire career and
the importance of personal relationships throughout the journey.
ALL LEVELS
Mobile Homes: Small House, Big Challenge
Battalion Chief Joseph Polenzani, Franklin (TN) Fire Department
Long-Term Injury Prevention
Captain/Lead Peer Fitness Trainer Jordan Ponder, Milwaukee
(WI) Fire Department
As a firefighter, you are more likely to get hurt in a fire today
than in 1981, according to National Fire Protection Association
data. Firefighters are expected to perform the most physically
demanding tasks while their movements are most restricted by
gear, positioning, and chaos. Our focus then becomes completing
the task regardless of how it gets done. These inefficiencies
lead to compensations, poor movement patterns, and eventual
injuries. In this class, you’ll learn specific safety movements that
will decrease common injuries by using the FD-PT T.A.C.T.I.C.
and LCAN training model. The training will enhance fireground
performance, conserve energy, and increase safety. ALL LEVELS
How to Excel at Fire Service Promotional Exams:
Key Points!
Deputy Chief Steve Prziborowski, Santa Clara County (CA) Fire
Department
The focus is on preparing for the upcoming promotional exam.
Attendees are exposed to and offered key points for the most
common events within a fire service promotional process
assessment center—the oral interview, the personnel counseling
session, and the emergency scene simulation. Participants learn
key points so they can create their own game plan for success
when they take their next promotional examination.The key
points in this session will help to increase the final score and may
make the difference between getting promoted and not getting
promoted and having to retake the test. ALL LEVEL
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Learn what makes trailers different from “regular” wood-frame
structures and how to safely operate within this challenging
environment. Tactics for suppression and ventilation and
strategies for operating in high-density mobile home communities
are discussed. Mobile homes are found in communities of all
sizes. In fact, 24 percent of mobile homes are in cities with a
population of more than two million. In rural areas with long
response times, a trailer fire is often a defensive operation.
However, in urban or suburban communities, interior fire attacks
are feasible, especially in larger double- and triple-wide modular
homes. In these structures, ultra-lightweight construction,
tight hallways, and unusual floor plans combine to make an
unfamiliar and potentially dangerous environment for firefighters
accustomed to operating in site-built houses. ALL LEVELS
This interactive class uses a short PowerPoint® presentation
to review the National Incident Management System, tactical
worksheets, and size-up. During the hands-on training portion,
participants will command incidents using radios that are
provided and the latest fire simulation programs. ALL LEVELS
Active Shooter Response: Oak Creek (WI)
Fire Department’s Approach to Rescue in
the Warm Zone
Battalion Chief Joe Pulvermacher, Oak Creek (WI) Fire
Department
The instructor reports on two active shooter incidents that
occurred in his response area and how the lessons learned
in each incident impacted the response paradigm. Students
share in a response protocol/procedure for mass-casualty
tactical incidents developed by the Oak Creek Police and Fire
Departments following the Sikh temple shooting in 2012. The
importance of collaboration, uniformity, and scalability in these
responses is emphasized. ALL LEVELS
75
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Prioritizing the Volunteer Fireground
Captain Richard Ray, Durham (NC) Fire Department
How the on-scene resources available at a residential structure
fire are used and the initial actions the first-arriving responders
take will determine the outcome of the incident. Volunteer
firefighters may find it challenging to complete fireground tasks
in a timely manner. When you arrive on the scene of a residential
structure fire, do you have the firefighters and the equipment to
safely and effectively accomplish fireground tasks? This class
focuses on methods fire departments responding with volunteers
can use to prioritize fireground tasks based on staffing and
equipment. ALL LEVELS
Toxic Leadership: a Wounded Soldier’s Insight
into Decon
MSG (Ret.) Mike Reynolds, Cahoun (GA) Fire Department
MSG (Ret.) Michael Reynolds’ career as a firefighter and soldier
has seen toxic leadership. After a brain injury in Iraq and multiple
hospitalizations and years of rehabilitation, he was forced to
retire. He tells his story through an elaborate invention he built as
he relates his life to a can of Coke®. ALL LEVELS
Hazardous Materials Training: Next-Generation
Training Props
Chief Jake Rhoades, Kingman (AZ) Fire Department
The European Way to Stop Smoke, Eliminate the
Air Track, and Sniff the Fire
Regional Fire Commander Michael Reick, Eislingen, Germany
The ability to control smoke flows in buildings in a fire is
essential for safe rescue and firefighting operations. Protecting
civilians from the exposure of smoke and keeping escape routes
smoke free are fundamental, especially in larger buildings. The
principles of stabilizing smoke flows and fire conditions have
been studied extensively in Central Europe in the past 10 years.
One main approach to this problem is to partially block openings
by fire crews and apply either positive-pressure ventilation or
antiventilation whenever these opponent strategies are needed.
The principles, limitations, and chances of these strategies are
explained together with multiple examples of real fireground
experience where these approaches have been applied.
Discussing the differences and similarities between this tactic
and the related “flow path discussion” in the United States
provides a deeper understanding of this subject.
Firefighting Personal Protective Equipment:
Fact, Fiction, and the Reality
Lieutenant Jim Reidy, San Antonio (TX) Fire Department
76
An overview of personal protective equipment (PPE) from a
firefighter’s perspective. Students gain an insight that ranges
from the makeup of members on the National Fire Protection
Association 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for
Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, and 1851,
Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective
Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting,
technical committees to the testing requirements of NFPA 1971
to the retirement of PPE. Realistic protective expectations are
discussed, including reducing carcinogen contamination. Career
and volunteer firefighters of all ranks will benefit from the
information and perspective conveyed. The photos, illustrations,
and videos provoke thought and help reinforce the information.
ALL LEVELS
This program challenges the traditional approach to hazardous
materials training. Its highlights include an emphasis on
innovative training props that can be used to increase the
effectiveness, confidence, and safety of responders because
they have “been there, done that” in the most realistic hazardous
materials training environment. Evolving risks, increasingly
complex scenarios, and the low frequency of hazardous materials
calls combined with the decreased level of experience of many
new officers have made the need for training more important
than ever. Departments across the country are struggling with
hazardous materials training because of a lack of realistic training
environments that can simulate real-world decision making.
ALL LEVELS
Effecting the Rescue Through Aggressive
Tactics: “It’s Your Turn to Make the Grab”
Drillmaster Frank Ricci, New Haven (CT) Fire Department
An unconscious victim has never been saved by a crew standing
outside the building. The focus is on the actions that are
imperative to effect the rescue—coordinating command, search,
ventilation, and fire attack to control the building along with
company tactics that can improve your effectiveness. The new
science has not changed our mission. Students see how the
science can be reconciled with proven aggressive tactics. An
areas of emphasis will be search—our successes and our failures.
ALL LEVELS
How to Read a House
District Chief Curtis Rice, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue
This program provides new as well as seasoned firefighters and
incident commanders with a quick method for determining with
a high probability of success the floor plan of any single-family
residential structure anywhere in the country while completing
their 360º walk-around. ALL LEVELS
Improving Fireground Operations with Thermal
Imaging and Modern Fire Dynamics
The Engine Company’s Guide to Winning: Water!
Division Chief of Training & Safety Mike Richardson, St. Matthews
(KY) Fire Department
Students are exposed to the aspects of “go” and “no-go”
situations. During “go” situations, students are given critical
knowledge of what it takes to win the fight, starting with
positioning of the apparatus, size-up, and line selection. Special
emphasis is placed on the pace of the attack (smooth is fast, fast
is slow), coordination of ventilation with the attack, flowing water
while advancing, and using the reach of your stream inside the
structure. Students are given street-smart tips on locating the
fire, estimating the stretch, and where to place the initial attack
lines for maximum effect. Topics include overcoming difficult
stretches, dealing with knee wall fires, and second-due engine
company responsibilities. The bottom line is, we win with water.
Regardless of whether the water is applied from the interior or the
exterior, initial line selection and placement are vital factors in a
positive outcome. ALL LEVELS
This presentation provides firefighters with the knowledge
they need to combine thermal imaging technology with the
latest National Institute of Standards and Technology and
Underwriters Laboratories firefighting research to improve the
effectiveness and safety of fireground operations. Students
will view videos from fireground operations in which thermal
imaging was used and in which key concepts such as ventilationlimited fire behavior, compromised structural integrity, flow
path development, and victim survival profiling were in play.
Firefighters will ultimately be able to apply thermal imaging in
fireground operations with an understanding of its capabilities
and limitations. ALL LEVELS
Flashover! Case Study of a Near Miss During
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search
Captain Jonathan Rigolo, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department
The focus is on an incident in which a firefighter near miss
occurred as a result of a flashover at a dwelling fire. Students
hear the events that led up to the flashover, the changes in
conditions that occurred, and the subsequent bailout and view
a video of prearrival conditions. Topics such as the “indirect” or
“hit it hard from the yard” method of fire attack, how vent-enterisolate-search played a role in the near miss, bailout techniques,
physical fitness, and the proper wearing of firefighter protective
gear are discussed from the perspective of safety. ALL LEVELS
Combat-Ready Firefighting: Are You Ready?
Operations Chief Richard Riley, Clearwater (FL) Fire & Rescue
The First Five Minutes: Size-Up, Decision
Making, and Effective Communication
Deputy Chief Charles Ryan, Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue
This review of the 13 fundamental elements of size-up addresses
the formulation of initial action planning and discusses effective
communications/fireground terminology. Multimedia examples are
included to illustrate key points. Audience interaction is strongly
encouraged. INTERMEDIATE
From the Xbox to the Box Alarm: Engaging
Today’s Firefighters
Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf, Erie County (NY)
Department of Emergency Services
The focus is on creating connections among generations of
firefighters. How do we motivate today’s recruits away from
the Xbox long enough to answer the box alarm? This facilitated
conversation builds the consensus, “The majority of the fires we
fight are in the firehouse, not on the fire scene.” Students learn
to combat these challenges with solutions that are within their
reach, focusing not on generational gaps but, more importantly,
on the opportunities for creating connections among generations
of firefighters. ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
This interactive, multimedia-based presentation discusses the
effects of complacency in the fire service and why we must
combat it. Tips on attitude and equipment readiness are offered
for the engine and the truck company, rapid intervention team,
and incident commander. A complacent attitude is the first step in
a tragic calamity of errors that results in a fire extending beyond
where it should have been controlled or in preventable civilian or
firefighter injuries and deaths. Firefighting is a “team sport” in
which we all count on each other to be ready when the moment
comes. Firefighters often think that they are “ready.” Scenarios
presented focus on the instructor’s personal experiences at
several near-miss fireground incidents; they show how the
presence or absence of a “combat-ready” mindset influenced the
outcome. ALL LEVELS
Lieutenant Steve Robertson, Columbus (OH) Division of Fire
77
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Extrication Zone: Large Trucks/Trailers/Buses/
Cable Barriers
Trapped! Surviving a Mayday
Firefighter Randy Schmitz, Calgary (Alberta, Canada) Fire
Department International Presenter
The class emphatically illustrates how quickly things can go
wrong on the fireground and why firefighters must always be
prepared to recognize the changes and to immediately call a
Mayday. The instructor shares his first-hand experience at the
incident described below: the changing conditions, his reactions
during the fire, his thought process through and beyond calling
a Mayday, and the lessons learned. On 5/6/11 he was working
his shift at Milwaukee’s E31. He was a lieutenant dispatched to
a structure fire. On arrival, heavy smoke was coming from the
walk-up attic of a 2 1/2-story wood-frame dwelling. People on
scene reported two children were trapped in the attic. Firefighters
stretched a handline to the attic to conduct a search and locate
and extinguish the fire. Once in the attic, they were met with
medium to heavy smoke conditions, light heat, and no discernible
fire. Smoke conditions worsened, and multiple calls were made
for ventilation. Fire broke out behind them near their egress path.
They retreated and hit the fire. Water pressure was lost. The
ceiling sheathing collapsed and was followed by a rapid, massive
heat increase. The firefighters attempted to exit the attic. The
path of egress was no longer accessible. They were trapped, and
their skin began to burn. They called two Maydays. There was no
response. They moved away from the fire toward the front of the
building. They found two windows and dived out from the third
floor. ALL LEVELS
The focus is on large truck and trailer incident response. Topics
include Big Truck Anatomy: arrival, setup procedures and hazard
control, sustained stabilization, patient access, overcoming
height, side wall openings, roof operations, disentanglement,
patient removal, and scene termination considerations. Bus
Extrication: response issues and social media, command,
triage applications, construction and anatomy, metal relocation
procedures, entrance and egress, and patient removal.
Livestock Trailer Incident Response: dealing with livestock,
trailer construction, metal relocation, containment options,
and euthanasia. High Tension Cable Barrier Systems: function
and purpose, design and construction, emergency response,
disentanglement, and cutting the cable. ALL LEVELS
Engine Company MCI First Strike: Maximizing
the First Five Minutes
Paramedic Captain Justin Schorr, San Francisco Bay Area (CA)
We know that the first five minutes dictate the next five hours
at a multiple casualty incident (MCI). Forget the tarps, tags,
and bags. Let’s focus on the first company’s rapidly gathering
information, counting the wounded, and relaying the information
to incoming units. The actions of the first-arriving unit are crucial
in determining conditions, hazards, and the overall scope of
the incident. Attendees are led through simple techniques for
rapidly deploying a triage team at any level of incident to ensure
maximum information gathering, successfully design drills that
mimic a real MCI event, and focus on the company-level tasks
that must be completed. ALL LEVELS
78
Captain Christopher Schutte, Milwaukee (WI) Fire Department
High-Rise Fires: Essentials for Volunteer Fire
Departments
Firefighter Sergio Selman, Cuerpo de Bomberos de Santiago, Chile
The students and instructor “respond” to an imaginary call to
a fire on the 20th floor. As they proceed, they identify the key
positions, beginning with the incident commander, and determine
the training requirements for those positions. The focus is on
training for the worst-case scenario. In mid-/high-rise fires, it
could be responding alone or with a second-due engine that
could take ages to arrive. Furthermore, with an ongoing shortage
of volunteers and the difficulty in securing an exact number of
firefighters on each engine, we must prepare our volunteers for
all the roles. They need to know the essentials of each position
they should cover in this type of scenario—from incident
command to nozzle, ventilation, and even positioning ladders.
All of the essential positions an engine company would have to
be proficient at to put out a fire by itself are covered. Each task;
the minimum and optimal requirements for each position; and, of
course, the best way to train for the functions are included.
ALL LEVELS
Large-Flow Water Delivery Operations
Engineer (Ret.) Paul Shapiro, Las Vegas (NV) Fire Department
What’s Been Missing? Implementing
Rehabilitation at the Incident Scene
This class takes students through a step-by-step large-flow
water delivery operation starting with the first-in engine. It is
based on a simulated growing large fire. The class starts at the
point of the arrival of the first engine and progresses through
the initial implementation of big water tactics and a complete
assignment of units. Various types of water-delivery operations
are covered. Other topics include high-flow discharge evolutions
such as handlines, master streams, large-diameter hose, relaypump operations, dual-pump operations, and looped supply line
evolutions. The duties and responsibilities of the water supply
officer are also covered. ALL LEVELS
Professor Denise Smith, Skidmore College (NY) and Illinois Fire
Service Institute
Developing a Preincident Guide for a HighHazard Event
Regional Multicompany Hands-On Training
Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan, Fire Department of New York
Many fire departments regularly rely on automatic aid or mutual
aid to effectively respond to fires and other emergencies. For
more than 20 years, about 700 firefighters from fire departments
of Chicago’s northern suburbs have conducted semiannual
multicompany drills to prepare for a safe and effective response.
Ranging from skill development to full-scale live fire exercises,
these sessions challenge departments to work with one another.
Learn about the history and development of this program,
details of several past exercises, and the lessons learned
and experiences of other regions that have conducted similar
exercises. BASIC
Students are taken through all of the steps of developing
preincident guidelines for structures or facilities in their response
area that may potentially pose problems for their fire department.
Examples of target areas in the instructor’s response district
(the industrialized section of the South Bronx, New York) are
discussed from the perspective of preplanning. Students are
shown how the strategy and tactics developed for a preplan
of one of these targets were implemented when that facility
experienced a fire to which the instructor’s battalion responded.
ALL LEVELS
Despite the myriad of dangers firefighters face, the leading cause
of duty-related death is sudden cardiac events, accounting for
approximately 45 percent of line-of-duty deaths. Firefighting
requires high levels of physical exertion and results in significant
physiological disruption. Incident-scene rehabilitation is designed
to mitigate the physical, physiological, and emotional stress of
firefighting to improve performance and decrease the likelihood
of injury or death. This presentation provides the foundation for
developing and implementing a rehabilitation policy. ALL LEVELS
Deputy Chief Drew Smith, Prospect Heights (IL) Fire District
Size-Up Videos and Tactics for the First-Due
Engine
The Initial Line: Getting It Right the First Time
Lieutenant Tom Sitz, Painesville Township (OH) Fire Department
The deployment of the initial hoseline is one of the most
basic and important actions the fire service takes to effect
the extinguishment of fires. However, it is often assumed to
be elementary even though, at times, it is one of the biggest
challenges we face. The need for a dynamic and well-trained
engine company in all types of departments is the focus, and
engine company operations and their importance to the proper
mitigation of fire incidents are emphasized. The topics discussed
include methods for ensuring proper hoseline selection,
deployment, and efficiency of operation. ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
This dynamic and interactive class features audience
participation as a key component. Raw fire scene videos that
begin prior to the fire department’s arrival and progress through
the arrival of the first-due engine are analyzed and discussed
from the perspective of strategy and tactics with the focus on
the first-due engine. Emphasis is on points of entry and the pros
and cons of each entry point, line selection (gallons per minute)
and length, flow path control, and probable routes of extension.
Direct fire attack, transitional fire attack, and blitz attacks are
discussed. Case studies of similar fires in the buildings used in
the video emphasize building construction and fire location and
extension. Engine company tricks of the trade are also covered.
Captain Jonah Smith, Charlotte (SC) Fire Department
Standpipes: a New Look at an Old Tool
Captain Kyle Smith, Cobb County (GA) Fire Department
We all have expectations of performance when it comes to a
standpipe system. This class looks at what can be expected of
an installed standpipe system and what to do if the unexpected
happens. The results of flow testing are reviewed and discussed.
Pressure-reducing valves, from their construction features to flow
test results and what can be realistically expected from them, are
covered. Lessons learned from the hands-on training conducted
at the Riviera Hotel and Casino are reviewed, and incidents at
which standpipe performance was a significant factor in a near
miss or a line-of-duty death are examined. ALL LEVELS
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Vehicle Extrication from Inside the Auto Industry Tactical Thermal Imaging: the First Level of Fire
Attack
Senior Firefighter/Design Engineer Michael Smith, Wixom (MI)
Fire Department
Captain Andrew Starnes, Charlotte (NC) Fire Department
This class takes the new out of new vehicle technology and
presents leading-edge information. Students will walk through
vehicle design and construction from bumper to bumper,
highlighting changes in technology, materials, and processes. In
those places where new technology is found in the vehicles, the
“why” and “how” of the technology are briefly covered.
Incorporating tactical thermal data into our initial action plan is
mission critical to the success of our operations. This takes the
participant beyond the standard use of a thermal imaging camera
for search and rescue along with overhaul purposes. Tactical
thermal imaging can allow firefighters to identify the flow paths
and identify cold spots. Firefighters can use this information
to detect the fire’s severity and location, define their access
path, direct their stream placement, locate trapped victims,
assist in locating the fire (visible, vent-limited, and hidden fires
in walls or chimneys, for example), locate down firefighters
in rapid intervention scenarios, spot locations for ventilation
openings, and more. Traditional tactics are not discarded; they
are enhanced, and the participant can see the thermal data,
which have a powerful effect on changing someone’s paradigm.
ALL LEVELS
CNG Commercial Vehicles: a Ticking Time Bomb
Lieutenant Steve Smith, Arvada (CO) Fire Protection District
Compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered commercial vehicles are
the focus. The basics of these vehicles are covered; emphasis
is on rubbish vehicles. Topics include liquefied natural gas
(LNG)-powered vehicles and the difference between LNG and
CNG vehicles. An incident involving two CNG tanks that failed in
Indianapolis is analyzed from the perspectives of the investigators
and manufacturer, their conclusions, and what the industry
proposes as far as firefighting is concerned (which tactically and
mentally go against what we were taught since the fire academy).
ALL LEVELS
Strategies and Tactics of Great and Respected
Firefighters
Firefighter David Soler, Firefighter Toolbox, California
Discover the success principles of great firefighters that have
never been shared in a program before. If you’re looking to reach
your potential as a firefighter and want to take your skills and fire
service career to another level, this class is for you. This easyto-understand, step-by-step program is based on the instructor’s
20-plus years of researching and interviewing the best of the best
in the fire service. ALL LEVELS
Cancer: Prevention Begins with Awareness
Director of Fire Service Programs Victor Stagnaro, National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation
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Occupational cancer is a reality in the fire service. The outcomes
and objectives of the January 2015 Occupational Cancer in
the Fire Service Strategy Meeting held in Washington, D.C.,
are discussed, including the outcomes of the eight objectives
reviewed during the strategy meeting. Among topics covered are
cancer awareness, recommendations for preventing cancer, and
the ongoing research needed to prove some cancers are related to
the fire service as an occupation. The National Fallen Firefighters
Foundation Cancer Awareness and Prevention video is featured
and discussed. ALL LEVELS
Tactics for Managing Fire Behavior
Chief (Ret.) Joe Starnes, Sandy Ridge (SC) Volunteer Fire
Department
The focus is on conditioning the access path for the crew and
tactical air management with doors, curtains, and redirecting the
flow path. Videos reinforce discussions on the use of thermal
imaging cameras and thermal indicators that indicate when crews
should go/not go. This interactive class encourages students’
questions pertaining to techniques discussed and illustrated.
SCBA Bootcamp: a Firefighter’s Survival School
Captain Trevor Steedman, Ocean City (MD) Fire Department
The focus in on a variety of principles and practices all firefighters
can use—rural and urban, career and volunteer. Fire does not
discriminate. The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
Continuum of Survival illustrates the training needs of the SCBA
firefighter and provides multiple skills that maximize the potential
for everyone to go home. Many firefighters are unaware of the
survival options available to keep them alive. SCBA is the lifeline
of the firefighter. Basic SCBA training provides rudimentary skills
on which firefighters must build. Unfortunately, many firefighters
and training programs neglect to advance SCBA skills to adequate
levels. When the fire doesn’t go “by the book,” knowing the SCBA
Continuum of Survival can make all the difference. ALL LEVELS
The Story of West: Multiple Firefighter Deaths
Roadway Incident Safety: the Hits Keep Coming!
Chief Les Stephens, San Marcos (TX) Fire Department
Jack Sullivan, Director of Training, ResponderSafety.com
An interactive and detailed summary of the investigation report
of the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted in cooperation
with the Texas Fire Chief’s Association covering the April 17,
2013, West (TX) Fertilizer Plant explosion in which 10 firefighters
died in the line of duty. The class leaders are two members of
the task force who, along with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives agents, interviewed surviving emergency
responders and examined other incident materials (i.e., radio
communications, for example) and established a timeline of
events for the incident. Additionally, the task force reviewed
fire and emergency strategic (scene) operations and developed
comprehensive lessons learned and best practices for preventing
similar future firefighter fatalities. ALL LEVELS
In the first three months of 2015, six fire/EMS personnel were
struck and killed by vehicles at incident scenes. Distracted,
drowsy, drunk, drugged, and just plain dumb drivers are striking
our personnel and our emergency vehicles with scary frequency.
This class provides the guidelines for safe roadway incident
scene response and management and outlines the most recent
innovative ideas for highway incident safety. An overview of
the new NFPA/ANSI Standard 1091, Traffic Control Incident
Management Professional Qualifications, is also presented.
Fire Department of New York: Black Sunday
Firefighter Eugene Stolowski, Fire Department of New York
A first-hand account of the events of January 23, 2005, that
forced six New York City firefighters to jump out of the fifth floor
of a Bronx tenement. Students will see how quickly things can go
wrong on the fireground. Among the topics covered are the need
for firefighters to have a personal safety system and the hazards
of responding in illegally occupied buildings. ALL LEVELS
Operating on the Floor Above
Captain Daniel Stratton, Camden (NJ) Fire Department
RIC for REAL: How Ready Are You to Save
Firefighters’ Lives?
Captain Paul Strong, Valley (WA) Regional Fire Authority
This class covers many of the details learned from realistic,
hands-on, rapid intervention training. Four-hundred firefighters
were put to the test in stressful training environments that
challenged everything they had ever been taught. They were
challenged in their basic skills: Officers were challenged in critical
decision making; crews were challenged in their efficiency,
choreography, and coordination under realistic stress. Learn the
best practices for increasing the chances for successful rescues
by paying attention to the details in this session’s approach to
training rapid intervention crews. ALL LEVELS
The Historic Role of Safety in the DecisionMaking Process
Deputy Chief of Operations John Sullivan, Worcester (MA) Fire
Department
The past 15 to 20 years have seen an unprecedented increase
in safety awareness in the fire service. This increased safety
focus has had a positive effect on the decision-making process
firefighters use in many cases; however, there are still historical
trends the fire service continues to uphold that have not evolved
with the times. These “habits” are deeply entrenched in both our
experience and training and continue to shape our tactics and
strategy despite the growing evidence that many of these habits
are detrimental to firefighter safety. This class explores case
studies that highlight those entrenched habits and presents ways
to adjust our decision-making process to reflect even greater
emphasis on firefighter safety. ALL LEVELS
There Is No Such Thing as Extreme Fire
Behavior!
Associate Professor Stefan Svensson, Lund University, Sweden
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
The hazards associated with operating on the floor above a fire
are identified. Precautionary measures for firefighters engaged
in fire suppression activities under these conditions are stressed.
Case studies are used to increase awareness of the challenges
the firefighters face. Flashover, backdraft in voids, structural
failure, wind-driven fires, assessing the fire structure, the priority
of and importance in getting a stream on the fire, providing egress
with ladders on upper floors, and additional safety and survival
techniques are covered. ALL LEVEL
ALL LEVELS
The focus is on approaching fire scientifically and viewing
it from the perspective of scientists. Scenarios will include
simple examples of theory through small-scale experiments to
large-scale experiments. Fire is a process of combustion, and
it is driven by laws of nature. Such laws describe how various
phenomena in nature are related and affect each other. That we
do not always understand these fundamental laws and how they
affect the behavior of a fire does not make the fire extreme in
any way. The fire simply follows the conditions given, whether we
know them or not. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
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CLASSROOM SESSIONS
“Invitational Intervention”: Understanding
Where Addiction and Hope Meet
Rev. Jim Swarthout, Rosecrance Florian Program, Illinois
Sitting around the table at the house—home or station—we
often talk about motivation to change, which is a powerful and
an influential force when it is harnessed. Much like a flowing
river, when the water is channeled, it can be converted to
life-enhancing energy. The process of change starts when any
one family member decides that the addiction with which he/
she is living is creating pain that can no longer be lived with.
The addiction has made family interactions too controlling, too
chaotic, too isolated, too filled with emotional ups and downs, too
filled with anger and resentments, and too controlled by fears.
Research has shown that a family member can be successfully
coached in how best to invite other family members to participate
in an intervention. Our research shows that this coaching is also
60 percent successful at getting the addicted person to attend
the first family session designed to get this individual started in
treatment. ALL LEVELS
First-In Driver: Street Smarts from a Driver
Perspective
Chad Szeklinski, Heavy Equipment Operator, Milwaukee (WI) Fire
Department
The focus is on building more successful engine driving
operations. Topics include how to properly prepare the engine
at the start of the shift, correct positioning of the apparatus for
fire/emergency medical calls, getting a water supply quickly, and
troubleshooting apparatus issues. The instructor passes along
some tricks of the trade as well. ALL LEVELS
Good Medicine in Bad Places: a Look Inside the
Fire Department of New York Rescue Paramedic
Program
Firefighter John Tew, Fire Department of New York
A glimpse into the training world of a Fire Department of New
York EMS rescue paramedic. The instructor, who served for a
decade as a paramedic for private hospitals within New York City,
describes the program he developed for paramedics to prepare
them—through practical, real-world scenarios—to practice “good
medicine in bad places.” The rescue technician and medical
training delivered through the program is described in detail.
Videos and other visual aids that cover training scenarios and
interviews with paramedics are employed in this interactive
session. ALL LEVELS
Welcome to the Ivy League of Firefighting in
High- and Low-Rise Large-Area Office Buildings
Battalion Chief (Ret.) Jerry Tracy, Fire Department of New York
The challenge of operating in high- or low-rise office buildings
demands the disciplines of procedures far beyond routine
operations. The presentation provides the information required
for preplanning, including the responsibilities of building owners,
managers, and occupants. The preplan discussed will be more
than a building profile. It will focus on a plan of action for fires
and emergencies. The instructor clarifies the characteristics of
construction and how they factor in on the fire behavior expected
in these structures. The strategies and tactics to extinguish
routine fires to the most difficult fires are explained. Controlling
smoke movement, search and rescue, and the command system
that supports operations are discussed. ALL LEVELS
What Matters? Situations That Arise in a
Diverse Fire Station
Learning from Others’ Experiences
District Chief Susan Tamme, Tampa (FL) Fire Rescue
Students are made aware of how firefighters’ aggressive actions
can increase firefighter risk of injury or death and prevent the
completion of the task at hand, interrupting the fire action plan.
They identify these aggressive actions in dramatic videos and
photos and discuss their potential consequences. Among the
topics covered are fire scene accountability, vehicle placement
and operations, hoseline placement, the use of portable ladders,
company officer development, building construction, water
supply, search and rescue, and strategy and tactics.
An in-depth look at the issues that surface in the firehouse
regarding gender, sexual orientation, and equality. Many company
officers are not prepared for these types of issues when they
come to light at the first onset. Understanding the underlying
message and the needs of a nontraditional firefighter can make
these situations easier to navigate. Information is presented from
the human resources and legal perspectives. A question-andanswer session is included. ALL LEVELS
Instructor Dave Traiforos, NIPSTA Training Academy, Glenview, IL
ALL LEVELS
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Small Departments: Growing Beyond the SingleLine Mentality
Situational Awareness Barriers in a Digital
Information Environment
Chief Jon Trent, Nixa (MO) Fire Protection District
CEO/Senior Firefighter Bart van Leeuwen, Netage, Netherlands
Our greatest adversary to organizational growth is past
success! This session challenges firefighters at all levels of the
organization to take a critical look at on-scene performance.
Through the process of examination, the following topics will be
considered: How does your organization/shift/crew define your
on-scene performance—what is your operational “brand”? Are
you living up to your on-scene operational performance brand?
At what level of performance is your organization/shift/crew
currently performing? Competent? Developing? Peak? How do
you move to the next level of performance if you are not at peak
performance? How do you maintain peak performance?
ALL LEVELS
Elevator Emergencies
Captain (Ret.) Tony Tricarico, Fire Department of New York
Attendees learn what they need to know to mitigate an elevator
emergency. Beyond learning how elevators work, the types of
elevators, and the basics of elevator emergencies, students
become acquainted with the terminology of elevator machinery
room mechanics and the elevator mechanics and shaft parts.
Among the topics covered are the tools needed to repair an
elevator, how to use the tools, construction, site safety hazards,
steel and wire supports, interlock devices, hoistway door
operations, gaining entry, internal and external safeties built
into elevators, lock out and tag out, locating an elevator, and
the phases of elevator recall. In addition, the two basic types of
elevators, wire hoist and pneumatic, are discussed.
ALL LEVELS
Rapid Intervention Teams and Air Management
The focus is on the purpose of the rapid intervention team
(RIT), why it is needed, and its function. Additional topics
include equipping a team, running command during a Mayday
situation, and using the RIT. Air management is also emphasized;
air management requirements in the United States, obstacles
departments have encountered while introducing air management
in their departments, how to implement air management standard
operating standards, and how to practice air management
procedures are covered.
How to Avoid Social Media-Assisted Career
Problems
Deputy Chief Curt Varone, Exeter (RI) Fire Department
The focus is on training firefighters to avoid social media
disasters. Social media has been a blessing and a curse for
the fire service; it has the potential to create public relations
nightmares and disciplinary disasters. The challenge is to
establish boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable
online conduct without violating individual rights. Career,
volunteer, and combination departments all have been impacted
by social media. Managing the risks posed by social media
involves striking a balance between members’ rights and
organizational responsibility while considering the impact of
a variety of legal concerns, including the First Amendment;
collective bargaining; and privacy rights. ADVANCED
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Lieutenant, Special Operations Joseph Troncoso, Portland (OR)
Fire & Rescue This Class Is Taught in Spanish
New technologies like mobile data terminals, iPads, and cellphones
are entering the fire service at an ever increasing pace. Often, the
biggest argument for these technologies is increased situational
awareness. However, when used in the wrong way, they can
be barriers to situational awareness. This class examines this
issue and discusses the source and presentation of information,
generational influences, and the differences in the ways
varying generations of firefighters use technology. Students are
introduced to a common terminology and are given a nontechnical
introduction to the way information systems work. A supporter
of using digital information at the front line, the instructor did
ground-breaking work on this subject at the Amsterdam Fire
Department and shares information on the potential pitfalls you
may encounter when using these technologies. ALL LEVELS
Step Up and Lead
Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso, Kearny (NJ) Fire Department
The highest rated fire service leadership traits—among them are
loyalty, adaptability, determination, enthusiasm, empathy, courage,
and honor—are the focus. Students gain insight into enhancing
their ability to lead themselves and others by analyzing case
histories and lessons learned followed by action steps.
ALL LEVELS
ALL LEVELS
83
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
Fully Involved Leadership
Captain Mark vonAppen, Palo Alto (CA) Fire Department
This class is directed at fire service professionals who wish to
expand their leadership abilities at any level. The focus is on
improving team performance; the approach has been in use for
more than 40 years in professional football, the fire service,
and the business world. Getting team members to pull toward
a common goal is a key component in successful operations.
Acquire the tools that will help you to create a pact you can apply
to all levels of your organization. ALL LEVELS
Intelligently Aggressive Truck Functions
Division Chief Jimm Walsh, Winter Park (FL) Fire Department
Many people associate the term “aggressive” with unsafe,
particularly when it comes to truck company functions. The
fireground can be made safer through the intelligent execution
of truck functions. This presentation stresses the importance of
intelligently aggressive truck functions and their positive impact
on fireground safety. As a result of limited staffing situations, we
must improve our efficiency on the fireground. Aggressive truck
functions applied in an intelligent manner allow everyone to work
in a safer and more efficient manner. This presentation gives
valuable insight into the understanding of aggressive, yet safe,
truck company skills. Participants gain valuable tips on how to
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their truck functions.
Most importantly, participants see how intelligent aggressive
truck functions can create a safer fireground. ALL LEVELS
Did That Really Just Happen?
Firefighter (Ret.) John Walters III, Fire Department of New York
Firefighting is a very dangerous job. We all know this and take
the risks associated with the job. This class answers many of
the questions associated with line-of-duty injuries and prepares
students to be proactive in these situations. How would a major
line-of-duty injury affect your department? Would the chief down
to the probationary member know what to do? Students are taken
step by step through the process of a major line-of-duty injury—
before, during, and many years after the incident. Learn from
members who have been through such events. ALL LEVELS
Truck Company Operations for the Engine
Company Firefighter
Firefighter Jeff Weffelmeyer, St. Louis (MO) Fire Department
This class focuses on the truck company skills in which every
firefighter should be proficient. Because of a lack of dedicated
truck companies, engine operations are usually the main
focus of the suburban and rural fire service. Just because
your department doesn’t have a dedicated truck company
doesn’t mean these vital fireground operations don’t need to be
accomplished at a structure fire. Who performs these operations
on your fire scene? What truck company operations need to
be performed? Forcible entry: You can’t put the fire out if you
can’t get inside. Search: You won’t find the victims if you don’t
go looking for them. Ventilation: Improve interior conditions for
firefighters and victims. Ladders: Access to roof and upper floors
and means of escape for firefighters operating interior. Overhaul:
Opening up and making sure the fire is out. Aerial operations:
Access to upper floors and elevated master streams.
ALL LEVELS
Rural Fire Safety: Do It the Same Way,
“Differently”!
Chief Devon Wells, Hood River (OR) Fire & EMS
The wildland safety concept of lookouts, communications,
escape routes, and safety zones (LCES) is widely accepted as
one of the easiest-to-remember wildland safety standards in
rural fire agencies and throughout the United States. The lack
of situational awareness tends to be a leading cause in many
line-of-duty deaths and near misses. This presentation provides
a new way of analyzing risk at roadway emergencies, structure
fires, and other incidents using proven methods. Safety is a topic
that draws a lot of press yet doesn’t seem to catch the attention
of firefighters. This presentation takes each of the components of
LCES and applies them to all-hazard incidents. How to use LCES
at motor vehicle accidents, vehicle fires, structure fires, technical
rescues, and hazardous materials incidents is addressed. By
using easy-to-remember, routine, and adopted safety guidelines
at all incidents, our chances for preventing injury and death
increase. ALL LEVELS
Large Truck Extrication
Battalion Chief Steve White, Fishers (IN) Fire Department
84
This program stresses that rescuers should not take a passenger
vehicle approach to a large truck extrication. Students gain a
working knowledge of large truck construction including air,
electrical, and suspension systems. Options for using electric,
pneumatic, and hydraulic tools to stabilize, gain access, and
perform disentanglement from semitractors, large straight trucks,
and cars trapped under trailers are discussed.
Flashover Life-and-Death Decisions on the
Fireground
Heart Heroes: Successful Cardiovascular
Program for Volunteer Firefighters
Firefighter Bryan Winzer, Fire Department of New York
4th Commander Ivo Zuvic, Santiago( Chile) Fire Department
Flashover is devastating and has caused injuries and, in many
cases, firefighter deaths. The devastating pysical and mental
scars left behind after a flashover last a lifetime. Two case studies
of incidents where flashover occurred are reviewed. In one
incident, a firefighter was severely burned while battling a private
dwelling fire. In the other incident, a firefighter was severely
burned and his partner succumbed to his injuries while fighting a
fire in a garden apartment. ALL LEVELS
Lessons Learned from a Near-Miss Mayday in
Texas
Captain John Wright, Flower Mound (TX) Fire Department
A first-hand experience. The Flower Mound (TX) Fire Department
responded to a residential structure fire on June 17, 2011. While
members conducted a primary search of the second floor, an error
was made and the wall was opened up, allowing the room to fill
with flames. This disoriented the firefighters, who became lost
in the fire room. A Mayday was transmitted, and the firefighters
were able to self-extricate through a small set of windows
seconds before the room flashed. Students are presented with
details concerning the errors that contributed to the firefighters’
becoming lost and the struggles they encountered while trying
to get out of the room. Students share in the lessons learned
and insights into how firefighters react to overwhelming stress
associated with high-speed threats to life. Complacency, gut
instincts, proper use of personal protective equipment, muscle
memory related to bad habits, preparedness, and pride are also
covered as part of the lessons learned. ALL LEVELS
As is widely known, the cardiovascular accidents have been
the greatest cause of death in the fire service in past decades.
No fire department in the world is immune to the problem.
This presentation relates the experience of the Santiago Fire
Department (Chile) with this problem and how it is being attacked.
The presentation describes the triggering events of this program—
five line-of-duty deaths in a short period of time—the decision to
attack the problem, the process of engaging all the volunteers in
creating the campaign, and how the plan has been applied and
is being monitored. Although the presentation is based on the
Santiago Fire Department, the main focus is to share the most
important learning points that have been identified, including the
errors that can be avoided or the “best hits” that can be replicated
by others. ALL LEVELS
Trench Rescue Shoring: Our Dirty Little Secret
Rescue Team Manager Ron Zawlocki, Michigan USAR Task Force
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
In this interactive session, students are challenged to create
a model for a trench rescue shoring performance standard.
Firefighters are needlessly risking their lives each time they enter
a trench that has been shored with equipment and techniques
that have not been scientifically proven (tested) to be capable
of supporting the soil. The absence of a trench rescue shoring
“performance standard” has allowed the continued use of
inadequate shoring techniques by firefighters. This presentation
teaches the participants to apply critical thinking and system
analysis to the shoring systems and practices used for trench
rescue shoring. Current theories, myths, and folklore are
examined. Participants will learn and apply a simple formula for
determining the potential soil forces on their shoring systems
and the safety factors of commonly used trench rescue shoring
systems. Students learn methods for testing the strength of
shoring systems in trenches. ALL LEVELS
85
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
CURSOS EN ESPAÑOL
Conceptos Comunes del Combate Contra
Incendios
Equipos de Intervención Rápida y el Manejo de Aire
Capitán Pedro Cáceres, Wayne Township Fire Department
En Español. En enfoque es en la intención de tener un grupo
de RIT (Intervención Rápida), por qué hace falta, y conocer su
función. Tópicos adicionales incluyen equipar un grupo RIT,
manejar commando durante una emergencia (Mayday) y cómo
usar el RIT. El otro tema realzado es el Manejo de Aire. Se cubren
los requisitos para Manejo de Aire en los EE.UU., obstáculos
que tuvimos implementando este concepto, cómo implementar
normas de Manejo de Aire y cómo practicar los procedimientos.
El combate de incendio varía de un cuerpo de bomberos a otro,
de una región del país a otra, y por supuesto, entre los paises.
A la misma vez, varios principios son constantes para todos
los bomberos, aún hasta al nivel internacional. Trabajar como
equipo, presencia de commando, entrenamiento, conciencia
de situación y desarrollo físico todos son factores que pueden
mejorar el servicio de bomberos, sea donde sea. Esta clase
repasa estos temas usando estudios de casos reales que
muestran la necesidad y la importancia de buenos métodos de
bomberos e incluye compartir las lecciones que hemos aprendido
y los datos y la investigación que las apoyan.
Para TODOS LOS NIVELES
Incendios en Estructuras Elevadas –
Fundamentos para Bomberos Voluntarios
Bombero Sergio Selman, Cuerpo de Bomberos de Santiago, Chile
Los alumnus y el instructor “responden” a un incendio ficticio
en el piso 20. Mientras siguen, identifican todas las posiciones
críticas, comenzando con el comandante del incidente y
determinan los requisitos de capacitación por estos puestos. El
enfoque es entrenar para lo peor. En incendios elevados, podría
ser llegar solo o con la segunda máquina tomando mucho tiempo
en llegar. Además, con pocos voluntarios y sin saber el número de
elementos de bomberos en cada máquina, tenemos que preparer
nuestros bomberos voluntarios para todos los trabajos—tienen
que saber los fundamentos de cada posición necesaria en la
escena—de comandante del incidente, pitón, ventilación y saber
dónde poner las escaleras. Todos los trabajos que uno necesita
saber para apagar un incendio de una manera eficaz. Cada tarea,
los mínimos y los máximos requisitos, y también se incluye la
mejor manera de entrenar para las funciones.
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Oficial José Troncoso, Bomberos Latinos
Héroes de Corazón: Un programa cardiovascular
exitoso en bomberos voluntaries
4° Comandante Ivo Zuvic, Cuerpo de Bomberos, Santiago Chile
Como sabemos, accidentes cardíacos (o ataques de corazón)
han sido la causa más frequente de muerte en los cuerpos de
bomberos durante las últimas décadas. No hay ningún cuerpo
de bomberos en el mundo protegido contra este problema. Este
curso habla de la experiencia de los Bomberos de Santiago,
(CHILE) y como han manejado este problema. Habla de como
se inició este programa –cinco muertes de esta causa en poco
tiempo, la decisión de atacar al problema, el proceso de involucrar
los voluntarios en el programa, como se ha implementado y como
lo estamos monitoriando. Aunqué está basado en Bomberos
de Santiago, el enfoque es compartir las cosas importantes que
hemos aprendido, incluyendo los errores que debemos evitar y
como se puede replicar. Para TODOS LOS NIVELES
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attending FDIC International.
NEARLY 1,000 EXHIBITORS
300+ CLASSROOM SESSIONS,
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS AND
HANDS-ON TRAINING COURSES
2. DEVELOP A PROPOSAL
500+ SPEAKERS & INSTRUCTORS
Write out your ideas and submit them to your manager with your
intended schedule of conference track subjects and the list of
companies with which you hope to network. Use the “Attendees
Plan Your Event” information below this guide to search exhibitors,
products and services.
350+ LEADING INDUSTRY SPEAKERS
24 UTILITY UNIVERSITY® COURSES
3. SHOW HOW EVERYONE BENEFITS
6 MEGA SESSIONS
Share your event goals with your department and/or colleagues
and demonstrate how your participation will help your team
achieve their goals.
3 LIVE WEBCASTS
Registering for FDIC International is easy. Consult the table below to decide which registration option is right
for you – the full conference option offers the best value.
One-Day
Conference
Exhibit
Package
2-Day Hands-On
Training® Package
&
Pre-Conference
Workshops Only
Fire Engineering Training Network Non-Subscriber
$675
$390
$85
$315
Fire Engineering Training Network Subscriber
$545
$320
$50
$200
WHAT REGISTRATION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
BEST VALUE*
Individual Full
Conference
Conference Sessions - General Sessions
Classroom Sessions - 3 Day
Classroom Sessions - 1 Day
Keynote Session
Exhibition Floor Entrance
Exhibit Hall Receptions
Pre-Conference Workshops**
Hands-On Training Evolutions***
$130 - 4-Hr Pre-Conference Workshop
Class
$255 - 8-Hr H.O.T. Class
$155 - 4-Hr H.O.T. Class
* Price does not include the cost of individual Hands-On Training® and/or Pre-Conference Workshops
** PLEASE NOTE: If you select a pre-conference workshop in the morning, your afternoon selection must also be a pre-conference workshop.
Pre-conference workshops do not include lunch.
*** PLEASE NOTE: If you select a hands-on training evolution in the morning, your afternoon selection must also be a hands-on training
evolution. Hands-on training evolutions include lunch.
87
1
2016 EVENT
REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION INFORMATION SHEET
April 18-23, 2016
Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Registration Sponsor:
REGISTRATION
■
Fully complete the registration form. Incomplete registration forms
will be returned for complete information.
■ Placement in Hands-On Training (H.O.T.) classes is not reserved
until registration form is fully completed and payment is received.
■ Each attendee must be individually registered. Single registrations
may not be separated or shared among multiple attendees.
■ There is no refund for partial-day attendance.
HANDS-ON TRAINING INFORMATION
■
■
R
egister early. Hands-On Training class sizes are limited.
Hands-On Training participants must register and report to Staging
by 6:30 a.m.
■
Signed liability waivers are required for all Hands-On Training.
■
Full turnout gear and/or technical rescue gear is required for
Visit www.fdic.com to print a liability waiver.
■
■
IF PAYING WITH PURCHASE ORDER (PO) - Purchase order must have a credit card
guarantee or the registration will be forfeited. A PO is not considered a payment.
Payments must be received prior to the event or upon arrival to receive your badge.
■
■
STEP-BY-STEP HANDS-ON TRAINING
INSTRUCTIONS
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS INFORMATION
■
■
1. Fully complete the registration form.
2.Select Hands-On Training Premium Package or
Hands-On Training and Pre-Conference Workshops
Only on page 5.
3. Choose your classes on pages 3 & 4.
4.Total the registration fees and the class fees on the
bottom of page 5.
5. Payment is required to reserve H.O.T. classes.
88
certain Hands-On Training. (See “Important Notes for H.O.T.
Attendees” at www.fdic.com.)
Lunch is provided for all Hands-On Training attendees.
SCBA will be provided when necessary.
If selecting 4-hour Hands-On Training in the morning, you can only
select a Hands-On Training for the afternoon. You cannot combine
a Hands-On Training and a Pre-Conference Workshop on the
same day.
H.O.T. Class Pricing: 4-hour are $155 each and 8-hour are $255
each in addition to the registration fee.
Morning Pre-Conference Workshops begin promptly at 8:00 a.m.
Afternoon Pre-Conference Workshops begin promptly
at 1:30 p.m.
Lunch is NOT provided for Pre-Conference Workshop attendees.
■If selecting a 4-hour Pre-Conference Workshop in the morning,
■
you can only select a Pre-Conference Workshop for the afternoon.
You cannot combine a Hands-On Training and a Pre-Conference
Workshop on the same day.
■Pre-Conference Workshops are $130 each in addition to the
registration fee.
2
2016 EVENT
REGISTRATION
ATTENDEE INFORMATION (Enter this information as you would like it to appear on your badge)

First Name
Last Name
Title
Department/Company (Maximum 30 Characters)
Address (To mail badge and conference information)
Address 2 (Suite #, etc.)
City
(
)
Phone
(
Fax
)
Country
State
Zip
E-mail (A unique Email is required for processing registration)
(
)
Cell (Required for Emergency Response Communication)
Rank/Title
(01) Chief of Depart.
(02) Staff Chief
(03) Other Officer
(04) Firefighter
(05) Training Officer
Do you read Fire Engineering?
(07) Firefighter/Paramedic
(08) Firefighter/EMT
(06) Other
(please specify)___________________
Job Function (Check all that apply)
(01) Management
(02) Training
(03) Prevention
(04) Suppression
(05) Investigation
(06) Maintenance
(07) Communication
(08) Public Education
(09) EMS
(10) Haz Mat
(11) Rescue
(13) Wildland
(12) Other
(please specify)___________________
Purchasing Responsibility
(01) Approve
(02) Purchase
(03) Recommend
(04) Specify
(05) Other
(01) Yes
Do you read Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazine?
(01) Yes
(0) No
(01) Yes
Career/Vol
(04) Industrial
(05) Military
(06) Other
(please specify)___________________
Population Served by Department
(01) Under 2,500
(02) 2,501-10,000
(03) 10,001-25,000
(04) 25,001-50,000
(05) 50,001-100,000
(06) 100,001-500,000
(07) Over 500,000
(02) No
How many years have you attended FDIC?
_____
I am visiting the FDIC International 2016 exhibits
to obtain information on: (Check all that apply)
(01) Ambulances
(02) Apparatus &
Type of Department
(01) Volunteer
(02) Career
(03) Combination
(02) No
Do you read FireRescue magazine?
Are you a member of a purchasing committee?
(1) Yes
(02) No
Apparatus Accessories
(03) Badges, Emblems
& Accessories
(04) Breathing Apparatus/Air Systems/SCBA & Supplies
(05) Communications/Radios/
Dispatch Equipment
(06) C
omputer Services/Software
(07) Water, Diving & Ice Rescue Equip. & Accessories
(08) Educational Materials/
Colleges/Training Services
& Equipment
(09) EMS Equipment & Supplies
(10) FOAM, Environmental
Products, CAF Units
(11) Fans/Portable Generators
& Accessories
(12) Hand Tools & Forcible Entry
(13) HazMat Products
(14) Incident Management/
Accountability Systems
(15) Insurance/Financial Institutions/Consulting
Services
(16) Miscellaneous/Other
(17) Monitors & Detectors
(18) Nozzles, Hoses, Reels
& Couplings
(19) Protective Clothing (PPE)/
Apparel
(20) Pumps/Gauges
(21) R
escue Tools & Equipment
(22) Ropes, Chains, Safety Belts
& Accessories
(23) Sirens, Alarms &
Signaling Devices
(24) Thermal Imaging Cameras
(25) Wildland Rescue Equip.
& Access.
89
3
2016 EVENT
REGISTRATION
HANDS-0N TRAINING AND PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Hands-On Training
Pre-Conference Workshops
4-Hour Hands-On Training:
Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($155)
4-Hour Pre-Conference Workshops:
Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($130)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
01MA Advanced Extrication: Real-World Challenges
16MA 10 Keys to Company Success on the Fireground
17MA A Tactical and Strategic Look at Private-Dwelling Fires
18MA Constructing a Successful Training Program
19MA Developing Tactical Decision Games
20MA Drill Development: The Next Level
21MA Effective Command and Operations
22MA Fire Dynamics for Fire Officers: A Review of the 2015 NIST/
UL H.O.T. Class
23MA Firefighting in Underground Transportation Facilities
24MA Firefighting Is the Ultimate Team Sport: Build a Better Team
25MA Fire Officer as Coach: Improving Firefighter Performance
26MA Fundamentals of Firefighter Functional Fitness
27MA ISFSI: Principles of Modern Fire Attack - Train the Trainer
28MA Kill the Flashover: We Test. We Demonstrate. You Decide.
29MA People, Politics, and Problems: The Job Description for
Chief Officers
30MA Rapid Course Design
31MA Responding to and Preparing for Acts of Violence
32MA The Fire Department Assessment Center: The Boot Camp
33MA We’re Only Human: Understanding Fireground Behavior
34MA What About the Victim? Fire Research and Victim Survivability
35MA Why We Must Understand Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS)
36MA Wood-Frame Building Construction: Past and Present
02MA
03MA Engine Company Essentials: Getting Water on the Fire
04MA Engine and Truck Placement: Gaining the Tactical Advantage
05MA Farm Machinery Extrication
06MA Firefighter Bailout Techniques
07MA Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
08MA Hand-to-Hand Combat: Auto Extrication Hand Tools Only
09MA Heavy Vehicle Extrication
10MA Man vs. Machinery
11MA Real-World, Street-Smart Extrication
12MA Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the Fireground
13MA Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS) and Victim Removal
14MA West Coast Firetown Vertical Ventilation Operations
15MA Working in the Fire Flow Path
Monday, April 18, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($155)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
01MP Advanced Extrication: Real-World Challenges
02MP
03MP Engine Company Essentials: Getting Water on the Fire
04MP Engine and Truck Placement: Gaining the Tactical
Advantage
05MP Farm Machinery Extrication
06MP Firefighter Bailout Techniques
07MP Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
08MP Hand-to-Hand Combat: Auto Extrication Hand Tools Only
09MP Heavy-Vehicle Extrication
10MP Man vs. Machinery
11MP Real-World, Street-Smart Extrication
12MP Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the Fireground
13MP Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS) and Victim Removal
14MP West Coast Firetown Vertical Ventilation Operations
15MP Working in the Fire Flow Path
Monday, April 18, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($255)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
16M Building Collapse and Void Search
17M Live Fire: First Due
18M NFPA 1403-Compliant Live Burn Training in Acquired
Structures
19M Nozzle Forward
20M Rapid Intervention Team Combat Drills
21M Truck Company Essentials
22M Urban Essentials
Three-Day Workshop: 3-Day HOT Evolution . . . . . . . . . .($750)
Saturday/Sunday (14 Students), April 16-17, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday (7 Students), April 18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday (7 Students), April 19, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
90
Monday, April 18, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($130)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
37MP 25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODDs
38MP Aggressive Command and Tactics
39MP Blink: Making Critical Fireground Decisions
40MP Building Better Teams Through Personal Leadership
41MP Compartment Fire Behavior Training: “Driving the Change”
42MP Fire Academy 101: Building Better Firefighters Through Quality
Training
43MP Fire Investigation Essentials: The Complete Fire Scene
Examination
44MP Human Behavior and Positive Psychology: Tools for the
Firehouse
45MP ISFSI Instructor Development Workshop
46MP Leadership in the Real World
47MP Peer Support Team: Understanding and Creating a
Firefighter
48MP Public Information Officer 101: Command Function to
Community Relations
49MP Right-Seat Leadership 2016
50MP Safety and Tactics for Newly Promoted Company Officers
51MP Teaching Fire Science to Firefighters
52MP The Art of Go/No-Go
53MP The Art of Reading Smoke
54MP The Courage Within (Tactical Resiliency Training)
55MP The First Five Minutes
56MP Today’s Fire Structures: Airtight and Plastics Galore!
57MP View from the Street: Chief and Company Officer Workshop
4
2016 EVENT
REGISTRATION
HANDS-0N TRAINING AND PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Hands-On Training
Tuesday,
April
2016
Tuesday,
April
19, 19,
2015
Pre-Conference
Workshops
Pre-Conference
Workshops
Tuesday, April 19, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .($155)
Tuesday, April 19, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($130)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
01TA Advanced Extrication: Real-World Challenges
02TA
03TA Engine Company Essentials: Getting Water on the Fire
04TA Engine and Truck Placement: Gaining the Tactical Advantage
05TA Farm Machinery Extrication
06TA Firefighter Bailout Techniques
07TA Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
08TA Hand-to-Hand Combat: Auto Extrication Hand Tools Only
09TA Heavy Vehicle Extrication
10TA Man vs. Machinery
11TA Real-World, Street-Smart Extrication
12TA Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the Fireground
13TA Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS) and Victim Removal
14TA West Coast Firetown Vertical Ventilation Operations
15TA Working in the Fire Flow Path
Tuesday, April 19, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($155)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
01TP Advanced Extrication: Real-World Challenges
02TP
03TP Engine Company Essentials: Getting Water on the Fire
04TP Engine and Truck Placement: Gaining the Tactical
Advantage
05TP Farm Machinery Extrication
06TP Firefighter Bailout Techniques
07TP Flashover and Modern Fire Behavior Training
08TP Hand-to-Hand Combat: Auto Extrication Hand Tools Only
09TP Heavy-Vehicle Extrication
10TP Man vs. Machinery
11TP Real-World, Street-Smart Extrication
12TP Rescue and Squad Company Operations on the Fireground
13TP Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS) and Victim Removal
14TP West Coast Firetown Vertical Ventilation Operations
15TP Working in the Fire Flow Path
Tuesday, April 19, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($255)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
16T Building Collapse and Void Search
17T Live Fire: First Due
18T NFPA 1403- Compliant Live Burn Training in
Acquired Structures
19T Nozzle Forward
20T Rapid Intervention Team Combat Drills
21T Truck Company Essentials
22T Urban Essentials
Three-Day Workshop: 3-Day HOT Evolution . . . . . . . . . .($750)
Saturday/Sunday (14 Students), April 16-17, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday (7 Students), April 18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday (7 Students), April 19, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
58TA Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks on the Modern
Fireground
59TA Dealing with Difficult People and Their Organizational Impacts
60TA Developing and Implementing Fire Behavior Training Programs
61TA Dynamic Decision Making and Reading the Fire
62TA Essentials of Honorable Leadership
63TA Fire Officer Survival
64TA Firefighting in the Modern World: Sustainable Green Design and
Construction
65TA Fireground Decision Making for Suburban Company Officers
66TA Flawed Situational Awareness: The Stealth Killer of First
Responders
67TA Hazmat: Initial Approach and Actions
68TA Leading from the Top
69TA Main Street Tactics and Strategies: Are You Ready?
70TA Mastering the Instructor’s Tools of the Trade
71TA More Drills You’re Not Going to Find in the Books
72TA Rehab Revised: What’s New in NFPA 1584?
73TA Safety Leadership
74TA The Intelligent Interior Attack
75TA The Professional Volunteer Fire Department
76TA Training Basics and Essentials for the Fire Service
77TA Training Officer and Instructor Graduate School
78TA Waving Red Flags on the Fireground 2.0: “Stop the Madness”
Tuesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ($130)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
79TP Building Construction for the Street-Smart Fire Officer
80TP Building the Ladder: Officer Development Programs
81TP Buildings on Fire: Lessons from the Fireground 2016
82TP Creating Tactical Visionaries: Seeing the Fireground Clearly
83TP Fireground Strategies: from the Textbook to the Street
84TP Five-Alarm Leadership: Real Leadership with Real People
85TP High-Rise Operations: Strategic, Tactical, and Task Level
86TP How to Be a Dynamic Instructor
87TP Implementing Compartment Fire Training Programs in
Your Department
88TP Medical Response to the Firefighter Mayday
89TP Must-Have Policies for Every Fire Department
90TP No-Brainer Management
91TP Railroad Incident Safety, Planning, and Operations in the Crude
Oil Unit Train Era
92TP SLICE-RS: from the Beginning
93TP Specifying Fire Apparatus, Back to Basics
94TP The 7 C’s of Fire Officer Trust
95TP The Art of Reading Buildings
96TP The Privilege of Leadership
97TP Using Human Error as a Tool to Build a Safety Culture
98TP Volunteer or Combination Fire Department Managers
Academy
99TP Why Fire Prevention Education Doesn’t Work in Today’s Fire
Service
91
5
2016 EVENT
REGISTRATION
CONFERENCES & EXHIBITS REGISTRATION FORM
GROUP PLANS
EARLY BIRD* REGISTRATION FEES
(Please select only one of the following)
*Early Bird Ends 2/29/1
Subscriber Non-Subscriber
Fee
Fee
Hands-On Training Premium Package
$545 Includes all general sessions, classrooms & exhibits.
May register separately for up to 16 hours of
Hands-On Training and/or Pre-Conference Workshops.
Additional per-class costs listed on Registration pp 3 & 4.
Two-Day Hands-On Training &
Pre-Conference Workshops Only
$675
$200 $315
Three-Day Workshop: 3-Day HOT Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $750
“Preparing for the Acquired Structure Burn - Completing the Task List”
Saturday/Sunday (14 Students), April 17-18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Monday (7 Students), April 18, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.;
Tuesday (7 Students), April 19, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.;
Individual Full Conference
$545 $675
One-Day Conference
$320 $390
Includes all general sessions, classrooms & exhibits
Includes general session and classrooms on selected
day only & all three days of exhibits
Wed., April 20
Thurs., April 21 OR
Fri., April 22
Exhibit Package
Includes exhibition only all exhibit days,
Thurs. – Sat., April 21-23
One-Day Exhibits Only
Includes exhibits on selected day only.
Thurs., April 21
Fri., April 22 OR
Spouse Exhibits Only
$50 $35 $9,800
(15% off the price of 20 individual full conference attendees)
Larger Group Plans are Available (Contact Registration for Details)
Registration Fee $
Hands-On Training Class Price from Registration Pages 3 & 4 $
Total Due $
PAYMENT
All Registration Fees must be paid in full prior to event for admittance.
Check payable to PennWell/FDIC16.
Signed
purchase order with credit card guarantee.
Please include credit card details below.
Charge my credit card:
MasterCard
American Express
Visa
Discover
Card number
Exp. date
Name on card
$85
Signature
$25 Name for Badge:
Engineering Training Network (includes annual print/digital magazine
subscription ($25 value), as well as access to exclusive membership-only
content on FireEngineering.com.
4. Mail to: PennWell/FDIC16
P.O. Box 973059,
Dallas, TX 75397-3059
$70
1. Online: www.fdic.com
2. Fax to: +1-888-299-8057
or +1-918-831-9161
3. Email: registration@pennwell.com
$25
Questions? Please call: +1-888-299-8016 or +1-918-831-9160
Sat., April 23
Includes exhibition only all exhibit days, Thurs. – Sat., April 21 – 23
Group Plan 20 (11 to 20 members/employees)
4 WAYS TO REGISTER
Fire Engineering Training Network Discount
Check if you do not wish to receive a 1- year membership to the Fire
92
$5,200
(10% off the price of 10 individual full conference attendees)
* PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF INDIVIDUAL HANDS-ON TRAINING
CLASSES/PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS CLASSES.
Includes all general sessions.
(DOES NOT INCLUDE CLASSROOMS OR EXHIBITS.)
May register separately for up to 16 hours of Hands-On Training and/or
Pre-Conference Workshops. Additional per-class costs listed on
Registration pp 3 & 4.
Registration Fee
Group Plan 10 (up to 10 members/employees)
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations must be received in writing on or before March 12, 2016, in order
to receive a refund, minus a $115 administrative charge. After March 12, 2016,
refunds are not available. Substitutions may be made at any time by notifying
the registration office in writing.
STEP BY STEP HANDS-ON TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fully complete the registration form.
2.Select Hands-On Training Premium Package or Hands-On Training and PreConference Workshops Only on page 5.
3. Choose your classes on pages 3 & 4.
4.Total the registration fees and the class fees on the bottom of page 5.
5. Payment is required to reserve H.O.T. classes.
1
2016 HOTEL
INFORMATION
Please visit www.FDIC.com for updated housing information.
Preferred Convention Services is the official housing company for FDIC 2016. Your support of the Event through offical vendors allows you
access to many benefits including: Discounted hotel rates, protection of your reservation if hotels oversell their rooms, experienced
reservation agents available anytime for all of your housing needs, twenty-four hour on-site assistance provided during the conference and
assistance in setting up hospitality functions at conference hotels at contracted discounted suite rates.
To make your hotel reservation, contact Preferred Convention Services (PCS). Discounted rates are available only through our
office and cannot be guaranteed after March 15, 2016 or until room blocks are filled.
Any companies other than Preferred Convention Services attempting to contact you about reserving rooms for FDIC are not
endorsed by or affiliated with the show. Entering into agreements with these companies can have costly consequences. Rooms
not booked through PCS are not protected by our contracts and therefore we are unable to help should any issues arise.
Conference
Market
Sgl/Dbl
Sgl/Dbl Dist to CC Shuttle
4 blocks
N/A
No
$283/$293
Alexander Hotel*
2.5 miles
Yes
Candlewood Suites City Centre* $183/$183 N/A
♦ 3 night minimum required
4 block
N/A
Yes
$181/$191
Columbia Club*
2 blocks
N/A
No
$315/$315
Conrad Indianapolis
5 blocks
N/A
Yes
$190/$200
Courtyard at the Capitol*
No
$207/$217 $240/$250 2 blocks
Courtyard Indianapolis DT
No
$197/$217 $339/$359 Adjacent
Crowne Plaza Union Station
2 blocks
N/A
No
$237/$247
Embassy Suites Downtown
No
$195/$205 $230/$240 2 blocks
Fairfield Inn & Suites DT
3 blocks
N/A
No
$195/$206
Hampton Inn Downtown
4 blocks
N/A
Yes
$193/$202
Hilton Garden Inn*
3 blocks
No
Hilton Indianapolis
N/A
$203/$218
Traditional King
N/A
$203/$218
Traditional Queen/Queen
N/A
$203/$218
Deluxe King
N/A
Deluxe Queen/Queen Suite $244/$259
N/A
$244/$259
King Suite
N/A
$347/$362
State Suite
2 blocks
N/A
No
$183/$183
Holiday Inn Express Suites
4 blocks
N/A
No
$260/$280
Homewood Suites
No
$199/$219 $301/$301 Adjacent
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
No
$219/$229 $311/$311* Adjacent
Indianapolis Marriott DT
♦ *3 night minimum required for this room type
1 block
N/A
No
$234/$244
JW Marriott
1 block
N/A
No
$267/$287
Le Meridien Indianapolis
1 block
N/A
No
$201/$221
Omni Severin Hotel
1 mile
N/A
No
$206/$206
Residence Inn Canal*
4.5 blocks
N/A
Yes
$179/$199
Sheraton City Centre
No
$207/$217 $240/$250‘ 2 blocks
SpringHill Suites DT
3 blocks
N/A
No
Staybridge Suites Downtown $200/$200
No
$200/$220 $243/$263 Adjacent
Westin Indianapolis
DOWNTOWN HOTELS
s
l
e
t
o
h
n
w t.
o
t
u
n
o
w
d
o
l
d
o
s
l
l
e
A ar
AIRPORT AREA HOTELS
Courtyard Indianapolis Airport
Crowne Plaza Airport
Fairfield Inn Airport
Radisson Indianapolis Airport
Ramada Airport Indianapolis
Wyndham Indianapolis West
Sgl/Dbl
Dist to CC
$152/$162
$175/$175
$169/$169
$161/$161
$145/$145
$157/$167
9 miles
10 miles
12 miles
10 miles
7 miles
10 miles
All hotels listed above will have shuttle service to
and from the convention center.
EAST SIDE HOTELS
Fairfield Inn East
Indianapolis Marriott East
LaQuinta Inn East
Sgl/Dbl
$170/$170
$190/$190
$129/$129
Dist to CC
8 miles
8 miles
8 miles
NORTH SIDE HOTELS
Indianapolis Marriott North
Sheraton Keystone Crossing
Sgl/Dbl
Dist to CC
$192/$192
$192/$192
15 miles
15 miles
Current tax rate in Indianapolis is 17%
PCS has arranged discounts with
Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Select the hotel link on
the conference website and the Enterprise link
will be found at the bottom of the hotel list.
*These hotels will have shuttle service to and from the convention center.
F O R I N F O R M AT I O N C O N TA C T:
FDIC 2016
c/o Preferred Convention Services
3528 Torrance Blvd., Suite 114 * Torrance, CA 90503
On-line: www.FDIC.com * Email: fdic@preferred1.com
* Fax: 310.906.3857
* Toll Free: 888.763.7236
* Phone: 310.906.3847
93
2
2016 HOTEL
INFORMATION
2016 FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTRUCTORS CONFERENCE
Downtown Conference Hotels:
Embassy Suites Downtown
Hyatt Regency Indianapolis
(3 night minimum stay required)
$183 Single; $183 Double
Extended Stay hotel
• Convention center: 2.5 miles
• Suites include full kitchen, mini
market on site, Restaurants nearby
• Fitness center
• Parking: Complimentary
Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Columbia Club*
Hampton Inn Downtown
King: $195 Single; $206 Double
Double/Double: $195 Single; $206 Double
Queen w/Sofa: $$195 Single; $206 Double
Downtown value priced hotel
• Convention center: 3 blocks
• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Wings Restaurant & Bar adjoining
• Exercise room
• Parking: $14.00/valet
Alexander Hotel*
World-class business hotel
• 2 Restaurants & Lounge
• Fitness center
Candlewood Suites City Centre*
Market Rate: $230 Single/ $240 Double
Non-smoking business/family hotel
• Restaurants nearby
• Fitness center
• Parking: $14.00/self
Market Rate: $301 Single/Double
Modern high-rise hotel
• Convention center: Adjacent
• 7 Restaurants & 3 Lounges
• Indoor pool, Health club & Jacuzzi
• Parking: $28.00/valet; $22.00/self
*Market Rate: $311 Single; $311 Double
(*3 night minimum stay required for this
room type only)
Non-smoking first-class hotel
• Restaurant, Lounge & Sports Bar
• Indoor pool, Jacuzzi & Fitness center
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Al are
Historic private club/hotel
• 2 Dining rooms, Lounge, Bar & Grill
• Indoor pool & Fitness center
• Parking: $30.00/valet only
Conrad Indianapolis
Hilton brand luxury hotel
• Restaurant & Lounge
• Complimentary high speed/wireless
internet
• Spa and fitness center
• Daily newspaper
Courtyard at the Capitol*
• Indoor pool & Exercise room
Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown
Market Rate: $240 Single/$250 Double
• Fitness center
• Parking: $20.00/self; $25.00/valet
Crowne Plaza Union Station
Historic hotel with unique rooms
• Indoor pool, Jacuzzi & Fitness center
Shuttle service to and from the
convention center provided at all
hotels marked with an (*).
94
Downtown all-suite property
• Complimentary breakfast & cocktails
• Indoor pool, Jacuzzi & Sauna
Hilton Garden Inn*
Downtown low-rise hotel
• Indoor pool and spa
Hilton Indianapolis
Traditional King: $203 Single; $218 Double
Traditional Q/Q: $203 Single; $218 Double
Deluxe King: $203 Single; $218 Double
Deluxe Q/Q Suite: $244 Single; $259 Double
King Suite: $244 Single; $259 Double
State Suite: $347 Single; $362 Double
Contemporary high-rise hotel
• Restaurant, Lounge & Sports bar
• Indoor pool, Whirlpool & Health club
Holiday Inn Express Suites
Modern mid-priced hotel
• Indoor heated pool & Fitness room
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Downtown all-suite hotel
• Complimentary Breakfast &
Lite Evening Meal (Sunday thru Thursday)
JW Marriott Downtown
• Convention center: 1 block
• Tuscan Bistro, Sports Bar, Coffee Bar,
24-Hour Room Service
• Pool, Fitness center & Day spa
LeMeridien Indianapolis
• Tuscan Bistro, Sports Bar, Coffee Bar,
24-Hour Room Service
• Pool, Fitness center & Day spa
Omni Severin Hotel
Downtown historic high-rise hotel
• Restaurant, Coffee shop & Lounge
Residence Inn Canal*
Downtown extended stay hotel
• Convention center: 1 mile
• Fitness center & Indoor pool
Sheraton City Centre*
Multi-story convention hotel
• Convention center: 4.5 blocks
• Restaurant, Coffee shop & Lounge
• Outdoor rooftop pool & Exercise room
Parking charges at all hotels are
subject to change without notice.
3
2016 HOTEL
INFORMATION
2016 FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTRUCTORS CONFERENCE
Downtown Conference Hotels continued
SpringHill Suites Downtown
• Fitness center
Staybridge Suites Downtown
New downtown all-suite hotel
• Complimentary hot breakfast
• Fitness center, Indoor pool
Westin Indianapolis
Market Rate: $243 Single; $263 Double
Full-service convention hotel
• Restaurant, Bar & Lounge
• Indoor Pool, Jacuzzi & Exercise room
All downtown hotels are sold out.
Airport Area Hotels
Courtyard Indianapolis Airport
• Convention center: 9 miles
• Restaurant
• Indoor pool, Whirlpool & Exercise room
Crowne Plaza Airport
Mid-priced business hotel
• Restaurant, Cafe, Piano bar and
Lounge
• Indoor pool, Exercise room & Sauna
Fairfield Inn Airport
Non-smoking budget hotel
Radisson Indianapolis Airport
• Fitness center
Ramada Airport Indianapolis
Budget airport property
• Exercise room
Airport Area Hotels continued
East Side Hotels
Wyndham Indianapolis West
Fairfield Inn East
• Comp. deluxe continental breakfast
• Indoor/Outdoor pool, Exercise room
& Jogging track
• Outdoor pool, Whirlpool & Exercise
room
North Side Hotels
Indianapolis Marriott North
Non-smoking first class hotel
• Restaurant: Breakfast, Lunch and
Dinner
• Indoor pool, Exercise room
• Parking: Comp./Self; $18/Valet
Indianapolis Marriott East
Non-smoking first class hotel
• Bistro, Cafe, Wine Bar,
Sheraton Keystone
• Restaurant/Cafe & Lounge
• Indoor pool, Exercise room
• Parking: Comp./Self; $18/Valet
LaQuinta Inn East
• Comp. deluxe continental breakfast
• Outdoor heated pool
All Airport, North and East Side hotels listed above will have shuttle service to
Welcome to the Indiana Convention Center and
the Lucas Oil Stadium!
The main entrance to the
Convention Center provides an
impressive view of the two-level
connector between the
Center and Lucas Oil Stadium,
along with the three-story glass
enclosed entry pavilion at the
intersection of Capitol Avenue and
Georgia Street.
PCS has arranged discounts with
Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Select the hotel link on
the conference website and the Enterprise link
will be found at the bottom of the hotel list.
95
4
2016 HOTEL
LOCATIONS
REGISTRATION INFORMATION SHEET
B
●
DOWNTOWN HOTELS
10th St.
In
di
al
al Can
h St.
10 t
an
9th St.
Centr
aA
ve
.
Central
Library
St. Clair St.
Av
e
ne
W
ay
rt
West St.
Capitol Ave.
S
37
INTERSTATE
69
ek
White River
Monon Trail
E
re
Missouri St.
West St.
.
INTERSTATE
W
Ave.
Merrill St.
65
e
Av
N
ison
X
●
South St.
Mad
Merrill St.
LUCAS OIL
STADIUM
ia
South St.
Union
Station
in
Louisiana St.
Bankers Life
Fieldhouse
rg
Vi
Georgia St.
Jackson Place
M
●
Fa
llc
INTERSTATE
465
11
●
10
●
86th
86th
INTERSTATE
New Jersey St.
Alabama St.
Delaware St.
Pennsylvania St.
Meridian St.
Illinois St.
Maryland St.
INDIANA
CONVENTION
CENTER
Delaware St.
ter
Cen
Circle
Centre
Mall
Pennsylvania St.
River
Visit
ors
White
Victory Field
Baseball Park
Monument
Circle
?
Washington St.
Washin
gton St.
421
465
82nd
e
nvill
Alliso
ga
Michi
n
Georgetown
INTERSTATE
465
Fallcreek
Kessler
Fort
Benjamin Harrison
State Park
56th
INTERSTATE
Arlington
Indiana State
Fairgrounds
38th
16th
16th
10th
10th
10th
uth
465
y
ck
ntu
Ke
2
4
5
ea
ste
rn
40
67
kville
52
Troy
Harding
hit
W
465
INTERSTATE
Five Points
r
ive
eR
Arlington
Troy
INTERSTATE
INTERSTATE
70
Broo
Emerson
1
●
6 3
●
●
●●
●
INTERSTATE
Holt
ng
hi
Was
Indianapolis
International
Airport
Keystone
70
ton
Shadeland
So
INTERSTATE
70
7
8●
●
9
●
Washington
Rockville
INTERSTATE
40
Mitthoeffer
Children’s Museum
of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Motor
Speedway
36
n
Post
65
67
leto
nd
Pe
38th
Shadeland
38th
Emerson
Indianapolis
Museum of Art
INTERSTATE
Keystone
Meridian
56th
74
74
n
Acton
Madiso
Meridian
INTERSTATE
65
7 Fairfield Inn East
●
8 LaQuinta Inn East
●
9 Marriott Indianapolis East
●
10 Indianapolis Marriott North
●
11 Sheraton Keystone
●
ky
31
EAST HOTELS
NORTH HOTELS
Southport
uc
nt
Ke
37
1 Courtyard Marriott Airport
●
2 Crowne Plaza Airport
●
3 Fairfield Inn Airport
●
4 Radisson Hotel Airport
●
5 Ramada Airport
●
6 Wyndham Airport West
●
Thompson
Edgewood
Edgewood
Southport
96
Geis
Reserv
AIRPORT HOTELS
73rd
71st
Eagle
Creek
Park
A
City
Market
Market St.
● Q●
Y
●●● ●
The
Lawn
University
Park
M
tts
se
hu
ac
s
as
V
L ●
K
●
●
G ●
C
●
P
●
J
S ●
●
T
●●
N
F
A
●
●
Indiana
State
Capitol
Eiteljorg
Museum
E
H R
W
Pedestrian Bridge
?
Capitol Ave.
Ohio St.
Illinois St.
Indiana
State
Museum &
IMAX
Theater
NCAA Headquarters
& Hall of Champions
Indiana
World
War
Memorial
Meridian St.
Military
Park
Central Canal
White River
State Park
Old
National
Centre
Indiana
History
Center
Meridian St.
Blake St.
Senate Ave.
West St.
Blackford St.
●
●
D
U
New York St.
Vermont St.
New York St.
IU
Natatorium
Fo
Veterans
Memorial
Plaza
Michigan St.
Indiana University
Purdue University
Indianapolis
(IUPUI)
In
Wh dian
ite ap
Riv olis
er Zo
Ga o &
rde
ns
Legion
Mall
North St.
Blake St.
Michigan St.
IU Michael A. Carroll
Track & Soccer Stadium
American
Walnut St.
Scottish
Rite
Cathedral
North St.
University Blvd.
.
Madame
Walker
Theatre
Center
Walnut St.
A Alexander Hotel
●
B Candlewood Suites Downtown
●
C Conrad Indianapolis
●
D Courtyard at the Capitol
●
E Courtyard Marriott Downtown
●
F Crowne Plaza Union Station
●
G Embassy Suites Downtown
●
H Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown
●
●J Hampton Inn Downtown
K Hilton Garden Inn Downtown
●
L Hilton Indianapolis Downtown
●
M Holiday Inn Express Suites
●
N Homewood Suites Downtown
●
P Hyatt Regency Downtown
●
Q Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
●
R JW Marriott
●
S Le Meridien Indianapolis
●
T Omni Severin Hotel
●
U Residence Inn Canal
●
V Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre
●
W SpringHill Suites Downtown
●
X Staybridge Suites Downtown
●
Y Westin Hotel
●
AD
HERE
1421 S. Sheridan Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74112
Promotional Code:
Please use when registering
FOUR
WAYS
TO REGISTER
TODAY
1. Online: www.fdic.com
2.Fax to: +1-888-299-8057 or +1-918-831- 9161
3.Email: registration@pennwell.com
4.Mail to: ennWell / FDIC16
P
P.O. Box 973059, Dallas, TX 75397- 3059
Questions? P
lease call: +1-888-299-8016
or +1-918-831-9160