Classroom

 

Efficient Truck Operations for Smaller Departments

Battalion Chief Michael Alder, San Bernardino City (CA) Fire Department

Efficient truck company operations on the fireground are vital for all departments, regardless of size. How does a smaller department succeed with fewer resources than a larger one? Creativity! Become acquainted with that creative philosophy and “winning” techniques for effectively using ground and aerial ladders, performing ventilation operations, and accomplishing forcible entry. Be better prepared for those firefighting challenges that have no regard for a department’s size or depth of resources.

Real-World Hydraulics

Chief Kirk Allen, Kansas (IL) Fire Protection District

Weigh performance claims against actual performance! An overview of 16-plus years of flow testing will present major issues associated with water supply–from the water main to the fire hose in your hand–with which many firefighters are not acquainted. Issues include the danger of blanket guidelines for hydraulics, verifying manufacturer information, gauges and sensors, and fire hose myths. Then, learn simple solutions you can implement to resolve these problems.

Creative Company Drills for Engine and Truck Companies

Captain Raul A. Angulo, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

The time to correct fireground errors is BEFORE they happen—during company drills. Yet many firefighters dread or fear training—they might be exposed for what they don’t know, be teased by their peers, or look bad in front of chief officers. Company officers who use drills as punishment or for discipline only exacerbate the problem. These drills are designed to make drilling challenging, exciting, and fun while increasing morale and crew preparedness. You will not find these drills in a book!

Forced Retirement: Gone But Not Forgotten

Chief Paul J. Antonellis Jr., Adjunct Professor, Anna Maria College, Paxton, MA

A primer for coping with the effects of  “forced” retirement,” whether caused by an injury or illness, a family emergency, or downsizing. The myriad of emotions and financial challenges that accompany such an event are discussed. Students will share in real-life scenarios that include success stories as well as challenges and will learn how to build an expansive support system and daily action plans that can help the individual to adapt to the change.

Training That Makes the Grade

Captain Brian Arnold, Oklahoma City (OK) Fire Department

How does your training score when it comes to firefighter safety, student appeal, qualification of instructors, and delivery methods? What about in comparison with the high-grade programs available? Students will be given a report card on which to assign grades from the perspectives of reducing firefighter fatalities, the training they have received, and the training they deliver. Take home suggested teaching techniques for increasing the effectiveness of your department’s training.

Fireground Strategies: Ensuring Safety First

Deputy Chief Anthony Avillo, North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue

Build a safety plan for entering, working, and exiting safely from the fireground. Become acquainted with the 10 rules for engaging in structural firefighting and the unintended consequences of unsafe actions. Students will engage in “active steps” toward becoming better leaders and superiors.

Vehicle Extrication: “Uncomplicating” a Simple Process

Assistant Engineer Les Baker, Charleston (SC) Fire Department

Your vehicle extrication process may be more complicated than it needs to be and may be affecting proficiency. Analyze your procedures using the presenter’s eight-step process to identify problem areas. Become acquainted with internal and external factors that complicate the process. New approaches will enable you to increase efficiency and effectiveness without compromising safety.

Company Officers Academy

Battalion Chief Michael J. Barakey, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department

How does your department prepare firefighters for their transition to company officers/first-line supervisors? Regardless of your response, chances are that most departments could benefit from a department-based formal Company Officers Academy. Students will learn how to build from scratch an Academy for volunteer and career departments. All facets, including type of academy, teaching resources, affiliated costs, and instructor credentials are discussed, as are curriculum offerings and adapting existing Academies to individual departments.

Fighting Structure Fires

Lieutenant Stephen Bernocco, Seattle (WA)Fire Department

“Know the answer before the fire asks the question” is the objective. This dynamic, 100-percent video-driven presentation focuses on the tactics of the first-due companies. Students discuss tactics options for engine and truck companies: when to choose them, why they will succeed, and those best suited for various types of structure fires. Students will also evaluate decisions made by first-in officers and company officers in the videos.

Who’s Got Your Back? Your Next SCBA Purchase or Upgrade

Lieutenant David T. Bernzweig, Columbus (OH) Division of Fire

All firefighters depend on an SCBA to protect them while in an immediately dangerous to life and health environment. Learn how to make sure the right SCBA “has your back” by knowing how to select, field test, purchase, and maintain SCBA in accordance with current and later-edition NFPA standards. Know which options to consider in your next SCBA purchase or upgrade–cylinder volume, emergency air systems, and electronic management systems, for example. Discussions will include designing an objective field test that considers combative and noncombative testing.

Incident Safety Officer and Fixed Burn Building Evolutions

Lieutenant Jason Blake, Montgomery County (MD) Fire/Rescue

A “walk-through” in the processes of planning and evaluating the safety plan for a realistic live burn in a fixed burn building. The incident safety officer’s roles in the preburn, evolution, and post-burn stages are examined in detail. Live burns are discussed from the perspectives of firefighter safety and near misses, learning, and standards/laws.

Strategy and Tactics for the Firefighter and Fire Officer

Battalion Chief Richard J. Blatus, Fire Department of New York

Sharpen your decision making on the fireground. Learn tactics and strategies pertaining to scenarios that cover fires in single-family dwellings to large-area commercial structures with a variety of units assigned. Discussion and critiques at the conclusion of each scenario will serve to review and reinforce lessons learned.

Get the Roof

Firefighter Art Bloomer, Kearny (NJ) Fire Department

An up-close look at the obvious and not-so-obvious hazards you may encounter when working on a roof in a structure fire today. Compare the appearances and hazards of the roofs of yesteryear with those of today. Electronic gadgetry, cell towers, conduits carrying wires to shafts to power transmitters in the building, and solar panels are just some of the newer hazards you will encounter on rooftops. Learn how to work around these hazards and accomplish your task safely. The basics of rooftop operations are also reviewed.

Responding to Light Rail Incidents

Lieutenant Jason Blount, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department

These systems interact with street-level traffic; incidents usually include motor vehicle (including emergency vehicles) accidents and pedestrians in various degrees. Some incidents may necessitate heavy extrication that includes lifting a light rail vehicle (LRV) to remove an entrapped patient. Another hazard is the electrical current delivered to the LRV from the top of the car while it is in contact with dedicated power lines overhead. Scene safety, command structure, the capabilities of mutual- and automatic-aid resources, and equipment selection are among the variables discussed from the perspective of developing a preplan for response to these incidents that addresses vital safety concerns.

Fireground Tactical Decision Making

Firefighter Christopher Brennan, Harvey (IL) Fire Department

Situational awareness is vital to making sound tactical decisions on the chaotic fireground. You will be introduced to methods that will help to build and maintain situational awareness in and around the fire building to enhance your tactical decision making.

Residential Search and Rescue

Firefighter Michael Bricault, Albuquerque (NM) Fire Department

Students will learn how to assess the potential for making rescues in a real-world setting and to use tools and techniques for conducting searches and performing rescues while addressing personnel constraints, limited resources, and multiple rescues. Topics include locating and identifying the areas in which victims are most likely to be found in a residential fire; carries and drags; window/ladder rescue and the inherent limitations and risks associated with these maneuvers; secondary searches; rapid intervention companies; and vent-enter-search (VES).

Physiological Responses to Structural Firefighting

Jim Brown, Ph.D., Director, Firefighter Health & Safety Research, Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University-Bloomington

The results of a six-month study of 56 Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department firefighters in 2008 are presented concerning the physiological stress associated with structural firefighting. Learn which variables were predictive of a firefighter’s response to suppression operations, which of these variables can be modified, the differences among fire scene jobs with respect to physical demand, and the implications of the findings with respect to fireground operational tactics and designing firefighter physical fitness training programs.

Bruno and Norman “Unplugged”

Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department; and Deputy Assistant Chief (Ret.) John Norman, Fire Department of New York

This is your chance to “talk shop” with the best at this unique learning experience available only at FDIC. These two fire service luminaries share, in an informal and entertaining manner, observations and perspectives gained throughout their illustrious firefighting careers.

Leading with Attitude

Division Chief Eddie Buchanan, Hanover (VA) Fire & EMS; President, International Society of Fire Service Instructors

Learn how you, as an individual, can truly make a difference in your organization, regardless of rank. This is a nameless, rankless “gut check” exploration of ways you can help ensure you department is (and stays) on track. Discuss attitudes, typical characters you encounter in the workplace, and the distinctions between a “follower” and a “yes man.” Help to ensure that you are part of the solution, not the problem.

Teaching Others to Lead

Chuck Burkell, Training Specialist-Executive Development, Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration

What constitutes leadership? Can leading be taught? If so, is it done by traditional methods? Given that leading is a practice and an art, how do you support the developmental process? Students will examine these questions and others within the context of the fire/emergency services and will learn methodologies to incorporate into training, educational, and developmental activities to build individual and organizational capacities for exercising leadership.

Cause and Origin: A Systematic and Comprehensive Investigation

Adrian Cales, Asset Protection Manager, Public Service Enterprise Group; Detective Sergeant (Ret.), Arson Investigation Unit, Bergen County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office

You will proceed through the fire scene investigation process, using slides of actual fire scenes and other examples, as if you were conducting the investigation. The components and essential elements that should be part of every fire scene examination, large or small, are outlined “from the time of the call to the time you leave the scene.” Learn to generate a final fire investigation report that is complete, thorough, and detailed so that it is suitable for use in a criminal or civil litigation proceeding.

First-Due Size-Up Reports for Company Officers

Captain Leonard Carmichael Jr., Trenton (NJ) Fire Department

This class establishes the framework for the entire fireground experience from assessing the incident scene on arrival to setting up a National Incident Management System organization. Students will be introduced to the CASH acronym for on-scene size-up reports for all types of incidents. Among the topics covered are radio reports, establishing command, the 13-point size-up factors, assigning incoming companies, and assessing the need for additional resources.

Improving and Maintaining Good Instructors

Lieutenant Scott Carrigan, Nashua (NH) Fire Rescue

What are the core qualities of a good instructor? How can an instructor develop ingenuity? How can an instructor become more creative? The answers to these questions will be discussed within the context of the “three primary characteristics” that can help ensure improvement in instructor performance. The causes of declining motivation in instructors and methods for helping instructors regain their motivation are among the topics.

Team Building

Dr. Harry R. Carter, Chairman, Board of Fire Commissioners, Howell Twp. (NJ) Fire District #2

A survey of team-building issues and their impact on organizational effectiveness will be used to demonstrate how effective team building can benefit your organization. Learn how to identify the basic aspects of team building, how to become a team-oriented leader, and how team building affects individual careers.

Training for Large Districts

Deputy Chief Dave Casey, Seminole Tribe of Florida Fire Rescue, Ocala, FL

You will be introduced to methods for “using training as a unifying power” to develop systemwide programs for large-area fire districts; counties; and regions, states, and provinces as an individual department or in conjunction with other departments, organizations, or agencies. The topics include scheduling of training, time frames, standardizing programs, systemwide changes, technological methods for providing training, information delivery, instructors, and relocatable props.

Proving Department Value

Chief John D. Caulfield, Rochester (NY) Fire Department

The focus is on how to convey your department’s worth to the public and public officials in a format they will easily understand when you make the case for funding. The intent is to justify the department’s “needs”—budget, staffing, and programs, for example—based on the department’s ability to produce tangible results. Students will learn tools and methods for facilitating this process.

Fire-Resistive Multiple Dwellings

Lieutenant John P. Ceriello, Fire Department of New York

Fires in these structures are notyour “bread-and butter” operations. Using case studies, the presenter will walk you through scenarios of engine and truck operations and discuss the tactics that will effectively manage these logistical nightmares. You will analyze scenarios from the perspective of “what went right and what went wrong.” Actual fireground video and radio transmissions will “place you at the scene.”

Electrical Utility Hazards

Frank Cheatham, Coordinator, Health and Medical Emergency Response Team, Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services

Electrical hazards are not restricted to structure fires; they can be found in a range of emergencies. Students will learn how to facilitate the utility’s response and the actions responders can take while waiting for the utility representative to come to the scene. Scenarios depict actual responders in uniform in situations encountered in day-to-day calls. Learn why responders’ approach to utility hazards must be updated to correspond with the increasing rate at which society is using electricity. A training program available to departments will be introduced.

Truck Company Operations: A Hundred Things To Do

Lieutenant Michael Ciampo, Fire Department of New York

On every fireground, there are always numerous truck company tasks that must be accomplished. Often, limited personnel and resources force the truck company to adapt so it can handle many of the situations that arise. Learn street-smart truck company skills, tactics, and tips that will help you perform your job more safely and effectively.

Training Today’s Fire Service

Training Commander Douglas Cline, High Point (NC) Fire Department

Come away with at least a year’s worth of ideas for training and the resources to pull from. The focus is on creating dynamic and contemporary training programs that meet the needs of today’s fire service. Acquire the tools to identify your department’s training needs and to evaluate your current programs. This course is designed to assist departments to create programs that will fulfill the training demands for today’s increasing services while funding for training has been decreasing.

Trickle-Down Training

Assistant Chief (Ret) John “Skip” Coleman, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue

This class is designed for chief and company officers who want to ensure that all crews on all shifts understand what is expected of them on the fireground. Through uncomplicated, inexpensive, safe training, officers can convey their expectations for specific types of fire scenarios, using simulators, to subordinate chiefs and company officers, who will then explain these expectations to their respective crew members.

Lessons Learned from Real Air Disasters

Captain Don Collins, Massport Fire-Rescue, Logan International Airport, Boston, MA

This class is for those who ask, “What would my department do if we had to respond to a real-life air crash?” The function of Go Teams, how such teams apply to the fire service, and lessons learned through these teams are discussed. The importance of knowing the capabilities and limitations of mutual aid and the value of having the proper type of critical incident stress management (peer support) are explained.

Leadership “Rites of Passage” for Fire Officers

Chief Dennis Compton, International Fire Service Training Association

The focus will be on progressive, time-tested, and motivational concepts for supervisors and leaders. Students will analyze specific fire officer practices and perspectives that can positively or negatively impact fire department service delivery outcomes. Fire officers of all ranks will be able to apply aspects of what they learn as soon as they return to their organizations.

The First Amendment in the Firehouse

Chief David C. Comstock Jr., Western Reserve Joint Fire District, Poland, OH; Attorney, Comstock, Springer & Wilson Co., LPA, Youngstown, OH

When should administrators or supervisors take disciplinary action against firefighters for actions above and beyond their First Amendment rights, and when should they ignore behavior they may find offensive but which is otherwise protected by the First Amendment? What are the rights and responsibilities of firefighters, including union officials, within the firehouse? These are among the questions that will be addressed as the interaction between a firefighter’s First Amendment rights of free speech, association, and religious freedom vs. a governmental administrator’s right to maintain order and discipline within the fire department is explored. Federal rules and regulations will be reviewed, and federal court cases that address many of the repeating conflicts that occur within the firehouse will be analyzed.

Forcible Exiting the Fortified Rear Door

Captain Buster Cooper, Conway (AR) Fire Department

A firefighter is trapped at the rear door of a commercial structure; he is low on air and is encountering intense heat. He calls a Mayday. Would you be able to quickly and efficiently perform the forcible exiting operation needed to rescue him? This class presents the knowledge and skills needed for this situation and emphasizes rotary saw and chain saw applications. Students completing this class will be able to identify forcible exiting situations, select the appropriate tools and techniques, and make quick and safe entry into a closed structure.

Teaching Tradition, Tradition!

Assistant Professor Glenn P. Corbett, John Jay College, New York City; Technical Editor,Fire Engineering

This class builds on the success of the FDIC “Tradition, Tradition!” classes of past years. The focus will be on tools, techniques, and tips for developing and delivering a “local” version of the class. This course will provide training divisions with a model curriculum that will help them “teach tradition” in their own recruit school. Success stories from the national movement toward bringing tradition into firefighter I classes are highlighted.

Effectively Using Class A Foam

Lieutenant Jeff Cotner, Bloom Township (OH) Fire Department

All you should know about Class A foam–its firefighting history, applicable standards, how to apply and when, why it should not be mixed with Class B foam, its advantages, and its effect on fire behavior–are among the covered areas. Students will also learn how Class A foam differs from Class B foam and will be taken through the steps of making Class A foam.

Training Methods

Assistant Chief Brian Crandell, Central Valley Fire District, Belgrade, MT

Participants will learn how to develop, organize, and implement successful training programs in a safe, organized manner. Successful training programs, with supporting lesson plans, command structures, and incident action plans, will be presented. Students will be encouraged to share their experiences and successful drills. The emphasis will be on developing a training approach that improves firefighter performance in the street.

Fire Instructor 10-Step Program

Lieutenant Michael Daley, Monroe Township (NJ) Fire District #3

The effective educator is a blend of teacher and student. The program leads instructors in that direction through a review of NFPA 1041’s professional qualifications and the presentation of processes and exercises for self-improvement, methods of instruction, the characteristics of successful instructors, productive learning concepts, personal continuing education program for self-improvement, mentoring programs, and peer review and professional evaluation programs.

Leading the Volunteers

Michael P. Dallessandro, Director, Grand Island (NY) Fire Company

What it means to freely give of yourself to be a volunteer firefighter today is the focus of this session. The class begins with an analysis of key behaviors of members that built the fire companies of yesteryear into today’s organizations and identifies new behavior patterns that raise concerns for the future. Attendees will leave with teaching points about dedication to community service, proper behavior in the firehouse and in public, and ethics and values.

Best Practices for Vehicle Rescue

David Dalrymple, Education Chair, Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee-US

This class is one-stop shopping for all your vehicle-related concerns and challenges. Technology concerns are fused into real-world mitigation strategies and tactics. Learn the operational facets of these emergencies that have changed in the recent past—command and control, tool operations, and patient care. Vehicle technology, motive power, firematics, and operational concerns are discussed from a global perspective.

Residential Homes: The Most Dangerous Firefight You Will Face

Firefighter/EMT James Dalton, Coordinator of Research and Development, Chicago (IL) Fire Department

Rapid fire spread through areas of unprotected wood construction or the collapse of unprotected dimensional lumber and lightweight wood structural components have resulted in firefighter fatalities and injuries. The results of a series of fire tests that compared the structural performance of conventional dimensional lumber construction to lightweight wood construction will be presented, including the failure times of tested assemblies, the limitations of thermal imaging devices, risk management and tactical recommendations for firefighting operations in residential lightweight constructed occupancies, thermal and structural modeling techniques, and other significant findings.. The tests were conducted by the Chicago Fire Department, UL, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and Michigan State University, and funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighter Grant program.

Drive to Survive

Firefighter/EMT Christopher Daly, Goshen Fire Department, West Chester, PA

This dynamic, interactive session teaches how and why vehicle accidents occur. Learn why even the best drivers can lose control of a vehicle. Real-life crash reconstruction techniques help to illustrate the limits of driving a vehicle. “Coefficient of friction,” airbrakes, curves, hydroplaning, antilock brakes, brake fade, rollover thresholds, vehicle dynamics, and other factors and their relation to potential accidents are analyzed.

Ordinary Construction Principles and Hazards

Fire Marshal Paul T. Dansbach, Rutherford (NJ) Bureau of Fire Safety

This class will cover the materials used in ordinary construction, the structural hierarchy of buildings, the impact of renovations on buildings of ordinary construction, the construction methods employed, the fire spread potential and collapse potential of ordinary construction with special attention to buildings with truss roofs, proper size-up techniques to identify the type of construction for a given building, and safe fireground operations. Using case studies of buildings under construction or renovation, you will learn how the buildings are constructed, how fire spreads through buildings, and how and why structural components fail under fire conditions.

High-Angle Rescue Emergencies

Firefighter (Ret.) Mike Davis, Fire Department of New York

If your jurisdiction has buildings higher than one story, sloping terrains, elevated structures, water towers, or bridges, this type of emergency can occur in your district. Learn how factors such as age, weather, maintenance, alterations, and gravity can affect these situations. Slides will depict all aspects of the problems associated with responses and training objectives for mitigating incidents; an overview of methods for evaluating potential problems in your community will also be presented.

Tactical Considerations for Type I through Type V Construction

Battalion Chief Sean DeCrane, Cleveland (OH) Fire Department

This interactive class addresses how various types of construction in your jurisdiction (the firefighter’s “real” work environment) relate to the street firefighter. Tactics for respective constructions types will be identified. Introduction of the Dynamic Risk Assessment model for continuously assessing the surroundings on the fireground and a Risk Key for determining when a potential change in tactics is needed will be introduced.

Preparing and Conducting Post-Incident Analyses

Battalion Chief Tom DeMint, Poudre Fire Authority, Fort Collins, CO

Students will learn techniques for conducting post-incident reviews–from the informal tailboard review at the end of the incident to a formal review of a large-scale incident that has garnered public and political interest. The analysis does not judge success or failure but shows how the actions taken affected the incident and how future responses can be improved. Students will compare incident actions with department standard operating procedures and common safety practices and determine if the incident action plan was appropriate and properly implemented. Methods for reporting review results; diagramming incidents; and apparatus placement, hoseline deployment, and search patterns will also be covered.

Personal Harness Use for Firefighter Rescue

Firefighter Daniel DiRenzo, Cherry Hill (NJ) Fire Department

Learn how to use the personal harness to aid in firefighter rescues. The techniques presented can be applied to any style or brand of Class 2 personal harness used in the fire service. Among the learning objectives are the following: packaging a downed firefighter using the personal harness and SCBA; completing a single firefighter horizontal drag with the personal harness; creating a 2:1 mechanical advantage with a piece of webbing and a personal harness; effecting the removal of a downed firefighter through the floor, from a stairwell, and from an upper-floor window; and vertically lowering a downed firefighter from an upper-level window or a rooftop using a safety rope.

Reading Smoke 2010: Tactical Solutions

David Dodson, Lead Instructor, Response Solutions, LLC, Thornton, CO

Fire officers must adjust to the changes in fire behavior that have occurred in recent years, or more firefighters will die or be injured. Being able to read smoke on arrival is the key to predicting fire behavior. It helps you to discover the specific location and intensity of a fire, building collapse potential, and the likelihood of hostile fire events such as flashover. This year’s program is updated with new videos, and attendees will leave with “street-tested” tips that will help first-due decision makers.

Garden Apartments, Condominiums, and Townhouses

Lieutenant Thomas Donnelly, Fire Department of New York

Students will gain insight into how the construction features of each of these types of structures affect firefighting operations. How these structures differ from each other and the firefighting problems these differences create in each housing type are discussed. Conversely, students will also learn how the similarities among these structures make it possible to use some common tactics when fighting fires in these buildings. All aspects of the firefight (including preplanning) are covered.

Mayday! Beneath the Flames

Firefighter Mitchell Dryer Jr., Oneida (NY) Fire Department

This presenter, through his real-life experience, reinforces the messages that firefighting is dangerous, it is crucial to wear the proper personal protective equipment at all times, and the deployment of a rapid intervention team is necessary at all fires. He and his lieutenant were searching for the source of smoke in a reported structure fire in which no fire was visible. After several minutes, they found the fire in the ceiling. At the same time, the ceiling came crashing down on them, entrapping the presenter under several tons of fiery debris. He relates the details of his rescue and prolonged recovery within the context of lessons learned.

Vent-Enter-Search of Today’s Fire Buildings

Captain Michael M. Dugan, Fire Department of New York

These basic duties of a truck company at a fire building must be performed in a coordinated and controlled manner to protect firefighters and officers within the building. Students will learn these skills within the control and coordination matrix. Also relevant for departments that do not have a dedicated truck company and must still accomplish these tasks.

Think Like an Incident Commander

Deputy Chief Thomas Dunne, Fire Department of New York

Improve your ability to make rapid and effective decisions on the fireground. Key points in preparation, size-up, fireground decision making, and communication are illustrated. The objective is to help fire personnel of all ranks make more confident and effective decisions at emergency operations. Based on the “constant” of the incident commander’s (IC) thought process. Learn how the IC’s perspective can add to the effectiveness of chiefs, company officers, and firefighters on the fireground.

Hybrid Vehicles: Separating Fact from Fiction

Lieutenant Jason Emery, Waterbury (CT) Fire Department

Everything needed to operate safely and effectively at incidents involving hybrid vehicles is covered—from identification methods to response procedures. Emphasis is on minimizing the risk from the unique dangers of this technology for responders and accident victims.

Strategy and Tactics 101: The Forgotten Basics

Chief Rick Ennis, Cape Girardeau (MO) Fire Department

The goal is to put the basics of incident command back into officer training. Today’s officers may not be getting enough training in understanding and using sound fireground strategy and tactics, critical components of incident command. During the past several decades, there has been a shift in fire officer training that puts the emphasis on understanding and applying the system used to manage the incident instead of understanding and applying fireground strategy and tactics.

Accessing/Forcing Entry at Vacant Properties

Firefighter Stephen Florian, Detroit (MI) Fire Department

Fires in vacant structures are on the rise as banks foreclose on homes and commercial properties. Forcible entry into these structures is becoming more difficult because of the style of window and door coverings installed. Students will be introduced to forcible entry procedures for gaining access into these well-buttoned-up structures.

Let’s Talk Pumps!

Captain (Ret.) Bob Franklin, Fire Apparatus Repair Company, Inc., Alexander, AR

This class updates pump operators on what is not in the books about computer pump controls. Single- and two-stage pumps are discussed. Students will learn how to recognize and correct problems before they become major, how to overcome problems on the fireground without shutting down the pump, how to perform the proper morning maintenance of the pump, and the effects of neglecting proper maintenance.

All Hell Breaks Loose … And Now You’re Out of Air

Captain Mike Gagliano, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

This interactive, video-driven, multimedia presentation will show participants what “out of air” looks like with no punches pulled. Asphyxiation is common on today’s highly toxic, flammable, and carcinogenic fireground. The short- and long-term consequences of running out of air will be on full display. Students will learn the best ways to survive an incident at which everything has gone wrong. This class will change the way you look at the air you bring to the emergency scene.

Dangers of Modular Construction

Chief Kevin A. Gallagher, Acushnet (MA) Fire/Rescue Department

This class is based on two fires that occurred in Massachusetts in 2008 in prefabricated (modular) constructed homes. Topics include the concern about modular construction raised by these fires, the differences between modular construction and traditional stick-built construction in single-family residences, and the hazards for firefighters caused by polyurethane structural adhesives used to affix gypsum board to ceilings and partition walls and by the presence of large void spaces between levels of multistory modular residences. Participants will also learn how to reduce/remove these hazards using regulatory and code changes.

Fireground Decision Making

Chief Richard B. Gasaway, Roseville (MN) Fire Department

The focus is on the challenges commanders face when making decisions under stress and the reasons it is difficult to predict future events at complex incident scenes. Various decision-making models are analyzed, and the role situation awareness plays in helping commanders to make good decisions and keep firefighters safe is explored. Learn to recognize the signs that indicate you are losing your situation awareness. This is not a strategy and tactics course.

New Company Officer’s Guide to Success

Captain Ray Gayk, Ontario (CA) Fire Department

The fundamentals of being a company officer are highlighted, as are methods for applying applicable supervisory skills. Topics include preparing to become a company officer, the reasons a company officer should stay active in the department, how to resolve problems with employees, preparing your crew for emergency operations and the future, developing administrative skills, and adopting an effective leadership style.

The Firefighter’s “Interior List”

Chief (Ret.) Bill Godfrey, Deltona (FL) Fire Department

This interactive presentation discusses the list of items firefighters on the inside need to look for, feel for, and listen for to stay alive. The class is a “conversation” about the science of fire behavior in enclosed structures and how to apply knowledge gained from the latest research on flashovers, ventilation, personal protective equipment, and lessons learned from tragic events to improve firefighter safety. Students will work as groups to develop a list of things to do differently at their next fire.

Noncombustible Construction

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Theodore Goldfarb, Fire Department of New York

The dangers of this type of construction and the strategies and tactics for fighting fires in noncombustible structures are presented. Case histories of actual fires will be discussed. Other topics include fire hazards of steel under fire conditions, types of load transfer, types of roof construction, and occupancies using noncombustible construction.

Fireground Tricks of the Trade

Battalion Chief Stuart Grant, Dallas (TX) Fire-Rescue

More than 50 “tricks” for helping firefighters accomplish their jobs in a safe, expedient manner are presented. In this compilation of hints and ideas are some that have been “homegrown” in various departments and others “passed along” by “old timers.”

Truck Operations for Position-Oriented Firefighters

Lieutenant Mark D. Gregory, Fire Department of New York

How new developments in building construction and the country’s economy will hamper firefighting tactics, why it is of utmost importance that a firefighter be in the right position at a fire, and personnel and alarm assignment variations will be highlighted. Search, ventilation, roof operations from the perspectives of the truck firefighter and officer, and new tools for the “truckie’s bag of tricks” for accomplishing the task at hand will be among the topics. The “Kitchen Table” portion of the class presents students with the opportunity to critique operations.

First-Arriving Engine Operations at Fires in One- and Two-Family Residences

Captain Bill Gustin, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue

An exploration of factors that must be considered in an initial size-up. How do you determine where to position the first-arriving pumping apparatus and the correct size and length of the first attack hoseline? From where do you operate the first attack hoseline when rapid forcible entry is not possible or when the first attack hoseline might not be advanced through the front door of a residence? What are your options when fighting a fire in an attached garage? These are among the many topics that will be addressed.

Fire Officer and Leader

Frank H. Hammond Jr., Fire Training Program Manager, Maine Fire Training & Education

Information pertaining to the mission of a fire officer is packaged with discussions and group work that focus on National Fire Protection Association and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and regulations that affect firefighter safety and welfare. An overview that touches on fostering positive subordinate attitudes, enhancing firefighter confidence and competency, enhancing subordinates’ learning curve, stressing the importance of meeting public education goals, and effectively managing risk during fire department operations is also presented.

Portable Firefighter Survival Maze

Lieutenant Thomas Hancock, Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services

Learn how to design, build, and conduct training evolutions in a portable survival maze. Discussions include reduced profiles, entanglements, a collapse simulator, a hose evolution, a spongy floor simulator, and other critical aspects of firefighter survival training.

Tactical Considerations for the First-Arriving Battalion Chief

Assistant Chief Todd Harms, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department

The primary focus is on improving fireground operations and firefighter safety at the task, tactical, and strategic levels of operation. Size-up and developing an incident action plan to achieve the tactical priorities of rescue, fire control, and loss stop will be addressed for all six basic building types. The program will follow the one used in the Phoenix Fire Department and taught at the Command Training Center.

Wide-Rise Tactics: Attacking the Big Box Problem

Captain Joe Hatfield, Ontario (CA) Fire Department

Guidelines for safely mitigating fires in these buildings (including warehouses, supermarkets, and supercenters) are presented. Among the topics are building construction, fire protection features, high-rack storage, and firefighting priorities. The emphasis will be on firefighter safety.

Construction Concerns: Modern Materials

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Gregory E. Havel, Burlington (WI) Fire Department

Information presented will help firefighters and company officers make effective initial and ongoing size-ups at incidents, develop preincident plans, establish standard operating procedures, and promote code enforcement activities. It will facilitate predicting the performance of wall and roof assemblies built of steel studs, wood trusses, and manufactured wood products.

Extrication: Using Personnel to Maximum Advantage

Captain Aaron J. Heller, Hamilton Township (NJ) Fire District #9

Methods for providing more dynamic supervision and deliberate training to personnel while balancing the complexities of providing appropriate medical care to entrapped victims are explored. Students will note the downfalls of having an incident staffed by an incomplete crew vs. one that is fully staffed and equipped and provides

an elevated level of service. Appropriate staffing levels, new vehicle technology challenges, riding assignments, required tasks, officer considerations, apparatus, equipment and tactics, scene considerations, fire suppression, and training are discussed.

Sacramento Near Miss of Four Firefighters

Captain Jeff Helvin, Sacramento (CA) Fire Department

A first-hand account of a flashover that occurred at a structure fire that nearly took the lives of four firefighters. Students will identify the contributing factors, lessons learned, and the changes this incident made in the perspective of the presenter/fire officer. See video from a helmet cam worn by one of the firefighters on-scene and hear the audio of the radio traffic. The events that led to an explosive fire on the first floor while four firefighters were searching on the second floor without being aware of the danger below them will be broken down step by step. Structure type, floor plan, potential hazards for firefighters, the original dispatch, size-up, the decision-making matrix, tactics, communications, using a thermal imaging camera in zero visibility, smoke conditions, and imminent flashover will be covered.

Survive Alive: The Ultimate Public Education Program

Aleatha A. Henderson, Director, Survive Alive, Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department

Become acquainted with this fire and life safety educational program. The steps involved in establishing such a program, including acquiring potential community partners and funding sources, are presented. A promotional interactive DVD and a program booklet that includes lesson plans, floor plans for the Survive Alive facility, and other materials are provided. The session includes a tour of the Survive Alive facilities.

Captain’s Corner

Battalion Chief (Ret.) Michael Hennigan, San Francisco (CA) Fire Department

Gain insight into management and leadership principles applicable to motivating, inspiring, and leading a fire company. Officers will acquire a foundation and simple guidelines to help them become outstanding officers. The “Captain’s Corner” is a regularly featured column on the Fire Engineering Web site at www.fireengineering.com.

Determining the Stability of Burning Buildings

Assistant Chief (Ret.) Howard J. Hill, Fire Department of New York

Become acquainted with the warning signs of a fire-induced building collapse, develop a checklist of aspects that indicate how fire is affecting the building’s structure, and obtain suggestions for taking appropriate actions to avoid collapse. An overview of the collapse potential of various construction materials, including how a building is constructed to withstand loads placed on it, is presented.

Cell Phone Sites

Battalion Chief (Ret.) William Hines, Fire Department of New York

The focus is on cell phone sites and installations and operational considerations. The components of cell phone site installations, their areas of installation, hazards to consider, precautions and concerns, and evaluating firefighting considerations are among the topics covered.

A Firefighter’s Own Worst Enemy

Deputy Chief Jason Hoevelmann, Sullivan (MO) Fire Protection District

Destructive personality characteristics and negative behavior can disrupt the firehouse, the fireground, and the individual. This class explores ways to change such behavior and create positive attitudes. Negative behaviors and attitudes, psychological factors, firefighter safety and self-destruction, officer responsibilities to self and subordinates, mentor and coach and counsel, chief officer responsibilities, and ways to enrich your career are among the issues discussed.

Hiring, Firing, and Retaining Volunteers

Chief Tim Holman, German Township (OH) Fire & EMS

This interactive session will present strategies and techniques for meeting these challenges. Students will develop skills associated with choosing questions to ask during the interview and which are inappropriate or illegal to ask, the concept of multiple team interviews, psychological contracts, techniques for determining what volunteers need to stay engaged, a progressive action plan for addressing volunteer behavior problems, and a firing process.

Improvised Nuclear Devices

Battalion Chief Robert Ingram, Fire Department of New York

With the increase of countries that are developing nuclear capabilities, even though the risk for an attack is low, departments should not overlook having a response plan for these calls. Attendees will be advised of federal resources that provide clearer guidance on the immediate effects of a detonation and how these effects will change in the hours and days that follow. Students will learn of areas fire departments must revisit–whether to accept higher dose limits when large populations are at risk; if the size of the Hot Zone should be reviewed; and if existing triage, treatment, and contaminant standard operating guidelines may be inadequate. The plan should include provisions for monitoring emergency responders for exposures and long-term medical and health effects.

Engine Company Operations: Big Fire, Big Water

Battalion Chief Curt Isakson, Escambia County (FL) Fire Rescue

How to maximize hydrant flows and use rural water supply tactics in the urban setting are discussed in this class, to help ensure a successful attack against big fires regardless of their frequency. The class will take students through scenarios that involve equipping the apparatus with tools and appliances that will allow maximum water flow, numerous alternative water supply options you can put into service with equipment already on hand or easily acquired, and circumstances when you can and cannot safely allow limited personnel on attack lines and monitors. Span of control for engineers and their duties and innovative water supply tactics will be among the topics covered.

Advanced RIT: Firefighter Trapped in the Floor

Captain Scott Joerger, Rochester (NY) Fire Department

A look at a localized collapse or failure in a wood-frame structure, resulting in a firefighter’s becoming wedged or trapped in the wood floor. Attendees will learn how, why, and where this type of incident occurs; the advanced RIT/FAST actions to follow; and the command and control actions the incident commander should use for the rescue. Attendees will take back home with them a drill they can easily set up and use for realistic training. Two events in which firefighters fell through the floor–one was seriously injured, and the other died–are presented. Emergency procedures firefighters can use to self-rescue if they fall through the floor are also discussed.

Survival on the Fireground

Battalion Chief Phillip Jose, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

This fast-paced, interactive presentation focuses on preventing fatalities on the fireground and provides students with the tools for implementing air management training when they return to their departments. Training needs missing from most fire department SCBA training programs are covered, as are the required portions of NFPA 1404, Standard for Respiratory Protection Training, 2007 edition. The how and why of air management training—and how mastering air management techniques work to prevent firefighter emergencies and the need for rapid intervention–are stressed.

How and Why Buildings on Fire Fail

Lieutenant Don Kaderabek, Niles (IL) Fire Department

A guide to making tactical and safety-conscious decisions on the fireground. Audiovisuals will be used to show how various construction features found throughout the country fail under fire conditions. Residential construction from the 1930s to the present will be discussed, as will the fire behaviors of concrete, wood, steel, and gypsum board.

Engine Company Operations

Deputy Chief Stephen Kalman, Hackensack (NJ) Fire Department
This interactive session covers topics such as water delivery, hoseline selection, stretching hose, nozzle basics, standpipe operations, fire attack, and cold-weather tips. Engine company basics are reviewed, and operating in various types of structures are discussed.

Troubleshooting Pump Operations
Lieutenant Kevin Kalmus, Austin (TX) Fire Department
Anyone who has ever stood in front of a pump panel while the crew advances a line inside a burning structure has two thoughts: “Why did I have to drive today?” and “Please don’t let anything go wrong.”Learn how safety standards such as OSHA’s two-in/two-out rule and technological changes affect engine company tactics on the fireground. You will see how you can improve communications and crew operations while complying with these latest safety standards. Among topics covered will be the 10 mistakes pump operators make, managing a fast attack, flowing multiple handlines, and tips and tricks for the engine company operator.

Preparing for a Line-of-Duty Death

Chief Ron Kanterman, Mohegan Tribal Fire Department, Uncasville, CT

Is your department prepared for a line-of-duty death? This class answers the tough questions that arise during such a catastrophe. Included is an overview of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation-run and -assisted programs Taking Care of Our Own, Local Assistance State Team, and Public Safety Officers Benefits.

Mastering the Counseling Session

Battalion Chief Anthony Kastros, Sacramento (CA) Metropolitan Fire District

Fire service supervisors are expected to put out “people fires” every day. Just as extinguishing a fire in the incipient phase will minimize damage, so, too, mitigating an employee conflict or breach in policy early will do less damage. Students hone their skills in conflict resolution by playing the role of a supervisor who must resolve issues such as “testing the new boss,” customer service, cell phones, driving, and sexual harassment. Knowing when to step in on an issue or let it go; sizing up a situation; establishing rapport in the firehouse; straddling the line between being a pushover and a firm, fair, and friendly supervisor; and a review of the laws and regulations that affect the firehouse are among other topics covered.

Positive-Pressure Attack: Theory and Application

Battalion Chief (Ret.) Reinhard Kauffmann, Salt Lake City (UT) Fire Department

Lightweight building construction methods and the use of manmade materials in construction and furnishings have reduced the time until structural failure in a fire. Recent studies by NIST concluded that fires are growing more rapidly and that escape time from some types of fires has been reduced from 17 minutes to three minutes. Yet, the ventilation methods modern firefighters use have not kept pace. Positive pressure attack (PPA), proven on the fireground, allows for a coordinated and systematic approach to hoseline and ventilation operations. This session covers the mechanics and the basics of positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) and precautions that should be taken when using it and some methods for incorporating PPV without delaying the initial fire attack.

Training in Combination Departments

Division Chief Brian Kazmierzak, Clay Fire Territory, South Bend, IN

Students will be guided in developing comprehensive training programs for combination departments. Essential training, company training, quick drills, Web-based training, and multicompany drills will be addressed. The role of performance-based training or job-performance requirements is explored. How to make training hours with volunteers as productive as possible, how to treat Occupational Health and Safety Administration and local training requirements and training for specific positions, and officer training are among other topics addressed.

What’s in Smoke and Why It Matters

Steve Kerber, Fire Protection Engineer, Underwriters Laboratories

If you better understand the potential impact of the smoke you breathe, hopefully you will wear SCBA in environments where you may be exposed to smoke carcinogens and implement other issues related to hygiene. Results of a research study conducted by Underwriters Laboratories, the Chicago Fire Department, and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, funded by the FIRE Grant Act, on firefighters’ exposure to combustion products, will be presented. The study focuses on the effects on firefighters’ health of gas effluent and smoke particulates generated during residential structure and automobile fires and subsequent contact exposure resulting from residual contamination from personal protective equipment (PPE).

Job-Specific Physical Conditioning

Firefighter Erron Q. Kinney, Brentwood (TN) Fire & Rescue

The objective of this course is to decrease the number of firefighter line-of-duty deaths from overexertion and stress (cardiac compromise) by motivating fire service personnel to be accountable for their conditioning and look at their bodies as the most vital tool in their toolbox. Attendees will be empowered, equipped, and motivated to take health, wellness, fitness, and job-specific physical conditioning into their own hands. Learn how to combat risk factors for heart disease. Incentives and methods for increasing personnel participation in a fitness program are discussed.

101 Greatest Public Education Ideas

Training Coordinator Tom Kiurski, Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue

Deliver fire safety education to your citizens in a manner that both you and the citizens will enjoy. Attendees will be given instructions for implementing a multitude of programs that are being run successfully in fire departments around the country. Regardless of the status of fire safety education in your community, you can still do more to inform your citizens.

Be a Leader, Not Just a Position

Deputy Chief Steve Kraft, Richmond Hill Fire Department, Ontario, Canada

Learn the difference between management and leadership. A review of the 10 steps to becoming a great leader is presented. The objective is to assist new officers and seasoned officers in how to get their staffs to follow.

Effective Fire Attack

Battalion Chief Robert C. Krause, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue

In this interactive session, students will be asked questions concerning actions depicted in multiple fire scenarios. Attendees are encouraged to discuss, suggest, and debate. A real-time computer-based fire simulator challenges participants to make decisions relative to strategy and tactics. The scenarios, which change before their eyes, keep students focused and stimulate ongoing assessment, evaluation, and short-term planning–developing and improving their tactical decision-making processes.

Top 10 Hot Topics in Structural Firefighting

Executive Assistant Chief Steve Kreis, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department

This class will bring students back to basics—and beyond. Learn how to apply these topics to the saving of lives and protecting property on the fireground where the building is under attack and conditions are changing rapidly, and how the first five minutes will set the stage for the remainder of the incident. See how research and daily operations have affected these topics over the past few years.

Applying Tactical Decisions to Hazmat

Assistant Chief Kristina Kreutzer, Mill Creek Fire Company, Wilmington, DE

Attendees will acquire a simple analytical tool to help them understand the key behaviors of a hazardous material. Applications include determining the size of the exclusion zones, choosing personal protective equipment, and developing material management strategies. Scenarios include adding environmental considerations to the standard textbook evaluation of materials. Hazmat incident priorities, material properties, and using analysis to make tactical decisions are also covered.

Fire Service Traditions and Ceremonies

Chief Rick Lasky, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department

Embark on a trip that takes you back to the beginning of the fire service, rich in tradition, to really appreciate our rich heritage marked with pride and admired by many. You will also note on this “Back to the Early Fire Service” trip that ceremonies and celebrations were always part of that tradition and heritage. These ceremonies, which stimulate the pride that brings ownership, will be highlighted, with the objective that they will help stoke the flames of tradition in your department as well.

Controlling Vehicle Fires Safely

Assistant Chief (Ret.) Doug Leihbacher, Yonkers (NY) Fire Department

Often underestimated as “routine,” vehicle fires pose numerous dangers to responding firefighters, including exploding bumpers, rupturing gas tanks, hood struts becoming projectiles, new hazards associated with alternative fuel technologies, and the potential of being struck by a motorist. Using audiovisuals and case studies, the presenter will explore the potential hazards and explain step-by-step methods for extinguishing these fires safely.

Back to Basics Engine Company Operations

Captain Bob Leonard, San Jose (CA) Fire Department

Engine company operations are the backbone of a successful fireground operation; without hoselines in position, other tasks are subject to failure. This program is intended to drive home the importance of engine company training, standard operating procedures, and attitude. Strategies, tactics, and task-level information for managing and coordinating successful engine company operations on the fireground are discussed from the perspectives of command officers, company officers, and firefighters.

Tactical Medics

Battalion Chief Bill Lowe, Clayton County (GA) Fire & Emergency Services

Fire department tactical medics, their role in law enforcement agencies, and the duties and certifications of tactical medics and their roles in disaster response and recovery operations are discussed. An overview of the implementation process of the Clayton County Tactical Medic Program (TMP), lessons learned, and suggestions for agencies/communities interested in evaluating and implementing a TMP are presented.

Wind-Driven Fires in Structures

Daniel Madrzykowki, Fire Protection Engineer, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Wind speeds as low as 10 to 15 miles per hour can turn a routine room-and-contents fire into a floor-to-ceiling fire storm, generating untenable conditions for firefighters, even outside of the room of origin. Through the use of videos, computer models, and data, this presentation will show how wind can impact the thermal environment within a structure. Line-of-duty deaths related to wind-driven fires and strategies for surviving them will be discussed.

Everyone Goes Home

Chief Richard Marinucci, Northville Township (MI) Fire Department

Motivating firefighters to perform their job responsibilities safely and significantly reducing the number of preventable firefighter line-of-duty deaths through awareness and education are the focus. Attendees will learn of resources available to help all firefighter ranks move toward adopting and enforcing the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Everybody Goes Home program and its 16 Life Safety Initiatives.

Chief Problem Solver

Chief Richard Marinucci, Northville Township (MI) Fire Department

Officers who can solve problems effectively will be successful on the job. Strategies and tactics that will assist officers to develop the learned skill of problem solving are presented. The challenges of resolving problems on the emergency scene as well as in the fire station are discussed. Learn methods for making faster and better decisions that resolve the problems officers commonly face. See the regular Fire Engineering column “The Chief Problem Solver” live!

Survivability Profiling

Captain Stephen Marsar, Fire Department of New York

The presentation focuses on the correlation between firefighter fatalities and civilian fatalities at the same structural fire incidents. Survivability Profiling is the educated art of examining a situation and making an intelligent decision of whether to commit firefighters to life-saving or interior operations. It differs from basic risk vs. reward in that it goes beyond the tendency to justify risk whenever we respond to an occupied building. Size-up components, situational awareness, and calculating if civilians are savable before committing firefighters to an aggressive interior attack are discussed.

Fire Alarms and Life Safety Systems

Firefighter John Marshall, Ottawa Fire Services, Ontario, Canada

This course, presented at the awareness level, explains how firefighters can make the best use of fire/life safety systems when responding to any alarm condition in any type of occupancy. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the common controls and functions of basic and complex fire alarm control panels. Topics include addressable systems, auxiliary devices activated by alarm panels, voice evacuation systems, sprinkler basics, and restoration of maximum fire system capabilities.

Recognition and Attack of Basement Fires

Firefighter Nicholas Martin, District of Columbia Fire Department

Delayed recognition and limited access make basement fires among the most dangerous fires for firefighters. This class will present techniques for sizing up and attacking basement fires, including considerations for the truck and engine companies and the incident commander. Topics include construction and contents of typical basements and their corresponding effects on fire behavior, structural stability, and tactical options, “basement checks” vs. “circle checks,” placement of the initial attack line, attack scenarios for single and multiple handlines, coordinated attack methods, alternatives for when the first floor is unstable, and rescuing civilians from upper floors.

How to Extinguish a House Fire

Lieutenant Ray McCormack, Fire Department of New York

Fire extinguishment as it relates to various areas of a house–attached garage, basement, attic, single room, kitchen, hallway, stairway, porch, and multiroom fires—is the focus. Each area will be examined for fire loading, difficulty of access, and extinguishment profile. Students will learn to recognize how to use the hoseline most effectively for safe extinguishment in various portions of the house.

Fires in Low-Rise Office Buildings

Battalion Chief James McDermott, Fire Department of New York

Low-rise office buildings have been popping up in many communities. The tactics and strategies for successfully fighting fires in these buildings differ substantially from those used in private dwellings or taxpayers. This class offers an in-depth analysis that includes size-up considerations, building systems, common hazards, and strategies and tactics.

If Pigs Could Fly, Would They Carry Bird Flu?

Mike McEvoy, EMS Coordinator, Saratoga County, New York; Technical Editor, Fire Engineering

Flu pandemic threats are a major fire service challenge. You need facts to protect your family and your community from outbreaks. Learn how to tell flu from a common cold and how to prevent infection. Participate in an analysis of past outbreaks and a discussion of pandemic tools and fire service resources.

High-Rise Operations: The Top 10

District Chief David M. McGrail, Denver (CO) Fire Department

This class will help demystify the high-rise operation by addressing the top 10 critical operational components for achieving a successful high-rise fireground operation. Components from a redundant water supply to command and control will be explained. Firefighter safety is emphasized.

Funding Training During a Financial Crisis

Firefighter Michael O. McLeieer, Merrimac (MA) Fire Department

What department could not use more funding for training programs? The class covers ways to seek alternative funding sources for your training programs and to maintain consistent, quality, and interesting training. Combining resources on a regional basis and the value of membership in state and national professional training associations are among the avenues explored. Participants will receive a copy of the PowerPoint^® presentation and the supplemental materials used to take back to their departments.

Proficiency-Based Training: It’s All About Skills

Captain Kevin Milan, South Metro Fire Rescue, Golden, CO

Criterion-referenced training ties skills to standards. Students will partake in a comprehensive training program; proficiency-based drills and position task books will be provided. On completion, students will be able to assess their department training strategies; document job performance requirements at all levels within the department and tie these skills to NFPA standards; create assessment tools for accurately measuring performance and competency; and design and implement position qualification programs at each rank, using the materials provided and explained during the course.

Evaluating Fire Dynamics and Fire Endurance

James Milke, Professor, University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering

This presentation will cover ignition and combustion principles, products of combustion, compartment fires, and construction and fire endurance. Students will gain an improved understanding of how fuel, oxygen, and temperature affect ignition; how the Chemistry of Fire Program can be used in fire service training; the burning behavior of materials; fire development in rooms; the history and purpose of fire endurance tests and ratings; and the effect of elevated temperature on structural materials.

Modern Engine Company Essentials

Lieutenant Douglas J. Mitchell Jr., Fire Department of New York

This dynamic and interactive program will present sound tactics and techniques for preparing and operating the modern-day engine company. The connection between mental and physical preparedness and safety and between fire travel within buildings and construction type will be explored. Innovations in personal protective equipment, water supply, apparatus, hose, nozzles, tools; teamwork; problem solving in the heat of battle; and training tips and techniques are among other topics addressed.

Ventilation 2010

Battalion Chief (Ret.) John Mittendorf, Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department

Ventilation matters in 2010 more than ever! The advantages and disadvantages of “everyday” horizontal, vertical, and pressurized ventilation will be presented and applied to the modern fireground. Learn how modern building construction has significantly impacted vertical ventilation and how to work within the confines of reduced fireground time resulting from contemporary construction methods.

Primary Search Techniques

Chief Robert G. Moran, Englewood (NJ) Fire Department

Gain a more in-depth understanding of the inherent dangers of searching within a fire structure. This class reinforces students’ knowledge of the hazards of primary and secondary searches related to building construction, team continuity, accountability, search practices, and fire growth. Size-up, occupant indicators, and search team tasks and responsibilities will be stressed.

Vacant Structure Fires

Firefighter Jamie C. Morelock, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue

Once thought to be a problem only for urban fire departments, fires in unoccupied structures have become a national problem as a result of the current economy. This program redefines “vacant building” in terms of the present society and introduces a risk assessment model to determine successful strategies for safely mitigating these fires. Fire behavior in sealed vacant structures, overcoming security systems in unoccupied structures, the reasons for performing quality primary and secondary searches, methods of fire attack, ventilation, and overhaul are among topics discussed, as are methods for preventing fires in the vacant structures in your community.

Fire Training Injuries: Lessons Learned

Walter A. Morris, Training Program Manager, Maine Fire Training and Education

This interactive session will have participants reviewing documents and other materials distributed in class to identify the contributing factors and lessons learned from case studies of incidents in which firefighters were killed or injured while training. Students will also be asked which position was responsible for handling the contributing factors and how they would apply these lessons to their department training programs to increase safety during training evolutions.

Safe Behaviors for Firefighters

David L. Murphy, Associate Professor of Fire Safety Engineering Technology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Attendees will brainstorm on ways to improve the overall fire service safety culture. An informal safety-oriented survey of fire service career-track college freshmen will serve as the discussion take-off point. Among areas discussed will be the single greatest threat to firefighter health and safety, whether a dramatic safety culture change is warranted in the fire service, peer pressure, motivation for risk taking, cardiovascular health, cancer and other job-related illnesses, and proposed employer methods for enforcing workplace safety.

Enhancing “Building Intelligence”

Fire Marshal (Ret.)/Fmr. Deputy Chief Jack J. Murphy, Leonia (NJ) Fire Department

Firefighters will benefit from gathering “building intelligence” before preparing a preincident plan. Participants will be guided in using a broad-base computer system to implement an electronic preincident planning format to develop and improve information-gathering skills that will enhance tactical capabilities for specific buildings– anticipated fire behavior; water supply needs; search and rescue issues; forcible entry challenges; rope, hose, and ladder placement; ventilation needs; and safety and survival concerns. The system will facilitate access to information on the operational status of building and fire protections systems on arrival and will enable fire communication centers to dispatch to responders building data and 3-D digital blueprints showing each floor while measuring the distance to the stairs, fire pump room, and so on.

Training Officer Liabilities

Deputy Chief (Ret.) John K. Murphy, Eastside (WA) Fire & Rescue; Attorney

The potential repercussions for fire departments and training officers when firefighters are injured or killed during training exercises are analyzed and discussed. This presentation includes an overview of the training officer’s responsibilities and duties; the statistics pertaining to training deaths and injuries; a review of the legal process related to civil and criminal litigation; and a review of three case studies of training fatalities that will evaluate the National Fire Protection Association standards, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health investigation, and the legal impact of the event.

Fire Service Diversity: Panel Discussion

Moderator: Deputy Chief (Ret.) John K. Murphy, Eastside (WA) Fire & Rescue and Attorney. Panelists: Division Chief of Training Cheryl Horvath, Northwest Fire District, Tucson, AZ; Lieutenant Joseph B. Muhammad, White Plains (NY) Fire Department and President, International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters; Firefighter Frank Ricci, New Haven (CT) Fire Department

The issues surrounding diversity in the fire service are often ignored except for those times a lawsuit arises regarding hiring, promoting, sexual harassment, or gender bias. Historically, the discussions related to race and gender topics such as adverse impact, protected classes, and discrimination were left to the chief and legal department. Decisions have disenfranchised, alienated, confused, and contributed to the racial and gender divisions and have done little to effect real emotional growth or foster a great sense of community and unity. This panel of recognized, influential voices regarding these issues will present views and engage your questions.

Building Construction and Risk Management

Christopher J. Naum, SFPE, Chief of Training, Command Institute, Washington, DC

Today’s firefighters have a profound need to understand building systems and occupancy performance under fire conditions. Participants will gain an understanding of inherent construction features and hazards that directly influence effective risk management and decisive strategic and tactical considerations with a focus on key construction features, inherent occupancy profiles that will influence strategic, tactical and task-level operations, and crucial assembly systems affected by fire dynamics and fire behavior. This program will integrate inherent building construction and occupancy profiling with performance indicators and newly defined tactical protocols that address the newest concepts and methodologies of strategic and tactical fire suppression theory based on the most current technical data.

Constructing Multipurpose Survival and RIT Training Props

Firefighter Joseph R. Nedder Jr., Uxbridge (MA) Fire Department

Many training props built today have a lot in common: a lot of wood, a lot of space, and a lot of collected dust! This class presents various multipurpose firefighter survival and RIT training props that are simple to construct, are multipurpose in use with simple component changes, can be taken apart for bulk storage, and can be reassembled quickly and easily for more frequent training. See the props in use and learn the teaching objectives of the various skills being taught. Safety is always a key component of training and will be emphasize with the construction, use, and storage of the various props.

Line-of-Duty Deaths: Stories, Science, Statistics, and Solutions

Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Participants will be exposed to current research literature on firefighter line-of-duty deaths and their causes. The literature suggests that the number of these deaths can be significantly reduced by controlling firefighters’ behaviors and making changes in their lifestyles. Suggested solutions based on current practices will be presented, as will a plan for a national strategy.

EMS Preplanning

Karen C. Owens, Assistant Manager, Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services

Little thought is put into preplanning buildings and events for the potential EMS issues that may occur. Agencies need to begin looking at facilities in their response areas that may require a heavier response of EMS during special situations. These facilities could include buildings with special needs populations and sites that support the congregation of a large number of people at a time—churches, nursing homes, schools, sporting events, major fairs/craft shows/outdoor events, and amusement/theme parks. The need for preplans, the basic preplan process, areas in the locality that may benefit from EMS preplanning, and the elements to be in included in an EMS preplan are discussed.

Solar Electric Safety for Firefighters

Captain Matthew Paiss, San Jose (CA) Fire Department

Firefighters must be aware of the presence of solar electric [photovoltaic (PV)] systems on the roof. One solar array covering 90 percent of the southern slope of a roof could dramatically affect roof operation tactics. Students will gain an understanding of the principles of generating solar electricity, confidence in safely fighting fires in structures equipped with PV systems, and training for operations involving such systems.

Factory Inspections of New Fire Apparatus

Battalion Chief (Ret.) William Peters, Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department

Students will be given the information and tools necessary for conducting a thorough and complete preconstruction conference and for testing and inspection of new fire apparatus. They will learn how to identify clarifications and changes, prepare an inspection checklist in advance of an inspection, document and deal with deficiencies, and perform other important tasks associated with purchasing apparatus.

How Would You Grade Your Rapid Intervention Team?

Battalion Chief Jeffrey Pindelski, Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department

One of your own is in trouble! Are all levels of your department prepared to bring that member home safely? The importance of rapid intervention team (RIT) training cannot be overemphasized as it relates to decision making and RIT members’ discipline. Using NFPA 1407, Standard for Training Fire Service Rapid Intervention Crews, as a guide, students will evaluate their department’s RIT from the perspectives of preparedness, capability, assigned duties, command and safety officers’ understanding of the intricacies and nuances of a RIT deployment on the fireground, and members’ understanding of the RIT’s role.

Discrimination Issues: Race, Sex, and Drugs

Captain Bradley M. Pinsky, Manlius (NY) Fire Department; Attorney

This course will provide an overview of the laws, duties, and prohibitions involving racial discrimination, drug use and testing, and sexual harassment. It will assist leaders to create policies that support the goals of the federal laws and preempt discrimination and harassment; assist fire service leaders in creating a safe, but nondiscriminatory, atmosphere using the most qualified individuals; and guide fire service leaders in how to react to allegations of discrimination, harassment, or drug abuse.

Firefighting Safety: Panel Discussion

Moderator: Captain Bradley M. Pinsky, Manlius (NY) Fire Department; Attorney.

Panelists: Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department; Firefighter Walter Lewis, Orlando (FL) Fire Department; Lieutenant Ray McCormack, Fire Department of New York; and Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, Executive Director, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Our profession continually strives to balance the nature of our work, emergency response, with maintaining our personal safety under dangerous and dynamic conditions. The protection of life and property from the elements of nature, fire, wind, water, and physics will always require some risk, greatly occasional and nominally routinely. The development and the administration of this risk management within our industry have many levels. The who, when, where, why, and how we do our work rules and regulations, and their physical and legal consequences, are critical discussions that need to be held at every level of the process. This panel will discuss the nature of the fireground and the reality of managing safety within this environment.

Calling the Mayday

Engineer Anthony Piontek, Green Bay (WI) Fire Department

This session reinforces some basic skills that will assist firefighters to survive a Mayday. Among the topics covered will be the parameters for calling a Mayday, why firefighters must have a thorough knowledge of an SCBA and skills for reorienting themselves to their surroundings and other crew members, and the RITs making entry to access them. Students can take the information back to their departments to assist in Mayday training and to create or update protocols, procedures, and operating guidelines.

Residential High-Rise: Critical Functions for First-Due

Captain Michael Posner, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue

This class provides a systematic approach to the initial actions and assignments that can be adapted for the many configurations firefighters might encounter in these structures. Audiovisuals and case reviews of prominent incidents trace the principles presented from theory to reality. Preventing the lobby from becoming a choke point instead of a control point, gathering information from the alarm panel, and determining how firefighters will access the fire location (walk or ride the elevator) are among topics discussed.

101 Drills for the Company Officer

Battalion Chief Steve Prziborowski, Santa Clara County (CA) Fire Department

“A drill for every shift” is presented. As the personal fire service trainer for their crews, company officers must ensure that each member is adequately trained and meets continuing education requirements. Drill topics cover fire behavior; building construction; strategy and tactics; incident command system basics; map reading; department policies and manuals; department operations; structural and wildland firefighting operations; rescue operations; EMS; hazmat; apparatus, tools and equipment; and communications and technology.

Fireground Safety for the Company Officer

Battalion Chief Forest Reeder, Pleasantview (IL) Fire Protection District

The focus is on the company officer’s key responsibilities in ensuring operational safety during fireground operations, including that of serving as the “company safety officer.”

The most hazardous areas of fireground operations will be correlated with things the company officers should be looking for to keep their crews safe in those areas. Participants will be encouraged to rethink some typical tactical assignments when presented with hazardous fire and building conditions.

Tactical Considerations for Fireground Operations

Firefighter Frank Ricci, New Haven (CT) Fire Department

Tactical considerations for engine, truck, and rescue operations are the focus. Situations presented will challenge the students to consider options based on experience, case studies, and staffing realities.

Improving Firefighter Safety with Thermal Imaging

Captain Mike Richardson, St. Matthews (KY) Fire Protection District

This class identifies the most common ways thermal imaging can improve firefighter safety, the most common “pitfalls” firefighters encounter when using thermal imaging, and how they can avoid them. The new National Fire Protection Association 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service, slated for review and publication in 2009/2010, will be addressed.

Someone Has To Do It: The Importance of a PIO

Captain Stephen Ruda, Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department

Students will learn why it is important to have a public information officer or some other designated spokesperson for the department. The focus will be on guidelines for fulfilling the role of a successful department spokesperson. Participants will learn how to handle newsworthy events and gain knowledge in handling press conferences and feature stories and setting up the Media Command Post at incidents.

Standpipe Operations and the Engine Company

Lieutenant Mathew Rush, Austin (TX) Fire Department

Students will come away with an understanding of what basic information and equipment are needed to gain the best advantage in a high-rise fire. Stretching the appropriate line; the proper flow; and being thoroughly familiar with high-rise building components such as standpipe types, appropriate code applications, fire department connections, fire pumps, and pressure-reducing valves will be covered. Participants will also clearly understand how high-rise building systems interconnect and can be used to best advantage.

Are You a Survivor?

Battalion Chief John Salka, Fire Department of New York

This new program looks at some interesting information that may have a great impact on how fire departments train firefighters to survive. The focus will be on the physiological responses people exhibit when faced with dramatic and dangerous situations. How the “Human Factors” and habits of people in all walks of life have improved their survival chances are analyzed. Survivor personality, muscle memory, and other helpful topics will be examined. The information presented will definitely introduce you to some new ideas for your training programs.

Rapid Intervention: Truth or Consequences

Firefighter James Sandas, Fire Department of New York

What should be the RIT’s main goals? What are the requirements and responsibilities of the company officer and RIT members when responding to a Mayday? What challenges can present themselves to RIT members? These are among the questions that will be addressed. Real-life scenarios will be presented. Students will learn the difference between a “missing” and a “lost” firefighter and a “Mayday” and an “Urgent” transmission. Properly deploying and searching off a rope and performing large-area searches for a missing or lost firefighter are discussed.

From the X-Box to the Box Alarm: Leadership in Today’s Firehouse

Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf, Erie County (NY) Department of Emergency Services

How do you motivate today’s recruits away from the X-Box long enough to answer the box alarm? This question builds consensus that the majority of the challenges you face are in the firehouse, not on the fireground. This class addresses the challenges of today’s fire service leaders in attracting and retaining the appropriate quantity and quality of firefighters they need to support the delivery of emergency services in their communities. Learn to combat these challenges with solutions that are right in front of you. BASIC

Fire Smoke and Cyanide: Truth and Treatment

Assistant Chief Rob Schnepp, Alameda County (CA) Fire Department; Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition

Learn the truth about cyanide toxicity from instantaneous and cumulative exposures to fire smoke. How to distinguish cyanide toxicity from carbon monoxide poisoning; how various treatment practices impact a smoke-inhalation victim; approved medical protocols for cyanide toxicity; firefighter treatment practices relative to NFPA 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercise, 2008 edition; and appropriate antidotal medical treatment are among the topics.

Search Operations for Today’s Fireground

Firefighter Jeff Seaton, San Jose (CA) Fire Department

The emphasis is on acquiring and perfecting the skills to perform safe, effective, and coordinated search operations. The objective is to provide relevant, applicable, and appropriate training that correlates with traditional safety practices.

Are You in the Fire Service, Or Is the Fire Service in You?

Chief Gary Seidel, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department

Participants will learn the difference between being “certified” and being “qualified” to lead and challenged to lead and not just occupy the front seat. The session asks: “Who is in charge? Is there a leader in the front seat? If you are in the front seat and in charge, take responsibility!”

Beyond Surviving: If I Only Knew!

Firefighter (Ret. )Bobby Senn, Fire Department of New York

This session is designed to increase firefighters’ awareness of traumatic stress: its signs, symptoms, and realities. Improving communication with family members, establishing “Self-Care Vows” for first responders, and increasing the understanding of how “we” react to traumatic events are among the topics emphasized.

Fighting Fires in Attached Garages

Captain Daniel D. Shaw, Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue

Fires in garages attached to residential buildings present special hazards. Discussed are proven strategies and tactics for these areas and their unregulated and substantial fire loads. National statistics show that attached garage fires account for about the same percentage of fires as basement and attic fires. The “combat ready” firefighter and officer, accurate on-scene reports and size-up, the intricacies of engine company and truck company operations, and special considerations are among the topics.

Basic Forcible Entry Techniques and Procedures

Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan, Fire Department of New York

This class focuses on the skills needed to do the majority of forcible entry tasks firefighters encounter in everyday firefighting using the basic complement of tools carried by most departments. Participants will learn how to operate forcible entry tools safely, identify the best tool for each situation, identify various types of doors and locks, perform forcible entry techniques on various types of doors, and become acquainted with various types of window gates and burglar bars.

On-Scene Strategic and Safety Considerations

Deputy Chief (Ret.) William Shouldis, Philadelphia (PA) Fire Department

This session examines the roles and responsibilities of first responders at all types of emergency incidents. The ‘big picture” concept, decision making, hazard assessment, unacceptable risk, and interagency coordination will be reviewed. Case studies will reinforce solid strategic principles during the first few minutes at rapidly escalating events. Safety suggestions will focus on preincident planning, on-site radio communications, and injury/accident investigation techniques.

Tips and Tactics for the Firefighter

Firefighter Jeff Shupe, Cleveland (OH) Fire Department

Students will participate in simulations of fires in actual buildings and observe the strategies and tactics developed. Basic information needed for good, safe firefighting practices at structural fires is reviewed. Students will see that effectiveness on the fireground depends on engine and ladder company operations and estimate the resources needed to control different types of potential fire problems.

First-Due Company Response to Railroad Incidents

Battalion Chief Jeff Simpson, Hanover (VA) Fire-EMS

This interactive class will address the issues involved in responding to and working around railroad-related emergency situations. Safety, isolation, and mitigation are among the topics covered. Information presented can be incorporated into any fire department’s training curriculum.

Unique Incidents and Their Successful Outcomes

Lieutenant Tom Sitz, Painesville Twp (OH) Fire Department

Presented will be six incidents to which the instructor had responded for the first time. Each had a unique set of problems and necessitated “outside the box” thinking and new techniques arrived at through trial and error. Critiques of and lessons learned from these incidents–involving industrial impalement, a light airplane crash in a residential neighborhood, unstable dynamite, unstable ether, vertical rope rescue out of the cargo hold of a 1,000-foot Lake freighter, and confined space entry for U.S. Customs agents on a 1,000-foot Lake freighter—are discussed.

Sudden Cardiac Events: Why Are Firefighters at Risk?

Professor Denise Smith, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

The physiological consequences of firefighting will be described. Individual factors and job stressors that increase the risk of a sudden cardiac event will be presented along with recommendations for decreasing these risks. Attendees will be given information that will help them better understand the cardiovascular risks they face and the steps they can take to mitigate the cardiovascular strain they experience.

Company Quick Drills

Deputy Chief Drew Smith, Prospect Heights (IL) Fire Protection District

Students will observe a company (comprised of attendees) and an officer (the instructor) perform six company quick drills they can conduct on returning from FDIC. None of the drills require personal protective equipment. Attendee “company members” will change with each drill.

Overcoming the Hazards of Suspended Ceilings

Battalion Chief Les Stephens, Garland (TX) Fire Department

Every day, fire companies work with suspended ceilings above them. They are found in almost every commercial and office building. The hazards these ceilings pose, including obstacles hidden above them, are discussed. Ceiling grids, fire loads that might be above these ceilings, the tools that will and won’t work on these assemblies, and evacuation procedures are among topics covered.

Officer’s Guide to Roadway Incident Safety

Jack Sullivan, Director of Training, Emergency Responder Safety Institute, Midlothian, VA

Participants will learn how to develop standard operating procedures and training that will improve protection for emergency responders at vehicle crashes, fires, or other emergencies on roadways. The class will analyze the dangers of vehicle traffic moving around emergency incidents and review strategies and tactics developed to protect personnel and prevent line-of-duty deaths. Through a review of case studies involving emergency responders struck by vehicles, students will be introduced to proactive ways to protect their personnel.

Making Training Personal

Chief Scott Thompson, The Colony (TX) Fire Department

This program is about creating learning environments and delivering training that impact firefighters on a personal level. Participants will leave with a new perspective on and a reignited passion for training. Theories related to firefighter and officer training, based on research and experience, will be discussed. The action plans presented can be implemented in any size or type of department.

Taming the Dragon

Battalion Chief Jerry Tracy, Fire Department of New York

This presentation will focus on the appropriate tactical approach to structural fires where wind is a factor. FDNY has experienced numerous fires that have caused line-of-duty deaths and injured scores of firefighters. Learn about the strategies and tactics that have proven successful and those that have not and the changes taking place within FDNY to incorporate alternate strategies of attack based on recent research.

Learning from Others’ Experience

Chief David J. Traiforos, Franklin Park (IL) Fire Department

Through the use of photographs that capture one moment of the task in which firefighters across the country are engaged, attendees will focus on the safety issue and note from the photos how aggressive actions taken by firefighters can lead to danger. Fire scene accountability, apparatus placement and operations, hoseline placement and safe operation, and portable ladder placement and operation are some of the perspectives from which the photos will be viewed.

Elevator Emergencies

Captain (Ret.) Tony Tricarico, Fire Department of New York

Attendees will become acquainted with elevators and their operation. Topics will include the dangers of elevator operations, how to create a safe working environment, how to initiate phases 1 and 2 recalls, how to recognize various types of elevators, and how the interlock device functions.

Legality and Leadership

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Curt Varone, Division Manager and Director, Public Fire Protection Division, National Fire Protection Association

Legal concerns can stifle or even paralyze leaders who are not prepared. Participants will acquire skills and techniques to help them make effective decisions despite difficult legal considerations. This program examines the obstacles to leadership in the fire service and how legal concerns are often used to block needed change.

Strategic Planning for Effective Training and Professional Development

Chief Mark Wallace, McKinney (TX) Fire Department

This class explores how strategic planning helps justify effective training and professional development programs to increase firefighter safety and improve department effectiveness.

Training Tricks of the Trade: Make Every Drill/Class a Home Run

Dave Walsh, Chairperson, Fire Science Program, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY

This lively, fast-paced class covers a wide array of tried and proven methods to enhance any training session. Ways to drive home points, easy-to-do demos, class activities, motivational techniques are some of the methods presented.

Applying Wildland Fire Safety to All-Hazard Emergencies

Chief Devon Wells, Hood River (OR) Fire Department

A discussion of how the wildland safety principles of Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) and other wildland safety rules can be applied to all-hazard incidents. Students will come away with a new method for analyzing risk at roadway emergencies, structure fires, technical rescues, hazardous materials, and other incidents.

Effective Teamwork

Battalion Chief Jerry Wells, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department

The fire service has been described as the “ultimate team sport.” This class presents creative ways to get crews to “buy in.” Nontraditional approaches to positive team-building and training are introduced. Cultural changes relative to the method of using and promoting training and of fostering enthusiasm in the firehouse are among other topics discussed.

Developing a Risk-Management Program for Emergency Vehicle Driving

Lieutenant Michael Wilbur, Fire Department of New York

Explore management strategies for improving emergency vehicle operations. You will be introduced to a generic driver training program modeled after NFPA 1451,Standard for a Fire Service Vehicle Operations Training Program. The use of driving simulators and vehicle data recorders (black boxes) will be explored. Laws and liabilities will be reviewed. Recent accidents will be analyzed from the perspective of preventing accidents and injuries.

Tactics for Polar Solvent Fires

Dwight Williams, Founder, Williams Fire & Hazard Control

Municipal firefighters have become a more integral factor in the collective response teams facing industrial emergencies “inside and outside the fence” as the number of dedicated industrial fire brigades has dwindled in this era of economic uncertainty. Students will gain an understanding of polar solvent fires and the most efficient tactics to use based on the presenter’s 30 years of employing field-tested methods for flammable liquids and gases in depth, running, and under pressure.

Flashover: Life and Death Decisions on the Fireground

Firefighter Bryan Winzer, Fire Department of New York

Participants will engage in the analyses of two incidents at which a flashover occurred. The events will be critiqued from the perspectives of firefighting operations, outcomes, lessons learned, size-up, fireground communications, the warning signs of flashover and ways to prevent it, building construction, rapid intervention team operations, and mutual-aid response.

Response to Hurricane Ike

Safety/Training Chief Mike Wisko, Galveston (TX) Fire Department

A complete overview of the Galveston Fire Department’s response to Hurricane Ike in September 2008, from preparation through recovery, is presented. Students will learn from the firefighters handling of the many challenges they faced and gain insights from the lessons learned. Among the topics will be mass evacuations, prestorm response, personnel safety, post-storm response, extended loss of all public utilities, major flooding, mutual-aid needs, personnel concerns, and short- and long-term

recovery.

Swiftwater Rescue

Andrea Zaferes, Instructor and Vice President, Lifeguard Systems, Shokan, NY

An examination of real-world swiftwater rescue and what it means to be ready for swiftwater rescue is the focus. Preplanning for several types of potential incidents such as stranded and moving victims and training with the right equipment for realistic environments and scenarios will be addressed. Several types of static and dynamic tension diagonals, which can be used to rescue victims and would-be rescuers, and that necessitate minimal equipment and have setup times of less than two minutes across a 300-foot river will be discussed.