Wednesday, April 18, 2012

10:30 AM-12:15 PM

Fireground Strategies: When Buildings Change the Rules of the Game

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

This class focuses on the issues firefighters must be aware of to operate more safely in buildings. Discussed are how different types of construction and occupancies change the rules of the game, how personnel on scene must adjust the strategy and tactics to meet the challenges when operating in these buildings, renovations, lightweight and large-area structures, and vacant buildings and vacant property security systems. ALL LEVELS

Room 243-245

 

Implementing the Lessons Learned from Near Misses

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

The focus is on how one department implemented the lessons learned from its own near misses and incidents. This is a look into the department's safety and training program from a collection of near-miss data, an analysis of information, development of policy, and the implementation of training and hands-on programs to evaluate their effectiveness. This program will demonstrate the continuous process of identifying issues, addressing the core issues, and reevaluating them for effectiveness. ALL LEVELS  

Room Wabash 1

 

The Future of Fire Training

President Eddie Buchanan, International Society of Fire Service Instructors           

This class outlines how training officers and instructors can use technology so students get the most out of their training experience. It doesn’t require technical expertise or lots of money: Essentially, instructors are capturing their lectures by technology and delivering them to the students prior to the class session. When students arrive for the live portion of the training, they review the material and move quickly to the hands-on portion of the program. Instructors will be shown how to flip the programs they currently teach using cost-effective media platforms. This process does not require complex technical knowledge, but it does require some know-how on the most effective production methods for recording and delivering lectures. This course is at the core of the ISFSI Master Fire Instructor Program. INTERMEDIATE

Room 120-122

 

IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative: Implementation

Battalion Chief George Cruz, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department

The purpose of the IAFF’s occupational health, safety, and medical efforts is to identify hazards, develop and disseminate user-friendly technical materials and information, and provide assistance so firefighters can recognize and control the health, safety, and medical needs associated with their profession. To assist in the achievement of that goal, the IAFF offers a comprehensive array of services addressing occupational health, safety, and medicine needs through a variety of programs. This workshop highlights the IAFF/IAFC Fire Service Joint Labor-Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI), developed by the IAFF, the fire service’s accepted program to build and maintain fit uniformed personnel. This program offers a step-by-step approach for implementing the entire WFI. Fire departments can use this process to evaluate a current wellness-fitness program or to design and implement a new program that meets the criteria identified in this initiative. BASIC

Room 127-128

 

Conducting Live Burn Training in Acquired Structures           

Assistant Fire Education Specialist Gregory Fisher, Illinois Fire Service Institute   

Students are guided through the requirements of National Fire Protection Association 1403 standard, Chapter 5 on Live Burn Training in an Acquired Structure. The need for documented objectives, total scene control, training anomalies, proper fuel loads, and total instructor focus are emphasized. The priorities of the Lead Instructor, Safety Officer, Water Supply Officer, and Communications and Operational crews on the fireground are covered in detail. Various operational aids or checklists will be presented to ensure compliance; historical references to near misses and line-of-duty deaths are reviewed. (Students taking the eight-hour H.O.T. Live Fire/Acquired Structures class are encouraged to take the classroom portion to enhance their live burn evolutions and pick up more information about Chapter 5 of NFPA 1403.) ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

Succession Planning in the Fire Service

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

Many of today’s new officers are lost. They have no training and no mentoring and have to learn on the job. We need to set up succession planning now that prepares our current and future leaders for the fireground, the firehouse, and political and fiscal landmines that lie in their path. Students will learn about position task books, officer academies, and mentoring so that they can become or develop excellent officers for the future. We will review several fireground incidents and department case studies to illustrate the absence of training for today's company and chief officers and discuss a three-part succession plan that will work for all levels of officer. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 2

 

Fire Behavior Has Changed; Have Your Tactics?

Fire Protection Engineer Stephen Kerber, Underwriters Laboratories

There is a continued tragic loss of firefighter and civilian lives, as shown by fire statistics. It is believed that one significant contributing factor is the lack of understanding of fire behavior in residential structures resulting from natural ventilation and the use of ventilation as a firefighter practice on the fireground. The changing dynamics of residential fires as a result of the changes in construction materials, building contents, and building size and geometry over the past 30 years compound our lack of understanding of the effects of ventilation on fire behavior. Underwriters Laboratories conducted a series of 15 full-scale residential structure fires to examine this change in fire behavior and the impact of firefighter ventilation tactics. This fire research project developed the empirical data needed to quantify the fire behavior associated with these scenarios and result in immediately developing the necessary firefighting ventilation practices to reduce firefighter death and injury. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Modern Private-Dwelling Fires: Not Just House Fires

Training Officer Jerry Knapp, Rockland County Fire Training Center, Pomona, NY

House fires are the most important alarm we respond to--almost 75 percent of firefighter fatalities and firefighter injuries occur at residential properties. This class examines critical tasks that must be successfully executed at every house fire. Topics include understanding the importance of house fires, interior and exterior size-up, strategy selection and application of tactics, search and rescue plan and an alternate plan, the hazards of converted private dwellings and tactics to ensure firefighter survival, proper ventilation techniques and new data on the effect of ventilation on house fires, the mission of the engine company in delivering decisive amounts of water to improve the survival of members inside, and salvage--our most overlooked mission. ALL LEVELS

Room 132-133

 

Heavy Truck Anatomy and Extrication

Rescue Instructor Billy Leach , Ash-Rand (NC) Rescue & EMS

This class focuses on extrication of trapped victims from big rigs. The relevant anatomy of heavy truck tractors is covered as well as extrication techniques. Rescuers can apply these techniques immediately on returning to their agency using tools they already have. ALL LEVELS      

Room 123-124

 

Garden Apartment Fire Challenges         

Division Chief Jimm Walsh, Winter Park (FL) Fire Department

The focus is on the necessary command fireground functions and the roles of company officers and firefighters in mitigating a fire in a garden apartment structure. Discussions cover the unique challenges garden apartments present in a fire, apparatus placement, accessing the complex, understanding the construction type, ventilation possibilities, hoseline stretches, personnel needs, search priorities, and selecting the proper tactics. ALL LEVELS

Room 109-110

 

Nanotechnology and the Firefighter

Captain Peter McBride, Ottawa (Canada) Fire Services      

Nanotechnology is the science, engineering, and technology related to materials that are 1 to 100 nanometers in size. The use of nano-scale materials in consumer products and our built environment is becoming more common. The acute and chronic toxicity of these materials is unknown. The modes of exposure in the raw form let alone those presented in a fire are not well characterized or understood. This class will address the health hazards and necessary industrial hygiene for the health of firefighters and their families. ALL LEVELS   

Room 138-139

 

Tactical Safety

Lieutenant Ray McCormack, Fire Department of New York

Tactical safety needs to be integrated into operational fire tactics to reduce injury while increasing fireground effectiveness. The purpose of this course is to assist educators and instructors on how to integrate safety into fire tactics. Once this integration has been accomplished, then proper fire tactics that already include a safety component can be taught. Safety is not to be thought of as a hindrance but as a component of fire operations. Only by mindful integration of these two components will we establish workable tactics that limit injury and increase effectiveness for all on the fireground. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Fires in Low-Rise Office Buildings          

Battalion Chief James McDermott, Fire Department of New York                

The economic boom of previous decades caused “sliders” or low-rise office buildings to “pop up” throughout our communities. The tactics and strategies needed to safely and successfully fight fires in these challenging buildings differ substantially from those used for our usual private-dwelling or taxpayer procedures. This class offers an in-depth analysis including size-up considerations, building systems, common hazards, and strategies and tactics. In the small city, suburban, and small-town departments, these structures represent a greater challenge. INTERMEDIATE

Room 236-237

 

Engine Company Emergencies      

Master Firefighter Robert Owens, Henrico (VA) Fire           

What to do in emergencies other than those involving Maydays and the need for rescue is the focus of this class. Four engine company emergencies are presented. Students discuss the problems and offer solutions. Scenarios include a trapped hoseline under a door, an initial attack line that is short of its objective, the loss of water for the attack handline at a hostile fire, and hostile fire events such as flashover. Students will understand the importance of situational awareness and its role in the successful outcome of engine company emergencies. ALL LEVELS

Room 107-108

 

PV Safety for Firefighters

Captain Matthew Paiss, San Jose (CA) Fire Department

This presentation will address the recent release of the DHS/AFG-funded UL research project on photovoltaic solar electric (PV) systems and firefighter safety. Its goal is to enhance understanding of firefighter vulnerability to electrical and casualty hazards when mitigating a fire involving PV systems installed in residential and commercial structures. This is relevant because of the increasing use of photovoltaic systems. As a result, the traditional firefighter tactics have been complicated, leaving firefighters vulnerable to these hazards. Suppression, ventilation, and overhaul operations may need to be revised to minimize firefighter exposure. Students will gain a clear understanding of how PV systems work and are installed, what hazards are present, what can hurt you and what to stay clear of, and what you can and can’t turn off. ALL LEVELS

Room 116-117

 

Operations for “Rescue/Engine” Apparatus        

Firefighter Curtis Patterson, District of Columbia Fire Department

Do you operate a combination “rescue/engine”? Are you considering one for your department? This class highlights the efficient use and operation of a combination piece of apparatus, the “rescue/engine.” Any combination apparatus requires disciplined crew members, appropriate equipment layout, and an understanding of the limitations of the equipment/apparatus. Regardless of the reason departments combine services with a single apparatus, many factors play into the efficiency of the apparatus. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of this combination unit, riding and tool assignments, apparatus specifications, engine and rescue equipment layout, and training. ALL LEVELS

Room 136-137

 

Combustible Dust Fires and Explosions

Loss Prevention Specialist Benjamin Peetz, Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance Seemingly benign materials can become deadly when ignited as a dust cloud. Ordinary materials, such as food, sawdust, and plastic, can fuel violent explosions that hurt or kill firefighters. This class will examine the five items essential for a dust explosion to occur. The dangers presented by combustible dusts have drawn national attention in recent years because of a number of high-profile explosions resulting in numerous deaths, including those of emergency responders. Most firefighters have no idea about the risks posed or how to assess whether a situation may give rise to a dust explosion. More alarming is that many of those who own or operate premises where we can routinely expect to encounter combustible dusts likely do not fully understand the hazard that exists and hence have taken no steps to mitigate the issue. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Volunteer Department Funding, Recruitment, and Retention

Chair Chad Sartison, Firefighters1st 

The three most pressing issues facing the volunteer fire service today are recruitment, retention, and funding. Instead of blaming others for our plight, we will look at how we as a fire service contributed to getting ourselves here and how we can get ourselves out. By taking responsibility for the roles we and our predecessors have played in helping to create the challenges our departments are facing, we not only understand a critical component to the solution but take control of the problem and gain the power to initiate change. We will talk about how leadership styles and shifts in how you communicate with your firefighters and your community can dramatically change the future of not only your department but the fire service at large. ALL LEVELS

Room 125-126

 

Walking the Point in Incident Command

Chief (Ret.) Gary Seidel, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department

As a command officer, you must recognize the incident’s needs and have continued situational awareness of the risks and dangers. When an alarm sounds, the firefighters are not sure what they will be facing. They know the area, the type of alarm to which they are responding, the available resources, and the current conditions. What is not known is the situation facing them on arrival, how conditions may change and affect their safety and change their operations. All incidents have the potential to become extreme, demanding, or dangerous situations. Ensure your personnel know how to engage smartly. ALL LEVELS

Room 234-235

 

Developing an Effective Respiratory Protection Program

Deputy Chief Hugh Stott, West Chicago (IL) Fire District    

Evaluate and improve your department’s respiratory protection program to ensure that your firefighters’ health is protected and your department is protected against liability claims. Learn how to integrate applicable consensus standards and regulations and suggested practices into a comprehensive self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) program that reflects the critical importance of purchasing the right equipment, training in its many uses, maintaining it, and keeping the proper records. Students will be able to take practices back to their departments that can be implemented immediately. Content will cover all the aspects pertaining to SCBA with which firefighters should be familiar. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

Learning from Others' Experiences

Director of Training David Traiforos, Bensenville (IL) Fire Protection District

Students will observe photos and videos depicting a moment on the fireground that illustrates how aggressive actions taken by firefighters can lead to danger or interfere with the task at hand, leaving firefighters at risk to injury or death. On the other hand, positive actions and behavior reinforce lessons learned. Fire scene accountability, vehicle placement and operations, hoseline placement, the use of portable ladders, company officer development, building construction, water supply, search and rescue, and strategy and tactics are among the topics addressed. ALL LEVELS

Room 238-239

 

Fireground Operational Guides    

Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso, Kearny (NJ) Fire Department

Command and control are two words that are used extensively in the fire service when discussing the incident commander's responsibilities on the fireground. As often as those words are used, the fact remains that it can be overwhelming for the individuals who find themselves in the driver's seat at a complex two- or three-alarm fire, especially considering the seemingly unlimited amount of information you have to recall and the numerous tactical considerations that need to be addressed. That's where the use of a well-crafted tactical worksheet (and Operational Guide) can become a vital tool for the fire officer. Based on the new text Fireground Operational Guides by Deputy Chiefs Frank Viscuso and Mike Terpak, this program will introduce students to a universally accepted approach to managing an emergency incident. Learn the 17 areas that must be addressed at every structure fire and how an operational guide can assist on the fireground as well as when developing SOPs and planning training evolutions. The universal tactical worksheet and incident specific operational guides can help firefighters prepare for and study for promotional exams as well. ALL LEVELS  

Room 134-135

 

Flashover Life-and-Death Decisions on the Fireground

Firefighter Bryan Winzer, Fire Department of New York

The devastating scars--physical and mental--left behind after a flashover last a lifetime. This class presents two case studies of incidents at which flashovers occurred. In one incident, a firefighter was severely burned while battling a private-dwelling fire. In the other incident, a firefighter was severely burned, and his partner later succumbed to his injuries, as the results of fighting a garden apartment fire. Discussions will include the 13 points of size-up, fireground communications, the warning signs of flashover and ways to prevent it, building construction, rapid intervention team operations, and mutual-aid response. An overview of the support network needed for firefighters’ recovery from injuries will also be addressed. ALL LEVELS

Room 240-242

 

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

1:30 PM-3:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Commissioners Roundtable

Fire Commissioners Salvatore Cassano, Fire Department of New York; and Robert Hoff, Chicago (IL) Fire Department

FDIC is providing you with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: The fire commissioners from New York City and Chicago will discuss the issues affecting their cities, departments, and positions today. Moderator Erich Roden of Urban Firefighter magazine will help audience members drive this completely interactive discussion with two of the most influential fire commissioners of all time. Never before has the fire service had such an exceptional opportunity to get inside the heads of these leading innovators. The floor will be yours; come early to ask your question of the commissioners. ALL LEVELS

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

Drills and Tips for Company Officers      

Major Brian Arnold, Oklahoma City (OK) Fire Department

The focus is on setting up basic to complex skill drills to enhance and hone firefighting abilities. Company officers, firefighters, and training officers can take these drills and training tips back to their departments. The drills range from simple 15-minute drills to more complex two-hour drills. Some may incorporate items and structures found at the firehouse as props; others may involve specialized props that will have to be purchased or built. Students will learn how to set up the logistics for various drills. ALL LEVELS

Room 107-108

 

Basement Fires: Strategies and Tactics   

Firefighter Pete Bertocchi, Fire Department of New York     

This is an overview of below grade fires in different types of buildings with varying occupancies (residential and commercial). Topics include proper size-up, building construction, access and egress, forcing entry, ventilation, hazards, fire risks, occupancies, electrical service hazards, gas and home-heating oil storage, hoseline size and placement, advanced search tactics, and accountability.   ALL LEVELS

Room 240-242

 

View from the Street: The First 20 Minutes

Battalion Chief Richard Blatus, Fire Department of New York         

It’s the middle of the night. Your pager goes off, reporting smoke from a dwelling in a remote area of town. What runs through your mind as you rush to get to the scene? What information have you gathered? If you arrive first, what actions will you take to establish safe and effective operational tactics? This class provides students with the opportunity to direct fireground operations based on information gathered from the transmission of the alarm. What could/should you rely on if you are unable to obtain the information you need to make safe/sound operational decisions? ALL LEVELS    

Room 127-128

 

Fireground Risk Assessment and Decision Making

Deputy Chief Mike Bryant, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department        

Students are introduced to a five-step decision-making process that can be used at all levels and all emergency incidents. The class uses scenarios of real-life fireground emergency incidents. Essential components for successful decision making during fireground operations, barriers to decision making, the pitfalls of task saturation, situational awareness, strategic and tactical outcomes on the fireground, and the decision point of the go or no-go algorithm are discussed. ALL LEVELS

Room 236-237

 

Candidate Physical Ability Test/Peer Fitness Trainer Program

Lieutenant Michael Cacciola, Fire Department of New York            

Become acquainted with the fundamentals of basic fireground survival training and the ways in which it can improve the safety of department members. It has been more than 10 years since the release of the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) program, which has successfully been implemented in more than 880 jurisdictions. This class explains how to use the CPAT program properly and only as intended. Students will evaluate data relevant to the program’s success and as a fair evaluation system for selecting firefighter candidates who possess the physical ability to complete critical tasks effectively and safely while also providing for increased fire department diversity. The IAFF/IAFC/ACE Peer Fitness Training (PFT) Certification Program, which provides a fitness trainer standard consistent with the health and fitness needs of the fire service throughout the United States and Canada, is discussed. This class guides you through the steps of implementing the PFT program within your department. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 1

 

Improving and Maintaining Good Instructors

Lieutenant Scott Carrigan, Nashua (NH) Fire Rescue

This presentation explores the core qualities of good instructors and discusses methods of maintaining or improving instructor motivation. By focusing on three key areas, instructors can improve their performance and make their teaching time more enjoyable. Tips for keeping instructors motivated or invigorating the “old guard” will ensure that instructors stay on top of their game. BASIC

Room 103-104

 

Growing Leaders Using Empowerment    

Captain Larry Conley, St. Louis (MO) Fire Department      

Participants will learn a principle-focused approach to fire safety and the EMPOWER model. They will learn seven behaviors designed to promote a principle-centered approach to fire safety and prevention. The lecture emphasizes how internalizing these principles can improve individual firefighters and, consequently, their fire departments. ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

First-In Tactics        

Captain Mark Cotter, Salisbury (MD) Fire Department       

This class explores the planning, preparations, techniques, and training necessary to maximize the effectiveness of firefighters when only a small number are on the scene of a working incident. Methods for preparing for such circumstances, as well as managing them when they occur, are discussed. Learn the components to best accomplish incident stabilization using whatever number and type of personnel, equipment, and apparatus are available. INTERMEDIATE

Room 243-245

 

Heavy Truck Extrication    

Lieutenant/Training Officer Michael Daley, Monroe Township (NJ) Fire Department        

Large commercial vehicles that cross our nation’s highways from coast to coast have been responsible for more than 4,000 deaths and almost 90,000 injuries annually. The construction, load-carrying capacities, and lifting issues they present can catch even a seasoned rescuer off-guard. Learn the hazards these vehicles present and the solutions for operating on scene and mitigating these incidents successfully. Lifting and moving concerns, potential energy sources found on commercial vehicles, lockout procedures to isolate potential energy sources on these vehicles, and load capacity and force transfer issues are also addressed. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

Room 134-135

 

Structural Collapse: The Hidden Dangers of Residential Fires

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

Firefighter fatalities and injuries have occurred in residential buildings from the rapid fire spread through areas of unprotected wood construction or the collapse of unprotected dimensional lumber and/or lightweight wood structural components. This class summarizes the significant findings of two research projects that used live fire testing of various scales to compare the failure times of conventional dimensional lumber construction with those of modern lightweight wood construction. It discusses case studies of fireground incidents, video and photos highlighting the failure times of the tested component and full scale assemblies, the performance of passive fire resistive technologies, structural modeling techniques, and the limitations of thermal imaging devices. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Command, Search, Ventilation, and Attack of Residential Fires

Shift Commander Jim Duffy, Wallingford (CT) Fire Department

It is no secret that the fire environment has changed in the past 30 years. Buildings are made to be more energy efficient. Building construction has changed; structural members are made lighter and cheaper. Fuel loads have changed, with just one upholstered chair holding the capacity to emit enough Btus to make a room flash. This class will explore today’s fire environment and how it has impacted our fire service. Topics include the need for planning to avoid issues, size-up to address problems on the fireground, the importance of choosing the correct hoseline and proper water supply, the importance of coordinating ventilation with the other disciplines on the fireground, when to vent for fire vs. for life, timing issues involved with proper ventilation, the importance of a primary search and a secondary search, and staffing. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Let's Talk Pumps!

Captain Bob Franklin, Little Rock (AR) Fire Department     

What happens when you pull a valve handle or turn a throttle and nothing happens? Learn how to correct pump problems without shutting down the apparatus, pump construction, the difference between a two-stage and a single-stage pump, how to perform morning pump checks, and more. An assortment of parts will show the effects of not flushing the pump and changing the lubrication annually. This class is directed at new pump operators as well as those with years of experience. ALL LEVELS

Room 136-137

 

It's Not Our Fire Service Anymore

Chief Michael Gilbert, Brevard (FL) Community College Fire Science       

This class is designed with the veteran fire instructor in mind but speaks to all firefighters. It will discuss the transitional changes that impact today’s fire service and training. The focus will be on who the new people are, from the top administrator to the first-year rookie--their thought progression, motivators, and influences with regard to the decision-making process. We will discuss management styles, teaching methodologies, mentoring, and much more. This class will provide insight on how to manage and train our new members and forge working relationships with our new leaders. ALL LEVELS       

Room 238-239

 

Firefighter’s “Interior List”    

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

Chief officers to probationary firefighters should take part in this interactive presentation discussing the list of things the firefighter on the inside needs to look for, feel for, and listen for to stay alive in today’s structure fires. This is a conversation about the science of fire behavior in enclosed structures and how we can save our own lives with knowledge gained from the latest research in flashovers, ventilation, personal protective equipment, and lessons learned from tragic events. Through the use of discussion, illustrations, animation, case studies, and group scenarios, we will develop a list of things to do differently at your next fire. ALL LEVELS    

Room Wabash 2

 

Tricks of the Trade

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

What if you could get firefighting tips from people who have been “doing the job” all over America for 200-plus years? Presented in this program is a compilation of tricks of the trade--ideas that have been taught to others. Some of them were homegrown in our departments and some of them have been passed on to us. These are tips to help you do the job in a safer, more expedient manner. Learn more than 50 tips to take back and use in your department. ALL LEVELS 

Room 120-122

 

Attack from the Burned Side         

Fire Engineer Sean Gray, Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services           

For years, the fire service has been preaching to attack from the unburned side. This, however, isn't always the best tactic. Using case studies, this class will examine this fallacy and others that have led to firefighter injuries and deaths. Discussion will focus on the decision of placing the initial attack line inside or outside for a fire originating on the outside of the structure, the burned vs. unburned side debate, and the type of fire stream to apply for the location of the fire. ALL LEVELS

Room 234-235

 

Engine Company Operations “Gallons per Second”     

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

The focus is on exceeding fire flow needs and still managing water during the crucial initial hoseline advancement in an interior offensive attack. Learn why it is necessary to think in terms of gallons per second at this time. Strategies are presented for managing the booster tank supply until a sustainable water supply has been established. The class is especially relevant for engine companies that commonly engage with the booster tank and deploy suburban fire tactics. All aspects of first-due fire tactics at your most common structural fires and how to quickly and effectively suppress them are covered. INTERMEDIATE

Room 132-133

 

Live To Train Another Day

Division Chief Brian Kazmierzak, Clay (IN) Fire Territory   

This class will feature videos and case studies along with class discussion focused on a safer training ground and, ultimately, fireground. The first thing training officers must do is to create a safety mindset and focus on attitude, drill ground skills, academic skills, and physical fitness as part of our training routine. This course will look at the history of fire service training injuries and line-of-duty deaths and prevention. ALL LEVELS

Room 138-139

 

Red Flags Keeping Us Safe on the Fireground

Chief (Ret.) Michael Lombardo, Buffalo (NY) Fire Department        

Learn how to identify, interpret, and rectify red flags that confront you every day on the fireground. Through lessons learned in deaths and near misses, you can use tools to keep yourself and your personnel safe on the fireground and avoid Mayday situations. You will gain a greater understanding of situational awareness. ALL LEVELS

Room 123-124

 

New Vehicle Technology

Firefighter Randy Schmitz, Calgary (Alberta, Canada) Fire Department

Learn the hazards of working at an extrication scene, what to be aware of while using extrication tools, options to speed up the extrication process, and methods to protect yourself and your patients. Look at real-world incidents where firefighters have been injured while extricating patients from wreckage. Topics include high-strength steel locations and solutions to work with and around them, hybrid and electric vehicles, roof curtain cylinder locations, new air bags, time saving extrication options, xenon headlights, extrication software programs, inflatable seat belts, memory seat issues, vehicle crash tests, battery locations and disconnection, vehicle construction, inverted patient techniques and other extrication options for the rescuer, and vehicle fires. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

Training Program Management for Small Combination Departments

Chief Devon Wells, Hood River (OR) Fire & EMS

Training is the backbone of the fire service, and it is an ever-changing environment. This class will help officers and instructors recognize new ways to manage their training program. We will cover managing daily shift training, volunteer drills, training schedule creation, and using training to create “buy-in” at all levels of the small combination organization. Without a good, solid training program, firefighters lose interest and become complacent, volunteer numbers drop, and injuries rise. Company officers have a difficult time coming up with daily training topics. By providing a schedule of what topics are covered on certain days of the week, the training officer will start to see company officers coming up with their own training concepts. ALL LEVELS

Room 109-110

 

National Seat Belt Update

Lieutenant Michael Wilbur, Fire Department of New York

Students will learn how to properly and safely ride on fire apparatus. An update on a seven-year firefighter study aimed at improved seating and the use of seat belts will be presented. A new state-of-the-art firefighter seat belt system that was developed through the project is being unveiled at FDIC. Students will also learn the proper methodology for donning bunker gear, using the new seat belt system, and responding safely. The difference between retrofit seat belt packages for existing fire apparatus and the newly designed seat belt packages for new apparatus will be discussed. ALL LEVELS

Room 125-126

 

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

3:30 PM-5:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Reading Smoke: 2012 Tactical Solutions

Battalion Chief (Ret.) David Dodson, Response Solutions, LLC

Learn “street-tested” tips that will help first-due decision makers. The biggest challenge for firefighters is understanding the changes that have taken place in fire behavior. The key to predicting today’s fire behavior is directly related to the ability to read smoke on arrival. Reading smoke helps you discover the specific location and intensity of a fire, building collapse potential, and the likelihood of a hostile fire event like flashover. If you can discover these things, you can make better strategic and tactical decisions. ALL LEVELS

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

IAFF Fireground Survival Program          

Battalion Chief Derek Alkonis, Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department

The IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program connects firefighters’ personal experiences in survival situations to technical information from fire service organizations. This comprehensive and contemporary survival program includes a free online course and a train-the-trainer course. Learn how to use this valuable training tool to better prepare your firefighters on how to prevent a Mayday, how to be ready for a Mayday, and what to do when faced with a real Mayday situation. Find out how fire departments are using the program to train their firefighters. ALL LEVELS     

Room 101-102

 

Real-World Hydraulics

Chief Kirk Allen, Kansas (IL) Fire Protection District

From the water main in the ground to the fire hose in your hand, learn from the instructor’s 18-plus years of flow testing experience as he exposes the major issues few are aware of. Knowing the problem is only half the battle--with the problems exposed, you will look at the simple solutions. Topics include the danger of blanket guidelines for hydraulics, manufacturer information or lack thereof, apparatus sensor and gauge issues, and fire hose myths. ALL LEVELS

Room 234-235

 

Special Operations in Small Departments

Firefighter Art Bloomer, Kearny (NJ) Fire Department

Although many departments recognize the need for a specialized rescue capability, most have no idea where to start. This class gives firefighters, officers, and chiefs the information they need to go back to their communities, do a size-up of all of the potential sites and industries that could produce a technical rescue incident, develop SOPs for these responses, and then implement a program to cover their technical rescue needs. It explains all the regulations and standards they need to follow and how to determine the equipment they need, along with the training to use that equipment correctly and safely. It also shows them how to look at other resources already available in their area and how to use those resources effectively. ALL LEVELS  

Room 109-110

 

RIT Operations: Are We Making a Difference?

Assistant Chief James Crawford, Midway (SC) Fire Rescue

Where does today’s fire service stand with operating a rapid intervention team (RIT) during a structure fire event? Many changes have taken place since RIT became an item 15 years ago, but what hasn't changed is that fire departments must still use a standby RIT on the fireground. Here is operational guidance based on the instructor’s experience with on-scene firefighter fatality events, near misses, and countless hours of providing RIT training across the country. ALL LEVELS   

Room 243-245

 

Drive to Survive       

Firefighter/EMT Christopher Daly, Goshen (PA) Fire Department  

This class teaches emergency responders how and why vehicle accidents occur. The most common causes of vehicle crashes are identified. Using the same methods used by crash investigators, the instructor explains that no matter how good an emergency responder thinks he can drive, at some point physics takes over and the vehicle goes out of control. The class is for fire apparatus operators, ambulance operators, and anyone who drives a personal vehicle. Topics include the effects of poor judgment on the driver’s ability to avoid a crash, “sirencide,” the effects of speed on the driver’s ability to perceive and react to a hazard, the “coefficient of friction” of a roadway, airbrakes, curves, tires, hydroplaning, antilock brakes, brake fade, seat belts, and rollover. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Captain’s Corner    

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

This class is for a young firefighter preparing for the challenges of leadership as well as for current leaders who are searching for ways to remain positive and effective in a work environment filled with challenges such as reduced staffing, budget cuts, and reduced training budgets. Topics include embracing and instituting change; the importance of keeping positive; creating a personal road map for self-development; facing the everyday realities of leadership; and the contemporary challenges of reduced budgets, poor morale, and a workforce that does not share many of the traditional fire service values. Using a model that incorporates fireground processes and components such as size-up, strategy, and tactics, learn ways to restore public confidence and deal with funding and staffing matters. ALL LEVELS

Room 107-108

 

Making Good Instructors Better

Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Hopson, Ocean County (NJ) Office of the Fire Marshal  

The presentation is designed to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and overall competency of active fire service instructors. It focuses on the differences among various levels of fire instructors and provides techniques instructors can immediately apply to improve their overall competency. Attendees will share their views on what techniques can be used to improve instructor efficiency, effectiveness, ethics, and integrity in a classroom setting. ALL LEVELS

Room 125-126

 

Teaching Tactical Thinking

Battalion Chief Phil Jose, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

Fire service leaders have heard and understand the concept of “Recognition-Primed Decision Making.” Take your instruction up a notch by learning methods to identify and discuss decision points. Learn about cue identification, patterns, anomalies, uncertainty, and methods to teach introspective thinking from the front of the room. Focusing on how to improve the quality of your instruction and, more importantly, the delivery of your message, this class opens new opportunities for students to make critical decisions in context. INTERMEDIATE 

Room 120-122

 

Firefighting in High-Rise Rooftop Gardens and Patios

Captain John Melfa, Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department         

This class will cover strategies and tactics for safe fire attack and extinguishment of fire involving rooftop gardens and patios in high-rise structures. Lessons learned from fires that have occurred in these structures will be reviewed. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

Natural Gas Emergencies

Battalion Chief Frank Montagna, Fire Department of New York

You will make life-and-death decisions at natural gas incidents before the utility experts arrive. It just makes sense that you have the training needed to make those decisions correctly. This class will outline the strategies and tactics you need to safely operate at gas emergencies and fires. Topics include gas properties and how they affect your operation, the mandatory use of combustible gas indicators in your investigation, how gas migrates underground, the dangers of plastic pipe, how to quickly differentiate a low-pressure gas system or leak from a high-pressure leak, and when and how to stem the flow of leaking natural gas. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Must-Have Policies for Every Department

Captain Bradley Pinsky, Attorney, Scicchitano & Pinsky, PLLC

Fire departments are being attacked by lawsuits, the media, government budget cutters, and the public. The failure of fire department leaders to implement policies can lead to liability and embarrassment and can provide their government leaders with reason to cut their budgets or eliminate their personnel. This class will review the policies fire departments should implement to address our greatest risks such as those on mission statements, physicals, abilities evaluation, training and officer qualifications, driver training and testing, discrimination and harassment, social media, workplace violence, drug testing, and off-duty conduct. INTERMEDIATE

Room 127-128

 

Tactical Leadership: The Next Step

Lieutenant Frank Ricci, New Haven (CT) Fire Department  

This class explores a practical approach to leadership and how to avoid the pitfalls of command. It will cover the operational realities we all face from the day to day politics to the tactical mistakes. Far too many leaders and firefighters have a myopic view of our service. This broad program addresses where we are and where we need to be. It does not matter if you’re attacking a fire or city hall; the path to success is in front of you. Many tactical errors that plague us come down to a failure in leadership. This program will help prepare you to stand in front by presenting a clear set of expectations. How and why you need to advocate for your members and our service will be explored. ALL LEVELS

Room 123-124

 

Searching Large-Area Structures

Firefighter Jeff Seaton, San Jose (CA) Fire Department       

Topics include the definition of a big box occupancy, the history of big box incidents, the risk management process for searching these high-rise low frequency events, the pros and cons of using a thermal imaging camera when searching for fire in a big box occupancy or when searching for life in a multistory or high-rise occupancy, crew accountability and integrity, the ability to recon the interior of a big box structure for the seat of a fire in an occupancy with an active sprinkler system, logistical and resource needs to put a safe and effective search operations program in place, increased effectiveness of vertical ventilation operations by using a search line, and the ability to increase the level of orientation while searching the “compartmentalized” areas. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 1

 

Preplanning and Size-Up for Commercial/Industrial Occupancies

Regional Representative Craig Shelley, Williams Fire and Hazard Control 

Students will learn how the 15-point size-up acronym COAL TWAS WEALTHS can be used to gather information for an effective preincident response plan and how to conduct an efficient size-up for response to commercial/industrial occupancies. The information contained in the preincident response plan can be used to develop the Incident Action Plan. The use of checklists will be examined; various occupancies will be highlighted as examples for using the 15-point size-up. Learn how various hazards specific to these occupancies may affect preincident response and size-up. ALL LEVELS   

Room 134-135

 

Fitness Imperative

Professor Denise Smith, Skidmore College    

Firefighters face multiple dangers in the course of their work: toxic fumes, dangerous products of combustion, high radiant heat loads, and a chaotic work environment. Despite the myriad of dangers, the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) among firefighters is sudden cardiac events, accounting for approximately 45 percent of LODDs. Firefighting requires high levels of aerobic fitness, high anaerobic capacity, and muscular strength and endurance; however, data suggest that many firefighters do not possess high aerobic or anaerobic capacity. Furthermore, many firefighters are overweight and have one or more modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The safety of the public and the health and safety of firefighters would be enhanced if firefighters followed well-designed fitness programs to improve overall health and fitness. This presentation will provide the foundation for the development of a fitness program designed to prepare firefighters for the work they perform. It will also provide valuable guidance to leaders seeking to establish a departmental program that is aimed at reducing firefighter risk and improving performance. ALL LEVELS 

Room 236-237

 

What the Fire Protection Engineer Didn’t Tell You

Lieutenant Kyle Smith, Cobb County (GA) Fire Department

“This building has sprinklers,” and all too often at that point we turn off our tactical thinking. This presentation is an overview of the reality of what to expect when operating in these buildings. Looking at big box retail and other occupancies, participants will discuss the capabilities of various systems and their limitations. We will explore why we cannot afford to continue making assumptions. This class will discuss the advantages of automatic sprinkler systems and the limitations. The typical sprinkler fire involves a residential system where a single head has controlled and extinguished the fire. There are systems being installed today that are vastly different. There have been a number of fires in buildings equipped with sprinklers that were not controlled by the system. Through the use of video and pictures from actual incidents and testing, the participants will see the results of appropriate vs. poor tactics. We will also discuss how to support the installed systems and what to do when those systems are not working as designed. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Loft Building Construction Strategy and Tactics           

Assistant Chief Ron Spadafora, Fire Department of New York                     

This class will give chief officers, company officers, and firefighters a general overview of loft construction features and their subsequent impact on fire operations and fire prevention inspectors, fire protection engineers, and private sector fire protection/safety personnel a general understanding of the concerns of the fire service during the construction/alteration/renovation stages of the building process. Attack and defensive strategy will be addressed, as well as tactics dealing with extinguishment options, ventilation, communications, safety, collapse potential, forcible entry, search, and apparatus positioning. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 2

 

Overcoming the Hazards of Suspended Ceilings

Chief Les Stephens, San Marcos (TX) Fire Department

Every day, fire companies work with suspended ceilings above them. At first glance, the ceilings do not seem to be a problem, but all too often firefighters get caught in their traps, and we end up mourning another lost brother or sister. Suspended ceilings pose a serious risk in themselves and in the obstacles hidden above them. Among the topics addressed are identification of the components of the ceiling grid, how the grid is constructed, what may be above the ceilings, what happens to the building once the ceiling is removed, the tools that will and will not work on these assemblies, and how to implement evacuation procedures from these assemblies. INTERMEDIATE

Room 136-137

 

Precautionary Measures for Interior Firefighting

Captain Daniel Stratton, Camden (NJ) Fire Department

Fire personnel today face various dangers while conducting operations inside structures on fire. They must be vigilant in conducting critical analysis on the dangers and take corrective actions for safety. Interior firefighting situations such as exposure to electricity, blinding vision, SCBA malfunction, entrapment, and high heat are discussed, with remedies for a successful outcome. INTERMEDIATE

Room 138-139

 

Hybrid/New Vehicle Technology: Safety for First Responders 

President Matt Stroud, MGS Tech     

Hybrid parts locations, high-voltage hazards, power-down procedures, fire and submersion tactics, myths and misinformation about these vehicles, air bag (SRS) systems, and alternative-fuel vehicles will be discussed. The class covers what first responders need to know to safely and confidently manage hybrid vehicle incidents. ALL LEVELS

Room 116-117

 

Size-Up: High-Rise Buildings Under Construction       

Deputy Chief Mike Terpak, Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department

This class reviews size-up factors and operational guides for fighting fires in high-rise buildings under construction. Factors that influence the decision making of the engine, ladder, and chief officer when responding and operating at these incidents are discussed. Students will view actual case studies and department procedures to identify the operational risks; the factors that will influence an offensive or defensive position; and the procedures and guidelines necessary for an efficient, effective, and safe operation. INTERMEDIATE

Room 240-242

 

Fighting Fires in Multiple Dwellings      
Lieutenant Matt Szpindor, Fire Department of New York

Residential fires account for 80 percent of all structural fires annually in the United States, and the vast majority of them occur in private dwellings. Fires in multiple dwellings, while less frequent, can be much more challenging; they can tax even large and well-staffed fire departments. How do we adjust our strategies and tactics to meet these challenges? This class reviews the basic types of multiple dwellings, how building construction affects the firefight, and details engine and truck operations specific to these buildings. Case studies will allow students to see these procedures in action and develop a template for fighting a fire in an apartment building in their own response area. ALL LEVELS   

Room 132-133

 

Ready or Not, It's Time to Train

Chief Scott Thompson, The Colony (TX) Fire Department

This class emphasizes a back-to-basics training philosophy that offers examples of a variety of training methods ranging from daily drills to new hire orientations to mentoring programs. The instructor will provide the steps to develop an effective and sustainable training program. ALL LEVELS

Room 238-239

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

5:30 PM-7:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Bruno and Norman “Unplugged”  

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

Take advantage of the opportunity to see, hear, and interact with these two fire service luminaries. Glean the lessons learned from their illustrious firefighting careers. Share their observations and perspectives in an informal and entertaining atmosphere. Available only at FDIC. ALL LEVELS

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

 

 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

10:30 AM-12:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Through the Windshield: Through the Truck Officer's Eyes     

Lieutenant Michael Ciampo, Fire Department of New York

Those of us who have had the opportunity to ride in the truck officer’s seat know that size-up begins way before the receipt of the alarm. This class discusses the overall process of operating as the truck officer from the firehouse to the fire floor. Learn tips on providing training for your crew to streamline your on scene size-up process while delegating and assigning riding positions and assignments. The lecture covers providing information from your eyes back to the chief outside, safety and tactical truck tips for fireground operations, and some ways to gain the trust of your firefighters from the office to the fireground. ALL LEVELS

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

Vehicle Extrication: Tactical Level Management

Training Instructor Les Baker, Charleston (SC) Fire Department

Responding to vehicle extrication incidents can be very challenging for numerous reasons, including an assortment of hazards, the number of patients and extent of injuries, and varying degrees of entrapment. Arguably, the most important responsibility at an extrication incident is managing tactical operations. This program evaluates the responsibilities of the disentanglement group supervisor through various forms of media. The supervisor’s role can be compared to that of a first-arriving engine company officer’s making the initial attack on a structure fire. He sets the tone for the incident and has a direct impact on a successful conclusion. ALL LEVELS

Room 238-239

 

Fighting Structure Fires    

Lieutenant Steve Bernocco, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

This class will add to your experiential slide tray: What options are available? When should you choose each? Why will it be successful? Know the answers before the fire asks the questions. This class focuses on the tactics of the first-due companies at structure fires. Students will discuss the various engine and truck tactics that could be used to fight the fires through photos and videos. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Training Warriors to Succeed Under Fire

Major Jason Brezler, USMC/Fire Department of New York

The similarities between combat and fireground operations demand that warriors be trained to be complex problem solvers under fire. This presentation provides a first-hand look into the training concepts and themes that yielded U.S. Marines effective results under hostile fire on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. These concepts have unlimited potential for application in the fire service and are certain to improve the combat readiness of fire service personnel of all ranks. Sound professional development and training address the mental, physical, and tactical elements of operating on the battlefield and fireground. Key themes include fostering an ethos of survival, enhancing mental and physical combat readiness and resilience, and breeding technical and tactical competence. Additionally, this presentation explores the key ingredients of developing and delivering effective training at the individual, unit, and organizational levels. ALL LEVELS   

Room 116-117

 

Reading Buildings: Street Skills for Better Size-Up

Battalion Chief John Buckheit, Fire Department of New York

Discussion begins with information received by dispatch, then on to district/neighborhood characteristics visible on approach, building outline, surface features, and what these features reveal to the educated eye. Examples are from an urban perspective. The instructor will reveal what buildings "say" to him after 25 years of developing his size-up skills. INTERMEDIATE

Room 240-242

 

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. INTERMEDIATE

Room 136-137

 

Tillering Skills

Lieutenant Steve Crothers, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

This class identifies the principles, concepts, and dynamics of driving and tillering a tractor-drawn aerial. The skills you develop during this course will prepare you to overcome the common pitfalls that tractor-drawn aerial operators encounter. Topics include fundamentals on how to correctly maneuver a tractor-drawn aerial forward and backward, the relationship between the tractor and the trailer, and the specific responsibilities of the driver and tiller operator. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 1

 

Rapid Intervention vs. Technical Rescue

Captain Michael Douglas, West Chester (OH) Fire/Rescue

This class will discuss and analyze the process of rescuing firefighters and the “human factor’ that must be calculated into the training and on scene performance of a firefighter rescue team. We will look at the current process and suggest a more simplified approach to rescuing our own, the effects of how our minds and bodies react in a Mayday scenario, some tips on how to control and use what our body is doing to us in these situations, how to move ourselves and fellow firefighters through a structure, and the importance of getting the firefighter out of the building the fastest way possible. BASIC

Room 109-110

 

Window Work: Size-Up and Tactics

Lieutenant Samuel Hittle, Wichita (KS) Fire Department

The size, location, and construction type of windows or an absence of windows can help us to more effectively size up a structure and determine the extent and location of conditions through comparison. Windows can even help us address the ever growing problem of basement fires in lightweight construction by providing access to truss space and the basement without compromising the structural stability. This class will discuss the dangers of uncoordinated horizontal ventilation, arbitrary smashing of glass, effects of wind-driven fires in high-rise and residential settings, the potential for autoexposure and techniques to prevent it from happening, and entry/exit techniques for today’s firefighter. ALL LEVELS

Room 125-126

 

Fire Service Marketing: Survival in Tough Times        

Training/Safety Officer Tim Hyden, East Manatee (FL) Fire Rescue

If ever there was a time to consider the benefits that marketing can have on our organizations, it is now. Ensuring that our public knows who we are and what we do is a great way to let them know what they’re getting for their tax dollars. Students will gain a clearer understanding of what marketing is (both internal and external) and the value of marketing in getting our message out to the public and will learn how to put together and implement a marketing plan. INTERMEDIATE

Room 138-139

 

Incident Scene Command Safety for Today’s Fires

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

Firefighter deaths and injuries continue to be the most serious challenges the fire service faces. Many occur during structural firefighting. This class will examine fireground operations and how the first five minutes will set the stage for the remainder of the incident. The main focus of this training is based on improving fireground operations and firefighter safety at the task, tactical, and strategic levels. Attendees will discuss the critical factors of size-up in the development of an incident action plan. This program will follow the same curriculum used successfully everyday within the Phoenix Fire Department and taught at the Command Training Center. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Technology in the Fire Service

Chief Bryant Krizik, Orland (IL) Fire Protection District      

This class will offer two different viewpoints of the struggle to introduce new technology to your department: how to gain buy-in and support from the personnel who will be using it and what it takes to make it happen in the first place. This is a side of technology that most people in the fire service do not get a chance to see as they look to technology to solve their problems. Whether it is new portable radios, new computer-aided dispatch software, or a new compressed-air foam system fire engine, this is what you should know. Identify barriers to implementing technology and how to overcome those barriers. Learn the process of developing technology and how the fire service can influence manufacturers to build relevant, realistic, and helpful products. ALL LEVELS

Room 236-237

 

Adaptive Fireground Management for Officers

Chief of Training Christopher Naum, Command Institute    

This class presents new insights into emerging concepts and methodologies related to the challenges that arise while fighting today’s structural fires today. Extreme fire behavior, building construction, and occupancy risk mandate new strategic, tactical, and operational modeling. Students will be introduced to a new integrated model that represents new methodologies for predictive risk management, command compression and resiliency, tactical patience, and five-star command theories. This program has direct relevancy to all operational levels and ranks with specific focus toward company- and command-level responsibilities. INTERMEDIATE

Room Wabash 2

 

Crew Resource Management         

Firefighter Craig Nelson, Fargo (ND) Fire Department       

Human error is the most common cause of fire service accidents; yet, we do not focus on this area to prevent future accidents. Crew resource management (CRM) began in the airline industry to reduce airline disasters; as a result, there was about a 70 percent reduction in the number of airline disasters (from about 20 per year to one or two) per year. Using this same methodology, the fire service could experience a similarly dramatic effect. Students will gain a new perspective on department operations and develop CRM skills in situational awareness, decision making, root cause analysis, organizational culture, and authority. Learn the fundamentals of powerful decision-making techniques and developing successful crews with dynamic situational awareness to reduce human error and injury and fatality rates significantly in all fire department operations. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

First 365 Days in a Promoted Position     

Chief Steve Pegram, Goshen Township (OH) Fire Department                   

This class will review the first 365 days as a newly promoted officer. Students will examine a systematic approach to learning and assessing a department and discover how the use of basic strategic planning principles can help a new chief or a company officer effect change while gaining acceptance. Newly promoted or hired company officers or chiefs or an employee considering moving to a new department for a promotional opportunity will find this class helpful. Managing time (calendar), making time for personal matters, SWOT analyses, meetings with employees, and keeping your bosses informed will also be addressed. INTERMEDIATE

Room 234-235

 

First Five Minutes: Effective Size-Up

Deputy Chief Charles Ryan, Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue    

A common fire service adage is that the first five minutes of any incident often determine how the next several hours will go. With declining numbers of structure fires, there is also the peril of declining performance of effective size-up and initial incident action planning by company and chief officers. This class covers the essential elements of size-up using multimedia examples of each element in a variety of structure/incident types, the process and art of fireground decision making, and the importance of effective and efficient fireground communication. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Modern Engine Company Essentials

Captain Dan Shaw, Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue Department

While the ultimate job of getting water to the fire has not changed, building construction, fire behavior, staffing levels, and much of our equipment have. This class will teach sound tactics and techniques for preparing and operating the modern day engine company. Factual hose and nozzle data will enhance the student’s knowledge of the new tools available for the firefighting arsenal. The instructor will provide a comprehensive and definitive blueprint to hoseline/nozzle selection and deployment and discuss the tools, tips, and drills that will work best in your fire department. ALL LEVELS

Room 120-122

 

Effective Leadership for ICs           

Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan, Fire Department of New York

A good incident commander knows how to use all the tools in the toolbox. This class not only discusses how they can do that but also adds tools to that toolbox. The focus is on the “Golden Rules of Effective Leadership” for incident commanders. Students will identify and discuss leadership qualities demonstrated by incident commanders in incident scenarios presented and how the 16 qualities highlighted in this class are evident (or not evident) in those scenarios. INTERMEDIATE

Room 101-102

 

Suburban Fire Tactics

Captain/Training Officer Jim Silvernail, Metro West (MO) Fire Protection District

This class is designed to stimulate the suburban firefighter’s thinking process toward the necessity of developing and establishing effective preferred operating methods for structural firefighting. It will focus on how the rest of the country has to deal with understaffing, adaptive strategic practices to establish consistent operations, essential fire department functions required on the fireground and prioritizing them, the external and internal factors that affect fire service delivery for suburban-based firefighting, and why it is critical to realize your agency’s capabilities and apply them to the prioritization of fireground needs. INTERMEDIATE        

Room 243-245

 

Increasing Engine Company Effectiveness

Lieutenant Tom Sitz, Painesville Township (OH) Fire Department

Learn what first-due engine company members can do to increase their effectiveness while they wait for the rest of the assignment to arrive. The focus is on tool assignments and how to use them for maximum effectiveness. Learn how blitz attack operations can knock down a well-advanced fire, allowing you to go offensive and have a chance at success. The presentation is geared toward increasing all aspects of engine company operations. ALL LEVELS

Room 132-133

 

Commercial Building Forcible Entry Challenges          

Captain Daniel Troxell, Washington, DC, Fire Department

The focus is on some of the many forcible entry challenges that may be encountered when fighting fires in commercial building. Methods for overcoming these challenges are discussed. Challenges and solutions when encountering roll-down gates, scissor gates, drop-bars, steel doors, security bars, and aluminum and glass storefront doors are discussed. The use of power tools, hand tools, and hydraulic tools and through-the-lock methods are covered. ALL LEVELS

Room 107-108

 

Social Media Update           

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Curt Varone, Providence (RI) Fire Department 

The focus is on the latest social media cases affecting the fire service and the lessons learned for fire departments and firefighters. Learn what new concerns your department’s policies need to address. Social media and digital imagery have become the source of major disciplinary problems and civil lawsuits in the fire service. Career, volunteer, and combination departments have all been impacted. Students will learn how to evaluate social media cases and incorporate their lessons learned into policies and training programs. Learn how to incorporate topics such as the risks associated with digital imagery and social media, the taking and handling of digital imagery, and setting clear boundaries on the public posting of that imagery and commentary on the Internet into department policies that do not violate the First Amendment or the collective bargaining rights of firefighters and that constitute sound, legally defensible social media policy. ADVANCED

Room 123-124

 

Gauges Don't Lie

Captain Douglas Watson, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue

Journey to the “technological” side, and look at firefighting through the eyes of science. Students will see the expansion of steel when heated, determine the strongest way to butt a ladder, learn to maximize torque using a halligan, learn the benefits of wetting agents, and more. Why does smoke sometimes push out of a window with velocity, yet other times it's lazy? Is the metal on your chair really cooler than the cushion? What nozzle has more punch--smooth bore or fog? All of these questions are proven in class, leaving students with an appreciation for the most routine firefighting tasks. Students will learn how to build the experiments, the theory behind them, and their relevance to firefighting. ALL LEVELS

Room 134-135

 

Building Effective Teamwork        

Battalion Chief Jerry Wells, Lewisville (TX) Fire Department          

The fire service could be described as the “ultimate team sport.” From this perspective, the instructor will illustrate how team mindset strengthens an organization and that the group’s success depends on individuals’ performances. Learn creative ways to get your crew to “buy in” to the department’s philosophy and programs. Be prepared to watch some football as the instructor presents an analogy of a successful college football team and a successful fire company. With video clips from a documentary, students will gain an entertaining look into how the right attitude can make training and fireground operations successful and satisfying. Other discussion topics will include how to market the fire service, company drills, and building construction. ALL LEVELS

Room 127-128

 

 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

1:30 PM-3:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Hoseline Operations for Multiple-Family Occupancies

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

This class was developed for suburban fire departments that typically do not have sufficient staffing or hose load configurations to rapidly perform a stairway stretch to the upper floors of residential buildings that are not tall enough to be required by code to have standpipes. It will examine methods and techniques for rapidly positioning a hoseline, with a minimum of personnel, on an upper floor of an apartment building, townhouse, or hotel. Students will learn how to locate a fire in a multiple dwelling, estimate the amount of hose need to reach a fire, and determine the number of firefighters needed to stretch and advance a charged hoseline. Additionally, the class will examine methods to stretch hoselines to courtyard and garden apartments when preconnects are too short. ALL LEVELS

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

Building Confidence with Mask Confidence

Firefighter Joseph Alvarez, Maplewood (NJ) Fire Department        

Students will be walked through a series of hazardous obstacles, will learn how to build confidence in individuals, and will see how to learn from their mistakes. Many times students are pushed through mask confidence courses when they should be walked through them. Even a 20-plus-year veteran may not have been through a class such as this. Students learn from their mistakes. ALL LEVELS

Room 136-137

 

Incident Management for Smaller Departments

Chief Edward Badamo, South Fire District, Middletown, CT

This class will focus on the management of a large-scale incident for the small to medium fire department. It will include the staffing of critical roles, the use of an incident management team, and the role of the community emergency response team within the incident. It will focus on decision making, organizing, and staffing a unified command structure; development of an incident action; and resource management centered on a limited internal staff. ALL LEVELS 

Room 238-239

 

Impact of Light Rail Incidents

EMS Special Operations Chief Jason Blount, Hillsboro (OR) Fire and Rescue

Light rail systems and other similar commuter rails are integrated transit systems that run though business and residential areas, often sharing traffic with automobiles and pedestrians. Having a good understanding of these systems and the challenges they present to your department is necessary when planning for and responding to incidents involving a light rail vehicle (LRV). This class addresses command and control of these incidents and other concerns by detailing the hazards and how to mitigate them along with what to do for extrication and stabilization of these 50-ton vehicles. A review of the process to determine the need for extrication and the means to do it safely and effectively is included, as is a look at the selection of equipment and practical applications. INTERMEDIATE

Room 234-235

 

Command Etiquette

Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department

Students are presented with an overview of the profile of the incident commander (IC) as it relates to being an effective boss. Building strong and positive relationships with other members of the team lays the groundwork for coordinated hazard zone operations. IC etiquette helps maintain the focus where it belongs--on the incident operation. ALL LEVELS 

Room 243-245

 

Ventilation Principles and Practices

Lieutenant Brian Brush, West Metro (CO) Fire Rescue

Today’s fires are increasingly dangerous. We get there faster. We are fully encapsulated. We stretch a preconnect to the door. The “fast attack” puts interior crews in the transition stage of fire behavior. Fires consume more synthetic and petroleum-based materials than natural products. The result is more toxic and explosive by-products. Structures are built tighter than ever before, secured to a greater degree, of the lightest weight materials with the poorest quality construction ever. Technology has advanced us in our abilities as much as it has our opponents. Addressing ventilation early and often is more important to the success of our operation than ever before. ALL LEVELS

Room 134-135

 

Initial First-Due Size-Up Reports for Company Officers

Battalion Chief Leonard Carmichael Jr., Trenton (NJ) Fire Department

This class sets up the framework for the entire fireground experience from assessing the incident scene arrival information to setting up an incident management system. Students will use a systematic mental checklist using the CASH acronym (Command, Actions, Size-Up, and Help) for on-scene size-up reports that can be used at all incidents. Topics include the establishment of command, the 13-point size-up factors, actions of the first-due companies, and additional resources that will be needed. It is a plus for promotional exams. ALL LEVELS

Room 240-242

 

Creating and Inspiring Exceptional Leaders       

Chairman of the Board of Directors Dennis Compton, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation    

Fire officers of all ranks, career and volunteer, will find that this class will improve their capabilities as leaders. It explores critical and innovative leadership and supervisory and management information that will make fire officers of all ranks more effective in their positions. Students will examine leadership concepts and principles that improve the performance of members of an organization individually and collectively. ALL LEVELS

Room 120-122

 

Firehouse Excellence

Captain Michael Dugan, Fire Department of New York       

There is nothing quite like a firehouse. It can be the most incredible experience of your life or a miserable exile to purgatory. It can be a place of learning where skills are honed and techniques refined or a stagnant cesspool where competence erodes into ineffective complacency. What is it that causes one place to be cohesive and brimming with camaraderie, while just down the road there are dissension and drudgery? Learn five key areas that can turn any firehouse into the type of place that enables firefighters to thrive and fulfill their calling. This class will look at how to build and enjoy the type of firehouse everyone wants. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Dangers of Positive-Pressure Ventilation

Chief Kriss Garcia, American Fork (UT) Fire & Rescue

A look at ventilation practices and how they interact with the modern fire loading as related to the fire triangle. This class boils away all the emotion of various favored fire tactics by looking at the behavior of fire within a structure. Students will review the basics of fire behavior in a structure and acquire a thorough knowledge of how various fire ventilation tactics influence the portion of the incident that is immediately dangerous to life or health. ALL LEVELS

Room 132-133

 

Successfully Navigating AFG Grants         

Section Chief David Gudinas, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) provides financial assistance directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations to enhance their capabilities with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. AFG seeks to support organizations that lack the tools and resources necessary to more effectively protect the life and safety of the public and their emergency response personnel. This class will provide attendees with the rules and tools needed to navigate the application process, demystify the peer review process, and provide measures for effective grants management. ALL LEVELS

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 3-4

 

Fire Officer and Leader      

Fire Training Program Manager Frank Hammond, Maine Fire Service Institute   

This basic program takes information regarding the mission of a fire officer and packages it with discussions and group work that focus on National Fire Protection Association/Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and regulations that affect the safety and welfare of fire personnel. Topics include developing and molding subordinates' attitudes in a positive way, encouraging individual training and education to promote and enhance firefighter confidence and competency, enhancing your subordinates’ learning curve, stressing the importance of meeting public education goals, and effectively managing risk during fire department operations. BASIC

Room 123-124

 

Construction Concerns: Modern Materials

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

This class focuses on how to predict the performance of wall and roof assemblies built of steel studs, wood trusses, and manufactured wood products and how to perform accurate structural size-up and conduct preincident planning to safely mitigate fires involving these components. To do this, firefighters must know their buildings: how they were constructed and modified and how the materials and connections behave under both normal and fire conditions, if there were changes in the building’s use, whether the structures are overloaded or have deteriorated materials and connections, and the fire resistance properties of the materials. Students will see how changes in construction methods and materials necessitate changes in firefighting tactics. INTERMEDIATE

Room Wabash 1

 

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. ALL LEVELS

This program will be off-site at the Indianapolis Fire Museum. Buses will depart from the Maryland Street Lobby at 1:15 p.m.

 

Engine Company Options for an Initial Action Plan

Captain Scott Joerger, Rochester (NY) Fire Department

First-due engine companies to a working structure fire have an important impact on how that fire progresses. Size-up and initial action plan are critical. Students will learn why it is important to include options in the initial action plan. Engine companies should have at least five different options to begin fire attack. Attendees will also learn why they should not select the same option for every fire to which they respond and how easy it can be to quickly implement any of the five options. Each option will be presented showing the importance of a proper size-up, following the acronym COAL WAS WEALTH. The options include the deck gun, the portable monitor, the 2½-inch handline, the 1¾-inch handline, and the rolled hose pack. ALL LEVELS

Room 107-108

 

Ventilating Impact Resistance Coverings

Firefighter Ric Jorge, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue

This program will address the inherent hazards that impact resistant coverings (glass, windows, doors, and shutters) present to the fire service. We will discuss the design, construction features, and installation techniques of impact resistant coverings and how they affect the modern fireground. The means to defeat these coverings with hand tools and power tools require substantially more training and staffing than ventilation crews and RIT crews are accustomed to. Initially designed for areas prone to catastrophic windstorms, the sound and thermal insulation characteristics and their rugged construction features make them all but impenetrable, so the coverings have gained favor in every type of occupancy in every community. You must be aware of buildings in your district that have been fitted with these windows, as they affect the timelines and staffing needed to perform routine ventilation, emergency access and egress, and even fire behavior. ALL LEVELS

Room 125-126

 

Construction-Based Fire Attack    

Lieutenant Don Kaderabek, Niles (IL) Fire Department       

The class emphasizes building construction and ways to identify the fire problem so firefighters will make tactical and safety-conscious decisions on the fireground. Photographs, thermal imaging video, and audiovisual presentations are used to display construction features and firefighting techniques that illustrate innovative tactics for identifying and extinguishing fire. Modern fire behavior and ways to initiate an aggressive firefighting attack within many different types of construction, including lightweight structures, are addressed. ALL LEVELS

Room 138-139

 

Engine Company Standpipe Operations  

Captain Mike Kirby, Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department

This course provides an overview of how the engine company should operate in a standpipe-equipped building; it includes discussions of the types of systems, valves, and pressure-regulating devices and the equipment needed. The goal is to ensure that the engine company is ready to operate from a standpipe valve in various occupancies. Real-world examples are used to show students how to move fire lines, increase fire flow in a high-rise, use master streams, and overcome pressure-regulating devices. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Atmospheric Monitoring on the Fireground       

Special Operations Chief Jason Krusen, Columbia (SC) Fire Department

Preventing smoke inhalation exposures, detecting the presence of dangerous gases, and recognizing an exposure and providing treatment to the victim are among the primary objectives of this class. Students will see how treating the fireground as a hazardous materials incident site will improve their safety. Standard operating guidelines will also be discussed. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

10 Reasons Engine Companies Fail          

Captain Bob Leonard, San Jose (CA) Fire Department

The intent of this program is to provide insight as to why engine companies fail to successfully accomplish their assigned tasks. Firefighters, fire officers, and command officers will benefit from this class. These topics are the same today as they were in the “war years,” when the veterans who recently retired from the fire service responded to many more fire calls. Participants will actively participate by identifying, discussing, and addressing engine company roles and responsibilities, training shortfalls, modern fire service equipment, size-up and building construction, engine company tactics, and more. INTERMEDIATE

Room 103-104

 

“Combat-Ready” Firefighting       

Sergeant Nicholas Martin, District of Columbia Fire Department    

The objective is to motivate firefighters to recognize complacency, how it can cause errors to creep into your operations (“error creep”), and how it can snowball on the fireground and possibly lead to catastrophe. Interactive activities and multimedia presentations illustrate how and why we must combat it. Tips on attitude and readiness will be offered for the engine and truck companies, rapid intervention team, and the incident commander. Scenarios focus on near-miss fireground incidents and show how the presence or absence of a "combat-ready" mindset influenced their outcomes. You will be challenged to rethink what it means to be "ready." ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

Rapid Structure Triage for Wildland Urban Interface

Captain Todd McNeal, Sonora (CA) Fire Department

Learn to make rapid, consistent structure triage decisions when operating in the wildland urban interface (WUI). The focus will be on identifying the triage categories and suggesting a systematic approach to the evaluation of each structure through the method of “Top Down Triage.” By using a systematic approach, responders can make difficult choices more rapidly, improve personnel safety, and increase effectiveness of suppression resources. Students will be presented with a system of analyzing a structure’s inherent possible weaknesses when threatened by wildland fire and improve their recognition of critical safety concerns for personnel operating in the WUI. INTERMEDIATE        

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 1-2

 

Training Liabilities 2012

Deputy Chief (Ret.)/Attorney at Law John Murphy, M2 Consulting Group   

The threat of a lawsuit places our fire training officers and their departments in harm’s way, especially when something goes wrong on the training ground. This class is designed to evaluate the current NFPA training standards against current litigation and NIOSH investigations; review the three current cases; analyze two case law studies; and provide a risk analysis and best practices from the legal standpoint for participants. ALL LEVELS

Room 236-237

 

Beyond the Water Cooler: EMS Role in Rehab

Emergency Operations Assistant Manager Karen Owens, Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services

Incident rehab is normally an easily overlooked aspect of emergency response. Many agencies rely on personnel or on-scene officers to make the decision about whether rehab is necessary and how extensive to create the rehab sector. However, rehab should be a priority for all responders. It provides time for recovery of vital signs to a normal level and can significantly decrease the negative health impacts of the job. Topics include the all-inclusive definition of rehabilitation, the National Fire Protection Association standard covering rehab, the relationship between incident rehabilitation and the incident command system, and the need for a standard operating guideline for rehab and how to develop an effective one. BASIC

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 10-12

 

Fast Food Restaurant Fires

Captain Joseph Polenzani, Franklin (TN) Fire Department

With more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States, odds are good that your department will respond to a fire in one of them. This class analyzes the dangers of the lightweight/high-speed/low-cost construction techniques used in today’s chain restaurants and discusses tactics for safely mitigating fires in the restaurant environment. ALL LEVELS

Room 109-110

 

Strategic Planning to Master Planning

Fire Marshal Mark Wallace, State of Oregon

This class provides tips, tricks, and techniques to help departments develop effective planning practices designed to create and maintain their strategic and operational plans as effective components of a Fire Department Master Plan. Attendees will be presented with the components of an effective planning program designed to move the organization toward the ideal future state described within the "vision for an ideal future" many departments have created for themselves either formally or informally. It's no longer sufficient to simply react to the forces and trends of a community that drive the service demands of a fire department. The best departments are creating their own future through a planning process that uses the "Planning Continuum" concept. ADVANCED 

Room Wabash 2

 

 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

3:30 PM-5:15 PM

 

BIG ROOM SESSION

Disaster in Joplin

Deputy Chief Jim Perkins, Joplin (MO) Fire Department

Joplin, Missouri, experienced one of the nation’s worst disasters--a single EF-5 rated tornado--in May 2011. This class discusses the actions taken and decisions made during this large-scale incident, which took the lives of 162 people and destroyed approximately 8,000 structures and related infrastructure. Hear the story and lessons learned from a member of the command staff who served in a key role from the beginning. ALL LEVELS 

Room Sagamore 3-4-5

 

Training Today's Fire Service        

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

This class presents instructors and training officers with tools and tips to build a training program in their department. Topics include E-learning, virtual classrooms, GAP analysis, program focuses, time management, program scheduling, and member participation. Paid and volunteer/combination departments will benefit from the class presentation and discussion of ideas to build your training program bigger and better. ALL LEVELS  

Room 107-108

 

Hazards of the Front Row   

Assistant Chief Don Collins, Massport (MA) Fire-Rescue

The objective is to consider ways to respond to aircraft incidents and not become part of them. The risk/benefit of being at the edge of the runway vs. giving up seconds of response time is discussed. Historically in the ARFF community, we have rolled out to our forward hold-off positions in response to a crash alarm, standing by on an adjacent runway or taxiway to minimize our response times to in-flight emergencies. Imagine sitting at said hold-off and the aircraft in question starts cartwheeling or veers off in your direction! Should you chase behind emergency aircraft or not enter the airport operating area at all unless there is an actual crash? Students will discuss the role of responding apparatus and whether they create a greater hazard by adding to increased obstacles on the airfield. An overview of airfield operations, the definition of runway incursion, the importance of and necessity for obtaining clearance from the control tower, and frequent tower communications/runway familiarization training are addressed. ALL LEVELS

Room 234-235

 

Firefighter Free Speech     

Chief David Comstock, Western Reserve (OH) Joint Fire District

The balance between a firefighter’s First Amendment rights of free speech vs. a governmental administrator’s right to maintain order and discipline within the fire department is the focus. Federal rules and regulations are reviewed; federal court cases that have addressed many of the repeating conflicts that occur within the firehouse are discussed. These conflicts include criticisms of fire officials and retaliatory action, peremptory gag orders, preapproval of media releases, firefighter displays of public signs and bumper stickers, participation in public demonstrations, and contacting city officials outside of the chain of command. Immunities for public officials for enforcement of disciplinary policies will also be addressed, as will suggestions for avoiding potential liabilities for the department. ADVANCED

Room 238-239

 

So You Have to Inspect ... An Entertainment Facility

Associate Professor Glenn Corbett, John Jay College, New York City; Technical Editor, Fire Engineering

Students will learn the applicable code provisions for entertainment facilities, life safety problems with the facilities, potential code violations, and methods to correct the violations. They will be able to identify the occupancy classifications of entertainment facilities, cite the applicable code provisions for each type of facility, identify code violations common to each kind of facility, and specify methods of bringing facilities into code compliance. Facilities include nightclubs, movie theaters, performing arts centers, amusement park haunted houses, and stadia. INTERMEDIATE

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 10-12

 

Interior Benchmarking for Safer Interior Firefighting

Lieutenant William Greenwood, Keene (NH) Fire Department

Interior benchmarks are situational “conditions” firefighters encounter while operating at every fire--locating or knocking down the fire, completing the primary or secondary search, pushing down those basement stairs for attack, advancing to the floor above for a search, and checking for extension are just some. The interior crew acknowledges "the benchmark" and completes a quick firefighter safety and survival situational assessment. The next time you enter a fire situation, stop yourself and your crew, ask for quiet, gain control of the adrenaline rush, and assess the atmospheric conditions. This concept is as valuable to recruits as it is to seasoned veterans. ALL LEVELS

Room 132-133

 

Tactical Considerations for Improving Firefighter Safety and Operations

Assistant Chief Todd Harms, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department

The focus of this class is improving fireground operations and firefighter safety at the task, tactical, and strategic levels of operation. We will examine the operational safety program used in the Phoenix Fire Department. The presentation is based on a 75/25 concept for fireground operations: 75 percent of the operations focuses on firefighter performance, safety, and success while operating on the fireground; 25 percent deals with operational emergencies and firefighter self-survival. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 1

 

School Bus Extrication       

Lieutenant Paul Hasenmeier, Huron (OH) Fire Department

Imagine arriving on scene to find an overturned school bus with students trapped, injured, and screaming for help. Whether you are in an ambulance or a fire engine, your first priorities will be numerous--initiating the incident command system, determining hazards and the number of patients, triaging, entrapments, and dealing with walking wounded scattered around the scene. This class covers basic to advanced extrication techniques that include window, door, sidewall, roof, and floor breaches; stabilization; and underrides, rollover pinning, driver entrapment, and roof intrusion causing entrapment. ALL LEVELS

Room 123-124

 

Commanding the Mayday

Battalion Chief George Healy, Fire Department of New York           

This class will help prepare you to manage an incident where firefighters transmit a Mayday. It will focus on resources required to handle possible scenarios that threaten firefighter safety and fire resources and resources from other response agencies that will assist the incident commander (IC) in bringing the incident to a successful conclusion. Communications and required information for the IC will be presented. Discussion will include command and control of incidents for the IC looking at risk management and decision making to help prevent Mayday situations from developing. INTERMEDIATE

Room 136-137

 

Extrication Capability: Realities of Rescue Readiness

Captain Aaron Heller, Hamilton Township (NJ) Fire District

This class is for fire departments charged with the task of vehicle rescue or considering this as an added responsibility. It will discuss four basic areas of determining rescue readiness as it pertains to motor vehicle extrications: the individual rescuer’s emotional grasp of the challenges presented, personnel’s physical capabilities, apparatus and equipment capabilities, and the department’s overall rescue service delivery capabilities. It will also include new vehicle technology and the effects and challenges for the rescue company. ADVANCED

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 1-2

 

Lightweight Construction and Collapse

Battalion Chief Leigh Hollins, Cedar Hammock (FL) Fire Department

This class will discuss building collapse caused by fire conditions vs. nonfire-related collapse. Topics include the various construction methods that may lead to a structural collapse during fire conditions and how firefighters, officers, and incident commanders can better forecast this danger. The last 30 minutes concentrate on the operational considerations and effects of having a truss-marking system for firefighter safety. INTERMEDIATE

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 3-4

 

Company Drills for Acquired Structures 

Lieutenant James Kirsch, Bergenfield (NJ) Fire Department

The focus is on getting the maximum training from an acquired structure. This revised program explains how to properly inspect and train in acquired structures using nonfire scenarios. Topics include utility emergencies, size-up, mask confidence, building construction, ventilation, overhaul, and rapid intervention team drills, the proper paperwork associated with using these structures, a review of the National Fire Protection Association 1403 standard as a tool for safely preparing the structure, engine and truck drills, utility emergencies involving problems with electrical outlets and light fixtures, gas leaks, heating plants, carbon monoxide leaks, and the proper use and maintenance of air-monitoring equipment. Learn how to use the hot water heater as a quick hazardous materials training prop. INTERMEDIATE

Room 105-106

 

New Tactics for Success

Chief Steven Kraft, Richmond Hill (Canada) Fire & Emergency Services

Review data and videos showing how old tactics and theories no longer apply at today's fires. Students will have a much better understanding of the significant changes in the fire services that are hurting and killing firefighters. Tactics taught 15 years ago are no longer relevant. If you believe the ridge of a roof is the safest place to walk and you still think you have 20 minutes of working time inside a structure before it collapses, take this course. Students need to change their thinking about rapid fire growth, the effect of ventilation on fires, victim survivability profiling, new building construction, flashover, collapse, new equipment, updated incident command techniques, air management, the importance of RIT and accountability, and why we should be considering defensive strategies instead of always defaulting to offensive. INTERMEDIATE

Room 138-139

 

Survivability Profiling

Captain Stephen Marsar, Fire Department of New York

This class focuses on the correlation between firefighter and civilian fatalities at the same structural fires. Survivability profiling is the educated art of examining a situation and making an informed, 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. ALL LEVELS

Room 243-245

 

Strategies and Tactics in Residential Subdivided Structures

Firefighter Aaron Martin, Fire Department of New York      

In the interest of subsidizing income for lack of employment and/or financial gain, a vast majority of property owners have opted to follow a dangerous and potentially fatal trend of subdividing residential structures. Learn the inherent hazards associated with structural modifications and/or floor plan layout and enhanced occupancy. At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to identify such structures, recognize structural alterations and floor plan layout, initiate the proper fireground tasks, and maximize efficient removal of victims. ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

Can Oxygen Be Bad?          

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

Recent science suggests that oxygen is a two-edged sword: It can be beneficial, and it can cause harm. This class brings high-altitude climbing research to the streets, the engine, rescue, and the ambulance. Review your understanding of too much and too little oxygen and practical pointers for safely using oxygen in every patient-care setting. Preventing and reversing oxygen-induced damage and related future changes and why the drug you use most often is not as safe as you thought will also be addressed. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Tactics Using Quint Apparatus     

Captain Nicholas Morgan, St Louis (MO) Fire Department

Apply basic fireground size-up and firefighting tactics to fires involving residential, commercial, and high-rise buildings in an urban or suburban setting where the initial first-alarm assignment includes one or more quint fire apparatus. Topics include engine and truck company fireground duties, what constitutes a quint, how quints can fulfill engine and truck company fireground duties in the urban/suburban setting, the relative strengths and weaknesses of replacing standard engines and trucks with quint fire apparatus, basic fireground size-up, incident command fireground priorities, engine company duties, and minimum staffing for a quint. ALL LEVELS

Room 240-242

 

Practical Engine Company Training         

Battalion Chief Sid Newby, Wichita (KS) Fire Department

Walk through the steps of preparing inexpensive, practical, and effective engine company drills for engine crew members. Learn to teach the tactical application of stretching different size hoselines, how to overcome friction points that can hinder the stretch, and various prealarm assigned duties. Topics include course preparation, class size, student/instructor ratio, work stations with rotations including rehabilitation, and environmental conditions that could hinder the fire engine company’s push to extinguish the fire. No matter what size fire department, a fire engine is your core apparatus. BASIC

Room 134-135

 

Seven Deadly Sins of “Situationally Unaware”         

Captain Casey Phillips, Seattle (WA) Fire Department

This class examines some of the common reasons well-intentioned firefighters make mistakes on the fireground and how to get better at situational awareness. The students will be challenged to honestly evaluate how they approach their mission and will be asked hard questions about their priorities as firefighters. This class will give information any firefighter can use to immediately get better at the job. Students will confront how they really operate at fires and what blind spots might be hindering their performance. ALL LEVELS

Room 120-122

 

Smoke Diver Skills for Success and Survival

Deputy Chief Jeff Pindelski, Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department

Sound skills and a thorough working knowledge of SCBA are necessary for survival on today’s fireground. The SCBA is the most important and widely used tool in the fire service today because it has greatly expanded firefighters’ capacities when performing aggressive interior searches and fire attack. Operating with this piece of equipment in less than ideal conditions should become second nature with all firefighters. Every firefighter must be thoroughly familiar with the specific piece of breathing apparatus they use. Unexpected circumstances will sometimes take place on the fireground, and firefighters need every option possible to save themselves or aid the rapid intervention team (RIT) in their rescue. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Fighting House Fires

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

This class will review several important factors to consider when fighting fires in today’s modern residential structures. The importance of an ongoing and early size-up, time of day, resources needed, construction, accountability, command priorities, fire attack, determining fire location, entry point, proper hoseline selection and length, garage fire tactics, search and rescue, and vent-enter-search will be discussed. ALL LEVELS

Room 231-233

 

Strategy and Tactics for Chief and Line Officers

Battalion Chief Thomas Richardson, Fire Department of New York 

This interactive class will motivate discussion on the importance of the decisions made by the incident commander. It is designed for line or chief officers who have the responsibility for managing multiple companies at structural firefighting operations. A series of scenarios will provoke critical thinking skills as they relate to the strategy and tactics employed. The students will be placed in the position of incident commander and will respond to cues from the instructor and the computer simulations to make tactical decisions as the scenarios progress. Scenarios will range from single-family dwelling fires to large-area commercial building fires. Students will understand the methods used to develop strategic and tactical decision making skills on the fireground. INTERMEDIATE

Room 125-126

 

Developing the Perfect Stream

Director Paul Shapiro, Fire Flow Technology

Whether it be a fire in a single family residence, a high-rise fire, or a surround-and-drown big water fire, the weapon of choice in today’s fire service is the stream producing appliance--the nozzle--and the ammunition is good old water. Methods of attack can require different types of fire streams made up of a specific flow (gpm), stream patterns, and fire stream exit pressures. This class will analyze the various types of fire situations and the types of nozzle, hose, and appliance combinations required to successfully achieve fire knockdown as safely and efficiently as possible. Emphasis is on using equipment to its maximum capabilities while keeping within the recommendations of the equipment manufacturers. ALL LEVELS  

Room 236-237

 

Fire Without Water: Today’s Truck Company   

Firefighter/Paramedic Gerard Smith Jr., Baltimore City (MD) Fire Department

More and more, truck companies are arriving first at a dwelling fire and beginning initial operations without the protection of a hoseline as call volume ((particularly EMS) increases and budget cuts are resulting in permanent and rotating company closures and brownouts. This ultimately means longer response times and a greater delay in putting water on the fire. Therefore, the purpose of this program is to discuss tactics for truck companies operating initially at dwelling fires without the support of an engine company.  These primary duties for the first-arriving truck companies include forcing entry to create access for the engine company, conducting a primary search for victims and fire, raising ladders for rescue and upper-floor access, and conducting vertical and horizontal ventilation. Tactics must change to adapt to the impact of a delayed engine company or charged hoseline. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 2

 

Profiling for Rescue

Firefighter Mark van der Feyst, Woodstock (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department

Many times we are not prepared for what waits for us behind the door when it comes to victim rescue. This class will look at the fine art of a detailed size-up with regard to structural fire rescue to ascertain the type, location, and presence of victims that need rescuing. BASIC

Room 109-110

 

 

 

Friday, April 20, 2012

8:30 AM-10:15 AM

 

Managing Technical Rescue Operations

Shift Commander Rich Alfes, Spec. Rescue International

Student will learn the common hazards inherent in and mistakes made during technical rescue operations involving confined space, trench collapse, structural collapse, and rope rescue. The variety of tactical and strategic plans discussed will enhance operations at the scene of a special rescue incident, including stabilizing the incident while waiting for additional assistance. Many times, knowing what not to do is the best option during a highly technical, high-risk operation. Managing technical rescue incidents certainly means the physical survival of your personnel. However, it may also mean the political or fiscal survival of your organization. ALL LEVELS

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 3-4

 

Forced Retirement: Gone But Not Forgotten      

Professor Paul Antonellis, Anna Maria College, Massachusetts       

High-risk professionals who have committed their lives to carrying out the mission of the organization often have a difficult time when faced with a “forced” retirement (injury, illness, family emergency, or downsizing). This class identifies the support needed for the individual, family, coworkers, and the organization when dealing with a forced retirement. ALL LEVELS

Room 134-135

 

Big Fire in Little Towns     

Chief William Ball, Williamsport (MD) Volunteer Fire-EMS Inc.

The focus is on the challenges commanders face when multiple buildings are burning on all four sides in the square of a small town and there is not adequate staffing to effectively manage the incident. The challenges and lessons learned from two multialarm incidents that occurred in 2008 and 2010 in Washington County, Maryland, are presented and discussed. Students and instructor will evaluate the incidents from the perspective of how similar fires would be approached if they were to occur in their jurisdiction. Developing an operational plan, interoperable procedures with mutual-aid response units, and effectively planning for the big one using a commonsense approach are emphasized. INTERMEDIATE  

Room 231-233

 

Firefighter Safety and Survival: Complacency Kills

Firefighter/Paramedic Patrick Brown, Chicago (IL) Fire Department         

We learn a great deal of valuable information in the cadet fire academy, but it is often forgotten or put on the back burner and not used. Many of the problems we find ourselves in on the fireground can be prevented if we use the information we learned then. This class “reteaches” those skills learned in the fire academy and during our first years in the fire services. Those skills and lessons learned need to be used today so that we can stay safe. ALL LEVELS

Room 123-124

 

From Fast-Attacking Incident Command to Command Post Operations        

Deputy Chief (Ret.) Nick Brunacini, Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department 

This session details the command responsibilities and routine for the fast-attacking company officer. The class highlights a hazard zone management system that does triple duty--command, safety, and local strategy and tactics. An overview of the command requirements, beginning with the initial arriving responder and escalating to full-blown command van operations for greater-alarm incident operations, is presented. Command is transferred a single time--from a fast-attacking, working boss to a strategic position incident commander, generally the initial arriving response chief. As the resource requirements in attack positions escalate, the IC maintains operational control by assigning dedicated, warm zone tactical-level bosses. This model allows the IC to quickly and effectively manage 10 or more companies over a single tactical radio channel out of a response vehicle. Escalated operations take place out of a command van-style command post or a pair of SUVs. A five person command team, operating on two or three radio channels, can manage up to five alarms (20 engines and six ladder companies). ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 3

 

Emergency Responders vs. Electrical Hazards

HMERT Coordinator Frank Cheatham, Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services    

When is the last time your department examined its procedures for responding to incidents involving utility hazards? Many departments are still approaching utility hazards as they have been doing for years. Yet, the rate at which society uses electricity is increasing by leaps and bounds, creating more hazards. This class examines, from the perspectives of the fire service and the electric utility, what steps to take to reduce emergency responders’ contacts with electrical utilities. Students will learn of a training program available to the fire service and will be shown recommended response procedures. ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 2

 

Every 15 Minutes     

Firefighter Aaron Dean, Sacramento City (CA) Fire Department     

The focus is on the benefits of fire department participation in a community service event. Multiple avenues of training, agency interoperability, and logistics are discussed using the “Every 15 Minutes” program, a national program designed to instill the dangers of drinking and driving into high school students, as an example. This grant-funded program takes eight to 10 months to plan and incorporates many local first responder agencies. A brief overview of the program will focus on the fire department’s role, responsibility, and depth of involvement. Concentrated emphasis on the crash scene will include topics of safety, demeanor/professionalism, presentation, and lessons learned. A resource list will be presented to aid those who plan on participating in a program. BASIC

Room 234-235

 

Hidden Hazards of Modular Construction

Chief Kevin Gallagher, Acushnet (MA) Fire & EMS Department

Devastating fires have raised questions relative to certain construction techniques used in prefabricated (modular) residential construction. Two recent fires in Massachusetts destroyed two-story, colonial-style homes in a matter of minutes. While the origin and causes were quickly determined, it was the speed of the fire in relation to the factory based construction that has raised an alarm. The threat of early structural collapse is very real in modular construction fires. We are discovering that while these construction techniques are well known within the modular industry, they are not as well known to members of the fire service. In addition, we will discuss recent and ongoing code change proposals at the state and national levels. ALL LEVELS 

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 1-2

 

Firefighter Survival in Single-Family Dwelling Fires  

Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department     

Real-life and very current case studies are used to help participants distinguish between firefighter behaviors that are heroic and involve taking calculated risks and those that end with tragic results and behaviors that are “hardly heroic” and may even border on “stupid.” The issues of “staffing” will also be addressed. The focus will be on two recent fires where firefighters were killed in the line of duty. Students and instructor will closely examine what went right, what went wrong, and what can be learned from these fires. ALL LEVELS

Room 120-122

 

A Firefighter's Worst Enemy         

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

Our emotions affect how we act, treat others, and react to events in the firehouse and on the fireground. We must recognize that every action and nonaction creates a reaction. Negative behaviors that are not recognized and corrected lead to negative habits, which are more difficult to resolve. The class will walk through some ideas about what makes an organization stagnant and what makes it fluid, clear, and dynamic. The discussion will touch on how our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors sometimes create our problems and frustrations. Behaviors that can be detrimental to crew cohesiveness, how attitude and behavior create culture in the fire service, ways to stay and keep engaged in the fire service from the perspectives of a firefighter and an officer, using the crew’s strengths to accomplish goals, and turning mistakes into learning experiences will also be covered. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Torch Operations    

Lieutenant Thomas Kenney, Hyannis (MA) Fire Department           

The class looks at the safe and efficient uses of cutting torches during fireground and rescue operations. The oxygen-acetylene, oxygen-gasoline, and exothermic torches are covered. Each has drawbacks and limitations. For each type, students will learn safe handling principles, precautions, and protective equipment required for cutting torch operations; the controls and components of the cutting torch systems; component assembly and safe operation; and the types of cutting processes and their situational uses. ALL LEVELS

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 10-12

 

101 Greatest Public Education Ideas         

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

Delivering public education at various levels to meet the needs of the citizens in your community is the focus. Attendees will be able to take home to their departments many programs that have proven successful for other fire departments. And, firefighters and community members had fun in the process. Choose from many ideas and programs to find those best suited to your community and department. ALL LEVELS

Room 136-137

 

Consolidation: One City’s Experience    

Battalion Chief Rick Longerich, Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department 

This is a case study of the partially completed consolidation of the Indianapolis Fire Department that now includes five of the previous surrounding township departments. The process before, during, and after and critical lessons learned and best practices are discussed. Although the presentation is focused on a specific city/department, the processes are common to all areas. Attendees will gain insight into the critical components of assessing the need, desires, and ability to begin the numerous processes of consolidation, which include, but are not limited to, garnering support and evaluating the political landscape; assessing strengths and weaknesses of the plan; identifying the players and stakeholders; and exploring “what's in it for me?” issues. ALL LEVELS

Room 109-110

 

Building Construction 2012

Vice President/Instructor Scott Nacheman, Thornton Tomasetti/IL Fire Service Institute

The design and construction of buildings have changed significantly over the past decade, yet our fire academy education has not. Through a detailed overview of building materials, systems, and failure case studies, the student will gain a better understanding of characteristics of new steel, concrete, masonry and green building trends with the intent of being better prepared to identify hazardous/dangerous/deficient building conditions and make more educated size-up, strategy, and tactics decisions at incidents. The program will conclude with some examples of adverse building performance from the instructor’s deployments to the 2011 Christchurch (NZ) earthquake and Joplin (MO) tornado. This program will focus on the complexities of modern commercial building construction trends, systems, materials and practices that are often unknown or misunderstood. INTERMEDIATE

Room 105-106

 

Pump Panel Pointers

Captain Jerry Naylis, Bergenfield (NJ) Fire Department

This class will prepare pump operators to use a variety of techniques including tools, job aids, and pointers to ensure the proper flow and pressure while operating a pump during fireground operations. Successful delivery of water will be stressed. The class will examine fire operations in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The case studies will show how one or two simple changes would alter the water supply and enhance the operation from the pump panel. Learn steps to ensure your pump operation will be a success. BASIC  

Room 107-108

 

Training Volunteer Company Officers

Firefighter Joe Nedder, Uxbridge (MA) Fire Department

This class is targeted to volunteer firefighters who are or aspire to be company officers. Many newly appointed or elected company officers really do not understand their role or the responsibilities and liabilities that have been placed on their shoulders. A volunteer officer’s biggest impact will be on the fireground. This class will focus on targeting specific fireground and leadership skills that a capable fire officer must possess to be safe, capable, and effective in leading a company in and out of a dangerous situation. The class will bring to light specific skills, knowledge, and capabilities any good officer must possess and why. ALL LEVELS

Room 138-139

 

12 Essential Elements of a Successful Training Program

Deputy Chief Jake Rhoades, Rogers (AR) Fire Department

Many departments struggle with training because of time constraints, budgetary concerns, or simply the unique needs of their department and its members. This program provides a real-life, time-tested, and verified training plan that begins with a department’s identification of needs through gap analysis. It then leads members through implementation and evaluation to ensure the program is meeting expectations. Company level training, minimum company standards, special operations programs, recruit training, officer development, documentation, and simple accountability all can be addressed through training, and this class will show you how. ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

Training on Positive Pressure Attack         

Captain Jonathan Rigolo, Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department

The use of positive pressure attack (PPA) during structure fires evokes great debate among firefighters. Some greatly oppose the use of blowers during fire attack while others support this option as a viable tool that helps improve the environment during a structure fire attack. Recently the Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department (VBFD) trained all of its 450 members on the topic of positive pressure attack. This class will show attendees the five steps we used to take positive pressure attack from discussion at the staff level to implementation at the operations level. Also discussed will be the difficulty of overcoming the typical fire department culture that is resistant to change. Attendees will see how we made our most skeptic and vocal members become believers of PPA. ALL LEVELS 

Room 240-242

 

Rapid Intervention Basics

Captain Jeff Schwering, Crestwood (MO) Fire Department 

Learn the who, what, when, where, and how of rapid intervention teams on the fireground--the basic essentials of rapid intervention and all aspects of the position and duties. By breaking rapid intervention into workable pieces, participants can see the importance and life or death meaning of this assignment on the fireground. BASIC

Room 236-237

 

Reducing the Risk to First Responders

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

This class will cover the roles and responsibilities of first responders at all types of emergency incidents. A review of strategic concerns, tactical considerations, advanced planning needs, safety issues, transfer of information, and resource management tips will be examined. This interactive class will balance "street solutions" with "textbook theory." ALL LEVELS

Room Wabash 1

 

First 15 Minutes: Survival Strategies for Roadway Incidents   

Director of Training Jack Sullivan, Emergency Responder Safety Institute

This class emphasizes the hazards of responding to roadway incidents and outlines strategies and tactics to protect personnel and prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries. Learn how crucial to the safety of responders, victims, and motorists the actions emergency responders take in the first 15 minutes of a roadway incident can be. Safe work areas, procedures and training, strategies and tactics for advance warning and temporary traffic control, proper fire apparatus positioning, national standards and regulations, and innovative safety tactics and equipment are covered. ALL LEVELS

Room 238-239

 

Ventilation Past and Present

Battalion Commander (Ret.) Gerald Tracy, Fire Department of New York

This class will examine the history and practice of ventilation in the fire service, the adjustments applied over the years, and what changes that should be adopted based on the current research of today. It will provide a better understanding of fire behavior and how our actions of introducing openings can create devastating effects. Your comprehension of the concepts of ventilation will increase your safety, that of the public you protect, and your fire suppression effort. ALL LEVELS 

Room 243-245

 

Coaching and Mentoring   

Program Specialist Cynthia Tustin, Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario, Canada   

Leadership is often taught as a single skill. In reality, it is a set of skills: leading, coaching, and mentoring. Whether you're going from “good” to “great” or “buddy to boss,” the focus is generally on the “leading.” Coaching and mentoring are the forgotten skills in the leadership trifecta. This presentation focuses on coaching and mentoring and demonstrates how current and future chief officers can use these two highly effective, but poorly understood, skills to better understand their staff and crew; aid in succession training; build solid teams for safe, effective fireground operations; and enhance working relationships around the station. Students will become acquainted with the art of the uncomfortable conversation, open listening and reverse mentoring, the value of “gut instincts," and much more. Being a fire service leader is more than having a great fireground presence, leading by example, and having the ability to share exciting stories. It also requires the knowledge, skill, and ability to size-up your staff/crews; determine their individual needs; and find a way to make safe firefighters out of these individuals. INTERMEDIATE

Room 132-133

 

 

Friday, April 20, 2012

10:30 AM-12:15 PM

 

Drills You Will Not Find in the Books     

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

Learn special skills and techniques that enhance basic skills knowledge and retention. Innovative drills and evolutions for engine and truck companies are the focus. They are designed to make drilling challenging, exciting, and fun. Among the drill areas addressed are knowledge of equipment, portable radio communications, couplings, siamese vs. wye hoselays, techniques for carrying firefighters/victims up and down stairs and ladders, using fire hose for self-extrication, climbing a wall, hanging from a window, advancing and operating 2½-inch hose, lifting obese patients off the floor, public education/public relation drills, fog applicator drills, other uses for ground ladders, long hoselay techniques, and using local facilities for nondestructive training. INTERMEDIATE

Room 231-233

 

Patient Care within Technical Rescues

Captain Robert Barteck, Wisconsin Rapids (WI) Fire Department

Successful outcomes in technical rescues hinge on beginning patient care at the rescuer’s point of contact. Students will explore common injury patterns, early diagnosis, timely interventions, equipment choices, proper packaging, and rescuer safety. This fast-paced presentation is suitable for everyone from EMT-Basics to critical care paramedics. Rescuer safety will be stressed and backed up with case studies that demonstrate why technical rescues are so dangerous. ALL LEVELS

Room 136-137

 

Quint Operations

Captain Marques Bush, St. Andrews (SC) Fire Department

This class will assist fire departments that have quint apparatus and are trying to find the balance in using them. It is also designed to educate training officers on how to establish a training program for quints. Students will review scenarios in which they overcome problems with quints. See if quints are right for your department as you learn the staffing aspect, advantages, and disadvantages of this apparatus. INTERMEDIATE

Room 107-108

 

Running a Volunteer Department

Dr. Harry R. Carter, Chairman, Board of Fire Commissioners, Howell Township Board of Fire Commissioners Fire District #2, Adelphia, NJ

Explore the problems that arise from a lack of managerial and leadership skills in the volunteer fire service and learn how to operate in a volunteer fire environment. Problems include organizational policy, budgeting and finances, leadership, and management. Far too many people are unfamiliar with the nuts and bolts of the critical organizational staff functions. In many instances, fire departments are not operating as efficiently as possible because of an inability to handle problems that come from poor administrative practices. ALL LEVELS  

Room 120-122

 

Searching Smarter: Oriented Search

Assistant Chief (Ret.) John “Skip” Coleman, Toledo (OH) Fire Department; Technical Editor, Fire Engineering

The oriented method of search is based on the principle that searches can be conducted faster, safer, and more thoroughly if one member of the search team is focused on managing the search and the safety of the crew while the other member does only one thing--search. Other methods of search allow the officer to participate in the search. Multitasking inside burning buildings almost surely results in poor results. Firefighting is built on focus. The oriented method of search allows the focus to be applied appropriately while conducting searches. ALL LEVELS

Room 240-242

 

Building Construction and System Management

Battalion Chief Sean DeCrane, Cleveland (OH) Fire Department

The structures we respond to every day constitute our work environment. Our station houses are our staging areas. Learn how to understand your work environment through the basics of the terrain that makes up your work environment/fireground/battlefield. Become familiar with the thought processes military strategists have used on the battlefield for a positive outcome. The focus will be on knowing and understanding the terrain and how the terrain will react to your efforts and interact with your forces to drive a positive outcome. The basics of building construction, types I through V; the reactions these types of construction will demonstrate when your forces are operating within them; the designs of fire safety protection systems inside these structure; and how these active and passive systems play into the overall design of the building are explored. ALL LEVELS

Room 103-104

 

Motorsports Fire Safety

Deputy Chief Carl Haddon, North Fork (ID) Fire Department

This class is for departments around the world that provide on site or first-due fire rescue services for motorized racing venues. It will review the basics of NFPA 610, Guide for Emergency and Safety Operations at Motorsports Venues, and those elements of firefighter readiness, situational awareness, and the unique nature and challenges of race car fire rescue. Also discussed will be rescue and extrication challenges that occur at raceways around the world and how to mitigate these challenges while keeping your crew safe in the dangerous world of major motorsports. ALL LEVELS

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 10-12

 

First-Due Engineer

Captain Eric Hankins, Yuba City (CA) Fire Department      

The first-due engineer is every bit as important as the first-due officer or first hoseline. Unfortunately, not enough emphasis is put on the engineer's roles and responsibilities beyond hydraulics or troubleshooting. This class discusses some of the fireground tactics the engineer is responsible to perform, the day-to-day operations that help him preplan, and common fireground scenarios engineers face and how to prepare for them. ALL LEVELS

Room 105-106

 

Teaching Practical Fire Dynamics

Chief Edward Hartin, Central Whidbey Island (WA) Fire & Rescue 

This class strengthens fire service instructors’ knowledge of fire dynamics and strategies for developing firefighters’ understanding of structural fire behavior and the influence of firefighting tactics. It is important that firefighters know not only the “what” and “how” but also the “why” pertaining to the fire dynamics on the fireground. Topics include the process of fire development in a compartment; the interrelationship between stages of fire development and whether the fire is fuel or ventilation controlled; factors influencing the heat release rate in a compartment fire; the relationship among ventilation, heat release rate, and fire development; the heating/cooling curve for water; the relationship between heat release rate and tactical flow rate; how fire stream characteristics influence gas and surface cooling effectiveness; and how (classroom) laboratory demonstrations and small-scale models can be used to enhance fire behavior training. INTERMEDIATE

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 1-2

 

Military Aircraft Crash: The First 30 Minutes Outside the Fence      

Battalion Chief Jeff Herriott, Hill Air Force Base (UT) Fire & Emergency Services

More war-fighting planes have been flying in our nation since the War on Terrorism resulting from September 11, 2001. The very specific nature of military aircraft presents challenges for off-base emergency responders in areas of the initial size-up, approach, and suppression activities. Are you and your crew ready should the pilot of a fully loaded fighter lose power and punch out over your response area? Learn to respond to such an emergency within your jurisdiction. The focus will be fireground operations, including key identification points of nonclassified military aircraft models; the hazards these aircraft present (composite materials, weapons systems, fuels, etc.); ground recovery operations; and the integration of military and civilian responders through the use of the incident command system. BASIC

Room Wabash 2

 

Volunteer Performance Problems 

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

Correcting firefighter performance is one of the greatest challenges facing volunteer officers today. Getting angry or just avoiding the problem won't help. This session provides participants with a step-by-step proven approach for improving firefighter performance and teaches them to focus on behavior, not personality. Identifying the different types of volunteers, exploring common performance problems, and determining how these problems impact the department are addressed. Students are given a model for dealing with performance issues. ALL LEVELS

Room 238-239

 

Tale of Two Helmets: The National Football League and the Fire Service

Senior Captain Erron Kinney, Saint Andrews (SC) Fire Department

This is a behind-the-scenes look at proven success strategies from the NFL that translate from the field to the firehouse. How do we prepare ourselves; how do we lead; and how do we motivate all personnel to be accountable, prepared, and trained for the inevitable and the unexpected? Three of the major keys to organizational and individual success are preparation, effective leadership, and accountability. This classroom session is a building block to ensure organizational success. ALL LEVELS

Room 234-235

 

Fire Service Ethics and Professionalism  

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

This session provides practical takeaway methods that increase officers' situational awareness of how their conduct might be viewed by the public and government officials and provides lessons learned for maximizing their decision making. Many types of significant challenges and frustrations are discussed. ALL LEVELS

Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 3-4

 

Command on Display         

Fire Marshal Brett Martinez, Suffolk County (NY) Fire Rescue

The class presents methods incident commanders should employ to communicate their goals and objectives, current mitigation actions, current command structure and call signs, resources employed, and current forms of contacting personnel operating at the incident. The why, when, and where of displaying command information, as well as who should prepare and update it, are discussed. INTERMEDIATE

Room Wabash 1

 

Surviving the Fireground

Lieutenant Mike Mason, Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department

This is a look into the overwhelming risks and inherent dangers of firefighting in today’s fire service. Topics include defining and committing to interior operations, fireground situational awareness, fireground survival policies, preventing and surviving Maydays, staffing and fireground survival, fighting fires in conventional and lightweight construction, fuel loads and turbulent smoke behaviors, interior operations relating to room orientation, tactical air management and practices on interior firefighting, recognizing the attack progress, establishing exit strategies and emergency evacuations, and preparing for survival and Maydays while commanding stressful fireground events. ALL LEVELS

Room 101-102

 

Training for Proficiency

Captain Kevin Milan, South Metro (CO) Fire Rescue Authority

Ensuring every firefighter possesses the necessary emergency response skills is the responsibility of the training officer. Logging hours and collecting certifications don’t equal proficiency. This course focuses on proficiency-based training strategies for all ranks. Position qualification task books, integrated into an overall training curriculum, are provided for all attendees. On completion of the course, the participants will be able to conduct an assessment of current department training strategies, document job performance requirements and tie these skills to NFPA standards, and create assessment tools that accurately measure performance and competency. INTERMEDIATE

Room 134-135

 

Fire Training Injuries: Case Studies for Instructors

Training Program Manager Walter Morris, Maine Fire Service Institute    

In this interactive class, students will be given copies of near-miss reports, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports, and video clips and asked to identify the contributing factors that led to the injuries while participating in training activities and who was responsible for addressing those contributing factors. Participants will also be asked to explain how these lessons may be applied to their training programs to increase safety during firefighter training evolutions. ALL LEVELS

Room 132-133

 

Residential Ventilation

Deputy Chief/Training Officer Paul Norwood, East Haven (CT) Fire Department

Most departments today do not staff their truck companies or even have a dedicated truck company with a four- or five-member crew. This class will discuss tactical considerations for those members to complete their job safely and effectively when it’s their turn on the roof. Learn tactical considerations and helpful “tricks” to perform ventilation on today’s private dwelling fires. Video will demonstrate what happens when ventilation is completed incorrectly as well as the proper way. ALL LEVELS

Room 236-237

 

Lightning Hazards During Emergency Operations

Fire Prevention and Life Safety Officer John Preston, Oakland Park (FL) Fire Rescue

Several firefighters have been affected by lightning strikes in the United States in the past several years. The very nature of our work as firefighters frequently places us in lightning hazard areas. Learn the hazards of lightning to create operating guidelines to help reduce the likelihood of being struck. The tools, extinguishing agents, and apparatus we use will be discussed in relation to lightning hazards. We will also discuss the overall odds of being affected by a lightning strike. Safety recommendations include lowering all aerial apparatus, reducing the number of personnel outside, and eliminating roof operations in lightning conditions. ALL LEVELS

Room 138-139

 

Engine Company Excellence for Volunteer Firefighters

Captain Richard Ray, Durham (NC) Fire Department

How can you ensure that the functions of the engine company are done safely and in a timely manner when staffing is limited? For volunteer firefighters, staffing the engine company is largely based on when the emergency occurs; staffing a daytime emergency is usually harder than one at night. This class focuses on ways to improve engine company operations. Students will learn some basic concepts for hose loads, appliance selection, the basic tools the engine company should have and use, how to load and organize the apparatus to better suit the needs of the department, how engine placement can enhance the fireground, and how efficient engine company operations make the fireground safer. BASIC

Room 243-245

 

Hazards of Modern Roofs

Lieutenant/Training Officer John Shafer, Greencastle (IN) Fire Department

The class will examine trends and methods in modern building construction with an emphasis on roofs, their direct relationship to vertical ventilation, structural firefighting operations, and firefighter survivability. Inherent roof construction features and hazards that directly influence truck company work will be the main focus, along with green roofs, methods, and exotic materials that are used to achieve green standards, and the potential hazards that they present to fire service personnel. Many of these materials such as recycled rubber shingles, solar panels, and green (garden) roofs are not common knowledge to most fire service personnel. ALL LEVELS    

Room 109-110

 

Safety in the Fire Service: The Swedish Perspective        

Dr. Stefan Svensson, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency

This is an overview of firefighter safety from a Swedish point of view. A comparison among a few countries will be made, including the United States. The class includes a general description of the fire service in Sweden. Issues on safety in the fire service that should be subject for change/development will be highlighted. ALL LEVELS

Room 123-124

 

Principles and Practices of Command

Assistant Chief Steven Woodworth, Atlanta (GA) Fire Rescue Department  

The essentials of command are discussed as well as basic guidelines of how decisions are made on an emergency scene. The class addresses 15 points of size-up from a command perspective; determining critical factors for deploying resources; communications from a tactical and a strategic level; transfer of command and what factors to consider when deciding whether to pass or assume command; and emergency evacuation and Mayday procedures and the responsibilities of command officers. Interactive scenarios give students an opportunity to apply the lessons in a controlled environment. ALL LEVELS 

Room Wabash 3

 

Friday, April 20, 2012

12:30 AM-1:30 PM

 

“Who Wants To Be a Speaker/Author/Photographer?” Panel

Staff of Fire Engineering/FDIC/Fire Engineering Books

Would you like to be an FDIC speaker, Fire Engineering or Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazine author or photographer, or Fire Engineering book author but don’t know how to get started?  Learn from this session how to submit ideas and get them accepted.  Just like the lottery, “You have to be in it to win it!” ALL LEVELS

Room 138-139