This interactive class is about challenging the role of the driver operator on the fireground. With manpower shortages facing most fire service agencies in the county it is vital to have an all-hands-on deck approach to fireground tasks for the safety of our members and the public we serve. This class looks at fireground support task that can be completed by the driver operator outside the IDLH space. These tasks will improve the safety and efficiency of the company. Training for the driver operator beyond pumping and driving is often overlooked by the fire service. The driver operator can be a vital safety and efficient link for the initial arriving companies. The driver operator is often an underutilized resource on an incident scene. As an instructor, a firefighter, and now as a company officer I get frustrated as organizations set low expectations for the Driver Operator. Interior crews press into a structure for task completion in an ultra-high hazard environment, their safety relies heavily on an individual standing outside at a pump panel. An efficient fireground relies on all players to be highly trained and highly engaged in the incident.

Locating the victim is only half the battle, it is in the act of removing them where the rescue truly takes place. There are many tactical considerations searchers must evaluate and understand to increase the survival odds of trapped occupants. Maintaining situational awareness of not only the incident, but the location of the victim in relation to the best removal point, will guide rescuers in making the appropriate decisions that will ultimately increase the victim’s odds of surviving the environment they are in. Knowing how and when to implement certain tactics is of great benefit to both civilians and firefighters. This lecture will not only discuss best practices but will also cover information found during extensive research on various situations that contribute to our victims' outcomes and better prepare rescuers to make appropriate decisions during the removal process.

Attendees will be exposed to numerous tips, suggestions and best practices for the fire officer of today and most importantly, of the future. Regardless of whether you are a current or future company officer or chief officer, you will benefit from the information being shared and discussed. Fire departments of all sizes and types need top-notch teamwork, leadership, and followership to ensure they are meeting and exceeding the mission they promised to the community they are expected to serve and protect. Current and relevant topics will be shared and discussed in a positive manner so that attendees are able to go back to their respective departments and create an action plan for success!

Drones are becoming more prevalent within the fire service. There are many examples of successful utilization of drones and programs throughout the country. This program demonstrates how new technology is not always a bad thing and drones may be utilized in a variety of different capacities to assist incident commanders, other emergency agencies and beyond. The sky is the limit when it comes to drone utilization within the fire service (no pun intended!). This program will demonstrate and outline key factors associated with building a drone program within a fire department along with necessary training and equipment. Additionally, the program will provide case studies outlining the various uses of drones in the Western Berks, PA, Fire Department drone program and how the program has been built from the ground up.

On Feb. 20, 2018, Jackson Memorial Middle School in Ohio was the scene of a fatal, self-inflicted, shooting involving a 13-year-old male student. This immediately made the middle school, and all Jackson local schools go into lockdown mode. Fire, EMS and law enforcement agencies converged on the scene and began operations. The initial intelligence reported that this was the first step in a planned mass school shooting. The event went from a suicide to a large-scale operation. This class will explain the course of events of handling the school shooting emergency to all skill levels. Lessons learned will be examined, with each layer of the event, as they unfolded.

The fire service as we know it is changing fast, and the idea of a young person with little time on becoming the senior person is here. We are now at the point where the young generation are the ones who are our senior members and our officers. The best thing that we can do to help them is to share what we know with them. This class is an interactive class that shares thoughts from a retired “senior person.” With lots of engaging topics and discussion, this program is designed to spark ideas and share some insights on how to be that successful, respected senior leader in your department or company.

Both firefighting and EMS are in the business of doing a dangerous job safely. Not many other occupations put employees in austere environments with the job of saving a person’s life. In the aviation community, it was discovered that human error was the main cause of most aviation mishaps. Because of this, Crew Resource Management (CRM) was created and remains one of the pillars behind aviation safety. In this lecture, attendees will learn the fundamentals behind human error and how human errors occur. The focus will then shift to learning the guiding principles of CRM and how to implement them to reduce errors in patient care.

According to a recent study, over 40 percent of law enforcement officers have a diagnosable sleep disorder, more than doubling the general population. The effects of sleep deprivation can range from simply feeling aggravated to chronic diseases and mental health disorders. While law enforcement has done a great job promoting two pillars of health (i.e., nutrition and exercise), it has fallen woefully short on promoting the third pillar: sleep. This presentation provides an interactive format to discuss what sleep cycles are and why they are important. It evaluates basic sleep hygiene practices that people often overlook. Finally, it discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and how officers can utilize CBT-I to get remarkably better sleep in six weeks.

This session is designed to educate individuals in public service and help them understand the hurdles, and also the advantages, to being a minority/female in the fire service. The fire service has for so long been a "brotherhood" but you don't need to be a man to be a member of that elite group of firefighters. Being a minority, whether it be your gender or race or otherwise, is no longer to be looked at as a fault but as a gift. Using the trials and tribulations associated with being a female in the fire service, especially as a ranking officer, the presenter will attempt to help others overcome or even avoid those same hurdles. Firefighting is not just a career, but a lifestyle that can affect more than some of us would like to admit. Being promoted is a tough road for any firefighter. Finding your way through the ranks can cost you friends, other employment, marriages and even sometimes your own identity. This session could make a big difference in the way people view not only women in officer/chief positions, but in the ranks in general.

How are you measuring training success in your organization? Are you just checking the boxes to show credit for the training or are you truly meeting standards and then measuring the retention and performance of those skills? While there are deep, historical roots of training methodologies in the fire service, we must balance the best traditions of the past with new methods available today to enhance the delivery and retention of skills to continually be successful and increase performance. This presentation will cover tips and tricks that will help attendees be successful in the future when defining their training programs. This presentation is appropriate for all officer experience levels as well as future instructors.

Fire departments across the country are experiencing staffing shortages. The problem, fire will continue to grow, people will continue to be trapped, and the overall incident will not stand still regardless of how understaffed you are. You can be behind the 8 ball in the first 15 minutes. What can we do about it? Does this mean the only thing we can do is fight fire from the outside? This program will highlight training, crew efficiency, collaborative mutual aid, and realities faced when looking at fire department challenges. Have you ever heard the term, do more with less? This does not mean that we are accepting lower standards. Quite the contrary, we need to become more efficient at every level within the fire department. This interactive presentation will review incident priorities and how a lack of staffing can make all the difference in winning and losing on the fireground. This presentation will also discuss staffing studies that have been completed and how to utilize them to your best advantage. We will also review NFPA 1710 and 1720 and the OSHA standard for two in and two out.

Did you ever think of breaking the word “brotherhood” into smaller segments? Let’s start with “Bro.” As a person of color, does it refer to brother that looks like me or shares my political or religious beliefs? Are we brothers because we live in the same area? Or share the desire to help anyone? The “T” drops into all of the breakouts—Training, Tolerance, Tact, Temperament and also Turbulent and Trying (especially in these times). “HER” of course is for the female members in the fire service. It is no longer a Taboo (another “T”) topic. The “HER” has many similarities to the “BRO” when it comes to race, religion, etc. The “HOOD” refers to “street knowledge.” An example was a conversation about a cadet’s inability to handle and work with a chain saw. The cadet was from an inner city, which reminded the speaker about his own upbringing. Coming from an inner city did not expose him to the same life needs as a person from a suburb or rural area. He was behind in that particular skill, but was able to show an ability in “street knowledge” that his co-workers did not have.

Forcible entry tools and tactics have been around for ages. The need for keeping up with the ever so-changing game of forcing our way through things on the street is changing on us fast, and we have to be prepared. This interactive, forcible entry program is designed to teach the firefighter no matter the level of experience the main, basic and advanced principles of street-smart forcible entry. This program focuses on new and older, but safe, street approved methods and techniques for conventional forcible entry tactics. During this time, we will discuss and show techniques for making entry through challenging locks, added security features, steel roll gates and different types of garage doors. Because this class is an interactive class, attendees will be faced with forcible entry skill stations as well as scenario based training to hone in on the tactics learned in the program in a stress-induced environment.

This comprehensive course will cover everything from the receipt of the initial alarm to the response to operating on the fire floor. This presentation will lay out the officer’s role in regards to the response and guide the driver to size-up to the attack. We will cover the various structures we respond to across the nation and some tips and tricks to mitigate fires.

The environment known as the fireground is a dynamic, deadly, and increasingly complex arrangement of almost limitless variables. Firefighters are facing even greater challenges with the advancement of lithium-ion batteries in homes and cars, and more synthetic fuels being used in the construction and contents of the building itself. It is of the utmost importance that firefighters do not enter a structure without a plan based on training, experience, and fireground data. We remind the public each year to water their Christmas tree to prevent a possible fire but firefighters fail to water the couch (or any furniture) as they pass this potential fuel source that is rapidly off-gassing highly flammable vapors. There are many firefighters who are opening the nozzle on the way to the fire, but our research has shown that the majority of these fire suppression efforts are brief short bursts or improper penciling techniques. This course will provide factual data about the value of an open and flowing nozzle. Firefighters need to understand that our efforts should be improving conditions. Proper water application applied early and consistently moving towards the seat of the fire reduces overall temperatures, increases chances for victim survival, and reduces the risk of rapid fire development. This presentation provides data, research, and video demonstrations to open up the attendees’ paradigm about "fire attack" and how we can better fulfill the oath of saving lives and property.

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!! The radio transmission no incident commander wants to hear, and one that no firefighter wants to make. A mayday scenario is one that is usually reserved for the fireground, or another type of an incident scene, when a firefighter or firefighters are in trouble and immediate help is needed. This same concept can be applied to a chief officer who is not on the fireground, but is facing an administrative or operational crisis that puts their position as chief in jeopardy. This interactive presentation will address some of the common, and not so common, challenges and issues, that a chief officer will likely face during their career. It will also cover the well-known L.U.N.A.R. acronym, which is typically reserved for the firefighter in distress to relay pertinent information to the incident commander, but when modified accordingly can aid the chief officer by giving them the tools to rescue themselves and salvage their careers.

This course is designed to maximize the capabilities with the limited staffing operations we are facing. With proper tool selection, tactics and placement, we will teach the rescuers to be able to accomplish rapid extrication of any victim they will face. The training and scenarios are based on 20 years of rescue experience and real-world application. Students from all levels of experience will be able to take the knowledge learned back to their departments and help save lives.

The City of Bloomington, IN, Fire Department spent months planning an acquired structure live burn which included a lengthy process through the State's Environmental Management Department, work with the building owner to remove known hazards, and community wide notifications. The week of the live fire training went well until the final live burn to demolish the home was conducted and a citizen identified lead contamination in the ash that rained down on the adjacent neighborhood. The training exercise and planned community event quickly turned into a multi-operational period incident. From the initial complaint that occurred while the live burn was still in progress to the lingering complaints a month after the incident, the department focused on rapidly containing the issue, crisis communication, adaptive care and community engagement. Community and political demands directed the process to mitigate this incident and required some out-of-the-box solutions to meet expectations that the department was not tooled to fulfill. The department turned to environmental testing and cleanup companies to help mitigate the situation and avoid litigation from the community, however, this training exercise cost the taxpayers nearly $160,000 by the time it was over. The actions of the department following the incident created stronger ties to the community and serve as an example of how a department can turn a negative into a positive. This interactive lecture will review this training exercise turned incident from beginning to end, go over lessons learned, and will help attendees understand the components needed to establish and maintain strong community ties following a poor interaction with the residents. In addition, a review of this case study will showcase options that can be used to provide detailed communications relatable to other incident types such as a hazardous materials release or large fire with harmful byproducts. Beyond the incident's lessons learned, this class will also look at the cost versus benefits of live fire training in an acquired structure and provide some tips to help minimize the risk of conducting this valuable training.

Cancer is increasingly recognized as one of the most dangerous threats to firefighters today. Multiple studies have demonstrated that firefighters are at increased risk for several types of cancer compared to non-firefighters. The World Health Organization’s cancer division reclassified firefighting as a group 1 carcinogen. Simply stated, the toxins and carcinogens firefighters are exposed to on scene and through residual effects of firefighting are better understood now than ever before and this requires immediate changes in the fire service to best protect our members. By combining research with fireground experience, this presentation will offer real world, practical, and common-sense best practices that can be immediately implemented to best protect yourself, your family and your department from dangerous exposures and cross contamination of fireground containments. Know your risk and the steps you and your department should be taking now to minimize this risk. Your future self will thank you for the steps you take today.

The speaker, a 30-plus year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, leads training for fire and police responders for Waymo and their autonomous vehicles. The session will explain how Waymo's technology works, including the differences between Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous vehicles. Attendees will learn what first responders can expect when they encounter a Waymo vehicle and how the vehicle will react to emergency equipment. The class will detail how responders can disconnect power, what they need to know about fighting fires in the vehicles and extrication techniques, and how get assistance during an incident. This training is essential to ensure that firefighters are prepared to safely interact with Waymo autonomous vehicles in the event of an emergency.

The "Strategic Six" in the First Five Minutes – Mike Daley – Captain – Monroe Twp. Fire Department
Positioning the First-Due Truck Company – Sexton Towns – Captain - Columbus Division of Fire
Extending the “Stretch” – Jacob Gates – Firefighter, Mifflin Twp. Division of Fire

Fires in below-grade areas are unlike any other fire to which we respond. The numerous dangers associated with advancing hoselines into these confined spaces while companies operate on the floors above have been linked to multiple firefighter fatalities, injuries and RIC deployments over the past few years. Valuable information from recent scientific studies by UL and NIST have pointed to intensified heat release rates, increased use of lightweight wood construction, wind-driven fires, improper fire suppression tactics, a lack of adequate ventilation, and inadequate water flow (gpm) as potential factors contributing to this rise in fatalities, injuries and RIC operations. Topics to be covered include incident management, size-up, search, ventilation, attack line selection and advancement, pre- and post-control overhaul, firefighter safety and rapid intervention.

One by one we will review celebrity deaths including publicly known facts and legends. We will review the history, the data, and the management. The ultimate goal is to sharpen our knowledge on the pathology involved and to inform our future care and management of patients. 

If your fire department is planning to acquire a new emergency vehicle of any type, the state of the apparatus industry has changed dramatically over the past three years. Your apparatus committee needs to be prepared to successfully negotiate through the purchasing process, especially at the critical points for the preconstruction engineering meeting and the final inspection. Each aspect of the process will be discussed with recommendations to ensure that your new apparatus purchase will be a success.

This workshop is designed for fire service instructors, fire officers, and anyone else who conducts company-level training sessions. The presenter will first provide attendees with an overview of the characteristics that make a “good” fire instructor before presenting the relevant research and best practices that promote student learning and engagement. The presentation will focus on the following key concepts: exemplary instructor characteristics, training drill preparation and execution, student engagement, learner attention span and learning retention. The session will conclude by recommending multiple engaging instructional practices and asking the attendees to identify ways to improve their own professional instructional practice.

Most fire officers and chiefs would choose root canal over performing a media interview. But spreading our message via the media is an important part of being a fire service leader. In this highly interactive session, participants will learn how to manage media interviews and use the media to help carry their fire department's message to the public. Examples of strong media performances by fire chiefs and officers will be reviewed, helping prepare attendees for the next time they are met with a camera or a microphone – whether it be at a fire scene or back at the fire station.

The movie “Moneyball” wasn't just a study of the fallacies of a baseball scout's intuition, it was a study into behavioral economics. Many of the same concepts of behavioral economics can be used for the fire service as well. We all exhibit the same irrational behaviors, but we continually apply a rational methodology when developing new policies and fixing problems (or missing the undervalued players who get on base). Applying the study of behavioral economics, fire service leaders will understand why vision statements work, how targeting can reduce turnout times, and how to reduce sick time. This presentation will allow attendees to understand the behaviors required to lead and affect change in their organizations.

Due to stress, trauma and elevated cortisol levels, many of us live in a continuous state of “high alert.” If left unmanaged, this continuous stress can lead to psychological and other health problems. In order to reduce stress and build resilience, we must deliberately activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This presentation will discuss how Polyvagal Theory can be used as a prevention tool to enhance mental wellness. Beyond the science, attendees will learn techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Some of these techniques will even be practiced in the classroom so attendees can experience how easily and effectively the strategies can be employed.

This program was created based on multiple, real- life incidents that identified the need for RIT teams to be better prepared for activation with a particular focus on potential rescues from elevated areas. This class will discuss various ways to approach non- routine training for RIT Team operations. Topics include performing effective scene size- ups, techniques for performing rescues from a roof top or elevated area, understanding the decision-making process, and roles of the company officer and incident commander during a mayday. We will identify and evaluate actual mayday situations that may and did go unnoticed and how to take a realistic approach to recognizing future mayday situations. We will also review real life incidents and discuss how a domino effect of fireground issues often occurs leading up to the mayday.

You’ve heard it many times before: “We’re default aggressive!” But what does that really mean and how exactly do we live up to that mantra? ‘Aggressive’ is one of the most over and mis used words in the modern fire service, and because of that, confusion has been created in some people’s minds on how to live up to or exist around the many misrepresentations of what an aggressive firefighter or operation is or should be. This program looks at some of those misrepresentations, how they came to be, and how we can move past them to develop fire-ground doctrine that more effectively meets our sworn obligation to the public and each other. It outlines strategies and tactics that can be utilized by firefighters and fire officers to plan, organize, train for and execute safe and efficient fire-ground operations, becoming ‘default effective’, while not compromising our mission values personally or as a service in order to do so. Specifically, this program applies proven ideology, applied to the fire service, that allows us to gather incident intelligence, develop and maintain situational awareness, exploit available opportunity, gain and maintain control of critical territory, develop an effective incident tempo and maintain that momentum, gain control of fire development and limit its growth and how we can build upon those accomplishments to effectively and efficiently bring an incident under control and to a safe conclusion.

Funding is getting harder and harder to come by, and fire departments are forced to stretch their precious dollars to the limit each year. Unique funding sources are out there, but figuring out how and who to approach is often a lesson in futility. Timing of requests is also paramount in the successful acquisition of funds and materials for training props. These 20 training props—and the drills that go with them—won’t break the budget but will afford quality training to your department. This program will not only supply the attendee with 20 outstanding training props that may be constructed with little to no financial outlay, it will also identify some unique, outside the box funding and materials sources that many departments overlook.

We have all been there, the fire that goes sideways; we struggle to get it back on track. When tactical mistakes happen early in a fire, things tend to continue down that path. These fires happen all too often, yet we fail to address the real issue, bad tactical decisions. Tactical traps are all over the place on fire scenes and are often overlooked. This class will discuss several common traps, such as discount auto part stores, dollar stores, and all Type II construction buildings. We will discuss fortified rear doors, partition walls, and heavy fire loads. Also covered will be access to balloon frame void fires and cockloft and attic fires and basement fires to electric cars, hoarders' conditions to vertical stretches. Your initial tactical considerations will dictate the outcome of the fire. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. It's how we recover from those mistakes. Unfortunately, no one on the fireground is coming behind you to fix your problem. The presenters have 33 years of experience riding an engine company and 21 from the right front seat. Experience matters! We only get one chance to set the tone for the entire fire.

This class is geared toward professionals who wish to expand their abilities in leadership. It is aimed at anyone who wishes to lead at any level and is rooted in improving team performance and has application in both the public and private sectors. Thousands of fire service professionals have attended the Fully Involved Leadership Seminars and are now among the involved. Getting team members to pull towards a common goal is a key component in successful operations. This class gives attendees the tools to create a pact that is applicable to all levels of the organization.

The purpose of this course is to prepare upcoming leaders, while also refreshing current leaders, for why incorporating passion into their leadership is important. It discusses team building, the importance of honesty and good communication while creating awareness of bad traits like gossip, malice and ego. It is designed to be a journey of lessons learned through understanding tradition, dedication, mutual trust, humility and the importance of family. It teaches you how to eliminate complacency and strive for success, how to achieve goals in both life and your career. The difference between pride and ego and most importantly the different sides of the passion sword. The presenter will discuss how using passion for good things will help you become a great leader or by using passion in a close-minded blind way will make you lose your following. The main objective is to motivate leaders to incorporate passion in their leadership style while inspiring their people to love the job as much as they do. Passion is our fuel, it’s what makes us go where we go, but unfortunately, we sometimes lose that fuel and we become complacent. This course will help bring you back to that day when you first became a firefighter and remind you of that love and eliminate the complacency that has set in over the years. Passion is the difference between doing things because you WANT to and doing things because you HAVE to. The best leaders have the drive and passion to make themselves and their people better every day.

Whether your department runs a dedicated rescue company or not, fireground search and rescue, rapid intervention, vehicle extrication, and other heavy rescue skills must be refined before they are needed on an incident. This fast-paced session will introduce and discuss a variety of tried-and-true tips and tricks for training, fireground operations, extrication and technical rescue operations. Whether a department is just beginning its journey into rescue operations or has had a rescue company for decades, all attendees will leave this presentation with ideas that can be easily and quickly implemented at their own department.

Have we done a good job of developing resilient firefighters? Have we given them the tools to succeed over 30 years in a profession where we respond to the worst day of someone's life? Unfortunately, the research on mental health and suicide rates of emergency responders indicates that we have an issue that must be addressed. Therefore, during this class we will focus on why post-traumatic stress, acute stress disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder affect emergency responders all over the world and how we as leaders can provide resiliency training to combat this. Quite often emergency responders do not understand why they are feeling a certain way mentally and physically from the trauma witnessed on emergency scenes. This creates many challenges both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, responders may not know where to go for help or are afraid to ask for help due to the stigma and the "suck it up" mentality plaguing emergency services. During this workshop, the presenter will discuss the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, acute stress disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder from clinical research and from his own personal experience. Then we will discuss and practice self-help tools that can be utilized in the firehouse for self support and for peer support. These tools and techniques have been used for more than 100 years to combat stress and require no funding. It only requires a willingness to learn and take the information back to your department to help save those who save others.

This RIC class isn’t your average rapid intervention discussion. There are far too many classes that dive into this topic and only discuss why we need a RIC team at an incident and the handful of drills that may be conducted in order to work on these skills. From the probies to the chiefs, everyone should understand the vital need for a strong RIC culture within a department and furthermore within the individual firefighter. There seems to be a stigma associated with RIC teams; that these companies have a hurry-up-and-wait ideology when it comes to operating at a fire. Why must this be? Why can’t we as a fire service understand that the RIC team has one of the most important roles on the fireground, firefighter safety and if needed, rescue. This presentation dives into the why and how we can get to that level of understanding. One of the key concepts that is discussed is softening the building and being able to think steps ahead. RIC work isn’t about being a lawn shepherd but rather about being an educated and trained problem solving firefighter. RIC continues to be a vital element of the job that lacks attention overall. In some areas, the RIC team is known as those who arrive on scene to stand around, in some areas it’s an engine company that brings a RIC pack up to the scene and then proceeds to operate as an engine company. In the firefighter one program, the curriculum barely discusses the topic and in the firefighter two program, there are three to four sessions that address the Nance Drill, the Denver Drill, and how to convert an SCBA. We are setting our own up for failure. As a mutual-aid RIC chairman, the topic is gaining support to continue developing the topic both physically and mentally. RIC operations involve everything from being prepared, knowing emergency operations, and understanding how to think ahead at an incident. RIC training doesn't have to be high end; you can do it every day using everything you have. If you need to train on a budget, we'll show you what you can do to take advantage of that opportunity. Some of the trainings discussed include entanglements, SCBA conversations, RIT packs, and more. This presentation also briefly discusses RIC teams and interoperability at different incidents like complex rescue and water incidents. If you’re not thinking about RIC operations as a rookie, you’re behind the ball, and cheating yourself and your brothers.

Firefighters worldwide are responding to an increased number of fires that occur inside cluttered conditions. Cluttered environments are found in every type of occupancy. From single-family mobile homes to multifamily dwellings, the number of cluttered environments is increasing. With this increase, the need to adjust search techniques for both fire and victims requires firefighters to think outside the box from the “normal.” During this highly interactive class the attendees will learn lessons from successful rescues, near-miss events, and tactics that will increase the chances of making a rescue inside cluttered environments.

As adequate staffing continues to become more of a fantasy than a reality for many departments, the modern company officer is asked to wear many hats ranging from tailboard firefighter to command level officer. With a strong company officer often being the difference between fireground failure and success, we must reconsider what we are asking of our company officers and how they carry out their duties. This class aims to empower and encourage company officers battling the realities of limited manpower armed only with strategies found in formal training and education designed for staffing models that are no longer realistic for the average fire department. We will break down how to balance firemanship and leadership, adapting leadership and managerial responsibilities to low staffing environments, the delicate balance of mentor and boss, proper approaches to delegation, the importance of humility, and strategies for accomplishing mission critical tasks early in the incident without the manpower to do so. By bridging personal and departmental expectations with the realities of limited manpower, current and aspiring company officers will leave with the tools and attitudes necessary to successfully lead their teams both on and off the fireground!

The rural incident commander faces many challenges within the first 10 minutes on an emergency scene. Responding to fire and other emergency incidents in rural areas vastly differ from those in the urban environment. Low manpower, limited resources, and the need for efficient tactics are some of the challenges faced by the incident commander. Over the next 90 minutes, the attendee will embark on a journey as an incident commander in a rural environment. During the journey the attendee will see the similarities and differences between rural, suburban, and urban firefighting from the viewpoint of the incident commander. The attendee will then be able to navigate the challenges that a rural incited commander may face.

This fun and engaging personal leadership development class is designed to inspire, educate and motivate attendees on caring for the organizational spirit! As firefighters, we typically sit back and wait for the leaders at the top to move our organization forward when the momentum we need is actually located at the bottom. To build and/or maintain a winning organization we need everyone to bring their “A” game! Take control of the things you can change and let go of the things you cannot. If you are a firefighter, stop complaining and start doing; if you are an officer, stop protecting and start correcting; if you are a chief officer, stop talking and start listening. It is time we all come together, shed the negative narrative, and become part of the solution. If you love the job, want to have fun, and be the change, then this class is for you!

In 2005, the events that took place in the first 15 minutes of a large church fire would become a life-changing event for the crews involved. This fire would result in a “near-miss” for the first-due fire crew when the officer and firefighter became separated, disoriented and lost on the second floor with rapidly changing fire conditions. With the air in their SCBAs depleted, a mayday was called. Heavy radio traffic, the incident commander changeover, and an unaccounted-for crew member caused the mayday to go undetected, along with communication errors as interior operations were being conducted. This class is a first-hand account of the lessons learned from the perspective of a then-firefighter, a promoted fire officer, and current instructor who have become valuable teaching tools for the entire department. All levels of leadership and operational personnel will learn the importance of knowing that rehearsing basic firefighter skills can save your life.

The pros and cons of both mid-mount and rear mount apparatus operationally and in design of aerial ladders and tower ladders included. Important decisions your department must make before designing your next aerial ladder in order to purchase a rig that will fit your needs will be discussed. Topics include deciding on mid-mount vs. rear-mount vs tiller aerials and whether an elevated platform is beneficial. Presenter will also discuss equipment placement and tool mounting (also useful for pumpers) on apparatus so that tools, ladders and components are easily accessible while making sure the rig is mission-ready based on response needs.

Is your volunteer fire department struggling to maintain relevance in our changing society? Does your current service delivery model meet the needs and expectations of your community? Are you struggling to recruit, train, and retain members? Each day, it seems that the news feeds contain a story about a volunteer department closing its doors, in financial trouble, or even worse legal trouble. There seems to be a nationwide panic about the critical shortage of volunteers. Does it have to be this way? In this class, we will: examine how industry and societal trends impact today's volunteer fire service, take a hard look at the way we've always done it, as well as share and develop alternative ways to recruit, market, lead, train, and manage our departments and members.

Every aspect of a response to a structure fire should be built around operating with an aggressive mindset and maximum efficiency. Operational tempo must speed up to keep pace with the rapid fire spread, uncertainty, and danger present on the modern fire scene. The ability to view an active fire scene, draw rapid conclusions, make rapid decisions, and monitor outcomes requires skill and practice and often is the key to successful operations. When the pressure is on, great fire company officers remain laser-focused, confident, and fully in charge of their crews. In short, these great officers are successful because they have a superior decision-making process. This workshop will present a process designed to assist fire service personnel with quickly interpreting information presented on the fire scene, improving situational awareness, identifying and analyzing risk, and making rapid decisions while operating on the most chaotic of incidents. Topics covered include preparation, fireground tactics, fireground risk factors, rapid risk assessment, personal development, situational awareness, and avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes. Participants will be provided with the tools and information that will enable them to develop their own rapid decision-making model. How prepared are you, your crew, and your department to respond to this unique and growing challenge adequately and safely?

Today’s structure fires are more dangerous than ever before. Lightweight construction, low-mass synthetics and open-space floorplans have created a perfect storm for rapid, prolific fire growth and extreme behavior. It is imperative for firefighters of all ranks and experience levels to be prepared for this new battle. The Art of Reading Smoke, developed by Dave Dodson and continued by Rob Backer, provides the knowledge necessary for first-arriving firefighters, officers and chief officers to determine the fire’s location, progression and future “from the seat” before seeing any flame. This knowledge ensures that the correct tactics are implemented for the best possible outcome. Through the extensive use of actual fireground videos, first-time attendees will develop, and returning attendees will refine their knowledge and skills to become INTELLECTUALLY aggressive firefighters, rather than ARBITRARILY aggressive. The next generation of Reading Smoke brings new research, a new library of videos and discussions on cancer prevention, tactics and strategies to develop the next generation of aggressive interior firefighting!

Lives and critical infrastructure are more vulnerable to floods today than they have ever been. Flooding events are becoming more common in our communities. The “300-year flood” has been happening every 2–5 years, with smaller floods occurring multiple times per year. Rescue teams are increasingly challenged by the dynamic environments and unique threats encountered when our streets and towns turn into raging rivers and lakes. Specific training and planning are keys to a successful operation! In this non-traditional class, rescue professionals will gain new insight into the types of urban flood rescues they are now routinely called to perform. Attendees can expect to walk away with a comprehensive understanding of urban water hydrology, hazards, scene size-up, the rescue sequence, patient contact and assessment, patient transportation, vehicles in water, specialized resources, and nighttime operations.

Join this interactive session that wraps up Firehouse Expo 2023 with two veteran incident commanders, and strong proponents of training, as they share insights and debate operations. The two will explain their philosophies of what makes firefighters both smart and tough, and then take you through several incidents (some which they know, some they do not) using photos and video to further explain their points of view. They will share their unique passions about aggressively smart fireground operations. They want this session to be interactive, so bring your questions. Like no two firegrounds, no two incidents will be the same and Chiefs Davis and DeYear will illustrate why aggressive firefighters need experience and training to formulate their Plans B and C. *Email incident photos/videos you would like to be considered to peter@firehouse.com.