Join us at Firehouse Expo in Nashville, Oct. 18-22, for dozens of opportunities to climb the career ladder or improve yourself and your career.
Following is a list of sessions design to navigate the fire service career, whether you are a career or volunteer firefighter.
Firehouse Ambassador Program
Firehouse is looking for 150 firefighter applicants, recruits or college students currently enrolled in a college or university fire science program to help support our staff at Firehouse Expo 2016. Each Ambassador will be required to commit to volunteering a minimum of 16 hours during the show. Selected Ambassadors will be assigned support duties, which will include hands-on training, classroom and registration support, instructor liaison, room monitoring, etc.
Preconference Sessions
These four- and eight-hour sessions include in-depth discussions on a variety of topics. Attendees must pre-register for these programs, which take place on Oct. 19.
10 Rules for Leadership Success
Les Karpluk, Fire Chief (ret.), Genesis 2020 Solutions
Leadership is nothing new in the firehouse. It’s easy to get discouraged, however, with all the leadership theories regarding motivation and self-growth. The title of this presentation, 10 Rules for Leadership Success, sums up the focus of the discussion. It is a simple and straightforward class with an instructor who’s learned from 32 years of experience.
H.O.T. for Marriage Workshop
Lori Mercer, Founder, 24/7 Commitment
This 3-hour workshop includes talks and hands-on activities that firefighter couples perform together to strengthen their marriage, especially as it pertains to the challenges and benefits of the fire life. All activities are performed within a classroom (i.e. we aren't spraying water at this one!)
The Leader as Coach
Brian Crandell, Fire Chief (ret.) Rae & Sourdough (MT) FD
This is an intensive, interactive, multimedia course that uses discussion, hands-on simulations and exercises to develop training and leadership skills in fire officers and fire instructors. We will apply the most current understanding of how firefighters are effectively training and supervised, and how instructors and supervisors can best improve their performances.
Tactical Resiliency Training
Ric Jorge, Firefighter, Palm Beach County (FL) FD
The correlation between mindset and performance is tied together by explaining resiliency techniques combined with training methodologies used to develop firefighters. Topics include mental toughness techniques, rumination, breathing techniques, training, and character. Technology has been used to verify much of the data regarding the effectiveness of training and resiliency.
Conference sessions
These 90-minute sessions take place Oct. 20-22.
Friday
Fireground Leadership: Attitudes and Behaviors Shape Our Culture
Mike Bryant, Deputy Chief (ret.), Los Angeles County CA, FD; Elite Command Training Group
Attitudes and behaviors drive your fireground culture within your fire department. This presentation will identify fireground operations and the way firefighters think, feel and act. We will discuss our good/bad habits and actions, and how firefighters apply them on the
fireground. Organizational learning is crucial to risk management.
Management Case Studies for Chief Fire Officers
Gary Ludwig, Fire Chief, Champaign, IL, FD
Join this interactive group discussion with real administrative and operational scenarios that other chief officers have faced and see if you can make the right decision on how to manage and resolve a problem instead of making it worse. We all make decisions and resolve problems based upon our experience, background, religious beliefs, and culture.
Contemporary Issues Facing the Fire Service
Jeff Shupe, Division Chief (ret), Cleveland (OH) FD
The objective of this class is to give students help and information so they can make logical decisions on the job. We will examine everything from historical events to fire service icons, to our traditions, paramilitary structure, chain of command, technology, etc. We will also
examine a couple of fires, and the strategies and tactics employed.
Fire Service Mayday: Fire Department Survival Strategies of the Next Generation
Eric Saylors, Captain, Sacramento (CA) FD
How do you justify your budget? Historically the fire service focusing on measuring the value losses at incidents. However, simply measuring losses only demonstrates the magnitude of the event more than it illuminates the effectiveness of the fire department. And the more effective a fire department is at suppressing fires, the less the department appears to be needed. The fire service must change the narrative by measuring, quantifying, and reporting the value of saves opposed to losses in a standard format.
Overcoming Suppressive Leadership in the Fire Service
Justin Arnold, Captain, Portsmouth (VA) Fire Department – Governmental Affairs, ISFSI
This class will discuss suppressive leadership and what to do about it. Widely used in the fire service, it’s the top killer in career succession planning. And it’s not just an executive-level problem; it’s also a core problem with station officers. It can involve discouraging
classes, dismissing new ideas or criticizing past fireground performances.
Friday
Driving and Surviving the Cultural Change
Mike Wisko, Fire Chief, Galveston (TX) FD
For 20 years, we have heard that our culture is “killing us,” and we must therefore change it. This presentation will walk you through the cultural change occurring in one particular department, and discuss the ways the chief, who is driving the change, is also surviving the change.
Passing the Baton
Kelly Walsh, Owner & President, 1 Smart Career
How do we take the best of corporate succession planning and adapt it to the specialized needs of the fire service? This class will explore the idea of succession planning, as well as the key steps that should be taken by fire departments to help ensure they are cultivating and motivating future leaders.
Smartphones, Poor Choices
Curt Varone, Director Fire Service/EMS Division, Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute
Smart-phones have become such an essential tool of daily life that the U.S. Supreme Court recently remarked “the proverbial visitor from Mars might conclude they were an important feature of human anatomy.” Smart-phones offer fire and EMS personnel unprecedented access to real time information and the ability to share critical incident details with other responders. New applications are developed each day to help improve responder safety, accountability, resource tracking, and provide invaluable information. With opportunity comes risk and smart-phones pose a risk that poor choices by firefighters can cost them their careers and lead to expensive lawsuits. This program examines the legal issues associated with smartphone usage by fire and EMS personnel offering concrete solutions to address the risks.
Fire Service Hierarchy of Needs - What We Need in Order to Thrive
John Dixon, Lieutenant/Fire Instructor, Teaneck, NJ, FD/Bergen County, NJ, Fire Academy
What are the driving forces behind our actions? Why do we make the choices we do in the fire service as a whole? Leading the modern fire service requires a unique set of skills and needs. The first step towards understanding how we as firefighters and fire officers can become better servant leaders is to identify our personal and professional needs, develop action plans in order to achieve them, constantly evaluate our progress, and ultimately become the leaders who others need. Sadly, these skills are not often taught or discussed. This course will identify what specifically is needed for firefighters and fire officers to thrive in today's modern fireservice through an in-depth self-reflection of all of our needs professionally and personally.
Mayday for Mental Health
Patrick Kenny, Fire Chief, Western Springs (IL) FD
Is our culture, both inside and outside the fire service, a direct contributor to the idea that mental health disease is not actually a disease but rather a character deficiency? This presentation examines cultural beliefs relating to mental health awareness and how it is being
addressed or ignored in the fire service today.
Small-Group Leadership Dynamics: Growing Your Fire Department from the Bottom Up
Dr. Harry Carter, Ph.D., CFO FIFireE, Contributing Editor Firehouse Magazine
This class will present the latest theories on small-group dynamics and will teach attendees about the nature and impact these dynamics have on an organization. The importance of small-group dynamics in the development of effective teams within a fire department will also be examined.
The 10 Best Exercises for Firefighters
Aaron Zamzow, Firefighter/Training Officer, Madison (WI) FD
Multi-joint, whole-body exercises utilizing varying loads, muscular contraction speed and duration will benefit the fire rescue athlete far more than bodybuilding-style training, or traditional weightlifting machines. Discover the importance of choosing the correct exercises
to be more effective, move more efficiently and ultimately reduce injuries.
Things We Don't Talk About
Dan Sikorski, Fire Chief (ret.) West Seneca (NY) FD
We are everyday heroes that kids look up to. Some days are good, others not so good. Over our careers, we experience a vast variety of situations and emotional ups and downs. By attending this session you will be enlightened, gain understanding and learn how you can help each other.
Building an Effective Officer Development Training Program
Jared Meeker, District Fire Chief, Lake Shore (NY) FD
As the trend of reduced emergency responses continues and the resultant reduction in actual experience is realized, fire service personnel must rely on their training to guide them in making quick accurate decisions. This is a comprehensive training program for company and command officers to support the ongoing development of their incident management skills. Well planned simulation exercises using fireground photos, video, audio or computer incident simulation software will allow officers to gain experience managing a variety of challenging situations based on their department's capability and capacity.
Communicate Simply & Powerfully
Kelly Walsh, Owner & President, 1 Smart Career
Better communication has many benefits. For example, our interactions improve, and we possess better leadership presence. This presentation will improve your perception of how you send messages, including what non-verbal signals you give while communicating. Learning to master key communication concepts will optimize your leadership qualities.
Duty to Act: Leadership Case Studies
Curt Varone, Director Fire Service/EMS Division, Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute
Two EMTs refuse to provide aid to a pregnant woman because they are on a coffee break resulting in the death of the mother and her child. Firefighters and police stand on shore and watch as a mentally distressed man drowns in shallow water, prevented from intervening by a city decision to eliminate water rescue capabilities. EMS personnel stop performing CPR on a trauma patient and, over the objection of his spouse, discontinue transporting him to the hospital. Each of these cases raises a similar question: do emergency personnel have a legal duty to do more than they did? If so, how much more? Most firefighters and chiefs understand that when they act they must meet a certain standard of care. But what happens when we fail to act and someone is killed or injured? When do we have a duty to act? What are the ramifications of failing to act? If you are off-duty and act will you be covered by workers compensation? This program will address these challenging questions and more.
It's All About Numbers: Nutrition in the Fire Service
Jason Brahm, Founder, 1st Due Fit
More than 70 percent of domestic firefighters are overweight or obese. This program will give members the tools they need to make healthy dietary changes. Attendees will also learn about the myths of dieting, what when and how much we should be consuming, and what types of foods we need to achieve personal goals.
Motivation and Retention of Your Volunteers
Charles Helfin, State LEPC Coordinator, Indiana Department of Homeland Security
This presentation will focus on the challenges facing our volunteer agencies, as well as creative ways to address these challenges on limited budgets. We will provide cost-effective ways to motivate firefighters to attend meetings, trainings and other department events. We
will also discuss unique ways to reward volunteers and recruit members.
Saturday
10 Commandments of a Great Company Officer
Steve Prziborowski, Deputy Chief, Santa Clara County (CA) FD
Be inspired by the 10 Commandments and become the best company officer you can be, one that is truly a role model. This session is for current or future Company Officers who refuse to phone it in, or be "retired in place."
Action: Nine Missions for Personal & Professional Growth
Dr. David Griffin, Captain, Captain, Charleston (SC) FD
This course will focus on nine missions that attendees can embark upon to embrace their changing work environment. These missions will challenge attendees to perform tasks that they may normally shy away from. Interactive classroom discussions and team-building drills will also be used to help attendees take the information back to their departments.
Cultural Preservation: Molding the Next Generation
Mick Moffitt, CEO, TrainingDivision.com
The fire service culture is selfless and honorable, but how do we preserve it and pass it on? This presentation will cover the necessary leadership characteristics that all ranks must possess in order to preserve fire service culture and mold the next generation of firefighters.
Sweet Sleep: Why Sleep Deprivation May Be the Most Significant Threat to Firefighter Health and Safety in the Future
David F. Peterson, Fire Training Coordinator, Blackhawk Technical College
Firefighters and EMS workers frequently don’t get enough sleep. This poses a significant problem, as risk and health concerns both increase with lack of sleep. This presentation will cite several studies concerning sleep debt and firefighters, and will examine how to decrease these risks and prevent chronic health problems.
That's Why We're Here, But That's Not What We Do
Justin Schorr, Rescue Captain, San Francisco Fire Department
In this class, Rescue Captain Justin Schorr from the San Francisco Fire Department challenges the argument that firefighters are supposed to fight fires and perform CPR. Interacting with the public is just as important, if not more so, than stretching a line down a hallway or throwing a ladder—yet firefighters never train for it.
Toxic Leadership & Toxic Workplace Environments: Monitoring IDLH Conditions
Dave Emanuel, Assistant Chief Durham (NC) FD
This program will discuss toxic organizations, toxic workplace environments and toxic leaders. Attendees will share knowledge and experiences regarding these topics and will explore the potential impacts of working in such an environment. They will also determine how to strengthen their resiliency and employ strategies for organizational improvement and personal survival.
How To Best Prepare For Your Next Promotional Exam
Steve Prziborowski, Deputy Chief, Santa Clara County (CA) FD
If you are thinking of taking a promotional examination in the future, start preparing NOW. Too many candidates wait until the last minute to prepare, and are usually unsuccessful in the process. Attendees will be exposed to valuable preparation tips to help them succeed in their next promotional exam.
Intoxicated Leadership: How to Avoid Leading under the Influence of Your Emotions
Benjamin Martin, Lieutenant, Henrico County Division of Fire
This class reveals the truth about conflict management—some conflicts simply don’t get resolved…ever! Participants will receive an overview of emotional intelligence, and real-world tips that can be applied immediately to assist leaders in having easier conversations. Prepare to dump traditional conflict resolution classes on their heads.
Mindset: The Missing Piece
Jonathan Hall, Captain, St. Paul, MN FD
Throughout our fire service careers, we receive extensive training, yet we rarely obtain any on a crucial element: our mindset. Mastering the right mindset enables us to perform to high standards during stressful events. Attendees will learn the elements of mindset, how to instill them in training and practical application during actual incidents.
Normalization of Deviance: How to Overcome Complacency
John Dixon, Lieutenant/Fire Instructor, Teaneck, NJ, FD/Bergen County, NJ, Fire Academy
This course will examine the normalization of deviance and how the fire service is surrounded by it. The focus will be on organizational learning and leadership, as well as how to navigate through the “drift into failure” process. Attendees will also learn how to avoid the drift to prevent firefighter injuries and deaths.
A Survival Guide for the Newly Promoted Company Officer
James Jester, Captain, Salisbury Fire Department
This class will address company officer survival and success issues, such as reasons to promote, adapting to the position, leadership, engaging your crew, discipline, time management, performance evaluations and training. If you aspire to become a company officer, or you’ve recently been promoted but feel out of your element, this class is for you.
Evaluation Strategies for Company Officers, Mentors & Instructors
Paul Hasenmeier, Deputy Chief, Goshen Fire and EMS
In this presentation, students will be instructed on the strategies and techniques that will help them objectively evaluate an associate’s performance in various scenarios. Students will also learn the methods used to evaluate, goals of the evaluation process, difficulties
associated with evaluating and what errors should be prevented when evaluating.
Exceeding the Minimum Standards in Firefighter Professional Development
Justin Bailey, Assistant Fire Chief, Olivery Springs Fire Department
This class will discuss the minimum training standards for the professional firefighter and how to exceed those standards. Students will also be able to create a professional development plan that they can take back to their department to assist themselves and other members.
Stressed: It Changed Everything
Eric Clauss, Director, EMS Center of Excellence, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
This presentation will cover a topic that’s not often talked about within the healthcare and emergency community: cumulative stress. Attendees will learn how to identify individuals at high risk and how to provide appropriate assistance to them, which ultimately will increase retention and reduce burnout.
Striving for 25: Developing Resilience for your Career
David Wiklanski, Firefighter/EMT, New Brunswick Fire Department
Psychological resilience is our ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity. Higher resilience accounts for increased job satisfaction, reductions in sick time and a better working environment. This class will provide methods to develop and increase resilience to reduce anxiety, stress and behavioral issues that plague our chosen careers.
