Join us in Nashville for Firehouse Expo, Oct. 18-22.
This year's conference provides a wealth of training opportunities for those interested in learning more strategy and tactics, command and modern day hazards. Following is a comprehensive list of hands-on, preconference and class sessions focused technical rescue and training.
Hands-on Sessions
These four- and eight-hour sessions include hands-on training. Attendees must pre-register for these programs, which take place Oct. 18 and 19.
LIVE FIRE / RIT Under Fire
Gary Coney, Relief Lieutenant, Chicago FD
This program provides firefighters with the skills to effectively operate as a member of a rapid-intervention team (RIT), including firefighter drags and carries, breaching, heavy lifting with hydraulic and pneumatic tools, cutting utilizing a variety of torches, and hands-on, scenario-based, training involving a firefighter mayday. Skills are practiced under Live Fire conditions.
This class is being offered in partnership with the Illinois Fire Service Institute
University of Extrication - Advanced Scenario-based Vehicle Extrication
Ron Moore Training Officer, Prosper (TX) Fire Rescue
This 8-hour program involves rescue teams addressing NFPA 1006 & 1670 Technician-level vehicle rescue assignments. This hands-on training program features scenario-based extrication challenges using a wide variety of rescue tools and equipment. A 2016 model-year vehicle with ultra-high strength steels will be cut up during this training.
BIG RIG RESCUE: Overturns and Underrides
Billy Leach, Jr., Educational Committee Chairman, Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee
Students will learn the safest and most effective techniques for heavy lifting and stabilization of big rigs involved in collisions with smaller vehicles. A variety of tools will be used including air-lifting bags, cribbing, struts, Griphoist, wreckers, jacks and rigging gear.
First-Due Tactical Operations for Chemical Incident Hazards: Meth Lab, Chemical Suicides, CO and Related Emergencies
Phil Ambrose, Hazardous Materials Captain, Glendale (CA) FD
Students will respond to scenarios set in an “as real as it gets” environment with instructors who are also responders. Students will learn proper air-monitoring techniques, how to recognize different types of methamphetamine labs, see the signs related to potential chemical suicide and learn the decontamination challenges with each type of incident.
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.
Meth: It's Everywhere
Mike Wilkerson, Captain/Hazardous Materials, Nashville (TN) FD
This 4-hour awareness program is geared to all first responders and will discuss up-to-date, state-of-the-art procedures for identifying, isolating and mitigating any type of meth lab present in America today. This presentation is a must-see for firefighters, regardless of location, urban or rural.
A Look Inside the Illicit Manufacturing of Butane Hash Oil and the Dangers to First Responders
Siegfried Klein, Captain, Aurora (CO) FD
On January 1, 2014, Colorado enacted Amendment 64, which made recreational use and possession of marijuana and hash oil legal for people 21 years of age and older. As a consequence, many people in Colorado have been manufacturing the very lucrative and potent butane hash oil (BHO).
Since 2014, the manufacturing of BHO has led to 39 documented explosions in private and multi-family residences in Colorado. With more states considering the legalization of recreational marijuana, it is not a matter of if you will encounter a BHO explosion, but of when. Be prepared for the unusual circumstances these labs present and know what to look for to keep you and your crew safe.
This course will address the process of manufacturing BHO and address the chemicals, dangers and associated risks to first responders. Accepted practices developed by the Aurora Fire Department for BHO labs will be shared. This course includes demonstrative evidence seized by the Aurora Fire Department, fire and explosive investigators and will conclude with an actual recreation of a BHO fire in a burn cell.
Conference sessions
These 90-minute sessions take place Oct. 20-22.
Thursday
Elevator Emergencies
Tony Tricarico, Captain, FDNY (ret.)
This presentation will explore elevators and how they work, as well as the basics of elevator emergencies and how to handle them. We will cover everything from terminology, to elevator mechanisms and parts, to elevator recall, to the tools needed during an emergency, and how to safely rescue or recover persons trapped or fallen.
Forcible Exiting: The Fortified Rear Door
Buster Cooper, Captain (ret.) Conway (AR) FD
This workshop examines the application of and tools needed for forcible entry and exit situations. Students will view and discuss rotary saws, chainsaws, cutting blades, hand tools and training props. They will be able to identify forcible entry/exit situations, select appropriate tools and techniques, and make quick, safe entry into a closed structure.
The Company Officer As an Instructor
Brad French, Lieutenant, Dayton, OH, FD
Effective company officers are the key to overall operational success. This high-energy class will provide fire officers with various instructor resources and training ideas that are geared toward informal, company-based daily drills. With these elements, officers can more effectively reinforce skill competence and develop an intimate familiarity of their company’s first-due response district.
University of Extrication: Update on New Technologies and Tactics for Today's Modern Vehicles
Ron Moore Training Officer, Prosper (TX) Fire Rescue
Join Ron Moore as he brings his University of Extrication column to life with this 2016 update designed especially for vehicle rescue responders and training instructors. Get the latest on the new “stealth” hybrids and electric vehicles, “hidden” airbag restraint systems, the QR Code system, laminated side window glass and innovations in the use of advanced steels. Plus, update your tactics for keyless ignition systems, law enforcement vehicle extrications and more.
Pre-Meditated Responder Ambush
Robert Wylie, Fire Chief, Cottleville (MO) FD
Through case studies and best practices, students will learn the motivating factors and warning signs that may accompany violent assaults against first responders. They will also learn strategies and tactics for pre-planning their response to ambush-style attacks, improving their situational awareness and reacting to pre-meditated violence.
Friday
Grant Writing in Emergency Services
David Hasselmeyer, Owner/Primary Consultant, On Target Preparedness LLC
This presentation will focus on the grant-writing process and how to be successful. Grant writing is hard work, but many people don’t know fact from fiction. This presentation will dispel some of the grant-writing myths, explain the process, and give helpful hints for how to increase your changes of obtaining grant funding.
Management at Large Vehicle & Equipment Incidents
Robert Faugh, Commissioner/Instructor, Rush (NY) FD
Large-vehicle incident scenes can be stressful, fast-paced and tedious. They can involve everything from hazmat issues, to kinetic energy hazards, to lifting and moving issues—and injured victims. This 90-minute class will explore the key elements and issues you may need to address and should plan for when one of these incidents occur.
Rescue Task Force: Command & Control of an Active Shooter Event
Alan Berkowsky, Fire Chief Winnetka (IL) FD
This presentation is designed to provide chief officers with an introduction to the Rescue Task Force Concept and training model. It will help the chief officer understand the roles, responsibilities, terminology and operational procedures in order to support a Rescue Task Force (RTF) response during an active Shooter Event (ASE). The presentation will include video, real-world examples and best practices as to the deployment of Rescue Task Forces during these types of emergencies. Three phases to an ASE will be presented as well as the role of the fire department in each of the phases. Though Fire and Police often work side-by-side at emergencies, this presentation will encourage a paradigm shift in the manner we work together and the significance of modifying the current fire service staging model. The goal of the RTF is to extract patients as quickly as possible from the “warm zone” to definitive medical care. This will save lives!
Technical Rescue's Dirty Little Secret
Ron Zawlocki, Task Force Leader, MI,-TF1
This presentation teaches participants to apply critical thinking and system analysis to the shoring systems and practices used for trench rescue shoring. Current theories, myths and folklore are examined. Participants will also learn how to determine the potential soil forces on their shoring systems, and will determine the safety factors of trench rescue shoring systems.
Trench Operations: Are We Working for Rescue?
Patrick Moore, Instructor, Pennsylvania State Fire Academy
Today’s trench response often involves excavations that are not shored and have collapsed, and require rescue (or recovery). This class will discuss everything from new shoring equipment to new techniques, including vac trucks. We will answer the question: Is our training enabling us to work at speed for a safe, successful trench rescue?
How to Make Training Videos
Jamie Markham, Technician, Denver (CO) FD
This class will move firefighters/investigators toward a safer, healthier career by helping them recognize that they may be relying on techniques that lead them to future health issues. We will also discuss the dangers of being exposed to trace levels of harmful chemicals and the synergistic effects of multiple chemicals, which may increase risks for cancer.
Major Incidents - Are You Ready?
Bob Atlas, Battalion Chief, Contra Costa (CA) FD
The law of averages says you will eventually get to the “BIG ONE”, the only question is will you be ready? This session will take a hard look at actual incidents and what went well and what didn’t. Interactive discussion is key and the goal of this experience is for you to leave better prepared to handle what may happen to you tomorrow.
RIC for Real: Lessons Learned from 400 Firefighters
Paul Strong, Captain, Valley Regional Fire Authority (WA)
This class is presented as best practices from lessons learned through training that does not occur enough in our fire service - realistic, elevated stress training. Seconds matter to the trapped firefighter. We will discuss how 400 firefighters from 16 departments learned how to shave valuable time by operating more efficiently. We will also discuss how to approach rapid intervention training properly and to dump old habits that are setting you up for failure. Attendees will learn how every detail of their preparation and training for a firefighter rescue makes a difference in the outcome. Details regarding, PPE, communication, decision-making, leadership, and many other topics are covered.
Understanding Explosives and Keys to Surviving IED Incidents
Robert Burke, Owner, Hazardous Materials Consultant
Participants in this presentation will examine the basics of explosions, explosive materials and how these materials are crafted into improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They will also be given an overview of how to identify an IED, as well as how to render it safe and dispose of it properly.
Saturday
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.
Rope Rescue: From the Classroom to the Street
Christopher Garniewicz, Captain, Bluffton Township (SC) Fire District
Most low-angle rescue environments don’t require extensive equipment or weeks of training. This class provides an overview of options for the minimally-outfitted first-arriving company. By reducing the complexity and components needed, companies are more likely to train with the systems they will employ on scene.
Mayday Project
Don Abbott, President, CERT
The Mayday Project is a year-long study of 900 maydays. This presentation will cover information provided by the participants in regard to type of mayday, actions taken, injuries, rescue, medical care and critiques. This class will provide insight into individual/crew alerts, actions and communication. It will also provide information about incident command actions and communications.
The Reality of Saving Your Crew Tonight
Jeffrey Pindelski, Deputy Chief, Downers Grove (IL) FD
This program will provide participants with the blueprint they need to analyze their department’s capabilities so they can update thought processes and training programs to successfully mitigate safety and survival challenges on today’s fireground. All firefighters and officers, regardless of training background and experience, will benefit from this program.
1,000-Year Flood: Music City Review
Mike Franklin, Deputy Director, Nashville (TN) FD
This 90-minute session will focus on the 1,000-year flood that took place in Nashville, TN, during the first two weeks of May 2010. Included will be a discussion about resource activations (local, state and federal), as well as lessons learned and future contingency planning.
Getting the Equipment and Cutting the Cost
Bryan Jones, District Chief, Nashville Fire Dept.
Creating specifications to ensure your department receives the equipment and supplies it needs is an art form. This track will discuss the tricks of the trade to developing effective specs. We will also highlight contracts that provide competitive pricing on a daily basis, all within legal constraints.
Hazmat vs Fire Smoke...Toxicity of Fire Smoke is a Hazmat
Katie Roberts, Firefighter, Santa Clara County Fire
This course will discuss the dangers of smoke, how firefighters can protect themselves and how to treat exposure to carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. We will also discuss how to protect yourself from chemicals found in both structure and wildland fires, and how to utilize air monitoring for crews working outside the fire.
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.
Stress Inoculation Training: Preparing for the Worst
Dr. David Griffin, Captain, Charleston (SC) FD
This class will focus on the importance of adding stress inoculation to your training. Doing this will enable firefighters to experience heart and respiratory rates that match those during real-life emergencies. We will also discuss how to calm those physiological responses before making decisions on scene. This leads to better decision making and successful outcomes.
Railroad Incidents: Are You Ready for an HHFT Event?
Jeffrey Moran, Captain, Woodbridge, NJ, FD
This class will examine railroad operations, terminology, safety and derailment scene hazards. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the size and weight of rail equipment, how to determine who is responsible for a rail line, the unique challenges, needs and impediments of a derailment, pre-incident planning and where to find more in-depth training.
