As individuals, we carry the weight of everyday stresses around each day: work, family, financial status, having more time to enjoy life. Couple that with the mental stresses of emergency response: witness to life and property loss, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and we are equal to a ticking time bomb. Come learn how to identify the signs of stress and how to combat stress in order to maintain mental wellness.

This class will be taught by various OSFM staff. The Office of the State Fire Marshal performs primary origin and cause investigations in 16 of the 23 Counties.

This course will dive into firefighter cancer statistics and causes and will bring achievable, practical applications to the attendee, that will go a long way in the reduction of those statistics.

This course reviews best practices for creating a robust training program in a volunteer fire department. You will learn how to ensure your training program produces positive outcomes, accomplishes training goals, and prepares members to run safe and effective operations.

This workshop will help fire service personnel learn how to better relate to hard-to-reach populations to increase empathy, deliver effective education, build community collaborations, and positively affect change within their community to reduce life safety risks. Attendees will gain an understanding of why barriers exist and how to reach these vulnerable populations to create a culture of safety. This keynote will not only inspire attendees to embrace change but will also offer the steps to create personal and organizational change.

Engine Operator Hydraulics 101 will cover the fundamental basics of fire ground hydraulics and help attendees understand the importance of them.

This is the 12-hour psychomotor skills session required for Maryland EMT recertification. Class will be conducted in three four-hour sessions.

According to 2017 Natation Fire Protection Association statistics, fires in one- and two-family homes accounted for 53 percent of all structure fires. Often, these fires occur in dwellings that contain occupiable half-stories constructed with knee walls, which present tremendous challenges to responding firefighters and have resulted in numerous Maydays. Building construction containing knee walls can be found in most every community from urban to rural, in older legacy homes, as well as in modern pre-manufactured truss homes. Knee walls can conceal tremendous amounts of combustible gases that are waiting for the proper mixture to ignite. Members can easily be on the fire floor with no smoke and little to no heat conditions. As soon as members open up the knee walls, extreme fire conditions can erupt with little to no warning. Students will learn the severe hazards that knee walls present, how to recognize them early, and how to safely mitigate incidents involving the

This presentation will discuss the challenges that remote communities pose and how to overcome them.

The CIREN process combines prospective data collection with professional multidisciplinary analysis of medical and engineering evidence to determine injury causation in every crash investigation conducted.

Intoxicated Leadership takes the distinctive approach of helping students understand the role our emotions play in either aiding or undermining leadership efforts both in emergencies and back at the station.

The presentation will cover the importance of wearing a bike helmet correctly on every ride. Head injuries are the leading cause of injury and death to bicycles, and helmets are a proven safety measure.

Fire and EMS personnel sometimes transport children in vehicles other than ambulances. What are the essential things to know and do to keep children safe? What new restraints, features on car seats, or products are available, and what makes them helpful for certain situations? This workshop will combine Power Point lecture, video, and hands-on activities with car seats, training dolls, and a vehicle seat simulator. Resources on CPS will be shared with attendees. If you have not read a car seat manual or seen a training video in the last couple years then your information and skills in child passenger safety may be out of date, and this workshop is for you!

Presented by: Matt May, Premier Team Building & Interactive Experiences What is the first thing you think of when you hear (or read) “team building”? Why does team building, whether you spell it as one word or two, have such a negative connotation to so many? For those who are naturally active and/or outgoing, team […]

Habits involve repeating a behavior and getting rewarded for it, so that it is repeated over and over, without conscious thought.

The good the bad and the ugly of the fire service. Interactive discussion into all subjects of the fire service from nozzles to mental health and the stigmas attached to them. No subject will be left out there is nothing we won't discuss. So, bring your opinions and ideas. This class is an open forum for general fire service discussions, history of the fire department, deep traditions of the fire service.

It is estimated that > 90% of drownings are preventable. When water is aspirated into the airways, a cascade pf physiological events occur effecting ventilation and perfusion with long term effects and death.

By combining a new way of approaching recruitment and retention with educational programs that are readily available to all, the volunteer fire service can take advantage of fire service training courses, free online college courses, and grant-funded College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams to offer benefits to its members that rival the Montgomery GI Bill.

Times have changed and with that so have the fire service. The way we learn, the way we teach and the way we fight fires have all been affected. From the senior man to the rookie, we will look at the influences, history, generations and current events that affect the way we do business.

This session covers what human trafficking is, what it looks like, what we as EMS providers should look for, and what we should do if we think someone is being trafficked. This class will provide 2 hours of medical continuing education.

Presented by: MFRI Room 215  

This course will have the students rotate between three stations. The stations will give the students different challenging evolutions to test their thinking.

The purpose of this class is to provide and demonstrate practical drills that members of an engine company can perform to be proficient at one of the most important jobs on the fire scene: Extinguish the Fire! To practice and perform engine company work regularly using fire ground proven methods. To learn the duties of an engine company correctly and efficiently- "Take Time to Make Time"

In this session, we will discuss the difference between risk assessment and managing risk. We will also cover the methods and benefits of critical decision-making on the fire ground and the problems associated with delayed or poor choices.

This presentation is created to provide and understanding of the line of duty death definitions and criteria from four national fire service organizations.

This session reintroduces the participant to risk control with emphasis on identifying, managing, and controlling risk as well as potential risk pitfalls in ESOs.

Today’s volunteer emergency services leaders are challenged with meeting the financial demands of sustaining current operations and funding the high costs of equipment and apparatus replacement.

Over the last several years, there has been a push to discontinue the practice of interior fire attack or operating in the “offensive” mode on the fire ground.

This lecture will discuss ladder operations for minimum manning departments. How to successfully use your manpower wisely. We have all been in the situation of needing to throw ladders and perform multiple operations when we do not have the proper staffing. This class will teach you several ways and techniques to assist you with performing job functions with limited personnel. We will also discuss: Two ladder Operations, Courtyard carry, assortment of tools you might need to take with you. How you can use multiple ladders for window rescues and vertical ventilation. Finally, what ladders do you carry on your apparatus and how will they best be utilized?

The seminar will present the results of a FEMA-funded study conducted by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) and the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD).

"The fire service is not the same as it was 25 years ago. Tailboard riding is out, bunker gear is in and YES, fires are burning hotter than ever before. Our aggressive nature is good but we must be educated in today’s pitfalls to attain positive results. This program is designed to discuss these issues and how today's fire officer and senior firefighter can mold a company / department of “Street-Smart Firefighters”. Emphasis will be on the role of the company officer.

Application of the precepts of resiliency for the firefighter and development of "code" as a reminder for self-care.

The presentation will take a look at the importance of our two families. The one at home and the one at the station and how to make sure we never lose it and what we can do to bring it back. Discussion will include lessons learned along with sharing ideas to help build strong families.

A complete shift in attitude was the catalyst to personal and professional success but more importantly allowed me the privilege to help others succeed as well. We have created 12 simple rules to succeed at home and in the firehouse.

Presented by: OC FOOLS with instruction by Tai Rondeau, FF/PM, Milwaukee Fire Dept Room 205  

Quality leadership is essential for the fire and emergency services to accomplish the mission and improve your department. This course examines leadership styles, qualities, ethics, and best practices to help your department function at a high level and avoid fire and emergency services leadership pitfalls. New retention research will also be discussed to help leaders understand retention concerns and identify solutions.

Necrotizing Fasciitis is a rare life-threatening bacterial infection characterized by a rapidly spreading inflammation resulting in necrosis of the subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia.

This program will present tactical risks and key considerations for the first due company, company officer, and commander affecting and influencing operational risk management, command and tactical safety, and tactical protocols based upon occupancy risks, reading the building and adaptive management principles.

Presented by: Chaplain Richard “Chappy” Bower Room 201 In this training block, Fire Chiefs, Officers and Presidents will be able to explain why a Chaplain is a “Force Multiplier” to the Fire/EMS companies by: • Stating the increased difficulties of fire Officers due to new building techniques and materials • Explaining the increased responsibilities upon […]

If you aspire to be the next generation of leader to reach the summit, it is critical to have key leadership skills to engage and motivate your teams to higher performance.

The Engine Company is a critical part of a working fire. Fire Departments of all sizes must have a fire ground functional Engine. Your citizens, your members, and your life depend on it. This course will examine three major concepts that will help make your engine and members successful on the fire ground. The first concept examines basic design. This will include, compartments, wheelbase, overall length, ladder storage, and hose height. The second concept will examine the pump and how to get water to the seat of the fire. This includes pump, plumbing, gauges, tank size, and foam, why or why not. The third concept will examine the flow and where the water goes. This included staffing, hose, and nozzles. Focusing on these three major concepts when designing your next Engine, ensures you will be winning at today’s Working Fire.

How the fire service needs to be knowledgeable, engaged, prepared (informed/educated) in today’s political arena.

Pediatric Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (POHCA) occur in Maryland almost daily and the survival rate is low. Survival is directly impacted by the response of everyone in the Chain of Survival.

The NVFC published the textbook Volunteer Fire Service Culture – Essential Strategies for Success as a guide to fire service leaders who desire to change their department’s culture and attitude towards personal health and safety. This training delves into key points from the guide to reinforce the need for change and provide a roadmap for implementation of change to improve the health and safety of volunteer fire and EMS responders.

This is a highly specialized skill set and caring for victims/patients entrapped in machinery requires providers to be trained in specific treatment modalities and the possible complications that may arise. Tool selection, patient stabilization techniques, and crush injury syndrome will be discussed as well as several actual case studies.

Presented by: MFRI Room 215 If you haven't had personal experience with Mental Health Issues, what are you looking for and how do you refer persons that present with undiagnosed mental health issues. "Know when to hold them and know when to fold them". A basic instruction on the personality disorders and mood disorders. Power […]

This program would focus on what the apparatus committee should expect in preparing for the preconstruction conference, change order approval process, review and sign off on production materials.

The “Know Your Gear- Overview” program reviews how and why firefighters need to maintain PPE and select the proper PPE. Continually, the program reviews the fire departments' required risk assessment and standard operating guidelines for the maintenance and selection of PPE.

Instructor will focus on the in-station preventative maintenance, expectations of pump operators, station duties,
driving responsibilities and expectations of the apparatus operators from others responding to scene. This class
will focus on the day to day operations of a pump operator and what information they need to know in order to
operate successfully at a fireground or emergency incident that they would be responding too. This class is not
designed to be a pumps training class but rather all the operations that a driver/operator is expected to complete
in a normal shift.

Many of us have experience teaching at the company level but when it comes time to teach new recruits, or take over a recruit training program the responsibilities are quite a bit different. This Lecture goes over how to organize the recruit training program, teaching methodology to get the most out of the new people, and a ton of drills and exercises to make sure they get to where you need them skills wise.

If you haven't had personal experience with Mental Health Issues, what are you looking for and how do you refer persons that present with undiagnosed mental health issues

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is a term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1-year old in which the cause was not obvious before investigation.

Fire/EMS companies pay for insurance just in case something happens. When “just in case” shows up at your station, are you really covered?

Being educated in trauma-informed care strategies has numerous benefits. Knowledge in this area helps us with our day-to-day interactions with our loved ones, friends, and even strangers.

This class will teach First Responders how to use a meter properly and understand the readings they see and the implications of such on emergency response.

Utilizing facilitated conversation and a series of interactive exercises, this presentation outlines the three major phases of the “Volunteer Life Cycle”: Recruitment, Onboarding and Retention to offer a framework for sizing up the health and wellness of your organization’s culture and processes.

Presenting insights on building construction for today’s fire service, the primary objective of this program is to increase awareness and understandings and promote new skillsets in the fundamentals of building construction, architecture, engineering and design, that directly impact firefighting and command operations at structure fires