MSFA Convention & Conference 2025
June 15 - June 19, 20252020 MSFA Annual Convention & Conference
Each June, the Maryland State Firemen's Association gathers for its annual Convention and Conference to conduct the business of the association and to provide insightful training and educational sessions for its membership. The MSFA welcomes you, your department, your business to take part in this annual meeting and educational event.
Virtual Online Training Schedule 6/22/2020
Online Virtual EventEvent presentations will be linked and videos embedded for you to view right on this page for your convenience directly under each specific presentation. But they are programmed to NOT be viewable until their specified times. June 22, 2020 _______________________________________________ 1200 hrs. Evidence-based Approaches to Reduce Exposure Risks – UL FSRI This course, based on […]
Virtual Online Training Schedule 6/23/2020
Online Virtual EventEvent presentations will be linked and videos embedded for you to view right on this page for your convenience directly under each specific presentation. But they are programmed to NOT be viewable until their specified times. June 23, 2020 ______________________________________________ 0900 hrs. Resilience (EMS) – Karen Deppa/ Michael Donohue Resilience Skills Training: Behavioral Health Primary […]
Virtual Online Training Schedule 6/24/2020
Online Virtual EventEvent presentations will be linked and videos embedded for you to view right on this page for your convenience directly under each specific presentation. But they are programmed to NOT be viewable until their specified times. June 24, 2020 __________________________________________ 0900 hrs. Critical Thinking (F) -- FF Nicholas Higgins Critical Thinking in the Fire Service […]
H.O.T.: TBD
This 4-hour, hands-on training course will cover ladder operations for those either assigned or not to a truck company and will show multiple ways to perform raises, operations, and tactics for correct placement of ladders.
Highway Safety Training Beyond the TIMS Class
In 2020, 46 emergency responders were struck & killed during secondary incidents while working along United States roadways, in 2019, 44 emergency responders are struck & killed. An average of two emergency responders are struck each day in the United States and an emergency responder is struck & injured every other day with an emergency responder struck & killed on average every eight days. Most of us have taken a 4-hour Traffic Incident Management (TIM) course focused on emergency responder safety but what else is out there and how can we work to get ourselves and our crew safe during a roadway incident? This session will build on the 4-hour TIM and talk about why we need to focus more on the dangers all responders face each day when at a roadway incident.
Pediatric Trauma Cases
Dr. Karen O'Connell will highlight the assessment findings and the treatment decisions to be sure children receive the Right Care When It Counts when they are injured. Presentation will cover the unique anatomic features of children leading to specific injury patterns and how to apply the Trauma Decision Tree to cases with infants, children and adolescents.
Resilience Skills Training (LIVE)
As emergency responders, you are so focused on taking care of others that you might forget to take care of yourself. That can make you vulnerable to burnout, depression, PTSD, and other behavioral health problems associated with an already stressful job complicated by a pandemic. Learn about the three primary skills (we call them the Three Pillars) that are most frequently associated with resilient responses in the fire and EMS community. These are skills that you can learn and practice to help prevent the effects of psychological distress. We will then guide you through three activities – one for each of the Three Pillars – so you can create your own tools to help strengthen your resilience for dealing with traumatic stress.
Recruitment & Retention; Developing your Game Plan (LIVE)
Volunteer fire and EMS agencies are experiencing challenges with recruitment and retention of personnel. This lecture will outline how departments can successfully recruit and retain personnel for their agency using current resources. The lecture will be based on a three-year doctoral study on retention and offer participants research-based/proven strategies to reduce turnover and increase recruitment among all generations of volunteers. Attendees will not only learn strategies to help overcome the biggest barriers to retention and recruitment of emergency personnel, but through both discussion, review of a planning document and hands-on activities, will be able to go home and draft a personalized plan to increase and maintain members.
Are We Really Operating Safe Apparatus?
Instructed by: Chief Baldwin and Tom Shand Premiers June 20, 2021 @ 11:00 - 12:00 Over the years our apparatus have become more complex, larger and heavier to operate and maintain to ensure safety and fleet reliability. The program will review past and present vehicle designs and how they impact your departments day to day […]
Four Pillars of Functional Fitness (LIVE)
Unfortunately, around 50% of annual on-duty deaths are typically attributed to heart attacks, strokes, and other medical causes. Firefighter Functional Fitness attacks these statistics by providing all firefighters with the tools needed to combat this epidemic. Firefighter Functional Fitness is the essential guide to optimal firefighter performance and longevity. It provides all firefighters with the knowledge, mindset, and tools to maximize their fire ground performance, reduce their risk of injury and experiencing a line-of-duty death, and have a long, healthy career and/or volunteer service and retirement.
Pediatric HP CPR
Learn from the Maryland EMSC CPR Pit Crew what is new & what is different about pediatric HPCPR. Presentation will include the cardiac science of high performance and why children still need to be ventilated from the start. The second half includes how ot work with the new QCPR infant and child manikins that are located in each EMS region for local company drills.
OC FOOLS Training – Drilling for Success (LIVE)
PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE FOR LIVE CLASSES LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE (LIVE) Instructed by: Capt. Keith Niemann, Wichita, KS, Fire Department Training Division; President, FOOLS of OZ From instructing recruits to company level training there are only so many hours allotted so every drill has to count. This class will discuss how […]
Impact of Horizontal Ventilation on Fire Behavior
Offered by: UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy In this course, you will examine the impact of modern construction practices and ventilation techniques on fire behavior from full-scale testing in realistic legacy and contemporary residential structures. (Original August 21, 2009) Click the link below and sign in 'if' you have an account or create an account […]
Pediatric TOR ABC’s
The death of a child in the out-of-hospital environment is very stressful for professionals and for the community. Maryland EMSC conducted town hall meetings statewide and PEMAC has revised the TOR protocol to include children of all ages. Dr. Jen Anders will discuss the protocol’s specific guidance, the availability of consultation and identification of resources for families and for professionals.
Influence of Building Construction
The Impact of Building Construction on Todays' Fireground cannot be understated. Building Construction is as fundamental to Structural Firefighting as Water is to Fire Suppression but has become relegated to a lower level of operational significance and importance. Today more than ever, understanding and comprehending building construction and its anatomy and the effects of fire dynamics on fire suppression operations is a must. Building Construction, Occupancy Risks along with Building Anatomy and the Predictability of Building Performance under fire conditions have a profound influence on the management of operations, identification of tactical protocols and deployment of resources. Understanding key inherent building performance characteristics and their relationships and variables in Command Decision-making methodologies and practices is fundamental to firefighting and incident management on today’s evolving and demanding fire ground.
Family in the Fire Service; Full Version (LIVE)
PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE FOR LIVE CLASSES LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE (LIVE) Instructed by: Chief Allen Baldwin, Stafford County, VA For many of us, this is a family calling or business, and, in the business, we have two families, the one at home and the one at the station. Family is one […]
Maryland EMS in Pandemic Vortex
Join us as Dr. Delbridge gives an up-to the minute update on where Maryland EMS stands today on important topics such as COVID-19, protocols, and licensure.
When Minutes Count: EMS Treatment of Severe Allergic Reactions
Instructed by: Dr. Timothy Chizmar, Maryland State Medical Director https://youtu.be/_sljorUCRKY Premieres Jun 22, 2021 at 10:00am Allergic reactions can be some of the most rewarding calls in EMS. Rapid, appropriate treatment can lead to favorable patient outcomes, while missing subtle assessment clues or delays in treatment may be deadly. Dr. Chizmar will discuss the nuances […]
Fire & EMS Officer Training; Managing Psych. Health (LIVE)
Over the years the responsibilities of the Fire Chief and Offers have not changed, but the difficulties of successfully meeting them has. Suicide among 1st Responders has, and is, rapidly increasing to where more are dying by their own hand than LODD's. PTSD is now a realized occupational hazard. To their already overloaded duties, fire officers are increasingly being held responsible for not only the safety, but also the psychosocial, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all under their fire/EMS command.
Understanding the Why of Seatbelts
Dr. Janet Bahouth will contrasts actual crashes and injury outcomes for restrained versus non-belted occupants. The presentation includes background information on crash dynamics, how both seat belts and car seats are designed to protect us in a crash, and the energy exchange that causes specific injuries. Actual crash scene investigations will demonstrate injury patterns in different seating positions.
Man Vs Machinery – OC FOOLS – Capt. Mark Gregory
Man Vs Machinery – OC FOOLS – Capt. Mark Gregory DUE TO YOUTUBE AGE AND GRAPHIC CONTENT RESTRICTIONS OF THIS VIDEO YOU *MUST* CLICK THE "WATCH ON YOUTUBE" LINK ON THE VIDEO, THEN LOG IN TO YOUR YOUTUBE ACCOUNT TO VERIFY AGE (18+) TO VIEW THIS CLASS Man vs Machinery incidents occur across the country. […]
CIREN – Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network: Crash Analysis (LIVE)
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. The mission of the CIREN is to improve the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of motor vehicle crash injuries to reduce deaths, disabilities, and human and economic costs. The current CIREN model utilizes two types of centers, medical and engineering. Medical centers are based at level one trauma centers that admit large numbers of people injured in motor vehicle crashes, such as R. Adams Cowley at the University of Maryland.
Insurance Must Have’s for Fire Departments (LIVE)
Numerous important insurance topics, personal-level and station-level, will be covered in this session.
Shock Trauma Go Team Presentation
This 30-minute presentation gives and in-depth look into the Shock Trauma Go Team; what they do, who they are, and when they are called in to action.
Main Street Fires
Main Streets, both large or small compromise many jurisdictions and have been a primary feature and risk for decades. The fundamental building type that is found on many Main Streets and commonly found in nearly all jurisdictions and response areas throughout the United States, fires in these buildings and areas can present significant challenges and operational risks. An overview of construction systems, inherent building characteristics and operational considerations on strategies and tactics for all ranks and personnel will be presented.
Medication Safety; Poison Prev. for Families
Medications are the leading cause of child poisoning with 38% of child poisoning involves a grandparent’s medication. Children under 5 are at the greatest risk and adults can do three things to change that: Safe Storage, Safe Dosing, Poison Center resources. OTC – Over The Counter medication safety is directed specifically to 5th and 6th graders.
2022 MSFA Annual Convention & Conference
Each June, the Maryland State Firemen's Association gathers for its annual Convention and Conference to conduct the business of the association and to provide insightful training and educational sessions for its membership. The MSFA welcomes you, your department, your business to take part in this annual meeting and educational event.
Engaging At-Risk Populations to Reduce Safety Risks for Fire & EMS
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis 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.
It’s Ok to Say I’m Not Ok
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesAs 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.
When to Call A Fire Investigator/ Smoke & CO Alarm Requirements
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis 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.
Cancer Reduction – A No-nonsense Approach
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis 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.
Planning and Implementing a Training Program
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis 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.
Engine Operator Hydraulics
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesEngine Operator Hydraulics 101 will cover the fundamental basics of fire ground hydraulics and help attendees understand the importance of them.
FF Survival – Bailouts, Below Grade & High Ladder (4 hour H.O.T.)
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis class will teach the basics of FF Survival. In this 4-hour Hands-on class, participants will learn, discuss, and practice various RIT Drills to effectively locate, package, and remove a down firefighter to safety. Through the use of various techniques including Ladder work and window bailouts the instructors will provide a wide array of both self-rescue as well as RIT team rescue operations. This class REQUIRES PPE and Signed Waiver Forms.
Engine Ops. “Know Your Flow” (4 hour H.O.T.)
This class will concentrate on operational fundamentals such as proper hose stretching techniques, efficiently laying out your attack line, developing a proper pre-entry checklist, and reading the building. Attendees will also train on standpipe operations, loss of water, rope stretches, flow path hazards, moving the big line effectively and multiple room fire attack. Join us for an extremely informative, skill sharpening session.
Hazards of Knee Walls
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesAccording 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
Protecting Remote Communities
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis presentation will discuss the challenges that remote communities pose and how to overcome them.
Crash Injury Research
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThe 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
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesIntoxicated 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.
Bike Safety; Making a Difference in Your Community
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThe 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.
Child Passenger Safety
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesFire 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! THIS CLASS HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS BY MIEMSS.
Make Positive Changes That Stick!
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesHabits involve repeating a behavior and getting rewarded for it, so that it is repeated over and over, without conscious thought.
The Good, Bad and Ugly of the Fire Service
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThe 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.
Possible Drowning; The Calm Before the Storm
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesIt 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. THIS CLASS HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS BY MIEMSS.
Affordable College for Volunteers
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesBy 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.
Safeguarding Your Identity
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesIdentity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the world. It now accounts to losses of several millions dollars to the citizens of the United States, annually. Identity Theft is when someone "pretends to be someone else" by assuming the person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name and typically occurs when someone uses another's personally identifying information, like their name, social security number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other related crimes. . This class will discuss what it is, how it can happen to each of us, new prevention techniques, and actions to take after your identity has been stolen from you! The class will address both personal and commercial loss.
4-Hour H.O.T Training – Hydrant to the Nozzle; Drafting and Flowing
Presented by: OC FOOLS OC FOOLS with instruction by Keith Niemann, Captain; Wichita FD To be held at Ocean City Commercial Harbor This class will go through Apparatus and Design Features, equipment and flows, pumping operations to include getting the most out of hydrants and drafting, hose bed layout and setup for maximum versatility, and […]
Generational Leadership
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesTimes 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.
FF Survival – Bailouts, Below Grade & High Ladder (4 hour H.O.T.)
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis class will teach the basics of FF Survival. In this 4-hour Hands-on class, participants will learn, discuss, and practice various RIT Drills to effectively locate, package, and remove a down firefighter to safety. Through the use of various techniques including Ladder work and window bailouts the instructors will provide a wide array of both self-rescue as well as RIT team rescue operations. This class REQUIRES PPE and Signed Waiver Forms.
Human Trafficking
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis 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.
PDI Instructor Training; CANVAS 99 (6 Hours)
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesIn this program, students will learn how to navigate through CANVAS to find and use common course materials. They will also: create/send/receive email via canvas, create/administer a classroom assignment, create a group assignment, create/administer a quiz, utilize speed grader, utilize quiz statistics, create a zoom meeting in canvas, upload/download files, create a discussion board. This is an in-person class. All students must bring a laptop or tablet. REGISTRANTS MUST REGISTER ON THE MFRI WEBSITE FOR THESE PDI'S
Maryland EMT Skills Recertification (2nd of 2 sessions)
Ocean City Convention Center 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD, United StatesThis course will have the students rotate between three stations. The stations will give the students different challenging evolutions to test their thinking.
Heavy Extrication – 8 Hour H.O.T. Class
We plan on setting up several stations for the students to work through with heavy extrication. This will include car underride of a trailer. A dump truck or another large truck overturned on a vehicle and discuss chains, slings, hydrofusion struts, and various stabilization options. An additional station to show how to lift a heavy truck, showing the differences in weight ratings between standard vehicles to see how important the effects have on your equipment for these challenging incidents. The last scenario will challenge the students from the information they learned that day to include lifting a heavy truck, winching operations, stabilizing a heavy object such as concrete etc. One station will include a guardrail intrusion scenario through a car pinning a pt. requiring extrication.