Firehouse Expo 2021 Preview: Preconference Workshops’ Deep Dive

Before the main conference begins, Firehouse Expo kicks off with two days of in-depth workshops. They range from 4–16 hours in duration and dig into myriad topics, including leadership, training, resiliency and incident command. Some of these include smaller groups for more engaging sessions as well as one-on-one time with instructors.

Passion from tradition

After a particularly challenging 2020 for members of the fire service, Marc Aloan’s “Building a Tradition of Passion” is a must for any Firehouse Expo attendee who is looking to find motivation. The session also is worthwhile for those who want to boost morale in their station by considering the various facets of their department’s operations to create the needed passion for success.

Incident command simulation

Three veteran fire chiefs will lead a full-day, interactive incident command program that utilizes the Columbus Division of Fire’s simulation lab. In “Managing the Multi-Alarm,” Jeff Holloway, Marshall Noyes and Richard Tice will take attendees through the various phases of incident command by first-due chiefs. Attendees will take back to their department the lessons that are gleaned from various scenarios as a means of enhancing their incident command skills.

New sessions

Several of the sessions are firsts for Firehouse Expo, including Daniel DeYear’s program, “Will Your LODD Eulogy Mention Culture?” It was developed after he served on multiple line-of-duty-death (LODD) task force investigations. DeYear will pick apart the seemingly smallest of details that are found in repeated deaths.

James P. Moore will present findings from the Illinois Fire Service Institute’s research on the critical matters of firefighter resiliency and mental health in “Resiliency Development for First Responders.” Moore will explain the short- and long-term effects of stress on the brain and the body as it relates to resiliency.

Leadership skills, training ideas & member safety

Numerous preconference workshops delve into various aspects of leadership and of developing engaging training to ensure that members of your department are prepared for the next call.

John J. Salka Jr., who is the author of Firehouse Magazine’s “The Fire Scene” column, will present “Fireground Responsibility.” It will cover best practices that are culled from fireground tactics and training that’s related to hundreds of near-miss and LODD reports.

In “Size Up Videos and Tactics for the First Due Engine,” Tom Sitz will use raw fireground videos to illustrate tactical and command lessons that session participants can use with their crew after Firehouse Expo concludes and they return from Columbus.

Steve Borghese will lead “What’s Next in STEMI Treatments.” The workshop is a full-day examination of current STEMI practices, moving into a discussion on the future of this life-saving clinical skill.

Drawing from their successful training programs at their home department, Marc Davidson and Jason Abitz will deliver “A Continuum of Training: The Case for Effective Officer Training From The Ground Up.” They will share best practices for attendees who look to develop on-target training for departments of various size.

Health professional board exam

In partnership with the Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Firehouse is providing a two-day, 16-hour Health Safety Officer workshop. The comprehensive sessions will help departments to analyze risk management programs and to create best practices. The workshop, which is instructed by Rich Marinucci and Shadd Whitehead, concludes with an on-site Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) certification exam.

FREE Apparatus and PPE Purchasing Committee Workshops

One of the great benefits of attending conferences is getting to meet with manufacturers to discuss the latest products and how they can help you to meet your needs. Firehouse Expo 2021 is hosting two purchasing committee workshops. They will help departments to navigate the purchasing processes for PPE that keeps their firefighters safe and for apparatus that get members to and from scenes safely while being designed for effectiveness, respectively. Visit firehouseexpo.com/fhe/933992 for more information.

Find more on these and all of the other preconference sessions at firehouseexpo.com/fhe/preconference.

September 14–18 • Columbus, OH • #FHExpo21