The Training Achievement Award, given annually by Fire Engineering at the Fire Department Instructors Conference, recognizes individual and department training accomplishments that have had an impact on the state, regional, or local level. Selection criteria include innovation, effectiveness, resourcefulness, usability by others, and contribution to firefighter operational safety.
This year’s nominations reflect the professionalism, resourcefulness, and dedication of the fire service. A brief overview of the programs submitted for consideration is presented here in alphabetical order.
Captain Ed Brown, Dive Officer and Marine Services Bureau OIC, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department: Water Rescue Program
Captain Ed Brown designed and implemented a multilevel fire department Water Rescue Program that began with the training of one crew at one station in 1971. Today, it is the largest water rescue program in the nation, with 611 scuba rescue divers and 800 rescue skin divers using 90 department vehicles to cover a 2,500-square-mile area with three million residents. The jurisdiction includes 1,000 rockpits and lakes; 1,500 miles of canals; more than 300 miles of coastline; and 50,000 residential pools. Every 24 hours, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units respond to three water rescue incidents. Brown established and trained the Dive Rescue Training Team (DRTT), consisting of certified, part-time dive rescue instructors. Thirty instructors and assistant instructors train department divers at four levels of proficiency in 63 classes each year.
Brown also is head of the Marine Rescue Bureau, which teaches marine firefighting and watercraft operation at several levels, and has begun department rope rescue, confined space rescue, and health maintenance programs. Brown and the DRTT teach water rescue courses to all paramedic and EMT students at Metro Dade Community College. He also helped organize the Airborne Rescue Team, which includes representatives from six Greater Miami fire departments. Rescue Skin Diver Certification training has been introduced to departments throughout Florida and is presently taught to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department recruits. Free consultation is available to departments developing their own water rescue programs.
Brown has assisted in developing state and national standards for public safety diving and has published manuals on dive rescue information response, water rescue training, and health maintenance. He produced a video series covering basic/advanced water rescue and surf rescue and fitness for divers.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Water Rescue Program was developed before dive rescue was an emergency response concept and preceded EMS as a fire department specialty area. It was and still is a grassroots program supported by field personnel who recognized the need for water rescue. It was developed as a result of Brown’s background in ocean lifeguarding, military and commercial diving, sport diving certification training, and fire department EMT and paramedic training.
Captain Kevin M. Byrne and Lieutenant Edward M. Pearson, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Department Training Academy: In-Service Training Programs
Captain Kevin M. Byrne and Lieutenant Edward M. Pearson are program managers for in-service training at the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Department Training Academy. Using their creative skills with those of other instructors, they have produced several in-service programs.
Firefighter Rescue and Survival’s objective is to enhance firefighter survivability and egress capabilities in extremely hazardous circumstances. Members are challenged to perform innovative skills including ladder bailout, SCBA entanglement, firefighter window rescue, stair and floor drags, and firefighter rescue drills. More than 1,000 firefighters attended the course over six months, and training was offered to members from the Naval District of Washington Fire Department and the Fairfax City (VA) Fire Department.
Fire Dynamics and Building Construction is designed to enhance firefighters’ ability to identify and react properly to changing fire conditions and their effects on various types of building construction. Members are challenged to make decisions and predict fire growth and the resulting effects on the structure. The program incorporates lectures, slides, videos, and case studies of backdraft, flashover, and rollover incidents. The course received excellent evaluations and has been requested to be conducted annually.
Quarterly In-Service Drills: Back to Basics requires comprehensive use of the incident command system (ICS), Mayday policies, and SOPs in various complicated scenarios. Two engines, a truck, a battalion chief, an ambulance, and dispatchers are involved. On completion of the drill, members return to the academy to review and critique their performance on videotape.
With academy staff and departmental adjunct instructors, Byrne and Pearson have transformed the department’s in-service training program over the past year.
Kathleen Cupano, Division of Fire Safety, Rutgers University: Course and Seminar Development
Kathleen Cupano spent several years recruiting instructors experienced in developing training courses for the firefighter and instructor curriculums in New Jersey. Taking suggestions for courses from participants, she has found instructors to develop these ideas into programs used in the Division of Fire Safety at Rutgers University. These programs are offered free to New Jersey firefighters/instructors and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas between new recruits and seasoned veterans. Cupano’s diligence and commitment to training have inspired National Fire Academy courses and state-mandated training and seminars.
Deputy Chief Vincent Dunn, Fire Department of New York (FDNY): Fireground Safety Training
Deputy Chief Vincent Dunn recently retired after 42 years with the Fire Department of New York. He has written books on burning building collapse and fireground safety and was one of the original developers of the National Fire Academy’s course “Command and Control of Fire Department Major Operations.” Dunn has produced numerous training materials that are used around the world.
Richard M. Flynn, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Safety: Richard M. Flynn Fire Academy
In 1989, Richard Flynn invited the then-stand-alone New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission to join the state’s Department of Safety, thus giving it a more visible presence in state government. Over the next 10 years, he promoted the establishment and expansion of a state fire academy, which now includes a fire station, a dormitory, classrooms, and administrative offices; training facilities including burn buildings, confined space rescue and flashover simulators, an SCBA training trailer, and a drill ground with a retention pond and hydrant system.
Flynn arranged for the financing to build the facility and is working to provide financing for the academy’s operation and fire training in the state. The academy serves the 245 fire departments and 8,000 firefighters in New Hampshire and is responsible for one-third of all certifications issued in the state.
Walt “Butch” Hendrick, Lifeguard Systems, Inc.: Public Safety Rescue/ Recovery Scuba Diving Team Training
Walt Hendrick is the founder of Lifeguard Systems, Inc., and has more than 25 years of experience training public safety rescue/recovery scuba diving teams. He has an exceptional understanding of the dangers involved and uses safe, proper techniques to bring personnel home safely to their families when the job is done. His teaching methods, equipment, SOPs, and innovative programs are designed to further public safety diver performance and safety. Hendrick has produced books and training materials in his efforts to train divers.
Lieutenant Jeff Joseph, Washington Township (OH) Fire Department: School Bus and Auto Extrication Training
Lieutenant Jeff Joseph, a volunteer/part-paid firefighter/EMT, acquired two school buses and created an extrication training program that included two days of classroom and two days of hands-on training. The course involved school buses and autos in various positions (upright, on the side, on the roof) and had not been previously available. He scheduled instructors for all stations using full-time and part-paid personnel. He also organized training involving heavy rescue crews that included Washington Township and neighboring Sugarcreek Fire Department members. Area departments frequently call for mutual aid in serious incidents, and training together is beneficial. Although not assigned to training, he saw an opportunity and took the initiative to create the course.
Lieutenant Richard W. Kolomay, Schaumburg (IL) Fire Department: Firefighting Training
As an instructor at the Illinois Fire Service Institute (ISFI), Lieutenant Richard Kolomay has produced the Officers’ Fireground School, coordinated the Smoke Divers SCBA School, and originated the Single-Family Dwelling Firefighting Course. He has also been instrumental in developing the First-In Officers’ School and the Saving Our Own program. Kolomay presented workshops on these programs in several major cities in a train-the-trainer format so participants can train other members of the fire service. Kolomay’s programs are designed to be as realistic as possible without compromising student or instructor safety. Parti-cipants experience actual smoke and heat conditions and are required to make decisions as they would in real-life situations. An instructor observes student operations at all times. After each evolution, students explain their actions and instructors relate their observations.
Captain Gregory W. Lash, Columbus (OH) Division of Fire: Ladder Company Operations Training
Captain Gregory Lash created a ladder company operations training course that focuses on competency through confidence. It encompasses operations such as forcible entry, ventilation, and ground ladder use. He built a roof simulator training site on his own property that includes demonstrations of various saws, cutting techniques, and several types of roof decking. This site is available to members of other local fire departments as well as his own. Additionally, he created a video series for truck company operations training for use until a hands-on course could be scheduled. He trains members at his barn while off-duty and at his own expense, using his own equipment. Lash has taught this course at regional schools throughout Ohio.
Captain William Lowe, Clayton County (GA) Fire Department: Training and Equipment
Captain William Lowe is a Georgia-certified firefighter and paramedic. As a public safety instructor in firefighting, fire safety education, first aid, CPR, and management, he has conducted seven promotional preparation courses for fire sergeant, EMS sergeant, fire lieutenant, and fire battalion chief over the past six years on his own time. In 1994 he formed and served as president of the Emergency Services Society, consisting of fire department members who contribute a small amount from their pay into a common checking account. With these funds, the society purchased more than $10,000 worth of training and emergency response equipment. The training department now has the latest in training manikins, fire incident command simulators, CPR equipment, and reference materials. The Georgia Insurance Commissioner appointed Lowe to a committee to amend the training curriculum for the state’s childcare providers.
Battalion Chief Robert A. Mauck, Lincoln Township (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: American Eagle Plane Crash Lessons
Battalion Chief Robert Mauck is a certified EMT and veteran firefighter. He was the first arriving firefighter/medic on the scene of the crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 in 1994. Rescue operations were completed under the direction of Mauck and Chief Charles “Cap” Wann. The incident was declared nonsurvivable within 30 to 45 minutes of the initial arrival of emergency response personnel. Mauck was an integral part of on-scene operations and was appointed to the Unified Command Structure by the National Transportation Safety Board to assist in commanding and coordinating recovery efforts at the site. He was responsible in part for the health and safety of all personnel at the site and served as a liaison between jurisdictional responders and federal and state agencies. Mauck shot film at the site for future use in presenting the story of site operations to other emergency responders. To date, he has made more than 50 presentations on the crash incident across the country and includes information on decision-making processes and how a successful unified command functions as part of the incident command system. Mauck developed the course to show students how to handle various incidents involving a variety of responders and local, state, and federal resources. He incorporates these factors into strategic goals and tactical objectives to achieve success. Mauck is president and CEO of Diversified Business Services, Inc., which provides fire service educational and consulting services.
Peter J. McBride, Safety Officer, Toronto (Ontario, Canada) Fire Services: Building Construction Course, PPV Study
Peter McBride recognized the importance of a building construction course in making fire suppression more effective and safer for firefighters and developed a course at the Ontario Fire Academy. He also initiated a study of the use of positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) for smoke control and fire suppression in high-rise buildings.
He illustrated how building construction knowledge is necessary for firefighters to perform the tasks mandated in the provincial standards and that a responsible employer is obligated to provide this information to personnel. In developing the program, he contacted construction industry organizations for up-to-date information about and samples of products currently used in construction and developed the training notes and practical exercises. He used a children’s toy consisting of colored sticks and connectors to illustrate different types of truss construction and their inherent strengths and weaknesses. Some of the material presented in the course was not available in conventional texts. In the future, the building construction course will be a mandatory prerequisite for becoming a fire officer in all fire departments in Ontario.
For the PPV study, he raised funds, partnered with a blower manufacturer to advance research and receive discounted blowers, and imported two top fire service PPV instructors from the United Kingdom to train senior staff.
Lieutenant Carlo Piacentini, Adjunct Instructor, Connecticut Fire Academy: Introduction to the Fire Service Program
Lieutenant Carlo Piacentini, an officer in a career department and a captain in a volunteer department, initiated the five-day Introduction to the Fire Service program for 14- to 17-year-olds interested in the fire service. Topics are presented in a camp-like atmosphere and include fire department organization and structure, introduction to the Connecticut Fire Academy, fire science, fire streams, ladders, wildland fires, haz-mat awareness, and search and rescue. The program is in strict compliance with state labor department restrictions. It serves as a recruitment tool, instilling in participants the seriousness of the fire service, providing them with real experience in the life of a firefighter and testing their commitment to fire service goals. Participants have an opportunity to objectively evaluate their career choices, receiving an unbiased cross-section of skills necessary to become a firefighter.
Lieutenant Phillip Posey, Memphis (TN) Fire Services Training Bureau: Motor Vehicle Extrication Airbag Safety Training
Lieutenant Phillip Posey developed a motor vehicle extrication module that highlights airbag dangers to responding emergency personnel. Posey invested many hours investigating the topic, contacting vehicle manufacturers, designing a curriculum, and delivering the class. He used a local insurance company to provide participants with first-hand information about the design of newer vehicles and modern airbag applications. The module includes a PowerpointT multimedia presentation, a video segment, and hands-on training and has been delivered to 1,500 fire service personnel in the Memphis area alone. As a result, fire service personnel may now respond to such incidents more safely. With traffic congestion increasing nationwide and people traveling longer distances to work, the likelihood of automobile accidents increases.
Chief Richard M. Purvis, Versailles (IN) Volunteer Fire Department: Versailles Regional Fire Training Facility
In March 1999, Chief Richard Purvis began plans for a regional training facility to benefit not only his department but 175 departments in 16 surrounding counties of southern Indiana as well. The completed facility will offer a pre-engineered, steel structure that includes a three-story stair tower, a two-story house with a burn room, and a one-story garage with burn room; a sem-trailer; an anhydrous rail tanker; an LP tank; a confined-space lift station; a pond for drafting and water rescue training; an electrical safety area; a driving course; an extrication training field; and a 40- 2 60-foot classroom. Purvis recognized the need for a training facility that was available yearround. Other training facilities are distant and available only when a training school is offered. Thus far, an eight-acre site has been acquired for the facility, which is expected to be in operation in late 2000.
Chief Herman Taylor, Paris (IL) Fire Department: Fire Service Training Program
Chief Herman Taylor has initiated efforts through other agencies to secure grants for various phases of fire service training. The training program has grown from a small offering of basic classes to regional delivery of programs at all levels of the fire service. He has made the contacts and contracts necessary to provide his department training in fundamental and advanced firefighting skills, haz mats, officer training, pump operation, and specialty rescue training. Whenever training is secured for his department, Herman makes an effort to include other stations in the district and other departments in the county, and even departments from out-of-state. The use of established training programs and the development of specialty programs makes this one of the most viable training programs in the area.
Captain David Wood, Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Department: Fire Stream Management Training
Captain David Wood successfully trained the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department’s 1,300 uniformed personnel in fire stream management and innovative hose-handling techniques. He accomplished this by reinforcing basic engine company work and establishing minimum gallons-per-minute (gpm) SOPs for interior handlines. Recognizing the safety problem of inadequate gpm flow for interior firefighting operations, he increased flows to safe operating levels. When nozzle reactions became too severe from the increased gpm flow, Wood inplemented hose-handling techniques to allow the nozzle team to handle the increased nozzle reaction and persuaded the department to purchase appropriate low-pressure nozzles.
This training provides a safer work environment through lower nozzle pressure with a significantly greater gpm water flow. Personnel will achieve quicker fire control resulting in more timely search and rescue. With lower pressures, hoseline flexibility is increased, allowing greater maneuverability through structures.
William Zieres, Regional Chief Investigator, Missouri Division of Fire Safety: Firefighter I and II Curriculum
William Zieres has served as regional chief investigator for more than 20 years and worked with the division training unit to develop classes, starting in late 1980s, with the state fire investigator program. More recently, he has produced a PowerpointT program for the Firefighter I and II and fire investigator programs, which have received International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) accreditation. The Firefighter I and II curriculum package has been updated and is compliant with NFPA 1001-1997, chapters 3 and 4. The program is available to fire departments in Missouri at cost and includes a student manual, a practical skills booklet, and a lead instructor’s practical skills booklet. More than 20 state agencies have requested copies of this program. Zieres was instrumental in the Division of Fire Safety’s achieving international accreditation from the IFSAC at six levels of certification.
