Albemarle (NC) Fire Department Chief Shawn Oke helped open FDIC International 2016 on Monday morning by presenting Kiil the Flashover: We Test. We Demonstrate. You Decide, one of several important pre-conference workshops open to fire service members from around the country.

Oke was also joined by Joe and Andy Starnes. Joe is a member of the Oakland Grove (NC) Volunteer Fire Department and a former chief with the Sandy Ridge (NC) Volunteer Fire Department. Andy is a captain with the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department.

Oke says, "I have been involved in Kill the Flashover (KTF) since its inception in June 2011. We knew early on in our KTF experience that taking our lessons learned to FDIC was something we needed to do. We knew that FDIC would expose our work to members of the fire service that were forward thinkers and who would embrace the forward thinking ways of KTF.  The reason that Joe Starnes and myself got together and developed KTF was to provide information to make the fire service safer for our sons. My son has come on the job in the past four months and being able to pass along things we have learned through KTF to him has really been a highlight in my career."   

Oke continues, "The core KTF is Tactical Air Management, Tactical Thermal Imaging, and Enhanced Water Streams. We have focused on these three areas since our inception in 2011. These areas are applicable to every department in the world. The information we provide can be used by any department as the items we are discussing are applicable to any fire."

The great thing about our presentation is that we simply present the information we have learned and let the attendee determine how the information can fit into their department. We don’t feel it is our place to tell anyone in the fire service that our methods are the "way to fight fire." Our motto is "We Test, We Demonstrate, You Decide"; that is what we live by."

"Our information clearly fits into the tactical issues being discussed throughout the fire service.  We encourage our attendee’s to take the information we present and compare it to the other data being presented throughout the fire service. The information we have been gathering since 2011 has really become mainstream in our fire service. During our five years of KTF, we have seen the fire service really embrace the core elements of what KTF represents. It has personally brought value to my career knowing the efforts I am putting forward are making a positive difference in lives throughout the fire service."

On attending the conference, Oke says, "This trip will be my second time attending FDIC. My favorite aspect is the volume and caliber of training available. It is almost too much information to process. It is also great to spend time with such positive, forward thinking members of our fire service during FDIC."

Oke states that if there is one piece of information that he wants students to take away from the class, it would be "a willingness think outside the norm and apply the information that we have learned so your department can operate more effectively and efficiently."

In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

John Norman

Deputy Assistant Chief (Ret.)

Fire Department of New York

Building Construction for the Street-Smart Fire Officer

Tuesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

My main motivation for presenting this topic is to prevent further needless deaths and injuries on the fireground from causes that fire officers have a responsibility to know and should be able to prevent.

Hundreds of firefighters have died during my time in the fire service, and the building construction has contributed greatly to this tragic toll. A fire officer who understands the way a building is constructed should be able to predict what is likely to happen to that structure when it is on fire and take steps to prevent most of the deadly outcomes associated with that type of structure. By presenting this topic, I hope to enlighten all who attend so that they can avoid unnecessary death and injury.

Many of the topics I teach relate directly to preventing tragic outcomes, and numerous students have told me that something that they picked up in one of my classes has either saved their life or allowed them to save the life of another, often a fellow firefighter. That is a tremendous motivator!

We're live from the floor of FDIC International 2016! Join Rick Lasky and John Salka, Doug Cline, and Ed Hadfield as they chat live from the conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Jim Silvernail

Battalion Chief

Metro West (MO) Fire Protection District

Fireground Decision Making for Suburban Company Officers

Tuesday, April 19, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

I am a product of the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference. Much of the success I have had springs from Fire Engineering and FDIC. I have been attending this conference for the past 14 years and still consider myself a student. The experiences I have gained in this learning process have motivated me personally and, career-wise, to become involved in the fire service.

This will be my sixth year instructing at FDIC and my eighth presentation, including classroom and workshop. My topic is based on a needs deficiency I perceive in this industry. For years, I have experienced the absolute best hands-on training that this fire service has to offer. I also attended the highest quality fireground discussions from the most experienced fire service instructors and professionals in the nation. However, I still felt the need for more training for tactical implementation for my demographic, Suburban America.

Fire Engineering is not only the top fire service education provider, but it is also a responsible stakeholder within our industry. It understands this dilemma and has taken on the responsibility to deliver education to all demographics within the fire service. To maximize safety, effectiveness, and efficiency, Fire Engineering has filled these gaps and has allowed instructors like me to share their message.