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.

Richard Ray
Captain
Durham (NC) Fire Department

Prioritizing the Volunteer Fireground
Wednesday, April 20, 1:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

I want help volunteer fire departments improve their fireground safety and efficiency, especially when they are short on personnel. The objective is to give the students ideas and concepts for initial operations at a residential structure fire, the bread-and-butter call for volunteer fire departments. Students will carry these Ideas and concepts back to their respective departments, apply the concepts, and use what works. This will ideally increase the fire department’s ability to save more lives and property through knowledge and proficiency.

It is very humbling when students have contacted me indicating how they have applied what they learned in class and how it improved their fireground operations.  

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.

Eddie Buchanan, Division Chief Hanover (VA) Fire-EMS

SLICE-RS from the Beginning
Tuesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

The primary purpose for this program is to give firefighters information and examples that will help them implement the lessons from the fire dynamics research from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Underwriters Laboratories in their fire departments. They have to overcome the challenges of resistance to change and finding a way to get consistent tactics from one shift to the next.  There is a lot of information online these days about SLICE-RS, but there is also a lot of misinformation. I wanted to give those interested in fire dynamics implementation an unfiltered overview on the origins of the concept and a chance to ask questions. The point isn’t to sell them on one method over another. They will have to decide what approach they want to use in their department.  

The feedback on SLICE-RS has been remarkable. The concept is the basis for the International Society of Fire Service Instructor’s Principle of Modern Fire Attack program, which has been delivered to more than 12,000 students. We’ve also see adoption of the concept at the state level in various locations around the country. It’s been great to see firefighters operating more efficiently and safer around the country.

Check out some video from the hands-on training Monday at FDIC International 2016.

Bobby Halton has a review of Monday at FDIC International 2016, including a look at the hands-on training sites.

FDIC 2016: Raising the Bar