Todd Hurley joined the fire service in 1993. He is currently assigned to an Engine Company and holds the rank of Captain. Todd is a member of the Clay Fire Territory in South Bend, IN. He also serves as a Field Training Officer for his department. You can reach Todd at thurley@clayfd.com
John Shafer is an 18 year veteran of the fire service, and is currently a Lieutenant and the Training Officer for the Greencastle Fire Department. John is a recognized instructor on building construction, fireground search, and command management. John has taught nationally at FDIC and Firehouse Expo. He has also traveled throughout the United States and Canada delivering specialized training programs on building construction, fireground search, and firefighter safety. John is also the Indiana Homeland Security District 7 Fire Training Coordinator, and in this capacity coordinates and facilitates firefighter training courses for firefighters through much of the State. He builds training courses to suit the needs of his students and focuses those seminars on his specialties of building construction and fireground searches. He has served as an advisor to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for the state's development of the Fire Training System of Indiana and assisted with the development of the District 7 Training Council and the District 7 Response Task Force. In addition to his efforts to bring advanced training to District 7's members, he utilizes new technologies, and manages a social networking site Green Building Construction for the Fire Service on facebook. John is also Owner/Writer for Green Maltese LLC http://greenmaltese.com and is co owner of Fire Training Toolbox.com http://firetrainingtoolbox.com/
Bryan Altman is a Lieutenant/Assistant Training Officer with Worth County (GA) Fire/Rescue. He is a 9-year veteran of the fire service. He spent 2011 serving as a full time instructor with the Georgia Fire Academy teaching the Basic Firefighter Program and assisted with live fire classes; he is still an adjunct instructor with GFA. He taught at the Metro Atlanta Firefighters Conference in 2012 and has written for FireEngineering Magazine. Certified as a Firefighter 2, Acting Officer, Live Fire Instructor, Basic Firefighter Instructor and Fire Instructor 2.
Trevor Bertram is a second generation Fireman with the Monticello (KY) Fire Department and an EMT with Wayne County (KY) EMS. He is an advocate for firefighter health, training, and mental preparedness. Trevor can be reached at trevorbertram@live.com
Chris Sterricker, Lead Advisor for Fire Training Toolbox, has been in the fire service for 18-plus years, beginning in the far West Chicago suburbs as a Paid-on-call Firefighter/Paramedic. He has served in both combination and all full-time departments, in semi-rural, suburban and urban communities. He is currently a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic in DuPage County, Illinois and is a member of his departments Training Division. Chris is also the Editor and chief contributor to his website backwardsandstupid.com
Robert C. Owens Sr. is a Firefighter/NREMT-I with the Henrico County (Virginia) Division of Fire. He began his fire service career with the Mechanicsville Vol. Fire Dept. (Virginia). He previously served as a career firefighter in Stafford County (Virginia). He is a certified Instructor 2 and Fire Officer level 4 by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, and a Mass Casualty Incident Management Instructor for the Virginia Office of EMS He has his BS in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University. He has presented programs at FDIC and Firehouse EXPO, and runs the fire service blog www.averagejakeff.wordpress.com
Ric Jorge is a Firefighter with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue since 1992 and is currently assigned to the 3rd Battalion. Ric is a National and State Certified Instructor teaching for his department and Palm Beach State College as well as instructing at conferences like the Orlando Fire Conference, The Great Florida Fire School, Fort Lauderdale Fire Expo, H.E.A.T. Conference, FDIC (Indiana), Firehouse (Baltimore), Fire Rescue East, Hawaiian Fire conference, and Cuenca Fire academy in Ecuador S.A. Teaching classes that he was influenced by personal mentors in the disciplines of ventilation, ladders, FF survival, Hose Management, Room Orientation, Air Management, Tricks of the Trade, Flashover Awareness, and Forcible Entry.
Cathy Wagner is an Assistant Chief with the Rochester Volunteer Fire Company (WI). She is a 22 year veteran of the fire service. She volunteers with three fire departments and also works part-time for two departments. She is a Certified firefighter III, certified MPO/Driver Operator, EMT-Intermediate Tech and just recently completed her Fire Instructor. She currently serves as a firefighter and EMT with Rochester Volunteer Fire Company, Waterford Fire and Rescue and an EMT with Tichigan Volunteer Fire Company. She has experience in fire investigation and is an advocate for fire prevention. She is currently pursuing her nursing degree at this time as well. She can be contacted at cwags@wi.rr.com
Kris Hester has been a member of the Texas fire service since 1998. He is currently a Captain, training officer, and certification coordinator, a Public Information Officer and an Instructor 1. Kris worked as a Federal firefighter for the National Park Service specializing in Fire Aviation, and several seasons as a firefighter for the Texas Forest Service. He has been a "coordinating assistant" with the Dallas 9/11 Memorial Stairclimb for '11 and 2012. Currently he is working as an ARFF trainee at the Abilene Regional Airport in Abilene, Texas.
Forest Reeder began his fire service career in 1978. He
currently serves as Division Chief / Training & Safety with the
Des Plaines (IL) Fire Department. Forest is the Fire Officer 1 & 2 coordinator for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and also serves as the Eastern Regional Director of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. Additionally, Forest is the author of the weekly drill feature at firefighterclosecalls.com and at fireengineering.com. He was the co-editor and contributing author of Fire Service Instructor, Principles and Practices, 1st edition published by Jones and Bartlett. He has instructed at FDIC for over 10 years and trains both locally and nationally on fire service training, safety and officer development related topics. Several articles on these programs have been published in major trade publications.
Forest holds many Illinois fire service certifications and a Masters Degree in
Public Safety Administration from Lewis University. He was awarded the George
Post Instructor of the Year by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors
at FDIC in 2008.
Drew Smith is the Deputy Chief of the Prospect Heights (IL) Fire District, a full-service (Fire/Rescue/ALS Transport) organization with 50 members, both full time and part time. He is 35-year fire service veteran with 28 years officer experience, 23 as a chief officer. Past Lead HOT Instructor and 13-time classroom presenter at annual Fire Department Instructors Conference. Certified Fire Officer and Instructor. Licensed Paramedic since 1981. Attended National Fire Academy. Extensive experience in program development, management, leadership and supervision of personnel groups, development of policies and procedures, apparatus and equipment purchasing and maintenance, public fire safety education, media relations, and Emergency Medical Services system coordination and liaison. Experience in establishment of a new fire department and hiring of full-time and volunteer personnel. Command officer at numerous incidents including extra-alarm fires and multi-casualty situations. Founding member and current director of Regional Technical Rescue Team. Chairman, Illinois Technical Rescue Team Steering Committee. Member of several professional organizations. Director of full-time,regional entry-level firefighter academy serving northeastern Illinois.
Vicki Schmidt is a Maine Fire Services Instructor and a volunteer firefighter and Training Officer for the Buckfield Fire Department in Buckfield Maine. She is also the Governor's appointee to the Maine Fire Protection Services Commission as a representative for the Maine State Federation of Firefighters. Vicki also serves on the Technical Advisory Group for Life Safety for The Maine Bureau of Building Codes and Standards. In addition, Vicki is Training Program Coordinator for the Western Maine Fire Attack School and the Frandford Mutual Aid Fire Training Association. Along with being a popular instructor for Firefighter I and II classes, Vicki owns and manages a 100 acre working draft horse farm in Western Maine and works full time for the State of Maine as a Geographical Information Specialist (GIS). Her national and international fire instruction specialties include Large Animal Emergency Rescue programs, Modern Fuels in Modern Construction, and GIS for Preplanning and Emergency Response. Vicki can be contacted at horses@troikadrafts.com
Ronald Van Meter is member with the Aurora Township Fire Department (ILLINOIS), and holds the rank of Captain and EMT-B. The last three years he has been Instructor for the recruit's class's and training program. Ronald joined the fire service in 1976. He was a Lieutenant, Paramedic with the Montgomery & Countryside Volunteer Fire Distract (ILLINOIS), for many years. Ronald also works full time as Plant Superintendent of Operations for the Gateway Company, where he handles all medical and fire training for employees. He can be reached at atfd618@aol.com
The Penn Twp. Training Packets are contributed to us by BC Brian Kazmierzak of the Penn Twp. Fire Department, www.TheTrainingOfficer.com and www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com These packets are results of years of collecting training material from many extremely intelligent instructors and great friends, such as Forest Reeder, Bob Muszynski, and Drew Smith from the Chicagoland Area, and re-packaged to fit his departments needs. Brian distributes his packets to over 200 departments each month and it is all in the context of SHARING TO KEEP FIREFIGHTERS SAFE SO THAT EVERYONE GOES HOME!
Jay Fainer - Serving for Fifteen years with the Ansonia Fire Department as a Lieutenant, Fire Instructor III, Fire Officer I and EMT. Currently serves as first lieutenant in charge of training. Jay is licensed electrical contractor with 15 years in the business, currently a high voltage cable splicer. As an instructor for the Valley fire Chiefs Regional fire school that serves 9 departments. The lead instructor and program coordinator for his departments Hazmat and 2Q (Ct's emergency apparatus driving endorsement) deliveries. Jay along with his departments 1st Assistant Chief are developing a rope resuce program for the Ansonia Fire Department.
Jonathan Addler, with 11 years of service is a basic EMT and Safety officer for Putnam County Operation Life who is the sole 911 EMS provider for rural Putnam County, Indiana. Jonathan has previously served as chief of a volunteer ambulance service and held several ranks in the fire service from firefighter to captain and safety officer. Jonathan is currently a member of Madison Township Volunteer Fire Department outside Greencastle, Indiana where is currently a Lieutenant and EMS officer. Jonathan as a member of Indiana District Task Force 7 was deployed with an EMS strike team from Indiana to the New Jersey coast to assist with hurricane sandy relief efforts. Jonathan has since his childhood wanted to help people and serve his community.
Ben Peetz has served nearly 20 years with the Napoleon (IN) Volunteer Fire Department, including roles as a firefighter, officer and instructor. He has earned professional designation as a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) from National Fire Protection Association, as well as an Associate Safety Professional (ASP) from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. He works full-time as a Senior Loss Prevention Specialist for a property insurance carrier that specializes in forest products, as well as other manufacturing industries. In this role, he travels a large part of the US providing inspection and technical analysis of commercial and industrial properties for underwriting and fire protection, as well as developing engineering solutions and training programs for the prevention of fire and other property losses. Using this unique background in non-residential fire prevention, protection and suppression, he founded the fire service resource website NotJustAnotherFire.Net.
Ben has earned degrees in agriculture communications and agrisystems management from Purdue University, where he worked several years for the university’s world-renowned agricultural safety and health program. In addition to his fire and safety experience, he has worked as a legislative communications specialist for the Indiana General Assembly, as well as having been a county-level elected official and member of his county’s E-911 communications advisory board. He resides with his wife and daughter on his family’s century-old southeastern Indiana grain farm, which they still operate.
Karen Owens is the Emergency Operations Acting Manager for the Virginia Office of EMS, where she has worked since 2001. She is a National Registry Intermediate and Firefighter. Karen began her career as a volunteer at East Hanover Volunteer Rescue Squad. She has also held positions as a paid transport EMS provider and volunteer firefighter. In her current position Karen oversees statewide EMS emergency management operations and training courses including Mass Casualty Incident Management, Vehicle Rescue, Terrorism Awareness, and Disaster Management. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Masters in Public Safety Leadership from Christopher Newport University. Karen is also an EMT-Basic instructor. Karen is the author of Incident Command for EMS by Fire Engineering Books and has presented at FDIC and the Virginia EMS Symposium. Karen can be reached at Karen110480@comcast.net or on twitter: @stickysidedwn