CLASSES | RFT Conference

2023 CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Click on the picture to view the full class description.

Keynote

Building a Tradition of Passion

The calling of the fire service has created many traditions which make firefighting much more than just a job. As the modern fire service works to preserve the fabric of its culture while simultaneously expanding its mission, maintaining that calling has never been more important. Building a Tradition of Passion takes the culture clash occurring in the fire service head on by dissecting outdated practices that drive us apart and introducing progressive strategies to preserving our most important traditions. This course focuses on how to build an environment that encourages members at all levels to work together around the common theme of being invested in the job. Our discussion with take us through generational differences, polarized beliefs, roles and responsibilities, managing change, enhancing communication, and building organizational values where engagement and enthusiasm thrive. We will learn how to use expectations, standards, and discipline to make morale more than just a buzz word. Built around the core values of passion, dedication, and accountability, this class will bring everyone in the room together at a time when many believe we have drifted apart. Students will leave energized to build an atmosphere that preserves the calling of the past in the future of our departments. By building great leaders and followers, we can make passion our best tradition!

Nerding Out on the Engine

This course will examine all that is engine. We will dissect many of the broader concepts into simple and important pieces to ensure attention to detail in all that makes up a department’s engine operations. Course topics that will be explored include target flows, hose loads, deployments, advancements, incident priorities, and company/individual responsibilities. The two presenters will use their experience, education, and insights to approach these topics from the perspectives of a backstep firefighter through a battalion chief.

Challenges of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Responses

This class will cover Emergency responses to EV/Hybrid and new car technology from multiple manufacturers.
Concentrating on high voltage components, battery systems, hazards during vehicle accidents, High Strength materials and alloys, fires, internal thermal regulatory incidents, and battery components. In-home storage and charging systems, commercial charging stations and appropriate response procedures.

First Due Decision Making: The Engine Company

The first due engine company will set the tone for the entire fireground operation. Upon arriving on location the engine company is tasked with sizing up the fire building, taking the proper position, selecting the best entry point into the building, estimating the stretch, and selecting the correct hose line. All within a matter of seconds. All of these decisions will have a significant impact on the entire fireground operation. In this class we will discuss all of these topics as well as discuss tactical decision making for fires in single family dwellings, multi-family dwellings, commercial buildings, and standpipe equipped buildings.

Probie to Promotee: The Missing Link of Professional Development

Although modern fire academies and certification programs provide as wealth of structured, organized information to new members during their initial training, the path to success after that can become very cloudy. The time between initial certification and the first promotional process can be a wasteland of wonder, confusion, and even abandonment. Students of this course will learn how to guide their careers down a path for success using fundamental skills and tactics as the foundation of their knowledge base. While each member will not take the same career path, establishing a foundation of strong work ethic and attention to detail will ensure professional development occurs no matter where the member ultimately wants to go. This course is a spin on “things I wish I knew” as it lays out many of the things we wanted to ask as new members as well as things we didn’t know we should ask. From how we stage our gear to how to become promotable, this course will give new firefighters and their bosses the tools necessary to make competent, prepared firefighters as they transition to our future leaders!

A Passionate Pursuit. The 7 P's to Perfection

This 2-hour presentation is intended to be a conversational style approach to what I believe it takes to prepare daily for your next fire event. I will incorporate out of the box methods involving daily task, chores, and non-fire related calls, showing the participants that preparation can be done at every level.

Forcible Entry

This is a completely hands on forcible entry course that dives into the design of tools, benefits and uses to increase your effectiveness and be a force multiplier on the fire ground. We will focus primarily on single person forcible entry skills to make you capable of getting through the toughest of doors on the street. No BS just work and knowing the WHY to make you more capable and save lives.

Tower Rescue Technician

Tower Rescue Technician : This 8 hour program is designed to meet the Chapter 4 – 4.3 Tower
Technician Level of NFPA 1006 2021. Students will develop an action plan, direct a tower rescue, ascend
a tower and perform a rescue of a victim suspended from a tower. Students will have the opportunity to
develop and practice skills in tower rescue. Students must be proficient in Rope Technician Level
requirements.
Prerequisites: Rope Technician Level or equivalent or approval from AHJ.

The Dynamic Fire Chief

The premier executive chief officer course in the country. This course focusses on often under appreciated administrative duties of the chief officer staff.

The Art of Reading Smoke: The Next Generation

Today’s structure fires are more dangerous than ever before. Lightweight construction, low-mass synthetics, and open space floorplans have created a perfect storm for rapid, prolific fire growth and extreme behavior. It is imperative for firefighters of all ranks and experience levels to be prepared for this new battle. The Art of Reading Smoke, developed by Dave Dodson and continued by Rob Backer, provides the knowledge necessary for first-arriving firefighters, officers, and chief officers to determine the fire’s location, progression, and future “from the seat” before seeing any flame. This knowledge ensures that the correct tactics are implemented for the best possible outcome. Through the extensive use of actual fireground videos, first-time students will develop, and return students will refine their knowledge and skills to become INTELLECTUALLY aggressive firefighters, rather than ARBITRARILY aggressive. The next generation of Reading Smoke brings new research, a new library of videos, and discussion on cancer prevention, tactics and strategies to develop the next generation of aggressive interior firefighting!

Maximizing Our Impact - Overcoming Life’s Limitations & The War Within

Making a positive impact on the fire service is something we are all constantly striving for. Unfortunately, at the same time we find ourselves confined by the by both internal and external limitations to which some we never even really realize. It’s easy for us to whine and gripe about bad leadership, restrictive policies, lack of time, and so on but what’s truly holding us back? More cases than not all of those things that we like to place the blame on are just excuses we use to cover up the real reason that we haven’t reached our potential - ourselves. There are many factors at work here that never get addressed in the fire service which are the real reasons that we don’t have a bigger impact on others such as; Pride, Fear, & Shame. As much as we all would like to not talk about these, they are apart of all of our lives and we need to learn how to overcome them. I, like so many others, want to do more and be a part of something so much bigger but how do we get there? How do we overcome the forces fighting us within to maximize the impact that we can have on others? How can each of us find our message and use it to make a difference in the fire service and in life. In this class we’ll discuss the normally “unmentionable” factors that hold us back. We’ll dig into how we can overcome these factors to win the war within. We’ll also discuss how we can reach and inspire the people around us, and finally we’ll take a look at how each of us can find our message in order to use it to impact as many lives as possible.