Course Run Dates: January 8, 2024 - February 16, 2024
Pre-Course work: January 8, 2024-February 2, 2024
Virtual Meeting-Expectations & Introductions (Mandatory): Friday, January 12, 2024;  11 AM-12 Noon EST
Virtual Meeting-Check-in and Questions/Answers (Highly Recommended): Friday, January 19, 2024 11 AM-12 Noon EST
The online instructor facilitated classroom format provides education in a fully virtual environment. This course is divided into several modules, each with a PowerPoint presentation, assignments and quizzes.Students will be expected to complete the online professional portfolio build prior to joining the instructor and other classmates in a virtual learning environment in the form of two three-hour online classes to present, review and discuss their portfolio.

The following dates have been set for the virtual online class for presentations. Each student must be present for both sessions.

        February 9, 2024 and February 16, 2024; 11 AM-2 PM EST

The course text is Training Officer Desk Reference published by Jones and Bartlett (not provided with registration). This text is used heavily with the course, it is recommended that you purchase it. It is available online through several sources.

The instructor for this course is Norm Bemis, normbemis@gmail.com.

Join ISFSI as we interview Maritime Specialist Sal Mercogliano and enlighten our viewers on the vital points of Shipboard Firefighting. We will be discussing the major differences between shipboard fires as they compare to structural fires and how to prepare our members. He will also be go in depth with recent ship fires such as the 2020 Hoegh Xiamen fire in Jacksonville, Fla, the 2022 Felicity Ace fire off the coast of Portugal, and several other recent major marine incidents within the last several years.

About the Speaker: Salvatore Mercogliano, Ph.D.

Sal Mercogliano is a former merchant mariner who sailed with the US Navy's Military Sealift Command for seven years.  He is a maritime historian at Campbell University and an adjunct professor at the US Merchant Marine Academy. He has been a career and volunteer fire fighter since 1999. He has been a Captain on the Northwest Harnett Volunteer Fire Department for 17 years and writes. He is the host of the YouTube Channel What's Going on With Shipping. 

About the Moderator: Nicholas Palumbo

Nicholas Palumbo is a third generation Italian American Firefighter and grew up in the firehouse. He first entered to fire service in 1999 as a fire explorer and has continues to volunteer. He has been a career firefighter for the past 16 years.
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Mr. Palumbo is trained and experienced in all areas of firefighting included Structural, Wildland, Aircraft, and Shipboard. He is also extensively trained in HazMat, Technical Rescue, and Incident Command and Control. Nick also works as a Fire and Explosion Origin and Cause expert consultant. He has be an instructor for over a decade, he enjoys sharing his knowledge and helping others master the craft.
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Nick is an active member of many fire service professional organizations and sits on several committees. He is currently a part of the ISFSI Online Training Committee. He is also part of the IFSTA Validation Committee working on the Fire Department Support Member 1st edition.

During training, every minute counts. In this webinar, ISFSI certified instructors, Jake Barnes and Gilbert Pedroza, show you how to get the most out of every minute when training in towers. From maximizing variable spacing to creating challenging scenarios, towers offer first-class training opportunities. Learn how special props can help leverage these experiences, how cross training with other specialties can “kick it up a notch” for your team, and how to really maximize every facet of training in and outside of a tower.  

About the Speaker: Jake Barnes

Jake Barnes’ career started in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for five years as a fire protection specialist. Since leaving the military, Barnes worked as a firefighter in Lexington, Kentucky, for eight years and in New Albany, Indiana, for 18 years, where he currently serves as Battalion Chief of Training. Barnes is an instructor for the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, teaching NFPA 1403, Fixed Facility, Basement Fire, and Training Officer Credential classes, and serves as the host of 3 Point Firefighter, a podcast focused on pride, training and physical fitness. 

About the Speaker: Gilbert Pedroza

Gil Pedroza is a Fire Captain with the Glendale (CA) Fire Department, where he has served the last 17 years of his 25 years in the fire service. Captain Pedroza also serves as a paramedic and a hazmat specialist. He is a California State certified instructor and teaches various topics inlcuding Fire Control, Rapid Intervention, Firefighter Survival, and Driver Operator. He has also taught at local college fire academies throughout the state. Captain Pedroza currently teaches for the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, where he teaches the Live Fire Instructor credentialing program, Understanding and Fighting Basement Fires (H.O.T.) course, and NFPA 1700.

This webinar will provide instructors with knowledge and information to develop, refine, and deliver thermal imaging training. This program’s original intent was to be an instructor’s development/improvement course for ISFSI – Understanding and Fighting Basement Fires Hands-On Training Program. However, all participants will takeaway information to improve their thermal imaging training programs and ultimately, the use and effective application of the thermal imager during fire ground operations.

Objectives:

• Familiarize and review NFPA 1801– Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service, NFPA 1408 - Standard for Training Fire Service Personnel in the Operation, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Thermal Imagers, NFPA 1700 – Guide for Structural Firefighting

• Explain working operations of a thermal imager

• Identify the limitations of a thermal imager

• Explain the tactical applications of the thermal imager for operations on the fire ground; including, but not limited to; SIZE-UP, fire location, victim location, and flow path identification.

• Identify core elements of effective thermal imaging training 

• Share resources, drills, concepts with participants to enhance thermal imaging training 

About the Speaker: Michael J. McCarthy

Mike McCarthy has been a member of the fire service for the last 14 years. He is currently the Captain of TOW3R for the Boston Fire Department in Boston, MA.  He has been a proud member of the ISFSI since 2019. He is an instructor for the several of the ISFSI HOT Programs, including Understanding and Fighting Basement Fires, Live Fire Instructor Credential: Fixed Facility, and NFPA 1700. Mike has also been HOT instructor with UL-Fire Safety Research Institute for the Fire Dynamics Bootcamp.  

Have you ever been asked to develop a training course and weren’t sure where to begin? Don’t worry, you are not alone! This webinar is the third of a five-part series where we will explore the “Development” component of the ADDIE course development model (Analysis/Design/Development/Implementation/Evaluation). Together in a live “working” interactive workshop, we will work through some examples of the “Development” process that you can use in your own training design. Join us for a fun, interactive webinar that will give you a great overview of the process in an easy-to-understand format!

In this webinar focused on the “Development” phase, we will:

• • Discover different ways to present your course
• • Create a prototype
• • Develop your course

About the Speaker

Jim Gordon is a retired captain from Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office in Central California, with 25 years of service. Jim served as a field training officer and as the FTO program administrator. After promoting to lieutenant, Jim served as the regional academy director where he spearheaded the design into one of California's first fully integrated, scenario based training program. 

Jim is a graduate of the California POST Master Instructor Program. He holds an Associate Degree in Administration of Justice, a Bachelor's Degree in Vocational Education, and a Master's Degree in Adult Education. Jim also worked with the CA POST Instructor Development Team teaching instructional technology and instructor development all over California. Jim now resides in Wyoming with his family. 

EMS providers respond to potentially volatile situations on a daily basis. However, most providers have never been taught the potential warning signs of a violent encounter or how to handle this type of situation. According to a study by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, the number 1 injury to EMS providers is assault, with 52% of those surveyed saying they had been attacked on the job. In addition, according to the University of Maryland “the risk of an assault for EMS workers is about 30 times higher than the national average.” This webinar provides an overview of the threat and provides responders with effective techniques they can use to mitigate their risks.

About the Speaker

PHILIP DUCZYMINSKI is a 25-year veteran of the fire service and a Captain/Training Officer for the City of Novi (MI) Fire Department. He has served with the Western Wayne County Haz-Mat Team, and Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (MI-TF-1). A graduate of the School of Fire Staff and Command at Eastern Michigan University, Duczyminski is a certified Michigan fire instructor, Water/Ice Rescue Instructor, EMS Instructor Coordinator, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science, Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Public Administration and is currently pursuing a Doctorate. In addition, he holds multiple black belts in various forms of martial arts with the highest-ranking being 8th degree black belt.

Have you ever been asked to develop a training course and weren’t sure where to begin? Don’t worry, you are not alone! This webinar is the second of a five-part series where we will explore the “Design” component of the ADDIE course development model (Analysis/Design/ Development/Implementation/Evaluation). Together in a live “working” interactive workshop, we will work through some examples of the “Design” process that you can use in your own training design. Join us for a fun, interactive webinar that will give you a great overview of the process in an easy-to-understand format!
In this webinar focused on the “Design” phase, we will:

• Start with the end in mind by selecting assessment methods
• Examine different course formats
• Select an instructional design strategy to develop your course

About the Speaker

Jim Gordon is a retired captain from Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office in Central California, with 25 years of service. Jim served as a field training officer and as the FTO program administrator. After promoting to lieutenant, Jim served as the regional academy director where he spearheaded the design into one of California's first fully integrated, scenario based training program. 

Jim is a graduate of the California POST Master Instructor Program. He holds an Associate Degree in Administration of Justice, a Bachelor's Degree in Vocational Education, and a Master's Degree in Adult Education. Jim also worked with the CA POST Instructor Development Team teaching instructional technology and instructor development all over California. Jim now resides in Wyoming with his family. 

Have you ever been asked to develop a training course and weren't sure where to begin? Don't worry, you are not alone! This webinar will be the first of a five-part series where we will explore each part of the ADDIE course development model (Analysis/Design/Development/Implementation/Evaluation) common in the instructional design area. Together in a live "working" interactive workshop, we will work through each of the 5-step process, starting with our first step- "Analysis". In the Analysis phase, we will take a look at methods to determine the best course of action for training and focusing in on the characteristics of our learners. Join us for a fun, interactive webinar that will give you a great overview of the process in an easy-to-understand format! 

About the Speaker

Jim Gordon is a retired captain from Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office in Central California, with 25 years of service. Jim served as a field training officer and as the FTO program administrator. After promoting to lieutenant, Jim served as the regional academy director where he spearheaded the design into one of California's first fully integrated, scenario based training program. 

Jim is a graduate of the California POST Master Instructor Program. He holds an Associate Degree in Administration of Justice, a Bachelor's Degree in Vocational Education, and a Master's Degree in Adult Education. Jim also worked with the CA POST Instructor Development Team teaching instructional technology and instructor development all over California. Jim now resides in Wyoming with his family. 

Training and education are essential to success among fire and EMS personnel. As fire and EMS instructors, we spend a tremendous amount of time promoting professional development among aspiring first responders and incumbent members in the profession. We promote professional development because it enhances our safety while operating in the hazard zone. Equally important, we promote professional development because it fosters both confidence and competency.

Because the above comments are true, professional development for fire and EMS instructors is equally important. Instructional delivery is both an art and a science. Innovative techniques in the adult learning environment continue to evolve from empirical research. Today’s fire and EMS instructors must remain adaptive to instructional techniques that fosters learning in all settings. This webinar will highlight effective methods for empowering instructors by promoting professional development.  

Instructor: 

Demond Simmons 

Demond is a member of the Oakland (CA) Fire Department. He is currently on detail as the department’s special operations chief. He is a proud member of several fire service organizations including ISFSI, IAFC, IFSTA, and the IABPFF. His motto is, continue to be a student of the profession.

Contact Demond at demondsimmons@yahoo.com

The ISFSI Instruct-o-Gram Live webinar series brings a recently published Instruct-o-Gram alive with the author presenting key topics on implementing the material in your department. This month we are discussing how properly developed lesson plans keep the instructor consistent, organized and professional. The author will discuss the components of a proper lesson plan and how to develop your training lesson plans to deliver more effective and organized training. 

Instructor: 

Dave Bain 

Dave has over 26 years experience in Emergency Services and is the Chief Training Officer for The City of Red Deer Emergency Services, in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. He teaches a wide variety of fire service and EMS topics including Company Officer, EMS training, Hazardous Materials Response, and Fire Behavior. Dave is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult Education through the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. Dave is also a credentialed ISFSI Live Fire – Fixed Facility Instructor.