[Live Webinar] Training Officer Fundamentals

As Training Officers, we all have to start somewhere. Sometimes, becoming heavily involved in your department’s training program or being promoted to a Training Officer can come early in a career, and we’ve only just completed Instructor 1. Sometimes it comes in later years, when we’re bringing time as Company Officers training others for have gone through more extensive instructor training like Instructor II and beyond.
 
Regardless of when a firefighter enters a training role, the task of taking on a department’s training program or training division can be daunting. Often, that new Training Officer gets the role and then asks themselves, “OK, now what?”.
The ISFSI has gathered three of the North American fire service’s foremost thought leaders on training to address, through conversation and a moderated Q & A, how that new T.O. can manage and navigate their initial steps with their department’s training program. The audience will also be encouraged to come with questions or comments.

This is a topic near to all of us in the fire service – a training driven profession – so whether you’re in training now, are in senior management at your department, or plan to eventually step into training shoes in the future, this enlightening and informative webinar will speak to you about the challenges of the new Training Officer.

About the Speakers: 

• Anthony Avillo, M.S.: Anthony Avillo began his fire service career in 1984 and retired in March, 2015 as Deputy Chief in North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue, as well as Retired Director of Monmouth County (NJ) Fire Academy. As an urban fireground commander, Avillo commanded fire and emergency operations in the most congested cities in the United States. Avillo has his BS degree in Fire Science from New Jersey City University and is an Adjunct Professor at New Jersey City University. Avillo also serves as Region 3 Director of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI).

• Brian Kazmierzak: Brian P. Kazmierzak, EFO, CTO is the Deputy Director of Fire Services for the Benton Harbor (MI) Department of Public Safety, where he has served since 2020.  Brian has a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from Southern Illinois University and serves as the Director of Operations for www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com. Brian received the 2006 F.O.O.L.S. International Dana Hannon Instructor of the Year Award, the 2008 Indiana Fire Chiefs Training Officer of the Year Award, and the 2011 ISFSI/FDIC George D. Post Fire Instructor. In addition, Brian completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program in 2006 and is a certified Michigan Professional Emergency Manager. Brian was on the UL FSRI PPV Research Study Basement Fire Tactics Study Panels. Brian has been a student of the fire service since 1991 and has taught and consulted for small departments as well as metro-size departments. Brian serves as a Lead Instructor and Curriculum Developer for numerous ISFSI programs.

• Devin Flannery: Battalion Chief Devin Flannery has served the City of South San Francisco Fire Department for the last 20 years. He has experience as a Firefighter/Paramedic, Field Training Officer (FTO), Acting Engineer, Fire Captain, and Training Chief. Chief Flannery is an adjunct faculty professor at Sierra College, where he teaches hazardous materials first responder/decon for the fire academy. He has an Associate’s degree in fire technology from Sierra College, a Bachelor's degree in education from Sacramento State, a Master's degree in public safety leadership from Arizona State, and a current doctoral student in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California. Chief Flannery is a certified Fire Officer from State Fire Training (SFT) and credentialed from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Also, he is a graduate of the Managing Officer program at the National Fire Academy. Devin’s passion is teaching all levels of instructor courses to fire agencies nationwide.

About the Moderator:

Chief Dave Robertson has 25 years in the fire service across 5 different departments: from busy urban systems to wildland as the core mission, tto rural/semi-rural. He has instructed within those departments, in fire academies, paramedic schools, private fire institutions, and as a Chief of Training. He is fueled by a sincere passion to make the fire service better and would like his legacy to be one that has him known as an eager and joyful participant in initiatives that help make firefighters smarter, safer, and in the end, better at their jobs.