Instructors
Nozzle Forward
Lt. Aaron Fields, Seattle Fire Department
Aaron is a firefighter with the Seattle (WA) Fire Department. Between his dad, brother, and himself, there is nearly always a Fields member on watch somewhere in the 5th battalion. Aaron was named Seattle Firefighter of the Year in 2011 by his peers.
Aaron is also the recipient of the 2017 Fire Engineering/ International Society of Fire Service Instructors George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award. Steve Pegram, president of the ISFSI, says about Fields: “Aaron was nominated by his peers for working to create a grassroots program to enhance and improve engine company operations. His “Nozzle Forward” approach has been widely accepted and continues to focus on its original mission of fine-tuning basic nozzle firefighting skills. Aaron shares his experience and unique approach to teaching at national fire events annually, at FDIC as a HOT instructor, and as a member of the UL Fire Attack panel. Aaron is a firefighter who has dedicated his life to being the best firefighter possible. His personal ethos guide him and his cadre of instructors with a common passion to teach and help firefighters across the country to be aggressive, but smart, firefighters.”
Aaron is the founder of the Nozzle Forward program, which has taught more than 30,000 students in nearly 50 states. The Nozzle Forward program was developed to gain more mechanical advantage and “create a system rather than a grab bag of techniques.” Nozzle Forward is a systematic study and methodology for hose line management, movement, and fire attack. Nozzle Forward skills are adapted from many sources, reconstructed around simple principles that maximize mechanical advantage. Nozzle Forward techniques have been adopted in full or part by fire service agencies across America. The principles of hose line management taught in Nozzle Forward apply to every engine, every fire, and every firefighter.
Despite the popularity of Nozzle Forward training and larger class sizes, students will not stand around waiting to work. Nozzle Forward is presented by a cadre of fire service experts working under Aaron, who keep every student learning and developing their skills throughout the days and into the evenings.
Nozzle Forward is a two-day course, plus. Students must be prepared to train until 7:00 p.m. each day. Students registering for this course must bring full structural PPEs.
Initial Company Operations
Cpt. Ian Bennet, Seattle Fire Department
Ian began in the fire service in 2006 when he joined the Seattle Fire Department. He is currently a Lieutenant on E28 in the Rainier Valley. Always striving to push his knowledge to the next level he spent over four years as a writer and editor for Seattle Fire’s Post Incident Analysis committee and worked for three years as an instructor at the Washington State Fire Academy.
After promotion to Lieutenant, Ian was selected to be a recruit instructor and taught there for two years. Every Seattle recruit class conducts live fire training in an acquired structure, and it was in preparation to become a recruit instructor that Ian became obsessed with acquired structure training.
Ian founded West Coast Fire Training after being asked by several outside agencies to assist with live fire training in acquired structures and realizing that there was a need to bring this specific skill set to fire service organizations without the resources to develop it on their own.
Initial Company Operations is a two-day course beginning in the classroom and quickly transitioning into the field with live-fire training.
During Day One the instructor will cover the effectiveness of interior attack, transitional attack, locating the fire, and extinguishment philosophy. Discussion will include UL studies in water mapping & interior attack and VES. The afternoon will include life-fire training in advancing while flowing water, supporting the advance, searching behind the hose line, and VES.
During Day Two students will participate in live fire operations including laying and charging a line, advancing on and extinguishing a fire and then searching back from the fire room. Students will learn and gain skills in conducting a Vent-Enter-Search operation.
Students must meet the training requirements and provide structural PPE and SCBA described in WAC 296-305. Students must be assigned firefighters with a public fire department, fire authority or fire district in the state of Washington.
Lessons From Mikey G
Capt. Mike Gagliano, Retired, Seattle Fire Department
Mike has over 33 years of experience with the Seattle Fire Department and the US Air Force. Mike teaches across the country on Fireground Tactics/Decision-Making, Air Management, Leadership and Company Officer Development.
Mike has written numerous fire service articles and is co-author of bestselling books Air Management for the Fire Service and Challenges of the Firefighter Marriage. He is a member of the Fire Engineering/FDIC Advisory Board Firefighter and the Emeritus Board of the Firefighter Safety Research Institute.
Mike co-hosts the popular Fire Engineering radio webcast “The Mikey G and Mikey D Show” and partners with his wife Anne (Firelife.com) to teach on strategies for developing and maintaining a strong marriage/family.
This House Rocks – Achieving Firehouse Excellence: What is it that causes one place to be cohesive and brimming with camaraderie, while just down the road there is dissension and drudgery? Learn five key areas that can turn any firehouse into the type of place that enables firefighters to thrive and fulfill their calling. This class will look at how to build and enjoy the type of firehouse everyone wants.
The Art of Go/No Go: The toughest and most critical decisions you make in your career typically revolve around committing to an interior attack or choosing another route. Utilizing a simple framework that allows you build on your experiences, you can develop an intuitive approach that grows with you throughout your career. The goal is to create a framework of 3 varying profiles: Rescue, Building and Fire. This framework allows you to keep focused on decisions, give you the ability to draw on what you’ve learned, and react to changes in the fire environment.
Situational Awareness - The Seven Deadly Sins of the “Situationally Unaware”: This class is an inward look at over 33 years of going to fires and some real-world behaviors that hindered my focus and effectiveness. We’ll take an honest look at simple, common behaviors that can be viewed on every fireground operation and were certainly present at mine. This class will provide information any firefighter can use to immediately get better at their job.
All Hell Breaks Loose - And Now You’re Out of Air: We take an honest look at what “Out of Air” looks like with no punches pulled. The reality of the fireground is an atmosphere that is highly toxic, flammable, and carcinogenic. The tragedy of both the short and long-term consequences of running out of air will be on full display. Along with what NOT to do, the class will go into the best ways possible to survive an incident where everything has gone wrong. This class will change the way you look at the air you bring to the emergency and how it affects whether you survive.
Rural Pump Operations
Capt. Jason VanDyken, Bellingham Fire Department
Jason followed in his Dad’s footsteps, becoming a cadet in 1998 and then a volunteer firefighter for Whatcom County Fire District #4. After attending college, he became a career firefighter in 2006, ending up serving the Bellingham Fire Department. Today, Jason is Captain of Engine #3, with the BFD.
Throughout Jason’s education, training, and service he has had a particular interest in pump operation. He has taught pumping academies to most fire agencies in Whatcom County and further since 2015. It is not uncommon to find Jason “fire-buffing” on larger scenes and being solicited to assist in complex fireground water supply operations.
Jason is married and the father of two children. He and his family are active RVers and boaters. He especially enjoys downhill mountain biking.
The Rural Pump Operations course will take you from basic pump operations to a new level of understanding water flow, troubleshooting, and getting the best performance from the pump for a rural fire response. Students learn how to operate a fire pump from draft, tender operations, and relay pumping where water supply is limited.
Rural Pump Operations is presented in the classroom and in field operations. Students will learn the principles of pump operations in the classroom. There they will also use simulated pumping systems to test principles and expand understanding. They will then transition into the field, practicing the taught and tested principles they have come to understand using engines, tenders, and portable tanks.
Students registering for Rural Pump Operation must bring with them full structural PPE.
Incident Safety Officer
B.C. Mike Dettmer, retired, Kirkland Fire Department
Mike served as a professional firefighter with Kirkland Fire Department for over thirty-eight years. He served twenty-five years as Operations Battalion Chief, including eight years as Designated Health and Safety Officer and Training Chief. NFA Executive Fire Officer Program Alumni, FDSOA Pro-Board Certification, OSHA General Industries Instructor and NFA Incident Safety Officer Instructor. Firefighter safety remains a passion of his. Mike is married and a father of three children. Retired from Kirkland in May of 2019.
The Incident Safety Officer course examines the safety officer’s role at emergency responses. A specific focus on operations within an incident command system as a safety officer is the main theme. Response to all-hazards types of situations will be emphasized.
The ISO course is designed for fire and EMS responders who may be designated by the IC and an incident safety officer while working within ICS. These assignments may occur during firefighting, EMS, special-operations-type incidents, and training evolutions.
The ISO course is an incident-specific, scenario-oriented course designed to teach students what an ISO needs to know at an incident. The course uses instructor-led discussion, multimedia activities, and small group discussions to convey instructional points.
Evidence-Based Engine & Truck Company Operations
Cpt. Jim Golondzinier, L.A. County Fire Department
Captain Jim Golondzinier is 32 year member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He is a respected, leader and instructor on fire ground operations. As a primary author of the Department’s Structure Fire Guideline, Captain Golondzinier delivers instruction to all ranks and is a fourteen year founding member of the Department’s live fire training which has incorporated UL-FSRI’s fire dynamics from the beginning. Captain Golondzinier serves as a UL-FSRI Fire Dynamics Boot Camp instructor and technical panel member for the PPA/PPV study. He continues to travel and teach throughout the states to influence fire ground decision makers to incorporate both fire dynamics and the risk management process in order to reduce injuries and death in the American Fire Service.
B.C. Chad Christensen, L.A. County Fire Department
Chad is the lead fire dynamics and live fire instructor for the Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department. He has helped develop and implement tactical changes for the department over the past 14 years as a member of UL-FSRI's technical panels for Fire Attack and Coordinated Attack studies and is a UL Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) bootcamp instructor.
Chad also teaches his “Evidence-Based Engine Operations” class at FDIC which he developed using current UL-FSRI research, to identify best practices on the fireground depending on your staffing, built environment, and deployment model. One of his specialties is discussing and showing how water and air can positively and negatively affect the fireground.
Daniel Madrzykowski,
Underwriters Laboratory, Fire Safety Research Institute
Dan is the Senior Director of Research for the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes. He has a doctorate in fire engineering from the University of Canterbury and a master of science in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland. Dan has more than 32 years of experience working to improve fire safety by conducting research and development in areas of: fire dynamics, fire test methods, fire control, and fire investigation. Dan is a member of the NFPA and serves on the committees for Fire Service Training, Structural Fire Fighting, and Fire Investigation. He is a member of the ISFSI and co-developed the Understanding and Fighting Basement Fires course. Dan has collaborated with IAAI and IAFC in the development of several on-line training programs. Dan is a Fellow with the SFPE and was presented with the Harold E. Nelson Service Award in 2017. As a result of his firefighting research, he has been honored with many awards including: the rank of Honorary Battalion Chief with the FDNY, the IAFC President’s Award, the IFSTA Granito Award, the ISFSI Instructor of the Year, and the Citizen Services, Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal.
The two-day Evidence-Based Engine & Truck Company Operations program is designed to equip fire service leaders, instructors and firefighters with the latest research findings on fire behavior and firefighting tactics - knowledge that is essential to enhance firefighter safety, improve situational awareness, and make informed decisions on the fire ground.
Participants will learn to translate scientific research into actionable tactics and receive instruction on effectively communicating fire dynamics concepts to others.
Instructors affiliated with UL & FSRI will guide participants through the core concepts of fire dynamics, allow students to engage in interactive exercises and live fire demonstrations, and analyze case studies of fire events to understand the practical applications of fire dynamics in the real world. Participants will be empowered with the skills and knowledge to pass on fire dynamics principles effectively.
Fire Operations in the Wildland/Urban Interface
Matt Cervenka, Washington State DNR
Matt has worked in wildland firefighting for over ten years. He has that time working for the WA Department of Natural Resources as a firefighter, engine captain, Fire Management Officer and most recently as the NW Region Fire Training Coordinator. Throughout his tenure with DNR, he has had the opportunity to instruct numerous wildland operations courses as well as serve as the Beginner and Intermediate Branch Director for DNR’s Fire Training Academy. His goal is to bring practical knowledge and techniques to the classroom. He is dedicated to preparing students for the challenges of wildland firefighting, ensuring they have the skills to operate safely and efficiently.
Fire Operations in the Wildland/Urban Interface is a two-plus day course that focuses on preparing individuals to manage and respond to fire incidents in areas where urban development meets wildland vegetation, often referred to as the Wildland/Urban Interface.
The Fire Operations in the Wildland/Urban Interface course equips fire personnel with the skills necessary to conduct safe and effective operations in the WUI environment. The course covers the unique challenges posed by these areas, including fire behavior, structure protection, evacuation procedures, and communication with the public. It emphasizes a collaborative approach between agencies and highlights the need for clear understanding and coordination between structural and wildland fire agencies.
Key Learning Objectives:
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Understanding fire behavior in the interface: Learn how environmental factors influence fire behavior in wildland and urban interface settings.
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Assessing structures and hazards: Identify and evaluate the factors that determine structure survivability and how to protect buildings during a fire.
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Incident command and coordination: Gain a strong understanding of the Incident Command System as it applies to interface incidents.
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Structure triage and evacuation planning: Learn to prioritize which structures can be saved and how to safely evacuate areas at risk.
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Safety considerations: Understand the risks associated with fire operations in interface areas and the measures needed to ensure firefighter and civilian safety.
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Resource use and deployment: Learn effective use and deployment of resources including engines, crews, and aircraft in an interface setting.
The course is designed for personnel who are responsible for responding to fire incidents in the interface, including structural firefighters, wildland firefighters, and other emergency responders who may assist in protecting life and property.
Emotional Health And Resilience Workshop
Chericka Ashmann, MHP, S.E.R.V.E
Chericka Ashmann LICSW, MHP, CMHS, CCTP EMDR Certified Practitioner in WA state, and has been administering trauma focused therapy to first responders since 2015. Her goal is to educate and empower those in the helping professions, about the impacts of trauma and the pathways to holistic healing and balance.
S.E.R.V.E is a firefighter led support group that provides a safe place for first responders. The group was started in 2024 by Amy Hoyt and Kai Harwick. Their goal is to destigmatize
The Emotional Health and Resilience Workshop is a two-day program designed to support firefighters' emotional wellness and resilience. The workshop is facilitated by an experienced mental health professional and trained educators from the fire service.
Participants will learn valuable skills to enhance their mental well-being and create a supportive network within their departments and communities, empowering them to apply these tools in both their professional and personal lives.
Topics include:
Psychoeducation: Providing knowledge about emotional health, stress, trauma, and resilience.
Self-Awareness: Helping participants understand their own emotional states and responses as well as their how their own personal timeline impacts responses to stress and trauma.
Self-Assessments: Tools and techniques for assessing one's mental and emotional well-being.
Resiliency Practices: Practical exercises and strategies to build and maintain resilience both on and off shift.
Knowledge Transfer: Teaching participants how to bring back and apply the skills and knowledge to their departments, homes, and communities.