All Fireground Hands-on Training (H.O.T.) Classes Sponsored By

2966 W Oak Ridge Rd, Orlando, FL 32809

1st and 10 Engine
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

This class will cover the 1st engine arriving at a fire scene and cover the tasks that need to be accomplished within the 1st 10 minutes on scene. It will cover every riding position on the engine and provide tips and tricks for anyone taking this course. The course will cover everything from the arrival report to the hose deployment, from advancing hose to nozzle techniques. This is a must have course for anyone assigned to an engine. The morning session will have rotations through the different objectives. The afternoon session will be scenario based into live fire putting it all together.

Students need to provide their own full structural bunker gear, mask, and SCBA. If you have a problem securing a SCBA, we can possibly assist with this.

Lead Instructor: Steven Negedly, Orlando Fire Department

Fire Service Career: Been in the fire service since 1993, serving for Volusia County Fire Services, the city of Edgewater and finally Orlando Fire Dept. since 2003. Currently a Lieutenant assigned to Engine 16 in the Lake Nona District of the city. Education: Associates in General Studies and Fire Science, Bachelor’s Degree in Fire and Emergency Services from the University of Florida. Fire Service Instructor: Has been an instructor since 2004. Program Manager for Valencia College for the Driver Operator program which includes Pump Ops and Aerial Ops. Also, the Program Manager for the Driver Operator program at Seminole State College of Florida. Also teaches minimum standards for Seminole State College. Other: Director of the Orlando Fire Conference since 2016.

EMS Advanced Airway
Location: Orange County Convention Center

This class is intended for ALS providers. Topics will include management of the difficult airway, intubation in patients with copious secretions, and surgical airway management techniques. Students will perform hands-on practice of needle and surgical cricothyrotomies using pig tracheas.

Everything Saws!
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

Our fireground has evolved to the point where many times, a saw is needed to help mitigate a scene. In order to do this, we need to understand the capabilities and best application for each of our saws. This class will cover the different saws encountered in the fire service, to include: chainsaws, rotary saws, recip saws, and band saws. Battery, electric, pneumatic and hydraulic as well as gas powered saws will be discussed as well as used. Maintenance and trouble shooting will be addressed as well as performed. Students will use different saws and blades on multiple materials, which helps students perform and evaluate saws for their departments. Lastly, saws will be used in different skills that are routinely performed on the fire ground scenes.

PPE Required: Turn Out Gear, Helmet, Gloves, Eye Protection (SCBA if live fire component approved)

8hr Emergency Airway Management Course, based on the FL F.A.I.R Airway Study
Location: Orange County Convention Center

Hosted by Florida Health

Emergency Airway Management- full day hands on skills lab. FREE.
FL Dept. of Health Grant. Based on the FL F.Å.I.R. Airway study needs.

This program has been presented at conferences and facilities around the country and is designed for those familiar with the basic concept of airway and ventilation management. Through the use of video, photos, case reviews and hands-on skills labs, participants will review the anatomy of the airway and physiology of adequate ventilation followed by hands-on practice using various devices and techniques. Finally, a review of pharmacology, surgical procedures, unique equipment and video laryngoscopy will leave participants with many “tricks of the trade.” This program will provide 8 hours of EMS license renewal credits through CE Broker.

Lead Instructor: Shaun Fix, Boca Raton Fire Rescue (Ret.)/Emergency Medical Consultatnts

Shaun Fix PMD, NRP is the President of Emergency Medical Consultants in South Florida. He has been practicing and teaching in the hospital and pre hospital field since 1983. He holds a degree in Emergency Medical Service Management and has held faculty positions at several colleges. After 35 years of service, Shaun retired as a shift officer in charge of EMS for Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services in Palm Beach County, Florida. Shaun has presented programs at State, National and International Conferences and has appeared on FETN, Pulse, 24-7 EMS, Medic Monthly, and Emergency Medical Update Videos. A frequent lecturer, author and consultant, Shaun is best known for keeping his programs upbeat and relevant while bringing “the reality of emergency medicine” to the classroom setting. Shaun is the author of the Brady text, Success in ACLS and recently completed writing the book Safety and Survival in Emergency Medicine.

Fireground RIT: Basics & Command
Location: Orange County Convention Center

The purpose of this course is to allow attendees to understand and learn the skills needed for a rapid intervention of a downed firefighter. The skills applied are the same that are used on fire ground across the country. This course is designed to go back to the “BASIC SKILLS” of the individual firefighter along with the “BASIC TOOLS” needed to rescue one of our own. From basic skills, such as SCBA confidence and search, to advanced skills, including assessing the downed firefighter and removal of a downed firefighter. This course is comprised of 2-3 hours of classroom history and instruction, and four (4) hours of hands on training using the same obstacles on the prop that will be used for the Preliminary Skills Competition. This is a great opportunity to train and practice with some of the best instructors in Florida.

Lead Instructor: Jeff Alter, Florida RIT Operations Group

The Heavy
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

Learn the techniques for responding and rescuing victims heavily entrapped using advanced lifting techniques, torches, stabilization, and the latest E-draulic tools. Participants will have the opportunity to lift a school bus and participate in mitigating an underride as some of the examples of skills performed in the class.

Lead Instructor: Kevin Nazario, Orange County Fire Rescue Department

High-Rise Operations
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

Old buildings, old, physically impaired residents with pre-existing medical conditions, poorly inspected and maintained standpipe systems and inadequate water supplies combine with lack of sprinklers to make mid and high rise condominium buildings permitted in the State Of Florida the potential for multiple-fatality fires. Bill Gustin will examine these and other factors that make these buildings so dangerous for residents and firefighters in this state and requirements for partial sprinkler protection and other improvements as parts of engineered life-safety systems. The class will examine measures that fire departments in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties are taking to improve tactics and enhance inter-operability in their high rise building fire responses.

This eight hour training will examine the problems associated with fires in commercial and residential high rise buildings and the strategies and tactics to mitigate them. Topics to be covered include: The differences between residential & commercial high rise construction; Becoming familiar with all aspects of building systems; Analysis of case studies; Up to date tactics for high rise fires, and ICS for high rise fires. The class ends with a full scale evolution.

Lead Instructor: Bill Gustin, Miami-Dade Fire/Rescue

“Keys to the City”
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

This class will give you the confidence as if you have the “keys to the city” when faced with any forcible entry challenge. Students will start with the basics and progress towards real world forcible entry challenges. Participants will have a great understanding on the “whys” of forcible entry. This class is 100% conventional techniques and will focus on repetition to build a good forcible entry foundation. Our through-the-lock and passive entry rotation will be hands-on and detailed, insuring participants have a sound understanding of pulling and manipulating locks. Students will end the day with a live smoke forcible entry scenario, forcing several doors in tight quarters with limited to zero visibility. This class is for any firefighter or fire officer wanting to know the details in forcible entry and will give them the skill to tackle any challenge. Some of the Skills Covered: Tool Orientation, Door Construction and Swing, Conventional forcible entry, single and double person techniques, Through-the-lock, Passive Entry, Padlocks, Security Window Bars, carriage bolts, padlocks, Limited Hallway Space and Limited Visibility and much more!

Lead Instructor: Jimmy Berry, Orange County Fire Rescue Department

Jimmy Berry is a Lieutenant/Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Department in Orlando, Florida. He has been a member of the department for 22 years and has been assigned to Truck Company 30 in the Pine Hills/Orlo Vista area of Orlando since 2003. He is a member of the Orange County Fire Department’s SCUBA/Dive and High Angle Rescue Teams which responds to all emergencies at the Orlando Eye in the I-Drive corridor. Jimmy is also an instructor at Valencia College’s Fire Rescue Institute in Orlando (FL). He has instructed at several conferences including Orlando fire conference, Mile high fire conference (Denver Colorado), Ft. Lauderdale fire expo, Metro Atlanta fire conference, Ancient City fire expo (St. Augustine).

Managing the RIT
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

This course aims to provide you with the necessary skills to effectively handle one of the most challenging emergency situations. By leveraging technology, we will explore strategies to optimize resource management and enhance overall effectiveness. In times of crisis, it is common to deploy numerous resources in an attempt to swiftly resolve the emergency. However, this class will focus on the operational and leadership aspects of managing such low frequency high risk incidents. Additionally, we will showcase the latest state-of-the-art equipment and demonstrate how it can significantly contribute to our success.

Resuscitation Florida by Florida Department of Health
Location: Orange County Convention Center

Hosted by Florida Health

Thermal Imaging: The Operational Environment – “The Intricacies” (***LIVE FIRE***)
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

The primary objective of “The Intricacies” (Segment One) is to provide comprehensive education and training for fire service members in the realm of thermal imaging technology. This course aims to equip participants with indispensable knowledge and abilities for maximizing the advantages offered to gain a strategic edge over the hostilities during hazardous operations.

The instructional plan, which includes a classroom presentation, hands-on demonstrations, and H.O.T. evolutions, has been carefully crafted to afford participants a heightened understanding of technical operations and functionality to competently operate as well as properly implement the diverse technologies used throughout the fire service.

Lecture discussions will investigate the rich history of thermal imaging technology in the fire service, tracing its evolution to unveil the fundamental elements and characteristics inherent to its design and construction. Additionally, our exploration will extend to fire ground operations, aiming to understand the significance of image interpretation. This includes defining the purpose and suitability of various technologies and evaluating the methodologies essential for maximizing the advantages for profitable tactics and strategies.

The demonstration involving a small-scale burn prop provides a visual representation that reinforces the knowledge acquired during the initial portion of the lecture, facilitating a deeper understanding of essential principles related to image interpretation, potential misinterpretations, analysis, and measurement of capabilities across various thermal imaging devices used in the fire service.

To foster and refine skills the remainder of the course will encompass practical evolutions focusing on three distinct training sections:

“Enclosure Fire Dynamics” (***LIVE FIRE***)

The highlight of the course features live fire, which is conducted within a modified Dräger Phase 1 Fire Behavior Lab. Led by a sub-contracted manufacture lead simulator operations specialist participants will witness a controlled, realistic encounter of enclosure fire dynamics enabling participants to gain a first-hand realization of the operational environment as seen through various thermal imaging devices.

“Reconstructing the Size-Up”

This exercise focuses on interpretation of topics related to the application of the thermal imager for lucrative exterior and interior size-up methodologies with a concentration on V.E.S. Operations. Participants will gain conception of procedures for seamless integration of the device to leverage its capabilities for optimizing strategic planning and facilitating tactical decision-making to prioritize the safety and well-being of victims and crew members during hostile firefighting situations.

“Evolving the Fundamentals” (***HOT/COLD SMOKE***)

Participants will be divided into pairs, working together as a crew, to immerse themselves in zero-visibility scenarios carefully designed to develop and enhance the techniques required for the effective utilization of equipment, procedures, and teamwork during challenging situations. This hands-on experience will emphasize Crew Resource Management, aiming to instill knowledge, skills, and attitudes such as communication, situational awareness, problem-solving, decision-making, and teamwork that are essential for successful tactical operations with the thermal imager.

***Registered FCDICE Course ID# ATPC18046***

Lead Instructor: Christopher Corso, Fire Dynamics Training Programs

Chris Corso, the Owner/Operator of FDT Programs, began his fire service career in 2003, and is currently assigned to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, FL, Station 19 serving as the Driver Engineer with recurrent duty assignments as Acting Company Officer. His commitment to professional development led him to achieve his Florida Fire Service Instructor certification in 2014, and shortly thereafter obtained the certification for Live Fire Training Instructor. His passion for nurturing the growth of fellow firefighters initially emerged within his own department and over the years has extended to possibilities surpassing any imagined aspirations.

December of 2016, Chris received a significant opportunity that marked a pinnacle in his career as a fire service instructor, ultimately leading to the creation of FDT Programs. Selected as a Sub-Contracted Simulator Operations Instructor for Dräger Fire Training Systems U.S., his responsibilities included instructing training cadre members on simulator familiarization and management of Single and Multi-Story Vent-Controlled Firefighting Simulators as well as Fire Behavior Labs, (formerly known as “Flashover Simulators”). Upon receiving the designation of Dräger Safety Lead Instructor he began facilitating courses for fire service agencies throughout Southeastern United States occasionally extending outside his region to departments across the U.S. and internationally.

The above-mentioned prospect ultimately led to the creation of FDT Programs where Chris’s extensive knowledge and experience with Vent-Controlled Fire Training Systems concentrated strengths for several crucial areas of fire service education and training. Appointment to an advisory board as a subject matter expert by the Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training gave the opportunity to transpose acquired knowledge for shaping the future of live fire instructor training & standards within the state. Later the acquisition of Level 1 Thermographer presented the opportunity to develop courses dedicated towards the education and training of Florida fire service members on fire service thermal imagers which led to FDT Programs becoming an approved training provider. Recent endeavors have turned towards offering inclusive education for training division personnel on the design & construction of non-manufacture vent-controlled fire training systems and simulator operations qualification courses for various systems.

Since the development of the thermal imaging courses, the FDT Programs Cadre has had the honor of presenting at notable H.O.T. sessions and conferences such as Orlando Fire Conference, Broward County Fire Chief’s Association, Bearers of the Oath Conference, and Pennsylvania’s Butler County Fire Chief’s Association – Fire School Weekend.

Vent, Enter, Search
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

This class builds confidence on the misunderstood tactic of VES. VES is often labeled as being unsafe or too aggressive. When in fact, it is one of the safest forms of search. It places trained firefighters in rooms where victims are often found, isolating them from fire. Students will rotate through training stations of ladders, window entry and egress, single firefighter searches and end the class with multiple fast-paced scenarios.

Lead Instructor: Jimmy Berry, Orange County Fire Rescue Department

Jimmy Berry is a Lieutenant/Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Department in Orlando, Florida. He has been a member of the department for 22 years and has been assigned to Truck Company 30 in the Pine Hills/Orlo Vista area of Orlando since 2003. He is a member of the Orange County Fire Department’s SCUBA/Dive and High Angle Rescue Teams which responds to all emergencies at the Orlando Eye in the I-Drive corridor. Jimmy is also an instructor at Valencia College’s Fire Rescue Institute in Orlando (FL). He has instructed at several conferences including Orlando fire conference, Mile high fire conference (Denver Colorado), Ft. Lauderdale fire expo, Metro Atlanta fire conference, Ancient City fire expo (St. Augustine).

Saving Our Own FAST
Location: Valencia College Fire Rescue Institute

This course is a Firefighter Rescue Course not a RIT class, often firefighters that experience a MAYDAY are rescued by someone other than a Rapid Intervention Team. We will take a dive into the data that “Project Mayday” has compiled supporting this. It is highly likely that a firefighter working on the interior will start, and hopefully complete, the rescue of a downed firefighter. We will go over a systematic approach to some conventional (and not-so-conventional) techniques to increase the chances of a quick and successful rescue. These will include techniques for: – How to do a rapid assessment – Various drags and carries – Movements up and down stairs, and much more These techniques will set up the transition of rescue by an interior crew member to the interception point where an HRD like the FAST Board comes into play

Lead Instructor: Jeremy Mathis, Director of Training, FAST Rescue Solutions