Photo by: Steve Gentry HOOK UP & GO UP Welcome to the Second Annual High Rise Operations Conference on Pensacola Beach

Presented by: County Fire Tactics WELCOME LETTER HIGH RISE CONFERENCE NOTES

Welcome Firefighters,

I am excited you are here on beautiful Pensacola Beach to attend the second annual High Rise Operations Conference. This year promises to be everything last year was and more. We brought back all of last years instructors, plus brought in additional instructors, making this an even more diverse conference on High Rise Operations. We are looking to provide firefighters from around the world the ultimate fire training experience, from training, to nightly social/networking experiences.

Why are you here? The answers to that question are many. Nearly 50% of all high rises that exist today are not equipped with sprinklers, additionally, when sprinklers do exist, they fail at 1 in 14 fires. SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ARE NOT A GUARANTEE! When they fail, will you and your crew be READY? The NIST report on High-Rise Fire Ground Field Experiments revealed great differences between crew sizes when operating at high rise fires. When responding to a medium growth rate fire on the 10th floor, 3-person crews ascending to the fire floor confronted an environment where the fire had released 60% more heat energy than the fire encountered by the 6-person crews doing the same work. This proves through real fire ground scenarios that crew size does matter at a high rise fires. When responding and operating at high rises with minimal staffing, you must be prepared to, and able to deliver and apply significant amounts of water to the fire. You must make the most of your personnel and equipment.

This first two days will encompass a diverse group of speakers providing a wide range of information on Highrise Operations. On day 3, you will have four options to choose from. These options include a Firefighter track, Company Officer Track for Suburban Staffing, Company Officer Track for Urban Staffing, and the Chief/Command Track

This conference would not be possible without our great sponsors and the support they give to keep the cost down and the quality of training up. We would like to thank all speakers and instructors for giving their time and commitment to making this a great educational experience. This conference would not be what it is without the highly experienced instructors from all over the country.

In closing, please make an effort to attend the planned social events each evening. Here, you will continue to learn, make new friends, and share in the bonds of brotherhood that make our profession second none. Each event will offer food and drink specials, and are within walking distance of the Hilton. If at any time while you are here you need anything, please contact me via phone or text at (850) 393-0581

Keep up with the latest in fire training and events by joining CF Tactics on Facebook. You can also signup to follow both countyfiretactics.com and firefighterrescues.com. Just scroll down to bottom of homepage and type in your email. You will receive notification of each post. We have set the dates for HROC 2015. It will be held next December 1-3, right here at the Hilton Gulf Front. HROC 2015 is “HROC X 2” and will include a Heavy Rescue Operations Track, and expand on the previous 2 years of High Rise Fire Operations.

Thank you again for attending, have a great conference, and keep pushing.

Curt Isakson Hilton, Pensacola Beach Gulf Front SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOOD AND SOCIAL EVENTS

Day 1 | December 2, 2014 ROYAL PALM BALLROOM Day 1 | December 2, 2014 8:00am Curt Isakson...... Welcome, Opening Remarks Escambia County Fire Rescue Color Guard 6–10 p.m. Evening Social Hemingway’s 8:30am Ray McCormack ...... Keynote Address “High Rise Discipline” Complimentary Dinner thanks to Honeywell 9:00am Robert Morris ...... 40 Years on the Line “HighRise Lessons Learned” Drink Specials: FREE Beer 10–10:15am BREAK 10:15am Bill Gustin...... Hoseline Operations in Standpipe Equipped Buildings Day 2 | December 3, 2014 12:00pm LUNCH 6:15 a.m. HROC 5K run/walk 1–3:00pm John Ceriello...... Alternate Strategies in High Rise Operations Meet in the Lobby 3-3:15pm BREAK Lead by: Curt Isakson and Ray McCormack 3:15 Robert Hoff...... Real High Rise Fires and Experiences 5:30pm-10:30pm Evening Social Rick Kolomay “Lessons Learned” Part 1 Firefighter Night at the Boardwalk 5:00 Curt Isakson ...... Closing Remarks Raffle and LIVE BAND! Food and Drink Discounts Day 2 | December 3, 2014 ROYAL PALM BALLROOM 8:00am Curt Isakson ...... Opening Remarks 8:15am Erich Rhoden...... Keynote Address “The Direction of FireRescue Magazine” Day 3 | December 4, 2014 8:30am Robert Hoff...... Real High Rise Fires and Experiences 6:00pm-10:00pm Evening Social Rick Kolomay “Lessons Learned” Part 2 Casino Bar and Grille 10-10:15am BREAK 20% off the entire menu 10:15am Dave McGrail...... Engine Company Highrise/Standpipe – FREE Beer Fact and Experience Based Procedures 12:00pm LUNCH Meal rate offered through the Hilton for HROC attendees 1:00pm Jerry Herbst Strategic Development Manager - National Accounts Hilton Ultimate Breakfast Buffet: $9.95 Elkhart Brass 1:15–2:45pm John Ceriello...... Alternate Strategies in High Rise Operations Lunch Specials: 3:15pm Jerry Tracy...... Firefighting Operations in Low and Mid Rise Buildings Casino Beach Bar and Grille...... 20% off food and drinks all week 5:00pm Curt Isakson...... Closing Remarks Day 3 | December 4, 2014 Cactus Flower Café:...... 20% off food 6:45-7:00am Firefighter Track – Midway Fire $1.00 off all drinks Bus Loading will be from 6:45-7:00am in front of hotel. Bus leaves promptly at 7:00am 7:30am Dave McGrail...... “Urban/City HR Operations” Hooters...... 15% off all food all week Officer Track | 2nd Floor Classroom – Emerald Coast Room 7:30am Bill Gustin...... “Suburban/Coastal HR Operations” Bonsai Bar at Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Officer Track | 1st Floor Classroom – White Sands Room *Free draft beer sponsored by, Pensacola Bay Brewery – Nightly Bar open until 11pm 8:00am Rick Kolomay...... Chief Officer Track Robert Hoff, and Jerry Tracy 1st Floor Classroom – Coral Reef Room HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

Curt Isakson Robert Morris Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief of Volunteer Services, Escambia County Fire Rescue Stamford (CT) Fire Department

Curt Isakson is a 26 year veteran of the fire service. Robert Morris recently retired as the Captain Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia of FDNY Rescue Company 1 after 40 years of County Fire Rescue. Curt previously worked 9 dedicated service. He co-authored FDNY’s Forcible years with the Pensacola Fire Department where Entry Manual, which is used throughout the fire he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue service. He lectures frequently on forcible entry, 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a rescue operations, and truck company tactics. young age as a junior firefighter with the Midway He is an instructor in the forcible entry portion Fire Protection District, where he rose through of FDIC’s Urban Essentials Hands On Training the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, Program. Robert was recently appointed as career, and combination departments. the Assistant Chief of Volunteer Services at the Stamford, Connecticut Fire Department. Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief, and has been assigned to Operations, Training, and Inspections. He was the Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates countyfiretactics.com, a website that discusses and covers a very diverse range of fire tactics and suppression tactics. Curt lectures and conducts hands on training at many major conferences; John Ceriello including FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Metro Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and many other venues. He is a Florida Captain, state certified Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, Arson Investigator, and Urban Search and Rescue New York City Fire Department Technician. John Ceriello is a 26-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, 14 of those years were Ray McCormack spent in the Special Operations Command. He is a Captain, and is currently assigned to Division Lieutenant, FDNY of Training. He has been an integral part in the FDNY & NIST Wind Impacted Fires Project that Ray McCormack is a 33 year veteran of the FDNY, introduced stairwell pressurization, wind control and is a Lieutenant with Ladder 28 in Harlem. He devices, and high-rise nozzles into the field. previously served for over ten years in Engine 69. He also was part of the implementation of new He is the co-creator and editor of Urban Firefighter concepts of ventilation and flowpath control to the Magazine. He delivered the keynote speech at FDNY. John is on the Underwriters Laboratories FDIC in 2009, “True Values of a Firefighter.” Ray advisory panel for a number of projects, including is the author of the Tactical Safety column, which their most recent research on horizontal and can be read at www.urbanfirefighter.com. Where vertical ventilation. you can also view his Training Minutes videos on Engine Company Operations. Ray is a speaker and hands on training instructor at conferences around the country. HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

Bill Gustin Robert Hoff Captain, Miami-Dade Deputy Chief, Fire Rescue Department Carol Stream (IL) Fire District

Bill Gustin is a 41 year veteran of the Fire Service Bob Hoff has spent 42 years in the Fire Service. and a Captain with the Miami Dade Fire Rescue He started his career in 1972 as a Cadet with Department. He began his career as a volunteer the Evergreen Park, IL. Fire Department. In in the Chicago area. He is the lead instructor in 1976 Bob became a member of the Chicago Fire Miami Dade’s Officer Development Program. Department, where he proudly served for over 35 He conducts training programs for firefighters years until his retirement in 2012. He served as throughout the United States, Canada, and the a Firefighter EMT, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Caribbean. Captain Gustin is a contributing editor Chief, District Chief of Training, District Chief and editorial advisory board member for Fire of District 1 (Downtown Area), Assistant Deputy Engineering Magazine, and an advisory board Fire Commissioner of Operations, 1st Deputy Fire member for FDIC. He has taught forcible entry Commissioner and Fire Commissioner. During his techniques for local and federal law enforcement agencies and marine firefighting to crews of Career with the CFD, Bob worked on Engine, Truck, and Squad Companies in some of Chicago’s passenger and cargo vessels. He was a member of the FEMA working group that developed busy fire areas. Bob received several Life Saving awards, twice winning the city of Chicago’s the organization and standards for USAR Task Forces and participated in the rescue of victims highest award, the Carter Harrison Award for bravery, and the Medal of Valor from the State of trapped in collapsed buildings from earthquakes in Armenia and the Philippines. Illinois. Bob is a Field Instructor for the Illinois State Fire Academy, teaching Company Officer, Chief Officer, Engine Company, Truck Company, High Rise, RIT, and Technical Rescue classes. He has also taught throughout the Country on these subject areas. Rick Kolomay He is a third generation Firefighter, following in his Grandfather Joseph’s, Father Tom’s and older Fire Chief, Brother Ray’s footsteps. Bob’s son Andy Hoff is also a career Firefighter/ Paramedic and State Carol Stream (IL) Fire District Instructor. On February 14th, 1962, Bob’s Father Tom died in the line of duty at a fire when the roof of the fire building collapsed, trapping and killing him and another Chief Officer who were backing Firefighters out of the building. Bob is currently the Deputy Chief of the Carol Stream, Rick Kolomay has been a member of the fire service IL. Fire District. since 1979. Having worked through the ranks of Firefighter/paramedic, Lieutenant, Captain, Acting Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, and Fire Chief on the Schaumburg (IL) Fire Department, he is presently the Fire Chief in the Carol Stream, (IL) Fire District in metro Chicago. Much of his time as a Lieutenant was spent on a heavy rescue squad responding to high rise districts. Rick has been an instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute for 31 years, has taught for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, several fire science programs, the Chicago Fire Academy, and Fire Training Resources, Inc. He has also instructed numerous fire suppression and officer leadership programs that have been developed and instructed throughout the Nation. His most notable accomplishment has been the participation in developing and instructing firefighter rescue courses in major cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Burlington, Sacramento, Dayton, Austin, Ft. Worth, Oakland, Chicago, Tucson, Milwaukee, and the states of Massachusetts and Illinois. Training in high rise rope assisted search operations and high rise tactics has also been a main focus in his teaching as well. HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

Erich Rhoden Dave McGrail Battalion Chief, Milwaukee Fire Department Assistant Chief, Denver Fire Department Erich Roden is a Battalion Chief with the Milwaukee Fire Department assigned to the Dave McGrail is a 32-year veteran of the 4th Battalion. He previously served two years fire service and an Assistant Chief with the at the Training Academy as the Chief of the Denver Fire Department (DFD) assigned Training Division. Erich is also the Editor-in- to District #2 in the heart of Denver’s busy Chief of FireRescue and Firefighter Nation downtown high-rise district. DFD District #2 and is an editor for Fire Engineering and was ranked as the second busiest Battalion/ Urban Firefighter Magazine. Erich has been District Chief in the Firehouse Magazine 2012 a Hands-on-Training Instructor at FDIC for Run Survey. As a Captain, Dave served as the over 10 years, and is a Co-Lead Instructor company commander of DFD Engine Co. 3, for Urban Essentials. He has also been an and Rescue Co. 1, two of the DFD’s busiest Instructor for the Milwaukee Area Technical fire companies. He instructs internationally College for 16 years. He also serves on the Executive Advisory Board for FDIC and the on a wide range of fire service topics, specializing in high-rise firefighting and overall Advisory Board for UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute. Erich is currently involved in several fireground command & control. He has presented hundreds of training classes to thousands major fire service projects focusing on fire behavior, human performance and physiology, of firefighters, in several countries, from Canada to Singapore, and on three continents, and municipal data for resource optimization and allocation, and community vulnerability. North America, Asia, and Australia. He was the lead instructor and developed the first He can be reached at, [email protected] engine company (high-rise / standpipe operations) hands-on training (HOT) at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, FDIC West, and FDIC East. He was a keynote speaker on United States high-rise firefighting operations, at the Fire and Emergency Services Asia (FESA) Singapore, 2005. He was also the keynote speaker at the Jerry Tracy British Columbia Fire Training Officer’s Association annual conference, Vancouver, 2008, Retired Battalion Commander, FDNY and FDIC, Indianapolis, 2009. He is a member of the FDIC Educational Advisory Board and is editorial advisor and contributing editor for Fire Engineering Magazine. He is the Chief Jerry Tracy retired as a Battalion author of the book Firefighting Operations in High-Rise and Standpipe Equipped Buildings Commander with the FDNY with more than published by PennWell (Fire Engineering Books and Videos) in 2007. Dave holds two 30 years of service. He developed numerous Associate of Applied Science Degrees in Fire Science Technology, one with a focus in Fire training programs for the FDNY for the ranks Suppression, and the other with a focus in Fire Prevention. Dave also holds two Bachelor of firefighter, first line supervisor, and Chief of Science Degrees, one in Human Resource Management and the other in Fire Service Officer. He has authored numerous articles Administration. Dave is a second-generation Denver firefighter, who was born and raised in for Fire Engineering and FDNY’s training Denver, CO. publication WNYF. Chief Tracy was the catalyst to the research conducted by NIST, Hands on Training Instructors UL and NYU Polytechnic Institute on fire behavior, more specifically, Wind Driven Gabe Angemi Luis X Feliciano Matt Negedly Shannon Stone Fires. He was a member of the NFPA Project Rafael Carrillo Dave Hageman Jim Remley Kevin Story Technical Panel reviewing “Firefighting Tactics under Wind Driven Conditions”. Chief Tracy Mike Ciampo Brac Heiss Steve Robertson Jesse Wead has lectured on numerous firefighting topics. James Ellis Ramiro Mayorga Mat Rush Eddie Farley Bill McCann Jim Smith HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPONSORS HIGH RISE CONFERENCE SPONSORS Special Thanks to Our FIRE FLOOR SPONSORS GENERAL SPONSORS HIGH RISE CONFERENCE NOTES LODD CASE STUDIES

“There are no new lessons to be learned from a firefighter’s death or injury. The cause of tragedy is usually an old lesson we have not learned or have forgotten along the way.” -Vincent Dunn

Philadelphia, PA One Meridian Plaza February 23, 1991 3 LODD http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-049.pdf

Memphis, TN Regis Towers April 11, 1994 2 LODD http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-148/issue-3/features/tragedy-in-a- residential-high-rise-memphis-tennessee.html

Brooklyn, NY Vandalia Ave December 18, 1998 3 LODD http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face9901.html http://my.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/fdny-brooklyn-box-4080-17?q=forum/topics/ fdny-brooklyn-box-4080-17

Houston, TX Four Leaf Towers October 13, 2001 1 LODD http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200133.html http://www.tdi.texas.gov/reports/fire/documents/fmloddjahnke.pdf

Manhattan, NY Duetsche Bank Building August 18, 2007 2 LODD http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200737.html http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/downloads/pdf/pr_db_61909_final.pdf

Ashville, NC 6 Story Office Bldg July 28, 2011 1 LODD http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201118.html SAVE THE DATE DEC 1-3, 2015 – HROC 2015 HROC X 2 HIGH RISE OPERATIONS CONFERENCE AND HEAVY RESCUE OPERATIONS CONFERENCE

Check out www.countyfiretactics.com for the latest information and updates on HROC 2015.

Thank you.