Instructors
Nozzle Forward
Lt. Aaron Fields, Seattle Fire Department
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Rural Pump Operations
Capt. Jason VanDyken, Bellingham Fire Department
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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.
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Jason is married and the father of two children. He and his family are active RVers and boaters. He especially enjoys downhill mountain biking.
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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.
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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.
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Students registering for Rural Pump Operation must bring with them full structural PPE.
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Incident Safety Officer
B.C. Mike Dettmer, retired, Kirkland Fire Department
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Cpt. Jim Golondzinier, L.A. County Fire Department
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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.
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B.C. Chad Christensen, L.A. County Fire Department
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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.
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Daniel Madrzykowski,
Underwriters Laboratory, Fire Safety Research Institute
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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.
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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.