Classes

THE CAN MAN

Jess Rodzinka (Charlottesville Fire)

The water can is the most underutilized tool on the fire apparatus. We carry them on everything: engine; truck companies; medic ambulances. However, we were shown the true capability of the 2.4-gallon water can. This class will go through a brief lecture to discuss the water can and search techniques with can. Then head to the hands-on portion where we will demonstrate the effectiveness of the water can. The students will then proceed to go through several rotations of scenarios to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform in the “Can position.”

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA, Spare Bottle Recommended

MASTERING YOUR CRAFT

Dan Mishler (Canon City Fire District), Nick White (Hutchinson Fire), Cameron Meier (Sedgwick Co Fire), Hutchinson Fire & Fools of Oz Cadre

IMPORTANT: This class takes place in Hutchinson, approximately 45 minutes north of Wichita. Students will need to arrange transportation if staying in Wichita.

This fast-paced, hands-on live fire class is designed for firefighters and officers who want to sharpen their skills under realistic, high-heat, zero-visibility conditions. Students must arrive ready to work and perform in real smoke and fire environments. Held offsite at the Hutchinson Fire Department training grounds, this class utilizes conex box props to create challenging, scenario-based evolutions. Training Evolutions Include, Can Search, Vent-Enter-Search (VES), Hoarder Home Fire & Search, Forcible Entry, Basement Fire Attack & Search. This is a physically demanding, performance-based class focused on disciplined execution and real-world application. Come prepared to train hard and elevate your fireground capabilities.

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA with (2) Spare Bottles

BREAD AND BUTTER ENGINE & TRUCK

Niemann, Cox, Misek, Forbes, Evans (Wichita Fire), Hall (St Paul Fire), Budd (DC FD), Tegtmeier (FDNY), Mosher, Holt (Olathe Fire)

We are excited to offer a two day Engine and Truck live burn class at Wichita HOT (Choose the Engine or the Truck track during registration, each class runs 2 days.) On the Engine side Efficiency is the name of the game so the class will focus on getting the first line in place and getting down that long hot hallway and knocking out the fire. On the Truck side efficiency is also the key as the essential truck functions have to be completed in concert with the engine crew to ensure the line gets in place and victims are removed. On Saturday following the Keynote the Engine crews will work on hose line stretches and nozzle work, the truck crews will work on forcible entry, pitched roof ventilation and VES style searches. Both Engine and Truck will also receive two sessions of live fire behavior. On day two the goal is to run through nine live burns so each student on Engine and each student on Truck will participate in all positions receiving three fires each. As shown in the video crews will be “dispatched” from quarters, bunk out and respond to the fire location. The Engine crew will stretch on the fire as the Truck crew forces the door for them, heads to the roof to cut the vent and completes a search as the Engine makes the fire room knocking down the fire.

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA, Spare Bottle Recommended

TRUCK, RESCUE & SQUAD COMPANY OPERATIONS

Scott Kleinschmidt (Wichita Fire)

This hands-on class will cover multiple areas of associated responsibility often tasked to these fire companies. Attendees will move through a series of skill stations that cover Search, Victim/Down FF Removal, Ground ladders, Forcible Entry, Vehicle Stabilization/ Airbag Operations, and Emergency Building Shoring.

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA

THE WORKING ENGINE & TRUCK

BJ Parsons (Derby Fire), Derby Fire Training Cadre and Guest Instructors from Neighboring Departments

IMPORTANT: This class takes place in Derby, approximately 10 minutes south of Wichita. Students will need to arrange transportation if staying in Wichita.

The Working Engine and Truck is a class that allows participants the opportunity to focus on basic skills and perform those skills under live fire. (Choose the Engine or Truck during registration.)  Day 1 will consist of drilling on all the skills listed below.  On day 2 we will implement those skills under live fire.  During these evolutions the engine will be stretching, advancing, working tight hallways and stairs. The truck will be performing a primary search, forcing doors, cutting window bars and boards, and throwing ladders.
Engine Side
Stretching, Flowing, Advancing, Bundles
Truck Side
Search, Forcible Entry, Ladders, Saw Work

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA, Spare Bottle Recommended

RESIDENTIAL SEARCH AND SIZE-UP

Stephen Runyan (Wichita Fire), Georgia Smoke Diver Cadre

Residential Search and Size Up class is an 8 hour hands on training program that covers the primary functions of the engine and truck company’s roles in sizing up and searching a residential structure. Instructors cover in detail the techniques used to size up a structure for the purpose of searching in the most probable victim locations as well as how to complete a traditional primary oriented search as a member of both the truck and engine crew, vent enter and search, victim removal via ground ladders and the use of thermal imaging in search. Students will receive instruction and demonstrations in techniques as well as participate in walk through drills before performing skills real time. Students will also learn strategies to isolate the fire and control ventilation to ensure a successful search, and the differences in timing of primary, secondary and recovery searches. This class will require students to perform the various searches and remove victims while wearing full firefighter PPE and SCBA while under simulated conditions (possibly live fire if appropriate acquired structure).

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA, Spare Bottle Recommended

HEAVY EXTRICATION ESSENTIALS

Josh Pearcy (Oklahoma City Fire), Brad Tobin, Cary Provence, Luke Gregory

This course builds upon basic auto extrication techniques. This course focuses on stabilizing, lifting, and extricating with heavy vehicles like buses, semi-tractor trailers, dump trucks, and other various heavy equipment. Students will go through a variety of scenarios under the guidance of an Instructor on sizing-up, stabilizing, and lifting heavy vehicles in rescue scenarios.

Requirements: Turnout Gear or Extrication Gear, Gloves, Helmet, Eye Protection

AGGRESSIVE FIREGROUND SURVIVAL

Tyler Prater (Muddy River Training)

IMPORTANT: This class takes place in El Dorado, approximately 30 minutes east of Wichita. Students will need to arrange transportation if staying in Wichita.

This isn’t a checkbox class. This is a gut-check. Aggressive Fireground Survival is built for the moments when everything has gone sideways—zero visibility, high heat, low air, and one of your own is missing or down. This course strips away comfort, ego, and excuses and puts firefighters into the exact conditions that break crews on the fireground.
Students will operate in live fire environments where decision-making is stressed, communication is strained, and physical limits are tested. You will search, locate, disentangle, package, and remove a downed firefighter while managing air, heat, collapse potential, and your own fatigue. Mistakes cost time. Time costs lives. This is not about pretty technique on a clean floor. It’s about force, leverage, teamwork, and relentless problem-solving under fire. Expect confined spaces, entanglements, reduced profile movement, air management under stress, and realistic firefighter-down scenarios that demand aggression and discipline in equal measure. If you’re looking for a comfort zone, this isn’t it. If you want to find out whether your skills, your mindset, and your crew can perform when the worst day shows up—this class will tell you the truth.
Train like your life depends on it. Because one day, it will.

Requirements: FULL PPE, Turnout Gear, SCBA, Spare Bottle Recommended

FIRE SERVICE SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS

John Turner (Derby Fire, Wichita Fire Ret.)

What separates a company officer who holds rank from one who truly leads? This course is grounded in real fire service experience, research, and observation of high-performing crews. Participants will examine five core leadership traits specific to the fire service and more importantly, how to apply them in day-to-day crew interactions. This is not a generic leadership class. We intentionally move past recycled “rah-rah” lessons from sports and the military and focus on the realities company officers face: building trust, addressing poor performance, making sound decisions under pressure, and leading peers. Attendees will leave with practical tools and a clear framework to strengthen credibility, improve crew performance, and lead with consistency in their organization.