2023 Classroom Sessions

The days of just showing up and just getting a ladder up here or there has faded away. There’s much more to it now! This class digs deep into the truck company pocket and is designed to take a look at primary functions of the truck company. This truck company operations program covers all the aspects from size up for officers, unit riding positions, hand tools and ladder placement, forcible entry techniques and tactics, tactical consideration for vertical ventilation and most importantly how to stay DISCIPLINED on the fire-ground. This class is an interactive lecture that will have you rethinking the roles of what it used to be to what it should be and is now.

David Polikoff has been in the fire service for over 30 years. David is an Assistant Chief with the Frederick County Maryland Fire Department. He retired as Battalion Chief from the Montgomery County Maryland Fire Service with 34 years of service. He is a Volunteer Firefighter and Life Member with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department Sta. 33, and is currently a Deputy Chief with the Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department. David is a Maryland State certified instructor. He is a past presenter at FDIC & Firehouse Expo and taught for Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) in Champagne Illinois where he assisted with the Truck Company Operations class. Dave has taught all over the country leading in Truck, Engine, RIT and Incident Command.

Forcible entry tools and tactics have been around for ages. The need for keeping up with the ever so-changing game of forcing our way through things on the street is changing on us fast, and we have to be prepared. This interactive, forcible entry program is designed to teach the firefighter no matter the level of experience the main, basic and advanced principles of street smart forcible entry. This program focuses on new and older, but yet safe, street approved methods and techniques for conventional forcible entry tactics. During this time we will discuss and show techniques for making entry through and around locks, for both residential and commercial structures. Students will also learn quick access into urban steel roll gates and how to defeat the locks and locking mechanisms for them. Overcoming street hatches, additional security features like drop bars, slide bolts, burglar bars and modified locks will be covered as well. Because this class is an interactive class, students will be faced with forcible entry scenarios and explain how they would overcome the challenges as well.

Robert James (RJ) is a 22 year veteran of the fire service. He started as a volunteer firefighter with the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Department in Cromwell, Connecticut. Robert relocated to Maryland and joined the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department in Montgomery County Maryland. He is currently employed with the Frederick County Fire Department, where he is a Lieutenant in Special Operations Command assigned to the 3rd Battalion. Robert has received numerous citations and awards from the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department, Frederick County Fire Rescue and the state of Maryland. RJ has served as a lead instructor for many fire department trainings, and works as an instructor with Frederick Fire Department’s Training Academy and Capitol Fire Training LLC. He has written articles for many different trade magazines and has taught on national fire service platforms.

Managing our personnel’s mayday’s don’t necessarily start when we get the bone chilling call for help…Managing the mayday starts when we arrive on scene of the operations. That’s why we have to be overly prepared through our learning of case studies, training and being dynamic in our RIT operations. During this interactive program these two instructors cover the RIT “need-to-knows” the RIT “don’ts” and also draw on some personal experiences to them, where rapid intervention teams were deployed.

Hank Henline has over 13 years of fire service experience. He began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with the Boonsboro Fire Company in Western Maryland, where his passion for Engine and Truck company operations grew. Hank currently is a career fireman with the Frederick County Fire/ Rescue department located in Frederick Maryland. He is assigned to Engine Company 2 “Uptown Express” in the north side of Frederick City. Hank serves as a lead instructor of Frederick’s firefighter survival program, as well as support instructs for many other programs at their department’s training academy.

Dennis Reilly is a forty-eight-year fire service veteran and is a retired Fire Chief and is the Owner of The First Line Fire Service Training Company LLC. Dennis has severed as the Fire Chief in Pittsburg, Kansas and Sunrise Beach, Missouri, an Assistant in North Carolina & California and retired as a Battalion Chief in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. During his time in New Jersey, Dennis became one of the original members of the New Jersey Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1.  As part of Task Force 1 the Chief made several deployments including to New York City as part of the response to the Terrorist Attacks of 9/11.

Chief Reilly holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from Penn State University and is a CFO An accomplished author and lecturer, Chief Reilly is active in numerous professional development activities within the fire service and has spoken at various events to include the Command Officers Boot Camp, the Orlando Fire Conference, the Atlanta Metro Fire Conference, the Louisiana Instructors & Firefighter Training (L.I.F.T.) conference, and the Culture & Craft Seminar

Outside of his fire service career, Dennis is a US Army veteran having served in Iraq during the Operation Desert Storm. From 2007 – 2010 the Chief worked as an independent contractor providing protective services to several different government clients in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chief Reilly has been married to his wife Ann for over 37 years. They have two adult children, and three grandchildren.

John Hayowyk Jr. has been in the fire service for nearly 30 years. He recently retired as a Battalion Chief for the City of Passaic FD in New Jersey. John has spent over half his career assigned to the truck companies in his department. He started out tillering the tractor drawn-aerial and was then promoted to lieutenant on the Ladder Tower. As Captain, he was assigned to the Department’s Training Division, then back into combat, sharing time on both the Tiller and the Tower until he was promoted to Battalion Chief in December of 2020. John is the founder of Beyond the Basics Fire Training & Consulting LLC. His company trains Fire, EMS, & Police agencies in a variety of disciplines. They pride themselves on providing excellent training to provide the best customer service possible for their students and the citizens they serve. John has had articles published in both Fire Engineering & Firehouse Magazines. He has taught at multiple conferences both locally & nationally. John has been honored to present at both FDIC & Firehouse Expo.

This course is intended to highlight the core values of the fire service and explain in detail why we are here.

We will show you how to break down the stigmas, egos, and toxic behaviors around you by putting your mission objectives in front, so your team of professional, operational athletes will thrive in any firehouse environment.

From the probationary Firefighter all the way to Fire Chief and from the training grounds to the fire house this course has something to offer everyone.

Join us as we learn how to navigate through the tough days of firehouse living, life’s challenges and much more. We will finish up the day with a self-awareness assessment and discuss some tips and tricks to turn your Firehouse around for the betterment of yourself, your community and your company!

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Wyatt McCall is a lifelong native of the Central Florida area. He has built his fire service career on the principles of passion, pride, and a consistent drive to better himself and the people around him. He currently serves at the rank of Lieutenant on Special Operations Team Engine 30 for Sumter County Fire and EMS. This company has the sole responsibility of Hazardous Materials response for the county, which spans approximately 580 square miles within the Central Florida area. With just over 7 years in the fire service, Wyatt has spent this time dedicated to mastering the craft. In his short time in the job, he has obtained his Fire Officer 1 & 2, Fire Service instructor 2, A.S. degree, and many more certifications through various disciplines. Lieutenant McCall is also the founder and President of CS United FOOLS, organizing and assisting with the instruction over numerous classes from Smoke reading to 3-day truck classes. Also, being the 2023 recipient of the International FOOLS award. With Wyatt and his fellow board members’ commitment to the Chapter, it has become a well-known, prestigious organization that stays very active and routinely contributes to the fire service community. Wyatt has been statewide assisting with instruction at numerous conferences and small classes. He believes in being a constant student of the fire service.