NFFF Events

2024 High School Fire & EMS Cadet Program Symposium

Name: 2024 High School Fire & EMS Cadet Program Symposium
Start: 2024-07-13
End: 2024-07-14
Location: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Detroit Downtown - Fort Shelby

Date

Jul 13 - 14 2024

Time

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Local Time

Timezone: America/New_York
Date: Jul 13 - 14 2024
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Location

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Detroit Downtown - Fort Shelby

525 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226

Event Details

The NFFF is returning to Detroit, Michigan after a successful 2023 event.

Join us at this year’s National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF) High School Fire & EMS Cadet Program Symposium. Learn from and be among colleagues specifically interested in sharing general information and effective practices with their peers from across the nation.

Symposium Day 1: July 13, 2024

8:30 – 9:30 am

Welcome Remarks

John Tippett
Director of Fire Programs National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

Tony Watts
Director of Special Projects
Detroit Fire Department

Robert Stokes
2nd Deputy Commissioner
Detroit Fire Department

8:30 – 9:30 am

9:30 – 10: 30 am

Keynote 1: What the Cadet Program has Meant to the Pflugerville (TX) Fire Department

Nick Perkins
Fire Chief
Travis County ESD No. 2. , Pflugerville Fire Department (TX)

9:30 – 10: 30 am

Keynote 2: How the U.S. Air Force Recruits the Raw Talent it Attracts and Develops Their Competency

Joseph A. Forro
Operations Chief
Bureau of Fire Services (MI)

9:30 – 10: 30 am

10:45 – 11:30 am

How Bullying Affects Your Health, Safety and Survival

Dave Emanuel, MPA, EFO, CFO
Fire Chief
Durham Fire Department (NH)

The purpose of this presentation is to explore How Bullying Affects Your Health, Safety and Survival for company officers. Participants will review fundamental knowledge related to identifying and understanding how, when, where, and why bulling occurs, how it impacts fire department members and the fire department, and how bullying directly impacts our safety, health, and survival. Participants are encouraged to engage with the presenter(s) to further discuss the subject materials and to answer questions related to bullying in the fire service.

10:45 – 11:30 am

12:30 – 1:30 pm

Recruitment, Sustainability, Career Opportunity Planning in the Post-Covid World

Jason Morin
Director/Lead Fire Instructor
Jackson Area Career Center Fire & EMS Academy, Jackson (MI)

12:30 – 1:30 pm

1:30 – 2:30 pm

From Launch to Longevity: LDHS Fire Academy /EMT Training Program

Mollie Avelino
Principal
Lake Dallas High School (TX)

John Bryant
Captain
Lake Cities Fire Department (TX)
Fire Academy Instructor
North Central Texas College (NCTC)

As we enter year nine of our LDHS Fire Academy/EMT Program, we’ll share program structure, lessons learned, advertising, and our most talked about qualities: service through learning, workplace competencies, and community partnership.

This presentation will delve into the journey of establishing and maintaining the successful Lake Dallas High School fire academy program, highlighting key milestones from its inception to its sustained success. Attendees will gain insights into the strategic planning, curriculum development, partnerships within campus and local agencies, and ongoing support mechanisms. Through real-life examples and best practices, this session aims to equip educators and administrators with the knowledge and tools necessary to establish and/or evaluate program structures and design.

1:30 – 2:30 pm

2:45 – 3:15 pm

Fire Service Culture and What it Means to the Cadet

Danny Kistner
Lead Coordinator, Fire Programs Outreach and Education
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

2:45 – 3:15 pm

3:15 – 4:15 pm

Mesa Fire and Medical Department Aspire Academy

Sierra Aulik
Captain
Mesa Fire and Medical Department (AZ)

Michelle Denton
Battalion Chief
Mesa Fire and Medical Department (AZ)

The Aspire Academy is a regional camp that introduces high-school girls to careers in public safety. Aspire started in Mesa, AZ nine years ago, and has developed into a much-desired experience for teens, with an ongoing wait list of campers hoping to experience it, and a list of partnering agencies scheduled to host! Aspire now has a Regional Committee which will maintain consistency for all partners by using the same systems for accounting, fundraising, marketing, etc., and will ensure the integrity and intent of the Camp stays true and lives on.

This presentation will share the history of Aspire with videos and pictures, what a typical 4-day Camp consists of, and will talk about the future direction. Your presenters will share lessons learned, how to do a similar event in your department, and what impacts the Aspire Academy has had on former campers as well as staff. From fundraising to staffing to safety and camaraderie, we will cover it all!

3:15 – 4:15 pm

4:15 – 4:45 pm

Bridging the Generation Gaps in the Fire Service

Jeffrey Forbes
Captain
Detroit Fire Department (MI)

This presentation will cover how different generations learn and work together in the fire service.

4:15 – 4:45 pm

4:45 – 5:00 pm

Day 1 Closing Remarks

Tony Watts
Detroit Fire Department (MI)

John Tippett
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

4:45 – 5:00 pm

Symposium Day 1: July 14, 2024

8:00 – 8:30 am

Keynote: Reach, Relate, and Encourage

Jeremy Ayers
Apparatus Specialist
Travis County ESD No. 2
Pflugerville Fire Department (TX)

This presentation will include a short introduction of the speaker and some programs that he is involved with. He will speak of the mentors who have encouraged him throughout his career, and how he am now giving back by recruiting, mentorship, and peer support. This presentation aims to reach and inspire members to give back to the next generation.

8:00 – 8:30 am

8:30 – 9:00 am

High School Cadet Programs, Yesterday, Today and Beyond

Mike Prete
Chief (Ret.)
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service (MD)

This program will look at a high school cadet program from Maryland, its evolution, its growth over the years, its obstacles, the solutions it has found, and the plan for the future. While not all programs enjoy the resources this program might offer, the failures and successes have a lesson for everyone.

8:30 – 9:00 am

9:00 – 9:45 am

First Person Success Stories: From the Voices of…

Trevor Blankenship
Lieutenant
City of Jackson Fire Department (MI)

Kyria Ngankoy
Firefighter
Columbia Chatter Township Fire Department and
Jackson Area Career Center (MI)

Sakeenah Jaffri
Firefighter
Center Line Department of Public Safety (MI)

Kylee Weston
Firefighter
Somerset Township Fire & EMS (MI)

Moderator: Jason Morin

Identifying and overcoming barriers for younger firefighters entering the fire service.

9:00 – 9:45 am

9:45 – 10:30 am

Passing the Torch – Dobyns-Bennett High School Prescribed Burn Team

Bryan Kerns
Fire Management Services
Dobyns-Bennett High School (TN)

Kristen Mills
Coordinator/Human Services Facilitator
Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (GO CAPS) Tri-Lakes (MO)

Mike Novak
Region 7 Advocate
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

The Dobyns-Bennett High School Fire Program has a unique focus on Wildland Fire and Fire Ecology. Dobyns-Bennett has an on-campus Fire Ecology Research Area where students conduct controlled burns and then do fire effects monitoring. Most notably, the Prescribed Fire Team then transfers these skills out into the community and conducts controlled burns for local landowners.

9:45 – 10:30 am

10:45 am – 12:00 pm

Roundtable: The Challenges and Triumphs of Working with Cadets

Jamal Mickles
Captain, Instructor II
Detroit Fire Department (MI)

Candace Vinson
Career Readiness Consultant
Michigan Department of Education (MI)

Michelle Lewis Watts
She Equity Officer
Woods & Watts Effect (MO)

Moderator: Marybeth Henry
Lieutenant
Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad (VA)

10:45 am – 12:00 pm

1:00 – 2:00 pm

What I Wish I Knew About Behavioral Health When I was a Cadet

David Wiklanksi
Behavioral Health Specialist
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

The lecture will cover topics including resiliency, mentorship, self-care, understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) scores, and the importance of having a life outside of emergency services.

1:00 – 2:00 pm

2:00 – 2:45 pm

Managing and Coordinating a High School Fire and EMS Program: Only Through Failure will you Succeed

Steph Brown
EMS Training Lieutenant
Rockingham County Fire & Rescue (VA)

We can’t expect to be able to complete everything successfully on the first try. Learn how to embrace your own failures and turn them into successful outcomes for yourself, the students, and your program. Dealing with high schoolers is unique in itself so pushing them past their failures will make them more resilient in the long term into their adult life.

2:00 – 2:45 pm

3:00 – 3:45 pm

Enhancing Firefighter Preparedness through Simulation Training (Gaming Demonstration)

Jonathan Boyd
Fire Chief
Allen Fire Department (TX)

In an era where the complexity and variety of emergency calls are steadily increasing, preparing firefighters to make rapid, effective decisions in high-stress environments is more crucial than ever. This presentation, led by Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd from the Allen Fire Department, delves into the transformative power of simulation training in the firefighting domain.

Jonathan will showcase a pioneering simulation training program designed to hone incident command skills, improve decision-making under pressure, and enhance situational awareness. Through the integration of real-life scenarios in a controlled, risk-free virtual environment, participants gain invaluable experience that directly translates to improved operational effectiveness on the ground.

The presentation will highlight the program’s development, its impact on firefighter performance, and practical considerations for implementation, including technology requirements and overcoming common barriers. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the critical role simulation training plays in today’s fire service.

3:00 – 3:45 pm

3:45 – 4:00 pm

Call to Action and Closing Remarks

Cary Thompson
Captain
Royal Oak Fire Department
William D. Ford Technical Center (MI)

3:45 – 4:00 pm

This is the 5th event in a series dating back to 2019. Stakeholders from 22 states and the District of Columbia have joined us in the past, spending two days learning from and networking with learning professionals, subject matter experts, and leaders of successful programs. Outcomes were impressive:

100% of attendees agreed that the symposium provided them with tools, resources, and best practices that could be put to use in their current program.
100% said the event provided a networking opportunity that enabled them to meet and interact with their peers.
100% planned to continue engagement with fellow attendees (via the group's social page, direct communication, or other means) to share ideas and best practices.

Funding for this program has been provided through FEMA’s Grant Program Directorate for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program – Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

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