Attributes of Leading (AoL) is designed to build more effective fire service leaders of all ranks. This is a highly interactive, real-world applicable, case study-based program focuses on twelve essential qualities of effective leading. Through a process of view, review, introspection, and discussion, the program challenges attendees to focus on qualities that constructively influence members regarding overall performance, health, and safety.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor:  National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Are you comfortable using aviation during a Kansas wildfire? Do you know when or how to request it? This four-hour class will present general knowledge of aviation resources and Kansas-specific resources. Participants will gain knowledge of basic air-ops communications, operations, and safety.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor:  Kansas Forest Service

KFRTI will provide a written exam proctor and a limited number of exams for each certification topic. To ensure the certification topic you wish to complete is available, please RSVP in the enrollment notes for exam.

• Duration varies by exam
• Proctors: KFRTI Staff

This session provides general information regarding the pipelines located within a specific jurisdiction and how to locate them, effective emergency response to a pipeline incident, product characteristics and hazards, pipeline company identification and pipeline representative interaction through a discussion-based and simulated exercise.

• 8 Hours
• Instructor: Kansas Pipeline Association

Weapons of mass destruction can inflict death and destruction indiscriminately. But what are the signs and concerns for the intentional use of WMDs in Kansas? What are the preventative and response resources in your region? What is the first responder’s role and responsibility? How do fire and law enforcement work together during radiological events? Join this four-hour session to explore these and other questions while learning about the state and national resources.

• 4 Hours
• Instructors: Mark Engholm, OSFM

“Utilities” on an emergency scene may include high voltage, propane, and natural gas. But how comfortable are you with your understanding and interactions with these hazards? This session will present a high-voltage safety demonstration as well as explore the differences and dangers of propane and natural gas.

• 2 Hours
• Instructor:  Midwest Energy

How do you evaluate and improve the effectiveness of your training program?  This breakout will look at evaluating the effectiveness of your training program, and will also look at some of the common pitfalls of most fire department training programs.  We will look at the role of the training officer and the training division, in addition to the company officer and chief officer roles within the program. Topics of discussion include: 

• Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Current Training Program 
• Improve the Effectiveness of Your Training Program with Tools you can take back and implement tomorrow 
• Look at new ideas in training and dealing with the 21st century Generation "Y" learner

• 4 Hour Class
• Instructor:  Brian Kazmierzak

Intentionally set fires can lead to unexpected fire conditions, injury, and death. Do you recognize the atypical situations that may indicate that a fire has been intentionally set? Do you know what a firefighter or fire officer should recognize and note and respond to throughout their response? This session will provide an overview of the fire investigation process while discussing intentionally set and accidental Kansas case studies. Participants will recognize how and when to request an OSFM Fire Investigator as well as what to expect.

• 2 Hours
• Instructor:  Keith Thomas, OSFM

Conducting an after-action review (AAR), or debrief, enables crew members to analyze what happened, why it happened during an incident and what improvements can be made. It also provides department leaders with suggestions for change, if necessary. After-action reviews in the formal sense were originally developed by the military and all effective leaders have used them as they support a culture of accountability. AAR debriefs can be structured and formal (appropriate after a large complex event) or informal, run by a company officer for a quick review. The key to successfully using the AAR as a tool for culture change in the fire service is that it has to be done after every incident, no matter how small or seemingly routine for, as we know, many firefighters die in connection to what are perceived to be routine calls.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor: National Fallen Firefighter Foundation

Fighting fire with fire. This course will go over the tactic of using fire to control fire including learning about the different firing devices, firing techniques, and when to deploy this tactic. 

• 4 Hour Class
• Instructor: Kansas Forest Service

This will cover basic “tried & true” firefighter forcible entry. This covers both inward and outward opening doors. In this short time frame, all skills will be conducted primarily with the “Irons”. As time permits, we will add additional techniques and tools, along with some challenge such as “single man”, “zero vis”, “stairs”, etc.  

Structural or rescue PPE including SCBA pack and mask required. Students should be proficient to the Firefighter I competency level.

• 4 Hour Class
• Instructor: O'Byrne Fireground Training

Is your department on the path to a LODD? This compelling presentation by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation examines the root causes of LODDs and the role of Leadership, Accountability, Culture and Knowledge as it influences the end result. Many fire departments across the United States “LACK the Right Stuff” to prevent them from being on a path to a line of duty death, with Leadership, Accountability, Culture and Knowledge being the elements that need to be addressed and managed in those environments. Through education and training, those departments can improve their survivability by understanding the root causes of firefighter fatalities and tackling these four elements with special emphasis on understanding fire service culture.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor:  National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

This eight-hour, hands-on course prepares fire and emergency service instructors to teach Firefighter II skills within the live fire training environment. Students concluding this course will be better prepared to follow the lesson and burn plans under the guidance of an Instructor-In-Charge. Structural or rescue PPE including SCBA pack and mask required. Students should be proficient to the Firefighter II and Instructor I competency levels.

• 8 Hours
• Instructor:  KFRTI Instructors

Flow Path, Heat Release Rate, Heat Flux, What about the Victims? This class is an 8-hour class is ½ classroom and ½ hands-on skills addressing today's modern fireground.  The fire behavior we were taught 20-30 years ago as recruits has changed.  Our fire environment, both the built and furnished environment has changed. Let this class explore YOUR fireground and learn how to train on Modern Fire Behavior and implement proven tactics on your fire scenes!  This class will use a combination of small-scale experiments, doll house burns, lecture, and hands-on learning.  This class leaves you with several drill topics to immediately go back and train on in your fire department. Structural or rescue PPE is required. .

The objectives of this class are: 

• Gain a basic understanding of the fire triangle and fire tetrahedron 
• Understand the research conducted by UL/NIST & ATF 
• Understand how the flow path exists at every fire 
• Understand flow path management 
• Use the candle experiment to understand fire behavior 
• Conduct a doll house fire to bring all the concepts together 
• Take the science to the street through tactical implementation 
• Understand Basement Fires, their risks, and tactics 

Structural or rescue PPE is required.

• 8 Hours
• Instructor:  Brian Kazmierzak

This class will focus on the Rapid Intervention Team deployment on the scene of a fire. Rules of air management, moving firefighters up and down stairs, locating a downed firefighter, air pack manipulation, window bail outs, tools used for RIT, moving firefighters through structures, and a SCBA confidence course are just a few of the skills that will be taught. Structural or rescue PPE including SCBA pack and mask required. Students should have a minimum competency of Firefighter I.

• 16 Hours
• Instructor:  Consolidated District #2 Staff

• While the majority of small rural volunteer and combination departments may not have a ladder or aerial apparatus, the importance of what has traditionally been considered “truck company work” cannot be overlooked. In many situations, the fire attack cannot be successful without these functions being performed.  This class will focus on those “Truckie” skills to include search and rescue, forcible entry, laddering, controlling the utilities, and salvage and overhaul.   Additionally, we will focus on small crew dynamics with those skills. Structural or rescue PPE including SCBA pack and mask required. Students should be proficient to the Firefighter I competency level.

• 8 Hours
• Instructor: Sherman County Rural Fire Department

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, through a Department of Justice grant, offers a training program to help fire departments prepare for the worst — a line-of-duty death or serious injury. Fire service personnel and families who have lost a firefighter in the line-of-duty helped develop this course called Taking Care of Our Own®. It covers pre-incident planning, survivor notification, family and co-worker support, and benefits and resources available to the families.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor:  National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Inspectors, officers, and firefighters walk through community buildings daily but what do we see? Do you notice the fire code violations when picking your children up from daycare? Are you prepared to have a quick conversation with a business owner to prevent a response or ensure a safer response to their property? Attend this session to better recognize the ten most common violations and mitigation strategies.

• 2 Hours
• Instructor:  Shawn Alexander, OSFM

This class teaches a basic firefighter skill, although one that must evolve as much as the world around us. We cover old and new practices for firefighters to gain entry, without the damage that usually occurs with basic Forcible Entry. Also, recognize the applicable time & place to apply these techniques. Structural or rescue PPE is required.

• 4 Hours
• Instructor: O'Byrne Fireground Training

Vent, Enter, Isolate, Search (VEIS) is a technique used on the fireground to make quick entry and search of a single compartment. It’s a critical skill used by firefighters to rapidly locate and rescue victims. Join this eight-hour session to gain a deeper understanding of VEIS, ventilation, risk management, and develop competency in the physical skills required. The class utilizes a mix of classroom lecture and practical drills. The classroom portion will consist of an overview of the tactic, fundamentals of ventilation, operational risk management as well as several case studies of VEIS operations in the real world. The practical portion will cover search strategies, ladder proficiency, communication skills as well as VEIS operations. Students should be proficient with the use of their PPE including SCBA prior to taking this class. The class will conclude with a full-speed VEIS drill.  Structural or rescue PPE including SCBA pack and mask required.

• 8 Hours
• Instructor: Sherman County Rural Fire Department

Removing a victim and a downed Firefighter are two drastically different tasks, and arguably the hardest task that we will ever encounter. Instructors experienced in real-world scenarios will pass their knowledge of these learned techniques. They will pass on the proper use of the ViKCtim Drag Strap, along with how to use a “Dirty 4:1” to aid in removing a downed FF from multiple different scenarios. 4 Hour Class

• 4 Hours
• Instructor:  O'Byrne Fireground Training

Some rules were made to be broken. But, what about the rules that we shouldn’t break? This session is designed to teach the aspiring, new, and seasoned fire officer what they need to know about state and federal safety standards. What are they? How are they relevant? What is a fire officer’s liability? Attend this session to get the answers.

• 2 Hours
• Instructor:  OSFM

Are you ready to command a large wildfire? This course will provide you with information on how to transition from a small incident to a large, multi-agency incident. 

• 4 Hours
• Instructor: Kansas Forest Service