JANUARY-MARCH 2020 | VOL.50 | NO.1
Annual Officers Seminar Equips Participants with Operational and Administrative Tools for the Fire Service Andy Levy, Coordinator, North Central Regional Training Office The John W. Hoglund Maryland Officers Seminar was held on March 7-8 at the Universities at Shady Grove, Conference Center in Rockville, MD. Nearly 128 students attended the event, representing 60 fire departments. The theme of this year’s seminar was “Tools for the Tool Box.” This year’s program opened with a solemn tribute to Director Emeritus John W. Hoglund, the founder of the original Chief Officers Seminar. Hoglund, who passed away Jan. 2, 2020, was an avid leader in firefighter education, prevention and public safety. For the past 52 consecutive years of the seminar, Hoglund rang the bell signaling the program to order and the return time from breaks. The seminar bell was first brought to MFRI (then the Fire Service Extension Department) by Director Bob Byrus in 1957 and later was introduced to the Chief Officers Seminar by Director Hoglund. In honor of his memory, members from the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department sounded the bell three times. The bell remained silent for the remainder of the weekend. The keynote address was delivered by Colonel Royal P. Mortenson, director of the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, who offered his perspective on leadership. Mortenson, who also held previous roles as a commander in the United States Marine Corps; adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and director of the Marine Corps Staff and Command College shared his perspective with audience members. In addition to the keynote address, the event featured presentations on administrative and operational topics. Firefighter Paul Doughty, who is also a practicing attorney for the Curt Varone Law Group in
Exeter, Rhode Island, focused on legal considerations and liability issues concerning “Hazing, Pranks and Bullying” in the fire service. He presented an additional presentation titled “Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)” and “Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs).” The second day of the seminar featured breakout sessions by Robin Zevotek of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Firefighter Safety Research Institute. Zevotek’s presentation explored current research trends with fire behavior, flow in structures and real world scenarios on the fireground. Deputy Chief (Ret.) Thomas Dunne of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) presented four key elements that contribute to stress on the fireground and how to manage the effects of this pressure in his presentation “Seeing the Elephant: A fire officer’s guide to functioning under stress.“ The program concluded with a presentation by Lt. Bill Schnaekel of the Fairfax County, Va. Fire Department and Lt. Mike Dowling of the Prince George’s County, Md. Fire/EMS Department. They shared with the audience the thought and operational process of the company officers who often make or break operational success by their initial actions when arriving on the fireground. The seminar was very successful and attendees were able to take away a variety of lessons for their operational and administrative tool boxes. photo: Colonel Royal P. Mortenson delivers a session at the John W. Hoglund Maryland Officers Seminar
volume 50 | issue 1 | p 1
