MFRI Bulletin October-December 2022

MFRI BULLETIN

MFRI HOSTS INSTRUCTOR SKILLS WEEKEND

MFRI recently hosted the 2022 Fall Skills Weekend where more than 30 students participated in skills development in the Fire, EMS, and Hazardous Materials disciplines. The biannual enhancement weekend was held on September 24th and 25th and actual skills evaluations were conducted on October 8th and 9th by veteran instructors from across the state.

The weekend reviews skills necessary to teach within each respective emergency discipline. Upon completion instructor candidates begin the practice-teaching step of the process leading to MICRB Certification.

Sponsoring agencies included each regional MFRI office, Prince George’s County Fire, Baltimore County Fire, BWI Airport, Cecil County Department of Emergency Services, Community College of Baltimore County, Frederick County Fire, Howard County Fire, Montgomery County Fire, among others.

Many thanks go out to the following team players for making this event a success – MFRI Logistical Services; MFRI Skills Instructors; and MFRI Leadership.

The 2023 Spring Skills Enhancement will be held on April 1st and 2nd and the Skills Weekend will run April 15th and 16th at MFRI headquarters. If you are a sponsoring agency and have candidates to submit, please look for informational emails soon or contact Todd Dyche at tdyche@mfri.org or by phone at 301-729-0431.

photos:

top left: Taking turns as fire instructors during training, students lead each other through gear inspections before donning turnout gear and conducting blind search and rescue drills in the maze.

bottom left: Future EMS instructors in life-saving compression and airway training.

bottom right: Seasoned MFRI instructors review fire safety protocol with incoming instructor candidates.

The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute of the University of Maryland is the state’s comprehensive training and education system for all-hazard responses. The Institute plans, researches, develops and delivers quality programs to prepare agencies and individuals to protect life, the environment and property.

Bulletin Staff

Editor: Diane May

Managing Editor: Jennifer Ginn Graphics: Ana Maizel

Assistant Editor: Jenna Robles

Contact MFRI tel: 301-226-9921 fax: 301-314-0752 www.mfri.org bulletin@mfri.org

The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute Bulletin (MFRI) University of Maryland (ISSN 1074-2298) is published quarterly by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute of the University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. Periodical postage paid at College Park, MD 20740. Postmaster: Send address changes to Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, Bulletin, 4500 Campus Drive, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742.

The MFRI Bulletin is distributed as a public service of the University of Maryland. The Bulletin is dedicated to the publication of information that will help educate its readers on the subjects of fire protection, emergency medical services, rescue, leadership and training. This publication may contain some articles and illustrations provided by readers. MFRI does not necessarily agree with information nor endorse any products depicted in the Bulletin. Address all communications to Editor at MFRI. For change of address, send mailing label and new address.

The MFRI Bulletin is produced entirely in house. We extend our sincere gratitude to our contributors who make this publication possible.

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

With the global COVID crisis waning and newly elected officials poised to take their places, we are provided with the opportunity to again focus on our goals as an organization and the delivery of world-class training.

The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) serves between 25,000 and 35,000 students a year, who are educated by a cadre of 600 state-certified instructors. Training is delivered in a safe, standardized and professional manner at 14 state, county and municipal training facilities that meet all of the latest state and national standards. This system produces a statewide skilled force of emergency responders who protect life, property and the environment.

In order to train and maintain such a diverse response force, MFRI is charged with ensuring our learning environments accommodate a broad mix of needs. Certification programs as well as noncertification, short courses, simulations, leadership, EMS, safety, instructor programs and emerging-issues training are constantly being developed and revised.

Some of the initiatives that we will be working on going forward are:

1. Enhancing our Incident Command Simulation Center and mobile simulation lab.

2. Instructor recruitment to keep pace with training demands for more course offerings.

3. Enhancing our technology platforms and the development of web-based training.

4. Development of emerging-issues training programs.

5. Continuing to move all instructional programs into Canvas LMS and utilizing the new test item analysis program for all electronic testing.

Our students and instructors are always at the forefront of our actions as we focus on our mission to develop and deliver worldclass training programs that ensure that our students are thoroughly prepared to serve the multitudes of communities across our state.

MICHAEL E. COX JR.

TWO-DAY SYMPOSIUM FOCUSES ON FIRE SAFETY CHALLENGES

The University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) teamed up at the end of September to host the first-ever Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem Symposium. Held at The Hotel at the University of Maryland, the two-day event brought together approximately 80 professionals from differing disciplines to examine and discuss fire safety challenges.

The conference centered around a Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem model developed by the NFPA. It features an interconnected wheel of eight cogs that have to work together to keep people safe. The necessary elements include government responsibility; development and use of current codes; referenced standards; investment in safety; skilled workforce; code compliance; preparedness and emergency response; and an informed public.

Speaker, lawyer and author John Barylick provided an in-depth account of the Station Nightclub Fire, which took place in West Warwick, RI nearly 20 years ago leaving 100 people dead.

On the tragic night, the 1980’s heavy metal band Great White was performing when illegal pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing materials on and around the stage.

The club’s occupancy was overcapacity, exit doors were lacking. Barylick described the outcome as “negligence and greed trumping safety” and affirmed that adherence to fire code and NFPA standards would have altered the outcome.

Barylick also cited that in the event of an emergency, two-thirds of people will enter through the same door they came in. He suggested when you are in a crowded venue, look for the exit doors.

During the conference, attendees also participated in breakout sessions. One centered on the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in CA. In six hours, the entire town burned killing 85 people and incinerating 18,804 structures.

Facilitator, professional forester and scientist Yana Valachovic spelled out California’s challenges saying, “In the last ten years, 1 in every 8 acres in the state have burned – 173 lives lost and 43,000 structures.” She furthered that California spends billions of dollars on fire suppression, not prevention.

On the plus side, Valachovic indicated that new construction in CA (homes built between 2008 and 2018) are fairing better in terms of fire damage than older construction. The state is also a leader in planting fire-resistant vegetation.

The Grenfell Tower Fire in London, Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire in Oakland, CA and Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer Plant Explosion in West Texas were also examined.

“We all play a role in safety,” said Jim Pauley, National Fire Protection Association president and CEO. “In order to reduce loss, we have to recognize that our success comes when all the pieces of the ecosystem are functioning together.”

photo: One of the keynote speakers at the Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem Symposium, lawyer and author John Barylick explains how soundproofing materials played a tragic role in the Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island.

INSTRUCTOR HIGHLIGHT

FRANK TREMEL

When Frank Tremel takes on a job, he holds on to it, and his dedication is unparalleled. Tremel has the unique distinction of teaching at MFRI for the past 50 years. He retired from the D.C. Fire Department as Deputy Fire Chief after 43 years.

Tremel’s dad was a volunteer firefighter who helped organize the District Heights fire station in Prince George’s County during WWII. His grandfather was a D.C. firefighter who retired in 1925, the same year the city retired horse-drawn wagons.

At MRFI, Tremel has taught firefighter, aerial operations, apparatus operator and company drill classes for decades, but he is widely revered as the premier Pumps teacher.

Tremel co-teaches the class with Tommy Stommel and Steve Wurtz, who initially took the class with

Tremel as instructor. Wurtz took Pumps 1972 and he and Tremel have been teaching the class together for the past 25 years. “He loves it,” said Wurtz. “You have to enjoy teaching and you have to know what you are teaching. Frank is a legend among pump operators. Everyone respects his knowledge and his reputation.”

“Frank, Tommy and Steve. I call them the three amigos,” said Tim Delahanty, MFRI Facilities Coordinator. “Get those three together and you’ve hit the trifecta.” Tremel taught Delahanty Firefighter 1 when he began his fire service career in 1973. “He’s one of the best,” Delahanty said. “He breaks down learning to a point that even a young guy like me could do what was asked of him. If you can’t learn Pumps from Frank, you shouldn’t be driving a fire truck.”

FACULTY AND STAFF SPOTLIGHT

MIKE BAKER LOGISTICS SECTION CHIEF

Over the summer, Mike Baker assumed the position of Logistics Section Chief. Baker has been an instructor for MFRI for more than 39 years. He served as Incident Command Simulation Center Coordinator for the last three years; developing and teaching Fire Officer Simulation training to improve lifesaving decision-making skills for Fire Department Officers. He also co-developed the original MFRI Fire Fighter Safety and Survival course and has served as a subject-matter expert for various MFRI safety and management programs.

Baker retired as an Assistant Chief from the Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services after 38 years of service. While in Howard County, he served as department Training Officer, Instructor, Safety Officer and Logistics Bureau Chief.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University and an Associate of Arts in Fire Science from Catonsville Community College. He has National Professional Qualifications Board Certifications as a Fire Officer I-IV, Incident Safety Officer, Health and Safety Officer, and Instructor I-III.  Baker earned the National Safety Councils’ Advanced Safety Certificate and was an OSHA Trainer for his department. He also was a member of the Baltimore Regional Incident Management Team.

DERRICK WILCOX

BUDGET AND ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR

Derrick Wilcox recently joined MFRI as the budget and accounting coordinator. He’s been with UMD for seven years, serving initially as an accounting associate in facilities management with the logistics department. Wilcox was responsible for reconciliation, pcard purchasing and additional accounting tasks. He then took on a new role with facilities management in the HVAC department where he handled a variety of administrative tasks including pcard purchasing, procurement duties and project management.

Tremel has been a long-time antique fire apparatus collector and restorer. In 1970, he organized the first Maryland Antique Fire Apparatus Muster at College Park Volunteer Fire Department. He has served as the national president of the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America (SPAAMFAA) and also on the local level as president of the Chesapeake chapter.

photo: Tremel guides one of his many Pumps students as he fills a water tank used for rural water supply.

continued from page 4

Instructor Highlight - Frank Tremel

ELEVATE PROGRAM TO STREAMLINE BUSINESS PROCESSES

The University of Maryland finalized their decision and funding was approved in 2020 to begin the implementation of Elevate—a cloud-based enterprise solution (ERP). Workday was selected as the software vendor and Huron was chosen as the consultant group to transition UMD to this administrative system. Training dates are scheduled in early 2023 with the Human Capital Management Foundation and financial modules are slated to go live July of 2023.

MFRI has provided a project team consisting of key process users from the various sections to ensure a smooth transition in the areas of finance, administration, human resources, payroll, procurement and accounts payable. Future live dates will include the rollout of a budgeting module and student registration application. MFRI is looking forward to experiencing the benefits of using a single integrated cloud-based platform in the next year.

NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY OPENS SECOND SEMESTER CLASS ENROLLMENT

Meet your professional development goals and help reduce all-hazards risks in your community by enrolling in courses with the National Fire Academy (NFA). Join your peers from across the country for this world-class professional development opportunity. The courses you take can also be considered for college credit.

NFA resident courses and lodging in Emmitsburg, MD are free of charge. Travel fees are also reimbursed. Your cost is your time and buying meals on campus. Please apply between October 15 and December 15 for on-campus courses that are scheduled from April to September 2023.

Register at www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/admissions/how-to-apply.html.

MFRI OFFERS INPUT TO NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MFRI Operations Section Chief Stephan Cox, former Director Steven Edwards and current Executive Director Michael Cox convened at the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) National Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting in Washington, D.C. early in October. Comprised of more than 35 of the leading fire and emergency services organizations in the country, the NAC provides Congress with insights on national fire and emergency services issues.

TREY KELSO

MARCH 1947 – JULY 2022

Deputy Fire Chief Trey Kelso passed away unexpectedly on September 24, 2022 after suffering a medical emergency.

Kelso served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Prince George’s County for more than 22 years. He was also a founding member of the Maryland Chapter of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.

For almost ten years, Kelso was a dedicated MFRI instructor teaching nearly 1,000 students. His legacy lives on through all of the skilled hands he has trained and extends to all of the lives saved because of that training.

REGISTER NOW FOR 2023 MARYLAND WEEKEND AT THE NFA

Registration is now open for the 2023 Maryland Weekend at the National Fire Academy to be held February 25-26 in Emmitsburg, MD.

Classes and lodging are free for members of fire, rescue or EMS departments. (Federal department members must pay for their lodging). Registration closes Jan. 9, 2023.

This year’s course offerings include:

• Fire Service Safety Culture: Who Protects Firefighters from Firefighters?;

• Youth Firesetter Program Manager;

• Incident Command System & Resource Management for the Fire Service;

• Executive Skill Series: Exercising Leadership Ethically;

• Decision-Making for Initial Company Operations;

• New Fire Chief: Administrative Issues.

For registration and for more information, visit: www.mfri.org/news-and-events/mdweekend