Schedule Day 2
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00 am | Registration |
| 8:30 – 4:30 pm | Exhibits |
| 9:00 –11:00 am | Block D Workshops |
| 11:15 –12:15 pm | Block E Workshops |
| 12:15 –1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 –2:15 pm | General Session: STIGMA - Suppressing Trauma Internally Grows Mental Anguish |
| 2:30 –3:15 pm | Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Awards |
| 3:30 –4:30 pm | Block F Workshops |
Workshop Categories
Core skills: Workshops to keep both new and experienced educators up to date on consistent messages and best practices.
Partnerships: Workshops about developing and working within the partnerships that are essential to effective community risk reduction.
Using the Tools: Workshops that introduce specific tools, props, and curriculums that help teach fire and life safety.
New Topics: Workshops about information new to the field or new to this conference.
Block D Workshops (9:00–11:00 am)
D1 NFPA Steps to Safety – Train the Trainer (3 sessions)
Kelly Ransdell, Director, Public Education, NFPA
Session 3 of 3. Please note: You must participate in both days of the workshop, all 3 sessions (B1, C1, D1).
This is part 3 of the three-part workshop on using the NFPA Steps to Safety - Prevent Fire and Falls at Home program. The program pairs fire and EMS professionals with community partners to educate older adults about home fires and fall safety through group presentations, home visits and the creation of a local resources network. See workshop B1 for more information.
D2 De-Mystifying the State’s 3rd Grade Evaluation Tool
Cynthia Ouellette, Retired, DFS
Lieutenant Christie Clement, DFS, Marlborough Fire Dept.
Have you struggled with trying to use the state's evaluation tool? This workshop is for you! Evaluating your instruction is part of the SAFE grant requirements, and it also tells you if students obtained key behaviors that were taught. Student and self-evaluations are important because it allows you to adapt and change to become a better presenter. This is an active workshop. You will use the evaluation tool to enter data, review data, and make suggestions to address areas that your students did not do well on. We will discuss how to set up evaluations with third, sixth and tenth grade classes, enter scores and process the information. You MUST bring a laptop or tablet on which you can use an excel spreadsheet in order to take this workshop.
D3 The New SAFE Educator
Firefighter/Paramedic Billy Lieb, Bridgewater Fire Dept.
Lieutenant Katie Harrington, Worcester Fire Dept.
This workshop will help Massachusetts fire departments recruit and retain a vital resource: new SAFE educators. Community Risk Reduction has evolved from the old-fashioned Stop, Drop, and Roll educator to an all-inclusive educator. Don't be intimidated! The community wants to learn all aspects of fire and life safety. You may not be the best at teaching Stop, Drop, and Roll but you may excel at Narcan training. You may not know the ins and outs of fire prevention, but you do know engine hydraulics. Everyone has something to share. No matter what you know and don’t know, you CAN be a SAFE educator!
D4 Emergency Situations: Communicating with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals
Jonathan O’Dell, Supervisor, Communication Access, Training and Technology Services, MA Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Zoe RajBahandary, Communication Outreach and Training Specialist, MA Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This training will help you better understand Deaf and hard of hearing individuals living in your community. We will focus on demographics, Deaf culture and the multitude of communication preferences and realities that may come up during an emergency. We'll show alerting devices designed for safety at home and share proactive steps you can take to help include Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in your emergency planning.
D5 SPARK Series: Igniting Interest in Today’s Teens
Brenna Ferrick, Tri-County Regional Voc-Tech. High School
Firefighter/Paramedic Jason “Otis” Wilson, Millis Fire Dept.
This workshop highlights the SPARK Series program offered by Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School's Legal and Protective Services Career program. The series aims to ignite interest in firefighting and EMS fields for students already interested in Legal and Protective Services (LPS), expose students to various aspects of firefighting and EMS, and build relationships with local fire departments. By providing hands-on experiences and exposure to the field, the SPARK Series serves as both an educational opportunity and a potential recruiting tool for the future. It allows students to explore these career paths early, fostering interest and passion for a potential future career in fire and life safety. The workshop will highlight the benefits of the program in shaping the next generation of fire and EMS professionals and building partnerships with local fire departments for a stronger, safer community. This workshop will outline how your department can create a similar program as both educational outreach and a potential recruiting tool. By accessing vocational LPS programs, you'll have a consistent, captive audience of high school students who are already seeking careers in public service. We will also discuss how to use high school interns effectively and strategically in your department.
Block E Workshops (11:15–12:15 pm)
E1 Modernizing Fire and All-Hazards Incident Data with NERIS
Rebecca Harned, Advisor on Technology and Data Modernization, U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA
How do we shift culture among fire and emergency services, towards a culture that embraces data and technology? This is the challenge the US Fire Administration has taken on and is working to solve through the new National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). By standardizing data collection, implementing enhanced data privacy and security measures, providing training and education opportunities, and investing in reliable technology that keeps pace with speed of innovation we can foster increased adoption and use of the latest data-driven technologies among local first responders nationwide. This session provides insights on the approaches and capabilities in development as part of NERIS and will provide guidance on how and when to start onboarding your fire department onto NERIS.
E2 Teaching Fire Safety with the DFS Props
Cindy Ouellette, Retired, DFS
Firefighter Laurie Manning, Palmer Fire Dept.
This workshop introduces students to the fire and life safety education tools available from the Department of Fire Services, including the kitchen and hazard house props. The props bring the wow factor to educational presentations. They teach students how fires can start at home and how to prevent and put out these fires. Attendees will learn how to set up and take down the props, and how to use them as effective educational tools that promote fire safety. The props are available to borrow from DFS. FF Manning and Cindy Ouellette will offer an active, engaging presentation.
E3 Dementia. What First Responders Need to Know
Tammy Pozerycki, Life Care Manager & Dementia Educator, Clear Guidance
The number of people in our communities with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is growing exponentially. Education is the best opportunity to increase community knowledge and awareness. First responders encounter challenges when responding to events involving a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementia ailments. Learn best practices to successfully respond to a person with dementia in an emergency.
E4 Harvard Anti-Smoking Program
Chief Tim Kelly, Dir. of Public Safety, Devens Fire Dept.
This workshop reviews a smoking prevention lesson developed by the Harvard Fire Department using a unique prop. The 3-foot-tall cigarette box is filled with all the items commonly found in cigarettes. The presentation will include handouts from the original Harvard Program and the lesson plan used by the speaker. The prop will be on display for attendees to see, photograph, and learn where the prop may be purchased.
E5 CRR: Not Just a Buzz Word
Chief Mike Cassidy, Emergency Mgmt. Director, Holliston Fire Dept.
In the last few years, fire prevention and public education units in many departments rebranded themselves as community risk reduction (CRR) units. What is the difference between fire and life safety education and CRR? Where does prevention and code enforcement fit into each approach? Chief Cassidy will give an overview of the job performance requirements of the NFPA Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Prevention Program Positions (NFPA 1030) and discuss how those align with community risk assessments and community risk reduction planning processes in a comprehensive CRR approach.
General Session (1:15–2:15 pm)
STIGMA – Suppressing Trauma Internally Grows Mental Anguish
Tammy Pozerycki, Life Care Manager & Dementia Educator, Clear Guidance
This workshop builds increased awareness among first responders about the detrimental effects of the stigma associated with seeking mental health support and services. The goal of this workshop is to encourage the de-stigmatization of first responders receiving mental health treatment. Stigma is a systemic issue. Education about the issue helps improve stigma reduction.
Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year Awards (2:30–3:15 pm)
Jon M. Davine, State Fire Marshal
Awards presentation and remarks.
Block F Workshops (3:30–4:30 pm)
F1 Using MFIRS to Enhance CRR
Firefighter/Paramedic Zachary Algarin, Holden Fire Dept.
Derryl Dion, Research Analyst/MFIRS Manager, DFS
In this workshop, attendees will learn how MFIRS data can drive education programs. MFIRS data presents and summarizes your own community’s information. Departments can use the data to support grant funding and track the results of CRR interventions and fire and life safety education. Attendees will also learn how DFS can support departments in obtaining MFIRS data.
F2 Child Passenger Safety: Misuse & Repercussions
Barbara DiGirolamo, Injury Prevention Coordinator, Boston Children’s Hospital
This workshop will cover Child Passenger Safety changes, misuse, and the results of misuse. We will present case studies of traumas from patients either not using a car seat at all or using it incorrectly. Participants will learn to identify issues that lead to car seat misuse, injuries that result from the misuse, and how to educate families on using the correct car seat for their child.
F3 Youth Firesetting: Supporting Regional Programs
Loren Davine, Executive Director, NoFIRES, Inc.
Lieutenant Eric Desrochers, MA State Police, Div. of Investigative Services, Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit
Sheryl Hedlund, Fire Data & Pub. Ed. Program Coordinator, DFS
This workshop covers the progress that has been made in the Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention (YFPI) initiative over the past year. The initiative has received both attention and support from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and Department of Fire Services. Attendees will learn about the youth firesetting reporting form; the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the adopted Youth Firesetting Screening Tool for assessment; the approved and recommended age/grade curriculum(s) for educational intervention; training on youth firesetting intervention and assessment in Massachusetts; how to begin a regional program; and the vision for YFPI in Massachusetts moving forward.
F4 Teaching Fire Safety Through History
Chief Tim Kelly, Dir. of Public Safety, Devens Fire Dept.
The History of Fire in America is a program for grades 7-12 that uses fire history to teach fire safety by reviewing historical fires and the lessons learned from them. Students look at cases where tragic mistakes happened because history was ignored. This approach teaches critical thinking, reasoning skills, and fire safety. Bring a thumb drive to the workshop so you can download a copy of the entire program to use in your community.
F5 Teaching Fire Safety & Prevention Throughout the Year
Cindy Ouellette, Retired, DFS
Fire and Life Safety doesn't stop when the school year ends. This workshop will benefit those new to fire and life safety education, and educators who want to expand their program with fire safety lessons for each month. Attendees will review the calendar and identify appropriate fire and life safety topics for each month. Together we will develop ideas for educators to take back to their communities. Attendees will leave the workshop with a plan for fire and life safety education in each month of the year, tailored to their own communities.