Schedule Day 2
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 am - 9:00 am | Registration & Exhibitors |
| 8:30 am - 4:00 pm | Exhibitors |
| 9:00 am - 9:45 am | Keynote: General Session: Changing the Culture of Public Education in Firehouse |
| 9:45 am - 10:00 am | BREAK |
| 10:00 am - 12:00 pm | Block D Workshops |
| 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | LUNCH |
| 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year Awards |
| 2:00 pm - 2:15 pm | BREAK |
| 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm | Block E Workshops |
| 3:15 pm - 3:30 pm | BREAK |
| 3:30 pm - 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.
Day 2 Workshops:
Keynote: General Session (9:00 am - 9:45 am)
Public Education/CRR: Changing the Culture of Pub Ed in the Firehouse
Vermont State Fire Marshal; NASFM President Michael Desrochers
The presentation will focus on the importance of public fire and life safety education and Community Risk Reduction. Marshal Desrochers will explain what Community Risk Reduction is and the benefits of building or expanding upon existing programs. He will provide a national perspective on public fire prevention education and challenges we all face, emphasizing the important role fire service leaders can provide and link it back to some basic CRR strategies. The fire service must remain engaged in life safety education, even during a major shift in responding to medical calls.
Block D Workshops (10:00 am - 12:00 pm)
D1 NFPA Lithium-Ion Education and Messaging
Kelly Ransdell, Director, Public Education, NFPA
This session will discuss messaging around the safe usage of lithium-ion batteries. It will include an overview of lithium-ion batteries, thermal runaway, common types of misuse, and practical advice that fire departments and educators should be sharing with their communities.
D2 Teaching Fire Safety Through History
Chief Tim Kelly, Director 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 so you can download the program to use in your community.
D3 Teaching Fire Safety & Prevention Through the Year
Cindy Ouellette, DFS (Ret.), and Chief Mike Cassidy, Emergency Management Director, Holliston Fire Dept.
Fire and life safety education 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 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.
D4 Coaching Your Growth: Difficult Conversation in the Firehouse
Jennifer Anderson, First Responder Coaching
This workshop introduces participants to a "Coach Approach," emphasizing active listening, self-awareness, and transformative communication techniques. It covers core coaching skills, such as reflective inquiry and managing emotional triggers, while exploring frameworks like the DISC personality styles, the Johari Window, and the Wheel of Life to enhance interpersonal understanding and growth. Participants learn to distinguish between transactional and transformational coaching, with a focus on aligning actions with personal values and fostering deeper, value-based connections. Incorporating insights into neuroplasticity and "brain hacking," the program provides tools to reframe narratives, overcome blockers, and shift out of unproductive dynamics. The session equips attendees with actionable skills and resources to support meaningful personal and professional development.
D5 Fire Service Filmmaking: CRR Media and Content Creation on a Budget
Lt. Matt Morin, Sunderland Fire Dept.
Session 2 of 2: In Part 2 of this interactive workshop, attendees learn about the basics of content creation including conceptualizing a message, drafting a script, filming, editing, and preparing content for distribution. With affordable accessories, any department can create high production material to reach their audiences. See workshop A1 for more information. Attendees must attend both workshop sessions.
General Session (1:00 pm - 2:00 pm)
Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year Awards – State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine
State Fire Marshal Davine will offer brief remarks before recognizing the nominees for Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year and the 2025 winner.
Block E Workshops (2:15 pm - 3:15 pm)
E1 Modernizing Fire and All-Hazards Incident Data with NERIS
TBD, U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA
NERIS is here! Is your fire department ready for the transition to NERIS? Ready for the sunsetting of NFIRS? More importantly, is your department ready to make better, data-informed decisions? This workshop will provide a deep look into the new National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), launched in November 2024, with local fire departments nationwide onboarding throughout 2025. Through this workshop, participants will have a unique opportunity to learn about the latest features within NERIS and get hands-on with practical data analysis products available to you and your fire department within NERIS. You'll also learn what you need to do to prepare for the sunsetting of the legacy NFIRS. Those already using NERIS will have an opportunity to share their experience onboarding and using this new tool. Be sure to come with your ideas and feedback!
E2 Rebranding & Building SAFE & Senior SAFE Programs
FF Patrick Farrow; FF/EMS Coordinator Jeffrey Witek, Wilbraham Fire Dept.
This session will dive into the process of rebranding and rebuilding the Wilbraham Fire Department's SAFE and Senior SAFE programs. It will explore the successful methods used to present these programs in schools, including strategies for building relationships with schools and administration, and it will discuss how grant money can be effectively used to support fire and life safety education. It will explore various programs offered by Wilbraham FD and examine the best practices for promoting them to the public. Participants will gain valuable insights into building successful fire and life safety programs, as well as effective strategies for engaging with schools, utilizing grant funding, and promoting their programs to the community.
E3 Supporting Children’s Mental Health for First Responders
Meri Viano, Associate Director, PPAL; Candice Gabrey, Juvenile Justice Program Manager
Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) is a nonprofit organization that supports connecting youngsters and their families with the best local intervention and resources within their communities. This workshop will educate attendees with what families need first responders to know by understanding child and adolescent behaviors; how to utilize family knowledge and experience; learn what helps improve safety for young people, understand risk, including suicide prevention; and resources for families and first responders.
E4 Benefit of Child Forensic Interviews in Youth Firesetting
Beth Mitchell, Deputy Director, Children’s Cove
Child forensic interviews within a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) can increase the information gathered in an investigation of child abuse and maltreatment. This workshop will define what a forensic interview is, increase your understanding of a child’s response to a traumatic situation, and explain how building an effective rapport can support a child in providing relevant information in an investigation. Participants will learn about services a CAC can provide and how the CAC can be invaluable to the child’s healthiest outcomes and strengthen your investigation.
E5 SAFE Grant 101: Back to Basics
Sheryl Hedlund, Fire Data & Public Education Program Coordinator, and Lt. Christie Clement, DFS
This workshop explores the new SAFE and Senior SAFE grant application and educates attendees on the process of applying. It will cover writing and submitting your application, an explanation of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the determination of funds, what funding can be used for, and post-grant requirements including end-of-year reports, and return of unexpended funds. You will leave this workshop with the tools and the confidence to apply for a grant successfully.
Block F Workshops (3:30 pm - 4:30 pm)
F1 Child Passenger Safety: Misuse & Repercussions
Barbara DiGirolamo, Injury Prevention Coordinator, Boston Children’s Hospital
This session will discuss the updates on Child Passenger Safety changes, misuse, and case studies of traumas from patients either not using a car seat or using it incorrectly. By the end of the session, participants should be able 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.
F2 Stronger in Broken Places: Helping Communities Rebuild after Tragedy
Chief Mike Cassidy, Emergency Management Director, Holliston Fire Dept.
In the wake of a tragedy, fire and life safety educators play a pivotal role in helping their communities heal and move forward. However, delivering critical safety lessons in such an emotionally charged environment is incredibly challenging. This workshop equips educators with the tools they need to address the trauma head-on, foster healing, and continue the important work of fire and life safety education. The message of resilience, prevention, and empowerment is vital for creating stronger communities, even in the broken places. We hope to empower educators to not only teach safety, but also to act as beacons of hope and strength for those navigating the aftermath of tragedy.
F3 SAFE Exchange: Open House Tours
FF/Paramedic Billy Lieb, Bridgewater Fire Dept.; Lt. Katie Harrington, Worcester Fire Dept.; and Lt. Hank Perkins, Boston Fire Dept.
Fire Department Open House Tours are community events where fire stations open their doors to the public. Tours allow visitors to not only explore the facility and meet their local firefighters, but also the opportunity to learn fire safety. These tours often include equipment demonstrations, touch a truck, hands-on activities for children, and relaying information on the importance of having working smoke and CO alarms and an evacuation plan. This type of outreach event provides the opportunity for everyone involved to learn the importance of fire safety messages, to assist in reducing the risk of fire and falls, and to minimize the risks that firefighters face daily in their response efforts. Come prepared to gain and share some valuable tools!
F4 Bridging the Gap: Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults & Young Adults
Lt. Matt Morin, Sunderland Fire Dept.
Emergencies don’t discriminate by age, but preparedness needs often do. This interactive workshop focuses on equipping two often-overlooked populations, older adults and college-aged students, with practical, accessible strategies for personal preparedness. This workshop will explore the unique challenges these groups face during emergencies, from mobility and medical needs to communication gaps and transient lifestyles. Learn how to build customized go-kits, develop support networks, and create realistic emergency plans that account for everything from power outages to evacuations. Whether you're planning outreach campaigns or building campus and community partnerships, this session will leave you with tools, messaging techniques, and ready-to-use resources to support preparedness across generations.
F5 Cultural Competency: Providing Fire & Life Safety Education to Non-English-Speaking Communities
FF Eric Rosa, Springfield Fire Dept.
This workshop will provide an opportunity to share the methods that Springfield Fire Department utilizes to provide educational outreach to our non-English speaking individuals and families in our community. Springfield has a long history of providing their successful Public Education outreach program and will discuss the communication methods utilized as well as what props are helpful and useful at these events.