Keynote Speaker
Battalion Chief John Salka, F.D.N.Y. (ret.)
Battalion Chief (ret.) John Salka served 33 years with the New York Fire Department (FDNY), rising from fire fighter to the rank of Battalion Chief and holding assignments in some of FDNY’s most active and specialized units: Rescue Company 3 in upper Manhattan, Squad 1 in Brooklyn, Engine 48 in the Bronx, and the 18th Battalion in central Bronx where he attained the designation Battalion Commander.
Speakers
Captain Rich Stack, Chicago FD (E93)
Blitz Attack: Using the Deck Gun & Tank Water for an Offensive Attack
Richie Stack of the Chicago (IL) Fire Department discusses to properly apply the large volume of water (gallons per minute) to reduce the amount of heat/British thermal units generated in today’s modern building construction fires.
Stack reviews the importance of the first stream and water application by handlines and deck guns. He will also address the application of water from the exterior by the first-arriving engine company before making an interior attack and urban and rural fire departments’ adjusting of these tactics when personnel is limited.
Lieutenant Mike Ciampo, F.D.N.Y. (ret.)
Truck Tactics - Beyond the Textbook
Michael N. Ciampo first joined the fire service in 1979 as a fourth-generation volunteer firefighter. In 1985, his professional career started with the District of Columbia Fire Department (DCFD) and in 1990, he was hired by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). He attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and earned a BA degree in Fire Science. He is a nationally recognized instructor, teaching truck company operations and tower ladder classes to departments around the country. He writes the back page column ‘On Fire’ for Fire Engineering magazine and is featured in their Truck Company Training Minutes videos.
Lieutenant, FDNY Tower Ladder 45, “The Might of the Heights,” Engine 93, Ladder 45, Battalion 13
Firefighter, FDNY Tower Ladder 44, “Camp Morris” Engine 92, Ladder 44, Battalion 17
Firefighter, FDNY Engine Company 46, “Cross Bronx Express” Engine 46, Ladder 27
Firefighter, DCFD Rescue Squad 3 “Hell’s Kitchen” Engine 15, Battalion 3
Firefighter, DCFD Truck Company 3 “Midnight Express” Engine 16, Battalion 6
Firefighter, Wyckoff NJ Volunteer Fire Department Protection Fire Company 1
FDNY Instructor, Tactical Training Unit – Forcible Entry and Remote Tactical Unit
Instructor, FDIC, Firehouse Expo, New York State Fire Chiefs Association, and more
Author, FDNY trade magazine – WFNY “With New York Firefighters” articles
Author, Fire Engineering Firefighter 1 & 2 Textbooks – Portable Ladders, Ventilation, and Tools
Author, Fire Engineering “Bread and Butter Operations” Portable Ladders DVD
Co-Author, Tools of the Trade Fire Engineering Textbook with Richard Fritz
Back Page Columnist, “On Fire” – Fire Engineering Magazine/Training Minutes
F.D.N.Y.'s Father's Day Fire
Speakers:
- Lt, John Berna, F.D.N.Y (ret.) SQ288
- FF John Gaine F.D.N.Y. (ret.) R4
- FF Kevin Kubler, F.D.N.Y (ret.) SQ288
June 17th, 2001 was a quiet Father’s Day Sunday, when at 2:21 p.m., firefighters with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) were dispatched to a fire in a hardware store at 12-22 Astoria Blvd in Queens. Squad 288, Battalion 49, Engine 262, Engine 260, Ladder 116, Ladder 117, Ladder 163, Rescue 4, Battalion 45, and Engine 312 all arrived within minutes of each other.
The fire was located in the cellar of the building. Roughly 25 minutes after arriving on scene, a propane tank exploded, causing a major collapse that tragically took the lives of Firefighters Harry Ford and Brian Fahey of Rescue Co. 4 and Firefighter John Downing of Ladder Co. 163. All three members were fathers and left behind children on this tragic day.
Hear the story and lessons learned from 3 of those who responded (and were seriously injured) on this tragaic day.