9/15/00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Virtual Fire & Rescue Expo Live Chat Begins Sunday
An exciting week of Live Chat with national experts in more than 30 topics begins Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. EDT Eastern Daylight Time at Virtual Fire & Rescue Expo, a conference held exclusively on the Web at http://www.vfre.com. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to interact with leaders and experts in fire, rescue and emergency services through the Internet. Admission is FREE, but you do have to register and software updates may be required to experience this Internet-based conference.
VFRE is presenting seven online tracks sponsored by eight major institutions, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, FETN, VFIS, National Fire & Rescue magazine, the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership, Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute and Maryland’s State Emergency Response Commission Training Committee.
These discussions follow individual open study of the presenters’ Web-based presentations, which are available round the clock now under the Interactive Workshops button at http://www.vfre.com. Below is the complete schedule for VFRE Live Chat next week. Find the "meat and potatoes" of the presenter’s topic online, then go to the Live Chat area at http://www.vfre.com for instructions on how to participate in the live discussion.
VFRE Live Chat Schedule
**Sunday- Sept. 17, 2000**
1:30 p.m. EDT Welcome -- Open Chat with VFRE Staff.
2 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks: Building Community Support for Emergency Service Organizations: Module I -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
3 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks/Module Two: The Fire Department Information Packet -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
4 p.m. EDT (EMS) Respiratory Emergencies -- Julia Lowery, NREMT-Paramedic, Mineral Wells, Texas.
5 p.m. EDT (NF&R) Motorsports Fire Safety: Getting On the Right Track -- Dan Jones, Chief, Chapel Hill (N.C.) Fire Department; Editor, National Fire & Rescue
8 p.m. EDT (HAZMAT) Recognition and Identification of Hazardous Materials -- Millard M. Mastrino, President Emeritus, United Fire Company No. 3, Frederick, Md.
9 p.m. EDT (TRAINERS) Working with Students With Learning Difficulties -- Dr. Robert S. Fleming, Professor, Management and MIS, Rowan University, West Chester, Pa.
**Monday- Sept. 18**
Noon (KEYNOTE) "A MultiHazard Approach to Fire Service Delivery" - Ken Burris, Chief Operating Officer, United States Fire Administration.
1 p.m. EDT (Emergency Management) NFPA 1600: Where Did It Come From and Where is It Going? Lloyd Bokman, planner, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, and Robert P. Fletcher Jr., Readiness Consulting Services, Annapolis, Md.
3 p.m. EDT (EMS) Current Concepts in Burn Trauma Therapy -- Ken Forinash, Paramedic Field Coordinator, HealthONE EMS.
4 p.m. EDT (NF&R) The Tragedy on 401 -- Mark Uttley, Vice Chairman, Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee, IAFC
5 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks/Module Three: Getting Good Media Coverage -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
8 p.m (EMS) Workplace Violence Awareness for Emergency Responders -- Jeff Dyar, The Far View Group/FETN EMS Adviser.
9 p.m. EDT (TRAINERS) Self Survival Skills: Our Saving Grace--Douglas K. Cline, Captain, Chapel Hill Fire (N.C.) Department.
**Tuesday - Sept. 19**
1 p.m. EDT (EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) NFPA 1600: Core Requirements: What Does It Say? -- Dean R. Larson, Ph.D., Department Manager, Safety & Industrial Hygiene, U.S. Steel, Gary Works, Ind.
2 p.m. EDT (HAZMAT) Hazardous Material Laws, Regulations, Standards and Information Resources -- Joe Ross, Division Chief, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Millersville, Md.
5 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks/Module Four: Making Presentations -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
8 p.m (TRAINERS) Basic Structural Tactical Initiatives: A Proactive Approach to Firefighter Survival -- Timothy E. Sendelbach, Training Officer, Missouri City Fire & Rescue Services, Missouri City, Texas.
9 p.m. EDT (NF&R) Propane Emergencies -- Mike Callan, Greg Noll and Mike Hildebrand.
**Wednesday - Sept. 20**
Noon (KEYNOTE) Leading the Transition: From Volunteer to Combination Department -- Chief John Buckman, German Township (Ind.) Volunteer Fire Department, Vice President International Association of Fire Chiefs.
1 p.m. EDT (EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) NFPA 1600: Implications for Business Continuity Planning -- Pat Moore, Business Continuity Education, Strohl Systems Inc., King of Prussia, PA.
2 p.m. EDT (HAZMAT) Hazardous Materials Personal Protective Equipment -- Bernie A. Edmondson, Special Operations Coordinator, Fort George G. Meade Fire Department, and Gary Warren, Field Instructor, Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute.
3 p.m. EDT (TRAINERS) Case Study: Acquired Structure Live Fire Training -- George Stapleton, 2nd Vice President, International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
5 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks/Module Five: Obtaining Resources -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
8 p.m. EDT (CHIEFS) Barnyard Management: How Would Andy Handle It? -- Ken Farmer, Director of Fire Programs, N.C. Community Colleges, Raleigh, N.C.
9 p.m. EDT (HAZMAT) Hazardous Materials Detection Devices -- Chris Hawley, Assistant Administrator, Hazardous Materials Team, Baltimore County Fire Department.
**Thursday - Sept. 21**
Noon (KEYNOTE): "America at Risk" by Ron Coleman, President FETN; member, "American Burning" Committee.
1 p.m. EDT (EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) NFPA 1600: Implications for Government EM Programs -- Gunnar J. Kuepper, Chief of Operations, Emergency and Disaster Management Inc., and Eric Tolbert, director, North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, Raleigh, N.C.
2 p.m. EDT (NF&R) Working the Fireground: Tips for Better Fire Photographs -- Michael Heller, President, 911 Pictures; Correspondent, National Fire & Rescue
3 p.m. EDT (TRAINERS) Adult Learning Styles: Why Should You Be Concerned? -- Thomas Shurtleff, Training Officer, Farmington Hills (Mich.) Fire-Rescue.
4 p.m. EDT (EMS) Stress and the Street Medic -- Mike Fickling, FireFighter/Paramedic, Lewisville Fire Department, Lewisville, Texas.
5 p.m. EDT (COMMUNITY RELATIONS) Building Blocks/Module Six: Conducting Special Events -- Lisa Garey, President of Marketing & Management Solutions, and Richard Miller, Chief of the James City County Fire Department, Williamsburg, Va.
8 p.m (CHIEFS) Do You Want to Cuss or Discuss? Interdepartmental Communications -- Fred Windisch, Fire Marshal, Warren County, Texas; Volunteer Chief Officers Section, International Association of Fire Chiefs.
9 p.m. EDT (TRAINERS) Online Instructional Design: A Primer -- Ron Hopkins, Associate Professor, Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky.
**Friday--Sept. 22**
1 p.m. EDT (EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) NFPA 1600: Wrap Up: Group Discussion with Track Participants -- Moderated by Amy Sebring, EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator, Corpus Christi, Texas.
2 p.m. EDT (HAZMAT) Handling Drum and Cylinder/Pipeline Emergencies -- Clarence "Smiley" White, Field Instructor, Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute.
4 p.m. EDT (CHIEFS) Developing Strategic Plans -- Chief Richard Marinucci, Farmington Hills (Mich.) Fire Department, former acting COO, U.S. Fire Administration.
5 p.m. EDT (CLOSING CHAT) Announcement of prizewinners of the Hunt for Treasure.
Contacts:
Pat West, VFRE Program Director, patwest@firefighting.com.
Monty Gearhart, VFRE Technical Director, webmaster@vfre.com.