Firefighter Joe Solcani
Chicago (IL) Fire Dept

Joe joined the fire service in 1992 and became a member of the Chicago Fire Department in September 1997. He is currently assigned as a firefighter/paramedic to Truck 41 in one of Chicago’s busiest & most dangerous neighborhoods. He has also worked for the Evergreen Park Fire Department since December, 1995. As a field staff instructor with the Illinois Fire Service Institute, he has taught students from throughout the United States & Canada. Joe holds several Illinois fire service certifications and has a Bachelor’s degree from Rosary College.

Captain Mark Akins
Johns Creek (GA) Fire Department

Mark is a 31 year veteran and student of the fire service. He began his career with the Fulton County (GA) Fire Department where he served 28 years. He retired at the rank of Captain serving 22 years at Station 2 in the busy 2nd Battalion. He is currently a Captain with Johns Creek Fire Department where he is assigned to Truck Company 63 in the Newtown section. Mark is a Paramedic, Hazardous Materials Technician, RIT and Safety and Survival Instructor, Live Fire Instructor, and Instructor for the Georgia Fools which he is a founding member. He is currently pursuing a degree from Columbia Southern in Fire Science Management.

Sergeant Alec Adams – Cherokee County (GA) Fire
Alec has 6 years of fire experience and is a paramedic.

FAO Mark Alexander – Cherokee County (GA) Fire
Mark has 7 years of fire experience, 5 years of which have been with Cherokee Fire. He is also a paramedic.

Captain Bryan Altman – Georgia Fire Academy

Bryan has been in the fire service for 8 years and works full time as staff for the Georgia Fire Academy. He is a Firefighter 2, Instructor 2, and is POST Instructor certified. He teaches the Basic Firefighter Program at GFA, Live Fire classes, and also teaches settees which deal with fire behavior. His concentration is highly on fire behavior and he takes it very seriously. He has been instructing for 5 years.

Fire Chief Richie Bowers – Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service

Richie has been a member of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service for 34 years. He has served in every rank of the Department from Firefighter/EMT to Fire Chief. He has served on many local and regional advisory committees and has been a member of several Firefighter Line of Duty and Significant Injury Investigation Teams. Most recently he was a member of the Technician Kyle Wilson LODD Investigation Team from Prince William County and the Significant Injury Investigation Team for the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Service in which 4 firefighters were seriously injured. He has presented numerous courses related to firefighter and EMS provider safety across the Country and is committed to reducing firefighter injuries and line of duty deaths. He also holds a BS Degree in Fire Service Management and a Fire Protection Certificate from the University of Maryland.

Engineer David Bullard – Martinez-Columbia (GA) Fire

David has 7 years experience instructing with GFA and in private industry. He is a past presenter at MAFFC, FRI, and the Georgia Fire Conference.

John (Skip) Coleman, Asst. Chief (Retired) Toledo (OH) Fire and Rescue Department

Before retiring in 2008, Skip served as deputy chief to every major bureau in the department. He is a columnist and technical editor of Fire Engineering; a member of the FDIC Educational Advisory Board; and author of Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer (Fire Engineering, 1997), Managing Major Fires (Fire Engineering, 2000), and Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer, Second Edition (Fire Engineering, 2008). His latest book, Searching Smarter will be published in the spring of 2011 by PennWell. Skip has taught at FDIC for the last 15 consecutive years and has instructed across the US and Canada since 1997. He instructed at the college level at one of Ohio’s largest community colleges for over 10 years. He is an EFO graduate and has instructed several courses at the National Fire Academy.

Battalion Chief Jennie L. Collins – Prince William County (VA) Department of Fire and Rescue

Jennie has 26 years of experience with Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue where she is currently a Battalion Chief. Chief Collins has served in numerous assignments within the Department including program management positions in Training, Health and Safety, and EMS Operations and is currently the Executive Officer for the Fire Chief. She was the team leader for the Technician I Wilson Line of Duty Death Internal Investigation and has assisted with other external firefighter significant injury investigations. Chief Collins is a Governor’s appointee to the Virginia State EMS Advisory Board and serves on numerous local, regional, and state level committees and boards of directors. She also has numerous fire and rescue related certifications and instructor credentials.

Battalion Chief (Ret.) David Dodson, Response Solutions, LLC

Dave Dodson is a 33-year fire service veteran – 25 years on the street - starting his Fire Service career with the U.S. Air Force. After the USAF, Dave spent almost seven years as a Fire Officer and Training/Safety Officer for the Parker Fire District in Parker, Colorado. He became the first Career Training Officer for Loveland Fire & Rescue (CO) and rose through the ranks including time as a HazMat Technician, Duty Safety Officer, and Emergency Manager for the City. He accepted a Shift Battalion Chief position for the Eagle River Fire District in Colorado before starting his current company, Response Solutions, which is dedicated to teaching firefighter safety and practical incident handling. Dave is the author of Fire Department Incident Safety Officer (3rd Edition will be available soon, Delmar/Cengage Learning) as well as a co-author of the Firefighter’s Handbook. He developed Fire Engineering’s “Art of Reading Smoke” DVD Training series and is a contributor to their Fire Chief’s Handbook. Chief Dodson has served as the Chairman of the NFPA 1521 Task Group (Fire Department Safety Officer) and served on the Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health Technical Committee for NFPA. Dave is also a Past-President of the Fire Department Safety Officer’s Association. In 1997, Dave was chosen as the ISFSI “George D. Post Fire Instructor of the Year.”

Battalion Chief Todd Edwards – Atlanta (GA) Fire Rescue

Todd is a Battalion Chief and has 24 years in the fire service serving with Atlanta Fire Rescue. He is also an adjunct instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy and the Training Coordinator for Walton County (GA) Fire/Rescue. Todd is also the owner of Total Training Solutions and has authored over 40 state approved training courses.

Chief of Special Operations Curt Isakson – Escambia County Fire (FL)

Curt Isakson joined the Fire Service in 1988 with the Midway Fire District. He was a Lt. Fire Inspector with the Mary Esther F.D. and also was a Firefighter/Lt. for nine years with the Pensacola Fire Dept. Curt joined the Newly formed Escambia County Fire Rescue in March of 2000 as the first Training Officer. He was promoted to Battalion Chief in January of 2004 were he is currently the Chief of Special Operations and Alpha Watch. Curt teaches on the national level at FDIC as Hot Instructor/Classroom Workshop Speaker. Curt also lectures for Firehouse World. Curt has been a part of the Training Division for Three Different Fire Departments with three different disciplines. Curt also provides monthly contract training to multiple departments and owns Suburban Fire Training LLC. He owns and operates www.countyfiretactics.com

Mark Lighthill – Elkhart Brass

Mark is the Assistant Chief of Operations for Brevard County Fire Rescue in Florida. He has been with Brevard County for 28 years. Mark teaches Engine Co. Operations and High-Rise Operations on a national level for Elkhart Brass. He is a Florida State Certified Instructor and Haz-Mat Technician. Mark has instructed at MAFFC since our first conference in 2010.

Dan Madrzykowski – National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Dan is a fire protection engineer with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He has a Masters degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. He has conducted research and investigations to improve firefighter safety. Dan serves on the NFPA Technical Committee for Fire Service Training and he received the International Society of Fire Service Instructors /Fire Engineering Instructor of the Year Award in 2009. Dan has also assisted in the development of several classes for the National Fire Academy and for the IAAI website, www.cfitrainer.net

Lieutenant Ray McCormack – Fire Department of New York (NY)

Ray is a 30 year veteran of the FDNY and a Lieutenant with Ladder 28 in Harlem. He previously served in Engine Company 69 for over ten years. He is the Publisher and Editor of Urban Firefighter Magazine. His weekly fire service safety column Tactical Safety and his Engine Company Training Minute videos can be seen on urbanfirefighter.com. He created and produced Urban Essential the largest HOT class at FDIC this year. He delivered the Keynote address at FDIC in 2009 and he is on the Editorial Board of Fire Engineering Magazine.

Mac McGarry – Elkhart Brass

Mac was a 21 year career Firefighter/Driver Engineer/Paramedic with the Glenview Fire Department. He chaired the Apparatus Committee for 14 years. He is an Illinois State Certified FFIII, he is certified in Haz-Mat, Special Rescue, and is an Instructor 1 and 2. Mac teaches Building Construction & Engine Co. Operations for the Florida Fire Chiefs Foundation. He represents Elkhart Brass at the National Fallen Firefighters LODD Summit. He sits on the Structural Attack and Training Committee for the NFFF and has been the S.E. Regional Manager for Elkhart Brass Firefighting Equipment for 10 Years. Mac and Elkhart Brass have supported MAFFC and have been sponsors since our first conference in 2010.

Chattahoochee Technical College Fire Science Program Director – Patrick McKay

Pat began his career in the fire service in 1982 with the Warren Fire Department in Warren Michigan. He spent 25 years in the fire service helping establish a regional USAR program and a nationally trained Critical Incident management team. Mr. McKay received his Bachelors degree from the University of Michigan along with All American Honors in Wrestling. In 2006 he received his master’s degree in counseling from Spring Arbor University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia. Mr. McKay was a licensed builder and owned his own Construction Company for 25 years. He is currently the Director of the Fire Science program at Chattahoochee Technical College where he began the program four years ago. Mr. McKay’s passion is raising up the next generation of leaders in the fire service.

Battalion Commander Clint Murphy – Peachtree City (GA) Fire

Clint has been a firefighter for 18 years and currently serves as a Battalion Commander for Peachtree City Fire Department. He has served as a Firefighter, Sergeant, Lieutenant, as well as Captain of Training and Special Operations. He teaches on a variety for Fire and Emergency Medical Service topics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Brewton-Parker College and an Associate degree in Fire Science Technology from Dekalb College.

Deputy Chief/Training Officer P.J. Norwood - East Haven (CT) Fire

P.J. has served 4 years with the CT Army National Guard. He has co-authored the PennWell and Fire Engineering’s Tactical Perspectives of Ventilation DVD and was a key contributor to the Tactical Perspectives DVD Series. P.J. lectured at the FDIC 2011 and co-hosts Fire Engineering Blog Talk Radio show “Making the Turn” and has lectured across the United States as well as Singapore. He has also served as Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Region II CERT Coordinator. He is certified to the Instructor II and Officer III level.

Battalion Chief David Rhodes – Atlanta (GA) Fire

David is a 26-year fire service veteran currently serving as a Battalion Chief with the City of Atlanta Fire Department. He is a Chief Elder for the Georgia Smoke Diver Program, a member of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Executive Advisory Board, a Hands-on-Training Coordinator for the FDIC conference, an Editorial Advisor and author for Fire Engineering Magazine, Advisory Board member for the Underwriters Laboratory Vertical Ventilation Study and adjunct instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy. He serves as the Incident Commander for the Georgia Emergency Managements - Metro Atlanta All Hazards Incident Management Team and is a Task Force Leader for the Georgia Search and Rescue Team. He is president of Rhodes Consultants, Inc. which provides public safety training, consulting and promotional assessment centers.

Assistant Chief Eddie Robinson – Cherokee County (GA) Fire

Eddie is a 19 year veteran of the fire service and is now Assistant Chief for Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. He is a United States Army Reserve Veteran for over 22 years. Eddies is an NPQ Instructor III and has taught live-fire, incident-safety, health and safety, basic firefighter, leadership and more. Eddie has been a huge supporter of the Metro Atlanta Firefighters Conference over the past two years and will bring a high level of motivation and support back this year!

Lieutenant Keith Schneider – Cobb County (GA) Fire

Keith has 16 Years of Firefighting with Cobb County, currently a LT, 11 Years with Roswell Fire as a firefighter, He has done several Officers Forum Classes, has led Battalion wide Hands On Exercises, he holds a BS in Fire Admin, AAS in Fire Suppression.

Division Chief William Tanks – Cobb County (GA) Fire

William is a 20 year veteran of the fire service and currently serves as the Chief of Training. He served 18 of those years in the field and has served the last 19 months in his current position. He has facilitated officers’ forums and other fire related discussion for more than 10 years. Chief Tanks holds an Associate degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor’s degree in management. He is a member of the Metro Training Chiefs Council, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs, TRADE Region IV, MAFFC 2012 committee member, and he is the current president of the Metro Atlanta Fire Officers Association.

Brian Ward – Chief of Emergency Operations for Georgia Pacific – Madison (GA)

Brian is a past Gwinnett County Training Officer and Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Training Officers. He is a current Everyone Goes Home Georgia Advocate and founder of www.FireServiceSLT.com. Brian is an ISFSI Lead Live Fire Instructor and University of Cincinnati Fire Safety and Technology Engineering Graduate.

Sergeant Jason Williams – Cherokee County (GA) Fire

Jason has 8 years of fire experience, 5 years of which have been with Cherokee Fire. He is also a paramedic.

Firefighter Chris Minichiello Fire Department of New York (NY)

Chris is a 15 year veteran firefighter, of which eight years were spent with The City of Atlanta Fire Department. He was also an integral part of the initial instructors for the Metro Atlanta GSAR program. Currently, Chris is a firefighter with the F.D.N.Y assigned to a SOC Support Ladder Company. He has taught and/or developed lesson plans in most Technical Rescue disciplines, Forcible Entry, R.I.T, and Engine and Truck Operations. He is also the Founder of East Coast Rescue Solutions. www.eastcoastrescuesolutions.com

Captain Rick Meyers Atlanta (GA) Fire Rescue

Rick is a 24 year veteran with the City of Atlanta Fire Department. He is currently assigned as the Captain on Heavy Rescue Squad 4, of which he has spent 15 years. He has taught and developed lesson plans in Officer Development, Building Construction, Forcible Entry, R.I.T and Engine and Truck Operations. Rick is also the lead instructor in charge of course development for East Coast Rescue. Solutions. www.eastcoastrescuesolutions.com

Lieutenant Timothy Wodicka Fire Department of New York (NY)

Tim is a veteran of the FDNY for over 15 years. He is currently assigned as a Lieutenant on E-303. He also serves with the Bethpage FD on Long Island, NY where he has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. In addition he is a Fire Instructor for the Nassau County Fire Service Academy on Long Island NY. Tim is one of the lead instructors for East Coast Rescue Solutions. www.eastcoastrescuesolutions.com

Engineer David Dwyer
Cobb County (GA) Fire and Emergency Services

Dave has been in the fire service 20 years starting with Highland Park Detroit Michigan and now is with Cobb County Fire Dept assigned to Squad 4. During the last five years on Squad 4, he has developed and taught lessons plans on Elevator Operations/Rescue, Trench Rescue, Structural Collapse, and Extrication Operations.

Chief Chris Coons
Johns Creek (GA) Fire Department

Chris spent 15 of his 17 years in the fire service with the Atlanta Fire Department before going to Johns Creek in 2008 where he currently serves as the Chief of Training. He is a certified Paramedic, TRT Technician, TRT Instructor, Haz Mat Specialist, Haz Mat Instructor, NIMS Instructor, Live Fire Instructor, Truck and Engine Company Ops Instructor, a member of the GFSTC Validation Committee, and an NPQ Proctor. Chris has a Bachelors Degree in Fire and Emergency Management. He has been instructing for 10 years at many different departments and conferences. Chris has also been chosen to teach at the upcoming 2011 FRI Conference that will be held in Atlanta

Captain Matt Broderick
Johns Creek (GA) Fire Department

Matt is a 21 year veteran of the fire service. He began his career with FDNY and served the department for 7 years with L136. After FDNY, he spent 12 years with Dekalb County (GA) Fire Department assigned to Station 24 (TRT). He is currently a Captain with Johns Creek Fire Department. Matt is an NPQ Tech Rescue Evaluator and a member of the State of Georgia GSAR Team. He has technician level certifications in ropes, trench, confined space, structural collapse, swift water, and dive rescue. While with Dekalb County Fire Department he wrote and taught a RIT/Firefighter Survival program for the entire department.

Capt Phillip Adams Sandy Springs FD

15 Years in the fire service, 3 years as a company officer.

Kris Cagle Atlanta FD

Live fire instructor for over 30 years. Currently assigned to Atlanta Training Division.

Mark Thurmond Cobb FD

14 years with Cobb County Fire. Currently assigned to TRT/Squad. Has taught several TRT classes.

Capt. John Conniff Cobb FD

John Conniff has been a member of the fire service for 20 years. He holds an A.A.S. in Fire Science. He currently is a Captain with the Cobb County Fire Department were he is currently assigned to Truck Company 4. He is a co-founder of the Cobb County Fire Department Officers Forum. He is a field instructor for the training division and a past MAFFC instructor

Tom Hancock Cobb FD

Tom is a 15 year veteran and lieutenant with Cobb Fire, and a firefighter with Roswell Fire. He served 2 years as a training officer assigned to the training division. He has led many battalion and departmental training classes and has been a classroom instructor at FDIC.

Ryan Fleeman: Lt with Cobb County Fire

Lt. Ryan Fleeman served in the Marine Corps as an Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter for 4 years and has work with Cobb County Fire for the past 16 years. He is currently assigned to the county's technical rescue team as a lieutenant. He has lead battalion and shift training and is a past MAFFC instructor.

Anthony Helms Cobb FD

14 Years with Cobb County Fire, 10 years technical rescue experience, currently assigned to TRT / Squad. Has taught several TRT classes.

Lt. Rae Papendick Atlanta FD

Lt with Atlanta Fire. Has instructed numerous classes.

Chief William Voorhies Dekalb Fire and Rescue

Chief Voorhies has 15 years experience with Dekalb Fire Rescue; 6 of those as a Station Captain. In 2010 he was promoted to Battalion Chief as Chief of Training where he is currently assigned. He is a member of the Metro Training Chiefs Council and a MAFFC 2012 committee member. Chief Voorhies holds a Bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University.

Lieutenant Kevin Lewis - Cobb County FD

Kevin is a 16 year veteran of the Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services and a 9 year veteran of the City of Roswell Fire Department. He is currently assigned to Cobb County Engine Co. 9 and previously served at Company 19. He holds a BA in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware and is a founding member of the Georgia Chapter of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund.

Captain Stevy Duke has 23 years of experience in the fire service; 13 years with Dekalb County Fire Rescue. He has been a member of the Technical Rescue Team for 8 years and a Captain with the team for 6 of those. He is a certified Rope Tech, Swift Water Tech, Trench Tech, Confined Space Tech, and Advanced Structural Collapse Tech.

Greg Huff Dekalb County Fire Rescue

Huff has has 18 years with Dekalb County Fire Rescue. He has been a member of the Technical Rescue Team for 15 years. Greg is a certified GSAR Instructor, NPQ1 Instructor and Evaluator, Rope Tech, Confined Space Tech, Trench Tech, Swift Water Tech, Advanced Structural Collapse Tech, and Open Water Diver. For the last 18 months he has been assigned to the Dekalb Fire Rescue Academy as an Instructor.

Captain Stevy Duke Dekalb County Fire Rescue

Capt. Duke has 23 years of experience in the fire service; 13 years with Dekalb County Fire Rescue. He has been a member of the Technical Rescue Team for 8 years and a Captain with the team for 6 of those. He is a certified Rope Tech, Swift Water Tech, Trench Tech, Confined Space Tech, and Advanced Structural Collapse Tech.

Mark Thurmond

Mark Thurmond has been in the fire service for 18 years. 14 with Cobb County. Last 10 Years with TRT. Have taught School Bus Extrication for two Years. Board Member on Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation (GAPT). NPQ Fire Instructor 1. I have taught Trench, confined space, extrication, swift water rescue, and structural Collapse. Taught classes for the State Fire Academy. and the Georgia State Patrol and Governor Office of Highway Safety.

Engineer Jeff Rinehart Smyrna Fire Rescue

Jeff has been serving as a professional Firefighter for 23 years. He started his career as a young man in his hometown and he quickly moved to a larger department in a larger city with more advancement opportunities. Currently he serves as a Driver Engineer/ Paramedic with Smyrna Fire Rescue. With the changes in the departments, he has had opportunities to work in rural and now an urban setting. With opportunities for training, Jeff has achieved many certifications including Fire instructor 2 and Live Fire Instructor which has given him the opportunity to open doors for teaching in his department. With Fire Officer 1 and Fire Management in his resume, he hopes to give back to the fire service when the chance arrives.