Dynamic Instructors Bring Firefighters the 'The Fire Inside' Focused on the Interior Attack June 23-25 Grapevine, TX

12 national fire service authorities dive into the challenges with interior attacks - Maydays, smoke reading, and coordinated fire attacks to calm the chaos

SHREVEPORT, LA, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Firefighter Air Coalition and Affordable Drill Towers, along with the Dallas County Fire Chiefs Association, proudly announce “The Fire Inside,” a dynamic career enhancing and personal development conference focused on the interior attack. The event will take place at the Grand Prairie Events and Convention Center in Dallas over a three-day period, June 23-25, 2025.

“The Fire Inside” is a must-attend event for firefighters seeking to expand their knowledge and skillset with a focus on the interior attack. Instructors include: Brian Brush, Nicholas Pap, Phillip Jose, Daniel DeYear, Michael Dugan, Mike Gagliano, Marc Aloan, Sean Duffy, Anthony Avillo, Sam Hittle, Anthony Rowett, and Paul Combs.

The Interior Attack
The focus for three days will be on the interior attack. Brian Brush, co-author of Mastering Fireground Command – Calm the Chaos, will focus on the term “aggressive” which now more closely reflects proactive planning, assertive decisions, and proactive actions. Firefighters can no longer rely solely on experience to meet the higher expectations of the profession, public trust and public expectations of positions as officers. Experience and evidence will support command competence and confidence in the explanation and execution of duties and decisions. Brian is the Chief Training Officer for the Midwest City (OK) Fire Department and is a member of the advisory boards for Fire Engineering and FirefighterRescueSurvey.com.

Capt. Nicholas Papa, author of Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment & Survivability will discuss how a fire’s outcome can be determined by its ventilation. Ventilation will be explained in relation to fire dynamics, firefighting operations, and most importantly victim survival. Capt. Papa is with the New Britain (CT) Fire Department, a Fire Engineering best selling author and a past Fire Services Research Institute technical panelist for the Study on Coordinated Fire Attack.

The Art of Reading Smoke will be hosted by the well-known Phillip Jose, known as a contributing author to the Rules of Air Management. His class will direct atention to the Reading Smoke curriculum. Video and dynamic teaching will help firefighters learn to analyze the volume, velocity, density and color of smoke. A class that is essential for any firefighter looking to master the craft of firefighting. Phillip is a retired deputy chief with the Seattle Fire Department.

Marc Aloan, Battalion Chief with West Columbia (SC) Fire Department is the creator of the Fire Inside blog. His class “Lost and Found” was created to re-establish the role of the engine company in fire departments. Engine nerds and chief officers alike will enjoy Lost and Found’s focus on ensuring the art of creating an effective engine company does not fade away in the hazardous world we live in.

Searchable vs. Servivable will be led by Sean Duffy, with the City of Ann Arbor Fire Department. Sean is a notable author with numerous published books, including The Book of Search, and serves as a technical panel member for the Fire Service Research Institute’s Multi-Story Residential Tactics Research Project. Sean’s class will include size-up, searchable spaces, isolation and communication, search mechanics and methodology and how bias and terminology affect your actions.

Fire Strategies for Private Dwelling Ops will be hosted by Anthony Avillo, Deputy Chief with the North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue. The course addresses private dwellings from both fire spread and structural concern viewpoints. Strategic considerations and interior fire control factors are didcussed, with the point-of-entry rule of thumb. Engine and ladder company tactics are also covered. Chief Avillo is the Region 3 Director of hte IFSI, author of Fireground Strategies, 4th Ed (2025) and a member of hte Fire Engineering FDIC Editorial Board.

Capt. Anthony Rowett with the Mobile (AL) Fire Rescue Deparmtent will lead The Engine Boss: Directing the Fire Attack. Capt. Rowett is President of hte Alabama Firefighters Training Foundation and a contributing author for Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue, and Firehouse. In this session you'll explore the engine boss's role in making tactical decisions for effective hoseline operations. From single family to multi-story buildings, you'll master the art of the stretch, learn to size up the fire building, chosing the right hoseline, and more. His class promises to provide the skills, confidence and tactics to ensure your engine company dominates the fireground.

Raising Ladder Appreciation and Knowledge will be led by Sam Hittle, Captain with the Wichita Fire Department. Sam is a Fire Engineering Google Hangout panel member, a two-time Firehouse Magazine Heroism Award recipient (2012 and 2015), a Kansas State Fire Marshal Tom McGaughey Award recipient, and Wichita Fire Department Firefighter of the Year.

Understanding and maintaining proficiency in ladder operations is crucial for all firefighters, ensuring these essential tools continue to serve their vital purpose in protecting lives and property. This class will cover ladder storage and selection, positioning, deployment physics, working approaches, managing other firefighting equipment during ladder operations, the pros and cons of varying ideologies, and additional fireground techniques.

Daniel DeYear, retired Deputy Chief of Dallas Rescue will present The Service Within: Accountability, Courage, Trust & the Service We Own. This fast-paced program looks at interior fire attack, saving lives, serving our communities, and how that aligns with our risks, rewards, and the expectations of those we serve. We will address training to see if we are fully prepared and how our attitudes and fire service culture impact our performance levels. This program addresses your true courage and the trust the citizens are placing in us. We all took an oath. The community needs us. Are you really ready?

Captain Michael Dugan, NYFD, (ret) will take you through the Back to Basics review of truck company operations. Whether your department has a dedicated truck company or assigns truck company responsibilities at every fire, this class will help firefighters understand the essential duties and responsibilities of truck operations. Topics will include ventilation, entry, isolation, and search. Mike is a 45-year veteran of the fire service and a 27-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), retiring as Captain of Ladder 123. Dugan received the James Gordon Bennett Medal in 1992 and the Harry M. Archer Medal in 1993, the FDNY’s highest award for bravery. He is a featured lecturer across the country, teaching Truck Company Operations, the impact of building construction on firefighter safety, leadership, and issues affecting today’s fire service. He was awarded the “Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2021. (retired)

The Art of Go/No Go, hosted by Mike Gagliano, will help seasoned officers recognize the difference between “We can get it” and “It’s lost”. By building on your own experiences and those of others, you can develop an intuitive approach that evolves throughout your career. This training introduces three profiles - Rescue, Building, and Fire. Making the Go/No-Go decision is one of the most crucial choices you will face, and this training is designed to help you make the best decisions possible. Mike Gagliano has over 33 years of fire, crash, and rescue experience with the Seattle Fire Department and the United States Air Force. He teaches nationwide on Fireground Tactics/Decision-Making, Air Management, Leadership, and Company Officer Development and currently serves as the president of the Firefighter Air Coalition.

Paul Combs will co-host Attack with Passion with Mike Gagliano. In this interactive environment, students will be encouraged to seek out their own voice to influence and lead those around them. Gagliano and Combs will present a visually engaging, open-mic class on what makes a quality leader and the unique ways a leader can communicate their vision while ultimately discovering their passion. During the class, Paul will create a custom cartoon specifically designed for the session, revealing his unique qualities and passion. We all have unique qualities—this class is about finding yours. Paul is a retired Lieutenant for the City of Bryan Fire Department in Ohio and an FDIC presenter, keynoter, and Hands-On Training instructor. He was the recipient of the 2018 George D. Post ISFSI Instructor of the Year Award. Paul is currently an instructor with On-Scene Training Associates and the City of Bryan Regional Training Academy and lectures internationally on leadership and success planning. He is the editorial cartoonist for Fire Engineering Magazine, the author of four books, and the illustrator of the best-selling Sprinkles the Fire Dog series.

Registration for The Fire Inside is national and limited to 250 participants. Certificates of Attendance are provided for training hours. For Texas firefighters, tuition reimbursement is available through grant funding. View The Fire Inside details and registration.

The program will be held at the Grand Prairie Convention Center, which also has a special room rate for those registering by May 30, 2025.

Together, with Affordable Drill Towers, and the Dallas County Fire Chiefs Association, the focus is to bring the best training and finest minds to educate as many responders as possible on critical topics of strategy and tactics relevant to air management, and the new and ever-changing technologies that support us on the fireground,” said Mike Gagliano, President of the Firefighter Air coalition.

The Firefighter Air Coalition (FAC) serves as a dedicated advocacy organization focused on enhancing firefighter education and training. It emphasizes the implementation of best practices in air management across tactics, operations, and strategies. The coalition also addresses associated technologies pertinent to air resupply, aiming to improve citizen safety and prolong the lives of firefighters, while integrating relevant scientific research and findings.

Shawn Longerich
Firefighter Air Coalition
+1 317-690-2542
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