Featured Speakers
Steve Arnold
Featured Workshop: Surviving the Routine Structure Fire
Participants in this workshop will learn how to efficiently read smoke and
fire conditions with an in depth look at pre-flashover and backdraft conditions.
Also covered is an in depth look at fire behavior in the five main types of
building construction, specifically type V and lightweight truss construction.
Numerous scenarios with video clips and fire scene photos are presented for
class participation and discussion. (DFS CEU’s 4-Inspector)
Steve Arnold is a retired chief from Pattonville FPD with 28 years of service. He is certified as firefighter I/II, fire officer I/II, fire instructor I/II, haz-mat technician, haz-mat incident commander, EMT, and incident safety officer. Chief Arnold served as the president of both the Greater St. Louis Area Fire Chiefs and the Training Officers Associations. Currently, he serves on the Missouri Emergency Response Commission and is an adjunct instructor for St. Louis County Fire Academy and MU FRTI.
Bobby Halton
Featured Workshop: Rules of Engagement for Fighting Fires
Sunday ONLY, 8:00 p.m.-12:00 Noon
Effective structural firefighting operations are the result of the application
of a set of standard tactical principles. These principles become the foundation
for a set of operational “rules of engagement” that serve as the
basis for the what, where, when, and how of our basic firefighting battle plan.
The rules of engagement also serve to validate, help explain and support the
currently popular approach to experience-based decision making. The rules describe
the dynamics of why our experiences are sound and valid. Participants will
practice real world tactical simulations.
Bobby Halton is a twenty-five year veteran of the fire service. He is the Editor
in Chief of Fire Engineering Magazine and Education Director for FDIC, Indianapolis,
Bahrain, Cologne, Malaysia and Singapore. Bobby previously served as Fire Chief
of the Coppell, Texas Fire Department. Bobby’s fire service career began
with the United States Forest Service then the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Fire
Department where he worked his way up the ranks to the position of Deputy Chief
of Operations. Bobby has taught for Bowmac industries, several community colleges,
The U.S. State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, and Rockhill
and Halton Inc.
Dennis Compton
Featured Workshop: Emerging Trends in Fire Department Leadership
This workshop explores emerging trends in progressive leadership development in the fire service. Emphasis is placed on critical leadership, management, supervisory, and training practices that tend to regulate the effectiveness of individuals and organizations. A fire department is only as capable as the officers who lead the system; therefore, developing current and future fire officers is perhaps the greatest contribution we can make to our organizations. Attending this program will help any fire department accomplish that critical goal. This session is a must for all current and future officers. (DFS CEU’s 4-Instructor)
Dennis Compton
is a well-known speaker and the author of several books including the When in Doubt, Lead three-part series and Mental Aspects of Performance for Firefighters and Fire Officers, as well as many articles for various publications. He is also the Co-Editor of the current edition of the ICMA’s textbook titled, Managing Fire and Rescue Services. Dennis was the Chief in Mesa, AZ for five years and Assistant Chief in Phoenix, AZ, where he served for twenty-seven years. Chief Compton has served as Chair of the Executive Board of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA). Dennis is Chair of the Home Safety Council Board of Directors, Vice Chair of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Board of Directors, and serves on the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute Steering Council.
Chief Compton was selected as the 1991 George D. Post National Fire Service Instructor of the Year, and the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s Fire Service Person of the Year in 2000. Dennis recieved the 2003 Mason Lankford National Fire Service Leadership Award. He also received the 2007 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a charter member of the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame.
