Anthony Rowett, Jr. is a Captain with the Mobile (AL) Fire Rescue Department. He has been in the fire service for 18 years. He spent his first 3 years in the fire service as a firefighter with the Ogdensburg (NJ) Volunteer Fire Department before being hired by the Mobile Fire Rescue Department, where he has worked for the past 15 years. He has multiple degrees in both fire science and emergency services management. He is a graduate of the Alabama Smoke Diver course. He is the owner of Port City Fire Training. He is the President of the Alabama Firefighters Training Foundation. He is also an industrial firefighting instructor at Gulf Coast Emergency Response Academy. He is a contributing author for multiple fire service publications including Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue, Firehouse, Fire Department Training Network, and Firemanship Journal. He has instructed at multiple fire service conferences including FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Water on the Fire, High-Rise Operations Conference, 3rd Coast Conference, and others as well as for individual fire departments. He is a member of the NFPA 14: Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems Committee. He is also a co-host on the Generation Engine podcast on Fire Engineering Blog Talk Radio.

Beds to Bundles: The Flexibility of Stretching Hoselines

The initial attack line is the backbone of every fireground operation and will have a greater impact on the outcome of a fire than any other fireground operation. “As the first line goes so does the fire” - so we must get it right. In doing so, all other operations must support the initial attack line. This course focuses on multiple aspects of the hoseline operations including the target flow rate, attack package selection, and estimating the stretch. Will the second line be a backup line or a second attack line? What about the third line? What about alternate stretches like rope stretches and lines over ladders? During this course, we will discuss tactical decision making for fires in single family dwellings, multiple family dwellings, commercial and industrial buildings, as well as attic fires, cockloft fires, and basement fires. This class will also tackle the topic of standpipe systems and fires and standpipe equipped buildings.

Mickey Farrell is a third-generation firefighter with 26 years experience in the fire service, the past 20 with the New York Fire Department. He is a nationally certified instructor specializing in firefighter survival at the Probationary School and the founder of Top Floor Tactics, where he combines his passion for the job with real-life experience.

Fire Academy to the Fire Floor: Why the Disconnect?

Confronts a dilemma that has haunted the fire service for many decades. The old ”you’ll learn that in the firehouse,” mentality has set young motivated firefighters up for failure. Sadly, not every firefighter has the opportunity to be a part of an organization steeped in pride, tradition, and training. This class will begin to connect the dots not only for that lost firefighter trying to find his way, but the senior man looking for a rebirth into the job.