Darren Harsch is a firefighter with 18 years of experience in the fire service, the past 16 with the New York Fire Department. He currently works in FDNY’s Special Operations Command in Squad 270 and also a member on both FDNY’s Special Operations Task force and FEMA’s New York Task Force 1. For the last 10 Years, he has been a Special Operations instructor in technical rescue for New York State. He founded Firefighter Proving Grounds (FFPG) in 2016.

“A Squad Mindset”: Setting up a foundation for success

Becoming a well-rounded firefighter starts with a solid foundation and plan. This course discusses a concept of having “A Squad Mindset”. We will look at what it takes to set goals, stay disciplined, and motivated for your career in fire service. The class will then transition into the responsibilities of both the squad firefighter and squad company in a department. How departments with only engine and truck companies are often utilized as a squad. We will go through the structure of a busy 24-hour tour starting with roll call, drills, fires, and much more. This class is designed to give you a different look and potential mindset for your career.

Maurice “Mo” Davis is a veteran with the city of Houston Fire Department currently assigned a District Chief. Prior to district he served as a Senior Captain on a heavy rescue. He also spent much of his career as a Senior Captain (top five busiest trucks in Houston L-46) and Captain (Leader in the city for working fires and responses E-46). While he specializes in technical rescue, his passion is sharing leadership, strategy and tactics with new and upcoming officers.

"Aggressive Command"

Drawing on decades of experience working in the busiest houses in Houston, Chief Davis will discuss the lessons learned and the successes experienced. This course will cover commanding companies to achieve the highest level of confidence in each decision. It will also provide firefighters with a means to obtain these skills and reach that level.