NVFC Live Online Trainings

The NVFC offers the following live, virtual training opportunities, all of which are presented on Zoom:

Below are upcoming events; click on the title to register. This page is updated as more trainings are added. If you miss a live webinar, you can watch the recording in the NVFC Virtual Classroom. Recorded Roundtable Talks can be found here. R&R Coffee Talks and Volunteer Voices Live events are not recorded.

R&R Coffee Talk: 5 Tips for Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Populations
Saturday, April 27, at 2pm ET
Join Dr. Candice McDonald, Chief Joel Cerny, and special guest Paul Acosta as they discuss five tips for building a volunteer fire department that reflects the diversity of your community. Learn why diversity is important, how it strengthens our ability to respond effectively to emergencies, strategies for reaching out to and engaging diverse communities, and ways to ensure that your department is inclusive and welcoming to all.

This Coffee Talk is sponsored by Fire Department Coffee.

Webinar: Wildfire — It Knows No Boundaries
May 1 at 2pm ET
Instructor: Bill Arsenault

Each year, the frequency and intensity of wildfires are growing. They are destroying land across the globe and are taking lives in communities and firefighting organizations of every size. In fact, the U.S. Fire Administration reports that between 1990 and 2020, there were 522 firefighters killed while involved in brush, grass, or wildland fire response. In this webinar, presenter Bill Arsenault will provide a look into the wildfire landscape of the past 30 years, what has changed for the fire service, and what we must do to be more effective in our preparedness and response.

Webinar: Protecting Houses of Worship from Arson
May 6 at 2pm ET
Presenters from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Joseph Larkin, section chief, Stakeholder Engagement Division; Victoria M. Rossi, supervisory intelligence specialist, CISA Intel – Analysis Branch; and Bob Winters, protective security advisor

Arson Awareness Week is May 5-11 and this year’s theme is “Protecting Houses of Worship – Fire as a Weapon.” The NVFC and USFA are holding a webinar to support this year’s theme with representatives from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Briefings will include a historical review of attacks on houses of worship using fire as the weapon; a threat and intelligence review of current threat actors, targets, and trends; and a discussion on preventing, protecting, mitigating, and response and recovery for arson events involving houses of worship. There will be a question and answer period following the briefings.

Webinar: Responding to Warehouses and High Challenge Facilities – Considerations for Volunteer Departments
May 15 at 2pm ET
Instructor: Michael Spaziani

Warehouses utilizing robotics and other high challenge facilities bring a set of difficulties for volunteer fire departments, who may not be used to dealing with these technologies. While responding to emergency incidents in these types of facilities is not common, when they do happen the risk is high. This webinar will introduce participants to some of the high challenge facilities that they may encounter. Join speaker Michael Spaziani of FM Global as he helps participants better understand the challenges and how to prepare for an emergency response to the facility.

This webinar is sponsored by Stonehouse Media.

Roundtable Talk: Answering the Call – Volunteer EMS Recruitment & Retention Strategies
May 22 at 2pm ET
Panelists: Candice McDonald (moderator), Jules Scadden, Joseph Schmider, and Eric Quinney

Emergency medical incidents make up the largest segment of emergency calls in most communities. Volunteer fire departments need a forward-thinking plan to maintain sufficient emergency medical services (EMS) staffing. Join the NVFC and an expert panel for a Roundtable Talk on May 22 to discuss volunteer recruitment and retention for EMS. As communities face increasing demands for emergency response, maintaining a robust volunteer force is essential. This discussion will highlight effective strategies and innovative approaches aimed at addressing this challenge, from targeted outreach programs to fostering a supportive volunteer culture.

Webinar: Managing Combination Departments — Leadership Challenges
May 29 at 2pm ET
Instructor: Quentin Cash

Leading a combination department with both career and volunteer personnel can bring unique challenges for officers. This webinar will provide an overview of challenging issues and considerations facing emergency service leaders and chief officers in combination department settings. Topics covered will include administration, delegation, setting expectations, mentoring, and human resource issues, among others. Presenter Quentin Cash will also provide tips and tools to produce success around communications, leadership, and supervision.

This webinar is sponsored by Amazon Business.

Webinar: Advancements in Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Safety Features, Standards, and Practices
June 5 at 2pm ET
Instructor: Mike Simpson

Utility-scale battery energy storage is a critical component to achieving decarbonization objectives while maintaining a reliable and resilient power grid. Deployment of utility-scale battery energy storage capacity is accelerating dramatically in the U.S. However, both local firefighters and people living near proposed energy storage project sites have questions about the safety of these facilities. This presentation by Mike Simpson of AES will address the characteristics of lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS), potential hazards such as thermal runaway, and new approaches to mitigate those risks. These advancements encompass equipment safety approaches; a four-stage approach to effective protection against thermal runaway; advancements in enclosure design; monitoring systems; standardized testing; codes and standards; safety evaluation processes; and passive and active safety measures. The presentation will also provide examples of how clean energy project developers can work together most effectively with local fire departments on hazard mitigation analyses, project site design refinements, and emergency response planning to further enhance energy storage safety.

This webinar is sponsored by AES.

Webinar: Moral Injury — Peeling Back the layers of PTSD
June 11 at 2pm ET
Instructor: Wendy Norris

First responders are routinely exposed to traumatic events, and many are still suffering from the psychological toll of frontline work during the pandemic. Experiencing these traumas and situations that go against a person’s deeply held beliefs and expectations can result in post-traumatic stress or a moral injury. In this webinar, presented by Wendy Norris, discover how moral distress and survivor guilt impact the mental well-being of first responders and learn practical strategies to overcome these challenges. This session will also offer insights into coping with traumatic events and reconnecting with our values.

This webinar is sponsored by ESO.

Check out additional on-demand courses in the NVFC Virtual Classroom.