Sunday March 30 - Workshop Information

 

Workshop 1: Chief Officer 101 - All of the fundamentals every Chief Officer should know

*Please note this workshop is 8 hours - 4 hours will be done the Saturday afternoon, and the remaining 4 hours the Sunday morning.*

This workshop will provide all Chief Officers (new and seasoned) with fundamental training on their roles & responsibilities as it relates to several different areas including fire prevention & public education, training & certification, health & safety, standards, strategic & master planning, community risk assessments, procedures & guidelines, budgeting & asset management, data & analytics and more.

Presenters: OAFC Board of Directors

 

Workshop 2: Creative Social Media Messaging for Public Education 

This workshop will discuss the importance of utilizing creative social media messaging to effectively reach the modern audience. It will explore a variety of methods for creating content on multiple social media platforms. Participants will be shown how to create content with limited resources and with little to no budget. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in developing a short fire safety video, working as a group to follow the process from concept to final product in a limited time-frame.

Presenter: Michael Atkins, Fire Prevention Officer, Welland Fire and Emergency Services

Michael Atkins is currently a fire prevention officer and social media administrator for Welland Fire and Emergency Services. In 2023 he received gold level recognition from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) for “Individual Achievement – Social Media Messaging.” His “dancing firefighter” video that addressed the importance of checking the expiration date on smoke alarms was featured on numerous television newscasts across North America, including being shown on a segment of “Good Morning America”.  

 

Workshop 3: Transformative Training - Building Buy-In with Firefighters

Join us for a four hour session designed to build on the strengths of your training program, and to empower your firefighters to consistently engage in training initiatives. Our goal is to reinforce your training habits by sharing the  knowledge, skills, and tools needed to effectively deliver training programs. The session will highlight effective teaching strategies to build morale and to foster student engagement. Additionally, participants will explore safe training practices with an emphasis on safety plans, and the importance of creating training schedules & records will also be highlighted during the session. There will be opportunities to share templates and best practices.

Presenter: Mike Goble, Instructor, Ontario Fire College

Mike Goble is part of the Training and Certification branch of the OFM, and holds the role of Instructor with the Ontario Fire College.  Mike has 21 years of experience within the Fire Service and has spent the last 3 years delivering firefighter training throughout the province.  Mike’s specialty is the NFPA 1041 portfolio of Instructor courses where he uses his strong educational background and experiences to effectively develop and deliver those courses.  His enthusiasm for building training capacity throughout the province combined with his support of students, other instructors, and colleagues are evidence of his ongoing commitment to the Fire Service.

 

Rene Lalonde, Instructor, Ontario Fire College

Rene Lalonde is part of the Training and Certification branch of the OFM, and holds the role of Instructor with the Ontario Fire College. Rene has dedicated over two decades to serving his community as a volunteer firefighter. His commitment and experience led him to rise through the ranks, becoming an Officer and Training Officer and leading him into his currently role with the OFM. As an Instructor with the Ontario Fire College Rene develops and delivers Fire Officer courses, sharing knowledge with the next generation of fire service leaders. Rene is committed to helping other firefighters elevate their skills to better serve their communities.

 

Workshop 4: Fire Prevention: Inspections and Enforcement

This 4 hour workshop will cover the following topics:

• Inspections & Orders
• Utilizing ‘Immediate Threat to Life’
• Preparing for AMPS
• Homeless Encampments
• AMA

Presenters: OAFC FPPE Committee