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2025 Fire Officer & Training Officer Schools

2025 Alexandria Fire Officer & Training Officer School
January 31 - February 2, 2025 | Arrowwood Resort | 2100 Arrowwood Ln NW, Alexandria, MN 56308


Attendees can register for one (1) 12-hour class, which is held on Saturday and Sunday. Please see descriptions below:

10 Minutes and Beyond
David Brosnahan, Fire Chief, Roseville

The overall goal of the course “10 Minutes and Beyond” is to build on the training obtained in the previous MSFCA Fire Officers School class: “The First 5 Minutes”. The purpose of this training will emphasize the behaviors necessary to ensure safe incident ground operations through lecture, demonstrations, individual, and group activities.

The course will attempt to provide the first arriving firefighters/fire officers an opportunity to further develop the skills necessary to make the right decisions and operate effectively as an initial Incident Commander and to provide the skills to start the fire attack plan (IAP-incident action plan) not only for your own unit but for the other responding units as well.

The course is anticipated to provide the following:

  • To define and explain fire-ground expectations for the first arriving FF/FO.
  • To explain the responsibilities of identifying the what, where, when, who and how of incident management (functions of command).
  • To provide a good knowledge base for all personnel who find themselves in charge (however briefly).
  • To influence changes in strategy and tactics due to changes in the current fire environment

The course will be scenario driven and will attempt to focus on fire-ground operations, crash incidents, search incidents, and natural disasters.
Class participants must have already attended the class “The First 5 Minutes”.

Accountability in Leadership
Greg Hayes

As a leader in today's environment, we are met with many challenges in dealing with programs, people, and politics.  Leadership tactics have evolved from the traditional approaches from which we will need to evolve.  Within this course, you will dive into the challenges you are facing today.  Discussions and exercises will help you talk through some of the complex issues facing today’s leaders in Public Safety.  Finally, utilizing real-world examples, you will identify key strategies to help you lead your organization.

Buddy to Boss
BJ Jungmann, Fire Chief, Burnsville & Chad Weinstein

The transition from firefighter to company officer is more complicated that merely transitioning “from buddy to boss.”  Front-line officers work side-by-side with those they lead, in close quarters in the firehouse and in the hot zone.  This program will engage current and prospective officers in discussions, exercises, and presentations designed to help them become the best leaders they can be. The goal is to cultivate an understanding what it takes to be a successful and impactful company officer.   Participants will learn leadership skills and concepts while working with peers from around the state in order to apply them to the real world of front-line supervision and mentorship.

Critical Thinking for Fire Ground Operations
Lance Ross, MN-1 AHIMT & Trevor Hamdorf, Deputy Director - Public Safety, New Brighton 

Each and everyday Emergency Services respond to numerous calls that require different approaches to best control the situation. Often, the decisions of controlling that situation happen within seconds. Some of these situations end up going longer than the “normal” call.

This critical thinking session is designed to provide you a background and enhance your decision making on a scene both initially and long term incidents. Learn from case studies and lessons learned on the ICS City a 5 ft. x 32 ft. training city that you will be utilizing during the session. The session scenarios will start at a baseline level and grow in intensity and complexity. The ICS City allows for students to utilize the concepts learned during class and their “real world” experience and apply to the exercise that is unfolding in front of them “in the city”.

The session will have training components and many “hands on” opportunities with the ICS City.

Fire Ground Management - First Arriving Officer
Dale Specken, Fire Chief, Hopkins & Curt Mackey, Fire Chief, Excelsior

Participants will learn the importance of conducting a thorough size-up before committing limited resources. This course will develop company officers’ incident scene supervisory and management capabilities in structural fire operations. Key content includes discussion and scenario-based practice on controlling and implementing the activities that need to be done to successfully deal with personnel performing the following operations; rescue and ventilation, confinement and extinguishment, water supply, exposures, offensive and defensive operations, salvage, overhaul and support. This course takes a practical, common sense approach to fighting fires in single-family homes, multi-family apartment buildings, light industrial and commercial structures. It takes into account the realities of today's fire service–that is, most fire departments in this country are, understaffed, less experienced and involved in more EMS than ever before. If your incidents seem to run themselves and you’re not in control, then this course is for you.

Inspire the Leader Within
Scott Nelson

Leadership effectiveness is the ability to influence others through a balance of leading, managing and coaching. Officers who share vision, coordinate efforts, and empower others bring people together and discover solutions that draw upon the talents of all the firefighters. Great leaders embrace new approaches and communicate in ways that engage others. The most effective officers understand the importance of leading authentically and are dedicated to developing themselves. It is a commitment to create a culture of excellence that results in each officer inspired to contribute their very best toward a common goal.

Learning Objectives

  • Adapt to other communication styles and navigate personality differences
  • Increase self-awareness and manage emotions effectively
  • Influence others through authenticity and intentionality
  • Build trust and credibility though relational leadership
  • Create a culture with empathy and accountability
  • Enhance teamwork and reduce conflict
State Fire Marshal Class
So You Want to Deploy Outside of Minnesota
Jared Rozeboom, Fire Service Specialist, Minnesota State Fire Marshal &
Jacob Beauregard, Logistics, EMAC, & LESO Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

In this session we will cover Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) requests as they pertain to fire departments in Minnesota.  We will take a deep dive into the specifics of the EMAC requests and share best practices on how you can collaborate with neighboring departments to build mission ready packages.  We will also review what you can expect while deployed outside of the state and what steps need to be taken once you return home.

Fire Incident Reporting in Minnesota
Craig Milani, State Fire Data Administrator, Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division &
Joel Paylor, MFIRS/NFIRS State Program Manager, Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division

Have you ever wondered what happens to the fire incident report you just completed?  This 4-hour session will explain the fire incident reporting cycle in Minnesota, compare examples of incident reporting, and review how your department can use fire incident report data for your department’s fire prevention program.