2010 Lecturers

 

FDNY 2010 Special Operations Symposium

Lecturers

 

Chief Nicholas Del Re, Chief in Charge of FDNY Haz-Mat

Nicholas Del Re has been a member of the FDNY since 1985 and an IAFF Master Instructor since 2003.  He currently serves as the Chief in Charge of the FDNY Haz-Mat Group, which includes over 1,000 Haz-Mat technician Level personnel.  He supervises the budget for all equipment and grant allocations

Del Re is a graduate of: the Executive Leaders Training Program delivered at the Naval Post Graduate Academy in Monterey, Ca., the Fire Officers Management Institute Program delivered by Columbia University's Graduate School at the General Electric Leadership Academy, the FDNY/West Point Military Academy Combating Terrorism Leadership Program, and the National Fire Academy's Master Exercise Design Practitioner Program.

Chief Del Re is the FDNY's Incident Management Team Division Supervisor and Haz-Mat Technical Specialist.   He is also the FDNY Liaison to the United States Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force Unit, the National Guard CST, and the Hazardous Material Group Manager for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue NYC Task Force 1.

 

Battalion Chief Richard K. Schlueck, FDNY Hazardous Materials Battalion

Battalion Chief Richard K. Schlueck has been a member of the FDNY since 1988. He currently serves in the New York City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Battalion as a Hazardous Materials Technician Battalion Chief. In this position, his responsibilities include supervising, maintaining and developing training programs for Haz-Mat Technician Level personnel and additional FDNY Haz-Mat Group resources.  Chief Schlueck serves as an instructor for the International Association of Firefighters for Haz-Mat and WMD programs.

 

Chief Schlueck has completed the WMD Radiological/ Nuclear Course for Haz-Mat Technicians at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, COBRA (Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological) training hosted by Center of Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan - Anniston Alabama, Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents program administered by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and FEMA's ICS-100, 200, 300, 400, 700.

 

He is a representative for the FDNY in the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Countermeasures (CBRNC), United States Department of Homeland Security Domestic Nuclear Detection Office State and Local Stakeholder Working Group, and Secure the Cities (STC) initiative for the New York Region.

 

 

Chief Fred LaFemina, Chief of FDNY Rescue Operations

Chief LaFemina is in his 25th year with the FDNY. He has been in Special Operations for over 20 years, from the rank of firefighter to his present day assignment as the Chief of Rescue Operations. He is the task force leader on NY-TF1's Urban Search & Rescue Team and has deployed to a number of disasters. He is a member of the Command and General Staff Working Group nationally for the USAR Program and Operations Chief on the White Incident Support Team. From 1996 to 1997, he was the director of the FDNY's Technical Rescue School. He has written various articles on fire operations and technical rescue, and he lectures throughout the country on many of these topics.

 

Chief LaFemina will discuss structural collapse rescue operations, covering the five stages of the operations. All facets of the operation will be covered, from the required trained personnel, command level decision making, search techniques including void search, safety, as well as actual incidents that he has responded to.

 

The lecture will cover what everyone needs to know about structural collapse rescue operations, from the probationary firefighter up to the command level chiefs. In addition, fire operations resulting in building collapse and the additional challenges that members will be confronted with will be discussed. Many of the issues not found in manuals will be critiqued. The information will provide and prepare firefighters of all ranks when operating at structural collapse operations.

 

Battalion Chief Joseph R. Downey, Rescue Battalion

Battalion Chief Joseph R. Downey has 25 years of experience with the FDNY with 20 years spent in the Special Operations Command. Chief Downey is presently assigned to the Rescue Battalion which responds to technical rescues, building collapses, dive rescues, and all multiple alarms fires in New York City.  Chief Downey is a Task Force Leader for NY-TF1's Urban Search and Rescue Team.

Chief Downey will discuss procedures and requirements of a trench incident size up and action plan. The material presented will prepare members to identify a trench incident and provide assistance to those trained and qualified to enter the trench to perform a rescue. Operational procedures and tactics of the FDNY Special Operations Command will be explained. 

 

BC Donald F. Hayde Rescue Battalion

Battalion Chief Donald F. Hayde has over 32 years of firefighting experience.  He is currently assigned to the FDNY Rescue Battalion.  He organized and taught the FDNY Annual Education Day Program and the Shipboard Firefighting Program.  He has responded to numerous Confined Space and Shipboard firefighting incidents as Captain of Squad 1 and a Rescue Battalion Chief. 

He has the practical knowledge of the needs and potential problems of confined space operations including the complex logistics involved.  His Confined space lecture will deal with several past incidents and how they were mitigated.  The areas stressed will be Special Ops Unit actions, use of Van Truck, interface with EMS and goals for initial responding units to set the tone for later and continuing operations, such as air monitoring, street management. Mechanism of injury, and more.

 

Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer, Chief of FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness
 Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer is a 27- year veteran of the FDNY. He is the Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness, as well as the Director of FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness. He holds three Masters Degrees, the most recent of which was earned in Public Administration from

Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

 

Chief Pfeifer will speak on Commanding at Terrorist Events (This is a look back of lessons learned from 9/11 and what we need to do to command at the next extreme event.)


 Battalion Chief Neil Hintze of the FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness will follow and talk terrorism preparedness and developing exercises.

Lieutenant Rafael Goyenechea, EMS Haz Tac Battalion
Rafael Goyenechea is a 22 year veteran of FDNY EMS Operations. He has been assigned to Haz Tac Battalion since 2003 and has extensive experience in EMS operations at multiple causality incidents. The Haz TAC Battalion is responsible for supervising all medical management at Rescue and Hazmat assignments. Lt Goyenechea was chosen to be the administrator of the FDNY Rescue Medic Program in 2005 and has been involved in several projects, including rescue training and the selection and purchasing of Rescue Medic equipment He is a Medical Specialist in New York City's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force for over 12 years and is the teams Medical Team Administrator.

 

 

Battalion Chief James Dalton Chief of FDNY Marine Operations

Chief James Dalton is the Chief of FDNY Marine Operations.  He has 28 years of service in the FDNY.  He is a Graduate of SUNY Maritime w/ USCG Unlimited Tonnage & Horsepower 3rd Mate License. He attended West Point Counter-Terrorism Collaboration between FDNY and West Point Military Academy.

He is responsible for the purchase of all FDNY related Marine operations equipment and Boats.  His lecture will describe what goes into selecting a Marine boat for the Fire Service.

 

 

Battalion Chief Michael J. Buckheit FDNY Marine Battalion

Chief Michael J. Buckheit of the FDNY Marine Battalion has 22 years of service.  He is a P.A.D.I. SCUBA Instructor and has attended the West Point Counter-Terrorism Collaboration between FDNY and West Point Military Academy (Project "Harbor Security").  He currently is the Co-Chair USCG AMSC "Response & Recovery" Committee and Co-Chair for the Secure the Cities Maritime Equipment Sub-Committee

 

 

Deputy Chief Stephen Raynis, FDNY Chief of Safety

Deputy Chief Stephen Raynis is a 28 year veteran of the FDNY, the past 10 years as a chief officer.  He is a member of the FDNY Executive Staff serving the Department as the Chief of Safety.  Chief Raynis is a graduate of the Masters Program from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School and the FDNY Fire Officers Management Institute from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He is a nationally certified Incident Safety Officer and a Type II - All Hazard Incident Safety Officer for the FDNY Incident Management Team.

 

Chief Raynis will demonstrate the measures being taken by the FDNY to help create the safety culture in the Department.  One successful safety program implemented is the Injury Reduction Program which focuses on personal health and wellness, realistic training, safe apparatus operations, building construction, PPE and the consequences a serious injury or LODD has on the firefighter's family.  Another program, the Accident Reduction Program concentrates on apparatus accident prevention and driver safety.  Chief Raynis will discuss other initiatives that are helping change the safety culture.  These include a FDNY Safety webpage and computer kiosks that are being installed in firehouses to provide Firefighters and Officers internet access to the National Fallen Fire Fighter Life Safety Initiatives, Firefighter Close Call, National Near Miss site, the Secret List and more.

 

 

Battalion Chief Daniel Melia, Executive Officer to the Chief of Safety

Battalion Chief Daniel Melia has 28 years of firefighting experience, with 11 years as a Chief Officer.  Chief Melia is currently the Executive Officer to the Chief of Safety.

For 7 years Chief Melia has been extensively engaged in the operations of the FDNY's Safety Command. 

He is the Incident Safety Officer for Safety Battalion 1.  A trained investigator for apparatus accidents, firefighter serious injuries, and line of duty deaths, he will bring his knowledge and training to focus on the issues affecting all First Responder Safety Officers.