Class: Engine Operations in the Modern Fire Environment

Ray McCormack is a Lieutenant and thirty seven year veteran of the FDNY, Fire Department of New York. He is a panel member for both the UL Fire Stream Attack Study and Coordinated Fire Attack Study. He delivered the Keynote "True Values of a Firefighter" at FDIC in 2009. He was the co creator of Urban Firefighter Magazine. He lectures on tactics, leadership and culture in the American Fire Service. Ray can be contacted via E-mail at Firenymen@aol.com and Twitter @LtRayMack

Class: Urban Mindset in the Suburban Fire Department

Christopher Smith (Chris) is a Sergeant in the District of Columbia Fire Department currently assigned to Rescue 3 in the Anacostia section of Southeast Washington. During his 18 year career with D.C. he has been assigned to Engine Company 26, Truck Company 4, and Rescue 1. Chris began his journey in the fire service in 1988 as a volunteer with the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department. While there he rose through the ranks to become Fire Chief in 2002, a position he would hold for 12 years.

Class: A Front Row Seat to the Greatest Show on Earth

Mike Dowling has been a member of the Public Safety Community Since 1992. He has served in a wide variety of agencies serving in the role of FF, EMT/Medic, and 9-1-1 Dispatcher. In 2003 he joined the Career Fire Service with a large County Fire Department in the Greater Washington D.C. area. He was Promoted to Lieutenant in 2010. He resides in Pennsylvania with his Wife and 4 Children

Class: Embracing The Barriers, Applying Common Sense To Strategies And Tactics

Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Bill is a fifth generation firefighter who has had eight other relatives in the fire service since 1898. He served as a volunteer for six years prior to getting hired in 1998 by the Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department, one hundred years after his great-great grandfather had joined the service. 

Class: The Combat Ready Engine

Nick Martin began serving in 1994 and presently is a battalion chief with the City of Salisbury, North Carolina. He served previously as a lieutenant with the District of Columbia Fire Department and a battalion chief with the City of Columbia, South Carolina and is also a long-time member of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department. Nick is a Fire Engineering author, FDIC HOT & classroom presenter, and recently served as a technical panel member for the UL Fire Attack Study.

Class: Passion, The Job, and You

Michael Torres is a 17 year veteran of the fire service.  Mike is a firefighter paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department (Tower Ladder 34).  He also serves as a candidate instructor at the Quinn Fire Academy.  Mike is a captain and training officer for the Hometown, Illinois Fire Protection District.

Class: Laddering with a Purpose

Shawn Donovan is a 16 year member of Boston fire.  He has spent that time on engines, trucks and a heavy rescue and was and adjunct instructor at Boston’s fire academy.  Shawn is a lieutenant on Ladder 4.

Class: The Forgotten Engine Company Culture

Jordan Hood is a 14 year student of the fire service. Currently assigned to Engine Company 805 in Capitol Heights (Prince George's County), Maryland. He holds an Associate's Degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University, in addition to multiple local and state level certifications throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. He's a Pennsylvania State Fire Academy adjunct instructor, focusing on the basics and aggressive ways of the fire service.

Class: Establishing An Aggressive Search Culture

Grant Schwalbe has been a firefighter since 1994. He currently works for Estero Fire Rescue (Fort Myers, FL) as a Lieutenant/Paramedic on Engine 43.  He is an Instructor for When Things Go Bad, Inc. and for Fort Myers Fire Academy. Grant has taught at various conferences including FDIC, The Orlando Fire Conference, Firemanship PDX, Wichita HOT, Fort Lauderdale Fire Expo and Fire Rescue East. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC HOT program “Residential Search-Making the Grab”.  His areas of passion include Search, Engine Company Ops, Firefighter Survival, and RIT. Grant is a proud member of FL Gulf Coast FOOLS

Class: Searching For THEM: Why We Go Inside

Cody started his Fire Service career in 1995 at a small combination department in WA State. He followed his dream and hard work paid off and he was hired by the FDNY, working on Ladder 119 in Brooklyn, then becoming a member of the special operations command (SOC), assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn. He left the FDNY to put his family first and now works back in his home town for Portland Fire & Rescue, assigned to Engine 31.