2024
SPEAKERS
Brian Bastinelli
Harrisburg PA, Bureau of Fire
Brian Bastinelli has served for more than 35 years in both volunteer and career emergency service agencies. He has been a career firefighter for 28 years with the Harrisburg, PA Bureau of Fire, where he spent 16 years as a Firefighter before being promoted to Lieutenant and Captain.
Most recently, in 2019, he was promoted to Battalion Chief and proudly serves the members of the D Battalion. He is also the publisher of Firemanship - A Journal For Firemen.
Dan Gordon
FDNY
Daniel Gordon has been in the fire service for 20 years in both the volunteer and career fire service. He is a career Lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department and has been assigned to both Ladder companies and a Squad company during his career. Many of his company’s classes have been featured at regional training sessions as well as contracted for local fire departments both career and volunteer.
Jake Hoffman
Toledo Fire Department
Jake Hoffman is a private with the Toledo, OH Fire Department where he is assigned to Rescue Squad 7, one of the city’s two heavy rescue companies. He has spent time assigned to both the Special Operations Bureau and Training Academy. Additionally, Hoffman serves as a member of FEMA Ohio Task Force 1 and was on the technical panel for the UL fire attack and victim survivability study.
Adam Medeiros
Bristol Fire Department
Adam Medeiros joined the RI fire service in 2008 with the Bristol, RI Fire & Rescue Department as a volunteer firefighter and has held the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, and currently Assistant Chief. He has been an instructor with the Department’s Division of Training since 2013 and has been an instructor with the Rhode Island State Fire Academy since 2022.
Graduating from Roger Williams University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, he has been employed full-time as a Construction Manager in RI for over 10 years.
Managing projects on-site as a Project Superintendent ranging from occupied renovations, 7 story apartment buildings, to $100+ million dollar occupied school additions has provided him a unique opportunity to see construction projects from both perspectives.
Adam is a Pro-Board certified instructor and holds many other certifications in both the fire service and construction field.
Frank Ricci
New Haven Fire Department - Retired
Frank Ricci is the author of the FDIC bestselling leadership book, “Command Presence Increase Your Influence.” He was the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Ricci v. DeStefano. Frank is on the advisory board for FDIC and Fire Engineering. He is a retired battalion chief and union president for the city of New Haven, CT, Fire Department. Frank also served as the department’s drillmaster, being the highest-ranking chief assigned to Special Operations Command. He has been qualified as an expert witness for court and administrative cases involving hazardous material incidents, structure fires, and promotional exams. He currently is a fellow at the Yankee Institute working on state and national labor issues. He is regularly quoted in national publications ranging from the New York Times, Washington Free Beacon, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal.
He has numerous bylines in the Daily Caller and has been published by Human Events, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Newsweek and The Federalist. Frank has appeared on Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Hardball, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, Laura Ingraham, Newsmax Sunday, and other notable news shows. He has testified before Congress, been a lead consultant for Yale on several studies, and has lectured at the Reagan Library. Frank has worked for the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad on a heavy rescue and ambulance unit covering Bethesda, Chevy Chase, MD, and northwest DC. He was a “student live-in” at Station 31 for the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department in Maryland.
Frank has been awarded the Medal of Valor, the Medal of Merit, the department’s Meritorious Citation, Frances Sweeney Award, and several unit citations by the New Haven Fire Department.
He graduated from the Charter Oak Leadership program and developed the Fire Engineering film Smoke Showing. Frank authored several DVDs, including Firefighter Survival Techniques and Fire Engineering’s Tactical Perspectives series, including the titles “Command,” “Ventilation,” “Search,” “Fire Attack,” and “Mayday.” Frank was a contributing author to Fire Engineering’s Firefighters Handbook, and he cohosts a monthly podcast called Politics and Tactics.
Jason Rivera
New Haven Connecticut
Jason Rivera is a 30-year veteran of the fire service, serving in both career and volunteer departments. He works for the New Haven, CT Fire Department and is currently assigned as the Driver of Rescue Co. 1, the citywide heavy rescue company. Previously Jason was assigned to the busiest engine in the city, Engine Company 6, serving the Dixwell/Newhallville neighborhoods.
Prior to working in New Haven, Jason retired at the rank of Captain from the City of Stamford, CT Fire Department where he spent most of his 16-year career on Rescue Company 1, the citywide heavy rescue company.
In 2016, Jason received the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award at FDIC after receiving 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both his legs, waist and wrist while operating at a structure fire in New Haven where a successful rescue was made.
Jason is also a Rescue Specialist for the Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (MATF-1) and is a past Chief for the Newtown Hook and Ladder Fire Company in Newtown, CT where he volunteers for the community he lives in. He also is a volunteer Firefighter in Christiana, DE.
Vector Rescue
New Milford Connecticut
At Vector Rescue our mission is to provide comprehensive technical rescue solutions including initial training, ongoing team development, rescue standby services, and gear consultation and sales. We take pride in providing customized solutions for clients all over the globe.
We are proud to be recognized as a Petzl Technical Partner and we are the only rescue PTP in New England. A PTP is “a recognized expert company or individual in a vertical environment that demonstrates a thorough understanding of their respective industry, contributes to the development of best practices, and meaningfully integrates Petzl into their systems and curriculum.”
This designation allows us to deliver certain Petzl content, have priority access to training for our staff, and gives us direct access to Petzl technical resources. All of which combine to enhance the high quality training and equipment sales we provide for our clients.
We work with municipal fire departments, industrial fire brigade, USAR teams, EMS agencies, military units, priviate industry, and municipal public utilities.
