On Saturday February 4th, three West Grove Fire Company volunteers traveled to Eastern Montgomery County to attend an all-day training conference. The Weldon Fire Company and the Fort Washington Fire Company sponsored the “The Southeastern Pennsylvania Fire Training Conference” held at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA.

Attended by several hundred firefighters from around Southeast PA, the conference featured four fire service leaders providing lessons-learned in real-world situations. In addition to the speakers, the conference hosted multiple vendors who displayed various equipment along with an apparatus display outside from several fire companies in the region.

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel spoke on Leadership and Emergency Management all while relating to various incidents or activities the members of the Philadelphia Fire Department have experienced. Captain Steve Roberson from the Columbus, Ohio Fire Department gave a motivating talk on “Engine Company Tactical Considerations,” sharing various tricks of the trade that his unit has found to be productive on the fire ground.

After a lunch catered by Mission BBQ, conference attendees heard from Assistant Chief Joseph Pfeifer (ret) Fire Department New York. Chief Pfeifer was the first commanding officer at the World Trade Center on 9/11. He talked about Commanding Extreme Events which included the events on 9/11/2001, the "Miracle on the Hudson," and several other events. During lunch, he autographed his latest book Ordinary Hero’s - A Memoir of 9/11. The last speaker of the day was Cody Trestrail, a former FDNY member and founder of “Brothers in Battle,” with a very motivational discussion of about being "Brothers in Battle" and being in service of fire victims and the community.

The WGFC has a strong track record for investing in training -- both in-house and at external events -- all designed to help our volunteers, career staff, and leaders advance their skills and experience. A long day of training for sure, but a real opportunity to share lessons-learned with the WGFC upon their return.