Introducing LVR…
Lehigh Valley Rescue started in 2022 in an effort to bring more realistic, second level training to the fire service and we stay true to this vision today.
John Kalynych, a founding member of LVR, died in the line of duty on Aug 27, 2023. As someone who was passionate about instructing others, we are proud to remember John and honor his legacy in all that we do.
Like many great topics, this particular presentation started as a conversation at a firehouse kitchen table. A fire company designing their first Heavy Duty Rescue made a comment that they may not take their HDR to fire calls, which led to a larger discussion of the importance of having specialized apparatus, tools, and trained fire fighters at an incident where multiple fire fighters have become trapped. That initial discussion and its implications are the foundation for this presentation.
Like everything that is successful in the fire service, this presentation was created with the collaboration of many different individuals with diverse firefighting experiences. We sought out and embraced feedback from respected names and organizations in the RIT community in an effort to make our message more powerful and clear.
What we’ll cover during the half day session:
In this presentation we will discuss how to plan for a firefighter in distress incident that is above a typical Rapid Intervention Team’s capability, specifically:
- The five layers of firefighter removal
- Communicating expectations to your RIT
- How to operate when the incident is above RIT’s capabilities
- The special apparatus, equipment, resources, and trained firefighters required for these incidents
- A planned response for confirmed firefighter in distress incidents
About the presenter
Rob Macchia has over 20 years of experience in the fire service, both as a volunteer in his local community, and serving in the FDNY. He started his FDNY career in Ladder 23 in Harlem, then retired with 8 years in Rescue 1 in Midtown.
Rob has served as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University and has over 20 years’ experience as a building contractor. He credits these experiences, and the practical skills they developed as invaluable during his firefighting career.