When a serious motor vehicle crash occurs – especially on rural roadways – volunteer fire and EMS departments are the difference between life and death in the critical moments that follow. In this NVFC webinar, join Gamunu Wijetunge, director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of EMS, to learn how advances in post-crash care are strengthening response in rural communities across the country. Hear real-world examples and lessons learned from departments implementing life-saving interventions – from evolving extrication practices to prehospital blood transfusion. The session will share how volunteer fire departments can partner with EMS and highway safety leaders to improve post-crash care and access new resources. Volunteer responders will find this discussion informative as they prepare applications for the upcoming Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) funding opportunity.

Effective team dynamics and leadership are critical to firefighter safety and operational success. This webinar explores how research-based teamwork principles and real-world experience – both in the U.S. and internationally – can strengthen fire service performance. Kevin Quinn, NVFC past chair and Africa Fire Mission (AFM) instructor, and Jose Ngunjiri, AFM Fire Safety Officer based in Kenya, will share lessons learned from training fire services across Africa, highlighting leadership, communication, and trust in high-risk, resource-limited environments. Amber Lynn Scott from the University of Kentucky will also share initial research on team dynamics and its relevance to volunteer and combination departments. Participants will also gain insight into how U.S. firefighters can engage in meaningful international training efforts while bringing practical leadership and teamwork lessons back to their home departments.

On July 15, 2025, a volunteer firefighter died and another was injured as the result of a crash while responding in a privately owned vehicle. The incident was investigated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) so that the fire service can learn from this incident and prevent future tragedies. In this presentation, investigator Rick Lago will share the incident details, contributing factors that led to the fatality and injury, and recommendations to help fire departments prevent future incidents involving POV response.

As communities grow and housing density increases, volunteer fire departments are increasingly responding to contemporary mid-rise and multi-dwelling buildings that present unique operational challenges. Modern construction methods, lightweight materials, complex layouts, and mixed occupancies can significantly impact fire behavior, access, and firefighter safety. This Roundtable Talk will explore how today’s mid-rise and multi-dwelling structures differ from legacy buildings and what those differences mean for response planning, size-up, air management, search, and extended operations. Panelists will discuss practical considerations departments can address now to prepare for incidents in these evolving structures.

Decades ago, it was not uncommon for emergency responders to be killed or injured during hazmat incidents. Born from analysis of these tragic incidents was the concept of risk-based response, which uses facts, science, and circumstances of an incident to determine the best course of action and to increase the safety of the responders and public. In this webinar, learn the history of risk-based response and how to apply it to hazmat incidents and other significant events.

Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly linked to fires across communities nationwide, especially in the waste and recycling system. To address the risk of improperly discarded batteries, the National Waste & Recycling Foundation (NWRF), in partnership with industry leaders and with the USDA Forest Service’s Woodsy Owl, launched the “Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!” public service announcement (PSA) campaign. This webinar highlights early results from the campaign, community engagement efforts, and how education and prevention can help reduce battery-related fire risks nationwide. Learn how to leverage consistent messaging, trusted messengers, and local partnerships to help reduce battery-related fires before they start – and how the campaign is scaling nationally in 2026.

Fire departments often rely on modern fire dynamics research to guide training and operations, yet this same information is often underused in community education. This webinar will help volunteers translate research-based fireground knowledge into clear, actionable public safety messages. Participants will learn how to update outdated outreach, explain modern fire behavior in simple terms, and teach residents practical steps that reduce risk, slow fire growth, and support firefighter safety. This session is ideal for firefighters, officers, instructors, and anyone involved in public education. This webinar is sponsored by UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute.

When a mayday is declared, every second counts. This webinar bridges the gap between cultivating a strong mayday culture in training and executing effective incident command strategies on the fireground. Participants will learn strategies to build a proactive culture that emphasizes prevention, readiness, and effective mayday response at both the individual and organizational level.

Pipelines run through thousands of U.S. communities, yet many volunteer fire departments are not adequately trained on how to respond should a pipeline incident occur. Join the NVFC for this webinar to learn the critical reasons why comprehensive pipeline emergency response training is essential for every responder. We'll explore the unique risks and challenges associated with pipeline incidents, why traditional training isn't effective, and how proper training and access to information are critical factors in ensuring responder and public safety. This webinar is sponsored by Buxus.

Fire Prevention Week (FPW) will take place October 5-11, 2025, with the theme “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” Join the NVFC for a live panel discussion to learn more about this year’s theme, how your department can participate in FPW, and tips and ideas you can use for public education throughout the year.