This course trains driver/operators how to drive and operate emergency vehicles safely.
This highly interactive, 6-hour instructor-led program adapts defensive driving techniques to the unique nature of emergency driving. The course promotes critical thinking during high-pressure driving situations and offers defensive driving strategies to avoid collisions by training fire apparatus operators, (volunteer, industrial and municipal fire personnel) how to navigate through the apparatus safely in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
Taught on location
Jonah Smith grew up in Richmond, VA where his exposure to the fire service began in the Church Hill area of the RVA with some of the best firefighters in the city. Jonah attended the University of South Carolina for both a Bachelors and Masters and started with the Columbia Fire Department in 2003. After a few years, Jonah pursued a career with the Charlotte, NC Fire Department where he began in 2005. He served as a Captain from 2010 to 2021 serving on Engine Companies on the City’s South side.
He is currently assigned as a Battalion Chief on B Shift. Jonah is a North Carolina OEMS Level I instructor and NCOSFM Qualified Fire Instructor and regularly instructs both recruits and incumbents in both fire and EMS topics.
Jonah is a 8 time FDIC instructor and has presented at numerous conferences to include: Firehouse Expo, Fire Rescue International, South Carolina Fire Rescue, Metro Atlanta Firefighters Conference and the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo. He is married with 2 children.
Tony is a retired Battalion Chief with over 35 years of Fire and Emergency Services experience teaching Municipal and Industrial Fire, Technical Rescue, Hazardous Materials and Emergency Medical.
Tony has an Associates Degree and credentials with IFSAC FFI, II, Officer I, Driver/Operator, Instructor I, Former EMT, EMT-I (22 years). Tony has spoken and taught at several SC, NC, GA, Fla and AL Fire/Rescue conferences over his expansive career, with 30 plus years as an instructor.
Tony has been married for 38 years, has 3 children and 2 grandsons.
Brad started his emergency response career in 2007 with Lexington County Fire Service and has been with the City of Columbia since 2014. He is currently the Driver/Engineer of Rescue 1 and also a volunteer fire fire fighter at Little Mountain Fire Department in Newberry County. Brad is a NR-EMT and holds numerous rescue certifications to include confined space rescue tech, trench tech, high angle rope tech, structural collapse tech, swift water tech, large vehicle extrication, and hazmat technician. When Brad's not working, he enjoys the outdoors (hunting and fishing) and spending time on the lake.
Danny joins the E-Med team with over 30 years of Nuclear and Industrial fire brigade expertise. He is a credentialed master-instructor through Texas A&M and has taught extensively in the US and Canada. Specialties include Fire Brigade Leadership, OSHA On-scene Incident Commander, NIMS All-Hazard Training / ICS, NFPA 1006/1670 Rescue Technician, OSHA 1910.120 Hazmat, and NFPA 600/1081 Industrial Fire Brigade Emergency Response.
Robert is a Battalion Chief in Columbia, SC with 25 years in the fire service. Rob has has been teaching municipal and industrial emergency response for nearly 20 years. In 2022, Rob completed his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University. Rob's current role with E-med is the Operations Manager over the day-to-day operations including compliance programs and instructor development training.
Rob is E-Med's senior instructor with specialties in Hazmat, fire brigade leadership, OSHA On-scene Incident Commander, along with all the other initial industrial response training programs, covering all of E-Med's training disciplines.
Rob shares that his greatest accomplishment is his family!
Don Townley is a veteran of the US Army Special Operations community and is currently a Captain at the Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield Fire Department in Hinesville, Georgia where he also serves as Program Director for Technical Rescue and Auto Extrication. He began his firefighting career at Columbia FD (SC) and has 20 years of combined municipal and DOD experience in firefighting, heavy rescue, medical response, HAZMAT, and technical rescue programs. Capt. Townley holds a degree in Fire Science and is certified in a wide array of areas including 1403 Live Fire Instructor, Confined Space Rescue Technician, Rope Rescue Technician/Advanced, Structural Collapse Technician, Trench Rescue Technician; HAZMAT Technician and Incident Command; Airport Firefighter, Driver/Operator ARFF, Aerial, and Pumper; Fire Instructor I/II; Fire Officer I/II; and Fire Inspection. For the last 18 years he has translated his passion for the job into hands-on, high-speed training for firefighters/brigades in industry, municipalities, and the Department of Defense. Capt. Townley delivers training with real-world scenarios grounded in fire service standards that supports sustained physical and mental health for first responders.
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Travis is the principal owner and one of the main program developers for many of E-Med’s courses. Travis retired as an Operations Division Chief from the Columbia Fire Department with over 25 years of service and is now sharing his passion for teaching and training full-time.
Travis is an accomplished fire service conference speaker and has conducted multiple international train-the-trainer sessions in Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.