Sunday 9:00am - 11:00am (Classroom)

A Look at VES in the Modern Fire Service. This presentation explores Vent, Enter, Isolate, Search (VES) operations within today’s fire service through a firsthand case study. Firefighter Shane Henion examines the Meriden Fire Department’s successful VES rescue on Broad Street in January 2023, breaking down what went right, what went wrong, and what could have been done differently—from the incident commander’s perspective to the individual rescuer.Through this discussion, attendees will gain insight into the current role of VES as a critical rescue tactic on the modern fireground. Using the Broad Street incident as a foundation, the presentation highlights the balance between effective rescue operations and minimizing impact on overall fireground strategy. It also challenges firefighters to consider decision-making through the lens of “controlled aggression” informed by modern fire behavior versus relying on “legacy aggression” driven approaches. VES in the modern fire service—a rescue worth making.

Firefighter Shane Henion is an 11-year member of the Meriden Fire Department, currently assigned to Truck 1 since 2020. He has served in both career and volunteer roles since 2008 and comes from a proud, two-generation firefighting background. Driven by a deep passion for the job and a commitment to developing the next generation, Shane shares his experience by blending time-honored traditions with evolving fireground tactics— “Keepin’ it Old School” while preparing for the future.