At FDIC International 2023 during Opening Ceremony Day 2, Keith M. Stakes received the 2023 Fire Engineering/International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award.
Stakes developed the hose stream mechanics training prop and curriculum to teach firefighters how stream choice, nozzle choice, and nozzle movement impact air entrainment and water distribution in a residential structure. He developed the materials for a Web site that provides building instructions and materials lists for the real-scale training prop as well as lesson plans and videos that demonstrate the learning objectives of the hose stream mechanics training. With this information, a fire department can provide hands-on hose stream mechanics training with the prop or existing training structures.
Stakes is a lead research engineer at UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute, studying the effectiveness of fireground tactics and advances in firefighter safety and fireground operations. He has a bachelor of science degree and a master of engineering degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland. He is a battalion chief for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase (MD) Rescue Squad and serves on the NFPA Technical Committee for Fire Service Training.
Seth Barker, president of the ISFSI, says, “Keith Stakes has demonstrated extraordinary accomplishments in fire service training. Keith’s extensive research and development of training curriculum for dozens of FSRI projects have had a dramatic impact on firefighter safety and effective firefighter tactics. His creativity and innovation in performing skills in a realistic training environment are changing firefighters’ approach to the modern fireground.”
The award, which incorporates the Training Achievement Award previously given by Fire Engineering at FDIC, is named for George D. Post, who was a long-time member of the ISFSI. Post was a member of the Fire Department of New York, an illustrator of fire service publications, and a developer of instructional materials and is considered by many to be the father of visual training material used to train fire service personnel around the world.
