2026 Seminar Series
NYSAFC's annual Seminar Series provides educational opportunities for fire service personnel of all ranks at sites across New York state. Three-hour seminars are conducted by some of the nation's leading fire service instructors at the local level on a variety of timely topics.
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NYSAFC 2026 Seminar Series
“Dangerous Spaces: Challenges and Tactics When Dealing with Garage and Basement Fires”
With Chief/Commissioner Michael Lombardo (Buffalo Fire Department)
Three-Hour Seminar:
Some of the most dangerous fires we deal with are often looked at as routine: the basement fire and the garage fire. Basement fires are probably the most overlooked killer of firefighters engaged in combat firefighting in much of the U.S. The construction, layout, fire load, and access present difficult and dangerous challenges at below grade fires. From the incident commander to the firefighter on the nozzle, we must all recognize and be able to deal with these challenges. Huge migration to the suburbs starting with the arrival of the Baby Boomer generation saw the explosion of the attached garage. Many older cities never had the available space for homes to feature an attached garage or have any garage at all. The tremendous fuel load that is constantly evolving presents danger for occupants and firefighters alike. This class will address these challenges and alternative strategies and tactics that can be deployed to deal with these dangerous spaces.
Instructor Michael Lombardo:
Mike Lombardo is a 47-year veteran of the fire service and was the commissioner/chief of department of the Buffalo Fire Department from 2006-2010. He currently operates with the Christiana (DE) and East Amherst (NY) Fire Departments. Lombardo was a member of the development team for the New York State Firefighter Survival and Rapid Intervention programs. He serves on the board of directors of the Fire Department Training Network, where he developed and presents the Fire Command program. Lombardo spent two years as the North America emergency response coordinator for the DuPont Corp. Recently, he completed near-miss investigations in Scranton, PA and Claymont DE, and also completed a review of the San Francisco (CA) Fire Department leadership and a safety audit of the Boston (MA) Fire Department. Lombardo is a two-time Firehouse Magazine Heroism Award recipient (1988 and 1994) and the 1999 recipient of the FDIC Tom Brennan Training Achievement Award. In 2024, he was a contributor to two book projects, 30 Fires You Must Know and The Book of Search. In 2015, Lombardo participated in the NFFF documentary “Giving Courage: LODD Chiefs Speak.”
Registration Fee:
$35 per person – NYSAFC Individual and Department Members
$50 per person – Non-Members
Pre-registration is encouraged. On-site registration will be accepted if space permits.
Note: A 3% service fee will be applied if paying by credit card.
Fall 2026 Dates and Locations:
Seminar begins at 7:00 p.m. at all sites. Registration area opens at 6:30 p.m.
September 3 – Chemung County
Southport Fire Department • 1001 Carl Street • Elmira, NY 14904
September 10 – Fulton County
Berkshire Fire Department • 320 Steele Avenue Ext. • Gloversville, NY 12078
September 15 – Oswego County
SUNY Oswego • Marano Campus Center • Room 132 • Oswego, NY 13126 NEW VENUE
September 16 – Saratoga County
Saratoga County Public Safety Building • 6012 County Farm Road • Ballston Spa, NY 12020
September 22 – Dutchess County
Pleasant Valley Fire District • Station 1 • 1619 Main Street • Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
September 29 – Onondaga County
Camillus Fire Department • 5801 Newport Road • Camillus, NY 13031
September 30 – Otsego County
Worcester Fire Department • 36 Church Street • Worcester, NY 12197
October 6 – Erie County
Grand Island Fire Company • 2275 Baseline Road • Grand Island, NY 14072
October 15 – Cortland County
Cortland County Regional Training Center • 3577 Terrace Road • Cortland, NY 13045
October 19 – Rockland County
Rockland County Fire Training Center • 35 Firemen’s Memorial Drive • Pomona, NY 10970
October 21 – Monroe County
Henrietta Fire District Training Center • Station 6 • 60 Erie Station Road • West Henrietta, NY 14586
October 26 – Greene County NEW VENUE
Coeymans Fire Department • 67 Church Street • Coeymans, NY 12045 (Albany County)
October 28 – Chautauqua County
Fredonia Opera House • 9 Church Street • Fredonia, NY 14063
November 3 – Rensselaer County
East Greenbush Fire District No. 3 • 68 Phillips Road • Rensselaer, NY 12144
November 4 – Nassau County
Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department • 75 Washington Avenue • Lawrence, NY 11559
November 12 – Oneida County
Westmoreland Central School • 5176 Route 233 • Westmoreland, NY 13490
Read Chief Lombardo's article "Dangerous Spaces – Challenges and Tactics When Dealing with Garage and Basement Fires" from the Winter 2025 issue of NYSAFC's Size Up magazine here.