Lieutenant Mike Mason

Lieutenant Mike Mason is a 28 year veteran of the fire service. As an officer with DGFD he is assigned to Truck 1/ Squad 1. He is a Certified Instructor III and Fire Officer II along with being a staff instructor as well as the director and founder of the not for profit organization RICOFIRERESCUE INC. Since its inception in 2001 Lt. Mason and his staff of national instructors have reached and trained over 6,000 firefighters in all ranks throughout the USA, Canada, South America, Spain, Sweden and Germany. He is also a staff instructor for Fire Engineering, New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Downers Grove Fire Academy, Chicago Fire Academy, Romeoville Fire Academy, John Wood Community College, and other academies throughout the state of Illinois and the USA.

Lieutenant Mike Mason is the co-author of Rapid Intervention Company Operations (R.I.C.O.) on Cengage Learning Publications which is recognized as the largest and most comprehensive text available on Rapid Intervention. Lt. Mason has dedicated his spirited teachings to firefighters throughout the USA. His heartfelt and tireless instruction to so many predominately in the areas of firefighter rescue and survival has touched the lives of firefighters and departments beyond imagination. Soon another long awaited text that he has been developing over the past few years entitled Fireground Search: That Others May Live is expected to be released at the end of 2010. These texts are respected and used by many instructors from all over the country including some organizations overseas for its content and applicability in all areas of firefighter rescue, firefighter survival and civilian rescue. His relentless devotion to firefighters and his teachings is so respected that chiefs and departments including committees, researchers and governmental organizations seek out his input regarding proactive and reactive behaviors in firefighter rescue and survival.

In 2009 Lt. Mason developed and started presenting one of the most spirited and comprehensive seminars entitled Fire Department Cornerstone Leadership: If You Would Just Lead Them. This remarkable and sought after seminar covers some of the most interesting and moving developments in leadership for all ranks of the fire service. Many fire service and military leaders acknowledge and support his analysis and ideas of which Lt. Mason has drawn from through speaking with leaders of all types throughout the country.

Lieutenant Mike Mason has also originated 5 national programs entitled R.I.C.O. (Rapid Intervention Company Operations), Fireground Search: That Others May Live, Fireground Rapid Egress, Rapid Intervention Air Pack Management as well as Commanding the Mayday and Rapid Intervention Operations all of which utilize an ever changing program involving the most up to date progressive procedures, strategies, maneuvers and techniques which are taught by some of the most prominent instructors in firefighter rescue and survival from across the nation. These incredible hands-on/classroom, seminars and lecture programs are usually held once or twice a year in the Chicago land area as well as all over the country.

Being the founder and director of the not for profit organization RICOFIRERESCUE INC. and www.ricofirerescue.com his website has provided access to numerous free downloads from PowerPoint’s, Articles along with many other training activities to firefighters across the nation.

Lieutenant Mike Mason continually lectures as well as provides hands on training in the areas of rapid intervention, firefighter self survival, civilian and firefighter search, advance SCBA techniques, fire service leadership and high rise firefighting to various departments and districts throughout the country. He is also respected for his teachings, techniques and research in the areas of search in structural firefighting for both the civilian and downed firefighter. He is associated and involved with many instructors, lecturers and programs with various departments throughout the country. He has also authored many articles in various periodical publications such as Firehouse magazine, Fire Engineering magazine, Fire Chiefs magazine, Firehouse magazine, Firehouse.com, NYSAFC, WNYF, Illinois Fire Service Instructors magazine as well as a host of articles and presentations on the internet.

Every year in the month of September Lt. Mason and his not for profit organization RICOFIRERESCUE INC. present one of the largest hands-on events in the nation called R.I.C.O Rapid Intervention Company Operations which has been attended by so many firefighters from across the USA and abroad that it is almost incomprehensible as to the impact he has provided to so many far and wide over the last ten years.

Lt. Mike Mason can be reached at mike@ricofirerescue.com or 630 973 9341