The Aggressive Search
Kelly McGowan
Saturday, June 13, 2026
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
The basics win. Being great at the fundamentals will take you farther on the fire ground than any trend you see online. We believe that every tactic on the fire is done to the benefit of victims inside. We believe that being aggressive with water, search, and ventilation is in the best interest for our citizens and ourselves as we operate on a fire scene. Our company was founded on these principles and vow to spread the culture of winning through being aggressive.
This class examines statistics from the Firefighter Rescue Survey, the science of fire, and experience-based tactics that are proven for success during victim search of a fire. We use photos, videos, and audio evidence during our classroom presentation. The hands-on portions are full of real-world scenarios that firefighters find victims in.
Kelly McGowan
Owner and Qualified Lead Instructor of Down & Dirty Fire Training. Kelly started as a volunteer in Southeastern NC before beginning his career as a firefighter. He holds several certifications and has been chosen to present at several conferences, including but not limited to, NC Association of Fire Chiefs Conference and FDIC. His career departments range from a small city 3 station department (City of Lumberton, NC) to a large combination department (Horry County Fire Rescue, SC), and large urban departments (Raleigh, NC & Baltimore, MD). Currently, Kelly is a volunteer Captain and Training Officer with the Town of Red Springs (NC), and a Firefighter with Baltimore City (MD).
