Our Instructors
Ricky Riley
President
rriley@traditionstraining.com
Ricky is a long time student of the fire service and is currently a Volunteer Assistant Chief with a large combination department outside of Washington DC. He is a life member with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department where he is a past Fire Chief. He served 11 years as the Operations Chief of the Clearwater Fire & Rescue in Florida, after serving 20 years with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue in Virginia.
Ricky is the Fire Apparatus Manager for a large combination department outside of Washington D.C. and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for Fire Apparatus & Equipment Magazine and for Fire Engineering Magazine.
Dan Shaw
Vice-President
dshaw@traditionstraining.com
Dan Shaw is an Assistant Fire Chief with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department. Dan joined the Fire Service in 1992 starting his Fire Service career as a volunteer in Howard County, MD before his appointment with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department in 1995.
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Dan is an editorial contributor for Fire Engineering Magazine and has taught various programs at FDIC East, FDIC Indy, & Firehouse Expo. He co-wrote Fire Engineering’s “25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD” in 2013.He also has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Service Supervision, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, and is a graduate of the West Point Leadership Program. Dan currently serves on NFPA 1400 Technical Committee for Fire Service Training along with being a member of the Technical Panel for Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
Doug Mitchell
Vice-President
dmitchell@traditionstraining.com
Doug is a Captain in the New York City Fire Department with 26 years of fire experience, the last 19 with the FDNY. He is currently assigned to the Bronx’s 7th Division. Doug served as the FDNY’s Executive Officer of the Probationary Firefighters School and is a member of the FDNY IMT. He was a Lieutenant in the Bronx, a Fire Marshal in Queens and a Fireman in Manhattan. Doug previously worked for Fairfax County Va. Fire & Rescue Department.
He has lectured and conducted hands-on-training programs nationwide. He is a principal member of the NFPA 1400 committee. He co-wrote Fire Engineering’s “25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD” in 2013. He has a Bachelor’s degree from University of MD Baltimore County.
Dan Doyle
Lead Instructor
ddoyle@traditionstraining.com
Dan was raised in the fire service by his Grandfather as a volunteer in Monroeville, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh.His career began in 1994 working for the Swissvale Fire Department as a Firefighter/Driver.
In early 1999, he was hired by the Fairfax County VA Fire & Rescue Department.
During his Seven years in Fairfax he worked at Engine and Truck 410 in Baileys Crossroads, the County’s busiest firehouse.
In 2006, Dan started with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and now works in the Third District, Engine and Truck 8 in the East Liberty section of the city.Dan believes in a very realistic and innovative “Street Smart” approach both on the job and in the classroom.
Roger Steger
Lead Instructor
rsteger@traditionstraining.com
Roger is currently a Firefighter in the Baltimore City Fire Department, assigned to Engine Company No. 8 (Jobtown). Roger also serves as the Fire Chief of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department Co. 33 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Roger has been an adjunct instructor at FDIC for the Truck Company Essentials program for several years, and has also lectured for FDIC.
Roger began his fire service career at age 15 as a cadet member of the Ocean City (MD) Volunteer Fire Company. In 1999, Roger moved to Prince George’s County (MD) and then became a career firefighter in Howard County (MD) Fire & Rescue. Roger served six years with HCFR in their Savage (Co. 6) and Columbia (Tower 10 & Engine 9) stations. In 2006, Roger changed his career to the City of Baltimore, where he is currently a First Acting Man. Roger joined Kentland in 2001, and has risen through each rank and is currently Chief 33.
Dan Troxell
Lead Instructor
dtroxell@traditionstraining.com
Daniel M. Troxell, a 36 year veteran of the fire service, is a captain in the Washington, D.C. Fire Department. He began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with both the Ft. Washington and Edge Hill Fire Companies in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He served as a volunteer and career firefighter in Prince Georges County, Maryland, starting as a volunteer with the College Park VFD.
A Pro Board Certified Level III instructor, he serves as an adjunct instructor with the DCFD Training Academy. He has written several articles for Fire Engineering Magazine, as well as articles for FireNuggets.com and Firehouse.com, and has served as a classrom and HOT instructor at the FDIC. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Protection Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Applied Management, both from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Ray Edwards
Lead Instructor
ddoyle@traditionstraining.com
Ray began his career as a volunteer firefighter outside of Philadelphia in 2001. He was hired by the District of Columbia Fire Department and served as a firefighter on Truck Company 6 before being assigned to Rescue Squad 1, where he presently serves.
Ray is also an adjunct instructor at the DCFD Training Academy and a member of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department.
Sam Hittle
Lead Instructor
shittle@traditionstraining.com
Samuel Hittle is a Captain with Wichita Fire. He is an FDIC, Traditions Training, and Wichita HoT Instructor, FDIC Lecturer, contributing author for Fire Engineering, Urban Firefighter, and Fire Rescue, Fire Nuggets, and FiRescue Interactive publications, a Fire Engineering Google Hangout Panel Member, is a two time Firehouse Magazine Heroism Award recipient (2012 and 2015), Kansas State Fire Marshall Tom McGaughey Award Recipient, Wichita Fire Department Firefighter of the Year, Wichita Fire Truck Company Coordinator, served on the Interior Attack Technical Panel for UL, and a member of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Executive Advisory Board.
Kyle Stephens
Instructor
kstephens@traditionstraining.com
Kyle has spent his entire Baltimore City Fire career as a firefighter and is currently an EVD assigned to Truck Company 10 in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of Baltimore City, MD. He also serves as the Assistant Chief of Operations for the Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Dept. in Loudoun County, Virginia since 2010.
Kyle began his fire service career in Loudoun County, VA in 2003. In 2005, in his desire for increasing knowledge and experience, he joined the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Dept. in Prince George’s County, MD, where he still is an active member. In 2006, he accepted a career firefighter position with the Arlington County Fire Dep. in Arlington, VA. Finally, in 2007, he accepted a position with a major urban/metropolitan city – BCFD.
Donny Fletcher
Instructor
dfletcher@traditionstraining.com
Donny Fletcher is a Battalion Chief with the Prince George’s County Fire Department in Maryland. He is currently assigned to the 5th Battalion in Oxon Hill. Donny is a 15-year veteran of the fire service and a third generation firefighter. Having rose through the ranks as the youngest Battalion Chief in the Department’s history, Donny also served at the busiest Ladder Truck and Rescue Squad in Prince George's County as an Officer, Technician and a Firefighter.
Donny has previously served as a lead instructor for several recruit classes with the PGFD and prior to his appointment in the 5th Battalion, served as the Department’s Deputy Director of Training. Donny has taught topics on leadership and firefighting operations internationally. He is a published author in both the International Association of Firefighters Magazine and Fire Engineering Magazine.
Mike Elston
Instructor
melston@traditionstraining.com
Charles “Big Mike” Elston is a Captain with the Salem Fire-EMS Department (Salem, VA) serving as a company officer and technical rescue team leader at the city’s technical rescue station, he is also a life member of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department and a firefighter with the Bedford Fire Department (Bedford, VA).
He has over 30 years of firefighting experience serving as a paid and volunteer firefighter.
He is an adjunct instructor and technical rescue instructor for the state of VA, instructs at the VATF2 Structural Collapse Technician class in VA Beach, VA, National Registered Paramedic, and also instructs in several other special operation disciplines.