The following demographics are based on trends from the past 10 years of NVFC training conferences.

• 200 attendees representing 40+ states
• Current and emerging leaders in the fire and emergency services
• Half of attendees represent all-volunteer departments; the remaining are primarily mostly-volunteer or combination (with a small number of attendees from career departments or other organizations)
• Job titles include all ranks, including Chief, officers, R&R coordinators, training officers, administration, fire service instructor, and more
• A third of attendees are from departments serving a population of less than 5,000
• Attendees’ years of experience ranges from 0-40+ years
• Ages 18-65+
• 70% male, 30% female

The 2025 Training Summit will feature 90-minute breakout sessions in three tracks: Recruitment & Retention, Leadership, and Health & Safety. There are numerous topics within these tracks. You will be required to select one of the following topic areas in your submission form. These selections help us guide the balance of course offerings and will be used in the registration form to help attendees select the best courses for their goals. Click here for examples of subtopics within each topic area. 

• All proposals must be submitted using the online form, no exceptions. Think quality over quantity; you can submit up to three (3) proposals.
• The primary point of contact (POC) is the person submitting the proposal. The NVFC will communicate with the POC for all communications including notifications and deadlines, who must share information as needed with co-instructors. All proposed co-instructors must be listed.
• Use clear, error-free language. Session and workshop proposals require clear and concise titles, persuasive outcomes-focused descriptions, and at least three (3) action-oriented and well-thought-out learning objectives/takeaways that answer the prompt “after this session, participants will be able to…” (see the Call for Presentations Guide for more information on creating objectives). The NVFC retains the right to modify titles and descriptions during copy editing for marketing purposes.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of a clearly defined instructional flow/design. Adult learning theory suggests that the best learning environments are those that are collaborative and utilize a problem-based approach, with content that ties back to the learners’ lived experiences.
• Avoid all commercial bias/marketing tone. Any submission that is not educational in nature, neutral and unbiased, replicable by attendees without the author’s assistance, and free of commercial motive/intent will not be accepted.