Cody Trestrail

Founder / Instructor

Cody started his Fire Service career in 1995 at a small combination department in WA State. He followed his dream and was blessed to be hired by the FDNY, working on Ladder 119 in Brooklyn, then becoming a member of the special operations command (SOC), assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn. He left the FDNY to put his family first and now works back in his home town on a busy Engine Company in the Portland Metro area.

He is the founder of the training group Brothers In Battle, LLC with whom he has taught both nationally and internationally and is the founder of the Firemanship Conference Portland (FC PDX).

He is a founding member of the First Whip Fools and a member of the non profit organization Sons Of The Flag. 

Cody is happily married for over 20 years to his incredible wife Andrea and they have two beautiful daughters. 

Chris McBride

Instructor

Chris has been working for the Vancouver Fire Department since 2003 and is a firefighter on Engine 5. He has instructed recruits at the academy, company drills and department training, as well as classes for other departments. He is a team leader with the Region 4 Technical Rescue Team and an instructor for Rope and Water Rescue. Chris also developed a personal bailout system that has been issued to all members of the Vancouver Fire Dept.

Chris Fukai

Instructor

Chris “Fook” Fukai hired with PF&R in 1998. Worked in Tech Rescue/ USAR, Hazmat and Training rides on T13 in NE Portland. He’s really old, but can probably kick your ass at everything. Fook is the second shortest BIB instructor.

Jeremy Stuart

Instructor

Jeremy works for the Vancouver Fire Dept in Vancouver Wa as a Firefighter/Paramedic, currently assigned as a senior truckman to Truck 1 in downtown Vancouver. Jeremy started his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter/student sleeper in 1992 in rural Clark County and Cowlitz County Wa. While volunteering he obtained his Paramedic certificate in 1995 and was hired by VFD in 1999. While at the VFD he worked initially on Engine 88 and Engine 811 during which time he became a member of the Technical Rescue Team. After joining the team he moved to Truck 5 and Heavy Rescue 5 before moving to Truck 1. He is also a member of the Vancouver Firefighters Pipes and Drums and continues to volunteer as a captain at the rural volunteer fire department in the town where he lives. He has been happily married to his wonderful wife Rachael and has 4 children between the ages of 10 and 17.

Ryan Mills

Instructor

Ryan’s fire service career started in 1999. He spent 4 years as a Navy Corpsman, and served a combat tour in Iraq after 9/11. He instructed Advanced Combat Trauma Management to deploying Special Warfare Units, and is a Regional Director for Team Rubicon. Ryan works for Portland Fire & Rescue, assigned to Station 11 in southeast Portland. Legend has it that Ryan is the world tallest ginger.

Jasen Stensgaard

Instructor

Jasen got hired in 2003 by Portland Fire and Rescue, is currently assigned to Truck 7 and is on the State HazMat Team in southeast Portland. Jasen is the handsomest BIB instructor.

Anthony Braxton

Instructors

Anthony’s career in the fire service began in 2002.  He was hired professionally in 2003 and is currently assigned to a Truck Company.  He has instructed both nationally and internationally with Brothers In Battle and the non-profit Global Mission Readiness.  He is a full-time father of three, husband, and student, as well as a part-time farmer, musician, and teacher, and the infrequent writer of the fire-based blog, Adz Deep.

Mark Tilden

Instructor

Mark “Tilly” Tilden began his fire service career in 1998 and has been a firefighter with Portland Fire & Rescue since 2005. He spent much of his career on Engine 7 and the State Hazmat Team in southeast Portland. He is currently the Training Academy Captain. Mark has experience in the building trades and fire service skills instruction. Tilly tried to die on us once, and is banned from ever doing so again.

Brian Olson

Instructor

Brian “Ogre” Olson is a fireman for the Eagle Fire Department and is assigned to T41 A-Shift. He is known for only sleeping while having a conversation. He always wears two-layers of flannel. He has an obsession with killing his own meat and anything Idaho wilderness.

Stephen Tyler

Instructor

Stephen Tyler drives a fire engine in Idaho. He enjoys pulling lines, pulling locks, and pulling barbells. Stephen hosts the Refined By Fire Podcast, which is really just a ruse to get smart and interesting people to talk to him. Stephen is a dad to three kids and husband to a lovely, long-suffering wife.

Brock Clapp

Instructor

Brock Clapp is a proud family man who serves the community of Meridian Idaho. Not having the book smarts come easy, his yearn for education wasn’t found until joining the fire service in 2004. But what’s lacking in academic prowess is partially compensated for with a healthy head of quaffed grey hair and a MacGyver-like skillset for problem solving and repairing things. After ten years riding a Truck Company Brock awoke, finding himself riding an Engine and wearing a very bright red helmet. He has been forced to trade in the day dreams of roof work for ops of a hydraulic nature.  

Ben Mors

Instructor

Ben Mors began his fire career in 2004 on a wildland hand crew.  In 2005 he became a volunteer with Eagle Fire Department where he was later hired on permanently as a career firefighter in 2007.  Ben promoted in 2014 and is currently driving an engine for Eagle Fire.  He loves helping out with trainings and hanging out with his wife and two boys.  

Ben Rosenbaum

Instructor

Ben Rosenbaum is a firefighter on Truck 41 for the Eagle Fire Department. Ben started his fire career as a volunteer in 2003 and was hired a short time after that.  He has served the ranks of Firefighter, Engineer, Training Officer and currently is a Captain since 2012.  Ben has had the opportunity to instruct a variety of fire classes at the local, regional and national level. Ben was instrumental in creating and running the Quad County Fire Academy in 2014-2018.  Ben’s passion is sharing his love of all things fire related with other firefighters. Ben is a proud father of three children and husband to a beautiful wife. Ben is 4’ 13” tall and is the owner of BIB’s finest mustache.

Brian Stokke

Instructor

Brian’s career in the Fire Service started in 2002 as a resident volunteer firefighter. He now rides backward for Seattle Fire Department. He worked in building construction before entering the Fire Service.

Instructor

Rob Fisher

Instructor

Rob is a suburban firefighter and has been a student of the fire service for over 3o years. He is currently a shift Battalion Chief with a medium sized suburban department 25 miles north of Seattle. Prior to being promoted to Battalion Chief, Rob spent 20-years as a Company Officer with 15 of those years as a Lieutenant assigned to the department’s only ladder company – L72. He has also accepted multiple assignments to the department’s Training Division and is the West Coast Regional Rep for the F.O.O.L.S. International.

Jason Ellison

Instructor

Since finding my passion for firefighting at the age of 14, I knew the job provided more than just a career. Once a member of Clackamas Fire in 2003, I quickly learned the significance of training for “them”. Throughout my tenure with the department I’ve spent most of my career on our ladder companies and our technical rescue teams, with company training as a top priority. Now as a Batallion Chief for Clackams North Battalion, I strive to improve the craft, make others better, and demonstrate the significance to put “them” first.

Josh Maggard

Instructor

Josh entered the fire service as a volunteer in 2005. He has now been a full time fireman with the Eagle Fire Department since 2007. Josh has also spent many days in the backcountry working as an expedition river guide and professional alpine climbing guide. He believes that all instructors should be lifelong students. Josh's goal is to lead and participate in methodical, realistic, and applicable training which prepares firefighters to be the asset citizens expect and deserve. He occasionally stands on soapboxes, advocating for a "servant's heart" in the fire service, and better coffee in the firehouse. Josh, his wife, and their beautiful daughter make their home in Boise, Idaho

Justin McWilliams

Instructor

Justin “Wild Card” McWilliams has been in the fire service since 2000 and wears a red hat for Clackamas Fire District #1.

Jon Quon

Instructor

Jon is a tillerman in Tacoma Wa. He loves black coffee, a good old fashioned, forcing doors, and truck work in general. He’s one of the shortest Brothers in battle instructors and has one of the worst moustaches. When he’s not doing burpees he loves spending time with his beautiful Wife and daughter. 

Shawn Foust

Instructor 

Shawn joined the fire service in 1992, he has been a career firefighter in the city of Garfield Heights Ohio since 1996. He has been a fire instructor for about 15 years, and fortunate to train with local colleges and training groups.

Brian Abbott

Instructor 

Career Lieutenant at Copley Township Fire department Ohio. Serving the fire service since 2004

Mariano had a horrible solo vehicle accident in 1995 that required fire to extricate him from his vehicle. He felt that God gave me a chance to do something to give back to the public. My fire service career began shortly after that. 

He started his Fire reserve with American Canyon FD 1998-2004. 
He now is a Firefighter with San Francisco Fire Dept. since 2000. He has worked on every station across SF including the SF international Airport. Majority of his career was spent at fire station 7 which is 6 blocks from where he grew up as a kid. 6 years on E7 as a firefighter and apparatus operator.  8 years on Heavy Rescue 2 (also at station7). 2019 promoted to acting Lieutenant and now serving on Engine 19 and Truck 19 in SF’s southern most part of the city. 

Married to my beautiful wife Karla and have 5 children ranging from 13-25.

Miguel Borrego

Instructor

Miguel has been a Fireman with the City of Woodland, CA for 9 years. He has a B.A. from UC Davis and is an alumni of the UC Davis FD resident firefighter program. Miguel is a California state certified Fire Instructor in Firefighter Survival and Auto Extrication. You can find him either training on the drill ground, or bending  some pour souls ear as he’s prepping dinner at the fire house. He has passionately pursued training and knowledge his whole career, and was honored to be invited into the Brothers in Battle family.

Rich Renne

Instructor

Rich loves Engine work, stretching lines and flowing water.  He began his career as a volunteer in 2001 and was hired in 2006 with Clark County Fire District 6 in Vancouver, Washington.  He is currently assigned to Engine 61 and he is the head of their department’s Hose and Nozzle committee.  He enjoy’s leading department wide training events and passing on what others have shared with him.  He has been married to his beautiful, supportive wife Susie for 22 years and has a son, Hunter, and a daughter, Halie.

Sean Marvin

Instructor

An Idaho native that started firefighting as a wildland firefighter for 14 years at the Bureau of Land Management.  Then in 2014, he started over as a career firefighter at Eagle Fire Department where he had been volunteering for 8 years.  Currently serves as the A-shift float engineer/driver for EFD which forces him to stay engine and truck company operation proficient. He has been a part of many CADRES for EFD including helping at the Quad County Truck Academy, and other local recruit academy truck related trainings.  Sean is an Idaho State Certified Instructor and enjoys being a part of making everyone a better firefighter including himself.  Always learning, always into the job, and always putting THEM first

Andrea Trestrail

First lady

She has many roles, all of which puts others before herself. 

She’s a mother to two incredible daughters, she’s a wife who’s supported and encouraged the pursuit of dreams, she’s worked EMS on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, She spent two years as a cadet and was a Captain in the same Fire Science program as me, she came up with our Brothers In Battle name, she designed our logos, she’s got more time grinding, cleaning and dressing halligans and axes than anyone I know, she’s got more hours on the chop saw cutting 1x2s for our door props than I could ever count, more trips loading and unloading the BIB trailer than I can count, pushing a broom in the shop, bringing lunches, logistics, and forgotten materials and needed ems supplies to our classes, running registrations and handling waivers, days upon days at home alone or being a single parent while I’m alway traveling to teach, helping birth the idea of Firemanship Conference Portland and putting hours upon  of love, blood, sweat and tears into it every year, working in the rain, heat, and freezing conditions to help with logistics and hot sites, to organizing and working into the we hours of the morning coordinating efforts and putting her personal touch in so many areas to make sure our conference feels different than any other conference out there. 

She’s our spiritual warrior, guiding light and compass ensuring our focus and purpose is not lost and that God is glorified in all that we do.

She truly believes in and understands that 
our mission is THEM, and they come first!

This just scratches the surface.

Written by her husband without her permission!