A word from Cliff and Moe:
Cliff Neidermeyer and Moe Greenley
At CostaRicardo.com, Graduates from MCS Leadership Programs can discuss issues, share information, develop ideas, and assist each other on their journey of leadership development.
This is an international forum where you can join a broad network of leaders with many different perspectives from a range of different working environments.
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Just returned to sunny Ross Creek from Costa Ricardo. Huge thanks to Nick, Mark, Bill, Rowena and the team of annoying volunteers! Thanks also to all in our group who participated to the fullest and made it all worthwhile. Kia Ora!
What a trip to Costa Ricardo. What an amazing two weeks away, I feel so lucky to have been picked to go on this course. So much to learn and not enough time, its nice having the feeling when you walk away from a course and you know that it will improve your ability to move forward as a leader in CFA, work and life in general. I hope that all personal get or have the opportunity to attend this course as it provides so much information, knowledge and experience to be gained and to better improve what we do best. A big thanks goes out to John Lee, Vin Bigham, Mike Evans, Mark, Cliffy and the members on the course as every one of these people made it that great experience. Well done to Mission – Centered Solutions for creating such a fantastic course and hopefully with a bit of luck I will be able to attend one of your other courses offered..
Kind Regards
Luke Crotty
Hi All,
Just got home from Costa Ricard yesterday afternoon. Geez, what a place! I left with mixed emotions – a sense that I am onto something big, yet also that I was leaving something behind. At first I thought it was my attachment to the CR experience, our team and the course leaders, but then this morning I realised that I had actually left some items behind at The Country Place (I’ll pick them up next weekend). Or could it be both??? I dunno yet, as I’m still processing and percolating on the whole experience.
Anyway, MASSIVE thanks to our course leaders, especially those who had to travel so far – ‘Sarmaja’ John Lee, ‘Nepalese’ Mike, Mark, Cliffy and ’2 minute’ Vin B. Your knowledge, involvement, stories, sense of humour and patience made my CR experience a memorable and valuable one. To Team LaCruz West I say ‘good job’ and thanks for your support. And to the CFA, you’re onto a good thing with this course.
Oh, and to Maria Rosa Espinosa from SiNN: My mother once told me ‘If you haven’t got something nice to say, then say nothing at all’. So to you Maria, I got nuthin’.
See you at the big one!
S
Hi Steph
I think Cliffy will have sold off any of your items that you might have left behind by now. He doesn’t miss a chance to make a few extra Rikki Ricardo’s.
Hi All,
Having recently returned from a tour of duty at Costa Ricardo via Yellingbo, Victoria, Australia, I just wanted to thank MCS for developing a fantastic course.
I would also congratulate the CFA for recognising its value, and instructors Carl Donelson, Mike Evans and Chris Rose for their excellent work.
Finally I would like to thank my fellow participants for their enthusiasm, dedication and application. I’m already organising to pass on some the skills learnt to my fellow Volunteer Firefighters.
Regards,
Peter Cass
Boneo Fire Brigade
Thanks Peter for the comments here, and your high level of involvement in the class. I would also like to thank the participants in the course. The involvement by everyone was nothing short of outstanding. The night exercise certainly had a few extra challenges with the pouring rain, and certain other added elements; some of which were a surprise even to me. Thanks once again to everyone for their level of immersion into the scenario, good discussion in class, effort, and the willingness to share lessons learned in the AAR’s in a professional manner. I did make it home OK with no dramas, and am already looking forward to a return and working with some of you again. GREAT WORK AND THANKS ESPECIALLY TO PETER FOR THIS POST!!!!!
Hi all, Have just returned from Costa Ricardo after a very active tour of duty. Looking forward to talking with other veterans.
Sam, yes a very active but rewarding tour of Costa Ricardo conducted. Going to enjoy some R&R before our next deployment.
Lucky Team Navy was there to show the Special Forces people how to get the job done.
CHEERS
BRETT
Hi Brett, how true that is. Go Navy.
Lachlan
Haven’t you learnt boy child- you should not mess with your mothers head, it has a way of coming back and biting you on the bum realy hard- not that it worked anyway lol!
xxx
Mummy Dearest
Greetings all,
After my tour of duty in Costa Ricardo five months ago I have been lucky enough to have had another three short visits to assume the role of everyone’s favourite Hotshot, Bucky.. I have only just returned from the last and am still feeling somewhat jet lagged
It has been good to see the exercise from a different point of view, meet different trainers and to go through the process again (Not to mention messing with the heads of strangers, friends and even a family member).
I would like to thank Carl, Mark, James, Costa Ricardo residents, all crew members and role players on my course for making it a fantastic experience.
As well as Nick and Alex from MCS, James and Mark for giving me the chance to come back, all the CFA, DSE, SES and private enterprise members participating and fellow role players for making my return trips just as memorable..
Cheers for now, I hope to be back soon.
Lachlan Leatham
…and “WATCHOUT” for that Noriega fellow!!
Regards from an ITF sympathiser.
Thanks Wayne, appreciate your feedback. It was a great couple of weekends for us. I will have to relate one story coming from your team as an inspiration to all. After your group had finished working together as an IMT, the observer group felt there was a little dysfunction at times, and they could’t quite tell why. It was later discovered that your group going into the simulation had taken on the true Costa Ricardo spirit and agreed to put themselves into the staffing roles they were least comfortable with. That was most impressive, and the result was that things can be learned under pressure in a safe learning environment. The beauty of Costa Ricardo. Thanks for being willing to push yourselves outside your comfort zones.
Thanks Alex, Mark and Pat and all your alter egos; my fellow Team Synergy crew- Steve, Darren, James and Rowie; the three other crews and the role playing ring-ins for two great full on weekends training at Fiskville. It will be interesting seeing what we are able to do with our knowledge and who we are able to talk into doing this most excellent course, as all in our brigade would benefit from participating- as indeed would all my work mates, but unfortunatly I can’t see that happening!!
Only downside was the extra 3kg I left with from toooooooo much good food.
Cheers
Chris Mair
Thanks Carl, Larry & Don for facilitating a great experience in Costa Ricardo on the the recent weekend Incident Leadership course. It was a great experience and followed on perfectly from the Fireline Leadership course. I believe it an absolute must for everyone from Sector Commander (possibly Strike Team Leader) upwards.
A huge thankyou to the team I was with (Leigh, Alex, Andy, Steve, & Rod). Our willingness & commitment to work together, give each other honest feedback and strive for continuos improvement through each cycle in the IMT, made the course so much more succesful.
Carl, It was a pleasure having the MCS team stop by and see the results of the knowledge passed on and the hard work you and the boys put in with us. I look forward to applying the priciples learned at our IL course this week.
Thanks to Andrew Rankin, Rod Stone and the Anglesea Fire Brigade for the opportunity to watch their Hazmat training exercise last Tuesday night. Great teamwork and use of principles and concepts of Leadership were observed. Several members of the team, to include the IC, had been through Fireline leadership. Andrew is attending this last session of Incident Leadership. Thanks again for the invite.
Thank you Andrew and Allan for the feedback and support. The week was just a great opportunity for us to learn from the participants in the class. The willingnes of the class to engage in great discussion and throw themselves into the simulations was nothing short of outstanding. It is truley a privilege to work with such great professonals. I’m still in Australia and will be here awhile. If there is anything I can further do to assist you please let me know. Cheers. Carl
As with Andrew’s comments, the Costa Ricardo Incident Leadership exercise was BRILLIANT. As it is a pilot here in Victoria, AU, I have already praised it to the CFA District 12 Operations Manager and have told him that it would be most UNwise to not send potential ‘higher’ level IC staff (levels 2 & 3 in the Aussie parlance, which are our highest levels) to this course!
I have just returned from a tour of duty in Shepparton and feel that I must post a comment about the course, it’s leaders and the group of committed attendees, not to mention the volunteers that helped to make this course so successful.
Firstly a huge thanks must go to “Murph” for not only putting my name forward, but for his guidance and support throughout the five days.
My fellow group members in group B; Bill, Shane, JJ and Allen a big thank you for your support, help and guidance. We were one team member down for the week (hope you are recovering Lindsay) and whilst my enthusiasm was high, my knowledge and experience was limited compared to rest of our group. You guys supported me throughout the whole week, through friendship, knowledge and patience, thankyou…
Our facilitators, Carl, Larry and Don (“is good”) a really big thank you. Your expertise, professionalism, knowledge was nothing short of outstanding, except for some of your jokes Don, you need to bump the quality up a little, (I’m sure you will be a little more careful of those imaginary dice next time)
Larry a special thank you to you for your exemplary leadership qualities that you displayed on Wednesday and the days following.
To Eric, APC, Barry and “Roger” all working behind the scenes but again without your assistance & commitment, the course would not be as successful without your commitment to the cause.
This was my first (5 day away) course with the CFA, the group bonding with such a mix of people from different agencies, lifestyles & experience just made it more rewarding. The head is still spinning with the experience, sleep is still interrupted with the role play, the Sim, ICP and knowledge learnt.
A big thank you to the CFA for having the foresight to conduct this course (I’m sure it wasn’t that easy to convince the ‘powers to be’) but I hope ‘the company’ is as committed, as were those that attended the training, to continue in the development of this.
The facilities, both the training and accommodation were excellent, I have special dietary needs and APC made sure that I was well catered for, thanks Andrew.
I could continue to list the names from our group of 17 participants, but in truth, everyone there committed time, experience, mate ship, understanding and support in various ways that created a truly wonderful and successful Leadership Program.
This can only create adhesion to groups that are created to commit their skills and expertise at a time when the way forward is difficult in an environment of high stress and danger, at times when the community requires us to lead them through disaster into recovery.
An excellent course, with outstanding people committed to each other and the community for the greater wellbeing and protection of humankind.
Thank you to all for such a wonderful experience.
Kindest regards
Andrew Carr
I am a NSW Rural Fire Service staff member and I just came back from Costa Ricardo. WOW what a journey.
Cliffy was, well an education and he had some good stuff to off load.
Nice to be on the site and look forward to catching up with everyone.
POSITIONS VACANT
WANTED COSTA RICARDO EXPATS AND GRADUATES OF CFA (Victoria, Australia) FIRELINE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Hi all
Cliffy has a new scam going and will only share it with expats and graduates of the CFA FLL Program. He gave me a sneak preview last week and there is treasure a plenty for those who partake!! (Don’t tell anyone in authority, strictly for those in the know, could be the best get rich quick scheme imaginable!!)
On another note:
The word is spreading around the traps to log on to costaricardo.com and catch up with fellow scammers and see how they are doing now their tour of duty to Costa Ricardo is over. Word is some are likely to be called back for a second tour, but I reckon I will leave that to Cliffy to fill you in on the detail.
Regards
Rod Stebbing