Battalion Chief John Salka

John J. Salka, Jr. is a 27 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department and a battalion chief in the Bronx. He instructs at the FDNY academy and is a nationally known seminar presenter on both tactical and leadership subjects. He is the author of "First In, Last Out - Leadership Lessons From the New York Fire Department" and is a contributing editor for Firehouse magazine and Firehouse.com

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Tactical Leadership

Chief Kelvin Cochran

Chief Kelvin Cochran began his dedication to the fire service in 1981 as a firefighter for the Shreveport Fire Department.  He was then promoted to Fire Training Officer and served in this capacity from 1985 - 1990, when he gained promotion to Assistant Chief Training Officer. His service in this position concluded when he was appointed Fire Chief of the Shreveport Fire Department in 1999.  In January, 2008, he was appointed fire chief of the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

Additional service and leadership:

International Association of Fire Chiefs: Former First Vice President-IAFC 2007, Second Vice President-IAFC 2006; Past Chairman of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Section; Southeastern Division IAFC; Safety, Health and Survival Section; Georgia Fire Chiefs Association, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association; Member of the Board of Visitors, National Fire Academy. Authored two chapters for Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Chief Fire Officers Desk Reference: Chapter 1-Leadership and Management and Chapter 25-The Fire Chief of the Future

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Developing Authentic Leadership

Chief Dennis Rubin

Dennis L. Rubin is chief of the Washington, DC Fire Department. Previously, he was chief of the Atlanta Fire Department. Rubin is a 33-year fire-rescue veteran, serving in many capacities and with several departments. He holds an associate’s degree in fire science from Northern Virginia Community College and a bachelor’s degree in fire science from the University of Maryland, and is enrolled in the Oklahoma State University Graduate School Fire Administration Program. Rubin is a 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and holds the national Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certification and the Chief Fire Officer Designation (CFOD) from the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He serves on several IAFC committees, including a two-year term as the Health and Safety Committee chair.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Crew Resource Management

District Chief John Sullivan

District Chief John F. Sullivan is a 20-year veteran of the Worcester Fire Department. He is an Instructor/Examiner for both the Worcester Fire Department and Massachusetts State Fire Academy; specializes in Firefighter Skills Development (including RIT), Structural Firefighting, Recruit Firefighter Training, and Fire Officer Development. Chief Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He is an adjunct professor at two local Worcester colleges in the Fire Science division, and an active member of the National Fire Academy’s FESHE and TRADE committees. Chief Sullivan is also affiliated with the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation collaborating on several projects to promote firefighter safety and reduce the occurrences of LODD’s.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Dealing with Grief & Loss

Chief Jon Hannan

Fire Chief Jon Hannan joined the Charlotte Fire Department in 1978 as a Telecommunications Dispatcher and transferred to a Firefighter position in 1983. He was promoted to Captain in 1987 and served a special assignment as a Training Officer at the Fire Training Academy from 1993-1996. He was promoted to Battalion Chief in 1996 and Deputy Fire Chief of Administration in 1999. In late 2007, he was promoted to Chief of the Charlotte Fire Department. Jon has an Associate's degree in Fire Protection Technology from CPCC and a Bachelor's degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology from UNC Charlotte.

The North Carolina League of Municipalities awarded Jon the George C. Franklin award, which is issued to the most outstanding student at the Institute of Government's Municipal Administration course each year.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Administration and Operational Strategies

Chief Eddie Buchanan

Eddie Buchanan began his fire service career in 1982 and currently serves as a Division Chief with Hanover Fire & EMS in Richmond, Virginia.  Hanover is a large combination department, consisting of more than 160 career personnel and 500 volunteers.  The department answers more than 18,000 calls annually and provides full fire and transport EMS services. 

Eddie currently serves as President of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.  He is author of the Volunteer Training Officer’s Handbook from Pennwell Publishing and serves on the advisory board for the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference.  He serves on the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Service Training.  The committee is responsible for well known standards, such as the NFPA 1403 and 1410 standards. 

He has served on the board of directors for the Volunteer/Combination Officer’s Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is co-author of their Red, White, Blue and Orange Ribbon Reports.  These documents provide guidance for volunteer and combination departments throughout the country.  He also serves as an instructor on their “Beyond Hoses & Helmets” Leadership Program.  This program provides leadership training around the country for volunteer and combination departments. 

Eddie has an associate’s degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in human resources management with a focus in leadership, and is seeking a master’s degree in disaster sciences.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Leadership With Attitude 

Kevin Gordon, Chief of Training

Kevin started with the Charlotte Fire Department in 1991 and was promoted to Fire Captain in 1998. Kevin has served in special assignments as a Training Officer from 1999-2002 and as a Haz-Mat Captain from 2002-2005.  He was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2005 and became the Chief of Training in 2007.  He currently serves as an elected Trustee for the Charlotte Fire Fighter’s Retirement System.

Kevin has an Associate's degree in Fire Protection Technology from CPCC and a Bachelor's degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland.  He has attended the United States Fire Administration's National Fire Academy a total of twelve times and graduated from the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) in 2005.  He has held the Chief Fire Officer Designation (CFOD) from the Center for Public Safety Excellence since 2006.

Kevin has been the Fire Chief for the Waco Community Volunteer Fire Department since 1991.  He is currently the vice-president for the Cleveland County Fire Fighter’s Association and serves as the vice-chairman to the Cleveland County Rural Fire Commission.  He also serves on the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission’s Hazardous Materials Sub-committee, the North Carolina Fire Chief’s Associations Interstate Mutual Aid System Task Force, and the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission’s Officer Development Task Force.  Kevin had the opportunity to serve as a Peer Reviewer for the Fire Act Grant Program the past several years. 

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Managing Effective Training in Fire & Rescue Services

Chief Richard K. Fagan

Chief Fagan began his fire service career following four years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps.  His 33 years of experience in the fire service include serving as a Firefighter, Paramedic/Fire Specialist, Fire Captain, Assistant Chief and Fire Division Chief.  In December of 2006, Rick retired from the Lenexa Fire Department in Lenexa, Kansas.  The Lenexa Fire Department was the first fire department in the State of Kansas to become an Internationally Accredited Agency, and currently holds a Class 2 ISO Public Protection Classification Rating. 

Chief Fagan presently serves as a Project Leader/Technical Advisor for the Center for Public Safety Excellence, specializing in Fire Accreditation Self Assessment Facilitation and Citizen-Centered Strategic Planning.  He has been an active Peer Assessor for the Commission on Fire Accreditation International over the past six years.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Strategic Planning and Goal Setting

Fire Chief Jeff Cash

Jeff Cash is the Fire Chief of the City of Cherryville (North Carolina) Fire Department.  He is a twenty-eight year veteran of the Fire Service, serving through the ranks of the fire department.  He has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Protection Technology.  He is currently completing his four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.  He also holds the Designation (CFOD) from the Commission on Chief Officer Designation. 

He is a past President of the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association.  He currently serves as the Conference/Program Coordinator for the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association.  He was the original founder of the North Carolina Gateway Project.  Chief Cash also serves as North Carolina’s State Director to the National Volunteer Fire Council, serving on the Executive and Legislative Committees.  He has also served as a North Carolina Fire Commission certified instructor for over twenty years. 

Chief Cash testified before the United States Congress on Fire Service issues in June 2003, as well as in March 2007.  He currently serves on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Committee 1021 Officer Standards and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Correlation Committee.  Chief Cash has also served as a FEMA Fire Act Grant Evaluator for the past four years. 

Chief Cash was the recipient of the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association Firefighter of the Year in 1990. He was recently named the North Carolina Association of Fire Chief’s Career Fire Chief of the Year in February 2007. 

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Management Essentials for Fire & Rescue Service

Chief Jack Abraham

Dr. Jack Abraham has been Fire Chief of the Anderson City Fire Department (SC) since December, 1999.  Prior to that assignment, he was the Director of Operations and Emergency Preparedness at Clemson University where he also served as Fire Chief for 12 years.  From 1984 until his departure from Clemson, he taught management and occupational safety at Clemson University.  Prior to coming to Clemson he was Fire Chief of the Burton Fire District in Beaufort County (SC) for three years.  He started his fire service career in the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department in 1973.

He is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Memphis where he teaches National Fire Academy Open Learning Fire Service Program courses.  He is Chairman of the Anderson County Local Emergency Planning Committee and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Anderson County Fire Service Training Facility.

Dr. Abraham earned a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Virginia Tech; a Masters Degree in Management from Webster University; and a Doctorate Degree in Vocational and Technical Education from Clemson University.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Leadership through Change and Challenge

David Ammons

David N. Ammons is Albert Coates Professor of Public Administration and Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in productivity improvement, performance measurement, and benchmarking in local government.

His research has appeared in such journals as Public Administration Review, Public Performance and Management Review, American Review of Public Administration, and State and Local Government Review.  Among his books on public sector management are Municipal Benchmarks: Assessing Local Performance and Establishing Community Standards (Sage Publications, 2001), Leading Performance Management in Local Government (ICMA, 2008), and Tools for Decision Making: A Practical Guide for Local Government, 2nd edition (CQ Press, 2009). 

Early in his career, Ammons worked in municipal government, serving in various administrative capacities in the cities of Fort Worth, Texas; Hurst, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 

Ammons earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma.  He was elected a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration in 2006 and serves as a member of the National Performance Management Advisory Commission.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Performance Measures for Fire & Rescue Services

Dr. Kristie Blevins

Kristie R. Blevins is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  She received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2004.  Her research interests include the occupational reactions of emergency responders and criminal justice employees, issues surrounding fire and burglar alarms, corrections, and crime prevention.  Her work can be found in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Criminal Justice Policy Review, American Journal of Criminal Justice, Deviant Behavior, and International Journal of Police Science and Management. 

Fire & Rescue Management Topic: Grant Opportunities: Understanding and Writing

Dave Murphy retired as Assistant Chief with the Richmond (KY) Fire Department and currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Fire and Safety Engineering Technology program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, he has earned a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology and a Master of Science in Loss Prevention and Safety. 

Dave has met the necessary requirements of the National Fire Protection Association and is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist.  He also serves as a principal technical member of NFPA 610 - Guide for Safety Operations at Motorsports Venues.  Dave was recently named as Eastern Director for the Fire Department Safety Officers Association and also serves as the Health & Safety Officer for the Harrisburg (NC) Fire Department.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Quality Leadership in Fire & Rescue Services

Jeff Kimble serves as the program coordinator for the Fire Safety Engineering Technology program and has been with the program since its inception.  Jeff completed his Bachelors degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology and Masters of Science in Industrial Training at Eastern Kentucky University. Jeff has also completed the course work on a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Kentucky and is a candidate for that degree.  Research interests include scale modeling of fires, arson and explosion investigation and juvenile fire setters

Jeff comes to UNC Charlotte with over 20 years of fire service experience.  He continues his involvement with the fire service and maintains his certifications in Virginia. He is an Instructor III with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and a Technician with Virginia's Heavy and Tactical Rescue teaching team.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Quality Leadership in Fire & Rescue Services

Dr. David Gilmore

David C. Gilmore is an industrial/organizational psychologist and has been a member of the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte since 1979, holding appointments in Psychology and the College of Business.

He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology at The Ohio State University. He taught at Illinois State University from 1974 to 1979 and at the University of Southampton, England. He has been involved in the development of new graduate programs at Illinois State and UNC-Charlotte, and has served as a graduate coordinator at UNC-Charlotte. In addition to teaching, he has consulted with many organizations on a variety of human resource issues and currently is an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership. Before starting his academic career, he was involved in the development of selection and promotion procedures for police and fire departments in Columbus, Ohio. 

Dr. Gilmore is a licensed psychologist and consults in areas of executive coaching and selection.  His research interests are in leadership, organizational politics, job design, and the employment interview. He was one of the founding members of the North Carolina Industrial/Organizational Psychologists and is a member of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology, American Psychological Society, and the Academy of Management.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: EEOC Regulations / Employee Interviews

Stephen Marks

Stephen Marks, CEM is an Assistant Coordinator with the Guilford County Office of Emergency Management in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has been involved in emergency services since 1982 with experience in Fire, EMS and HazMat operations. He began his career in emergency management in 1986 as a college intern. Steve also serves as a team leader with the Guilford County Hazardous Materials Team and volunteers as a Captain with the Summerfield Fire Department.

Steve has been a North Carolina Certified Fire Service Instructor since 1988 and is an adjunct instructor for Guilford Technical Community College and the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He specializes in emergency preparedness and response as well as hazardous weather planning. Steve is a member of the North Carolina Emergency Management Association, the International Association of Emergency Managers and the National Weather Association.

Steve received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Guilford College in 1986 and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is FEMA certified in Hazardous Weather Preparedness, Inland Hurricane Planning, the Incident Command System and Emergency Response to Terrorism Incidents.

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Planning for Major Disaster Response

Dr. Julie Hill

Julie Hill is the Director of Client Services for U.S. ISS Agency, LLC, an investigative and security consulting company located in Charlotte. She joined ISS after more than 16 years with the City of Charlotte, where she served as director of Corporate Communications before becoming the public affairs director for the CMPD.

She started her career as an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at UNC Charlotte where she established the public relations track. Her career has included various consulting opportunities for public and private sector organizations in media relations, team building, interpersonal communication, public speaking and writing. Most recently, she was selected to be a part of the team that is working with law enforcement departments across the country to implement Suspicious Activity Reporting in their respective agencies.

Julie is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston and earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Interpersonal and Public Communication from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  

Fire & Rescue Management Topic: Media Relations

Karmen Cassell Martin

Karmen Cassell Martin is a North Carolina native who serves as the Human Resources Manager for the Charlotte Fire Department.  She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (BSBA) from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) from Queens University of Charlotte.  She holds the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification and is a member of the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as well as the local Charlotte Area SHRM Chapter.  Karmen served as both a volunteer and a guest speaker for the North Carolina State SHRM Conference last year where she presented information on generational differences in the workplace.  With HR experience in both business and local government, Karmen’s responsibilities have included employment screening and selection, leadership development, coaching, performance management, benefits and safety administration, policy administration, training, and corporate wellness initiatives

Fire & Rescue Management Institute Topic: Recruiting and Retention