Program Description:
This no nonsense candid conversation discusses real issues plaguing fire service organizations along with tactics on how to improve leadership, communications, morale, and performance. No matter your rank or time on the job each attendee will walk fired up!
Biography:
Dr Candace Ashby has over 35 years of career firefighting experience and is currently a Battalion Chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department. Her educational background includes a Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership. She is President of Key Fire Investigations and ELITE Public Safety Consulting.
Program Description:
Biography:
Program Description:
This program will provide insights on revitalizing fire service departments. It will cover establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), developing Community Risk Assessments and Master Fire Plans, addressing recruitment and retention challenges, boosting departmental morale, and responsibly managing equipment and capital assets. The session aims to equip attendees with strategies for leading through transition, building resilient teams, and ensuring long-term success.
Biography:
Chief Blakney has over 35 years of experience in the fire service. He served with Kingston Fire and Rescue for 15 years as a volunteer firefighter and officer and 18 years as a Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Plans Examiner, Building Code Official and Public Education Officer. He also held the position of Director for the Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association for four years. In this role he had extensive interaction with the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Health Canada and over 230-member Fire Departments across Ontario.
Del has an extensive background in Commercial Real Estate Management as the former National Director of Operations for the Cadillac Fairview Corporation. Del has a Fire Prevention Officer Diploma, Company Officer Certifications and an extensive list of Fire College certifications.
This presentation will highlight the current trends and data surrounding firefighter suicide, with an emphasis on awareness and prevention strategies. Fire chiefs will gain practical, actionable insights on how to identify suicide risks among personnel and address concerns effectively—ensuring the privacy, dignity, and well-being of each firefighter while also fulfilling the needs of the department and the public. Additionally, the session will explore both organizational and individual resilience factors, providing fire chiefs with the tools to foster a supportive, suicide-resistant culture within their workforce.
Biography:
Dr. Celesta Taylor is a licensed clinical-forensic psychologist with the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS. Her areas of expertise include forensic psychological evaluations, resilience, crisis intervention, and trauma-related issues. Dr. Taylor provides numerous services in her current role including pre-employment psychological evaluations, therapeutic support and intervention for Austin public safety personnel and their family members, crisis negotiation and intervention, research, training, and consultation on issues or topics that require psychological expertise. Dr. Taylor previously worked as the psychological services manager for the Texas Department of Public Safety serving Texas Rangers, Criminal Investigations, Highway Patrol, and other divisions of the Texas state police. Prior to her career as a psychologist, Dr. Taylor served as active-duty U.S. Coast Guard wherein she conducted search and rescue missions, drug and migrant interdiction, and maritime law enforcement operations.
Program Description:
This program explores the intersection of public safety and behavioral health, focusing on the “iCare. Model” of leadership. It emphasizes the importance of personal wellness for public safety leaders in managing critical incident stress, mental health crises, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation within their teams. The session will bridge the gap between compassionate leadership science and real-world challenges, offering an evidence-based framework for building trust, de-escalating conflict, and fostering positive organizational cultures. Through interactive elements, real-world scenarios, and multimedia, participants will gain practical tools to empower first responders and create healthier communities.
Biography:
Dr. Kane Nixon is an emerging thought leader who helps public and private industry leaders enhance their work culture by fostering employee resilience. Kane travels around the United States, speaking about leadership and wellness. Kane is the Deputy Chief of Planning, Health, Safety, and Wellness for the Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (AFMA). Kane has been in the fire service since 2001 and with AFMA since 2006. Kane is also an Adjunct Faculty member at Northern Arizona University and the Director of Firefighter Fitness and Conditioning at Glendale Community College. Kane is a Certified Public Manager and holds three associate degrees, a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and public Administration, a master’s degree in educational psychology, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, all from Northern Arizona University.
Kane has a passion for serving others and does so as the Chair of the Fire & EMS Scholars Alliance of Science to the Station, aka The Science Alliance: a community of scientists, health care, and fire service professionals dedicated to providing critical information needed to improve the safety and health of firefighters and other first responders. Kane is currently the Arizona State Lead Advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Everyone Goes Home Program and District Representative for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
Program Description:
Biography:
Chief Jim Petrik has been in the fire service for 26 years and is the Fire Chief for the Guelph Eramosa Fire Department, which is a progressive volunteer department providing medical, rescue, and fire suppression responses to our community. Chief Petrik sits on the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Cancer Committee and chairs the CAFC Science and Technology Committee. He is also a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph, where he runs a cancer research laboratory. Chief Petrik has been a cancer researcher for 25 years and works on the discovery of novel therapies for the treatment of advanced stage cancers. He also conducts research on firefighter cancers, focusing on cancer susceptibility and barriers encountered by firefighters in protecting against exposures to toxic compounds.
Program Description:
The Columbine High School shooting occurred over 25 years ago. Since, the fire service has continued to progress as part of the multi-agency response required to mitigate such catastrophic incidents. However, nationally, we continue to see the same challenges and obstacles posed to response agencies which delay response, impact patient care and simply create confusion. This presentation addresses the evolving threat, everyday scene safety, “what a successful AVI response looks like” (regardless of agency size), the establishment of benchmarks, practical tips to reduce complexity while improving safety and decreasing morbidity and mortality.
Biography:
Deputy Chief Chris Heppel brings over 38 years of public service experience, including 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and 18 years in fire and EMS. His expertise in Active Violent Incident (AVI) response combines operational experience from Air Force combat rescue missions with direct response in the fire service.
In 2014, he developed the High Threat Tactics, Techniques, and Treatments (HT4) course, which has trained thousands of first responders across Oregon in AVI response. Heppel has served in key leadership and planning roles during major events, including as EMS, Fire, and Hazmat Branch Director for the 2022 World Athletics Championships and the 2021 and 2024 U.S.
Olympic Trials.
He has presented at national forums such as the ALERRT Conference and FEMA’s Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS). He also served on the Oregon Governor-appointed Task Force on School Safety. Deputy Chief Heppel currently serves as Vice Chair of the Oregon Board on Public Safety Standards and Training and is the Planning Section Chief (Blue Team) for the Oregon State Fire Marshal Type 2 Incident Management Team. He is a National Fire Academy instructor in EMS, incident command, and leadership programs, a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program,
a designated Chief Emergency Medical Services Officer, and the 2024 Past President of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association.
Program Description:
A Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Response Team offers a compassionate, community-based solution to the rising number of 911 calls related to behavioral health, substance use, and other non-emergent needs. By integrating paramedics, mental health professionals, and social advocates, MIH programs deliver timely care while easing the burden on traditional emergency services. These teams can triage calls from the 911 center, respond on scene, and build long-term support plans for individuals in need.
MIH programs are modular and adaptable, allowing communities to tailor services to local needs. They improve outcomes by addressing root causes, reduce unnecessary emergency responses, and foster collaboration across public safety and healthcare sectors. Learn how to identify funding sources, engage community partners, and assess local needs. We’ll also explore lessons learned and common roadblocks to help ensure your program’s success.
Biography:
Fire Chief Richard A. Kelley has led the Oklahoma City Fire Department since September of 2017. A member of the department since 1991, Chief Kelley promoted through the ranks in the Fire Operations division having held positions as Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Special Operations Coordinator, Technical Rescue Station Officer, and Battalion Chief of two distinct fire districts. Chief Kelley then promoted to Deputy Chief of Support services before becoming Deputy Chief of Operations in 2015.
Chief Kelley holds numerous licenses and certifications; Fire Instructor Level II, Emergency Medical Technician, Rescue Technician, Dive Team member, and Oklahoma Task Force I Task Force Leader.
Additionally, Chief Kelley spent a decade as an adjunct instructor for the Eastern Oklahoma County Vo-Tech Fire Training Academy where he had the opportunity to train and mentor future fire service personnel. Chief Kelley has been the recipient of numerous awards, and he holds a degree in Municipal Fire Protection from Oklahoma State University. He also completed the Oklahoma Executive Fire Officer Leadership Program in 2015.
With a servant’s heart, an unwavering dedication, and an insatiable desire to make his department the best it can possibly be, Chief Kelley resolutely propels the Oklahoma City Fire Department forward.
