Thursday, March 12, 2026
|
| Time |
Accreditation 101 |
Advanced Accreditation |
Credentialing |
Community Risk Reduction |
Health and Safety |
Innovation Through Technology |
Leadership and Management |
| 8:00 am to 3:45 pm |
Registration and Information Desk Open
|
| 8:30 to 9:30 am |
Strategic Planning: Fact and Fiction
(David Farnum, CFO) |
If it Ain’t Broke: How to Navigate Legacy Processes as the New Accreditation Manager
(Kathryn Boyle) |
Roadmap to CTO: Professional Development for the Fire Service Instructor
(Brad French, CTO)
|
Deploying and Defending Data-Informed CRR Programs
(Jessica LeBlanc, FESA and Karen Kovach) |
Igniting Change – Reimagining the IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative
(Dave Frost and Grady Valencis) |
|
From Tasks to Vision: Transitioning into Fire Service Leadership
(Kevin Sims, FO) |
| 9:30 – 9:45 am |
Break |
| 9:45 – 10:45am |
So You Say Your Fire Department is Good…
(Randy Reeder) |
Bruegman Award Recipient |
From Overwhelmed to Outstanding: Conquering the FESA Application
(Jessica Handoko Nelson, FESA) |
Building Readiness for CRR Success
(Karen Berard-Reed and Landon Churchill, CEMSO, CFO, CTO) |
Normalization of Deviance: Too Close to Home (Part 2)
(Grant Tinker, CTO, FO) |
One-Two Person Data Powerhouse
(Henry Charles and Melissa Heiderman, FESAA) |
Let’s Do Crazy Stuff, Chief: Leading Change with Creativity, Flexibility, and Firefighter Energy
(Rick Casler) |
| 10:45 – 11:00 am |
Break |
| 11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
Preparing for a CFAI Site Visit
(Rich Merrell, FO) |
Effective Response Force: Are We Measuring What We Think We’re Measuring?
(Blake Boyd and Kathryn Boyle) |
Navigating the New Application
(Mike Higgins, CEMSO, CFO, CTO and Ben Stone, CEMSO, CFO) |
March Metrics: Data-Informed Decisions for Final Four Preparedness
(Chelsea Rubadou and Neil Meade) |
Raising the Standard: Enhancing Occupational Health Programs to Detect for Life-Threatening Risks
(Brian Edmonton, CEMSO, CFO and John Bulter, CEMSO, CFO, CTO, FM) |
Tropical Storm Helene Response. Leveraging Drone Technology in Emergency Operations
(Wayne Bailey, CFO) |
Mission, Vision, & Values – Are They Just Words to You?
(Daniel Curia, CFO and David Griffin, CFO, CTO) |
| 12:00 – 1:15 pm |
Lunch
|
| 1:15 – 2:15 pm |
Peer Assessor Panel
(Steve Olson, CFO Facilitator) |
|
Credentialing the Modern PIO: What Chiefs Need to Know, What PIOs Need to Do
(Ashley McDonald, PIO) |
WIN in the WUI: Work Together – Innovate – Next Level Sustainability
(Vince Anderson, FM and Melissa Mokry) |
Seeing the Elephant: A Fire Chief’s Guide to Performing Under Stress
(Thomas Dunne) |
|
Navigating Uncertainty: Futureproofing the Fire Service
(Salvatore Scarpa, CFO) |
| 2:15 – 2:30 pm |
Break
|
| 2:30 – 3:30 pm |
All Hands Available, all Hands Needed: What I wish I Knew Before Becoming an Accreditation Manager
(David Hoppe, CFO, CTO, FO) |
|
Ethics in Credentialing
(Ben Stone, CEMSO, CFO) |
Risk, Resilience, and Reform: Calgary’s Evolving Approach to Community Safety
(Mary Kupchenko Hill and Christopher Koch) |
Stuck in the Replay: Healing the Mind After a Traumatic Incident
(Elizabeth Bednarcik) |
|
Public Policy Advocacy: The Role of the Fire Service Leader
(Bob Horton, CFO and John Butler, CEMSO, CFO, CTO, FM) |
| 3:30 – 3:45 pm |
Break
|
| 3:45 – 4:30 pm |
Case Study on 3-Axis Risk Analysis
(Xavier Anderson and Rochelle Ortolano) |
Hiring 101: Code to Building the Best Team
(John Morrison, CFO, FESA and Travis Preau) |
Designation in Prevention: Why Fire Marshal Credentialing Matters
(Tom Maloney, CFO, FM) |
Numbers, Noncompliance and Nonsense: A Fire Marshal’s Reality Check
(Christian Sliker, FM) |
When Plan A Fails
(Matthew Jacoby, CFO) |
|
Internal Communications: Keeping Staff Informed and Engaged
(Dawn Small, PIO and Tara Cardorso) |
