On January 7, 2013, CPSE welcomed a new member of the national staff – Karl E. Ristow, CFO, as Interim CFAI Program Manager. Karl is the former fire chief of St. John’s Fire District in Johns Island, South Carolina. He is an experienced peer reviewer for the Commission on Professional Credentialing.
Prior to becoming chief in John’s Island, Karl served as a Training Specialist for the South Carolina Fire Academy and volunteered as a firefighter in Camden, SC Fire Department. He earned his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina and his Masters in Public Administration from University of Phoenix.
Karl is a retired United States Air Force Fire Protection Supervisor and was a Master Instructor at the Department of Defense Fire School. Meet Karl Ristow at the Excellence Conference in March.
The 2013 CPSE Excellence Conference offers a little something for nearly everyone in fire and rescue services. With 28 outstanding conference sessions on a variety of topics including leadership challenges, accreditation issues, tips for securing your professional credentials, and much more, you have an opportunity to learn from the leading minds in fire and emergency services. This year’s event takes place at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada, March 4-7.
Each day features a stimulating keynote presentation:
- On Monday, March 4, Ernest (Ernie) Mitchell opens the conference with a rousing view of emergency services from the perspective of the U.S. Fire Administration.
- On Tuesday, March 5, Dr. Larry Iverson open the day with “Managing the Rapids of Change and Transition for Public Safety Excellence,” with practical tips on managing change and upheaval in fire departments.
- On Wednesday, March 6, Marc Revere, CFO, shares his insight with the “Power of Five,” five easy-to-remember leadership principles, models, statements, books and quotes gets the program started.
- Finally, on Thursaday, March 7, Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendant of the National Fire Academy, who will share his insight on the fire and emergency profession.
Throughout the conference, attendees will enjoy ample time to network with colleagues and share experiences with some of the leaders in agency accreditation, officer credentialing, technical and management issues and much more. Combine this with social events including a fundraising reception on behalf of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and you have a full week of activities.
This year’s Excellence Conference offers a new feature: we’ll introduce the Excellence Conference mobile app for your iPads, iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys, etc. with critical info about the conference, speaker bios, conference updates, social events and much more. Details on how to access the mobile app will be released prior to the opening of the conference.
Register for the conference today and then contact the Green Valley Ranch to reserve your room. Our room block (with our pre-negotiated conference rates) expires on January 31. So, act today! REGISTER
Plan to come to arrive in Henderson a day early and attend the Brunacini Leadership Seminar on Sunday, March 3. Alan Brunacini of the Brunacini Fire-Rescue Leadership Institute, one of the icons of excellence in the fire service, will conduct a one-day seminar. Come and share the challenges your and your department are facing. Separate registration is required. REGISTER HERE
Special thanks to this year’s sponsors of the Excellence Conference (as of January 15, 2013)
- Vinelight Business Intelligence
- FireHouse Software
- Emergency Reporting
- International Association of Firefighters
- Columbia Southern University