Recruiting, Training, and Maintaining Volunteer Fire Fighters, Third Edition

International Association of Fire Chiefs

Established in 1873, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is a powerful, professional membership organization of more than 12,600 chief fire and emergency officers. The mission of the IAFC is to provide leadership to career and volunteer chiefs, chief fire officers, and managers of emergency service organizations throughout the international community through vision, information, education, services, and representation to enhance their professionalism and capabilities. Members of the IAFC are the world’s leading experts in fire fighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation.

Jack W. Snook

Jack Snook is the President of Emergency Services Consulting, inc. (ESCi). ESCi is an international firm providing specialized and high quality fire, police, communications, and emergency medical consulting services to organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Snook has been with the company since 1976. He brings over 29 years of private and public sector experience at multiple levels. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration, and an Associates of Arts degree in Fire Science. His career ranges from being the Chief Executive Officer of a city and corporation to being the chief and administrator of one of the nation's eighty largest fire departments. He has been considered a national leader in the fire service for many years.

Mr. Snook has extensive experience in providing consulting services to clients throughout the world. Areas of expertise include management and organization reviews, cooperative service and consolidation, strategic planning, program evaluations, and risk assessment. In 1991, he signed an exclusive contract with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to present all of their cooperative effort workshops nationwide.

Recent assignments and appointments include: facilitator of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation national summit to reduce line of duty deaths in America; moderator of the nation's first symposium to bring health care officials and the fire service together to develop a model program to reduce health care facility deaths and injuries; facilitator of a national roundtable to discuss emerging codes; and facilitator of the IAFC's strategic plan (two years). Mr. Snook has key-noted over 75 conferences and conventions and has spoken at over 200 events.

Jeffrey D. Johnson

Jeffrey D. Johnson is the Fire Chief of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVF&R). He joined the Fire District in 1989 from a fire service career in Douglas County, Oregon. Chief Johnson has served as Division Chief and Assistant Chief at TVF&R before becoming Fire Chief in 1995. During his administration, TVF&R has become an accredited agency and added three additional cities and two additional fire districts to our service area, bringing the District’s resident population to over 400,000. Spanning three counties, the District is a combination department that includes over 400 career firefighters and support staff, and approximately 100 volunteers. TVF&R was recently honored with the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) top Fire Service Award for Excellence. Chief Johnson has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences Degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management and Communications, as well as Associate Degrees in Fire Science and Criminal Justice Administration. He is past President of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA), on the Board of Directors of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, Chair of the Governor’s Fire Policy Council, and a member of IFSTA’s Development & Validation Committee. He is also active in various local chambers and business associations.

Dan C. Olsen

Dan Olsen's fire service career includes serving in positions from the rank of Fire Fighter to Fire Chief.  He has worked with both career and volunteer personnel since joining the fire rescue service in 1972.  His administrative assignments have included Chief Fire Marshal for Clark County (WA), Fire Chief for the City of Milwaukee (OR), and Fire Chief for Marion County (OR), Fire District #1.  Currently, he is the Fire Chief for South Lane County (OR) Fire and Rescue.

John M. Buckman III

Chief Buckman serves as fire chief of the German Township Volunteer Fire Department in Evansville, IN, and is past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. In 2001, he received the designation Chief Officer from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Chief Buchman graduated from the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in 1988. President George W. Bush appointed Chief Buckman to the Department of Homeland Security State, Tribal, and Local Advisory Group. In 2000 he was appointed to the America Burning Revisited Commission by President William J. Clinto. In 1995, Fire Chief magazine named Chief Buckman Fire Chief of the Year. He has authored over 70 articles and presented at a variety of conference in all 50 states as well as Canada.

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