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John Oates is the CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute. Prior to being appointed as CEO, he served as chief of the East Hartford (Connecticut) Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree from Franklin Pierce University, a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, and holds numerous professional certifications. Chief Oates is a longtime contributor to the NFFF’s Everyone Goes Home Program, and serves as a member of the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee created by the First Responder Center for Excellence, an NFFF affiliated organization. Oates serves as a member of the technical committees for NFPA 3000: Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response and NFPA 610: Guide for Emergency and Safety Operations at Motorsports Venues.

David Baker is senior manager of content marketing at Lexipol. Besides writing and editing content for the Cordico and Lexipol blogs, he is an avid road racer and trail runner. David completed six marathons and seven half marathons in 2022, including the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon. He also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon in “highland dress” (kilt, dress sporran, and formal Prince Charlie jacket). He lives, trains and works in southern Utah. David is the proud father of a police officer son.

Jason Fuller is a former battalion chief for a municipal fire department in Southeastern North Carolina. Surpassing 15 years of service in the fire and EMS professions, Jason is an experienced instructor and provider. Jason seeks to use his passion for the field of EMS to impact change in agencies across the nation as a public safety consultant. He accomplishes this by helping fire and EMS departments communicate with their communities and stakeholders, while encouraging growth in our field’s educational standards. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Melodie Kolmetz, MPAS, PA-C, EMT-P, CP-C, is a physician assistant and paramedic in the Rochester, New York area. She has been an EMS provider for over 30 years and a PA for over 25 years. She attended the Rochester Institute of Technology PA program where she received her BS in Physician Assistant Studies, Monroe Community College where she received an AAS in Paramedicine, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she received a Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies with a Concentration in Education. She is currently a doctoral student in the Curriculum, Instruction and Science of Learning Program at the University at Buffalo. She works as a physician assistant in geriatrics and occupational health and as adjunct faculty in Emergency Medical Services at Monroe Community College. She serves as a New York State Certified Instructor Coordinator and EMS Regional Faculty Member.

Chief Donna Black, EFO, CFO is the fire chief of the Duck Fire Department in North Carolina and president and board chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).

Gary Krichbaum is the managing director for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the deputy incident commander for the NFFF Memorial Weekend. He is a retired assistant fire chief from the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Fire/EMS Department. Krichbaum holds a master’s degree in emergency and disaster management and is a certified Chief Fire Officer from the Center for Public Safety Excellence

Mark Brady has served as a contract instructor for the FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) since 2012, facilitating PIO courses including Public Information Basics, All Hazards-Position Specific PIO, Advanced PIO and Integrated Emergency Management courses. Brady also serves as a spokesperson and PIO for the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation (YLD), a nonprofit organization providing monetary awards and scholarships to members of the fire/EMS service and the military. Brady previously worked for the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Fire/EMS Department for 40 years, acting as the department’s chief spokesperson and PIO for 27 of those years. Brady continues to serve as the PIO for the Branchville Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Squad in College Park, Maryland, where he is a Life Member. Connect with Brady on Twitter.

Rudy Ruiz, MBA, EFO, CFO, is the co-lead for the IAFC’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program (iDELP). Chief Ruiz began his fire service career in 1991 and recently retired as the fire chief in Perrysburg, Ohio. Ruiz is a “first class” graduate of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). He earned his MBA in public administration, completed the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program (EFO), and was designated through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO). Ruiz has served as chair of the Professional Development Committee for the IAFC and has been a guest speaker for several national conferences.

For more than 30 years, Ted Aroesty has been a volunteer for the Brighton Fire Department, serving as chief from 2003 to 2005. For the past 15-plus years, Aroesty has also served as executive director, responsible for the day-to-day administrative operations of the Brighton Fire District, working in conjunction with the fire chief to ensure that every aspect of their fire and EMS response is ready to meet the needs of the community.

Tim Sendelbach is fire chief for Loveland Fire Rescue Authority. Sendelbach previously served as vice president/chief of public safety operations for Bobit Business Media, the parent company of iFIRE International. He also served as the editor-in-chief and conference director for Firehouse, overseeing the content and editorial direction of Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse.com, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World and related products. Sendelbach is a past-president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI). He has served as an assistant fire chief with the Kingman (Arizona) Fire Department, the North Las Vegas (Nevada) Fire Department and Missouri City (Texas) Fire & Rescue Services, and as the chief of training for Savannah (Georgia) Fire & Emergency Services.