Empowering Firefighters

ized, award-winning Fire and Safety Executive with more than 44 years of leadership experience in one of America’s top cities and Non-profit organizations. Dr. Fonseca, or Manny as he likes to be called, has a proven record of envisioning and leading innovative life safety, emergency planning, and response programs.
Throughout his tenure in the fire service, Dr. Fonseca has aligned strategic goals and driven tangible results through quantifiable performance metrics. His leadership has led to the creation of life and fire safety programs that significantly reduced life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies. His advocacy, coordination, and support have made a substantial difference in our community. He has also demonstrated his ability to build solid intergovernmental, professional, academic, and community networks, showcasing his media savvy with multiple on-camera and print interviews.
Another part of his attributes is that he is a published author with numerous articles delineated on a national level. He has used technical, interpersonal, and outreach skills to support programs that promote strategic and operational plans and policies. Moreover, he is an active professional and community leader, and he has been appointed and elected to leadership positions at the National Fire Academy, Fire Corps, and National Association of Hispanic Firefighters.  Manny also received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush at a White House Ceremony.
Manny is a leader and a beacon of inspiration for the next generation. He is committed to mentoring and guiding the next generation of leaders, setting the example for lifelong learning. He is Bilingual and bi-cultural in English/Spanish (speaking, reading, and writing) and has delivered lectures to crowds on many subjects, including diversity, leadership, mentoring, and cultural biases.
Dr. Fonseca’s academic achievements are a testament to his dedication and thirst for knowledge. He holds a Doctorate in Education, a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master’s in Management and Leadership, a Master’s in Educational Administration, and a bachelor’s and two associates. He is currently enrolled in the Juris Master’s Program at Florida State University College of Law and is writing a new book on leadership. Manny is married and has three beautiful daughters from a previous marriage. 

John M. Buckman III served as a German Township Fire Chief managing volunteers for 35 years. He is most proud of the title “pawpaw.” Leslie his wife has spent 29 years together. He currently serves as Education Coordinator for the International Association of Fire Chief Volunteer and Combination Officers Section. He is the Director of Government and Regional Outreach for IamResponding. He served as the Indiana Fire Academy Director for 15 years. He served as President of the International Association of Fire Chief in 2001-2002.

He has authored over 150 articles in various publications. In 1996 he was selected by Fire Chief Magazine as Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. He has published 4 books and 7 photography books. He received the Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Meritorious Service Award. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022 he received the Jimmy Seavey Health and Wellness award presented by the NVFC. and the Presidents Award from the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.

He was one of the founders of the Volunteer and Combination Officer Section (VCOS) and the National Fire Academy Alumni Association. He has contributed to several “ribbon reports” published by the VCOS. He was asked to be one of the editors for the original Lavender Ribbon Report published by the VCOS and NVFC in 2019. In 2021 he along with Brian McQueen spearheaded the update for the Lavender Ribbon Report. He is a principal author of the Yellow Ribbon Report and the updated updated Training Volunteers white paper published by the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.