Why Do We Keep Injuring and Killing Firefighters?

Brian P. Kazmierzak, EFO, CTO is the Deputy Director of Fire Services for the Benton Harbor (MI) Department of Public Safety, where he has served since 2020. Brian has a bachelor’s degree in fire service administration from Southern Illinois University and serves as the Director of Operations for www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com. Brian received the 2006 F.O.O.L.S. International Dana Hannon Instructor of the Year Award, the 2008 Indiana Fire Chiefs Training Officer of the Year Award, and the 2011 ISFSI/FDIC George D. Post Fire Instructor Award. In addition, Brian completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program in 2006 and is a certified Michigan Professional Emergency Manager. Brian was on the UL FSRI PPV Research Study Basement Fire Tactics Study panels. Brian has been a student of the fire service since 1991 and has taught and consulted for small departments as well as metro-sized departments. Brian serves as a Lead Instructor and Curriculum Developer for numerous ISFSI programs.

The Art of Simulation
Rules of Simulation-based Training
Types of Simulations
Simulation Software
Successful Simulation-based Programs

Chief Billy Goldfeder, EFO, a firefighter since 1973, serves as a Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in S.W. Ohio. LSFD is an ISO Class 1, fire & EMS accredited full service advanced life support department providing a full range of traditional and non-traditional emergency & community services. A Chief Fire Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Fire Protection Engineering representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer, starting with the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department, on Long Island, NY.
A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Volunteer & Combination Fire Officers Comm.  In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of FDNY and is a current member of the Board of Directors of: The International Association of Fire Chiefs-Safety Health & Survival, the September 11th Families Association, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and is a subject matter expert for the Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.
Goldfeder is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions including the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003 and 2010, the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Service Instructors-Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004, the Dana Hannon Fire Service Training Award for 2004,  the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Chiefs Presidential Exemplary Service Award for 2005, 2013 and 2022, the 2007 (IFSTA) Int’l Fire Service Training Associations Everett E. Hudiburg Memorial Award for Firefighter Training Excellence, the 2007 Nassau County (N.Y.) Frances X. Pendl Fire Service Humanitarian Award, the 2008 Firefighter Cancer Support Network Dallas Jones Memorial Award and in 2008, the annual “Chief Billy Goldfeder Fire Service Organizational Safety Award” was named and created through the IAFC and is co-sponsored by VFIS. In 2015, Goldfeder was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Loveland City Council and the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department. In 2018, Goldfeder was the recipient of the FDIC International/Fire Engineering Chief Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2019 he received The Pennington School Alumni Achievement Award and in 2021, Chief Goldfeder was the recipient of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award.
Chief Goldfeder completed a 6 year term limit as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CPSE) and he serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING and FIREHOUSE® Magazines (including several regional fire publications) as well as a news editorial columnist for FireRescue1, Fire Engineering and Firehouse. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as fire service risk management, leading combination FD’s, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design/deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly columns “Close Calls” appears in FIREHOUSE® Magazine and the “Fired Up!” along with the “What’s Your Problem?” video series appear in Lexipol’s FireRescue1.
Chief Goldfeder has served on several NFPA and IAFC Committees, was Chair of the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival Section and also serves on the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force Board (IAFC). He is and has been an instructor at all national and North American fire service training conferences including Fire-Rescue International, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, the FDNY Fire Officers Management Institute (FOMI) and at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), where he has instructed for the past 40 years as well as serving as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board.
His best-selling book “PASS IT ON…What We Know-What We Want You To Know” is a compilation of stories from 100 fire service contributors sharing their life experiences. 100% of Goldfeder’s royalties are being donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Chief Ray Downey Scholarship Fund. In the Spring of 2016, his second book, “Pass it On…The 2nd Alarm” was published by Pennwell/Fire Engineering, adding the Firefighter Cancer Support Network to the above two charities to benefit from the sales. And in the Spring of 2020, the final book in the series, Pass It On-Making Good Progress was published, again with over 100 more contributors, with all proceeds going to the above three fire service charities. All three books are consistent best sellers within the fire service professional publishing field. He is currently working on his 4th book which will be a tactical focus on historical firefighter survival for current firefighters.
Chief Goldfeder serves as a senior advisor for fire, at Lexipol and he has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a single focus on firefighter safety and survival. His work includes leading and/or participating in numerous critical firefighter injuries or related close call investigations.
Chief Goldfeder, along with Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, and attorney, hosts and sponsors the website: www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com, a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only one focus:  Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home. In 2022, Billy also created www.40plusfire.com, a website focused on firefighters & prostate cancer following his own experience with that disease.
Married to his wife Teri, and while all the above is cool, by far his greatest source of love and pride are his 5 kids and especially his 6 grandkids, also known as  “The 6 Pack”

"Jesse Marcotte
Senior Training and Education Coordinator
Jesse Marcotte is a part-time senior education and training coordinator for the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), a part of UL Research Institutes, joining the team in 2023. Jesse is also the Training Chief for the Northville Township (MI) Fire Department, where he has served since 2002. He is passionate about taking an innovative approach to training and continuing education. Jesse specializes in instructor development and has presented at various state and national conferences. Jesse emphasizes building construction, fire dynamics, and evidence-based firefighting tactics. He also served as a member of the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) Training Advisory Committee (TAC). He is an active member of the ISFSI and currently serves on the ISFSI Board of Directors. His involvement with the ISFSI also includes serving as a lead instructor for various programs that are delivered nationally. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Siena Heights University and a Master of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University. Jesse is also a graduate of Eastern Michigan University’s Fire Staff & Command School."

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.