The First Person They Are Hiring Is the Fire Chief

Norvin Collins served as chief of the department for 15 years of two separate combination fire departments in Oregon and Washington and over three and a half decades in public safety. He previously served as firefighter/paramedic, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, and division chief at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Oregon’s second-largest fire department. Chief Collins has held various leadership and operational positions as part of a FEMA NIMS ICS response system.

Chief Collins presents nationally on a variety of leadership and development topics including recruitment and retention, critical thinking, and leading with an understanding of individual and organizational personalities. A consultant for organizational development, strategic planning, and leadership, Chief Collins serves in various roles for the VCOS Symposium in the Sun, Summit on Combination and Volunteer Department Future Development, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Tampa II, the 10-year review of the 16 life safety initiatives.

Chief Collins is a doctoral candidate focusing on the utilization of crisis canines for mental fortitude. He holds a master’s in psychology with a specialization in organizational leader development, a bachelor’s in fire service administration, and executive fire officer credentials through the National Fire Academy. He holds numerous fire operations certifications and has published papers on various fire service topics as well as an article on the application of survey data in critical decision-making and on mental wellness awareness in public safety.

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.