John Oates

John is the President and CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute, the fire service’s leader in data and analytics. As CEO, he is responsible for the growth, adoption, and continuous improvement of the NFORS Analytics, Exposure Tracker, and FireCARES programs.

Prior to being appointed I-PSDI CEO in November 2021, John served as Chief of the East Hartford, Connecticut Fire Department for 13 years. Prior to that, he served in West Hartford, CT for 20 years, reaching the rank of Battalion Chief.  John has a BS from Franklin Pierce University, a MS from Oklahoma State University, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, and holds numerous professional certifications. He has been an Advocate for the NFFF’s Everyone Goes Home Program since the inception of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.

He serves at the First Responder Center for Excellence as a member of the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. Chief Oates serves as a member of the NFPA 3000 Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Technical Committee and the Technical Committee for Safety at Motorsports Venues (NFPA 610) where he served as Chairman from 2005 until 2016.